The Wrath of Tom Brady

Haz Bey

Tom Brady's performance last Monday Night was absolutely amazing.  He had me literally screaming at the T.V.  Not because I was so excited to see him put up "God-like" numbers, but because he caused me to have my first loss in fantasy football this season.  I was playing in my money league against my friend Kyle and I had a commanding lead on him.  I called his cell midway through the 4 o'clock games last Sunday to talk trash.  I told him "Tom Brady would have to have the game of his life to beat me."  Now, me saying this to him must have angered the "Sport Karma Gods", because it would have been virtually impossible for Tom Brady to make up the huge deficit that my friend Kyle was facing.  Tom Brady has always struggled to beat the Dolphins in Miami only going 4-5 in his trips to South Beach in his career.  So I had no doubt that my week was won and it was on the next 1.  Wrong, wrong! Somehow a higher being gave Tom Brady the power to tap in to his inner quarterback and display a performance of a lifetime.  Much like Mike Vick's Monday night in D.C. last year and Brett Favre's memorable performance in Oakland a many years back, Tom played the quarterback position as if he was man amongst boys.  Just about every throw was on the money.  Every time he called a run it seemed to pick up 8 yards plus, then he would hit one of his targets for big gains down the field.  He looked like Peyton Manning out there running that offense up and down the field leaving the Miami defenders gasping for air.  517 yards passing.  Did you read that right? 517 yards passing.  He also threw for 4 tds and a fluke interception.  Nothing killed my spirits more than seeing Tom Brady in shot-gun formation from the 1 yard line with an empty backfield and seeing the formation that Miami was in knowing that they can easily get beat if Tom recognizes it.  Oh he did in a big way and when Tom let the ball in the air, I seen a safety for the Dolphins try to jump the route as if Tom didn't get enough air on the ball instead of playing back not allowing Wes Welker to receive the pass.  Then Wes gets the ball runs right threw a lame attempt at a tackle and runs up the sidelines for a 99 1/2 yard score.  I was yelling "NOOOOOOOO!" as the ball left Tom's hand all the way until Wes scored.  Tom Brady did it.  He made up the huge deficit I had on my friend Kyle causing him to beat me in fantasy in by only 4 points.  I had been humbled by Tom Brady.  It was full circle.  I said he couldn't do it and he proved me wrong.  He personally snatched victory right from my hands.  Much like his early career Tom had to prove people wrong that doubted him and 3 Super Bowl rings later what do they have to say about him now.  Nothing and that what I have to say about him, nothing.  You know though, let me say this.  Tom Brady is the best quarterback I have ever seen, seriously and I didn't need last Monday night's game realize that.  That is just what I have seen from him over his entire career and if you want to bet against him, be my guest, but more times than not he will prove you wrong.  That's just what he does, period.

Who Can Stop the Phillies



Smoking Aces

Blog by Haz Bey
The Philadelphia Phillies are on a mission.  They are tearing up the league and are taking no prisoners.  The Braves recently came into Philadelphia for a series down 7.5 games in the NL East with an opportunity to cut the lead all the way down 4.5 games, which would have gave the young Braves all the confidence in the world to make a serious run at the NL East crown.  Let's just say that did not happen.  The Phillies swept the Braves, then took 3 out of 4 from the Brewers in Milwaukee while the Braves struggled to keep up.  With the Phillies clinching a playoff spot last night with their win in Houston on a 1-0 shutout by "Doc" Halladay, their lead in the NL East is at 11 games.  The Atlanta Braves do not have a shot to make up enough ground at this point, so the Phillies will win their fifth straight NL East title. 

The Core

No team in the National League competing for a playoff spot currently has what it takes to beat the Phillies in a playoff series.  The team that could slow them down though, the defending Champion Giants are on the outside looking in.  They have the pitching to frustrate the Phillies' hitters and the ball park that the Phillies historically do not perform well in.  Let's not forget that they beat Phillies to get to the World Series last year, but the Giants lack of offense has kept them out of contention this season. 





Will they do it again?

The Phillies pitching staff is as scary as they come.  Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Worley & Oswalt are just too much to handle on a nightly basis.  No matter when a team faces the Phillies they do not get a break with their rotation.  Then there is the Phillies hitting.  Rollins, Polanco, Utley, Howard, Pence, Victorino, Ibanez, Ruiz & Mayberry off the bench.  The Phillies are balanced and stacked all at the same time.  The core of this team has already won 1 World Series title and won 2 National League titles, so winning it all is already in their DNA.  With younger teams like The Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers rising, winning now is top priority.  At this point I don't know who can stop the Phillies, but the playoffs are all about who is playing their best ball at that particular time and if one of these other teams catch fire and are not intimidated by Philadelphia, we might be in for some great baseball come October.

Killa Cam

                    

Killa Cam's first rushing touchdown

Blog  by Haz Bey
Cam Newton was amazing in his NFL debut.  The rookie threw for 422 yards with 3 touchdowns (2 passes, 1 run).  Cam only threw 1 pick early in the third quarter.  All in all a historic performance which will be remembered for a longtime.  Cam's play resurrected the career of former pro-bowler Steve Smith who was on his NFL "Death-Bed" playing with underachieving quarterbacks his last few years in Carolina.  Steve Smith was the best wide out of the league in week 1 with Cam throwing him the ball. 

Killa Cam's laughing at the critics

"Killa Cam" has a swagger to him that most rookies don't have.  He expected to win his first game, he expected to complete his passes, he expected to make plays.  So much confidence, so much potential, so much to look forward to.  I couldn't believe what I was watching on Sunday.  I found myself rooting for the man on every play, because he even made me feel that something special was going to happen.  If you watched the highlights from week 1 on the NFL season when they show the Panthers vs Cardinals highlights, they only show Carolina's plays even though they lost the game.  Cam's effect on that game made it unimportant on who actually won the game.  It was Cam's performance that people was concerned about, not how Kevin Kolb did in his first game as a Cardinal.  Does anyone remember how well Kevin Kolb played?  Probably not.  

Cam Newton is going to have some up and downs this season.  As well as he played against Arizona in week 1, he has bigger fish to fry in week 2.  The defending Champion Packers roll into town for a visit and it will not be easy for Cam like it was in week 1, but he will be playing at home for the first time.  There will be a buzz in that stadium that hasn't been felt in a long time and the fans of the Carolina Panthers can thank Cam Newton for it.  He made their franchise relevant again and if Cam can stay healthy, that buzz will stay around for a long time.

The NFL is Back & in a Big Way

Birds sign Namdi



Blog by Haz Bey

With the lockout finally at an end, big moves have been made with big names in new places.  Reggie Bush has took his talents to South Beach, Chad Ochocinco & Albert Haynesworth have joined Tom Brady in New England, Donovan McNabb has found new life with Vikings & Matt Hasselbeck is now a Titan.  I mean I am just scratching the surface on all the moves that actually went since the NFL & the players have reached an agreement to end the lockout.  But there is one team in the league that has acted completely out of character this "short" offseason... That team is the Philadelphia Eagles. 

The "Vick" Effect

The Eagles have the most exciting & probally the most popular football player is quite a while in quarterback Michael Vick.  His pressence alone has attracted the likes of "shutdown corner" Namdi Asomugha, "pass rusher" Jason Babin, "wildcat extraordinaire" Ronnie Brown, "Super Bowl Champ" Cullen Jenkins & lets not forget how Vick with his play made it possible to ship disappointing quarterback  Kevin Kolb to Arizona for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

The Eagles have not brought in so many pro bowl players since the offseason of 2004 when they brought in Terrell Owens, Jovon Kerse & Jeremiah Trotter.  That resulted in a collision course with the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.  Should we be shocked if that is the match-up in this season's Super Bowl?  Absolutely not.  Now don't get me wrong, Green Bay is the team to beat, but with moves that Philly & New England have made, baring injury, these are the 2 most dangerous teams in football.  They each have elite quarterbacks, big time playmakers on offenses & both teams has upgraded their defense with All-Pro talent.

Championship Duo?

Teams like the Jets, Cardinals & Bears have also made some impactful moves to improve their teams as well.  Which means we just might have the most exciting season of football we've have in quite some time.  The NFL is back & in a big way.

NFL Lockout... 100 Days Plus

Lock-Down!!!

Blog by Haz Bey

I love football, I mean I really love football, but if this lockout doesn't end soon, the type of football we will watch once it is over will be a mere shadow of it's former self. Don't get me wrong, if we do lose games & have a shortened season, it's a million times better than having no games at all, but I, like all other Americans, are used to a certain standard of quality of play associated with the NFL.  If you have ever played competitive organized football of some sort, semi-pro or what have you, then you know that just preparing for a season takes a lot of hard work & is very time consuming.  So just imagine preparing for an NFL season.  The Super Bowl ends first week of February, then next thing you know you are in late April, the draft has just passed & you are right back on the field doing mandatory OTAs.  Not to mention having access to team facilities to keep your body fit or to rehab nagging or serious injuries.  We on the outside just take that stuff for granted.  We just get excited for training camp, because we believe that is the 1st true sign of the upcoming season looming.  Well, sorry folks.  An NFL season is truly 365 days a year.  It's non-stop.  With complex offensive & defensive strategies, asserting incoming rookies & free agents to build chemistry is a job all in itself. 

No Comment Necessary

Now with the NFL Lockout 100 days & some strong, all we got was to see & hear was that the players taking responsibility by getting together on their own, running plays half-assed in a non-structured environment.  These players need their coaches to help them correct mistakes that the players themselves just would not recognize. 

Lately the talks between both the owners & the players have been heating up, but if they don't get a deal done soon,  then we are going to get some sloppy-played football.  We will get a rushed training camp, preseason & possibly less then 16 regular season games.  Which would also force teams to shrink their playbooks & run more basic sets.  We will still get the big plays & big hits, but the flow of the game would comprimised due to the stubbornness of the two sides struggling to get the deal that they want.  Both sides don't want to give in, but they both know that they will in some way, eventually.  I don't care how much money you make, when you start to miss pay checks, then you realize there's a huge problem & it still hurts your pockets.  So, yes, the Lockout will end, we will have our football, but it is just a matter of when.  And once we know when, we will see if we get the brand of football we are acustomed to or see if we get a watered-down version with low scores & sloppy plays.  Only time will tell.

The 2011 NBA Draft is...History

Were Dreams are Made

Blog by Mike McClendon

The 2011 NBA Draft is June 23rd and 60 Young men will hear their names called and their journey and dream of becoming a NBA star has begun. Congrats to all those who's names are called Thursday night and huge words of encouragement to those who are not because players like Ben Wallace, Avery Johnson, and Bruce Bowen were all Undrafted and won championships as vital contributors to their respective teams. Now on the "flipside" those drafted aren't always big time players. Look at these former Lottery picks: Michael Olowokandi and Keon Clark 98' Draft, Stromile Swift and Jerome Moiso 00' Draft, Joe Alexander and Anthony Randolph 08' Draft. Just to name a few, Bum's. With certain drafts the talent level isn't really that high or the scouts and GM's evaluating those guys aren't doing a good job. Here are some 2nd round names in those drafts that had better careers, not neccessarily great or good but definitively better: Rashard Lewis Cuttino Mobley 98' draft, Eddie House and Michael Redd (before the Knee issues) 00' draft, Mario Chalmers and DeAndre Jordan 08' draft. In my eyes these 2nd round guys capitalized on their NBA opportunity.

The two most talked about names in this years NBA Draft are Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams. Most people say it's because there is no true stars in this years draft. I mean drafting a play maker like Irving or talent like Williams isn't like drafting those former 1st round BUM's I previously named, I hope not anyway. I do agree with names like Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, Jared Sullinger, and John Henson not being in this years drafted has lifted Irving and Williams to the top. To me this years draft is lacking depth and the momentum of the foreign players is a bit questionable.This is similar to the 04' and 06' drafts that lacked star quality names and had 6 foreign players taken in the first round and 16 total taken in the drafts. I am not against foreign players but there has been more foreign players taken early in the draft that didn't pan out then those who have.

Potential Lottery Pic

For every Tony Parker there is 5 Jiri Welsch's (1st round pick by 76er's traded to Warriors 02 draft), for every Dirk Nowitzki there is 8 Nickoloz Tskitishvili (1st round pick by Nuggets 5th overall 02' draft). We could say the same for American born players but to me it is just harder to find a Tony Parker or Dirk when they play in another country and they play against tough but lesser talent. This years draft brings us guys like Enes Kanter, Dontas Montiejunas, and Jan Vessley, just to name a few. There are about 5 to 6 more foreign names that will be moving up and down GM's drafts boards mainly for what they have seen in workouts but don't think for a second that Dirk's play in the finals won't have one of these pro scouts and GM's salivating for a foreign prospect. 

To me this years draft is just to familiar to drafts of the past with only a few big time names at the top and a whole bunch of NBA role players or Bum's. The draft is how teams build for now and into the future and all teams have to trust their GM and scouts to make the right evaluations and decisions. The Cavs taking Irving over Williams to me isn't the right call but every scout and GM thinks Irving is the next CP3 but again nobody knows. With Kemba, Jimmer, and Brandon Knight available why not take Williams at 1 and then one of those serviceable PG's with their other top 5 pick? Just a thought. Taking a Foreign player like big man Bismack Biyombo might be a stretch as a lottery pick but it could happen and probably will because what other player on the board will fit a teams needs like a future foreign big that probably can't play in the NBA for at least one more season, apparently none of them.  I think this draft will make a big splash in the late 1st round and early to mid 2nd round. Names like Norris Cole PG from Cleveland St., Kenny Faried PF from Morhead St., Keith Benson C from Oakland, Jimmy Butler F from Marquette,  and Sharp shooter Jon Diebler from Ohio St. All can and in my eyes will play at the NBA level. Maybe not stars but definitely can be contributors to winning teams in their careers.  We shall see.


Sleepers, Overrated players and Position Ranks coming soon.

Winning is the only Cure

Two Stars Different Directions

Blog by Mike McClendon

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat in 6 games to win the world championship, which is a surprise by many. The way they did it also came at a surprise. They played with more heart determination and will then the more talented Miami heat did. It's like the opening act to a Lil' Wayne concert performing better than Lil' Wayne the headliner would, not hard to do by the way, but I digress. The heat are younger and probably will be in this situation again and again or at least until they trade one of the 3 stars but for the Mavs the time was now and they played with that sense of urgency in every game of the series. Dirk hands down was the best player in the series even though he didn't play well in the first half of game 6, reminiscent of Kobe Bryant's Performance against the Celtics in 2010 Finals where he shot 6-24, just like Kobe in that game, Dirk came up big in the clutch with 10 4th Quarter points. Speaking of the 4th Quarter....

Two of the Best

Mr. James and D. Wade are going to go down as one of the best 1-2 punches to play the game of basketball. The problem is who is 1 and who is 2? Somebody has to be Scottie, damn that, Who the hell was Jordan in this series? Both players went into this series with extreme confidence but neither showed it in clutch moments which is in the 4th period not the first few minutes of the game or the first half. Dominique Wilkins was called the Human Highlight film but all his highlights never got him a ring (He did have to beat MJ, Bird, and Isiah). These two tremendous talents have to mature their already breath taking games and turn them into clutch moments or they will leave a legacy of all was falling short of their goal of a title, I'm sorry, multiple titles. Neither player stepped up and took control of games 4-6. Mr. James getting most of the blame because Wade at least was playing a more consistent "brand" of basketball in this series. We can argue the million and one reasons why these two phenoms came up short but at the end of the day it was simply that the Mavs had the sense of urgency and took control of the series.

Heart of a Champion

Dirk Nowitzki cemented himself in anybody's top 5-10 Power forwards of all time with his performance in this years playoffs and the finals especially, one more ring and he can be considered in the top 3. He was dominate in late clutch moments and proved to his teammates and fans that he had what it took to lead his team to a championship. One of the best purest floor generals in the game, Jason Kidd, was nowhere near what he was when he went to back to back finals in 02' and 03'. They lost both of those series but J. Kidd was, at that time, a little more consistent and aggressive. He did just enough though to help the Mavs in game 5 and 6 after not doing much of anything but taking up space in the previous games. Shawn Marion won't get much "pub" but he was also a key contributor to this championship run for the Mavs, along with the little guy with the big mouth Jason "Jet" Terry. Terry was phenomenal in the last two games and backed up is big heart with his those two big games. Much deserved and warranted championship for the Dallas Mavericks, even though some say Miami loss this ring others believe Dallas took it. I say the best TEAM won and that is usually what happens in a best of 7 series. On to the Next one!

Legacy

Blog by Mike McClendon

First and foremost I want to say that we are all critics, not judges or juries, but critics. We criticize the mailman for not delivering mail on time when we need it, we criticize the waiter or waitress for not doing their job right, as if we can do better. We do it all the time and it's in our nature to let people know how they are performing at their job. We shouldn't judge others and say nasty things about them but in sports that is what many people do. It's their purpose to humiliate or discourage because they do not like that player or team. None of which makes it right it is just what most people do. For the most part it's for fun and competitive banter and that is what this blog is about, it's fun and it's all about competitive banter. Nobody is right or wrong, nobody is king or a know it all. It's about having a thought and making sense of it, so please make sense when you start to criticize me or what I am writing about. Now with that said lets talk Sports!

Pryor to Michigan..Thankful it Didn't Happen

Just Buried myself

Blog by Mike McClendon

A few years ago Michigan and Ohio State fans were on the edge of their seats to see where the All-World Terrelle Pryor was going to go to College. He chose Ohio State over Michigan after many had thought he would be a Wolverine. The drama leading up to his decision was indicating that he wanted to be in Ann Arbor, fools gold basically. Man with hindsight being 20/20 Michigan dodged a bullet there. Terrelle Pryor has been in the news for the last 6 or 7 months and not about whether he is going pro or not but all about allegations about receiving improper benefits, selling memorabilia, and receiving money for autographs. All of which supposedly was known by former Head coach Jim Tressel, who resigned last month because of all the heat the program and himself was receiving, much to the dismay of the team and Buckeye community.

Peace be with you my Son

Some college players and even pro players feel a since of entitlement and feel they are above the team and even the sport itself. So they do things here and there and feel it will leave no traces. they hang around the wrong crowed and get dollar signs in their eyes, all of which leads to them hurting their families, teammates and coaches. Pryor was suspended for the first five games of this upcoming season, but was still under investigation on a lot of other allegations. When coach Tressel resigned it was a lot of backlash towards Pryor and that led him to decide not to return to school and try to become a pro player. Whether it's NFL, CFL, or UFL, who knows but one thing we all know is that if we have gone to Michigan this would have never happen. Maybe, he would have gotten the right guidance and not just use for his talents. Maybe they would have gave a great support system and have him focus on his academics and life after football. Or, Maybe he is a knucklehead and would have been this type of guy where ever he landed. Who knows?

Money is the root of all Evil or a Corvette

DeShawn Stevenson just "Checked In"

Blog by Mike McClendon

You can't feel your face because you are not touching it!

DeShawn Stevenson aka Mr. I can't feel my face or better known as I can't find a team that loves me had some interesting words about Mr. James after Game 4 of the NBA Finals. "He Checked out", that is what Stevenson believes Mr. James did in the final moments of Game 4 Tuesday night. He later said that he feels the Heat are still getting know each other on the court so Mr. James was a little out of place in clutch time. Stevenson also thinks Mr. James can boost himself a little bit with some more media attention and fuel his fire with it and feed his ego a bit more. Really?? More media attention? Well, most people thought Jason Terry's southpaw right hand jab at Mr. James about guarding for 7 games would roast his nuts and get him to play hungrier and with the passion we all know he has for Tuesday's game 4 but that didn't quite work out the way the Bandwagon fans wanted it to, I think. We shall see what happens in the decisive game 5 but, If I'm the Mavs I would never want to wake a sleeping giant and it seems that is what they are trying to do, or do they know something we don't'? Maybe they feel Mr. James will crack under pressure and leave D. Wade to carry the load. Too late that's whats' happening now. Decisions, Decisions.

Trying to find my Talents and take them to Dallas

The Finals... 3 Games Down... How Many More to Go?

D-Wade has definitely put his stamp on this years NBA Finals, much like he did in 2006.  This time around he has another superstar in his prime along-side him to ease some of the pressure off him.  D-Wade is the Heat's captain, he is their leader & he is not bashful about it.  D-Wade the last few days has been letting the world know that he is the "Alpha-Male" of the pack.  D-Wade even got in "King" James' face late in game 3 & told him "what's up?"  Like Wade said in game 3, he's been there before & if he keeps playing like he has in the first 3 games, there is nothing Dirk & the Mavs can't do anything about it.  Look for Dwayne Wade to win MVP honors as the Heat end the NBA season in South Beach with the Larry O'Brien Trophy presentation.  Miami wins in 6 games

Blog by Haz Bey

 

The Rematch... Mavericks vs Heat.... 2011 NBA Finals

 

2006 Finals MVP D-Wade

It all comes down to this.  2 teams highly who were scrutinized.  2 teams with elite players' legacies on the line.  2 teams with very similar paths to the Finals who are on a collision course to see who is best.  2 teams starving for a championship. 

In 2006, the world witnessed maybe the greatest Finals performance by an individual for 1 whole series when Dwayne Wade rallied Miami back from the dead in the 4th quarter of game 3 against a Dirk Nowitzki led Mavericks team that was up 2 games to none in the series with a 89 to 76 lead with 5 minutes left to play.  And much like he did last night to help LeBron & the Heat get passed Chicago when they were down 77 to 65 with 3:48 to play in the Eastern Conference Finals clincher, D-Wade did not conceive to losing, he took that game and more importantly the series over.  D-Wade would eventually lead the Miami Heat to the 1st & only NBA Championship.  Dirk, Jason Terry & Mark Cuban has let that missed opportunity haunt them for the last 5 years.  Now it's time for payback.  Now it's time for the Mavs to have their revenge, or is it?

Yes this Dallas team is different, but this Miami team has a new cast of characters as well.  From now up until the start of the Finals this Tuesday night, Mike McClendon & myself will give our opinions on how either 1 of these exciting teams can bring home the gold.   You got Wade, LeBron, Dirk, Kidd, Bosh, the Jet, the Matrix, Riley & Cuban all in one series.  It will be a star-studded event.  In the words of the great T.O... GET YOUR POPCORN READY!!!!

Haz Bey





The Heat is on...Charlie Murphy style!

   



 Blog by Mike McClendon

Don't Hurt'em

The Chi-town Stylistics are lacking a few backup singers while their lead man D. Rose is suffering from the bumming it up bug. The Bulls are probably one of the few teams that can match up defensively pretty well against the Miami Heat but the only problem is they can't score buckets against the Miami Heat. In game 1 of the East Finals the Bulls looked unstoppable and had the momentum and energy. Game 2 and 3 showed that it was just a facade, or was it? Miami has owned the Bulls on the boards and are shooting better percentage wise them the bulls from behind the arc and in the paint. The Bulls rely heavily on the their MVP Derrick Rose, rightfully so, but he can't beat them by himself. Allen Iverson proved that being a small guard and the best player on the floor for you team is not enough to get it done. They spent $85 Million on Booze, who spends that type of money on alcohol? I'm just saying. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah are getting @#$%^ slapped Rick James style on Charlie Murphy by Christopher Bosh, where they do that at? I give much credit to the Dukes of Hazards Mr. James and D. Wade though, they have brought their A games in game 2 and 3. Mr. James showed his "clutchness" in Game 2 and Wade sparked two different runs in game 3 to keep the Heat on top. I mean all in all the series is definitely in the Heats favor but it can all be turned around if the Bulls can steal game 4 and go back to Chicago tied in the series. If Eddie Cane can get clean off Dope and sing "Nights like This..I wish..Raindrops will fall all all all" Then the Bulls can get there act together and take their show back home. Just Saying!





Young Guns Shoot Blanks

Blog by Mike McClendon





The Durantula

OKC tried to tie the Western Conference Finals match up with the Dallas Mavericks at 2 games a piece by playing balls to the wall for 4 quarters, just about. The Mavs fought hard in the last 5 minutes of the game to come back from a 15 point deficit in the 4th quarter to keep the game interesting and take it to overtime where they completely dominated the young pups of OKC. Dirk was Dirk and scored a BUNCH of points as usual and showed he is the most clutch German player that ever lived. Putting together a complete game now is a huge problem OKC, that is something they haven't done all series, even in their previous win in the series they were not able to put a full game together, they did just enough to get the W. In a pivotal game 4 the Thunder let their youthful attitude and abilities show-out in front of the home crowd. Thunder had more spring to their steps, they got to all loose balls and crashed the boards heavy. The Mavs look weak and slow, similar to what they made the Lakers look like in their previous series, but above all they couldn't find that three point rhythm they rely on heavily. When you live by the three you die by three. BUT, in the final 4 minutes of regualtion Dallas showed heart, gritt and determination and took the Thunder by storm, so to speak, no pun intended. KD and Westbrook showed their age in that 4th quarter and loss some clutch points by taking bad shots and committing bad turnovers. I think the true death of the Thunder is yet to come though, the Thunder winning in Dallas before gives the young and proven inexperience Thunder some confidence, if they can survive Game 4 loss. My recommendation to them is steal game 5 in Dallas and try to get to a game 7 in Dallas which is a tall task in itself. Just saying!

Dirk Diggler

McNabb Disrespected

Blog by Haz Bey

Mike Shanahan has absolutely no respect for Donovan McNabb.  I am totally OK with Mike thinking McNabb is not the quarterback he needs to win a Superbowl, but to constantly embarrassed the man day-in & day-out is an outrage.  McNabb has been one of the best quarterbacks in this league for a longtime.  Is he past his prime, yes, but by no means is he warranted with such disrespect.  Donovan will never lead a team to a Superbowl trophy, but he can still make a team competitive if surrounded by the right pieces.  Washington's pieces were flawed to say the least last season and McNabb suffered all the blame for it.  Mike Shanahan is a good football coach with two Superbowl rings, but anytime you say that Rex Grossman gives you the best chance to win, then you are completely insane.  Now the starting quarterback position is John Beck's to lose... WHO THE HELL IS JOHN BECK?  McNabb needs to walk in Shanahan's office once the lockout ends and pimp-smack the him in the face, literally with an ice-cold Colt 45 in the other hand.  Something has to give seriously.  I know Donovan won't go the route I suggested, but demand a trade at least man.  Don't just sit there and take that verbal abuse, get some help or something.  I can't wait to see how this story ends.

Phils' Aces Need Some Run Support

Blog by Haz Bey

Phillies are struggling at the Plate

The Philadelphia Phillies has the best pitching staff the MLB has seen since the '90s Atlanta Braves.  So there is no surprise that the Phillies have the best record currently in the NL.  So should Phillies' fans, like myself, have any concerns about this years Phillies?  Absolutely we should.  The Phils are struggling out the gate and are failing to score runs.  Scoring no more than 2 runs in all, but 1 game so far.  This is only putting more pressure on the starting pitching staff to basically pitch shut-out ball.  That's too much to ask for from batting line-up that is missing a former MVP in Ryan Howard and an elite ball player in Chase Utley.  Even an all-time pitching staff deserves 4 to 6 runs a game from their line-up.  Grant it, the Phils are legendary for having slow starts with this current group that has won 1 World Series Championship, 2 National League Titles & 5 straight NL East titles, but the Phillies need to let this terrific starting pitching staff of Halladay, Lee & Hamels play with a lead to oppose to just keeping the Phillies in the game.  This team has the ingredients to win another World Series Title, but they have to play better offensively to stay afloat until Ryan Howard and Chase Utley return to the line-up.  The Braves, Mets, Marlins & Nationals are all gearing up to end the Phillies reign on top the the NL East and if the Phillies can just change their approach at the plate from looking for big hits to playing small ball and manufacturing runs.  This team is older and do not have the "Pop" in their bats that they used to and haven't really had it for the last 2 years.  So it is Charlie Manuel's job to get these guys to put the ball in play rather than trying to smack balls out of the park.  Former MVP Jimmy Rollins must control the clubhouse and make sure everyone is buying in to Charlie Manuel's game plan.  The Phillies resume has been fantastic the last 5 years, but there is still more to accomplish with this group.  Lets just hope they can generate some offense to not fall too far behind the elite teams in the National League to give the city of Brotherly Love a fighting chance at another World Championship.

Can't blame the staff for their problems...