Yardbarker: SportzAssassin

How Cute! LeBron Thinks He Could've Been an NFL Star

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:44:00 -0500

LeBron James, to some people, will become as great as Michael Jordan (yeah, I'm not in that camp). King James is already looking Jordan-esque right now.

No, no, no ... not in the winning championships kind of way. Nope, in the "I could have been great in another sport" kind of way.

See, LeBron thinks he could've been an NFL star. He was a very good football player in high school and, who knows, could have had a professional career had he pursued it instead of basketball. Who knows?

Then again, Michael Jordan was convinced that he could've been a great baseball player had he kept with that. When Jordan attempted to try pro baseball out, it didn't work out. Granted, Jordan was in his 30s and hadn't played competitive baseball in over a decade, so it's unfair to say that he wouldn't have made it. Still, the odds are against it.

It's easy for LeBron to think he'd be a great football player. We'll never know if he's correct.

Look, the Colts Beat the Patriots ...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:26:00 -0500

I'm watching ESPN's First Take and they were debating the power rankings. Basically who is better -- the Colts or Saints?

Well, Scoop Jackson has a problem with the fact that the Patriots "gave" the Colts a win last week. You all know that Pats' coach Bill Belichick made a controversial decision to go for a 4th-and-2 at their own 28 yard line, while holding a six point league with just over two minutes left in the game. The thinking is that Belichick's bad decision led to the Colts victory more than anything.

Uh, no. You can't say that. You can't say that the Colts didn't just beat the Patriots.

First off, the Colts MADE THE PLAY to stop the Pats from gaining the first down. New England completed the short pass, but a jarring hit and tackle forced the receiver to bobble the ball and stuffed him from getting those last few inches. They made the play.

Second off, the mere fact that Belichick went for it instead of punting the ball shows the kind of dominance the Colts had during that fourth quarter. Indy erased a 17 point lead as Peyton Manning torched the Pats pass defense.

Then ... and try to wrap your head around this one ... you have to factor in the unknown. Okay, say Belichick did punt the ball to the Colts. Do you not think that Manning couldn't have driven down the field (probably about 70 yards) with over two minutes left and two timeouts? Well, Belichick thought that, which is why he decided to go for it.

Yeah, Belichick should have punted it but it wasn't like the play they ran was a dud. It should have worked. Heck, it did work.

Well, until the Colts defender made the play to win the game.

Sportz' College Football Playoff - 11/16

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0500

If you've been following my blog, you know my playoff criteria. If not, then search for it last week.

No. 1 Florida (SEC Champ)
No. 2 Alabama
No. 3 Texas (Big XII Champ)
No. 4 TCU (highest ranked non-BCS Champ)
No. 5 Cincinnati (Big East Champ)
No. 6 Boise State
No. 7 Georgia Tech (ACC Champ)
No. 8 LSU
No. 9 Pittsburgh
No. 10 Ohio State (Big Ten Champ)
No. 11 Oregon (Pac-10 Champ)
No. 12 Oklahoma State

FIRST ROUND (Dec 19)
12p-Oklahoma State at Cincinnati
3:30p-Pittsburgh at LSU
3:30p-Oregon at Boise State
8p-Ohio State at Georgia Tech

SECOND ROUND (Dec 26)
12p-Ga Tech/Ohio State at Alabama
3:30p-Cincinnati/Oklahoma State at TCU
3:30p-Boise State/Oregon at Texas
8p-LSU/Pitt at Florida

Belichick Took a Bad Gamble and It Didn't Pay Off

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:42:00 -0500

Look, I'm one of those guys who hates "the book". Baseball is run by "the book." So much so that much of the subtle moves are expected by anyone who has followed the game for a bit. Football has those moments, too, and I usually applaud when a coach goes against the grain and tries to make something happen.

That wasn't the case tonight during the Patriots-Colts game. Bill Belichick went too far outside the box.

I get the strategy. You don't want to give Peyton Manning the ball and plenty of time to go down the field and win the game. So, with it 4th-and-2 on their own 28 yard line, Belichick rolled the dice and attempted to pick up the two yards which would pretty much end the game. And if not for a questionable spot, it would have worked.

The pass to Kevin Faulk was oh so close to the first down marker. The official, who was behind Faulk, determined that he bobbled the ball as he caught it and the forward progress that he initially had was void. Because the Patriots used their final timeout to set up that fourth down play, they couldn't challenge the play.

In that instance, you punt the ball. The risk-reward is so great in going for it. The reward is that you pick up that first down and you drain out the clock, winning the game. The risk is that you give Peyton Manning the ball back with just 30 yards to gain for the game winning TD. The reward for punting the ball is that you make Manning go 70 yards or so for the game winning score. The risk is that he actually does it.

Rodney Harrison, who retired from the Patriots this year and stepped into an analyst role for NBC (which televised the game), said that this was the worst coaching decision he has ever seen Belichick make.

Again, I'm all for going for the throat (I believe that if you score a TD really, really, really late in a game to get within a PAT of tying, you should go for the two-point conversion instead) but you have to have the will power to hold back your impulses a bit.

Brandon Jennings Drops 55 Points ... in 1909?

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:53:00 -0500

Gotta love ESPN. First off, Brandon Jennings dumping 55 points on the Golden State Warriors was amazing. It ranks among the greatest rookie scoring performances in NBA history.

I didn't know that the NBA was around in 1909, however. ESPN.com listed the top rookie performances ever and Jennings' effort ranks fifth (behind guys named Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry and Earl Monroe). It's just that, apparently Jennings did this before Wilt, Earl and Rick.

Harrison Barnes Set to Make One Coach (and a Nation of Fans) Very Happy

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:37:00 -0500

Today is the day that Harrison Barnes is going to announce where he will be spending his college days. He's so talented that those days will amount to less than a year before he shoots off into the NBA. However, major programs want him just because he can be that dominant in that one year and it's a great recruiting tool.

I'm excited because North Carolina is on the list. I don't know if it near the top, but none of the schools seem to have the advantage (though UNC, Duke and Kansas have come at him the hardest). He could say any of the schools on his list, which also include Oklahoma, UCLA and his hometown Iowa State.

While Barnes will make some fan base elated, he'll tick off all of the others. That's too bad because what do you want the kid to do? His heart is where his heart will be and we should just accept that. Of course, if he picks Duke instead of Carolina then Tar Heel fans will make him their top target. Then again, many Tar Heel fans don't realize that we nearly nabbed hated-Devils Christian Laettner and Danny Ferry, too.

The guy is 17-years old. When you were 17-years old, did anyone other than your crazed college-obsessed uncle care where you went to school? Did anyone hate you because of the decision you had to make? Of course not ... not millions of fans you didn't.

Again, I'll be on pins and needles waiting for Barnes announcement. Yes, I'm dying for him to go to North Carolina but if he doesn't ...

All I ask is that you don't go to Duke, man.

Dunk of the Year? D-Wade DESTROYS Varejao

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:09:00 -0500

Skill dunks are fun but power dunks are so much better. Doing a wildmill when no one is guarding the basket isn't as cool as punching one on somebody's grill.

Dwyane Wade did the latter last night on the Cavs' Anderson Varejao. SICK! I'm not the biggest D-Wade fan but this is one of the nicest dunks I've seen in quite some time. I'm a sucker for true posterization (or "getting YouTubed" to the youngin's).

Enjoy!

A Tale of Two Pimps ...

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:36:00 -0500

One's know for using and discarding his co-workers like the skank of the hour. The other is Ron Jeremy.

Who Are the Ten Greatest NBA Players of All Time?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:39:00 -0500

I was chatting with a buddy/co-worker of mine, Antoine, and we were discussing who the greatest NBA players were. From there, we started slotting our picks and having quite a debate about this guy being better than that guy. The debate lit a fire in me that I came home and just had to blog about my top ten list.

Then I got to thinking that I should get other people's lists. I know people around this great land who are bright and intelligent and very opinionated on this subject. So I invited them to contribute their lists and I would compile them into one mega-list ... which is what this post is all about.

My contributors (which are named at the bottom) range in ages from 20 to 50+. From places like Florence, KY, Corpus Christi, New York City, Utah, Cincinnati, Charlotte and Los Angeles. I used the same points system that a college poll would use and grant the top player 10 points, second player 9 points and so on. Below is the list that the 20 people came up with.

I invite you to give me your top ten in the comments section below.

No. 10-LeBron James (27 pts): The fact that he's here is obviously because people expect greatness from him for years to come. I don't see it that way, myself. Yes, LeBron could become one of the ten best players to lace them up but he isn't right now. Some of the younger voters had him ranked high while many of the other voters left him off their ballots. If we did this list ten years from now, this may be correct. Right now, I think Hakeem, Tim Duncan, Jerry West or Elgin Baylor deserved this slot more.

No. 9 -Shaquille O'Neal (29 pts): Shaq could have been one of the most dominant players ever. When he put his mind to it, he was. The problem is that there is the perception that he didn't put forth maximum effort preparing for a game or even a season. I also think the fact that he's fallen off a bit affected some of these rankings. Still, Shaq was among the greatest to ever have played this game.

No. 8-Oscar Robertson (61 pts): The Big O was the original triple threat. He could score (averaged 30+ points in six seasons), assist (he was the first player to average 10 assists for a season) and could rebound (the only guard in history to average at least 10 boards a game in a season ... and he did it three times). If not for the fact that he played in Cincinnati and Milwaukee, people would realize just how great he was.

No. 7-Bill Russell (68 pts): One of the most interesting votes I had. Russell is really hard to gauge. Some ranked him high because of those 11 championships he won. Some ranked him low because they felt he wouldn't be that special in today's game. Others ranked him high due to the fact that he stood up to Wilt Chamberlain and beat him time and time again. Others ranked him lower because those Celtics teams were packed with Hall of Famers. It really is hard to figure out where to exactly place Russell.

No. 6-Kareem Abdul Jabbar (103 pts ... 1 first place vote): I feel that Kareem, as usual, was forgotten about. People who remember basketball in the 1970s and 80s know how great Jabbar really was. He was a dominant force when he came into the league and was insanely consistent up until his retirement in 1989. Six titles and six MVP awards! The sky hook alone should have him in everybody's top five.

No. 5-Larry Bird (107 pts): Here was an interesting case. I found that many people ranked Bird alongside Magic Johnson on their lists. Unlike most on this list, Bird wasn't the most gifted athlete but this man had a killer instinct and the will to win. He also turned the three point shot into a deadly weapon and made the All-Star shootout contest the must-see event.

No. 4-Kobe Bryant (113 pts ... 4 first place votes): Kobe is the most interesting and debated man on this list. The fact that he's this high while still in his prime years in amazing. What was also amazing is that people who hated the Lakers and/or really hated Kobe ended up voting him very high. I got a lot of "I hate him, but he's one of the greatest ever" comments. Think about how powerful that is. Nobody on this list is as disliked as Kobe is, but only a few guys rank higher among the greats.

No. 3-Magic Johnson (123 pts): Full disclosure: Magic is my favorite player of all-time. I've made my arguments in the past that Magic was better than Jordan, but that's for another time. What I remember most about Magic is that nobody in the history of the league could control a game like he did. Yeah, Jordan and Wilt could do what they wanted, but Magic knew exactly who should get the shot up and make it as easy for them as he could. He was a wizard with the basketball and a genius of the game.

No. 2-Wilt Chamberlain (141 pts ... 5 first place votes): This is who I picked No. 1. The man was dominant. The man was a freak. Sorry, but an 100-point game!?!?! Averaging over 50 points for an entire season?? Unreal! He's the only player in NBA history to average at least 40 pts a game for a season and he did it twice. He owns the top three season scoring averages of all time ... and five of the top seven! In 1968, he decided to show up his critics who said he was selfish by leading the NBA in assists that year! The list goes on and on and on ...

No. 1-Michael Jordan (185 pts ... 10 first place votes): This was kind of expected. Most of the people that were in their 30s or younger had Jordan at the top of their lists. He was the icon of that generation of fans. Magic and Bird took the league by storm and out of the darkness, but Jordan elevated it to the top of the mountain.

Others receiving votes: Hakeem Olajuwon (26), Tim Duncan (23 pts), Jerry West (18), Karl Malone (17), John Stockton (10), Kevin Garnett (10), Scottie Pippen (7), Charles Barkley (6), George Mikan (5), Elgin Baylor (4), Julius Erving (4), Isiah Thomas (4), Clyde Drexler (4), Pete Maravich (2), Kevin McHale (2), Penny Hardaway (1) and Steve Nash (1).

Pretty intense list, eh? When looking at it as a whole, it looks pretty fair. Sure, guys like West and Baylor didn't get the love they would have had I extended my search for "older" fans but that's to be expected.

Here are the people who voted: The Sportz Assassin, Tony Curd, Derrick Highsmith, William Morgan, Eddie Bowling, Charles Martin, Joe Foster, Wolf, Laker Mike, Deron Denton, Bax Deal, Laurie Edwards, John Cutler, Luther Fisher, Emanuel Smith, Yannis Koutroupis, Capricorn, Ktmdog, Bonnie Valente and Yossef Shamir.

Again, please share your lists, gripes and debates in the comments section below.

Sportz College Football Playoff - 11/10 Update

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:57:00 -0500

If you've been following my blog, you know that my playoff bracket is a 12-team playoff with the champions of the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big East, Big XII and Pac-10 getting automatic bids ... as well as the highest ranked non-BCS school. The five at-large bids are the top ranked (in the BCS) among the rest of the nation. With a few upsets over the weekend, there has been some movement:

#1-Florida (SEC Champ)
#2-Alabama
#3-Texas (Big XII Champ)
#4-TCU (highest ranked non-BCS Champ)
#5-Cincinnati (Big East Champ)
#6-Boise State
#7-Georgia Tech (ACC Champ)
#8-LSU
#9-USC
#10-Iowa (Big Ten Champ)
#11-Ohio State
#12-Oregon (Pac-10 Champ)

FIRST ROUND (Dec 19th)
12p-Iowa at Georgia Tech
3:30p-Oregon at Cincinnati
3:30p-Ohio State at Boise State
8p-USC at LSU

SECOND ROUND (Dec 26th)
12p-Ga Tech/Iowa at Alabama
3:30p-Cincinnati/Oregon at TCU
3:30p-LSU/USC at Florida
8p-Boise State/Ohio State at Texas

Tar Heels Championship Defense Begins Tonight!

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:06:00 -0500

Okay, the college hoops season has officially begun. Well, it will tonight. About 7:00pm, the North Carolina Tar Heels will take their retooled team against the Florida International University Isiahs. This will probably be FIU's biggest moment in the sun which is why they got Isiah Thomas in the first place.

Enough about that. Tonight is more about the defense of a championship. It's hard to say "defending champs" when Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington are now in the NBA, but it's the same Hall of Fame coach with the same jerseys on. In fact, the Heels team that suits up tonight will probably yield better NBA talent that the team that won it all last year.

The one thing that these Heels have this year that the didn't have last year is experience. Yes, Deon Thompson is back and he's been a starter for most of his career. The only other player that was formerly a long-time starter is Marcus Ginyard, and he missed most of last season with a foot injury. Everyone else is taking on a bigger role.

Ed Davis, the darling of the Final Four to NBA scouts, is poised to become a star. He would have been a high lottery pick if he came out last season and could be a top three pick next year. Fellow sophomore Larry Drew II has the task of following ACC Player of the Year Ty Lawson ... who followed up Raymond Felton. A lot will be asked of Drew since he's the lone point guard with any experience, albeit as backup to an irreplaceable Lawson.

Everyone else is being asked to step up. Roy Williams would love if John Henson can come in and take the starting small forward positions. Henson, Davis and Thompson would form an unbelievable front line. Henson's fellow freshmen Travis and David Wear will add to that depth with their size and fundamental skills.

The wildcard is sophomore Tyler Zeller. Remember that Zeller soared at the beginning of last year as he replaced an injured Hansbrough. But a wrist injury in the second game of the season caused him to miss most of the rest of the season. Despite red-shirting, he came back to play the last few games and in the tournament so he could be part of a championship team. If Zeller, a 7-foot high flyer, can get back to where he started ... which word is that he is ... then this team could be unbelievable.

Well, the frontcourt could be. The backcourt consists of the iffy Drew and solid, but unspectacular Ginyard. Freshmen Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland, who would be the guy to take over if Drew can't cut it, will see a lot of minutes. The backcourt wildcard is Will Graves. Graves was actually the Heels' best long range shooter last year but he was suspended by Coach Williams for an undisclosed infraction. Now back, Graves is looking forward to being the guy that can stretch the defense in order to let those big men the freedom to dominate.

This should be a fun year for Heels fans. This is a very good team with awesome talent ... and none of the pressure! The last two years have been tough because Carolina fans entered the season wanting to fast forward to the NCAA tournament. There is no pressure on this team since they are so young. They'll make mistakes and they'll make us jump out of our seat. Oh, we want another championship and this team could bring us one ... but it's alright if they don't.

Oh, Harrison Barnes ... come join in the fun.

Allen Iverson Should Just Go Ahead and Retire

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:26:00 -0500

Who knew that the marriage between Allen Iverson and Memphis Grizzlies wouldn't work out? Oh, yeah -- everyone. Hard to believe that little song and dance that the two sides did when he signed during the offseason would end badly.

Iverson has played a total of three games ... all off the bench ... before taking a leave of absence from the team. Now the word is that he's contemplating retirement. The Answer is correct. Quit.

Iverson should hang them up. It's obvious that (a) the only role for him in today's NBA is as a bench contributor and (b) he doesn't want to do that. It's obvious that winning isn't the most important thing to him or else he wouldn't have signed with the lowly Grizzlies in the first place (would taking a lot less money and a bench gig with the Cavaliers or Heat be a bad thing?). Before Iverson decides to leave the NBA for whatever else he may want to do, he should consider one thing:

Did the NBA kick him out first and make the decision for him?

Despite how you may feel about Iverson, he is a Hall of Fame player. No one with his smallish build has ever done the things he did. And though he never won a championship, he almost single handily took the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals. He was a great player and hopefully will be remembered as such.

The key word is "was". He still is a good player who still can score in bunches. The problem is that teams don't need a guy with his skills of today starting and disrupting the team's flow. Look what happened in Denver once he left. He could cut a nice extended career out of being an offensive spark-plug coming off the bench but that's not his style. Again, the NBA has made the decision for you.

It's a shame that it had to end like this. Iverson in a Memphis uniform will be a sad chapter to a great career ... one that could have been better. To most fans, his "practice" rant will be the thing most people remember him for. That, and for being a gunner. And for unofficially ushering in the hip hop culture into the NBA. He also was a great scorer or something.

So say good-bye to the "bad guy". We probably won't see Iverson's mug much longer since he really doesn't seem like the guy to stick around the league in any other capacity. As you know, he's either the star or nothing at all.

"The League"; Come For the Premise, Stay For the Humor

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:19:00 -0500

"The League" is in it's second week and I'm hooked. The FX show brought me in on the premise that it's a group of guys who are friends and linked in a fantasy football league. Doesn't sound too gripping but the comedy sounded like a fantasy geek's dream.

Then you watch. As Rodney Dangerfield used to say, "it ain't funny -- it's freakin' funny." I DVR'd it and started to watch it as my wife was taking a shower. After nine minutes, I rewound to the beginning and waited for my wife to get done and watch it with me. She loves it. My wife, who doesn't understand a lick of football and who could care less about fantasy sports, was absolutely rolling.

It's an FX comedy (new shows come on Thursday nights at 10:30-ish) and comes with all kinds of basic cable no-nos. They cuss (they dropped the P-word about ten times in the last episode), they have sexually taboo subject matter and Jon Lajoie singing perverted songs. Lajoie is best known for his odd internet videos. His birthday song at a five-year-old's birthday party is classic.

It isn't for everyone. The course humor can rub some people the wrong way. But if you are a South Park/Eastbound & Down kind of person, then you'll love this show.

New Mexico Women's Soccer Player Goes On Rampage

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:01:00 -0500

Unreal.

I'm Glad Jordan's Kid Decided to Kick the Adidas

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:57:00 -0500

I like Nike. I like adidas. I wear both (among others). I also liked the fact that Marcus Jordan ... so of NBA legend and Nike spokes-god Michael ... decided to wear his dad's Nike kicks instead of the school's contractually obligated adidas.

Again, it's nothing against adidas. But I love the way that he thumbed his nose at the shoe company. No one does that anymore.

Anyone who is a basketball fan is well aware that shoe contracts are a big-time thing. These companies pay a lot of money to get their name plastered all over campuses and uniforms. Penn State football refuses to put players' names on their jerseys, but they sure as hell have a Nike logo front and center. They aren't the only ones.

Marcus Jordan is right. Blood is thicker than dorm water. You cannot expect a kid whose dad is Mr. Nike to start wearing adidas under any circumstances. Central Florida promised Marcus that he could wear Air Jordans ... but adidas smacked that idea when they found out. Once Marcus wore the Nikes in a game, adidas killed the deal with UCF. Way to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

If adidas didn't make a big stink about this, no one would care. Do you really think anyone gives a crap that the University of Central Florida is rocking adidas??? This isn't like North Carolina and Nike being bosom buddies. This is a school that most people have never even seen play a minute of basketball. This is a school that loved the fact that Michael Jordan's son was playing for them. They wanted Michael Jordan's brand ... but needed him to wear adidas clothing.

I'm not saying adidas didn't have the right to back out of the contract. A deal is a deal and UCF broke it. But if you think that adidas left with their dignity, you are mistaken. They look petty. Marcus Jordan would still be wearing an adidas jersey, but Nike kicks. No one would notice; no one would care.