NBA Eastern Conference Predictions

Just like last night it'll be Celtics vs. the Heat in the ECFs

I know the season started last night and the Heat are already well on their way to another championship, but there's still time for predictions. And since the NBA is the only sport I think I really know, I'm going to take a shot at predicting the 16 playoff teams, how the playoffs will shape out, the All-Star teams and the awards (Bar Down Style).

Eastern Conference

1. Miami Heat (61-21)
The only way the Heat don't take first place in the East is that they sit D-Wade in order to keep him from beating himself up, otherwise this team is LeBron-centric which means they will be once again unbeatable. LeBron really has no more pressure on him as most of the haters have died off, that probably is a bad thing for the rest of the league. Jalen Rose predicted that he'd average a triple-double and as mind-blowing as that thought is, it's totally realistic. If Ray Allen can simply knock down the (wide) open looks he gets, this win total could be 70.

2. Boston Celtics (56-26)
Rajon Rondo is a MVP candidate for me and if he can put up scoring numbers like I think he can, he'll contend with LeBron for the award. The additions of Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and Leandro Barbosa will more than fill the void left in Ray Allen's wake. Honestly, Ray Allen faded really hard down the stretch last season anyways. The only issue here is Kevin Garnett at the center position. He publicly stated he felt run down from playing the 5 and I believe him. I think he will have to play it because Sullinger and Fab Melo are just too young and immature.

3. New York Knicks (54-28)
HOMER ALERT: This rendition of the Knicks is going to be like the Bulls are, a defensive team with a monster scoring at the helm. Obviously father time is their biggest issue, but this team is going to a phenomenal defensive team with the additions of Camby and Ronnie Brewer (and whenever Shumpert comes back). They might even beat the Heat once or twice this season! Oh and I'm really not too worried about Amar'e being out, I kind of like them better off without him.

4. Indiana Pacers (53-29)
I know there's a ton of people on this team's bandwagon, but I'm not 100% sold on them because I don't really trust Danny Granger as their superstar. I like the addition of D.J. Augustin to back up George Hill, but I really enjoyed the up-tempo style of Darren Collison (who probably would start) who they let go this offseason. Hibbert also has a chance to be a superstar, but he's got to be absolutely dominate if Indiana want to contend with the big boys.

5. Brooklyn Nets (49-33)
The Nets got exponentially better this season, but there still not an elite NBA team. Deron Williams faded in the two years with the putrid version of these Nets and we'll see how much he can carry the load with a good team. Joe Johnson is a pure scorer, but he doesn't really do much else. He's probably the most overpaid player in the league and isn't going to be the sidekick that can take this team to the top. Brook Lopez is a highly overrated big man, and gets pushed around worse than the loser kid in the playground.

6. Philadelphia 76ers (47-35)
Last year we learned that the 76ers were a team built with 10 sixth man's. That was nice in the beginning when they shredded an easy schedule, but they came back down to life in the second half. This year they'll be better because of Bynum's presence, but injuries and his lackadaisical attitude makes him a serious issue with Coach Hustle (aka Doug Collins). This team is the last of the really good teams in my eyes.

7. Chicago Bulls (44-38)
The Bulls are going to have one interesting, two-halved season. Derrick Rose will be out til at least December (if rushed) or, as I think, all the way until early February. If the latter is the case then boom their record will be even worse. If the former happens, then they'll win more like 50-plus games. Either way this team is not what it used to be even with a healthy Rose. Carlos Boozer continues to prove his ineptitude with every step. I think the loss of garbage man Omer Asik and stalwart defender Ronnie Brewer will affect them more than originally predicted. Kirk Hinrich running the show in the Windy City just seems comical to me.

8. Atlanta Hawks (41-41)
Atlanta rounds out our Eastern Conference playoff teams and do so in interesting fashion. This team shipped Joe Johnson and his horrendous contract off to New Jersey, and while they didn't get any better, I don't think they got worse. However, they're still tied down to the sporadic play of Josh Smith. Al Horford will do his best to carry this squad, but once again the highly talented Smith will force this team to come up short.

Playoffs:
EC-Quarterfinals
1. Heat over 8. Hawks (4-1)
2. Celtics over 7. Bulls (4-3)
3. Knicks over 6. Sixers (4-2)
4. Pacers over 5. Nets (4-1)

EC-Semifinals
2. Celtics over 3. Knicks (4-3)
1. Heat over 4. Pacers (4-2) 

EC-Finals 
1. Heat over 2. Celtics (4-2)
 
 All-Star Squad:
Starter-Tyson Chandler
Starter-Lebron James
Starter-Carmelo Anthony
Starter-Paul Pierce
Starter-Kyrie Irving
Roy Hibbert
Kevin Garnett
Deron Williams
Dwyane Wade
Greg Monroe
Chris Bosh
Rajon Rondo 

Awards (Eastern conference only)
Best Addition
Jason Terry, Boston
Trash talking, free wheeling, better defensive style fits the Celtics team more than Ray Allen did.

Biggest Underachiever
Andrew Bynum, Philly
Might as well name this award after him. He and Doug Collins will not co-exist well.

Rookie of the Year
John Henson, Milwaukee
Will provide a serious defensive presence down low with Dalembert.

Best Player not Named LeBron
Rajon Rondo, Boston
He's really going to propel the Celtics this year and if he can score, he'll challenge LBJ for MVP.

Ready for Takeoff
Greg Monroe, Detroit
Better start recognizing the former saxa Greg Monroe because he'll be the only watchable player on the Pistons.

 

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QB-to-Rappers 2.0 (Part 2)

Wale and Joe Flacco aren't everyone's style, but there still pretty solid.

Last year we did a two-part series making hysterical comparisons of high-profile QBs to high-profile rappers, well the game has changed, QBs have improved, degressed and new rappers have emerged. So now we unveil the other part of the second version of our QB-to-Rappers comparison.

Phillip Rivers-Rick Ross
Here you have two outspoken dudes who really talk a better game than actually walk it. Both have always been in the upper echelons of their respective arenas, but for some reason they never can crack through and become legitimate. Ross, probably because he's popular for grunting and some catchy choruses for getting wild, but little else. Rivers, is talented but I think he's just a little too much of a nut case for his own good. But the real connection is that they are both on the decline. Rivers hasn't been to the playoffs since 2009 and Ross' most recent mixtape, The Black Bar Mitzvah, was a dud. It might be appropriate to start calling these dudes "Has beens."

Tony Romo-B.o.B
 Early in their careers both of these guys looked like they were going to explode into bonafide stars. But we actually just realized that they're both Downey-soft and really not all that talented. Romo was too busy chasing ladies and B.o.B. was more interested in dropping super soft pop tracks like Airplane and that song with Taylor Swift. They're also both cocky and it's completely unwarranted. Oh and I can't stand B.o.B's voice.

Joe Flacco-Wale
Here's an interesting comparison here because both are kind of underground. Flacco has played for a stacked Ravens squad since he was drafted and Wale has put out a few great songs. However, both aren't in everyone's tastes. Flacco doesn't do anything extremely well, but he controls the ball and makes a few mistakes. Wale is a pretty conservative rapper and is a solid lyricist, but not much more. More often than not their teams carry them, specifically the Ravens defense and Wale's connection to Big Sean and Meek Mill.

Russell Wilson-A$ap Rocky
Wilson and A$ap both have jumped into the scene this year and have done so in unique fashion. A$ap's style of rap is trill, which is a slowed-down, chopped up and screwed version of hip-hop that is mostly a southern style. However, he's from NYC, making his success in that area even more impressive. Wilson, on the other hand, is 5-foot-11, a height widely considered too small for the NFL. There's a lot of hype that both of these guys have to live up to, Wilson in a full season and A$ap on this new album, but each have potential to be great going forward.

Cam Newton-Mac Miller
Well, well, well, maybe I was wrong about Scam Newton. Maybe last year was a fluke and he is simply a cocky punk. There's no maybe with Mac Miller. That dude still thinks he's the man, when he has clearly fallen off. Both guys were budding stars when we did this edition last year, but they're going in the wrong direction. I haven't see a great game and a win from Cam Newton since December of last year. I haven't been hyped about a Mac Miller track since Donald Trump. Might be ego check time for these two.

Drew Stafford-Meek Mill
Both of these guys are two of my favorite young guys in their respective games. Meek Mill comes at you with an in-your-face style that would have been awesome for pregame locker room jams. Stafford is an old school gunslinger, who just loves to make that tough throw and the best part is that he actually makes it unlike the other frat star, Jay Cutler. These guys, like Flacco/Wale, aren't everyone's style but there's a lot of talent contained in their wild selves.

Jay Cutler-Waka Flocka Flame
If there are two people in rap and football who don't care about anything but themselves these guys are them. Jay Cutler has to be the worst quarterback teammate in the history of quarterbacks and throws the ball all over the place, sometimes putting up a five-TD masterpiece and other times putting up a five-pick joke. Waka is the worst successful rapper I've ever heard. Even he has admitted that he sucks at rapping, which actually makes his wild-style awesome. I like Waka and a I hate Cutler, but both aren't good respectively and both don't really give a you know what.

Michael Vick-Lil' Wayne
This is just a sad comparison. Two guys who were at the top of their respective occupations only two years ago have completely fallen off. Vick might be benched this week and Weezy's Dedication 4 was sub-par at best. Each guy had a stint in jail that they rebounded from nicely, but neither has been able to sustain it. Vick's fumblitis has haunted him, while Weezy's brain is just deteriorating from all that sizzurp he's been leaning on. Oh and please put down the Trukfit Wayne, please.

Mark Sanchez-Wiz Khalifa
Early success has led to continual failure. That's the motto for Sanchez and Wiz. We knew from day one that these guys weren't the toughest of the bunch, despite those clearly defined issues each were seriously successful early on. But neither have been able to keep up with the pressure that's been applied to them. I'm not sure the last time I heard a Wiz song let alone liked it and Mark Sanchez has been the center of the Jets offensive woes for three years now.

Andrew Luck-Action Bronson
Luck and Bronsolino are both in the process of proving themselves to a world that has really hyped them up recently. Luck might have had more hype than Bronson did, but both are living up to it at this point. I see a lot of old school in Luck and I see a lot of old school, Wu-Tang (specifically Ghostface in Bronson). We'll see if the can reach their ceilings, because there is a lot of room to grow here.

Matt Schaub-Pusha T
We've got two of the most underrated guys in their games here. Schaub is a great QB, but he isn't called on as much as he used to be because the Texans have developed a nasty running game. Pusha T was just lost in the Clipse for a while, but once he joined G.O.O.D Music he took off. Both just needed to join a good team in order to expose their filthy talents. There's a confidence about them that is a perfect balance between swagger and composure, and both have an opportunity to really do something big with their squads. 

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Tough Days Ahead for James Harden

Harden may have gotten paid with his max-contract deal from the Rockets, but skies are a little bit more gray in his basketball world.

The Thunder were supposed to once again contend for the NBA Championship this year. Supposedly they were going to make that final step, climb the final rung of what has been a three year ladder. No one was sure if they would actually beat the defending Champs or reinvigorated Lakers, but we knew they had the talent do. But then they made a decision that could haunt trigger-happy, yet usually successful GM, Sam Presti, a decision that makes them a less formidable contender. But the biggest casualty of this trade is James Harden.

I like Harden. I like him a lot. He plays an exciting style of basketball, is immensely talented offensively and is a enjoyably outspoken player. Including the fact he was a glue guy in the highly cohesive Big Four that Oklahoma City was fostering for the past few years and it's hard to not enjoy him as a ball player. But as good as Harden is and no matter how high of a ceiling he may have, he was the most expendable out of those four. Not a once-in-a-lifetime talent like Durant, nor a game-changing athlete like Westbrook or a freakishly good defender like Ibaka, Harden's game was the most replaceable. And now he's replaced.

It seemingly happened as if the Thunder just shipped him out once it was reported that he wanted three days to think over the 4 yr/$55.5 mil they had just offered. I guess Sam Presti doesn't wait around, instead salivating over what could end up being a phenomenal deal. Or a complete dud. Kevin Martin has been touted as a more-than-serviceable player, though his numbers doesn't exactly scream that. Jeremy Lamb is a highly talented rookie, but he's just a rookie and didn't really pick up the slack left in the wake of Kemba Walker's pro declaration. The two first round picks have the best chance to really be a long-term pick up for the Thunder because they draft so damn well (or just get lucky, i.e. Perry Jones III with the 28th pick).

For Harden, his career has taken a harsh turn. Going to Houston means that he'll be a starter and the best player on the team, but is he really built to carry the load of a entire team? I don't think so. And this season should be a major wake up call because he's going to playing under immense pressure with really no one to back him up out there. Jeremy Lin? He'll be no better than a 18-point, seven-assist player, but that's it. Rookie Royce White can do a little bit of everything, but has hard time putting the ball in the basket. Omer Asik? Overpaid. Teams will double team Harden and make life a living hell for him because he's the only super talent they have. It's an unfortunate basketball lifestyle change that he really had no power over. Do you really think he was going to pull the trigger immediately on what was the first major deal of his lifetime? You cannot blame him for reportedly asking for more time. And you cannot fault the Rockets for trying to get something legitimate out of those three first-round picks they traded for last year.

A lot of people around the basketball world have been shocked and stunned by this deal, but it really doesn't surprise me at all. I wrote that the Thunder would probably ship Harden somewhere once they signed Ibaka to that contract extension, well the time is now. I think it's the right move, they weren't going have the financial flexibility to sign any serviceable pieces outside of their big four. I mean does he deserve that contract considering his horrendous play in the Finals last year? But even more important than that is, how content would Harden be coming off the bench for four more years. Yeah, you can accept the Sixth Man but how can a player as talented as him play fourth fiddle for that long? Well, that's what happens when you play for the best talent scout in the league, Sam Presti.

This deal can't really be judged in year one for the Thunder, but it definitely can be judged in year one for Harden. Can he prove to us that he is a first-team talent or he will reaffirm our notion that he is a B-list All-Star and never can the Batman to anyone's Robin. Either way Harden isn't better off today than he was two days ago.

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A Brutal What-If for Knicks Fans

Aldridge could have been a Knick if Isiah didn't exist.

As we embark on the fifth post-Isiah year as Knicks fans, we've seen a bit of improvement, a bit more urgency, a bit more excitement and a bit more disappointment. We all would like to absolutely positively never think of Isiah Thomas ever again, but we here at Bar Down are going to bring your nightmare to the fore front once again. While we hope Glen Grunwald's collection of aging stars can get something done this year, let's look back on some what-if scenarios that could have happened if James Dolan didn't hire the worst GM of all-time.

There are two distinct deals that haunt Knicks fans during the Isiah years, overshadowing a slew of horrendous smaller moves such as signing Vin Baker and trading for Steve Francis when he already had Stephon Marbury (the same type of scoring point guard with an ego). The first is the acquisition of Marbury which built the foundation for the great D'Antoni years in Phoenix. The second is the Eddy Curry trade which ignited more jokes about the Knicks than a Dave Chapelle skit. The what-if scenarios that a result because of these trades are mind-boggling and if you're a big Knicks fan like me, you'll probably come close to puking.

Eddy Curry. Antonio Davis and a 2007 1st round draft pick (Wilson Chandler) to the New York Knicks for Jermaine Jackson, Mike Sweetney, Tim Thomas, a 2006 1st round draft pick (LaMarcus Aldridge), a 2007 1st round draft pick (Joakim Noah), a 2007 2nd round draft pick (Kyrylo Fesenko) and a 2009 2nd round draft pick (Jon Brockman).

 I really don't need to go any further, hearing the names LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah are enough for me to have a panic attack. Imagine what the Knicks could have on their hands with a frontcourt of Joakim Noah and LaMarcus Aldridge? They easily would have the best frontcourt in the league. But imagine what those two could have done to help recruit a LeBron or a Wade or more recently a Deron Williams? A Lebron, Noah, Aldridge big three screams domination. High quality defense and balanced scoring, Lebron would be able to fully control the backcourt and not have to deal with another star guard taking touches away from him. Let's say you can't get Lebron cause he's soft and doesn't want to deal with the media in big, bad New York. Ok, so maybe you could ship Aldridge off to Denver for Carmelo without having to trade Gallinari or Wilson Chandler. Then you keep Chandler as a back up for Carmelo, turn around and ship Gallinari off to a team in need of a scorer and grab a mid-level point guard, such as Devin Harris or the underrated Jose Calderon. Either way Aldridge and Noah would have made the Knicks a playoff team easily, even with the under performing Stephon Marbury running the floor.

Instead the Knicks got Eddy Curry, the softest player in the history of the NBA. Rumor has it that he didn't like to dunk on people cause it would hurt their feelings. The guy wasn't mentally born for the NBA or sports in general, though would have been a great guy to have on Charmin commercials instead of that stupid bear. Oh, and Eddy Curry got a championship ring for sitting his fat self on the bench during the Heat Finals run.

Traded with Anfernee Hardaway and Cezary Trybanski to the New York Knicks for Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Milos Vujanic, a 2004 1st round draft pick (Kirk Snyder) and a 2010 1st round draft pick (Gordon Hayward).

 So here we are looking at a couple things, one we wouldn't have Penny Hardaway which means we wouldn't have one of the biggest underachievers in the history of the sport. (trend here with Curry and Penny). Secondly we wouldn't have the nutcase, ballhog, overrated, did I say nutcase entity that is Stephon Marbury. With that '04 pick we could have picked Jameer Nelson (instead of Kirk Snyder), to run the show. Boom then we would have Nelson, Aldridge/Carmelo and Joakim Noah. That's a solid big three, it might not contend with the Miami's of the world just yet, but it's still a dynamite squad. Better than the clownfest that ensued at least. Plus we would still have Charlie Ward and he was a Heisman winner!

We basically threw away six years of cap flexibility, draft picks and good times for one 39-43 playoff season in which we were molly-whopped by the Nets in the opening round of the playoffs. It all just went downhill from there.

There you have it, now i'm going to go do something more realistic with my life.

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Will Brooklyn Accept The Islanders?

The move to Brooklyn doesn't guarantee Charles Wang's franchise any success.

And so it happened. The inevitable happened. The Islanders will move out of their worn-out digs on Long Island and move onto greener pastures. Everyone knew it was going to happen, but, Brooklyn? Really? As intelligent and as reasonable an idea of moving to Brooklyn would be for the Islanders, did we expect Charles Wang to do so? Probably not. You probably envisioned him moving to Kansas City after the whole Lighthouse ordeal fell through. As if Missouri would be any better than Phoenix or Atlanta. Now that Wang has pulled off this move to Brooklyn, will the faithful borough become faithful to the NHL?

Wang might be a terrible owner but he made a great move to Brooklyn

First of all we need to take a look at this franchise as a whole. Going from the base up, there is some young talent on this team. Michael Grabner, Josh Bailey, Ryan Strome and of course John Tavares headline a core group of young studs who could produce a solid product by 2015. But we all know for the Islanders that you need to sign quality veterans to quality deals in order to generate a fully stable commodity. Signing veterans has been the antithesis of the Islanders ever since the oh-so-wise Mike Milbury took over the position in '95, eventually handing it over to the trigger happy Garth Snow in 2006. That transitions us nicely to upper, upper management. It's become increasingly clear that Charles Wang has no idea how to run an NHL franchise since he waited six years to fire Lloyd Christmas before hiring Harry Dunne to take over hockey operations. In his time at the head of the Islander circus, the team has made the playoffs four times in 11 years. Overpaid countless stars and taken more jokes than Rex Ryan's wife's feet. And in those four playoff runs (if you want to call them that) they won a total of six games, only making it past Game 5 of the ECQFs once. I'm not exactly sure that qualifies him as a good owner, or even an mediocre one. And it's not even as if he's working without franchise history. The Islanders were the best team in the NHL for four straight years from '79-'83 and if you want to go even deeper than that, the Islanders made the playoffs fourteen seasons in a row starting in 1975.

That leads me to this point, there was a major fanbase in New York. Long Island (and some other parts of NY) truly embraced the Islanders well into the 90s, but as the late 90s transformed into the one-and-done early 2000s, the fans started to complain (appropriately) about a decaying arena, a pathetic team and dying franchise. It's really only been the last 15 years that the Islanders have become irrelevant. They were an important part of the National Hockey League since basically day one. But those years are long gone and now they are the butt of every hockey joke. Their fanbase has seriously dwindled and the young generation of hockey fans that would have been Islanders fan, are on the Blueshirt bandwagon now.

So will a move to Brooklyn foster new fanhoods?  In one way, yes, the borough is teeming with excitement over getting its first team since the Dodgers. I don't see why they wouldn't use a second Brooklyn squad to further the pound-your-chest-cause-you're-from-Brooklyn cause. The NHL might be a cult sport, but being from Brooklyn means you wear it with pride (even though that often leads you into a fight). How many casual NHL fans are there in the BK that would pick up an NHL team simply because it's on their doorstep? I'd say there aren't enough die-hard Rangers fans or Rangers success to render that movement obsolete. Another one of the keys here would have to be name choice. They cannot go with the Islanders again, because that is just a lackadaisical move and will invigorate absolutely no one in the borough. I've always been a fan of the Brooklyn Deckers name, both because of the pun and I think it's actually a solid name. The BK can always rep an attractive lady, can't it?

Granted, I will say the Islanders can't throw up a 68-point dud of a season in 2015, that's not a way to build a fanbase. And if the past seasons of 61, 79, 73 and 79 are any indication of the future then it might be hard for Wang and co. to get Brooklyn excited for hockey. Basketball is one thing, a sport well-versed on the streets of Brooklyn and the rest of the city, but hockey? That sport struggles even in the massive, diverse borough of Manhattan. The Islanders aren't going to get the hall pass the Nets have gotten over the past few years. Plus are they really going to be able to compete with the Rangers and the classic Madison Square Garden? Well it's going to take more than a couple first round exits to do so.

So will Brooklyn accept their new, new professional sports team? Only time will tell, but the Islanders tryout starts whenever they drop the puck next and they better be ready.

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QB-to-Rappers 2.0 (Part 1)

The future right here.

Last year we did a two-part series making hysterical comparisons of high-profile QBs to high-profile rappers, well the game has changed, QBs have improved, degressed and new rappers have emerged. So now we unveil our second version of our QB-to-Rappers comparison.

Aaron Rodgers-Jay-Z
Arguably you could say both Aaron Rodgers and HOV are the two best in their respective games. Rodgers might have only one title but he's become a personality outside of the sport (State Farm?) and rose out of the ashes of Brett Favre pretty nicely. Hova has numerous titles and is a straight business mogul, plus he rose out of the ashes of Biggie in New York and did so in appropriate fashion. Both of them have the swagger yet only flaunt it when truly necessarily. Rodgers throws on the belt, Jay throws up the ROC.

Peyton Manning-Jadakiss
Manning has went through some tough times over the past two years, going from one of the league's best to potentially never playing again to a pariah in Indianapolis to the savior in Denver. Jadakiss hasn't really been in the spotlight since his D-Block days, but he has made quite a revival making impressive appearances on a couple G.O.O.D Music tracks, and some Young Money Cash Money tracks. Both of these guys are methodical in their approaches, Manning dominating with his precise execution of an offense, and Jada beating you down with punch line after punch line. Peyton is a little bit more reserved than Jadakiss, but you could say that Jada enjoys being out of the limelight.

Robert Griffin III-Kendrick Lamar
Both burst onto the scene in the last year and have only gotten better since they were first recognized. Kendrick's debut album Section 80 was a major hit and RGIII's Heisman campaign was equally impressive. Matching early success is difficult in anything, but especially as a rapper trying to handle his hype and a QB being dubbed the savior of a franchise. Good Kid, M.a.a.D City was a solid album out the newest west coast rapper, but it certainly could have been better. RGIII's first seven NFL games have had their moments and their nightmares. It doesn't hurt that these guys have their own styles. Kendrick likes to change up his voice and RG III has handled his early hype with humility, something many hyped up rookie QBs have a hard time doing.

Matt Ryan-Big Sean
There's little doubt that Matty Ice and Big Sean are talented. But they haven't really put it together when it's mattered. So far in 2012, both have been extremely successful, though some of their success could be atoned to their teammates. Sean has spit some awesome verses over G.O.O.D Music songs, and Matt Ryan has had the luxury of Roddy White, Julio Jones (who might be the best wideout duo in the league) and an impressive defense. Either way you could argue that both their squads are on top of their respective games.

Ben Roethlisberger-Styles P
Roethlisberger has sort of fallen to the backdrop of NFL QBs, probably because his off-the-field antics and alright play has downgraded his status in many-an-observer's eyes. Like Big Ben, Styles P isn't everyone's style. Obviously both are extremely talented, but things are getting old here. It's a natural progression for both of these dudes careers to be on the decline, but don't sleep on a hit from Phantom or a playoff run from Roethlisberger. Coincidence both of these guys slowly slide off the radar at the same time?

Tom Brady-Nas
Last time we compared Tom Brady to a rapper it was Jay-Z. Kind of ironic that he has now morphed into Jay-Z's old nemesis. Nas is still one of the Top 5 lyricists and can still produce a quality album (Life is Good), but he's lost something. Brady won his fifth AFC Championship game last year. Yet just like Brady, Nas has lost his "It" factor. Everyone still gives Nas and Brady credit for being the best, but it seems more and more that it's a lifetime achievement award than an accurate description. Nas has fallen out of the mainstream and Brady isn't ESPN-24-7 like he was a few years ago. Both guys are on the other end of their career mountains and a lot of people are in denial about it.

Drew Brees-Drake
Brees isn't Charmin soft like Drake is, but there are some comparison points that are fair. For one, Drake produces all types of music and while most of it is pure gold, some of it falls under the "Do Less" category. Brees has had magical seasons lately, but every once and a while he gets that gunslinger attitude and it turns out to be a 50 attempt 4 INT game in which he costs his Saints a win. Two, they both don't care about how their public perception, Drake because he is still singing his choruses despite multiple pleas for him to stop and Brees because of the way he handled this whole bounty disaster. Three, because I hate the fact that I thoroughly enjoy both of them.

Alex Smith-2 Chainz
Alex Smith was the poster boy for a bad quarterback on a bad team in a bad organization only two years ago. 2 Chainz probably only owned two fake chains two years ago. Now both of them have jumped on the main stage in direct result because of the squads they play for. Alex Smith isn't a good quarterback, having thrown for more than 300 yards less times than I have fingers on my right hand. 2 Chainz makes Waka Flocka look like a lyrical genius. Smith plays with the luxury of arguably the league's best defense while 2 Chainz is signed to the best record label in the game. Harbaugh made Smith. Kanye made 2 Chainz. Without their squads they're gonners.

Eli Manning-Kanye West
Probably my most out-there comparison, but hear me out. Manning and Kanye both displayed talent early in their careers and had early success. Yet both struggled to assume the kind of wide spread respect that they're now starting to receive. Manning had a hard time finding consistency, throwing far too many INTs and coming up short too many times in the win-hungry New York, albeit his 2007 Super Bowl was impressive. Kanye was up on stage stealing VMAs and making himself out as a serious outlaw. But now Yeezy is in full control of the best record label in the rap game and Eli is the fourth quarter genius behind arguably the NFC's best team. Eli might not have the bravado that Kanye has, but there's no arguing these guys are talented as hell.

Ryan Fitzpatrick-Machine Gun Kelly
This is where the comparisons get hilarious. Fitz and MGK most importantly rep some of the most ridiculous places in America. Fitz's connection to Harvard football makes him unique in the fact he graduated to play football instead of going on to some degree-laden profession. MGK is from Cleveland, a place known for horrendous winters, bad sports teams and very little else. This white boy sensation (ehhhh not really) reps this place as if it had some deep rap history. But the real comparison is their wild styles. Fitzpatrick loves to sling it like Brett Favre, yet he's equipped with Chad Pennington's arm. MGK's best song is titled, "Wild Boy." Each has produced impressive products, but too many times they leave you scratching your head in disbelief.

Kevin Kolb-Tyga
Left field comparison here with Tyga not really being mainstream, but I guess you could say the same about MGK. Kolb and Tyga were both products of their system. Kolb playing under a great backup program with Andy Reid and Tyga riding the coattails of Lil' Wayne and Young Money. Kolb got paid and Tyga got paid, but both haven't lived up to expectations. "Faded" might be a Tyga hit, but is it really good? No, absolutely not. Kolb, on the other hand, just isn't good period.

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Eli Manning and the Fourth Quarter

The fourth quarter now belongs to Eli Manning.

A little less than a year ago I wrote a post entitled, "Sanchise Vs. Ellie" documenting the two New York quarterbacks, Eli Manning and Mark Sanchez, and their woes in the big city. I defended both men even though their times in New York up until last year weren't exactly glorious at times. Yet since then the two have headed down divergent paths. Sanchez (excluding yesterday's great performance vs. the Pats) has continued on his struggling journey, especially since Tim Tebow has unfairly invaded his territory. Manning, on the hand, has matured, improved and become a master of the fourth quarter.

Before last season, Eli Manning held dearly onto the fact that he was a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Especially early in last season when Manning threw up duds vs. the Seahawks and the Redskins, Manning had a growing target on his back and that 2007 championship was becoming a distant memory. But something changed last season, something clicked in the back of his head. Whether it was the emergence of Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz as the league's best wideout duo or just a light going on in Manning's brain, the fourth quarter all of the sudden shed it's burdensome nature and became his domain. He tied Johnny Unitas' record of 14 fourth quarter TDs last season and had eight game winning drives, seven of which came with New York trailing. This includes two magical drives in the NFC Championship Game and again in the Super Bowl, clear signs that the maturation process was in full effect. Manning put together the sort of clutch resume that leapfrogged him from mediocre gunslinger into the ranks of the elite quarterbacks in the league.

A lot of people will take up an argument with that statement. There's a consensus out there that Rodgers, Brees and Brady are the best QBs in the league. No disagreement here. They are certainly masters of their craft, but have they outshone Manning in the last two seasons so greatly that he doesn't deserve to be in the discussion? Nope. Brees might have had a statistically phenomenal season last year and Rodgers may have led his team to 15 wins, but neither won the Super Bowl. Manning beat Brady twice and Rodgers once (controversially could have been two). Oh and Eli had the last laugh in both games against Brady executing flawless game-winning drives that left mastermind Bill Belichick wondering how Charmin-soft Eli Manning out dueled his stud QB twice in the big stage. 

Last season might have been the release party for Eli Manning's "4th Quarter" mixtape, but this year he's ready to release an album. In one of his wildest performance's ever, Manning recovered from a putrid fourth quarter against the Bucs by putting on a show in the fourth quarter. He might have finished with a head-scratching 510 yards, 3 TDs and 3 picks, but he stamped his name all over the final stanza in that game. Then yesterday, he put on an even greater encore performance. After watching the up-and-coming RGIII put together an impressive, what-looked-like a fourth quarter game winning drive, Manning came up even bigger. In almost hysterical fashion, two plays were all that were needed for the fourth quarter master to craft another masterpiece. Victor Cruz found himself all alone at midfield and Eli hit him in stride with what could be called a perfect ball; the rest was history.

Obviously there are a bunch of folks out there that still haven't bought into the Eli Manning hype, probably because of his previous track record or the fact that he looks like a schoolboy. Well the time to stop disrespecting Eli is upon us.

The fourth quarter may have been Tom Brady's child in the mid-2000s, but it's the only man that has ever beat him in a Super Bowl that now calls the moment his son.

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Lil' Wayne Makes a Mockery of Himself

Just stop it, Weezy.

It hasn't been the greatest year for Dwyane Carter aka Lil' Wayne, aka Wayne, aka Weezy, aka Trukfit, aka not that good anymore. His Dedication 4 wasn't necessarily a flop, but it struggled to match the lyrical standards Weezy set forth in the last half-decade. Whether it's the sizzurp melting his brain or just a lack of interest in rapping anymore, Weezy is no longer at the top of his game or the game in general. In terms of his sports knowledge, he's pretty sound, but he does have a legitimate problem jumping teams. Of course last night Wayne become the biggest Giants fan ever standing out there in the 7th inning stretch helping the crowd to sing a hilarious version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

Note to Weezy: Trash the skateboard, drop Trukfit and get back in the game. And please never try this again.

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Collin Klein: Just an Old School Baller

Klein's an old school quarterback tearing it up in a completely different generation.

Somewhere out there in the heartland of America Fran Tarkenton is cracking a grin. Or at least he had to after watching Collin Klein led his Wildcats in the type of all out assault on the Mountaineers that has somehow brought the basketball powerhouse Kansas State into the discussion for national title hopes in football.

Why would Tarkenton be smiling about a kid he has absolutely no affiliation with? Well because Klein reminds us of the former Vikings quarterback who led his team to four Super Bowls in the 70s. There's something about Klein that elicits memories of an old school quarterback like Tarkenton. When he came onto the scene last year, I immediately thought back to all the NFL Films tapes of Tarkenton and found a pretty solid connection. He plays with this tame intensity that makes him such a likeable guy. But just because he internalizes his intensity doesn't mean he is soft. He's the kind of player that will take a monster hit, get up, shake your hand and then run you over on the next play. Tough as nails and takes the "play til the whistle" moniker to heart. Tarkenton used to get abused, abused and abused some more but he just took it and kept playing. Klein's exactly the same. Their games are both equipped with an unstoppable motor that is exhausting for defenses. Every time defenses lay the hit stick on these guys, they just get up and look them in the eye, probably even crack a smile. It's not even like their skill set is even the same, Tarkenton might have scrambled a lot, but he was certainly a passer. Klein is a pure option quarterback who's more interested in putting that linebacker he's staring at through the ground. But it's how they go about their play that makes them so similar.

Whether it's for the love of the game or just how Klein is as a person, the guy has Kansas State in actual national championship contention. When's the last time you heard that? Never. KSU's last (and probably only) great moment was when they destroyed a heavily ranked #1 Oklahoma team 35-7 in the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game. Last night he showed up to a shootout with 11 Mac-11's, about eight, .38's, nine 9's, ten Mac-10's, while West Virginia showed up with a busted BB gun. Klein then proceeded to make his counterpart Geno Smith completely irrelevant and stamp his own name at the top of the Heisman Watch list. There might only be a quiet TD-to-INT of 10-to-2 on his resume this year, but he's got an eye popping 14 rushing TDs (had 27 last season) and has shown even greater versatility than last year. They might have only beaten #6 Oklahoma 24-19, but it was on the road. Last night though? A road slaughtering of the newest member (ranked 13th) of the Big 12 that thought it was going to win the league in its first year. Klein said no, a defiant no at that. He let them know that the Big 12 is his conference and he's going to win playing smashmouth, old school football, a direct antonym of the West Virginia offense.

In Klein, we don't have anything we haven't seen before. He's not Robert Griffin III, he's not Vince Young and he's certainly not Cam Newton. But you've got to like it. He's a guy that just looks like he enjoys playing the game, plays it with a burning passion and plays it like a man. How could you not like that? Well it's easy if you're a WVU fan, he just made your Heisman candidate look like John Kerry. Anyways, we know he's not going to be a high draft pick, at least not at the QB position. He's a pure college football stud that takes advantage of his size and toughness allowing him to be a dual threat. Honestly, he really can't sling it at all. That's because he doesn't need to. This is college football and anything goes at the quarterback position in this tier of football. Want to make an accurate comparison of his game to another Heisman winner? Eric Crouch. Plays are made with pure athleticism and a little flaunting of the manhood. When they say he's carrying the team, he's carrying the whole damn team.


Will he lead his Wildcats to glory? It remains to be seen and we'll be one major step closer to figuring that out if he can shellack the 17th ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. All I know is there's a lot of old school in Klein's game and it's quite a treat to watch. Enjoy his style of play and especially enjoy it because it doesn't come with all those Tebow-antics on the side.

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And So The U.S. Advances, And So The U.S. Advances

Per usual, it took the USMNT some time for them to get things going.

Last night the United States National Team was in familiar, unnecessary and annoying place. They were forced into a must-tie game in the last qualifying match of a CONCACAF group they should have taken behind the woodshed. Instead they let up a 81st minute goal in their first matchup vs. Guatemala, tossed up a dud against an athletic, but overmatched Jamaican team on the road and had to salvage a 90th minute win against an embarrassingly unskilled Antigua and Barbuda just to put themselves in a must-tie position in their final third round match. (That paragraph was about as unnecessary and ridiculous as a paragraph I've ever written, but that can be the United States team in a nutshell).

No matter who seems to coach this squad they seem to thrive in the dramatic moment, and only the dramatic moment. Of course, it's always a theatrical situation they force themselves into. And as if it wasn't good enough that they were in must-tie (and let's just go ahead and say it was a must-win) they went ahead and let Guatemala's only good player get a wide-open breakaway only five minutes into the game. Tim Howard was so stunned by how wide-open this dude was that he got walked slower than molasses dripping down a tree in January. So now with the Livestrong Park faithful in dead silence and the team down 1-0, America decided to sack up and put their throat on this squad.

American answered immediately, and then answered again and again. Before you knew it was 3-1, the game was decided and the U.S. was once again leading the charge into the next round. Yeah it might have been a party by the 36th minute, when Dempsey found twine for a second time, but this never should have happened. We shouldn't celebrate advancing through the third round against countries like Antigua and Barbuda and Guatemala, I mean is A&B even an actual country? Simply put, we've gotten too far as a soccer country to been stumbling through early qualifying rounds. We shouldn't even be stumbling through the hexagonal round. I get that the conditions at many of the CONCACAF stadiums is as ugly as a middle school soccer field in the Bronx, but we are far superior to every team in CONCACAF other than Mexico and maybe even Costa Rica, so it should be a cakewalk.

That's why we hired Jurgen Klinnsmann right? To make this whole qualifying thing a breeze. To transform World Cup aspirations from pipe dreams to a real-life thing. But I'm getting to the point where I don't think it's coaching. I think that he's found the right players for the right positions, he's found the next Stu Holden in Graham Zusi and he seems to have found the best four backs he possibly could. Yet there are major holes in backfield talent and I don't think it's entirely on him. Aside from the fact that our back four has more holes in it than a WWI battlefield, I think this team has a hard time motivating itself.

Guys like Dempsey, Donovan, Altidore, and Bocanegra need an extra push to get their motor really going and that usually comes from an early goal by the opposing team. I'm not doubting their mental fortitude, since they have shown their "never say die" attitude far too many teams. This team is not a group of quitters, not one bit. But they are just a step too slow early on in games and that can often turn into landslide losses against superior opponents. Klinnsmann is trying his best to build a supporting cast that plays with fire from the git-go, but it's hard for these role players to really energize the squad when their leaders need a good ten minutes to really get the blood flowing. As much as a guy like Graham Zusi can immediatley put a ride into one or Herculez Gomez can push the docket up front, Bocanegra gets caught napping or Dempsey is playing too cute in the midfield.

There is a legitimate amount of talent on this current squad that can contend with the big boys in 2014 and maybe some more time for the Klinnsmann effect (should be in full effect already) to take over will really help, but this team has to put it all together. There needs to be a unification of skill, mentality and some good ol' luck. These dramatic wins against CONCACAF opponents are exciting and might boost our shaky confidence, but they won't cut it against Spain, Germany, Brazil, France or Italy.

We dodged a boatload of bullets in this round of qualifying, but that is done and gone now. Starting next February it's the leaders of this team that need to get the guns blazing. And I like Jurgen's style and I've enjoyed watching him find some diamonds in the rough with Fabian Johnson, Danny Williams and Graham Zusi, but it's time to make CONCACAF our redheaded step child. No more excuses, set the tone or we'll be going home early in 2014.

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It's Time for Ray Lewis to Hand Over the Torch

It's time for Ray Lewis to pass the torch to Patrick Willis

There were three casualties from Sunday's Ravens/Cowboys bloodbath. For one, DeMarco Murray was lost to a sprained left foot, the least severe injury of them all. Two, budding superstar Lardarius Webb was found in heap of pain and left the game with a season ending ACL tear. That means two of the top-5 CBs in the league are done for the year (Revis is the other if you forgot). But the third and certainly the most unfortunate of the three is Ray Lewis, who will most likely hang up the cleats for the rest of the year with a torn tricep.

An instant thought? He's done. Hanging them up for good. 37 years old, a Super Bowl ring and one of, if not the, greatest linebacking career in NFL history. No reason for Ray Lewis to return after as painful of an injury as this is. But this is Ray Lewis we're talking about. One of the most polarizing athletes of our generation even if we always forget about him until we turn on the XBOX or turn on the TV on Sundays. Forget about the type of skills and strength he has possessed over his career. Forget about the numbers, accolades and sweet Youtube videos. Ray Lewis invented intimidation, swagger was his first child and motivation is a byproduct of his everyday photosynthesis. We're talking about the greatest player to ever play probably the most exciting defensive position there is. It's all about making the plays and bringing the pain, and we all know Lewis brought the pain over his 17-year NFL career. But let's not get it twisted, Ray Lewis won't retire after this injury, won't retire after next season and probably won't hang 'em up until he can't walk. But he should.

It's time for Ray Lewis to call it a career, time for him to hand over the car keys to Terrell Suggs. There's nothing better than when a player walks away when his time is actually up and I think this injury serves as an appropriate time. Don't taint one of the greatest careers of all-time like Favre and Emmitt Smith did searching for more rings and more records when they were no longer the premier asset on their respective teams. Plus, it's time to move over and let the next great linebacker take the reign as the league's chief defensive quarterback. And that man is? Patrick Willis.

Willis is already in the process of becoming the best linebacker in the league, usurping Lewis before he can even finish his career. The 27-year-old is in his sixth year, the beginning of his prime, and he's assumed the team leader role on arguably the league's best defense. Like Lewis, Willis is a pure tackler in the most fundamental sense. He reads plays immediately and makes tackles, simple. That is easily indicative in his 100+ solo tackles in every full season he's played. But most importantly Willis plays with an intimidation factor, his eyes concealed behind a visor and a sort of "Either you're with me or you're out of here" attitude that invigorates his teammates to do the same. He might not have the electric halftime speeches or awe-inspiring pregame rituals that Lewis had, but he brings the whoopin' stick with him at all times. He's the same kind of once-in-a-generation talent that we saw with Lewis and I'm not sure he's done getting better and that's one important thing that the Ravens legend would always do: adapt. No matter how old he got, he would always change his regiment to stay fresh and stay up-to-date on the ever-evolving NFL game. I see the same sort of motivation in Willis and truly seeing him carrying the torch that Lewis, Lawrence Taylor, Mike Singletary and Dick Butkus before him.

So as much as the competitive drive will haunt him in the football afterlife, it's time for Ray Lewis to announce his retirement and hand off the torch he's been carrying since he racked up an absurd 183 tackles in only his second season. It's your time Patrick Willis.

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The Packers Coming Out Party or Facade?

Was Sunday's thrashing of the Texans a coming out party for the Pack?

The Green Bay Packers have set the bar for the NFL since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2010. They've had the league's most explosive offense, led by arguably the league's best quarterback. On defense they've had a playmaking unit that gets its energy off of game-changing plays instead of suffocating run defense or a shutdown pass defense. Their squad is laden with some of the NFL's best leaders in Rodgers, Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, Donald Driver and Jeff Saturday. All of this has translated to 36 wins in the past three seasons, but hasn't exactly added up to that this season. Yet, Sunday night's thrashing of what we thought was the "best team in the league" might have signaled a return to form for the Packers.

Or has it? We're still looking a painstakingly mediocre team here. Yes, they're still led by one of the top three QBs in the game, but before Sunday's game he wasn't playing up to his potential. They're 3-3, rank 14th in passing, 23rd in rushing, 18th in pass D, 17th in rush D, 7th in turnover differential in the NFC and have tended to play up or down depending on their competition. They fit the exact mold of an 8-8 team at this point, yet they still possess 13-3 talent. For every time something goes right for the Pack, something goes wrong. Honestly, beyond the numbers they just haven't looked dominating. Their offense before Sunday seemed so disorganized that it looked like they had a whole new corp of wideouts and offensive lineman. The Pack simply weren't the Pack before Sunday night.

I mentioned to a few people that this game would serve as a coming out game for the Packers. A coming out game for those of you that don't know is a game that serves as a team's revival or when a budding team makes a leap (Oklahoma City beating the Spurs in Game 5 of the WCF last year). And boy, did Green Bay come out swinging. Not only did Rodgers and co. look as alive as they did during their 13-game winning streak last season, but their defense basically rendered the powerful Texans offense useless. The Packers had so badly sucked the life out Houston, that they just looked shocked, in their own building nonetheless. Schaub tossed third picks, was sacked three times and even though they were only down 11 at halftime, there was no way Green Bay was letting them come back. It was the sort of slaughtering we've come accustomed with Aaron Rodgers looking like Tom Brady circa 2007 and they did it against the league's best team.

Is it fair for us to jump out of our seats over this game? I say yes, and no. Yes in the fact that we watched a vintage Packers team throw a party in another team's building (a damn good team at that). And no, because it's only part 1. The strange, last minute losses to the Seahawks (Don't blame it on the crappy officiating, they never should have been in that position) and the Colts have me concerned over the legitimacy of this squad. To say this was their coming out party might be jumping the gun, but when you have 12-win-a-season kind of talent, the benefit of the doubt is always on your side.

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Girardi With a Bit of Gusto

Raul Ibanez and his bulging lip may have captured the memories, but Girardi's decision-making should not be forgotten.

And so here were the Yankees, down 2-1 in the ninth at home of Game 3 of the ALDS against the  division rival (and underdog) Orioles. They had wasted starter Hiroki Kuroda's dominant two-run, 8 2/3 innings performance, one that had only fallen victim to the breezy, home-run haven ballpark that is Yankee Stadium. The second best offense in the majors had been stifled at home by Miguel Gonzalez, who before last night, had never started a playoff game in his life. Ichiro had lined out to left and the Yanks only had two outs left in what would undoubtedly be seen as a swing game in the series. Next up was the right-handed ultra-slugger who was ultra-struggling through the first three games of the series. 

Joe Girardi then made the sort of all-or-none decision that could conjure up nightmares that nag a lifetime. With A-Rod being a righty, an infamously bad clutch hitter (except in '09) and batting an atrocious 1-for-12 so far in this series, the skipper decided to go with the matchup. In steps the left-handed Raul Ibanez to face the righty Jim Johnson. A walk in this situation would have been nice, an extra base hit, awesome, but Raul Ibanez just simply wouldn't settle for nice or awesome, he wanted it all. The 40-year-old former all-star calmly deposited a missile in the right center bleachers. Cue the pandemonium. The minute the ball hit the bat, Ibanez and the crowd knew it was gone, but most importantly they knew the game was over. You don't beat the Yankees at home in extra innings of the postseason. Three innings later Ibanez exceeded even the most absurdly anticipated expectations by launching a walk-off bomb into the bleachers that left more stunned faces around the country than when J.T. introduced Janet Jackson's right breast to the world in the Super Bowl.

Say what you want about Joe Girardi, and I know for Yankees fans and sports fans in general those things aren't very nice, but the guys got some balls. It's easy to fall in love with A-Rod in the moment, even if he his clutch gene appeared solely in October of 2009 and disappeared almost immediately after. The guy has one of the most flawless swings in baseball and by the way he makes $27.5 million to bat south of the interstate line. There's a lot of reasons to leave A-Rod out there and it wouldn't even be Girardi's fault if he went out there and struck out. Managing the Yankees is like managing an NBA players money, everything's all there, but it's still difficult to get it right. I mean who would have thought a 40-year-old journeyman would be the savior? It's not like his .246 postseason batting average makes anyone go bonkers. But Girardi did the smart thing, he played the matchups. You want the lefty vs. righty matchup. He didn't care about the contract excuse he could have, he didn't care about A-Rod's ego. There was just a manager out there managing they taught you to do it in imaginary baseball managing school.

Let's not forget another factor, this is the Yankees we're talking about. This is a team with individual players that have more playoff experience than the whole Orioles team combined. There was an air of calm last night when Ibanez stepped to the plate. Maybe because we've seen Ibanez hit clutch homers before (Philadelphia's postseason in '09). Maybe because the guy was so calm that he was packing a monster lip in two at-bats that could immortalize his short Yankee tenure (if the Yankees win get to the World Series or win it). Maybe it's because the ghosts of Yankees past would refuse a Bombers loss last night.

Whatever it was, we all know last night's memory may forever belong to Raul Ibanez and his bulging lip, but Girardi's gutsy call should be hardpressed to be forgotten.

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A Little Monday Fun

If you guys have never heard of the show Key & Peele, get on it. It's a hilarious, Dave Chapelle-like show on Comedy Central on Wednesdays after South Park. In one of these clips they destroy the whole "intro" section of Monday Night and Sunday Night Football, something some of the players use to show over their egos. This is absolutely dead on from the names to the way they say it and their colleges. Really good stuff here. Enjoy.

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Jim Harbaugh is Some Miracle Worker

Harbaugh is a miracle worker if I've ever seen one.

Somewhere between my Bills getting taken behind the woodshed, my own pitiful laughter at the event and my buddies turning the #Billsmafia moniker into an absolute mockery, I found a bit of silver lining. What I was witnessing yesterday was pure greatness. Just like watching LeBron single-handledly carry the Heat to a championship last year, just like watching Kevin Durant blossom in front of our eyes, just like watching Gretzky, Jordan and Montana in their primes. And then you must confirm greatness, accept greatness and as much as it hurts, enjoy that greatness. It's even worse when it's actually your own team on the wrong side of an old fashioned butt-whoopin' from greatness, itself. Thanks to some miraculously ingenuity and moxie, Jim Harbaugh has transformed his squad into a freight train, with a Super Bowl Championship certainly in their sights.

When Harbaugh took over in 2010, the 49ers were a dysfunctional franchise with a historically bad QB (who probably started for a little too long) and a clubhouse that even hardo Mike Singletary couldn't contain. The 2010 49ers won six games, didn't seem to have the talent to run with the lowly NFC West and honestly were a notch below the Raiders in terms of front office shenanigans. Enter Harbaugh, a extremely successful college coach who had molded Andrew Luck into the superstar we know today. Slow your roll though, he was only a college coach and success in college translates to absolutely nothing in the NFL (see Steve Spurrier). There was hype of course, probably more because he was staying in the Bay Area more than anything. But Hype and the San Francisco 49ers weren't exactly a match made in heaven.

And then the season started, and then they went on a eight-game winning streak, and then they won the division and then boom they were in the NFC Championship Game. Their defense, impenetrable, their offense, methodical. Harbaugh had created a beat out of nowhere and they had left the league stunned. They slaughtered the Bucs, manhandled the Steelers, and shredded their division. Harbaugh had his guys playing with the type of swagger Mike Singletary could only spew. The transformation the Niners made from cellar dweller to league leader was a complete result of Harbaugh. His biggest accomplishment though? Alex. Smith.

It's all smiles for Smith these days.

Somewhere in the history books it will be written that Alex Smith went from the worst quarterback in the league (circa 2007) to one of the top 10-12 quarterbacks in the league and even with that defense and Frank Gore's ferocious running game, hell yeah you're right, that's quite a leap. Under Harbaugh's tutelage Smith has matured, become more composed and has even improved as a passer. The 28-year-old is no longer a deer in the headlights out there and I'll tell you right now, if the old ball coach left San Fran. Smith would probably spiral back into the dark days of previous years. I have no idea what Harbaugh did or how he did it, but it is nothing short of a miracle. Listen to this, Alex Smith threw for 300 yards, 3 TDs and zero interceptions against on Sunday. Yeah, he might have been playing the Bills and their seriously overpaid defense, but Smith has only thrown for more than 300 yards three times in his career. 3 times. Especially if you consider the 3 TDs and no picks as well? Mind-boggling. The Niners were legitimately thinking of benching this guy in favor of David Carr. David Carr. I'm sorry but Carr has never recovered from his glory days at Fresno State. It was stunning to think that Smith remained in the league for as long as he did, but that shows how dysfunctional San Francisco has been. Yet, Harbaugh has erased all those sickening memories for the Niners faithful and their used-to-be-brutal quarterback. Let's face it, they're a damn good ballclub.

For sending Smith down a completely revitalized path, Harbaugh alone should be the Coach of the Year every year. Combine that miracle with the fact the Niners defense is the league's best and there's no way this guy isn't in the elite ranks of coaching. I'll go as far as to say that their defense is the new Ravens and Patrick Willis is the next Ray Lewis. And yes, it's almost entirely a product of Harbaugh.

3 years ago it would have been the San Francisco fans cheering at an injured Alex Smith, now he's pushing the docket as one of the league's best. And were all left scratching are heads and saying "How did he do it?"

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The Great Rebirth of Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera has been reborn this season and a Triple Crown is his reward.

When Miguel Cabrera first stepped into the Major Leagues, during the Marlins 2003 World Series run, he was instantly seen as an immense offensive talent. As a monster power hitter with ability to hit the ball anywhere, he also surprised people with his contact prowess as a .300/30/100 season seemed like it was going to be a common occurrence for him. And it did.

Aside from the 29-year-old slugger's rookie campaign, he has yet to drive in less 100 RBIs in a season. He's only batted under .300 twice and only hit less than 30 home runs once. Miguel Cabrera is a once in a lifetime offensive talent and his stats completely back up that observation. There is a calm swagger about Cabrera that makes him a menace when he steps up to the plate. Much like Robinson Cano, Cabrera benefits almost solely on natural talent. While being born to hit a baseball is certainly a gift it can also be a burden, and a burden it certainly has been for Cabrera.

To set the record straight, it seems that not many people (including myself) were fond of Miguel Cabrera before this historic Triple Crown run. Cabrera is blessed with so much natural talent that most of the time it looks like he hasn't tried a day in his baseball life. Though his absurdly consistent stats say otherwise. The first of Cabrera's issues began in 2007 when the Marlins decided to trade him despite another amazing season in which he batted .320/34/119. In the deal (which also included the struggling but still talented Dontrelle Willis) the Marlins only received two solid prospects, Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin. I don't know what sort of clubhouse issues Cabrera created, but I can assume there has to be something there when you trade one of the best hitters in baseball for two prospects (and only one really turned out). Then in 2009, on the heels of one of his worst seasons (comparatively .324/34/103), he got into an altercation with his wife after a night of drinking. While no charges were filed, Cabrera ended up checking himself into an alcohol rehab center in January of 2010. Cabrera continued on a shady path off-the-field, but his eye-popping numbers remained. Finally in February of 2011, Cabrera was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and resisting arrest. Though he batted .344 that year he only slugged 30 home runs and 105 RBIs (numbers that most players would kill for).

As we entered the 2012 season, no one doubted Cabrera's talent or that he was going to put up his usual outstanding numbers. Yet, in the same breadth, no one could have expected the Triple Crown out of a guy who never seemed to fully put it together. That's exactly what Cabrera finally did. He put everything together, his talents, his effort and some damn good luck. Even if you're as talented as Cabrera, you don't waltz your way into a Triple Crown season. He carried his squad, and even though Mike Trout wowed us as a rookie, there is no way he doesn't get the MVP. A Triple Crown in a division winning season means you were the best player in the primetime, on the biggest stage in the most fantastic way. Especially when you consider that this was a guy who has been on the precipice of greatness all his career without ever really achieving it. Cabrera is here now.

We've found a reborn man, a man who's transformed from a overweight, lazy, waste of talent into a full blown leader and MVP. Long gone are the days of making fun of Cabrera because he looks like he honestly has never put forth an effort in his entire life. It's exciting to have seen a Triple Crown in my lifetime, it's even more awe-inspiring when it's a guy who was once a pariah on every team he's played on. 

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First Quarter NFL Awards

Matty Ice has been the clear cut MVP a quarter into the season.

 I don't know about you guys, but these first four weeks of the NFL have flown by, though not lacking serious drama. The debacle with the officials has been duly noted by every single person that writes or talks about sports, so while that had been the main issue for the first quarter of the season it wasn't the only thing to talk about. So let's give out our First Quarter NFL Awards:

Super Squad:
Houston Texans
There are three undefeated teams remaining in the NFL. Eliminate the Arizona "we're really not so sure about them" Cardinals and you have two teams competing for the top of the NFL ranks right now. Matt Ryan has led the Falcons to a pretty impressive 4-0 start behind a solid defense and an explosive passing game with Roddy White putting up monster numbers. But let's not forget the most important aspect in any championship calibur team, defense. The Houston Texans have a viciously good defense, so far in four games they've only allowed 56 points evening out to a 14 point-per-game click. Offensively, Arian Foster and Ben Tate are carrying the offense with 136.5 yards per game, good enough for ninth in the league. They're not going to blow you away with their air attack or their ground game, but the offense's balance makes them a formidable opponent. Combine that with their disgustingly good defense and you've got the league's best team. Don't forget the sleeping giant that is Andre Johnson (15 catches, 268 yards, 2 TDs). If he awakes it could be a scary run to a Super Bowl. Remember this same team did advance to the AFC divisional round with T.J Yates under helm...

First Quarter Offensive MVP:
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
A lot of people have been waiting to welcome Matt Ryan into the realm of the elite quarterback. We've known his talents and witnessed some great moments out of him, but there has been far too much inconsistency in his big game performances for him to truly be "elite". Well now we might be able to give him that title. Ryan has slaughtered the league with nearly 70% completion percentage, 11 TDs and a mere two INTs for a best-quarterback-in-the-NFL 112.1 rating as opposed to his career rating of 90.0. He out dueled Killa Cam last week in one of the season's most exciting games. Ryan is seriously in control of an offense that has the Falcons buzzing at 4-0. Matty Ice should go off once again this weekend against a less-than-stellar Redskins pass defense.

First Quarter Defensive MVP
DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
Ware has been the driving force behind the Cowboys #1 pass defense with five sacks, three forced fumbles and the sack-happy linebacker has even added 21 tackles. Dallas might be 2-2 but Ware has been absolutely stellar, using his supreme athleticism to its max at this point. He had a monster performance in the Cowboys Week 3, 16-10 victory in a defensive slugfest by garnering two sacks and two forced fumbles. Ware had 19.5 sacks last season and is well on his way to another 18/19/20/ 21 sack season.

First Quarter Dud Squad
Detroit Lions
Last season when the Lions broke their 11-year drought, it looked as if they were primed to take off this year. After a shaky 27-23 win over the St. Louis Rams, we weren't sure what direction the Lions were going to go. Was it first game jitters? Was it pure rust? Well after dropping their last three games including a demoralizing OT loss to the lowly Titans, the Lions look all the makings of a 6-10 team. Though Stafford has the Lions running and gunning, their lack of a rushing game and mediocre defense have them in a 1-3 hole. Is it early? Yes, there still is enough offensive talent on this team to turn it around, but the Lions need to make that move quickly with both Chicago and Green Bay on the upswing. On a side note, I bet you thought I would put the Saints here, but I knew in the beginning that the bounty distractions would be too much to handle.

First Quarter Surprise Squad
Arizona Cardinals
I was the first person to say that Kevin Kolb is terrible and overpaid and I'll be the first person to say that he has totally proved me wrong this year. Though the Cardinals don't rank higher than 15th in any important team category (passing yards, rushing yards, pass defense and rush defense) they still are 4-0 and are fifth in turnover differential. Kolb's TD-to-INT ratio is an impressive 7:2 and the Cardinals defense led by Calais Campbell and Daryl Washington has been solid enough for an undefeated first quarter of the year. You can't even point to Arizona's schedule for their success, they've beaten both Philadelphia and New England (on the road). I will say I'm still a Cardinal doubter because of their mediocre stats across the board, but not turning the ball over is a key to any underdog's success.

First Quarter Surprise Stud
C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills
Before Spiller left the Bills Week 3 game against Cleveland with a separated shoulder, he was on a torrid pace that had Buffalo fans reminiscing on Thurman Thomas. He returned for an ineffective Week 4 matchup against the Patriots, but you could say that about everyone on the Bills. His 8.3 yards per carry on 41 carries is mind-blowing. He's also added a few big-play receptions as well giving his fantasy owners instant excitement. If he returns to full health and continues to be the big-play back the Bills drafted ninth overall in 2010 then the Bills could live up to their darkhorse expectations.

First Quarter Dud
Brandon Lloyd, New England Patriots
Lloyd was supposed to finally put forth the breakout season that matched all the talent he had (he's never played with a good QB). So far this season he has been more of a disappointment than anything else. It may be a result of the Patriots more balanced attack, but Lloyd is only averaging 11.5 yards per catch and hasn't pushed the docket like we thought. His longest catch of the season is only 27 yards. When the Patriots got a hold of Lloyd we were thinking more along the lines of a catches of 50+. And don't blame this on double teams, their are other receiving options on the Patriots that have shown their clear worth. Lloyd might simply need more time to gel with Brady, but for now I think he has severely underperformed to his potential.

First Quarter Overblown Storyline
Cam Newton's under performance and maturity
Newton was publicly taken behind the woodshed by his teammate and top target Steve Smith two weeks ago when he was seen sulking on the sidelines after a 36-7 whomping by the Giants. Yeah, Newton hasn't had the greatest season throwing 4 TDs to 5 INTs, but he did respond to the criticism nicely in Week 4. Unfortunately his solid 2 TD, 0 INT, 119.3 rating performance wasn't enough to defeat the freight train that is the Atlanta Falcons. Should we be overly concerned with Cam? I don't think so, it's early in his second season and he's probably getting over the growing pains that he somehow avoided in his sensational rookie campaign. Everything is going to be overblown when you strut around like Newton does, but through 20 NFL games (even including the duds this year) he still has been impressive. Let's see if he can rebound once again next week against the Seahawks, I have faith.

First Quarter Under Covered Storyline
The Chiefs are unreasonably bad
Am I the only one that is perplexed by the Chiefs ineptitude? They have a sensational running game led by Jamaal Charles, they have one of the most explosive players in the league Dexter McCluster and the connection of Matt Cassel to Dwayne Bowe is a phenomenal one. Defensively, they've been solid enough (14th in total yards allowed). So the issue certainly doesn't like in their production. However, the Chiefs do have an abysmal -13 turnover differential, but even at that, this team's offensive talent makes me question why they're so bad, like worst team in the league bad (-13). Two years ago the Chiefs were 10-6 and AFC West champs, now there looking like 1st overall pick status. While the Saints 0-4 season is probably the overwhelmingly big storyline because of their off-the-field shenanigans, this Kansas City squad's bad play is really alarming.

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Cutler Wins the Battle of the Gunslingers

Romo's gun slinging style simply doesn't work in the NFL.

Last night's Bears, Cowboys matchup had all the makings of a Wild, Wild West shootout with two high-powered weapons chalk full of athletic weapons. Of course each team led by a pair of absolute gunslingers that rarely remove their finger from the trigger. Two guys, in my opinion, that waste their talent on impulsive throws and an overt desire for the big play and last night once again proved that you simply can't trust a gunslinger.

Both Romo and Cutler are good for a couple things. One, they'll rack up 300 yards passing no matter how many attempts they have. Two, they're going to get you some TDs. And finally three, some of their passes are going to find the hands of the guys in the wrong jerseys. It's in the DNA of a gunslinger. They have an inherent need to throw the ball into tight windows and to make the biggest play they can make. There is no settling, there's no checkdowns, no West Coast-offense nonsense. It's a style of quarterback that can look spectacular on one day, and horrendous the next. Cutler has 122 career TDs to 92 career INTs, as compared to Romo's 154 TDs and 80 INTs. While Romo's numbers don't pop like Cutler's do, there are still far too many times that you watch these guys' four-touchdown games go to waste because of a matching four INTs. Romo also makes up for his lack of INTs with an average of more than six fumbles a season.

Cutler certainly brought his A-game last night going 18-for-24 with 275 yards and two TDs, though it was a conservative game in the least bit for him. That was the beauty of his performance last night, he didn't try to do so much, he just let it flow, abusing the one-on-one coverage on Brandon Marshall like any intelligent quarterback would do. But as we all know with the volatile Cutler, one extremely effective performance could easily be followed up by a stale one against the lowly Jaguars next week.

Romo, on the other hand, threw up an absolute dud. He threw five picks. This conversation really could end right there. Honestly even if he threw five TDs, there isn't a justification for that sort of game. His 60.1 QB rating is a bit of a understatement if you ask me. But a stat line that reads 31/47, 307, 1 TD and 5 INTs screams classic Romo. Three of those five picks were absolutely embarrassing. The first of the bad picks came when Romo got some immature happy feet and let a floater go that was intended to be a deep ball to Dez Bryant. Instead it fell into Tavares Tillman's hands for a pick six with Bryant almost ten yards away. The announcers pointed to a communication error, but it was totally on Romo who felt the pressure far before it actually came. Then Lance Briggs was the beneficiary of Romo trying to do too much as a tipped shovel pass turned into a pick six giving the Bears a commanding 24-7 lead in the third quarter. And then finally, in a last ditch effort down 17, Romo hit Bears cornerback D.J. Moore on a perfect post route. No, you didn't read that wrong, the ball was so badly under thrown to Miles Austin that it looked as if Moore was running the route. "Laughable" would be selling that play short.

Now just because last night's game occurred the way it did, doesn't mean it's an indictment of Romo's ineptitude or Cutler's competence. I was just pointing out that when you put a gunslinger under center, you're playing with fire. It may have been Cutler's rodeo last night, but it easily could have been vice versa. These two clowns both top my list of quarterbacks I wouldn't want on my team because they don't think with their heads but instead with their stat sheets. And people wonder why Cutler and Romo are a combined 2-4 in the postseason, a real head-scratcher.

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