All Star Weekend...I Love This Game?

Da Realist:

i completely agree with this.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/jay_mohr/02/22/mohr.sports/index.html

Waldini:

I dont completely agree with this. I thought TNT did a decent job on Sat leading up to the actual events. This year's game was boring (even though the score was close) but 2003 (Jordan's last year) was really good. They need a marquee name that white folks can relate to. Shaq is funny but he isnt viewed in the same light as Jordan, Magic, and Bird. PERIOD.

Other thoughts

Dunk Contest - Do agree it has lost its relevance since no major names participate anymore. Gone are the days where 7 folks including His Airness, Human Highlight Film, Skywalker, Larry N! ance, Glide, etc would participate and make it exciting. Plus they give cats too many chances (see Lil Nate) to win. It's a mockery compared to the 80s. The dunks have been tight but it's
taking these guys 15-20 mins to do them.

Skills - Actually liked it b/c they did have marquee names participating

3 point - no opinion

I will keep saying this until I'm blue in the face....today's NBA players are not embraced like the ones from 80s.

Da Realist:

the last real good all star game was 88. or maybe that's just when i started to view the weekend differently. this was the one in chicago, mike got 40 and the mvp, nique almost came away with it because mike outdueled nique in a slam dunk contest that really could have gone either way (but since it was in chicago...) and larry legend won the 3 point shooting contest for the 3rd straight time on the last shot. i cannot recall who won any other game except 1992 (when magic was allowed to play despite his hiv status).

dunk contest is almost garbage now. it's really only so much a contestant to do. how many variations of the between the legs dunk are we going to see? it's mildly entertaining, but not must-see tv. although it's better than all that other stuff. didn't even watch the other stuff. heard dwayne wade won the skills contest and dirk won the 3pt contest, but so what?

another thing. these t! hings shouldn't be prime time tv. this should come on at 1 or 2 like it used to, instead of bleeding into the night like monday night football. the nba needs to be trying to reel in the 12 years olds (like us in '88) instead of trying to chase every single dollar. this should be the one weekend all year long that can begin and end during the hours a normal child can stay up.

now, the all star game. the way the all star game is played now is really a microcosm of how the overall game has been adapted. the players today looked at and practiced all of the "sportscenter" plays they saw their idols doing yesteryear, but didn't pay attention the the real substance of the game. sure isiah used to throw a bounce pass alley oop from half court to dominique wilkins back then or magic will somehow find a teammate with a no look behind the back pass through traffic for the easy score, but it was still a *real* game with all the intangibles (defense included). now, it's understood that no one really plays any defense and everyone averages at least one alley oop pass per half. it's got all the flair, not none of the substance that it used to have. Read more!

Joe D...HOF?

Da Realist:

what do you guys think of this article, particularly t! he argument against joe dumars? agree or disagree?

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5348924

Gangsta D:

I'd have to agree. Dumars was a good player and a very good player in the '89 Finals. But he was never a great player. He may get in as an executive in 20 years, but not as a player.

Da Realist:

i found the article against ralph sampson interesting (and i agree with it). but it was interesting because all i've heard about ralph was that he was a flop while i heard bill walton is one of the 50 greatest. their stats aren't *that* far apart. i'm not a stats guy and i know stats don't tell the whole story, but do stats lie THIS much? one guy is a flop, the other guy is a great. similar numbers. i know bill was hurt and maybe i had to actually see him play but even the highlights don't offer much. the only thing we see of bill walton is the 1977 championship over the sixers and him waving the towel from the bench for the 86 celtics. we know ralph doesn't belong in the hall, but does BILL???

Gangsta D:

Bill Walton is the greatest center to ever lace them up. 22 of 23 in the '74 title game. The best passing big man in hist! ory. Come on, the guy is a giant...literally and figuratively. Plus he's Luke Walton's dad, the greatest 2nd round draft pick in history....

Waldini:

I agree Joe D is not a HOFer. He was a good not great player. I dont know if you guys saw TNT's list of the next 10 players that should be added to the top 50 lists. Charles Barkley said he would select Joe Dumars, Reggie Miller, and Dennis Johnson for that list b4 Kobe Bryant

Realist, thats your apocalypse for the day.

Da Realist:

did he say why?

Waldini:

He said right now Kobe has not done enough in his career to surpass those 3's accomplishments. He did say that in a few years, he believes will surpass those guys.

I still was like Kobe has surpassed those guys. Kenny Smith took it a step further and asked him "So what you're telling me is if you had a build a franchise around the guards on this list, you would pick those guys ahead of Kobe Bryant"....Charles never answered the question :-)

Da Realist:

kenny the jet made a good point

Read more!

Mamba my ass

Da Realist:

more like a chameleon Read more!

The Empire Strikes Back

Waldini:

Now I know you saw 'Mamba' go off for 98 in his past 2 games. You dontthinkhe's teed off after being suspended by the league. On a side note, Kwame is starting again and posted a double double in one game.

Gangsta D:

Dude I saw the game against the Clippers. He had 10 at halftime. In the third qtr, he went OFF. He hit like 5 3's in a row from just ridiculous distance. Even the Clipper's announcing team had to give it up. He was just throwing up crazy shots. If Lamar can figure out his role, we'll be OK.

I just saw that we play the Cavs this January. So you know what that means. Kobe's gonna get hurt again and miss 10-12 games just like the last two years:)

Waldini:

Is it this Thursday or next Thursday they play? I know it's on TNT and I have been waiting for the day that Kobe and Lebron play one another for a full game. We've already seen D-Wade, T-Mac, and Penny's best against #8, now I wanna see #23.

Gangsta D:

It's this thursday, but it doesn't matter because Big Z is gonna inadvertantly hit Kobe with an elbow, knocking him to the floor, causing him to break his wrist when he lands. Just accept it. cleveland is Kobe's kryptonite:)

Waldini:

You have jinxed the Lakers and now Kobe will be hurt. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, j/k Read more!

Ron "New" Mexico

Da Realist:

SHOULD marcus vick have been kicked off the team for speeding and driving w/o a license? i only ask because i visited v-tech this year and i told y'all how uncomfortable we felt there. i wonder if v-tech has less patience with black players or is this a legit reason to kick someone off the team.

Gangsta D:

It was an accumulation thing, not just the recent problems. He got suspended for his first game, was suspended all of last year, and his recent troubles; all this added up.

Da Realist:

makes sense. but let's not discount the fact that he was somewhat exposed this year. if he had the kind of career his brother had, do you think he would have been kicked off?

Waldini:

If Vick had taken them to a BCS bowl, he would have just gotten probation, 100 hrs of community service, and given a public apology to Lousville, the athletic department, Dumervil and Dumervi's family, etc.... Read more!

Young Vince

Waldini:

So he made it official....now the big question, where does he go?Unofficially, Houston has said that they will still take Reggie Bush andwill give Carr the extension.And how do you think he will do? I'm still not sold on the throwing motionbut he did slightly change my perception of him with his Rose bowlperformance.

Gangsta D:

Get used to that release, cause Mel thinks the Titans are taking Vince at #3. Steve may be done for in Titan Land.

Waldini:

Pasquerelli is saying Steve is leaning towards deferring his bonus and staying on. If that;s the case, then Vince will be mentored by his idol (just like Steve was mentored).

Da Realist:

they're good friends anyway. steve has been mentoring vince the last couple of summers. Read more!

Who You Wit?

Da Realist:

who ya got tonight?http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/stewart_mandel/01/03/why.texas/index.html

Gangsta D:

'SC by 10.

Waldini:

Mandel failed to mention that Troy Smith wasnt the starter of that Ohio St-UT game (Justin Zwick was). He also failed to mention that Ohio St in 2003 had a tougher schedule than Texas in 2005. We can throw team defense rankings, stats, etc all over the place but bottomline, that 'SC offense is a beast. I say USC wins b/c I dont see UT holding Leinart, Bush, White and Co below 31 points (which I said is the benchmark for beating USC).

Da Realist:

stewart missed a lot of things. but the biggest exclusion...miami was still one late flag away from winning the game anyway. i agree with d. sc by 10. Read more!

What Dreams May Come

Could the Lakers get Artest and Jalen Rose? If they only have to give up Devean and Von Wafer, could this be true. After this three game debacle, I'm ready for a change. I'll take "Crazy-Ass" Ron and the "Black Rose" and will be happy about it. Read more!

All The Roses

Da Realist:

does texas have a chance to knock off usc in the rose bowl?

Gangsta D:

They got a chance, but I don't see it happening. Texas hasn't seen a team like 'SC all year. Will they get blown 55-3, probably not. It'll be a shootout, but 'SC should handle it. Oh yeah, I still don't trust Mack Brown in a big game.

Waldini:

Ditto here....I dont think the Longhorns can hold USC behold 31 points, which I think that is the only way you can beat this team.

Da Realist:

good point. but it can be argued that usc hasn't seen a team like texas either. but the mack brown rule definitely applies here. i don't even think it will be close. 42 - 21 or something like that. usc's offensive line is a BEAST. they don't get any credit because of the big 3, but there is a reason bush and white are running at full speed 5 yards deep before they get touched -- IF they get touched. and with a dominant line like that you can't stop all 3 weapons. usc will have a month to shore up it's defense for vince young. contain him and texas is done. make vince have to throw for 300+ yards to beat them.

on the other side of the ball, the teams that have given usc trouble this year we teams that had short, controlled passing attacks that kept the usc offense off the field. texas plays a risky, home run deep passing attack that is designed to score quickly, but is also prone to turnovers. i don't think vince is a) gonna have the time he's used to getting behind center to make those throws and b) isn't going to be accurate enough within the allotted amount of time he will have to be successful over the course of the game. Read more!

Lupica Sucks!!!

Waldini:

Did you guys watch Sports Reporters yesterday?? Realist's favorite, JasonWhitlock was on and he and Lupica got into a heated discussion about EliManning. After that, they both kept using Mitch Albom as their sounding board, saying things like "Mitch had a great point" or "Mitch is right". Butnever did they refer to each other after that standoff....Business never personal gentlemen :-)

Gangsta D:

I love how Lupica was all "Will you let me finish?" Hilarious. This guy cuts more people off than a New York cabbie. What a dick...

Da Realist:

yeah i saw it. lupica's a verbal bully. he will always get the last word even if he has to shout over everyone else to get it. it sure seemed like lupica is on the manning payroll or something because he took it personal when jason said eli was (basically) overrated.

here are a couple things i think SR needs to address:
i really do wish they would do a better job of rotating the talking heads. john saunders should be the only given every sunday. i'm sure there are columnists all over the country that would love to participate in the show. these guys they keep trotting out there makes the show seem old and stale.

it could also move to vary up the topics every once in a while. every sunday there are 3 main segments - the first 2 are about the nfl and the last about whatever the current news worthy topic is. there are other things to talk about than TO and what td celebration chad johnson did LAST sunday.

the fact that the show only comes on once a week makes it look outdated.

Waldini:

I'm with you Realist..for the majority of this year, it was Lupica, Albom, and Ryan with Saunders as the host. Considering Lupica is as Gangsta put it, "a dick", they need someone who is less objective to criticism.

I did love how Whitlock did not let his emotions get the best of him even when Lupica kept goin on and on about all these stats he knew. And Whitlock simply replied "52% completion rate". He;s right, that wont get it done in the playoffs Read more!

Ron Ron

Waldini:

You know, I am curious, we haven't talked at all about Crazy Ron and his antics this week. Are we tired of him as a whole? Or do we simply not care about his actions?

Da Realist:

i don't care. good player, not great player. who cares?

Gangsta D:

He has potential to be great. He also has potential to go on a kill crazy rampage. It's a trade off...

Da Realist:

what potential to be great? he plays hard and he can do a number of things well but i don't see nothing "great" about him.

Gangsta D:

The ability to lock down the opponent's top scorer and the ability to score 25-27 points and grab 8-10 boards. If he averaged 26 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast, and 3 stl and won Defensive Player of the Year, you don't think that qualifies as great?

Da Realist:

there is NO WAY that dude can average 26 points a game. "average" is the key word here. 26 ppg? those are dominique numbers. and he's not quick enough! to lock down the ELITE guards in the game (kobe, dwayne wade, iverson...)

Gangst D:

You don't think so? Based on what? He's averaging almost 20 now as the second option. You don't think he can put in another 6 when he's the #1 guy. "Lock down" is a relevant term. No one can truly stop an elite player, but he can keep 'em from getting 30-40. And I'd take him on my team over a lot of other players if I had to play the Lakers, Heat, or Sixers.

Da Realist:

pros and cons, my dear watson. sure he'll have a few more opportunities to score if he was "the man" somewhere, but he will also have to deal with the pressures of being the #1 guy. right now he's what, the 2nd or 3rd option for indiana? teams scouting indiana are not trying to come up with creative ways to stop ron artest, i assure you. he gets his shots when teams are double teaming jermaine o'neal or collapsing on tinsley. you think he could become an elite player if given his own team. i don't. he'll always be better at being #2 or #3.

wait a minute....i think i hear something.... is that a stampede of ! teams willing to trade marquee guys for ron artest??? do i hear minnesota willing to trade kg for artest? no, must be contract considerations. what, is that something i hear from LA? kobe for artest? no? what about even odom for artest? really??? maybe dallas will part with dirk...no really, artest is a good player. but if teams could really see 26, 10 and 6 coming out of him every team in the league would be selling their souls to get him on their team.

Gangsta D:

Dude 15 teams, at the least, want him. The thing is it's all hypothesis. If he does become the focal point of a team, we'll see. Remember what I said, he has potential to be great. All the tools are there. But he's crazy, so we'll just have to see:)

Da Realist:

you actually think this dude can put up dominique numbers while being the number one guy. :-) Read more!

Too Much Heat For The Hedgehog

Da Realist:

we all know svg was forced out. but aside from that, is this a good move?will pat create a better team than svg did?

Gangsta D:

Nope. It's hard to make blueberry pancakes with strawberries. I'm sure Riles thinks he can push them in the right direction, but they are not compatible as a team. It would take Wade going off and Shaq playing like 2000 Shaq in the playoffs. Don't see it happening, but sometimes strange shit happens...

Waldini:

Well they should be better simply b/c Shaq is back. We honestly won't know if it was Shaq's return or Riles' coaching that did the trick IF the Heat go on a tear. I am reading reports now that players like Wade, Mourning, and Payton had become unresponsive and lackadaisical to SVG's coaching. Again coincidence :-)

Da Realist:

and it's a coincidence that one game after shaq comes back, svg suddenly remembered he had a family. what a load of bull

Waldini:

You already knew the conspiracy was in effect once Riles blew up the whole team and the rumor leaked out that he wanted to return to coaching. The sad part is if the Heat dont win the title this year (which I still dont think they will do), Riles' return will be seen as a complete failure and my instincts tell me he will blow the team up again....

What folks dont see is that the Heat are going to be very Laker/Sixer like in about 2 years when Shaq truly has declined and has a hard time playing 60 games a year. That will leave a maximum paid Wade to do his best impersonation of so many other 2s that were left without a good big man to help them Read more!

We've Got Bush (Part II)

Da Realist:

if you're reggie bush, do you come back after this season win or lose? remember, no leinart next year...

Gangsta D:

That's a trick question right?

Waldini:

gotta be a trick question. He aint white kid, he's going pro :-)

Da Realist:

hey leinart chose to come back last year...

Gangsta D:

That's because Matty needed elbow surgery. This year his elbow is fine, and he has increased velocity. It was a good move, even though he's not gonna get as much money this year as last, because Mr. Bush is going #1. He has no incentive to come back. He'll sign a $40-50 million contract, play for a suck team, and break people's ankles.

Da Realist:

ahhhh, i see... play another year because of physical ailments but cite your school pride and willingness to be "just" a college student to the media as the reason for coming back. pretty smart. Read more!

Predictions, Prognostications, & Failures

Da Realist:

navy at army - i hear people say this is the greatest rivalry. i just don't see it. maybe it used to be, but... anyway, navy is like the nebraska of the academies - option, option, option. army has won 4 straight games but navy's rushing attack will be too much. NAVY

colorado vs texas - colorado just choked in it's last 2 games so of course i'm going to go with...TEXAS

fsu vs virgina tech - bobby is STILL defending his boy. vt is stronger in every area. to borrow a phrase from moses malone, it's gonna be fo,fo,fo for bobby and his boys. VIRGINIA TECH

ucla at usc - i was itching to call the upset in this game. noting ucla's 3 week layoff to prepare and their motivation to knock off ! "big brother",i would have picked the bruins to win this game. but fresno state didn't do them any favors. usc has had to hear for 2 weeks how they should have lost to the bulldogs and how weak their defense is. i think this game will be close and i still wouldn't be surprised to see ucla win, i'm just not picking them. USC

georgia vs lsu - you can't find two more evenly matched teams. i've been wavering on this game since last week. one day i'm sure lsu will win, then i'm convince georgia will find a way. tonight i'm in a bulldawg kind of mood. when 2 evenly matched teams go at it, i usually look at the coach as the difference. although he can be a little conservative at times, i believe in mark richt. i think dj shockley will find ways to avoid the lsu blitz and punish the secondary. GEORGIA

Waldini:

Navy vs Army - Navy's the one with the winning record right? So I pick the Midshipmen. The real choice for this should have been are you going to or not going to watch this game. I know I will not be. MIDSHIPMEN

Buffaloes vs Longhorns - The battle of the four legged animals is on. MackBrown says there are no similarities btw this game and the 2001 Big 12 title game when these 2 teams met (The favored Longhorns lost). Gary Barnett says there are similarities. Who do I believe? Mack Brown b/c he has Vince Young this year who is better than the QB they had in 2001. HOOK'EM HORNS

Noles vs Hokies - I really don't want to pick as I think the Canes should be here. Damn you cats for losing to FSU so early :-). FSU is in a tailspin, the critics are calling for Jr's head, the fans are writing negative slogans on schoolgrounds, etc. That is a lot of off the fieldstuff for a young team to overcome and get mentally prepared for Va Tech. On the flip side, will the real Marcus Vick, please stand up, please stand up. Yea his boys won last week but he still looked rattled at QB last week. Thankfully the defense will get to feast on another hapless offense. HOKIES

Bruins at Trojans - Aw, the Men of Troy vs their cross-town rivals. Likethe Realist, I was going to pick the Bruins to win but I think the Trojans are motivated again. I'm thinking it will be like the first game after they beat ND when they beat the stuffing out of their opponent. White is hurt, so what? They got a multitude of weapons of offense including the 2005 Heisman Trophy Winner/2006 NFL #1 Overall draft pick on their squad (They call him Mr Bush). Plus does anyone think the Bruins defense can hold the Trojans offense below 31 points. Hell naw...Like I said before the only way you are beating USC is if you hold them below 31. TROJANS

Bulldawgs vs Tigers - The game that will separate the men from the boys. If you are checking the score count, Realist and I are tied heading into this week and up until now I have picked the same winners as him. The buck stop shere my friend as my pick for the SEC is LSU. Yes, Georgia has the "homefield" advantage playing in the Ga Dome. Yes, Georgia has an offensive wizard in Mark Richt. Yes, Georgia has a good qb in Shockley. But overall LSU has better talent and they have played much, much better since the 9/26 debacle when they lost to the lowly Vols. TIGERS

Gangsta D:

Navy vs Army - If this was 1905, the game might matter. But since it's 2005, it don't. Army.

Ralphie vs Bevo - Young Vince is about to take that next step. The Buffs back their way into the title game after losing the last reg season game. Texas is firing on all cylinders and have KILLED the Big 12 this year. So obviously I'm picking the Buffs. (Gotta to have any shot at the title)

Noles vs V Tech - Another who cares game. Miami should be here, but we couldn't get out of our own way so we'll be coming to Jax as Gator Bowl participants. Yippeeeeeeeee! Jeff Bowden is done. Bobby is a few degrees off himself. If they don't show up like they at Florida, Bubba may have to put in for early retirement. V Tech

UCLA vs 'SC - I like the 'SC football team more than the UCLA football team. I like the UCLA basketball team better than the 'SC football team. I don't like the clippers. So that means the UCLA basketball team is the only LA team that I like with a winning record. Therefore I'm picking the Bruins in an upset. Make sense? Yeah, not to me either but I need the pick.

Tigers vs Dawgs - OK, actual analysis. LSU is more talented than UGA but they don't come anywhere near their potential. UGA is not as talented, but they play at a higher level. So they're even. This is Jamarcus' first truly big game. This is the first time Shockley has started in the title game, but he threw a TD in the Sugar Bowl as a freshman so he's been in pressure situations before. Nevertheless, LSU will come after him and he will have to have a 21-30 250 yds passing, 50 yds rushing kind of day. Could happen, but LSU is tough on defense. All things are equal except for coaching and home field. UGA has the advantage in both. The Georgia Dome will be quite red on saturday. So I'm going with the Dawgs Read more!

Darth Waldini....Riiiise!

Waldini:

Did either of you catch the Duke/Indiana game last night. Personally, not a fan of either but I found myself rooting for Duke after one moment. The camera crew found a guy in the stands who was wearing Duke gear surrounded by nothing but Hoosier fans. You dont think he was shit talking with those cats the entire game. From that point, I was like, aw, I would love to be that guy talking smack and walking out talking more smack after my team won. It would have been similar to an incident I experienced a few years ago....

2 yrs ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Lakers/Rockets game during the time everyone was hyping Shaq vs Yao. I purposely broke out my Laker Van Exel jersey (one of my all time favorite Lakers) to wear for all the Superfans in Houston. Now to give you the quick background this was the season that Kobe had been accused of rape but had not gone to trial yet. I caught a few glares and heckles from fans as I came in but you know me, I'm not fazed. My wife and I calmly took our cheap seats (won them in a company raffle) and 3 dudes happen to come and sit next to us.

The 3 cats are young, white, and in their early to mid-20s. They do the usual, talk about work while they drink their beer. As the game starts, one guy is just infatuated with hating on Kobe. During the pregrame, he repeatedly points out that "Kobe is a rapist", "Kobe is a jerk", etc. Early in the game, he keeps saying how Kobe is not that good, he's overrated, yada yada yada. Now my wife is looking at me b/c she knows I am about to say something and I mentioned to her at halftime that I gotta be. I'm gonna start talking....

So 3rd quarter begins and the guy again continues to scream "There goes therapist, there goes the rapist" everytime Kobe shoots the ball. So I decide to talk out loud too and say "It's amazing how people can judge a person even though Kobe has not been found guilty nor is he in jail. I mean how would a person feel if I said 'There goes the alcoholic, there goes the alcoholic' every time he drank his beer". The guy's face is bright red, my wife's eyes are rollin, and I've got the biggest grin on my face. That was probably one of my more satisfying evenings. Another one would be the standoff btw me and this dude during Game 3 of the 2001 Finals but that's another story.

The only thing missing from that evening was D being there to provide more commentary :-). I guess I just love being on the dark side and rooting against people who makes asses of themselves. Read more!

Realist Is Busy Saving The World

Waldini:

- I watched the Lakers-Spurs last night and Kobe was forcing the issue. It was interesting b/c when he was in the game, it was everybody watch Kobe, Kobe dribble forever and take a bad shot with little time on the shot clock. When he was out in the early 4th qtr, the Lakers made a run. Keep in mind they had Odom, Bynum, Vujacic, McKie, and Green on the floor. And that squad cut the lead to 4.

- Does anyone think the Clippers are for real? They're off to a franchise best for Ws in November and currently lead the Pacific. They have beaten quality teams on the road. I'm hesistant to pencil them in for the playoffs b/c Sam I Am is older and tends to break down over a season

- Who is the best team in the NBA right now? Spurs, Pistons, Mavs,etc....there's a lot of parity right now

- The Stan Van Gundy conspiracy is in full watch right now. Shaq comes back next week and if that team doesnt go on a roll, then's he toast by Jan

- Chris Paul, Channing Frye, Andrew Bogut are the truth.

- Dwight Howard is going to be a beast in 2 yrs

- Remember when experts said Tim Thomas was going to revolutionize his position. I guess those guys never forsaw him being placed on the inactivelist.

- My oh my how the Wiz have fallen since their fast start

Gangsta D:

Bynum may turn out to be a player, and I mean by the end of the year. He showed me something last night. I'm not gonna shout hallelujah over 6/6/2 but he made some nice moves in the post, had a real nice assist to Smush, and got some strong rebounds. If he can figure out what to do 30% of the time in the triangle, he will be an asset.

Waldini:

Yea, he did look decent last night. Sasha didnt look that bad either. I know folks will say I am crazy but the Lakers should have beat the Spurs last night. The Lakers forced the issue too many times on a number of different possessions. When they played under control, they were running neck and neck with the Spurs. Classic example of forcing...Smush steals the ball has a 2 on 1 break (Odom on the wing) with another Laker trailing. Brent Barry is trying to stop Smush from pushing up the court. Instead of Smush passing the outlet to Lamar early, he decided to dribble behind his back. Yea he got fouled and fortunately hit both free throws but it made more sense to give up the ball early

I'm optimistic though b/c it's early in the season.

Da Realist:

sorry guys...putting out fires this morning...

Gangsta D:

Don't know if you saw on NBA TV sunday, but they showed Game 4 of the 2002 Finals. It's wierd to see that team play with poise, play agressive defense, and precision on offense. The 2005 team pretty much lacks in all categories:) But, they have talent and potential. They just have to find a way to put it all together. Lamar went off and picked up the slack due to Kobe's bad shooting night. Sasha had a couple big threes. They played very good defense at times, and horrible defense at other times. The only personwho knows how to win is Kobe, but he often tries to do too much by himself. They just need a good win against an upper echelon team, to give themselves confidence. I think they can do it, but I hope the season doesn't devolve into a tailspin before they can figure it out.

Waldini:

Naw, but I got it on tape :-)

Well we both can do math. The Lakers lost by 6, Kobe made 9 of 30 shots. He shoots at least 45% the Lakers win. I agree with you. They need a win against a top tier team to give them confidence. I think they are more talented than they show at times but they have to believe it. Amazing how different they look now vs that first week huh :-) Read more!

Da Realist Concedes a Point?

Da Realist:

this past weekend is the reason i don't like conference championships. first of all, it ain't fair that you go through the whole 10 game season and end up with the best record only to have to play one more game to officially "win" the conference. did you two see fsu get their asses handed to them saturday. they lost 3 straight games, yet they have a shot at the orange bowl. what about the big 12 north? colorado has a chance to wrap itup AT HOME against nebraska and what do they do? they didn't just lose,they got the snot beat out of them. so now all iowa state has to do is beat kansas on saturday and what do they do? LOSE! so now colorado has a chance to "win" the big 12, even though texas already beat the snot out of them earlier in the season.

and besides, lsu gets an extra game (sec championship) to impress voters while penn state sits at home (no big 10 championship). it ain't fair. mypreference would be to get rid of the conf. championships but whether youhave them or not, all conferences should play by the same rules.

Gangsta D:

I like conference championship games, but i agree that all conferences should have them. If Texas is truly the second best if not best team in the country, then CU won't get within 20. If the Buffs win, then that's Texas' fault not the conference title game.

Da Realist:

are you kidding me? why does it not surprise me that you like the conference championships? texas already beat colorado! sorry buffs. maybe next year suckers. next time win the game. that's the way it should be.

Waldini:

Either all conferences should have them or none at all. There's nothing more crappy then watching an underdog like Texas A&M upset a Kansas St in the Big 12 game :-)

Gangsta D:

Riddle me this Batman, what if lo and behold the division winners don't play each other in the regular season like.....LSU and UGA? Georgia's a Shockley injury away from having the same record as LSU. What if like three years ago when Iowa won the Big Ten, you don't play the best teams in your conference that year? Are you really the conference champion?

Da Realist:

yeah, i see your point. maybe there is some use to conference championships, but some changes would have to be in place.

you have to play everyone in your division.

you can't play anyone in the other division. the only time you can possibly play that team is in the conference championship. this would have force theACC to put miami and fsu in the same division every year. it also guarantees the championship game is a rematch. Read more!

Predictions and Prognostications

Waldini:

FSU@FLA - Wow both teams are stumbling into the finish line and it's hard decision to make. Leak's a better QB than Weatherford but Bobby's a better coach than Urban (track record wise). I'm picking Florida only b/c they are at home not b/c I think they are better than FSU. I want to see if Realist's Jedi training is complete and if he has converted to the darkside of FSU :-). GATORS

UGA@GT - All of sudden, the Yellow Jackets are dragon slayers (see victories at Auburn, at Miami). The last time we saw UGA, they disappointed losing to a surprising Auburn team at home. This is a hard game to call b/c both teams do too much Jekyll and Hyde. You never know which squad will show up or not. But I'm going with Shockley b/c I dont think he wants to end his regular season career on a downer. BULLDAWGS

UT@A&M - "Reggie Bush, you did your thing on Sat night, now it's my turn" -Vince Young. You dont think Vince is sitting there thinking to himself, he has to do something big on Sat to wow the Heisman committee. I am a Bush backer but Vince isnt far behind in the balloting, according to different critics. Texas A&M were supposed to challenge UT this year but they have been a major disappointment. Franchionne (sp?) has stunted Reggie McNeal's growth severly this year. LONGHORNS

PITT@WVA - Pitt was absolute trash to start the year but have slowly come around and are one win from being bowl eligible. Rich Rodriguez knows his team is in the driver's seat for that automatic BCS bid so I dont think he lets his team come out flat. Plus I think Dave Wannstedt is a jabroni.MOUNTAINEERS

ARK@LSU - This one made the cut b/c Arkansas traditionally has played LSU tough no matter how good or bad they are in a season. LSU is another team that's in the driver's seat and they win this, they clinch the West and and appearance in the SEC bowl. Amazing considering 3 weeks ago, people wereprojecting them to go to the Outback Bowl. Now they can control there own destiny and could wind up in a BCS bowl if they win out. Jamarcus, this is your chance to make me believe that you are better than I think you are.TIGERS

ND@STAN - My hate tells me to pick the Cardinal. My loathing tells me thatNotre Dame is bound to come up short. My disgust wants Weis and Quinn to fly out of Cali with a long look on their face. Too bad my spider sense trumps all of that above. Unfortunately, the Irish will win this one and continue to "prove" the conspiracy is in effect. FIGHTING IRISH

UVA@UM - I put this one on here only b/c of what GT did last week. But I dont think Miami suffers the same letdown against the Cavs. I can picture them now playing that 7th floor crew song again and getting themselves ready to layeth the smacketh down on Al Groh's boys. I wouldnt want to be a Cavs fan this Sat. CANES

Da Realist:

FSU @ UF - this game is the hardest to call out of the whole list. neither team will want to lose this game. fsu has already lost 2 straight games and florida wants to get the taste of the spurrier loss out of their mouths. i've been back and forth on this one for almost 2 weeks, but i'm picking florida for a few reasons. first of all, it's senior day. secondly, i don't think the noles' corners can compete with the gator wide receivers in man to man coverage the whole game and if they drop the safeties to help out, the gator running game will take over. next, the noles can't run the ball and leon washington is still hurt. and lastly, i think fsu is still trying to save their best game for the acc championship. of course they want to win, but they are banged up on both sides of the ball. if a keyplayer is 60% effective this saturday, why not rest him this week against florida in a meaningless game and let him rest up for another 2 weeks in the championship game? FLORIDA

UGA @ GT - i said a couple of weeks ago that georgia tech plays the big boys well but they don't show up against softies. i also said miami would get gt's best game. what was left unsaid is this, gt is only good for one great performance a year. they had that last week. the yellow jackets will be patting themselves on the backs all week because of last week. conversely, the yellow jackets win caught the attention of the bulldogs. gt will haveto be even better to win this game and my guess is, they won't be. GEORGIA

TEXAS @ A&M - A&M looks lost. their team is beat up and have no they confidence. texas sees the light at the end of the tunnel. they may lose, but it won't be this game. TEXAS

PITT @ WEST VIRGINIA - pittsburgh sucks and i don't believe in dave wannstedt. i don't think his team believes in him either.

WEST VIRGINIAARK @ LSU - lsu is too talented for arkansas to handle. arkansas will bringthe running game, but will need to be better balanced offensively to beat lsu. and there is no way the hogs can match the tiger's speed. LSU

ND @ STANFORD - nd will beat the cardinal so bad they'll be calling themselves toby. there is no way the irish miss out on this payday. NOTREDAME

UVA @ MIAMI - virgina already has what it wanted - a bowl berth. they're now shutting things down this year. miami will come out breathing fire and handle the wahoos pretty handily. MIAMI

Gangsta D:

FSU vs UF - The Noles will win because Urban Meyer has no ties to BobbyBowden. Plus, no way they lose three in a row. I just can't see Bobby letting that happen.

Dogs vs Gnats - Tech shot their wad last week. They won't be able to blitz Shockley like they did Kyle, he'll take off and burn 'em for 30 on the ground. No way the Dogs lose to UF and Tech in the same year again. But, Demario Minter better be wary of Calvin Johnson. Dude is legit. Any time someone goes off on the 'U like he did, he gets my respect.

Bevo vs Aggies - Uh you think Young Vince is motivated after the performance El Presidente gave last week? Expect him to go for 300+ yds passing and200+ yds rushing. It's 42-0 in the 2nd Qtr.

Pitt vs WV - Who cares? Pitt, Wanndstedt's mustache will be the deciding factor.

Hogs vs Tigers - LSU is a Leinert/Young injury away from the nat'l championship game...maybe. At any rate, they are close and if they beat theHogs and destroy UGA maybe they get some swing votes. Either way, they don't lay down in this one.

Fighting Drunks vs Cardinal - Notre Dame in a laugher, unfortunately. They will knock a more deserving one loss team out of the BCS.

Cavs vs 'Canes - I imagine the team is thoroughly embarassed by their play last week and will come out with a chip on their shoulder. And they may even keep Kyle from eating mud pies this game. Very slim hope of an ACC championship game still lives, so maybe they come with the swagger. Canes by at least 10.

Da Realist:

what in the hell??? you've picked the noles 3 times this year and are 1-2 so far. this will soon be 1-3. tech "shot their wad"??? hey, isn't this a family-oriented blog? you picked PITT???

Gangsta D:

I gotta pick different games than you dudes, who picked the EXACT same games. I don't believe in ties. I either win or lose. And yes, I'm the kind of guy that would go for two at the end of the game instead of playing it safe. Read more!

We've Got Bush!

Gangsta D:

I just realized that Tennessee was 2-8. They've got a legitimate shot at the top pick. Their OC just happens to be Norm Chow. Interesting. Either way, Norm is reunited with a former pupil. Do they go for Leinert, thus signaling the end of the "Air McNair Era." Or would they go with Bush. Very interesting who gets the first pick...

Da Realist:

i'm almost certain they'll take leinart. reggie is an exciting college player but he's a little small for the big league. even in college, when usc needs to pound the ball they give it to lendale white.

Gangsta D:

I don't know man, it didn't seem to bother Barry Sanders. Besides when you're that fast, you ain't gonna get hit no way:)

Da Realist:

did you see barry's thighs? that dude was built like a rock. he was short, but little he was not.

Gangsta D:

At any rate, whoever passes up Bush will regret it. Small thighs or not, he will be killing folks.

Da Realist:

so you think he'll be a good pro? at what position? running back?

Gangsta D:

He's Brian Westbrook with World Class speed. Who cares about a position? RB, WR, KR, PR, it doesn't really matter. If he doesn't pan out, I'll switch my allegiance to FSU! Ok that was a tad egregious, but he will be a good pro.

Da Realist:

in the super conservative world of the nfl, norm chow would probably be theonly OC to know what to do with him. Read more!

Rivalry Weekend...Patna!

Da Realist:

alabama at auburn - despite the fact that auburn lost to lsu, i still think they are the best team in the SEC. watch out, auburn is gonna be nasty next year. as far as this game is concerned, i just think alabama is gonna have a hard time getting their defense off the field. auburn is more balanced than LSU and should be better at running the football. that tiger offensive line is a beast and they'll find a way to wear down the tide. alabama needs turnovers to keep them in the game. AUBURN

ohio state at michigan - how would you like to be michigan right now? you've lost 3 of the last 4 to "that team down south" AND you're underdogs in your own stadium! think that wouldn't fire you up? last year the wolverines got dismantled by troy smith and the buckeyes 37-21. revenge will be on the minds of the wolves but i'm not sure that will be enough. chad henne will be under mucho pressure all game long so michigan will need a healthy and effective mike hart to take some of the pressure off. on theother side, ohio state has the potential to be explosive offensively, but sometimes jim tressel plays it too close to the (sweater) vest. playing too conservatively can provide a hole for michigan to go through just like texas did. but the guess here is ohio state will win because they are the more complete team, they have more weapons on offense and their defense is better. OHIO STATE

south carolina at clemson - steve spurrier deserves some kind of award forwhat he's done to the gamecocks. they are traditional also-rans that are still legitimately in the SEC title race. but let's be real, the gamecocks have been winning based on smoke and mirrors. they were outgained last week in a home win against florida and also on the road against tennessee. one of these days they will have to play an opponent that isn't spooked by the ole ball coach. this is the week. clemson OWNS this series, winning 9 of 10. they won't be spooked by the crowd because they've won 4 of the last 5 in columbus, and charlie whitehurst is aiming to go 4-0 against the gamecocks in his final game in the rivalry. if chanci stuckey has the kind of game he had against the noles, this won't even be close. CLEMSON

penn state at michigan state - michigan state is in the middle of another year-end collapse. they have lost 2 straight and 5 of 6 games. yet, they will give penn state their best game on senior day. beware of teams fighting for a bowl berth. the spartans are one win away from going on an all-expenses paid vacation and they are going to fight for it. one thing to keep in mind is that PSU's best games have come at home. the spartan offense is explosive, but penn state's defense is like a rock. and offensively, the lions may have more speed than the spartans have seen all year. there is no stopping this nittany lion train this year, they will go BCS-bowling. all the criticism they've endured over the past few seasons will motivate this team to go on the road and beat the spartans. penn state will win the Big-10 and send joe pa to either the fiesta or the orange bowl and allow him to send a big FUCK YOU! to all the people who doubted him and suggested he should retire. PENN STATE

oklahoma at texas tech - look, there are 2 teams in the big 12 - OU andTEXAS. the other teams are filler. i know texas tech is 8-2 and they have an explosive offense, but they turn the ball over too much, have nodefense and no way to get adrian peterson and the sooners offense off the field. rhett bomar is cutting down his mistakes and AD is finally healthy again. OU will control the line of scrimmage and eventually wear down the red raiders. OKLAHOMA

Waldini:

BAMA@AUB - Has any team flown under the radar more than Auburn this year?They, like Miami, struggled at the beginning of the year losing ugly to GaTech and LSU. The win in Georgia was impressive to me b/c I didnt think Auburn was that good. Alabama, on the other hand, lost its offensive mojo eons ago when Prothro was lost for the year. I think the offense purposely tries to lose games now (j/k). Bama's kung fu was broken last week when LSU won in OT in Tuscaloosa. Expect Auburn to finish the job this week. TIGERS

OHIO ST@MICH - The Bucks have averaged over 40 pts a game in their past 5 games. That's amazing considering earlier this year they scored 40 points total in their first 3 games. Michigan has rebounded from a horrible start and have been posting Ws in the column. It's weird, no matter how good Ohio St or how much better on paper they are than Michigan for a given season, they find a way to stumble and lose. I dont think the Bucks stumble this time. BUCKEYES

SC@CLEM - And so begins Spurrier's back to back weekends of playing the Bowden boys. He's definitely the SEC coach of the year for getting that mediocre team to win this year. I dont even know who's on that team. Clemson is prbly one of the more frustrating teams to watch. They win games they shouldnt (FSU) and lose games they shouldnt (Wake). My guess is Tommy B gives his boys the annual "My job is on the line" pre-game speech and Clemson pulls it out. Oh how I would love to be at home for the annual Bojangles Bowl :-). TIGERS

PSU@MSU - Easy call. Penn State. NITTANY LIONS

OKLA@TT - I dont know why I should care about this gEame but I will flip a coin and see what it says. Tails Sooners win, Heads Red Raiders win. Coin is flipped and....it's....HEADS!! Everyone here is TT, the winner of the 50% probability game :-). RED RAIDERS

Gangsta D:

No expert analysis today, just picks. I gotta headache:)

AUBURN
OSU
SOUTH CACK
P STATE
T TECH Read more!