Feb 15, 2011

What Are You Waiting For?

I don't get it...I just don't. A team that started 22-15 is now 27-26 and in desperate need of someone to take the load off of MVP candidate Amar'e Stoudemire's shoulders, so what's the hold up?

Danilo Gallinari? This is season number three, not to say he's a bust but he's definitely no Carmelo Anthony. Landry Fields? Gee, where are we going to find someone else who hustles and has a nose for the ball in the second round? Wilson Chandler? Melo will average somewhere between 25 and 30 points per game as a Knick...Chandler's inconsistent scoring won't be missed. I get not wanting to gut the roster, but to be set on keeping two of the three previously mentioned players instead of going out and acquiring one of the leagues elite players is an absolute atrocity.

I hate being a Knicks fan that feels entitled to getting the best players and becoming one of the leagues new powerhouses, especially after the last decade, but this is a concept that's been fed to us yet taken out of our mouthes before we could eat it over the last two years. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire...all of the stars available for 2010 with New York set as the biggest stage for them. Donnie Walsh cleared almost $30 Million in cap space in anticipation of the star-studded class, hoping that the real Alpha Dogs would want to bring life back to the hoops Mecca. Of all of the stars only Amar'e was up for the challenge, but Melo's made it no secret that he wants in too.

I'm not saying that Melo and Amar'e are enough to get this team to the next level, but you start with those two SUPERSTARS and you attract more players to be a part of this up-and-coming powerhouse. Or you settle for a team that loses to the Kings and Clippers at home because they don't play defense and if either Gallinari (inconsistent) or Chandler (inconsistent) are off they have no chance of winning.

I understand that Donnie Walsh thinks he can get Melo for a cheaper price, but I don't think this potential acquisition is a move that can be treated like a guessing game. With all of the Collective Bargaining Agreement controversy, player salaries may go down and Melo probably doesn't want to take his chances that he can get the deal the Nuggets have put in front of him from somebody else next season. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Melo takes the fat contract to stay in Denver, or if another team enters the hunt because the Knicks have allowed them time to put together a package to present a better situation for Melo. In order, he wants to get paid, win, and win on a big stage...while New York is the biggest stage, it's not the only stage and it definitely isn't the only place Carmelo can win.

With that said, I'm not necessarily worried about any other teams currently making a push for Carmelo, and quite frankly I don't know if Melo has any interest in playing another season (if not game) in Denver, but I don't think waiting this out is a risk worth taking for the Knicks. This current Knicks team has shown flashes, but the truth of the matter is they're not the team they were in December and January. They're a few pieces away as it is, but one of those pieces is another All-Star caliber player. Gallinari and Fields may get there one day, but Melo's there now, and puts the franchise in a better place for the future.

It would be great to sign Melo in the offseason and keep the aforementioned trade bait, but if Melo isn't available again after the trade deadline it's just another let down in the Knicks rebuilding process. If the Knicks end up empty handed their rebuilding slogan will go from Lebron in 2010, to Melo in 2011, to hopefully Deron Williams/Chris Paul in 2012...it's enough already! Getting Carmelo gives the Knicks the best chance to lure more talent in by making the Knicks the new fun project to be a part of. Besides, Chris Paul toasted to the new Big Three in New York at Carmelo's Wedding last summer...you don't think he'd break his word do you?

In all seriousness, Carmelo Anthony is another huge step in the right direction for Donnie Walsh's rebuilding conquest, and the talent that Walsh has in place right now really isn't worth the risk of missing out on him. Carmelo with Amar'e and Ray Felton (or Billups if they include a point guard swap) going into next season is a lot more enticing than Amar'e and any other two or three players on this current Knicks team. I know that Gallinari, Fields, and Chandler have potential to serve as career starters in the NBA, but they really are just high-end role players for a team that needs another go-to guy. Two big-time players and some role players acquired through free agency sounds a lot better to me than one go-to player with some talented guys who may or may not be able to get going in a big game.

Knock on wood, the Knicks are an Amar'e injury away from being irrelevant again. You add Carmelo Anthony to the mix and Amar'e has someone to pick him up on nights that he's off, as well as an exquisite talent who gives the defense something else to really have to focus on. I know the issue isn't Melo's talent, but really take the time to realize how much of a difference maker he is and how valuable he truly could be to this franchise. Is it worth having to part with two of the following: a budding European, second-round draft pick, and a very watered down version of the guy we want? I sure think so.

We'll see...

Feb 7, 2011

Packers Win, Jared Loses, Throwing the ball Wins, Running the ball is Dead!

The dust has settled, the confetti and champagne have been cleaned up. Aaron Rodgers is heading to Disney World, and Ben Roethlisberger's heading...I'll just leave that one up to your awful imaginations. Super Bowl XLV set the record for highest viewed television program in U.S. history, but incase you haven't heard, the Lombardi trophy came home to Green Bay as the Packers beat the Steelers 31-25.

Green Bay was in control from start to finish, save for a few moments where you looked at the score and said to yourself "how is the game possibly this close?" in the second half. Dropped passes and defensive lapses aside, the Packers made all of the big plays and wrapped up a special season with their 13th NFL championship. Aaron Rodgers was crowned WWE Champion, err, Super Bowl MVP and it was much deserved.

I don't want to talk about the game itself, rather the state of the NFL (potential lockout aside) and how this game was a reflection of what the National Football League really has become. The Packers, already playing the Super Bowl with a string of injuries, lost one of their top receivers (Donald Driver) and their top cornerback (Charles Woodson) in the first half of the game, but didn't skip a beat on either side of the ball. No Driver, no problem. Rodgers found his third and fourth receivers for a combined 14 completions, against the best defense in the NFL!

Rodgers is one of the league's best quarterbacks, it's no longer any sort of secret, but with the newer rules against making contact with a receiver, as well as the rules to protect the quarterback, the NFL has turned into a complete passing league. I know that I'm just stating the obvious with that last statement, but heading into the Super Bowl I was on the Steelers bandwagon just like a good portion of the experts. We loved the toughness, the determination to run the ball, the lack of mistakes, the punishing defense...that's not the team that showed up Sunday night, but it may not have even mattered if they did.

The Steelers were +17 on turnovers this past season, good for second in the NFL, they were -3 in Super Bowl XLV. Roethlisberger was picked off twice (one was returned for a touchdown), and Rashard Mendenhall lost a fumble, while the Packers offense played mistake free. The Steelers did run the ball 26 times, but the team that won was the team that had success throwing the ball, and that was the Packers. It's not like the Steelers didn't try to attack the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year-less Packers, they didn't have any choice as they were playing catch-up from the first quarter on, but the vertical game isn't what the 2010 Steelers success was based on and that was ultimately exposed.

Watching this game I sort of felt like I do when I watch good hitting overpower good pitching. It's one of these myths that I've been led to believe in all of my years of sports fandom, great defense always beats great offense. A healthy Celtics team stops the LeBrons and Kobes. The unstoppable pass rush of the Giants ultimately beats the bullying offense of the Patriots. Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling will pitch five times in a seven game series and you better believe it'll be enough to beat the unbeatable Yankees. The last couple of weeks I didn't want to buy into the idea of Aaron Rodgers carving up this historically brilliant Steelers D, well pour me a glass of Kool-Aid cause I see clearly now.

Let's look at the last few seasons/Super Bowls. In 2009 Drew Brees led the league in QB Rating and TD Passes, the Saints won and Brees was named SB MVP. In 2008, the Steelers opened up their passing game and won the Super Bowl on a perfectly executed bullet to the corner of the endzone, the receiver that caught that ball was named MVP and all of a sudden Roethlisberger is one of the leagues elite. In 2007 the Patriots stormed through the league as their quarterback and top receiver shattered NFL records, sure, they lost the big game, but it took a freak-helmet catch to put them under. 2006, Colts, Peyton Manning, enough said. To further prove my point, a quarterback threw for 4,000-plus yards in a season 15 times from the 2001-2005 seasons, we had 33 instances from 2006-2010.

Brees, Brady, Manning, even Roethlisberger, and now Rodgers. This is your list of NFL elite. Fantasy Football aside, you probably won't hear a running-backs name crack the top-five these days. Remember when your best players were Larry Johnson, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Shaun Alexander? Not anymore.

With the lifespan of your average running back decreasing every year, as well as the amount of RB's per team getting carries increasing, you can throw Jared Mintz in your backfield as long as you have an Aaron Rodgers taking the snaps. This Packers team is young and is staying in tact, with the Patriots rebuilt, Brees and Matt Ryan in the NFC South, the potential for the Chargers to find a real coach to win with Phil Rivers, and the existence of Peyton Manning, exceptional quarterbacks are dominating this league like it's the early 90's, and there really is no end in sight.

Is it exciting? Well, yes. Does it kind of stink that the NFL changed its rules to benefit a certain position in order to make the game more exciting? No, all of the professional sports leagues make changes to make their game more enjoyable and fan friendly. Would you rather have seen a 7-3 slugfest where James Starks was handed the ball 30 times? While I support the running game as it involves more offensive strategy and bigger, crunchier tackles, who doesn't love to see tight spiral after tight spiral aired out? Who doesn't grow up dreaming of making the big throw to get your team the big win?

I'm accepting the league for what it's worth (again, potential lockout aside) and am going to have to move forward with the passing equals winning trend. Your Super Bowl XLV champs ran the ball 13 times. R.I.P. smash mouth football, welcome to Aaron Rodgers shadow Mr. Brett Favre. Thanks for the memories NFL, let's make some new ones ASAP.



Feb 3, 2011

Super Bowl XLV, 2011 NBA All-Star Game...I don't know if we'll have enough time!

With Super Bowl XLV about three days away, I thought it was about time that I gave my two cents on the showdown, as well as discuss the week leading up to the big game. I'm more excited for this Super Bowl than I've been probably since the Patriots/Eagles game back in 2005, and I really think this game is a toss up.

But I'm going with the Steelers. Just how I think dominant big men win championships in the NBA, I think solid running and dominant defense does it in the NFL. The Packers do have a very, very good defense, and the NFL seems to be turning into more of a passing league than a running league, but I still like the Steelers.

I don't think the fact that over two-thirds of the Steelers roster has played in a Super Bowl makes that big of a difference, but I think Ben Roethlisberger having two championships does. Big Ben has a knack for making the big play, and in a season centered around his life off the field, I just have a feeling he's going to let his play decide what kind of a year 2010 really was for him.

And as I mentioned earlier, the Steelers defense is just dominant. As good as Aaron Rodgers has been and really is, I don't know that he's ready for what he's going to see Sunday. Rodgers looked like the best quarterback in football against the Eagles and Falcons, but the aggressive Bears defense picked him off twice while not allowing him to throw for any scores. I know this was the third time the Bears saw Rodgers this season, but if he thought the Bears were aggressive wait until he lines up across from James Harrison and company.

I think Rodgers will benefit from playing in Jerry's dome Sunday, and I do like the Packers defensive line A LOT, but I'm not going back on my pick. While I think the Packers roster is filled with incredible talent and legitimate difference makers, I think the Steelers simply have more big-time players and more importantly, big-game winners. I'm not completely confident in my pick (as you can tell by the positives I'm reeling off for Green Bay), but I said Steelers before the season started and I'm sticking with it.

Steelers 17 - Packers 13

While on topic, I just need to comment on all of the Brett Favre/Packers/Aaron Rodgers talk I've heard all week. Who cares? The guy's played three seasons away from Green Bay already, when is enough enough? Do you really think they're talking about Brett Favre at all in the Packers locker room? While I don't only doubt Favre's impact the last two weeks, I don't think it's anything they've discussed, thought about, or even noticed for at least two years now! It's not like this is 2008 and Rodgers is still climbing out from under Favre's shadow, it's old news!

I keep hearing how Rodgers seeks Favre's approval and advice...really? Favre hasn't been to a Super Bowl in well over a decade, Aaron Rodger's was in high school when the Packers were whipped up by the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. Even when they were teammates Favre wasn't the mentor Rodgers could have used...why is he expected to be now? I just think it's outrageous that Favre's name is even being mentioned this week, and I'm insulted for Aaron Rodgers for the hard work and progress he's made to give the Packers a completely new identity. Give the guy a break.


And while I have your attention, let me touch on the 2011 NBA All-Star teams. Just to recap here are your teams:

Eastern Conference:
F - LeBron James
F - Amar'e Stoudemire
C - Dwight Howard
G - Dwyane Wade
G - Derrick Rose

Bench: F - Kevin Garnett, F - Paul Pierce, F - Chris Bosh, G - Joe Johnson, G - Ray Allen, G - Rajon Rondo, C - Al Horford

Western Conference:
F - Kevin Durant
F - Carmelo Anthony
C - Yao Ming*
G - Chris Paul
G - Kobe Bryant

Bench: F/C - Pau Gasol, F/C - Tim Duncan, F - Dirk Nowitzki, F - Blake Griffin, G - Russell Westbrook, G - Manu Ginobili, G - Deron Williams

* Yao is injured and will not play, he will be replaced.

I can't really say I have a huge problem with the Eastern Conference roster. I know in my picks last week I said Andrea Bargnani and Danny Granger deserved All-Star spots, but neither one of those guys are really having off-the-charts seasons. At the same time, neither is Ray Allen. I get that he's having a very good season for the best team in the conference, but how can you select four players from the same team to be reserves? Garnett I understand, Rondo I overstand, and Pierce I can live with, but to give a spot that I think Raymond Felton really deserved to Ray Allen? It's just the rich getting richer if you ask me. I think even Carlos Boozer deserves it over Ray Allen. Either way, the guys that didn't get the nod over Allen aren't guys who are taking the league by storm so it's not really going to get much of a gripe from me.

Here's my real problem, how does 13.6 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and .72% FT's get a nod over 21.4 PPG, 15.5 RPG, and 87% FT's? I understand Tim Duncan is Tim Duncan, four rings, two MVPs, best record in the league, I understand. But Kevin Love is averaging over 21 and 15 a game...those are First-Team All-NBA numbers for Pete's sake. I'm very glad that they didn't slip up on Blake Griffin, and while Monta Ellis and Steve Nash are having remarkable seasons the right guards were selected, but Kevin Love NEEDS to take Yao's roster spot. If anyone other than Love gets this spot its a travesty. LaMarcus Aldridge is really killing it too, but Pau's deserving, Dirk's deserving, and Blake Griffin is more than deserving.

While I think Ray Felton was the only legitimate snub in the East, Love and Aldridge both deserve to be All-Stars this season. My best guess is that Pau Gasol will get the start at Center for Yao with the game being played in L.A. and that Kevin Love will get the call up. And if that's not the case then I might just boycott the game (doubtful at best).



Let me know what you think of the Super Bowl and All-Star teams, and make sure you enjoy this Super Bowl, really, cause we may not see football again for God knows how long. (Keeping my fingers crossed for a new CBA before March 3rd...)