"I'm Really Sick Of..." and "Without a Doubt!" - NFL Late Season and NBA Offseason Edition

After 13 games of the 2011 NFL season, there are a few themes of the season that can be debated. Here are some topics that I don't think should make that list:

1) Aaron Rodgers is Without a Doubt the best quarterback in the NFL. I may come across like a clown by saying this but the way Aaron Rodgers has been playing over the past 20 games or so might be the best quarterbacking I've ever seen. Ever! Now I'm not calling Rodgers the greatest ever, not even the greatest of all-time amongst active quarterbacks, but this guy is making plays I've never seen made before. It's almost as if you took Tom Brady's arm and IQ and mixed it with Steve Young's athleticism and creativity.

I don't want to get too caught up in what he's doing just this year (see Manning, Eli), but he leads the league with 39 touchdowns, and he's throwing for around 317 yards a game, with a completion percentage just shy of 70, and here's the kicker, he's doing it with a QB rating of 123.3! The only other quarterback in NFL history to have a QB rating above 120 for a full season was Peyton Manning in his (then) record setting season of 2004. We're witnessing something special not just this year (in five playoff games : 67.8 % Comp, 303.4 yds/gm, 13 TD 3 INT, 112.6 QB Rating), but for many years to come.

Rodgers already has as many rings as fellow elite quarterbacks Manning and Drew Brees, and with a very talented defense and an abundant amount of skilled receivers catching his crisp passes, Big Ben and Brady better watch their backs or they'll be looking up at Mr. Discount Double-Check too.

2) Speaking of elite quarterbacks, I'm Really Sick of Eli Manning being called Elite. People, especially Giants fans, are always so concerned with where Eli Manning ranks amongst other quarterbacks in the NFL. Whether it's the younger brother complex, or the fact that fellow 2004 draft class QBs Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger are both incredible, Eli Manning has probably been one of the more debated quarterback for the past few seasons, and this year shouldn't end that debate! If what you're really seeking is the classification of elite then how can you put Eli in that conversation? Because he has a Superbowl championship? Because the Giants seem to be in the mix every season? These are factors that definitely play into Eli being a "top" quarterback, but elite?

I don't mean to take anything away from Eli, who is having an absolute career year and is really one of the better quarterbacks in the game, but how many players can you really consider elite? Rodgers, Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Bress...maybe Roethlisberger. Those are unarguably the five best quarterbacks in the league (lets give Peyton the benefit of the doubt and allow him to be innocent until proven guilty). If you want to say Eli's one of the elite quarterbacks this season, that's fine, he's having a monster season, but when he performs this way over a stretch of multiple seasons, not to mention starts winning more playoff games (all of his playoff wins are from 2007) then he'll undoubtedly be elite.

You don't become elite by winning in the middle of the season, and as great as Eli's playing, this season for him (and the Giants) will only be remembered by how it ends. Now we'll see how elite Eli really is.

3. Can we say it yet? Tim Tebow is Without a Doubt an NFL quarterback! What are the two most important things you're looking for out of your quarterback? Arm strength and accuracy or wins and leadership? Because yes, you're clearly not getting top notch pocket quarterbacking out of Tebow, but you clearly are getting leadership, and MOST importantly, wins. Yes, they're ugly wins, they're wins that the defense keeps the hopeless looking offense in for the majority of the games, but they're also wins that wouldn't happen if Tebow doesn't make multiple huge plays that end up being deciding factors.

This isn't a conversation that needs any stats other than 8-3. While an 8-3 record isn't necessarily enough to put on a resume and expect to land any open quarterback position, it should be enough to put confidence in an organization that saw its last quarterback go 12-21 over the past three seasons. If the Broncos win the AFC West this year, which is looking like a real strong possibility, John Fox absolutely deserves Coach of the Year for throwing out his old playbooks and drawing his offense up around Tebow, but how can Tebow not at least walk away from this season as a legitimate starting quarterback?

I'm not asking for him to be considered elite (let's see how many more games he can win before we even think about opening that can of worms), but I am completely sold that he can play the position, and do so with at least mild success, which he's proven he can over his 11 career starts. I can't lie, I'm intrigued by Tebowmania, in fact, I've gotten over the fact that my Jets got Tebowed when they shouldn't have lost to that team. I've gotten over it because despite the fact that the Jets allowed him to lead a game-winning 95-yard drive, they knew all he was going to do was run, and he still did it, successfully.

Real recognize real, this kid's been a successful quarterback. I'm not really sick of Tebow, just sick of the Tebow haters.

4) I'm already Really Sick of hearing about Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Yup, I said it, get used to it, because it's clearly not going anywhere. You think you're sick of hearing about it during Week 14 of the 2011 season, wait until the season's over. Then wait until the NFL Draft. Then wait until Training Camp 2012, followed by the preseason where both Luck and Peyton Manning look great. Then it's going to get worse by the week, possibly by the day. Sports fans, we have entered our new Brett Favre is retiring saga.

If Andrew Luck is the LeBron James, Stephen Strasburg, Sidney Crosby can't miss talent that everyone's been saying he is for over a year now, then how can the Colts not take him? Idiot Owner Jim Irsay hasn't said one thing either pro Peyton for 2012, or anti Luck for 2012, and face it, this Colts team will be lucky to win a game, let alone two before the season ends. The Colts intentionally didn't place Manning on the injured reserve this season so he could receive his full contract, could they possibly be ready to move on?

If they are, I hope they trade Manning early enough so that we don't have to live with this annoying story, or at least I hope they commit to Luck spending a year on the bench so he can learn from the best. Just know that if the two are on the same team, every game will end with questions as to who could have done a better job, and with both Manning and Luck's fathers being former quarterbacks, expect an even uglier dimension of annoyingness added to this story. Get better soon Peyton.

5) Jim Harbaugh is Without a Doubt NFL Coach of the Year. Assuming John Fox won't get the recognition he deserves for getting a 9/10 win team into the playoffs, Harbaugh will get the recognition for taking a team that hasn't won more than 8 games since 2002 and winning 11-13 games. Harbaugh inherited pretty much the same team that Mike Singletary was showing his weiner to for the past couple of years, and has turned them into a smash mouth football team. The niners have given up the least amount of rushing yards, and boast one of the best o-lines in the league, and most importantly, know better than to ask more out of Alex Smith than he can deliver. It was never a secret that Frank Gore was a premier running back, nor that Patrick Willis was a top defensive player, but Harbaugh has gotten the guys around those two stars to play their roles and this team could be playing deep into the winter.

Alright if you read my writing you know I'm an NBA FREAK! Here are my 5 NBA "I'm Really Sick Of..." "Without a Doubt!" points:

1) I know that my team was the beneficiary of the "Melo Drama" that lasted literally from mid-summer of 2010 until February of 2011, but I'm Really Sick of this Chris Paul drama. Whether this is all happening now because Paul played hardball with David Stern and other NBA Owners during labor negotiations, or the owners really just don't want to see stars ganging up, this story is awful and may be with us for months to come. I think it's a really sensitive matter to trade Paul to a large market team seeing how the NBA owns and operates the New Orleans Hornets, but Hornets GM Dell Demps has agreed now to multiple trade offers, let me clear that up, he's agreed to multiple FAIR trade offers, and for a number of reasons the deals haven't been approved by the league.

This isn't the portion of my opinion where I provide a solution, rather where I continue to sulk over how sick this situation could potentially make me. While I was really hopeful that the Knicks would be able to land CP3, realistically I knew it would be difficult, and I was almost relieved when he was traded to the Lakers as I thought it would be the end of the rumors. This probably would have been the best move for the Hornets as they would've scored Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Lamar Odom, and Goran Dragic, four very talented, diverse players who could really help fill out a roster that's been depleted by free-agency and a lack of time to acquire new players caused by the lockout. The Hornets would've landed several solid contributors, as well as a draft pick to help start over, but as you know the deal was vetoed. And if a Lakers trade was vetoed, why wouldn't a Clippers trade be vetoed? After all it would end up landing Chris Paul in one of the two biggest NBA markets on either team. With that said, Golden State, maybe spend your efforts looking for someone else to trade Monta Ellis for.

At this point I don't know how or if the Hornets will be able to get Paul traded, which is a shame as they could really start rebuilding their team by letting go of their star. It's understandable that the owners are against players using leverage and dictating where their teams trade them, but this almost seemed like the league cutting its nose off despite it's face. Believe me, I don't want to see the Lakers end up landing Paul and still having the potential to bring in Dwight Howard, and maybe this will create some way for the Knicks to get back in the CP3 mix, but I think these trades being vetoed is just the beginning of what will be a long, dragged out saga with Chris Paul and the Hornets.

2) While on the subject of potential Knicks (sort of), Tyson Chandler was Without a Doubt the guy for the Knicks to add this offseason. It would have been sweet if the Knicks were able to bring in Chandler, and still add a point guard, but Chandler will give the Knicks something they haven't had in close to 15 years. Chandler is a relentless rebounder and feared shot-blocker (see LeBron's passiveness in the Finals, yeah I'm giving Chandler partial credit for it!), and at the same time is the perfect athlete for Mike D'Antoni's tempo. Chandler is also a great pick-and-roll defender, and with the teams point guard still to be named (come on, anyone but Mike Bibby), it's good to know that they'll have big Tyson defending the paint and picking up the slack for his other frontcourt-mates.

The marriage of Chandler to the Knicks really works as Chandler will not only help Stat and Melo out on defense, his efforts will allow his star forwards to save more of their energy for the offensive end, where they'll both undoubtedly put in the majority of their energy. Chandler is without a doubt a top-five center in the league, and even higher if you're only talking about defense. Welcome to New York Tyson, now go clog the middle.

3) I'm Really Sick of Dwight Howard's inconsistency. I understand that Dwight's one of the game's nice guys, but you can't go around sending mixed messages day-in and day-out. One day Dwight wants to go wherever Chris Paul is, the next day he's illegally (NBA police are watching) being wined and dined by Nets brass, and then the next it's Orlando thats the place he wants to be for the rest of his career. What gives? Say what you want about Melo, but you knew all along where he wanted to be, and as much as Nuggets fans may dislike him for it, he kept it real. This is one of those situations where keeping it real, really can't go wrong.

Dwight will without a doubt give his all for whatever team he suits up for this season, but please, you know he's not resigning with the Magic. Whether he follows Shaqs suit and goes out West, or comes up North, he won't be with Stan Van Gundy's bickering ass or whatever underachieving wing players who are shying from the moment in Orlando come playoff time. When the long-standing president of the team steps down from his job after drunk-dialing you and begging you to stay, you know that he knows you're gone, and you too know that you're gone.

4) The Miami Heat will Without a Doubt win the NBA Championship in 2012. Who else? The Thunder? The Bulls? Come on, those teams were at least a year away come last spring/summer, and without a chance to really lure in free-agents or build team commodity this offseason, it's the perfect time for LeBron to come back and win his first championship. LeBron and Wade spent the whole summer together, Chris Bosh is ready for a bounce back season, the bench is filling out, they signed do-it-all Shane Battier, I'm not endorsing Eddy Curry at all, but he sounds motivated and definitely lost significant weight (we've heard this before), and they're just ready to start winning.

I'm going to stand by this statement all season, the NBA is without a doubt LeBron James' league. He's the best player in the league, and it's just not logical for the best player to be with another great player and not start winning championships. I think Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose are really giving everything they have to get on LeBron's level, but both are at least a season away. With several amnesties still to be applied, this Heat roster may not be final yet, but with LeBron and Wade, the Heat have enough. This is the year that they prove it.

5) I'm Really Sick of all of the rumors. This past weekend was overload! You just took months of free agency and crammed it into a weekend pretty much. I swear, I must've thought 20 different guys were going to be Knicks this weekend, maybe 2 of them are. I'm glad the NBA is back, but with that said, let's get the season started already!

Season Preview to follow soon...

What a night for Baseball!

Are You FREAKING Kidding Me???

Within fifteen minutes, both the Red Sox and Braves completed two of probably the five worst collapses in baseball history, and the Rays walked-off to put their stamp on the final Wild Card spot in the American League...after coming back from being down 7-0 in the bottom of the 8th inning!

If you were watching baseball on Wednesday night, night 162 of 162 games of the MLB season, you witnessed a night that won't be forgotten, truthfully until Friday night when the playoffs get underway, but in a historical sense for a really long time. Four teams competing for two playoff spots, two teams having blown tremendous leads throughout September, one night with the potential for two one-game playoff series if all four teams won.

Spoiler Alert! There won't be a 163rd night of the regular season.

We'll go chronological. The Cardinals took care of business as they should have, getting an 11 strike out complete game shutout out of their ace Chris Carpenter, the Cards smoked the wack-ass Astro's 8-0. Staying in the NL, the Braves, who led St. Louis by 10 games just a month ago, hosted the NL-best Phillies, and jumped out to a 3-1 lead through the first seven innings mainly thanks to Dan Uggla's 36th homerun of the season.

Jump over to the American League. You already know the story. The Red Sox held a nine game lead on the Wild Card earlier in the month! Well coming into today with wins in just 7 of their last 26 games, it's needless to say they had some problems on their hands, mainly the come-back kids, otherwise known as the Tampa Bay Rays. Both teams tied for the AL wild card, the Rays hosting the AL-best Yankees, and the Red Sox on the road against the lowly Orioles.

The Rays came hungry, going with hard-throwing ace David Price. Price got LIT-UP to the tune of two Tex-messages, translated into six runs in four innings, which led to a 7-0 deficit. With the Rays down early, the Red Sox failed to capitalize and fell behind 2-1 after three, until grabbing the lead back and ultimately taking a 3-2 lead through the middle of the game.

NL...the Braves held on to their 3-1 lead until the Phillies scrapped together runs in the seventh and the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra's. AL...while things took a turn into latter innings in Atlanta, rain started falling in the seventh in Baltimore with the Sox up 3-2, and AJ Burnett came into the game for a relief appearance in the bottom of the eighth in Tampa. Burnett got a ground ball out and was taken out of the game, and that's when things got weird.

While it was strange to see Burnett in that situation, it was even stranger to see what followed. With a 7-0 lead, the Yankees loaded the bases, then walked two runs in, then gave up a GRAND SLAM to Evan Longoria! Baseball caps turned inside out, fairweather fans going nuts, smiles and celebration prevailing from a recently depressing looking dugout, and a seven run lead reduced to just a one run lead, yup, we were in the midst of a rally.

With the Braves and Phillies duking it out, the Yankees survived the eighth and got the ball to Cory Wade with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Then the unexpected happened. Joe Maddon had seen enough of Sam Fuld, who pinch-hit just the inning before, and needed a big stick with two outs in the ninth and his team basically dead to rights. Enter Dan Johnson. The back-up catchers last hit came on April 27th, last long-ball on April 8th, this is your guy Maddon?

There's a reason he's a former Manager of the Year and I'm...not. Dan Johnson goes yard, ties the game up, the Trop's freaking out, except for the 75% of the stadium that're Yankees fans, this is baseball! Speaking of baseball...the tarp comes off the field at Camden and the Red Sox know the pressure's on.

NL...The Braves finally get a runner to third in the bottom of the 12th on a wild pitch, but can't bring him in. Sadly for Atl-iens, Hunter Pence bloops one in front of Jason Heyward and brings Brian Schneider home, Phillies take the lead, force Freddie Freeman into a 3-6-4 double-play in the bottom half, and complete the Braves collapse. Sorry Atlanta.

Speaking of sorry...the Red Sox get their guy Jonathan Papelbon into the game for the bottom of the ninth and a chance to at worst play for a playoff spot on Thursday. Paps fans Adam Jones and Mark Reynolds, two down, 163 here we come!

Tampa...top 12, Jorge Posada on first and Eric Chavez on second with one out. Rookie Jake McGee gets a Chris Dickerson strikeout and a Brett Gardner ground out, the Rays live to see another day.

Baltimore...two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Sox up one. Chris Davis hits a bullet to right on the first pitch, double. Uh-oh. Nolan Reimold up next to try and keep Baltimore alive in their World Series. Reimold goes 2-0, Papelbon gets him swinging at the next two, 2-2, Sox up one...not for long, tie game. Reimold goes to deep center, ground rule double, double uh-oh! Papelbon's pissed, Boston's scared, I'm going NUTS!

B.J. Upton's going to the on-deck circle as he leads off the bottom of the 12th back in Tampa. Upton sees four pitches, foul-ball, ball, swings and misses at the last two, Evan Longoria your move. But before the man who changed the game with one swing earlier in the night comes up, we have a runner on second with two outs in a tie game back in Baltimore.

The slumping Robert Andino comes to the plate, extra's would be fine as it would extend the O's season, but Andino's not looking for an extension, he's looking for...a hit? Andino rips one to left, Carl Crawford makes the shoe string slide, ball in his glove, ball OUT OF HIS GLOVE! Ball laying on grass, Reimold rounding third, throw coming in late, Orioles...Winning!

Minutes later Tropicana Field is shaking! Everyone in the stadium knows this won't be their "beloved" Rays final game of the 2011 season, especially Evan Longoria. Unfortunately for the Yankees, reliever Scott Proctor knew it as well. After six tough pitches came clarity, this will be the Rays final game of the regular season. This team is going to the PLAYOFFS! Longoria hits a laser just feet to the right of the left field foul line over the left field wall, Rays win, Red Sox lose, somewhere Dick Vitale is acting like he found the lost 92 Duke porno.

Within minutes we saw the Braves crumble, the Red Sox collapse, and the Rays surge. For the Braves it tied for the worst collapse in September in National League history, for the Red Sox it was the largest September collapse in Major League history, and for the Rays it was the largest deficit overcome in September to clinch a playoff spot in Major League history.

What will this mean for the postseason? I'm not sure. Are the Mets off the hook just yet? That I'm not sure about either. But I am sure that this was the most incredible night that Major League Baseball has seen in years. Wow!

June 22nd, 2011: A break in the clouds of the looming NBA Lockout

Last we checked, the Dallas Mavericks upset the Miami Heat and everyone was happy in the basketball world. The NBA is coming off of a monumental year with ratings and popularity, and star power is at an all-time high. However, as happy as basketball junkies have been with their sport of preference, there’s been a looming cloud over the NBA with a potential lockout on our hands.

On Wednesday there was a break in the clouds, only metaphorically speaking of course. Steve Nash held his fourth annual charity soccer game in New York City, and several household NBA names participated in the event. Aside from Nash and Tony Parker – who were mobbed with questions about recent trade rumors - former teammates Leandro Barbosa and Raja Bell, and current teammates Jared Dudley and Marcin Gortat showed off their agility on the pitch. But aside from seeing Gortat play a so-so goalie, and Jared Dudley flop on a chest dive after an impressive goal, IamaGM had the privilege of spending some time with a few significant basketball personalities.

Young Buck is Back and Ready to Win

We start with the new-school. Fresh off of a trip to India to help globalize not just the NBA, but the sport of basketball, Brandon Jennings put on a pair of cleats to show his love for Steve Nash. While Jennings looked a bit more impressive playing soccer than he did playing cricket in India, Jennings spoke highly of the week he spent on the real East Coast.

“Ah man, it was great. To be able to help the game grow globally is real cool.” Jennings said that Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson are the two most popular basketball players in India, with their more relatable size playing a key factor. “I went over there and showed them that you don’t have to be 7-feet tall to be a good basketball player.”

Jennings scoring average may have gone up this season, but he is coming off of a disappointing season for not just himself, but his team as well. “We really struggled this year, and me not being out there definitely played a part in that.” Jennings missed 19 games with a broken foot in his sophomore campaign, and the Bucks won 11 less games this past season than they did in 2009-2010. Jennings said that he likes playing in Milwaukee and that he and his team “expect to make the playoffs next season.”

Age and Adversity have nothing on Patience and Professionalism

While Brandon Jennings’ NBA stock is rising, Grant Hill’s sitting on a stock that was red hot, and then ice cold, but at the tender age of 38 is as solid as any role player in the NBA. Coming off of his third straight season of playing at least 80 games, Hill played in his teammates charity soccer game as well, and even admitted that soccer was his “first love.”

Hill, although a bit tall, looked like a natural on the soccer field, and spoke like a true professional off of it, even about the previously mentioned clouds. “I’ve been through a lockout…you know at some point it’ll get handled.” Hill, who serves as a mentor to plenty of his teammates, is just telling everyone to remain patient. “It’ll get done…it’ll happen.”

The lockout is approaching at a funny time for Hill as he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer. “When I came to Phoenix back in 2007 I thought maybe I had a couple of years left in me,” Hill said of how surprised he is by how good his body feels. He will be 39 before the start of the 2011-2012 season, but isn’t worried about his future. “I’m having a good time in Phoenix, I’m just focused on staying in shape and doing everything right.”

Hill addressed not just the lockout and his free agency, but reiterated his stance on tolerance towards homosexuality, and spoke further about his relationship with Doc Rivers. “You know his name is Doc, but he isn’t a Doctor,” Hill said jokingly. Grant spoke angrily about his tenure with the Magic, whom Rivers coached for four of Hill’s six seasons, just a couple of months ago. It was the first time that he had expressed anger over the fact that he spent so much time on the Injured Reserve, and felt he was completely mismanaged by the Magic. “I’m still really close with Doc, I’ve been working out with his son, Austin, who’s going to Duke.” Hill also works out with Rivers other son, Jeremiah, who completed his senior season at Indiana in the spring.

From Dominating the Court to Dominating the Camera

While one Duke great was able to overcome serious injury, current ESPN college basketball analyst and 2002 Naismith Award winner Jay Williams was watching the soccer game from the sidelines. “I almost went to Rutgers for soccer,” said the second overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Williams was at a loss for words when asked about Grant Hill’s durability, but cited Hill as the most intriguing player for him to watch out for during the game Wednesday.

Williams was in high spirits, and even spoke excitedly when asked if he ever thinks of making another run at the NBA. “You know, if it were two games a week I might have a chance,” Williams said with a sense that he was holding back emotion. “My body just can’t take the wear and tear of the season.” “Although,” Williams being the ultimate competitor ended the conversation by saying ,“I might’ve been able to offer the Heat more than Mike Bibby did.”

Despite the rain storm that came during the second half of the game, it was a good day for soccer, and an even better day for basketball. Hopefully those won’t be too hard to come by in the near future.

A Day in the Life

This isn't why I got into this field, but it was definitely an inspiration.

I had the pleasure today of covering the Showdown in Chinatown. For those of you who don't know, I'd imagine that number will be the majority, every year Steve Nash holds a charity soccer game in Chinatown (the Manhattan version) that features famous soccer players and famous basketball players. It's for the Steve Nash Foundation, which ultimately gives back to kids, which you could file me under thanks to this great opportunity.

While I was the recipient of Brandon Jennings "are you kidding me" faces about other reporters questions, and the journalist responsible for finding out that Marcin Gortat had aspirations of keeping goal, I was also the lone member of the media more in awe of a fellow person in a golf shirt with a press pass than of the NBA All-Stars around me. While I tried my hardest to get in interviews with Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Tony Parker, and Jennings, I found myself drawn almost like a magnet to one of my teenage idols, Jay Williams.

It's no secret that I'm a Duke fan, and as I always tell the story; it's because I really liked Chris Duhon coming out of High School. I was in need of a college team to root for as St. Johns had entered irrelevancy, and I wasn't going to watch a sport that I love without any rooting interest. So I thought the world of Duhon and really took notice of his backcourt mate, Williams. At the time he was Jason and there wasn't a thing he couldn't do, save for maybe hit the free throw to complete a four-point play.

Williams handled the rock, ran the offense, played tight defense and had a mean cross-over, those were the things he was good at. He was GREAT at shooting from deep, getting to the basket, and even throwing it down with force from time to time. Williams won a championship in 2001 and a Naismith Award in 2002. He was a prolific collegiate athlete, that had a terrible, you could even say dumb, injury ruin his career.

I worked at ESPN when Williams came on as a college basketball analyst, but I never had the fortune of meeting him. I had gotten in whatever interviews I could get in at the Showdown on Wednesday, and noticed him standing right near me looking almost lost, this was my opportunity.

"You're playing in this too," I asked the guy who I feel like I've known for the last decade. "Na man I'm on the other side of the fence today," responded Williams with a smile as if we had known each other. Jay clearly wasn't playing in the soccer game as he was sporting an ESPN Polo shirt with several other ESPN reporters and camera men in his vicinity. We went back and forth for a little bit about how the Knicks need a point guard and I think he'd be the perfect fit, as well as how he isn't fit to play in the NBA due to his past injury but wishes he could. He even cracked a joke that he would've given the Heat more than Mike Bibby did during the Playoffs, at least I think it was a joke.

The fact that I was able to have a personal conversation with a person whose jersey I'm sitting in as I type this, a man who is responsible for getting me to fathom the idea of rooting for the Bulls after killing my Knicks repeatedly throughout my childhood, and a personal inspiration to me, just blows my mind. I went into today drilling into my head that I have to be a consummate professional and not a fan, and here I am, talking to Jay Williams about his career and his thoughts on Grant Hill.

I love what I do because being a professional in this field is better than being a fan in it. I wasn't talking to Jay Williams as a fan to an idol, we were talking as professionals, and the aftermath feels hardly any different if not more gratifying. Beyond Williams, working on a field and trying to get Steve Nash's attention for a question and having him give me a respectable answer is way more memorable than being a kid and having Donyell Marshall give me an autograph so I would leave him alone. Having Jared Dudley tell me he's got me for an interview when he gets away from the cloud of reporters completely trumps the hope that maybe Anthony Mason will sign for me when he feels like it later. Standing next to Grant Hill with a voice recorder inches from his face has to beat floor seats.

While I'm not out on the court playing with them, getting their respect, and engaging conversations with them is as cool as it gets. Standing with Jay Williams I didn't feel like I was talking to a guy who was faking being nice to me because that's what he gets paid to do, I felt like I was conducting business in a friendly manner. I didn't want to overstep my boundaries so I thanked him for his time after about two minutes, and walked away after he gave me a familiar dap as if he were one of my friends that I regularly see.

An experience that I won't forget, but just a day in the life.

Just Can't Stick up for LeBron Anymore

I could still argue after Game 3 that LeBron was doing enough that he didn't need to dominate the game in a scoring aspect for the Heat to win, but when the offense looked desperate and LeBron had zero to offer in the third straight fourth quarter blown lead, it's enough sticking up for him. While I do believe that fans and the media will look for any reason to give LeBron James a hard time, scoring four combined points in the fourth quarter of three straight NBA Finals games is atrocious.

When LeBron was asked about shrinking from the moment after a Game 3 win that came on the base of Dwyane Wade's scoring, and LeBron helping distribute and set the tone for the defense, LeBron reacted as if he's been the beast mode LeBron that everyone's come to…hate. Even if he's playing great defense, which he didn't do in the fourth quarter of Game 4, LeBron has been hailed one of the leagues greats because he can dominate both ends, he hasn't done anything remotely close to dominate the offensive end this series. He's kicking the ball out with less than five seconds to go on the shot clock, he's bombing long range jumpers instead of taking the ball to the rack, he's only attempted 14 free throws all series…he got to the line 13 times in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals!

The Heat have had the Mavericks beat in every single game they've played in the Finals, and the only reason this series isn't over, sweet Dirk Nowitzki aside, is that LeBron hasn't put his stamp on the game and he's tinkering with his chances at winning a championship. I don't think the two blown games will effect the Heat in the long run during the Finals, but unless LeBron James can make a difference in these games offensively, the Mavs have a lot of guys who want to take and make big shots. I'm hearing excuses that LeBron's exhausted from playing big minutes, Dirk's played just about as many minutes and has made the fourth quarters Dirk time, fever or not.

LeBron can defer to Wade in the fourth all he wants, but when Wade's already scored high 20's, low 30's, and LeBron's passing the ball to Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh of all people, he's not giving his team their best chance to win. Just like with Cleveland, LeBron's team wins when he takes games over…that's the whole point of being the best player in the NBA. Wade does it, Dirk does it, and up until these NBA Finals, LeBron did it too.

This isn't even about LeBron making the big shot anymore. LeBron has almost achieved a Jordan-like state in the NBA where he can win MVP every season and whatever team he's on will contend just because he's that good. This is hands down the biggest series of his controversial career and he's been that bad. LeBron has three games left to shut everyone up, if he doesn't, he won't get any more support from this apologist.

OyVey Posada and the Great NBA Playoffs

Jorge Posada Slump Gets Real Ugly

You usually don't see guys that hit .165 taking themselves out of the lineup when they're told they'll be batting last. I mean there are 43 pitchers, albeit some with just one at-bat on the season, hitting for a better average than Jorge Posada is! The division's getting away from his team, they, like he, are in the midst of a real hitting rut, and their arch rival is beating their butts at home...so Posada, the savvy vet takes himself out of the lineup after being told he'll be hitting last?

I don't want to rant like everyone else has over the last 12 hours or so, but what's going to happen from here? The only solution is Jorge's going to have to deal with some mean ice grills from his teammates and a few harsh words, while hitting his way back into the DH spot, where either Andruw Jones or Eric Chavez could provide more than he has this season. We saw Posada hit six homeruns in April, so we know he isn't finished quite yet. And if he's the consummate professional and team-first guy that Michael Kay and John Sterling have been selling us on through the last few pouting years of his career, he should be able to wear his pinstripes proudly and get in a groove with the rest of his slumping teammates.

I'm clearly writing this through the eyes of a Yankees fan, because if you look at this on paper, it just looks bad. Not just Posada, but the whole Yankees situation. A-Rod, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Russell Martin, and Posada are all slumping, Jeter's hitting is arbitrational. Obviously the Yankees pitching probably won't be as good as it's been to this point for the whole season, but the Yankees have led baseball in runs scored in three of the last four seasons. They have seven guys in their every-day lineup that have been All-Stars. As old as they may be, they've been to two straight ALCS, and baseball is a game of averages. I'd be willing to bet my life that Teixeira, A-Rod, and even this worthless bum Posada will finish well above the miserable clips they're currently sitting at.

I think being close to Jeter and having quality guys like CC Sabathia and former mentor Joe Girardi around will help Posada turn it around, if he's willing to finally accept his role with this team. I think more surprising than any Yankees move this past offseason was Posada "accepting" Girardi and GM Brian Cashman telling him he was going to be the team's every day designated hitter this season. Despite how everyone else in the world, especially opposing team's that ran all over him on a daily basis, knew Jorge was that hockey puck-esque hamburger beyond well done as a catcher, he never wanted to accept it. And after all of his clutch hits and big games behind the plate for the Yankees, at a certain point a team just has to do what's best for them.

Spectators like Buster Olney think this was the fuel to the fire that will be Posada's ugly break-up with the Yankees, I think he'll get it together and try to pick it up at the plate. He's never been a good DH, but he's always been a good hitter. I think his skills, and the embrace of a top-notch organization, will help the team turn this nasty, unprofessional instance around. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe CC won't be able to let go of the fact that Posada quit on not just the team, but on him Saturday night. Maybe Jeter's struggling enough himself and can't rationalize Posada's behavior. Needing a night to clear your head is unacceptable when you get paid almost $81,000 a night to get up to the plate four times and most likely be pinch-ran for if you get on base late in a game. Get it together Jorge.

NBA PLAYOFFS

The Miami Heat have been almost perfect during the playoffs, with their one blemish coming after they defeated the Celtics this week to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Mavs are the only team that's dominated their opponents the way Miami has, but this team really has a problem with their premature celebrations. First Chris Bosh went bonkers during the Big Three introduction (at about 1:08), and now they're acting like they've won the championship because they got past an aging, injured Celtics team. We know LeBron, you've never gotten past this team before...well that's because you went to battle them with Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao! Derrick Rose is winning with composure and taking over games while LeBron's acting like he just won the Royal Rumble. It's embarrassing.

I think the ECF showdown between the Bulls and Heat is going to be remarkable. I've sort of been hating on the Bulls, but I think their defensive intensity really makes them contenders on any given night. It isn't fair to say they've struggled in the first couple of rounds because they have made it this far, but Carlos Boozer's averaging just 12 points and 10 boards in the playoffs, Kyle Korver shootingt 32% from the field against the Hawks, and Derrick Rose, as phenomenal as he's been, is shooting below 42% from the field in the playoffs. Teams don't win championships in the NBA unless they're playing great basketball, and the Heat are playing great basketball on both ends of the court. As much as the Heat don't have an answer for D.Rose, the Bulls don't have answers for LeBron or Dwyane Wade.

It's an injustice to these NBA Playoffs mentioning the East before getting to the West. First, the Mavs clobbered the Lakers, sweeping them EASILY. I know, I too am shocked that Matt Barnes' blueprint to beating Dallas didn't work. The Mavs have been doing some serious work over the last few weeks and I think they'll run right through whoever they draw in the Western Conference Finals. Which leads to the best story of the playoffs so far...obviously other than the demise of the Lakers...the Memphis Grizzlies!

I've watched close to all of the Grizzlies' playoffs games and not once have I really thought to myself "this is an eighth seed." The Grizz are acting like this is the NFL Playoffs and are just bringing it to whoever has the task of playing them on that given night. Guys like O.J. Mayo, Greivis Vasquez, and Mike Conley have hit some big shots, and Zach Randolph has really declared this his team in absence of Rudy Gay. Not to mention they've really played into the "let Russell Westbrook keep the ball out of Kevin Durant's hands" strategy.

I think the best players in the league usually take their teams the deepest into the playoffs. We're seeing it with Dirk, LeBron, and Derrick Rose this season. Two of the Thunder's losses this series have come on games where Westbrook outshoots Durant, and the team is 4-0 in games this postseason where Westbrook takes less than 20 shots. Kevin Durant has led the league in scoring the past two seasons and is the unquestioned star of his team. The Grizzlies play as hard, especially defensively, as any team in the league and if the Thunder can't get their offense running through the right player, they're in some real trouble. I don't think they will and I think the Thunder are still at least a season away.

I'm going both Mavs over Grizzlies and Heat over Bulls in six.

Easter Sunday Thoughts...

Disappointing Knicks
After playing two down to the wire games in Boston, the results of Friday night's game three was an absolute nightmare for the Knicks. The first meaningful playoff game at Madison Square Garden in almost a decade, a game where the stars could own their court, and they got owned instead. There are enough excuses for why the Knicks didn't show up for game three, but after the effort that C-team gave on the road to open the series, it didn't seem impossible for the Knicks to still be in the series come Sunday...instead they couldn't be any further away.

Maybe the Knicks get lucky and squeeze out a win today, but with Amar'e talking about possibly not playing, and the real Knicks showing up Friday night, it just seems like the Knicks never really stood a shot in this series. For all of the hustle and effort and defense they gave in game two, they gave two times less effort and defense in game three. Ray Allen is unquestionably one of if not the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA, but for him to knock down eight of 11 from three, after going seven for nine in the first two games, shows a complete lack of attention to detail on the defensive end...and it really got them burned. Allen posted 32 points in the win, while Rajon Rondo notched a triple-double and Paul Pierce went for a game-high 38. The Knicks have shown that they can play defense and not just try to outscore another team to win games, and on a night when they were undermanned but playing with the home court behind them they really just didn't play the right game.

As disappointed as I am in guys like Landry Fields and Toney Douglas, this is why Mike D'Antoni makes the money he makes, to coach big games. With these being the first big games of his three year tenure I'm just so infuriated that he's not getting his team to come up bigger. Maybe my expectations are too high and I should be content with only losing by five combined points in the first two games, but the Knicks have shown that they can hang with the best teams in the league, with the talent they have they should really be finding ways to win some of these games. Celtics coach Doc Rivers is coaching the pants off of D'Antoni, who isn't a stranger to playoff basketball mind you. I'm not calling for D'Antoni's head yet, but he either needs a defensive minded assistant coach added to his staff for next season or the Knicks better go out and get Steve Nash or Stephen Curry so they can continue to try and outscore their opponents and play minimal defense.

Bottom line is the Knicks can't pick and choose when they're going to play defense against a team like the Celtics, especially if the Knicks are undermanned, which they very blatantly are. The Celtics still have four players who can have their way with the Knicks defense whenever they want to, and the Knicks seem to have one guy who can do the same if he doesn't shoot his team out of the game, which he at times does. It's hard to say this but this series looks over. Better luck next year Knicks.

Same ole Mavs
I don't mean to dig at the Mavericks as much as I want to celebrate Brandon Roy, but bylines digging at the Mavs sell more papers than Blazermania. Back to my agenda, B Roy has been one of my favorite players in the NBA the last few seasons, and to see him struggle with injuries and really seem to not be able to stay healthy has really been one of the sadder stories in the league. Well I'm not going to say he's back, but to see Roy go for 18 points in the fourth, bringing the Blazers back from down 23 points to win game four and tie the series at two was one of more amazing feats of the season. Roy dropped 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, his highest output since December 10th, 2010. Roy has been very emotional about his role in the playoffs, but if he can continue to play the one he did in game four the Blazers could have an extended trip in the playoffs. I'm rooting for the Blazers but get it together Mavs.

More Playoff Thoughts
Heat look good, Bulls look good, Thunder look good. What's the deal with the Magic? It's gotta be Stan Van...honestly. To have as much talent as they've had over the past couple of years and just never be able to pull it together? Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson...none of those guys can throw Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson a bone? I think there's a chance they don't rally and overcome the Hawks. The talents there Orlando. The Lakers don't look overly impressive but they'll probably pull this one out in five or six. Grizzlies are looking like the popular upset pick, but don't be fooled, the Spurs are one of these teams that can just flip a switch...right? Nuggets where you at? See, they're not any better than the Knicks! Pacers are playing the Bulls hard, Frank Vogel's doing a heck of a job in Indy, Tom Thibodeaux, slightly better one in Chicago. And lastly, it would be awesome if the MVP race was decided at the end of the playoffs....you have to figure your five finalists are Kobe, LeBron, D. Rose, Dwight Howard, and Chris Paul/Kevin Durant....oddly enough those are the guys that are absolutely dominating the first week of the playoffs. Semi-finals are going to be insane.

A Little Baseball, with even less Law of Average
Remember when the Red Sox started the season 2-10 (hell yea!)? Well they're now 9-11 and playing as well as just about any team in baseball not named the Yankees (and Rangers, Rockies, and Phillies to be fair). After giving up ten earned runs and striking out four in his first two starts, Daisuke Matsuzaka has come back to give up zero earned runs and strike out 12 in his last two. The Rays started the season 1-8 and are now 10-11...in the same respect the Orioles started the season 6-1 and are now plummeting down back to the bottom of the AL East at 8-11. My point is that baseball (not just the AL East) is a game of averages. That's why a young, provenly talented player needs a chance to slump before they're benched with the fear that they've lost it. Dice-K looked like the worst pitcher in baseball to start the season, he's clearly bounced back. As rocky as Phil Hughes and Madison Bumgarner have looked, you can't give up on them just yet, especially when you have a terrific bullpen and a pretty sturdy looking staff behind him. People get off to slow starts in baseball...but as the Red Sox and Rays have already proven this season, it's not how slow you start, it's how well you turn it on. The baseball season is the biggest example of a marathon not a sprint...be patient. Unless you're a Mets fan, then be pessimistic.

Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays...