Do You Really Want Us to do That??

When LeBron told us he would be “taking his talents to South Beach” we all knew that anything less than an NBA Championship would be seen as a massive failure for the Miami Heat organization. Let’s face it, when you put together a bomb squad you are going to take everyone’s best shot. All year long the Miami Heat faced the intense scrutiny that happens when you build up everyone’s expectations.

LeBron James put the bar up so high that there was only one outcome that would be seen as successful. Take a page from MJ and Kobe, let your play do the talking for you. Shut your mouth and play basketball. When you start the season with a huge event where you are the center of attention and tell the Miami fans that you are starting a dynasty where you are going to win, “not one, not two, not three, not four, etc.” you better be able to back it up.

The bottom line is James shriveled in the spot light. What do great players do? They put their team on their back and compete. James’ style of offense is one way, he makes the plays and the other players around him support that. Dwayne Wade is the same type of player and finding a balance between being unselfish and knowing when to take a game over is a fine line that the Heat were unable to walk.

I think if LeBron wants a ring he needs to change the way he plays. He needs to move without the ball more. Set screens, be more active and work on his post-up game. James is stuck between being a jump shooter, a distributor and a big man that can play in the paint. James needs a more defined role within the offense and stick to that.

This Finals performance will be forever remembered as LeBron and Wade not getting the job done and Dirk’s revenge for what the Heat and Wade did to the Mavs on their home floor back in 2006 after the Mavericks jumped out to an early series lead.

Bottom Line, LeBron James needs to keep his mouth shut and let the way he plays basketball define him. Right now James has been exposed as fraud that acts confident but can’t back it up. Lose the off-court antics and act like a professional, the rest will take care of itself.

Someone should tell LeBron James and the Miami Heat that you don’t get you a ring for winning the Eastern Conference Semis. After an emotional series that bounced the Boston Three Party out of the playoffs and finally got the 900 lb gorilla off LeBron James’ back, the Heat are finding themselves up against another worthy adversary in the Chicago Bulls.

In a season where anything less than an NBA Championship would be seen as a failure, the Miami Heat will have to send another quality team packing in the Chicago Bulls. NBA MVP Derek Rose will be a tough defensive assignment for Dwayne Wade and I believe that the Bulls match up very well with the Heat in terms of offensive production.

After a Game One where Rose posted 28 points and Chicago cruised to a 103-82 victory, the Heat will be looking to rebound in Game 2 and look to limit the offensive production. LeBron James may draw the roll of defending Rose and putting a bigger body on him to limit his drives to the basket. Rose is a drive and distribute type player, when he isn’t scoring he is creating offensive chances for his teammates.

Honestly, if the Heat are sent packing before the NBA Finals, Erik Spoelstra should start looking for another job because I am pretty sure I could coach the Heat to an NBA Championship with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade on my team.

Photo Credit: SI.com

The Celtics will take a 3-0 lead back to Boston but can they pull of a sweep of the New York Knicks?

After the blockbuster deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks, the Knicks became a team with a legitimate chance to make a playoff run overnight. But during the first opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs the Knicks have looked lethargic and disinterested in the game. Pair lackadaisical defense with poor shooting from their biggest scorers and you have the Knicks on the verge of being swept by Boston and its big three.

The Boston Celtics came into the New York series with a 4-0 record against the Knicks in the regular season. The biggest storyline of the series so far has been the play of Rajon Rondo. Rondo is the cog that makes the Green Machine run smoothly. When Rondo is on, the C’s are very tough to beat.

This combination of Knicks defense and the scoring ability of the Celtics has made for a one-sided series. The Celtics are a team that will take advantage of turnovers and mistakes. The shooting of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have also served the Celtics well. A sweep in the first round would be beneficial to the aging Celtics to allow them some time to recover before the Conference semis.

Tiger Woods undoubtedly the most talented golfer in the world when he’s on. The problem is, he’s been winless in his last win at Bay Hill in 2009.  Woods’ highly publicized personal life led to him taking an extended period of time away from the game. His new swing coach, Sean Foley, has been working on a handful of swing adjustments for Woods’. In the past, when Woods moved from Butch Harmon to Hank Haney there was an adjustment period followed by a string of victories, the same will most likely be true with the move from Haney to Foley.

Despite being winless since 2009 Arnold Palmer Classic at  Bay Hill, Woods has shown flashes of his old self but has had trouble putting an complete four day run together. The Tiger of old had an intimidation factor.  Being the best in the world worked to his advantage on Sunday but his current slump has shown the chinks in his armor.

Currently, Woods has 14 Major Championship victories, four behind Jack Nicklaus (18) for all-time career Major Victories. This week Woods is trying to make a weekend charge for his fourth Masters victory at Augusta. A win at the Masters could get Woods back on track for the 2011 PGA season.

Woods is still three years ahead of Nicklaus’ pace and to say that Woods will go winless at Majors  for the  3 years. Nicklaus won his last major at the 1986 Masters at the age of 46.

Jordan’s Bulls Vs. Kobe’s Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are poised for a third straight NBA title run and with a three peat in the works, I have to draw comparisons to Chicago Bulls of the late 1990s.

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are very similar players in that they can distribute the ball to their teammates to win or take over the game and beat you. The role players supporting Bryant can also be similarly compared to Jordan’s Bulls.

Head Coach: Phil Jackson was at the helm of both teams so to see similarities in each team will be a given. But the similarities are very close when you break down both player roles and team expectations. Jackson knew how to get the most out of each player and push their limits. His zen master approach has yielded excellent results to the tune of 11 Championship rings as a coach. (Jackson won 2 rings as a player)

Center:
Bulls- Luc Longley
Lakers-Pau Gasol

Both Gasol and Longley use finesse rather than power at the center position to make their shots. Both are long and lanky and are effective shot blockers. While Gasol is a more effective shooter and more well-rounded player, Longley was an exceptional inside defender.

Power Forward:
Bulls-Scottie Pippen
Lakers-Lamar Odom

Pippen and Odom are both excellent long range shooters and can sink a three at any time during the course of the game. Pippen was known for his passing ability and was Jordan’s number two in Chicago for many years.

Small Forward:
Bulls-Dennis Rodman
Lakers-Ron Artest

As we know, Rodman had an outrageous personality on and off the court, very similarly, Artest has had altercations with fans and media. Both are eccentric individuals that were reigned in by Jackson. Rodman was known for his rebound and defending skills, very much like Artest. Both Rodman and Artest have an affinity for wacky hairstyles and tattoos.

Point Guard:
Bulls-Ron Harper
Lakers-Derek Fisher

Fisher and Harper are both sharp shooters who can run the offense. Both were the primary ball handlers for the offense but neither were the number one choice. During a possession the ball would always go to Bryant or Jordan for at least a touch. Harper was known for his defense more where Fisher was known for his shooting abilities, and both players are bald.

Shooting Guard:
Bulls-Michael Jordan
Lakers-Kobe Bryant

I don’t think that you can compare any player to Jordan because he is simply the best player of all time but Bryant is easily in the top 5. Bryant and Jordan are very much the same type of player. Some nights they will distribute the ball to their teammates and score 10 points. Other nights they will go off for 50 or 60 points. Kobe Bryant’s 81-point night against the Raptors was the most incredible single player effort in the modern era. But Jordan had his share of unbelievable moments, let’s not forget about the 69 point performance by Jordan against the Cleveland Cavs in 1990.

In my last post I made a prediction on the NFC title game but not the AFC title game, you may have wondered why?  I believe that the winner of the AFC game will win the Superbowl. So my prediction is Big Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers will win their third super bowl since 2006.  I say this for one reason, AFC football is more smash mouth and defense oriented. NFC football is more offense and finesse and as the old adage goes, “defense wins championships”.

Had you proposed the idea that the Steelers would be returning to the Super Bowl for the third time in six years I would have said you were crazy. The off-season accusations around Ben Roethlisberger caused him to miss the first four weeks of the season. During that stretch the Steelers went 3-1.

The Packers are playing the best football right now but the two week layoff can cool teams down very quickly. Aaron Rodgers is continuing to show why he is an elite quarterback but I believe that the Steelers D will shut down the Packers running game and RB James Starks, leaving Rodgers to slang the rock to his so-so receivers.

The Steelers have the experience and play tough so my prediction is…

Steelers over Packers 28-17

And if you haven’t noticed the similarity between Mike Tomlin and Omar Epps…Here ya go…

The Bears and Packers have played against each other more than any team in the NFL, they have more Hall of Famers collectively than any other teams, so it seems fitting that they will lock horns this weekend for the first Playoff meeting since 1941 for a trip to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas, TX. Will the NFC Championship be a shoot out between the two young gunslingers, Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler or a defensive stalemate between two teams that rank third and fourth in total defense the NFL?

Keys to the Game:

Chicago:

Establish the run game: Chicago must get Matt Forte the ball and let him make plays.

Get after Aaron Rodgers: The Bears defense has to limit the time Rodgers has to throw the ball. Rodgers is notorious for picking defenses apart when he has time. The Bears D have to get pressure up front and force him into difficult throws.

Green Bay:

Give Rodgers Time: As I mentioned before, Rodgers has the ability to cut up opposing defenses, when he has time. The Packers rely heavily on the pass game but may need increased production from rookie running back, James Starks.

Get Starks Going: Starks had a breakout game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wildcard Playoff match-up and for the Packers to be successful they will need to establish the run game to set up the pass game for Rodgers. It has also been noted that the turf conditions may be an issue with precipitation in the Chicago area.

Win the Special Teams Battle:Chicago has a huge advantage in the kick return game with Devin Hester. Hester is one of the elite players in the NFL that can change a game in a matter of seconds with kick return. Hester gives Chicago a shorter field on offense and has the ability to change the momentum of a game. I expect Green Bay to kick the ball away from Hester and limit his touches.

Verdict:
Chicago 28-17.

‘Da Bears return to the Super Bowl by limiting the Green Bay receivers and getting pressure on Rodgers. Green Bay can become one dimensional without the presence of a run game and the Bears D will be flying around the field. The on field conditions at Soldier Field will favor the Bears.

In case you missed it, the Seattle Seahawks pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoffs history against the defending champion, New Orleans Saints on Saturday January 8. In a weekend that was full of exciting games, the Seahawks’ running back, Marshawn Lynch, made one of the top plays of the season with an incredible 67 yard run to paydirt.

The Saints entered the game with an 11-5 record and 11 point favorites but allowed the upstart 7-9 Seahawks to hang around for too long. The Seahawks’ relied on veteran quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck who tossed 4 touchdown passes despite having fluid drained from his hip prior to the game. Seattle held a 34-20 lead in the fourth quarter before lynch broke the 67 yard run to end the Saints’ hopes of defending their Super Bowl title.

Seattle is the first team in NFL history to win their division (the abysmal NFC West) and clinch a playoff berth with a losing regular season record. The playoff win was also the first for a team with a losing record.

This is a very cool idea and the atmosphere should be pretty crazy, let’s just hope there are no season ending injuries.

The Northwestern Wildcats will play host to the University of Illinois Illioni on Saturday at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field in Chicago. This is not a new idea, the old Chicago Bears actually played at Wrigley, so this should work right? Well, let’s think about Wrigley Field for a minute. The layout is not conducive for the type of football that is played today. Fast, athletic players are a far cry from the old leather-heads that originally played at Wrigley.

The game, touted as the Allstate Wrigleyville Classic, is obviously hosted by an insurance company just in case we get a receiver going a little too hard for that back of the end-zone catch. Below are some of the rule changes from Deadspin.com

“So they’ve made some rule changes, and they’re, well, kind of a joke. All kickoffs will be to the East, so bonus points if you can hit the wall on the fly. All offensive possessions will head toward the West end zone. That means, if there’s a fumble recovery or an interception, both teams will pack up and move to the other end of the field to make sure the drives aren’t going East. To avoid one team having their bench on the action half of the field the whole game, they’ll actually switch at halftime. (They flipped a coin to decide who gets it first.)”-Deadspin

Here are the actual rule chances put in place by the NCAA to prevent injuries.

Photo Credit: nydailynews.com

The short answer, not only are they in trouble, they are completely done, stick a fork in them…

I wrote in my last post that if the Dallas Cowboys could win against the Titans in Week 5 they would win out the rest of the season and make the playoffs. I write today that the Cowboys season is over. Barring a miracle season from back-up Jon Kitna, it will be nearly impossible for the Cowboys to make the playoffs. After Tony Romo suffered a fractured left clavicle in the Monday night loss to the Giants, the Cowboys should start working on next season because this season is over and done. With a 1-5 record and an injured starting quarterback, the Cowboys need to improve their coaching staff before next season. The talent and potential is apparent but the coaching staff needs some serious evaluation.

I will say this, Dave Campo is the worst defensive backs coach in the NFL. This is apparent with the complete lack of technique from the Dallas secondary. CB Mike Jenkins had three pass interference calls in one series that shows a total lapse in coaching.