Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesWanting to be sure he takes the early lead in the Butch Davis Stakes, Raleigh News Observer senior columnist Caulton Tudor is calling for the resignation of UNC head coach Butch Davis.According to Tudor, Butch Davis should resign as North Carolinafootball coach. If that Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
doesnhappenand soonthe school needs to dismiss Davis. In view of the revelations of the past several months, his removal from the job is the single most necessary step in the rehabilitation process for the school and the football program."Tudor, for whom we generally have great admiration, proceeds to site a clause in Davis contract in which Tudor believes ample violations have occurred. We say, good luck with that as 100 lawyers could argue the interpretation of each word 100 different ways. A tough out at best.Tudor also wonders if itreasonable to ask why Davis did not know more about Blakerelationship with [NFL agent] Wichard?On the surface, we suppose that makes sense. After all, Blake was Davis' head recruiter so it seems logical that Davis would want to know everything about him. That said, if Blake was doing something he wasnsupposed to be with Wichard, isnit natural to assume that Blake would go to great lengths to keep Davis from knowing about it?Does the email go like this: Hey, boss, Im bustin up some rules here with an NFL agent in California. Thought you should know. BTW, that kid from Tucumcari can flat fly, hea beast. Hey to the family.JBReally?Here inmy real worldhorse racingwe have what is known as the ultimate insurer rule. Simply put, this means that the owner of a racehorse is ultimately responsible for everything about the horse. In addition, the owner is ultimately responsible for everything the trainer or groom does as well. People, I might add, the owner has no direct control over.However, the owner is not responsible for what the jockey does on his horse during a race. That is a separate area of jurisdiction with its own set of rules.This makes perfect sense since the owner has no control over what the jockey does during the race.Point being: If the jockey Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
(Blake) is going to cheat, try to cheat, or, at the bare minimum, do something questionable, the last person hegoing to tell is the presiding stewards (the NCAA) or the "ultimate insurer" (Davis).Ittoo soon to roll out the guillotine. Better to try and clean up your mess, then end up like USC where the offending coach and players have moved on to handsomely compensated new jobs while the universities they tainted gets penalized.The Suits In Kansas will bugger this up soon enough.For now, let em ride.To read Tudorcolumn, click here.
2011年1月24日星期一
24 Jan 11 Chris Werabe: Memphis Freshman Tiger on The Prowl Keeps Strong Defense
Sometimes being a freshman isn't easy.Even more so, sometimes being a high school football recruit isn't easy. Chris Werabe has shown he can quickly and easily overcome any challenge thrown his way.Werabe was a star defensive end/offensive tackle for Bishop Byrne High School (Memphis, Tennessee).Due toReebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
personal matters, Werabe passed up offers from Southern Mississippi, Ole Miss, Mississippi St. Cincinnati, Oregon St., and South Carolina so he could stay home, be close to his family and decided to join the Memphis Tigers football team.Werabe is a 6'1", 250-pound defensive end prepared to be switched to linebacker at any time while playing for Memphis.When asked to describe his best position, Werabe threw acurve-balland said "student-athlete: student first, athlete second.I'm here to not only play strong, physical and leadership football, but to get my education from a great founded school such as Memphis."Being a freshman isn't always easy but when asked what he's most excited about Werabe said, "I'mlooking forward to playing alongside Dontari Poe on the defensive line but if they switch me to linebacker, I'll be looking forward to play alongside Jamon Hughes."Although Memphis has dropped its first two games, Werabe keeps his head saying, "We've got a young team but we're all prepared to face the tough road of both losing and winning. Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
We pick each other up on this team from the seniors to freshmen, our chemistry is great and the play will follow."Withcomparisonsto Dwight Freeney and Osi Umenyiora, Werabe finds motivation."When people throw star NFL players in the same sentence as your name you have a lot to prove," Werabe said. "I know I have a lot to prove but actions speak louder then words, this much I know. So I'm here to prove my worth without saying a word."Not much to be said except how much you have to like a freshman who wants to lead.Werabe states his passion for football and desire to be the best is what makes him a leader."Off the field I just try to be the best leader that i can be, in and out the classroom, onandoff the field."While the Tigers began their season on a rough note, Werabe is a bright side.A bright side that looks like a semi-truck headed right at quarterbacks. Opponent beware, Werabe lets his game speak for itself and finding your quarterback on the ground tells a lot about a young man who hasprioritiesstraight and his talent level rising. To put Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
a exclamation point on everything Werabe was then asked what exactly does he bring to the table, "plenty of food and by that I mean whatever the coaches want me to do I'll do it with a passion" he said.Whether it's the passion or his talent, Werabe is headed to the top and coaches better be hungry, because he has got more then enough food to bring to the table.
personal matters, Werabe passed up offers from Southern Mississippi, Ole Miss, Mississippi St. Cincinnati, Oregon St., and South Carolina so he could stay home, be close to his family and decided to join the Memphis Tigers football team.Werabe is a 6'1", 250-pound defensive end prepared to be switched to linebacker at any time while playing for Memphis.When asked to describe his best position, Werabe threw acurve-balland said "student-athlete: student first, athlete second.I'm here to not only play strong, physical and leadership football, but to get my education from a great founded school such as Memphis."Being a freshman isn't always easy but when asked what he's most excited about Werabe said, "I'mlooking forward to playing alongside Dontari Poe on the defensive line but if they switch me to linebacker, I'll be looking forward to play alongside Jamon Hughes."Although Memphis has dropped its first two games, Werabe keeps his head saying, "We've got a young team but we're all prepared to face the tough road of both losing and winning. Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
We pick each other up on this team from the seniors to freshmen, our chemistry is great and the play will follow."Withcomparisonsto Dwight Freeney and Osi Umenyiora, Werabe finds motivation."When people throw star NFL players in the same sentence as your name you have a lot to prove," Werabe said. "I know I have a lot to prove but actions speak louder then words, this much I know. So I'm here to prove my worth without saying a word."Not much to be said except how much you have to like a freshman who wants to lead.Werabe states his passion for football and desire to be the best is what makes him a leader."Off the field I just try to be the best leader that i can be, in and out the classroom, onandoff the field."While the Tigers began their season on a rough note, Werabe is a bright side.A bright side that looks like a semi-truck headed right at quarterbacks. Opponent beware, Werabe lets his game speak for itself and finding your quarterback on the ground tells a lot about a young man who hasprioritiesstraight and his talent level rising. To put Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
a exclamation point on everything Werabe was then asked what exactly does he bring to the table, "plenty of food and by that I mean whatever the coaches want me to do I'll do it with a passion" he said.Whether it's the passion or his talent, Werabe is headed to the top and coaches better be hungry, because he has got more then enough food to bring to the table.
2011年1月22日星期六
22 Jan 11 Spartan Stunner: Michigan State's Fake Field Goal Is the Play of the Year
Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesIn the words of one of our favourite commentators, Jack Buck: "I don't believe what I just saw!" The reaction of the Michigan State fans, the stunned Irish band, the even more stunned Brian Kelly, and our reaction at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning local time (I write this from London, Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
England) was: "OH MY GOD!"Tomorrow, we'll find out that someone in our apartment block complained (oops!), but that was what college football signifies to all who love it. Drama. Michigan State-Notre Dame games have generally been the ones to watch over the years, but this was a little bit special. Now excuse me, I have to get my breath back. This article is also featured onView From North America
England) was: "OH MY GOD!"Tomorrow, we'll find out that someone in our apartment block complained (oops!), but that was what college football signifies to all who love it. Drama. Michigan State-Notre Dame games have generally been the ones to watch over the years, but this was a little bit special. Now excuse me, I have to get my breath back. This article is also featured onView From North America
2011年1月18日星期二
18 Jan 11 2010 College Football Predictions: Boise Beats Up on Oregon State
Geoff Burke/Getty ImagesIn a matchup of Top-25 teams, the No. 25 Oregon State Beavers visit the No. 3 Boise State Broncos Saturday.This is one of the final real tests for the Broncos this season, and one they will need to look impressive in winning to sway the polls in their favor.College football lines for this game show Buffalo Bills jersey
Boise State minus-16.5 over Oregon State if you are looking to wager on it. The Broncos have opened the season 2-0, winning a nail biter at Virginia Tech 33-30 and thumping Wyoming 51-6 on the road as well. It going to be a hostile atmosphere as Boise State breaks out the blue turf for the first time this season when Oregon State comes to town on Saturday at 8:00 EST.The Broncos have now won 16 straight games. Since 1999, the Broncos are 592 at home and 561 during regular season games. Boise State currently has a 44-game regular season home winning streak. Boise made plenty of mistakes in their opener against Virginia Tech, but were able to escape with a victory. They had a bye week to correct the mistakes, and put it to use against Wyoming last Saturday.The Broncos controlled the game from start to finish, taking a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and a 31-0 advantage early into the second. They had out-gained the Cowboys 280 to -2 at that point. Their 648 total yards was the fifth-best mark in franchise history, and the 135 points allowed was their fewest in almost three years.Oregon State has been tested early, which should help them against Boise State Saturday. They fought hard in a 21-30 loss at TCU in their opener, then had a big of a letdown against Louisville, but managed to escape, 35-28. That letdown was predictable, considering the game against the Cardinals was sandwiched between games against top-10 opponents. But theyll have to shore up their defensive woes if they are to hang with the Broncos.The Carolina Panthers jersey
Beavers have allowed 453 total yards in back-to-back games.The offense also had its share of troubles last week, converting on just two of 10 third-downs. But once again, the Rodgers brothers bailed out Oregon State as they have throughout their careers here. Heisman Trophy candidate Quizz Rodgers rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns. He accounted for 154 of the Beavers 319 yards of total offense against Louisville, and also caught five passes which included one for a touchdown. James Rodgers did most of his damage in the return game. He registered 204 return yards, which included a big 63-yard return in the second half. He also returned a punt for 28 yards which set-up the Beavers first touchdown.QB Ryan Katz is not making mistakes, which is helping this team mightily. Though heonly completing 47.1 percent of his passes, Katz has thrown four touchdowns without throwing an interception. Jaquizz Rodgers has rushed for 207 yards and three touchdown, while brother James has caught seven balls for 102 yards and a score to lead all receivers. JackFree PredictionBoise State minus-16.5The Broncos have been the best covering team in the nation over the past decade.It would be foolish to bet against them Saturday, especially since they need style points to reach their ultimate goal. Chicago Bears jersey
Oregon Statedefense has been non-existent, and they have a quarterback who cannot make the big play and hecompleting less than 50 percent of his passes. The Rodgers brothers can only do so much for this team. Boise State has too many weapons offensively, and their defense is underrated and stout against the run.Oregon State will be forced to try and air it out in this one, and Katz just cannot make enough plays to keep it close.Sign up for our college football picks to find out who is going to win this weekend, or take a look at the rest of our game previews to read more about the matchups.
Boise State minus-16.5 over Oregon State if you are looking to wager on it. The Broncos have opened the season 2-0, winning a nail biter at Virginia Tech 33-30 and thumping Wyoming 51-6 on the road as well. It going to be a hostile atmosphere as Boise State breaks out the blue turf for the first time this season when Oregon State comes to town on Saturday at 8:00 EST.The Broncos have now won 16 straight games. Since 1999, the Broncos are 592 at home and 561 during regular season games. Boise State currently has a 44-game regular season home winning streak. Boise made plenty of mistakes in their opener against Virginia Tech, but were able to escape with a victory. They had a bye week to correct the mistakes, and put it to use against Wyoming last Saturday.The Broncos controlled the game from start to finish, taking a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and a 31-0 advantage early into the second. They had out-gained the Cowboys 280 to -2 at that point. Their 648 total yards was the fifth-best mark in franchise history, and the 135 points allowed was their fewest in almost three years.Oregon State has been tested early, which should help them against Boise State Saturday. They fought hard in a 21-30 loss at TCU in their opener, then had a big of a letdown against Louisville, but managed to escape, 35-28. That letdown was predictable, considering the game against the Cardinals was sandwiched between games against top-10 opponents. But theyll have to shore up their defensive woes if they are to hang with the Broncos.The Carolina Panthers jersey
Beavers have allowed 453 total yards in back-to-back games.The offense also had its share of troubles last week, converting on just two of 10 third-downs. But once again, the Rodgers brothers bailed out Oregon State as they have throughout their careers here. Heisman Trophy candidate Quizz Rodgers rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns. He accounted for 154 of the Beavers 319 yards of total offense against Louisville, and also caught five passes which included one for a touchdown. James Rodgers did most of his damage in the return game. He registered 204 return yards, which included a big 63-yard return in the second half. He also returned a punt for 28 yards which set-up the Beavers first touchdown.QB Ryan Katz is not making mistakes, which is helping this team mightily. Though heonly completing 47.1 percent of his passes, Katz has thrown four touchdowns without throwing an interception. Jaquizz Rodgers has rushed for 207 yards and three touchdown, while brother James has caught seven balls for 102 yards and a score to lead all receivers. JackFree PredictionBoise State minus-16.5The Broncos have been the best covering team in the nation over the past decade.It would be foolish to bet against them Saturday, especially since they need style points to reach their ultimate goal. Chicago Bears jersey
Oregon Statedefense has been non-existent, and they have a quarterback who cannot make the big play and hecompleting less than 50 percent of his passes. The Rodgers brothers can only do so much for this team. Boise State has too many weapons offensively, and their defense is underrated and stout against the run.Oregon State will be forced to try and air it out in this one, and Katz just cannot make enough plays to keep it close.Sign up for our college football picks to find out who is going to win this weekend, or take a look at the rest of our game previews to read more about the matchups.
2011年1月15日星期六
15 Jan 11 Detroit Lions NFC North Chicago Bears Minnesota Vikings Green Bay Packers Rod Marinelli
Today's NFL guarantees almost nothing, as parity pitched its tent long ago with no intention of leaving anytime soon. While becoming increasingly difficult each year to pinpoint wins and losses for any given team, the outlook for a Detroit Lions outfit this season allows for a sense of optimism when one takes a look at their division. Playing in the NFC North gives the Lions a fighting chance to cause a little disturbance within the division. The Minnesota Vikings, still reeling from a season that led to the dismissal of its head coach and quarterback, are wounded. Green Bay, who Reebok Baltimore Ravens #27 Ray Rice Realtree camo Jersey
waited like a bride at the altar for Brett Favre, finally got their franchise quarterback to commit for at least another season. Chicago, with a history of success not sustained, is anxious to see if its team falls under the one-hit-wonder category, or whether the Bears are building towards something bigger.Each of these teams has question marks following them into their respective training camps. Assuming that the Lions fail to fall in line with those organizations, seeking answers would be rather foolish. But the suggestion that Rod Marinelli can make an immediate impact in a division so fragile would be a safe conclusion to reach. Further stated, this might possibly be the most win-able division in football, for the Lions themselves, or for the other three teams seeking the crown. Minnesota's hopes hinge on a quarterback who is as rusty as the Tin Man, and a running game that has struggled to garner up a lot of steam over the past three years. Injuries and inconsistent play have led to sketchy results from the backfield, but improvements were made when Chester Taylor signed on from Baltimore, and when fullback Tony Richardson was plucked from the Chiefs. If those two moves by themselves don't scream power football, nothing does. The Packers could be a nightmare this year, which makes one wonder why Favre chose Reebok Baltimore Ravens #52 Ray Lewis Realtree camo Jersey
to come back for another go 'round with this mess. With nobody to throw to, and a running duo than can't stay on the field, Favre's in for a long season which will probably be his last. Robert Ferguson and Donald Driver are adequate, but losing Javon Walker to the Broncos puts the spotlight on them, and their careers may be too advanced to handle that responsibility. Detroit's biggest hurdle for a chance at a division run is Chicago. The Bears are coming off a solid season where the offense did nothing, while the defense single-handedly put them into an NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Panthers. When Rex Grossman came back to the team late in the year, he played rather well, and allowed people to justify Lovie Smith's decision to bench Kyle Orton so deep into the season. The offensive unit, however, fell flat on their faces in the Carolina game, while the defense let Steve Smith do whatever he wanted up and down the field. The jury's still out on Grossman, given that he's only played in a handful of games over the course of his career. Getting Michael Bradley back will be a key addition for an offense that lacked a legitimate threat in the speed department. The second-year wideout embarrassed the Lions in Detroit last season, catching five balls for 88 yards before suffering a season-ending injury late in the first half of a 19-13 Bears win.A stronger running game could emerge as well, with Cedric Benson looking to take over more carries from Thomas Jones, who annoyed coaches by skipping a voluntary minicamp earlier in the offseason. And since he did miss some practice time, there's a chance that Jones' carries will be cut significantly this year.The Detroit Lions have as good a chance as anyone to take home the NFC North division. Each of their combatants have chips on their proverbial shoulders, with Reebok Chicago Bears #54 Brian Urlacher Realtree camo Jersey
something to prove to the rest of the football world. Whether or not Detroit has enough pieces to compete beyond a first-round playoff game is debatable, but getting to the postseason would be a step in the right direction for a team in desperate need of success.Like what you're reading?
waited like a bride at the altar for Brett Favre, finally got their franchise quarterback to commit for at least another season. Chicago, with a history of success not sustained, is anxious to see if its team falls under the one-hit-wonder category, or whether the Bears are building towards something bigger.Each of these teams has question marks following them into their respective training camps. Assuming that the Lions fail to fall in line with those organizations, seeking answers would be rather foolish. But the suggestion that Rod Marinelli can make an immediate impact in a division so fragile would be a safe conclusion to reach. Further stated, this might possibly be the most win-able division in football, for the Lions themselves, or for the other three teams seeking the crown. Minnesota's hopes hinge on a quarterback who is as rusty as the Tin Man, and a running game that has struggled to garner up a lot of steam over the past three years. Injuries and inconsistent play have led to sketchy results from the backfield, but improvements were made when Chester Taylor signed on from Baltimore, and when fullback Tony Richardson was plucked from the Chiefs. If those two moves by themselves don't scream power football, nothing does. The Packers could be a nightmare this year, which makes one wonder why Favre chose Reebok Baltimore Ravens #52 Ray Lewis Realtree camo Jersey
to come back for another go 'round with this mess. With nobody to throw to, and a running duo than can't stay on the field, Favre's in for a long season which will probably be his last. Robert Ferguson and Donald Driver are adequate, but losing Javon Walker to the Broncos puts the spotlight on them, and their careers may be too advanced to handle that responsibility. Detroit's biggest hurdle for a chance at a division run is Chicago. The Bears are coming off a solid season where the offense did nothing, while the defense single-handedly put them into an NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Panthers. When Rex Grossman came back to the team late in the year, he played rather well, and allowed people to justify Lovie Smith's decision to bench Kyle Orton so deep into the season. The offensive unit, however, fell flat on their faces in the Carolina game, while the defense let Steve Smith do whatever he wanted up and down the field. The jury's still out on Grossman, given that he's only played in a handful of games over the course of his career. Getting Michael Bradley back will be a key addition for an offense that lacked a legitimate threat in the speed department. The second-year wideout embarrassed the Lions in Detroit last season, catching five balls for 88 yards before suffering a season-ending injury late in the first half of a 19-13 Bears win.A stronger running game could emerge as well, with Cedric Benson looking to take over more carries from Thomas Jones, who annoyed coaches by skipping a voluntary minicamp earlier in the offseason. And since he did miss some practice time, there's a chance that Jones' carries will be cut significantly this year.The Detroit Lions have as good a chance as anyone to take home the NFC North division. Each of their combatants have chips on their proverbial shoulders, with Reebok Chicago Bears #54 Brian Urlacher Realtree camo Jersey
something to prove to the rest of the football world. Whether or not Detroit has enough pieces to compete beyond a first-round playoff game is debatable, but getting to the postseason would be a step in the right direction for a team in desperate need of success.Like what you're reading?
2011年1月13日星期四
14 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams sign Tight End Roland Williams March 11 2005
ST. LOUIS, Missouri - The St. Louis Rams signed free agent tight end Roland Williams to a 1 year contract. Williams spent his first 3 seasons with the Rams and was a member of their 1999 Super Bowl-winning team. He played in 46 games with the Rams, catching 51 passes for 472 yards with 10 TDs. Williams played the 2001, 2002 and 2004 seasons with the Raiders. He saw action in 1 contest for the Buccaneers in 2003.In 91 career games, Williams has 111 receptions for 983 yards and 13 TDs. He has not caught a pass the last 2 years. ST. LOUIS, Missouri - The St. New England Patriots jersey
Louis Rams have made another move to shore up their linebacking corps. The Rams remained active on the free agent front, signing veteran LB Chris Claiborne to a 3 year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Claiborne - who was drafted 9th overall in 1999 out of Southern California (USC) - spent the last 2 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings after 4 somewhat disappointing years for the Detroit Lions. The 6' 3", 255 lbs. started 12 games in 2004 and made 82 tackles, his lowest career total. He added 1 sack and returned an interception for a TD in a 31-17 win at Green Bay on December 24. The 26 year-old Claiborne - he won the Butkus Award in college as the nation's best linebacker - has played in 87 career games, totalling 720 tackles, 14.5 sacks and 8 interceptions. ST. LOUIS, Missouri - Just a day after being released by the Dallas Cowboys, Dexter Coakley has found a new home. The St. Louis Rams signed the 3-time Pro Bowl linebacker to a 5-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is reportedly worth $14.5 million, including a $3 million signing bonus. Coakley, 32, spent his first 8 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and ranked 4th in franchise history with 1,046 tackles, but was waived for salary cap purposes. The Rams immediately pounced on Coakley and will likely start him at weakside LB. The team expects to lose outside LB Tommy Polley, who is an unrestricted free agent. Coakley's streak of seven straight seasons with at least 100 tackles was broken in 2004 when he finished with 91, including 60 solo, along New Orleans Saints jersey
with 6 quarterback pressures and 5 passes defensed. A 3rd-round draft pick out of Appalachian State in 1997, Coakley earned Pro Bowl berths in 1999, 2001 and 2003. The St. Louis Rams have convinced Marshall Faulk to take a pay cut by restructuring his contract February 28 2005
内容: ST. LOUIS, Missouri - Marshall Faulk, now resigned to a backup role with the Rams, has agreed to a pay cut in a restructured contract that will essentially guarantee he'll end his career in St. Louis. Faulk, an 11-year veteran who turned 32 Saturday, just finished the third year of a seven-year contract. He would have made $6 million in salary and workout bonuses in 2005. Under the new four-year deal, Faulk gets a $2 million signing bonus this year, and will earn $2 million in both 2005 and 2006, said his agent, Rocky Arceneaux. Arceneaux said the salary would average $3 million per year over the four years of the deal. Earlier this month, coach Mike Martz said that rookie Steven Jackson would be the starter next season. Jackson was the team's first-round pick last year. Faulk played his first five seasons in Indianapolis before coming to St. Louis in 1999, helping the Rams win their first Super Bowl that year and winning the NFL MVP the following season. He is the only player in history with 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards in four straight seasons, 1998-2001. He won offensive player of the year awards following the 1999, 2000 and 2001 seasons and also helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl in the 2001 season. However, injuries and age have slowed him in recent seasons. Sharing time with Jackson last year, Faulk rushed for 774 yards, an average of four yards per carry, and caught 50 passes for 310 yards. The new agreement saves about $1.5 million in salary cap space, which could be important as the Rams try to fill holes to shore up a New York Giants jersey
defense that struggled most of last season, especially against the run. Last season, Pittsburgh veteran running back Jerome Bettis moved to a backup role after the Steelers signed Duce Staley, and Bettis seemed invigorated, rushing for 100 yards in seven of eight starts after Staley was injured.
Louis Rams have made another move to shore up their linebacking corps. The Rams remained active on the free agent front, signing veteran LB Chris Claiborne to a 3 year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Claiborne - who was drafted 9th overall in 1999 out of Southern California (USC) - spent the last 2 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings after 4 somewhat disappointing years for the Detroit Lions. The 6' 3", 255 lbs. started 12 games in 2004 and made 82 tackles, his lowest career total. He added 1 sack and returned an interception for a TD in a 31-17 win at Green Bay on December 24. The 26 year-old Claiborne - he won the Butkus Award in college as the nation's best linebacker - has played in 87 career games, totalling 720 tackles, 14.5 sacks and 8 interceptions. ST. LOUIS, Missouri - Just a day after being released by the Dallas Cowboys, Dexter Coakley has found a new home. The St. Louis Rams signed the 3-time Pro Bowl linebacker to a 5-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is reportedly worth $14.5 million, including a $3 million signing bonus. Coakley, 32, spent his first 8 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and ranked 4th in franchise history with 1,046 tackles, but was waived for salary cap purposes. The Rams immediately pounced on Coakley and will likely start him at weakside LB. The team expects to lose outside LB Tommy Polley, who is an unrestricted free agent. Coakley's streak of seven straight seasons with at least 100 tackles was broken in 2004 when he finished with 91, including 60 solo, along New Orleans Saints jersey
with 6 quarterback pressures and 5 passes defensed. A 3rd-round draft pick out of Appalachian State in 1997, Coakley earned Pro Bowl berths in 1999, 2001 and 2003. The St. Louis Rams have convinced Marshall Faulk to take a pay cut by restructuring his contract February 28 2005
内容: ST. LOUIS, Missouri - Marshall Faulk, now resigned to a backup role with the Rams, has agreed to a pay cut in a restructured contract that will essentially guarantee he'll end his career in St. Louis. Faulk, an 11-year veteran who turned 32 Saturday, just finished the third year of a seven-year contract. He would have made $6 million in salary and workout bonuses in 2005. Under the new four-year deal, Faulk gets a $2 million signing bonus this year, and will earn $2 million in both 2005 and 2006, said his agent, Rocky Arceneaux. Arceneaux said the salary would average $3 million per year over the four years of the deal. Earlier this month, coach Mike Martz said that rookie Steven Jackson would be the starter next season. Jackson was the team's first-round pick last year. Faulk played his first five seasons in Indianapolis before coming to St. Louis in 1999, helping the Rams win their first Super Bowl that year and winning the NFL MVP the following season. He is the only player in history with 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards in four straight seasons, 1998-2001. He won offensive player of the year awards following the 1999, 2000 and 2001 seasons and also helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl in the 2001 season. However, injuries and age have slowed him in recent seasons. Sharing time with Jackson last year, Faulk rushed for 774 yards, an average of four yards per carry, and caught 50 passes for 310 yards. The new agreement saves about $1.5 million in salary cap space, which could be important as the Rams try to fill holes to shore up a New York Giants jersey
defense that struggled most of last season, especially against the run. Last season, Pittsburgh veteran running back Jerome Bettis moved to a backup role after the Steelers signed Duce Staley, and Bettis seemed invigorated, rushing for 100 yards in seven of eight starts after Staley was injured.
2011年1月12日星期三
13 Jan 11 Celtics and Lakers Reborn Rivalry Has Only Just Begun
Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesFrom the writer Greenbanner18 on Hardwood Houdini- a Boston Celtics blog. (Not copied and pasted)For quite some time, the Celtics / Lakers rivalry was but a thing of the past. Although both Celtics fans never wanted the Lakers to win, and Lakers fans never wanted the Celtics to win, there wasn't any form of extreme despise for the opposition because quite frankly,the matchupwas very one sided. For 22 years the Celtics didn't win a championship. Boston fans had to watch as Los Angeles won several during this time span. It is Reebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
hard to bring to a boil a "rivalry" in which the teams do not play each other in a series, where tempers always flare. Of course, the only way for these two to play ina series is in theNBA Finals.All of this changed in the 07-08 season. The Celtics got the players they needed, and were stacked and in pursuit of Banner 17. The only real competition looked like it would come in the Eastern Conference, where the Celtics would have to find their way past the Pistons who were always good enough to make it into the Eastern Conference Finals.The Lakers and the Celtics met twice, as usual, during the 2007-08 season. Both of these matchups were when the Lakers did not yet have Pau Gasol. The C's rolled over the Lakers with ease. Well, maybe the two sides had swapped places, and now it was LA's turn for a downfall, and Boston's turn for domination. Think again. The Lakers got Gasol late in that season, and that was exactly what they needed to push them atop the Western Conference.The Celtics magical run was completed after beating the Lakers in 6 games in the 2008 NBA Finals. To add fuel to the fire, last year the two teams met on Christmas Day in a very hyped matchup. In this game the Celtics flopped and the Lakers beat them in every aspect of the game. About a month and a half later, they met up again at the TD Garden for what would be an attempt at redemption for the C's. In an overtime thriller, that included Kobe and Rondo getting into it, Kevin Garnett and Odom exchanging pleasantries, and two teams fighting until the very end, the Lakers walked out with a victory.Now here we are today. Celtics fans have January 31st at 3:30 PM ET circled on their calender. In fact it has been circled, and circled, and circled, so many times, it is no longer a day, and instead a big ink mark. That represents Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
the day when hopefully all of the Celtics are available to play, when the team can see where they stand against the defending champions.Assuming both teams stay healthy for the remainder of the year, it looks all but inevitable that the Finals will be yet again, Celtics vs. Lakers. Mixing the terms "Finals" and "Celtics vs. Lakers" gives me goosebumps. For some reason, all I canvisualize is a sea of green confetti flying around to the beat of "We Are The Champions".Anyways, don't get sick of the matchup yet. The Celtics are prepared for years to come. It all began with the resigning of Rajon Rondo this year for 5 more years. Rondo will be the face of the franchise for years to come. His role is slowly changing over towhere he is in control of the team. Mix this in with how both KG and Rasheed Wallace are here until the end of the 2012 season, Perkins until the end of the 2011 season, Pierce,as was said earlier this year, is likely to restructure his contract to keep the teams needs above his own, and Ray Allenprobably either signing back on or leaving a lot of money to spend open, and you have yourself some good Boston Celtics basketball years to come.For the Lakers, they havePau Gasol locked up forever, Kobe ATLEAST until 2011 (but he isn't going anywhere), and Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest until the end of 2012. Regardless to if they keep all of these players, that is some good trade bait. So the Lakers will be hanging around with ateam that will bechampionship contenders forthe foreseeable future as well.With all of Arizona Cardinals jersey
this being said, as amped up as the rivalry is now,it will only get better as the years go on. Both teams are in the spotlight now, and both teamshave situated themselves in very good situations for the upcoming years.These are the types of games I like to see. Good, clean hardfouls, and two teams busting it for 48 minutes. Now this, is the NBA at its best.
hard to bring to a boil a "rivalry" in which the teams do not play each other in a series, where tempers always flare. Of course, the only way for these two to play ina series is in theNBA Finals.All of this changed in the 07-08 season. The Celtics got the players they needed, and were stacked and in pursuit of Banner 17. The only real competition looked like it would come in the Eastern Conference, where the Celtics would have to find their way past the Pistons who were always good enough to make it into the Eastern Conference Finals.The Lakers and the Celtics met twice, as usual, during the 2007-08 season. Both of these matchups were when the Lakers did not yet have Pau Gasol. The C's rolled over the Lakers with ease. Well, maybe the two sides had swapped places, and now it was LA's turn for a downfall, and Boston's turn for domination. Think again. The Lakers got Gasol late in that season, and that was exactly what they needed to push them atop the Western Conference.The Celtics magical run was completed after beating the Lakers in 6 games in the 2008 NBA Finals. To add fuel to the fire, last year the two teams met on Christmas Day in a very hyped matchup. In this game the Celtics flopped and the Lakers beat them in every aspect of the game. About a month and a half later, they met up again at the TD Garden for what would be an attempt at redemption for the C's. In an overtime thriller, that included Kobe and Rondo getting into it, Kevin Garnett and Odom exchanging pleasantries, and two teams fighting until the very end, the Lakers walked out with a victory.Now here we are today. Celtics fans have January 31st at 3:30 PM ET circled on their calender. In fact it has been circled, and circled, and circled, so many times, it is no longer a day, and instead a big ink mark. That represents Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
the day when hopefully all of the Celtics are available to play, when the team can see where they stand against the defending champions.Assuming both teams stay healthy for the remainder of the year, it looks all but inevitable that the Finals will be yet again, Celtics vs. Lakers. Mixing the terms "Finals" and "Celtics vs. Lakers" gives me goosebumps. For some reason, all I canvisualize is a sea of green confetti flying around to the beat of "We Are The Champions".Anyways, don't get sick of the matchup yet. The Celtics are prepared for years to come. It all began with the resigning of Rajon Rondo this year for 5 more years. Rondo will be the face of the franchise for years to come. His role is slowly changing over towhere he is in control of the team. Mix this in with how both KG and Rasheed Wallace are here until the end of the 2012 season, Perkins until the end of the 2011 season, Pierce,as was said earlier this year, is likely to restructure his contract to keep the teams needs above his own, and Ray Allenprobably either signing back on or leaving a lot of money to spend open, and you have yourself some good Boston Celtics basketball years to come.For the Lakers, they havePau Gasol locked up forever, Kobe ATLEAST until 2011 (but he isn't going anywhere), and Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest until the end of 2012. Regardless to if they keep all of these players, that is some good trade bait. So the Lakers will be hanging around with ateam that will bechampionship contenders forthe foreseeable future as well.With all of Arizona Cardinals jersey
this being said, as amped up as the rivalry is now,it will only get better as the years go on. Both teams are in the spotlight now, and both teamshave situated themselves in very good situations for the upcoming years.These are the types of games I like to see. Good, clean hardfouls, and two teams busting it for 48 minutes. Now this, is the NBA at its best.
12 Jan 11 Lakers Beat Celtics, but Their Potential Remains a Mystery
Jim Rogash/Getty ImagesA victory is a victory, and when you are the Los Angeles Lakers and it comes against the Boston Celtics in Boston, well, it a damn good one at that.The Lakers 90-89 nail-biting win over the Celtics Sunday afternoon wasn one for aesthetics, but it had plenty of gusto, charisma and fight to make up for it.We are repeatedly reminded of just how good this Lakers team can be, but we are far too often reminded of how far they have to go. Sunday was no different.After Los Angeles opened up an 11-point lead by shooting over 60 percent inChicago Bears jersey
the game first 12 minutes, there were plenty of signs that this young bunch was different than the timid club that stepped into the TD Garden two summers ago and got whacked in six games in the NBA Finals.Ron Artest may be the most perplexing and enigmatic personality in the sport, but his purpose on the Lakers is clear. He the bully; he brings a dose of toughness and a dash of crazy. He instigates confrontations and then acts like he knew nothing all along. In short, it all mind games.Before the first tip, Artest and Paul Pierce had to be briefly separated as the two jostled for position near mid-court. Artest got up in Pierce personal space, Pierce didn appreciate it, and the two were momentarily tangled. This before the game even started.Then, moments into the game, Artest stood his ground as Kevin Garnett jogged down the court, head turned. Garnett smacked into Artest and went to the floor. Foul on Artest. Garnett smiled, clapped his hands, and glared at Artest as he rose from the hardwood. Garnett face said, Game on.Of course, Artest looked clueless. But make no mistake, folks, it all a part of the plan. Boston has Kendrick Perkins to bang bodies and intimidate. Perkins carries himself on the court in a manner that suggests he would just as easily scowl at his mother.When Artest finally decided it was time to play basketball, he promptly nailed a three. Kobe hit a jumper here, a runner there. Fisher from downtown and nothing but net. Gasol got on the board. Bynum took a pass and threw down a ferocious dunk for two of his 19 points with Garnett standing nearby.The Lakers were landing their punches while the Celtics were feebly hitting air. The tenacity Los Angeles missed at times in past seasons (never more so than that Finals match with Boston) was overflowing. Combine talent with a killer mentality, and that is when we witness truly great teams.But then the Lakers looked as if they had gulped NyQuil in between quarters, and the Celtics began to capitalize.Rajon Rondo continued to show why he is one of the league best young point guards as he finished with a game-high 21 points to go along with 12 assists and five rebounds.The Lakers had nobody to match the quickness of Rondo. Derek Fisher legs have seen far too many road trips and June playoff games over his 14-year career to match step-for-step with Rondo.Shannon Brown has the athleticism to compete but not the skills (yet, anyway). Jordan Farmar is a role player. Rondo is a star. That just a mismatch.The veteran poise of Boston helped turn a 13-point deficit into Cincinnati Bengals jersey
a five-point lead by halftime. If you let the Celtics beat you, they will. But Boston isn the juggernaut they were two years ago, while the Lakers have a chance to run off a string of great years.Oh, it not as if the Celts can compete. I think Boston is still a very good team despite losing their third straight game, making them 3-7 in their last 10. The Celtics are better than their current fourth-place standing in the Eastern Conference.The problem is they have more dings and dents than an autobody collision garage. Garnett looks as if he has a peg leg. Pierce always looks like he headed for an ice bath after the game. And Ray Allen just looks too old at times.The Celtics can win with Rondo dishing outside to Eddie House and dishing inside to Perkins. They need Pierce to be better than the 15 points and three boards he put up Sunday. Rasheed Wallace doesn appear motivated.Allen had a miserable game (2-10 shooting), but come June, I guarantee he hits the same shot he missed Sunday against the Lakers. You can write that in ink. If the game comes down to that shot by Allen, Boston will win.When the game ended, it was clear who the superior team was even though the Lakers needed Bryant to hit a fall-away jumper over Allen with seven seconds remaining to give them the victory.Kobe mug will be all over SportsCenter for his game-winning shot, but the Lakers won because their big men hung tough and decided that they were going to keep it close.The Lakers outscored Boston 18-0 in the paint in the final quarter, and Bynum and Gasol each had 11 rebounds. That commitment to an inside presence takes this Lakers team from very good to superb in the time it takes Bryant to flick his wrist at the buzzer.Lakers fans remain puzzled when their guys let teams hang around, but teams need games like this.The Lakers improved to 5-2 on their current eight-game road trip, a trip that, after Monday game in Memphis, will have featured three different sets of back-to-back contests. For Los Angeles to gut out this win in Boston shows an essential sign of its growth.Bryant toughness (I said give me the damn ball, said Bryant, referring to his winning shot) has continued to permeate throughout this group ever since he walked out of the Garden two Junes ago with nothing but a soaked jersey and a lonely ring fingerCleveland Browns jersey
.If the Lakers are going to repeat as champions, they will need to learn how to step on the throat of quality teams like Boston when they have them pinned. We won know how good they can be until they do that.But that a lesson to learn over the next three months while the Celtics are forced to look in the mirror and decide what they are going to make of this season, with or without Garnett knees holding up.For the last night of January, the Lakers can board their team charter satisfied after finding the will to stifle the native chant of Beat LA!Follow Teddy Mitrosilis on Twitter.
the game first 12 minutes, there were plenty of signs that this young bunch was different than the timid club that stepped into the TD Garden two summers ago and got whacked in six games in the NBA Finals.Ron Artest may be the most perplexing and enigmatic personality in the sport, but his purpose on the Lakers is clear. He the bully; he brings a dose of toughness and a dash of crazy. He instigates confrontations and then acts like he knew nothing all along. In short, it all mind games.Before the first tip, Artest and Paul Pierce had to be briefly separated as the two jostled for position near mid-court. Artest got up in Pierce personal space, Pierce didn appreciate it, and the two were momentarily tangled. This before the game even started.Then, moments into the game, Artest stood his ground as Kevin Garnett jogged down the court, head turned. Garnett smacked into Artest and went to the floor. Foul on Artest. Garnett smiled, clapped his hands, and glared at Artest as he rose from the hardwood. Garnett face said, Game on.Of course, Artest looked clueless. But make no mistake, folks, it all a part of the plan. Boston has Kendrick Perkins to bang bodies and intimidate. Perkins carries himself on the court in a manner that suggests he would just as easily scowl at his mother.When Artest finally decided it was time to play basketball, he promptly nailed a three. Kobe hit a jumper here, a runner there. Fisher from downtown and nothing but net. Gasol got on the board. Bynum took a pass and threw down a ferocious dunk for two of his 19 points with Garnett standing nearby.The Lakers were landing their punches while the Celtics were feebly hitting air. The tenacity Los Angeles missed at times in past seasons (never more so than that Finals match with Boston) was overflowing. Combine talent with a killer mentality, and that is when we witness truly great teams.But then the Lakers looked as if they had gulped NyQuil in between quarters, and the Celtics began to capitalize.Rajon Rondo continued to show why he is one of the league best young point guards as he finished with a game-high 21 points to go along with 12 assists and five rebounds.The Lakers had nobody to match the quickness of Rondo. Derek Fisher legs have seen far too many road trips and June playoff games over his 14-year career to match step-for-step with Rondo.Shannon Brown has the athleticism to compete but not the skills (yet, anyway). Jordan Farmar is a role player. Rondo is a star. That just a mismatch.The veteran poise of Boston helped turn a 13-point deficit into Cincinnati Bengals jersey
a five-point lead by halftime. If you let the Celtics beat you, they will. But Boston isn the juggernaut they were two years ago, while the Lakers have a chance to run off a string of great years.Oh, it not as if the Celts can compete. I think Boston is still a very good team despite losing their third straight game, making them 3-7 in their last 10. The Celtics are better than their current fourth-place standing in the Eastern Conference.The problem is they have more dings and dents than an autobody collision garage. Garnett looks as if he has a peg leg. Pierce always looks like he headed for an ice bath after the game. And Ray Allen just looks too old at times.The Celtics can win with Rondo dishing outside to Eddie House and dishing inside to Perkins. They need Pierce to be better than the 15 points and three boards he put up Sunday. Rasheed Wallace doesn appear motivated.Allen had a miserable game (2-10 shooting), but come June, I guarantee he hits the same shot he missed Sunday against the Lakers. You can write that in ink. If the game comes down to that shot by Allen, Boston will win.When the game ended, it was clear who the superior team was even though the Lakers needed Bryant to hit a fall-away jumper over Allen with seven seconds remaining to give them the victory.Kobe mug will be all over SportsCenter for his game-winning shot, but the Lakers won because their big men hung tough and decided that they were going to keep it close.The Lakers outscored Boston 18-0 in the paint in the final quarter, and Bynum and Gasol each had 11 rebounds. That commitment to an inside presence takes this Lakers team from very good to superb in the time it takes Bryant to flick his wrist at the buzzer.Lakers fans remain puzzled when their guys let teams hang around, but teams need games like this.The Lakers improved to 5-2 on their current eight-game road trip, a trip that, after Monday game in Memphis, will have featured three different sets of back-to-back contests. For Los Angeles to gut out this win in Boston shows an essential sign of its growth.Bryant toughness (I said give me the damn ball, said Bryant, referring to his winning shot) has continued to permeate throughout this group ever since he walked out of the Garden two Junes ago with nothing but a soaked jersey and a lonely ring fingerCleveland Browns jersey
.If the Lakers are going to repeat as champions, they will need to learn how to step on the throat of quality teams like Boston when they have them pinned. We won know how good they can be until they do that.But that a lesson to learn over the next three months while the Celtics are forced to look in the mirror and decide what they are going to make of this season, with or without Garnett knees holding up.For the last night of January, the Lakers can board their team charter satisfied after finding the will to stifle the native chant of Beat LA!Follow Teddy Mitrosilis on Twitter.
2011年1月10日星期一
10 Jan 11 Cavs' Danny Ferry Proves Himself As Elite GM With Antawn Jamison Trade
Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesAfter an All-Star Weekend simmering with talks of Amar'e Stoudemire headed to Cleveland to pair up with LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal, the Cavaliers' front office threw a curve ball at the rest of the league.Except it was not much of a curve ball at all.After being hot in pursuit of Houston Texans jersey
Washington's Antawn Jamison for the better part of a year, Cleveland GM Danny Ferry finally acquired the sharp-shooting big man out of North Carolina on Wednesday a little less than 24 hours before the NBA's Thursday trade deadline. And all it took was Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a first-round pick.Factor in the fact that the Cavs expect to get Ilgauskas back after 30 days once Washington buys out the remainder of his contract, and this is the equivalent of a highway robbery. Also factor in the fact that the Cavs are expected to pick 30th in the draft for a second straight season due to having the best record in the league, and what Ferry pulled off is nothing short of criminal.The scary part is that this is just the norm for him and the Cavaliers front office.Last summer, Ferry traded Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to the Phoenix Suns for future Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Nealall because the Suns wanted to save money. O'Neal has been nothing short of rock-solid as an anchor for the Cavs on both ends of the floor, and although it took him a while to get acclimated with the team, he is a big part of Cleveland's league-best 43-11 mark.The summer before, in 2008, Ferry traded Damon Jones and 33-year-old Joe Smith for point guard Mo Williams. Williams was a stat-stuffer for a poor Milwaukee team back then, but Indianapolis Colts jersey
with the Cavs he translated those numbers to a team that won a league-best 66 games. Williams was also named an All-Star just six months after the trade while Smith was bought out and returned to the team for the playoff run.So in essence, assuming that Ilgauskas is bought out and returns, Ferry has turned Damon Jones, Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, and the 30th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft into Mo Williams, Shaquille O'Neal, and Antawn Jamison.Think about that for a minute. For just one minute.Considering the way Ferry has evolved as a general manager since taking over in June of 2005, the Cavaliers and LeBron James could not have asked for a better man to build this team. Immediately upon being hired, Ferry has $28 million in salary cap space to play with, space that he used to sign Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones.Although all three players became busts for the Cavs, Ferry learned from his mistakes and found a way to get rid of all three for assets. Those were the very assets he used to acquire players such as Williams, O'Neal, and Jamisonplayers that could help the city of Cleveland win its first championship in any major professional sports since 1964.The Cavs also used the 19th pick in the 2008 draftthe highest pick Ferry has had to work with since being hired -- into promising young power forward J.J. Hickson. So promising is Hickson that the Phoenix Suns wanted him as the centerpiece in a trade for Amar'e Stoudemire, and LeBron James himself took Hickson under his wing during thie past offseason.Many other general managers across the NBA may get a lot of credit for acquiring talent. Portland's Kevin Pritchard and Oklahoma City's Sam Presti come to mind. But considering the way Ferry's predecessor in Cleveland, Jim Paxson, lost Carlos Boozer and surrendered draft picks Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
needlessly, the way Ferry has built today's Cavaliers is nothing short of admirable.It looks like an A+ job on paper. But Ferry himself will tell you that it will not mean much if he and the rest of the Cavaliers organization aren't celebrating in a championship parade just soon.Regardless, he is the last person you can blame if it doesn't happen. And right after LeBron James, Ferry should be the first person you should give credit to if it does.
Washington's Antawn Jamison for the better part of a year, Cleveland GM Danny Ferry finally acquired the sharp-shooting big man out of North Carolina on Wednesday a little less than 24 hours before the NBA's Thursday trade deadline. And all it took was Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a first-round pick.Factor in the fact that the Cavs expect to get Ilgauskas back after 30 days once Washington buys out the remainder of his contract, and this is the equivalent of a highway robbery. Also factor in the fact that the Cavs are expected to pick 30th in the draft for a second straight season due to having the best record in the league, and what Ferry pulled off is nothing short of criminal.The scary part is that this is just the norm for him and the Cavaliers front office.Last summer, Ferry traded Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to the Phoenix Suns for future Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Nealall because the Suns wanted to save money. O'Neal has been nothing short of rock-solid as an anchor for the Cavs on both ends of the floor, and although it took him a while to get acclimated with the team, he is a big part of Cleveland's league-best 43-11 mark.The summer before, in 2008, Ferry traded Damon Jones and 33-year-old Joe Smith for point guard Mo Williams. Williams was a stat-stuffer for a poor Milwaukee team back then, but Indianapolis Colts jersey
with the Cavs he translated those numbers to a team that won a league-best 66 games. Williams was also named an All-Star just six months after the trade while Smith was bought out and returned to the team for the playoff run.So in essence, assuming that Ilgauskas is bought out and returns, Ferry has turned Damon Jones, Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, and the 30th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft into Mo Williams, Shaquille O'Neal, and Antawn Jamison.Think about that for a minute. For just one minute.Considering the way Ferry has evolved as a general manager since taking over in June of 2005, the Cavaliers and LeBron James could not have asked for a better man to build this team. Immediately upon being hired, Ferry has $28 million in salary cap space to play with, space that he used to sign Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones.Although all three players became busts for the Cavs, Ferry learned from his mistakes and found a way to get rid of all three for assets. Those were the very assets he used to acquire players such as Williams, O'Neal, and Jamisonplayers that could help the city of Cleveland win its first championship in any major professional sports since 1964.The Cavs also used the 19th pick in the 2008 draftthe highest pick Ferry has had to work with since being hired -- into promising young power forward J.J. Hickson. So promising is Hickson that the Phoenix Suns wanted him as the centerpiece in a trade for Amar'e Stoudemire, and LeBron James himself took Hickson under his wing during thie past offseason.Many other general managers across the NBA may get a lot of credit for acquiring talent. Portland's Kevin Pritchard and Oklahoma City's Sam Presti come to mind. But considering the way Ferry's predecessor in Cleveland, Jim Paxson, lost Carlos Boozer and surrendered draft picks Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
needlessly, the way Ferry has built today's Cavaliers is nothing short of admirable.It looks like an A+ job on paper. But Ferry himself will tell you that it will not mean much if he and the rest of the Cavaliers organization aren't celebrating in a championship parade just soon.Regardless, he is the last person you can blame if it doesn't happen. And right after LeBron James, Ferry should be the first person you should give credit to if it does.
10 Jan 11 Washington Wizards Newest Additions Provide Spark
Prior to tonight's Wizards vs Timberwolves game the buzz in the air, or for that matter, the lack of buzz was simply jaw dropping. That is of course if you were talking about the arena and not the press room. You would have thought from the amount of local media that the Wiz were playing the Lakers or Celtics, until you walked out and saw a crowd that looked like... Wizards vs Wolves PregameFlip Saunders usually comes out and addresses the media for a few minutes prior to the game and he did come out briefly but was quickly called back into theBuffalo Bills jersey
locker room by the Wizards PR to what could only have been the announcement of Antawn Jamison being traded . We were all left starring at each other, left to imagine what had just happened until Flip came back and addressed us. Still nothing was mentioned about a trade and Jamison's name remained on the scoreboard in the starting lineup.Then with five minutes to go before tip off, it happened, the Washington Wizards continued the implosion of a team that before the season was said to be "ready to compete for a championship." What followed was an exit video of Antawn Jamison and according to Michael Lee from the Washington Post, his last words to fans which were, "I love them more than they love me."So the Wizards would take the court with a lineup that included Mike Miller, Randy Foye, JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche, and Nick Young. Wizards vs Wolves Starting Lineup IntroWhat ensued was a back and forth game that saw the Wizards go up by double digits going into the fourth quarter and then finish off a not so good Minnesota Timberwolves team. The Wizards were led by Andray Blatche who poured in a career high 33 points, JaVale McGee who had season highs 14 pts, 11 reb, and 5 blks. However, we have to mention the contributions from the newest Wizards, James Singleton, Josh Howard, and, in a limited role, Quinton Ross.You won't really be impressed by the stat line as much as the hustle, energy and overall basketball sense these guys brought to the game tonight. Singleton was out-jumping everybody around him, Howard looked to be playing with a chip on his shoulder and as you'll see in his post game interview, I believe he'd love to stick it to the Mavericks.Look, nobody is going to claim that the Wizards have arrived and I don't believe the roster purge is done, but for one night, the Washington Wizards gave the fans something to cheer about. They looked like a team playing with some desire. What started off looking like it might be a high school basketball game in an NBA arena, ended up being an overhauled Wizards roster leaving to a standing ovation.What's next? Who knows, but if this is the way the Wiz are going to play for the rest of the season, with passion, energy and hunger, Wizards fans might just enjoy these last two months of basketball. Then again, let's put this into perspective, they beat the Timberwolves, let's see what happens when a grown ass basketball team comes to town on Friday.The Nuggets ain't no Timberwolves.Catch a copy of the transcript from tonight's ComcastSportsNet Live chatJoeG signing off! Heard after the gameWIZARDS HEAD COACH FLIP SAUNDERS On Andray Blatche:Dray was a lot different. He was a more aggressive player and a more intense, consistent player. Sometimes Carolina Panthers jersey
when you bring people in, they take the guys that you have and bring them along right with them.On the last couple of days:If I hadn been in the CBA and gone through that I probably would have gone crazy. I told the guys beforehand, this doesn change going through games. I plan to stick around to compete and win. "Everyone in the NBA is a good player. There are bad teams, but even bad teams have good players. What has to happen is you have to learn to play well together and sometimes the whole can be better than the parts and that has to be our marching orders on how we have to play.On tonight game:Tonight was emotional for the players, but even during the game and at the end there was as much emotion in the new guys as the guys weve had all year, so I would say we have pretty good chemistry at this point. But that one game, now we get to play Denver and that a pretty good team, so well see where we are.On the locker room: Our younger guys are standing up. Nick and those guys are different right now. Whether they are finally realizing that this is a business, or that if you don perform at a certain level things can happen no matter who you are and that you have obligations to live up to, those guys have had a different sense of urgency as far as on the court. They know there not a comfort level. "I think in this league the teams that have success are the ones that play with a sense of urgency. Even if it a team that good, there are only so many opportunities to win a championship so you have take advantage of it at that point because it may not come again, so you have to create that sense of urgency.On the younger players:Just because theyre there that doesn mean they are going to play. They have to play the right way in order to earn their merits. This way nothing is given to you and you have to earn everything. WIZARDS FORWARD ANDRAY BLATCHE On career night:I can remember the last time I played 32 minutes and got 22 shots so it was a lot different for me but I stepped up to the job and I took care of my business and I had a lot of great guys around me chipping in.On gaining confidence:This gives me a lot of confidence. It gave a lot of our players confidence. I don want this whole thing focused on me because we are a team. Mike Miller played great, James played great, JaVale played great. I just happened to catch fire and things were rolling for me.On tonight play:Im just knocking down the open shots when it available and trying to be aggressive on the block It was a good feeling. All my moves I have been practicing were working for me so I kept going to them and taking advantage.On the fans:I don want to let them down. I love it here in D.C., Ive been here for five years. Im going to Chicago Bears jersey
try to make the organization happy. WIZARDS GUARD MIKE MILLER On his shooting:I picked my spots. I told you from the beginning Im going to pick my spots. Fortunately tonight, I made a few. I got aggressive there for a little bit when the game got close down the stretch. On tonight game amidst distractions:Were going to play basketball. The ball was popping tonight, which is a good thing to see. We played hard. We got on the ground for loose balls. That what it going to take for us to win. On moving forward:It going to take a bunch of us. Obviously, with where our record is at, were going to need to bring everyone together and go out and play hard. We played hard tonight. We have Denver on Friday and well be able to test ourselves there. WIZARDS GUARD RANDY FOYE On his expanded leadership role:I always try to be in a leadership role as a point guard just trying to be vocal and trying to direct the team in the right way. On the rest of the season:I think the focus now is to try to go out and win as many games as we can stay focused on the little things and get the job done. On team recording 24 assists:The ball was moving. We got the ball moving around and when guys were open, we passed it to them. We had confidence in them to knock down shots, especially in that third quarter. Josh was in the open area - the mid range - and he was knocking down shots. On the youth of the Wizards:The main thing for us as young guys is to try to get better every day. You have to know this season is a grind. There ups and downs. There are still 31 games. The main thing is that we have to understand that we have to go out there every night and try to do that. "Even when youre not scoring or youre not grabbing rebounds you have to do other things to make your team win. Dray did an unbelievable job tonight attacking their guys and getting their bigs in foul trouble. JaVale did a great job on the boards. WIZARDS GUARD/FORWARD JOSH HOWARDOn his first game:It means a lot, a whole lot to just come into a new organization and show them that I want to be here.TIMBERWOLVES HEAD COACH KURT RAMBISOn tonight game:The game did not feel any different for us tonight. I felt that we had a lack of effort and we were not doing the right thing. We didn get as many stops as we should have gotten. We didn put on the defensive pressure. We turned the basketball over a lot and we didn rebound well either. In critical moments we did not do the right defensive things.On Darko Milicic:As of right now I don know what to expect from him. He was drafted pretty high in the draft and he has great potential. He a 7-footer with a lot of capabilities at both ends of the floor. This is a great opportunity to see what he can do. TIMBERWOLVES FORWARD KEVIN LOVEOn tonight game:The whole game felt weird. Washington went on a big run, then we went on a big run. They came back, then we came back, and then Washington pulled ahead for Cincinnati Bengals jersey
good towards the game. It was just a weird game. Antawn didn play because of the trade and they made a huge trade earlier in the week. It was just a little different feel for both teams.On Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee:Andray (Blatche) and JaVale (McGee) both stepped up and played well for Washington tonight. After not playing big minutes early in the season they stepped up into bigger roles tonight. Postgame InterviewsFlip SaundersMike MillerAndray BlatcheJosh Howard Randy FoyeGoodbye Antawn, you will be missed!You can read this article and more at Wizards Extreme
locker room by the Wizards PR to what could only have been the announcement of Antawn Jamison being traded . We were all left starring at each other, left to imagine what had just happened until Flip came back and addressed us. Still nothing was mentioned about a trade and Jamison's name remained on the scoreboard in the starting lineup.Then with five minutes to go before tip off, it happened, the Washington Wizards continued the implosion of a team that before the season was said to be "ready to compete for a championship." What followed was an exit video of Antawn Jamison and according to Michael Lee from the Washington Post, his last words to fans which were, "I love them more than they love me."So the Wizards would take the court with a lineup that included Mike Miller, Randy Foye, JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche, and Nick Young. Wizards vs Wolves Starting Lineup IntroWhat ensued was a back and forth game that saw the Wizards go up by double digits going into the fourth quarter and then finish off a not so good Minnesota Timberwolves team. The Wizards were led by Andray Blatche who poured in a career high 33 points, JaVale McGee who had season highs 14 pts, 11 reb, and 5 blks. However, we have to mention the contributions from the newest Wizards, James Singleton, Josh Howard, and, in a limited role, Quinton Ross.You won't really be impressed by the stat line as much as the hustle, energy and overall basketball sense these guys brought to the game tonight. Singleton was out-jumping everybody around him, Howard looked to be playing with a chip on his shoulder and as you'll see in his post game interview, I believe he'd love to stick it to the Mavericks.Look, nobody is going to claim that the Wizards have arrived and I don't believe the roster purge is done, but for one night, the Washington Wizards gave the fans something to cheer about. They looked like a team playing with some desire. What started off looking like it might be a high school basketball game in an NBA arena, ended up being an overhauled Wizards roster leaving to a standing ovation.What's next? Who knows, but if this is the way the Wiz are going to play for the rest of the season, with passion, energy and hunger, Wizards fans might just enjoy these last two months of basketball. Then again, let's put this into perspective, they beat the Timberwolves, let's see what happens when a grown ass basketball team comes to town on Friday.The Nuggets ain't no Timberwolves.Catch a copy of the transcript from tonight's ComcastSportsNet Live chatJoeG signing off! Heard after the gameWIZARDS HEAD COACH FLIP SAUNDERS On Andray Blatche:Dray was a lot different. He was a more aggressive player and a more intense, consistent player. Sometimes Carolina Panthers jersey
when you bring people in, they take the guys that you have and bring them along right with them.On the last couple of days:If I hadn been in the CBA and gone through that I probably would have gone crazy. I told the guys beforehand, this doesn change going through games. I plan to stick around to compete and win. "Everyone in the NBA is a good player. There are bad teams, but even bad teams have good players. What has to happen is you have to learn to play well together and sometimes the whole can be better than the parts and that has to be our marching orders on how we have to play.On tonight game:Tonight was emotional for the players, but even during the game and at the end there was as much emotion in the new guys as the guys weve had all year, so I would say we have pretty good chemistry at this point. But that one game, now we get to play Denver and that a pretty good team, so well see where we are.On the locker room: Our younger guys are standing up. Nick and those guys are different right now. Whether they are finally realizing that this is a business, or that if you don perform at a certain level things can happen no matter who you are and that you have obligations to live up to, those guys have had a different sense of urgency as far as on the court. They know there not a comfort level. "I think in this league the teams that have success are the ones that play with a sense of urgency. Even if it a team that good, there are only so many opportunities to win a championship so you have take advantage of it at that point because it may not come again, so you have to create that sense of urgency.On the younger players:Just because theyre there that doesn mean they are going to play. They have to play the right way in order to earn their merits. This way nothing is given to you and you have to earn everything. WIZARDS FORWARD ANDRAY BLATCHE On career night:I can remember the last time I played 32 minutes and got 22 shots so it was a lot different for me but I stepped up to the job and I took care of my business and I had a lot of great guys around me chipping in.On gaining confidence:This gives me a lot of confidence. It gave a lot of our players confidence. I don want this whole thing focused on me because we are a team. Mike Miller played great, James played great, JaVale played great. I just happened to catch fire and things were rolling for me.On tonight play:Im just knocking down the open shots when it available and trying to be aggressive on the block It was a good feeling. All my moves I have been practicing were working for me so I kept going to them and taking advantage.On the fans:I don want to let them down. I love it here in D.C., Ive been here for five years. Im going to Chicago Bears jersey
try to make the organization happy. WIZARDS GUARD MIKE MILLER On his shooting:I picked my spots. I told you from the beginning Im going to pick my spots. Fortunately tonight, I made a few. I got aggressive there for a little bit when the game got close down the stretch. On tonight game amidst distractions:Were going to play basketball. The ball was popping tonight, which is a good thing to see. We played hard. We got on the ground for loose balls. That what it going to take for us to win. On moving forward:It going to take a bunch of us. Obviously, with where our record is at, were going to need to bring everyone together and go out and play hard. We played hard tonight. We have Denver on Friday and well be able to test ourselves there. WIZARDS GUARD RANDY FOYE On his expanded leadership role:I always try to be in a leadership role as a point guard just trying to be vocal and trying to direct the team in the right way. On the rest of the season:I think the focus now is to try to go out and win as many games as we can stay focused on the little things and get the job done. On team recording 24 assists:The ball was moving. We got the ball moving around and when guys were open, we passed it to them. We had confidence in them to knock down shots, especially in that third quarter. Josh was in the open area - the mid range - and he was knocking down shots. On the youth of the Wizards:The main thing for us as young guys is to try to get better every day. You have to know this season is a grind. There ups and downs. There are still 31 games. The main thing is that we have to understand that we have to go out there every night and try to do that. "Even when youre not scoring or youre not grabbing rebounds you have to do other things to make your team win. Dray did an unbelievable job tonight attacking their guys and getting their bigs in foul trouble. JaVale did a great job on the boards. WIZARDS GUARD/FORWARD JOSH HOWARDOn his first game:It means a lot, a whole lot to just come into a new organization and show them that I want to be here.TIMBERWOLVES HEAD COACH KURT RAMBISOn tonight game:The game did not feel any different for us tonight. I felt that we had a lack of effort and we were not doing the right thing. We didn get as many stops as we should have gotten. We didn put on the defensive pressure. We turned the basketball over a lot and we didn rebound well either. In critical moments we did not do the right defensive things.On Darko Milicic:As of right now I don know what to expect from him. He was drafted pretty high in the draft and he has great potential. He a 7-footer with a lot of capabilities at both ends of the floor. This is a great opportunity to see what he can do. TIMBERWOLVES FORWARD KEVIN LOVEOn tonight game:The whole game felt weird. Washington went on a big run, then we went on a big run. They came back, then we came back, and then Washington pulled ahead for Cincinnati Bengals jersey
good towards the game. It was just a weird game. Antawn didn play because of the trade and they made a huge trade earlier in the week. It was just a little different feel for both teams.On Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee:Andray (Blatche) and JaVale (McGee) both stepped up and played well for Washington tonight. After not playing big minutes early in the season they stepped up into bigger roles tonight. Postgame InterviewsFlip SaundersMike MillerAndray BlatcheJosh Howard Randy FoyeGoodbye Antawn, you will be missed!You can read this article and more at Wizards Extreme
2011年1月9日星期日
9 Jan 11 NBA Playoffs: The Battle of the Southwest
It is the home-stretch and the Houston Rockets have 24 games remaining. There are arguably five teams that will be battling for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Of those five teams, four of them happen to be in the same divisionthe Southwest Division. That is why I believe the eighth and final spot in the tight Western Conference will likely be handed to the runner-up in the Southwest Division.The Southwest Division has been arguably one of the toughest divisionsin the NBA since its creation in the 2004-2005 NBA season.Results San Diego Chargers jersey
Don't Lie:1. Ateam from theSouthwest division has been representedin the NBA Finals in three of the past five seasons.2. Three teams from the Southwest Division have been represented in the NBA playoffs in five consecutive years.3. Four teamsfrom the Southwest Division have been representedin the NBA playoffs in three of those five years.Although this will be a down year for the Southwest division only having two teams represented in the NBA playoffs,the Southwest division will continue to put pressure on the West.Assumptions:Now, of course, there are a couple of assumptions we have to make that will make the eighth seed in the Western Conference a battle for second in the southwest.1. Dallas will win the division.Dallas is currently first in the Southwest division and their competition is already 4.5 games behind. Dallas is on a seven-game winning streak and has won eight of the last 10. The Mavericks have been rejuvenated with the presence of Brendan Haywood and the surprising play by Jason Kidd. Theyseem to be hitting their stride and it would be really tough to fall out of the Western Conference playoffs.2. Portland will finish the remainder of their games above .500 and take away the seventh spot from San Antonio.Although Portland has only won five of their last 10 games, I believe they will be able to creep up into the seventh spot of the Western Conference playoffs. Their remaining schedule is very favorable and Brandon Roy should be able to gethealthy. For much of this year, the Portland Trailblazers have had to battle injuries but have stillbeen able to remain within the thick of the playoff race. I can't see them falling off once they get their star player back. Portland is also only 1.5 games behind San Antonio for seventh in the West andSan Antonio has a tough schedule ahead of them.3. No other western conference team will fall out of the top eight.I am not a big fan of Oklahoma City or Phoenix but I believe that those two clubs have solid players that will be able to propel them into theplayoffs.Oklahoma City has alsowon eight of their last 10 games and Phoenix has won seven of their last 10.Outlook:Houston:24 games remaining,14 games against playoff teams (teams .500 or better or in a playoff spot),10 games against sub-.500 teams,12 home/San Francisco 49ers jersey
12 awayNew Orleans:22 games remaining,16 games against playoff teams,6 games against sub-.500 teams,12 home/10 awaySan Antonio:25 games remaining,18 games against playoff teams,7 games against sub-.500 teams,10 home/15 awayMemphis:23 games remaining,17 games against playoff teams,6 games against sub-.500 teams,11 home/12 awayKey Games to Watch:March 1: San Antonio at New OrleansMarch 3: Memphis at New OrleansMarch 5: New Orleans at San AntonioMarch 6: San Antonio at MemphisMarch 17: Memphis at HoustonMarch 31: Houston at San AntonioApril 2: New Orleans at MemphisApril 6: Houston at MemphisApril 9: Memphis at San AntonioApril 14: New Orleans at HoustonPrediction:8. San Antonio: 44 - 389. New Orleans: 42 - 4010.Houston: 40 - 4211. Memphis: 40 - 42The battle of the Southwest will ultimately come down to New Orleans and San Antonio.I think San Antonio has a very tough schedule ahead of them but I don't think there is any way those savvy veterans are going to let their team fall out of the playoffs. New Orleans will have a couple of shots to take over the eighth spot but they will have to win somehuge games on the road without Chris Paul. When Paul comes back, he may be able to propel the Hornets to a couple more victories andbe able tomake it tougher for the Spurs to hold on to the No. 8 spot.I believe the Rockets will give it a good fight down the stretch but I just don't think they are consistent enough to muster out enough wins to make the postseason. Seattle Seahawks jersey
If Memphis continues to play the way they have been playing, I don't see them being able to overtake any teams in the Southwest besides the Rockets. With all the fighting and battling for the final spot in the Western Conference, the winner of that eighth spot will have the privilege of playing theLos Angeles Lakers.
Don't Lie:1. Ateam from theSouthwest division has been representedin the NBA Finals in three of the past five seasons.2. Three teams from the Southwest Division have been represented in the NBA playoffs in five consecutive years.3. Four teamsfrom the Southwest Division have been representedin the NBA playoffs in three of those five years.Although this will be a down year for the Southwest division only having two teams represented in the NBA playoffs,the Southwest division will continue to put pressure on the West.Assumptions:Now, of course, there are a couple of assumptions we have to make that will make the eighth seed in the Western Conference a battle for second in the southwest.1. Dallas will win the division.Dallas is currently first in the Southwest division and their competition is already 4.5 games behind. Dallas is on a seven-game winning streak and has won eight of the last 10. The Mavericks have been rejuvenated with the presence of Brendan Haywood and the surprising play by Jason Kidd. Theyseem to be hitting their stride and it would be really tough to fall out of the Western Conference playoffs.2. Portland will finish the remainder of their games above .500 and take away the seventh spot from San Antonio.Although Portland has only won five of their last 10 games, I believe they will be able to creep up into the seventh spot of the Western Conference playoffs. Their remaining schedule is very favorable and Brandon Roy should be able to gethealthy. For much of this year, the Portland Trailblazers have had to battle injuries but have stillbeen able to remain within the thick of the playoff race. I can't see them falling off once they get their star player back. Portland is also only 1.5 games behind San Antonio for seventh in the West andSan Antonio has a tough schedule ahead of them.3. No other western conference team will fall out of the top eight.I am not a big fan of Oklahoma City or Phoenix but I believe that those two clubs have solid players that will be able to propel them into theplayoffs.Oklahoma City has alsowon eight of their last 10 games and Phoenix has won seven of their last 10.Outlook:Houston:24 games remaining,14 games against playoff teams (teams .500 or better or in a playoff spot),10 games against sub-.500 teams,12 home/San Francisco 49ers jersey
12 awayNew Orleans:22 games remaining,16 games against playoff teams,6 games against sub-.500 teams,12 home/10 awaySan Antonio:25 games remaining,18 games against playoff teams,7 games against sub-.500 teams,10 home/15 awayMemphis:23 games remaining,17 games against playoff teams,6 games against sub-.500 teams,11 home/12 awayKey Games to Watch:March 1: San Antonio at New OrleansMarch 3: Memphis at New OrleansMarch 5: New Orleans at San AntonioMarch 6: San Antonio at MemphisMarch 17: Memphis at HoustonMarch 31: Houston at San AntonioApril 2: New Orleans at MemphisApril 6: Houston at MemphisApril 9: Memphis at San AntonioApril 14: New Orleans at HoustonPrediction:8. San Antonio: 44 - 389. New Orleans: 42 - 4010.Houston: 40 - 4211. Memphis: 40 - 42The battle of the Southwest will ultimately come down to New Orleans and San Antonio.I think San Antonio has a very tough schedule ahead of them but I don't think there is any way those savvy veterans are going to let their team fall out of the playoffs. New Orleans will have a couple of shots to take over the eighth spot but they will have to win somehuge games on the road without Chris Paul. When Paul comes back, he may be able to propel the Hornets to a couple more victories andbe able tomake it tougher for the Spurs to hold on to the No. 8 spot.I believe the Rockets will give it a good fight down the stretch but I just don't think they are consistent enough to muster out enough wins to make the postseason. Seattle Seahawks jersey
If Memphis continues to play the way they have been playing, I don't see them being able to overtake any teams in the Southwest besides the Rockets. With all the fighting and battling for the final spot in the Western Conference, the winner of that eighth spot will have the privilege of playing theLos Angeles Lakers.
2011年1月8日星期六
8 Jan 11 The Celtics' Title Window Didn't Close, The Cavaliers Slammed It Shut
Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesYou could tell from Kevin Garnett's body language that his Boston Celtics had no answer for LeBron James and his ClevelandCavaliers, and Boston's loss on the road Sunday may have ushered in the end of an era.The Celtics will qualify for the postseason, but it appears they have little chance to legitimately challenge for the Eastern Conference throne based on their performances against the teams they currently trail in the standings.Boston trails the Cavaliers in head-to-head meetings, and have lost the Minnesota Vikings
season series against both the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic, meaning any hopes of title contention will begin on the road.Not that the confines of home have been much better considering recent puzzling losses to the New Jersey Nets and the Memphis Grizzlies, which have left everyone questioning the desire of the Celtics.Pride and passion have been a staple of this Boston team but both attributes have recently failed the Celtics, and in their loss to Cleveland it seemed that Boston visibly surrendered.That's not a good sign for the Celtics, but in all honesty, the championship window of this team more than likely closed after they reached the pinnacle of the league in 2008.Boston doesn't even closely resemble that team, and all of their primary players bare the mark of age and weariness, as injuries and the constant onslaught of time have taken their toll.Before the season began, a healthy Boston team was considered the front-runner to dethrone the Orlando Magic in the East, but are now being mentioned as candidates for a first-round upset once the postseason begins.Credit the Cleveland Cavaliers for driving home a point which most observers have taken for granted, and others failed to recognize due to past performances of this Celtics team.Boston did little to improve their team in the New England Patriots jersey
offseason or before the trading deadline, and it was agamble in which the Celtics placed their faith in and lost.Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers had a strong belief that this Boston team would be able to challenge for a NBA title as is, and they felt Garnett's successful return from injury would put them over the top.But this is not the Garnett from 2008, nor is it the same Paul Pierce or Ray Allen who won games based on their attitude and charisma, as much as they did with their considerable skills.This team by comparison lacks the swagger of the 2008 edition and the decline in each of the above-mentioned players' skills have been noticeable and evident in light of recent struggles.Who would have ever thought Garnett would be thoroughly out-played by the likes of Anderson Varejao? But there was Varejao, pushing Garnett around to the tune of 17 points and 10 rebounds.And Pierce, once so reliable in his offensive game, is a former shell of the player who radiated confidence and thrived off the opportunity to take the big shot.Even though James had a below average game for his standards, the difference in talent level between him and Pierce was striking, as Pierce left people wondering if he deserved to share the same court with James.Pierce was a step slow, his shot was off, and he was a perpetual victim to New Orleans Saints jersey
a superior defensive effort from James, which left Pierce virtually ineffective for much of the game.Watching the Celtics, it's hard to glean how they were able to capture the season opener from the Cavaliers, but that game seems to be more of an anomaly than an indicator of what was to come.Because after Boston's latest failure, we are all witness to the depths the franchise has fallen, and it took Cleveland's latest trouncing of the Celticsto speed the once proud team into irrelevancy.
season series against both the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic, meaning any hopes of title contention will begin on the road.Not that the confines of home have been much better considering recent puzzling losses to the New Jersey Nets and the Memphis Grizzlies, which have left everyone questioning the desire of the Celtics.Pride and passion have been a staple of this Boston team but both attributes have recently failed the Celtics, and in their loss to Cleveland it seemed that Boston visibly surrendered.That's not a good sign for the Celtics, but in all honesty, the championship window of this team more than likely closed after they reached the pinnacle of the league in 2008.Boston doesn't even closely resemble that team, and all of their primary players bare the mark of age and weariness, as injuries and the constant onslaught of time have taken their toll.Before the season began, a healthy Boston team was considered the front-runner to dethrone the Orlando Magic in the East, but are now being mentioned as candidates for a first-round upset once the postseason begins.Credit the Cleveland Cavaliers for driving home a point which most observers have taken for granted, and others failed to recognize due to past performances of this Celtics team.Boston did little to improve their team in the New England Patriots jersey
offseason or before the trading deadline, and it was agamble in which the Celtics placed their faith in and lost.Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers had a strong belief that this Boston team would be able to challenge for a NBA title as is, and they felt Garnett's successful return from injury would put them over the top.But this is not the Garnett from 2008, nor is it the same Paul Pierce or Ray Allen who won games based on their attitude and charisma, as much as they did with their considerable skills.This team by comparison lacks the swagger of the 2008 edition and the decline in each of the above-mentioned players' skills have been noticeable and evident in light of recent struggles.Who would have ever thought Garnett would be thoroughly out-played by the likes of Anderson Varejao? But there was Varejao, pushing Garnett around to the tune of 17 points and 10 rebounds.And Pierce, once so reliable in his offensive game, is a former shell of the player who radiated confidence and thrived off the opportunity to take the big shot.Even though James had a below average game for his standards, the difference in talent level between him and Pierce was striking, as Pierce left people wondering if he deserved to share the same court with James.Pierce was a step slow, his shot was off, and he was a perpetual victim to New Orleans Saints jersey
a superior defensive effort from James, which left Pierce virtually ineffective for much of the game.Watching the Celtics, it's hard to glean how they were able to capture the season opener from the Cavaliers, but that game seems to be more of an anomaly than an indicator of what was to come.Because after Boston's latest failure, we are all witness to the depths the franchise has fallen, and it took Cleveland's latest trouncing of the Celticsto speed the once proud team into irrelevancy.
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