Free Agent Frenzy

Here are some thoughts about what I think has transpired since the NFL and the Players Union have reached an agreement on collective bargaining for 10 years:

1.The Patriots went all in with the trades for Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco. These are great moves in the short term. The problem is in the long term Haynesworth and Chad will revert to their old ways. Think about this, when the Patriots signed Corey Dillon and Randy Moss, both of these guys drank the Belichick Kool-aid for two seasons then reverted back to their selfish ways. Also I doubt Haynesworth will be in shape which is sure to irk Coach Bill.

2. The Eagles have also put all their chips in the pot. Getting Nnamdi Asomugha away from the Jets and from the rival Cowboys is a huge coup. The Eagles now have superior corners with Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuels. Will they keep Samuels is the question still lingering but with Vick and the offense looking explosive and their defense shored up on paper, the city of Brotherly Love has a lot to look forward to. Asomugha is the best corner in football. He can cover his guy as well as tackle really well. The Eagles will be dangerous for years to come.

3. I really don't know what all the fuss is about Kevin Kolb going to the Cardinals. Has anyone looked at the fact he has only played in 11 career games? He has the same amount of playoff wins as Carson Palmer, zero!! I don't know if he will be a savior for the Cardinals but let's not get carried away with all the hype around him.

4. Speaking of Carson Palmer, the Browns are doing him a disservice by not trading him. Palmer has been a good solider and not complained about the circus that has been around him for the last six years. However, last year he did ask the team to bring in T.O. and they did and the team was really bad. If the Bengals are smart they will wait until next offseason to deal Palmer for a higher draft pick. It is the Bengals and Mike brown did say they will not deal him. And that's why the Bengals are perennial losers.

5. The Colts philosophy of staying the course and not being aggressive in free agency is going to hurt them in the long run. Asomugha would have fit great in their scheme or making a run at another or big time linebacker. With Peyton Manning stating that he will take less money for them to go after players is a big statement. Manning just wants to win and I don't blame him. He sees his window of opportunity closing to win a championship and his competitors are getting better. The Colts need a more physical offensive line and a big time running back to give Manning some help. Otherwise they will just win 10 or so games and will continue to have early exits from the playoffs.

6. Reggie Bush to the Dolphins will make the Saints weaker. Brees will miss Bush's versatility.

7. I've mentioned before how three of the top ten players drafted in the 06 draft have had star-crossed careers. Vince Young and Matt Leinhart are now back ups and Bush has been traded. At least everyone will remember that National Championship game.

8. The Broncos and Dolphins have really made life on themselves difficult. Just complete the trade for Orton so that the Dolphins will have a quarterback and the Broncos can find out if Tebow is the answer. (Of course the trade could send the Broncos into an even longer and darker hole by losing Orton)

9. Can you name the only three rookie quarterbacks to throw for 3,000 yards in their first season? Answer below

10. The Packers and Steelers have been real quiet at the beginning of the off-season. Maybe their philosophy will be to wait until they have some injuries. With the glut of free agents on the market, maybe the smart play is to wait until you have a need a fill it at that time.

Answer to #9 is Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan and Sam Bradford. If Ryan and Bradford have half the career of Manning then these two franchises are in terrific shape for the future.

Thanks for reading....

Random Sports Thoughts

1. Ron Artest has changed his name to Metta World Peace. Watch this video from PTI to find out why. See if you are more confused as I was. PTI Video
2. Ron or Metta actually made sense when he disucussed how the Mavericks were a team and not a collection of individuals. It must be late if Ron is starting to make sense.
3. I know this is old but I wonder will Drew Brees regret his comments he made about the owners in the labor dispute? Brees comments could comeback to haunt him with owners as well as fans.
4. I wonder why it took so long for DeMaurice Smith and Roger Gooddell to realize that they should try and be friends rather than enemies.
5.Terrell Pryor got two coaches fired in less than 8 months. Jim Tressel and Rich Rodriguez. People tend to forget Pryor choices when he was a higly touted recruit was Michigan and Ohio St. Wonder was the risk worth the talent?
6. The NBA has some real money issues where the NFL doesn't. The NBA owners actually have a real beef and I expect them to dig in with their heels. 15 t0 22 teams are losing money is huge.
7. Why are we so quick to find the next best thing and not appreciate our current stars? Rory McIlror is not the next Tiger Woods. Tiger is a special talent and Rory has won just 1 major. Its funny how the media forgets just how dominant Woods was.
8. DeShawn Stevenson makes my life so easy by not acting like a champion. Read here.

Thank you for reading as always and I do appreciate the feedback. Taking a summer break until the NFL and College football kickoffs. Have a great summer.

Why The Heat Lost And The Mavs Won

I stated over a week ago that I believed the Dallas Mavericks would win the NBA title and they did. Here are some of my observations of what took place and how the Miami Heat could have won but ultimately they didn't make some adjustments and went down in flames. It all started with the Game 2 comeback and went downhill from there:

1. Rick Carlisle's adjustments made Erik Spoelstra look bad. Carlisle switch to starting Barea and Kidd is paying huge dividends. Its forced the Heat to stay at home more on Dirk and not double team him. Also having two guards that are playmakers, put a lot on pressure on the Heat's defense.

2. Carlisle is also used the zone defense and Heat looked like the defense was something foreign. Its a simple play to force James into a jump shooter and it worked to perfection.

3. As great as a player as LeBron is, his post game is awful. He has no clue on how to use his size and quickness in that area on the floor. When Carlisle inserted Barea into the lineup, he dared James to rake him or Kidd into the post because everyone in the league knows that LeBron is awkward and unsure of himself when his back is to the basket. That's definitely area he needs to work on.

4. I've said it before and I'll say it again, James lacks a killer instinct. The kind of instinct that dare I say Michael, Kobe and Dirk has. James does not have the eye of the tiger and in the long run that will hurt his image and his brand. The legend of Michael, Kobe, Magic and Larry starts and ends with how they finished off opponents. The reason why D-Wade is apart of the Jordan brand is he is a great closer. James, not so much. He is 2-8 in the Finals and that is not being a closer.

5. DeShawn Stevenson you won a title now stop talking!! Stevenson has a strong dislike for LeBron and that is OK but for an average role player, he sure does talk a lot. Saying James checked out in Game 4 and calling the Heat players classless because of the on the court talking is really stupid. Stevenson is lucky to be a Maverick and should thank the Wizards for overpaying for him and be content he happened to be on a team that won. DeShawn should take a lesson from his teammates and celebrate silently.

6. How immature is the national media for overscruntizing James and the Heat. Sure the decision was stupid but the national media had a vendetta for this team since last July. I have never seen so many members openly root against a team before in my life. Some media members left LeBron off their MVP ballots because he went to South Beach. How about just cover the story objectively and describe the actions on the floor. Stop with the teasing columns and pure venom for a player and or team. The only people that have the right to celebrate is the city of Dallas and Cleveland. Everyone else should turn down their mics and put away their pens.

7. Dirk is clutch and I knew they would win because he was playing at a high level. Its cool to see a world class athlete make the game look so easy.

8.Spoelstra better fix the Heat offense. They never ran any set plays and looked confused after timeouts. If Spoelstra doesn't fix it and doesn't win next year he is out.

9. If the Suns deal Steve Nash to the Timberwolves, don't be surprised to see him ask for a buyout and his next destination could be South Beach. A point guard who can shoot with his caliber could be just what the Heat needs to get over the top.

10. If I'm Chris Bosh, I'm worried that I might get dealt if the new CBA has a hard salary cap. I think everyone knows he is the one who becomes expendable.

11. Surprised Cuban kept quiet this postseason. At least he has all summer to brag.

12. I wonder does LeBron have second thoughts about becoming a Mav? Cuban asked him last summer to come to the Mavs and join Dirk. That would have been an interesting combo.....

13. Congrats to Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion. All three are a couple of good guys in the league who finally got their coveted prize. This was and is a complete team and in the end a unit will always beat individuals. The Larry O'Brien Trophy will reside in Dallas for a good while because who knows when the NBA will start again.

So Long Shaq

Shaq-Diesel Retires

Shaquille O'Neal announced his retirement today after 19 years in the NBA. I for one will miss the big guy. Shaq retires with 4 NBA titles, 3 Finals MVP's, and was a 15 time All-Star. In the time after Michael Jordan retired, Shaq was the face of the NBA. He is a gentle giant who's place in NBA history is secure. Now O'Neal has his detractors. People talked about how he didn't have a shot, a go to move, and all he could do was dunk. A lot of that was true early on but none of that bothered me. What I marvelled at was Shaq pure athleticism at his size, 7'1 and 320 (in his early years. I had never seen a guy with that size and pure brute strength, be so agile on the court. Shaq could block a shot or grab a rebound and start the fastbreak like a guard. He loved to run the floor as if he was a small forward or shooting guard. And yes the finish at the rim was a dunk and it always would leave the whole backboard shaking. I remember taping his first national game on NBC and he caught a lob from Penny Hardaway and dunked so hard that the entire backboard and rim came down. The game was delayed because Shaq broke it on the first play of the game. Shaq was the closest thing to Samson in sports to me and my friends.


When Shaq put his mind to it and worked hard he improved his game and became one of the most dominant to play the game. But that was thing with Shaq that bothered most people, he didn't always show that desire and hustle. There was the issues with him being a horrible free throw shooter and his coaches not having him on the floor. The constant weight gains in the offseason, the distractions off the floor with movies and rap albums, and the bickering with Kobe. I think one of his defining moments in his career will be his time in Miami, where he set out to help elevate Dwyane Wade status as a champion and started his descent as a role player. Shaq knew his time was ending when he left Miami and tried in Phoenix and in Cleveland to duplicate the Laker and Miami magic, but in the end father time is undefeated. Samson finally met his Delilah.

Shaq, thank you for the memorable dunks, nicknames and classic press conferences. Most of all thank you for being a gentle giant who cared about from coast to coast You have touched the lives of many young people and provided joy to those watching you on the court. History will remember you as an all-time great, who kept the NBA relevant post Jordan. You are definitely on the Mt. Rushmore of centers because I don;t believe we will ever see a guy with the size, speed and strength of the NBA's Superman.

NBA Finals Observations

1. The match-up of coaching will put the experience of Rick Carlisle versus the new gut Eric Spolestra. What you will see with the Mavs is that 95% of the time they will score when coming out of a timeout. This gives them a decided advantage because Carlisle is a fantastic X and O guy. Spoelstra has kept the heat together but has had trouble drawing up plays. The Heat's favorite play is an isolation with either Wade or James. It won't work all the time.
2. Pippen saying LeBron will be greater than Jordan is crazy. Pippen's logic comes from seeing how well LeBron is playing on the defensive end. I guess he forgot that Jordan won Defensive player of the year and was runner-up twice. Scottie forgot who got him six rings and got him in the top 50 players of all-time. Never bite the hand that feeds you.


3. Can we stop with Dirk and Larry Bird comparisons!!! Dirk is not a top ten player in NBA history. He is not the rebounder nor the passer that Larry legend was. Dirk is a great shooter and having a terrific playoff run but he does not compare to Larry.
4. Watch in the Finals the amount of former teammates that are playing each other. Starting with Mike Bibby and Peja. They had a terrific run together in Sacramento.
5. D-Wade and Shawn Marion played on the Heat together. They actually traded Marion to help clear cap space to get James and Bosh.
6. Here is another dynamic to watch as LeBron James will be guarded sometimes by DeShawn Stevenson and these two do not like each other. When Stevenson payed with the Wizards he would routinely call LeBron a fraud and actually started a feud with Jay-Z and LeBron. Bron will want to torch him and Stevenson can easily get persuaded into shooting his team out of a game.
7. Where have you gone Mike Bibby? Bibby used to hit big shots and was a play maker on the Kings and Hawks. He looks really lost with the Heat and his shot is way off. For the Heat to win, Mike needs to find his stroke. Its like he is lacking confidence. I know not having the ball in his hands takes a little bit away from his game but his is missing wide open three's which he used to never miss.
8. My cousin Sterling pointed out something to me about good players conserve their energy until the 4th quarter and then make a run. Just notice how the Heat like to keep the game close, for instance to within 5-7 points and wait for the 4th when the other team is tired and then close the game with fresh players. They did it to the Bulls twice in the Eastern Conf. Finals. The Mavs also took advantage of the Thunder in the same fashion. Cagey vets understand how to conserve their energy.
9. Bench play will decide this series ultimately. I believe the Mavs will win if they get big games from Barea and Stojokavic and Terry. The heat have to minimize the damage these three players in the series. The one problem facing the Mavs is they like to play up tempo and if the Big 3 get in the open court they are tough to stop, especially with the way the have been defending. The Heat will need big points from Miller and Haslem to offset the points the Dallas bench gets.
10. I believe everyone had this thought when watching the heat roll through the East" "Dwight Howard is not staying In Orlando and Chris Paul is leaving New Orleans." The Heat are and will only get better. Yes the Bulls are young but they are missing some parts. Howard and Paul will team up together and try to win a championship. New Jersey or Los Angeles will be possible destinations. Also, the Bulls will try to trade some parts to get Rose some help. Eric Gordon, one of Rose's best friends, who is on the Clippers is a possibility. There are going to be more super teams which will bring in viewers but hurt the rest of the league.

NBA Final Four Observations

1. I doubt Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant will be teammates in OKC long term. Westbrook sees himself as a superstar and seems to have a problem sharing the ball. It reminds me of Stephon Marbury and Kevin Garnett. Starburry couldn't handle seeing all the success of Garnett and thus that team was broken up.

2. The Dallas Mavericks are my pick to win the title. Dirk is playing at a different level.

3. If Udonis Haslem gives the Heat at least 10 points and 8 boards off the bench, then they will advance as well. With Haslem contributing it makes the Heat more dangerous. He is the heart and soul of the Miami Heat.

4. Luol Deng is very underrated and under appreciated. He is truly D-

Rose's "Scottie Pippen".

5. Magic Johnson is a Hall of Fame basketball player player but he is nearly unbearable to listen to at halftime of basketball games. Magic does not have a smooth delivery when speaking. Its awful to listen.

6. We used to call Jason Kidd, Ason Kidd because he had no "J". Now he's found a jumper and is schooling the younger Westbrook.

7. Besides Ray Allen, Peja has a beautiful jump shot.

8. Speaking of Peja, its good to see he is back contributing at a high level. When he is on, he is a deadly shooter. The guy once made 48 straight 3 point shots.

9. Rick Carlisle has changed the Dallas Mavericks to a tougher, more defensive -minded team. He deserves a lot of credit. Carlisle got the short end in Detroit and Indiana, especially after the brawl. He is an excellent coach and a fantastic hire by Mark Cuban.

10. Tyson Chandler is the anchor in the middle that the Mavs needs and the Heat wish they had. All he does is play solid defense and rebound and add toughness which the Mavs desperately needed. The Heat will have to address that in the future. They need a young athletic big man.

11. Carlos Boozer faded away in Game 2. I know part of him is still fuming that Wade and James did not want him in South Beach.

12. Will the real Chris Bosh please stand up? I think playing with the Heat has exposed Bosh's play. He was a star in Toronto but couldn't lead them to the playoffs consistently. I'm starting to see how he fades away as the games get bigger and the competition gets stiffer. Bosh needs to relax and demand the ball a little more. No one is asking him to be a 20-10 guy anymore. How about just being a 15-10 guy, and play big like you are.

Thanks for reading and comments are appreciated...

Bernard Hopkins Has A Lot To Learn

Bernard Hopkins shots at Donovan McNabb were unwarranted and uncalled for and in the end he shows how much he needs to learn, even though he is in his mid 40's.

Hopkins said that McNabb isn't "black enough" or tough enough. For years black people have said that about other blacks when they are educated and have money. If Hopkins had any sense at all instead of denigrating McNabb, he would actually praise him for his professionalism and the way he carries himself.

In the "cool" black culture, its okay for you to use slang, wear your pants down to your ankles and smoke weed and drink all night. Its not okay to go to college, use correct grammar and try to break a cycle that has plagued a race for many years. That perception that having a rap sheet is better than having a college degree is mind-boggling to me.

Hopkins really doesn't understand what it means to say that about another professional. Hopkins goes on to say that McNabb lacks toughness because of his so-called privileged childhood. I guess Grant Hill and Kobe Bryant aren't tough either because their families were well off too. Yes life on the streets can make you tough, but also what your parents instill in your can make you tough. Life in general is hard and if you learn at an early age (whether you have money or not) that you have to work to be the best and nothing is handed to you, then you will become a better person.

Bernard needs to look into Donovan's past and see that when his family moved into their first house in Chicago, someone from the neighborhood broke into the house and spray painted the "N-word" in the living room. But that's not tough enough to Mr. Hopkins. I guess you can only be tough and black enough by going to jail for felonies. Going to school three to four years and playing two-sports, is not tough to Bernard. (BTW-McNabb played both basketball and football in college.)

This conversation is usually had by other black people and is normally kept hidden from other races. I have dealt with this my entire life. I still have family members that associate me and my sister as the "ones who talk white." I don't really get why "keeping it real" requires one not being able to assimilate with all cultures. In Hopkins world, if you side with management and wear a suit, then you are a sellout. Great message to all the young people you supposedly help.

As a father, there are not many athletes that you want your children to be like these days. Guys being in the news for shootings, DUI, drugs and other outrageous things, you crave guys that stand out for good morals and principles; someone that your child can hang up their poster and you can say to him or her, this guy or girl did things the right way. Donovan is one those guys that I would allow a poster of his to be in my home.

McNabb is the ultimate professional and carries himself with a lot of dignity and class. He doesn't have to run the streets to be considered down; he's become what the majority of black people want to be and want their children to be--that is both successful in his career and personally. Not like Hopkins, who feels it is better to tear down than and destroy than to uplift. Once he learns that, then maybe Bernard can open his mouth again.