Sports Roundup

I've been thinking about trying to do a sports post every once in a while about what I think is going on in various leagues. It'll mostly be basketball and football, since those are the only two sports I even give a damn about. Personally, this is my favorite part of the season b/c its dominated by those two sports. Anyway, *DMX voice* lets get it ooonnn!

First things first. I spit some ether at the Cowboys a few weeks ago b/c I was so sick and tired of hearing about how much blame Romo eats when you guys dont play well. Let me be clear, I dont like the Cowboys. At all. I dont like half your roster. I dont like your coach. I dont like your GM. The city's ok. At least there's that. However, I DO like your quarterback. All of that said, the NFL season is NOT as interesting unless the Cowboys matter. As much as I hate to admit that, its the truth. They're like the Lakers. If the Lakers dont matter, the NBA isnt as interesting. It just isnt. I was actually glad the Cowboys saved their season, for the time being, last Sunday night. The Cowboys showed me something redeeming that night. Not in their play, but the fact that they were excited to win. This is a time when a lot of our players seem to take losing as just another day. It was a little refreshing to see Barber and his teammates literally jumping for joy that they won that game. So I'm gonna lay off the Cowboys...at least until Sunday...assuming you guys dont do something completely ridiculous during the week.

The NBA is FANtastic! The NBA has always been my favorite league and basketball my favorite sport. Just love the game. There really arent any other words for it. Basketball is my addiction. So when the season started, I was excited. I was really anxious to see how the Heat looked with their new lineup and Wade being healthy. I'm kinda disappointed. They're need for a point guard is GLARING on just about every possession. If someone else doesnt pick up the slack and make Wade's life easier, we'll watch him go down in injury again. It happens in every sport, every season. Remember about 2 seasons ago when Kobe was single-handedly carrying the Lakers? Knee injury. Now his jump isnt the same. Look how much he pumpfakes now. Normally, he'd just rise over the likes of Ray Allen or whatever defender. Knee injuries are normally catastrophic like that. If you dont take a year off, you dont recover fully.

Back to the season. I had to laugh that everyone just seemed SHOCKED that the Atlanta Hawks can play. HELLO? Were you watching them give Boston everything they could handle in the playoffs? 1 or 2 games may be a fluke. They were giving it to the Celtics that whole series. OF COURSE they're good. Why they seem to not be able to solve the New Jersey Nets, I dont know.

Lets stick with the East. Starting with the champs, is it possible to not love watching KG play? Love that guy. I was very happy to see him finally get a ring and step out of Duncan's shadow on the West. Paul Pierce is a great player, but the best in the league? There's only one guy that believes that and his jersey says "Pierce" on the back. Do I think they can repeat? No. They let Posey go. That was ridiculous. They'll need a midseason move of some sort. Speaking of moves...

The trade b/w Denver and Detroit. I would have vetoed this one. You're getting rid of Chauncey? Chauncey!?!? Mr. Big Shot? Really? I dont care what anyone says...Billups was Detroit's best player. He made them go. Yes, Rasheed is really good. Yes, Rip is on point. That was Chauncey's team. Period. Anyway, so you bring in AI. Hall of famer, no question. But he's been on 3 teams now. Thats a little damning for a hall of fame player (See Shaq). Do I think they would've won a championship as comprised with Billups? No. Do I think they'll win one now? No. Do I think getting rid of AI in the offseason will make them significantly better? No. Why on God's green Earth would LeBron go to Detroit? Makes no sense. Detroit will be decent. Maybe they'll be third in the East.

Speaking of LeBron. The Cleveland Cavaliers. What can I say? They dont LOOK like a championship team to me. They look like that team they thought they were getting when they traded for Larry Hughes. Its a good thing LeBron is such a beast b/c otherwise, I dont know how he carries this team so much. I do have to say that his teammates are SLIGHTLY better than the ones from before and he did carry them to the Finals once. But I cant see them getting past Boston, as constructed, this year. "Boobie" Gibson is the wild card. If he can turn it up a notch, they can be scary. Otherwise, meh.

I'm not sure the rest of the teams in the East really matter so on to the West!

The Los Angeles Lakers. They look scary. I really wondered how Gasol and Bynum were going to play together but they look really good. Problem is gonna be guarding big shooters like Rasheed. He ate them up last Friday. Also, I'm not a big fan of Kobe the ultra facilitator. I get that the pundits needed to see that before they would grant him an MVP, which is ridiculous being that he's a SHOOTING GUARD, but now he does it so much that what winds up happening is that he is going to struggle to get it going when they need it. That whole turn it on like a switch thing? Thats over at 30. Now, they're gonna need to keep him involved if they plan on him taking the fourth quarter over when they happen to get scared and stop playing. Also, I would really love it if Kobe developed MJ's post game. That kept MJ at the top of the game longer than it otherwise would have been. Its time to adapt and all the pumpfakes isnt going to get it done.

This post is getting long so I'm gonna run through the other teams I like and think are interesting really quick. The New Orleans Hornets are interesting but I STILL cant see them winning the West. I just dont believe. I think they played over their heads last year and it'll eventually show. I think the Mavs are done. Never really took them seriously since they yakked it up in the Finals a couple years ago. Also NEVER bought Dirk as an MVP. Dirk over Kobe, LeBron, AND Steve Nash? Really? Please. Not sure about the Suns. I think they wasted a couple of years where Steve Nash was the best player in the NBA (yeah I said it and its true) and thats sad. Yes, he deserved those MVPs and I'll argue that til my last day. He ran the equivalent of the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf." But what's their identity now? The Spurs are old. If one player doesnt go down, the other will. Duncan's getting up there people. They NEED a healthy Ginobli AND Parker to be relevant. They have neither right now. Oden is raw, lets give him some time before calling him Sam Bowie, ok? I still think he's gonna be a beast when he figures it all out. Brandon Roy is a great player. If you arent watching him, you're missing it. Rudy Fernandez is the best rookie out right now. Billups is good for the Nuggets and Carmelo. I think now we'll really see what Carmelo's got. Chauncey will bring out the best in that team.

Comments? Who's your favorite team?