PODCAST: got 70 minutes to kill? Goodbye 2011....Talkin' NBA, NFL, and more. New Intro music courtesy of UM Grad Aric Jacover

The forgotten Bulls

What the talking heads are chatting about:

Who's Miami playing in the NBA finals?

Do the Celtics have one more run?

Can the Pacers or Grizzlies make another leap?

Is Orlando done?

Who's the best team in L.A.?

Is OKC the clear front-runner in the west?

How good can Blake become playing with the league's best PG?

Can Dallas repeat?


It's pretty astonishing that NOBODY is talking about the team with the reigning MVP and the league's best regular season record even with substantial injuries to key players.   Fine with me.....

United States and beyond....

As I've mentioned recently, I have taken a bit of a summer/early fall hiatus from blogging (turns out baseball in Chicago hasn't evoked much interest...who knew?).  I'm trying to make a comeback.  I checked in on the blog's stats and it turns out there are over 30 relatively recent views from people in countries such as Germany, The Netherlands, Russia, and Latvia (over 60 views).  This tells me one of two things:  Either the Eastern bloc loves Davis (probable) or "Bri blog" must have some similar google search results as, perhaps, a communist newsletter perhaps.  Either way...YES!

Exciting sporting events witnessed on TV: A List....

Jordan hitting championship-clinching and career ending (in my book anyway) shot against Utah in 1998



Devin Hester opening kickoff return for TD agains the Colts in the super bowl



Roy Roundtree catching TD pass to beat ND in first night game ever at the Big House



Michael Phelps and the U.S. swim team edging the French in the 4x100 relay in Beijing



Thoughts??

PODCAST: 12 step program after getting Tebowed, IU hoops and Jimmy Chitwood hits game winner!

PODCAST: Davis hearts Tebow, the IU hoops (relative) rise, BCS

Viewer Warning: SORRY FOR THE ABRUPT END TO THE PODCAST!! Damn iPhone...

So...who's our next Offensive Coordinator?

Michigan deserved to lose to Iowa.  Pathetic display.  No emotion from the team all day and, of course, mistakes, mistakes, mistakes.  But once again our offensive coordinator is confusing our dread-wearing, 4.3-speed-QB with one of the statue-esque UM QBs from the past.  Absolute joke.  Show some creativity!  And P.S. Devin Gardner is not good.

Oh yeah, the refs were atrocious.  Forgetting the handful of missed calls from the first 55 minutes of the game, they managed to miss 3 in the last 10 seconds.  Not a bad ratio.  If refs are too gutless to make a call in a home stadium then find another job.  A couple facts:  That WAS a touchdown.  That WAS pass interference.

Michigan's improving, but they still look like a weak-minded team -- reacting to their opponent rather than dictating the game.  Of all things, this is what I had hoped would change most with the new coaches.  I guess not so fast...

Overturn This....

How dare Bret Bielema...

The Badgers tied the game at 31 with barely over a minute left.  Sparty had the ball, somewhat marching, seeming to be content with heading to overtime.  The Wisconsin head coach called timeout when Sparty had 3rd and 8 around thier own 40yd line.  What?????   The chances of Wisconsin holding MSU, receiving the punt, marching what would've been about 60 yards and making a field goal would be about 15%.  That is atrocious.  You have to realize that you're lucky to have tied the game and head to OT.  Perhaps one of the worst coaching calls in recent memory.  He's responsible for the loss.  Wisconsin is the better team, but Michigan State won.  Hopefully these two teams will meet again and the better team will win. 

Sparty....it's their time.    Michigan is down.  Ohio State is down.  Sparty fills the vaccum.  Like last year, the risk is Michigan State, the fraud, playing a real team in a bowl game and losing by 40.  I wouldn't complain. 

PODCAST: hodgepodge, Davis defending Sparty?, Are Hepatitis A vaccines recommended prior to traveling to Philly?

PODCAST: UM-ND, How to watch a game while at a wedding, and Davis owes me some golf

PODCAST: Smell that? That's college football...and Davis

The Blog is back!  After a 2 1/2 month hiatus, the sights and sounds of college football compelled me to re-establish the blog...and the need to argue with Davis.

worst seat in the house?

On our way to Portland this weekend my brother, his fiance and I had what some might consider the worst seats on the plane:  the last row next to the lavatory.  However, on the way back I think I one-upped that one.  I sat between two Buckeyes in full OSU gear (turns out they were coaches on the OSU track team and were returning from a track meet in Eugene, Or).  Rough, I know.  I tried to capture this on my phone but my covert skills were lacking.  Too bad.

PODCAST: Mike Jonesco talks Cavs draft, moving on from LeBron, and O-H-I-O

Sorry for a.) the lag time between posts, but I had to get a new computer (apparently too much blogging) and  b.) the crappy reception, but, you know, it's Ohio...

"Biggest game of my career", says The Chosen One.

Much has been made about LeBron's disappearing act in Game 4 of the NBA finals, and now the sports world is saying that The King's performance in Game 5 will go a long way in defining his career and legacy.  I personally think much, but not all, of his legacy has been defined even though he still likely has nearly a decade left.  He's as gifted of an athlete as we may ever see with a theoretical ceiling higher than anyone but for some inconceivable reason has faded away from big moments which has thus eliminated him, forever, from being listed along with the league's all-time greats. 

Nonetheless, even King James recognizes what's riding on tonight's Game 5, both short term for the Heat but more interestingly for his own long term legacy.  He said this is the most important game of his career and tweeted it's now or never.  This seems like strong language for a player in the middle of his prime.  Now or never?  Really?  He's probably just getting himself psyched up but discussing sports is mostly about assumptions and guesses anyway.  I've tried to stay away from this series as much as possible because I figured the Heat would win and I couldn't stand watching one more scowl, fake injury, or piercing scream from LeBron.  Tonight, however, I have to watch. 

What will LeBron do?  Are we looking at a 44pt, 12reb, 10asst game?  Maybe.  Let's guess...

26pts, 9rebs, 9assts
Heat 90  Mavs 86

PODCAST: Pryor, NBA, and Davis defends IU hoops to the death

Back from a 2 week hiatus...










and this.....

PODCAST: Post-Mortem...did that just happen?!?

Sorry for the technical difficulties.  It was LeBron's fault.

Another LeBron post? You bet...

When Game 4 was winding down and LeBron was doing his typical heavy breathing-teeth grimacing-yelling at the air routine after making a layup, I thought he reached the point where he was the clear-cut most annoying player on the planet.  Annoying, but not hated.  Well, now he's hated.  What changed?  During his post game on-floor press conference there were some remarks that caused me to think, "Wait a sec, did he just say that?  and if so, did he really mean what it appeared to mean?" 

LeBron James is now mocking Derrick Rose.  Unbelievable.  Making it clear to anyone who will listen that Derrick Rose is the MVP and his team, the team he created with Wade and Bosh has defeated him.  How petty can he be?  It would be one thing if LeBron was in arch-rival mode with a contemporary who had the same amount of sidekicks at his disposal.  This is more like a schoolyard bully who was put in his place deciding to come back to the playground with two other "tough guys" and under the cover of their umbrella calling out the pipsqueak.  Of course, Derrick Rose is no pipsqueak but the fact that LeBaby has shrunk to the point of mocking a 22 year old who is being asked to lead his team every game and playing his ass off is pretty darn telling of his personality.  As I've said before, commonly you can learn more about a person with how they handle success than from how they handle failure. 

LeBaby has lived in such a bubble his entire life that he can't even appreciate a fellow player's effort that might perhaps take the spotlight off of him.  Has Derrick Rose ever said one non-laudatory thing about James?  Did he ever say that James wasn't deserving of the MVP?  No and No.  Rather, perhaps James is jealous of Rose for things that go far beyond the MVP trophy.  Anyone who saw Rose's heartfelt, emotional, humble MVP acceptance speech can appreciate what a genuinely good guy he is.  Anyone that is, except Queen James who clearly simply can't fathom how anyone could love another player more than him.  So he tries to tear Rose down.  Some of LeBron's annoying qualities are more subtle than others, but just as telling.  It's no coincidence that James is most confident when his team is rolling along, everyone's shots are falling, and they have all the momentum.  See if you notice his demeanor the next the Heat is in a tough situation when things aren't going so well.  He's belittling his teammates, screaming at the ref, and ramming his 280lb frame into his dweeby coach.  Contrast that to Rose -- cold-blooded.  Face of a champion.  LeBron wishes he carried himself like Rose, but it's just not in him.  Lastly, whenever James does something on the court that he believes is amazing, if not expected, he makes sure to draw full attention to himself.  When he flops from a Luol Deng shrug and draws an offensive foul, James sits on the floor, tongue out, head nodding, and refusing to get up until he's successfully drawn the lens of every camera in the arena.  Rose?  Not so much.  Business as usual. 

LeBron believes that with a win over the Bulls his Decision will have been validated.  What he doesn't, or refuses to realiaze is that with every over-dramatic pose and with every cheap swipe at Rose he is merely reinforcing how weak he can make a 6'8" 275 lb frame appear to be.

...and to steal a line from Taylor Swift:  Why you gotta be so mean?

LeBron hearts Miami - now it makes sense

I hate this team so much.  How can anyone cheer for this garbage?

"But I'm from Miami, what do you expect?"

As I said at the beginning of the year, Miami fans are the absolute worst, and have been the absolute worst for a long long time.  Does anyone care about any of their teams unless there IN the playoffs?  No.  Over and over again, no.  Marlins?  University of Miami? Heat any other year?  Empty seats, Empty stadium.  They don't deserve to have a team, let alone a good team.  They have no investment in this team, rather, they watch the Heat as the rest of us would go watch a concert; let's go be entertained for a few hours and call it a day.  That's not sports.  That's not being a fan.  But let's see how many layers deep we can go here.  They don't just have a good team, but they have perhaps the most annoying, front-runner of a group of players maybe ever.  Let's take LeBron.  The way he quit on his Cavs teammates last year was one of the many reasons why I never wanted him to be a Bull.  You think Jordan ever would've gone out like that?  Or could you ever see our beloved Derrick Rose quitting?  But that's the difference.  Miami fans don't care.  Their mindset is basically, "get me out of the tanning bed when we have a team in the playoffs, then maybe I'll care...maybe."  Sometimes you learn more about athletes observing their reaction in victory more so than in defeat.   How can LeBron be taken seriously when we know his true colors when he faces adversity?  He quits.  But now, with the backing of other all-star teammates he's dancing around the court - laughing at the Bulls as they hustle out the end of the game.  Watching LeBron and Bosh wag their tongues after hitting a shot makes me physically ill.  Chris Bosh may be even worse.  He's another athlete who wants all the glory without any of the adversity.  He, also, bailed on his Toronto teammates last year as it became clear that he crumbled under the task of actually leading a team.  What the Heat has done, specifically LeBron and Bosh is unprecedented.  I care.  Miami fans don't.  As much as I hate Boston sports and all their teams at least they care.  At least they expect something out of their athletes.  But again, maybe that's why LeBron and Bosh decided to take their talents to South Beach.  They cracked and folded under the pressure of playing in front of powerhouse sports cities like.....Cleveland and Toronto.  I bet Wade told them, "Listen.  First of all, they'll love you no matter what.  The people here don't care about the game as much as they care about the entertainment.  If we don't win, they'll go back to the tanning beds, spiked hair, and douchey muscle shirts and tell their friends they never cared in the first place.  But if we DO win...they'll show up by the 2nd quarter and cheer during the 4th quarter.  It's perfect."  And that's the draw.  But it takes a certain athlete to embrace that, while it takes a certain athlete to embrace the pressure that comes with playing in a true sports city.  LeBron yells at his teammates when they're losing and soaks up the spotlight when they're winning.

Our beloved Bulls are on the brink of elimination now after a great effort (for Miami fans, effort is something that the rest of the sports world appreciates, even in loss).  Looks like I'm about to become the biggest Mavs fan outside of Dallas.  For the soul of basketball, and for the spirit of professional sports we all should be.

Evil is winning.  Brevity is the soul of wit: Shakespere

Bulls-Heat: Game2 -- LeBron's dream comes true

So many thoughts and overflowing frustration makes for a perfect time to rant. 

This game typified what LeBron was hoping for as he quit on his Cavalier teammates last year during the Celtics playoff series.  His dream came true.  He got everything he wanted: Maximum glory, Minimum effort.  He successfully came across as "carrying" the Heat to victory in the same game where he disappears for about 20 minutes during the 3rd and beginning of the 4th quarter.  Classic LeBron.  The best player in the NBA decides he doesn't want to carry a team to a championship.  Rather, he prefers to show up at spots during the game and disappear at others. Unprecedented. 

The Bulls played arguably their worst game of the year.  Let's start with 34, 15, and 60.  These were the Bulls' shooting percentages from the field, 3pt, and FT, respectively.  Wow.  Yet, the Bulls were right there with 3 minutes left to play.  A small, yes small, part of this was due to the Heat, but most was due to simply a bad night.  Further, Derrick Rose probably played his worst game since he went 0-7 and his team lost 15-11 in the Englewood kindergarten championships.  He looked out of sorts most of the game.  I've seen that before, but was a tad more concerning was he looked a half step slow.  This is hard to figure since, a.)Oprah gave the Bulls an extra day off, and b.) Rose sat much of the 2nd quarter with foul trouble.  I'd love to know the last time he missed both free throws.  This won't happen again.

Loose balls and rebounds.  The Bulls utterly and completely dominated the glass in Game 1.  Game 2? The Heat somehow grabbed 4 more rebounds than the Bulls.  I sincerely feel that this was a fluke.  It wasn't so much the Bulls were out of position or got out-worked, but anyone who watched the game could see that the if the Bulls zigged, the ball zagged.  A fingertip here, a misstep there, and an awkward bounce all add up to frustratingly, yet unacceptable missed loose balls.  This won't happen again

Not much left to say about Boozer.  Whether he's hurt or not doesn't change the fact that he's now at the point where he's hurting the Bulls by being on the court.  He adds nothing.  As soon as Taj came in in the 4th quarter the Bulls went on a run.  Have you ever seen more missed layups?  Seriously.  It will be interesting to see How Thibs deals with this.  He's been rigid with his lineup and rotation all year, but this is getting a little out of hand.  Boozer played too much.  This won't happen again.

I'm not impressed with the Heat.  Did they play better than the Bulls tonight?  Yes.  Did they play better than they did in Game 1?  I suppose. But this effort was far from spectacular.  The Bulls' defense was good enough to win, thanks to Omer, Deng, Taj, and Brewer.  I think they'll be able to reproduce tonight's effort throughout the series. 

Thibs also has a decision to make about Korver.  If he's not hitting 3s consistently (1-5 would not qualify) then obviously his value is limited if not zero.  But as always, you have to consider the other options (Watson, Bogans, Brewer).  I think this is moot because Thibs is going to keep Korver out there as he has all year. 

This isn't sour grapes, but the officiating was atrocious.  There was about a 10 minute stretch from the end for the 1st and into the 2nd where the refs could've done a better job if they decided to blow their whistle every 3 minutes randomly.  There was a brief moment where the Bulls seemed like they could've pulled away but a handful of brutal calls kept the Heat in the game.  It's a fact. 

Even with all the above, Korver missed an open 3 that would've put the Bulls up 3 late in the 4th. 

Bah Humbug. 

PODCAST: Eastern Conference Finals and Davis explains his unique palate

Well, that Game 1 was as good as it gets.  Two numbers sum it up for me: 19 and 1

Bulls Offensive Rebounds: 19

Bulls 2nd Half turnovers: 1

It's hard not to get too carried away after a performance like that, but....

What is "Miami Heat Basketball"?  What does that mean?  Is it relying on the other team to turn the ball over leading to easy fast breaks?  Fine.  Is it relying on LeBron and/or D-Wade to take over and hit tough, contested shots?  Fine.

I never thought too much of coaching as a factor that might sway a series, especially in the NBA which is so star-driven.  But I have to say, I think there's a real edge here for the Bulls.  I think Spoelstra is in over his head against Thibs.  It wasn't a game changing decision by any means, but I thought when we learned that Spoelstra decided to "go small" (whatever that means) and not even dress Zydrunas, their starting center for most of the season, it seemed like over thinking.  For Miami to win this series, Wade or James need to be spectacular, in fact, beyond spectacular.  This certainly wouldn't be too surprising, but it won't be easy.

Boozer.  I'll take it.  14 pts, 9 rebs, 1 Turnover.  Far from great, but as long as Boozer can give something we're in good shape.

Deng.  wow.  Aric already wrote an articulate article explaining why he's so valuable and such a great guy to root for.  Carmelo or Noah, Deng + ?    Hmmmm....  Part of Deng's post-game press conference caught my attention.  He said something along the lines of, "If you want to win you have to believe you're the best...".  I'm not sure when Deng turned on that switch, but it's been pretty remarkable.  There's a fraction of a second to react during a game, and the slightest hesitation, usually from a lack of confidence will be the difference between making a play and missing the opportunity.  There must be no hesitation, no doubt, and no fear.  Grab victory, don't receive it.

 Lebron, or "Spotlight", as I call him now due to his overriding desire, above ALL else, to find the cameras, look cool, and play for style points, didn't play well.  It's always tough to determine what percentage of a bad game is due to the individual and what is due to the opponent.  After tonight's performance I'd say it was 75% Bulls defense.  LeBron didn't just miss outside shots, but he barely ever drove to the basket.  Then again, why should he?  I mean, it's gotta be pretty easy to stop a runaway freight train that's 6'9" 270 lbs and can jump out of the gym from scoring or at least getting fouled, right?  I don't get it.  But I think the decision to continue shooting jumpers was because there was no room to drive.  Settling for a fadeaway jumper over Asik instead of driving past him?  Ok.  Normally you'd think 30 points is 30 points whether it's LeBron or Bosh.  However, if Bosh is Miami's best player they obviously have no chance. 

Finally, Taj.  What a versatile, valuable player he has become.  He can guard virtually any position on the court, which is especially valuable in this series because if he has to switch onto Lebron after a pick and roll he can hold his own.  He can also run around chasing some of Miami's shooters so Noah and Asik can remain down low.

Game 2 not until Wendesday ?!?!?   Damn you Oprah!

Ahhh,...to be relevant

On to the Conference Finals! 

To clarify, this time we're talking about the Bulls.  A tad tongue-in-cheek, fine, but in the last calender year, the Blackhawks and Bears have also played in their respective conference's championship game - the Hawks obviously going on to win the Cup last year.  That makes a pretty darn good stretch for Chicago sports.  The New York and Boston teams have a built-in advantage since a large chunk of the talking heads on the various sports shows hail from New York/New England.  The Celtics, Patriots, Yankees, Jets, etc make news whether they're good, bad or irrelevant.  To get discussion on a national stage Chicago teams actually have play to well, which they have for the most part recently.  Some have raised the question in the past about what's the worse scenario for a fan: rooting for a team that always stinks and is never in contention (Cubs), or rooting for a team that's always near the top of the standings but never won the championship (Red Sox, prior to 2004).  Obviously better to have a team that's relevant...and hopefully the Bulls will be for a long time.

...and Skip Bayless is a jackass

full Bulls-Heat discussion coming in podcast form

Rondo's elbow

Heroic?  A Soldier?  Rondo's fall onto an outstretched arm resulting in the elbow bending in a way it shouldn't certainly looked bad, but was it?

It's impossible to know how much pain someone is in, and for that matter, how much pain they're playing through.  We can guess based on how an injury looks or sounds, but we really don't know.  An athlete has everything to gain from appearing to play through pain.  Who doesn't love an athlete that's willing to sacrifice for the team?  He gets all the accolades, praise and cheers - or jeers if he decides to "sit out" what the public has diagnosed as a mundane injury (hello Cutler?).  So much is lost in communication from the athlete, to the doctor, to the trainer, to the reporter, and finally to the braodcasters.  Rondo was diagnosed with a dislocated elbow, which was subsequently popped back in to place.  He then returned to the game, miraculously carried his team to victory with one arm and gave Boston new life in the series...or so the story goes. 

What if the elbow was merely subluxed, or slightly dislocated, and not completely displaced from the joint?

Then we may have something like this:




She seemed to bounce back pretty quickly, huh?

We'll never know exactly. 

Bosh, the Hungarian Hammer Thrower

Are you kidding me?!?  Bosh FINALLY does something of use outside of the first quarter and he reacts as if he's just launched a gold medal worthy hammer throw...something like this (a little surprised there weren't better clips, but you get the picture)

It was a huge play of the game, no doubt, but it not only seemed way over the top, but seemed quite telling.   It seemed telling of a third wheel unlike any we've seen recently.  It's hard to generate such a reaction that's not on the heels of a game-winner or title-clinching shot.  To reach that high 'C', there must have been an element of "holy crap! I did something!!  Did you all see it?!?  LeBron?!??  Wade???  Did you see me?"  Kind of like a 5 year old jumping of a diving board and screaming for the approval of his parents.  Very odd, and I'm sure there will be some good mocking forthcoming.

Bron Bron

I actually think this is kinda funny...like he's whispering something in study hall

We're really tied 2-2 ???

32 shots is way too many, but what are the other options?  Everything the Bulls do on offense hinges on Rose's ability to penetrate and then make a split second decision to shoot or dish.  One problem that is not new is that the Bulls have no other guys to do this.  One problem last night was that no one could hit a shot.  Korver, Deng, and Watson were 6-34.  So, yeah, maybe Derrick shot too much, but when his guys weren't shooting well (and they had a few open looks) seems like we just have to chalk it up to a bad night as opposed to an indictment of the Bulls in general.  I hope.

Also:
Boozer was 7-10, but nowhere to be found in crunch time.
God-awful officiating down the stretch, especially the non-call, turned jump-ball when the Bulls were down 6 and it looked like Rose was going to the line to cut it to a one possession game!  Are you kidding?!?

Josh Smith has several screws loose.  Pachulia is flat out dirty.  Joe Johnson is flat out over-payed.

Short of signing a superstar which is beyond a pipe dream, which player would be the best fit at shooting guard?  Jamal Crawford?  I don't think so.  He's Ben Gordon...we've already done that.  Is there a budding Ray Allen?  If so, we need him...now.

Deng! It’s My First Post on the Bri Blog!

Looks like Davis beat me to the punch for the first non-Bri post on the Bri Blog. I’m excited to add my non-expert analysis, comments and Brants™ in the weeks to come. I’ll try not to overlap with Brian too much even though we root for the same Chicago teams, the Michigan Wolverines … and the Evanston Wildkits (yes, we were the “Wildkits,” not “Wildcats”).

Brian and Davis have been talking NBA playoffs, so let’s stick with that. Everyone’s commenting on the mess that is Carlos Boozer – indeed, if I have to see him get into that low crouch one more time, only to be immediately blown past by the man he’s guarding, I might lose it. But let’s step back and give a shout out to Luol Deng, who’s been flying a bit under the radar this playoffs.

Many of us have been critical of Deng in recent years – particularly after he got his big contract – but this year, and throughout the playoffs, he’s been fantastic. Deng is the kind of guy you can’t help but root for, in part because of his life story and humanitarian efforts (see this and this), but also because he works his butt off to extract every ounce of talent from his somewhat limited athletic potential. He clearly worked hard last summer to improve his lateral quickness and shooting range. The three pointer, in particular, has been a nice addition. He also logged some serious minutes during the regular season, playing in all 82 games and helping the Bulls endure the injuries to Boozer and Noah. Although he didn't have to do much in game 3 due to Rose’s ridiculous 44 point outburst, assuming the Bulls get past Atlanta, his defensive matchup with LeBron or Paul Pierce will be key.

I'd love to see him add some championship hardware to those humanitarian awards.

Random Thoughts

Well done Davis on your first blog post.  I was interested to see what direction you were going to go with your blog career.  More to come I hope.



NFL Draft:  Ryan Mallett was selected, eventually, by the Patriots in 3rd round and 74th overall.  Predictably, he's using the good ol' "I'll make 'em pay" routine as help to get motivated.  My question: If the Patriots thought he was so great then why did they take 4 players prior to slecting Mallett and risk losing out on him?  Seems to me Mallett should make New England pay for not drafting him earlier by signing with the Arena League.

Bin Laden tweets:  The world of twitter.  Gotta love it.  Every nit-wit not only gets to have an opinion, but is able to spread that opinion instantaneously and on a whim across the world to thousands.  There is no sensor and no filter.  Which brings us to Rashard Mendenhall of the Pittsburgh Steelers who, upon hearing of Bin Laden's death, tweeted something along the lines of not knowing if Bin Laden is really a bad dude since we've only heard one side, and also insinuated that 9/11 was an inside job.  Oy vey.  Champion sports apparell promptly dropped Mendenhall as a sponsor.  Yay!  Good for them.  It's fascinating that some of these athletes are so distanced from the real world.  The guy grew up in Skokie, Ill for God's sake!!

Rondo:  Have I mentioned that I dislike him?  I've noticed he does an insane amount of hand gesturing, pointing, talking during the game.  Normally, this may be an indication of good communication with teammates or setting up a play, but in Rondo's case I really think it's all nonsense to make himself appear as if he's doing something important.  He's always pointing, waving, nodding, etc...I think it's all for the cameras.

and........

Davis' first blog post

Jacover has been kind enough to open up the Bri Blog for outsiders(me and Aric). He may come to regret this decision. But either way here goes.

Big Bulls-Hawks game 3 tonight. Not a must win for the Bulls. But I'm not a believer in ATL so if they get down 2-1 in the series i feel really good about the Bulls chances. Game 1 defense was not up to par but game 2 looked a little more like Bulls fans have become accustomed to this year. I expect strong performance from the Bulls tonight in taking a 2-1 series lead. And maybe even Brian's favorite player, Boozer, will show up with a strong double-double.

Other series in the NBA we have a big surprise in Dallas up 2-0 on the Lakers after two games in LA. I dont think anyone would have expected this. Maybe a split like NOLA got in LA but two games? No way. And now Artest is suspended for game 3(he did win the league citizenship award after all). Things are looking really good for Dallas. But if Kobe and the Lakers can steal game 3, i wouldnt count them out. Obviously if they lose game 3, its over. Might be good for the league if the west can get some new blood like OKC or Dallas in the finals. I know Dallas made it a few years ago but that seems like ages.

Miami has looked great in beating Boston the first two games. The series has shifted to Boston in a must win for the Celtics. Miami to me has been the team to beat for quite awhile(even dating back to whipping the Lakers twice in the regular season). Even though they didnt get the top seed in the east, they have arguably the two best players in a league where individual talent goes a long way in determining success. As much as I despise them and their pathetic fans, they are the clear favorite. Boston might win a few in this series but I dont think the Heat are intimidated by them they way they looked in the first three regular season meetings between these two teams. In those games it looked like Boston was toying with them. But James and Wade are on their game right now and that does not bode well for the rest of the league. Here's to hoping Boston and/or eventually Chicago have something to say about that.

Halftime Game 2

I really dislike the Atlanta Hawks.  Maybe "hate" is a little strong, but they really annoy me.  It's a different kind of irritation that they draw out of me however.  They're not dirty like the Bad Boys Pistons or the Mason/Oakley/Starks Knicks, and they're not a rival like Reggie's Pacers or the Celtics.  I just hate how they play.  All one-on-one.  It's just really annoying to watch.  They don't deserve to win anything.

Also, the Atlanta Hawks team that scares me the most is when Al Horford is their best player, not Crawford and/or Joe Johnson.

Atlanta can keep Johnson's indifference and Josh Smith constant scowl, we'll keep this

Bulls-Hawks: Game 1

Weird Game.  I really thought the Bulls were in control even prior to getting the lead in the second half, and when they went up 6 I thought the Hawks would fold as usual amidst hoisting up awful, contested jumpers.  Nope.  Not this time.  The slow start yet again was really disappointing.  We kept making excuses for the Bulls against the lesser Pacers as if they just couldn't get up for an eight seed.  At this point, the fact remains that the Bulls overall skill and talent level just isn't that much better than most, if any playoff teams.  They're main adavantage during the season, effort, has been heavily neutralized by the inevitable increase of playoff intensity.  The other advantage that never materialized was the Noah-Boozer front court destruction.  The dream of a combined 35 and 25 seems like a pie in the sky fantasy right now. 

Things I want more of:
- Rose shooting the wide open three pointers that Atlanta is begging him to take
- Feeding Boozer
- Taj to make open jumpers
- Hard foul on Crawford/J.J.

Things I want less of:
- Slow starts
- Boozer screaming
- Noah missing layups

Game 2:  Must win

Heat-Celtics Game 1 Reaction

Heading into this series, and even as game one ended I still couldn't really decided: a) who I thought would win this series, and b) who I wanted to win this series.  It was pretty obvious that the Heat were the better team from start to finish, and the forumula they used to buid their lead and hold onto it did not deviate much from their regular season script.  Miami will destroy you if you turn the ball over or take bad shots.  This is not only their best offense but it's their most consistent form of offense -as every now and then Miami will struggle to create decent shots in the half court.  I would've thought this problem would be underscored during this series against Boston's #2 ranked defense.  Not so much. 

Chris Bosh?  Hello?  He barely scored, and he didn't do much else.  His most memorable part of the game was when Garnett pulled a "Dikembe" on him and sent Bosh's dunk attempt and Bosh himself crashing to the floor.  I don't care what he says or what his teammates say, his demotion to the supporting cast has to be tough for him. 

Rajon Rondo might be the strangest player in the NBA.  What does he do?  He literally will not shoot the ball outside 15 feet.  Every now and then we see a big man who has a certain skill but is deficient in several others which severely limits his impact on the game.  But again, these are usually centers like Shaq and Dwight Howard who can be dominant but are crunch-time liabilities - and Rondo certainly isn't anywhere near the class of those elite centers yet at times he's talked about as an elite point guard.  Very strange.

Paul Pierce is the most annoying player on the planet right now.  He flops and flails more than anyone yet becomes uncontrollably disgusted when an opposing player attempts to mimic his lame-ness. 

Kevin Garnett seemed a big subdued to me compared to his normal borderline psychotic self.  Something to watch. 

I guess I'm rooting for the Heat and want the Heat

PODCAST: Bulls' struggles, tidbits, and Davis offers some Passover dinng advice

This is pretty darn aggrevating!!

How can a team that has been so much fun to watch all season long have such a horrendous half of basketball, again, and again, and again.  The last play of the first half of game 4 has summarized the problem:  As the clock is running down, Asik blocks McRoberts driving lay-up...great play!  But then, Asik, along with two other Bulls stand and watch while the Pacers grab the ball for a layup as time expires on the first half.  Wake Up!!!!!!!

The Bulls' lack of energy to start these playoff games would be laughable if it wasn't so disappointing.  Boozer is hard to watch.  He brings absolutely nothing to the table.  Nothing.  He no longer scores other than point blank lay ups usually after someone else has done all the work, he doesn't defend, he can't rebound in traffic, and now he forgot how to dribble without plowing over his defender.  Don't give me this crap about rhythm and timing.  The guy's played basketball every day of his life forever.  Is he really one of those players who just doesn't care after a signing a big contract?  I hope not. 

Derrick Rose is phenomenal and the MVP, but we're not winning a championship much less getting out of the East if this continues.  Very frustrating.  W A K E   U P !!!!!

Chi-Ind: Game 1

Well, I may need to rethink my playoff standings.  That game was as good as it gets...at least the last 2 minutes plus.  Derrick Rose was incredible, as usual.  He was flawless at the end of the game when the Bulls couldn't afford one misstep.  He was effective even though he was 0-9 on 3-pt shooting.  Simply put, he has a will to win that so few athletes have, and coupled his supreme athleticism makes him the best in the game right now. 

Of course there were a few concerns, but none more glaring than Boozer's poor play.  It would be one thing if he predictably struggled on defense but provided some key offense and took some of the burden off Rose.  But he couldn't get anything going on either end of the floor.  The knock on Boozer has always been that he struggles with length.  Well, isn't that a problem when you're a power forward in the NBA?  He's not going to see very many undersized power forwards other than perhaps Big Baby down the road.  He's most effective when in pick 'n roll, but the Bulls don't run much of that, so I guess we'll see.  On defense however, we have a major problem.  Psycho T made Boozer appear to be stuck in cement.  I was really surprised that Thibs didn't pull Boozer for Taj in crunch time.  It's a tough situation.  As good as Rose is, can he really carry the Bulls through the playoffs without a solid second and third scoring option?  Boozer, step up!! 

Luol, is that you?!?  Wow!  I loved the emotion.  He's almost like a new player - more physical, more emotional, and....more made shots.  Deng, thank you!  Two clutch 3s kept the Bulls within striking distance and his 10 rebs made up partially for the Bulls' big men being out-played.

It's hard to tell what's going on with Noah.  He's showing spurts of what we've come to expect but they seem to be few and far between.  He was great in the last two minutes, but we need more consistency.  Is he hurt?

The crowd was great, the refs were as annoying as usual, and the hot sauce was appreciated. 

I couldn't possibly write an NBA post without bashing LeBron.  He's just such a d-bag I can't get over it.  At the end of the half in the Heat-Sixers game, Chalmers passed up a shot and hit Lebron in the corner who then had to hoist one up at the buzzer.  LeBron didn't like that because it made him look bad so he gave Chalmers a stare.  What a leader!  What a teammate!  Total a-hole.

Playoffs? Playoffs?

Sitting back and about to watch Game 1 of the Blackhawks' attempt at defending the cup, and with the NBA playoffs on the horizon got me thinking which sport has the best playoffs - from a fan's perspective.  It's a tough one.  So much to consider, so let's break it down with a point system (1 low, 4 high):

*Home crowd noise:  NBA 4, MLB 3, NHL 2, NFL1
*Least referee impact: NHL 4, NFL 3, MLB 2, NBA 1
*Uncertainty: NHL 4, NFL 3, MLB 2, NBA 1
*Peak excitement: MLB 4, NBA 3, NHL 2, NFL 1
*Craziness: MLB 4, NBA 3, NHL 2, NFL 1
*Increased intensity: NBA 4, NHL 3, NFL 2, MLB 1



1.NHL17
2.NBA 16
3 MLB 16
4.NFL 11

The NHL really does have the best playoffs.
- minimal ref importance (not negligible, but minimal)
- huge crowd impact
-ridiculous intensity level

Rating the peak excitement was obviously the most difficult because every sport, at its best, is incredible, but no hedging on the bri blog.  Of course what adds to the playoffs is how much at stake you have as a fan, and admittedly the Blackhawks are not at the top of my list but I hope to hear plenty of Chelsea Dagger in the next few weeks.

PODCAST: Davis defends his love of golf, Is Golf a sport? Are golfers athletes? NBA...

Bulls: A lot Celtics: Yawn

Well that game deserves a comment.  What was that?  I know it was "just" a regular season game, but I thought this game would have playoff-type intensity and atmosphere.  It didn't.  Don't get me wrong, It was very enjoyable.  Very.  I guess this was partially because the Bulls were in clear control of the game even though they didn't pull away until near the end of the 4th quarter.  But even when the game was still in doubt the Celtics seemed disinterested.  I thought this had "statement game" written all over it.  The Celtics could've looked at this game as an opportunity to tell the Bulls that the Eastern Conference still goes through Boston, regular season record be dammed.  Rather, they almost seemed to just want to get through the game and go through the motions - definitely not what I would expect from a championship team clinging to perhaps the waning weeks of a 3 year run.  Imagine if Boston came in to Chicago and dominated.  That would have to send a message.  They basically gave in to Chicago however.  The Bulls were clearly in control from the opening tip.  It's pretty easy to tell who the better team is during the course of a basketball game:  the team that gets more, consistent good looks at the basket.  Tonight, it wasn't even close. 

D-Rose was so far and away the best player on the court that sometimes it looked as if he was toying with Boston.  Does Boston miss Perkins?  Let me think...Yes!  Sure, Green came in and scored a few points, but Perkins provided that intangible that is so crucial come playoff time:  toughness.  For at least tonight, Chicago not only was the better and more skilled team, but they were also the tougher team.  That's a pretty good combination.  Perkins provided great defense and that toughness swagger that is hard to find.  Boston resorted to their typical limb-flailing desperation.  Glenn Davis weighs 900 lbs, but he somehow ends up on the floor more than anyone else.  There were moments in the 2nd and 3rd quarters where the Bulls were on the brink of blowing the game open but the sadly patented Pierce drive-run into someone-throw your head back-throw your arms-up and look disgusted play kept them in it.  And ditto for Rondo.  Wow is he painful to watch.  A point guard that not only can't shoot but won't shoot even when baited is a starter for a championship team? 

Somewhat ecouragingly, the Bulls didn't even play that well.  I haven't looked at any stats, but just watching the game, the Bulls appeared sloppy at times, missed some open jumpers, and failed to capitalize on a lot of fast breaks.  I suppose you can always nit-pick, but they just blew out the defending Eastern Conference champs and wrapped up the #1 seed.

They hang their hat on defense, which will never slump. 

Boozer:  uggh.  You've annointed yourself as the most infuriating player, but if Jeff Green or Big Baby is going to spend any time at all guarding you need to dominate.

No Asik? 


All in all, the Bulls proved they are the best team in the East.  Tonight was no fluke.  The playoffs is gonna be a blood bath and I can't wait!!

PODCAST: March Madness, D-Rose, and Is "davissucks" trending?

Huh?

Coach Painter...are you serious?

PODCAST: Fab 5 talk and a bit of March Madness with Davis and special guest...my Bro

Also, if anyone is looking for a March Madness pool to join:

http://latke.mayhem.cbssports.com/

password is: bri blog

$15 via pay pal
go to "send money"
use email:  bjacover@gmail.com

selection sunday is upon us!

Bri Blog will have all your bracket needs once the field is selected later tonight.  Stay Tuned

Greatest College Team Ever....Yup.

The Fab Five.  The most exciting college team ever assembled.

Chris Webber (#1 prospect)
Juwan Howard (#3 prospect)
Jalen Rose (#6 prospect)
Jimmy King (#9 prospect)
Ray Jackson (#84 prospect)


The Fab Five documentary is airing on ESPN this sunday and will be amazing.  As everyone knows, the Fab Five never won the NCAA championship but they did play in two title games, losing to Duke and North Carolina.  Chris Webber chose not be interviewed in the Jalen Rose-produced (yeah, that's right) documentary.  Unfortunately he's best known for "The time-out", but he was a unique and dominant player for two years and maybe people should be talking about his most recent take down of the Heat:



WOW!!

Dot the "I" L-I....A-R

A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch noted that of the 12 previous head coaches who were caught and charged with the same allegations as Tressel, lying to the NCAA about ongoing investigations, 11 of them were fired or were forced to resign.  So I guess we'll see if Ohio State is anywhere near the level of prestige they continue to claim.  As usual, the cover-up is far worse than the actual crime - especially when at the center is a figure who prides himself on honesty, pride, and leadership.  What are the chances that there won't be anymore incriminating facts that appear in the next couple months.  Zero?  Thought so.

Tressel certainly is no criminal, nor are the "Tat-5" who sold Big Ten rings and other memorabilia.  It just sure seems like it will be difficult for Tressel to maintain respect moving forward.

Looking for Gifts?

Try this

PODCAST: Tressel-Gate, Big Ten Hoops, Davis wants a LeBron Fat Head

Thought I could pass this up? C'mon man!

So, turns out the pristine, honest, good-intentioned, sweater vest-wearing Tressel is a fraud.  Stories are coming out that he was well aware of "tattoo-gate" months before he and OSU claimed.  If true, and we'll of course assume it is, this will carry with it severe sanctions and penalties.  What's even more comical is how Tressel tried to come across as if he were preempting the problem back in December when in fact he was manipulating the situation.  He conned the nation and the NCAA into allowing the 5 Buckeyes guilty of improper benefits to play in the Sugar Bowl by claiming that he was dealing with it ahead of the curve.  For the record, I don't think what the players did was even that bad, but this situation is certainly made much worse given Tressel's apparent disingenuous claims he is all about the team.  His lies will potentiallly inflict more damage to his team than the chump change a few players were given in the form of tattoos.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out of course, given the fact that the NCAA probably feels like they were played by Ohio State for giving in and oddly allowing players with suspensions pending to play in a bowl game.  I also can't help but laugh that Ohio State's two most heralded recent recruits, Maurice Clarett and Terrelle Pryor, will end up leaving two of the biggest stains.  Dirty.

Bulls took their talents to South Beach

There were a lot of things to take away from the Bulls-Heat game over the weekend.  I thought we saw perhaps the play of the year when Rose flew down the court and with Wade and LeBron closely trailing and eyeing a highlight reel block, Derrick found a gap-toothed size opening to lay it in.  Yes.  That play provided the front end of the 'Bron/Wade fail symmetry, as at the end of the game not one but both clanked would-be game winning shots.  It's hard to imagine two more contrasting teams.  An interesting nugget I picked up was in watching how each teams' respective stars interact with the rest of the team.  Rose gets as excited to chest bump, congratulate and pick up the guy at the end of the bench as he does his fellow starters.  LeBron and Wade on the other hand seem to be there for eachother but, unless I'm crazy, never seem to rush over to help up anyone else.  Also, I found it pretty telling how pumped up and excited Chris Bosh got after scoring on Omer Asik in the first half.  Chris, you're part of "The Big Three" and  making a layup in the first half against our backup center elicits a howl and inner-moment?  That tells me all I need to know about the mental make up of the Heat.  Can you imagine Michael, Scottie, or Derrick for that matter, making a layup over the likes of Tom Chambers or Jerome Kersey and freaking out?  Answer: No.

Q: State your name

A: LeBron James.

Q: Are you from Akron?
A: Yes

Q: Did you self-anoint yourself as "The King"?
A: Yes

Q: Are you happy with your decision to leave Cleveland?
A:

Oh how I would love to know what the lines on the lie detector would look like as he answered that question.

Greatest Chicago sports moment?

I was only 11 years old at the time, but even then it wasn't lost on me the imprtance and magnitude of the sweep.  They swept them?!?  On their way to their first of 6 championships, the Bulls defeated, embarrassed, dismantled, and swept away the classless Pistons.  It was a culmination of 3 years worth of staggering towards the top of the mountain.  3 Years worth of being bullied, battered, and bruised.  The ultimate, and unprecedented cherry on top was when Isaiah, Laimbeer, and Co. walked out with seconds remaining, refusing to aknowledge the Bulls.  Classic.  (As a side note, I remember one of the biggest arguments I was ever in was back in college when I was listening to my friends, and native Michiganders, defend the Bad Boys.  How is that possible?!?)  Another reason that was such an incredible moment was because we may never see anything like it again.  Watching the Bulls fight and scratch only to come up short year after year after year, then finally topple the defending champions is a scenario which in today's NBA seems far-fetched.  With superstars bolting to greener pastures when things get tough or if they don't win immediately, it may be a long time before we see a core stay together several years even after suffering heartbreaking playoff defeats.  If not the best Chicago sports moment in recent memory, it certainly has to be the top non-championship Chicago sports moment, right?

20th anniversary of the Bulls first championship and sweep of the Bad Boys:

Flaws exposed? We'll see.

That loss to the Hawks was probably the worst of the year.  Yes, worse than their recent loss to the woeful Raptors, worse than their give-away in Denver, and worse than the home loss to the Bobcats.  Why?  Because this game emphasized the Bulls' two main weaknesses.  1. When Rose is off the Bulls don't have a true #2 to rely on to carry them, and 2. Boozer really is a handicap on defense

I suppose when any team's star is off they're going to struggle, and I suppose all this game does is underscore the Derrick-Rose for MVP candidacy since he can't afford to be off for too many games, but the Bulls don't have a second go-to guy.  Sorry Boozy Booz.  I mean, when Rose is shooting 5-21 and his shot looks flat all night, where is our $15 million power forward?  I'm trying not to draw harsh conclusions based on one agonizing loss but it was pretty obvious.  It would've been nice to see Boozer demand the ball and dig the Bulls out of their collapse in the 2nd half.  Isn't this inevitably going to happen at some point in the playoffs?

Not to pile on Boozer, but wow did Horford dismantle him.  It wasn't all Boozer.  In fact, it was a lot of Joakim in the 2nd half.  It seems all Boozer does is desperately slap at the ball after his man gets by him.

In a game the Bulls were leading by 19, and in a game that the Bulls admitted was a huge one if their run for the East's #1 seed had any chance, they couldn't close.  They couldn't break the will of their opponent.  They couldn't continue to execute and hit shots.  At a time when their confidence had never been higher as they were no longer reluctantly included with the NBA's elite but routinely thought of as a legitimate Finals contender, I can't help but feel this was a deflating and perhaps dangerous loss.  As much as it hurts to say, I can't see a team like Boston losing a game like this.  There were opportunities to completely blow this game open and championship teams capitalize. 

But now as the Bulls head to Orlando and to Miami, instead of thinking #1 seed, now the Bulls might be back to thinking if they belong.  And that's dangerous.  The best thing they had going for them was their overwhelming confidence.  Is that gone?  Over the weekend Michigan won a huge game at Minnesota after a crushing last-second loss to Wisconsin.  It was an impressive win on many levels not the least of which was their ability to bounce back mentally.  Again, this is still one loss for the Bulls, but I hope this loss stays in Atlanta.

I change my vote!

Derrick Rose. MVP.  End. Of. Story.  I'm not sure whether this is a good thing exactly, as it will probably provide that extra anger for LeBron and Co., come playoff time....but whatever, he deserves it.

That was as impressive as it gets.  In the 4th quarter Miami let Wade and LeBron take turns attempting to keep Rose in front of them.  Neither could.  "Witnessing" Rose take over, I wonder if LeBron was remembering what it was like when NBA fans looked at him not with contempt, but with adulation.  Those days for LeBron are long gone now.  People want to root against him, and rightfully so.  What makes professional sports so appealing is watching the best athletes in the world demand to go up against the best and not shy away from that challenge.  LeBron couldn't handle what comes with being a superstar in the NBA.  He wants the praise and glory without the adversity.  This is what separates a "superstar" from a "geat player".  So Miami, the home of fake tans and fake boobs is now home to fake superstars.

WiscOhio State?

Wisconsin will NEVER morph into Ohio State as far as hated teams in the Big Ten....partly because they come across as sort of a cuddly teddy bear, not an evil dictator.  But the banked 3 pointer to win last night against Michigan, and thus probably ending Michigan's not-so-far-fetched chances of a tournament bid, sure added to that idea.  Hey Wisconsin, you're supposed to understand your role: beat Ohio State, drink beer, hunt, and don't get in the way of Michigan.  Ok?  Also, the fact that Wisconsin doesn't routinely cover up shady dealings, is not over-run by obnoxious fans, and their players don't choke opposing quarterbacks helps demarcate Ohio State as the evil empire they strive to be.

MONSTER 3-MAN PODCAST: Bulls, NBA trades, MVP, with Davis, and Anthony

and don't ignore the wonderful lyrical interlude by Davis...

(and please excuse my outburst at the 22:20 mark....it was at that moment that Wisconsin banked in a 3 to beat Michigan in hoops)...damn them!

KG...what happened?!?

My disdain for KG seems to grow by the day...can't he even act normal while cheering on teammates during the all-star game?  Good God.  Figuring out his psychiatric diagnosis will be an interesting task:

sudden onset rage, and irrational anger directed toward not necessarily anyone in particular at times, but rather just an amorphous being he perceives as doing something cruel to his family......or something. 

Steroid induced?

Team USA in London

The London Olympics are still over a year away, but with the ridiculous amount of talent in the NBA right now, and rising interest in representing Team USA, it sure will be interesting to see which 12 players get selected.  Most, if not all players will come from the 2008 Olympic roster and the 2010 World Championship roster.

Let's Review:

Team USA Beijing Olympics Roster (2008)
Anthony
Boozer
Bosh
Bryant
Howard
James
Kidd
Paul
Prince
Redd
Wade
Williams

The gimmes:  'Melo, LeBron, Howard, and Wade (of course barring injury or ego).  Kobe is likely but depending on his mileage at that time, he may just not have enough gas.  Bosh/Boozer...hard to say.  Maybe one, but probably not both.  Paul/D. Williams, again maybe both, but with the incredible amount of talent at PG right now, hard to say, at least one.  Redd, Prince, Kidd...no chance.


Team USA World Championship Roster (2010)
Billups
Chander
S. Curry
Durant
Gay
Gordon
Granger
Iguodala
Love
Odom
Rose
Westbrook

gimmes: Durant, Rose (I think).
in the hunt: Westbrook, Gay, Gordon, Curry, Odom (gotta factor in his versatility)
unlikely: Love, Iguodala, Granger, Chandler,
no chance: Billups


Then we have some other possibilities:
John Wall, Blake Griffin, Joe Johnson, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rondo, Ray Allen


Here's my guess as of February 2011:

Dwight Howard - best center, not even close
Blake Griffin
LaMarcus Aldridge - skilled big man, stepping in for Amare
Carmelo Anthony
Lebron James
Kevin Durant
Kobe Bryant
Dywane Wade
Eric Gordon
Derrick Rose
Russell Westbrook - can play a little SG also
Derron Williams

Point Guard is going to be the toughest call.  I don't know how you decide between Rose, Williams, Westbrook and Paul.  You definitely can't take all 4.  Deciding on 2 between Bosh, Griffin, and Aldridge?     I think Bosh is left out b/c he bailed on the 2010 world championships for no reason other than to enhance the myth that he's in the same league as James and Wade. The 12th spot will go to a shooting specialist: Eric Gordon? Steph Curry? Joe Johnson? Which 2 start among LeBron, 'Melo, and Durant?

notable omissions:
Amare - scared to play due to injury history
Paul - ditto
Rondo - possible selection only b/c of his Euro-esque soccer flops

glad I missed it...

UM 52
UofI 54

blah...

Enough is Enough

I had to laugh when I saw SportsCenter's teaser last night that read, "Rondo's Big Night".  Usually, this type of headline is reserved for, say, a 40 pt explosion, maybe a 12 point in 2 minute outburst, or how about a buzzer beater to win the game...Nope.  In this case it was a monster game of 11 pts, 11 assts, and 10 rebs.  Wow!!!!!!!!!  Amazing!!!!!!  Puuhhh-leeeaaaassseee.   Further, I noticed that ESPN also had a side by side column comparing Rose to Rondo...as if this is still a debate, especially with Rose coming off a beat-down of Derron Williams and Chris Paul.  (There was an adjacent poll which Rose dominated with 77%)  Rondo supporters point to his assisst totals and how he "runs his team".  This phrase is just an excuse for the fact that he doesn't need to do much other than find one of his three hall of fame teammates.  The bottom line is Rose can do everything Rondo does, but Rondo does maybe a tenth of what Rose does on a nightly basis.  If Rose only needed to score 8 pts a game and find his open teammates I think he'd be able to assume that role in his sleep.  Oh yeah, Rose also isn't the biggest wimp in the league.  Next time you see Rondo take on a screen without falling to the ground in agony, let me know.

A little 'D' from D-Rose

Apparently Derrick (and the rest of the Bulls) can play a little D.  Last two games Derron Williams and Chris Paul combined stats:

8-23, 26pts, 7 TOs

PODCAST: Uniqueness of Wisconsin sports and College Hoops with Ryan Blanco

I'll say it, I'm Jealous!

I have to aknowledge it.  Wisconsin has the premium Big Ten sports environment right now...and I'm jealous.  In addition to having top notch football and basketball programs, lunatic fans, and a dedicated athletic department they have something that none of the other tradtional Big Ten powers have: realistic expectations.  It's really the best of both worlds, and it's something that essentially boils down to the culture and history of the university.  Michigan fans are spoiled.  Ohio State fans are spoiled (and obnoxious).  Wisconsin fans legitimately and sincerely can say that a season is a success without necessarily winning a Big Ten championship.  I guess this is due to the fact that their sports renaissance has been relatively recent.  This attitude matters for reasons other than sustaining the long term physical and mental health of their fans.  It has to help the athletes.  It seems that the lack of extraordinary year-in year-out expectations would limit the pressure.  Maybe the ceiling for Wisconsin athletics doesn't quite equal that of their Michigan and Ohio State counterparts but you wouldn't know that based on the last decade which has included a final four and multiple Rose Bowls.  Are they too drunk on brats and miller lite to know any better?   If it's at the expense of Ohio State then who am I to complain.

As the seconds wind down on Ohio State's undefeated hoops season, I can only think that Madison is the Mecca of the Big Ten...at least as of February 2011. 

Roll Out The Barrel

Wisconsin is trying to defeat #1 Ohio State for the second time this year.  The first?  The Badgers defeated then #1 OSU on the grid iron earlier this year.  Has one team every beaten the same school when they were ranked #1 in two different sports in the same year?  I doubt it.  kinda cool

Who says $30,000 + per year isn't worth it.......GO BLUE !!

AND WITH FOUR YEARS OF GRADUATE SCHOOL AT UOFM....

Packers....damn.

I wasn't exactly sure who I was going to be rooting for going into the super bowl.  It was gonna be one of those games where I had to see how I felt once the game started.  As it turns out I guess I ended up rooting for the Steelers. But that can't be...can it?  I mean, their QB is a rapist for God's sake.  Even though I'm a lifetime Bears fan I haven't developed a hard core hatred for the Packers (but it's growing). I think I was rooting for the Steelers simply because of how frustratingly close the Bears came to being in the super bowl.  Should I just be satisfied and happy that the Bears were 30 yards away from possibly being in the super bowl with Caleb Hanie as our QB?  Or, should I be pissed off and annoyed that the Bears were only 30 yards away from possibly being in the Super Bowl with Caleb Hanie at QB?  The Bears lost to the super bowl champs with their 3rd string QB.  Hopefully this bodes well for the Beloved, but I see this draft as maybe one of the most important in recent Bears history.  The Packers, as nauseating as it is to admit, are here to stay, and the Bears need to hit a home run in the draft in order to stay with them.  Offensive Linemen please?  Angleo, you're up...

A few other observations:

*even with a broken collar bone, Charles Woodson still looks like a stud
*A-Rod...wow.  I don't think we'll forget Cameron Diaz feeding you popcorn on live television anytime soon
*The best advice for picking the super bowl winner at the start of the playoffs is going with the team with the best 'unit', whether that's offensive or defensive.  I mentioned this earlier when the Bears started looking like a legitimite contender due to their defensive performances near the end of the season.  Trying to be objective, it seems like the Packers offense and Pats offense were 1 and 1a heading into the playoffs.  It's a pretty good way to widdle down to an eventual champ.
*The Packers in matter of 2 yrs go from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers.  Really annoying.
*Christina Aguillera forgetting the words?  c'mon man!  Isn't that the music equivalent of, say, Ichiro running to third instead of first?  Ok fine, maybe like forgetting how many outs there are, but still....

PODCAST: super bowl food, Big Ben, college hoops

Davis prefers meatballs over chili, and has never heard of matzah ball soup...welcome to downstate Indiana.

Feel Good Moment....I couldn't resist

Stories about professional athletes doing something wrong always make the headlines: Roethlisberger, Vick, Tiger, etc.  Frequently however, when athletes bring a smile to someone's face off the field of play it goes un-noticed or ignored.  DeSean Jackson, WR for the Eagles, made a surprise appearance on The View and it's a must-see.  If watching the kid's tearful reaction as his favorite player walks out doesn't cause goose-bumps, well....

(Back story:  13 yr old gets brutally bullied and beaten by 7 other kids, and the kids later post it on YouTube.  The victim appears on The View to discuss bullying and his favorite player surprises him)

John Tesh and the good old days...

In my interview with Sam Smith he said that the two "haydays" of the NBA in his opinion was the Russel-Chamberlian-West days of the 60s, and the Bird-Magic-Dr.J era of the early/mid 80s.  Today there are two great sunday NBA games on which always reminds me of what I consider to be the best era in the NBA: Jordan's early 90s.  Sunday was always the day for the marquee matchups, which in those days would frequently  feature M.J. and either the Knicks, Pistons, Lakers etc. You had great rivalries which we don't really see anymore, the greatest player ever, and, of course, the birth of the NBA on NBC theme song.  Thank you John Tesh!






and just for good measure...perhaps the defining moment of the NBA on NBC era Bulls:

So Long Little Brother...

Michigan 61   Michigan St. 57.............in basketball, in East Lansing

Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  I love when Zach Novak says he hates losing more than he loves winning...

Sorry Little Brother, now go to your room!

T.G.F.D.R.

Thank God For Derrick Rose

(click the link)

One last Cutler analysis...

try to ignore the not-so-Chicago-Bear-courvoisier beer glass.

PODCAST: Bears, Cutler backlash, worst 3rd and 4 call ever with Davis

Cutler: Torn MCL

yeah, it sucks but what could he have done?

http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2011/01/24/jay-cutler-reportedly-has-a-torn-mcl-so-when-do-the-apologies-start-streaming-in/

Day After = Very Annoying

By the way, is there anything worse than listening to/reading about all the game breakdown the day after a loss?  Uggh.  Now we have two more weeks of gushing over Aaron Rodgers and his 55.4 passer rating. 

Jay's our quarterback

Full analysis tomorrow via podcast but I feel compelled to write something tonight - for my own sanity.

I can't deny or hide the emotions that the Bears bring out in me.  I wanted the Bears to win as much as anyone.  I wanted Jay Cutler to prove all the critics wrong.  I was perplexed and angry when I saw Cutler sitting on the sidelines.  However, after a few hours to decompress, a long walk with Latke, and a drive home, I feel bad for Jay and I feel a little embarrassed at the fallout from his injury.  We are not privy to his injury and we have no idea what the conversation was like between Jay and the Bears' trainer.  We also have zero evidence to suggest that Jay was not crushed that he couldn't go back in.  We do however have plenty of evidence to suggest that Jay is a tough S.O.B.  Anyone remember the Giants' game, or the fact that no quarterback was sacked more than Cutler?  He missed one game after his head was smashed into the Giants stadium turf.  His sidelines behavior and facial expression leave a bit to be desired but Jay is a damn good quarterback...when he's upright.  Is he a top 5 qb?  Maybe not.  But it's tough to assess when he's running for his life half the game.  Ok. that's enough.  I hope once people get over their initial frustration they'll be able to step back and realize we have a tough QB.

Excitement Level: Defcon Bears

On my way to work today I was trying to look back and remember the relatively recent sporting events that came close to matching my excitement level for the upcoming Bears-Packers slugfest on Sunday.

A few that came to mind:

Cubs vs. Marlins (2003, Bartman game)
Bears-Colts (Super Bowl, obviously)
Michigan vs. Ohio St.  (2006: #1 vs. #2)

Let's hear yours...

And our flag was still....THERE

If Anyone needed any more reason to get pumped for sunday:




Glad this game's not on ABC or one of its affiliates, otherwise they might edit out the overflowing patriotism.

Go Bears !!!!

PODCAST: NBA talk with Sam Smith: Bulls' chances, Rose's ascent, LeBron's stubbornness

Thanks to Sam Smith
check him out at bulls.com and twitter: @samsmithhoops

PODCAST: Davis and I recap NFL and rank the best college football head coaching jobs

If you have 1 1/2 hrs to kill....take a listen.

Can't Wait! Me niether

Jets' linebacker Bart Scott after beating the Pats:



I love it!  The beauty of sports.

I'm with you Bart.  I can't wait until next weekend.  Two great games. 

How to spot a good football team

Everyone knows about needing a stud QB, a monster left tackle, stopping the run, etc, etc....

Here are three, somewhat under-the-radar aspects of football that I feel are mainstays of solid teams:

1.Being able to run consistently successful screen plays
2.Having a reasonable amount of confidence that a cornerback/safety runnng free on a blitz will NOT get juked and end up running straight passed the QB
3.Having wide receivers who run hard with the ball and don't scare you to death that they're going to fumble
4. Special Teams that aren't a net negative (more important in college)

These three small things actually encompass quite a few qualities of good football teams:
athletic offensive lineman, good play calling, solid tackling, defensive awareness, ball security, and fundamentals.  If you can get your prima dona wide receivers to buy in to tough football, then it's pretty clear that you have an overall hard-nosed team.  Having good tacklers in the secondary fits into this "toughness" mantra as well.

Show me these three things, I'll show you a quality team.  I'd say the Bears have 2 of the 3 so we'll see how that works out.  

Weekend feel good moment

The microphone went out on this little gal mid-way through the national anthem. The crowd chimes in to help out....USA! USA! USA!



She seemed unfazed afterwards.  Good for her.

It's Michigan for God's Sake! You're damn right, Brady!

Just listened to the Brady Hoke interview.  One question stuck out in particular.  A reporter from Toledo asked if the Michigan head coach position was still an elite job.  I love Brady Hoke's answer:

"This is Michigan for God's Sake...."

'nuff said.  I agree.  This is Michigan. 

It's the newly minted, "This is ----" test.

When you fill in that blank does it carry weight?  You're damn right Michigan does. 

PODCAST: College FB, Michigan Coach chatter with Big Ten Network's Chris Martin

This was a fun one!

Hello: Brady Hoke

New Head Football Coach at The University of Michigan:  Brady Hoke

I think this is a good hire.  I know essentially nothing about Brady Hoke, but my intuition tells me that he'll do well at Michigan.  Obviously, Hoke was always on the radar but Michigan's A.D. was snooping around assessing interest of other possibilities, namely, Harbuagh, Pat Fitzgerald, Les Miles and possibly others.  Harbaugh saw greener pastures and a lot of "green" in the NFL.  Fitzgerald, perhaps not so inexplicably, decided not to abandon his alma mater for the long time big papa of the Big Ten.  I get it.  Les Miles might have a screw loose.  No, I'm not saying this in the context of "How could anyone even think of not taking the Michigan job", but rather it seems that his coaching methods and shady dealings leave a lot to be desired.  LSU very easily could've lost 3 or 4 games this year to overmatched opponenets (NC, Tennessee, Ole Miss).

Michigan was in a tough spot.  There was a lot of pressure to hire a big name to get the program back on the map and get the fanbase excited.  This may have lead to a short sighted hire.  Jim Tressel came from Youngstown St., Urban Meyer came from Utah, Gene Chizik came from Iowa St., etc etc.   Some of (not all) the best coaches in the game today were identified as up and coming football minds.  Hopefully Brady Hoke fits that bill.  Hoke is a Michigan guy and will do whatever it takes for success.  I'm behind it. 

He has a track record of turning around two miserable programs.  My only concern, again without knowing many details about what Hoke's teams looked like, is that he hovered around .500 at Ball St. and was there for nearly 7 seasons.  That seems like a long time for a supposed up and coming coach to be lingering at a lower level University...but who knows.  Leading San Diego St. to a poinsettia bowl victory over Navy may qualify as an incredible accomplishment for the Aztecs, but the bar is set just a tad higher for Big Blue.

And......what happens to Denard?

Podcast Time: NFL, Davis hates on Michigan, and More...

Sign of a Champion

In the Bulls' recent 90-79 win over Boston, the number that stuck out to me was 19 - the number of free throw attempts by Derrick Rose.  In the NBA, especially in the playoffs, you need your stars to get to the line.  This is the semi annoying part about the NBA in general but that's the way it is.  Kobe, Wade and Pierce can all get to the line virtually at will which is huge come playoff time when open shots are harder to find and haulting momentum is key.  Unfortunately, no one gets to the line that frequently, and consistently, unless the refs aknowledge that you're a legit star.  I guess Rose has been anointed.  Hopefully this trend continues.

Oh yeah, he made 15 of the 19.

Harbaugh to Niners

Well, I hope SF goes 5-11 next year, never sniffs the playoffs, and is forced to shuffle between Troy Smith, Craig Krenzel, and who knows, maybe Terrelle Pryor.

Gotta look Big Picture

The Bulls lost last night to the 10-25 New Jersey Nets.  I didn't see much of the game (was working) but listened to the last 8 minutes on the radio during the drive home.  The last thing you ever want to do in sports is make judgements after one game, but there's been a clear lingering problem with the Bulls for most of the season - outside shooting.  The Bulls have one true jump shooter: Kyle Korver.  Rose and Deng are improved but still not great outside shooters.  In a way, this leads indirectly to another major Bulls flaw - free throw shooting.  The Bulls are 28 out of 30 in team free throw shooting %.  In the playoffs this will be fatal, for sure.  While the Bulls have managed to rattle of a fantastic winning percentage in the last month, they haven't looked great for most of it.  Shaky defense, lack of energy and scoring droughts have been all to common.  The Bulls are in a tough spot right now.  Can they blame these deficiencies on missing either Noah or Boozer for essentially the entire season?  Maybe.  But maybe they're missing something.  When you're winning, even if it's not pretty, it's hard to rationalize roster changes.  So maybe, in the long run, would it be beneficial for the Bulls to lose a few games to make it easier for management to make a move?  Not sure.  I see them standing pat and hoping that once they get Boozer AND Noah playing together it will be good enough.  Just don't be fooled into thinking that "a win is a win".  In the playoffs we're not going to be able to feast on the Cavs, Raptors, Pistons, and Wizards.

So what's with all that one in a million talk?

It doesn't look like Harbaugh is going to Michigan.  But maybe, just maybe this is all a show which will end in Ann Arbor.  Harbaugh obviously has strong ties to Michigan and has retained his loyalty through the years.  It seemed only natural that when the writing was on the wall for Rich Rod that Harbaugh would take over.  However, it appears not.  Unless.....

Maybe Harbaugh wants to coach at UM but knows the money will be nearly twice as much in the NFL.  In order to drive the price up for his ideal college gig he's decided to go around to a few NFL teams (Niners, Dolphins) and make it apparent to the UM A.D. what the ballpark contract would need to be.  In fact, maybe the conspiracy goes even deeper.  Maybe the UM A.D. needs Harbaugh to show the UM nation that hiring him would be pricey so when UM offers Harbaugh to be the highest paid coach in college it wouldn't be scoffed at.  I personally think UM should give Harbaugh a blank check.  Harbaugh just doesn't strike me as someone who would want to coach the Dolphins.  It seems like the two obvious choices are the Niners (he's from the Bay Area and lives there now) or UM.  So maybe going to Miami is a negotiating ploy.  Maybe?

Probably not.  If I had to guess I'd say that Brady Hoke will be UM's next coach.  It's safe, he's a "UM guy", and wouldn't break the bank.  Don't get me wrong however.  You don't fire Rich Rod and then hire Hoke.  How about......PAT FITZGERALD.

First Podcast (with some rookie mistakes)

First podcast recorded 1/4/11 with the one and only Mike Davis

I had to due some trimming since I was unaware that there was a megabyte limit to these things...so there's a rather abrupt start with first round NFL playoff talk and ending with ND football 2011 outlook.  I had to delete our UM/Rich Rod talk so I could upload the podcast....oh well.  We'll talk Rich Rod and/or his replacement next week!  There are clearly a few other details that need to be sorted out...it'll work for now.  enjoy!

The Waiting is the hardest part, right Tom Petty?

....and with that, welcome to perhaps the most important 48 hours in recent Michigan football history.

My feeling is Harbaugh is an ideal college football coach, over-flowing with intensity, which doesn't always correlate to the NFL (though intense coaches like Cowher and Gruden certainly have had success, they're few and far between).  The interesting thing in my opinion is that the 49ers, apparently Harbaugh's biggest NFL suitor, recently fired an equally intense, in-your-face coach in Mike Singletary.  Will they go back to that well or opt for more of a Lovie Smith type?  It seems the Niners' interest in Harbaugh is legit......so we wait...

Joakim Watch

3 weeks already crossed off on the Joakim-thumb-recovery calender...5-6 more to go.

With Boston's injuries, Miami's slow start to the season, Orlando's bipolar-ness, and the putrid Eastern Conference, Chicago is looking good right now for a solid playoff seed.  Plenty of hoops left, I know, but at the beginning of the year most figured that the Bulls were locked into the 4th seed (behind Boston, Miami, Orlando).  If Chicago can stay afloat until the Noah return (they've been doing much better than merely "staying afloat" lately, as only two teams have better records since Dec. 4th) a top 3 or even 2 seed seems within reason.  This would be huge.  When teams are so evenly matched, having that game 7 at home could be the difference.  Further, it can't hurt that Noah and Boozer should be well-rested for the long playoff run, each having missed significant time.  I'd be more worried about Garnett's knee injury even though he'll only miss a week or two.  In an older player with previous significant knee injuries, this could be something that lingers.  We'll see.

The team that worries me most is clearly Boston.  I want to avoid them in the semi-finals which would mean finishing 2 or 3...assuming Boston finishes first.  Miami would be tough, but I don't think it would be a physical, grudge match....and it would be pretty damn entertaining.