"11 Dancers Dancing..."

First, just watch...if you can:



First time watching this I had to stop right after Taj Gibson's "3 blocked shots" verse to regain my composure.  Is this the worst team song/video ever?  At first I thought it might be until I checked YouTube and Wikipedia for other disasters.  There were a lot.

Obviously the gold standard is the Super Bowl Shuffle.  It was unique, the '85 Bears had true characters, and, most importantly, they backed it up!!

For instance, there's this disaster recorded by the Raiders in 1986 who went on to an 8-8 record that year:



Wow, was that bad.

But much much much worse is this utter embarrassment put out by New England (not the players but close enough) in response to the '85 Bears masterpiece and leading up to Super Bowl XX:



Yuck.


So as you can see the Bulls' "12 Days of Christmas" isn't nearly as bad as it could've been.  But I still have a few observations:

*Luol Deng: "10 buzzer beaters".  I searched "Luol Deng Buzzer Beater" on YouTube and there were 32 results (Jordan had over 1,800) only ONE of which was a semi buzzer-beater.  A tip-in to tie and force OT.
--should've been: "10 line drive jumpers"
*Keith Bogans: "11 dancers dancing".  Sound more un-interested?  No.

*James Johnson...Oh, dear James Johnson:  "8 Taking Charges".  First, what is a "taking charge"?  Really?  c'mon man...and why did he feel it was necessary to hit that high C? 
 --should've been: "8 high fives"
*Kurt Thomas: "7 back massages".  Ok, we get it.  He's old. I have to know who wrote these lyrics!
--should've been:  "7 forearm shivers"
*Ronnie Brewer's shot is even uglier close-up


Where was Scalabrine, or more importantly, Omer Asik????

Good effort though.  Joakim Noah's awkward chomp smile saved the day

Sports..what's not to love, or at least like, or at least tolerate?

There are a few times of the year when I really feel sorry for those who don't get the enjoyment out of sports that I and many others do -- March Madness, NBA playoffs (when the Bulls are in it of course)...or any playoffs for that matter, and college football bowl season are a few that come to mind....and yes, that list pretty much encompasses the entire sports calender. If you're not gonna get excited about sports I can understand that I suppose, but what I really don't understand is when people develop a negative reaction towards anything "sports".  Again, I'm not saying that everyone must love sports or even like it, but what is it about watching the best athletes in the world out battle each other with so much on the line under extraordinary pressure that not only makes someone not interested but disgusted?  This, I don't get.  Is it a hatred of competition in general?  Like giving everyone a "congratulations for competing even if you weren't as good as your oppoenent "trophy?  Athletics is a wonderful thing, not only for enjoyment for couch potatoes but also for kids growing up.  Learning lessons such as overcoming adversity, enjoying competition, valuing hard work and teamwork, showing good sportsmanship, developing leadership skills, etc I suppose could all be learned in other ways, maybe, but they certainly can all be developed and learned with sports.  Even forgetting all that stuff, and simply enjoying the entertainment, what's the problem? 

It's also unique in this respect:  we can watch athletes participate in the same sport that we played in growing up.  Those who played baseball know exactly how difficult it is to lay off a curve ball one pitch after being fooled on a 90mph fastball.  Or knowing how fatigued we get during a game of 3 on 3 halfcourt, let alone a triple OT game 7.  Or watching a football player make several mistakes only to bounce back with a game-winning play.  Is there a comparison to this in any other form?

Like I said, I can understand that not everyone schedules their weekend around the Bears game, but I have a hard time understanding those who can't at least see the intrigue of sports in general.  What's to hate?  I don't yearn for the next Art Institute exhibit, but I don't recoil in horror when someone mentions it...

What a Surprise...

Dallas beat Miami 98-96.  The Heat can't beat good teams who don't hand over the game, as Dallas only had 12 turnovers.  The NBA is so top heavy right now that frauds can fool people into thinking they're a decent team by beating up on a stretch that includes the Sixers, Raptors, Wizards, Pistons, Cavs, Nets, Bobcats, etc.  The Heat may have the 2nd best record in the East, but they're not the 2nd best team.  Teams that have a chance:

Celtics
Lakers
Mavs
Spurs
Bulls
Heat
Thunder
Jazz

that's basically it.  I had to leave the Magic (for now), Hawks, and Nuggets off this list.  That makes 8 out of 30 teams with a chance to do anything.  Middle of the pack includes Magic, Hawks, Nuggets, Knicks, and Hornets.  The rest of the teams are awful.  That will make for a lot of bloated winning streaks.  

Michigan Hoops and Fat Guy Moments

UM Basketball has been on a hiatus...a 15 year hiatus.  Although they made the tournament 2 yrs ago (eliminated in the second round) they have essentially been irrelevant since Tractor Traylor.  Yeah, remember that fat guy who looked like he was 45 when he was 18? 

Off on a tangent, searching for this image got me thinking of great fat guy sports moments.  There are a lot, maybe none better than this one:



I think my favorite part of this is the half second after Traylor gets tackled and he's just lying there face down like a fatally wounded beached walrus.

Anyway, not that a win over Oakland Unversity (Oakland, Michigan) should cause someone to take notice but it does.  Oakland lost to Sparty by 1 and beat #7 Tennessee in the last week.  It's just amazing how Michigan hoops has fallen off the face of the earth.  They have zero seniors.  How does that happen?  And it's not like Michigan has zero seniors b/c of all their early-entry NBA draft picks.  Of course it doesn't help that Michigan's downfall has coincided with Little Brother continuing to be annoyingly consistent and the Luckeyes being rejuvinated.  However, there is something to be said for watching a young team grow up and play better than expected.  I think they need more fat guys.

Miami Buckeys

Miami Heat and Ohio St are very similar.  Overwhelm the bad and mediocre teams but have a hard time with good teams who don't hand them the game. 

E-V-A-N-S-T-O-N, E-V-...

Sad day in the ETHS family.  Coach Riehle passed away. 

As good of a coach as he was, he was an even better person and will be missed.

Lead the ETHS football team to the state semi-finals in 1998 (would've won that game if it weren't for a snow/sleet storm).  One of the most memorable sports moments in recent ETHS history. 

Stomach Punch

Joakim Noah's out until march?!?!?!

Thumb surgery?!?!?

In the midst of a 7-game winning streak and comfortably atop the central division?!?!?

Ugggh!  This one hurts.  Bad.  Just as the Bulls were rolling; beating some good teams and blowing out the bad ones.  So now what?   It seems Boozer's "fall" will be the second worst injury this season...

Dammit!

Paterno's Old.....but wow is this funny

Paterno trying to have a phone interview...but he just can't hear a thing!



All I can think about is what on earth those conversations are like when Paterno is in the living room of a recruit:

Paterno: Well son, are you ready to Come to Penn St??

Recruit: Yes sir.

Paterno: Huh?

Recruit: Yes sir!

Paterno: Huh???

Recruit: YES SIR !!!! (whispering to mother: "damn this dude's old")

Paterno: Well son, are you ready to Come to Penn St??

Pats 36 Bears 7 Ugggh

I need time to digest this before writing.  When Chris Harris dropped that tipped Brady pass in the endzone you could've made the argument that the game was over at that moment.  Great teams make great plays when they matter most.  They don't let opportunities literally slip through their fingers.  The Patriots scored a touchdown on their next play and the rest is forgettable history.  The Bears had chances at two other would-be interceptions and missed them both.  When you're an underdog those miscues and missed opportunities are amplified.  Coupled with New England's incredible lack of mistakes, it made for one of the more depressing, disappointing games in a long time. 

Great teams and great players make great plays at key opportunities, a la Charles Woodson who had a knack for rising to the occasion. 

Very disappointing.  The Bears are probably somewhere between the team we saw yesterday in the snow and the team we say lay the samck down against Philly.  Borderline playoff team.  Meh

It's my money, and I need it NOW!!

Yeah, how annoying is that commercial?

Anyway, on a semi-related note:  Carmelo is apparently saying that he will only sign an extension if traded to New York.  I guess he doesn't need his money NOW(!) but he'll get it soon enough.  I would have concerns about this if I were New York, or any team trading for a player who demanded a trade.  But this situation is a little different.  'Melo's not just demanding a trade but he's determining the destination.  I would hesitate to sign a player to massive money who will only apparently be satisfied playing for one team.  For a player who has had questions about his night-in night-out effort, this seems to send the message that he'll only try hard if he gets his way.  This certainly isn't new, but what's most concerning is that he wants New York, seemingly b/c it provides the spotlight.  So is basketball secondary?  He only has the fire to win if he's in the spotlight?  That bothers me.  I can't imagine Derrick Rose trying less b/c he's not in his preferred city.  He has that desire to win and fear of losing that great players have, no matter how bright the lights shine.  I don't think a true competitor can turn it off and on like like that.  NY, you can have 'Melo...

Ahhhh.....

Adios Rodriguez?

I said before that I'm not sure what the right move is in regards to Rich Rod.  UM has improved the win total each year yet their defense has regressed, to an unprecedented level.  It's conceivable, and likely, that if it weren't for a shot-in-the dark, once-a-decade talent like Denard, UM would've been in the same place they were last year -- home for the bowl season. 

I get the feeling the Rich Rod will be shown the door after the bowl game on January 1.  I ask myself what possible benefit could come from waiting until after the bowl game to make a decision, which is what the UM A.D. has decided to do.  Is Rich Rod's job really hinging on the outcome of one game?  you win you stay, you lose you go?  No way.  If the decision was made to retain Rich Rod then just say it, let everyone know, including the recruits.   Firing Rodriguez is cheaper for UM after Jan.1.  Is that the motivation?  Not sure, but this might get ugly...unless Harbaugh comes to town. 

It's all your fault, It's all your fault, It's all your fault !!

No, this is not a Bartman reference...rather, it's just one of many not so subtle chants that the UM hockey student section uses to display their feeling towards the opposing goalie. 

I went to a few hockey games back in my day at good old Yost Arena; best student section nobody knows about.  Tomorrow is "The Big Chill" - UM hockey vs. Little Brother outside at the Big House.  What a site to see! 

and here's a little "how-to" in case anyone finds themselves in the midst of a Michigan hockey game

Bogans...that's enough

nothing more needed

Bears vs Pats

Entering the game against Philly I had a really good feeling about that game.  For whatever reason, probably b/c of the linebackers, the Bears always have played well against mobile quarterbacks.  I'm not feeling quite as confident this week against the Pats, but I do feel like the Bears have far better than a puncher's chance.  Everyone was so amazed with New England after their trouncing of the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets.  Yes, the Pats looked impressive and having the best quarterback to ever play doesn't help, but let's be honest, the Jets stink.  They're all hype.  Sanchez is markedly overrated.  They're coach has eight chins.

If Forte averages over 4.0 yds/carry and we win or tie the turnover battle then I think the Bears win:

Bears 23
Pats 21

I throw my dreads up in the air sometimes...sayin' ay-oh

Denard Robinson is the man!  Hell of a year and bravo

Definitely a unique player and unlike anyone I've seen recently

Pryor has some LeBron in him...no wonder they get along

"I'll put it like this: You put me in any of their offenses — any of them — and I'd dominate," Pryor said, when asked about the attention afforded the likes of Newton, Robinson and Persa. "I'd dominate the nation. What those guys do, that's what they're supposed to do in their offense.

"They carry the ball 30 times a game. I carry the ball maybe five times. There are times I didn't even run the ball in a game. You put me in any of their offenses, where I can run the ball and have a choice to throw, I would dominate college football."

This is what Terrelle Pryor had to say about the other top quarterbacks in college football.  Nice, huh?  He sounds like a bitter, shallow player.  What's funny is he later went on to say that all he cares about is winning and that if he put up huge numbers but lost he would be miserable.  What a joke!  If that were true, why would he feel the need to rip on other players and the great years they had?  Wouldn't he just be happy for them if he were truly comfortable with where he is as a player?  The truth is that Pryor needs to be showered with praise -- like LeBron.  You can tell this by his comments over the years and by his body language when his team does well while he isn't contributing.  The minute that fellow Buckeye Kirk Herbstreit commented that he wanted to see more out of Pryor, he lashed out like a spoiled brat.  He's been surrounded by unbelievable talent from the minute he stepped on campus and has never faced true adversity.  The fact that Pryor feels that it's beneath him to complement other players or show an admiration for them tells you everything you need to know.  

Brady, revisited

You can add Michael Wilbon to the growing list of sports writers who put Brady ahead of Manning.  Most arguments settle on two main points:  more super bowls and less surrounding talent. 

Cubs in December?

Just wondering.  What possible use can come from signing a 33 year old first baseman to a 1-year, $10 million contract who hit a staggering .196(!) with 84 RBIs last season?  Ok, he had plantar fasciitis last year?  So either:
a.)He'll bounce back in 2011 then demand a ridiculous amount given the fact that he got $10 million after an awful year. Or, b.)He'll be just as bad as last year.   

But at least the Cubs have a good track record for seeing off-season signing exceed their previous averages...

Bowls Bowls Bowls

Sleepless nights figuring out who's gonna win the Beef 'O Brady bowl or the Go Daddy.com bowl?  Me too...


COME SIGN UP

Group: Bri Blog
Password: thebriblog

...but hurry up, first game is on Dec. 18th

No Huddle

Why don't teams ditch the huddle more often?  I'd love to see stats on if teams out-perform their normal yardage or points average while back-yarding it.  Football is all about keeping the defense off balance and it seems like the best way to keep this off balance:

...might be to hurry it up

Brady v. Manning

Classic sports debate:  Who's better Tom Brady or Peyton Manning?

Not close.  Tom Brady.

Forget all the statistical minutiae - unless you want to focus on number of super bowl victories and who has consistently played better in clutch situations - hardly minutiae.  After seeing Tom Brady get in his offensive line's face to get them pumped up against Pittsburgh, that should have sealed the deal for those still on the fence.  I'm definitely not saying that a leader always must ncecessarily be loud and animated but there's no QB I'd rather go to battle with than Brady.  Further, it's interesting to hear people make excuses for Manning that he has no supporting cast left due to injuries this season (no weapons, but still has 4-time pro bowl, 2-time all pro WR Reggie Wayne).  Tom Brady has never had a RB like Edgerrin James or even Joseph Addai.  Corey Dillon?  Kevin Faulk?  Sammy Morris?  Lawrence Maroney?  And WRs??  Forget it.  Jabar Gaffney, Deion Branch, etc for the first Patriots run in 2002-2004.  When Brady finally had an all-pro WR in Randy Moss he put up some of the best numbers ever.  Yes, the Pats had great defenses but in 3 super bowls they gave up 17, 21, and 29 points so it's not like Brady just had to play for one FG and a TD....and in that first super bowl?  try a game winning drive with under 2:00 left. 

In short, Brady has done far more with far less. 

Fine, you want full disclosure?  If Manning's pathetic 1997 Vols would've put up any sort of a fight against Nebraska, Michigan would've had the outright national championship that they clearly deserved.  But whatever.

Powder show

The fact the LeBron did his wanna-be-MJ-narcissistic-powder routine in Cleveland(!) shows he truly has no clue, and is a straight up loser.  That was his last chance to semi-redeem himself.  He blew it.  (At least in Cleveland there were fans in the seats)

Get Pumped!

Just to remind everyone what we're adding to the roster:


Best:
0:47   fade away over Duncan
1:07  plows over Bosh
1:14  straight facial
1:27  pick 'n pop
2:53  pick 'n roll

looks tasty

Are they not who we thought they were?!?!?

Title obviously in regards to this unforgettable moment:



Anyway, the Bears beat down of the Eagles on sunday was pretty darn enjoyable.  The Bears, dare I say, dominated this game and the final was score was not really indicative of how badly the Eagles were outplayed.  I came away with a few observations:

* The Bears defense is legit.  The addition of Peppers and a healthy Urlacher has predictably been a major factor, but I think the unsung heroes have been the play of the rest of the D-line.  Perhaps a good chunk of their success can be attributed to the attention Peppers draws, but elevated play from Adams, Toeaina, and Melton has been huge.

* The O-line is bad, but improved.  After the Giants and Redskins game I didn't think the Bears would win more than 6 games this year.  Quite a turnaround.  Cutler is still under consistent pressure but it has improved.

* Special teams matters.  The Bears are really good at it and it shows each game.  I just don't want to hear Lovie say that we have to rely on our special teams and defense to be our offense!

How far can this team go?  They're in pretty good shape to make the playoffs with the Jan.2 game in Lambeau probably determining the division winner and home-field advantage.  Most of the time you can predict the super bowl winner based on who has the best "unit", either offense or defense.  This isn't always evident until the end of the season, but if the Bears keep improving (mainly the O-line where there are still major issues) I'd put their D up against any other offensive or defensive unit in the NFL:
Eagles offense?  Falcons offense?  Patriots offense? Giants D? Steelers D? Ravens D? Jets D?

Just sayin'.....

Brant (Brian's Rant) of the week: UM's football IQ lower than OSU's student body IQ: Yikes!

One of my many sports pet peeves is when people talk about a team's coach.  For the most part, I feel like the coach has very little to do with the failure or success of their team....again,  for the most part.  Granted, this depends on the sport of course - football probably being the most important.  Even so, the coach doesn't miss a tackle, jump off-sides, fumble, shank a 25 yard field goal, grab a facemask, or drop a pass.  If your players are simply not on the same level as your opponent then what chance do you have?  A college football coach essentially needs to do three things:
1. Recruit good players
2. Get their players prepared for game situations during pracice
3. Make in-game adjustments

I can't decide whether Rich Rod deserves to return for a 4th year.  I mean, how much of Michigan's failures lie with their coaching and how much lies with their lack of talent?  How do you determine if a player missing a tackle is a skill issue or a coaching issue?  If a freshman misses a tackle is it ok, but if a senior misses a tackle then it's on the coach?  Don't know.  Our high school baseball coach would always say that he could accept a physical mistake, like striking out or booting a grounder, but what would really make his forehead vein explode were the mental mistakes, like throwing to the wrong base or not knowing how many outs there were.  One of the more useful things we would do in practice was not taking batting practice (obviously necessary though) but was responding to real game scenarios set up by our coaching staff and having to respond to those situations.  'Ok, runners on first and third, one out, coach hits a double in the gap, what are you gonna do?'  Knowing how to respond prior to the hit elevated our teams' ability.  This, I believe, is where we can most easily separate the good coaches from bad coaches.  Good teams, especially in college football, DO NOT BEAT THEMSELVES!  Now again, you could make the argument that good players are less likely to make mental errors, and I suppose that's true to a certain level.  I'm not sure how to judge that.

But in college football especially it seems like the outcome of the majority of games are based on who makes less mistakes, not who makes more great plays.  Take teams like Iowa and Wisconsin.  No top 10 recruiting classes recently, yet they're consistently competitive.  How is that possible?  We all remember and talk about the great one-handed catch, or the 30 yard gain that should've been a 5 yard loss.  However, the plays that are not on the sportscenter highlights are often the plays that determine the outcome.  And it's these plays that have virtually nothing to do with talent level and, in my opinion, more to do with coaching.  Is a drive kept alive by a bonehead penalty, like when a player running full speed towards the sideline instead of pulling up prior to hitting the opponent running out of bounds decides to lay into him for a 15 yard penaly?  This is not a matter of skill-level, it's a matter of coaching.  Has the coach driven home that exact play and prepared their players for it or not.  Is a drive ended by a a dropped pass? (I know, I said earlier that a coach never drops a pass, but it's my opinion that dropped passes are a game preparation issue at least as much as a talent issue.  You don't need to be a 5-star recruit to catch an open pass)  Is there a fumbled snap?

Take the Michigan-OSU game today.  I'm definitely not saying UM should've or even could've won the game, but if we simply take away the mental mistakes then who knows how the game plays out.  At least it would've been competitive longer.  Coaching can't improve a player's speed or his height, but it can improve a player's football IQ - and right now Michigan's football IQ is as low as the Ohio State student body's regular IQ.  Not good.  A player's desire is another tough one to nail down.  The coaching may be able to add to this, but I think that's almost all on the individual.  The game got out of hand and then it didn't really matter.  But I thought the first quarter was pretty darn telling of a team that when momentarily matched a superior team play for play, they couldn't capitalize b/c of mental mistakes.  Focusing on the little things in practice matters.  Yes, you can run the same play over and over until it looks just the right way, but if you neglect the little things then it's moot. 

The ultimate way, in my opinoin to judge the ability of a coach is if they make games competitive that otherwise shouldn't be.  The current Michigan team does not do this.  The teams that are supposed to beat them, beat them with relative ease.  Jim Harbaugh's Standord teams, prior to becoming  nationally ranked and prior to inching closer in talent level to their conference counterparts would on occasion battle as underdogs and occasionally win; you do that by not beating yourself. 

Ok, good talk.  See ya out there.

At Halftime, Michigan 7 - Michigan mistakes 45

It's amazing how a team can consistently beat itself.  There was a sequence in the first half of the UM-OSU game that typified 2010 UM football:

Denard Robinson leads the UM offense down the field with little resistance against a top 10 defense in the country -- touchdown!  OSU 10 - UM 7

Ensuing kickoff, OSU returns kick for TD through what I was hoping was a UM coverage team that only had 8 players on the field, b/c that's what it seemed like.  Nope, apparently they had all 11 players on the field. 
OSU 17 - UM 7

Next UM drive, Denard again leads the offense down the field with relative ease.  However, the drive was haulted by two dropped passes.  OSU then converts two long 3rd downs partially b/c of bad tackling, partially b/c of freshman mistakes - TD.  OSU 24 - UM 7

That's it...the whole season rolled into a 5 minute stretch:
unstoppable offense, disastrous special teams, beating yourself, freshman mistakes.  Bing Bang Bong.
UM is actually out-playing OSU, but Michigan is playing against the toughest opponent they can possibly dream up...themselves.

This just in: Obama's toss of crumpled paper into trash can rims out !

Is it really necessary for ESPN to let us all know via their sports ticker that Obama received 12 stitches in a pick up basketball game?  Really?  And do they also feel so compelled to have his thoughts on the Miami Heat's slow start scroll on the bottom of the screen?  Good God!  

So apparently the deification extends to sports media as well...

Sexual Chocolate!

The Bulls played tonight without Derrick Rose due to a neck spasm, and of course, without Carlos Boozer who has been out with a broken hand after "falling over luggage at his house" (coughing while saying bullshit)...

Anyway, a win was a lot to ask for, especially after the Bulls quickly were down double digits yet again.  However, I came away with two observations from this game:

1.  I'm LOVING the Coming to America reference/impersonation by Bulls TV announcer Stacey King in regards to Bulls reserve guard C.J. Watson.  Watson stepped up huge today, scoring 32 and making big crunch time buckets, which provided even more "Mr. Randy Watson(!)" references...



2. This was kinda a heartbreaking loss given how short-handed the Bulls were yet STILL could've/should've won the game.  Deng played great for 47 minutes and 56 seconds of the game, but the last 4 seconds when he was guarding 'Melo was pretty bad.  It was like watching a DB play 10 yards off a receiver at the 5 yard line.  The key moment of the game, in my opinoin, was a coaching gaffe.  Why was John Lucas III in the game when Denver had to foul???  He hasn't played in God knows how long!  You can't have a guy that far removed from playing competitive bball in at the key moment.  Brutal.  Oh well....

by the way, it was pretty noticeable that 'Melo has checked out. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

It's no surprise why Thanksgiving is so many people's favorite holiday of the year. For me, it brings together three of my favorite things:

Food

Sports

and family

The "point guard" of our Thanksgivings year after year has been my mom.  Thanks Mom!

Brian's Rants = Brant. (First of many): Gut check in the desert

Bulls 123   Suns 115

The Bulls' win in double overtime over the Phoenix Suns was one of the more enjoyable and memorable Bulls wins in a long time.  Even though it was only the 12th game of the year, this game typified why this Bulls team is so much fun to watch and so damn likeable!  Perhaps this last point was driven home by the fact that the Miami Heat played right before and the stark contrast between the two teams was apparent.  On the one hand you have a level-headed yet cold-blooded superstar like Derrick Rose whose drive to win is unmatched and exudes quiet, steady leadership.  Compared with the Heat's performance which consisted of playground-esque one-on-ones, and awkwardly detached teammates who had to force themselves to pretend like they were an actual team, the Bulls showed that we are better off sans the over-hyped Miami Thrice.  Derrick Rose is the man!  Down by 23 in the first half and having played the night before the Bulls still never quit.  There probably aren't 5 teams in the league that could've done that.  The great thing about basketball is that the superstar has almost complete control over the game unlike any other sport.  As good as Tom Brady is and as good as A-Rod is, they can only contribute in a relatively limited way compared to basketball.  Only in basketball can you get a true sense of the players' skills, and more importantly, their desire.  And no one has more desire than Rose, Noah and the rest of the 2010 Bulls. Even though there wasn't a sportscenter, highlight reel play like last year when this happened:



for those that watched this game, it's clear that Rose is the early season MVP....and that I'm glad we have Joakim!

At the end of the game when the fake-tan, Phoenix fans were heading home and the remainder of the stadium was chanting: "Let's Go Bulls, Let's Go Bulls!", it ended the debate of the #1 sports city.  

Ladies and Gentlemen...Joakim Noah

I never thought when the Bulls drafted this:

Or this...




... that it would turn into this:


But it did.  In the Bulls' loss to the Lakers, Noah dominated Pau Gasol, and along with Taj Gibson, dominated the Lakers frontcourt.  Not enough for the win, but pretty darn encouraging - and fun to watch!
Now we just need an upgrade at shooting guard, please.

#1 offense gets more weapons

Michigan has the #1 offense in the Big Ten and #5 nationally with a QB that has started all of 10 games in his career.  The #1 and #3 ranked all purpose running backs in the country have committed to the Wolverines recruiting class of 2011.  The offense will have 9 returning starters.  It makes me wonder how good this offense can be. 

The defense?  well, it can't really get worse can it?  This all makes for a tough decision for the Michigan A.D. on whether to retain Rich Rod.  Assuming UM loses to OSU this saturday (19.5 pt underdog), and loses its bowl game the final record will be 7-6.  Certainly not great, but probably within 1 win of most predictions.    I'd probably keep Rich Rod and make 2011 a definite make or break year.  If Michigan had even just a bad defense instead of a dreadful defense this year they would probably be 9-2 right now.  I still have never seen such a discrepancy between a team's offense and defense.  But hopefully we learn a lesson from Notre Dame on how NOT to handle coaching changes...and on how to avoid the front butt:

 

Pacers demolish Heat in Miami; hundreds of people there to "Witness"

After the Pacers, with a front court lead by Josh McRoberts and Roy Hibbert, embarrassed the Heat 93-77, I'm left to wonder who of the "Big Three" is left looking the worst:
LeBron, or Chris "I have one skill which is of no help to my new team, yet these coattails are a fun place to hang from" Bosh.

Interesting article today on CNNSI on why people hate the Heat:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/michael_rosenberg/11/23/lebron.hatred/index.html?eref=sihp

By the way, is there a city that doesn't deserve having a geat team more than Miami?  For them, going to see their team play is like going to a Rock Concert or Broadway muscial.  They simply want to be entertained for a few hours.  There's no attachment to the performers, but it doesn't matter.  How else do you explain that the Heat are not even in the top 3 in the NBA in attendance and that they needed to air commercials in Miami teaching their fans how to be supportive? I'm sure the hundreds of fans in the arena were very disappointed.

Also: Miami @ Cleveland on Dec. 2nd is becoming must-see-tv

The Notebook? Seriously?

When I go to the gym, I usually run on the treadmill while watching something on the tube that passes the time.  If it's saturday or sunday afternoon in the fall - and to answer Hank Williams Jr's question - Yes, I'm ready for some football.  When I walked into my building's mini gym over the weekend prepared to contemplate what exactly the Michigan defense does all day during practice, I anticipated watching whatever football game was on at the time.  Iowa-Ohio State, Illinois-Northwestern, or even (gulp) whatever fill-in-the-blank service academy team Notre Dame was probably playing all would've been fine.  But when I walked in, there was a guy on one of the two treadmills and the TV was already on.  It was a commercial at the time, but I figured I was in good shape; younger looking guy, saturday afternoon, I mean what else would he have on?  Well, turns out he didn't sign on to the social contract that is/should be in place.  So instead, I got this:

Hi and Welcome!

I like to argue. I like sports. So, here we go....All are welcome!