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