Author: clay

Categories
Cleveland Cavaliers

Around the Rim: `He’s more than we thought he was!’


1. `You wanna crown his ass then crown him!’
LeBron James is playing some of the best basketball of his career right now and last night he led the Cleveland charge to knock off the Celtics 109-104. King James followed up his back-to-back triple dips with a 38-point, 13-assist effort to outlast Boston in overtime. The league’s top scorer (31.3 ppg) racked up 11 of Cleveland’s 17 points in overtime and is one outing away from tying Wilt Chamberlain for most consecutive 30-point games against the Leprechauns. That opportunity comes on Dec. 2 in Beantown. And should LBJ end up tying the original love machine, it wouldn’t be anything new. Coming into last night’s contest, James was averaging 37.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 9.5 assists over his last six pack of games. Hardwood icons Oscar Robertson (1965) and Chamberlain (’64) are the only other players to accomplish such a feat.

2. Kobe and K.D.

Kevin Durant got his first up close and personal glimpse of Kobe Bryant and when the game was over he was weeping at the Mamba’s feet. Not really, but he did get outscored and the Sonics fell to 2-13. Durant put together another nice effort with 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting, but Kobe was Kobe and the crafty vet showed the rookie the definition of well-rounded, scoring 35 points, grabbing eight rebounds and delivering six assists. The Lakers improved to 8-6 with the win, but must now face a tough stretch with games against the Nuggets, Jazz and Magic.

3. How long until the Brooklyn relocation?
The Nets certainly haven’t had much to get excited about this season and last night was no different. Jersey fell to 7-8 after getting beat by the Grizzlies in the IZOD Center (that’s the corny name of the Nets arena in case you didn’t know). While the losing stinks, losing when you know you could be winning is the real kick in the nuts. Jason Kidd got another triple double, the 91st of his career, with 12 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists while Vince Carter blew up for 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Richard Jefferson chipped in 27 points, but the W just wasn’t to be. It should be interesting to see how the squad reacts to the loss. So far, the Nets have gone on a three-game win streak followed by a six-game losing streak which was followed their recently snapped three-game winning streak.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: LeBron James vs. Boston 46 min, 38 pts (FG: 11-25, 3FG: 2-8, FT: 14-15), 4 reb, 13 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Houston (8-7) @ Phoenix (11-3)
The Suns just got beat at their own game by Golden State on Monday, but getting back on a winning streak won’t be easy against a healthy Rockets squad. Tracy McGrady is back to his old self after a minor elbow injury and everyday Yao Ming looks more and more like a mighty oak transplanted into the middle of the paint. Surprisingly, one of the weak spots in the Rockets’ framework this year is their record a home, a sorry 4-3. The Suns have equally been opportunity destroyers this season with a 6-2 road record and a 5-1 mark at home. But it really doesn’t matter if the arena is located on Saturn, Mike D’Antoni’s boys are going run up and down the court for 48 minutes and then treat the planet’s rings like a treadmill. The Suns’ big three (that’s Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion if you get confused by the other studs on the roster) alone are averaging a combined 38.5 shots per game. That’s a lotta hustle!

Buzzer Beater: The Heat put together a nice all-around effort against Charlotte and cruised to an easy 110-90 victory, ending a four-game losing streak in the process. Now, we know that Miami has been going through some sobering struggles recently and a win is a win, but, seriously D-Wade, it’s just the Bobcats.

I can’t remember the last victory we had like this,” Wade said. “It feels good.

“Can’t remember the last victory we had like this”??? Was your Game 6 Finals victory over the Mavericks really all that long ago?

Categories
Green Bay Packers

Packers fans need a new hobby, being obsessed just isn’t gonna cut it


We take our football as seriously as anyone out there or at least we thought we did. Turns out that Packer fans probably have us beat.

The NFL Network has plenty of people up in arms about their hogging of exclusive games, leaving countless cable subscribers without their fix, but maybe no sect is more P.O.’d about it than the Cheeseheads. We really do sympathize, it does totally suck to miss your favorite team take the field, especially when it is a big time showdown like this Thursday’s battle between the 10-1 Pack and the 10-1 Cowboys, but you might want to find a new release if missing a game is going to screw up your whole stinkin’ life.

That’s left plenty of Packer backers seriously peeved.

Bill Bessette, of Madison, said it’s traumatic for fans who plan their life around the team’s games. The game won’t be shown on cable in Madison.

Dawn Harrod, of Wausau, said she is worried about her 95-year-old mother, who’s an avid Packers fan but will miss the game.

“Traumatic” is usually something reserved for serious tragedies, not missing Brett Favre’s millionth interception, Bill. And for Ms. Harrod, when game time rolls around, just throw in a tape of Green Bay’s 1995 loss to the `Boys in the NFC Conference Championship game. Your mom is 95 years old, she’ll never know the difference.

Links:

[Channel3000.com]: Angry Packer Fans Ready To Hit Bars For Dallas Game

Categories
Miami Dolphins

Thanks for the memories Ricky


Ricky Williams’ comeback didn’t last too long. One game, six carries, 15 yards, one fumble and a torn pectoral muscle after he was activated, it was all over. Williams will miss the remainder of the season and spend the next four to six weeks in a sling. Rehab is an additional five months.

The injury occurred in the second quarter of Monday Night Football‘s contest between the Fins and the Steelers when Williams bobbled the ball and in the scramble to recover it, Pittsburgh linebacker Lawrence Timmons stepped on his shoulder. Now, Ricky is a big boy, but Timmons is 234 pounds of beef and when that kinda mass walks on you it’s probably going to do some damage.

Despite the injury, the biggest blow had to be to Williams’ ego. He gave up his comfortable world of marijuana and yoga for this?! The embarrassing retirement, the suspensions, the Argonauts, the random drug tests, the media barrage and all the reticule was just to get put back on the shelf? Oh well, there’s always next year. Wait, it’s Ricky; there’s no telling if he can resist the temptations of life long enough to even be around next year.

Hell, from what we know of Ricky, he probably toked up as soon as he heard the bad news. On the bright side of things, the Dolphins’ date with 0-16 is looking more and more like a reality everyday.

Links:

[TSN]: Ricky Williams’ latest comeback lasted one game.
[Sun-Sentinel.com]: Ricky Williams out for season after just 6 carries

Categories
San Diego Chargers

Yeah, I said shut up. Big whoop, wanna fight about it?

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers lost his cool over the weekend when the home fans started booing the team. On replays, Rivers could be seen telling the San Diego fans to shut up. Definitely not what any diehard with a triple-digit, face-value ticket wants to see, but it turns out that Rivers is fairly sympathetic to the fanbase’s verbal disgust.

Again, it’s an emotional game. To be honest with you, I love the fans,” Rivers said with a laugh on Monday. “I mean, I really do. It was early in the game, it was the first series, you’re coming off a completion. and it wasn’t necessarily for me, it was kind of like for our team, like saying, ‘Hey, relax a little bit.’

“But again, we understand some of their frustrations in a sense that we were 5-5 and expectations were so high. Again, it was nothing more than that. Shoot, we’ve all told our sibling or brother to shut up before and then you love them five minutes later, so I hope that’s the case.

We gotta give the kid credit for owning up to his behavior and taking the criticism in a fairly mature fashion. He seems to understand why they did what they did and hopefully that’s that. But seeing him act like that conjures up memories of another hot-headed Chargers QB.

Links:

[SignOnSanDiego.com]: Rivers doesn’t deny telling booing Chargers fans to shut up

Categories
Dallas Mavericks

Around the Rim: Dirk & Co. throw away a golden opportunity


1. Dallas downer
The on-again-off-again Mavericks are back and currently the switch is off. With Gilbert Arenas riding the pine for the next three months, Dallas couldn’t capitalize and allowed the Wizards to come into Big D and post a 110-98 victory inside American Airlines Center. The Mavs have now lost three in a row after winning five consecutive, but Dallas got some help from the Kings who knocked off the Spurs in Sacramento. Still, a half game here and there won’t make a lick of difference in the postseason if Dallas shoots as poorly as they did on Monday. Dirk Nowitzki went 10-of-18 for 31 points and the rest of his crew was a miserable 23-for-66, including a 3-of-21 display from downtown while Caron Butler had a game-high 35 points and Antawn Jamison finished with 27. The Dallas roster can expect more “verbal abuse” to come spewing out of Avery Johnson after this loss.

2. Warriors came out to play

The Warriors’ comeback from a simply despicable start isn’t complete just yet, but it took a gigantic leap forward last night. It only counts as one game, but to Golden State, their 129-114 shootout victory over Phoenix must feel like they just upset a No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Okay, well not that good, but three players finishing with 28 or more points has to be pretty euphoric for the club that basically threw away the first two weeks of the season. Stephen Jackson had 32 points, Monta Ellis finished with 31 and Baron Davis put in 28 to overcome a pair of double-doubles from Shawn Marion and Steve Nash. If the Warriors can defeat Sacramento on Wednesday then they will finally join the .500 club and hopefully we’ll start seeing a whole lot more of Jessica Alba.

3. Orlando. Oregon. It makes no difference to the Magic
We should have seen two of the brightest stars in the league go head to head, but instead we saw Orlando coast to a 85-74 victory over Portland and become the first team to reach the lucky 13th win (nope, Boston is sitting at 11-1). The Trail Blazers could have used Greg Oden’s massive frame in the middle because it didn’t take a whole lot for the Magic to get the job done. Dwight Howard only mustered up nine points of offense, but he grabbed 14 rebounds while Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis combined for 41 points. Teams better enjoy beating up on Portland right now because Oden’s injury is only making this club stronger. LaMarcus Aldridge is becoming the weapon he was drafted to become and despite his rough outing against Orlando, Brandon Roy (4-18, 12 pts) is shaping up to be all that and then some. If the top pick of this year’s rookie class pans out upon his return, there’s going to be a Western Conference red and black attack for years to come.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Chris Paul vs. Minnesota 43 min, 31 pts (FG: 10-19, 3FG: 3-4, FT: 8-8), 1 reb, 11 ast, 4 stl

Tuesday’s Game to Watch: Boston (11-1) @ Cleveland (8-6)
It is arguably the best player on the planet versus arguably the best trio on the planet, but that doesn’t mean this is a clear cut victory for the men in green. The Celtics have looked incredible over their opening frame of the schedule, but everyone saw how LeBron James torched the Pistons last year; he could do it again. LBJ is riding back-to-back triple doubles and his team has now won four of their last five games. Boston has also won four of their last five, of course, they’ve also won 11 of their last 12, but who’s counting? The Cs have been kicking their feet up since narrowing escaping Charlotte with a win on Saturday, but they should get prepared to see a lot of No. 23 flying to the rim because Boston and Cleveland hook up twice in the next six days.

Buzzer Beater: Kobe Bryant might be the only scorer in the league more explosive than Tracy McGrady. T-Mac blew up for 19 of his 36 points during the fourth as the Rockets ran away from LaLa Land (Clippers, not Lakers) with an 88-71 victory. We’ve seen it time and again, but it never ceases to amaze. McGrady’s 13-of-26 performance from the floor followed a 13-for-23 shooting spree against Denver that netted him 35 points. Guess that elbow is feeling a little better.

Categories
General Sports

Job swap day is the most awkward day of the year

Let’s see; how do we put this? Not everyone has the necessary heart and desire to be Vili the Warrior; especially Stephanie Lum. Likewise, not everyone should be informing the public on the day’s newsworthy events; especially Vili the Warrior.

Links:

[The Wizard of Odds]: There’s Only One Vili the Warrior

Categories
Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins used their heads for 59:43 of MNF; D’oh!


The Dolphins had an opportunity to get their first taste of the win column, but that ol’ fashioned Miami ineptitude shown though when it mattered to keep their chase for history hitting full stride.

The Fins had what we believe was a sober Ricky Williams back and they managed to keep the ill weathered contest knotted up at nothing going into the final minute until Jeff Reed nailed a 24-yarder for the first, last and only score of the game. The only thing uglier than the game was the field, yet somehow, on a rain drenched mess of mud and turf, Ben Roethlisberger was incredibly accurate, going 18-of-21 for 165 yards and keyed the final drive that put Reed into position.

For fantasy fanatics, it was a complete waste of time that probably left you screaming at the television on more than one occasion. Unless you were banking on a shutout to get you a victory then it was a completely barren wasteland at Heinz Field. And if you were banking on a Dolphins shutout then you’re probably sitting in the cellar of your league anyways.

It was the longest scoreless tie since 1943 with Pittsburgh’s lead lasting for only the final 17 seconds of the game and it was the first 3-0 final since 1993. Williams was equally pathetic, rushing six times for 15 yards before getting a shoulder injury in his return.

These Dolphins appear to be on a crash course with destiny after narrowly avoiding that close call. Now, if we can just get Miami to keep this thing rolling for five more games…c’mon baby!

Links:

[MiamiHerald.com]: Dolphins drop to 0-11 in Ricky’s return

Categories
College Football

We’re not sure what "Giving him the business" entails, but it gets you a 15-yard penalty

There was a lot of great football this weekend and a lot of great plays, but after all is said and done, it’s a stinkin’ ref that gets our nod for most memorable moment.

It might not have been the most technical of calls, but at least the zebra can spit out his line without butchering it, which is more than we can say for Emmitt “Silver Tongue” Smith.

Links:

[Mr. Irrelevant]: N.C. State Penalized 15 Yards for `Givin Him the Business’

Categories
Utah Jazz

Around the Rim: Carlos Boozer continues to improve his Mailman impersonation


1. Big night from the new big two
John Stockton and Karl Malone will always be the most dominant duo in Utah Jazz history, but the gap is closing. Deron Williams scored 21 points and dished out 14 assists while Carlos Boozer grabbed 11 rebounds and connected on 17-of-20 shots for 26 points to lead Utah to a 103-93 victory over the Pistons. We are still years and years away from having “Williams to Boozer” roll off the tongue like “Stockton to Malone” did, but it is pretty safe to say that last year’s trip to the West Finals won’t be this young pair’s last. The Booze is 26-years-old and Williams is just 23 and if the Jazz know what is good for them then they will keep these kidos under lock and key for the next decade at least. In the much more immediate future, Utah’s Northwest Division lead should remain intact with the crew facing creampuffs for basically the next two weeks until they hit a four game stretch with road contests against the Spurs, Mavericks and Suns.

2. Video Game James is back

On Saturday LeBron James picked up his third triple-double of the season by dropping 37 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists on the Raptors in a victory. On Sunday, it was deja vu all over again as the King went for 30 points, 11 boards and 10 dishes, leading the Cavs to a 111-106 road win over the Pacers. Drew Gooden also came through with a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds to help squeak out a win and put the Cavaliers right back into the division and conference title race. Pacer point guard Jamaal Tinsley almost had a triple-dip of his own in the game, coming up one board short, as he finished with 24, 9 and 10. And he was just two turnovers away from picking up a very unflattering quadruple-double.

3. Spurs and Sonics hit milestones
A win over Seattle isn’t exactly a big deal nowadays, but the Spurs 116-101 road victory is significant because it lifted the defending champions’ record to 12-2 – the best start in franchise history. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker exploded for 70 of the team’s points and the team was on fire from behind the arc, hitting 11-of-19 3-pointers. Speaking of hot shooting, the Sonics’ rookie sensation Kevin Durant busted free from a slump by scoring 25 points on 11-of-15 attempts. The loss ironically dropped Seattle to their worst start in franchise history as they now sport a sorry 2-12 record. But the Supersonics need to get over this loss super quick because the youngsters are looking a seven-day, four-game stretch right in the face.

Sunday’s Player of the Day: LeBron James @ Indiana 36 min, 30 pts (FG: 10-21, 3FG: 1-6, FT: 9-15), 11 reb, 10 ast, 4 stl, 1 blk

Monday’s Game to Watch: Phoenix (11-2) @ Golden State (5-7)
The Warriors had a bumpy start to the season, dropping their first six contests, but they are rolling now as they’ve almost pulled even by winning five of their last six games. And despite their disappointing start following a unforgettable 2007 postseason, some things never change as Golden State remains one the top scoring clubs in the league; second (107.0)to be exact. The only club hitting more buckets per game is run-n-fun Suns with 108.5 points per game. The Warriors are a horrific 1-4 at home, but all the losses occurred before their impressive six game span. Phoenix currently has a 5 ½ game lead over the Warriors in the Pacific Division standings thanks to an eight game winning streak.

Buzzer Beater: The delusional Isiah Thomas seems to be the only one who can’t see that he’s a horrible coach. If you asked Zeke, he’d probably tell you the Knicks are on pace to win the East.

When you get frustrated, the first thing you think of doing is making changes, but this isn’t the time to make changes. Believe me, when that time comes, I’ll be the first to say it. But this is not the time,” Thomas said, according to the report. “I’ve seen and been through a lot of situations in this NBA. This isn’t the time to abandon ship and make changes. We’ll get through this.

The good news is that the Knicks won a game following Thomas’ comments. The bad news is that it was against the hapless Bulls and it was only New York’s third win of the season.

Categories
High School Sports

`No ifs, ands or butts about it’

We’re not sure how this got past us, we try our best to stay abreast of all the latest happenings on the high school cheerleader front, but we really dropped the ball on this one. Cut us some slack, we got all worked up for Turkey Day, okay.

Six California cheerleaders were suspended after displaying their best assets during a football game halftime show. Geez, what ever happened to showing a little creative school spirit?

You know that repressing these girls from allowing them to express themselves can only lead to other questionable behaviors in an attempt to show their team devotion.

Links:

[Post-Gazette.com]: Anyone for Fun `n’ games