Why so serious?

The Moment and Being a UK Football Fan

2010-10-18T21:47:00.004-04:00

When I was making my college choice, I debated on going to play D3 basketball or going to a big school a regular student. But wanting to be have a "normal" college experience I went the big school route. I had, however, have one huge deciding factor. I had to go to a school that had a great sports tradition. My decision came down to going to Penn St or Kentucky. It was a debate of football versus basketball tradition. Never did I imagine I would end up becoming a bigger UK football fan than basketball fan.

Maybe my background in being a sports fan attracted me to being a UK football fan. Being from Cleveland you expect the absolute worse at all times. It also makes you incredibly defensive and loyal to your teams. There is something about being a diehard UK football fan that has a certain appeal to me (or, some people might say I like making myself miserable). There isn't a bandwagon* for UK football like the basketball team attracts. Thus, the diehards that come to Commonwealth Stadium truly love Kentucky.

* I despise bandwagon fans of teams that I like. One of the shitty things about the LeBron era was the abundance of Cavs fans that came out of the woodwork. However, the worst offense in my mind is the people from this region that are OSU football and UK basketball fans. As a UK fan, I dont want your support of just basketball, especially if you like OSU in any capacity.

Many people with less loyalty wonder how people can be fans of teams such as the Royals, Pirates, any Cleveland team, UK football, etc. How any person can suffer through losing 25 straight to Tennessee, 24 straight to Florida, or 17 straight to Steve Spurrier? The answer is simple. You hope to be there for the moment your team actually does come through. You dream of the time that you can be running through the Blue Lot screaming and hugging every UK fan because you finally beat Steve Spurrier. It makes all that suffering and anguish as a UK football fan worth it.

Well, almost.

Is the Brett Favre/Jenn Sterger Situation Being Overblown?

2010-10-15T14:30:00.006-04:00

My answer. No. In fact, I think it should be brought to more attention. In what might be a shock to some people, I think ESPN is doing a horrible job talking about this. Now, I know people are going to say that it's just a rumor and what not, but lets think about what else has been rumors and why I feel this story needs to be talked about more.

1) If it is Favre, it is sexual harassment. From what I've read it sounds like there was no previous 'activities' between Favre and Sterger. From the voicemails and Internet rumors it sounds like a more desperate move by Favre in attempt to pork a younger hot chick. Not only that, but think about if any one of us did this to her. It would be a huge story about Sterger's safety and how sick of a person we are. Not only that, but she'd be making the morning show rounds explaining how petrifying it is.

2) Granted it's more rumors, but I'll run with it. The Sterger incident isn't the first incident Favre had with someone within the Jets organization. The story I've read is there was a massage therapist Favre made a pass to, only to find out she was married and apologized to her for her being married.

3) People are coming to defend Favre right away. Think about a couple months and years ago when it was Big Ben, Kobe and Tiger. Now, I'm not defending them here but people wanted their heads on a silver platter. Steelers fans talked about how Big Ben should be traded to Oakland and shunned to the world. 'Humanitarians' called for Tiger to quit golf and become a family man. And Kobe, oh Kobe, there was a death warrant for him. Why does Favre get a pass? Because people portray him as the happy go lucky guy from the Wrangler's commercial? Or the fact they remember his game for his father against Oakland and assume he couldn't have possibly sent dick pics in his crocs to Sterger. The fact of the matter is Favre is a guy. Just like any other guy his mind was entranced by his dick. He wanted to bang Sterger, so he made a play. It ultimately backfiled, but he attempted.

4)Somehow Sterger has turned out to be the victim in this case. Everyone is bringing up the fact she posed naked or was a 'slut.' That doesn't matter, if the rumors hold true. Does anyone hold anything against Chelsea Handler for not caring about a sex tape? What about Greg Oden for his dong pictures being leaked? Yet, somehow everyone went against Sterger and said how could she do this to Favre's family? What about everyone else's family? No one cared about how Tiger's mom felt or Kobe's dad? Why should I care about how Favre's wifes and daughter feel about Brett 'firing that pigskin' at Sterger?

That's my little rant about this whole situation. I love ESPN, but I feel their holding this case a little too close to the heart and refusing to even talk about it. I give credit to Deadspin and Barstool Sports for actually discussing it and taking major heat for it, Deadspin especially.

So, what do you think? Favre trying to rail Sterger overblown coverage? Or not enough?

Jimmy Clausen: Murdering Your Fantasy Team

2010-10-13T11:02:00.005-04:00

I will admit it. I hate Jimmy Clausen. I hate his douchey hair, the fact that he went to Notre Dame, and his shitty brothers that went to Tennessee. Now, he is murdering fantasy teams around the United States. Here are the stats him and his tag-team partner * Matt Moore have put up through 5 games.

Completion Percentage: 45.3%

Yards: 796

TDs: 3

Ints: 7

Fumbles: 10!

QB Rating: 43.6

* I'd consider the Clausen-Moore tag team the Hart Foundation and last years Brady Quinn-Derek Anderson the Road Warriors team in the crappy QB tag team division *

Going into this year Deangelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, and Steve Smith were all highly regarded fantasy commodities. So far all three have taken a collective dump on your team. The reason why is "Jimmy Legs" provides no threat in the passing game. He can't get the ball to thie big playmaker, Smith (5 catches for 33 yards in Clausen's starts). Thus, teams have taken away their running game. The Panthers are averaging 99 yards per game on 3.9 yards per carry. This is down from 156 yards per game on 4.8 yards per carry in 2009. As someone who owned Williams and Smith this year, here is to hoping Jimmy Clausen sits on a plunger when he squats to pee this evening.

The Future of The Cleveland Cavs

2010-10-12T19:44:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the hiatus on posting but I have a quick rant before getting to the meat of the article. I go to espn.com today and what is on the front page? Another article about the Miami Heat. Isn't it enough that Miami has great nightlife, weather, delicious Cuban women, but they had to steal my former favorite athlete and sports writer. Now ESPN is jamming the Heat down my throat. I understand that the interest in the Heat is incredibly high but I have personally vowed to avoid it as much as possible. However, I accidentally stumbled upon their highlights from a preseason the other night and I saw the unthinkable. LeBron is posting up. I have been waiting to see that for seven years. Now, the most unstoppable force in basketball is finally realizing that he can flat out abuse people in the post. Great. Thanks for developing that part of your game in Cleveland, LeBron.

That brings me to the true topic of this post: The Cleveland Cavs. They are stuck in NBA purgatory. NBA purgatory is the chance to make the playoffs but no realistic aspirations of winning a title. They have enough decent veteran players in Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, Anderson Varejao, etc. to win 35-40 games. But, you know what that gets you? A crappy draft pick. The Cavs need to tank and tank badly.

The Cavs need to dump players that will get them inconsequential wins. Mo Williams and Jamison are guys that can get the Cavs enough wins that make them competitive. According to basketball-reference here are the wins shares over the last 3 years.

Mo Williams

07-08 - 4.5wins

08-09 - 9.8wins
09-10 - 6.7wins

Antawn Jamison

07-08 - 9.2wins

08-09 - 8.1wins

09-10 - 5.8wins

By getting rid of them the Cavs can "save" themselves from winning about 10-15 games. It's not even about great return on Mo and Jamison its about being able to lose more games.

So if the Cavs tank by trading away their veterans, what would be their plan. There are three was to improve via tanking.

1. Accumulate Draft Picks - The Cavs have accumulated some draft picks via the sign and trade with LeBron. If they were able to get some picks for Mo and Jamison that would be an added bonus. Talent can be found in the late first and early second rounds as recent years have proven. However, it can be somewhat blind luck in finding those diamond in the roughs. But, having more darts (draft picks) to throw at the board the more likely they are to find solid NBA players.

2. David Kahn on speed dial - The Cavs did a nice job of acquiring a potential starting point guard in Ramon Sessions from Minnesota for a guy they were going to waive in Delonte West. He's a guy that I have liked since he had a 20 assist game a few years back. But, the Cavs need to keep trading with David Kahn and they will be able to acquire some decent talent for next to nothing.

3. High Lottery Picks - The Cavs and Cleveland will never be able to attract free agents. Thus, the only hope to acquire a superstar is by getting a high lottery pick. Unless, the Cavs get incredibly fortunate, they wont be able to be in that position in the 2011 draft. However, the 2012 is brimming with elite NBA talent. Michael Gilchrist, Austin Rivers, Andre Drummond are just a few names that could come in and be franchise changers. In particular I'm really wanting Gilchrist. He is a long lean forward that can impact the game in every facet. He could fill the Cavs gaping hole on the wing and make people forget about their former SF.

If things break right for the Cavs, you hope by 2013 that they will have a core of Sessions, Hickson, Varejao, a superstar from the 2012 draft and hitting on at least two other picks in 2011, 2012 and 2013 draft. This plan for the Cavs isn't exactly a thing that will keep the fair weather fans interested. But, its really the only chance Cleveland has to be relevant in the NBA anytime soon.

The Basketball Movies' Fantasy Draft

2010-10-06T15:31:00.002-04:00

We decided to hold a 7 round, 3 team fantasy draft to compile the best teams of basketball movie characters. Below are our rosters and thoughts on our teams. Please comment and say who you think has the best team.

Bobby
PG-Butch McRae (Blue Chips)
SG-Jimmy Chitwood (Hoosiers)
SF- Q-Rich (Van Wilder)
PF-Kyle (Above The Rim)
C-Ty Crane (Coach Carter)
Bench:
John Tucker (John Tucker Must Die)
Antoine Tyler. (The 6th Man)

Coach: Jimmy Dolan (Air up There)

Now, I know what you hypocrites will say. There's no size there. But, I beg to differ. McRae is a large PG and Chitwood always played above his size.Crane can play at the center position as a solid glass-cleaner and athletic big guy that can also step outside and shoot (remember Villanova a couple years ago anyone?) The biggest reason I like my team is they won't commit a turnover or miss a shot when Jimmy Chitwood has the ball. According to a study by Bill Simmons, Chitwood's box score in the Indiana State Championship Game looked something like this:

32 minutes played, 30 points, 14-18 from the field, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. That's without a 3-point line.

Add in that arc and he's easily at 40 points. The pick and roll game between him and Crane would be outstanding. Crane was labeled as the next Lebron James in Coach Carter and played to the No. 1 ranking in the nation. He, much like my other players sans Q-Rich are born winners. Kyle from Above the Rim had a scholarship to Georgetown back in the hayday, meaning he would have been looked at around the Iverson era.

Q-Rich brings experience and shooting ability as Van Wilder was shot in his prime, when he was one of the better shooters in the game. Have him and Chitwood aroudn the arc and that's a deadly otuside game.Off the bench is John Tucker.I'm a little worried about him being a cancer to the team, but his athleticsm (the 360 dunk in the middle of the game) is unparalleled for a white guy.

Now, here's why I really love my team. The wildcard. Antoine Tyler. Remember him, he was an All-American that passed away during a game. Well, he returns as a ghost and helps everyone out until they don't want him anymore. On my team, everyone will want his help. He makes bad shots go in, blocks shots and has the other team committ turnovers. That includes you MJ. That's just a sample of why this team will win. Well, that and the Picket Fence.

"I'll make it."

Team Gillionaire:
PG: Derek Vinyard (American History X)
SG: Michael Jordan (Space Jam)
SF: Lewis Scott (Celtic Pride)
PF: Neon (Blue Chips)
C: Saleh (Air Up There)

Coach: Coach Carter

Bench:
Jamal Wallace (Finding Forrester)
Airbud (Airbud)

As the owner and GM of Team Gillionaire, I feel comfortable saying our team has to be the favorite in the So Serious Sports league. From top to the bottom this team is stacked and causes all sorts of match-up problems. We have a superstar in Michael Jordan and a dominant front court with Saleh and Neon. Neon would bring the pain and Saleh would provide a scoring threat so teams can’t double Neon. Lewis Scott is a knock down three point shooter and Derek Vinyard at point guard brings an element of toughness and orchestrates the offense. Jamal Wallace is a capable backup but is also inexperienced. Airbud is our main concern but should matchup well against Teen Wolf, unfortunately he’s a liability on offense. Coach Carter manages all the egos well and has instilled an element of toughness. Unfortunately, there’s a big divide in the locker room between Derek Vinyard and everyone else. Vinyard can’t take instruction from Coach Carter and has a problem passing to black people, lucky for us he hates losing more than he hates minorities.

Dan
G: Calvin Cambridge (Like Mike)
G: Scott Howard (Teen Wolf)
G: Jesus Shuttlesworth (He Got Game)
G: Billy Hoyle (White Men Cant Jump)
F: Moses McGee (Dr. J – Fish That Saved Pittsburgh)
Bench
Quincy McCall (Love & Basketball)
Jamal Jeffries/Juwanna Mann (Juwanna Mann)

Coach: Norman Dale

My team is high on skill, talent, and scoring ability but has a huge size deficiency. Norman Dale is going to employ a Villanova type offense using the skills of his guards to take people off the dribble and create plays. Billy Hoyle will be a favorite of Norman Dale for his, umm, scrappiness. A big key will be if the team can get Moses McGee to buy into their system and play up to his considerable talents. The bench is a little lacking as Juwanna Mann has been playing against women and Quincy McCall is injury prone. If this can stay close though this team has Scott Howard to go all Teen Wolf and take over (Bill Simmons aghhhhhhhhh).

Rules of Fans

2010-10-06T08:16:00.003-04:00

Last week Dan wrote a post laying out rules for watching a game with a buddy. That along with the recent Giants game, where fans booed Tiki Barber and went bizerk for the other 29 players inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor got me thinking about rules fans should follow while at a game.

Rule No. 1: Understand the game. One of the things that pisses me off, I see it a lot at UK games, is when fans don't understand to get loud/quiet. In football when your team is on offense, shut up. Don't get loud on 3rd down-something a lot of UK fans tend to do.

Rule No. 2: If you're at a game where your team is playing, wear something that represents your team. Whether it's a jersey, a t-shirt, hat or even a polo with the teams logo on it. Wear it. Too many times you go to a game now and people are dressed in an American Eagle shirt and a pair of jeans. This is a sporting event-where it's okay for 50 year old men to wear replica jersey's of dudes 20 years younger than them.

Rule No. 3: Have small talk with your neighbors. Sporting events bring people together. You're there for one cause and have one goal in mind. If your team doesn't win you're going to be pissed. (Unless your Texans fans. Then you beat the shit out of each other. If you don't know what I'm talking about youtube the brawl they had during the tailgate before the Cowboys game.) Talk about why your team should be running a 4-3 instead of a 3-4. Which brings me to my next rule;

Rule No. 4: Always accept a high five. Big first down pick-up. Touchdown. Sack. 3rd down stop. Someone next to you is going to be looking for the high five. Get in the spirit and slap hands.

Rule No 5: Go ahead and boo as well. Were the Giants fans right in booing Tiki Barber because he made comments about the team a week ago? Absolutely. Were they right in going bizerk for Lawrence Taylor-someone accused of raping a 15 year old girl? Absolutely. He never talked bad about their team. He won Super Bowls for them. That's what's great about being a fan. Do you think Steelers fans care that much about Big Ben as long as he wins? No, not during the season. If your team is playing bad or someone becomes a diva all of a sudden, boo them.

Dave Lapham Needs to Shut Up

2010-10-04T21:03:00.005-04:00

Unless you are a diehard Bengals fan (HA!), you probably don't recognize this name. But, I was stuck in a car driving from Paducah to Cincinnati yesterday afternoon. That meant to catch the Browns game I was stuck listening to the Bengals radio team. Thus, me and Dave Lapham got to know each other quite well.

I know that a teams announcing team is obviously going to favor the home team. Typically an analyst is a former player of the team and the announcing teams are paid for by the team. But, as a media member, they are supposed to be at least a little bit objective*. But, this guy makes Austin Carr seem unbiased. His "analysis" consists of bleeting for receivers to catch the ball while its in the air, yelling to get in the endzone, and whining for pass interference on every incompletion. You would of thought T.J. Ward committed homicide for his hit on Jordan Shipley (I just wish it was on T.O. or Ochocinco) by his reaction.

* Apparently this doesnt apply to the Cavs. They got rid of Matt Goukas because he was too objective.*

So my message for Dave Lapham, if you are going to squeal for the Bengals like a 14 year old girl at a Justin Bierber concert, get out of the press box.

Week 4 NFL Picks

2010-10-01T13:32:00.010-04:00

Officially 0-1 against the spread on my blog picks (but 23-20 on yahoo).

Unforuntately I was wrong on Monday Night spreadwise, but the Bears are the only undefeated NFC team now so suck on it.

To the left is a picture of the now infamous Chad Johnson cereal/sex hotline. Only thing better than watching a stupid self promotion blow up in CJ's face are my week 4 picks:

@ATL (-7) vs. SF: “Falcons are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0”
I thought SF was going to run through the NFC west but so far I can’t think of a more disappointing team. Atlanta is solid, at home and should have Turner back at full strength. I thought last week SF would figure it out and now they look more lost than ever. ATL

NYJ(-5.5) @ Buffalo: “Road team is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings”
CJ Spiller is a pimp, as I predicted he would be, but the rest of Buffalo not so pimpin’. Jets are nasty (even without Revis), and the Bills just released their week 1 QB. I figured this spread would be much higher. Jets

Cinci(-3)@ Cleveland: “Browns are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog”
Cleveland is awful and Cincinnati has not had a solid all around game yet. I think the Browns keep it close but lose, and the worst fans in sports celebrate with the stupid cheer they copied from the Saints. Cleveland

@GB(-14.5) vs. Detroit: “Lions are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 meetings in Green Bay”
I always like Detroit, I keep telling myself Detroit is not that bad. Unfortunately they are and Stafford is out. GB at home, pissed about Monday night, pretty sure they aren’t going to get 18 penalties again. 14.5 is a lot, but Detroit is really bad. GB

@Tenn(-6.5) vs. Denver “Titans are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.”
Denver threw for 7 million yards last week. I think they find a way into the end zone this weekend and keep it within a touchdown. There is also the possibility Chris Johnson runs wild, but mostly Vince will find a way to throw INTs. I like Denver with the points. Denver

Seattle (-1) @ St. Louis “Favorite is 6-0 ATS in their last 6 meetings.”
St. Louis looked solid last week and Sam Bradford is for real, but Seattle looks like the NFC West favorite at this point. Seattle

@NO (-14.5) vs. Carolina “Panthers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings, 9-0 in New Orleans”
Despite Carolina being awful, I think they actually stick to the run, milk the clock, and give Clausen some more freedom. 14.5 points is a lot too, even in a mismatch. I like Carolina with the points. Carolina

@Pitt (-1.5) vs. Baltimore: “Ravens are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 meetings”
Love these games. Someone is going to die/get horrifically injured. Ray Lewis, Troy Polamalu, if you don’t like this matchup you don’t like football. Pittsburgh looks great on Defense, Baltimore has some holes in the secondary but their offense may have gotten it going last week. Pittsburgh

HOU (-3) @ Oakland: “Oakland Raiders are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.”
I watched Oakland last week and they weren’t that bad. The Asomugha-Andre Johnson matchup will be cool to watch. Houston didn’t show up last week but I think they do this time. Htown

Indy (-7) @ Jax: “Colts are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings in Jacksonville.”
Remember when this was a rivalry game? Not anymore. Indy

@Philly (-6) vs. Washington: “Underdog is 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings”
The most interesting game this weekend in my opinion, plotline-wise. Like Dan I’m not drinking the Vick kool-aid yet, plus I like McNabb in these situations. The Fighting McNabbs of DC

@SD (-8) vs. Arizona : “Chargers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss”
The Cardinals are terrible, no running game and Derek Anderson starting. Week 4 is usually when the Chargers figure things out. I like SD at home. SD

@NYG (-4) vs. Chi-town: “Bears are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall, Road team is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings”
Chicago and the points? I forgot how ridiculous Julius Peppers is, he played a ridiculous game on Monday and I credit him for the victory. I think a repeat performance is in the air and the Bears are confident. Has New York done anything to make you think otherwise? Chicago

NE (-1) @ Miami: “Dolphins are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games as an underdog.”
So another home underdog won last night on Monday Night. I’m riding the wave this time, and the Dolphins were impressive in their loss last week. Miami

Heckling Your Friends About a Loss

2010-09-30T17:21:00.002-04:00

My friends and I have a pretty intense rivalry over college sports teams. I went to Kentucky and all of them are Ohio State fans (there is one Maryland fan). Needless to say I despise Ohio State and Maryland and take joy in seeing them fail. When you are rooting for your friends’ team to fail, the question always arises how much you should gloat when they come up short (in Ohio State’s case that’s every time they play an SEC team). I have come up with some rough guidelines to follow (not just for college football).

- A Meaningless Regular Season Loss – It is ok to cheer vehemently against their team and rub it in their face when they lose. This loss isn’t critical to their season and it’s fun to heckle a person about games like this as they are unlikely to freak out.

- An Important Regular Season Game – I was watching the Giants-Titans game this weekend with Bobby a diehard Giants fan (He has NFL Sunday Ticket so I got to see the Browns game this way). I was pulling for the Titans but wasn’t openly cheering for them because it would highly piss him off. So instead I’d say things like, “Eli might want that one back” after he threw a left-handed duck into the end zone. He knew I didn’t want the Giants but I wasn’t antagonizing him too bad to the point that violence would erupt.

- A Playoff Game/Bowl Game/Game of Great Significance – If you are watching it with that person keep to yourself and speak when spoken to. You have to give them a grace period of close to a week before you can make fun of them. Personal example – My friend Kahnert (Maryland fan) texted me as UK was floundering in the Elite 8 game versus WVU this year to talk shit. That almost ended our friendship.

- The Most Crushing Loss Ever – Id call this the Brett Favre NFC title game last season. These are games you never bring up to rip on your friends about.

- LeBron James Spurns Their City on National TV – Buy your friend a bottle of liquor and drink it with him.

Holding Back on Vick

2010-09-29T08:07:00.003-04:00

One thing we need to do here is all take a deep breath and take a step back from the Michael Vick bandwagon - that includes you Peter King. After reading King's column this week where he said Vick is the MVP of the league right now, it got a couple of discussions started between the Why So Serious writers.

Michael Vick is not the MVP. Not even close. His two wins came over the Jaguars and Lions - arguably two of the worst teams in all of football. In fact, the Jags are the worst team in football and got even worse by their recent signing of Trent Edwards.

Is he playing good football? Yes. But, who wouldn't play good football against these two slapdonks of teams. Everyone is simply blowing up how well he is playing because, a) his past and b) it's Philadelphia so Sal Pal and ESPN will sit there and have a story a day on them.

So, who is the MVP right now? In no particular order, a handful of people I select over Vick are Peyton Manning, Jay Cutler (gulp), Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.

If the Cleveland Browns Were a Woman

2010-09-28T13:39:00.007-04:00

Bobby’s post on the Giants as a chick got me thinking about if the Cleveland Browns were a woman. Instantly, Rosie O’Donnell popped into my head. But I decided to delve a little deeper after their frisky performance on the road against Baltimore. So last night as I was thinking about how shitty an actor Freddie Prinze Jr is (sidenote: I do this every night), I made the perfect analogy for the Browns:

Laney Boggs from She’s All That.

For those of you unfamilar with her this is her premise in the movie according to IMDB, "On the rebound Zach takes a bet from his best friend that he can take up with mousey bespectacled Laney Boggs and get her voted prom queen instead. Great friend, impossible task. Though once Laney scraps her glasses, does her hair, and gets into decent rags, Zach finds himself taking rather a lot of notice of her."

At first glance it is easy to think the Browns suck, just like everyone wrote off Laney as an ugly artsy loser. But, the Browns really aren’t as bad as their 0-3 record might indicate. They’ve been competitive in every game and I have walked away from each game thinking that they blew it, not that the other team beat us. The statistics show through three games the Browns have played their opponents virtually even in total yardage (965 to 943) with the Browns holding the advantage in yards per play (5.4 to 5.1).

Just like Laney became a hottie with the proper coaching on what to wear and who to hang out with, the Browns are just a tad off and would probably have a few wins with better coaching and to a lesser extent better QB * play.

* Seneca Wallace is one of those quarterbacks who are worse than his statistics indicate. I was secretly excited about him coming into this season because he had a career QB rating in the 80s, high completion percentage, and 2 to 1 TD/INT ratio. He has done exactly that for the Browns, but I have no confidence in him. His befuddling deep ball on 3rd and 2 in the 4th quarter that he threw 20 yards out of bounds with no pressure is exactly what I mean. *

The Browns-Ravens game was a perfect example of how the Browns coaching killed them. The 8 penalties the Browns committed, including the brutal neutral zone infraction on 3rd and 5, which sealed the game for the Ravens. Leaving Eric Wright on an island all day against Anquan Boldin when we have other better (ahem, Sheldon Brown) corner options was bullheaded. Lastly, the Browns wasted a precious 2nd half timeout to save a delay of game penalty when they were on their own 1 yard line. The Browns saved a precious 18 inches while we still had 3rd and 29.

I feel like if the Browns had the proper coaching (cough, cough, Mike Holmgren) they might be 2-1 maybe even 3-0 at this point in the season. Just like Laney learned what it took to make herself noticed by guys, the Browns could learn how to win if they had the proper guidance.

The New York Giants Are Now Like ....

2010-09-27T20:23:00.005-04:00

That's right. The New York Giants have turned into this. Remember that girl from your high school that was incredibly hot with tons of potential. She was the homecoming/prom queen, captain of the cheerleading squad and going to a top school. Instead when you returned home for Christmas break, she packed on 40-50 bills, dropped out of school and was getting stuffed by the random old dude that used to come to the parties.

Well, that's how I feel about the Giants. When the Giants won the Super Bowl, they were at the top of the world. Returned everyone but DC Steve Spagnuolo, Michael Strahan, Derrick Ward, Gibril Wilson and Kawika Mitchell. The offense was blooming with Jacobs and whoever would be behind him in Bradshaw and Ward looking like the best 1-2 combo in football. Eli has his security blankets in Plax, Steve Smith, Kevin Boss and Toomer. Coughlin and Jerry Reese were credited for having the best minds in the game. The O-line was rated among the best. And there was the pass rush. Oh, the old pass rush.

Now, it's just a bunch of turds flopping around out there. Watching the game against the Titans this week was the complete opposite of old 'Giants football.' There was no discipline, there was no running game and more importantly there was no pass rush. Now, I'm not going to knock the defense for that loss, they did control Chris Johnson sans a late 4th quarter run. But, that team goes as the pass rush goes.

Much like the old smokeshow from high school, she had all the tools - skinny, solid ass, probably a nice rack, all the goodies. The Giants have all the tools up and down the roster to be a Super Bowl contending team - the playmakers, enough experience and mentality. But, like the hottie, they are screwed up on the inside - STD's and being pure bat-shit crazy for the hottie, and for the Giants there is internal fighting, questioning the front office and helmet tossing.

If they don't turn this around soon it'll only get worse and I don't want to find a picture worse than that above.

A New Addition to the Family

2010-09-27T16:03:00.004-04:00

The two Why So Serious creators would like to welcome a new addition to the blog: Gil. That's right like Madonna, Seal and Cher he is going by the one name. Gil hails from Chicago and is known for willingly doing anything for Jon Scheyer as well letting everyone know he went to high school with him. Gil currently works in the sports world, as he is on an incredible record pace for most jobs held before the age of 25. Gil was part of the intramural dynasty at UK, winning two three v three's and a five v five. Gil is a die-hard Bears, Bulls and UK fan and will be providing weekly gambling advice as well as an array of posts of game recaps and the business side of sports.

Packers @ Bears Betting Preview

2010-09-27T14:11:00.004-04:00

Packers (-3) @ Bears

As a die-hard Chicago Bears fan I hope that Jay Cutler tears up the Packers secondary and Peppers puts Aaron Rodgers in a body bag. Unfortunately, being a realist and avid sports gambler, I think just the opposite is going to happen and the Packers will easily cover. I have several cardinal rules for football betting, but these are the three most important:

1) Don’t ever put money against your favorite team (in this case the Bears)
2) Don’t bet against Peyton Manning in prime time, EVER
3) Always bet against Clemson to win a big game

Rule #1 prevents me from personally betting this game, but the one fact that might make me change my mind is they’re a home underdog on Monday Night Football, and home dogs on MNF are 2-0 against the spread (Chiefs, 49ers) this year.

Now here is some data I found at http://www.point-spreads.com/, which pretty much indicates that the Bears are going to get creamed tonight:

Packers are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games on grass.
Packers are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite.
Packers are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a S.U. win.
Packers are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win.
Packers are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. NFC.
Packers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game.
Packers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Packers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in Week 3.
Bears are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games as a home underdog of 0.5-3.0.
Bears are 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 games following a S.U. win.
Bears are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
Bears are 7-18-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Bears are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games overall.Bears are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 vs. NFC.
Bears are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 vs. NFC North.

So of the 16 trends listed above, only one shows that the Bears will cover. As a betting man I would say that’s 15:1 the Packers will cover. On the flip side, you could justify betting the Bears under the “well Vegas knows this information too and they’ll adjust the line” strategy. Either way, I won’t be betting this game because I like to keep my sanity and even if they lose by 2 and cover, I’ll still be pissed. Regardless, I expect a cut from your winnings and can provide a mailing address for my check later.

Will Aaron Rodgers win muiltiple MVPs?

2010-09-27T11:40:00.006-04:00

** We have asked commenters Dan Reagan and Randy Kern to play a PTI-style oddsmaker on 5 topics that we have chosen. This is the second part of the series. **

Dan Reagan - 15%

My initial reaction to this question was a resounding 0%. Only 7 players in the history of the NFL havewon multiple MVPs. It’s a bit presumptuous to predict this kind of feat for a player who has never won a playoff game, and plays behind a shaky offensive line that puts his life at risk every time he takes a sevenstep drop. However, his chances for the next few years are very good. MVPs only go to QBs or RBs,and there are only a few RBs who get enough carries to qualify these days. Peyton Manning has won 4 MVP’s, including the last two and is on the verge of giving the voters Michael Jordan syndrome, allowing a Karl Malone or Charles Barkley-type to steal an MVP this year or next. This puts Aaron Rodgers in a very small group of players who are on the inside track for at least one. Two’s still a lot to ask for though. Therefore, I say 15%.

Randy - 27%

In the 52 years that the AP MVP (which really stands for "most valuable quarterback or runningback but probably quarterback") has existed, seven different players have won it twice or more (this includes the three years that yielded two winners). So the award has been handed out 55 times, and 16 of those recipients were repeat winners. So if we assume Mr. Rodgers has a 100% chance of winning a single MVP, he has roughly a 29% chance of winning a second, atleast in terms of historical proportions, because 16 / 55 = .2909. Of course, no way could anyone assert that there is a 100% chance him winning the first one...

So how likely is it that he'll win one? I'm not sure how to mathematically justify this sub-number so lets look at some other great QBs. How many MVPs did Marino, Elway, Starr and Bradshaw win? One a piece. How about Montana, Warner, Favre, Young, Unitas? Two or more. Then there's a Kelly and Aikmen, goose eggs. And lets not forget or Gannons, McNairs, and Sipes who snuck one in there when nobody was looking ;)

Based on the above, I'll say Rodgers has a 90% chance of winning at least one MVP. He's the best young quarterback in the game hands down (you could make a case for Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger but Rodgers is two years younger), he posted the 4th highest QB rating in the league his second year of play. And seeing as he's 27 years old, has roughly 11 years of play in him, figuring most elite quarterbacks retire in their later 30s.

So why not 100%? I'm sure we were all ready to reserve Carson Palmer an MVP or two on layaway back in 2005 before he got hurt (yeah, that can happen to anybody). So back to the question at hand...

I'm just going with the historical proportions here. We've got my subjective albeit educated estimate of 90% that he'll win an MVP, so lets go ahead and multiply .9 by my 29.09 from before to determine how likely it is that he'll win another...okay!

26.181

Okay, so he has a 26ish% chance of winning two or more MVPS, is that all? Not quite. My formula is a little flawed because some players (Manning 4, Favre 3) won MORE than two MVPs. Thus the % chance got a little inflated. Sorry I'm not a math wizard that can formulate through this, but atleast I'm logical assesive enough to realize the design flaw. I dont think this is too drastic though, so I'm saying my number is still somewhere between 20-25%.

So enough with the number crunching... There's been a recent trend of players winning multiple MVPs. Prior to Montana winning the award back to back in 89 and 90, only Jim Brown and Jonny Unitas had racked up more than one MVP. Because of this, I feel I'm gonna up my prior percentage range a tad...

I'm gonna say that since he's plays in the present era, and his because he's biggest competition will be Phillip Rivers and an aging Peyton Manning, I'm giving Aaron Rodgers a solid 27% chance of winning 2 or more MVPs.

Will Kevin Durant Win More Than 5 Scoring Titles?

2010-09-24T09:23:00.008-04:00

** We have asked commenters Dan Reagan and Randy Kern to play a PTI-style oddsmaker on 5 topics that we have chosen. This is the first part of the series. **

Randy - 60%

Michael Jordan won 10 scoring titles. I don't anticipate Kevin Durant will be as good an all around player as Michael Jordan, but in the avenue of pure "scoring", I don't see how he won't come close. Durants primary competition for the scoring title; Lebron James and Dwyane Wade, will be less likely to win scoring titles on the Miami Heat seeing as they have themselves and Bosh to distribute to. Durant is listed at 6'9, the same height as Lebron James, though I've heard accusations that he's actually taller than the 6'10 Amare Stoudemire, based on when they stand side by side. But its not his post game that racks in the points, its his jump shot. I'm not saying its as good as Kobes, but he's only 21 years old. And its not like Durant is as one dimmensional as say Reggie Miller, he can create off the dribble, and is nearly invincible off of screens. I don't adhere to the assumption that all NBA players gradually improve and peak in their late 20's, but the fact of the matter is Durant can and will get better. Thats pretty scary.

So why am I not giving him a higher percent chance of winning 5+ more scoring titles? I mentioned his "invincibility" off of screens. This is not only a strength but a weakness in that he is a little too reliant on it. Sure, he'll develop his game to where he won't rely on that so heavily, but developing his game doesn't mean "becoming a better scorer". If anything, as Durant matures he will be scoring LESS in that the passing, rebounding, defending, etc. aspects of his game will blossom. The Thunder aren't gonna win titles with because Durant drops 40 every night. Durant himself is indifferent towards winning scoring titles (I recall him being overly humble and stating that Lebron, Wade, Carmelo, Kobe were all better at scoring than he is).

With all that being said, I give Kevin Durant a 60% chance of winning 5 more scoring titles.

Dan Reagan - 90%

Interesting how Kevin Durant signing an extension with Oklahoma City to take 25 shots a night was looked at as unselfish and Lebron going to Miami in order to give up shots and win multiple titles was selfish. Not that I mind. Lebron’s a douche and I love me some Durantula. But KD really has set himself up to score A LOT of points by staying in OKC. Andre Igudola wasn’t completely crazy when he said last week that Durant will finish as the NBA’s all time leading scorer. With one scoring title already under his belt, with 2 of his competitors competing for shots in Miami, and with his career just beginning, I’ll give this one a 90%. It would be quite a feat considering he was only the second best player on his high school team.

With the Number 1 Pick ...

2010-09-23T17:41:00.002-04:00

Thought of this discussion today instead of doing actual work. If every NFL player was eligible for a draft of a new organization who do you take - essentialy who are you building your franchise around? My answer:

Aaron Rodgers.

Why Rodgers instead of someone like Brees, Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson or Peyton Manning? The big thing for me is the time you can have with Rodgers as the face of your franchise. Peyton Manning, while much better than Rodgers will play for a few more years. Rodgers is 26 years old and only in his third year as a starting quarterback. He has yet to experience an NFL injury, while still being an underrated mobile quarterback.

His stats are insane as heading into this year he had a total 59 touchdowns compared to 21 interceptions with over 8,800 yards to his name. He's also ran for 9 touchdowns and 570 yards.

I also look at building around a quarterback as opposed to a running back due to shelf life. While I firmly believe Johnson and Peterson are exceptions to the short life of a running back inthe NFL, I see Rodgers playing until he's 38 years old. That's another 12 years with a solid quarterback (hello, Brett Favre's footsteps).

That's who I'm building around. What about you?

THE MOST ANNOYING THING IN THE NFL

2010-09-23T10:02:00.004-04:00

Did you know that Miller Lite has a new vortex bottle?? Well, you certainly will after you watch an NFL game. After another NFL weekend of being inundated with commercial breaks I had to rant about one of the MOST ANNYOING things in sports.

A team goes down and scores and they cut to commercial break between the score and ensuing kickoff. They come back to action and the kickoff takes place. As soon as the return ends they go to another commercial break! We get 5 minutes of commercials surrounding 6 seconds of action. I understand that these sponsors are paying good money to get their annoying ads played repeatedly during an NFL game. But, as a fan getting a few seconds of action surrounded by 5 minutes of Coors, Verizon and NCIS promos is a donkey punch to our enjoyment of the game.

NCAA vs NFL Who You Got?

2010-09-22T16:13:00.003-04:00

I have been in this debate numerous times lately, so I figured I'd bring it to the blog to see what people thought. What do you enjoy more: NCAA Football vs the NFL. My answer: NFL. Hands down.

My biggest problem with the NCAA is there's no true 'champion.' Every year from Day 1 you hear about which team will get screwed out of a chance to play for the National Championship. This year, it will be Boise State, last year it was TCU and so on. Until the NCAA instutes a playoff, at least 8 teams, I will always firmly believe there is never a true champion.

On top of that you have about 40 teams/schools who can claim to be a champion of something - do you really feel proud walking around saying your team won the Papa John's Bowl? Compared to the NFL where the only champions you can say are division -if you're really proud of that you belong in the Cincinnati Bengals fanship - conference and then the Super Bowl. That's it, there's no random December 18th game to decide the champion of some game.

Another advantage I feel the NFL has is NCAA 'contenders' will pad their non-conference schedule and essentially waltz their way to their respective conference schedule in order to maintain that BCS Bowl berth. While teams like the Lions, Browns, Rams and Bills suck terrible wind, they always have a fighting chance in the game they are playing. Ohio U will lose to Ohio State 100 out of 100 times - unless the two mascots go at it in the end zone, then my money is on Rufus.

And just like that game, the NFL trumps the NCAA in my book 100 out of 100 times.

So, who do you got? The NCAA or NFL?

If the Cleveland Browns Disappeared

2010-09-21T20:46:00.003-04:00

I had a question posed to me recently, if the Cleveland Browns just disappeared* off the face of the earth (not to Baltimore), what NFL team would I root for? So with starting this blog back up, I figured I would share my answer and reasoning to the vast amount of readers.

* Actually ceased to exist, not just the oblivion of having every game be a 1pm game with a former mediocre AFC West quarterback doing the games.

My Pick: The Eagles

Why the Eagles? Here are four reasons.

1. The Fans - Eagles fans have the reputation of being crude and hostile. I really like that. I want opposing fans to be scared to come to my home stadium. At the very least a Giants fan should get a beer spilled on him. If hes one of those incredibly douchey ones that still wears a Shockey jersey, he should definitely get an ass beating in the upper deck. Also, the "Fly Eagles Fly" song is kind of catchy and I would definitely belt it out drunkenly.

2. Suffering - I can empathize with a fanbase that hasn't won anything since Norm Van Brocklin was quarterbacking for them. I couldn't be a frontrunner and jump on a team like the Saints or Patriots. I need a fanbase that feels suffering.

3. Andy Reid is Fat - I like having a coach that has a trait that you can easily rip on. When Romeo Crennel was the head coach of the Browns everything that went wrong we blamed on him being a barge. So when Andy Reid mismanages the game clock for like 430th time you have something easy to bitch about, "That fatass was too busy thinking about the postgame spread to realize the playclock was at zero." See, I told you I like suffering and overweight coaches.

4. Madden - Over the years I have played with the Eagles because I like playing with a mobile QB, Donovan McNabb. In the 2011 game, I have liked the Eagles because of a mobile QB (Vick), good receiving RB (McCoy) and fast WR (Jackson and Maclin).

If your favorite team spontaneously combusted and you had to choose a new team, who would it be?

NFL Trade Rumors: Why Brandon Jacobs is Untradable and Where Vincent Jackson Ends Up

2010-09-21T16:32:00.000-04:00

What's a better way to kick off a year and a half hiatus than to write about a Giant. Now, unlike the norm I won't be defending anything but rather explaining why it will be near impossible for the Giants to trade that monster of a locker room cancer known as Brandon Jacobs. First of all, not many teams need running back help - it's a very short list that includes Green Bay, Oakland (solely because Al Davis is senile), Seattle (because Pete Carroll never does anything normally) and maybe a team like Tampa Bay.

The next thing is Jacobs essentially retired after the Giants won the Super Bowl against the Pats. He was signed to a large contract with big guaranteed money ($15 million over the first two years). No one is going to pay a headcase that amount.

Finally, he flat out sucks now. He's 28 years old and he's shown his shelf life as a valuable NFL running back. He's no longer doing what he did his first 4 years in the league where he'd run straight ahead and over people. Instead he's dancing, i.e. the play against the Colts on Sunday night that led to the helmet throw. Last season he average a putrid 3.7 yards per carry, his worst season since his rookie campaign when he averaged 2.6 off of 38 attempts. He's also proven to be a subpar short yardage back as it's usually Bradshaw in the backfield during those situations.

The other big trade rumor floating around again is Vincent Jackson, who if he gets traded by tomorrow will only be suspended for two more games. Does this happen? I would think Minnesota makes the hardest push for him in order to keep Brett Favre from crying and an effort to help AP. The only other possible destination for him could be Seattle.

Thoughts? It's good to be back and God hates Cleveland.

Well, Hello Again!

2010-09-21T16:18:00.000-04:00

After a year and a half hiatus, Bobby and I decided to restart our blog. Due to sheer boredom in our lives and it being football season, we thought this would be a great time to start writing again. Throughout the fall, we plan on having several weekly regular posts. We look to have weekly features previewing the weekend in college football and NFL, a recap of the football weekend early in the week, and postings during the week debating topics or giving our opinion on issues at the time. We will also give our overwhelmingly amateur gambling and fantasy advice. And as always, Eli Manning sucks.

Tim Brando is the man

2009-03-13T11:51:00.000-04:00

I'm currently in Tampa, Fla., covering the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the Kernel. We arrived on Wednesday night and proceeded to go out for what we'll call 'a few' beers and drinks. We arrived back at our hotel, the Tampa Marriot Waterside, when we saw Champion's Bar and Grill and decided to have one more beer.

The group I was with included Alex Hale, Eric Lindsey and Brad Luttrell. Upon entering we saw Tim Brando sitting at a table sipping on some sort of alcoholic drink. Now, let me preface this story with what happened last year at the SEC Tournament. Fellow Why So Serious creator, Dan Howarth and I were in Atlanta and scored tickets to Georgia Tech to watch UK lose to Georgia in the quarterfinals. At halftime Brando walked by us when Dan built up the courage to tell Brando he loves him and he uses his famous quote 'the iron unkind' in beer pong. Brando responded with 'anything I can do to help pop culture.' He instantly became a Park Boy favorite.

Now, this year Brando steps up from his table and begins to man hug everyone in sight, while he looks dishelved and flat out bombed. This time it was Hale who had the courage to go to talk to him. Hale, the Kentucky Boy himself, shook Brando's hand and told him it was a pleasure to meet him. Brando's response: "I'm going to bed." And then rolled into the hallway.

Simply put, Brando loves alcohol and being the man.

LeBrick James No More?

2009-03-05T01:40:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to touch on this subject for some time but my studies (ha!) and other things have been keeping me away from posting. Brian Windhorst touched on this subject on his Cavs beat blog tonight, but its something I have been meaning to talk about as well.

I will go all Matthew Berry on you here.

Player A - 33.3% three point percentage
Player B - 33.9% three point percentage
Player C - 32.7% three point percentage

Player B is Kobe Bryant's three point percentage for the 08-09 season. Player C is Michael Jordan's three point percentage for his career. And Player A is LeBron James' three point percentage in 08-09.

When people talk about LeBron's game, his detractors quickly point out his jump shot or supposed lack of one. National media blowhards like Skip Bayless have even dubbed him "LeBrick." But what most of the national media is missing is that LeBron has quietly improved that area. Since January 30th, LeBron has gone 42-93 from deep for a Jason Kapono-esque 45.16%.

Expecting him to keep shooting 45+% from deep is pretty unreasonable. He still gets the ball too many times late in the shot clock and has to take too many difficult threes. I like to refer to these shots as "The Jodie Meeks Special." Also, he attempts too many heat check threes after big dunks or hitting several shots in a row. But if LeBron can hit in the 35-37% range on his threes in the playoffs and consistently knock down the shots the defense gives him within the rhythm of the offense, you can count on a Cavs championship.

Funniest NBA Trade

2009-02-21T15:18:00.000-05:00

When the ESPN ticker scrolled across the screen and announced this trade, I literally laughed out loud. Larry Hughes to the Knicks with Jerome James and Tim Thomas heading to Chicago. I hope that the GM's did this move to give NBA fans like me a good chuckle.

This trade involves maybe the three most disinterested players ever to play in the NBA.

Jerome James - Has made $30 million dollars to sit on the Knicks bench and eat... a lot. Has played 15 minutes the last two years and is perfectly healthy. This viedo posted on this forum shows his Knicks career in a nutshell.
http://www.knicksonline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=85337

Tim Thomas - If you google "Tim Thomas lazy" you get 223,000 results. I think that defines his career.

Larry Hughes - Here are his quotes:
"I play to enjoy myself, some people take this the wrong way, but winning a championship is not what I base everything on."
"I wouldn’t take being unhappy and not being myself and winning."
"I was asked to sacrifice for the team to win and for everybody, I guess, get paid. That is what was told to me and I wasn’t happy with that."

I guess Larry Hughes going to play for Mike D'Antoni is a match made in heaven for him. D'Antoni loves to get up shots in "7 seconds or less" and Larry Hughes has not found a contested jumper in transition that he does not like. I give this trade an A+.... in comedy.

Spring Break Odds

2009-02-17T19:12:00.000-05:00

When a guy fantasizes about spring break, they think about chilling on the beach, pounding beer, and pulling in quality strange. For me this is the perfect opportunity to combine spring break with gambling odds.

One of my good buddies at home, Kerver, has gone through some rough patches since the prosperous summer and fall of 2006. Whether it be bad luck, bad game, or girlfriends that do not put out (yikes!), Kerver has gone through it all. But, this spring break he is looking to bust out.

Kerver has several things going for him. He is going to Fort Myers for a week and has a sizable house close to the beach. He is not setting his standards too high (anything 5 and above*) and is ready to unleash his game on the beaches and bars of the greater Fort Myers area. One con that he has working against him is that he has no connection to any ladies in the area. Thus any hookup will be completely strange.

A panel of nine members of US has estimated his odds of getting lucky at 4.64%.

The gambling line is set at 21-1. We encourage you to comment and say which side you would bet on.

* NOTE: A 5 on our 10 point scale of rating girls is defined as something you would not find attractive sober. It is something that is mediocre looking even at closing time of the bar but is not that horrible to settle for. You can easily defend this hookup by claiming wastedness and your buddies will not give you that much shit for it. This hookup is still 1.5x better than anything Matthews dates.

Dunk Contest: Lame

2009-02-15T11:29:00.000-05:00

I look forward to the dunk contest every year. I was very excited for this years after Dwight Howard's performance last year. But last nights contest was a big letdown and incredibly lame. The winner, Nate Robinson, did a dunk Romona Robinson could pull off by jumping off someones back. However, all was not lost. LeBron is saying that he will do the contest next year, which will bring some necessary hype to the event. LeBron is easily the best in game dunker I have ever seen and has me salivating imagining the dunks he could do with a whole year to prepare. My bet is that he will dunk by taking off from several feet behind the free throw line.

My dream scenario for next years contest:

LeBron James
Andre Iguodala
Dwyane Wade
Demar Derozen (assuming he enters the NBA draft, if not then Josh Smith)

Let me know who you all would like to see in next years contest.

Rivlary Talk

2009-02-10T16:09:00.000-05:00

With this week being ESPN's 'Rivalry Week' headlined by of course Duke-UNC, careful somewhere Dicky V. heard this mention and got a little too 'excited.' While it is a great rivalry, is it the best in sports? Here's my list of top 5, and shocking to about everyone there will be no New York Giants reference in this.

5) Alabama vs. Auburn football
4) Army vs. Navy football
3) New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
2) Ohio State vs. Michigan
1) Duke vs. UNC

Okay, okay, I agree with ESPN. Why though? Because of the proximity, 8 miles separate these two, closer than any other rivalry. Unlike the Yankees and Red Sox they play only 2-3 times a year. The importance of the game as well. More often than not these two teams are in the top-10 if not higher. The same goes for OSU-Michigan usually. The third is the fan base. Sleeping out in a tent for 40-plus days, says something. You don't do that for a normal game. Let us know your lists.

Cavs-Lakers Game Blog

2009-02-08T15:11:00.001-05:00

Game Recap
- The Cavs got just flat out abused on the glass in the second half. That was a piss poor effort by the Cavs at blocking out Lamar Odom.
- The Cavs offense bogged down in the second half. LeBron held the ball way too long looking to try and make plays. Also, LeBron didn't finish in the lane as well as he usually does.
- I feel like the Cavs were hot in the first half and fell in love with their jumpers in the second half. If they are to beat LA in the finals, they need to not have such a disparity in points in the paint.
- Not having Delonte West hurt the Cavs in that they could not slide LeBron over to cover Lamar Odom. LeBron had to stick on Kobe and the other Cavs were getting abused by Odom.

Second Quarter
- Varejao's activity has been key. He has absolutely controlled the defensive boards.
- Daniel Gibson's jump shot looks off. His balance with his legs and feet looks like it is different than last year.
- The Cavs were +2 with LeBron on the bench. The Lakers bench is generally regarded as the best in the league and the Cavs won that battle in this quarter.
- Good thing there are not 1-and-1's in the NBA. Lamar Odom misses the first free throw more often than any other player I have ever seen.

First Quarter
- Pau Gasol can pretty much get whatever shot he wants. Cleveland is playing him straight up in the post and not bringing a double.
- LeBron has not forced too much so far and is letting the game come to him. He is getting his teammates involved but look for him to attack more the second half of quarter number 2.
- Having Z to stretch the floor is huge. He will get at least 15 shots today with how the Lakers play defense.

Pregame
- The roles have reversed since the last time these two teams met in LA. The Cavs were woefully undersized inside without Z and Andrew Bynum was healthy for the Lakers. Bynum was able to overwhelm Varejao and Wallace with his sheer size. Pau Gasol is a much better defensive matchup for Varejao.
- The Cavs will be able to successfully use their small lineup today (LeBron playing some 4) as LeBron is able to handle Lamar Odom defensively.
- Not having Delonte West really hurts against the Lakers. He is the Cavs best perimeter defender and would guard Kobe til crunch time when LeBron will take over that duty.
- The under/over for times Kobe and LeBron's MSG performances will be mentioned on ABC's telecast is set at +/- 387.
- In the story line everyone is following, Shannon Brown makes his vengeful return to Cleveland.

Prediction: It will be a tight game thoughout the first three quarters. Being at home, Cleveland and LeBron will get favorable calls down the stretch and end up winning by about 10.

The pressure of being a college basketball coach

2009-02-05T17:19:00.000-05:00

Here's my story in today's Kernel about the pressure facing Gillispie to win at Kentucky. What do you think? I'll respond later with my input on most UK fans and the team:

Three games. That’s all it takes in Lexington to go from the pinnacle of the Southeastern Conference to hearing the sound of boos.

He came in as a savior. Three well-documented, surprising losses and a 20-second ESPN halftime interview later, UK men’s basketball head coach Billy Gillispie has remained in the media spotlight. And one day after his third consecutive loss, he is faced with more pressure and a new challenge.

On Wednesday, Darrell Bird of CatsPause.com reported that Patrick Patterson said players verbally confronted each other in the locker room following Tuesday’s loss.

Patterson told Bird that Gillispie stood in the locker room and let the players say what was on their minds. UK Athletics spokesman John Hayden said there was no comment on the story.

“Patrick just came out and started talking, and I asked him if Gillispie was in the locker room,” Bird said in a phone interview. “He said, ‘Oh yeah, (Gillispie) was there.’ Pat just spoke, said there was a heart-to-heart talk after a three-game losing streak.”

Big Blue Nation has grown restless, shown by the chorus of boos at halftime during UK’s 66-57 loss to Mississippi State on Tuesday, but the fans aren’t necessarily putting the blame on Gillispie.

Former UK head coach Joe B. Hall said such behavior is caused by the tradition of UK basketball.

“Boos happen during a bad run. I heard them too,” said Hall, who went 13-13 in his second season at UK. “Kentucky fans are that demanding because of the tradition here. You just need to win.”

Gillispie and his Cats won’t get a chance to win again until Feb. 10 against rival Florida. Former UK basketball great Tony Delk said winning is the cure to the boo birds.

While Delk never experienced jeers at Rupp Arena, he said he understands how Gillispie feels. During the 1993-1994 season, Delk’s sophomore year, the Cats lost two consecutive games. He remembers the team making sure they defeated Louisiana State to stop the streak and keep the fans happy.

“Fans do expect great things out of our team,” Delk said in a phone interview with the Kernel. “We’re that kind of team and program. The fans are trying to be patient but we also want instant success out of him and the team.”

While that could turn a lot of heads in Lexington, Clayton Barrett, a finance sophomore and UK fan, said he doesn’t have a problem with the story of a locker room confrontation.

“I don’t have a problem with it,” Barrett said. “They showed their emotion and hopefully that can translate over to the court now.”

While every UK fan has his or her own belief of what will turn the Cats’ losing ways around, Delk is convinced it’s quite simple: win.

“What cures everything is winning. You have to put what happened behind you,” Delk said. “But we need to focus on defense and everything will fall into place. We have to control the ball and value the ball.

“Nothing is more important than winning though.”

Quick reactions to UK-MSU

2009-02-03T21:59:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a difference three games can make. Two weeks ago the Cats were a Top-25 team, and a potential 4-6 seed in March. Now, they are an average SEC team, in a very average league. Everybody seemed to lose the ability to score, dribble and most importantly rebound. Some quick notes I saw during the game.

-Why not go small? Mississippi State played four guards and Varnado. Why in the hell did UK keep sending Stevenson and Patterson out there. You had Stevenson on a guard! A point guard nonetheless! Why not go with a team of Liggins, Meeks, Porter, Miller and Patterson. Rotate Patterson, Stevenson and Harrellson in for each other. If you bring in Harrellson with the four guards, his shooting ability would bring Varnado out of the post. Then with the guards you can just run a platoon of those listed above, Harris and Galloway. You could switch anything between those four then.

-For the love of God UK, get in the gym and do nothing but basic shooting drills. They shot a mere 35 percent from the field. When teams are going to dare you to shoot, hit it. It's as simple as that. They sagged so far off of Porter, Miller, Liggins and Harris that it was like they were simply shooting warming up. No one was near them.

-Defend the three. UK had no defensive answer for Mississippi State who hit 14 from long distance. I know a lot of them were deep, but they had to see some of that on tape. Often times though UK didn't even get a hand in their face.

-Does anyone in America have a bigger green light than Meeks? He might have a bigger one than Curry. Some of his shots are so bad. He tries to take the team on his shoulders, which I understand why he does, but he tries too much.

-The key to this teams success in running. They are a terrible half-court team. They need to get back to that. Get the ball, quick outlet and run. In the half court, they really need to get Patterson touches and go inside out. Don't settle for the three.

-They have a week off now until Florida next Tuesday. Let's see what happens then. It's going to be a week, I'm happy not to be a part of Gillispie's team.

Alex Boone: Sorry I'm not Sorry

2009-02-03T03:24:00.000-05:00

Alex Boone, the St. Edwards and Ohio State drinking legend, has continued his partying ways. His legend started back when he was a freshmen at tOSU. After getting arrested for a DUI after plowing into a stopped car, he famously described his drinking habits to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "I’d have one beer, and it would lead to 24 or 36 — there were weekends when in one night I’d be putting down 40."

Well, Alex is back at it again.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/02/02/boone.ohiostate.ap/index.html

If only he could of handled SEC defensive lineman as well as he pounds Natty Lights...

My Best Cleveland Game Experience

2009-02-03T01:14:00.000-05:00

By Randy Kern

So Dan assigned me to write about my favorite game that I’ve ever attended. The problem is, I’m a Cleveland fan, so I don’t really have much to chose from. Therefore, I’m going to cheat a little and discuss a game that I wasn’t technically at (but I might as well have been). But before I get to that, I’ll list my honorable mentions:

- Run William Run. The best moment in new Browns history (how pathetic is that?). Atlanta had already clinched a playoff birth, something they kept reminding them of over the loudspeaker. I speculate that had they needed that win, they would’ve ran with Vick in the red zone and we’d have lost. Anyways, I refrained from drinking any sodas before the game because I didn’t want to have to urinate during it. I was with my brother in law in his yuppy-ass upper deck seats so the crowd experience was nothing special. At least it was loud by the new stadiums standards.

- 00 Win over the Steelers in week 3. Steelers got screwed, the clock should’ve been stopped when they were rushing their kicker onto the field and couldn’t get it off (I forget the logistics but I remember the league apologized for it). I will always remember this because it was my first Browns game, and it was a win over the Steelers. I went home and listened to “Who Let the Dogs Out” for the rest of the afternoon.

- Two games I attended with Blackie in the Dawg Pound in 04. The first was our home opener against the Ravens, the only one we’ve one since our return. I can’t believe how convincing we were that game. Memorable because of the rowdy middle aged guys around us, especially the one with an Eric Turner jersey who called me “Skippy”. If I ranked my honorable mentions, this would probably be #1 Browns game because it was a meaningful win (at the time) and I was in an ideal environment.

The second was week 4 after our season had already been decimated by injuries. We beat the Redskins in a lousy game. This was when my infamous “piss towel” was waved. I love peeing my pants in the Dawg Pound. Especially at the Bills blizzard game in 07 when I did so 6 times.

- Moving onto the Indians. I was at the game where Jim Thome hit 3 homeruns. He was my favorite player so this was a big deal. I think that was 2000. Another great one was a day game I went to with Kerver and Snakes with last minute tickets that were given to us. The seats were great, right behind home plate. My new favorite Indian, Fausto Carmona, pitched an absolute gem.

- I went to two Indians playoff games in 07 with Blackie. They kind of run together in my mind, but the first was the game 1 victory over the Yankees. The second was the game 4 win against the Red Sox. I was impressed by the crowd, particularly do to the fact that I had completely written off Indians fans when they couldn’t sell out the divison clinching win during nice weather a couple weeks earlier.

- The Tigers game at Comerica in 07 deserves a mention simply because it’s the only out of town game I’ve ever attended. The Indians won (obviously, or it wouldn’t be on the list) and the Tiger fans were solid, better than the flimsies you’d find at the Jake. I mean they atleast threw shit at us when we were rubbing it in. Makeshift beer pong in the motel afterward and Howarth’s sleep walking adventure round out a worthwhile trip.

- There’s only one Cavs game that deserves a mention (for now). That would be when the Chosen-King-L-Train danced down the baseline for the buzzer beating layup vs the Wizards in a pivotal game 5. I was sitting in the very top row with Ron, and the crowd was as fired up as I could realistically ask for. While I’m at it, I’ll give an honorable-honorable mention to games 3 and 4 of the Detroit series that same year. This is when I coined “DE-TROIT SUCKS MY BALLS” while patrolling the concourse of the Q before the game.

My favorite Cleveland gaming experience is definitely when the Cavs won the East in 2007. I wasn’t at the game but as downtown for the Party at the Plaza. Basically it was a bunch of big screen TV’s surrounded by a sea of Cavs fans.
Howarth cut his finger off earlier in the day, so he was damned to watching the game with the then mangled Arbaugh under the soupy influence of pain killers.
Most of us were drunk before we were even downtown. Riedle was too embarrassed to walk by the masses when we got on the rapid. I can’t reinterate enough how drunk and baffoonaried the Kerver brothers were for this event. Brett Kerver got into a verbal spat with a Tigers fan on the subway. Krusty would just charge ahead yelling incoherent isms about how Detroit sucks. I’ll never forget when Brett screamed “FUCK!” at the top of his lungs after the Cavs missed their inaugural jump shot of the game.
I recall there being two fairly attractive ladies near us in the crowd. Riedle ended up getting some digits. Me and a few others found their presence to be rather distracting. Kerver was like “if you can’t stop looking at her, just switch to where I’m standing”. Thanks, Kerver..
As the game carried on, the crowd began rearing its blue collared edge. Just constant screams, epiphets, drinking, and excess celebrations for everything the Cavs did. When Boobie started raining 3’s, it was one moshpit after another. Once we wrapped it up, there was a lot of hugging. Full fledged bear hugs with random strangers. Euphoric black dudes who declared they were “WALKING TO SAN ANTONIO, DAMNIT!” People running around in the streets aimlessly.. I can’t count how many ‘De-troit sucks my balls” chants there were. This night was everything I dreamed of a Cleveland sporting event being.
Riedle kind of decided to be a vag at the end and we ended up leaving the “scene” earlier than we would’ve wanted to, but looking back, we celebrated to the nights fullest merit. All we really did was win a very weak conference, its good that we saved some room to grow for when we bring home our first ring.

Holmes' catch great, not amazing

2009-02-02T16:57:00.001-05:00

I just read Gregg Doyel's column, who is an idiot by the way, who said Santonio Holmes' game-winning catch was the best EVER. It's not even the best in Steelers franchise history. I'm sorry it was a great catch, but it's one that should be made by an NFL receiver. Take a look at players like Marvin Harrison and Amani Toomer, who have made names for themselves making catches tip-toeing the sideline. It was a better throw than catch if anything. Being part of the media, I understand how things get blown out of proportion, but this is getting out of control. Let me know what you all think as the best catch or your list of best catches ever.

My list includes: The Helmet Catch, Immaculate Reception, Lynn Swann's diving catch then 'The Catch.'

Are the Steelers the best franchise in sports?

2009-02-02T12:03:00.001-05:00

I got quite irritated last night listening to ESPN ask this question. The answer is an obvious no. They are nowhere near the best franchise in sports. They are not even the best in franchise in the NFL. I'm not knocking their six Super Bowl titles, but there's more to being the best franchise than six Super Bowl titles. Especially when you were around during the NFL Championship era. Here, in no particular order are franchises I believe are hands down better than the Steelers.

Here notable Steelers stats: a record of 520-488-20. Have appeared in 7 Super Bowls winning, six. They never won an NFL Championship. Their first championship appearance came in 1974, 41 years after being founded. That's not the making of the best franchise ever. In fact they only made the playoffs once before 1972, that came in 1947. Recent history isn't AMAZING either, they've made the playoffs six out of ten years. Not bad, not the best.

1) Boston Celtics-17 NBA Championships in 20 appearances. They were founded in 1946, roughly 13 years after the Steelers. They have recorded a .591 winning percentage and 16 seasons.

2) New York Yankees- 26 World Series titles. 39 Pennants. Founded in 1901 as the Baltimore Orioles, they have won 57 percent of their games. In my opinion, and I hate saying this, probably the best franchise in all of sports.

3) Dallas Cowboys- founded in 1960 and have made eight Super Bowls, winning five. A record of 423-309-6. They have won their division 20 times in 48 years.

4) If you want to call these franchises, UCLA men's basketball and a handful of college football teams.

I'm sorry but the media sucks off Pittsburgh way too much for some reason. Hines Ward is creeping up on KG and Ray Lewis as an 'intensity' guy. They are becoming the Duke of the NFL. They seem to get a lot of the calls and a random bounce goes their way. I'm sorry ESPN I love you, but you're nowhere near the right answer in saying they are the best franchise in sports.

And last night's Super Bowl was NOT the best of all-time. But that's for a later argument...

Super Bowl Prediction

2009-02-01T17:16:00.000-05:00

As a Browns fan this is tough to take seeing our arch rival make it to the Super Bowl for the second time in four years. The Steelers play exactly how I want the Browns to play. They play with an incredibly physical defense, solid run game, and a quarterback that can get out of the pocket and make occasional big plays. And Mike Tomlin is one of my favorite coaches in pro sports. I would love to play for him. Basically, you can say I hate the Steelers but am very jealous of their success.

A couple quick predictions....
1. Arizona will put up more total yards than Pittsburgh.
2. Pittsburgh will have 4+ sacks.
3. Pittsburgh will score a defensive touchdown.

Prop Bets I like
1. Tails on the coin toss.
2. Edgerrin James (+39.5 yards rushing) vs. Willie Parker
3. Larry Fitzgerald (-30.5 yards receiving) vs. Hines Ward

Who will win?
Arizona will move the ball some between the 20s but Pittsburgh defense will stiffen up and make all the big plays. Roethlisberger will get outside the tackles and hit a couple big plays in the passing game taking advantage of overaggressiveness of the Cardinals safeties. Plus, the Steelers fans will make this seem like a home game just like Detroit.

PS Matt Millen picked the Cardinals, obviously I need to go the other way.

Pittsburgh 31
Arizona 17

Best Super Bowls ever

2009-02-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

Will today go down as one of the best Super Bowl games ever? I highly doubt it. There will be no 'Helmet Catch,' no Lynn Swan diving catch and no field goal with a second left. But here is my list of the top 5 Super Bowls of all-time. Call me a homer but you can guess what number 1 is.

5) Giants-Broncos (Super Bowl XXI in 1987)- Giants 39-20 Perhaps the most underrated Super Bowl of all-time. Phil Simms goes 22-25 for 268 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 25 yards on three carries. There was the Big Blue Wrecking Crew's goal line stand, Mark Bavaro and Joe Morris. On Denver's first drive in the second quarter they get to the Giants 1-yard line. The Wrecking Crew then forced them to lose a yard over the next three plays, resulting in a missed field goal by Rich Karlis. This game was also the coming of a young John Elway, who would later turn into the Elway we all know.

4) 49ers-Bengals (Super Bowl XXIII in 1989) 49ers-20-16 The true showing of Joe Cool by Montana. Trailing 16-13 3:20 left Montana enters the huddle and the first thing he says is "Hey, isn't that John Candy over there?" Over the next three minutes he puts together an 11 play, 92-yard drive to win the game with 39 seconds left.

3) Rams-Titans (Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000) Rams 23-16- The Greatest Show on Turf vs Air McNair. But what will be remembered is a defensive play. McNair hits Kevin Dyson on a slant and gets to the one-yard line before Mike Jones grabs him by the leg to bring him down with no time left. Warner, Bruce, Holt and Faulk showed why they were a great offensive team, but a tackle is what everyone will remember.

2) Giants-Bills (Super Bowl XXV in 1990) Giants 20-19- Wide Right. I shouldn't have to say more, but think about it. Last second field goal to win for Norwood and the Bills and he shanks it. But, there was also O.J. Otis Anderson vs. Thurman Thomas. The Juice puts up 102 yards to win MVP, however Thomas almost became the second player ever to win MVP from the losing team as he had a combined 190 yards and single-handily brought the Bills back. But, Jeff Hoestettler and the the Juice were too much.

1) Giants-Patriots (Super Bowl XLII in 2008) Giants 17-14 It was impossible. Everything about the game. The Pats were too good, their offense wouldn't be stopped, Eli was too inconsistent, the Giants were too big of underdogs. But in the end it was the biggest underdog of them all, Eli and Tyree making the play. People forget how Eli got out of the tackle, then Tyree made the greatest catch ever. No denying that. Plax caught the game winner and the Giants D held on one last time. D-coordinator Steve Spagnolo drew up the perfect game, getting to Brady all the time. It stopped the Patriots dream season and sent Strahan out on the high horse. People say the first three quarters were dull, it was just low scoring. An amazing defensive game, then the lights came on in the fourth. It'll be a while until a game tops this.

Honorable mention: Jets-Colts in Super Bowl III in 1968-Namath guarantees victory
Rams-Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002-Hello Tom Brady and Adam Vinaterri
Patriots-Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004-back and forth, Vinaterri again with 4 seconds left, game-winner.

Predictions

2009-02-01T13:31:00.000-05:00

It's Super Bowl Sunday and that can only mean a few things, 1) some good commercials 2) a lot of angry fans and 3) predictions. We all know the background stories of both the Steelers and Cardinals. Now it's time to hear what you all think.

I'm going Cardinals 24-21. It's been too weird of a football season for the Steelers to run away with it.

Quick Reactions UK-USC

2009-01-31T17:16:00.000-05:00

Wow, that was a tough loss to handle. If you are Kentucky you cannot lose at home to South Carolina. This game puts us squarely on the tournement bubble in my opinion. Perry Stevenson's free throws and Downeys jumper are going to be brought up as why we lost, but there are more alarming trends in this game. Here are some thoughts on the game.

- Rebounding absolutely killed UK today. The stats say UK outrebounded USC 38-33. That is incredibly misleading. South Carolina got 18 offensive rebounds that led to wayyyy too many second chances points. In conference play, South Carolina was the 11 ranked team in the SEC in rebounds per game. For a team that is as big and athletic as Kentucky, giving up 18 offensive rebounds is inexcusable.

- Patrick Patterson had a great game offensively today. He had 28 points on only 16 shots and was perfect at the foul line. I was particularly encouraged by him posting up on the right block for once. Also, he showed a drop step today along with a move to his left and the middle. However he has to get some of the blame for the horrendous defensive rebounding performance.

- A questionable decision of taking Meeks out just before there 4 minute mark. I usually agree with trying to get players extra rest in and around the tv timeouts... in the first half. While Meeks was out, UK's offensive possesion consisted of a step back jumper by Darius Miller early in the shot clock.

- This leads me to my next point. UK gives away countless possessions. Im not only talking about the excessive turnovers but some horrible shot selection. DeAndre Liggins pull up 3 in transition and Miller's step back jumpers are flat out possesion giveaways that loom large in one point losses.

- However, the trio of Liggins, Harris, Miller cut down there three point attempts from 15 at Ole Miss to 3 today. That is a positive.

- The inbound play that got Stevenson fouled. Yes, he was open but Meeks or Patterson HAS to get the ball in that situation. Especially with timeouts still in hand. That is poor execution.

- This is the second game in a row that UK was killed on the offensive boards and out coached. Disturbing trends as they enter the heart of conference play.

Curry is the MOST valuable player to his team

2009-01-28T14:40:00.000-05:00

This is a debate about the most valuable player to his team this NCAA basketball season. This does NOT mean they are the best player in the NCAA or will win National Player of the Year. But, Stephen Curry of Davidson is the most valuable player to his team. I do believe Blake Griffin will win the National Player of the Year but here is why Curry is the most valuable to his team.

-First, might be the most obvious. Look who he is playing with. No disrespect to Andrew Lovedale, Will Archambult or Bryant Barr, but who are these guys? Only Lovedale and Archambult average double-digits. Lovedale averages 11.9 and Archambult averages 10.1. I'm sorry but I've seen these guys play and it's nothing special. Lovedale is their 'post' player and shoots less than 50 percent, from inside the paint.

-Here are Curry's stats: 29 ppg, 6.5 assists per game and 4 rebounds per game. He leads the Wildcats in points (obviously) and assists and is third on the team in rebounds, as a point guard.

-Unlike the other Naismith Award contenders, Griffin, Luke Harrangody, Tyler Hansbrough and even Jodie Meeks, they all have players around them. With the exception of maybe Harrangody, every other team—Oklahoma, UNC and UK—are arguably top 25 teams. Without Curry, Davidson might be a .500 team in the Southern Conference.

-Davidson has a gameplan and it's a simple one: get Curry the ball. Davidson revolves around Steph, they don't have another player that can take over a game quite like he can. OU has Austin Johnson, Willie Warren and a slew of other players that can go off, Notre Dame has the weed dealer himself Kyle McAlarney and Torrie Jackson and UK has Patrick Patterson. Almost every play is designed for Curry and those that are not are designed for him to have the ball in his hands and make the pass. Seriously, watch a Davidson game and just watch Curry on offense.

My rankings for most valuable players to their team:

1) Curry-Davison
2) Patty Mills-St. Mary's
3) James Hardin-Arizona State
4) Jack McClinton-Miami
5)Blake Griffin-Oklahoma

As always, let me know your thoughts and rankings.

More reactions to the Ole Miss-UK game

2009-01-28T00:38:00.001-05:00

I agree with Dan on all his points and here are some more observations I picked up from watching the game and the Cats this season.

-Not only did Ole Miss do a good job of not letting Meeks catch and shoot but they played D on him the way I believe teams should start playing D. It's a makeshift triangle and 2 on him and Patterson basically. If you watched Ole Miss play defense off the ball on Meeks, whoever was guarding him —Huertas and White usually—denied him the ball. The other thing they did was whoever was guarding Harris/Miller would drop down and play in the post doubling up on Patterson. This is where Patterson needs not only a secondary move like Dan mentioned, but to utilize his 12-15 foot jumper, which he can hit and then force the defense out of him.

-If I'm an SEC team getting ready to play UK, I also switch my defense's up, much like Ole Miss. Not only would I run the makeshift triangle and 2, run a zone against this team, with a shadow on Meeks. Make Porter/Harris/Miller/Liggins hit the deep shots to beat you.

-The one thing that scares me about watching UK on defense now, is they seem to be too relaxed and relying on the shot blocking ability, mainly by Patterson and Stevenson. While UK is second in the nation in blocks, there still needs to be better perimeter defense, something which lacked tonight.

- The last thing I ponder is did the top 25 ranking and the media talk start to get to this teams head? I don't think so. Personally, I think it was the fourth road game in 2 weeks, and fourth game in nine days, just took a toll on this team. But it's something to worry a little about. We'll see how they do with a home game against a dangerous South Carolina team, we saw what they did to Florida.

In the meantime, Harris, Miller, Liggins, Porter, Galloway, get in the gym and start working on your long range jumpers. Meeks work on smarter drives, he starts to get out of control and has been forcing A LOT. Patterson work on your left hand and 12-15 footers.

I still think this team is dangerous come tourney time and could make a run to the Sweet 16 and win the SEC Tournament as well, but time will only tell.

Quick Reactions UK-Ole Miss

2009-01-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

- Much to do in the media and blogs has been made about Kentucky's lack of third scorer. I am not a believer that Kentucky needs a "third scorer" but guys that can knock down open jump shots. Darius Miller - 22%, DeAndre Liggins - 17%, and Ramon Harris 17% for the season on 3 pointers. They were close to their season percentages today as they shot a combinerd 3-15 on threes. Harris and Miller also pass up countless other open threes. Kentucky does not need another 15ppg scorer just guys that can make threes in the 35% range.

- Ole Miss finally played defense the way I thought a team should against UK. Take away Meeks catch and shoot and force him into drives that have other defenders running at him. UK's lack of other perimeter shooters and his questionable decision making when attacking lead to numerous turnovers or low percentage shots from Meeks or those mentioned above.

- Patrick Patterson did score 24 points tonight on 8-12 shooting. However it seems like he gets a lot of his points in the garbage variety. He is not a dominating half court presence as everyone would have you believe. He really needs to develop some secondary moves and not everything going to his right. When is the opposition going to realize this??

- Jodie Meeks showed why he will not translate that well to the NBA right now. He stands only 6'4, short for NBA 2's, and David Huertas could get his shot off over him whenever he wanted.

- Although the boxscore on ukathletics says Ole Miss only outrebounded us 45-40, the number seemed way greater than that. Absolutely dismal team effort rebounding the basketball.

- Even though Ole Miss is now 41-5 at home under Andy Kennedy, this still is a team that is missing 3 of its best 4 players. Give credit to Ole Miss. They executed a great gameplan, shot the jumpers well, and outhustled UK. If UK ends not winning the SEC East they can look to this dismal effort as a reason why.

My Tim Brando Story

2009-01-27T15:30:00.000-05:00

Most everyone that is a college sports fan is familar with Tim Brando. He does play-by-play for Raycom/JP/LF sports for ACC and SEC basketball along with hosting the CBS College Football Halftime show. He also gets to call ACC Sunday Night Hoops on Fox Sports. He is generally regarded as one of the best announcers in the business. The reason why I like him so much is due to his catch phrase, "the iron unkind" that he uses whenever a key shot gets an unfriendly roll off the rim. I now use it with annoying regularity during beer pong games whenever my opponent bricks a shot.

For the 2008 SEC tournament our 3 on 3 intramural team got invited to play in the SEC 3 on 3 challenge. We got put up with a free hotel and tickets to the SEC tournament down in Atlanta along with playing in the tournament. We were sitting in the upper deck when this occurred...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TT013NsSYc&feature=related

Well anyways the UK-Georgia game got rescheduled for the next day on Georgia Tech's campus. We finagled our way into that game as three of the 1000 people there. At halftime, Tim Brando went to go to the concession at the same time we did. I was standing next to him and I could not resist telling him about how he has impacted my beer pong career. After introducing myself we had this interaction.

Me: "Mr Brando, I would just like to tell you that your phrase, 'iron unkind' is my most popular line for a missed shot in beer pong."

He does a double take and has a hearty chuckle and says, "Well, I am just glad I can make a contribution to the culture."

We soon parted ways but I have no doubt that everytime he utters that phrase on tv he has to think about all the people in Lexington and Bay Village, OH that have been so pissed off hearing that phrase as they lose to me in beer pong.

My most hated athletes of all time

2009-01-25T18:56:00.000-05:00

5. Eli Manning - He seems like he is constantly whining and blaming everyone else for his horrid throws. He is always flailing his arms around and acting like a bitch on the field. Plus, Bobby makes excuses for him everytime he throws a god awful pass. If Asante Samuel could catch, he would of gagged away the Super Bowl.

4. Kevin Garnett - His "intensity" really pisses me off. Stop running around beating your chest incessantly. His game is soooo soft. All he does is shoot turn around jumpers and beat his chest. This video explains my loathing of this prick. http://ballhype.com/video/kevin_garnett_greatest_fights_smacks_and_screens_a/

3. Andres Nocioni - I just flat out hate this guy. His hair, his leg tattoo and goatee just piss me off. Not to mention he plays dirty and kind of sucks.

2. Ray Lewis - Another "intense" guy on my list. Leads the NFL annually in jumping on piles late and celebrating like he made the play. Plays for the Ravens. Murdered people.

1. Larry Hughes - Maybe the biggest prima donna in all of sports. This quote sums him up, "I was asked to sacrifice for the team to win and for everybody, I guess, get paid. That is what was told to me and I wasn’t happy with that." I had to watch this stiff for 2.5 years in Cleveland. He is allergic to contact and in love with his horrible jumper. Easily one of the most painful players to watch play basketball and he could care less about winning. He tops my list by a considerable margin.

Honorable Mentions - Paul Pierce, Dustin Pedroia, Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Youkilis, Bobby Jenks, AJ Pierzynski, Pau Gasol (if the Cavs play the Lakers in the Finals), Joey Porter, Brett Favre, and Tim Couch

Most hated athletes

2009-01-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

The next two posts will be lists of our most hated athletes of all-time. Let us know your lists and what you think.

1) Jeffrey Maier- for those of you don't know this name he was the little douche that stole the Orioles franchise over the head of Tony Tarasco in the 1996 ALCS. To recap the play it was the bottom of the 8th inning with the O's ahead 4-3 and Derek Jeter at bat. Jeter connected on a ball to right field where Tarasco was going up for the ball just short of the wall where this little shit reached over and took it. The Yankees went on to win the game and series and then beat Atlanta in the World Series and the O's have not had a winning season since.

1a) Rich Garcia- the piece of shit umpire that ruled the homerun, despite clear evidence it was not. He is the reason there is replay in baseball now. I would love to kick both him and Maier in the shins repeatedly.

2) Reggie Miller-the biggest flop artist in the NBA history. Pushed Greg Anthony on May 7, 1995 in his famous 8 points in 8.9 seconds. He then turned to Spike Lee and gave the choke sign. Well Reggie, that's what I want to do to you. Choke you. Easily the most hated guy.

3) Ray Lewis-he is probably doing some sort of dance as I write this, but he is by far the most over-hyped football player of all-time. Don't get me wrong he's not a bad player, but he is not even in the same level as Lawrence Taylor for best linebacker of all-time. This guy, much like Kevin Garnett, gets too much credit for 'intensity.' I'm sorry but if I run my mouth and do a dance will I be in the race for best of all-time? He's not even the best linebacker on his team anymore, that goes to Bart Scott. Media talks him up too much, he gets pancaked blocked and the media talks about how he took up a lineman. Plus on top of all that, he killed a guy. Literally. He stabbed them. Should be in jail, and if anyone references him as the best linebacker of all-time I will personally punch you and do his dance over you in honor of being over-hyped.

4) Michael Jordan- I respect this guy, and he is obviously the best basketball player of all-time, but he broke my heart way too many times. As a Knicks fan, I had to live through him putting his nut sack all over Patrick Ewing's face. The Knicks never beat Jordan-led Bulls squad in the playoffs as he defeated the Knicks three different times. It was incredibly hard to watch him dismantle the Knicks season after season to go on to be the best player ever, while the Knicks, who will probably never be as good again as they were in the mid-1990's, suffered heartbreak after heartbreak. Mr. Jordan, I would like to put my nut sack in your face as I dunk on you just for some redemption.

5) Joakim Noah- this might be too easy. Name someone on this Earth that isn't Yannick or his incredibly hot mom that doesn't want to punch this guy in the face over and over again. From his days at Florida where he was the cocky asshole with his little shimmy after every basket, to leading the stands with the Gator Chomp. Again, had to suffer with him during my days here at UK, watching him beat up on the Cats and win two National Championships. Then on Draft Day had to watch him in that outfit. Well Joakim, I hope your mom ends up at my house sometime soon and your dad hits tennis balls at your face repeatedly.

Honorable mention: Donovan McNabb, Brian Dawkins, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, Tony Romo, Troy Aikman, Terrell Owens, Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter, Grievas Vasquez, Brett Favre and Hines Ward.

Here is my list, Dan's will be posted above mine. Let us know if you agree with our selections, disagree and who you hate.

Patrick Patterson will stay in school

2009-01-24T11:38:00.000-05:00

With the ascent to stardom by UK's Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson, the question around campus is whether the duo will be in Lexington next season. In this post I will tackle why Patrick Patterson will and should stay in school.

He is 6 feet 8 inches. No matter what kind of stats Patterson puts up he cannot change this fact. He will be an undersized 4 in the NBA. Even with the success of some undersized bigs (ie Paul Millsap), NBA execs do not take undersized bigs in the lottery. Even this year, in a very weak draft, Patterson is not projected by most publications to be a lottery pick. Also, historically, name the last time someone that a "small" 4 got drafted in the top 10? Charles Barkley?

With the fact that he is undersized there are several skills he can improve before making the leap to the league.

First, he is extremely right handed dominant. According to Synergy he drives or uses his right 90% of the time. His primary post moves involve turning over his left shoulder and shooting a little jump hook or turn around jump shot. He needs to develop his dropstep and the ability to finish with his left around the basket. With being undersized it would help him greatly to have more dexterity to his game.

Secondly, his midrange game, which has the potential to be very good, needs to be on display more. He has nice touch from the free throw line meaning his midrange jumper should follow suit. I would like to see him develop a turn and face game in the post ala Tim Duncan's bank jumper. Next season with Daniel Orton, he could play some high post and develop his mdrange game.

I think Patrick Patterson has a bright future in the NBA as a solid role player. He has great hands and the ability to rebound the basketball. But, there are areas he needs to improve before he can make a significant impact. With the ability to improve and Patterson's love for being BMOC, I see him in Lexington next season.

These guys are still in college?

2009-01-24T00:05:00.000-05:00

Everyone watches a college basketball game and wonders, how has this guy not graduated yet? Here is the starting five with honorable mention for the 2008-2009 season of just that question. Throw in your lists.

Guard-Tyrese Rice (Boston College)
Guard-Levance Fields (Pitt)
Guard/Forward-Josh Shipp (UCLA)
Guard/Forward-Danny Green (North Carolina)
Forward/Center-Jeff Adrian (UCONN)
6th man and captain-David McClure (Duke)

Honorable Mention- Jessie Sapp (Georgetown) Michael Roll (UCLA) Walter Hodge (Florida) Connor Atchley (Texas) Ronald Steele (Alabama) Josh Heyfvelt (Gonzaga)

Why the Cavs will WIN the NBA Finals

2009-01-22T04:35:00.000-05:00

Wow, really Bobby? The Cavs won't win the NBA title because their 5-8 scorers combine to average 28 points and JJ Hickson and Sasha Pavlovic are the 9th and 10th men? Also, you failed to mention the Orlando Magic. Moving on from your useless dribble. The Cavs gutted out a road win last night in Portland while missing two starters. On that note, here are several reasons why the Cavs will win the NBA title.

1. Homecourt Advantage - The Cavs are a league best 20-0 at home. It is not just the record that is impressive but the way the Cavs are dismantling teams on their home floor. The average margin of victory is 16.4 points per game. As for one of your contenders, the Celtics, the last time Boston beat Cleveland in Cleveland was Dec. 18, 2004. Plus, Quicken Loans Arena has turned into one of the loudest arenas in the NBA. I was there for a December game against the Rockets, and the crowd was as rowdy as would be expected for a playoff game.

2. Point Differential - Before embarking on their current road trip, the Cavs held a point differential of +11.95 per game - the fourth highest in NBA history. The three teams (71-72 Lakers, 70-71 Bucks, and 95-96 Bulls) with higher point differentials all won the NBA title.

3. Bench - In comparing the top 3 teams in the Eastern Conference the Cavs have by far the superior rotation coming off the bench. Orlando's bench consists of Courtney Lee, JJ Redick, Keith Bogans, Tony Battie, and Anthony Johnson. This bench is 3 shooting guards who vary from a rookie (Lee) to horrendous (Redick). Also, there backup bigs are headlined by Tony Battie. Yikes. Bostons consists of Leon Powe, Eddie House, Glen Davis, and Tony Allen. Bill Simmons said in his podcast that he thinks Glen Davis and Tony Allen are the worst two NBA players at their respective positions playing at least 10 minutes a game. Besides from Leon Powe, this might be the worst bench in the NBA. As for the Cavs their top 3 off the pine are a 3 point marksman, Daniel Gibson, an annoying, charge taking big, Anderson Varejao and Wally Szczerbiak. Which leads me to my next point.

4. Szczerbiak's Expiring Contract - The most attractive trade chip to teams looking to unload future payment obligations as the trade deadline approaches. Names being floated around in rumors are Vince Carter (Yuck), Brad Miller, Marcus Camby, Mike Miller (along with Brian Cardinal's contract) just for the Cavs 8th man. Imagine how much stronger this 32-8 team would be with the addition of one of those players.

5. Defense - The Cavs under Mike Brown have been built to win tough low scoring playoff games when defensive stops are a necessity. This year the Cavs are giving up a league low 89.6 points per game. Not only that they are second in the league in defensive rating which takes into account pace of play.

6 LeBron plays 48 minutes - Right now, LeBron is averaging slightly over 37 minutes per game. According to John Hollinger PER rating, LeBron is having the most efficient and productive regular season of anyone... in the modern era (yes, this includes Jordan). The reason the Cavs have played significantly better in the playoffs the last several years is because there is no limiting LeBron's minutes. How many more wins and how big would the blowouts be if LeBron played a full 48 every night of the year.

The Cavs were PJ Brown's 4th quarter scoring explosion in Game 7 from a repeat trip to the finals last year (they would of beat Detroit). This year Cavs are significantly better as a team, have the best player in the world, and the ability to get better at the trade deadline. Now, you know why they will be celebrating on West 6th this June.

Why the Cavs won't win the NBA Finals

2009-01-21T10:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first debate of Why so serious? The debate is whether the Cavs will win the NBA Finals or not. To further break Howarth's and the rest of Cleveland's hearts, the Cavs will NOT, I repeat, NOT win the NBA Finals. Are they capable to? Yes. But will they? No. Here are some reasons why and who I think can and will beat the Cavs. First a slew of teams I think are the biggest challengers to the Cavs and who will beat them given the chance.

1) Boston Celtics- can the Cavs beat them? I don't think in a 7 game series.
2) Los Angeles Lakers
3) San Antonio Spurs

The Cavs have made improvements in their roster by brining in Mo Williams. Delonte West is having a great year and Lebron is will Lebron. But what's there other than that? I'm not sold on Z yet. He does a great job of extending the defense by being able to hit the jumper, but can he stay healthy? I'm banking on no. Or if he is healthy, will he come back and be able to play the way he's used to? That might be a bigger no. The same goes for West, who suffered a fractured wrist after that nasty fall with Derrick Rose. I'm not taking anything away from West, who is tough as hell, he was shooting around at halftime of that same game, but a fractured wrist is a fractured wrist.

After those four, where does the scoring come? Anderson Verajo? Wally? Gibson? Ben Wallace? Okay, sorry about the last name, but I couldn't help it. The next four are averaging a combined 28.2 points per game. That's not going to cut it. I don't believe the Cavs are deep enough to hang with a team like the Lakers or Celtics. People might cry out that Gibson can score but look at the stats for him:

2007-2008- 10 points per game, 2 3-pointers per game and shot 44 percent from that line
2008-2009-9 points per game, 1.5 3-pointers per game and is shooting 39 percent from there.

The same goes for Wally, who people believe are an amazing shooter. He's not even averaging one 3-pointer a game!

Then there's Sasha and Hickson who both play over 10 minutes a game. Sasha has basically fallen off the face of the Earth, averaging only 4 points per game and really not playng all that well. And with Hickson, can you put a lot of trust in a rookie to guard the likes of Duncan, Gasol, Odom or even a Bynum and Oberto? Not in my book.

Here's a breakdown of the teams I think will beat the Cavs.

1) Celtics-the improvement of Rajon Rondo and go ahead and laugh but Kendrick Perkins. Rondo has played out of his mind so far this year and could be an All-Star reserve if I had a vote. Is there a better defensive point guard in the league? I believe he'll have no problem on Williams and limit him. In the two games this season, each team winning one, Williams is averaging 12.5 points per game. 3.5 points less than he usually does. Then there's Perkins, who is averaging almost 3 points better and 2 rebounds better. In a 7 game series you gotta take the Boston Three Party. Allen seemed to pick his shooting up, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. Plus, is there a more determined team then this team? I know the KG pre-game is a little overdone, but think about it? When this team wants to get something done, they seem to do it.

2) Lakers- Kobe. You can get in the Kobe vs. Lebron debate, and in the playoffs I'll take Kobe. Did you see what he did against the Cavs this past week with a bum finger? On his shooting hand mind you. Besides Kobe, the main difference between these two teams is the bench play. The Lakers second team of Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton and Sasha Vujacic is the best in the league. Hell, throw a big guy in there and they could start for about 10 teams. There's just too many matchup problems with this team. You could throw a Kobe, Ariza, Vujacic, Gasol and Bynum team out there and how do you match that? Kobe takes Lebron with the ability of Ariza to switch with that. This is my favorite to win it all.

3) Spurs- they're just the Spurs. They're in the talk every year. Duncan looks 5 years younger all of a sudden and the signing of Roger Mason Jr. will prove to be key. The ability to shoot and extend the D with Parker and Manu playing well is a dangerous squad. Bruce Bowen is Bowen, he might injure your best player but at the least he'll annoy the hell out him. Bonner is goofy looking as shit but can extend the D and steal minutes as well.

There's 3 teams who I think will beat the Cavs and the playoff power rankings for me.

A great link

2009-01-21T02:03:00.000-05:00

This is from an old blog, written by my friend Randy Kern. It was linked to deadspin and might be the best description of a Brown's fan. Enjoy.

http://theusfactor.blogspot.com/2006/11/my-history-as-browns-fan.html

More about the brains behind the operation

2009-01-21T00:27:00.001-05:00

Want to know why so serious? It's from a great movie and also a great line to a woman—an anonymous safety from the UK football team. Our blog is going to be a serious sports blog, brought to you by two junkies who have witnessed the sports world from the ripe age of infancy.
We'll hit on topics ranging from our favorite teams to big issues in sports, some of it in debate format. Others will be a joint idea presented for you to comment on. And now a look at the creators of the blog:

Dan Howarth- a self-proclaimed sports loser due to his fanaticism of all Cleveland based sports. He is a senior at the University of Kentucky, majoring in finance and awkward conversations with girls. He is most proud of his ability to play beer pong ambidextrously. He will name his first dog Kosar and his first son James (LeBron is up to the wife for a middle name). He is not ashamed to have a Mark Price poster in his room and to be a known groupie of Chris Mihm. He played golf and basketball in high school and garnered honors such as All-Conference and District and Academic All-Ohio in both sports.

Bobby Reagan- a self-proclaimed arrogant east coast asshole. He is a senior at the University of Kentucky, majoring in Journalism and dating questionable girls. He is most proud of driving everyone watching Super Bowl 42 with him to cheer for the Patriots. He will name his first child Camden Anderson, after Camden Yards and Brady Anderson. He played soccer and basketball in high school and garnered honors such as All-County in both sports and All-District in hoops. He is also not ashamed to have a John Starks jersey hanging in his room and a picture of Randolph Childress as the background to his computer.

Despite our differences, fate (or facebook) has brought us to the University of Kentucky. But we have put aside our differences to win 21 straight intramural basketball games, a dunk contest (Dan jumped over Bobby), and a kickball tournament. Both of us have an undying hate for OSU, Pittsburgh, Dallas, and NFL Live topics. We both love Bill Raftery, bounce passes, Eric Lindsey, and T-Swift. Everything else is fair game.