Nothing For The Nets

Now that the playoffs are over, expect more bloggy goodness from yours truly. Here's my latest on the Nets of New Jersey. Before I go on, plugs:

Stephen's blog - he'll post the url somewhere on here.
Pat's blog - thedriveforfive.com
Radio shows - Tri-State Hockey Report 12-1 Tuesdays, Lucky's lunchbox 12-2.

Here’s my question for Nets President Rod Thorn. Your team is sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference, possibly the worst collection of teams ever in the history of professional basketball. You have two superstar players who could be valuable trading chips to a team that could possibly win a championship and yet, you decide to sit pat and do nothing at the trade deadline. Just what were you thinking?

Your team is never going to win an NBA championship as long as it’s constructed in its present state. Jason Kidd’s best days are well past him, Vince Carter looked as if he played the first half of the season with one foot out of the swamps of New Jersey and you’ve been hit by devastating injuries. You’ve lost your promising young center Nenad Kristic, who liked he was going to have a breakout year, along with your best perimeter defender and second scoring option in Richard Jefferson for a significant portion of the season. Even if they stayed healthy, there was no chance for you to win a championship. So why you, Mr. Thorn, didn’t see the writing on the wall and make a move?

It’s one thing if you traded Kidd and didn’t have someone to replace him. But you already have a ready made point guard looking to lead the Nets to Brooklyn in 2009 – Marcus Williams. Sure, Williams is a rookie and is bound to make mistakes as he takes over the point guard duties from Kidd. The rookie out of UConn is averaging 7.9 points per game and 3.1 assists in 17.6 minutes. Not too shabby. Besides, Kidd is 34-years-old, has a bad knee and is bound to only get worst at this point of his career and whose owed $60 million over the next couple of years. He’s had an outstanding year and his trade value couldn’t have possibly been higher than at the trading deadline. Not to mention those articles in the papers saying that he was a cheat on his wife that’s probably not good press for your organization. You’re telling me you wouldn’t have taken picks and cap relief for Kidd, knowing that at the very least, you have a security net in Williams?

But I guess I can understand your thinking, Mr. Thorn. J-Kidd is the face of the Nets and sole reason why you guys have been successful the past few days. Vince Carter, however is another story. Carter is also going through personal problems himself (going through a divorce) and at times, has gone missing during games, settling for jump shots instead of driving to the basket. His numbers are still great, averaging 25.4 points per game. However, Carter’s got the option to opt out his contract and sign anywhere. The last time I checked, Jersey wasn’t exactly a happening place for free agents. It was rumored in the papers that the Knicks were making a push for Carter, offering Channing Frye, Jamal Crawford and others for Carter. Are you serious? In case you hadn’t notice, your team is in dire need of any type of interior scoring. Frye, who is expendable for the Knicks because of the emergence of David Lee, would fit in nicely would with the young core of Nets you, Mr. Thorn, have assembled. A lineup in 2007-08 of Williams, Crawford, Jefferson, Frye and Kristic is pretty good in my book.

We basketball fans will have to give up the benefit of the doubt. You did draft Michael Jordan after all and this team can, unbelievably, still make the playoffs. However, you had a chance to remake your team for the better and that window of opportunity has elapsed.

CUNYAC Women's Final....

Sorry for the long layoff. Here's good ole Erick Blasco picking up the slack:

Lightning strikes Baruch as Lehman College wins CUNY Championship

Young Jeezy’s “Go Getta” blared throughout the Nat Holman Gymnasium after the Women’s CUNYAC Final Friday, night. It was the appropriate song to cap off Lehman College’s incredible evening. Down by 11 points late in the 2nd half, they went out and got themselves a championship, beating Baruch College 52-51.
Even without Preseason All-American Chiresse Paradise who was injured in their quarterfinal matchup with City Tech, The Baruch Bearcats had a dominant team full of speed and athleticism. Baruch had won 31 straight CUNYAC Conference games, were the defending CUNYAC Champions, and had the honor of being the first CUNYAC women’s basketball team to win a game in the Division 3 NCAA tournament, when they upset Mount St. Mary last year 66-64.
The number 1 seeded, and more talented Baruch Bearcats looked poised to blow past the 3 seeded Lehman Lightning early on in the game. They led 32-21 with 2:11 left to go in the half, using their superior athleticism and depth to attack Lehman in waves. Three different Baruch players scored at least 7 points in the half with Dominique McClendon (8 PTS 3-5 FG) using a variety of spin moves to attack the basket, Ally Stamatiades ( 9 PTS 3-6 FG 2-2 3FG) filling the basket with a lethal outside jump shot, and Racquel Reid (7 PTS 3-8 FG 1-3 3FG) knocking down shots from inside and outside.
To make matters worse for Lehman, Their star player, CUNYAC player of the year, Sally Nnamani, was held in check by Stamatiades’s perfect technique defense, not allowing Nnamani to drive to the basket, and forcing her to take long, contested, jumpers. A 5-0 Lehman run to close out the half, fueled by a Nnamani 3, and capped by a Tiara Carroll short jumper in the lane allowed Lehman to stay close at the half with a 32-26 deficit.
The second half started out much the same way the first half went: With Baruch scoring points at will. Racquel Reid scored 5 points within the first 2 minutes of the half, and Jody Trapp knocked down a 3 to give the Bearcats a 42-31 lead with 17 minutes left to go in the game. After a brief Lehman spurt, the lead ballooned back up to 11 with Myleka Garnett hitting two free throws, and Stamatiades driving to the basket from the right wing for a layup with 12:33 left in the game.
Unfortunately for Baruch, Stamatiades sprained her ankle landing on her layup. The Bearcats would never record a field goal the rest of the game.
After Jody Trapp hit a pair of free throws Baruch’s next possession, the Bearcats went through a 6 minute stretch of 7 turnovers---many unforced---a blocked 3, and no other shots attempted.
While Baruch was folding, Lehman was beginning to play inspired basketball. Kathy Santiago hit a runner in the lane, Sally Nnamani deflected an errant pass to herself for an uncontested fast break, Kim Kelly was left under the basket for a layup off the Baruch full-court press, and Santiago was able to make a pass to a cutting Monique Sampson for an easy layup.
After two more Baruch free throws, Sally Nnamani made a “player of the year” type play, starting on the right baseline, dribbling hard to the middle, spinning away from the basket, and unleashing a behind the back, over the head pass into the arms of Monique Sampson for an easy layup, cutting the lead to 51-48.
A Kathy Santiago steal and layup, cut the lead to one on the next possession, and a Santiago layup the possession after gave Lehman an improbable 1 point lead with 4:36 to go.
Meanwhile, Baruch was still in the midst of a miserable collapse. Stamatiades returned to miss an open layup, and make two passes stolen by Lehman down the stretch. Racquel Reid missed an uncontested 3, and Naesha Tyler-Moore dribbled the basketball right into Kim Kelly’s outstretched arms with a minute to go. Baruch’s defense was steadfast, not allowing any Lehman points after Santiago’s layup. After a Nnamani miss, the Bearcats had one final shot at surviving the game, and winning the championship.
Unfortunately, even Baruch’s coaching staff choked with the game in the balance. Off a timeout, Baruch’s coach Machli Joseph surprisingly decided to have his 5-2 point guard Jody Trapp race the length of the floor while guarded by the 5-11, and ultra athletic Nnamani. Trapp never got a good look at the basket, and her last second shot attempt was swatted away by Sampson.
After the final buzzer sounded, the ecstatic Lehman Lightning stormed the court and embraced on the floor, realizing that they had come back from 11 points down to win the CUNYAC Championship, and advance to the Division 3 NCAA tournament.
Despite scoring only 10 points, Monique Sampson was named MVP of the game, and of the entire tournament. She added 9 rebounds and the very key game-clinching block. The Player of the Year, Sally Nnamani was shut down to the tune of 8 points on 3-18 shooting, including 1-10 on 3’s, but she did record 4 blocked shots in the 1st half, keeping the game close. Kathy Santiago scored 10 points, recorded 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Tiara Carroll led Lehman in scoring with 14, and also had 2 blocks. She joined Sampson on the All CUNYAC Tournament Team.
As for the Bearcats, their collapse likely ends their season. With a 22-9 record in a weak conference, they will likely be sitting on their couches when the NCAA tournament starts March 1st. The Bearcats committed an unsightly 17 turnovers in the 2nd half, and were held without a field goal for the final 12:33. Being that Baruch had gone undefeated in CUNYAC play the last two years, reeling off 31 straight conference wins in that span, their implosion is as stunning as it is epic. Baruch was heavily favored, and many believed was dangerous heading into the tournament. They were led by Racquel Reid, and Dominique McClendon, both named to the All Tournament Team. Reid finished with 12 points, McClendon with 10. Stamatiades scored 11, but only had the bucket in which she injured her ankle in the 2nd half. Baruch committed 25 turnovers, compared to Lehman’s 14.

Exit Sandman? A Yankee Nightmare

I wrote an article about the great Mariano Rivera that hopefully will be in the Kingsman next week, just a what if.

Then I read this today:

" Could players be saying the same thing about the Yankees closer one year from now? Rivera's commitment to the team expires after 2007, and while he said he would love to retire in New York, he realizes that scenario is not yet certain." - credit Yankees.com and my former editor at InsidePitch Magazine, Bryan Hoch.

I'll have more insight on spring training later. Listen to tonite's game on BrooklynCollegeRadio.org as the Bridges take on Albertus Magnus as a tune up for the playoffs.

Unreal. Could you imagine the Yankees without Mo? It's virtually impossible. Anyway, here's for some good reading, my article.

Many ask the question who could possibly replace Joe Torre after his tenure as manager of the Yankees. The hardest person to replace from the recent Yankees dynasty isn’t Bernie Williams, or Jorge Posada or even Derek Jeter. It is Rivera, the man who has killed the hope of opposing teams in the chaos of the ninth inning, before even throwing one pitch. His calm, stoic demeanor and the sight of him on the mound means only thing for the opposing team: game over.

Along with death and taxes, Rivera remains a constant in life. The 6’2, 180 pound slender right hander has racked up 413 saves and has been the epitome of consistency since his major league debut in 1995. His numbers last year were outstanding as usual – 5-5 with a 1.80 ERA, with 34 saves and an inhuman 0.90 walks and hits per inning. For the second consecutive year, was named DHL Delivery Man of the Year by the fans in October. October also happens to be the month that Rivera transforms from a great pitcher into an all-time legend. He’s 8-1 with 34 saves in the postseason and an unholy 0.80 ERA.

But as the Yankees enter spring training, the ever looming doubt of life after Mariano is a question that is whispered by the Yankee front office and the fans. The Yanks experienced this last season, with Rivera missing a ton of games down the stretch with tendonitis in his pitching forearm. Rivera is no spring chicken, 37-years-old with many miles on the valuable right arm of his. The thought of Kyle Farnsworth closing important games for the Yankees has to send a shiver down the collective spines of Torre and the rest of the Yankees. To be frank, there’s no one who can possibly replicate Rivera’s success and the unfortunate pitcher that must fill those large shoes of the Panamanian will always be unfairly compared to him.

Should Rivera go down this year, Farnsworth would be first in line to replace him. His stints as a closer has been mixed in the past and his stats for last season left much to be desired – 3-6 with a 4.35 ERA. Farnsworth inability to pitch on back to back also strained the bullpen more than it needed to be. Scott Proctor also had varying success when called on to close, although admittedly, instills more confidence in a fan than Farnsworth. Brian Bruney has closed in the past for the Diamondbacks and would also be a candidate in the future.

Long term solutions all look to be slim and mostly outside of the organization. Francisco Rodriguez, the fire balling closer for the Angels, would be an ideal fit to replace Rivera. K-Rod has the postseason experience and the chops for the big stage of New York. Outside of him, there aren’t many pitchers that can match the class of Rivera.

Of course, unless the Yankees cloned Rivera, there will not be another like him. The fact remains however, that the clock is ticking on Rivera and his time to leave the Yankees will have to replace him. It’s a cold reality that most Yankee fans don’t want to wake up too.

More B-Ball with Coach Blasco

Here's BC basketball version of John Madden breaking down the Spurs and Heat. That's meant to be a complement Erick.

San Antonio came into Sunday’s Game at Miami as the 3 seed out West. Miami entered clinging to the 8 seed in the East. San Antonio believes they can knock off Phoenix and Dallas and return to the NBA Finals to win a championship. Miami believes now that Shaq and D-Wade are healthy, they can vault up the standings in the Eastern Conference and make a return trip to Finals land. So which of these beliefs’ can resonate true, and which is simply a fairytale? Well, after watching Miami’s convincing 100-85 victory over San Antonio, you’d be a little confused believing which team was the 3, and which was the 8.

When Miami had the ball: On the very first play of the game, Shaq went right at Duncan with a right hook that was able to drop in. That play set the tone early that Miami wasn’t afraid to play a physical game with San Antonio. San Antonio was afraid to double team Shaq with all the 3-pt firepower on the Heat roster (Kapono, Walker, Posey), so Shaq (7-11 FG, 7 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 16 PTS) was able to have his way in the post whether guarded by Tim Duncan, Fabricio Oberto, or Francisco Elson. Whenever the offense stalled over the first three quarters, Shaq was able to get a pass down low in good position, or collect an offensive rebound for more scoring chances.

San Antonio did a great job limiting Wade early in the game. Bruce Bowen was determined not to let Wade get to the hoop, and Wade was determined to get all his teammates involved in the offense. Wade didn’t hit his first FG until very late in the first half.

Wade’s lack of punch in the first half didn’t doom Miami though. Wade racked up 7 assists for the game, and allowed the rest of the Heat to contribute on offense. Udonis Haslem (5-10 FG 8 REB 10 PTS) hit 4 of his first 5 jumpers, all in the first quarter.

Jason Kapono (4-8 FG 1-2 3-FG 11 REB 13 PTS) forced a few shots, but hit his open jumpers, and also made a nice play dribbling past Manu Ginobli into the paint, then hitting a fall away jumper over Robert Horry. More impressively was the fact that Kapono was much more aggressive attacking the glass than Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobli, or Brent Barry. In fact, Miami gathered in 46 total rebounds (a championship number) compared to San Antonio’s 31 ( a lottery number).

Gary Payton (3-6 FG 0-1 3FG 1 REB 1 AST 2 TO) got into the lane a few times against Tony Parker’s non-existent defense during a 17-1 first quarter Heat run.. For the most part though, Payton was slow on offense, and made a few bad passes, including a drive and kick to nobody midway through the first half.

The stars for the game for Miami, though, were Alonzo Mourning, Antoine Walker, James Posey, and the recently acquired Eddie Jones. Together with Gary Payton in the first half, they put together a 17-1 run. Together with Dwayne Wade in the 4th, they blew the game out of San Antonio’s reach. Eddie Jones played 10 years younger than his age, hitting All 4 of his shots, both his 3’s, and all 4 of his free throws. Antoine Walker didn’t force a single perimeter shot, and on one 4th quarter possession, drove to the hoop so hard, Robert Horry could only helplessly fall to the floor. Walker went 4-8 from the floor, 2-5 from behind the arc, and gathered in 4 rebounds.

And though Wade was limited to one bucket in the 1st half, he exploded in the 4th, blowing past Bowen to the rim, stepping back hitting perimeter jumpers, spinning into the middle of the floor and hitting his patented mid-range jump shot. Wade was remarkable in the clutch, going 7-10 from the field for 18 points. Wade has clearly emerged as the best player in the game in crunch time situations as he has time and again been able to put the Heat on his back and carry them to victory, as he did on Sunday afternoon.

When San Antonio had the ball: On San Antonio’s first possession, Tim Duncan went hard at Udonis Haslem for a bucket and a foul. Unfortunately for the Spurs, that was one of the few times Duncan was aggressive in the game. Whether it was Shaq’s bulk, Haslem’s technique, Mourning’s athleticism, or even Antoine Walker’s quick hands, Timmy D wasn’t able to get into any offensive rhythm at all. Whenever Duncan was aggressive and earned himself free throw attempts, he didn’t help his cause at all, missing 6 of 11 freebies. Overall Duncan tallied 4-10 shooting, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and numerous crisp passes that led to open shots.

While Duncan was unable to get going, San Antonio benefited from having Manu Ginobli step up off the bench (10-16 FG 4-8 3FG 3 REB 1 AST 1 STL 1 BLK 26 PTS) with 17 points in the first half, and Tony Parker (8-19 FG 2 REB 5 AST 2 TO 1 STL 20 PTS) step up with 12 points in the second half. When guarded by Gary Payton, Parker and Ginobli were able to drive by Payton’s ancient legs off the dribble, or lose Payton on whatever screens or curls were called for them. Even I was getting dizzy watching Ginobli repeatedly spin left in the lane and make difficult shots look effortless.

Despite Ginobli and Parker’s valiant efforts, nobody else on San Antonio was able to provide a spark on offense. Bruce Bowen (0-5 FG 3 REB 1 AST O PTS) was scared to take any open shot he encountered.

Michael Finley (2-9 FG 1-7 3FG) wasn’t hesitant…he just couldn’t drop the ball in the basket.

Brent Barry (4-7 FG 3-6 3FG) was the only role player who found a shooting groove, but he also turned the ball over 4 times, including 2 careless traveling calls (this guy used to be a point guard back in the day?), and played no defense except breaking up a lazy entry pass. What Barry gives in his shooting, he takes away in every other aspect of his game.

Robert Horry also provided little on offense. 0 points, and 2 missed 3’s.

Francisco Elson (2-2 FG 4 REB 4 PTS) was active on defense and around the basket, outquicking Shaq to a few rebounds and layups.

Fabricio Oberto (2-4 FG 6 REB 2 AST 3 TO 1 STL 4 PTS) showed incredible energy gathering in rebounds, including 3 on the offensive end, and scoring spinning layups down low. If he had cut down on the turnovers, I might have joined Bill Walton in calling him “Fabulous Fabricio!”

Jacque Vaughn missed an open jumper but was able to drive by Payton for a layup and foul in his limited playing time.

Late in the game for San Antonio, when Wade was in the game and Payton was out, San Antonio went over 6 minutes without a field goal. Wade shut down Parker, while Jones and Posey locked down Ginobli and Finley. The defensive stat line for Jones, Walker, Posey, and Mourning reads this: 15 REB 3 STL 2 BLK. It doesn’t tell you the numerous proper defensive rotations, textbook closeouts, and hands up on defense. Dwayne Wade even imitated Bill Russell swatting away back to back layups by Tony Parker down the stretch in the 4th. The defensive unit for Miami, combined with Wade’s incredible 4th quarter display is the reason why Miami won the game, and should be playing when the calendar hits June.

With Wade becoming more and more unguardable in the clutch, and Shaq starting to round into shape, Miami will be the team nobody wants to play in the postseason. With Jason Kapono’s outside shooting, Udonis Haslem’s rebounding, James Posey’s defense and outside shooting , Antoine Walker’s versatility (so long as he’s not chucking up 3’s), Alonzo Mourning’s defense in the post, and Eddie Jones providing hunger, intensity, and a silky smooth game on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor (what a shrewd pickup for the Heat!), then Miami will join the front runners out West as elite teams. If they had a dependable backup point guard to Jason Williams, they might even be the favorite. As it stands, they are the class of the East, and should return to the finals to defend their crown.

As for San Antonio, they are alarmingly soft compared to past Spurs teams. The Spurs may be able to out finesse Phoenix, but they wont knock off Utah, Dallas, or even possibly Houston until Tim Duncan starts taking over games as he has in the past. And unless Robert Horry, Bruce Bowen, and Michael Finley find the same fountain of youth that Eddie Jones has, this will be another disappointing year by the Rio Grande. As it is, the Spurs are a proven, veteran team, and veteran teams usually peak come playoff time. Expect the Spurs to be standing tall come the Western Conference Finals, before the best team in Texas knocks them out.

Lucky's Last Call

Three and a half years sure do fly. This is, (Brooklyn College willing) my final season covering Brooklyn College basketball and I can honestly say that it’s an experience that I’ll never forget.

I didn’t know what to expect walking into the Kingsman, except that I was this sports nerd looking for a forum to write about the Yankees. What I learned is that the beat reporting and covering a team for the paper is a much more valuable experience than writing any sports column. I was able spend one day in the newspaper office cutting out all the clips I’ve done and it was a nostalgic experience. There it all was, my hard work, my passion, in written word for anyone to read. Some articles were good, some were not so good, but all had my name to it. The sports section when I started was just two pages with just me and Scott Gallop writing. Now, in my humble opinion, it’s the best collegiate sports section in New York and it feels good to know that I had a hand in that.

Everything came into perspective during the doubleheader against Medgar Evers. It was appropriately Senior Day, a celebration of all the accomplishments of the senior basketball players. I was able to cover the women’s basketball game for the radio station, an exciting affair that came down to the wire. I switched to my newspaper duties for the men’s game and in typical BC fashion they made one hell of a charge in the second half to the adulation of an amazing crowd, fittingly, the best crowd ever at Brooklyn College in terms of intensity and emotion. After the game, did my post game interviews with the coaches and the players, with plenty of sentiment in those interviews. It didn’t really hit me that I may never be doing that again until now.

So while I’ll still be writing, a chapter of my life is closing. I’d like to thank everyone at the Kingsman, too numerous to name in such a small space, along with the coaches and the players of Brooklyn College, most notably coaches Alex Lang and Steve Podias. I’m sure there were times I wasn’t exactly number one on the Christmas list for the folks in the athletic office, but thanks to them as well, Athletic Director Bruce Filosa and company.

It is a bit of a kick to read “Lucky Ngamwajasat” in print. It’s also funny to think about all those people who’ve read my name and probably have mispronounced it or simply cannot believe my first name is Lucky. But more importantly, it’s much more of a good feeling to know people actually read your stuff. Thanks to all the readers out there.

To quote that oh-so-wonderful one hit wonder from the 90’s “Closing Time” by Semisonic “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

Analysis

Here's Erick's breakdown on the Pistons-Cavs game from Sunday

Both Cleveland and Detroit view themselves as worthy challengers for the Eastern Conference crown. After identifying each team’s needs and weaknesses, I’ve determined the one key player on each squad vital to fulfilling their team’s ultimate aspirations.

For the Cavs, their mismatched roster is too Lebron-centric for them to overcome more than the weakest patsies the Eastern Conference has to offer. Only if a second player steps his game up to compliment LeBron can the Cavs entertain the faintest visions of postseason glory. That player is the underwhelming Larry Hughes.

Detroit has just the opposite problem. Their team is balanced and proven. But only if a superstar catalyst is added to the Pistons engines can Detroit fire on cylinders.

Sunday’s Pistons-Cavs game was a great barometer for fans to watch just how close each was to playing championship basketball. Lets see just what Rasheed Wallace and Larry Hughes did, and how their play affected their teams in Detroit’s 90-78 victory.

M FG 3FG FT REB AST TO STL BLK PTS
Rasheed Wallace: 37 6-15 1-3 2-2 13 1 0 1 1 15
Larry Hughes: 38 7-13 0-1 0-0 2 3 1 0 0 14


Rasheed Wallace:

1st half:

Minuses:

· Missed a short jump shot over Drew Gooden early in the 1st half.
· Got out of position defending Gooden, allowing Gooden to cut to the basket and record an easy layup.
· Passively attempted to rebound a missed shot, allowing Drew Gooden to grab an easy rebound.
· Was passive defending a LeBron/Ilgauskas pick-and-roll, allowing LeBron to blow past him for a layup. Rasheed also fouled LeBron on the play but the subsequent free throw was missed.
· Late in the first, Sheed lost Donyell Marshall in transition allowing an uncontested 3-point field goal.
· In the second quarter, Rasheed didn’t hustle for a loose ball allowing LeBron to gather in an offensive rebound.
· Was constantly out-hustled by Drew Gooden.
· Only wallowed outside the 3-point line in the 2nd quarter.
· Recorded his first rebound at the 4:07 mark in the 2nd quarter (meaning Detroit’s starting center went almost 20 minutes without a rebound. A terrible number).
· Recorded only 1 rebound, and one tip out which resulted in a rebound for Detroit. Another pathetic statistic).

Neutral Plays:

· On one possession, Drew Gooden beat him off the dribble but Rasheed showed quick hands to poke the ball away.
· While Rasheed rested early in the second quarter, Detroit had no way to stop Sasha Pavlovic from having his way on drives to the basket.

Plusses:

· Used his long arms to contest a Daniel Gibson 3-ball resulting in a miss.
· Set a solid screen allowing Tayshaun Prince an open jumper.
· Generally set solid screens on offense.
· Aggressively tipped out an offensive rebound over Zydrunas Ilgauskus.
· Ended up being defended by Daniel Gibson in the post. Rasheed waited for the double and made the correct pass to an open teammate, but the jumper was missed.
· Played outstanding help defense when LeBron James tried to find a path to the basket. In fact, Sheed’s help defense was instrumental in holding LeBron to 9-22 shooting for the game.
· Forced a steal when Drew Gooden tried to take him off the dribble.
· When guarded by Donyell Marshall on two possessions, Wallace dominated Marshall in the post for two layup attempts. One was good, the other missed, but the collapsing Defense was out of position for Chris Webber to tip in the miss.
· Forced LeBron James to attempt a difficult shot moving away from the basket on a drive (though LeBron mage the shot).
· Knocked down a wide open 3.
· Moved the ball on a pick-and-roll, finding a wide-open Carlos Delfino in the corner, but Delfino traveled trying to drive past a closing Zydrunas Ilgauskas.


Rasheed started off the game very sluggishly, especially on defense, and on the glass. Maybe he thought the game started at 3:30 instead of 2:30. His lackadaisical start made things easier for Cleveland to shoot 50% from the field. What Rasheed did show was a penchant for playing outstanding help defense on LeBron James. He also played solid individual defense on Drew Gooden in the 2nd quarter. Also, too many times Sheed hung around the perimeter uninvolved in the offense. Only when inept post defenders (Daniel Gibson and Donyell Marshall) were on Rasheed did he look completely involved in the offense.


Larry Hughes:

1st Half:

Minuses:

· Forced a drive and missed a jump shot late in the first half.
· Never caught the ball in motion (Blame Mike Brown for that).

Neutral Plays:

· Generally stayed out of the way on offense.
· Turned his head, allowing Rip Hamilton to cut to the basket, but Hughes’ hand just barely snuck in and deflected the entry pass, preventing a layup.
· Missed a desperation 3 to close out the first quarter
· Fought through screens on defense forcing Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups to drive to the basket, but Cleveland’s bigs couldn’t prevent Hamilton and Billups from getting shots around the basket, or dishing off assists down low to Chris Webber.

Plusses:

· Used a Drew Gooden screen to knock down his first perimeter jumper.
· Forced a carry by Rip Hamilton.
· Received another screen and knocked down another semi-contested jumper.
· Hit a third jumper over Chauncey Billups.
· Was able to play the point and bring up the ball when Daniel Gibson, Eric Snow, or Damon Jones sat on the bench.
· Got past Billups and hit a nice floater in the lane.
· Played adequate defense on Chauncey Billups on a couple of Billups isolations.


Hughes started off the game on fire, hitting five of his first six shot attempts. He also played surprisingly well on defense, probably because he was feeling frisky after knocking down jumpers early. In the second half though, things started to change for Wallace and Hughes. Their performances are the reasons why Detroit will challenge in the East, and Cleveland will have trouble escaping the first round.


Rasheed Wallace:

3rd Quarter:

Minuses:

· Didn’t box out Drew Gooden allowing an offensive rebound and two free throws by Drew Gooden.
· Missed a turnaround jumper over Drew Gooden in the post.
· Had a shot attempt poked away by Daniel Gibson.

Plusses:

· Had a spectacular sequence early in the third quarter, tipping up an offensive rebound over Ilgauskas, missing the tap, then leaping over Ilgauskas again for a right-handed tip-jam, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas stood land-locked in awe underneath Rasheed.
· Hit a turnaround jumper over Gooden in the post.
· Stayed at home on Drew Gooden forcing a missed jumper.
· In the span of a minute grabbed three rebounds in traffic.
· Got fouled on a jump shot attempt.


Larry Hughes:

3rd Quarter:

Minuses:

· Missed a wide open 3.
· Turned his head allowing a Tayshaun Prince layup attempt, which Prince botched.
· Made a careless lob pass to a wing-stationed Zydrunas Ilgauskas, which was nearly picked off.
· Forced a jump shot over Chauncey Billups, which clanged off the rim.

Plusses:
· Took on four Pistons defenders on a drive to the hoop for a nifty layup.
· Forced a turnover guarding Prince in the post.
· Chased down a long offensive rebound
· Drove past Billups for a nice layup.



Over the third quarter, the minuses for Rasheed Wallace turned to plusses, as he asserted himself more on the offensive glass. His defense stayed solid, and he ventured in the post a few times on offense hitting a turnaround jumper. Meanwhile, Larry Hughes started registering more entries on the negative side of the ledger, forcing shots, turning his head, and not knocking down his jumpers with the regularity he showed in the opening half.
The fourth quarter is the real indicator of why Detroit is the real beast in the East, and Cleveland is a pretender.

Rasheed Wallace:

4th Quarter:

Minuses:

· Missed a 3 over Pavlovic

Plusses:

· Dominated Drew Gooden on the glass. In the 2nd half, Rasheed notched 11 total rebounds, a very impressive number.
· Continued to provide help down low, forcing LeBron James into innumerable difficult shots.
· Forced Zydrunas Ilgauskas into an awkward right handed hook, which was way off.
· Notched a second tip-jam on an offensive rebound.
· Nailed an open jumper a step inside the arc.
· Played like a superstar, at least on the glass, and the defensive end.

Larry Hughes:

4th Quarter:

Minuses:

· Overdribbled on one possession, going from the right baseline to the top of the key, and then missing a forced jumper.
· Badly bricked an open 3 with 6 minutes left to go.
· Clanked a step in jumper as Detroit was pulling away.
· Failed to step up in any way, shape, or form once Detroit stepped up their defensive intensity

Plusses:

· Not a single one.


If the Rasheed Wallace of the 2nd half shows up for Detroit down the stretch, then Detroit will be a contender against any Eastern Conference foe. However, Rasheed’s unwillingness to play in the post, and draw fouls (only 2 attempts) means that he can’t be the dynamic offensive star Detroit needs to win a championship. As for Cleveland, Hughes is too soft of a player (mentally and physically) for the Cavs to think that he’ll be a key contributor to an elite team. If Danny Ferry wants to sniff the Finals, he’ll be wise to apply dynamite to the currently constructed Cavalier roster.

It's been awhile...

I'm pretty freaking lazy, like this Rhino. Sorry for the loyal readers out there for not updating.

Here's a recap of the women's win over St. Joe's tonight at Roosevelt.

It would be a gross understatement to call Brooklyn College’s victory over the St. Joseph Lady Bears on Monday night “an ugly win.” To head coach Alex Lang, style points didn’t matter, as long there was another tally in the win column.

“A win is a win,” said a relieved Lang after a hard fought over 54-50 victory. “Especially when you’re 6-15.”

Brooklyn snapped a two game losing streak and won despite shooting 28 percent overall and hitting just five shots in the second half. As bad as those numbers were for the Bridges, the numbers for the Lady Bears was even worst. St. Joe’s shot 27 percent overall in the game and were 1 for 17 from three point range. Both teams struggled scoring in the early going, with only five points scored in the first seven minutes of the game.

“We really don’t make it easy on ourselves,” joked Lang. “It takes us too long to get going. We really should have been up 20-3 in this game. We were outplaying them so bad…we didn’t play our game early in the game.”

Jenny Varughese was of the few players on the floor to sink any baskets and was the go-to player on the Bridges after Jaclyn Cavalcante got into early foul trouble. The Bridges, who are going to be without leading scorer Christina McDonnell for the rest of the season relied heavily on the junior point guard. Varughese shook off her 0 for 16 performance against CSI in the Bridges previous game and scored 18 points, including four huge 3’s in the first half, keying BC to a 25-21 lead at halftime. Lang called Varughese last game an aberration.

“(Varughese) really had to step up her game to get some more points,” said Lang. “She did a good job. That’s her game. That was not the regular Jenny on Saturday.”

Her teammates joined the act later in the game as Brittany Natiello had a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 boards along with Cavalcante, who scored all of her 11 points in the second half. Natiello and Varughese played all 40 minutes of the game, forced into extra work due to injuries on the Bridges.

“It was a team effort,” said center Rebecca Pearlman, who scored six points and had eight rebounds. “We’ve been struggling this year. I think today was a good game to boost up our confidence because we’re a good team overall.

The Bridges looked like world beaters coming out for the second half, opening up a 10 point lead on St. Joe’s and looked like they would cruise the rest of the way to an easy win. But the Lady Bears refused to say die and took the lead from the Bridges.

“We don’t handle leads well,” Lang said. “When you have a lead, you should run some time, run your offense and we were rushing shots, not being aggressive on defense and that’s what happens.”

The Bridges however, came off the deck themselves and responded, by getting to the free throw line and scoring points from the charity stripe. They took back the lead late in the game and never looked back, getting to the loose balls and the points when they mattered.

“We hit some big shots,” Lang said. “Some games, you have to do that, you have to will yourself to victory. I think we out hustled them tonight.”

Notes: Although McDonnell will not return to the Bridges this season, Lang did say that guard Irene Soulaides, who has been out for the past few games, will be back for the playoffs…The Bridges are now 7-15 overall and were the eighth seed as of press time…Tommy Guerin was named CUNYAC player of the week for the third straight week in a row and one of the front runners for CUNYAC rookie of the year…The men’s team finished the season against Medgar Evers on Saturday and will miss out on the playoffs. The women’s team finishes up at home against Albertus Magnus College at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night before the playoffs.

And now for something different...

My good friend Erick gives a captivating recount of Sunday's Cavs-Suns game. Listen to him during the Brooklyn College Basketball broadcasts this season.

Sunday’s game between the Suns and Cavs pitted two of the front running teams in the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively. Unfortunately for Cavs fans, only one of the two teams harbors realistic expectations of winning a championship anytime in the next few years. Here’s how Phoenix asserted their dominance over yet another overmatched opponent, and why Cleveland isn’t in the same class with the elite out West (or even the best in the East).

When Phoenix had the ball: Cleveland did an outstanding job taking away Phoenix’s helter-skelter fast break, limiting the Suns to only 10 fast break points throughout the entire game. In response, Phoenix ran pick and rolls all game long with Steve Nash handling the ball and either Shawn Marion or Amare Stoudamire setting the pick then rolling to the post.

When Zydrunas Ilgauskas was the target of these screen rolls, he was too slow in his reactions to prevent the Nash-Stoudamire “dimes-for-dunks” program from being launched. When Marion was the one setting the screen, Nash would wait to read how the defense played him. When the defender of the screen-roll (often Drew Gooden) stayed at home on Marion, Nash would find ample space to zip to the hoop for a layup, draw the defense then kick, or unleash uncontested jump shots. When the defense switched off, Marion would take Nash’s man (usually Eric Snow) to the post with embarrassing results for Cleveland. Every time Cleveland sent a wing player to help with the S/R’s Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa, and James Jones salivated with the open 3-point shots on their dinner plates.
And while Cleveland was excellent in stopping the Phoenix fast break, Phoenix was excellent in transition in the second half with their secondary breaks, with Nash driving to the hoop, pivoting, and finding unguarded gunners wide open for 3’s.
Nash was impeccant all game long. The only thing more amazing than is his 15 assists, was the fact that he didn’t commit a single turnover. In fact, Phoenix as a team only committed 8. Nash was 10-17 shooting, 3-6 from behind the arc, for a very impressive 23 point, 15 assist, 0 turnover performance. And this guy isn’t starting the All-Star Game why?
Amare Stoudamire was one recipient of Phoenix’s perfect screen-roll execution. On one possession, he was also able to catch the ball in the post, and whirl past a statuesque Ziggy Ilg for a thunderous dunk. Stoudamire had 8-12 FG, 6-8 FT, 22 Pts and 7 REB.
Shawn Marion had very similar numbers, pillaging Eric Snow repeatedly for easy layups. Marion had 8-12 FG, 5-7 FT, 8 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, and also went 2-3 from behind the arc for 23 Pts.
Boris Diaw was quite altruistic. Though he only took 3 shots, and scored 4 points, his uncanny court awareness and unselfishness led to 8 assists against only 1 turnover.
Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa, James Jones, and Marcus Banks are basically all the same person in the Phoenix system, and they all combined to shoot 16-33, 8-19 3-PT (which would look even better without James Jones’ 1-5), 11 REB, 4 AST.
When Cleveland had the ball: To put it simply, When Cleveland had the ball and it went to LeBron James, good things happened. When the ball was out of LeBron’s hands, bad things happened. Phoenix started off the game by guarding him straight up with Shawn Marion. A few layups and turnaround jump shots later, and Phoenix decided to have Marion sag off LeBron and give him long jump shots. Lebron impressively went 3-6 from downtown. LeBron was also an astute passer and aggressive rebounded, setting up his teammates with 5 assists, and venturing into the paint to gather in 9 rebounds. LeBron was also able to steal a dribble in the front court, and drive to the bucket. When Leandro Barbosa tried to stop James‘ dunk attempt, to quote Mike Tirico, “Barbosa ended up as somebody’s screen-saver.”
While not flawless (James did force several shots, turned it over 3 times, played no defense, and was only 3-6 from the charity stripe), he is near impossible to stop from attacking the hoop, and his constantly improving jump shot will elevate him into one of the premier offensive players of our era. Unfortunately, few of his teammates were worthy subjects to King James’ brilliance.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ (2-4, 2 REB, 4 PTS) only offensive move was to stand on the left baseline and shoot a turnaround jumpshot over his right shoulder. The man is too soft to play a power game, too clumsy to play a finesse game, and too beat down and decrepit to be in the league much longer.
Eric Snow (3-4, 8 PTS, 1 AST, 1 TO) is another member who should only be playing in old-timers’ games. His trademarked hounding defense has been relaxing in Philadelphia for years, and the only time he ventured into the lane, Steve Nash anticipated the drive perfectly, stepped in, and drew a charge.
Larry Hughes is only in his mid 20’s, but he too belonged in a spa in Florida instead of on a court in Cleveland (3-13, 1-4 3PT, 0 FTA, 0 REB, 2 AST, 3TO). The man did nothing productive on offense, and Cleveland’s rhythm withered whenever he grasped the ball.
Damon Jones (2-6 FG, 2-5 3PT, 7 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 TO) hit a couple 3’s and did little else.
Donyell Marshall (6-9 FG, 3-5 3PT, 15 PTS, 5 REB) hit open shots, grabbed uncontested rebounds, and played no defense.
David Wesley missed all 3 long distance shots he took.
In fact, besides James, only a few players should be around to help Cleveland take the next step. Drew Gooden was fantastic, attacking the glass repeatedly to the tune of 14 rebounds, with 8 coming on the offensive end. Gooden also proceeded to show outstanding range, knocking down perimeter jump shots all game long. He even faked out Amare Stoudamire in the first quarter from 20 feet out, allowing for an impressive drive and reverse dunk. Gooden finished with 19 points to go along with the aforementioned 14 boards.
Anderson Varejao was active, set sturdy picks, and grabbed 4 rebounds.
Daniel Gibson knocked down 2 shots from behind the arc, dished off 5 assists, and got to the lane at will before fouling out.
For Cleveland to be a serious contender, they need to revamp the roster around LeBron. Gooden should stay. His rebounding, and mid range shooting are a lethal addition to James’ driving skills. Varejao is also a keeper. Daniel Gibson should be a starter over the rest of the guards on the roster. Snow, Wesley, Marshall and Ilgauskas should be banished to the land of the retired. And Cleveland needs to pray that they can overcome Larry Hughes’ contract and pick up a power post player, a wing player with a consistent jump shot, and a pass-first, defensive type point guard under the age of 62. Then again, in the abhorrent Eastern Conference, even the current Cleveland team can have visions of a trip to the Eastern Conference finals when they tuck in at night.
As for Phoenix, only the Lakers’, Spurs, and Mavs have the combination of outstanding coaching and roster flexibility to slow down the Suns’ onslaught. Any other opponent and the Suns will have claimed victory

Go New York, Go New York, Go!

52 points.

Unbelievable. You know, I wasn't a big fan of Jamal Crawford at the beginning. He chucked shots from 33 feet out and looked like someone who didn't know the fundamentals of basketball. But man, the guy has been really good for the Knicks.

If you could look for any silver lining from the Larry Brown era, it would be the shaping and the development of Jamal Crawford. He play hard every night despite the Knicks not really caring and did the best to curb his shoot first instincts. He is, still, a limited player. When he's on fire like this, he's nearly unstoppable, on par with the best gunners in the NBA. When he's cold, it's pretty bad. The thing that you like about Crawford is that he's not afraid of the last shot, he's got huge guts and will forget about a 4-209 night to sink a huge jumper at the end of the game.

When you look at it, with Jefferson and Kristic out, this is a moment for the Knicks to seize the woeful Atlantic division. Not that it means anything now, but it's still something to rest your laurels on. I can actually even see them winning a first round series, with the East being so bad.

There. I was positive about the Knicks. I now continue my hating of them in the future.

Sportssportssportsports...

With no football for the next two weeks, basketball takes centerstage in the sporting landscape.
What a pathetic performance by the Knicks this evening. 27-0 run? It's one thing if Wade & Shaq were on the floor, but they were both on the bench. A complete embarrassment on any level to which Isiah even said that the team didn't even show up. You wonder if Zeke is going to make some trades 1) to save his own skin and 2) to try to get this team hopelessly into the playoffs by sacrificing their future. There's no question in my mind he'll be back and while he's a great drafter (Ariza, Lee, Frye) he's awful when it comes to trades (Tim Thomas, Steve Francis, Malik Rose) and free agent signings (Jerome James - enough said). Despite the Eastern Conference being worst than it has ever been, this team is 11th in the conference overall. Is that "significant improvement?"

I criticize the Knicks a lot, but I will give credit where credit is due. There is a lot of young talent on the team. Let me rephrase that. There's a lot of SCORING talent on the team, not enough guys who do the little things, like I dunno, play defense? The Knicks are 8th in the NBA, averaging 100.1 points per game. That's all well and good except they give up 102 points per game, good for 23rd in scoring defense and scoring margin. They're near the bottom in the league in turnovers committed, absolutely inexcusable when you consider how many freaking point guards are on the team and even more inexcusable when you realize this team they're 26th in total assists. They're at the bottom of the league in turnover/assist ratio. They do lead the lead in Technicals,which is also a great stat for teams to lead in.

The Nets aren't exactly in much better shape. This is a team with the talent on it, should be dominating a weak conference like the East. As said before, talent doesn't win you basketball games. They have been playing well as of late and their Achilles heel from last season, their bench is much improved - young guys like Marcus Williams, Hassan Adams, and Josh Boone have deepened the bench. But Vince Carter has been nowhere near his best and Nenad Kristic and Richard Jefferson are going to be out for significant time periods. They don't know how to close teams out when they have a huge lead. A suggestion would be to blow things up, trade Kidd and Carter and rebuild behind Williams, Adams, Jefferson and Boone and still be successful with added pieces on the interior. However, the Eastern Conference is so BAD that you can conceivably see them win the East...because they really isn't anyone that is a clear dominating team.

Other news:

- Big Tuna is headed for greener pastures. You can honestly say that T.O. forced ole' Bill to retirement. It's probably for the best and already they're talking of Little Bill taking over in big D.
-Lane Kiffin takes over as Raiders coach. Not a bad choice, a talented offensive mind, but is going to need a lot of time and patience from Raider Nation to rebuild that once proud franchise.
-Mike Tomlin takes over as the Steelers head coach, surprising since Russ Grimm was such a highly touted candidate outside of the organization.
-The Giants hired a new defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, who was the linebackers coach with the Eagles for the last eight years. Don't know much about him except that you figure that he has to know something about defense, serving under Jim Johnson all those years. The last time Coughlin hired an assistant for a coordinator spot from a good team? John Hufnagel, from the Patriots. Let's hope that turns out better than the last time.

Finally...

He got it done.

The Colts, the team that can't stop the run, can't beat the Pats, and can never win the big one got it done. It wasn't the best game Peyton ever played, but he was solid, especially when you consider the team was down 18 in the first half. Great job by Dungy to keep his team motivated. Thank god we don't have to see the Pats in the Super Bowl again and another two weeks of how much Brady and Little Bill are gods of football. Couple of key points 1) 21-3, it's third down at the Colts 30 for the Pats...an offensive PI and an illegal shift cost them three points. 2) End of the game, two minutes and change left, Pats are unable to run the ball out. They instead pass. Why? I have no clue. However, you'd expect Brady to be money like he usually is...and he wasn't for that one drive. Weird game, even game but the Colts deserve it.

The Bears demolished the Saints, bring back that defense that played early in the year. Surprising that the Saints didn't run more, especially when you consider the conditions were awful, but the Bears were the better for most of the game. Rex Grossman, however, will surpass Trent Dilfer as the worst quarterback to win a Super Bowl if da Bears win it all.

Finally, social progress. We'll have our first African-American head coach win a Super Bowl, either Tony Dungy or Lovie Smith. With the Super Bowl to take place during Black History Month, couldn't think of a better tribute.

We're playing BASK-ET-BALL...

Breaking News: Brooklyn College wins both ends of a basketball doubleheader? Holy Hell...

Seriously, congrats to both Coach Lang and Coach Podias, getting deserved wins on the road. Let's home it continues and they both make the post-season so we can do their games out at CCNY.

Nice job by the announcers on WBCR and that strapping young man in studio who held it down...

As for the pro local scene, didn't get a chance to see a thriller, with the Knicks breaking an 11-0 run at the end of the game...only to lose to 49-year-old Cliff Robinson's tip-in. Box out people, box out. Marbury nearly hits a prayer at the buzzer...but the Nets survive and have sole possession of the lead in the Atlantic Division which is like winning the best looking garbage can contest. Two straight losses by one point....just painful.

Be back tomorrow to preview the football games.

It's your boy...

The Nets announced a name for their Brooklyn Arena, so I figured why the hell not write an article. It's HOVAH!

The Nets are inching closer to their new home at the Barclays’ Center in Downtown Brooklyn, as each political hurdle gets bypassed before the grand opening in the 2009-10 season. The new arena, located on Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues will be state of the art, designed by architect Frank Gehry to be a sporting and entertainment marvel. While there is no doubt the new arena will be a draw, it remains to be seen if Brooklynites will take to the Nets as they did with the Dodgers over a half century ago.

New York City will always be a Knick town no matter what, whether they’re playing well or in a state of mediocrity like they’re currently in. Brooklyn has always been a Knick fan’s haven, magnified by the fact Coney Island’s own Stephon Marbury is the face of the franchise. Can the Nets cut into the Knick fan base in Brooklyn? The opinion here is yes

Winning basketball is what all New York basketball fans care about. If you win, they will come. There’s no question that the roster will be altered before 2009. While the Nets have been mired in a malaise this season, they still have as much talent as anyone in the Eastern Conference. Richard Jefferson is under contract for the 2009 season and Nets President Rod Thorn has a track record for being an astute and shrewd basketball executive. Thorn is the guy who made the decision to draft Michael Jordan when he was in the Bulls front office, traded Marbury for Jason Kidd, a move that changed the direction of the Nets franchise, made a draft day trade to get Jefferson and absolutely stole Vince Carter from the Raptors. Thorn’s 2006 picks in the draft have all made some positive contributions this season. Marcus Williams is the heir apparent to Kidd at point guard and has shown basketball intelligence beyond his years. Hassan Adams looks like a steal so far in the second round. Finally, Josh Boone’s ability as a big man is valuable, especially since Nenad Kristic’s season ending injury.

With winning comes support and unlike the Meadowlands, which is located in the middle of the swamplands of New Jersey, people will show up for 41 home games a season, especially here in Brooklyn. There is something special about Brooklyn, a certain magic that no other borough in the city or place in the world has. While there is no doubt it will be hard for those die hard Knicks fans to switch allegiances, it’s safe to say that future generations of Brooklyn basketball fans will get behind the team.

This would create a true rivalry between the Knicks and Nets, especially if both teams are good. The Nets would no longer be away in some distant hole in the ground in New Jersey; they would be right on the Knicks doorstep, perhaps even stealing some of the headlines of their cross-town rivals. Would it be as intense as a Mets-Yankees rivalry or Rangers-Islanders? It’s hard to say. But it will be interesting to find out.

Like this kid, sports currently is taking a nap.

If you consider a washed up Chris Webber signing with the Pistons a big move, then you're more of a sports degenerate than I am. And that's saying something.

Notes:

- Jerry Reese is the new Giants GM. Good news: he suggested to the Giants to draft Osi. Bad news: he suggested to the Giants to draft Shiancoe and William Joseph. Hey, in baseball, he's batting .333.
- The Nets are currently becoming the NBA's version of Passions, with all the off the court nonsense. This was suppose to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Sadly, they're still the best team in the Atlantic Division which say absolutely nothing.
-Speaking of off-the-field stuff, looks like Strahan got taken to the cleaners. Yawn.
-The Rangers lost. Repeat said yawn.

Good news for all sports fans comes this Sunday with the conference championship games and spring training is less than a month away.

Now for plugs:
-Read my good friends Stephen Haynes and Patrick Hickey Jr. blogs, refered to previously in this blog before.
-The Sporting Goods is on today from 2 to pregame, as Brooklyn College takes on Lehman College. Yours truly will be on call for the second game.

Be back later. I need to go get an attitude adjustment.

LA has a Becks

A treat for all those loyal BCMSB Fans, a preview of my latest column in the first Kingsman of the semester:

There is arguably no bigger name in professional sports than David Beckham in the world. Now, Becks brings his game, his many different fashion styles and his family across the pond to the States.

The former England captain and soon to be former Real Madrid midfielder signed a monster contract with Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy, reportedly worth $250 million over five years in move that can only increase the profile of the American domestic league.

Soccer in the United States has always been a second class sport. The North American Soccer League, a league built around the great Pele back in the 70’s went out of business after overspending. It wasn’t until the 1994 World Cup which was held in the United States that the idea of another American soccer league was thought of.

MLS avoided the pitfalls of the NASL, instituting a salary cap for all the clubs in the league up until this year. The “designated player rule” or the so called “Beckham rule” allowed the clubs of MLS to sign one player outside of the salary cap.

Beckham is no longer what he was at the peak of his abilities, but he’s still a very effective soccer player. His passes and free kicks are still amongst the best in the world and his addition to MLS would add instant publicity to a league that badly needs it. Players on the US National Team such as Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey are good, perhaps underrated, but they don’t have the drawing power that Beckham has. As George Steinbrenner once famously said Beckham will “put fannies in the seats.”

Beckham isn’t, however, a savior. He is a limited player who lost his place in Real Madrid after new coach Fabio Capello decided to bench the 31-year-old for most of the season. Beckham is limited with his soccer abilities, he isn’t the fastest player and for a player who is known for his dead ball skills, he doesn’t score many goals.

The fact remains, however, that Beckham will provide more interest in soccer in America. The impact remains to be seen. Soccer is growing in popularity, as witnessed with the ratings of this summer’s World Cup in Germany. But many Americans who are interested in soccer are more interested in the European leagues, while MLS sorely lags in ratings and in fans. With a cultural icon such as Beckham coming to these shores and the investment in “Mr. Posh Spice”, MLS is hoping for an explosion of fan interest. That will not happen overnight.

It is important for MLS to get more than just Beckham. Ronaldo, the Brazilian goal scoring wizard and Beckham’s teammate at Real Madrid has spent most of this season on the bench and has been rumored to join the New York Red Bulls If MLS can get a few big stars to join the league and not lose financial sanity while doing it, it’s a fantastic opportunity to cash in and create interest in the league.

The play on the field can only improve as well. Adding a player like Ronaldo or Beckham will showcase new talents to the players on the field and will no doubt force them to step up their level of play.

Soccer may never reach the levels of the big four sports in this country. But there is a hope that it can reach heights it’s never reached.

Marty ball...UGH

Marty Schottenheimer...man.

You can't make it up. He's got the best team on both sides of the ball this year, the best player on offense, arguably the best player on defense, homefield advantage throughout the playoffs...and somehow screws this up. How do you lose a game when you force Tom Brady into three picks, hold their rushing game to 51 yards and LT gets over 180 yards in total offense? 5-13 in the post season, how depressing is that?

Get ready for another week of Brady vs. Peyton, Dungy vs. Belichick, Vinatieri vs. the Pats kicker whose name I'm too lazy to look up. The game will be great, the hype that's coming with it is going to be brutal.

As for the NFC, it's the Saints vs. Bears and virtually everyone outside of Chicago will be cheering for New Orleans. Personally, don't mind any of the teams in the NFC making the Super Bowl, but for story purposes, it'd be awesome if the Saints make it.

Be back later for more...

Football and more football

I'm taking the weekend off to watch the playoffs, but I leave the many fans of the blog a preview on the playoffs and review of the Florida-OSU game, courtesy of my good friend, Stephen Haynes.

FLORIDA vs. OSU

It wasn’t so much David vs. Goliath as it was Samson vs. Goliath. And it wasn’t that Ohio State was overrated, but Florida was underestimated.

The Buckeyes deserved their press clippings and earned the acclaim they had been showered with. When a team enters the season as the consensus #1 in the BCS and does nothing to even jeopardize that standing, and their quarterback, favored to win the Heisman trophy, delivers with amazing numbers and wins it by a historical margin, the team deserves to be hyped.

In contrast, Florida had to work its way up the BCS standings. They started out ranked fourth, their potency was questioned, and they were disregarded many after their sloppy performance against Auburn. When they eventually surfaced at #2, it was said they hadn’t truly earned it, but inherited the spot after Michigan was beaten by the mighty Buckeyes. Their quarterback, who was ballyhooed three years ago but vilified after failing to live up to lofty expectations placed on him after the 2004 campaign, had a very good season (144.99 rating), but no Heisman.

But the teams weren’t that dissimilar. Defenses ranked 5^th (OSU) and 6^th. Ohio State gave up just 12.8 points per game and Florida 13.5. Florida’s defense forced 29 turnovers to Ohio State’s 27.

Florida ranked 19^th in total offense and OSU ranked 26^th with Florida out-gaining them by just 546 yards on the season.

The difference is that the Gators didn’t have as many early-decided blowout wins; didn’t impose its will and crush the weaker opponents as Ohio State had. But overall, they did face a tougher schedule. Florida had games against three teams that finished in the top 20 (Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Arkansas), Ohio State had two (Iowa & Michigan).

While OSU breezed through their schedule and stomped opponents in the high-flying Big Ten, Florida won ugly. They played a lot of relatively low-scoring (boring), hard-fought “grind it” games.

But in the month leading up to the game, they had to endure the slights of experts and enthusiasts who predicted and expected an Ohio State cakewalk.

“Motivation was not an issue,” said Urban Meyer, who will undoubtedly be sought by several skipper-switching NFL teams hot for the next hot coach next season. “If you are looking for a great pre-game speech, I didn't have to have any. We had one for 30 days.”

Florida was thought to be college football’s version of the Detroit Pistons - a strong defensive team that had some talent on offense, but wasn’t explosive.

Admit it, when Ted Ginn Jr. took the opening kickoff 93 yards untouched for a touchdown, you thought the beating was on. How can they even fantasize about stopping the unstoppable if they can’t even bust a wedge? The opening salvo, like one of those old Mike Tyson fights, was supposed to be the knockout blow seven seconds in.

But what happened after the special teams got off and that special team took the field, led by Chris Leak, was the commencement of a detailed, deliberate and domineering dismantling.

Coming in, they had been criticized for the dink & dunk passes, their almost constant use of spread formations and their deficiency in the running game. Florida’s best between-the-tackles runner was Tim Tebow, the backup quarterback. They played like a rich school’s version of the 2004 Kansas State Wildcats offense (Ell Roberson & Darren Sproles). But the same things they were belittled for were the things that allowed them to tack on points like the ‘04 Oklahoma Sooners.

Leak, who had been denigrated by Gator fans for much of the season, operated mostly from 4- and 5-wide formations and threw almost exclusively underneath, connecting on 25 of his 36 throws for 213 yards. The longest completed pass went for 20 yards to tight end Cornelius Ingram. Leak averaged just 5.9 yards per attempt, but Meyer and his offense understood that 6 yards + 6 yards = first down = winning the time of possession battle 40:48 to 19:12. And Ohio State had no answer for the shotgun offense, the option runs, the screen passes. Nor did they have an answer for Meyer’s quarterback platoon as Tebow was substituted in as the short yardage (quarter)back, accruing 36 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He also tossed a touchdown, finding Andre Caldwell wide open in the end zone after faking the QB keeper.

On defense, Jarvis Moss (now NFL-bound) and Derrick Harvey dominated the Buckeyes’ vaunted offensive line and forced Smith to move around. Smith, normally shifty enough and deft at throwing accurately while on the move, looked inept in the face of that pass rush. That ineptitude persisted as he completed just 4 of his 14 attempts and threw an interception while that front four harassed him all night. Florida’s defense had too much speed for OSU and the offensive line couldn’t handle it.

The sturdy ol’ Dodge Ram vs. the fine-tuned Mclaren Mercedes. But the Dodge had a Hemi in it. Scratch that, it had the engine of a suped-up Formula 1 race car.

Sans their 64-yard drive in the 2^nd quarter which was completed with an 18-yard touchdown on a cutback off left tackle by Antonio Pittman, Ohio State’s offense did nothing. They had just three drives on which they totaled 10 or more yards, and five on which they went backwards.

The Buckeys averaged 2.5 yards per pass and 2.0 per run. How ‘bout that SEC defense, huh?

Even the erratic place-kicker, Chris Hetland, who had made only 4 of 13 field goal attempts this season, connected on kicks from 42 and 40 yards in the first half.

The end result was a 44-14 shellacking. And it wasn’t that close. But what we can’t lose sight of is that there wasn’t that much distance between the teams. Ohio State wasn’t in a different league or a big league team getting knocked off by a minor league affiliate. They were in the same league, and ballpark, too. And Florida put some hot sauce on their behinds and let them know whose house it was.

PICKS

Seattle v. Chicago

What’s the difference between the 2006 Bears team and the 2001 version? Both stormed through the regular season going 13-3, but the 2001 defense was better (203 points allowed to 255 this season) and they got better play out of the quarterbacks. Jim Miller and Shane Matthews combined to throw 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and completed 59.4 percent for 2,993 yards. Rex Grossman, despite his 23 touchdown passes, completed just 54 percent, and with 20 interceptions, he had almost as high a completion percentage throwing to the other team. The 2005 squad that went 11-5 didn’t fare too well, either, with Grossman at the helm. Teams with great defenses and quality running games don’t necessarily need great (or good) QB play, but they can’t afford to have the signal-caller be a liability. People often point to the Ravens with Trent Dilfer in 2000, but he threw just one interception in the postseason. Bears fans cross their fingers and hope that Rex doesn’t throw more than one INT per quarter. The switch to Brian Griese (career 63% with 84.5 QB rating) should’ve been made after week 13 after Grossman, who threw 17 picks in the last 10 games, had thrown 0 TDs & 6 INTs and completed 39 percent in the previous two contests. Now it’s too late. The Seahawks underachieved this year because of injuries and well, underachieving. But they’ve got a talented defense - although the secondary is depleted - that ranked 6th in the league with 41 sacks. Pressure + Grossman = turnovers. And the Seattle offense does still have Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander behind a good offensive line flanked by Darrell Jackson (game-time decision) and Deion Branch. Also, that Bears defense, after incurring a bunch of injuries, gave up 26 points per game over the last four weeks. 23-17, Seahawks.

Patriots v. Chargers

I’ll keep it brief. I thought the Patriots won their division and had a good record by default. They weren’t challenged much and they’re not the same team they were two years ago. Tom Brady doesn’t have as many options in the passing game. The offense, more predicated on the run than ever before, will face a Chargers defense that was 7th against the run. The Patriots defense was the second best in points allowed, but much of the game plan will be geared towards slowing LaDainian Tomlinson. And, Belichick’s genius be damned, Philip Rivers will take advantage of the short safety defenses. Who knows, New England might even overload the box and go with “Zero” coverage (both safeties down) a few times to stop the MVP. But the Pats don’t have much speed at linebacker and Rodney Harrison won’t play, so I expect Antonio Gates to take advantage. I’ve liked Rivers since he was at N.C. State and I don’t think he’ll get flustered or overwhelmed. The Chargers defense will keep the game close, allowing Tomlinson and Michael Turner to keep pounding away and not have all the pressure be placed on the young quarterback. Don’t underestimate the preparation and dedication of a married man who’s willing to get in the shower with his center and take snaps with the water cascading. 24-20, Chargers.

Ground control to Major Tom

In some not-so-shocking news, the Giants decided to extend Tom Coughlin's contract for one more year, making 2007 a make or break year for the head coach.

What a fantastic blunder.

I generally think Coughlin gets a bad rap in the press and his ghoulish persona is overstated. That being said, this is not the guy for this team. The team tried to quit on him this year and get him fired...if they couldn't even quit on him the right way, how is he ever going to breakthrough to the them?

There are many problems with the Giants right now. The defense, the once proud fearsome squad that struck fear in opposing quarterbacks is now nothing more than a glorified scrimmage unit for most offenses they play. Will Demps might be the biggest waste of money this side of Carl Pavano. Carlos Emmons (nice job on that reverse against the Eagles, btw, Carlos. Has perfect position and somehow still messes it up) The secondary is average on a good day and pitiful on an off one. And they somehow still can't catch an interception in their hands. Antonio Pierce is a tough son of a gun but he needs help on either side of him. The defensive line is the only thing currently on the defense to get excited about, with the likes of Osi, Kiwi and Cofield as a solid young nucleus, but more needs to be done. This space wasn't in existence when last year's draft happened, but what was Accorsi thinking taking Kiwi over Holmes or Winston Justice? Insane. In hindsight, it turned out to be a useful pick, but Holmes was a much more effective player than Sinorice Moss ever was.

The biggest problem facing Coughlin going into next year is the progression (or regression) of Eli Manning. Losing Tiki Barber isn't going to help matters and Eli is going to be looked to become the guy on that office. Jeremy Shockey is the fire of that offense, but he still is just a tight end. Coughlin said on a radio show today that Eli is 80% in his throws in practice. Well, that's awesome. Too bad it's practice with no guys rushing the quarterback. It'll never happened but a perfect guy to groom Eli right now is Jim Fassel. Fassel was an excellent quarterback coach who always stayed on the QB's he coached about their mechanics, footwork and throwing motion. That's what the Giants need right now, a quarterback guru of sorts to keep on Eli and make sure that he gets to level that people expect from him. The weapons are all there, it's up to Eli to get the job done.

In other news:
- We covered the Brooklyn College basketball games against John Jay at John Jay. The women got blown out, the men lost 70-68 in a heartbreaker. Can officials be consistent? I know it's a road gym for BC, but some of the fouls today were questionable, going both ways. Anyway the Bridges got pounded on the boards and couldn't get an offensive rebound. Poor Tommy Guerin missed a ton of free throws at the line, going 4-11. If only he sunk a few more...
- Speaking of the game, it was weird to go out there and do the game on our cellphones. Especially since we're doing the game right where the players can hear us. One moment was awkward when my partner Shawn was criticizing Richard Martin for a bad play and Martin turned back at us. It was also nice getting those lovely looks from the John Jay staff. What, you never see a game done by cellphone before?
-Barry Bonds was allegedly caught taking "greenies" last season and tested positive. At this point, who cares. We know Bonds is a cheat and he's still going to walk his way into Cooperstwon as a Hall of Famer.
-Speaking of baseball, the Mets have signed Scott Schowenweis to a three year deal. How Scott Boras robs team left and right paying mediocre talent like Schowenweis 10 million over three years is beyond me.

Be back later for more...

Hall of Shame

Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were elected to the Hall of Fame yesterday, a deserved reward for two legends of the game of baseball.

Of course, that wasn't the big story of the day.

It was Mark McGwire not making the Hall. The cloud of suspicion that surrounds him for taking steroids in his pursuit to break the single season home run record and his non-denial in front of Congress has made him a poster boy of the Juiced-era.

Looking at McGwire's stats, it's hard NOT to put him in the Hall. 583 homers, 1414 RBIs and a career .394 on-base percentage, not to mention the reputation as the most feared premier right handed hitter in the game. He was a 12 time All-Star and was Rookie of the Year in 1987.

If we're going to keep McGwire out, then we have to take guys out of the Hall of Fame. Gaylord Perry admitted he used vasoline and doctored baseballs on the mound. He also happens to be a 300 game winner. Ty Cobb was one of the most racist men to ever live, but he's enshrined in the Hall.

I generally believe fans actually do care about players using steroids, that there is some type of moral outrage that players would disgrace the game of baseball for their performance enhancement. No one wants to see a bunch of 'roided up home run hitters. BTW, notice the teams that have been winning the World Series lately? Teams that pitch well and play defense. Anyway, baseball needs to take the steroid issue seriously before other people take baseball seriously. How does Mota get a two year contract from the Mets when he gets caught with performance enhancing drugs?

So here it is. If you're going to deny the steroid users of this era entry to the Hall, say so, leave 'em out like Pete Rose. But first, clean up the game to make sure that statistical anomalies like McGwire take advantage of it.

Grab Bag

I was going to put a picture of Johan Santana, but I figured Jessica Alba would be much more interesting.

- Giants offered their vacant GM position to Scott Pioli, the current GM of the Patriots. A little surprising that he turned it down considering past reports made it seem like a slam dunk he would take the job. There's been a rumor that Bill Parcells has made it known to the Giants he wouldn't mind being the GM, which I wouldn't be against. You can make the case that Parcells the GM has been much more successful in the past few years than Parcells the coach.
-The Jets are making it clear to Chad Pennington he will fight for his job in training camp. I think this is just how it's gotta be with Pennington, with Kellen Clemons waiting in the wings. This will be better in terms of talent. But the quarterback situation for 2007 is a bit murky.
-Congrats to the Florida Gators, shocking the world by beating The Ohio State University last night 41-14. Chris Leak will shoot up draft boards and some unlucky team is going take him.
- Jason Kidd has filed for divorce from his wife. This is a family blog, so my comments will be kept to myself.
- The Big Unit is officially a Diamondback. Baseball news will probably be slow until the start of Spring Training, which, amazingly enough, is in five weeks time.
- One hypothetical point: Johan Santana is a free agent after 2008. There is zero chance he'll re-sign with the Twins. If Zito is worth 17 million, Santana is worth double that.

Be back tomorrow with a recap of the Bridges basketball games.

BCS Preview - Florida Gators

Since I know jack squat about college football, I've left it to the experts to break this game down into a fine powder. There will be two previews, one on Florida and one on the Ohio State University.

Here's my good buddy Erick Blasko's preview on the Gator side of the ball. It's an excellent read for any sports fan.

Many fans and media members are looking past this year’s BCS National Championship Game, assuming an Ohio State blowout is in order. Since Florida has a loss and hasn’t blown out the weaker teams on their schedule, the general consensus is that the team isn’t very good and doesn’t deserve to play for a title. However many of these people fail to appreciate the fact that Florida has played a much tougher schedule than any other team in the nation, so they know how to win close games against good teams. Florida also has a ton of playmakers on both sides of the ball, and a senior quarterback to lead the team. The Gators also have a ferocious defense which, unlike Michigan, is better on the field than on the stat sheet. And that defensive stat sheet is pretty good, with the Gators ranking 6th in scoring defense and rushing defense.

However, Ohio State is stacked all across the field. They have a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback in Troy Smith who has proven to be the best quarterback in college football. While Ted Ginn is a touch overrated, Anthony Gonzalez is the perfect compliment to Ginn’s speed and deep ball abilities. And Ohio State’s defense was phenomenal all season long, as they closed the regular season ranking 2nd in scoring defense.

The Buckeye’s earned their right to the National Championship game by going undefeated, winning the Big 10, and knocking off two number 2 ranked teams this season. Texas and Michigan were each ranked 2nd when they squared off against Ohio State, and each fell in games that were more one-sided than the final score indicates.

However, other than Texas, Michigan, and Penn State, the rest of the Buckeye schedule was painfully mediocre. When Ohio State beat Texas, Texas was their 2nd game into the season with a freshman quarterback. It’s very difficult to ask a true freshman to play well against a top-notch defense the 2nd game of his career. In Ohio State’s game against Michigan, the vaunted Buckeye defense got shredded by Mike Hart on the ground and Chad Henne through the air. And while Michigan’s defense is good, look how it fared the 2nd half of the Rose Bowl. Ohio State struggled mightily against Penn State’s defense until the 4th quarter, and nobody else on their schedule is worth mentioning. The Buckeye’s missed Wisconsin, and benefited from the fact that Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan State, Bowling Green, and Northern Illinois fall between mediocre and horrible. The truth is, Ohio State’s offense struggled in games against Penn State and Texas, and their defense showed some weaknesses against Michigan. Nobody is questioning the fact the Buckeyes are number 1, but they aren’t the be-all, end-all powerhouse that will dominate any team just by showing up.

Florida played the toughest schedule in the nation. While Southern Miss isn’t on the level of most SEC teams, they were a division winner. Other than UCF, Western Carolina, and maybe Vanderbilt, there weren’t any patsies on Florida’s schedule to pad their stats with. At Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, LSU, at Auburn, neutral site vs. Georgia, at Vanderbilt, South Carolina, at Florida State, and the SEC Championship Game vs. Arkansas is a death march that few teams can survive unscathed. The only blemish on that march was a game at Auburn in which Eric Wilbur dropped a punt which was turned into a touchdown, and Chris Leak committed a controversial fumble. And of the wins, only Vanderbilt, which didn’t make a bowl, Arkansas, and Tennessee lost their bowl games. And LSU’s vaunted offense with the new flavor the month JaMarcus Russell was held to 7 points, while committing 5 turnovers against Florida. Many Gator detractors point towards a 6 point win vs. Vanderbilt, and the fact that Florida needed to block a field goal at the buzzer to beat South Carolina as proofs of Florida’s ranking as undeserved. The fact is that the Vanderbilt game was after facing LSU, Auburn, and Georgia in 3 straight games. There is no way for Florida to be up for the Vanderbilt game, after playing 3 straight games against two top-10 teams and a main rival. The South Carolina game featured the legendary coach, Steve Spurrier, returning to Gainesville. Spurrier was the only team to consistently run the ball on Florida and bled away possession after possession with a smart gameplan. Other than those two wins, no other win on Florida’s schedule can be debated.

When Ohio State has the ball, they have numerous ways to pick apart a defense, led of course, by Heisman winner Troy Smith. Smith didn’t make too many spectacular plays this year, but he has been brutally efficient. He has excellent accuracy, and does a fine job of placing his passes in areas where his receivers can make yards after the catch. Smith also has tremendous athleticism which he shows off while scrambling to make plays. Even against good pass rushes, Smith can buy time in the pocket with his mobility or scramble outside the pocket, always looking for big throws downfield. He usually scrambles as a last resort, and most of his rushing yards come via option runs, not scrambling.

The Buckeyes also have two very underrated running backs in Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells. Because of Smith, the running game for Ohio State tends to be underappreciated, but Wells and Pittman pace the offense. Both are big backs able to get tough yards, but both also have breakaway speed once they get into the secondary. Ohio State has two fantastic receivers in Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez, with Smith being the big play guy, and Gonzales getting first down after first down underneath. Ohio State also has arguably, the best offensive line in the country giving the playmakers ample time to shine.

Florida’s defense will counter with their own playmakers on defense. Florida’s front four shuts down opposing rushing games, as teams average less than 3 yards a carry on them. Even the duo of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones broke off only one long run against the Gators. The difference is that Ohio State has a lethal passing attack rather than an adequate one. If Ohio State is able to run the ball consistently, then Smith will make big play after big play down the field. Florida has to make Ohio State one dimensional. The Gators front four is also excellent at generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks. While they don’t have too many sacks, the pressure results in rushed throws, poor throws, and interceptions. A key matchup will be whether Florida can generate pressure on Smith and force him to make careless throws into coverage. The Gators have a good linebacking corps with Earl Everett, Brandon Siler, and Brian Crum neutralizing opposing teams’ outside runs. The Gators also have a surprisingly disrespected secondary. Reggie Nelson is one of the best athletes in college football and has delivered numerous bone-crunching hits, as well as game turning interceptions this year. The Gators also have a Utah-transfer in Ryan Smith who picked off 8 passes this season. The weakness in Florida’s secondary is in their depth. Ohio State has many options at receiver and may want to spread the field and attack Florida’s lesser cornerbacks. The Gators’ regular secondary, however, is more than capable with hanging with the Buckeyes receiver.

Florida’s offense this year has hardly been a thing of beauty. Florida also has playmakers across the board, but the team constantly shoots itself in the foot with presnap penalties. If Florida decides to make it easy for Ohio State and back themselves up 5 yards, the Buckeyes will dominate the Gators. Florida’s offensive line has also been mediocre in pass protection. That’s a problem because Ohio State also has one of the best defensive lines in the nation with Quinn Pitcock leading the charge from nose tackle. It is unlikely that DeShawn Wynn will be bale to run the ball against the stout Buckeyes run defense, so Florida will look to throw the ball early and often. Florida’s passing game generally consists of shallow crossing routes, pick routes (referees should look out for those routes because their illegal), bubble screens, hitch routes, and the occasional go route. With Andre Caldwell, Dallas Baker, Jemalle Cornelius, and Cornelius Ingram, the Gators have ways to move the ball through the air against Ohio State. Florida also has Percy Harvin, a true freshman with electrifying talent. For Florida to win, they need to get the ball into the hands of those guys and let them create.

Unfortunately, Chris Leak has not had a great year this year. He has happy feat and doesn’t step into his throws against good defensive teams. Ohio State should feast on his poor mechanics. When Leak has time, he has an incredibly accurate deep ball, and can pick apart defenses with his big arm. It is a given that Ohio State will get pressure. The key is whether Leak can stand in and make tough throws with defenders in his face. Tim Tebow will also get playing time. While still raw as a passer, he is a physical runner with freakish athletic abilities. Just ask LaRon Landry, widely regarded as the best safety in the nation. Landry was dragged almost 15 yards by a Tebow run earlier this year. As a changeup, Tebow will come in to run sneaks for the Gators in short yardage, and also look to make big plays when the team needs a spark.

Neither team gets too big of an edge in coaching. Jim Tressel is a fantastic big game coach and has won games as an underdog and as a favorite. He’ll make sure Florida doesn’t block any kicks, and he’ll look to exploit Florida’s lack of depth in the secondary. Urban Meyer, meanwhile, is a prodigy quickly rising up the coaching ranks. He’s won at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida, and has an impeccable resume. With all the injuries and offensive woes the Gators have suffered this year, it’s a testament to Meyer that the Gators are where they are. Since Ohio State doesn’t suffer illegal motion after illegal motion penalty, Tressel has to get the edge there.

What will happen? Florida will score a touchdown on their first drive and pick up a stop on Ohio State’s first drive to show that they belong in the game, and the Gator defensive speed will keep Ohio State from getting into a rhythm. Still, smith is so talented that he’ll be flawless on a few drives leading Ohio State to a couple of touchdowns. The Gators will keep a back in to help offset the Buckeye pass rush, and Florida will take a surprising amount of shots down the field in the first half, connecting on a few deep balls. Both quarterbacks will throw 2 interceptions, and Florida’s defense will be the unit that shines in the 4th quarter, snuffing out a few Troy Smith attempts at victory. Florida- 24 Ohio State- 20