After hearing Kobe Bryant's league leading 14th Technical foul was rescinded on Tuesday evening, I had finally snapped. I was driving home and was cussing at my radio I was so pissed. This stems from the Nuggets game Monday and the fact it was one of the worse showing of favoritism and bias towards a team that I have seen as a sports fan. I haven't watched enough Nuggets games this seasons but I listened and watched a fair amount of Monday night's game and was disgusted with the Lakers bias the NBA was showing.
David Guthrie was one of the officials and it was EMBARRASSING how fixed it appeared he was calling the game. The fouls he refused to call on the Lakers and the fouls he was calling on the Nuggets was mind boggling. The NBA is so desperate to get the Lakers into the playoffs, it could be the ugliest final two months of the NBA season we've ever seen when the Lakers play.
The Jazz, Rockets and Warriors all sit 3-5.5 games ahead of the Lakers. The Warriors will get every call against them against the Lakers in the two games they face off. And the Lakers play the Rockets in the final game of the regular season for both teams. Imagine this scenario, the Lakers are down by a game going into the final game of the regular season behind the Rockets, give the 8th seed to the Lakers without playing the game. The Lakers and Rockets would tie the season series 2-2 and the next tiebreaker is conference record. Houston appears to be more likely to finish with the worse record in conference IF the above scenario plays out.
Watch the remaining Lakers games and watch the bias continue.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Peyton Manning needs to follow the NEW Brady Rule...
Tom Brady just signed a 3 yr/$27 million contract. That is about 45%-50% of what the market rate is for a top 5 QB. Hell, an average QB like Joe Flacco on a great team is going to try to demand $20 mill/yr. That is roughly 15-17% of the salary cap which is expected to be between $120-123 million in the 2013-14 season. I have no problem with a young player looking to make as much money as he can on that second contract, especially with the lower rookie scale contracts and non-guaranteed money of the NFL, but for an aging star that plays to win rings instead of making money like Manning, it's time to cut that meat!
Cut That Meat!
Manning came back with the health risks of his fused Frankenstein neck to cement his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play and to do that he knew he had to win another Super Bowl or two and deal with Tom Brady and his brother. First, his brother has two rings and is younger. The Giants are a smart franchise and always have a shot if they make the playoffs. Peyton doesn't want to be reminded that yeah, you're great but Eli has more rings. Then, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are Hall of Famers, first ballot, but Manning doesn't want to be remembered as winning one Super Bowl and being an average playoff QB (so far that's what he is) while Brady goes down as the greatest ever if he wins another. Peyton needs more meat on his resume to be considered the greatest amongst Elway, Montana, Manning, Starr, etc. and the main way to do that is to trim his salary down.
The Broncos showed they are not far off from winning the Lombardi. They had the best record in the AFC. They were not far from beating the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, but Manning did not play to his level of expectations. A bigger cushion and some more playmakers and experience could have helped get the Broncos to that level Manning needs to cement his legacy. Manning needs help and drafting another young player to do that is not going to get it done. The Broncos need a couple of solid veterans on defense and offense in their most glaring holes. These are:
Cut That Meat!
Manning came back with the health risks of his fused Frankenstein neck to cement his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play and to do that he knew he had to win another Super Bowl or two and deal with Tom Brady and his brother. First, his brother has two rings and is younger. The Giants are a smart franchise and always have a shot if they make the playoffs. Peyton doesn't want to be reminded that yeah, you're great but Eli has more rings. Then, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are Hall of Famers, first ballot, but Manning doesn't want to be remembered as winning one Super Bowl and being an average playoff QB (so far that's what he is) while Brady goes down as the greatest ever if he wins another. Peyton needs more meat on his resume to be considered the greatest amongst Elway, Montana, Manning, Starr, etc. and the main way to do that is to trim his salary down.
The Broncos showed they are not far off from winning the Lombardi. They had the best record in the AFC. They were not far from beating the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, but Manning did not play to his level of expectations. A bigger cushion and some more playmakers and experience could have helped get the Broncos to that level Manning needs to cement his legacy. Manning needs help and drafting another young player to do that is not going to get it done. The Broncos need a couple of solid veterans on defense and offense in their most glaring holes. These are:
- Secondary-Rahim Moore played much better this year but as the AFC Championship game showed he makes some big mistakes at times and isn't the guy you need to patrol the secondary and demand respect. Champ Bailey showed he needs some help over the top and didn't get it. Don't get me wrong, he is still a Top 5-10 corner but he isn't as fast as the speedsters like Torrey Smith and he got buttered on his toast. He needs stronger safety help and not to be put on an island anymore.
- LB-Von Miller is the best defensive player in the league. He can cover, rush and is the ideal guy for any team to build around. DJ Williams is good but not worth his salary or headache. Woodyard stepped up and is a damn good LB. Outside of that, it was a scary year and scarier to think that we depended on Keith Brooking and a whole bunch of average high draft picks/undrafted Free Agents.
- Defensive Tackle-The Broncos are fortunate to have got the production they got from vets like Bunkley two years ago and Bannan last year, but they have not addressed having an all-around DT that can also put pressure on the passing game from the inside. They haven't had that and need that in today's pass happy NFL.
- Running Back-There is some solid playmakers there but they need another one that is consistent and can be an impact in this offense.
- Receiver-D. Thomas is a Top 5 WR and may only be behind Calvin Johnson right now for the COMPLETE package (sorry Dez Bryant, your head still scares
meeveryone) but Eric Decker is closer to a #3 REC. Stokley is a great vet but he is not the speedster breakaway slot the Broncos really need in this offense. - Offensive Line depth-Manny Ramirez played something like half the season as a starter. He is not a starter!
- Peyton Manning cuts his salary to $10 million/yr.
- DJ Williams cuts his salary by at least half or is cut. He is a solid LB and is very talented but not worth the money or headaches at that price.
- Cut Chris Kuper- Great player but his injuries have made him a liability. He was average before getting hurt (again) last season. He was awful against Baltimore.
- Franchise Clady or play hard ball and say you are not Joe Thomas. Get him to take $12 mill/yr or just franchise him for two seasons and move on.
- Cut Joe Mays-Not a starter and average back-up. He is a north-south runner. That is good for RBs, not LBs.
- Renogotiate Woodyard for a longer contract-He is a player that deserves guarantees and to be shown some love
- Sign Reggie Bush-He is perfect for this system, still young enough to be good and probably $5 million a year guy. You then don't have to rush Hillman.
- Play hard for Danny Amendola-A reception machine. He is very fragile with a laundry list of injuries but if he stays healthy, watch out. He is a younger Welker and less costly. You get him for $6 mill/yr. Do it! If not go after Brian Hartline and if not him draft a speedster in the 2nd round or take Tayvon Austin if DT help is addressed in Free Agency or there isn't one worth that pick.
- Draft Jesse Williams of Alabama at DT or go after Randy Starks or Cullen Jenkins to stay with the older vet
- Hope Urlacher is cut by the Bears and if not go after Malaluga of the Bengals/USC. They need help and depth at MLB either way and a vet that is a solid player would address that.
- Sign Louis Delmas of the Lions. Give him two years and pay a bit above market value. You have Moore and Quinton Carter as solid guys.
- Draft Barret Jones of Alabama in the 2nd round. Guy is a versatile OL. Can help at any position but LT.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Drop Wrestling?! IOC loses perfect vision for 2020 Olympics...
Badminton, Table Tennis, Equestrian, Synchronized Swimming, Pentathalon, Trampoline, Taekwondo and Judo are all deemed more worthy Olympic sports than the original sport of wrestling! It is a travesty, an outrage, a f*ing joke to put it mildly.
The sport of wrestling is the original hand to hand combat of two warriors (no gay jokes please, save that for the speedo wearing fake wrestling). The moves in wrestling have helped form some of the greatest martial arts, such as the two mentioned above. It is a base for what is one of the fastest growing sports of the last 10 years in Mixed Martial Arts. The best fighters in that sport have a strong background in wrestling. The biggest reason, wrestling helps you learn to control someone and keep from getting controlled or in poor situations when you are competing hand to hand. I have seen videos from special ops units, police units, self-protectionetc. and the background is once again wrestling.
So what got us to this point that the wrestling community is outraged and anyone with half a brain that enjoys the Olympics is going, WTF?!
I have to be honest, the availability for viewing of wrestling is awful in the Olympics. First, it usually is only aired for a gold medal and otherwise it is available. Then, the only matches you will ever see are at a local HS or when ESPN does a finals on crack speed aired at seasons end or if you get the Big 10 network. Otherwise, most people have never seen a match.
The next issue is the scoring in freestyle and the best 2 out of 3 periods format it has became. I know this was done to eliminate all the tie matches, but it is boring and tough to get into. I like collegiate wrestling because of the format and the matches seem to be higher scoring, even at the Div. I level. I watched a few matches this summer and went, what is this crap?! 2-1 with holding of legs in freestyle and pummeling in greco is not entertaining.
Here is how I change it and how I make it more interesting:
Wrestling is a sport that is decided by two warriors going head to head with no help. A coach is a voice that is toned out other than in between breaks or when the ears open briefly to catch something that can't be seen with a head in the mat, against the side. I have ran for 3.5 hours before and been spent physically. I have wrestled for 6 minutes and felt the same thing. No other sport, other than the warrior sports of boxing and MMA have I seen something like that. Wrestling takes 100s of hours for less than 10 minutes on the mat to get to that gold medal round in the Olympics. It is one of the few pure Olympic sport where you don't try to throw a match (see your crappy badminton play), it is not judged (for the most part) by a group, it is not something that belongs in a backyard or gym for show (trampoline); it is two warriors that don't get paid beyond minor endorsements to make a simple living doing something they love to attain what every wrestler seeks at some point from pee-wee to that level, that gold medal (or at least a medal). You are telling wrestlers in college in the US, in Olympic training centers worldwide, that wrestling is not a sport worth trying to improve upon. The sport is already underappreciated and tough to say hey, you should wrestle instead of play this sport because of these reasons. Don't take the one reason the BEST of the BEST in this sport keep pursuing the sport and putting it all on the mat by eliminating wrestling in the Olympics. Fix your mistake and keep wrestling in 2020 and forever.
The sport of wrestling is the original hand to hand combat of two warriors (no gay jokes please, save that for the speedo wearing fake wrestling). The moves in wrestling have helped form some of the greatest martial arts, such as the two mentioned above. It is a base for what is one of the fastest growing sports of the last 10 years in Mixed Martial Arts. The best fighters in that sport have a strong background in wrestling. The biggest reason, wrestling helps you learn to control someone and keep from getting controlled or in poor situations when you are competing hand to hand. I have seen videos from special ops units, police units, self-protectionetc. and the background is once again wrestling.
So what got us to this point that the wrestling community is outraged and anyone with half a brain that enjoys the Olympics is going, WTF?!
I have to be honest, the availability for viewing of wrestling is awful in the Olympics. First, it usually is only aired for a gold medal and otherwise it is available. Then, the only matches you will ever see are at a local HS or when ESPN does a finals on crack speed aired at seasons end or if you get the Big 10 network. Otherwise, most people have never seen a match.
The next issue is the scoring in freestyle and the best 2 out of 3 periods format it has became. I know this was done to eliminate all the tie matches, but it is boring and tough to get into. I like collegiate wrestling because of the format and the matches seem to be higher scoring, even at the Div. I level. I watched a few matches this summer and went, what is this crap?! 2-1 with holding of legs in freestyle and pummeling in greco is not entertaining.
Here is how I change it and how I make it more interesting:
- Takedowns are worth 2 points unless backpoints or freestyle points are awarded.
- You have 10 seconds to turn a guy. If he escapes, you don't turn him or you let him go, he is awarded a point. This is almost like the take him down, let him go of collegiate.
- The person with the most turns wins if there is a tie after a sudden death overtime period. The second tiebreaker is most takedowns. The third tiebreaker is most escapes. The 4th is judges decision based off more aggressive wrestler.
- Give a wrestleback opportunity. This isn't an overloaded HS tourney. This is the world's best. A guy shouldn't have to be piggy backed to the next round. There is enough time.
- Eliminate women's wrestling. I don't care what people say but unless them women can beat the men, wrestling is like football to me, unless you can compete on the same level, don't make it it's own sport. No problem with soccer, basketball, etc. because those are sports that have long had solely female teams.
- Wrestlers are funky looking dudes with ugly ears (me included), but I remember being able to see John Smith, Kenny Monday and Bruce Baumgarter win the Olympics. I remember the big deal it was. I remember how big of a deal it was when a CO transplant won it in 2008 in Henry Cejudo. This year there was no hype for our two gold medalists. I guess that was the case for the world. Make it a big deal like they did in the late 80s/early 90s!
- If you can show Canoe on TV for prelims you can make the semifinals and medal matches a priority.
- Do like they did in the Athens and Beijing games, give each sport a channel on your 5 NBC channels and allow viewers to view around the clock on something other than an AWFUL feed to a computer where the bandwith was never coordinating properly on anything I tried to view wrestling live on. I don't care what time it is on, repeat it or tape delay for when people are up, but don't judge ignore this sport.
Wrestling is a sport that is decided by two warriors going head to head with no help. A coach is a voice that is toned out other than in between breaks or when the ears open briefly to catch something that can't be seen with a head in the mat, against the side. I have ran for 3.5 hours before and been spent physically. I have wrestled for 6 minutes and felt the same thing. No other sport, other than the warrior sports of boxing and MMA have I seen something like that. Wrestling takes 100s of hours for less than 10 minutes on the mat to get to that gold medal round in the Olympics. It is one of the few pure Olympic sport where you don't try to throw a match (see your crappy badminton play), it is not judged (for the most part) by a group, it is not something that belongs in a backyard or gym for show (trampoline); it is two warriors that don't get paid beyond minor endorsements to make a simple living doing something they love to attain what every wrestler seeks at some point from pee-wee to that level, that gold medal (or at least a medal). You are telling wrestlers in college in the US, in Olympic training centers worldwide, that wrestling is not a sport worth trying to improve upon. The sport is already underappreciated and tough to say hey, you should wrestle instead of play this sport because of these reasons. Don't take the one reason the BEST of the BEST in this sport keep pursuing the sport and putting it all on the mat by eliminating wrestling in the Olympics. Fix your mistake and keep wrestling in 2020 and forever.
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