Image of the Week

On Christmas day, the Cleveland Lebrons went to Los Angeles and showed why they should be considered a legit contender to win the NBA Championship this season. With his 35 points, Kobe Bryant may have won the head-to-head matchup against Lebron James, but Lebron got what really matter, a win. An eye opening 102-87 victory at that. Below is a photo of the two best players in the world going head-to-head.

Passing of the torch...

Growing up as a kid in the mid to late 90's and the 2000's you had to like Allen Iverson. He did it all. He was the underdog, he was under sized, he could score with the best of them, he was expressive, he had the "killer crossover," he had corn rows, he took a sub par team to the NBA finals, he had cool shoes, he rebelled, he poured his heart on the floor every night and finally he showed every child out there that you can make it, being yourself. With all that said, it pains me to watch him now, at this point in his career. While he is still all the things that I mentioned above, it just isn't the same. Everyone remembers the play where, a young Allen Iverson was going one on one with one of his heroes, Michael Jordan. We all remember the infamous crossover. It was great. Iverson was fearless. It was the new vs. the old. The youth vs. the wise. The best vs. the up-coming. As a child it was almost a symbol of the passing of the touch. Jordan wasn't done by any means, but Iverson represented a new age, more talent, the next greats.

About two weeks or so ago, I was reminded of the infamous crossover. As we all know Allen is on the downside of his career, but can still play at a high level. I saw a highlight from a Detroit pistons game that really opened my eyes. Rodney Stuckey went one on one with Allen Iverson, I'm sure one of his childhood heroes, and put a move on him I will never forget. The symbol of passing the torch immediately ran through my head. At this very moment I realized that there was a new generation of players that are ready to make their mark on the league.

So for all the die hard Iverson fans, I suggest you don't play this video.

P.S. How appropriate is this music in the background?

Image of the Week

This week we heard the tragic news that the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry lost his life during a domestic dispute with his fiance. While many athletes and professions spoke on the situation, none was more memorable than Chad Johnson. Johnson came to tears in his interview describing his feelings for the loss of his teammate. Here is a picture of Chad Johnson and Chris Henry on the field together, doing what they love to do. R.I.P. Chris Henry.

Image of the Week

Diego Sanchez entered the cage Saturday night, with the intentions of taking BJ Penn's Lightweight Championship. Instead the fight was stopped in the final round because of excessive bleeding, due to a gash in Sanchez head.

Down Goes Cuban!

Mark Cuban made a guest appearance on WWE Raw last week. He surprised the sports world by allowing a wrestler to slam him through a table. I'm sure there are a lot of people within the sports world that wished they had the honors.

Image of the Week

An emotional Allen Iverson coming to tears in his Philadelphia 76ers press conference. Allen expressed his passion for the game and his ability to still play at a high level. Iverson makes his return to the 76ers against his former team, the Denver Nuggets tonight. The game will be sold out and I assume many others will be tuning in on NBA TV.

Unhappy in South Bend

It has been almost a week now since Charlie Weis’ firing and I think it is time for me to voice my opinion on Weis’ five-year stay in South Bend. First, I’ll start with the numbers: Weis was originally hired in December of 2004. His contract was for six years, for about $2 million a season. His extension, which he received just seven games into the first year of his contract, was for 10 years and valued at approximately $30-40 million. This extension was given after Weis led Notre Dame to a 5-2 start in 2005. One of the games they lost in the 2005 season was the memorable “Bush Push” matchup against USC. Notre Dame went on to finish the season 9-3, ending with a Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State.

In his five seasons with Notre Dame, Weis posted a record of 35-27. Not bad, but also not worth the $30-40 million extension he received. After the 9-3 finish in 2005, the Fighting Irish improved in 2006 with a 10-3 record, finishing with another bowl game loss, but this time to LSU in the Sugar Bowl. Then, in the 2007 season things began to take a turn for the worst as the Fighting Irish finished their season 3-9. The 2008 season showed signs of hope when Weis led his team to a 7-6 finish and finally won a bowl game, defeating Hawaii. This year, Charlie’s 6-6 record in his final season in South Bend did not meet expectations, and ultimately led to his dismissal.

After Weis’ first two seasons at Notre Dame, I originally believed that he was indeed the “offensive genius” many had titled him to be, in addition to being a generally productive coach. Boy did he have me, and the rest of the football world, fooled. It took me a while to figure out why Weis’ last three seasons were completely different than the first two. Recruiting sure wasn’t the issue. In 2006 Notre Dame had the eighth-ranked recruiting class in the country, in 2007 they had the eighth-ranked class again, in 2008 they had the second-ranked class and in 2009 they had the 21st ranked class—all impressive numbers for a team that wasn’t bring home many wins.

This fall, I had an epiphany, realizing that Weis had been winning in his first two seasons with someone else’s players. Former Notre Dame coach, Tyrone Willingham, and his staff recruited Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Anthony Fasano, Maurice Stovall, Tom Zbikowski, Darius Walker and many other playmakers Weis used to win games. Typically, when a new coach takes a college football job, they are given a two to three-year grace period to recruit and develop the players they feel are best for their system. For whatever reason, Charlie Weis did better with the players he didn’t recruit than with those he did recruit.

In my opinion, Weis was not fired because of the poor records he was producing. Instead, it came down to a few key statistics. While Charlie Weis was head coach, Notre Dame went 3-2 against Navy, losing to them two out of the last three seasons. They tallied an embarrassing 0-5 record against USC, being outscored 85-190. They made only three bowl appearances and lost two of them. Finally, as an underlying college football standard, at least one that I grew up with, Notre Dame is never supposed to lose to Syracuse, Air Force or Navy, which were all done while Weis was head coach.

Like most people, I am happy with Charlie Weis’ dismissal and think it was well deserved. He has proven with his time in the NFL that he is a fantastic offensive coordinator, but his five seasons in Notre Dame showed that great assistants do not always translate to successful head coaches. Although Weis has taken endless amounts of criticism over the past two seasons, he is a winner in the end—at least at the bank. Notre Dame owes him $18 million for firing him, and he will most likely return to the NFL to accept an offensive coordinating job. His legacy in Notre Dame is something I’m sure he would like to forget, but he can prove himself to be a winner again once he takes a job in the NFL. For Notre Dame, I just hope this is a lesson learned and the coach they choose to fill Charlie Weis’ position has prior head coach experience.

So this is what you do when the other team scores...

This is bizarre. I know most people are wondering how this player could hit his own teammate, but I'm wondering why? This didn't look very inadvertent to me. Whether it was accidental or not I feel bad for the poor goalie and think that player deserves a year long ban from hockey.

Image of the Week

This is the scene of one of the more talked about stories in the last couple of days. It was reported on Friday that around 2:25 am, Tiger Woods 2009 Cadillac ran into a fire hydrant and a tree outside of his Florida mansion. His wife came to his rescue and reportedly used a golf club to smash a window and help an unconscious Woods out of the car. A statement has been made that alcohol was not the cause of the strange incident. Tiger himself has been very private and short in his responses about the incident. The police still have many questions that need to be answered and will continue to investigate and hopefully get to the bottom of this.

Hat Tricks in Soccer?!?

So who is Jermain Defoe? Have you ever heard of him? I doubt it. I'm going to let you in on a little known fact. Last Sunday Jermain Defoe, the Tottenham's striker, added his name to the history books as he knocked in five goals over Wigan, winning 9-1. This tied Manchester United's league record for goals by a player in a single game. Not only did Defoe have five goals but he also managed to turned a hat trick between the 51st and 58th minutes of the game. No, that is not a typo. One player had three goals in a span of seven minutes. This story got about three seconds of notoriety on ESPN, which I found to be slightly ridiculous. Come on, the guy scored five goals and his team accumulated nine points. Am I the only one that found this to be a big deal?

For some reason I have a feeling I will never hear about Jermain Defoe again, so today on Thanksgiving, I salute you Jermain.

Image of the Week

Matthew Stafford goes against the training staff's orders and re-enters the game for the final play. This guy has guts, because the on previous play he took a hard hit that separated his shoulder. Good thing for the Lions, he ended up throwing the game-winning touchdown pass after subbing himself back in.

Flipping the bird

Titans owner Bud Adams flips the bird toward the Buffalo Bills last week. I found this hilarious but odd. You would think an owner would have a little more self control and be more respectful to the opposing team. I guess when you lose your first six games you forget how to behave. Oh well, the NFL took action by fining him a much deserving $250,000.

Image of the Week

Bill Belichick's face in dismay as he and his Patriots blow a lead in the 4th quarter. This photo was taken just after Belichick's controversial 4th and 2 call was halted by the over achieving Colts defense. I love this face!

Sammy Why?!?!?

To be honest when I saw this photo, I was slightly frightened. People say steroids do a lot of different things to you, but what could possibly influence a man to do something like this?

Side Show Bob Get Out The Way!!!

The week is not over yet but I am officially declaring this the dunk of the week no matter what happens Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Boy Can He Jump!

This little guy is only listed at 6'0!!!!

Look at her go!!!!

Talk about a comeback. Undefeated Zenyatta pulled off a very impressive win, taking home the Breeders Cup Classic Saturday. Not only was the comeback amazing but Zenyatta also made history, becoming the first female to win the Breeder's Cup Classic. You can watch the race below:

Where did the hair go?????

Last night I was watching the 60 minutes special on Andre Agassi. The big story was him talking about(promoting) his new tell it all novel. The major story discussed was Agassi admitting to his past addiction to Crystal Meth. As serious as this may sound, this was not the part of the story that bothered me. I was actually more bothered by all the videos they kept showing of a young Andre Agassi, with a head full of hair. Every time an old video was shown, I found myself laughing because I never pictured Aggasi not being bald. Then I heard them mention Agassi started losing his hair at the age of 17, so he tried to cover it up with a weave. I immediately knew he would soon be the center of a joke on one of my blog post. So here you go, I hope this photo is as funny to you as it was to me.

This is how you make your parents proud

Image of the Week

I decided that starting today, I will post up the "image of the week" every Monday, from the week prior. This week's image of the week belongs to the new World Champion Yankees, they won their 27th World Series title last week. Hats off to the Yanks, congrats.

Manu the Assassin

Hungry Why Wait?

Hungry why wait?

Beware!!!

Ouch! Is this guy human?

Nice Commercial!!!

I'm not a big Adidas shoe fan but you have to love this commercial.

NBA Season!!!!!

Finally, the beginning of the NBA season is here. Briefly I will mention five potential sleepers this season and my pick for the NBA Championship.

Sleepers:

1. Anthony Randolph, F Golden St Warriors
2. Gilbert Arenas, G Washington Wizards
3. Wilson Chandler, F New York Knicks
4. Aaron Brooks, G Houston Rockets
5. Carlos Boozer, PF Utah Jazz

We know Randolph is a supreme athlete in this league. Towards the end of the season, and especially during the summer, Randolph showed he may be ready for a breakout season.
Gilbert Arenas looks like he is finally healthy. To be honest I can’t remember the last time he was healthy. I do know the Wizards have improved their roster and have added a lot of depth, taking a little off Gilbert’s shoulders. Look for Arenas to get back to what he does this year.
Wilson Chandler, I love this guys game. I wish he weren’t playing for the Knicks but what can you do. Last year Chandler doubled his scoring average from the year before, from 7.3 to 14.4 ppg. Look for him to continue building his averages.
Aaron Brooks showed in the playoffs that although he stands at a generous six feet he is lightning quick and plays with a lot of heart. I anticipate he will have a big season for the Rockets as they struggle without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.
It is funny to think of Carlos Boozer as a sleeper. After all, the guy has been an NBA All-Star and was on the redeem team, that brought home the gold medal. Boozer has some what been written off in Utah with the emergence of the younger and cheaper Paul Millsap. Boozer is also in the final year of his contract, meaning he will play his best basket to insure he gets the big pay day next summer.

Finally, my NBA Championship prediction:

Cleveland Lebrons

Waste of time?

Is it just me, or is everyone annoyed when the Eagles send Michael Vick out for the wild cat just to hand the ball off? I understand it is only week 6, but come on. The Eagles coach, Andy Reid, knows that he has every viewer and opposing coach glued to the play when Vick enters the game. For us viewers, there is the anticipation factor of waiting to see which play will be “the one” that reminds us of the old Vick. For opposing coaches, before Vick takes the snap the question has to be raised, is this the play where we see Michael Vick, the playmaker?

Up until this point Vick has played the role of the decoy. The Eagles have been winning, so I guess you can’t argue with that, but to be honest, I could go out there and do what Vick does. If he isn’t handing the ball off, he’s running the option, and when that happens, its clear he has no intent on keeping the ball for the run. In Vick’s two games played, he has attempted five passes and completed one for one yard. He also has four rushes for 10 yards. Impressive is not the word that comes to mind when looking at those stats.

I understand it is still early in the season and there is really no reason for the Eagles to be revealing Vick’s true meaning to the team, but I ask Andy Reid to please stop playing with our emotions…

Who is this kid? He is AMAZING!!!

That Time Of Year...

As many of you know, and hopefully can tell, I am a die hard sports fan. I love all sports, but if you read my blog, it is also very clear that I favor football and basketball. Getting even more specific, as much as I love basketball, my favorite time of year is September at the start of the college and pro football seasons.

Let’s just look at opening weekend in college football. There were teams that came out and took care of business, as expected. Ranked at No.1, the Florida Gators pummeled Charleston Southern University, 62-3. The funny thing about that is, Florida was a 70-point favorite. The Texas Longhorns opened up against Louisiana-Monroe with a 59-20 victory and the USC Trojans ran through San Jose State, piling up 342 rushing yards.

Of course it’s no fun when everything goes according to the rankings. Everybody likes to see an upset. The No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners came up short against the 20th-ranked BYU Cougars in a 14-13 loss. Not only did Oklahoma lose the game and probably their national championship hopes, they also lost their starting quarterback and Heisman candidate Sam Bradford to a shoulder injury for at least a month.

To conclude week one, The University of Miami and Florida State went to battle in what I consider to be the best college football game I’ve seen since the USC v. Texas National Championship game. The nail-biter was full of offense and not very much defense (who can argue with that). Miami ended up winning the game, 38-34.

Opening week in the NFL was just as exciting as opening week in college football, with several intense close games and a few surprises. But if I talk about it in detail I feel like this post will never end…

All in all, there is no month like September.

What Happened Kimbo?

Last Wednesday all eyes were on SpikeTV for the third episode of Season 10's Ultimate Fighter. If you watched the second episode, you knew the third episode would feature Kimbo Slice's debut fight as an Ultimate Fighter contender. The last 20 minutes of Wednesday's episode was focused on the two-round bout between Kimbo Slice and his opponent Roy Nelson.

At a first glance, Roy Nelson looks like a fat, out of shape bum, leaving you to assume Kimbo would most likely knock him out. But if you know anything about Roy Nelson, you know he is very skilled and has a lot more MMA experience than Kimbo.

Prior to the fight, Nelson said he would fight Kimbo standing up, but if he felt the fight shift to Kimbo's favor, he would take him down. He held true to his word. Kimbo showed a slight advantage when they were standing, so Nelson took him to the ground. Immediately Kimbo's inexperience was exposed, as Nelson used his size, specifically his weight, to pin Slice down in side control. Once in side control, Nelson had complete control of the fight and he repeatedly punched a defenseless Kimbo until the ref eventually stopped the fight.

While most were probably disappointed with Kimbo's performance, I saw a little potential. He appeared to be listening to his coaches and showed a solid stand up game, as expected. It's no secret that his weakness is his ground game, but with time, he can improve that enough to get him through fights. I don't think Kimbo will win this season’s Ultimate Fighter, but I do think he will have better success in his future fights.

Farve Farve Farve

He does it again.

Shaqtastic

This is probably my favorite sports commercial. Enjoy!!!

Boxing Vs. UFC

Tonight marks the first head to head battle between popularity declining boxing and newly popular UFC. There has been a large debate about which sport has a larger following. With the decline in interest in boxing and the sudden popularity rise of UFC, the question is raised, which sport is more popular? The answer could all depend on how you define more popular. You could compare yearly pay-per-view sales. You could compare merchandise sales. For today the best comparison will be tonight’s pay-per-view sales. UFC has a card featuring Rich Franklin and the return of Vitor Belfort and boxing has a card featuring its number one fighter, Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Marquez.

My prediction for tonight is that boxing will have higher pay-per-view ratings than UFC. Numbers don’t lie, but they can be misleading. To be honest a Floyd Mayweather fight should out sell a UFC card that doesn’t feature any of UFC’s top five fighters. Floyd is the best pound for pound fighter of this era. He has an undefeated record of 39-0 (25 KO’s), finishing every fighter put in front of him. I think most people are anticipating Mayweather to win tonight pretty easily. After all, this fight is the warm up for the fight everyone actually wants to see, Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. So while Floyd will probably out sell UFC, it is not exactly a fair fight.

I think the numbers that people should pay attention to are UFC’s pay-per-view ratings for tonight, compared to their average pay-per-view ratings. If there is a significant decline, then boxing still has hope. But if the numbers are about the same as the average, then that leads me to believe that not even a Floyd Mayweather fight could affect UFC sales, on a mediocre card…Not good for boxing.

I guess the only question left is which pay-per-view will you be watching tonight?

Ultimate Fight: Heavy Weights

Make sure you watch the premiere of the Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Weights. If you haven't heard already, this season will feature the Youtube phenom Kimbo Slice. On top of that the two coaches in this season are Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans. With featured names like these, I anticipate this being one of the highest rated Ultimate Fighters, if not the highest rated. After all Kimbo Slice has two of the top three highest rated MMA fights of all time. Kind of incredible for a guy that became a star from street fighting. The show tonight comes on at 10 pm, on Spike. Like everything on Spike there will be plenty of reruns, so if you happen to miss it tonight, you can catch it later in the week.

A Big Laugh...

As the week came to an end, I decided the joke of the week belongs to…Mr. Andre Smith.

The Cincinnati Bengals first round pick Andre Smith suffered a small fracture in his foot in a non-contract drill just two days after ending a 30-day hold out. Andre Smith has been part of a bad chain of events that started at the end of his college season, including being accused of dealing with an agent before he was eligible which resulted in his suspension from the Alabama bowl game.

Next came the much anticipated NFL combine. Smith continued to disappoint after leaving the combine without telling anyone, only to explain later that he left because he felt unprepared. After drawing negative attention to himself, he returned for the 40-yard dash. If you haven’t seen Andre Smith run the 40, please please please click this link...(Andre Smith 40 yard dash...skip to the 42 second mark in the video) If you have seen the video already, you should understand Smith did nothing but embarrass himself as he wobbled 40 yards shirtless.

At one point, Smith was regarded as the top offensive tackle in the draft. However, after the agent and combine issues, team executives decided that his talent did not outweigh the possibility of future off-field issues, and the top five teams in the draft passed on him.

While being picked 6th is still a big deal, the first offensive tackle taken, Jason Smith, was selected second. Jason Smith’s contract is for five years $62 million, with $33 million guaranteed. Andre Smith’s contract is for four years $26 million with $21 million guaranteed. His contract also has a team option in 2010, that if exercised, Andre can earn $42 million with nearly $30 million guaranteed. Andre’s contract also states he will lose half of his game check each time he weighs in over 350 lbs.

In short, I guess it is good that Andre Smith and his agent finally got a deal done, so he can catch up on the things he has missed…but he has a lot of work ahead of him before he is ready to see game time. After watching HBO’s Hardknocks, it appears that Smith will have to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches. He has a little more to prove than the average rookie.

More Than A Game

Just a reminder, the Lebron James documentary "More Than A Game" will be released October 2, 2009. Look for the soundtrack September 22, 2009 that features the new hit single "Forever" with Drake, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Eminem.

Superbowl Prediction

Ok, so after watching a few preseason games, I've come to my decision for my Superbowl picks. Unfortunately, I don't like either one of these teams. If Chad ever posts again before the NFL season starts he will tell you that the Vikings will be in the Superbowl. As stacked as they seem, I just don't see Farve or Tavarvis Jackson in any future Superbowls. Sorry Colonel Sanders...

My picks for the big game are the Philadelphia Eagles (No, this has nothing to do with the Michael Vick signing) and the New England Patriots. If you know me at all, you know these are probably the last two teams I would want to see in the Superbowl, but I cant deny the talent that both teams have.

I haven't decided who my pick to win the Superbowl is yet, so stay tooned for that...

P.S. Donovan, if you do get another chance at a Superbowl, don't blow it.

Michael Vick to Eagles

As we all know, the big story this week is Rick Pitino. Haha just joking, obviously the big story is Michael Vick signing with the Eagles. But Mr. Pitino is probably thanking God that Vick stole the headlines and people aren’t talking about his adultery situation anymore.

I know everyone and their grandma have an opinion on Vick going to the Eagles. It’s great that we all have opinions, but since this is my blog, I’m going to give you mine. First, if you’re a closed-minded Vick hater you should stop reading right about…here.

Ok, so we all know Vick is an average quarterback, as far as QB stats, he’s super athletic, he’s around six feet, making him pretty short, he has a cannon of an arm and he’s probably faster than most receivers in the NFL. Oh yea, and he’s black, but we would like to think that doesn’t really matter in today’s world. So yea, Vick is all of those things… well at least he was back in 2006, the last time we saw him play.

All I’ve been hearing on sports television shows is what Vick will and will not do for whatever team that signs him. At this point, we know that team is the Eagles, but how can anyone, especially people that haven’t been in direct contact with Vick, say what he can and can not do for a team? Have we all forgotten the guy hasn’t played in two seasons? Yes, I know that people close to Vick have said he kept in good shape while in prison, but come on, I know he wasn’t doing NFL workouts. So while he was trying to prevent himself from getting fat and weak, the real question is how long will it take him to get back to the shape he was in two years ago?

Moving on to the Eagles—I know a lot of people are wondering why the Eagles wanted Vick. To me the answer is simple: he’s another weapon. Obviously, the Eagles aren’t looking for Vick to take Donovan McNabb’s starting QB spot, or even compete for the spot for that matter. At best he will become the number two QB on the depth chart, replacing Kevin Kolb. For whatever reason, some people feel that, since Vick is so fast an athletic, he can play receiver or maybe return kicks and punts. I don’t understand how you can assume that. If anything, every receiver should take it personal that people think just because your athletic or fast that you can be a good receiver. I’m not saying it’s impossible for Vick to fill these roles, but I don’t think it is something that should be assumed. Taking this back to the Eagles, with Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis on the roster, there doesn’t appear to be much space for Vick to fit in as a skill position player. This is where I ask everyone to please think a little deeper.

Vick will most likely become a situational player. This could mean he only comes in on special plays and the wildcat formation. That may mean that Vick sees five to ten plays a game. Who knows, obviously the Eagles have some plan or they wouldn’t have went after him. Regardless of what Vick’s role is on the team, the Eagles are the winners here. They managed to sign Michael Vick for two years, the first year for $1.6M and the second with a team option for $5.2M. If Vick sucks and the Eagles never use him, they only used $1.6M, and they can then let him go at the end of the season. If he happens to show signs of the old Vick and can be a playmaker, the Eagles get a steal that could possibly be the final piece to them winning a Super Bowl. If anything, the Eagles have prevented any other team from signing Vick and using him in a positive way.

The only real downside to signing Vick is all the animal rights activists who just aren’t ready to forgive Vick. Hopefully their worries will be eased if the Eagles’ plan works and Vick contributes to some wins. I guess the Eagles’ ownership is tired of being close to being a title contender every year, yet coming away with no rings. Hey, I can’t blame them.

I’ve never been an Eagles fan or a Falcons fan. But I do appreciate what Vick can do on the football field. Although I will not be rooting for the Eagles, I hope the whole situation with Vick works out. I think it is time to forgive, but not forget, what Michael Vick has done, if you haven’t done so already. The guy has committed a crime, been humbled and served his time in prison.

Good Luck Mike.

UFC 101

UFC made its debut in Philadelphia this past weekend with its highly anticipated pay-per-view UFC 101: Declaration. Fortunately, I was able to be in attendance. This was my first live UFC show and I was more than satisfied. First off, for a live pay-per-view, the event starts at 7:00 pm. Any UFC follower knows if you order a UFC event it starts at 10:00pm. So, basically the live audience gets an extra three hours of action…Can’t really beat that.

On to the fights…

The card headlined two big fights: Anderson “Spider” Silva vs. Forest Griffin and BJ “Prodigy” Penn vs. Kenny “Kenflo” Florian. One fight humbled an over confident fighter and the other sent a fighter running out of the octagon after a loss. These fights were hyped as much as possible, but in the end both were one sided. Don’t get me wrong, both fights were worth the price of admission. You can’t really complain when you get to see BJ Penn and Anderson Silva fight in the same night.

The majority of the fights on the card went the distance, leaving the Philly crowd satisfied. We were able to see George Sotiropoulos submit George Roop with a kimora. Also, I happened to be sitting in a section that was full of Dan Cramer’s friends and family. You can imagine how pissed they were to see him get beat up by Matthew Riddle for 15 minutes. I found it hilarious…Angry drunk people are always good for a laugh.

Another intriguing undercard matchup was the 6’4, 170 lb Tamdan McCrory vs. the 5’7, 170 lb John Howard. From the start, this fight was full of laughs. McCrory looked like a scrawny lab scientist and Howard had a haircut that was a design of flames. Initially we all thought the flames were a very bad tattoo. But we were eventually relieved to find out that it was just a bad haircut. Regardless of the flame-head, the fight actually ended up being one of the more entertaining of the night. Both men were pretty athletic and didn’t mind standing or taking it to the ground. It was pretty cool to see the 5’7 Howard throw his much taller opponent on his shoulders and then slam him to the ground. In the end, Howard was named the victor by split decision.

In addition to the six hours of live UFC matches, we were granted an unexpected additional fight. Apparently, a few people had too much to drink and the ending result was a woman beating up a man in front of 17,400 people. The fight in the stands that lasted about 45 seconds completely overshadowed Shane Nelson and Aaron Reiley’s 15 minute big yawn of a match.

UFC also has a most-hated referee now…well at least in Philly. Referee Dan Miragliotta was showered with boos after it appeared he stopped the Amir Sadollah vs. Johny Hendricks fight prematurely. After about 30 seconds of action the fight was stopped, even though Sadollah was about to get up. Also, Philly fans don’t have short memories. Miragliotta refereed a later fight and was showered with “boo’s” again for his stoppage earlier…Poor guy.

Ok, back to the two fights everyone cared about. First I’ll talk about the BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian fight. This fight, while action packed, was all BJ Penn. He pretty much put on a clinic. I found this interesting considering all the trash Florian talked before the bout. It appeared that all the confidence Florian built up prior to the fight disappeared with Forest Griffin just minutes before the fight.

BJ, on the other hand, had all the confidence in the world. He appeared to be well prepared and back to his old self. It was very clear that he had intentions of knocking Florian out. Luckily for Florian, BJ never landed one of his heavy haymakers. The majority of the fight was spent against the cage, which was the only thing Florian had control of. I assume that his intentions were to wear Penn down and sneak in a few lethal elbows. Unfortunately for him, it seemed like for every elbow he landed, Penn landed two or three punches of his own. By the time the fourth round came, it was obvious that Florian was the one that was worn down.

The fight ended up on the ground, where BJ was able to land a few punishing elbows to the left side of Florian’s face. Soon after, Florian gave his back up and BJ finished him with a rear naked choke. I think it is safe to say, the prodigy is back!

The Anderson Silva vs. Forest Griffin fight was one of the best UFC matches I’ve ever seen. The funniest part about that is it only lasted for about three minutes. From the very minute Forest Griffin’s entrance music came on and the lights went dim, the crowd erupted. I knew that Forest was a huge fan-favorite, but sheesh, seeing the crowd’s reaction to him and hearing people sitting in my section praise him was unbelievable. What was even more unbelievable was the crowd’s reaction to Anderson during his entrance. You would have thought the New York Giants were in the house. So many “boos,” it was crazy. I know Silva doesn’t speak English and may not be the most lovable (pause) fighter UFC has, but you have to respect him at least. The “boos” didn’t seem to bother Silva. I recall him looking around at the crowd with a smile, then taking a huge calm breath as if he were inhaling the Philly atmosphere.

Anyway, on to the fight…This fight distinguished the difference in skill from the good and the best in the UFC. The men circled around each other in the beginning as they built up the anticipation of the first strike. Finally, Griffin attacked, just as we all expected him to. This attack only led to a right hook that dropped Griffin. He quickly recovered, but then found himself on the defensive and back peddling. Each back step built more and more confidence in Silva. At one point, Silva stopped and padded his chest as if to say “Fight Me!”

After that, the fight was pretty much over, as I’m not sure if Forest landed another punch. Silva toyed with him, putting on a vintage Muhammad Ali-like show with his bob and weave. He dropped Griffin two more times before the fight was stopped. In the final seconds, Silva landed a right punch that sent the charging Griffin to the canvas. I was told this punch dislocated Forest’s jaw…Ouch! The fight was called when Griffin put his hand up while lying on the ground, giving up. Seconds later Griffin ran out of the arena and backstage somewhere, before they formally announced the winner. The tides turned that fast. The fans “booed” Forest and praised Silva for the show he put on.

After that fight, I had to rethink if I thought GSP was still the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. I’m still not sure. I’d pay serious money to see GSP and Silva settle who the best is in the near future.

So, that’s my coverage of UFC 101. It was quite an experience. I can’t wait until the next time I get to see UFC live. I’ll be posting my photos up from the event very soon.

If you have not seen the Anderson silva vs. Forest Griffin fight, please click this link. Enjoy!

http://www.mmaroot.com/anderson-silva-vs-forrest-griffin-fight-video-ufc-101/

Vince Young...

Last night, in the NFL Preseason Opening Game, Vince Young humored us by saying that he would be the next African American QB to win a Superbowl. He also said that he'd be a future Hall of Famer. Based on last night's performance against the Bills, it is not looking good for African American QB's...especially if Vince is the next one to win a Superbowl. I'm a Vince Young fan, and want him to succeed, but for now I'd like to see him focus on reading coverages better before he guarantees anything.

Poor Stackhouse...

Just weeks after Lebron was caught on tape getting dunked on by a college player, Jerry Stackhouse seems to have found himself under the rim for a John Wall highlight. Please take a look:



From another angle:

NFL Fantasy Preview: Who's Hot and Who's Not

It's that time of year again. Everyone is getting ready to put together their legendary fantasy team that will bring home the title of being number one. For some, fantasy means more interaction with close friends as you discuss football players and decide who really knows football the best—well at least for that year. For others, fantasy means a possible pay day, lots of trash talk, and paying a lot of attention to useless statistics about your favorite NFL stars. Whatever fantasy may mean to you, I'm sure you are looking for any kind of insight to ensure you have the upper hand come draft day. Here are some suggestions if you are having a little trouble deciding who should make your roster.

Can't Miss Players:

Adrian Peterson - Please don't be the guy that passes on A Pete. You will regret it.
Matt Forte – If you thought Forte was effective with no passing games, he will be even better with Cutler at QB.
Tom Brady – If you let the season-ending injury steer you away from Brady, you’re a fool.
Larry Fitzgerald – This guy is carrying a lot of momentum. He went from being a top-tier receiver at the beginning of the season, to arguably the best receiver in football by the end of the season. Expect him to keep dominating.
Michael Turner – Last year was no fluke. Turner is legit.
Steelers Defense – You all saw what the Steelers defense did last year. I shouldn’t need to explain.
Redskins Defense – With the addition of Albert Haynesworth and Brian Orakopo, look for the Skins to dominate on the defensive end of the ball.

Sleepers:

Devin Hester - Hester officially made the transition to number one wideout last year. His statistics were far from spectacular, but after an offseason of getting prepared, and a new QB in town, expect Hester to become a game-breaker again.
Derrick Ward - Ward is coming off a 1,000 yard season as a backup in New York. He has found a new home in Tampa, which has an interesting situation a QB. I'm predicting that Tampa will focus on running the ball a lot this year. Ward should excel.
LenDale White - White has lost 30 pounds this offseason. He said he is in the best shape of his life and clearly he’s dedicated to getting better. Even with a lot of focus on Chris Johnson, White is still the goaline and short yardage back. After producing 15 touchdowns last season, LenDale should pick up where he left off—in the end zone.
Dwayne Bowe – Bowe had a solid season last year with 86 receptions, 1022 yards and 7 TD’s. Expect even better with Matt Cassell at QB.
Donovan McNabb – On paper this could be the Eagles’ year. They have a strong defense as usual, and a lot more weapons than Donovan is used to on offense. I expect a big year from McNabb.
Chad Ochocinco – After an off year, I think Chad is ready to return as a premier wide receiver. Look for Chad to be back to his old self.

Players to Stay Away From:

Tony Romo – I don’t have faith in Romo. T.O. is gone, Roy Williams has become Romo’s new best friend. I wouldn’t trust him.
Brian Westbrook – Without a doubt, Westbrook is one of the top talents in the NFL…when healthy. Unfortunately, Westbrook is also one of the most injury-prone players in the NFL. I don’t suggest using one of your top picks on him.
Brandon Marshall – Marshall is full of talent but he is also unhappy in Denver. Not to mention, Kyle Orton will be throwing him the ball. That doesn’t exactly sound like a huge season in the making.
Braylon Edwards - This is truly a sad situation. It appears Edwards is ready to move on and rejuvenate his career, but unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. Maybe Eric “Mangenius” will be able to get Braylon focused, so he can produce the big season we are expecting from him. All this sounds good, but I don’t see it happening.

There you have it. Can’t say I didn’t warn you…

Fedor Emelianenko...

Its official, Fedor Emelianenko has let down all of the real MMA fans by signing with Strikeforce. As we recently learned, Fedor was set to fight Josh Barnett in Affliction’s “Trilogy,” but that all came to a halt when Josh Barnett tested positive for steroids. Not that this was a super huge fight or anything, but it was a chance to see Fedor in action nonetheless.

In case you are unfamiliar with the MMA superstar, he is the consensus number one-ranked MMA heavyweight fighter in the world. He holds a record of 30-1 and is probably more feared than Brock Lesnar. Outside of having one-hit knockout power, Fedor is a submission specialist. To sum him up, the guy is the real deal.

With Affliction struggling financially, once Fedor was no longer able to fight Barnett, the company called it quits and folded. At the time, this appeared to be great news. This meant the whole Affliction roster became free agents. After the punishment Brock Lesnar dealt to Frank Mir at UFC 101, everyone immediately started chattering about a must-see fight between Fedor and Lesnar.

UFC’s president, Dana White, has been known to cater to the fans, and through recent interviews sounded very open to getting Fedor a deal in the UFC. Dana White is also a very good businessman. From what I’m hearing, a three fight offer was made to Fedor and the amount of money was somewhere close to $2 million a fight. If you are not familiar with UFC salaries, here are some of the figures from UFC 100:
• Brock Lesnar ($400,000 to show) vs. Frank Mir ($45,000 to show, $45,000 to win)
• Georges St-Pierre ($200,000 to show, $200,000 to win) vs. Thiago Alves ($60,000 to show, $60,000 to win)
• Michael Bisping ($150,000 to show, $100,000 to win) vs. Dan Henderson ($100,000 to show, $150,000 to win)

Mind you, these numbers do not include sponsorships or pay-per-view money that fighters receive, but it is clear that no one is making a salary close to $2 million per fight.
Fedor and M-1 Global decided to decline Dana White’s offer. Apparently Fedor and friends want to go to a company that will break the bank. Dana White is not that kind of person. After he received the news that Fedor signed with Strikeforce, he said, “Fedor is a f*cking joke…he turns down a huge deal and the opportunity to face the best in the world to fight nobodies for money…I feel sorry for the real fans I wanted to make the deal, but it takes two and it is very obvious Fedor doesn't want to fight the best, and doesn't give a sh*t about the fans!”

As a fan, it is very disappointing to know that Fedor was unwilling to join UFC and truly prove that he is the best heavyweight in the world.

Tainted?

It is official--two more beloved baseball heroes have tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Today the New York Times reported that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in an anonymous test in 2003. In case you have a short memory, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007. It's only right to assume that both players were "using" during their 2004 runs, and most likely were "using" in 2007 as well. That would explain why Manny was recently caught using a female fertility drug that men can use to generate testosterone after they have stopped using steroids.

This could also be an explanation of why David Ortiz hasn't exactly lived up to expectations this year or last year. I assume he realized that he should stop taking performance enhancers before he got caught, and now he is suffering.

The Ramirez and Ortiz news was anything but shocking. At this point, I'm not surprised by any of the baseball names that are released. It is somewhat depressing. I'm not the biggest baseball fan, but it stinks that the only era of baseball I've payed attention to is marked as "the steroid era." I just want all the name-releasing to end. Either give up all the names at once, or stop releasing names. It is not fair to the fans and it is not fair to baseball. None of us can move on if names are released every few months...Sheesh

Beware of Dog Killer

Commissioner Roger Goodell has decided that Michael Vick conditionally is reinstated. This means that he is able to sign with a team and practice as well as able to play in the last two preseason games. Is this fair to a man who spent almost two years in jail? Uh, yes, and no. While I think two years is a long time, and Vick has done what he has to do in terms of the law, I also feel like that Goodell deserves the right to suspend Vick for a couple of games. As much as I would like to see Vick playing for an NFL team again, I think he should be punished for lying to Goodell and making the NFL look bad. In the end, Goodell is right--playing in the NFL is a privilege. I think Vick has learned his lesson and hopefully will stay away from dogs from now on.

Farve Please Stay Away

So Brett Farve decided to remain retired today. Unfortunately this means he will probably find some way to be annoying in a couple of months when he changes his mind. Wamp Wamp

Better Luck Next Time

Check out Michael Beasley’s response to not being invited to the USA mini-camp. He posted this on twitter, "So I'm out Vegas and someone jus brought up the USA 2012 team that I didn't get picked to tryout for so i'm kinda in my feelin today!!!!!!" He followed that by tweeting, "Kinda upset sooooo expect me to be on kill mode all season and every season afta for that matter!!!!!!!!!"

Sounds like someone is a little salty hmm……

USA JV TEAM

USA Basketball mini-camp has officially started, which will showcase many of the stars of tomorrow. While there are really only about three to four open spots on the U.S. Olympic roster, 20 players have been invited to compete and workout. The 20 players have been divided into four teams which are listed below:

Blue: D.J. Augustin, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Paul Millsap & Brook Lopez
White: Devin Harris, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Durant, Josh Smith & Greg Oden
Yellow: Derrick Rose, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, Jeff Green & JaVale McGee
Red: Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Rudy Gay, Kevin Love & Anthony Randolph

I think Durant and Rose are shoe-ins and everyone else, well...good luck.

P.S. Notice that Michael Beasley is not a part of this list

I See Dunked On People

We all know the infamous "Lebron getting dunked on" tape was somehow released this week. After watching the video, it is very clear to me that anyone would have been embarrassed after being dunked on in that fashion. What was more embarrassing than the dunk was the way Nike and Lebron handled the situation. The dunk was bad, but not quite as bad as I expected. There was really no reason to hide the video.

Of course, it would have made its way onto YouTube and across the internet, but that would only have lasted for so long. Now, we have a situation where Lebron and Nike look bad, Jordan Crawford is basically a celebrity, and whoever leaked the tape to TMZ most likely made a decent sum of money. Lebron and Nike made a nice attempt to keep the tape under wraps but they should have known that there was bound to be more than one person recording that game. I guess all I can say is...nice try.

The good news is Lebron has a lot of more important things to worry about. (Like figuring out how he will lead his revamped Cleveland Lebrons past the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics, hopefully making it to an NBA Championship.) As soon as Lebron wows us with a few ESPN highlights at the start of the season, we'll quickly forget about the video. Surely, at some point during the season, Skip Bayless will remind us of how James was dunked on in his own camp...but by that time, none of us will care anymore.

Summer League Recap

Over the past two weeks or so, we got our first glimpse of the 2009 draft class in summer league. Even though this draft was considered very weak, a few names still drew some attention. Of course, we all wanted to see Blake Griffin in NBA action, but
intriguing rookies such as Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, Hasheem Thabeet, Tyreke Evans and Jonny Flynn generated a decent amount of buzz in their first tastes of NBA play.

As you know, summer league isn't just for rookies. There were plenty of second-year and above players filling rosters. A couple of these players showed off their talent and did not disappoint, while others left us questioning if they will ever pan out.

Just to give you a little recap, I will give list a few standouts, dissappointments and surprises from summer league. So without further ado:

Standouts: PTS RPG APG SPG BPG

Anthony Randolph 26.8, 8.5, 1.3, 2.2, 3.0

Tyreke Evans 19.2, 6.2, 4.2, 1.0, .2

Blake Griffin 19.2, 10.8, 3.2, 1.0, .4

Austin Daye 17.0, 8.8, 1.0, 1.4, .4

Andray Blatche 19.7, 11.0, 3.0, 2.0, .7

Brandon Jennings 14.6, 2.6, 8.2, 3.6, .2

Jonny Flynn 15.0, 2.4, 7.4, .8, 0.0

Stephen Curry 17.4, 4.6, 4.2, 2.4, .4

Javale McGee 17.3, 6.3, 0.0, 1.0, 4.0

Anthony Morrow 24.7, 4.7, .3, .7, 0.0

Disappointments:

Corey Brewer 12.8, 4.0, .5, .2, 0.0

Hasheem Thabeet 8.2, 4.6, .4, .2, .8

Donte Green 7.6, 5.8, 1.2, .8, .8

BJ Mullens 5.8, 2.6, 1.0, 0.0, 1.2

Acie Law 5.2, 1.0, 2.8, .6, 0.0

Surprises:

Rodrigue Beaubois 17.0, 3.4, 3.8, 1.4, .2

Marcus Thorton 20.7, 3.3, .3, 2.3, .3

Jodie Meeks 19.0, 2.2, .8, 1.0, 0.0

DaJuan Summers 18.0, 5.4, 1.0, .8, .8

Toney Douglas 9.0, 3.8, 7.0, 2.0, 0.0

Dante Cunningham 18.3, 5.8, .8, 1.5, .5

Quincy Douby 18.0, 4.0, 3.8, 1.2, .4

Taj Gibson 13.0, 10.0, .5, .5, .5

Marcus Williams 13.4, 4.6, 8.2, .2, .4

Adam Morrison 20.8, 5.0, 2.0, .8, .5

Joey Dorsey 9.8, 14.8, 3.0, 1.0, 2.6

I Love Me Some Me

This past week Brett Farve found yet another way to make sports headlines. Farve announced that he will give the Vikings an answer by July 30th as to if he will return for the upcoming season. Instead of analyzing what impact Farve may (or may not) have for the Vikings, this announcement has reminded me of something else that is worth discussing:

Has anyone else noticed that Brett Farve, Shaquille O’Neil and Terrell Owens (T.O.) are always in the sports news? In season, we expect these all-stars to generate buzz. But it seems like, all year round, these three names are always coming up. I’ve wondered, are their names constantly moving throughout the media circle because reporters won’t let them live privately? Or do these guys really thrive on being the center of attention?

Farve for instance: every year we go through the same thing—will he retire? Lately his trend has been: retire, change my mind, un-retire. How many times are we going to see the ESPN specials on Farve’s career just so he can change his mind a month later? How many, “Farve’s last home game” will there be? I understand retiring is a big deal, especially for someone with the competitive nature like Brett Farve, but this is getting old.

Moving on…Shaq, who I think is very funny, seems to struggle from withdrawal when he goes too long without his name in the headlines. Most of the time, the things he does to draw attention to himself are for comedic purposes. Everyone remembers the infamous rap song for Kobe Bryant, “ya’ll know how I be, last year Kobe couldn’t do it without me.” While funny, was that really necessary? Or did Shaq just take advantage of the lack of sports news that summer?

Another example—Shaq’s remarks for Stan Van Gundy this past season. To sum up his remarks, Shaq basically called Van Gundy a bum and bashed his coaching career. Shaq definitely went overboard with this, but once again gave us something to laugh at.

How about when Shaq said, "tell Yao Ming, 'ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh,''' resulting in accusations that he was a racist. Did some people find it funny? Of course. But was it just another reason for Shaq to generate more media buzz? Probably. I could go on and on about Shaq but I think you get the point.

Last but not least, I am somewhat torn with T.O. On one end of the spectrum, we have Farve, who continues to find himself unintentionally in the headlines because of his retirement uncertainty. On the other end, we have Shaq, who actively pursues the front pages to make his announcements. But where does T.O. stand? He does a lot of instant media buzz-worthy things, like the mini workout in front of his house for a gathering of reporters, but he is also targeted for everything he says or does. Obviously T.O. feeds from the attention, that’s why he takes shots at former teammates like Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo through the media.

If you haven’t heard, T.O. also has a new reality TV show on VH1—just another reason for T.O. to get some buzz. Even through all his cries for attention, I still think trouble follows T.O., even when he doesn’t ask for it.

So, I’ve come to the conclusion that unlike the extremes of Farve, who unintentionally seeks attention, and Shaq, who intentionally seeks attention, T.O. falls in the middle. Regardless, all three can be annoying at times.

Free At Last

Today, July 20, 2009, marks the day Michael Vick became a free man once again. After months in jail and two months in home confinement, Vick has paid his dues. Vick is currently in the process of patching up relationships with family and the community. Tom Shaw, an NFL trainer and longtime friend of Vick's said, “Vick is ready to start the second half of his life.” He also suggested that Vick is in good spirits and is mad at no one.

While I find it highly unlikely that, once Roger Goodell grants Vick reinstatement into the NFL, no team will take a chance on him, Vick is prepared to move on with life with or without professional football. So far, in life after prison, Vick has found himself working a construction job and is doing work with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Hampton Roads, Virginia. I'm sure Vick will be doing more volunteer and community work in the future, which will help him repair some of the relationships he has severed with those followers who abandoned him. In general, society is not ready to forgive Vick, especially the people who were never a fan of his to begin with.

A lot of scouts and analysts have questioned if Vick will be able to play quarterback again, which seems pretty silly to me. Vick played quarterback in the NFL for six seasons, and besides him being a highlight reel waiting to happen, he was a successful quarterback. As I look at a few rosters in the NFL right now, I refuse to believe Vick can't compete for the starting job in say...Cleveland, Denver, San Francisco, or Carolina. Even if he isn't going to start, he can be a very effective quarterback in the wild cat formation. At the age of 29, Vick may not “wow” us the way he used to, but he can still play in the NFL. If Goodell allows Vick back into the league, it will be interesting to see what teams are willing to take a chance on him. I just hope wherever he may land in the future, he is able to contribute and leaves his past behind.

Don't Call It A Comeback

On Wednesday, July 15th, Pedro Martinez and the Philadelphia Phillies made it official--signing a one-year, $1 million contract. It is not surprising on Pedro's end, he thinks he still has something left in the tank, but why would the Phillies want him?

Well, the answer to that is very simple--the Phillies have been plagued with injuries in their pitching rotation all year. It is a low-risk, high-reward move. Pedro's expectations are limited, so, if anything, he will surprise most of us and play better than expected. The Phillies, who appear to be desperate for pitching, are only using $1 million, so the move makes sense.

Obviously Pedro won't play at a 20 win, 200 strikeout level of play like he used to, but if he can serve as any improvement from what the Phillies have now, they got their money's worth. Martinez is a former three-time Cy Young award winner with a career ERA of 2.91. At the age of 37, his play this year will probably not reflect his career averages, but he can still be a useful addition as the Phillies try to repeat last year's success and win back-to-back MLB Championships.

Ming Dynasty

One story that has occupied sports headlines last week was Yao Ming’s announcement to have major surgery on his fractured foot. Unfortunately for Yao, this means that the chance of his return for this upcoming season has plummeted. Even with the surgery, there is still a possibility that Yao’s injury could be career-ending. With Yao being one of the top, if not the best center in the NBA, I hope this injury does not bring his career to an end. The Houston Rockets took a chance when they drafted the freakishly tall international star in the 2002 draft. Coming from China, Ming was basically Michael Jordan of his country, but with international praise as well. Even with all the hype, how many guys over seven feet have actually panned out in the NBA?

Yao Ming stands at a towering 7'6", and was labeled as a soft, do-it-all center (which sounds really promising coming out of China). So, with all the expectations for Yao to be the ‘next big thing’ and a pioneer for future Asian NBA all-stars, Yao delivered and has become a dominant center.

However, Ming has unfortunately been plagued with foot injuries in the past five years, much like his injury-prone teammate, Tracy McGrady. Many all-star seasons and playoff runs have come up short because of Ming’s inability to stay healthy. At the age of 28, if the 2008-09 season was the last of Yao, I will remember him for his career averages of 19 pts, nine rebounds and almost two blocks a game.

Oh yea, Jianlian Yi should be thanking Yao—Without Yao becoming the first player from China to be become a superstar in the NBA, I don’t see Yi getting drafted as high as he did in 2007.

Best Dunk Ever?

So, the other day, I got in an argument with someone about what the best dunk of all time is. I think, hands down, Vince Carter takes the cake with this one (Keep in mind this guy is 7" tall):



If you think another dunk is better, let me know and I will post it.

The Champ Is Here

Following UFC 100, the big story was Brock Lesnar's assault on Frank Mir and then Lesnar's post-fight antics. Before I get started, I want it to be known, I AM A BROCK LESNAR FAN and always have been. Continuing on, after months of hype and trash talking (mostly by Frank Mir), Brock finally got his rematch from their first bout. This fight was sure to settle the score. In the first fight, Brock had complete control until Mir caught him in a kneebar, causing him to submit. I believed going into Saturday's match that, if Mir won, then he is just better than Lesnar. But if Lesnar won, he would be better than Mir, proving the first fight was a fluke. Either way, unless the fight went the distance there would be no need for a rematch. If you did not see the fight, I will sum it up for you in one word: abuse. The fight was never close in the one and a half rounds it lasted. Brock came in with a game plan that Frank Mir had no answer for.

Moving on to the post-fight controversy...As Brock celebrated his win over the hometown favorite, he was showered with boos. Alright, that was expected. After all, like I just stated, Frank Mir was fighting in his hometown of Las Vegas. The first questionable thing Lesnar did was stick his middle finger up at the crowd for booing him. I dont agree with Brock's reaction, but hearing an outburst of crowd-wide boos after an emotional and dominant victory would probably cause most people to respond in a disrespectful manner. Brock quickly used his mic time to show off some of his WWE skills. Yes, all of you that hate anything that has to with WWE having any kind of connection to UFC, sorry. Brock had four years of WWE experience working the crowd, whether it was for good or evil. His post-match interview was no different. After being asked what he his plans for after the fight were, he responded by calling Budweiser out, saying he was going home to drink a Coors because Budweiser won’t give him any money. Was this the smart thing to say? Of course not. Why did he say it? Who knows, he was fired up and being emotional. That’s still no excuse for what he said, but I'm sure in his talk with UFC President Dana White later that night, White made it clear that sponsor-bashing will not be tolerated.

In Brocks closing comments he also said he may even, "get on top of his wife" later. Did he need to say that? No. Were there kids watching? Yes. Was that disrespectful to his wife, Sable? Maybe, but probably not. It was pay-per-view, its not like he said, "I may f*ck my wife like crazy later." And disrespecting Sable, haha, this is the same woman that posed naked for Playboy and appeared a little less-than-ladylike on many occasions during her time in the WWE. I'm sure she didn't mind the attention.

Going back to Brock using his WWE mic skills--whether you liked what he said or not, and it appears most didn't, he has officially made himself the bad guy in the heavyweight division with a bulls eye on his head. This is perfect for him and for UFC as well. Fans may not love him for his personality, but all his fights have endless marketing potential and will generate huge publicity as UFC tries to find the man who can shut Brocks mouth. Since the fight, Brock has issued an apology for his actions. Was it a sincere apology? Who knows, but I'm sure Dana White had a lot to do with it.

Moving further along, since the fight, I have been reading a lot of message boards where people have been discussing Brock Lesnar's disrespect for the sport, his opponents and the fans. They also challenge how good he actually is, saying he is only good because of his weight. In general, people are upset about how he didn't win the fight with class.

Well, I can't refute everything said about Brock on the message boards, but I will only say a few things. Summing up what I said in the previous paragraph, fans will either love or really hate Lesnar at this point. Either way, more will watch his fights, whether they want him to win or get his face kicked in. Brock’s comments may not have represented the “product” UFC is trying to produce, but it sells. Brock’s attitude after the fight seemed more like the old UFC, where almost anything was allowed and most people did not respect the sport at all.

I admit, UFC has come along way and probably isn’t trying to look back on what they used to be—but what Brock did won't hurt the company. Brock did not follow the typical blueprint of winning with class and being over-appreciative of the fans, but I seriously doubt any of those fans in attendance will stop watching Brock Lesnar fights because of his actions on Saturday.

Now, I'm going to address what bothers me the most about the Brock Lesnar critics. I keep reading that he only wins because of his weight. Example: "he outweighs everyone by so much, he should win." Yes, Lesnar is heavier than most of the fighters in the heavyweight division, but why is that his problem? He is not violating any rules and he should not be looked down upon because he is huge, very strong and super athletic for his size. To me, that sounds like a person who needs good coaching before they are a dominant fighter in the UFC.

I won't say Brock is the best heavyweight fighter in UFC, especially because he has only had five fights. I'm not saying he will be a future hall-of-famer, but what I am saying is that he has been dominant in his fights, except for the kneebar by Mir.

After watching Saturday’s fight it is obvious that he is becoming a much better-skilled MMA fighter. You can argue that weight is not a skill…Alright, no problem. But if you have the weight, why not use it to your advantage?

In the first fight with Mir, Brock wanted to rush him and thought he could just beat him to death. This time around, he took his time. He wrestled with Mir and put him in a position where he couldn't really do anything in the first round. He tactfully used his weight to keep Mir on the ground and on the bottom.

I've read blog comments about Brock’s weight advantage that compare his weight to George St-Pierre's speed, claiming that Brock’s 265+ lb weight is an unfair advantage, similar to GSP’s quickness. I don't agree with that, but Brock by no means should be discredited for any wins just because he significantly outweighs his opponents. Quickness and weight are not really comparable in this situation.

Honestly, I can go on and on about why you shouldn’t hate Brock Lesnar. I can understand not liking him, but some of the reasons I have read seem like poor excuses for just not wanting to admit that he is very dangerous and can be really good.

This was not written to persuade people to like Brock. If you don't like him, you don't like him. I just ask, if you don't like him, at least respect him for what he does in the Octagon and don't make up bad excuses for why other people shouldn't like him.

If you want to see Lesnar vs Mir 2, it is currently on youtube:



I doubt the video will be up long, so enjoy while it last.