24 Jan 11 Big 12 Football: Thursday Morning One-Liners

Doug Pensinger/Getty ImagesBaylor head coach Art Briles: I know how we want to be viewed and how we need to be viewed, and that's as a fast, physical, aggressive, tough football team.Battle of the hot seats! Grab your thermometers because ColoradoDan Hawkins and GeorgiaMark Reebok New England Patriots #12 Tom Brady Realtree camo Jersey
Richt square off this weekend.Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads on Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville: "There's nobody that's more relaxed or cooler than he is. There's a chance he's out hunting right now as opposed to worrying about the Iowa State Cyclones."One of Kansas Turner Gillteam rules is no women after 10 PM.Here is your last chance to know all about Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas.Missouri has struggled with penalties and offensive consistency.Check out how Nebraskaoffense compares to years past.If you have not heard of OklahomaJaz Reynolds tweets, you can read about the story HERE or HERE.Mike Gundy believes he has more flexibility throwing the football at Oklahoma State now than he did the past four years...years that saw Zac Robinson at quarterback.The Reebok New Orleans Saints #9 Drew Brees Realtree camo Jersey
blame for Texas frustrating offense cannot solely be put on a sophomore quarterbackshoulders.The Aggies of Texas AM will be playing for something other than a 5-0 record this weekend when they take on Oklahoma State.Thankfully, I am not the only one who believes Texas Tech could fall to Iowa State this weekend. (For the record, I am only taking the Cyclones on the spread. The Red Raiders win this game.)

22 Jan 11 ACC Football Week 3: Back on Track After Disastrous Week 2?

Only throwing 4 times, Joshua Nesbitt leads the Yellow Jackets to victory with his legsStreeter Lecka/Getty ImagesThe ACC came into week 3 of the football season looking to return from a disastrous week 2 in which every ranked team in the conference lost their matchup. Week 3 included several key matchups against ranked opponents, including a lopsided matchup between Duke and No. 1 Alabama.NC State started the weekend off with a bang on Thursday night as they dominated a game against back-to-back Big East Champions, Cincinnati. Russell Tennessee Titans jersey
Wilson threw for over 300 yards in a 30-19 win in the national spotlight. This was a big win for the Wolfpack coming off of a short week after a win on the road against Central Florida last weekend. NC State has started 3-0 for the first time since the Philip Rivers-era and have now emerged as a dark horse to make a run in conference play.Georgia Tech visited Chapel Hill this weekend to take on short-staffed North Carolina. UNC surprised a lot of people with a comeback that fell a few yards short in week 1 against SEC foe LSU. Coming into week 3 off of a bye last weekend, UNC remained shorthanded, only returning one of the thirteen players who were ineligible during their week 1 matchup. T.J. Yates played well, going 18-24 for 209 yards and a touchdown, while running for another. But in the end, the Georgia Tech running game was too much to handle, putting up 372 yards on the Tar Heel defense. This was a solid win for the Yellow Jackets after a disappointing loss against Kansas last week, and another solid game for a North Carolina team who continues to put up a fight.With a tough matchup on the road against No. 16 Auburn, Clemson came out ready to play. Jumping to a quick 17-3 lead at halftime, it looked as if the Tigers and the ACC were on their way to a very respectable victory against a top 25 team. That is, until Auburn came out firing after the half, scoring 21 straight points in the third quarter to take the lead. Clemson kicked a field goal in the fourth quarter to tie the game back up and eventually lead the game into overtime. Washington Redskins jersey
During overtime, Auburn got the ball first and their possession resulted in a field goal. Clemson matched Auburn with a field goal on their possession, but due to a false start penalty on the center for double clutching the ball, they had to redo the down and kick again. The second kick went wide right and gave Clemson a tough loss to swallow. Despite not turning the ball over once, while forcing Auburn to give up the ball twice, Clemson fell short in a win that could have vaulted a potential 3-0 team into the top 25.Three other matchups against top 25 teams resulted in lopsided victories by those on the outside of the ACC. Maryland lost to No. 21 West Virginia 31-17, while Duke and Wake Forest got trounced by No. 1 Alabama and No. 19 Stanford, respectively. Ithard to come up with much positive to say about Duke62-13 loss to Alabama and Wake Forest68-24 loss to Stanford as the opposing offenses seemed to score at will.Virginia Tech got back on track this week after unexpectedly opening their season 0-2. With a reassuring win against back-to-back Conference USA Champion ECU, VT hopes to return to their winning ways as they return to conference play next week in a road matchup against Boston College. Florida State also shook off their embarrassing loss from last week as they won convincingly Reebok Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald Realtree camo Jersey
34-10 against last yearend of season No. 12, BYU.After an embarrassing week 2, the ACC came back with a few good wins and good matchups while only suffering a few bad losses by the lesser teams of the conference. Overall, it was not a great week for the conference, but it was a good one and the ACC did some work in rectifying the putrid display it put on in the first two weeks of the season.

18 Jan 11 College Football Week 4 Predictions And Observations For The Top 25 and More

Jamie Sabau/Getty ImagesThis is when it begins poll-wisethat pointwhen an objective observer starts scratching his or her head and wondering if poll voters watch any football over the weekends at all.I have no problem with Alabama being number one in the polls. Ohio State likewise has played well enough to be placed at number two.Now both of these teams finished well last year but beyond feeding the beauty contest that are the preseason polls, I personally do not think that last year should account for very much at this point and beyond with regard to rankingsthis year.So Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
beyond those two teams, I believe there are arguments for and against the placement of the rest of the ranked teams in the polls.I mean, I have to wonder why my Wolverines did not drop or completely fall out of the top 25 with their performance last week; just as I would have trouble placing West Virginia at 22 considering that their victories were not statements of power.Marshall pounded by Ohio State was barely beaten by the Mountaineers and the following week the Thundering Herd was beaten worse by Bowling Green.What have TCU, Boise State, or Wisconsin done this year on the field to justify where they are now in the polls?What is in the minds of voters when they fill out their ballots always puzzles me and makes me wonder:- Why do teams rarely suffer major poll position shifts when they play poorly against lesser opposition?- Is a team that remains undefeated better than one that has been beaten by a very good team?- Why do voters not seem to consider strength of schedule?- Why is running up the score considered style points and rewarded these days and not bad sportsmanship and frowned upon by "the experts?"- How is it that lower ranked opponents are favored over someone the pollsters think is superior?Last week I went 26-2, only missing on my picks of Houston and Iowa. My rout call was correct but then everyone knew that Oregon was going to rout its FCS opponent and I was correct in two (2) of the three (3) potential upset calls; Auburn held its own closely against Clemson, the Spartans pulled out a close victory at home, but to their credit LSU did much better than I thought they would against Miss St.I know many will point to the fact that I routinely pick the favorites but the idea is to pick who you think will win and that is the definition of a favorite, generally.HighlightsThis week marks the end of the non-conference slate for a majority of the FBS schools.The SEC is already in beat each other up phase of their season with two games between ranked opponents this week, starting the clearing of the field for eventual post-season placement.Everything shown so far this season signals to me that this Saturday will not be a fond memory in the future for the Mallet led Razorbacks. Alabama will run right, left, and over Arkansas even on a wet field to at least a ten point victory and if Arkansas sells out on the run Alabama will just make them pay through the air. Arkansas will lose and fall back into the twenties in the polls where they should have always been this year.Boise State plays its last Big Six opponent on the schedule so it will go for gaudy numbers in hopes that no one notices who the remaining opponents are on the schedule. Boise State is a good team but I guess Im one of those biased people that think that Boise Staterecent success would not have been possible had it been running the gauntlet of the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, or Pac 10 over the last few years. Ditto for TCU.Game(s) of the Week[1] Alabama at [10] Arkansas- From what I have seen, Arkansas tendency to have its offense go asleep for periods Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
during the game will be the undoing of the Razorbacks. If Arkansas fired on all cylinders for four quarters, they might make a game of it but I still think they would lose.Christian Petersen/Getty Images[3] Boise St. vs. [24] Oregon State- I hope that the beavers rise up and win this game. I do not think they will but it would be my preferred outcome.[15] LSU vs. [22] W. Virginia- Two ranked opponents going at it. I personally feel both these teams are ranked higher than they should be in the polls but that aside, LSU at home at nightwill be more than the Mountaineers can overcome.Potential Upsets[12] South Carolina at [17] Auburn- The lower ranked opponent is favored in the game according to the odds makers; so is it an upset if it #17 beats #12? I know poll voters and odds makers are completely different people with different purposes but you would think there would be more similarity between their views on a game. Im old fashion and when I look at it, I see the Tigersuperior on both lines and so based on that I think Auburn wins.Whether it is an upset is still open to debate.Minnesota vs. N. Illinois- The Gophers played not to lose badly last week and it kept the score closer. I do not think, while Coach Brewster is a good recruiter, that he is a very aggressive coach. I think that being the case Northern Illinois will take the win this week.Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesPotential Routs[4] TCU at SMU- TCU will go for style points (run up the score) to try and garner more poll points in case Boise State stumbles.[6] Nebraska vs. S. Dakota St.- South Dakota State beat the Gophers not too long ago but Nebraska will only stop scoring when it chooses to.[11] Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay- The Badgers should crush Austin Peay but I thought that already a couple of times this year with regards to opponents on Wisconsinschedule.Odds and Ends- Spotting the ball: It seems to me that the placement of the ball after each play is getting less and less accurate in relation to how I see the play's ending.I am not sure my perception is correct, but with instant replay coming from every angle imaginable, it seems to me that many times the final placement of the ball is not as accurate as it used to be.Are officials too reliant on the replays on other issues, making them less observant? Is the game too fast pace for them to get good views?I do not even know if it is an issue but so far this year, when the ball is spotted, I would swear that more time than in the past, the ball is not where the play ended.Results:Week 1 31-5 [86.1%]Week 2 28-3 [90.3%]Week 3 26-2 [92.9%]Week 4 XX-XSeason85-10 [89.5%]Thursday 23 September[19] Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh- The Hurricanes have had too long to dwell on their last trip north not to use their speed to beat Pittsburgh.Friday 24 September[4] TCU at SMU- TCU will crush SMUSaturday 25 September[1] Alabama at [10] Arkansas- The Tide is too complete an offense to be stopped by Arkansas and Arkansas is too one dimensional on offense. Alabama will blitz as it wants, making it a bad day to be Ryan Mallet.[2] OhioReebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
St. vs. E. Michigan- EMU is just bad and OSU will probably get reps for most of the team this week.[3] Boise St. vs. [24] Oregon State- Oregon State will keep this game closer than in the past but I do not think they will pull off a win.[5] Oregon at Arizona St.- Oregon is the class of the Pac-10 this year and they will come out on top in this game.[6] Nebraska vs. S. Dakota St.- Nebraska will score as many points as it wishes.[7] Texas vs. UCLA- Houston lost two strings of QBs last weekon the way to losing to the Bruins. TheLonghorns are at full strength, which means no winning streak for UCLA.[8] Oklahoma at Cincinnati- The Bearcats will losenothing else needs to be said.[9] Florida vs. Kentucky-In the swamp, Kentucky will lose but this win will not mean theGators have solved their problems.[11] Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay- Wisconsin will win but are they getting the preparations to make them do well when the big 10 schedule opens next week.[12] South Carolina at [17] Auburn- Auburn is better on both lines, South Carolina may keep it uncomfortably close for Tiger fans but Auburn will win.[13] Utah vs. San Jose St.- The Utes win.[14] Arizona vs. California-Nevada exposed California last week, so the game should be an Arizona win.[15] LSU vs. [22] W. Virginia- TheMountaineers will not like the night life in Baton Rouge.[16] Stanford at Notre Dame- Notre Dame's back is against the wall butStanford should still win.[18] Iowa vs. Ball St.- Ball State will pay for what Arizona didlast week.[20] USC at Washington St.- Washington Stateis giving up Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
40 points a game and only scoring 20.[21] Michigan vs. Bowling Green- Michigan will win and probably big but are they ready for the Big Ten?[23] Penn St. vs. Temple- Temple is better but not going to win this game.[25] Michigan St. vs. N. Colorado- MSU willwin this week even with thedistractions.Northwestern vs. C. Michigan- Northwestern can handle the best the MAC has to offer.Purdue vs. Toledo- The Rockets will not threaten a depleted Boilermakers roster.Indiana vs. Akron- Indiana wins putting up great numbersMinnesota vs. N. Illinois- Minnesota will let Northern Illinois beat them by not playing aggressive.Maryland vs. Florida Intl- Maryland youth can beat FIU.

15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams LaRoi Glover Will Witherspoon Corey Chavous

In a lot of NFL stadiums, fans frequently rise to their feet and chant: "Defense!" Inside the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis during 2005, however, it was more like "Defense?"During that long and discouraging campaign, the St. Louis Rams gave up more territory than the French Army. By the time the missed Reebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
tackles and blown coverages were added up, the St. Louis "stop unit" had surrendered a team-record 5,602 yards. And that, new coach Scott Linehan and recently-hired defensive coordinator Jim Haslett realized, was unacceptable.So the Rams pulled out their checkbook and got busy. First, they signed defensive lineman La'Roi Glover, who had been cut loose by the Dallas Cowboys. Then, when the free agent rush finally began, they quickly reeled in LB Will Witherspoon as well as DB's Corey Chavous and Fakhir Brown. The current priority - with $10 million still remaining under the cap - is to retain DT Ryan Pickett.Witherspoon is considered the prize acquisition. As an outside linebacker for Carolina last fall, the University of Georgia product had 109 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions, one of which he Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
returned for a touchdowns against the Jets. The Rams plan to move him to middle linebacker to replace Chris Claiborne, and though Witherspoon isn't a huge 'backer (6-1, 231), he performed well in the middle in occasional relief of Dan Morgan. All this made him a big ticket item, roughly $33 million over six years.Chavous was an All-Pro with the Minnesota Vikings, and should fill the hole at safety left by Adam Archuleta's defection to the Washington Redskins. He may also be tapped to advise the Rams during the upcoming draft -- Chavous is a draft analyst at a high-traffic website, and owns over 2,000 videotapes of games and players.In 2005, Chavous made a few highlight videos of his own, ringing up 90 tackles -- 67 of them solo -- and two interceptions. He was also effective on blitzes, being credited with nine quarterback hurries.The third free agent acquisition, Brown, is a six-year veteran cornerback who played for the New Orleans Saints in 2005, recording 31 tackles and six pass deflections. His best season came in 2004, when he had 54 tackles and two Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
interceptions. A product of Grambling, the 5-11, 192-pounder was originally drafted by San Diego.Glover is a six-time Pro Bowler who was cut loose by the Cowboys for salary cap reasons.No doubt Haslett had some input in the signing of Glover and Brown. The latter played for him last year as he coached New Orleans through its post-Katrina nightmare. The former was also a Saint until 2001.Filling some of their defensive gaps via free agency now gives the St. Louis Rams more flexibility in the draft.Just ask Corey Chavous. (0)

14 Jan 11 Seattle Seahawks Darrell Jackson Trade "will make Seahawks better"

Yes, Tim Ruskell was desperate to send Darrell Jackson on a fly route out of Seattle. So desperate that the Seahawks' president sent the unhappy receiver to the division-rival San Francisco 49ers for nothing more than a fourth-round draft pick.And yes, it was a bad deal for both reasons. But it won't matter. In the end, this trade will be better for the Seahawks than for the 49ers.For Ruskell, it was a matter of addition by subtraction -- removing a malcontent who had missed minicamps and offseason workouts ever since unhappily signing a $25 million contract in 2004. Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
When Ruskell first arrived in Seattle in 2005, he quickly learned about Jackson's beef with former president Bob Whitsitt. And when Ruskell refused to add money Jackson claimed had been pulled from his deal just before he signed it, the new president watched how the team's leading receiver stayed away from camps.Then Jackson got hurt and missed 10 games during the 2005 Super Bowl season, and Ruskell had seen enough. In 2006, the president added Nate Burleson and Deion Branch -- obvious precursors to getting rid of Jackson. It was no surprise at all when word leaked at the combine that Ruskell was shopping Jackson. But it was a bit of a surprise that Ruskell could only conjure a mere fourth-rounder for the guy who was the Seahawks' leading receiver over the past six seasons -- and that the pick would come from the 49ers, who proved last year they are a looming threat in the NFC West by sweeping the Seahawks.Ruskell said he did not like sending Jackson to the 49ers, "but that's just kind of how it fell."And coach Mike Holmgren lamented both the place and price. "Is Darrell Jackson better than a fourth-round draft pick? Absolutely, in my opinion," said Holmgren, who drafted Jackson in the third round in 2000. "But you do what you have to do. The value, well, these are tough situations to get into. It rarely matches the value of the player." Although Holmgren and Ruskell showed their team colors together, they obviously did not see eye to eye on the deal."Well, I would have preferred he not be traded to a division opponent," Holmgren said. "I'm Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
sorry it didn't work out better and that we could [not] keep Darrell here. But I think he is probably happier about this. As you know, he has been bothered by a contract he signed for a while. ... I don't think it affected his play, I really don't, but the extra things that our players are doing right now, the offseason program for one, the minicamps, he just chose not to do those."Holmgren seemed to leave no doubt that he would not have traded Jackson, but he recognized Ruskell's authority in this matter."The organization changed a couple of years ago. A new administration came in, and Tim came in as president," Holmgren said. "He looks at players a certain way, and if you don't really know a player and haven't been with him for a long time, sometimes it is harder to accept certain things. I think that probably happened."Holmgren admitted that Jackson forced the action by staging his offseason protests."He was very respectful to me," Holmgren said, "and I think when he played on Sundays, and when he could practice when he was healthy, he gave us a lot, he really did. He didn't hold anything back. But, the extra things, he just chose not to do. I think it had reached a point with the organization where enough is enough and let's see if we can honor his request for a trade. So, that's what happened. Again, I'm sorry that it is within the division. I have tremendous respect for Darrell as a football player, but we did it."While it remains to be seen whether Jackson hurts the Seahawks' defense, the trade will not hurt the offense. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck now will get a chance to focus on building relationships with Branch and Burleson, and D.J. Hackett should step in as the starting split end. And there's always Bobby Engram, who has long been Hasselbeck's bail-out target on third downs. Ruskell also has added three more receivers in the past two drafts; Ben Obomanu, a 2006 draft pick, figures to be the No. 5 guy.So the Seahawks' offense will be fine without Jackson. And there's a very good chance that the 49ers' offense won't be so good even with Jackson. He'll probably miss one of the games against Seattle with an injury, and he will probably take all season to get in a groove with Alex Smith, the former No. 1 pick who still has yet to prove he is a viable NFL starter. Receivers who change teams often struggle, Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
especially if the new team runs a different offense and has a lesser quarterback (both the case for Jackson).The 49ers beat the Seahawks twice last season by running all over them with Frank Gore. So it's not like Jackson is the key for the 49ers to beat Seattle. But getting rid of Jackson was key for Ruskell's Seahawks, who will be better for it.Original Seattle Seahawks insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com.Got a bone to pick with a newspaper columnist, talk show personality or television analyst? E-mail us at mediawatch For more information, visit our Media Watch info page.

13 Jan 11 A 5 Player Trade Tell Me What You Think

Jeff Gross/Getty Imagestried it on the ESPN trade machine and it workedthe bulls would get Jordan Farmar, SashaVujacic, and Adam morrison's expiring contractand the Lakers would get kirk Hinrich a good defender and outside shooter selfless point guard. and at times he can play the one or the two not that they're not good at the two...( Kobe), and James Johnson an athletic forwardthe bulls would get another young up and coming pg to back up d rose and vujacic a feisty defender. maybe he can prove he was worth the contract. Reebok Baltimore Ravens #5 Joe Flacco Realtree camo Jersey
they'dstill have salmons off the bench and morrison's contract would be coming off the books next yearESPN trade machine said it would add 1 win to the Lakers projected winsbut it would be -3 wins for the bulls but i think it would make both teams betteri'm not really a bulls fan or a Lakers fan have no home team to root for...(no more sonics......tear.....jk)just let me know what you think

12 Jan 11 Keys To the Wolf Den: Lottery Can Make or Break Minnesota Timberwolves

Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesThe Minnesota Timberwolves are currently the second-worst team in the league, and worst in the Western Conference.That ultimately gives them the second-best chance of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, John Wall.ESPN holds an NBA lottery mock draft, Denver Broncos jersey
where you can simply press a button, and it will predict the lottery threshold by percentages of landing the No. 1 pick. For example, the New Jersey Nets having the worst record in the league, meaning that they have a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick.The Wolves have a 20 percent chance of landing that No. 1 pick.I tested this very tool a total of 50 times, and came up with some very intriguing results. But first some shocking ones:The Utah Jazz won the No. 1 pick one time, but ultimately, that pick is supposed to belong to the Knicks, who have the ninth-worst record in the league, and a two percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick. ScaryThe Sacramento Kings won the No. 1 pick three times.The Milwaukee Bucks won the No. 1 pick five times.The Detroit Pistons won the No. 1 pick four times.Now onto the Wolves. The following bullet points are as goes: the numbered pick followed by how many times the Wolves won that pick in the lottery. (1) The Wolves won the No. 1 pick 10 times out of 50, exactly 20 percent. (2) The Wolves won the No. 2 pick 8 times out of 50, exactly 16 percent. (3) The Wolves won the No. 3 pick 4 times out 50, exactly 8 percent. (4) The Wolves won the No. 4 pick 19 times out of 50, exactly 38 percent. Wow... (5) The Wolves won the No. 5 pick 9 Detroit Lions
times out of 50, exactly 18 percent.Based on this small sample, the percentage in which the Wolves will win the No. 1 pick is nearly identical to the percentage given in the lottery, it's only a tenth of a percentage off.What's intriguing is that the Wolves drew the No. 4 and No. 5 pick significantly more than the second and the third pick.Most mock drafts first five picks features John Wall first, then a combination of Evan Turner, Wesley Johnson, Derrick Favors, and Ed Davis.With Favors and Davis both being power forwards, the Wolves have no need for either. Wesley Johnson, Evan Turner, and John Wall are all on the Wolves radar for their first lottery pick. But if the Wolves happen to land the No. 1 pick, they would have to draft John Wall despite already having two legitimate prospect point guards, along with Ricky Rubio playing overseas.The trade value for Jonny Flynn, Ramon Sessions, and Ricky Rubio will rise immensely, while the Wolves would welcome their new franchise player to the mix. It would be wise for the Wolves to take advantage of trading situations, and trade for other lottery picks, as the Wolves are one of the few bottom-dweller teams with a plethora of first round picks and cap room, both vital for rebuilding a franchise.Is John Wall better than Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn?I Green Bay Packers jersey
don't know quite yet, in fact I won't know until around the midseason, but I do know that he's a combination of both.He has the size and court vision of Ricky Rubio, with Flynn's tenacity and leadership, with his own cool, calm, and collected demeanor.This lottery can make or break the Timberwolves, but hopefully they can finally grow to real Wolves instead of pups, and learn to hunt for their own.Thanks for reading!

10 Jan 11 The Houston Rockets Win NBA Trade Deadline in a Landslide

Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesWith 16 of the 30 NBA teams getting busy in the week leading up to the NBA trade deadline and making some kind of deal, it seems kind of crazy to weed through the mess of trades and pick out a winner six hours after the deadline.This could change weeks, months, even years down the line, but on paper, six hours after the trade deadline has passed, one team jumps out more than any other as the clear "winner" of the trade circus.Houston Rockets...come on down! You've just won the "Who can hose a team the worst at the NBA trade Washington Redskins jersey
deadline?" contest this year!Get ready for a whole new round of ESPN 's Bill Simmons slurping the genius of Rockets' GM Daryl Morey, as the stats-whiz has turned his roster of role players into a likely playoff team this year, and a legitimate Western Conference threat next year.In the offseason, much was made about the Rockets' essential swap of Ron Artest, widely known as one of the league's premier defensive stoppers, for the Lakers' Trevor Ariza, a 23-year-old who proved last season that he could be a critical role player for a championship team. ?I don't need to add any thoughts on that trade, largely because I think the trade actually made sense for both teams. ?But man oh man did the Rockets just take advantage of the league's largest expiring contract.The Rockets shipped Tracy McGrady's $22 million expiring contract out to the Knicks in a three-team deal that ended up netting them Kevin Martin from the Kings.[The whole trade: The Rockets get Martin and Hilton Armstrong (Kings), Jared Jeffries and rookie Jordan Hill (Knicks), the ability to swap Reebok Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald Realtree camo Jersey
first round draft picks with the Knicks in 2011 (top-10 protected), and the Knicks' first-round pick in 2012; the Kings get Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey (Houston), and Larry Hughes' $13 million expiring contract (Knicks); the Knicks get McGrady (Rockets) and Sergio Rodriguez (Kings).]?In other words, the Rockets mortgaged the Knicks future for the next few years with Hill and their two first-round picks, and shipped them a player that wasn't playing for them for a proven 20-point scorer.The loss of Landry may hurt some for the rest of the season, but when Yao returns, Landry would have been bumped to the bench anyway. Besides, Jeffries is a warm body that's 6'11", and he was getting rotation minutes for the Knicks. There's no reason to think that the Rockets, who start a 6'6" center in Chuck Hayes, wouldn't want to throw Jeffries into their lineup to give them some different offensive looks.Granted, adding Jeffries and Martin means that the Rockets won't be major players this summer when players like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh may be looking for new teams...but when you look at their roster, is that really an issue?Assuming Yao comes back healthy next year, they can tentatively start a lineup of Aaron Brooks, Martin, Trevor Ariza, Luis Scola, and Yao, with Shane Battier, Hayes, Jeffries, and Hill coming off the bench. That's an insanely talented lineup, and a very deep team to contend with the solid benches of the West.If the Wizards end up waiving center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (they're widely assumed to do so), allowing Reebok Baltimore Ravens #5 Joe Flacco Realtree camo Jersey
him to go back to the Cavs, then Cleveland could be a contender for the biggest winner of the trade deadline.But the Rockets' savvy move set them up with plenty of talent now, and even more talent for the future. ?Maybe I shouldn't make fun of Bill Simmons for slurping the Rockets' GM after all.

9 Jan 11 Kobe's Better Than Lebron When It Counts:The Playoffs

Since it only takes one?regular season?MVP trophy to cement a career, there isn't too much there to motivate Kobe to go for a second. Even though he is still in contention for then years MVP award in the wake up his numerous injuries, one can tell that Kobe isn't trying to be the MVP he just happens to play MVP caliber ball regardless of any circumstances.What Kobe really desires is another Finals MVP, having the Finals MVP would almost certainly mean that he has won his fifth NBA championship. The only player who ?has won the finals MVP Baltimore Ravens jersey
while losing in the Finals was Jerry West.?For the most part winning the NBA most important award goes to the victor of the Finals. With the regular season losing alot of its significance the two years Steve Nash won the award back to back, The Finals MVP has took its place in regards to naming the games real Most Valuable Player that year.I mean whats more valuable then the best player on a Championship winning team. Kobe not winning the regular season MVP this year is a blessing in disguise to Lakers fan around the globe.Those of us that have been watching Kobe over the his rollercoaster ride of a career know that Kobe is at his best when he has something to prove. If Kobe doesn't win the MVP award he will go into the playoffs with a chip on his shoulders.A chip on Kobe's shoulder means a very bad day for the opposing team. Just take Kobe's performance in the playoffs last year, not only was it a sight to see but for segments of his brilliant display it was brutal for the opposition.Shaq told Kobe that he wouldn't win one without the Diesel, and Kobe took it out on the whole NBA.In the first round the Utah Jazz were sitting ducks, they had no answer for Kobe Brewer tried his best but he was out of his league.?I can remember vividly like it happened yesterday the back to back facials Kobe rendered to Shane Battier game after game?who was playing the best defense any one has ever played on Bryant. His outstretched hands only centimeters away from the face of Kobe. Still Kobe buried shot after in route to saving the Laker's from what would of been the biggest upset in playoff history.Then the Lakers met the Denver Nuggets who made the series interesting though dominating play by their bigs. Denver's big men were a handful for the lakers to handle, but Kobe proved too much for the opposition.The same result played itself out against Orlando, with the teams being matched up pretty well up until you got to the Black Mamba and who was going to be chosen to be his next victim.As much as I think Kobe leading his team to the second best record in the league with 6 game winners, posting a stat line of?28 PPG 4 AST and 5 RPG all while battling multiple injuries all year is worth the MVP trophy.I cannot deny Lebrons star power and NBA "poster boy" pull with the media. Buffalo Bills jersey
Lebron is also having a career year that cannot be ignored. Although I seriously doubt he could play at the level he's playing now if he was battling the injuries Kobe has.?All in all who cares about the regular season MVP, Kobe has his eye on the trophy that is given to the last man standing

8 Jan 11 Aaron Brooks: Houston's Man of Speed

If the NBA playoffs last year were not convincing, last night was just another reminder as to why Aaron Brooks is in store to be one of the game's elite point guards. With 20 seconds left, and the game tied at 123, Aaron Brooks let it be known that his time is near.As the Rockets entered halftime with an 11 Cleveland Browns jersey
point lead, the Nuggets made a second half surge and finally gained the lead late in the 4th quarter. Weathering Carmelo Anthony's 45 point storm, Luis Scola converted an and-1 with 41 seconds left to push the Rockets up by one. Brooks later gets fouled and splits a pair of free throws. The Nuggets at this point, down two, turn to their dynamic offensive player, Carmelo Anthony, who drives past Shane Battier on the ensuing possession for a lay-up to tie the game up at 123. With the game on the line, Houston turns to its young leader, hoping he can provide that final shot to get Houston the lead, and ultimately the victory. As Brooks held the ball at the top of the key, waiting for the clock to count down, Nuggets assistant coach Adrian Dantley was praying to withstand this final Rocket possession. With the clock at seven seconds Brooks began to make his move. Covered by the veteran Anthony Carter, "The Blur" (as I like to call him) blows past Carter and pulls up from the elbow to bury a shot; to propel the Rockets to the lead, and the victory when Dallas Cowboys jersey
Carmelo Anthony missed the game-winner.The Rockets at this time, are 9th in the Western Conference, and by the looks of it, probably won't make the playoffs. With that said, Houston might have the most to look forward to come summer(including all the "Pray-For-LeBron-Teams"). With Yao Ming coming back, an improved Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and a point-guard that has proved his value, Houston is in contention for maybe not only the playoffs, but something more