AFC South Preview

Tennessee – Mad Men

Why Mad Men? – I watched the entire first season of Mad Men and three episodes of the second season and decided it was terrible. I just flat out do not like the show. The so-called “cliffhangers” and “mysteries” of Dan Draper are boring. The acting is decent, but I have seen better. If I had to describe Mad Men in one word it would be “overrated”. That’s kind of how I feel about the Tennessee Titans. Not so much the team as a whole, because I don’t mind the Titans and think they could have a really good season actually. I more so mean Chris Johnson and Vince Young. I have been an anti-Vince Young guy since he was at Texas. I think he is a poor man’s Michael Vick, and I never thought Michael Vick was very good. It is easy to say that now that Vick is PETA’s public enemy number one, but I really never liked his game, and for some reason, Vince Young rubs me the same way Vick did. As far as Johnson goes, I understand he is very, very good. His numbers in 2009 are outstanding, and many are saying he could match them or surpass them this season. I suppose from a fantasy standpoint it would be stupid not to pick him first in any fantasy drafts. My problem with Johnson is he hasn’t won anything. Lots of people are anointing him the next Jim Brown, or Emmit Smith, or a lovechild made by Brown and Smith. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If Johnson has another 2009-caliber year, then I will come around a bit, but for now, let’s let Adrian Peterson hold on to the “best back in the league” trophy for one more year, even if he fumbles it.

Analysis – I have looked at the Titan’s schedule and think they could win 10 or 11 games. That contradicts what I said in the Mad Men portion, but they have a decently easy schedule, and teams are still catching on to the Vince Young-led option offense. I don’t think the Titans will do much in the playoffs if they do in fact make it, but I think with their mixture of speed and Jeff Fisher’s consistent coaching, they could be a handful all year.

Favorite Player – Kerry Collins. I love the fact he is still on an NFL roster, while his college teammate Ki-Jana Carter has been out of the league for what seems like 20 years.

Least Favorite Player – Vince Young. Never really have liked the guy. I don’t have any particular reason for this, just don’t like him very much.

2009 Record – 8-8

2010 Prediction – 11-5

Houston – V

Why V? –

Many years ago the show “V” premiered starring the guy who played Freddy Kruger (not the new Freddy Kruger played by Rorschach/Kelly Leak, but the old Freddy). It was somewhat trendy and cool and all-in-all not very successful. In other words, it was the Houston Oilers of the TV world. In 2009, ABC decided to revive the V series and designed a wide ranging promotional scheme for the show, obviously thinking it would be the new LOST. It wasn’t LOST, but it was OK. The critics and ABC execs were waiting for it to break through, to be elite. It hasn’t yet, but maybe in the second season it will pick up some steam. This is the Houston Texans of TV shows. The Oilers were no more, and Houston tried to revive football with the Texans. For a couple years now, many experts have been waiting for the breakout season from the Texans where they finally make the playoffs. It hasn’t happened yet, even though they were OK last year. The question is: is 2010 the year of V and will the Texans lost their playoff V-card? I wouldn’t bet on it.

Analysis: I’m going to go against the grain here and say the Texans win fewer games than last year. The offense is obviously going to be explosive, led by Matt Schaub, breakout running back Arian Foster, faster-than-shit Steve Slaton, and who many consider the best receiver in the NFL, Andre Johnson. The defense will be fine, with Mario Williams continuing to shut up critics about his being drafted before Reggie Bush, but they are far from a dominating defense. The big questions surrounding the Texans are: can the offense put up enough points to win games with a non-elite defense, and can they win the big games.

Favorite Player – Matt Leinart. He’s a Texan! So-Cal boy in Texas. should be interesting.

Least Favorite Player – Jeremiah Johnson. Just because I’m jealous of mountain men and their beards and ruggedness. This is the same Jeremiah Johnson right?

2009 Record – 9-7

2010 Prediction – 8-8

Jacksonville – Nip/Tuck

Why Nip/Tuck? –

Nip/Tuck came out with a bang. The first couple season were just awesome. The shenanigans of Christian. The term “fluffer”. The Carver. Kimber. It was all so new and fresh. Then it started to get weird. The Carver was the last great season of Nip/Tuck that I saw (haven’t seen the final two seasons yet). Towards the end it started to fade into obscurity and many forgot the glory days. The Jacksonville Jaguars came out with a bang also. The Mark Brunell led Jags were an exciting team to watch. The new teal color was hip (I had a Brunell jersey, I admit it). Fred Taylor was running wild. Keenan McCardell was catching Brunell TD’s. All was good in Jacksonville. Now? It’s pretty lame. David Garrard has proven to be sub-par. Maurice Jones-Drew is an elite back, but I feel like the Jags are wasting his best years. The receivers are nothing to write home about. If the Jags don’t clean up their act soon, they may be moving to LA. Just like McNamara/Troy.

Analysis – I’m quite down on the Jags this year. As I already said, I hate Garrard as a starter. MJD needs to be on a contender before his legs give out from carrying the load. I’m not crazy about Mike Sims-Walker and feel he is overrated in both real life and fantasy leagues. I do think Jack Del Rio does a good job with defenses, and this one has two Hawkeyes in Aaron Kampman and Sean Considine, so that is a plus. I think the Jags are slated to be one of the worse teams in the AFC.

Favorite Player – John Estes. Estes is a center from Hawaii on the injured reserve, Apparently.

Least Favorite Player – David Garrard. I don’t like Garrard for the simple fact he was my backup on a fantasy team and sucked. Bad.

2009 Record – 7-9

2010 Prediction – 3-13

Indianapolis – Friday Night Lights

Why Friday Night Lights?

– Even though some Dillon Panthers, or East Dillon Lions for that matter, have left the show, the one constant is Coach Taylor. Coach Eric Taylor makes Friday Night Lights one of the best shows on television, and possibly the best sports show ever. The Taylor’s are your prototypical football family. There is nothing flashy about Coach Taylor, but he gets the job done, he makes players out of scrubs, and he wins. Sound like anybody in the NFL? Peyton Manning could inherit the Eastern Illinois offense and win eight or nine games. Peyton makes receivers stars, not vice-versa. We have seen many receivers (save for Brandon Stokely’s circus catch last year) leave Peyton and fade into obscurity. Marvin Harrison leaves? No big deal. Hello Reggie Wayne. Wayne gets double teamed? Let’s usher in the Pierre Garcon era. Even Dallas Clark, who I love, wouldn’t be as good if he didn’t have Peyton throwing to him. Friday Nights Lights has a lot more drama than the Colts, but both continue to be great by riding on one persons shoulders, and I dont mean Riggins' uncomfortably handsome shoulders.

Analysis – The Colts are not being picked by many people to go to the Super Bowl this year. I don’t know if it’s because the experts just love the Jets and Ravens that much, or if it just too easy and boring to pick Indy. I am picking Indy to go to the Super Bowl. They should be the defending champions right now if not for a second half meltdown in the Super Bowl. The 2010 Colts will have a chip on their shoulder. Peyton Manning is going to lead the offense, along with Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon to the AFC championship. The question surrounding the Colts centers on the defense. Will the defense be good enough to win against the good teams? With Bob Sanders back, it should be as good or better than last year. It will be interesting to see how Pat Angerer performs when Gary Brackett is not in the game. Any Hawkeye fan has to be a fan of the Colts this year.

Favorite Player – 4-way tie. Peyton Manning is the man. That’s all there is too it regarding Peyton. I saw him play in person and his passes are so accurate it is beyond belief. Then the three Hawkeyes on the team: Clark, Sanders, and Angerer, also hold a special place in my heart. If Mitch King ever starts, this may be a 5-way tie.

Least Favorite Player – Anthony Gonzalez. He is a Buckeye, which is never good, and I remember a story about him sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber or something. That’s not macho.

2009 Record – 14-2

2010 Prediction – 11-5

AFC North Preview

Baltimore Ravens – The Wire

Why The Wire? –

People you would not want to meet in a dark alley. Or a lit Baltimore street with no cops around for that matter. That is how I would describe some members of the Ravens, namely Ray Lewis, and many characters on The Wire. The Wire is probably my all time favorite drama (close with House. It’s a toss up), so it was tough for me to pick a team like the Ravens, who I am not a fan of, to be represented by The Wire. The reason I did was the grittiness and the nastyness of the Ravens defense and the Baltimore streets where The Wire was filmed. Some people say the Baltimore defense has lost a step. That may be true, considering a few years ago they were one of the best defenses in the history of football, but I still wouldn’t want to anger them. I feel the same about the city of Baltimore as a whole. I went there this summer for an Orioles game and had a great time. Downtown was beautiful, people were nice, good restaurants and all that stuff. However, I made extra sure to not make a wrong turn. I’ve heard to be cautious and I’ve seen every episode of The Wire at least three times, so I know Baltimore is rough. Our old buddies Bunk, Mcnulty and Freeman couldn’t clean up the streets of Baltimore no matter what they did. Baltimore beat the cops every time. It was unbeatable. I don’t think the Ravens are unbeatable, but I know they will be about as tough as the Barksdale gang to bring down. (Besides the gay thing, Ray Lewis is the Omar Little of the NFL. Scary).

Analysis: I think the Ravens will have a very good year and compete for a Super Bowl birth. I am big on Joe Flacco this year. I am smelling 4,000 yards from him. He certainly has the cannon to do it. Ray Rice is a do-everything back that has serious real and fantasy value. Don’t forget offensive weapons Willis McGahee, Derrick Mason and Todd Heap are around, along with additions Anquan Boldin and Donte’ Stallworth when he gets healthy, and now T.J. Houshmandzadeh. This offense could be explosive. The defense will be the defense, with Ray Lewis leading the charge as always. Big things happening in Baltimore this year.

Favorite Player: Ray Lewis. Frankly I’m too scared he would read this and then kill me if I said otherwise.

Least Favorite Player: Michael Oher. I know this is an unpopular pick because Disney decided to make him into a folk hero, but he was a real douche after the Vikings game last year when he said he handled Jared Allen. Hey Michael, look at the game film. Jared was a man that game. Maybe he missed it. Perhaps Allen did all his damage on Oher’s blindside after he swim moved around him.

2009 Record – 9-7
2010 Prediction – 12-4

Pittsburgh Steelers – House

Why House?

– The same formula every season, or every game/episode for that matter, and yet it still works. This is the story of House and the Pittsburgh Steelers. House is consistently one of the top two or three shows in TV, pumping out great episode after great episode. Dr. House and his staff do this with consistency and by sticking by the old mantra “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The Steelers are consistently one of the top franchises in the NFL. They are also regarded as one of the best ran franchises in sports. The Rooney’s run a tight ship in Pittsburgh, much like my favorite cleavlaged boss, Dr. Cuddy. The Steelers have had a down year here and there, but are always a threat coming into the season and often on top when the season is over. House is much the same way. It could get repetitive at times, but it always sucks you in. It also helps that House’s top doctor, Dr. Foreman, is currently coaching the Steelers.

Analysis – The Steelers went 9-7 last year and were considered a disappointment. Troy Polamalu was hurt for much of the year. I argue that he is more indispensable to that team than any other player. He is one of the top two or three defensive players and unit leaders in all of football. Even with Big Ben missing four games, I think the Steelers are improved this year. Rashard Mendenhall, Hines Ward and Mike Wallace should assist starter Dennis Dixon keep them afloat for four games until Roethlisberger is back. I do wonder about their win total due to those four games and a tough schedule. I think they will win nine or ten games, but if they get in the playoffs, I know I would be hesitant to pick against them.

Favorite Player – Jonathan Dwyer. The former Georgia Tech running back played a vital role in Iowa winning the 2010 Orange Bowl. Oh, wait, you mean he wasn’t in on it? Iowa’s defense was just that good? Ok, nevermind. I’ll take Polamalu then.

Least Favorite player – Ben Roethlisberger. Seems to be a popular guy to dislike, and I never really liked him that much anyway.

2009 Record – 9-7
2010 Prediction – 9-7



Cleveland Browns – Arrested Development

Why Arrested Development ? –

The Browns have one of the most rabid fan bases in football. Win or lose, those fans are barking. Arrested Development also had some of the most loyal fans in the TV world, before it was canceled prematurely. Was Art Model pulling the strings at Fox also? Now, both loyal fan bases are waiting for a return. Arrested Development fans are waiting for the movie, and Browns fans are waiting for a team worth watching. It’s time for the movie and some more one liners from JOB and that blowhard, Tobias. It’s also time for the Browns to quit playing football like George Michael Bluth.

Analysis – I was (un)lucky enough to see the Browns family day inter-squad scrimmage this season. It was as boring as football can possibly be. Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace didn’t look especially sharp. Colt McCoy didn’t do anything impressive either. The bright spot was Josh Cribbs, who is as exciting with the ball as anybody in the league. I do not expect big things from the Browns this year, but I do think they are moving in the right direction. If Delhomme gets some of his swagger back and they find a way to integrate Cribbs into the offense they could be dangerous, but I’m not counting on it.

Favorite Player – Josh Cribbs. He is like Dante Hall 2.0, except cooler. Hall always gave me a nerdy vibe, Cribbs is anything but nerdy.

Least Favorite Player – Seneca Wallace. I have hated Seneca Wallace since he pulled the Iowa State victory out of his ass against the Hawkeyes in the great Brad Banks season. I hope Matt Roth lays some ill-advised hits on him at Browns practices.

2009 Record – 5-11

2010 Prediction – 4-12

Cincinnati Bengals – Fringe
Why Fringe? – I like Fringe. I watched the first season on DVD and plan on watching the second when it comes out. It wasn’t my favorite show ever, but Walter is amusing and Joshua Jackson triple-deaked his way into my heart many years ago as Charlie Conway. But, let’s be honest: Fringe is fucking weird and fucking confusing. It is interesting but boring at times. It is smart but stupid at times. It could be great one week and a mess the next week. I’m picturing the 2010 Bengals a team that will have a serious identity crisis from week to week, like Fringe. This Ochocinco and TO combination is just asking for controversy. I could see it working for a bit, but it has to explode at some point, doesn’t it? There are not enough touches for both of these guys, and Carson Palmer is not the Carson Palmer of 2006 anymore. It will only take a couple hung-out-to-dry passes over the middle, or overthrows down the sidelines by Palmer for TO to pout, do some sit-ups in his drive way and possibly OD on pills. These guys seem more like a ticking time bomb than a team to count on to make the playoffs. One thing I think we can count on is Cincinnati being a strange place to be, kind of like a Fringe alternate universe.

Analysis: I have actually heard some arguments that this Bengals team could be better than the 10 win team from last year, and they were convincing arguments, but I just can’t look past Palmer’s deteriorating skills (along with TO and Ochocinco being another year older) and think they will win 10 games again. The defense could be pretty tough, and the offense could be potent again if Cedric Benson has another good year, but there is too many question marks, and it is the Bengals afterall. When have the Bengals ever been the picture of consistency?

Favorite Player – Abdul Hodge. It is just too easy to pick former Hawkeye legends for my favorite players, but I don’t really “like” anybody on the Bengals. I don’t like them from a fan standpoint or fantasy standpoint, so congratulations Abdul. This is the best thing that has happened to Hodge since he left Iowa City.

Least Favorite Player – TO. I have never liked him, and likely never will. I do remember when people said he was better than Randy Moss. TO was never, nor ever will be, better than Randy Moss. He had a better system and better QB in Philly when Moss was wasting away in Oakland, but if they switched teams Moss would have still had better numbers. Ever since that long-over debate, I have had a sour spot for TO. Moss > TO.

2009 Record – 10-6
2010 Prediction – 8-8

AFC East Preview

Miami – Dexter

Why Dexter? - The easy connection here is the city. The Dolphins play in Miami and Dexter kills in Miami, blah, blah, blah. That whole same city thing will be used again because I’m not smart enough to ignore it. Trust me. The real reason I chose Dexter to represent the Dolphins is because I think the show Dexter parallels the Wild Cat offense. Both “came out” a couple years ago and were a huge hit. The Dolphins loved it and used it often. And why not with two backs like Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown. They took the conventional NFL offense and added a crazy twist. The problem was that the twist faded a bit after other teams tried it and didn’t fall in love the Wild Cat. Some teams will still run it, the Dolphins being one, but it just isn’t as groundbreaking and exciting as we once thought.

Dexter did the same thing. It took the regular cop show and added a psychotic twist. People kept telling me how much I’d love it. That it was better than House or The Wire. I tried to not watch it out of spite, but I caved. The first season of Dexter was fantastic. I admit it. The second season kept me interested also. I got about half way through the third, and I still haven’t finished it. It has been about three months, and I am still not chomping at the bit to see what happened to Dexter in season three. It’s sort of like the Wild Cat. It was cool at first, but for now, I’ll go back to the old boring formula of a regular West Coast offense, and regular cops like McNulty who are not serial killers. Even if they pretend to be sometimes.

Analysis - I feel the Dolphins could be a very good team this year, or could just be a six or seven win team again. Everybody is so high on Chad Henne, and I understand why, but I’m not sold. I’ve always been fond of Michigan football (yes, even being an Iowa fanatic, I can support one other Big Ten school when they don’t play the Hawks), and I hated Henne at Michigan. I’m not sure he has the chops to win a big game. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are talented, but also injury prone. Brandon Marshall is a head case, who I do not like. I think people drafting him in the second and third round of fantasy drafts will be sorely disappointed. I really think this year for the Dolphins will be decide the first couple weeks, particularly in Week 2 against Minnesota. If Henne and Brown and lead them to a win in the Metrodome, then watch for the Dolphins in the playoffs.

Favorite Player – Benny Sapp. The cornerback that came over from the Vikings has some talent and mental problems, but he did attend my beloved University of Iowa and also went to Northern Iowa, and then played for Cheifs briefly before playing for the Vikings. Sapp has had some legal troubles stemming from violence, but who cares. Football is a violent sport. It will be interesting to see how he plays without any yellow in his jersey.

Least Favorite Player – Brandon Marshall. The stunts he pulled in Denver last year were sickening. He wanted out, then him and McDaniels were fist pumping and making out at the post game conference because they pulled a couple wins out of their ass, then they lost some and he wanted out again. Grow up Brandon Marshall. I hope Dexter gets to you.

2009 Record – 7-9
2010 Prediction – 7-9

New England – Cheers

Why Cheers? - New England and Cheers are another combo that is easy to pick because of the location. But I also look at them as being similar because of the simplicity of their premise. Cheers is considered one of the best shows of all time, and rightfully so, and amazingly took place almost entirely in a bar. It wasn’t about flash, it was about the characters. The individual personalities made the show the champion of all other shows at that time. The Patriots are much the same. With the exception of Randy Moss, who they acquired in a steal of a deal, the Pats tend to get players who are considered B-listers by most NFL standards, and turn them into Super Bowl Champions. Sure, Tom Brady is the Sam Malone of the NFL now, but he was some bum from Michigan when they drafted him. (Quick side note: While I said I hated Henne at Michigan, I loved, LOVED, Brady. I’m not just saying that because he is Tom Brady. If I was a front runner, I wouldn’t admit he is my 2nd favorite Michigan QB of all time, behind Brian Griese). Bill Bellichek has a way of making a seemingly boring team into an exciting team, who uses different schemes every week to outsmart opponents and turns nobodies like Wes Welker into superstars. The only person better at this is Peyton Manning who could turn me into a 1,000 yard receiver. Love them or hate them, the Pats are a model NFL franchise, much like the Steelers, and they demand your respect. We may not know all of their names, like Ron Gronkowski, but I have a feeling after a couple weeks we will. I also have a feeling Gronkowski will love New England, where Brady will turn him into a star, and everybody will know his name.

Analysis: My quick analysis on the Patriots is that they will be good. The Patriots are much like their media-made rivals, the Colts. They both can make many or no personnel moves, and will still make the playoffs permitting Brady or Manning doesn’t get seriously hurt. I think the Pats will equal or surpass their 10 wins of last year. I’m expecting big things from Brady in year two back from injury, especially if Welker is healthy. I could see the Patriots either losing early in the playoffs or hoisting the Lombardi trophy. I will guarantee, though, they will be in the playoffs.

Favorite Player: Randy Moss. Look, I know he is a little nuts, and I also know he whistles when let out of jail, and attacks meter maids, but Randy Moss will forever be one of my favorite players because of his years in the purple and yellow. The play where he ended the half with the catch and behind the head lateral is one of my favorite plays I have ever seen, and he provided me with a lot of bragging rights among my Bears and Packers fan friends. I love you Randy Moss.

Least Favorite Player: Rodney Harrison. I know he retired, but he wins anyway. He sucks.

2009 Record – 10-6
2010 Prediction – 11-5




Buffalo – 90210 (old and new)

Why 90210? - 90210 ruled the 90’s. It was The O.C. for our older brothers and sisters or perhaps even our parents. It also gave us Kelly Kapowski with less clothes and bigger boobs, which was awesome. I admit, I never really got into the original Beverly Hills 90210, but I’ve seen a few and I know it is considered a great show, but not an all-time great because of the ridiculousness of it sometimes. The Bills in the 90’s were on the verge of being great. Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith were monsters and proven winners, just ask my Techmo Bowl game. The problem was, they never got quite over the hump. Four straight Super Bowls, and four straight losses. When reliving the 90’s, we often speak of teams such as the 49ers and Cowboys as the greats. Maybe even Favre’s Packers get thrown in there. The Bills are often not mentioned because they never became the alpha-dog of the NFL. Same can be said of 90210. It isn’t Seinfeld. It isn’t ER. It was great, but not all-time great.

Now, let’s fast forward to 2010. In all of my post-college glory, I decided to watch the first and second seasons of the new 90210 show simply because I was bored and my aunt inexplicitly bought it. It was a mess. Story lines were played out. The acting was very sub-par. It got predictable at times, but yet I sat through it because that’s what bored people do. Much like the Bills fans of 2010. They Bills are a mess. They are predictable and hard to follow, but yet Buffalo fans stick by them even in the sub-zero temps. This will be a long season for Bills fans. Maybe if the Bills do what I think they will do, and that’s be one of the worst teams in the league, the Bills fans should take a vacation to beautiful Beverly Hills. Get in a love triangle, have an unexpected pregnancy, have a drug problem, or crash homecoming. Get some excitement in the most notorious area code in America, no, not 14127 of Buffalo, but 90210. Both are a mess, and both are hard to watch.

Analysis: The Bills will not be good this year. They may be rebuilding with young players like the much-hyped C.J. Spiller, but I don’t think the results will be seen for another couple years. I’m seeing a very long and painful year for Bills fans, with not many wins to show for it.

Favorite Player: Thurman Thomas. He was really fast in Techmo.

Least Favorite Player: James Hardy. I don’t really hate the Bills WR, it’s just that he tended to torch Iowa in college, and anybody that plays football at Indiana shouldn’t be able to torch Iowa.

2009 Record – 6-10
2010 Prediction – 3-13





New York Jets – Monday Night Raw

Why MNR? - Monday Night Raw is considered a weekly episodic television show. It seems strange to consider it a weekly drama, but when you consider they have actors and writers, it makes a lot of sense. Why it hasn’t won any awards for best drama, best comedy, or most awesome show ever, is beyond me, but it is a show none the less. So why Raw for the Jets? Because of the crudeness, the toughness, and, for lack of a better word, the rawness of both MNR and the J-E-T-S. Rex Ryan is the Jets Vince McMahon. He pulls no punches, he uses bad language, and like him or not, he usually gets his way. I’m sure I could go on and on making comparisons between Jets players and wrestlers, but I’ll skip that for now. The Jets will need to channel Raw’s stubbornness and toughness if they plan on living up to the hype and the expectations they have largely put on themselves. They will also need to ignore the Hard Knock’s distractions and find their own identity. “And That’s The Bottom Lineeee, Cause Rex Ryan Sai”…no that’s not right. “Cause We’re The Jets…And We’re AWSSOOMMM”…no, that doesn’t sound like the Jets either. “Whatcha Gunna Do Brother, When The Jets”. No, too old and boring. Unless you like the Hulkster , in which cas..IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU LIKE THE HULKSTER! IF YA SMELLLLLL, WHAT REX RYAN, IS COOKIN!” (And likely eating many servings of).

Analysis: The Jets are a media machine this year. They media have fed in to the hype the Jets have put on themselves. They will be a good football team, no doubt, but, remember they did only win nine games last year and needed help to get into the playoffs. Thomas Jones is gone and LT is there. I consider this a downgrade for the style of play the Jets like. LT may have a big year and shine in his third down back role, but I think Shonn Green benefited from having Thomas Jones help carry the load. Mark Sanchez is still young and his receivers, Braylon Edwards and Santinio Holmes, are kind of crazy. If Darryl Reeves doesn’t join the team, they could see more problems than many are expecting. I think they will win a lot of games (10), but I think they will struggle against the better teams and especially in the playoffs where Sanchez will have a hard time putting points on the board.

Favorite Player: Shonn Greene. Still think he got hosed in the 2008 Heisman race. My all-time favorite furniture mover and Kirkwood College student, Shonn Greene gave me some good memories at old Kinnick Stadium, so I will be forever grateful.

Least Favorite Player: Braylon Edwards. The Jets have a lot of players I don’t like, but Braylon takes the cake. As many of you know, I am a huge Cleveland Indians fan, so just by default I get some Browns news scattered in my Sports Time Ohio watching. Clevelanders hate Edwards, but were not mad to see him go at all. He was great at Michigan and could have been, and I suppose still could be, great in the NFL, but he never will be. He is a waste of talent. He is also delusional. He thinks Clevelanders hate him more than LeBron. Most of them have forgotten who Edwards is! He is an afterthought. LeBron is public enemy number one. Just ask the guy selling shirts outside Progressive Field that say “LBJ Sucks” and “The Lyin King”. The only reason people still think of Braylon Edwards is because they know how great of quarterback Derek Anderson could have been with a motivated Edwards. Nah, that’s not true. They don’t care about Braylon. Ever.

2009 Record – 9-7

2010 Prediction - 10-6

NFL Preview

I have neglected my blog for too long. It is less than a week away from what I usually consider the unofficial NFL opening game on Thursday night, but since it is a Vikings game this year, it truly is my opener. After the success (and by success, I mean the enjoyment I got out of reading, since nobody else did) of my MLB preview where each team was represented by a WWE wrestler, I decided to do something similar for the NFL. Each team will be represented by a past or present television show. There will be an explanation of the representative, followed by a very brief analysis of each team, my favorite and least favorite player on each team, and my record prediction for each team. It should be interesting and completely wrong by week 8 or 9. o strap in, because it is NFL preview time!

Bad Decision

There has never been a more watched, scrutinized, analyzed, criticized and every other –ized word, free agency signing than “The Decision” made by LeBron James last night. Every talking head has an opinion about it. The fascinating thing about The Decision, is that there is so many different things to have an opinion on. There are more layers to this signing than Joey in the FRIENDS episode where he puts on all of Chandler’s clothes. There is the basketball layer to the decision, the historical layer, the human layer, the 2010 Miami Heat layer, the Dan Gilbert layer, and so many other layers, it’s difficult to analyze The Decision without mentioning all of them.

First, the basketball element of this decision by LeBron. I understand his desire to put himself in the best possible situation for winning. The ever-elusive ring is what every player wants. The Heat where the safest of all basketball-related destinations he could have chose. I use the word “safest” because that’s what it is. Safe. It is not the best destination. As much as the Chicago-hater in me hates to say it, The Bulls with LeBron would have been a title favorite for years to come. With Rose, Noah, Boozer and LeBron they would have been the odds on favorite to win the NBA championship. You also have to take into account that Rose and Noah as young and still have their best years ahead of them. The Bulls would have been an absolute juggernaut and the toast of Chicago again. Miami will still be a favorite to win the title, but who are they going to surround LeBron, Wade and Bosh with? The Heat are one injury away from big problems. Hypothetically, if everybody is healthy, the Heat’s starting five (LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Mike Miller? And, maybe, Mark Titus?) doesn’t match up well with the Celtics starting five (Pierce, Allen, Garnett, Rondo and Perkins). The chemistry will have to be developed in Miami, and it may be easier said than done.

The second element of all of this is the historical element. I’ve heard numerous times about LeBron is tainting his legacy because this isn’t really his team, he is riding coattails, the all-time greats would never have done this, and so on. I agree with this, but there is one thing that bothers me. Why does everybody insist on saying “Jordan would have never done this, he would want to destroy Wade every year to prove he was better. He wouldn’t quit on his team”? I agree with the competitive part of this, but in reality, Jordan quit on his team. Twice. The baseball experiment was the first time. He left that Bulls team and tried his ego out in minor league baseball, which didn’t work out too well for either party. Then after “retiring” the second time he came back for a run with the Wizards. I fell Jordan knew all along he wasn’t done, he just didn’t want to tarnish his Bulls legacy. That’s just my anti-Jordan sentiment coming out, back to the relevant information. If you want to romanticize the all-time greats who had a competitive spirit and stuck with their teams and led them to the promise land, there is plenty of great examples: Bird, Magic, Russell, Duncan, Kobe, Scalabrine. Forgotten in this is the greats who wouldn’t sell out on their teams because it was in their nature to take “their” team to the title, not someone else’s team, even if they didn’t succeed: Stockton, Nash, Reggie, Karl Malone..oh wait, scratch that last one. My point is that a lot of these guys gave up forming a “dream team” with other superstars to carry their team on their backs, for better or worse, and we respect and remember them for it. LeBron decided not to. While we are on the subject, he will tell you otherwise because he is well-spoken and humble, believe it or not, but Reggie Miller should be included in the discussion of “all time greats” who didn’t win a ring. He was that good.

The third element of all of this is the circus that was "The Decision". Was it really necessary? Absolutely not. This would hurt his reputation and break the hearts of Clevelanders anyway, but the pain would be far less had LeBron not acted like a child and made it into a spectacle on national TV. I had a few problems with this. Number one, in reality he probably is the biggest basketball star in the world, but does he feel that much more important than everybody else that he can’t just tweet his signing with the Heat? He has to do a ESPN special? And don’t give me the charity crap. LeBron is a very, very rich man, and he is getting ready to sign a max contract. I think I heard he raised 5 million dollars for the Boys and Girls Club. That’s great for the Club, but why couldn’t he skip the agony that was The Decision, and just donate five mil? I, along with many other people, would not be near as mad right now about his TV special if he had said “I am choosing to keep my talents here in Northeast Ohio”. This was cruel, unnecessary and a train wreck to watch.

The fourth element is how drastically LeBron’s public image changed overnight. He went from being the most liked basketball player in the world, to possibly less liked than Kobe. I would have never guessed that. Instead of a interview with Jim Gray, where he referred to himself in the 3rd person, basically tore the hearts out of Cav fans, and looked like a pure narcissist, he would have been better off meeting Dan Gilbert on national TV, agreeing to a contract with Cleveland, then kicking Gilbert through a Barber Shop window and tearing up the contract, a la Shawn Michaels. At least then we could all say “wow, that was mean, but LeBron really is a badass”. Instead we were all cringing and could almost hear the city of Cleveland’s hearts breaking. This was a heel turn unlike Shawn Michaels or Hulk Hogan where we were captivated and intrigued. This was an unintentional heel turn where I think LeBron legitimately thought everybody would still love him. He was wrong.

The fifth element, no, not that God-awful Bruce Willis movie, is the Cleveland Cavaliers and how they recoved from this. First of all, I understand LeBron leaving this roster. They are not the best supporting cast. However, isn’t this the same supporting cast that he signed off on? People are saying that LeBron doesn’t owe the Cavs franchise anything. I disagree. He wanted Mo Williams. They got him. He wanted Shaq. They got him. He wanted help at mid-season. They got Jamison. He wanted his buddies to fly on the team plane. They did it. They spent, and spent, and spent to appease LeBron. Some of these moves may have backfired, but you can’t say they didn’t try. He does own something to the franchise for the support they showed him. He does owe something to the community of Cleveland. The community he promised a championship. The community that forgave his wearing a Yankees hat to Jacobs Field for the Indians-Yankees playoff series in his own backyard. The community that forgave him for quitting in the playoffs last year and still lined up by the boatload with signs that read “HOME” last week. Yes, he does own these people a fulfillment of his promise. For that reason, I applaud Dan Gilbert.

The Gilbert letter: awesome. How often do we love people for the candor? For honesty. Dan Gilbert is a businessman. He knows this franchise is in trouble without LeBron. Ticket sales, merchandise sales, and TV earnings will all be down without LeBron. He did what any owner should do, but doesn’t have the balls to. He said publicly what his fans thought privately. He got the fans on his side. The Cleveland fans have had too much heartache caused by owners in the past. Art Modell moving the Browns in the obvious one, but what about the Dolans trading two Cy Young winner in consecutive years? The Indians are still trying to recover from that PR disaster, and it shows in lacking ticket sales. Gilbert got the fans on his side. They saw an owner who was willing to go to war with Goliath, and they are behind him. I haven’t heard anybody from Cleveland saying they disagree with Dan Gilbert. He made the Cavs relevant again, and took some focus on the poor heartbroken Clevelanders. He made them hungry for a team that can beat LeBron. Touche, Dan Gilbert.

The sixth element is what could we possibly compare this to? Some people said Favre. This is nothing like the Favre saga. First of all, the Packers wanted to get rid of Favre, not the other way around. Second, Favre wasn’t born and raised in the Green Bay area, like LeBron in Cleveland. Favre has a chip on his shoulder when he plays the Packers, and rightly so. They dismissed him. For the record, they were correct in doing so, it was time to move on with Aaron Rodgers, but they still dismissed Favre. No, not Favre, the person to compare him to is none other than public enemy number one, Alex Rodriguez. Both are arguably the best in the world at what they do. Both are obviously quite full of themselves. Both choked in the playoffs when they were “the man”. Both have joined a team with a defined leader who already has won the big one. The 2009 Yankees title is Jeter’s title, much like the Heat’s imminent title will still be Wade’s title, no matter how much the media wants to spotlight LeBron.

The seventh element is the losers. Obviously the Cavs lost out, but as did the Knicks, Nets and Bulls. These teams made huge pitches to LeBron and then apparently had to wait to find out with the rest of the world where he was going to sign. Have some class LeBron. At least tell these guys, “Thanks, but no thanks”. The fan bases of these teams also lose out. Most of these teams have very solid fan bases that are loyal. Miami is an awful sports city. I went to a Heat game last year when I went to Miami for the Orange Bowl. It was against the Hawks. Two playoff teams. At least a quarter of the fans there were Hawekeye fans just there to catch the game. Very dull atmosphere compared to other NBA cities. I bet it will be bumping next year though when the bandwagon fans come off their sea-doo and go over to the arena. (Another loser, my Indiana Pacers. 2011 was supposed to be their summer with huge cap space, now that summer is shared with the Bulls, Knicks, Nets and Clippers. Not good for Indy)

Finally, I would like to say I was wrong about LeBron. I was duped. I loved the guy. I liked the way the Cavs had fun, I liked the way he plays, I liked the way he presented himself, but now I am done with him. I will be cheering for the Celtics to beat them in the East. I’ll be cheering for Kobe to dismantle the Heat in the finals. I’ll be cheering for Noah and the Bulls to out-tough him. The irony of this is, I hate the Bulls, Celtics and Lakers. But they are not my least favorite team in the NBA anymore. Congratulations, Miami. My opinion of LeBron has done a 180. I still stand by the thought that if he stayed in Cleveland and won multiple titles he would go down as the best player of all time. That thought is out the window. On the bright side, maybe more people will watch the Indians now. Or maybe Cleveland will implode and I’ll have to find a new baseball team to cheer for. Either way, baseball season is looking up.

28 Up, 28 Down.

I was in a strange position tonight. Put yourself in my shoes: In the middle of June, in a relatively meaningless game, would you cheer for your favorite team to be perfected by the opposing pitcher or cheer for a hit? I flip-flopped on this during the memorable ninth inning more than John Kerry. I figured that dilemma would be my main story coming away from this game. First base umpire Jim Joyce made sure it wasn't. Let's set the stage and dive into both of these topics.


Top of the ninth, 3-0 Tigers, Mark Grudzielanek is up for the Indians with no outs and smokes a ball to left. It looks like it could be a home run or at least a gapper. Rookie center fielder Austin Jackson comes flying across the outfield and makes a Mayes-like catch to preserve Armando Galarraga's perfecto. Unbelievable catch. As good as Dewayne Wise's catch last year in the Buehrle game in my book. One out. 59 year-old catcher Mike Redmond comes to the plate and hits a grounder to short. The shortstop could have ran it to first and still got Redmond out. Two outs. Now it gets interesting. Jason Donald comes to the plate. Donald, a recent call-up from AAA Columbus is not a great hitter. His average is at .280, but was as low as under .200 a week ago. Donald hits a chopper in between 1st and 2nd. Miguel Cabrera, the 1st baseman fields it and throws to Galarraga who is covering the bag. It is a very close play, but in this situation, any umpire is calling the runner out. Crazy Colonel Mustard-looking Jim Joyce bucks the trend and calls the runner safe. My initial reaction is mixed between sympathy for Galarraga, relief for the Indians, and letdown as a baseball lover. The one feeling I'm sure of is one of respect for Joyce for seeing the runner was obviously safe (had to be right?), and having the balls to make the call.


Here is the kicker: the runner was out! Replays showed that Donald was out by at least a half step at 1st base. I understand umping is a difficult thing to do. For those that have never worn the "blue", it is harder than it looks and it is basically a no-win situation, however, it is a job that he is hired to do, and do correctly. After seeing the replays I was in shock. The always classy and intelligent Indians announcers were in shock. The Indians announcers on STO are very realistic in their views, so it came as no surprise they felt Donald was out and Joyce royally screwed up. How could a guy mess this up? Galarraga just threw the 21st perfect game in baseball history. He signed his name in the record books, then Joyce came by with one of those big PinkPet erasers you needed in 1st grade, and erased it. He failed at his job and he failed miserably. If someone like a doctor screwed up like this, people die. If a teacher screws up this bad, he (or she) has to be sleeping with a student. If a mechanic screws up this bad, the customer's car blows up right when driving it out of the garage. This will go down as one of the all-time great umpire screw-ups. ESPN's Tim Kurkjian said it was the worst call in regular season MLB history. I agree.


After the replays were shown numerous times and the disgruntled Detroit crowd was in a frenzy, I feared for Joyce's life. Literally. I didn't think a fan would kill him, security would be ready for that. I thought Jim Leyland or Jeremy Bonderman would kill him. The Tiger's bench was livid, and rightly so. There is no way Major League Baseball can send out that same four man crew with Joyce to do the noon game tomorrow in Detroit. It could end very badly. I would like to point out that Joyce has came out and admitted his mistake after seeing the replay. That is a difficult thing for an umpire to do and I commend him on his honesty and wish him the best from here on out. However, this is a story that will be talked about for years and will be big news for the next couple of days. This could be a big spark in the argument for instant replay. I know replay may make games a whole 5-10 minutes longer, but if it avoids something like this, then I say bring it on.


After all the hoopla and controversy surrounding Joyce's call ends, I'll still have to sort out if a baseball lover and die-hard Indians fan like myself should cheer for them to be perfected, or want them to break it up. Once again, keep in mind, this is happening in June. If it is happening in a critical game, then no way I want the Indians to be perfected. If I was sitting in Comerica Park on this June night I would have been for perfection. I would want to witness history in person. I wasn't in Comerica Park. I was in my chair with my dog watching my beloved Tribe play sub-par baseball as usual. About the eighth inning, I started to contemplate my feelings on the perfecto. At the start of the eighth, I wanted the Indians to break through. Carmona was pitching outstanding but was still behind 1-0. The Tribe only needed a bloop and blast for the lead. Detroit put up two insurance runs in the eighth that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for a bad call at first by our friend Jim Joyce. So heading into the ninth it was 3-0 Detroit. The baseball purist in me wanted the perfect game. The Indians fan in me felt enough embarrassment had been felt by the 2010 Indians and just wanted them to get a hit. After Jackson's catch in center, I was cheering for the perfect game. After Redmond's lazy grounder I wanted a Jason Donald hit. I was truly in a glass case of emotion. Then came the Donald play, and I was doubly heartbroken. Poor Galarraga, who was a class act after the fact, got his night taken away, and the Indians had a chance to show they could go 28 up and 28 down, which was history in itself.


I decided my answer to this quandary would in fact be a cop out. The answer for a truly die-hard fan is: It depends on the situation. If it was 8-0 Tigers, then I cheer for the perfect game and tip my cap. If it is 1-0 Tigers then I cheer for the Indians to not only break it up, but come back and win the game. If it is 8-0 Cubs, I cheer for the Indians to score 9 runs and win, or for the Cubs pitcher to get stung by a bee on the pitching hand, swell up, and walk a guy while unable to grip the ball. Everything depends on the situation. Seeing your team being perfected through eight innings is no different. Sometimes I cheer for history, sometimes I cheer for Tribe Time. Hopefully I don't have to make this decision again for a while. Get some hits Indians.

There's a Light on in Chicago

Two things I hate: Chicago sports teams and fake, bandwagon-jumping sports fans.

These two things tend to go hand-in-hand a lot due to the Cubs, Bulls, White Sox and Bears fans who are unrealistic, annoying, and not that loyal. I understand I could catch some heat from that because growing up in Davenport, Iowa, I have come to know quite a few Chicago sports fans who are loyal, intelligent and likeable. I know some people who follow the Bulls and Bears through thick and thin. I know some who go to Wrigley and go for the game, not the ambiance and Old Style. I feel there are many more, however, who hear through facebook statuses that the Cubs won today, then proceed to go out and talk trash all night about the great Cubbies, without ever seeing a pitch thrown in that game. These are the same fans who are all about the Cubs for one week in April, and then again in October, if they are in a pennant race, that is. These are the same fans who have watched maybe seven Bulls games (those games being either the 2009 playoff series against Boston and the 2010 series against the Cavs) since Jordan left, but will be full-fledged red and black maniacs again if LeBron goes to Chicago. While we are on the subject of Chicago, research shows 9 out of 10 Chicago suburb kids at the University of Iowa suck. That is factually correct.

For all these reasons, I hate Chicago sports teams. I get almost as much satisfaction out of seeing a Cubs, Bulls or Bears loss than seeing an Indians, Pacers or Vikings win. Here is the kicker though: I love the city of Chicago. I think the city itself is awesome. The skyscrapers. The lake. The Pizza. Pre-2006 Fall Out Boy. The city of Chicago is the biggest city in the Midwest and only a couple hours from my hometown. This all crossed my mind sometime last winter when I decided to embrace NHL hockey and become a fan.

The question became: which NHL team would I support? I had a Mighty Ducks Starter jacket when I was younger, but that was because I love Emelio and Charlie Conway instead of the actual team in Anaheim. Followed the Avalanche for a while, but that was only because my Mom's boyfriend was from Colorado. I decided then and there it was time to embrace Chicago a little bit, and become a Blackhawks fan. I went to Blackhawk College in Illinois, my roommate's step-dad became a Blackhawks fan a few years ago and follows them obsessively, and they are close by, so why not?

I learned a few things about the Blackhawks quickly. Their logo and uniforms are badass. I knew this already, but it still helped foster my fanhood. I learned their fans seemed to be more intelligent about their team. Maybe "intelligent" isn't the right word, maybe it is "realistic". The Blackhawks have good solid fans. I almost got an Iowa Wrestling vibe from Blackhawks fans. They knew things were going to happen before they did. I like this in fans. I learned they were a young, fast, exciting team. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Big Buff. These are stars that are fun to watch. I also learned that they haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1961. I don't care about the Cubs epic losing streak, although it makes me happy, but the Blackhawks lack of a title reminds me of my Indians, Vikings and Pacers. I like loyal fan bases.

The 2009 NHL playoffs were when I came around and started watching on a regular basis. I watched most of the games, and then this season I even tuned in for 8-10 regular season games. I cheered for Patrick Kane in the Olympics. I've been very into the playoffs this year and their exhilarating run to the Stanley Cup Finals. I will be watching the Finals with anticipation and will be emotionally invested in every game. So why does this make me any different than the fake sports fans I love to hate?

Reason number one is that I know, and will openly admit, that I don't like hockey like I do baseball, basketball or football, and will probably never follow it as close. Sure I'll be let down if Philly wins the cup, but not like in 2007 when the Red Sox beat the Indians or when the Vikings lost to the Saints last year. I really like the Blackhawks. I love the Indians, Pacers and Vikings. I know this and will admit it to anybody.

Reason number two is that I am waiting 7 years until I consider myself an actual Blackhawks die-hard fan. I feel like I need to earn my fanhood. This is no weekend courtship. Seven years make for common law marriage. If I'm still following hockey in 2016, which is 7 years from when I began my Blackhawk fandom, then I will consider myself a true Blackhawks fan. This 2010 playoff run has been a wild one, and I'm happy I'm on the bandwagon for it. I plan on wearing a Blackhawks t-shirt on Saturday and cheering on the team for game one. My interest is hockey has not been higher since Mighty Ducks 2 came out. If they go on and win the Cup, I won't consider this as ending my fan losing streak, at least for six more years. The Indians, Vikes or Pacers have to do that. I'll remain the most tourtured sports-fan born after 1985.

Reason number three is that I'm not an idiot like most Chicago sports fans. Sorry guys.

10 for 10

The Pacers didn't have any luck in the Lottery Tuesday night. I didn't expect they would, but it is still a gut punch to see the Pacers sitting with the 10th pick due to their inexplicable 11-5 run to end the season. Such memorable wins we had. Beating a Cleveland team without LeBron, then the next night coming home to beat the juggernaut New Jersey Nets. Ahh, quite a run, one I will never forget. I have never cheered against a team I like that hard since, well, since way back in 2009 when I sometimes secretly cheered against Iowa Basketball in hopes Todd Lickleiter would get canned, which worked out. But, before that I didn't cheer against my teams. It showed Tuesday night that my cheering against the Pacers, for the good of the organization mind you, was the correct thing to do. Now instead of someone like John Wall, Evan Turner, or Derrick Favors to play alongside Danny Granger, the Pacers are looking at a player the caliber of the rest of the team, aka a role player. So without further ado, I look at 10 possible players who the Pacers may pick with the 10th pick, assuming they don't trade it for someone like Adam Morrison. At the end I'll rank the 10 players in the order I would like to see them in a Pacers uniform.

1) Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest)- Aminu falling to the 10th pick is unlikely, but possible. I didn't see Aminu play too much this year, but his numbers (15.8 ppg and 10.7 Reb/game) were pretty respectful, even in the weak ACC. Aminu is extremely athletic, and he has a lot of growing to do in terms of skills. Aminu could be a player in the mold of a Marvin Williams or a more skilled Jamario Moon. He lacks a shooting touch from the outside, but his energy on the offensive glass helps him contribute. I wouldn't mind seeing him in the blue and yellow, but it seems far fetched.

2) Xavier Henry (Kansas) - I'm pretty high on Xavier Henry. I thought he played well for Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament, and in their loss to UNI in the big dance. Granted, he didn't have as huge of freshman year as some expected, but I think if he was on a less talented team than Kansas he would have had the ball more and put up bigger numbers. He still put up 13.4 ppg on a team that was ranked #1 most of the year. Henry also seems like a good kid, which is of course what the Pacers are looking for. No more Tinsleys or Artests for Indy. Henry's body seems NBA ready right now, his ball handling and outside shooting will need some work, but I could see him and Granger being a very good 1-2 combo. I could also see him being Brandon Rush 2.0, which is a nightmare for Pacers fans.

3) Patrick Patterson (Kentucky) - I've seen Patterson everywhere from Pick 8 to the late teens. He was a great player in college, but actually saw his numbers decline in his junior year. I contribute this decline in points and rebounds per game last season to his maturity. Patterson saw that with Wall, Cousins and Bledsoe in the rotation there were less shots to go around. I found his acceptance of his role to be a good trait and a possible enticing quality for the Pacers. Patterson could be a big help inside for Roy Hibbert and his maturity and college experience could help him be a contributor right away.

4) Greg Monroe (Georgetown) - Monroe is a very attractive pick. He has a great basketball IQ, he passes extremely well for a big man, and he played for a Georgetown team that had guards who didn't utilize him enough. The big knock on Monroe is that he sometimes lags in the hustling department. Some people think he loses focus sometimes, just like our old buddy Brandon Rush. While we are on the subject, I would like to state I loved the Brandon Rush pick two years ago. I still think Rush could flick a switch and figure out he needs to work harder and has potential to be a really good NBA player, but this hasn't happened yet and Pacer fans are frustrated. I think Monroe would benefit immensely from working with Roy Hibbert. They are both Georgetown guys, and although their game is a little different, Hibbert has shown a strong work ethic and could rub off on Monroe.

5) Gordon Hayward (Butler) - This pick scares me to death. I feel like larry Bird is sitting in his office right now, calling all the Butler boosters trying to sell season tickets if they draft Hayward. I really like Hayward and hope he has a good NBA career, but I don't think he is 10th pick material. The white guy from Indiana who led Butler on a Cinderella run is frightening to me. Hayward showed he can compete with the big boys, but he also showed he has a lot of work to do both in terms of basketball and in terms of getting his body NBA ready. Please don't pick Hayward. Maybe trade T.J Ford or Solomon Jones for like the 16th or 17th pick and draft him there if you want to sell tickets. Don't waste the 10th pick.

6) Donatas Motiejunas (International) - Let's be honest, I don't know anything about any European players not named Josh Childress or Ricky Rubio. This guy is being hyped pretty hard. If he becomes the next Dirk or circa-1999 Peja, then he would be a good pick, but the Pacers saw what happens with hyped Europeans with the Saranus Jasikevicius disaster.

7) Cole Aldrich (Kansas) - I'm not an Aldrich fan. I know some people, like Bill Simmons, think he will be a 15 and 8 guy in the pros, but I'm not seeing it. We saw Jordan Eglseder from UNI play as good or better than Aldrich in the tournament, and Eglseder looks like Kane, so that's not a good sign for Aldrich. I just don't see his game transferring to the NBA very well. In my opinion he is more Josh McRoberts than Rik Smits.

8) Ed Davis (North Carolina) - Davis to the Pacers is a popular mock scenario. I'm not big on Davis. After the national title year, he was supposed to keep UNC relevant. He did not. He looks skinny and over matched against good players. With that being said, I felt the same about Roy Hibbert, and now I'm very happy with Hibbert's progress. If Davis can fill out a bit and get more of a face up game, he could be real good. Until he does that, I'm not sold on him.

9) Avery Bradley (Texas) - I really like Bradley. I think his potential is as high as anybody not named Wall in this draft. I could easily see him being the Brandon Jennings or Ty Lawson of the 2010 Draft. He is only a freshman, so he is young, but he has talent and he has a lot of it. His is great defensively and explosive offensively. His freshman season left something to be desired, but since when has someone not named Kevin Durant not been dragged down by the terrible in-game coaching of Rick Barnes?

10) Ekpe Udoh (Baylor) - Udoh is an enigma. He is athletic as all get out. He was a cornerstone of the team that brought Baylor to prominence. He averaged 3.7 blocks a game last year, which is ridiculous. He is 23 this month. His defense is good, when he wants to play it. I really would not be surprised by anything Udoh does in the pros, be it good or bad.

My Rankings in terms of who I want the Pacers to pick (1 being the highest)

10) Hayward

9) Motiejunas

8) Aldrich

7) Aminu (because I don't see him being available under any circumstances)

6) Davis

5) Patterson

4) Bradley

3) Udoh

2) Monroe

1) Xavier Henry

Weight of a Mistake

Tonight is the biggest game in Cleveland Cavaliers history. I don’t care that it is only the second round and that they have been to the East finals the last two years and the NBA finals the year before that, tonight is D-Day as far as Cleveland is concerned. Everybody knows I’m a fever-pitch Indians fan, so I understand the urgency and the sense of dread a Cleveland sports fan gets when seeing a potential heartbreak in the making, like tonight.

Every writer with any inkling of NBA knowledge has written something in the last two days about the importance of this game or the Cavalier collapse in game five. This isn’t revolutionary thinking on my part. I do think there are people out there like myself who are Indians fans or Browns fans who don’t necessarily love the Cavs, but understand the importance this team has in Cleveland right now. This is a cursed city. The public schools suck. The economy sucks. Downtown is in decline. I got lost downtown once, was only a couple blocks from Jacobs Field and was scared for my life. I was so low on gas I had to stop at a gas station, prepaid for $5 of gas, didn’t pump the last 30 cents where it slows down because I was already asked for money twice and was frightened. The Browns suck. My Indians suck, as evidenced by the 10,000 fan a game average. The other Cleveland poster boy, Grady, is sucking real hard right now. The two things the city of Cleveland has going for it is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Cavs. I’ve see the giant “WITNESS” billboard. Cleveland is a Cavs town right now.

LeBron is Cleveland right now. The guy is only 25, so his legacy still has a lot of time to be built, but this Cleveland/Boston series could be his Jordon-over-Ehlo moment, or it could be his Griffey to the Reds moment. One thing is for sure, this has to be LeBron’s moment. Mike Brown has won the award for the “Worst coaching in the 2010 playoffs”, although he can appeal his victory, and give the award back to Mike Woodson by doing something crazy in game six: Give the Fu**ing ball to LeBron.

Let’s go back to game five. A couple problems I had with this pile laid by the Cavs. One, why did LeBron only take 13 shots? Kobe, Iverson, and Jordan were and are masters of inefficiency, but they also were willing to put the team on their shoulders and take the shots. They may have taken 30 shots, but they got their points. LeBron needs to adopt this attitude. He needs to be the man in game six, not the 13-shots-per-game LeBron from game 5. Celtics announcer Sean Grande summed it up nicely when he said that LeBron looked like a college student who showed up for his final, got the test, and realized he didn’t study any of the answers. LeBron better have studied on Wednesday.

The other problem I have is where is Antwan Jamison? Nine points and six boards in 31 minutes? I hate to say it, oh how I hate to say it, but Cleveland would have been better off with trading J.J. Hixson for Troy Murphy. Hixson, who was supposed to be their wing-mate in waiting, only played four minutes in game five, yet they wouldn’t trade him to Indiana for Murphy. Seemed like a smart move at the time, but now it looks like Murphy is the better player than Jamison, and Mike Brown has decided Hixson is not ready for the big time.
Also, Mike Brown, you’re telling me Delonte West and Anderson Varejao are only going to play 26 minutes COMBINED, while Anthony Parker and Shaq are going to play 67 minutes combined?!? Why is this happening? I understand Parker played alright Tuesday night, and statistically so did Shaq, but West and Varejao could do much better, while playing up tempo against an aging Celtics team, and not clogging up the lane like Shaq who only grabbed four boards despite never being more than five feet from the basket. While we are on the rest of the Cavs, Mo Williams better show up at some point tonight. His playoffs the last two years have been very T-Macish.

These game five failures leave us with game six. The biggest game in Cavaliers history, and a game that could potentially change the NBA forever. First things first: will David Stern have the refs favor the classic Celtics or the face of the League in LeBron? Maybe he wants LeBron to leave Cleveland for the lights of New York or Chicago so the refs will be Celtic-friendly. Maybe he just can’t resist a possible LeBron vs. Kobe finals so they will be Cav-friendly. Ah, who am I kidding, they will call it right down the middle, like always. Right Phoenix?

The second question, and the biggie in the minds of Cleveland fans: Will this be LeBron’s last game as a Cav? I don’t think so but many people do. Chicago seems more likely every day. Although if it meant Deng or LeBron they might stick with Deng like they did a few years ago instead of going after Kobe. That worked out Chicago. New York is an obvious possible destination. The Nets new Russian owner just got approved. Cuban always throws money around and is not happy with his teams stink bomb from the first round. Maybe Ted DiBiase will buy a franchise and lure him with the money, money, money, money, who knows. There are a lot of potential suitors for LeBron. We will find out soon enough what type of man he is. If LeBron blows this series and flees Cleveland I will not be a LeBron supporter anymore. I’m telling you right now, I won’t like him anymore. I've always been a huge LeBron supporter. Some of this stems from the fact that I don't like Michael Jordan and want someone to take his title as "Best Ever". Some of it comes from me having a long subscription to SLAM magazine as a kid and following King James since he was like 15 years old (This also had the unfortunate ide effect of me being a Sebastian Telfair fan for a few years). Some of this stems from me liking the city of Cleveland, and liking the fact his teamates like him. Whatever the reason, I will turn on LeBron faster than Shawn Michaels turning on Marty Janetty if he sells out on Cleveland after not delivering a title. It says something about a player to spend his whole career with the same franchise. If LeBron blows this series and stays, that tell me he has taken some responsibility and wants to get Cleveland a championship. This series will tarnish his legacy a lot more if he doesn’t return to Cleveland. If he returns, then the Cavs, and the Cav fans can regroup and focus on next year. The obvious answer is just to come out tonight and win this game, then go to Cleveland and win game seven. That would let the LeBron offseason questions sit on the shelf for another couple weeks.

For all the complaining I and everybody else has done about LeBron’s supporting staff and Mike Brown, game six is LeBron’s make or break. This game is so important to the Cavalier franchise, Cleveland, and the NBA in general, that I am going to go out on a limb and say it is the most important round two game in NBA history. The Celtics are playing with a lot of confidence, and let’s be honest; this is not some scrub team. They are only two years removed from a title, and have three potential hall of famers on the team. Cleveland needs to bring it at the TD Garden tonight. LeBron has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Everybody is wondering if he will take the next step and put Cleveland in the Eastern finals, or if he will be bombarded with questions all summer if he can win the big one. What are you gonna do LeBron? The world is watching. We are all witnesses.

Start Watching

I had an argument with a co-worker way back during the Winter Olympics about which was more exciting to watch: NBA basketball or the ski jump. I was obviously on the side of the NBA. I'm a huge NBA fan and could care less about the ski jump. His resolution was to call his old roommate who was a "huge basketball fan" about which was more fun to watch. His friends response was something along the lines of "well both are boring if you watch them for more than five minutes so it's about the same". I immediately dropped the NBA vs. Ski jump battle, and began arguing that this guy is defiantly not a "huge" basketball fan. To be honest though, I don't think this guy is alone.

There is something about the NBA that turns Midwesterners, and more specifically Iowans, off in 2010. College basketball has a much larger following. I can't blame anybody for loving March Madness because I think March Madness is everything that is right in sports. However, how can people who grew up playing basketball, grew up in Jordan Country (or in my case Reggie Country), and love college basketball not be entertained and interested in the best players in the world going head-to-head for the ever-coveted ring? I have done little else in the last couple weeks than watch the playoffs and I have complied a list of 20 reasons why any average basketball fan Iowan should be watching the NBA playoffs.

20) Cavs Throwback Uniforms - The dark red road uniforms the Cavs have been wearing are just awesome. You don't see many teams bringing out uniforms like that for the playoffs usually, but the Cavs had the balls to do it, and while wearing them killed Boston in game three at the Garden. Maybe alternate uni's will become more widely used from here on out. We can only hope so in the Cavs case.

19) Ron Artest - Ron Artest is a polarizing figure. I've often considered, and still may, writing an entire column about the enigma that is Ron Artest. I loved him as a Pacer and thought he had endless potential if he ever, EVER, got his head on straight, or at least straighter than it is. Ron had been said to have lost a step. Everybody said that, except Ron Artest. Artest came out in that Lakers/OKC series and looked like Dennis Rodman with a jump shot, even if that shot usually didn't go in. Artest had ratcheted up his defense in this postseason and he helped the Lakers beat the Thunder with his defense of Kevin Durant. His hair was wild. He gets his teammates respect even though he shoots whenever he wants to, without caring what Kobe thinks. My theory is that even Kobe Bryant is scared to question Ron Artest for shooting a 3, even if Rom is 2-16 for the game. I would be.

18) Coaching Adjustments - An NBA playoff series is really a chess game. Teams make adjustments game-to-game, quarter-to-quarter and even possession-to-possession. How will we work the ball inside to get Dwight Howard in foul trouble? How can we slow down Steve Nash? How can we keep LeBron from dropping 50 on us? Things change so much between games one and two in every series. The master of adjustments is Greg Popovich. If the Spurs are trailing by 14 in the third quarter of game one, Pop may see something that could get them an edge, but not a big enough edge to change the outcome of the game, so he waits til game two to implement it. Pop is a adjustment genius. The collective intelligence of the Spurs, which all stems from Popovich, is what makes them fun to watch.

17) Role players - The playoffs are the time to see when which role players fill their roles when the pressure is on. Some try and shoot too much (Ron-Ron, Vince) and some fill their role to perfection (George Hill, John Salmons). These unsung heroes make the playoffs a team-centered thing that can't be won by a team with one great player.

16) Alpha-Dog battles - We saw this being demonstrated in the game 4 debacle in Oklahoma City. Pau Gasol wanted the ball, so Kobe gave it to him. Then gave it to him again and again. Dwight Howard complained last year about not getting enough touches even though Hedo Turkoglu was carrying the team in the final minutes. Some of the Celtics seems to take offense to Rajon Rondo being anointed the best player in Green. Team drama is always fun to see, especially if it involves the Lakers or Celtics.

15) Oklahoma City Thunder - This young team captured the hearts of NBA fans nationwide in the first round. It was very reminiscent of the 2007 Warriors team, except that the 2010 Lakers were better than the 2007 Mavs, and the 2010 Thunder were incredibly young. A young, fearless team, like the Thunder, taking on a title-defending veteran-led team and giving them all they can handle is one of the most exciting things to see in sports.

14) Jerry Sloan - When will Sloan get the appreciation he deserves? It better be on his first time on the Hall of Fame Ballot. I understand he has never won a championship, but he gets more out of his team and his system than any coach in NBA history. He had Stockton and Malone for so long that when they left many people felt the Jazz would be insignificant for years to come. Then he took Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer and turned them into the new Stockton and Malone and knocked off the more talented Denver Nuggets in round one without two starters. Sloan has a hand in every Utah win and still gets none of the publicity.

13) Guys playing through injuries - There are some pretty minor injuries that put people on the DL during the regular season. This isnt the case in the playoffs. We don't know how serious LeBron's elbow injury was, but he kept on playing. Manu Ginobili looks ridiculous, but he is still driving the lane with reckless abandon. We saw Brandon Roy make a Willis Reed-like return in game three of the Portland/Phoenix series. These guys, and other injured stars, gut out injuries in the postseason. I'm not sure the fans appreciate that these guys just got done playing 82 games of up-and-down basketball, banging bodies three or four nights a week, and are now selling out their bodies for the team. We rag on players for being sissies a lot, but sometimes forget the times they play through an injury.

12) Taking The Bumps And Bruises - This is for the fans who have no horse in the race. This is for Pacer fans, Raptor fans, Kings fans, Clippers fans, and all of those other tortured fan bases that haven't seen their team as a contender in a long while. Watching these games and the passion that goes into them will make it all the sweeter when your team finally makes their playoff run...I hope.

11) Big Shots - Who doesn't love a buzzer beater? The fourth quarter of NBA playoff games is basketball at it's absolute finest. This is when the best in the world truly shine and show who has the crunch time gene and who doesn't. Robert Horry had it. Reggie Miller had it. Kobe Bryant has it. LeBron seems to be just on the cusp of having it. Dirk? No so much.

10) TD Garden floor - The Boston Celtic's home floor is classic. It may not be the old Boston Garden parquet floor, but it is still a distinct look. Watching playoff games in Boston makes it seem like real playoff basketball.

9) Reggie Miller Announcing - Ok, Ok. This happens all season, and I have an obvious bias, but Reggie is a good announcer and he knows his stuff. Just admit it.

8) Upsets - Nuggets over Sonics. Warriors over Mavericks. Spurs over Mavericks. The Hawks almost pulled one off in 2008. The Bucks almost pulled one off this year. First round upsets in the NBA playoffs are always memorable. They may not hold the same aura and prestige of a bracket-busting March Madness upset, but they are surprising and heart-wrenching all the same.

7) Last hurrah teams - The Spurs and Celtics are the classic examples of this in 2010. The Spurs were written off as title contenders in April. Now? I don't care if Phoenix is up 3-0 in the series right now, nobody wants to play the Spurs. The Celtics were likewise left for dead. They came out in round one, much like the Spurs, and dominated with veteran led toughness. These teams may not have much left in the tank, but it is interesting to see them making one more run at a title before they are disbanded.

6) Good Guys Going for Rings on the Suns - The Suns have captured some hearts, much like the Thunder but for completely different reasons. The Thunder's youth was their calling card. With the Suns they have some veterans who are still looking for that first ring. Steve Nash and Grant Hill seem like legitimately good guys. Nash turned down a contending team and money to stay in Phoenix. Hill was once thought of as the heir to Jordan, 10 years of injuries later and here he is, being a defensive stopper and scoring when the spot presents itself. You also have Jason Richardson who toiled in Golden State for years and now has a legitimate chance for a finals appearance. It would make me very happy to see Nash and Hill hugging in June with confetti falling down on them.

5)Best in the world - Remember back in March when you watched the final four? Remember how many bad plays and missed shots we saw in the final four matchup between Butler and Michigan State? I'm not going to pretend that I didn't enjoy every minute of that game, because I love basketball whether it is college or professional, but those bad plays are not as common in the NBA. These guys are the best in the world at playing basketball. They are sometimes accused of coasting through games, but I think it is just because they make things like jump shots look so easy. These guys are so good that we sometimes forget how good they are until it is playoff time and they are going back and fourth with each other in the final minutes.

4) Nostalgia - The NBA playoffs bring back memories. 15 years ago today I remember sitting in my Grandma's kitchen and watching Reggie Miller score 8 points in 8 seconds to stun the Knicks. I remember wishing the Sonics would shock the world by beating the Bulls. I remember Reggie marching the Pacers to the finals only to lose to the Lakers. I remember LeBron dismantling the Pistons in crunch time a few years ago. These games help me remember some good moments from past playoffs. I spent a lot of time as a kid watching the playoffs, I can't turn my back on Geoff version 1997 and not watch these can I?

3) Wild home crowds - A big knock on the NBA from college basketball fans is the lack of crowd enthusiam. I know this is true in some cases, but sometimes a playoff crowd can rise to the occasion. I have only been to one playoff game in person and that was in old Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, and that crowd was pumped. Oklahoma City fans showed what a 2010 crowd can do to inspire their team. The Jazz crowd in Utah should be loud as ever tomorrow night against the Lakers. These passionate NBA crowds can lift a team to a win and scare a ref into a call. The passion some NBA fans show even get the viewer at home jacked up. Just ask anybody who watched that Oklahoma City series.

2) LeBron - LeBron James is unreal. He was put on this planet for one reason - to play basketball. His teammates get a lot of heat for sucking in the playoffs, which they have done, but let's be honest; Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao are no Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman or Horace Grant. Antwan Jamison has been playing decent so far, but this team so obviously goes as LeBron goes. Is this his last year in Cleveland? I don't think so, but it could be, and Clevelanders know it. This team and this fan base has everything riding on this season, on one man's shoulders. Don't forget, LeBron is only 25 years old. Most 25 year olds, like yours truly, have no idea what to do with their lives. LeBron has an entire city, an entire state, an entire worldwide following expecting him to deliver a championship. This isn't anything new to him either. He has had these expectations since he was about 16 years old. Too many people are quick to jump on LeBron for what he hasn't done (win a title) than what he has done. He has two consecutive MVPs. He has led Cleveland to the number #1 overall seed. His teamates love him, unlike other basketball Gods Kobe and MJ, and the fans and media love him. A lot of people are jumping on the Magic bandwagon again after they have demolished the Bobcats and the Hawks through seven games, but I wouldn't be so quick to discount King James, because when he is on there is nobody better than him in the world.

1)History In The Making - Remember that nostalgia argument? That the playoffs bring back old memories? The flip side of that is, they also make new memories for those smart enough to watch them. I have a lot of lasting memories just from the first two rounds. The Spurs using their veteran moxy to knock off the Mavs. The Oklahoma City youngsters giving the Lakers all they could handle. LeBron coming out after a loss and beating up on Chicago and Boston. Deron Williams making his case for best point guard in the league. Steve Nash getting nine assists in the first quarter against Portland. The Bucks stealing three games from Atlanta. I could go on and on, but the point it that the NBA playoffs are constantly writing history. Just like March Madness, you can never tell when a game or a series will be one for the ages. Last year's finals look lopsided in retrospect, but those who watched know the Magic really outplayed the Lakers in three of the first four games. This is the kind of history and memories you get from watching the playoffs. Wouldn't it be nice to look back in 30 years and tell your kids you watched the playoffs the first time LeBron won a title? Or to say you saw when the Thunder were becoming THE Thunder? Or to tell them you watched as Steve Nash took HIS team to the finals when many wrote them off months if not years ago? This is what sports is all about: seeing history being made before our very eyes.