It’s that time of year to reflect, review and then ponder as to what happens next …
There can be no denying this year within the world of sports we all witnessed the highs and lows of the sporting season. Basketball crowned a new champion in the NBA with Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs winning the title, the franchise’s fifth in their admired and revered history. The fact the Spurs defeated the Miami Heat with so much ease , came as a major surprise to many who favored the LeBron James’ led lineup that boasted Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen among their ranks. Complacency and a lack of support for James, were the contributing factors leading to Miami’s demise. With James departing during this off-season, a bewildered Pat Riley , the organization and the coaching staff of Erik Spoelstra will now have to start from scratch rebuilding the roster which hopefully, will have some semblance of competitiveness this season.
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Slideshow
Off to what might deem a favorable start to their schedule , the Miami Heat are no longer a team to be favored or feared, though I believe they are good enough to gain a playoff berth this season, given the mediocrity of the play encountered in the Western Conference , in a season where in its infancy, the basketball in the conference has been truly astounding and banal. The results bear z this out , without delving further about the reasons why beyond stating , two obvious factors, bad coaching and no depth of talent by way of the rookie players .
While of late, singular achievements have been given a great deal of praise, with Kobe Bryant having surpassed Michael Jordan on the all-time career points list (third) and LeBron James moving ahead of Charles Barkley for twenty third in the rankings. While I believe this all to be commendable achievements, it begs the question, why are fans now beginning to make comparisons with today’s players and those of the past ? The game has changed drastically during the respective eras, along with a number of rule changes initiated by outgoing NBA Commissioner David Stern. This is all overlooked as fans and analysts alike try create a debate that will be filled with conjecture and a great deal of nonsense behind the supposed logic by a number of the debaters on the matter.
On the court the Golden State Warriors led by their dynamic duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are seen as capable of leading the team on a dominant run in the NBA and to a deep NBA Playoff foray, albeit, they have encountered some stiff opposition resulting in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies (20-4) the Warriors still maintain a healthy lead within the Pacific Division of the
Western Conference . No major fallout from this loss, as the loss ,as the team has been able to show its resilience over the course of the season .
In the collegiate ranks of basketball, the NCAA Tournament . Kevin Ollie and the U Conn Huskies won another title which heightened the prestige of the program and the fourth title in the school’s history. The Huskies’ victim in that tournament victory, the John Calipari coached Kentucky Wildcats are once again atop of the college rankings with an unbeaten season and the deemed the best team in the country. They are likely to be a team to be reckoned with as Calipari seeks a second title win to add to his burgeoning resume’. Kentucky has cut a swath through their opponents , but I feel we are reading far too much into the accomplishments at this stage of the season ! The run up to this season’s NCAA Tournament and the event itself will place an d even greater emphasis on how good the Kentucky Wildcats are likely to be. Hard to suggest where a likely challenge is likely to come from in stopping the Wildcats’ dominance.
With its inaugural format within College Football now in motion , last season’s defending national champions the Florida State Seminoles will be looking to make a successful defense of their title. Jameis Winston the program’s 2013 Heisman Trophy winner in spite of his off the field problems has been able to lead the team to their unbeaten run this season. The Seminoles ended the regular season ranked in the top four availing the chance to be part of the playoff schedule which has been essentially adjudged a four-team semi-finals’ playoff format with contests’ winner playing in the national title game.
The four programs who are the recipients of this inaugural system are Alabama , Oregon , Ohio State (Buckeyes) and Florida State making up the quartet. While there will be continued debate as to the veracity of this format , many feel a four-team playoff is by no means the best way to decide a national champion . Yet for all of the criticism leveled and the fact an empaneled body were arbiters on this whole scheme, not everyone can state this was of satisfaction to the doubters as well as some protagonists of the new format. Money remains the driving force behind this all, without anyone trying to suggest this system has been the best possible solution after years of idiocy with the BCS format and a system so void of legality , that it was simply ridiculous for anyone to try and justify its legitimacy. Come full circle, in reality the progress made is simply miniscule , even if the new format is tinkered with at various points in the future, as is likely the case.
This year’s Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota can go out on a high if he is able to lead Oregon past Florida State in their highly anticipated game on the 1st January, 2015. Mariota is highly regarded within the college ranks and seen as one of the most dynamic players in the game as well as perhaps the best quarterback in college football. A victory in that that game, to be followed with a championship victory , will lead to certain financial gain, a high draft pick the upcoming NFL Draft of 2015.
In light of the recent disaster of Johnny Manziel’s first professional start in the NFL this season was such a catastrophe it is hard to see any positives which could come out of the debacle, where the Cleveland Browns were shutout by the Cincinnati Bengals in their divisional clash 30-0 . The fact this was a home game for the Browns was all the more embarrassing for the fans. Manziel in the aftermath of his disaster has suggested he can play better , but that must now come into question after the idiotic decision made by Mike Pettine to sit Brian Hoyer merely to gauge what the team’s 2014 draftee was capable of doing. We’ve now seen what Manziel is not capable of doing and that is to lead a team with any great authority, much less play competently at the NFL level.
As the NFL season has unfolded we have witnessed the disasters of teams thought to be contenders , merely to have their hopes blown asunder, because of sheer complacency or simply bad play and extremely bad coaching. Jim Harbaugh’s tenure with the San Francisco 49ers (7-8) is likely to come to an abrupt end after a disastrous season for a franchise which has he taken repeatedly taken to the postseason in four of the five years of his tenure .
As the NFL season has unfolded we have witnessed the disasters of teams thought to be contenders, merely to have their hopes blown asunder, because of sheer complacency or simply bad play and extremely bad coaching. Jim Harbaugh’s tenure with the San Francisco 49ers (7-8) is likely to come to an abrupt end after a disastrous season for a franchise which has he taken repeatedly taken to the postseason in four of the five years of his tenure . San Francisco’s home loss in week sixteen to the San Diego Chargers put an immediate end to their postseason hopes. The fallout from it all , has been the growing speculation Harbaugh will fired or he resigns and accepts the vacant coaching position at Michigan (Wolverines). An 8-8 is the best the San Francisco 49ers can now hope for , something no might have envisage at the start of this season’s NFL schedule.
It is extremely difficult to now try and justify any reason why Rex Ryan should be retained as the New York Jets’ head coach for next season. In spite of their narrow one-point loss o to the New England Patriots(12-3) the defeat dropped the Jets’ record , with a with a penultimate game left on their schedule, they now find themselves bearing a mark of 3-12 . The franchise’s front office will have several decisions to make beyond Ryan’s immediate future, there is also the questionable performances of Geno Smith and Michael Vick over the course of this season. It remains to be seen wheter not both players are likely to be retained for the upcoming season, but clearly , GM John Idzik and the front office staff have to ponder the drafting of a quarterback or acquiring a reliable free agent to fulfill their needs .
The NFL enters its final week of games, with a number of divisions having been decided . Yet,for all of their accomplishments, there still remains the preposterous diatribe served up within the NFC South all season long . With the Carolina Panthers (6-8-1) now holding a slender one-game lead over the New Orleans Saints (6-9 and Atlanta Falcons (6-9) , a great deal still remains on the line as they each head into the final week knowing that a defeat could end their hopes of winning the division and gaining a playoff berth . Atlanta made sure, they still remain in the hunt, with their total annihilation of the Saints in Sunday’s game, beating a demoralized New Orleans’ team 30-14 . Carolina for their part, kept up their side of the ongoing equation by making sure the Cleveland Browns’ woes continued as the team suffered their second successive defeat . Thankfully, for the Browns’ fans, Johnny Manziel was kept on the sidelines for the entire game,as his services were not needed , not even for mop-up duty .
While I thoroughly enjoyed the exploits of the Kansas City Royals during this MLB Postseason . The AL Central franchise became the rallying cry for the underdogs within the game of baseball, as they wore down team after team on their way to the World Series . Alas, for the Royals it wasn’t to be, as the San Francisco Giants and Madison Bumgarner had more in store for the underdogs than they could ever have imagined . The series’ statistics may well stated the Giants won their third World Series’ title in five years . with some ease (4-3) and in part they actually achieved that. Yet to my mind, the Royals were never in with a chance of winning game seven , simply because of their lack of postseason and veteran experience being part of their lineup !
During this off-season with the Winter Meetings in full swing , teams made their play a> to acquire the free agents sought, while also jettisoning players they believed superfluous to their needs. The Miami Marlins made the headlines for the right and wrong reasons, dependent upon your point of view , but their signing Giancarlo Stanton to his now ridiculous $325 million contract smacks of sheer lunacy and a great deal of narcissism and conceit on the part of the organization . Two years ago this very same ball-club had a burgeoning roster of high-paid stars who simply flamed out under the misguided managerial acumen of Ozzie Guillen . A last place finish in the NL East games out behind the the divisional winner and a further out of card berth sealed Guillen’s fate for the year, leading to his dismissal after a disastrous season where the team was uncompetitive and > in complete disarray on and off the field . In the aftermath of the disaster, GM Michael Hill summarily initiated the fire sale which led to the trading away of those highly paid players from 2012.
A great deal will be expected of Mike Redmond and his managerial staff this upcoming season, because of the high and renewed expectations of this team led by Giancarlo Stanton and their NL Rookie of the Year pitcher Jose Fernandez , who was also signed to a very lucrative deal by the Marlins.
For the greater part of my youth and into my teenage years, I was an avid and voracious boxing fan and aficionado . My two biggest idols from the sport are still remain Muhammad Ali , ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler with former light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins not far behind . All three fighters were great champions during their prime with each rewriting the history books with records likely to be surpassed. I now champion the world of MMA and as an actual martial arts’ practitioner (karate & tae-kwon-do) this sport I believe has far exceeded what has boxing has failed to do in the last decade and that is to draw fans in, rather than systematically pushing them away . The death of another peer of Ali’s , at the age of seventy-five Ernie Terrell died but his career was memorable for the bout in which a charismatic , flamboyant Ali taunted Terrell in a lopsided contest where Muhammad Ali showed his dominance and gave light to what he would go on to achieve in the future . .
Muhammad Ali faces Ernie Terrell for the WBA Heavyweight title at the Houston Astrodome on the 6th February , 1967.
In light of the recent news, that Ali has been admitted into hospital with what is alleged to be a slight bout of pneumonia and with the former champion’s health having deteriorated over the past two-and a half decades. It may well seem sordid, in surmising he could now be at death’s door , wherein, if Parkinson’s disease doesn’t take him from within our midst, this latest health setback, likely will. Ali remains to this day not only the biggest icon in the sport of boxing, but his name and face are the most universally recognized in the world of sports. Outside of Michael Jordan in the NBA and Pele’ in the world of soccer, I sincerely doubt that there has been a more revered icon in the world of professional sports on a global scale.
Boxing has now become a sport, lacking in a charisma , where the top fighters in the various weight categories, simply avoid each other while formulating their prowess and claims of being the ‘true champions’ of their weight divisions . Personally, for all of the hype surrounding a potentially lucrative fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao, I will continue to maintain, it is a fight a number fans have become completely disinterested in ! Is there anyone willing at this juncture, to pay in excess of $55.00 for the “privilege” of seeing these two fighters, who have spent the past three years padding their stats with meaningless bouts , while earning exorbitant fight purses ? This has become the ” new norm” within the sport, along with the petulance of the fighters, promoters , connivance and continued corrupt practices of the various international governing bodies which preside over the boxing. Yet we wonder why the sport no longer truly resonates with fans and how it now lacks a broad-based appeal ?
Meanwhile, a viewed as a pugilistic upstart, continues to dominate the landscape and has become a multi billion-dollar industry under the main promotional flagship of UFC . MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) has now become the fastest growing sport in the world , with an increased audience participation , rising viewership and gate attendances for many of their biggest events staged around the globe. Idiots such as promoter Bob Arum and ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard continue to question the legitimacy of the sport , but have failed to recognize , while boxing has become pallid and stagnant, the growth of Mixed Martial Arts has been explosive. . In little over a decade, this combative style of fighting has caught the imagination of fans around the world and now has a growing legion of female fans, while holding on to its main demographic of males aged between eighteen to thirty-five . If you think fans of the the sport , is strictly confined to adults alone , then you would be wrong, as martial arts’ dojos are now beginning to incorporate MMA within their criteria , while still teaching their main forms of combat , such as karate, judo , taekwondo , Ju-jitsu , Krav-magav and other lethal forms of fighting.
Dana White rules the roost of the UFC, but he has now become more a totalitarian dictator, rather than a lead executive and arbiter of the sport. His apparent idiocy, in chastising many of the biggest names in the sport, who helped place it on the global map, shows not only White’s bombastic attitude, but also his naivete’ and complete stupidity. Can you imagine David Stern questioning the abilities of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson , Kobe Bryant or even LeBron James at the height of their careers ? Well, White has managed to do that with the MMA fighters, while becoming the antithesis of what is expected of a governing sports’ executive.
It may well be a great deal of schtick and panache’ on the part of Dana White, but before too long his idiocy will being to grate on the nerves of not only the fans but also the fighters themselves. The two biggest names in the sport at present are Cain Velazquez and Jon Jones , but with neither fighter having recently defended their respective titles, a small void has been created , yet to be filled by any other fighter, with the character or genuine appeal to strike a note with the masses. Ganted, the likes of Jose Aldo , Anthony Pettis and of late the sport’s only genuine female ‘star’ Ronda Rousey have a growing fan-base , but that might not be enough, unless there is a major title bout involving Jones, Velasquez or former champions Anderson Silva or Georges St Pierre. Rousey and St Pierre may well carved out side careers having appeared in a couple of Hollywood action movies, but their ” bread and butter ” remains the UFC for now .
Having been justifiably critical of the UFC and the lack transparency shown by the hierarchy concerning the drug testing of its fighters with repeatedly violations , most notably by Chael Sonnen , it will be interesting to see if Dana White is willing to welcome back the former UFC welterweight champion Georges St Pierre. Johny Hendricks’ first championship defense of the title , he won in an vacant title bout title as the successor to St Pierre, ended with his loss to Robbie Lawler. . All of the hype and actually nothing to back it up, simply indicated, Hendricks , was not all he was cracked to be .
With no major event on the schedule until January 3rd , 2015 , when Jon Jones defends his Light Heavyweight title against Daniel Cormier in a bout that will see the finality to what has already become contentious period between the two fighters , name calling asides , it’s time for both Jones and Cormier to sort their ” beef out”, rather than act like petulant children . I know the fight scene has to create an angle , with a ” hero” and a ” villain” , but when you are being asked to choose between two self-absorbed individuals, there isn’t much to actually throw your support behind. Your thoughts on that ?
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Picture gallery.
This was my simple breakdown of some of the interesting events I witnessed during the sports’ year and granted, I failed to touch on the PGA , NASCAR the NHL and even the WSOP (World Series of Poker) . So by all means chime in with your thoughts on the event or events of this sporting year which piqued your interest.
Picture and slideshow gallery .
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(1) Dec 16, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra gestures against the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn , New York . The Heat defeated the Nets 95-91 . Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports …
(2) Dec 16 , 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) reacts to losing the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the first quarter at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports …
(3) Dec 16, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Johnson (7) holds his head as Miami Heat guard Norris Cole (30) and Miami Heat forward Luol Deng (9) high-five late in the fourth quarter at the Barclays Center. The Heat defeated the Nets 95-91. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports ..
(4) Nov 11 , 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (right) pats guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena . The Spurs defeated the Warriors 113-100 . Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports …
(5) Kentucky players from left, Devin Booker , Tyler Ulis , Trey Lyles, and Willie Cauley-Stein celebrate their 83-42 win over UCLA during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game , Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014, in Chicago. AP Photo Nam Y. Huh …
(6) Left , Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Jameis Winston of Florida State . Both college quarterbacks are one of the primary reasons why their respective programs will be part of the inaugural college playoff format which will decide this season’s national champion at the FBS Level of College Football . Both players will likely declare their eligibility status at the end of the playoff season , seeking to enter the 2015 NFL Draft . Mariota and Winston are considered consensus first round draft picks . Yet , there is a common belief teams in need of a passer might well be weary in light of the recent issues of Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Johnny Manziel . AP Photo / David Parsons …
(7) Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers runs off the field after the 49ers lose 38-35 in overtime to the San Diego Chargers at Levi’s Stadium on December 20th, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. Getty Images / Ezra Shaw …
(8) Quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) of the San Francisco 49ers shakes hands with free safety Eric Weddle(32) of the San Diego Chargers after the Chargers defeat the 49ers 38-35 in overtime at Levi’s Stadium on December 20, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. Getty Images/ Ezra Shaw ….
(9) New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) talks to his team in the huddle during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. AP Photo/Bill Kostroun …
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(10) New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan , left, and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, right, shake hands after an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Patriots won the game 17-16 . AP Photo/Julio Cortez …
(11) Quarterback Geno Smith (7) of the New York Jets is tackled by defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (75) of the New England Patriots in the first quarter during a game at MetLife Stadium on December 21, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. AP Photo/ Julio Cortez …
(12) Miami Marlins’ manager Mike Redmond left and Giancarlo Stanton are seen here in the dugout at Marlins Ballpark in Miami , Florida during a home game on 2nd September , 2014 played against the New York Mets . Miami would go on lose the contest 8-6 . …
(13) In what is believed to be the last known public appearance by former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is seen here attending the funeral of boxer Joe Frazier in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , in November of 2014. Ali was recently admitted to a local hospital where he is said to be suffering from a mild respiratory problem and a bout of pneumonia . Ernie Terrell whom Ali beat during his illustrious career recently died at the age of seventy-five. AP Photo / Steve Woods … …
(14) Ernie Terrell gets advice from his advisor Joe Louis between rounds of the vacant 1965 WBA World Heavyweight Title fight versus Eddie Machen at the International Amphitheatre , Chicago, Illinois on the 5th March , 1965 ,. UPI Syndicate ….
(15) Anderson Silva (left) is seen here with UFC President Dana White prior to Silva’s defense of his world welterweight title against Chris Weidman . The challenger would score a surprising knockout of the champion and then follow up that victory with a successful defense against Silva in their rematch which ended with a TKO after the former champion suffered a broken leg in their bout at UFC168 . Courtesy of MMA Magazine . @ all rights reserved …
(16) From left to right , Georges St Pierre , Anderson Silva and Jon ‘Bones’ Jones . St Pierre relinquished his welterweight title, taking a prolonged leave of absence from the sport . The former champion has been critical of Dana White for his lack of consistency and a stringent drug testing policy. White in retaliation, was less than salutary to one of the sport’s biggest attractions and most successful fighters in MMA history . MMA Junkie … …
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This early in the NBA season while competitive , we have seen that the Eastern Conference is a complete farce .
Usually, the league tends not find its footing until mid to late January . Sunday’s games proved to be entertaining in part , but as usual we had our fair share of idiocy with the teams and their play .
John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats seem to be running wild while barely being challenged by their opponents this season.
Just let the fun begin on the 1st Janauary rather than the idiocy now taking place in College Football !
As if to further emphasize how bad the NFL season has been , Sunday’s results reiterate the fact .
I’ve no great expectations for the Miami Marlins this season in spite of their major signings during this off-season . They remain a badly ran organization headed by an imbecile as an owner .
The family of Muhammad Ali are putting on a brave face, but in reality , they have to be aware that his time is nearing its inevitable end .
Dana White’s antics are not only idiotic , but clearly, he believes he’s bigger than the fighters now contracted to the UFC organization . He (White) remains a bloviated @sshole .
Of all the fighters currently in the UFC stable , Johny Hendricks has to be the most overrated and one of the least talented .
[youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3_eZmDbb7Nk]
It wasn’t an upset as Lawler (left) deserved the win over Hendricks (right) !
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The hype over his abilities was simply a joke and his loss to Robbie Lawler certainly bears this out . Judges in this contest were far too generous in their scoring when it came to the former champion as he wasn’t aggressive enough throughout the fight .
Guide dogs for the blind might now be needed for a number of the judges within UFC .
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If Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos are not good enough to take down the Cincinnati Bengals , then why would anyone now be of the belief the team is good enough to make a prolonged run in the postseason ? The loss to Cincinnati eliminated them gaining the number one seed in the AFC standings .
It will be interesting to see what measures are taken by Jon Fox and his coaching staff in the run-up to their week seventeen game against the pitiful Oakland Raiders in their final contest of the regular season .
The Broncos’ likely match up in the divisional round of the postseason could be against the Indianapolis Colts (10-5) or the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5) based on the current projected format .
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Another night of good games in the NBA , though nothing actually spectacular or overwrought .
Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs (18-11) pushed himself up the career points’ total ladder ahead of Reggie Miller with another milestone in his already Hall of Fame worthy career .
Duncan and the Spurs got by the pesky and often determined Los Angeles Clippers (19-9 in a very entertaining game defeating the Clippers 125-118 .
Elsewhere , Golden State (23-3) continued their impressive start to the season with another win , downing the Sacramento Kings (12-16) with a twenty-point margin of victory 128-108.
Rajon Rondo and the Dallas Mavericks (20-9) suffered their first loss with their newly acquired point guard in the lineup , stumbling in defeat to the Atlanta Hawks (20-7) . Any doubts as to how good point guard Paul Millsap happens to be , can now be cast aside after this game as he provided a great deal of productivity for the Hawks in the contest.
Eastern Conference leading Toronto Raptors (22-7) came up short in a road loss to the Chicago Bulls (18-9) succumbing to their conference rivals 129-120 .
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In the College Game , Monday night’s results at the D1 Level was simply perfunctory with no unexpected surprises in the contests held in basketball.
The NCAA Women’s season has also started and there the rankings reflect the usual premise we have come to expect.
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After his trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Boston Celtics , I don’t know how much Jameer Nelson can offer as a point guard to his new team . I do not believe him to be one of the more efficient point guards in the NBA , much less one of its most productive as a scorer , defender or rebounder !
Celtics’ GM Danny Ainge might well seek to buyout Nelson’s contract before the end of the season or trade the point guard for a productive player in order to assist the roster .
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Nelson , left , seen here facing off against the Miami Heat player Mario Chalmers in a game played on the 21st December , 2014 .
Ainge, left and head coach Brad Stevens
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Individuals have repeatedly tried to suggest this season in the NFL has been thoroughly entertaining . With hindsight being 20/20 , try explaining that premise to fans of the Philadelphia Eagles , team that remains a conundrum , oxymoron and complete eyesore under their head coach Chip Kelly.
The Eagles simply cannot get out of their own way, because of complacency and sheer stupidity . A great team offensively , but they cannot not stop $hit from rolling downhill, much less another NFL offense , because they have become so inept defensively .
” I may not be the best coach in the NFL , but I am insured with GEICO and I drink Dos Equis my friends . So screw you ” !
Chip Kelly , head coach of the Eagles .
If Kelly believes the idiocy brought with him from his years with Oregon will help this franchise overall , then he is sadly mistaken , but even more so a buffoon .
Philadelphia’s chance of winning the NFC East have has been shot to hell and quite possibly within their chance of making the NFL Playoffs , simply because of the fact the winner of the NFC South will push the team out of the conference position as a sixth seed and possibly depriving them of berth in the end of the postseason foray .
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In the aftermath of his abrupt firing by the Brooklyn Nets the team’s former head coach Jason Kidd has found himself a new home having been hired by the Milwaukee Bucks (14-14) to coach that particular franchise .
Kidd and point guard Brandon Knight .
Currently the Bucks lie second within the Central Division of the Eastern Conference . The team has been consistent though not overly impressive where the best player on the roster happens to be Brandon Knight .
Knight and his teammates have their next game against the Charlotte Hornets (9-19) on Tuesday evening.
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It may not be an act of desperation at this juncture , but with the Brooklyn Nets’ season going down a a urinal or restroom toilet bowl faster than $hit falling off a shovel . Is it any wonder that the franchise is said to be contemplating Joe Johnson being shipped out of Brooklyn along with his dumb @ss contract ? Now comes word GM Billy King is reluctant to send Deron Williams away from the franchise , because he can’t get the right offer.
Since his arrival in Brooklyn, what the fu#k has Williams actually done for the franchise ? Two postseason appearance and even then, each time they had their @ss handed to them on a silver platter .
Much like the New York Knicks this season , everything related to basketball emanating from the Big Apple has the rancid odor of a used feminine hygiene product , if not worse .
Neither the New Knicks or Nets have been competitive this season , but dumb @ss apologists for both teams , especially the anal retentive Knicks’ fans , are suggesting Phil Jackson can turn things around , because of basketball insight , intellect . and the coaching staff of Derek Fisher . Only an idiot would believe Jackson has the wherewithal to assess talent , much less think Kurt Rambis has the coaching acumen to aid Fisher in turning around the fortunes of the Knicks as a franchise.
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Christmas Day action in the NBA promises allegedly the best the league will have to offer . I sure as hell hope so, rather than the drivel in previous years , 2013 , 2012, 2011 and 2010 .
I am not so sure what to take out of today’s games . Is there any reason to televise a game between the New York Knicks (5-15) and Washington Wizards (19-8) ? The Knicks are well on their way to a possible double-digit loss as they face John Wall and the Wizards .
LeBron James will get the chance to renew old acquaintances when he and his Cleveland Cavaliers’ teammates meet up to play the Miami Heat at AA Arena in Miami , Florida,.
Kevin Durant and his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates take on their conference rivals the San Antonio Spurs in one of the better contests on the day. An intriguing match-up of two of the Western Conference’s best teams as of late .
Will Kobe Bryant continue with his one-man assault , as he looks to move up the all-time career points’ total chart?
Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers will face off against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls whose lineup has far greater depth and talent than the Lakers .
Chris Paul and Steph Curry will provide the fans of the NBA with one of the reasons why they are two of the premiere’ point guards in the NBA at present . Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers will play host to the Golden State Warriors in a game being played at the Staples Center , in Los Angeles , California ,. .
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There are eleven games on tap for Friday, 26th December , and after the disappointment of their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder the San Antonio Spurs can rest , lick their wounds at home before their next encounter.
Dwyane Wade led all scorers in the LeBron James’ return to the scenes of his greatest personal triumphs of his professional career as the Miami Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in a very competitive game .
Vanity and pride are getting in the way of Kobe Bryant and his belief that a return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season will be of benefit to the franchise. Bryant had to sit out a great deal of the game as his teammates were soundly beaten by the Chicago Bulls . The Lakers’ guard is simply proving his ego comes first above all else , rather than it being about the team . If he does return next season for one more year with an inflated and preposterous one or two-year deal , of what real benefit would it actually be to the Los Angeles Lakers ?
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Tophatal ……………………..
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The Christmas spirit and Yuletide wishes were not evidenced in several of the games played on Christmas Day . Begs the question, were there any stockings filled with lumps of coal determining the play of the losing teams , yesterday 25th December ? Will today’s games be any different in comparison to last year during the same period ?
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It doesn’t seem that long ago , Zach Randolph and the Memphis Grizzlies were riding high with one of the best records in the Western Conference . Now all of a sudden this seems to be a team that has lost its ” mojo ” and collectively knowing how to win .
Memphis may well have came away with a good win over a haphazard and wayward Miami Heat team who obviously miss the the productivity of LeBron James because there isn’t now a major scorer on the roster.
Chris Bosh remains sporadic in his presence and productivity . The same can be said both Luol Deng and Dwayne Wasde throughout much of this season .
In a high-scoring game the New York Knicks further showed how incompetent they are , with a lack of defense and not being able to maintain a lead .
Derek Fisher witnessed his team lose a wild contest , going down 135-129 to the Sacramento Kings , led by their ferocious center DeMarcus Cousins .
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Boxing, how we miss thee.
So now comes word, Al, that Josh Gordon was suspended and Manziel fined the final week of the season for attending a party that Johnny Football threw.
The more that things change, the more they stay the same.
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Chris Humpherys (SportsChump)
Name the last boxing fight /bout that you actually watched and thought it competitive ?
Any news now emanating out of Cleveland concerning the Cleveland Browns I would rather treat like dried up $hit stuck to the sole of my shoes . The team hasn’t been worth shit all season long .
As for Josh Gordon and Johnny Manziel have shown that they’re both immature as#sholes . As for the belief Manziel can play ? Let’s put it this way, he is making Tim Tebow’ and his pis#s poor NFL career now seem monumental in stature . The front office and coaching staff of Mike Pettine are complete frigging tools . They sat Brian Hoyer merely to see what Manziel could offer purely to please the dumb @ss Browns’ fans ? Tells you a great deal about the state , organization and their lack of intelligence altogether .
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Tophatal …………..
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Well here is what we do know after the Christmas period of the NBA entering the New Year and it is the Western Conference remains truly competitive as we knew it would , whereas the Eastern Conference is a cabal of downright mediocrity !
The New York Knicks (5-28) still cannot get out of the way of their own stupidity , with their lame @ss fans and apologists still looking for ways to appease and make light of their situation by insinuating Phil Jackson knows what he’s doing . I’ve read where one believer suggest we’re seeing the reawakening of Amare’s Stoudemire’s talents . I guess this fits the mantra of money talks but bull$hit walks ? . Dumbest summation yet concerning Stoudemire , as this has been a player who has continually failed to live up to the hype while being overpaid .
New York got trampled as if they were part of The running of the Bulls in Pamplona . Spain ,. The Portland Trailblazers (25-7) manhandled pathetic Knicks’ team and made them their bit$h .
Elsewhere, upon his return to the lineup , it was Kobe Byrant trying to lead a weak @ss team known as the Los Angeles Lakers (9-22) as they lost at home to the fast improving Phoenix Suns(18-14) . The game had its moments but nothing noticeable creating the impression that the Lakers had finally turned a corner . They have now become a team who simply do not know how to win , lacking a coach with any real acumen and where his coaching staff is completely without a damn clue .
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On a scale of one-to-ten , how would you rate my titties ?
Tophatal …..
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Monday Night games in the NBA have one or two quite possibly intriguing contests with a number of them of particular importance within the respective conferences at present as witnessed over the last fifteen games .
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Tophatal …….
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