D. Mc can RUN!

Sunday afternoon featured a plethora of gifted athletes running several drills with the ultimate goal of impressing an NFL scout. Players from all over the country came to Indianapolis to participate in the NFL Combine.

The Combine has had a ton of ups and downs are far as performances go, but one young man has stood out in the face of criticism and silenced his critics.

Darren McFadden, thought by many, including myself, to be the best athlete in the upcoming NFL Draft, went out and put on a hell of a show.

He ran a 4.33 in the 40 yard dash, the second fastest time of any other back. He was bombarded with questions about his past and the questionable decisions he has made. They didn’t faze him.

McFadden claimed at the event that all of his past misjudgments were just that, the past. He is looking for a fresh new start with his professional football career.

Darren has been under a microscope for the past few months and has become the cause for some of the most random assessments from the media I have ever seen. Some analysts predict McFadden will be the first running back taken while some believe he will be the third. Some believe he will be taken in the top five while some believe he will drop out of the top fifteen.

It should be very interesting to see exactly where the talented young ex-Razorback ends up.

I'll tell you one thing, wherever he does go, that city will have a fabulous talent on their team.

Highlight of the Week

In light of the 2008 NFL Combine, which starts tomorrow, I thought I would include this following video.

Glen Dorsey, a mammoth of a man with tremendous strength and a towering figure, shows in this clip exactly why he could be the first player selected in the draft this April.

You gotta see this, if you don't like football it doesn't even matter. Watch it if you would like to see a BIG man manhandle another man.



I can only pray he will be in a Falcon uniform next season.

Through the Fire

Every once in awhile, you come across something that makes you stop and say “Wow.”

Last night I rented Through the Fire, a documentary about the life of Sebastian Telfair, a professional basketball player. The film doesn’t just show you a bunch of basketball highlights or indulge you in specifics about the game, it depicts an unbelievable part of America that many of us don’t even know exists.

Growing up in Coney Island, Sebastian knew nothing but the game of basketball. Directors Jonathan Hock and Alistair Christopher simply followed Telfair around for his entire senior year as his future unraveled before his eyes.

Even if you are not a fan of basketball, if you are simply a fan of incredible stories that touch upon every emotion you possess, pick up the film from the video store.

You may pick something up about the game of basketball and you might learn something about the poverty that is so prevalent in America, but you will always remember Sebastian Telfair.

He currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and is in his fourth season in the NBA. His career has not been as glorified as many have expected, but lately he has shown flashes of the incredible potential he possesses.

ESPN : Every Secret Public Now

I’ve been sitting at home all week angered by the fact that my beautiful prediction that Jason Kidd would soon be a Maverick was put on hold.

Devean George, a very average basketball player (and that may be somewhat of a compliment), decided that the trade that would send him to New Jersey was not in his best interest.

Rather than go to a new city, where he would get more playing time and the opportunity to actually make a difference, he decided to turn down the deal. He received such a horrendous uproar from the crowd in his first game since killing the trade that his performance was undoubtedly effected. (He shot 0 for 11 from the field) People were screaming “We want Kidd” and “Stop being selfish” in unison from the stands. Yikes.

Then, the next day, Jerry Stackhouse, who was also involved in the trade, commented on the possibility of him returning to the Mavericks after 30 days, since New Jersey was likely to waive him. The NBA quickly ruled that this would be illegal and that if traded, he could not return to the Mavs. Once again, adding another obstacle in the way of this deal’s completion.

Now, today, the two teams have apparently agreed in principle to a different, revised version of the deal that excludes both George and Stackhouse.

At this point, it is imperative that this deal get done. With all that has been said in the media, and the publication of the trade like it’s already happened, how can Jason Kidd go back to the Nets and play basketball as if there haven't been constant rumors of him leaving?

He can’t.

The media has to stop blurting out everything they come across and actually wait until something is official.

It’s childish almost, telling secrets that aren’t true. We all learned not to do that when we were children, how come Joe Blow from ESPN doesn’t have to act like an adult?

Highlight of the Week

Every week, I have decided to post up a video of a highlight that I can recall from memory with a brief description as to it’s significance.

In the spirit of the new direction the Miami Heat are undeniably going in, I have decided that the first clip should be one that is permanently engraved in my mind.

Those who know me know that I am the biggest Jason Williams hater on this planet. The guy can’t shoot, he makes bad decisions with the ball and he makes wayyyyyyyyyy to much money. WAYY too much. (He’s making 8,937,500 this year, thankfully his last) His salary makes him the third highest paid player on the Heat’s roster.

Many may argue with me that Jason Williams was once a great player. I will argue strongly that no, he was never a great player. When Chris Webber in his prime was on his team, he sure gave off the impression that he may be a decent point guard, anyone would.

He’s always been about flash. All about flash. Flashy Jason Williams. Looking to shock and awe.

This one pass, though, does just that. The first time I saw it on Sportscenter long ago I remember going outside a few minutes later and trying it. To my delight, it wasn’t that difficult… when you are standing in the middle of the street by yourself. Watch and enjoy:



video thanks to user jesse9999999 on youtube.

Roger Clemens vs. The World

The baseball nation today watched as the integrity of their game was questioned on a national stage.

Brian McNamee : “I never injected Roger Clemens or anyone with B12 or Lydocaine.”

Roger Clemens : “Brian McNameee injected me three times with B12 in Toronto.”

What the hell is going on here?

Those two quotes above are just a simple example of what went on earlier today. I’ve spent the last five hours watching Roger Clemens, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, defend himself on national television. The man who claims he personally injected Roger Clemens with steroids sat at the same table with him as they drilled the two with question after question.

Almost every single answer from them was conflicting.

The entire hearing was called at the Rocket’s request. He wanted a chance to clear his name, to hold onto his pride and to tell the entire world that he is innocent.

Is he? I don’t know. The hearing surely opened my eyes to the fact that McNamee is not a very credible person with a terribly dry personality. To put it lightly, McNamee is an asshole.

Usually I am the type of person who will choose to believe that the athlete was doping, especially in baseball. Everyone does. Baseball has become the unofficial mascot for performance-enhancing drugs.

If McNamee is telling the truth, I sure hope nobody ever finds that out.

The Wild Wild West

The entire nation has sat here for the last couple of months watching their television sets, reading the newspaper and eagerly following the internet for the latest craze in the basketball world.

Kobe Bryant gets Pau Gasol on his team, Amare Stoudemire gets his hero by his side, the Utah Jazz acquire Kyle Korver and are suddenly the hottest team in the NBA.

What’s next?

I’ll tell you what’s next, there will be a new Kidd on the block in a new city sometime soon.

Pack your bags Jason, you’re going to go battle for a championship.

Jason Kidd and Ron Artest are the two biggest names left on the market. There’s no doubt about it. Kidd has been adamant about his desire to leave New Jersey and I believe he will get his wish.

He can call himself one of the greatest point guards of all time. The only problem, he doesn’t have a ring.

I believe he will get the opportunity to earn one. Where?

The Dallas Mavericks or the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron needs help and if he gets it, he’s got the talent to win in the East every year. LeBron gives the Cavs an opportunity to win on any given night. Add Kidd, they are my new favorites to win the East.

However, I believe the front-runners are the Mavs. Why? They have Devin Harris, a great, young replacement for Kidd and the salary cap to get it done. They also have been recently presented with two HUGE moves in the west that no longer leave them as one of the powerhouses in the conference.

Mark Cuban will be on the phone for quite some time this week. As he should be.

The Diesel is in the Desert

and the Matrix is in Miami.

In a really odd turn of events, my two favorite basketball teams have decided to give me an early birthday present.

The Suns traded Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Heat for Shaq-Daddy O'Neal.

Shaq is old and probably can't run up and down the floor like the Suns do, but the man is one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He reportedly told Steve Nash that he "won't let him down," when he first met up with him earlier today.

I don't think he will.

The trade gives the Suns the ability to place Shaq and Amare Stoudemire on the same floor at the same time. That sounds pretty scary to me. They lose an elite player in Marion who could do it all. He could run the floor with a motor that never died down, could grab you 20 rebounds on any given night and is one of the best defenders in the league.

However, it's no secret that he was unhappy in Phoenix and that this divorce was inevitable. Miami is the perfect place for a guy like Marion who is worried about the money he makes and the clothes he wears. If they resign him long-term, it's a match made in heaven for Miami. Wade and Marion playing together hardly seems fair.

I like it. I like it alot.

Personally, I can't wait to see the big guy hoisting yet another trophy above his head. This time, with Amare, Nash and the great Grant Hill by his side.

America's Champions

This game allowed the Patriots to show everybody exactly the type of team they are.

After the game, Giants WR Amani Toomer said that Pats DB Rodney Harrison was telling him to "get ready to go home" and inviting the players to after parties.

Coach Bill Belichick did not go to the center to congratulate Tom Coughlin like a normal person after the game was over. He gave him this awkward shoulder-touch thing then he immediately walked to the locker room.

It's that type of disgusting disrespect for sportsmanship that exemplifies who the New England Patriots are.

When they were on their glorious quest to perfection there were no early exits by any opposing coaches. The half-hearted effort to acknowledge Tom Coughlin shows how childish a grown man can be. Classless.

After the game, when Michael Strahan stepped up to the podium to speak, he said "We watch alot of TV and we heard someone say that playing them the first time gave us a false sense of confidence. NO! It gave us confidence, and my boys are the best in the world!"

They sure are. The New England Patriots are not World Champions and will not be remembered forever for completing a perfect season. There are indeed football gods and they do listen.

The following clip is of the game winning drive constructed by Eli Manning at the end of the game, it includes what is in my opinion the greatest play in NFL history and is filmed from the point of view of a Giants fan present at the game.

The Pats fans at the beginning act like the children they are and are left to react to something they never have seen before.

Enjoy, it gave me goosebumps:



Video courtesy of user zennie62 on YouTube.

Recapping a historic day

Congratulations to the New York Giants.

They granted me with a feeling I can't quite describe. An unbelievable happiness that I know was present in the stomach of almost every football fan across the nation.

They went out last night and put on a display unlike anything we have ever seen before. The "greatest offense of all time" was held to simply 14 points.

When asked about Plaxico Burress' 23-17 prediction, Tom Brady said "We're only scoring 17 points?"

No Tom, you are only scoring 14.

Plaxico not only predicted that the Giants would win, he caught the game-winning touchdown that sealed the deal and forever engraved him into football history. Unbelievably, it was later revealed that he did it all on a sprained MCL.

It's that kind of relentless dedication to the team that made the Giants the victors. Their defensive line completely obliterated the Patriots offensive line, a tribute to the attitude that Michael Strahan brought to this game. Brady was hit 16 times, more times than the amount of points they scored.

Tom Brady never gets hit. The intensity the Giants displayed in the trenches left me in awe. When the offensive front can't give the pretty boy all day to throw, then the Pats aren't all that scary. Their old men on defense can't get it done.

Thank you to Eli, Plax and the rest of the G-Men for not making the rest of this year all about the Patriots. You did us all a service.

Countdown to the big bash

We are less than an hour away from the Superbowl and I've been digesting pregame all day.

I've finally got a hypothesis as to tonight's outcome.

The Giants are coming into this with a mindset that I can't see being broken down. They've been battling adversity forever and now there is nothing they can do but win. They can't just get here and lose.

That being said, neither can the Pats.

18-1 is not nearly as pretty as 19-0.

Nobody remembers the loser of the Superbowl. It's going to be kind of hard to forget the New England Patriots after the season they've had but it will be impossible to forget the Giants as they solidify their place in history by winning tonight.

Giants 27, Patriots 24.

Brandon Jacobs is the X-Factor today. Forget everything else you heard. Give that man the ball and step aside.