10 thoughts for the new NFL season:

I know, I know, my rantings have been missed! Well, its not because I ran out of things to say, so without much ado, here we go!

1.       Cincinnati is a terrible team, Andy Dalton is a decent quarterback, but they won’t be the worst team in football this year. More on that later…

2.       A man named Suh in Detroit is going to be Defensive player of the year. To me, Suh is Reggie White with a ‘tude. If healthy, he is going to be the gold standard of defensive linemen for years to come. I bet some of that comes from his mom’s Jamaican cooking…

3.       The Jets gained some players, lost some players, and overall I think they will take a step back this year. I think they will win the division, Mark Sanchez will have his best season statistically, but they failed to address their D-line needs with veterans and lost Brad Smith, a very underrated part of their team and success. They bow out early in the playoffs.

4.       The Detroit Lions make the playoffs this year. So does the Houston Texans, the Tampa Bay Bucs and the St. Louis Rams.

5.       The New England Patriots will as usual be very good, win at least 10 games and make it to the Super Bowl again. They will lose to Philly. 

6.       I’m not an Eli Manning fan, I don’t think he’s great, but I don’t think he is as overrated as Philip Rivers, Tony Romo or Jay Cutler. Those three are average at best and have seen their best days as professional QB’s

7.       Michael Vick and the Eagles are going to be a monster of a team this year, and if he goes down, I for one have a lot of faith in Vince Young’s ability. I’ll take Vince Young over the other three QB’s I mentioned in #6. In a heartbeat. No, im not crazy, they just aren’t that good.

8.       I like Donovan McNabb a lot. Classy, a gentleman and smart. When you are publicly challenged the way he was first by TO and then by that worm Mike Shanahan, you can do several things. You can react with words or deeds, but letting it go is never one of them. You MUST react, or your credibility as a team leader will forever be in question. Football is not a gentle game for gentle people, it is played by men and if men don’t respect you it’s a wrap. For what its worth, this is his last shot.

9.       Cam Newton is going to be a very good QB. The best young QB’s (3 years or less as a pro) in the game are Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan, Josh Freeman and Matthew Stafford. Newton will join that group. I think in a couple of years Sam Bradford will be the best QB in the game.

10.  Sad as it is to fathom, say goodbye to Peyton Manning. I don’t think he will be coming back from his second major neck surgery, and if he does, he will not be close to the player he was before. Its unfortunate and tragic, but we may have seen the last of him, and with that Indy may be the worst team in the league this year. Hey Andrew Luck, I hope you like Indianapolis.

And oh yeah, Go Raiders! Hope springs eternal.....

Chicarito, The USA men's national team and the resurrection of Freddy

I've been  watching the CONCACAF Gold Cup the past couple of weeks. Jamaica versus the USA in the quarterfinals was of particular interest for obvious reasons. What looked like a potential upset in the making turned into a fiasco.The Jamaican team played sloppy, undisciplined and seemed completely overwhelmed by the US. While the USA made effective substitutions and adjustments, the Jamaican team failed to attack a US defense that in theory didn't have the pace to keep up with them on the flanks or midfield. The USA played better against Panama in the semis, and with Freddy Adu, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey meshing together, they move on to face Mexico in the finals.

Considering that Chicarito has as many goals (7) as the entire American team, I see Mexico winning this one.

Back to the Jamaica game for a minute though. There is one truism in every sport: a good defense usually wins championships, but you have to score when given chances. And to score, you need to shoot. Nice passing in the penalty area may look great on television and is something to brag about to you buddies over beer, but if you cant put the biscuit in the basket, none of that matters. The Spanish national team and Barcelona can string together amazing laser like passes in close quarters, but if your team-like the Jamaican team for instance-doesn't have players on the level of Leo Messi, David Villa et al, your other option is to play and coach to your teams strengths. Pay attention, Jamaican coaches-develop your own style based on your teams strengths and make it work.

Speaking of Messi, in watching the USA v Panama game last week, I was struck by this dichotomy: Freddy Adu (R, with a man who needs no introductions) played for the American team, his first appearance in two years. He is currently trying to stick in Europe, but not with a team in any of the top four leagues. This from one of the most gifted American players of his generation. Approximately ten years ago, Adu signed with MLS as a precocious fourteen year old wunderkind. At the time there were offers from top flight clubs in England and Italy to join their academies and develop into a superstar. He didn't, and has seen his career seesaw and flat-line at a time when he should be hitting his prime years as a professional.

Conversely, Messi was noticed at around the same age as Adu was signing deals with Nike. His family was given an opportunity to send the young prodigy to Spain to develop his game and treat a growth deficiency issue. While Messi hasn't grown much in physical stature beyond where he was as a teen, his game has ballooned and expanded into that of a supernova, the biggest star on the best team in the world.

While no one knows if Adu could have ever approached those heights, I can state one thing for sure: Freddy Adu has more natural talent than any America player I have ever seen. He is a point guard on the football field, and his pass to set up the winning goal against Panama showed the type of guile that the entire Jamaican team has lacked for a very long time. You get to be the best by playing against and beating the best. When he was younger, people spoke of his 'me' attitude. It's the same story said about every teenage superstar that has adults fawning and catering to their whims before they can even shave. After the game in interviews, Adu seemed happy, relaxed and grateful.

I hope Adu can get a chance with a top flight team in England, Spain or Italy to grow as a professional, because his talent is undeniable. He may never develop into a talent like Messi, but he can still fulfill the promise that everyone saw almost a decade ago. I wish him well.

The last word on the 2011 NBA season

Six games, Dallas triumphs over Miami. The team that had the sense of urgency, that played like a team and rallied behind their one superstar made the hustle plays, the big shots, grabbed the big rebounds, played better defense and ultimately won the big games when it counted most.

Congrats to Dirk, to Mark Cuban Jason Terry and especially to Jason Kidd, a player whose game i've admired since he was a collegian at Cal. In my personal hierarchy of greatest point guards, its Magic Johnson 1st, Jason Kidd 2nd and all else fall in line.

And as for Lebron, DWade and the rest of the Heat? Time to retool and reflect. As I stated a year ago in my blog post after the decision, its not the fact that the best and most physically gifted player in the world decided to abruptly leave the Cleveland Cavaliers team that he had led to previously never achieved heights. The shame was that this supremely gifted player decided to share top billing with another great. Voluntarily decided to be option 1a or 2, depending on how you interpret it.

To be fair, Lebron never once said he was okay with being the second option. Truth be told, he spent much of the season trying (and mostly failing) to be THE guy. The big dog, The #1 guy. During the playoffs he and the Heat ran roughshod over the 76ers, the Celtics and Chicago. He dominated in an obscene manner, even prompting Scottie Pippen at one point to proclaim him better than Jordan (Uhmm, want to rethink that one Scottie? Maybe better than you, but better than MJ?)

Then came the Finals. The games that count. The only ones that count. And once again Lebron was on the losing end. Dallas dominated, first by matching Miami's defensive effort, then by outscoring them. The longer the games and the series went, the smaller Lebron became. The many critics that said he and DWade couldn't play together had the ammunition they wanted, and LBJ didnt seem too interested in proving them wrong. He played tentative, passive and looked a lot more like Robin than Batman.

Now the jury is out on whether he truly realized that this was going to be the case. He has never said he was okay with not being the number 1 option. He has tried all season show that he is worthy of the title of best player in the NBA and a clutch performer. Even more than not winning a title, his underwhelming performance magnified the failure even more.

Congrats to the Dallas Mavericks. They outcoached, outhustled and outplayed the Heat. One superstar with heart and a focused team proved better than 3superstars. Case closed. Lebron is not Jordan. Never was, never will be. He is Grant Hill to DWade's Christian Laettner. Pippin to Wade's Jordan. Just a physically better athlete than those guys ever were. But still not possessing the heart to shoulder the load when it counts most. He told us this last summer with his decision, and a lot of people didn't believe it. Believe it now?

That being said, next year, look for the Mavs and Lakers to battle for supremacy out West, the Heat, Knicks and Bulls to do the same in the East and an even better season next year than this.

Manchester United seeking a double, and the topsy turvy NBA playoffs

With one week left Manchester United has wrapped up the Premier League title. I for one never expected them to contend much less win the title this year, but give credit where it is due. Injuries, lack of form to key players, improved competition, none of that could stop Sir Alex’s crew from putting together an impressive run of games starting around December. The two teams I picked to battle for the title, Chelsea and Manchester City, will finish either 2^nd and 3rd or 2^nd and 4^th, but considering the recent ownership trends, expect both of them to have reloaded squads next season.

In two weeks, Manchester United plays Barcelona in the Champions League final-A rematch of the 2009 final. The best club tournament on the planet, this years Champions League Final features two of the absolute best teams in the world. Barcelona has been a cut above everyone all year, and I expect that to continue in the finals. That being said, I’ve been wrong about Man U all year, I may be wrong again. Nonetheless, im saying Barcelona lifts the trophy on May 28^th.

So my favorite team, the two time defending champion Lakers, were bounced out of the NBA playoffs. And so were the Boston Celtics, at the hands of the Miami Heat and their “Big 2.5.” I’m officially rooting for a Chicago Bulls v Dallas Mavericks finals.

Basketball, unlike most team sports, is unique in two significant ways: individual greatness can be measured by Championships, and great players are judged based on their offensive and defensive expertise. This is because in basketball, each player has offensive and defensive responsibilities. This is not true in football, baseball, American football or hockey. Leo Messi’s greatness is not diminished because he doesn’t run back on defense. People don’t blame Payton Manning for his team’s defensive shortcomings. But in basketball, you have to play both ends of the floor. And the greatest players did just that. As a result of that (comparatively speaking) added involvement, championships represent an accurate barometer of how great the true superstars are. Jordan has 6. Magic has 5. Bird has 3. Olajuwon has 2. Tim Duncan has 4. Those facts are at the root of Lebron James decision to leave Cleveland for Miami. If he is truly an all time great, he needs multiple championships to validate that. 

Let’s be clear, im not referring to the role players who, while they may have had a pivotal moment or three (see, Horry, Robert) weren’t the transcendent leaders of their teams. 

All the people complaining about the fact that players determined they want to play with each other, all I can say is this: get over it. If the money and perks are equal, who wouldn’t prefer South Beach to Cleveland?

I still think his decision was a bad one, I do believe choosing to go to Miami and play second fiddle to Dwyane Wade will put him a notch below the all time greats regardless of individual numbers, and I also think that the Heat will win a couple of titles over the next few years. 

Just not this year. 

Basketball in the city

In NYC, basketball is part of our DNA. Yeah, the Yankees team and their stars are quite possibly the greatest team in all of sports, setting a standard for championships and expectations across the board. The Giants, Jets and Rangers compete for attention in the Big Apple also, usually existing somewhere below the rarefied atmosphere that the Yankees habitually reside.

That being said, make no mistake, New York City is a basketball town. From the Bronx to Queens, high school to the pros, basketball stars are icons; as acclaimed in many circles as (some) movie stars, gangsters and rappers. NYC has long carved out its station in the world as the place where ballers earn their stripes.

Before I was born, there was Lew Alcindor of Power Memorial High School in the Bronx. One of the first players to be subjected to a major recruiting battle, Alcindor left the Bronx for UCLA and began a dynasty there, forever changing how the game was played, how players were recruited, where they played and their visibility on the high school level.

When I moved to New York, Kenny Anderson was the star of the moment; an All-City hotshot from Lefrak City who set the city record for most points in a high school career among other accolades. Since Kenny Anderson, there have been many others; Kemba Walker, Ben Gordon (of Jamaican descent) Malik Sealy, Mark Jackson, Chris Mullin (who preceded Anderson,) Felipe Lopez, Rod Strickland and the one who was considered by many to be the best NYC player since Lew Alcindor, the enigmatic Lloyd Daniels. All of them prep stars that made their name on the blacktops and hard courts on New York City.

Proof of the status on basketball in the city pantheon can be seen in the publicity basketball gets in NYC on all levels: before Felipe Lopez (R) ever played a game for St. John’s he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, hailed as the next Jordan, and was as recognizable as any celebrity. Manny ‘Hit Man’ Ramirez was arguably the best high school baseball player to come out of New York, a .650 hitter his senior year and likely a Hall of Famer when he retires. And unless you were a scout, member of his family or a hard core fan no one could point him out in a crowd when he was building his legend in the Bronx.

It’s against this backdrop that you have to consider this unmistakable fact: the only professional basketball team in NYC, the Knicks, has not won a NBA title in almost four decades.

And despite that run of failure, the Knicks are the only team that can challenge the Yankees for popularity in and beyond the boroughs.

It’s not just because they are the only professional basketball team in New York (at least till Mikhail Prokhorov brings the Nets to Brooklyn.) It’s because they represent the city in the city’s game. You want to see the surest sign that the annual iron grip of winter is loosening? Listen for the sound of a basketball bouncing on the asphalt. That sound tells you one undisputable fact: Spring in NYC is coming with summer right behind it. Kids and adults playing pickup games in playgrounds all over Gotham.

The Knick teams of (Jamaican born) Patrick Ewing, Mark Jackson, John Starks, Anthony Mason and Allan Houston were scrappy teams that fought, elbowed and beat other teams down physically and mentally. They appealed to the average fan, and though they couldn’t close the deal (Hey, an entire generation of Hall of Famers couldn’t close the deal in the Jordan era!) they were respected in their town.

St. Johns University, similar to the Knicks, was for a very long time the only team repping not just NYC but the entire metropolitan area. That has changed over the last twenty years; Hofstra, UConn, Seton Hall and others vie with St. Johns to keep the best local talent close to home. Call it the curse of the name change (old time Saint John’s fans know what im talking about.)


The arrival of Amare Stoudamire and Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks this season has reenergized Knicks fans and put them in playoff contention. The resurgence of the St. Johns basketball team has likewise created a buzz and those events confirm one thing that purists and experts have said as the city teams floundered over the last decade: Basketball is always more fun when the New York teams are competitive.

You don’t have to be a winner to win over the hearts of New Yorkers, you just have to always hustle hard and if you talk the talk, you better walk the walk.

That blue collar ethic is why Derek Jeter is revered and that swagger is why Mark Messier (below) is forever loved but Patrick Ewing (R) creates feelings of ambivalence in many fans. Messier talked brash and won it all. Ewing, as great as he was and as respected as he is, will forever be remembered by many fans for his empty guarantees of a championship.

Realistically, the chances of either the Knicks or St. Johns winning titles this season are slim, but they have reemerged and become the one thing that you have to be in New York-relevant. And as the chill of winter recedes, all one has to do is go to the nearest park and watch kids and adults, wealthy and poor, all races, religions and ideologues playing the one game that defines New Yorkers. And ask the question that never gets old: Who’s got next?

More random nuggets of information

Taking Jay-Z out of the conversation, is it possible that Nikki Minaj is the best NY rapper doing it today?

And also in that vein, is Vybz “Cake Soap” Kartel (R) the best dancehall has to offer? Please let the answer to that question be no….

Raphael Saadiq performing with Mick Jagger @ The Grammys = Great look. Saadiq is easily one of the most underrated musicians of this generation.

Watched the Barcelona v Arsenal Champions League 1st leg on February 16th. The same Barca team that picked apart and destroyed Arsenal a year ago was deservedly beaten at the Emirates Stadium by Arsenal.

Koscielny (below) was marking Messi so closely I think the Argentinian superstar is still tangled up in his shorts! I'm looking forward to the return fixture in Barcelona.

Arizona, The new Teflon Don and the goal of the year

 “This is a battle of epic proportions; we’ve allowed the hijacking of the 14th Amendment.”

Senator Russell Pearce of Arizona; described as the architect of Arizona Bill SB 1070.

A cabal of Arizona lawmakers is (again) planning to rewrite the Constitution of the United States. They plan to pass legislation so that children born in the US to parents who are in the US illegally will not be granted citizenship. This to me represents another salvo in the long history of insidious prejudice by Arizona’s leaders and the people of Arizona.

Some may say it’s nothing more than petty politicians trying to make a name for themselves by pandering to peoples prejudices. I say these are the politicians that the people elected and they are pushing the people’s agenda.

This is the same state, Arizona, which 30 years ago refused to honor Martin Luther King’s Day as a holiday. This position at the time was championed by none other than that self-proclaimed maverick, John McCain. He eventually reversed himself on that issue, but as the most strident (at the time) opponent to a holiday honoring Dr. King, Arizona had clearly and unequivocally drawn a line in the sand. This is also the same state where in 2010 they proposed having police officers ask and check people’s immigration status at traffic stops. The starkly racist nature of this proposal is blindingly obvious, as is the fact that it harkens back to Jim Crow and apartheid.

The relationship between these things should be clear. This isn’t an anti-illegal immigration issue; this is the people of a state trying to push their own twisted agenda on the national stage. The explanations they provide behind this may sound logical and even necessary but the racist ideals and prejudicial application of this initiative cannot be denied. However you may feel about the issue of illegal immigration, this legislation is wrong and nothing good can ever come out of it being passed into law.

This is again the same place where less than two months ago a lunatic with a gun killed several people because he had a different political opinion. Some may say its unfair of me to paint such a broad brush stroke on the entire state, but the rhetoric is clear and consistent and seemingly unopposed. 30 years ago it took a systematic series of agitation by black public figures and boycotts of Arizona venues by black performers (including moving the Super Bowl) for Arizona to finally recognize the holiday.

Clearly hypocrisy and racism is still a major part of life in the Grand Canyon state.

Lindsey Lohan’s in trouble. Again. She’s not going to jail. Again. Yeah, this is kinda getting old, but I am constantly amazed by the way she gets by. I’m going to dub her the new John “Teflon Don” Gotti. Of course, even Gotti was eventually sent to jail….

Its only February, and the UEFA Champions League hasn’t even resumed yet, and its only an exhibition game, but Wesley Sneijder has possibly already given us the goal of the year. 2010 was certainly an incredible year for Sneijder. Champions League winner with Inter Milan, Serie A champion in Italy and World Cup runner-up representing the Netherlands. Along the way, he scored some amazing goals, but I dont think anything matched the one he produced this week. Check it out here.

Pitchers and catchers in two weeks.

Random nuggets of information

Andy Pettitte, in my opinion should be in the Hall Of Fame. If your baseball team has one game to win, he was the guy you wanted pitching. Pettitte may not have the greatest numbers, but 19 playoff wins is the all time mark. Clemens and Randy Johnson may have been better regular season pitchers, but with one game to win it all, no one in baseball was as clutch as Pettitte.


That being said, Pettitte most likely wont be inducted. There is a clear anti-Yankee bias in large parts of the media, and that will contribute to it. The confessed HGH use will also hurt. Too much for him to overcome, but he is deserving.

Everyone’s mad at Amy Chua. Her book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” is stirring debate and getting people angry because of her take no prisoners approach to raising her kids. Ms. Chua, who is Chinese American, a Yale University educated lawyer and mother of two, has even pissed off Chinese parents (!) with her scorched earth mindset. The online zine The Root has an article about it here.
I wonder what her critics would say if a West Indian parent ever wrote a similar book and ‘exposed’ the secrets to the success of people from the Caribbean? (Hint it generally starts with a sturdy belt at an early age…) You will notice in her recent Wall Street Journal article that Ms. Chua mentioned Jamaican parents-this woman knows of which she speaks!



While I may be in the minority here, I am more disgusted by the allegations against Roethlisberger than I am the crimes committed by Michael Vick. I say that not to trivialize what Vick did, but because I strongly feel that Ben got off lightly. I also think that his alleged crimes are infinitely more damaging to society as a whole than anything Vick did. I cannot root for a team led by Roethlisberger to succeed. For that reason alone I’m supporting the Green Bay Packers to win the Super Bowl.

The Middle East is still ablaze, and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight. I hope the fight for progress and democracy spreads to Iran and I hope no more blood is shed, God willing.

The final thought on the NY Jets season: They were a better team than the Steelers, but they greatest strength was their biggest undoing-the emotional approach to the game. They rode that emotion to victory over New England, and rightly so. They couldn’t summon the needed intensity for the Steelers and came out flat and got steamrolled. And even with that, there wasn’t a soul watching the closing minutes of that game vs. Pittsburgh that didn’t feel they were going to come back and win…they blew an opportunity to get to the Super Bowl because they were up and down in the game, and up and down all season. That’s what emotion does, takes you on a roller coaster ride. If they ever channel that energy into a consistent pattern of play game after game, year after year, they will be winners.

And they would be the Patriots…

On your marks. Get set. Go!

Madison Square Garden, New York City

It’s been a brutal winter in New York, and the season has only just begun. Seven snowstorms in six weeks, record amounts of snow every time out, and everyone in New York is sinking into a winter funk.

But with the first call of “On your marks. Get set. Go!” one can see the light at the end of this tedious winter tunnel. Long the premier indoor track meet in New York (104 years and counting) the 2011 Millrose Games kicked off with a bang on January 28, 2011.

With each sharp turn, sharp spike and sharp elbow, high school runners, collegiate athletes and professionals all navigated the notoriously quick bends of the track hoping to cross that finish line in first place.

The Millrose Games has been the premier track meet in New York through its tenure. With the recent emergence of the Adidas Grand Prix Meet, the Millrose Games have ceded a lot of the spotlight, but as far as indoor meets go this is the one that gets the season going and quite frankly there is none better.

Millrose also represents the first installment of a series that has been in the works since the stunning (to some) sweep of the entire sprint schedule by Jamaica in the Beijing Olympics.

Yes, the Millrose Games is hosting the first installment of the USA v Jamaica sprint series.

In the city with perhaps the greatest number of expatriate Jamaicans, and gracing the same arena where Mohammed Ali, Willis Reed, Mark Messier and Patrick Ewing reached for greatness, a pantheon of elite sprinters will stake an official claim in a rivalry that has been the benchmark of sprinting for the last 60 years. Decades ago the names were different. George Rhoden, Herb McKenley, Merlene Ottey, Ollie Matson and Carl Lewis have given way to Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Carmelita Jeter and Tyson Gay.

The names have changed, but the rivalry remains unabated.

The USA v Jamaica race is a new wrinkle, one that will probably, hopefully energize the casual fan base in both countries. At bare minimum on this night it represented the starting gun for the beginning of a new track season, and all that comes with it.

Who knows if the competing athletes are aware of the historical rivalry of the two countries? Those same casual fans of track and field may think that the success of the Jamaican sprinters in Beijing came out of nowhere. They may not even be aware of the rich tradition of track and field in general and sprinting in particular in Jamaica.

But ever since the Helsinki Olympics of 1952 when the quartet of Wint, Laing, McKenley and Rhoden won the 4X400 relay gold medal, knocking the USA team into the silver medal, Jamaica has been the consistent overachievers of the sprinting world. In my lifetime I cannot recall a major track and field meet in which Jamaicans were not medal contenders, and I’m not even counting the fine runners of Jamaican descent (OJD) running for other countries.

On Friday night, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Nesta Carter, Lauryn Williams, Mike Rodgers and others toed the line in the indoors 60 meter dash at the Millrose Games hoping to stake a claim for sprint supremacy. For self and for country.

On a cold Friday night in New York, a day after 19 inches of snow blanketed the city, Veronica Campbell-Brown (L) who said in her post race press conference that she had ‘been in transit for over 36 hours’ trying to fly into the city, won the women's 60 meter dash ahead of Lauryn Williams and the Barber sisters. With Nesta Carter’s win in the men’s version and Vonette Dixon’s triumph in the hurdles(R), it is safe to say that Jamaica drew first blood. The point system showed that the US officially won the two race sprint series by virtue of their multiple runner up points in both events, but as Mike Rodgers of the US said in his press conference (seated on the left in the picture below next to Nesta Carter & Lauryn Williams) “The Jamaicans got us tonight. But we will see them at Penns.”

Yes indeed, Mr. Rodgers, we’ll see you at the Penn Relays. We’re coming to your neighborhood, and let the fun begin. Those races at Franklin Field in Philadelphia are called “USA v The World” but really, who do you think is representing the world in the sprints?

The track season has begun. On your marks. Get set. Go!

Same old Jets and Aretha's (very) wishful thinking

The NY Jets talked the talk all season, even after a monumental beatdown at the hands of the New England Patriots several weeks ago. Last Sunday afternoon in Foxboro, Massachusetts, they walked the walk. It’s one thing for fans to say their team should win a big game, but when the entire team talks about winning a do or die game, then they go out and emphatically do it, that’s something special.

Consider these facts; Mark Sanchez has won 4 road playoff games in his 2 year professional career. That’s more than Brett Favre won in his entire career. More than any other quarterback in Jets history. Sanchez has been the quarterback for a team that has gone to two straight AFC championship games in his first two years in the NFL, and he hasn’t been piggybacking on a stout defense, he has been a major part of their success. I think Sanchez will have a great future as the leader of the New York Jets.

Prior to the season, Sports Illustrated picked the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in the Super Bowl. Rex Ryan predicted the NY Jets will be in the Super Bowl. One of these prognosticators will be proven wrong this weekend. I’m thinking the Jets will prevail and the Packers will defeat the Chicago Bears.

Sooo….this is kind of interesting. Aretha Franklin was recently discussing a ‘proposed’ biopic of her life. She indicated that she would love Halle Berry to play her younger self in this movie.

Let’s just let that marinate for a minute. And look at a picture of both of these greats (R).

Halle Berry graciously has said she’s not interested…because she can’t sing like Aretha. Good save, Halle!

Slaughterhouse’s new album is scheduled to be released on February 8th, 2011. If you’ve never listened to this group, the best way for me to describe them is simply the best hip-hop group in the world right now, bar none. The first single, featuring my boys from Yonkers The Lox, is here.

One month to pitchers and catchers.

The great NFL draft of 2006 (not exactly)

The 2006 NFL draft is notable because of the loud debate preceding and subsequent to the first three picks. Coming off of a tremendous performance vs USC, Vince Young, the Texas native was considered a good bet to be selected by the Houston Texans with the first overall pick. Then there was All-World player Reggie Bush of that vanquished USC team, Heisman Trophy winner and highlight reel star. Throw in another Heisman winner in Matt Leinart, as well as Vanderbilt’s Jay Cutler who according to rumor had the best arm of any quarterback in recent memory and you have an intriguing mix.

So what happened? Houston selected Mario Williams; DE from NC State. New Orleans selected Bush, Tennessee chose Young and Leinart and Cutler fell to 10 and 11 respectively.

5 years later, in looking at that draft, you have to think that Houston made the right choice. Williams (# 90, R; shown tackling Bush) is a two time Pro-Bowler; a steady and pretty good player, he is hardly dominating. Bush has not lived up to the hype at all and shares a New Orleans backfield with several other players who play a more physical, straight ahead style than he does. He can still produce an occasional flash of brilliance, but he has not played like the superstar everyone thought he could be. Vince Young has been a mystery, plain and simple. I think if Young goes to a good team and sits behind a veteran for a while he could turn his career around, because he is extremely talented. I don’t think he handled the situation in Tennessee properly, but I blame Jeff Fisher even more than I do Young for the way it spiraled out of control. If Young signs with the Giants, Indianapolis or New Orleans I think it would be great for him and them.

Leinart has been a bust, plain and simple. Instead of being the next Carson Palmer, he turned into the new Akili Smith. Ugghh. Cutler was an above average player in Denver, but has been extremely good in spurts since being traded to the Chicago Bears.

By the way, some of the other players taken later in that draft? Darrelle Revis (NY Jets) Santonio Holmes (Pitt/NY Jets) Antonio Cromarite (San Diego) Greg Jennings (GB) and Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville)

I'm out! Listening to Pink Friday. I gotta say, Nikki Minaj's album is pretty good! Repping Queens, New York!

Happy New Year! Time to stick and move...

This was Gordon Gee to The Associated Press back in November 2010 discussing a college football playoff : "...Having been both a Southeastern Conference president and a Big Ten president, it's like murderer's row every week for these schools. We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day. So I think until a university runs through that gantlet that there's some reason to believe that they not be the best teams to [be] in the big ballgame."

Well, Mr. Gee, those Big 10 guys haven’t been playing against the Little Sisters of the Poor, but they sure played like they WERE the Little Sisters of the Poor over the last week. Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State all lost. And the big kick in the teeth, Wisconsin losing to those pesky upstarts, TCU in the Rose Bowl.

If the Big 10 is such a tough conference, why then can’t they win the big ballgames?

And doesn’t this prove once again that a playoff system is needed to determine which school is the best? TCU, after an unbeaten season, now has to sit and watch Oregon and Auburn play and know that they can also legitimately make a claim to be the best team and never get to prove it. It’s a joke of a system.

The Miami Heat are finally putting it together and reeling off some impressive wins. I am still unconvinced that they are championship material this season. I say this for three simple reasons: no bench, no point guard and no post players. The LA Lakers, Dallas, San Antonio, Boston and Orlando are better than Miami in those three areas and in a seven game series, I am unconvinced that the Heat can grind out a win. Let’s see what happens in March when instead of beating up on Detroit, Charlotte and Sacramento they have to play back to back games against Orlando, San Antonio and Chicago then host the Lakers less than a week later.

I’m sticking to my belief that the Lakers will face either Boston or Orlando in the Finals.

Hey, I could be wrong, but I could also be right…..last year I predicted Spain would win the World Cup and the San Francisco Giants to come out of the NL West (no, I didn’t think they’d win the World Series, but I thought they were one of the best teams in the NL. Check my blog post!)

And speaking of predictions, I’m going out on a limb now and saying this: The New England Patriots will not play in or win the Super Bowl this year.

Yes, Tom Brady is having a great year, will probably be named the MVP, but that defense is not good and will be expsoed. Belichek or no Belichek, this team can be beat and I don’t see them getting by Pittsburgh, Baltimore or for that matter the NY Jets. Yes I know they beat all of those teams I mentioned in the regular season. But they also lost to the Jets and a five win Cleveland team.

They are a good team, with a great quarterback and one of the best coaches around, but the defense is soft. They will be knocked out of the playoffs before the Super Bowl.

And on a lighter note…..

More than ten years ago, in 1999 Dr. Dre released one of the best albums in hip hop history, The Chronic 2001. The album cemented his status as the greatest producer in the genre, sold over 6 million copies, helped to blow up Eminem as the next big thing and defined the West Coast sound. Ever since then he has teased us with talk and rumors of the follow up album, Detox. Hip hop fans waited patiently, eagerly, rushed to the stores (and the internet-shhh!) to check on every rumor and reported leak and singles to no avail.

Then a month ago, a first single from Detox came out. Pandemonium in the streets! I bought the single from Itunes, a song called Kush featuring Akon and Snoop Dogg.

Wow. All I can say is this:

 

I WAITED OVER TEN YEARS FOR THIS SHIT?!?!?!