Sean Taylor 1983-2007

My Weekly Sports Journey for the week ending November 30, 2007

Sean Taylor 1983-2007 

It’s gruesome to even think about waking up and knowing you are trapped in your bedroom and listening to the noises of a criminal in your home. Sean Taylor met his demise outside his own bedroom as his girlfriend and little child cowered under bedding hoping to avoid death. I can’t conceive of how that had to feel. But the worst was yet to come for his girlfriend, who survived, as did their child. Taylor was effectively dying in front of her eyes as his artery spilled blood without stopping; by the time he got to the hospital, although he survived surgery, he had lost too much blood for transfusions to make a difference. Sean Taylor was 24, the upper range in age for the harrowing statistic that cruelly points out that young black men between the ages of 15 and 24 are more likely to be murdered than die from natural causes or even accidents. Speculation in the last 72 hours is coming into focus thanks to Antrel Rolle, his childhood friend and fellow member of the exclusive club that is the NFL. Rolle states unequivocally that this was a hit, not a break-in crime. He points to the crowd in Miami that Taylor was afraid of and that he was all too familiar with. In trying to get his life more orderly on and off the field he had pulled away from influences that had helped land him in the criminal justice system and fined by the NFL for his bad behavior during games. Apparently the crowd he was leaving behind had a bone to pick with him and did the unthinkable. Mike Vick was brought down by his friends and extended family who didn’t understand the role he had to play as the hundred million dollar face of an even larger company called the Atlanta Falcons. At least Vick is alive to tell the story; Taylor will be unable to give those mentoring talks to new NFL recruits. More pro athletes are becoming victims of home break-ins and violent burglaries and it looks like Taylor was one of them. Shouldn’t the NFL care more about the murder statistic than if someone celebrates in the end zone after a touchdown. You’d think so wouldn’t you? 

Los Angeles baseball

This is shaping up to be one hell of an off season for the Angels and Dodger. Out of the shoot the Dodgers manage to pay off Grady Little and entice Joe Torre and Don Mattingly to switch allegiances and coasts for the sun and fun here in So Cal. Bigger things are hinted at by the Dodger owners about using Torre to attract the right kind of talent who might not have wanted to come here to play. On the Anaheim side of the equation (I still can’t call them the LA Angels) they just snagged two big free agents, one of which was coveted by everyone: Torii Hunter. Jon Garland, the former White Sox pitcher that killed the Angels in the playoffs before going on to win the World Series in 2005 was the other big pick up so far. Rumors about coveting ARod had swirled out here after the way the Angels limped home after a great season by going out without a fight in the first round of the playoffs. Vlad Guerrero was banged up and tired as were others the team relied on to have the great season it did. The whole season came and went with ownership hoping it wouldn’t have to spend big bucks on another big bat to help protect the aging Guerrero and Garret Anderson. It took the humiliating playoff performance to confirm that it was necessary. But the Angels aren’t done; they are eyeing Miguel Cabrera of the Marlins which would fill the hole on that side of the infield after they dealt their stellar shortstop to Chicago in exchange for Garland. I don’t know what Cabrera will cost them but Hunter’s deal is $90M over 5 years. That plus any deal for Cabrera still wouldn’t equal what they would have had to shell out for ARod and in my opinion they are getting value for their bucks. Besides, Hunter, although his deal is not actually signed yet, has been house hunting in Newport Beach and attending Lakers home games. He immediately understands the lifestyle out here: work hard and enjoy the fruits of your labor in the 70 degree December weather watching Kobe courtside with Denzel and Nicholson. The Angels even got him to hold a rally monkey for the camera. He’ll do just fine here, don’t you think? 

Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com  and listen to me Saturday mornings on the Sports Journey Radio Show.

© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC

Reaction to the Passing of Redskins Safety Sean Taylor

Everyone is feeling the loss of a young man who was taken too soon.The senseless murder of Sean Taylor has affected people from around the world. Sean Taylor was brutally shot in his home on Monday November 26^th and died the following day at Jackson Memorial Hospital due to complications from the gunshot wound. I speak for fans everywhere when I say how devastating it was to hear the news of his passing; it brought tears to my eyes as if I knew him personally. He lost his life protecting his home and family from unwanted intruders. My heart especially goes out to his gilrfriend and young child as I know the days, weeks, and months to come will be very difficult ones for her. This was a horrific crime that she witnessed.

Sean Taylor was a remarkable football player and had an enormous love for the game. Coach Gibbs said during a press conference on Tuesday that Taylor had unlimited potential. In an emotional press conference he and Redskins owner Daniel Snyder spoke of Taylor’s dedication to the game. “Sean was one of those guys that felt football is where he belongs”, Gibbs said. “The sky was the limit for Sean”.

Drafted by the Redskins in 2004 in the first round (5^th overall pick), Taylor was a key player to the Skins Defense. He earned respect for his hard hitting play and brought superb strength and speed to their defense. He played four seasons with Washington and made his first Pro-Bowl appearance last year in 2006. He had a career of 344 tackles (245 solo), 12 Interceptions, 41 passes defended and four forced fumbles. And this year before his knee sprain injury, he was having one of the best seasons of his professional career.

We know who he was on the field, but who was Sean Taylor off the field? I was disturbed at all the media reports of him being portrayed as a troubled young man and despite the media’s reports I am not going to make that the focal point of my article. Instead I want to reflect on a young man who from what his family, friends, and teammates say, the positive’s outweigh the negative’s when it comes to how Sean lived his life. He was a good father, son, and teammate as told to reporters. Sean Taylor was born to Pedro Taylor & Donna Junor in Miami, Florida on March 1, 1983. He went to one of the better high schools in Miami and began his career at the University of Miami. In his freshman year he helped the Hurricanes capture a National title in 2001. He left Miami after his junior year to pursue his dream to play in the NFL. In recent years not only was he an exceptional athlete, he was growing tremendously as young man. This year Taylor was having the best year of his career and life. His teammates say he was a team leader and motivated them. To most he appeared unapproachable but friend and teammate Clinton Portis said in an interview with the Associated Press, he was just the opposite of that. His friend stated he had matured due to the birth of his daughter. He had distanced himself from the company he once kept. But in an interview on Wednesday another close friend Antrel Rolle of the Arizona Cardinals thinks it could be that same company Taylor had removed himself from that may have had it out for him. Rolle and Taylor were childhood friends and he believes Taylor’s death was no burglary. In a statement made to the Associated Press, Rolle stated there were many people hating on Taylor. “Down south where we’re from there were many people targeting Sean, a lot of jealousy, a lot of angry people”, he said in an interview. As the murder investigation develops it is too soon to speculate. Miami-Dade police have no descriptions or leads of any possible suspects at this time in the untimely death of the emerging football star.

And as difficult as it may be, in the wake of his loss, the Redskins have to move forward as they prepare to play Buffalo on Sunday. Life in the NFL continues for them; Washington returned to practice on Wednesday, one day after the homicide of Sean Taylor. As the Redskins grieve the loss of their teammate & friend, they also have to focus on playing football. After Sunday’s game, the organization will fly the team to Miami for Sean Taylor’s Memorial Service on Monday. NFL Commissioner Goodell & the NFL will honor the memory of Taylor at all games this weekend. The Redskins will honor him with a patch on their jersey and the number 21 on their helmets.

Like so many Sean Taylor was a young man whose life ended way too soon. He was a shining star and at the young age of 24 his family, friends, and loved ones are left to mourn and wonder why. He leaves behind his parents, his girlfriend, his daughter, other family, friends, teammates, and fans. Rest in Peace Sean Taylor (1983-2007), you will be missed by many.

The Eagles Put Pressure on the Patriots, but they can’t pull off a Win

The Eagles loose to the Patriots by three points which gave me an unsettling flashback from the 2004 Super Bowl XXIX loss.

The Eagles played a surprisingly good game against the Patriots with AJ Feeley in the quarterback spot. I actually thought this game was going to be a blow out at first. I was in Philadelphia last week for the holiday and before the game, my family and friends who are all die-hard Eagles Fans were all sarcastically joking saying they couldn’t stomach to see the Patriots pounce on the Eagles. We all anticipated the worse. But it wasn’t that way at all, our Eagles played with much heart and if they could have pulled it off, this would have been more than just a great win for the Eagles. It would have given them the opportunity to redeem themselves from the Super Bowl loss in 2004 in which they also loss by a measly three points.

AJ Feeley played exceptionally well, and even though he had three interceptions, one that closed out the game, to his credit he moved the ball and was an effective leader. Feeley of course took the loss to the Patriots hard as his night ended with defensive back James Sanders picking off a pass with only a few seconds remaining in the game. “To be so close and to come up short like that, personally, I take it on my back for the outcome”, said Feeley in an interview after the game. “I can’t put myself or our team in situations like that, and that is the bottom line”.

The Eagles showed a lot of passion on Sunday and played the way they should have been playing all season. Hopefully they can build off of this loss and play with the same passion this week against the Seahawks. This team played aggressive football and gave the rest of the league hope that someone can catch the 11-0 Patriots off guard and possibly get a win in the weeks to come. As for New England, this game should definitely be an eye opener for The Pats as it was a very close game. “These three- point losses to the Patriots, they’re killing me,” Coach Andy Reid said in a statement on Eagles.com. Andy, I agree with you, it was an agonizing loss.

But moving forward, the question this week is will Donovan McNabb be the starting QB on Sunday. Well if he’s healthy he’ll start Coach Reid implied in an interview. We will just have to wait and see how McNabb progresses in the days leading up to this week’s game. Feeley on the other hand said he’ll prepare as if he’s starting like he always does. If Donavan is healthy, Feeley understands McNabb will be the starter.

“I’m just going out there and playing my game, and if Donovan is healthy to go on Sunday, he will play and I will be the backup. That’s my role here. I’m fine with that. If it is my call to play, I’m going to go out and do my job,” Feeley said. “We know we have to go out and win the game, so I think you will see the same intensity. We are a 5-6 team. We have to beat Seattle.”

* In Other News in PA, Blame it on the Rain in Pittsburgh as the 0-11 Dolphins also fell to a three- point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in what has to be considered one of the worst Monday Night Football Games I’ve ever seen. It was brutal; the weather was awful making the turf nearly unplayable. It was the league’s lowest-scoring game since 1993, when the New York Jets beat Washington 3-0.

That Kid off the Bench

Why backup quarterback is the most important position in football.

You’ve seen it happen before.  It’s late in the season and your team is first in the conference.  It’s the biggest game of the year.  Everything is going perfect– then it happens.  The quarterback drops back and takes one of those hits that make you look away.  He doesn’t get up.  Regardless of what the result of the injury, he’s not finishing the game.  It’s a scenario that happens all the time.  Football is a game of big solid bodies being thrown at each other with violent force.  People are going to get hurt.  It’s why there are multiple backups at almost every position on the field.  Undoubtedly the backup quarterback position is the most valuable of all.  One play can turn a second-stringer into your go-to guy whether you like it or not.

The last week of college football has shown where the supposed elite top teams have some holes to fill.  Take on Thursday night when the then No. 2 Oregon lost to unranked Arizona 34-24.  Heisman hopeful Dennis Dixon was injured with about six minutes left in the opening quarter, deflating Oregon’s sideline like a game of Nintendo’s Duck Hunt.  You could see it all over their faces.  You could see it on Dixon’s face.  He had torn his ACL two weeks before against Arizona State but wanted to keep it hush.  When he went into the locker room pre-halftime to get changed into street clothes the cat was out of the bag.  Backup Brady Leaf came in his relief, but there wasn’t any relief to be had. 

Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason decided it was time for him to take over.  In Leaf’s third series Cason snatched an out route and took it 42 yards back to the house making it 17-11.  He also scored on a 56-yard punt return later in the quarter all but sealing the deal at 31-14.  My question is why did Brady Leaf look like he was playing on another planet?  Going 22 for 46 with 163 yards and two interceptions made what I saw look good.  Granted, the kid hurt his ankle early on in his outing so he wasn’t running worth a lick.  After seeing him play for two more series I knew he didn’t have it in him.  Why not go to the third string healthy quarterback?  Instead they lost with a poor performance with a quarterback who looked like he hadn’t taken the majority of snaps at practice that week, even though Dixon knew he tore up his knee two weeks prior.  It doesn’t make sense.

The very next night No. 16 (now 15) undefeated Hawaii visited the mainland to take on Nevada.  Where the sub 60 degree weather in November feels like February in Green Bay for the Rainbow Warriors.  Dan Kelly kicked the game winning 45-yard field goal with 11.7 seconds remaining making it 28-26.  What did you expect when the third nationally ranked offense took on the ninth?  Backup quarterback Tyler Graunke got the nod because Heisman hopeful Colt Brennan took a vicious hit the week before giving him a concussion and keeping him out.  Graunke went 33 for 46 with 358 yards and two touchdowns, also running for one on the ground.  See what a difference 11 more completions do for you (see Leaf’s numbers), but it wasn’t only that.  Graunke looked like a seasoned veteran and had taken the better percentage of the snaps that week.  I wonder why.

Hawaii realized that even though Brennan was cleared to play that they would have to have their backup ready just in case.  I realize they have a great system and Graunke is that type of Brennan-like passer.  Brady Leaf is not a Dennis Dixon type runner, even healthy.  Hawaii’s nail biter lasted until about 2:00 A.M. Eastern Time and was hard to turn off.  But regardless, if Brennan puts up solid numbers the rest of the way look for him come Heisman time.  The kid had 34 consecutive games with 219 yards passing or more — thirty four.  If the Warriors go undefeated they still won’t make it to the BCS title game but they might get the Heisman trophy winner instead.

Speaking of future Heisman winners brings me to exhibit ‘C’, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford.  He was knocked out of the game in the first quarter in the then No. 4 Sooners 34-27 loss to Texas Tech.  Bradford is a freshman, but he led the nation in passing efficiency coming into the game against the unranked Red Raiders.  Put that as a Heisman note in the back of your head for years to come.  Backup quarterback Joey Halzle had only attempted nine passes this season.  His greenness showed going 21 for 41 with 291 yards throwing for two touchdowns and one interception.  Coach Bob Stoops knew it as well saying “You can’t play these guys one-handed.  Your backup never has the number of snaps the other guy has.  With Bradford going down and the offense coming to a halt, so did the Sooners national title hopes.”

This isn’t something that Oklahoma could have avoided.  Like I said before, this is football and people are going to get hurt.  It’s something that just happens and you can’t plan for it.  There were three different instances last week of ways your backup can get in the game.  For Oregon, hushing up the injury might have felt like the right thing to do.  Just make sure your backup is ready to go.  With Hawaii, that game was going to be close no matter who was under center – but they were prepared.  Oklahoma got used to relying on their underclassman who is now their proven leader, but neither the Sooners nor Ducks will play for the national championship this year because their backups couldn’t handle the heat.

Oklahoma has won five games this year by 30 or more.  Oregon won three by the same margin.  Funny thing is as potent as Hawaii’s offense seems to be they only have three wins by 30 or more as well.  Here’s the difference.  Graunke had 72 attempts coming into last week while Leaf and Halzle had 24 – combined.  It was no mistake that Hawaii’s backup quarterback position is taken very seriously. Coach June Jones knows something that Mike Bellotti and Bob Stoops do not.  Sometimes even if only for one game, the backup quarterback is the most important position on your entire team.

Melo over James isn’t so ludicrous!

Last week my Sports Journey cohorts and I engaged in a heated debate about which great talent – LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony – would be a more valuable selection given the opportunity to choose one or the other.

I chose Melo. Lake Lewis and Sergio Rodriguez opted for James.

In defense of choosing James they pointed out that the Cleveland Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals last season because of James’ superb play. Lake and Sergio attempted to fortify their argument by suggesting that Melo would not have been able to accomplish the same feat had he suited up for the Cavs. They also noted that even Kobe Bryant, who they both consider the best player in the League, could not have taken the Cavs to the finals like James

In their attempt to prove their position they proved mine.

Well I ask, if Bryant failed to possess the ability to advance the Cavs to the final and he’s the best player by their admission, then why would I think that just because James is better than Melo that James would be the wiser choice? It simply proves that producing the best stats doesn’t always equate to what’s best for a team.

As I continued to ponder Lake and Sergio’s assertion regarding James’ and his playoff exploits I could only conclude that King James isn’t just better than Melo, he must be better than Bryant. I mean, unlike James, Bryant has never strapped up a team on his back and taken them to the NBA Finals.

If I understand my partners, James’ playoff performance is the precedent we’re using to arrive at a decision about a player’s true value.

As I further consider their precedent, James must be better than Michael Jordan, who like Melo and Bryant has never single handedly taken his team to the finals. It took Scottie Pippen, Cliff Levingston, Scott Williams, John Paxson and even B.J. Armstrong for Jordan to make it to his first finals and it took seven years to accomplish, while it required just four years of James.

Let me be absolutely clear, James is a tremendous talent who I believe has the greatest upside of anyone player in the League. As a fan I’m “wowed” by the athletic things he can do. But as a basketball purist I can’t ignore the questionable decision making of James.

Despite all of James’ extraordinary talents what my cohorts failed to realize is that King James still makes, if not bad then questionable decisions in crucial times. When you drop 39 points, grab 13 rebounds and dished out 14 assist, as James performed against the Orlando Magic last week, you erased that stellar performance when you are responsible for a questionable decision in the closing moments of a game. I believe James’ inability to consistently convert free-throws and jump-shots pressures him in making many of those faulty decisions.

Bad decisions are the death of an excellent performance and usually cause teams to accumulate loses rather than victories.

Athletically Melo is no match for James, but the best basketball played is basketball played above the shoulders. At the professional level history will validate that the players who deliver the most value to their teams are those studs who play with the greatest intelligence.

Fellas, you can have James, but right now I got Melo on my five.

“The Jet’s” Sports Journey Game of the Week

(11-1) Ohio State 14  (8-4) Michigan 3

Buckeyes ground-game and defense hold tough to win fourth straight.

 Over 100,000 people gathered at the Big House as they do every other year to see Ohio State play Michigan for their annual last game of the schedule matchup.  It was also the one-year anniversary of legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler’s death, giving the Wolverines an added incentive to put up a “W”.  Not to mention that the seniors on this Michigan team had never beaten Ohio State throughout their college career.  To say the least, injuries and a stout Buckeye defense kept those seniors winless.  More than that, Michigan has seen the last of their heralded coach Lloyd Carr whose national championship in 1997 seems so much more than a decade away after dropping six of the last seven years to the Buckeyes.

To say the least, it wasn’t a great day for offensive football.  With winter weather finally starting to show through, wind and rain was the name of the game on Saturday.  Both Ohio State and Michigan passed for 126 yards – total.  But Michigan was never able to get anything going on the ground either.  To be honest, you aren’t going to win many games when you only have 91 yards of total offense.  Ohio State, who was upset a week ago to Illinois, gave up 260 yards on the ground to the Fighting Illini.  The Buckeye defense rose to the occasion, holding Mike Hart and the Wolverines to just a whopping 44 yards on the ground.

Ohio State Running back Chris Wells stole the show for the day, rushing for 222 yards on 39 carries with two touchdowns.  It seemed at times that Wells was a step ahead of the Wolverine defense as he weaved in and out to the sidelines with ease.  Buckeye Coach Jim Tressel said of Wells, “He wanted to take this game on his shoulders and carry us, and that’s what he did.” On the other end of the spectrum Michigan was hampered by injuries to their two key leaders.  Hart with a bad ankle and quarterback Chad Henne with a nagging shoulder injury.

It was obvious that during the game Henne was not his normal self (11-34 for 68 yards), under throwing and letting certain easy completions get away from him.  But Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman only threw 13 passes on the day, completing 7 for only 50 yards.  He threw one interception and fumbled the ball twice; showing the country that Saturday in Michigan was just not a quarterback’s day.  But a day for the Buckeyes it was.  Michigan will have to wait another year to claim redemption in the biggest rivalry in college football. 

Michigan’s record is now a humbling 8-4 but much better than critics would have thought after dropping their first two games to Appalachian State and Oregon, but fear not.  Michigan will play in a bowl game, just not “the” bowl game.  A season that will be considered sub-par by Wolverine standards but a salvageable one at that for the media.

As for Ohio State well, I couldn’t tell you.  Before this weekend I would tell you that the Buckeyes are a shoe in to play in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl with a win.  With Oregon losing on Thursday and Oklahoma losing Saturday night, the gates have opened up.  Ohio State is now ranked No. 5 and needs some help from a few different teams (LSU, Kansas or Missouri).  But with the way this season has shaped up, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Buckeyes in the national championship after all. Maybe even against West Virginia.

Benched? Don’t worry, just use blackmail!

My Weekly Sports Journey for the week ending November 16, 2007

 Benched? Don’t worry, just use blackmail!

Haven’t you always wanted to tell everything you knew about someone to hurt them? Well, I know I have but it was never about my then current boss unless I knew that I would complete the deed of getting rid of him/her. In fact, I worked for a very difficult (nice word for him being an ass) guy who taught me that if you were going to go for the kill you better not miss. If you missed you knew that you were gonna get blown away in the process. You know, kill or be killed. Do you think Stephon Marbury ever heard that from someone…or maybe saw it in Scarface or The Sopranos? Well if he did he didn’t pay attention and maybe because he works for the NY Knicks he doesn’t have to worry. Told he was coming off the bench he and Isiah Thomas joined the mile high club and it didn’t have a happy ending, if you know what I mean. They fought and it ended in a threat by Marbury to expose secrets we have yet to learn about Isaih (how could that be after the trial this summer?) unless he stayed in the starting lineup. He then jumped on another plane to go home rather than play with the team. When he was told, the very next day, that he’d been fined almost $200K he got back on a plane and flew to LA in time to come off the bench and fail to help his team beat the freaking Clippers who won by 4, count them, 4 points. There he sat, near the boss he tried to blackmail and they are on the same team for now. If it were a movie you and I would be waiting for the hit to be put out on him. The problem is that the Mafia are less dysfunctional than the Knicks. And then there’s that matter of a salary cap and a $20M salary for the next 2 seasons to have to eat if Stephon goes by-by. So what’s a team to do? I say find a trade you can live with; and it shouldn’t take much since you can’t really live with Marbury can you? Get in bed with someone who at least knows how to go about assassinating someone the right way. You know, like Vladimir Putin.

Run Ricky Run

I am gonna stick up for Ricky Williams here so be forewarned. He has just come out of a rehab after more than 4 months and has been reinstated by the NFL. Roger Goodell, known as Dictator Goodell is not an easy guy to please or to get a reinstatement from; just as Adam Pacman Jones. Is he an addict? Well we used to think so but what we have learned is that he was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and is being medicated the way you and I would be for depression, agoraphobia, anxiety, etc. Trust me, if he had been to someone who diagnosed him sooner he wouldn’t have been self medicating with weed. Weed is the ultimate way to hide your shyness, awkwardness and your discomfort with who you are or who people want you to be. Remember him saying that he really didn’t like playing football and being a star? Is he a good bet to sign and have him contribute to a team? Well, if you’re Miami and your choices are him or the no-name that is in your backfield now I would say he’s a good bet. But who knows what shape he’s in, what his body is willing to sustain in punishment even for a few games that he’ll be eligible for. Is he worth anything in a trade for Miami? At this point prior to anyone seeing him run out of a backfield I would say no. My bet is on him starting at his first opportunity: Monday Night Football vs. the Steelers after Thanksgiving. Now that will be a show to see.

Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com and listen to me on the Sports Journey Radio Show on Saturday mornings.

© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC

Melo is my choice

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are close friends. They shared the League’s spotlight during the summer of 2003 when they headlined the draft, and quickly began a rivalry that might one day match the confrontations that existed between Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, Jerry West and Walter Frazier or Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

Both young fellas are similar in statute. King James stands 6′8″ and weighs 250 pounds, while Melo, twenty pounds lighter, also stands 6-foot-8-inches. Their career stats are also similar – James is averaging 26.7 points, 6.5 assist and 6.7 rebounds for his career, while Melo has dropped 24.2 points, dished out 3.0 assist and grabbed 5.6 rebounds during his four year NBA residency.

So, who is better?

The best way to answer this difficult question may be, “It’s six in one hand and half dozen in the other.” How can you go wrong with either basketball stud on your team? But for my money, Melo is my choice.

Statistically James has fared better than Melo over their career and truth be told James’ upside is far more promising. But much of James’ success can be attributed to his physical dominance. Because James is bigger, stronger and faster than most of his peers he is able to produce lofty stats. But James’ basketball intellect has failed to catch up with his athleticism. King James has a great deal to learn if he is ever to become truly a great player.

James’ lack of basketball I.Q. was evident in the closing moments of Wednesday night’s game against the Orlando Magic, when instead of pulling up to take what would have been an uncontested 13-foot jump shot in the lane, he tried to drive all the way to the hoop. Unable to get off a shot because the ball was stripped and the clock expired, James failed to give his team a chance to win. After performing magnificently against that overtime game, scoring 39 points, handing out 14 assist and grabbing 13 rebounds, James killed Cleveland’s chance for a victory with what I consider a bone head play; unacceptable for a League superstar.

In contrast to James, Melo is a more efficient player. Rather than playing with athletic dominance, he plays with intellectual understanding. He understands better than his buddy when to put up a jumper; when to put the ball on the floor and go to the hole and when to post up in the box. During his career Melo has been maligned because of his defensive lapses, but his growth even on the defensive side of the ball is improving.

Although James is statistically better than Melo, it has taken James five additional minutes per game and 14 more games played, over four years, to score 2.5 points, hand out 3.5 assist and grab1.1 rebounds more than Melo.

James is a phenomenal basketball talent and is athletically and statistically better than Melo, but sometimes ‘less is more.’ While James continues to wow the basketball community with his athletic play, Melo is quietly learning to master the nuances of the game. This will potentially develop him into the better of the two stars.

If I had a choice between James and Melo, Melo is my choice.

Oregon at the Two Spot, Exactly Where They Don’t Want to Be

Why this year No. 2 has gotten the oust week in and week out.
In the society we live in we have weaved this wild thing called competitiveness into our lives.  Whether it is finishing first in our class, at our jobs or even waiting in line.  Let’s face it; we all want to be numero uno.  But this here thing called college football is a marathon, not a sprint.  So sometimes it’s better to come in as the underdog in second place so you can snatch the No. 1 ranking from under their nose, but not this year.

It all started when LSU beat out USC in the week five polls pushing the Trojans to number two.  This was the start of the impossible ranking to hold onto with a new team claiming the ranking every week accept one.  So with Oregon holding onto the No. 2 ranking with three weeks left in the season, you can only think the worst.  How can the Ducks hold onto this spot to secure their BCS title berth?  To this, none of us know.  Good luck Oregon because the foot race has began.  Let’s take a look back at all the teams who were close enough to smell it but won’t be lucky enough to taste it.

In week four, LSU was ranked No. 2 and USC was ranked No. 1.  With LSU’s dominant win over then No. 12 South Carolina 28-16 it catapulted the Tigers up over the Trojans and left USC with the No. 2 ranking.  This was the beginning of the end for the number twos.  The very next week the college football world was stunned when Stanford upset the Trojans 24-23.  This opened up the door for a new No. 2, California.

The Golden Bears wasted no time basking in the number two ranking before losing their next game to Oregon State 31-28, a team that had already lost to Cincinnati, Arizona State and UCLA — each had nothing more to offer than a 3-3 record.  Not exactly the type of caliber team you want to lose too.  To add insult to injury the Bears lost the following week to UCLA 30-21.  But lost they did, letting yet another team scoop up the ranking.  This time, South Florida was the squad to nab it.

A most unlikely suitor from the Big East Conference, South Florida was for real.  Already knocking off then No. 17 Auburn and No. 5 West Virginia, the shoe seemed to fit.  An explosive offense with a smart and fast defense, which is exactly the type of team that belongs in the national championship right?  Just ask Rutgers who beat the Bulls by stopping the core of their whole team, Matt Grothe 30-27.  Just when we thought we finally had a team to live up to the expectations, number two gets beat again.  The Bulls lost the following week as well to No. 23 Connecticut 22-15.  At this point the whole country is thinking college football is a game of musical chairs.  Boston College was able to fall into the No. 2 seat before the music stopped in week eight.

Boston College was the perfect fit.  They were rewarded with the ranking right before a huge Thursday night game at Virginia Tech.  This was a chance for first year coach Jeff Jagodzinski and four year starter Matt Ryan to showcase to the world that Boston isn’t just pumping out good baseball.  To the contrast of all the other number two’s, BC showed who was boss and had a come from behind 14-10 victory that now let the country know their Heisman hopeful was for real — at least until the next week.  Holding onto that number two ranking was a feat in itself before losing consecutively the next weeks to Florida State 27-17 and then to Maryland 42-35.  Another one bites the dust.  This put everything back in full circle once again boosting up LSU back to the No. 2 ranking.

Same circle, same result.  Only the top team was different this time.  Since LSU lost the No. 1 ranking in week six losing to Kentucky 43-37, Ohio State took over the top ranking and held it up until this week.  The Buckeyes fell hard to Illinois 28-21 Saturday.  Lucky for LSU they only had to sport the No. 2 ranking for a week and rolled over Louisiana Tech 58-10.  LSU is the only one that has survived the two spot and now sits alone atop the country.  They aren’t who I am worried about.

Oregon is now the dreadful number two.  With it being likely that the Ducks can win out the rest of their schedule, they should be in control of their destiny — if only it were that simple.  With three Big XII teams in the top-5 and two of them squaring off in two weeks, they should cancel themselves out.  But both the Big XII and the SEC have title games, the Pac-10 does not.  This leaves Oregon out in the cold watching from the window, hoping that their let in.  The road to the BCS championship has never been this rocky, so it would seem fitting that teams that win out will be able to play for the title.  As we’ve seen in the years before that is not the case.  It will not be a matter of just winning, but also in what type of fashion.  We will see nothing held back in the next few weeks.  With the way things have shaped up thus far why would we expect the ending to be anything different?  Strap on your seat belts because all of the top-5 are about to kick it into sixth gear.

The Cowboys Outshine the Giants

Cowboys look fantastic in 31-20 win against New York. The Defense was on point sacking Eli Manning five times & intercepting him twice. And Romo & Owens once again showed why they are a perfect pairing.

Tony Romo and Terrell Owens definitely made their presence known at the Meadowlands on Sunday and proved to be too much for their NFC Rival too handle. The two showed-up & produced during critical moments in the game. During the game vs. the Giants, Romo kept his composure while the pressure was on leading the Cowboys to a win with 4 touchdowns; confirming why he’s unquestionably worth the big bucks. His accuracy is continual week in and week out. And the Cowboys outspoken superstar, Wide Receiver Terrell Owens aka T.O. has found his place in Dallas as well. With all the drama from the past few years finally behind him, he’s more focused than ever and it shows. Owens caught a 50-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, giving Dallas a two-score lead. The defense took over from there which kept the Giants out of the end zone in the 2^nd half of the game. DeMarcus Ware also played his part by constantly keeping the pressure on the Giants Quarterback Eli Manning. He came away with 10 tackles and a sack. Collectively the Cowboys took full advantage of their opportunities and scored big

Even though the Giants didn’t play a terrible game (producing almost as many yards as the Cowboys), they were just outdone by Dallas in the 2^nd half. New York simply could not contain Romo and his Offense. Manning was sacked 5 times and threw two interceptions. The Giants bent under pressure, but Manning and his team should not get too discouraged. Yes, a win against the Cowboys would have been crucial for the Giants but as Manning stated in a post interview the season is not over yet. “It’s not the end of the world”, he said. The Giants are 6-3 and currently tied with next weeks’ opponent, The Detroit Lions in division standing. They now trail the Cowboys by two games. If the Giants want to defeat the Lions this week, they’ll have to maintain their confidence in spite of last weeks’ loss against the Cowboys.

As for the 8-1 Cowboys, expect another strong performance this week against the Redskins as it will be difficult for the Skins’ to stop the Boys’. This is the Cowboys best start since 1995. That year Dallas won their 5^th Super Bowl in Arizona. Ironically the Super Bowl is in Arizona this year too; what a coincidence. Could the Cowboys be Super Bowl Bound this year? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

*In other News- the Rams finally get a win in New Orleans against the Saints, leaving the 0-9 Dolphins the only win-less team in the NFL this season. Hopefully the win will help motivate and breathe new life into the struggling St. Louis Rams so that they can win more games this season.