Smashmauf!

Ridiculous Article on VY

2009-06-06T03:45:00.003-04:00

Check it out!
I follow theScore.ca on Twitter so you can imagine my bewilderment when I came across the below post:

"Goal-line Stand - Argos add Vince Young to "secret" negotiation list http://tinyurl.com/m4ydvl"

Now, if you have been following my blog posts you will find in Smashmauf Football that I spoke on the Vince Young situation in Tennessee and how he really should be exploring new options. If the Titans are not willing to give him the minutes to develop into a starting / Franchise QB, then they ought to grant him freedom to pursue other opportunities. I am definitely an advocate for that so imagine reading the above article from theScore's Brad Gagnon. While there have been rumblings in some of my circles about the possibility of Michael Vick playing in the CFL, the thought of Vince Young playing in the CFL (and with the Toronto Argos no less) is mindnumbing.

Hopefully, there is some truth to this article because that's a pretty bold statement to make. I have sent an email to Brad for further info. and I will keep you posted.

Smashmauf! Now on WordPress

2009-05-11T06:12:00.000-04:00

1st post on the Smashmauf! forum on Wordpress. It feels so much like providence.

There are currently tons of posts on Blogger: www.smashmauf.blogspot.com so make sure to follow that as well. 3 big things going on in Toronto right now:

1. The Toronto FC are just putting a quality show out there these days. If you are planning to visit Toronto, definitely make sure to book a ticket to watch one of their games at BMO Field.

2. The Blue Jays are currently in 1st place in the American League for Major League Baseball. It is still pretty early in the season to make a big deal of this happenstance but, there is a good buzz in the city right now. The Jays are a hot ticket right now too.

3. Finally, there's talk that a Hockey team (Coyotes) might be moving to either Hamilton or Toronto. This has the potential to be a polarizing event for the NHL & the Maple Leafs. If it was not for the (always) exciting NHL Playoffs going on right now, this would be a big story in Toronto. For now, all eyes on the Penguins vs. Capitals series. :-)

This being the 1st post on Wordpress, I figure to keep light. Thanks for the read. Make sure to keep track of the progress of Smashmauf! and feel free to share your own opinion. The only rule is: Show some respect.

Cheers,

He's the MotherF***ing Truth!

2009-05-07T12:33:00.006-04:00

Rajon Rondo's performance during these NBA Playoffs (2009) has been nothing short of spectular. He has been Mr. Everything for the Boston Celtics. I always knew Rondo was something special from his collegiate days, and I always thought he was exceptionally great on defense, but there was no way anyone could have envisioned him leading the Celtics in a Playoffs march. Truly spectacular!

Last night though Rondo got some much needed help from "The House". You might remember him from last year's playoff ousting of the Los Angeles Lakers. In the deciding game, House teamed up with Rondo to reek some insane havoc on the unsuspecting, and obviously unprepared, Lakers. The play that especially stands out to me is the one where House hit a 3 pointer, turns to Paul Pierce, and shouts, "I'm the Motherf***ing Truth!!". That had me and my brother going nuts!!! At that moment, it was very obvious that the Celtics were winning no matter what. That is the sort of Swagger House and Rondo provide to the Celtics.

Together, this dynamic duo are right at the heart of the Boston Celtics. Going forward all the contenders/challengers of the Defending Champions need to put these guys at the top of their list. We all know what Pierce, Allen and Davis can do but if you let them free, Rondo and House will get you everytime. You know why??

Because - They - Are - The - Mother - F***ing - Truth!!! (Best believe it now).

San Antonio Spurs: The End of an Era

2009-04-28T23:58:00.006-04:00

With the Spurs losing to the Mavericks late last night, the book might have been slammed shut for this version of the San Antonio Spurs. For the 2nd straight year, the Spurs have struggled in the 2nd half of Playoff games and they have not gotten anything from their bench or the supporting players.

It was a great run.

4 Championships, 4 Conference titles, 7 Divisional Titles and 12 consecutive Playoff appearances since 1997 can definitely take its toll on a professional club. No matter how many times Tim Duncan and the Spurs have defied the odds by overcoming tremedous adversity, there is no way to beat out Father time or the mileage maturity brings.

TD is on the brink of being the greatest basketball player that ever played the game yet you would never know it because of his humility and continued focus on performing at a high-level. Sometimes this leads us erroneously to believe that the Spurs are legitimate contenders every year. But let us be honest with each other, 12years is a long time to run laps on a hardwood day-in day-out.

Really, I had planned to make a tribute to this team for their excellent play and the value they have brought to basketball. For a while the Spurs were the only team in the NBA that promoted the fundamentals of the game. They promoted all the good things: hard-work, dedication, commitment, knowledge, integrity and, competition. The solid foundation for any sport. It only makes sense to recognize what they have meant to the sport of basketball for the past 12 years. However, after watching them lose these last 2 Playoffs, I am convinced there might be 1 last run in these Spurs so I will hold off for another day.

Right now though, the Spurs as we know them today are finished. Tim Duncan, understandably, is no longer able to win a series all by himself. The pressure is too much for him to live up to at this point in his career (and we are all to blame). It is too bad because Tony Parker is in his prime right now. Ginobili is also pretty much on his last leg. The future has been realized for the fantastic trio. So what next?

The Spurs need to blow up their entire roster. Unfortunately, they are not going to win anything with Kurt Thomas, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Drew Gooden, Ime Udoka, Roger Mason, Jacque Vaughn, or Matt Bonner. These guys are done. In the past the Spurs had sparkplugs like Robert Horry, Sean Elliot, Mario Elie, Hedo Turkoglu and, Brent Barry to pick up the slack during the dull moments. These days, the supporting cast leaves way too much to be desired. Drew Gooden and Roger Mason leave so much to be desired that I do not think they should be brought back next season - if possible.

The Spurs might still be able to get a run before TD rides off into the sunset but it will be with a totally new team. This version of the Spurs is worn out, played out and, done. The run is officially over - the Mavs closed the final chapter tonight.

Sorry Mr. Jackson

2009-04-18T10:36:00.003-04:00

The Buffalo Bills have signed Dominic Rhodes to a 2 year deal and this can not be good news for Fred Jackson. He, and his agent, have been trying to get a 2 year deal out of the Bills and recently spoke out about their dissatisfaction with the stalemate with the Front Office.

The signing of Rhodes might signal the ending of the relationship between Jackson and the Bills. At 28 years old, in a sport and at a position where turning 30 forecasts decline, the chances of Jackson being able to get a max deal in the NFL is very slim. The fact that the Bills went out and signed Rhodes, who is 30 years old, means that the Bills are already looking ahead for the RB position. They have clearly made their decision and I would not be surprised if they signed a young back this offseason.

Rhodes is nothing more than a seasoned veteran who can fill in nicely as a backup. On the other hand, Jackson is approaching his peak but is relegated to the sidelines. There is no way this is going over well in the Jackson camp.

The Bills are moving on.

Running of the Bulls: Beware of Ben Gordon

2009-04-18T06:14:00.004-04:00

There is 1 that you absolutely have to watch out for in the 1st Round of the NBA Playoffs and that guy is Mr. Ben Gordon. His feud with the Bulls management before the start of the season is well documented; BG7 needs to be paid what he is worth. That said, considering that Gordon is playing on a 1 year contract, he has probably the most to gain if he shows and improves.

Now here is what you do not know. Something that might not play into your calculations for the Red-faced Bull. Here it goes:

Gordon is probably the most similar play in the NBA today, in terms of production, to the one and only, Reggie Miller.

You might doubt me but I would implore you to go and look at the facts. You do not have to believe me, all you have to do is check the facts and compare both players yourself. In fact, I think that Gordon is off to a better start than Reggie Miller had. Reggie is definitely a lot taller at 6'7 and is widely considered one of the sharpest, most deadliest, shooters in NBA history; however, do not let the exaggerated 6'3 frame of Gordon fool you. Gordon is a career 41.5% 3pt shooter, 43.7% FG shooter, 85.9% FT shooter, averaging 3 Boards, 3 Dimes and, a very cool 18.5 PPG. The only thing that is missing on the 26 year old's resume is that big-time Playoff performance. Enter the 2009 NBA Playoffs.

The Chicago Bulls are matched up against the defending champions, Boston Celtics. Ben Gordon is currently projected as a matchup with Ray "Jesus Shuttlesworth" Allen. The plot could not be any thicker right?

WRONG!

You can bet the family farm that BG7 will be winning that battle and you can take that to the bank. With the series starting today and with the Bulls-Celtics matchup being the Playoff Opener, I fully expect the Bulls to come out ready to shock the world. All they need to do is to split the series in Boston and they would create a buzz so loud that the Blogosphere will be feeding off its tremors for colour. With KG nursing a tender knee and the Celtics missing their biggest dog in the yard, the table is set for a Hero to emerge in this series on both sides. No doubt for the Celtics the Truth will be unleashed but he is the staple. The Celtics have no heros. The only hero left is:

BEN GORDON!

Prepare to be entertained.

Say It Ain't So Johnnie? Say It Ain't So...

2009-04-16T15:07:00.006-04:00

We all knew this day was drawing near with each NFL season that passed; however, none of us really wanted to acknowledge the thought. John Madden has been such an icon in the world of sportscasting for the past decade and the face of the Madden Football game series. News of his retirement marks the end of a great run by Madden in the world of professional football.

I can't help but note that the recent passing of Harry Kalas, also 73 years old, probably played a big role in Madden's retirement; and I would not blame him if it did. He has already done so much for the sport. Madden was probably the most simultaneously exciting and educational NFL announcer to ever call a game. Unlike Howard Cosell, Madden is not a polarizing figure at all, he is widely loved and respected by all. Note: Cosell also passed away at age 77. All of these potential parallels had to have weighed on the mind of the Hall of Famer. A man who was so paranoid about travelling by air, he often drove across the country to games via his own bus (Madden Cruiser).

It will be weird not having Madden do the Superbowl next season or any Prime time games but Chris Colinsworth is a very capable replacement. Although, he might not be able to champion the tailgating process or continue the Turducken tradition, Colinsworth is ridiculously entertaining and very opinionated. He is a worthy replacement. Hopefully Troy Aikman's profile will also go up as a result, he has the potential of being the next big play-by-play announcer. The legacy of great announcers is still secure.

Appropriately, I wish Madden the best of luck in his future endeavours and I hope that he continues to be a spokesman for the NFL. Here is to a very illustrious career like none other. Cheers.

Federer Through to 3rd Round

2009-04-16T04:15:00.003-04:00

Roger Federer(#2) won his 1st match at the Monte Carlo Master Series yesterday, beating Andreas Seppi (6-4, 6-4) in straight sets. His command of the game continues and definitely should be monitored in this event; being that it is on clay - his surface nemesis.

His chief competition, Raphael Nadal(#1) also won yesterday (6-2, 6-3) over Juan Ignacio Chela. A faceoff of epic proportion is a looming possibility.

Both Federer and Nadal continue their quest today in the 3rd Round of match play.

EPIC Fail! But the show goes on

2009-04-16T02:08:00.003-04:00

Alright, what a disaster with my predictions! All the games were fun to watch, a great way to start off the NHL Playoffs though.

Impressive start by the Penguins too; it is easy to overlook the impact of a guy like Marc-Andre Fleury and his 6'2 frame in net. If the Flyers do not get their act in order this will not be much of a series.

The Capitals were the only favorites to lose last night (losing 4-3 to an energized Rangers club). This loss was frankly a stinker for the Capitals, you can fully expect them to bounce back in game 2 or else this series might be over before it even began.

The lesson from my predictions is to leave the scoring/points to the book makers and Vegas. In light of that, the predictions for the Playoffs continue; 3-1 is not a bad start for the games.

Here are my predictions for today's games:

Boston-Canadiens: Gotta go with the Bruins. (Expect the crowd in Boston to show up, that is one thing you can usually bank on)
Columbus-Detroit: (No-brainer) Detroit
Calgary-Chicago: (Another No-brainer) Calgary and my boy, Jarome Iginla

Note: All the 3 underdogs above have losing AWAY GAMES records. That is bad business for the playoffs.

Anaheim-Sharks:
This matchup pits the team with the best HOME GAMES record (Sharks) with a Ducks team that despite being the 8th seed actually played their best AWAY from home. It has to be the spotlight game of the night. My prediction: Ducks will wrangle away Game 1.

NHL Playoffs Skate-Off Tonight

2009-04-15T01:42:00.005-04:00

Alright, the Hockey Playoffs are here and it is the most exciting time in the NHL. The only thing that would have made its arrival more special this year is the Toronto Maple Leafs making the Tournament; unfortunately, that appears to be a pipe dream as the Leafs look to be rebuilding.

There has been a carousel of Champions over the years so it is really tough to predict which team will ride a streak into Lord Stanley's Finals however I am willing and ready to attempt to predict the games. (Bear with me).

These are my predictions for tomorrow's games:

Pittsburgh-Philadelphia: (Close-call) Penguins win this in OT, 4-3
Washington-New York: (No-brainer) Capitals win this, 4-1
Vancouver-St. Louis: Canucks win this, 3-1
New Jersey-Carolina: Devils win this 3-2

I am picking all favorites today no doubt. We will see how the series plays out so monitor my predictions and when you win...send mine in the mail.

Deebo has the Quan.

2009-04-14T02:36:00.003-04:00

30 years old. That is the age of Steelers Outside Linebacker, James Harrison. It is both a blessing and a possible kiss of death. Most athletes reach their maximum peak right around the same age - pretty much, all across the board and in most sports. Now feature the man affectionately called Deebo by the Steeler Nation, Mr. James Harrison. The question of whether he was peeking was put to rest a few months ago when Deebo picked off a Kurt Warner pass and ran it back 100 yards the other way for a touchdown; a true Pick 6. That was the single most memorable play from last season's Superbowl. It will no doubt go down in history as one of the most memorable plays in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers (and arguably, in the history of the NFL).

In a season where Deebo played a leading role on an unbelievably stout defense that made and won the Super Bowl Trophy, he was awarded the coverted Defensive Player of the Year by the NFL. So when his number came up in contract negotiations getting his deal reworked and having him re-sign was a definitely priority for the Black and Gold. Fittingly, Harrison received $20 Mil in guaranteed bonus money as part of a 6 year, $51.175 Million deal. Yes. Deebo is now worth a mint. If he is able to stay healthy while maintaining peak form for the next 2 years, Harrison would more than earn his pay.

Federer is playing the Monte Carlo Masters!

2009-04-11T06:56:00.007-04:00

As you might have heard by now Roger Federer will be playing the Monte Carlo Masters Series next week (April 13-19th). This is going to be very exciting. After losing to Andy Murray(2x), arch-nemesis Raphael Nadal(1x) and, Novak Djokovic(1x) already this year Federer desperately needs to get a win this year (whether he thinks so or not). It is not going to be an easy tournament; Nadal has been King on clay in recent times. It definitely shapes up for as a potentially dramatic competition because as it sits right now the highest ranked seed in Federer's bracket is Giles Simon(#6). Roddick as of right now is not anywhere in the bracket too. Considering all the 3 guys who have beaten Federer will be competing in this event, it will become increasingly more dramatic as it progresses towards the final stages.

I fully expect Federer to get to the Finals but I suspect he will have to beat Simon, Djokovic(#3) and either Nadal(#1) or Murray(#4) to capture the title. Federer could not ask for a better way to declare his comeback to the young studs looking to uproot him from his status as the main man in Tennis. Let me be the 1st to say, "Go get them Rog!!!"

Case for NBA Schedule Changes, Case for Mid-Season Classic, Playoff Jostling and, Competition

2009-04-09T23:56:00.006-04:00

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Spring! The NBA, NHL, PGA and ATP seasons are going to kick into high gear shortly. The MLB season just kicked off and the NFL Draft is looming. You have to love it.

This NBA season has been pretty dull (at least in my opinion) for the most part but I think that is a great news for the Association that there were no major disasters this season. No officiating scandal, no major over publicized police blotter incidencies, no huge scrums between the fans and the players, no major "why would anyone do that" assault incidencies, no over publicized management gaffes. It seems the NBA is finally starting to recover again from what I call "the David Stern Sales Orgy Era". To me, the Association went a little crazy with the way the game was being packaged and promoted. It is debatable whether this is a good or a bad thing but it is not really debatable whether basketball itself is a sport that can continue to endure - it definitely will because it is a great sport. It is so weird to me that the NBA would feel like it needs some kind of gimmick to promote the game. A lot of times it just comes off as being cheesy. From the unspoken of "boob cam shots" of yester-seasons, to the "air apparent" BS and even to the Horse (Pepsi) crap at the All-Star game. It sometimes comes off as crap masquerading as quality programing. Still I love the game and the Association. So why does the NBA often come off as being broad and insincere in its production (and marketing)? I think it has a lot to do with the length of the season. 82 games! Those are a lot of games.

With the Playoffs looming, the best portion of this season is yet to come. It is mind boggling that the NBA does not emphasize the playoff (as much as it can) as the quintessential competition every season. Some of the teams are just not competitive enough in the 2nd half of each season and it takes away a lot from those late season games. I think although the league has done a great job of growing interest in the game of basketball around the world, it is falling short in promoting competition within the NBA. Playing 82-game seasons seems more like a big money grab than a focus on competiton and that has always been the biggest image problem/challenge for the NBA. I have a radical scheduling idea that could work to fix this issue in a satisfiable way for fans, owners and the league. Here is how it goes:

Shorten the # of games to 64(28 Conference games, 28 out of Conference games and, 8 Divisional games)
Increase the playoff pool of teams by 4 teams
Stretch the playoff weeks by giving the top 2 teams in each Conference a 1st round bye
Keep the All-Star nominations but replace the All-Star game with a top-16- teams, single elimination, tournament (It can be called the Mid-season NBA Classic) and,
Open the skills competition to the public as well (public tryouts start at the start of the season and end before the Mid-season Classic, the winner then gets to compete against NBA players in the Mid-season Skills Competition - which happens before the tournament title game)

This seems like a pretty simple thing the NBA Competition can vote on and implement. It beats having some "boob cam" or trying to convince people to come and watch the Clippers vs. the Kings in the middle of March. Teams will not be killing all their star players before the Playoffs began because more teams will get in (20 instead of 30). Players can take a break during the Mid-Season Classic because those games will not count against your win-loss record in the Regular Season standings. Young players can get some exposure in the Classic tournament. The fans get something new and exciting to watch. The league and owners make more money. It is a win-win situation.

Dang. Someone from the League office needs to give me a call, I am giving you golden ideas here for free. There is so much that can be done with the game of basketball that is not being done. Instead, fans are being subjected to the exciting thrill of "Pepsi" and a semi-orchestrated All-Star game; not to talk of the crappy teams with no incentive to win games or the injury list.

Side note:
I actually started this post wanting to talk about the 3-way race between the Spurs, Rockets and the Blazers. The Blazers currently sit in the 4th spot however you have to wonder if the Spurs and Rockets will be jostling to meet the Blazers in the 1st Rd. I commend Portland for the success they have had this year but, still, I think they are definitely a beatable team. They (Blazers) will make a dream opponent for someone in the 1st round.

NBA needs to address this kind of competition. I hope they do that this offseason.

Unfinished Business

2009-04-08T06:58:00.004-04:00

With the old season(s) gone and the new season looming, I could not help revisiting the Unfinished Business archives.

TB12 just got his "traditional" wedding wrapped up, it is looking like the rehab is going okay and Cassel has been shipped to K.C. All of this is only paving the way for what will eventually become one of the biggest items to be tracked next season. I have appropriately coined it - UNFINISHED BUSINESS. This shoud be mounted all over the NE Patriots locker room, coaches' office(s), Stadium, Website,...everywhere! Moss, Brady, Plethora of RBs mixed together means one way or the other there will be a story in New England this upcoming season.

In my continuing effort to track this inevitable event and meeting of the minds, here is a tribute to TB12 and the reason my opinion in this post is justified:

(many thanks to newenglanddynasty from youtube for putting this together)

Smashing Rackets? Federer is having a mini crisis

2009-04-03T22:24:00.007-04:00

All you need to see is the picture and you quickly understand that something is afoot here. The sight of Roger Federer with a battered racket is something you can never really grip. This guy has been destroying all challengers with ease, precision and, Tom Brady-like poise that I think it was actually debatable whether or not he was a machine or some kind of android. To see him lose his cool versus Novak Djokovic is a truly profound and shocking. Federer in this match, a 6-3;2-6;3-6 loss, looked frustrated, dejected, confused, angry, sad, excited, and shocked. He pretty much ran through the gamut of emotions in this game and it is a scary development for the former #1 tennis player on the planet.

It seems like Federer is still in great shape (despite being 27) and there does not seem to be any doubt as to whether he can still play at the highest levels of Tennis; no doubt. It does seem however that Federer just does not have his confidence back. This guy lived on making some of the most impossible looking shots on the court look effortless and now it looks like he is trying to find his game again. Seems like recovering from a bout with Mono and having a child is the kryptonite to Mr. Federer's super human abilities. Hopefully Federer can bounce back from this mid-career crisis.

Joe D. Still The Man in Big D.

2009-04-03T21:14:00.003-04:00

There is a reason Joe Dumars has been successful all these years. He makes great decisions at the right time.

The Pistons have announced that Allen Iverson will be shut down for the remainder of the season. This is just a great decision. This does not diminish the Iverson trade any iota because Iverson is a a talent - who would not have wanted to have him on their roster? But whenever an injury comes into the fray that puts a new spin on things. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that the Pistons are in the middle of a push towards the Playoffs. Always a perennial contender, the last thing the Pistons or Iverson need is any disruption or disturbance to the peace in that locker room. Obviously A.I. wants to play, he is a great player in the final year of his contract and that is what you expect from a great player. If he had continued playing he would not be at a 100% and probably would not get playing time on a good Pistons squad (that has to be a cinderella in the Playoffs). It is a tough decision but Joe D. and the Pistons came through again. There should be no wonder why this team is always in the Playoffs every year. Good leadership always makes it easier to get things done without marginalizing people. I wish A.I. the best and I hope he does not retire. Hopefully he can now focus all his energy on rehabbing his injury (or injuries) and getting back to the A.I. that we all know and love to watch on the hardwood.

Allen Iverson wants to play

2009-04-03T02:23:00.002-04:00

I can relate to A.I. on this one. When you are used to playing a lot and hooked on making an impact in every game you play, it is really hard for it to all stop cold turkey (especially if it is due to an injury). It is like an uphill climb trying to fight off the injury especially if it a nagging-type injury like back pain.

I have been there. I went from back pain, to shot ankles and shot knees in a span of 2 years. Each injury becomes harder to rehab than the last one and eventually it becomes like a giant weight hanging on your shoulders. This is further exaggerated if you find yourself on a team that does not quite appreciate the sacrifice, commitment and effort you put in just to get back on the hardwood. No doubt the Pistons are trying to get into the Playoffs this year but you have to wonder how they expect to win once they get there if they do not have a healthy Iverson creating havoc for the opponent. Coach Curry might be shooting himself in the foot here - if Iverson is not ready to go then it is better to just shut the whole thing down and get him back on the trainer's table. The last thing the Pistons want is to marginalize a guy like A.I. who could win you a series or 2. Or else, you risk Iverson contemplating retirement already. And I am with him on that one, it is better to retire than watch all your talent and effort waste away on a team that does not appreciate the value you add to the team.

Hopefully, Curry shuts A.I. down for the rest of the season and give him the minutes when the Playoffs come around. As for A.I., there is nothing left to prove - anytime he decides to retire, he will go down as one of the best to have ever played the game and that is not bad at all.

Blogoriffic

2009-04-01T02:01:00.005-04:00

It used to be some years back that if you wanted to watch sports or a sporting event all you had to do was actually go to the game. You could go to the local stadium, gymnasium, school, field, and catch a good game with your friends or family. If you were a sports fanatic you could stay glued to the television watching hours upon hours of your favorite sport so you can learn every single detail about the sport you love; and then, you would manifest that love or passion you have in discussions with your friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, and anyone who is willing to share in the love-in. That is the spirit of sports. That is the magic of sports. It is in the social interaction, the identification, the exhilaration, the drama, the tension, the joy, the pain, the focus and, the sense of pride or accomplishment you get from it all. Sports are a quick metaphor for life and in its basic form is very, very pure.

I am obviously a sports fan, there is no doubt about that, but sometimes there is a need to explain to people why Blogging about sports news and events could be a valuable thing to do.

I enjoy listening the The BS Report (podcast) which features Bill Simmons. The semi-casual approach of that show allows for moments of hilarity, playfulness, reflection, discussion and good old time passage. This show is really just another form of Blogging in the sense that it is just another avenue for discussion outside of an actual sport or event of our interest. He recently skirted around some issues supposed sports journalism is facing today in the world of the internet, failing newspapers, and economies of scale organizations such as ESPN. I find the whole thing just fascinating and I have just one response to any of that rhetoric (good or bad).

The unifying thing here is the forum where people can come together to discuss all matters or issues that revolve around our sporting interests.

The popularity,variety and growth of all our sporting interests today is really what drives everything from the NEWS, to ESPN, to the Blogs, because we are all inherently competitive and we are all inherently social animals. 100 years ago it was not possible for someone to be 100 miles away from a sporting event and instantly send a message (or Tweet) to participant (say athlete) involved in the said event; but now it is very, very, very possible. These days I can be laying in bed (scratching my nether regions and eating chips) and then receive a Tweet from an athlete offering free tickets to fans to come and watch him/her put a competitive hurting on his/her opponent. How sensational is that? Imagine being able to receive a text message from Jackie Robinson to come and watch him play; how many people would want to be a part of that? Why should only newspapers own some kind of exclusive right to that too?? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Yes, the growth of the internet and the speed of dissemination of information is increasingly exponential; that is just the reality. No newspaper actually has exclusive right to every and all things that could be construed as NEWS (e.g. if an earthquake destroys all of California, does CNN have the right to be the 1st and only one to communicate that news? Obviously not).

So what does this all mean for media hoards (including the newspapers that are crying foul)? There seems to be this great fear of the thing that is unknown and the uncertainty (or skepticism) around the ability to generate income or making a living in journalism/NEWS. These people need to get real and be honest with themselves. If the dream and goal is to cover the news, then find a way to do just that; cover the news. Newspapers and large Media outlets like ESPN need to realize that time has changed and will continue to change forever. If your business has now changed into a large marketing and advertising firm as opposed to a NEWS or social outlet then you have no one else to blame but yourself. Most bloggers start out much the same way you started in your career - interests, need, opportunity and, providence. They should not have to give all of that up just so that you can better sell Nikes, Pepsi, Porn or a $5 footlong. If I can receive some sports related information via a Tweet/an email/Television/Radio/Internet or whatever media outlet why can I not discuss the content or post my opinion about the information on a Blog? It is not just your job to disseminate quality and accurate information but also to do it faster and more efficiently than the Blogosphere (i.e. if your interest is still in disseminating [sports] news and not in marketing commercial products or manipulating/monopolizing the newsmaking process and news itself).

Inspiration comes from everywhere; even from Space.

2009-03-30T02:02:00.005-04:00

There is an article on Steelers.com (by Theresa Varley) which tells an inspirational story of a Steelers faithful's (NASA Astronaut Mike Fincke's) support of the Black & Gold from the International Space Station. Yes, Steelers Nation is now officially out of this world. Being someone that is part of the Steelers Nation it is a very proud happenstance indeed and for all the youths out there I hope it is a great source of inspiration.

Fincke, commander of the Expedition 18 crew on the ISS, was able to watch the Steelers run in the Playoffs last season and even got to show his support prior to the AFC Championship game (against the Ravens) with a terrible towel wave from space; an event that has gone over well in Steeler Nation. Thanks to the Carniegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, in association with NASA, local students (and Steelers fans) as well as 2 of the members of the NFL Champion Pittburgh Steelers team, Chris Hoke and Brett Keisel, were able to have a conference with Fincke via video link. An event that no doubt will leave a lasting memory in the minds of all the participants. Here are some of the article's quote of the flabbergasted footballers:

Hoke:

“It was so cool to talk to a guy in the space station,” said Hoke. “When you were in the room you felt like you were there with him. He is a really cool guy. To ask questions and see what every day life like is for him is amazing. I kind of wish I was up there with him right now.”

Keisel:

“It’s amazing that he maybe knows who we are,” said Keisel. “These scientists do so much for everyone’s knowledge. That they know us and appreciate what we do and we can maybe provide some sort of entertainment for him is really neat. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to talk to him.”

“The greatest lesson Mike teaches all of us is to dream big,” said Keisel. “He came here when he was a little kid and dreamt about being an astronaut. He stuck with it. Went to school, did what it took and look where he is today.”
(Quotes from Steelers.com)

This is a very truly and inspirational event. In a world of sensationalist news and events, it is great to have one that is worthy of merit. Hopefully, his story can be a source of inspiration for kids who hear about it. A constant reminder that you can chase after your dreams and still have fun living life.

T.O. Sightings

2009-03-29T16:50:00.005-04:00

The Toronto Raptors showed up again versus the Chicago Bulls and they are tearing it up. As a Raptors fan this has to have been one of the abnormal seasons since the franchise came to T.O.: 1st the head coach gets canned, then players start to go down like flies, then the effort becomes laxed (Defense, Rebounds, Steals, Efficiency all goes down) and then J.O (and Moon) were shipped off - thankfully - and Marion was acquired (Pops Mensah-Bonsu also acquired). In the process the Raptors went from Contenders to Pretenders but have now finally put it all together to become a Cinderella (Spoiler) team. They might not be Playoff bound but they are tearing it up right now and coming together well as a team. Challengers beware.

Here is the rub:

3 of the games in current winning streak has come at versus sub-par non-playoff teams. The win over Chicago was the only one over a Playoff team; and, all 4 games have been home games.

The team roster is somewhat uncertain for the near future. While the Raptors are not exactly a rebuilding team and should be able to retain players, there might be a player or 2 that is not brought back. The biggest question mark is what will Chris Bosh do? With the much anticipated 2010 free agent frenzy looming, the Toronto Raptors and Bosh have to come to an agreement soon (hopefully, this offseason so it does not become an issue next season). CB4 is a Raptor. I know I pick on his defense but Jose Calderon needs to be a Raptor too; same as Marion (although that huge contract is scaaaaarrry), Pops, Bargnani and either Parker or Kapono.

The city of Toronto is absolutely ready to get behind a team. It has been a while since we had a serious contender in Toronto and you can just feel the anticipation in the air. T.O. is a big city, a beautiful and an exciting place to live; it is about time we have another great team. Hey, even the Buffalo Bills are embracing T.O. and there was a T.O. (Terrell Owens! Popcorn and all) sighting at the Chicago game today. Sweet! Last year there were rumours floating around town about the possibilities for the Bills to move to Toronto (imagine if that happens!!! This city would go nuts!!!). Despite being a Steelers guy the thought of the Bills (NFL) moving to Toronto is too sexy to not get excited about. The Raptors have the fans attention right now and really should take advantage. This upcoming NBA offseason should be fun.

The Raptors really need to have a great draft this year. They can not afford to draft a "project". Whoever they draft has to be ready to come in and contribute right away. One area they need to address is the Small Forward position but the main emphasis should be drafting the best guy available (regardless of position).

Andrea Bargnani, Andrea Bargnani! This guy is showing flashes of being a really good NBA player and I think he really needs to work this offseason to polish his game (a la Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash a few seasons ago). This should be part of the agenda. I really like this guy's potential despite his lack of a defensive presence.

All in all the Raptors are extinct no more and, if they keep playing like this, should be exciting to watch down the stretch. The next game is in Orlando versus the Magic (a road game) and it should be a good test for the resurgent Raptors.

Meet Jeremy Maclin

2009-03-27T06:01:00.002-04:00

A lot of people do not know about Jeremy Maclin, the 20 year old Sophomore (would-be Junior) from Missouri, but they will in a few months. This guy is probably the most dynamic runner since Michael Vick was in the league. I think he is that good.

Look at him on film there is no question that this guy is physically ready to bring his game to the Professional level. One of my theories about Kick/Punt return freaks at the collegiate level is that this is a pretty good indication of how good a ("skilled" - WR/CB/RB/FB/QB/SS) player can be at the next level - e.g. Wes Welker or even Lance Moore - and in the case of Jeremy Maclin, the guy is a pure athletic gem:

This guy is pure speed and explosiveness. I remember watching that Falcons-Vikings OT game where Mike Vick broke out that ridiculous run to win the game and the more video I see of Jeremy Maclin, the more I am convinced that this guy might be just about as close as it gets. He has that rare combination of speed, elusiveness and explosivenss which just confounds the mind. He shoots out of his routes with so much power and decisiveness; his hands are not bad either (he finished last year with 102 catches, a Missouri University record). His combined return TDs are also Missouri Tigers records - 3 Career punt return TDs and 2 Career kick-off return TDs. Did I mention that this guy is only 20 years old?!!

He is currently projected to go in the Top 10 of this year's NFL Draft and I would bet he will be in the Top 5. He is probably the closest thing to a sure thing in the draft pool. The sad (ironic) part is that the Lions have wasted so many picks on WRs in the past and now that there is a bonafide WR in the draft pool, they are going to be too snake-bit to dip in that proverbial jar again. The 8th pick belongs to the Jacksonville Jaguars but I will not be surprised if Maclin is drafted 2nd by the St. Louis Rams - he is just that good. Vick has the added dimension of being a QB (with a ridiculously strong arm) but otherwise, I would put Maclin right there with MV7.

Hopefully, that is where the similarities end. I fully expect Maclin to be one of (if not) the top Rookie for the upcoming season; and with Vick possibly returning next season, it makes for some exciting highlight reels.

Jeremy Maclin. Get familiar.

Smashmauf!

Regards to Mr. Moats. "Sorry For Your Loss"

2009-03-27T04:22:00.003-04:00

The video pretty much speaks for itself. I am very disappointed and angry over this so you can imagine just how angered the Moats family must be right now. The whole incident is thoroughly uncalled for and I hope justice is enacted in this case. This kind of Police attitude (abuse) should never be tolerated.

To the Moats, Sorry for your loss. This was truly a tragic event and is totally devoid of any rhyme or reason. I hope they are able to move past this and honour their lost one.

Knickerboxers, Ewing and, Van Gundy...

2009-03-25T20:28:00.002-04:00

There has to be something to the Stan Van Gundy critic of the NY Knicks over the empty Ewing tributes but Stan needs to tread softly on his argument. While he might as well be 100% correct in his assessment the fact remains that the Knicks can hire anyone they want, whether is Isaiah Thomas or Mike D'Antoni. There is no obligation to hire Ewing as a coach.

I do not believe that Knicks are unwilling to find Ewing a coaching job in NY but I do believe that a head coaching job might be quite a ways away for the ex-player. The NY market continues to be very dynamic and even more critical than Van Gundy or Ewing combined. The D'Antoni hire so far as turned out to be the right choice for the Knicks after enduring the aches and pains of the previous regime.

Besides, why would Ewing want to leave a great situation in Miami to coach a disfunctional Knick team? For a guy who did not win a title during his playing years I would think he would want to work for a winning organization for a change.

Smashmauf!

Bracket Busters

2009-03-21T01:32:00.003-04:00

The 1st round started off yesterday with relatively few surprises. In fact, arguably, the only real surprise of the day was the Michigan upset of Clemson (which deserves the below for the Maize & Blue fans):

There you go Marco.

Today has been anything but tame as the upsets that personify March Madness has officially begun:

Siena upset Ohio St. 74-72 (ruining my "sweet predictions"; I wonder if anyone can possibly predict all the games - if you know anyone that has then point them in my direction);

Wisconsin defeated Florida State 61-59;

and, the biggest upset of all, Wake Forest tanked/bowed out to Cleveland St., 84-69. Damn?!! Let the madness begin.

Noteworthy though: It's weird but Bill Simmons predicted that Cleveland st. would win that game and his reasoning was that teams out of Cleveland are going through noticeable transitions right now (Browns, Cavaliers, etc) so it was not a far stretch that Cleveland St. would upset Wake. Seems like a weird reasoning but hey, it actually happened. Weird.

Smashmauf!

Sweet Predictions

2009-03-17T23:38:00.006-04:00

With the NCAA tournament officially kicking off on Thursday (Moorehead beat Alabama St. in the play-in game for the 64th seed), I decided it was time to share some of my predictions for the tournament and it all points to an exciting Tournament:

Round of 32: (projected winner is italized)

MIDWEST:
Louisville vs. Ohio State
Arizona vs. Wake Forest
W. Virginia vs. Kansas
USC vs. Michigan State

EAST:
Pittsburgh vs. Oklahoma State
Florida State vs. Xavier
UCLA vs. Villanova
Minnesota vs. Duke

SOUTH:
UNC vs. LSU
Illinois vs. Gonzaga
Temple vs. Syracuse
Clemson vs. Oklahoma

WEST:
UCONN vs. Texas A&M
Purdue vs. Washington
Marquette vs. Mizzou
Maryland vs. Memphis

Sweet 16:

MIDWEST:
Ohio State vs. Wake Forest
Kansas vs. USC

EAST:
Pittsburgh vs. Florida State
Villanova vs. Duke

SOUTH:
UNC vs. Gonzaga
Syracuse vs. Oklahoma

WEST:
UConn vs. Washington
Marquette vs. Memphis

Elite 8:

MIDWEST:
Ohio State vs. USC

EAST:
Pittsburgh vs. Duke

SOUTH:
UNC vs. Syracuse

WEST:
UConn vs. Memphis

Final 4:

Ohio State vs. Duke
UNC vs. UConn

Championship:

Duke vs. UNC (2009 Champion)

Smashmauf!

Automatic Bids & Top 25

2009-03-15T17:44:00.003-04:00

The Automatic Bids for March Madness are finally in place. It is arguable that some of the top 25 teams did not really have any incentive to win their respective conference tournaments but that does not diminish the value of earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship tournament starting March 17th.

So without further adieu, here are the 2009 Conference Champions:

1. Cornell (Ivy League)
2. Purdue (Big 10)
3. Duke (ACC)
4. Tennesse (SEC)
5. Akron (MAC)
6. Alabama State (SWAC)
7. Utah (Mountain West)
8. Temple (Atlantic 10)
9. Stephen F. Austin (Southland)
10. CS Northridge (Big West)
11. Missouri (Big 12)
12. Morgan State (MEAC)
13. Memphis (Conference-USA)
14. Utah St. (WAC)
15. Louisville (Big East)
16. Binghampton (American East)
17. Northern Iowa (Mississippi Valley)
18. East Tennessee St. (Atlantic Sun)
19. Robert Morris (NEC)
20. Morehead St. (Ohio Valley)
21. Portland St. (Big Sky)
22. American U (Patriot)
23. Radford (Big South)
24. Chattanooga (Southern)
25. VCU (Colonial)
26. North Dakota State (Summit)
27. West Kentucky (Sun Belt)
28. Cleveland St. (Horizon)
29. Gonzaga (West Coast)
30. Siena (MAAC)
31. USC (Pac-10)

* Notable performances: Duke, USC, Louisville and, Stephen F. Austin.

That fills 31 out of the 65 spots available for March Madness. In order to fill out the remaining 34 spots it is best to note the top 25 teams which did not win their conferences as they will be in the Tournament:

32. U. North Carolina
33. Pittsburgh
34. U. Connecticut
35. Oklahoma
36. Michigan State
37. Wake Forest
38. Villanova
39. Kansas
40. Washington
41. UCLA
42. Butler
43. Clemson
44. Syracuse
45. Xavier
46. LSU
47. Marquette
48. Florida State U.
49. Arizona St.
50. BYU

* Notables: UNC, Pittsburgh, UConn and Kansas

That leaves 15 more spots for teams like:
Illinois, California, Texas, Boston College, Creighton, Minnesota, Ohio State and California.

The final announcement should be made soon by the NCAA Committee. Right now one thing is for sure though, this year's tournament is going to be CRAZY!

Smashmauf!

In-game: Raptors Watch

2009-03-15T13:00:00.010-04:00

Okay I am taking some time off Championship Week to take in the Raptors play the Pacers this afternoon. This is a, for sure, winnable game so I am curious to see how they approach the game:

Slow start to the game and not surpringly Bargnani has come out firing in the 1st quarter. I wish I could say this will matter at the end of the game but the fact show that the Raps know how to collapse in the 4th quarter of games. Quick notes though: Pops is playing well, Kapono is shooting today, Marion is no where to be found and Calderon's defense is non-existent.

Quarter of the way into the 2nd Qtr:
Pops and Kapono are still going strong (Bargnani is on the bench so there is no offense right now). AP is so disappointing. One thing though, Triano has Graham on Granger (and this should be a crime); suddenly Granger is looking to destroy the matchup - it is the whole "mouse in the house" thing. This is a mismatch that favors Indiana. The Raptors are not getting good offense from Bosh right now, he is settling for too many jumpers. Rebounding is great, the pace of the game is great but the effort is lacking right now for the Raps.

Closing the 2nd:
The Raps seem to be imploding. For the life of me, I cannot tell what Calderon is doing on defense. Each Pacer possession it seems like they are playing 5 on 4. It is a travesty.
Good set out of the break for CB4 though and that seems to have gotten him into this game. They need more low post sets for him today.

Bargnani is a lot better than people (me included) give him credit for, he is carrying the Raptors right now.

53-50 Raps at the half but it is looking very deceptive. Calderon needs to play better defense in the 2nd half as it looks like the Pacers are going to run more off the ball screens to get him in a mismatch. He needs to jump out at the switch when he ends up high or one of the bigs (Bosh/Bargnani/Pops/even Marion) need to rotate faster off the ball to make the defensive stop. Marion and Parker have been non-existent this game. My prediction is that this game is going to come down to effort and defense. Troy Murphy, Granger and, Ford look poised to run the 3 man sets in the 2nd half.

It is looking like T.J. Ford vs. the Raptors but Bargnani is answering the challenge. I still cannot tell what Calderon is doing on defense (he just looks lost all the time) but his offensive production has been consistent since the end of the 1st quarter. Marion just looks like he does not want to be here; he is just not there at all - he just shot a fadeaway airball that went OVER the rim.

Halfway(3Qtr):
Sloppy play by the Pacers (overdribbling by T.J.) has led to a couple of fast-breaks which ended up in Marion getting some sweet dunks. He sure runs the break very well. Granger and Murphy have not done much so far this half but the Raptors effort seems to have gone up so that might explain it. Bargnani is a monster right now still.

Ford looks determined to beat the Raptors by himself much to the detriment of his team.

90-69 Raptors to end the 3rd Quarter. T.J. Ford should not see the court again, he single-handedly killed the Pacers in the 3rd. Great finish for the Raptors though, it looks like Bosh is going again and with Bargnani on the bench the Raptors should be able to close this one out in the 4th. Should, could, would still does not get it done though; I am looking for a solid finish in the 4th.

4th Quarter:
It's the Pops Mensah-Bonsu show! Everyone is looking for the guy right now and he seems to have breath new life into the Raptors this quarter. He is a beast!!
As predicted, T.J. Ford as been banquished. He should be reprimanded for that atrocious 3rd quarter.
Pat O'Bryant just checked in...hopefully, he has some energy; he has that deer-in-the-headlight aura right now. It is a free-for-all with the Raps right now.

Good game, great finish. It is a Pops lovefest in Toronto right now; wish he had been acquired earlier this season. Looks like we have a new Raptor in town.

Smashmauf!

WAC's Luke Babbitt

2009-03-14T04:39:00.006-04:00

Here is a guy who can make a name for himself this year if his team gets into the Tourney:

MR. LUKE BABBITT (Nevada)
6-9 Freshman; 16.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg;
.464 fg%, .431 3pt%, .853 ft%;
32.5 mins/g

Nevada plays Utah St. tonight at 10pm(WAC Championship Tourney)
(Hopefully the back-to-back-to-back does not hurt their chances at a bid)

Any Takers for Lance Moore??

2009-03-14T01:22:00.003-04:00

What is going on with the NFL? How come there is no heavy demand for Lance Moore right now? It does not make any sense to me; especially considering all the teams that could use a guy like Lance Moore right now.

It is sad to say this (and I know part of it is speculation) but probably the best thing to happen to the Saints last season was the injury to Marques Colston because it allowed for everyone to see just how talented Moore really is on the football field. The Eagles are one team that are in desperate need of a quality receiving corp so it is really shocking that they are not making any move for Moore. Maybe they are holding out for Torry Holt or Quan.

Speaking of Holt, I still think he is a game breaking wideout and it is really interesting waiting to see which team lands his services for the next season. With the OTAs fast approaching, you have to wonder just how long he will be a free agent. (My guess is that he will find a home faster than Quan.) As good as Q is I just do not see how the Cardinals could let him slip past their grasps. No doubt they want to see what is going on with Breaston first before committing to Q for the long-term, but, 3 quality receivers are still better than 2. I digress though...

...back to Lance Moore. Even though he is a restricted free agent right now, I think teams should definitely be trying to acquire him right now while his value is relatively low. The longer they play goose, the higher the price they will have to pay to pursue him at a future date. He has that Wes Welker magic about him right now and he is definitely a safe bet at WR.

What-If Scenario...

2009-03-11T01:49:00.008-04:00

Practice?! Practice?! We're talking about Practice?! (Hahaha). Allen Iverson killed me with those words. Even now, I can still remember him at the podium with this befuddled look on his face and I suspect I will continue to do so into the forseeable future. Only basket-ball could give us such rhetoric.

But then I got to thinking about the fella we all comfortably know by "The Answer" and I wondered, "how would The Answer have performed if he had different coaches?". (yeah I know, I have too much time....but still, it is an interesting question. We all know Larry Brown is a great coach, one of the G.O.A.T. in our lifetime but LB also has a team concept about his coaching philosophies. Coach Larry Brown's system usually does not work to favor one particular player's statistics but it does usually improve a team's performance. So I got to thinking, how would AI have performed in a wild open system? One that really accentuates individual (and sometimes team) statistics. 2 Coaches immediately came to mind, Coach Karl and Mike D'Antoni. The 1st nominee already has history with Iverson that we can use as a yard stick and by all accounts it is fair to say that the AI-Karl association was a failed endeavour (especially considering the recent trade and subsequent relegation to bench-warmer for the Pistons). That leaves me with the latter: Coach D'Antoni.

After watching, versus the Bucks, Nate (Krypto-Nate??) Robinson put up 32 pts, 7 asts, 4 stls on 10-17 shooting(32mins); Larry Hughes put up 39 pts! 6 Rebs, 2 asts, 4 stls on 13-20 shooting (42mins); and, David Lee put up 19 pts, 18Rebs on 7-10 shooting (36mins); you have to wonder what Allen Iverson's stat line would have read. I am guessing something like, 60 pts, 6 Rebs, 5stls, 10 asts on 22-30 shooting in 42mins. I am just saying...

Smashmauf!

The Nitty Gritty Review

2009-03-09T08:40:00.003-04:00

Jazz:

Kudos and congratulations to Deron and the Jazz for their resiliency versus the Raptors yesterday afternoon. They could have easily folded under the pressure of riding a 10-game winning streak into The Big Smoke but they responded with a strong 4th quarter to secure another win; their 11th in a row. Contrary to the notion that winning should get easier as you continue to get more notches under your proverbial belt, it actually gets harder to win games. The team riding the good fortune becomes the hunted and their opponent becomes the aggressor; so for 3 quarters the Raptors gave the Jazz a good run for their good fortune. With the win, the Jazz squad further solidifies their position as a playoff team and an outside contender for the Championship Trophy this year.

Raptors:

On the other side of things, the Raptors came into the March 8th game with a 4 game losing streak and for 3 quarters they fought valiantly. The team finally seems to be coming together (on the court) and the competition level has definitely picked up. There is no denying that they are a much better team now than 2 months ago. Unfortunately, the good play has not translated into wins yet for the Dynos. Being some one that plays a lot of basketball and loves the sport, my experience leads me to be a bit worrisome of the upcoming offseason. After a weird season by the Raps which started with high hopes, decending into confusion, resulting in losses and then a return to competitiveness, it is easy for management to be seeking an easy button (not to talk of the players). I think right now the Raptors have a good core of players and need to have a good offseason this year (drafting talent, keeping their core intact & signing key free agent[s]) to return to the playoffs.

Bosh, Bargnani, Marion, Pops, Calderon, Kapono and Anthony Parker should be brought back (although, Marion's contract desperately needs to be re-done). I like the O'Bryant pickup as well. In the offseason they need to address getting some veteran influence in the locker room (someone that will not cannibalize the development of Bosh and Bargnani), having a solid draft this year (there is so much talent for the taking this year) and, clear-cut goals have to be outlined for next season. Everyone has to buy in. Basketball, like most team sport, requires everybody to be on the same page in terms of having a shared team goal that supercedes individualism. The goals have to be getting at least 41 wins next season, having a winning home record, winning the rebounding battles, buying into a defensive concept/mindset, winning games after losses, beating any team that has a below .500 record, averaging over 20 team assists per game, reducing turnovers, winning the free throw battle every game and winning the FG% differential versus opponents. Having goals like these will give the team the identity it needs to get to the next level.

The game versus the Jazz shows how much talent the Raptors have and it also shows how inexperienced they are down the stretch. Kirilenko got a few ticky-tack (borderline suspicious) calls late in that 4th quarter and the Raptors proceeded to fold for the remainder of the game. Also, Bargnani's aggressiveness seemingly disappeared. These are troublesome occurrences indeed. With 18 games left there is hope the Raptors will start to address these issues and finish strong this year. One game at a time.

Funny side note:

For a split second right after the game, it looked like Deron Williams was pissed off at the Raptors fans for cheering a meaningless dunk by AP at the end of the game. I thought that was hilarious. Still, I felt much the same at the time too. I mean, I love the Raptors but I do not see any justification for that cheer after a painful loss like that. The only thing that matters is wins and losses; not dunks. Get it right fans - but keep cheering.

Smashmauf!

Buffalo Forks Bills to T.O.

2009-03-07T19:23:00.003-05:00

That is right, all is right again in the Football world. A few days ago Terrell Owens was surprisingly (well I was shocked by the) cut from the Dallas Cowboys despite the large contract ($34 Million for 4 year) deal last year.

Every Joe-Blow-Six-Pack has something negative to say about Terrell Owens and this is very appalling. The guy is an incredible talent and all he does is compete. T.O. has been a fairly good citizen of the sporting world anytime he has been away from the gridiron. For one, he did not go to Cabo with his girlfriend just before the biggest game of his life - Tony Romo did that. T.O. did not drop the crucial passes against the Giants in their last playoff game - Patrick Crayton did that. T.O. did not draw up ridiculously impotent offensive plays versus the Eagles that final regular season game - Jason Garrett did that. T.O. did not leak news to the somewhat suspect Ed Werner - an "unknown" person within the Cowboys organization did that. I can go on and on about this thing. Yes, T.O. can be a loud-mouth. I will even go as far as to call him the ultimate loud-mouth. The guy (thus far) had not seen a juicy story not worth speaking on. He never learnt how to be "diplomatic" in the sporting sense. Yes! Yes! Yes! and Still... the guy is a ridiculous athlete, terrific gamer, uber confident competitor and a future Hall of Famer. You do not get to become any of those things without having discipline - more discipline that most of us who do our best to discredit the more positive things Terrell has offered us over the year.

Well, guess what? T.O. just signed a deal with the Buffalo Bills that is worth a reported $6.5million guaranteed for a year. Automatically, making the AFC East even more competitive. Anyone that thinks this is not a win-win-win situation is delusional. The Bills will more than make a profitable return on their investment - tickets sales definitely will rise next season. The Bills fans will get their popcorns ready because "it's going to be a show". And...T.O. gets paid. The only real losers are the teams who did not act fast enough to sign Terrell Owens. How many teams would now loved to have signed Owens at such a discount price?? The guy is an absolute beast!!

Get your popcorn ready Bills fans because it's going to be a show.

Smashmauf!

Interesting Perspective from Chris Cooley

2009-03-06T00:07:00.004-05:00

Chris Cooley recently posted his opinion of the Jason Taylor incident (JT got released by the Washington Redskins) and it is just brilliant. When the news of the Taylor release came out I was very surprised because it happened after the Haynesworth acquisition. My take (and I am sure a lot of people might have thought the same) was that the acquisition would have made the 'skins' D-Line a formidable one with great run stoppers and an established pass rusher. That in itself makes the Jason Taylor release a strange one for me; and now, C. Cooley's candid interpretation makes it even stranger. I agreed though, JT must have his reasons - they are just strange. Personally, I would workout for 50 days straight if someone agreed to pay me $100 per workout since I am one of the unfortunate many who actually pay someone else to allow me the opportunity to workout. I cannot imagine passing up being paid $12,820 per workout. It makes no sense to me why anyone would pass this up (agreed I am not Jason Taylor).

Check out the post on Chris Cooley's official blog: http://chriscooley47.blogspot.com/2009/03/jt-hates-money.html

smashmauf!

Offseason, Free Agents, Feeding Frenzy

2009-03-03T01:42:00.010-05:00

First off, I have to give kudos to the NFL Players Association and the NFL for the clear language and presentation of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement; hopefully a re-newed agreement can be reached by 2011 to keep the league as fair and competitive as possible.

This offseason has been pretty interesting to say the least. There has been some interesting transactions so far that have the potential to change the competitive landscape going into next season. Here are some of the current activities:

It looks like Tom Brady is on track with his rehabilitation (but who really knows). One thing is clear though, Giselle Bunchen is a fox. Way to go man!

BIG NAMES:

Albert Haynesworth got a great deal from the Redskins regardless of how many years he does end up playing with the 'skins - it is a really good deal for the big fella. I know a lot of people are going to criticize the deal but the reality is that every defense needs a big stopper on defense. It is a prerequisite in today's NFL. Yes, it is a ballooned deal. Yes, it was shamelessly hyped and glorified by all parties involved. Yes, the world economy is in the toilet. Yes! Yes! Yes! But..., the fact remains that he was the best DT available in all the NFL. The real question is how the Titans let the situation deteriorate to the point that Haynesworth was a free agent this year?? They are at fault. If other players have a problem then they need to sit at the table about putting something into a CBA for 2012/2013. Side Note: Jason Taylor just got cut from the 'skins (that needs to be monitored).

J.J. Arrington to the Broncos. I don't know why BUT I really like this deal. I still think Peyton Hillis should get the nod as the #1 once camp starts but I like the possibility of having Hillis, Buckhalter, Arrington and Young in the same backfield. The Stallions could do a lot of damage next season. Expect one of these guys to win out.

Brian Dawkins to the Broncos. Again, another good deal. Yes, he can be very emotional BUT the real value with be in that locker room. He is well respected everywhere. Philadelphia fans should take this as a sign that the Eagles are in rebuilding mode and the owners are delusional if they disagree. McNabb needs to find a way to get on the Vikings; ASAP.

Jon Kitna to the Cowboys. This means Michael Vick is NOT going to the cowboys. It also means that the leash on Tony Romo has just been shortened. Overall, it is a great deal. Kitna brings is just the right mentor for a guy like Tony Romo. He has done it before with Carson Palmer and now he is in a prime position to mentor Romo. He has had consecutive 4,000 yard seasons and he has worked with Roy Williams in the past. Great deal for the hapless Cowboys.

Marvelous Matt Cassel to the Chiefs. Yes, once that nickname carries over remember that you read it here 1st. I got sold on Tyler Thigpen last year after his courageous play down the stretch for the Indians but I would still take Cassel over Thigpen right now. (BTW, I have both guys on my fantasy team so I am still hoping Thigpen gets traded to Tampa Bay but there is a fat chance that will happen this offseason). Chiefs still have a lot of holes to address but I would put them at the 7-9 or 8-8 mark for next season purely on the Cassel acquisition.

Fred Taylor to the Patriots. With Lamont Jordan looking for work with the Cardinals, I would call this a considerable upgrade for the Pats. Even if Brady regresses in his comeback, having Taylor, Morris, Maroney and Ellis-green in the backfield gives the Pats enough balance on offense. Taylor also has the added benefit of being a potential game breaker. I love this deal.

Bucs released Derrick Brooks. INSANE thing to do really but that is their perogative. This means Brooks and Lewis are still on the market right now. I suspect the same teams must be trying to sign both guys. Both bring instant leadership to the locker room. Brooks is suited to the Tampa 2 school of play while Lewis is more of a 3-4 guy. Still, any 3-4 defense that can boast BOTH Brooks and Lewis as the Mikes would be ridiculously stout. I can't wait to see where these guys end up - Baltimore is a possibility (call it "One Last Dance" for all you sentimentalists).

Marvin Harrison released. I can not say I did not see this one coming. It was bound to happen sooner or later. The Manning-Harrison combo was not enough to get over the hump for so many years and, despite finally winning the Lombardi Trophy, Harrison has gotten slowed down by his knee injury (just picture Javon Walker). I still think he's a great player and I do not even want to imagine him as a slot receiver - he woud still be deadly (a la Jerry Rice in his last couple years with the Raiders). I can see him ending up on the....PATRIOTS! That would be the biggest news if it happened.

Lance Moore. Unfortunately, Moore has not played up to 6 years in the league and under the CBA that makes him a restricted free agent. The Saints have offered him money so that means to acquire him a team will have to give up at least a 2nd round pick. He could be a good deal for just about any team out there if they are willing to match/trade. Philly/Arizona/KC/Patriots/Colts could use a guy of this calibre. The Saints seem to be holding out for LaDanian Tomlinson for some odd reason.

Houshmanzilly, Houshurmama...okay, okay. Houshmandzadeh to the Seahawks. This is a weird deal for me. It seems more money driven than anything. I would have thought he would be better suited for the Eagles. All I know is that Housh is on the trading block on my fantasy team next year.

Meet Patrick White:

2009-02-25T07:04:00.009-05:00

Just a few days ago, Patrick White stepped into the relative spotlight of the NFL Combine carrying the burden of constant criticism of his arm strength, height "deficiency", QB vision, leadership and ability to play Football at the next level only to completely blow away all the scouts. The unanimous steal of a prospect at the combine this year (in my opinion) has to be, without a doubt, Mr. Patrick White.

So who is Patrick White?

Start by considering his latest body of work from the most recent NFL Scouting Combine at Indianapolis (here is the assessment from The NFL Network):

The guys is a pure specimen and NFL ready right now, whether it is going to be at QB or at RB or at WR; or even on special teams. The guy has all the tools you look for in an athletic QB-slash prospect.

The story of Pat White goes back to his days as an athlete living in Daphne, Alabama. While at Daphne, White was a 2-sport athlete who excelled in both the game of Football and that of Baseball. As a baseball star at Daphne High School, White was a part of 2 State Championship teams in 2001 and 2002. As a Football player he excelled as Scrambling QB rushing for 1905yds and 31 TDs while passing for 1488yds and 15 TDs; he was also 1st string 6A All-State.

As impressive as these accomplishments are Pat White turned down a contract to play from the Anaheim Angels (Major League Baseball) to pursue a football career at West Virginia University where his star has blossomed.

Exhibit A: Pat White's WVU QB Profile

The guy exudes a coolness and level-headedness that really plays well at the professional level. There is no doubt this guy is a consummate Pro.
During his stay at WVU White dominated the NCAA Football arena. His amateur career is nothing short of stellar and the proof is in the pudding (which he fed to opponents every Saturday).

Exhibit B: NCAA Football Accomplishments

6th highest career victories (42 wins vs. 9 losses)
Most Bowl Championships won
Most Rushing Yards by a QB
Most Touchdowns in the Big East Conference
2nd player with 4000+ Rushing yards and 5,000+ Passing yards
2007 Gator Bowl MVP (Defeated an Oklahoma team that had Adrian Peterson)
2008 Fiesta Bowl MVP
2008 Meineke Bowl MVP
2009 Senior Bowl MVP
2009 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (to the most outstanding Senior QB in College Football - joining the likes of Rodney Peete, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinert and Matt Ryan who have all won the award in the past)

The legend of Pat White continues to grow. Ordinarily it would not even be a question about what White can bring to the NFL as a QB however coaches and scouts are moderately concerned about his 6'1 (most likely 6'0), 192lbs frame and how it will hold up in the NFL. This might drop him down into the 2nd round in the NFL draft coming up a few weeks from now. If that happens he will undoubtedly become a great asset to his employer and I would not be surprised if he ends the next season as the Rookie of the year. I am a firm believer in drafting for talent and with so many teams in need of a quality signal caller, his value might rise even more as we approach draft day.

In closing, here is a final excerpt and interview of White during his Senior run at WVU...

If that does not show potential then there is no such thing as potential. He is a baller.

Smashmauf!

Marching Towards The Asylum

2009-02-24T13:33:00.016-05:00

We are only a few days off from March; mere days from the craziness we all know simply as, March Madness. Every year the Big Dance comes around and we all lose our minds trying to predict the eventual victor. Good times.

For those who are not well versed, this is how it is going down:

March 17th, 2009: March madness officially kicks off with Open Round play (top 64 teams)

March 19-22nd, 2009: The 1st and 2nd Rounds are played (Top 32, Sweet 16)

March 26th-29th, 2009: The Regionals games are played (Elite 8)

April 4th-6th, 2009: The Final Four games are played

April 6th: The NCAA Men's Div. 1 B-ball Tournament championship game is played

So which teams are going to the Big Dance?

65 teams actually qualify for the tournament (the regular season winner in the Ivy League gets an automatic berth) and the bottom 2 teams have a playoff to round the field to 64

31 teams automatically qualify by winning their conference (tournaments)

34 teams are selected by an NCAA Selection Committee

All together there are 9.2 quintillion possible combinations

Here are my choices/predictions for the automatic bids:

Ivy League: Cornell seems to have this in the bag already; although you have to keep an eye out for Princeton. Both teams are the only ones with a positive +/- within the conference.

American East: My money is on Vermont pulling through this conference. BU is the dark horse.

ACC: The craziest of all the conferences. Really, "anyone" can make it out of this conference. My money is on UNC pulling this out (too much experience on this squad with Hansborough leading the way). The dark horse has to be Maryland after their thrilling overtime win over UNC. Vasquez made me a believer with his Triple Double performance because that is really hard to do in College. Maryland is also 4-1 versus top 25 teams.

Big East: My favorite of all the conferences. UConn (and Hasheem Thabeet) appear to be a sure lock to make it out of this conference but I can not wait until the conference tournament to start. All these teams are really good; Louisville is the not-so-dark horse.

Atlantic 10: This is another competitive conference but I like Temple to prevail and they are also the dark horse of this conference.

Big South: Crappy conference but I like Liberty to pull through. If someone from this conference wins the Championship, blue pigs will start flying through the sky.

Big Sky: Weber State

Big Ten: You have to love the fight in the Illini, I am going with Illinois baby! Okay, before early dementia starts to set in, Illinois plays tough defense and that wins ball games. There is no dark horse in this conference though, competition is pretty tight; the closest thing to a dark horse is Ohio State.

Big 12 Conference: The home of the media favorite, Blake Griffin (Oklahoma). I am not sold though; not after the weak showing versus Texas. My favorite to pull through this conference is Kansas with OKU being on the outside. Missouri has an exciting team but they will have rebounding problems so it is a short-lived euphoria.

Big West: Not-so-impressive conference. I like Pacific to win this.

Colonial Athletic Association: George Mason. Northeastern is the dark horse.

Conference USA: MEMPHIS!!! This team is on a serious, serious roll - 18 games and counting. Definitely keep an eye out for the seeding once it is set by the NCAA Selection Committee because barring top competition from the likes of Uconn, Duke or UNC, I like Memphis to continue their streak all the way to the NCAA Championship game. Yes, you heard it here first. No dark horses because there are so many good teams in this conference.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference: Although Siena is the favorite here, I like Niagara to pull out the upset in Conference and earn a bid.

Mid-American West: I like Akron to pull through this conference; Kent State is my dark horse.

Mid-Eastern Athletic: Morgan State ought to pull through.

Missouri Valley: This is another really close conference but Creighton should be able to pull through. Illinois State is my dark horse.

Northeast: I like Mount St. Mary's to win out in this conference.

Ohio Valley: Tennessee-Martin.

Pac-10: Another tough conference especially with the re-emergence of USC. Still I think you have go with Arizona State to win out in this conference. There are 2 dark horses in this conference - California and UCLA.

Patriot League: American University.

SEC: LSU! LSU! LSU! We all know that they have tapeworms in their bellies. They are always hungry and we do not need a big baby to tell us that.

Southern: Yes! The home of the national sensation, the "next Reggie Miller-maybe", Stephen Curry. I think you have to go with Davidson.

Southland: This is another less-than-stellar conference. Stephen F. Austin makes the biggest case for being the winner of this conference; but do not count out Texas-San Antonio (they are flying under the radar, know they might be able to earn a berth if they win the conference, so they have the most to gain)

Southwest Athletic: Senior Brandon Brooks leads Alabama State this year and I would not bet against them coming out of this division.

Sun Belt: West. Kentucky (dark horse => Arkansas-Little Rock)

West Coast: Perennial "Cinderella" Gonzaga should be able to get to the Big Dance but they have a reputation for being soft down the stretch so definitely keep an eye on their competition. St. Mary's is the dark horse.

WAC: Utah State

Independents: This conference is a mess. There are 6 competitive teams who really have a chance but out of that 6 South Dakota definitely takes the cake. They should be able to win out in this otherwise "weak" conference.

Mountain West: Expect competition for the conference crown to come right down to the wire. The top 4 teams, BYU, Utah, UNLV and, San Diego State (Yes! I excluded New Mexico - no chance) have a chance to take it. I like San Diego State but only as a dark horse, top billing has to go to Utah.

Horizon League: Butler is the leader of the pack and should remain that way. The dark horse here is Cleveland State.

Atlantic Sun: Go Jacksonville!

Summit League: North Dakota State with Oral Roberts as the dark horse in this weak conference.

Hopefully this gets you an early jump on March Madness. To go further you will have to dig further into the competitive conferences to see who might have success at the next level. Obviously, you can not count out vested teams like UNC, Memphis, UConn, OKU and even Davidson. This year though, keep a look out for the teams chosen by the NCAA Selection Committee, if that includes one of the teams I predicted would win their division (but did not) then that should raise some highbrows; also look for teams I did not mention because for them to be nominated they have to be respected squads.

I can not wait, let's go crazy already.

-smashmauf

Because Sometimes We Forget...

2009-02-19T10:07:00.005-05:00

Here is a reminder of the man who (my Brother and) I refer to as the "Golden Boy". News of his return inspired this moment just like Joe Montana inspired me to watch (American) Football; enjoy!

(video link from Youtube.com)

For all the NFL fans out there: Here is the Free Agent list for this offseason (2009):FREE AGENTS (as seen on Yardbarker.com)

Something To Cheer About

2009-02-15T01:18:00.007-05:00

Down 2-1 entering the 3rd Period of last night's hockey game at the ACC versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked like they were headed towards another disappointing night. However, despite their Goalie's (Vesa Toskala) paltry 3.41 GAA coming into the game, the Leafs bounced back for a fantastic finish.

So far this month the Leafs have been quite the wreck going 2-4 (including the game last night) in 6 games. Even more alarming has been their performance in the losses: Losing 4-3 to the Panthers, 5-0 to the Sabres, 5-4 to the Panthers in a rematch and, losing 6-4 to the Lightning. Doing the Math, that equates to a 5 GAA over the 4 games; ouch! With a record like that its no wonder that the Leafs are sitting on 52 pts overall after playing 56 games. That is less than 1 point a game; ouch! So how did the Leafs manage to explode tonight for a 6-2 win over th Penguins? I have a theory and it is simple.

The Pens (who are currently in a dogfight for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference) had to have been looking past the Leafs. Given the return of Sergei Gonchar to their defensive corp., they might have felt that they had enough punch to knockout the hapless Leafs. Unfortunately the Leafs pulled a rope-a-dope. With Pittsburgh coming out swinging at the top of the game with 2 quick scores it looked like Vesa was being his usual generous self and it happened. The Leafs turned scrappy like a spurned lover on Valentine's Day. They hit back by scoring a goal in the 2nd Period to cut the lead to a one goal deficit and never looked back. The 3rd period was truly something to behold. It was like watching the Leafs play 13 years ago. They played soundly during that period and finally overwhelmed the Pens with 5 goals in the period to put the game away. Even Vesa Toskala played like the Leafs had hoped he would all year; he was really great down the stretch. The highlight of the game was Jason Blake scoring 2 goals back-to-back in a span of 19seconds during the decisive 3rd Period.

Notes from this game:

Leafs are currently tied for 8th in overall scoring (with the Pens) in the NHL - someone should have told the Pens before the game.

The Pens must have been banking on the Leaf's league worst GAA average. (So before any Toskala fans begin to complain, I suggest they consider the facts.)

The Leafs have now won both Saturday games this month and,

Finally, winning faceoffs, getting hits, and zone defence play were big factors in this game. The Leafs won the battles tonight and that got them the win. The play of Dominic Moore was something to watch in this game.

Next up the Leafs face the Sabres in another rematch game this month, hopefully this Leaf team shows up.

-smashmauf!

Matrix: Acquisition

2009-02-14T20:20:00.005-05:00

Just when it looked like the Toronto Raptors were in dire straits for the rest of the 08-09 season they showed some spunk/fight by pulling the trigger on a package deal for Shawn "The Matrix" Marion + Marcus Banks; giving up Jermaine O'neal + Jamario Moon in the deal. What a deal!

Marion gives the Raptors the flexibility in their lineup that they desperately needed. It also (possibly) improves their ability to grab rebounds on both the defensive and offensive ends of the court. Banks gives them the depth they desperately need at the guard position; considering the development of Roko Ukic and the ability of AP to play the Point as well. Now, once Calderon comes back, the Raptors will really have a coherent rotation at the guard spots. The move of Moon should also free up space for Kapono within the rotation to solidify himself as that aggressive outside threat the Raps need in order for their roster to function. The obvious downside to this trade is that the team loses the size that J-O was able to at least provide to the frontcourt. As much as the trade frees up CB4 to get more clean touches on the offensive end, it also creates more attention on him as well. Teams will be able to focus more on taking him out of the Raptors game plan; and, it really does put some pressure on Marion to perform right away since he will be the main beneficiary in those situations. The Raptors will have to find a way to bring in another big body into the mix soonest; preferably an athletic big that is also a shot blocker. Without the addition of another big body this new edition Raptor team will not be complete. The guards are unable to create enough defensive pressure so the defense has to be evenly spread. I believe the addition of another big into the mix will give the coaches a group that can be coached up to compete.

Regardless, this is an exciting time again for Raptors fans. Hopefully Mr. Marion welcomes the move up North as his service is very much needed here in Toronto. Also, he has the opportunity to be the catalyst for keeping Bosh here in Toronto now that the team is back on track towards becoming an elite squad in the East Conference of the NBA. All Raptors fans should go and support the team as they rally to make the playoffs this year. What a deal!

- Smashmauf!

Enter the Machida

2009-02-10T16:16:00.010-05:00

(He has done it again. Here is the next installment of fighting news from "Little Dragon aka Bruce Lee".)

Georges "Rush" St. Pierre Victorious

With an incredible performance against B.J "the Prodigy" Penn, Georges "Rush" St. Pierre proves he is one of the best. In their first meeting there have been claims that St. Pierre was not an obvious winner. In the rematch GSP made an obvious point as he dominated the fight bringing him a step closer to his goal of being known as the best pound for pound fighter of all time. The first round was a good match up with Penn defending against a few take down attempts against the cage; although St. Pierre seemed to win the round by being the aggressor. After the first round, it was more of an onslaught by a determined St. Pierre who was not going to settle for a close win. He completely dominated the fight by using take downs to control his opponent (striking on the ground) and even out striking him in stances.

As St. Pierre said prior to the fight, it would not be enough to just beat B.J he [had] to finish him. During the fight, St. Pierre out performed B.J. in the first three rounds and continued to do so through to the fourth. It appeared Pierre, who had B.J. on the ground and partial side control while pounding away at his face towards the end of the fourth round, was really trying to finish the fight. Perhaps he wanted B.J to "eat his words", as Pierre's trainer Firas put it, by getting B.J. to tap out due to strikes. A feat (tapping out due to strikes) Penn had criticized St. Pierre of succumbing to in the past.

Although Penn's heart and will would not let him submit, it seemed like the referee was close to stopping the fight since B.J was hardly able to defend himself on the ground from Pierre's arsenal of punches and elbows. All B.J could do was keep feinting thereby making Geroges rejust in order not to strike the back of B.J.'s head. It was this bare minimal movement that prevented the referee from stopping the fight. You have to give B.J. some credit for not giving up as he was being overwhelmed with attacks that were hitting their target repeatedly.

When the fourth round came to an end Georges seemingly angry he did not finish B.J., punched the cage as each man went to their corner. B.J was in bad shape and I think it was the first time I saw his face bleed. Penn's corner had no choice, it appeared, but to call the match - Penn's brother indicated to stop the fight. I believe I heard B.J saying he did not want to stop even though he seemed physically unable to continue. With B.J.'s corner having his best interests in mind the fight was stopped, making St. Pierre the winner via corner stoppage.

You had to be proud of Georges St. Pierre.

Whether you viewed him as the representative native of Montreal, the 2008 Canadian athlete of the year, the face of MMA sports or just being your favorite fighter, you just had to be proud of GSP. He is not only impressive because of his in-fight performances but also because his attitude in general is something to admire. He is a very disciplined and hard working individual. He is quite humble. As you may have seen based on the pre fight talk (where B.J. Penn did a lot of criticizing of St. Pierre) St. Pierre still tried to be respectful towards Penn regardless by not responding to his taunts.

The one thing that may tarnish the night for St. Pierre is that after the fight there were allegations that GSP and his corner were using Vaseline on his back, which is not allowed. The case is still being looked into although it is not a factor that affected the outcome of the fight.

Enter the "Machida"

Lyoto "the Dragon" Machida scored an impressive knock out victory against Thiago Silva. He remains unbeaten in MMA. He seems to have what it takes to be then next light heavyweight champ (no offense Rashad). Lyoto is often criticized for his fighting style. He is not viewed as an exciting fighter. That may be one of the reasons he is long overdue for a title shot. His method is unorthodox but effective. The basis is Karate, although he is not limited to that. He appears to have taken the best of Karate and added it to his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Sumo, Muay Thai, and Wrestling skills. He uses a way of counter attacking. To do this he is constantly moving backwards which may be one of the reasons he is not a fan favorite. Some deem this "running away", which takes away from the action. Machida is also not completely fluent in English, taking into consideration these marketing factors, they may be the reason the UFC is not pushing for Machida to be the next Light heavy weight champion. After all, if this was the "Gladiator" days where the fans decide the winner, he may not have been the most popular fighter.

Now if you analyze his fights and see the technical side of his strategy, you can see the beauty of his method. Look at the lead up to the knock out of Thiago Silva. Lyoto gracefully avoided being hit before he countered. Silva was hardly able to even hit him throughout the fight. Leading up to the knock out, Silva missed two punches as Machida moved straight back and out of the way. When Silva threw his third punch, he probably thought the same would occur. It was a very lazy punch. Instead this time Machida avoided the punch while moving in towards him and countered with a three hit combo that floored him. Machida followed up with two ground shots to the head knocking out Silva at the final seconds of the round.

Now if you look at the larger picture of how styles have been used in the UFC there was a time when it was the majority of fans that did not like the Jiu Jitsu aspect of the fight. It was viewed as boring. Now more fans understand and appreciate a fighter taking control wherever the fight is. After all is that not an important trait of a fighter, being unpredictable and implementing techniques that work? If one fighter is dominant for whatever reason, is it not the opponents place to figure out how to beat that opponent? Perhaps it is only a matter of fans understanding what Machida is doing, or perhaps I am looking too deep into it.

The other Dragon (Bruce Lee) use to point out , not to limit yourself with tradition. He asked, "why block and counter when you can just immediately counter?". Lyoto's elusiveness (as Joe Rogan puts it) is not an easy thing to implement effectively in a fight; neither is his excellent accuracy. I think Bruce would have been proud of Machida creating and using his own unique style and honing his skill set.

Little Dragon can be reached at: Smashmauf@gmail.com

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"

2009-02-09T00:16:00.013-05:00

This is a quote that we all know and should understand. Let us break this down even further: What is power? What is responsibility? What does Responsible mean? How does this resounding statement relate to one Michael Phelps?

Power is defined as the ability to act; the capability of doing or accomplishing something.

Responsibility is defined as the state or fact of being responsible.

Being Responsible means being answerable or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management.

That last part - Being Responsible -brings us closer to Michael Phelps. Phelps is someone that dazzled and captured both the imagination and attention of a good fraction of the world by winning 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. Such a phenomenal achievement has won him a combination of fame, fortune and, notoriety. It has also afforded him with "Great Power" (or the belief of having great power) for a young man. Enough power to garner a world-wide following and support; as well as very lucrative endorsements. Just how pervasive are these endorsements? CNN.com reported that Phelps made over $5 million dollars at Beijing by winning 6 medals and also made over $1million dollars from Speedo (since he donated a $1million dollars in bonus money from Speedo, he had to have made over a $1million dollars in the deal). He was estimated to be making anywhere between $30-50Million dollars from endorsements alone. Now that is power.

Still, this only tells part of the story. Another part is that Phelps has been cashing in on his new found fame, fortune and notoriety. He has not been one to shy away from the spotlight and attention that his success has afforded him. His lifestyle since winning at Beijing has been one of a jetsetting, youthful, global icon - and unrelenting in that regards. He has been a guest at many major events all over America and has been sighted keeping company of celebrities. He even won himself an endorsement deal with Kellogg's. There is no doubt that he has mass appeal. However what has been in doubt has been how responsible is Michael Phelps, the man. Where does his moral compass point? Nothing is free in this world that we live in and, as my own parents would say, all fingers are not the same size. There is an inherent responsibility that comes with all the success, the fame, fortune and notoriety. There is also an inherent grace and gratefulness that comes with achieving such an amazing athletic feat at the Olympics. People now look to Phelps for direction; they want to know how he won 8 medals, they want to know who his coaches are, where he grew up, what he eats, who he dates - anything that makes him the man that is able to win 8 medals at the Olympics and rise to prosperity. We live in a copycat world. Everyone wants to be a Michael Phelps - the success story. It is up to Phelps to remind/show us that not everyone can win 8 Gold Medals but there are other things we can do that are just as valuable. There are other qualities that are admirable in a person - the most rewarding of which is helping each other. This task is the price Phelps has to pay for cashing in on his new found glory.

Phelps is a great swimmer and a great athlete. His ability to win 8 medals at the Beijing Olympics is something that will stand in history for the rest of time as we know it. BUT...as a person, as a global icon, as someone with fame, fortune and, notoriety, Phelps is a disgrace and a great disappointment. The revelation of his alleged recreational activity (pictured below) is a great loss and disappointment. The greatest tragedy is that he does not have enough good works to counter this revelation. We do not have his charitable work as testament of his great character. There are not enough people to show off his strong work ethic in the pool or his work(s) to help those that are less priviledged. There is nothing but spin, talk and gossip. It is truly a sad trend today that the youth no longer aspire to the hard work and responsibility that goes with being successful but continue to be deluded by the less than glamourous, and perverse, livestyle of irresponsible role models. In this case, with great power comes great irresponsibility.

Top 10 Memorable Moments from the 2008-09 NFL Season

2009-02-04T01:44:00.015-05:00

Detailed below are my favorite moments from the past NFL season.
- (All links are to videos available on www.NFL.com/videos)

#10.Megatron - The reason why Culpepper will be the comeback player of the year next season:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80d18f28

#9. Cool Joe Flacco - Catch vs. Oakland:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80bf2cd7

8.Tyler Thigpen - Catch vs. Buccaneers:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80c22b39

#7.Wes Welker - Snow Angel vs. Cardinals:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80d804e4

#6.Ryan Clark - Mega Collision & Lights Out:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e35c6a

#5.Le'ron McClain - "Good Night" Run vs. Dallas Cowboys:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80d7deb6

#4.Santonio Holmes - Catch vs. Ravens:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80d56b2b

#3.Ed Reed - Pick 6 vs. Eagles:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80cb702b

#2.James Harrison - Pick 6 Superbowl:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e8325f

#1.Santonio Holmes & Big Ben - "Dot The I" Catch Superbowl:
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e88387

MMA Weekend Analysis

2009-01-31T18:58:00.008-05:00

NOTE: The below MMA news analysis is contributed to Smashmauf! by my good friend, Little Dragon. (Little Dragon, aka "Bruce Lee", is a Freelance Sports Writer and a respected MMA Analyst. )

AFFLICTON: ACTION OUTSIDE THE UFC

Aside from the overwhelming anticipation and excitement of this coming weekend, Last weekend (January 24, 2009) there was a very reputable fight as well. One of the reasons the Fedor Emelianenko and Andrei Arlovski fight last weekend was not nearly as widely know is that it was not promoted by the UFC - co-promoted by Affliction and Golden Boy Promotions. Affliction, held their fight card with notable fights. The main event, Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko vs. Andrei "The Pitt Bull" Arlovski being a more than notable one. Fedor Emelianenko is the undisputed Heavyweight WAMMA (Affliction's Heavyweight title) champion, and is considered the number 1 ranked heavyweight. He has beaten many credible opponents. He has this mysteriousness demeanor. Not much of the training and fight preparation aspect of his life is in the media (in comparison to other fighters). Fedor being a very humble guy does not even look his opponent in the face when in the ring just before the fight, as many fighters do, in what has been called "the stare down". He does not boast that he will win before a fight or that he is best fighter, even though many other fighters consider him just that.

Although Anderson Silva, B.J Penn and Georges St. Pierre are close contenders, Fedor is arguably the best pound for pound fighter, based on his record and the fighters he has fought. In fact in interviews, when the topic of "the best pound for pound" was brought up, both B.J and Georges mentioned Fedor as a prospect.

His opponent was Andrei Arlovski, who is one of the top heavyweight fighters and is credited as being the number 2 ranked heavy weight by many ranking charts. This alone constitutes an important match. When you factor in Arlovski being an exciting fighter with well rounded skills and that he is constantly improving, fight after fight, you get an interesting fight. In the sense that although Fedor was favored to win, by no means did I feel he was going to easily take out Arlovski.

Anyways the results are out and Fedor won by K.O in the first round. Although it was not that straight forward as the line "K.O in the first" may imply. Arlovski was winning the fight with what appeared to be overwhelming punches. It was not until Arlovski went with a flying knee that he got caught with a punch that Fedor called "a natural reaction to seeing an opening" knocked him out. Interesting occurrence considering Bruce lee spoke often about having that natural instinct of not thinking but reacting. He said "and when there is an opportunity, I do not hit it hits all by itself" (Enter the Dragon).

UFC: GEORGES "RUSH" ST. PIERRE vs B.J. "THE PRODIGY" PENN

THE FIGHT

This coming weekend, Saturday January 31, 2009, there is one of the biggest, most anticipated fights in MMA. UFC Welter weight champion Georges St. Pierre puts his belt on the line against UFC Light weight champion B.J. Penn. This fight is a largely anticipated and much wanted fight by fans. The reasons being, these are two of the best fighters. St. Pierre ranked as the number 1 welterweight on most recognized rankings, and B.J Penn ranked the number 1 lightweight likewise. Then there is the fact that the two have faced before in what was an incredible match, ending in split decision for St. Pierre. Many claim it was a controversial decision, although I think it was a close fight but St. Pierre did clearly win. I think much of the "controversial decision" talk by UFC is to help promote the coming rematch. Regardless this will be a very good match.

THE BREAKDOWN

Being a fan of both fighters I find it hard to say who will come out on top and by what method. The claims and attributes the fighters bring to the fight are as follows.

St. Pierre being a well rounded fighter, he has excellent striking including both kicks and punches. His Jiu Jitsu is incredible, he recently earned his black belt. He very well may be the best wrestler in MMA overall. Of course just as B.J Penn is a very smart fighter so is St. Pierre.

B.J Penn has the noticeable attribute of flexibility which he implements in his fights. He is an incredible striker. Freddie Roach, renowned boxing trainer who has trained greats such as Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson and other champs at times, stated B.J Penn is the best striker he has seen in MMA. That goes to show the caliber of B.J's punches considering Roach has worked with extraordinary MMA fighters such as Anderson Silva, and Andrei Arlovski.

Then there is the fact that both fighters have only gotten better since their last encounter. While St. Pierre has excellent take down skills, Penn is noted for his take down defense. One of the more debatable traits is which fighter has more heart and more of a desire to win, as each claims he really wants to win. Well I guess we will soon find out!

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Smashmauf! Note:

GSP wins decisively after 4 rounds.

Tennis Season Enjoying a Smashing Start

2009-01-28T03:13:00.008-05:00

The 2009 Tennis Season has gotten off to a great start. There has not been this much competition in Tennis since the women's game recaptured the centre-stage. The 1st Grand Slam tournament of the year, The Australian Open Championships 2009, has not disappointed with tremendous highs and lows, tremendous storylines, effort and, fanfare. This years AO Semifinal draw is as follows:

Women Singles:

* #7 Vera Zvonareva of Russia squares off against #3 Dinara Safina also of Russia

* #4 Elena Dementieva of Russia squares off against #2 Serena Williams of the USA

(My money is on Dinara and Serena facing off in the finals; instant classic in the making. Although I miss Ms. Jankovic in this tournament. The #1 ranked Jankovic of Serbia lost to Bartoli in the 4th round of the tournament)

Men Singles:
* #1 Rafael Nadal of Spain squares off against #14 Fernando Verdasco of Spain

* #7 Andy Roddick of USA squares off against #2 Roger Federer of Switzerland

Celebrating Shaq Fu aka The Diesel aka Superman

2009-01-27T04:42:00.009-05:00

When the Phoenix Suns take on the San Antonio Spurs this thursday Shaquille O'neal will be seeking to surpass his "idol", and former NBA great, Hakeem Olajuwon. Currently the Diesel is 5pts shy of the Dream's all-time mark of 26, 546pts scored in the NBA (159 games short of Hakeem in that regard). With all the emerging superstars in our society today, it has become very easy to dismiss this achievement however, The big Aristotle needs to be celebrated more often.

Shaq has dominated at every level has as played on dating back to his high school days when he went 68-1 before winning the State title in Texas. Then he dominated the college ranks during his 3 year stay at LSU. I think his LSU days helped him learn how to become the big bully that he is today because he flat out dominated all challengers. The closest thing to the next Shaq in the Association right now is Dwight Howard but he appears to lack that bully / aggressive mentality that Shaq was able to harness at LSU. It is a lot of credit to Shaq for going to LSU as opposed to trying to jump to the NBA right out of high school like Howard did and should serve as an inspiration to any talented high school prospect out there - Do it like Shaquille did, go to school first, the benefits are priceless. Now Dr. Shaqcasso has his Bachelors, a MBA and is working on his PhD. There are not many athletes who can say the same thing. It seems he is not just satisfied with bullying on the court, he is taking his bullying into the real world now and that is commendable.

His NBA Career speaks for itself. Since being drafted by the Orlando Magic, Big IPO has been money for all the teams for whom he has played. He lead the Magic to promised land in the '94-'95 season, won 3 consecutive titles with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-2002 and won another title with the Miami Heat in 2006. It is safe to say that the minute Shaquille adorns a uniform he automatically gives a team a chance to get to the promised land and the opportunity to win one for the fans. I am a big believer right now in the Big Stock Exchange in that every now and then his value might go down but he will find a way to go back up again. I believe that time is now. The Phoenix Suns are a little bit under the radar this year and that should serve them well when the playoffs come around. The window of opportunity is surely closing as Steve Nash has begun to contemplate life North of the Border (or worse, in NY). If the Suns are going to make a legitimate run at the NBA title it will have to be this year and Shaquille O'neal has stepped up to the plate.

As hard as it is to go against the Spurs again this year I have to put the Suns in the NBA Finals this year versus the Boston Celtics. It definitely will be an interesting match-up. One thing is for sure, Shaq is not done dominating the league and I hope he celebrates surpassing Olajuwon on the scoring list this Thursday. No one deserves it more. Thank you Shaq for bringing fun to basketball.

Inauguration speech - US President Barack Obama

2009-01-20T17:29:00.002-05:00

"My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans.

Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."

43 Club - Black and Gold

2009-01-20T08:19:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers for cliching a spot in the Super Bowl! The way was definitely not the easiest one for this ball club. Playing the toughest schedule this year (and toughest in decades) the Steelers would have done well to go 8-8 this year but they prevailed. This team buckled up, strapped up their chin straps and went to work. You have to admire the workman like (if not herculean) effort they have put forth this year. I have been a Steeler fan for as long as I can remember and I do not recall there being a better Steeler Defense than the current version. Sunday's game was as tough as it could get in a Conference Final but Steel Curtain 2.0 held up - now it is off to face the Arizona Cardinals.

Shout outs to Troy Polamalu for an incredibly stout performance versus the Ravens. Going into this game much debate has been made concerning how he stacks up next to the great Safeties of the NFL and I think much of that debate is mute now.

Bonus Note: NFL Trend:

The Safety position has become probably the most valuable position in the NFL today. All the teams that made it to the Conference Finals had great play from both Safety positions throughout their playoff run. This year is the year of the Safeties. The Super Bowl will be determined by which Safety tandem shows up to play. I have to go with the team of Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark over Adrian Wilson and Antrelle Rolle. Either way it is going to be a clash of the titans. FWP will have better success (compared to Edge) in making the safeties commit to the run game and this will be the difference in the game.

Early prediction:
Steelers 41 - Arizona 7

Raptors are Rolling Guys!

2009-01-05T19:14:00.002-05:00

The Raptors must have read my blog or something because they seem to have gotten the message. The last 2 games (Granted home games) they have been very stellar. More games like this and I am ready to jump on the bandwagon. The Eastern Conference is going to be really competitive down the stretch and the Raps have already dug a deep hole for themselves but...if they keep playing like they are, the sky is the limit.

A couple things to note though: a, It is doubtful that AP can keep up the good play but I know he's a fan favorite around here so there is always a possibility; b, The Raps are winning the rebounding battles! This is absolutely essential down the stretch. It was great to see the team making an effort to attack those boards (honestly it makes a huge difference in being a premier team vs. lottery team); c, Bargnani is attacking the game! This guy needs to show up every game going forward because it makes the Toronto Bigs ridiculously tough for opponents. Teams will have to start game planning for him which will take stress off the rest of the team. d; Roko Ukic is finding his NBA game.

The only sort-of-downer in this 2-game winning streak is Jamario Moon. If he really attacks the boards and turns up his defense, he can really make a name for himself in the league as a stopper the likes of Bruce Bowen - only, he is more athletic that Bowen so he has more upside.

Go Raps tonight. This game should be a good fight. Hopefully they make short work of the Bucks in time to catch the Fiesta Bowl tonight.

Maryland Terps v. Nevada Wolf Packs

2008-12-30T11:36:00.008-05:00

This looks like it would be a fun game to watch just based on the sheer unpredictability of this game. Maryland really should dominate this game and put up a lot of points to shut up the naysayers however they are also the same team that lost to Middle Tennessee State. It is pretty crazy. Maryland also plays in the ACC while Nevada plays in the WAC conference so the advantage seems to go to Maryland but again, they lost to Middle Tennessee State. Maryland beat 4 out of 5 ranked opponents while Nevada did not beat any ranked opponents this year; still, Maryland lost to Middle Tennessee State! You get the drift here. Nevada will be highly motivated to win this game and Maryland has the highest odds of any Bowl team to come out flat BUT...I like the potential Maryland has to blow this game out of the water. My best assessment is that the Terps take this one tonight. Hope I can see this game tonight.

The only other fun game tonight involves Oklahoma State vs. Oregon. Oregon plays in that beast of a conference called the Pac-10 however Oklahoma went 1 out of 4 versus ranked programs this year with the 3 losses coming against the top 3 ranked teams. I think Kendall Hunter will dominate tonight and Zach Robinson and Dez Bryant will work that play-action game . Oklahoma should take wrap this game up latest early 4th Quarter.

- Deoye

Time To Bounce Back by Getting Back to Basics - Rebounding!

2008-12-29T14:21:00.008-05:00

The Toronto Raptors need to bounce back big-time tonight against the Golden State Warriors. 30 games into the season, just past the first-third part of the season, and the Raptors are still searching for a defining moment this 2008-09 season. The Eastern Conference is looking downright scary this year and there should be more urgency in these early games. I have been following the NBA game for years now and one of the few things that is guaranteed in the Association is the mad dash that occurs right after the All-Star Weekend. The Celtics know it. The Cavaliers know it. The Magic (Stan VanGundy) knows it and the Pistons know it. The Hawks, the new kids on the block this year, definitely have enough gamers (Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson) who know what is at stake this year. Somebody has released the Beast in the East Conference and all the good teams are scrambling to position themselves for that mad dash come February. The Toronto Raptors have yet to show up to lay claim to being one of the premier teams in this conference. Here is the breakdown right now for the Jurassic Team eh:

* 12-18 record in the Eastern Conference - good enough for 11th place in the EC only on the outside looking in.

* Ill-advised firing of former Coach of the Year, Sam Mitchell after an 8-9 start to the season (despite what is now looking like a good start to the season for this squad considering all the offseason activities)

* 5-8 Home record (losing games at home is not good for the fans), 7-10 Road record (losing games on the road is the recipe for disaster), 9-9 within the Conference but 2-5 within the Atlantic Division (not good, not good at all), and a -3.6 points differential

* The Raptors are in the bottom third of the Association in a lot of key facets of the game including a shocking 29th in Rebounding

That last state is the most glaring and most revealing of all. 29th in Rebounding! It is hard to imagine a team with Chris Bosh, Jermaine O'neal, Andrea Bargnani and Jamario Moon would be 29th in the league in Rebounding. I have noticed this trend with the Raptors this season and it is not looking good. Anyone that knows anything about basketball knows that Rebounding is all about effort. You only need to search the names, Dennis Rodman or Charles Barkley, to understand this concept. These guys did not lack any effort when in came to rebounding. Unfortunately for the Raptors, they seem to be lacking in that department. Truly disappointing but....its not too late.

The Raptors still have those 4 guys I mentioned above in the line-up! These guys really need to start attacking the boards. The addition of Jake Voskuhl is nice (that is nice) but it does not mean one iota if the team is still 29th in rebounding. Management needs to stop reacting to every single noise that comes from the fans and just zip up their pants because it is only going to get worse as the season progresses. Remember that mad February dash? The fans will talk one way or the other; what will they do then? Trade deadline moves? It might not even matter at that point. Right now is when it matters. The Raptors have a chance now to get together as a team and decide on how to start winning those rebounding battles night in, night out going forward. If they can get up to about 15th (or in the top 10 where they ought to be in this category) there might actually be a chance to get into the tournament once the regular season wraps up. I expect the Raptors to bounce back starting tonight against the Warriors. GSW is just the right team to kick start a turnaround against. They lack the combination of size and quickness that the Raptors boasts this season. Chris Bosh and Jamario Moon need to set it off tonight otherwise brace yourself for a long, depressing season from our beloved Raptors. Look for the Raptors to bounce back big time tonight.

- Deoye

Hurry, Push The Easy Button

2008-12-29T06:45:00.007-05:00

Just about the only good thing from the Dallas Cowboys this season is pictured above this sentence. If only Superbowl rings are handed out for having sexy cheerleaders.

When the underdog team gets beaten down during the course of the season to the brink of elimination but continues to fight with some seriously intense moxie (you know, "fight until the end; until the fat lady sings" cliches), that is pretty special. Watching the Eagles come out last night with that do-or-die attitude makes you appreciate sports. You want to believe that if you had to put it all on the line to go after that goal, that dream of accomplishment that haunts you while being stuck looking unrelenting adversity in the face, that you will not hesitate but soldier on towards triumph. The Eagles knew what was on the line, they knew this was probably their last dance, one game for all the glory to remind the world of just how dominant this team was at the turn the century. Like in the movie Gladiator when Maximus had to fight that one last fight for honour in the face of sure destruction, the Eagles left nothing on the table last night. Having strong characters, having chemistry and, having a strong community with a shared goal is the recipe for sucess in team sports; having that moxie makes it all come together. The Cowboys have none of these things.

To those that saw the game I am sure you remember this:
4th and inches, Wade Phillips sends in the punting unit only to have Tony Romo waive them off before sneaking his way for a 1st down.

The score was still respectable at that point and you could see how flabbergasted Phillips was on the sidelines. He knew it at that point that the ship was sinking. His decision to punt was not the most attractive decision at that point but, considering the game scores at that moment, it was the absolutely correct decision. Unfortunately, Romo converted on the QB sneak and the mutiny began. Romo took it upon himself to call the plays the rest of the possession and on the ensuing possessions - the result was a complete disaster. Romo definitely cracked under the pressure of the moment in that 3rd Quarter but I think it had more to do with the team as opposed to anything the Eagles did. There was no team. on that 4th down, Romo finally realized what was at stake and that no one else really felt the burden or the pressure of that moment as intensely as he did. He learnt, unfortunately for Cowboys' fans everywhere, there was no hope and he had to fight until the bitter end.

Jerry Jones is absolutely insane if he thinks he has the correct staff in place to win a Superbowl. This team (the offense anyway) has to be blown up. Jason Garrett's incompetence finally rared its ugly head. I am not saying he lacks the ability to coach but I am saying that he lost his team with the whole T.O. fiasco. Nobody trusts Garrett at crunch time on that team anymore. Yes, Phillips can not take over the Offensive play calling AND Defensive play calling yet be effect as a Coach BUT how could he not already know this?? I say Phillips has to be fired, Garrett needs to be gone, Brian Stewart needs to be gone too. T.O. needs to put up or shut up and be released if he performs neither task. Crayton needs to be elevated to the #2 WR spot and Williams needs to be demoted until he can prove he is a veteran WR in the NFL. Barber and Choice should be kept, same as Witten & the Offensive Line. A new O-Line coach is needed. As you can see, the trend here points to poor leadership and management. Jerry Jones will be insane to bring back this staff again next year. Insane! The only thing he needs to bring back without question are those Cheerleaders.

Deoye aka "Smashmauf"

Just For The Heck of It!

2008-12-21T10:38:00.004-05:00

I am an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan and I normally loathe the Baltimore Ravens...BUT...I love me some Smash Mouth Football!!!
Check out the below courtesy of the NFL.com (NFL Network promotion):

LET iT ROCK!

Let's Go Bowling: Go Hard or Go Home.

2008-12-20T09:29:00.010-05:00

Yes peoples, Yes! The Smashmauf Blog is still in session. It has been a wild, crazy but fun couple of weeks in the world of sports during this period: The re-emergence of the Carolina Panthers, the Dallas Cowboys rise-fall-rise saga, re-emergence of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tiger Wood's Caddy, Will Smith/Joe Montana/Wayne Gretzy's sons playing on the same football team, Sam Bradford = Heisman, The crazy NY Yankees, the playboy Red Sox, the enigma that is the Toronto Raptors, the dangerous Charlotte Bobcats, The tragedy that is the Auburn football program...and it goes on and on. Yes! Nothing like good old sports to give you some fun, drama and entertainment in December. Still, all that said, it is time to gear up for Bowl season. College Bowls began today.

Here are the teams playing today and the bowl games they are representing:

1. Wake Forest vs. Navy in the Eagle Bank Bowl
2. Colorado State vs. Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl
3. Memphis vs. South Florida in the Magic Jack St. Petersburg Bowl
4. Brigham Young (#16) vs. Arizona in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl

Eagle Bank Bowl: (Projected Winner - Navy):

Wake Forest went 4-4 in the ACC (nothing to write home about) but made it to the bowl game on the strength of a 7-5 overall record which included a win over a #24 ranked Florida State team in September. Wake Forest definitely is a suspect team and considering that they lost to Navy 24-17 just one week after the Florida State victory automatically makes them over-rated in this game. I pick them to lose today to Navy.

Navy went 8-4 on the season and won the IA independents conference (edging out underperforming Notre Dame). They made it on the virtue of their aforementioned victory over a #16 ranked Wake Forest team in September; Yes, ratings suck sometimes. Navy is not that great of a team but considering that they went into the Bowl season on a high note, sweeping their last 2 games, I can not see them losing to Wake today.

New Mexico Bowl (Pick Colorado State):

Colorado State went 4-4 in the Mountain West with an overall 6-6 record. Very disappointing to have this as a bowl game. This team lost both of its games against ranked opponents & gave up over 45pts each time! The only people who think they can win anything has to be their die-hard fans. They get to live another day.

Fresno State also went 4-4 in the WAC but ended up with a 7-5 record (kudos to the front office). This team barely has a pulse, putting up loses in disappointing fashion against quality teams. They have trouble scoring so it must be a blessing to have Colorado State on the menu today - too bad they seem to be allergic to winning.

Magic Jack St. Petersburg Bowl (Pick Memphis):

Finally a fun game! You have to love this match-up. Memphis ended the season 4-4 with an overall record of 7-5 in the Conference USA division. This is a pretty bad reflection of how good this team could have been this year as they really got off to a terrible start this year by losing 3 straight. However, this team was in every game this year save one. They just could not bring it at crunch time.

South Florida is a team that is quite the opposite of the Memphis ball club as they back peddled into the bowl game today losing 5 of their last 7 games. The team ended up going 2-5 in the might Big East and 7-5 overall. They have a good team but I am just not a believer.

Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl - is this a joke? (Definitely pick Arizona):

Brigham Young, another Mountain West ball club, finished 6-2 with an overall 10-2 record this year. The record is an improvement on those of the teams mentioned above but still it is deceiving. The MWC is a pretty weak conference so finishing 6-2 is nothing to write home about. The 48-24 loss to a #7 ranked Utah team just last month leaves a lot to be desired from this football team.

Arizona ended the season at 5-4 within the Pacific-10 division; with an overall record of 7-5. This one is actually quite deceiving record-wise. The Pac-10 is no joke! Their 5-4 record does not come as a surprise given the strength of their schedule this year but a 42-27 win over a #25 ranked Cali in October followed by a 17-10 loss to a #5 USC the following week makes me a believer. I pick Arizona (Big Time!) in this game. It should not even be a close competition.

That is it for today's bowl games.

Check with me again tomorrow morning for the lowdown on tomorrow's matchup in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

Deoye aka "Smashmauf"

The Other T.O.

2008-12-12T16:49:00.006-05:00

Oh boy, here we go again. T.O. is calling out another Quarterback. The lastest from Owens is accusation that his QB (Yeah, "that's my QB") was having private sessions with the TE, Jason Witten, in which both guys are drawing up plays for game day. As far as Owens is concerned, these private sessions between Romo and Witten are taking away from his own production on the field and is hurting the Cowboys on game day (witness last weekend's game in the 'burgh). This has caused so much uproar and another controversy in the T.O. vs. his QB saga. Here is my take:

As much as I do not want to side with anyone on this matter, I have to agree with Terrell Owens on this one. He is right in being mad and being frustrated that Jason Witten is getting looks during games while the WR core is struggling (per Cowboys standards) this season to find consistency and rythm. My only qualms with this matter is the way he quit on that pass in Pittsburgh last week; yeah, the Polamalu pick. TP would have probably still ended up with the pick but T.O. did not have to make it easy for him to do so. (His relationship and communication with Owens just degraded further as that game progressed). Otherwise, I think he is justified in his voicing his concerns to the team and Jason Garrett. That is what he should do! I have a problem with this story being leaked outside the locker room to the Media. That is rotten and I would not be surprised if this was done by Tony Romo, Jason Witten or Jason Garrett himself. Regardless, it is a terrible idea; whoever leaked the news does not have the best interest of the team in mind. No news is good news in this case.

Now that this is out in the open, I urge you to go and look at the tapes and review the statistics. Terrell Owens is right. This has nothing to do with yardage, of course Owens will have more yards - he's faster than Witten! Witten is getting most of the looks! In an offense that has Terrell Owens lined up opposite Roy E. Williams and Patrick Crayton as the 3WR, there is no justification for being so narrow minded as to force feed Witten. Listen, I get it. A QB is only as good as his check down reads are good and Romo has Witten and Barber to check down to whenever plays break down. That is a hell of a cushion for a QB. Knowing that you can always dump the ball down to Witten or Barber whenever you are not sure about the coverage has to help Romo sleep at night. Regardless, you cannot win the Superbowl if you are unable to stretch the field (Just review the Ravens-Giants Superbowl if you have any doubt). Romo (pictured with Owens) HAS to find a way to get Owens and Williams more involved in the offense more frequently. Witten and Barber are added bonuses but not the pride of the receiving corp. The Cowboys offense will become solid once they get that vertical game going again. The fact that Romo could not attack the Steelers secondary (despite the Steelers #1 ranking) speaks volumes. I know the Steelers are ranked #1 but I think that has more to do with limiting opponent possessions than creating take aways. For a highly potent offense like the Cowboys not to attack that secondary is a travesty. Deshea Townshend making that pick on a pass from Romo to Witten is no mistake. Shea was not lining up next to Owens (no way!) and definitely not lining up next to Willaims (not happening!)...BUT, he has the experience and skills to line up against Witten in a zone scheme; especially the Zone Blitz scheme the Steelers run. His being in position to make that pick was by no means a fluke but more by design. That match-up favors the Steelers. You know which one does not? Williams vs. Gay, even Owens vs. Ike Taylor. Trust me, those guys had help over the top for a reason and Romo should have at least tried to exploit that. All his picks last week were on equally dumb plays that were not attacking the Secondary. There is trouble in Big D for sure. Jason Garrett needs to address this if they are going to impose their will on opponents for the rest of the season. Romo needs to continue play with abandonment as his reputation has become and not try to be some calculated mastermind. Just play ball and use ALL the talent around you.

Deoye aka "Smashmauf"

Sammy "Big Game" Bradford

2008-12-10T23:42:00.003-05:00

I am calling it now - Sammy "Big Game" Bradford has now been unleashed. Forget about getting on the bus, I am volunteering to drive the bandwagon right now. Every couple of years there comes a group of athletes that just transcend their sport and take the competition to the next level. I think Sam Bradford is one of those athletes. He might not have the polish and the battle readiness that Mattie "Ice" Ryan had coming out of Boston College (and damn! anyone that is surprised Mattie Ice is bringing it at the pro level should be committed) BUT his resume speaks for itself. In 2 years of football, Big Game has compiled over a 181 QB rating, a respectable 68.9 completion %, 7,585 passing yards and 84 touchdowns. Even more impressive when you consider that he is 6'4, can make all throws, just turned 21 last month, is having one hell of a season (see below) in which he has just led his team to the 2009 BCS National Championship Game and a Heisman Finalist Nomination.

Just this season alone Big Game Sammy has put up the below numbers:

2008 Regular Season Game Log			Passing								Rushing
DATE	OPP	RESULT	CMP	ATT	YDS	CMP%	LNG	TD	INT	RAT	ATT	YDS	AVG	LNG	TD
8/30	Chattanooga	W 57-2	17	22	183	77.3	31	2	0	177.14	0	0	0.0	0	0
9/6	Cincinnati	W 52-26	29	38	395	76.3	43	5	2	196.53	3	3	1.0	3	0
9/13	@Washington	W 55-14	18	21	304	85.7	77	5	0	285.88	1	1	1.0	1	1
9/27	TCU	W 35-10	19	34	411	55.9	76	4	0	196.24	4	-31	-7.8	2	0
10/4	@Baylor	W 49-17	23	31	372	74.2	53	2	1	189.83	2	4	2.0	3	1
10/11	Texas	L 45-35	28	39	387	71.8	52	5	2	187.20	8	-5	-0.6	7	0
10/18	Kansas	W 45-31	36	53	468	67.9	48	3	0	160.78	4	14	3.5	7	0
10/25	@Kansas State	W 58-35	13	32	255	40.6	48	3	0	138.50	1	1	1.0	1	1
11/1	Nebraska	W 62-28	19	27	311	70.4	48	5	1	220.83	2	14	7.0	13	0
11/8	@Texas A&M	W 66-28	22	33	320	66.7	46	4	0	188.12	5	23	4.6	15	1
11/22	Texas Tech	W 65-21	14	19	304	73.7	66	4	0	277.56	5	18	3.6	14	0
11/29	@Oklahoma State	W 61-41	30	44	370	68.2	73	4	0	168.82	4	16	4.0	9	1
12/6	Missouri	W 62-21	34	49	384	69.4	36	2	0	148.69	1	7	7.0	7	0

The loss against Texas jumps out as a key game for BG; even though they lost to the Longhorns, Sammie put up incredulous numbers in that game and has really been consistent since. No doubt knowing that he could hang with the big boys and dominate has a lot to do with it. The sky is the limit for this kid and I will be shocked if he is not named as the Heisman Trophy winner this year. No slight to Tim Tebow but there is a new sheriff in town. Anyone that fosters any doubt should stay tuned for this years Championship Game next month in Miami. Florida technically has the home field advantage so the deck is stacked again the Sooners but considering how BG plays in big games, this should be a thriller.

For those who still need some visual evidence, see for your own self:

Best Catch of The Season

2008-12-09T21:06:00.003-05:00

Last Night, I saw what was probably the Best catch that I have seen to date. Okay, I exaggerate a bit but this ranks right up there with some of the greatest catches EVER! With the Bucs trailing the Panthers last night by 14pts late in the 4th quarter Mr. Antonio "Don't Call It A Comeback, I've Been Here For Years" Bryant made the below play to cut it lead down to one possession. Unfortunately it was not enough to complete a comeback as Carolina scored on the ensuring possession to stretch their lead back to 14. Still, this catch speaks for itself.

Sloppy Seconds

2008-12-04T17:28:00.004-05:00

I think the NHL is being a little bit fussy about Sean Avery's recent comments. For those who are not familiar with this issue here is the low-down. Sean Avery is a scrappy NHL player who currently earns his paycheck playing for the Dallas Stars franchise. Never one to shy away from the public eye or the spotlight, Sean Avery recently made the following comment prior to a game versus the Calgary Flames:
Avery said: "I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada ... I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about. Enjoy the game tonight." It was a slight jab towards Calgary Flames' defender, Dion Phaneuf, who had recently started dating Avery's ex-girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert. Personally, I thought it was really, really funny. What you have to understand is that a lot of these athletes talk to the same media personnel groupings throughout the course of a season. Sean Avery just got a little too familiar with the media. It was a mistake to confide in the public but then again this is a guy who relishes in the media spotlight. I do not see what the big deal is. If Dennis Rodman can marry himself and parade himself around town in an all white wedding gown with full makeup then what is the big deal? If Tom Brady can have a baby with one popular actress, break-up with her and then start dating a supermodel - before the baby was even born! - then what is the big deal? Geez, if the legend Wendel Clark could play with that 'stache of his for that long...what is the big deal? I mean, why is this worthy of a SUSPENSION? I think it is more of a personal issue than a hockey issue. Guys in the playgrounds and in hockey rinks around the country say a lot worse than this...Geez! Will players start getting fined if they say someone plays like a grandmother out there on the ice? Or will the league can Don Cherry?! I can bet that Cherry has said a lot worse in his day. This whole issue stinks. The Dallas Stars stink. It is not his fault that the Stars are at the bottom of their division. Sure, his comments and actions do not help rally the troops; they also do not reflect the sentiment of the team. The team is bad because they are just bad. Like the old saying goes, "You are who you are". The Stars are not playing the best hockey right now and that has nothing to do with who is having sex with Sean Avery's ex-girlfriend (pictured with him to your left). Its all part of competition, they get paid millions of dollars to compete, this is just competition. Let it go! The NHL needs to evolve past these silly games, who is Sean Avery any ways? If Sidney Crosby or Jarome Iginla said this then reprimand them but Sean Avery? Who cares. Elisa Cuthbert is not even worth it. hahaha.

Damn Son! Safety Ryan Clark Tags Wes

2008-12-04T02:07:00.005-05:00

I am a big Steelers fan (obviously) but you just have to love this play. Looks like Wes had his chin strap on tight still...good for him. This week's matchup between the Steelers and the Cowboys should be one hell of a game. Considering the history between these 2 teams you can bet your next month's rent that there will be a lot of alumns at this game. Which ever team brings it is in for the glory and bragging rights that will be plentiful and bountiful in the week to come. My advise to you, get your popcorn ready!

Deoye

Ted Rogers Passes On at Age 75

2008-12-02T06:56:00.002-05:00

The President and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., Ted Rogers Jr., passed away this morning at his Toronto home from a heart condition. The company he owned currently owns and runs the Toronto Blue Jays. Corporate duties have now been passed on to Alan Horn.

College Football, BCS Rankings, Bowl Eligibility

2008-12-02T06:00:00.003-05:00

Geez! This is a huge monster to tackle but I am gearing up for the upcoming Bowl Game scramble by the NCAA's top Football programs. From all the information I am gathering so far the whole ranking system remains an enigma in College Football. It is insane.

These are the teams that will probably get into a bowl game:

BC, FSU, Maryland, Wake, Clemson, NC State, V-Tech, G-Tech, North Carolina, The U, Mizzou, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, OK State, Cinci, Pitt, West VA, Rutgers, UConn, SFU, Penn, Ohio State, Michigan State, Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin, 'Sota, East Carolina, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulsa, H-town, Rice, Navy, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Ball State, Central Michigan, West Michigan, Northern Illinois, Utah, TCU, Brigham Young, Air Force, Colorado State, USC, Oregon, Oregon State, Cali, 'Zona, Florida, Georgia, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Kentucky, 'Bama, Mississippi, LSU, Troy, Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic?!, Boise State, Hawaii, Nevada, Louisiana Tech, Fresno State and, San Jose State.

Not going to a bowl game are:

Michigan, Auburn, Tennessee and, Louisville. Ouch!

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings are always a mess around this time of the year. A complete mess. Listed below is the current BCS Standing as listed by the Fox Broadcasting Company. If it seems confusing do not worry; it is! I will try to debunk this whole ranking in the days/weeks to come so do not fret:

BCS Standings
Rk	Team	W-L	Harris			Coaches			CPU %	BCS
			Rk	Points	%	Rk	Points	%		Prev	Avg
1	Alabama	12-0	1	2815	.9965	1	1521	.9974	.9200	1	.971
2	Oklahoma	11-1	4	2569	.9094	2	1397	.9161	.9800	3	.935
3	Texas	11-1	3	2575	.9115	3	1396	.9154	.9400	2	.922
4	Florida	11-1	2	2619	.9271	4	1385	.9082	.8200	4	.885
5	USC	10-1	5	2378	.8418	5	1298	.8511	.7300	5	.808
6	Utah	12-0	7	2111	.7473	7	1153	.7561	.8500	6	.784
7	Texas Tech	11-1	8	2090	.7398	8	1116	.7318	.8700	7	.781
8	Penn State	11-1	6	2177	.7706	6	1176	.7711	.6700	8	.737
9	Boise State	12-0	9	1937	.6857	9	1044	.6846	.7400	9	.703
10	Ohio State	10-2	10	1856	.6570	10	999	.6551	.5900	10	.634
11	TCU	10-2	12	1502	.5317	11	836	.5482	.6100	14	.563
12	Ball State	12-0	11	1526	.5402	13	765	.5016	.5500	15	.531
13	Cincinnati	10-2	13	1425	.5044	12	770	.5049	.4400	16	.483
14	Oklahoma State	9-3	14	1217	.4308	15	613	.4020	.4500	12	.428
15	Georgia Tech	9-3	16	1065	.3770	16	590	.3869	.4500	22	.405
16	Georgia	9-3	20	833	.2949	19	440	.2885	.4100	11	.331
17	Boston College	9-3	19	834	.2952	20	435	.2852	.3800	21	.320
18	Brigham Young	10-2	17	990	.3504	18	461	.3023	.2900	18	.314
19	Oregon	9-3	15	1076	.3809	14	658	.4315	.1000	23	.304
20	Missouri	9-3	18	896	.3172	17	470	.3082	.2200	13	.282
21	Michigan State	9-3	21	688	.2435	21	414	.2715	.2500	19	.255
22	Northwestern	9-3	22	414	.1465	22	333	.2184	.0000	24	.122
23	Pittsburgh	8-3	23	346	.1225	23	154	.1010	.0800	25	.101
24	Florida State	8-4	29	30	.0106	29	15	.0098	.2100	20	.077
25	Virginia Tech	8-4	27	71	.0251	26	41	.0269	.1200	0	.057

Deoye, "Smashmauf"

Leafs and Toskala Roll On, 2-0 Since Burke

2008-12-02T05:26:00.005-05:00

Way to go T.O. Maple Leafs! Please keep it rolling. The Leafs are now 2-0 since signing Mr. Burke as the Pres. & GM on Saturday. I thought the 4-2 win over Philly was impressive; this one was just as thrilling. I like the Stempniak acquisition as it is paying dividends right off the bat. This guy has added depth to an already strong line and I hope he can keep it up. The performance by the Leafs these last 2 games has been phenomenal. Granted they have played 2 middle of the road, maybe-playoff-contention, teams in their last outings...but still...these are teams the Leafs should beat. Last night's 3-1 win over the L.A. Kings might just be what this young Leafs team needs to get going in order to reclaim some respect for the blue and white. P.S.: I hate to admit it but I really have to give credit where it is due. Vesa Toskala (pictured) played a heck of a game last night. A heck of a game. He still has a loooong way to go in order to become a consistent performer every game but his 32 saves in L.A. speaks volume. Keep it up!

Deoye "Smashmauf!"

Alcohol & Sports Do Not Mix

2008-11-30T05:41:00.004-05:00

Is it just me or is anyone else tired of these crazy, alcohol-induced drama that professional athletes get themselves involved with? This is just very disturbing. The latest of these dramas involve the wide receiver (Plaxico Burress) for the New York, football, Giants of the NFL. The dude shot himself in the thigh at a club on Friday! Yes! You heard me right, he shot himself in the thigh! I know some of you will brush it off as a dumb act by one individual but I think this matter ought to carry more weight. I really think the Commissioners of these leagues and professional sport organizations need to come up with some kind of zero tolerance policy on alcohol consumption during the course of the seasons. If you are a baseball player then you should not be drinking alcohol in public during the season. If you are a hockey player the same should go for you; same for a basketball player, football player, soccer player, volleyball, curling, track, every major sport. If the players can not keep themselves out of trouble then the leagues need to separate themselves from such behavior by fining the flawed individuals. No more hand holdings. If you sign a guy to a $35 Million contract and he goes out and pisses it away on liquid courage then I do not think fining him is a problem. If you do not want to get fined, suspended or worse, then do not drink. Just say no. I can not believe Adam "Pacman" Jones has gotten so many chances, now this happens with Plax. Commissioners, please step up!

Deoye, "Smashmauf!"

Stempniak, Burke, and Leafs Get Off on the Right Foot!

2008-11-30T05:25:00.005-05:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs actually played like an NHL team tonight. I do not know what exactly got into this team tonight but my money is on the excitement over the new President and GM, Brian Burke. Regardless, I was thoroughly impressed with tonight's outing. Normally the Leafs play such an uninspired game that I get disgusted before the 2 period is over but today was different. Today, that physical play was back in the the blue and white. It was a thing of beauty, especially coming against the Flyers. Even Vesa Toskala put in a nice performance. The defense was stingy and gritty. The offense was potent and the checking line was great. About the only thing I did not like today was the play of Niklas Hagman; something about his game just did not sit right with me today. Being that he is one of the older guys on this team, I really expected a lot out of him than he provided tonight and I definitely think if he continues this way he will be on the shortlist of guys that will be shown the door. No doubt the hiring of Burke has inspired me as well, I can not wait to break out the Leaf jersey again!

LBJ Sweepstakes

2008-11-25T22:53:00.010-05:00

It seems like the popular thing these days in hoop universe is the presumed Lebron James sweepstakes that is going in the Basketball world these days. It seems everything is assuming that since The King's contract is running out in 2010 he will be on the earliest flight out of Cleveland the second his contract expires. This just is not true.

The worst of these speculations has the recently crowned King going to, of all teams, the New York Knickerbockers. Some have even gone on to perpetrate the notion that somehow New York is the Basketball Mecca of the world. Give me a *blipping* break! Basketball Mecca?! New York?! Wow! That is just ridiculous. Who in his/her right mind would even consider this to be a truth for every basketball player out there? How many of you think NY would be the best place in the world right now to play basketball? That is just ridiculous. Why would anyone want to play for a team named after pants (see pictured)?? The only player that I can think of that might like the New York idea is our favorite balling Canadian, Mr. Steve "I like Soccer" Nash. He's the main guy that stands to benefit from such a move. He gets re-united with Coach D'Antoni and possibly a rejuvenated Knick team if they are also able to sign any of of these available players: D. Wade, CB4, The Truth, Ray "Shuttlesworth" Allen, RJ, Joey Johnson, T-Mac, Amare "Bam Bam" Stoudemire or the smart choice Dirk Nowitzki. My money is on Dirk Nowitzki bailing out of the nightmare called Mavericks and into a blue and red knickerbocker.

Given that Nash is 34 years young at the moment, the thought of Lebron James being on the same team with a 36 year old white guy from Canada running point just does not make any kind of sense to me. New York is Not the place to go. The only other player that might be attracted to the New York Knicks is Mr. Vincent Carter. This is the team he has always wanted to play on and with the current situation, I can see VC, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki ending up on the Knick roster in 2010. That's right! I said it 1st! I am almost certain that Lebron will choose to stay in Cleveland and tough it out with the Cavaliers. All the pieces he needs to win a title are currently in place (minus the all-star calibre sidekick). The way Lebron plays, his style is actually more in tune with one of these 3 players: D. Wade, Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire. But given CB4's penchant for big play and strong defense, my money is on LBJ giving his old USA Redeem team buddy, Chris, a call to ask him to join him in Ohio. I like the Toronto Raptors and would rather LBJ come up to play in Toronto than to lose the biggest basketball star Toronto has had (other than "the enemy") but...reality is that as a basketball fan, I would forgive CB4 if he were to go to Cleveland to win a title with Lebron. The other dream scenario would be for LBJ to go to San Antonio and play with TD, TP and Manu! That would be a ridiculous team. The Spurs can afford to make this work if LBJ can take a slight pay cut. The result would be a definite title. I have no doubt that they would win a title in that scenario. Either way, CB4 to Cleveland or LBJ to San Antonio, I think Lebron will finally get to fulfill his legacy. We are all witness right now to his sheer domination of the Association

Vinsanity Struck Again; Raptors Look to Rebound Versus Celts Today

2008-11-23T07:23:00.010-05:00

Last Friday night I was lucky and honoured to be invited to the Raptors vs. Nets game at the ACC downtown Toronto so this was definitely a fun night for me. (Funny enough it was my 1st Raptor game live at the ACC as well). Up by 18points in the 3rd Quarter, the house was electric. For the Raptors Fans (myself included - although I am still a T-Mac Loyalist), the game could not have been going any better. For some reason Coach Franks had Brooks Lopez familiarizing himself with the pine & Mr. Harris was getting in touch with nature through his stomach. I was going nuts in the stands with my friends Lori and Lisa (who just happens to be a ridiculous Anthony Parker fan) - yes, even going as far as heckling Mr. Vince Carter. For us Raptor fans it was a right of passage to boo VC anytime he is in town and on our court. Little did we know it would be downhill from then on.

Starting the 4th quarter, Devin Harris came in like a crazy bat out of hell, sticking the Raps with 17pts in the quarter. I have to say, it was pretty incredible to watch it play out. You could feel the crowd get tense with each bucket he hit in transition. The Raps got too loose with the shot selection and things went awry in a hurry. Before you knew it, it was 111-108 with only a few ticks on the game clock, more than enough time for Vinsanity to stab us with an insane game-tying 3pointer from Middle Earth. The 18 point lead was now like a pipe dream; faded, disappeared like an illusion. The Maple Leaf T-Rex warriors did not fair any better in OT as the team battled neck and neck with NJ right until Vince's reverse alley-oop dunk cemented the victory for the Nets and dropped the Raptors to 6-6; good enough for last place in the Atlantic Division.

Things do not get any easier for the Raps as they face-off against the defending champs/current Atlantic Div. leaders, The Boston Celtics, this afternoon (12:30pm) at the ACC. Raps need to win today to stay above .500 on the season. With upcoming games vs. the Bobcats and the Hawks, every game has to been treated with urgency. Hopefully, the Raps can turn around the Jeckell and Hyde start they have had thus far and start playing Toronto Raptors ball soon. Once February comes around there will be no more room for error. If you are able to get your hands on some tickets, go today and cheer on the team - it should be a thriller.

Cheers,
Deoye aka "Smashmauf"

When kicking a Field Goal on 4th and 7 is Atrocious

2008-11-21T10:00:00.007-05:00

Sometimes kicking that field goal is the worst thing a coaching staff can do during a game. The Cincinnati Bengals proved that last night when Mr. Marvin Lewis (pictured Head Coach) decided to kick a field goal when down 20 to 7 with 6:49 minutes left in the game as opposed to attempting to get a 1st down and quite possibly a score. It only makes sense to try to win the game when you are right in the redzone in the 4th quarter and down 2 scores.

Here is what the situation breaks down to:
Down 2 possessions (2 touchdowns would give the Bengals the win) with the ball in the Steelers redzone with just a shade under 7 minutes left in the game. Marvin Lewis chose to kick a field goal on 4th and 7 rather than go for the 1st down or possibly a score. To someone not familiar with the pro game this might seem like the right choice - take the score right? The reality as a competitor is that you have to go for the win; no guts no glory. You play to win the game; it is that simple. Kicking a field goal did not change anything because the Bungles were still down 2 scoring possessions. They would still have needed 2 possessions to win the game and that is assuming the Steelers do not score. Also, if you do not get the 1st down, it is the same result as kicking the field goal but you get one benefit - the Steelers start the possession deep in their own zone. The odds of forcing a punt is greatly improved. All logic says go for the win. Try to win the game. By kicking the field goal Marvin Lewis and his coaching staff gave up on the players and the fans. It is not a justifiable offense considering the stance taken on Chad Ocho Cinco for this game (Chad was benched for arguing with the coaching staff over the direction of the offense and the game plans). The Bungles benched him to send a message to the younger guys that you have to be held accountable and you have to be obedient but,...after this game, the real message is that the offense game plan stinks and the coaching staff stinks.

I would be suprised if Chad Ocho Cinco is not in the game plan next week. I would be more surprised if Marvin Lewis keeps his job next season. His and the Bengals' decision today was atrocious and piss poor at best. I would be surprised if changes are not made in the offseason. Very disappointingly, the Bengals did not go for an on-side kick after the score. The Pittsburgh Steeler got the ball and drove all the way down for the go ahead touchdown that sealed the win; using up just over 4 mins of the game clock. Fitzpatrick drove the Bengals down to the redzone again on the next possession but threw a pick in the endzone to Troy Polamalu. The fact is that drive should have been the one for the win if only the Bengals coaches had a little bit more faith in their players. Instead they played to lose and they lost. What a disappointment.

Gregg Easterbrook has done it again

2008-11-19T02:42:00.002-05:00

Ha Ha Ha...

Additional words cannot do justice to this article by Mr. Gregg Easterbrook. Just when you think the wonderfully monstrous big brother ESPN was getting all soft on peeps on Main Street, you get this article. It is a long one but it definitely speaks for itself. You should definitely read the sections on intergalactic travel, psychic kids & the increasingly feeble Larry King and, the U.S. Treasury's wool-over-our-eyes.

Check it out yourself and be the judge:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=easterbrook/081118&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1

Cheers,
Deoye "Smashmauf"

Eri Yoshida, 1st Female Pro Knuckle-baller?

2008-11-19T00:38:00.006-05:00

Here is an article I read on the Associated Press website. Apparently, there is a 16 year old girl in Japan, Eri Yoshida, who has just been made the 1st female professional baseball player. She was selected in the 7th round by the Kobe 9 Cruise team in a new independent baseball league in Japan supposedly for her wicked Knuckler which she patented after Red Sox legend Tim Wakefield. Yada, yada, yada.

Give me a break. In my personal opinion this is nothing short of a publicity stunt for a neo professional baseball league. I think it is a pretty good one too because here I am, all the way in Toronto (Canada), writing about some 16 year old girl getting drafted to pitch against men in a professional league. Despite the obviousness of this shameless league promotion, you can't deny that it would be interesting to see women involved in some capacity on the baseball diamond. Being someone that actually ventures to the parks to watch games during the season, I can testify to the need for something new in the majors. I hope this gives MLB the cojones to actual start including some "talent" to this game. I can even go for a WMLB with future perennial All-Star Jennie Finch (pictured). That would be really nice don't you think?

When NFL Rules Become Weapons of Mass Confusion. Who Benefits?

2008-11-18T04:03:00.005-05:00

I saw the Steelers vs. Chargers game this weekend; the whole 11-10 debacle. That was an insane game to watch, especially being a Steeler fan. You do not have to be a die hard fan to know that life in sports is usually a 2-way street. You either win or lose. You win or you go home. That is it. In a league as competitive as the NFL, this one sporting truth is all the more glearing. All parties involved will do anything and everything possible to win a game even if it means cheating. Rules are made to keep some sort of order but a fierce competitor, as there is in the NFL, will do anything possible to win - including breaking the rules. This is the nature of the game. This is sport for all diehards. All the more reason why there needs to be Rules than can be enforced and personnel that can enforce these rules during competition. Without this, we open the door to unbiased, unabashed and unrelenting competition which will have a tendency to get messy. This is the pandora's box that might be opened by the Steelers game on Sunday.

For those that missed the game here is a quick summary of the situation. Down 10-8 with less than a minute left and sitting on 2nd and goal, the Pittsburgh Steelers had a few choices to close out the game. They could take a knee, watch the clock run down to 1 second and kick a field goal. They could run a dummy run play (HB Dive or something similar) to keep the clock running. They could try to score by either by passing the pigskin or by running the ball. Or, they could just let the play clock wind down and take a penalty. These were the choices the Steelers had because of the time left on the clock and the fact that the Chargers had no more timeouts left to burn (Chargers could not stop the game). Of all these choices, the logical move would have been to run the clock down to 1 second, kick a field goal and walk off with a win because kicking from that distance is pretty much a given in the NFL. But...the Steelers chose to run a play. It did not hit me right away why they would run a play but then i figured it out once the play was ran.

Here is why: Willie Parker ran off tackle to the left and in his usual FWP style he bounced the play outside the tackle and walked into the endzone; Touchdown! Game over, 14-10 right? Wrong. The referee made a holding call on the play (a valid one as it turned out) and the play was reversed. The key things to note here are: a, Steelers were penalized 10 yards on the play in addition to not getting a touchdown; b, it was the 13th penalty against the Steelers and, c, a field goal from this distance was no longer a "gimme" in the NFL. The fact that the penalty was a holding call, something that happens on virtually every snap in an NFL game cristalizes this point. The fact that the Chargers up to this point only had 1 penalty called against them and the fact that all the Steeler penalties have been drive killers made it clear to me. There was no point in running another play. The Steelers decided to forfeit the opportunity to score a Touchdown by kicking the field goal on 3rd down (the next play). The reason they did this was to make sure they got a score before the Referees gave them another "penalty". Kudos to the Steeler coaching staff for being on point on this one. The field goal try put the game at 11-10; advantage Steelers.

The Steelers kicked the ball off to the Chargers and that left them with 5 seconds to score a field goal with no timeout. Naturally, the Chargers decided to pass the ball and try to score using hook and laterals. In this process game the defining moment of this game. LaDanian Tomlinson caught the ball and lateralled it to one of his teammates (Chambers) who tried to lateral the ball to another teamate; in this process, Troy Polamalu happened. He punched away the 2nd lateral, picked up the loose ball and ran into the endzone for the game winning score 17-10. On any other day this would have been the highlight/play of the day. An amazing finish to another close to the wire NFL game. The continuing proof of the parity in pro football. Unfortunately, the NFL since its inception had never had an 11-10. It was a oddity in the game which only occurred because of an earlier safety scored by the Steelers when Harrison tackled Rivers in the endzone during the first half. I believe it makes for an alternative finish; a moment to be celebrated by the league for years to come. The immaculate game or something or the other. The NFL realized the potential occurrence, the referees realized it too, the play-by-play announced the oddity as well, all viewers knew it; except, Troy Polamalu had other plans when he picked up that loose ball. He reacted. All those years of training, his instinct was to grab the ball and run for the endzone, which he did and in the process spoilt the fantatic, once in a livetime finish that everyone had been about to witness. Naturally, this created some confusion for EVERYBODY! Troy Polamalu just killed any chance of an 11-10 finish. It was over. Or so we thought.

The final Chargers play was put into review and the LaDanian Tomlinson play was called an illegal backwards pass which would have ended the play (meaning everything after that pass was inconsequential), the game was over. I know, it works out conveniently for the league and its history books. We have the 1st 11-10 game in NFL history and it was upheld. The only question now is: At what cost? How do we interprete backwards lateral going forward? How much power do officials have to replay review a play when no penalty is called on the field of play? How much power does the replay booth have in deciding a game? Is it okay to justify terrible officiating if it benefits the league? So many questions come to mind. It throws into question everything thing about the rules and this is something that will possibly come back to bite the League in the butt. Now that they have opened pandora's box.

[For a quick review of the game rules as dictated by the NFL, please see http://www.nfl.com/rulebook ]

You be the judge.

cheers,

Deoye aka "Smashmauf"

O.J. Mayo - Rookie Extraordinaire

2008-11-11T20:40:00.004-05:00

If you do not know who this guy is then I suggest you begin to get familiar with the new Juice, I mean, the new O.J. and that's no dressing. Mr. Mayo is the real deal. The kind of athlete that has the ability to transcend the sport of basketball. He has all the qualities in place to really be one of the next generation of stars to have been discovered by the NBA machine.

O.J. has the skills, the poise and the competitiveness to really take things to the next level. 8 games into the season and this guy is putting up 21pts, 5 dimes and 2.4 helpers a game; include his 1.4 thefts a game and 45% shooting and we have the recipe for superstardom. In an off season where Derrick Rose and Micheal Beasley dominated the Draft boards, it is a pleasure to see Mr. O.J. proving everyone wrong.

It is still a bit early to start screaming out ROY! ROY! but, I would keep a keen eye on Mr. Mayo. Served up well as a Grizzly, #32 is the perfect dressing for a squad looking to turn the corner. Watch out world.

To find out more about #32 check out his site: http://www.ojmayoonline.org/ I think you would be impressed.

cheers,
Deoye "Smashmauf"

50 Amazing Rides

2008-11-10T15:20:00.003-05:00

I would not claim to be a car afficionado but just reviewing this list of 50 coolest cars as provided by sympatico/MSN made me want to shout out loud.

My favorites definitely are the Audi R8, Bugatti, Maybach and the Jags; what are your favorites? You decide. Also what cars do you think ought to have been included on this list?

http://en.autos.sympatico.msn.ca/photo_gallery/photo_popup.aspx?cp-documentid=4940214&dub-gallery-photo-number=1

Miami Dolphins - The Sleeper & Cinderella Team of the NFL 08-09 Season

2008-11-10T11:23:00.003-05:00

Wow. If you had told me at the beginning of this season that the "fish wannabes" will be the sleeper team for this season I would have laughed my butt off. Honestly. This team barely won a game last year!

This year though it is a different story all around. And it is not just the wins that has me excited and optimistic about this squad. It is the adversity and the plotlines that surround this team. Here is a team in probably the 2nd most daunting division in the NFL. It could not have been easy coming to work knowing that you will be facing the Pats, Jets and Bills twice each during the season; especially after nearly going 0 and 16 the previous season. I have been on some really horrible sports teams and I can testify to the quicksand nature of losing. It can sometimes feel like a losing battle trying to save your competitive life but good teams can always find a way to overcome this adversity - bad teams fade into the abyss of despair and squabble. This Dolphin team has just continued to grind out games this season and it is really inspirational.

Consider some of the stories surrounding this team prior to this season:
* Nick Saban abandons the program before completing his term; this after making so many promises to turn around the sinking ball club.

* Ricky Williams and his well publicized puff habit

* Ronnie Brown still working his way to top form after re-constructive knee surgery

* Joey Porter coming of a very pedestrian season after enjoying so much success in Pittsburgh

* A new QB in Chad Pennington who had been run out of town by the New York, football, Jets. The word on CP was that he lacked the arm strength and the moxie to bang out big games against a tough and stingy defense. The expectations were that he had the experience to manage games and help the team save some face after last season's debacle.

* Tedd "questionable first round pick" Ginn, Jr. and the whole world of expectation thrusted upon him. You had to wonder if he would crack under the pressure and scrutiny

* Jason Taylor abandoning the team to go to a "contender" - basically, not wanting to be around for the 0 and 16 season coming up. He had no desire to get stuck in quicksand another season.

* Antony Fasano as a starting TE?

* A suspect coverage team and front-line defense & a suspect supporting cast on offense.

* New head coach

* A power change and shift in personnel at the management levels.

I can go on and on but you get the idea. This team was not expected to compete this year. Definitely not expected to be 5-4 at this point of the season. Not expected to be the trend-setter and definite team of this season with their resurgence of the wildcat offense in the NFL. Not expected to be anything more than an afterthought. But like the new President-elect in the U.S.A., they must have believed that change was coming. They must have believed in "Yes, we can" and that has helped them turn the corner as a team. They are doing it together. This is truly the team to watch out for in the final months of this season. With upcoming games against the Rams, Chiefs, Raiders and Niners, I would be suprised if this team does not win at least 9 games this season. If they are able to beat at least one of their divisional rivals in addition to these 4 teams, we will have a 10 win team on our hands.

Coming off a 1-15 season last year and having a chance to win 10 games this year makes the Dolphins the official sleeper and cinderella team of this season. I will implore you to keep an eye out for this squad.

Cheers,
Deoye "Smashmauf"

Genesis

2008-11-06T14:59:00.000-05:00

It all began with Genesis.

Now after all the Trials, there is some progress being made. I will be doing my best to bring you all the news you need soonest. In the meantime, the wheels are in motion and Smashmauf! is in creation mode.

For all those who are interested in joining my team, please contact me at Smashmauf@live.com / Smashmauf@gmail.com

Thanks for the support,

cheers,
Deoye "SmashMauf!"