Adidas, Let Derrick Rose Speak

If you've watched even a single quarter of NBA action thus far, you've likely been lambasted with Adidas "Fast Don't Lie" ads featuring Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard. I couldn't help but notice a pretty significant difference between the two.
Ken Jeong, aka Slim Chin, dripping head to toe in gold, plays pretty much the same character he has in all of his movies. Meanwhile,  Howard gets one good line, "Beast from the regular East," and a piano-laced sing-song excerpt at the end.
What does Rose get? A crossover dribble and a smile.

Howard's Commercial



Rose's Commercial



It's feels like the folks at Adidas were worried that Rose would mess the entire commercial up if he so much as uttered a word. I'll be the first to admit that Rose isn't a good public speaker. Would it be advantageous to give him a large speaking part? Probably not.
But c'mon, they could have given him ONE good line like they did for Howard. In fact, Rose is more than capable of carrying a commercial, as he did in this NBA 2K11 commercial that was widely circulated over the internet but didn't get too much TV time.



Rose carried that commercial. Every funny moment can be attributed to him. Rondo would have never dressed up in an apron, Josh Smith would have probably eaten the decedent desserts he was cooking, but what's Iggy and Westbrook's excuse?
Given the right lines, Rose can be funny, Adidas just has to let him. Stop perpetuating the myth that Dwight Howard is funny. He's a good natured athlete who jokes around and smiles a lot, but he's not funny.
Adidas would benefit from giving Rose the floor. They have to ask themselves, would they rather have one of the best young point guards in the NBA as the face of his OWN shoe, or the guy who is best remembered from leaping out of a trunk naked in The Hangover?

Pumpkin Carving And A Thrilling Wisconsin Victory

While it may not be entirely clear in the picture above, that beautiful motion 'W' is not only carved into a pumpkin, but the work of my own doing. Nevermind that the motion 'W' trends to the left and mine seems to be trending right. I was never the best at art.
In fact, as a kid, I only drew athletes - usually Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Emmitt Smith, or Deion Sanders. I also had an affinity for basketball cards. So I drew my own basketball cards, and put myself in a Bulls uniform.
Pumpkin carving was never an integral part of my childhood Halloween doings. Eating candy, particularly of the chocolate, nougat, and caramel variety, and shivering my ass off in the rain are my two fondest Halloween memories.
So when my girlfriend approached me and not asked, but told me we were going to carve pumpkins, I scoffed like Lou Piniella after one of his pitchers bunts the third strike foul. I learned from various people over the years that relationships are all about sacrifice. Sacrifice the small things and make sure that the big things, as long as the big things aren't destructive, remain a part of your life. Two hours of my time and a general dislike of the color orange and the Cucurbitaceae family fall into the 'small things' category.
It's probably a good thing I didn't carve pumpkins as a child. I would have given up within the first five minutes. It's surprisingly hard work. After about 30 minutes of digging and scraping what looked like shredded cheddar cheese, I was able to finally hallow out the thing. It came as a surprise to me that there wasn't a couple of Chilean miners buried under all the seeds and orange rubbish.

No, that's not what UW students threw up at two in the morning after celebrating the victory over Iowa. That's all of the insides we dug up.

To back-track, we actually did the pumpkin carving after UW pulled off a 31-30 road win that had me feeling how I assume Mark Dantonio felt after the Notre Dame victory. Not quite that bad, but I'm pretty sure my heart was beating irregularly for the better part of that night.
I had planned on carving out the motion 'W' all along, but should have thought the timing through a little better. What if Wisconsin had lost? A real, more than likely possibility. I might have just smashed the pumpkin in the street myself while a group of stoned and jealous twelve year-olds stared from across the street.
But I underestimated Bret Bielema's coaching and our punter, Brad Nortman. It's not often that a punter decides a game, and when they do, it's in a fairly indirect way. For instance, they repeatedly pin the other team within the 15, making them march down a long field the entire game. Rarely can you put your finger on one game changing play, and the punter is right in the middle of the action.
Down 30-24, and approaching the six minute mark, fourth and four, and Bielema decides to dial up a fake punt. It's calls like this that remind me why I'm not a head coach. I'd watched the entire game, noticed that Iowa was basically sending one man to rush the punter and dropping the rest back. I never thought to put two and two together and call a fake. Bielema did and it was a brilliant call. Nortman scampered for the longest seventeen yards of his life before he slid to the grass, avoiding contact. And boy did he get down fast.
Wisconsin would convert another fourth down on the drive en route to a Montee Ball one yard touchdown run to give his team a one point lead. Ball was the unsung hero of this game. The offense was without their two most explosive weapons, tight end Lance Kendricks, and freshman running back, James White almost the entire game.
Ball was the forgotten man in the backfield that has primarily consisted of Clay and White since the Big Ten season began. He stepped up, particularly in the passing game, catching five balls for 41 yards.

That's the motion W I cut out of the pumpkin, which unfortunately, looked better than the pumpkin itself. Now it's decomposing in a landfill somewhere.

When two teams are as evenly matched as Iowa and Wisconsin are and have been over the years, sometimes it takes a trick play to gain an advantage. I wonder if Bret Bielema is getting his Hawkeye tattoo converted into a Badger as we speak, laughing at Kirk Ferentz's time management.
As far as the pumpkin, it's not doing so good. The hanging pieces of the pumpkin (spaces in between the W's columns) have began to curl up and resemble Doctor Claw gripping his armchair. It's OK. In a few days I'll leave the pumpkin outside and let the stoned teenagers do what they will with it.

Rose And Westbrook Battle For Point Guard Supremacy

I never thought I'd say this, but in tonight's season opener, fresh off a FIBA World Championship this summer, leading the league in scoring last year, and pretty much crowned this year's MVP, Kevin Durant will not be the center of attention in tonight's game. At least not my attention, anyway. Although I do have a low attention span.
Don't sleep on Durant and Deng's match up. Deng had the best preseason of any Bull, showing the ability to consistently hit the three. That should be a great match up. But no match up shall be greater than Derrick Rose and Russel Westbrook.
Team USA teammates this summer, Rose and Westbrook seemed to have been linked the entire offseason. The question being, who is better?
Westbrook has received overwhelming support. All of a sudden, I began hearing a lot of "Westbrook is better than Rose" opinions, when that wasn't even mildly feasible after the 2009-10 season.
So I wondered where this opinion was coming from. So I went to the source. The place I always go when questionable opinions seem to have a strong following - Bill Simmons.
Wrote Simmons on ESPN.com:
"We went into this tournament thinking Rose and Rondo were the two best under-24 point guards in some order. Rondo got sent home, then Westbrook outplayed Rose so convincingly in the tournament that, at some point, everyone who loves basketball glanced around in confusion and said, "Hold on, does Oklahoma City now have the best young point guard AND the best young player in the league?"
For whatever reason, Simmons' opinions seem to gain steam quickly and are rarely questioned. Especially amongst college-aged sports fans such as myself.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but hopefully I can dispel this Westbrook > Rose myth. Yes, Westbrook scored more points than Rose in the FIBA tournament. Seventeen more to be exact, and 1.9 more points per game. Their overall shooting percentages were almost identical, Westbrook shot better from behind the arc and on the free throw line. Rose had slightly more assists, Westbrook slightly more rebounds.
Really the only thing that distinguished Westbrook was his scoring total and ability to get to the basket. People are acting like Rose hasn't show the same ability - in the NBA.
Rose switched off from point guard to shooting guard playing alongside Chauncey Billups in the starting lineup. The offense ran through Durant in that starting lineup.
Krzyzewski frequently emptied his entire bench, bringing in five new players rather than playing the starters with the reserves. Consequently, Westbrook was given more free reign on the offense. Who was the go to guy on the second team? Rudy Gay? Who ever it was, that player didn't demand touches like Durant. Westbrook was able to create for himself and penetrate, while Rose was expected to be more of a distributor.
The only time in international play that I can remember Rose playing his NBA game was in the exhibition match against Spain. On Team USA's last two possessions, Rose drove the lane, hung in the air and scored, then drove to the basket again and drew the foul. He knocked down both free throws and won the game for the USA.
The point I'm trying to get at is that international play should not be used to determine who is a better NBA player. Not only is the style of play different, but players are expected to play different roles than they normally would. I believe that Westbrook's role was fairly similar to his NBA role, whereas Rose's was not.
While both are not yet on Rondo's level, tonight's match up should add more to the best young point guard discussion. Kevin Durant deserves a day outside of the spotlight.

Tonight We Make NBA History

Every generation of basketball fans have their defining moment. That moment is what they will associate with basketball from the era they grew up.
My defining moments were twofold. The first occurred on April 16, 1996 - the day the Bulls won their NBA record 70th regular season game. At the time, I was nine years old, and didn't fully understand the significance of that record. The post game interviews on the court with Johnny "Red" Kerr, mountains of merchandise marking the event, or the fact that the Bradley Center was filled with mostly Bulls fans that night still didn't completely register with me.
It was something my dad said that night. We were watching the post game interviews and he turned to me and said, "You know, you're really lucky that you got to see Michael Jordan play."
That was it. And that's all it took.
To me, Jordan was a constant. He had been playing for the Bulls for four years before I was even born. I grew up rooting for a Championship basketball team, the best player in the world, and had no idea how unusual that was. Kind of like being born into money. You mean, everyone doesn't live in a mansion, have a maid, and a chauffeur to drive them around?
Of course, things had changed for me by 1998, now age eleven. It was pretty well known that this was going to be Jordan's last year, and the last year of the Bulls dynasty as a whole. I was a little older, and beginning to appreciate how hard it was to win as many games and championships as the Bulls did.
So when Jordan made that last shot in Utah to clinch the 1998 NBA Finals, I knew it was the end of an era, and consequently, my memories of basketball growing up.
The Bulls' 70th win and Jordan's game winner are the two moments that embody that NBA era to me.

The opening night of the 2010-11 NBA season tonight will mark a similar significance in NBA history, none of which actually has to do with what happens on the court. The Heat might win, so might the Celtics. LeBron, or Wade, or Bosh, or even all three may have a big game.
Either way, many people will overreact after the outcome of this game is decided. Celtics win and they're better than the Heat, and an NBA Finals lock. Heat lose, and they're a sham, if they win, they'll contend for 72 wins.
The fact of the matter is that the first game of the season doesn't decide anything in the NBA. This game is significant for a number of other reasons. This offseason marked the shift in power from the owners to players and the advantage of bigger markets over smaller markets despite a salary cap meant to level the playing field. It marked the changing dynamics of fans and athletes, and possibly the end of star players' competitive fire as we knew it. The Heat's opening game will bring all of these combative and sometimes confusing ideas to fruition.
If there's one thing I'm sure of it's that we won't know the significance of the Heat until about 2030. By that time, the championships, wins, and careers of the players involved will be an afterthought. We'll be able to look back at the nature of fan reactions and media coverage.
Until then, enjoy the 2010-11 NBA season. We're witnessing the most significant moment of this NBA era, we're just not sure what that significance is yet.

Just Wright - Two Rights Can Make A Wrong

We've all heard the saying "Two wrongs don't make a right." Theoretically then, two rights shouldn't make a wrong, correct? As I found out this weekend, that is most definitely not true.
How can Common, one of the greatest rappers of all time in my opinion, who gave us this classic metaphorical track, one of the greatest songs of the 90s...


and this classic DJ Premier produced cut, one of the greatest songs of the 2000s...



Coupled with basketball, the game that gave us such great moments as Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals game winner...



and John Havlicek's improbable steal to seal Game 7 of the 1965 Division Finals...



Create this travesty?

To be fair, I wasn't expecting this movie to be good. One look at the movie poster is all it takes to know this film is going to be filled with supremely awkward moments. For that reason alone, I decided to rent Just Wright and watch it with my girlfriend.
Here are my Top 5 train wreck moments:
1) Scott McKnight (Common) is playing the piano while rehabbing his knee injury. Yes, he apparently plays the piano quite well. Leslie (Queen Latifah, his physical therapist who becomes his love interest) brings him a plate of some marshmallow and chocolate chip cookie concoction. Scott takes a bite and whispers to Leslie in a pseudo-smooth voice, "Incredible." Common doesn't do the romantic moments too well.
2) Scott McKnight, star player for the New Jersey Nets, injures his knee while attempting a spin move...in the All Star Game. Has anyone ever tried hard enough to warrant an injury in the All Star Game? I had to laugh at this.
3) In that same All Star Game, they were able to reel in Marv Albert, Mike Fratello, and Kenny Smith to make an appearance as the announcing team. During the pre-game analysis, Fratello says something like, "We have many great stars here tonight. Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, but most people are here to see Scott McKnight." Too over the top, and since when do people watch the All Star Game to see one player? Isn't every All Star kind of a big draw?
4) Dwight Howard stops by McKnight's house to inform him that the Nets are not planning on offering him a new contract. While it's funny that he'd hear this news from Howard first, that's not the best part. Howard enters the room by grabbing Common's remote control airplane mid-flight and then does a dance my girlfriend says is called "The Stanky Leg."
5) The lack of chemistry between Common and Queen Latifah. Something tells me they'd have much better chemistry in the booth. Their kiss at the end of the movie was painful to watch. You could tell neither wanted any part of that. I would have preferred to watch 100 minutes of Paula Patton.
I'm not sure if this movie was intended to be a comedy, but it gave me a few laughs. If you're in to movies that are so bad they're good, check this one out.

Bears, Badgers Face Must Win Games This Weekend

Ah, the age old question. What constitutes a must-win game? I've heard many definitions over the years and decided to narrow them down to five.
1) The Literal - This is the "win or go home" game, exactly what the Phillies were facing yesterday. Some people argue this is the only true must win game, and in a sense, they're right.
2) The Rivalry - A game between two bitter rivals that involves one really good team and one really bad team. The good team has to win not only because it's a rivalry game, but their fans will never hear the end of it. When a team is bad, the only way they can salvage their season is by beating a superior rival.
3) The Save-Face - This is the type of must win the Vikings and Cowboys played last week. Two supremely talented teams that have underachieved thus far. While they've already killed their playoff chances, they have to win to at least make it look like they haven't given up on the season.
4) The Playoff Positioning - This happens a lot in baseball. Two division foes face off in a three game series at the end of August. They're separated by only one game atop the division and this is the last time they'll play each other this season. They have to win to improve their chances of making the playoffs.
5) The Expectation Fulfillment - A game that isn't considered a must win at the time, but will be reflected upon at the end of the season when analyzing whether or not a team lived up to expectations. This is the game the Bears and Badgers will be playing this weekend.

I feel like I've mentioned the Bears' post-Bye week schedule at every opportunity I've had, and hate to keep harping on it, but I can't really avoid it. I have a pocket schedule (printed in Spanish) that sits on my desk next to the computer. While I've been reminded of how to say Sunday, Monday, and Thursday in Spanish, I'm also constantly reminded of how difficult the Bears schedule is starting November 14th. 
That Seattle loss killed them. That was a game that they should have won that they didn't, and now they're going to have to win a more difficult game later in the season.
Ten wins will be enough to make the playoffs, maybe even nine. The Bears could and should have earned seven of those wins after Week 9. 4-2 still isn't a bad position to be in, neither will 5-2, but 4-3, with their upcoming schedule, diminishes their playoff chances.
The Bears need a win and they need to protect their quarterback. If they can't do either, that 4-1 record, possible sleeper status, and increased expectations will be all for naught. I almost forgot I predicted this team to win five games this year.

The Badgers are coming off one of their biggest wins in team history. That's a good and a bad thing. The Ohio State win brought back some of the national attention that disappeared after the loss at Michigan State. The bad news is that this is a really good Iowa team, and it's not at all uncommon for a team, especially the Badgers, to have a letdown the week after a big win.
Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City is one of the most difficult stadiums to play at that nobody talks about. I vividly remember the last time the Badgers played there and it wasn't pretty. The year was 2008 and Shonn Greene ran for 217 yards and 4 touchdowns. That was the official "My team sucks this year" game of the 2008 season.
Both teams have one loss and are looking for a spot in the Rose Bowl. Iowa still has the tougher part of their schedule to go, with home match ups against Michigan State and Ohio State. The loser heads to the Outback Bowl, the winner lives to fight another day.
Iowa has won three of the last five match ups against Wisconsin. Wisconsin's two wins were by a combined margin of seven points. The first Wisconsin home game I ever attended was a 20-10 Iowa victory in the rain. This is a nice, competitive, mini-rivalry that's been going on for the past five years and I don't see any reason why this game should be any different.
Expectations are constantly modified. After a 3-0 start, the Bears were expected to make the playoffs. While any sane person shouldn't expect them to advance very far, it's more than reasonable to expect them to earn a playoff spot.
Any time Wisconsin is ranked in the Preseason Coach's Poll, the hope is that they can earn their first spot in the Rose Bowl since 1999. They're probably never going to compete for a National Championship, so the Rose Bowl is the ultimate goal.
This is a weekend of must win games. No wins? No playoffs. No Rose Bowl. No dice.

Spurs vs. Inter Milan - Champions League Game 3

"Inter needed only ten minutes to beat Tottenham."
That's what I tweeted as half-time approached, Spurs were down 4-0. At the ten minute mark, Javier Zanetti had scored within two minutes, goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was sent off, and Samuel Eto'o stutter stepped home a penalty kick, the first of his two goals in the match. Eto'o currently leads all Champions League scorers with six.
Playing with ten men, Spurs were unable to stop Inter's controlled attack. Dejan Stankovic put the game out of reach in the 14th minute, putting his side up three. Twenty minutes later, Eto's second goal of the game only added insult to injury.
At halftime, it looked like Inter could easily push across seven or eight goals by the end of the game. Spurs certainly did not look up to the Champions League challenge, in what was probably their most meaningful game since 1962.
Not only were they going to lose, but screw their goal differential up in the process.
Thankfully, Werder and Twente drew, preserving second place for Tottenham in Group A. Tottenham played better defensively in the second half, and were able to narrow the scoring gap.
Gareth Bale was the lone bright spot in a game that desperately needed a bright spot for the visitors. Bale's speed overwhelmed Inter's defense the entire game. Although it wasn't until the 52nd minute that he was able to break through with his first goal. Bale would score two more almost identical goals, but it just wasn't enough.
Tottenham was doomed from the start, as they elected to send off Luka Modric for Gomes' red card. Spurs were already weak in the middle because Rafael van der Vaart was unable to play because of his red card last game against Twente.
The lack of a presence in the middle was evident. Bale and Lennon both played very well on the outside, but found themselves either crossing the ball to no one, or without a playmaker to create for them.
The flow of the offense should be much better with van der Vaart back for the rematch at White Hart Lane. This team lacks creativity without him.

To put things into perspective, this was a match Spurs were unlikely to win anyway. The result wasn't the issue, the fact that they looked utterly confused in the first half was. This was a game that they needed to at least show they could compete with the elite European clubs, and in the first half they couldn't.
Many fans left the game with a warm feeling because of Bale's spectacular performance, and the margin of defeat being cut to only one goal. Both feelings are fool's gold.
A loss is a loss. As long as Spurs take care of business in their remaining games against Werder and Twente, the goal differential won't come into play anyway. There's such a thing as playing well and getting beat by a better team. Spurs didn't play well.
Bale's three goals were all the result of fantastic individual efforts. One player can't beat a great team. If Spurs had scored three team oriented goals then that would have been great. Bale instead had to carry the rest of his team, and that won't get it done in the Champions League.
Hopefully eleven men, the return of van der Vaart, and a change of scenery can make a difference for Spurs in their next meeting with Inter. Either that or Bale may need to score four goals.

Ohio State University = My Ex-Girlfriend

I dated the Ohio State football program for roughly eleven years. I gave my heart to them. I was there for every dominating defensive performance, three and out, and the culmination of both; the 2003 National Championship.
I watched every game as a kid and didn't care that everyone around me was rooting for Illinois, Northwestern, or Notre Dame.  On the low, I kind of liked dating the girl my friends and family didn't approve of.
Then that fateful day in March of 2005...
I received a letter in the mail. Knowing this wasn't going to be pretty, I called OSU. The following is an excerpt of our conversation.
ME: So, uh, I don't really know how to say this. Uh, I got a letter in the mail today and...I'm just going to say it, I received an offer to date the University of Wisconsin.
OSU: That bitch!
ME: Yeah, this is a really great opportunity for me. She's really starting to develop into a beautiful woman. I love cheese. We can't do this long distance thing anymore, it's never going to work. It's not you, it's me. I'm a mess and don't know what I want in life.
OSU: You think I care? Like you're that special? I fuck 100 thousand people every Saturday, and that's just in the city of Columbus. You're nothing to me, I don't even know your name.
ME: Good, so we're in agreement then. Good luck next year.
I played it casually there towards the end, but it hurt me very deeply. I haven't thrown any of our memories away. I still have the Eddie George jersey in the closet, and the VHS tape of the Championship game. I know I should get rid of them, but I just can't.
On the low, Eddie George and Maurice Clarett are still my two favorite college football players of all time.   

Break-ups are especially difficult when your ex is enjoying a much greater level of success. Check the numbers:
Wisconsin: 48-17 in the last five years, 0 BCS Bowls
Ohio State: 54-10 in the last five years, 5 BCS Bowls, including two National Championship games.
The only positive, Wisconsin was 3-2 in those bowls, while Ohio State was 2-3 (0-2 in the BCS title games). Although I'd hardly call that much of a positive.
So that was the back drop for Saturday's match up. Things looked oh so familiar, with Ohio State rolling into Madison with an undefeated record and number one ranking. Meanwhile, Wisconsin was drenched in their customary mediocrity, with one loss and a ranking of 18.
There were two things I thought Wisconsin needed to do to win this game.
1) Most important, control the time of possession. I figured Ohio State was going to score, so it was important that Wisconsin could limit their opportunities. Fortunately, Wisconsin's entire offense is based around running and controlling the clock.
2) Limit Terrelle Pryor's rushing yards. Again, you can't really stop him, but I thought it was important to contain him. His speed versus our linebackers was a complete mismatch, and if given some open space, he would be able to wreak havoc.
Time of possession was even, Ohio State held the ball for six seconds longer. Pryor ran 18 times, but for only 56 yards. If I see those numbers without watching the game, I assume Ohio State wins, only because they have more playmakers on offense and can score quickly.
In fact, the stats in this game were staggeringly similar:
First Downs: Ohio State +1
Total Yards : Wisconsin +25
Passing Yards: Ohio State +4
Rushing Yards: Wisconsin +29
Penalty Yards: Wisconsin +21
Turnovers: Both quarterbacks threw an interception
Look at those numbers and tell me that this game wasn't decided by three points or less. Incredible. The difference was the opening kickoff that David Gilreath returned for a touchdown. On a side note, that return actually worried me even more.

That's because I'm a Cubs fan. We find a way to turn positives into negatives. Remember Game 1 of the 2008 NLDS? Mark DeRosa hit a 2-run homer in the 4th to put the Cubs up 2-0. The stadium went silent. Great, we're in the lead, we thought. Now we're going to find a way to blow this.
Hmm, when is the last time I can remember the opening kickoff being taken to the house? The 2006 Super Bowl. The one the Bears lost. Yes, I honestly believed returning the opening kickoff was a bad omen.
Anyway, it was great taking down Pryor. I don't like his hair, he's a terrible passer, and I despise the way him and LeBron send each other "Let's get it bro" tweets everyday. That being said, he's really good. An ideal run-first quarterback in college who's probably going to have to convert to receiver to play in the NFL. Only 56 rushing yards, we got away with one.
This win was my equivalent of pulling up in a rented Benz to the High School Reunion. It's looks good now, but things will be back to normal the next day. Ohio State will go on to play in countless title games, while Wisconsin strives for the Rose Bowl. That's fine with me. I'm marrying the slightly less attractive chick that makes me happy.
I'm happy as can be. This is by far the best Wisconsin win since I've switched allegiances.
I see you Ohio State University. Still breaking hearts after all these years. This time, it won't be mine.

What's In A (Fantasy Basketball) Name?

Do you play fantasy sports? Of course you do, I shouldn't have bothered asking. About a quarter of all adult males who are young enough to know how to use a computer do. The next time you're in a bar watching football, try to decipher some of the conversation going on around you. At some point, that conversation will turn to fantasy numbers. It doesn't matter if "RB X" rushed for 17 yards in the first three quarters. If "RB X" rips a 40 yard TD run in the 4th, he had a good day. Some people can't even tell you what the score of the game was, but they know how many fantasy points each player put up.
Drafting and following your team is a lot of fun, but picking a team name can almost be just as thrilling. I've seen enough "Southside Hitmen," "Ball Busters," and "Rim Job"-type names to know a little creativity in a name goes a long way.
While not funny, I've settled for quirky yet common terms used in the particular sport to choose my team names. A couple of recent ones, "5-4-3 Double Play" for baseball, and "Two and a Half Steps" for basketball. Those names aren't funny but at least you can tell I tried.
One rule I've always adhered to when picking a team name is the "Don't name your team after a player rule." The reason being I would feel not only obligated to draft that player, but reach in the draft for him so that he's not taken under my nose.
I've made two exceptions to this rule. Last year's fantasy football name was "Vick's Pitbulls," and this year's is "Tebow's Tears." Both were OK because neither player was expected to contribute much.
Last year, Vick played sparingly, and this year, it doesn't look like Tebow will play at all. It's easy not to handcuff yourself to players who aren't playing.
I broke the rule again.
I didn't mean to, but a name so fantastic popped into my head that I just had to. "Rose Before Hoes" combines my favorite player and plays on one of my least favorite phrases. That's a winning combination.
While searching for a team avatar, I found that Rose did a GQ photshoot for the January 2010 issue. Maybe Rose isn't the model type, maybe they dressed him up in ways that basketball players shouldn't be dressed up, but this picture he took for the magazine was perfect for a homosexuality-influenced team name like "Rose Before Hoes."
So the question is: Do I reach for D. Rose?

Depends on the rest of the managers in my league. In my baseball league last year, their was a team named "Longoria Time No See." He had either the fifth or sixth overall pick and took Longoria. Before he did, the other managers encouraged him to, and maybe even left Longoria on the board so that guy could take his team's namesake.
On the other hand, you have managers like myself, who take the whole fantasy sports thing a little too seriously. In this year's football draft there was a team named "Romo 4 MVP." Stupid name. Probably the reason I didn't respect him. Anyway, it's my pick in the 3rd round, I need a quarterback, Romo is the best one available. Am I going to sit around and wait for "Romo 4 MVP" to draft him? Of course not.
It all depends on whether managers are drafting to win or drafting their favorite players, or allowing others to.
There's plenty of great point guards, eight of which put up better fantasy numbers than Rose last year. Rose's ranking is lowered because he doesn't put up the assists typical of a point guard. I'm hoping Boozer, Korver, and an overall improved offensive game plan will change that.
I long for the day if/when I make enough money to join a large stakes fantasy sports money league. Maybe then I'll have an excuse to care this much.

Don't Overlook The Vikings

With Week 6 of the NFL season quickly approaching, now is about that time when we think we have each team figured out. This couldn't be further from the truth in the NFC North. Ask four different people about who will win this division, and you'll likely get three different answers. Sorry, Detroit.
I think the Bears will make the playoffs. I really do. I've been fighting myself lately, trying not to set myself up for disappointment, but I finally feel comfortable with believing they're playoff bound.
The next three games will be crucial in determining Chicago's playoff chances. Seattle and Washington at home, bye week, and Buffalo on the road. All three winnable games. Three wins and viola! The Bears are 7-1 heading in to the toughest stretch of their schedule.
That means they'll only have to win three, possibly two of the following eight games to make the playoffs. I think they can, I think they can...
The Vikings are the biggest question in the NFC North, and all of football at the moment. For a team with such lofty expectations, they've been nothing short of disappointing. Even more so than Dallas because, let's face it, unless if you live in Dallas, you know the Cowboys have been overrated for the past 15 years.
Let's bring it back to the Vikings, a team in total disarray. Sidney Rice is still injured, Jared Allen isn't sacking the quarterback, and Brett Favre is bringing new meaning to the naked bootleg.
I'm still afraid of this team. I think they've already hit rock bottom. Their next two games, at home against Dallas, and in Green Bay will reveal a lot about Minnesota's make up. The Bears beat both of those teams, if Minnesota wants to contend, they have to beat them as well. Two wins and just like that, the Vikings are back to .500.

It's imperative that Minnesota stops the bleeding. Rice could be back in as soon as three weeks. By that time Moss should be acclimated into the offense. That's going to be the week I crap my pants.
Moss and Rice lining up on opposite sides, Harvin in the slot, and Peterson running the ball. Not even a turnover-prone quarterback like Favre could screw an offense like that up. I think people are underestimating how scary this offense will be in a few weeks.
Until then, the Vikings can't dig their own graves. They're already 1-3 and can't afford to lose a couple more games.
They need their defense to step up. They've been pretty good in pass defense, an area that was expected to be a weakness. The run defense needs to be better. With the D-Line they have, there's no excuse to not be in the Top 5 in rush defense every year. They play the pass happy Cowboys, Packers, and Patriots in their next three games, so they should have an opportunity rectify that.
The Packers are having one of those years where the injury bug hits early and often. Ryan Grant, Nick Barnett, and Jermichael Finley are all out for the year. Aaron Rodgers may have to miss his next start. No one is talking about how they let Kampman walk or Jolly's suspension.
This is a pretty weak Green Bay team right now in a variety of areas. When healthy, they're definitely a playoff team, but the way it's looking, maybe 8-8.
The Bears will be playoff bound. I swear I believe that and am not just repeating it to try and convince myself.
I'm predicting that within the next month, the Vikings will shake up the NFC dramatically.

Favre Always Did Have A Flair For The Dramatic

What is it about Brett Favre and Monday Night Football? For a player that has always seemed to have a flair for the dramatic, Favre certainly seems to crank it up a notch on Monday night.
We can all remember back to December of 2003. Favre was scheduled to play the Raiders on Monday night, only a day after the death of his father. Favre suited up and threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 41-7 beatdown of Oakland.
That game became a defining moment of Favre's career. The mistakes that plagued him early in his career seemed to be swept under the rug. Instead, the media propped Favre up to the iconic status he already enjoyed amongst the people of Wisconsin.
A year later his wife Deanna was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Packers had started off the 2004 season slow, with a 1-4 record at the time of Deanna's diagnosis. In typical Brett fashion, he played through the grief. Throwing for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns on the year, he led the Packers to a Wild Card berth.
Favre could do no wrong. He'd dealt with some of the worst news imaginable and still managed to play. And not just take the field, but play at a Pro Bowl level.
While Favre's yearly "Should I stay or should I go," retirement contemplations have rubbed most of us the wrong way for the last three years, he's successfully been able to repair his public image.
By no means do people think of him as a Saint, or even like him for that matter, but he's still been a far cry from the womanizing, pill-popping alcoholic of the early 90s. 
Or so we thought. At least for one third of that Axis of Evil, anyway.

You've all heard the story by now regarding the pictures and voicemails that Favre allegedly sent two years ago while playing for the Jets. While the timing is certainly suspect, and the Favre allegations are just that, allegations, this story still needs to see the light of day.
Cheating to me is a lot like holding on the offensive line. It happens often, it's just a matter of getting caught or not. That doesn't make it right, but that's the harsh reality.
So should Favre be punished for pursuing a sexual relationship? If the allegations are true, I'd have to say yes. The woman was employed by the Jets. Therefore, her and Favre were technically coworkers, and sexual harassment amongst coworkers, by law, shouldn't be tolerated at any workplace.
Whether or not anything happens to Favre, tonight's game will be another defining moment of his career. Imagine if Favre plays well and the allegations turn out to be false. There's Brett again, playing through adversity.
Now imagine if Favre plays poorly and the allegations turn out to be true. The little reputation he has left will be shot.
This story is a big deal. Think of all the other things we could be talking about. The return of Randy Moss, who will eventually team up with the injured Sidney Rice to form the most freakishly athletic pair of receivers this league has ever seen on the same team.
Santonio Holmes comes back from his four game suspension and finally gives the Jets the number one receiver they've been missing all year.
Moss and Revis square off again. Hopefully this time for the entire game.
Adrian Peterson tries his luck against Jets vaunted front seven.
Maybe this speaks to the sensationalism we favor in our news. Sex sells and all that. But we can also chalk up this sex scandal trumping every other storyline to the aura of Favre.
Tonight is another significant chapter for Brett Favre the player. Brett Favre the person? I don't think we'll ever know.    

Todd Collins Or Tom Collins?

If you're like me you cringed a little bit when you saw Jay Cutler was going to be held out of Sunday's game for precautionary reasons after suffering a concussion. I spent all of last year bashing Cutler, and while I haven't got my fill just yet, I wish he was starting against the Panthers.
It's one of those situations where I didn't realize what I had until it was gone. Sure, Cutler made some stupid decisions, but he was also competent in some areas. Like throwing the ball beyond 20 yards, and avoiding almost constant pressure.
Back up Todd Collins, this Sunday's starter, appears less than competent in both areas. It's funny reading about Collins. His crowning NFL achievement was leading the 2007 Redskins to three straight victories at the end up the season after stepping in for the injured Jason Campbell.
Jay Cutler equalled the 15 year veteran's greatest professional accomplishment in the first three weeks of this season.
So who is Todd Collins, and how can he help us win this game? Truthfully, I don't know. The only thing I can think of when I hear his name is a Tom Collins. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. Come to think of it, the 2010 Bears are a lot like a Tom Collins.

The Tom Collins alcoholic beverage is made with:
2 oz. gin
1 oz. lemon juice
1 tsp superfine sugar
3 oz. club soda
1 maraschino cherry
1 slice orange
GIN - Todd Collins is clearly the gin of this team. He's a necessary component of the team. Every team needs a quarterback, right? But if you could avoid him you would. Kind of like how you would never drink gin straight. At least I hope you wouldn't.
LEMON JUICE - Julius Peppers. The lemon juice is what makes this drink. It's why fans of the drink range from college students to old women. Peppers is the sole reason why the Bears are 3-1. He's put the entire defense on his back, and carried them well beyond what his stats indicate. If only he could be in two places at once, and take Tommie Harris' spot.
SUGAR - Devin Hester and the entire special team's unit. You could probably drink a Tom Collins without sugar. I haven't tried it, it probably tastes OK. But as long as you have the sugar, why wouldn't you add it? Hester's special teams play gives the Bears the extra kick. He's the difference between a decent team and a good team. Expecting consistent touchdowns from him is unreasonable, but it's not too much to ask to pick a hole, and run straight, full speed ahead.
CLUB SODA - Brian Urlacher. Club soda is the wild card of this drink. It can be replaced with carbonated variations and still garner the same results. It looked like Urlacher was replaceable a few years ago. We could have brought a younger linebacker in to take his place, but it just wouldn't have been the same. Urlacher used to be, and probably still is one of the most popular players in the league. At this point, it's good to see him start the year off right. And for now, he's irreplaceable.
CHERRY AND ORANGE SLICE - Matt Forte and the running game. The cherry and orange slice add more to the presentation of the drink rather than the actual taste. You could order a Tom Collins at a bar and even though it would taste the same, you would feel jipped if they didn't give you the cherry and orange to go with. That's how I feel about the Bears running game. At best, we're only going to average 75 to 80 yards a game on the ground. Our defense, and to a lesser extent, our passing attack are going to win us games. The run game is more about the presentation, to make us look like we're a complete team. So analysts can feel confident picking us, without feeling guilty about picking a team with no running game.
Cheers to Tom, I mean, Todd Collins! If you survive Sunday's game, I'm sure someone, somewhere will buy you a drink.

Roy Halladay Deserves To Be A HOFer

I love stats. Followers of MLB, and MLB itself places more emphasis on the importance of statistics than any other sport. They're the reason why we love fantasy baseball so much. Why we can ignore the three and a half hour games, loooooong 162 game schedule, and lack of a salary cap. Pujols hit a homer? That made the last two and a half hours of six inning baseball bearable.
Statistics are so important that a Hall of Famer can't just be a Hall of Famer anymore. The "He's better than everybody else of his generation" argument doesn't work anymore. His stats have to stack up as well. As unfair as this is, we're all a victim of this way of thinking to some degree. We have to compare players somehow.
Interestingly enough, last weekend I was talking to a friend about Roy Halladay. We both agreed a week ago that he was the best pitcher in baseball. Then the conversation turned.
"Do you think he's a Hall of Famer?" I asked.
"How many wins does he have?" he countered.
"169." (Yes, I happened to know that number off the top of my head. I'm a nerd and I know it).
"Ooh," he said. "That's kinda low."
Low of course in the Hall of Fame sense. And he was right. 169 isn't that many wins for a Hall of Fame pitcher. Only eleven of the 59 pitchers currently in the HOF have less than 200 wins. Two of them were predominately relievers.
300 is the magic number of wins we've been taught, just as 500 was the number of home runs until the steroid allegations. But 300 is not the norm, it's more like a guarantee into the Hall.
The average number of wins for a HOF pitcher is 264. Halladay would have to win 19 games a year for the next five years to reach that number. He's reached 19 wins four times in his career, but is already 33 years old. However, I won't be the one to say he can't pitch effectively into his thirties. Halladay should easily eclipse 200 wins, but after that, who knows?
His career ERA is 3.32. This also seems kind of high by HOF standards. It's obviously a great ERA, but we've been taught that a truly elite ERA is below 3.00.
The Hall would seem to echo these sentiments. The average ERA of HOF pitchers is 3.01. Of course, Halladay is playing in more homer friendly parks and likely faced plenty of steroid users. Regardless, twelve HOF pitchers finished their career with an ERA above 3.32.
I love stats, but throw them out the window. Halladay is the best pitcher of the last decade. While names like Santana, Greinke, Sabathia, Lee, and Lincecum have fallen in and out of favor over the last few years, there's been no one more consistent than Halladay.
I don't care about the number of wins, he's played for mediocre teams in Toronto his entire career. I don't care about the ERA, 3.32 is great.
Here's the stat that I like. Halladay has 58 complete games in 320 career starts. He's went the distance in 18 percent of his starts! That's a guy I want as my number one. A guy who can save the bullpen and still win despite playing with an offensively challenged team.
Halladay's legacy as a player will always come back to Wednesday's Game 1 no hitter. It's hard to believe that was Halladay's first postseason game of his career, and what does he do? Only throws the second no hitter in postseason history in a must win game against a Reds team that finished the season in the Top 5 of every major offensive statistical category.
It's hard to believe what Halladay could have accomplished through out his career if he'd played in the postseason semi-regularly.
It doesn't matter if Halladay wins a World Series, if he reaches 200 wins, or finishes his career with above a 3.50 ERA. He's a Hall of Famer and the best pitcher of this generation.
Sometimes stats don't tell the entire story.

Thoughts On The Bulls First Preseason Game

Kyle Korver is going to be a much more important edition than most of us anticipated. While it was largely believed Korver would stand out by the three point line and become the recipient of Rose's drive and kick outs, Korver will probably play a bigger role than that. Thibodeau had him coming off screens, and with his quick release, he was extremely effective, shooting 7-12 from the floor.
Corey Brewer was out, so he obviously couldn't compete with Korver tonight, but from what I saw Tuesday, Korver's making a strong case for the starting 2 guard spot. The only question is if he can hold up defensively. Hopefully, the preseason will present some opportunities for us to find out.
It looks like within this offense, Taj Gibson will be asked to shoot the midrange jumper. He had a few wide open looks and only made one of them. With Boozer out, the Bulls find themselves in a familiar position, lacking an inside scoring presence. Until then, Gibson will have to hit that shot consistently, because neither him or Noah are feared down low.
Speaking of Noah, he was not only aggressive on the boards (as expected), but on the offensive end as well. Much has been made about Noah's offensive development over the offseason. Reports have said he's been working on a hook shot, although he didn't showcase it in Tuesday's game. Noah's touch around the rim didn't look too good, but that could possibly be attributed to early season rust.
Luol Deng looked as comfortable than ever in Thibodeau's offense. Thibodeau made it a point after he was hired to speak on how he believed Deng wasn't being used properly in Vinny Del Negro's offense. In the past, Deng was more effective when he was able to slash to the basket, rather than settling for jumpers like he was expected to do in Del Negro's system.

Soon-to-be fan favorite Brian Scalabrine will make this team. Brought in because he played within Thibodeau's system in Boston, Scalabrine looked great on the offensive and defensive end. Familiarity within a system is a bigger factor to success than most people realize, and Scalabrine has plenty of that. The biggest thing about Scalabrine is he knows his role. He plays solid defense, and won't try to do too much on the offensive end. He'll take an open shot if it's there. At this point, I'd much rather have him at the end of the bench than James Johnson's out of control play.
He only played 18 minutes, but Brandon Jennings didn't look for his shot as much as he did last season. I'm not sure if it was Scott Skiles' intention, but it looked like Skiles was trying to mold Jennings into a more prototypical point guard, rather than the shoot first guard he was last year.
Milwaukee will have plenty of scoring options this year, and while Jennings was one of the most exciting players in the league last year, it's probably in the Bucks' best interest to make Jennings more of a distributor.
Both teams are extremely deep. No Bogut, Salmons, or Maggette for Milwaukee. No Brewer or Boozer for Chicago. That's five combined starters, and there was still plenty of quality on the floor. This will be a great battle all season, between what looks like the cream of the crop in the Central Division.

Next Stretch Of Games Crucial For Bears

Sunday night's 17-3 sack-fest left most of us Bears fans scrambling for answers. Scrambling like our quarterbacks were all game. My favorite part of this mess was reading all of the possible explanations and opinions about how this record setting night occurred. You don't see nine sacks in a half every day. In fact, we'd never seen nine sacks in a half before Sunday.
A poll asked the simple question, Who is to blame for the Bears lack of protection?
A) Jay Cutler
B) The Offensive Line
C) The Coaching Staff
Personally, I'd like to add:
D) The Athleticism of the Giant's D-Line
E) All of the Above
I'm going with option E. If studying history has taught me anything, it's that an event usually cannot be attributed to a single factor, but rather, a multitude of factors.

So Kurt Warner took a break from dancing lessons to tell Jay Cutler he can't hang on to the ball as long as he did. Mike Ditka also chimed in, telling Cutler to get rid of the ball. Ditka is and has been the end all-be all of Bears analysis ever since he won the Super Bowl. I wish I was old enough to vividly remember when he was coaching the Saints. I bet the press was asking him about Bears related issues then too.
Fans have resorted to the familiar "Fire Lovie," and "Our O-Line Sucks" sentiments.
The sad fact is that all of these factors did contribute to the Bears' dismal night. Cutler held on to the ball way too long. The offensive line couldn't match the quickness and athleticism of the Giants D-Line, just like they couldn't in Dallas. It scares me to think of how they'll do against the Vikings and Jets. And while the coaching staff made adjustments in the second half, they didn't work.
This is a bad position to be in. Usually when something goes wrong with a good team (I'm of course grasping on to the notion that the Bears are still a good team), there's one or two obvious flaws that can be easily corrected in practice. Right now, our main problems are physical, which we can't really correct. And in Cutler's case, mental. I don't even want to speculate about what's going on in his head, especially after a concussion.
Fortunately for the Bears, their upcoming string of opponents have just as many problems, if not more than we do, starting with the Panthers.
Carolina is in complete disarray. They got rid of Jake Delhomme in the offseason, and handed four year veteran Matt Moore the starting quarterback job. After going 0-2 and completing only 40.8 percent of his passes, second round pick Jimmy Clausen was made the starter.
An already weak receiving core will be even weaker come Sunday. Steve Smith is expected to miss the game with an ankle injury, and Dwayne Jarrett was cut today after his second DWI arrest in less than three years.
The Panthers have also had trouble getting their running game going, which was expected to be their greatest strength coming into the season. Both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are capable of being the feature back, but have generally been ineffective while splitting time. The two have combined for 355 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season.
The Bears should have another stellar defensive performance, the question, as always, is if they will be able to move the ball and score. While the Panthers defense hasn't been spectacular, they've been better than their 0-4 record might indicate.
The Panthers game marks a stretch of four winnable games on the Bears schedule. Following Carolina, they have the Seahawks and Redskins at home, and after their Week 8 bye, the Bills in Toronto. If the Bears are able to take 3 of these 4, which they probably should, they'll put themselves in solid playoff contention. Their remaining eight games are much more difficult, but they would probably only need to win half of them.
Let's take baby steps. While the Bears protection still won't look good next week, hopefully they can eliminate one of the factors that plagued them in the Giants game. Whether it be a quicker release from Cutler, or dealing with the quicker ends.
Here's to hoping the factor is E) All of the Above.   

It's Taj Gibson's Time To Shine

It seemed like every trade rumor this offseason, from Rudy Fernandez to Carmelo Anthony, included Bulls backup power forward Taj Gibson's name. His inclusion in trade rumors was more of a compliment than anything else.
Perhaps the most surprising impact rookie of the 2009 NBA season, Gibson averaged nine points and 7.5 rebounds a game for the 41 win Bulls.
Gibson replaced Tyrus Thomas in last year's starting lineup periodically for the first two months of the season and became the permanent starter by January. He was praised for his high basketball IQ and ability to rebound and play solid defense.
With Carlos Boozer out for eight weeks after tripping over a bag and breaking the fifth metacarpal bone in his hand (code for punching a hard object), Gibson will regain his starting power forward spot by default.
A freak injury was bound to happen this year, they almost always do, and it couldn't have happened at a better time or position. Boozer will miss the entire preseason and roughly the first ten games of the regular season. The Bulls play six of their first eight games at home, before heading out to the West Coast on a seven game road trip. Assuming his recovery goes smoothly, Boozer will rejoin the team sometime during the West Coast trip.
Thankfully for the Bulls, Gibson started 70 games last year and already has plenty of experience working with Joakim Noah down low. Noah will be expected to carry more of the scoring burden in the paint during Boozer's absence, while Gibson will have to pick up some of the slack on the boards.
Gibson has said he's worked extensively this offseason on his midrange jumper, and even some from behind the three point line. He will probably get a chance to showcase that jumper if teams direct most of their attention towards Noah down low.
The Bulls were unwilling to part with Gibson this offseason for a reason. As a rookie, Gibson played like a veteran last year. His success was largely attributed to his college basketball experience (three years at USC), and maturity (he turned 25 in June).
Boozer has missed 145 games in his eight year career, and his latest injury was not basketball related, so it's a legitimate concern that he could be injured again sometime this year.
If that's the case, the Bulls couldn't ask for a better back up option than Taj Gibson.