Last week I did a segment on the most annoying songs of all time! Here is the podcast of the segment and under that I put the songs in order of how annoying they are! What do you think, is this list correct? What songs would you add to it?
So the Spurs are whooping up on the Suns so this is the perfect time to see what Suns fans are asking their clotheslining defensive stud Raja Bell...
Nothing like getting free coffee from 7 different McDonalds...
Two of our dedicated listeners decided to get a caffeine high from a text message coupon for a free McDonald's Iced Coffee promotion. Check out their adventure...It could be one of the funniest nights ever
Well its been a while since I posted some show content up so I'm going to clean the closet and post three of my favorite interviews from the last month or so...
To start you off here is quick T-mac mix of him being tired
Well the NBA playoffs are here and like every other person I did make my NBA pre-season picks and my NBA post All-Star picks so let's look at them and see how my predictions stack up to the final standings.
Western Conference Final Regular Season Standings /King's preseason / King's post All-star
LA Lakers / Suns/ Spurs
Hornets/ Spurs/ Lakers
Spurs/ Rockets/ Mavericks
Jazz/ Nuggets/ Nuggets
Rockets (home court)/ Mavericks/ Suns
Suns/ Jazz/ Jazz
Mavericks/ Warriors / Hornets
Nuggets/ Lakers / Rockets
Some notes from my Western Conference Picks
I had the Warriors making the playoffs but that did not happen...I did not put the Warriors into my second half picks so I was correct on that one...for once in my life.
I had the Rockets finishing in the top 4 with home court in my pre-season picks but in my post all-star I had them dropping down to 8th...I was wrong. The Rockets played some great ball and now will have to play even better against the Jazz.
I thought the Lakers would suck it up and barely make the playoffs in my preseason picks...They finished no.1
I picked the Suns to win it all in my preseason picks but then changed that to the Lakers.
NBA Playoffs Picks Western Conf.
Lakers beat Nuggets in 6
Dallas beats New Orleans in 7
San Antonio beats the Suns in 7
Utah beats Houston in 4
Western Conf. Semi-Finals
Lakers beat Utah in 6
Spurs beat Dallas in 7
Western Conference Finals
Lakers beat Spurs in 6
The Spurs have the hardest road to the finals and by the time they face the Lakers they will be worn down. Add the return of Bynum and this spells disaster for the Spurs. Call me a Kobe guy but being this close I like him to take over like never before...oh and he will be the MVP by now so even better.
Eastern Conference
Final Regular Season Standings /King's preseason / King's post All-star
Celtics/ Bulls/ Celtics
Detroit/ Celtics/ Pistons
Orlando/ Pistons/ Cavs
Cavs/ Wizards/ Magic
Washington/ Nets/ Raptors
Raptors/ Nets/ Wizards
76ers/ Orlando/ Hawks
Hawks/ Heat/ Bulls
Some notes from the Eastern Conf picks
I had the Bulls making the playoffs as the no.1 seed...They did not make the playoffs... I hate them.
I had the Celtics finishing no.1 after the all-star break and no. 2 in preseason.
I had the Hawks making the playoffs after the All-Star break
I had the Heat dropping down to 8th but I don't think a lot of people had them as the crappiest team ever...or the Bulls.
I put some trust in Vince Carter by putting that garbage of a team in the playoffs...man I hate VC
NBA Playoffs Eastern Conf Picks
Celtics over Hawks in 4
Detroit over 76ers in 5
Orlando over Raptors in 6
Cleveland over Washington in 7
I love Gilbert but LeBron in the playoffs is not a fun thing to play against.
Eastern Conf Semi-Finals
Celtics over Cavs in 6
Detroit over Orlando in 5
Eastern Conf. Finals
Celtics over Detroit in 7
This is going to be the series to watch! I think the Celtics will show the flaws of an overrated Detroit team. Look this team has been together for a longtime now so teams know what their weaknesses are in the playoffs...Kevin Garnett's intensity will carry them to the finals for the first time in his career.
NBA Finals...
Lakers over Celtics in 7
As Kenny Smith likes to say, ITS BACK! THE NBA IS BACK!!!....This is going to be the series that captures the casual fan and puts the NBA back on the map. The Lakers vs The Celtics! Kobe vs Garnett....Phil Jackson going for no. 10 and to pass Red Auerbach...the story lines are going to be awesome! Lakers go into Boston and win the series.
Guest Reporting Baby
From time to time I will let some friends get in a guest report and today we start this off with Patrick in Europe. I went to UT with Patrick and he brings good insight to the blog so he has first dibs on guest reporting. Here is Patrick making his picks...
Hello!
I’m Raheel’s friend, Patrick, and he asked if I wanted to guest write and make some picks for the playoffs. I’ve been in Europe for most of the season, so this is a good chance to come keep my sanity by talking about my favorite sport. Anyways, here we go:
Eastern Conference
1st Round: - Celtics in 5 over the Hawks o I’m sorry Mike Bibby. Your acquisition wasn’t enough. - Pistons in 5 over the Sixers o I’d say 6 because the Pistons are slackers against inferior teams and the Sixers have been pleasantly surprising this year, but Detroit will want as much rest as possible for the Celtics series. - Magic in 6 over the Raptors o Turk for three! - Cavs in 6 over the Wizards o I’m sorry Soulja Boy, but you’re going to be another witness.
2nd Round: - Celtics in 7 over the Cavs o I know it seems obvious, but LeBron is going to dominate this series. Anytime you have the best player in a series, you have a decent chance of winning, but the Cavs are just not strong enough past Bron to win this series. - Pistons in 6 over the Magic o Dwight will dominate the middle and the Two Amigos (Turk and Shard) will make it rain, but they aren’t experienced enough to take down this squad.
ECF: - Celtics in 7 over the Pistons o KG will get neutralized by Sheed, but P Double and Jesus S. are going to make the difference. Call me crazy, but Tayshaun is not as good of a defender as people make him out to be. Sorry, I know, heresy.
Western Conference
1st Round: - Lakers in 6 over the Nuggets o Kobe in Colorado. I can say some foul joke, but that isn’t too tasteful and I think you all know where I’m going. Yes… - Hornets in 7 over the Mavs o CP3 is not going to pull the same thing that Dirk did last year. The MVP will be in the 2nd round again! - Spurs in 6 over the Suns o Okay, I’m a Spurs fan. Let’s get that out of the way. The Spurs have played phenomenally in the playoffs for the past few years and Ginobili is back. Even though Shaq has done something to us the past two games, I think we got this because TP and Emmanuel will carry us to the win. - Rockets in 7 over the Jazz o I’m going to give it to them this year. They’ve played really well at times (especially Rafer) and it’s going to be difficult, but like I tell my Houston friends, “No Yao for Boozer to dominate.” TMac, 2nd round sees you baby!
2nd Round: - Lakers in 7 over the Rockets o I’m sort of torn here. Rockets matchup well with them and Rafer is overachieving like a14 year olds in college, but Kobe just came off from his . I think the Lakers will win in 6 or 7 depending on how Pau deals with Mount Who-Wants-To-Sex, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rockets win this series because of the matchups. I’m going to pick the Lakers so Raheel will consider letting me post again. - Spurs in 6 over the Hornets o People always bring up these arguments of “the Spurs lost the season series.” I’ve seen it with the Grizzlies in 2003, the Cavs in 2007 and now with the Hornets. Please. CP3 will dominate the Spurs with their frail, frail backup points (oh dear, Jacque), but TMNT will carry us to victory. That’s right, Timothy, Manu, experieNce and Tony.
WCF: - Spurs in 6 over the Lakers o I’ve read a lot of reports saying that Ariza and Bynum aren’t coming back this season, so I won’t take them into consideration here. Pau is soft (I’m half-Spanish and I say this) and we got Kurt to deal with him and/or Bynum. TD is going to go nuts, Tony will score in loads and Manu will get smacked by Kobe in the eye again. Don’t think I don’t remember.
FINALS: - Spurs in 6 over the Celtics o Tim won’t be denied his fifth ring, ABC wants Eva in primetime more than on Sundays, Manu wants the Finals MVP he was robbed of in 2005, Pop’s got fiiiiive on it and the organization wants to finally repeat to be unanimously considered as a dynasty. It’s all in place, it’s just there for them to take it. Like Kobe.
Thanks again to Raheel for the opportunity to write this and let’s get ready for the best NBA playoffs in years!
J-Fizz
And now time for you to laugh...This is Jeremy Foster formerly of Sports Radio 610...he worked with John and Lance as their update guy and stomping boy (I know the feeling Fizz)...Well, Fizz is now moving to Phoenix so today was his last day on-air in Houston...guess where he spent it? On 1560 The Game! This video is Fizz in a nutshell
If you have not seen this yet then sit down and block out about 20 minutes from you day because you will try to figure out if this is real or fake.
Is this real or fake? Let's break it down...
Fake
Nike is known for campaigns that really get people talking and see their product in action. Do you remember from a few years back where Vince Carter dunked over Gary Payton sitting down with a big afro on...
Kobe has done a shock campaign before when he was with Adidas. He did some dunks that were pretty much unseen back when he was with Adidas. This was one of my favorite commercials when it came out..so much so that I recorded it and would watch it over and over just to see if he is on some strings or just jumping.
After Jay Williams took a big spill on his motorcycle and ended his career, a lot of NBA teams started putting a clause in players' contracts about staying out of dangerous situations. Now, if Kobe feels like he can jump a car then is that really a dangerous situation? Maybe Kobe has practiced this a lot in the off-seaon and wanted to show it off.
Kobe is such a fierce competitor that if he did get hurt in this stunt then his hard work this season would have gone to waste...Kobe getting hit by a car might, just might, put him out for the playoffs...not even Kobe would risk that, right?
Real
If there is one guy that will show everybody that he CAN jump over a speeding Aston Martin, it's Koeb Bryant. Kobe is known for showing up people and is very proud of his athletic abilities. Kobe Bryant KNOWS he can jump over a car so HE DID jump over a car.
It's been a while since Kobe has done a fun campaign that focuses on his fun side and not his hard work ethic like his commercial from last year...
Kobe and Nike are also doing this new campaign for his shoes that run along the lines of a genius needs the perfect tools to be a genius...This is another fun commercial showing Kobe's personality and how he feels about himself. How does this tie into Kobe jumping over a car? Kobe with his new HyperDunks is showing his abilities with the perfect tool...in real life.
I still can't decide if this commercial is real or fake. What I do know is that I am going to watch it again just to see if I can spot any fakies.
Not too brag or anything but I did call the Jayhawks winning it all...All in all I won all my bracket pools and am hoping to cash in some checks from those pools.
Sorry about not posting all that much last week. I was out on the road getting a bunch of interviews. Let me recap my week for you:
Thursday 4/3: Shell Houston Open first round coverage
Friday 4/4: Filling in for Sean and John on the afternoon show with Lance Z.
Saturday 4/5: Young Guns MMA fight presented by Saul Soliz...(which was awesome by the way. Yall need to catch a MMA fight in person. )
Sunday 4/6: Shell Houston Open Final Round Coverage
Monday: Astros Opening Day...live at Minute Maid Park
Believe it or not I do run around and work after the show...
Anyways, let's get down to some NCAA talk
Top 5 moments from the tournament for the King:
Davidson beating Georgetown...was there a bigger upset? This was mighty G'town falling to Curry and his boys! What a crazy game!
Kansas coming back on Memphis to win it all...yes I know its the title but I had Kansas winning it all so I was never in doubt about their greatness.
Texas beating Stanford...this was a fun game to watch because it was here in Houston and because I was court side to see my team win baby!
Duke falls to West Virginia...Nothing like seeing the DOOKIES fall to WVU...Has their greatness ended?
Xavier gets to the Elite 8...It's fun seeing a team you picked get far...too bad they did not go far enough like I needed them to
Bill Self to OSU?...Terrible I love sports and everything about them but one thing...TAMPERING. Is there anything worse than a school making a bid for a coach while he is in the national championship game? Let the coach enjoy with his team and let his players enjoy their coach. I know at the end of the day that even college sports is a business but show more class than offering a job to a coach while he is in the biggest game of his life...According to my sources who are close to the situation, Bill Self is going to Oklahoma State.
I want to be a pro-athlete (just like everybody else) but I know I'm not physically gifted or good enough. I'm not good enough to be a basketball player, a baseball player and hell even a water polo player! I know the truth but for some reason I still believed that I might have an ounce of hope and one day it will be recognized. I thought that one day was last Thursday when I headed out to Tektonic Athletic Development and Rehabilitation.
Tektonic is the place to be if you want to improve on your vertical jump, speed or any other aspect of you game. They train you the right way so you won't hurt yourself and end your pro or Sunday Morning career. They have all the state-of-the-art equipment so I thought they would catch my ounce of professional ability and help me harvest it into a late pro-career. It all started when Steve Wetzel, Director of Athletic Development at Tektonic and former NFL strength and conditioning coach, put me through all the good tests like the vertical jump. He checked my vert the same way the scouts do at the combine with this jump measurer deal. -------------------->
Now I'm a pretty confident athlete and if there is one thing I can do, it's jump. I can grab rim so I have some ability to jump. But I started having second thoughts about my ability as Steve put me in place under the measurer. He instructed me to squat down, EXPLODE and mark my jump. So I get into position...I'm ready to get my big break and be the next undiscovered talent. Then I jumped...I soon realized that my last ounce of hope was left on the ground. Now I attempted the jump three times and I finished with 24.5 inches without warming up and I had a lot of flaws in my jump. Dr. Tom Sutton, Director of performance physical therapy, broke down my jump on state-of-the-art computers. He went in slow motion and showed my flaws and how I could fix them through footage they captured. Even though I might not be a first round draft pick (even though Glen Dorsey jumped a 25.5) Dr. Sutton and Steve made me feel like a pro player for one day with the tests and drills they put me through.
Tektonic is a great place to train with some of the best trainers in the USA so if you want to train for your sport check out their website tektonicsports.com
You can also listen to my interview with Steve Wetzel here.
Now if you have not heard, the Final Four is set with UNC, UCLA, Kansas and Memphis. If you recall, two of those four teams do not belong according to my predictions. I know I made a big mistake by taking Xavier over UCLA but I just had a feeling. Texas was truly out played in every aspect of the game so Memphis really deserved to be there. This does not mean that I will be rooting for Memphis. I will be rooting for UCLA since I have family ties there and I want to see Memphis fall. I hope the Jayhawks win it all (I know I shouldn't be rooting for Kansas) so my bracket can look some what respectable.
It's one day before the Sweet 16 kicks off and I know a lot of brackets are not looking that great. So instead of feeling bad for yourself why don't you just watch some of these great YouTube picks and get in a good laugh.
Raheel Milks a Goat...This is the official video from my losing effort at the Houston Rodeo Goat Milking competition. Now look, I finished 15th out of 18th but I beat former champion Owen Conflenti from Channel 2.
1560 The Game Confessions...Just watch and try to figure this out
Dear Sister Joke...In the upcoming days you will hear us drop more of this sound right here..I am going to take you on a journey of this joke. Watch in order
Start at 1:30
After that famous O.C. scene, Saturday Night Live decided to do a parody on the scene.
And finally, YouTubers across the world went crazy over Dear Sister and made stuff like this...
Be on the lookout for a 1560 The Game Dear Sister YouTube video...
Bill Self beats Roy Williams and the Jayhawks move on to the Final Game! I have a feeling about Kansas because they have the talent and now Self has learned how to coach this group of guys in the tourney. This team reminds me the UNC team from three years ago because of the talent and they have grown together. Psycho T goes home and comes back one more year to make a solid run.
Texas versus Xavier
Texas, like Kansas, is a team on a mission. They get the easier team in the tourney but only because of the number in front of them. I still dont feel good about Texas but I can't make a better pick and feel good about it. I wouldnt be surprised if Xavier ends up making a stunning run to the Final Game. D.J. Augustin gets to the finals.
Kansas beats Texas
I still love my Horns but this Kansas team is the real deal.
They have a team thats been together for a long time and they were going up against Ohio State last year. Tough break. X-men will dominate this year with Josh Duncan, Drew Lavender (10.8 ppg), B.J. Raymond (10.7 ppg), C.J. Anderson (10.7 ppg), Derrick Brown (10.6 ppg) and Stanley Burrell (9.9 ppg)
Here are the picks:
West Region Notes
UCLA over (16) Miss Valley State
Duke over (15) Belmont
Xavier over (14) Georgia
This team made its run and now it will fall out early just like the Mcnamara Syracuse team from a few years back
UConn over (13) San Diego
San Diego makes a late run in the regular season
Drake over (12) Western Kentucky
Purdue over (11) Baylor
West Virginia over (10) Arizona
overrated Arizona team against a good
BYU over (9) Texas A&M
Second Round Notes
UCLA over (8) BYU
Duke over (7) West Virginia
Duke gets pass the opening weekend after a long drought
Xavier over (11) Baylor
this team goes to the final four
UConn FALLS to (5) Drake
Lights out shooting humbles the Huskies
Sweet 16 West
UCLA beats (5) Drake
a valiant effort by Drake but they fall short to the Bruins
Duke FALLS to (3) Xavier
A strong team knocks off an overrated Blue Devils team
Elite 8
UCLA falls to Xavier
a hunch that comes true. I think UCLA is overrated and they will be exposed. After two years of dominating basketball they end the Love era with an exit in the Elite 8.
Sorry Hunter Pence but I have to pick against your school
Texas over (15) Austin Peay
Stanford over Cornell
Too much height for the Ivy Leaguers
Pittsburgh over Oral Roberts
Michigan State over Temple
I am afraid of this one because Temple has a dangerous team and Mich State has not been playing the best ball of lately
Marquette over Kentucky
It all really boils down to the fact that Kentucky played a pretty weak SEC and has shown that its not that good of a team. Billy G will be frustrated and the first round knock out will sum up the season.
Miami FALLS to Saint Mary's
This Saint Mary's team is a top 25 team that will find itself here in the tourney. Miami is another overrated ACC team that made the tourney. Miami started the season off on a hot streak (12 in a row) but then fell to Winthrop and the following ACC teams: NC STATE, DUKE, UNC, Boston College, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.
Mississippi State over (9) Oregon
Jarvis Varnado leads the nation in blocked shots at about 5 per game and leads a pretty stingy defense. I like them to beat an Oregon team that some predicted to be in the NIT.
Second Round South
Memphis over (8) Mississippi State
Too much fire power even for the strong defensive minded Bulldogs.
Texas over (10) Saint Mary's
A rematch from the regular season. Texas and Rick Barnes are on a mission to the Final Four with a solid shooting team that likes to play defense.
Stanford over (6) Marquette
The Lopez brothers will put up a blood bath in the paint against Marquette. The Golden Eagles put up a great game against G'town in the regular season but I think their lack of balanced attack will hurt them against the Lopez brothers.
Pittsburgh over Michigan State
This Pitt team is on a mission. With a healthy roster they are one of the best teams in the nation that can play big and small. Fields sets the tone with his tough play and Drew Neitzel will have a tough time finding his stoke against this nasty defense. Mich State has shown signs of being a gritty team when they beat Texas but then they fall to three ranked Big 10 opponents in Purdue, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Sweet 16 South
(4) Pittsburgh OVER (1) Memphis
A gritty team that will play the Tigers tough and expose their Dribble Drive Motion offense. I like Fields against Rose and the problems the freshman will face against Fields will be the ball game for Memphis
(2) Texas OVER (3) Stanford
Too much guard play for the Cardinal and the Horns expose the lack of strong guard play. The Lopez brothers will have a field day but will not combine for more than 40 points so I feel safe with Texas' lack of quality size.
Final Four South (2) TEXAS over (4) Pittsburgh
This game will be one for the ages. D.J. and Fields will go at it and the role play of James will win it for the Horns. He was my Xf-factor last year and he will be the reason the Horns win or lose. This was a hard pick for me because I think this Texas team has all the signs of a Final Four team but for some reason I'm not as confident as I should be. Whatever lets go with the Horns.
I will post the South and West on Wed. around 5 p.m.
Midwest Notes
Kansas over (16) Portland State
Georgetown over (15) UMBC
Wisconsin over (14) Cal State Fullerton
Vanderbilt over (13) Sienna
Clemson over (12) Villanova
Even though the Tigers fell to UNC in the ACC tourney they did beat Duke and exposed the DUKIES BABY! Clemson has all the confidence in the world to make a big run in the NCAA tourney. They will get by a Nova team that came one second from putting away the Hoyas. This will be a fast game that will come down to guard play and free throws.
USC over (11) Kansas State
If one man knows how to shut down a super star it's Tim Floyd. He made it a living nightmare for Kevin Durant last year when the Horns played the Trojans so I see the same for Michael Beasley. This game will come down to the play of ex-teammates Bill Walker and O.J. Mayo. I really like USC here to beat the Wildcats because after Walker and Beasley the Wildcats are not good. USC will turn up their defense in the tourney and K-state will be paying for it.
Gonzaga falls to (10) Davidson
I've seen most of the late night Gonzaga games and this is a talented team BUT I have more of a man crush on Stephen Curry. He puts up 25 ppg and point guard Jason Richards is putting up a great assist to turnover ratio of 8-3. That is going to be important when Gonzaga starts throwing all sorts of crazy defenses at Davidson. I also like Davidson because they played the big teams close...Lost to UNC by 4, lost to Duke by 6 and lost to UCLA by 12.
Gonzaga is no push over with Austin Daye, Jeremy Pargo and Josh Heytvelt. This is a big team with speed and chemistry. They had some tough losses to Texas Tech, Wash State, OU, Tenn, Memphis and St. Mary's. I just like Davidson more here so go with the Wildcats.
UNLV over (9) Kent State
UNLV is a very up and down team. They beat UNLV by a score of 70-41 but then lost to Utah 81-73. I have not watched enough of UNLV to really make a solid pick so I'm going to play the "this is a sacrificial lamb" card since Kansas will beat either UNLV or Kent State. UNLV played tougher competition and I think they will be ready for Kent State. I like UNLV here since they did make a run to the sweet 16 last year.
I have not seen Kent State play so its hard for me to break them down. It's so hard for me to pick UNLV since Kent State is a mid-majors and mid-majors love to bust my bracket.
Second Round Midwest
Kansas over (8) UNLV
This will be a very hard game for Kansas because UNLV is not afraid to go punch for punch with Kansas. Going into this season I felt like Kansas was the best team that has paid their dues and they have the talent to go all the way. I'm going with Kansas to the Final Four because last year they lost a heart breaker to UCLA. This Kansas team reminds me of Florida because they have talent at every position and they are now playing freesyle basketball. This is the year they make a serious run for the title.
Georgetown over (10) Davidson
Every year Davidson will build on their trip and next year they will go to the Sweet 16 and beyond with Curry. G'town is to experienced of a team to fall in the tourney this early. The thing that concerns me about G'town is that their offense will slow down games and win them BUT if they fall behind they are SCREWED. That pass and cut hybrid Princeton offense takes so much time that if they are behind 10 then it turns into a jack up 3's.
Wisconsin over (6) USC
This is a mirror match up. Two very strong defensive teams that can score just enough points to win. Both teams will slow down the game and make it a 50 to 46 final. I really like Wisconsin because they did dominate the Big 10 and received NO RESPECT! They will be playing up the respect card and that will help. Here is my take on USC. They will be the national champions next year. This is a strong and solid team that will be brining in the next big player in Demar Derozan. Tim Floyd will be wearing a ring next year but out this year.
Vandy over (5) Clemson
This is a strong Vandy team that went to the Sweet 16 and falling to G'town. They beat a tough team in Wash State and fell by one point to G'town! This team has shown great defense and great tempo throughout the year. I like them against Clemson.
Sweet 16 Midwest *Since I am running out of time I am going to make my picks in a timely manner.
Kansas over Vandy
Kansas is my pick from this region
Wisconsin over G'town
As much as like Ewing Jr and Hibbert I fear their play making ability without Jeff Green. This is going to be a crazy defensive game. Wisconsin is going to slow down the game and make it harder for that offense to catchup.
Elite 8 Kansas over Wisconsin.
Brandon Rush will be the key player in this game. They will need his explosiveness to get pass this defense.
Aight let's start the MARCH MADNESS! I will be breaking down the brackets region by region. I am content with my picks after HOURS AND HOURS of research and youtubing...I am going to give you a chance to see how I break down teams by posting my research.
East Notes
First Round
UNC over Play in game
Tennessee over (15) American
Louisville over (14) Boise State
Washington State over (13) Winthrop
Notre DameFalls to (12) George Mason
ND-High scoring offense at 81ppg
ND-Gave up a lot of points in losses and teams shot about 40 percent from the field in the loss
ND-Loss to high scoring senior guards in Baylor
GM-Great inside team with a smart center and a good shooting team with Dre Smith
Puts up about 70 ppg will go up strong against ND
Size will be an issue
I'm picking the upset because either way the team that wins will fall to Washington State so its okay to pick the upset...only worth one point
Oklahoma over (11) Saint Joseph's
SJ- a bubble team that got in last minute
SJ- beat Xmen twice and lost to Temple in the A-10 finals
SJ- a 6 man rotation that will get tired...they have the size to compete with OU
Griffin brothers to strong up front
Austin Freeman will be the key to this game
Picking OU here but they will fall the next round because both teams are not good enough to hang with Louisville.
SJ-too many losses to non-tourney teams
Butler vs (10) South Alabama
I like South Alabama in this one because of one player, Demetric Bennett(6-4, 205)! He is a tough match-up for the smaller Butler guards (AJ Graves @ 6-1 and Mike Green (6-1)
I have both teams falling to Tenn in the second round so go with the upset. I really like Bennett's game so watch him against the Bulldogs.
Indiana over (9)Arkansas
You guys know how I feel about Eric Gordon so you know I'm going with the Hoosiers.
Arkansas at the same time is a dangerous team led by small forward Sonny Weems...they beat Vanderbilt and Florida when they were ranked....they have losses against OU, Tenn, Miss State, South Carolina, Georgia and App State.
Second Round East
UNC over Indiana
As much as I like Eric Gordon I have to pick against Indiana because UNC has too much fire power upfront with Psycho T. DJ White will put up his stats but will not have enough help up front. UNC guards also run all over and the one thing Gordon has had problems with is defending the faster points in the NCAA. I like UNC to win by 8 in this game.
Tennessee over South Alabama
Tennesse is built to make a run to the Elite 8 and I really like what they have done this season. Remember, this team has talent at every position and they will run all over teams with that "controlled chaos" offense. South Alabama's Bennett will put up a great game but fall short to the fire power that is the Tenn back court.
Louisville over OU
The Cards are very dependent on the 3-point shot so that could bite them in the ass in the tourney but as of now they will be okay since OU really does not have the firepower to hang with the Cards.
Washington State over George Mason
Kyle Weaver, Derrick Low and Robbie Cowgill are the senior guards that have paid their dues to come up the basketball ranks. This is like the Baylor of the Pac-10. This is a strong team that has enough to make a run at UNC. They lost a tough game last year to Vanderbilt (Eventually lost to Gtown 65-66 in a classic). They have paid their dues and have enough returning players to build on the success from last year.
Sweet 16 East
UNC over Washington State
UNC is going to the final four for me so they have to get by a tough Wash State team. Washington State has the defense and the quickness to run with the Tarheels BUT it will come down to the wire and I'll take my chances with Psycho T. This will be a tough game but UNC will pull away with it and win by 6 or so in the final minute because of free throws.
Tenn over Louisville
This is going to be a great shoot out. Expect both teams to hit 8+ 3-pointers in the game. Louisville hits 7.5 three pointers a game and they have taken 704 so far. This is going to be a sick match-up in terms of points and explosive plays. I really like Tenn in this game because they know the feeling of playing in a game as big as this one. Remember last year Tenn fell to Ohio State by one point and they will remember that feeling. A lot of people feel like UL is going to make the big run but for ME Tenn is going to stop that run.
Elite 8
UNC over Tenn
I hate to go all Dicky V here but I PSYCHO "T" IN HIS FINAL SEASON BABY...THE DIAPER DANDY IS A PTP AND THIS IS HIS STAGE BABY! All crap aside, this is a tough pick for me because before the brackets came out I wanted to see both teams in the Final Four. Both teams have the talent and the coaching. Both teams have the bad taste of losing last year deep in the post season (UNC elite 8 and Tenn 16)...I'm buying into the hype of UNC. UNC TO THE FINAL FOUR BABY!!
Comedian Lisa Lampanelli joined us on the show on Friday and she was awesome...By awesome I mean dirty, racists and straight up NASTY! She cracked me up and called me a "dirty Muslim" but I was not offended because I knew she was joking around. I must warn you that she can be offensive so listen with an open mind and don't be offended.
NCAA All-American Team (In order of Player of the Year Rankings)
Michael Beasley; Kansas State---PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The best player in the nation that has carried the Wildcats into the Big Dance..."B-Easy" put up 27 and 13 rebounds with 25 double-doubles...blows away the stats of the consensus player of the year from last year, Kevin Durant.
Tyler Hansbrough; University of North Carolina
As much as I like Ty, he comes in second for me because of what "B-Easy" is doing...Ty is not having some crappy season by any means with his 23 and 11 with 16 double-doubles. Oh and his team has only lost 2 games...thats gangsta.
Kevin Love; UCLA
As much as I hate putting Kevin Love in here because my cousin goes to UCLA and I'm tired of his Pac-10 biased basketball talk, the standout freshman put up 17 and 11 rebounds. That pretty sexy especially since he is going up against Pac-10 teams. Also, his website is pretty damn solid.
D.J. Augustin; Texas
The reason Texas is going to be a lock no.2 team is because of DJ. The reason Texas has flourished this season after losing Kevin Durant to the NBA is because of DJ. The reason Damion James is averaging 12 and 10 is because of DJ. DJ has taken the pressures of living up to the post Durant era and embraced it into being a first team All-American for every poll that I've seen. DJ is going to be a great pro and is a great college player.
Eric Gordon; Indiana
The one think I enjoyed this year was watching Eric play. He reminds me of Gilbert Arenas mixed with Kevin Johnson (who by the way is running for Mayor of Sacramento) Gordon will be an All-Star in the NBA one day. Eric put up 21 points per game this season on an Indiana team that was going through all sorts of trouble...Hell, who knows, he could have been the reason why Kelvin Sampson was fired...I'm sure some texts were exchanged when Gordon came to Indiana.
Others receiving votes: Chris Douglass-Roberts; Memphis and Luke Harangody; Notre Dame (he would have been first team if it weren't for Beasley and Tyler)
Post your 1st team All-American in the comments.
Enjoy the college basketball and the great NBA that is being played right now!
As I sit here at 4:32 p.m. CST on a slow Tuesday afternoon watching the NBA Hardwood Classics (Chicago v Utah 1998, game 5) I wonder why a Houston Rockets' fan has not e-mailed in complaining about why the NBA is not showing one of the games from the 19 game winning streak. Since about game 15 of the winning streak, all I've heard from Rockets fan is how nobody is giving them respect. How ESPN is not talking about them. How Around the Horn is not basing the whole show around the winning streak. On and on and on and on and on and on....
Now, this streak is one of the greatest streaks ever (well no duh) but for more than just the wins...
They are adding to the list without Yao...They've won 7 games since Yao's season ending injury and have beaten teams like the Hornets (without all-star David West) and Dallas (without Dirk)
They are destroying teams in the streak...here are the winning margins in the last 19 games: 4, 3, 18, 6, 15, 19, 12, 2, 8, 12, 20, 13, 25, 21, 14, 18, 15, 10 and 18.
They are doing this in the thick of the playoff chase...Golden State, Dallas, Cleveland, New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, New Jersey and every other Eastern team that is 20 games under .500 but yet competing for the playoffs. All of these teams are giving their best effort because the playoffs are on the line or seeding is on the line. That is pretty impressive.
Now, everyone calm down with the whole Rockets are not getting love business. According to Houston Rockets spokesman Nelson Luis, during the winning streak, the interviews for Rockets have increased, "10 fold." The Rockets are getting love but not with leading Sports Center love...can you blame them? They are getting love and you know you like the whole, "We dont get respect card" in the locker room to fuel the fire, right?
Relating with the fans: They lead with the Spurs' 11-game winning streak...well they are a national show and they still feel like the Champs winning 11 games in a row is bigger than the Rockets winning 16. Now does this mean they are not giving the Rockets respect? Maybe Joe Dumbass feels like he can relate better with the Champs than the Rockets. Big Deal. Move on.
Jobs on the line: Analysts don't want to put their reputation on the line by saying the Rockets are one of the best teams of all time and they could go on to either lose in the first round or get on a bad streak and miss the playoffs...Their jobs are based on how good their content sounds...You can't go wrong with the Spurs or Lakers that look like locks even though they are as vulnerable as any other team in the West.
The Sexy Pick: No matter what the Rockets do, they will not be the sexy pick to win the title. It sucks but its true. Without Yao this team will have a tough time getting through the playoffs and winning it all. ESPN analysts want to make picks that have a good chance of making them look good. Period.
Playoff Failures: T-mac does not have the best track record in the playoffs. Neither do the Rockets post John Stockton shot. This will be a great year to change all of that now wouldn't it be?
Here is some love from Marc Stein...Let's just enjoy the greatness that is this streak and not let something like SportsCenter ruin it.
Guess This Player
Was a starter last year for a playoff team in the West
Signed a new contract worth $4.6 million this off season for a playoff team in the East
Waived yesterday because he is not a good player and has character issues like beating up a valet
Will probably get a new contract because the NBA loves to make bad signings
If you guessed Smush Parker then you are CORRECT!!!! According to the Miami Herald, Smush was waived and will probably sign with another team. GARBAGE! Can you believe he was a starting point guard for Phil Jackson? Scary.
Audio Rewind of the Day A few weeks back John Bradshaw Layfield joined us on the show to talk about the WWE and his work in wrestling. I forgot to post this on the blog so here is a good day to do it.
So the hot debate this week has been who is better right now, Kobe or LeBron? Who should be the MVP? Who can save more cats from trees? And the questions go on and on and on and on and on...
I will attempt to bring some clarity into this debate and give you an answer on who is better. I will make a case for each player so let's do this:
LeBron James:
Positives
King James is averaging about 31 points per game and shooting 49%
King James is putting up career highs in rebounds with 8.1 and assists with 7.6
If you add up the points and points that come up from his assists you get about 45-50 points depending on whether the assist resulted in a 2 or 3.
The Cavs put up 97 points a game...LeBron is responsible for about half of that output.
LeBron is a beat in the 4th quarter...I'm not a big fan of putting stats on the 4th quarter because some players can put up a lot of points in the 4th in blow outs. If you just watch a Cavs game you can tell LeBron is not the 19-year-old kid who made mistakes in the 4th...He is now a prime time 4th quarter player that wants the ball. LeBron GETS THE GAME and that is scary because he is the age of the writer of this blog.
Negatives
His defense is still lagging behind his offense. The defensive tone is set by the star player...the Cavs give up 97 points a game. Even though LeBron has improved his defense and he puts a hell of an effort out there he is still the victim of a lot of back door cuts and wide open jumpers.
LeBron's free throw shooting is horrendous for an offensive talent like LJ23. He is shooting his second lowest career free throw percentage at 71%.
He plays in the east and does not have the best record so that will hurt his chances of getting the MVP. His age also will play a role in the MVP case because the voters will use this stupid logic that he has many more years left in the league.
In the last five years LeBron has gone from prodigy to legend. What he is doing to the NBA right now is nothing short of legendary. He is two rebounds and two assists shy of averaging a triple double for the season. His team is the 4th best team in the East and will only get better with the addition of Ben Wallace, DeLonte and Wally. I think LeBron has the physical and mental tools to take over a game at any point. Just solid.
Kobe Bryant
Positives
Putting up 28 points per game at a near career high 46% from the field. He is putting up 28 points per game on 20 shots. Kobe is taking better shots...although he still takes the frustrating 28-foot fade away one handed no look 3-pointer from time to time
Kobe is currently putting up 6 rebounds and 5 assists...now these aren't career highs but they sure do look pretty with his high efficiency scoring. Kobe comes up with big rebounds (remember the Dallas game where he secured a big offensive rebound when Lamar missed a free throw?)
Kobe is a monster on defense...Not only can KB24 lock up man to man but he also gets big blocks that make the people at ESPN happy for their Top 10. Kobe is not afraid to get dunked on and is not afraid to get scored on. He is a lock for his 3rd straight NBA All-Defensive team.
The Lakers are in a tie with the Spurs for 1st in the West (as of time of publish)...This was the argument against Kobe the last two years when his name was brought up for MVP..."His team is the 7th best team"
Free throw shooting percentage is 84%...forget the numbers, here is why free throws are important in this argument. In the Dallas game, Kobe was 3-15 from the free throw line and then went off for 12 in a row. Kobe drives to the hoop and draws contact. In the 4th quarter every foul Kobe took was a legit foul and not a Dwayne Wade foul where you can't find contact with a microscope.
Negatives
Public perception of Kobe has gotten better but people still find him to be a whiner. Kobe loves to let the refs know if they missed a call and will yell at them all the way down the court. Kobe leads the league with 12 Technical Fouls...yes he even beat Rasheed Wallace (9)
"Kobe has Pau Gasol"...the argument can be made that Kobe has better players around him than LeBron so his game should be this good. Kobe has no all-stars on his team. Kobe, like LeBron, demands so much attention that every player has it easier to shoot better jumpers, drive to the hoop without much defense and rebound easier with players being out of position. Super stars make their players better and even though Kobe is not known as a Steve Nash like player that passes the ball and makes players better, he does make his players better by getting so much attention by the other team.
Now that the case has been made, I declare Kobe and LeBron in a virtual tie for the best player in the league. As for the MVP, I have to give it Kobe Bryant because this really is a year where he has overcome his own created drama from the summer and accelerating his play in the triangle offense. Kobe right now is entering his prime. LeBron is still a few years away from his prime...I know scary.
A quick YouTube Clip:
This is a great short movie I made about a picture that's been floating around 1560 The Game. Frank Bullington (The Bull) is the production director at 1560 and is a close friend and this picture really captures his personality.
If you have not heard yet, the Houston Rockets are on a 15-game winning streak and shooting for 16 on Wednesday night against the Pacers. One of the reasons for their success has to be the play of rookie Carl Landry. As of right now Carl is putting up 8 points and 5 rebounds but in their winning streak he has put up highs of 22 and 11...Now, if you watch Landry play, you notice that he straight up DUNKS ON FOOLS! With that being said, I decided to nickname him DOF...DUNKS ON FOOLS!
Well the All-Star break is over and now its time to buckle up for the exciting conclusion of the NBA regular season. I made my NBA season predictions here and now I will tweak them based on what I have seen. I originally had the Suns meeting the Bulls in the Finals...Well thats not happening since the Bulls suck. The Suns could make a run to the Finals so thats not out of the question.
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics: I think this is the team of destiny. They will be in the Finals some how some way. Even without Garnett the Celtics pulled off some wins and its stretches like the one without Garnett that builds character. Rajon Rando has made huge gains and he will only get better. I think the Celtics finish at 64-18.
Detroit Pistons: The Pistons have an eight game lead for second in the Eastern Conf. and their veteran play will allow them to keep this lead. I am not biting on the Detroit bait and picking them to win the Eastern Conf. or catch the Celtics. This team still lacks a strong presence in the middle that will shut down the penetration by LeBron, Pierce, etc. This is basically the same team from last year with Afflalo and Amir Johnson. Call me crazy but I just don't believe in Maxiell shutting down anybody.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Sitting at 29-23 I think the LeBrons will make a big push and take over the Magic. Now I know the Cavs don't have much around LeBron but I believe in post All-Star momentum so look for Mike Brown to start Daniel Gibson. LeBron will start playing the basketball that he played during last year's playoffs.
Orlando Magic: I think the Magic finish in the top four but by the slimmest of margins. I'm still not sold on the Magic PG situation to carry them over the final stretch of the season. Dwight Howard will be getting a lot more attention and still will put up sick numbers so I feel okay with the pick. The Magic's season will come down the hot shooting of Lewis. Will he be able to keep up his play from the first part of the season? We will find out.
Toronto Raptors: Just fill in the East after the top four. I really like the Raps here just because the Wizards might be thrown off for a bit with the return of Agent 0.
Washington Wizards: Will the Wizards be able to gel with Agent 0 without losing the high out put of Butler and Jamison?
Atlanta Hawks: Mike Bibby will make the difference and help this franchise into the playoffs
Chicago Bulls: Erase the first half of the season and start over. Only .5 a game out from the playoffs! They can still make the playoff push!
Playoffs: 1. Celtics v 8. Bulls----> Celtics 2. Pistons v 7. Hawks---> Pistons 3. Cavs v 6. Wizards---> Cavs 4. Magic v 5. Raptors---> Magic
Second Round: 1. Celtics v 4. Magic---> Celtics 2. Pistons v 3. Cavs---> Cavs
Eastern Conf. Finals Celtics beat Cavs
Western Conference
San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs are the ultimate second half team and they will do it again with the motivation of a repeat in mind. They are only 2 games behind the Hornets and they will catch the Hornets with big wins and big losses by the Hornets. Look for the Spurs to be healthy and ready to make the push.
Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers are 1.5 games behind the Suns for the Pacific and I think this is the year they win the Pacific. Now I know Kobe's pinky is injured but if there is one guy that will still put up points and play defense with an injury, its Kobe. This Lakers team has been together for three years and will not melt under the pressure. Look for Sasha to keep up his strong play and also Radmanovic to get some big minutes. The Lakers also get back Ariza and Bynum so that will be huge.
Dallas Mavericks: I still believe in Jason Kidd. The Mavericks are one of the strongest defensive teams in the NBA but now adding a defending first team all-defense PG into the mix will just make them better. Jason Kidd makes players around him better and if he can't score enough then bring Jason Terry into the game. This Mavs team will be a force in the second part of the season.
Denver Nuggets: This is a make or break season for George Karl and his Nuggets. They have all the players and all the scoring they can ask for in the lineup. I think they pass up the Jazz and win the Northwest.
Phoenix Suns: The addition of Shaq will not be that big of a push. I think Shaq goes down with an injury in three weeks or less. Take out Shaq and you are down to Nash, Amare and Barbosa...I know Basbosa put up some huge numbers two years ago but that was with him being a big piece in the pick and roll. That job is taken by Amare now.
Utah Jazz: The Jazz will not have a horrible second part of the season but will slip to the 6th spot. Remember the West is so loaded that the Jazz will probably miss the 4th seed by 2.5 games or so.
New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets drop from 1 to 7 but like the Jazz its because they lost 2 more games than the teams in front of them. I really like the makeup of the Hornets this year and they will feed off the post All-Star momentum. Let's just hope Tyson Chandler does not come down with some freak injury because he is the key for their playoff push. He is the wild card for me...can Tyson actually have a whole season of great stats and great play?!
Houston Rockets: The Rockets have been the hottest team in the NBA for the last month. This means they will hit a stretch where they lose 4 out of 5 games and fall behind. They will be the 9th seed with two weeks left and will have to win out to make it ahead of the Warriors.
Looking In: Golden State Warriors...I know the Warriors were the feel good story of the season but I've seen them in person and I'm not sold on this team to pull it out two years in a row. Just a gut feeling more than anything because they have the talent and system to pull it off but I say nooo for them this year.
Playoffs: Spurs v Rockets---> Spurs Lakers v Hornets---> Lakers Dallas v Jazz---> Dallas Suns v Nuggets---> Nuggets
Second Round: Spurs v Nuggets---> Nuggets Lakers v Dallas---> Lakers
Western Conf. Finals: Nuggets v Lakers---> Lakers.
So all of this week I've been finding my favorite music video clips on YouTube. I thought I would share some here...
Kanye's Grammy's performance...This is by far one of the most moving performances I've ever witnessed...I heard the song "Hey Mama" on a mixtape because I was trying to find all the Kanye songs out there. The first time I heard it I thought it was up there with 2pac's "Dear Mama"
The Beatles- Here comes the Sun...as performed by George Harrison...I did not grow up in the Beatles era but I recently started to listen to their music and I am addicted. This is probably my favorite song so far.
John Mayer freestyling to Souls of Mischief---I am a big John Mayer fan because of his talent and because he is incredibly funny (youtube his name and comedy)....This is a really good clip of Mayer just going with it.
Brian McKnight ft. Kobe Bryant...That's right, Kobe had a flow in this song and he is in the music video.
Justin Timberlake @ the Victoria Secret Fashion Show...You can hate JT all you want but this is one of the best performances in terms of hot lingerie models and good music.
