How the East Was Won

With a slow night in the NBA tonight, we get a chance to regroup from the crazy last couple of days in the basketball world.

It all started on Thursday, with the NBA trade deadline. Major deals were reached, with many teams getting a facelift. Many teams traded away star, and important players, who, for some, were franchise players.

The East got a complete make-over around the trade deadline. The Nets got Deron Williams, who could be a corner-stone player for the Nets in the future. The Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson  to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. And we all heard about the blockbuster trade, where the Knicks traded away half of their team for Chauncey Billups and, of course, Carmelo Anthony.

And, along with these trades this past week, the Orlando Magic remodeled their team in the beginning of the year, trying to give Dwight Howard the tools to win.

Those trades created a power-shift in the Eastern Conference this year.

Now, instead of two or three teams that had a decent shot of winning the East, like in the past, there are now five teams that have a legitimate show of winning the Eastern Conference. The Celtics and Heat both look they are going to fight it out for the top-spot in the conference. But now, the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, and the New York Knicks all have the personnel to go far in this years playoff.

We got a sneak-peak of the playoffs last night, with the Knicks going to South Beach to play the Miami Heat. In an up-and-down game, which came down to the last minute of play, the Knicks edged the Heat, on a last-second block of LeBron James by Amar’e Stoudemire.

So with the ‘Power-of-three’ reigning in the East, it is going to be an exciting playoffs. No one team has come out as the favorite. Miami, on paper, should be the favorite, but they are 0-5 against the Celtics and Bulls this year, and 12-15 against the top eight teams in the conference.. The Bulls, with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, and the Magic with Dwight Howard and company, have been looking to take the title all season. And Knicks, with Anthony and Stoudemire, proved last night that they can hang with the best.

And, after this season, the waters in the East will become even more clouded. The Knicks are looking at Chris Paul to compliment Amar’e and Carmelo, which will make them even stronger. The Nets, with Deron Williams, will be looking to land a couple of big names on the eve of opening their brand new stadium in Brooklyn.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

How do I think will win the Eastern Conference this year?

My prediction: The Celtics. They are the only team on that list with experience. They know what it is like to play at this level during the playoffs. Their ‘Big-Three’ of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, along with Rajon Rondo, have been to the NBA Finals two out of the last three seasons, winning it all back in 2008.

Who do you think will represent the East?

Agree? Disagree? Want your voice to be heard? Leave a comment below, or e-mail me at: jeff.langan.jr@gmail.com with your thoughts, suggestions of topics, or just want to talk sports. Follow me on Twitter @jefflangan, or subscribe to this blog.

I would love to hear your feedback.

 

And with the Second Pick in the 2011 NFL Draft…

With the National Football League Combine coming to a close, the perspective draft class is becoming clearer. After all of the 40-yard dashes, the interviews, and the countless amount of on-the-field drill, it is becoming clearer who will be a high-round pick, and who will be waiting until Day Three to get drafted.

Today, the defensive lineman and linebackers got to show their speed, agility, and coordination on the field all day at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. And boy, did they.

According to reports, there is a lot of speed in this years defensive draft. With the rise of the spread offensives in the college ranks, many defenders have to sacrifice strength for speed, with the quarterback getting rid of the ball faster. This is very evident in the SEC, where it is all about speed and agility.

What excites me about this draft is that there are a lot of good picks for the Denver Broncos.

It is bittersweet seeing the Broncos so high up on the draft board. I want them to win, but at the same time, it will be a good chance for the Broncos to pick up a lot of talent on the defensive side, where it ranked close to last in the league.

Now, with the combine almost over, the Broncos are on the clock. And with April 28th coming quick, they have to decide quickly what to do.

John Fox, Denver’s new head coach, is a very defensive-minded coach. It is likely that the Broncos will be going from a 3-4 defensive scheme, to a 4-3 defensive scheme. With a 4-3 scheme, comes speed, which the the Broncos are lacking.

That is what excites me about this year draft. There is a TON of speed in this years draft. Defensive linemen were putting up faster speeds than in the previous years. Von Miller has impressed everyone today, running a 4.46 40-yard dash. he also wow-ed everyone with his on-the-field skills. Nick Fairley also impressed with his burst of speed, as well as his ability to rush the quarterback. Patrick Peterson is also on the Broncos radar. The shut-down cornerback from LSU could be a good fit in the Broncos secondary, complementing the All-Pro Champ Bailey (who, thankfully, is returning).

Now, for my pick.

If I were the Broncos, I hope they draft Von Miller. I know that he isn’t projected to be a number two pick, and would be a stretch, and a risk. But the Broncos need a young-stud to lead the Broncos into the future. Bailey and Brian Dawkins are the leaders now, but are getting old. Von Miller can add the speed that the Broncos are looking for off the edge, and could help lead the Broncos into the future, and beyond.

Agree? Disagree? Want your voice to be heard? Leave a comment below, or e-mail me at: jeff.langan.jr@gmail.com with your thoughts, suggestions of topics, or just want to talk sports. Follow me on Twitter @jefflangan, or subscribe to this blog.

I would love to hear your feedback.

 

Why the Problems with the Combine?

The NFL Scouting Combine, which starts in the next 24 hours, is a place for college players to show off their ‘freak-of-nature’ skills, hoping to convince a team to draft them in April.

With that being said, why are players not participating, or making a big deal that they are?

In the past two days, there has been some big Combine news. Cam Newton has shocked the Combine world by going to the combine and throwing. Today, on ESPN, they reported that Da’Quan Bowers was only going to lift at the combine.

Am I missing something? Why not go all out for the Combine. It is your one time to show what you got to every coach and general manager in the National Football League.

I understand you could be worried of getting injured, but let’s face it, you could injured anywhere. Why hold back?

Guess this is why I am writing instead of being on the field in front of scouts.

Agree? Disagree? Want your voice to be heard? Leave a comment below, or e-mail me at: jeff.langan.jr@gmail.com with your thoughts, suggestions of topics, or just want to talk sports. Follow me on Twitter @jefflangan, or subscribe to this blog.

 

“‘Melo-mania” Shows What is Wrong With the NBA

It is finally over. The story that had the NBA in a choke-hold is finally over. Carmelo Anthony is a Knick.

Reported by The Denver Post, around 9:30 at night on Monday, the deal sent Carmelo Anthony, Chauncy Billups, Sheldon Williams, Anthony Carter, and Renaldo Balkman to the New York Knicks, in exchange forWilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov (basically halfof the Knicks team), a first round pick, and two second round picks, along with $3 million in cash, to the Denver Nuggets. The Minnesota Timberwolves also put their hands into the candy bowl, getting Eddie Curry and Anthony Randolph.

Now, as of now (early, early, in the morning on Tuesday), this is the proposed deal. As you can see, there are a lot of moving parts in this deal, and specific details are coming out slowly.

This deal exposes what is wrong with the National Basketball Association.

With this deal, one team gives away an arm a leg, while the other team gets very little. It doesn’t seem fair, morally. On paper, and in the bank account, it is an equal trade. ‘Melo is a good player, so of course you will have to give up a lot.

But, this shows the biggest flaw of the NBA. Teams stacking up on talent.

Sure, you see this in other sports. The Yankees, the Cowboys, can, in some ways, be guilty of doing this. They do whatever it takes, and at all costs, to win. The Yankees can bully around pretty much any team (except the Phillies; sorry- I am a Red Sox fan, so I had to get that jab in). Every year, they have the highest salary, by more than a couple millions. The Cowboys use their brand to attract high-profile players, another way of bullying teams.

But in the NBA, it is a little different. The theory right now in the league (especially the Eastern Conference) is the ‘Big-Three Theory.’ Teams have been loading up on three high-power stars, and use them as the core of their team. It all started in 2007, when the Celtics signed Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, to add with Paul Pierce for the ‘Original Big Three.’ And with two finals appearance in three years, it appears to work.

This past off-season, the most high-profile ‘Big-Three’ connected in South Beach, with the Miami Heat signing Lebron James and Chris Bosh, to go along with Dwayne Wade. As long as those three stay healthy, they fire on all cylinders, and look like the team to beat in the East.

Those aren’t the only two teams in the league with a ‘Big-Three’ alliance. Orlando, Los Angeles, San Antonio, even Orlando, have a solid big three, with three high-profile players joining together to play together.

And, with the addition of ‘Melo in New York, it looks like the Knicks will enter into the ‘Big-Three’ discussion this offseason. Deron Williams, of the Utah Jazz, a Chris Paul, of the New Orleans Hornets, are voicing their pleasure of joining the Knicks this offseason, to complement Carmelo and Amar’e Stoudemire, who are now in the Big Apple.

This brings me to my point. This is bad for the NBA.

Just think about this for a second. These teams with a ‘Big-Three’ add no excitement. Sure, you have the mystery of which team will come out on top, but, for the most part, there is no parity in the NBA. The same-old teams win, the same-old teams lose. There is no surprise anymore. You never see an underdog team rise to the top. You never see a Butler, or a Florida Marlins, that team you don’t expect to win, but does anyway.

If I were the commissioner, I would take a look at this, and try to fix it. With no surprise and intrique, fans might stop tuning in. And that means no money. Think about it.

I would like to hear your thoughts on whether you think ‘The Big-Three Theory’ is good or bad for the NBA. Comments are appreciated.

 

Why I Love College Sports

In college sports, any team can win on any given day. It doesn’t matter what you are ranked in the AP Top-25, or what score some computer gives you for the BCS. No one is immortal.

Take a look at this past week in the college basketball world.

On Monday, Kansas took over the number-one ranking in the AP Top-25. That night, they lost to an unranked-Kansas State, on a buzzer-beating shot.

So, naturally, the number-one spot was up for grabs.

On Wednesday, both #10 Wisconsin, #16 Louisville, and #9Georgetown were upset by lower-ranked teams.  On Friday, #12 UConn was upset by #16 Louisville.

So, in theory, the Top-10 were safe in the rankings going into the weekend.

But, that is why they “…play to win the game.”

Saturday started the trend of toppling the top-10 teams. Saturday, #2 Texas, who was in-line to take over the #1 seed, dropped their game against unranked-Nebraska. #4 Pittsburgh, the ‘Beast of the Big East,’ lost a shocker against St. John’s in Madison Square garden. Also, #7 Notre Dame was defeated by unranked-West Virginia.

But wait, there’s more.

On Sunday, #3 Ohio State, the former #1-seed, went into their game against #11 Purdue in-line to take over the top-spot again, with both Kansas and Texas losing. But the Purdue Boilermakers played strong on their home court, and stunned Ohio State 76-63.

Now try and rank all the college basketball teams.

According to ESPN, the last time all top-4 teams lost in one week was the week of November 24th in the 2003-04 season.Out of the Top-15 teams, only Duke, San Diego State, BYU, Arizona, Florida, and Villanova won all their games this week. I don’t know who I would pick as #1.

Even in college football this week, there were three straight weeks where the #1 team in the country lost. The BCS standings were different every week. Every week, no matter how low your ranking was, you played the game as if your life depended on it.

This is why I love college sports.

Everyone plays hard. No one gives up. Even the underdogs have something to prove. You do not get this kind of competition in pro sports. In the pros, you see players giving up on the play, not caring whether they win or lose, and trash talk.

In college sports, it is competition at its finest. Players play every play like they have something to prove. No one gives up, and everyone plays to the final whistle.

Maybe some pro sports teams/players should take notes.

 

When I Was 20…

When I was 20, I was:

• Looking forward to my 2nd season at 7th Regiment
• Looking forward to being a junior in college
• A lot of other things I can’t remember

When Trevor Bayne was 20 years old (and 1 day)

• Starting in his second career NASCAR Sprint Cup Race
• Starting the Daytona 500
• Won the Daytona 500

…I’m jealous…

 

Trouble on the Horizon for the NFL

March 4th is like an iceburg in the middle of the ocean that you are sailing towards.

And for football fans, its getting bigger and bigger.

The National Football League (NFL) and the Players Association (NFLPA) are trying to hash out a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which expires March 3rd. After March 4^th, if a new CBA isn’t reached, the players will be ‘locked out.’ That means the players won’t be able to participate in team activities, or get the necessary money to rehab any injuries they might have.

There are a lot of things that the NFL and the NFLPA have to negotiate to create a new CBA. A rookie salary-scale, as well as a possible 18-game schedule, is minor speed bumps in the road to a new CBA.

But the big speed bump appears to be the splitting of the revenue. According to ESPN.com, the league makes $9 billion annually. When they last negotiated a CBA in 2006, the players were given 60-percent of the league’s revenue.

But since 2006, the ‘bubble has burst.’

The owners are now claiming that, in this economy, the aren’t making as much revenue as they have in the past. Tickets sales are down, and the stadiums aren’t raking in as much money as they have in the past. The owners are starting to ‘hurt’ financially. This time around, they are looking to receive a larger chunk of the money, saying that players already are getting a lot of money in their salaries.

But along of with all of the issues they have to negotiate with themselves, they also have to deal with the media.

Both the NFL and NFLPA are using the media, from ESPN, to Twitter, and every website in between, to try and tell the public what is happening in the negotiations, and what they thing of it. It has become a “He-said/she-said” type argument, with lots of mud-slinging on both sides of the table.

The federal government has stepped in, sending in George Cohen, the Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, to try and bring both sides together, to get an agreement together  in the next week, to avoid a lockout.

One thing Cohen has recommended, to both sides, is to put a gag order on all negotiating talks. That means no one is allowed to talk to the media about anything going on.

All we know, is that this past weekend, both sides met for three days straight, totaling over 20 hours. Now, I know you may not think that is a lot, but considering how heated both sides were getting, that is a lot of time.

So keep an ear out football fans. T-minus one week. Before the federal mediation, it looked like both sides weren’t going to get together. But there is a ray of hope shining on that iceberg, a glimpse that there will be a new CBA, and that there will be a 2011 season.

But even without a CBA, there will still be a draft. So even if there is a lockout, at least we have the draft right? Sort of like a small consolation prize. But if there is a lockout, the draft could be the last football we see for a while.

Positive thoughts football fans. Positive thoughts.

 

C’Mon Melo!

Every sport has their own prema-donnas. You know, those people who steal the headlines, and always have their name plastered over ESPN.

From Terrall Owens, to Brett Favre, to Manny Ramirez, you can’t surf the web without hearing about them.

Well, the NBA has their most recent on.

Carmelo Anthony.

Over the past couple weeks (and months), Anthony has been in the headlines, quarreling with  the front office of the Denver Nuggets.

It started last year, when he wanted a trade out of Denver. But over the off-season, Melo decided to stay in Denver, for his last season before his contract expires.

But in the recent weeks, the trade talk has kicked-up to 12 on the crazy scale. In December, The New Jersey Nets wanted to trade to get Carmelo. But after very public comments, the Nets owner backed out of trade talks.

But in the mind of Carmelo, he has always wanted to be a Knick. From his start in Syracuse, he has always wanted to return to the Big Apple and play in Madison Square Garden. And for a while, it looked like that was going to happen. A proposed three-team trade between the Nuggets, Knicks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, would send Carmelo back to New York.

The trade talks took a bizarre turn the last couple of days.

The Los Angeles Lakers threw their hat into the Carmelo ring, offering Andrew Bynum. The Lakers, who are citing a disagreement between Bynum and the coaching staff, are looking to bolster their lineup for a playoff push.

But Melo is denying reports about the Laker-trade. he is claiming he ‘didn’t know about it’, and doesn’t want to go there.

And, on top of all that, he is saying he would sign a three-year extension with the Nuggets if a trade isn’t reached.

C’mon man! Your telling me you had no thought in your mind about going to the Lakers. They are championship team,are one player away from making another serious championship-push.

And you don’t want to go there.

That is the one thing you are missing. A championship ring. I don’t know whether you are saying that to try and lead the media off your ‘train of thought,’ but it has to stop.

And just make up your mind. If you want to leave, don’t say you would sign an extension. This is getting worse than the T.O.-saga the past couple off seasons.

I don’t know why athletes like this get all the attention, but  it has got to stop. WE GET IT! You are disgruntled. Fine. It happens. But think about it, you are making millions of dollars, while people starve on the streets. You could be a lot better off.

And sports is a job. Not everyone likes his job. You don’t see Joe Smith making a big deal about hating his job at a local company. Instead, he deals with it quietly.

Take notice.

 

Duke vs. UNC

One of the most storied rivalries in College Basketball, if not, the entire sports world. Better than the Yankees/Red Sox, better than the Celtics/Lakers, and better than the Jets/Pats rivalry.

The #21 seed University of North Carolina Tar Heels ventured to Duke University, to play the # 5 seeded Duke Blue Devils for the first of two meetings over the course of the season.

This game was a tale of two halves.

The first half was all Tar Heels. UNC came out of the gates strong, jumping out to an early 7-0 nothing lead. They did not let up. the fast start seemed to catch the Blue Devils off-guard. By the end of the half, the Tar Heels were up by 14 points.

At halftime, Coach K got his players fired up.

The Blue Devils came out on fire. They seemed to be a lot more aggressive, and blew past the flat Tar Heels. Half way through the second half, the Blue Devils took their first lead of the game, and never looked back. They were able to quell the late-second Tar Heel surge, and held on to win the game.

For the Blue Devils, this is a ‘signature win.’ This win will help Duke vault up the standings, and give them a strong case for a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

On the other side, for the Tar Heels, this is a crushing defeat. They had a victory over a #5 seed, and give them a jump in the ACC standings, and the AP poll. But this defeat will crush more that the Tar Heels emotions. This loss will send them sliding down the AP poll, and will have to start making a case for getting into the March Madness Tournament.

After this game, I can’t wait for their second meeting at the University of North Carolina March 5th, the last game of the season for both teams.

 

Instant Classic

It has been just about 24 since Aaron Rodgers took that final kneel down to clinch Super Bowl XLV, with a 31-25 win over the Pittsburgh steelers, bring the Lombardi Trophy back to ‘Titletown USA.’

In this game, as far as I’m concerned, Aaron Rodgers was launched into the ‘Elite Quarterback Status.’ His play on Super Sunday was impeccable. He is the third quarterback in Super Bowl history with over 300 yards passing, three touchdowns, and no, count ’em, no interceptions.

Granted, his completion percentage was lower than his season average, but with the multiple drops by his receivers (I counted 6), he could have had over 400 yards passing, and possibly another touchdown, which James Jones dropped at midfield, with no one in front of him.

even though his receivers kept dropping balls, Rodgers still had confidence in them, and threw their way again, to get the WR confidence back up. He played the field general. An now, with the hardware, he can be put into the ‘Elite Quarterback Status’ with the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees.

Another key for the Packers was, in fact, their running game. All season, they were a ‘pass first, run second’ offense. But James Starks, an unknown running back came up big.

If you look at the box score, it may no impress you. As a whole, the Packers rushed the ball 13 times for 50 yards. But that stat is very misleading. Those rushing yards came at crucial time, usually helping the offense out of a bind. Those were the biggest 50 yards of the game.

The Packer defense, which was top-five in the league, struggled, but was not their fault. Charles Woodson, their veteran cornerstone of the defense, went out with a broken collarbone close to the end of the first half. The secondary started to falter during the second half, but were able to hold the Steelers on fourth-down, with under two minutes to play.

On the other side of the ball, what killed the Steelers were turnovers. ‘Big’ Ben Roethlisberger had two interceptions, including a pick-six in the first quarter. Rashard Mendenhall coughed the ball up at the beginning of the fourth quarter, which basically sealed the game for the Green bay Packers.

In total, it was the Packers who won the game. They were the better team, kept control of the ball, and capitalized on mistakes. They were, the best team in the NFL this season.

Their 10-6 record was deceiving. There were a couple close games that could have swung either way. The two weeks they played the Lions and Patriots was the ‘hiccup-time’ for the Packers. Rodgers was knocked out with a concussion, and rookie Matt Flynn had to take on the Patriots. Both games were close, and if Flynn had just one more play, we could be talking about a 11-5 team, competing for the NFC.

But a wild-card spot didn’t bother the Packers. With the #6-seed seed in the playoffs, they brought their game every day, and showed that they were better than a #6-seed. They took care of business., with 15 players on IR.

Just to let you know how good the Packers were, here’s a fun fact. They are the third team in NFL history to not trail by more than seven points in an entire season. That is 20 games. That is 1,200 minutes of football.

Looking into next season, the Packers have to be the early favorites. They will be getting Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finnely, and a lot of other star players they didn’t have during their run this season. They look to be more deadly next year, than how they ended this year.

Scared? I am.