New U.S. Strategy?

Chelsea have confirmed that Ashley Cole will be sidelined for three months after fracturing his ankle, meaning the England international may miss the rest of the season in the build-up to the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Ashley Cole sustained the injury in a tackle with Landon Donovan

Cole sustained the injury after 57 minutes of Chelsea's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Everton on Wednesday night when he was involved in a challenge with Landon Donovan - who represents United States, England's first opponents in South Africa.

Scoop. Only one complaint though. Hit ‘em harder next time Landon. He’s only out for 3 months. The World Cup is in 4. We gotta even out these injuries. Davies, Dempsey, and Onyewu are all hurt. I like Landon’s style. Let’s level the playing field for the matchup against England in June. Someone go after Wayne Rooney next.

-AFG

WHO DAT: Super Bowl Recap

Can you figure out who this graph is comparing? (Probably, if you use some simple logic and realize that this comparison is coming 2 days after the Super Bowl). Obviously, this graph is comparing Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. But can you tell which player is which by his stats? How about if I tell you that Player A has a career playoff record of 9-9 while Player B’s career playoff record is 4-2?

That’s right. Player A is Peyton Manning and Player B is Drew Brees. Peyton Manning, one of the best quarterbacks of all time in the regular season, but no better than Trent Dilfer (5-1, 1 Super Bowl ring) or Brad Johnson (4-3, 1 Super Bowl ring) in the playoffs. Anybody can win 1 Super Bowl. There have been some random QBs who have pulled that off. If Peyton wants to go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, he needs to sack up and perform in the playoffs. As far as I’m concerned, the Brady-Manning debate is over. The new debate should be: Who is the second-best QB going right now, Manning or Brees? As you can see from the numbers, it is a pretty close call over the past 4 seasons.

Other observations from the Super Bowl:

-Déjà vu for Tracy Porter. He makes the pick on the inevitable Brett Favre brain fart in the NFC Championship game, and then he essentially ends the Super Bowl picking off a very Favre-like throw from Peyton Manning and taking it to the house. Well done. You saved Favre-haters and Patriots fans everywhere from incredible anguish.

-Boy, I sure wish I was in New Orleans for the after-party. I guess I still have time. The party is scheduled to go on until August 2013.

-Rumor has it that Bill Polian will petition the NFL to ban onside kicks until the 4th quarter of games.

-Can we stop with the question: “Did Team X win the game, or did Team Y lose it?” Every time I turn on First and Ten, or Around the Horn, etc, I hear this question. Why do we have to debate who was more responsible for the outcome of the game? One team was better than the other, as evidenced by the score. The Saints won and the Colts lost. End of story.

-Despite the fact that I was rooting whole-heartedly for the Saints, I was curious to see, had the Colts won, if Jim Caldwell has a pulse.

-Does any sports figure mean more to his city than Drew Brees right now? I think the man is literally a Saint.

-Sean Payton sure has balls. The game-changing onsides kick was pure genius. But was it only genius because it worked? I don’t think so. Payton has made those types of decisions ever since he took over the Saints. He plays to win, not to not lose. Much like Bill Belichick does. Belichick got killed for the whole 4th and 2 fiasco because it didn’t work. If it had, he would have been praised and his legend would have continued to grow. If the onsides kick didn’t work out, would Sean Payton have been killed in a similar fashion? Luckily for him, we’ll never know.

-AFG

Same old story, Bruins fail to address issues

It has been reported the Atlanta Thrashers have traded Illya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils after he turned down a deal that approached $100 million.

As a Boston fan, this is disappointing news. Kovalchuk would have brought excitement to Boston. He would have represented hope. He would have given us someone who could have at least scored on occasion.

He would have made Marc Savard the player we signed him to be.

The fact that the Bruins could not find a way to make this deal is pathetic. They entered this season after trading their leading goal scorer without replacing him and are paying for it.

Yet again, the Devils strike another deal. They constantly make bold decisions year after year.

And that is the exact reason why they are always in contention like Detroit. They recognize a problem and address it. They realize when they have an opportunity and they go get a player to put them over the top. This is exactly what the Bruins do not do. They never go after it. They never change their philosophy. They continue to live in the past and look for the next Bobby Orr or Cam Neely.

It's time to change philosophies. Go get players with skill and speed. Go get goal scorers, pure goal scorers. I'm sick of looking for the next Neely or Orr. They are one in a life time generation players.

Go get the guys who actual have an impact in this NHL.

So yet again, the Bruins fail to make an impact move. Some may question whether or not this would have helped them this season. That will never be answered now, but it would have helped them in the future.

So yet again, I'll sit here and think of what could of been. I'll listen to Jack Edwards discuss Kovalchuk and the impact he'll have on the Devils and not the Bruins.

Dunleavy Fires Himself

The Los Angeles Clippers have decided to make a coaching change with just 32 games left in the season, relieving Mike Dunleavy of his duties, the team announced on Thursday.

The Clippers have named assistant Kim Hughes as interim coach.

Dunleavy, who has been serving as the Clippers coach/general manager since Elgin Baylor left the club early last season, will retain his front-office title.

"I've had several conversations with our owner [Donald T. Sterling] concerning what we think is best for the team overall," Dunleavy said in a press realease. "We have discussed the possibility of my concentrating only on basketball operations. That option has always been available to me.

"I've come to the conclusion that this is the ideal time for me to direct my efforts toward the many personnel opportunities that lie before us, such as the trade market, the draft and the free-agent process. We fully expect to be active and productive on all those fronts."

The Clippers began play Thursday with the 12th-best record in the Western Conference, seven games out of a playoff spot at 21-28.

Hughes has worked as a Clippers assistant for seven seasons after serving the previous five years with the Denver Nuggets.

-Marc Stein and J.A. Adande (ESPN.com)

So, it finally happened. Mike Dunleavy is out as Los Angeles Clippers head coach. Bill Simmons can die in peace (again). Under normal circumstances, this firing shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. It should have happened years ago. The Clippers have been the punch line of jokes for years. They are a cursed franchise (just ask Blake Griffin), and they just truly suck.

However, these are not normal circumstances. In addition to being the (former) coach, Mike Dunleavy is also the general manager of the Clippers. This means he essentially just canned his own ass! He realized he wasn’t good enough, so he let himself go. Dunleavy says he wants to focus all his efforts on the trade market, draft, etc. It's understandable. He wants to focus on basketball operations, so he can screw those up with his full attention.

Firing yourself is an interesting development, however. Can this sort of thing work both ways? Can I hire myself for a job that I’m not qualified for? As a 23 year old unemployed college graduate, this would be excellent news.

No?

Ah, well.

-AFG

Beebe Downs Lett

After making a great strip sack, Lett makes one of the dumbest decisions a professional athlete could have made. Celebrating before you actually score a touchdown is never a good idea. Especially when the touchdown could very well be the deciding score in a Super Bowl victory.

Thank God for Lett, the Cowboys still won the Super Bowl thanks to the Bills inability to win a championship.

-MJR

Beasley's Car Gets Torched

United States midfielder DaMarcus Beasley's BMW car has been set on fire outside his home in Glasgow.

Police in the Scottish city are continuing to investigate Monday night's incident, which it describes as "willful fire-raising."

"Someone blew up my car," Beasley wrote Wednesday on Twitter. "I'm doin ok, just glad no one got hurt."

-Associated Press

DaMarcus Beasley is a former US National Team standout who currently plays club ball for Rangers of Glasgow, Scotland. He has remained surprisingly calm for someone that just had his $80,000 vehicle torched. Beasley recently tweeted:

“Thanks again for ALL the messages and kind words.. But yea I'm doin ok and in the market for a new car! Lol..Gotta try to find some humor.”

Police are still searching for information on the fire-wielding pricks who did this, but it was most likely done by lunatic fans of Celtic, Rangers’ fiercest rival. If this is in fact the case, picture a Yankees fan setting fire to Terry Francona’s Escalade, and that’s about what you have going on here. The startling thing is that this is not an isolated incident. Beasley has been targeted before. In 2008, several Rangers players, including Beasley, were targeted and had their cars broken into. Beasley has also been the target of racial taunting, along with teammate Maurice Edu.

This incident is part of a disturbing trend of violence against international soccer players that has been going on for seemingly forever. The “willful fire-raising” (love that term) of DaMarcus Beasley’s BMW is just one of many violent attacks on soccer players in recent weeks. Last week, Paraguay’s top player, Salvador Cabanas, was shot in the head outside a Mexico City nightclub. Miraculously, he survived, but his status for the World Cup this summer remains in question. Cabanas was expected to be the leader and star of the Paraguayan National Team this June in soccer’s biggest tournament. In another violent attack, the Togo national team bus was attacked by gunmen upon entering Angola for the African Cup of Nations tournament last month. “We were machine-gunned like dogs,” said Togo player Thomas Dossevi. The bus driver, team doctor, and an assistant coach were all killed in the attack, while several players were injured. But violence against international soccer players is not just a recent trend.

Perhaps the most famous attack against a soccer player was the shocking murder of Andres Escobar in July 1994. Escobar was a defender for the Colombian national team during the 1994 World Cup. In a match against the United States, Escobar scored an own goal that gave the U.S. a 2-1 victory and eliminated Colombia from the World Cup. Upon return to his native Medellin, Colombia, Escobar was shot and killed outside a local bar. The murderer reportedly yelled “Goal!” after each of the twelve shots fired at Escobar. It is unclear if the killer was just an angry fan or if he was tied to a gambling syndicate that lost money on the game.

While brutal violence does occur against athletes in America (see Steve McNair and Sean Taylor), it is much more common in other parts of the world. Outside of the U.S., soccer is easily the world’s most popular sport. Fans follow their national and club teams religiously, with an unprecedented passion and loyalty. They live and die with every game to an extent that we Americans do not fully understand. (Green Street Hooligans is a great movie to illustrate this point. Highly recommend it. Even if you’re not a soccer fan).

It is absolutely crazy what some of these players go through on a regular basis. Racism is common, but all players can do is just try to block it out. On corner kicks, the visiting team often has to dodge flying batteries and bottles of piss. Violence among fans is all too common, with injuries and deaths pilling up at a much too consistent rate. Players receive death threats and have to fear for their own safety as well as the safety of their families. All for a game.

Every time an incident with fans occurs in American sports, the talk show hosts rattle on about how fans need to behave themselves and respect the players and each other. But in comparison to European/South American/African soccer fans, we do a damn good job.

-AFG

Rex Ryan: Emotional Wreck

New York Jet's coach Rex Ryan was fined $50,000 by the New York Jets yesterday for flipping the bird at fans at a MMA event.

Is Rex Ryan one of the most emotional coaches on the planet? Yes, I give him credit he has done a tremendous job turning around the New York Jets entire organization. He signed critical free agents, drafted extremely well, and motivated his team in an aspiring way.

He took over a team that was destroyed by Brett Favre last year and made them forget about the up and down season they experienced by rallying around a rookie quarter back in Mark Sanchez.

But come on. Settle down dude. You're going to be dead before you even get halfway through the contract you signed.

You beat the mighty New England Patriots in the second game of the season and treated it like the super bowl.

You cried at a team practice because you "loved" your team so much.

You spoke to early and declared your team dead and out of the playoffs before they were actually eliminated.

You got lucky to make the playoffs and then had the audacity to say you'd be surprised if you didn't win the Super Bowl, yet a month earlier you said to the media you'd be surprised if you even made the playoffs!

This guy has rallied the troops, made his team relevant again, yadda yadda yadda, but by the time he actually gets enough experience and Mark Sanchez ready the guy is going to have a heart attack.

Settle down, take it game by game, and see what happens. Stop with your predictions. Stop with your crying and absolutely stop trying to be the center of attention. You truly are starting to reach the level of Brett Favre with a lot of people around the world.

You had a solid year at 9-7, let's see you take the next step forward this year. Win the division and finish with one of the best records in the AFC. See if you can have multiple successful seasons like the organizations in Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, New England, and Philadelphia before you put yourself in the same category as them.

Enough is enough already.

-MJR

Marcus Allen 74 yard TD Run

Marcus Allen takes one to the house for 74 yards in Super Bowl XVIII. One of the most game changing runs in Super Bowl history. An absolute beast of a run. The Raiders need to find themselves another player like Allen, or one who could make a game changing play.

-MJR

NBA Nightly Awards

NBA Baller of the Night: Kevin Durant, SF, OKC
Durant dropped 33 points on 9-18 shooting from the field and 14-14 from the charity stripe. He also pulled down 11 boards in a 106-99 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Durant has now scored at least 25 points in 22 straight games, the first player to accomplish that since Allen Iverson did it in 2001. Durant is on absolute fire right now and has officially broken out as a bona-fide superstar in the league this season.

NBA Dud of the Night: The New Jersey Nets
The Nets dropped their 43rd game out of 47 on the season. They're loss to the Pistons snapped the Pistons five game losing streak. They are absolutely horrific right now -- so bad that assistant coach Del Curry resigned after the loss. They're on pace to set the single season mark for most losses in NBA history and being crowned the "Worst Team Ever." Something needs to change in New Jersey, and something fast.

NBA Game of the Night: Detroit Pistons defeat New Jersey Nets
Surprising, the lowly Nets did participate in the most exciting game last night. Tayshaun Prince snapped a 93-93 tie with 45.6 seconds left on a dunk from an inbound pass to give the Pistons their first win in 6 games.

-MJR

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW: What will prevail, destiny or greatness?

To me this is the most interesting and intriguing Super Bowl matchup since SB XXXVI, where the high powered offense of the St. Louis Rams took on arguably the most destined team in NFL history, the New England Patriots. Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking; typical Boston fan bringing up a championship of the past during a SB not involving our team. This game does have similarities with one of the best Super Bowls of all time though.

The Patriots were a team of destiny, and many believe a huge reason was the horrible tragedy of 9/11 occurring at the beginning of the season. This can be associated with the fact that their name is the “Patriots.” Although Hurricane Katrina occurred 4 and a half years ago, there are still a huge number of people in New Orleans affected by this disaster. Time and time again we have seen cities and countries rally behind sports when times are tough. A Super Bowl win for the Saints would certainly help the morale for the city of New Orleans. Much like everyone other than Rams fans were rooting for the underdog Patriots, people across the nation will be rooting for these NO Saints. Like the Rams were, the Indianapolis Colts will be going for their second ring ever coming just a few years apart. Both against the hopes of every football fan other than their respective supporters. The Saints may not be as big of underdogs that the Pats were, but they are still up against what many believe to be the best QB of all time. Will the Colts be able to do what the Rams could not and disappoint the country, or are the Saints a team of destiny much like the Patriots?

I have put together a list of what I believe to be the 5 biggest factors that will decide the outcome of this game.

Quarterback play
This may seem obvious, but certainly needs to be mentioned. It is not often we see the 2 best QBs of that particular season facing off in the SB. This year we get to see it. Both Brees and Manning were at the top of the league in touchdown passes. I won’t mention who was also right there with them. It will definitely be interesting to see who plays better. It might come down to who has the ball last if we see the shootout we are all hoping for. The playoffs thus far have certainly been set up for it. When it comes down to it though, how can you not go with Manning? As much as I hate the guy, he has been extremely consistent all year, and unlike 3 years ago, he has played great all postseason and has been by far the biggest reason the Colts are here. That is a scary thought considering he still won a SB throwing just 3 tds and a horrendous 7 picks during that postseason.
Advantage: COLTS

Defense
Since this is one of the best offensive match-ups in SB history, defense (or lack thereof) is obviously going to be the deciding factor, as it usually goes with big games in this league. Both these defenses are pretty shaky, especially being the fact that they both made the SB. It’s actually quite baffling that both these teams were able to get this far with mediocre defenses. Usually you see one high powered offense with an okay defense and one team that got there with a lot of credit to their D. Both defenses were ranked in the lower half of the league giving up yards (NO a dismal 25th). Indy isn’t terrible defending the pass, but their run D is close to non-existent (24th in the league), as well as NO 21st in the league. Indy was pretty solid when it came to giving up points though, giving up about 19 points a game, putting them 8th in the league. Although that is really the only stat that matters, the Colts will not be able to keep the Saints out of the end zone if they give up this kind of yardage. Since I don’t believe that either of these defenses will be able to stop each other at all, the biggest factor defensively in this game is turnovers. Neither team is going to get much pressure on the QB. Manning was sacked a whopping 10 times all season. I mean really, 10 times? The guy goes games without anyone getting a fingertip on him. Must be fucking nice. Anyway, Brees was only sacked 20 times, which is pretty damn good too. I don’t see the Colts defense getting much pressure on Brees, especially with Freeney playing with a 3rd degree ankle sprain. Mathis is going to have to play unbelievable if the Colts want to get to him. The Saints proved they are able to put some pressure on a good O-line, pounding Favre, potentially more than he has ever been pounded in his career (which was absolutely fucking glorious to watch.) That number 10 (sacks) on Manning all season just seems to stand out too much to me though. I don’t see the Saints sacking him more than once all game. This is why they NEED at least one big play from their secondary to win this game. They have lived off of big turnovers all season, and have a big playmaker in Darren Sharper (9 picks and 3 TDs on the season). I think that the Saints could win this game because of a big defensive play. Not so much for the Colts. I am sure they really wish they had Bob Sanders for this game.
Advantage: SAINTS


Experience
This factor is clearly a no brainer, since there are many guys remaining on this Colts team that won the SB just three years ago. The Colts have been keeping their cool all week, refusing to get into shit talking battles with the Saints. Not like the Saints have been in full force trying to start shit, but they have dabbled a bit. Hmm keeping your mouths shut and waiting to do the talking on the field? Sounds like a familiar way of life around these parts. Let’s face it, the Saints and their fans are ecstatic to be in the SB. There have been parties all week in New Orleans, and the players are having a blast. It’s just what happens when your team is in the Bowl for the first time ever. I truly believe it’s a huge reason why it’s so hard for teams to win the SB in their first appearance. Not saying this means the Saints won’t show up to play hard and win, because they definitely will. The Colts just seem extremely focused and all about preparing for the game. You don’t hear about Colts fans going crazy and partying, simply because they have been there and know nothing matters unless they win this game.
Advantage: COLTS


Storybook Factor
The Saints clearly have more of a storybook factor here, as I basically mentioned earlier. However, the Colts do have some storybook factor with them too. A second SB for Manning is huge for his legacy and the Best QB of all time argument. As the most dominant athlete in the four major sports of all time Michael Jordan said to Ray Allen after the Celtics championship, the first ring is lucky. You have to win at least two to be in conversation as the best of all time. This doesn’t trump the city of New Orleans winning a championship though, but it still deserves to be mentioned.
Advantage: SAINTS

Worst Case Scenario for Boston sport fans
This factor is the last mentioned, but I don’t consider it to be the most important, don’t worry. I just really think it needs to be mentioned. Since the Patriots last SB victory, the Steelers have won 2, the Colts have won one, and the other SB played does not need to be mentioned. During our dynasty we dominated Pitt and Indy, to the point where all the Steelers did was make excuses, and people still had the audacity to argue Manning as a better QB than Tom Brady. Those two things alone created the hatred we have for both of them. Of course we have to deal with their fan bases winning Super Bowls. Pitt didn’t have to go through us in the playoffs for theirs, and I still bitch about the horrendous officiating in the AFC Championship game that the Colts stole from us. Not to mention the Giants cheated to win SB XLII. We can even take this to baseball and basketball. The past two champions in each respective sport are the Lakers and Yankees. We can even take it to hockey, where the Pittsburgh Penguins won last years Stanley Cup. If you are a big Bruins fan, you definitely agree that is not a great outcome at all. Even if Ulf Samuelsson isn’t still in the league. To me, I don’t see this terrible streak of worst case scenario champions ending on Sunday. The Colts are simply the better team, and they have the best QB in the league right now. As much as it pains me to say it, Peyton is a winner now. Hell, the football Gods even had the audacity to give us a Jets Colts AFC Championship after the Jets celebrated a week 2 win over our Pats like it was their fucking SB, then proceeded to completely shit the bed the rest of the season, and get extremely lucky and back into the playoffs. I have officially made myself sick writing this column. I must end it before I make myself run into oncoming traffic.
Advantage: COLTS

Super Bowl Prediction: Greatness Prevails
Colts 34 Saints 30

I pray to God that I am wrong.

-TTF

The Catch

Dubbed "The Catch."

In more ways than one, this might be the single most important catch in the history of the Super Bowl. It brought down a dynasty and a Super Bowl to NY.

Enough said, I'm going to go puke now.

Stat of the Night

35: the number of goals by Alex Ovechkin

33: the number of points by the leading scorer on the Bruins (Patrice Bergeron)

Ouch. The Bruins take on the Capitals at the Garden tonight in a game that could get ugly for the hometown team. The Caps are flying high, currently riding a 10 game winning streak. Meanwhile the Bruins are flopping around in a huge pile of dung, currently on a 7 game losing streak. So much for the excitement and momentum of the Outdoor Classic. The Bruins have just 2 wins in 13 games since then. Something big needs to happen to get this team moving. I don't know what the answer is; fire the coach, make a big trade, or change the style of play... but something definitely needs to change.

I have a feeling we will be hearing some "boos" directed at the Black and Gold tonight from the Garden faithful. A win tonight against the Eastern Conference leaders could be just the kick in the ass that the Bruins need. But I wouldn't count on it happening.

-AFG

John Wall & John Calipari relationship on the skids?

John Wall is easily the best college basketball player on the planet. He is already guaranteed to hear his name selected first overall in the NBA Draft. He has led the Wildcats to a 20-1 record and #1 overall ranking. He holds the record for most assists in a game by a player in Kentucky history.

His comments, however, after the teams first loss of the season, to USC, have worried some people in the Ketucky program.

"I don't think I played that bad," Wall told Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader. "I don't know what to expect. He's probarly going to say I played bad today too so I don't know. I just try not to listen to him and go out and play basketball and try and help my team win."

Since then, Wall and Calipari both have had comments say there is nothing there. That the two most important figures for the Wildcats to win a national championship this season are on the same page. Which, they most likely are.

The problem, however, is this is why the one year rule the NBA created is a joke. Players use these universities to showcase their talent and bolt to the NBA.

Wall can say what he wants, do what he wants, and act how he wants without worry. He knows he's only there one year. Kentucky knows he's only there one year. They realize he's a once in a generation talent and they will do anything to keep him happy in hopes he delivers a national championship to the university.

If Wall did not have the chance to declare for the NBA Draft after this season something would have happened. Calipari would have sent a message to the youngster regardless of what he says.

Wall needs to settle down, shut up, and focus on basketball. He may be the greatest player on the planet, but he is averaging 4 turnovers a game. He is one of the main reasons why they lost to USC and Calipari should have called him out.

He chose Kentucky for one reason and one reason only: because John Calipari did. He now needs to listen to that man he followed. And if he doesn't believe this all he needs to do is look at the players he followed: Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans.

Rose won Rookie of the Year his first year in the NBA. Evans is on the same path.

John Wall has something in common with these two players, no not that they are all scoring point guards.

They were all coached by Calipari in college.

-MJR

NBA Nightly Awards

Each day we are going to recap the previous nights games with nightly awards going to the Baller of the Night, the Dud of the Night, and the Game of the Night. Feel free to react in our comments section.

NBA Baller of the Night: Zach Randolph, PF, MEM

Randolph dropped 22 points, grabbed 17 rebounds leading the Grizzlies to a victory over the Lakers on what should have been Kobe Bryant's night. Randolph has been impressive this season helping the Grizzlies become one of the surprising teams in the league this season.

Honorable Mention: Kobe Bryant, SG, LAL, drops 44 points, setting Lakers all-time scoring mark.

NBA Dud of the Night: Antwan Jamison, SF, WAS

Jamison shot 2-17 for 8 points and 8 rebounds in 40 minutes last night in a loss to the Celtics. Jamison needs to play better with Gilbert Arenas suspended for the season and the Wizards struggling, especially if he hopes to get traded at the deadline.

Game of the Night: Grizzlies defeat Lakers 95-93

On a night when Kobe Bryant became the Lakers all-time scorer Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay stole the show. Gay hit a 3 pointer to essentially win the game with 29.5 seconds left.

-MJR

Marquis Daniels: Celtics Savior?

Despite Monday night’s impressive fourth quarter performance against the Wizards, the Celtics have clearly been struggling lately, particularly in closing out games down the stretch. The C’s are 7-11 over their last 18 games, with many of the losses due to epic 4th quarter collapses. With the All-Star break and trade deadline looming, many experts have suggested that the Celtics need to make a move to bolster their roster for the stretch run. ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan, among others, has recommended trading Ray Allen. This is an overreaction in my opinion. Ray Allen is a perfect fit for this team, as he doesn’t constantly need the ball in his hands to be effective, and he helps space the floor as the greatest three-point threat of all time. (Suck it, Reggie.) Now, I’m all for picking up a backup point guard or a hard-nosed rebounder at the deadline if Danny Ainge can do it without giving up any essential pieces, but trading Ray Allen is much too drastic of a move.

My solution is a much simpler one. The biggest acquisition the Celtics can make will be of a player already on their roster: Marquis Daniels. Daniels is due back from a torn ligament in his thumb after the All-Star break, although recent reports suggest that he might return a game or two before. I don’t think people – especially people who don’t follow the Celtics on a regular basis – realize how much his absence has hurt the team. The stats don’t lie:



I realize that this isn’t the perfect barometer to gauge Daniel’s impact on the team, as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce both missed some time while Daniels was out. However, these numbers clearly show that the Celtics are much more effective with Daniels coming off the bench. Here’s why:

While Daniels is not the greatest passer, he can effectively handle the ball and act as the back up point guard. This takes the ball out of Eddie House and Tony Allen’s hands, which instantly makes them more effective. Eddie will be able to come off screens and focus on just shooting the ball, rather than having to deal with his shortcomings as a ball handler. TA can focus on being a cutter and a slasher, which makes him more of a legitimate threat. Anytime Tony has to take more than two dribbles, it’s a crapshoot; he has the potential to wow you, or more likely, dribble the ball of his foot and make you say “Why?” In addition, Daniels is an excellent perimeter defender who can guard the other team’s best player if need be. He is the only one who can consistently create his own shot on the second unit. And perhaps most importantly, he can help limit Ray Allen and Paul Pierce’s minutes, keeping them fresh for the playoffs.

To sum it all up, Marquis Daniels will stabilize the second unit. He will be able to get Sheed the ball in the post, hit Tony Allen cutting to the basket, dish to Eddie House coming off screens, and create his own shot if necessary. The Celtics showed some good signs in the 4th quarter against the Wizards, playing the stifling defense that brought them Banner 17 two seasons ago. With Daniels coming back in the near future, I don’t think it’s time to hit the panic button just yet.

-AFG

Inches Short

The last play of the game. Inches short. Dreams shattered.

The Rams beat the Titans 23-16 in one of the most thrilling Super Bowls in the history of the NFL. Kurt Warner was named the MVP of the game amassing 414 passing yards and throwing for 2 TDs.

The man who made the tackle for the Rams was Mike Jones. In my opinion, regardless of how great of a game Warner had Jones should have been named the MVP of the game. There was absolutely no greater play in that Super Bowl then Jones coming up with that tackle on Andre Dyson.

Had Jones won MVP, no one would have been asking who is Mike Jones?

-MJR

Video Series

For the rest of the week we're going to post a video each day of some of the greatest, most exciting, and clutch videos in Super bowl history. We're going to try to run a series of videos each week for your enjoyment. We hope you enjoy the videos we post and any feedback possible would be great. Look for the first video to be posted within minutes!

-MJR

Weekend in Review

Each Monday, around this time, I'm going to do a post about the previous weekend in the world of sports. Just a few paragraphs about some of the bigger stories that we saw over the last three days.

Roger Federer is the best tennis player in the world, hands down, bar none. Borg, Sampras, no one compares or comes close.

Randy Moss separated his shoulder during the last NFL regular season game. This isn't an excuse for Moss or the Patriots they failed to live up to expectations all year long and major changes need to happen during the off-season.

The NFL Pro Bowl is still a joke. A watered down game that needs to stop, regardless of whether or not it set record numbers in attendance.

Brett Favre and retirement talk continues. Please, everyone in the world knows he's coming back. I think this is worse for Viking fans than NFL fans, because he will cost them a chance at a super bowl again next year with a dumb decision at least fans from other states will get a laugh and not a punch to the stomach.

Still no Tiger Woods. Not on the course or on the television answering questions. It's too bad too, because I'd love to see him in the course again who cares what he has to say.

In a time when Phil Mickleson should be dominating the tour, players are calling him a cheater for using a club that is "outlawed" but "grandfathered" for players that were using it. Mickleson is only one of four golfers who currently use this type of "hybrid" wedge.

Kobe jays a game winner against the Celtics and the Bruins can't stop their slide in standings.

Toronto Maple Leafs make a major roster shake up acquiring Phaneuf and Giguere. Two solid additions to a team that desperately needs help. Hopefully both players disappoint and the Bruins still have a shot at ending up with at least one top 3 pick in the NHL draft this year.

Chris Paul out 1-2 months with knee surgery, not that it really matters considering no one watches the Hornets.

That's basically all I've got -

-MJR

NBA Officiating

First of all, let me preface this posting by saying that I did some research, and contrary to popular belief, the NBA and David Stern does not in fact have the power to fine me over these comments. (As a currently unemployed “Hometown Hero” who is hurting for cash, this is comforting news).

NBA officiating is a problem that is not going away. I’m not talking about the whole Tim Donaghy gambling mess. That topic has been beaten to death in the media. We all know that the Donaghy scandal is bigger than the NBA, and obviously needs to be cleaned up to protect the image and integrity of the league. What I am talking about is the flat out missing of calls, the bias of certain refs against certain players and coaches, and the inconsistencies in the enforcement of the rules. All of these problems were evident in the Celtics-Lakers game yesterday afternoon.

The refs missed several calls yesterday, all of which I thought were pretty evident to the naked eye in real time.

-Example 1: Ron Artest was fouled on a drive to the basket, and had his layup blocked by Kendrick Perkins after it hit the glass. This should have been called goaltending, giving Artest an opportunity for a 3 point play.
-Example 2: Perkins grabbed a rebound after losing control of the ball and tipping it off of a camera on the back of the backboard. This should have been called out of bounds with possession going over to the Lakers.
-Example 3: After Rasheed Wallace misfired badly on a 3 pointer, Rajon Rondo grabbed the offensive rebound. The ball clearly hit the side of the rim, and the official timer reset the shot clock, like he should have. The refs, however, stopped the game and reset the shot clock to 5 seconds, clearly unaware of the fact that the ball hit the rim.

All of these calls could have easily been overturned by instant replay, if the NBA and its fans were willing to sacrifice a few extra seconds to get the call right. (Or the NBA could just try hiring better refs. Either way, problem solved.)

The other two problems are more difficult to deal with however. Some referees have obvious biases against certain players and coaches. Often times, refs let a player’s reputation get in the way of a clear-minded decision. Obviously, I am talking most notably about Rasheed Wallace. In recent games, Sheed has been T’ed up for calmly (and I do emphasis calmly) arguing a foul call, as well as for yelling “And 1!” and waving his hand in the direction of a ref after believing he was fouled. Kobe Bryant did the EXACT same thing after a hitting a difficult shot in yesterday’s game, and was not called for a T. If not for Sheed’s rep, there was no way he would have received those technical fouls. I believe that both of those T’s will be rescinded by the league, and they should be. I don’t know how the NBA can fix this problem, but here is a possible step in the right direction: Players get fined for technical fouls, so why not fine a referee if they give out a T that gets rescinded. That might help to eliminate some of the bias that exists against certain players. A ref might hesitate to give out a game-altering T to a player who doesn’t fully deserve it.

The last problem is one that I’m afraid does not have a solution: the inconsistency in the enforcement of the rules. Paul Pierce was called for a critical offensive foul for pushing off on Ron Artest in the last minute of yesterday’s game. Video here. I’ve watched the replay several times, and although it was not quite as bad as Artest made it seem by diving into the eighth row like he was Jack Bauer avoiding the gunfire of a terrorist, it was definitely a foul. The problem is that this play happens all the time. Like right here for example. Kobe gets away with it all the time. So does Ray Allen. So does every player who handles the ball. It could be called on every possession. Just like a carry. Just like 3 seconds in the paint. You never know when the refs will decide to blow the whistle. It is a problem without a solution. NBA officiating involves too much subjectivity. We, as fans, just have to accept it. The refs suck, but they suck for every team. All we can do is sit back and watch some of the best athletes in the world play basketball, and hope that the guys with the whistles don’t screw it up too badly.

-AFG

Federer scoops again

Roger Federer won his 16th grand slam title early this morning at the Australian Open defeating Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11) and solidifying himself as the best tennis player ever. Federer has now won 16 grand slam championships, appearing in 22 finals. He has won 4 Australian Open titles, 1 French Open title, 6 Wimbledon titles, and 5 US Open titles.

Federer is one of only six male players to win the career grand slam and one of only three in the Open era. He holds the record with 237 consecutive weeks ranked as the #1 tennis player in the world. He has won 80.9% of the tournaments compiling a 688-162 record all time.

Federer has earned just over 53 million dollars through out his career. He is hands down the best tennis player ever and it's not even close. The only thing he has left to accomplish is winning all four major tournaments in the same year. With the Australian Open already captured Federer will have to continue his tremendous play through out the year in order to accomplish that goal.

Everyone should look forward to watching Federer this summer and into the fall as he tries to add to his legend.

-MJR

Beat LA

The Celtics square off against the Lakers today at the Garden. This is an absolute HUGE game for the Celtics. They need to step up, share the ball, take good shots, and play great defense in order to win this game.

In my opinion, this is an absolute MUST WIN game for the team. They need to get their confidence up and win a game against a championship contender after dropping back to back games against Atlanta and Orlando. The Celtics are also just 4-6 in their last 10 games and have struggled since beating Orlando on Christmas Day.

Over the last week or so the fans of Boston have started to blame the struggles on old age, injuries, and coaching decisions by Doc. This is not the problem with the team. They simply aren't executing on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. They are not playing team defense like they have in the past and they are not showing the passion they had during their championship run 2 years ago.

Yes, maybe age and injuries are taking a toll on this team but the fact of the matter is championship teams over come this. Championship teams win when facing adversity. They don't enter shooting slumps, they don't have break downs in the defensive end of the floor at the end of games, and they most certainly don't let opposing superstars drop 16 fourth quarter points on them.

So today is the day the Celtics need to step up and take down the fucking Los Angeles Lakers and prove to the fans of Boston that they are going to compete for a championship. Now is the time to step up end a slump and start playing better basketball for the rest of the season.

-MJR

Kurt Warner retires

Kurt Warner retired yesterday after 12 seasons in the NFL. He had a fascinating career quarterbacking the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, with a brief stop with the New York Giants.

Some notable accomplishments include: making the pro bowl four times, is one of only two quarterbacks to lead two franchises to a super bowl appearance winning one, won two MVPs, fastest quarterback to throw for 10,000 career yards, and having the third highest career passer rating.

Pretty solid career for a guy who had to spend time in the Arena League to make a name for himself. Now the question remains: Did Warner spend enough time in the NFL and accomplish enough in 12 years to make the Hall of Fame? I'd say so, what do you all think?

-MJR

NFL Pro Browl

Getting ready for the NFL Pro Bowl tomorrow? Didn't think so. With the NFL moving the game to the week before the super bowl and having the game being played in different cities year to year they figured it would generate more interest. Unfortunately, for the NFL, is essentially put an end to the game.

No fans watch the game, the players don't want to play in the game, and now they don't even want to go to the game. The NFL needs to set a precedent and get rid of the game. If they want to do something they should do a skills challenge. I'd rather see the top five running backs in the league race or the top five quarterbacks go at it to see who can throw the football the furthest.

This would solve many issues because players would want to do this and the super bowl participants could participate because there would be very little fear in getting hurt.

So, Roger Goodell, if your hearing me make a drastic change to the Pro Bowl and get rid of it completely and give the fans something they might actually enjoy, instead of watching guys who weren't even supposed to be there in the first place play in game.

What do you guys think? Let's hear it in the comment section.

-MJR

Welcome

Hometown heroes will give us a place to write freely about our beloved athletes in the world of sports. It will provide you with a forum to speak your mind, whether you agree or disagree with our opinions. We hope through this journey you will enjoy every moment you spend reading our articles.

Eh fuck that, hope you bitches enjoy.

Peace out.