Lebron Has Outdone Himself This Time...

LeBron's new Samsung Galaxy Note II commercial is one of cockiest things I have seen from Lebron in a while. Just him buying stuff for people and laughing at what a great life he has.

When did the world stop collectively hating LeBron? It's bad for America that not everyone despises him anymore. It used to be something we all had in common, and hatred is really the only thing that can unify everyone. It used to be we all hated Al-Queda, and Lebron, but that's gone now. It's sad.

Also, why does he need a haircut? He's freaking bald for god sakes. Now I would kind of get it if he started getting a mini fro on the spots where he still has hair, but in the video the guy is basically just buzzing his scalp.

Ha.

The license plate has to be the worst part of the commercial though. I mean how cocky can you be. "Earned 1." Ha. What a cocky move. He loses the year before and his team literally collapses to the ground crying, now he wins one and responds with the letting anyone driving behind him that "Hey, I earned this one guys."

Whatever, maybe I'm biased, but for tonight I will say I'm rooting for the Celtics. Say what you will but my hatred of the Heat is unparalleled. Any other team and I'm yelling against the Celtics, but when it comes to the Heat all bets are off.

PS: Did Wade get his haircut from the same guy? I mean that is just awful he needs to get his money back for that. He couldn't look any dumber. What a clown.

2012-13 NBA Season Preview

Commissioner David Stern might finally get the Kobe vs. LeBron Finals Match-Up

The fact that AF didn't even write a post about the shellacking his Jets took this past weekend, combined with the San Francisco Giants taking home the World Series, means only one thing, the NBA season is upon us.

From tonight until April, it is starting to look more and more like this winter will be the "Season of Basketball," especially with the NHL on the verge of a full-on lockout. I'm not complaining, I cannot wait until the Knicks tip off Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets, and the college basketball season is also not that far away.

Allen is Now a Traitor in Boston

There have been many headlines this offseason surrounding the league. LeBron James finally got a ring, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash both joined Kobe in LA, Ray Allen jumped over to the "dark side" by going to the Heat, and most recently James Harden will join Linsanity in Houston. So many moves have many teams feeling very optimistic and I think this year will be much more competitive. 

The Miami Heat should run away with the East. Let's face it, they're nasty, and now that LeBron has his ring. The weight of the world is off his back, and that's scary. Top contenders on the Eastern front behind the Heat are probably the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics. The Pacers showed in the playoffs last year that their young group is a feisty one. Roy Hibbert emerged as a legitimate center and Danny Granger along with Paul George give them very skilled wings. Joining the Pacers and Heat up at the top of the conference should be the Boston Celtics. The C's did lose an aging Ray Allen, but the ageless Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are still there and point guard Rajon Rondo looks poised to take that next step this season. 

Behind those top three the East is pretty much wide open. The jokes about the East being the softer conference will probably continue due to all of the question marks surrounding the next tier of talent. The Philadelphia 76ers are a new look bunch with key additions of Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson, and Nick Young. Still, Bynum's health is a question mark and Richardson and Young might not be enough to replace what Andre Iguodala did for the team last season. The New York Knicks are old...very old. Now Amar'e Stoudemire is out six-eight weeks and Iman Shumpert is already out until at least January. The Brooklyn Nets spent a lot of money this offseason, but I'm not exactly sold that they spent it on the right players. Joe Johnson has been bashed his entire career for not being a superstar, yet he gets paid like one, and Brook Lopez rebounds like a 5 footer. Finally, the Chicago Bulls will be without former MVP Derrick Rose for the majority of the season, and who knows how they respond to that.

The Western Conference is strong once again, and is bound to be very competitive also. The Lakers got stronger, the Thunder traded Harden, and the Spurs are always solid, and then the teams behind them are all competitive. That being said, this is the Lakers conference to lose. They are stacked at every position and their bench is good enough. Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, and Ron Artest (still won't call him anything else) looks like an all-star team. Antwn Jamison, Steve Blake, and Jodie Meeks will also provide depth.

The Thunder, who won the conference last year before falling to the Heat in the Finals, still will be very strong after the Harden trade. Kevin Durant is the best scorer in the league, and Russell Westbrook  is emerging into a superstar. Both are also coming off a season where they went to the All-Star Game, NBA Finals, and the Olympics. They are poised to lead this team, and Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins will provide an interior presence as well.

This may be the last hurrah for the San Antonio Spurs, but people have been saying that for forever about them. Tony Parker is coming off his best season and if LeBron doesn't have the greatest statistical season of all time last year, you could have made a case for Parker for MVP. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have been around for an eternity, yet, they are still playing at a very high level. Kawhi Leonard was one of the steals of the draft last season, and these four guys have a great supporting cast, which all but guarantees the Spurs will be atop the West.

Behind those three are many more contenders in the loaded conference. The Denver Nuggets are an interesting team this year with the addition of Iguodala, and aside from backup point guard Andre Miller (36), no one on the team is older than 30 years old. The Nuggets will be a very dangerous team this year, mark my words. Another interesting team is the Los Angeles Clippers, who may be the deepest team in the league. Point guard Chris Paul will lead the bunch, but Blake Griffin will have expectations this season that he must live up to besides just a high-flyer. The Memphis Grizzlies also have a solid young core, but if they don't advance this season, they may try to trade Rudy Gay, who is drawing comparisons to Joe Johnson in the sense people don't know if he is a superstar or not.

Rose's Injury Was Tough to Watch

One big theme during this offseason that will have a big effect on the actual season are all of the injuries. As I said earlier the Knicks will be without Stoudemire for six-eight weeks and Shumpert until at least January and the Bulls will be without Rose for the majority of the season. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who were an interesting team at the beginning of last season, will be without star forward Kevin Love until December and point guard Ricky Rubio is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the middle of last season. The Dallas Mavericks will be without their franchise player Dirk Nowitzki who had arthroscopic knee surgery and will be out for the first few weeks. The Washington Wizards, who have a lot of young talent this season, will be without point guard John Wall   for the first few weeks due to a knee injury as well. Finally, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, has a foot injury that currently lists him as day-to-day, but who knows how that hampers him during the season.

These stars need to hope that their teams can tread water without them, in order for them to return with a chance to return and still make the playoffs. Here are some other headlines around the league:

MVP Hopefuls:

LeBron James, Miami Heat - James is the best player on the planet right now and the choke demons have been scared off, watch out.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder - Top scorer in the league and now that Harden is gone, this is Durant's team. Expect lucrative scoring achievements this season and many game-winning shots.

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers - If Paul gets the ball to the open guy like he normally does, on this team, he could average around 13 assists. 

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics - He looks ready to firmly be regarded as one of the top point guards in the league, if he can improve his shooting numbers, he may be one of the best players in the league.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers - Nash and Howard will take some points away from Kobe, but that only means he will shoot more.

Rookies to Watch:

Barnes Has Looked Impressive Early

Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets - Davis was the most dominant college player in the country last year without question, oh and by the way he spent this summer in London at the Olympics with four of the MVP hopefuls above.

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers - Lillard was the most impressive rookie in the preseason and the sixth overall pick should have a fun time with big man LaMarcus Aldridge this year.

Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors - Barnes slipped in the draft, but many saw what he was capable of this summer. Barnes, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson make a solid group of young talent in Golden State.

Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards - Wizards point guard John Wall is out for the first few weeks of the season, but when he returns, we may be looking at a backcourt that could dominate for years.

Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics - Sullinger fell off most GM's draft boards due to health issues, but he has been very impressive since coming in and will be a big part of the Celtics' rotation.

Same Face, New Place:

Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, Los Angeles Lakers - Any time a team can add one superstar it is a huge plus, but two in one offseason? It's unheard of. They also have a guy named Kobe Bryant already who is pretty good himself.

James Harden and Jeremy Lin, Houston Rockets - Harden is the latest headline after he was traded this past weekend, but Lin was the talk of the NBA for a long stretch last season, and many will be looking to see how he does with expectations.

Ray Allen, Miami Heat - Arguably the greatest three-point shooter of all time now joins the enemy of his former team. So obviously it wouldn't be right unless the Heat and Celtics opened the season tonight against each other.

Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets - With all of the excitement surrounding the Nets, Johnson is a part of that. Many will be looking to see if he can thrive with another all-star in Deron Williams.

Jason Terry, Boston Celtics - One of the best sixth men of the past decade, "The JET" switches conferences and joins the Celtics and may end up starting there.

It wouldn't be right if I didn't give some predictions, so here they are:

                         Eastern Conference                                         Western Conference

                         1. Miami Heat                                                    1. Los Angeles Lakers

                         2. Indiana Pacers                                               2. Oklahoma City Thunder

                         3. Boston Celtics                                                3. San Antonio Spurs

                         4. New York Knicks                                            4. Denver Nuggets

                         5. Philadelphia 76ers                                          5. Los Angeles Clippers

                         6. Brooklyn Nets                                                6. Memphis Grizzlies

                         7. Chicago Bulls                                                 7. Utah Jazz

                         8. Atlanta Hawks                                                8. Golden State Warriors

Durant is my Pick for MVP 

Conference Finals: East - Heat vs. Celtics, West - Lakers vs. Thunder

Finals: Heat vs. Lakers - Finally LeBron vs. Kobe

NBA Champions: Miami Heat - A Dynasty is Beginning 

NBA MVP: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Coach of the Year: Frank Vogel, Indiana Pacers

Rookie of the Year: Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors

One Last Thing: The season tips off tonight with two marquee match-ups, the Celtics play the Heat and the Lakers play the Mavericks on TNT. It should be a very entertaining season, and we will get a full 82-game season this year, so everyone enjoy! LET'S GO KNICKS!!!! 

Perhaps the End of the Rex Era

Two Legends, End of Westhoff's career, maybe Rex's too.

I've been mulling this game over for a couple of days now, I didn't get to watch it because I live in Pats country and the internet sucks. However, I did hear some on the radio and followed it on gamecast with ESPN. And I have to say, it was probably the best thing for my health and those around me that I wasn't watching it on a TV. What a pathetic showing, I had hopes they would come out from that tough loss to the Pats in Foxboro, and stomp those clowns from Miami. Of course I was wrong.

They got straight embarrassed and it was never even close. The Jets are a team that pride themselves on special teams. Mike Westhoff is considered the greatest special teams coach maybe ever, but to give up two blocked kicks and one for a touchdown, something's definitely wrong. The Jets have a tough match up next week against the Bye, hopefully they'll get through it unscathed. Knowing the Jets, the media reports will be flying in about Tebow and Sanchez and everything in between, plus I'm kinda sensing, as the great Michael Ray Richardson once said about the Knicks, "the ship be sunk."

So this could be all she wrote for the Rex Ryan era if things don't turn around. He's probably the best Jets coach in the last 30 years, maybe even second best to Weeb Ewbank and because of a few bad decisions and some injuries that may all fall apart. Woody Johnson seems to have his heart set on the "Choosen One," but Tebow isn't the answer, not by a long shot. Maybe it's not even Sanchez, which is becoming more and more apparent, maybe it's time to look elsewhere. There are plenty of QB's looking for work and the Jets use to cycle through trash for guys like Rick Meier and Glenn Foley yearly.

PS. Skip Bayless needs to give it a rest, same argument every day about Tebow. Yeah, we get it Skip, you love Tebow but he's suchba squid.

STAT's Knee

STAT is projected to miss the first six weeks

So apparently Amar'e Stoudemire is projected to miss the first six-eight weeks of the 2012 NBA season with a knee injury. If this is true it's bad news for the Knicks, as they will be without arguably their best  player for at least the first month. Nothing has been confirmed by the team so at this point it is all speculation based on a report by Chris Broussard, who has been drastically wrong in the past in terms of rumors (see Knicks, Lebron or Knicks, Howard or Knicks, Paul).

If you ask me, I would tend to side with this is an exaggeration, and that STAT won't be out for that long just based on the procedure he had done. A cyst in his knee was removed, which is probably about the equivalent of arthroscopic knee surgery, which players have returned from within 1-2 weeks. However, Stoudemire has shown in the past he is a team player, but he will put the team in a bind to make sure his health and future aren't put further in jeopardy. Keeping that in mind, it wouldn't surprise me if he did sit out for a while, after all he plans on being in the NBA for some time down the road.

His absence will no doubt put the Knicks in a tough spot right out of the gate, and I'll be interested to see what Mike Woodson does with the lineup. If it were me I would probably go with something like...

PG: Raymond Felton 

SG: J.R. Smith

SF: Ronnie Brewer

PF: Carmelo Anthony

C: Tyson Chandler

This way you still get the added defense Brewer brings, and you can replace the scoring of Stoudemire with Smith. It will be a challenge for Anthony to guard opposing four's, but he will kill it on the offensive end. Now I know Stoudemire is a subpar rebounder, but the guy is still 6' 11" and does his fair share, so without him rebounding with this lineup will be an increasingly difficult aspect of the game. Melo has proven he is an excellent rebounder from the small forward position, but when he is boxing out guys like Kris Humphries and Josh Smith, it becomes a different game. 

The real reason that this injury scares me as a fan is the "what if Melo kills it?" idea. Now as a fan, if this team is winning with a lineup not featuring Stoudemire I will not be able to complain. People have been saying that Melo is a better 4 than 3 and if he comes out firing on all cylinders, then the argument will only continue to grow. What do you do if you are Woodson and something like this happens? Do you bring STAT off the bench, or put him back in the lineup? If you are the management, do you look to trade him for picks, or young talent? I believe that STAT can still help this team make playoff, or even championship run, but this injury could potentially open some eyes, and ultimately be the end of STAT in New York. 

San Francisco Giants Win 2012 World Series

World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval hit three home runs in Game 1

I could not have been more wrong in my prediction of the World Series. I had the Detroit Tigers taking home the title after dismantling my Yankees in just four games and I projected the Tigers to take the series in seven games. The San Francisco Giants won the series in four games. Literally the complete opposite.

Who cares about what I thought, hats off to the San Francisco Giants who quietly have started a dynasty after winning their second World Series title in just three years. They won six consecutive elimination games after trailing the Cincinnati Reds in the Divisional Series 2-0 and winning the final three. The Championship Series was the same deal as they trailed 3-1 to the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals before taking the final three in that series as well to advance to the World Series.

The World Series was where the Giants really flexed their muscles taking the first four games of the series, completing the sweep. They came out and delivered an early message when they lit up the defending Cy Young winner and AL MVP Justin Verlander for five runs, knocking him out in just four innings. The eventual MVP of the World Series, Pablo Sandoval, also went on to hit three home runs in one game making him the fourth player in MLB history to accomplish that feat in a World Series game. Sandoval joined elite company with Albert Pujols, Reggie Jackson, and Babe Ruth.

Another bright spot for the Giants in the series was their young pitching staff. Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Vogelsong each started and won Games 2 and 3 respectively. That being said, they didn't just win those games, they dominated them. Bumgarner and Vogelsong shut out the Tigers offense in consecutive games as the Giants held the Tigers scoreless for 20 consecutive innings.

The bullpen also was lights out as only one reliever, George Kontos, who was pitching in garbage innings during Game 1 when the Giants were up 8-1 at the time. The rest of the bullpen posted a 0.00 ERA for the entire series and was headlined by the performance of closer Sergio Romo. Romo earned a save in three of the four games.

One Last Thing: One guy that you have to feel good for is Tim Lincecum. This is a guy who was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball and still should be in the prime of his career, but had a horrible regular season. Lincecum went 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA and was even demoted to the bullpen in the playoffs, but he accepted his role and was huge for the team in the World Series. He appeared in two games for 4.2 innings and struck out eight without allowing even one hit.

Giants Game 8 Recap - "The Escape"

Tynes Kicks 1 Of His 5 Field Goals Of The Day

For the second week in a row the Giants offense looked very weak for the majority of the game, but just like last week, they got the W. The Giants took down the rival Dallas Cowboys 29-24 in an up and down game on both sides. After the Giants jumped out to a 23-0 lead in the 1st quarter, the Cowboys answered with 24 points of their own, going ahead 24-23. The Giants scored the last six points of the game and held off the Cowboys comeback (barely) to improve to 6-2.

The most impressive players in today's game were easily safety Stevie Brown and kicker Lawrence Tynes. Brown, who is filling in for the injured Kenny Phillips, continued to display his knack for coming up with the football. He recovered a fumble, and picked off Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo twice, to increase is his turnover total to seven on the season since entering the starting lineup.

Tynes continued his successful season with his second five field goal game of the season. This includes the two field goals of 43 and 37 yards in the 4th quarter to win the game. Tynes improved to 24-26 on the season and continued to be one of the more consistent kickers in the league.

The rest of the offense, aside from Tynes, did not have as much success. The defense forced six turnovers and most of them set up the offense with great field position. Running back Andre Brown had the lone offensive touchdown on a 1-yard run early in the 1st quarter.  Quarterback Eli Manning never really got into a groove and the offense didn't have as much flow to it as it did in San Francisco and he failed to throw for 200 yards for the second time in three weeks. That being said, Manning did lead the offense into field goal position late in the game twice, to essentially win the game.

There was controversy late in today's game when the Cowboys got down into the Giants territory with 10 seconds left in the game. Romo took a shot into the end zone and somehow receiver Dez Bryant got behind the Giants' secondary and came down with what looked to have been the game-winning "Hail Mary" catch. The play was reviewed and it turned out that Bryant's hand came down out of bounds and the touchdown was reversed, but the entire play was inexcusable. At no point should a receiver get behind the secondary when they need a touchdown to tie or win the game.

One Last Thing: I am being very negative, but what matters is that the Giants did enough to win the game. The steady play of the defense is a very promising sign, and the offense should come around soon. Up next, the Giants have the 4-3 Pittsburgh Steelers coming to town, as their ridiculously challenging schedule continues. The Giants will need a big game from their defensive front because Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is nearly impossible to sack and knock down.

P.S. Jayron Hosley should not be allowed to touch the field next game. He is clearly too inexperienced to be playing starter's snaps. Miles Austin torched him for 133 yards and on top of that, he was called for numerous holding and pass interference penalties in crucial moments. If possible, the Giants need to look into converting Stevie Brown into a nickel cornerback when Phillips returns from injury. Brown creates turnovers and with Brown, Phillips, Antrel Rolle, Prince Amukamara, and Corey Webster, the secondary will be a very solid one.

2013 NBA Free Agency

Tyreke and Brandon are some the best RFA's of 2013

With the big move made last night by the Oklahoma City Thunder, sending James Harden to the Rockets for players and picks, the 2013 free agency class may have just gotten a little bit thinner. Harden is now expected to sign a max offer sheet with the Rockets and cash in for around $80 million dollars over five years. Harden was supposed to be one of the highlights of this upcoming free agency class but now this summers scramble for new players will be headlined by other young players around the league.

Obviously some players are expected to sign extensions with their current teams, such as Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, but this is a pretty good free agent class even without Harden. The unrestricted free agents are a sort of veteran crop of still useful talent, and the restricted group being the young guns. 

Now most people see the restricted tag and think off-limits, that theres no way a team will be able to pry them away. However, this year will definitely be different for a few of these guys. It is all but certain that the Bucks, and Kings, are not likely to extend their young guards' contract, in Brandon Jennings and Tyreke Evans. The two will most likely look for monster deals, and those two teams aren't in the business of spending large, especially on a non-proven superstar. DeMar DeRozan will also probably hit the open market for the same type of reasons. 

One free agent that rumors continue to swirl around is Jrue Holiday. Once considered a shoe-in to get extended and remain in Philly for a while, has now become a major question mark for the future of the franchise. Holiday is reportedly going to ask for a max deal, which the Sixers would find hard to match. However, if it were me, I think I would have no choice but to pay him. I lost two of my brightest young guards in Andre Iguodala and Louis Williams in the offseason, so letting Holiday go isn't really an option. 

It should end up being a very interesting summer in the NBA, and I predict a lot of these players will be taking their talents to S̶o̶u̶t̶h̶ ̶B̶e̶a̶c̶h̶ a new team. Which of these players would you like to see your favorite team make a run at?

James Harden Traded to the Rockets

I wonder if the beard stays in Houston

In a blockbuster deal made late Saturday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder sent budding star guard James Harden to the Houston Rockets. Harden is coming off a season in which he won Sixth Man of the Year, and he also helped the Thunder reach the NBA Finals for the first time in the franchise's brief tenure in Oklahoma City.

Widely regarded a top tier shooting guard, the young Harden was a big part of what made the Thunder so successful last year. He averaged almost 17 points per game off the bench, and always played starter's minutes. Harden was also selected to this year's Olympic team, which really says a lot about him if you look at the other players on that team.

                                    Thunder Get:                                  Rockets Get:            

                                   - Kevin Martin                                  - James Harden
                                   - Jeremy Lamb                                  - Daequan Cook
                                   - Two 1st Round Picks                     - Cole Aldrich
                                   - 2nd Round Pick                              - Lazar Haywood

Harden along with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka, were the core to the young defending Western Conference champions, and unfortunately there wasn't enough money to go around when it came time to pay them. With All-Stars Durant and Westbrook both signing max contracts, and Ibaka also cashing in on a multiyear multimillion deal, it was hard for the Thunder to find enough money to satisfy Harden.

The team reportedly made offers up to around $54 million over four years, but they couldn't reach an agreement. Once the team realized that this deal wasn't going to get done, GM Sam Presti immediately looked for somewhere to trade Harden who is in the final year of his rookie contract. Harden now is expected to be offered a max contract by the Rockets for around $80 million over 5 years.

The Thunder definitely got their money's worth in this deal. Harden is known to take ill-advised shots late in games, and it is pretty clear that this is Durant's team and he should be the one with the ball late. That being said, the Thunder received a proven scorer in Kevin Martin, who will likely step into the sixth man role this year. The draft picks were also key here and they got plenty of them. With the success that the Thunder has had drafting over the past few seasons, they definitely are pleased with this aspect of the deal as well.

The Thunder also received Jeremy Lamb, an interesting rookie who was drafted 12th overall out of the University of Connecticut. Lamb has the raw talent, he can handle the ball, has a nice jump shot, and most importantly he can create his own shot. That being said, Lamb underachieved his sophomore season after bursting onto the scene his freshman season. He sometimes gets lost in the game and won't work as hard as he should to get open and defend. He still is a very interesting pickup, and Scott Brooks now has Lamb and Perry Jones III as his rookies, not too bad if you ask me.

The Rockets aside from Harden, received a three-point specialist in Daequan Cook, and Cole Aldrich and Lazar Haywood who each only appeared in 26 games last year. They won't be provide that much and it wouldn't be surprising if Aldrich or Haywood got cut. The deal was obviously made for Harden, and the Rockets, who were very aggressive this offseason, now have an interesting team.

They have a lot of questions that will be answered early on. The first will be, is point guard Jeremy Lin the real deal? The Rockets paid a lucrative amount to get Lin from the Knicks and he was successful for a stretch last year, but the sample size was minimal. The next question is can Omer Asik be a legitimate center in the NBA? The Rockets also gave Asik a large amount of money after he spent a few seasons as a backup center in Chicago, usually as a defensive specialist. The final question is can James Harden be the guy? Harden will step in as the team's starting shooting guard, something he hasn't done very often. Starting is a different mindset, but this is Harden's chance to prove that he is the real deal and not just the guy who played behind Durant and Westbrook.

One Last Thing: I never was a fan of Harden when he was in Oklahoma City. He takes way too many shots and is very inconsistent, and my theory is if a guy like Durant, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, etc. is on your team, you defer to him. Harden was always stepping on people's toes and although he is definitely talented, I don't think he will be as successful outside of OKC. He doesn't strike me as a superstar at all and by coupling him with Lin, I just think the Rockets are taking too many risks. They are going to have Asik, Lin, and Harden all under contracts for a really long time, and I just don't see it, hopefully Rockets GM Daryl Morey knows what he's doing.

Marcus Lattimore Suffers Terrible Injury

University of South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore suffered one of the worst sports injuries that I have ever seen earlier today. You have to feel for this guy, he is regarded as one of the top backs in the country, and had a bright future ahead of him. This injury is definitely career threatening and what makes it even worse is that Lattimore missed most of last season with a torn ACL.

If you want to get a feel for how good of a guy and how important Lattimore is, here are a few quotes from around the internet:

"I just tried to tell him to stay mentally strong," said receiver Ace Sanders, whose eyes teared up when discussing Lattimore. "I saw the look in in his eyes when he was on the ground and he was really heartbroken."


"Obviously, Marcus has got a severe knee injury, but we'll let the doctors tell you exactly what all it is later on," head coach Steve Spurrier said. "He's such a good, young man. Good things are going to happen for Marcus. I don't know exactly where and how."

"As a person, there is none better that I've ever met," the coach said.

The only injury I could think of that was that bad was Willis McGahee when he was in college at the University of Miami (FL) in the National Championship against Ohio State in 2002.

Underrated NFL Players

Since I did the list of the overrated players, it got me thinking about some of the more underrated guys in the league. Guys who always seem to be having good season after good season, but somehow goes unnoticed. Here are my top 5 most underrated NFL players.

#5 Dwayne Bowe - Kansas City Chiefs, Wide Receiver

This guy is raw. Bowe has been force since entering the league in 2007, tallying at least 70 catches and 1,000 in every full season that he's played in. (He had 995 yards his rookie year, I'll give it to him.)

The scary thing is that Bowe hasn't ever even played with a legitimate quarterback! Damon Huard, Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, Tyler Palko, and now Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn. Imagine if he was on a contender.


#4 Chad Greenway - Minnesota Vikings, Linebacker

Greenway was a first round pick for the Vikings back in 2006 and he has totally lived up to their expectations of late. He has finished in the top 5 in tackles the past two seasons and currently leads the league in tackles this year.

It did take him a couple of years to come into disown, but Greenway was finally recognized for his good play last season when he got invited to the Pro Bowl. He had a career high 154 tackles in 2011.



#3 Matt Schaub - Houston Texans, Quarterback

Schaub has really come into his own as a starter and was working on his best season to date last year before suffering a season ending foot injury in Week 10. The team was 7-3 and he had 2,500 yards and 15 TD's at that point, setting the Texans up for the franchise's 1st playoff berth.

In his two years prior to last season, Schaub threw for 4,770, and 4,370 yards respectively, posting an impressive 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio.
The Texans are 6-1 this season and in first place thanks to Schaub, Arian Foster, and the stout Texans defense.

#2 Ronde Barber - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cornerback

Ronde Barber has had a very solid NFL career, potentially a Hall of Fame one, and he receives no recognition what so ever. Maybe it is because he is on the Buccaneers, and they haven't really been relevant since the Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp days.

After 16 seasons, Barber is still playing at a high level. He currently has 3 interceptions and 39 tackles through the teams first seven games of the 2012 season and he always is a guy the Bucs can count on considering he's played in every single game since 1998.

With career totals of 46 interceptions, 1,181 career tackles, and 203 consecutive starts and counting, he should be a Hall of Famer. The reason why he is so high on my list for being underrated is because he's played just as well as other long tenured defensive backs. Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey are two guys that come to mind, and Barber has more career tackles and return touchdowns than both of them.



#1 Frank Gore - San Francisco 49ers, Running Back

Frank Gore has been one of, if not the, most consistent running backs in the NFL since 2006. He has had the best career out of any running back in his draft class including 1st rounders Ronnie Brown, Cadillac Williams, and Cedric Benson.

He also has finished in the top 13 for total rushing yards in every year since 2006, besides one (2010), and he was hurt for seven of those games. 1,695, 1,102, 1,036, 1,120, and 1,211are his totals for five out of his first seven seasons and he is having another solid year this season so far. His consistency and the fact that he is not mentioned

with the Arian Foster's, Ray Rice's, and Adrian    

Peterson's of the league. It makes no sense.

Honorable Mentions: Joe Flacco Ravens QB, Heath Miller Steelers TE, Darren Sproles Saints RB, Eric Weddle Chargers S, Jay Ratliff Cowboys DT

Overrated NFL Players

There was a recent poll going around throughout the NFL held by its players that sparked some conversations in the sporting world. This poll was, "Who is the most overrated player in the NFL?" The question was asked to 180 random NFL players, and the result was Tim Tebow earning 34% of the votes and running away as the most overrated.

Second, was Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez, and the fact that Tebow and Sanchez are 1-2 really makes me wonder if NFL players know what "overrated" really means. If you look at urbandictionary.com, a great resource for everyday definitions, it reads, "overrated: Anything that is given too much credit and hype. See: Ford Mustang and Dragonball Z." That definition is as cut and dry as it gets, and the guy who submitted that definition's handle is "The Truth," so obviously it has to be true.

Sanchez and Tebow are definitely not overrated, because everyone knows that they suck, and no one goes around bragging about how the Jets have the two top quarterbacks in the league. This is why I am going to unveil my list of most overrated players.

#5 Tony Romo - Dallas Cowboys, Quarterback

Romo is coming off his best statistical season last year when he threw for 4,200 yards, 31 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions, but the guy cannot lead his team to victory. He's got a good arm and always looks good early in the year, but when the going gets tough, Romo gets going....home.

In the six full seasons as the quarterback of "America's Team," Romo is 1-3 in the playoffs, including the muffed hold game in '06 against the Seahawks. That play pretty much sums up Romo's career, he led the team to a game-tying touchdown, but muffs the extra point and they lose by 1. Sad stuff, but can't say I feel bad for him.

#4 Devin Hester - Chicago Bears, Wide Receiver/Kick Return

Hester burst onto the NFL scene as a return man during his first few seasons, and he's always good for one or two now-a-days, but his is a God awful receiver, yet everyone sees him as this huge threat. He was so bad that the team had to bring in stud wideout Brandon Marshall AND draft Alshon Jeffery to put some guys who could catch out on the field.

Hester reminds me a lot of Dante Hall, a return specialist for the Kansas City Chiefs a few years back who played some wide out. When there's a punt and either of these guys are back to return it, you want to watch. Everyone stops to makes sure they don't miss an incredible combination of jukes that somehow results in a TD. Stick either of them at wide out, and their a "deep threat" decoy. (Hester is a great Madden receiver, send him on a streak, and he blows by the defense, too bad that's not real life.)

#3 Cam Newton - Carolina Panthers, Quarterback

Vince Young 2.0? Anyone? Anyone? No? Ok maybe it's just me, but I got into a huge argument before this season started with a bunch of my buddies by saying that Cam Newton is really overrated. They argued saying that the Panthers are terrible and that it isn't his fault, plus he won Rookie of the Year. Big whoop, the guy is a head case and a turnover machine, a lot like Vince Young.

Sure this is only his second year in the league, but the Panthers are 1-5 and in 22 career games he's thrown 23 interceptions. That is not formula for winning football, especially now that the NFL is a "quarterback's league." And by the way he isn't winning, he's 7-15 as a starter. So people can keep hyping up Newton all they want, but I'm not buying it. P.S. RG3, another dual threat guy, had a bad team in Washington and he's tearing it up. So is Luck with the Colts, the laughing stock of the league last year that struggled to win 1 game. So knock it off with the bad team nonsense.

#2 Nnamdi Asomugha - Philadelphia Eagles, Cornerback

Widely regarded as the second best corner back behind Revis Island, Asomugha makes zero plays. Asomugha was always a bright sport for the dismal Raiders during his stint there, but that was because the opposing offenses would literally pick on every other defensive player on that Raider team, because Asomugha was the only one with a pulse. He literally was thrown at 27 times in 2010...and he only allowed 10 receptions....that is ridiculous.

Now that Asomugha is on the Eagles, a team with a good defense, he looks like more of a weakness than superstar. He gives up a lot of deep receptions and is near the worst in yards per attempt allowed. He did have three picks last year which is respectable, but not when you have a $60 million contract and were brought in to be the lockdown guy he was in Oakland.

#1 Chris Johnson - Tennessee Titans, Running Back

This guy just flat out fell off. He used to churn out 100 yard games like it was nothing a few years back, and he even eclipsed the mark 12 times in a row during one stretch. Now, it rarely happens, although he did torch the Bills last week. Aside from that, he has also put up weeks of 4, 17, 24, and 24 yards so far this season. 

He still is one of the fastest guys in the league, and can break out for 200 yards on any given Sunday (great film), but he is vastly overrated. He only scored four touchdowns all of last season, and it took him 16 games to reach the 1,000 yard mark. This season, he didn't get into the endzone until last week, Week 7. The Titans need him to 

be the CJ2K from '09 in order to be successful, 

and he is starting to look like more and more like a 

shadow of that.

Overated But Not Top 5: Philip Rivers Chargers QB, Michael Vick Eagles QB, Jermichael Finley Packers TE, Shonn Greene Jets RB, John Abraham Falcons DE, Champ Bailey Broncos CB, Brandon Lloyd Patriots WR