Legacies on the line in this NBA Finals

by Chris Cappella

As you’ve probably heard, the Miami Heat and Seattle Sonics Oklahoma City Thunder will clash in the NBA finals. To say that there is a lot on the line would be an understatement, and while many of the players involved are young guns (and this probably won’t be their last finals match-up) there are legacies on the line. Consider the following:

LeBron “King” James: is the defending MVP and has certainly been playing like it averaging 30.8 points per game and shooting over 50% from the field. Everyone knows about James’ unreal skill set and if you can’t admit that what he did in these playoffs has been “clutch” than we must not have watched the same games.

Two of the "big three" will need supermen type series to beat the talented

Thunder

 However, it is time for James to start working on his… guarentee. LeBron has been ringless for not two, not three, not four, but seven full NBA seasons. Last year at this time, James was coming again coming off an incredible Eastern Conference Finals against Boston where he looked like a confident killer on the court. This year his attacking style has been unstoppable, but if his team can’t overcome this young, talented Thunder team the criticism is only going to keep building. Does Lebron finally cement himself as a champion, or does he remain the most talented player to never win a ring?

Dwayne Wade: Wade has the benefit of having being a finals MVP to his name but his play has been very suspect. As many members of the media has mentioned, Wade is treated like Superman in South Beach and can do no wrong, but in actuality has been as inconsistent as I have ever seen him. While there is no doubting Wade’s supreme talent, he hasn’t won anything since 2006 when he was on a team with Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning. If Miami wants to win this series, they’ll need Wade to be his normal, attacking, consistent himself. I’d say if he scores around 25ppg and locks down whoever he is guarding Miami has a great chance at winning this series.

Kevin Durant: Durant can solidify himself as maybe the best player in the NBA with a big series. Think about it: At 23 Durant can be a three time scoring champ, NBA champion, and NBA finals MVP (a title he will probably hold if the Thunder win). Durant will always be looked at as a great scorer and humble, likeable man, but this could elevate him to another level.

The freakishly athletic Westbrook can defend his style of play

with a strong NBA finals series.

Russell Westbrook: Westbrook, with the exception of James, has the most to gain/lose. Westbrook has often been criticized has a ball-hogging point guard who doesn’t understand the concept of getting the ball to their superstar. This is something that can be true at times, but overall Westbrook plays an important role as a shooter on this team with limited options. Who would you rather have taking all their shots? Durant and Harden can only take so many shots. If at 23 Westbrook is an NBA champion he can say “Yeah, maybe I do shoot too much, but guess what, it works. I’m an NBA champion when everyone said I should have been traded.”

There are four superstars in this series between the two teams (yes, Westbrook is a superstar). While they are all still young, legacies are on the line.

Some Things Never Change: Mets go 8,000

By Chris Cappella

The New York Mets have played 8,000—yes 8,000 games after Friday’s 6-5 loss in Miami and all 8,000 have had one thing in common: The New York Mets have never thrown a no-hitter. New York is one of two teams in Major League history to have not thrown a no-no, the other being San Diego.

San Diego is one thing, but New York has had some unbelievable pitchers come through their franchise. Take a look at some of these pitchers who never threw a no-hitter with the Mets…

Nolan Ryan: Ryan is one of the greatest pitchers to ever live and threw seven, yes SEVEN no-hitters in his career (An MLB record). Yet through all of that, he never threw a no-hitter in five years with the Mets.

Tom Seaver, the greatest Pitcher in Mets history, pitched for 20 seasons (10 with the Mets) and compiled 300 wins. Seaver threw five different one-hitters with the Mets and is considered by many as the greatest pitcher of all-time.

Dwight "Doc" Gooden is the youngest pitcher to ever win a Cy Young at 20 years of age. He dominated the 1986 season with a sub-2.00 ERA and to make matters worse, Gooden did throw a no-hitter with cross-town rivals New York Yankees

David Cone is not considered an all-time great, but did win a few world series, won 194 career games, and pitched the 16th Perfect Game in MLB history. Just another missed oppourtunity.

Johan Santana will not be a hall-of-famer when it is all said and done, but Santana is still one of the best pitchers of our generations and has come close on numerous occsions.

There are plenty of other pitchers that could go on this list but I'm trying only to take up so much space. Seven pitchers have thrown no-hitters after leaving the Mets and another 10 came to Mets with no-hitters under their belts. All in all, there have been 35 one hitters in New York history (including one two years ago where R.A Dickey gave up the only hit to.... Cole Hamels).

It's bad enough that the Mets are broke and share a city with the most successful franchise in maybe any sport, but now this? I don't think it will ever end.

ICYMI: This was NOT a Good Week in Sports

This was not a good week in sports.

Not only did my Mets get swept by the pathetic Houston Astros and the Knicks season will likely be over Wednesday (although it was great to see them win one), but we saw the passing of a great linebacker and man, what may be the end of an all-time great closer, and a Saints season that gets dimmer and dimmer.

Suspended Sain Jonathan Vilma and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams

I’ll start with the Saints. On Wednesday, Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended star linebacker Jonathan Vilma the entire 2012-2013 season without pay. Vilma is the anchor and leader of a so-so Saints defense and his presence will definitely be missed. Vilma has played in New Orleans for four seasons now and in the three seasons where he played 16 games (he only played in 11 games last year) has had no less than 100 tackles, one sack, and one interception.

Goodell also suspended former Saint and current Green Bay Packer defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove eight games, defensive end Will Smith four games, and current Cleveland Brown linebacker Scott Fujita three games.

It’s hard to have really strong reactions to something like this because we’ve never seen anything like the bounty situation before.  I don’t mind that Goodell has given himself the role of disciplinarian. He is doing what he feels he has to do and if that means ruining the Saints, a franchise he has supported through all their tough years, than that’s what he has to do.

The biggest problem with handing out such stiff penalties is the evidence. The league said its investigation showed "a significant number of players participated" in the bounties – by ponying up cash or collecting it – but noted that "the players disciplined participated at a different and more significant level." In a game as violent as football, it would seem that identifying a single player or players playing to injure would be nearly impossible. A lot of people would point to this video of Kurt Warner gettingthe tar knocked out of him by Bobby McCray as evidence of the bounty program, but how is that much different than Sean Taylor destroying a punter in a pro bowl game?

The players plan on appealing the suspension, but won’t win considering they appeal is heard by Goodell, the same man who handed out the punishment. It just seems confusing that the league can identify four specific players who participated in the bounty program more aggressively than others.

There was more sad news that came out of the NFL when the death of Junior Seau was announced. Seau, the fifth overall pick in the 1990 draft, never disappointed on the field. Known for his incredible passion and friendly personality, Seau played 13 seasons for the Chargers, three for the Miami Dolphins, and four for the New England Patriots before finally retiring in 2010. He was a 10-time all pro, 12-time pro bowler, and was named to the 1990 all-decade team.

Junior Seau was always known for his intense energy an enthusiasm

Seau’s death was ruled a suicide and it could be interesting to see what role, if any, football had. As its been noted, Seau is divorced and hasn’t had the most successful career off the football field with some failed businesses. There is nothing more that can be said other than the world lost a great football player and a better, more enthusiastic ma. Rest in peace Junior Seau, father of three, dead at the young age of 43.

Mariano Rivera has redefined the word “ageless”. Year after year, Rivera dominates professional baseball players with one pitch, his cutter. In 18 years (all with the Yankees) Rivera has a career ERA of 2.21 and has 608 saves, more than any other closer in MLB history.

Rivera’s career is now in jeopardy after tearing his right ACL shagging fly balls during batting practice. It would really be a shame if Rivera ended a brilliant career because he was playing Torii Hunter during BP. Rivera says he plans on coming back, and I hope he does, but at 43 off an ACL injury I do wonder how effective he might be. He is a guy that even if you don’t like the Yankees or don’t like him, you respect everything he’s done. It’s not fair to criticize Rivera for the injury itself however. The Baseball Tonight  crew, many of whom were former major leaguers, said that there are some pitchers who play 3^rd base during batting practice to keep themselves sharp. Rivera was likely doing something that is common between pitchers.

This week we lost an all-time great in Junior Seau, a huge blow to the Saints season, and maybe the end of a first-ballot hall of fame career. While there certainly was some good (I think?), it’s hard to think of at the moment.

Basketball in Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Nets New Logo.

The NBA has a new marquee market in which it will look to tap into. While New York City already has one team, the Knicks; it will now get the chance to latch on to another squad, the Brooklyn Nets. The team from across the River has had more success than the Knicks the past 15 years, and already has strong ties to the city through partial owner and rap icon Jay-Z. For years Brooklyn has been one of the best basketball hot-spots, and has always had a strong connection to the game of basketball. Nets CEO Brett Yormark said in an interview with ESPN that the franchise wants to win over Brooklyn and everything past that is gravy. The Nets will certainly be a popular team next fall when they move into the Barclays Center but to sustain long term success and take full advantage of these new exciting times, the Nets need to be competitive right from the start. The team has a new Image, new logo, New Jersey’s, new color scheme, new feel, and they hope to have a new energy about them that will attract fans. The Nets have already launched their new site along with new gear available to the public. While all these factors are important, the biggest contributor to long term success will be the on court product. 

Brooklyn Nets GM Billy King has his hands full, and will have to do a good job this off-season. The team traded their first round pick (Top 3 protected) for Gerald Wallace who is expected to opt out of his deal with one year left. King hopes to resign him, "It doesn't mean Gerald's saying he's leaving. It's just that it's the way the CBA works and how you get your deals [in the NBA]," King Said. Wallace won’t be the only player potentially exiting before the team even opens up office in Brooklyn, as the Nets only have four players with guaranteed contracts: MarShon Brooks, Johan Petro, Jordan Williams and Anthony Morrow. Not exactly a playoff contending roster. The good news from all this is King has a ton of cap space to play with, and without having to worry about a high draft pick filling any of that up (unless top 3) he can focus on bringing back some of the stars and going and getting those players help. 

Brook Lopez is a restricted Free Agent, and no team should be able to out bid the Nets for the Young centers services. Lopez was banged up this year but still has the potential to be a top 5 NBA center next season. Kris Humphries and high flyer Gerald Green are unrestricted and one of them may be out the door. I expect the Nets to try and keep Humphries because he had a great year, and really started to realize some of his potential.  With all this being said, one man will decide the fate of the Brooklyn Nets. Deron Williams. 

Williams has already been used by the NETS in a
dvertising plans as the team moves to Brooklyn.

D-Will will be the best free agent on the market assuming he opts out of his deal (there is little hope he will pick up his player option) and many teams are lining up for his services. The Nets knew this day would come and cannot miss out n letting him go. Unlike the Cavs with Lebron, Brooklyn gave up a ton just to get Williams for a year and a half. Teams like Dallas can’t wait to have an opportunity to add the star PG, who will have a very busy summer with all this free agent madness along with Olympic basketball. The Nets best bet is to go out and surround D-Will with talent, because all other methods have already been put in place and the Illinois grad still wants to test free agency. While the Nets have lots of enticing features one thing they don't have, and haven't had for years is a competitive team. The Nets must quickly resign Wallace, Humphries, and Lopez along with grabbing a key free agent or trading Lopez for a guy like Dwight Howard. Howard is plan A, but that will be tough to do with Howard opting in already, and the Magic's will to try and get him to stay long term. Another option is OJ Mayo or Eric Gordon, but both are restricted so their current teams can match those offers. Certainly the Nets have a lot of work to do so the team is ready to compete in Brooklyn. It is vital that they put a contender on the court right away, because the people of Brooklyn deserve a winner. The Nets knew years ago that this move was going to happen. I'm not saying they need to be NBA Finals contenders, but a playoff berth would be nice. Teams have handled moves in many different ways. Some have thrived (OKC) and some have not (New Orleans). The Nets will benefit from the market they play in, but even that wont hide a dysfunctional organization. This summer will determine whether basketball will start with a bang in Brooklyn, or continue to spiral downward much like it did in the Garden State.

The essence of LeBron James

LeBron James might be the most talented player to ever touch a basketball… So why do so many people hate him?

by Chris Cappella

There was something about game one of the Heat-Knicks game that made me as unbearably mad as I’ve ever been watching a sport. Of course I am a Knicks fan, and watching a 32-2 run against your team in the playoffs gets to be as unwatchable as ever, but it wasn’t just how the Heat did it, it was who did it.

It felt like LeBron James scored every single point during that run. Fade away with a hand in his face? No problem. Corner three? No problem. An and-one from 20 feet out? And bank it? It was too easy! The burn of James spurning the Knicks still runs deep. He didn’t just reject the Knicks, he rejected the Garden, the history, and most importantly, one of, if not the, best and most knowledgeable fan bases in all of sports. Look at how Jeremy Lin took the city and sports world by storm, LBJ could have had that for TWO years now.

When it comes to James you either love him or hate him and there is no in-between. Everyone in the world has an opinion on him, but why? Why is LeBron James one of the most polarizing figure in all of sports?

James played high school ball at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio where he won Mr. Basketball at the ages of 16, 17, and 18 years old. James could have gone to college wherever he wanted but instead entered his name into the 2003 NBA draft (this is an important fact for later). The story got better when his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the unluckiest franchises in all of sports, were awarded the first pick of that draft and got one of the most talented, physically gifted players to ever come into the NBA.

Lebron James was treated like a God in Cleveland.

The 6’8, 250 pound James had enormous success with Cleveland despite the fact that the front office did an awful job surrounding him with legitimate talent. James was 2003 Rookie of the Year, two-time MVP, and NBA scoring champion, and has been on the All-Defensive and All-NBA first team nearly every year of his career. LeBron took the Cavs took the 2007 finals where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

James now has the knock of not being clutch, which can be very unfair. In his playoff debut he threw down 32 against the Wizards in the process of getting a triple double, becoming only the third player in NBA history to have a triple-double in their playoff debut. Through the 2003-2009 seasons, he had the most game-winning shots made at 17, more than Kobe, Dirk, Wade, and others.

In 2010 though, it all changed. LeBron, despite being the most talented player on planet Earth, had never won the big one and now had the label (whether it is fair or not) of being “un-clutch”. In all of his years on the Cavs he really had no supporting cast. The likes of Mo Williams, Antwan Jamison, Ben Wallace, and Shaquille O’Neal all played but not at high enough levels.

So in 2010 James became a free agent and left, something he really shouldn’t have been criticized for except for the fact that he did a one hour ESPN special to rip the hearts out of everyone from Cleveland and teamed up with his buddies Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, all Olympic caliber players.

Unfortunately it doesn’t end there. After Wade, James, and Bosh were officially all teammates Miami held a… parade of sorts. The purpose was to rally the fans and introduce them to the “Big 3”. Between a Sportscenter special and a parade before the season, not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, and not seven million people hated LeBron but just about everyone outside Miami did. This is where I believe not going to college really hurt him. Was LeBron recruited? Yea, he definitely was, but when most people are sure you’re going pro it’s just different. He let all the wooing and love from coaches and executives in the NBA get to him because he never really had that before. This is no different than the Dwight Howard situation now. It was too much, and his PR crew handled it awful.

So Lebron, who so desperately wants to be loved by everyone, is now the villain. In Cleveland he was more than loved, had fun, and was the man on that team. Now, everyone outside of Miami wants him to fail and there are really no excuses. The talent around him is unreal. Year one was considered a failure because of a loss in the championship, what will year two bring? For the sake of LeBron, it better be a championship.

James is 27 and has been in the league for eight years. There are many different sects between NBA fans, but none are probably larger then LeBron hater or defender. Defenders will correctly note that it took Michael Jordan, the NBA’s greatest player, six years to win a ring and he needed the likes of Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman to do so, guys James never had the luxury of playing with. Year one of the Big 3 was mostly about feeling each other out and everyone getting roles. It was an incomplete team that lacked a point guard and a center, which are obviously very critical for a team’s success.

But I’ll tell you what just really irks me about LeBron, something I realized now more than ever. He is easily the most talented player in the world, but still has to go team up with his super-talented friends to try and win one, something the likes of Jordan, Bird, Thomas, Malone, and Ewing NEVER did. When it is smooth sailing for Miami, LeBron is throwing down dunks, knocking down shots, and pounding his chest like a madman. But you and I both know he wants nothing to do with the big moment. He deferred taking the last shot in the All-Star game for goodness sake! When he was knocking down everything! Even Kobe couldn’t help but laugh.

Stuff like that is what compelled me to write this article. One of the most talented athletes the NBA has ever seen had to “take his talents” to South Beach with his friends and still can’t get it done. Worse than that, he doesn’t look like he wants to anyway. James might dominate my Knicks, average 30 and 10 for the series and move on to a different test. I won’t be surprised at all. I also won’t be surprised when he shy’s away from the big moment.

And that’s what makes me most mad.

NFL Draft Day 3 and Conference Outlook

by Chris Cappella

Look for Nick Toon to make an immediate impact in New Orleans offense.

Ah, day three of the NFL Draft. For every Tom Brady or Marques Colston your team takes there are 30 and 40 Patrick Henry’s.  And that’s the beauty of the last day of the draft, rounds four through seven:  most of the times it’s a pure guess. If these guys can come in and make an impact on special teams that’s great and if they can eventually be a starter for your team that’s even better.

I’m definitely no Mel Kiper Jr. or Todd McShay, but I’ll try to highlight some notable names and picks I liked on Saturday plus give you my favorite drafts per team in each division.

There was tons of talent in round four, but the man who I think you hear of the most in his rookie season is Nick Toon, wide receiver from Wisconsin and son of Jet great Al Toon (What? You didn’t think you were going to get a Jets reference?). Toon will try and go about replacing Robert Meachem who is now a San Diego Charger. Chris Givens, a wide receiver from Wake Forrest, was the first pick of round four by the St. Louis Rams. Givens is a shade under 6’0’’ and runs a solid 4.4 40. Once he beefs up in the NFL he could really be a steal and I think the combination of Quick and Givens makes Sam Bradford a happy man.

RTG300, not RGIII

I think Florida State offensive lineman Zebrie Sanders could potentially start for Buffalo at tackle if given the opportunity, which definitely is a possibility given their situation at that position. George Iloka, the safety out of Boise State, could be a solid starter for Cincinnati sometime down the road and would have started right away if it wasn’t for Reggie Nelson resigning this offseason. 

The Jets took Robert Griffin from Baylor in the sixth round, which is weird and funny. Griffin is a 300 pound guard and will now be called RTG300 for the rest of his career as far as I’m concerned. Mr. Irrelevant (the last pick of the draft) was Chandler Harnish, a quarterback out of Northern Illinois. Check out this incredibly awkward video of the pick and try and convince me this kid will be in the league for more than two years.

No one can dispute that Kellen Moore is a winner

I’ve been getting me a lot of questions about Kellen Moore not getting drafted. Am I surprised he didn’t get drafted? Yea, a little. John David Booty got drafted. Brooks Bollinger and Matt Cassel got drafted. Heck, Cassel never started at USC and is still a good pro. I would have thought someone would take a flyer on the kid just because he wins. But, I can also see why he wasn’t. When Shane P. Hallam of draftcountdown.com did an interview on our radio show he said there were CFL teams that were concerned about him. He’s not 6’0’’ let alone 6’2’’ (considered to be the cutoff point for most quarterbacks) and looks like he's never hit a weight room in his life. There are some things you can and can’t measure in a guy, and I guess NFL teams felt like it just wasn’t worth it. Best of luck to Moore in the NFL, who will get a chance to learn from Matthew Stafford.

Vontaze Burfcict, the linebacker out of Arizona State went from first rounder to undrafted in two months, something I don’t ever remember seeing before. Chris Polk, running back out of Washington University also went undrafted, which shocked me after he put up a pretty impressive senior bowl. Congratulations to Central York High School and Temple guard Wayne Trubue, who got signed by the Denver Broncos, which I believe makes him the first player from our high school alma mater to be on an NFL squad.

AFC outlook: I do think the Cincinnati Bengals had the best draft in the AFC North, with the Steelers falling a close second. The Bengals nailed picks like Dre Kirkpatrick, Mohamed Sanu, Devon Still (once thought to be a top-20 talent, just needs to be more consistent), Orson Charles (the best tight end in the draft) and George Iloka.

The jets took some risky players with their first two picks, selecting Quinton Coples and Stephen Hill. If they produce like many think they’re capable, it’ll be an awesome draft and if not it’ll be the end of the Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan Era. I liked that Buffalo and Miami attacked their needs (though I’m not sure I like the players themselves) but I think New England probably had the best pick in the AFC East going defense, defense, and more defense.

I LOVE the Luck-to-Fleener connection Indy set up, I’m already seeing flashbacks of Manning-to-Clark. I was hoping we were going to see a more offensive-orientated draft for the Kansas City Chiefs, I just don’t know if they have enough talent on that side of the ball to win a division with Peyton Manning in it.

NFC Outlook: Awesome job by the Eagles to identify their needs (the front seven) and go after them. I think they absolutely nailed their picks of Cox, Kendricks, and Curry. Sticking in the East, I’m more confused than I am concerned with Washington’s pick of Kirk Cousins. When you traded away a boatload of picks to get Griffin, wouldn’t you want to surround him with position players instead of a back-up quarterback? I do not think this turns into a problem because competition is never a bad thing.

Poor Jay Cutler, hope he enjoys the turf again this year.

I doubt Jay Cutler is looking forward to another year of getting pounded behind a very sub-par offensive line in Chicago... Green Bay didn’t pick an offensive player until the seventh round, so somebody is going to have to help their league-worst defense.

The Rams had a top-5 draft in my opinion, but it’s hard not to when you’re that bad. I look forward to seeing whether the Arizona Cardinals or Seattle Seahawks make the jump. I really liked what the Cardinals did, especially in adding quarterback Ryan Lindley out of San Diego State, who I think starts for them in the future (and if Kolb gets injured, maybe this year).

NFL Draft Day Two Quick Thoughts

by Chris Cappella

Thursday may be the most exciting time for NFL fans when it comes to the draft, but Friday is easily the most fun. There are a ton of starters for picking in day two, the pace of the draft is much better, and these are the rounds where first round talent falls because of character concerns; will your team take a chance? Because I like lists I’ll go off and what I liked and what I didn’t like over rounds two and three.

What I liked

Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Adams (left) and Philadelphia Eagle Vinny Curry (right).

1.      The PA teams: Maybe I’m just a complete geek but I LOVE when teams draft lots of offensive lineman, and that’s what the Steelers have done the past two years. In the second round, Pittsburgh took Ohio State lineman Mike Adams and is building a solid core to protect Ben Roethlisberger. I also believe Philadelphia has done an awesome job identifying their needs, taking violent ILB Mychael Kendricks and Marshall DE Vinny Curry, who is maybe the most underrated pass rusher in this class.

2.      Courtney Upshaw is a Baltimore Raven. Be afraid football fans, be very afraid.

3.      I think the St. Louis Rams are currently having the best draft out of anybody and there a few reasons why. Brian Quick is a physical specimen who can step in and be a much needed playmaker for quarterback Sam Bradford. I think Quick is a more complete receiver than for Georgia Tech and current Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill, taken ten picks later. Isiah Pead is a great number two option at running back and can spell one of the greats in the NFL and Janoris Jenkins is a top ten talent who wouldn’t been taken if Jeff Fisher didn’t do his homework. On a side not, third round pick Trumaine Johnson from Montana I think will become a safety at the next level.

4.      Brock Osweiler gets to learn from Peyton Manning. That’s always a good thing.

What I didn’t like

1.      The Jacksonville Jaguars took a punter in the THIRD ROUND. In the words of Chris Paul, “WoW.”

2.      I liked the Bills trying to identify their needs, but drafting wide receiver T.J Graham out of North Carolina State is a big reach. According to draftcountdown.com, Graham is the number 31 ranked wide receiver prospect and Mike Mayock from the NFL Network said he would have waited until the seventh round to take Graham. Good thought, but a big reach for Buffalo.

3.      The Oakland Raiders have had just one pick in the entire draft, and it was the last one of the day… How does that even happen? (By the way, they took tackle Tony Bergstrom from Utah)

4.      What annoys me about the San Francisco 49ers isn’t even their fault. The team virtually has no holes except at the quarterback position, and everyone know they aren’t going to trade up for an elite quarterback prospect. If they lose in the NFC Championship game again, when do they just say “screw it” and trade the house for a top ten quarterback talent? Should be sooner rather than later in my opinion.