Carmelo Anthony & Deron Williams: The Decision Trickle-Down Effect | NBA

Originally posted at FanShots


Everyone remembers last summer and “The Decision” – but it’s the fallout from that situation that has me looking around the NBA and wondering what is going to happen next.

After the 2009-2010 season both Chris Bosh and LeBron James decided to leave their teams and head to Miami in free agency. That was their prerogative. I’m not here to argue the validity of their choice. It’s the aftermath. That’s what I want to look at.

This is what we’ve seen this season already since in the 2010-2011 season – Carmelo Anthony forced his way out of Denver with the threat of leaving via free agency and leaving the organization empty handed. He also picked his team. Essentially Melo turned the trade into early free agency for himself.

Side note: I believe that long-term the Nuggets won that trade, but that’s not the point right now.

The Nuggets did not want to end up like Toronto and Cleveland. They wanted to get a measurable return for the best player on their roster. And I don’t blame them for that at all. Raptor fans pushed for Bryan Colangelo to trade Bosh last season because the general feeling was that he would not be returning. The return on investment via sign and trade was nowhere near what he would have fetched in the open trade market.

So the Nuggets made their decision based on what they saw in 2 other circumstances. Good for them. Then came along the Utah Jazz who shocked the basketball world on Wednesday when they traded their All-Star point guard, Deron Williams, to the New Jersey Nets. I did not see this trade coming at all. Especially after Jazz coach Jerry Sloan stepped down. The rumors had been that Williams won a locker room dispute that pushed Sloan out of Utah. But if that was the case I don’t think this trade happens.

The word around the league and in the media now is that the Jazz knew that Williams would want out of Utah at the end of the 2011-2012 season when his current contract expires. So to make sure that they weren’t put in the same situation as the Nuggets (who didn’t want to be in the same situation as the Raptors and Cavaliers) they moved their star now. The whole thing has become a fear based system. Teams know that players hold all the cards in the current NBA atmosphere. The players know it as well.

I’m ready to call this “The Decision Trickle-Down Effect”. Organizations have started to look so far ahead that they are moving pieces long before they used to. Winning this season has, for the most part, been replaced with not losing key pieces in 6 to 18 months. It is hurting fans and teams and win/loss records. And it needs to stop. Look for the Owners to try and correct this imbalance during CBA talks in the offseason. They can’t be happy. The Decision Trickle-Down Effect is not something they want to see spread.

Stay tuned.

Remembering Vince Carter 2000 | NBA Sprite Slam Dunk

Originally posted at FanShots

With the NBA All-Star weekend starting tonight I’ve started getting pretty hyped up for the Sprite Slam Dunk on Saturday night. And in my excitement there are 3 things that I’ve been thinking about.

1. Blake Griffin will probably win the contest.
2. I really want to see DeMar DeRozan put on a throwback Raptors jersey with his name on it and do some of Vince Carter's dunks.
3. Vince might be the best dunker my generation has ever seen.

In 2000 when Vince won the Dunk Contest in Oakland the whole world gasped as he flew through the air and hammered down some of the best dunks in the history of the contest. I’ll be honest, I just watched the video of Tracy McGrady’s bounce pass to VC that turned into the between the legs – windmill… and it gave me chills.

As a Raptors fan I know that I was spoiled watching Air Canada fly almost every night (early in his career) but that night in Oakland was something above and beyond what we were used to as fans. That was special. It put the team and the city on the map. It got everyone out of their seats. It got Isaiah Thomas off of his judge’s chair, over the table and hugging Vince. The TV commentators were trying to figure out a way to give him more than a perfect score. And Vince busted out the “it’s over” to the camera. He was right. There was no way that either Steve Francis or his teammate McGrady were going to be able to better his performance.

So here we are 11 years later and I want it back. And I can’t be the only one who feels that way. I know that everyone has loved watching Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard over the last few years. And I know that Blake Griffin has put about 75 guys on posters so far this season. But if Vince, in his prime, were to walk out onto the floor and bust out something that he was always capable of I’m not sure any of those 3 dudes could beat him.

I’m aware that there are a lot of basketball fans that are sour on Carter because of a lot of things. The way he forced his way out of Toronto, his seeming unwillingness to play through any pain, his fear of contact and his sometimes jerky attitude. But if you can separate your personal feelings from the equation and go back at look at the Vince Carter that the NBA was privy to in the early days you will remember and have to admit that he was the best. Maybe not the best player in the league but there was no player more exciting or better dunker. And on that night in Oakland in 2000 he showed the world.

I want to see something that amazing on Saturday. I want the chills. I want the excitement. I want the energy. I want to be wowed. My fingers are crossed. Do me a favor and cross yours too.

Enjoy the festivities!

Miguel Cabrera Needs Help | MLB Tigers

Originally posted at FanShots

I’m not here today to write and tell you that Miguel Cabrera is not responsible for his own behavior, choices and arrest last night in Florida. All I’m here to say is that we need to look at him the same way that we would a friend or family member and realize that this is a 27 year old man that needs help.

Reports indicate that last night (February 16, 2011) Cabrera was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. The reports continue to allege that he refused to take a breathalyzer test and that he took a drink of scotch straight from the bottle in front of a St. Lucie County deputy. It is also said that he was obnoxious and belligerent to police asking “don’t you know who I am” and pushing a police officer before needing to be hit repeatedly in the leg to put him in the back of the police car.

This is not the first time that Cabrera has been in the public eye because of problems with alcohol. In 2009, during the playoffs, the Tigers’ first baseman was taken to the police station in Detroit after coming home drunk at 6:00am and starting a domestic disturbance with his wife. Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski had to pick up his star at the station at 7:30am on game day. The incident made many fans, media members and baseball people question the maturity of Cabrera and his dedication to the game and his team.

It was later revealed that Miguel Cabrera spent 3 months in an alcohol abuse treatment center in an effort to recover from his addiction. This information becomes worrisome as it seems Cabrera himself doesn’t seem to think that he has an alcohol issue. In March 2010 when asked about his issues he had this to say: "You guys write in the paper 'alcoholic,' that's not right, I don't know how to explain, but it's not an alcohol problem."

If this was my brother or friend or cousin I can tell you right now that I would be worried about him. Yes I would expect him to take responsibility for his actions. And yes I would be pissed that he had made such stupid decisions. But my priority would be helping him, showing him that people care about him and that he could accomplish great things if he made the commitment to getting better.

This is exactly what Miguel Cabrera needs right now. He has access to everything that he could possibly need to help him. Between his salary, the MLBPA and the Detroit Tigers organization I can guarantee that there is nothing in the form of counseling, treatment and ongoing therapy that this man doesn’t have at his disposal. However, he needs to be shown the way. He needs the support of those closest to him before his poor decisions turn into life changing decisions and someone, either himself or someone else, is hurt or killed.

I am not trying to tell you that Miguel Cabrera deserves your overflowing sympathy or to be let off of the hook for what took place in Florida last night. All I’m saying is that this is a young man with a wife and 2 children who deserves and needs support not condemnation.

Think of him as a son, brother, husband and father not just a millionaire baseball player. That’s what his family does. And that’s what you would do for yours.

Who The F*ck is Bill Simmons?!

Originally posted at FanShots.com

His unabashed crushes on Paul Pierce, everyone on the Red Sox roster and Tom friggin’ Brady make me want to fly to LA and slap him in the face with a selection of big foam fingers from every other team in every major sporting league.

Just who the f*ck is Bill Simmons?

I’ll tell you. William (Bill) J. Simmons is an online sports writing and podcasting star who was born September 25, 1969 and grew up in sports crazy Massachusetts.

After college at Holy Cross (Worcester, Mass) and Boston University he became a writer at the Boston Herald covering High School sports before starting his career as an online writer with AOL in 1997. Simmons is widely regarded as one of the pioneers in the internet content age, but that isn’t the half of it.

To tell you the brutal, awful, ugly truth, Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy, @sportsguy33 is nothing more than a Boston sports fan who took his love of sports and writing, put them together and hit it big. I want to be happy for him, I really do. But he talks about Boston sports so much that I kind of hate him on the inside.

His unabashed crushes on Paul Pierce, everyone on the Red Sox roster and Tom friggin’ Brady make me want to fly to LA and slap him in the face with a selection of big foam fingers from every other team in every major sporting league.

Yes, Bill Simmons is an incredibly talented and funny man who really does know his sports. Yes he has 1,330,560 followers on Twitter at the time of this article. Yes his podcast, The B.S. Report, was downloaded more than 25 million times in 2009. Yes he was part of the original writing staff on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Yes he is a 2-time New York Times Best Sellers List #1 author for 2005’s Now I Can Die in Peace based on the 2004 World Series Winning Boston Red Sox and 2009’s The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy where Simmons breaks down the history of the NBA from the beginning to the present. And yes his mail bag columns on ESPN.com are some of the most popular pieces that the website runs every month.

But don’t let all of that fool you. Bill Simmons may fill in sometimes on Pardon the Interruption but that doesn’t make him the be all and end all. And even though I’m so jealous of him that I’m writing this piece like I hate him, you should not start liking him.

Simmons is just a regular dude with a funny voice, a crush on Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman and more love for the original Beverly Hills 90210 than any man in the universe. He’s married, has 2 kids and has season tickets to the Los Angeles Clippers. THE CLIPPERS! Ha! Who buys Clippers seats? And this has nothing to do with Blake Griffin, don’t let him tell you that. He’s had these tickets for years.

Bill Simmons may have my dream gig, he may be what I strive to be as a writer, online presence and sports fan. He may be one of my professional idols and heroes. He may even be in my top 10 list of people that I want to meet and talk to in my life. At the end of the day though, he’s just a dude who followed his gut and his heart and made life work. He went out and got it.

If you love sports as much as I do you owe it to yourself to pay attention to Bill Simmons.

Follow him on Twitter, listen to the B.S. Report and read his columns on ESPN.com – you won’t be disappointed.

Super Bowl XLV Review - Packers Win, I Lose

Originally posted at FanShots

Good day all – Happy day after the Super Bowl to you.

I hope that you’re feeling better than I am. Let’s just say that I’m a little dehydrated this AM.

As for last night’s game – let me say this first and get it out of the way. I was wrong.

Yup, I picked the Steelers, I took the under, I thought Big Ben would come through again in the big game. And I was wrong on all accounts.

However, the game was exciting. The score was still close. And the Steelers had a shot at the end of the game with that last possession and a chance to win the game.

I’m not ready to throw Ben Roethlisberger under the bus for the Steelers loss. It’s not all on him. That pick 6 in the first quarter hurt bad. There’s no doubt about that. But it was obvious that Ben got hit as he released the ball… I can only imagine the joy and anticipation that Packers fans were feeling as that ball fluttered in the air for what seemed like forever. It must have been the exact opposite of what I was feeling as I watched it. I knew it was bad news right away. They must have known it was good. Ugh.

I’m very willing to give Green Bay the credit that they deserve. Especially in the first half of the football game. They were all over the ball. Aaron Rodgers was able to avoid mistakes. Jordy Nelson was catching balls at an alarming rate (as far as I was concerned) and the lack of a great running game wasn’t making a difference at all. The Packers were doing everything that they needed to do to take control of Super Bowl XLV.

The second half was killer exciting at our party full of Steelers supporters. We all had a feeling like the boys in black and yellow were going to be able to pull off the comeback. The momentum had swung. The gears were in motion. The blood was pumping.

When Rashard Mendenhall ran in from about the 8 yard line I gave a quick yelp of happiness and enthusiasm which lasted until the Packers came back and found Greg Jennings in the 4th quarter. But my yelling came back when (after my pleas all night long) Mike Wallace finally made a big play with his 25 yard TD reception. The room exploded and it seemed like the Packers were on the ropes. Ben and Coach Tomlin were wearing them down. They were ready to take control of the game. Things were interesting.

But the Packers didn’t break. They bent, but that’s it. And that’s a sign of a really good football team. The defense stepped back up and did their job and held down the Steelers during the 2 minute drill with the game on the line. The 3 point favorite held on for a 6 point victory and I’m sure made a bunch of people very happy and fatter in the wallet. More importantly though they made their fans happy and accomplished what they set out to do at the start of the NFL season.

In the end though it was mistakes that undid the Steelers and a well played game that lifted the Packers. Aaron Rodgers was a deserving MVP with 3 touchdown passes, no picks and the leadership that he needed to bring to the table. That leadership was especially needed after the Pack lost Charles Woodson and Donald Driver to injury during the game. Those are 2 veteran guys who could have derailed a more fragile team. Looking back now it’s pretty impressive that the Packers pulled through the way that they did. There’s a lot of credit deserved – and this is me giving it to the team. They all played well and earned the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Congratulations Green Bay – You’re the champions of the world.

Super Bowl XLV Preview and Pick

Originally posted at FanShots

Alright friends, it’s Super Bowl 45 preview time!

That’s right – as of right now (as I’m writing this post) we are 55 hours and 15 minutes away from the scheduled kickoff time in Dallas. Now, I don’t expect that we’ll see the opening kickoff happen at 6:29 pm Est. But it could happen I guess.

I’m very ready for this game to go down. The Packers started the week as 3 point favorites and as of right now they remain 3 point favs at bodog.com. And if that’s the case I’m ready to lock in my money on the Steelers right now. And that, my friends, is because I’m taking the Steelers to win this football game.

I know that I gushed about Aaron Rodgers being the NFL player that I would take 1st overall in a league wide fantasy draft to build a franchise. And I was doubly proud when Troy Aikman said the same thing on national television during the playoffs. There are other facts to consider though. Big Ben Roethlisberger is the man in the playoffs. I don’t care how you feel about him personally because of his off field issues. His 10-2 playoff record is outstanding. His 2 Super Bowl rings are huge. And this is still only his 5th trip to the playoffs.

Outside of believing in Ben’s ability to win the big game, I am relying on the defenses to bring my prediction to fruition. That’s right, both defenses. If this game is tight and hard fought and yards and scores are at a premium I think that things favor the Steelers all night long. But if this game turns into a shootout with both QBs launching balls downfield and defensive backs making risky attempts at interceptions I see things swinging to the Green Bay side of the ledger.

The Pittsburgh D is based on the unit. That’s the way that it’s supposed to be. But in that unit are hard hitting and fine line straddling James Harrison as well as NFL Defensive Player of the Year Troy Polamalu. On the other side of the ball the Packers have Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Clay Matthews who had a huge season. The Packers also have veteran DB Charles Woodson who is no stranger to making big plays at big times in big games. These 4 players are a big part of the reason I think we’ll be seeing a slow and tentative start to the game from both offenses and a lower scoring/bang and crash kind of game.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we’re going to be looking at a 7-0 or even a 14-7 game in the end. But I don’t think that we’re going to see a wide open game of last team with the ball wins. The over/under has been hovering around the 45 point number all week. I’ll take the under. I’m seeing this as a game with a final score of 24-17 in favor of the Steelers.

There will be a lot of people who don’t like that pick because they don’t like Ben Roethlisberger. In the end though, that doesn’t matter on the football field.

Good luck with your bets and parties this weekend my friends – It’s the biggest Sunday of the year!