I don’t expect Romo to win over my confidence this year. Playing alongside the league’s most egregious defense, Romo will be put in comeback situations early and often. This means Dallas will be spraying the pigskin all over the field, which inevitably leads to what many have grown to expect from Romo: gaudy stats spiced with interceptions and more interceptions. Let’s face it, the 2014-2015 NFL season isn’t looking too bright for the boys from the Big D. America’s team stinks.
Despite Romo’s past failures, Jerry Jones inked him in for a 6 year/$108 million contract extension. Andy Dalton, moreover, did even better. Cincinnati Bengals’ starting quarterback Andy Dalton signed a 6-year/$115 million extension earlier this month, making him both rich and the Bengals’ leader of the future. If this isn’t a leap of faith, I don’t know what is. The fourth year red-head out of TCU has proved to be a stout quarterback, but he also hasn’t taken Cincy to the promise land.
$118 million is especially lucrative for a quarterback Cincy fans are not yet sold on. Like it or love it, Bengals fans, Dalton’s still richer than you or I.
Since I’m thinking football, it wouldn’t be right not to take a moment to recognize Johnny Football:
Johnny’s Johnny-like antics against the Redskins on Monday Night may have cost him the highly-coveted role as a starter in Cleveland. Browns head coach Mike Pettine announced today that Brian Hoyer would be the team’s starter moving forward. The former Michigan State Spartan can’t throw a lick, but he’s more of a leader and less juvenile than Manziel, which consequently earned him the gig. Odds of this quieting the Johnny Football talk on SportsCenter are still less than 10%. Perhaps Johnny can call his boy LeBron, who has more pull in Cleveland than Governor John Kasich, to demand Manziel starts. If not, it looks like the money sign won’t be flashed any time soon.
LeBron and Manziel, arguably the two most scrutinized athletes of this era, have made the same city their home. It wasn’t easy for LeBron to decide to return to his northeast Ohio roots, however. He first had to consult with those closest to him:
LeBron did return to Cleveland, however, and shocked much of the world in doing so. Many thought this meant the end of the ‘Big 3′, but in reality, LBJ is just starting anew with a younger ‘Big 3′ (James, Irving, Love). Getting Kevin Love to wear the wine and gold has boosted the Cavs from a potential 4 or 5 seed to the unequivocal favorite out east. And fortunately for Kevin Love, he no longer has to play for the Timberwolves.
Kevin’s not the only player taking his talents to Cleveland. Former NBA champions James Jones and Mike Miller are also venturing to the midwest to space the floor for LeBron in hopes of winning with the King once more (just as they did in Miami). Ray Allen might be next in line to do the same, as reports suggest if the sharpshooter decides to prolong his playing days that it would most likely mean a move to Cleveland. Similar reports suggest Shaw Marion will also be heading to Ohio. LeBron might just be the best recruiter in sports history.
Seeing Kevin Love get traded to team up with Kyrie and LeBron makes me question why CP3 couldn’t join Kobe in 2011. Perhaps I’m just a bitter Lakers fan, but does this make sense to anyone else?
LeBron joining a new ‘Big 3′ in Cleveland means changes for the old ‘Big 3′ in Miami. D-Wade and Bosh have been abandoned by “The Chosen One,” but still shouldn’t be counted as down and out. D-Wade will play the role he once did by dominating defenses. His play may not be as consistent as it was prior to LeBron’s arrival in South Beach, but it will be more prevalent than last season’s. Bosh will also be expected to uphold the aggressive mindset he maintained in Toronto, back when he had dreads and memes didn’t mock him for a raptor-like appearance. With LeBron gone, Bosh will be a main option, getting an upsurge in touches. When LeBron was in Miami, those touches were timely.
Let’s not forget that James isn’t the only popular name leaving Miami, as Greg Oden is also no longer a member of the Heat organization. He will forever be remembered as a CHAMPION.
Miami must be feeling abandoned, with both LeBron and their great center, Greg Oden, leaving them behind. Luckily for sports fans in southern Florida, the Miami Marlins are streaking! Don’t look now but the Marlins are up to .500 and trail the Washington Nationals in the N.L. East by only three games. Though the Marlins have far from an all-star level rotation, the pitching in Miami has been much improved while the offense has been sparked by power hitter Giancarlo Stanton. This team now has something to play for, and it’s shown in their play of recent. Maybe Miami isn’t doomed after all.
Elsewhere in the N.L. East, one team is plunging in the wrong direction. The Philadelphia Phillies, a team accustomed to recent success, have been a disappointing no-show all season. The offense is desperate and its prominent superstar Ryan Howard is playing not so prominently with a batting average of only .220 and 147 strikeouts. The pitching has been equally amiss, as Cliff Lee, A.J. Burnett, Kyle Kendrick, Antonio Bastardo, and David Buchanan are all posting losing records. From what I’ve witnessed as of late, the best pitcher in Philly isn’t even a Phillie.
Mo’ne Davis, the star pitcher of the Philadelphia Taney Dragons, has went from hardly known to celebrity in a matter of weeks. The fact that Mo’ne is a girl playing baseball with boys in the Little League World Series is hardly the story here. More impressive is that Mo’ne is the first ever little leaguer to make the cover of Sports Illustrated. Only a 13-year old, she has stultified her opposition with 70 mph fastballs and curves that leave knees and eyes frozen in confinement. Mo’ne shocked everyone but herself after throwing two complete game shutouts earlier in the Little League World Series, which has been airing on ESPN all month. Her story, moreover, is not just impressive but inspirational as well. Without even knowing it, miss Davis has become a revolutionist for female athletes who believe they can play with the boys. This girl has caught the world of sports by a storm and is instantly making a difference… both on and off the field.
While Mo’ne may be the best at her craft, James Harden, unbeknown to himself, is not. The Rockets’ shooting guard is now the latest scorer to come out of the delusional closet, following in the footsteps of Paul Pierce, who six years ago claimed to be the best basketball player in the world. Just days ago, Harden did the same, hubristically deeming himself the best alive. It’s becoming the norm for all-star athletes to make such fatuous remarks, putting their self-confidence on a pedestal for all to see.
Last week Steph Curry declared himself a better offensive player than Lebron, which falls along the fine line Harden and Pierce both crossed. While Curry can outshoot and out handle LeBron, the goal of offense is to score, and Curry can’t keep up with LeBron in the scoring title chase, which puts an end to that argument. But James Harden, on the other case, isn’t just saying he’s better offensively than LeBron, Durant, Kobe, Westbrook, Rose, Dirk, CP3, and the other stars of the league, but he’s claiming to be a better all-around player than each and every one of them. Unfortunately for Harden, he’s wrong.
James Harden is quietly gaining a reputation for himself as one of the league’s most cocky, over-confident players. He left OKC thinking he could win without Durant and Westbrook (who are both better players than Harden), made no effort to convince Houston’s front office to keep Chandler Parsons, and most recently, proclaimed himself the world’s greatest. Perhaps Harden is still recovery from the peaceful blow he suffered from a couple years ago.
Ron Artest is also making news. This time, Artest, or Metta WorldPeace, isn’t drawing media coverage for a brawl or a rap album, but for yet another name change. Yes, Ron, or Metta, is now Panda. Panda is his real name. Panda Friend. This switch proves the spontaneity of this cager knows no limits, as name changes appear to be a whim to this apparent friend of animals.
Panda Friend, no longer a Laker or Knick, has taken his talents to China. Perhaps the Chinese, who are statistically more intelligent than Americans, can find a way to understand this man, as many of us basketball fans in the U.S. have tried and failed to do so.
Like Artest/WorldPeace/Friend once knew what it was like to play with Kobe Bryant, so too will Julius Randle, one of Team Lakeshow’s newest additions. Unlike rookie Johnny Manziel, who will begin his career resting on the sideline and learning, Randle is expected to contribute immediately. He is going to be thrown in the fire of expectations that teammate Kobe Bryant will demand of him. Randle should play significant minutes in L.A. and will need to produce on both ends of the floor in support of the Black Mamba if the Lakers are realistic about clinching a playoff seed.
Whom Kobe decides to trust and share his touches with remains to be seen, as this Lakers roster appears much different than those of years past. The Mamba claims he is healthy and ready to go, and new Coach Byron Scott asserts that Kobe will no doubt put up all-star caliber statistics.
Steve Nash is also 100%. More important is whether or not he can stay that way. The Steve Nash of old would put L.A. in playoff contention, but unfortunately, that guy is long gone. If his nerves, muscles, and bones cooperate, Nash and newly acquired Jeremy Lin will split time and offer much needed support at the point guard position.
The Lakers wouldn’t be in their current situation as underdogs had they initially hired Phil Jackson instead of Mike D’Antoni. Phil, however, has moved on from the team he once coached to the team he once played for. After leading Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to multiple championships, Phil’s new target is Carmelo. Jackson hopes to groom Melo from an all-star to a champion. Only time will tell whether or not Anthony has it in him. If Melo truly is fixated on winning, he made a mistake in returning home. Had he chosen Chicago, we’d be looking at a Bulls vs Spurs finals in 2015, with Melo having his best shot ever at a ring. But a return to Gotham City means the beginning of a long process, a process in which Melo has to wait to win.
Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James have both changed their diets, losing more than ten pounds each after cutting down on carbs. When Kobe Bryant was 29, he too cut 20 pounds in the off-season. These stars are structuring their bodies to be prepared to play the game while in their early-to-mid thirties. This trend goes hand-in-hand with the current ebb and flow of the league today, which is getting smaller and faster by the minute. Carmelo and LeBron, whose strength is a definite asset to their skill-sets, will improve in quickness, flexibility, and first step capabilities, but will be weakened in their ability to guard centers in the post during mismatches.
Paul George, who is arguably LeBron and Melo’s toughest competition out east, is in the thoughts and prayers of NBA players from every conference, team, and position as of late. George, who just changed his number from 24 to 13, suffered the worst broken leg ever to an NBA player. Through it all, George’s character and resilience has begun to shine, as he’s been nothing but positive, maintaining he still believes he can return toward the end of the 2014-2015 NBA season. Sources deem that much anticipated return doubtful, and as a result, so too are the Pacers title hopes. Losing Lance Stephenson and now Paul George pushes the Pacers from a top three seeding in the playoffs to a bottom three seeding if all goes well.
Team U.S.A. has lost its top two small forwards when George got hurt and Durant bowed out because of ‘mental and physical exhaustion’. This means Rudy Gay, who originally joined the team as a replacement, needs to step up in his role at the position. Gay doesn’t have the offensive skill-set of the other two, but has the athleticism that often proves so affective in international play. He should feel little to no pressure offensively to perform, but should embrace his role as a defensive stopper and one who can cause turnovers and increase the team’s fast break dunk total. If Gay finds himself blocking shots, copping steals, and finishing in transition, than he has done his job well.
When former Lousiville Cardinal guard Kevin Ware broke his leg, the nation rallied around him. When Paul George got hurt in similar fashion, the nation did the same. Seeing fellow NBA athletes (both teammates and competitors) come to George’s aid with support, prayers, and love is something special. Team U.S.A. has done just that by using George’s broken leg as a rallying cry to win every game for him.
This year’s U.S.A. basketball team looks less familiar than it has in recent memory. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant are all not in uniform. Despite such absences, the team will still rise to the occasion and come out on top. Derrick Rose, James Harden, and Anthony Davis must now be the main cogs for Coach K’s team. With that core group, given that everyone stays healthy, I’m certain that team U.S.A. will get it done.
attention of local Grand Rapids basketball fans, and hope a full season of 20 games will only mean more of the same. Cyclones fans, however, will have to wait until December before cheering on their favorite West Michigan cagers.
attention of local Grand Rapids basketball fans, and hope a full season of 20 games will only mean more of the same. Cyclones fans, however, will have to wait until December before cheering on their favorite West Michigan cagers.
h Jeremiah Hamlet never second guessed the pick.
nated by Cornerstone (CU) and Davenport (DU) ever since, as they are the only two schools to win the league in the last five seasons. To no surprise, CU and DU are the sexy picks to finish atop the WHAC again come next March. Don’t tell Aquinas that.
es became blocks. It was overseas when the same leg sleeves I wore every game suddenly became illegal overnight.
champs. So you could say I’m excited to play those guys.”
