Clippers and Knicks Make Statements As NBA Kicks Off

The NBA season finally got off the ground yesterday with a full slate of games on Christmas Day that featured a number of intriguing match-ups including the Miami Heat taking down the Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of last year's Finals; defending MVP Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls pulling out a victory over the reeling LA Lakers; Kevin Durant dominating Dwight Howard and the Magic as well as two statement victories made by the Lob City Clippers and the New York Knicks.

Thanks to a 37-point outburst from SF Carmelo Anthony the Knicks came from behind with a strong 4th quarter performance to take out the aging Boston Celtics 106-104. The Knicks trailed by 8 heading into the final frame but outlasted 31 points from PG Rajon Rondo before Anthony sunk a pair of free throws with 0:16 remaining to put the Knicks ahead for good. The Celtics had a chance to tie it up late but Kevin Garnett's game-tying attempt clanked off the rim. With the addition of C Tyson Chandler the Knicks expect to take another step toward contending for a Championship this year and pulling out a win over rival Boston will go a long way to accomplishing that goal. It is clear these teams don't like each other as evidenced by a number of scuffles that broke out throughout the game (also sweet suit Baron Davis).

The final game of the night featured the debut of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the new look LA Clippers outlasting Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Lob City was on display early and often as Paul and fellow newcomer Chauncey Billups ran the offense with tremendous efficiency setting up Griffin and C DeAndre Jordan for some thunderous dunks that set the tone for the game and the season to come. Paul dished out 9 assists and dropped 20 points of his own while Griffin and Billups combined for 43 of their own. Paul in particular took over in the 4th after a slow start (7 points on 1 of 6 shooting in the first half) to sink his final 6 shots as the Clips pulled away late in route to a 105-86 win. While the start was hardly spectacular it showed me something that we haven't seen in the Clippers in a long time, perhaps even ever. The Clippers did not play their best game by any stretch of the imagination but still dispatched a fairly talented Warriors team without too much effort. The Clippers were the superior team last night and going forward I think that really bodes well for their quest to win the West. I can't wait to see what this team has in store.

Top 50 Sports Plays of 2011

Cardinals Sign Carlos Beltran To Help Replace Albert Pujols, Good Luck With That...

The defending World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals and free agent OF Carlos Beltran have reached an agreement on a 2-year deal worth $26 Million. The Cardinals made the move to help bolster a lineup that will be without the service of Albert Pujols and his bat for the first time in more than a decade. Beltran is slated to be the Cards' Opening Day right fielder come April. Beltran, now 34, had something of a resurgent year in 2011 batting .300 with 22 HRs and 84 RBIs.

I have to say I'm glad that Beltran is still able to get it done considering how shaky his knees had become during the end of his Mets tenure. Beltran impressed everyone last year with his ability to stay healthy and durable over the course of the year while producing offensively near a level that we hadn't since from him in several years. He also made the transition from CF to RF rather seamlessly after the team came to realize that his fielding range wasn't quite what it used to be when Beltran was winning Gold Gloves out there. Knowing he was playing for a contract likely contributed to his success and his year was good enough for the Mets to be able to trade him to the San Francisco Giants for a top prospect, something analysts thought would be impossible at the beginning of the season.

The question becomes will Beltran be able to hold up for another full year now that he's gotten paid? The Cardinals are going to ask a lot of Beltran to be a significant contributor to the middle of their lineup day in, day out. I have a feeling that Beltran will have a successful first half of the year but that his legs will begin to fail him and he will be haunted by the injury problems that tarnished the end of his career in New York. Whether or not he struggles I really do wish him the best.

Somehow The Indianapolis Colts Still Own The Texans; Andrew Luck Sweepstakes Gets Interesting

After dropping their first 13 contests of the 2011 season (and looking decidedly unspectacular doing it) the Indianapolis Colts have managed to pull out back-to-back victories over the past 5 days. By winning those two games the Colts have taken themselves out of the driver's seat for earning the number 1 overall pick in next year's NFL draft. 2 weeks ago it had been a forgone conclusion that Indy would finish the season with the worst record, perhaps even 0-16, and would take Stanford QB Andrew Luck with that pick as Luck has obviously been the talk of the town since the start of the year.

In typical NFL fashion didn't do what everyone expected and now after bumping their record to 2-13, the Colts are tied with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings for fewest wins in the league. Indy's second win came against the Houston Texans in a come-from-behind nail-biter. The Texans have never beaten the Colts on the road in Indy and their record in those games fell to 0-10 since the Texans came into the league in 2002. This was easily Houston's best chance to end the losing streak but they appear to be cursed. Down to their third QB and without the services of All-World WR Andre Johnson Houston could only manage 16 points against one of the league's worst defenses.

It will be interesting to see how the Andrew Luck Drama plays out. I think the Colts will do everything in their power to get Luck (despite what Peyton Manning thinks) regardless of whether the finish with the league's worst record or not. They are helped here by the fact that both the Vikings and Rams already have their QBs of the future on their rosters (Christian Ponder and Sam Bradford respectively) and if either of those teams ends up with the first pick they will be willing to make a deal with the Colts.

Former Running Backs Suing NFL Over Concussions

Former Pro-Bowl RBs Jamal Lewis and Dorsey Levens, along with two other former NFL players, have filed a lawsuit against the NFL alleging that the league intentionally withheld knowledge of possible dangers and long term effects of concussion related injuries from players and teams. All 4 players named in the suit report suffering ongoing symptoms related to sustaining concussions while playing including memory loss, headaches and sleeplessness. The players claim that the NFL was aware of the long term dangers of concussions as early as the 1920s and that it chose not to share this information with the league's players and coaches until June 2010 where the NFL finally acknowledged the health risks that had been plaguing former NFL players.

This lawsuit is the latest in a string of lawsuits that have been filed by former NFL players against the NFL relating to concussions during the past year. Since this past summer no fewer than 6 separate cases have been brought against the NFL, all of which allege some iteration of negligence and misconduct on the part of the NFL and that the league did not do everything in its power to protect the safety of its players. More than 100 former players are named in these lawsuits and it appears that all of them cite the fact that the NFL was aware of the damaging consequences that resulted from sustaining concussions but did not make an effort to warn players about these dangers which they now feel is the reason they are suffering so many concussion-related maladies in the post-playing careers.

It seems to me that much of the anger that is being shown on the players' side stems less from the fact that they didn't feel properly educated and treated while they were playing (even though that appears to very much have been the case) but instead comes more from the lack of treatment and care they have received from the NFL since they retired. This continues to be a growing issue for the NFL which has come under attack in recent years for failing to look after the well-being of its players after their playing days are over, most notably after former defensive back Andre Waters committed suicide and it was later discovered he suffered severe brain damage from concussions he sustained as a player that directly lead to the depression that ended up taking his life. Since Waters' death in 2006 more and more former players have come forward against the NFL and I can only imagine that will continue to be the case for years to come.

The NFL of course has made a point starting last season to mandate a safer form of tackling and limiting reckless play but obviously the long term benefits of that plan (which is a good one, despite what the James Harrisons of the world might say) will take many years to manifest themselves and between then and now expect to the NFL come under more and more fire.

59 Year Old Brenda Hewett Wins $50,000 Truck With Rink-Long Hockey Shot; In Seconds Outshines Every Athletic Accomplishment I've Ever Had

59 year-old Brenda Hewett recently drilled (relative term here) a hockey shot from the far blue line at a minor league hockey game to win a $50,000 truck in a giveaway during intermission. It's kind of amazing that Brenda Hewett is responsible for one of the more interesting things I've ever seen at a hockey game (minor league that is). In fact it is perhaps second only to a Baltimore Skipjacks game I saw as a kid where a guy snorted a gummy worm through his nose and out his mouth that was topped off by having his girlfriend eat it afterwards. Talk about commitment...

How Far WIll The Tebow-Train Go?

Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow is easily the most talked-about figure in the world of sports right now hands down. I don't need to waste your time talking about his remarkable 7-2 record as a starting and his incredible string of dramatic come-from-behind victories that have captured the interest of a nation. Tebow is the most polarizing figure in football right now as his unorthodox skill set and limitations as a traditional passer have created so many haters its almost unbelievable. What's more unbelievable however is how he has continued to simply go out and play his best when the game is on the line. His best skill is that he is a winner and that his team believes in him. He is even more intriguing to the public at large because of his devout spirituality and his uniqueness as a player. All of this of course is old news to anyone who has turned on ESPN in the past two months. What I am interested in is asking where will this Tebow-mania go from here?

I've been one of Tebow's biggest biggest fans ever since I saw him play as an All-American in high school in Florida. I loved him at the University of Florida where he won two National Championships and the Heisman Trophy and delivered one of the most passionate speeches I've ever heard from a college player. In fact one of my very first blog posts was about Tebow and his NFL prospects. I bring all of this up because as one of his staunchest supports over the years, I still find myself doubting Tebow in games before he turns on the Tebow-Magic.

I've come to the conclusion that Tebow needs to be doubted in order for him to turn on that "invisible juice" at the end of games and pull out these miraculous victories that have become almost commonplace over the past few months. I feel that Tebow thrives on doubt and crunch time because when you watch the games where he's pulled off an incredible comeback (I'm thinking specifically of the amazing OT comeback win over the Chicago Bears two weeks ago) there is a palpable feeling that everything is going to fall into place once the magic starts to happen. In that Bears game the Broncos had been shut down all game long on offense and when Tebow took over trailing 10-0 with only about 4 minutes left even I thought he couldn't pull it off. Tim then of course lead a 2-minute TD drive and the Denver D was somehow able to get the ball back with about 45 seconds left (thanks to some of that "inexplicable" help from Marion Barber stepping out of bounds). Once Tebow got the ball back with a little time that magic feeling appeared I think everyone watching just simply knew that somehow, someway the Broncos were going to win. Kicker Matt Prater lined up for a 58-yard FG on the last play of regulation and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that he would miss. Then in overtime the Bears were heading in for a game-winning score but just when you thought Barber was going to break free for a game-sealing run he coughed up the football and Denver took over. After that it was a forgone conclusion they would win.

I talk about this because I feel that for Tebow to be at his best he needs to create that feeling that he is about to do something special. I think that when we start expecting him to win that this feeling will go away and he won't be able to find that magic. What this means going forward in my mind is that Tebow will go as far as his detractors will let. He has been aided by the fact that the Denver front office has guaranteed his position as the QB of the future and that he has to prove himself every week.

I'm confident that Denver is going to make the playoffs and that Tebow will have a least one magical moment in the playoff, if only in the first round. We saw last week against the Patriots that Tebow and the Broncos have yet to prove themselves against the best teams in the league and there is still a long way for Tebow's development as a QB to go. My prediction is that Tebow will continue to improve as a passer over the next couple of years and will reach a point where in order to advance his career any further he will have to put his magic on display against the best teams in the League and prove that he can compete for a Super Bowl. For all he has done this year he's not there yet, which is perfect I think because we as fans can enjoy Tebow-mania for a least a few more years to come.

Can New York Basketball Finally Be Relevant Again?

New York has long been of the best basketball markets in the entire country however this hasn't been the case in the past decade as the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets have wallowed in mediocrity. Even when the Nets had a nice run early in the 2000s there simply hasn't been much, if any, fervor in a city where basketball has always held such a prominent place. In reality nobody has cared about the NBA in New York since Patrick Ewing and the Knicks of the 1990s were contending (but of course not winning) NBA Titles.

However at long last it appears that we may finally be seeing a turnaround as both the Knicks and Nets have positive outlooks for their prospects heading into the future. It started last year when the Knicks brought in talented forward Amar'e Stoudemire in free agency and then wheeled a deal to nab Carmelo Anthony away from the Denver Nuggets. The Knicks were forced to give away much of their depth and supporting players in order to get 'Melo and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs last year by the Boston Celtics. The Knicks added C Tyson Chandler in free agency last week, fresh off of winning a Championship with Dallas last year. Chandler is a legitimate 7-footer and adds the kind of defensive presence that they were sorely missing last year. The team is still lacking a reliable PG although the did sign veteran Baron Davis who should be a good pickup if he is able to recover from a back injury that will force him to miss the first 8 weeks of the season. If things can fall the Knicks' way this year (for once) then I foresee them taking another step toward contending for the Eastern Conference crown. Of course a lot of that depends on the health of Stoudemire's aching knees which will be vulnerable in the condensed 66-game season that will be a trial for players who need rest. Combine that with coach Mike D'Antoni's up-tempo style and the fact that D'Antoni's job is on the hot seat because of the steam-gaining rumor that Phil Jackson might return to coach the Knicks in 2012-2013 and we may see D'Antoni run Stoudemire into the ground early in the year (which happened last year after the Knicks over-performed in the first 5 weeks of the season) which could hurt the team heading into the playoffs.

The Nets are also an intriguing team to follow for the first time in god knows how long thanks to their eccentric, Russian-billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov (this guy plan to run against Putin for the Russian Presidency). The Nets pulled off a trade for All-Star PG Deron Williams last season and are doing everything in their power to try and pull of a trade for Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard who is simply the best big-man in the game right now. Howard has made it pretty clear that he wants out of Orlando and the Nets look like a great option (although the Lakers can still make a move here). Prokhorov and minority-owner Jay-Z have the Nets set to move to Brooklyn and take advantage of that fan base. What better way to sell the move than to bring in the best defensive player and dunker in the league and pair him with a top-5 PG in Deron WIlliams? If the Nets can somehow add Howard to their roster I am absolutely going to jump on that bandwagon on the ground floor when they move to Brooklyn. A resurgence of New York basketball could be just what the NBA needs to elevate itself in the public eye.

The NBA Returns Christmas Day

After a prolonged lockout that caused the NBA to shorten the season to 66 games because the season was postponed by nearly 2 months, the first slate of games for 2011-12 will tip-off Christmas Day. The lockout couldn't have come at a worse time as the NBA had just enjoyed one of its best seasons in the past 2 decades and perhaps even ever thanks to the emergence of a new crop of Superstars, like Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin, and an abundance of stories and drama headlined by everything involving the Miami Heat.

As the 2011-2012 season is set to begin I wanted to talk about a few things that are getting me excited and re-energized about basketball after so many uninteresting months since the Dallas Mavericks took home the TItle in June.

First off, CP3 and Lob City (aka the LA Clippers). The biggest news of the December offseason was the saga of Chris Paul and his eventual trade to the Clippers. I won't go into detail on my opinions of how out-of-whack that situation became and how I feel about Commissioner David Stern but as a result the Clips are going to be one of the most exciting teams to watch this year. Paul wasted little time wowing fans in his preseason debut against the Lakers a few days ago by nearly putting up a triple-double (17 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 5 steals) in only 24 minutes. The biggest stat of the night however was that fact that the Clips were +26 in those 24 minutes. Paul is clearly the most talented PG in the league right now and it looks for all the world that he is going to have a monster season. Pairing him up with Griffin is going to make for one hell of a highlight reel all year. It also appears as though the addition of veteran Chauncey Billups will make that team that much better and I fully believe the Clippers will be a legitimate contender in the West this season and for years to come.

The emergence of the Clippers combined with the success enjoyed by Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder may show the NBA a changing of the guard as the perennial powerhouses like the Lakers and Spurs are likely to fall back to the pack with their aging rosters.

In the East it will be fun to see a continuation of a Chicago Bulls - Miami Heat rivalry as those two teams proved to be head-and-shoulders above the rest last year. Reigning MVP Derrick Rose had an absolutely tremendous season last year and I want to see if he and the Bulls can progress enough to topple the Heat who, for all their hype and villainy, were the most interesting team to watch last year whether you loved 'em or (in the more likely case) hated 'em.

The NBA has gotten a bad rap in the past decade because of the dominance of Superstars and a falling out of the kind of fundamental, team-oriented game that makes NCAA basketball so enjoyable. Last year saw a return to the more entertaining kind and one can only hope that we see an improvement again this year.