TOP 5 Friday...Point Guard Edition

Since ESPN created a list of the Top 20 Athletes in the past 20 years and, in our opinion, they couldn't have been more wrong with the entire list, we've decided to make our Top 5 Friday something similar for the next few weeks. We will be going through the Top 5 Point Guards, Shooting Guards, Small/Power Forwards and Centers in the past 25 years. This week we'll start it off with the Top 5 Point Guards.

5- Steve Nash- This 2-time MVP was one of the smoothest pick and roll players the game as ever seen. He turned little known guys into All Stars and was one of the best free throw shooters throughout his career. He wasn't necessarily known for his defense, but he was a key member of the "7 seconds or less Suns" that had as much success as any team in the West for a few years, but couldn't get over that last hump...The Spurs.

4- Gary "The Glove" Payton- My All-Time favorite player, GP was one of the best 2-way players of our generation. He led the 96 Sonics to the finals, only to run into Jordan and the Bulls. Between playing lock-down defense on opposing teams best players, to tossing ally ops to the Rain Man, GP had that killer instinct and confidence that made him a perennial All Star and Hall of Fame player.

3- Jason Kidd- Initially known as "Ason" Kidd because he had no J, this-now Milwaukee Bucks head coach is in the Top 5 of 3 pointers made in NBA history as well as 2nd in assists. He was one of the best in the fast break and as he slowed down later in his career, finally got a championship with the Dallas Mavericks and became a very underrated defender.

2- John Stockton- My SECOND All-Time favorite player and the record holder for most assists and steals in NBA History. He and The Mailman were amazing to watch as they shredded defenses with the most basic Pick-n-Roll. They made it look so easy and it was, in large part, due to Stocktons' ability to see the play develop before the defense even knew what was happening. It was a shame he never got to win a ring, but he was part of the greatest team ever assembled during the 1992 Olympics and The Dream Team.

1- Tony Parker- Do I think that Parker has more skills than the other four PGs mentioned on this list, no, however, he was one of the most important players on a Spurs team that has won 4 championships and looks poised to defend its title this year. He is the youngest player to 1,000 games so hes been healthy and his game has evolved from someone who couldn't hit a 15-foot jump shot, to someone who you cant go under the screen to defend. I've also never seen a player of his size finish as well as he does around the rim. It is amazing some of the shots he gets off!



Maybe Parker isn't the most skilled of the Top 5 PGs in the past 25 years, but he's been the leader of the Spurs for over 10 years and he has the most hardware. At the end of the day, that's the most important thing!

March Maddness of Movies

With this years March Madness officially behind us, we thought we would take a look at the best teams in cinematic history. Who takes home the hardware in our tournament of March Madness...The Movie Edition. 

First Round Matchups: 

Tune Squad vs. Air Bud - Tough draw for Air Bud and company in the first round. Tune Squad wins easily.

Richmond vs. Forrester - Despite Keynon/ Jamal Wallace having to play for both teams, Coach Carters squad wins a barn-burner securing their spot in the final four..

Huskies vs. Air Up There - The Jimmy Dolan Shake and Bake just too much to handle. 

Hickory vs. Flint Tropics - The Tropics while utterly outmatched, will likely put on an impressive, well promoted event for the crowd. Inevitably though, Hoosiers take care of business. 

Second Round Matchups: 

Tune vs. Richmond - MJ goes off for 50 after the Richmond squad refuses to refer to him as "Sir" also during warm-ups. Lesson learned. 

Air Up There vs. Hickory - Despite the strong two man game in round one between Saleh and Jimmy, Hoosiers exploit the 3 tribal members never to have seen a basketball before and win easily. 

Finals:

Hickory vs. Tune Squad: In the end it comes down to coaching. Bill Murray takes care of business leading the squad to victory. 

Tournament MVP- Lola Bunny

Throwdown Thursday - En Fuego!!

In this weeks Throwdown Thursday, we are calling a semi-audible from how it usually runs. Instead of limiting your choices to two options, we wanted to open this up a bit and pose the question, what would be your ideal Saturday morning SC tandem (either past/present)? I for one lean towards Dan Patrick & Steve Levy but that's just me. 

Thoughts???

The life of a sports fan in the Southeast vs. a sports fan in the Northeast

With a slow week in sports leading up to the Final Four I decided to take a step away from the normal sports chatter and give some detail around my own experiences as a NY sports guy living in the south. 

Are the regions different when it comes to what sports they root for?  Hell yes.  Growing up in the Northeast it was Professional Sports and toss in some college bball.  Down here it is the complete opposite.  Again, not saying one is better than the other, just purely stating the facts here. Saturdays in the fall usually consisted of hanging with friends or playing sports but it rarely consisted of watching college football.  A huge part of that is because college football just isn't that good in the Northeast. The second part is that there just aren't enough teams to root for.  Down here in the south, Saturdays in the fall are looked at like playoff games.  SEC Football reigns supreme and all year round we've got talk shows dedicated to UGA football and how we can’t wait until the spring game next week to see what young guys will step up.  I must say, I've found myself getting more and more into college football down here. Games are a ton of fun to go to and it’s absolutely treated like a religion to the folks here. 

Here’s the major break down:

Northeast

Love for all Professional Sports (minus MLS) with a heavy focus on NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB.  Possibly in that order.  Huge interest in college bball.

Little to no interest in College football, College baseball, Golf, and Tennis.

Southeast

Love for all College Athletics with a heavy focus on Football and baseball.  Light on the bball.

Professional Sports - MLB (Most popular sport in southeast in large part because of the Atlanta Braves.) NFL – Some interest and little interest in NBA.  Absolutely no interest in NHL.

Golf and Tennis are huge.

Both Regions

Both share equal interest in NASCAR and UFC believe it or not.  NASCAR is much more popular then I would have ever thought among both parties and I still cant personally understand why.

Final Thoughts – Of course a lot of this makes sense when you think of the climate in both regions.  Golf, baseball, and tennis are played outdoors and you can do that more down here but the difference in love for Professional Sports vs. College always had me in awe.  When you think about state schools up north you don’t have many power house athletic programs.  Down here, everyone went to Auburn, Bama, FSU, Florida, and UGA…all of which are state schools. 

In closing I don’t know if I would say one is better than the other.  My interest in Professional sports will always be strong.  I will say that I have gotten into Golf and college football way more since being down here…tennis, not so much.

The Final Four is set...Thanks to These Guys

So we have the Final Four set for next weekend! Another great March Madness coming to an end, this one particularly entertaining especially the Elite Eight games. All of them coming down to the final minutes which left all of us on the edge of our seats clinging to our brackets. Thanks to these four MVP's, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Michigan State and Duke are all dancin' in Indy.

Wisconsin- Sam Dekker.
This kid was in a zone you really only see on NBA 2K! He was knocking down moon shots from all over. Step backs to contested 3's he carried the Badgers in the second half to victory. 5-6 from deep and 27 points, the 6'9" swing man really made a name for himself and showed that Kentucky might have its hands full on Saturday.

Kentucky- Karl(Winslow)-Anthony Towns.
He was a beast in the post all game for the Cats. ND decided not to double him and he made them pay. He didn't miss a shot in the second half and every time Kentucky needed a bucket, the fed the big man. He had ONE point against West Virginia so I guess he was letting everyone(especially Wisconsin) know that he is going to be a problem on Saturday.

Michigan State- Their second-half defense.
Watching this game, especially in the second half, I was amazed every time I looked at the score Louisville was still winning. The Cards scored 3 buckets in the first 16 minutes of the second half, all on breakaway steals that led to layups. Other than that and 9 points at the line, The Spartan defense was LOCK DOWN! They forced Louisville into continuous bad shots and didn't give up second chance opportunities. They don't have 1 supreme defender, as a team, they are a supreme defense that moves on a string. Duke better watch out, Izzo has a knack for big-game victories

Duke- Matt Jones
Sometimes, you need a role player or an "unknown" to step up and that is exactly what Jones did. Knocking down 4 big triples, he helped Duke advance to its 12th Final Four. With Okafor, (Carl) Winslow and now Jones all playing great, the MSU defense better come to play again, otherwise Coach K will be dancing all the way to Monday night!

Top 5 Friday...Best College Basketball Coaches under 50

We have started our "Top 5 Friday" and this week we're looking at the Top 5 College Basketball Coaches under 50 years old. With March Madness in full madness, this is a perfect time to explore who the best young coaches are.

5- Buzz Williams Virgina Tech
Aside from being probably one of the sweatiest coaches in college basketball, he is also one of the most passionate coaches. He continuously has his programs competitive and playing hard. He hasn't gotten to the promise land yet, but he is still young enough (42) to get a few opportunities. He might, however, need to tone down the jumping and plyometrics on the sidelines as he continues to get older.


4-Fred Hoiberg Iowa State

This district attorney for Gotham...O wait, it's not the same guy? Sorry I thought that they were the same person. Anyways, Hoiberg has taken Iowa State from a relatively unknown school to a team that is always relevant come March! He has done a great job with this program and at the young age of 42, has plenty of time left to build on his success...And save Gotham!


3- Shaka Smart VCU
I think if there was one college coach I would want to play for, it would be Smart. He not only loves the in-your-face style of defense, but he seems to engage with his players unlike other coaches in todays era. He has an energy and grit to him that makes him desirable to play for. He has done wonders for VCU and put them on the map in terms of an Atlantic 10 powerhouse.



2- Archie Miller Dayton
Younger brother of Sean Miller, it seems as though the Miller family just breeds great coaches. Archie has turned Dayton into one of the best teams in the A10 and consistently they are dancing come March. As unfortunate as it is, he might be so good for Dayton that other, bigger programs could try to scoop him up for more $$$. As an alum of an A10 team myself, THE ST. BONAVENTURE BONNIES, I hope he stays because he is great for the Atlantic 10 and Dayton.

1- Sean Miller Arizona
The OLDER brother of Archie Miller, this guy can straight coach! He got his start at Xavier where he basically dominated the A10 conference for a few years. He got his big break being hired at Arizona trying to fill the shoes of the great Lute Olsen. It's a tough task to follow a legend, however, Miller is paving his own way in leading his Wildcats to yet another Sweet 16 with aspirations higher than that! Miller (S) is in a fantastic spot to continue a run of greatness being at a big-time school while also being wildly successful! This is the type of situation I could see playing out for his younger brother Archie in the near future.

PS...Do those eyes not just SCREAM success!?

Throwdown Thursday - Fore!!

Throwdown - Alternate Shot (9 holes)

Matchup - Mcilroy & Barkley vs. Barker & Gilmore

The NBA is evolving, and THE FLOP is leading the way.

As someone who has watched basketball for over 20 years, played basketball both competitively and for fun, and also currently coaches, I've found it incredibly disheartening to see the evolution of basketball the past 20 years. It's gone from the physical "grit and grind" type game it was with the Bad Boy Pistons, to the "clear path" nonsense its become. Leading the attack in how soft the NBA has become...THE FLOP.

The art of The Flop was perfected by guys like Vlade Divac and continued by Manu Ginobili and others- a lot of foreign players who probably learned The Flop from the soccer field. Let's be honest, European players are much more prone to The Flop due to the incessant acting that they see/participate in as they are growing up playing soccer. It obviously parlays over to the basketball court and has taken the NBA by storm. It is comical to now see guys like James Harden, Chris Paul and even Lebron James do ANYTHING they can to get a competitive advantage. These are some of the best players in the NBA and they are throwing themselves out of bounds and flailing their arms and bodies all over the court, just to get to the line or draw a foul. When one isn't called, they act as though everyone else is stupid when in fact, its them who look like clowns. I can almost guarantee that Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and players from the early 90's are shaking their heads when they see this pathetic display of "competition." 

Right now, there are only a few of the "old school" mentality type of players left. Kobe, Duncan, The Truth Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, are guys that have competed the right way and won championships. This new-school wave of players is more worried about the amount of twitter followers they have, rather than how many rings they are trying to get. The Flop is a symbol of where the NBA is going. The NBA is moving to a league where its damn near impossible to get physical with anyone without it being a foul/flagrant/suspension. THEY REVIEW EVERYTHING! I can only imagine what they would call common fouls from the late 80s/early 90s right now. Clear path fouls. Flagrant 1. All these ridiculous terms that have been implemented for whatever reason are watering down this great game. It's getting so bad that I have kids on my 6th-8th grade team who ask me, "should I work on my flopping to try to get calls?" I made them run 5 suicides for that comment!

Adam Silver seems like he is going to do right by the NBA. He was given a product that is getting worse in my opinion. I understand that David Stern did a lot to revive the NBA from the mid-80s, however, where the NBA is now is not where the saviors of MJ, Bird and Magic wanted it to be. The NHL embraces fighting and the NFL is obviously a contact sport. Why is the NBA so afraid of a little contact, pushing and shoving and a scuffle from time to time? 

I don't know whats wrong with a little physicality! 

Back to the Future - Tiger Woods 2015

You would be hard pressed to find even a casual PGA fan that wouldn't argue that at one point, Tiger Woods had the game of Golf by the fingertips. When he wasn't atop the leaderboard, you would hear more rumbles of "Where's Tiger" than "Who's actually winning" (and to some degree, this is still the case). Since then and in the wake of other off-course issues, Tiger Woods now finds himself a 39 year old 14 time Major winner nursing a few strains, bumps & bruises and looking to find his former self (on the course at least..) and make his comeback.

In that sense, once left to wonder, is Tigers former self good enough? Sounds crazy I know, but so long are the days where Tiger will have the tournaments won on the first tee based on his physical skills and dedication alone. You can't ignore what Tiger has done for the game of golf but if there is a comeback to be had, Tiger not only has to find his game from the glory days, but he would be foolish to think even if he does, Sundays would be a runaway victory. 

Believe it or not, Tiger has himself to thank for this. In essentially captivating the world and putting golf back on the map, Tigers fame gave rise to the now generation of Golfers looking to follow in the footsteps of their childhood idol and steal the headlines. McIlroy, Fowler, Johnson, Scott, Day, Spieth, Kaymer to name a few.

While many experts argue that Tiger is "finished" and that his fall from immortality was inevitable, others see Tiger primed for a second act in 2015 and after all, who doesn't like a good comeback story. I can't say that Tiger is down for the count. Also can't say I'm pulling for the guy to be a lifer on the DNP list plagued with injuries. What I can say though is that IF Tiger is able to return back to his former self, there are a gauntlet of young talented players that are primed to steal his thunder and one is left to wonder - will the Tiger of old be good enough to dethrone the new era field that now stands in his way of Major #15..? Golf season is again upon us! Chapter 1: The Masters - April 9th 

16 teams left, what if we were to build a starting five of the best players remaining?

PG - Jerian Grant - Notre Dame



Honorable Mention - T.J McConnell - Arizona, Delon Wright - Utah, Travis Trice - MSU



This position is absolutely stacked.   So much so that you could have gone in a few different directions here.  Kevin Pangos doesn't even make the cut nor does Terry Rozier who has been lights out.  I decided to leave Terry off the list because he just recently got thrown into the PG spot with the cutting of Chris Jones at Lville.  Marcus Paige has been solid too as has Tyus Jones from Duke.  However, at the end of the day Jerian Grant poses the biggest threat at the PG position.  He is probably the best pro prospect of any of these guys and one that can put ND on his back.  Love TJ, Delon and Travis as well.  It's going to be a great seeing all of these guys battle against each other moving forward.



SG - Buddy Hield - Oklahoma



Honorable Mention - Aaron Harrison - Kentucky, Norman Powell - UCLA



Was hoping GA State could pull out the win on Saturday so we could have put RJ Hunter at the top of the list but Buddy Hield isn't a bad option.  One of the better pure shooters in college basketball Buddy can take over any game with his abilities.  This kid from the Bahahmas looks like he will transition nicely into the NBA.  Hield’s a big reason why Oklahoma is in its first sweet 16 since the days of Blake Griffin back in 09'.



SF - Stanley Johnson - Arizona



Honorable Mention - Sam Dekker - Wisconsin, Rondae Hollis - Jefferson - Arizona, Pat Connaughton - Notre Dame



Another position with some solid depth.  Brandon Dawson from MSU is a name that you don't see on this list that very well could have been.  The other three Honorable Mentions are great players in their own right but Stanley Johnson is the cream of the crop.  6'8 freshman that can do a little bit of everything, going 4-5 from three in Arizona's first matchup and grabbing 10 boards on Saturday against OSU. He blocks shots, comes up with big time steals - this guy can really impact a game.  Arizona has 4 legit NBA prospects and that doesn't even include TJ McConnell (see above).



PF - Karl -Anthony Towns - Kentucky



Honorable Mention - Trey Lyles - Kentucky, Domantas Sabonis - Gonzaga, Kyle Wiltjer - Gonzaga



KAT is one of the more dynamic big men we have seen in quite some time. 7 Footer that can run the floor extremely well, likely to be the first or second pick in this coming draft.  Love Wiltjer's game being able to step out and hit from 3 but I just don't think he or anyone else can make the impact that Karl does on the defensive end.



C - Jahlil Okafor - Duke



Honorable Mention - Frank Kaminsky - Wisconsin, Willie Cauley - Stein - Kentucky, TaShawn Thomas - Oklahoma



Toss up in my opinion between Kaminsky and Okafor.  You can’t really going wrong with either guy but the reason I went with Okafor was based purely on their success so far in this tournament.  Both guys have been phenomenal but Okafor is a whopping 21-27 from the field so far in this tournament!  Duke will make it to the final four if he keeps putting the ball through the hoop at that clip.



Thoughts?  Anyone I leave out?

Happy Monday

Throwdown Thursday - March Madness

2v2 - March Madness

Morris Peterson & Mateen Cleaves

Juan Dixon & Steve Blake

The Road to Indianapolis- A bit too long!

Officially, the 2015 March Madness tournament begins today featuring the Hampton Pirates vs. the Manhattan Jaspers. The first of 4 "first round matchups" that have been also coined the "play-in games". While you would hear no argument from me if you said March Madness was the greatest event in modern sports, I can't help but argue that the NCAA is walking a thin rope in expanding the tournament to 68 teams. Let me explain:

1. First and foremost I got to just say it, its extremely confusing to the casual fan (who this event prides itself on attracting). By default then calling the round of 64 the "second round match ups", is ridiculous seeing that 60 of those 64 teams have yet to step on the court. 

2. In expanding the field to 68, its not like your are adding spots for the top 4 teams. With the 36 at large bids, you are ensuring a spot for basically the 33rd-36th best teams (ignoring conference winners). Last time I checked, if your the 33rd best at anything, someone better be in your ear telling you to try something else because lets face it, you just don't stack up. Aside from the $$$ aspect, why its so hard for someone to not hand out 33rd place trophies is beyond me. Frankly, it takes away from those that put up the resume to deserve it. 

3. Thirdly and perhaps most importantly - Lets be honest,  NOBODY cares about these games! Nothing much else to say there. 

I beg the NCAA to scale back this to the usual 64 teams and make the tough decisions come selection Sunday. Again, I will admit, I get the $$ side of it rules all, but at the risk of turning the regular season into some watered down prequel to a free for all 128 team bracket - Enough already! 64 teams was already plenty. If a 14 loss team that was good in the early 90's has any beef with that, hit the weights and come back next year. 

The OTHER NFL Combine...Defensive Edition

So we had some conversations about who would be a solid NFL Player from the NBA. We discussed the offensive side of the ball, now lets take a look at the ball hawking and pass rushing defenders who, from the NBA, have some unique talents that could transfer well over the National Football League.

DT- Glenn Davis (NFL Equivalent- Vince Wilfork)
The only reason I chose this one is because Big Baby is one of the biggest (Fattest) players in the NBA and could probably do some damage clogging up the middle to make it difficult to run the ball.

DE- Kawhi Leonard (NFL Equivalent JJ Watt)
Leonard is becoming a BEAST and with his size and speed, he could wreak havoc on any QB. Not to mention, those mitts jumping up to bat balls down like Watt does!



MLB- Lebron James (NFL Equivalent....Again, no one!)
This guy is such a freak he could play either side of the ball and would be a Pro Bowler! He is physical enough to help stop the run and take on blockers, and athletic enough to cover a TE or a RB out of the backfield. He, isn't, human!

CB1- Chris Paul (NFL Equivalent- Joe Haden)
To be a CB in the NFL, you need to have SWAG! You have to not only be physical and quick, you have to have that certain moxy about you where you KNOW you will shut down the opposing teams best players. CP3 has that pittbull mentality that is required to play CB.

CB2- Patrick Beverley (NFL Equivalent Richard Sherman)
Only fitting that I dislike both of these loud mouths, but they are very similar in their game personalities. Up-in-your-face mentality while also letting you know all about it is exactly how both of these guys play. I personally think both are vastly overrated...but that's neither here nor there. Beverley has the confidence (and mouth) needed to shut down pretty much anyone.


SS- Tony Allen (NFL Equivalent Kam Chancellor)
Chancellor is a one-man wrecking crew! Like him, Tony Allen is physical and powerful. His tenacity, drive and heart makes him a player that could come into the box and stuff any running play!

FS- Russel Westbrook (NFL Equivalent...None)
There isn't a player in the NFL who is like Westbrook...I don't think there is a human on Earth that is like him! He is on another level. I think that all 32 NFL teams are glad that Westbrook didn't try the gridiron over the hardwood. Imagine Russel patrolling the middle of the football field looking to intercept pretty much anything and tackle anyone he could...SCARY!

What do you think???

Patriots continued success means more chaos for the rest of the AFC East

This has been an eventful first few days of free agency to say the least. Blockbuster trades, surprising signings and interesting coaching decisions have highlighted a number of moves that could change some of the landscape of the NFL. One thing, however, that most likely wont change, is the dominance of the Defending Champion New England Patriots over the AFC EAST. This is because, even though the Jets, Bills and Fins have significantly upgraded, while some could say that the Pats took a step back losing their starting CBs, the Pats still have number 12 behind center while the Bills and Jets are scrambling to find a guy, and the Fins are just keeping their fingers crossed that they did find the guy.

We are aware that the Bills resigned Hughes and got Shady and everything looks promising in Buffalo. We do also realize that they also signed Matt Cassel who, I dont think is the second coming of Mr. Kelly. Their defense was dominant last year, no question, however, their offense is still shaky a little bit and without an answer at QB, they will continue to chase the Pats and Brady.

The Jets made a few great moves to bolster their secondary (Sometimes I am not sure if the Jets realize there are other positions on the field other than cornerback.) Either way, signing Revis and the infamous father who can't name his own children, Cromartie, as well as Buster Skrine, the Jets have a great, lockdown group. In a passing league, this is always helpful. Getting B.Marsh is a big upgrade too, however, same situation with the Bills, without having a QB that can get him the ball, they will continue to be the rabbit that is chasing the carrot (The Pats)

The Fins (my team, and I am trying to not be biased here) did a great job of signing SUH, a corner from the Steelers in Brice McCain as well as Jordan Cameron to beef up their offense. As recently as 10 miuntes ago, they just traded for, in my opinion, a STUD WR from the Saints Kenny Stills. Even with all that $$$ they spend and the moves they made, their biggest bank roll is whether or not Ryan Tannehill is going to be the guy they can ride for the next 10 years. If he is, they are in a prime place to overtake the Pats, if hes not, then the fins are going to be at the bottom of the AFC East for years to come!

Bottom line, the Jets, Bills and Fins have done a lot to help their chances to dethrone the Pats this season. With the Brady/Belichick combo still pumping out division titles and Super Bowls with almost what sometimes seems to be makeshift rosters, these 3 wanna be champs will continue to be looking up at the greatest Player/Head Coach combo ever...maybe in any sport! (Topic for another day)

Throwdown Thursday - 500

500 - the schoolyard football game of "up for grabs". Despite what the rulebook says, this is full contact:

Game- 500 

Matchup- 

Megatron (6'5'') 
vs. 
DeAndre Jordan (6'11'')