Wrestlemania Spoiler?

HERE COMES THE PAIN! 

              According to sources, Brock Lesnar is in negotiations to appear at Wrestlemania 28, this Sunday. That's correct folks this sunday seems that Vince K. McMahon was not joking when he had in mind to make this the greatest wrestlemania ever. Brock Lesnar last appeared in the WWE eight years ago. His last match, ironocially was at Wrestlemania 20, which many believe is one of the greatest wrestlemanias ever.

          Brock Lesnar began his career with a bang and looks to jump back into the WWE with one. With many rivalries coming to a collision this Sunday, we see Brock Lesnar jumping in and throwing a curve ball into how we believed everything would play out. This is an exciting time to be a fan again. It looks like this show will bring back the suspense from the golden age of wrestling: The "Attitude" Era.

          According to Daniel Pena from wrestlingedge.com "A writer for the Associated Press stated in his article on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson that if  WWE wants to squeeze another potential blockbuster buy rate out of The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment, the last man standing to get the headline match would be Lesnar." Folks if you ask me, I smell a screw job for The Rock at Mania, thus leading to a blockbuster match between the two in the future. Mabye Cena will turn heel. That would just be genius, but what do we know? 

          The Negoiations are still goin on and they are 50/50 but the WWE is hoping to close the deal within 24 hours so here's hoping on Good News. Once he was the Next Big Thing but now he's the Prodigal son returning home. 

BY

Phillip "Stats" Rodney 

(Sources....

http://www.wrestling-edge.com/wwe-news-rumors/brock-lesnar-negotiating-wwe-wrestlemania-28.html)

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Franchise Tag (Who Deserves The Big Money)

TAG YOUR IT........

       The big money, the fame, and the recoginition are the reasons why we believe the NFL players play the game. When we as fans, blue collar, middle class ,even lower class people hear a player just got franchised tag we automaically feel that that player should be happy. The players however just like us are looking for stability because they know at any moment their careers could be over. The franchise tag was introduced to give big time players a large amount of salary within one year, which would help the players and teams out during long contract talks but as we come to find out things arent that easy in the NFL.  The term franchise player was something once  considered a compliment or a honor, like making the Dean's List in school. However it quickly became a loop hole by owners to expliot players, without giving them a long term deal. I use the word exploit loosely because the players getting tagged recieve the average of the top five highest salaries for their position.

              Each year we see players go into their last year of a rookie deal or old contract and play at a high level to get that long term deal, to only be franchise tagged. Each player reacts differently to this some stay positive while others hold out. Last season we saw some great moments and record broken by players, those same players believe its time to get a deal done that they deserve long term guaranteed money. However we are here to point out those really deserve to be invested in. 

List of Guys Tagged: 

Arizona Cardinals: Calais Campbell, defensive end

Atlanta Falcons: Brent Grimes, cornerback

Baltimore Ravens: Ray Rice, running back

Chicago Bears: Matt Forte, running back

Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Nugent, kicker

Cleveland Browns: Phil Dawson, kicker

Dallas Cowboys: Anthony Spencer, linebacker

Denver Broncos: Matt Prater, kicker

Detroit Lions: Cliff Avril, defensive end

Indianapolis Colts: Robert Mathis, defensive end

Jacksonville Jaguars: Josh Scobee, kicker

Kansas City Chiefs: Dwayne Bowe, wide receiver

New England Patriots: Wes Welker, wide receiver

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees, quarterback

New York Giants: Steve Weatherford, punter

Oakland Raiders: Tyvon Branch, safety

Philadelphia Eagles: DeSean Jackson, wide receiver

San Francisco 49ers: Dashon Goldson, safety

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Connor Barth, kicker

Tennessee Titans: Michael Griffin, safety

Washington Redskins: Fred Davis, tight end

Dow is up/ Pay that Man/                Dow is down/ I will want my money back              Question Marks?         

Cliff Avril 

                                                                                   Fred Davis                                         

Michael Giffin

Dwayne Bowe    

                                                                                  Robert Mathis                                  

Tyvon Branch

Dashon Goldson                                                                                         

                                                                                   Matt Forte

Anthony Spencer                                                       

Drew Brees                                                                                                                     

Calais Campbell

Ray Rice                                                                                                                          

Brent Grimes                                                

Wes Welker

          The players that should be invested in for long term deals I believe are Cliff Avril, Dwayne Bowe, Goldson, Drew Brees, Ray Rice, and Wes Welker. Cliff Avril is a top ten defensive end in the league hes good against the run and a top notch pass rusher, hes young and plays with a great intensity. Dwyane Bowe lead the league in touchdowns two seasons a go a huge dynamic game changing reciever who has matured over the years. Dashon Goldson helps to make up one of the best safety tandems in the league a pure enforcer for that crippling San Fransico 49ers defense, and he's only getting better. Drew Brees broke the thirty year old record of Dan Marino and has been a offensive machine for the Saints "Show me the Money". Ray Rice is the baltimores offense no need  to explain more. Wes Welker outside that third down catch in the Superbowl his hands are like glue, has atleast 100 catches four out of five years in New England, he might not be flashy but hes a top five reciever. 

          The players I wont put my bank on Fred Davis, Robert Mathis, Matt forte. All players have shown greatness but each have major concerns. Fred Davis has a drug problem and has already been suspended by the league. Robert Mathis is a great pass rusher but how many years can he still perform at a high level his age is my only concern, been underated for years. Matt Forte is a hard one not to invest in but after the knee troubles, his lack of redzone production and Mike Matrz leaving I'm becoming a non believer that the Bears should pay him. Bears signed Michael Bush this offseason is Matt Forte really that much better than him?.

    Finally my question marks, are Michael Griffin, Tryvon Branch, Anthony Spencer, Calais Campbell Brent Grimes. These players made my list of question marks because I dont know if these  guys are the real deal. Each player on this list have showed flashes of dominace and pro bowl play and other times look lost and a play or two from being benched. So to them I ask "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?"

     The Offseason is moving fast and im sure a few of these players will hold out I just hope the teams dont invest in Enron, or let google walk out the door in the future. Also i didnt mention any kickers or punters cause well their kickers and punters but if you woud like information about them just write us and ill let you know. 

by

Phillip "Stats" Rodney

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If the NBA Playoffs started today...

The NBA Playoffs: One of the best times of the year. 16 Teams, but only one team can raise the NBA Trophy high in June and call themselves the best. But who will it be? The playoffs don't start until April 28th, but if the playoffs began today, here's what the matchups would look like:

(1) Bulls vs (8) Knicks  (CHI leads 2-0)                    (1) Thunder vs (8) Nuggets (OKC leads 2-0)


(2) Heat vs (7) Celtics   (MIA leads 1-0)                   (2) Spurs vs (7) Jazz (SA leads 2-0)


(3) Magic vs (6) Atlanta (ATL leads 2-0)                  (3) Lakers vs (6) Grizzlies (LA wins 2-1)


(4) Sixers vs (5) Pacers  (Series tied 1-1)               (4) Clippers vs (5) Mavericks (Series tied 1-1)

Now, here a few things that make this year's playoffs so interesting:

- The rise of Jeremy Lin in New York

- Lob City with CP3 and Blake Griffin

- The lust of a ring for King James

- The surprising Sixers

- The Lakers not the usual #1 seed like they always seem to be

- The Grizzlies trying to prove that last season wasn't some fluke

- The Spurs and Celtics trying to prove that they still got it

- The Pacers looking to get past the first round this time

- The Defending Champion Dallas Mavericks

All these different storylines tie into the playoffs and if the matchups stay as is, then we're in for a great NBA Playoffs. Without going too much into detail, here's my two cents.

The West

Let me start with the West. It's clear that The Thunder are the best team in the West but how consistent can they be come playoff time? People forget that these guys are still a young team, and a lot of pressure comes with being the #1 Seed. I don't see The Nuggets keeping that #8 spot. I think The Rockets led by rookie sensation Chandler Parsons will nab that last spot. People haven't been paying attention, but Chandler Parsons scoring has risen gradually in 11 of his last 14 games. There's always a chance for an upset.

The Grizzlies last season took out the #1 seeded Spurs and took the Thunder to 7 games and all this was without Rudy Gay. This Memphis team has come a long way since then and fought their way to a #6 seed. With Rudy Gay back and with Randolph on the way back from injury, they're looking to repeat their success. The Lakers are in so much disarray. The lack of team spirit, fumblings by the Head Coach, and not to mention the releases of Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, and Shannon Brown. The Lakers were a well oiled unit, but their core has been split apart. Only one thing still make them a threat: The Black Mamba. Kobe Bryant is still one of the best in the game and has that killer instinct in the playoffs. The Grizzlies have it in for them. I don't know if the Lakers will get out of this one. In my opinion, this will be one of the most anticipated playoff games.

I personally have no interest in seeing the Spurs and the Jazz as both teams bore me. I was never really a fan of The Jazz style of play and the Spurs are fundamentally sound and slow the game down. Hence why I won't really comment much on this game. Just know that now that Ginobli is healthy, the Spurs hope to not get outed in the first round like last year.

Now for the team that nobody is talking about....the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. They started the season abysmally and since then have battled their way back to a #5 seed, but they lost the pieces that brought them to the dance last year: a strong force in the paint and speed at point guard. All the pieces seem to work in the favor of Lob City....I mean the Clippers. The Clippers have definitely made some noise with CP3 and Blake Griffin leading the charge, but will they be able to make it out the West and knock off the defending champions?

The East

Most of the attention in the East is centered on Miami and Chicago. Arguably these two are the best teams in the East, but it's the playoffs and any team can strike lighting in a bottle. Look at The Sixers. Last season, they were a lowly #7 Seed and were ousted in 5 games by Miami. Now, they're a #4 seed and looking like more of a legitimate threat than last year. 2nd year guard Evan Turner has come into his own and this team has propelled itself to new heights. They're looking at a first round match with Danny Granger, Tyler Hansbrough and the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers fell to the Chicago Bulls in 5 games, but they made every game interesting. This is no doubt a very intriguing match.

For a better part of this season, Jeremy Lin and The New York Knicks have been a feel good story throughout the league when they went on a tear and won close to 10 games in a row. Lin was leading the way scoring 25 points a game, but soon turnovers got the better of him, the hype died down and they see themselves barely clinging to an #8 seed. Last year, they were embarrassingly swept by the Boston Celtics. This season with Jeremy Lin, Shumpert, and the 3 point sniper Novak, they're looking to give Chicago and MVP Derrick Rose a run for their money. Don't be fooled for a minute because The Bulls are still a force to be reckoned with. Derrick Rose may not be clutch, but one of his strong suits is getting to the cup and drawing fouls. I'm not sure if the Knicks are ready for this, but then again who knows if Chicago is ready?

The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics rivalry has intensified since Lebron James joined the fold last season.  Everybody goes on about how Boston is getting old, and it's true. They aren't as good as they once were. After they swept New York last year, they were booted out of the second round by Miami in 5 games. The Celtics are looking for retribution, but I don't think it's going to happen. Defensively, Miami has gotten better with the addition of Shane Battier and the offense is clicking a lot more than they did last season. The Heat are on a mission to win this season. After all is said and done, they won't rest until they win a title.

The Hawks and Magic seem to always play each other. If the picture stays like this, it'll be the third year in a row that these teams have met in the playoffs. The Hawks are so inconsistent. One day, they're good, and the next they're getting blown out by lesser teams. The Magic are mostly the same way. It's like you know what to expect from them. This a slightly appealing match, but I don't see either team going anywhere.

Those are my thoughts on the playoffs and although everything seems to be in favor of the teams that are expected to win, don't forget....it's the Playoffs. Teams kick it into high gear come playoff time and anything can happen in the playoffs. Once the picture gets finalized, I'll be ready to give my predictions. But until then, it's fun to play the guessing game.

Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

Magic Johnson buys The Los Angeles Dodgers!!!

In case you haven't heard, it's Breaking News! Magic Johnson and Co. have purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers for 2 Billion Dollars!

Now, this is quite an interesting situation. From a casual fan's perspective, you're probably thinking "What does a Basketball minded person do with a Baseball team?"

From a viewer's standpoint, you would think that Magic Johnson hopes to bring some stability and competitiveness back to the Los Angeles Dodgers making them the dominant force in Baseball that they once were.

Everything Magic touches turns to Gold. Let's hope this turns out to be a smart investment that works out for the best and doesn't leave a bad taste in everybody's mouth.

Last season, the Dodgers finished 3rd in the NL West and missed the playoffs.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

MLB Season Opener

America's Game 

      "You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen"—Joe DiMaggio
            


         


        PLEASANTVILLE, Ny ---   Opening day is almost upon us, one of the first things you will notice are the old faces, with new teams. We have seen this offseason Albert Pujols leave the city he loved(St. Louis Cardinals) to join the Anaheim Angels to write a new destiny or to cash in that 240 million dollar payday. We also saw Prince Fielder move to a bigger market leaving the Milwaukee Brewers to join the Detriot Tigers. The Prince will be living like a king in Detriot signing a deal worth 214 million dollars. Big signings, trades, and firings during the offseason comes full circle with the season approaching. All the time for talk will be over and those teams that look great on player have to look great on the field now.
     
                The first game of the season will take place in Japan at the Tokyo dome on March 28, 2012. The two teams playing will be the Seattle Marines vs The Oakland As. The time will be at 7pm in Japan, but unfortunately for us in America this will be at a tremendous 6 am in the morning. Many people close to baseball believed the MLB dropped the ball opening the season in Japan. The fan in me is confused to the fact that Baseball excecutives had no considerations for their American fan in making this decision. The business side in me can clearly see that this is to gain more exposure internationally and to make a huge profit. In the end the traditionalist views will say this is a mistake but in actuallity "The Big Picture" baseball growing is always a positive for the sport. MLB working with Japan will effect  revenue, and build interest for  other countries thus creating a athletic pipeline with America. We as fans need to lose this early season battle to win the war of having baseball grow globally.
     
                   On a brighter note future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki will be returning home to beginning his season. According to The Bleacher reports  by Stephen Goldman "Ichiro is the most successful major league to come over from Japan, easily surpassing his closest rival, Hideki Matsui. Won both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards and picked up a deserved Gold Glove for defense".  Ichiro Suzuki is a prime example of MLB touching communities worldwide and bring even more talent to America's Game.



by

Phillip "Stats" Rodney 




"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it."-
Jonathan Winters


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NFL Season Opener: New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys

It's been made official from NFL.com! The defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants will begin their season as they host the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, September 5th at 8:30 p.m. Check the link below for more information.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d827e809a/article/giants-to-host-rival-cowboys-in-2012-season-opener?module=HP11_breaking_news

Well, this is an interesting game no doubt about it. The New York Giants swept the Cowboys last season including the last game of the season when the NFC East was on the line. The Giants were in playoff form and their defense dominated a poor offensive line and got after Romo like there was no tomorrow. Rob Ryan, who is a great defensive coordinator, stood by and watched as Eli Manning threw for 346 yards as The Giants put up 31 on the Cowboys and went on to win the Super Bowl.

But very quietly, the Cowboys have made some pretty interesting offseason acquisitions to improve that defense and offensive line. Names like:

Former Chiefs Cornerback Brandon Carr

Former Texans Fullback Lawrence Vickers 

Inside Linebacker Dan Connor
 
Former Chiefs Quarterback Kyle Orton

Former Bengals Offensive Lineman Nate Livings  

Former Panthers Offensive Lineman Mackenzy Bernadeau

Former Jets Safety Brodney Pool


Brandon Carr and Dan Connor are definitely two interesting names to help that defense. Brandon Carr has tremendous upside for a young player coming out of Kansas City and could fill the void left by Newman. To be honest, he could be even better than Newman was in his prime. The kid has a knowledge for the game that cannot be ignored. And Dan Connor piled up some tackles with the Panthers and when you add him to a list of names like Bradie James, Sean Lee, Demarcus Ware, and Anthony Spencer, this defense is already looking better than last season. Not to mention Rob Ryan will be back as well.

The only notable names lost from the Giants are Mario Manningham and Brandon Jacobs.

This sets up a highly anticipated game between two bitter rivals within the NFC East. It's too early to give predictions, but what I will say is that this is going to be a good game. Overall, The Giants have kept their defensive pieces like Osi and Pierre-Paul and the Cowboys have definitely improved their defensive and offensive line. Romo is going to need time in the pocket to find guys like Miles, Dez, Robinson, and Witten and with a better offensive line, there'll will be less mistakes and better communication with Romo and his offense. Romo has been doubted for a number of seasons as how he can't win the big one. Romo is a solid QB, is the season that gets him to the promise land?

We already know how good The Giants offense is and the new Hometown favorite Victor Cruz. But will this season show that he was a one year wonder, or that Cruz really is the real deal? Will Eli continue to silence the critics? Will this be Romo's defining moment to upset The Giants at Home on the same night they get their rings? The Cowboys are 0-2 in their last two season opening games. Will The Giants drop them to 0-3, or is Dallas poised to make a statement on opening night?

We have a few months to find out, but as for now, fans will be waiting with breathless anticipation.

Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

Monday Night RAW (The Go-Home Show) Review - 3/26/12

WrestleMania 28 is this Sunday on ppv from Miami, Florida and tonight's Monday Night RAW was the last stop before the Big Show this Sunday. There were some hits, but even more misses. This show was disappointing on a few levels, but I'm going to get to all that in this blog post.

Hits:

Randy Orton & Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan (w/AJ Lee) & Kane:

RAW started off with a HOT tag team match with Orton and Sheamus taking on Kane & Daniel Bryan. It's unusual for RAW to kick off with a match, let alone a tag team match, but in this instance, the match did just what it was supposed to do:

A) Get the crowd amped up and set the tone for the rest of the show.

B) Continued the build of the feuds between Orton/Kane and Sheamus/Bryan

Orton/Kane is going to be nothing more than a brawl, but Sheamus/Bryan is very intriguing. After tonight and what AJ did, no telling how this match is going to go this Sunday. Bryan getting the pinfall gives him loads of momentum as the Champion heading into Mania, but it also begs the questions: What role will AJ play? Already I'm excited for WrestleMania. Good start.


Triple H vs Undertaker - Hell in a Cell Video Package:


In my opinion, the promo last week between HHH, Undertaker, and HBK sucked out a good portion of life from this feud and the video package brought it all back.

THIS is one of the main things WWE has been missing: Great video packages that tie in every aspect of a feud. This Video Package alone got me hyped for this Hell in a Cell match more than the promos Triple H, Taker and HBK have been cutting for the past few weeks. After this promo, I wasn't upset that we didn't see HHH/HBK/Taker in another promo. The video package summed up everything perfectly. Once again: Great job WWE.


Chris Jericho/CM Punk Confrontation:


I've loved this feud since the first face to face meeting between Punk and Jericho. I am happy to say that I'm more excited for THIS match than Rock vs Cena and Undertaker vs Triple H. Yeah, I said that. We're talking about "Greatest match of All-time" potential between these two guys. Jericho took it to that next level and made this feud more personal. This feud needed that extra boost and now they have it.

Ever since Punk changed his character this past Summer, he's OWNED pretty much everybody in terms of mic skills. Now, he's come across somebody who has OWNED him. No longer is Punk the sarcastic, laid back character anymore: He's now serious. It was a smart idea to keep Jericho and Punk apart until WrestleMania. No need for these guys to touch each other with so much on the line. Make us want to see this match and tonight did just that.

The promo Jericho cut on Punk, basically going in on his family, Punk snapping and (kayfabe) re-injuring Christian, showed us a side of Punk we haven't seen before. Then, the interview Punk cut later on that night; you could tell in his voice that he can't wait to tear Jericho apart. WWE has done a masterful job building this feud. I can't wait to see this match. Can. not. wait.


Cody Rhodes:


I said it once, I'll say it again: This man is the best thing going on right now. Cody Rhodes has quietly become one of the best heels in the WWE, has brought prestige back to the Intercontinental Championship, and is one major feud away from Main Event status. This feud with Big Show just might be it. Rhodes' mic work during this feud and embarrassing Big Show with all these WrestleMania video packages have been perfect. They've built Cody Rhodes into a great heel. His promo tonight on Big Show was the final shot fired against the Big Show. Another great job at building up a major feud.

Another good job making these two not get physical. WWE is making us want to see Show finally get his hands on Cody this Sunday. I'm still up in the air as to who gets the win. The way they're building it, you'd think Big Show is gonna walk out the winner, but of course, Cody Rhodes is the future. Hard to tell.


The Rock vs John Cena:


The final showdown between Rock and Cena and it didn't disappoint. These guys went back and forth in a heated war of the words. Cena, for once, made me interested in what he had to say. He was selling the fact that he needed to win more than The Rock. The figures he was throwing out was true. Cena has been in the business longer, but this is an era where wrestlers' bodies went through much less than those of the Attitude Era, but that's beside the point.

These two sold the fact of how big this match is, what it means to them, and throwing personal jabs at each other. It's really nothing we haven't heard before, but tonight it felt more personal. Maybe because it was the last RAW before WrestleMania. I've already made a post about where I stand with these two, so I'm not going to go there again. And once again, there was no physical altercation. WWE wants to milk this cow for everything its worth and not give a single thing away before WrestleMania. This is smart business.

The verbal exchange and the staredown made this a great moment. The only thing bad about it was the way it cut away. It was rather soon and abrupt. But even if these two had a poor promo, it still wouldn't change my mind that WrestleMania is a must order ppv!

Misses:

Team Teddy vs Team Johnny:


Tonight was their last chance to make this feud actually important and mean something, and they failed....miserably.

First of all, you have a Captain vs Captain match with Otunga and Santino which was good, no complaints there. Then, you have Miz run out and drop Santino like a bad habit and FINALLY Miz gets added onto WrestleMania. It really took Miz all this time to get added to Team Johnny? Why did they prolong this for so long if they were just going to end up adding him to the team in the first place? It makes absolutely no sense.

But wait...there's more.

Christian gets "re-injured" and taken out of the match and replaced with Drew McIntyre? Really? I don't mind Drew because he has history with Teddy, but  if they weren't so sure that Christian was 100% ready to come back and compete, why waste a spot on him and actually build up Drew McIntyre an add him to the team earlier? The build for this match was so poor and tonight was just abysmal.

Then, here's the kicker: Booker T. of all people at the last minute gets added to Team Teddy after some nonsense brawl (if you can call it that) and takes out Mark Henry. I'm not upset that Booker got added, it was the way they went about it.

Their one chance to make this match important, and they tanked on it. Big Time. In a 4 Hour WrestleMania show, I would like to hope that this 12 Man Tag Team Match gets enough time to mean something.


The Divas:


Goodness....where do I start?

It's been a while since Eve came out and got Heat. Tonight, she came out and got crickets. This Divas tag team match Sunday is an absolute joke. I still don't understand why they couldn't turn Beth Phoenix face and feud with Eve. It absolutely boggles the mind.

Add to that, where was Maria Menounous? You would think that she would at least make one appearance with Kelly Kelly tonight to further this feud for Mania. Also, Kelly Kelly beat Eve.....why does Kelly Kelly need a partner again?


Brodus Clay:

Also, Brodus Clay. I like Brodus Clay, but if he wasn't going to be a part of WrestleMania, why was he on RAW tonight? There was no internal conflict that involved him. I would've preferred another Member of Team Teddy vs Member of Team Johnny Match instead.

Once again, it boggles the mind.


Overall, the only good parts of RAW were the opening tag team match, the Hell in a Cell video package, Punk going crazy, Cody Rhodes' promo and The Rock/Cena exchange. Everything else was horrible. Ok, not horrible, but barely not worth mentioning. Also, the crowd was bad.

But this has NOT swayed me from ordering WrestleMania this Sunday. You better believe I'm still going to make sure I catch it on Sunday. It's sure to be a great show despite that mediocre Go-Home show they had tonight.

Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete

MIAMI HEAT- Sun only shines in Miami

MIAMI HEAT 

  THE MONSTARS OR LOONEY TUNES 

            The Miami Heat are a team destined to win the NBA championship for the 2011-2012 season according to many experts. After their crushing loss to the Mavericks last season, the Miami Heat have been on a mission taking no prisoners in the process. Many call them the Monstars when the team is running on all clinders, never has a team been built full of this much talent since that team from the classic Space Jam film. However with every positive there's a negative and the Heat can go from looking like Monstars to being the Looney Tunes looking lost and outmatched without their Michael Jordan center piece. 

            I believe the Miami Heat have the best team in the NBA, but I also believe because of their star players recent lack of success in the playoff, they are waiting to really turn on the intensity when it matters the most. The Miami Heat's biggest problem is that they fail to "Bring it Every Game". The Miami Heat currently have the third best record in the NBA and recently just got crushed by the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road. The reason I believe the Miami Heat lost was the fact it was on the road and also Kevin Durant playing out of his mind in ever element of the game.  

           The Miami Heat tend to lose focus and believe their talents will get them to the promise land but with no heart, you can't succeed and that goes for everything in life.  The Heat at home are all heart and determination. The Monstars are a ridiculous 20-2 at home, thats the best home record in the league folks. However on the Road they play like Looney Toons going 15-10, which isn't bad but with the talent they have it also isn't good. Come playoff time they might have to go through Chicago to get to the championship. 

           The NBA season is coming to a end and many teams will begin their playoff push so who will show up: the Monstars or the Looney Toons? And who will play Michael Jordan for the Heat in the clutch? 

  

   Key matchups to look out for will be the rematch between the Heat vs the Thunder in Miami. I expect a win for the Miami Heat. Also Heat vs Bulls in Chicago on April 12, 2012 will be a great road test for the Heat and a preview to see if they can handle the pressure of the road. "Long Live The King"

By Phillip "Stats" Rodney 

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." 
-- Chinese proverb 

New Orleans Saints Bounty Scandal

The New Orleans Saints and the bounty scandal. I must say, I am very disappointed, but not surprised at the same time. Let's take a close look at this. I didn't understand this whole bounty talk until I looked back at the Saints Super Bowl run. You know, when they took out Kurt Warner, and constantly attacked Brett Favre? Now, they're getting their just desserts. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Head Coach Sean Payton for a year without pay, suspended Saints Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams indefinitely, suspended General Manager Mickey Loomis for eight games and a $500,000 fine, and docked the Saints two 2nd round draft picks. 

Some might view this as a harsh punishment, but this is well deserved. The team brought this on themselves.

Saints' Quarterback Drew Brees said the following on his Twitter account: "I am speechless. Sean Payton is a great man, coach, and mentor. The best there is. I need to hear an explanation for this punishment."

First of all, Sean Payton lied to Roger Goodell.....twice. Goodell sat Payton down and asked him about the bounty situation and got lied two. He endangered the well being of the opposition and when he was confronted about it, he lied. It took until the story broke for him to finally admit it. He deserves what he got.

The Defensive Coordinator is the one issuing the "orders" to his players to "hit this guy" or "hit that guy." He's suspended indefinitely. Which means, he might not even return to the team and the NFL is considering what to do with him.

Then, we get to the General Manager. All of this is going on under his watch and he doesn't know what's going on? I don't buy it for one second. He's in the head guy in charge which makes him just as Guilty as Payton and Williams. 

I know what some people are saying: "It's Football. They're making it so unsafe." Blah, blah, blah. There's a difference between playing Football and tackling people and issuing a bounty on the opposition. Which means every hit you take at that player is intentional.  The NFL needs investigate this matter a tad further, talk to the entire team and get to the true heart of the matter: The Owner. 

This begs the question, where does that leave The Saints? Some people see all this and think the Saints will suffer a meltdown which isn't entirely true. The Saints still have Drew Brees, Darren Sproles, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and the list goes on. To say they'll miss the playoffs at this moment in time is laughable.

Only time will tell what happens with The New Orleans Saints.

Feel free to Comment.

By: Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete