He Finally Did It

LeBron James has reason to be happy. He silenced his doubters by putting in an MVP performance in Game 5. 

Congrats LeBron. You did it. You finally won an NBA championship. People finally have the evidence that you are the best player in the NBA right now. Along with your teammates Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Shane Battier, you lead your team to victory 121-106 in American Airlines Arena last night. LeBron, you put in a great showing. You scored 26 points, had 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, to complete a triple-double.

If anyone deserved a championship it was you. Why? LeBron has been ridiculed ever since he has left Cleveland. He has been chosen as one of the most hated athletes in America in a Forbes poll.  Even though at times he can be arrogant, (see the proclamation of multiple championships when introduced as a member of the Heat), he has still has played solid basketball. He has been made fun of in numerous jokes, from not winning a championship, to not being able to close out games. Everyone just wants to hate LeBron James.

As a result of LeBron's championship win, a serious debate can now be opened. Who was better, LeBron or MJ? People ignored this debate before, but did not realize that LeBron had more MVP's and more championship appearances. So, Congrats LeBron. You earned it, now let's see if you can do it again next year.

NBA Finals Preview

The Durantula has finally reached his first finals. 

Will King James choke again? 

It's the final that the NBA has wanted all along. LeBron James and the Miami Heat getting his revenge, against a young and raw Thunder squad. Will Lebron D-Wade, and a supposedly healthy Chris Bosh win their first title together? Or will the Durantula and Westbrook start a new era? No matter the result, this finals will be one for the ages.

Team Comparisons:

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook (OKC) vs. Mario Chalmers (MIA)
Chalmers is one of those basketball players, who pretty much is in the NBA because of one shot in college. Other examples include Eric Maynor. Chalmers is a solid player, but he doesn't compare at all to Westbrook. Westbrook is the Dwayne Wade to Kevin Durant's LeBron. Chalmers is decent, but Westbrook will outplay him in this series.
Edge: Thunder


Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefolosha (OKC) vs. Dwayne Wade (MIA) 
Another unfair matchup, however this is one is towards the Heat. Wade may be the best shooting guard, with the exception of Kobe Bryant. He has playoff experience, while Thabo and Harden have just this past few seasons. Wade is a complete player, while you would have to add Thabo and Harden together to have a complete player. Sorry OKC, but Miami gets this one.
Edge: Heat


Small Forward: Kevin Durant (OKC) vs. LeBron James (MIA). 
The matchup of the series, maybe even the playoffs. Arguably the two best players in basketball today. The scoring champion against the MVP. If LeBron wins this title, basketball purists will finally respect him. If he doesn't, the general public will not accept him as a premier player. If Durant wins, he may even surpass LeBron as the better player. For now, LeBron is able to squeeze past Durant, but this could change in a couple years.
Edge: Heat 


Power Forward: Serge Ibaka (OKC) vs. Chris Bosh (MIA) 
This matchup, which had Chris Bosh been healthier would have gone towards Miami but now is pretty close. Ibaka is a very solid player who keeps on improving year after year. Bosh, the weakest member of "The Big Three", this season has struggled this season. When he's healthy, he can be great player. We will see what happens, but these two big men will fight it out this series.
Edge: Even 


Center: Kendrick Perkins (OKC) vs. Ronny Turiaf (MIA) 
Kendrick Perkins was a huge, (both literally and figuratively) signing for the Thunder. He has been a great post presence for them, and has allowed them to compete with teams such as the Lakers and the Spurs. Ronny Turiaf has somehow survived in the NBA for seven years without contributing much other than a couple boards and a few lay-ups per game. Kendrick Perkins has been to the championship twice. Perkins easily gets the edge.
Edge: Thunder 


Bench: 
Oklahoma City's bench is anchored by sixth man of the year James Harden. Harden has been a monster off the bench, and with the midseason addition of Derek Fisher, their bench became even stronger. The Heat's bench is not as strong. Mike Miller, Shane Battier, and Udonis Haslem are solid, but it will be very hard to outperform the sixth man of the year and his squad.
Edge: Thunder 


The Pick: 
Both of these teams are very evenly match. . Some people may think LeBron may choke, and he might. But his missed shots might not matter. Durant, Westbrook and Harden could fast break past the heat. Or LeBron and D-Wade could work their magic. In addition,  Chris Bosh must perform, as well as Miami's bench. If they can't perform, the Heat will easily lose. It will be a close series, but the Thunder want it more. And this won't be their only one.
Thunder over Heat in 7 

UEFA 2012 Preview

The leading Premier League scorer will try score some goals in the Group of death. 

Xavi and his Barca and Madrid all-star team will try to win this tournament again. 

It is here. The tournament that features all of the top European players in the world. Well most of them anyway. Frank Lampard of England, David Villa of Spain, and Yoann Gourcuff of France will be absent because of various injuries.

Though Lampard, Villa, and Gourcuff will not be there. Many will be. Including newly named English captain Steven Gerrard, Premier League top goal scorer Robin Van Persie, and the Real Madrid and Barcelona all-star team. Some call this team Spain.

Can Spain pull a Euro-World Cup-Euro trifecta? Or will the Netherlands led by Van Persie and Robben win the tournament? Or, will there be an upset similar to the one in 2004 when the Greeks won?

Group Previews: Teams listed in order of predicted finish

Group A: 
Russia- The Russians are the best team in a weak group. Led by Arsenal striker Andrey Arshavin and Yuriy Zhirkov, the Russians should cruise to the next round.
Czech Republic- Usually the teams with the best players in the best leagues end up winning. With Tomas Rosicky, on Arsenal, and all-star keeper Petr Cech with Chelsea, the Czechs only major problem will be the game against Russia.
Greece- These guys made a surprise run in '04, but didn't do well in '08, and didn't qualify for the World Cup in 2010. Don't expect them to advance.
Poland- Poland is hosting which got them automatically in the tournament. That will probably be all they get.

Group B: 
Netherlands- In the so called "Group of Death", the Dutch lead the pack with a fantastic roster. Netherlands should reach at least the Semis and maybe even the final.
Germany- The Germans reached the final of Euro '08 before losing to eventual champion Spain. Led by a selection of players from Bayern Munich, which lost to Chelsea in the Champs League final, these German players are fighting for a championship.
Portugal- Group A is filled with mediocre, even bad teams, while Group B is filled with All-Star teams. Because only 2 can advance Portugal is the odd man out. Unless Christiano Ronaldo can play like the Christiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid.
Denmark- They have a couple decent Premier League players, but it will be extremely difficult for them to advance to the Knockout stage.

Group C: 
Spain: When about half your players are from two of the best teams in the world, how can you not advance?
Italy- They are not as good as they were in '06, but Gigi Buffon is still a great keeper. If they will be able to beat Croatia, they are pretty much a lock to advance.
Croatia- Luka Modric is a very,very good player. Unfortunately, he doesn't have much help, and Croatia will be stuck in third.
Ireland- Robbie Keane last played in the Premier league with Tottenham from 2009-2011. He has since struggled to be in-form with the Galaxy. He leads an aging core that will struggle to get a point, much less a win.

Group D:
France: Though they have struggled at tournaments since the '06 World Cup Final, "Les Bleus" have an unbeaten streak of 18. If Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery play well, a team that plays "Champagne Football", could reach the semis, or even the finals.
England: Joe Hart led the Premier league in clean sheets. If he can keep England in the game against France, they should be able to advance. Hopefully when Rooney comes back, the British will have already qualified for the next round.
Sweden: Led by Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden will try to advance to the Knockout Round. It will be a bit difficult, but if they can beat the Rooney-less Brits, they could sneak into the next round. '
Ukraine- How many players named Andriy does it take to get to the Knockout stage? More than four apparently.

Quarterfinals:                                                                                                          Quarterfinals: 
Russia vs. Germany                                                                                           Netherlands vs. Czech
Germany                                                                                                              Netherlands 


Spain vs. England                                                                                              France vs. Italy
Spain                                                                                                                   France

Semifinals 

Germany vs. Spain                         

Spain 

France vs. Netherlands 

Netherlands 

Finals: 

Spain vs. Netherlands 

Spain 

Spurs vs. Thunder Preview

Having just swept the Clippers, Tony Parker and the Spurs will take on the number two seed Thunder. 

After beating the Lakers, the Durantula and  Co. will take on the Spurs. 

The Western Conference Finals will be a battle of the new generation of the NBA vs the old guard. The #1 seed vs. the #2 seed. Kevin Durant vs. Tim Duncan. Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio. Thunder vs. Spurs.

The Spurs come into this series having won 8 straight games in the playoffs. First blowing out Utah, and then decimating the Clippers. Counting the regular season, the Spurs have won an astounding 18 games in a row. The Spurs have been led by its two stars, Tony Parker and Duncan. Parker has been putting up 19 points per game, and 7 assists, and Duncan has been contributing a team high 9 rebounds per game.

OKC has come in hot as well. Beating the Lakers 4-1, in a series which could have gone either way, as the Lakers lost leads in multiple games. As usual, the Durantula has been dominating the competition for the Thunder. He has been scoring 26 points, and getting 8 boards per game. As usual, James Harden has been contributing off the bench, scoring 17 points in 30 minutes.

Team Comparisons: 


Point Guard: Russell Westbrook (OKC) vs. Tony Parker (SA)
Both of these players are superb. On one hand there is Westbrook, the Batman to Durant's Robin, and on the other, there is Parker. Parker, once a supporting cast member to Tim Duncan, has now officially had the torch passed to him. He led the Spurs in points and assists, and finished third in player efficiency rating on his team.He also had the best assist to turnover ratio in his career. There is also the young Westbrook. Westbrook has, willingly or not, been second fiddle to Durant. He has of course contributed, but let's be real, Parker is the star, and Westbrook is the co-star. It should be fun to see these two go at it come Sunday.
Edge: San Antonio


Shooting Guard: Thabo Sefelosha (OKC) vs. Daniel Green (SA) 
Well this is a rather interesting battle. Despite starting each game, both of these players play less than their better known sixth men; James Harden for the Thunder, and Manu Ginobili for the Spurs. Green averaged 8 points during the season, while Thabo averaged just 4. Green got a little bit more playing time, 23 minutes compared to Thabo's 21, and did more with his time. These two are just really on the court in order for their more famous backups to play, but Green gets the edge, as Thabo has been struggling this playoffs.
Edge: San Antonio 


Small Forward: Kevin Durant (OKC) vs. Kawhi Leonard (SA) 
Sorry Kawhi, but Durant just won his third straight scoring title. This playoffs, he has constantly helped his team when they desperately need him. And what you have done? You've been a good starter for the Spurs and could be a vital part of the next Spurs Dynasty. But for now, it's Durant's time to shine.
Edge: Oklahoma City 


Power Forward: Serge Ibaka (OKC) vs. Tim Duncan (SA)
Ibaka is one of the best young players in the game. He can score, block shots, get boards, anything you need. Oh, and he's also 6 foot 10 and 235 pounds. In the other corner, is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Tim Duncan, for years he has averaged a double. Until these past two years. Where he failed to reach double digit rebounds. Does that make him worse than Ibaka? No, it does not. Duncan has played and started in 184 playoff games. Ibaka has played in just 32. Duncan has experience, Ibaka doesn't. That's all you need to know.
Edge: San Antonio 


Center: Kendrick Perkins (OKC) vs. Boris Diaw (SA) 
Perkins has the experience, and was a great addition for the Thunder. Diaw is a little small, but is still a solid player. Neither of them score, but Perkins gets some boards. Neither will really be a large factor in the outcome of the games, but Perkins has won a championship, so I'll give this battle to him.
Edge: Oklahoma City 


Bench: 
Both the Thunder and the Spurs have great benches. The most intriguing battle of all on the bench, will be James Harden against Manu Ginobili. Both of these guys can score, and shoot lots of jumpers. The Thunder added Derek Fisher this season to help bolster their point guard position. Besides Ginobili, the Spurs have Tiago Splitter, Gary Neal, and Stephen Jackson. Because the Spurs have more depth in their bench, they should score more, but Harden can give Manu a run for his money.
Edge: San Antonio 


The Pick: 
Both of these teams, are really, really good. The Spurs have lots of experience in playoff games, and while the Thunder does as well, their two core players, Durant and Westbrook have never been to the finals. Parker and Duncan meanwhile, have won three championships together. This series will be really close, but the Spurs have experience in the championship, and no what it takes to win, and that should carry them over the Thunder.
Spurs over Thunder in 7

The Tale of Two Sluggers

While Pujols is struggling in Anaheim....

Kemp is thriving in Los Angeles

Los Angeles. In the so-called city of Angels, there is a certain Dodger who is standing out with 12 home runs in the month of April. 

Anaheim. The Angels spent 240 million dollars, and committed 10 years for a guy who is hitting 202, and without any home runs. 

Two sluggers, two completely different stories. There are also two completely different teams. The Dodgers are in first place in the NL West, while the Angels are already 7.5 games behind Texas. Oh, and they are in last place. So much for 240 million? 

Matt Kemp is a star. The Albert Pujols signing is looking like a bust. Many Fantasy owners and even Angels fans are starting to question the amount of money, as well as the length of the contract. Meanwhile. Dodgers fans are rejoicing, and many Matt Kemp fantasy owners are in first place in their leagues. 

Numerous Angels fan are saying “Oh its early, he’ll turnaround”. Well guess what. It’s May 4, and Albert still hasn’t homered, and has under 10 RBI’s. Then you get the people who are skeptical of Kemp’s fast start. He has faced the Pirates, and Padres among others. But, he’s also faced the Nationals, and hit a walkoff home run against them last Saturday. 

It still may be early, but Matt Kemp and Albert Pujols are true symbols of their team. Kemp and the Dodgers, a fast starting, and lots of run scoring. Pujols and the Angels, not scoring much, and in last place. But then again, Jered Weaver pitched a no-hitter on Wednesday. 

Baseball Preview

New Angels Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson will lead their team to the World Series. 

Roy Halladay will lead his team to the World Series this year. 

They’re back. Stephen Strasburg, Johan Santana, Buster Posey, Kendrys Morales and more. After a long winter, Baseball is back. For Strasburg, Santana, Posey, and Morales, this season couldn’t have come faster. Strasburg pitched in just five games last year due to a Torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Posey, fractured his left fibula, and missed all but 45 games. Santana and Morales each sat out the whole season. The 2012 season brings a new opportunity for each of these four players. 

So, what happened during the winter? For starters, the Angels spent 500 million to get arguably the best hitter in baseball, and the best pitcher on the free-agent market in Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. As an added bonus, Wilson was the ace of division rival Texas Rangers By adding Pujols, the Angels have an extremely dangerous lineup, and the addition of Wilson, contributes to an already potent starting rotation. These two signings have many thinking the Angels could win their second World Series, and reclaim the division crown. 

The Angels will have some trouble getting back the division crown from the Rangers, however, as they signed Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish. Darvish is expected to replace Wilson in the rotation. The Rangers also have former Angels catcher Mike Napoli, Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, and Nelson Cruz in their lineup. The Angels-Rangers rivalry could be one of the most interesting this season. 

Besides in the AL West, what else happened? The Brewers had some drama. Ryan Braun was accused of taking illegal drugs, and star first baseman Prince Fielder signed with the Tigers, to team with Miguel Cabrera, who is shifting over to third base for the first time since 2007, when he was with the Marlins. 

The Marlins had a spending spree of their own. Adding former White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen, to rejuvenate a franchise that has won more world series titles in their 19 year history, then the Cubs have in the last 104. Owner Jeffery Loria built a lavish new stadium, and added former Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, former White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle, and former Padres closer Heath Bell. The Marlins also renamed themselves, in order to identify with their city. Their new name, the Miami Marlins, has also led to a new logo. 

This season also has added a second wildcard. Both wildcards will have a play-off, with the first place in the wildcard gaining home field advantage in the game. The winner of that game will face the team with the best record. This second wildcard should make for an exciting postseason. Speaking of postseason, see below for play-off predictions! 

Postseason Predictions: 

American League:                                             National League: 

Wild-card Playoff:                                             Wild-card Playoff:

Yankees over Rangers                                      Giants over Marlins

Division Series:                                              Division Series: 

Angels over Yankees                                    Phillies over Giants 

Tigers over Rays                                           Diamondbacks over Reds 

Championship Series:                                Championship Series: 

Angels over Tigers                                       Phillies over Diamondbacks 

World Series: 

Phillies over Angels 

Final Four Preview

Thomas Robinson and Kansas take on Ohio State tomorrow. 

Anthony Davis and the rest of his squad take on Louisville. 

We’re finally here. 64 teams have been eliminated, to leave us with four. These four teams have demonstrated that they are the best in college basketball. From the South region we have Kentucky. Kentucky has beaten everyone this year. Everyone except Indiana, whom they avenged in the Sweet 16, and Vanderbilt, who were eliminated in the third round. They have dominated their opponents in this tournament, beating Western Kentucky, Iowa State, Indiana, and Baylor by at least 12 points. Facing Kentucky, is number four seed Louisville. Louisville has surprised everyone this tournament to become the West Region champs, beating Bradley Beal’s Florida squad. 

In the other matchup, Thomas Robinson and Kansas take on Jared Sullinger and Ohio State. Kansas, which finished with a 27-6 record this season, including a victory over the Buckeyes, who were without their star forward Sullinger. The Jayhawks have won every game in this tournament, but have had to fight in each and every game. The Buckeyes on the other hand, won an East Region, in which despite being the number 2 seed, were predicted to lose. Sullinger along with Aaron Craft have led this strong Buckeye team. 

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals 

The question isn’t if Kentucky can win, it is can they lose? Rick Pitino will attempt to find the answer to this question tomorrow afternoon. Pitino has led his birds a long way, and they did beat the heavily favored Michigan State Spartans and star forward Draymond Green. Louisville is led  by guards Kyle Kuric and Peyton Siva, who average about a third of the team’s points. Also contributing is 6-11 sophomore Gorgui Dieng. Dieng averaged 9 points and 9 boards on the season, as well as 3 blocks. Meanwhile, Coach Calipari and his Wildcats will try to score as much as they can, against a defense that allows just 60 points per game. The Wildcats have averaged 88 points per game this tournament. No team has been able to figure them out, with their five starters, as well as Darius Miller averaging in double figures. The only way for Louisville to beat Kentucky, is to slow them down. Hold Davis to single digits, get him into foul trouble. Unfortunately for Louisville, these things are very hard to do. And as a result of that, their NCAA tournament run will conclude. 

Kentucky over Louisville 

Kansas Jayhawks vs. Ohio State Buckeyes 

Who wants it more? Is it Thomas Robinson, who a year after losing his mother, and two grandparents, is leading Kansas in the final four? Or, is it Ohio State Buckeye Jared Sullinger, who chose to stay in school for another year, and drove his team back to the national semi-finals? Choices, choices. Ultimatley, it will come down to who has the best supporting cast. Or, it could come down to luck, like most NCAA tournament games. The Buckeyes have averaged 77 points per game in this tournament, while the Jayhawks have just scored 67 points per game. So obviously, Kansas needs to slow down the potent attack of William Buford, Sullinger, and Deshaun Thomas. Kansas has a great defense, however. So it won’t be to big of a problem. They have allowed just 58 points this tournament, holding North Carolina to just 67 last week. The Buckeyes have been solid, but not as great as Kansas has been, allowing 65 points per game in this tournament. The bottom line of this game, goes back to who wants it more. Whoever wants it more, is going to get it. If Robinson can get Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson to play hard, and step up, Kansas will romp. But if Sullinger, Buford, and Aaron Craft can play well enough, the Buckeyes will come back to the final. I’m betting on Robinson to reach the title in honor of his mom and grandparents. 

Kansas over Ohio State