In a week of jaw-dropping futility by the top-ranked men's college basketball teams in the country, one stood tall.
Well, Five stood tall.
After #1 Kansas, #2 Ohio State, #3 Texas and #4 Pittsburgh all lost this week, the fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils smothered Georgia Tech, 79-57, in a game that may put the former #1 team back in that slot after the other top contenders' struggles.
Playing in front of their faithfully-energized fan base, on Coach K Court, the Blue Devils had some trouble with the Yellow Jackets' energy and athleticism early, but righted the ship after Coach Mike Kryzewski was fired up on a no-call for a charge and received a technical for arguing. Pumped by their fearless, excellent leader, the Blue Devils swarmed in a long-shooting, post-charging attack that overwhelmed the Jackets.
Naismith Player of the Year candidate Nolan Smith had 28 points and 7 rebounds. Senior Kyle Singler rebounded from the single-lowest scoring output of his career (2 points vs. UVA) with 15 points and added 9 rebounds, and forward Mason Plumlee had 9 points and 9 boards in a game that was over at halftime. Once they righted the ship and had the adrenalien pumping, the Devils led by 9 at the half and raced skyward after that, ending the game with only two of their starters (guard Seth Curry and forward Ryan Kelly) on the floor.
Duke was #1 for the season's opening weeks-coming off a National Championship Game win over Butler-until they lost to conference rival Florida State. A surprisingly tough loss to unranked St. John's sunk them lower, but they've recovered, showing particular tenacity in a gritty win over rival North Carolina at home two weeks ago.
Could they be back at No. 1 when the polls come out tomorrow?
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Woe-for-Four, February 20, 2011
A lot has happened in the 13 days since I last wrote a blog post. A lot.
Duke beat archrival UNC at home, coming from behind in the second half. Super Bowl 45 MVP Aaron Rodgers went to Disney World and threw a pass to David Letterman. Three-time National League MVP Albert Pujols cut off contract negotiations with his current (and only) team, the St. Louis Cardinals, in order to "not be distracted" during spring training and the regular season. Basketball star Carmelo Anthony (of the Denver Nuggets) took Pujols' place as the star-with-future-in-question and has seen his name included in potential deals with the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, including swaps of seven players. Tiger Woods lost another golf tournament. Los Angeles Clippers' star Blake Griffin jumped over a car en route to winning the NBA Slam Dunk Competition. And sixteen-year-old pop idol Justin Bieber knocked down a three-pointer en route to winning NBA Celebrity All-Star Game MVP honors, beating out former Chicago Bulls' great Scottie Pippen in the process.
The Dayton 500 is also in progress. Fan favorite Jeff Gordon is out of commission after an early wreck (Gordon himself is frustrated but unharmed).
But the week's biggest story comes from the world of men's college basketball, where a series of upsets have turned the NCAA Top 25 Rankings (even just the top 5) on its head. After the previously-undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes lost to Wisconsion last week, they took a fall from the number one spot, and Kansas was named #1 in a controversial pick (beating out Texas by a point). But Kansas lost, 84-68, Monday night to archrival Kansas State, who were playing at home and led by Jacob Pullen's career-high 38 points (said Kansas coach Bill Self sarcastically: "Hey, if you look on the bright side, we held them to just 46 points if Jacob didn't play."). While Kansas wiped out Colorado last night, 89-63, its clear they won't be #1 in this week's poll.
But who will? Favorite-to-take-over-with-Kansas-down Texas lost to Nebraska last night, 70-67, with a final three-point attempt clanging off the rim. In all 11 other Big 12 conference games this season, the Longhorns had dominated, with the nation's best defense allowing only one team (Baylor) the honor of losing by less than 10--and Baylor lost by 9.
Before Texas' swoon, the fourth-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers took the floor at a packed Madison Square Garden against the St. John's Red Storm (the team that dealt the current-number-5 Duke Blue Devils their second of the season three weeks ago), and lost, 60-59, on a last-second layup by Dwight Hardy, who had 16 points for St. John's. Hardy drove inside the basket, nearly stepping out of bounds, before a twirling layup that had the eager fans rushing the floor literal seconds later.
And just minutes ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes, with all their major competition knocked out of contention for No. 1, lost to No. 11 Purdue, 76-63, stumped particularly by E'twaun Moore, who had 38 points including Purdue's last 13 of the first half. Buckeyes' freshman star Jared Sullinger had 25 and Ohio State dominated in the paint with their bigger bodies, but Purdue had a raucous home crowd and a locked-in Moore its side. They won with their biggest lead of the night.
It was the first time since November 2003 that the nation's top four teams lost in the same week.
Ohio State, the former No. 1, is now 25-2.
Texas is 23-4.
Kansas is 25-2.
Pittsburgh is 24-3.
And Duke, Coach K's crew, which plays at home tonight against unranked Georgia Tech, is 24-2. Both its losses came against unranked teams (Florida State, then unranked, and St. John's).
Could Duke be No. 1? And if they are, who's second? Third? Fourth?
Quite a week to be a voter.
Duke beat archrival UNC at home, coming from behind in the second half. Super Bowl 45 MVP Aaron Rodgers went to Disney World and threw a pass to David Letterman. Three-time National League MVP Albert Pujols cut off contract negotiations with his current (and only) team, the St. Louis Cardinals, in order to "not be distracted" during spring training and the regular season. Basketball star Carmelo Anthony (of the Denver Nuggets) took Pujols' place as the star-with-future-in-question and has seen his name included in potential deals with the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, including swaps of seven players. Tiger Woods lost another golf tournament. Los Angeles Clippers' star Blake Griffin jumped over a car en route to winning the NBA Slam Dunk Competition. And sixteen-year-old pop idol Justin Bieber knocked down a three-pointer en route to winning NBA Celebrity All-Star Game MVP honors, beating out former Chicago Bulls' great Scottie Pippen in the process.
The Dayton 500 is also in progress. Fan favorite Jeff Gordon is out of commission after an early wreck (Gordon himself is frustrated but unharmed).
But the week's biggest story comes from the world of men's college basketball, where a series of upsets have turned the NCAA Top 25 Rankings (even just the top 5) on its head. After the previously-undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes lost to Wisconsion last week, they took a fall from the number one spot, and Kansas was named #1 in a controversial pick (beating out Texas by a point). But Kansas lost, 84-68, Monday night to archrival Kansas State, who were playing at home and led by Jacob Pullen's career-high 38 points (said Kansas coach Bill Self sarcastically: "Hey, if you look on the bright side, we held them to just 46 points if Jacob didn't play."). While Kansas wiped out Colorado last night, 89-63, its clear they won't be #1 in this week's poll.
But who will? Favorite-to-take-over-with-Kansas-down Texas lost to Nebraska last night, 70-67, with a final three-point attempt clanging off the rim. In all 11 other Big 12 conference games this season, the Longhorns had dominated, with the nation's best defense allowing only one team (Baylor) the honor of losing by less than 10--and Baylor lost by 9.
Before Texas' swoon, the fourth-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers took the floor at a packed Madison Square Garden against the St. John's Red Storm (the team that dealt the current-number-5 Duke Blue Devils their second of the season three weeks ago), and lost, 60-59, on a last-second layup by Dwight Hardy, who had 16 points for St. John's. Hardy drove inside the basket, nearly stepping out of bounds, before a twirling layup that had the eager fans rushing the floor literal seconds later.
And just minutes ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes, with all their major competition knocked out of contention for No. 1, lost to No. 11 Purdue, 76-63, stumped particularly by E'twaun Moore, who had 38 points including Purdue's last 13 of the first half. Buckeyes' freshman star Jared Sullinger had 25 and Ohio State dominated in the paint with their bigger bodies, but Purdue had a raucous home crowd and a locked-in Moore its side. They won with their biggest lead of the night.
It was the first time since November 2003 that the nation's top four teams lost in the same week.
Ohio State, the former No. 1, is now 25-2.
Texas is 23-4.
Kansas is 25-2.
Pittsburgh is 24-3.
And Duke, Coach K's crew, which plays at home tonight against unranked Georgia Tech, is 24-2. Both its losses came against unranked teams (Florida State, then unranked, and St. John's).
Could Duke be No. 1? And if they are, who's second? Third? Fourth?
Quite a week to be a voter.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood, February 7, 2011
That title comes from something I just heard on ESPN, which said that the citizens of Green Bay (there are some 102,000 of them, and many of them have actual ownership shares in the team) have nicknamed their town in honor of the Super Bowl 45 MVP, quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Today the buses rolled through town in a caravan with police cars while thousands cheered and snapped pictures; many players waved and smiled back and took their own pictures. Rumor has it schools let out early and workplaces shut down, and, tomorrow, the official party has been scheduled at the stadium, with tickets selling for just $5. It will surely be a great opportunity for pictures, for heartfelt personal thanks and speeches. It will be a wonderful time of bonding for a city that has not had a championship in 1996 (and lost the NFC Championship Game in heartbreaking overtime fashion in '07 to the New York Giants), and was deeply wounded by the un-retiring, I'm-going-away-now decision of former star and icon Brett Favre. Anyway, time to heal. Rumor has it Favre has apologized recently to Green Bay owner Ted Thompson, or that Thompson apologized to Favre (I'm really not sure which). In any case, they're moving on.
The only problem with any of this? The high in Green Bay tomorrow for this ceremony at Lambeau field is supposed to be 9 degree Farenheit. I hope Mr. Rodgers' friends bundle up.
The only problem with any of this? The high in Green Bay tomorrow for this ceremony at Lambeau field is supposed to be 9 degree Farenheit. I hope Mr. Rodgers' friends bundle up.
The Big Cheese, February 7, 2011
I saw on ESPN early yesterday that the Super Bowl was going to be broadcast in 233 countries, and would also reach 220 US warships around the world.
I heard the unsurprising reports about people waiting outside bars in Green Bay and Pittsburgh, waiting for them to open.
I saw the clips of thousands of people watching the game on large screens outside Cowboy Stadium, having paid $200 to stand in the 40-degree weather and listen to the crowd cheer inside.
I saw the clips of uniformed servicemen and women in Afghanistan watching in a tent.
In church yesterday, the staff member giving announced mentioned each team's name and allowed those in the congregation who wanted to to cheer for their team.
I heard that President Obama watched the game with his wife, Michelle, and some 150 other special friends in the White House.
I know that companies pay $1 million for 30 seconds of airtime during the commercials.
There is nothing quite like the Super Bowl. No, it doesn't quite have the international appeal of the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, but it is, without fail, the most-watched event on television every year. No awards show (Academy Awards, Grammys), talk show (Oprah, Dr. Phil), game show (Jeopardy), series (Lost, 24, Gossip Girl) or reality show (American Idol, Dancing With the Stars) can compete with the Super Bowl. It's bigger than all of them. Same goes with other big sporting events. The Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Finals, the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, any golf or tennis or NASCAR championship event-they all pale compared to the championship game of America's most-watched sport.
Indeed, Super Bowl 44, last year's scintillating contest between the eventual-winner New Orleans Saints, and early-favorite Indianapolis Colts, became the most-watched television event, ever, passing the final episode of MASH in the record books.
There's a lot of glitz and glamour to the Super Bowl. Last night, Christina Aguilera, a Grammy-winning singer who's been popular for at least 12 years, and appeared in a recent Golden-Globe-nominated movie, Burlesque, sang the National Anthem. As you've probably heard, she botched the lyrics. And probably 300 million people saw her do it.
The camera constantly panned to a murderer's row of famous people in attendance at last night's contest in Dallas, including Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, former president George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, actor John Travolta, and actress Cameron Diaz, who was shown feeding highly-paid baseball star boyfriend Alex Rodriguez.
The half-time show was a multi-colored, well-lit splash of energy, where the Black Eyed Peas performed while wearing slick, Tron: Legacy-type suits and dancers in similar garb flooded the field and performed their choreographed movies. R&B star Usher made a guest appearance during the performance to sing with Will.i.AM, and Fergie, the group's only female member, sang a few lines of "Sweet Child of Mine" to the accompaniment of Guns'n'Roses guitarist Slash (Here's the part where I'm thankful that the Peas kept it to their more mainstream hits, like "Pump It", "Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night", "Let's Get It Started" and "Where is the Love", rather than Fergie's risque anthem "My Humps"). The pizzaz of this fifteen-ish minute spectacle, which was greatly enhanced by the dancing and energy of the four main contestants, was a big contrast to the Half-Time Shows of recent years, which have included more classic rock acts like Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, The Who and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
One of the most special moments came when the crowd gave a long impromptu standing ovation to one Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, of the U.S. Army, the first living Medal of Honor winner since the Vietnam War. Giunta, in full dress, was there as a symbol of all servicemen and women at home and abroad.
The commercials were okay. Super Bowl commercials are so widely-lauded from past years and from anticipation that it's always hard to judge them in the moment. This year was a mixed bag, with silly, cheap Doritos commercials mixed with amusing, tongue-in-cheek beer commercials. I thought the best outright commercial was a Dr. House-and-random-little-boy parody of the famous "Mean" Joe Greene Coke commercial. It ended with the boy getting clocked in the head when Dr. House tossed his cane to him as a souvenir (in the original, Mean Joe tosses his jersey to the kid). Some of the other memorable commercials included a small pug knocking down a door to obtain Doritos from a taunting owner, Joan Rivers as a shapely new Godaddy.com girl, Bud Light product placements abounding in a swashbuckling movie scene, a car being transferred from people to aliens and through mystic portals to symbolize its appeal, a cute running chick being accidentally clocked in the head by a Pepsi Max can thrown by a bystander's jealous girlfriend, and a preview for the upcoming, amusingly-titled movie Cowboys & Aliens. One of the clips from the latter got my Uncle Phil to incredulously exclaim: "he jumped off a horse onto a UFO?!"
Yet none of these things could really diminish the quality of the game. It was a back-and-forth contest that, while the Packers never trailed, could easily have been won by the Steelers, who officially lost on an incompletion on 4th & 5 with 49 seconds left, trailing 31-25. There were no major plays that will be forever cemented in Super Bowl lore as in the last three ('07's Eli-Manning-to-David-Tyree's-helmet Miracle, '08's 100-yard interception return for touchdown by James Harrison, '09's 70-yard pick six by Tracy Porter off Peyton Manning), but there was a great deal of excitement, most of it coming from the arms of the two quarterbacks. Folks in Green Bay are familiar with this expression being used in a football context, but Aaron Rodgers proved himself the gunslinger type, unleashing long throws with pinpoint accuracy, including balls just over the shoulder and into the hands of his receivers. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's bull-dog Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl winner, is a pistol-shot who runs around to avoid pressure before letting loose short, quick passes to his troop of receivers. It was when Roethlisberger tried to go long (numerous overthrown or misplaced passes, two crucial interceptions) that he came apart.
To our great fortune, however, whether you're a Steelers' fan or a Packers' fan, the Super Bowl was again a doozy, an easily-watchable contest that came down to the literal final minute and could have gone either way based on the 'coulda' factor of about a dozen plays. There were no big fights, no breathtaking injuries (though both teams, especially the Packers, lost a number of players to small but significant hurts) and some crucial penalties but not an overwhelming number of flying yellow flags.
The big question, for many, is now what to make of Aaron Rodgers. Statistically, he's been climbing the ladder toward the top of the quarterback heap, even in a generation of terrific signal-callers (yesterday's unanimous MVP winner Tom Brady, four-time MVP Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers), and now he has a Super Bowl ring, a Super Bowl MVP award, and many records of his guts and greatness in tough spots. It's assumed that he has now climbed out from the shadow of his Green Bay predecessor, future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre.
There are also question marks on the horizon concerning a potential lockout or strike for this season. After all the excitement of this year (and it was a lot), I know I am far from the only person who would be bitterly disappointed by such an event.
Anyway, Super Bowl 45 has come and gone, and here's what we have: the Packers with their 4th Super Bowl championship, first since '96, the Steelers with just their 2nd loss in 8 appearances in the big game, another quarterback Super Bowl MVP. This year feels a little anti-climactic for me, possibly because the team I was rooting for failed to win for the first time since 2005. But, in any case, with the excitement on the field, the small joy of seeing many recognizable faces indulging in the same pass-time we love, hearing some great music, laughing at random impromptu commercials, and spending time with friends and family, this annual event makes it all worthwhile.
I heard the unsurprising reports about people waiting outside bars in Green Bay and Pittsburgh, waiting for them to open.
I saw the clips of thousands of people watching the game on large screens outside Cowboy Stadium, having paid $200 to stand in the 40-degree weather and listen to the crowd cheer inside.
I saw the clips of uniformed servicemen and women in Afghanistan watching in a tent.
In church yesterday, the staff member giving announced mentioned each team's name and allowed those in the congregation who wanted to to cheer for their team.
I heard that President Obama watched the game with his wife, Michelle, and some 150 other special friends in the White House.
I know that companies pay $1 million for 30 seconds of airtime during the commercials.
There is nothing quite like the Super Bowl. No, it doesn't quite have the international appeal of the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, but it is, without fail, the most-watched event on television every year. No awards show (Academy Awards, Grammys), talk show (Oprah, Dr. Phil), game show (Jeopardy), series (Lost, 24, Gossip Girl) or reality show (American Idol, Dancing With the Stars) can compete with the Super Bowl. It's bigger than all of them. Same goes with other big sporting events. The Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Finals, the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, any golf or tennis or NASCAR championship event-they all pale compared to the championship game of America's most-watched sport.
Indeed, Super Bowl 44, last year's scintillating contest between the eventual-winner New Orleans Saints, and early-favorite Indianapolis Colts, became the most-watched television event, ever, passing the final episode of MASH in the record books.
There's a lot of glitz and glamour to the Super Bowl. Last night, Christina Aguilera, a Grammy-winning singer who's been popular for at least 12 years, and appeared in a recent Golden-Globe-nominated movie, Burlesque, sang the National Anthem. As you've probably heard, she botched the lyrics. And probably 300 million people saw her do it.
The camera constantly panned to a murderer's row of famous people in attendance at last night's contest in Dallas, including Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, former president George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, actor John Travolta, and actress Cameron Diaz, who was shown feeding highly-paid baseball star boyfriend Alex Rodriguez.
The half-time show was a multi-colored, well-lit splash of energy, where the Black Eyed Peas performed while wearing slick, Tron: Legacy-type suits and dancers in similar garb flooded the field and performed their choreographed movies. R&B star Usher made a guest appearance during the performance to sing with Will.i.AM, and Fergie, the group's only female member, sang a few lines of "Sweet Child of Mine" to the accompaniment of Guns'n'Roses guitarist Slash (Here's the part where I'm thankful that the Peas kept it to their more mainstream hits, like "Pump It", "Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night", "Let's Get It Started" and "Where is the Love", rather than Fergie's risque anthem "My Humps"). The pizzaz of this fifteen-ish minute spectacle, which was greatly enhanced by the dancing and energy of the four main contestants, was a big contrast to the Half-Time Shows of recent years, which have included more classic rock acts like Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, The Who and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
One of the most special moments came when the crowd gave a long impromptu standing ovation to one Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta, of the U.S. Army, the first living Medal of Honor winner since the Vietnam War. Giunta, in full dress, was there as a symbol of all servicemen and women at home and abroad.
The commercials were okay. Super Bowl commercials are so widely-lauded from past years and from anticipation that it's always hard to judge them in the moment. This year was a mixed bag, with silly, cheap Doritos commercials mixed with amusing, tongue-in-cheek beer commercials. I thought the best outright commercial was a Dr. House-and-random-little-boy parody of the famous "Mean" Joe Greene Coke commercial. It ended with the boy getting clocked in the head when Dr. House tossed his cane to him as a souvenir (in the original, Mean Joe tosses his jersey to the kid). Some of the other memorable commercials included a small pug knocking down a door to obtain Doritos from a taunting owner, Joan Rivers as a shapely new Godaddy.com girl, Bud Light product placements abounding in a swashbuckling movie scene, a car being transferred from people to aliens and through mystic portals to symbolize its appeal, a cute running chick being accidentally clocked in the head by a Pepsi Max can thrown by a bystander's jealous girlfriend, and a preview for the upcoming, amusingly-titled movie Cowboys & Aliens. One of the clips from the latter got my Uncle Phil to incredulously exclaim: "he jumped off a horse onto a UFO?!"
Yet none of these things could really diminish the quality of the game. It was a back-and-forth contest that, while the Packers never trailed, could easily have been won by the Steelers, who officially lost on an incompletion on 4th & 5 with 49 seconds left, trailing 31-25. There were no major plays that will be forever cemented in Super Bowl lore as in the last three ('07's Eli-Manning-to-David-Tyree's-helmet Miracle, '08's 100-yard interception return for touchdown by James Harrison, '09's 70-yard pick six by Tracy Porter off Peyton Manning), but there was a great deal of excitement, most of it coming from the arms of the two quarterbacks. Folks in Green Bay are familiar with this expression being used in a football context, but Aaron Rodgers proved himself the gunslinger type, unleashing long throws with pinpoint accuracy, including balls just over the shoulder and into the hands of his receivers. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's bull-dog Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl winner, is a pistol-shot who runs around to avoid pressure before letting loose short, quick passes to his troop of receivers. It was when Roethlisberger tried to go long (numerous overthrown or misplaced passes, two crucial interceptions) that he came apart.
To our great fortune, however, whether you're a Steelers' fan or a Packers' fan, the Super Bowl was again a doozy, an easily-watchable contest that came down to the literal final minute and could have gone either way based on the 'coulda' factor of about a dozen plays. There were no big fights, no breathtaking injuries (though both teams, especially the Packers, lost a number of players to small but significant hurts) and some crucial penalties but not an overwhelming number of flying yellow flags.
The big question, for many, is now what to make of Aaron Rodgers. Statistically, he's been climbing the ladder toward the top of the quarterback heap, even in a generation of terrific signal-callers (yesterday's unanimous MVP winner Tom Brady, four-time MVP Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers), and now he has a Super Bowl ring, a Super Bowl MVP award, and many records of his guts and greatness in tough spots. It's assumed that he has now climbed out from the shadow of his Green Bay predecessor, future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre.
There are also question marks on the horizon concerning a potential lockout or strike for this season. After all the excitement of this year (and it was a lot), I know I am far from the only person who would be bitterly disappointed by such an event.
Anyway, Super Bowl 45 has come and gone, and here's what we have: the Packers with their 4th Super Bowl championship, first since '96, the Steelers with just their 2nd loss in 8 appearances in the big game, another quarterback Super Bowl MVP. This year feels a little anti-climactic for me, possibly because the team I was rooting for failed to win for the first time since 2005. But, in any case, with the excitement on the field, the small joy of seeing many recognizable faces indulging in the same pass-time we love, hearing some great music, laughing at random impromptu commercials, and spending time with friends and family, this annual event makes it all worthwhile.
Coming Home, February 7, 2011
Vince Lombardi was a winner.
The former coach of the NFL's Green Bay Packers, he followed up his bluster about winning, winning, winning by leading his Packers' teams to three pre-Super Bowl NFL titles and victories in the first two Super Bowls. Shortly after his sudden death from cancer in 1970, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed in his honor.
Forty-one years after Lombardi's death, Green Bay Packers players hoisted his trophy last night after winning Super Bowl 45, 31-25, with a determined, full-team effort of which the famous coach would surely have been proud.
Said Green Bay quarterback and Super Bowl 45 MVP Aaron Rodgers: "The Lombardi Trophy's coming home."
The Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers last night, February 6, to capture their first championship since 1996.
In what was called one of the most evenly-matched Super Bowls in years, the younger Packers jumped out to a big lead and withstood furious charges from the more experienced Steelers, helped out by three Pittsburgh turnovers that denied that franchise a chance to win a third Super Bowl in six years, and its seventh overall.
The first key turnover was a first quarter pass that fluttered unevenly out of the hand of pressured, falling Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and was snatched out of the air by Green Bay safety Nick Collins, who raced 37 yards for a touchdown, giving the Packers a 14-0 lead just 24 seconds after they had scored their first touchdown.
The second key turnover came midway through the second quarter, with Green Bay up 14-3, when the Steelers drove across midfield but Roethlisberger threw another interception, this once snagged by Jarrett Bush. Three plays later, Aaron Rodgers hit Greg Jennings with a 23-yard touchdown pass that made it 21-3.
The third, and by far most important, turnover came at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when Pittsburgh was trailing by just four (21-17) after seizing momentum coming out of halftime. Sensing the Packers were hurting from having lost several key players (veteran cornerback Charles Woodson, star wide receiver Donald Driver) to injuries, Pittsburgh played aggressively, using 23-year-old running back Rashard Mendenhall as a primary weapon. But on a 2nd & 2 from the Packers' 33-yard-line, Mendenhall was simultaneously hit by two Green Bay defenders, Ryan Pickett and Clay Matthews, and the ball popped loose, skittered across the turf, and ended up in the arms of Green Bay's Desmond Bishop. The Packers seized the opportunity, driving back downfield and scoring on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Jordy Nelson, which made it 28-17.
The Steelers were by no means done, but a graphic that played on the screen at that point showed that teams that lost the turnover ratio of 3-0 or worse were 4-30 all-time in the Super Bowl. Make that 4-31.
On the next possession, the Steelers-who famously matched the Arizona Cardinals blow-for-blow in a fascinating fourth quarter in Super Bowl 43 in 2009, winning in the last minute on a touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes-drove downfield and scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. They went for the two-point conversion without hesitation, and, on a brilliant play fake, Roethlisberger broke left, then flipped the ball to his left, where it was caught by receiver Antwan Randle El, and Randle El broke across the goal line to cut the Packers' lead to 3 (28-25).
However, the Packers would deliver the final blow, getting an accurate 23-yard field goal from Mason Crosby with 2:07 left to make it 31-25. The Steelers tried to race downfield for the touchdown they needed to win, or at least, tie, but came up short, with an incomplete pass on 4th & 5 with 49 seconds remaining sealing their fate.
Another crucial moment in the game came early, when Green Bay scored first, with 3:44 left in the first quarter, on a perfect over-the-shoulder, 29-yard pass from Rodgers to Nelson. And early in the third quarter, Steelers' kicker Sean Suisham missed to the left on a 52-yard field goal attempt that would have cut the deficit to 21-13.
The Steelers missed the chance to become the first team in Super Bowl history to recover to win the game after trailing by more than 10 (they trailed by 18).
It was the first taste of loss in a Super Bowl for Pittsburgh stars Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, and James Harrison.
Rodgers, the game's MVP, was ultimately 24 of 39 for 304 yards and three touchdowns, reaching a quarterback rating of 111.5. His counterpart, two-time Super Bowl-winner Roethlisberger, was 25 of 40 for 263 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a rating of 77.4.
For the winning Packers, Jordy Nelson had 9 catches for 140 yards and 1 touchdown, Greg Jennings had 4 catches for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns, and running back James Starks, who aided the Packers' mightily in the late regular season and postseason after returning from an injury, gained 52 yards on 15 carries to open up the Pittsburgh defense.
At the end of the night, confetti fell, fans cheered, cameras flashed, and the guys who can relate more to the Vince Lombardi Trophy than anyone else lifted it into the night sky. The Green Bay Packers now own four Super Bowl championships.
It's safe to say that all the old coach's talk about winning didn't fall on deaf ears.
The former coach of the NFL's Green Bay Packers, he followed up his bluster about winning, winning, winning by leading his Packers' teams to three pre-Super Bowl NFL titles and victories in the first two Super Bowls. Shortly after his sudden death from cancer in 1970, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed in his honor.
Forty-one years after Lombardi's death, Green Bay Packers players hoisted his trophy last night after winning Super Bowl 45, 31-25, with a determined, full-team effort of which the famous coach would surely have been proud.
Said Green Bay quarterback and Super Bowl 45 MVP Aaron Rodgers: "The Lombardi Trophy's coming home."
The Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers last night, February 6, to capture their first championship since 1996.
In what was called one of the most evenly-matched Super Bowls in years, the younger Packers jumped out to a big lead and withstood furious charges from the more experienced Steelers, helped out by three Pittsburgh turnovers that denied that franchise a chance to win a third Super Bowl in six years, and its seventh overall.
The first key turnover was a first quarter pass that fluttered unevenly out of the hand of pressured, falling Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and was snatched out of the air by Green Bay safety Nick Collins, who raced 37 yards for a touchdown, giving the Packers a 14-0 lead just 24 seconds after they had scored their first touchdown.
The second key turnover came midway through the second quarter, with Green Bay up 14-3, when the Steelers drove across midfield but Roethlisberger threw another interception, this once snagged by Jarrett Bush. Three plays later, Aaron Rodgers hit Greg Jennings with a 23-yard touchdown pass that made it 21-3.
The third, and by far most important, turnover came at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when Pittsburgh was trailing by just four (21-17) after seizing momentum coming out of halftime. Sensing the Packers were hurting from having lost several key players (veteran cornerback Charles Woodson, star wide receiver Donald Driver) to injuries, Pittsburgh played aggressively, using 23-year-old running back Rashard Mendenhall as a primary weapon. But on a 2nd & 2 from the Packers' 33-yard-line, Mendenhall was simultaneously hit by two Green Bay defenders, Ryan Pickett and Clay Matthews, and the ball popped loose, skittered across the turf, and ended up in the arms of Green Bay's Desmond Bishop. The Packers seized the opportunity, driving back downfield and scoring on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Jordy Nelson, which made it 28-17.
The Steelers were by no means done, but a graphic that played on the screen at that point showed that teams that lost the turnover ratio of 3-0 or worse were 4-30 all-time in the Super Bowl. Make that 4-31.
On the next possession, the Steelers-who famously matched the Arizona Cardinals blow-for-blow in a fascinating fourth quarter in Super Bowl 43 in 2009, winning in the last minute on a touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes-drove downfield and scored on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. They went for the two-point conversion without hesitation, and, on a brilliant play fake, Roethlisberger broke left, then flipped the ball to his left, where it was caught by receiver Antwan Randle El, and Randle El broke across the goal line to cut the Packers' lead to 3 (28-25).
However, the Packers would deliver the final blow, getting an accurate 23-yard field goal from Mason Crosby with 2:07 left to make it 31-25. The Steelers tried to race downfield for the touchdown they needed to win, or at least, tie, but came up short, with an incomplete pass on 4th & 5 with 49 seconds remaining sealing their fate.
Another crucial moment in the game came early, when Green Bay scored first, with 3:44 left in the first quarter, on a perfect over-the-shoulder, 29-yard pass from Rodgers to Nelson. And early in the third quarter, Steelers' kicker Sean Suisham missed to the left on a 52-yard field goal attempt that would have cut the deficit to 21-13.
The Steelers missed the chance to become the first team in Super Bowl history to recover to win the game after trailing by more than 10 (they trailed by 18).
It was the first taste of loss in a Super Bowl for Pittsburgh stars Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, and James Harrison.
Rodgers, the game's MVP, was ultimately 24 of 39 for 304 yards and three touchdowns, reaching a quarterback rating of 111.5. His counterpart, two-time Super Bowl-winner Roethlisberger, was 25 of 40 for 263 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a rating of 77.4.
For the winning Packers, Jordy Nelson had 9 catches for 140 yards and 1 touchdown, Greg Jennings had 4 catches for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns, and running back James Starks, who aided the Packers' mightily in the late regular season and postseason after returning from an injury, gained 52 yards on 15 carries to open up the Pittsburgh defense.
At the end of the night, confetti fell, fans cheered, cameras flashed, and the guys who can relate more to the Vince Lombardi Trophy than anyone else lifted it into the night sky. The Green Bay Packers now own four Super Bowl championships.
It's safe to say that all the old coach's talk about winning didn't fall on deaf ears.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Super Excited, February 5, 2010
This time tomorrow night, the Black Eyed Peas will probably be performing, the Pittsburgh Steelers will probably be missing All-Pro rookie center Maurkice Pouncey (who is out with a high left ankle sprain), and Aaron Rodgers will be working on the most prestigious chapter yet of a very promising career.
Today, Target was packed, and, where I work, ground beef and baby back ribs were flying off the shelves. I saw carts full of chips, chicken wings, soda, and beer as people prepared to throw parties for the biggest television event of the year, Super Bowl 45. Last year's Super Bowl, the historic New Orleans Saints defeat of the Indianapolis Colts, edged past the final episode of MASH as the most-watched television program ever, and this year has the makings of a very promising contest.
Consider: the Steelers, what with a history of gridiron badassery (and excellence) and two of the last five Super Bowl championships, are becoming a somewhat newer version of the early '00s New England Patriots, or a football version of the New York Yankees. For that reason, many people are voting against them, voting for the 'underdog' Green Bay Packers. However, that same reason (long-time excellence/success) compels many people to vote for them. At work today, I saw Steelers hats, shirts, sweaters, jerseys, scarves, and even a little Steelers flag on a car antenna. They're popular.
But so are the Green Bay Packers. The Packers haven't been to a Super Bowl since 1998 (loss to the Denver Broncos), which came a year after their last victory, the 1997 win led by some guy named Brett Favre. For the current generation-and probably for the last few as well-the Packers are synonymous with Favre, who has since had a fall from grace including ugly moments in the clutch for the Packers and his new teams, the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings, but also personal/public scandals. Favre is also a bitter word in the mouth of Aaron Rodgers, who has heard about Favre, and heard comparions to Favre, his entire career thus far. Rodgers, who has erupted as an All-Pro player with the highest-ever passing percentage in the playoffs for someone with at least 100 attempts, is the primary reason, I think, for neutral folk to vote for Green Bay. Counterpart Ben Roethlisberger, who has led the Steelers to the '05 and '08 Super Bowl Championships, recently said he admires Rodgers as an athlete, but hopes he doesn't have a good game in Super Bowl 45 for Pittsburgh's sake.
Thus far in the playoffs, Pittsburgh, the AFC's #2 seed, edged past mistake-prone rival Baltimore in the Divisional Round, then held on for dear life in the conference title game against the New York Jets. Green Bay, on the other hand, the NFC's 6 seed, claimed a sound victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, blasted the #1 Atlanta Falcons in a major upset in Atlanta, then suckerpunched the #2 Chicago Bears in Chicago in the NFC Championship. On that basis alone, I'd say Green Bay has the momentum, but after two weeks of just practice, momentum doesn't have a lot to do with anything.
Pittsburgh has six Super Bowl championships; Green Bay has three.
The story of personal and professional redemption for the reviled Roethlisberger (who has been accused of sexual assualt twice in the past year and a half, and missed the first four games of this season on a commissioner-issued suspension) continues, as Big Ben tries to become just the fifth quarterback to win three Super Bowl titles. The other four are Pittsburgh's own Terry Bradshaw, San Francisco's Joe Montana, Dallas' Troy Aikman, and New England's Tom Brady. Unlike any of them, however, Roethlisberger has yet to be named MVP of a Super Bowl, and has actually yet to play very well in a Super Bowl. He has another chance now.
So, tomorrow, some 100 million-plus Americans are going to be gathered around a TV or radio or computer, eating snacks, chugging drinks, talking, laughing, placing bets, and watching the Packers and Steelers go at it. Some will watch for the commercials, some for the half-time show, some because everybody else is watching it, but they'll all be a part of the monumental even that will be Super Bowl 45. The game will be played in Cowboy Stadium-Dallas, Texas-starting at 6:30 p.m.
Today, Target was packed, and, where I work, ground beef and baby back ribs were flying off the shelves. I saw carts full of chips, chicken wings, soda, and beer as people prepared to throw parties for the biggest television event of the year, Super Bowl 45. Last year's Super Bowl, the historic New Orleans Saints defeat of the Indianapolis Colts, edged past the final episode of MASH as the most-watched television program ever, and this year has the makings of a very promising contest.
Consider: the Steelers, what with a history of gridiron badassery (and excellence) and two of the last five Super Bowl championships, are becoming a somewhat newer version of the early '00s New England Patriots, or a football version of the New York Yankees. For that reason, many people are voting against them, voting for the 'underdog' Green Bay Packers. However, that same reason (long-time excellence/success) compels many people to vote for them. At work today, I saw Steelers hats, shirts, sweaters, jerseys, scarves, and even a little Steelers flag on a car antenna. They're popular.
But so are the Green Bay Packers. The Packers haven't been to a Super Bowl since 1998 (loss to the Denver Broncos), which came a year after their last victory, the 1997 win led by some guy named Brett Favre. For the current generation-and probably for the last few as well-the Packers are synonymous with Favre, who has since had a fall from grace including ugly moments in the clutch for the Packers and his new teams, the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings, but also personal/public scandals. Favre is also a bitter word in the mouth of Aaron Rodgers, who has heard about Favre, and heard comparions to Favre, his entire career thus far. Rodgers, who has erupted as an All-Pro player with the highest-ever passing percentage in the playoffs for someone with at least 100 attempts, is the primary reason, I think, for neutral folk to vote for Green Bay. Counterpart Ben Roethlisberger, who has led the Steelers to the '05 and '08 Super Bowl Championships, recently said he admires Rodgers as an athlete, but hopes he doesn't have a good game in Super Bowl 45 for Pittsburgh's sake.
Thus far in the playoffs, Pittsburgh, the AFC's #2 seed, edged past mistake-prone rival Baltimore in the Divisional Round, then held on for dear life in the conference title game against the New York Jets. Green Bay, on the other hand, the NFC's 6 seed, claimed a sound victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, blasted the #1 Atlanta Falcons in a major upset in Atlanta, then suckerpunched the #2 Chicago Bears in Chicago in the NFC Championship. On that basis alone, I'd say Green Bay has the momentum, but after two weeks of just practice, momentum doesn't have a lot to do with anything.
Pittsburgh has six Super Bowl championships; Green Bay has three.
The story of personal and professional redemption for the reviled Roethlisberger (who has been accused of sexual assualt twice in the past year and a half, and missed the first four games of this season on a commissioner-issued suspension) continues, as Big Ben tries to become just the fifth quarterback to win three Super Bowl titles. The other four are Pittsburgh's own Terry Bradshaw, San Francisco's Joe Montana, Dallas' Troy Aikman, and New England's Tom Brady. Unlike any of them, however, Roethlisberger has yet to be named MVP of a Super Bowl, and has actually yet to play very well in a Super Bowl. He has another chance now.
So, tomorrow, some 100 million-plus Americans are going to be gathered around a TV or radio or computer, eating snacks, chugging drinks, talking, laughing, placing bets, and watching the Packers and Steelers go at it. Some will watch for the commercials, some for the half-time show, some because everybody else is watching it, but they'll all be a part of the monumental even that will be Super Bowl 45. The game will be played in Cowboy Stadium-Dallas, Texas-starting at 6:30 p.m.
When Devils Attack, February 5, 2010
Just moments ago, fifth-in-the-nation Duke University (mascot: Blue Devils) clobbered the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 76-52, in a game that was over at halftime, when it was 53-24. Cheered on by thousands of their own rowdy, adoring fans, the defending national champions played great for the better part of two halves, though being so far ahead began to wear on them late. They were led in scoring by senior guard Nolan Smith (20 points), junior forward Mason Plumlee (16 points), and senior forward Kyle Singler (14 points). Duke out-rebounded, out-defended, out-hustled, and out-shot the Wolfpack, sending them to the locker room halfway through hanging and shaking their heads. It was a great way for them to prepare for their big rivalry game on Wednesday, Feb. 9, against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Last year, Duke swept the season series, including a 32-point beatdown at Duke.
Friday, February 4, 2011
LeBron, Pettite, and the NBA All-Stars, February 4, 2010
For fifteen minutes last night in Orlando, the two-time defending NBA MVP was unstoppable. He was reviled far and wide for his decision to leave his hometown and hometown team, for the wording he used to express that he was doing so ("I am taking my talents to South Beach.."), and for the fact that he did it on a one-hour ESPN special called "The Decision", but the reason "The Decision" was even made possible is that the man at the center of last NBA off-season's free-agent frenzy, LeBron James, is quite a basketball player. That, no one disputes.
While working to become more of a team player with his new team, the Miami Heat, what with aiding fellow superstar Dwayne Wade with alley-oop tosses and recently handing win-the-game-with-a-key-shot honors to teammate Eddie House with passes in big moments, James has handled the pressure well, and often played his game. Last night, his game meant something a lot different.
Playing Eastern Conference rival Orlando in their home court, LeBron erupted in the first quarter, setting a personal record by sinking his first 11 shots, and just missing another personal record with 23 points, in the same quarter. Miami would win the game 104-100.
"I was definitely in a zone," James said after the game. "I felt like everything I put up was going to go in and the first eleven did."
After that, six more did (he made 17 of 25 shots on the night, including three 3-pointers). He also had 11 rebounds and 6 assists. But the 51 points, which marked the ninth time in his career he's topped 50 in a game, and was the first time by anyone this season, were the real highlight.
Partner-in-crime D-Wade got hurt during a spectacular fall on his back while going for a lay-up in the second quarter, and his teammates often struggled against big Dwight Howard and the other Orlando players, so LeBron's effort was needed.
Mostly out of interest, yes, in the Miami Heat Big Three, I've watched more NBA basketball this season, and, my watching has gotten my dad watching, which led him to say once "LeBron's got to be the best I've ever seen." Seriously. And this is a guy who saw Dr. J., saw Kareem, saw Karl Malone, saw Magic, saw Bird, saw Jordan, and has seen Kobe, and he nodded to LeBron. That's impressive. Personally, I think he's a very exciting player, with his ability to make any kind of shot, his increasingly selfless ball-handling, and his aggressiveness. Even with Wade on the floor, LeBron cannot, and should not, be ignored. I can tell you now that all the off-season hype, while maybe a little out of proportion, was warranted by the man's skills. People can question his motives and his loyalty to his hometown (if they really want to), but they can't question his skills or his competitiveness.
LeBron, Wade, teammate Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat just started their newest game against the hot Chicago Bulls and their All-Star, Derrick Rose.
Speaking of NBA All-Stars
The votes have been cashed in, and this is what we've got:
Eastern Conference
Starters:
LeBron James, Miami
Dwayne Wade, Miami
Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks
Derrick Rose, Chicago
Dwight Howard, Orlando
Reserves:
Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics (appearing in his record-tying 14th-straight All-Star game)
Paul Pierce, Boston
Ray Allen, Boston
Rajon Rondo, Boston
Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford, Atlanta
Western Conference
Starters:
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
Yao Ming, Houston Rockets (Ming is out for the season with a foot injury; his replacement will be selected by NBA Commissioner David Stern)
Reserves:
Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Manu Ginobli, San Antonio Spurs
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
>>>As you can see, there's a lot more diversity in the western conference, where the Lakers are the big-name team but it's a lot more competitively disparate (the Spurs and Mavericks are currently the best teams in the conference). Meanwhile, in the East, where it's way too easy to name the best teams (Heat, Celtics, Magic), you've got rather fewer different teams being honored. In any case, I don't follow the NBA that much, but I knew almost all of these names at first glance. You've got the classy veterans (Kobe, LeBron, Duncan, Stoudemire, the Celtics' players), the high-rising hotshots (Durant, Howard, Griffin), and a couple of less-familiar names (Westbrook, Williams, Horford). The East has to be the favorite for the game, considering the star power it's wielding, but any Kobe-led team that also has Durant, the NBA's leading scorer, can never be counted out.
Pettite Steps Down
After 16 years, five World Series championships, three All-Star games, 240 career wins and a place as part of one of the most cherished eras in the most cherished franchise in sports, left-handed pitcher Andy Pettite, 38, is walking into the sunset to spend more time with his family.
The New York Yankees, his employer for 13 of his 16 seasons (he spent 2004-2006 with the Houston Astros), had waited patiently but eagerly to hear his decision all winter after he pitched well for half of 2010 (making the All-Star team in the process), got hurt in the second half, then pitched well enough in the playoffs to excite the Yankees for the prospect of 2011. But, instead, Pettite, who was reportedly not harrassed or pressured by Yankees' management at all during his decision-making process, has decided to call it quits.
First, there's the fact that this hurts the Yankees. It hurts them emotionally, yes, as Pettite, whose best feats were all in pinstripes, was a member of the Core Four (the other Three being Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada) who was around for all five of the most recent Yankee championships, and had stuck with the team through thick and thin. As a Yankee, Pettite piled up 203 wins (third-most all time for New York), and a 19-10 postseason record (those 19 wins are a Major League Baseball postseason record). But it also hurts the Yankees because, once they were spurned by left-handed ace Cliff Lee (who pitched against them in the playoffs and listened to their offers before joining an already-legendary Philadelphia Phillies' pitching staff), they hung their hopes on Pettite, because, other than ace lefty C.C. Sabathia, their rotation has a lot unproven or uneven talent, and Pettite was a stalwart.
Pettite had been working out and staying in shape, but he reportedly said it's not his body or age that's holding him back; it's his spirit. He just doesn't believe he has the competitive fire anymore. He's not yearning to pitch, and that is a sign.
Growing up an Orioles fan and more recently being a fan of the Red Sox and Rays (see: teams that beat Yankees), I've viewed Pettite often as a villain. I've have heard that he's a family man, a great teammate, a true Christian. He did confess to using Human Growth Hormone to recover from an injury after his name appeared in the Mitchell Report of 2007.
One of my main memories of Pettite, though, for better or worse, is seeing him spit blood on the mound after taking a Cal Ripken Jr. line drive to the face back in 1997 or 98 (I'm not sure which it was). I remember he had to leave the game, and the Orioles eventually won (surprising, isn't it?). But he was a fierce competitor, and a major reason why the Yankees have been so successful for fifteen years (and a major reason why the Astros have made a World Series; the '05 Fall Classic). He was also a good guy, and he's someone I'll always identify with the Yankees.
While working to become more of a team player with his new team, the Miami Heat, what with aiding fellow superstar Dwayne Wade with alley-oop tosses and recently handing win-the-game-with-a-key-shot honors to teammate Eddie House with passes in big moments, James has handled the pressure well, and often played his game. Last night, his game meant something a lot different.
Playing Eastern Conference rival Orlando in their home court, LeBron erupted in the first quarter, setting a personal record by sinking his first 11 shots, and just missing another personal record with 23 points, in the same quarter. Miami would win the game 104-100.
"I was definitely in a zone," James said after the game. "I felt like everything I put up was going to go in and the first eleven did."
After that, six more did (he made 17 of 25 shots on the night, including three 3-pointers). He also had 11 rebounds and 6 assists. But the 51 points, which marked the ninth time in his career he's topped 50 in a game, and was the first time by anyone this season, were the real highlight.
Partner-in-crime D-Wade got hurt during a spectacular fall on his back while going for a lay-up in the second quarter, and his teammates often struggled against big Dwight Howard and the other Orlando players, so LeBron's effort was needed.
Mostly out of interest, yes, in the Miami Heat Big Three, I've watched more NBA basketball this season, and, my watching has gotten my dad watching, which led him to say once "LeBron's got to be the best I've ever seen." Seriously. And this is a guy who saw Dr. J., saw Kareem, saw Karl Malone, saw Magic, saw Bird, saw Jordan, and has seen Kobe, and he nodded to LeBron. That's impressive. Personally, I think he's a very exciting player, with his ability to make any kind of shot, his increasingly selfless ball-handling, and his aggressiveness. Even with Wade on the floor, LeBron cannot, and should not, be ignored. I can tell you now that all the off-season hype, while maybe a little out of proportion, was warranted by the man's skills. People can question his motives and his loyalty to his hometown (if they really want to), but they can't question his skills or his competitiveness.
LeBron, Wade, teammate Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat just started their newest game against the hot Chicago Bulls and their All-Star, Derrick Rose.
Speaking of NBA All-Stars
The votes have been cashed in, and this is what we've got:
Eastern Conference
Starters:
LeBron James, Miami
Dwayne Wade, Miami
Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks
Derrick Rose, Chicago
Dwight Howard, Orlando
Reserves:
Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics (appearing in his record-tying 14th-straight All-Star game)
Paul Pierce, Boston
Ray Allen, Boston
Rajon Rondo, Boston
Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford, Atlanta
Western Conference
Starters:
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
Yao Ming, Houston Rockets (Ming is out for the season with a foot injury; his replacement will be selected by NBA Commissioner David Stern)
Reserves:
Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Manu Ginobli, San Antonio Spurs
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
>>>As you can see, there's a lot more diversity in the western conference, where the Lakers are the big-name team but it's a lot more competitively disparate (the Spurs and Mavericks are currently the best teams in the conference). Meanwhile, in the East, where it's way too easy to name the best teams (Heat, Celtics, Magic), you've got rather fewer different teams being honored. In any case, I don't follow the NBA that much, but I knew almost all of these names at first glance. You've got the classy veterans (Kobe, LeBron, Duncan, Stoudemire, the Celtics' players), the high-rising hotshots (Durant, Howard, Griffin), and a couple of less-familiar names (Westbrook, Williams, Horford). The East has to be the favorite for the game, considering the star power it's wielding, but any Kobe-led team that also has Durant, the NBA's leading scorer, can never be counted out.
Pettite Steps Down
After 16 years, five World Series championships, three All-Star games, 240 career wins and a place as part of one of the most cherished eras in the most cherished franchise in sports, left-handed pitcher Andy Pettite, 38, is walking into the sunset to spend more time with his family.
The New York Yankees, his employer for 13 of his 16 seasons (he spent 2004-2006 with the Houston Astros), had waited patiently but eagerly to hear his decision all winter after he pitched well for half of 2010 (making the All-Star team in the process), got hurt in the second half, then pitched well enough in the playoffs to excite the Yankees for the prospect of 2011. But, instead, Pettite, who was reportedly not harrassed or pressured by Yankees' management at all during his decision-making process, has decided to call it quits.
First, there's the fact that this hurts the Yankees. It hurts them emotionally, yes, as Pettite, whose best feats were all in pinstripes, was a member of the Core Four (the other Three being Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada) who was around for all five of the most recent Yankee championships, and had stuck with the team through thick and thin. As a Yankee, Pettite piled up 203 wins (third-most all time for New York), and a 19-10 postseason record (those 19 wins are a Major League Baseball postseason record). But it also hurts the Yankees because, once they were spurned by left-handed ace Cliff Lee (who pitched against them in the playoffs and listened to their offers before joining an already-legendary Philadelphia Phillies' pitching staff), they hung their hopes on Pettite, because, other than ace lefty C.C. Sabathia, their rotation has a lot unproven or uneven talent, and Pettite was a stalwart.
Pettite had been working out and staying in shape, but he reportedly said it's not his body or age that's holding him back; it's his spirit. He just doesn't believe he has the competitive fire anymore. He's not yearning to pitch, and that is a sign.
Growing up an Orioles fan and more recently being a fan of the Red Sox and Rays (see: teams that beat Yankees), I've viewed Pettite often as a villain. I've have heard that he's a family man, a great teammate, a true Christian. He did confess to using Human Growth Hormone to recover from an injury after his name appeared in the Mitchell Report of 2007.
One of my main memories of Pettite, though, for better or worse, is seeing him spit blood on the mound after taking a Cal Ripken Jr. line drive to the face back in 1997 or 98 (I'm not sure which it was). I remember he had to leave the game, and the Orioles eventually won (surprising, isn't it?). But he was a fierce competitor, and a major reason why the Yankees have been so successful for fifteen years (and a major reason why the Astros have made a World Series; the '05 Fall Classic). He was also a good guy, and he's someone I'll always identify with the Yankees.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Around the Basketball World, February 1, 2010
It was a notable night in hoops of college and professional importance as one team finished January without winning a single game, and one young lady made an 86-foot one-handed buzzer-beater to make headlines everywhere.
Cleveland Woes
The Cleveland Cavaliers knew they were in for a rough go of it when superstar LeBron James left to join an All-Star lineup in Miami, but they surely didn't expect this.
- They're the first team to 40 losses this year, doing so with just 8 wins besides.
- They've lost 21 straight games, just two off the dubious mark shared by the 95-96 Vancouver Grizzlies and the 97-98 Denver Nuggets.
- They went the entire month of January without a win, which is an NBA record (no wins in a whole month).
The Cavaliers were beaten 117-90 last night by James and his Miami teammates, James scoring 24 points and wingman D-Wade scoring 34 to lead the night.
"I have nothing bad to say about the players I left, and the team," James said afterwards. "I wish the organization the best."
His new organization, the Heat, improved to 34-14 win the win, 2 1/2 games behind the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Dunk-A-Thon
The Los Angeles Clippers, once rumored to be a possible destination of LeBron's, beat the Milwaukee Bucks 105-98 last night, and did so in acrobatic fashion. Six-foot-ten, 251-pound power forward Blake Griffin scored 32 points and added 11 rebounds for his 39th double-double of the year, which included several of his trademark monster dunks. Teammates like Randy Foye (20 points), Baron Davis (18), and DeAndre Jordan (16) gave big contributions, often in whirling, leaping style, to help the 19-28 Clippers creep closer to the .500 mark.
Feeling Melo
The New Jersey Nets brushed off memories of the woulda-coulda trade for small forward star Carmelo Anthony that fell through last month with a 115-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets, Anthony's current team. Melo put up 37 points and added 9 rebounds in an impressive performance, but the Nets as a team forced 16 turnovers, shot 60 percent from three-point range, and outrebounded the Nuggets 38-27.
Duking with Duke
I recently wrote about the sudden struggles of the Duke University men's team, a fabled former-No.1 squad under beloved coach Mike Kryzewski, who endured a beating from St. John's a few nights ago, but I didn't shed any light on the undefeated, number-three-in-the-nation women's Duke squad.
The light looks a little dimmer this morning, after the Lady Blue Devils were taught a lesson in streaking from someone to ought to know about it, the #2-ranked Connecticut Huskies, whose record 90-win streak ended on Dec. 30 in a loss to Stanford. All told, Duke's first loss came at a 87-51 score, with UCONN All-American Maya Moore starring with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. The win was UCONN's 9th straight since their big streak was ended. Both teams trail #1-overall Baylor.
THE SHOT
Individual honors are often shunned by top-level athletes in favor of wins, but Stephanie 'Quatro ' Quattrociocchi' of the University of the Cumberlands might have to make an exception.
Last night, while playing at home in front of a small crowd and against Campbellsville University, Quatro took an in-bounds pass with seven seconds left, reared back and heaved a side-arm, uppercut shot that flew down the court and miraculously shot through the rim on the other side, an amazing 86-feet away, as the first-half buzzer rang.
"I was really lucky," Quatro said of the shot, which got a standing ovation and sent her teammates running to her for high-fives. "Maybe like this once out of 50 times I could maybe come close. I just turned and threw it."
It has been named ESPN's Play of the Week.
"When it went in, it was shocking," Quatro said, commenting that she and her teammates "goof around" with miracle shots during practice, but always quit before their coaches come in, "I had to turn around and ask if it went in."
Unfortunately, not every shot by Quatro and her teammates had such accuracy and success, as they lost the game 73-60.
"It was my dream when I was a kid to be on ESPN," Quatro told reporters Monday morning. "I didn't think it would happen, especially not like this."
Cleveland Woes
The Cleveland Cavaliers knew they were in for a rough go of it when superstar LeBron James left to join an All-Star lineup in Miami, but they surely didn't expect this.
- They're the first team to 40 losses this year, doing so with just 8 wins besides.
- They've lost 21 straight games, just two off the dubious mark shared by the 95-96 Vancouver Grizzlies and the 97-98 Denver Nuggets.
- They went the entire month of January without a win, which is an NBA record (no wins in a whole month).
The Cavaliers were beaten 117-90 last night by James and his Miami teammates, James scoring 24 points and wingman D-Wade scoring 34 to lead the night.
"I have nothing bad to say about the players I left, and the team," James said afterwards. "I wish the organization the best."
His new organization, the Heat, improved to 34-14 win the win, 2 1/2 games behind the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Dunk-A-Thon
The Los Angeles Clippers, once rumored to be a possible destination of LeBron's, beat the Milwaukee Bucks 105-98 last night, and did so in acrobatic fashion. Six-foot-ten, 251-pound power forward Blake Griffin scored 32 points and added 11 rebounds for his 39th double-double of the year, which included several of his trademark monster dunks. Teammates like Randy Foye (20 points), Baron Davis (18), and DeAndre Jordan (16) gave big contributions, often in whirling, leaping style, to help the 19-28 Clippers creep closer to the .500 mark.
Feeling Melo
The New Jersey Nets brushed off memories of the woulda-coulda trade for small forward star Carmelo Anthony that fell through last month with a 115-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets, Anthony's current team. Melo put up 37 points and added 9 rebounds in an impressive performance, but the Nets as a team forced 16 turnovers, shot 60 percent from three-point range, and outrebounded the Nuggets 38-27.
Duking with Duke
I recently wrote about the sudden struggles of the Duke University men's team, a fabled former-No.1 squad under beloved coach Mike Kryzewski, who endured a beating from St. John's a few nights ago, but I didn't shed any light on the undefeated, number-three-in-the-nation women's Duke squad.
The light looks a little dimmer this morning, after the Lady Blue Devils were taught a lesson in streaking from someone to ought to know about it, the #2-ranked Connecticut Huskies, whose record 90-win streak ended on Dec. 30 in a loss to Stanford. All told, Duke's first loss came at a 87-51 score, with UCONN All-American Maya Moore starring with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. The win was UCONN's 9th straight since their big streak was ended. Both teams trail #1-overall Baylor.
THE SHOT
Individual honors are often shunned by top-level athletes in favor of wins, but Stephanie 'Quatro ' Quattrociocchi' of the University of the Cumberlands might have to make an exception.
Last night, while playing at home in front of a small crowd and against Campbellsville University, Quatro took an in-bounds pass with seven seconds left, reared back and heaved a side-arm, uppercut shot that flew down the court and miraculously shot through the rim on the other side, an amazing 86-feet away, as the first-half buzzer rang.
"I was really lucky," Quatro said of the shot, which got a standing ovation and sent her teammates running to her for high-fives. "Maybe like this once out of 50 times I could maybe come close. I just turned and threw it."
It has been named ESPN's Play of the Week.
"When it went in, it was shocking," Quatro said, commenting that she and her teammates "goof around" with miracle shots during practice, but always quit before their coaches come in, "I had to turn around and ask if it went in."
Unfortunately, not every shot by Quatro and her teammates had such accuracy and success, as they lost the game 73-60.
"It was my dream when I was a kid to be on ESPN," Quatro told reporters Monday morning. "I didn't think it would happen, especially not like this."
Biggest Game of His Life, February 1, 2010
Just moments ago, 26-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers took a seat at a makeshift podium in Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, TX as one of the major attractions of an annual event, Super Bowl Media Day. With nearly 5,000 credentialed media members braving the icy conditions and alleged 19-degree temps in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Area, the newcomer with a veteran air spoke to the press.
He wore his #12 Packers jersey, a yellow Packers baseball cap set backwards on his head, with a rolled-up towel draped around his neck, and looked quite relaxed, personally greeting reporters, cracking small jokes and laughing with them while also giving small insights on his life. He grew up watching Joe Montana lead the 49ers to four Super Bowls, he grew up in a Christian home, and hopes to embody the immortal words of Saint Francis of Assissi: "Preach the gospel at all times and, when necessary, use words." He said his family is coming to town on Thursday, and said everyone has said the same thing: "Enjoy media day." He added that one of the keys to keeping himself mentally and emotionally even-keeled was treating the game, the preparation for the game, and the entire week the same as any game during the regular season. He said the entire Packers team has strove for their normalcy.
Rodgers missed two games to a concussion this season, which caused him to miss (albeit barely) the 4,000-passing yards plateau for the first time since he became the Green Bay starter when Brett Favre left after the 2007 season. For 2010, Rodgers amassed 3,922 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and a passer rating of 101.2. He also rushed for 356 yards and four touchdowns.
Rodgers, who is as close as he'll ever be (aside from winning a Super Bowl--it would be the Green Bay franchise's fourth) to climbing out of the shadow of future Hall-of-Famer Favre, said he sought advice from former Super Bowl-winning QBs Steve Young and Kurt Warner, and said he and his teammates watched, among other things, film of the 2008 Super Bowl that was won by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rodgers' 2010 Super Bowl opponent. He did specify that he thought it far more important to watch film of Steelers' games from this season rather than that memorable Pittsburgh victory over the Cardinals.
"I grew up in southern California, watching the 49ers win four Super Bowls. I've been dreaming of this since I was a kid." -Aaron Rodgers
The Packers boast NFL Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Clay Matthews on defense, and wide receiver stars Greg Jennings and Donald Driver on offense, but Rodgers is indisputably the Packer's main weapon and the main reason they've reached the title game. He will be the primary target of the Steelers' hallowed defense, which includes Defensive Player of the Year winners Troy Polamalu (2010), James Harrison (2008) and stalwart Lamaar Woodley, among others. Rodgers will, of course, be squaring off against Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl-winner who is widely known for his ability to scramble, avoid tackles, and make plays late. The two quarterbacks have been called the best in the NFL at improvising.
The Super Bowl is set for Sunday, February 6, and 6:30 p.m. in Cowboy Stadium.
He wore his #12 Packers jersey, a yellow Packers baseball cap set backwards on his head, with a rolled-up towel draped around his neck, and looked quite relaxed, personally greeting reporters, cracking small jokes and laughing with them while also giving small insights on his life. He grew up watching Joe Montana lead the 49ers to four Super Bowls, he grew up in a Christian home, and hopes to embody the immortal words of Saint Francis of Assissi: "Preach the gospel at all times and, when necessary, use words." He said his family is coming to town on Thursday, and said everyone has said the same thing: "Enjoy media day." He added that one of the keys to keeping himself mentally and emotionally even-keeled was treating the game, the preparation for the game, and the entire week the same as any game during the regular season. He said the entire Packers team has strove for their normalcy.
Rodgers missed two games to a concussion this season, which caused him to miss (albeit barely) the 4,000-passing yards plateau for the first time since he became the Green Bay starter when Brett Favre left after the 2007 season. For 2010, Rodgers amassed 3,922 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and a passer rating of 101.2. He also rushed for 356 yards and four touchdowns.
Rodgers, who is as close as he'll ever be (aside from winning a Super Bowl--it would be the Green Bay franchise's fourth) to climbing out of the shadow of future Hall-of-Famer Favre, said he sought advice from former Super Bowl-winning QBs Steve Young and Kurt Warner, and said he and his teammates watched, among other things, film of the 2008 Super Bowl that was won by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rodgers' 2010 Super Bowl opponent. He did specify that he thought it far more important to watch film of Steelers' games from this season rather than that memorable Pittsburgh victory over the Cardinals.
"I grew up in southern California, watching the 49ers win four Super Bowls. I've been dreaming of this since I was a kid." -Aaron Rodgers
The Packers boast NFL Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Clay Matthews on defense, and wide receiver stars Greg Jennings and Donald Driver on offense, but Rodgers is indisputably the Packer's main weapon and the main reason they've reached the title game. He will be the primary target of the Steelers' hallowed defense, which includes Defensive Player of the Year winners Troy Polamalu (2010), James Harrison (2008) and stalwart Lamaar Woodley, among others. Rodgers will, of course, be squaring off against Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl-winner who is widely known for his ability to scramble, avoid tackles, and make plays late. The two quarterbacks have been called the best in the NFL at improvising.
The Super Bowl is set for Sunday, February 6, and 6:30 p.m. in Cowboy Stadium.
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