Now that the LeBachelor is over, can anybody smell fresh cut turf in the air? I think football season is right around the corner and who in their right mind couldn't be excited. With the Jazz as quiet as the Germans on Victory Day in WWII I turn my mindset to football season. I've come to the conclusion that the Jazz just don't have the you know what to pull off a big deal so it's best to block that part of my life out at the moment (That was written at 6 p.m. yesterday, hello AL JEFFERSON!.)
Now this portion of the NFL Preview just concentrates on the AFC West. Kansas City Chiefs, Denver "America's Real Team" Broncos, the Al Davis Zombies or the Oakland Raiders, and the San Diego Chargers featuring DB of the year Philip Rivers. If you read the above passage about the Broncos and thought "Chris must be a Broncos fan," than you just received two points. With that being said, the Broncos aren't the best team in their division. If you continue reading below you will see what my predictions are for the AFC West are for this season. If you have stopped reading, well then to hell with you.
1. San Diego Chargers - 10 -6 - 1st Place
I can't think of a man I hate more than Philip "My throwing motion is a seizure" Rivers but he is the best quarterback in the AFC West. With that said, that isn't saying much when you are up against Matt Cassel, Kyle "I drink a 5th of scotch a day for breakfast" Orton, and Jason Campbell. The Charges let LaDanian Tomlinson walk in the off-season, and it was a smart move. He's up there in age, his stats are deteriorating and he already has a Jets tattoo on his leg. Even though Jamal Williams missed most of last season due to a season ending injury, I think the Chargers will miss that presence in the middle more than they know. I was shocked to see them trade Antonio Cromartie and now Shawne Merriman is also holding out. With that being said, the Chargers seem to find a way to start slow and then at the right time turn it on. I think Darren Sproles will have a solid year if he can stay healthy. At 5'6" and not able to ride all of the rides at Disneyland, it could take a vicious toll on the running back. I am interested to see how their rookie from Fresno St Ryan Matthews pans out, he could be a steal. Vincent Jackson could also be a distraction if he isn't signed or moved before the season starts. I expect the Chargers to win the division this year, and this will be the most painful think you'll ever hear me admit. It's like sticking a knife in my side Rambo style.
2. Denver Broncos - 8-8 - 2nd Place
The Broncos didn't do themselves any favors by trading probably the best wide receiver in football in Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins but we all know Josh McDaniels is preaching team. They released Andra Davis with a handful of other defensive players in a move to get younger on that side of the ball. Champ Bailey definitely isn't what he used to be and Brian Dawkins is a year older but shows he can still knock people's heads off. Picking up Jamal Williams to stop the run will be huge if he can stay healthy. Offensively we've seem some new additions. Demaryius Thomas is going to have to have a huge year and when I mean huge I mean as big as Kirstie Alley's rear end. An Amber Alert was issued for Eddie Royal and it appears he is still on the team so as well will have to have a huge year. I said McDaniels will make an impact in his 3rd year and I'm sticking by hit. Denver will compete for the division will fall off towards the latter part of the year and will miss the playoffs.
3. Kansas City Chiefs - 6-10 - 3rd Place
I really do like the decision the Chiefs are going and it's in the opposite direction of Charlie Weis belt size (yes readers are saying you have no room to talk.) I think Matt Casel will be a good solid quarterback, he won't lose you games but he's not the type that will go out and win you games. Larry "The Cancer" Johnson is no longer there and it's the Jamal Charles show. Hopefully Dwayne Bowe will not be suspended for games this year because other wise, there offense could be really good. It's all about the Chiefs defense. If they can somehow figure out how to stop a nose bleed than they could be the darkhorse but I still feel they are two years away from contention. Got to like what Todd Haley is doing at Arrowhead though.
4. Oakland Raiders - 4-12 - 4th Place
The Al Davis Zombie's quite possible could be the worst sports franchise in the past 10 years other than the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the roster moves they made this year it doesn't appear it isn't likely to change this year. I do like the move they made at quarterback bringing in Jason Campbell and getting rid of the spokesman for Popeyes Chicken in Jamarcus Russell. (Note: JaMarcus Russell will go down as the biggest draft bust in the history of the NFL and he does have the biggest bust size as well.) The Raiders draft picks have notably been bad (See Darius Heyword Bey) but this year I like the Rolando McClain draft pick. He is somebody that will come in right away make the defense better. Nnamdi Asomugha is still the best kept secret in the league. I'd give my left arm to have him trade places with Champ Bailey. The Raiders still don't have enough weapons and their quarterback Campbell will have some up and downs this year. Look for them to be competitve though.
The AFC West will shape up as a tight race at first with the Chargers winning the division and them getting blown out in the playoffs is usual. It's like Groundhogs Day all over again.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Free Agents - Winners & Losers - And Who got screwed
At about 3 this afternoon I was sitting in a training class for work and found out through Twitter that Carlos Boozer would be signing a 5 year deal worth 80 million dollars with the Chicago Bulls. I won't lie, I about shat myself while in that class. An immediate thought was "Who in their right mind would pay Carlos "Swinging Door" Boozer 16 million a year?" How about a franchise that missed out on Wade, Bosh, Stoudemire, and possibly LeBron? This is a disaster signing for Chicago, in 3 years mark my words, the Bulls will be shopping Boozer's contract. He's 28, he's already missed almost 30% of the games he's played in, and tell me a power forward that has gotten better and healthy after age 30? Smart move by the Utah Jazz by not signing Boozer, the Paul Millsap era begins in Salt Lake City.
Another thought popped into my head, if you were a GM of an NBA team right now, who are max players that you'd throw money at to entice to come? Let's go through different level of players that deserve max money, some who deserve under the max, and some who are just flat out overpaid.
Tier 1 - I'll sell my house, soul, mortgage, wife, kids, & be your slave to come here!
LeBron James - The most exciting player to enter the league in the past 20 years, hell even 30 years. He throws down dunks that leave fans crapping in their huggies, the ultimate teammate, and did I mention he's only 26? If he develops a killer attitude, polishes his jump shot, and we could be having the conversation of being one of the greatest of all-time.
Dwayne Wade - A proven winner who plays for a franchise that basically gave him a broke down Jermaine O'Neal, a rehab specialist in Michael Beasley, Helen Keller, Stephen Hawking, and Dwayne Wade as a starting lineup. Anytime you are kicking the ball out to Chris Quinn and Mario Chalmers for 3 you have serious issues. The funny thing is that he lead the Miami Heat to a 5th seed in the playoffs losing to the Boston Celtics. Add Chris Bosh to this mix, a couple of sharp shooters, a true point guard, and the Miami Heat are a legit contender next year. Oh and one more thing, LeBron doesn't announce his decision until tomorrow, what if he signs with Miami? Excuse while I run and change my pants.
Kevin Durant - Durant acknowledged today that he signed an extension for 5 years 86 million dollars and the kid is worth every penny. The youngest scoring champion since MJ is seriously lethal from anywhere on the floor and is one of the most underrated defenders in the league. Can you imagine if the Portland Trailblazers took Durant over Greg Oden and his personal porn image? Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Kevin Durant, Lamarcus Aldridge, and myself and we'd be pushing 60 games. Scary, thank heavens the Trailblazers are like the Oakland Raiders.
Kobe Bryant (Signed extension) - At 33, Kobe is still the best player in the NBA. He and Wade are the only two players that if they smell blood they will gouge you. As you saw this year, when Kobe is rested and healthy, he still dominates. The best player in the world since MJ retired. I know he went 6 for 24 in the NBA finals but he's also one of the best defenders in the league.
Dwight Howard (Not a FA) - This was a stretch for me but Dwight Howard changes a game so much. If Howard finds a way to polish his offensive skills, we could be looking at one of the best NBA players to play the game. He blocks shots, has shoulders the size of a Peterbuilt Diesel, he doesn't cuss, and he dunks over people. Mark my words, if this kid gets polished offensively, he will dominate, and I mean DOMINATE!
Carmelo Anthony - The best pure scorer in the NBA right now. He either punishes you on the block or takes you out on the perimeter with his money mid-range jumper. Only downfall about Carmelo is A.) He loves weed B.) He his a head case. You get those two issues out of the way and I'd take Carmelo any day of the week and twice on Sunday. He has an extension waiting from the Nuggets for 65 million over 3 years.
Tier 2 - OK, we like what you bring to the table, but why do you deserve this much?
Chris Bosh - So the big question is what has Chris Bosh won to deserve max money? He doesn't deserve max money but he got it anyways from the Miami Heat. He has a losing record in the NBA and has shown that he can't carry a team. He'll match up perfectly with Dwayne Wade where he will be the Robin which is exactly his role. Only problem is I don't think you should pay Robin 16 million a year. Miami was desperate to keep Wade though.
Joe Johnson - 119 million over 6 years for getting your team to the playoffs and being swept gets you this payday. Don't get me wrong, I love Joe Johnson, one of my favorite players in the league, but 119 million? Do you understand how many Jr Bacon Cheeseburgers that is from Wendy's? No way is Joe Johnson worth 119 million but like Miami, Atlanta was desperate. I was thinking more along the lines of 6 year 96 million was better or even 6 years 92 million. But 119 million? In 4 years when he's 32 and starts slowing down there will be Atlanta fans doing ecstasy, cocaine, and screwdrivers. You think the Michael Vick thing was bad, you just wait.
Dirk Nowitzki - He's in the same category as Chris Bosh. He needs someone else to help him win. We've seen his choke jobs in Dallas, his drunk picture with Steve Nash, and him call out Dwayne Wade by saying "Dallas gave the finals away to Miami." Actually Dirk, you gave the finals away, member those two free throws you missed to ice the game? Ouch.
Paul Pierce - The difference between Pierce and other listed here is that he's won a title. But he also had a supporting cast to surround him. Kicking the ball out to Ray Allen for 3 is not like kicking the ball out to Jose Calderon. You may as well kick it out to me for three because I'm just lethal. You can't deny Pierce though, he does have a title.
Tier 3 - Ok, you bent us over the counter, we are stuck with you for 5 years.
Amare Stoudemire - Eye injury, microfracture surgery, and a bad attitude usually gets you nowhere. If you are Amare Stoudemire, it gets you a 5 year deal worth 100 million dollars. (Just a sec while we get Knicks fans to put down the Jack Daniels.) I feel bad for the Knicks, dealing with the Isiah Thomas debacle just crippled their franchise and just made another bad move. Amare is 27 and power forwards don't get better after 30 but you are stuck paying the guy 20 million a year. Can anyone say Jermaine O'Neal, Kevin Garnett territory? I can. Here's how that convo went down with the Knicks and Amare.
Knicks : Ok Amare if you can go ahead and sign on the X here. This guarantees you 100 million over the next 5 years. And once you are done signing here, I'm going to go ahead and spread my legs so you can kick me in the balls.
Amare : Happily!
Carlos Boozer - He's missed 30% of his games the last 6 seasons, he disappears in all but one big game, (Game 7 of 2007 playoffs vs Houston) he sits out big games, is a selfish player and is nicknamed by my good friend Jeff Jensen as Carlos "Swinging Door" Boozer but got 16 mil a year. The Bulls were desperate to show LeBron that they've added talent to entice him to Chicago. Like Amare, Boozer is 28, and power forwards don't get better after 30. So a guy that's already missed 30% of his games in his mid-20's is all of a sudden going to stay healthy starting in his 30's? That's about as funny as Obama spending the stimulus money on abandoned bridges in Alabama.
I'm OK with the Jazz letting Boozer walk. They potentially just rid themselves of a terrible contract for a power forward heading for the down part of his career and doesn't play any sort of defense.
Let the Paul Millsap era begin in Salt Lake City!
Another thought popped into my head, if you were a GM of an NBA team right now, who are max players that you'd throw money at to entice to come? Let's go through different level of players that deserve max money, some who deserve under the max, and some who are just flat out overpaid.
Tier 1 - I'll sell my house, soul, mortgage, wife, kids, & be your slave to come here!
LeBron James - The most exciting player to enter the league in the past 20 years, hell even 30 years. He throws down dunks that leave fans crapping in their huggies, the ultimate teammate, and did I mention he's only 26? If he develops a killer attitude, polishes his jump shot, and we could be having the conversation of being one of the greatest of all-time.
Dwayne Wade - A proven winner who plays for a franchise that basically gave him a broke down Jermaine O'Neal, a rehab specialist in Michael Beasley, Helen Keller, Stephen Hawking, and Dwayne Wade as a starting lineup. Anytime you are kicking the ball out to Chris Quinn and Mario Chalmers for 3 you have serious issues. The funny thing is that he lead the Miami Heat to a 5th seed in the playoffs losing to the Boston Celtics. Add Chris Bosh to this mix, a couple of sharp shooters, a true point guard, and the Miami Heat are a legit contender next year. Oh and one more thing, LeBron doesn't announce his decision until tomorrow, what if he signs with Miami? Excuse while I run and change my pants.
Kevin Durant - Durant acknowledged today that he signed an extension for 5 years 86 million dollars and the kid is worth every penny. The youngest scoring champion since MJ is seriously lethal from anywhere on the floor and is one of the most underrated defenders in the league. Can you imagine if the Portland Trailblazers took Durant over Greg Oden and his personal porn image? Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Kevin Durant, Lamarcus Aldridge, and myself and we'd be pushing 60 games. Scary, thank heavens the Trailblazers are like the Oakland Raiders.
Kobe Bryant (Signed extension) - At 33, Kobe is still the best player in the NBA. He and Wade are the only two players that if they smell blood they will gouge you. As you saw this year, when Kobe is rested and healthy, he still dominates. The best player in the world since MJ retired. I know he went 6 for 24 in the NBA finals but he's also one of the best defenders in the league.
Dwight Howard (Not a FA) - This was a stretch for me but Dwight Howard changes a game so much. If Howard finds a way to polish his offensive skills, we could be looking at one of the best NBA players to play the game. He blocks shots, has shoulders the size of a Peterbuilt Diesel, he doesn't cuss, and he dunks over people. Mark my words, if this kid gets polished offensively, he will dominate, and I mean DOMINATE!
Carmelo Anthony - The best pure scorer in the NBA right now. He either punishes you on the block or takes you out on the perimeter with his money mid-range jumper. Only downfall about Carmelo is A.) He loves weed B.) He his a head case. You get those two issues out of the way and I'd take Carmelo any day of the week and twice on Sunday. He has an extension waiting from the Nuggets for 65 million over 3 years.
Tier 2 - OK, we like what you bring to the table, but why do you deserve this much?
Chris Bosh - So the big question is what has Chris Bosh won to deserve max money? He doesn't deserve max money but he got it anyways from the Miami Heat. He has a losing record in the NBA and has shown that he can't carry a team. He'll match up perfectly with Dwayne Wade where he will be the Robin which is exactly his role. Only problem is I don't think you should pay Robin 16 million a year. Miami was desperate to keep Wade though.
Joe Johnson - 119 million over 6 years for getting your team to the playoffs and being swept gets you this payday. Don't get me wrong, I love Joe Johnson, one of my favorite players in the league, but 119 million? Do you understand how many Jr Bacon Cheeseburgers that is from Wendy's? No way is Joe Johnson worth 119 million but like Miami, Atlanta was desperate. I was thinking more along the lines of 6 year 96 million was better or even 6 years 92 million. But 119 million? In 4 years when he's 32 and starts slowing down there will be Atlanta fans doing ecstasy, cocaine, and screwdrivers. You think the Michael Vick thing was bad, you just wait.
Dirk Nowitzki - He's in the same category as Chris Bosh. He needs someone else to help him win. We've seen his choke jobs in Dallas, his drunk picture with Steve Nash, and him call out Dwayne Wade by saying "Dallas gave the finals away to Miami." Actually Dirk, you gave the finals away, member those two free throws you missed to ice the game? Ouch.
Paul Pierce - The difference between Pierce and other listed here is that he's won a title. But he also had a supporting cast to surround him. Kicking the ball out to Ray Allen for 3 is not like kicking the ball out to Jose Calderon. You may as well kick it out to me for three because I'm just lethal. You can't deny Pierce though, he does have a title.
Tier 3 - Ok, you bent us over the counter, we are stuck with you for 5 years.
Amare Stoudemire - Eye injury, microfracture surgery, and a bad attitude usually gets you nowhere. If you are Amare Stoudemire, it gets you a 5 year deal worth 100 million dollars. (Just a sec while we get Knicks fans to put down the Jack Daniels.) I feel bad for the Knicks, dealing with the Isiah Thomas debacle just crippled their franchise and just made another bad move. Amare is 27 and power forwards don't get better after 30 but you are stuck paying the guy 20 million a year. Can anyone say Jermaine O'Neal, Kevin Garnett territory? I can. Here's how that convo went down with the Knicks and Amare.
Knicks : Ok Amare if you can go ahead and sign on the X here. This guarantees you 100 million over the next 5 years. And once you are done signing here, I'm going to go ahead and spread my legs so you can kick me in the balls.
Amare : Happily!
Carlos Boozer - He's missed 30% of his games the last 6 seasons, he disappears in all but one big game, (Game 7 of 2007 playoffs vs Houston) he sits out big games, is a selfish player and is nicknamed by my good friend Jeff Jensen as Carlos "Swinging Door" Boozer but got 16 mil a year. The Bulls were desperate to show LeBron that they've added talent to entice him to Chicago. Like Amare, Boozer is 28, and power forwards don't get better after 30. So a guy that's already missed 30% of his games in his mid-20's is all of a sudden going to stay healthy starting in his 30's? That's about as funny as Obama spending the stimulus money on abandoned bridges in Alabama.
I'm OK with the Jazz letting Boozer walk. They potentially just rid themselves of a terrible contract for a power forward heading for the down part of his career and doesn't play any sort of defense.
Let the Paul Millsap era begin in Salt Lake City!
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