Championship Games/Kobe/Miami (Ad)Vice

Hey ya'll....i'll be short and sweet for this sports weekend:

NFL:

Like ive been saying since the beginning of the playoffs (Facebook advocates, testify to this if you can), it's going to be NYJ vs GB Packers (sorry southside Chi) with the Jets taking it all.

NBA: Kobe

Unlike most of the country who were ready to write Kobe off and the Lakers after they were handled on Christmas, I wasn't one of those cats.

I've seen this movie before...Last year Kobe lost to Lebron and the Cavs on Christmas Day and hobbled his way to the playoffs on a bad foot...Then out of nowhere Kobe drank from the fountain of youth and the LakeShow won their 2nd consecutive championship.

Kobe has a reserve tank despite the wear n tear and miles on those legs. He gets to the rack when he wants too despite preferring and falling in love with the Jay. Not ready to commit and pronounce them champions (i have a slew of intangibles and superstitions regarding that, i'll expand another time).

NBA: Miami (Ad)Vice

Remember this past summer when the Miami Heat totally depleted their team in order to recruit their star-powered nucleus; and their (heat organization) speculation and hopes would be that other players in the league would want to play with them?

Well it seems as if the Heat are the badguys of the league, and despite them not being the defending the champs, and have turned in to the most hated, targeted team with the biggest target on their back.

So if everyone is gunning for them, who will they add in the future to make a title team? Haslem and Mike Miller are prototypical role/blue collar players; but who else will play? He may not jump off the screen when you watch an NBA game, but free-agent Matt Barnes wouldve been a great piece to the Heat's puzzle. Remember in 06 when the Warriors upset top ranked Dallas? I vividly remember Steve Jackson, Baron Davis, Al Harrington and Matt Barnes running those fools. I remember Barnes running more then a few breaks...now imagine inserting him in the Heat fastbreak with Wade/Lebron on the wings waiting for the finish? I believe that's how you'd maximize on Lebron's and Wade's athletic ability....Lebron is looking like the same old pointforward in Cleveland that pounds the ball up and down the court getting offense off of 1 on 1 isolation plays and picks.

Just my thoughts people. Have a great , safe and blessed weekend.

His Story

‎My good friend Rev. (soon to be Dr.) Richard C. Flippin reminded me that JFK was sworn in today 50 yrs ago. Then I remembered JFK was cool, but LBJ signed the Civil Rights bills. Just like Lincoln emancipated the slaves, but only to weaken the South's economy. And this the dude Obama is always bigging up. I saw a lot of photoshopped MLK/O'bama pics this week commemorating Dr. King ...but did O'Bama big up MLK after he was nominated?

NFC Playoffs (Divisional Round)

Green Bay vs Atlanta

We Red-ay….We Red-ay….We Red-ay…..We Red-ay…it's all about dem Dirty Birds Shawtay! Is what my inner Atl-ien voice is saying, but my voice of reason is telling me the Packers!

Relax, my voice of reason vastly differs from conventional and accepted forms of reasoning. For instance, common sense would suggest pick the home team, especially in the playoffs. Logic would imply that Matt Ryan is virtually unbeatable in the Georgia Dome (20-2) , the Falcons ALREADY beat this Packers team THIS YEAR at the Dome, and the Falcons are the best team in the NFC overall this year.

That's why it's all too good to be true. The subplot of this contest features the productivity of each team's respective quarterbacks. I love Matty Ice and what he represents, but I have him just 1 year behind Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers in terms of progression and success. Both qb's found themselves trying to (and successfully) replace bigger then life qb's (Vick and Favre) while establishing their own identity. With that said, I think Rodgers is on fire and is extremely confident in beating the team I thought would beat the Falcons anyway (Vick and the Eagles).

PACKERS 33 Falcons 24

Seahawks vs Bears

Like the Clash of the Titans run by Marshawn Lynch against the Saints, the Hawks win vs New Orleans was an aberration.

Yeah, yeah, yeah the defending SuperBowl champ hasn't won a playoff game in several years, but no one saw Seattle's inept and anemic offense erupting for 41 points against the same Saints defense that beat Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning in succession last year to win the title.

The thrill is gone for the Hawks this week in the Windy City. The Bears!

BEARS 34 Seahawks 6

AFC PLAYOFFS (DIVISIONAL ROUND)

Baltimore vs Pittsburgh

Even though this powerhouse matchup falls in the playoffs, this game seems a little pre-mature. With the cast of characters and history between these two teams, this game was built more for a championship game or SuperBowl then a divisional game. But it is what it is.

How can I pick a team to win when they are spitting images of each other. When these two collide, throw out all stats, winning streaks and numbers out the door. In a rivalry game, anything can happen. This game is more of Maximus (Gladiator) vs Leonitus (300) or Rambo vs. Commando.

But in my ultimate vision, I see Baltimore coming out of this game. I'm rooting for Blitzburgh (I love the coach and I rock w Big Ben), but in the bigger picture of things, I see Baltimore vs NY Jets in the championship game. Too much symmetry: Baltimore deflated the Jets in week 1, and its the return of former Ravens def coordinator Rex Ryan.

RAVENS 23 Steelers17

NY Jets vs NE Pats

Thanks to Rex Ryan and Co., the Jets game is the marquee matchup of the weekend for the second week in a row. First of all, anyone who knows me knows how much I love the Univ of Michigan and all of its legendary players. In most cases (96% of the time) I'm rocking with Tom Brady. But this matchup has too much of a backstory and underlined theme.

And we know what it is: Ryan vs Billichick. Ryan vs the Pats. Brady vs the Jets D. Call me superstitious but I think the signs and symmetry favor Gang Green. Why? In the crazy mind of Dice, it all started in pre-season, when the Jets were featured on HBO's Hard Knocks. Yeah true most of the teams who are featured on that show don't bode well, but the Jets Hard Knocks was a completely different animal. Viewers were witness to the Rex Ryan formula and swag. Plus , I'm not overly sold on three featured skills players on the Patriots who are under six feet ( danny moorehead, deign branch, and wes welker).

Yes Brady has won three rings before with blue-collar, no name offensive teams before; but he never went against Ryan in the playoffs. (*Billichick this, Billichick that….bla bla bla....the Pats blew the Jets 45-3 last matchup? bla bla bla)

JETS 29 Pats 20

NFL Playoff Picks: Wild Card Round (NFC)

NFC wild-card round

SATURDAY, JAN. 8
	No. 5 New Orleans Saints (11-5) at No. 4 Seattle Seahawks (7-9) Qwest Field, 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC
SUNDAY, JAN. 9
	No. 6 Green Bay Packers (10-6) at No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) Lincoln Financial Field, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX

Saints vs Seahawks

If you read my prediction in the Chiefs/Ravens game, you saw that I listed Seattle as a place where the home crowd can really affect the outcome of the game. But when your team is offensively feeble, dry and impotent at best, how enthused and loud do you expect the crowd to be? Starting (and injured) qb is a shell of himself, the running game is non-existent, and their star receiver (coming off a breakthrough year) was labeled a bust for the most part of his career.

I'm not really in love with the Saints this year and despite going 11-5, it seemed as if they went 5-11 compared to last year. Of course the offensive numbers dropped off and plummeted with the key losses to running backs Ivory, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush the early part of the season. Brees quietly threw for 30+ td passes this year, but their offense wasnt nearly as explosive compared to last season. If the Seahawks (7-9 division champs) had any offensive threat to complement their potential raucous crowd, I'd go with Seattle in an upset. But they don't.

SAINTS 27 Seahawks 10

Packers vs Eagles

Oh boy, now we're talking prime-time. This is when my sports prognostication is truly tested and things get a little hazy. This is when I truly have to separate my mind from my heart and my objectiveness is truly challenged. On the surface, you want to go with and root for the redemption story in Mike Vick and the Eagles. But the Eagles loss to this very same Packers team at home earlier this year, and Vick played the majority of that game!

Of course that was the same game the Packers knocked Kevin Kolb out of his starting position and gave way to Vick, but does it really matter? Vick had a good game, but they still lost. Granted, you could argue if Vick started that game, the complexion of the game wouldve been different (as well as the outcome). But I'd counter with, "the Packers game planned for Kolb not Vick, and Vicks play caught them off-guard."

Bottom line is this: It's Aaron Rodgers vs Philly's porous defense juxtaposed with Mike Vick vs Green Bay's stout defense. Rodgers is an upper echelon qb with a great touch, zip, and accuracy to his ball. He has great intangibles (leadership, cool under pressure, confident) coupled with a knack to make right mental decisions. Vick is an athletic freak that possesses that "x" factor: run for an 80 yard td or pass for one anytime. If you ask me who do I like or who's better, Vick or Rodgers, I'm reluctantly going with Vick RIGHT NOW. But I may favor Rodgers vs Philly's dee over Vick facing Green Bay's dee (Heisman winner/Def player of the year C Woodson, Pro-bowl safety Collins, DT BJ Radji, and possibly this year's Def Player of the Year Clay Matthews).

**************THIS COULD BE THE WEEKEND'S UPSET GAME, I REPEAT THIS COULD BE THE WEEKENDS UPSET GAME******************

My mind is telling me Green Bay, but my heart is telling me Vick. Always bet on black.

EAGLES 34 Packers 31

NFL Playoff Picks: Wild Card Round (AFC)

AFC wild-card round

SATURDAY, JAN. 8
	No. 6 New York Jets (11-5) at No. 3 Indianapolis Colts (10-6) Lucas Oil Stadium, 8 p.m. ET, NBC
SUNDAY, JAN. 9
	No. 5 Baltimore Ravens (12-4) at No. 4 Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) Arrowhead Stadium, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Jets vs Colts

Even though the Colts have home-field advantage in this matchup and are technically the higher seed, if the Colts win I feel like that's the upset! Peyton and bunch have basically been in the playoffs since week 13 (when they were 6-6) fighting for life just to make the second season. Many people are saying this is an off year for the great Peyton Manning (interceptions, dropoff in wins), but considering the injuries and number of players making their NFL debut this season, this may have been Manning's BEST year in just keeping the team intact, as division winners, and hosting a first round game.

But their opponent are the Jets. HBO's Hard Knock Jets. The same self-annointed/proclaimed Jets led by their fearless coach, Rex Ryan. I like the way Rex called Peyton out and aired Brady out this week, but I fear they may have fueled and motivated the Colts. They always say "Don't make checks your ass can't cash"; well there must be a lot of gwop in that Jets locker-room, and I'm a Rex Ryan believer. LT's rejuvenated season kind of teetered off, Sanchez is coming off injury, and the secondary looks more vulnerable then ever. With that said I'm going with the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets in a fairly one-sided decision.

JETS 27 Colts 17

Ravens vs Chiefs

The KC Chiefs had a great regular season and should be commended. They came out of nowhere and sustained consistency despite having a no non-sense formula. What was that formula? A solid defense with an old school, traditional, smash-mouth football running offense.

Jamal Charles (on my fantasy team this year) finished second in the league in rushing yards this year despite not even starting for his own team! The starter, Thomas Jones, maybe a better fit for this kind of game against the Ravens. Baltimores dee isn't quite as dominant as in yesteryear, but they instill fear and intimidation behind their heart and soul Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed and DL Haloti Ngota.

In some NFL stadiums, the crowd can really affect the opponent and the games outcome (ie Seattle and their "12th" man). Arrowhead Stadium in KC is one of those type stadiums, but I don't think that'll be enough to derail Baltimore. QB Matt Cassell is still fairly fresh off an apendectomy and if he doesn't play well, that trickles down to the rest of the team. I don't think it's going to be a blowout, but the Ravens will find a way to pull it out and render the Chiefs to say "Nevermore."

RAVENS 24 Chiefs 20

YOUNG and the Restless

Vince Young was released by the Titans yesterday and is no longer Tennessee's starting quarterback. The news was recently rumored to happen earlier this week, but now that it has happened, I'm mildly shocked.

Why? Well because inside the circles of the Titans brass and ownership it was no secret that team owner Bud Adams highly favored Young. He was even quoted ("VY is my guy") to show his allegiance to Vince leading up to the 2006 draft. If anything you would think Jeff Fisher, the leagues longest tenured coach with one team, wore out his welcome and would be the one to leave if given the choice.

Precedence has been set in the NBA that players run the league and have major influence in the General Management office (think Magic getting Paul Westhead fired in the 80s, Isiah engineering the Mark Aguire for Dantley trade, etc). Even in the NFL, high profile players have some latitude and seniority when it comes to business decisions. Usually, the highest of those high profile players are quarterbacks. When John Elway was drafted by the Colts in 1983 and refused to play there, he got his wish (his rights were subsequently traded to Denver). Years later he didn't get along with then Broncos Head Coach Dan Reeves and it was Reeves who got the pink slip! Even in the contemporary NFL, organizations are prone to rock with the "franchise" quarterback opposed to the coach when their team falls on hard times.

And what were the hard times in Nashville? A sensitive quarterback who exposed his thin skin under controversy a couple of years ago when the home team boo'd him; an immature young man get in a fight outside of a strip club; rumors of alleged suicide; habitual tardiness to team meetings. I can't say those are the qualities you look for in a franchise qb, but Hov told us this: men lie, women lie, numbers don't. And the numbers for Young are very impressive: 30-17 as a starting quarterback, 2 pro-bowl appearances, a playoff appearance, Rookie of the Year and he's still in his prime at the ripe age of 27! Conversely Jeff Fisher, who I previously said was the longest tenured coach in the NFL---that's saying a lot in these fickle, musical chairs days of head coaches----doesn't have much to brag about. Yeah he's the all-time winningest coach in franchise history, but when you've been there since 1994, what do you expect? He doesn't have a Super-Bowl ring and save for one year, really hasn't threatened deep into the playoffs. Allegedly he's a stand-up guy and player's coach but my eyes have shown me differently in his mis-management of Vince Young. I saw a coach reluctantly accept Young as his quarterback and never fully commit to him and show support. He smashed an already fragile ego with Vince in his darkest hours and hung him out to dry numerous times (ie leaking behind the scene details and negative information to the media).

Maybe a new start and scenery will be refreshing for Vince Young. Hopefully he'll regroup and focus on what's important, which is being responsible and a leader on/off the field. That's what franchise qb's do (Brady, Manning---Roethlisberger is a different animal) It's very seldom you see both the head coach and quarterback get the boot, but this time maybe different.

DAMAGE CONTROL

Okay, so the smoke is starting to clear surrounding the bomb dropped on national TV last July in the form of "The Decision." And interestingly enough the person who's doing the most reparation in the explosion's aftermath is the person who detonated it in the first place, Lebron James.

Of course we're well beyond the stages of diffusing the bomb but the recent winning and dominant play on the basketball court by the King himself has definitely bought time, lightened the load and justified (to a certain degree) his journey to Miami.

And to chronicle the genesis of his on-court resurrection, ironically it all began in Cleveland or the " scene of the crime." In facing his ex-team, city and organization for the first time since his summer exodus, Lebron put on a display not many that are playing or have played could manage to pull off. In an overwhelmingly dominant, emotional, but short effort (his services were only needed for 3 quarters in Miami's blowout) he was able to off-set, absorb and stand-up to every chant, boo, slur and epithet hurled from the hostile crowd (I know they heard Jay-Z's track "Reminder" running in their minds overtime Lebron was able to immediately make them quiet w/ a three-pointer or jump-shot swish). Even if you still didn't like Lebron after that game, you had to respect him.

The show didn't stop there of course as the win in Cleveland proved to galvanize the team's chemistry issues and serve as a catalyst for a massive winning streak. One of those wins came against the Knicks in a pseudo-"HomeComing" in New York. If you could only hear and listened to the games at Cleveland and New York, you'd be stymied to differentiate the home crowds. Rejected and heartbroken Knicks fans boo'd mercilessly every time he touched the rock and Lebron went un-phased. Final outcome in that game? Blowout in Madison Square Garden thanks to a triple-double by the "honorary degree" New Yorker. Next stop: Tinseltown.

Christmas Day against the defending champion Lakers. In cementing his reputation (in my mind) as the best performer in a "big" game that's NOT in a playoff series, he exposed Kobe's age and a disappointing listless LakeShow on a grand stage. Whispers in circles around the NBA/hood/work were finally starting to favor Lebron's way. You can't please everyone and I'm sure that's not Lebron's intention. But as an acute businessman, he's aware and cognitive that fan disapproval can damage his brand and inevitably affect his commerce. No he won't be dunking for burgers anytime soon, but every dollar counts.

And with that said, wouldn't it be a fantastic idea on Lebron's behalf to ENTER the 2011 DUNK CONTEST? It wouldn't have to be for the Benjamin's per se, but in a grand gesture of good will to the fans who wants answers or apologies. It would be a blanketed and non-verbal message to all the fans, critics, advocates and pundits. Being the historian of hoops that Lebron is, he knows anyone that was once considered to be the best player in the league have also won the dunk contest (i.e. Dr. J, Mike, Kobe). That has to gnaw at him.

But that's where theory meets reality. When skipping the dunk contest became en vogue by marquee players, urban legend suggested players being noncommittal because they didn't see monetary bonuses when the shoe they wore during the contest increased in sales and popularity. The common excuse nowadays is that the exhibition is a toll on the body and it's too much wear and tear. The REAL reality for Lebron this year would be the white elephant in the room; umm the light skin elephant: Blake Griffin.

It hasn't been a lot or lately that Lebron isn't the best anything on the court, but Blake Griffin competing in the Contest threatens that. If you had to back me against a corner right now and ask me who would win in a dream dunk contest matching Blake and Lebron, I would reluctantly say Blake. But the overall show and electricity that these two could generate would render no losers. A lot of healing and forgiveness from the fans would transpire if he committed to dunk contest. The issue for Lebron I guess, is sacrificing his ego (a potential loss of the battle to win the war). He's doing that now on a team level, I'm wondering if he's willing to do that individually. Stay tuned.