Author Archive
8.06.10 4:04 pm by Alex, Brian and Pat
Football season is right around the corner, and we are more than ready. Brian, Pat, and I (Alex), have decided to release power rankings for each week of the NFL season, as a means of stimulating discussion and keeping track of the rise and fall of teams during the 2010 season. Here’s how it works: the three of us rank all the teams 1-32 and we average him out and then we write a sentence or two about what’s been going on with each team. To make that part easier, we’ve divided up the divisions, and we’ll each be “covering” those divisions for the entire year. The breakdown is as follows:
- Alex – AFC North, NFC East
- Brian – AFC East, AFC South, AFC West
- Pat – NFC North, NFC South, NFC West
So, check it out, leave a comment, or hit us up on our respective Twitter accounts and call us out on our biases. (more…)
Posted in NFL, Power Rankings | View Comments
7.21.10 7:16 pm by Alex and Pat
UPDATE: This post was a hit, so we’ve put posters of these logos up for sale. Check it out and order one; they’re awesome.
Logos are all around us and we associate many different thoughts and feelings when we see one. Catching a glimpse of the McDonald’s arches may remind you that you could use some food, seeing the neon glow from a Budweiser bar sign could inspire you to pick up a case, spotting the Playboy bunny on the magazine rack at the gas station might provoke you to…you get the picture.
A good logo is essential for any company, as it is a visual representation of the business and it’s no different when it comes to sports logos. Some are just bad and really don’t make much sense, while others are iconic and have withstood the test of time. While NBA team logos seem to change all the time, the official seal of the NBA has been with us since 1972. The logo is a silhouette of NBA legend Jerry “Mr. Clutch” West who played for the Los Angeles Lakers. (can put logo/west pic here if you want)
Some have discussed changing the logo to honor another player, but there hasn’t been much serious talk as it is such a well marketed and recognizable logo already. None of that, however, is stopping The Sports Geeks from coming up with a few potential new logos for David Stern to consider. They may not represent the finest moments in NBA history, but they certainly are memorable. (more…)
Posted in Featured, Images, NBA | View Comments
7.11.10 5:07 pm by Pat
After the unprecedented (and unnecessary) live special on ESPN where LeBron told the world whom he would be suiting up for next season, the ensuing fallout and chatter on TV and online has been like nothing I have ever seen before. Twitter is full of tweets about LeBron ranging from ecstatic to murderous and everything in between. Every analyst has a take on the situation. Other NBA stars are chiming in including Kobe Bryant. Over the last few hours I’ve come to the conclusion that there is simply no way to really sort through all of this in a respectable amount of time, let alone one day. There is a lot still up in the air, such as who is going to be the supporting cast, so while the biggest question has been answered, there are still several smaller decisions which will have a big impact on the future of the Miami Heat and the NBA as a whole. For this article, I’m going to list some of the common thoughts and analysis that I’ve heard and either agree or disagree with the statements.
“The people of Cleveland and Ohio in general have every right to be mad”
I agree, absolutely they do. Had LeBron simply released a statement to the press informing them of his decision, then their anger would have seemed a bit over the line. But for Cavs fans and the organization itself to find out through an hour long attention seeking fest wasn’t right. I’m glad the proceeds went to charity and all, but this was a marketing attempt through and through and both LeBron James and ESPN had dollar signs in their eyes.
That being said, let’s keep it in perspective people. I hope no violence comes about because of this, but people burning LeBron’s jersey in the street is a bit over the top. LeBron didn’t commit a crime, he didn’t get caught with drugs, he wasn’t involved in a bar room brawl, yet people are reacting as if he did all of these in the same night.
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Posted in NBA | View Comments
7.02.10 8:17 pm by Pat
Now that the NBA playoffs are over and we are still a few months away from significant baseball games, many a sports fan decides to turn his or her attention to the upcoming NFL season and its conjoined twin, fantasy football! Chances are if you’ve glanced at a magazine rack at the grocery store or browsed a bit on ESPN.com then you’ve already seen some fantasy football coverage. It’s really not surprising, considering there are estimates that the fantasy sports industry has a three to four billion dollar impact with American football being one of the biggest contributors. If you’re a fantasy football season veteran or an eager first timer, there are certain things every fantasy football player should know. Whether or not these guidelines were passed down from the heavens is up for debate, but nonetheless here are…
The 10 Commandments of Fantasy Football
Not afraid to take a QB in round one.
1: Thou shall know league rules
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Posted in Fantasy, Featured, Lists, NFL | View Comments
6.02.10 9:32 pm by Pat
LA vs Boston once again! Sorry LeBron, but we are about to witness, for the second time in three years, one of the best rivalries in all of sports. In 2008 the Celtics embarrassed the Lakers in a game six blowout and several Lakers admit that it still stings when they think about it. If you’ve read anything about the series so far, undoubtedly you’ve heard people compare and contrast the 2008 versions of these teams with the current version. A few differences in personnel here and there, but the core of both teams is still intact.
If you’ve read any of my prior NBA related article, it’s no secret that I am neither a Laker fan nor a Kobe Bryant fan. But, for this article I’m going to try my best to set aside my bias (did I mention I’m a lifetime KG fan?) and write my analysis from a neutral perspective, as much as possible. If you want bias, you can look to a known Celtics fan Bill Simmons and follow his tweets during the finals or you can read this article by Charley Rosen who wrote a very Laker friendly preview this week. Not to go on a tangent, but at least Bill Simmons doesn’t try to hide his bias. Charley Rosen called Derrick Fisher the “best position-defender at point” without adding a “…just kidding” afterwards. A quick peek at his Wikipedia page revealed that he was an assistant to Phil Jackson during his CBA days in the 1980′s and co-authored a book with him. We’re on to you Charley.
Anyway, instead of writing a match-up review or an elaborate prediction detailing how I came to my conclusion, I’m going to try something different. I’m going to do a brief write up on what I would do if I were coaching either team. I’ll provide my prediction after my team by team plan so I can go on record with my guess. I’ve been horribly wrong so far, so I can’t really lose at this point.
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Posted in NBA | View Comments
5.24.10 1:44 pm by Pat
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (and possibly even if you have been), the topic of topics these days in the world of sports is anything LeBron James related. I don’t know if it’s sad or good for the NBA that this summer’s upcoming free agency period is more hyped than the playoffs that are still in progress. Everybody has an opinion on where LeBron should go, what type of teammates he needs, and what place puts him in the best position to win rings. I figure I might as well contribute to the cesspool of rumors and half-truths with my own two cents on the topic.
First off, I’ll detail what I think would be the perfect teammate scenario for LeBron James. Obviously what he had in Cleveland was good enough to dominate the regular season but lacking for the playoffs. The blame game has gone around and around, and I am not absolving LeBron of any of it. The star players gets the credit for the win, so he gets the heat for the loss too. That being said, I think that the people around him were less than ideal. I should note that I have heard the rumors that LeBron had the veto power for Cleveland’s personnel decisions, and if that is the case he has effectively proven he could not be a GM in the league. I’m guessing there is some truth to this rumor considering the fact that after Braylon Edwards, then Cleveland Brown wide receiver, got traded out of Cleveland the week after he got into a fight with some of LeBron’s friends outside of a nightclub. That’s some real life Tony Soprano type power right there.
There are endless options in terms of combinations of teammates to surround LeBron with, but I have a few must haves. First, LeBron needs a player who is a proven outside scorer who can both catch and shoot and create his own shot at times. This player needs to be a threat will the ball basically anywhere on the court and can’t be ignored if defenses hope to key in on LeBron. Ideally this player wouldn’t demand a lot of time with the ball necessarily (ie – a dribbler who likes to isolate), but would still get a high number of shots thanks to LeBron’s tendency to dish out assists.
The second must have teammate would be a big, athletic center who can collect the garbage around the rim. LeBron gets a lot of close range shots, and although he makes a good percentage of them, there are misses. Having a big guy who can crash the boards and collect the change would be important. If that player also had decent hands and could catch and shoot down low, that opens up some dump offs for LeBron as well.
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Posted in NBA | View Comments
