Sunday Again, Time For Another Six Pack of Sporting News Served On A Silver Platter!

It was a great week in the sports world...lets talk about it...

6) Lets start with College Hoops! Its only fitting due to the MASSIVE upsets yesterday that will most assuredly turn the rankings upside down. Starting with the #1 team, Kansas getting knocked off by unranked (but very worthy) Oklahoma State 85-77. This is only Kansas 2nd loss and their first in Big 12 play. This should jump OSU into the rankings. And dethrone Kansas and possibly shoot #4 Syracuse into the top spot. Why? Because #2 Kentucky was also rocked with their second loss at the hands of the Tennessee Volunteers who are currently at #19. Purdue is currently in the #3 spot, but they are a 3 loss team whereas Syracuse is still a 2 loss team...and they beat #7 Villanova yesterday by a huge margin. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish upset #11 Georgetown this weekend which makes G-town the only ranked 8 loss team other than Texas A&M, but neither will leave the top 25. The #22 ranked Aggies destroyed #21 ranked Longhorns by 16 Saturday after suffering a tough loss at #24 Baylor on Wednesday. Texas should drop out of the top 25 making it one of the only teams to ever be ranked #1 as late as the 24th of January and within a month fall out of the rankings altogether. The Aggies should stay in that 20-25 range as well as Baylor; OSU should jump in there as well. As for the conferences and the discussion of "who is the strongest conference" I'd have to disagree with most "sports analyst" who would say that the Big East is "by far" the strongest conference; don't get me wrong, they are definitely strong and the numbers don't lie, but as far as a conference of tough basketball teams that could stand against anyone in the country and play pound for pound some of the toughest basketball in the country...the Big 12 has to be it! Every team in the Big 12 can hold its own outside of conference play, and the reason that right now I'd put them ahead of the Big East is because the Big 12 is a football conference, not basketball; so what the Big 12 has accomplished this season is remarkable, right now as things sit, the Big 12 has seven 20+ win teams. And just to put the numbers in perspective to show how good the Big 12 is right now...compare the average winning %'s of the two conferences! This should settle the debate

The Big East - .633%
The Big 12 - .663%

Not by much...but the numbers don't lie!

5) So Canada has finally picked up their pace in the Olympics Medal race. They have more Gold Medals than any other country with 13. The US has 9 Gold and a total of 36, which is 7 more than Germany and 11 more than Canada. Why is the Medal count a big deal...? Well its not really in my opinion. Too many people worry about it. And the United States have 14 Silver and 13 Bronze...yay, we came in 2nd and 3rd more times than any other country! I mean, congrats to the none winners...but seriously, if you don't get the gold are you truly satisfied? Any true athlete or competitor will tell you no way! I have never been satisfied with getting beat, even in the smallest aspect of life it is painful in a sense. So the athletes who have received Silver or Bronze medals shouldn't be completely satisfied with that...therefore I don't really believe that it matters who "wins" the most medals overall in the Olympics. I think to determine who "wins" the Olympics the only thing that should matter is how many Gold Medals a country wins. With that in mind...Canada is in front by 3 over Germany and by 4 over the US.

4) Speaking of the Olympics and Gold medals...how many people are not going to watch Canada take on United States in a Hockey showdown this afternoon? I will be keeping an eye on that one for sure! The US beat Finland on Friday (which was impressive), while Canada nearly lost to Slovakia. Finland went on to win the Bronze medal game...good for them, they are a country that I have nothing against at the moment. But in any event we have a Gold medal game set to be a classic, and all I can say is I hope that it is half as good a game as we saw these two teams play a week ago! If it is...I'll be satisfied.

BONUS THOUGHT: By the way, does anyone else think that the Medals this year are...UGLY! It looks like they found some scrap metal and beat it with blacksmith hammer till it was bent into some resemblance of a circle...whats happening with the world?

3) The Mavs have the late game coming up tonight against the New Orleans Hornets. The Mavs have winning streak on their shoulders now, its a six game streak and its their longest since Dec-Jan of 07-08...that one was a seven game streak. The Mavs have kind of a soft schedule coming up, a lot of home games and below .500 teams. But that doesn't mean they are for sure going to win them all. As we have grown so accustomed to the Mavs are very capable of losing just when you least expect them to. But I certainly hope its not to the Hornets in Dallas without Chris Paul. The first meeting of the year between these two teams was that God-awful loss in New Orleans where Dirk fouled out on a crappy call and Jason Terry and J.J. Barea missed like 6 out of 7 free throws in the last minute that could have sealed the win for the Mavs but instead the Hornets won in overtime. The second meeting the Mavs barely squeaked by, winning it 94-90. This time...I'd like to see a blowout! They've had their dramatic games lately with the Lakers and the Hawks...now blowout a not so good team! Ease my nerves a bit at least...

2) An early warning Texas Rangers update: Vladimir Guerrero is at training camp with the Rangers. This is a good thing for baseball here because he's a great hitter as we all know, but do we all know that in his 102 career games at the Ballpark in Arlington he has hit a better percentage (.396) than anywhere else in the Leagues? Yes, for years he has dominated here and now he gets a chance to do so on a regular basis...I cannot wait to see him in action.

How about Khalil Greene's contract being voided by the Rangers due to his withdrawal from training camp because of a "social anxiety" disorder which has kept him in constant rehab over his career. Apparently it has gotten too bad for him to be on a field with 8 other dudes which leads me to wonder...will he ever play in the Majors again?

One more thing I can't wait to see this season is the Rangers pitching staff. They are almost all young and very talented guys that could become very effective. Guys like Holland who can be a straight up ace, and Neftali  Feliz who can throw the ball a hundred miles an hour. Scott Feldman who showed last year that he can be the number one guy, along with Tommy Hunter C.J. Wilson who will give solid performances night in and night out. I think it is possible that this pitching staff could be one of the best that the Rangers have ever had. Or at least more deep than any other with Nippert, McCarthy, Fransisco, Strop, and O'Day behind those other guys...I can't wait to see if they can put it all together.

BONUS INFO: Another quick note about the Rangers pitching...there are two guys (Omar Beltre and Alexi Ogando) from the Dom. Republic who have been in the Rangers farm system but have been pitching down in the D.R. for years now. They have finally been given an opportunity to show their stuff at the spring camp...how will they do? Remains to be seen, but word on the street is...these guys can flat out pitch!

1) This is kind of a revisit to the last post about the Mavs win over Atlanta. I have some bone's to pick and I'm gonna pick em clean right here, right now...there are people out there who are calling Jason Kidd's "genius" play (running into Mike Woodson) a "dirty", "a jerk move", and (my favorite one) "not a basketball play"! Well I'm here to set the record straight on these so called "issues" that people have with Kidd's brilliance.


#1: It was in no way a "dirty" play. He saw something out of the ordinary and took advantage of it. It was an aggressive play to try to make something happen because his team was down by 2 with 1:37 left in the game. I don't think he makes that play if they are up by 10...but in this situation, he was just taking advantage of the opportunity that Mike Woodson gave him by breaking the rules. Yes, breaking the rules is exactly what he did...check it out:


NBA Rule Book: 
Section IV—The Coach and Others
   a. The coach’s position may be on or off the bench from the 28' hash mark to the baseline. They are permitted between the 28' hash mark and the midcourt line to relay information to players but must return to the bench side of the 28' hash mark immediately or be called for a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul.     
Section V—Conduct   
d. A technical foul shall be assessed for unsportsmanlike tactics such as:   
(5) A coach entering onto the court without permission of an official.

So boys and girls, according to that Mike Woodson "entered the court without the permission of an official". That means he broke the rules...punishment for said breaking of the rules is of course a "technical foul" for "unsportsmanlike tactics". Here is what Jason Kidd said about his play, “The coach is not supposed to be on the floor, you see that a lot in games. The NBA has so many rules, and there is a coaching box, and some of the coaches do stretch that box. For me, it’s just a reaction. Make something happen. It was a big play for us.” 

#2: This play was not a "jerk move". Kidd is not a dirty player with an agenda and he's not trying to hurt anyone. He made the play to help his team and that was it. Although it royally pissed off Mike Woodson (and probably embarrassed him too) who in his anger started mouthing to Kidd after the alleged "jerk move" and nearly started a fight. But Kidd is so smooth he kept things from getting bad, this is what he said to Woodson during the confrontation: “I said, ‘You can’t be on the floor. You don’t have a uniform on.'" Kidd understands the rules and he did the right thing. He wasn't trying to be ugly, he is just smarter than everyone else. So he made the right move, the smart move, and the safe move...but in no way was it a "jerk move"!

#3: There are some that will say that what Jason Kidd did was "not a basketball play"! This is the opposite of the truth. This play is everything basketball is about, and it truly is a basketball play and here's why: “The officials got it right,” Kidd said. “I thought from there, mentally, we took control of the game. That play just presented itself. It’s just a reaction and just understanding what the team needs. Rules are rules. The coach isn’t supposed to be on the floor.” There you have it, Kidd knows the rules and knows how to enforce them. How else would he have gotten the officials to make that call against Woodson? Coaches are out on the court all the time and refs don't call it. So why would they here? If Kidd had stopped and complained to the official he probably would have been ignored, and its not like he could throw the ball at Woodson...that would be rude! Throwing an elbow rub into his body is much better. But the main reason that this IS a basketball play is exactly what Kidd said, "I thought from there, mentally, we took control of the game." That is what that play did, it gave Dallas a mental edge going into that final minute and the overtime. In fact in the final 10 minutes of the game (including overtime) Atlanta only scored 13 points...and only 4 in overtime; in fact after that play which occurred with 1:37 to play Dallas outscored Atlanta 16-6. Yes they mentally took over that game, and Kidd instigated the take over, and that infamously brilliant jerky move by Kidd was completely within the rules of the game and was done not with malice in mind but with the spirit of athletic competition at heart; Jason Kidd played an inspired game and his desire showed there, his competitive instinct showed there, his willingness and dedication to winning showed there, his mental toughness and aggressive athletic nature showed through that play! Criticizing this "genius" play is so dumb that even Mike Woodson couldn't do it: “He made a heck of a play,” Woodson said. “Jason Kidd is an All-Star. He’s a (potential) Hall of Fame guard. He’s had a heck of a career. He did what he had to do. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to favor our team. I've got to take the hit for that.”

Jason Kidd is...UNBELIEVABLE! "THIS IS ONE FOR THE AGES"!

The Dallas Mavericks are just playing incredible and inspired basketball right now. I can't remember the last time I was so excited about the last month and a half of the season. I also can't remember the last time Jason Kidd was 25 years old...but he's playing like it right now! And quite frankly...its unbelievable!
Last night Dallas played the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta...and guess what? Jason Kidd beat them! The Hawks are a young and upcoming team...and an almost 37 year old man, picked them apart, shredded them, outsmarted them, and even made their coach look like a complete idiot. It was a thing of beauty.

Kidd's stat line: 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 17 assists.

That is incredible! Kidd is incredible! He took over this game in the latter half of the fourth quarter and took the Hawks to school. Check out this progression...

4th quarter;

8:23 Hawks take a 15 point lead, 86-71
7:59 Dirk scores. Kidd assists. 86-73
7:27 Terry scores. Kidd assists. 86-75
6:58 Dirk scores. Kidd assists. 86-77
(Thats three assists in a row, three baskets in a row. )
4:55 Haywood gets a basket and one and sets up at the line 81-90
4:53 Haywood misses free throw, Kidd gets offensive rebound.
4:50 Terry hits a three, Kidd assists. 84-90
4:32 Kidd steal.
4:28 Barea scores, Kidd assists. 86-90
3:55 Dirk scores a three, Kidd assists. 89-90
2:58 Kidd scores a three. 92-91
2:10 Kidd scores a three. 95-94
(Mike Bibby hits a three so the Mavs' are down 95-97)
1:37 weird play happens...Hawk coach Mike Woodson steps onto the court as Kidd brings the ball up on offense; then Jason Kidd does one of the smartest things I've ever heard of a basketball player doing...he runs into Mike Woodson.  Check out the video there. Its amazing. Point is, Mavs' get a technical free throw from Kidd's smart play, Dirk knocks it down. 96-97
0:56 Kidd scores a three. 99-97 Dallas.

The game goes into overtime, where the Mavs' out score the Hawks 12-4 and get their sixth straight win 111-103.

So as I see it, Jason Kidd put the Mavs on his back and willed them to a win last night. Assist, assist, assist, offensive rebound, assist, steal, assist, assist, three-pointer, three-pointer, GENIUS play, three-pointer. What more can I say? Thats twelve HUGE game changing plays that he made in the final minutes of the game. How often can you say that Dirk Nowitzki scored 37 points but he was the second best player on the court tonight? Almost never! Dirks 37 is a huge deal...but he scored Jason Kidd's age, and the bigger deal is that Kidd would not let his team lose!

Kidd's 15+,15+,15+ (points, rebounds, assists) is the first time that he anyone in the NBA has done that since 1996 when a young man named...Jason Kidd did it! This was his 104th triple-double...he's third on the all-time list behind Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. To put this in perspective, the two "greatest players in the world" Lebron James and Kobe Bryant only have 18 and 14 respectively...Kobe has been in the league 12 years...he's only got 14 triple-doubles. Kidd has played for 14 years and has 104. Incredible!

The Mavs' did this again without (seemingly) their second biggest threat in Caron Butler and their (seemingly, now) backup center in Erick Dampier. They beat the Lakers short handed, and the beat a very good Hawks team by coming from 15 down in the final 6 minutes short handed. How good are they? Kidd looks young, Dirk looks rejuvenated, Terry looks comfortable, Marion is getting better and better, Haywood looks like a beast under the basket...is there anywhere to go but up? How far can this Mavericks team go? I guess we'll have to see. But the schedule bodes well for the Mavs' coming up is a 12 game stretch where the only good team they have to play is Boston once at home; in fact 7 of those games are at home. They should win a bunch of games the next couple of weeks.

Once again, in the words of Rick Carlisle: "Jason Kidd was the driving force behind everything at the end of the game," he said. "The performance he had was an all-time performance, especially for someone who's 36 years old. This is one for the ages. I don't think there's ever been a smarter player in this league than Jason Kidd. There may be a few equals, like Magic, Larry Bird and Michael [Jordan], but none smarter."

There you have it...there's no one smarter on a basketball court than Jason Kidd. He's...Unbelievable!

MAVS BEAT LAKERS 101-96

The Dallas Mavericks played probably the best game I've seen them play in two seasons last night. They beat the defending Champion Lakers 101-96, and did it in the most un-Mav-like way...with defense!

^...This was right after Dirk drained a jumper while getting jacked in the head by a ticked off Kobe Bryant...classic!

Dallas has never been known as a defensive team, and I've talked about how well they have played at times during this season. With the addition of Marion in the off-season, and Haywood, Butler, and Stevenson coming over in the trade the new-look Mavs' are a pretty good defensive team. DeShawn Stevenson was able to guard Kobe straight up in the first quarter and held him to 0 for 5 until he finally hit a tough shot in the second quarter. Marion took over the "defend Kobe" job in crunch time and he made every shot difficult for Bryant who missed a game tying three with 25 seconds left. 

Dallas' team defense was a sight for sore eyes; helping on the weak side, switching off picks, double teaming, and hustling to pick up open shooters...ahhh. At one point Marion was defending Kobe and he double clutched his shot which gave Brendan Haywood enough time to come over and block his shot from the side. Haywood had 5 blocks last night. Thats a great stat, the Mavs' didn't "protect the paint" in any significant way, but they didn't make it easy for the Lakers to drive the paint. Most of their points in the paint were hook shots and tip ins by their bigs. The fact is that Dallas has a guy in Brendan Haywood that can stand toe to toe with the likes of Andrew Bynum! This puts the Mavs' in great position here to match up well enough with the Lakers play them straight up man to man, and once they get Damp back Dallas will have even more length and big body to clog things up with. 

This game felt almost like a playoff game. There was so much energy inside that arena and it was apparent in the way the Mavs' came out and played. Dirk started well, Kidd started well, and defensively Stevenson started well. But when Terry came off the bench with a couple minutes left in the first quarter he drove the lane and laid the ball in the hoop. From there on it was the Jason Terry breaking out of his slump show (hopefully for good!). He needed to have a big night, especially since Butler was out, and he did. He shot the ball well, but best of all he drove the ball to the basket better than he has in a long time. Terry playing well really put the Mavs' over the edge last night. 

Caron Butler was out because he had a "bad reaction to a medication"...not sure what that means, but hey, as long as he's not seriously hurt. He should be back on Friday. And on confused note, the NBA (Fuhrer David Stern) says that Butler is no longer allowed to chew on straws during the games...a habit that he's had since...a really long time ago. The scoop is that he he chews about sixty straws a day, and during a game he'll go through about a dozen. I see where he can enjoy this, when I was younger I went through a straw chewing phase, it was short lived due to the fact that I couldn't get my hands on enough of those small coffee straws often enough to satisfy my oral fixation. But in any event, I don't see how the NBA has jurisdiction on this matter, I think this is an issue that should be decided by the teams...just like how the Federal government shouldn't impose certain laws that should be decided on a state by state basis...oops! If this is something that is going to affect his play I'm gonna be really upset...but if your going to ban chewing straws...shouldn't you ban chewing anything...even gum? 

Fact is...the Mavs' WON! They beat the mighty Lakers...and did it without their straw chewing hero! I still didn't like JJ Berea's play tonight...I'm not sure what they need to do with their rotation, but he is letting me down big time in his role right now...which is super limited. Roddy B played a little tonight on his 22 birthday and had a monster block on Jordan Farmar! Happy B-Day Roddy! Dallas plays Atlanta on Friday, can they keep this winning streak going...they have not won more than 5 straight since the 07-08 season...we'll see! 

Apparently Jay Z chews on straws too... >

The big thing we learned was that Dallas' new defense is legit, and it can be used to beat really good teams like the Lakers. We learned that the Mavs' can hang with the likes of the Lakers, they split the season series with them and played a heck of a game that could've beaten anybody last night. So, do the Mavs' have what it takes to beat the Lakers in a 7 game series...maybe not...but then again...maybe! 

Sunday Six Pack

Time for this weeks edition of the Sunday Six Pack...plus some extras!

< = gross!

1) The Mavericks win at home against the Miami Heat. The Heat had won 5 straight heading into last nights game, and the Mavs cooled them off with a phenomenal second half. The new guys played well, Haywood had his first double-double as a Mav with 11 and 11; meanwhile Butler had 20 points on a cleaned up 7-13 from the field. Dirk did his thing with 28 points, but it was Jason Kidd who continued to dominate...everything. He had a very profound 21 points and 11 assists! He seemed to create turnover after turnover and keep the Mavs' running on all cylinders. He said after the game that he feels "young": "I feel young. I understand I'll be 37 in March but right now being around the younger guys I feel fresh and I'm having a lot of fun!" Well he looks like he's having fun, he also looks like he's carrying this team right now! And maybe he's had to because of the new guys not having time to practice and having to learn on the fly. But seriously, without Kidd this team would be nowhere fast!

2) Another Maverick note: The Mavs' are apparently going to sign Von Wafer. He's a shooting guard who would be the biggest 2 the Mavs have had in a while...lets face it Jason Terry is undersized...J.J. Barea is definitely undersized (barely hitting the 6' mark). So he would add some size to the undersized backcourt the Mavs' have right now. The story is that Wafer played for Houston last year and played well for them, especially down the stretch and in the playoffs. But his attitude apparently got him cross-ways with Houston coach Rick Adelman; therefore Von Wafer was not picked up again this off-season by the Rockets or by anyone else. So he signed with a team from Greece. Now the Mavs' are looking to make him the 3rd/4th guy playing the 2 guard spot. But I'm not sure if I like this move or not, and here's why: a) He's got kind of a bad attitude from what I've gathered. Maybe the year off has cleared his head...but then again, its hard to clear much junk from the head of a thickheaded person. b) I'm not sure that this is a good fit for Dallas. I think that he gives them some size, but word on the street is he's a shot hunter...which is what we just got rid of by trading Josh Howard (not that Von Wafer would be playing all that much). And c) He has got a back problem. Part of the reason the Mavs' are saying he's not officially signed yet is due to a physical about a disc in his back. My opinion...and again this is just me here...why are we looking to spend money (even if it is the league minimum) on a guy who a) has attitude problems b) has been injured with an injury could flare up at any given time c) he would be the backup to a backup at best. So I'll keep things updated to see if the Mavs' pick this guy up or look elsewhere.

3) I've seen a flurry of really good games today! First I watched Lebron and Shaq lose to the other Super man Dwight Howard; then I saw Denver destroy the Celtics (which stinks for the Mavs); San Antonio lost which was great; then I watched Golden State come back from an 18 point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Hawks by 4; and now I'm watching an Overtime game where Utah trailed Portland by 25 points in the 3rd...then came back and sent the game to OT. Now they've got a 5 point lead with under a minute left! Wow...

4) Team USA hockey just beat team Canada 5-3. My friend predicted that Canada would win 5-3 so...he was wrong! It was one of the most exciting hockey games I've seen in a long time. It was so fast paced and intense! The U.S. just would not back down and was relentless in pursuit of the puck and their fore-check was incredible! This is their first win over Canada in 50 years, and they are 3-0 this year. MVP thus far...Goaltender Ryan Miller! Just unbelievable!

p.s. it put me in the mood for watching the miracle on ice again!

5) The U.S. has more medals than anyone right now...but is it legit? I read an article where someone was arguing that the U.S. doesn't deserve to be the medal leader due to having most of their medals awarded in "judged" competition. Well my take is that "judged" competition is part of the Olympics...therefore the USA has the most medals...and it is legit!

6) Do the Winter Olympics seem really boring? With the exception of Hockey, and Snowboarding, and even downhill Skiing...does anyone really watch cross country skiing or Curling? come on...really? Curling? Its like watching Pro Bowling on ESPN 8 the Ocho. Its so boring, slow, and does anyone - including the "curlers" - understand the rules? Ok, so I get it. The idea is get your rock closest to the center...well, I have an idea: for the Summer Olympics lets make Horseshoes an Olympic sport! Why not? It takes some skill and there is form involved and strategy and all that...or how bout Frisbee golf or no wait...a bean bag toss!

BONUS: March Madness is approaching not quickly enough! I cannot wait to see what unfolds here especially in that very good Big 10 conference! But do not underestimate some of these Big 12 teams to advance...it is a very competitive conference and seeing as how Texas A&M almost (and should have) beat #1 ranked Kansas and (at the time) #1 ranked Texas. Near upsets, and they have played well in most other games. But Tech and Baylor should not be overlooked if they get in to the tourney. I'm not sure anymore about my Final Four picks...because I had Texas in there and now...well, they are falling fast. But I still think Kentucky will ride John Wall to the finish and Kansas wont back down. If only Villanova would stop losing. And as always I'm pulling for Duke! Did North Carolina forfeit the season and leave the country?

DOUBLE BONUS: Ha...like the college hoops reference? Portland blew that lead they had over Utah and Carlos Boozer dominated and pulled down 23 rebounds...and scored 22 points! And my favorite Portland Trailblazer missed a 3 that would've sent it to double-OT. This means the Mavs' must keep winning to keep up with Utah and Denver who both won today...ugh!

Mavs Beat Magic By 10

The Mavs' played well for the second straight game and were able to steal a game from the Orlando Magic in Orlando! Final Score: 95-85!

Dallas played defense. I talked before about the Mavs' winning with defense but this is different! Ironically in that post I talked about how Shawn Marion brought a new defensive aspect to the Mavs' and about how he blocked Caron Butlers potential game winner. Well...now Caron Butler is a Dallas Maverick as is his teammate Brendan Haywood.

Haywood is the guy I want to talk about first. He had a nice line last night with 15 points 9 boards and 2 blocks, but it was something else that he did that doesn't show up on the stat sheet that allowed Dallas to get the win. He is a true defensive presence in the middle for Dallas! Superman (Dwight Howard) got his with 29 points 16 rebounds and 5 blocks. But Haywood allows Dallas to play a big man like Howard 1on 1...which they've never truly been able to do. Typically when Damp is the starting center for the Mavericks they'd double team big men like Howard or even power forwards like Duncan and Garnett which obviously leaves a shooter open around the three point line. Good bigs can pass out of a double team effectively and get the ball to the open man for an open look at the basket. Dallas used to get burned by the likes of good 3 point shooting teams like the Suns, Magic, and Nuggets because there seemed to always be an open man shooting the three. But the last two games against two of the best three point shooting teams in the NBA (Suns, Magic) the Mavs' have been able to nearly completely take away their three point shooting ability making it a virtual non-factor. The Suns the other night shot a horrific 5 of 22 from beyond the three point line, and last night the Magic were even worse at 4 of 25! Why...how? Well the answer is Brendan Haywood. He plays Dwight Howard 1 on 1 and even though Superman scores 29 points the other guys are still guarded! There are so many options for the Magic when it comes to 3 point shooting, but last night they had a hand in their face every shot they took! Haywood gives the Mavericks the ability to guard the perimeter and hold teams to a low 3 point %. This will definitely come in handy when they play the Nuggets and Lakers who are both very good 3 point shooting teams.

Now, Caron Butler! He seems to be figuring things out now and boy does he look good! He is terrific off the dribble and can drive to the hoop with the best of em! I'm so excited because he scored 16 points last night and I believe that will only get better. He'll continue to figure out the Maverick system and become a deadly option for the Mavs'. Dirk scored 23 and the Mavs' beat Orlando in Orlando! Typically to win a road game against a team like that Dirks got to put up 30+ to keep them in it. But he scored 23, Butler had 16, Terry had 16, and Haywood had 15...thats what you call "great stuff"!

The game was fun to watch. The Mavs' started out slow and fell behind by eleven at one point in the 3rd quarter. But Dirk kept them alive scoring 13 points in the third alone, and then his team took over. During a 5 minute stretch starting with a minute and 49 seconds left in the third and the Mavs' down 11 Orlando stopped scoring. It was 69-58 when Dirk got the run started for the Mavs' with a couple straight buckets, and then Terry hit a big three to cut the lead to 4 heading into the 4th quarter. The Mavs' forced the Magic into six turnovers during the run and held them to only 6 attempted shots (all of which they missed). The Mavs' continued the run in the fourth scoring the first 12 points of the quarter. So after being down 11, in only 5 minutes they were up 8 having gone on a 19-0 run from which the Magic never recovered! Dallas held up defensively and Kidd hit a huge dagger three with a 1:20 left to put the game out of reach.

This was a huge win for Dallas inasmuch as the win over Phoenix was a good win and a confidence booster...this win was an even better road win that could boost Dallas to win more than a few in a row for the first time in two months! They have a chance to make it three straight tonight against a Dwayne Wade-less Miami Heat. This game is in Dallas and could be another nice home win over a Heat team that has won 5 straight games and 4 straight on the road. We'll see how the Mavs' play tonight on the second night of a B2B and their 4th game in 5 days, hopefully they can continue playing well together and learning with their new teammates!

Mavs Over Suns 107-97

The Mavs' played a very good game on Wednesday night. The new guys played very well and the old guys played even better! I thought for a second that Kidd was only 26 years old instead of 36...but I remembered that he's just that good! Dirk had a team high 28 while Caron Butler played well (although he shot only 6-16) scoring 15 points, and Haywood nearly had a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds and also 5 blocks!

There were 3 major things that happened tonight that I think are very significant for the Mavericks future...and a bonus item/thought!

3) Jason Kidd happened! At first I thought hmm, he's having a pretty good game. Then in the 4th quarter I thought...WOW...he is having an incredible game! In March Kidd will be 37 years old...and he played tonight with incredible energy. He out hustled everyone else on the court, even down to the last few possessions no one could keep up with him! His line is unreal... 18 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 7 steals, and only 1 turnover...and the (almost) 37 year old played 41 and a half minutes! He hit 4 threes and couldn't be stopped late in the game when he tracked down every loose ball as if his life depended on it! It truly was a thing of beauty to watch...he is an amazing player, and if the Mavs' go anywhere in the playoffs it will be because he leads the team by example with energy, effort, and intelligence!

2) Brendan Haywood played a great game tonight, he started because Dampier tore his finger off (basically...more like an "open dislocation"?? whatever that is...in short the bone in his right middle finger was poking through his torn skin...). Haywood lost the opening tip and I was disappointed at him for that, but he quickly made up for it by filling the lane offensively and defensively. He recorded 5 blocks and ended up with 4 dunks! He is impressive to me I suppose because the Mavs' haven't had a big man that is as athletic as he is or as good with the ball as he is! He also plays exceptional defense, I was surprised to see how his length allowed him to contest shots that typically are easy buckets against the Mavs'. His length also helped him rebound well, he grabbed nine and thats not amazing or anything, but this is...he had 5 offensive rebounds! Thats 5 extra scoring opportunities, I'm always satisfied with that. So thus begins the Brendan Haywood as the Mavs' big man era...if 3+ blocks a game and 10 rebounds is a nightly thing I think I'll sleep soundly most nights!

1) The Mavs' won a game decidedly at home! I've talked before about how terrible the Mavs' have played at home this season...this was not the case tonight. Dallas played inspired from the first timeout on. After they fell behind by 8 points early in the first they took a timeout. From then till the last few minutes of the quarter the Mavs scored 12 straight points. And from there they never looked back! That late game push by the Suns that earlier in the season would have been enough to discourage Dallas and the game would have come down to the wire...but not this one; Jason Kidd out ran everyone to every single loose ball, Dirk made plays (typical) Butler made plays, Terry made (even some defensive) plays, and the Mavs took the game by force! A Jason Richardson 3 made it a 5 point game 90-85 Dallas...from there the Mavs' looked like they deserved to win! It was inspiring to see them pull together and play with an intensity that I haven't seen all season, especially in the AAC! And guess what...the crowd knew it...and responded! As time expired Dallas got one of the best standing ovations I've seen in a while, it looked as if possibly the Mavericks could turn this season into something special.

But only time will tell...they have a few tough games coming up including another back-2-back this weekend that will be a tough test @ Orlando and home vs. Miami and then the Lakers coming up as well as the the Hawks. In fact the next 7 games will be a tough stretch and if they come out of these next 7 with 5+ wins I'll be disappointed because I expect them to win every game...but I'd take 5 of the next 7. Hopefully we're looking at a Mavs' team that will be able to play with the kind of intensity that I saw tonight...they wanted to win and they would've done whatever it took to win that one! Can they bring it like that every night?

BONUS: With the trade deadline looming (2:00 Central today) many teams will be making last minute phone calls trying to find some special deal that can do them some good down the stretch or set them up for a good summer trading session. Here's what the Mavs' are faced with: Dampier is out for at least a month...the surgically repaired his dead finger last night so at least he's still got 10. But that leaves the Mavs' down a starting(/backup) center. So really they only have 1 big man...Eddie Najera doesn't really count. Dallas needs another big man...Drew Gooden would be a great fit, if they didn't have to wait 30 days before he can "boomerang" back to Dallas after being waived. So are there any other options? Well Zydrunas Ilgauskas just got traded by the Cavs'...I'm pretty sure they're expecting his contract to get waived so he can do the "boomerang" thing back to Cleveland. But what if..maybe the Mavs' could coax him into coming here...? Deadly! We'll see what happens, I'm sure Donnie and Cubes are actively pursuing any leads just like Jack Bauer does for CTU...actually, come to think of it, Mark Cuban is like the Jack Bauer of NBA owners! Wow...

Dallas Stars: An All Too Rare Hockey Update

Unfortunately Hockey is not a predominant sport here in Texas...nor is it anywhere else in the U.S. with the exception of maybe Pittsburgh or Detroit. Its a shame because I love Hockey, and I love the Stars! I've been a die hard fan since the mid-nineties and I've continued to follow them closely. Some "fans" however, have not stuck with the Stars. I'm not going to lie, the NHL lockout a few years back was extremely detrimental to the NHL...people forgot Hockey existed in the U.S. and especially the South! So many bandwagoneers have jumped ship and are un-supportive in these times of need. Its sad because I remember how Dallas used to be the new "Hockey Town USA"...and now, we're like a bunch of posers who were happy for our team who was winning (at time when the Cowboys, and Mavericks)...but really don't care!

Well, I'm still a fan! And as long as Hockey is in Dallas, I'll always be a fan! 

Anyway, enough ranting about the unsatisfactory treatment of the Dallas Stars by the "fans"! I'm here to update any true fans about recent developments in Dallas Stars Hockey! 

How are the Stars doing right now?

Well with the Olympic break here the Stars hot streak has been put on hold...they have been playing well ever since mid January starting with a 3-2 win over Detroit. Since then they are 9-4-1 and playing with much more confidence then they have had all season! The NHL is taking a full two weeks off which means that the Stars will pick back up until the 2nd of March when they will commence a month and a week long stretch without more than a day between games. They will play every other day including two back-to-backs before finally having a couple of days in April before finishing up the season! That is going to be tough! 

Where do the Stars sit now in terms of playoff positioning?

Currently they sit tied for 9th with Detroit only 1 point out of the 8th seed. In fact, the entire Western Conference is separated by only about five or six games. If the Stars won 7 or 8 games and a couple of other teams lost a few Dallas is looking at a 7th? 6th? or maybe even a 5th seed. The Stars currently are tied with Detroit, but Dallas has won 3 out of 4 against the Red Wings this year, giving them the edge in any tie breakers...in fact Dallas owns tie breakers against most of the other teams that are lurking right around those final playoff spots; they've beaten Calgary 3 out of 4, and Dallas also has beaten Anaheim 3 out of 4 times! So the Stars are actually in position to make a pretty nice run here the last month and a week of the season.

What have the Stars done to improve their game heading into the final month?

The Stars have insured themselves at the Goalie position. I believe (partly) in an effort to motivate Marty Turco, (who played very poorly for most of the season) Joe Nieuwendyk brought in a very good veteran goalie in Kari Lehtonen, he is young at 26 and has playoff experience under his belt. He's one of the best shootout goalies and has one of the leagues top save %'s. The issue is that the Stars already had a pretty good backup, so now they are stuck with 3 goalies...hmmm? But since Lehtonen came over from Atlanta Turco  has played nearly lights out posting 2 shutouts in 4 games before the break! They also picked up a great young guy off of waivers in Brandon Segal. Segal is a guy that will be aggressive along the boards and give the Stars an energy boost on that 3rd line. It already payed dividends in the final game before the break where Segal had a goal and an assist in Dallas' 3-0 win over Phoenix. So heading into the final run Dallas seems to have given themselves an opportunity to play some of their best Hockey of the year.

What about the ownership...Tom Hicks is bankrupt right?

Well, Hicks is a terrible owner...we've seen that with the Rangers and now they are under new management. So obviously since Hicks has no money wont he be selling the Stars too? Yes! He is avidly looking for buyers who can help him with his financial problems. In comes...Mark Cuban? It makes a lot of sense...he already owns the other half of the American Airlines Center...why not own the whole thing? Wouldn't it be nice to have an owner who would do whatever it took to win games? Maybe if this happens the atmosphere around Dallas Stars Hockey will become much more Mav-like...hopefully! 

So in conclusion to this all too rare Dallas Stars Hockey update I'll say that hopefully we can see some new ownership and possibly a better attitude around Dallas Hockey, hopefully the Stars can keep playing well after the break and find a way to get into one of those 6th or 7th playoff spots, and hopefully the city of Dallas will once again find the spirit of Hockey and support the Stars instead of jumping off the bandwagon when the going gets tough!

Sunday Six Pack

1) The NBA All-Star Game! Tonight the best players in the NBA (minus Kobe) do battle, East vs. West. The big thing about this one is the fact that it is in Dallas at Cowboys stadium, where nearly 100,000 people will be watching (with binoculars probably). So tonight we watch the big event!

2) Since Kobe is a injured scratch from todays game...two Dallas Mavericks benefit. The obvious pick to replace him in the starting lineup is Dirk Nowitzki. George Karl the coach of the Denver Nuggets, and today the coach of the Western Conference All-Stars. So it was Karl's decision to allow Dirk to enter the starting lineup. I am elated at this news because as I wrote about previously about Dirk not starting in the game, it was a travesty to have Duncan beat him out and start over him in Dirks (adopted) home town. Dirk has been dubbed an honorary Texan who's hometown is Dallas! Anyway so with Kobe out, Dirk starts...not too bad if you ask me. And on a side note...I must apologize to George Karl because when I heard Kobe was out, I immediately thought "here we go, Karl will start Chauncey Billups." And I was wrong. So Thank you Mr. Karl, I am sorry for doubting you!

3) The second Mav to benefit from Kobe's injury is Jason Kidd. Kidd was not elected to the All-Star game even though his numbers are just as good if not better than some of the players that were elected into the game. But never-the-less Kidd was recalled from his Phoenix golfing trip to play in his 10th All-Star game! And when I say "recalled from golfing" I literally mean he was on the golf course when he got the call, so he asked Cuban "can I come back tomorrow? I've got to get one more game in."

4) Nate Robinson became the first ever 3 time Slam Dunk winner last night. The contest this year, lacked the creativity and pizazz that typically give fans a reason to watch. But there were no big names this year, no Dwight Howard, and no LeBron James. Only Nate the Great and the nobodies. And they dunked like nobodies. Nate Robinson was the only dunker with experience (Gerald Wallace in '02 doesn't count) so naturally he played the crowd a bit and did his little man thing. But this was nothing compared to the last few years of great showmanship and spectacular dunks. If only Vinsanity would come back...or Dominique Wilkins.

5) Dirk Nowitzki needs to play well tonight. He needs to win the MVP. He already won the Shooting Stars competition with Becky Hammon and Kenny Smith on team Texas last night. Dirk shot well and hit the game winning half court shot to complete the circuit in 34 seconds! So what could make it sweeter than Dirk winning the All-Star MVP award? Maybe...the Mavs' going on a 10 game win streak after the break!

6) Danica Patrick. She's racing in her Nascar Debut today at Daytona...but she wrecked about halfway through. It was a 12 car wreck so at least she didn't plow into the wall all by herself. But hey, she's hot so hopefully she does well in the future!

It Has Been Made Official! What does Kobe Bryant think?

Dallas has announced that the trade involving Josh Howard going to Washington for Caron Butler is official. 

Dallas gets Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson along with some cash.

Washington gets Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, James Singleton, and Quinton Ross.

The Mavs' said thank you to Josh Howard and the others for their contributions as Donnie Nelson announced the deal today. "We would like to thank these four players for their valuable contributions, it is especially difficult for us to part ways with Josh. He began his career as a Maverick and we have watched him grow. We appreciate what Josh has helped this franchise accomplish."

Nelson also said this about the new guys in town, "We are more than excited to welcome Caron, Brendan, and DeShawn to the Mavericks family. Caron is an established professional and an All-Star with the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. Brendan will solidify our center position with athleticism, shot blocking, and defense. DeShawn has also shown that he can be a talented asset to this team." 

I am a HUGE fan of this deal and I am very glad to see it done and over with. I think Dallas will enjoy the new faces and get a big lift from these guys on both ends of the floor. I hope it will boost the Mavs' into that 2nd or 3rd spot in the West which will give them the opportunity to not have to play the Lakers till the 3rd round in the playoffs. Speaking of the Lakers, I'll end on this...

Kobe Bryant was asked if this trade puts Dallas in the Lakers category, and he had this to say: "No question, I hate to say it but its true. ...Trust me I don't like it by any stretch of the imagination. But its a great move by Dallas. They get the length of Haywood, obviously. Thats one of our strengths, but Caron at both ends of the floor plays extremely hard, unselfishly, and tough. So you know it pains me to say but you guys made two great pickups."

Mavs "Close" To Trade With Wizards...Details!

The Dallas Mavericks are apparently "close" to getting a deal done with the Washington Wizards. After Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton pulled guns on each other and earned suspensions, the Wizards season has pretty much been over. So naturally they have been trying to revamp their roster. They are currently over the salary cap and into luxury tax territory. Therefore, the Mavs who are looking to find a way to bolster their roster for the late season playoff push, are talking to the Wiz about a mutually beneficial trade. Here are those details...

The Mavs' needs are obvious:
1) Josh Howard. He has fallen from "X-Factor" to "0-Factor". He has been ineffective and lazy. So the idea is trade Howard with his expiring contract to Washington for Caron Butler. Butler is a much more effective scorer than Josh and would be an awesome true 2 guard that could definitely give Dallas much need help there.

2) Center. I like very much what Drew Gooden has brought to Dallas. He has typically come off the bench and generated very nice, hard working double-doubles. But he has a very attractive expiring contract. Dampier who early in the season play quite surprisingly well has had some "balky" knee issues the past month and a half that has slowed him down and kept him out of a few games. The solution? Brendan Haywood. He's a starting caliber big man who could put up great numbers and run the floor better than anyone the Mavs' have had.

3) Inspiration. This is not necessarily a material need. It is something that a player or an attitude or even a change in scenery can bring to a team. Dallas has been very stale lately. Mark Cuban even admitted to the team looking "bored" on the court. And a breath of fresh air at the AAC could do them a world of good. Josh Howard has been an off the court problem child from day one, and as soon as his off-court issues go away he becomes an on-court problem. So maybe getting some new guys in the locker room will change the atmosphere a little and get the Mavs' back on track...we hope anyway.

How the trade looks:
It looks like Dallas will be giving up Howard, Gooden, and Ross and getting back Butler, Haywood, and Stevenson. Butler is putting up 17 points and 7 rebounds a game, and Haywood is posting career highs of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Stevenson is just a contract that the Wiz would like to not deal with. Now on paper this will effectively get the Wizards under the cap which means they will pay no luxury tax this season, and in theory it makes the Mavs' a much better interior team. There are still a few things that must be worked out before this trade goes through. The rumors have been out about this for weeks, but I chose not to write anything until it was almost certain something would be done. And right now it appears that when the NBA opens up on Monday this trade could get approved and finalized. So we'll see what happens, and hope that everything if this gets done it makes Dallas better!

Was the Super Bowl...A Let Down?

Some of my earliest memories are of watching the Cowboys win the Super Bowls in the nineties. I was pretty young back then, but one of the earliest images in my mind is Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after beating the Buffalo Bills. At that time I didn't fully understand the implications, and the emotions behind the Big Game. I think it finally hit me how truly huge the Super Bowl is when, for the first time in my young memory, the Cowboys weren't playing in the game. I remember watching the Steve Young led 49ers beat the Boys' in the 1995 NFC Championship game, and it was then that gravity of the Super Bowl was put into perspective for me. I had been spoiled. The first two Super Bowl memories I had the Cowboys had won and now...they weren't even in it. Part of my enlightenment was the first real feeling of being let down, the other part was seeing and hearing the world I lived in change due to the Boys' failure that year. It was apparent to me how important it really was to everyone, literally, and I felt that it was important to me too. So the following year, when Dallas was back in the NFC Championship game beating Brett Favre (again) I payed close attention. Then when they were in the Super Bowl (again) trying to become world champs (again), and trying to (finally) beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Big Game...I was paying very close attention. My emotions were involved and intertwined with the outcome of that game. Either way the game turned out I was going to experience very aggressive emotions. And I did! My Boys' ended up winning that game. I felt proud to be a Cowboy fan and I truly understood the implications of the Super Bowl. 


The next season the Cowboys lost in the second round to the Carolina Panthers. And we all know that for the next 13 years we Cowboy fans waited for the next playoff success. The ups and downs of sports truly make for compelling stories...for instance: Next years Super Bowl will be held at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. Since the Cowboys haven't played in a Super Bowl in 15 years...how incredible would it be to have America's Team back in the Big Game and playing it in their home town? That makes for very compelling story lines no matter who they play (although, if it was the steelers...). The whole world would tune in to see the Cowboys play in the Super Bowl once more! Thats drama. 


On the other hand, there are certain recent Super Bowls that have been...well, blah...? This decade I can say that several Super Bowls have not been very emotionally involving. The ratings and audience shares have been down lately too, check it out: http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/01/18/historical-super-bowl-tv-ratings/11044. But I'm not talking about ratings, which change over time due to other factors. I'm talking about emotion and how much people actually care about the teams involved. Why people actually tune into the Super Bowl. Everyone watches it because its the "Super Bowl". But how emotionally involved are they? Do they really care who wins? Here is a list of Super Bowls that I watched but felt no emotional attachment to. 


Baltimore vs. New York - 2000
Tampa Bay vs. Oakland - 2002 (I was a fan of Rich "The Cannon" Gannon though)
New England vs. Carolina - 2003
Pittsburgh vs. Seattle - 2005
New Orleans vs. Indianapolis - 2009


I know what your thinking..."omg..how could you not like the Super Bowl this year?" Well, its not that I didn't like it. I just had no feelings for the outcome of the game. If Peyton Manning won, I'm happy for him, but if Drew Brees won I'm just as satisfied. Lets face facts, this game was not about hurricane Katrina. It wasn't, that is preposterous. If the Saints had made the Super Bowl in 07 when they were the big comeback story...that would have been compelling! I would have hoped they won and been excited if they did. But the country is 4 and half years removed from Katrina, and I don't think that the football team accomplished all of this for the hope of the city or anything. It just doesn't make sense to ride that tragedy out like that. Like if they win again in 2017 we're still gonna say "that one really helped the city get over Katrina"? No! I mean it was a terrible thing for that city, but they've rebuilt and moved on. The Saints won this year because Brett Favre didn't get the ball first in OT; and because Peyton Manning choked; (and because they didn't have to play the Cowboys again...who beat them during the season); and because they made great plays at opportune times. But the point is this...I couldn't care less which team won! It was like watching good guys vs. good guys and there were no emotional attachments to this game for me. And quite frankly, outside of the teams cities and die hard fans living elsewhere (not  fair-weather fans or bandwagon jumpers) no one truly cared who won. Most people would say they were rooting for one or the other but either way it didn't matter!  


Do not get me wrong, the game was good, I enjoyed it. But I felt no real enthusiasm or passion, I was never nervous or distressed, and I wasn't fiery or animated. In the past compelling and exciting story lines were what the Super Bowl was all about, every year there was something. But this decade has been full of weak story-lines and a lack of emotionally compelling drama. And not only that...but the commercials are getting worse and worse! What I really want is to feel emotionally attached to a Super Bowl again...its been such a long time for me, and I know Jerry Jones is in my boat. But in all honesty, while there have been a few I was happy or upset over the outcome, I haven't truly been passionate about a Super Bowl since John Elway won his second. So my hope is that one day soon I can revisit that childhood feeling I had while watching the Super Bowl and truly be passionate about the game instead of just watching it to watch it.

Super Bowl: Saints Win

This game is simple to analyze because it was played so well with so few mistakes...so those few mistakes were like nuclear bombs that created huge fallout that ultimately decided the game! So here's my take.

First Quarter: The 1st was dominated by the Colts, they outscored the Saints 10-0. They looked sharp on both sides of the ball. There were several missed opportunities though that could have put this game out of reach early. But even with all the success, all the colts could muster was ten points.

Second Quarter: Although, stat-wise the Saints put up numbers here, I would have to say that the Colts maintained the edge thanks to their defense who only gave up two field goals. The problem here was the Colts rookie receiver Pierre Garcon who let a great pass bounce off his chest and onto the ground. He could've taken it for 45 yards or so which would've extended a drive that instead was stalled, giving the Saints the ball. There was one more "game changing" play that happened in the 2nd. It was definitely not a "big" play, but more the mindset of the play call. The Saints decision to go for it on fourth and goal from the 3 ultimately changed the game. Although it did not reward New Orleans with an immediate score, it did give them an attitude...and a swagger that never went away again. After getting stuffed and giving the ball back to the Colts at the 2 yard line the Saints D stepped up and forced a punt which gave them great field position for one more attempt to score before the half...which they capitalized on with another 40+ yard field goal from Garrett Hartley to make it a 10-6 game.

Third Quarter: What happened here to start the third was probably the gutsiest and most insane coaching decision in the Super Bowl possibly ever. Sean Peyton made the decision to kick a second half opening on-side kick. (he must've been planning this for a long time) If it had not worked he would've looked like an idiot and possibly given Peyton Manning the game, the momentum, and the title of greatest QB ever (almost). But the Saints were luckier than lucky, maybe there was some divine intervention that caused Hank Baskett to blunder so badly. The onside kick was great and went ten yards, but should've been recovered by the Colts, but Baskett let the ball bounce off his face mask and back into the arms of a Saint...then after a scrum that looked like the most ruthless and deadly fight for a football in the history of sports...as if whoever came out with the ball would win the game...the Saints came up with it. Props to Peyton for being aggressive. I don't think anyone in the world saw that coming. It was that aggression shown by the Saints that won the game for them; not being afraid to go for it on fourth down, and having the guts to kick the onside kick to open the half set a tone and gave the players the mental edge and belief that they were going to win the game! The Saints not only recovered the onside kick, but scored a TD on the possession. The Colts were able to score in the quarter as well making it a 17-16 game heading into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter: This is where heroes are made, and games are won. The mighty Colts were held scoreless in this all important quarter. The Saints defense played very well and only gave Peyton Manning the underneath passes, not really letting him find his stroke passing deep or over the middle. The Saints on the other hand ran the ball surprisingly well, and found the end zone for two more scores. And another gutsy move by Sean Peyton to go for the two-point conversion after their first score making it 24-17. No one thought Peyton Manning would go down the way he did. It was just not supposed to happen that way. I don't think anyone was betting against him driving his team down to tie it up with only a couple minutes on the clock and put the pressure on Brees. But thats not what happened. Instead, he threw a very random and unexpected interception that was returned for a touchdown by Tracy Porter. I can't believe that the pick was 100% Manning's fault. It seemed like Reggie Wayne was way out of position and should have been more aggressive undercutting the defender or at least putting his body on him and trying to get an interference call. But alas, it was not meant to be.

All in all, the Saints out-scored the Colts 31-7 in the final three quarters of the game. They were more aggressive than the Colts and it seemed like they had the mental edge; I think Sean Peyton did an outstanding job preparing his team and making sure that they had the right mindset to go out and take the game instead of waiting for the game to come to them. And it payed off. Jim Caldwell was thoroughly out coached and even with the luxury of having Peyton Manning on the field was unable to answer Sean Peyton's bold onslaught. In the end, it was the marauding Saints, led by the ever classy Drew Brees (who was the games MVP) that came out of this battle victorious! Congratulations Drew Brees, Sean Peyton, and all the New Orleans Saints.

The Great Debate: Is Peyton Manning The Greatest?

With the Big Game coming up tonight, I thought I'd take my shot at answering the Big Question!

Is Peyton Manning the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL?

Everyone has their opinion on this, and right or wrong I think it is much deeper than an "opinion" based question. Everyone "likes" Peyton Manning, he's funny, and personable...but do people really know what it takes to be the "greatest of all time"? I'm going to try to answer this question and I'm going to give you statistics and logical reasoning to back it up. So here we go...

First of all, to compare a quarterback from this era to a quarterback of a previous era is very difficult. Era's change, rules change, styles change, and mindsets change! The NFL is a passing league right now whereas 25 years ago it was a rushing and defensive league. I'm going to list some guys that should be in the discussion for "greatest ever" and compare them using statistics that I feel are the relevant stats.

There are a lot of great QB's that have played over the years, (Steve Young, Roger Staubach, Johnny Unitas, Bob Greise, Jim Kelly, Boomer Esiason, and even Tom Brady) but these guys are the only ones that are deserving enough to be in the discussion.

The Stats: Yards, Completion %, TD's, INT's, TD/INT differential, Super Bowl wins, and Longevity.

Lets start at the bottom and work our way to the top.

Terry Bradshaw: The Problem with Bradshaw being the "greatest" is his numbers are not that great considering the company he's in. During the Steelers run in the late 70's early 80's he led them to two sets of back to back Super Bowl wins and was MVP twice. In the Super Bowl wins category he is tied for 1st, but in every other category he is dead last against this list of guys. He only passed for 27 thousand yards and his TD/INT differential was 2. Meaning he only threw two more TD's than he did INT's. As far as "elite" QB's numbers go, his Completion percentage is on the low end at 51.9%. He has the Super Bowl wins and yes he was a very good QB, but he played for a team that ran the ball and played defense better than everyone else. Great QB, not the greatest ever.

Brett Favre: One of the most exciting and heartbreaking QB's of all time. He owns quite a few records, but it is some of those records that keep him from attaining the "greatest of all time" label. Favre holds the NFL's all time record for interceptions with 317. Unlike Bradshaw, Favre does come in second on the list in the TD/INT differential with 180 more TD's than INT's. He completes a high percentage at 62% and throws for lots and lots of yards with 69,392. His longevity is unparalleled, and he is a great personality. But the problem that holds him back farther on this list than his statistics would, is his only 1 super bowl win. He also lost a super bowl and has lost 3 out of 5 Conference Championship games in his career. The reason he is as far back as he is on my list is because he has almost always been surrounded by good players and good coaches. He pretty much never endured the kind of hardships a guy like Dan Marino had to deal with his entire career. Brett Favre is a great quarterback, with a ton great accomplishments, but just not quite enough Super Bowl wins to get him in the top couple guys.

Troy Aikman: Aikman is my favorite QB due to the fact that he was my favorite teams QB while I was growing up and they were winning super bowls. So naturally he's my favorite all time. But he's not the greatest all time. I think that he, more than anyone else, helped Jimmy Johnson build the Cowboys from being the worst team in the league to becoming perennial super bowl champs. Without Aikman, it wouldn't have worked. Emmitt Smith and Micheal Irvin and the other guys just would not have meshed right without him. So he was the back bone of that team. He wasn't a big numbers guy, but he gave the team what they needed to win when they needed it. He was the super bowl MVP and roasted the Bills for 4 TD's...in his first appearance. He was the definition of Efficiency. One season he attained a 69.1% completion percentage. One of the highest of all time. He did only throw for almost 33,000 yards, and only 165 TD's. But how can you argue with his taking a team from a 1-15 season to 3 (should be 4) super bowl wins? He is undefeated in super bowls, and I don't think its his fault that they lost the NFC Championship in 94'. All in all, Aikman's career was cut quite short by concussions. He only played 12 season. Imagine if he had 3 or 4 more years the numbers he could have had. Its the same problem Roger Staubach had, a career that just wasn't long enough. Troy is not the greatest ever, but his super bowl wins don't lie, he definitely was a great quarterback.

John Elway: John Elway is one of my favorite QB's ever. He always had a smile, and played the game so patiently. It took him 14 years, but his patience paid off and he was rewarded with back to back super bowl wins. He was able to take the Denver Broncos to the big game a total of 5 times. He totaled 51,475 yards for his career while completing 56.9%. He is also in an elite club of QB's who have thrown 300 TD passes and he did so over 16 seasons. He was an efficient QB with great mechanics and a great feel for the game. He endured times when he was on a terrible team and his longevity gave him the opportunity to come through that and be rewarded. It is hard to put him behind anyone who hasn't won a Super Bowl but the numbers are just too much in favor of Marino. In my mind these two are very close to even on this list, the difference maker in my mind, is Marino never played on teams as good as Elway, yet he still accomplished what he did. So either way, Elway is truly a great QB, but not the greatest.

Dan Marino: He never had a team good enough to win a super bowl. He got there only once, and was no match for Joe Montana's 49ers. The problem with Marino is the fact that he lacked super bowl wins. Just like Dirk Nowitzki will never be looked at in the same light as Tim Duncan even though Dirk is a far superior player, all because Duncan has 4 rings, and Dirk has 0. Marino's numbers are amazing, 61,361 yards with a 59.4% completion percentage. He threw second most TD passes in history with 420, and only threw 252 picks. He was a very durable guy, who played in over 240 games over a 17 year career; most of which was spent not making the playoffs at all. I just imagine how good he could have been if he had a couple receivers to throw to or maybe a line to block or even just a running back to carry some of the load. It is hard for me to put him at number three on the list because of what he hasn't accomplished. All the QB's I've put below him have multiple super bowl rings except for Favre, who at least has been to two. But Marino was too good of a passer to not be this high on the list. Because he was so good, the mediocre offenses that he worked with actually looked good a lot of times. He made his teammates better and threw the ball so well that there is no doubt he is a great naturally gifted passer who deserved more than he got during his career. Therefore, Dan Marino is the greatest quarterback to never win a super bowl...but not the greatest of all time.

Peyton Manning: What can I say about his career thus far, other than the obvious...wow! He's played only 12 seasons, yet, he has surpassed most of the numbers of some of the other names on this list. The times have changed and so have the games attributes, the league is so much more pass happy than it was 15 or 20 years ago. (another reason why Marino's numbers are so great; which is why I put more weight on Marino's passing yards and TD's) Manning has something else though, he has a mind that is unparalleled; no one can match his on field wisdom and his dynamic ability to dissect defenses. He has truly mastered the art of the quarterback position.The thing that makes Peyton Manning so incredible is the fact that somehow, he gets better and better every year. He always finds some way to improve, even when the rest of the world believes he has hit his peak. His mechanics are the greatest ever, bar none. And I do believe that when its all said and done his numbers will be too. I've heard some people call him "Jesus in cleats"...and for a dismal Colts franchise that hadn't won anything since Unitas, he is their messiah. With 50,000 yards and counting, if he stays in the league for three more years he'll pass Marino, but it will take him a few more than that to catch up to Favre. He has never missed a game in his NFL career...that is amazing. He's thrown for 366 TD's and only 181 INT's...the differential is the best on this list at 185! That number could turn out to be the best ever so long as he doesn't become Brett Favre-esque in his later years. But the best statistic on this list is Manning's completion %...for his career it is off the charts at 64.8%. And over his career it has gotten better and better, his rookie year being his lowest at 57% rising to this year where he completed 69% of his passes. He improved a little bit each season. Here is Manning's down side...he only has 1 super bowl ring. That could change later tonight, but for now, he's stuck on one and just one will not get him the title of "greatest of all time". He must win at least two...maybe even a third to truly without question be called the "greatest".

Joe Montana: Is there anything that I can say about the career that Montana had that could do it justice? Not only does he have the coolest name and nick name but he's also got the numbers and the super bowl rings to go with it. While Manning, Marino, and Favre have some better statistical categories there is no question that Montana dominated during his entire career. One of the most telling stats is his completion percentage; over 15 seasons he completed 63.2% of his passes. His yardage is at 40,551, a very respectable mark, and he threw 273 TD's and 139 INT's leaving his differential at 134...not bad at all. The most important stat of all...the thing that puts him over the top is the fact that he was able to win four super bowls! He rarely lost big games and he was undefeated in super bowls. Some of the most remembered plays are passes that he threw. His ability to read defenses and analyze the game as it progressed made him nearly unstoppable at times. And as much as it pains me, being the Cowboy fan that I am, and knowing what he has done to my Cowboys in the past...credit where credit is due...no quarterback has had the sustained success that he did. He won four super bowls in one decade, 81', 84', 88', and 89'.  Thats dominance. So in my mind he is the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.

So far that is...while what Montana accomplished was great and worthy of being called the greatest, it doesn't make him untouchable. Brett Favre has almost 30,000 more yards than he did, and Manning is already 11,000 up on him; plus four guys on this list and one guy thats not (Johnny Unitas) have more TD passes. So his stats are very touchable, the question is...can anyone win four again? Tom Brady is the obvious guy in position to do it, but the reason he'll never be on my list of greats is because he's an arrogant punk who was on a super bowl team before he became the starter...he only started because Drew Bledsoe was injured. Manning will become the greatest to ever play...I think the difference right now is only the super bowl wins. Manning has done it all...he was drafted by a terrible team, and has taken them to two super bowl appearances. He has won league MVP 4 times and has a knowledge and understanding of the game of football that surpasses some coaches. His ability to think on the field, call his own plays, read the defenses as if they are an Eric Carl book, and mechanically deliver a flawless spiral unlike anyone else...will one day add up to Peyton Manning being the greatest quarterback to ever play the game...one day!