From the Press Box 1.26.12

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots

"I think Joe was kind of rattled a bit."

"I think a couple times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn't look like he had a hold on the offense."

"He can't play like that."

Ed Reed earned his pay last week by getting under the skin of his quarterback Joe Flacco and can arguably add the titles of head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach to his resumé in doing so. At the time it seemed reckless, deserving a Caution: Highly Flammable label for criticizing the most important player on the field before the biggest game of the year. Did the long-time standout safety on defense take one too many hits to the head? What was he thinking?

Not only did Flacco show up to play in Foxboro against the Patriots, he did something that was thought to be unthinkable--outperform Tom Brady in the NFC Championship (a.k.a. "Uggs vs. Suggs"). The mustache-growing, illegally skateboard-riding Flacco was 22-36 for 306 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He counterpart for the Pats was 22-36 for 239 yards with two picks. In a season where Ray Rice put the Ravens' offense on his back game after game, it was Joe Flacco who carried Baltimore to a near victory. Had Lee Evans held onto the game-winning touchdown pass with twenty seconds remaining in the game, Flacco would have been paraded out of the stadium on his teammates shoulders and hailed in the state of Maryland as the hero who took them to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2000. Give Flacco credit, he set his team up to advance to the Super Bowl and his teammates couldn't finish it for him. The players I do feel bad for are Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. The former "The U" defensive stars are both growing old in terms of football years and probably have less than four years combined left in the NFL. They carried the Ravens for years and finally were set to make it back to a Super Bowl and their offense let them down. That would have been one hell of a way for them to go out-win their second championship after shutting down Brady and Manning, and then retire.

Speaking of the defense, the Ravens had two of the most acrobatic interceptions of the season. Ladarius Webb caught one diving backwards, followed by a deep pass to the endzone that was tipped to Jimmy Smith and returned for 39 yards.

                                                                                   Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIb1kgqJ_vA

San Francisco 49'ers vs. New York Giants
The other conference had an equally thrilling matchup, that sadly, was won off of mistakes. Who would have ever thought that Ted Ginn Jr. would be such an important player in the NFL. Ginn, one of the most electric special teams players in the league, did not play in the NFC Championship Game due to an injury. His backup, Kyle Williams was sent deep to field punts for the 49'ers on Sunday. Williams didn't turnover the football once, but twice against the Giants. In the fourth quarter, he let a bouncing ball scrape his knee deep in San Francisco's territory and it was recovered by New York. Even though the game was one of the best playoff matchups I've ever watched, I hated to see it be decided by mistakes as opposed to phenomenal plays.

Give Mike Singletary some credit. Even though the former Bears linebacker was fired after a 5-10 season coaching the Niners, he deserves some praise for San Francisco's success this year. Singletary lit a fire under Vernon Davis, going as far as sending him to the locker room after a personal foul penalty after a touchdown. Davis was a young, cocky player and Singletary was trying to tame a wild horse. Harbaugh showed faith in Daivs and has developed into an All-Pro Tight End.

3 receptions, 112 yards, 2 touchdowns. To prove that's not a fluke performance, the game prior he set the record for most receiving yards in a playoff game with 180 on 7 receptions for 2 touchdowns.

Other than Rob Gronkowski, Davis is the best tight end in the NFL. I would argue that if Davis was on the Patriots, where Tom Brady was targeting him ten times a game, he would be a better receiver than Gronk.

We can all settle down on Alex Smith, including myself, because I know as a reactionary NFL fan, I thought the number one pick in 2005 was the greatest thing since Sony TV, which I got the week previously. However, the real Alex Smith showed up on Sunday--an above average quarterback, but one who is nowhere near elite or skilled enough to reach the Super Bowl. Completed less than half of his pass attempts for under two-hundred yards. Smith can work as Harbaugh's QB in a rushing offense in a weak division but as long as he stays in San Francisco, the 49'ers will remain on the verge of the Super Bowl.

Time to sign or trade for Peyton Manning? I think so. Jim Harbaugh, Peyton Manning, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, the 49'ers defense. Give Peyton one legitimate threat at wide receiver and I think you can pencil in San Francisco in the Super Bowl representing the NFC next season.

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Syracuse Orange

I turned on the TV Monday night believing that UC would win. I wasn't being optimistic, I wasn't being irrational, but I was being realistic. The Bearcats beat #22 Pittsburgh, #11 Georgetown, and #11 UConn all on the road. Cincy developed a new identity ever since the Crosstown Shootout--a guard-heavy team with center Yancy Gates down low. Syracuse was coming off of their first loss of the season against Notre Dame, which I think gave them the motivation to not double their losing streak at Fifth Third Bank Arena.

The game seemed to be a perfect opportunity for UC. Syracuse was at their weakest point of the season after dropping three spots to #4 in the country (which seems ridiculous to me since they only lost one game, on the road, in the Big East), as well as the Orange were without seven-foot center Fab Melo (possibly one of the greatest sports names ever, especially with the combination of the Fab Five and Carmelo Anthony) due to academic reasons. Melo, whose head is only five feet below the basket and weighs nearly 250 pounds would have been a huge difference maker in the game against Yancy Gates. 'Cuse lacked a big body in the paint to slow down Gates.

I would put my money on the line saying that UC's fans have never been as excited for a game as they were for the Syracuse game. The arena was sold out nad the student section did an amazing job whiting out the stands. I doubt there were any fans sitting in their seats during the first ten minutes of the game. Cincinnati started out looking like they were going to beat the Orange by double digits. Their first trip down the floor resulted in a deep three from Sean Kilpatrick. Cashmere Wright decided to play horse with his teammate on the Bearcat's next possession and swished an even deeper three. Cincinnati started the game on a 13-6 after two more threes from Wright. However, UC lives and dies by the three. They cooled down after their initial lead and finished shooting 32% from behind the arc and 34% overall as Syracuse's zone defense expanded beyond their typical positions.

Cincinnati's guards besides Cashmere Wright cooled down and the lack of height on the court hurt them in the battle of the boards. Their only rebounds that were grabbed by Gates were mostly from tips to open teammates. The Orange  picked up their defense and forced turnover after turnover, causing eleven total. The Bearcats had been extremely protective of the ball in the games leading up to  Monday and they picked the wrong game to be loose with the ball. Syracuse finally reached their first lead in three halves and went into halftime up 28-25.

UC started the second half with a driving floater from Cashmere Wright. Justin Jackson showed his potential to develop into a heads-up passer with a handful of no-luck and behind-the-back passes but they were too out of control for his teammates to handle. Yancy started wandering outside of the paint occasionally on offense and defense, which was highly questionable since Syracuse clearly lacked a defender to cover him. The crowd was at its peak when Jackson blocked Rakeem Christmas from behind on a lay-up and the arena erupted. As the game approached its end, the Orange were dominating off of the dribble-drive offense and led by eleven with two minutes remaining. UC dropped the deficit to six with twenty-six seconds left and had the opportunity to make the game closer but Yancy Gates failed to grab a rebound after a missed Syracuse free throw. Syracuse ended up winning 60-53 as UC fans walked away downtrodden. Kris Joseph finished with 17 points and 6 rebounds for the Orange and Scoop Jardine has 13 and 6 assists. Cashmere Wright scored 17 (5-9 for three) and Gates had the only double-double with 16 and 10.

While Cincinnati blew a major opportunity to be tied for the lead in the Big East. The Bearcats look to be in good position to make the tournament and have shocked the basketball world with their wins on the road against ranked teams so far this season and no one can fault them for losing to one of the best teams in the country.

Full-Court Shot at the Buzzer

Even though North Carolina is leading their in-state rival NC State 72-49 and there has been no reason to watch the game because of the blowout, Wildcat guard Lorenzo Brown made a shot from behind his own free throw line at the buzzer for halftime. While the shot had absolutely no significane, I've never seen a longer shot made in college basketball.

                                                      Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TygnoaW2hs

From the Press Box 1.16.12

5 Takeaways from the Weekend

1. The Packers affirmed what we learned from the '07 Patriots. It's not about being the best team during the regular season in the NFL, it's about being the best team at the end of the season. I would go so far as to say that the Giants are the best team in the league right now. They're playing and winning very similarly to when they won the Super Bowl, so I wouldn't be surprised if they make it back there again.

2.  There's this really good quarterback named Tom Brady. I don't know if many of you have heard about him because of the never-ending Tebow hype, but Brady was the real quarterback in Foxboro. I'm not anti-Tim Tebow. I admire his leadership as a young player, his religious faith, and ability to respond to adversity, but I think he has a limited future in the NFL. In case anyone forgot, this was his first full season in the league, which means that opposing teams had extremely little film to study and absolutely no experience with his play style. This game was over within the first ten minutes, 14-0. Brady tied the playoff record for most passing touchdowns in a game by halftime. If Bill Belichick had Brady go 100% in the second half, he could have doubled the record! Tebow got his playoff win over the Steelers at home, but that was against a banged up Ben Roethlisberger and a Pittsburgh defensive coaching staff that decided they wouldn't change their approach despite Tim Tebow's long pass completions.

The New England Patriots were in the bottom two defenses in the league during the regular season, so one would think that Tebow would have increased chances of putting up big numbers on Saturday. Well that was a whiff of a prediciton if there ever was one. 9-26, 136 yards with no touchdowns passing and five rushes for thirteen yards with his longest run being for fourteen yards.

3. The last four minutes of the 49'ers vs. Saints game may have been the most exciting four minutes ever of a football game. Luckily for me, I was only able to watch the last ten minutes of the game. I turned on the TV to San Francisco leading 20-17. It blows my mind how the teams were able to be sound defensively for most of the game and practically double the score in the final four possessions. Alex Smith matched Drew Brees throw for throw in the fourth quarter.

Guess what? Alex Smith is not a bust.

I know no one ever dreamt of speaking those words but stranger things have happened. Give the guy some credit. Seven offensive coordinators in the same number of years. All he needed was a good coach like Jim Harbaugh to put all of his eggs in the Alex Smith basket and give him the support he needed. If the 49'ers win, Smith is playing in the Super Bowl. Mark Sanchez has never done that. Joe Flacco has never done that. Philip Rivers has done that. Even if San Fran loses its next game, he will still get a multi-year contract and try to repeat this season's success in the future.

It's pretty incredible that New Orleans was able to stay competitive against such a good defense like San Francisco when they turned the ball over five times. Brees was still on the doorstep of 500 passing yards in the game but it's next to impossible to win on the road when the home team gets that many gifts. If the Saints can improve on defense while Brees is still in his prime, they can make another run at the Super Bowl.

4. I wouldn't want to face the Ravens' D. Ed Reed. Ray Lewis. Terrell Suggs. I don't know about you but typing those names is making me curl up in a ball in the corner of my room and hide under a blanket. Baltimore's defense is filled with big-time playmakers and heavy hitters that would make me not want to face them in the playoffs. Two fourth quarter interceptions, plus two forced fumbles on special teams. New England better hold onto the ball next weekend or at least score enough that turnovers don't matter.

5. As much as I like Indiana's basketball team, they are not the same team on the road. First with their loss last month on the road in East Lansing against then #17 Michigan State and then on Sunday at Ohio State. A 74-70 win at home is lightyears different from an 80-63 loss on the road. At a neutral court I would take, Ohio State by about ten. IU should be a three of four seed in the tournament unless they win the majority of their ranked opponents, in which case, they'll be a two seed. The Hoosiers are definitely a threat and I would favor them in most matchups, but I think the nation has gotten ahead of itself slightly on the Hoosiers bandwagon. We'll find out in March how good Tom Crean's squad really is and if the Assembly Hall Hoosiers can play the same way outside of their own arena.

From the Press Box 1.14.12

NFL Divisional Round of the Playoffs

San Francisco 49'ers vs. New Orleans Saints

The age-old question of what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object definitely applies to this matchup. A top five offense going on the road against a top five defense. Drew Brees takes his 5,000+ passing yards and dozen different receiving threats to San Fran against a Jim Harbaugh's physical defense. Good luck to whoever has to cover Jimmy Graham-the guy had more fouls than field goals while playing college basketball and Brees will surely target the tight end throughout the game assuming the Saints running game stalls.

Did I mention the 49'ers have only given up one rushing touchdown all season? My Calculus grade doesn't indicate that I'm a math expert, but that means that they played 15 games WITHOUT giving up a rushing TD. The Saints have a very underrated and unique three-pronged rushing attack but the 49'ers know how to stop opposing teams' ground games.
If you're similar to the middle school kids with ADD and short term memory loss, here are the two things to write down on your hand or forearm with your scented non-toxic purple marker (I'm personally a fan of writing on your forearm because it's less likely to get washed off and people in rough neighborhoods might mistake the writing as tattoos and be intimidated by you).

The Saints are not playing at the Superdome. It's as if the air is filled with krypton and Superman is at risk whenever he leaves his home. If the Saints played all of their game at home, they wouldn't lose more than one or two games each year. But considering the NFL is a fair league where the teams with the best records get home-field advantage in the playoffs, they have to leave the state of Louisiana after the first round. I can't explain but they're a different team when they leave the bayou.
The San Francisco 49'ers have much less playoff experience than the Saints. The 49'ers haven't played past Week 17 since 2002. That's before rookie coach Jim Harbaugh made a name for himself at Stanford. That's before Mike Singletary's fiery press conferences. That's before Alex Smith went #1 overall to the 49'ers. The Saints have had six playoff appearances in that time span, including a Super Bowl victory in the 2009-2010 season.

           San Francisco will have to keep the Saints under thirty points if they want to have any shot at winning and I can't see Alex Smith keeping up with Drew Brees offensively. Get your Mardi Gras beads, jazz music, and jumbalaya ready-Saints win 31-17.

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos

                                                                                                                   

              Same song, just a different beat. The Broncos are a much better team a mile up in the air. Plus, playing at Foxborough is one of the worse locations because that means that they have to face the wrath of Tom "I wear Uggs but don't try making fun of me because I have a supermodel wife and three championship rings" Brady and Bill "My wardrobe consists of twelve different grey hoodies" Belichick.
Anyone who claims that Denver will win because of it's defense is either forgetting or blatantly ignoring who they're up against. The name's Brady, Tom Brady, Agent 0012. The Pats have exited the playoffs after their first game each of the past two seasons and they're definitely not going for the three-peat. Tim Tebow got his $250,000 from winning last game and the victory means that the county will get at least one more year of endless talk about him in in the media. However, he is without Eric Decker and will need more than a Hail Mary to win the game (pun intended).

The Fighting Tebow's lose 31-13.

 Jeff Fisher to the Rams

                   This is the kind of decision that makes fans question “experts” and analysts such as Adam Schefter. Now there’s no question that Schefter is good at what he does for ESPN and no bum off the street could just replace him and do the same quality of work. Miami seemed like the more favorable choice.

                   Why did the Big Three—I’m referring to the ones in Miami, not the ones in Boston, the Three Stooges, or the Three Musketeers—choose to land in Miami instead of Cleveland? 80˚ weather on a daily basis in the winter versus 20˚ weather, snow storms, and a terrible sports city.

                    Miami would have the upper hand in most comparisons between two cities. The Dolphins were 6-10 this year, which is by no means good but at least respectable compared to the St. Louis Rams’ record of 2-14. The Patriots’ days are numbered. Tom Brady has maybe four years of high-level performance but lacks excellent wide receivers, running backs, and defense. The New York Jets took a nose dive this season despite their claims to make it to the Super Bowl and whatever other ridiculous claims Rex Ryan made. The Bills started surprisingly well but in the end turned out to be the team everyone expected them to be. Miami could contend for the AFC East title by finding a quarterback to go along with Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall, who both had 1,000 yard seasons, and improving their pass defense through the draft or free agency.

                  I understand Fisher, but I don’t necessarily agree with him. The Rams at least have a quarterback, Sam Bradford, to build around for the future, but it’s a quarterback who has faced lots of issues with injuries in the past few seasons. St. Louis also has the second overall pick, which they can use on essentially any position other than quarterback or running back and their team would benefit greatly. Or, they could always go the route of trading the pick for a combination of player(s) and picks to fill more of their holes. Although, in case he has lived under the rock for the past five months, I have a wake-up call for Jeff Fisher--the San Francisco 49’ers are really good. Alex Smith is still a relatively young player, Frank Gore is a monster out of the backfield, and don’t even bother trying to run against SF because you won’t get anywhere. The ‘Niners are going to dominate this division for the next five years at least and it will be difficult to build a team quickly that can dethrone them.

                    We’ll see how Fisher feels about the decision next year around Week 8 when the Rams are 2-6 or 3-5 and the temperature in St. Louis drops to half of that in Miami.

UNC Blown Out by FSU

                    North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams has never been embarrassed this badly before in his time at Chapel Hill.

                    90-57.

                    That’s more than just a bad shooting night. Florida State almost scored as many second half points as that Tar Heels did in the game.  Two Seminoles, Deividas Dulkys and Michael Snaer, dropped nearly as many as the #3 team in the country. Florida State shot well, nothing jaw-dropping at 48.4%. The biggest differences were free throws and three-pointers.

                      UNC: 9-20 and 4-21.

                     FSU: 18-24 and 12-27.

                   Good teams make free throws, it’s as simple as that. North Carolina was caught on a bad day on the road against Florida State, who played out of their minds. Most top ranked teams slip up at some point during the season and today just happened to be that day. Had the game been played at Chapel Hill, I don’t think the result would have been worthy of the #1 story on SportsCenter as it is now.

Miami Heat Three-Game Losing Streak

                   After starting 8-1 and managing to win a game in overtime without LeBron or D-Wade playing at all, the Miami Heat have dropped three straight games, two of which were in OT. However, the worst news of last night for Miami was Wade’s ankle injury that leaves him questionable for the upcoming games. With a shortened season, the Heat are 1/5 of the way done before the start of the playoffs. They are still second in the Southeast Conference and have one of the best records in the NBA so they have nothing to worry about. For now. As long as they can pull themselves together and turn things around they are still in great position to make a deep run in the playoffs. LeBron has been scoring like crazy this season and a likely frontrunner for MVP

 Fantasy Basketball

                 I’m in my first legitimate fantasy basketball league (the one for computer lab in junior high where you “reported” your own score and the girls drafted the players with funny foreign names doesn’t county) and the draft was last night. I wasn’t able to draft my team live and I was given the last pick of the first round sadly, but here’s my team:

Rajan Rondo
Pau Gasol
DJ Augustin
Al Horford
Marcus Thornton
Wesley Matthews
Landry Fields
Boris Diaw
Nick Young
Mario Chalmers
OJ Mayo
DeAndre Jordan

Paul Daugherty Interview

            You may know him as Doc, TML, The Morning Man, or simply “that sports guy who writes for the Cincinnati Enquirer,” but all nicknames aside, sports columnist Paul Daugherty is one of the best journalists in the country. Mr. Daugherty was kind enough to agree to an interview, so make sure to stock up on your “Doc” in this article since he is on a leave of absence from the Enquirer until March.

Courtesy of http://www.montgomerywomansclub.org/TownHall.html

·         Who or what was your inspiration to become a sports journalist?

            "I was covering county government for a couple of years coming out of college. I wouldn’t say I was inspired by any journalists, I was inspired by really good writers. This is going to sound strange but a guy named Rod Serling, who used to narrate a show called the “Twilight Zone,” well it was very popular many years before you were born. Rod Serling actually worked for WLW for a while and was a terrific writer. There were sports columnists that inspired me, a guy named Dave Kindred, who is working solely for Golf Digest magazine these days but he wrote in Louisville, he wrote for the Washington Post, and the Atlantic Journal Constitution. But to be honest with you, I didn’t leave college intending to be a sports writer, what happened was I covered county government for two years and was bored by it and the sports editing job came open at the paper I was working for at the time and I figured, you know, I’m bored with what I’m doing and I like sports and I know sports, we’ll see if we can have some fun with this. Nobody really inspired me to be a sports journalist, it just kind of happened."

 ·         Where and how did you get your start working for a newspaper?

            "My first job was covering county government for a newspaper called the Carroll County Times, that is now a suburb of Baltimore. It’s in Westminster, Maryland. When I was there, it was pretty much farm country, now it’s evolved into a suburb. I got that job right out of college and did the county government thing for two years and then did two more years as a sports editor there before I took another job somewhere else."

 ·         What has it been like writing for the Cincinnati Enquirer?

            "It's been great. They kind of leave me alone, let me do my own thing. I’ve certainly been a lot of places and pretty much seen the world working for the Enquirer. And the Post for a matter of fact, I worked at the Cincinnati Post when I first got here. I’ve been to five summer Olympics all over the world, probably fifteen World Series, went to twenty Super Bowls, so the experience has been terrific. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, it’s allowed me to write about games for a living and pretty much keep my own schedule. Nobody tells me what to write and when to come in, I don’t even have a desk downtown. I work at home or I work from wherever the game is that I’m covering. I have the freedom to do what I want to do and do things I like and have the ability to travel and see the world and get paid for it."

 ·         What is a typical day like for you and what is your favorite part about your job?

            "A typical day…I’m up really early. I don’t know if you read The Morning Line or not, my daily blog, but I do that first. I usually start that at about 7:30. I’m generally done with that by about ten. If I’ve got a column to do for the paper the following day then I’ll be thinking about that at that point and if I have to go somewhere for a game, then I’ll go. If I have to make phone calls to talk to somebody about the column that I’m writing I’ll be doing that. I do most of my work at home. I’ve got an office in my house. If I’m not at a game, then I’m working at home, so I’m calling people on the phone and I’m going to the ballpark."

 ·         What is your dream job or your next step in your career as a sports journalist?

            "I wouldn’t say it’s a dream job, but I actually just started a two-month leave of absence. I’m working on a book on my daughter. She’s twenty-two and has Down Syndrome, goes to college, and is a really cool kid. She’s inspirational and that’s my thing right now. That’s my dream job to be able to right books, not necessarily about sports but about topics that interest me and I think I can make money doing. I enjoy working at the paper and they pay me well, it’s kind of cool to get paid to watch sporting events. I wouldn’t say it is my dream job anymore. I’ve been doing it for a long time, my dream job would be to get me away from having to produce something every day and allow me to do what I’m doing now, just to work on something long term like a book."

 ·         How do you see the future of journalism turning out with both print and online media?

            "I think eventually there will be no print. I think everything will be online and I think we’re heading in that direction now. I think the only reason that we haven’t completely gone that way yet is because people of my generation and older, by that I mean people fifty years and up, still like getting the paper delivered. They like the feel of the newspaper, it’s what they’re used to. I think once those people die, people like you and even a generation older than you have grown up getting their information from the laptop. And I think once those people are my age, I would guess that the transformation will be complete. There may be some papers that still print,  the New York Times maybe, the Wall Street Journal, maybe some of the really big daily papers in this country but we’re trending towards the online thing and as soon as the people who run the country and run the businesses in this country are those that right now are maybe a little younger, they’re used to getting their news online. As soon as those people start taking charge of things, I think print newspapers are going to go the way of the eight-track tapes."

 ·         What advice would you give for high school or college students interested in becoming sports journalists?

            "I taught an advanced reporting class at UC for four years and I gave them the same advice, which is read good writing. It doesn’t have to be sports writing, in fact, it’s probably better if it’s not sports writing. Find authors that you like and read what they have to say. I always told people to read for style as much as content. Don’t worry so much about the story as how the person is telling the story. That would be my first advice, my second advice is to be willing to go anywhere and do just about anything. I think there are more jobs in my field now than ever before because of the online side of it, the problem is because there are more jobs and more interest in it, the competition for the good ones is a lot more fierce and because of that employers are able to not pay you as much. So I would suggest that if you want to do this for a career be prepared not to make a ton of money, at least certainly not right away and maybe not ever, depending on how good you are. I was lucky in that I was in this generation where the newspaper was predominant and I made my mark and earned a really nice living before all of the cutbacks and that kind of thing. I don’t think people can do that anymore. I think there are more jobs out there doing what I do but they won’t pay as well. My advice is read good writing and don’t say no."

·         What was it like writing a book with Chad Ochocinco?

            "(Laughs) Well, I have to tell you Chad, what Chad did that was most helpful was approve my access to his background. In other words, there were certain people that I needed to speak with about his life that would not have spoken with me had he not given the OK. Being like an active participant in the book, I wouldn’t say that Chad was a ton of help. He made other people available to help me, but in terms of being really revealing and helping me out a whole bunch on his life, I would say he didn’t do a lot. That being said, Chad back then was easy to work with and I think we had a good time and I think he liked the finished product."

 ·         Who is your favorite athlete that you have ever interviewed or reported on?

            "Most of them are pretty good. The ones that I like are the ones that can talk about things other than their sport. There’s not a lot of them like that, but there are a few. I always liked Boomer Esiason, got along great with him because he could talk about all kinds of different things. Eric Davis remains one of my favorite guys. He’s just a good human being. That’s a good question and I get asked that a lot, but I don’t know because if only one or two or three were great, I’d remember them, but honestly most of them have been really good to deal with."

·         How can the Bengals improve in the offseason?

            "Keep adding good players. That sounds obvious but that’s not so obvious around here. They haven’t; after the ’05 season they didn’t build on that, after the ’09 season they didn’t build on that and both years after they took a dive. I think they have a chance now with the young players that they have and the extra draft picks that they got from the Carson Palmer thing. They just need to really build on what they did this year. Whether they’ll do it or not, I have no idea. It’s easy to be skeptical because of how they’ve run their business over the last twenty years. They have a chance to get better, I’ll put it that way, whether they take advantage of it, I don’t know."

·         What are your thoughts on the UC-XU brawl and its aftermath?

            "I thought it was a black eye for the city. I think that there’s a possibility that they’ll put that game on hiatus for a couple of years to allow fans in particular to miss it a little bit and to think about why they got it taken away. I’m all for allowing the game to go on, but I would like to see some sort of community project that both teams could take part in. Why can’t the Xavier and the UC basketball players next summer, instead of going to some summer camp playing basketball, build a Habitat for Humanity house together? Why can’t they serve dinner at the drop-in center around Christmas? Both teams having to work together, I think that would be very beneficial. But to answer your question, I thought it was horrible, that it was a black eye for the city and that hopefully everybody’s learned from and hopefully things won’t be as bad in the future as they were this year."

·         How do you think the Reds will do with an improved roster in a weakened N.L. Central this season?

            "I think their aim now is to win it and they’re going for it obviously. They brought in Madsen, they brought in Latos, they brought in Marshall, and they still need a left fielder, but I think their idea is to win the thing this year and I think they have a good chance, given what’s happened with Pujols and what’s going to happen to Fielder and what happened to Ryan Braun. Their biggest competitors are losing some of their best players. I think the road is open for the Reds and I think they intend on driving through it and I’m pretty optimistic about it."

The NFL Has Forced Pittsburgh's Harrison's Hand

            It seems like James Harrison is fined by the NFL every other week for some form of illegal contact, whether it's roughing the passer, leading with his helmet on a tackle, or coming in late on a play. He's paid literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for numberous hits, including ones on Drew Brees, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Colt McCoy, Mohamed Massaqoui, and Josh Cribbs. I don't know if Harrison has a personal vendetta against the Browns or simply elevates his game to the next level against a division rival, but he seems to run into the most trouble when Pittsburgh plays Cleveland. The NFL has even gone as far as suspending him for future games.

          Courtesy of http://www.visualcrack.info/league-is-selling-photos-of-james-harrisons-illegal-hit-on-mohamed-massaquoi.html

            Let me make this clear, the NFL has made the right decisions by enforcing its rules that protect quarterbacks and helpless receivers coming across the middle. There have been far too many concussion-related incidents that can not only end a player's career but cause serious psychological issues in the player's future off the field.

   Courtesy of http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/james-harrisons-hit-on-colt-mccoy-draws-attention/2011/12/09/gIQAz539hO_blog.html

            In typical James Harrison fashion, the Steelers linebacker was involved in a play that would make a weak-stomached fan squeamish. In the first half, Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker, Tim Tebow's favorite target this season (which means the Decker is targeted about three times per game), caught a pass from Tebow that sent him straight into a death trap. Decker was sandwiched between two Pittsburgh defenders, one of whom was Harrison. Roger Goodell and the NFL can pat themselves on their collective back--Harrison seems to have finally learned his lesson. He could have hit Decker high, sending the wide receiver spiralling up in the air, and he would have regained consciousness two weeks later in a hospital bed. However, the NFL has an equally dangerous situation on its hands--hitting players low. Harrison went low, deciding that he had written enough checks to the league, and hit the outside of Eric Decker's knee with his helmet and shoulder. Decker dropped the would-be completion and was visibly in serious pain. He was helped off the field and taken straight to the locker room. The Broncos announced that Decker has a sprained MCL and will be out for the rest of the playoffs.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/01/08/broncos.eric.decker.ap/index.html

            I guess risking injury to the knee is the lesser of two evils when compared to risking injury to the head and neck, but it is still a scary predicament that the NFL is in. I wouldn't be surprised if Decker is not back to being completely healthy by next season. But under the current rules, this is the type of injury that will become much more prevalent as the league cracks down on hits to the upper half of the body. The NFL has limited options to protect players from bad hits to their legs--fining hits to the knee will start to ruin the game that so many players and fans love if linebackers can only aim for opposing players' shoelaces and belly buttons to avoid penalties, fines, and suspensions. I'm not sure what the next step is to keep players healthy and not handcuff defenses too much, but there will be more Eirc Decker-like injuries if the NFL doesn't find a solution soon.

LSU vs. Alabama: Just as Ugly as Their First Meeting

            Tonight's BCS National Championship was one of the most polarizing matchups in college football in recent memory. Fans were divided in the weeks leading up to the big game on whether this was a good matchup for the viewers. The teams with the two best defenses in NCAA Football were getting the chance to face each other in a rematch after LSU won 9-6 in early November thanks to four missed field goals by Alabama. For die-hard fans, what is not to like about the matchup? The game would close, low scoring, each team has a Heisman finalist, the defenses are almost NFL quality, and the head coaches on opposite sidelines are two of the greatest minds in the game. However, a touchdown would be a rare occurrence, the offenses would struggle to get past midfield, and it would be no surprise if Alabama's kicking woes were to continue. By the time the National Championship had reached the third quarter, I knew it was one of the most disappointing final games ever.
            While the majority of the time, a 15-0 lead is not considered dominant, but considering the circumstances that the game is winding down and LSU has yet to snap the ball on Bama's side of the field, the Crimson Tide are in complete control of the reigns. From LSU's first possession, it was clear Alabama was looking for revenge against the Tigers and setting the tone with its physical defense. LSU's first run attempt was stonewalled, Jordan Jefferson bobbled the snap two plays later, Les Miles' team went three and out, which forced them to punt. One of the few bright spots on the evening was punter Brad Wing, whose first kick went 59 yards and pinned Alabama on their own ten yard line. Uncharacteristically, Alabama came out of the gate being a pass-first offense. A.J. McCarron started out 3-3 on the Crimson Tide's first drive, exploiting LSU's defense through the short passing game.
            After exchanging punts, King sent another booming punt down the field for 54 yards, only to have Alabama speedster Marquis Maze make up 49 of those yards on his return. Sadly, Maze pulled his hamstring on the play and was forced to watch the rest of the game from the sideline. Wide receiver Darius Hanks slid to catch a pass from McCarron for the longest gain so far in the game, which help set up a Jeremy Shelley field goal. Alabama kept LSU off guard by sticking with passing play calls, which allowed them to move the chains frequently throughout the game. Bama's defense was manhandling LSU's offense and holding them to their own half of the field and forcing them to punt. LSU made way too many mistakes against a team the caliber of Alabama, including multiple botched snaps and  penalties that hurt the Tigers' momentum.
             Kevin Norwood had a leaping acrobatic catch over Tyrann Mathieu that led to a 49-yard field goal attempt fot Alabama. The Crimson Tide faked the kick, instead having the holder McCarron shovel pass the ball to Norwood for a first down by the slightest of margins. Bama's ensuing 42-yard field goal attempt was blocked by defensive tackle Michael Brockers, keeping the score to 3-0. Alabama continued to chip away at LSU's defense with first down pass plays, with a critical play coming on a screen pass to Hanks for nine yards.
           The story was not the same for the Tigers. With Jordan Jefferson playing the entire game, LSU could never establish an offensive rhythm and only made it into Alabama's half of the field late in the fourth quarter. Jefferson was horrendous running the option, which needed to work for LSU to have a chance to win the game. He struggled making Alabama's defensive ends commit to him or the running back and the Tigers lost yardage almost every time. Jefferson's only good plays were the few times he scrambled out of the pocket. His worst moment came in the third quarter when a play was breaking down and he shoveled passed the ball to his running back, who was blocking downfield, and it was picked off by C.J. Mosley, who was injured on the play.
            The story of the game was Alabama's defense controlling LSU's offensive possessions and McCarron getting his squad into field goal range for Shelley,  who was 5-7 on the night, to put the ball through the uprights. Suprisingly one touchdown was scored in the game when Alabama started one of their possessions at the 50-yard line and Trent Richardson bounced outside for a 34-yard touchdown run. Ironically, Shelley shanked the PAT off of the right goal post and the final score was 21-0.

Courtesy of http://sportsbore.com/college-football/roll-tide/

            Here are some of my thoughts on the game:

•   LSU may have proved tonight why a dual-quarterback system does not work--with two signal callers, each one gets half of the first team snaps and it is difficult to develop a rhythm on offense. Jefferson did not look good at all tonight and I bet many LSU fans are questioning Les Miles' decision to not play Jarred Lee.
• Alabama is very lucky that the game was not closer. Shelley missed two field goals and a PAT, which was the reason why they lost to the Tigers in November. Same story, just different result. I think the kicker position is way under valued in college football. There were at least half a dozen major losses this season because kickers could not put the ball through the uprights. Oklahoma State potentially lost a BCS Title Game-bid because of it. Stanford and Virginia Tech lost bowl games because of missed field goals. If I were Alabama, or any major program in the country for that matter, use one of your scholarships to land one of the best kickers in the country to avoid these scenarios in future years.
• Jordan Jefferson should go to the NFL combine as a safety prospect. Clearly his chances at getting drafted as a quarterback are as likely as the number of points his team scored tonight--zero. However, his injury-inducing hit on C.J. Mosley was a great tackle. If he can bottle up the rage he felt in that moment in every play, he may have a future on an NFL team's practice squad on defense.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans: 3 Plays That Changed the Outcome of the Game

          After the Cincinnati Bengals got embarrassed by the Houston Texans by a score of 31-10 at Reliant Stadium, many Cincinnati fans are livid.

                “Why didn’t our team show up? We are so much better than this!”

First off, let’s take a step back. The Bengals had a good season by all accounts this season—they drafted a franchise quarterback in Andy Dalton as well as A.J. Green, a Pro Bowl wide receiver who is virtually impossible to cover; The Bengals made the playoffs despite being in a division with two of the best teams in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who both finished 12-4. Marvin Lewis has secured at least a few more years in Cincy by having his young team buy into his system. Even Mike Brown showed promise for the future by permitting a buy one, get one free deal for the final regular season game.

However, we need a reality check. The Bengals finished the regular season 9-7, only one win away from being an average team. If Cincinnati was 8-8, the Bengals’ season would have been considered very mediocre. The Bengals only beat one team with a winning record. While Cincinnati was competitive in all but one of its regular season games, a brutal 35-7 loss at Pittsburgh, the Bengals’ only win against a team that finished above .500 came against San Francisco early in the season. Two losses to Baltimore. Two losses to Pittsburgh. Let’s not get carried away with ourselves—Houston beat Cincinnati in Cincinnati without Andre Johnson. So considering that Saturday’s loss was in Houston, it was the franchise’s first playoff berth, and Andre Johnson was in the lineup, it is not surprising that the Texans won by a much larger margin in their second meeting with Cincy. The Bengals had their opportunities to win the game but three plays in the middle of the game decided the outcome.

 Mike Nugent’s 50-yard field goal miss. Great teams take advantage of every opportunity, especially scoring opportunities. Trust me, I know 50 yards is a long way. I would be lucky to make a PAT. Reliant Stadium had a closed roof, so there was no wind. It would have given the Bengals the lead. Missed field goals have a similar effect as turnovers. It keeps point off the board for the offensive team and gives the team on defense a chance to have good field position to start their own scoring drive.

Courtesy of http://bleacherreport.com/articles/997209-cardinals-vs-bengals-things-we-learned-from-cincys-christmas-eve-victory

            J.J.Watt’s pick six. To clarify for everyone, this interception was 99% a great play by Watt and 1% Andy Dalton’s fault. I would say 110% and -10%, but that is absurd, negative numbers wouldn’t make sense in this context. There might be five players of any position that would have caught that pass. Watt is a former tight end so he has better hands that most defensive ends. He has some serious cat-like reflexes. Watching the play on TV, the camera man had started panning the camera twenty yards downfield only to find out that the ball was actually moving in the opposite direction, in Watt’s hands. That was simply a great play by a talented rookie who you could make a case for an All-Pro bid.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/kerry_byrne/01/07/bengals.texans.grades/index.html

  Chris Crocker’s dropped interception. The Bengals were down 17-10 at halftime and were forced to punt on their first drive of the second half. Crocker completely fooled rookie quarterback T.J. Yates and jumped the wide receivers route. There was no Texan within ten yards of him. He would have caught the ball around Cincinnati’s 45 yard line with room to run. But in usual Bengals fashion, Crocker decided to wear his sandpaper gloves to the game and ended up deciding that the turf would rather have the ball than him. Pacman Jones was injured a few plays later and the Texans immediately took advantage of the injured corner by going deep to Andre Johnson for an easy touchdown. Even though Johnson was not playing 100% due to a hamstring injury, he made a fantastic double move that left Jones in the dust and the safety covering over top had no chance at breaking up the play.

Courtesy of http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120107/SPT02/301070096/Bengals-best-hope-falls-ground?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CSports%7Cs

 The Bengals were not able to step up to the playoffs. The Texans made exceptional plays and Cincinnati made mistakes. If these three plays had gone the other way, the Bengals would have been up 13-10 instead of being down 24-10. Once Houston had a two touchdown lead at home, the game was over for Cincinnati. They had too many blows to their morale and weren’t making the big plays that the Texans were. Stay positive Bengals Nation. Cincinnati made the playoffs with a rookie quarterback in one of the toughest divisions. The team is young and has two first round draft picks in the upcoming draft. Andy Dalton has postseason experience and look for the Bengals to be a favorite in the AFC for years to come.

NFL Wild Card Weekend Predictions: Houston Texans vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati's 20-19 loss to the Texans at the hands of rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, who put together an eighty yard drive in the final minutes of the game to get the win on the road.  Even though that matchup was only four weeks ago, much has changed since then:

• Andre Johnson is healthy enough to play after missing the last meeting against the Bengals with a hamstring injury and will give Yates a threat downfield that the Texans lacked in Cincinnati.
• Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton missed practice on Thursday and spent the day in the hospital recovering from the flu. He is expected to start on Saturday but who knows how he actually feels.
• Yates is listed as probable after suffering from a separated shoulder
• Houston will have home-field advantage and has a season's worth of experience practicing on a turf field, while the Bengals have practiced outdoors all week
• The Bengals have more playoff experience than the Texans; this is Cincinnati's third playoff berth in the past seven years while Houston is in the postseason for the first time in franchise history

The Benglas dominated the Week 14 meeting for the first fifty-five minutes, going into halftime with a 16-3 and were up 19-10 to start the fourth quarter. Cincinnati forced four turnovers and held Arian Foster, the league's fifth leading rusher, to 41 yards on 15 carries. However, the Texans outgained the Bengals by 130 yards, lead by T.J. Yates' 300 yard performance. Houston, with the second best rushing attack in the NFL, combined for nearly 150 yards on the ground between Foster, Yates, and Ben Tate. Owen Daniels broke the 100 yard mark in the game, showing the Bengals' liability in stopping tight ends.

Keys for the Houston Texans

• Run the ball early and often--The Texans have one of the best backfields with Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Being a run-first offense will increase their time of possession and keep Andy Dalton sidelined. With the return over Andre Johnson, an All-Pro wide receiver when healthy, will give the Texans big play potential once the Bengals start expecting the run on over play.
• Hold onto the ball--Houston fumbled four times and threw one interception in the last matchup against the Bengals so quite honestly, they were lucky to win. Good teams don't commit turnovers in the playoffs. The teams that lose are the ones who make the small  and preventable mistakes.
• Put pressure on Andy Dalton--The casual NFL fan wouldn't be able to tell that Dalton was a rookie. He is the first rookie to start every game and lead his team to the playoffs. The Red Rifle has also been able to achieve individual glory with his 3,400 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns. Sports Science found that Dalton was the most accurate quarterback in last year's draft class and can make opposing teams pay if he has enough time in the pocket. Fellow rookie teammate A.J. Green made the Pro Bowl after setting the Bengals' record for receiving yards in a season by a rookie (surpassed Chris Collinsworth). Jerome Simpson, most well known for his endzone acrobatics a few weeks ago, is also closing in on 1,000 yards and Jermaine Gresham is a great threat in the red zone.

Courtesy of http://www.statesman.com/sports/rookie-yates-leading-texans-into-playoffs-2078039.html

Keys for the Cincinnati Bengals

• Take an early lead--Houston will be completely behind their team in the Texans' first playoff berth in their short history. The only way to defeat home-field advantage is to put points on the board. An early lead will quiet a noisy stadium and shift the momentum in favor of the Bengals.
• Stop the run--Cincinnati shut down Arian Foster in the previous game against Houston, but Tate and Yates still managed to run for a combined 100 yards. If the Bengals can limit the Texans' ground game, that will put pressure on T.J. Yates, a rookie quarterback with only six games under his belt, to run the offense.

Courtesy of http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1011302-bengals-vs-texans-andy-dalton-hospitalized-with-flu-like-symptoms

This Wild Card matchup is a toss-up. Both teams are entering the playoffs on losing streaks and the game will be decided by which rookie quarterback plays better under pressure and which team protects the football. Cincinnati has been competitive in fifteen of sixteen games this season and Andy Dalton is a much better quaterback than T.J. Yates. The Bengals were dominant for three and a half quarters in Week 14 but gave it away at the end. Cincinnati still has some magic left in its tank, Andy Dalton is 3-0 in his career at Reliant Stadium, and the Bengals get their first playoff win since 1991, ironically against Houston (except they were the Oilers, not the Texans). Cincinnati wins 24-21 in a very close game in Houston.

Andy Dalton's Illness Raises Questions

            As the Cincinnati Bengals prepared for the Houston Texans today for Saturday's matchup in the Wild Card round, their first playoff matchup since 2009, they were without rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton is likely on his way to winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, to go along with being selected as a Pro Bowl alternate and becomine the first rookie quarterback to start every game and take his team to the playoffs. Andy Dalton was out with the flu today and is expected to be back on the practice field tomorrow. And note that I said the practice field, not their indoor facility because, in fact, the Cincinnati Bengals don't have one. Cincinnati practiced outside for the second straight day in temperatures that hovered in the mid-20's. Temperature is one of the rare scenarios where someone can complain about something or someone being in their twenties. The wind chill was brutal but the Bengals decided there was no reason to practice indoors.

Courtesy of http://www.cincyjungle.com/2011/9/11/2418635/dalton-leaves-game-to-get-x-ray-on-wrist-of-throwing-arm

         
             However, two things are incredibly wrong with that statement: (1) Mike Brown needs to provide greater personal and financial support of the team and build an indoor practice facility. The Bengals finally found a franchise quarterback in Dalton who, in his rookie season, would have made everyone in Cincinnati forget who Carson Palmer was if it weren't for all the Oakland highlights each week that featured about three Palmer interceptions. You want to know the biggest difference between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. The owners. Dan Rooney has already been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has made numerous significant contributions to the game such as the "Rooney Rule," which requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority coach for every vacant position. Oh, did I mention in his free time he is the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland? He and the rest of the Rooney family provide the Steelers with all of the support they need, which is a major reason why Pittsburgh has made it to the Super Bowl three times in the last six years. I don't see Mike Brown making a name for himself in the football or international world, other than being stingy with his money. The Bengals have to overcome Brown to win the games that they do and make it to the playoffs. Seriously, Mike Brown, your gesture to have a buy one, get one free deal was uncharacteristically generous to the city of Cincinnati and is hopefully a sign for what is to come in the future. Let's double the number of good things you have done for the Bengals recently by paying for an indoor practice facility out of your own pocket this offseason. (2) Who knows what caused Red's illness, but playing in freezing temperatures definitely didn't help, if it wasn't the main cause. I'm not sure what the line is on the Bengals-Texans matchup but it has to be seven points or less. The Bengals only lost by one point, 20-19, at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 14. Cincinnati has a legitimate shot to pull off the upset this week, that's assuming that Andy Dalton is healthy and plays four quarters against Houston. How perfect would that be for the reputation of Mike Brown--the Cincinnati Bengals make it to the playoffs, led by a rookie quarterback, but their lack of outdoor stadium causes him to catch the flu and the Bengals lose a winnable game as a result. You need to take every precaution to keep your star players healthy. Check that. You need to take every precaution to keep all of your players healthy.

Courtesy of http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2009/08/cincinnati_bengals_owner_mike.html

            Even though the Bengals do not have an indoor practice facility, the University of Cincinnati has a bubble field only a few miles away. Oh wait, that would Mike Brown and the Cincinnati Bengals would have to pay $5,000 per day to use it. Nevermind, a playoff win isn't worth $15,000. Remember, we're just happy to be in the playoffs no matter what.

NBA Athlete to Watch for in 2012

            Whether you want to call this my MVP prediction, burning LeBron James' jersey metaphorically through my writing, or simply premature hype, here is my NBA player to keep an eye on in the New Year.

NBA-Kevin Durant

            KD 4 MVP. If Durant were to hold a contest for the most conceited license plate suggestion for him, I think this would be a strong contender. Nothing against Derrick Rose or LBJ/King James, and no I'm not referring to the 36th President of the United States or the British king who has translation of the Bible named after him, but 2012 is Durantula's year. The Bulls are my favorite team, but it will be much harder for D-Rose to stand out in a very competitive Eastern Conference with a three-way race between Chicago, the Miami Heat, and the New York Knicks. The 2010-11 MVP will have to compete with Melo, Amare Stoudemire, LeBron, and D-Wade to make the headlines. And this year, LeBron and the Heat aren't taking no for an answer. D-Wade will take credit and even a few MVP votes away from his teammate and the Miami Heat will be the premier team in the East, making it difficult for Rose to get the recognition he deserves.

Courtesy of http://sportstalkbyzach.com/no-love-for-kevin-durant-this-year/

            Watching Durant play his first four games of the season, it was obvious he had made serious improvements in the offseason and is ready to dethrone the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers as the kings of the West. He tied the record of most consecutive games of scoring 30+ points to start a season with four such performances. KD was shooting lights out from the field, with a .573 shooting percentage from the field in that span and while he won't be a league leader in three-pointers, he is shooting 50% on the season. Between his physical prowess and basketball skills, it's actually unfair to play against him. He stands on the court at 6'9" 235 lbs. as the NBA's second leading scorer behind LeBron. Similarly to LeBron James, he's the perfect storm of athleticism, size, and basketball talent that the only defenders who have a chance to shut him down are ones with that "Big Three" combination. Watching the Orlando Magic try to play defense against him in the season opener was laughable.
            Yeah, like Hedo Turkoglu, a below-average player in league when he's doing anything besides taking spot up threes, has any chance of stopping a player with nine fewer years of wear and tear on his body and led the NCAA scoring and rebounding five years ago. Give me a break. Durant scored thirty as he led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 97-89 victory, but he could have easily scored forty. One quick move was all it took for Turk to question if Durant slipped on an invisibility cloak in front of him or was posterizing one of his teammates behind him. KD could drive past Hedo at will, make his way into the paint to either score an easy bucket or draw a foul on Dwight Howard. Howard has won three Defensive Player of the Year awards but that still doesn't make a difference against Durant. While a center like Superman, may have the height to contest most of his shots, that leaves a gaping hole big enough for Charles Barkley and Shaq to cartwheel through in the lane, not to mention the mismatch that creates on the perimeter.
            Not only has KD's scoring improved, but his assists per game is above his career average and he has shown flashes of his college self, where he can pull in close to ten boards per game. In a shortened season where teams are forced to play 66 games in 120 days, young players and teams have the advantage. They can play on back-to-back-to-back nights and remain healthy while the same cannot be said confidently about teams like the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. The average age of an OKC player is 25.4 years old, making them one of the youngest teams in the league. Compared to the Lakers' 28.2, the Thunder's players are practically on the verge of needing car seats and binkies. With guys like Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, and Daequan Cook, Durant is surrounded by very talented, young players. Oklahoma City will not grow as weary as other teams in this fast-paced season and the best part for Durant is that even though Harden and Westbrook could be All-Stars and "the guy" on other teams, KD is respected as the go-to man and the Thunder's best player.
            This season's MVP Race will be a photo finish between Durant, LeBron, D-Rose, Melo, and a case could be made for Dwight Howard, but I think the KD is the current favorite. The Thunder have the advantage with a young team in a shortened season, making them favorites for the Western Conference Finals, which will only help Durant's case.