Season Preview-NFC North

Season Preview

NFC North

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers is a first class QB. Returning so many starters from injury this team might have the best shot of repeating champions since the Pat’s did it. Running game must show up so Rodgers won’t have to throw the ball 50 times per game.

Prediction 12-4, first in NFC North

Chicago Bears

Keep Jay Cutler off the grass the Bears will be another surprise this year. Defense will be good again. Cutler to Roy Williams will be a much see under Mike Martz play calling.

Prediction 9-7, second in NFC North

Detroit Lions

Can you say sleeper. Matt Stafford health will win the Lions 5 games alone. The Lions front four will be atop the best this season. In the same division as the Packers and Bears finishing third and .500 isn’t bad.

Prediction 8-8, third in NFC North

Minnesota Vikings

Donovan McNabb will be great handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson, not sure who will be his main WR. The defense will miss Pat Williams a little bit, but still a strong enough to provide a short field for McNabb and company.

Prediction 6-10, fourth in NFC North

Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

NBA or Street Ball!

Kevin Durant performance at the famous Rucker Park in New York City speaks volumes to why the NBA Owners and NBA Players Associates need to get back around the negotiating table to hash out a new CBA. On the other hand, Michael Beasley showed us what will happen if no new deal is done check out the videos. Like Jay-Z said “men lie, women lie, numbers don’t” I guess videos don’t either. Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.  

My Four Quarters

First period

For all of you who have been reading my blogs, you know that I’m loyal to sports, mostly basketball.  Each major televise sport has sold me years ago.  Baseball, for its rich history along with its marathon race to October, that’s the playoff season for first time readers.  Football for its fourth quarter drives, See John Elway 1986 AFC Championship “the drive”, and how it has grown to be America most watched sports.  Big Business if you ask me.  And, my personal favorite Basketball!  Although basketball may come third in most sports polls popular sports, I love its consistence over the years.  It’s truly a snap shot of my culture.

Second period

This game of basketball highlights intelligent, athleticism, and HEIGHT! I’m not sure if I’ll ever get that last one.  Basketball has always been the sport that seemed to be the coolest, have the most style with personality.  Be honest you look at us; yes I included myself, like we created the word “swagger”.  With our Jordan style of walk, our Magic smile, Dwight Howard body, and D-Wade style of dress our “swagger” is always high. 

Third period

With the league currently in a labor war, players vs. owners, this game of basketball might slowly become a topic of the past.  I truly hope not.  The NFL has ended their labor issues, and baseball is in full swing I hope the NBA sees the light soon! Note to the NBA: you don’t have the most loyal fans.  Let’s not take hundred plus days to get a new CBA done.  

Fourth period

Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

NBA Financial woes

By now I know you are aware that the NBA Owners locked its players out last week. What most may not know is that the league is running strong and damn sure profitable. While listening to all the current reports about how many millions the league lost or that 23 team’s lost money this season-See Milwaukee Bucks-.  I had to offer my opinion about this topic. But, first I must quote Mr. Empire of State himself Jay-Z, “men lie, women lie numbers don’t”. Using that line as a guild your eyes might blink twice as mine did after viewing the numbers.  

This chart, cited in Nate Silver New York Times article, highlights the NBA Financial Performance from 1989-2010

Okay, okay it might not make a whole lot of sense to you. Allow me to clear it up for you it comes down to Billionaire looking to make more money while spending less. Business class one on one people!  I honestly feel like the NBA got big too fast, just think in the 70’s and early 80’s no one cared about this game, let alone the money Owners and Players were making. I thank Bird, Magic, and Jordan and now Kobe, Lebron, and Wade who brought more eyes to the game which meant more dollars. Now the Owners want to capitalize from it even more. Scary thought, the entire season might be lost. Word of advice to the both parties involved-- be careful what you ask for you just might get it “mo money mo problems” Biggie Smalls said it best… Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.  

Super Friend Team vs. A Strong Deep Team

This past season all the chatter was about Miami’s Big Three, well not everyone believes a collection of Superstars is the only way to win a championship. In a recent interview with Hoopshype New York Knicks point guard Chauncey Billups offer his thoughts about the Knicks building a team…

“I think that in any situation you got to get a team,’’ Billups said in a wide-ranging interview at his basketball camp in suburban Denver. “It’s not about names, how many people on your team can make the All-Star Game. It’s not about that at all. It’s about putting the right pieces together. You got to have a cohesive unit. You got to have guys that know to play off of one another, guys that are going to be unselfish on both ends of the floor. Those are things that win championships, and we’ve seen that clear as day in the Finals.’’

“It’s not about that,’’ Billups said of collecting big names on a team. “We got two of the biggest names in basketball already (in Anthony and Stoudemire). It’s not about that. It’s about getting somebody that can play with the talent that you have… You look at the Mavericks, and they just share the basketball every time down the floor… Dirk is one of the best the game has ever seen. But he couldn’t do it by himself… So it’s all about the team….

I agree with Billups, who is a five-time All-Star who averaged around 17 points and 5 assists a game this last season, and so did the Dallas Mavericks. Building a team and not just a group of Superstars will ultimately be the way to hoist the gold ball at the end of the season. Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

Lockout!

Okay, okay, and okay we’re heard this all before please tell me something I’ve haven’t heard before about this NBA lockout.

This lockout will happen. They’re meeting to save face in the public eyes, as a fan how much should I care about them meeting just to meet, players with their “STAND” t-shirts and the owners with their weak proposal. My guess is the NBA wasn’t educated by the NFL and NFLPA CBA battle.

Thursday will roll around and nothing new will have happen, and we will see the commissioner, David Stern, with the sad look on his face announcing that the owners have no other option but to lock out the players, starting at midnight. How long will it last, if it’s anything like the NFL, which is over 100days in their lockout, my guess it will go deep into the summer months.  

The big problem is that teams are losing money or not even making money. With the players taking home 57% of all revenue the Owners’ are looking to prevent this from happening next year. One way the Owners are looking to solve this problem by rolling back players salaries and have a lower salary cap. The players on the other hand, solution is to open the conversation with a more equal revenue-sharing pie and leave the salaries alone!

Well I know one thing is for sure that come Thursday I’ll be watching a lot of the NBA Classic, NBATV, and heck I might even pop in some VHS, okay I might be reaching with VHS but as a NBA fan I’ll truly miss what my Milwaukee Bucks new cast of players will do next season. Hopefully, whenever this battle over millions is all done there will be great games for us to sit back and enjoy just like this past season. Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

My NBA Awards 2011

DreamsByGriffin 2011 NBA Awards

MVP: Derrick Rose-After all the stories were about those three in Miami Heat, James, Wade, and Bosh, Derrick came up all Roses and stole the show in the East in my book that’s a MVP  

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin-Anyone with Griffin as their last name will be great! 20pts, 12rebs, and 3assist not bad in his official first year   

Sixth Man Award: Lamar Odom-Mr. Consistence in L.A.  

Coach of the Year: Most difficult award to give out this year. George Karl is my pick. Overcoming personal health issues and the Melo drama still coached the Nuggets in the playoffs without a big-time star is great coaching  

Defensive Player of the Year: AKA the Dikembe Mutombo award. Will be Dwight Howard for a third straight year! If every NBA team had Howard there wouldn’t be much scoring in the paint.

Most Improved Player: Kevin Love-“Mr. Double Up” 53 straight double doubles is enough for me.