Sports News and Notes:
Vol. V

Apr 22nd, 2009
By D. Goard Jr.
d_goardjr@urbanpeephole.com
 

 In My Mind... 

It’s that time again, and I have some good topics for you all.  
 
 

First off, I want to address the question of week that was posted in the last update. The feedback was definitely appreciated and hopefully we can continue that trend as there will be other great questions to come. 

Who’s my favorite baseball player of all time? Well, I saw some great responses in the comment section with all-time greats Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, but I gotta go with Ken Griffey Jr. If Jr. doesn’t get injured, he definitely would have been up there with them as one of the greats. There was no weakness in his game, he pretty much did everything well. On defense he ran down everything in the vicinity and had a rocket arm to throw out a base runner despite being deep in centerfield. Offensively he not only could hit with power, but also was a great contact hitter with a great batting average. Last but not least, he just did things the right way, never getting caught up in all the steroid talk.  

Again, that’s just my opinion because that’s who I grew up watching. While Griffey is my favorite, Mitike brought up a great point about Hank Aaron putting up all those great numbers in an era where racial tensions were high. I definitely take my hat off to Hank Aaron because the athletes now days don’t have to go through nothing of that magnitude. 

The 2009 NBA Goard Awards

The 2009 NBA regular season has come to an end and the playoffs have starting up. But as the post season goes on, there are some regular season awards that I want to give out... 

MVP-Lebron James-Cleveland Cavaliers

This has been heavily debated by many as the regular season winded down. There seems to be a consensus top three, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant with Dwight Howard right outside of them. That being said, I think this is Lebron’s year. When you look at that top three, Lebron have better stats than Kobe and has lead his team to a better record than D.Wade. He’s improved his free-throw shooting, become a much better defender, and has taken even more of a leadership role on the Cavs. At 6’9 270, you won’t find a more impressive athlete out there that has his speed and agility. Look for Lebron to be even more assertive through out the playoffs.

My ballot: 1) Lebron James

                 2) Dwyane Wade

              3) Kobe Bryant 

Coach of the Year- Rick Adelman, Houston Rockets

This one was tough. I don’t think it was a clear cut winner, so I stuck with my gut feeling and went with Rick Adelman. The Rockets have had various issues all year long and Adelman has kept them a float, leading his team to 3^rd place in the Western Conference Standings. It takes a great coaching effort to deal with not only a season-ending injury to Tracy McGrady and losing Rafer Alston to Orlando, but also dealing with the extremely volatile Ron Artest. Despite all of the set backs, the Rockets are right there in the hunt.

My ballot: 1) Rick Adelman

               2) Mike Brown

               3) Larry Brown 

Rookie of the Year- Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

I was very impressed by this year’s rookie class. Many of them should turn out to be superstars in the near future, but this award has to go to Derrick Rose. I don’t even think he knows how good he will turn out to be. Second in points and first in assists in the rookie rankings, Rose has the Bulls playing very competitive in the playoffs. O.J. Mayo, Russell Westbrook, Brook Lopez and even Michael Beasley have played terrific basketball, but Rose has really stood out. He has good size for the point guard position and is simply electric with the basketball. When Rose was first drafted by the Bulls I tried to think of who he reminded me of, and an ESPN analyst said it best, he’s Lebron James...just 4-5 inches shorter.

My ballot: 1) Derrick Rose

             2) O.J. Mayo

                         3) Russell Westbrook 

Defensive Player of the Year- Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

When I think of Dwight Howard, defensive player of the year isn’t the first thing to come to mind, but he has the stats to back it up. He averages 14 rebounds and 3 blocks per game, leading the league in both categories. He’s the engine that makes the Magic go and a big part of that has been his defensive play. Lebron James and Dwyane Wade have been superb defenders this year as well. Lebron is a great defensive player “when he wants to” and D.Wade leads the Heat in blocks, despite being only 6 foot 3.

My ballot: 1) Dwight Howard

                2) Lebron James

               3) Dwayne Wade 

Sixth Man of the Year- Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks

A sixth man is someone who can come into the game and give the team a boost where the starters left off. This year, the best player who has done the best job of that has been Jason Terry. He’s averaging 20 points a game which a lot of people don’t do in a starting role, let alone a back-up role. Terry is instant offense, and has been a great scoring option for the Mavs this season. Denver’s J.R. Smith was a close second, and he may be even more dangerous off the bench because of his size and athleticism.

My ballot: 1) Jason Terry

               2) J.R. Smith

                    3) Nate Robinson
 

Most Improved Player- Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets

This category was also a very tough decision. Devin Harris and Danny Granger are no doubt the top two most improved players in the league, but I ended up going with Harris and here’s why. In my opinion, Devin Harris made more of a jump from last year, to this year than Danny Granger. Don’t get me wrong, as good as Granger was this year, last season you could already see him coming into his own. Devin Harris was solid, but not an all-star by any stretch. He is now one of the main go-to options for the Nets, at times, more so than Vince Carter.

My ballot: 1) Devin Harris

                      2) Danny Granger

                3) Paul Millsap 

All- NBA Team All- Defensive Team  All- Rookie Team

G- Chris Paul  G- Dwyane Wade  G- Derrick Rose

G- Dwyane Wade G- Kobe Bryant  G- Russell Westbrook

G- Kobe Bryant F- Lebron James  G- O.J. Mayo

F- Lebron James F- Chris Anderson  F- Michael Beasley

C- Dwight Howard C- Dwight Howard  C- Brook Lopez 
 
 

A True Legend
 

Hall of Fame coach. Emmy award winning broadcaster. Best selling sports video game ever. John Madden, a true ambassador of the sport, has now retired. The 73-year old Madden decided to hang it up after an amazing career. As a coach, he led the Oakland Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XI and as a broadcaster, has been one of the most recognizable voices in sports for decades. Sure there are other great broadcasters, but there was something different about John Madden. We regular guys at home watching the game drinking beer could look at him say you know, “He’s one of us”. John Madden had so much knowledge of the game, but could make it simple enough for someone who never even watched football before. I have no doubt he can still call games, but I guess all good have to come to an end. It’s great to be able to have such a storied career and to go out on your own terms. John Madden, you will be truly missed.  
 

Bad News for the C’s 

The Boston Celtics All-Star forward Kevin Garnett may be out for the entire postseason. Apparently his knee injury is much more serious than led to believe. When the injury first happened, I always thought it was probably worse than it appeared. There really was no contact, but those are usually the worse injuries. If K.G. doesn’t return for the playoffs, their title hopes are down the drain. He is their emotional leader and the catalyst on the defensive side of the ball.

Ironically, the same day the K.G. injury news was passed down; Celtic General Manager Danny Ainge suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. He complained of having chest pains the day before and early the next morning is when it took place. Ainge is said to be O.K. and is resting comfortably as he recovers.

Most recently, Leon Powe also went down with an ACL injury. The Celtics frontcourt depth took yet another hit. 

“Zeke” sighting in Miami?
 

Former all-time great Detroit Piston point guard Isiah Thomas has been hired by Florida International to coach their men’s basketball team. After previous coaching stints in the NBA with Toronto, Indiana and most recently the New York Knicks, he is back on the sidelines again, this time with a collegiate team. He’s already caught the attention of the locals by giving back his first year’s salary to the school when he heard about some of the administration getting laid off. Isaiah Thomas may have not been the best NBA coach as most New York Knicks fans would agree, but could be a pretty good college basketball coach.

Think about it, college basketball is really about recruiting. Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley all came in and had huge impacts on their respective college team. Say what you want about Isaiah as a coach, but when he calls some of these young guys to play for him, they’ll listen. I’m not saying he’s going to get the top athletes in the country, but the players who aren’t getting recruited to play at big schools or a player that slipped through the cracks are the one’s that he’s going to land. It has been reported that season tickets are at an all time high and the school is receiving phone calls from both high school coaches and players all around the country. 

NFL Mock Draft
 

The 2009 NFL draft is coming up soon and it happens to be one of my favorite sporting events of the year. There’s been a lot of buzz about who’s going to what team, so I thought I’d give my take on the situation... 

#1   Detroit Lions- Matthew Stafford, Georgia   Quarterback

The closer the draft nears; it looks like Stafford will be the #1 pick. Even though he has been inconsistent at times last season, he has all the physical tools to be a franchise quarterback. Also, the number one pick in the draft commands a lot of money, so why invest it in the most important position on the field... Quarterback. 

#2   St.Louis Rams- Jason Smith, Baylor   Offensive Tackle

This is a good pick for the Rams, seeing that they just released former all-pro offensive tackle, Orlando Pace. Smith isn’t an elite prospect like Pace from OSU, Toni Boselli from USC or Jonathan Ogden from UCLA, but should be a very good pro none the less.  

#3   Kansas City Chiefs- Aaron Curry, Wake Forest   Linebacker

Not only is he best defensive player in the draft, Curry is also the safest pick. He’s versatile enough that he can play all 3 linebacker spots and had the best performance at the draft combine. He should make an instant impact in Kansas City. 

#4   Seattle Seahawks- Mark Sanchez, Southern California  Quarterback

Mark Sanchez is the hottest player in the draft right now. He’s been all over the draft board but recent buzz has him landing in Seattle. Even though he only played basically 1 year at USC, he has a ton of potential at quarterback. Draft him and let him sit behind Matt Hasselbeck until he’s ready to step in. 

#5   Cleveland Browns- Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech  Wide Receiver

The Browns have a ton of holes to fill and wide receiver is one of the biggest. With Donte’ Stallworth having legal issues and recent Braylon Edwards trade talk, I think the Browns take Crabtree. He put up amazing numbers in college and should step right in and contribute. Crabtree reminds me a whole lot of Denver’s Brandon Marshall, one of the league top playmakers. 

#6   Cincinnati Bengals- Andre Smith, Alabama   Offensive Tackle

From a talent standpoint, Smith is the best offensive tackle in the draft, but he has still slipped down the draft boards. He didn’t work out at the draft combine and has been horribly out of shape. The Bengals need O-line help and can’t afford to let him pass. He’ll be a great pro if he can put everything together. 

#7   Oakland Raiders- Jeremy Maclin, Missouri  Wide Receiver

Raiders Owner Al Davis loves speed, which is why Maclin makes sense here. They need a playmaker at wide out to compliment JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden and Maclin can flat out fly. They should make a very exciting trio for years to come.  

#8   Jacksonville Jaguars- Brian Orakpo, Texas  Defensive end/Linebacker

Jacksonville has been known to be a tough defensive team and I look for them to take Orakpo here. Orakpo, a physical freak who can bench press over 500 pounds, was one of college football’s best defenders last season. He’s somewhat of a hybrid player, but I think he fit better as a 4-3 defensive end in the league. 

#9   Green Bay Packers- B.J. Raji, Boston College   Defensive Tackle

The best Defensive Tackle in the draft, Raji can play both in 4-3 and 3-4 schemes, which makes him very valuable. He’ll be able to tie up blockers, allowing the linebackers to roam and make plays. 330 lb linemen just don’t happen to grow on trees. 

#10  San Francisco 49ers- Jordin Maybin, Penn State   Defensive End/Linebacker

Maybin was the best defensive player on a good Penn State defense. He’s a tweener also but I think he can play in space as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. If anybody knows anything about the linebacker position, it’s new Head Coach Mike Singletary.   

A few more things... 

Oscar DeLa Hoya has announced his retirement from boxing. “The Golden Boy” was arguably the most popular boxer in the sport. The thing I like about DeLa Hoya was that he never dodged anyone and fought a lot of great fighters. After his most recent fight against Manny Pacquiao, he knew it was time to retire after he lost a very lopsided fight and had to quit before finishing the bout. Most boxers always say they are going to retire, but I think DeLa Hoya is sincere this time. The main reason is because he is the wealthiest man in the sport from his Golden Boy Promotions Company and doesn’t need money.
 

Flip Saunders was named the new Washington Wizards Head Coach. In the past, I think both the Wizards and Saunders to some extent have underachieved, but this seems like the perfect marriage. Saunders has always been an offensive-minded type of guy and the Wizards can definitely put up some points. The Eastern Conference has gotten a lot better recently so we’ll have to see how this shakes out. 

Last but not least, what is going on at the University of Michigan? It seemed like Tate Forcier was in the drivers seat for the starting quarterback position and Coach Rodriguez has decided to go after another QB, Duke Point guard, Greg Paulus. I almost choked on my dinner when I first heard this, but the more I thought about it, in some ways this makes sense and in some ways it doesn’t. In high school, Greg Paulus was an outstanding basketball player, but in my opinion, an even better football player. He broke all sorts of high school passing records in the state of New York and was the starting quarterback for the East in the Army All-American game. Seeing that it’s going to be hard for him to make it to the NBA at this point, Michigan’s spread offense should allow him to show his athleticism and his throwing ability as well. The downside is that the spread offense doesn’t translate well to the pros and he also has not played football in 4 years. This could turn out to be very interesting. Stay tuned...