Real Talk With Sports Brotha and Friends

Site moved

sportsbrotha — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:33:05 +0000

Hey everyone, It’s been a while, and we’ve made some changes. We’ve moved to a new site, you can click here to go to the new site, or head over to www.sportsbrotha.com

Either way, come on board.

Peace and love

-SportsBrotha

The MLB still exists, promise

sportsbrotha — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:57:07 +0000

Note: This article was written by a guest contributor, Omar.

UH-OH Here we go again.

Well for the most part, football has taken the sports spotlight and it seems as if no one is focusing on the soon to be MLB postseason. Recently the Milwaukee Brewers who are in the wildcard lead just fired their manager Ned Yost which begs the question, were there issues between management and the former Brewer’s skipper? And what a gamble by Brewer’s GM Doug Melvin, firing his manager this late into the season can only mean one thing. He senses from the players the potential for a late season collapse and considering all that was invested in bringing C.C. Sabathia, there has to be pressure from ownership.

Maybe the Brewers find it in them to rally and win a few games, or not be able to adjust to the new managing scheme and falter near the end. All I know is that if the Brewers do not make the playoffs, then there will be some serious questions that GM Doug Melvin has to answer.

On to another NL team and I can sense is as Met Fans are saying “here we go again”. Another late season collapse looms for the Metropolitans this year. Losing closer Billy Wagner has slowly but surely unveiled the weaknesses of the Mets bullpen. The success that Carlos Delgado and Beltran have had is meaningless at this point if the Mets cannot find a way to put together a few wins and hold off the Phillies for the NL East title. But there is one thing that they do have going for them and that is Cy young candidate Johan Santana, whose job is to go out there every fifth day and stop the bleeding and if he does that the New York Mets will be playing come October.

Now to the last and most brutal topic in MLB so far, the New York Yankees will let Yankee stadium fade away into oblivion without a postseason appearance. Unfortunately for Yankee fans, it is so sad to see this be the end to such a historic ballpark and if it’s time to blame anyone, it’s time to blame Joe Girardi. After all the grief that Joe Torre faced last year for his inability to have the Yankees playing in the second round, it’s only fair to scrutinize Girardi for his managing skills. Now optimists bring about the injuries the Yankees suffered, well no one has mentioned the 17 wins that came out of nowhere from Mike Mussina or the acquisitions of Ivan Rodriguez, Xavier Nady, and Damaso Marte.

The fact that Mariano Rivera arguably had his greatest season ever, Derek Jeter has been his usual self of late and that after a 7 game winning streak where the Yankees were right there in the midst of a playoff spot, they faded away which is nothing less than a revelation on Joe Girardi.

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The Downlow: Jeter, Arenas & Kobe

prynce — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:03:54 +0000

Some of you might know me as the guy who makes frequent, lengthy comments on posts made by the fine staff here at Sportsbrotha.com. I thought, since the majority of the main contributors are currently busy, I might as well try to help out, and do my share of the heavy lifting. My specialty is basketball, but I am somewhat knowledgeable on all sports (that can be proven by my current 7/8 ranking in my fantasy football league). Suck on that Sports Brotha!

So I thought I’d just touch on a few topics around the sports world that have managed to slip through the cracks here at Sportsbrotha.com, since everyone is busy.

First, Derek Jeter just broke Lou Gehrig’s record for most hits in Yankee stadium. And since the Stadium hosts its last game this Sunday, there is 0% chance this record gets broken. I’m glad someone like Jeter broke the record. He basically exemplifies the Yankee standard, and if anyone should own that record, it should be him. Gehrig was a great guy, and a great Yankee, but if someone were to take his record, I’m sure no one will have a problem with Jeter breaking it. Congrats Jeter.

Speaking of the Yankees, I guess $209 million doesn’t buy you what it used to. It might be unfair to say that, considering the injuries and the new manager and all, but as a Yankee fan, we are used to playoffs minimum. Finishing fourth in the division isn’t exactly the best way to say goodbye to Yankee Stadium. Let’s hope they learn, and go out, and get the right players to fix the gaps so large in their lineup, that it makes Michael Strahan’s teeth look normal.

Also, Kobe Bryant has decided to not get surgery on his pinky. He had a torn ligament in his right pinky finger, and had played through it for the majority of the season, all of the playoffs, and all of the Olympics. The recovery time would be 6-8 weeks, and he does not wan to miss ant of training camp. I can understand where Kobe is coming from, because he played with the injury for so long and it hasn’t affected him. And this coming training camp is also really important, because they need to learn how to incorporate both Gasol and Bynum into the offense, which might be difficult. But at the same time, if the injury gets worse, it would be a big set back for the Lakers, who despite the Celtics winning the championship, start the 2008-2009 season as favorites.

Also on the injury front, Gilbert Arenas will have his third knee surgery in two years. This time, it is to remove floating debris that caused swelling and discomfort. There is no time table for his return yet, but most likely, he is out until December recovering. This is already a huge blow for Washington, who didn’t make any huge changes this off season, thinking that a healthy year for the “Big Three” would translate to wins. The seriousness of the surgery is really downplayed by both doctors and team officials, who say that the knee is structurally fine. Let’s hope it is. While some people may get annoyed by Arenas, he is one hell of a player, and very entertaining to watch.

Don’t worry, I have plenty more to say soon. Just giving you guys a quick taste. In the future, my posts will be more focused. Feel free to comment and call me an idiot. I’ll just laugh at you because I can. Peace.

WRITTEN BY PRYNCE

Lebron James is Jay-Z’s “little brother”?

boxtaboy — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:47:57 +0000

Betrayal?

Lebron James has been a name all over the media for the past week or so. Cleveland fans are getting annoyed at his actions and his support for teams from other states. At the home season opening game for the Cleveland Browns against the Dallas Cowboys, Lebron was sporting the Cowboys colors while wearing his Yankee hat and was on the Cowboy’s sideline. He chatted with the owner and a few players while giving a hug to Terrell Owens.

Even last year Lebron was spotted at a Cleveland Indians playoff game against New York, and he was wearing the same Yankees hat. Well, probably not the same exact hat since he is Lebron James and should have many of the same hat, but you get my point. He even has a signature line of his shoe that is dedicated to the yankees with the blue and white pinstripe.

Cleveland fans are pissed off because they think his loyalty does not lie in Cleveland, which is probably true. It’s obvious that he doesn’t have a Cleveland mindset. If I were Lebron though, I would have been a little more careful about showing my support for other teams so openly. This would not be as big of an issue with any other player, but we are talking about Lebron James here. He’s also still really young so he is obviously going to continue supporting the teams that he supported when he was a kid. Even though I think his support for other teams is not a huge issue, for a Cavaliers fan it just might be. Everybody is counting down until the Lebron Sweepstakes in 2010, and its looking more and more likely that he is going to leave Cleveland. Where do you think he is going?

If you thought in your head that he might go to the Nets, I may just agree with you. The Nets are making a move to Brooklyn and they can offer one thing that no other team can offer him: Jay-Z. Jay-Z had a recent interview with Vibe magazine where he spoke about his relationship with Lebron James calling him his “little brother”. “I hit him on the BlackBerry all the way through the playoffs,” Jay-Z said. “There’s a big trail of e-mails that we have where I’m almost like a coach on the sidelines for him ’cause…that’s my little brother! I’m giving him advice, even outside of “Take the ball to the elbow and shoot…That’s my role in his life.”

I’m sure somewhere in those conversations Jay has mentioned that he should come play for the Nets. Who knows where Lebron will end up? Sometimes it doesn’t matter who if you know someone on a certain team. All I know is that his endorsements would skyrocket if he came to the Knicks. Just throwing that out there.

-BoxtaBoy

SB Confession

sportsbrotha — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:15:48 +0000

So this is my confession. I have a lot on my plate in terms of my personal life, and it’s a very hectic time for me, so I’m going to get right down to it. SportsBrotha’s posts until the first week of October will be absent. Besides the Wednesday Weekly Picks, I will not be able to post as much as I was before, so for that I apologize to our readers. JRabes’ schedule has picked up a bit, and so has BoxtaBoy’s so their posting may also be down. I would encourage you all to still send us stories, and perhaps we can have a few guest writers hold the fort down.

Peace and love

-SB

Wednesday’s weekly picks: Week 2

sportsbrotha — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 04:35:04 +0000

So there were some surprises last week, which made it interesting and of course the whole Brady situation, but in the NFL, that’s how life is. One play your team is slated for the playoffs and beyond, the next, your franchise quarterback is out for the year.

On to the picks…

Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers

Both teams looked impressive in wins in week 1. Ya gotta love Jake Delhomme who’s turning back the clock, leading the team like last year was an aberration. No Steve Smith? I think the Panthers can do without him. Panthers in a very tight one.

Tennessee Titans vs. Cininnati Bengals

Uh-oh. The Bengals don’t look too good. The Titans have trouble of their own with the whole Vince Young situation. The Titans surprised me last week winning a tough game against Jacsonville. Titans take this one.

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions

Brett who? Aaron Rodgers lead the team to a great win Monday night and this team seems poised for another playoff run. The Lions? ehh… not roaring too much these days. Packers easily

Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs

In the weekly “who cares” game, the Chiefs pull it out.

New York Giants vs. St. Louis Rams

This is not good for the Rams. Giants still look super, and will win this one easily

Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings played a tough Monday night game against the Packers, coming up just short, and Adrian Peterson looks really solid. The Colts look like they need a few more weeks to get into the swing of things. The Petersons, I mean, the Vikings win.

New Orleans Saints vs. Washington Redskins

I’m a big believer in the Saints. I think they have the pieces to put together a great season. Washington is fairly solid but will have another mediocre year. Saints win.

Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

I wasn’t sold on the Bills coming into the season, and I’m still not. Marshawn Lynch looks very good, but this Jacksonville team will step it up. David Garrard needs to have a better week. Jaguars in a nail-biter.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks disappointed me last week, but the 49ers weren’t stellar either. In another yawner, Seahawks right the ship against a terrible 49ers team.

Atlants Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Falcons played well last week, but are they for real? I think not. Bucs take it.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans

The Texans got obliterated last week, and the Ravens were surprisingly good. Joe Flacco looks decent at quarterback, and this should be a win for the Ravens.

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

No Brady for the Pats. A big blow and a big matchup against Favre’s Jets this week could be interesting. Upset special right here. J-E-T-S, JETS JETS JETS.

Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona Cardinals

The Dolphins corners didn’t look too hot against the Jets, and against Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald they won’t do much better. Cardinals get to 2-0.

San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos

Normally I would take San Diego, but at Mile High Stadium, and Denver coming off a big win, I’m taking the Broncos.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

The Steel Curtain is back. The Steelers played excellent last week and this team is built to win. Too many dropped passes by Braylon Edwards. Steelers win.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Monday night game has already brought on some trash talking from the Cowboys side. Even Jessica Simpson got into it, saying the the cowboys would “kick their butts.” Unfortunately, I’m also going to have to say Cowboys, but it definitely won’t be a whooping.

Season: 10-6 (.625)

Peace and love

-SB

Amazingly bad

sportsbrotha — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:34:08 +0000

I don’t really know how this is possible, but somehow the Bulgarian women’s ice hockey team lost 82-0.

…

82-0.

That’s not a typographical error. Against Slovakia in a qualifying match for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Bulgaria gave up a goal at an average of 1 per 44 seconds. That’s more scoring than some NBA teams. I mean, is that even imaginable? At what point do you say, well, I don’t think hockey is the right sport for us? Not only did Bulgaria lose 82-0, but the grand total of goals they have scored through 3 games is is 1. The grand total they gave up? 153.

Combined score for 3 games? 153-1. Solid.

Peace and love

-SB

Trouble in Foxboro, Party in Miami; Tales from Week 1

sportsbrotha — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:15:49 +0000

What a game. Favre’s regular season debut with the New York Jets. Wow, I was so pumped, and when this happened, I was through the roof

I called up JRabes and for a good while we were going nuts.

But anyway, a very good performance by Favre. And he did it his way too. Going for it on 4th down, he was in big trouble when he heaved up a pass that had incomplete or interception written all over it. Somehow it found its way into the hands of rookie Chansi Stuckey’s hands. Beautiful. Working the Favre magic already. And now, the outlook is even better because…

Good night Mr. Brady

Thomas Edward Brady Jr. may be out for the season. Today he went down, and they think it’s a torn ACL. Uh-oh. That’s not good news for the Boston faithful. Granted, the Patriots still have a great team, but now, I’m thinking I may have to change the outlook on the season. Next week the Jets are playing the Patriots. I’m gonna go out and say right now that the Jets will win next week.

And I really wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots don’t win the division either. Against a not so great Chiefs team, they mustered 17 points and relied on a last minute red zone stand to pull out the win today. If this is any indication, this season is trouble for the Pats. The time is right for the Jets. The offensive line is shored up, Thomas Jones is running very well, Brett Favre is still playing well, and the defense is really improving. As the great Jon Bon Jovi said “It’s now or never, I ain’t gonna live forever.”

In another shocker, and maybe this is going to be a statement game for them, the Panthers came back and scored with no time left to shock the Chargers (pun definitely intended). Daylight come and you gotta Delhomme (duh-LOME).

How’s this for a comeback? Not just the Panthers, but Jake Delhomme coming back from surgery showing he’s still got game. I like the Panthers, and just remember, they played without Steve Smith today.

The Cowboys tore it up. I mean even with all the stupid penalties, and boneheaded plays they destroyed the Browns. It was not as close as the score showed (38-10). What impressed me most was the offensive line. Tony Romo could have went to Cabo and come back with all the time he had to throw the ball. These guys are for real. I can’t imagine less than 12 wins, maybe even 14 wins for this team.

And Atlanta??? What the heck? Michael Turner and Matt Ryan tore it up. How’s this for your first pass in the NFL.

And Michael Turner? LT who? After being a backup to LT, I think he definitely made the right decision to get a starting job.

And thank you Donovan McNabb for proving all the critics wrong.

If this week proved anything (so far, still Monday night games) it’s that the AFC is wide open while the NFC has some clear cut contenders. The Bills looked very good in beating up on the Seahawks, and the typical powerhouses didn’t look like powerhouses. Indianapolis lost big to Chicago, the Patriots barely squeked out a victory and are in big trouble with Tom Brady, the Jaguars lost miserably to Tennessee, and the Chargers lost (although to a very strong Panthers team). It’s wide open baby! I’m really excited for the rest of the season. What a great way to start the NFL season.

Peace and love

-SB

Huge Upset as Murray defeats Nadal!

boxtaboy — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:05:44 +0000

In a semi-finals match that took two days to complete because of a rain delay, Andy Murray defeated the Number 1 ranked player in the world Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4. Andy Murray, a player from Scotland who ranked number 6 in the world, played some of the best tennis of his life to take an early two set lead on Nadal. However, to Murrays (and my) dismay Hurricane Hanah stormed into town and forced the match into a rain delay. The third set continued today and was taken by Nadal. Early in the fourth set it looked as if Murray was falling apart after hitting back-back-back-back errors. Murray rallied back and took the fourth set giving him entry into his first ever Grand Slam final. Now he must play the best of the best…Roger Federer.

You may want to attribute Nadals loss to fatigue, but he was simply outplayed in every aspect by Murray. Murrays backhand looked killer. His footwork and timing was impeccable, and he held control of most of the game forcing Nadal to work hard for each and every point that he won. The rain delay should have worked in Nadals favor, giving him some time to rest and by also throwing off Murray’s groove. I’ll be nice and not hate on Nadal as much as I would like to and as much as I hate that he wears capris pants while playing, I’ll blame the loss on the fact that he wore shorts in this match. I guess he isn’t used to doing things that men do.

In the US Open final, Andy Murray will meet Roger Federer, ranked second in the world and first in my opinion. Although I am happy that Nadal lost, I wanted Federer to be the one to beat him so that he can show the world that he is deserving of that number 1 spot. Federer didn’t play too well early in the tournament, but recently we are seeing a new Federer. He is playing with emotion and passion that we haven’t seen from him in a while. Federer should also have the advantage against Murray because he is playing in the final tommorrow on a full days rest. One thing thats surprising is that Murray actually has a winning record (2-1) against Federer, but they have never played in a grand slam final and experience is on Federers side. The crowd is always on the underdogs side, especially against Federer, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens tommorrow.

For those of you who want to watch the finals match tune in to CBS at 5pm on Monday September 8th.

Go Federer!!!

-BoxtaBoy

Off-Season Recap – Southeast Division

boxtaboy — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:54:13 +0000

D-Wade is back!

I am continuing my team by team recap of the NBA off-season. Today we have the Southeast division with teams that didn’t make drastic moves as seen in the Atlantic division.

Atlanta Hawks:

Added – Maurice Evans (Magic), Randolph Morris (Knicks), Flip Murray

Lost – Josh Childress (Greece)

Re-Signed – Josh Smith

Analysis – 2 Stars. There is not much to talk about with the Hawks. GM Billy Knight is finally gone. They lost Josh Childress to a team in Greece, in a move that opened up international play as an option for other NBA players to soon follow. The only good thing that happened in the off-season for the Hawks was matching the contract fantasy stud Josh Smith signed with Memphis allowing them to keep him. I’m excited to see how Al Horford, my pick last season for rookie of the year, developed his game. He’ll be a double double machine, and should show improvements in scoring.

Charlotte Bobcats:

Added – Shannon Brown

Re-Signed – Emeka Okafor

Drafted – D.J. Augustin, Alexis Ajinca

Analysis – 2 Stars. Larry Brown is the new head coach and I’m sure he’ll want to clear up his name after all the problems he had with the Knicks, so expect him to give his all as coach. The Bobcats have talent, so as long as Felton doesn’t turn out to have the same attitude as Marbury (which I highly doubt is possible), then Brown should have a positive influence. In a surprising move on draft day, they took Augustin instead of a big man possibly indicating that Felton is not a part of the future plans with the organization. Brown is notoriously famous for not giving rookies playing time, but still keep an eye out on the point guard situation. Adam Morrison should be returning this year. Remember him? Unless you want your teams FG% to drop, I don’t think he’s worth a spot on any fantasy roster.

Miami Heat:

Added – Yakhouba Diawara (Nuggets), Bobby Jones (Knicks), James Jones (Portland), Jamaal Magloire

Lost – Ricky Davis (to Clippers), Jason Williams (to Clippers)

Re-Signed – Dorell Wright

Drafted – Michael Beasley & Mario Chalmers

Analysis – 3 Stars. D-Wade looked amazing during the Olympics. He is definitely back to form, so don’t let him fall in your fantasy draft because of weak numbers from last year. I think this will be a rejuvenated Heat team, but it all depends on Wade’s intensity. They can’t really play worse than they did last year. Michael Beasley is probably the most NBA ready player from this year’s draft and although Derrick Rose may have been a better fit, Beasley should be able to produce earlier. Shawn Marion is in his contract year so expect good numbers from him. Besides those 3, the rest of the players are nothing special. Center/point guard positions are still severely lacking. Haslem might play at center, so Beasley can start at PF. That move would make them very small at center, which isn’t too bad of a thing playing in the east. Point duty should be split between Marcus Banks/Mario Chalmers and Chris Quinn (if resigned). Keep an eye on the point guard situation and Chalmers.

Orlando Magic:

Added – Mickael Pietrus (Warriors) & Anthony Johnson (Hawks)

Lost – Carlos Arroyo (to Maccabi Tel Aviv), Keyon Dooling (to Nets) & Maurice Evans (to Hawks)

Re-Signed – Adonal Foyle

Drafted – Courtney Lee

Analysis – 2 Stars. Pietrus should play real well at shooting guard, and Lee should be a good back up for him. I think Pietrus will put up solid numbers, and I have him as a sleeper pick this year. The only problem area is that Jameer Nelson is still running the point. I was never a fan of his, but he will get more minutes now that Arroyo and Dooling are out of the picture and Johnson being an oldie. With a starting 5 of Nelson, Pietrus, Turkoglu, Lewis, and Superman (Howard), the Magic will have another solid year.

Washington Wizards:

Added – Dee Brown (Jazz)

Lost – Roger Mason (Spurs)

Re-Signed – Gilbert Arenas & Antawn Jamison

Drafted – JaVale McGee

Analysis – 2 Stars. It was good that the wizards were able to bring back Arenas and Jamison, but they really needed to shake up their roster a little bit They have not had a season with Arenas/Butler/Jamison all playing without injury, so they are hoping that health alone was the reason they have not made it deep into the playoffs. If healthy, I think they can be a competitive team. Arenas should play at his pre-injury level, and hopefully Butler will be able to play 82 beastly games.

If you have any questions or comments, please post below and I’ll gladly tell you my opinion. Recaps for the other divisions will be up soon, so keep checking back.

– BoxtaBoy