Eye On Sports with Eric Williams

Okay LeBron, Come Back to Reality!

2012-02-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

Celtics legend Larry Bird
says play with Kobe Bryant
and not LeBron James
if you want to win
and NBA championship.

Clearly, LeBron James missed the entire point of what Bird was hinting at. Bird was saying that Kobe Bryant is a cold-blooded killer on the court that wants to rip your throat out while James is more playful in nature and not nearly as competitive in the game’s most pressure-packed moments.

If LeBron thinks that Larry Bird only picked Kobe Bryant over him because of his five titles, then he’s even more out of touch with reality than Eye On Sports believes.

Hell, I‘ll go on record right now to say that Bird would rather chase an NBA Championship with Dwyane Wade faster than he would with LeBron!

Um ….. Okay LeBron!

2012-02-11T06:09:00.000-08:00

LeBron James has more daily
drama than a soap opera these days.

LeBron James seems to think that Larry Bird said he’d rather have Kobe Bryant as a team than himself because Kobe has five NBA titles and he has none.

"It's simple, (Kobe) has five rings and I have none so it's easy to say that," James said. "If I had five rings and Kobe had none, it'd probably be the other way around” he said about Bird’s selection.

Larry Legend's Bird’s Eye View!

2012-02-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird
says he'd rather play with
Kobe Bryant than LeBron James.

Anyone that knows me, knows I worship the ground that former Boston Celtics superstar Larry Bird walks on.

Having said that, I can’t begin to express how happy I am that Bird pretty much told basketball fans everywhere what knowledgeable NBA followers already knew – that LeBron James is a lot of fun, but if you want to win championships, Kobe Bryant is the far better choice to get the job done.

Bird did an interview with sports writer Bill Simmons a couple of days ago, and Simmons asked ‘Larry Legend’ to weigh in on the Kobe vs. LeBron talk and which player would he prefer to team up with.

While Bird’s answers on the subject probably aren’t much of a shock to those that really know the game, hearing the words from such a respected legend really hit home – and made James look like … well … like LeBron James.

Polarizing Miami Heat superstar
LeBron James has plenty of detractors these days.

"Well, probably Kobe, because of the fact that ... well, of course he wouldn't have been shooting as much as he does now ... but his desire to win, his dedication, to always get better, uh, and he's just, he's just tough," Bird said. "He's just a tough cat.

"But, if you want to have fun, like I did with Bill Walton, play with LeBron. It would have probably been more fun to play with LeBron, but if you want to win and win and win, it's Kobe. Not that LeBron's not a winner, just that [Kobe's] mindset is to go into every practice, every game, to get better."

While Bird tried to clean up his words an not offend James, the point that James is not a leader – or winner – was emphatically driven home by the widely-beloved Bird.

Wow! Tim Thomas Really is An Idiot!

2012-02-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

Boston Bruins' goalie Tim Thomas.

It was just over a week ago that Eye On Sports took Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas to ‘out to the shed’ for his political stance against the federal government by not showing up at the White House to meet President Barack Obama with his Boston Bruins teammates and celebrate the 2011 Stanley Cup they won in thrilling fashion last season.

While I did write that Thomas is well within his rights to decline a White House invitation, I also expressed my belief that he was being very foolish for passing up such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Now, I’m really putting Thomas ‘on blast’ for his most recent political nonsense.

Thomas is back in the news after expressing his political beliefs towards the government providing health insurance plans for birth control. Thomas took to his facebook page to post his opinion – this time by quoting a famous passage from a poem written by anti-Nazi theologian Martin Niemoller:

“I Stand with the Catholics in the fight for Religious Freedom.

“In

Germany

they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

The only American player on the team,
Thomas didn't appear at the White House
ceremony awarding the Bruins
for winning the Stanley Cup Trophy last season.

Okay, Eye On Sports followers, now maybe it’s me, but I’m thinking Thomas should just shut his trap right now – and I suspect that’s exactly what Bruins management is telling their superstar goalie today.

Thomas has already brought a lot of unwanted attention to the franchise and I suspect the negativity it has surrounded the team with may start to affect the team’s on-ice play at some point in the near future.

Oh yeah, if I’m in the front office of the Boston Bruins, I’m telling Thomas to shut his trap – like, now!

Blame it On LeBron!

2012-02-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

LeBron James needs to keep his
mouth shut and just play basketball!

Jeez, Eye On Sports NBA lovers …. talk about a guy with a personality complex these days – and you must be talking about LeBron James!

The latest from the self-anointed ‘King James’ (how laughable is that) is that he’s not apologizing to Oklahoma Thunder center Kendrick Perkins for his Twitter post praising Los Angeles Clippers’ forward, Blake Griffin’s highlight reel dunk over the defensive-minded big man.

Not only that, but James, who is looking for love in all the wrong places these days, apparently thinks everyone’s out to blame the world’s problems on him.

"I'm an easy target; if someone wants to get a point across -- just throw LeBron's name in there," James said. "You could be watching cartoons with your kids and you don't like it, you say, 'Blame it on LeBron.' If you go to the grocery store and they don't have the milk that you like, you just say, 'It's LeBron's fault.' "

I'm thinking I'd like to see
Perkins (R) punch LeBron James' lights out!

Yeah LeBron, my kids are starving and it’s your fault. My car is acting up and it’s your fault. I’ve got a head cold, my back hurts and my wife is nagging me (again) and it’s all your fault LeBron!

Seriously?

Who makes this kind of stuff up?

I hate to say it, because I think he’s mostly a law-abiding, fine young man off the court, but LeBron James has all the mental toughness of a three-year-old toddler!

LeBron Tells Perkins 'Don’t Hold Your Breath' Pal!

2012-02-09T13:48:00.000-08:00

LeBron James says he's not apologizing
to Kendrick Perkins - or anyone else for that matter!

If Oklahoma Thunder center Kendrick Perkins is waiting for an apology from LeBron James for his over-the-top Twitter post centered on Blake Griffin’s poster jam over the defensive-minded big man, then he had better not be holding his breath.

Why?

Because, according to James, Perkins is never getting an apology!

"I would never apologize about anything like that when I'm connecting to my fans," James told Yahoo! Sports on Thursday.

"Dunk of the Year! @blakegriffin just dunked on Kendrick Perkins so hard!!! Wow! I guess I'm No. 2 now. Move over #6," James tweeted on Jan. 30 shortly after Griffin's soaring jam.

For his part, James said he didn’t disrespect the former Celtics ‘glue guy’.

"Did I call him out? I mean, did you read the tweet? Did I call him out? I can see why he felt embarrassed. I don't think I was the only one to react to the unbelievable play by Blake and that's what it was all about," James said after the Miami Heat's 102-89 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick
Perkins isn't a fan of Miami's LeBron James.

"Now, if Kendrick Perkins dunked on somebody like that on the other end, I would have done the same thing," James said. "If Perkins dunked on Blake Griffin or DeAndre

Jordan

or whatever the case may be, it would be the same thing. That's just my love for the game and connecting with my fans."

Maybe LeBron didn’t mean anything by the Tweet he posted, but I’m saying the young man needs to realize that everything he does these days is being blown out of proportion in a big way – and his actions need to change accordingly.

However, it’s kind of hard to grow up overnight when you’re still very young mentally.

Lin the New Nash?

2012-02-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

The New York Knicks
have apparently found a legitimate
floor leader in unsung reserve Jeremy Lin.

Okay, this Jermy Lin thing is getting a bit crazy NBA followers.

But guess what?

I think he’s for real … very for real!

Steve Nash ran Mike D'Antoni's
up-tempo system to perfection for years.

In his first two career starts, Lin scored 25 and 28 points against the Nets and Jazz before dropping 23 on the road at Washington on Wednesday night. Lin, has shown an uncanny ability to make his Knicks teammates better in Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo offense, much like another point guard that played for D’Antoni – Steve Nash.

Now, I’m certainly not going to say that Lin is in the same league as Nash – or that he will even come close to achieving the same level of superstardom that the former two-time MVP has in his illustrious career.

However, what I am saying is that Lin clearly has some special talents like Nash in the fact that he makes the game a lot easier for himself and his teammates – and in the end – isn’t that what a point guard is supposed to do?

Lookin’ For Love in All the Wrong Places!

2012-02-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

LeBron James is looking for love,
but Blake Griffin say get that outta' here!

I was looking for love in all the wrong places
Looking for love in too many faces
Searching your eyes, looking for traces
Of what.. I'm dreaming of...
Hopin' to find a friend and a lover
God bless the day I discover
Another heart, lookin' for love

- Waylon Jennings

Okay, I’ve read into LeBron James’ Twitter post just after Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin posterized Oklahoma Thunder City center Kendrick Perkins and here’s what I believe.

James is still clearly looking for love these days NBA fans. He’s looking for the love he lost on a global scale when he dissed the Cleveland Cavaliers on national TV, without so much as a warning, in order to take ‘his talents to South Beach’.

With a fictional dunk of the
year title on his mind, clearly
LeBron James is still immature.

"Dunk of the Year! @blakegriffin just dunked on Kendrick Perkins so hard!!! Wow! I guess I'm No. 2 now. Move over #6," James tweeted, clearly making a reference to his own highlight reel dunk over Chicago Bulls point guard John Lucas III the day before.

With comments like “Wow! I guess I'm No. 2 now. Move over #6," James will never, ever endear himself to any hoops fan outside of his beloved South Beach.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … LeBron James ruined his legacy not by leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers, but by how he did it.

Then, to add to his misfortune, James checked out mentally like never before in quitting against Boston in his final playoff appearance for the Cavaliers – before doing so in even more stunning fashion in last season’s NBA Finals collapse against Dallas.

Oh yeah roundball lovers, LeBron James is looking for love – but unfortunately, James is looking for love in all the wrong places!

Perkins is Pissed – and Rightfully So!

2012-02-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Kendrick Perkins says LeBron James
needs to grow up - and Eye On Sports agrees!

Love him or loathe him, if nothing else, LeBron James provides sports bloggers everywhere, a fun-filled day of writing!

James put himself in his critics’ crosshairs again by pissing off Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins for his foolish Twitter postings after Perkins got dunked on by Blake Griffin about a week ago.

James, like a legion of NBA fans across the globe, shared his thoughts on Griffin’s dunk, almost immediately afterward, via the ever-growing Internet and Twitter.

"Dunk of the Year! @blakegriffin just dunked on Kendrick Perkins so hard!!! Wow! I guess I'm No. 2 now. Move over #6," James tweeted, clearly making reference to his own dunk over Chicago Bulls point guard John Lucas III just one day prior.

Now, maybe it’s the ‘old-school’ kind of guy that I am, but I agree wholeheartedly with Perkins when he said "You don't see Kobe (Bryant) tweeting … you don't see Michael Jordan tweeting. If you're an elite player, plays like that don't excite you.”

If you read into James’ words, you can get a lot of insight into his thought process – and he will likely never reach the superstar status that he so desperately craves.

First if all, James is clearly implying that his dunk over Lucas III the previous night was the ‘dun of the year’ in the league so far. While that may or may not have been the case, the fact that James is even concerned with the trivialities of a fictional ‘dunk of the year’ title, tells me he’s as immature and unfocused on the real task at hand as he was when he first came into the league.

In the grand scheme of the grueling trek that is an NBA regular season, what does one mostly meaningless regular season play mean?

If James is thinking about anything other than winning an NBA title these days, which he clearly is, he’s only setting himself up for more failure in the future, that likely comes in the postseason in crunch time no less.

In Like … Lin … Again?

2012-02-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

Unsung point guard Jeremy Lin takes
center stage for the struggling Knicks!

Forget the old saying, ‘In like Flynn’. The age-old saying now goes like this … ‘In like Lin’ – as in Jeremy Lin!

I always say, one man’s trash is apparently another man’s treasure – in addition to my long-standing belief that many coaches in nearly every sport have hidden gems on their own respective rosters but are often too narrow-minded to give their reserves a legitimate chance to shine.

Take New York Knicks’ clearly gifted point guard Jeremy Lin for instance. The former Harvard star is clearly a bright guy off the court – and his on court play has been equally brilliant for the Knicks recently, but apparently it took flat-out desperation for the Knicks to give Lin a real chance – after the Golden State Warriors declined to bring back the ‘unearthed gem’ after having him on their roster for 29 games last season.

Lin sat on the bench all season long for the Knicks and even made a brief three-day stint with the team’s Development League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks.

"At times it did cross my mind … maybe I might not get a chance," Lin recently told reporters.

Well, now that opportunity has knocked for Lin, the Knicks may find themselves as the seriously lucky recipient of a legitimate starting point guard.

The 23-year-old Californian got his chance after reportedly beating the hell out of New York’s point guard, including Baron Davis, in practice all season.

"He has been breaking down guys in practice for a while now," Tyson Chandler said. "We were saying at halftime he just needs to play more minutes."

Knicks reserve point guard
Jeremy Lin could see a lot more court time in the foreseeable future.

On Saturday night, Lin led New York to a 99-92 win over New jersey by scoring a career-high 25 points and dishing out seven assists while outplaying Nets point guard Deron Williams for major stretches of the game.

On Monday night, Lin was back at work, setting another career mark in scoring a team high 28 points while dishing out eight assists to lead the Knicks to an impressive 99-88 win over the Utah Jazz.

You know what’s funny Eye On Sports NBA lovers, I’m wondering what the Knicks are going to do with Baron Davis once the veteran is ready to play, particularly seeing as how Lin has been beating him badly in practice recently.

"The biggest thing is, he's got a point guard mentality,” Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni said recently.

Hell, even the embattled head coach, is suddenly seeing the light when it comes to his young floor leader.

"Let me go home and digest this a little bit, but obviously we're going back to the well," D'Antoni said. "He can give us something that we can't do without."

R.I.P. Angelo Dundee!

2012-02-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

Angelo Dundee (L) and Muhammad Ali (R)
formed arguably the greatest boxer-trainer
relationship in the history of the fading sport.

If you’re over the age of 40, like me, then you’ve probably been a witness to a huge part of the career of late, legendary boxing trainer Angelo Dundee.

Well, consider yourself fortunate for both, having seen the greatest trainer in the history of boxing firsthand and for being old enough to remember boxing when it was actually a captivating – and mostly legitimate sport.

Dundee died in his apartment in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday night at the ripe old age of 90 and along with him – a part of boxing died too.

Dundee was with his family when he passed on, said his son, Jimmy.

"It was the way he wanted to go," the son said. "He did everything he wanted to do."

Jimmy Dundee said his father was hospitalized for a blood clot last week and was briefly in a rehabilitation facility before returning to his apartment.

"He was coming along good yesterday and then he started to have breathing problems. My wife was with him at the time, thank God, and called and said he can't breathe. We all got over there. All the grandkids were there. He didn't want to go slowly," the son said.

Angelo Dundee is regarded as the
greatest trainer in the history of boxing.

Dundee was the mastermind behind not only Muhammad Ali’s one-of-a-kind career, but he also guided Sugar Ray Leonard for a portion of his career and a host of other boxers he helped become world champions.

"To me, he was the greatest ambassador for boxing, the greatest goodwill ambassador in a sport where there's so much animosity and enemies," said Bruce Trampler, the longtime matchmaker who first went to work for Dundee in 1971. "The guy didn't have an enemy in the world."

Maybe it’s me Eye On Sports followers, but I’m thinking the world is a bit sadder place without Angelo Dundee.

R.I.P. good sir!

Harrison’s Right for a Change!

2012-02-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

It’s not often that I agree with anything that comes out of the mouth of idiotic Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker

James Harrison, the NFL’s biggest bi**h – but as sad as it is to admit, I agree with Harrison’s feelings on the New England Patriots.

Shortly after (like, immediately) the New England Patriots lost to the New York Giants 21-17 in the Super Bowl 46 this past Sunday, Harrison made the following post on Twitter.

"Told you, cheaters never win!!!!!!!!!"

After picking myself up off the floor from laughing so hard – all I can say is – good going James. I – and a whole lot of other people – share your feelings on the Pats wholeheartedly, including teammate Ryan Clark.

The Steelers’ talented safety added his own Tweet, saying, "0-2 [in Super Bowls] post spy gate! Just saying!!"

After receiving some criticism shortly after his post, Harrison followed up by adding, "Lol, I'm sorry I couldn't help it!!!" "Come on people love or hate me more!"

Me, I’, choosing to love James on this one!

How about you Eye On Sports football fans?

Are the Patriots bunch of cheaters – or should we just forget their past indiscretions?

Let me know one way or the other!

Love Him or Loathe Him – Eli Manning’s Elite!

2012-02-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Love him or loathe him,
you've got to admit that Eli Manning is elite.

Has everyone had enough of the ‘Is Eli Manning elite’ talk by now? I know I have – and besides – I thought it was pretty clear that Manning was elite – before he even won his most recent Super Bowl title.

Before Manning collected his second championship trophy this past Sunday, only 10 quarterbacks in league history had managed to win more than one Super Bowl – and now Manning joins that elite group – not just today’s class of elite quarterbacks.

With the win, Manning joined Bart Starr, Bob Griese, Roger Staubach, John Elway, Jim Plunkett and Ben Roethlisberger as two-time Super Bowl winning quarterbacks. Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw both won four while Troy Aikman and New England's Tom Brady won three apiece.

More importantly, Manning has risen to the occasion at just the right time in both of New York’s Super Bowl runs which tells me he has that special quality to remained poised at the most critical times – an intangible that has ruined many a NFL quarterbacks’ career.

Love him or loathe him – Eli Manning is an elite quarterback – and not just among today’s era of signal-callers either. He’s going down as an all-time great people!

Karma’s A Bi**h Bill!

2012-02-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

New England Patriots head coach
Bill Belichick got a big dose of karma
after cutting reserve wide receiver
Tiquan Underwood on the
eve of Super Bowl XLVI.

It’s pretty funny how I just wrote about how wrong New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was for cutting reserve wide receiver Tiquan Underwood just 24 hours before the biggest game of his life in order to add defensive lineman Alex Silvestro from the team’s practice squad.

The only problem with Belichick’s nonsensical plan – and one that many, including myself expected – was that neither Underwood – or his replacement – Silvestro – would even see the playing field and sure enough, Silvestro never got in the game. Only two Patriots defenders didn't play in Super Bowl 46 and Silvestro was one of them.

To make a long story short Eye On Sports readers, Tiquan Underwood was released for absolutely nothing – and mostly because Bill Belichick had to show the world just how ‘ingenious’ he is.

Some random comments from around the Internet generally agree that Bellichick was wrong – and foolish for making the late switch.

Travis from Mississauga,

Canada

Why not cut him last week ? You let him practice all week, fly his people in, go thru all the festivities to cut him the eve of ? I'm sorry you don't conduct business like that.... Let that man have some dignity... Very embarrassing

Luv1138 from Irvine, California

Messed up. Why hours before SB 46? The guy must be devastated. Good luck Underwood, I wish you the best.

22Thumbs UpThumbs Down1 from New York, New York

And couldn't they have just cut OchoStinko instead? He's the least useful player on the roster.

Jason from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The hell with Bill, he has never shown any class and cutting someone the night before is uncalled for. They had 2 weeks to figure it out, so either the Pats are way behind on their planning for the game or the coach is an #$%$ clown!

Travis from Las Vegas, Nevada

That's cold blooded Belichick. That's embarrassing not only to the player but his family.

Needless to say, maybe Belichick’s thinking about karma today!

E Dubya On A Red-Hot, Philly Cheesesteak-Sized Roll!

2012-02-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

After nailing both, the SU and ATS outcomes on Sunday’s Super Bowl showdown, yours truly finished the 2011 season on a perfectly-timed 6-0 'Philly cheesesteak-sized' roll to finish the postseason with an impressive 9-3 mark ATS (against the spread) – and put a ton of cash in my betting followers’ collective pockets.

I Told You So!

2012-02-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

I don’t want to toot my own horn too much today (okay, I do), but I did tell my touthouse.com and sportscapping.com NFL betting backers – along with friends and family members everywhere – that the New York Giants were going to win all of their postseason games – including their Super Bowl XLVI matchup against the Patriots on Sunday! If you don't believe me, just take a look for yourself. Needless to say, when you’re good, you’re good!

'Papa Bear' Was Right - It’s How You Finish!

2012-02-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

The New York Giants proved it's not
how you start, but how you finish!

You know, Eye On Sports readers, my father, the late, great track and field coach, George ‘Papa Bear’ Williams always told me, ‘It’s not how you start son, it’s how you finish’ and apparently, that’s a message that New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, has shared with his players since taking over as the head coach back in 2004.

New York Giants head coach
Tom Coughlin is 'old school'.

New York has now shown on two occasions that you don’t necessarily have to be a dominant team during the regular season – and that it’s not how you start the regular season – it’s how you finish it and the postseason!

Denver Broncos
quarterback Tim Tebow.

The G-Men caught fire at just the right time in 2007 and did the same thing this year after falling to a mediocre 7-7 with just two regular season contests remaining. One common theme that the Giants preached after their hard-fought victory over the Patriots, was their total belief that they could overcome any obstacle in their path.

"Never," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "We have been in that situation all year and we just kept telling ourselves one game at a time, one play at a time and we finished it."

First, we got a huge dose of Tim Tebow mania and now this from the Giants?

Talk about belief in the NFL this season - not to mention the fact that dear old dad was right - it's not how you star, but how you finish!

New York's Defensive Lineman Factory!

2012-02-06T05:56:00.000-08:00

Justin Tuck was a third
round draft pick in 2005.

Look, it probably shouldn’t have taken this long, but maybe somebody should try and find out just who’s behind the Giants’ masterful drafting of the team’s highly successful defensive lineman.

Osi Umenyiorya was a
second round draft pick in 2003.

I mean, really, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre-Paul!

Really?

New York’s new-age ‘fearsome foursome’ sacked Tom Brady twice (both by Tuck), hit him on eight other occasions and forced him to throw early on several others.

Oh yeah Eye On Sports readers, I wanna’ know who’s the mastermind behind the drafting of Tuck, a third round draft pick in 2005 and Umenyiora, a second round pick in 2003 – and I want to copy this guy’s method – like, immediately.

Manningham’s Da’ Man!

2012-02-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

Giants' wide receiver Mario

Manningham made a likely,

game-saving catch late in the fourth quarter.

Four years ago, it was David Tyree making the catch of a lifetime to help the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII in one of the most thrilling Super Bowl contests in recent memory.

Manningham's catch will be
remembered for years to come.

On Sunday night, it was Mario Manningham playing the role of ‘Super Mario’ in making a huge, likely, game-saving 38-yard catch that came with 3:39 left in the fourth quarter and the Giants facing a two-point deficit on their own 12 yard-line, trailing by two points.

Quarterback Eli Manning threading the needle between two defenders to find Manningham deep along the left sideline and complete a play that turned out to be the longest play in Super Bowl XLVI.

"I knew I had to freeze my feet when the ball touched my fingertips," Manningham said. "Wherever I was at when the ball hit my fingertips, I just froze my feet and fell. I knew I was either going to get hit or hit the ground. I knew something was going to happen, but I knew that I couldn't let that ball go."

Manningham didn’t let go of the ball and now, he and his improbable catch are both a part of NFL Super Bowl lore.

"Words can't explain this," Manningham said. "Thank God I had great footwork and thank God for Eli's arm."

Getting Jiggy With Iggy!

2012-02-03T06:49:00.000-08:00

Okay Eye On Sports NBA lovers, I’ll be the first person to admit that I’ve often ripped Philly’s Andre Iguoadala for being too passive while disappearing in a number of games in his seven-year career with the Sixers, but I’ve got to give credit where credit is due.

Now, Philly’s highly athletic, but often enigmatic swingman is looking a lot more like an at-ease-with-himself leader. While Iguoadala’s scoring average of 13.1 points per game is at it lowest point since his second season in the league, Iguoadala is also averaging more rebounds per game than ever while shooting a career-high 38.6 percent from beyond the arc.

While it’s true that Iguoadala will never quite live up to what his athletic potential says he should be, it’s clear that the reluctant Sixers star is one of the most multi-faceted ‘complete’ players in the game today!

Feelin’ Feverish in Philly

2012-02-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

Jrue Holiday

Things are feelin’ feverish in Philly where the vastly-improved – and red-hot 76ers are apparently looking better each and every time they step on the floor.

Thaddeus Young

Not only are the Sixers sitting pretty with the second best record in the Eastern Conference, (they’re tied with Atlanta and Miami) but more importantly, the young Sixers have arguably as big an upside as any team in the league these days with a core of young players that apparently have the chance to reach all-star potential inside the next few seasons.

Third-year point guard Jrue Holiday and second-year swingman Evan Turner clearly both have a chance to be special players – and I believe Philly already has a potential superstar in reserve power forward Thaddeus Young (Why isn’t he starting Doug Collins?). Throw in another solid young player in third-year shooting guard Jodie Meeks and impressive rookie power forward Lavoy Allen and it’s easy to see why Philly has such a huge chance to become one of the better teams in the league over the next few seasons.

Oh, lest anyone forget, the Sixers are led by do-it-all swingman Andre Iguoadala and have a veteran locker room leader in Elton Brand. Even with promising center/power forward Marreese Speights no longer on board (dummy!), the winds of change are clearly taking place in the NBA and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers are a big part of teams on the upswing!

WTF Egypt!

2012-02-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

Egypt

had a serious ‘WTF’ moment on Wednesday when fans of two rival football clubs went ballistic after a match that took place in Port Said between Al Masry and Al Ahly. At least 74 people died and reports say another 1,000 were injured as rival fans threw stones at one another and armed themselves with knives and clubs.

Reports say scores of fans were killed as they were trapped in a long corridor trying to flee and were trampled in the ensuing melee in the country’s worst ever football match violence. Other reports say that rival fans tossed others to their deaths from balconies at least four stories high.

Maybe it’s me – and I understand the culture is different in

Egypt

than it is here in the

U.S.

– but really, but really, ‘WTF’

Egypt

Fading in the Fourth – Again!

2012-02-03T06:15:00.000-08:00

LeBron James put on a jaw-dropping performance in scoring a whopping 24 points in just the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, en route to a stellar 40-point performance for the night.

Unfortunately, James continued his career-long act of disappearing in the fourth quarter and shot just 5 for 12 in the second half as the Bucks mounted a fast and furious comeback, thanks to the heroics of point guard Brandon ‘Young Money’ Jennings who scored a team-high 31 points while draining seven damaging three-pointers along the way.

If James doesn’t somehow manage to overcome his proclivity for ‘fading in the fourth’ the Miami Heat may never get the 5, 6, 7 championship they were ‘supposed’ to bring to South Beach!

Derrick Rose For Two!

2012-02-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

Unlike many of today’s me-first, cry-baby NBA ‘superstars’ that whine about every and anything under the sun, the Chicago Bulls have a genuine superstar ‘leader’ in lightning-fast point guard Derrick Rose and I’m going on record to predict that Chicago wins at least two titles during his time as the floor leader of the Bulls. That’s right, you heard it here first, D-Rose and the Bulls for at least two NBA championships before he hangs it up.

Tiger’s Trek to the Top!

2012-02-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods may not have won this past weekend at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, finishing two strokes behind winner Robert Rock after leading the field heading into the final round.

While a 54-hole lead for Tiger was once considered money in the bank, no one that witnessed last weekend’s event doubts that Tiger is well on his way back toward the top of the golf universe.

Hell, even Rock, who won for just the second time in his European Tour career, was mostly surprised to have beaten Woods – and second place finisher Rory McIlroy.

"It's pretty hard to believe that I managed to win," Rock said. "I'm very surprised. It's difficult playing with Tiger. You expect almost every shot to threaten to go in. There was a lot of pressure and I couldn't afford any lapses in concentration at all. It was hard work, but I'm very happy now."

Townsend Time!

2012-02-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

15-year-old American Taylor Townsend
won the girls' junior Australian Open
to become the youngest winner since 2006.

While Bethanie Mattek-Sands was the only player on either, the ATP or WTA tours to win a grand slam title at this year’s Australian Open, two other American players did take home some grand slam bling at this year’s Aussies as 15-year-old Taylor Townsend cashed in as the girl’s juniors singles – and doubles winner, along with her partner Gabrielle Andrews.

Townsend (L) and Gabrielle Andrews(R)
won the girls junior doubles
portion of the 2012 Australian Open.

Townsend, the 14th seed on the girl’s side, was competing in just her second junior Grand Slam and became the youngest winner of a junior singles title since her friend Donald Young did it at the same age back in 2006.

Like Young, Townsend is from Chicago and trained with Young’s parents, Donald, Sr., and Alona, in Atlanta.

Mattek-Sands Stands Alone!

2012-02-03T05:21:00.000-08:00

Veteran, Bethanie Mattek-Sands was the only
American to win a grand slam title at the 2012 Australian Open!

The state of American tennis isn’t very good these days, even though the near future would appear to be fairly bright for the good ‘ol U.S. of A.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Romania's Horia Tecau
won the mixed doubles portion at the 2012 Australian Open.

No American player won a grand slam title in 2009 and only Bethanie Mattek-Sands took home some hardware this season when she won the mixed doubles title with

Romania

’s Horia Tecau, beating Elena Vesnina and Leander Paes 6-3, 5-7, 10-3 in the final.

It was the first Grand Slam victory ever for the 26-year-old Mattek-Sands, who is generally more known for her often outlandish outfits as she is for her on-court play.

‘V’ Stands For Victory – and Vika!

2012-02-03T05:14:00.000-08:00

Victoria Azarenka made my Australian Open
prediction come true by winning it all!

Azarenka's 'What do I do now?'

moment was one of the most genuine

displays of any first-time grand slam winner!

I predicted a win for Victoria Azarenka at this year’s Australian Open and the blonde bombshell from

Belarus

didn’t disappoint in laying a swift 6-3, 6-0 smackdown on Maria Sharapova this past weekend. Azarenka has undergone a mental transformation from an often emotionally unstable star that couldn’t maintain focus for very long to one that now looks like the Rock of Gibraltar on a mental stability scale.

For Azarenka to destroy such an accomplished player as Sharapova in her grand slam finals debut leads me to believe that she’s in for a real breakout season that could very well include another grand slam title –if not two.

Things Looking Fine Thanks to Ivan!

2012-02-03T05:09:00.000-08:00

Ivan Lendl has Andy Murray looking a lot better mentally
in no time at all!

Things are definitely on the upswing for World No. 4 Andy Murray thanks to the contributions of eight-time grand slam title winner Ivan Lendl. The former superstar agreed to coach Murray early this year and has the formerly fragile Murray like a rock of mental stability in no time at all. Murray refrained from the often childish displays of anger, confusion and frustration that have both, marked and plagued his career.

Andy Looking Fine and Dandy!

2012-02-03T05:07:00.000-08:00

Andy Murray looks like a new man with eight-time grand slam

champion Ivan Lendl now coaching him.

As a longtime Andy Murray critic, I’m now going to go on record and say that I really liked the mental improvements that I saw in the World No. 4 and I now believe that he has a more than legitimate chance to win a grand slam title in the very near future if he can maintain and improve on the mental aspects of the game.

It’s All About the Matchup!

2012-02-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

It’s pretty funny that World No. 1 Novak Djokovic can pretty much steamroll World No. 2 Rafael Nadal and now, probably looks forward to playing fiery Spaniard whenever he can. However, Djokovic really struggles against World No. 3 Roger Federer as their final two meetings of 2011 showed. While Federer gives the world No. 1 all he can handle and then some, the all-time grand slam leader clearly can’t beat Nadal at all it seems these days. Sometimes, it’s all about matchups people – and this top-notch triumvirate show that to be true.

Djoker’s No Laughing Matter!

2012-02-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

I don’t care whether you’re a hard core Roger Federer fan (like me) or a longtime Rafael Nadal lover (like my son) …. You’ve got to give credit where credit is due – and now – both greats – and every other ATP player – are clearly chasing rock-solid World No. 1. Novak Djokovic.

The ‘Djoker’ played some of the best tennis you’ll ever see in defeating Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in the final of the Australian Open this past weekend in what turned out to be the longest grand slam final since the Open Era began in 1968.

After beating Rafa in six tournament finals a year ago – including both, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, Djokovic extended his winning ways over the World No. 2 in an epic, five-set match that lasted a mind-numbing five hours and 53 minutes – even if he made did make a little harder on himself by not finishing off his mostly battered opponent in four sets like he should have! Either way, I tip my hat to Djokovic for a job well done – and everyone else should be too!

Howard … A Big ‘A’ Coward!

2012-01-31T12:30:00.000-08:00

Looks like Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard

has some cry-baby company!

Dwight Howard is a big ass coward!

There I said it, now I feel better!

Yeah, Eyeon Sports hoops fans I called Dwight Howard a big ass coward and on top of that, I’ll just throw out the fact that he’s also a hypocritical cry-baby of epic, LeBron James-like proportions.

Just a few days ago, Howard ripped his Orlando Magic teammates a ‘new one’ after getting blown out by the New Orleans Hornets 93-67 on Friday night, but doesn’t act much like a leader himself if you ask me, particularly knowing he’s leaving the Magic franchise at some point in the very near future.

Dwight Howard will be leaving the

Orlando Magic in no time at all.

"I look at guys and they don't look like they want to play," Howard said following the lopsided loss. "I told them at halftime, 'If you don't want to play, just stay in the locker room, because it don't make sense for a team who we should beat to just demolish us.”

If the Magic don’t trade Howard at some point n the very near future, like before the annual trade deadline, then Howard will almost assuredly opt out of his current deal after this season and Orlando will lose their all-star big man for absolutely nothing.

While Howard is clearly a gifted player athletically, I genuinely believe the Magic should move him as quickly as they can and get the best deal out there because Howard lacks the mentality to ever be any team’s true franchise leader!

Tim Thomas is an Idiot!

2012-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

While I certainly respect Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas’ decision not to attend the White House ceremony honoring the reigning Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins almost two weeks ago, I don’t have to agree with it – and I certainly don’t.

The Stanley Cup champion Bruins were all on hand - except for the team's lone American, goalie Tim Thomas. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner elected to stay at home as a sign of protest against both ruling parties of the federal government.

Yes, while it is Thomas’ right to not attend any function he so chooses not to, it’s not everyday that you can tell your children or grandchildren that you shook hands with the President of the United States, whether you like the state of the country or not.

Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas.

I like what Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said during his monthly "Ask the Governor" program on WTKK-FM when asked about the controversial topic.

"He's a phenomenal hockey player and he's entitled to his views," Patrick said. "It just feels like we are losing in this country basic courtesy and grace.”

Philadelphia Flyers winger Scott Hartnell’s thoughts echoed mine.

"I'm not a big political guy or whatever but for me it's a team event and should be an honor to be in the White House no matter what your political views are," Hartnell said. "It would've been the right thing to do to go there and enjoy the day and who's gonna' say he'll ever have another opportunity like that to go there again?"

Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown also agreed that Thomas should have gone out of respect if nothing else.

"I've been invited to the White House and I've gone. While I don't agree with everything the president does, you're going there out of respect for the president, regardless of who it is," said Brown, a Republican. "I would have gone, but Tim also has the right to express himself and stand up for the things he believes. That's the beauty of our country."

As the only American on the team, I believe Thomas not attending the ceremony reflected badly on the franchise, whether right or wrong.

Last but not least, I also want to say that it’s kind of funny how most of the NHL players that hail from European countries are grateful to be playing in the

United States

making millions of dollars and living lavish lifestyles, while our own American players act as though the world owes them something!

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire Irsay!

2012-01-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

Owner Jim Irsay (C) has already jettisoned former Chairman

Bill Polian (L). Franchise quarterback Peyton Manning (R) is next

despite Irsay's claims of ignorance.

You know Eye On Sports followers, its one thing to be naïve or to lack good ‘ol common sense, but it’s another thing altogether to be a self-serving, scum-of-the-earth, liar like Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay!

I’m sorry if that sounded a bit harsh, but hey, everyone’s entitled to their opinions. Anyway, if you know a thing about pro football then you know Irsay is lying through his teeth when he says that he hasn’t decided whether or not to release veteran quarterback Peyton Manning.

Irsay, has about five weeks to decide whether or not to pay Manning a whopping $28 million bonus, but Indy is sitting on the No. 1 overall draft pick and

the right to draft NFL-ready quarterback Andrew Luck

and everyone knows that Irsay is just biding his time.

I expect Irsay to announce in the week or so leading up to the deadline that he will not retain Manning’s services, mostly because he fears for the four-time league MVP’s health.

After the recent public rift between the pair, it’s now a foregone conclusion that Irsay will part ways with the man that out his once sad-sack franchise back on the map.

Why Irsay doesn’t just move on from Manning now is beyond me, but still, dude’s lying like a rug when he says he hasn’t made up his mind on Manning!

Jim Irsay is Certifiably Nuts!

2012-01-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has already jettisoned
former chairman Bill Polian. Is 'franchise' quarterback Peyton
Manning next to go?

Maybe it’s me, but I’m still trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with ‘certifiably nuts’ Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.

First Irsay surprises everyone around the league – and on his own team by firing longtime vice chairman Bill Polian and his son, GM Chris Polian. While I certainly agree with his firing of head coach Jim Caldwell, I don’t think getting rid of his entire staff was the brightest idea, particularly if there was one or two assistant that deserved to be kept on board.

Next, Irsay surprises again by hiring Balimore Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to be the team’s new head coach, though I did like Irsay’s hiring of Ryan Grigson as the team’s new GM.

Now, Irsay is bad-mouthing ‘franchise’ quarterback Peyton Manning in the media – when everyone knows he’s going to part ways with the man that out his franchise back on the map before giving him the $28 million dollar bonus he is due in March.

I’m just going to say that what goes around comes around – and if Irsay doesn’t know that karma’s a b**ch, then I suspect he’s going to find out at some point in the very near future, even if the Colts do draft gifted quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft.

Get a Life Joe Pa Haters!

2012-01-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia Neo Soul Songstress Jill Scott!

If I could give you the world
On a silver platter
Would even matter
You'd still be mad at me

Hate On Me – Philadelphia Neo-Soul Songstress Jill Scott

I’ve got one thing to say to all of the people that want to ‘hate’ on the beloved Joe Paterno for the way he did or did not handle the school’s now infamous Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Get a freakin’ life haters!

Nike executive chairman and CEO Phil Knight put it best when he summed up the whole debacle by saying that Penn State’s foolish trustees laid the blame at the feet of the wrong man, despite the fact that Paterno did everything he was required to do by law – and had never brought anything to the Nittany Lions program other than truth, honesty and integrity.

"This much is clear to me: If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation and not in Joe Paterno's response," Knight said at Paterno’s memorial service on Thursday, drawing a well-deserved standing ovation in the process.

As Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said, Paterno is always going to be remembered as the greatest college football coach ever – and that’s the way it should be!

The Legend Lives On!

2012-01-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

Say what you want about Joe Paterno, but it says right here at Eye On Sports that the legendary head coach will live on for decades to come though the countless lives he touched while here on earth – and the equally incalculable number of lives he will continue to touch even in death.

Just think about if football fans, Paterno has coached players in six different decades – and now many of those former players are grown men with children, grand children and likely a great grandchild or two thrown in somewhere among the bunch. Just think how many lessons that Paterno taught to his former players that went on to share them with their own sons and grandsons.

Oh yeah, love him or loathe him (I Love Joe Pa) Joe Paterno’s legacy of loving others and building up young men will undoubtedly live on for years to come!

Phil Knight’s Alright!

2012-01-29T11:44:00.000-08:00

After seeing the stirring speech delivered by Nike chairman and CEO Phil Knight at Thursday’s memorial for beloved late Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno, I just can’t bring myself to bad-mouth the polarizing Knight – at least for the foreseeable future.

Knight’s quote about the legendary Paterno and how the investigation was handled will be remembered for years to come – and was well-deserving of the standing ovation it set off.

"This much is clear to me: If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation and not in Joe Paterno's response," Knight said. Paterno's widow, Sue, was among those rising to their feet – along with me at home!

Good Move on Marreesse Memphis!

2012-01-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

Eye On Sports readers just read about how I think the Philadelphia 76ers are going to regret jettisoning talented big man Marreesse Speights this season without ever giving the sweet-shooting big man out of Florida a real chance to shine.

Well, as we here at Eye On Sports always say, one man’s trash is apparently another man’s treasure!

Having said that, the Memphis Grizzlies wisely targeted Philly’s reserve center-forward as a player that could come in and immediately fill the void left by starting power forward Zach Randolph who is out for up to two months with a torn medial collateral ligament.

How Memphis viewed Speights as some that could start for their Western Conference title-contending team and the Sixers couldn’t find minutes for the still blossoming big man is beyond me, but it say right here that the Grizzlies are going to find themselves giddy beyond their wildest dreams because of how god of a player Speights is.

As a matter of fact, Speights unfurled a terrific double-double of 12 points and 15 rebounds in a blowout win over Sacramento on Saturday after torching the Chicago Bulls for 16 points, 12 rebounds, a blocked shot and two assists in a win just prior to that one.

Speights is averaging 10.0 points per game and 8.6 rebounds in just 25.2 minutes per game over his last five starts with Memphis. Mark it down hoops fans, the Memphis Grizzlies got a real gem in young center Marreesse Speights.

Foolish Philly Misses on Marreesse!

2012-01-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

While the Philadelphia 76ers are clearly on their way up this season, with a team style of basketball that is refreshing, to say the least. Unfortunately, the Sixers foolishly traded away a player that could have bee a huge part of their future when they parted ways with talented big man Marreese Speights.

The 6-foot-11 245-pound power forward/center is in his fourth season in the league after Philly nabbed the former Florida star with the 16th overall pick in the 2007 draft. While Speights showed flashes of brilliance whenever he did make it on to the floor for the Sixers, the fact of the matter is that he never got a fair chance, whether right or wrong – and his numbers bear that out with the near seven-footer never averaging more than 16.4 minutes per game.

Remember you heard it here first Eye On Sports hoops fanatics … the Philadelphia 76ers and head coach Doug Collins are going to rue the day they traded Marreesse Speights!

Sixers Have Blossoming Stars on Hand!

2012-01-24T09:02:00.000-08:00

So what the Philadelphia 76ers took a loss to the Miami Heat on Saturday night ... the Sixers are one of the best up-and-coming teams in the league right now and apparently have a very bright future thanks to their plethora of young potential superstars. Third-year point guard Jrue Holliday could very well become one of the best floor leaders in the league over the next couple of seasons if he continues progressing like he has so far, while last season’s No. 2 overall draft pick, swingman Evan Turner also has ‘superstar’ potential written all over him.

The Sixers’ best player – and the one I feel would be a flat-out star right now were he given a chance to start – however, is athletic forward Thaddeus Young.

Throw in sweet-shooting two guard Jodie Meeks and underrated reserve guard Louis Williams and it’s clear to see that this team has a bright future if they can keep their young core together. Unfortunately, for the Sixers, head coach Doug Collins has refused to move Young and Turner into the starting lineup even though they both should be playing more minutes at this point of their respective careers!

Oh Ricky, You So Fine!

2012-01-24T06:38:00.000-08:00

Oh Mickey, you're so fine you're so fine you blow my mind,
hey Mickey (huff huff), hey Mickey (huff huff)

Sure, he’s gotten plenty of ‘hype’ for his cover model look, but don’t hate on Ricky Rubio people … the boy’s actually got some game – even if it’s a bit different from the me-first, shoot-first point guard play we’ve become accustomed to in recent years roundball lovers.

Unlike many of today’s American-born floor leaders, Rubio actually makes his teammates better with his slick passing, much like the pass-first point guards of years ago (think Magic Johnson and John Stockton).

Just think, if you’re a T-Wolves player that is on the floor with Rubio, now you know that you could get a pass coming your way at any time – even if it doesn’t look like you’re open. Maybe I’m an ‘old-school’ guy, but actually passing the ball to get a better shot for your team is actually very appealing.

Rubio is currently averaging 10.6 points per game while dishing out an impressive 8.1 dimes per game and adding a surprising 4.7 rebounds per.

“We’re happy to have him now,” said Minnesota’s best player, all-star forward Kevin Love after a recent win. “Today’s just an example of how good he is—and how good he can be. Who’s to say? He’s still working on his jump shot. He’s still working on his game.”

Well, Eye On Sports fans, Rubio has plenty of game already – and it’s a scary thought to think how good he could be in another year or two of NBA hoops!

T-Wolves Time?

2012-01-24T06:35:00.000-08:00

As the young people continually say today, are you serious?

All of a sudden, the Minnesota Timberwolves have the look of one of the best up-and-coming teams in the league NBA followers!

Veteran head coach Rick Adelman deserves a ton of credit for transforming the mentality of their players and the entire culture around the T-Wolves’ franchise into one that is now refreshingly positive and upbeat.

I know the lockout-shortened 2011-12 NBA season is still very young, but who would have never thought we’de be saying at any juncture that the Minnesota Timberwolves are better than the Boston Celtics?

There’ll Never Be Another Joe Paterno!

2012-01-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

Say whatever you like about late, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, but it says right here Eye On Sports collegiate gridiron fans that there will never, ever be another college football coach like Joe Paterno.

The man stood for honesty and integrity in a sport where underhanded cheating and backdoor deals with ‘unnamed boosters’ are more of the norm than abnormal. If you’re child went to Penn State to play football for Paterno, you know he got a genuine college education from one of the best schools in the country as Paterno made his players maintain a high grade level before it ever became commonplace – and now – mandatory!

In hindsight, could the beloved ‘Joe Pa’ have done more after initially finding out about Jerry Sandusky?

Undoubtedly and he even stated this fact. However, in his defense, Paterno, who is from a totally different era, never had to deal with anything remotely close to the horrific nature of Sandusky’s alleged crimes and more importantly, did, A), what he was required to do by law and B) never committed any crime himself.

Paterno built his program on the credo "Success with Honor," and those closest to him know he lived his motto as well.

Paterno won 409 games in his Hall of Fame career and took the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games and two national championships. More than 250 of the players Paterno coached went on to the NFL.

Paterno’s family released a statement Sunday morning to announce his death: "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled."

"He died as he lived," the statement said. "He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

Again, you can say whatever you like about Paterno’s handling of the Sandusky situation, but we here at Eye On Sports say Paterno was a great man that did far more good in his life than the average man – and how many people can say that?

Fins Feeling Philbin!

2012-01-24T06:20:00.000-08:00

When the Miami Dolphins hired now former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, I wasn’t a very happy camper, being a lifelong Dolphins fan, but the more each day passes, I’m uplifted by Miami’s hire and now believe that he could very well succeed in the near future. Philbin is universally respected by both, players and coaches throughout the league and I’m thinking Miami actually won by not hiring the overrated Jeff Fisher!

Cousins Wins, Kings Still Lose!

2012-01-24T06:17:00.001-08:00

The Sacramento Kings decided to part ways with veteran head coach Paul Westphal after he publicly called out immature young center DeMarcus Cousins after constantly clashing with the petulant big man, but it say right here Eye On Sports hoops fans, that the Sacramento Kings are the real losers for empowering Cousins – and all of their other players – with the ability to now tell any of the franchise’s future head coaches where to go and exactly how to get there!

The Kings were hoping that player-friendly head coach keith Smart would have an easier time relating to Cousins and while the Kentucky star is undeniably talented, it’s also crystal clear at this points that Westphal wasn’t the Kings’ most pressing problem. Sacramento has lost two straight and five of its last seven games overall under Smart and generally look like the same team they did under Westphal, even if DeMarcus Cousins doesn’t personally.

Andy Murray-Ivan Lendl Marriage at Work!

2012-01-24T06:16:00.000-08:00

While I abhor Andy Murray (not nearly as much as my daughter though) I’ve got to say that something looks different about Murray since the start of the Aussie Open and I swear it’s all because of Ivan Lendl’s mentoring.

Hell, to keep it totally honest with you, Murray has looked a lot like the stoic Lendl in beating the hell out of every opponent he’s faced so far this season. It should be very interesting to see hw Murray handles the upper echelon players this coming week, but as of right now – all systems are definitely go for the enigmatic Scot.

Serena Silenced!

2012-01-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

Maybe it’s me Eye On Sports tennis fans, but I swear the upper echelon WTA players are no longer nearly as scared of Serena as they used to be … and truth be told, why should they?

Williams – and her ailing sister Venus – are no longer the dominant, physically superior athletes they used to be – and in my estimation, the sisters’ lack of diversity to their respective games doesn’t help. No, you won’t see many slices or deft drop shots from the Williams sisters – and the power games they used to use to routinely overwhelm their mostly overmatched opponents is wearing down faster that an octogenarian with a bad back!

American Tennis Takes Another Hit!

2012-01-24T06:13:00.000-08:00

With Serena Williams getting the old heave ho from the 2012 Australian Open on Sunday, American tennis took what is now becoming a routing bashing at the grand slams. That’s right racquet fans, it’s crystal clear that the

U.S.

has fallen way behind a host of other countries, most notably

Spain

, when it comes to producing grand slam worthy superstars.

Now, there are no American left in the Aussie as it heads into its second week – and it’s painfully obvious that the

U.S.

may not have another grand slam winner for quite some time. Hell, even the Williams sisters have been mostly ordinary for the better part of the last two years.

Talented Davis Still Immature!

2012-01-24T06:11:00.000-08:00

Vernon Davis is definitely one of the most athletically gifted tight ends in all of football, but he’s apparently not fully mature just yet after receiving two 15-yard penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct in San Francisco’s 20-17 overtime loss to Eli Manning and the New York Giants on Sunday. While Davis is a big part of why the Niners have done so well this season, he’s also been in the league long enough to know that foolish penalties only hurt his own team, duh!

Alex Smith’s Now A Keeper!

2012-01-24T06:10:00.000-08:00

Whether you like him or not, it says right here at Eye On Sports that San Francisco 49ers veteran quarterback Alex Smith is now a ‘keeper’ for the Niners heading into next season! That’s right gridiron lovers, after coming into the season as an uncertainty in Jim Harbaugh’s first season.

Smith finished ninth in the league in passing during the regular season, while completing a very nice 61.3 percent of his passes for 3,144 yards with 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions. The funny part is that, even in his seventh season – I’m thinking Smith can still improve next season – and that should be great news to Niners fans everywhere!

Good Try for Special K, Tampa Bay!

2012-01-24T06:08:00.000-08:00

Reports say the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have offered their head coaching job to Oregon head coach Chip 'Special K' Kelly, which I believe is a very wise move. Unfortunately, it looks like Kelly is going to pass on the position for personal reasons, but it says here at Eye On Sports that the Bucs did a great job going for it with the proven collegiate winner!

Eli Manning .. Third Down Master!

2012-01-24T05:58:00.001-08:00

While the New York Giants went just 7-for-21 on third downs in their 20-17 NFC title game win in overtime against San Francisco on Sunday, we here at Eye On Sports say that Eli Manning is undoubtedly the best third down quarterback in the game today. By hook or crook, it just feels like whenever its third down, the Giants are going to convert – mostly because of Eli Manning!

Psychotic Sickos Disgrace NFL Fans!

2012-01-24T05:51:00.000-08:00

Speaking of Kyle Williams, we here at Eye On Sports want to offer some moral support to Williams and his entire family while denouncing the ‘psychotic sickos’ out there that have contacted Williams with either hate mail or death threats.

First of all, if you’re not aware of all of the problems in this country today and have nothing more constructive to do with your time than send a professional athlete hate mail or death threats, you’re living in a sad state of mind and really need to seek professional help. This young kid does not deserve this kind of treatment, nor does any other professional athlete anywhere and I encourage authorities to prosecute those convicted in connection with the threats to Williams to the fullest extent of the law.

Don’t Blame Williams Alone!

2012-01-23T22:16:00.000-08:00

You know what heartbroken San Francisco 49ers fans, I’m going on record right now to show some love to young Niners’ wide receiver and return man Kyle Williams. I know it’s kind of hard not to blame Williams’ costly punt return turnovers as the underlying reason that the 49ers lost to the New York Giants 20-17 in their NFC title game matchup yesterday, but the fact of the matter is that San Francisco’s underwhelming offense didn’t do much at all in order to help win this contest. When your offense goes 1-for-13 on third downs, they’ve got to take their fair share of the blame no matter how you look at it! Besides, I loved the way Williams stood up like a man and addressed the media after the game when many players, even grizzled veterans would have been looking for a side door out of the stadium to make their respective exits!

I Told You So!

2012-01-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

Okay Eye On Sports football junkies, I hate to toot my own horn, but … I told you so!

If you played my money-making NFL title game picks this weekend at sportscapping.com, then you’re undoubtedly one happy camper, seeing as how I nailed both games to a tee, predicting three-point outcomes in each contest to boot.

Having said that, I can’t wait for this year’s Super Bowl rematch between the New York Giants and New England Patriots – and I’ve got a red-hot Super Bowl pick that will be forthcoming in the next day or two at best.

Better Late Than Never Indy!

2012-01-20T00:15:00.000-08:00

The Indianapolis Colts finally got something right Eye On Sports NFL fans!

Indy finally fired coach Jim Caldwell this past Tuesday, but what I’m still trying to figure out is why it took so long.

The way the Colts completely fell apart – on both sides of the ball – after losing starting quarterback Peyton Manning for the season and personally, I thought Caldwell should have been given the axe by midseason.

Oh well, better late than never I guess.

‘Big Smilin’ No More!

2012-01-20T00:11:00.000-08:00

Damn, my boy, Marcos ‘Big Smilin’ Baghdatis wasn’t smiling too much on Wednesday at the Aussie Open – and for good reason as he got his brains beat in by Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.

Baghdatis went all ‘Mikhail Youzhny’ on Wednesday in smashing four racquets during a changeover, but still, everyone loves the guy with one of the most infectious personalities and biggest smiles in all of professional sports.

Ironically, it was the in third set that Baghdatis won when he smashed his racquets, which makes me think maybe the fiery Cypriot should have had a few more sticks in his bag to break for the ensuing fourth set.

Save Your Breath Pal!

2012-01-20T00:07:00.000-08:00

You know what Eye On Sports baseball lovers, I’m going on record right now to say that I don’t want to hear a single word that Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has to say about testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs after winning this season’s NL MVP award.

In December, ESPN's "Outside The Lines" reported, citing sources, that Braun tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. He is currently appealing the finding while facing a 50-game suspension nest season.

On Saturday, Braun is expected to speak at an annual banquet awards dinner where he will accept his National League MVP award from the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

A spokesman for Braun said "there are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence and demonstrate there was absolutely no intentional violation" of baseball's drug-testing program.

All I’m gonna’ say is ….. hmmmm, now where have I heard that before?

Braun has not made a public appearance since news of the positive test broke Dec. 10 and I for one, can’t wait to see if something jumps off!

Rangers Getting a Real Ace!

2012-01-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, Eye On Sports MLB baseball followers, while you may have heard that the Texas Rangers signed Japanese sensation Yu Darvish to a six-year deal worth $60 million just prior to Wednesday's 4:00 PM CT deadline, there may be a few things about Darvish that you may not know if you have never seen him pitch.

Simply put, the Rangers are getting a pitcher that I can almost guarantee will challenge for the AL Cy Young on a perennial basis, beginning as early as next season if you ask me.

The 25-year-old Darvish is the most impressive pitcher I have seen in quite a long time and his career numbers categorically back that up, even though some American MLB ‘purists’ will try to lessen his greatness for playing in what they believe is an inferior league.

Darvish went 18-6 last season in

Japan

with a league-best 1.44 ERA and 276 strikeouts while walking just 36 batters in 232 innings.

The 220-pound hurler also pitched in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. For his career, Darvish has compiled a jaw-dropping 93-38 record with a 1.99 ERA.

Trust me baseball lovers, Yu Darvish is definitely the real deal – and now it looks like the Rangers are well on their way to making another strong run toward reaching the World Series for the third consecutive season.

Highway Robbery!

2012-01-19T10:30:00.000-08:00

Maybe it’s me, but after seeing how David Nalbandian got robbed by chair umpire Kader Nouni late in his second round, five-set Aussie Open match against John Isner – and then seeing the 6-10 Isner act like he beat the hell out of his opponent – really pissed me off – and tells me that Isner will take a win any way he can get it – even through a cheating (okay maybe he’s just blind) umpire!

Maybe this is why the big-serving American hasn’t come close to making a grand slam finals appearance even though he’s got the biggest serve on the planet these days.

Ed Reed Tellin’ It Like it T-I Tis!

2012-01-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

Daaaaaamn, Eye On Sports football lovers!

On Monday, Baltimore Ravens future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed told satellite radio listeners just what he thought of quarterback Joe Flacco’s performance against the Houston Texans in the team’s hard-fought 20-13 win on Sunday – and it mirrors my thoughts exactly.

Here’s what Reed told reporters on Monday.

"I think Joe was kind of rattled a little bit by (Houston's) defense," Reed said on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday. "(The Texans) had a lot of guys in the box on him. And, I mean, they were getting to him. I think a couple times he needed to get rid of the ball. I don't know how much of the play-calling ... but it just didn't look like he had a hold on the offense. ... It was just kind of like (Baltimore's coaches) was telling him to do, throw the ball or get it here, you know, get it to certain guys. And he can't play like that."

Flacco completed just 14 of 27 passes for 176 yards, though he did throw two TD passes in the narrow win. Baltimore generated just 109 yards of offense after halftime – and if you ask me – I agree with Reed – Joe Flacco looked absolutely scared to me throughout much of the game – and at this point, I’m just not too sure he’s capable of being a prime time leader.

In spite of having one of the biggest arms in the game today, Flacco has the look of a quarterback that just wants to manage the game – not go out and win it!

Mr. ‘Big Shot’ Strikes Again!

2012-01-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

Mr.Bigstuff, who do u think u are?
Mr.Bigstuff, you're never gonna get my love

Not because you wear
All those fancy clothes (oh yeah)
And have a big fine car
Oh yes you do now
Do you think I can't afford
To give you my love (oh yeah)
You think you're higher,
Than every star above

Mr.Bigstuff, who do u think u are?
Mr.Bigstuff, you're never gonna get my love

One man’s trash is apparently another man’s treasure – right New York Knicks?

After foolishly trading away one of my favorite players in the game today – and one of the most savvy floor leaders in league history – the Knicks have suffered in trying to initiate their offense and get competent play from the point guard position in a big way this season.

No matter Knicks fans … Eye On Sports says Billups is making out just fine with the resurgent Los Angeles Clippers who were as happy as a lark to add the veteran and his multi-faceted game despite getting point guard Chris Paul to become the new face of the franchise (okay, along with Blake Griffin).

Now, Billups is making opponents pay with his decision-making – and nearly unmatched late-game shot-making while averaging a very nice 16.5 points per game and shooting a blistering 38.7 percent from long distance.

Billups drained a game-winning three-pointer against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night that further cemented his aptly-selected nickname ‘Mr. Big Shot’.

“At all times you can look to him and he knows exactly what he wants to do and what we should do. So for us the younger guys, we're trying to learn from him. He is that calming influence that you know the game is never out of reach when he is on the court."

- Clippers forward Blake Griffin on veteran point guard Chauncey Billups and what he brings to the rebuilding Clippers.

Jerry Not Very … Bright … Or Open to Change!

2012-01-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

Okay NFL gridiron gang, maybe it’s me, but I’m really trying hard to figure out what the hell is wrong with Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones!

If Jones hasn’t learned by now that an NFL owner that acts as his own general manager is akin to a fool representing himself in a court of law, then I guess he’s more of a lunatic than I ever thought.

Jones, whose Cowboys have won just one playoff game since 1996 while making just six postseason appearances since that time, is still apparently living in the past when the team was in its heyday under former head coach Jimmy Johnson, who was the driving force behind drafting many of the players that led the ‘Boys to prominence, even though Jones had the official GM title.

Of course, Jones wanted to take all of the credit which caused problems that forced the beloved head coach to move on to greener pastures. Since then, the Cowboys have failed miserably – and Jones has been the man at the helm of the team’s football operations.

Jones even tried to defend his skills as a GM, even though he came across sounding mostly like a flaming idiot!

"The facts are that I've spent 22 years doing this exactly the same way," Jones said on KRLD-FM a couple of weeks ago. "I've made a lot of changes from year to year as time goes along, but frankly, I know that when we do not have the kind of success, when we don't have expectations lived up to, the one that should get the most heat is the one that ultimately makes the decisions, period, with the Dallas Cowboys. And that's me."

Jones even went on to say that adding a GM would be more detrimental than helpful to his teams’ chances for future success.

"The thing you've got to realize is that when you have an owner that is full-time as the owner, then you create a situation where you have as much turnover at GM as you do at the coaching level," Jones said. "And I think that just deters from the mix."

Huh?

Maybe Jerry Jones doesn’t see things the way most NFL owners, GM’s and even fans do – which is why the Cowboys are pretty much perennial losers!

"More often than not, when you're in the kind of shape we are statistically, you're doing better in the playoffs," Jones said.

Yeah right Jerry, we say here at Eye On Sports!

‘The Truth’ and ‘The Big Ticket’

2012-01-16T06:39:00.000-08:00

While Ray Allen looks like he could very easily play until he’s 40-plus, I’m thinking it’s becoming clearer by the second that Paul ‘The Truth’ Pierce and Kevin ‘The Big Ticket’ Garnett are no longer the same players they once were, even last season apparently. Pierce is averaging a paltry 14.6 points per game while shooting a pitiful; 37.2 percent from the field in eight games.

For his part, Eye On Sports hoops heads, Garnett is averaging just 13.5 points per contest while shooting an uninspiring 49.2 percent from the field. The worst part for Boston though is that it looks like both players are going to be wearing Celtic green for the foreseeable future!

Celtics, Big Three's Woes Crystal Clear!

2012-01-16T06:36:00.000-08:00

Okay Eye On Sports NBA hoops fans, the Boston Celtics are officially in trouble – and I mean trouble with a capital ‘T’ people. The C’s have lost four straight games heading into tonight’s home date against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder, including a disturbing pair of losses to the blossoming Indiana Pacers. Boston hasn’t scored more than 87 points in any of their last four games and just looks … well …. Okay, I’ll just say it damn it! They look as old as Methuselah.

Showin’ T.J. Some Love!

2012-01-16T06:34:00.001-08:00

Yes, Houston Texans rookie quarterback T.J. Yates threw two costly interceptions, including one late in regulation that could have tied the score and possibly sent the AFC divisional matchup into overtime, but the fact of the matter is that Yates is clearly a gifted signal-caller – and arguably the steal of the 2011 NFL Draft.

After leading the Texans to their first playoff win in franchise history in their AFC Wild card game – and keeping the Texans in the game until the very end against the far more experienced Ravens, I’ve got to say that Yates clearly has one of the brightest futures of any young quarterback in the league, including Cam Newton and Andy Dalton, though his situation will likely be a lot different if he stays behind starter Matt Schaub for the immediate future.

Tebow Learning the Hard Way!

2012-01-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

Not since Jesus Christ himself walked the earth has one man caused so many people to get on one bended knee, but young Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow clearly has a lot to learn if he ever wants to become a successful passer in the NFL. Right now, Tebow’s shortcomings as a passer are quite evident. Still, I’m not putting anything past this kid, who is arguably the best role model for young athletes, nit just in the NFL, but in all of professional sports.

Ed Reed, the Best Safety Ever?

2012-01-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

Is Baltimore Ravens’ Safety Ed Reed the best ever at his position? While I’m kind of partial toward former San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, I just couldn’t bring myself to argue with a guy that says Reed is the game’s best safety of all-time.

One thing’s for sure Eye on Sports NFL fanatics … there haven’t been many safeties in the league as talented, studious, dedicated and ferocious as the ‘Ball Hawk’ Ed Reed!

Baltimore Back in Big Dance?

2012-01-16T06:25:00.000-08:00

The Baltimore Ravens are just one step away from making their second Super Bowl appearance and first since winning it all in 2001, thanks to a likely touchdown-saving interception by Ed Reed late in regulation. The Ravens took out a very good Houston Texans team and their shockingly good rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, but they’ll face a far different beast when they battle Tom Brady and the Patriots next weekend - and I'm not too sure that often-inconsistent quarterback Joe Flacco has what it takes to lead this team to the promised land.

Patriots to Build on Dynasty?

2012-01-16T06:23:00.000-08:00

Just like another Eye On Sports post that says the San Francisco 49ers look like they could very well win the NFC this season, I genuinely believe the same applies to the New England Patriots after seeing them demolish Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos 45-10 in their AFC divisional win on Saturday. Tom Brady and company looked like they’re going to be hard to stop – even against the Baltimore Ravens' stout defense.

No One Finer Than 49ers?

2012-01-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

Maybe it’s me Eye On Sports football fans, but after seeing the San Francisco 49ers dismantle the explosive New Orleans Saints in their thrilling 36-32 win over Drew Brees and company in their NFC divisional showdown on Sunday, I’m thinking the Niners can beat whichever teams wins the other NFC Divisional matchup, even the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

Packers, Saints, Both Defenseless!

2012-01-16T06:19:00.000-08:00

Okay Eye On Sports faithful, after seeing both, the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints – and their explosive offenses – get beat this past weekend, I’m thinking maybe somebody on both teams’ front offices should actually think about acquiring some competent defensive players!

I’m just sayin’… the way both teams won with overpowering offenses- and mediocre defenses at best – is clearly not the way to win a Super Bowl title.

2007 All Over Again?

2012-01-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

Maybe it’s me Eye On Sports NFL fans but I gotta’ say that the run the New York Giants are on right now is looking eerily similar to the run they made in 2007 when they won it all. The G-Men are playing excellent defense while getting some punishing running from Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs – and this time around – they have an improved Eli Manning.

Call it deja’ vu or whatever you like, I’m just saying, the San Francisco 49ers are going to have their hands full when they host the Giants in their NFC Championship game this coming weekend.

Charles Barkley’s Still a Jackass Hater – Duh!

2012-01-12T14:39:00.000-08:00

Okay Eye on Sports readers, it was just about a month ago when I had to rip Charles Barkley a new, ‘you-know-what’ for basically being a Tim Tebow hater of epic proportions.

Now, Barkley’s back to bad-mouthing the most polarizing professional athlete in the world today – and I’m just about sick and tired of Barkley’s big-mouth – despite the fact that I’ll go to my grave actually liking the guy.

Yes, Barkley’s a jackass of epic proportions that doesn’t mind telling people where to go or how to get there, (which, ironically, is why I like him) but he’s way off base for ripping on Tebow the way he has recently, particularly when the multi-faceted Denver Broncos signal-caller has never, ever said one bad thing about him.

Barkley was on air with iconic Philadelphia sports talk guy Mike Missanelli of 97.5 the Fanatic in the City of Brotherly Love on Tuesday when he shared some more of his idiotic, hate-filled feelings on Tebow.

"The national nightmare continue,” Barkley began. “Hey, listen, I like Tim Tebow (that’s a lie Eye on Sports readers) but there comes a point, he had a great game. He's supposed to have a great game," Barkley said.

Missanelli asked Barkley if he has had enough of Tebow.

"I think the world has," Barkley replied. "First of all, Mike, I don't know anything you said about Tebow but let's just say the jury is still out on Tebow. He seems like a nice kid but these ups and downs are so different. The jury is still out on Tebow. Just because he had a great game and made four or five great throws yesterday doesn’t mean he's gonna’ be a great starting quarterback in the NFL."

Maybe it’s me, but I have never seen a retired professional athlete that is in the Hall of Fame no less, consistently rip one of today’s generation of players for absolutely no good reason whatsoever.

First and foremost, Barkley never played in the NFL so his opinion really shouldn’t carry much weight (pardon the pun) at all. However, when you’re as big and loud – and funny – as Charles Barkley is – then someone, somewhere is going to listen – and in the end – maybe that’s all Charles wants to begin with … to remain relevant!

No matter the reason however, I say Barkley’s wrong – and at his age – he should already know, karma’s a bi**h!

LeBron’s Not Clutch – Duh!

2012-01-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

Okay Eye on Sports NBA fans, with Wednesday night’s disturbing 95-89 overtime loss to Chris Paul and the Clippers, hoops fans and pundits across the globe got to see firsthand why LeBron James will never, ever reach the same status of superstars like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan – or – Kobe Bryant for that matter.

James has shown a massive inability to make plays – or show up – in the fourth quarters of close games – and now, it’s painfully clear that he just doesn’t have the mental makeup to be a real team leader when things are really tight in a close ballgame.

In back-to-back overtime games this week, James took no fourth-quarter shots against the Warriors on Tuesday – before coming back with a pitiful 0-for-3 effort against the Clippers on Wednesday that looks even worse considering he also went just 1-for-3 in overtime – while missing four free throws in the final quarter and OT.

To make matters even worse, James sounded like his pride and belief in himself had suffered further damage following the loss.

"My teammates trusted me, especially down the stretch, and I was able to get fouled and at least give us a chance to win the game," James said.

Of course, maybe James should have been thinking about the two free throws he missed in the game’s final 17 seconds – ouch!

Kobe’s Got a sense of Humor!

2012-01-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles Lakers superstar shooting guard Kobe Bryant had this to say after on feeding seven-footer Pau Gasol for a huge 3-pointer late in Wednesday’s road win over Utah.

"You think Tebow prays? When that ball left his hand, I must have said 30 Hail Marys."

I’ve got to say Eye on Sports fans … for a guy that’s never been known for his sense of humor, that was priceless … just priceless!

Just Say it Mike! … Kobe’s Better, More Serious!

2012-01-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

Maybe it’s me, but I’m thinking Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown sounded funny as hell in trying to explain the difference between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, while clearly hinting that Kobe’s more serious nature makes him the better player. Brown coached James with the Cleveland Cavaliers for five years and is in his first season with Bryant and the Lakers.

"They're both competitive," Brown said on Wednesday. "They both want to win. There's just a different feel to the two guys. It's hard for me to put into words."

Wait, Eye on Sports readers, there’s more!

"They're both obviously guys that know how to perform at a high level," Brown said. "Their games are different. On both ends of the floor they're very different, but especially offensively (ya’ think?). LeBron is a guy that's still learning and still growing and the reality of it is, being down there with Dwyane Wade is helping him and every year, every game he's getting better."

Hold on hoops heads … did Brown just say that LeBron is still learning … in his ninth season?

Did Brown just also say that being with D-Wade is “helping” LeBron?

Last but not least, the new Lakers leader touched on each superstar’s nature.

"They're different," Brown added. "Different personalities. LeBron, he's a guy that likes to laugh and joke and he knows, obviously, when there's a time to be serious but he's youthful. I guess that's probably the word. Whereas Kobe is not as much. Kobe is more serious-minded and so-on and so-forth. But Kobe knows how to have fun in his own way, too."

Now, maybe it’s me, but it seems that Mike Brown just said that LeBron is “youthful” needs “help” in the form of Dwyane Wade – and isn’t nearly as serious as Kobe Bryant.

Now Mike, tell us something we didn’t already know!

I Knew It . . Luke Could Do It

2012-01-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Bulls were without electrifying point guard Derrick Rose on Wednesday night, but that just gave one of my favorite players a chance to shine – and boy did he – proving all along something I saw in him years ago – even though many NBA GM’s didn’t.

Sweet-shooting former Oklahoma State point guard John Lucas III started in place of Rose who sat out Wednesday with turf toe – and he turned in a gem for the ages in scoring 25 points while dishing out eight assists and grabbing eight rebounds.

Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly had been telling people for weeks that Lucas was capable of these types of performances – even if no one believed him.

Durant Now League’s Best Player!

2012-01-12T14:18:00.000-08:00

Sure, Kobe, LeBron and Carmelo may all average a few more points than he is this season, but I don’t think there’s a better player – or leader – in the entire league than Oklahoma City Thunder Kevin Durant.

The ‘Durantula’ scored 29 points while adding 10 rebounds and four blocked shots in a stellar performance as the Thunder took down the New Orleans 95-85 on Wednesday.

Kobe Bryant also checked in with a 40-point game on Wednesday – while LeBron stunk it up in a loss to Chris Paul and the blossoming Clippers.

Big Three Not So Big Anymore!

2012-01-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

If you don’t know already NBA fans, then I guess you’re hearing it for the first time … the Boston Celtics and their Big Three are in trouble!

Yep, the beginning of the end is here for the Big Three NBA fans and things are not looking very good at all right now with the team clearly lacking the youthful energy necessary to win in the NBA.

The Celtics have some wonderful veteran players – and three clear-cut, future Hall of Famers in their fading Big Three, but what the Celtics don’t have is any young players that can come in and contribute now, more or less, consistently.

In Wednesday’s nationally-televised loss against the Dallas Mavericks, Kevin Garnett scored 16 points but shot just 4-for-11 from the field, while Paul Pierce scored a paltry seven points on 2 of 5 shooting – and the best player in the Big three trio these days, Ray Allen, nine points on 3-of-8 shooting.

Yep, Boston’s ‘Big Three’ clearly isn’t so ‘big’ anymore.

Sick and Tired of Pacquiao-Mayweather Drama!

2012-01-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

Raise your hand if you’re sick and tired of the constant bantering back and forth between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

The latest?

Well, apparently Mayweather went all ‘twitter’ on Pacquiao on Wednesday.

"Manny Pacquiao I'm calling you out let's fight May 5th and give the world what they want to see," he tweeted.

Pacquiao's camp responded by saying that there is no economic sense to fight Mayweather in May 5.

Now, we’re back to square one – for the umpteenth time in the last couple of years!

Maybe it’s me, but at this point, does anyone really care, particularly knowing how ‘shady’ boxing is?

‘Zeke Speak’ – Isaiah Thomas Right About Billups!

2012-01-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

Hall of Fame NBA point guard Isaiah Thomas recently came out and said what I’ve been saying all along – that the New York Knicks were damn fools for parting ways with veteran point guard Chauncey Billups, even though the team’s addition of veteran center Tyson Chandler was a solid acquisition.

"The guard play right now in the NBA is off the charts,'' Thomas said. "Losing Chauncey, I thought he brought a veteran leadership to the team. His savviness and guard play has always been severely undervalued. Detroit found that out when they let Chauncey go. I think there was a certain amount of leadership to what he brought to [the Knicks] last year.''

"If you don't have great guards, it's hard to put together a game plan,'' Thomas said. "You're only as good a coach as your guards."

The Knicks waived Billups with the league’s new amnesty clause in order to clear up cap space to sign Chandler. Unfortunately, as I've already pointed out Eye on Sports readers, the Knicks don’t have anyone to bring the ball up court or initiate the team’s offense and that’s just dumb!

RG3 Show Going to Next Level!

2012-01-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

Okay NFL fans, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III is apparently taking his super-talented act to the NFL – and we’re fired up here at Eye on Sports to see RG3 at the next level.

On Tuesday, reports said Griffin III was set to inform Baylor coach Art Briles that he has decided to turn pro. The Heisman Trophy winner will then choose an agent and begin preparations for whatever NFL workouts he will participate in prior to the NFL Draft.

This approaching Sunday is the deadline for underclassmen to formally petition for the NFL draft.

Griffin is projected as a top-10 pick, but I’m going on record to say he should probably be the No.1 overall selection.

Grifin led Baylor to a school record with 10 wins this season, including a record-breaking 67-56 victory over Washington in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Griffin threw for 4,293 yards with 37 touchdowns and only six interceptions while rushing for an additional 699 yards and 10 more touchdowns.

If Mama’s Not Happy, No One’s Happy!

2012-01-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

I just had to make an Eye on Sports comment on Geismar (La.) Dutchtown High safety Landon Collins and his nationally-televised ‘mama drama’.

You see, Collins is one of the nation's top defensive backs and he was making his oral commitment on live TV during the annual Under Armour High School Football All America Game.

Collins, the No. 15 overall recruit in the nation according to Rivals.com, chose to attend Alabama over in-state Louisiana State. Unfortunately, Collins’ mother wasn’t too pleased with her son’s selection – and she didn’t mind showing it either!

Now, while a lot of folks want to make mom out to be some sort of monster for stealing her son’s moment, I just think it was more comical than anything else, especiallymama Collins’ "Go Tigers" chant.

Besides, everyone knows –and now so does Collins – that, when mama’s not happy, no one’s happy!

Mattingly Right on Mark on NL MVP Award!

2012-01-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

I agree with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly whole-heartedly when he says that disgraced Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun shouldn’t get the NL MVP award he won this season if his appeal for testing positive for a banned substance is denied.

Mattingly, a Hall of fame inductee, Braun should be stripped of the award if it is found that he knowingly used a banned substance.

"In the end, I hope the appeal it's something that was a mistake. I don't want to see anything bad come out of it for him," Mattingly said. “It makes sense though, a little bit. It's not 10 years later, it's a month later."

After reports of Braun testing positive were released in December, the hard-hitting ‘superstar’ adamantly vowed to prove his innocence and is currently appealing the results.

Maybe it’s me Eye on Sports readers, but I’m just sick and tired of steroids in baseball at this point and I fully believe they should give any player caught using performance enhancing drugs out for an entire calendar year for the first offense, followed by two years for the second and a lifetime ban for a third offense. Enough said!

‘Pop’ping Off … on Ugly Americans!

2012-01-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

Yo NBA fans, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, apparently is a bit ticked off with today’s American culture (and rightfully so I say).

‘Pop’ who has years of experience with international players like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, sounded off recently when asked about Minnesota Timberwolves rookie point guard Ricky Rubio making the transition to the U.S., its cultures and the American game.

"These guys, they travel around the world," Popovich said of international players. "They're more cultured than we are. Everyone acts like Americans are the ones ... Like we're the cultured ones? Are you serious? Have you watched TV lately? Have you seen what Americans do? How many languages do you speak? And you wonder how they're going to adjust to our culture? I hope they avoid it and keep their own!"

Ooookay Pop, now tellus here at Eye on Sports how you really feel!

Jacked up Jaguars Making Mistake!

2012-01-11T14:20:00.000-08:00

Call me crazy, but I’m going on record right now to say that the Jacksonville Jaguars are making a very foolish move in hiring Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey as their head coach on Tuesday.

It’s not that Eye on Sports doesn’t like Mularkey, it’s just that I feel like he’s not cut out for the head coaching thing – particularly if his first crack at it means anything.

While the Jags plane on introducing Mularkey at a news conference on Wednesday, I’m thinking new Jaguars owner Shahid Khan should take a long hard look at Mularkey’s uninspiring 14-18 record in two seasons with the Buffalo Bills before being fired following the 2005 season.

Hell, Jaguars general manager Gene Smith didn’t even have to go back that far, seeing as how Mularkey’s Falcons managed to score just two points in their NFC wild card loss to the Giants this past weekend.

LeBron's Right on Ray Allen Thoughts!

2012-01-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

Very rarely will I ever agree with anything that cry-baby superstar LeBron James says, but I have to give credit where credit is due – and James was spot on correct when talking about Boston Celtics veteran shooting guard Ray Allen recently.

James said Allen "can play until he's just tired of playing basketball," which, appearing from Allen’s play the last two seasons, is not even a question anyone needs to ask.

‘Ray-Ray’ is a 10-time NBA All-Star, the league’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (2,634) and a sure-fire future Hall of Fame inductee. But not only that, he’s clearly looking like best player of Boston’s quickly-aging ‘Big Three’.

Simply put, even at his advanced age, how many shooting guards in the NBA would you take over Allen today?

Exactly, you can count them on one hand!

Allen will be a free agent next summer – and I’m going on record right now to say that if Boston doesn’t resign him – then they’ll be making a mistake of epic proportions – and one that could haunt them for a couple of seasons as well.

The sweet-shooting star of ‘He Got Game’ is looking for a two-year deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of the current two-year, $20 million contract he’s finishing up this season – and again – I say he’s well worth it and then some!

Dalton’s Special Too!

2012-01-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

Since we’re giving out due credit here at Eye on Sports, I’ve got to throw some love in the direction of Cincinnati Bengals rookie signal-caller Andy Dalton.

The gifted first-year starter out of TCU threw 20 TD passes this season and 13 interceptions while throwing for a stellar 3,398 yards while leading the Bengals to the postseason in what could be a preview of things to come for the Bengals.

Yates is Poised Beyond His Years!

2012-01-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

I always call it like I see it and from where I’m sitting, the Houston Texans got themselves a real gem in rookie quarterback T.J. Yates. The former North Carolina Tar Heel starter has been an absolute godsend for the Texans seeing as how he has held down the fort very well after the team lost both, Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart.

Sure, Yates has thrown three TD and three interceptions in six career starts, but more importantly, Yates has been uncommonly poised for a player so young while not directly causing the Texans to lose any games because of poor play.

Simply put, the Texans have found themselves a gem – while simultaneously making Leinart expendable.

Chiefs Do Right By Romeo!

2012-01-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

Kudos to the Kansas City Chiefs NFL fans! The long-suffering franchise made a smart move by hiring respected veteran NFL defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel as the team’s head coach for the 2012 season and beyond.

Crennel had been the interim coach for the Chiefs until replacing Todd Haley, who the team fired last month.

"We are very excited to name Romeo the new head coach of the Chiefs," Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt said in a prepared statement. "In 30 years as a coach in the National Football League, Romeo has established an outstanding track record of success, and we believe his experience and proven ability make him the best person to help us reach our goal of consistently competing for championships."

The Chiefs’ players vociferously shared their collective opinion that Crennel should be their head coach moving forward and now, the franchise – and their fans base, both gets their wish.

‘Scary’ Cyborg Stripped!

2012-01-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

Maybe it’s me, but something’s definitely wrong when a sports-loving dude, like me looks at a female MMA fighter – and actually gets scared!

First of all people – stop laughing!

Second …. If you’ve ever seen Cristiane Justino Santos, the 26-year-old Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion, better known as “Cyborg,” then you know she’s one scary looking dude … er, chick!

Anyway, Cyborg apparently is on the ‘juice’ after testing positive for the anabolic steroid Stanazolol, also known as Winstrol, on Dec. 16, the day before she knocked out

Japan

’s Hiroko Yamanaka, the No. 1 title contender, in an astonishing 16 seconds.

Now, the California State Athletic Commission is pissed and they’re not taking any crap – even from Cyborg. On Friday, the commission overturned Cyborg’s win and ruled it a no contest.

“Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters,” CSAC Executive Officer George Dodd said in a press release sent out on Friday.

“Anabolic agents and other banned substances put not only the users of those agents at risk, but their opponents as well. The commission simply will not tolerate their use.”

The press release said the commission received Cyborg’s test results on Dec. 23 from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) lab at UCLA.

According to UFC president Dana White, Santos has been stripped of her championship.

Now, maybe it’s me, but I’d be really scared if I were going to be the next woman in the ring with a pissed off Cyborg.

Sage Advice From a Jedi Master!

2012-01-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, so John Elway isn’t a ‘Jedi Master’ but here at Eye on Sports, we believe the Hall of Fame quarterback can still do just about anything besides wield a light saber. Having said that NFL fans; I just want to ask gridiron lovers everywhere one question.

How smart was Elway for just telling Tebow to ‘pull the trigger’ earlier in the week leading up to the biggest NFL game to date for the young signal-caller?

Absolutely ingenious I say.

Clearly, Tebow – and head coach John Fox – took Elway’s sage advice to heart – and installed a surprising passing attack to match their beliefs – even though they were facing arguably the league’s best defense this season.

Back on the Tebow Time Bandwagon!

2012-01-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

With rumors swirling that he was going to be on a short leash for Sunday’s AFC wild card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, not to mention word of John Elway’s future quarterback plans being up in the air – and young quarterback Tim Tebow put on the best passing performance of his still blossoming career.

The southpaw signal-caller completed 10 of 21 passes for a whopping 316 yards with two TD passes and one touchdown jaunt to silence his legion of critics that continue to harp on the polarizing quarterback’s atypical quarterbacking style. Still, it’s kind of hard not to be on the ‘Tebow Time’ bandwagon – and since I’ve been praising his leadership skills and ability to motivate everyone around him – I’m going to continue to drive the bandwagon bus – at least for another week.

Elin Woods Puts the ‘Psy’ in Psycho!

2012-01-08T04:20:00.000-08:00

Okay sports fans, whether you like professional golf or not, you’ve probably got your thoughts on the whole Tiger Woods cheating scandal, even though today, the story is old news for the divorced dad of two.

Having said that, now it seems as though Woods’ ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, is up to some extremely strange behavior that many folks apparently see as borderline ‘psychotic’ and undoubtedly foolish at the very least.

According to a TMZ report this week, Woods’ now famous ex-wife, purchased a $12 million home in North Palm Beach, Fla., only to have the entire thing flattened like a pancake – because she didn’t like it.

The house, which formerly had six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, is now just a pile of scrap thanks to Woods ex – and many people see Nordegren’s actions as those of a self-serving lunatic, which now fuels the thought that hey, maybe Tiger had reason to cheat on this ‘nutjob’ of a former nanny.

If you don’t believe me, just check out some of the comments from around the ‘Net!

Alex - This is what happens when you get money that you didn't earn. You have no appreciation for it.

Ann - San Francisco, California - This story makes me sick to my stomach. What a waste! There are millions of people in this country who can barely make their rent or mortgage payments each month and this woman bulldozes a perfectly good $12 million home. What a crazy world this is.

Lynnie The Pooh - Why couldn't she contact Habitat for Humanity and let them take what materials they could use to build homes for others? I am sure that mansion would have produced a LOT of materials to be recycled into other homes t that are needed.

Vivian M - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Why didn't she do something constructive vs destructive and donated the house to a charity like St. Jude for children or any other worthy charity? She has issues!

Paul Henry - Stockton, California - What an idiot!

Jason M Tustin, California - I was on her side until now. Now she's just another hooker wasting someone else's money.

Andrew G - Orlando, Florida - Tiger isn't looking like the idiot now.

Craig - What a wasteful idiot. Maybe he was cheating on her because she's nuts.

Heather - La Fayette,

Georgia

- And I'm struggling to buy groceries....What a spoiled brat!

Clearly, according to public opinion – Elin Nordegren puts the ‘P’ in psycho!

No Holding Back for Young Mac!

2012-01-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

Sure, it might cost him his job, but at least no one can ever accuse young New York Jets backup quarterback of not speaking his mind.

The young signal-caller out of Alabama did not play in a single regular season game after being placed on injured reserve with a thumb injury before the season ever began, but he was around the team all season long – and says some of the things he saw with the Jets this season, were shocking to say the least.

"It's definitely not a fun place to be, I can assure you,"McElroy said. "It's the first time I've ever been around extremely selfish individuals, and I think that's maybe the nature of the NFL. But there were people within our locker room that didn't care whether we won or lost, as long as they got their ... they really had good games individually. That's the disappointing thing, and it's going to take a lot to kind of come together."

First, Santonio Holmes …. now Greg McElroy. Talk about a team falling apart faster than a poorly made meatloaf – and you’ve got to be talking about the New York Jets!

RG3 to Indy?

2012-01-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

Prior to Jim Irsay’s strange move to fire knowledgeable GM Bill Polian and his son Chris as part of a ‘rebuilding’ campaign, the Colts’ organization seemed to be leaning toward taking Heisman Trophy-winning Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, the aptly named RG3.

Now, with a new GM apparently on the way and the Colts’ draft plans undoubtedly up in the air, no one knows what the Colts are going to do with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.

While former Stanford star Andrew Luck is clearly the most NFL-ready college quarterback in the country, I’m going on record right now to say the Colts should draft griffin II instead of Luck, while holding on to Peyton Manning for a couple of more seasons while he helps groom the highly athletic Griffin into an NFL quarterback.

Maybe it’s me, but I’m thinking Griffin would be an absolute terror for defensive coordinators everywhere after learning how to succeed as a passer in the NFL and combining that with his well-documented fleet feet!

Cardinals Finish Strong ... 'Whiz' Gets One More Chance!

2012-01-06T09:53:00.000-08:00

I’ve gone on record several times over the years to share my thoughts on how mediocre of a head coach I believe Arizona Cardinals leader Ken Whisenhunt has been since taking the Cards’ job prior to the 2007 season, but I’ve got to give credit where credit is due.

While the Cardinals’ 8-8 record might look like a mediocre mark in which they did absolutely nothing special, the total opposite is true when you look at how Arizona closed out its 2011 regular season campaign.

The Cardinals closed out the regular season by winning seven of their final nine games while recording impressive wins over Philadelphia, Dallas and San Francisco along the way.

As I always say, I like to ‘keep it real’ and I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Ken Whisenhunt deserves another season at the very least after getting his team to almost literally fight to the finish in 2011.