The Hawks Amongst the Elite in the East

When the Hawks were swept in the playoffs in the Semi-conference finals last season it was still an accomplishment. A humbling experience, but yet an accomplishment.

The city is willing to embrace this winner of a team that plays in "The highlight Factory" in the city of Atlanta.

The Hawks have been have been climbing the ladder year in and year out since the 2004 season and can be looked at as contending rather than pretending.

The moves that were made after that four-game sweep were impeccable. The trade to get scoring machine Jamal Crawford and experienced journeymen and former number 1 overall pick Joe Smith are highly touted and paying off.

A more mature Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford are all keys in the Hawks flying high towards the end of the month.

Fast forward to November of this season. Atlanta is at the top of the food chain right now and the only team right now that has what it takes to beat the Hawks is the Hawks.

A Star is Born

Brandon Jennings is the next big phenom to hit the NBA. He was already a prodigy because of his unique path to the NBA.

Jennings chose to go overseas to play professional basketball since the NBA's regulations did not permit him to go pro right after high school.

He is a trendsetter and because of this 55-point game against the Warriors, a lot more will follow in his footsteps. The media isn't actually making this any easier, hence, I'm writing about it right now. I'm referring to the more popular media.

Jeremy Tyler, another former high schooler, has set his sights on the ultimate goal that is the NBA. He has done it in a similar way to Jennings. He has left after his junior year in high school. He will be one of many gifted players to make this transition from high school to overseas professional basketball.

What many people forget is that many foreign players in the NBA, past, present, and future have been playing professional basketball as early as 14 years old. So when you see these players come to the NBA, they are more physically and mentally prepared than some of the more publicized players coming out of your big name colleges.

That's one of the main reasons that Jennings chose this path. Even though his experience was rocky over in Europe, his confidence never weaned. During the pre-draft camps he even said how overrated other celebrated point guards were that were in this year's draft class.

He was selected number 10 in the first round of this year's NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and they have surprisingly taken off during the first month of November.

November has already been a daunting task when you factor in the injuries the team has been dealing with. Jennings is the main reason why the Bucks have been so successful and that 55-point, 5-rebound, and 5-assist game is the exclamation point to the first half of this month. Not to mention that he is the fastest person to reach that plateau in NBA History completing this only in his seventh career game.

Originally I thought that Allen Iverson had a 50-point game in his rookie campaign, and he did, but it was not a double nickel. Jennings is with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, all Hall of Famers.

To a struggling franchise trying to stay relevant in a mounting Eastern Conference, Brandon Jennings is definitely a huge step in the right direction.

The Fall Guy

This past Thursday, Byron Scott was fired as the Head Coach for the New Orleans Hornets. He is one of many former NBA Coach of the Year winners to be fired. It's starting to look like the Madden Curse.

I predicted this was going to happen before the playoffs began last season and reiterated once the Hornets lost to the Denver Nuggets in game five of the first round by 50+ points and ultimately lost the series 4-2.

Byron Scott is not the blame here. He basically played the cards that he was dealt in the 6 seasons he was there.

The Hornets took on the personality of their leader in year one of Scott's tenure. In the next year the franchise drafted Chris Paul and he became an extension of Scott on the floor. The extension was cut short when Paul was hurt the next year. When the extension returned it fortified the team. Not only did Paul reinvigorate the team and city, but they also took the Western Conference and NBA by surprise. But last year, there weren't any surprises to be made.

New Orleans is a team made easy to figure out for the rest of the league. This is why the blame really has to go to the General Manager.

It is definitely Jeff Bowers' fault that this current team is where it is right now. The ceiling of this team was reached the season before last and the only improvement was James Posey the next year.

While slim-to-no improvements were being made during Scott's tenure, guys like Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakavic were grossly overpaid and injured while current Nuggets Chris Andersen and J.R. Smith were busy burning the Hornets in the playoffs.

Chris Paul cannot be the only playmaker on the team. There has to be a spark off the bench. There has to be a bench period. How are you going to have steak and potatoes without the seasoning and gravy?

Byron Scott knew that in today's NBA, a team can't win a NBA title with a point guard dominating every play. He knows because it hasn't been done since Magic Johnson and the Showtime Lakers of the 80s.

Someone needs to pass this note to Bower's as he takes over for the team that he has built for this franchise. He is learning the hard lesson now without that star point guard in Paul who is out with a sprained ankle. He will be out for a couple of weeks.

I hate to say I told you that this was going to happen, but I just did.

Whose Fault Is It?

I have spent considerable time to marinate on this latest Atlanta Falcons' folly. The 35 - 27 fall to the New Orleans Saints was, by far, the worst lost of the season.

The Falcons came out hot. They fizzled, crashed and burned near the end of the second quarter. They regrouped, came out on a mission again, a failed once more. It was almost like they fought themselves into losing this game.

The Falcons are having another identity crisis on their hands.

Matt Ryan is an amazing talent and a fearless leader, but he doesn't have to carry the team on his back nor should he as displayed Monday night.

In the aerial attack, Atlanta only has two viable receivers: Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White. That's no secret to the rest of the league. Defenses key in on those two and bring the pressure onto Ryan and what is bound to happen is what did happen, turnovers.

Ryan threw the ball 42 times and only completed 19 of them for 289 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions. That is too many attempts and too few completions. This is also too many turnovers in the red zone as well as too many missed opportunities.

Atlanta also has an all-pro running back in Michael Turner. He probably has not displayed it for the majority of the year, but last night he was at his best. With 20 carries and 151 yards rushing with a touchdown, you can see where the ball should have been going. He ran in dominating fashion and exposed the Saints' weakness. Without Sedrick Ellis, starting defensive tackle, New Orleans had gaping holes in the middle of their defense. Turner was getting to the second and third levels of the defense at will.

And then there was the defense.

The pass rush was ho-hum at best. The defensive backs weren't playing as a unit. There were some good things from the defense though. The defense forced two turnovers. There was an interception and a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown.

But Atlanta could not finish what they would start. In downs one and two there was proficiency. In comes third down and they can't stop the Saints from moving the chains. This was an on-going theme in the game and really didn't slow down until the second half. New Orleans would have draining drives that would milk the clock which lead to touchdowns.

You could see the frustration in costly penalties and mental lapses on the field.

So who is to blame?

Matt Ryan did have his snafus. There was not really a pass rush. Receivers did have there way with the Falcons defensive Backs.

When things roll down hill you have to look at the head coach. In this case it's coach Mike Smith.

Ultimately he is the one making the decisions. He is the one who gave the reins to Ryan and said "go win this game for us". He is the one who left Brent Grimes (a generous 5' 10" listing) on an island with Marques Colston (6'4") for the majority of the game.

It's okay to limit Turner's carries but keep running the football. You have Norwood (sometimes), Snelling, and recently signed Aaron Stecker. Why fix it if it isn't broken. We are a running football team and that is what has brought us notoriety and the clout Atlanta has in the NFL right now.

Matt Ryan will come as evident as his talent and poise. We have seen it numerous times in the past years with different franchises. Pittsburgh, New York Giants, San Diego, the list could go on. Everybody can't have a Peyton Manning start to there career, so give Matt Ryan some time.

If you build it...he will come.

Do Birds of a Feather Flock Together?

In the wake of the sell of the St. Louis Rams, there has been much controversy of the sell to one group in particular. The Checketts group, owners of the St. Louis Blues, is one of the groups bidding for the national football league franchise.

Here is where the controversy comes in.

One of the members of the group was Rush Limbaugh. Yes was. He was ousted out this past Wednesday by the group stating that his presence within the group was hurting there chances of winning the bid for the franchise.

Their main objective is to keep the franchise in the city of St. Louis and it seems that they are willing to do any and everything to do so.

These questions have to come up. Why was Limbaugh even apart of the group in the first place? If they knew who he was and about the comments that he has made in the past, why is he apart of the group? Who is to say that they do not think the same way as Limbaugh? Who is to say that if they do win the bid for the franchise that the Checketts group will not pick him back up?

Roger Goodell has already come out and stated that the comments made by Limbaugh in the past about the NFL are "polarizing" and have no place in the realm of the NFL.

Limbaugh has spoken out against Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and DeMaurice Smith saying that they and the media are the reasons behind him being dropped from the group.

If the group does share some of Limbaugh's views on the league and they do win the bid, how will it reflect upon the league?

Another Dose of Hypocrisy

I thought about the quickest incident of this recent ruling of ineligibility. Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State University's top wide receiver, was ruled ineligible for the season on Wednesday. It speaks volumes of how hypocritical the NCAA can be.

Earlier this year Stephen Strasburg, the number one overall pick in the MLB draft this past summer,was profiled on ESPN Outside the Lines. The media portrayed him as the next phenom to come into the league because of his pitching performances at San Diego State University.


What caught my attention is that Strasburg's "advisor" was super sports agent Arn Tellem.

My beef is that the NCAA is suspending Bryant for the same thing that was virtually going on with Strasburg and Tellem. Strasburg conveniently chose Scott Boras as his agent when he entered his name in the draft.

Dez Bryant had lunch with retired NFL player and current NFL network analyst Deion Sanders. The NCAA is saying that Bryant lied about the event and for that he must punished. Even if he did, does the punishment fit the "crime" per say?

No. In fact, there was no crime. Sanders has come out and said that he is a mentor of Bryant. Correct me if I'm wrong but advisor and mentor seems to be pretty similar to me. So why wasn't Strasburg deemed ineligible especially when the Outside the Lines' profile was broadcasted?

The problem is that there are many more instances where the NCAA contradicts itself and for that reason the organization is hypocritical.

Sticks and Stones

Anthony David came out with a song in the middle of last year entitled "Words" on the album titled Acey Duecy. It was a very meaningful song featuring India Arie and the title of the song brings up a familiar saying. "Sticks and Stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me". That is true to some but false to the majority of the public.

A lot of famous athletes and politicians have been really getting underneath the skin of others.

In the wake of the Serena Williams profanity-laced tirade against a line judge, these topics of words have come across my mind. Threats in our society are taken very serious and she is fortunate that the lines judge has not pressed any charges against the 5-time winner at the U.S. Open. The emotions that came from Williams were genuine but the words that came out were as well. With a break in the communication, penality, she ultimately lost the match. An apology was issued the next day. She knew that this would affect her personally as well as financially.

The District Attorney recently dropped the charges against San Diego Chargers' pro-bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman. Before those charges were dropped, the public formed an opinion from the "he say, she say" aspect of the case. His image, already fragile, took another hit and his future with the team was in jeopardy as well as a possible suspension from the NFL commissioner hanging over his head. Merriman has been cleared of these charges, but the damage has already been done.

And finally we get to one Mr. Michael Jeffrey Jordan. "His Airness" was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame recently. Of course it was going to happen sooner or later but with his speech, he has seemed to ruffle a lot people's feathers with his acceptance speech. He brought up Bryon Russell, who he personally crucified on multiple occasions. Russell has actually called out Jordan in the wake of his comments during his induction. A bloggers and writers across America also felt that his comments were petty.

There is potency in words and we have seen that potency in numerous cases when it comes to sports. Even in politics, the South Carolina Senator called President Barack Obama a liar last week in an address to health care. He later apologized but former president Jimmy Carter, in function at Emory University earlier this week, stated that the outburst made by the senator was a result of racism.

Words have their ways of empowerment. They also have there ways of tearing down something that took years to build. Words should be chosen wisely and used carefully. But the reality of this happening is that the majority of the time they won't be.

Will This Be Merriman's last Hoorah?

The only way that Merriman stays a San Diego Charger after this season is that he takes a tremendous paycut. Then again the Chargers could win this years' Super Bowl and he would not have to take less.

A.J. Smith is growing tired of Merriman ending up in these situations where he is bringing negative publicity to the San Diego franchise. The partying that he was doing outside of his rehabilitation of his injury was frustrating to the G.M.

With Merriman missing all but two games last season, we would think that he would probably use better jugdement. Although he is still fairly a young man, he cannot allow himself to be in situations such as this one.

This is also a contract year for For the star outside linebacker. He is a special player on this team, but the extra curricular activities may be overshadowing his first three seasons with the organization.

Larry English was also there first selection this past April. English played phenomonally at Pittsburgh University and was drafted in the middle of the first round. It can be aid that he will be the successor of Merriman if things do not go the defenses' way this season.

Basically Merriman needs to stay out of the limelight and stick to football for the rest of the season. If he does not, this could be a divorce waiting to happen.

Second Chance for Michael Vick

Michael Vick was prepared to face the media with the type of entourage that could have reminded people of the Alpha Dogs. Vick was introduced with Eagles' heavy hitters Joe Banner, Eagles President, Andy Reid, Head Coach, and Tony Dungy, former Head Coach of the Colts. The former Atlanta Falcons QB came off to me as a man who knew he was blessed to have a second chance.

The Eagles know what he was. He was "must-see TV." He was the most electrifying player in the NFL prior to his incarceration. He was a trendsetter. Vick gave opposing head coaches sleep deprivation weeks prior to coming to or welcoming in Atlanta. He was not a great QB but he was pretty good under center.

The question is how will he fit in the offensive scheme of things? The other question is how will he fit in the locker room? The locker room will be stable because he is not an overt person. Beside this episode, he has not caused any rifts in the locker room. As far as his fit, Coach Reid will find ways to fit Vick in the system. Vick is very familiar with the "west coast" offense as he quarterbacked for the Falcons. Even though the Eagles have A.J. Feeley and Kevin Kolb in the fold, I believe that Vick will eventually be the backup QB. I foresee the Wild Cat rearing its head halfway through the season.

This a great move for the team but will the Philadelphia community accept it. On ESPN radio in Philadelphia many fans chimed in and it was more hate than love for the new acquisition. For Vick to have the public embrace him, he has to be a fixture in the community. He is part of the Humane Society and has been speaking to the young people in Metro Atlanta about being part of the solution.

Philadelphia is "The city of Brotherly Love", but this is a very fickle city when it comes to professional sports. Fans booed current QB Donovan McNabb when he was drafted back in 1998. He had to show that he was capable of leading this franchise into the right direction. Once he had success on the field, he was accepted on and off the field.

Vick will not be afforded that same opportunity as he has a different situation. He must perform to keep his job and he has to do extensive work in the community at the same time. Once he does that during the course of the year, we can re-evaluate this situation with the Eagles. The result should be positive.

Trill I Am

Where is the Hate for Big Ben?

In the wake of seeing the new Dick Sporting Goods commercial in which Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is endorsing Nike cleats, I could not help but think, "Where is the hate for Big Ben?"

I watch former Falcons QB Michael Vick try to land a job in the NFL and pay debtors off. I also form another question, "Why isn't Big Ben getting the same treatment as Mike Vick received?"

Well one difference is that the Steelers QB apparently has not been charged with any crime. According to a report on July 20 by NBC Sports Pro Football Talk, a civil suit has been filed against the two-time Super Bowl Winner.

The good thing about what is going on with Roethlisberger is that he has already come out and stated that he will be fighting the suit until he is cleared of any wrong doing. Pittsburgh does not want this to be a distraction during training camp like it was in the 07 season with Atlanta and Vick. The Falcons also were dealing with a lot of other factors including the hiring of former Arkansas Head Coach Bobby Petrino and implementing his new system.

There is not an organization protesting Ben Roethlisberger for the crime he is allegedly being sued for. It is still allegations but it was still allegations for Vick as well. Soon as those allegations came for Vick, so came PETA and the rest is history. To this day Vick still has to deal with PETA, the media, Roger Goodell, and the general public's perception of him.

Leonard Little, defensive end for the St. Louis Rams, had Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to deal with when he killed Susan Gutweiler back in 1998. Even though Little was not a face for the NFL, he became a perennial Pro Bowler. Little did not receive the treatment or scrutiny that Vick has to go through everyday for what he has done. Where is the organization that protest against men who rape women?

This commercial proves to me that various companies will stand behind Big Ben. Dick Sporting Goods released this commercial to the public around the time the civil suit was out. Vick, on the other hand, was not even convicted before he saw a change. He began to see his endorsements fall expeditiously until he did not have any more.

Bankruptcy, prison time, house arrest, probation, and being a convicted felon are Vick's consequences and repercussions. The worst thing that could happen to Roethlisberger is that he would lose the civil suit and he may get suspended.

The truth of the matter is that the public loves a winner. Sports companies love a winner. Franchises love a winner. They all love a winner, unless you are Plaxico Burress, which is another story.

Is the Media Against Michael Vick?

The question has to be asked in the wake of his freedom. Outside The Lines has done another follow-up on the dog-fighting conspiracy that is surrounding Michael Vick.

It is already bad enough that Vick has become the face of dog-fighting in America, but should the media continue to perpetuate this? All of the images of dog-fighting that are being associated with this story are not necessary.

Ratings is one thing, but this has been going on for the past 20 months. When Vick rehabilitates his image publicly, then the media will positively reinforce how Vick is portrayed. Inadvertently, the media is still painting Vick as a villain instead of a person trying to redeem himself.

Hopefully Vick is not fighting a losing battle. He has a lot on his plate right now. He has financial woes to handle. He also has a career to resurrect. Add in the torn reputation that he must rebuild and it is a TMZ frenzy. Why make matters worse for someone who is actually trying to get things back on the right path?

J-Chil back to Greece

Josh Childress is returning to Greece. Childress understands that his time in Atlanta is over. The reality of his situation is clear. If a deal could not get hammered out last year during his restricted free agent status, what would have made it different this year.

It is a shame that he can't get a deal done. I believe he is worth the full mid-level exception, but no one wants to pay him that kind of money. The Atlanta Hawks still own the rights to him, but have pretty much let him know that he is not in the future plans.

Childress was in Milwaukee last week in an attempt to get a sign-and-trade done. The Bucks are a team needing to fill a void at the small forward position after trading Richard Jefferson to the Spurs for cap space. Obviously the deal did not have enough compensation for the Hawks, hence Childress is on his way back to Olympiakos.

"At the end of the day it's a business," Childress said. "I was basically in the same situation last summer. Again, it's a business and you have to treat it as such."

Ariza, Please Fire Your Agent

Greed, past success, listening to the wrong people? What made Trevor Ariza act like he was worth more that he actually will receive from the Houston Rockets? The answer can be complicated, but it is rather simple. David Lee, Ariza's agent, told his client that he would get him at around $7-8 million. I'm sure that Lee based that figure upon the success of Ariza in the playoffs.

Lee stuck to his guns. Something that you don't want to do is play hardball with the champs. He fought the Lakers' brass, and the Lakers won.

The problem was that Lee was trying to use the press saying, "The Lakers don't believe that he'll leave." On the contrary, Lee didn't think that the Lakers would let his client walk.

Ariza only tried to save face when Ron Artest had agreed verbally that he would be joining Los Angeles. The Ariza camp quickly agreed to terms with, coincidentally, the Rockets, Artest's former team. "I think that this a great opportunity and I have to do what's best for me and my family."

Wipe the egg off your face Ariza, because if I'm you, it is an omelet already. Fire Lee because not only did you not get the money that you were looking for, but he got you a contract that was substantially the same one that the Lakers offered. Then the Lakers got, essentially, a better player albeit older and more experienced for the same price in the form of "The Artest formally known as Ron."

You were key in winning a title with the Lakers, your hometown team, and you and your agent had the gall to challenge Jerry Buss, shame on you both. Deep down inside, I'm sure that it hurts knowing that you could and should still be a Laker. Greed, past success, and the wrong people in your corner, is what led to this debacle.

We will definitely see who gets the last laugh at next season's end.

Do Not be Quiet This Off season

There is simply too much work to be done this off season to have another lackluster off-season. Rick Sund was like plugging a tire for the Atlanta Hawks franchise, but he can make this tire brand new with the off-season decisions this year.

We have the assets and we have the players, but I believed this past season was the ceiling for the team we have currently. Change is needed and we need a change of heart.

When the Hawks have made changes, they were ho hum. Obviously Craig (I dare not call him Speedy) Claxton is not what I had in mind when it came to a big off-season addition. Drafting the Williamses (Shelden and Marvin) were also lifeless acquisitions. Mike Woodson's appointment to coach, atrocious. We can talk about what Billy Knight has done to harm this franchise. But Knight did not leave us in a bad situation. We can right those wrongs. Its up to upper management to do so.

With that being said, the change has to come within. The Atlanta Spirit must come together on some things and not be selfish. Its already bad enough that there are six people with majority ownership. All of them have ego problems just because of who they are. So when it comes to differences, they do not want to compromise. Hence the situation, regarding the Joe Johnson acquisition, that had one of the owners in court.

We cannot be cheap but we can just throw money at people and assume that is the answer. I don't have a problem with keeping Mike Bibby but it has to be at the right price. We would also have to get the eventual replacement. At pick 19, I like two point guards. Eric Maynor and Ty Lawson are solid picks at that place in the draft. Me personally I would like something more sure fire.

Trading the pick to someone else is an option. A package deal is also an option.

We have the options this off-season to make this a better situation in Atlanta but we cannot sit still. While others are making the necessary changes to improve, we can not give the impression that we will return to the playoffs doing what we did last season.

This draft is rich with point guards, there is a but to selecting a point guard where we are right now.

My Fanhood

Ok, ok. Let it be known that I have teams. I ride or die with the home teams, which would be Georgia as a whole. (And I have been dead for quite some time) College and professional, you name it, I support it.

You can ask anyone I know or don't know that I have been a Lakeshow fan since 1996. That's when Shaq and Kobe joined forces. I mean Showtime was cool in the 80s and early 90s but I was simply stuck on the Jordan affect. It was solidified with the first appearance in the finals against that same Showtime Lakers team. (Championship number one)

Who wasn't a Bulls fan? Everyone secretly is or was at one point in time. If not, it was a certain level of respect that people had for Chicago. Why? Because of Jordan and MJ is the reason why people today are always looking for the next Jordan.

I was 5 when I first started paying attention to the game of basketball. It was instilled into everyone, from the NBA, during that time period that you should "be like Mike". Let it be known that I still like the Bulls. That probably will not end.

I detest Boston as a whole! I despise the Patriots, Celtics, and Red Sox! New York too! Knicks, Giants, Mets and those damn Yankees! But I still respect those teams. The thing about me is I'm a sports fan, I'm a realist. Those teams do things necessary to win even though I will give my opinions on those teams.

I may pick a team to win at the beginning of their respective seasons. Hence, I may pull for that particular team. I like the Tar Heels for Men's basketball. They were my favorite to win it all this past season, and I am a fan. I had a friend of mine pick Kansas the year before last and that is simply not my college to follow, but I agreed. I want to be right when it comes to who will be the champion so I can simply say, "I told you so." "I know what I'm talking about." 99.9% of the time I will tell someone, initially, that a team will win barring any significant changes. (i.e. injuries, trades, etc.)

People, people, people. Don't judge Kobe on his past. You may think you are on top of your game right now, but your day of reckoning will come. You will reap what you so and what comes around goes around. Your past is not perfect and neither is Kobe's. We can only try to correct it and I think he is definitely headed in the right direction. Championship number four and Finals MVP number 1 as of June 14, 2009.

Harp on that, and with that,
Gone!

Trill I Am

This Officiating is Offensive

Last night was the epitome of the postseason when it comes to the officiating. Why does it have to be this way. Consistency seems to be a forgotten art in this industry. Another thing that has me puzzled is the drama that it creates. I want justice and we are not getting a fair opportunity for just that.

One player in particular yesterday had the best game that I have seen him play in the playoffs. Jordan Farmer has been terrible with the time he has received this year, but was a much needed spark off the bench with his production last night. He was the main reason there wasn't a Shannon Brown citing.

It is a move (jump stop) that has become popular for the last decade-and-some-change now and the league has just started to pick up on it recently. But just think if LeBron (golden boy) gets called for the travel on any jump-stop that he does. He would lead the league in turnovers easily. The officals have only called travel on that move (infamous crab dribble) once on "The King."

Another instance was when Mickeal Pietrus had a brake-away after a turnover in the second period. Farmer fouled him to prevent the dunk around the three-point line right in front of Joey Crawford. There was no whistle and the crowd was uphoric. Farmer did plead his case to Crawford saying that he did commit the foul but to no avail.


Here's the inconsistency. On two occasions earlier in that period, touch fouls were called against the Lakers only. How can you swallow the whistle when the play is right in front of you?

Consistency is the key here. Please do not play both sides of the fence when we are talking about the championship being at stake Refs.

Trill I Am