Welcome, sir.

Stephon thanks the Knicks, and reveals his new Cs t-shirt...





I will be there tonight. I keep envisioning that his head tattoo will magically vanish as soon as he puts on the uniform. But, even if it doesn't, I still think that this is great in every way.

KG DVD

Ferrante and I watched the new KG DVD last night, and it was probably the closest thing to a circle jerk that either of us have ever experienced. The DVD is incredible. Great high school footage of him dominating, interviews with family and friends, and a lot of interviews with KG that I haven't ever seen before. Nothing pisses me off more than buying something like this only to find that I've already seen everything on it. This was all new stuff. They even have his neighbor talking about how KG would throw food across the fence to the dogs so that they wouldn't bark when he was sneaking out to play basketball (his mom wouldn't let him play, because she wanted him to focus on school).



There was a lot of time spent on what great on-court chemistry he and Marbury had.....we need Marbury. You could tell that KG was cut when Stephon wanted to be traded. But, at this point, I think the two would be happy to reunite.



Warning....if you experience an erection lasting longer than 4 hours, please seek immediate medical attention:





Buy a Bukake Matsui shirt.

Real Men Score Empty Net Goals

So, just about all of us on the roomofzen staff attended Bowdoin College. Not surprisingly, I have received this link from Barstool Sports in my email inbox about 7 times today. Since we are all connected to this, I feel the need to comment.

I worked at the hockey games during all the years I was in college. During this time, I was always struck by the overall lack of understanding amongst the students about the general conventions of sports fandom. It's like none of them have ever attended a live sporting event in their lives. I did the color commentary for the live internet feeds (often sauced up, because the old rink was freezing) during my last two years and I remember getting in trouble several times for making negative comments about the home crowd. The usual culprit was the "safety school" chant while you were losing. This, to me, was the most embarrassing thing you could do. Your team is losing, so you start chanting about how smart you are? The proper protocol would be to shut the fuck up or to continue insulting the other team. Everyone should know this. There's no reason to bring books in to the mix.

Anyways, judging from this story, it sounds like things have gotten worse. I have been to a lot of hockey games. I had season tickets to the Whalers for about 6 years. Never in my life have I ever seen or heard fans make fun of an empty net goal. Empty net goals are badass. Not only do they pad your stats, but they put the final seal of approval on your victory over a desperate team. It's like slamming the door, putting the icing on the cake, or whatever else you might say. This stuff is not hard to understand, and yet I'm not surprised. They need to have some type of etiquette classes for the fans.

As for the part about "fairy", I've really never taken that word to mean homosexual. I've always thought of it the same way I think of "pussy". I imagine people saying "chug that beer you pussy", but using "fairy" instead if they are with girls who they don't want to scare off. But, that's just me. However, this seems unimportant. The real crime here is a blatant disregard by the student body for the ebb and flow of live sports.


Embrace the weekend......

Roomofzen Podcast Episode 9: Time Travel

Babcock joins us from another time zone. This episode is even a little more free-flowing than usual. We made the mistake of pod-casting while watching the second half of the Celtics game. On top of that, KG got injured and limped into the locker room literally 30 seconds before we pressed record. This obviously flustered us tremendously. However, we manage to go through an important progression on the sterroid issue. Who is really to blame? Should anybody be digging further into his story? Should we want to know who else is on that list, or would it be better for all of us if they just shredded it? And finally, at this point, WHO GIVES A SHIT who is in and who is not in the baseball hall of fame?


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For some reason, I do find it fascinating that both A-Rod and Jose Canseco dated Madonna....she's a missing link somewhere in all of this.

Who Cares About The Loss....

The most important thing is that KG is ok.

Just What You Need For Spring Training.....

Earlier this week, we unveiled our new Smokey line of shirts. Now, we are proud to present our first new shirt of the baseball season. This gem is only 13.90, and can be purchased at the roomofzen store. Here is the direct link to ordering this Bukake Matsui shirt.

Great Move For The Knicks...

Great move for the Knicks and for Larry Hughes. Hughes can score, which helps in the short term. And, his ridiculously obnoxious contract will expire after next season, which keeps New York right on schedule.......




Wait a second.....what the hell is Doc doing there???

Hope Is Not Gone....

First, a positive note. As many readers know, our apartment was robbed in late June. When we received the police report, in the victim's section, my build was listed as "heavy". The NBA playoffs had just ended, and lots of late night pizza and beer had gotten the best of me. At the same time, I was finishing up my graduate program and was not exercising. Since then, I have made a real effort to get to the gym regularly and eat better......

Last week, I was driving on Tremont Street. It was the afternoon, so the road was jam packed and things were moving slowly. Then, a bicycle swung around my car, caught his handlebar on the front of the car and fell. Everything was fine, but a police report was written nonetheless. Once again I appear in the victims section, but this time my build is given as "medium". That, followers, is progress.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


I was surprised and excited to wake up this morning and see that Tyson Chandler was headed back to New Orleans after failing his physical in Oklahoma City. I'm still feeling a little confused. So, I think the best way to work this out is to work through my feelings before and after this news.

First, my anger over the original trade has been growing since I originally read it, and I need to get it out:






This trade crushed me, and frankly I still don't understand it. Tyson Chandler is 7 foot 1, is extremely explosive, and is one of the best post defenders in the NBA. Could the Hornets really be in such dire economic circumstances that it is worth moving a guy like that simply to avoid paying the luxury tax? Because, in the long term, this all seems ass-backwards to me.

Like most of the country, I was completely captivated by the Hornets in the playoffs last season. I had taken every advantage to see them whenever they played on national tv, but the opportunity to watch them every game in the post-season was fantastic. Chris Paul's offensive wizardry, Chandler's explosive finishes of Paul's feeds, and David West's offensive consistency all made this team incredibly exciting to watch. I won't pretend to have been excited about Peja Stojakovic, but he was there.....



........I can't even think of something funny to write here.


Anyways, this team was must-see tv in the playoffs. I can specifically remember leaving Fenway Park early so that I'd be to Gillian's in time to order a Jalapeno cheeseburger, and be ready to eat in time for the tipoff of game 1 against the Spurs. You could feel the energy in the arena whenever they played at home.

Now, this has been a down year because of injuries to major frontcourt players. However, this team is currently twelve games above .500, they are in fifth place in the West, and they just laid an asswhooping on Orlando last night. If Chandler is able to get healthy (which seems likely, since he's missed time with a sprained ankle), then we could all be in store for another electric playoff run. That's how you bring fans in. You need to build their trust over time.

Now, I'm all for clearing cap space when your team sucks. But, doing it when you have a contender is inexcusable. Even if Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox were able to come in and contribute, they'd be off the books after this season. Who the fuck is going to come see them then? This is just horrible on so many levels, and it seems incredibly shortsighted. These are tough economic times for everyone, but you have to field a winner to get something back.


There, that feels better. I've been waiting to get that out.


So, now we know that the trade is off. I was happy for a second, thinking that some higher power had stepped in on behalf of all NBA fans. But then, I transitioned to dismay. Chandler has not played in over a month because of his ankle, and if this physical revealed serious damage, then this would mean that the dream is dead and we would all be doomed to see Chris Paul's rare abilities underutilized in the playoffs. However, the latest report states that the trade was rejected because of concerns about Chandler's left big toe, which was operated on in April of 2007. In the report, the Thunder team doctor (who was the one operating on Chandler's toe) told Chandler "I have no doubt you can play on it. I'm just saying it could take a turn for the worse if you come down on somebody's foot or hyperextend it or something."

Well, that sounds like a go to me. So, for the time being, we're all just waiting on Chandler's ankle to heal and looking forward to another epic Hornets playoff run. Thank you, basketball gods.






Now, the Kings were a team that actually did need to shed salary. On the surface, the Bulls don't really seem like a team that could take on more. John Salmons is having a great year, but that backcourt is already incredibly expensive (they have to move Kirk Hinrich). Brad Miller is a great fit for Chicago. He will give a huge defensive boost, and will also allow the offense to function much more smoothly.

Finally, as we look as Chicago's cap situation, we see that Miller and Larry Hughes (26 million combined) will give the Bulls quite a bit of cap room heading into the most anticipated summer of free agency in history.


To be honest, I couldn't care less about this Chicago trade. I'm going to spend today holding my breath hoping that Cleveland doesn't pull anything off. I've heard some scary names thrown out in the last 24 hours......





The Tony Allen injury was a tough pill to swallow. Most of the reports indicate that he should be back in time for the post-season, but I feel like his basketball IQ (already lacking) is going to drop substantially in the mean time. Between now and then, the Celtics are pretty thin on the perimeter. I hear rumors about Raja Bell yesterday, but there's no way the Cs have the resources for that. Celticsblog seems optimistic about the team's chances of bringing in Marbury and Joe Smith after the deadline. That would be phenomenal. However, I don't like the sense of panic that I'm feeling from the fanbase right now. I think we will be able to bring in some help. However, if nothing happens, this is still a very good team. The reason there aren't any resources available to move is because WE ALREADY HAVE PAUL PIERCE, KEVIN GARNETT, AND RAY ALLEN!

Look, the Celtics did not play good basketball in the playoffs last season until the Pistons series. If the current team does that, they will not repeat. However, this team can beat anybody when they're on. I do think help will arrive, and I expect TA to be back and filling the defensive void that James Posey left. However, if these things don't happen, then this is just going to require a leap of faith on our part. What fan wouldn't kill for this team? Regardless of what happens, I feel good about this roster heading into the playoffs.

Somebody Draft This Gentleman.

Via Shutdown Corner:

Jarron Gilbert (San Jose State) weighs 287 pounds, and he can do this:




He can also lift a lot of weight:

More Support For Horse

In recapping his trip to Phoenix for All-Star weekend, Craig Kwasniewski of the association says the following:

"Thumbs down to the crowd control for H-O-R-S-E. Look, I wanted to see it... and so did most of the fans in downtown Phoenix. There was a buzz about the return to an old-school favorite but having very limited seats in the smallish All-Star Block Party killed any chance of me seeing it (lines to get in were around the block). The NBA clearly underestimated the interest of the fans for it."

We said earlier this week that HORSE seemed like a blast, and appeared to be the kind of event that would translate well to the big arena on Saturday night. This quote offers support to my movement to replace the skills challenge with HORSE. It would be the ultimate warm up for the three point and slam dunk contests.





Unfortunately, Craig also wrote a post on February 2nd in which he dismisses the notion that Andrew Bynum's knee injury was karma biting him for what he did to Gerald Wallace, and then senselessly lashes out at Kendrick Perkins and what he calls "the front running KG-Celtics Era". To be honest, I feel like Bynum's elbow to Gerald Wallace and what Perk did to Jason Maxiell in Detroit were pretty similar. I find both to be in a different category than what David West did to Mike Miller, which was clearly not basketball.


I don't understand all the hatred for the Celtics that's out there, particularly from those who seem to want to vilify KG. How could you not love KG? It's not just because he's a Celtic....I had nothing but respect for the way he played while he was in Minnesota. The NBA is all about personality, and there is not a more passionate and exciting player in the league. This is one of the good guys. I just don't get it.




As for Perk, he does need to be more mindful of his propensity for technical fouls. But, I think there is far too little appreciation for how integral he is to the success of the Celtics. He has shut down the league's best centers, including holding Dwight Howard to ten points below his season average both times they have squared off this season. He is one of the most underrated defenders in the league, and his ability to hold down the paint allows much more range for Garnett. He has made great improvements on both ends of the floor since he began with the Celtics, and everyone associated with the team says he has an incredible work ethic. He is an enforcer. There's no question about that. But, that is essential to a team that prides itself on physical play.


Still the greatest album of all time:

The New Spring Line

A good friend of the Roomofzen, who shall remain anonymous because we use his name for many of our passwords, was visiting this weekend before he heads back to his marine base to prepare for his deployment to Afghanistan. This friend has been a loyal reader since the beginning, and has shopped many times at the roomofzen store. It seems only fitting that we create a special line for him to wear while he's in the field. So, it is with great pleasure that I unveil the Smokey Line of t-shirts.

The specifications were clear: the shirts needed to be a specific olive green color, and the logo needed to be over the abdomen so that it would be covered at most times. Because we know that this design is not ideal for all customers, each shirt has two versions.

We have the authentic field version (logo on abdomen, easy to cover):













And then we have the replica editions (logo on chest):







you get the idea.....


These shirts are American Apparel, so they cost a little more but they are extremely durable and were not made in a sweatshop.

Awesome.

Just in case you were missing the NFL...




On another note, I take no responsibility for LaRocque's unhealthy obsession with Jerry West's daughter.

The Niners' New Creed: Physical with an F

This recap of last night's "state of the franchise" address in San Francisco reports that head coach Mike Singletary stood before a large gathering of season ticket holders in a formal fashion and stated his team's philosophy as "Physical with an F". The author, Gwen Knapp, states "It might not look so good in print. For full effect, Singletary has to be experienced in person.".......I guess so.

Can somebody please tell me what the fuck this means? Maybe if Lou Holtz, Joe Paterno, Bill Belichick, or Bill Cowher stood up and stated that his team's philosophy was "physical with an F", I'd go along with it. I would surely accept that the blatant spelling error in this creed was purposeful and added some sort of real significance. But, remember, this is a man who pulled his pants down and mooned his team during halftime of his first game. This is a man who has made himself into a complete joke. This philosophy has akward silence written all over it. At this point, it behooves Singletary to keep his clothes on, spell all words correctly, and make no sudden movements. If I'm a 49ers fan, I'm looking for something a little more substantial.

Honoring the Diesel: A Look Back on All-Star Weekend 2009

Before we begin, the greatest of all the Shaq youtube videos. Trash talking to Vlade Divac set to the Cheers theme song:





Whenever I've watched the Suns play this season, I've forgotten who number 32 is. I know he's out there. He's too big to ignore. I know that he is significant, but at this point I tend to think of him more as the figure that marked a cataclysmic identity shift in his team (which now has no identity). It's a strange feeling, because there are very few players that I have seen in my lifetime that I respect as much as I respect him. I don't know if people will realize how significant he was, both on and off the court, until after he has retired.

The NBA has changed drastically over the past couple of years, as an influx of young and talented superstars have taken the torch and led the league into a new and promising era. As we headed towards All-Star Weekend 2009, I was looking forward to seeing these superstars put their talents on display. The addition of Shaquille O'Neal to the Western Conference team was sort of an afterthought. The idea that this might be the final All-Star appearance for one of the game's all time greats never even entered my realm of thought. However, I could not be happier with the way that things turned out. I will always remember All Star Weekend 2009 as the opportunity for all of us to witness one of the last great moments of one of the league's greatest icons. That, more than anything, made this All Star game a special one for me.

I enjoyed Sunday night's 27 point blowout even more than I enjoyed last year's game (which is saying a lot). It wasn't close, and yet it was incredibly fun to watch. The first half was intense, hard fought, and featured some of the toughest defense I can ever remember seeing in an All-Star game. I felt very satisfied at halftime, particularly with Paul Pierce leading all scorers. The second half, which was totally different, and tickled my fancy in a totally different way. It was fun. It was a show, which is really what All-Star games are all about. We got to see things that we would never see in a regular season game, and Shaq was a big part of that. As soon as he started taking the ball out on the perimeter, and bringing Dwight Howard out there with him, the mood of the game totally shifted and it was awesome. The Diesel was also able to turn back the clock and turn in some vintage Shaq dominance in the low post against the undersized Eastern Conference reserves.

Play of the night, hands down. The big Shaqtus goes through Dwight's legs and executes a nice give and go with Chris Paul:



Shaq up top, Chris Paul down in the paint.....this is what made Sunday night so great.

I started to get emotional on Sunday night when Shaq performed his dance with the Jabbawockeez during introductions. I realize how ridiculous that sounds......I really do......but that was the moment when it suddenly hit me that I was probably never going to see him on this stage again. He was the face of the NBA for a long time. He was the NBA in the same way that Jordan was the NBA before him and Kobe and LeBron are the NBA now, and I think he did it better than any of the others. On the court, he measures up in every way: statistically he is one of the top ten players of all time. Off the court, his humor and charismatic personality have made him more accessible than any player in history. LeBron and MJ are great in commercials, but nobody can entertain us spontaneously in press conferences and interviews like Shaq. He's a natural performer. Usually, when players dance, I cringe. But, how could you not love this? I could have watched it for hours:



It's hilarious. And, whether or not it was rehearsed, nobody else could have pulled it off.

So that was All-Star Weekend for me, all about Shaquille O'Neal. I don't think he should have won the MVP, but he was also the reason I went to bed feeling completely entertained and excited about the 27 point blowout I had just witnessed, so I guess that's pretty valuable.


Before I move on to the rest of the weekend, let me address a few questions that will naturally rise in opposition to this post:

1) Was the Shaq-Kobe co-MVP artificially created by the NBA?

--Most likely. Kobe was the MVP of that game. The NBA started hyping up the Bryant-O'Neal reunion as soon as it was announced that Shaq would be part of the game. I find it hard to believe that the two of them tied in voting. Now, the NBA could not have set this ahead of time. But, they certainly could have encouraged Phil Jackson to get Shaq heavily involved. This decision was definitely made before the fan votes were all in.


2) Should Shaq have even been an all-star?

--Obviously not if you are basing the answer strictly on what he has done in '08-'09. He plays very limited minutes on an average team, and does not even play on back to back nights. However, the man is one of the great icons ever to play in this league and I totally support the decision to let him participate in All-Star weekend one final time (most likely). The fact that the game was in Phoenix makes it a no-brainer. Magic Johnson was voted a starter in the 1992 game (and was the MVP of that game), and he was retired!


3) Was that lovefest between Shaq and Kobe real, and will they end up together before O'Neal retires?

--Probably not. Kobe has to smile and go along with whatever the league asks. His rare abilities have allowed him to move back into the good graces of NBA fans over the past few seasons, but he really has no choice but to remain warm and fuzzy. However, you'd better believe that he's just as likely to take up residence in Eagle, Colorado as he is to willingly team up with Shaq again.

The way Shaq was acting was much more puzzling to me. He does not like Kobe. It was not long ago that we were watching him on stage freestyle rapping about how Kobe is nothing without him and asking Kobe how his ass tastes. But, this weekend, he seemed almost desperate to convince the public that there is no issue between the two of them. I understand that he might be trying, by going through the court of public opinion, to convince the Lakers that they should bring him in for their title run. But, the odds of that happening are very slim, and I don't think it's worth it for him to start changing the story now. We are all convinced that Kobe was the untrustworthy, selfish scumbag in that situation. Shaq was just the funny, loveable big man. We all collectively cheered when the Heat defeated the Lakers on Christmas Day, and Shaq won his championship sans-Kobe. We cheered because we Kobe was the culprit. That was the story. Why would Shaq want to change that?

So no, that was not genuine. In fact, I would go as far as to say that they were asked to play around before the game (when we saw Kobe playfully defending Shaq out at the three point line).

It was all part of the league's marketing plan. Well, I just wrote an entire post about Shaq and Kobe. Well done NBA.


As for the rest of the weekend, I have some thoughts:

- Kevin Durant should have been an All-Star, and he proved it on Friday night. Early in the night, I thought we were going to see a rare rookie win. But then, Durant elevated his game to another level...an all-star level.

- The Skills Competition has to go. Every year I get amped up for the Saturday night festivities, and every year I end up tuning this crap out about half way through. It lacks the suspense of the three point contest and the excitement of the slam dunk contest. Guys throwing balls through hoops and running around cones....it just doesn't translate well to television. Luckily, we have a solution........

- HORSE was a huge success, and I think it is just what we need to fill the first Saturday night slot. Guys shooting long range, from the stands, with their backs to the basket, it's all exciting. It belongs inside the arena, and I think that moving it to a primetime spot will spawn more planning and creativity in the shots.

- As I've grown older I've learned that the dunk contest, because of how subjective it is, is something that you just have to enjoy regardless of the result. A few years ago, I got all worked up because I felt like Nate Robinson did not deserve to beat out Andre Iguodala. This year, I felt that Robinson was totally deserving of his victory. That being said, I have some thoughts on it:

The first dunk of the night, JR Smith's double bounce, should have gotten higher scores. That looked very difficult to time up. Smith's second dunk (with Sonny Weems) was lame and required many attempts, so I don't feel bad that he didn't advance.


Like many people in Boston, I was rooting hard for Rudy Fernandez to fail in successfully completing his dunk with Pau the llama Gasol. That being said, it was an impressive dunk. If he had nailed it on the first try (maybe if Gasol wasn't being an asshole and trying to throw it behind his back), I think it would have been a 50.

Of all the night's dunks, this one (the first, off the side of the backboard) impressed me more than any others:



Off the side of the backboard has been done before....but look at that extension on the arm. Nobody else could have not only reeled that ball in, but thrown it down so hard. The guy is a physical freak.


I've heard a lot of people take issue with Howard attempting the leap from the free throw line as his final dunk, because it "doesn't look that great when you're 6'11". Fair enough. But, just remember, he weighs 265 pounds. And, most 7 footers in the league have little to no leaping ability. Imagine yourself standing at the foul line shooting a free throw....now imagine you weigh 265 pounds and you're jumping from there...what are the odds you're going to make it to the rim? Not very good. I'd need a rocket pack.

But, Dwight stepped over the line and I have no problem with the outcome. I thought both finalists put on a great show. But, overall it was not as exciting as last year and it certainly will not be as exciting as next year.

Talk About Your All-Time Backfires

Good thing Guitar Hero sells itself.....


The Roomofzen is thawing from the winter deep freeze this week, and Sunday night's all-star game will mark our resurgence. Prepare for a full all-star weekend recap and a return to our form of last year as we head into the second half of the NBA season.

Random Observations

I'm not sure if anyone else is feeling the same way but baseball is creeping into my head a lot earlier than it usually does. I have been watching the Ken Burns series on baseball and it really gets you thinking about what an important part of our culture baseball is. The DVD set is kinda pricey but totally worth it if your are at all interested in the history of the game. I hope kids today are still interested in this type of stuff.


I Knew It!!!

When I heard that A-Rod had tested positive for Steriods back in 2003 I literally couldn't stop smiling. Even now writing almost 48 hrs later I'm having a hard time keeping a straight face. I have been waiting years for this to happen. In fact I think A-Rod is the only player that I openly wished would get caught using Roids. I just absolutley despise A-Rod. Any past controveries were nice little bumps in the road for him, that I enjoyed temporarily but were not to last. This is a totally different situation. Once your name is rumored to be attached to steriods your gonna have a hard time, when a postive test turns up you are tagged with it for your career. You know Joe Torre is laughing a little heartier today.

I think it is time that we start to give Jose Canseco his due. I'm not saying I support him for being a rat but he was called a flat out liar by a lot of people, especially in Major League Baseball. The fact that almost everything that he has said or published about different guys has come true gives him credibility that frankly MLB and the players union cannot claim.

So I was cleaning the basement during the Celtics-Spurs game sunday so I didn't get get to watch it that closely but I have to give my fellow granite stater Matt Bonner props for kicking some ass. Everytime I came upstairs the dude was all over the Celtics. Whether it was banging 3's, hitting the boards or suprisingly slicing to the hoop, the Celts didn't have a answer.

Like I said I didn't watch closely enough to give an in depth assessment of the Celtics play but I have to say they seem to be losing games that I would expect them to win. I know this is knit picking for a team that is 42-11 but it has crossed my mind that they might not have the same success this year. This is most likely my pessimistic Boston sports fan psyche coming through. Even though the last decade should have cured me of this frame of mind I think that I'm going to have too except that this is my default position.

Hopefully those of you out there who are seeking to reach a Zenlike state are fans of the Dayton Ohio based 90's lo-fi superstars Guided By Voices. I can't recommend them enough. If you have ever fantisized about starting a band with your buddies and rocking out some major drinking tunes then GBV is a band you need to familiarize yourself with. Any major band that comes to play the town picnic and seems right at home is the balls in my mind. Check out lead singer Robert Pollard weilding the whiffle ball bat and a beer at the same time. The stuff legends are made of. Since I can't figure out how to post a video check em out here.

The Stache Heading to LA

..........Who wouldn't want this guy?


Larry Brown must really dislike Adam Morrison. I can't wrap my head around this trade.

Contractually speaking, these guys are about the same (Morrison is going to make 1 million less than Radmanovic next season), so there seems to be nothing gained or lost in terms of the cap. And, if there are no cap implications, I can't imagine why Charlotte made this move.

Don't you feel like The Cats might have been able to get more for Morrison? I realize that he's been disappointing, but the guy was still a first round pick that shoots the ball well. He could (stress COULD) be a legitimate scoring threat with defenses working to keep the Lakers' big guns in check.

And what does Charlotte get in return? Apparently Higgins is under the impression that he's getting "some height as well as some athleticism". Well, I can't argue with the height, but athleticism? Let's take a look:



This is not a player that will bolster Charlotte's front lines. This is a tall guy that likes to shoot three pointers, can't defend anybody, and who Phil Jackson calls a space cadet because he is constantly out of position. They also get a player who lied to his team about a snowboarding injury that kept him out for significant time a few seasons ago. Brandon Roy, he can get away with a moped injury. Ben Roethlisberger, he can get away with a motorcycle accident. Vladimir Radmanovic...not so much.


To be honest, I can't see why you'd bother filling out the paperwork at either end for this one.

Big Ben in the Hall?

First off, I just want to say how awful it has been to spend the last 4 years living in Pittsburgh as a Pats fan. In 2005, all the Pats would have had to do was beat a slightly above average Denver team and they would have hosted the Steelers in the AFC title game. I don’t think I need to explain how terrified Steelers fans would have been to face the Pats in another title game. Instead, the Steelers went onto a Super Bowl title while only getting only one quarter of Carson Palmer (knee cheap shot), beating only one legit team (Indy), facing Jake Plummer, and then having the refs hand them the Lombardi against a Seahawks team that outplayed them. In 2006, my Pats laid the big fat egg in the AFC title game, even though we win in a blowout if the refs don’t call that ridiculous offensive PI on Troy Brown (with Bill Polian pulling the strings). Side note: I had a party at my apartment for that game and didn’t allow a friend of a friend to enter my apartment because he was wearing a Manning jersey. In 2007…I can’t even talk about it. And now this year, the Steelers get lucky again and play the easiest playoff schedule in NFL history to win a Super Bowl.

The NFL was just terrible this year. There were at least 6 teams last year that would have walked away with a title in 2008, but there was a major dip in the great teams and a regression to mega- parity. The Colts, Pats, Chargers, Jags, Cowboys, Packers and Giants of 2007 were so much more dangerous than any team this year. I even think last year’s Steelers team was better because they could run the ball and Big Ben had a strong season. Their defense had better numbers this year, but how many great offenses did they play? Think about it: the Steelers beat an 8-8 Chargers team that didn’t deserve a playoff ticket; then they beat a Ravens team with a rookie QB and their practice squad cornerbacks; they top it off by beating arguably the worst qualifier in Super Bowl history. After all of the taunting I have received for the Pats lack of success since moving here, I was just hoping for one crushing Super Bowl defeat so I could have my day. I almost got my wish, but the luckiest team in the history of sports did it again.


Off the top of my head, here’s my unofficial list of the Steelers lucky outcomes in big games:

-The Jackie Smith drop
-The immaculate “reception”
-The Mike Renfro catch: http://www.star-telegram.com/738/story/417268.html
-Carson Palmer’s cheap shot knee injury (Carson owned the Steelers that year)
-Nick Harper cutting back to get tackled by Big Ben
-The Pats losing to Denver in 2005
-The Refs wearing Black and Yellow in the Seahawks Super Bowl
-The entire 2008 season


The point of this post, however is to make my argument for Ben Roethlisberger as anything but a Hall of Fame QB. Let me start by acknowledging that it is still early in his career, so I am simply pointing out how ridiculous it is to start talking about the Hall with what he has accomplished to date. I definitely get a biased view of this argument living in Pittsburgh. People say that some sports towns have a “college feel.” Pittsburgh is more like a high school program when it comes to how the fans treat the Steelers. The people here really think that the Steelers are part of the community and they think that they know the players (or the players care about them…). For this reason, you cannot argue with a Steelers fan. Big Ben is a Hall of Fame player. Period. Ike Taylor is the best cover corner in the NFL. Period. James Harrison didn’t have to take steroids to go from practice squad to defensive POY. Period. These are the only fans that I have ever seen where rational, unbiased thought never enters a conversation. They know the Steelers and nothing else (well maybe NASCAR and proper mullet grooming). The topic of Roethlisberger in the hall is a huge point of contention on my part, mostly because Steelers fans were saying it BEFORE this season started. That would have been like making a case for Trent Dilfer. My argument against Roethlisberger is twofold and very simple:

(1) The Steelers would have won both Super Bowls with an average QB. He might get the credit as the winning QB, and I understand the fact that QB’s get too much credit for winning and too much blame for losing, but he is simply a glorified game manager. I simply don’t think that winning super bowls should count toward a QB’s HOF resume unless he was one of the best players on his own team. Roethlisberger simply was not.

In 2005, there is really no doubting this point. He had a rating of 22.6 in the Super Bowl and the Steelers won despite Roethlisberger. His best play of that entire playoff run was the tackle of Nick Harper. This year he has been getting his due and certainly had a much better playoff run. But at the end of the day, he failed to put his team in the endzone in that Super Bowl and the Steelers had to get lucky to win the game. I will give him credit for driving for the game winner when it mattered, but you can’t overlook all of the opportunities that he had to put the Cards away. That game should have been over, but he takes a 16-yard sack en route to punting the Cards back into the game. Roethlisberger had a decent game, but most of the work was done by his receivers stepping up and making plays. It is pretty easy to win the Super Bowl MVP if you are the QB of the winning team but he did not. He made simple throws that any QB could make. But the bigger issue is that the Steelers realized that they have to keep the game plans simple so he doesn’t make one of his classic mistakes. This is a guy who was criticized during the regular season by his head coach for not preparing hard enough before games. They significantly dumbed-down their passing attack in the playoffs and were lucky enough for their playmakers to make big plays against pretty weak secondaries. Bottom line: in two Super Bowls, he has 1 TD and 3 INT. Anwtaan Randle-El has as many Super Bowl TD passes for the Black and Yellow.

(2) Teams also play 16 regular season games every year. And in them, Roethlisberger is a very good football player, but not a great QB. Here is the biggest problem with calling him a HOF QB. He rarely takes over games with his arm and you must do so to be a Hall of Famer at this position. His biggest strength is keeping plays alive but it also leads to stupid sacks and awful turnovers. Great QB’s just don’t get sacked much because they are smart enough to avoid the pressure. He is the most sacked QB in the NFL over the last few years. Let’s take the two best in the game for example: Manning and Brady. Opposing defenses often use their nickel and dime packages (regardless of offensive personnel) on first and second down against these guys because the passing attack is the biggest threat. The Steelers are a running team. Opposing defenses do not fear Roethlisberger and certainly do not adjust their game plan for the Steelers passing attack. Anecdotally, Rodney Harrison mentioned on the Super Bowl pregame that Roethlisberger is not a great QB, but a great football player. Hearing this from an opposing safety shows what they see on film: an average QB. The stats reflect this as well.

His only big passing season was 2007. Other than that, he has never topped 20 TD’s and has a below average career TD to INT ratio (101 to 69). The stats highlight a very important point when you talk about the Hall of Fame. How can a guy who has had only one pro bowl caliber season be considered a potential Hall of Famer? He has never been considered the best at his position, never received a MVP vote and there are at least 6 or 7 QB’s that the average fan/GM would have taken over him before this Super Bowl hype. I recognize that the Hall of Fame is not as exclusive as it should be, but for a QB to make the HOF in this pass-heavy era, he needs the stats to back it up. Just because a QB had the good fortune of playing on a couple of very good teams doesn’t mean we can ignore what he does in the regular season. Roethlisberger is the ultimate game manager, but not a Hall of Fame quarterback.

Christmas, 1993.

This is hands down the greatest cover of all time. I've been looking for a video version to post ever since we began the site. Here it is, Blind Melon covering the Velvet Underground in the winter of 1993:




Blind Melon was probably the greatest band of the 90s. I get upset when people pass them over in the discussions. Similarly, Tommie Frazier (who was also playing in 1993) is the greatest option quarterback of all time, and yet I rarely hear his name uttered. Don't believe me? Go to the tape:

The Final Countdown

As exciting as the buildup to the Super Bowl can be, there is always the sinking feeling that starts to set in right about now. Sure, at first it won't be so bad. We'll all make sure we tune in to ESPN so that they can milk the story of the Super Bowl and its heroes for weeks after the game has finished. Those of us who consider ourselves intelligent and right-minded sports fans usually cringe at the kind of swill the ESPN spits at us, blowing stories out of proportion and keeping them on the stage until long after it is their time to go. But, this is the one instance in which I will gravitate to them like an idiot. Anything to keep the spirit of the season alive.

The transition out of football season can be brutal. Some desperately try to fill the void by making big plans for the Pro Bowl. This might help you get through next week, but the empty feeling you experience during the game is perhaps the most harsh way to finally be hit with the reality that there is nothing you can do to bring the season back. Suddenly, even though the days are getting longer, the winter has never seemed so dark and cold. I've been hurt by the Pro Bowl too many times, which is why I won't be watching this year.

I've heard a lot of people complaining about this Super Bowl being a "vanilla matchup." The radio stations in Boston have spent more time talking about Jason Varitek, Giselle Budchen, and girls high school basketball (100-0) than they have about the game. I want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone out there not to approach this day passively. This is one of the best days of the year, and its the last chance you'll have to immerse yourself in pure NFL bliss for the next 7 months. Embrace it. Celebrate it. You'll regret it if you don't.

If you've listened to our Super Bowl podcast, then you know that we expect a very exciting matchup. Here are some points that were left out of the podcast that I'd like to touch on quickly:


1) The importance of Willie Parker: Because we've all been so mystified by the fact that Arizona suddenly seems to have a running game, and because Willie Parker has been in and out of the lineup, nobody seems to be talking about how important Pittsburgh's run game is going to be. The Steelers NEED to run the ball to win this game. Arizona's defense has excelled on third downs this postseason, and they have forced a lot of turnovers. Willie Parker will need to gain good chunks of yardage on first and second down to keep the offense on schedule. I don't think as highly of Ben Roethlisberger as many of the experts do, and I think he's going to turn it over a couple of times if he's not dealing with manageable third down situations.

Pittsburgh has been a team that has relied on big play touchdowns all season. Parker is a threat to take it to the house on every play. If he is able to break off a long TD run, Pittsburgh's chances for victory go way up. Willie Parker is a definite dark horse MVP possibility. Nobody is talking about him, and yet he has the potential to have a massive impact on the outcome of this game.


2) How big of a factor are Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm? In my mind this is huge. Perhaps it is being overblown by some people, but I really think it's hard to understate the potential advantage that the Cards can gain from this. I feel compelled to mention Don Nelson's Warriors knocking off the Mavericks a couple of years ago in the playoffs (probably because I hate the Mavericks).

To be honest, I think the guy that is going to have the biggest impact is Grimm. He coached the offensive line, which is a unit that has had a lot of trouble this year. He knows where their weak points are, and he knows how to attack them. If Pittsburgh can't protect Big Ben, they have no shot.

As I'm sure you know, these teams have played once since Whisenhunt and Grimm went to Arizona, and the Cards won.

I've been asking myself this question all day: "If the Steelers knew that they would have to face Whisenhunt and Grimm in the Super Bowl a few years later, would they have made a different decision about their head coaching position?"

Maybe not, because they could only name one of the two head coach.

But, if they could have kept both (maybe Whisenhunt and Grimm as offensive coordinator), then I think they would have done that instead of hiring Tomlin. This is definitely an advantage for Arizona.


3) Adrian Wilson: Everyone is talking about Troy Polamalu (for good reason). But, let's not forget that Adrian Wilson is similarly talented and has the potential to have a huge impact on this game tomorrow. Wilson, probably because he has spent his time in Arizona, has always flown under the radar. I expect him to be everywhere tomorrow, both as a blitzer and breaking up passes. One sack and one interception, that's my prediction for Adrian Wilson's Super Bowl.

If you put 10 bucks on Wilson winning the game's MVP and he does, you get 500 bucks back. Worth a shot.


4) Doesn't Troy Polamalu remind you of Pat Tillman?: The stories of Polamalu staying on the field after the practice lights have gone off and working out remind me of the stories of Tillman meditating atop the Arizona State stadium. Polamalu's quiet and reserved demeanor, his interest in art, and his style of play all remind me of Tillman. He has this sort of enlightened, wise, sage quality to him that I always thought Tillman had. Just a random thought.....

Anyways, as you know if you listened to the podcast, you know that I'm taking Arizona and Babcock is taking Pittsburgh. This is going to be a close one, and I certainly won't be shocked if the Cardinals lose. I think they will lose if Parker has a big day. But, as I said earlier, I don't think very highly of Ben Roethlisberger. Furthermore, I don't think very highly of this Steelers offense. On the other side, I love everything that Arizona is doing right now, and I can't pick against them.