World Cup

Well, now that the Netherlands have beaten my beloved Brasil, I now have only 1 team that I am rooting to win it all. That would be the Netherlands. My Wife was born in Holland, and her father is full blooded Dutch, so I am rooting for them. I hope they meet up with Germany in the Final. I would love to see the Dutch beat them.

Amare Gone, Hakim Lands Dream Job

Well, we knew it was going to happen. Amare Stoudemire is no longer a Phoenix Sun. This is a sad topic for me. I love Stoudemire. Since he first came to Phoenix, I have loved to watch him play. I have to admit that at times he really frustrated me, but overall, I liked him a lot. Now Hakim Warrick has signed a 4 year 18 million dollar deal. He looks to replace Amare in the starting lineup. His numbers will probably go up while playing with Nash, but it will be tough to plug Amare's hole. I am hoping for the best. Warrick said that he has always wished he could play with Nash. Now he gets his chance. He had better make the most of it for the Suns' sake. The signing of Channing Frye to a 5 year 30 million dollar deal is a joke. I'm telling you guys, he is Boris Diaw part 2. Good luck.

More Suns Rumors

I think that it is safe to say that Amare Stoudemire is not going to be playing next year in the Purple and Orange. I'm thinking that he is probably headed to a team like Miami or maybe even New York. Who knows. All I know is, if this happens, the Suns have a huge hole to fill. There have been some rumors floating around that the Suns might sign PF David Lee who has played for the Knicks the last couple of years. He is a great rebounder, averaging just over 10 rebounds a game the last couple of years. I believe he was a 20-10 guy last year. I believe he averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds a game(don't quote me...I think these numbers are correct...just going off of memory...which could be bad..haha). Anyways, this will not fill the hole that Amare's departure would create. It is cheaper than signing Amare, and it allows us to continue to win games. Will we go to the Western Conference Finals with David Lee? I have no clue. I didn't even think that the Suns would make the playoffs this year. Anything is possible. Whatever the Suns do, I hope they make the right decision. I'm tired of being so close to a championship and getting my heart broken. Here are some of David Lee's highlights. You decide if the Suns should pick him up.

Scottie Reynolds

The Suns expect Scottie Reynolds to join their summer league this year. This kid has some skills. I think he could make the team if he really impresses. Check out his highlights:

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&brand=foxsports&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:6ba3f556-2c4e-4410-9e66-06f025d32e51&showPlaylist=true&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videosearch&fg=RAMP" target="_new" title="Draft Preview: Scottie Reynolds">Video: Draft Preview: Scottie Reynolds</a>

Suns Draft 2 Power Forwards

The Suns got themselves two decent Power Forwards Thursday night in the 2nd Round of the NBA Draft. They were the 46th and 60th picks. Some people may say that 2nd Round draft picks don't matter in the NBA. I am here to tell you that they do matter. If you can draft impact players in the 2nd Round of the Draft, that will go a long way in helping you win a championship. I think the Suns got 2 beasts in this years draft. Gani Lawal(left) is from Georgia Tech. He is 6'8'' and 233 lbs. with a wing span of 7'2''. He is a good rebounder and defender. Some think he was going to be a lottery pick this year, but Georgia Tech signed PF Derrick Favors (the 3rd player taken in this years draft) and Favors played ahead of him. So his minutes went down and he was not able to showcase his abilities as much. He has some good post moves. He is a very good player and I think he will play on a nightly basis. A starter? It's a possibility. He might be a solid guy off the bench too. Dwayne Collins(right) is from Miami. He is 6'9'' and 241 lbs. with a wingspan of 7'4''. This guy is a straight up BEAST. He is huge. His hand is 11'' long! He is a good rebounder and defender. He has some post moves too. I think he has a strong chance to make the team too. The Suns got exactly who they wanted. I think both of these players will make the team and they will make a lot of teams regret not taking them. Great Draft Suns!! The only bad thing is, I think this signals the end of the Amare era. I think Louis Amundson is gone too. I'm going to miss these guys.

Draft Preview: Gani Lawal - Watch more top selected videos about: Basketball, Georgia_Tech_(team), Gani_Lawal, CBK, NBA


Draft Preview: Dwayne Collins - Watch more top selected videos about: Basketball, Miami_(FL)_(team), Dwayne_Collins, CBK, NBA

USA Vs Algeria(1-0) WC 2010 Highlights

USA Vs Algeria(1-0) WC 2010 Highlights

USA ADVANCES!

USA Soccer won today against Algeria in a dramatic fashion. Landon Donovan scored a goal in the 91st minute of the game. They call this the stoppage time. For those who might not know what this is, I will explain. The clock never stops in soccer. When a player gets hurt or a ball goes out and they have to stop play, they add up the time that this takes and they add it to the end of each half. Well, Donovan scored a goal in stoppage time, and the equivilent of that would be like hitting a buzzer beater in basketball from half court to win a game. Improbable. But it happened, and the USA won their group and are advancing to the knockout round of the World Cup. They have not won their group since 1930. That is why this win is so huge. What a great finish to the game. Go USA!!!

Arizona Cardinals Will Win The NFC West

Ok. Kurt is gone. Boldin, Rolle, and Dansby are gone too. I still think the Cardinals have what it takes to win the NFC West Division. We will be switching a little bit more to a running style offense and we have a beast in the backfield fit to have a breakout year. His name is Beanie. He is a monster. We have added Alan Faneca, a 9 year Pro Bowl selection, to the offensive line. He is built for destruction. I think we will run the ball better this year and this will help Matt Leinart get back to his Heisman days. The defense will be fine. Our defensive line is sick. Campbell could make the Pro Bowl this year. So can Dockett. Rookie Dan Williams will help make their jobs easier at NT. He will eat up space and blockers and will also free the linebackers to fly through the holes. Kerry Rhodes will do just fine in Rolle's absence. It all comes down to experience. I think the Cardinals have enough of that to get them over the hump. They have a great coach in Ken Whisenhunt. They will be fine. 3 years of playoffs in a row.

There is a new University in the Pac10! Today the Utah Utes accepted an offer to join the Pac10. Now we have 12 teams and we will be able to have a championship game. Now that we have 12 teams, I believe they will split the conference into 2 divisions. How they will split it is unknown at this time. I hope they make a Pac12 North and a Pac12 South. With the Pac12 North being comprised of Oregon, Oregon St., Washington, Washington St., Cal, and Stanford. The Pac12 South would be ASU, UA, USC, UCLA, Colorado, and Utah. I would like this split. I think Utah is a good program. They have a very good football team. I'm excited to have them and Colorado join the Pac.

Kerr Is Gone

I just posted last month about how good of a job Kerr has done as GM, and now he is gone. He has decided that he wants to spend more time with his family and has taken a job with TNT. I don't know the whole story behind him leaving. I don't think anyone but Kerr and Robert Sarver really know the exact reason why he is leaving. All I know is that now we need a new GM. I guess Sarver is going to look at 30 different candidates for the job. I sure hope they pick the right one. The Suns can't afford another bad GM like D'Antoni and could use a better one than Kerr. Not that Kerr was bad, I just think you always look to improve in all facets of the orginization. Hopefully Sarver will pick the right one and we will start making more good moves than bad ones.

Kobe Tries To Do It All

Winning a championship takes a team effort. In game 5 of the NBA Finals, it seems like Kobe had forgotten what got them there in the first place. Being a team. How many times did Kobe Bryant get the ball and dribble around and shoot. Sure he made a lot of the shots. He ended up with a game high 38 points. But what about his teammates? They did not have a chance to get involved in the game. It was Kobe Ball in the second half. I guess he felt like he needed to take the team up on his shoulders. I believe this hurt the team more than it helped. When Kobe stopped making all of his shots and it was time for someone else to step up and make a shot, they weren't in any rhythm to make the shot. Why? Because Kobe was the only one shooting. Great job Kobe. I think you need to remember what got you guys to the Finals. Stop trying to play Kobe ball and play as a TEAM. Not that I am rooting for him anyways. I'm still rooting for the Celtics all the way. I think they will win game 6 and shock the world. Go Celtics!!

P.S. Gasol is a sissy girl. A little physicality and he is taken out of the game. Toughen up you cave-manish freak.

Boise State, Time To Put Up Or Shut Up

The Boise State Broncos have joined the Mountain West Conference. Now they will have better competition and will probably play enough decent teams to get the respect that they are looking for. We have heard Bronco fans clamor for years for respect that they think they have earned. Well when you play San Jose St. and Fresno St. every year for conference games, you are not going to get much respect. Now you will play BYU, TCU, Utah, and a couple of other decent teams in the MWC. You better fair well against these teams if you want to validate your claim of being a BCS quality team for the past 10 years. There are no more excuses for Boise State. Put up or shut up.

Colorado, The First To Join

Colorado was the first to join the Pac10. Nebraska has left for the Big10. This has now opened the flood gates. On Tuesday Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., and Texas Tech are believed to be announcing their move to the Pac10. That would be 15 teams in the Pac10. They would need one more team to make it 16 teams so they could have a championship game. What happened to Texas A.M. you say? They might go to the SEC. If they do, the Pac10 will have a decision to make. Either bring in Kansas for its elite basketball program and the Kansas market, or bring in Utah for its football program and the Utah market. The question is, would you rather have a basketball program as traditional and historic as Kansas, or a Utah football program that has been fairly successful over recent years. Personally I would rather have Kansas. Pac16 here we come.

USC Is Screwed

USC is in big trouble. They are going to be banned from post-season play for 2 years. Over the next 3 years they will lose 10 scholarships per year. That is 30 scholarships!!!! They will probably have to erase all of the wins in 2004 including the National Championship. They will be on probation for 4 years. DANG!! They got hit hard thanks to Reggie Bush and his stupid decision to get involved with people that he should not have. Now these kids who had nothing to do with it are suffering. The USC program is in trouble regardless of what Lane Kiffin says. He seems to think they will be fine. Their recruiting will suffer along with the depth of their football team. It will take a while for them to recover from this. I also think it is funny that right before this all went down, Pete Carroll decides to jump ship for Seattle of all places. He has said that he did not know what was going on and had no idea of the penalties that would be imposed. This is total B.S. He knew what was going to happen, and I am convinced that he knew of the infractions. Carroll is a cheater if you ask me. Why would he leave all of a sudden to coach the Seattle Seahawks? He had so many other better offers and now he decides to leave right before one of the harshest punishments of all time in college football. You are a cheater Carroll, and you know it. That's why you left. Shame on you too Bush. Admit to your mistakes. Be a man. You are the reason that these kids are now getting punished. What a guy.

The Pac 16

The Pac16. Sounds good doesn't it. I love the idea of getting Texas and Oklahoma and bringing them to the Pac10. Oklahoma St. is a good team, but the others are just decent. Baylor and Colorado are fighting it out to be the last team to join. This is not a for sure thing yet, but a lot of experts would not be the least surprised to see it happen. I for one hope it does. It would bring a heck of a lot more money to the conference and make us the conference to beat. We would get a lot more exposure and a lot more attention from the pundits and fan base in the East. Now, for ASU, playing Texas and Oklahoma every year seems like a guarantee of 2 losses per year. I think ASU needs to step up and put a lot more money into the Football program and truly commit to winning. I don't believe that they have done that in the past. For Dennis Erickson, it means that he had better win and quick, or he will probably be gone. 3 losing seasons in a row will get you a one way ticket out of here if this expansion happens. I think ASU will be competitive against all of the teams except Texas and Oklahoma, for now. They have the potential to contend with them in the future, if they commit to winning. I hope this thing happens. It is very exciting!

Next Year's Bench

What will happen with the Suns Bench next year? We know that Dragic, Dudley and Earl Clark will be there. Other than those two, who knows what could happen. It all depends on what the Suns do with Amare and who they bring in if Amare leaves. Regardless of what happens with Amare, I think the Suns should try to trade Leandro Barbosa, and should let Channing Frye walk. I love Leandro. I went to Brazil on an LDS Mission and fell in love with this country. So Barbosa being Brazilian makes me like him even more. However, I think he does not fit on this team any longer. I believe that the Suns are headed towards a more defensive oriented team, and Barbosa plays none. I think it is time for them to part ways with him, as much as I hate to say it. I also believe that Channing Frye needs to go. I think is the second coming of Boris Diaw. He will get double what he is making now and become a less than average player. He was never a 3 point shooter until he came to Phoenix. He had a huge slump throughout the playoffs. If we sign him, are we going to see the same Channing Frye with a high 3 point percentage? I don't think so. Add to that, how many bone-headed plays did this guy have in the playoffs? Don't want him! Buyer beware. The Suns need to bring Amundson back. He is a high energy player who is the glue on the bench. I love that guy's heart and hustle. Bring him back.

Take Your Pick

I believe that the Suns are going to try to sign Amare Stoudemire. Money is not the issue here, it's the amount of years. Stoudemire wants more than 4 years on the contract. The Suns are willing to sign Stoudemire to a 4 year deal, but no more. So I believe that Amare will opt out and sign somewhere else. To the highest bidder probably. Then the Suns will try and go after Dirk Nowitzki who will opt out of his contract if he is smart. It will take a lot for Dirk to sign with the Suns. They will have to try to find the cap space to sign him, which means that we will probably lose almost all of our bench. I like the thought of adding Dirk, but hate the idea of losing almost all of our bench. Then if that does not work, I think the Suns will try to go after Carlos Boozer. He is not as expensive as Amare or Dirk, so the Suns will be able to keep most of their bench intact, which is a good thing. I would love this idea because Boozer is a beast on the boards and is a good defensive presence. He can also score. But I am a little afraid of his health. he has missed a lot of time due to injury. I think Amare is the best option, I just don't think the Suns are going to be able to keep him. If none of these 3 options works out, the Suns might consider just rolling with what they have and trying to position themselves for maybe Carmello Anthony in 2011. That would be interesting.

Suns Lose Game 6, Now What?

Now that the Suns have lost game 6, the focus turns to the off-season. What is going to happen? Is Amare going to sign a max deal with the Suns? My guess is that he does not. He will go to the highest bidder, whether it be the Nets or the Bulls. He will get paid big time, and I hope he continues to better himself and not be content. But that leaves a HUGE hole for the Suns to fill. My hope is that Dirk Nowitzki opts out of Dallas and comes to the Suns. I have never liked Dirk, but he seems like the best fit. He will help the Suns continue to win and we will have Steve and Dirk for a couple of years. This might not be appealing to some. Some might say that we need to completely rebuild by getting rid of Nash, Amare, and Richardson. I say that you can't start to rebuild until Nash retires. So you might as well bring in Nowitzki to win while we still have Nash. Will we win a title? I won't say it's impossible, but the odds are not great. I wish we could have accomplished that this year. Oh well. Another off-season full of hopes and dreams awaits us, while the Lakers go on and contend for the Championship.

SICKENING

That is the word that I will use to describe last night's game. Sickening. I want to throw up every time that I think of what happened last night. Jason Richardson.......so you made the game tying shot.....big deal. You just happen to be the guy that allowed Ron Artest to get the ball and get an easy game winning, buzzer beating layup. That's pretty much how the whole game went for the Suns. Sloppy. Sloppy passing, sloppy rebounding. I am tired of watching Suns players wait for a ball to come to them. GO GET IT!!!!!! Quit being lazy!! Jason Richardson, if you go get that ball last night instead of letting it drop, you go to overtime. You have a chance to win the game. You guys fought all game long to get back in it. You happened to hit the shot that tied up the game. It was a great shot. But it's the little things that do you in. Like not boxing out. Ask the Oklahoma City Thunder why they are not in the playoffs any longer. It's because they made one little mistake that cost them the game. Not boxing out Pau Gasol. The Suns are going to need to play perfect now if they want a chance to go to the Finals. That's a shame, because if they make a couple more free throws and box out, they could be looking at a promising 3-2 lead in this series. Instead we are faced with a daunting 2-3 hole. I believe in miracles, and Suns need one right now.

Pat Tillman Inducted Into The College Football Hall Of Fame

Pat Tillman

1997 All-American (2nd team)
- 1997 Burger King Scholarship Award Winner
- 1997 Sporting News Honda Scholar-Athlete of the Year
- 1997 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
- 1996 Second Team All Pac-10 Outside Linebacker
- 1995 Second Team All Pac-10 All-Purpose Specialist
- 1996, 1997 GTE District VIII Academic All-American
- 1996, 1997 Academic All Pac-10
- 1995 Academic All Pac-10 Honorable Mention
- 1997 ASU Most Valuable Player
- 1996, 1997 Clyde B. Smith Academic Award
- 1997 East-West Shrine, Outside Linebacker

Nuff said.
This guy was a beast on the field. He had a motor that would not stop. He was a player that you could not take your eyes off of, because he would always be around the ball. He was one of the greatest football players I have ever watched, simply because of the way he played the game. He is missed.

Suns Win Game 4, Shift Focus To Game 5

The Suns did what many people thought was impossible. They tied up the series at 2 a piece. The bench was a huge factor in the game. They even outplayed the Lakers' starters in the 4th quarter. That's something that I have never seen. Channing Frye also found his shot as well as Leandro Barbosa. Both had 14 points. Dragic had an outstanding night. Schooling Lakers players all night long. He is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The post-Nash era is looking better and better all the time. Now the focus shifts to Game 5. Can the Suns pull off the impossible? Can they steal game 5 away from L.A. and come back to Phoenix with a shot at the Finals? Seems like a tall order to me, but not impossible. I don't think L.A. can beat the zone. If they could, they would have done so last night. They don't have pure 3 point shooters. So, if they have to shoot themselves out of the zone defense, I think it will be very hard. I like our chances in game 5. They are not great chances, but I am a believer. Go Suns!!!!!!!!!!!
Check out this highlight:

SICK!!

Can Suns Win Game 4?

After the Suns victory over the Lakers Sunday night, the series has a whole new feel to it. A lot of the national media are already putting the Lakers in the NBA Finals. But I don't think the Suns go away that easy. With Stoudemire playing the way he did in game 3 and Robin Lopez playing the way he did, the Suns have a good chance to tie this series at 2 a piece. Let's hope Amare brings it again for game 4. Everyone is down on the Suns, but don't count them out yet. There's some fight in these Suns. I'm excited for tomorrow night. Go Suns!

Will Stoudemire Stay?

Amare Stoudemire has been a huge dissapointment in the Western Conference Finals. He is getting outplayed by the entire Laker front court. In my opinion he did not do to well in the last 2 series of this playoff run either. He keeps talking about how he wants a max deal. I don't think that the Suns should give him one. If he can't perform in the postseason, why should the Suns pay him as much as a LeBron or Kobe would get? Does he really believe that he is at their level? LeBron and Kobe get doubled every night and still average 25 to 30 points a game. You can't say the same for Amare. I think it is time that Amare and the Suns go their separate ways. They can't afford to pay a player who can't perform in the playoffs and who can't even take over a game. I like Amare, but he needs to go.

My Predictions

In 1976 these two teams battled for all of the marbles. My prediction is that 34 years later they will meet again in the NBA Finals.

Suns in 7

Boston in 6

It's Time

It's time for one of the most exciting and historic events to begin. Every 4 years the best soccer players in the world join teams and battle against each other for the greatest achievement you can reach in soccer. The World Cup Trophy. I had the opportunity to experience the 2006 World Cup in Brazil. Let me tell you, they take soccer a lot differently than the U.S. You think Football and Basketball fans support their teams and are fanatical and crazy? Nothing compares to the soccer fans across the world. I love the World Cup.
The experience in Brazil changed my view of soccer. It is a sport that needs to get more props in America. They don't know what they're missing.

These are the teams that I am rooting for:

Vontaze Burfict

Remember this name. You are going to be hearing it a lot when ASU's National Top 10 Defense is on the field. He is the leader of it and is a sensational play maker. I can't wait to watch him play this year. He is going to be all over the place. He is a top 10 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Believe it.

King James

LeBron James' season is over. He is going back home to Ohio after suffering another crushing defeat in the Playoffs. Are his days as a Cavalier numbered? You better believe it. Some may say that he will stay in Cleveland because they will give him 30 million more than any other suitor. James is a winner. He can't win in Cleveland. I strongly believe that is a Knickerbocker by the beginning of next year. Add Chris Bosh to the mix and you could have something there. There is also a rumor that the Knicks are interested in trading for Tony Parker. If these moves are made, the Knicks will be a contender in the East and LeBron might get that elusive championship that escaped him in Cleveland.

New Uniforms

One word can be used to describe these jerseys. SICK. I can't wait to see them play in these things. They kind of remind me of the Georgia Bulldog's black jerseys. Awesome unis. I hope they wear these on Christmas day while they spank the Cowgirls.

The Mastermind Behind It All

Nobody can deny that Suns GM Steve Kerr has had a lot of success since taking the job in 2007. The Suns are in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2006 and have a good shot at appearing in the NBA Finals for the first time since '93. Sure he has made some bad decisions along the way. The Shaq trade which bombed. The Kurt Thomas trade to dump money, and the Rudy Fernandez trade for money. However, he has made plenty of good decisions too. He traded for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, and Goran Dragic. He drafted Robin Lopez, who a lot of people thought would be a bust. He signed Louis Amundson and Channing Frye. He resigned Steve Nash and Grant Hill, which trust me was a lot harder than you would think. He did not trade Amare when everyone on this planet thought it was a no brainer to trade him, and he hired Alvin Gentry who has brought this team together and taken them to great heights.

At the beginning of the season, there were a lot of pundits and fans calling for the firing of Kerr. Now the Suns are winning and his plan is starting to make sense. I for one am glad they stuck with him. He is a good GM who I hope adds another Championship Ring to his trophy case at the end of this year.

What Could Have Been...

Mike D'Antoni had an exciting brand of basketball that was fun to watch and filled the seats in the U.S. Airways Center. He has 0 Championship Rings to show for it. He was a stubborn coach/GM who refused to develop a bench, draft for the future, and teach defense. One of his worst moves was trading a PG out of Kentucky in 2006. His name is Rajon Rondo. D'Antoni refused to stick with him, because he didn't want a project. Look at him now. He is larger than life in a series vs. King James and the Cavs. It would be nice to see him donning purple and orange. Instead we are lefting dreaming of what could be. Thanks Mike.

Does Mike Shanahan like RB's?

Mike Shanahan is bringing in Brian Westbrook for a visit. He has Clinton Portis, an oft injured back already. He has already added Willie Parker and Larry Johnson in the offseason. Now he wants to add Brian Westbrook too? What is Shanahan cooking up? How could he possibly use 4 former Pro Bowlers? So who starts? I think Brian Westbrook starts if healthy at the beginning of the season. You can do so much with him in the backfield. What do you guys think?

Will Robin Make A Difference?

Robin Lopez has been out for 7 weeks now. He's been scrimmaging, trying to get in shape to be able to play in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers. Numerous players have tried to do this in the past and have failed. The thing that gives me hope is that Robin has never been relied upon to be a scorer. He is in the starting lineup to rebound and play solid defense. If he can get in shape enough to play in Game 1, I believe he will make an impact. Defense and rebounding is all about technique and 'want it more'. Robin will do just fine in those categories. He will eat up space in the paint and allow for Amare to do his thing. He will also keep Gasol and Bynum off the boards.