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.