KG Leading All-Star Vote-Getter

Kevin Garnett will be the 2007-2008 MVP.

Kevin Garnett is also the leading vote-getter for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. Surprised? You shouldn't be. The second set of results came out today, and KG leads the pack with 1,186,690 votes. 727 of those votes came from me by the way. KG is averaging 18.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 3.6 apg. His fellow teammates G Ray Allen and F Paul Pierce are both fourth in their respective categories.

Garnett is ahead of all players, East & West, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Yao Ming, Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard and Tracy McGrady.

KG's addition to the Boston Celtics was the best move made in the offseason. The Celts, who finished last season 24-58, are now 23-3. A win tonight vs. the Seattle Supersonics will tie the team's total number of wins last season. Ray Allen has missed the last 2 games resting a sore right ankle. He is expected to return the the lineup tonight and face his former team. The Sonics also plan to honor Allen in a ceremony before the game for all he did for the team, including community service, during his tenure from 2003 through the end of last season. No doubt Allen will be thanking them as well for trading him to the winningest team in the league.

Troy Smith IS the Future!

You already know I'm a huge NCAAF fan. The colleges I applied to had to have 2 things; a good communications program and great Division I athletics. I ended up going to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. Yes, I know, the athletics are not the highlight of the school, the academics are. But NU has one of the top communications programs in the country, and it's also a Big 10 school. So I was able to get the best of both worlds. Northwestern's football team is nicknamed the "Cardiac 'Cats," either because we win by the skin of our teeth, lose games in historic fashion or take games into OT. The Wildcats aren't all bad, but other Big 10 schools like Michigan and Ohio State have some great talent. I got to see several NFL players in the making first hand such as Chad Henne, Santonio Holmes, Luis Castillo, James Laurinaitis, Troy Smith, Tony Hunt, AJ Hawk, Braylon Edwards, Nick Mangold, Noah Herron, Paul Posluszny, Mike Nugent, Ted Ginn Jr., Steve Breaston, LaMarr Woodley, Erasmus James, Tamba Hali, Barry Cofield, Anthony Gonzalez, and many more.

Troy Smith was the outstanding QB behind led Ohio State's 12-0 record. During his senior season he completed 203 of 311 passes for 2542 yards and 30 TDs. He won the the Heisman in 2006, and also the Davey O'Brien Award which is given to the best college quarterback. He took OSU all the way to the end, but lost the BCS Championship game to Florida 41-14. Well, for various reasons, including the beating the Gators put on him, his stock plummeted before the draft and he went at the end of the 5th round. The Baltimore Ravens picked him up, and if you ask me, they got a steal. His only drawback is that he's kinda short at 6 feet, but at 225 lbs he's an elusive power runner with a great arm.

At the beginning of the season, he was the 3rd string QB, behind Steve McNair and Kyle Boller. Steve McNair was knocked out for the season with shoulder injuries, and Smith moved up to backup. Now Boller is still reeling from the effects of a concussion, so my main man TROY SMITH will be starting Sunday vs. the Seattle Seahawks. Troy Smith has only played in the last 2 games, and a limited number of plays. In total, he was 8-16 for 82 yards and 1 rushing TD. He picked up his 1st career TD in his 1st game vs. the Colts on Dec. 9, and set up a game-tying drive to send the game vs. the Dolphins into overtime.

I think he has the potential to become a franchise QB, and I'm excited for a good showing. He'll definitely put up some nice numbers, in the air AND on the ground. I think he should be the starter in Baltimore, and with more reps during practice he'll have a better relationship with his offense, and he'll be more confident and comfortable on the field.

**BIG 10 LOVE**

An Aside

So I'm about to get into study mode, I have my Spanish Literature final this afternoon (yes, I am fluent), but I checked my horoscope first. Some people believe in them, others don't, but I find them interesting. They're not always accurate, and sometimes have absolutely nothing to do with me, but sometimes they're on point. So I just checked, and this is what one of them said:

Your Horoscope
LEO
July 23-August 22
Daily AstroSlam: December 19, 2007

Today, if you're trying to help the neighbors by breast-feeding their children, be sure you're a woman. You might have some explaining to do if you're a lactating man putting their baby's mouth to your chest hair.

Wow. What the hell right?! Ok, so let's clear up a few things. I am, in fact, a woman. I don't have chest hair, and last I checked I'm NOT lactating. While I can't wait to be 'Mom Dukes', I don't have any kids yet and I'm not pregnant. Not only that, but I have no intentions of breast-feeding any children but my own! Wet nurses are cool, and I'm a giving person but not that generous.

I'm assuming the moral of the story is know what the hell I'm talking about. Don't front. And don't be a creep.

Right?

The Dreaded Horse Collar

If there's one move I hate in the NFL, it's the horse collar. I can't stand a damn horse collar. Usually when it happens it seems to be the only way to bring a guy down, but it's always a sure fire way to end a guy's career. Priest Holmes had his whole hip and season taken away by that damned horse collar. Every time I see it I fear the worst; hip displacement, knee tear, ankle break. It's the ugliest, move in football. I would say the dirtiest, but the chop block takes the cake. But trust me, the collar is a close ass second.

I'm not the type to get all excited when a player gets fined, but there are some times when you just can't help but rejoice. I peeped this article on ESPN.com, about Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams being suspended for 1 game because of his illegal horse collar on Donovan McNabb during Philly's 10-6 win over the Cowboys. Horse collars usually draw fines, but since this is Williams' third, yes third, horse collar of the season, he's been slapped with a one-game suspension without pay. That one game will cost him $35,000, and I must admit, I'm happy. Williams is known for his horse collars, and really doesn't care who he injures in the process. He broke the legs of WR Terrell Owens and RB Musa Smith (right) in 2005 in this heinous manner. TO also tore ankle ligaments in the takedown. In 2004 Williams' horse collar resulted in a torn knee for Tyrone Calico, who subsequently missed the remainder of the season.

The rule is often referred to as "The Roy Williams Rule" because he's done it so often. Not only that, but Williams has been fined 3 times for the horse collar; $10,000 in October 2006, $12,500 in September 2007, and $15,000 in October. When he was fined in October, the league told him that another collar would result in another fine, or a suspension. I understand that these tackles are spur of the moment, and are really a result of a defender of trying to make a stop. That's clear. Football is a physical sport that for many, results in some form of injury. Tackle a guy any other way you want, but the horse collar is unsafe and that's why it's illegal. It's not out in to inhibit the defense, but to protect the guy who's carrying the ball.

Look at these pics. They really illustrate the reasons why horse collars are so dangerous. A player is usually grabbed from behind,within the area between the shoulder pads and by the back of the jersey, and pulled down. This tackle was banned in 2005 and rightfully so. The dangerous part of this tackle is the awkward manner in which the player is brought down. Donovan McNabb was totally helpless, and his forward momentum is abruptly halted by a vicious pull in the opposite direction. There's usually a twisting or shearing motion involved that results in numerous, catastrophic injuries. It's not as if Donovan has been healthy all season. He just recently returned from ankle and thumb injuries. Not only that, the 9-year veteran has been known for his end-of-the-season injuries, including a broken ankle, a torn knee ligament, and a herniated disc in his back. Back, hip, leg, knee, ankle; take your pick. One of them is bound to pop and go wayward on the collar. You're definitely looking at a sprain, a tear, a dislocation or a break. And Donovan has suffered most of those in his career, and does not need them again.

I've never really been a fan of fines but that was until this season. The NFL has really been cracking down on illegal and late hits, and fining players who violate the rules. There's no excuse for a horse collar these days. I understand wanting to make the stop, but I also recognize risking a player's livelihood and life. It's really not worth it, and anyone who does it deserves to be fined, suspended, or horse collared themselves. Maybe that'll teach em. I actually see a lot more collars in college football, but I rarely see players get injured. I always hold my breath when I see one, and it's only a matter of time before the NCAA makes the horse collar illegal.

My C's!

I love this team. I really do. Well, mainly I love KEVIN GARNETT, and anyone around him that helps him win is a friend of mine! I've always liked Ray Allen, but I can't get enough of him now that he's with KG. Paul Pierce has carried the Celts on his back for years, and I'm happy the Celtics built a team around him that can win. I wished the same for KG in his many, many, many seasons in Minnesota, and now he's in Boston with a real possibility of winning a championship.

I didn't watch this game last night, but this morning I saw this headline on ESPN.com and I laughed:

"'Big Baby' helps rampant C's improve to 18-2"

Glen 'Big Baby' Davis is a beast. I watched him play in college and the rookie from LSU got his first career start last night in the Celtics win over the Sacramento Kings, 90-78. He started in place of Kendrick Perkins who hurt his toe in a freak bed accident. The Celts' picked up Davis in the second round of the '07 Draft and boy were they happy about it last night. Big Baby scored 16 points, and pulled down 9 rebounds in 27 minutes of play. Most of his points came from the line where he went 10-10. Glen Davis is a massive dude at 6'9" and a whopping 289 pounds. And this picture of him is...well...

**The Boston Celtics have improved to 18-2 overall, and 11-0 at home. Best team in the league.**

HEISMAN WINNER TIM TEBOW!!

I love TIM TEBOW. And I'm not just saying this because he JUST won the Heisman. But damn, that's quite the achievement.

I've been a Tebow fan since last season. I remember him coming in to change the pace and relieve starting quarterback Chris Leak last season. As foine as Chris Leak is, I remember thinking, Why doesn't Florida just start Tebow? He's a dual threat, and sometimes Leak just doesn't look too right. Leak remained behind the wheel, and even though he was a bit inconsistent at times, it would have been embarrassing for him, a senior, to lose his starting job to a freshman. That year Florida went on to win the BCS Championship game. Before this game there was a lot of hype and some confusion; which team really is the best team? Well, the Ohio State Buckeyes imploded and the Gators handed it to OSU, 41-14. Buckeyes QB Troy Smith went on to win the Heisman that year. I'm still salty that I missed the bowl games last season; I was in Nigeria seeing my native country for the first time in more than 20 years, and meeting family I've never seen. I know that experience should trump football, but it still hurts.


Well, Leak entered the 2007 NFL Draft, went undrafted and was picked up as a free agent by the Chicago Bears. Then, he got cut. Undoubtedly he is now floating around somewhere in the free agency black hole, and may never be seen playing professional football again. But! let me add that the Bears have been on a nasty QB roller coaster all season. Rex Grossman, then Brian Griese, back to Grossman, Griese and now to Kyle Orton, a QB who hasn't played since I used to live in Chicago in 2005. The season is alsmost over and it doesn't look like the Bears are making the playoffs, but they're still in need of a franchise QB. If Grossman doesn't work out, the Bears might be wishing they'd held onto Leak.


Anyway, back to TIM TEBOW! Although the Gators didn't have their best season record-wise, finishing 9-3, Tebow set all kinds of records this season. He completed almost 69% of his passes, 217 of 317, and tallied 3132 yards. 29 of those passes were touchdowns, and only 6 of them interceptions. That's not even the best part of his game. He's also the teams leading rusher! Tebow ran the ball 194 times, more than any back on the team, for 838 yards and 22 TDs. He's like a QB and RB all rolled up in one! And at 6-3, 235 pounds, he's a hard one to take down. He is the first player in NCAA history to throw 20 TDS, and rush for 20 TDS. Tebow also became the first sophomore in the 73-year history of the Heisman Award to ever win it. He did all this while, during some stretches, battling a shoulder injury and a broken hand. Yeah, that's why they call him Superman.


Tebow also won several other honors this season. He won the Davey O'Brien Award (right) that is given to the nation's top quarterback who demonstrates "outstanding athletic skills, academic performance, team spirit, character, leadership and sportsmanship." Tebow received this engraved trophy, a Rolex watch, and a $10,000 scholarship grant to the University of Florida. Tebow beat out Oregon's Dennis Dixon and Missouri's Chase Daniel, and OSU QB Troy Smith won the O'Brien Award last year. He also won the Maxwell Award, which is given to the best all-around player in the nation. NCAAF head coaches, members of the Maxwell football club, and sportswriters and sportscasters voted Tebow in as the first sophomore to win in the 71-year history of this award. Tebow was also named the 1st team QB for All-SEC team and AP Player of the Year, . Not only is he strong, agile and durable, but Tebow is fine as hell! Just had to throw that in there. What? I'm still a woman...


While Tebow got the award, he did have some stiff competition. Arkansas RB Darren McFadden was his closest competitor, and finished second in the voting. He finished the season with 2,172 all-puurpose yards, 1,725 of those rushing. McFadden has 16 TDs, and threw 4 of his own. He rushed for at least 100 yards in 9 of the Razorbacks 12 games, including a 321 yard performance that tied the SEC record. This was McFadden's second year being in the running for the Heisman and losing out. But no worries, he's an NFL caliber running back for sure. And it doesn't hurt that he can line up under center, take the direct snap, and launch the ball. No, that doesn't hurt at all. Chase McDaniel was also a finalist, but flew totally under the radar until Mizzou started inching their way up the rankings. Missouri had a great season, finishing 11-2, and 6th in the BCS standings, and Daniel put up massive numbers. He threw for at least 219 yards in all 13 games; 8 were over 300 yards, and 2 of those were over 400 yards. Daniels threw 33 TDs, and 10 only 10 INTs. I know 10 interceptions sounds a bit high, but when you consider the fact that he attempted 534 passes, and completed 372 of them, the INTs are damn near negligible.

In Hawaii QB Colt Brennan also had a monster year. He completed 337 of 472 passes, a whopping 71.4%. He also threw 38 touchdowns, rushed for 8, and threw 14 INTs. And think, those numbers would have been higher had he not missed 1 game with a concussion. If Brennan amassed those numbers at "a football" school," I think it's safe to say it would have been a close one between him and Tebow for the Heisman. Before the season started I remember hearing analysts talk about Brennan, saying that he would be the biggest sleeper of the season, not only because he plays for Hawaii, but also because the time difference is so much that no one would ever get to see him play on national television. Well, that was sort of true. Hawaii was the only unbeaten team left by the end of the season, and they made it to a BCS game. Of course there was also the (lack of) strength of schedule issue which had them ranked 10th instead of higher, but hey. The Warriors will play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day! Many say, and I tend to believe this, that the Bulldogs will be the most talented team Hawaii's faced all season. I'm sooooooooo looking forward to this bowl game!

And oh yeah, CONGRATS TO TIME TEBOW AGAIN!!

NCAA Football Withdrawal

Wow, so today is Saturday, and I don't know what to do with myself. Since September I've had the same Saturday ritual; I wake up around 9-10 in the morning and go online and check the NCAA football schedule. What are some key matchups? Who are my favorite teams playing today? How is the Top 25 shaping up? Any rivalries? Any unbeatens left? Who are the conference leaders? SEC, ACC, Big East, PAC-10, Big 10, Big 12, hell, even WAC & SWAC. If there's college football on, I'm tryna watch it.

Fall months I'm jonesin' hard. So from 12pm ET on into the wee hours, I'm flipping from FCS to ESPNU to ABC to NBC to CBS to MSG to ESPN to ESPN 2 to CSTV. I even watch football on my computer! I try not to make any plans on Saturdays that involve me going out. The whole day is spent watching TV. Wow, that sounds sick. But it's true! My Sundays are the same way, but for the NFL. I'm obsessed and I know it. And I love it.

So today is Saturday, it's almost 12, and I'm...uuhhh...lost. I’m serious guys! I’m over here wringing my hands, twiddling my thumbs, tapping my feet AND pulling out my hair. Now I’m racking my brain. Hmm, what else is on TV on Saturdays? I mean, there's no football. What will I watch? OH! Maybe I'll go out! I haven't been out on a Saturday when the sun was out in months! Maybe I'll do some shopping, go to a museum, find a man...something.

While all these options sound great, I'll still miss my favorite ball. Even worse, I've come to a very sad realization - I'm looking at the tail end of the 2007-2008 NCAAF season. But all is not lost! In about 2 weeks the bowls will begin, and I cannot wait!! If I can get through these next 2 weeks without going totally bonkers I get at least 1 bowl game a day. Rose, Orange, Fiesta, Cotton, Sugar, Gator, Sun, Insight, Alamo, Chic-fil-A, Capital One, Emerald, Independence, Humanitarian, Motor City. I'm even looking forward to the Poinsettia and PapaJohns.com Bowl!!

Whatever bowl it is, I need a fix, and I need it fast. I know the truth, and I'm not ashamed or afraid to admit it. It's an addiction; a beautiful, delectable, exhilarating, mind-blowing, titillating, all-consuming, enthralling, intoxicating addiction. But this is one monkey I don't want off my back. Hello, my name is Chi-Chi, and I'm a football-holic.



** I love college sports! A lot of the super stars you see in the NFL & NBA were standouts in college. It's amazing to see the progression, and in some cases, the regression, of these players. My sports calendar always works itself out; one goes out, another comes in. This is usually the time I get more into NCAA Basketball. I've watched a good number of games this season, but with 3-hour long football games, my eyes can only take so much abuse.

But I’ll tell you this. While the end of the NCAAF season is still like a 25,000 volt shock to my system every year, I can't leave it alone. I can’t. I won’t.

MNF: New England Patriots (11-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (4-7)

The New England Patriots are the only unbeaten team in the league at 11-0. They're officially THE most dominant group around, on offense and defense. The Pats have looked damn near perfect in most outings this season, with a few scares (vs. Colts, Eagles). Tonight they face the Baltimore Ravens who have a surprisingly dismal 4-7 record. The Ravens have always been known for their stout defense, which includes hard-hitting LB Ray Lewis. No one doubts Baltimore's strength on D but their offense has been anything but stellar. They've wavered at the QB spot all season. Steve McNair was placed on IR earlier today, ending his season. His injury is to his non-throwing shoulder, but a partial dislocation and rotator cuff damage are still significant. And no offense (get it?!), but Kyle Boller has been in the league for 5 years and has yet to prove himself to be a franchise quarterback. I say they need to get my main man Troy Smith, Heisman winner out of OSU, the ball, and let's see what his future holds. The Ravens' current 5 game losing streak doesn't look to be ending during this Monday Night Football game, so they'll have to wait another week if they want to get that W. Sorry guys...

MNF. New England Patriots (11-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (4-7).
Another one bites the Patriots' dust.