Money May...

Sportsfans - I know that you had to of seen the Mayweather vs. Cotton fight last Saturday.  If not, I suggest you watch HBO showing this Saturday and get familiar.  The fight was closer than the judges scored, but it was another fight dominated by Floyd Mayweather. 

I'm not a Floyd fan.  I think he's ducked good fighters and fought others when they were washed up.  He even had a split decision with a 75 year old Oscar De La Hoya...ok I'm kidding about his age, but you get the point.  Since this is the Unbiased Sportsfan, we have to look at the other side of floyd as well.  He's hands down the best fighter in a sport with few stars.  He's the best ring technician that boxing may have ever seen and his stamina, work ethic and defense is hard to match.

43-0 is hard to ridicule.  Yes, he did take a few jabs/straights from Cotto tht bloodied his nose...but he took those and dominated the last 4-6 rounds of the fight to dominate the score cards.  I made a statement (on another site) saying that if he fights and beats Manny Pacqiao then you realistically say that he's the one of the top five boxers of all time. 

Of course I heard backlash from Pac fans saying that Floyd is a coward and what have you...but they have to understand that Manny has 3 losses and 2 draws and it's hard to compare that to an undefeated record. 


The ENTIRE world wants to see:

But first and foremost, the money has to be right for Manny to fight...Second the blood testing has got to be right for Floyd to fight.  We'll see if it happens.  One thing's for sure.  If they do fight, I'll be there to see it in person.  That would be the welterweight version of Ali vs. Frazier.

Who do you think would win and why?


Talk to me -

The Unbiased Sportsfan

The NBA Playoffs...Where Amazing Happens!!!

The first round of the NBA Playoffs are almost over.  The Knicks were eliminated last night and the Hawks, Nuggets and Grizzlies should be next.  So far we've learned that the Thunder and Spurs look ready for the chip, but the Heat and Pacers look impressive as well.
 
Alot of the NBA analysts are going with a Heat vs. Thunder matchup in the Finals...but I don't believe in either team.  Miami is vulnerable in the post and they lack quality depth. They should beat the Pacers in six games, buy the real test will be playing against a healthy Boston Celtics team in the East Finals.  If you remember, Rondo had a dislocated elbow last year when Miami beat them.  It will be a tough series and could go seven games.

OKC has James Harden off of the bench but they play too much one on one basketball to beat a veteran team like the Spurs in a seven game series.  I don't think they even come out of the West.  The Thunder still have to beat the Lakers to even think about the Spurs and LA has the best frontcourt left in the playoffs.

It's becoming a young man's league, but don't be surprised if you see the NBA's two oldest teams meet up in the Finals...Celtics and Spurs.  I know the ratings wouldn't be as high as KD vs. LBJ or Kobe, but it still would be an intriguing matchup.  Either way the playoffs have been very entertaining and I'm looking forward to the next round.

Who's your final four?


Talk to me -

The Unbiased Sportsfan

RG3!!!

Sportsfans - ATTN: In case you missed it, there is a new QB in Washington.  They call him RG3.  His name is Robert Griffin III.  I call him Bobby Triple.  (You heard it here first) You also have heard the measurables; 6'2, 225, 4.4 speed, rocket arm.  A pocket passer with track star ability....will he succeed?  Only time will tell.

It's been 20 years since the Skins have had a franchise QB.  Sure they had, Brunell, Campbell, Ramsey, Grossman and Beck the last few years...but with the exception of a young Brunell, those other guys combined equal up one fair QB in today's NFL. 

Since the Shanahans have taken over, the focus has been on building a young football team with plenty of depth.  The last couple of drafts and free agency has put them on the right path and the hope is that Robert Griffin III will be the final piece to the burgandy and gold puzzle. 

They've made some nice additions with wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan to go along with Leonard Hankerson and a rejuvenated Santana Moss.

Chris Cooley is back healthy and if he can stay on the roster, he and Fred Davis will become a very good TE duo in the NFC.

The running back and the offesnsive line still have the most questions though.  Second year RB's Roy Helu and Evan Royster will try and hold it down, however there's a chance that Tim Hightower will come back if he can fully recover from last year's ACL tear.  The O-Line will need to be strong this year for RG3 to develop.  Trent Williams is back from suspension, but besides that, the rest of the line is a major concern.  They drafted several lineman in the draft, so we'll have to wait and see how things turn out.

The defense has been one of the Skins strengths.  Last year, they were ranked 13th and that should improve this year with the return of Jarvis Jenkins some upgrades in the secondary and new coaching as well.

What does all this mean?  It means that the Redskins and their fans have a lot to look forward to.  Can they maximize their potential and be a surprise this year?  We'll have to wait and see.

It all depends on the growth and play of RG3...

Talk to me -

The Unbiased Sportsfan

Melo...!

Sportsfans - I know that you all just saw Melo lose in another playoff series.  I've been seeing posts on various sites calling Carmelo Anthony a bum or a bust.  Do us all a favor and please stop it! 

Melo is arguably the best scorer in the league and one of the hardest guys to guard in the NBA.  When he was with Denver, they were competitive, but honestly...were his teams better than:

Spurs - Won 3 championships since 2000
Lakers - Won 4 championships since 2000
Mavs - Won last season

Plus teams like the Jazz and Rockets who were very competitive while Melo was in Denver.

He's lost in the first round to:

Lakers - twice
Spurs - twice
Jazz - D-Will, Boozer, AK47, Brewer, Okur
Timberwolves - KG won MVP and got to the West Finals
Clippers - Brand, Baker, Cassell, Kaman, Mobley
Celtics - Rondo, Allen, KG, Pierce
Heat - LBJ, Wade, Bosh

Out of all of these teams...the only teams that didn't have a much better roster than Dever or NY may of been the Jazz and the Clippers.  Give this dude a break.

A lot of people don't really watch the games, they just watch the highlights and listen to talk radio.  Carmelo is a top 10 player in the NBA and no matter the losses, you can't take that away from him.  Maybe he'll never win a chip.  The team that he's on currently was built terribly; no PG, young SG and then you have Melo and Amare who basically play the same position and occupy the same floor space.  Tyson anchors the defense, so that's good...but they don't have enough to make noise in the Eastern Conference right now.  Bulls, Magic (with Dwight healthy) the Celtics and the Heat are just better.  Melo doesn't deserve all of the blame.  He's played well in every series he's been in. 

Maybe they'll make some moves and get better next year.  The Knicks have to get a PG and personally I'd try to trade Amare.  If not, he'll (Melo) will continue to get killed by the media and by ignorant fans. 

Talk to me -


The Unbiased Sportsfan

The NBA is back!

Sportsfans!  A handshake deal has been made between the NBA players and owners.  A 66 game season is in the works and the NBA finally looks like it's ready to launch on Christmas Day!  So, now what?  Free agency and training camps are scheduled to begin on Dec 9th.  It will be a wild 2 weeks before the season starts, with a lot of player Movement and players trying to get themselves back into shape before the new year.

So, before all of the trades happen and training camp starts...I'd like to know.  Who are your favorites for the title this year?

Here's my top 5 teams before the madness begins:

1.  Dallas Mavericks - In a lockout year, this veteran team has the best chance to repeat.  The leadership, chemistry and roster is basically already in place.  Their biggest issues will be trying to re-sign Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler.  If they can manage that, then I believe that they can come out of the West and win the whole thing again.

2.  Miami Heat - With the Big two and a half, they still create matchup nightmares for opposing defenses and they're only going to improve.  Their biggest issues are their lack of depth and need for a quality starting center.  If they can sign a center like Samuel Dalembert and sign some cheap quality players then I think they grab the number one seed in the East.

3.  Chicago Bulls - With the reigning MVP and a healthy roster, the Bulls are ready to make the next step.  Very good coaching, defense and they had the best record in the league despite the injuries to Boozer and Noah. Their biggest issues are consistency and their lack of a perimeter scorer to take the pressure off of D-Rose.  If they can sign or trade for a scoring SG and get Mr. Boozer back to his Utah numbers...they will be hard to beat by either conference.

4.  Oklahoma City Thunder - With the leading scorer, an all-star combo guard and a talented young nucleus, the Thunder have become one of the scarier teams to face in the league with their size and speed.  Their biggest issue is figuring out what role best suits Russell Westbrook and their starting lineup.  They currently like running the floor with Westbrook, Harden, Durant and Ibaka...but they got a lot slower when they traded for Kendrick Perkins and it definitely changed their team's dynamic.  It's time for Harden to be a starter.  If they can get take care of those issues then they can make a heavy run in the playoffs.

5.  Los Angeles Lakers - With a defensive minded coach, a top five power forward and up and coming center, you can never count out the Lakers.  Oh, did I forgot to mention the Black Mamba is still on the team and in my opinion is still a top the league (overall).  Their biggest issues are their age and their coaching staff.  Mike Brown does know defense, however he's never been the best offensive mind and he has a reputation of being a fan and walking on egg-shells with star players...enter Kobe...could be interesting.  Too much talent not to be in it.

So, here it is.  These are my top five team that are ready to win the chip as of today.  On Christmas Day, I will update this list after the free agency.  Until then, get you league pass back people, the NBA is back!

Drop

Deja Vu #2 in the making...

Sportsfans - Remember back in May when I compared the 2010-2011 Bulls to the 2008-2009 Cleveland Cavaliers...?

Well I have a new one for you...see if you can figure it out.

NFC team that started out 5-0 and was the talk of the league until reality hit and they lost 4 out of the next 5 only to finish 8-8 for the season. 

They had a defensive minded coach, ferocious D-Line and an above average QB.

Still don't know...?

Well, these were the 2009 New York Giants. 

Present day...These could be your 2011 Detroit Lions.

Started out 5-0 and was the talk of the league until back to back home losses and the meat of their schedule coming up...deja vu anyone?

Here's the rest of their schedule:

Sunday, October 30	at Denver Broncos	FOX	4:05 p.m.
Sunday, November 6	*** BYE WEEK ***
Sunday, November 13	at Chicago Bears	FOX	1:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 20	CAROLINA PANTHERS	FOX	1:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 24	GREEN BAY PACKERS	FOX #	12:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 4	at New Orleans Saints	FOX	1:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 11	MINNESOTA VIKINGS	FOX	1:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 18	at Oakland Raiders	FOX	4:05 p.m.
Saturday, December 24	SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	CBS	4:05 p.m.
Sunday, January 1	at Green Bay Packers	FOX	1:00 p.m.

Now that you've seen the schedule, let's break it down.  The Lions are currently 5-2

The Lions could very well lose to the Broncos this Sunday.  But let's say they win.  They still have to play the Packers twice, the @Saints, Chargers, @Raiders and @Bears.  There's a very good chance they could lose five of those games.  To my calculation that would leave them at 9-7.  One game ahead of the 2009 Giants but it could take them out of the playoff hunt all together regardless.

I look forward to seeing how the rest of the season unfold, but the comparison had to be made. 

Let me know what you think!

Drop

Week 8 Picks

Good afternoon!  It was a rough week for picks...I wnet under .500 for the first time this season.  I'll bounce back nicely this week though.

Here are my picks for week 8.

Baltimore rebounds and beats Arizona
Minnesota wins one for Christian Ponder by beating Carolina in front of the home crowd.
Houston establishes its AFC South dominance by beating the Jaguars
New York (G) come off the by and crush Miami
New Orleans scores 40+ on the winless Rams
Tennessee makes up for their division loss to the Texans by beating the Colts in a close game
Washington in typical Skins fashion beats Buffalo, a team that they've been picked to lose to after losing to a team they were suppose to beat.
Denver is my upset special to beat Detroit in Tebow's home opener as the starter.
New England beats Pittsburgh in a shootout to become the undisputed #1 team in the AFC.
Cincinatti beats Seattle in a tough road game but win by a field goal
San-Fran beats Cleveland by two scores and increase their lead in an awful division.
Philadelphia beats the Cowboys in a Sunday Night shootout while they continue to dig themselves out of a hole
Kansas City is my upset special to beat the Chargers by a late score in KC.

As always, feel free to leave comments and enjoy your weekend!