Vaughn's World (Sports Edition)

All-Star in Orlando: 20 Years Later

2012-02-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

As we are in the middle of All-Star Weekend in Orlando, I would like to reflect on a very special moment in NBA All-Star Game History 20 years ago in this same city. In 1992, the basketball world was still devastated from the bombshell that NBA Icon Earvin "Magic" Johnson dropped when he announced before the world that he was HIV-Positive. There was an unbelievable level of uncertainty at the time, because they were not sure if the beloved NBA legend was going to live longer. HIV was considered a death sentence for Magic. However, the NBA and its fans decided to pay tribute to its greatest ambassador at the time, by giving him the most votes among all players, making him the starter for the West in the ASG over Warriors star point guard Tim Hardaway. Hardaway willingly showed his true class and respect by letting Magic start over him without complaints. Initially, many of the players were unsure of how to handle the situation. As Magic recalls in his book w/Larry Bird "When the Game Was Ours" his teammates in the locker room were initially silent towards him. That all changed once David Robinson approached him with a handshake to welcome him back. Fellow teammates such as Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon, Chris Mullin, etc. followed suit. As the teams were introduced, East All-Stars Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman came to embrace Magic as well. The game was a Who's Who of the NBA's best and brightest of their time. Charles Barkley even wore Magic's #32, for both the game and the entire season to pay tribute to him. The game itself was terrific, in spite of the 40 point blowout by the West. At the end of the day, it was pure fun and celebration for Magic. Magic won the game's MVP Award with the best ASG performance of his career (25 points, 9 assists). As I go back to Youtube and watch that year's game, I had to immediately rank this game among my Top 5, if not #1 All-Star Game of all-time. Drexler put up an MVP-level performance of his own, with 22 points, and 9 rebounds, followed by Spurs All-Star David Robinson with 19 points and 5 rebounds. Magic went on to win Olympic Gold as a member of the 1992 USA Dream Team in Barcelona that year, with '80s archrival Larry Bird and the King of the '90s, Michael Jordan. The man that many people at the time thought was a walking death sentence would turn out to be a walking miracle as well as an inspiration to many around the world. Magic continues to live strong, 20 years later.

Rolling Thunder: Kevin Durant's 51 Special

2012-02-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

Last night, Kevin Durant & The Oklahoma City Thunder put the NBA on further notice with the biggest statement game of KD's career! This was Durant's first 50 point game of his career, as he dropped a 51 point bomb on the Denver Nuggets in last night's 124-118 overtime win at home! This game had many twists and turns. Facing a halftime defecit, the Thunder roared loud and strong with a 20-0 run at the end of the second half cutting the lead down to 58-53 at the half. With KD's 20 points heading into the second half, and the way that he scored, I knew that he was going to have a stellar game. Westbrook started the third by making three straight field goals giving The Thunder a 59-58 lead. Westbrook & Durant connect for a great alley-oop giving KD 22. Durant goes on to score 30 by the end of the quarter along with Russell's 27. OKC outscored Denver 30-25 in the third quarter, which tied the game 83-83. There was a stretch in the game where the Nuggets looked like they hit a wall. Neither team went down without a fight, as the Nuggets mounted a comeback of their own to begin the 4th. The quarter starts with James Harden going 1-of-2 from the free throw line, which slightly slowed down the Thunder's momentum. Denver goes on a 10-0 run which included an Andre Miller layup, an alley-oop to Chris Andersen, and two 3-pointers from Al Harrington to give them a 93-84 lead. The fourth quarter was not only a back and forth battle, but it is also where Durant went on a rampage and ripped the Nuggets to pieces like a lion with 45 points to end the quarter. Durant also made smart shot selections, which also included making all of his 3-point shots in the 4th. KD also commanded his teammates to take on bigger roles. Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka followed the lead with 40 points, 9 assists for Westbrook and a Triple Double from Ibaka (14 pts, 15 rebounds, 11 blocks)!! Fans had signs saying "Welcome to the BLOKC Party!" Ibaka has been a blocking machine, and Westbrook put up another crazy performance, but developed better team chemistry with his All-Star teammate as well as James Harden, by creating better shots for them. The rush of momentum that Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka gave the Thunder at the end of the 4th quarter was spectacular. OKC ran the court like gang-busters, with Kevin Durant not running out of breath at all! Each key moment this quarter, from Westbrook's jump shots, Ibaka's clutch defense and KD's drives to the basket tied the game 118-118 to go into overtime, and gave the fans an extra surge of confidence! Oklahoma City fired on all cylinders, because of the brilliant play of their tag-team of KD & Westbroo. Kevin Durant delivered a Pantheon-level performance, and gave himself a stronger case for MVP. Oklahoma City outscored Denver 13-7 to win the game 124-118, which included Durant going 6-8 from the line and Westbrook's clutch 3 pointers and jumpers to put the final nail in the coffin! I have made it my choice to follow Kevin Durant even closer this season by highlighting him even more. During this time, I have been waiting for Durant to finally explode with a statement game, and I finally got it. Iceman 2.0 did not disappoint, and the way that he is developing as a player, he could surpass Gervin quickly. Oklahoma City are the hands down, "Kings of the West" at this point, but they have the fire and energy of an underdog! They have shown great leaps of progress during the pass two seasons, by taking the last two champs to the limit. In 2010, they were the Lakers' biggest threat and left me on the edge of my seat. Last season, they were the strongest opponent for the Mavericks, by taking them to 7 games. Now, there sights are set even higher: an NBA Crown. With Kevin Durant leading the way, the sky is the limit!!

NBA Top 7 MVP Race

2012-02-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Derrick Rose
4. LaMarcus Aldridge
5. Dwight Howard
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Chris Paul
There has been a slight shift in this year's NBA Top 7 Power Ranking for MVP. KD, LeBron, and D-Rose are still among the top half of the list, while Howard, and Kobe round out the second half of the list. However, there has been a dark horse that has crept into the race and he is none other than newly acquired Clippers Point Guard Chris Paul. CP3 has been a great addition to the team with his excellent playmaking and passing skills, which help improve the play of fellow All-Star Blake Griffin and others around him. Paul is averaging 18.5 ppg while shooting a career high field goal pct. (.505), 3rd in apg (9.0), 8th in total assists (190), 7th in steals (49), with an Efficiency Rating of +24.14. CP3 has a higher Efficiency Rating than both Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose. Chris Paul's added value has helped the Clippers reach 3rd place in the Western Conference with a 17-9 record. Blazers Power Forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been another dark horse in this race as well.

As far as the top 2 Players on my list are concerned, there is no question that both Kevin Durant and LeBron James are by far playing at the highest level while helping their teams be the best in the league. LeBron is up to his usual stellar performance, ranking 2nd in ppg (28.0), with 8.2 rpg, 2nd in apg (7.0) 2nd in total points (754), 2nd in field goals made (269) 5th attempted (500), and 5th with a career high pct. of .538. James is also 2nd in free throws made/attempted (198/262) along with an Efficiency Rating of +30.56 (1st). LeBron has also been the largest reason why Miami is 2nd in the East at 21-7, as he ranks 1st in Win Shares (6.18), Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.304), and Offensive Win Shares (4.53). LeBron is on a mission to reclaim the MVP and with his 23 points, 13 boards, and 6 assists in Sunday night's 107-87 thrashing of the Hawks, he continues to make his case stronger.

On the other side, Oklahoma City All-Star Kevin Durant has continued to raise both his level of play as well as his teams while ranking 3rd in ppg (27.0), 3rd in total points (728), with 8.2 rpg, 4th in field goals made, 2nd in field goals attempted (264/523), with a .505 fg %, 4th in free throws made, fifth in attempts (159/195) with a .815 ft %, and 4th in Efficiency Rating (+26.48). Durant's production for his team has also placed him 5th in Win Shares (4.60), 9th in Win Shares Per 48 Minutes (.215), and 8th in Offensive Win Shares (3.22) while leading the Thunder to a record of 21-6, placing them 1st in the Western Conference and 2nd in the league behind the Chicago Bulls. KD's increase in field goal percentage, rebounds, assists, and blocks per game are a very good indicator of his boost in playmaking ability as an all-around player. These are only signs of great things to come from the Durantula. As we approach the All-Star break, the race will become only stronger.

Rings & Stats: Live by them, die by them

2012-01-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

Rings and Statistics are just like a sword in the world of sports: You live by them, and you die by them. These are two valuable things to analyze an athlete by in terms of current or all-time ranks, but it comes to a point where if your not careful, you could become obsessed with them and over value them without putting them in proper perspective. Rings, as we all know, are a team achievement, but that is only half of the story. It is also how well a player raises his level of play while elevating the play of those around him that puts him further among the all-time greats. This is why Michael Jordan is so far ahead of everyone, because not only does he have 6 championships, but he was the Undisputed Leader of his team as he raised his game as well as the game of others such as Scottie Pippen, Paxson, Rodman, etc. Jordan also won 6 Finals MVPs, which means that he was the most dominant player every year they won the championship. When you factor in his career playoff avg. of 33.45 ppg (NBA Record) along with his 10 Scoring Titles, 10 All-NBA First Team Selections, 9 All-NBA Defensive 1st Team Selections, along with the rest of his body of work, the case is completely made for him to be the G.O.A.T. He did it all, and there were no holes in his game. Not only could he be a scoring leader, but he could also win! We also know that Bill Russell won 11 rings, as well as 5 MVPs. However, he cannot be called the greatest because of that alone. His career field goal pct. was .440, which is not great at all, especially for a center. He is still among my top 6 of all-time, but that hinders him from even being at no. 2 for me. Wilt Chamberlain was an absolute animal, both as a scorer and rebounder at 7'1" 275 lb. The only man to average 50.4 ppg, 25.7 rpg ('62), score 100 ('62), grab 55 boards in a game (11/24/60), along with a total of 7 scoring titles, and 11 rebounding titles. Chamberlain also had career highs of 37.6, 27 rpg ('60), 38.4 ppg, 27.2 rpg ('61), and 44.8 ppg, 24.3 rpg ('63). Those are eye-popping numbers, but ironically, Wilt shrank in the playoffs when it really mattered!!! Wilt's giant stats dropped in the postseason. Chamberlain's regular season career scoring avg. was 30.10 ppg, but his career playoff scoring average was 22.5 ppg!! Wilt was clearly a ball hog, who cared more about his own numbers BEFORE his team's success. This is why he only has 2 rings! He is disqualified as well. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the All-Time Scoring Leader, who also has 6 rings like MJ, but a record 6 League MVPs. However, like Wilt, Kareem's production dropped. Not as much as Wilt, but slightly.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/abdulka01.html

That is called putting things in perspective. This is why I CANNOT understand Kareem's ridiculous letter to Scottie Pippen where he degrades Michael Jordan's career and legacy by saying Wilt was greater because of STATISTICS, but fails to mention how Chamberlain ran away in the playoffs. However, he goes on to close out the letter by bringing up Bill Russell's 11 rings and saying THE RING IS THE THING!!! Dude, you brought up stats with Wilt first!! I respect Kareem and love what he did for the game, but he was WAY OUT OF LINE!!! As I eluded to earlier, Wilt had holes in his game, MJ had none. MJ has more scoring records in the regular season and playoffs than Wilt. Jordan faced a larger depth of talent than Wilt did in his time.

Michael Jordan:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jordami01.html

vs.

Wilt Chamberlain:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chambwi01.html/

Once again, I am putting both stats and rings in perspective, ladies and gentleman. Kareem is not the only one to devalue Jordan's greatness. A sportswriter named Elliott Kalb, aka "Mr. Stats" wrote a book called "Who's Better, Who's Best in Basketball", where he overvalued stats so much that he not only put Wilt ahead of MJ because of that, but he even painfully overrated Shaq and put him as NUMBER 1!!! Nothing but hot garbage!!! When you call yourself, "Mr. Stats" I should not expect more or less anyway. Of all people, he put Shaq no. 1? How could you live with yourself?!! The guy finds every excuse in the book for his case about Shaq, including using numbers from his Orlando & L.A. Lakers years that are not even worthy of putting him there!!! Yes, Shaq was the best in the NBA during his 3-peat years, and Kobe was CLEARLY the sidekick. However, he dominated when Hall of Famers like Hakeem, Robinson, and Ewing, were well past their primes and making their exit. The only guys at his position that he could throw around were Alonzo Mourning, Rik Smits, Sabonis, Shawn Bradley, Mutombo, and Divac. None of these guys could lace the sneakers of guys like Hakeem, & co. Shaq got schooled by Dream in the '95 Finals after leading the league in scoring. O'Neal was also swept in Orlando by the Bulls, who had no HOF Center in '96, and by the Spurs in '99, with Duncan & a past-his-prime Robinson. During the end of his 3-peat run toward '03, when Shaq's weight had begun to expand, it took a toll on his body, which caused his game to slowly decline. Mr. Kalb also glossed over the fact that, like Wilt, he was a TERRIBLE free-throw shooter, and how he missed numerous games because of his lack of conditioning. Shaq has NEVER averaged over 30 ppg, even at his peak with weaker competition. However, he never mentions this at all with him. Diesel is still in my top 10, but at #8.

Here are Shaq's totals:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealsh01.html

I also learned that Kalb's ranking was done by votes from older writers and older players, which is why he has Bob Cousy & Bob Pettit ahead of Hakeem Olajuwon. How can you look at me with a straight face and say that?!! Yes, both men were great players and pioneers in their own way, but NEITHER can hold a candle to The Dream. When you look at Cousy, he had a HORRIBLE career shooting percentage (37.5 %). Out of a 300 game stretch from '51-'60, Cooz ranked FORTY-SECOND in field goal pct. (37%). Are you kidding me? As for Pettit, yes he is an NBA champ ('58), 2-time MVP ('56, '59), 2-time Scoring Leader, with career averages of 26.4 ppg & 16.2 rpg. However, just like Cousy, he thrived in the pre- Russell, Wilt era, where players where slower, shot too much, shot poorly and could not jump. Once the color of the league started to change with more black players like Wilt, Russ, Elgin, etc. Pettit could not dominate the way he did before. He beat Russell once in the Finals ('58) because Russ was injured, but lost to him three times ('57, '60, '61). He too, like Russell shot within the 44% range. Hakeem was a perfect combination of footwork, athleticism, and quickness. He was a great offensive player who was the best ball handling center of all-time, and he was very well-rounded defensively in shot-blocking, rebounding and steals. He dominated both ends of the court effectively. The best player in the '90s next to MJ. The man had a total of almost 6,000 combined blocks/steals in his career, along with career highs of 27.3 & 27.8 ppg in '94 & '95 with a career high 14 rpg & 4.6 bpg in '90. Not only that, but he RAISED his level of play in the playoffs with 25.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 3.3 bpg, .528% shooting. He did all of this while playing against larger competition such as Shaq, Ewing, Admiral, Mailman, Barkley, etc. and beat them all!!!

Hakeem Olajuwon:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/olajuha01.html

Bob Cousy:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cousybo01.html

Bob Pettit:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/pettibo01.html

That book was a poor man's version of Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball at the most and I did not even spend one dime on it and neither should you!

The same thing goes even for football. Joe Montana and Jerry Rice are generally considered the G.O.A.T.s of their position, not just because of rings, but how they performed WHILE leading their teams to those Super Bowl wins. Both Rice and Montana were not only terrific players in the regular season, but they raised their level of play higher in the PLAYOFFS!!! Like Jordan, they turned the heat up when it mattered most. We all know Rice's track record as the Undisputed greatest WR of all-time, because of his multiple records, but he also holds every postseason receiving record. There are those who detract Rice's greatness by saying he was great only because of his QBs (Montana & Young). However, Jerry carried his own weight with his work ethic, conditioning, athleticism, football IQ, and his ability to run the perfect route to separate himself from the defender. Rice's play making was among the best as he could run a short or medium route and turn it into a bigger play for the TD. He knew how to time his route so that he could stop to be in the right position to leap and pull the ball down, whether he was in single or double coverage. If it was all about his Quarterbacks, then John Taylor & Dwight Clark would be at his level as HOFers and All-Pros with his same numbers. Jerry used these same abilities that I have just mentioned to not only win 3 Super Bowls, but to be the most UNSTOPPABLE receiver in each game!!!

Jerry Rice:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/RiceJe00.htm

As for Montana, he is the greatest QB of all-time, because he was the perfect combination of post-season & regular season QB as he was not only the best in the Super Bowl, but he also had one of the best regular season winning percentages of all-time (.713). Joe was also extremely accurate and a great decision maker when throwing the football, with his 92.3 QB Rating and 63.2 competition % as proof. The rest of his numbers speak for themselves.

Joe Montana:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MontJo01.htm

This is what separates him from the John Elways and Dan Marinos because, even though both Marino and Elway have more yards & TDs, Joe raised his game further than them in the playoffs, along with outplaying them in the Super Bowl. This does not degrade either player at all, but it is all about putting things in proper order.

Dan Marino:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MariDa00.htm

John Elway:
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/E/ElwaJo00.htm

In closing, my point of writing this is to put things in perspective. Statistics and championships should be talked about in moderation. We should not overemphasize stats and awards, because that devalues rings. At the same time, we should not do the same when bringing up rings, because that devalues the rest of a player's resume. Dan Marino, Cris Carter, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, etc. never won a ring. Does that mean they sucked? No way!!! They just did not win, nor raise their level or their teams level of play to the absolute highest point. Each man is still Hall of Fame worthy. The objective is not only to win, but to play at the highest level in the process while making others better. Jordan did it, Magic did it, Montana and Rice did it as well.

ESPN: Stupidity at its highest

2012-01-20T16:21:00.001-08:00

Recently, I found a video of ESPN's Ric Bucher's Power Ranking of the NBA's Top 7 players where he has Kobe at number 1. Obviously, Kobe is a marketing machine and a cash cow for their awful and sagging ratings which is why he is there. However, the biggest surprise and insult to the intelligence of fans like myself was how Bucher left Kevin Durant off of the list altogether and put his sidekick Russell Westbrook!!! Westbrook? Are you kidding me? One of the BIGGEST shotjackers in the league!!! Kevin Durant is the BIGGEST reason why Oklahoma City is having their tremendous success, because the team becomes better when they revolve their system around him. Westbrook was ranked no. 7, while KD was left off of the list completely. Bucher's lame excuse was "Well, we know that Kevin Durant is a scorer and he has lead the league in scoring, but Westbrook can do more at his position." If that was the case, then why is it that Durant's only competition at Small Forward is LeBron. Westbrook is a terrific playmaker and can slash like a two-guard, but at the end of the day, it is about winning games, and who gives you the best chance to win. For the Thunder, Kevin Durant is the obvious answer. I can name at least 5 point guards who I could take over Westbrook:

1. Derrick Rose
2. Chris Paul
3. Rajon Rondo
4. Derron Williams
5. Stephen Curry
6. Russell Westbrook

Top 2 Small Forwards:
1. Kevin Durant
2. LeBron James

As I remember, Westbrook was THE reason as to why they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, because of his missed shots and turnovers that ultimately cost the Thunder their first trip to the Finals against Miami. Westbrook threw so many bricks, he could have built a new stadium by himself. This ranking was a complete insult, and I had to address it right away. Here is the side by side comparison and you tell me who you would build your team around if you were OKC:

Kevin Durant:
PPG: 26.5
RPG: 6.9
APG: 3.3
BPG: 1.2
SPG: 1.1
FG%: 50%
3-PT%: 36%
FT%: 84%
MPG: 36.1

Durant's Efficiency Rating (EFF) is +24.93
Westbrook's Efficency Rating is +18.87

Russell Westbrook:
PPG: 20.5
RPG: 5.0
APG: 5.5
BPG: 0.1
SPG: 1.7
FG%: 45%
3-PT%: 28%
FT%: 80%
MPG: 33.3

You cannot look at me with a serious face and say you would take Russell over KD. That is like saying Bob Cousy was a better player and more valuable than Bill Russell, or saying Clyde Drexler was better than Hakeem, Kobe over Shaq, Parker over Duncan, etc. Cousy, Kobe, Parker and Drexler got their rings BECAUSE of those guys. You could even throw in Magic if you want to, but he carried more weight on his team. Their roles were to be the sidekick and make sure their franchise centerpiece got the ball. That is Westbrook's primary role. He is the POINT GUARD!!! As the PG, you are suppose to make plays and make your team better!! The more he shoots, the more he kills his team!! In '73 when Tiny Archibald led the league in SCORING, his team won only 44 games!! He KILLED his team, because of that!! The more Westbrook has the ball the lower OKC's chances are of winning!! OKC is a great team with a huge upside with rings in the future, and the only way that they can go forward is to feed KD the ball. Durant's points are down because they are getting James Harden & co. more involved, but he needs to be the key centerpiece!! The man is having an MVP level season again, and he is even closer despite a drop in points while making others better. Kobe is on the downside, Wade & LeBron are inconsistent, Nowitzki has slipped, which leaves even more room for Durantula to win the award. You could trade Westbrook for D-Rose, CP3 or Rondo and the stock would not drop one bit. If you want to agree or not, that is fine by me. With that said, KD gets MY vote for MVP!!!

The Rise & Fall of the WWE & World Heavyweight Title

2012-01-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

For years, the cornerstones of the WWE (WWF) and NWA/WCW have always been their heavyweight titles. These titles were the proud flagship titles that were proudly worn by the likes of Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Steve Austin, The Rock, and others. Each of these men wore the title with dignity and respect, both for themselves and the company that they represented as the top guy in the business. As I listened to a recent podcast, I could not help but remember and reminisce about how great the World Title once was, which is what drove me to write about it. The World Title signified that you were the very best in the company and in the business and that you had no peers. That title meant that you were a bullseye for every up and coming star and that you had to constantly fight to keep your spot. The men that I just mentioned wore the title with respect and worked extremely hard for their spot and to carry the torch as long as they could, while performing at a very high level night in and night out. A true world champion was one who had great talent and skill inside the ring and professionalism and maturity outside of it. When you have that title around your waist, you are suppose to put on classic and memorable matches while helping to bring out the very best of yourself but your opponent as well. Longtime fans such as myself tuned in every night to see who the champ was going to face and how he was going to overcome, because the World Title was always a proud title with the highest form of prestige and value in the business, far above every other title. The main event match for the World Title in both WWF and WCW was what I always looked forward to because each promotion had a great champion that I had fun watching. Growing up, I was a huge WWF fan, because of Bret Hart who was at the time the WWF Champion.

The Winged Eagle Belt was perfect for a guy like him. When I started watching wrestling, Bret was the Champion, and he captured my imagination like no other because of how great he was as the champ. It was only a coincidence that one of the first guys that I had seen was the world champion and an awesome one at that. The Hitman was a ring general, using his scientific technique, submission wrestling, wrestling IQ, quickness and heart (no pun intended) to win. His matches with HBK, Flair, Austin, Undertaker, Owen, Bulldog, etc. were brilliant. Bret was a guy that I could watch without ever getting bored, because of how fast-paced he was with his technical prowess. Bret's reigns as champion in his prime ('93-'97) were classic. That is what I called a true champion. The Excellence of Execution for me was the torchbearer for the '90s from a World Champion standpoint, until Stone Cold/The Rock took over in the Attitude Era and carried the company to new heights as they traded the belt back and forth.

The Nature Boy Ric Flair was without question for me, the torchbearer of the '80s as the NWA Heavyweight Champion, because of his terrific persona, in-ring ability, promos, and feuds with Harley Race, Dusty, Sting, Steamboat, etc. As I was listening to this very intense discussion about the World Title (The Big Gold belt specifically), I could not help but agree that this title was the worker's title, and Flair was the face of that championship. As you can see that during wrestling's golden era, Hogan and Macho Man were the mainstream champs for the WWF in New York, while Flair was NWA Champ wrestling in different territories and around the world. The business was at its apex during this period, because of the drama that Hogan created during his feuds and matches with the likes of Savage, Piper, Andre, etc. Both titles were held with very high prestige, where you did not have to worry about any celebrities wearing them. Mr. T was Hulk's buddy, so no one had to worry. Buyrates were awesome, and the characters were believable with stellar matches overall.

Today, the title has taken a HUGE downgrade!!! The prestige has dropped tremendously, with the boring and monotonous title reign of John "Cyborg" Cena, who has ZERO technique in the ring, overbooked, awful matches, forced delivery as a super hero character and worst of all, his five moves of doom, including his 5-year old knuckle shuffle. When you look at the great WWF Champions, from the mainstream champions such as Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Stone Cold, The Rock and Warrior to the worker champs such as Bret Hart, Cena has brought in the WORST PPV Buyrates of any champion. Ratings have taken a huge nosedive, and fan support from longtime fans has fallen off, because of how repetitive his delivery is and how un-entertaining he is. That piece of garbage spinner belt has dropped the title's value dramatically, like never before. Cena has officially monopolized the main event picture, because even though CM Punk has the title, the belt is customized for Cena to keep. Even when Edge won and had it customized with the Rated R logo, you knew that it was going back to Power Ranger Cena. Stone Cold had the customized "Smoking Skull" Belt, but it was only for a short period of time, especially compared to how long the spinner belt has been around, which is going on 7 years so far. Bobby Heenan once said that comparing Hogan's WWF Title to Ric Flair's World Title was like comparing "Ice Cream to Horse Manure". Well now, the Ice Cream (World Heavyweight Title) has now become vomit, and the WWE Title has REALLY become horse manure. I really cannot take it seriously when you put the belt on a Real World reject like The Miz. I still cannot take him seriously because of that, when you look at the guys who have worn it long before him. How the mighty have fallen. Both belts stink.

The Big Gold Belt has even been modified to where the plate has been made even more round, with the WWE logo on it. Vince always finds a way to tamper with things that were great and put a stain on them. Cena-mania has polluted the WWE and squandered the prestige of the richest prizes in the sport, and WWE needs to clean up the toxic waste that John Cena has created very fast, and start from square one by disposing of the spinner belt and bring back the Winged Eagle, as well as re-modify the WHC and make the front plate smaller and find other guys to push to make it a more valuable title. Watching these great belts go to waste makes me cringe and cry inside.

Here is my real Top 50 (pt. 2, 11-20)

2011-12-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

11. "Macho Man" Randy Savage - 2-time WWF Champion, 4-time WCW Champion, WWF Intercontinental Champion. Longest Intercontinental Title reign in history (14-months). 1987 Match of the Year (vs. Ricky Steamboat- Wrestlemania III). 1987 King of the Ring. WCW World War 3 winner. 1988 PWI Wrestler of the Year, 1988 PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year, 1989 PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year. Remarkable ring skills along with trademark flamboyant ring attire, persona, and entrance. Greatest feuds: vs. Ricky Steamboat, vs. Hulk Hogan, vs. Ric Flair
12. Kurt Angle- 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist. 5^th Grand-Slam Champion in WWE History, : 6-time World Champion (4-time WWE Champion, 1-time World Heavyweight Champion, 1-time WCW Champion), Intercontinental Champion, European Champion, Tag Team Champion, Hardcore Champion, 2000 King of the Ring Winner. 4-time TNA Heavyweight Champion. PWI Wrestler of the Year (2003), PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2003), Match of the Year (2003 w/Brock Lesnar- 60 min. Iron Man Match- Smackdown), (2005- w/Shawn Michaels- Wrestlemania 21)
13. Andre The Giant- 8th Wonder of the World, 1-time WWF Champion, 1-time WWF Tag-Team Champion, Headlined WM III w/Hulk Hogan
14. Edge- 11x World Champion (4x WWE Champion; 6xWorld Heavyweight Champion); 14-time Tag Champion (World Tag Team Champion; WWE Tag Team Champion; Unified Tag Team Champion; 5x Intercontinental Champion; WCW U.S. Champion; 2001 King of the Ring; won first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match. 2x Mr. Money In the Bank (2005, 2007) Innovator of TLC (Tables, Ladders, Chairs) Match. 14^th WWE Triple Crown Champion (Superstar who has won the WWE, IC, and World Tag Titles).
15. Chris Jericho- 9-time Intercontinental Champion, 6-time World Champion, 1^st Undisputed Champion (defeated The Rock & Steve Austin in same night), ECW TV Champion, Unified Tag Team Champion, Top 5 in Promos/Mic Skills. 9^th Triple Crown Champion, 4^th Grand Slam Champion. 4-time Cruiserweight Champion. Classic matches with Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit over IC Title. 2008 Superstar of the Year. PWI Comeback of the Year (2008), Feud of the Year (2008- w/Shawn Michaels), PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2002, 2008). Slammy Award Winner (2008)
16. Bruno Sammartino- 2-time WWWF Champion (1st reign lasted over 8 years, 2nd reign over 3 years), WWWF United States & International Tag Title holder.
17. Ricky Steamboat- NWA Champion, WWF Intercontinental Champion, Won 1987 Feud of the Year (w/Randy Savage), and 1989 Feud of the Year (w/Ric Flair). NWA/WCW

U.S.

Champion, Tag Team Champion, Television Champion. Athleticism & High-Flying paved the way for others (Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, etc.) Had great feuds with Sgt. Slaughter, Roddy Piper, Greg Valentine, as well as matches with Bret Hart. 2009 Hall of Famer.
18. Chris Benoit- World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time)– with Kurt Angle , WWE United States Championship (3 times) ,WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (4 times)^[139] , WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (3 times)^[140] – with Chris Jericho (1) and Edge (2), WWF Championship (2 times)^2[3] , Royal Rumble (2004), Twelfth Triple Crown Champion , PWI Feud of the Year (2004)^[123]vs. Triple H, PWI Match of the Year (2004)^[124]vs. Shawn Michaels and Triple H at WrestleMania XX, PWI Wrestler of the Year (2004)^[125] ,PWI ranked him #1 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2004^[126] ,PWI ranked him #69 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[127]
19. Eddie Guerrero- WWE World Heavyweight Title (defeated Brock Lesnar at No Way Out on February 15, 2004); WWE Tag Team Titles (3 times); WWE Intercontinental title (2 times); WWE United States Title (defeated Chris Benoit in tournament final at Vengeance 2003); WWE European Title (2 times); WCW United States Title, WCW Cruiserweight Title, ECW Television Title (2 times)
20. Ultimate Warrior- WWF Champion, 2-time WWF Intercontinental Champion, 1990 Match of the Year (WM VI vs. Hulk Hogan)

Let There Be Basketball!!!

2011-11-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

Finally, after 130+ days, the cloud has been lifted and now we shall have basketball this season. The season starts off with a bang because not only does it start on Christmas Day, but we will have a three-headed monster of a double-header (Celtics-Knicks, Lakers-Bulls, Heat-Mavericks). We will have 66 games this season, but that is fine because at least it is more than the 50 games that we had back in 1999. This kickoff to the 2011-2012 season is terrific, because of the three marquee playoff level games which caused TV Ratings and Revenue to skyrocket as well as light a new fire in the league with the storylines from LeBron and Bosh joining Wade in Miami, to Amare and Carmelo joining forces in NY, the Mavs winning the title to the emergence of Derrick Rose in Chicago. These are what make the games compelling and exciting, especially for a hardcore hoops fan and basketball purist like myself. The increase of stars in the point guard pool has been very refreshing with the rise of D-Rose, Russell Westbrook, CP3, Derron Williams, Steph Curry and others. The rise of talent is always what keeps the league strong, which is what has sparked an interest in me that has not been this strong since the '90s. Now, compared to that time, it is a downgrade, like comparing CM Punk to The Rock, Macho Man Randy Savage, or Shawn Michaels. The quality, atmosphere, marquee names, and team success do not match up to that time, but it is great for today, although players like Kobe, LeBron, Wade and Dirk are moving up the all-time ranks at a fast rate, which I am very proud to see. The League always has to have players in their prime mixed with younger, rising stars to pass the torch to when their time is done. Although Kobe, Duncan, KG and Jason Kidd do not know when to quit and want to hold on for one last shot of glory, the torch has already been passed to Wade, LeBron, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard to pass on to Rose, Durant, Westbrook and others. The latest MVP race has been strong with Derrick Rose, LeBron, Durant and Wade which is yet another sign of things to come in the near future. Until then, let there be Basketball!!!

Cowboys-Jets Running Diary

2011-09-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we remember and honor the victims of September 11, 2001, as the NFL season just happens to kickoff on this day. Appropriately, the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys will be playing in New York. What a terrific story around this game, as I know the game itself will be a blockbuster.

8:05 (E.T.)- National Anthem/Kickoff

8:39- Dez Bryant catches a 3 yard TD pass from Tony Romo. Cowboys 7, Jets 0. Great way to start the season off. (9 plays for 74 yards)

8:49- Dallas has possession again after Jets go 3 and out, Romo hands off to Felix Jones
8:50- 2nd Down, Romo drops back to pass. As line breaks down, Romo slips through to throw an incomplete.
8:52- Tony Romo throws great pass to Dez Bryant to convert for a 1st Down
9:05- Now, back from a quick dinner break. Jets have the ball on 3rd & 4. Sanchez connects with Santonio Holmes for a Jets 1st Down after Mike Jenkins gets some of the wind knocked out of him.

9:08- Following a commercial break, Jenkins is back on the field covering Plaxico and causing another 4th Down. Cowboys with the ball in their own goal line, Romo hands to Jones, 2nd Down. Tony gets sacked again, 3rd down.

9:15- DeMarcus Ware does a great job pressuring Mark Sanchez for incompletion. Al Michaels and Cris Colinsworth discuss the difference between Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo. Commercial Break- Still, Cowboys 7, Jets 0. Dez Bryant is a very solid & promising player.
9:20- Back from break. Dallas at own 10 yard line. Romo rolls out to Witten for 1st down.
Jets are pressuring Tony Romo to move more. Romo passes again to Witten, but this time short of the first.
9:25- Dallas' Defense is doing a great job pressuring Mark Sanchez. Another 3 & Out. Rob Ryan has the D playing with its head on straight

9:30- Dallas picks up another 1st down after Romo passes to Jason Witten. Cowboys are picking the pace back up after starting the quarter slow. Romo throws a laser to Miles Austin in the slot for another first. Tony Romo is being very efficient. (11/14, 150 yds, 1 TD)

9:35- 2nd quarter- Cowboys 10, Jets 0. Cromartie catches kickoff, and is stopped in tracks. Sanchez rolls out to Holmes for 1st down.

9:41- 2:00 minutes left in 2nd quarter. Sanchez throws deep in blitz. D. Ware with his 2nd sack. Ware is playing a well-rounded game, switching from LB to Linemen. Sanchez barely avoids a sack to throw screen to Tomlinson, who comes up big for a 1st & Goal.

9:43- 2nd & Goal, Jets score TD from Sanchez to TE Keller after botch'd play from Derrick Mason. New York Jets finally get on the scoreboard, 10-7. Now fans are chanting: J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!!!

9:50- End of First Half. This first half has been great. Our Defense has been very solid. DeMarcus Ware has been all over the field. Tony Romo has had a strong 1st half, with great connections to his 3-headed monster receiving corps. (Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Jason Witten).

10:03- Start of 3rd Quarter. Cowboys D stops Shaun Green. Penalty on Cowboys Defensive Line. Come on Dallas, NO MORE!!! Old Man Mason comes short of the 1st. Alan Ball squashes 300 year old Mason for 3rd & out.

10:10- Pass to Kevin Ogletree for 1st Down. Cowboys pull out a great trick play. WR Reverse from Felix Jones to Ogletree. Keep it movin' Dallas!!

10:13- Touchdown from Tony Romo to Miles Austin! After review of the play, it stands. Cowboys 17, Jets 7. We are lighting up the Jets' secondary like a Christmas tree.

10:21- Justin Keller has been coming up big in place of Plaxico & Mason. DeMarcus strikes again!!

10:54- We are up 24-10, and have given the Jets a pounding, from the passing game to the pass defense. Now, the Jets have caught a break with Plaxico Burress catching his first TD in 2 years since his release. Cowboys 24, Jets 17. Antonio Cromartie has been getting thrashed and exposed all night by Dez Bryant and Miles Austin for big plays & TDs.

11:00- Romo pass to Witten for 1st & goal. We later go 3 and out.

11:14- New York has stormed back with a 26 yard Touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez to Plaxico Burress. The score is now tied, 24-24. Still 5:00 minutes to go.

11:30- Romo throws a ridiculous interception to Darrell Revis, as if Revis is wearing a silver helmet with a star on it. Once again, we have shot ourselves in the foot when the game is right in our hands.

Now, former Cowboys kicker Nick Folk has hit the game winning Field Goal.
Final score: Jets 27, Cowboys 24.

This meltdown has become repetitive and is unacceptable for this franchise. What else must we do?

New Hall of Fame

2011-09-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

Recently, four of my favorite sports have had their Hall of Fame Inductions (Football, Basketball, Boxing, Wrestling). Yes, I said wrestling. Now, I am proud that Shawn Michaels, the Road Warriors, Mike Tyson, Deion Sanders, and Dennis Rodman each made the Hall this year. They may have had wild personalities, but there is no doubt in anyone's mind that these men were the very best at what they did and were world class. Shawn Michaels was the Heartbreak Kid, Mr. WrestleMania, Iron Mike was the Baddest Man on the Planet, Deion was Primetime, and Dennis Rodman was a Rebounding Monster who soon just became a Monster. Regardless, they each deserved it. However, lately there have been some very serious snubs as well, especially in the WWE and the NFL. For a long time, these two have had the biggest Hall of Fame snubs out of my big 4 (the NFL with Cris Carter, and WWE with Macho Man Randy Savage). My stomach has turned over and over just thinking about these horrendous omissions from the Hall. The snub of Macho Man hurts even more, becaus of his recent death. I would be glad to see him in the Hall someday, but it would never feel the same because we cannot hear him say "OOOOHHH YEEEAAAAHH!!!" one more time, along with the fact that it would just seem more like a memorial service to induct him at this point. Today, the world "legend" is thrown around very loosely, but Savage was a legend long before he stepped away from the squared circle. Macho Man was even a legend during his feuds with Hulk Hogan and Warrior. His Intercontinental Title reign was the longest and arguably the greatest in history. Savage held that belt like he was a World Champion. Shawn Michaels and Jericho may be the only other stars to bring such value to that title since him. Randy was Mr. WrestleMania, long before the Heartbreak Kid. The IC Title match with Ricky Steamboat at WM 3, set the bar for showstopping matches and was match of the year. Defeating Ted DiBiase in the finals of the WWF Title Tournament at WM 4 for his first and best WWF Title reign. The Mega Power explosion versus Hogan at WM 5. The Retirement Match versus Ultimate Warrior at WM 7. His match with Flair at WM 8. Each match was the best on the card. These classics along with his awesome one year reigns are the things that put the Macho Man in my Pantheon of Wrestling. Savage may not have had the belt handed to him like candy like today's stars, thanks to Hogan, but his quality of matches during his reign and his impact are what place him there. Overall wrestling ability, Savage was the best in the company during his prime. When you add his enormous charisma and personality, Macho Madness gave Hulkamania a run for its money, which put Hogan against the wall for some time. With all of that, Savage had established himself as a Hall of Famer before he even snapped into a Slim Jim!!! He was the perfect contrast to Hogan. If Hogan was Batman, Macho was the Joker. Hogan was Spider man, Savage was the perfect Green Goblin. The villain is just as valuable as the hero, sometimes even more. Instead, WWE inducts guys who were not even wrestlers as well as others who were not even in Randy's league. How can you put Drew Carey and Pete Rose in and leave out Macho Man? Or William "Refrigerator" Perry? A guy who was no where near good enough for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but because he was in the Battle Royal at WM 2, he deserves admission. Koko B. Ware could not even hold Savage's robe or lace his boots let alone be inducted before him. Cowboy Bob Orton was Roddy Piper's glorified bodyguard, who really did nothing else to deserve the Hall. The only noteworthy thing this guy ever did was walk to the ring with a parrot and wear bright jackets and sunglasses. He also sung on WWF's album back in the '80s and team with Owen Hart with some awful checkered suspenders. That is nothing more than a glorified cartoon character in wrestling. Macho Man was the real deal in the ring and on the mic, and if I were in charge of the hall, I would take out Drew Carey, Rose, Fridge, Koko and Orton, Jr. and put in Savage, Owen Hart, The Rock, Rick Rude, and Sting. Now, for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This year, Cris Carter was omitted once again! Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk and Shannon Sharpe all made it in. All of them were great, but each year, I believe that you should have at least one All-Pro Receiver. In 2007, Michael Irvin finally made it. In 2008, Art Monk finally went in after the 1,000th attempt. Of course in 2010, Jerry Rice, the King of All Wide Receivers was inducted along with the All-time Rushing Leader, Emmitt Smith. I am happy for Deion, Shannon, and Marshall, but we are talking about CRIS CARTER!! This is the greatest receiver to NEVER play in the Super Bowl!! It is not his fault either. You can blame Minnesota's poor management for giving Carter a revolving door of QBs instead of the great gift of a solid Hall of Fame QB of his time (Aikman, Marino. Young, Elway). Instead, he was given a who's who of different Quarterbacks, who were in and out like a fast food place from jabronis like Sean Salisbury, to Warren Moon, to a past his prime Randall Cunningham. If CC had Warren Moon or Cunningham in his prime longer, with a strong running game and O-Line, Cris Carter's career would be viewed very differently. Either that, or have hm switch places with Michael Irvin in Dallas and Carter would have a treasure chest of rings while Irvin toils and squanders in the Twin Cities. When I think about it, it would not be the same if that happened, which is why it is still a strong debate between those two of who's better. Regardless, Cris Carter was just as good, but in my opinion better than the guys who went in this year ahead of him. Carter was without a doubt, possibly the best receiver not named Jerry Rice. He was the second best receiver with no. #80. This is not like the ridiculous MJ/Drexler arguments of the '90s. Carter is worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as Rice. The man's resume speaks for itself: 16 seasons, 1,101 receptions, 13,899 yards, 130 TDs, 8x pro bowl selection, 2x First Team All-Pro, 1x second team All-Pro. He is the Vikings All-Time Leader in Receiving (1,004 receptions, 12,383 yards, 110 touchdowns). From '92-'00 Cris Carter was at his prime. Carter ended the '90s second in most catches (835) only behind Rice (860) to as a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the '90s. Carter had back-to-back seasons with 122 catches (1994, 1995), something that Jerry Rice did only once. At the time of retirement, he finished second behind Jerry Rice in career receptions (1,101) and touchdowns (130). Even when a young up-and-coming lightning bolt named Randy Moss joined the Vikings in 1998, Carter was still brilliant with 78 receptions for 1,011 yards and 12 TDs while splitting catches with young Moss to lead the Vikings to an unbelievable 15-1 record and one game away from the Super Bowl. I will go on to say, that if the Vikes made it to the Super Bowl, they would have squashed the Broncos. If anything, the Hall should have separate levels. This way, the undisputed candidates (Jordan, Kareem, Rice, Ali) are separated from the head scratchers (Drexler, Jimmy Snuka, Wilkins, Namath). If you have to play favorites towards him because he played in an era with an all-time great like Montana or Magic, but never truly stood out, he's out. If his stats and accolades don't fully stand out, but you have to ponder how he could make a case like an MVP, he is out. If this guy can easily be compared to his peers and is overshadowed, he is out. If this guy was not the undisputed best of his time and position, he is out. If his game does not transcend with players of different eras, he is out. If you have to say "He was not the best, but he did show flashes of greatness time to time, and he made some all-stars and all-pro teams" he is out. If you can name more than 5 other guys from his time that were better than him, he is out.

My point is that the Hall of Fame must consists of transcendent athletes who come from different time periods.

As far as each level goes, there should be at least four levels. Here is an example of how they would go:
Level 1- Shaky Floor- The guys who barely make it because, they had either, (a) memorable moments, (b) great career, but too short, (c) long career, not dominant, (d) memorable, never won anything,
Inductees-
Reggie Miller
Pistol Pete Maravich
Joe Namath
Earl Campbell
Jimmy Snuka
Marcus Allen
Clyde Drexler
Randall Cunningham
David Thompson

Level 2- Solid floor- Guys who either never won as elite guys or whose career was perceived better because of the supporting cast
Inductees-
Troy Aikman
Terry Bradshaw
Steve Young
George Gervin
O. J. Simpson
Dominique Wilkins
Patrick Ewing

Level 3- No Brainers- Hall of Famers who have met every statistical requisite. Impressive resume. Among top 20-25 statistically during their time. Made all-stars, first teams, etc. There was still something missing.
David Robinson
Roger Staubach
Dwyane Wade
Evander Holyfield
Charles Barkley
Gale Sayers
Scottie Pippen
Isaiah Thomas
Eric Dickerson
Cris Carter
Tommy Hearns

Level 4- Defining Stars- Hall of Famers who had memorable moments, and transcendent games, or fights. At least an MVP, ring or title away from Pantheon level.
Julius Erving
Elgin Baylor
Emmitt Smith
John Elway
Brett Favre
Reggie Jackson
Mean Joe Greene
Ricky Steamboat
Miike Tyson
George Foreman
Macho Man Randy Savage

Level 5- Pantheon- The Greatest of the Great. Hall-of-Famers among the top 5 to 15, by any calculation. The Undisputed Best for their time period. Phenoms of their generation, head and shoulders above their peers. Athletes whose game resonates with different time periods. Ultimate Winners, clutch performers, cultural icons. The very best of their decade:
Muhammad Ali
Michael Jordan
Jim Brown
Bill Russell
Babe Ruth
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Jerry Rice
Shawn Michaels
Bret Hart
Undertaker
The Rock
Lawrence Taylor
Joe Montana
Wilt Chamberlain
Hakeem Olajuwon
Walter Payton
Sugar Ray Leonard
Joe Louis
Magic Johnson
Larry Bird

Let There Be Football!!!

2011-08-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

Finally, the cloud of the NFL Lockout has been lifted. As a result, preseason and training camps are fully underway. Along with that, there have been some MAJOR transactions, from free agent signings to retirements. Teams like the New England Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings have made the most noise in the free agent market with the Pats signing lightning rods such as Chad Johnson (aka Ochocinco) and Albert Haynesworth, while the Vikings signed Donovan McNabb (Albert & Donovan from the Redskins). The Patriots' signings of Haynesworth and Johnson gave me mixed reactions. One of excitement like "Wow! This is great! New England is going to be an even bigger powerhouse offensively with Brady throwing to Chad & Deion Branch!". Another reaction was a head scratcher like "Wow! What is Belichick going to do with these guys? Is he trying to be Jimmy Johnson with two of the biggest headcases outside of Randy Moss and T.O.?" Either way, New England has left me saying "Wow!", and I think that this was their goal through this whole time. I think that I am going to go with the first reaction, because Coach Belichick, as much as I have not liked his past methods of winning (tuck rule, spygate), I like how he is taking this Jimmy Johnson kind of approach and signing two players who are viewed as renegades by the NFL and molding them into his system and style of play, much like how Dallas signed Charles Haley and later Primetime in the early to mid '90s. Fast forward 16+ years later, and it is the same deal. Now the Patriots look more like the Dallas Cowboys and the Oakland Raiders than your daddy's Patriots from the Drew Bledsoe 1994 days!!lol. I am a guy who likes to see chemistry when there are at least 2 or more stars on one team (49ers- Rice-Montana of the '80s Rice-Young of the '90s, Smith-Aikman-Irvin of the '90s Cowboys). Now Tom Brady has a cool new weapon at his already stacked arsenal next to his biggest gun, Deion Branch. I am looking forward to this WR combo of Chad Johnson/Deion Branch to torch defenses throughout the season, especially when you have the best QB in the league (Tom Brady) throwing the ball. These guys have a major chip on their shoulder after that embarrassing loss to the Jets in the playoffs. I am just waiting for the regular season and playoffs themselves to go undeway before anyone makes hasty comparisons to the Montan-Rice-Taylor trio in San Fran during the '80s. Now, to the Minnesota Vikings. When I learned that Donovan McNabb signed to the Vikings, I was not surprised, but happy, because this is where I had been telling people that Donovan would and should go. I knew that McNabb would eventually join Minnesota, and now that Brett Favre's corpse is no longer taking up space, Donovan can freely operate. I firmly believe that this is the proper place for DNabb to thrive in, because of the weapons that he has to throw to (Sydney Rice, Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian) along with the league's best running back (Adrian Peterson), who will help open up the field for him to do his damage. Donovan's career has come full circle to that of another Philadelphia Eagles legend, Randall Cunningham. Both he and Randall were huge star QBs for the Eagles for 11 years. (Cunningham- 1985-1995, McNabb- 1999-2009) However, Cunningham took one full year out of football (1996), while Donovan floundered for one year with the Washington Redskins (2010). He might has well left for a year himself. In 1997, when Cunningham returned, he was fully rejuvenated, both attitude wise and performance wise, as he signed with the Minnesota Vikings. The following year in Minnesota would be Cunningham's best since his prime in Philly, where he became the starting QB for an injured Brad Johnson and had a phenomenal season leading the league's most powerful offense with rookie sensation WR and future hall of famer Randy Moss and star WR and should-be hall of famer, Cris Carter. That year, Randall had his best season since 1988, (completing 259-425 passes, 60.9 completion percentage, 3,704 yards, career high 34 TDs, career high 106.0 QB rating) while leading the Vikes to a 15-1 record and coming a game of going to the Super Bowl (which they would have won by the way). With this move to the Twin Cities, McNabb is following in his predecessor's footsteps by reviving his career in the land of 1,000 lakes and adding to his legacy. As I have said before, I knew that he was going to sign with Minnesota. The Vikes also have an edge heading into the season, because the same way the Pats are looking to rebound from that humiliating playoff loss, they are cleaning up the mess that Brett Favre has left behind. Meanwhile, down in the Lone Star State, my Cowboys have been doing the opposite by cleaning house because of the salary cap. Dallas has released 8 players because of the lockout, which included WR Roy Williams and RB Marion Barber (both have signed with Chicago since then). This offseason has been filled with great surprises and excitement and is only a sign of things to come this year. Let's get ready for football!!!!

Miami Meltdown

2011-03-09T21:17:00.000-08:00

Lately, The Miami Heat have been in a serous funk after losing four games in a row. First, the Heat blew a 24 point lead to lose to the Orlando Magic at home, then lose to the New York Knicks will newly acquired stars Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. On Friday, the Heat were murdered by the San Antonio Spurs (125-95), and the icing was put on the cake as the Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls came to town and ripped their hearts out, 87-86. After the game, Miami's big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Christina, I mean Chris Bosh, were all crying. Now, they have become an even bigger punchline for other players, reporters and fans all across the country. There are even headlines that read "It's Crying Time". This is pure irony coming from a team that had the audacity to have a live press conference celebrating their free agent pickups of James and Bosh to makeup the 3 Muskateers, or as I call them "The 3 Stooges". They were celebrating prematurely as if they had won the championship, even though they had not even gone through training camp yet. Everything about that press conference, to the interview itself was classless, distasteful and downright immature coming from the entire Heat organization, from the players to even Pat Riley himself. I have all of the respect in the world for Riley, but he was the one that was responsible for luring in James and Bosh, and he never said a word during this entire fiasco, so part of the blame is on him. During the interview, the reporters talked to LeBron about how he was coming to bring a championship and egged him on by saying that he might bring one home and LeBron goes on to say not just one, but 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and even over 7. I believe that as a player, you do not blow your horn that way, because I believe that is mainly for the fans to do. However, you as a player are supposed to perform at a high enough level to back up what the fans are saying. I expect a fan to run their mouth off about how many championships they want their team to win, but not a player. Players should be more professional and respecful in their response, and I believe that everyone was completely caught up in the moment. Big Mistake!! Now, I believe that it has come back to bite them even harder, because they are crying just as bad as they were celebrating, because during the summer, they walked around as if THEY were the champions, but if my memory serves me correctly, the Champions were a team in Los Angeles wearing Purple and Gold with a guy named Kobe Bryant, who now has FIVE RINGS!!! I repeat FIVE!!! Which means that his entire hand is covered! Which also means, that he has more than all three of those guys have combined. Wade has 1 ring, while LeBron and Chris Bosh each have zero! Even Kobe was not as out of control about his win as these goons were. After the loss to Chicago, Chris Bosh justified the reason why I call him such names as "Christina" and "Bosh Spice". The guy reminds me of the kid in school that wants to desperately fit in, so instead of being himself and not kissing up to anyone and being true to himself, he follows the crowd of "popular" kids, the guys who like to ride motorcycles, go out with the best girls, and who are stars in varsity football or basketball. LeBron and D-Wade are those same "popular" kids. Bosh does everything he can to prove that he is "tough" but he just does not have it in him. It is like trying to imagine Will Smith playing Tony Montana, it does not work. Kevin Durant saw right through him as well. The other night, Bosh shot 1-for-8, which is horrific. He has been eaten alive on the boards by more established rebounders, and he is a world class defensive liability. LeBrick James has infected Dwyane Wade with the un-clutch virus, because each of them has missed major shots to tie or to win the game. LeBron has thrown up so many bricks, that he could have single handedly built the Dallas Cowboys New Stadium, which is one reason why I call him "LeBrick". His three point shooting is horrendous and if the fate of the world was on the line, he would be one of my last options for the earth saving shot. He has even said himself that he does not have that killer instinct. His crying also further solidified the name "Queen James". As Tom Hanks said "There is no crying in baseball!". Well I say "There is no crying in basketball!".

Los Angeles Lakers: Best in the West

2011-03-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers came into San Antonio and authoritatively bulldozed the San Antonio Spurs 99-83. Kobe Bryant had another regular day at the office dropping 26 points along with Pau Gasol's 21, but the big equalizer in this equation was a healthy Andrew Bynum, who transformed into Sabretooth, tore the Spurs to shreds with 17 rebounds despite 4 points. I know the last part was a stretch, but when Bynum is at perfect health, the Lakers are the most dangerous frontcourt in the league with their 3 giants (Gasol, Odom, Bynum) who are a headache for anyone. Now the Lakers have won seven straight games since the All-Star Break, which is what I have been claiming even before the season started. I have constantly stated that the Lakers will turn up the heat after the All-Star break, so this is no surprise to me at all. On the other hand, San Antonio surprised me, in a very tricky way, because not only is this the team with the best record in the league (51-12) with a 22-game winning streak, but the same team that butchered The Miami Heat (125-95). However, the same Lakers who had extended losing streaks without Bynum slaughtered these same Spurs 34-13 in the first quarter and decimated them in blocked shots (4-0). Los Angeles looked nearly flawless in first half scoring opportunities by converting 10-12, and wiping the paint with the Spurs with 12 of 21 chances inside. This game was nothing but a torture as the Lakers' largest lead was by 32, when San Antonio's best lead was by only 2 points. Ironically, Ron Artest was the peacemaker during the game when Kobe and Manu Ginobili got into an argument that would have given Kobe another technical which would have led to a suspension. This was another classic shootout in the old West, but the Lakers came into town with the biggest guns and wiped the Spurs out. Just when everyone wanted to count the champs out because of their lackluster play previously, now they are showing everyone why they are truly the best in the Wild West.

The Great One Returns

2011-02-15T20:24:00.000-08:00

Finally, The Rock has come back home!!! Those were the famous words spoken by The Rock during his tremendous return home to WWE after seven grueling, long years. Since 2004, the landscape of the company and wrestling as a whole changed drastically. From that point on to 2005, John Cena's star skyrocketed into the wrestling stratosphere. However, along the way, the company lost a huge piece of its backbone because The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment and one of the Cornerstones of the Attitude Era was long gone. Since then, Cena has become WWE's marketing machine and constantly in the Main Event for 5 consecutive years and at least in the main event picture constantly. With the Great One gone, there was a tremendous void, because the mainstream acceptance and television ratings began to drop in comparison to its heyday from the days of The Rock. Chris Jericho himself proclaimed that he would save the WWE from becoming boring and stale, but he went from getting the fans to cry "Save_Us" to "Save_Me" after failing to end Randy Orton's reign as champion, which was the same from the time that he returned in 2007. Nothing quite changed in three years. Fortunately, The Great One has returned to fulfill Jericho's task of reviving a once proud, and profitable company. Something that was once a captivating and trendsetting program has now deteriorated into a "boring" snoozefest, where the fans are forced to cheer for and care for mediocrity. Those words from Jericho were a joke back in 1999, but 12 years later, they are the truth. TV ratings have taken a downward spiral, pay per view buyrates have plummeted, mainstream acceptance is null and void, and the crowd reaction from longtime fans and wrestling purists is complete and utter silence. These poor fans are silent, because they are embarrassed to be there watching, and as a fellow longtime fan, I am embarrassed for you. For 5 straight years, Cena has used the same gimmick, won the exact same way in every match and has never ever gone heel. This is one of the things that has hindered Cena, badly and the thing that I was happy about Monday Night was the way The Rock came straight to the point and addressed John Cena's verbal bashing in the media during interviews in magazines and the internet. This was pure vindication for me as a fan, because this return has broken the usual mold that the WWE has been stuck in during these past 5 years, especially these last 2 years. PG has not been as much of the problem as the quality. Think about it, when names such as Hogan, Savage and others dominated the scene in the '80s and early '90s, WWF was still PG, but the product was better without question, because of the promos, feuds, buildups of characters, rivalries, tag team division, managers, and blend of established stars along with stars on the rise. These are the things that were the key ingredients and components of WWF's success, which brought tremendous ratings, revenue, buyrates and mainstream acceptance all across the board. This same formula, along with an extra twist is what made the company excel to higher heights during the Attitude Era ('98-'01). As I have previously said before, The Rock was one of Vince McMahon's centerpieces during this time period, and the way that he commanded the crowd with both his skills and words was beyond extraordinary.

Here is My Real Top 50 (pt.1, 1-10)

2011-01-25T16:51:00.000-08:00

1. Shawn Michaels- First ever Grand-Slam Champion, which proves how versatile he truly was. Revolutionized Specialty Matches. (Ladder, Elimination Chamber, etc.) Influenced future generations of wrestlers from Chris Jericho, Edge and John Morrison. Terrific athleticism, great durability as well as technique. Storied career with a perfect ending. 4-time World Champion (3-time WWF Champion, 1-time World Heavyweight Champion). 2-time Royal Rumble Winner (1995, 1996), 3-time Intercontinental Champion, 1-time European Champion, 5-time WWF/E World tag champion (2 w/Diesel, 1 w/Steve Austin, 1 w/John Cena, 1 w/Triple H), 1-time WWE Tag Champion (w/Triple H). 11-time Slammy Award Winner. 11-time PWI Match of the Year Award Winner. PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1995, 1996), PWI Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2010).
2. The Undertaker- Career longevity is unmatched with the most enduring gimmick in wrestling history. Only Superstar in History to be Undefeated at WrestleMania (18-0). Greatest Big man in History (6’10 ½ 299) with dominating power mixed with awesome speed. 7 time World Champion (4 WWE, 3 World Heavyweight) multi-time tag champion, 2007 Royal Rumble winner, and Match of the Year back-to-back with Shawn Michaels (WM XXV, WM XXVI). Shawn is “Mr. Wrestlemania”, but Undertaker is the “Wrestlemania Phenom”.

3. Bret “The Hitman” Hart- Greatest Technical Wrestler in History. Greatest Submission move in Wrestling History (Sharpshooter). Brought completely new meaning to the term “Excellence of Execution” with a scientific style that was hard to counter or match, along with a decent balance of quickness to defeat larger opponents. 5 time WWF Champion with 2 of the greatest reigns ever. (1^st, 2^nd) 2 time Intercontinental Champion, 2 time Tag Team Champion, 5 time U.S. Champion, 2 time WCW Champion. Won King of the Ring twice (’91, ’93). Royal Rumble Winner (’94) and Superstar of the Year (’93, ’94).

4. Stone Cold Steve Austin- Greatest Trashtalker in WWF/E History. Highest selling superstar in history. 6-time WWF Champion, 2 Time Intercontinental Champion. 3-time Royal Rumble Winner (1997-1998, 2001). Only wrestler in history to accomplish this feat. Multi-time Tag Champion, 1996 King of the Year. 1997 Match of the Year (w/Bret Hart- Wrestlemania 13/Submission Match). Superstar of the Year (1998). Headlined 2 out of 3 consecutive Wrestlemanias w/The Rock (WM XV, XVII). Rejuvenated company from losing Monday Night Wars w/feuds against The Rock, Vince McMahon, etc. One of the cornerstones for the Attitude Era.

5. The Rock- 9-time World Champion (7 WWF/E, 2 WCW), 2-time Intercontinental Champion, World Tag Team Champion, 2000 Royal Rumble Winner. Headlined 5 straight Wrestle Manias (XV, XVI-2000, XVII, XVIII, XIX). Co-headlined the Greatest Rivalry in History with Stone Cold Steve Austin that helped save WWE and win the Ratings war with WCW. Along with Austin, a cornerstone for Attitude Era.

6. Ric Flair- 16-time World Heavyweight Champion (8 NWA, 6 WCW, 2 WWF). First and only wrestler in history to win the World Title in all 3 major promotions. 6 time U.S. Champion, Intercontinental Champion, 1992 Royal Rumble Winner. Great technician, with Incredible Stamina. Matches with Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes and Sting are all NWA Classics. Top 10 in mic skills.

7. Triple H- 13-time World Champion (8 World Heavyweight, 5 WWE), 5-time Intercontinental Champion, multi-time tag Champion, European Champion, 2002 Royal Rumble Winner 1997 King of the Ring. Perfect Combination of Ric Flair and Harley Race, with great wrestling IQ which earns him the name “Cerebral Assassin”. One-half of the Founding Fathers of D-Generation X with Shawn Michaels. Maintains high level of consistency.

8. Hulk Hogan- 12-time World Champion (6 WWF, 6 WCW) Headlined 4 of the first 5 Wrestle Manias (WM I, WM II, WM III, WM V). One-time Tag Champion (w/Edge). Rejuvenated Career with heel turn by forming the NOW and becoming “Hollywood Hogan”. Match with Andre the Giant at WM III is his greatest trademark with his signature body slam. Involved in the greatest feuds of the Golden Age of Wrestling (vs. Roddy Piper ’84-’86, vs. Andre the Giant ’87-’88, vs. Randy Savage ’88-’89, vs. Ultimate Warrior ’90, vs. Sgt. Slaughter ’91). Brought wrestling to mainstream in the 1980s by teaming up with Cyndi Lauper and MTV to form “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling”

9. Sting- 13-time World Champion (6 WCW Heavyweight, 2 NWA Heavyweight, 2 WCW International Heavyweight, 2 TNA Heavyweight, 1 WWA- World Wrestling All-Stars). The “Franchise” of WCW as he was their cornerstone. Most well-known star from the company to never sign with WWE. Great technique combined with speed and power. Incredibly athletic, with stellar matches against Ric Flair, Four Horsemen, Vader, Road Warriors, Rick Rude, Lex Luger, and others. Rejuvenated image in 1996 with all white face paint, black trench coat and all black outfit with baseball bat similar to the crow. This would become his signature style.

10. Harley Race- 8-time NWA Heavyweight Champion during a time where repeats were rare. 1^st NWA U.S. Heavyweight Champion. One of six men inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, WCW Hall of Fame, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

50 Greatest Superstars in History ( pt. 1- Review)

2011-01-19T17:14:00.001-08:00

Recently, WWE released its list of the 50 Greatest Superstars of all-time. Originally, I had always pondered about this concept, because I knew that it would not disappoint, especially when it comes to the Top 10 with guaranteed lock-ins like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Ric Flair, Undertaker, Sting, Triple H, etc. This is the portrait that I had in mine and it was going to be a true work of art. Unfortunately, I was deceived very badly, because somewhere during the time of the release, I had seen a glimpse of the countdown and I was extremely disappointed. It looked like someone just threw up a list of random names out of their mouth, and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth wanting to throw up as well. Personally as a fan, I feel bad for the younger audience that had not been exposed to many of these Superstars on this count down like I have and as a result, WWE takes complete advantage of that. Therefore, fans will be convinced that John Cena and Rey Mysterio are truly much greater wrestlers than Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, Ric Flair, as well as Dusty Rhodes, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Edge, Eddie Guerrero and others, who have all been in the business longer, worked harder, were more exciting and accomplished more with tougher competition. Talk about being appalled, this goes beyond being controversial. This countdown has Vince McMahon’s handprints, fingerprints, and footprints written all over it, as you can obviously see that certain former WWE stars that have gone to another company (TNA) have been ranked considerably low. Hogan at 23?!! That is obviously Vince’s way of retaliation for going to TNA. I can understand if this is a business decision and you do not want your greatest wrestler/superstar of all-time to be someone who is currently in a rival promotion, but this is going beyond just business. This is a punch in the face to the legacy of a man who brought this sport to the mainstream, became a household name, sold out arenas, brought in millions upon millions for the company, headlined WrestleManias, and paved the way for others to break out. I will be honest and say that Hogan was not the greatest wrestler in terms of skills and he has built a reputation for backstage politics, but he was a great attraction with a very colorful persona, role model for children and had the ability to keep even the casual fans interested. If it was left up to the hardcore fans such as myself and others to create the countdown, the truth will be told, which is what Vince and WWE do not want. This is why the rankings were voted by only the Superstars, which can be pretty dangerous because many of them obviously have certain biases toward certain wrestlers and want to rank each other so highly because of what they have done just in today’s era. As a result, they are mainly fascinated by their own accomplishments and fail to take a careful evaluation of their careers and quickly jump to conclusions and rank themselves with proven talent who have legacies that are set in stone with a longer lasting impact, while their careers are still in process. For example, you cannot compare John Cena to Chris Jericho and Edge because both of them have at least 10 years experience over Cena. Jericho has wrestled internationally in places such as Japan and

Mexico

and has become something of a legend in those territories with classics against Eddie Guerrero, Benoit, etc. Later, when I do my own rankings, I will go into further detail about both Edge and Jericho. When Chris came to the states in ECW, he established himself even more by becoming the ECW TV Champion and put on great matches with Tazz, RVD, Mick Foley, and others. Once Jericho joined WCW, he decorated his career even more by becoming the Cruiserweight Champion and dominating that division, with his biggest victim being Rey Mysterio, (who I will talk about even more later on) as well as becoming the WCW TV Champion. Chris’ Lionheart persona gave him greater recognition in both WCW as well as WWE, where Vince observed him. Therefore, as Chris Jericho joined the company on August 9, 1999, he had the most impacting debut in WWE History (at that time WWF) with a classic promo with The Rock that made his career skyrocket further into the stratosphere of wrestling. From this point, he became a 9-time Intercontinental Champion, 6-time World Champion, 1^st Undisputed Champion, and the rest is history. Edge is in the same situation, because just like Jericho, he made his debut at the peak of the WWF Attitude Era (1998), and became a force as soon as he entered the door. Edge would soon team up with Christian and form one of the greatest tag-teams ever (Edge & Christian) and become a multi-time tag champion, 5-time IC (Intercontinental Champion), 10-time World Champion, King of the Ring (2001), King of TLC, and the rest is history for him as well. Both Edge and Jericho are better technicians than Cena, more agile, more exciting, always entertaining, and made John Cena look better while wrestling him. This continues to prove that John Cena cannot be ranked higher than any of these men by any stretch of the imagination. As far as Rey Mysterio goes, he has been a terrific cruiserweight with great matches internationally as well, and even nationally when he was in ECW and WCW, but when it comes to movesets, championships, main-events and just overall presentation, I believe that not only are Edge and Jericho clearly head and shoulders above Mysterio (pun intended). When I say “presentation” I am referring to Rey’s image since coming to WWE. During those days in ECW and WCW, Rey had more of an edge, but now he has become watered down which is why I cannot take him very seriously. There comes a point where the underdog gimmick becomes stale and in Mysterio’s case, it has become more stale than a piece of bread. Another wrestler that I believe should be ranked considerably higher than him is Eddie Guerrero, because if it had not been for Guerrero, Mysterio would not have become the star that he is now. Overall, Eddie was the teacher and Rey was the student because he (Eddie) brought him under his wing and carried him and trained him on many of the ins and outs of the ring. When it comes to high-flying, Mysterio has the edge, but when it comes to pure technique, grappling, submission holds, charisma and being a far greater legend, Eddie wins in every category. Guerrero, much like Chris Jericho was a terrific international star and legend that had great success in the states where he would gain his greatest recognition. Rey may be more of a money maker because the majority of the fans are kids, but as far as greater legacy, Latino Heat will last longer. Eddie’s star grew even more in WWE, by winning 2 Intercontinental Titles, European Title, Tag Team Titles, U.S. Title, and the ultimate peak of his success was winning the WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar at No Way Out in 2004. This was by far the best Eddie Guerrero match that I had ever seen, because it was a combination of hard work, dedication, personal humiliation, downfall, and redemption all rolled into one. His successful defense against Kurt Angle at WreslteMania XX proved that he was a legit champion that could main event. Ric Flair at no. 17 behind John Cena, Mr. Perfect, and Roddy Piper is ludicrous because Flair dominated wherever he went. Piper and Mr. Perfect were great competitors in their own right, but neither one of them won a World Title, while Ric has won 16. Mr. Perfect was actually an AWA Champion, but his reign is no where near as memorable as his career in the much larger WWE. Therefore, as a result he was considered more of a mid-carder and even in WWE, he did not have many main-events to move him further. On the other hand, The Nature Boy was and still is in a class of his own because anytime you can win 16 Heavyweight Titles is truly remarkable. Ric Flair is one of, if not the only wrestler that I know of that has dominated the main event picture in every company that he has been in by winning the World Title 3 major promotions (NWA, WCW, WWF). Flair further sealed his mark of dominance by going to the WWF and not only proclaiming himself as “The Real World’s Champion” but by also living up to that name by winning the companies Championship in the 1992 Royal Rumble, in Hogan’s playground. Flair’s persona and skills will always be unmatched because he had a great mind for the business as well as great technical skills and stamina. The Figure Four is one of the top 5 submission moves in wrestling history. Therefore, Ric Flair would be in my top 5 or 10.

Overall, I would give this a 2.5 stars.

The DVD's complete 1 to 50 ranking is as follows:

1. Shawn Michaels
2. The Undertaker
3. Steve Austin
4. Bret Hart
5. The Rock
6. Harley Race
7. Ricky Steamboat
8. Andre the Giant
9. Rey Mysterio
10. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
11. Eddie Guerrero
12. Triple H
13. Gorgeous George
14. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
15. "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig
16. John Cena
17. Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair (tied)
19. Edge
20. Jerry "The King" Lawler
21. Lou Thesz
22. Terry Funk
23. Hulk Hogan
24. Bruno Sammartino
25. Chris Jericho
26. Ted DiBiase
27. Fabulous Moolah
28. Classy Freddie Blassie
29. Randy Orton
30. Pat Patterson
31. The Iron Sheik
32. Jimmy Snuka
33. Mick Foley
34. Kurt Angle
35. Buddy Rogers
36. Gorilla Monsoon
37. Junkyard Dog
38. "Superstar" Billy Graham
39. Jake "The Snake" Roberts
40. Big Show
41. Jack Brisco
42. Sgt. Slaughter
43. Kane
44. Nick Bockwinkel
45. Jeff Hardy
46. Dory Funk Jr.
47. Bob Backlund
48. Rick Rude
49. Batista
50. Killer Kowalski

LeBron Burns Cavs along with Legacy.

2010-12-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

By: Vaughn Resper, Jr.
Last night when the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Miami Heat, Cleveland fans presented LeBron James with a homecoming of their own (I use “homecoming” very loosely). The introductions for the game almost went the way that I expected. Obviously, when LeBron’s name was announced, the fans booed, but I thought these fans would get angrier than this. Before the season started, I thought that when this game would come around, that the fans would start throwing trash on the court as he came on, like the WCW fans did with Hulk Hogan when he turned his back on them and helped form the NWO. That is what I was expecting, because during the summer, the animosity from the fans in Cleveland was so intense, that I would have not been surprised if they did resort to that. On second thought they did, because somebody burned his jersey on camera live for the entire world to see. This was the longest summer that I have ever witnessed as a basketball fan, because never have I seen one player hog up so much spotlight just to announce that he was going to another team. This is one of the worst publicity stunts that I have ever seen out of any profession, from basketball, football, boxing, etc. which further cements the nicknames that I have given him (LeFraud, Queen James, etc.). Anyone with half of a brain could have just gone an easier rout and just do this deal behind closed doors and inform your former team that you are leaving and your new team that you are coming. That is one way that LeBron burned Cleveland. Now, on to the game. Last night, LeBron James came to make a statement to Cleveland to humiliate them even more with 38 points on a team that has two other superstars and there was absolutely nothing that the fans or the Cavaliers for that matter could do about it. Even during the game, Reggie Miller and Marv Albert voiced their opinions of displeasure about how LeBron handled his decision to leave, but also told Cleveland to move on and rebuild. Ultimately, that is what the Cavaliers organization has to do, but it will take even longer for LeBron to rebuild his image after destroying it over the summer. Right after this distasteful fiasco about the “Decision”, two of LeBron’s heroes, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson ripped LeBron to pieces by going to Miami to team up with Wade and Bosh. Furthermore speaking of Jordan, LeBron James has been compared not only to Magic Johnson, but primarily Michael Jordan because of #23 and how he was a franchise player on an otherwise average at best franchise for a long time before things got better. However, unlike his hero with the #23 on his chest, LeBron went to a team that had two other franchise players who were All-Star caliber just like him that could average 25+ a game (Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh), which is something very un-Jordan like. Now LeBron is a side-kick in Miami, and speaking of side-kicks, the Cavs fans proceeded to chant “Scottie Pippen” at LeBron because just like Pippen, James is the right-hand man and not in the center. My conclusion is that at the end of the day, LeBron has proven that he did not have what it took to be the franchise player of a team, because he had to go somewhere else for help instead of using his influence to bring others to him. When you think of great franchise players, not only do you think of Michael Jordan, but Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Jerry West, Julius Erving, Hakeem Olajuwon, all of whom have had ups and downs with their teams, but survived and did not sell their respect by going with another All-Star to win. Instead, many of these players brought others to their own team. LeBron has also proven that he is NOT a King, but rather a Queen because Kings can lead their soldiers to victory and not quit or choke. Queens are the side-kicks and support to the king. If LeBron was such a King, he would have saved the Cavaliers from being wiped off the court by the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and the Orlando Magic for consecutive years and brought a Championship to the city. Regular Season MVPs do not cement your place as a king in basketball, but what you do when things really heat up in the playoffs that count and as of these last two seasons, LeFraud has deceived the NBA into thinking that he is the Most Valuable Player, while he has proven to be a paper MVP when his team needed him the most. In the 2007 Finals, the Spurs cut off his inside game and reduced him to outside shooting where he shot bricks, and to put the icing on the cake, Cleveland fell to pieces against Boston after being heavily favored to go to the championship against the Lakers. As a fan, I have learned one of the golden rules about basketball and overhyped players: Don’t believe the hype!!!