Cleveland Cava****LeBrons

This counts as fat in the NBA.

Lebron James has made some very silly mistakes in his life.  Not silly in the realm of Tiger Woods' extramarital activities or Darryl Strawberry's everlasting love of cocaine, but still rather dumb of him.  Chief amongst these mistakes was what has become known as "The Decision," the hour long, nationally-aired Lebron ego show to announce that he was signing with the Heat.  Since then, Lebron has been on good behavior, has won two MVP awards and a championship, and continues to provide for the Boys and Girls Club, among other charitable organizations.

In Cleveland, this will never matter.  Lebron James could quite literally cure cancer, and there is a good chance that Cavaliers fans will insist that cancer isn't as bad as Lebron says.  Strangely, Lebron's defection was nowhere near as bad as hundreds of others of players who demand trades while still under contract, and certainly doesn't touch the shit show that was Dwight Howard's last two years.  Even so, the city of Cleveland may never move on, but thank G-d they've at least shut up a little bit.

NBA Preview: Chicago Defenses

Oh, that's where Joakim gets it from.

Almost every elite team in the NBA has been defined by their stars.  The Lakers had Shaq and Kobe.  The Celtics had Larry Bird.  Even the Clippers had Bob McAdoo.  Keeping with that theme, when people thought of the Bulls the last few years, it has been to talk about Derrick Rose.  Admittedly, this makes sense: the guy won an MVP award at age 22, the youngest ever.  He is, by all accounts, a superstar.

However, he also breaks easily, and this year will be the year the Bulls try and prove they can be elite because of their team defense, not because Derrick Rose runs really fast.  Rose shattered his leg in the playoffs last year, and he won't be back for some time this year, leaving the burden of leadership on Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah, and Rip Hamilton, and... well there is no lack of veteran leadership on the Bulls.  In much the same way, there is no lack of defensively sound players, thanks in part to the players and, possibly more so, to Tom Thibodeau's coaching.

NBA Preview: JordanCats

This happened.  Against a lottery team.

Sadly, it has come time for what may be the most depressing preview of all: the Charlotte Bobcats.  A team whose biggest star is their owner, with a leading scorer who may not be a rotation player on many other teams.  This is a team that by and large has no hope for the present or the future, regardless of how much the five fans of the Bobcats may yearn for Kemba Walker to be good at anything.

In short, this is going to be a hilariously depressing preview because honestly, there is no positive about these Bobcats.  They are absolutely awful in just about every way, with their only bright spot being that they have a new crop of rookies.  To be fair, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a very well regarded rookie to be sure, but there is no guarantee that he will amount to anything.  At the very least, he is much more promising than the Bobcats' crop of young players, who include the (surprise!) inefficient Kemba Walker (37% FG), the brick that is Bismack Biyombo (46% from the field, 48% from the line), and the unstoppable duo of Cory Higgins and Jeffery Taylor, players who were second-fiddles even at mediocre college programs.

Time to Pay the Man (in stripes)

Prior to the NFL week 3, I didnt understand what all the fuss about the replacement refs was. Sure there had been a blown call here and a missed call there, but nothing had happened to drastically change the outcome of a game. Then this weekend all hell broke lose. Against the Vikings, the 49ers got what appeared to be an indefinite amount of timeouts and challenges. In the Lions-Titans game a 27 yard penalty was awarded because of incorrect field placement. Several other games had terrible moments by the officials. If, after all that there was still any doubt about the struggles of the replacement refs, last nights MNF game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks  completely squashed it.

The MNF game was one of the worst, if not the worst, officiated games in the Superbowl era of the NFL. All of the mainstream media focus has been on the simultaneous possession rule on the last play of the game. Sure, that by ultimately determined the final outcome of the game, but there were numerous other bad calls throughout the game. There were a total of 24 penalties accepted and at least 1 declined. That kind of number is way high to happen normally. Going into the fourth quarter I was telling my Packer friend sitting next to me how my mind was change, the NFL needed to bring back the real refs. There were just too many bad calls in this game. It was becoming a farce.

Then the fourth quarter started and an already poorly called game turned into a complete cluster. In the fourth quarter there were several plays that potentially changed the outcome of the game. The Golden Tate touchdown was just the capstone. Here are just the few I can remember (with some fuzzy details because the final play blurs everything):

• On a third and short play outside of field goal range a Seahawks defender make a beautiful pass defense against a Packers WR only to be called for PI (incorrectly) and extend the drive.
• Greg Jenning is awarded a touchdown, only to have it later overturned (correctly). The ball is  placed short of the first down marker (incorrectly).
• Shortly there after Aaron Rodgers is stopped short of the first down marker by the Seahawks bringing up what should have been a fourth and 1 on the 2 yard line. Instead the call was overturned (incorrectly) and the Packers awarded a first down.
• On a crucial drive in the fourth quarter Seahawks WR Sidney Rice tangles up a Green Bay defender and manages to draw a PI (incorrectly) extending the Seahawks drive.

I doubt I was the only one who notices all the important mistakes that were being made. So, NFL fans, let's not get so pissed off at the Seahawks. Stop calling them cheaters or undeserving. If the roles were reversed, I doubt any Green Bay Packers fan would volunteerily give up the win. There were too many bad calls in that game to have any idea what the final out come might have been. Instead let's focus our anger on the NFL and their ridicuouls battle with the "good" refs (never thought I would compliment the NFL officials). It is time for the billion business that is the NFL to pony up the cash and pay the men in stripes.

NBA Preview: Jay-Z

Still better than Shawne Williams.

I have never enjoyed "big market" sports teams.  It's never been about the money either: the fact that the Knicks, all the Boston teams, and other such franchises get to have slightly above-average players consistently painted as superstars on the national level (see: Stoudemire, Amar'e) just annoys me.  Every preview issue ever puts these teams in the hunt for a title in whatever sport it may be, regardless of whether Julio Lugo is their starting shortstop.  Frankly, big market teams get slanted coverage that is just annoying and makes me root against them.  So really, it's not my fault, it's just science.

This brings us to the Brooklyn Nets, which inexplicably do not inspire my vitriol.  They play in as big of a market as they can, they throw money at players that are vastly overrated (Gerald Wallace, Joe Johnson), and they seem to think they're immediately good enough to win a title just because.  Yet, I don't dislike them.  Mikhail Prokhorov is an enigma as an owner, the quintessential exotic foreign millionaire that nobody understands.  Jay-Z hangs around and makes everyone laugh by pretending he matters for basketball.  MarShon Brooks absolutely refuses to stop shooting, a la Antoine Walker.  Their new uniforms are the default design for "Create-A-Team" programs in video games.

NBA Preview: Beantown

Fab Melo is too stupid to read that jersey.

Welcome back to the 2nd installment of our 30 part series: Better Know an NBA Team (apologies to Stephen Colbert).  Much like our previous installment, the Atlanta Hawks, we see a team that has changed greatly in the last year, yet still manages to just piss me off all the time: the Boston Celtics.

Yes, the one redeeming factor of the Celtics, former Sonic Ray Allen, has moved on, signing with the Heat to shoot threes and, presumably, go out to stud for his twilight years.  This would leave the Celtics with a gaping hole at shooting guard, if it weren't for the tremendous development of Washingtonian Avery Bradley and the signing of equally Washingtonian Jason Terry.  At this point, it's perfectly reasonable to assume the Celtics have some sort of conspiracy to sign all the Seattle-area shooting guards possible.  Brandon Roy, be careful.

NBA Preview: the ATL

"Hello.  I'm the reason people are
 afraid of NBA players."

Much like Odysseus or Allen Iverson, I have returned from my long absence and will once again be writing as much as I can for this prestigious blog.  Of couse, much like Allen Iverson, my return will probably be nowhere near as prestigious and exciting as you think it is.  Regardless, my absence from writing here has created a bit of a dearth in quality NBA writing for our tens of fans to read up on their least favorite sport.  I only refer to basketball as the least of the sports as most of our readers (and writers!) are still a bit confused why the hockey players of today don't score as much as they did in Wayne Gretzky Hockey '98.

Anywho, the NBA season is quickly coming upon us once again and, with the passing of the new arena deal for Seattle, there is a need for Washingtonians to actually start paying attention to basketball.  This means its time for the oldest of blog entry ideas: the team preview!

Starting alphabetically, the most time-honored of traditions, brings us to the Atlanta Hawks, the blandest and possibly least exciting of all franchises.  Yes, even with the trade of Joe Johnson and the "loss" of Marvin Williams, the Hawks still seem like the same old mediocre playoff team of the last few years.  Josh Smith will continue to score and block shots while taking the most ill-advised threes which, in his case, are any threes at all (career 3PT FG: 28%).  As talented as he is, Josh Smith just isn't quite what he should be.  The ridiculousness of this statement, for a player that averaged 19 PPG and is continually amongst the league leaders in blocks, isn't lost on me: Josh Smith just insists on making the strangest of choices in his game, the exact opposite of Al Horford, everybody's favorite boring center.

Some Thoughts on the Seahawks, Part 3: Why We Should Have a Chance to Win Every Game, The Defense

Probably the most universally accepted belief about the 2012 Seahawks is that their defense should be good, really good. I am thinking top five in the NFL good. Seriously, even without a dominate pass rush these guys are that good. In 2011 the defensive unit showed legit talent by finishing the season ranked as the 7th best team based on PPG and 8th based on YDG. To strengthen their weakest aspect, the pass rush, they drafted Bruce Irvin and signed Jason Jones. Hopefully both will make a big impact. If they are evening average it will only strengthen our defense.

The most exciting part of the defense is probably the secondary. Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman form the core of what is one of the strongest secondary in the NFL. Throw in that the backups are Walter Thurmond (remember that guy, we were all pumped about him until he got hurt) and Marcus Trufant and you are also looking a a really deep secondary. Thomas is especially good. He a speedy ball hawk who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He and his partner at the safety position, Kam Chancellor, finished second and third on the team in total tackles. Only MLB David Hawthorne had more. I think Thomas has the potential to finish the season as an All-Pro. Anything less then a Pro-Bowler would be a shocker.

If one thing is going to stop them from reaching the elite level it will be the quality of opponent they have to face. The Seahawks have to play both the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots this year. Those are the two best offensive teams in football. However, I think even with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers trying to pass all over them the Seahawks D will prevail. I dont necessarily think we will beat those teams but we should limit their points scored.

The biggest loss the off-season was the team leader in tackle, middle linebacker David Hawthorne. While the Heater was a really good player, his loss shouldn’t be insurmountable. In the modern NFL, the middle linebacker position has become less of a lynchpin position. Additionally, the Seahawks drafted Bobby Wagner in the second round with the hopes of him being able to step right in and try to make us forget. He will be assisted by a Seahawks defensive unit that always to get at least and seven guys to the ball. Gus Bradley and Pete Carroll have shown us several times that they have an eye for defensive talent and I dont see why Wagner should be any different.

No written piece about the Seahawks defense would be complete without mention of Red Bryant. Although he only plays on about half the teams downs he is a very obvious play maker. Pete Carroll and his coaches foresight, to try the unconventional and play a 323lb player at DE, has paid huge dividends for the Seahawks. Last year he had 32 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INT and 4 blocked kicks. That doesnt even take into account the several intangibles Red brings to the defense. His play brings multiple blockers and pumps up his teammates and the crowd. Big Red is an awesome player.

So, if you havent figured it out yet, I am really high on the Seahawks defense this year. So high that it is probably rubbing off on my overall impression of the team. In my preseason dreaming I started to imagine a 10 to 11 win team all because of that amazing defense. SEA-FENCE!

2012 Seahawks Offseason Check-up: QB situation

It is now customary for all players and fans in attendance to rise for Russell Wilson as he enters the stadium on his golden chariot led by Shadowfax, the lord of all horses.

Most of this blog's immense fan base are probably unaware that the chief editor, Matt Swanson, flew me out to New York back in January to cover the 2012 Super Bowl. The Super Bowl was so unimpressive that Matt ended up asking me to temporarily re-locate to the New York area with company funds where I was to use my sophisticated investigative journalism techniques to uncover exactly how the Giants won and expose the genius of Tom Coughlin.

After nearly nine months of exhaustive data analysis and one-on-one interviewing I've come to a revealing conclusion: The Giants really aren't that good. Tom Coughlin actually isn't that smart. They were able to limp into the playoffs and get hot at the right time. Also, the Patriots didn't play very well. Now take a few minutes to digest these puzzling findings before you continue reading.

So this is why I have been in dereliction of my duties covering the Seahawks. I see that Kevin has been moving in on my turf and rather than comment on his good posts I'd rather just contribute with my own.

On Russell Wilson & Rookie QBs

Should we really be so surprised that Russell Wilson legitimately beat out Matt Flynn in the competition for the starting job? After all, Wilson was one of the most mentally prepared and technically sound QBs in the 2012 draft class. Echoing common themes from Moneyball, it was the bias of conventional scouting against his height which kept him from being a potential 1st round talent right behind Andrew Luck and RGIII. It stands to reason that his 5 to 1 TD-Int preseason total and decimation of the Chief's defense -which was ranked 12th in DVOA last season- are honest indicators of his promise.

Yet a lot of the opposition within the fan base to Wilson starting has been less about him specifically and more about the principle of starting rookie QBs in general which worries them. I think this argument fundamentally confuses correlation and causation. Rookies QBs don't typically fail exclusively due their own inexperience and mental aptitude. They typically fail because they're drafted onto very bad teams and are asked to be the savior of the franchise. Every once in a while you get a Cam Newton who defies the odds and manages to almost single-handedly uplift the franchise. But more often than not you get Alex Smith and Tim Couch results.

Wilson won't be asked to constantly overcome score deficits in a pass-heavy talentless offense with minimal run support. Instead he'll be playing behind a much improved offensive line, a dominant run game in Lynch, and a potentially elite defense. At minimum Pete Carroll is asking him to avoid turning the ball over and, at most, to decisively move the ball down field where an assertive run game will enable savory play-action opportunities.

Yes, Wilson will make some rookie mistakes. But as Kevin points out, his big-play potential should more than off-set this and, more importantly, he'll gain necessary NFL experience where we can more accurately evaluate his potential as the Seahawk's franchise quarterback.

Some Thoughts on the Seahawks, Part 2: the WR Gum Wall

At some point this off season all of these player have suited up for the Seahawks at the wide receiver position: Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate, Mike Williams, Braylon Edwards, Terrell Owens, Ricardo Lockette, Ben Obamanu, Sidney Rice, Kris Durham and that isnt even everybody, the list goes on and on. It sure looks like the front office's strategy is to throw stuff at the wall and hope some of it sticks. All this metaphorical stuff flying at the wall and other stuff falling off makes it hard for a fan to keep track of who all is actually in that group.
 
This approach is worrisome because it gives us outsiders looking in the impression that the coaches and staff dont have much faith in the current corps of wide receivers. Now some might say this is just Pete Carroll practicing his constant roster manipulation, looking for that perfect combination and this might be true. I dont think that is the case though.
 
My confidence in the WR corps is even more shaken when I take a look at the guys currently stuck to the wall. The starting three receivers are probably going to be Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate. All three of them are solid but appear to have major flaws that limit their star capability.
 
When he is healthy Sidney Rice has the potential to be a game changer. He is a onetime Pro-bowler who forces other teams to game plan for him. The problem is he isnt healthy often. During the off season he had surgery on both shoulders and the coaching staff has limited his playing time during the pre-season. For him to find success this year we need both shoulders to have healed well and for him to avoid further injury. I am rooting for him but I am not holding out hope.
 
Doug Baldwin had a really solid rookie season and will hopefully be able to take that next step. He could become a real weapon for the Seahawks, but currently he doesnt strike fear into the opposition's coaches and players for a reason. Even so, he appears to be the most dependable option the Seahawks have. We can expect a lot of hard work and solid play out of Baldwin.
 
Golden Tate has already been labeled a bust by many. This is because of his overall lack of production during his first two seasons. However, I think that before we write him off, we need to remember that he is still young, only 24. When he was at Notre Dame he was a legit offensive force and he has shown some signs of that in the NFL. He just has never been able to put it together for an entire game, let alone a season. If he can final reach near the potential level of talent John Schneider and Pere Carroll saw when they drafted him we could be very happy.
 
Now some of you might be thinking, "what about Obamanu or Edwards or any of the other 15 guys trying out, couldnt they take over as one of the top three?" Let’s face it, none of them are that good. That is why saw many people got try outs. In my opinion if the Seahawks get to a point where one of those guys is starting we are probably in trouble. Most likely they would mean Rice got hurt, Baldwin regressed or Tate failed to take that final step. Those would all be bad things for us, especially when you consider that the Seahawks are going to be starting a rookie QB. This means the guys catching Russell Wilson's passes are probably not going to be making it any easier on him.
 
I don’t want to be all doom and gloom though. I am just trying to be a realist. The WR position is definitely the weakest on the team, but that also speaks to the strength of the rest of the team. Like I highlighted about all three starters do have the potential to step up their game and help the offense shine. It just seems more likely that they will play mediocre and cause us some frustration throughout the season.