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Scottie Pippen Latest to Join the List of Miami Heat Doubters

August 15th, 2010

All U Can Heat (Your Home For Miami Heat Coverage)

Scottie Pippen known to frequently attend Heat games is the latest former NBA great to cast a remark discrediting Miami’s chances at competing for a title this upcoming season.

“You can put a lot of great players together but it’s about building chemistry. There have been a lot of great teams put together. But that doesn’t really seal the deal. Me, personally, I think that Boston is still the best team in the East. Miami has to prove themselves.”

So Charles Barkley called it a "punk" move. Michael Jordan stated he would've never teamed up with either Barkley, Magic Johnson, or Larry Bird. Now Pippen brings the chemistry thing into the equation.

For everyone that hints at the chemistry cliche’, please remember that Dwyane Wade won an NBA title playing with many guys he’d never shared a court with before.

Gary Payton, James Posey, Jason Williams, and Antoine Walker all got extended minutes in Miami’s championship season and none had played with Wade previously.

So why wasn’t chemistry a problem then?

Wade showed that during the course of 82 regular season games one can easily familiarize themselves with the guys that surround you.

Boston won a title the first year they had their "Big 3" assembled.

Chemistry is important but extremely over rated. I'll take talent over chemistry any day.

One must constantly keep in mind that Miami now boasts three of the leagues top 15 players along with one of the premier three point specialists.

While Pippen is more than entitled to his opinion it seems a bit alarming that only Jeff Van Gundy has come to Miami's defense in terms of the moves they made.

It simply screams of hypocrisy. Every single person that has come out speaking negatively of the joining of forces would have loved to do the same thing.

Like Wade said show me one league executive, fan or player that would have not have done the same thing and he'll show you a liar.

It's odd how everyone wanted any one of these guys and because Miami manages to land all three then suddenly it's a bad thing.

Cleveland wanted LeBron so badly yet when he chose to take his talents to South Beach then Dan Gilbert suddenly comes out and calls him a quitter, a malcontent and a narcissist. Yet no one bothered to ask Gilbert why he was so intent on trying to resign a player/person with so many horrible flaws.

Then Jerry Colangelo comes out and says Bosh quit on Toronto as well.

It's downright comedic to see how everyone is trying to tarnish the greatest free agent coup in sports history.

Luckily for fans this will all be settled on a court. Just be sure not to come up with any more excuses when this chemistry deprived, "Alpha Dog" filled team wins it all this season.

Get the feeling a whole lot of guys are going to be eating humble pie when all is said and done next June.

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Posted in Basketball, Breaking News, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Southeast, chris bosh

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LeBron James and His Twitter Promise

August 14th, 2010

The King just doesn't know how to stay silent.

In an ill-fated publicity move LeBron James logged onto Twitter Tuesday night and tweeted this little piece of superstar wisdom:

"Don't think for one min that I haven't been taking mental notes of everyone taking shots at me this summer. And I mean everyone!" @KingJames.

I can't imagine why anybody would be publicly attacking the player who left his hometown and a franchise desperate for glory to go play with his buddies in Miami. It's not like he had a TV special where he could announce his decision and crush the souls of an entire city.

Oh wait.

Whether justified or not (a lot of it is), LeBron has received more than his share of criticism this summer. He's been called everything from a coward to an egotistical jerk to just plain stupid.

Perhaps nobody is angrier at James than Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who wrote a strongly worded letter attacking LeBron and anointing a curse upon his career.

OK, so Gilbert is a little crazy.

But LeBron's recent tweet is not the message he needs to be sending out right now. People are still testy about his decision, and declaring a vendetta on his detractors is not going to win him any friends right now.

LeBron James is as conscious about his public image as any professional athlete today, and perhaps ever. He wants to be loved, he wants to hear fans chant his name, he wants to see opponents tremble at the thought of having to face him. He wants global fame, and he'll stop at nothing to get it.

That's what makes the tweet all the more curious. What is he going to do? Is he going to average a triple-double and win every game? Is he going to win a title? Is he going to win multiple titles? He's expected to do all these things anyway.

It makes no sense for him to put his feelings in writing. Contrary to popular belief, that's not what Twitter is for. If he wants to prove something to the world then he has to do it on the court, not on social media.



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Posted in LeBron James, Miami Heat, NBA, Opinion

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The Chicago Bears’ Depth Chart’s Out: What Does It Mean?

August 11th, 2010

The Chicago Bears have released their depth chart for the early part of training camp and there are not too many surprises on it. Perhaps the biggest surprise is seeing wide receiver Earl Bennett down so low (at third string). After having a decent 2009, Bennett has had a tough training camp and could be on the verge of getting cut.

The following is a quick position by position look at the Bears depth chart as it stands right now.

Keep in mind that this depth chart is only the first one of training camp (and had to be released at some point before their game against the Chargers this Saturday), so it is bound to change a lot before the final depth chart comes out right before the season opener (the order on the depth chart matches the order for each position). A (T) indicates that both players are tied for that spot on the chart.

 

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks: Jay Cutler/Caleb Hanie/Dan LeFevour—no surprises here. This should pretty much be the order throughout the entire 2010 season.

Running Backs: Matt Forte/Chester Taylor/Kahlil Bell/Garrett Wolfe—not too much of a surprise at the top, but with Harvey Unga injured Bell and Wolfe may end up securing the final two spots at the position heading into the regular season.

 

Wide Receiver (1): Johnny Knox/Rashied Davis/Earl Bennett/Greg Matthews—it is scary that Bennett is third on this list. With a push, Matthews, who is having a great training camp, may leapfrog Bennett if things don’t change soon.

Wide Receiver (2): Devin Hester/Devin Aromashodu/Juaquin Iglesias/Eric Peterman—no surprise here. We should see a lot more of Aromashodu this coming season and that should be a big plus.

Tight End: Greg Olsen/Brandon Manumaleuna/Kellen Davis/Richard Angulo—a bit of a surprise here because of Olsen’s inability to block effectively. This may change somewhat depending on which direction offensive coordinator Mike Martz chooses to go before training camp is complete (meaning will he use tight ends as blockers or as pass catchers?).

H-Back: Desmond Clark/Will Ta’ufo’ou/Eddie Williams/Harvey Unga—The surprise here to me is the position but I guess that Martz’s offense calls for an H-back and so they will use one. Clark is a good choice for this. At least they have Unga somewhere on the depth chart.

Left Tackle: Chris Williams/Kevin Shaffer/J’Marcus Webb/James Marten—no surprise here either except perhaps Webb being put ahead of Marten. Marten has looked good in camp while Webb’s conditioning has been of some issue.

 

Right Tackle: Frank Omiyale/J’Marcus Webb/Kevin Shaffer/James Marten—things might get sticky at this position during the season but what more can you do if you are the Bears? Hopefully Omiyale produces and stays healthy.

Left Guard: Roberto Garza/Johan Asiata/Josh Beekman/Vince Vance—the Bears have done some switching around at the guard position and it looks like it’s working pretty well.

Right Guard: Lance Louis/James Marten/Levi Horn—more switching around after a surprisingly great training camp so far by Lance Louis.

Center: Olin Kreutz/Josh Beekman/Tim Walter—nothing to surprise anyone at this position. Kreutz will be the starter throughout camp.

 

DEFENSE

Left Defensive End: Mark Anderson/Israel Idonije (T)/Corey Wootton—this should be the norm heading into training camp. Hopefully Anderson will be able to live up to the role and help create some pressure on that end of the line.

Right Defensive End: Julius Peppers/Jarron Gilbert/Barry Turner/Maurice Evans—Peppers should be a very welcome addition to this defense in 2010.

Defensive Tackle: Tommie Harris/Marcus Harrison/Henry Melton—no surprises here except perhaps that the Bears are using Henry Melton at the defensive tackle position whereas many thought he might end up being a defensive end.

Nose Tackle: Anthony Adams/Marcus Harrison/Matt Toeaina—finally Adams gets what he deserves. Do the Bears look a little thin at the defensive tackle position?

Weakside Linebacker: Lance Briggs/Brian Iwuh/Matt Mayberry—no surprise with Briggs here but Iwuh must be doing something that not too many people are seeing to impress in camp and deserve that backup spot.

Strongside Linebacker: Nick Roach/Pisa Tinoisamoa (T)/Tim Shaw—this is a close race and there is no clear cut winner right now. Look for this to be one of the most interesting battles to watch in training camp this summer.

Middle Linebacker: Brian Urlacher/Hunter Hillenmeyer/Kevin Malast—nothing to be shocked about here. This is how it should be.

Right Cornerback: Charles Tillman/Tim Jennings/D.J. Moore/Cornelius Brown—Tillman and Bowman swapped spots so this is new but not that big of a surprise. So far it appears that Tillman is very comfortable in his new spot.

Left Cornerback: Zackary Bowman/Corey Graham/Joshua Moore (T)/Woodny Turenne—this is the spot that Bowman switched Tillman for. Moore has had a great camp and may supplant Graham as the number two cornerback at this spot before training camp is over.

Strong Safety: Danieal Manning/Craig Steltz/Quentin Scott—Right now Manning is the man but how soon will he be replaced?

Free Safety: Chris Harris/Josh Bullocks/Major Wright (T)/Al Afalava—Harris was the intended starter here all along.  One interesting thing to note is just how far Afalava has fallen since being a starter last season.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter: Brad Maynard—this is the same as last season.

Kicker/Kickoffs: Robbie Gould—this is the same as last season.

Holder: Brad Maynard—this is the same as last season.

Kick Off Returns: Johnny Knox/Danieal Manning/Devin Hester—Johnny Knox returns for what could be another Pro Bowl season at this spot.

Punt Returns: Devin Hester/Earl Bennett—Hopefully Hester will be able to make some things happen on punt returns. It would be nice to see him return to his old form.  

Long Snapper: Patrick Mannelly/Desmond Clark—this is still a strong part of the Bear’s special teams.

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Posted in Chicago Bears, Football, NFC North, NFL, Preview/Prediction

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Texas Longhorns: Will Garrett Gilbert Make Fans Forget About Colt McCoy?

August 11th, 2010

It was early January in Pasadena, California and a young quarterback, fresh out of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas, was getting ready to walk out of the underbelly of the Rose Bowl and onto the field with the rest of his Texas Longhorn teammates.

The young freshman wasn't completely an unknown when he committed to the University of Texas back February of 2008. Not only was he the son of a former NFL quarterback, but he broke the high school state record for the most career passing yards (12,534) originally held by a well known Texas Tech quarterback, Graham Harrell. On top of that, in 2008, he was also named the USA Today, Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Class 4A Player of the Year

Not many freshman get to experience a national championship game in their very first year. What young Garrett Gilbert, son of former NFL quarterback Gale Gilbert, didn't know, was he would become a bigger part of the biggest game of the year long before he ever expected to.

It was still the first quarter and Gilbert watched as senior Longhorn quarterback, Colt McCoy, was leading his team closer to the end zone, threatening to score against a good Alabama defense. But, in a blink of an eye, McCoy took a hit and came out of the game holding his shoulder, unable to move his arm. It was then that it hit the young freshman, it was his number being called.

Head coach Mac Brown turned to young Gilbert and must have told him that it was his turn to take the reigns and lead the team where they needed to go. We don't know just how much of the conversation Gilbert heard at that moment, especially with his heart beating so loud in his ears that it could have drowned out the more than 90,000 in attendance.

Through the entire first half, Gilbert looked like a deer in the headlights, though who would really blame him for feeling that way. It's not very often you see a true freshman being thrown to the fire in a national championship game. Thought it did take me back to the 1994 NCAA Championship game when UCLA's Cameron Dollar came in for Tyus Edney against Arkansas, a game UCLA ended up winning.

However, it seemed as if the Texas coaching staff either didn't trust Gilbert to throw the ball or Gilbert didn't know if he had the confidence in himself to call a passing play. In at least five drives, including four straight, the Longhorns ran the ball two straight times before the young quarterback threw a pass on third down that either went incomplete or for negative yards.

When the first half was over, Gilbert had been intercepted twice and didn't look at all comfortable. The 'Horns walked to the locker room at halftime down 24-6 with no comeback in sight.

Though it took most of the third quarter for him to finally get comfortable, the young freshman finally broke through, hitting wide receiver Jordan Shiply on a 44-yard touchdown strike to bring them to within 11 of Alabama.

The first drive of the fourth quarter is when Gilbert really began to shine. He completed seven of eight passes and found Shipley again, this time from 28 yards out. And just like, that the national championship game went from what looked like an easy Alabama win to a three point game with just over 11 minutes to play.

But, it was a blitz that Gilbert never saw coming from Eryk Anders that ended what looked like one of the biggest comebacks in national championship history.

It took one drive to show Texas fans what they had to look forward to, and the story of Garrett Gilbert starts in less than a month in Houston, TX against the Rice Owls. This is his time to begin his own legacy and it's his turn to show the Longhorn fans that he has what it takes to lead them back to another national championship game.

While there might be no question that the team could get back to the big game, another question has emerged. How will Gilbert do in the shadow of Colt McCoy?

People point to his high school numbers as one indication that this young quarterback is a lot better than people think. While I won't point to high school numbers to help prove anything against a big time college football conference, I will say that Gilbert looks to not only become his own man with his own style, but he'll be better than Colt McCoy was.

There's something to be said for another quarterback's legacy, especially one that followed another national championship quarterback in Vince Young.

Gilbert has big shoes to fill and big expectations from coaches and teammates. While being thrown into the fire in a national championship game may have been more than he bargained for, it may have been the best thing for him in the long run.

Not many quarterbacks can come into their sophomore season after having played the biggest game of his career in his very first year with the school. This is going to be a good quarterback for years to come and, as one ESPN analyst already predicted, he could very well be hoisting the coveted Heisman trophy before it's all said and done.

If you don't know the name Garrett Gilbert by now, trust me, you will very soon.

Colt who?

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Posted in Big 12 Football, College Football, NCAA, Opinion, Texas Longhorns Football, colt mccoy

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College Football Preseason Top 25: Part II

August 11th, 2010

Yesterday, I revealed the first part of my "Way Too Early," College Football Preseason Top 25. We laughed, we cried, and luckily, remained injury free through all 3,000 words. To read the preview click here.

Today it's time for the second part, where I reveal 15 more teams, and end with the revelation of my preseason No. 1 (I'm sure you'll all be real shocked who I take at No. 1. Kidding). Let's get back to the list...

(Because of length concerns, this is only PART of the article. To read the rest, click here or visit www.aarontorres-sports.com)

10. Texas: When it comes to Texas, I could sit here and bore you with all kinds of fancy stats and figures, and maybe even throw in a pie chart or two for good measure. But instead, I'll be quick. You and I both have better things to do. Well, at least you do anyway.

What it comes down to for Texas is this: The defense is going to be really good (Full of sweaty, Will Muschamp chest bumps). The skill position guys are going to be really good. Malcolm Williams, D.J. Monroe and James Kirkendoll are all burners. But, is Garrett Gilbert ready? Because if not, nothing else really matters.

As I've discussed with several people, including my Big XII Preview Podcast with Allen Kenney of BlatantHomerism.com, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter who you are, who your coach is, or what the name on the front of the jersey says, at some point, your quarterback is going to have to win you a game or two. Even Alabama- who had a Heisman Trophy winning running back- doesn't beat Auburn last year unless Greg McElroy steps up.

So that's the conundrum for Mack Brown and Texas. All the other pieces are there. A 10-win season for the 500th straight year is still likely. I just see one or two games where Gilbert is thrown into the fire, and is just... not... quite... ready.

He will be soon enough. Just not in 2010.

9. Iowa: Early last season I compared Iowa to one of those really good Italian restaurants that only you and your friends know about, where you know the chef personally, and can show up at 7:00 p.m. on a Friday and still get a table. Then the local newspaper does a review of the place, and all of a sudden it's Friday night, you've been standing in the rain for 45 minutes, still haven't gotten a table, and end up eating cold burgers at Arby's. Not fun.

That was my experience with Iowa football in 2009. I watched them in relative secrecy from my couch those first few weeks, but by mid-season, they'd blown up like the Italian restaurant. Next thing I know, they're America's darling, and Mark May is talking about Ricky Stanzi like they've been best friends since grade school. Sorry Mark, but I found these guys first. Stay away. They're mine!

Anyway, I thought about putting Iowa higher in my poll, but two things held me back.

The first being, that as good as Stanzi was last year (Back off Mark!), the dirty little secret was that he was wildly inconsistent (17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions). Quite frankly, I'm still not sure how he rallied Iowa against Indiana last year. That's my concern in 2010. Stanzi put his hand on the stove a lot in 2009 and never got burned. I just don't think he can be that lucky again this year.

The other issue is that Brian Bulaga isn't around any more to protect Stanzi's blind side. That dude was a barge. He put defensive ends on their backs. I don't know how they replace him at left tackle.

This is still a 10-win team, but not a Big 10 champion.

(Random side note: Is it just me, or does Iowa have the coolest sounding pair of wide receivers in college football? Derrell Johnson-Kulianos and Marvin McNutt, are you kidding me? When I first heard their names, I thought they were the guitar players in the Dave Matthews Band or something. All I'm saying is, that I feel like if my name was Marvin McNutt I'd be getting a lot of tail right now. Way more than I currently am anyway. That's all.)

8. USC: This is going to be a bit of a negative, grumpy preview. So if you're looking for funny, happy AT, you might want to skip over this USC section.

Here are a few thoughts on the Trojans:

First off, because of their NCAA sanctions, USC wasn't listed in the USA Today Coaches Poll. I know that's to avoid conflict at the end of the season with the BCS Poll, but at the same time, it's just stupid. They're still taking the field every Saturday, and should be ranked if they merit it. And they do. Plus, doesn't taking them out of the rankings, negatively affect other team's rankings in the BCS computers? Again, just stupid. Here in the AaronTorres-Sports.com poll, they're ranked.

Secondly, you know how people always talk about how the media influences public opinion? Example No. 2,147 is Lane Kiffin.

Now, is the guy a prick? Maybe, I've never met him. The idea that he isn't a good football coach is just stupid. I'm sorry, but it is.

Yes, he didn't do all that well with the Raiders, but come on. Even if Vince Lombardi was coaching them, with Bill Walsh as his offensive coordinator and Bill Belichick as his defensive coordinator, they wouldn't have gone .500. If going 5-15 in Oakland makes Kiffin a bad coach, then well, there isn't a single good coach in all of football.

Also, anyone who says that Kiffin didn't prove anything at Tennessee is an idiot too. 

Look, I take great pride in my job, and part of that is actually watching the teams, coaches and players I talk about on this website. I watched almost every down that Tennessee played last year, and they absolutely, unequivocally got better. From week-to-week, month-to-month and over the course of the season.

Jonathan Crompton went from a guy who couldn't complete a pass to an NFL Draft pick. The defense was one of the best in the country. As a program, Tennessee went from 5-7 in 2008 before Kiffin got there, to 7-6, and a bowl game in Kiffin's only season in Knoxville. Yes, he did in fact improve the team. My question for anyone who says that Kiffin can't coach is this: What exactly was he supposed to do at Tennessee last year? Go 12-0? Come on.

Thirdly (And I'm sorry for being so grumpy, but I've got to get this out of my system. The rest of the preview will be much happier. Promise!), anyone who thinks that USC isn't a 10-win football team this year (especially with 13 games on the schedule), doesn't know what they're talking about. Period.

Honestly, go ahead and look back at last year. Everything that could have gone wrong at USC did. They lost nine starters on defense. They lost both coordinators to Washington. They had a fluky streak of injuries that had to be seen to be believed. They started a true freshman at quarterback. You know what? They still won nine games. Nine! How many programs would kill to have a "down," year like that?

When the sanctions really hit USC in a year or two, this team may take a step back. Not in 2010. They're still the best team in the Pac-10.

(This is just PART of Aaron's Top 25 Preview. To read the remainder, please click here, or visit him at www.aarontorres-sports.com

Also, for his take on all things sports, be sure to follow him on Twitter @Aaron_Torres, add him on Facebook.com/AaronTorresSports or download his APP for FREE for your iPhone or Android)

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Posted in Big 12 Football, Big Ten Football, College Football, College Football Predictions, David Ausberry, Drew McAllister, Matt Barkley, Pac-10 Football, Preview/Prediction, Reggie Bush, SEC Football, USC Football, lane kiffin

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