Bleacher Report - Articles by Mike Noyes

January-June: What's Your Favorite Sports Month?

Mike Noyes — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:02:52 -0400

There are two universal truths about sports: everybody has a sport that they follow (whether it be a major sport or a smaller, lesser-known sport), and sports are year-round.

Just as sure as the sun rising, every April baseball starts, every September football starts, and every October hockey and basketball start.

Not a fan of the pros? Well then, college sports kick off every year and create just as much buzz as their professional counterparts. College football kicks off every August, college basketball tips off every November, and college baseball starts every February.

Sports give us recurring themes, rivalries, and clutch moments that keep us tuned in all year long. The best part is when your sport ends, even though you don't want to see it end, because that means eventually a whole new season will start.

So without further adieu, I give you a month-by-month breakdown of the sporting schedule. Feel free to chime in with your favorite month of sports, and what the best month of sports is in your opinion.

January

We turn the calendar into the New Year with postseason football.

On the first, we have the famed Rose Bowl, which usually matches up two powerhouse football programs of the Big Ten and Pac-10. Frequent participants USC, Ohio State, and Michigan seem to make the Rose Bowl game a huge draw for college football fans.

In the next couple of days the football gods bless us with the three other BCS Bowls: the Orange Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, and the Fiesta Bowl. Not to mention the BCS National Championship Game.

On the professional side, the NFL playoffs kick off with the wild card games, ending with each conference's title games. At the end of the month we have all the hype leading up to the Super Bowl.

The NBA is two months into its season, with the players lobbying for more All-Star votes. The NHL has its All-Star game late in the month.

In college basketball teams are in the midst of conference play and the rankings are changing every week.

Other leagues in action are UEFA Champion League, the English Premiere League, and the PGA. Tennis has its first Grand Slam tournament of the year with the Australian Open, held at Melbourne Park in Australia.

February

This month opens with a bang with the Super Bowl on the first Sunday of the month. The most watched sporting event in the US easily makes February a top month in sports.

In addition to the Super Bowl, February boasts the NBA All-Star game. The re-emergence of the slam dunk contest (Thanks, Dwight.) adds another must-see in February.

College basketball and the NHL are gearing up for their postseasons, with each team fighting for higher seedings.

NASCAR opens up its season with its most historic race, the Daytona 500, in which drivers make their marks on their sport.

In the PGA, golfers are honing their skills for the year's majors while playing the beautiful Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach, CA in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

March

March is highlighted by the 65-team playoff in college basketball.

Probably the best tournament in sports, this event gets critical acclaim for its one-and-done format and intense battles between powerhouse programs. The champion must win six in a row to claim the title.

The NCAA tournament is known for its game-winning shots and powerhouse match-ups that aren't scheduled during the regular season.

It’s almost playoff time for the NBA and NHL. The MVP race is heating up in both leagues, while teams battle for home court advantage.

America’s pastime kicks into gear with each team traveling to Florida or Arizona to work off the rust of the offseason with spring training games.

NASCAR starts its season with races in Las Vegas, Bristol, Martinsville, and Atlanta.

Golf has its Arnold Palmer Invitational, a famous tournament in honor of the golf legend.

April

April is packed with anticipation and intensity.

The NBA and NHL playoffs kick off in the middle of the month. Teams that have fought hard all season hope to establish a reputation of delivering in the playoffs.

Towards the end of the month some of the individual NBA awards are handed out: the Sixth Man of the Year, the Defensive Player of the Year, and most importantly, the Most Valuable Player.

With baseball's opening day coming early in the month, and the NFL draft later in the month, each team has its anticipation running high for the upcoming season.

In golf we have the first, and most prestigious, major of the season in the Masters tournament held at historic Augusta National.

Many golfers have transformed this tournament in the most well-known major in golf. Whether it is Jack Nicklaus winning consecutive Masters’ jackets in 1965-66, Tiger Woods' four Masters’ jackets, or Gary Player’s record-setting 51appearances at the Masters.

Fans fill their favorite college football stadiums to witness their teams' spring games every April in hopes that this year will bring the glory of a national championship.

Other notable events are the UEFA Champions League playoffs, and NASCAR's races at Talledega, Phoenix, and Texas.

May

May plunges us right into the middle of the NHL and NBA playoffs.

Each league is in the second round or further in their respective playoffs. The NHL has its conference finals towards the end of the month, and the NBA has its conference finals starting at the end of the month and possibly going into June.

For all those horse racing fans out there, the famed “most exciting two minutes in sports” takes place on the first Saturday of the month at the Kentucky Derby. The first leg of the Triple Crown has a long and historic history, dating back to its first running in 1875, and drawing a crowd of 155,000 fans or more per race.

The second leg of the Triple Crown is held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby. The history of the Preakness Stakes is just as long and historic as the Kentucky Derby, dating back to its first running in 1873.

For the most popular sport in the world, the UEFA Champions League has its final match, pitting two of the top soccer clubs against each other with star-power galore.

Baseball opens up its second full month of the season. Teams are still working out some of the rust and building their division records for later in the season.

Racing fans are treated to the famed Indianapolis 500, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.

The Indy 500 is one of the most important motor racing events today. It draws one of the largest audiences, including both radio and television audiences. An estimated 270,000 people attend the race annually.

Tennis has its second Grand Slam tournament with the French Open, held in Paris, France. This physically demanding tournament draws the widest worldwide audience of all tennis events, and ends in early June.

The PGA is well into its season, with golfers hitting their marks and producing under-par scores in the teens, highlighted by the Players Championship held in Florida.

Finally, NASCAR has races in Richmond, Darlington, their All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and Charlotte as drivers rack up points in the chase for the Sprint Cup.

June

As the temperature rises in this summer month, so does the intensity for teams left standing in the NHL and NBA playoffs.

Both leagues have their final series, with the winners taking home the Stanley Cup or Larry O’Brien Trophy and marking their places in history as the best teams of the season.

Each league also has its annual draft. This can make a lottery team a playoff contender the next season, or give bad teams hope that, with the right pick, they can set their team up for success for many years to come.

However, a bad pick can see a team plummet in the standings and give them a top pick in the draft the next year.

The third and final leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing is the Belmont Stakes, held three weeks after the Preakness Stakes. The Belmont is the race where a horse can cement itself in racing history.

With victories here, at the Kentucky Derby, and at the Preakness, the horse claims the Triple Crown.

This race, like the other two Triple Crown races, has a long history, dating back to 1867 for its first running.

Baseball starts the dog days of summer, with June being the month in which players campaign for a starting spot in the upcoming All-Star game.

Golf has its second major of the season in the U.S. Open, held at Torrey Pines Golf Club in La Jolla, California this year. This is another major that draws a huge audience and many elite golfers.

Tennis has its third, and oldest, Grand Slam tournament with Wimbledon, held in London, England, which ends in July.

NASCAR has races at Pocono, Dover, Michigan, Sonoma, and New Hampshire.

The July-December installment of "What's Your Favorite Sports Month?" will be available shortly.

*2007-2008 schedules were used for all sporting events mentioned.

Clash of the Titans: Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James for MVP

Mike Noyes — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:20:22 -0500

We're about 20 games away from the playoffs, and now is a good time to start talking MVP.

I believe that the MVP race is down to two contenders: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

These two players have separated themselves from the rest of the field and are playing at such a higher level than anybody else. Both of them are in a different stratosphere of basketball performance.

So let's compare the performance of both Kobe and LeBron. We'll start with LeBron.

LeBron has solidified himself as a genuine superstar. His numbers this season are just ridiculous: 31 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists every game.

These numbers haven't been seen since Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double in the 1961-62 season when he averaged 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists a game.

Of course these are individual stats, but let's review what James has done for his Cleveland Cavaliers.

He kept the Cleveland's head above water at the beginning of the season when Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic were out of the lineup, and after a slow start, the Cavs are 35-27 and 4th in the East.

He has led his team to two huge wins against Boston and one against the West-leading Spurs, and let's not forget that he's 2-0 against Kobe and the Lakers this season.

The thing that will hurt LeBron in this MVP battle is that he's playing in the weak Eastern Conference, and his team is only eight games above .500.

Kobe is in his 11th NBA season, and after being arguably the best all-around player in the NBA for the past three or four years, he has yet to win one MVP award.

While Kobe's numbers are not as awe-inspiring as LeBron's, they are solid: 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game.

Kobe's Lakers are currently 43-18 and sit only percentage points behind the Spurs for number one in the West.

How many people thought that would happen after the drama surrounding Kobe and the Lakers in the offseason? Kobe has become even more of a leader this year, and has rediscovered his suffocating defense of past years.

He has led his team to a better record than the Cavs in a much more difficult conference, and he has incorporated Pau Gasol without losing a step in the standings.

Kobe and LeBron still have another quarter of a season to improve their MVP resumes, but at this point I believe Kobe has a narrow edge over LeBron for the MVP.

NBA Midseason Grades: Eastern Conference

Mike Noyes — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:14:12 -0500

With Kevin Garnett switching conferences in the offseason, it has given the East an elite player and a team that can challenge any Western conference team for the title.

After an unbelievable Eastern conference finals last season, the East has played like the East we've all come to see over the last couple of years. Then again, there are teams in the East at and below .500 currently holding playoff positions.

Although I believe the East has played better this year, the talent level between the East and West still favors the West.

Now onto the grades...

Atlanta Hawks (Grade: B)

This team is finally starting to realize it's tremendous potential with high-flyer Josh Smith and solid guard Joe Johnson. They are currently in the seventh spot in the East. That's right—the Atlanta Hawks are in the playoffs (if they started today).

Never mind that their record is below .500, the impressive thing about these Hawks is that they could be playing into May since the shortened season of 1998-99. They still could use a solid point guard to complement Joe Johnson in the backcourt, as well as continued development of rookie forward Al Horford.

Boston Celtics (Grade: A)

Kudos to GM Danny Ainge for pulling off the Kevin Garnett trade and acquiring sharp-shooting guard Ray Allen to go with forward Paul Pierce. The three form a scary trio of All-Stars. These moves have breathed new life into the Boston area and in their defense.

This defense is holding opponents to only 88.8 PPG, 42.1 field goal percentage, and 31.6 three-point percentage. After getting out to a 29-3 start, they have lost some games with an injured Garnett, but fully healthy this team puts a scare in any team it plays.

Cleveland Cavaliers (Grade: B)

The defending Eastern conference champs got off to a slow start with Anderson Varajeo and Sasha Pavlovic missing significant time. But a team with LeBron James isn't going to underachieve for too long, and they have responded. They are on a current 13-3 run that has led them to take a hold of the fourth spot in the East.

LeBron has taken his game to a level we haven't seen since the days of Oscar Robertson, averaging a near triple-double this season. This team is still a solid point guard away from being a legitimate contender. Bibby anyone?

Charlotte Bobcats (Grade: C-)

This team was said to have the pieces together for a serious playoff push this year after acquiring Jason Richardson from the Golden State Warriors, but they have underachieved considerably. With injuries to key players, they have not lived up to their expectations from His Airness and the media. Forward Gerald Wallace remains the best player on this team and he is only going to get better, which is scary for the rest of the East.

Chicago Bulls (Grade: F)

But you saw that grade coming right?? This team has underachieved so much that their head coach was fired before the midpoint of the season. They have struggled offensively and their defense has suffered from the original stingy defense we've seen in the past.

In the preseason the Bulls were mentioned with the Celtics and Pistons as possible Eastern conference champs. Ben Wallace's diminishing talents, Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich not hitting their shots consistently, the lack of a low post scorer, and sitting in the 10th spot with a disappointing 19-29 record, they have become ugly to watch. The bright side is they play in the East and are only 1.5 games out of the eighth spot.

Detroit Pistons (Grade: A)

The class of the East for the past five or so years, they again are a favorite to take the Eastern conference title, and are eerily similar to the 2004 team that won it all. It seems like this team took last year's loss in the Eastern conference finals personally and have re- committed themselves on the defensive end, holding opponents to 89.9 PPG, 43.8 field goal percentage, and 33.4 three-point percentage.

They finally got younger with Jason Maxiell, rookie Rodney Stuckey, and Amir Johnson seeing more playing time and giving valuable contributions.

Indiana Pacers (Grade: C)

The Pacers don't deserve anything below a C because with all their flaws, they are still ninth in the East and are 1.5 games behind for the eighth seed. I can't believe they are ninth with Jermaine O'Neal having missed so many games and their defense giving up more than 100 points a game.

They experienced some early success without O'Neal, but are in a midst of a 1-8 run, where it is obvious that they miss him...badly. O'Neal is their only low-post threat and they have missed his shot-blocking ability to the tune of giving up 105 PPG. It's time for the Pacers to go in rebuilding mode around Danny Granger.

Miami Heat (Grade: F)

They would get an F-, but that dubious honor belongs to the New York Knicks. Miami Heat basketball is getting more and more embarrassing to watch. Two years removed from an NBA Championship, they now sit at 9-38—the worst in the East. How can a team with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal win only nine games?

I can't remember any team falling from grace so hard and fast. (If you know of any feel free to comment them.) Shaq is mostly to blame with his diminishing skills as a 35-year-old center, but they won't have to worry about him anymore, having been traded to the Suns for Shawn Marion.

But with Marion and Wade, and no low post threat, how good could they possibly be better than nine wins?

Milwaukee Bucks (Grade: D+)

The Bucks are among some of the Eastern conference teams that have underachieved. With playoff aspirations in the preseason, this team has lacked the defensive tenacity to stop anybody and win games.

Guard Michael Redd continues to be among the best scorers in the league, point guard Mo Williams keeps improving year after year, and center Andrew Bogut has made some significant strides as a legitimate NBA center. But until they dig deep on the defensive end, they will always be a mediocre team.

New Jersey Nets (Grade: D)

They would get an F, but they're hanging on to that eighth seed in the East, so I'll give them a break. But, what once was a dominant defensive team in their two runs to the NBA Finals, has fallen dramatically out of that category. Coupled with their offensive struggles, that's a recipe for disaster—not to mention the continuing Jason Kidd trade saga—but somehow they are still in the playoff hunt.

I believe that as long as the Nets are contending for a playoff spot, Jason Kidd will remain there. And who knows, maybe their big three will get it together and make a run. I mean, it is the East and Anything can happen.

New York Knicks (Grade: F-)

Bad coach, bad players, bad front office. Enough said.

Orlando Magic (Grade: A)

The man-child (Dwight Howard) has officially arrived as a dominant NBA center. I mean, this guy is unbelievable—he's 6'11" and 265 pounds, and he's only 22. Twenty-two!! He's averaging 21 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks a game. He leads the league in double-doubles with more than 30 this season. But he's not the only Magic player who has made a difference this year.

Forward Rashard Lewis has been a worthy compliment to Howard with his ability to spread the floor, knock down the three, and open the lane for Howard to do his business down low.

The other forward, Hedo Turkoglu, is having a career year and should have been an All-Star...but that's another story. Averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and assists per game this year, he gives the Magic another deep threat to compliment Howard. Oh, and the addition of Stan Van Gundy wasn't too bad either.

Philadelphia 76ers (Grade: C-)

In their first full year without Allen Iverson, this team has struggled to win games that Iverson would have put out of reach. The expectations coming into this year were never very high, and this team has looked competitive at times, but Andre Igoudala is not ready to lead them by himself.

However, I believe that Igoudala can become an elite player in this league—he simply needs more help. Andre Miller is a solid point guard who any contending team would gladly take, and center Samuel Dalembert has been solid, but for Igoudala to take this team to the next level he needs more from Miller and Dalembert.

Toronto Raptors (Grade: B+)

I'm giving them that plus just because of Chris Bosh and his hilarious All-Star campaign video. Classic.

This team is currently sitting in fifth, only one game behind the Cavaliers. They are very talented and very young, and are capable of beating any team on any given night. GM Bryan Colangelo has done a tremendous job in transforming the Raptors into a consistent playoff team.

Bosh has been a monster this year with 22 points and nine rebounds per game, and point guard T.J. Ford is finally back from his head injury and ready to lead this team further into the playoffs. With possibly the best back-up point guard in the league, they have the point guard and center positions playing at a high level. This team could be a sleeper in the East.

Washington Wizards (Grade: B+)

If someone told me the Wizards would lose Gilbert Arenas before the season started to a knee injury, and would be sixth in the East, I'd have said that person was crazy. But nonetheless it's true, and without Arenas the Wizards are right in the thick of the playoff race.

All-Stars Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler have lifted their games to carry this team during Arenas' absence. Butler's averaging a career high in points and assists and is a nightly threat to ring up a triple-double. Jamison is averaging a career high in rebounds and blocks this season and has established himself as a valuable power forward in the Eastern conference. Valuable contributions from Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson have kept this team's head above water.

NBA Midseason Grades: Western Conference

Mike Noyes — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:00:24 -0500

On the heels of Tim Legler's ESPN article of handing out midseason grades to the Western conference, I'd thought I'd weigh in with my grades for the West.

In the standings, the Western conference is in a tight race for the coveted number one spot, with a mere five games separating the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors and the first-seed Phoenix Suns.

On the court, watching the Western conference as been as exciting as Eli Manning driving down in the final minutes to win the Super Bowl.

By far the better than the Eastern Conference, the West has been the focal point of high-powered offense and high-scoring games. The Western conference has taken all the titles in this decade except for two. Now, on to the grades...

Dallas Mavericks (Grade: B)

After a great season last year, it wasn't too likely they'd duplicate that success, but while other Western powers have made significant moves to improve, the Mavs have stayed put and made it harder for them to advance to the finals again.

With the Pau Gasol trade to the Lakers and now Shaq heading to the Suns, look for them to make a move before the deadline. Kidd anyone?

Denver Nuggets (Grade B-)

Injuries have taken its toll on this team this year, but that doesn't excuse them from playing porous defense. While very talented on offense, defense is what wins championships.They have proven time and time again that they cannot beat an elite team four times with the defense they play. If they figure out what defense is, no team will want to see them in the playoffs.

Golden State Warriors (Grade A-)

This team sure is fun to watch, right? That may be true, but what happens when the game slows down, like in the playoffs? I think that their pick-up of Chris Webber was a great deal for them.

Although he can't run with the team, when the playoffs come around, he'll be a valuable asset in the half-court set down low when the game does slow down. Like Denver, this team puts a scare in any team come playoff time, like last years number one seed Mavs.

Houston Rockets (Grade C)

This team has underachieved considerably with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Granted T-Mac has missed some time due to injury, but when is T-Mac ever fully healthy?

In the preseason Houston was being mentioned as a Finals candidate, but the defense hasn't been there like it was under coach Jeff Van Gundy, and the free-flowing offense under Rick Adelman has yet to take shape. Look for a second half turnaround for the Rockets and a playoff spot in the bottom four.

Los Angeles Clippers (Grade D)

This team has been decimated with injuries, most notably losing Elton Brand before the season started for months with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

With the players seemingly no longer responding to coach Mike Dunleavy, and the squabble between owner Donald Sterling and Dunleavy, their players look disinterested. Except for Chris Kaman, who has taken this year to showcase his skills, and establish himself as a solid center.

Los Angeles Lakers (Grade A)

What's not to love about this team? They picked up a solid 20-10 guy every night, in Pau Gasol, to go along with an improved Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and arguably the best player in the NBA in Kobe Bryant.

GM Mitch Kupchak deserves all of the credit for not trading Kobe in the off season and not giving up any of the Lakers' core talent. This team is set for many more years, and once again will be a contender for a title for years to come.

Memphis Grizzlies (Grade D+)

Their record will indicate that they have a terrible team, but Rudy Gay has officially arrived in the NBA, and could be a solid 20-7 guy every night for this team. Their trade of Pau Gasol has officially put this team in rebuilding mode, and has given them substantial cap room in years to come to pick up a top free agent. But until then, they'll have to deal with many L's.

Minnesota Timberwolves (Grade C-)

Let's face it, this team wasn't expected to do anything special this season. Their lone bright spot has been Al Jefferson, and because of him they don't deserve to get any lower than a C-. He has shown that he can be a great low-post presence that the Wolves can build around him in the years to come.

New Orleans Hornets (Grade A)

How can anyone not root for this team? After a tumultuous last couple of seasons, coupled with Hurricane Katrina and key injuries, this team finds itself in the top three in the Western standings, and tied with Dallas for their division.

Point guard and MVP-candidate Chris Paul has lifted this team to new heights, and with forward David West and center Tyson Chandler having career years, the Hornets have surprised everybody. Their only concern come playoff time is their inexperience.

Phoenix Suns (Grade B)

With the top spot in the West, you'd think their grade would be higher, but with chemistry issues and still not committed to playing defense, they're given a solid B. The Shawn Marion situation earlier in the year caused friction between him and his teammates and coach, which could have affected his play.

Marion got his wish and he was shipped to Miami for Shaquille O'Neal, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense because Shaq can't run with the offense. The Suns are hoping he can be that defensive presence that they sorely need. Until the Suns prove they can advance to the Finals, a B is all they deserve.

Portland Trail Blazers (Grade B+)

The most surprising team in the league has improved leaps and bounds over the expectations coming into this season. Their recent slide has brought them back down to earth, but for awhile they were the hottest team in the league.

After losing Greg Oden for the season, last year's Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy has led this team of youngsters to the brink of a playoff spot. Imagine what this team will be like next year when Oden is healthy. Scary.

Sacramento Kings (Grade C)

I'm going to give the Kings a break because of all the injuries that they have sustained during the course of the year. Losing Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin for an extended period, they kept their heads above water.

Now that Bibby, Martin, Ron Artest, and Brad Miller all healthy they are two games below .500 and playing good basketball. Although I don't think they have enough to get to the playoffs, they have enough talent to spoil someone else's bid.

San Antonio Spurs (Grade B-)

The recent offensive struggles and losing Tony Parker are not good omens for the defending champs. Although any team would like to be in the Spurs' shoes, with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Parker, and sitting at 30-16, they are only 6th in the conference.

I'm not concerned with the Spurs, they have proven that they can coast through the regular season and turn it on in the playoffs, and they usually use their rodeo trip as a catalyst for their run in the playoffs. Look for them to be the usual Spurs and go deep in the playoffs...again.

Seattle Supersonics (Grade D+)

Another team that nothing was expected of before the season started, and a 14-game losing streak can't get them a grade above a D+.

Rookie Kevin Durant has found relative success as the Sonics best player, and the improving Chris Wilcox has provided a reliable low post threat, but a point guard is sorely needed to give Durant and Wilcox more open looks. With their departure from Seattle still rumored, they need a lot of help if they want to win some games.

Utah Jazz (Grade B+)

Their success last year carried over to the beginning of this season, as they proved that their Western conference finals run was no fluke. They hit a snag a couple of weeks ago, however, and lost a few games in a row to lesser teams.

Now they are one of the hottest teams in the league, and on a current 9-game winning streak. With Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams they have two players who complement each other very well, and have the potential to return the Jazz to the level of the late 1990s Jazz.

Those are my grades for each team, feel free to give your opinions on these grades, or make your own report card.

Next I will publish the midseason grades for the Eastern conference

Super Bowl XLII: Eli Manning Pulls a Tom Brady

Mike Noyes — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:16:04 -0500

After Super Bowl XLII, Eli Manning stood at the podium clutching his MVP trophy, then holding it high above his head and smiling.

Wait...Eli Manning was clutching the MVP trophy?

It must have been in a losing effort, right?

Nope.

The stage was set for the immortal Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots. They were to storm through the record books in a flurry of points with a band of potential Hall of Famers.

But in the desert rain of Glendale, Arizona the young Manning took the Pats’ best shots and set an unrelenting pace to the top. He has officially dropped the subtitle "brother of Peyton Manning,” and from now on will be known as simply Eli Manning, winner and MVP of Super Bowl XLII.

So, how did this happen?

Eli Manning showed the poise and precision of an elite quarterback, kind of like his counterpart showed en route to three Super Bowl titles.

Manning couldn't have asked for a better opening drive against the solid, but agéd, Pats’ defense. Receiving the ball, Manning marched his offense down the field, consuming almost 10 minutes of clock and keeping Brady and that high-powered offense on the sidelines, converting his first four third down opportunities. The drive culminated in Lawrence Tynes' 32-yard field goal.

Giants 3, History 0.

After sitting on the sidelines for almost 10 minutes, Tom Brady and his record-setting offense finally took the field with about 4:30 left in the first quarter, ready with an answer to the Giants’ impressive opening drive.

With Laurence Maroney's 43-yard kickoff return, the Pats gained excellent field position. They capitalized on that position, and on an Antonio Pierce pass interference penalty, to put up Maroney’s one-yard dive into the endzone.

Giants 3, History 7

On the Giants’ next drive Eli Manning experienced his first interception of the postseason, although it wasn't entirely his fault. What looked to be a catchable pass, wide receiver Steve Smith bobbled, flinging the ball up in the air and into the arms of Pats cornerback Ellis Hobbs.

But in the Pats’ next drive they were held by the Giants’ defense and forced to punt.

All in all, Super Bowl XLII would pivot on whether or not the Giants could pressure Tom Brady who, throughout the regular season, looked like a tank going up against a series of pistols.

Then came the Pats’ second quarter drives. Brady was sacked in back-to-back dropbacks.

Just before time expired in the second quarter, Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck exploded past the Pats’ offensive line and stripped the ball from Brady, who was preparing to throw deep. Manning’s failing Hail Mary ended the quarter.

Giants 3, History 7—halftime.

When the third quarter started, everybody assumed the Patriots would finally start scoring points. Instead, they decided against a potential 49-yard field goal and elected to throw a deep pass. Manning and the Giants took over on their own 20-yard line.

On first down Manning tossed a pass to fill-in tight end Kevin Boss. The pass seemed to have just five to seven-yard potential, but after a missed tackle by safety Rodney Harrison, Boss turned it into a 45-yard reception.

Later that drive Manning threw a perfect pass to David Tyree for a five-yard touchdown reception.

Giants 10, History 7

Of course the Pats responded by going on a 12 play drive capped by a seven-yard touchdown reception by Randy Moss; Giants cornerback Corey Webster tripped on his backpedal leaving Moss wide open. This touchdown set the stage for one of the greatest drives in Super Bowl history.

Giants 10, History 14

At the beginning of this legendary drive, Eli Manning looked shaky, resembling the old Manning that New York media had ripped continuously.

But he avoided those past mistakes, and a relentless Pats' pass rush. Manning spun, ducked, and dodged several would-be tacklers, finally lofting a 35-yard rainbow to David Tyree. Tyree caught and pinned the ball to his helmet while fighting off Rodney Harrison.

With 35 seconds left Manning lofted another rainbow pass, this time to Plaxico Burress, who caught it in the endzone.

The following Patriot drive ended with two sacks and two incomplete passes to Randy Moss, sealing the Patriots’ fate.

Giants 17, Patriots 14

So to break with the usual, it was not Tom Brady who led his team down the field in the final minutes to set a game-winning score; it was Eli Manning.

Watching Manning lead his team to victory, Brady also saw the Patriots’ perfect season and his own football immortality crushed. And there was nothing he could do about it.

New Orleans Hornets Creating a Buzz

Mike Noyes — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:13:41 -0500

That buzzing sound being heard in San Antonio, Dallas and Phoenix are not bees, but Hornets...the kind from New Orleans.

That's right; the New Orleans Hornets have planted themselves among the Western elite, as most well-balanced team in the NBA.

With an MVP-like point guard in Chris Paul, two big men down low in David West, the scorer, and Tyson Chandler, the rebounder; and a legitimate outside shooter in Peja Stojakovic, the Hornets are well on their way to challenging for Western Conference supremacy.

After a 12-2 month of January, with convincing wins over San Antonio and Denver, the Hornets find themselves tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the second spot in the loaded West, as well as the Southwest Division lead.

If not for a current three-game losing streak, they might still be number one in the West like they were a couple of weeks ago, or at least tied with the Phoenix Suns for number one. But the question that looms over this team is whether they can win when the pressure is at its highest: in the playoffs.

If the recent history of the past NBA title winners is any indication, then I believe the Hornets have a legitimate chance to make a deep playoff run. Most past title winners all have had one thing in common: They all had strong play from the point guard and center positions.

The Spurs had Tony Parker feeding the ball into Tim Duncan to the tune of three and four rings respectively; the Lakers had Kobe Bryant feeding it into Shaquille O'Neal for three rings, plus another ring for O'Neal with Dwyane Wade while playing for the Miami Heat.

Even though Kobe wasn't a true point guard, he handled most of the point guard duties during that three-peat.

An exception to this is, of course, the Chicago Bulls' dominance in the 1990s. Then again, Scottie Pippen played a darn good point-forward.

The Hornets have both of those positions playing at high levels this season, with Paul being an MVP candidate, averaging 20.7 ppg, 10.9 apg and 2.5 spg; and West and Chandler anchoring the middle, averaging a combined 31.7 ppg, 21.6 rpg and 2.3 bpg.

Not only do the Hornets have strong play at the guard and center positions, they also have a coach who led his New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals two years in a row in 2002 and 2003.

Although he lost both of those finals matchups, he no doubt gained tremendous experience to pass along to this young Hornets team. The Hornets are a respectable 4-2 against the West power triumvirate of Dallas, San Antonio, and Phoenix.

If the playoffs started today, the Hornets would face San Antonio in the first round and have home field advantage. The Hornets are 16-8 at home and, for a young team like this, it will be imperative that, in their first round matchup, they play four games at New Orleans Arena.

We saw last year what a young and inexperienced team can do on their home court when the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors upset the one-seeded Dallas Mavericks.

With the head coach, point guard, and center positions all excelling, that leaves one last important part of a deep playoff run: defense.

The Hornets rank fourth in the NBA in opponents' points per game, allowing 93.4 ppg. They are allowing opponents to shoot 34 percent from three-point range, with a 45 percent field goal percentage.

Both marks are highly impressive for such a young team who no one thought would be making this much noise at this point in the season.

The three Western powers are hearing the faint buzz of the Hornets coming west along Interstate 10, and as that noise is getting louder and louder, they're starting to take notice.

Pau Gasol-Kwame Brown Trade: Lakers Impact

Mike Noyes — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:02:37 -0500

Pau Gasol has no leadership. Pau Gasol is soft. Pau Gasol can't block shots.

These are the main knocks against the newest addition to the Los Angeles Lakers, 7-foot forward-center Pau Gasol.

On Friday, the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to trade Gasol to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, and two future first-round picks. This move bolsters an already young and athletic frontline for the Lakers.

In Part One of this two-part story, I examined the reasons why the Grizzlies made this trade.

In Part Two, I will examine why the Lakers made this trade—and how Gasol might fit in to the Laker system.

The main reason why the Lakers made this trade was simple: They needed a big guy to replace injured center Andrew Bynum.

Simple, right? But what happens when Bynum comes back in March?

While Bynum is recovering, Gasol will play center most of the time so the Lakers can have that inside presence. And when Bynum does return, Gasol will likely move to the four and Lamar Odom will move to the three, while Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher will stay in the backcourt.

With that starting five, they have arguably the best lineup in the NBA, and no doubt will have the best frontline in all of basketball. They have athleticism in Bynum and Odom, height with three of them (Odom is 6'10", Gasol and Bynum are 7-footers), and length with all of them.

Most people were talking about the big trios in the NBA this year: Boston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Phoenix.

But who can rightfully brag that they have FOUR stars in their starting lineup?

As I mentioned above, Pau Gasol has three knocks on him that people talk about when he comes up in conversation. However, I believe that he won't have to worry about those things playing alongside Kobe, Lamar, and Bynum.

He won't need to be a leader because Kobe is already the unquestioned leader of this team, he won't have to block shots because he'll have Bynum behind him to take care of any potential blocks, and his reputation of being soft won't concern anyone because he won't be asked to do any of the dirty things since Kobe and Odom already excel in that category.

And regarding the knocks on him for being a poor defender, he will have the length of Odom and the tenacity of Kobe to double the elite forwards in the west, plus a last line of defense in Bynum in case he does get beat.

This move gives the Lakers a big man to replace Bynum until he comes back, and it gives the Lakers a legitimate shot at the Western Conference crown—if not this year, then in many years to come.

Pau Gasol-Kwame Brown Trade: Grizzlies Impact

Mike Noyes — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:12:57 -0500

On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers traded for 2002 Rookie of the Year and 2006 All-Star forward Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The 7-foot Spaniard was averaging about 19 points and 9 rebounds for the lowly Grizzlies, who were going nowhere this season, and fast.

In return, the Grizzlies received former number one pick Kwame Brown, rookie point guard Javaris Crittenton, the rights to Aaron McKie and Marc Gasol, and two future first-round picks for Pau.

It's obvious as to why the Lakers pulled the trigger on this trade: to get a big body who can replace injured center Andrew Bynum until he comes back. But why did the Grizzlies give up their best player, and a player who is a regular 20-10 guy, for an essentially underachieving center in Kwame Brown?

It's easy: to shave payroll.

At the present time, the Grizzlies are sitting at 13 wins, and are one of the worst teams in the league this year and last year. Grizzlies' General Manager Chris Wallace saw this move as a precursor to a potentially big spending summer coming up by getting rid of Pau's massive contract.

Gasol is slated to earn $49 million over the next three years. By trading away Gasol's contract, the next highest-paid player on the Grizzlies' roster is forward Mike Miller, slated to make about $8 million next year and $18.8 million over the next two years.

The Grizzlies should be well under the salary cap in the coming summers and could lure a big time free agent their way, but with the small market they play in, and the worse the present team gets, it's going to take a lot of money to convince a top-tier player to ink a contract with the Grizzlies.

While the Grizzlies were trying to stay afloat with Gasol, they're going to have a very tough time just keeping their heads above water without him. By making this trade the front office is telling the fans to be patient.

In Part Two, I will talk about the impact this trade will have on the Lakers.