'Just Wondering . . .'

Slim chance to repeat in big D without Barea and Chandler. 

What are the Dallas Mavericks doing to the roster with these latest acquisitions?  You bring in a disgruntled Lamar Odom, who is clearly not ready to leave the Lakers nor the limelight of L.A., and an aging Vince Carter from Pheonix, who is no longer 'half-man, half-amazing' (he's more like 99-percent-man, 1-percent-amazing), and stands to get $18-million this year while leting go of starting center Tyson Chandler and reserve point guard J.J. Barea: two players that played enormous roles in winning the NBA Championship last year?  I'm sure they'll save money in the long run but you just lost yourself a shot at a repeat. . .

Did Xavier University guard Tu Holloway think his 'gangsters in the locker room' comment would help his already questionable NBA Draft prospects?

Harrison's wreckless style finally has him sidelined a game.

Why does Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison appeal any of his reprimands for illegal hits?  Normally, I'm the first guy to be all up-in-arms when I see a flag or a guy get fined for making a vicious, but clean hit.  I can't say that when I see a Harrison hit though because he always leads with the crown of his helmet and launches his body at defensless receivers/quarterbacks; which is exactly what they tell you not to do.  Funny thing about it: I honestly do not think that the man cares.  That's just the way he's always going to tackle . . . atleast until someone really gets hurt.

'Big Ups . . .'

Houston Texans quarterback T.J. Yates >>> 4th quarter comebacks in first two starts of career #tebowing
Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray >>> broken ankle last week ended season early but put up big numbers and proved his doubters wrong #boomersooner

Feed the beast . . . footballs; not Skittles.

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch >>> tearing up NFL defenses right now and will be getting big time paid very soon #BEAST_MODE
Indiana University basketball coach Tom Crean >>> hoops team back on the rise after knocking off No. 1 Kentucky, Assembly Hall is jumpin' again #HOOSIERS
ESPN 30 for 30 >>> Chris Herren 'Unguarded' and Todd Marinovich 'The Marinovich Project' documentaries are the latest installments in a great series taking viewers behind the scenes of unique athletes and sports phenomena #realsh*t

8 Things To Watch For Now That The NBA Lockout Is Over

1 - Will LeBron, Wade, Bosh, make the Finals again?

The Heatles have one year under their belt together and should put together a sound round through the Eastern conference on the way to the Finals.  Atleast that is what the talent of the roster indicates.  Pressure is on LeBron James again to see what he can do down the stretch.  I'm not sure his career/legacy can take another 4th quarter late playoff meltdown/disappearance.

2 - Chris Paul, Dwight Howard on the move?

King James can't afford another 4th quarter playoff letdown.

This was originally fifth on my list of things to watch for before the events of this past week transpired, with Paul almost becoming a Los Angeles Laker and Howard seemingly on the cusp of becoming a New Jersey Net.  It's going to be interesting to see now how the league handles CP3 and the league-run New Orleans Hornets.  Paul may have to just become a free-agent as it will be difficult for teams to propose a trade for him without other league owners having a problem with it and urging commissioner David Stern to step in once again.

3 - Can Kobe be a good teammate without Phil Jackson as coach?

Mike Brown is the old coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the new coach of the L.A. Lakers.  So this means he is going from coaching LeBron to coaching Kobe Bryant.  If Brown couldn't really check Bron's ego, what the hell is he gonna do when Kobe starts throwing up 30 shots a game?  It will be something to watch to see how coach Mike handles that yearly slide that the Lakers always go through, when they're losing to teams they shouldn't lose to and people act like the world is coming to an end.

4 - What rookie will take the NBA by storm?

It's happened for a good four straight years now where a rookie has hit the scene and looked like a future dominating presence in the NBA (see John Wall, Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, and Kevin Durant).  It's been a while since we've seen these guys because of the lockout but write me down for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams and Sacramento Kings guard Jimmer Fredette as the top two rooks to have big impacts.

This might be the last chance for the 'Big 3' to get that second ring.

5 - Boston Celtics 'Big 3' final run?

When Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge put together the team that would eventually win the 2007-08 NBA Championship in its first year together, most basketball fans found it likely that this team probably could win a minimum of two rings barring any major injuries.  But of course, sports are sports and injuries do happen.  Kevin Garnett went down with a knee injury the following year and really gave the C's no chance of repeating.  The 2009-10 squad made it back to the Finals, only to squander a 3-2 series lead at the hand of the rival Lakers.  Last year, most Celtics fans would blame Ainge for the team not making the Finals, as long time center Kendrick Perkins was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder late in the season, effectively destroying the team chemistry and morale.  But Boston still has K.G. (age 35) along with Paul Pierce (34) and Ray Allen (36), but the window of oppurtunity for that second 'chip keeps getting smaller.

Dirk is the reigning NBA 'baddest man in the clutch'.

6 - Can Dirk establish himself as one of the greatest players of all time?

Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to the franchise's first championship ever last year while running through the Western Confrence and the likes of Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant and stunning the star-studded Miami Heat in the Finals.  This was no doubt one of the best individual playoff runs in NBA history, as the Mavs were not anyone's favorite to win the title before Dirk began his unconscious tear.  Can Nowitzki repeat this type of playoff performance in 2012, with the target of 'baddest man in the clutch' squarely on his back?

7 - Short season to benefit veteran teams or young teams?

You would think that this short season would help the veteran teams because logically they already have chemistry playing together, but I'm not so sure.  Sometimes it takes the older guys some time to get things rolling, it's only 16 less games, yeah, but those games definitely could effect where teams are seeded when playoff time comes.

8 - Blake Griffin?

What do I really have to say here?  It's Blake Griffin folks!

Look out below!!!

BLUNT COMMENTS: TUESDAY DECEMBER 6, 2011

- I hope the Indianapolis Colts draft Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the number 1 overall pick in next years draft.  That way, I can make a smooth transition of hating on talented but goofy and some what Downs syndrome looking quarterbacks.

Manning face to Luck face will be a smooth transition for Colts haters.

- The Heisman Trophy belongs to Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, with LSU cornerback/ punt returner/ gamebreaker Tyrann Mathieu a close second.

RG3 and Mathieu have been the biggest gamebreakers this season.

- I don't know who I want to punch in the face harder, Bernie Fine or Laurie Fine.



- In this year's NFL, I don't care what you can do, what you're good at, what you're bad at, how many 4th quarter comebacks or Pro-Bowlers you have . . . the only thing that matters is this: Can you stop the Green Bay Packers?

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have been so consistent, it's hard to see a loss in their near future.

- Yeah, Tim Tebow has been spectacular in the 4th quater, John Fox is a genius for tailoring the Denver Broncos offense so that Tebow can thrive in it, and the defense led by rookie linebacker Von Miller has been keeping games close so that Tebow can make his comebacks . . . but lets settle down and look at the teams the Broncos have beat in during this 6-1 stretch: Miami Dolphins (4-8), Oakland Raiders (7-5), Kansas City Chiefs (5-7), New York Jets (7-5), San Diego Chargers (5-7), Minnesota Vikings (2-10) . . . the only loss was to the Detroit Lions (7-5), 45-10.  Not hating on Tebow, I've liked him since his days in Gainsville, and I know its hard to beat any team in the NFL no matter what the record, especially on the road, but I'm just saying . . .

Tebow is a great closer, but let's face it; the Broncos haven't beaten any real contenders.

'No. 1, If By Air'

The college football season is coming to its climax and the games have been very exciting these past few weekends including a defensive battle between Southeastern Conference juggernauts LSU and Alabama, and huge upsets that have sent Oklahoma State, Oregon, Clemson, and Oklahoma basically out of the national championship picture.  That said, this Thanksgiving Day weekend serves up another dandy when No. 1 LSU (11-0, 7-0 SEC) hosts No. 3 Arkansas (10-1, 6-1 SEC) with obvious national title implications on the line.  The Tigers have dominated defensively all year, mostly due to the talent of the secondary.  The Razorbacks have put up big offensive numbers this year thanks to the passing attack.  It will be a battle of strength versus strength that will decide which one of these SEC schools comes closer to solidifying a spot in the BCS National Championship game.  Here are the top players to watch in that game.

Wright catches just about everything he gets his hands on.

Arkansas Razorbacks
#4 Jarius Wright - Wide Receiver
5-10 180 Senior Warren, AR
2011 stats:  61 rec., 1002 yds, 10 TDs

Wright is the most consistent threat for the Hogs pass attack and is quarterback Tyler Wilson's favorite target.  He has the ability to make the tough catches in traffic and frequently gets open in man coverage due to his precise route running ability.  The Texas A&M defense knows exactly how dangerous Wright can be as they were torched by #4 to the tune of 13 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns on October 1.

Claiborne attacks the ball at its highest point.

LSU Tigers
#17 Morris Claiborne - Cornerback
6-1 185 Junior Shreveport, LA
2011 stats:  40 tackles, 4 INTs, 9 PD, 1 kick return TD

While teammate and fellow cornerback Tyrann Mathieu gets the national acclaim as the top LSU defensive back, Claiborne leads the team in interceptions and is probably the best NFL prospect in the Tigers secondary.  His interception in the second half of the so called "Game of the Century" against Alabama November 5th setup the game-tying field goal and he also deflected a pass in the end zone that could have been a Crimson Tide touchdown

Other key players:
S - Eric Reid - LSU
WR - Joe Adams - Arkansas
TE - Chris Gragg - Arkansas
WR - Colbi Hamilton - Arkansas
CB - Ron Brooks - LSU
DE - Barkevious Mingo - LSU
DE - Sam Montgomery - LSU
RB - Dennis Johnson - Arkansas

'Lethal Enforcers'

Tressel lost Buckeye coaching job, now faces NFL suspension.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is always going on about how they would like to get the pro element away from student-athletes so they can be a truly amateur establishment, but some recent decisions made by National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell appear as though the NCAA has requested aid from the NFL to enforce its own penalties.  The incident in question is the suspensions of former Ohio State University quarterback Terrelle Pryor and head football coach Jim Tressel.  Pryor was supposed to be suspended for the first five games of this current 2011 college football season for breaking NCAA rules (he gave game worn jerseys and other memorabilia in exchange for free tattoos) and Tressel also five games for having knowledge of Pryor's and other players' violations and not reporting it.  Pryor withdrew from Ohio State in the spring amid the turmoil of the situation and Tressel later resigned.  Since Pryor was not eligible for the NFL Draft (he withdrew from OSU past the deadline to enter the draft) he found his way into the NFL through the league's supplemental draft, but under a condition arranged by Goodell that he would face a five game suspension upon entering the league.  Tressel recently took a non-coaching position with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and is now being suspended for six games due to his conduct at Ohio State.  But the big question here to me is why is the NFL enforcing penalties on behalf of the NCAA when the NCAA insists that it wants to decrease the involvement of the pro element in its sports? 

Coach Cal left UMass on pro-b, no NBA suspension.

Normally if a player has baggage from high school or college heading into a pro sports league, they are affected in that transition by maybe falling lower in a draft than they would have originally been selected or in some cases not getting drated at all.  But to be punished by the pro sports team for something the player did in college is absurd.  Did the New Orleans Saints suspend Reggie Bush when it was discovered that the Bush family received impermissable benefits from an agent during his time at the University of Southern California; a violation that subsequently led to USC being placed on four years probation?  Did the New Jersey Nets punish basketball coach John Calipari when the University of Massachusetts was forced to vacate wins when it was discovered Marcus Camby had been receiving impropers under Coach Cal's watch in Amherst? No and no.  The NCAA is becoming more hypocritical with each passing year and is losing a large portion of its fans in the process.  The problem is that student-athletes at big schools are really just buying their time before they can become pro athletes so they can get paid.  There is really no pride taken in being a student at the university, so as a result there is almost no remorse in accepting something that you know if caught will damage the reputation of that university.  Nonetheless , NCAA rules are NCAA rules and not pro rules.  Blurring the lines between the two only adds gas to the fire that college sports has been trying its damndest to quelch for decades now, and given the severity of its current state, will continue to blaze for decades to come.