By Kevin Aherne The 2012 NBA All Star Game is upon us, and though the season has been short, the action has not. We've seen Perk get Beasted, then turn around and verbally bitch-slap Lebron (it was about time), we have also seen the Orlando Magic's collapse amid the Dwight howard sweepstakes, and the emergence of a Harvard educated Asian-American point guard who has stunned New Yorkers with "Who the Fuck is Jeremy "Lin-Sanity!?" Let's start with the All Star rosters. The starters, as always, are elected in the fan's popularity contest, and the reserves are selected by a poll of NBA Head Coaches. Let's see this year's squads: EAST Starters Derrick Rose: Bulls (3rd Selection) Dwyane Wade: Miami Heat (8th Selection) LeBron James: Heat (8th Selection) Carmelo Anthony: Knicks (5th Selection) Dwight Howard: Magic (6th Selection) Reserves Luol Deng: Bulls (1st Selection) Joe Johnson: Hawks (6th Selection) Deron Williams: Nets (3rd Selection) Paul Pierce: Celtics (10th Selection) Chris Bosh: Heat (7th Selection) Roy Hibbert: Pacers (1st Selection) Andre Iguodala:76ers (1st Selection) WEST Starters Chris Paul: Clippers (5th Selection) Kobe Bryant: Lakers (14th Selection) Kevin Durant: Thunder (3rd Selection) Blake Griffin: Clippers (2nd Selection) Andrew Bynum: Lakers (1st Selection) Reserves Russell Westbrook: Thunder (2nd Selection) LaMarcus Aldridge: Blazers (1st Selection) Kevin Love: Wolves (2nd Selection) Dirk Nowitzki: Mavericks (11th Selection) Steve Nash: Suns (8th Selection) Tony Parker: Spurs (4th Selection) Marc Gasol: Grizzlies (1st Selection) So, we have a lot of the usual suspects in Wade, Lebron, Paul, Kobe, and Dwight Howard, but we also have some First-Timers in Aldridge, Hibbert, Iguodala, Deng, Bynum, and Marc Gasol. I have no major arguments with the rosters, but as always, there were some snubs... Snubs Monta Ellis (22.2 PPG - 6.1 APG) Brandon Jennings (18.9 - 5.3 APG) Tim Duncan (13.9 PPG - 8.3 RPG - 13 ASG Streak Snapped) Kevin Garnett (13.9 PPG - 7.5 RPG - 14 ASG Streak Snapped) Rajon Rondo (9.6 APG) Danny Granger (18.3 PPG - 4.8 RPG) Demarcus Cousins (15.4 PPG - 11.4 RPG) NBA POWER RANKINGS (All-Star Edition) 1. Miami Heat (19-7) Dwayne and Lebron will represent the Heat in Orlando, rightfully so, as they have worked to become an elite NBA tandem. 2. Chicago Bulls (22-6) Derrick Rose is in pursuit of the NBA MVP this season, as he and Co-All Star Luol Deng have been tearing apart the competitive Eastern Conference. 3. OKC Thunder (20-6) Kevin Durant is a scoring machine, Russell Westbrook is a top 5 Point Guard, both are All-Stars.... James Harden has been a solid contributor as well. 4. LA Clippers (15-8) The Paul to Griffin airshow has been quite a spectacle thus far, I still think the Clippers are a piece away from being a true contender. 5. Philadelphia Sixers (18-8) Iguodala may be headed to Orlando, but the play of Lou Williams and Elton Brand have put the Sixers in a surprising position. We will see how they hold up as the season progresses. LIN-SANITY Asian-American and Harvard Grad, Jeremy Lin has been the surprise of this NBA season. With stars like Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, Lin is an unexpected hero for the NY Knickerbockers. Last 10 Games PPG: 14.1 AST: 5.9 FG%: .538 By Kevin Aherne In 9 Days, 16 Hours, 38 Minutes.... Pitchers and Catchers will be reporting to Spring Training (But who is counting). Lets take a look at how the 2012 Sox Lineup is shaping up. Next week, I will cover the Pitching Staff, but in this edition of Sox on the Stove, we are focusing on the lineup and defensive alignment. The biggest keys to the Sox offense will be: * Carl Crawford's quest to overcome mediocrity * Ellsbury continuing his offensive development * Ortiz avoiding another slow start * New Additions: Ross, Sweeney, and Punto performing as advertised. Projected Lineup 1. Ellsbury 2. Pedroia 3. Crawford 4. Gonalez 5. Youkilis 6. Ortiz 7. Ross 8. Saltalamacchia 9. Punto Bench Sweeney Aviles McDonald Shoppach Anderson Check In Next Week for a breakdown of the Sox Pitching Staff!
How & why is Jerome Bettis not a Hall of Famer ? His credentials listed below ( thanks wikipedia ) more than speak for themselves. Bettis was a dominant force for most of his career, a team leader and great face for the league his entire career. In 2012 NFL running back Curtis Martin will be enshrined in Canton, don't get me wrong I have no beef with Martin, I just don't see how the 6th leading rusher in history is not there with him. Maybe I'm missing something, maybe being the all time leading rusher for one of the most historical franchises in the game means nothing. What do you think ? Take our poll below and let us know. -Pal
It might have been the most climatic contest in Super Bowl history. Rarely is the game as good as the hype, as good as the montage of has been celebrities prancing across million dollar ads. How often can you say "it came down t the LAST play" in a game of this magnitude ? Much will be written and discussed about Super Bowl 46 but here's the real story : 60 Pulse Pounding Minutes of Football. Nothing more nothing less. The players played hard, the coaches schemed diabolically, even the officials called a straight fair game. As much as the NFL and the major sports media will focus on the drama around the game , in an effort to turn football into some kind of WWE circus sideshow, even they have to admit how great a battle took place in Indianapolis on Feb 5th. When Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning was asked were he was going after the game he said "I'm going to Mondays on Blast with 990WBOB.com". Pal By Kevin Aherne It starts at 7PM with Rob Duguay taking you Under the Radio.... Then catch fire with Torch the Radio at 8PM....
Then at 9:00 PM, Join hosts Pal and Kevin, along with Coach and Matty D as we run down the week in sports, talking Super Bowl XVLI, Hot Stove Baseball, along with other top stories. Can't miss radio, only on 990 WBOB! By Kevin Aherne Based on their moves thus far, it appears that Moneyball was on the Required Winter Reading List for the Red Sox front office this off-season. Last season, they were playing Yankees, starting by hunting down FA Carl Crawford and blasting him in the face with a bucket of cash. They continued this strategy by trading top prospects for Adrian Gonzalez, then immediately signing him to a 9 figure salary. This off-season, the Sox have been playing Beane-Ball. Rather than chasing the 5-tooled Reyes, or sluggers Pujols and Fielder in cash filled dump-trucks, new GM Ben Cherrngton has been shopping in the bargain bins for veteran leaders with usable parts. Additions like Vincent Padilla, Nick Punto, and Carlos Silva will provide some veteran depth, leadership, and maturity to this squad. However, the issue with veterans... they break. Injuries are part of any MLB team's season, and the Red Sox have no immunity to this reality. In past years, their farm system has lacked majors-ready talent who could be called upon to help cover injury gaps. This year, Pawtucket and Portland have plenty of talent that are ready or near-ready to get their MLB chops. Lets take a look at a few: Jose Iglesias, SS Age: 21 Potentially a perennial Gold-Glover, this young infielder is considered to be major league-ready on defense. Offensively, he has a very natural swing with great bat speed, but lacks the strength to drive the ball to the opposite field. He will not amount to much of a power threat either. MLB Comparison: Alexei Ramirez (CWS) Lars Anderson, 1B/DH Age: 24 Lars was originally viewed as the Sox best hitting prospect, but after some issues with injury and anxiety set him back some. He has rebounded nicely, putting up some nice offensive numbers at AAA in the past two seasons. He has also looked servicable in his few MLB appearances last year. If he can stay on the field, he could be a good long-term backup for Gonzalez, and also serve as a power-hitting DH after the departure of Ortiz. MLB Comparison: Lyle Overbay (TOR) Ryan Kalish, OF Age: 23 Considered to be the prospect with the biggest upside, Kalish is truly a 5-tool prospect. He has power, speed, and can cover ground at all 3 outfield positions. He is currently rehabbing an injury that will cause him to miss opening day, but expect to see Kalish at the Major League level this season. MLB Comparison: Grady Sizemore (CLE) Will Middlebrooks, 3B Age: 23 Yet to make his MLB debut, Will Middlebrooks has quickly climbed the Sox system to be considered its gem. He can hit for power to all fields, he can field his position, and he is patient at the plate. His upside could be tremendous. If he gets the chance, he should be able to step in to this team and contribute. MLB Comparison: Scott Rolen (CIN) Ryan Lavarnway, C Age: 24 He has impressed at the Major League level in a limited sample size, but Lavarnway is still very much a work in progress. He has a big hole in his swing, and still needs some defensive help, but the Sox are confident in this youngster's ability to compete at a professional level. MLB Comparison: Chris Iannetta (COL) Other Sox News Carl Crawford underwent wrist surgery last week to remove some scar tissue away from his left wrist. He will miss some of spring training, but is expected to be ready for Opening Day. Whether Crawford's struggles were mental or physical, this surgery should help his confidence in 2012. |
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