Brett Favre chokes up

Brett Favre was crying again.

This wasn't another retirement speech in front of the glare of the media. This meltdown allegedly took place behind close doors to a more critical audience: his teammates.

What should have been a build-up to Favre's return to the Jets team he led to an 8-3 record in 2008 before his arm fell off, turned into a plea for forgiveness for an investigation into possible sexual harrassment by Favre towards a former Jets employee.

What are these guys thinking? i mean I know what they are thinking, but why is it always the married guys? With the wives that have breast cancer at that (hello, John Edwards)?

I mean Favre did his alleged dirt before Tiger Woods voicemail heard 'round the world, but why would you leave your voice recorded on any potential mistress's phone. If Monica lewinsky taught us anything with the blue dress stained with Slick Willie's weeks old DNA, these ladies save everything just in case.

I am not excusing Favre in anyway, but with a legacy like his in football from passing yards to touchdowns thrown, and now he may have his consecutive games streak snapped...

is it really worth the trouble?

Nas Blacks Out

Just saw an e-mail Nas sent to L.A. Reid and the powers that be at Island Def Jam demanding they promote and put out his latest work "The Lost Tapes 2". Nas has never been one to hold his tongue and it sometimes gets him in trouble (remember when he spazzed out at Cam'ron, Nore and HOT 97 after not being allowed to burn Jay-Z in effigy on the Summer Jam stage in 2002?)

Nas contends that Reid, an R&B man by trade does not know anything about rap (duh, that's why he hired Jay-Z, but most of the artists didn't like that move either - damned if you do...). I am sure this could have been worked out in a face to face meeting and not via e-mail (a supposedly private e-mail account) where the whole world can see on the internet.

Nas signing with Def Jam was supposed to be a major coup for the legendary label, but it has not worked out that way. Hopefully they can work thingts out peacefully and get that new Nas ish out.

The Who?

Excuse my ignorance, but who are these Tea Party people?

These conservative, march having, protest leading purveyors of everything, uh - conservative, mostly from Middle America are popping up on all over the Fox News channel and CNN. I do not remember this "party" being in the news when George Bush was in office.

However, ever since Barack Obama has taken over the most powerful position in the free world...

maybe it's just me...

New York Mets clean house...finally

Finally the Jerry manuel, Omar Minaya experiment in New York is over. In my humble opinion the New York Mets should have made this decision last year when Minaya embarrassed the organization with the insane accusation he levied at a reporter about wanting a job with the Mets. That's not saying anything about the fact that he is a horrible public speaker. Manuel was a stop gap for the ousted Willie Randolph (another move handled with "class" by Minaya) who may have gained prolonged life with the Mets decent play at the beginning of the year.

Don't look now but Joe Torre is a free agent and may be interested in a second go-round with the Mets. maybe it is the optimistic Mets fan in me, but maybe Torre can capture that Yankees magic with the boys in Queens. Let's forget about the fact that the Yankees had the best players money could buy for over ten years and all he had to do was massage the egos. Like I said I am an optimist. The Mets are two years removed from being "the team to beat" in the NL, one Carlos Beltran swing from going to the World Series and two collapses from repeat playoff appearances...

I dunno, I'm a dreamer....

Five reasons Carmelo Anthony will NOT be a New Jersey Net this season

5 – He wants to play in New York – With New Jersey pulling out of the proposed four-team trade that would have brought Melo to the Nets, it is obvious that Anthony is hesitant to head to the swamp. He has enough star power to force this deal through if he really wanted to. Rumor has it that Melo is holding out hope that the Knicks will make a last ditch attempt to put a package together to get him to the Big Apple. He played his college ball (and won a championship) at Syracuse, his new wife La La was a former MTV VJ and newly signed Knick Amare Stoudamire is openly telling anyone who will listen that the Knicks will have their own dream team of himself, Melo, and another free-agent-to be San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker in the near future.


4 – No supporting cast – The “blockbuster” trade that wasn’t would have put Anthony on New Jersey with only center Robin Lopez as the only other player of substance at the moment. Gone in the proposed deal would have been no.3 overall pick Derrick Favors and All-Star point guard Devin Harris. Last I checked Robin Lopez is no Stoudamire, not yet at least.

3 – The Decision – Carmelo saw LeBron take his talents to South Beach to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Heat. That is three of the top five picks (James #1, Bosh #4, Wade #5) in the same 2003 NBA Draft that he was in (Anthony was the #3 pick). Melo doesn’t feel his supporting cast in Denver matches up in star power and he wants to get in on a friendly rivalry of “Big Three” teams which makes New York or Chicago very attractive destinations. No word if he is going to join Darko Milicic (the no.2 pick in the 2003 draft and colossal NBA bust to this point) any time soon.

2 – Denver still wants him – It was also reported that the Nuggets had cold feet when it came to pulling the trigger on the four-team trade that would have sent Melo to New Jersey because they believe they can still get Melo to sign the 3-year $65 million dollar extension they have on the table right now. With the current collective bargaining agreement coming to an end after this season it is not guaranteed that Carmelo will see this type of money again in a long term deal. The Nuggets have pulled out the stops in a last ditch effort to convince Anthony to stay put beyond this season. They risk losing him for nothing after the season when he becomes a free agent, but that is a risk they are willing to take.

1 – The love of the game – don’t expect trade rumors and his alleged desire to leave Denver to affect Anthony’s play. He reported to camp on time and in uniform ready to go. Melo is not a player who will sulk or hold out on his team to force their hand. He stated as much in an ESPN interview where he said he would “never disrespect the game of basketball by not giving 100% no matter what team (he is) on” or his contract situation. Now if New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis would have had that mentality he would not be nursing a bad hamstring.

Five reasons the Miami Heat will NOT win the NBA title this year

5 – Erik Spoelstra is coach


Let’s be honest here. Pat Riley (and all the slick hair, championship pedigree, and showtime glory that comes with him) is the reason LeBron James took his talents to South Beach. The last time the Heat won the title in 2006, Pat Riley was on the sidelines and a still serviceable Shaquille O’Neal (another Riley signing) was in the pivot. If you remember once Shaq signed in 2004, Riley “Deebo’ed” the coaching reins from another assistant turned coach Stan Van Gundy. Erik Spoelstra took over the job once Shaq rolled out of town and the team became a joke again. Even though everyone is saying the right things in defense of the current head coach, you better believe if this super team with the plethora of nicknames gets off to a slow start (read: three game losing streak) expect to see Riles back on the sidelines in a hurry.

4 – Chemistry

Although it is a given that whenever players are put together for the first time there will be an adjustment period, these aren’t just any players. The “New Big Three” of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are not only three of the top ten players in the league they were also, in Bosh and James’ case, the superstar of their old teams. These three are used to having the ball in their hands. Add to that the twelve other makeshift players they threw the roster together with and it may take some time to get the ball rolling.

3 – Pressure

The fallout from LeBron’s “Decision” has been swift. His good guy image took a significant hit for the way he left Cleveland and teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh means anything less than an appearance in the NBA Finals would be a disappointment. With former NBA coach and ESPN/ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy stating on record that this team will surpass the 72 win season of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, to say expectations are high would be an understatement.

2 – The Other NBA Teams

Forget about the other teams that were left at the altar by LeBron James (Knicks, Nets, Bulls, Clippers, and Cavaliers) Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has already publicly disparaged the “other” Florida NBA team in the press as overhyped. With the Miami Heat already being given the NBA title by many before the season starts, the other 385 NBA players are not happy with the notion that they are suiting up to lose. Therefore expect every team that plays the Heat this season to play their best game in hopes of derailing the South Beach juggernaut. And that is just the regular season. The playoffs are another animal entirely.

1 – Kobe

His team won the NBA championship last season and his focus is on a repeat three peat, a feat that would equal his idol Michael Jordan. Expecting a showdown with LeBron’s Cavs the last two seasons, Kobe will not just hand the title over to the Heat without a fight. Like Jordan, Kobe thrives off challenges and all the hype surrounding “Miami Thrice” will only fuel his fire.

Wade calls out Barkley

I guess “Chuck” is temporarily out of his Fave 5. During an ESPN interview with Rachel Nichols, Dwyane Wade came to the defense of his new teammate LeBron James when asked about all the criticism James was receiving for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. Barkley has been outspoken in stating LeBron should have stayed in Cleveland and not take the easy way out by joining Wade’s team.


Wade told Nichols that Barkley needed to “look in the mirror” noting that Sir Charles left the Pheonix Suns to join “Scottie Pippen, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler in Houston”. Actually Clyde Drexler retired after winning the championship with Olajuwon in 1995 and Scottie Pippen joined Houston during the ’98-’99 season two years after Barkley arrived, but we get it, sort of. Barkley, the MVP of the league in 1993, also led the Suns to Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals, a game and series they could have won against Michael Jordan’s Bulls if Dan Majerle wasn’t throwing up three pointers from 30 feet out opening the door for John Paxson’s series clinching three point shot.

Wade also went on to say that all the great teams in the history of the league had more than one superstar citing Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Magic Johnson’s Lakers and Larry Bird’s Celtics teams. The difference between those teams and this current assembly in Miami is that those teams were built through the draft. Scottie Pippen was drafted by the former Seattle Supersonics and traded to Chicago in 1987 before he played an NBA game. Kareem Abdul Jabbar was already on the the Los Angeles Lakers when they drafted Earvin “Magic” Johnson in 1979 and James Worthy in 1982. Larry Bird and Kevin McHale were drafted by the Boston Celtics a year apart in ’79 and ’80 respectively. Robert Parish was also traded to Boston in 1980. None of the aforementioned players established themselves as the one of the top players in the league and then left the team that drafted them to play with another superstar.

Wade would have made his point if he would have referenced the current “Big 3” in Boston of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Garnett and Allen were superstars on other teams who decided to come together with Pierce to win the championship that eluded them to that point. They succeeded in 2008. Wade has already proven he could lead a team to a title when he took over the 2006 NBA Finals from the second half of Game 3 against the Dallas Mavericks. He had Shaquille O’Neal, but it was all Wade in that series. Wade has to understand that leadership is what these veterans expected from LeBron James. For him to not only leave Cleveland but go to a team that has an established superstar to win a ring looks like an easy out and not someone worthy of claiming to be the best.

Although it is admirable that Wade is coming to the defense of his new teammate, he needs to get his facts straight. LeBron, a student of the game had to know Wade had his time tables messed up when talking about who Barkley went to play with in Houston. The irony in all of this, I believe Wade would not have done what LeBron did and he will never have to face this sort of backlash.

McNabb returns to Philly

In an ironic twist straight out of a cheesy sports movie, the downtrodden former Pro Bowl quarterback, brought to the only team that would take him out of NFL limbo after a controversial dog fighting trial at the urging of the star quarterback, is now the starting quarterback on said team while the star quarterback that helped bring him to the team was unceremoniously traded to a hated division rival.


Did you get all that?

So goes the story/soap opera that is the Philadelphia Eagles and their embattled quarterbacks: Michael Vick and former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, now of the Washington Redskins. Michael Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons star cast off after doing jail tme for the aforementioned dog fighting scandal, has gone from reclamation project to the story of the young NFL season with his spectacular play in place of Kevin Kolb (remember him?), McNabb’s would be successor who left early in the first game of the season with a concussion. Vick has stepped in and has not looked back, beating the Detroit Lions and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Now is Vick’s first true test. McNabb had a love/hate relationship with Philadelphia since being drafted by the Eagles in 1999 (NFL fans will remember he was booed heavily by the Philly faithful in attendance at the NFL Draft who wanted the Eagles to pick running back Ricky Williams with the second pick). McNabb has led the Eagles to four straight championship games and a memorable Superbowl appearance against the New England Patriots.

Michael Vick knows about being booed in Philly as well. When he arrived last year, many Eagles fans/animal lovers protested his signing with picket signs outside the stadium. I wonder if those same people are cheering for him now? Thanks to Vick the Eagles are one of the most dynamic teams in the league. Emotions will run high as Donovan McNabb will try to rain on the parade in an unfamiliar uniform this Sunday.

Poll question:

Who will win this weekend’s showdown between Philadelphia and Washington?

Donovan McNabb and the Redskins

Michael Vick and the Eagles

Will Eagles fans boo Donovan McNabb?

Yes

No