The Commissioner’s Plan for the AFC and NFC Wests November 9, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in AFC West, Football, NFC West, NFL, Sports.add a comment
Click here to watch the press conference.
With Alexander Out for Monday Night, Weaver Should Tote the Rock November 9, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Football, NFL, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, Shaun Alexander, Sports.2 comments
As Monday night edges closer, it looks like Seattle’s Shaun Alexander could miss the match up against the San Francisco 49ers. While most Seattle fans may see this as a major loss (oh wait, no they won’t), this is the perfect opportunity to see what FB/RB Leonard Weaver can do as the Seahawks’ feature back.
Currently, Weaver is sitting on a 5.3 yards per carry average (better than any other Seattle player). Weaver is also 4th on the team in both receptions (16) and receiving yards (137). While it may be too early to tell how good Weaver really is, he can’t be any worse than Alexander has been the last five weeks.
Unfortunately, Maurice Morris is second on Seattle’s depth chart and is the likely replacement for Alexander. In his own right, Morris is a pretty good back but with the current situation in Seattle (the offensive line sucks), the Seahawks would be wise to employ a more physical back. Proving his utter lack of physicality, it was Morris who could not pick up a critical fourth-and-short against the Browns in overtime. That play, coupled with defensive ineptitude, led to a Cleveland victory. Would Weaver have been able to pick up the first? Who knows, but I would have liked their chances had he been in the backfield.
Now I know Coach Holmgren frequents The Sportsmaster 8000 and often turns to this blog for guidance, so I beg him to listen to what I have to say. Have Morris and Weaver split carries (let’s say 15 each) and see who produces. If Alexander’s injuries should linger and render him ineffective, let Monday’s most productive back tote the rock.
Will a Primetime Game against the Hapless Wizards Get the Nuggets on Track? November 9, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Allen Iverson, Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets, NBA, Nuggets, Sports, Washington Wizards, Wizards.add a comment
After getting blown out by the new look Boston Celtics two nights ago, the Nuggets have gotten an early holiday gift from the NBA, the winless Washington Wizards. Since starting the season 2-0, the Nuggets have lost their last 3 games. In the last three contests, the Nuggets were only able to score a combined 293 points while their opponents racked up a combined 331.
Meanwhile, the offensive powerhouse that is Carmelo Anthony is averaging only 24 points a game (after averaging nearly 30 a game last season). The offense that was supposed to have gelled nicely during the off season isn’t even ranked in the top 10 of the NBA (currently 12th in scoring) after ranking 3rd in the NBA last season.
The bright spot in all this doom and gloom are Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby. Iverson is leading the team in points, assists and steals. Even more impressive, Iverson is 6th in the league in scoring, 7th in assists and is currently leading the league in steals. Camby is currently 2nd in the league in rebounds and 3rd in blocked shots (it is only a matter of time until he leads the league).
It is hard to pinpoint exactly what ails the 2-3 Nuggets. Luckily, we’re only a few games into the regular season. After six games last year, the Nuggets were sitting at .500. Let’s hope they’re sitting on another .500 record after tonight’s game. Tune into ESPN 6 PM MST (8 PM EST) for all the action.
Week 9 in the NFL: Halfway Through and Better Than Ever November 7, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Colts, Football, NFL, Patriots, Sports.1 comment so far
I’m not going to lie to you; I thought it would be impossible for this week to even come close to all the hype that had preceded it. How could Super Bowl 41 ½ (Patriots at Colts) even come close to living up to the expectation of the greatest regular match up of all-time? Well it did. If you would have told me that two major NFL records would be broken by the end of Monday night (in the same game no less) and that one of those records would have been broken by a rookie running back, there is no way I would have taken you seriously. Yet, it happened. We learned a lot this week but here is the important stuff…
1. The Patriots are damn good. Billed as the greatest regular season match up ever, this game had some big shoes to fill. The winner would undoubtedly be crowned this year’s champion, no need for Super Bowl XLII in Phoenix, AZ. The only way this game could have been better was if it had gone into overtime. Both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning looked human and somehow that made the game that much more intriguing. By the end of the first half, you felt that the Colts would pull it off. They were the first team to hold the Patriots scoreless in their first possession. It was the first time the Patriots had trailed going into half-time. Tom Brady looked human after throwing two interceptions. It was good (Colts) against evil (Patriots), good had to prevail. As the game neared the end it looked like good would come out on top but with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter, the Patriots went up 24-20. It was a lead they never relinquished. It was the final score of a great game.
2. With the 7th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have selected the greatest running back in NFL history. After Adrian Peterson’s 30-carry, 296-yard, record-setting performance is there any doubt as to who the best back in the league is? No there isn’t. Also evident is the fact that six teams in the 2007 NFL Draft really screwed up. Oddly enough, Peterson and his Vikings were squaring off against the reigning NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson who most regard as the greatest running back playing today. By the end of Sunday the torch had been passed. A mere nine weeks into the season and Peterson has established himself as the best back in the league, maybe the best back in history. Peterson has played eight games and has already amassed 1036 yards and an impressive 6.6 yards per carry average. All this while facing eight and nine man fronts. Barring injury, he’s already punched his ticket to Canton.
3. Antonio Cromartie is now and will forever be an NFL record holder. With his 109-yard missed field goal return for a touchdown, Cromartie has branded his name in the NFL record books. Lucky for him, no one can ever have a play longer than 109 yards. Unlucky for him, Adrian Peterson stole the lime light with a more impressive NFL record.
4. The Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions are dumpster franchises no more! Playing against (and beating) the likes of the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos isn’t overly impressive but these were statement games for both Cleveland and Detroit. Won in different styles, these games have put these two teams in the middle of playoff talks for the foreseeable future. With their overtime win, the Browns showed they have the heart and desire that can propel them into the playoffs (more on this game in my next post). With their complete dominance of the Broncos, the Lions showed they have the shear power to compete and win an intriguing NFC North division. On Thursday, November 22nd we’ll be treated to excellent food and an excellent NFL match up (Green Bay at Detroit).
5. The 1972 Dolphins have circled December 9th on their calendars. In the Patriots drive towards 16-0, the only real obstacle at this point appears to be their December game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With their win on Monday night, the Steelers opened some eyes and showed that they could be the only thing that stands in the way of the Patriots and their perfect season. The ’72 Dolphins sure hope that is the case.
6. Shaun Alexander and the Seattle offensive line are shells of their former selves. Facing one of the leagues worse defenses, Alexander could only muster a pathetic 32 yards on 14 carries. In relief of Alexander, Maurice Morris was able to gain 55 yards on 9 carries but wasn’t able to pick up a critical fourth-and-short in overtime. What happened to the vaunted Seattle running game?
7. The West isn’t wild, it just plain sucks. This week’s action saw every team from the West (both AFC and NFC versions) get beat, save one team. The only team that didn’t lose was the winless St. Louis Rams who happened to be on their bye. Denver, Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego all got beat. Arizona, San Francisco and Seattle all got beat. The Wests currently have a combined 22-42 record. That’s good enough for a .344 win percentage.
We are halfway through the season and already it’s been one of the more memorable starts in a while. Stay tuned for more…
The NBA and The Sportsmaster 8000: Back and better than ever! October 30, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Basketball, NBA, Sports.add a comment
Well folks, tonight is the start of the 2007-2008 NBA season. While this is considered by most to be the official start of the season, we all know that the real season doesn’t start until Carmelo and friends tip off tomorrow night against K-Dur (Kevin Durant) and the Seattle/Oklahoma City Supersonics. All I know is that I’m excited. You can bet that after the gambling refs scandal and the Isaiah “Franchise Killer” Thomas fiasco, that Howard Stern is excited too. This season is going to be good.
If you’re still reading this you are probably asking yourself why but I ask you why not? Do you really have anything better to do? So to keep you entertained, I’ll give you my NBA predictions for this season.
1. The Nuggets are going to win it all. Completely unsubstantiated? Yes. Do I give a shit? No.
2. The Celtics will be more than competitive, they will actually be good. Garnett, Allan and Pierce have to be good for something. Oh yeah, and Boston pretty much owns every major sport this year.
3. Manu Ginobili will get a nose job but won’t react well to the operation and will have to retire. I count on this happening the first week of the season.
4. Howard Stern will bitch about something, try and get the NBA to switch to uniforms circa 1970, and suspend ‘Melo for eight games for giving a Make-A-Wish kid a free jersey.
5. Mark Cuban will get fined by the NBA.
Alright, here are my picks for seeds 1-8 in the East and West.
Eastern Conference
1. Chicago
2. Detroit
3. Miami
4. Cleveland
5. Boston
6. Indiana
7. Toronto
8. Washington D.C.
Western Conference
1. Phoenix
2. Denver
3. San Antonio
4. Dallas
5. Utah
6. Houston
7. L.A. Lakers
8. Golden State
Well there you go my friends, predictions you can count on from the only source you need, The Sportsmaster 8000! Stay tuned!
Back and tighter than Brian Bosworth’s fade! July 30, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Football, NFL, Sports.1 comment so far
That’s right ladies and gents (or maybe just gent, singular), The Sportsmaster 8000 is back and ready to bring you the hard-hitting blogging you’ve been missing. After a brief hiatus that had nothing to do with me not paying my taxes (oddly, my last post was on April 15th), I am dedicated to bringing you the classic writings that brought you laughs and solid news.
Stay tuned for more folks. Look for Uncle Rico’s “How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains?” Camp News and Notes!
The Physics of Football April 15, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Blogroll, Football, NFL, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, Sports, Uncategorized.add a comment
A forum member over at the Seattle PI Seahawks forum posted an interesting link that gives some insight into the physics of football. It is a great read, check it out here!
It gave me a much greater appreciation as to what football players endure. Pretty impressive these guys can walk after a game. Almost justifies those crazy salaries.
Lead by Camby’s season-high nine blocked shots, Nuggets beat Hornets April 13, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Basketball, Blogroll, Denver Nuggets, Hornets, NBA, Nuggets, Sports, Uncategorized.2 comments
The stat line for Marcus Camby read like this; 11 rebounds, nine blocked shots and 15 points. And for that, Camby was definately the player of the game. With David Stern in attendance, the Nuggets wanted to make a statement (don’t you EVER bench our best player again), but from the start it looked like the Hornets would play the spoiler. That would have been fitting, it was the Hornets night. After playing two seasons in Oklahoma City, this was the last game the Hornets would play in the state best-known for its college football. I know Oklahomans are bummed out, but I doubt the Hornets will be in New Orleans very long. They say it is supposed to be an active hurricane season.
Despite it being the Hornets’ night, the real story was Marcus Camby. Going back to his game against the Clippers, Camby has racked up a total of 28 blocked shots. If you don’t find that amazing then you should probably stop watching sports and stop calling yourself a sports fan. Camby’s nine-block effort tonight was made more impressive by the fact that he came alive when the Nuggets really needed him. The Nuggets hadn’t lead since the score was 6-5. They were shooting horrible and couldn’t seem to get into the flow of the game. Luckily, the Nuggets, and Camby, had brought their lunch pails because it was time to go to work.
As the game was winding down, it looked like the Nuggets would have to count this one as a loss. Then Camby decided it was time to throw one of his infamous block parties. With a little less than four and a half minutes left in the game, and the Nuggets trailing 96-101, Camby blocked a Marc Jackson layup and the Nuggets got their spark. Camby would go on to block three more in the closing minutes allowing the Nuggets to pull ahead. Up 104-103, the Nuggets never looked back (sure their were only 36 seconds left, but hey).
‘Melo had 31 points on 12 of 22 shooting. Iverson added 23 points and Steve Blake had a double-double with 10 assists and 10 points.
Where are the rest of the apologies? April 12, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Blogroll, Duke, Justice, Lacrosse, NCAA, Sports, Uncategorized.add a comment
I sometimes miss these articles. It’s not so much that ESPN buries them, they just don’t pop out at you. This is an article that you have to read. An excellent little compilation by ESPN.com’s Gene Wojciechowski. If you’ll take notice to how few “Now…” quotes there are. A lot more people have a lot of apologizing to do. I mean you, Jesse Jackson (there are others).
Damn right the NBA is better than NCAA basketball! April 12, 2007
Posted by thesportsmaster8000 in Basketball, Blogroll, March Madness, NBA, NCAA, Sports, Uncategorized.add a comment
This story was hyped on Ballhype and it makes some great points. I’m a fan of both the NBA and March Madness, but we all need to remember that the NBA is composed of the best of the best. That makes it great basketball, regardless of what you might think. A good read, no matter your point of view.
