The reserves were announced last night for the 2009 NBA All-Star game which will be played Valentine's day weekend out in Phoenix. Let's take a look at the squads. Who has a beef? Who lucked out?
Eastern Conference:
Dwayne Wade, Heat
Allen Iverson, Pistons
LeBron James, Cavs
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Dwight Howard, Magic
Reserves:
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Danny Granger, Pacers
Jameer Nelson, Magic
Rashard Lewis, Magic
Devin Harris, Nets
Western Conference:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Yao Ming, Rockets
Reserves:
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
Tony Parker, Spurs
Shaquille O'Neal, Suns
David West, Hornets
Earlier in the week I successfully picked 12 out of the 14 reserves. The two I didn't? Rashard Lewis and David West. And I stick by that.
Lucky to be an All-Star:
David West: Yeah he's averaging 20 points per game, but his 7.1 rebounds ties him with Marc Gasol and Anderson Varejao for 31st in the NBA. He's a power forward. Nene, Dampier, Kendrick Perkins, Scola, and LeBron are some of the names pulling down more boards than West. Although some of the catergories are close, West has seen a decline in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and FG% from last year.
Allen Iverson: West is 31st in rebounding, AI is 31st in scoring. Do you know that Billups is averaging more points than the Answer this year? Chalk this one up to the fans who vote AI in, and kept more deserving guards from the East out.
Rashard Lewis: I just don't see it. 19.3 points and 6 rebounds is good, but do the Orlando Magic really need 3 All-Stars? Put him in the 3 point contest, that's fine, but he's not one of the best 12 players in the East this year.
Biggest beef:
Al Jefferson: His team is bad, but they're the hottest team in January. Big Al is a 20-10 guy and much more deserving than say David West. 8th in the league in scoring, 7th in rebounding, but playing on the T-Wolves kept him out. Should have been in.
Vince Carter: Vince vs. Rashard Lewis? Vince scores more, has more assists, and is only 0.9 rebounds worse than Lewis. Carter is 11th in the league in scoring, and makes up the highest scoring backcourt in the NBA for a surprising Nets team. Like him or not he should be in Phoenix.
Other cases can be made for Carmelo Anthony (despite missing time with injury Melo is putting up more points and rebounds per game than David West, and is on a team with a better record. Figure that one out.) Mo Williams, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo. However Celtics fans should not freak out about Allen or Rondo. They just weren't good enough in the first half, plain and simple.
-Keefe
Scroll down to see Besse's account of the Price is Right from today as well as why he thinks B.J. Penn can beat Georges St. Pierre... I have no idea who will win that one.
Friday, January 30, 2009
There's Something About Mary
No, not the movie. But the woman on PIR this morning. At 11am PIR came on the air with the usual flashing lights, cheering crowd and excitement it has every morning. And again, CBS continues to not let us down, providing some of the dumbest people we've ever seen.
Case in point, a middle-aged woman named Mary today. The first item up for bid was a sauna from Almost Heaven. Right away I yelled $2200. It was a lock. So the first three people went and made standard bids of $4500, $1200, and $1400. Now listen, I know I already said 2200 was a lock. But there's no way that thing is more than $4500. So she could have done one of two things...bid $1 and hope it's less than $1200, which is stupid, or bid $1401 and assume it'll be between $1400 and $4500. It gave her the best chance to win. Even if she thought it was over $4500, all she had to do was bid $4501. But did she do any of those? Absolutely not. Instead, she bid "Twelve thousand ninety-nine dollars!!!" That's $12,099. Drew asked if she meant $1299, to which she said no and insisted it was $12,099. Wow. Actual retail price is..............$2,400. Sorry, Mary.
But wait, Mary isn't the only moron on the show today. Meet Ferdinand, the same guy who proceeded to group Satya, the newest contestant to bidder's row after her name was called. In fact he lifted her off the ground and twirled her around two full rotations. But I digress. Next item up for bid was a Venetian, cast iron outdoor fireplace from Thebluerooster.com. Satya bid $400, Mary bid $450 and Patricia threw out $275 (which was stupid, why not just bid $1). In steps Ferdinand. Now listen, you've only got $125 separating Patricia and Satya's bid. There's not much room for error there, and the fireplace HAS to be more than $450. But he bid $276 instead of $451. Mary won and had the chance to win a new car, which bothers me. She's clearly and idiot and won by default (because Ferdinand is a bigger idiot) and yet she gets lucky and has a chance to win a car. Thankfully the world restored order and she lost.
While I was blogging this, Ferdinand just proved again that he does not know how to play the game. Fourth item up for bid was a 3-in-1 game table with pool, table hockey and foozeball. Bobby bid $750, Charita bid $550 and Patricia bid $299 (again, just bid a dollar). Ferdinand, if you think it's more than $750, just bid $751. Instead he bid $899. Actual retail value was $587, so he wouldn't have won anyway, but it proves my point, he's retarded.
And Ferdinand just shocked the world. He just won the fifth item up for bid and got to play the Mountain Climber game. Unfortunately for Ferdinand, his stroke of intelligence was brief and clearly a fluke. For those of you unaware, you have to guess the price of up to three items, and for each dollar amount you are off, the mountain climber ascends the hill the number of notches you are off for each respective item. Among the three items, you are allowed to be off by a total of $25 before the climber falls off the mountain. But if you keep him on it after all three items, you win the prize.
Ferdinand's first item was recipe cards from Betty Crocker. He guessed $25 and the actual price was $17. He was off by $8 and so the climber ascended eight notches. Not bad. If he did that two more times, he'd win. Next item was a ceramic pitcher. Nice looking item, not cheap by any means. Ferdinand went ahead and bid $15 for this not cheap item. He was wrong, and the mountain climber began his ascent up the hill. He hit 20 at which point Drew began clamoring for the thing to "STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!!" But to no avail, as the climber plunged off the hill and ended the game for Ferdinand. Actual price was $35, meaning Ferdinand was off by a solid $20. Just awful. I hope he makes the showcase...stay tuned...
Alright Ferdinand had a disappointing showing with the wheel so he's out. It's down to Charita and Kathlene. First showcase is...a collection of designer watches from Gucci, Burberry and more. A full living room set. And a pair of Honda motorcycles. She passed it along to Kathlene. She bid $45, 353. At first I panicked for Kathlene. But I think she's okay here.
Second showcase is...a remote control plane (bet she wishes she didn't pass it). A hot air balloon trip in Colorado. This is awful right now. They better turn it up. Okay a six-night stay in a log cabin in Hidden Pines. Not bad. But this is weak, they've done better. Last is air-to-air combat lessons at fighter school. This is brutal. Actually it's a 6-night trip to Vegas and a fighter pilot flying experience. I take back what I said earlier, this trip is bad-ass. She's got two sick trips and gets to fly in a combat plane. Wow. She bid $32,000. That's safe to me because Kathlene may have overbid. Let's wait and see...
Alright here we go. I was right. Wow. Kathlene's actual retail price of her showcase was only $20,182. Wow, I'm shocked. She was over by $25,000 that's awful, but great for Charita. Actual retail price of Charita was only $15,000. Holy sh*t. This wasn't even close. Double overs, how anticlimactic. Time for the 12 o'clock news. Later.
Case in point, a middle-aged woman named Mary today. The first item up for bid was a sauna from Almost Heaven. Right away I yelled $2200. It was a lock. So the first three people went and made standard bids of $4500, $1200, and $1400. Now listen, I know I already said 2200 was a lock. But there's no way that thing is more than $4500. So she could have done one of two things...bid $1 and hope it's less than $1200, which is stupid, or bid $1401 and assume it'll be between $1400 and $4500. It gave her the best chance to win. Even if she thought it was over $4500, all she had to do was bid $4501. But did she do any of those? Absolutely not. Instead, she bid "Twelve thousand ninety-nine dollars!!!" That's $12,099. Drew asked if she meant $1299, to which she said no and insisted it was $12,099. Wow. Actual retail price is..............$2,400. Sorry, Mary.
But wait, Mary isn't the only moron on the show today. Meet Ferdinand, the same guy who proceeded to group Satya, the newest contestant to bidder's row after her name was called. In fact he lifted her off the ground and twirled her around two full rotations. But I digress. Next item up for bid was a Venetian, cast iron outdoor fireplace from Thebluerooster.com. Satya bid $400, Mary bid $450 and Patricia threw out $275 (which was stupid, why not just bid $1). In steps Ferdinand. Now listen, you've only got $125 separating Patricia and Satya's bid. There's not much room for error there, and the fireplace HAS to be more than $450. But he bid $276 instead of $451. Mary won and had the chance to win a new car, which bothers me. She's clearly and idiot and won by default (because Ferdinand is a bigger idiot) and yet she gets lucky and has a chance to win a car. Thankfully the world restored order and she lost.
While I was blogging this, Ferdinand just proved again that he does not know how to play the game. Fourth item up for bid was a 3-in-1 game table with pool, table hockey and foozeball. Bobby bid $750, Charita bid $550 and Patricia bid $299 (again, just bid a dollar). Ferdinand, if you think it's more than $750, just bid $751. Instead he bid $899. Actual retail value was $587, so he wouldn't have won anyway, but it proves my point, he's retarded.
And Ferdinand just shocked the world. He just won the fifth item up for bid and got to play the Mountain Climber game. Unfortunately for Ferdinand, his stroke of intelligence was brief and clearly a fluke. For those of you unaware, you have to guess the price of up to three items, and for each dollar amount you are off, the mountain climber ascends the hill the number of notches you are off for each respective item. Among the three items, you are allowed to be off by a total of $25 before the climber falls off the mountain. But if you keep him on it after all three items, you win the prize.
Ferdinand's first item was recipe cards from Betty Crocker. He guessed $25 and the actual price was $17. He was off by $8 and so the climber ascended eight notches. Not bad. If he did that two more times, he'd win. Next item was a ceramic pitcher. Nice looking item, not cheap by any means. Ferdinand went ahead and bid $15 for this not cheap item. He was wrong, and the mountain climber began his ascent up the hill. He hit 20 at which point Drew began clamoring for the thing to "STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!!" But to no avail, as the climber plunged off the hill and ended the game for Ferdinand. Actual price was $35, meaning Ferdinand was off by a solid $20. Just awful. I hope he makes the showcase...stay tuned...
Alright Ferdinand had a disappointing showing with the wheel so he's out. It's down to Charita and Kathlene. First showcase is...a collection of designer watches from Gucci, Burberry and more. A full living room set. And a pair of Honda motorcycles. She passed it along to Kathlene. She bid $45, 353. At first I panicked for Kathlene. But I think she's okay here.
Second showcase is...a remote control plane (bet she wishes she didn't pass it). A hot air balloon trip in Colorado. This is awful right now. They better turn it up. Okay a six-night stay in a log cabin in Hidden Pines. Not bad. But this is weak, they've done better. Last is air-to-air combat lessons at fighter school. This is brutal. Actually it's a 6-night trip to Vegas and a fighter pilot flying experience. I take back what I said earlier, this trip is bad-ass. She's got two sick trips and gets to fly in a combat plane. Wow. She bid $32,000. That's safe to me because Kathlene may have overbid. Let's wait and see...
Alright here we go. I was right. Wow. Kathlene's actual retail price of her showcase was only $20,182. Wow, I'm shocked. She was over by $25,000 that's awful, but great for Charita. Actual retail price of Charita was only $15,000. Holy sh*t. This wasn't even close. Double overs, how anticlimactic. Time for the 12 o'clock news. Later.
Why BJ Penn will beat GSP
This Saturday's UFC 94 main event between welterweight champion Georges "Rush" St. Pierre and lightweight champion BJ Penn is one of the greatest matchups in the history of combat sports. You're got two of the best pound-4-pound fighters in their prime, combined with their history (a split decision victory for St. Pierre at UFC 58) and the bad blood that has developed between these two since that fight, particularly through the latest TV series UFC PrimeTime.
Leading up to the fight, many critics, fans and pundits alike have tried their best to break down the fight. They discuss Penn's jab and heavy hands, but St. Pierre's versatile striking arsenal. Or Penn's superior flexibility and jiu-jitsu and St. Pierre's world-class wrestling. Penn's questionable cardio against St. Pierre's bottomless gas tank. Or even the fact that Penn is moving up from lightweight while St. Pierre will undoubtedly be cutting 15-20 lbs. this week just to make 170. There will be a considerable size advantage, but will it matter? Each fighter will walk into the cage on Saturday night with considerable advantages in different disciplines and areas of the fight game.
But one aspect that may have been overlooked, or perhaps not given enough attention is the mental aspect of this fight. Penn has referred to GSP as a mental midget, a bully and a quitter. And while GSP can say all he wants to refute that, and people can point to his impressive resume of victories over the likes of Penn, Matt Hughes (2), Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Matt Serra, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Dave Strasser, Karo Parysian, and Jay Hieron, I'm here to point out a noticeable trend in St. Pierre's fights.
I've been watching MMA and UFC for several years now. My first exposure was TUF Season 1, and my first live fight on TV was the classic TUF finale between Stephan Bonnar. I've been hooked ever since and made it a priority to catch every Fight Night, PPV and TUF episode possible in one way or another. So I've seen each and every one of GSP's fights as far back as his destruction of Jay Hieron at UFC 48 in 2004. If you haven't seen that, it's a beauty, reminiscent of Houston Alexander's massacre over Keith Jardine.
The problem with St. Pierre's resume is that all of his fights have, for the most part, been one-sided. His two victories over Hughes and his wins over Fitch, Serra, Koscheck, Trigg, Hieron, Strasser and Sherk were complete dominations in favor of GSP. He controlled the fights from the outset, imposing his will and at no point in any of these fights was he in any bit of trouble. GSP was essentially on cruise control, faced little to no adversity and was able to execute his gameplan en route to a finish or lopsided decision victory. Whether the fight ended via stoppage or went to the judge's scorecards, the fans were left with no doubt from the start of the fight to the end as to who the victor would be.
However, it's important to closely examine those "other" fights. His decision victory over Karo Parysian was said to be closely contested, but I'm tossing that out the window due to the fact that it was five years ago to the date tomorrow. Interestingly enough, five years after his UFC debut, GSP will be competing in perhaps the greatest mega-fight in UFC history. Parysian, meanwhile, is fighting on the undercard against a guy nicknamed "Stun Gun", and reports from mmamania.com indicate the UFC is concerned Parysian may pull out at the last minute. This is after Karo withdrew from UFC 88 hours before the fight due to panic attacks after being KO'd by Thiago Alves in his last fight.
So moving past that early fight in his career we start to see the trend unfold. The loss to Hughes in their first tilt is perhaps the first and most exemplary sign of St. Pierre's weak mental state. Admittedly he was nervous leading up to the fight, which is understandable considering it was his first title fight, only his 8th professional bout, and he was fighting a legend of the sport. GSP could not look Hughes in the eyes during the stare down, but incredibly he dominated the first round. His striking and takedown defense were remarkable, and the highlight of the round was a spinning back kick which caught Hughes and visibly locked up his stomach and chest muscles, knocking the wind out of the opponent and momentarily putting him in trouble. But at the end of the round, Hughes scored a takedown and while trying to impose his legendary ground and pound attack, latched onto an arm from the top, swung his left leg around GSP's head and fell off to the right, locking in an arm bar. St. Pierre instantly tapped, not even attempting to fight off the submission, roll out of it or hold on until the end of the round. And sadly, just as Big John McCarthy stepped in, the horn went off signaling the end of the round. But the stoppage had been declared, and St. Pierre was left to wonder what could have been. He gave up at the first sign of trouble, plain and simple.
Then there was the first fight with Penn. St. Pierre's face was bloodied and bludgeoned by a fighter who was a natural 155, smaller fighter who had a history of fighting bigger opponents and not only holding his own, but holding his own. The guy has a decision loss to Lyoto Machida...remarkable especially with where Machida currently ranks in the light heavyweight division. The second round was more closely contested, with Penn continuing to land strikes, but St. Pierre scoring takedowns and trying to work some ground and pound from Penn's guard. It was competitive and close, and was undoubtedly the swing round in the bout. The third round most likely belonged to St. Pierre, as Penn's gas tank went on empty and shifted the momentum into the Canadien's corner. Many question whether the result would have differed if Penn came into the fight with better cardio. Even so, many including myself argued that Penn did enough early to earn the split decision. But alas, the victory went to St. Pierre although he was immediately ushered to the hospital for overnight observation.
Against Matt Serra, St. Pierre was heavily favored. Serra actually came into the fight as a +800 underdog in Vegas. He was an improbably title challenger, perhaps an undeserving one after claiming the TUF Season 4 welterweight crown via split decision victory over Chris Lytle, a fight that left many in the audience underwhelmed by the action. Serra was certainly a veteran of the sport, a solid resume with fights against Shonie Carter, Din Thomas, BJ Penn and Karo Parysian. But he'd lost all four, and the promotion by Dana White to have the TUF 4 winner fight for a title was undoubtedly an effort to reinvigorate the TUF brand. And in the first round, both fighters exchanged pleasantries in the form of strikes on their feet. A couple minutes in, however, Serra caught St. Pierre with an overhand right that put the champion on queer street. Smelling blood, Serra moved in for the kill, landing bombs almost at will and staggering GSP into the cage, onto the mat and across the octagon. Finally Serra landed a blow that put the champ on his back and into a corner, and a flurry of strikes prompted Big John to step in. But tape revealed that prior to the referee stoppage, St. Pierre was actually tapping out. The strikes were overwhelming him, and he was asking for help. He wanted to be saved from taking any further punishment. Again, he quit in the Octagon in the face of adversity.
Given his history, I can't help but believe Penn will hold a considerable mental and psychological advantage heading into Saturday's fight. Dana White mentioned in his video blog that during the staredown at the press conference, Penn kept telling GSP, "You cut too much weight Georges...you cut too much." He's getting in St. Pierre's head and making him question everything, from his training to his ability to his mental state heading into the fight.
The bottom line is that Penn is right: St. Pierre is a bully. He is able to dominate and walk through most opponents with ease. His superior athleticism, cardio and strength combined with his arsenal of strikes, wrestling and submission skills make him a tall task for anyone. But many opponents have allowed him to impose his will, and once St. Pierre has taken control of a fight, he's been allowed to maintain control and blitz through fighters with ease. Yet as Penn has said, all it takes is for someone to stand up to the bully and challenge him. For years that bully stole money from kids in the lunch line every day, until that one time some unknown stepped out of the line and punched him flush in the nose and put an end to the robbery from that day forth.
Well that unknown is Penn. He will challenge St. Pierre and keep pushing forward, giving the welterweight champion all he can handle. Saturday's fight will prove one of two things: a) Penn is right and St. Pierre will fold under the pressure or b) St. Pierre has evolved and matured and will outlast the lightweight champion. Thus, I see this fight ending one of two ways. Either Penn by stoppage or St. Pierre by decision. But ultimately I think Penn will live up to his word and take on the bully and stop him. As great a fighter as St. Pierre is, Penn is just as great and has the mental fortitude to press forward and pressure his adversary to the tipping point. And on Saturday night, there will be two differences from their first fight. A recommitted fighter in Penn will have the gas to last longer and this time around, he won't need the judges to earn the victory. Penn will become the first fighter to simultaneously hold titles in two weight classes with a 3rd round stoppage over GSP.
-Bess
Leading up to the fight, many critics, fans and pundits alike have tried their best to break down the fight. They discuss Penn's jab and heavy hands, but St. Pierre's versatile striking arsenal. Or Penn's superior flexibility and jiu-jitsu and St. Pierre's world-class wrestling. Penn's questionable cardio against St. Pierre's bottomless gas tank. Or even the fact that Penn is moving up from lightweight while St. Pierre will undoubtedly be cutting 15-20 lbs. this week just to make 170. There will be a considerable size advantage, but will it matter? Each fighter will walk into the cage on Saturday night with considerable advantages in different disciplines and areas of the fight game.
But one aspect that may have been overlooked, or perhaps not given enough attention is the mental aspect of this fight. Penn has referred to GSP as a mental midget, a bully and a quitter. And while GSP can say all he wants to refute that, and people can point to his impressive resume of victories over the likes of Penn, Matt Hughes (2), Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Matt Serra, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Dave Strasser, Karo Parysian, and Jay Hieron, I'm here to point out a noticeable trend in St. Pierre's fights.
I've been watching MMA and UFC for several years now. My first exposure was TUF Season 1, and my first live fight on TV was the classic TUF finale between Stephan Bonnar. I've been hooked ever since and made it a priority to catch every Fight Night, PPV and TUF episode possible in one way or another. So I've seen each and every one of GSP's fights as far back as his destruction of Jay Hieron at UFC 48 in 2004. If you haven't seen that, it's a beauty, reminiscent of Houston Alexander's massacre over Keith Jardine.
The problem with St. Pierre's resume is that all of his fights have, for the most part, been one-sided. His two victories over Hughes and his wins over Fitch, Serra, Koscheck, Trigg, Hieron, Strasser and Sherk were complete dominations in favor of GSP. He controlled the fights from the outset, imposing his will and at no point in any of these fights was he in any bit of trouble. GSP was essentially on cruise control, faced little to no adversity and was able to execute his gameplan en route to a finish or lopsided decision victory. Whether the fight ended via stoppage or went to the judge's scorecards, the fans were left with no doubt from the start of the fight to the end as to who the victor would be.
However, it's important to closely examine those "other" fights. His decision victory over Karo Parysian was said to be closely contested, but I'm tossing that out the window due to the fact that it was five years ago to the date tomorrow. Interestingly enough, five years after his UFC debut, GSP will be competing in perhaps the greatest mega-fight in UFC history. Parysian, meanwhile, is fighting on the undercard against a guy nicknamed "Stun Gun", and reports from mmamania.com indicate the UFC is concerned Parysian may pull out at the last minute. This is after Karo withdrew from UFC 88 hours before the fight due to panic attacks after being KO'd by Thiago Alves in his last fight.
So moving past that early fight in his career we start to see the trend unfold. The loss to Hughes in their first tilt is perhaps the first and most exemplary sign of St. Pierre's weak mental state. Admittedly he was nervous leading up to the fight, which is understandable considering it was his first title fight, only his 8th professional bout, and he was fighting a legend of the sport. GSP could not look Hughes in the eyes during the stare down, but incredibly he dominated the first round. His striking and takedown defense were remarkable, and the highlight of the round was a spinning back kick which caught Hughes and visibly locked up his stomach and chest muscles, knocking the wind out of the opponent and momentarily putting him in trouble. But at the end of the round, Hughes scored a takedown and while trying to impose his legendary ground and pound attack, latched onto an arm from the top, swung his left leg around GSP's head and fell off to the right, locking in an arm bar. St. Pierre instantly tapped, not even attempting to fight off the submission, roll out of it or hold on until the end of the round. And sadly, just as Big John McCarthy stepped in, the horn went off signaling the end of the round. But the stoppage had been declared, and St. Pierre was left to wonder what could have been. He gave up at the first sign of trouble, plain and simple.
Then there was the first fight with Penn. St. Pierre's face was bloodied and bludgeoned by a fighter who was a natural 155, smaller fighter who had a history of fighting bigger opponents and not only holding his own, but holding his own. The guy has a decision loss to Lyoto Machida...remarkable especially with where Machida currently ranks in the light heavyweight division. The second round was more closely contested, with Penn continuing to land strikes, but St. Pierre scoring takedowns and trying to work some ground and pound from Penn's guard. It was competitive and close, and was undoubtedly the swing round in the bout. The third round most likely belonged to St. Pierre, as Penn's gas tank went on empty and shifted the momentum into the Canadien's corner. Many question whether the result would have differed if Penn came into the fight with better cardio. Even so, many including myself argued that Penn did enough early to earn the split decision. But alas, the victory went to St. Pierre although he was immediately ushered to the hospital for overnight observation.
Against Matt Serra, St. Pierre was heavily favored. Serra actually came into the fight as a +800 underdog in Vegas. He was an improbably title challenger, perhaps an undeserving one after claiming the TUF Season 4 welterweight crown via split decision victory over Chris Lytle, a fight that left many in the audience underwhelmed by the action. Serra was certainly a veteran of the sport, a solid resume with fights against Shonie Carter, Din Thomas, BJ Penn and Karo Parysian. But he'd lost all four, and the promotion by Dana White to have the TUF 4 winner fight for a title was undoubtedly an effort to reinvigorate the TUF brand. And in the first round, both fighters exchanged pleasantries in the form of strikes on their feet. A couple minutes in, however, Serra caught St. Pierre with an overhand right that put the champion on queer street. Smelling blood, Serra moved in for the kill, landing bombs almost at will and staggering GSP into the cage, onto the mat and across the octagon. Finally Serra landed a blow that put the champ on his back and into a corner, and a flurry of strikes prompted Big John to step in. But tape revealed that prior to the referee stoppage, St. Pierre was actually tapping out. The strikes were overwhelming him, and he was asking for help. He wanted to be saved from taking any further punishment. Again, he quit in the Octagon in the face of adversity.
Given his history, I can't help but believe Penn will hold a considerable mental and psychological advantage heading into Saturday's fight. Dana White mentioned in his video blog that during the staredown at the press conference, Penn kept telling GSP, "You cut too much weight Georges...you cut too much." He's getting in St. Pierre's head and making him question everything, from his training to his ability to his mental state heading into the fight.
The bottom line is that Penn is right: St. Pierre is a bully. He is able to dominate and walk through most opponents with ease. His superior athleticism, cardio and strength combined with his arsenal of strikes, wrestling and submission skills make him a tall task for anyone. But many opponents have allowed him to impose his will, and once St. Pierre has taken control of a fight, he's been allowed to maintain control and blitz through fighters with ease. Yet as Penn has said, all it takes is for someone to stand up to the bully and challenge him. For years that bully stole money from kids in the lunch line every day, until that one time some unknown stepped out of the line and punched him flush in the nose and put an end to the robbery from that day forth.
Well that unknown is Penn. He will challenge St. Pierre and keep pushing forward, giving the welterweight champion all he can handle. Saturday's fight will prove one of two things: a) Penn is right and St. Pierre will fold under the pressure or b) St. Pierre has evolved and matured and will outlast the lightweight champion. Thus, I see this fight ending one of two ways. Either Penn by stoppage or St. Pierre by decision. But ultimately I think Penn will live up to his word and take on the bully and stop him. As great a fighter as St. Pierre is, Penn is just as great and has the mental fortitude to press forward and pressure his adversary to the tipping point. And on Saturday night, there will be two differences from their first fight. A recommitted fighter in Penn will have the gas to last longer and this time around, he won't need the judges to earn the victory. Penn will become the first fighter to simultaneously hold titles in two weight classes with a 3rd round stoppage over GSP.
-Bess
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Razor Ramon tribute
How did this guy not receive a single vote? Shame on all that voted. Watch the vignettes below and tell me you don't wanna vote for this guy now. I certainly don't have a problem with him taking whatever he wants. He can take my girl (if I had one) for all I care. She'd probably be better off with a man like him. Besides, we all want to be him.
And let's hear it for him biting the fruit and spitting it on the guy, then the camera. Great theater. Thanks to Scotty for the tip.
-Bess
And let's hear it for him biting the fruit and spitting it on the guy, then the camera. Great theater. Thanks to Scotty for the tip.
-Bess
My life of unemployment
So I got laid off last week. Last Tuesday actually. Right after Barack O'Bama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. Right after he spoke about "hope". And "change". And "creating more jobs for Americans". Right after I got back from DSW and spending $120 on two pairs of new shoes, one of which was for an interview I had scheduled with another company the following day. Oh the irony.
But alas, I have already developed a solid daily routine. I wake up by 8am, sometimes earlier if I bring my brother to school. At 8am I begin switching between FoxNews and The Today Show. At 9am it's Regis and Kelly, then back to the Today Show at 10am. Finally, at 11am, it's PIR. Nothing else. No excuses. Easily it's the greatest show on television whether you hate Drew Carey or not. At this point, I don't even care. I love the games, bidding on prizes and the idiots they allow on television.
Which is why I'm blogging right now. This morning there's a woman named "Claire" in the far right position on bidder's row. Through the first two bids, she made two of the biggest blunders I've ever seen. EVER. First up for bid was a tailgating set by Coleman. It was a full set, with a couple grills, several pieces of equipment, the whole nine yards. Claire was last to bid, and the highest bid at that point was $850. Apparently Claire felt the tailgating set cost more than $850, a point which I whole-heartedly agree with. However, instead of just bidding $851 and giving her a victory with any price over that amount, she went ahead and bid $1975. Drew looked at her with this incredulous look, then said, "You went with the year I graduated high school. Best of luck to you." Claire must know something we don't. Or she doesn't know anything at all. Turns out it was the latter. Actual retail price was $900 and Claire did not win.
Second item up for bid was an elliptical. The two highests bids prior to Claire's bid were $850 (again, please note) and $2200. Now, unless that elliptical comes with a big screen TV, personal service and massage therapy, that thing is not more than $2200. And the massive gap between $850 and $2200 would have been much too enticing for me not to bid $851. Instead, Claire took the over and went $2201. She didn't win.
For the third bid, Claire was bidding on a steamer and seemed to have her wits about her, bidding $850 (the irony of this number is incredible). The last bidder went with $851 (poor Claire) and won, considering the steamer was $2200. I can't believe a freakin steamer costs $2200. That thing better make my stuff looks like it's fresh out of an Asian dry cleaner.
As I was typing this, we just saw a tremendous duel in the showcase showdown spinning the wheel. A man and woman both spun $.90 so they went to OT. In the first OT, the guy went first and rolled a dismal $.15. You can't get much worse. There are only 3 numbers she can spin that will keep him alive, it's a gimme. Fortunately for him the woman had enough in her to spin the wheel around EXACTLY two times and land on $.15. So we went to double OT. He spun $.40 and she blew him out of the water with $.80 for a thrilling victory.
Claire just lost again. I'm resigned to the fact that she's the dumbest contestant in the history of PIR and will not be leaving bidder's row today.
For those of you fantasy football lovers, my dad sent me this video today. My jaw was hanging the entire time. I have trouble believing any of these actually happened and that it's merely a product of computer engineering. Either that or they shot these clips all day. No way they did any of these in one try. The margin for error is too small. But what troubles me most is the player roster for this...
Chris Cooley
Jason Campbell
Marques Colston (The best of the bunch)
Chris Chambers (a flop every year, not even the best WR on his team)
Marc Bulger (seriously?)
Mason Crosby (not bad, but he's a kicker)
Laurence Maroney (maybe this is why he is always injured...he's doing stupid stunts like this. Although it was pretty incredible.)
Regardless, I'm already pumped for next year's Fantasy Football season. Enjoy.
Which one is your favorite?
-Bess
But alas, I have already developed a solid daily routine. I wake up by 8am, sometimes earlier if I bring my brother to school. At 8am I begin switching between FoxNews and The Today Show. At 9am it's Regis and Kelly, then back to the Today Show at 10am. Finally, at 11am, it's PIR. Nothing else. No excuses. Easily it's the greatest show on television whether you hate Drew Carey or not. At this point, I don't even care. I love the games, bidding on prizes and the idiots they allow on television.
Which is why I'm blogging right now. This morning there's a woman named "Claire" in the far right position on bidder's row. Through the first two bids, she made two of the biggest blunders I've ever seen. EVER. First up for bid was a tailgating set by Coleman. It was a full set, with a couple grills, several pieces of equipment, the whole nine yards. Claire was last to bid, and the highest bid at that point was $850. Apparently Claire felt the tailgating set cost more than $850, a point which I whole-heartedly agree with. However, instead of just bidding $851 and giving her a victory with any price over that amount, she went ahead and bid $1975. Drew looked at her with this incredulous look, then said, "You went with the year I graduated high school. Best of luck to you." Claire must know something we don't. Or she doesn't know anything at all. Turns out it was the latter. Actual retail price was $900 and Claire did not win.
Second item up for bid was an elliptical. The two highests bids prior to Claire's bid were $850 (again, please note) and $2200. Now, unless that elliptical comes with a big screen TV, personal service and massage therapy, that thing is not more than $2200. And the massive gap between $850 and $2200 would have been much too enticing for me not to bid $851. Instead, Claire took the over and went $2201. She didn't win.
For the third bid, Claire was bidding on a steamer and seemed to have her wits about her, bidding $850 (the irony of this number is incredible). The last bidder went with $851 (poor Claire) and won, considering the steamer was $2200. I can't believe a freakin steamer costs $2200. That thing better make my stuff looks like it's fresh out of an Asian dry cleaner.
As I was typing this, we just saw a tremendous duel in the showcase showdown spinning the wheel. A man and woman both spun $.90 so they went to OT. In the first OT, the guy went first and rolled a dismal $.15. You can't get much worse. There are only 3 numbers she can spin that will keep him alive, it's a gimme. Fortunately for him the woman had enough in her to spin the wheel around EXACTLY two times and land on $.15. So we went to double OT. He spun $.40 and she blew him out of the water with $.80 for a thrilling victory.
Claire just lost again. I'm resigned to the fact that she's the dumbest contestant in the history of PIR and will not be leaving bidder's row today.
For those of you fantasy football lovers, my dad sent me this video today. My jaw was hanging the entire time. I have trouble believing any of these actually happened and that it's merely a product of computer engineering. Either that or they shot these clips all day. No way they did any of these in one try. The margin for error is too small. But what troubles me most is the player roster for this...
Chris Cooley
Jason Campbell
Marques Colston (The best of the bunch)
Chris Chambers (a flop every year, not even the best WR on his team)
Marc Bulger (seriously?)
Mason Crosby (not bad, but he's a kicker)
Laurence Maroney (maybe this is why he is always injured...he's doing stupid stunts like this. Although it was pretty incredible.)
Regardless, I'm already pumped for next year's Fantasy Football season. Enjoy.
Which one is your favorite?
-Bess
Monday, January 26, 2009
Affliction Day of Reckoning Results
This weekend marked the 2nd show for Affliction. With Tito Ortiz as a guest announcer for the card take a look at the results:
Fedor Emelianenko defeated Andrei Arlovski by KO at 3:14 in the first round.
Josh Barnett defeated Gilbert Yvel by submission at 3:14 in the third round.
Vitor Belfort defeated Matt Lindland by TKO at :37 of the first round.
Babalu Sobral defeated Thierry Sokoudjou by submission at 2:36 in the second round.
Paul Buentello defeated Kiril Sidellnikov TKO at 4:18 in the third round.
Dan Lauzon defeated Bobby Green by submission at 4:38 in the first round.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Vladimir Matyushenko by TKO at 4:26 of the second round.
L.C. Davis defeated Bao Quach by unanimous decision.
Albert Rios defeated Antonio Duarte by unanimous decision.
Brett Cooper defeated Patrick Speight by TKO at 4:10 of the second round.
Fedor retains his WAMMA Heavyweight belt, and will likely fight Josh Barnett next. Vitor Belfort will shoot up the middleweight ranks following an impressive victory over Matt Lindland. Babalu vs. Lil Nog a possibility? Both victorious on Saturday.
UFC 94 is this weekend with GSP vs. B.J. Penn II. Also Thiago Silva vs. Lyoto Machida, a battle of unbeaten light heavyweights, should be a solid card.
Fedor Emelianenko defeated Andrei Arlovski by KO at 3:14 in the first round.
Josh Barnett defeated Gilbert Yvel by submission at 3:14 in the third round.
Vitor Belfort defeated Matt Lindland by TKO at :37 of the first round.
Babalu Sobral defeated Thierry Sokoudjou by submission at 2:36 in the second round.
Paul Buentello defeated Kiril Sidellnikov TKO at 4:18 in the third round.
Dan Lauzon defeated Bobby Green by submission at 4:38 in the first round.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira defeated Vladimir Matyushenko by TKO at 4:26 of the second round.
L.C. Davis defeated Bao Quach by unanimous decision.
Albert Rios defeated Antonio Duarte by unanimous decision.
Brett Cooper defeated Patrick Speight by TKO at 4:10 of the second round.
Fedor retains his WAMMA Heavyweight belt, and will likely fight Josh Barnett next. Vitor Belfort will shoot up the middleweight ranks following an impressive victory over Matt Lindland. Babalu vs. Lil Nog a possibility? Both victorious on Saturday.
UFC 94 is this weekend with GSP vs. B.J. Penn II. Also Thiago Silva vs. Lyoto Machida, a battle of unbeaten light heavyweights, should be a solid card.
Friday, January 23, 2009
2009 NBA All-Stars
The starters for next month's NBA All-Star game were announced last night and look like this.
East:
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Allen Iverson, Pistons
LeBron James, Cavs
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Dwight Howard, Magic
West:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Yao Ming, Rockets
Fun fact: Only 4 of the 10 All-Star starters played college basketball with two of them going to Wake Forest (Paul and Duncan).
The reserves will be named on Thursday, so before that happens, I'll will give you my picks on who should fill out these rosters.
In the East?
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Devin Harris, Nets
Danny Granger, Pacers
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Jameer Nelson, Magic
Vince Carter, Nets
In the West?
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Pau Gasol, Lakers,
Tony Parker, Spurs
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
Shaquille O'Neal, Suns
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
On the fense in both conferences:
Deron Williams, Jazz
Mehmet Okur, Jazz
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Al Jefferson, Timberwolves
Caron Butler, Wizards
Antawn Jamison, Wizards
Marcus Camby, Clippers
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Ray Allen, Celtics
Steve Nash, Suns
Remember where you heard it first. Also there is a great MMA ppv on Saturday, Affliction's 2nd show featuring Fedor vs. Arlovski. I'll try to get the results up as soon as possible.
-Keefe
East:
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Allen Iverson, Pistons
LeBron James, Cavs
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Dwight Howard, Magic
West:
Chris Paul, Hornets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Amare Stoudemire, Suns
Yao Ming, Rockets
Fun fact: Only 4 of the 10 All-Star starters played college basketball with two of them going to Wake Forest (Paul and Duncan).
The reserves will be named on Thursday, so before that happens, I'll will give you my picks on who should fill out these rosters.
In the East?
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Devin Harris, Nets
Danny Granger, Pacers
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Jameer Nelson, Magic
Vince Carter, Nets
In the West?
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Pau Gasol, Lakers,
Tony Parker, Spurs
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
Shaquille O'Neal, Suns
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
On the fense in both conferences:
Deron Williams, Jazz
Mehmet Okur, Jazz
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Al Jefferson, Timberwolves
Caron Butler, Wizards
Antawn Jamison, Wizards
Marcus Camby, Clippers
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Ray Allen, Celtics
Steve Nash, Suns
Remember where you heard it first. Also there is a great MMA ppv on Saturday, Affliction's 2nd show featuring Fedor vs. Arlovski. I'll try to get the results up as soon as possible.
-Keefe
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Remember This?
I've been talking about old school WWF with some of the guys from work recently, and you know what? I miss it. It was a better time, a simpler time. Characters were colorful, gimmicks were both ridiculous and amazing. Maybe we were just younger, I don't know. Enjoy these great youtube highlights from a strange but unbelievable time in the WWF. Think in between Hogan/ Warrior and Stone Cold/ The Rock.
Monday, January 19, 2009
UFC 93 Results
Sorry for the delay, but in case you missed the latest UFC ppv, here you go:
Undercard:
Dennis Siver beat Nate Mohr by third-round TKO (strikes)
Tomasz Drwal beat Ivan Serati by first-round TKO (strikes)
Eric Schafer beat Antonio Mendes by first-round TKO (strikes)
Martin Kampmann beat Alexandre Barros by second-round TKO (strikes)
John Hathaway beat Thomas Egan by first-round TKO (strikes)
Main card:
Marcus Davis beat Chris Lytle by split decision
Alan Belcher beats Denis Kang by second-round submission (guillotine)
Rousimar Palhares beat Jeremy Horn by unanimous decision.
Shogun Rua beats Mark Coleman by third-round TKO
Dan Henderon beats Rich Franklin by split decision.
Undercard:
Dennis Siver beat Nate Mohr by third-round TKO (strikes)
Tomasz Drwal beat Ivan Serati by first-round TKO (strikes)
Eric Schafer beat Antonio Mendes by first-round TKO (strikes)
Martin Kampmann beat Alexandre Barros by second-round TKO (strikes)
John Hathaway beat Thomas Egan by first-round TKO (strikes)
Main card:
Marcus Davis beat Chris Lytle by split decision
Alan Belcher beats Denis Kang by second-round submission (guillotine)
Rousimar Palhares beat Jeremy Horn by unanimous decision.
Shogun Rua beats Mark Coleman by third-round TKO
Dan Henderon beats Rich Franklin by split decision.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Hall of Famer? You Make the Call
20 current and former NBA players, you make the call, do they belong in the Hall? I will provide you with some of the numbers, including career and key stats, honors, and awards, but you decide. I will also make my pick. The list starts with retired players then gets into the current guys. It’s the Basketball Hall of Fame, so remember college honors are also a factor. Let's get on with the star studded list.
Reggie Miller
Resume:
18 seasons
18.2 ppg., 3 rpg., 3 apg. All-time 3 point leader. 8th all-time free throw percentage. 5 time All-Star. 3 time All-NBA 3rd Team. Highest finish in MVP vote: 13th.
Yes. This is a great way to start off. I was on the other side of the fence probably a year ago. After looking through all the numbers and other players who are in the Hall, I give Reggie the nod. 18 points per game over 18 seasons is very impressive, as is his ability from beyond the arc. 0 titles but played against the best, and certainly didn’t run from the moment. I got him in, but it’s very close, and I will probably feel he’s not in by the time I’m done with this.
Brad Daugherty
Resume:
8 seasons
19 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game. 5 time All-Star. All-Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 3rd Team. 2nd Team All-American at UNC. Highest finish in MVP vote: 10th
No. If Daugherty could have stayed healthy and played longer he gets in for sure. Close to 20-10 for his career is impossible to argue. Like Miller didn’t win any titles, but unlike Miller didn’t have a lengthy career.
Chris Mullin
Resume:
16 seasons
18.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 5 time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (2), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American, 2nd Team All-American, Wooden Award Winner at St. John’s. Member of 1992 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Team. (The Dream Team). Highest finish in MVP vote: 6th.
Yes. This is a great example where achievements outside of the NBA could help a guy get in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Mullin was an incredible college players and a member of the greatest basketball team ever assembled.
Mark Price
Resume:
12 seasons
15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals per game. 4 time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 3rd Team (3). 2nd Team All-American, 3rd Team All-American at Georgia Tech. 90.4 career free throw percentage best in NBA history. Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
No. Price is one of the best point guards of the past 25 years (wrote a fantastic article about that a few months back, check the archives), but I still don’t think he did enough to get into the Hall. Imagine Price and Daugherty’s legacy had it not been for one Michael Jordan, or if his Airness was drafted by Portland in the Western Conference.
Penny Hardaway
Resume:
14 seasons (parts of)
15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 4 time All-Star. All NBA 1st Team (2), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American at Memphis. Highest finish in MVP vote: 3rd.
No. Certainly began his career on his way to being a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. He was the best PG in the NBA for 2-3 seasons in a row. It looked like the Orlando Magic were going to be contenders for years. His career numbers were ruined as he tried to hang around the league post injuries. In 14 seasons Penny played 82 games just twice.
Larry Johnson
Resume:
10 seasons
16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game. 2 time All-Star. Rookie of the Year. All-Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 2nd Team. 1st Team All-American (2), Wooden Award, Naismith Award winner, NCAA Champion at UNLV.
No. The Runnin Rebels of the early 1990s was one of the greatest college teams of all-time. Fun to watch, they won a National Title, and nearly went undefeated the next year if the refs and NCAA weren’t so Pro-Duke. That’s a different article for a different time. LJ was the #1 pick in the draft after being the best college player in the country. He wont the Rookie of the Year award the that season, but injuries bit Johnson and he could not play the same game he had out in Vegas or few seasons in Charlotte.
Horace Grant
Resume:
17 seasons
11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds per game. 1 time All-Star. 4 time NBA Champion. All-Defensive 2nd Team (4). 2nd Team All-American at Clemson.
No. Great defensive player and rebounder, Grant had a long career with 4 rings to show from it. Good player who was in the right place at the right time with both the Bulls and Lakers, also was a part of the Magic team that got swept by the Rockets. 1-time All-Stars don’t belong in the Hall.
Kevin Johnson
Resume:
12 seasons
17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.5 steals per game. 3 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team (4), All-NBA 3rd Team. NBA Most Improved. Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
Yes. I got KJ in the Hall. A career average of 18 points and 9 dimes? I’ll take that on my team. This is another great debate, but I only had 6-7 point guards ahead of him in my life time, that’s good enough.
Dennis Rodman
Resume:
14 seasons
7.3 points, 13.1 rebounds per game. 2 time All-Star. All-NBA 3rd Team (2), 2 time Defensive Player of the Year. All- Defensive 1st Team (7), All- Defensive 2nd Team. 5 time NBA Champion. Led NBA in RPG 7 seasons. Highest finish in MVP vote: 10th.
Yes. Maybe his cross dressing and hair color and everything else will keep him out, but he deserves to be in. He had titles like a Horry and Ho. Grant, but the Worm was one of the best defensive players of all-time, and maybe the best rebounding power forwards not named Malone or Barkley. Twice Rodman average more than 18 rebounds a game.
Tim Hardaway
Resume:
13 seasons
17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 5 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team. Highest finish in MVP vote: 4th.
Yes. The killer crossover is in. Homophobic comments aside, Hardaway was a great point guard for many years in the league. Both with the Warriors and the Heats he was a game changer. He had skillz. (In Hardaway accent)
Shawn Kemp
Resume:
14 seasons:
14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks per game. 6 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team (3). Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
No. If there was a Hall of Fame for in-game dunkers, it would probably be named after him. But unfortunately I’m going to have to leave the Reign Man out of the real Hall. Great moments, and extremely likable teams in Seattle, but not enough to get him in.
Chris Webber
Resume:
15 seasons
20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.4 blocks per game. 5 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American at Michigan. Highest finish in MVP vote: 4th. (5 Top 10s).
Yes. I wrote an entire article on C-Webb when he retired. Feel free to pour through the archives to find it. He’s a slam dunk Hall of Famer in my mind. Webber is 1 of 6 players to average 20-9-4. The others? Baylor, Wilt, Billy Cunningham, Bird, and Garnett, with the 1st four in the Hall already.
Robert Horry
Resume:
16 seasons
7 points, 4.8 rebounds per game. 2nd Team All-Rookie. 7 time NBA Champion. 244 career playoff games, and 261 playoff 3PM ranks 2nd all-time (Reggie Miller).
No. 7 time NBA Champion! That’s a lot of rings. I know “Big Shot Bob” got that name for a reason, but playing with Hakeem, Shaq, Kobe, and Duncan will help you get those titles. People will point to those championships, I point to the career averages and 0 All-Star selections. Hall of Fame is an individual award, sorry Bob.
Tracey McGrady
Resume:
Playing 12th season
22.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals per game. 7 Time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team (2), All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team (2). NBA Most Improved Player. Highest finish in MVP vote 4th (6 top 8s).
Yes. I know he’s never made it out of the 1st round of the playoffs, but he has time to fix that. T-Mac already ranks 73rd All-Time in points scored in the NBA, and he won’t be 30 until after this season. Say what you want, but be sure to check out the numbers.
Ray Allen
Resume:
Playing 13th season
21 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game. 8 time All-Star. All-Rookie 2nd Team. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. NBA Champion. 1st Team All-American and 3rd Team All-American while at UConn. Highest finish in MVP vote 9th.
Yes. I would have given Ray the nod before winning the title last year with the Celtics, so I believe that only pushes him over the cliff. He’s 2nd All-Time behind Miller in 3 pointers made and has one of the best shots the game has ever seen. And he played Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game, so come on.
Vince Carter
Resume:
Playing 11th season
23.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists 1.3 steals per game. 8 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. All Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. 2nd Team All-American at North Carolina. Highest finish in MVP vote 10th.
Yes. A lot of people would probably argue with this, particularly in Toronto. Vincanity is 67th currently on the NBA’s scoring list, and only going up. 24 points per game career average, is the 18th best all-time. Like him or not he’s a Hall of Famer.
Grant Hill
Resume:
Playing 14th season
18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals per game. 7 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (4). 1st Team All-American and 3rd Team All-American at Duke. Highest finish in MVP vote 3rd.
No. To me, very much like Penny Hardaway. They both began their careers on the fast track to Springfield. I remember thinking when they announced the “50 Greatest Players List” back in the day that they needed to add Grant Hill. (and Dominique Wilkins, whose omission made that list a bit of a joke). But unfortunately not enough good seasons to get him in.
Tony Parker
Resume:
Playing 8th season
16.2 points, 5.5 assists per game. 2 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. 3 time NBA Champion. Finals MVP. Highest finish in MVP vote 9th.
No. At least not yet. Parker is the youngest guy on this list, and clearly has the most game left barring injuries. His 3 titles put him in the conversation, but the stats needed to increase, and they are.
Chauncey Billups
Resume:
Playing 12th season
14.9 points, 5.6 assists per game. 3 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. All-Defensive 2nd Team (2). NBA Champion, Finals MVP. 2nd Team All-American at Colorado. Highest finish in MVP vote 5th.
No. I go back and forth on Billups much like Reggie Miller. Right now I’m saying he has not done enough to get in. Just 3 all-star games and the career numbers don’t wow you. Finals MVP helps, but I think he needs to do more.
Paul Pierce
Resume:
Playing 11th season
23 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 6 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 3rd Team (3). NBA Champion, Finals MVP. 1st Team All-American at Kansas. Highest finish in MVP vote 11th.
Yes. Like Ray Allen I felt Pierce was a Hall of Famer before last year’s championship. Well that solidified it for me, and another inevitable All-Star selection won’t hurt. One more championship would make him a slam dunk 1st ballot guy. As Shaquille O’Neal once eloquently put it, “Paul Pierce is the mother f***in truth.”
There it is. Leave your comments with thoughts on 1, 2, or all of these players.
-Keefe
Reggie Miller
Resume:
18 seasons
18.2 ppg., 3 rpg., 3 apg. All-time 3 point leader. 8th all-time free throw percentage. 5 time All-Star. 3 time All-NBA 3rd Team. Highest finish in MVP vote: 13th.
Yes. This is a great way to start off. I was on the other side of the fence probably a year ago. After looking through all the numbers and other players who are in the Hall, I give Reggie the nod. 18 points per game over 18 seasons is very impressive, as is his ability from beyond the arc. 0 titles but played against the best, and certainly didn’t run from the moment. I got him in, but it’s very close, and I will probably feel he’s not in by the time I’m done with this.
Brad Daugherty
Resume:
8 seasons
19 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game. 5 time All-Star. All-Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 3rd Team. 2nd Team All-American at UNC. Highest finish in MVP vote: 10th
No. If Daugherty could have stayed healthy and played longer he gets in for sure. Close to 20-10 for his career is impossible to argue. Like Miller didn’t win any titles, but unlike Miller didn’t have a lengthy career.
Chris Mullin
Resume:
16 seasons
18.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 5 time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (2), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American, 2nd Team All-American, Wooden Award Winner at St. John’s. Member of 1992 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal Team. (The Dream Team). Highest finish in MVP vote: 6th.
Yes. This is a great example where achievements outside of the NBA could help a guy get in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Mullin was an incredible college players and a member of the greatest basketball team ever assembled.
Mark Price
Resume:
12 seasons
15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals per game. 4 time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 3rd Team (3). 2nd Team All-American, 3rd Team All-American at Georgia Tech. 90.4 career free throw percentage best in NBA history. Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
No. Price is one of the best point guards of the past 25 years (wrote a fantastic article about that a few months back, check the archives), but I still don’t think he did enough to get into the Hall. Imagine Price and Daugherty’s legacy had it not been for one Michael Jordan, or if his Airness was drafted by Portland in the Western Conference.
Penny Hardaway
Resume:
14 seasons (parts of)
15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 4 time All-Star. All NBA 1st Team (2), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American at Memphis. Highest finish in MVP vote: 3rd.
No. Certainly began his career on his way to being a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. He was the best PG in the NBA for 2-3 seasons in a row. It looked like the Orlando Magic were going to be contenders for years. His career numbers were ruined as he tried to hang around the league post injuries. In 14 seasons Penny played 82 games just twice.
Larry Johnson
Resume:
10 seasons
16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game. 2 time All-Star. Rookie of the Year. All-Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 2nd Team. 1st Team All-American (2), Wooden Award, Naismith Award winner, NCAA Champion at UNLV.
No. The Runnin Rebels of the early 1990s was one of the greatest college teams of all-time. Fun to watch, they won a National Title, and nearly went undefeated the next year if the refs and NCAA weren’t so Pro-Duke. That’s a different article for a different time. LJ was the #1 pick in the draft after being the best college player in the country. He wont the Rookie of the Year award the that season, but injuries bit Johnson and he could not play the same game he had out in Vegas or few seasons in Charlotte.
Horace Grant
Resume:
17 seasons
11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds per game. 1 time All-Star. 4 time NBA Champion. All-Defensive 2nd Team (4). 2nd Team All-American at Clemson.
No. Great defensive player and rebounder, Grant had a long career with 4 rings to show from it. Good player who was in the right place at the right time with both the Bulls and Lakers, also was a part of the Magic team that got swept by the Rockets. 1-time All-Stars don’t belong in the Hall.
Kevin Johnson
Resume:
12 seasons
17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.5 steals per game. 3 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team (4), All-NBA 3rd Team. NBA Most Improved. Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
Yes. I got KJ in the Hall. A career average of 18 points and 9 dimes? I’ll take that on my team. This is another great debate, but I only had 6-7 point guards ahead of him in my life time, that’s good enough.
Dennis Rodman
Resume:
14 seasons
7.3 points, 13.1 rebounds per game. 2 time All-Star. All-NBA 3rd Team (2), 2 time Defensive Player of the Year. All- Defensive 1st Team (7), All- Defensive 2nd Team. 5 time NBA Champion. Led NBA in RPG 7 seasons. Highest finish in MVP vote: 10th.
Yes. Maybe his cross dressing and hair color and everything else will keep him out, but he deserves to be in. He had titles like a Horry and Ho. Grant, but the Worm was one of the best defensive players of all-time, and maybe the best rebounding power forwards not named Malone or Barkley. Twice Rodman average more than 18 rebounds a game.
Tim Hardaway
Resume:
13 seasons
17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 5 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team. Highest finish in MVP vote: 4th.
Yes. The killer crossover is in. Homophobic comments aside, Hardaway was a great point guard for many years in the league. Both with the Warriors and the Heats he was a game changer. He had skillz. (In Hardaway accent)
Shawn Kemp
Resume:
14 seasons:
14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks per game. 6 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team (3). Highest finish in MVP vote: 7th.
No. If there was a Hall of Fame for in-game dunkers, it would probably be named after him. But unfortunately I’m going to have to leave the Reign Man out of the real Hall. Great moments, and extremely likable teams in Seattle, but not enough to get him in.
Chris Webber
Resume:
15 seasons
20.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.4 blocks per game. 5 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team. 1st Team All-American at Michigan. Highest finish in MVP vote: 4th. (5 Top 10s).
Yes. I wrote an entire article on C-Webb when he retired. Feel free to pour through the archives to find it. He’s a slam dunk Hall of Famer in my mind. Webber is 1 of 6 players to average 20-9-4. The others? Baylor, Wilt, Billy Cunningham, Bird, and Garnett, with the 1st four in the Hall already.
Robert Horry
Resume:
16 seasons
7 points, 4.8 rebounds per game. 2nd Team All-Rookie. 7 time NBA Champion. 244 career playoff games, and 261 playoff 3PM ranks 2nd all-time (Reggie Miller).
No. 7 time NBA Champion! That’s a lot of rings. I know “Big Shot Bob” got that name for a reason, but playing with Hakeem, Shaq, Kobe, and Duncan will help you get those titles. People will point to those championships, I point to the career averages and 0 All-Star selections. Hall of Fame is an individual award, sorry Bob.
Tracey McGrady
Resume:
Playing 12th season
22.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals per game. 7 Time All-Star. All-NBA 1st Team (2), All-NBA 2nd Team (3), All-NBA 3rd Team (2). NBA Most Improved Player. Highest finish in MVP vote 4th (6 top 8s).
Yes. I know he’s never made it out of the 1st round of the playoffs, but he has time to fix that. T-Mac already ranks 73rd All-Time in points scored in the NBA, and he won’t be 30 until after this season. Say what you want, but be sure to check out the numbers.
Ray Allen
Resume:
Playing 13th season
21 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game. 8 time All-Star. All-Rookie 2nd Team. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. NBA Champion. 1st Team All-American and 3rd Team All-American while at UConn. Highest finish in MVP vote 9th.
Yes. I would have given Ray the nod before winning the title last year with the Celtics, so I believe that only pushes him over the cliff. He’s 2nd All-Time behind Miller in 3 pointers made and has one of the best shots the game has ever seen. And he played Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game, so come on.
Vince Carter
Resume:
Playing 11th season
23.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists 1.3 steals per game. 8 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. All Rookie 1st Team. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. 2nd Team All-American at North Carolina. Highest finish in MVP vote 10th.
Yes. A lot of people would probably argue with this, particularly in Toronto. Vincanity is 67th currently on the NBA’s scoring list, and only going up. 24 points per game career average, is the 18th best all-time. Like him or not he’s a Hall of Famer.
Grant Hill
Resume:
Playing 14th season
18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals per game. 7 time All-Star. NBA Rookie of the Year. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 1st Team, All-NBA 2nd Team (4). 1st Team All-American and 3rd Team All-American at Duke. Highest finish in MVP vote 3rd.
No. To me, very much like Penny Hardaway. They both began their careers on the fast track to Springfield. I remember thinking when they announced the “50 Greatest Players List” back in the day that they needed to add Grant Hill. (and Dominique Wilkins, whose omission made that list a bit of a joke). But unfortunately not enough good seasons to get him in.
Tony Parker
Resume:
Playing 8th season
16.2 points, 5.5 assists per game. 2 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. 3 time NBA Champion. Finals MVP. Highest finish in MVP vote 9th.
No. At least not yet. Parker is the youngest guy on this list, and clearly has the most game left barring injuries. His 3 titles put him in the conversation, but the stats needed to increase, and they are.
Chauncey Billups
Resume:
Playing 12th season
14.9 points, 5.6 assists per game. 3 time All-Star. All-NBA 2nd Team, All-NBA 3rd Team. All-Defensive 2nd Team (2). NBA Champion, Finals MVP. 2nd Team All-American at Colorado. Highest finish in MVP vote 5th.
No. I go back and forth on Billups much like Reggie Miller. Right now I’m saying he has not done enough to get in. Just 3 all-star games and the career numbers don’t wow you. Finals MVP helps, but I think he needs to do more.
Paul Pierce
Resume:
Playing 11th season
23 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 steals per game. 6 time All-Star. 1st Team All-Rookie. All-NBA 3rd Team (3). NBA Champion, Finals MVP. 1st Team All-American at Kansas. Highest finish in MVP vote 11th.
Yes. Like Ray Allen I felt Pierce was a Hall of Famer before last year’s championship. Well that solidified it for me, and another inevitable All-Star selection won’t hurt. One more championship would make him a slam dunk 1st ballot guy. As Shaquille O’Neal once eloquently put it, “Paul Pierce is the mother f***in truth.”
There it is. Leave your comments with thoughts on 1, 2, or all of these players.
-Keefe
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