Celtics Hub Podcast

It's back! Another installment of the Celtics Hub podcast. Rich Keefe and Brian Robb break it down. Give it a listen and for more C's news go to CelticsHub.com.

CelticsHub.com Podcast: Magic Preview by BRobb7

Merry Christmas from The Brief

Have a wonderful Christmas with your family!

Rich Reviews: The Fighter

The Fighter tells the story of Lowell, Mass, boxer Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his rise to fame along with his relationship with half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). The audience is introduced to Ward as just a hard working guy in a tough town in Massachusetts. He's lost 3 fights in a row and is considering giving up boxing for good. His brother Eklund, a former boxer with hopes of a comeback of his own, encourages Ward to stick with it. Eklund's support proves to be a blessing and a curse.

The film stands out because of it's amazing cast and acting performances. Walhberg was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor, Bale for Supporting Actor. But it wasn't just a male dominated show. Amy Adams (Ward's girlfriend) and Melissa Leo (Ward's mom) both were deservedly nominated for Best Supporting Actress. I don't know if either of them will win, they could, but I can promise you Bale cleans up the Globes, Oscars, People's Choice, Sports Brief Picks, you name it.

Bale's depiction of Dicky Eklund is nothing short of fantastic. I have not been as impressed with a supporting character since Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight, which he starred in along side Bale. Eklund was the previous "Pride of Lowell," with his claim to fame being he knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard, or did he slip? Either way Eklund was a hero in the working class town of Lowell. Eklund, however, turned to drugs and was a flat mess. Bale made a character very likable despite so many destructive acts. Dicky was/is charismatic even with all his faults and Bale pulls it off with perfection.

Without a doubt Bale steals the show, but The Fighter still lives up to it's title with a number of great boxing sequences. I thought the fights in Ali, with Will Smith were pretty good, these are better, and they don't have the advantages that a Muhammad Ali film has. Unless you are a die hard boxing fan you don't know most of the guys Ward fought on his way to the top. Walhberg, a known boxing fan himself, does a great job in this scenes. I would be surprised if he wins any awards for this performance, but I do believe the nomination is justified.

I recommend this movie for everyone, clearly not just a boxing film. Family is one of the central themes as well, and the aforementioned acting in it makes it worth while for any movie buff. Also if you are one of those people who has to watch all the Academy Award nominated films, you might as well get this one out of the way now because it will surely be well represented.

Keefe's Call: 8.6/10

Around the NBA: Dissecting The Amare Effect

(written originally for CelticsHub.com)

The NBA season is past the quarter mark and the Celtics are right where they want to be, sitting atop the Eastern Conference, owners of the 2^nd best record in the league. This week on “Around the NBA,” I will take a close look at the Atlantic Division, specifically the Amare Stoudemire Effect, and top scoring duos in the league, but we start as always with a trip to South Beach.

-Heat Check: Not surprised by the Miami Heat’s 8 game winning streak. They were at one point 9-8 on the year after losing 3 of 4, but suddenly the Heat lead their division at 17-8. The winning could continue as their next 5 are: vs. Hornets, vs. Cavs, @ Knicks, @ Wizards, vs. Mavericks. Miami also travels to LA to face Kobe and the Lakers on Christmas day.

I truly believe the team used that Cleveland game as a rallying point and it’s hard to argue. Not only have they won 8 straight, but they have all been by double digits. LeBron James claims that he and Dwyane Wade have, “figured it out.” Well maybe they have, but the Heat still trot out a below average point guard and get to play an exciting game of Washed Up Center Roulette with Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Juwan Howard, Jamaal Magloire, Erick Dampier, and Joel Anthony. How can you lose?

Wade and LeBron are a ruthless combination though, you can’t joke about that. I still expect the Heat to meet the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

-Division Dissection: Atlantic

Since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce in Boston, the Celtics have been the only team in the Atlantic Division to finish the season with a winning record. Think about that for a second. For three straight years the 76ers, Raptors, Knicks, and Nets have all finished with 41 or fewer wins. (Philly and Toronto tied for the best record since 2007 at 41-41).

Well as of right now the New York Knicks are an impressive and surprising 16-9, thanks to an 8 game winning streak and an MVP like start to the year from Amare Stoudemire. Only the Celtics, Heat, and Magic have a better record than the Knicks in the East. They outscored the Nuggets 129-125 on Sunday monster performances by Stoudemire and Raymond Felton.

Those additions of Stoudemire and Felton combined with the out-of-no-where rookie Landry Fields, and 3^rd year man Wilson Chandler have the Knicks playing with a spark for the first time in seemingly forever.

The Knicks have not won 40 games in a season since 2000-2001, which was just two years removed from their trip to the NBA Finals. They were led by Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, and Marcus Camby during that span. New York has not made the playoffs since 2003-2004 where they were bounced out in the 1^st round. As for now, they are on track to potentially host the 1^st round. Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves though. With the state of the Eastern Conference as long as the Knicks stay healthy (very weak bench, despite Bill Walker being on the team!); they should be a playoff team. And if Carmelo Anthony gets his wish and is traded to New York? Their goals change.

But did anyone think New York would be in this position after 25 games? They couldn’t get LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh, or even Joe Johnson or Rudy Gay. Instead they signed Amare Stoudemire and heard rumors of how Carmelo and Chris Paul or Tony Parker would one day work out a deal to form another Super Team. Well Amare is there and playing like a man possessed, 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks for the season.

-Amare Effect: (quick timeout from the Atlantic breakdown to discuss Stoudemire) During the Knicks 8 game winning streak, Amare has scored 30+ points in each game and is averaging just under a 34-11. I was always under the assumption that Stoudemire was a good, not great player, and a bit overrated. I thought he was an incredible athlete, and coupled with the Suns’ system and Steve Nash he couldn’t help but put up 23-8. He was a great offensive player, but poor rebounder for his size and lazy defender.

I might have to rethink my stance. New York is 16-9 with Amare playing like the league’s MVP while his former team, Phoenix, is struggling at 11-12. Is Amare more than just a good fit in a Nash offense? Yes he is. Although I do understand he is still playing in an up-tempo system with his old Suns coach, and Ray Felton is proving to be better than anticipated. But remember when Stoudemire dominated, and I mean dominated Tim Duncan in the playoffs a few years back? He has the ability, and teams outside of Boston and Orlando in the East are all going to have their hands full with him.

Amare is a 5-time All-Star and 4-time All-NBA selection (one 1^st team, three 2^nd teams), but I have not been this impressed by him, in the regular season, until this year. He’s going to have to keep it up, obviously, to warrant a complete change of heart by me, but he’s on the way. For the first time in his career, he is the number one option, talent, threat, you name it, and he’s living up to the billing.

Of course another reason why I think the Knicks will end their playoff drought this year is because they have so many games with the Raptors, Nets, and 76ers.

The Celtics just saw the young 6ers this past week and needed a near buzzer beater to knock them off, but Philly is clearly a few years away from contending, if not more. They have seven players 23 or younger including the #2 pick in the draft Evan Turner and second year man/ boy Jrue Holiday. Doug Collins is trying to get the most out of them and he has his hands full. They are not a threat this season.

The Nets, like Philly, have a new coach this season. Avery Johnson is back in the league after spending time as an analyst at ESPN. There is really only one way to go after a 12-70 season; however 6-18 out of the gate has got to lead to thoughts of more of the same. Devin Harris and Brook Lopez is a good combo… right? Well are we sure? 18-88 in the last year plus doesn’t sound like a good anything. Derrick Favors could blossom into a star. Reports are New Jersey offered Denver Favors, Troy Murphy, and two #1 picks for Carmelo, but Anthony won’t sign a long term deal, so that’s a no go. New Jersey is also a clear non-factor this year.

The last team in the division, currently in 3^rd place, is the Toronto Raptors. You watch a Raps game and you say, “Who?” or “Oh, he’s on the Raptors this year?” Former #1 Andrea Bargnani is average over 21 points per game, but who else is going to score for this team. Leandro Barbosa, DeMar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, and Linas Kleiza are all averages double digits for this team. Not a team I’m dying to see play 2-3 times a week that’s for sure. Save to say Toronto is also not a playoff factor this year. Take that Canada.

The Atlantic Division can be broken into three groups. The Title Contender: Celtics; the Playoff Bound: Knicks; and the What’s Jay Bilas Saying About Him?: Raptors, 76ers, Nets.

-Batman & Robin: We all know the most talked about duo in the league, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but are they the highest scoring? A high scoring duo does not mean much; the Celtics top tandem is Paul Pierce and Ray Allen at 34.6 combined points per game, which ranks no where near the top. But I’m interested in it, and maybe you are too.

Top 10 Scoring Duos

1. Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook, Thunder, 51.5
2. LeBron James & Dwyane Wade, Heat, 47.3
3. Kobe Bryant & Pau Gasol, Lakers, 46.2
4. Amare Stoudemire & Ray Felton, Knicks, 44.4
5. Monta Ellis & Stephen Curry, Warriors, 44.4
6. Blake Griffin & Eric Gordon, Clippers, 44.3
7. Kevin Martin & Luis Scola, Rockets, 43.4
8. Derrick Rose & Luol Deng, Bulls, 42.9
9. Michael Beasley & Kevin Love, T-Wolves, 41.8
10. Deron Williams & Paul Millsap, Jazz, 40.7

-Keefe

UFC 124 Tomorrow Night

UFC 124 takes place in Montreal, Canada on Saturday night. The main event is a re-match as Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre puts his title on the line against Josh Koscheck. These two 170 pound fighters were the latest coaches on The Ultimate Fighter.

GSP always sells PPV's and is one of the very best draws in all of MMA. But this is as close to a boxing card as I have seen from the UFC in a long time. When I say boxing card, I mean there is one fight you want to watch and you spend all your money on just the one match. Case in point, I could not find a UFC 124 poster advertising the event that even mentions a second bout on the card. Pretty surprising. Usually they have pictures of the co-main event and even the third bout, but at the very least the names of the fighters are featured. Not this time.

The co-main event is Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve. Weak. I am interested in another fight on this card, it's a welterweight match between former #1 contender Thiago Alves and Dorchester's own John "Doomsday" Howard. Alves always struggles to make weight, so this is a huge fight for him, they're both coming off losses as well. I'll be pulling for Howard.

As underwhelming as this card looks on paper, it is often the events you are not thrilled with going in that provide the most exciting fights. So we shall see.

Predictions: I don't see GSP losing, but can he finish Kos? I say another decision for St. Pierre. I really like Howard, but if Alves is in shape, Thiago will be too tough.

-Keefe

Keefe Presents: Top 10 Offensive Lineman

Fats guys, it is time to unveil the very best of the best of the big uglies. Who are the best offensive lineman in the NFL? Here is a break down of the Top 10 Tackles, Guards, and Centers. (No I am no breaking up LT from RT or LG from RG, just enjoy the list.)

Tackles

1. Ryan Clady, Broncos

2. Joe Thomas, Browns

3. Jake Long, Dolphins

4. Michael Roos, Titans

5. Jordan Gross, Panthers

6. Jared Gaither, Ravens

7. Jamaal Brown, Saints

8. Bryant McKinnie, Vikings

9. Sebastian Vollmer, Patriots

10. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Jets

Guards

1. Jahri Evans, Saints

2. Logan Mankins, Patriots
3. Steve Hutchinson, Vikings

4. Chris Snee, Giants

5. Leonard Davis, Cowboys

6. Ben Grubbs, Ravens

7. Alan Faneca, Cardinals

8. Ryan Lilja, Chiefs

9. Carl Nicks, Saints

10. Kris Dielman, Chargers

Center

1. Nick Mangold, Jets

2. Alex Mack, Browns

3. Andre Gurode, Cowboys

4. Matt Birk, Ravens

5. Dan Koppen, Patriots

6. Jeff Saturday, Colts

7. Ryan Kalil, Panthers

8. Shaun O'Hara, Giants

9. Nick Hardwick, Chargers

10. Jason Brown, Rams

There you have it, the best lineman in the league. Not surprisingly the tackles are almost entirely Left Tackles. It's difficult to single out lineman when they have no easy stats to look at. If they don't have a great QB or RB you might not be able to see just how good they can be. Admittedly I watch more Patriots games than any other team, but I am confident putting Vollmer, Koppen, and Mankins against anyone else.

Next up: Middle Linebackers

-Keefe

Around The NBA on CelticsHub.com

Every Monday throughout the rest of the NBA season, I (Rich Keefe), will be writing an article on CelticsHub.com entitled, "Around The NBA," where I will, you guessed it, go around the league and break down some of the biggest stories, scores, and statistics. There will be a lot of alliteration and based on the first sentence, commas. You can access CelticsHub.com on the right hand side of The Brief, either by clicking on "Celtics Hub" under the "Friends of the Brief" title or just be clicking the big Celtics logo itself. It is a great website for all your Celtics, news, notes, and opinions, and make sure you give a look every Monday for my sweet action.

Celtics Hub is the ESPN True Hoop Network's Boston Celtics affiliate. The site is updated multiple times daily with everything you need to know about the C's. Enjoy it.

-Keefe

Dude gets KTFO'd, should be dead

Headline says it all, watch this and try not to throw up...



-Besse

The NWO Rolls Thru Cleveland

LeBron James ripped the heart out of the Cleveland fans a few months ago, and last night brought out the Mortal Kombat like finisher. (For the record, I don't blame LeBron for leaving, just how he did it was awful.)

Let's look back at how this Miami Heat team was constructed...

-Keefe

Keefe Presents: Top 10 Tight Ends

Alright Keefe Presents is back with the Top 10 Tight Ends currently in the NFL. A refresher for those who have missed these Top 10 lists from earlier (see Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers), these are the players I believe are the 10 best at their position, not 10 best fantasy players. If every tight end in the league was on the same team, this is how I think they would rank out.

1. Antonio Gates, Chargers

2. Jason Witten, Cowboys

3. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons

4. Dallas Clark, Colts

5. Vernon Davis, 49ers

6. Jermichael Finley, Packers

7. Dustin Keller, Jets

8. Chris Cooley, Redskins

9. Kellen Winslow, Buccaneers

10. Brandon Pettigrew, Lions

Marcedes Lewis and Todd Heap are both having good years, but I think Heap is done while Lewis needs to do it again. Clark and Finley are done for the season, however when healthy there is no denying that they belong in the Top 10. Clark is tricky to figure out, similar to Reggie Wayne, because they have only played with Peyton Manning. Would they be nearly as effective anywhere else? Who the hell knows.

But with this list you can now get into educated arguments about whether your team has a Top 10 Tight End. Your welcome.

Next up: The Offensive Line

-Keefe

Rich Keefe's TV Debut

Rich Keefe sat in for Damon Amendolara (host weeknights 6-11pm on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston) on WPRI-12 in Providence, RI to break down the Patriots recent win over the Lions and look ahead to their huge match up on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets.

(It doesn't look like the voice matches the video, but just hang in there.)

Andre Johnson Is Sick Of Cortland Finnegan

Two things upset me about this video.

1.) Andre Johnson needed about 10 more seconds, uninterrupted, to beat the head off of Cortland Finnegan's shoulders. He got the helmet off, landed a couple brush shots, but couldn't capitalize.

2.) He will likely get suspended and is on one of my fantasy teams.

-Keefe

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Sports Brief. Enjoy the games and turkey today.

Patriots -6.5 at Lions
Saints -4.5 at Cowboys
Bengals +9.5 at Jets

Besse is going all dogs, I'll take Pats, Saints, Bengals...

Also a special shout out to our favorite Turkey on this day, Celtics big-man Semih Erden...



-Keefe

Blake Griffin dishing out facials for free

Over the weekend the big NBA hype was this monster game that Blake Griffin had against the Knicks, with a few ridiculous slams added in. Check out two of them in the video below. Absolute porn star stud with the facials he gave out. Nut everywhere.



A couple things about these dunks...with the first one, I love two aspects: a) he actually pulls the guy's head into his crotch with his left hand, completing disrespecting him in the worst of ways; b) his hand never touched the rim. Just threw it straight into the hoop. Unreal.

Also, the second one is fantastic just because Gallinari had no freaking clue what to do. Sometimes you just need to abort. Get the hell out of there so you don't end up in a highlight reel or on a poster. Sadly, Gallinari chose to ignore such advice and now qualifies for both.

I won't even ask you which one is better, because we all know it's the first one. But both are fantastic.

-Bess

Keefe Presents: Top 10 Wide Receivers

Time now to turn our attention to the best players on the football field, the most athletic guys in the locker room, and the most dynamic personalities in the sport, the wide receivers. Some, if not many, of these WRs will likely end up on the All-Time Top 10 list for the position, but this is simply today's 10 best.

Disclaimer: Again, if everything was equal: QB, coach, running game, 2nd receiver, O-line, etc., these would be the 10 best receivers in football.

1. Andre Johnson, Texans

2. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals

3. Calvin Johnson, Lions

4. Brandon Marshall, Dolphins

5. Anquan Boldin, Ravens

6. Reggie Wayne, Colts

7. Roddy White, Falcons

8. Miles Austin, Cowboys

9. Terrell Owens, Bengals

10. Steve Smith, Panthers

Honorable Mention: Greg Jennings, Packers; Hakeem Nicks, Giants; Randy Moss, Titans; Chad Ochocinco, Bengals; DeSean Jackson, Eagles.

I know what you're thinking, Steve Smith? And not last year's pro bowl Steve Smith from the Giants either. I stand by it. There are some great receivers in this league, and Panthers Steve Smith is as good as any of them. His stats this year are garbage, but so would Jerry Rice's in Carolina. You know who has taken the snaps this year for the Panthers? Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen, Tony Pike, and Brian "I was literally a stay-at-home Dad-3-days-before-my-last-start St. Pierre. Give me a break.

Besides Reggie Wayne, none of the guys in my Top 10 play for an elite quarterback. If you base the QB's off my rankings, I believe Brady, Manning, Brees, Rivers, and Rodgers are elite. Randy Moss still makes my honorable mention list, but honestly its tough to keep him there. It's been a terrible season for him in not 1, not 2, but 3 places.

Mike Wallace of the Steelers didn't crack my Top 15, but the way he's going he could be Top 7 Top 5 in a couple years.

What does your list look like, let the debate begin.

Next up: Tight Ends

-Keefe

Sergio Martinez delivers KO of the Year

For those of you watching the UFC fight on Saturday, or perhaps nothing at all, you most likely missed Sergio Martinez deliver what should be KO of the Year. Not just in boxing, but in all combat sports and even street fights. It was a rematch with Paul Williams, with Williams winning the first fight via Majority Decision. But Martinez left no doubt in this contest, as both fighters threw left hands simultaneously. Martinez threw his shorter and on the button, knocking Williams out on his feet before plummeting to the canvas face first. The most chilling part of the knockout was watching Williams, eyes open, gaze into the canvas with no sense of who or where he was. Check it out below:



Follow up question: Is Max Kellerman the most awkward TV personality ever? The guy couldn't make me feel more uncomfortable when giving interviews.

Final thought: The Martinez KO of Williams instantly reminded me of Antonio Tarver's stunning 2nd round KO of Roy Jones Jr. in their highly anticipated rematch. You'll remember Jones holding on down the stretch of their first fight after coming back down to light heavyweight following his claim of the heavyweight title from John Ruiz. In their second go around, Tarver threw a short left hook just as Jones threw a left. Tarver's was shorter and turned it over more, much like Martinez did to Williams this past Saturday night...



-Bess

Is this the greatest UFC entrance of all time?

Headline says it all, let us know your thoughts.



-Bess

UFC 123 Results

UFC 123 took place last night at the home of the Detroit Pistons, the Palace at Auburn Hills. Here are the quick results.

MAIN CARD:

• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Lyoto Machida via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• B.J. Penn def. Matt Hughes via KO (punches) - Round 1, 0:21
• Maiquel Falcao def. Gerald Harris via unanimous decision (29-27. 29-28, 29-28)
• Phil Davis def. Tim Boetsch via submission (kimura) - Round 2, 2:55
• George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Lauzon via submission (kimura) - Round 2, 2:43

UNDER CARD:

• Brian Foster def. Matt Brown via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 2:11
• Mark Munoz def. Aaron Simpson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dennis Hallman def. Karo Parisyan via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:47
• Edson Barboza def. Mike Lullo via TKO (leg kicks) - Round 3, 0:26
• Paul Kelly def. T.J. O'Brien via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 3:16
• Nik Lentz def. Tyson Griffin via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

Main Card Picks from the Brief:

Besse: 3-2

Keefe: 3-2

Is college football serious right now?

The whole reason anyone was going to tune into the Northwestern-Illinois game this weekend wasn't because we have two competitive football teams, nor because the game was being played at Wrigley Field. People were going to watch to see if anyone would get concussed running into the wall in the East endzone.

Now, according to ESPN, the NCAA/Big 10/school officials have decided that only one end zone will be used on offense throughout the entire game. Are you kidding me? What is this, one long overtime period? What baffles me is the idea to hold the game at Wrigley was obviously not a decision made overnight. It was most likely a long, drawn out process that factored in a lot of discussion and debate before being finalized. The dimensions of the field should have come at no surprise. What does come as a surprise is the ineptitude of the officials at hand who did not originally forecast any danger nor backlash from hosting a game where the fence and padding would be so close to the back of the end zone on the East side. These folks are being paid a lot of money to hold the positions they do, we should hope they'd be educated enough to recognize this type of concern early on in the process. However, what clouded their judgement was the novelty to hold a game at an historic monument of baseball history, much like Notre Dame and Army will do this weekend at Yankee Stadium. The difference is they have constructed a field which does not put the players in harms way like Wrigley Field's layout does.

Unfortunately, these officials were so caught up in making a meaningless game meaningful by adding in a novelty for a location, and thus ended making the entire event a joke. Well done. You managed to make people care even less about watching this game.

-Bess

UFC 123 Breakdown and Picks

We are now a day away from UFC 123, which features a headline bout between two former light heavyweight champions in Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida. In addition, the top MMA organization offers us a co-main event between former welterweight champion Matt Hughes and former lightweight and welterweight champion BJ "The Prodigy" Penn. This will be the third bout in what will surely go down as one of the greater trilogies in the history of combat sport. The entire card is very solid, and without further delay, let's get to the breakdown and picks courtesy of The Sports Brief. We'll start with a technical breakdown of each fight on the main card and follow with picks from both myself and Keefe. Enjoy.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson v. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida

Machida started out his mma career winning 16 straight fights, utilizing his unorthodox striking and karate background to remain elusive and lure his opponents into uncomfortable spots where he was able to capitalize with excellent counter striking. For a while, fans and mma pundits often characterized his style as "boring", noting his failure to finish fights on a frequent basis and excite the crowd. He was certainly not a guy you were expecting to cash in on a "Fight of the Night" bonus. But knocked Thiago Silva out cold at UFC 94, then really burst into the spotlight with his devastating KO of Rashad Evans at UFC 98. He picked Evans apart, almost finishing the fight in the first round before putting Evans to sleep with a barrage of strikes; Evans was left snoring up against the cage, and at the time, UFC commentator Joe Rogan exclaimed, "Welcome to the Machida Era".

Incredibly, that era almost came to an abrupt end at UFC 104, when many thought Mauricio "Shogun" Rua put forth a winning effort before losing a disputed unanimous decision. In the rematch at UFC 113, Rua did not leave it to the judges, putting the champion out on his back and claiming what many thought was his after the first fight: The UFC Light Heavyweight title. The two fights with Shogun were a bit of an eye opener, as it showed someone with effective strikes from the outside that can cut off Machida could score points and flip the script, putting him in uncomfortable positions. If you go back and look at the Tito Ortiz fight, Machida did a lot of back peddling and lateral movement, and Tito chased. He didn't cut him off, just chased him in the direction he was moving. Because of that, Machida could stop on a dime and land a strike or series of strikes as Tito was still coming forward, not expecting Machida to engage. This caught Ortiz off-guard, and ultimately led to a decision victory for "The Dragon".

His opponent, however, is as tough on the feet as you'll find in this sport. Jackson has some of the best boxing skills in MMA and can light up an opponent with power in both hands. He also has impressive counter strikes, ala his KO of Chuck Liddell, and a chin that makes him hard to put down, nevermind put out. He has excellent wrestling skills and his brute strength is incredible; just ask Ricardo Arona:




In order for Rampage to be successful on Saturday night, I think he'll need to force Machida to engage. Take the center of the Octagon, cut him off with angles and footwork, and stand in the pocket and trade. While Machida has shown power and great counter striking, I think Rampage has the ability to take multiple shots while in the pocket in the hopes of landing one that can change the momentum in an instant. If he fails to get in Machida's face, he'll probably end up losing a decision much in the same fashion as his loss to Forrest Griffin. At UFC 86, Griffin seized the belt from Jackson by hurting him with leg kicks and volume striking. Griffin got knocked down a couple times, but managed to strike and move away before Jackson could land a knockout blow.

Matt Hughes v. BJ Penn

The series is tied at one apiece, and Saturday night will put an end to a fantastic trilogy between two of the sports greatest ever. What's so fascinating about this fight is that while the first two seemed like the ultimate grudge matches between two men that truly disliked one another, there doesn't seem to be that same sentiment between the two anymore, at least not in what they're saying publicly. Both appear to have a mutual respect for not only each other's game, but what the two have accomplished over the course of their storied careers.

The key to this matchup will be Hughes decision to either stand or attempt to bring the fight to the mat(t) (pun intended). As we've seen in his fights with GSP, Penn can be brought down and controlled by a bigger, stronger man. The problem is whether or not you can actually get him on his back. GSP's wrestling is probably the best in the game; Hughes' used to be, but isn't anymore. While it's still great, it's not at the same level it used to be. In addition, Hughes had improved remarkably on his feet, as shown in his fights with Royce Gracie and Ricardo Almeida.

The issue is whether or not he becomes too confident on his feet. Penn's boxing is excellent, and against a bigger, slower opponent who doesn't present a threat in terms of power, Penn could have his way with Hughes in the stand up. He's not facing a smaller, faster Frankie Edgar here, so I don't expect him to be outboxed like he was in his two losses to the champion. But what I do fear for Hughes is for this fight to end up much like Penn's fight against Sean Sherk. Sherk had also shown improved standup, and he wasn't able to drag Penn to the floor like he could less talented fighters. So Sherk tried to overpower Penn on his feet and was outboxed for three rounds before Penn put the rubber stamp on (T)KO win.

For Hughes to win, there's no doubt he'll need to find a way to put Penn on his back and control him there. If he does, expect something similar to his performance against Chris Lytle back at UFC 68, where he took Lytle down and basically held him there for three rounds. Penn's guard is tremendous, and even if he can't back to his feet, he'll try and threaten with submissions and offense from the bottom while trying to neutralize Hughes' offense. Because Hughes has been submitted by Penn before, I don't expect he'll go all out in fear of being caught again. But, that's if he can get Penn down, and for me, that's a major if.

Joe Lauzon v. George Sotiropoulos

Sotiropoulos has been plowing through opponents since his stint on TUF, where he was controversially knocked out by Tommy Speer in a semi-final bout. Sotiropoulos suffered an eye poke prior to taking the punch that put him out cold. But that was an exhibition, and he's undefeated at 6-0 in his UFC career, beating the likes of Kurt Pellegrino and Joe Stevenson. There seems to be a lot of hoopla behind him, and this will be a good test to see if it's warranted, or if he's the beneficiary of wins over strictly middle-tier opponents with bigger names than their actual games.

In Lauzon, we have a solid striker with unquestionable jiu-jitsu skills. He transitions from one submission to another in a seamless, flawless way that almost seems fluid and somewhat poetic. That's what makes him so good and so dangerous. But he is long and lean, and Sotiropoulos is more compact and powerful. So I think the course of the fight will be dictated by which fighter is able to handle the difference better. In other words, can Sotiropoulos use his size and strength to his advantage, or will Lauzon be able to nullify it? That's the question, and it's a big one, one that will ultimately determined which of these fighters is actually deserving of a spot in line for title contention.

Phil Davis v. Tim Boetsch

Davis is a prospect, but personally I'll leave it at that. I don't want to say he's a blue-chip, certainly not in the way I considered Jon "Bones" Jones before he legitimized himself as a title contender. Jones, by the way, will have a chance to solidify his stature against another blue-chip in Ryan Bader in February. But back to Davis, who is 3-0 in his young UFC career, and for the most part has look pretty impressive albeit against middle of the road talent, if that. He won a decision on former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Stann, but in case you haven't heard, "All-American" is dropping to middleweight to face Chris Leben on the New Year's card. That should say something.

Boetsch, meanwhile, fights like his nickname: "The Barbarian". Some of you may remember his mauling of David Heath back at UFC 81, when he tossed Heath around like a ragdoll. It was an incredible scene, and many thought Boetsch may be a force in the UFC until he met Matt Hamill, who silenced him inside of two rounds. Boetsch stepped out of the UFC for a brief three fight winning streak before returning with a lackluster win at UFC 117 over Todd Brown. He has good wrestling, and obviously a ton of strength.

The interesting dynamic of this fight is how Davis will stack up against Boetsch in terms of strength. Davis' wrestling is superior in terms of resume, and his striking is still evolving. If he can handle Boetsch's strength and get him to the mat, working from top position will probably be his best bet. If he keeps it standing in an attempt to display improved striking, it could be a dangerous affair for the up and coming prospect. He'll need to be cerebral and stick with what works. If Boetsch lures him into exchanges, or gets his hands and/or arms on him, he could employ some of that brute strength we saw in the Heath fight, and that could stop the prospect train in its tracks.

Gerald Harris v. Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves

Harris is the guy you saw on Sportscenter's Top 10 after slamming Dave Branch to near death at UFC 116. He's a talented guy who was the favorite to win TUF 7, but ran into a guy named Amir Sadollah. A lot of people did the same, and none of them won against the mma novice, so certainly it was nothing to hang his head about. But he's proven his worth with a three fight win streak inside the UFC, and a win Saturday will earn him another step up the ladder. He's still pretty far down, but an impressive win might earn him a couple steps.

His opponent is making his UFC debut, and I know two things: 1) He owns a 25-3 record; 2) He didn't impress me in this training video posted last month:

Here's the thing...he's obviously big, strong and very athletic, but it looks to me like he's not getting enough oxygen to his muscles. He looked fatigued, his strikes, although powerful, were somewhat slow and I anticipate may be predictable to a solid fighter. You have to be careful with guys that come into the UFC with inflated records. Jason Reinhardt made his UFC debut against Joe Lauzon with an 18-0 record, and Lauzon made him look like a training partner he uses to warm up. I sense we may see the same thing here. Goncalves is a guy that can dominate lesser opponents on the small shows, but in against a more competent fighter, even someone still on the rise like Harris, he may struggle. If Harris can avoid serious damage on the feet in the first round, and perhaps take this to the mat for a bit, I could see Goncalves tiring and breaking down. But Harris will need be cautious with his striking. The guy didn't get the name "Big Rig" because he drives one.

And now, onto the actual picks:

Rampage v. Machida

Besse: Rampage via (T)KO late in round 1 - everyone says Rampage won't catch up to him. Shogun did, why can't he?

Keefe: Rampage via (T)KO in round 2.

Hughes v. Penn

Besse: Penn via (T)KO in round 2 - Baby Jay slowly breaks down Hughes in round 1, avoids a late takedown and finishes in the 2nd.

Keefe: Penn via decision.

Lauzon v. Sotiropoulos

Besse: Lauzon via submission in round 3 - Lauzon survives some scary moments and pulls off a leg lock, potentially behind on the cards.

Keefe: Lauzon via decision.

Davis v. Boetsch

Besse: Davis via decision - Boetsch's strength and competence prevent Davis from the stoppage.

Keefe: Davis via submission in round 1.

Harris v. Goncalves

Besse: Harris via decision - Goncalves starts strong, but Harris survives with a takedown and tires out "Big Rig" for a strong decision victory.

Keefe: Harris via KO in round 2.

There you have it. We'll check in after the fights with results and see how both of us did in picking the winners. Enjoy what should be an exciting fight card in Detroit!

-Bess

Keefe Presents: Top 10 Running Backs

Keefe Presents continues today with the Top 10 RBs. Again, a reminder, these are not the Top 10 best fantasy backs, but rather simply the 10 best running backs in the NFL. If each guy played on the same offense, with the same QB, O-line, etc., who would be the best for this season, that is what this list(s) are all about.

Top 10 Running Backs:

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings

2. Chris Johnson, Titans

3. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars

4. Ray Rice, Ravens

5. Stephen Jackson, Rams

6. Michael Turner, Falcons

7. Frank Gore, 49ers

8. Arian Foster, Texans

9. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants

10. Darren McFadden, Raiders

Honorable Mention: Rashad Mendenhall, Steelers; Matt Forte, Bears; Cedric Benson, Bengals; DeAngelo Williams, Panthers; Ronnie Brown, Dolphins

If your team has or is playing against one of those guys on the list, you can talk about a Top 10 RB in the game, other than that, they might be good, but not in the upper echelon. This list is once again tough, you see guys like Foster and McFadden really only having this year for a track record, but from watching them I truly believe they are in the Top 10.

DeAngelo Williams was a tough omission from my Top 10, he's had a horrible/injury riddled season (he's out for the year), but based strictly on talent, which my lists are intended for, it's hard to say he's not in the Top 10, but there are so many good RBs.

Coming up next: Wide Receivers

-Keefe

Yo You Wanna Party

We got the new one from our buddy Opey, check out "Yo You Wanna Party (Underground Mix).

Keefe Presents: Top 10 Quarterbacks

You always hear on TV and radio shows about, "this guy is a Top 10 receiver, oh he's a Top 5 corner, or they got a Top 10 quarterback." This type of hyperbole is tossed around all the time. But do the people who say it actually have a Top 5, Top 10, or Top 32 list on hand, where are they pulling this stuff from? More often then not they're just like Dick Vitale who will name like 9 teams he says will make the Final 4.

Well look no further. In what will be titled "Keefe Presents: Top 10 (NFL Position)" I'll map out the Top 10 players at each position in the league. These are NOT fantasy rankings, you wouldn't need me to do that. It's also not the 10 guys you would want to build a franchise with, it is simply the 10 best players at each position right now. Today begins with Quarterbacks.

1. Tom Brady, Patriots
2. Peyton Manning, Colts
3. Drew Brees, Saints
4. Philip Rivers, Chargers
5. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
6. Michael Vick, Eagles
7. Matt Ryan, Falcons
8. Ben Roesthlisberger*, Steelers
9. Matt Schaub, Texans
10. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers

*Accused Rapist

These lists have already proved that they will be harder to fill out than I thought. The top 7-8 QBs are pretty easy in my opinion, but the order is obviously tricky. I nearly put Peyton #1, but some of his playoff struggles/chokes have bumped him down to 2 behind Brady.

There are definitely a handful of guys that you could argue are better than Schaub and Freeman, but my whole point is be consistent. These are the QBs I will say are in the Top 10. I can't add anyone else or that just wouldn't be a Top 10 list anymore.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. Stay tuned for the rest of the positions in the Award** Winning Keefe Presents: Top 10s.

Coming up next: Runningbacks

**Not actual Award.

-Keefe

Is this the biggest ass kicking in the history of professional wrestling?

I happen to be a huge fan of Mike "The Miz" Mizanin. It goes back to his days on The Real World, followed by all those seasons of dominating The Gauntlet, Inferno, and whatever the hell else he was on. Guy was a stud at those things. And for those of you that remember, he had tried his hand at professional wrestling prior to his stint w/ the TRW franchise of shows. Once he established some sort of celebrity, he had some legs to stand on and eventually weaseled his way into the WWE.

Well, I happened to come across this fight with The Undertaker on YouTube, and the headline says it all. In almost every wrestling match there's usually at least one moment of a momentum shift, even if for a brief second. A guy could be taking an absolute beating, but he'll land one good punch, reverse a throw into the ropes, or escape the corner before he gets punished into the turnbuckle. That wasn't the case here. I'm legitimately unsure if The Miz had one moment of success in this fight. Even his entrance sucked, he was scared shitless. It's about 10 minutes long, but the beating he takes is worth watching especially if you're not fond of him.



-Bess

Guy gets leveled by security guard

This idiot stepped on the field in the middle of the Fresno State-Nevada game and started dancing, shirtless and shoeless. Once the security hit the scene he took off, but not for long, running into the shoulder of an epic form tackle by one of the guards. Check it out, it's fantastic:



-Bess

My gym shower is basically a prison shower

Since the move to San Francisco I joined a 24hr fitness about a 10 minute walk away from my place. It's a small facility, but it gets it done. And the reason I don't mind is because I have access to every other 24hr in the city.

Anyway, one thing I've noticed that does bother me is how small the bathroom/locker room is. It's narrow, small and often very cramped. Well yesterday my girlfriend and I went to the gym together and figured we'd shower at the gym, in our respective locker rooms, since the hot water was not working at our apartment. So I brought my sandals, towel, shampoo and body wash. Unfortunately, when I stepped into the shower I saw that not only are the shower stalls open, but there is nowhere to put your shamp and bod wash except on the floor. And thus, everytime I wanted to pick it up, I had to bend over in broad daylight, butt naked, with other fellow members looking on. Awkward.



-Bess

Gus Johnson does it again!

If you ever read The Sports Guy on ESPN.com, you'll know in his weekly NFL picks column he always references the game Gus Johnson is working and how it has the "Gus Johnson effect". Well, Gus Johnson struck again, this week at the Texans-Jaguars game. After a rather pedestrian first half, both teams went off, trading touchdowns down the stretch as they found themselves tied at 24 with less than a minute to play. But tight end Joel Dreessen fumbled, the Jaguars recovered and after an 11-yd strike and a 5-yd defensive offside penalty, the Jaguars were at the 50 yard line with 3 seconds remaining. David Garrard lofted up a hail mary, and Houston cornerback Glover Quinn tried to bat it down like a freakin volleyball player. Just catch the ball, dude. Anyway, Mike Thomas went from a mediocre day to a fantasy stud as the beneficiary of Quinn's batted ball, and the fans were also the beneficiary as Gus Johnson went off. Check out the sound on this brilliantly done Tecmo Bowl replay of yesterday's finish:



So who's the bigger loser from all of this: Joel Dreessen or Glover Quinn? My vote is for Quinn. Again, catch the freakin ball.

-Bess

What Happened to BostonThrowdown.com?

Well we have been absolutely inundated with e-mails, phone calls, message board comments, etc., with one question, what happened to BostonThrowdown.com? As many of you know Rich Keefe (of The Sports Brief with Besse & Keefe) works for 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, MA. The station decided to dedicate some time to the world of MMA with a group of knowledgeable fight fans and gave them a section on the 985thesportshub.com website, entitled Boston Throwdown, which could be visited by simply going to BostonThrowdown.com. They had/have a twitter page (@BostonThrowdown) and facebook fan page. It was really taking off. Tens if not dozens of people had heard of the site and even considered checking it out.

However sometime last month the CBS owned 98.5 The Sports Hub website changed formats to become CBSBoston.com, check out CBSNewYork.com and it's the exact same thing. The new look site is strictly dedicated to local stories. Therefore an MMA section devoted to the UFC, Strikeforce, DREAM, Bellator, etc., was not in the cards. Boston Throwdown could have been saved but the 4 writers did not want change the concept and only follow the small up-and-coming fighters and even smaller events in the greater Boston area.

It is not a shot at the small shows, everyone has to start somewhere, but for the purposes of the website it just didn't make sense. We are sorry if BostonThrowdown was one of your destinations for MMA news and opinions, but rest assure that Besse and Keefe will continue to keep mixed-martial-arts on their agenda right here at The Brief.

Look Out Bosh! Here Comes Rondo!

Heat F Chris Bosh shows his toughness in this beauty from last night's Celtics-Heat game. Not only does Bosh not score or rebound as much as he used to, but he is just flat out embarrassing on the defensive end. Here is the best player on your biggest rival, on your home floor, who is 6'1'', and you watch as he slices to the basket and throws down a dunk on your face.

There are no Big 3's in the NBA. Fact. The Celtics have a Big 4 and the Heat have a Big 2. Facts.

Check out this Player Comparison on the season:

Chris Bosh = 14.8 points, 6 rebounds.

Taj Gibson = 15 points, 6.3 rebounds.

Love it.

-Keefe

Terrell Owens Is Having a Season

Perhaps my favorite professional football player of all-time, Terrell Owens, is putting together what could be a career year at the age of 36. (He'll be 37 next month.) Many wrote off TO following his tough season in Buffalo (55 rec., 829 yards, 5 TDs). Well look who's back.

Owens already has as many catches in 8 games this season as he did in 16 games a year ago, and more touchdowns, 7 to 5. Last year it was Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm, but mainly it was people saying TO = Too Old. Hold the phone. Owens is back where he belongs, as an elite receiver in the NFL.

Look at the numbers. 8 games played.

Receptions: 55 (3rd in NFL)
Receiving Yards: 770 (3rd in NFL)
Receiving Touchdowns: 7 (T-4th in NFL)

If he keeps the same pace (a big "if" I get it) he would set career highs for both catches and yards, pretty incredible.

Also, who would have thought that of the two guys closest to Jerry Rice's record for TD receptions (197), Randy Moss (153) and Terrell Owens (151), that it would be TO, despite being 3 years older would have a better chance (if there really is any chance) of breaking one of Rice's insane records.

The way Moss was playing with the Patriots coupled with Owens' year in Buffalo it looked as though Moss would leave TO in the dust, but wait up just a minute. Owens joined Moss and Rice this past Monday as the only 3 players in league history to catch at least 150 TDs. Check out how he celebrated that accomplishment.



-Keefe

Channing Crowder vs. Le'Ron McClain

Dolphins LB Channing Crowder accused Ravens FB Le'Ron McClain of spitting in his face during Baltimore's 26-10 win over Miami. Players from both sides got into the trash-talk in the post-game including Karlos Dansby and Derrick Mason. These guys truly hate each other, which is great. Check out some of the snip-its below.

Also, not making the video was Crowder breaking down some of the questionable calls from the game. He compared the refs to, Stevie Wonder and ANNE FRANK... seriously. He then corrected himself and said he meant Hellen Keller and not Frank. Yikes. The University of Florida must be proud of Crowder for comparing a bad call made by a ref to a Holocaust victim. You can't make this stuff up.

-Keefe

The Grim Reaper visits Colts' Austin Collie

Living out in San Francisco we got to watch the Chiefs at Raiders game on CBS while the east coast watched the Colts at Eagles. So at some point in the afternoon my buddy Kevin texted me and said Austin Collie might be dead. I immediately went to Youtube and it was already up. I swear the hit had just happened and I had just gotten a text and some guy had it posted to his account. The internet is a magical thing.

Anyway, this is an ugly scene:



The hit itself wasn't all that bad in terms of how vicious it was, the end result certainly is tough to watch. Collie was out on his feet, mummified and stretched cold ala Jahvid Best.



But what bothers me the most about the Collie incident is how classless the Eagles' players and fans were during the whole thing. The refs called unsportsmanlike conduct for an illegal helmet to helmet hit. Sure, it's debatable. Collie turned into the defender, so you can argue the call. But regardless, Collie is practically dead, questionably paralyzed on the field and Asante Samuel is dancing around protesting the call like an asshole while the bans boo the refs. Give me a break. Let's have some silence for the poor guy.

Anyway, later in the evening the Cowboys' Roy Williams took a mean hit from Nick Collins in the NBC game. I actually think this hit was worse than Collie's, but Williams was actually able to get up under his own power. Collins will be paying a hefty fine this week for sure...



-Bess

Boxer can't get in or out of ring, but manages to win fight

I'm sure this guy felt like a complete asshole, especially when he hurt himself getting out of the ring. But what about the guy he beat? After seeing this guy struggle to get in and out of the ring, he must've felt like the bigger asshole for losing to this clown...



-Bess

This head kick KO hasn't gotten enough love

This happened just over a month ago on the main card of the Jose Aldo-Manny Gamuryan title fight at WEC 51. George Roop, a former UFC lightweight and member of TUF, took on the Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jun, who had been involved in a Fight of the Year candidate with Leonard Garcia back at WEC 48. That's really where the Korean Zombia nickname gained some steam and popularity. Unfortunately, the Korean Zombie got put to sleep via Roop's left foot, check it out:



But the Korean Zombie will fight on, as he's rumored to take on Rani Yahya at UFN 23, this according to mmamania.com.

Although he no longer wants to be called the Korean Zombie, let's hope he doesn't fully ditch the Chris Leben mentality.

-Bess

Thoughts on Giants, Rangers and what lies ahead

So the San Francisco Giants clinched the first World Series title in city history on Monday night. Although I'm living in San Fran now, I was rooting for Texas for a couple reasons: a) I wanted the series to come back here for games 6 and 7; b) I wanted Josh Hamilton to single handedly bring himself and the Rangers back from the dead. It would have been a great story, even better than the one that has unfolded over this past week.

I get it: The Giants are a bunch of good guys, although we should use that term loosely. We don't know them, they just come off that way. They don't have superstars outside of Tim Lincecum and the emergence of young, unassuming catcher Buster Posey, and the roster is littered with youth - Lincecum, Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Andres Torres to name a few - and castaways/journeymen - Cody Ross, Juan Uribe, Series' MVP Edgar Renteria, Pat "The Machine" Burrell, etc. Throw in the extraordinary personality and talent of Brian Wilson and you have quite a cast. But I don't think this team will do it again next year.

There are too many questions to be answered. First off, can Buster Posey replicate his efforts in 2011? After teams have an off-season to address video and exploit whatever weaknesses they find? And can he handle an entire season managing that staff behind the plate while still holding up his offensive numbers ala 2010?

Also, the Giants just bought out Renteria. Assuming he retires, which he should, who is their shortstop? Renteria was injury plagued and playing with a torn biceps in the World Series. It's remarkable he did what he did. Much like Cody Ross, who I bet leaves for big money in free agency, I think he just caught fire at the right time. But it's still a hole to fill.

Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff will also need to be addressed. As will The Machine. In total, the Giants have eight players heading to arbitration: Torres, Ross, Jonathan Sanchez, Javy Lopez, Santiago Casilla, Chris Ray, Ramon Ramirez and Mike Fontenot.

Bottom line, I think the Giants next season will be as competitive as any team in the league. You look at that staff with Lincecum, Matt Cain, Bumgarner, and Sanchez and you have to be confident those guys win you at least 65 games if they stay healthy. With Wilson as your closer, if they can retain guys like Lopez and Casilla, the bullpen should do its job in holding the fort. But I think the Giants will face the same problems offensively as they did this year over the course of the regular season. The offense got hot at the right in the postseason. It happens. That's why a playoff system is so intriguing, especially with Wild Cards lumped in there. Make the tournament, anyone has a chance.

But unless the Giants make a move for a consistent big bat in that lineup, especially one to protect the young Posey, they might be leaning on that staff more than they'd like. Which could lead to another arms race with the Padres which comes down the final day. Obviously the Wild Card is out there, but with teams like Cincinnati and St. Louis in the Central, and the Braves and Phillies in the East, that spot may not necessarily come out of the West.

Personally, I think the Giants should make a push for a guy like Adam Dunn or Carlos Pena. Big power with high strikeout totals and low average, sure, but they would both provide massive protection and run production in the middle of that lineup. Toss a guy like Jayson Werth into the outfield, and the 5-spot, and you have some additional athleticism that GM Brian Sabean alluded to at the press conference today. It will be interesting to see how things unfold.

In regards to the Rangers, they're screwed to a certain degree. Cliff Lee is gone, I don't care what anyone says. And without him stabilizing that rotation, they'll be good but not great. The offense will still be a nightmare to face, but that pitching staff will have questions if it'd by CJ Wilson and Tommy Hunter. I'm just not convinced. Although, playing in the AL West they could still win the division if the A's don't spend some money on a bat. I think the Angels have more holes to fill than both teams, and I won't mention the Mariners other than acknowledging they have a team.

That's all I have for now. I'll be checking in as free agency moves along with thoughts on the various moves and signings.


-Bess

Dude who can't use his legs earns jiu-jitsu blue belt

Eric Ingram just earned his jiu-jitsu blue belt from the esteemed Gracie family. A lot of people do that over the course of a year and a lifetime, but what makes Ingram so special is he's a quadraplegic. The guy can't feel nor use his legs, and he sits in a wheelchair. Yet he put on an absolute clinic in the video below, inducing multiple tapouts from various positions, holds and submission moves. Now I can't, nor I won't, sit here and speculate whether the guy he goes up against, who happens to be his brother, is going all out, but it doesn't really matter. Look at some of the transitions and submission moves he pulls out. For a guy using his legs they're impressive. For Ingram, they're amazing.

After watching this, I should probably stop complaining about pain and soreness after doing a leg workout. This guy makes me look like a pussy.



-Bess

Coon and Friends: Identities Revealed

We here at The Sports Brief are about much more than just Sports. If you have been watching South Park this season you have been treated to one of the best story lines in the show's great history, that being Coon and Friends. This super-hero theme has been hilarious and even a bit confusing to some of the fans. 7 of the kids dress up as super-heroes with 1 (Butters) returning as his classic super-villian character of Professor Chaos. Because the kids have disguised their traditional wardrobe and voices, their true identities have been tough to follow. Here's the breakdown.

Coon - Eric Cartman

Mysterion - Kenny McCormick

Toolshed - Stan Marsh

Tupperware - Token Black

Mosquito - Clyde Donovan

Iron Maiden - Timmy

Human Kite - Kyle Broflovski

Mintberry Crunch - Bradley

Professor Chaos - Leopold "Butters" Stotch

Hope this helps, and it looks like next week they got more Mysterion.

-Keefe

I'll Tell On You...

The Charlie Villanueva story is old news at this point, but I have to give my hot, not-so-fresh take on it. What we have learned in the last couple of days is that Villanueva is the league's tattle tail. Rather then tell the teacher in this case, Chaz has decided to try and bad mouth Kevin Garnett through twitter. (You can follow me on twitter @Keefe21.)

There is a lot I don't like about the way Villanueva handled this. First off, if KG called him a "cancer patient" doesn't he really have two options at that point. If Charlie is really upset about it why not clock KG right then? You said you don't think he's ever been in a fight, so shouldn't you like your chances? (Villanueva deleted the part about Garnett and fighting from his twitter page.) It's not like you getting thrown out of the game would have mattered, the Celtics absolutely dominated the Pistons the other night.

Option 2, wait for Garnett after the game and confront him like a man. I'm not saying you always have to get in a fight, but make sure he knows you're serious and you believe he crossed the line.

Not an option? Going on twitter, knowing it will be a big story (for a day), and hoping people take your side over KG's because everyone knows someone who had cancer, whether it's a family member, friend, friend of a friend, or co-worker. He tried to make Garnett look like the bad guy. But in reality Charlie just comes off as a cry baby, coward, tattle tail.

Another thing I loved about this, Villanueva said something about KG never being in a fight, well that's really not true. Wasn't a fight the reason why Garnett left his South Carolina high school? Sorry Charlie.

My last point on this, I'm sure much worse things have been said on the basketball court in the NBA. Trash talking has been a part of the game seemingly forever. I assume it's like Las Vegas, what's said on the court, stays on the court. It doesn't go on twitter you loser. Advice, next time you hear something you don't want to, make sure you have a quick comeback, either with your hands or your words. And maybe you should stop tweeting for awhile and work on earning your insane 5 year $35 million deal.

-Keefe