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.

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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