Keefe Hosting Tonight & Tomorrow Night

Rich Keefe continues to fill in on The DA Show from 6-11pm on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. You can listen at CBSBostonSports.com or download the Radio.com app on iTunes. Reach the show by phone: 617-779-0985, text: 69985, or twitter: @Keefe21.

The next two nights will focus on the Celtics and their start to the 66-game NBA season. The Patriots push for the #1 seed in the AFC, and the NFL playoff picture. Plus Red Sox offseason, Bruins domination of late, and UFC 141 on Friday. Tune in and be part of the show.

Merry Christmas from The Sports Brief & The Muppets

This is just part of the greatest Christmas movie ever made. A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) was a made for TV special and I have watched it every year since. It doesn't get better, you can probably find the rest of it online, or do what I do and pop in the VHS.

Merry Christmas!




-Keefe

2011-12 NBA Preview

The 2011-12 season tips off on Sunday, so now is the time to go on record with all my picks for the upcoming year. I'll take a shot at everything from MVP to All-Rookie 2nd Team to of course what team will be hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy this summer. Feel free to leave some of your winners in the comments section below. We'll start with team accomplishments followed by individuals awards.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Memphis Grizzlies
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Los Angeles Lakers
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. Portland Trail Blazers
7. San Antonio Spurs
8. Denver Nuggets

Western Finals: Thunder over Clippers

EASTERN CONFERECE:

1. Miami Heat
2. Chicago Bulls
3. Boston Celtics
4. New York Knicks
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Orlando Magic/ New Jersey Nets (whoever Howard plays more for)
8. Milwaukee Bucks

Eastern Finals: Heat over Celtics

NBA Finals: Heat over Thunder

Eastern Conference All-Stars

F - LeBron James, Heat

F - Carmelo Anthony, Knicks

C - Dwight Howard, Magic/Nets?

G - Dwyane Wade, Heat

G - Derrick Rose, Bulls

Reserves:

Deron Williams, Nets
Amare Stoudemire, Knicks
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Chris Bosh, Heat
Danny Granger, Pacers
Al Horford, Hawks

Western Conference All-Stars:

F - Kevin Durant, Thunder

F - Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks

C - Marc Gasol, Grizzlies

G - Kobe Bryant, Lakers

G - Chris Paul, Clippers

Reserves:

Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Steve Nash, Suns
Kevin Love, Timberwolves
Eric Gordon, Hornets

Rookie of the Year: Kemba Walker, Bobcats

All-Rookie 1st Team:

Kemba Walker, Bobcats
Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves
Jimmer Fredette, Kings
Enes Kanter, Jazz
Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers

All-Rookie 2nd Team:

Derrick Williams, Timberwolves
Brandon Knight, Pistons
Iman Shumpert, Knicks
Kawhi Leonard, Spurs
JaJuan Johnson, Celtics

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard, Magic/ Lakers?

All-Defensive 1st Team:

Dwight Howard, Magic
LeBron James, Heat
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Serge Ibaka, Thunder
Dwyane Wade, Heat

All-Defensive 2nd Team:

Chris Paul, Clippers
Shawn Marion, Mavericks
Tyson Chandler, Knicks
Andre Iguodala, 76ers
Darren Collison, Pacers

6th Man of the Year: James Harden, Thunder

Most Improved Player: DeMarcus Cousins, Kings

Coach of the Year: Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies

MVP: Kevin Durant, Thunder

All-NBA 1st Team:

Kevin Durant, Thunder
LeBron James, Heat
Dwight Howard, Magic/ Mavs?
Chris Paul, Clippers
Dwyane Wade, Heat

All-NBA 2nd Team:

Blake Griffin, Clippers
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks
Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
Derrick Rose, Bulls
Russell Westbrook, Thunder

All-NBA 3rd Team:

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Amare Stoudemire, Knicks
Al Horford, Hawks
Deron Williams, Nets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers

-Keefe

Rich Keefe Hosting The DA Show

The Rich Keefe Project will be sitting in for The DA Show on 98.5 The Sports Hub for the next week+. The show airs from 6-11pm Monday-Friday. 98.5 can be found on iTunes as well as at CBSBostonSports.com. You can contact the show by phone: 617-779-0985 and text: 69985.

Showtimes:

Monday - 12/19 - 6-6:30pm BRUINS vs. CANADIENS; 9:30-11pm.
Tuesday - 12/20 - 6-11pm
Wednesday - 12/21 - 6-11pm
Thursday -12/22 - 6-11pm
Friday - 12/23 - Following BRUINS vs. PANTHERS; 9:30-11pm

Sunday - 12/25 - Special Christmas post Celtics show with former Patriots TE Jermaine Wiggins from 2-6pm

Monday - 12/26 - 6-11pm
Tuesday - 12/27 - 6-11pm

Podcast: Jeff Green Out For Season

Rich Keefe joined Brian Robb from CelticsHub.com to discuss the upcoming Celtics season and the news that Jeff Green would miss the entire year and undergo heart surgery.


CelticsHub.com Podcast: Discussing the Jeff Green Situation by BRobb7

2011-12 Clippers: Point Guards Galore

The LA Clippers finally got the untradeable Chris Paul from the league owned New Orleans Hornets. All it took was Eric Gordon, Chris Kamen, Al-Farouq Aminu, and the T-Wolves 1st round (unprotected) pick in the 2012 draft. CP3 is now in Los Angeles, although he is not the only All-Star point guard who will be suiting up for the Clip.

Clearly Paul is one of, if not the best point guard in the NBA. But the Clippers must not have been sure he was going to land there (why would they be) as they also claimed Chauncey Billups after he was amnestied by the Knicks. The team also has Mo Williams (who they got in the Baron Davis deal with the Cavs) as well as 2nd year man Eric Bledsoe, and combo guard Randy Foye. That's 4-5 point guards out of your best 8 players. What to do?

Lucky for them, many of these guys are scoring point guards, therefore they do not need to immediately search out trades and sell low. CP3 is obviously the main man, but how will the rest of these guys fit in. I see the rotation looking something like this.

STARTERS:
PG - Chris Paul
SG - Chauncey Billips
SF - Caron Butler
PF - Blake Griffin
C - DeAndre Jordan

BENCH (from most mins to least):
Mo Williams
Ryan Gomes
Eric Bledsoe
Randy Foye
Free Agent Big Man X
Free Agent Big Man Y
Willie Warren

Trey Thompkins
Renaldo Major
Travis Leslie

Dealing Kamen, they got pretty small, but not something they can't overcome. They obviously need to add another big body to go along with Griffin and Jordan. The Clippers are going to be fast, quick, and exciting to watch. As long as Paul and Griffin stay healthy, there will be two playoff teams playing in the Staples Center this year.


-Keefe

All Eyes on Brandon Lloyd

It all comes down to Rams WR Brandon Lloyd.

In a match up of 2 former Gentlemen's Club Fantasy Football League Champions, Rich Keefe and Tristan Besse turn their attention to the one and only Brandon Lloyd.

Keefe and Besse are locked up in a nail biter of a Quarterfinal. Smell the Glove (Keefe) has a 6 point lead over Team Besse (Besse) going into the Monday Night game, where only Besse's Lloyd remains.

Both teams experienced setbacks this weekend. Injuries devastated Besse (Greg Jennings and DeMarco Murray) while Keefe simply out-coached himself, benching regulars Cedric Benson, DeSean Jackson, and painfully Lions D. (For Jonathan Stewart, Malcolm Floyd, Broncos D; the difference 27 points.)

Besse was hurt by the injuries, as well as Nate Washington going for 19 on the bench, while Michael Crabtree (sub par) and Jennings (injury) did little.

With all that said, it now comes down to WR Brandon Lloyd. It is not a point per catch league, 1 point for every 10 yards and 6 for a TD.

The winner will face the Regular Season Points Leader, but neither are concerned with that right now.

If the game ends in a tie, Besse will be awarded the victory based on being the higher seed. However, I think he should be penalized for never changing his team name. Maybe that's just me.

Mir Snaps Nog's Arm; UFC 140 Results

MAIN CARD:
Jon Jones def. Lyoto Machida via technical submission (standing guillotine choke) - Round 2, 4:26 (to retain light-heavyweight title)
Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira* via submission (kimura) - Round 1, 3:38
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Tito Ortiz via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 3:15
Brian Ebersole def. Claude Patrick via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Chan Sung Jung def. Mark Hominick via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 0:07

UNDER CARD:
Igor Pokrajac def. Krzysztof Soszynski via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 0:35
Constantinos Philippou def. Jared Hamman via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 3:11
Dennis Hallman def. John Makdessi via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:58
Yves Jabouin def. Walel Watson via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Mark Bocek def. Nik Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jake Hecht def. Rich Attonito via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 1:10
John Cholish def. Mitch Clarke via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 4:36

^Tito Ortiz and Big Nog went to the hospital following their losses. Each fighter could very well be done.

*Big Nog refused to tap to a kimura. The results (below) aren't pretty.



-Keefe

Hornets Didn't Get Enough?

David Stern voided the big 3-team deal in the NBA last night involving the Lakers-Hornets-Rockets. Apparently the deal (negotiated by New Orleans GM Dell Demps) was not in the best interest of the Hornets... who agreed to the deal. The out cry was delivered to Stern by several pissed-off, sour-grape owners, led by Cavs cry-baby Dan Gilbert.

Forget the nonsense about Stern stepping in and calling off the trade. As ridiculous as this is, and how truly insane it is, let's focus on the players and teams involved in the "trade."

LAKERS - Chris Paul (from Hornets)

ROCKETS - Pau Gasol (from Lakers)

HORNETS - Lamar Odom (from Lakers); Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, and a draft pick (from Rockets)

First off, the Lakers get their man in CP3. A top tier point guard to team with Kobe, and potentially Dwight Howard. They also shed cap space and avoid the luxury tax (for now). But the fact that people are saying the Lakers gave up nothing to get him is ludicrous. In my opinion the Lakers gave up their 2nd and 3rd best players (Odom is better than Bynum. Fact.) They gave up their height advantage and rolled with a new concept, a quality point guard for Kobe.

So the Lakers gave up an All-Star (Gasol), almost All-Star (Odom) to get back All-Star (Paul)... who did miss half the 2009-2010 season with a knee injury...

The Rockets traded away a lot, but their master plan was to acquire Pau Gasol and then throw their newly available money at former Nuggets center Nene. Ok, they want Gasol and Nene (I'm not a big Nene fan, especially for the money he is going to get), but if that's who Daryl Morey and the Rockets want, why can't they do it? Exactly.

Lastly, the Hornets. People are saying they gave away the best player in the deal and didn't even get the 2nd best player. On the surface, that is probably right. But to call what they got back "trash," "garbage," "Odom and crap," etc. is simply wrong. You are not going to get equal value in a trade for a megastar. Hasn't happened. (Examples below). The Hornets need to get something for a guy who is definitely going to bounce in 7 months.

They got (last year's numbers in parenthesis).

Lamar Odom (14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3 assists)
Luis Scola (18.3 points, 8.2 rebounds)
Kevin Martin (23.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists)
Goran Dragic (7.5 points and shot 52% from 3 after trade from PHX)

Again, the Hornets trade their All-Star point guard for 3 bonafide NBA starters, a back-up point guard with some upside, and a pick. What else were they going to do? That's a solid trade. They aren't winning the title, but they're gonna be competitive. Let's see how that trade stacks up to some of the other Superstar deals of NBA past.

1992: 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Suns for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, & Tim Perry

(I don't need to tell you that Barkley then won the MVP with Phoenix and led them to the Finals)

2004: Lakers trade Shaquille O'Neal to the Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, a 1st & 2nd round pick

2007: T-Wolves trade Kevin Garnett to the Celtics for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, and two 1st round picks

2008: Grizzlies trade Pau Gasol (and 2nd round pick) to Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, ammo, Marc Gasol (who no one knew would be this good), and two 1st round picks.

There are more. Those are just the ones that come to mind. You aren't going to trade CP3 for Deron Williams or Derrick Rose. You also aren't going to re-sign him after this season. The league just hurt the Hornets going forward. Maybe the team should not exist. If no one buys the team in the next few months, I say contract them. One less team would help the NBA.

There is still a chance this deal gets done (or one similar), let's hope it does. The league looked bad during the lockout, but this is worse.

-Keefe

Bowl Games Worth Watching

The Bowl Schedule has been out for a few days, but it takes at least that long to truly digest the fact that there are 35 different bowl games. 70 of the 120 Division 1-A teams will play in a bowl. Let that sink in. Quick math says that over 58% of the teams in the country make it to a friggin bowl game. I know that's not new this season, but it doesn't make it any less ridiculous. So with a plethora of 6-6 teams (even a 6-7 UCLA team which got in cause it lost in the Conference Championship game) which games are worth watching this year? Here is the list.

New Mexico Bowl- Wyoming (8-4) vs. Temple (8-4)
December 17, Saturday, 2:00pm ESPN

What the hell? Yes I start with Wyo vs. Temple. The reasons are simple. 1. My Dad went to Wyoming and we don't get to see them on TV very often. 2. It's the first Bowl game of the year. 3. Well, that's it.


Las Vegas Bowl- Boise State (11-1) vs. Arizona State (6-6)
December 22, Thursday, 8:00pm ESPN

Boise State had a real shot at the BCS Title Game this season. The loss to TCU bumped them for that, and little did we know at the time, also knocked from any BCS Bowl, or even one after Christmas! Coach Peterson was outspoken about the BCS, does this mean they beat the balls off the coach-less Sun Devils? I say yes. Also the final college game of one of the great QB's of all time Kellen Moore.


Alamo Bowl- Baylor (9-3) vs. Washington (7-5)
December 29, Thursday, 9:00pm ESPN

My Heisman winner Robert Griffin III leads his Bears against Sophomore QB Keith Price and the Huskies. I say Griffin wins the trophy, plays one last college game, and heads into the 1st round. This is the game for you if you've missed Baylor this year.


Rose Bowl- Oregon (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (11-2)
January 2, Monday, 5:00pm ESPN

It's the Pac-12 Champ vs. the Big 10 Champ. Oregon's high flying offense led by head coach (and New Hampshire native) Chip Kelly square off against Heisman finalist RB Montee Ball and Heisman candidate QB Russell Wilson. Ball will be going for the TD record in this one (although he will have played 3 MORE games than Barry Sanders). Teams like this also make you long for a playoff.


Fiesta Bowl- Oklahoma State (11-1) vs. Stanford (11-1)
January 2, Monday, 8:30pm ESPN

Andrew Luck vs. Brandon Weeden. Toss in the best WR in the nation, OK State's Justin Blackmon and I am in. I also believe the Cowboys should be in the title game vs. LSU. If OSU can blow out Stanford they will definitely garner some 1st place votes (if LSU loses).


Cotton Bowl- Arkansas (10-2) vs. Kansas State (10-2)
January 6, Friday, 8:00pm FOX

It may not be the SEC vs. Big 12 match up that I wanted to see, but it's still pretty intriguing. Conference bragging rights will be on the line.


BCS Championship Game- LSU (13-0) vs. Alabama (11-1)
January 9, Monday, 8:30pm ESPN

I was going to boycott the game, but the fact is, at worst its a match up of 2 of the top 3 teams in the country. I don't like it, but I'll watch. My biggest problems.
-We already saw this game.
-It was 9-6.
-Alabama had their chance.
-There are other deserving teams. (See: Oklahoma State)
-If Bama wins a close game (say by 3) then what?
-You can win a National Championship without winning a Conference Championship?

In summary, I am interested in 7/35 of the Bowls. (20%). And that might be high compared to you.

What about something different, like, oh, I don't know, a PLAYOFF!

8- Team Tournament: (Higher seeds host games until Title Game)

1. LSU
8. Kansas State

4. Stanford
5. Oregon

3. Oklahoma State
6. Arkansas

2. Alabama
7. Boise State

Good Lord! I am in on that! (How bad is KSU, ARK, Boise missing out on this and a Top 5 Bowl Game, brutal.)

WE WANT A PLAYOFF!

-Keefe

Keefe's Heisman Ballot

Believe it or not, I actually DON'T have a Heisman vote. I'm just as surprised as you are. Apparently the Heisman people(?) take The Sports Brief as some kind of "amateur blog." Whatever. If I had a vote this is how my Top 10 would look.

10. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
113 receptions (2nd in NCAA), 1,336 yards (7th), 15 TDs (t-3rd)

9. Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin
2,879 yards passing, 31 TD - 3 INT, 191.6 QB Rating (2nd)

8. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
3,507 yards passing, 41 TD (2nd) - 7 INT, 176.8 QB Rating (4th)

7. Tyrann Mathieu, CB/PR, LSU
71 tackles, 2 INT, 1.5 sacks, 2 punt return TDs

6. Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin
1,759 yards rushing (1st), 32 rush TD (1st), 38 total TD (1st)

5. Case Keenum, QB, Houston
5,099 yards passing (1st), 45 TD (1st) - 5 INT, 177.9 QB Rating (3rd)

4. Matt Barkley, QB, USC
3,528 yards passing, 39 TD (3rd) - 7 INT, 161.8 QB Rating (8th)

3. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
3,170 yards passing, 35 TD (5th) - 9 INT, 167.5 QB Rating (5th)

2. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
1,583 rushing yards (6th), 20 TD (5th) 23 total TD

1. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
3,998 yards (6th), 36 TD (4th) - 6 INT, 192.3 QB Rating (1st), 644 rushing yards, 9 TD rush


There you have it. The finalists in New York should be Griffin, Richardson, Luck, Barkley. If Houston could have capped off a perfect season I would have invited Keenum, but after losing to Southern Miss, sorry you got to sit home.

Also while we are on the subject of college football, what a joke the bowls are. I mean Virgina Tech is in the Sugar Bowl?? They suck. They lost twice to Clemson and didn't beat a good team ALL season. Meanwhile Boise State, Arkansas, Kansas State, and Baylor are all in weaker (less profitable) bowls. And how about Michigan getting in over Michigan State to a BCS Bowl. Awful. Not to mention I am not looking forward to a rematch of a game that was 9-6 for our National Championship. Sucks.

-Keefe

UK + UNC = Ridiculous

#1 Kentucky and #5 North Carolina squared off on Saturday afternoon at Rupp Arena. UK won the game 73-72. It was a great college basketball game, but the NBA fanatic in me could not get over the number of legit 1st round talent participating in the game. We know both these schools have storied histories and both coaches (John Calipari - UK and Roy Williams - UNC) can recruit as well as anyone in the country.

(The last few years Calipari has coached: Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Patrick Patterson, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, and more.)

Check out the NBA prospects (with ESPN's Chad Ford's rankings) that played in this game.

1. Anthony Davis, Kentucky, Freshman
2. Harrison Barnes, North Carolina, Sophomore
9. John Henson, North Carolina, Junior
11. James McAdoo, North Carolina. Freshman
12. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky, Freshman
13. Terrence Jones, Kentucky, Sophomore
17. Tyler Zeller, North Carolina, Senior
18. Marques Teague, Kentucky, Freshman
29. Doron Lamb, Kentucky, Sophomore
40. Kendall Marshall, North Carolina, Sophomore
45. P.J. Hairston, North Carolina, Freshman
96. Reggie Bullock, North Carolina, Sophomore

That's insane. As you can see, 12 of the Top 100; 11 of the Top 50; and 8 of the Top 20 players in the country play for either Kentucky or North Carolina. What a game. Won't be surprised if we see this one again in late March/ early April.

-Keefe

Rajon Rondo vs. Chris Paul

The NBA is back. What better way to spark the conversation and get attention than a trade rumor involving two of the league's Top 5 point guards? It appears as though Danny Ainge and the Celtics are extremely interested in Hornets All-Star Chris Paul and are willing to trade away their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo to make the deal happen. Will it happen? Should it happen? Let's check the tale of the tape first. Rondo vs. CP3.

Rajon Rondo
Age: 25
Current Contract: 4 years remaining at a total of $46 million
NBA Seasons: 5
Games: 384
Career Averages: 10.7 points, 7.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 48.6% FG

2010-11: 10.6 points, 11.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 47.5% FG

Playoffs: (78 games) 13.8 points, 8.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 43.7 % FG

Achievements: 2-time All-Star, NBA Champion, 1st Team All-Defense (2), 2nd Team All-Defense, All-Rookie 2nd Team

Chris Paul
Age: 26
Current Contract: 1 year left for $16.36 million (player option for '12-'13 for $17.78 million)
NBA Seasons: 6
Games: 425
Career Averages: 18.7 points, 9.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 47.1% FG

2010-11: 15.9 points, 9.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 46.3% FG

Playoffs: (23 games) 21.9 points, 11.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 2 steals, 49.3% FG

Achievements: 4-time All-Star, All-NBA 1st Team (1), All-NBA 2nd Team (1), All-NBA 3rd Team (1), All-Defense 1st Team (1), All-Defense 2nd Team (2), Rookie of the Year

CP3 also gets a huge nod in free throw shooting and 3-point shooting. He is 85% at the line, and 36% from deep for his career while Rondo is a sad 62% and 24%.

Both the statistics and the eye test prove that Chris Paul is a better player overall than Rajon Rondo. That is not breaking news. However a trade for the two All-Star point guards is not nearly that simple. Would Paul sign an extension to stay in Boston? Does he think that an aging Paul Pierce and what Avery Bradley, JaJuan Johnson, maybe Jeff Green look like a solid foundation? Is that better than any of his Hornets teams?

The Paul extension really is the beginning and end of the conversation. If the answer is "No." or even "We'll see." I'll have to pass on the deal. And why would he want to sign with the Celtics again? Exactly.

If, for some magical reason, he would rather play in Boston than in New York with his buddies Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, or even stay in New Orleans where he has played his entire career and is the face of the franchise, it's still not a slam dunk. As it stands now, Rondo, Pierce, and Bradley are the only players under contract for next season. So obviously there will be a dozen more guys signing. If Chris Paul opts out of his player option to become a free agent, he is walking away from close to $18 million in guaranteed money for next season. Therefore he is going to cost a pretty penny.

Paul could make more money over a longer period of time staying with the Hornets (this is also where sign and trades come in to play as well.) But let's just say he makes between $18-20 million dollars a year for the next 4 years in this "dream" scenario where he comes to Boston. You still need to surround him with talent, and clearly more than just a David West, Tyson Chandler, or Emeka Okafor. We've already seen how far that can go.

Regardless of what happens, the Celtics are going to go through a major makeover for the 2012-13 season and beyond. I don't know all the players who will be available and (almost as important) interested in coming to Boston, but I do know that Rondo will be anywhere from $5-10 million cheaper than CP3. You can get a pretty good player for that price.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this all plays out. And the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if Ainge and the Celtics are leaking this story just to get some talk going concerning the Celtics. I mean you got the defending Stanley Cup Bruins, who are 11-0-1 this month, the Patriots looking to be the #1 seed in the AFC and the Red Sox just hired Bobby Valentine. How else can you still some headlines than with a "trade your only good young player" rumor.

Either way, I'm just glad we're talking about the NBA again.


-Keefe

Keefe's College Football Top 10

The BCS will be released later today, but do you trust it? I don't. Virginia Tech is in the Top 5? Who have they beaten? Seriously. Before next week's Conference Title games and regular season finales, this is how the Top 10 in College Football should look like.

1. LSU (12-0)
2. Alabama (11-1)
3. Oklahoma State (10-1)
4. Oregon (10-2)
5. Stanford (11-1)
6. Boise State (10-1)
7. USC (10-2)
8. Arkansas (10-2)
9. Oklahoma (9-2)
10. Wisconsin (10-2)

It won't look like that, but it should. Also, count me as someone who does NOT want to see an LSU-Bama rematch in the title game, however right now they are the two best teams in the country. I'll be rooting for a Georgia win in the SEC title game over LSU and then absolute chaos.

-Keefe

AND HOW ABOUT THE NBA? More on that to come.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Come on inside for Football & Turkey!



Quick Picks:

Lions (+7) over Packers
Cowboys (-7.5) over Dolphins
Ravens (-3) over 49ers

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Keefe

Rich Keefe on JT The Brick 11/21/11

Rich Keefe once again joined the JT The Brick Show on Fox Sports Radio to break down the Patriots 34-3 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Listen below. (Skip ahead to 17:55).

Erin Andrews Gatorade Shower

Baylor knocked off #5 Oklahoma on Saturday night. Robert Griffin III was good, but Erin Andrews getting a Gatorade shower was better.





-Keefe

Hendo, Wanderlei Win; UFC 139 Results

MAIN CARD:
Dan Henderson* def. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
Wanderlei Silva def. Cung Le via knockout (strikes) - Round 2, 4:49
Urijah Faber** def. Brian Bowles via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 1:27
Martin Kampmann def. Rick Story via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Stephan Bonnar def. Kyle Kingsbury via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 30-27)

UNDER CARD:
Ryan Bader def. Jason Brilz via knockout (punch) - Round 1, 1:17
Michael McDonald def. Alex Soto via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 0:56
Chris Weidman def. Tom Lawlor via technical submission (D'arce choke) - Round 1, 2:07
Gleison Tibau def. Rafael dos Anjos via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Miguel Torres def. Nick Pace via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Seth Baczynski def. Matt Brown via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 0:42
Danny Castillo def. Shamar Bailey via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 4:52

*Hendo will likely face Jon Jones-Lyoto Machida winner for a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Title

**Faber will face Dominick Cruz (for the third time) for the UFC Bantamweight Title.

Be sure to check out The Sports Brief's MMA Rankings.

-Keefe

Night of Legends: UFC 139 Preview

Tomorrow night the UFC continues their ridiculous streak of events with UFC 139 out in San Jose. This card is stacked with former champions. The great champs from PRIDE will be well represented as Shogun Rua faces Dan Henderson, and Wanderlei Silva takes on former Strikeforce champ and action movie star Cung Le in his UFC debut. Also two of the best from the WEC square off with Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles.

Here is a closer look at the 6 MMA legends who will enter the cage on Saturday night.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
MMA Record: 20-5
UFC Record: 4-3
Last Five: 3-2

Key Wins: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem (2), Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin
Key Losses: Babalu Sobral, Coleman, Griffin, Jon Jones

Achievements: PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion (2005), UFC Light Heavyweight Champion

Dan Henderson
MMA Record: 28-8
UFC Record: 5-2
Last Five: 4-1

Key Wins: Carlos Newton, Gilbert Yvel, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Babalu Sobral (2), Renzo Gracie, Murilo Rua, Murilo Bustamante (2), Akihiro Gono, Kazuo Misaki, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Michael Bisping, Rafael Cavalcante, Fedor Emelianenko
Key Losses: Wanderlei Silva, Big Nog, Lil Nog, Ricardo Arona, Misaki, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Anderson Silva, Jake Shields

Achievements: UFC 17 Middleweight Tournament Winner, PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix Champion (2005), PRIDE Welterweight Champion, PRIDE Middleweight Champion, Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion

Wanderlei Silva
MMA Record: 34-11-1
UFC Record: 3-6
Last Five: 2-3

Key Wins: Guy Mezger, Dan Henderson, Sakuraba (3), Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (2), Ricardo Arona, Keith Jardine, Michael Bisping
Key Losses: Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz, Mark Hunt, Arona, Cro Cop, Henderson, Chuck Liddell, Rampage, Rich Franklin, Chris Leben

Achievements: PRIDE Middleweight Champion (2001-2007), PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion (2003). Most wins (22) and KOs (15) in PRIDE FC history

Cung Le
MMA Record: 7-1
UFC Record: ---
Last Five: 4-1

Key Wins: Frank Shamrock, Scott Smith
Key Loss: Smith

Achievements: Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, all 7 wins by KO

Urijah Faber
MMA Record: 25-5
UFC Record: 1-1
Last Five: 3-2

Key Wins: Cole Escovedo, Charlie Valencia, Dominick Cruz, Jeff Curran, Jens Pulver (2)
Key Losses: Tyson Griffin, Mike Brown (2), Jose Aldo, Cruz

Achievements: WEC Featherweight Champion

Brian Bowles
MMA Record: 10-1
UFC Record: 2-0
Last Five: 4-1

Key Wins: Charlie Valencia, Damacio Page (2), Will Ribeiro, Miguel Torres, Takeya Mizugaki
Key Loss: Dominick Cruz

Achievements: WEC Bantamweight Champion

With these 6 guys on the card, it should be great. Wanderlei is past his prime, but is still a must-see guy. I'm torn on my picks. I'll go Shogun, Le, Bowles.

Enjoy the fights.

-Keefe

Thanks For Playing Herman Cain

We don't usually get involved with politics here on The Sports Brief, in fact this might be the first post ever to mention a Presidential candidate. But this is certainly a unique case. You've probably seen it by now, or at least heard it, here is Herman Cain's interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Wow. Instant classic. Your move Rick Perry.



The bigger question is, does SNL just replay this or actually act it out?

-Keefe

UFC Title Picture By Division

There are 7 divisions in the UFC. The biggest of them all took center stage last Saturday night for the promotions network television debut. Junior Dos Santos defeated Cain Velasquez to become the newest champ in the UFC. What is next for JDS and the rest of the champs? Here is a divisional breakdown of the best-of-the-best.

HEAVYWEIGHT:
Champion: Junior Dos Santos

How: Defeated Cain Velasquez, November 12, 2011 at UFC on Fox

What's Next? Faces the winner of Brock Lesnar - Alistair Overeem, which is set for December 30, 2011 at UFC 141. It will be Dos Santos' first title defense.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT:
Champion: Jon Jones

How: Defeated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, March 19, 2011 at UFC 128. Defended title against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, September 24, 2011 at UFC 135.

What's Next? Was set to face Rashad Evans but injuries to Evans have postponed the match up twice, he will now square off against former champ Lyoto Machida, December 10, 2011 at UFC 140.

MIDDLEWEIGHT:
Champion: Anderson Silva

How: Defeated Rich Franklin, October 14, 2006 at UFC 64. Defended title a record 9 times with wins over:
Nate Marquart (UFC 73)
Rich Franklin (UFC 77)
Dan Henderson (UFC 82)
Patrick Cote (UFC 90)
Thales Leites (UFC 97)
Demian Maia (UFC 112)
Chael Sonnen (UFC 117)
Vitor Belfort (UFC 126)
Yushin Okami (UFC 134)

What's Next? Rematch with Chael Sonnen, date TBA.

WELTERWEIGHT:
Champion: Georges St. Pierre

How: (On current run) Defeated Matt Hughes, December 29, 2007 at UFC 79 for Interim Title, defeated Matt Serra, April 19, 2008, to become undisputed champ. Defended title 6 times with wins over:
Jon Fitch (UFC 87)
B.J. Penn (UFC 94)
Thiago Alves (UFC 100)
Dan Hardy (UFC 111)
Josh Koscheck (UFC 124)
Jake Shields (UFC 129)

What's Next: Nick Diaz, February 4, 2012 at UFC 143. (GSP was set to face Diaz at UFC 137, before Diaz was replaced by Carlos Condit because of failure to meet pre-fight responsibilities. GSP was then off the card due to injury.)

LIGHTWEIGHT:
Champion: Frankie Edgar

How: Defeated B.J. Penn, April 10, 2010 at UFC 112. Defended title against B.J. Penn, August 28, 2010 at UFC 118, kept title after a draw with Gray Maynard at UFC 125, and then defeated Maynard at UFC 136.

What's Next: Ben Henderson, February 26, 2012 at UFC 144.

FEATHERWEIGHT:
Champion: Jose Aldo

How: (WEC Title became UFC Title) Defeated Mike Brown, November 18, 2009 at WEC 44. Defended belt 4 times:
Urjiah Faber (WEC 48)
Manny Gamburyan (WEC 51)
Mark Hominick (UFC 129)
Kenny Florian (UFC 136)

What's Next: Chad Mendes, January 14, 2012 at UFC 142.

BANTAMWEIGHT:
Champion: Dominick Cruz

How: (WEC Title became UFC Title) Defeated Brian Bowles, March 6, 2010 at WEC 47. Defended belt 4 times:
Joseph Benavidez (WEC 50)
Scott Jorgensen (WEC 53)
Urijah Faber (UFC 132)
Demetrious Johnson (UFC on Versus 6)

What's Next: TBA likely winner of Faber vs. Bowles which is set for this Saturday at UFC 139.

-Keefe

Dos Santos Wins Title: Full UFC on Fox Results

The UFC made its debut on national television last night with a one-bout Heavyweight Championship showcase. The telecast began at 9:00pm EST and after 30+ minutes of build up with stories about the two (challenger Junior Dos Santos and champion Cain Velasquez) as well as commentary from UFC president Dana White and former UFC champ Brock Lesnar, the fight finally got underway. And it didn't last long.

Perhaps a bittersweet moment for the UFC, its first fight on Fox, which had been built up for months on their network, particularly during NFL games on Sunday. The fight lasted just over 1 minute, with Dos Santos becoming the newest Heavyweight Champ.

For those that criticized the fact that only one fight was shown on Fox (the rest of the card was seen on facebook and or FUEL TV), Dana White has two words for you, "Shut up." The fact is the contract between the UFC and Fox does not kick off until 2012, so this was really just a taste. But will it leave casual fans wanting more?

Full results below.

MAIN CARD
Junior Dos Santos def. Cain Velasquez via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 1:04 - Heavyweight Championship Bout

UNDER CARD
Ben Henderson def. Clay Guida via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Dustin Poirier def. Pablo Garza via submission (D'arce choke) - Round 2, 1:32
Ricardo Lamas def. Cub Swanson via submission (arm-triangle choke) - Round 2, 2:16
DaMarques Johnson def. Clay Harvison via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 1:34
Darren Uyenoyama def. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Robert Peralta def. Mackens Semerzier via TKO (strikes) - Round 3, 1:54
Alex Caceres def. Cole Escovedo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mike Pierce def. Paul Bradley via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Aaron Rosa def. Matt Lucas via majority decision (28-28, 30-26, 30-26)

The Rich Keefe Project on 98.5 this Weekend

Check out The Rich Keefe Project this weekend on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Who: Rich Keefe
What: Two radio shows
When: Saturday night following Bruins-Sabres & Sunday afternoon post Cowboys-Bills & before Patriots pre-game. (Sat. 9:40pm-ish & Sun. 4pm-ish start times)
Where: 98.5 The Sports Hub / CBS Boston
Why: Why not?

Call in at (617) 779-0985 and text the show at 69985.

Penn State Saga

The Penn State situation has gotten completely out of hand. One day after the school cancels Joe Paterno's weekly press conference, he comes out with a statement saying how he is going to retire at the end of the year and that the school should not worry about his status. What? Why does he get to say that? Yeah, you coached for 46 years at the same place, but sorry pal this one is out of your control now, after you let it go without doing anything.

Paterno needs to go, the President of Penn State needs to go, the WR's coach (then an intern or whatever) needs to go, and can the NCAA get involved in this one? If Ohio State and USC can get in all kinds of trouble for tattoos and some money, I think Penn State deserves something, right?

Fire all those who knew about it and did nothing. No bowl games for awhile, (sorry Outback Bowl, which seems to get the Nittany Lions every year). Something tells me that even if the NCAA doesn't do a damn thing, smart and talented high school football players who are getting recruited my multiple schools will see what's going on at Penn State and say, I might go somewhere else. Good.

Former Penn State DT and horrible Lions GM Matt Millen was on SportsCenter yesterday talking about the news coming out about his alma mater. I thought it was pretty good...



-Keefe

Joe Frazier: 1944-2011

Former Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier was one of the greatest boxers of all-time. Everyone knows his name, but do we all really know how good he was?

Smokin' Joe won the 1964 Olympic Gold Medal over in Japan, competing in the heavyweight division. In 3 years as an amateur (1962-64) he lost 1 bout.

He went on to amass a ridiculous 32-4-1 record as a professional. In fact he began his pro career 29-0 with wins over Buster Mathis, Oscar Bonavena (twice), and in "The Fight of the Century" in 1971 he defeated Muhammad Ali to cap off his 29-0 start. The fight was the first ever to feature two undefeated champions. Ali was 31-0 and coming off a 3 year suspension while Frazier was 28-0.

You wonder how many times these guys could have squared off if Ali was around in the late 1960s, although I'm not sure we really needed to see too many more rounds between these two all-time greats.

Frazier would finish his career 4-4-1 with two losses each to Ali and George Foreman. In all he went 41 rounds with Ali and another 7 with Foreman. The fact is he didn't match up well at all with Foreman (who did?) being 4 inches shorter.

Smokin Joe Frazier was born in South Carolina but became the pride of Philadelphia. He was one of the toughest athletes ever and will be remembered as one of the greatest boxing champions of all-time. If anyone was ever a badass it was him.

R.I.P. Joe Frazier.



-Keefe

UFC 138 Results

IF YOU PLAN ON WATCHING THE FIGHTS ON SPIKE'S TAPE DELAY TONIGHT, DO NOT SCROLL DOWN. IF YOU DON'T CARE, CHECK OUT THE UFC 138 RESULTS BELOW....

MAIN CARD:
•Mark Munoz def. Chris Leben via TKO (corner's stoppage) - Round 2, 5:00
•Renan Barao def. Brad Pickett via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:09
•Thiago Alves def. Papy Abedi via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:32
•Anthony Perosh def. Cyrille Diabate via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 2, 3:09
•Terry Etim def. Edward Faaloloto via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 0:17

UNDER CARD:
•John Maguire def. Justin Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
•Philip De Fries def. Rob Broughton via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
•Michihiro Omigawa def. Jason Young via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
•Che Mills def. Chris Cope via TKO (knee) - Round 1, 0:40
•Chris Cariaso def. Vaughan Lee via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Reminder: The Sports Brief's MMA Rankings can be found on the right side of the site by simply clicking "MMA Rankings." The Top 10 lists have been updated to include the UFC 138 results.

Grand Theft Auto V Trailer!

Release Date: TBA
Battle Meter: 100

Assassins Creed Revelations Trailer

Here come a couple video games that have not been released yet, but look pretty sick. First up the latest installment in the Assassins Creed franchise.

Happy Halloween

UFC 137 Results

MAIN CARD:
Nick Diaz def. B.J. Penn via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-28)
Cheick Kongo def. Matt Mitrione via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-28, 29-28)
Roy Nelson def. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 1:30
Scott Jorgensen def. Jeff Curran via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Hatsu Hioki def. George Roop via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

UNDER CARD:
Donald Cerrone def. Dennis Siver via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:22
Bart Palaszewski def. Tyson Griffin via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 2:45
Brandon Vera def. Eliot Marshall via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ramsey Nijem def. Danny Downes via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)
Francis Carmont def. Chris Camozzi via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Clifford Starks def. Dustin Jacoby via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Perhaps the biggest news of the night (besides B.J. Penn saying he is done) is that Dana White announced that Nick Diaz will face Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre on Super Bowl Weekend as Carlos Condit has agreed to step aside, allowing the angry GSP to fight Diaz.

After his fight Diaz said that he doesn't believe St. Pierre is hurt and that he is afraid to fight anyone right now... apparently this upset GSP and he will now take on Diaz for the belt a few months from now...

Ridiculous List of Horror Movie Remakes

It really is comical how many horror movies have been remade in the last 10-15 years. There are so few original ideas out there. Movies that came out 20 somethin years ago are still being remade or "re-imagined" as those involved like to say. I'm not dumping on all of these movies, cause I have enjoyed some, but still this is a bit much. ALL of these movies listed below have been re-done. (Not a complete list)

• Halloween


• Halloween II


• Friday the 13th


• A Nightmare on Elm Street


• Black Christmas


• When a Stranger Calls


• The Hills Have Eyes


• The Hills Have Eyes II


• Psycho


• The Thing (twice)


• The Fly


• House on Haunted Hill


• Dawn of the Dead


• Cape Fear


• House of Wax


• The Hitcher


• Dracula


• Frankenstein


• The Wolfman


• Prom Night


• The Omen


• I Spit on Your Grave


• The Wicker Man


• It's Alive


• The Last House on the Left


• Red Dragon (was Manhunter)


• My Bloody Valentine


• Night of the Living Dead


• Piranha


• One Missed Call


• Quarantine (was REC)


• The Ring (was Ringu)


• The Ring 2 (was Ringu 2)


• Sorority Row (was The House on Sorority Row)


• The Amityville Horror


• The Crazies


• The Eye


• The Fog


• The Grudge


• The Haunting


• The Stepfather


• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre


• The Uninvited (was The Tale of Two Sisters)


• 13 Ghosts

There are many more, but these are the most popular. So remember young fans of Horror, when you're watching a movie, ask yourself, "Is this the original?" Chances are, the answer is no.

-Keefe

Top 5 Horror Movies By Decade

Less than a week away from Halloween, let's talk Horror Movies. The Sports Brief covers the Horror genre like no other Sports Blog out there. (That's gotta be true.) You can search "horror" in the upper left hand corner of this site to see all of the past entries related to Horror, including past lists and reviews of such classics as Scream 4, Trick r' Treat, and The Strangers.

This list gives you the best five films of each decade going back to the 1950s. You'll want to keep the light on. Buahahahaha. (You know what I'm sayin.)

1950s
5. The Bat (1959)
4. The Fly (1958)
3. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
2. House of Wax (1953)
1. House on Haunted Hill (1959)

1960s
5. Peeping Tom (1960)
4. Cape Fear (1962)
3. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
2. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
1. Psycho (1960)

1970s
5. Alice Sweet Alice (1976)
4. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
3. Black Christmas (1974)
2. The Exorcist (1973)
1. Halloween (1978)

1980s
5. Evil Dead II (1987)
4. The Thing (1982)
3. Friday the 13th (1980)
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
1. The Shining (1980)

1990s
5. Candyman (1992)
4. Basic Instinct (1992)
3. Seven (1995)
2. Silence of the Lambs (1991)
1. Scream (1996)

2000s
5. Feast (2005)
4. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
3. The Ring (2002)
2. Saw (2004)
1. The Devil's Rejects (2005)

2010s
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
4. Saw 3D (2010)
3. Shutter Island (2010)
2. The Crazies (2010)
1. Scream 4 (2011)

There you have it. Clearly I have not seen enough horror movies that were released in the past two years, because the 2010s list is pretty weak, but I'm not going to put something on there that I haven't seen. Feel free to let me know what ones I missed.

-Keefe

Battle Meter vs. Compete Level

The Rich Keefe Project's "Battle Meter" takes on The DA Show's "Compete Level." Who will win?

These BM100 shirts are going like hot cakes. They only come in "sleeveless" and "XL". And currently there is a shortage. (read: 1).

Submit Battle Meter shirts request to sportsbrief@gmail.com

#TheRichKeefeProject
@Keefe21

Your 2011 Halloween Costume

Every year you end up going to a costume party on Halloween. Even if you think you won't, you do. The keys to a great costume are simple.

1. Funny
2. Topical or Ironic or Whatever (Recognizable, you don't want to have to explain to everyone what the hell you are.)
3. Cheap (How much you need to spend on something you wear once?)
4. Ability to be Comfortable (Not Hot, Cold, etc.)
5. Ability to Drink/ Eat (Masks are an obstacle)

With all that being said, I think this year it's obvious. Go as Jon Lester or Josh Beckett or, if you are a mouth breather John Lackey.

What you need...

Sox Hat.


Sox Jersey of Shirt (player name optional).


Bud Lights. "Rally Beers."


Good Ole Fried Chicken. Popeye's if you can.


It's that easy. If you want to really play it up you can get some of those ridiculous necklaces that they all wear, and depending on which pitcher you choose, you can add details accordingly.

Happy Halloween

-Keefe

Podcast: Week 6 Fantasy Football

Rich Keefe joined Mike Lockhart on the 98.5 The Sports Hub Fantasy Football show to help break down Week 6. Due to technical difficulties we could not post this in time to help you with your lineup adjustments. But it's fun to look back and see what the guys said going into Sunday's action.

Goodluck.

98.5 Fantasy Football Show

Rich Keefe will fill in for Nick Cattles on Saturday, October 16th (tomorrow!)from 9:00-10:00am along side Mike Lockhart on the 98.5 The Sports Hub Fantasy Football Show. They will bring you 60 minutes of Fantasy Football action. Call in at: (617)779-0985 or text your lineup questions to 69985.

Listen live at CBS Boston Sports

FU NBA

Well my favorite professional sports league has just canceled the first two weeks of the regular season, and both sides seem to be very far apart. Awful. There are really no words to describe how stupid this is for both sides. Changes NEED to be made but neither the players or the owners want to give in. Goodluck with all that.



What else can we do? We got the MLB playoffs, NFL regular season, College Football, NHL, and great UFC cards booked throughout the rest of 2011. I guess we are going to have to take the good with the very, very bad, that is the NBA.



-Keefe

You Like Brandon Inge?

The Tigers and Yankees are squaring off in the ALDS, playing 3B for Detroit is the one and only Brandon Inge. Great stuff. Enjoy.



-Keefe

Why The Sox Missed The Playoffs

We all saw the Red Sox pull off the greatest regular season collapse in Major League Baseball history. The Rays, Orioles, and Yankees all played a very small part in history but it truly was the Sox who let it all get away. A miserable start to the season and miserable end erased what was a very successful middle. For the second straight year the Red Sox will not be in the postseason. Their last playoff win was back in the 2008 ALCS.

I won't bore you with a play-by-play account of last night's action, which all of you were watching or following anyway. Instead here are the main reasons that the Red Sox will be watching when the Yankees face the Tigers and the Rays meet the Rangers in the ALDS.

Start the year 0-6; 2-10

End the year 7-20

Go 2-5 vs. the Orioles in the final week + of the season

Allow Robert Andino to be the hero... again. (Andino hit .273-3-10 vs. BOS

In year 1 of Carl Crawford's $136 million deal he finishes the season: .255-11 HR-55 RBI & 18 SB... that's 18 steals! He is on pace to make a little over $1 million for every bag he steals. Wow. Also as we found out, he sucks in the outfield.

Right Field... enough said

Jonathan Papelbon (who was great all season) still blows a save in the biggest spot. Anyone else remember the 2009 playoffs?

Beckett & Lester crapping in their pants in September

(I won't blame injuries, but might as well mention Buchholz and Youkilis missing a lot of time, hello training staff.)

John Lackey: 12-12, 6.41 ERA. Also apparently is getting divorced from his cancer stricken wife. Yikes. Least he will have the opportunity to make up for it next year, or 2013, or 2014, or 2015...

Bobby Jenks.

Terry Francona allowing his players to think its ok to have an excuse for every single loss.

Going 10-8 in Interleague, when they normally clean-up, and bitching the entire time they played in an NL park.

And perhaps most important in this 2011 vacuum...

Losing 12 of 18 to the Rays... you know, the team that overcame you on the final night of the season.

Maybe it shouldn't be as much of a surprise that the Sox failed to make the postseason once again. You look at all of that and it really was an up hill fight. I'm sure I'm missing plenty of other great reasons, but this is all I got right now. Another season in the books. Now on to Patriots, Bruins, Celtics (hopefully), and the UFC.

Side bar: I do still believe that Jacoby Ellsbury (.321-32-105, 119R, 39SB, .928OPS) is the American League MVP. We shall see.


-Keefe

Podcast: Red Sox Problems

Rich Keefe talks about the awful month of September for the Red Sox, the possible play-in game, and the A.L. MVP race.

Red Sox by Keefe21

Excited For Hockey? Not This Much.

-Keefe

First Pitch, Dark Side Style

Looks like Ani-can't throw. Boom.

Where is Admiral Ackbar when you need him?



-Keefe

Keefe Talks Sox With J.T. The Brick

Rich Keefe was back on the nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio show J.T. The Brick to talk about the struggling Red Sox. (Skip ahead to the 15:00 minute mark)

Opey - My Sunshine

Congrats to our buddy Opey who just got married this past weekend. This is the song he wrote about his beautiful bride. For those of us in attendance we were fortunate enough to hear this one live.




-Keefe

Jaworski Swears on MNF

Ron Jaworski lets a cuss word go during last night's Patriots-Dolphins game. Come on, we're not at a bar Jaws, clean it up.



He later apologized for the profanity, but if you missed it you were probably just wondering what the hell he said.

On another note, Tom Brady threw for 517 fuckin' yards.

Keefe's 2011 Fantasy Football Teams

I am in 3 fantasy football leagues this year. The long standing Gentlemen's Club which features Besse, my father, and friends from both high school and college, a part timer 98.5 The Sports Hub league, and the third is a group of guys that did/do work at WGAM in New Hampshire. The WGAM league is a 3-player keeper, you'll see an * next to who I kept.

Looking at the rosters, you can probably see the draft strategy. Hey if I like a guy on Tuesday nights draft, I'm going to like him on Wednesday as well. Bottom line is I really should only do 1 league... None of the leagues are point per catch, WGAM/98.5 is 2RB, 2WR, and a flex, while Gentlemen's Club is 2RB, 3WR... also passing TD in 98.5 are only worth 4 points.

One Man Wolfpack (WGAM)

QB: Matthew Stafford, Kerry Collins

RB: Ray Rice*, Jamaal Charles*, Ahmad Bradshaw, Cedric Benson, James Starks, Ronnie Brown

WR: Brandon Marshall*, Santonio Holmes, Michael Crabtree, Mike Sims-Walker

TE: Jimmy Graham, Tony Gonzalez

K: John Kasey

D/ST: Titans (vs. Jags week 1)


The Rich Keefe Project (98.5)

QB: Sam Bradford, Kerry Collins

RB: Ahmad Bradshaw, Beanie Wells, James Starks, Pierre Thomas

WR: Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Santonio Holmes, Chad Ochocinco, Donald Driver, Danny Amendola

TE: Jimmy Graham, Dustin Keller

K: Mason Crosby

D/ST: Titans


Smell the Glove (Gentlemen's Club)

QB: Matt Schaub, Matthew Stafford

RB: Ray Rice, Cedric Benson, James Starks, Jonathan Stewart, Ben Tate, Delone Carter

WR: Calvin Johnson, DeSean Jackson, Brandon Marshall, Danny Amendola, Donald Driver

TE: Zach Miller

K: John Kasey

D/ST: Lions


Notice some similarities? I'm either going to have 3 great teams, 3 average teams, or 3 crap teams...

-Keefe

Gentlemen's Club Draft Results

I believe it is Year 7 of the Gentlemen's Club, maybe longer. Besse and I have been competing against each other in fantasy football for well over a decade, but this same group has been together for awhile now. It was a late draft, but here is how it went down.

Rich Keefe = Smell the Glove
Tristan Besse = Team Besse (for now)

Round: 1
(1) LandSharks Champ - Adrian Peterson RB
(2) Straight Cash Homey - Chris Johnson RB
(3) Team Bailey - Jamaal Charles RB
(4) Team Hennekey - Aaron Rodgers QB
** (5) Smell the Glove - Ray Rice RB
(6) Team Besse - LeSean McCoy RB
(7) Tusken Raiders - Arian Foster RB
(8) The Odd Couple - Andre Johnson WR
(9) Canton Slampigs - Michael Vick QB
(10) Domination Station - Maurice Jones-Drew RB
(11) Laces Out - Roddy White WR
(12) NY SackExchange - Rashard Mendenhall RB

Round: 2
(13) NY SackExchange - Drew Brees QB
(14) Laces Out - Greg Jennings WR
(15) Domination Station - Steven Jackson RB
(16) Canton Slampigs - Frank Gore RB
(17) The Odd Couple - Tom Brady QB
(18) Tusken Raiders - Philip Rivers QB
(19) Team Besse - Michael Turner RB
** (20) Smell the Glove - Calvin Johnson WR
(21) Team Hennekey - Vincent Jackson WR
(22) Team Bailey - Mike Wallace WR
(23) Straight Cash Homey - Larry Fitzgerald WR
(24) LandSharks Champ - Peyton Hillis RB

Round: 3
(25) LandSharks Champ - Hakeem Nicks WR
(26) Straight Cash Homey - Matt Forte RB
(27) Team Bailey - Ahmad Bradshaw RB
(28) Team Hennekey - Miles Austin WR
** (29) Smell the Glove - DeSean Jackson WR
(30) Team Besse - Mike Williams WR
(31) Tusken Raiders - DeAngelo Williams RB
(32) The Odd Couple - Darren McFadden RB
(33) Canton Slampigs - Knowshon Moreno RB
(34) Domination Station - Dwayne Bowe WR
(35) Laces Out - LeGarrette Blount RB
(36) NY SackExchange - Marques Colston WR

Round: 4
(37) NY SackExchange - Ryan Mathews RB
(38) Laces Out - BenJarvus Green-Ellis RB
(39) Domination Station - Dez Bryant WR
(40) Canton Slampigs - Reggie Wayne WR
(41) The Odd Couple - Santonio Holmes WR
(42) Tusken Raiders - Jeremy Maclin WR
(43) Team Besse - Tony Romo QB
** (44) Smell the Glove - Matt Schaub QB
(45) Team Hennekey - Felix Jones RB
(46) Team Bailey - Peyton Manning QB
(47) Straight Cash Homey - Antonio Gates TE
(48) LandSharks Champ - Steve Johnson WR

Round: 5
(49) LandSharks Champ - Joe Flacco QB
(50) Straight Cash Homey - Ben Roethlisberger QB
(51) Team Bailey - Wes Welker WR
(52) Team Hennekey - Jermichael Finley TE
** (53) Smell the Glove - Brandon Marshall WR
(54) Team Besse - Brandon Lloyd WR
(55) Tusken Raiders - Percy Harvin WR
(56) The Odd Couple - Mario Manningham WR
(57) Canton Slampigs - Kenny Britt WR
(58) Domination Station - A.J. Green WR
(59) Laces Out - Anquan Boldin WR
(60) NY SackExchange - Johnny Knox WR

Round: 6
(61) NY SackExchange - Jason Witten TE
(62) Laces Out - Matt Ryan QB
(63) Domination Station - Dallas Clark TE
(64) Canton Slampigs - Marcedes Lewis TE
(65) The Odd Couple - Shonn Greene RB
(66) Tusken Raiders - Eli Manning QB
(67) Team Besse - Jahvid Best RB
** (68) Smell the Glove - Cedric Benson RB
(69) Team Hennekey - Fred Jackson RB
(70) Team Bailey - Vernon Davis TE
(71) Straight Cash Homey - Austin Collie WR
(72) LandSharks Champ - Chad Ochocinco WR

Round: 7
(73) LandSharks Champ - Stephen Gostkowski K
(74) Straight Cash Homey - Santana Moss WR
(75) Team Bailey - Pierre Garcon WR
(76) Team Hennekey - Ryan Grant RB
** (77) Smell the Glove - James Starks RB
(78) Team Besse - Jimmy Graham TE
(79) Tusken Raiders - Rob Gronkowski TE
(80) The Odd Couple - Malcom Floyd WR
(81) Canton Slampigs - Lee Evans WR
(82) Domination Station - Josh Freeman QB
(83) Laces Out - Mark Ingram RB
(84) NY SackExchange - Plaxico Burress WR

Round: 8
(85) NY SackExchange - Mike Sims-Walker WR
(86) Laces Out - Tim Hightower RB
(87) Domination Station - Sidney Rice WR
(88) Canton Slampigs - Mike Tolbert RB
(89) The Odd Couple - Beanie Wells RB
(90) Tusken Raiders - Roy Williams WR
(91) Team Besse - Daniel Thomas RB
** (92) Smell the Glove - Jonathan Stewart RB
(93) Team Hennekey - Reggie Bush RB
(94) Team Bailey - Julio Jones WR
(95) Straight Cash Homey - Brandon Jacobs RB
(96) LandSharks Champ - Ravens D/ST D/ST

Round: 9
(97) LandSharks Champ - Marshawn Lynch RB
(98) Straight Cash Homey - Steelers D/ST D/ST
(99) Team Bailey - LaDainian Tomlinson RB
(100) Team Hennekey - Packers D/ST D/ST
** (101) Smell the Glove - Zach Miller TE
(102) Team Besse - Eagles D/ST D/ST
(103) Tusken Raiders - Lance Moore WR
(104) The Odd Couple - Owen Daniels TE
(105) Canton Slampigs - Braylon Edwards WR
(106) Domination Station - Joseph Addai RB
(107) Laces Out - Aaron Hernandez TE
(108) NY SackExchange - Jets D/ST D/ST

Round: 10
(109) NY SackExchange - Jay Cutler QB
(110) Laces Out - Hines Ward WR
(111) Domination Station - Steve Smith WR
(112) Canton Slampigs - Sam Bradford QB
(113) The Odd Couple - Pierre Thomas RB
(114) Tusken Raiders - Bears D/ST D/ST
(115) Team Besse - Davone Bess WR
** (116) Smell the Glove - Danny Amendola WR
(117) Team Hennekey - James Jones WR
(118) Team Bailey - Kevin Kolb QB
(119) Straight Cash Homey - Jacoby Ford WR
(120) LandSharks Champ - Greg Olsen TE

Round: 11
(121) LandSharks Champ - Robert Meachem WR
(122) Straight Cash Homey - Jordy Nelson WR
(123) Team Bailey - Patriots D/ST D/ST
(124) Team Hennekey - Mason Crosby K
** (125) Smell the Glove - Matthew Stafford QB
(126) Team Besse - Mark Sanchez QB
(127) Tusken Raiders - C.J. Spiller RB
(128) The Odd Couple - Mike Thomas WR
(129) Canton Slampigs - Neil Rackers K
(130) Domination Station - Ryan Torain RB
(131) Laces Out - Danny Woodhead RB
(132) NY SackExchange - Kellen Winslow TE

Round: 12
(133) NY SackExchange - Michael Bush RB
(134) Laces Out - Matt Cassel QB
(135) Domination Station - Donovan McNabb QB
(136) Canton Slampigs - Willis McGahee RB
(137) The Odd Couple - Saints D/ST D/ST
(138) Tusken Raiders - Nate Kaeding K
(139) Team Besse - Michael Crabtree WR
** (140) Smell the Glove - Donald Driver WR
(141) Team Hennekey - Kevin Walter WR
(142) Team Bailey - Ronnie Brown RB
(143) Straight Cash Homey - Kyle Orton QB
(144) LandSharks Champ - Jason Campbell QB

Round: 13
(145) LandSharks Champ - Deion Branch WR
(146) Straight Cash Homey - Thomas Jones RB
(147) Team Bailey - Bernard Berrian WR
(148) Team Hennekey - Ryan Fitzpatrick QB
** (149) Smell the Glove - Ben Tate RB
(150) Team Besse - Brandon Pettigrew TE
(151) Tusken Raiders - Mike Williams WR
(152) The Odd Couple - Giants D/ST D/ST
(153) Canton Slampigs - Ricky Williams RB
(154) Domination Station - Tony Gonzalez TE
(155) Laces Out - Steve Smith WR
(156) NY SackExchange - Alex Henery K

Round: 14
(157) NY SackExchange - Chargers D/ST D/ST
(158) Laces Out - Dustin Keller TE
(159) Domination Station - Jacoby Jones WR
(160) Canton Slampigs - Jerome Simpson WR
(161) The Odd Couple - Chris Cooley TE
(162) Tusken Raiders - Randy Moss WR
(163) Team Besse - Emmanuel Sanders WR
** (164) Smell the Glove - Delone Carter RB
(165) Team Hennekey - Jerome Harrison RB
(166) Team Bailey - Steve Breaston WR
(167) Straight Cash Homey - Nate Burleson WR
(168) LandSharks Champ - Todd Heap TE

Round: 15
(169) LandSharks Champ - Jonathan Baldwin WR
(170) Straight Cash Homey - Josh Brown K
(171) Team Bailey - Brent Celek TE
(172) Team Hennekey - Donald Jones WR
** (173) Smell the Glove - Lions D/ST D/ST
(174) Team Besse - Sebastian Janikowski K
(175) Tusken Raiders - David Garrard QB
(176) The Odd Couple - Roy Helu RB
(177) Canton Slampigs - Falcons D/ST D/ST
(178) Domination Station - Rob Bironas K
(179) Laces Out - Titans D/ST D/ST
(180) NY SackExchange - Mohamed Massaquoi WR

Round: 16
(181) NY SackExchange - Toby Gerhart RB
(182) Laces Out - Adam Vinatieri K
(183) Domination Station - Chiefs D/ST D/ST
(184) Canton Slampigs - Montario Hardesty RB
(185) The Odd Couple - Billy Cundiff K
(186) Tusken Raiders - Darren Sproles RB
(187) Team Besse - Earl Bennett WR
** (188) Smell the Glove - John Kasay K
(189) Team Hennekey - Nick Folk K
(190) Team Bailey - Matt Bryant K
(191) Straight Cash Homey - Anthony Armstrong WR
(192) LandSharks Champ - Roscoe Parrish WR

Keefe Interviews Tito Ortiz

Rich Keefe had the chance to sit down with the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz, to discuss where he ranks in the division, UFC 134, and his long time rivalry with Chuck Liddell.

Tito Ortiz by Keefe21

98-Mile Finals

The 1st ever 98-mile rap battle (amongst 98.5 The Sports Hub personalities) came to an end this week with a match up of Tony Massarotti (Felger & Massarotti afternoons 2-6pm, The Baseball Reporters weeknights 6-7pm) vs. Damon Amendolara (The D.A. Show weeknights 7pm-12am).

Rather than have the two talented M.C.'s battle each other (Mazz bested Adolfo & Felger, D.A. beat Jimmy Stewart & Fred Toucher), they turned their attention to the station's competition, WEEI. They also got a little help from some of those who didn't reach the finals.

2011 QB Rankings

With Eli Manning recently saying he is in the same class as the reigning MVP and 3-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, I thought it would be appropriate to rank all of the quarterbacks who figure to see some snaps this year.

“They Only Play Because Every Team Needs One”
• Jimmy Clausen
• Bruce Gradkowski
• Tavaris Jackson
• Matt Moore
• Jason Campbell
• John Beck
• Derek Anderson
• Alex Smith
• Rex Grossman

“Rookies We Should At Least Give A Chance”
• Cam Newton
• Jake Locker
• Andy Dalton
• Blaine Gabbert
• Christian Ponder
• Colin Kaepernick
• Tim Tebow (2nd year)

“Best Days Are Behind Them”
• Donovan McNabb
• Matt Hasselbeck

“Is Crap The Right Word?...”
• Chad Henne
• Vince Young
• Ryan Fitzpatrick
• David Garrard
• Mark Sanchez

“They’ll Give You A Chance”
• Matt Cassel
• Kevin Kolb
• Kyle Orton
• Jay Cutler

“Promising Stars Of The Future”
• Sam Bradford
• Matthew Stafford

“Not As Good As You Might Think/ Flirting With Top 10”
• Eli Manning
• Tony Romo
• Matt Schaub
• Joe Flacco

“Can He Do It Again?
• Josh Freeman

“Knocking On The Penthouse”
• Michael Vick
• Ben Roethlisberger
• Matt Ryan

“The Penthouse, Fab 5”
• Tom Brady
• Peyton Manning
• Aaron Rodgers
• Drew Brees
• Philip Rivers

Summer Slam Spoiler?

WWE's Summer Slam is this Sunday night. If you have been paying attention at all to wrestling recently (and I think you should, it's getting good again) you know that the New Hampshire native Triple H has become the new on screen COO. He is very much involved in the main storyline between John Cena and CM Punk.

One member of the twitter universe created an image of what the end of the night could look like if HHH (a big time spotlight hog) gets to really call the shots back stage. I enjoyed it.

-Keefe

Ochocinco Lands In Heaven (Foxboro)

Chad Ochocinco (formerally the pro bowler known as Chad Johnson) is now a member of the New England Patriots. He referred to the move as "landing in Heavan," and he has been making constant references to his "angel wings." That's fine. I'm just happy to have a great receiver joining the Pats. Is this guy the same player that he was from 2002-07 when he was one of the most productive in football? No, he's not. He's 33, but still damn good, and now he will catch passes from the best QB in the game. I'm pumped. Do I draft #85 way to early in fantasy this year? Yes I do, but how is that different than any other year?

He practiced with the team today and spoke to the media afterwards. Any thought that he may not buy in to the Pats blandness was quickly thrown out the window. He is going to be quiet this year, saying he probably won't speak to the media much, and he's all about the Patriot Way.




-Keefe

Fantasy Football Is Back!

This is what it is all about. Besse and I have been playing fantasy football together for over a decade, but the last 6 years we've competed with the same group of guys in the Gentlemen's Club. Bess was the 2005 champ, while I took home the plaque (above) in 2008. My father has been the only 2-time champ to this point and he enters 2011 as the proud defending champion.

It's time to start monitoring all of the free agent signings, trades, and everything else. Get out your depth charts and player rankings. Because now is the time.

-Keefe

Proof That Anything Is Possible

I have a lot of original Nintendo accomplishments, but sadly defeating Mike Tyson was not one of them. I saw it done once before, and thankfully someone put it on youtube. If you're ever feeling bad about yourself just watch this video. Dreams do come true.



-Keefe

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grandprix 2011

It's down to four. Who do you got? If all goes to plan the semifinals could be held on September 10.

The Final Word with Rich Keefe

Rich Keefe filled in for Marc Bertrand who was in turn filling in for Mike Felger on the highly rated "Felger & Mazz" afternoon drive sports radio program on 98.5 The Sports Hub. The end of each show is wrapped up with "The Final Word." Here were those segments from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

This Is The All-Star Game?

The 82nd MLB All-Star game is tonight from Chase Field in Arizona. Don't let the players on the field fool you, it is the All-Star game.

A ridiculous 84 players were named All-Stars this year because of injury replacements, starters pitching on Sunday, and of course Derek Jeter's "emotional and physical exhaustion" from his pursuit of 3,000 hits.

These guys were named All-Stars but won't play for one of the above reasons:

Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees

Derek Jeter, SS, Yankees

Jose Reyes, SS, Mets

Placido Polanco, 3B, Phillies

Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers

Felix Hernandez, P, Mariners

Jon Lester, P, Red Sox

David Price, P, Rays

Mariano Rivera, P, Yankees

CC Sabathia, P, Yankees

James Shields, P, Rays

Justin Verlander, P, Tigers

Matt Cain, P, Giants

Cole Hamels, P, Phillies

Shane Victorino, OF, Phillies

Chipper Jones, 3B, Braves

Holy hell. That's 16 guys right there that were picked and won't play. You could make 3 teams with all the players they selected this year.

The following players are guys who will be active in tonight's "All-Star" game:

• Miguel Montero, C, D-Backs



• Andre Ethier, OF, Dodgers



• David Robertson, RP, Yankees



• Alexi Ogando, RP, Rangers



• Rickey Romero, P, Blue Jays



• Jordan Walden, RP, Angels



• Scott Rolen, 3B, Red (starting)



• Kevin Correia, P, Pirates
  

Gross. Enjoy the game!


-Keefe