June 21, 2012

LeBron James has finally won a championship and his critics will finally shut up. One only has to look at the example of Alex Rodriguez. Before Arod won his World Series ring in 2009, everyone was badgering him, second guessing him, and doubting his credibility after he admitted he took steroids. Now, no one even mentions the steroids anymore. Even when A- rod goes cold in the post season, like he has done since 2009, no one seems to bother or care. Part of it might have to do with that he plays a stellar third base these days, unlike the poor play he has had at that position in the past. Another example would be Eli Manning. When Eli won his first ring, many of his critics faded away. While they came back when he had a down year (I doubt this will happen to LeBron so this second bit might not apply to him), the critics left after Eli won another Super Bowl. However, LeBron's case might be slightly different. After all, he is oft compared to Michael Jordan, who won 6 NBA finals. But at least LeBron is over the hump and has shown he is clutch, having a triple double in the final game of the season. That should get the monkey off his shoulder.

Thinking of LeBron got me thinking of the best NFL player to not have a ring. I decided it would have to be a quarterback, and the best quarterback, in my opinion, who does not have a championship is Tony Romo. This somehow seems to fit because Romo is also the NFL player who is criticized the most for his lack of a championship, and now that LeBron has one, Romo and the Cowboys might be the most criticized player and team left in sports. However, I do not think this criticism is deserved. Tony Romo, in my opinion, is a franchise quarterback and a very good player. He also has guts, as observed in the game against the 49ers this season when he broke a rib and still stood in to make plays against one of the leagues most ferocious defenses. In the end, Tony Romo is a player who receives criticism he does not deserve.

June 10, 2012

The NBA finals are right around the corner, and as much as I dislike certain aspects of the NBA, I do enjoy watching the playoffs and the finals in particular. I think this series, between the Thunder and the Heat, will be more contested than last year (ironically, neither of these teams' names ends in an "s"). I think the Thunder will win it in 6 games, all of them relatively close. Call this guess more of a hunch, but the Heat are cursed and doomed to lose more than 4 consecutive championships and become the new Buffalo Bills. While I do feel slightly bad for LeBron and how he has yet to win, this curse is by far more amusing. I also think the Thunder are not as top heavy as the Heat, which might give them an advantage. Ultimately, I think the Thunder will pull out a close one.

Every time I see a ticker that indicates which league has won more interleague games, a small part of me dies on the inside. What I mean is, this will be the last year of interleague play and the sacred format of baseball divisions as we know it. While it might be more fair that the divisions and leagues are evening out, it will take getting used to. I dislike the idea of the Astros moving to the AL. I would be okay with it if there ended up being an even number of teams in both leagues, but there won't be. This would mean interleague play everyday. This means not stretch of interleague games in June to help spice it up. It also means special series like the Subway Series and the Bay Series that stand out as some of the few interleague series played every single year. I really hope the MLB expands soon, so the league can return to normal.

It's about time I donated my opinion on Peyton Manning. I think he will be fine. I say this because Manning's two greatest strengths as a quarterback still exist. Manning has always been known for his amazing arm and his decision making. The neck injury he suffered has no impact on either of those two. Yes, a  hit might jar him more than normal, but realistically, the refs will give him preferential treatment, just like they gave Tom Brady after he went down. This will make opposing defenses back off. If this were a Michael Vick or a Cam Newton or another quarterback noted for their ability to make plays on the run, I would be worried. However, Peyton Manning makes his plays inside the pocket. Manning will never put his head down and try to run over a guy. He will keep his head up, look downfield, and make a pass. For this reason, a neck injury should be little to worry about.