Month: December 2010

Basketball, Boston Celtics, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Portland Trailblazers

Stripper Poles Or NBA Polls ………… Which Gets Your Direction And Immediate Attention ?

Posted on by tophatal ...........

Stripper Poles Or NBA Polls ………… Which Gets Your Direction And Immediate Attention ?

I’ve never been one to really put much store in polls unless it’s pole that’s actually being adorned by an exotic dancer . Needless to say that with the NBA __ season now in full swing and but a quarter of the way through already some fans out there are already putting up their polls as to who they believe are the best in the league given the teams’ records. That may well be all well and good but anything can be read into a poll given the amount of information stated at the time. To my mind we don’t really know much about the teams until we are at least a third of the way through the season. But realistically we can as such say that a number of teams are merely now there only to make up the numbers .

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Slide show gallery for your perusal .

Unfortunately teams such as the New Jersey Nets (6-17), Washingtion Wizards (6-16), Detroit Pistons (7-17), Los Angeles Clippers (5-18), Sacramento Kings (5-15) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (6-17) are having a torrid time this season within their respective divisions . Needless to say that their fans while being somewhat disheartened are no doubt hoping for better things down the line as the season progresses. That feeling no doubt holds true also for the other teams around the NBA and of their fans also.

Here within the state of Florida where the NBA essentially comes down to the hype surrounding the trio that makes up the Miami Heat and its remaining roster of accouterments merely there to provide some sort of support and applause for Chris Bosh , LeBron James and Dwyane Wade while team President Pat Riley basks in the glory . He’s either the most despised person within the NBA or one of the most respected given the views of some across the league . I’m sure that there are a number of fans in the city of Cleveland who’d place Riley right up there alongside LeBron James at this juncture as amongst the most hated ! The Heat having got off to an ignominious start to their season now seem to be rebounding into the form many had expect. James and Wade seem to be playing up to their expected standards while Bosh just seems to be going through the motions. I’ve seen cardboard cutouts with more life than this guy seems to portray on a basketball court. But then again this was the best that Riley felt possible given the talent allegedly on the market at the time of the acquisition. You don’t say ?

The other team within the state happens to be the Orlando Magic coached by the always animated Stan Van Gundy . Now the expectations have been high for this team over the past few years and they’ve repeatedly come up short for one reason or another . To my mind it comes down to the lack of leadership shown and the very fact that this roster beyond Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson is like milque- toast , not quite tough enough to get the job done but the effort put forth at times gives you the impression that on a given night they can be world beaters but on other nights they can look extremely bad. And while I’ve no doubt that Van Gundy will find a way to will get the Magic into the playoffs I for one don’t feel that they possess the aptitude or mentality to deal with the team I believe are the favorites in the Eastern Conference the Boston Celtics. Doc Rivers perhaps the most understated coach in the NBA has a roster of veterans as well as young players that have gelled together and seem to be getting the job done and not only that but that bench of theirs might just be about the best and deepest in the league . The same I don’t believe can be said for the Magic or perhaps the perceived favorites , the Miami Heat within the Eastern Conference.

In the Western Conference while some seem to be impressed with the run of the Dallas Mavericks and their play. I’m wondering how the hell a number of people are overlooking the San Antonio Spurs ? OK so no it’s to be expected that the Spurs given their pedigree will be in there at the end and in Gregg Popovich they have the best coach in the league outside of Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers . However when it’s all said and done whatever the Mavericks are presently doing you can’t get over the fact that come the postseason this is a team that simply melts like butter off a hot knife . And I for one don’t believe that will change at all this season should they make the playoffs. Rick Carlisle I’ve no doubt is a good coach but he’s not a hard-nose coach who’ll get at his players when they’re failing to get the job done. I simply look at his resume’ as a coach in Indiana with the Pacers and it tells me all I need to know ! Now even with the Mavericks not much to my mind has really changed …… they simply are a team that essentially boils down to one thing go out and put up the numbers on the offensive end and then as they do so often struggle on the defensive side of things. And while they have had their plaudits it goes without saying that as their season progresses we will actually get to indeed see what this team is really made of.

The reigning champions the Los Angeles Lakers seem to have their own problems at present having lost four straight games for the first time under Jackson’s reign as a coach with the team. Hard to believe that such a thing has happened now for only the first time under this esteemed coach and the Lakers. And while there are some naive enough to think that this may well show some cracks in the vulnerability of the Los Angeles Lakers . You would be foolhardy to think that Jackson won’t find a way to fix things. Point being Phil Jackson knows how to win and one seriously doubts that Kobe Bryant won’t actually get at his teammates and tell them to pull their fingers out their own ass and get the job done . He’s as determined as anyone to prove those out there that he and not James is the rightful successor to assume the mantel as the face of the NBA since Michael Jordan’s departure. I think that 5 NBA titles, league MVP award and 2 time NBA Finals’ MVP awards gives him sort of credibility don’t you ? The team merely has to stop being complacent and simply play to its strengths rather than down to the level of their opponents . If they can do that then there’s no reason to believe why they cannot play themselves back into contention and make a return to the NBA Finals .

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Picture gallery for your perusal . By clicking on a frame you can view that picture in its original formatted size.


From my own perspective this season and in particular within the Western Conference we could very well see a number of surprises within the divisions . I’ve no doubt that the likes of the Portland Trailblazers and Oklahoma City Thunder can stake a claim that they ought to be feared and be a major part of the postseason if they play up to their potential. For me , the most exciting duo in the league at present is the tandem of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant . There’s something to suggest that given the right set of circumstances these two players could lift this team to unexpected heights this season . But for their inexperience in the playoffs last season they could have pulled off a major upset in their first round loss to the eventual champions the Los Angeles Lakers (4-2 ). Coach Scott Brooks and his coaching staff had to have been encouraged by what they had seen and have no doubt put those lessons learned to good use this season as his team looks to improve on last season’s showing. I for one would like to think that somehow a team like the Thunder can be the future of the NBA . They seem to be going about things in the right way and have the fervent support of their fans and the city of Oklahoma behind them.

As I’ve stated in terms of polls unless the information there is succinct and subject itself is something that is substantive I tend not to put much store by it. Polls can be made to sway or detract from an objective. Strippers adorning a pole on the other hand …… well is there a reason not to look and enjoy ? As to the NBA season so far and how it has progressed what thoughts if any do you have on what you’ve witnessed so far ? Chime on in with a comment .

😛

Alan aka tophatal …………………… 🙂

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Sasha-Del-Velle

Eye candy ………. Sasha Del Velle Kicks anyone ?

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Arizona Cardinals, Football, Kurt Warner, NFL, Sports

Every Man Has To Stand Up And Take A Stance …… Derek Anderson Doesn’t Stand On Ceremony …. He Just Rants Like A Dick !

Posted on by tophatal ...........

Every Man Has To Stand Up And Take A Stance …… Derek Anderson Doesn’t Stand On Ceremony …. He Just Rants Like A Dick !

Well Monday Night Football brought about a game that might have been about as enthralling as witnessing Roseanne Barr give a rousing rendition of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’. I’m not saying that the game was bad but hell couldn’t the NFL hierarchy get something from out of their much vaunted archives and show instead ? The NFC West and the teams therein are so friggin’ bad that its an affront to call anything emanating from within the division football !. The Arizona Cardinals , San Francisco 49ers , St Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks are a combined 17-27 and not one of the quartet of teams actually has a ‘winning record’ at present . It’s pretty safe to say that the NFC West much like its AFC West counterpart are the two worse divisions in all of football.

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Slide show for your perusal.

It was painstakingly obvious right from the start that the fans were about to witness one of those monstrosities of a game where they’d have been better off taking in perhaps three hours of Jerry Springer and one of his eponymous episodes of mayhem . The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers have had their problems this season and those stories have been well chronicled. And for the respective coaches Ken Whisenhunt and Mike Singletary this hardly could have been the season that they had envisaged for their teams. Singletary and the Niners just seem to be entrenched in a season of playing some rather mediocre football. And this was a team whom many believed were about to take the next step and be considered not just a legitimate contender for the divisional title but also as one of the surprise teams within the NFC and a shot of making the postseason. Instead what we’ve seen from the team has been inconsistency , even less accountability from the players and coaching staff led by Mike Singletary. The coach’s postgame interviews have become ripe with anecdotes and a litany of rather idiotic sayings that meander from one moment of insanity to the next. As of now, it’s hard to see how the front office of the San Francisco 49ers can retain the services of the coach and bring him back for next season. Team President & CEO Jed York and the executives have to be contemplating whether or not it’d be the club’s best interests to continue with Singletary as their head coach.

For Whisenhunt and the Cardinals this has been a season of profound disappointment for the organization and the team . Much of the team’s fall from grace has centered around the disappointing quarterback play. It was thought that the continued grooming of Matt Leinart would reap dividends as the player was viewed the heir apparent to the now retired Kurt Warner . Whisenhunt would have a loss of faith in Leinart and at the same time the player’s overall progression, productivity didn’t exactly instill a great deal of faith from his teammates. Maturity wise it were as if Leinart that he was still entitled and on the campus of USC where he’d been feted like a king. If only his college career had carried over into the NFL then perhaps we wouldn’t have the seen the resultant trade of Leinart to the Houston Texans where he’s now the backup to incumbent starter Matt Schaub .

Draft picks from this year’s draft and the continued belief that the team was now heading in the right direction it was felt that the time would be “now” for the Arizona Cardinals. These new recruits could contribute to the team’s gradual progression since Whisenhunt was hired by GM Rod Graves at the behest of the Bidwill’s. But with there being no apparent leadership forthcoming by way of quarterback who could play the position with any degree of efficiency what we’ve witnessed from the Cardinals this season has been the play of a team uncertain in its own identity and competitiveness. Having acquired former Browns’ quarterback and Pro Bowl player Derek Anderson as the then desired backup to Leinart at the time . Suffice to say that with Matt Leinart’s departure Anderson was pressed into service and with his less than stellar displays this season and a defense that could be best described as porous it’s easy to understand why the team has failed so miserably. And with there being mounting unrest with the team’s best player , in wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald it is also easy to understand the discontent not just with the player but also amongst the Arizona Cardinals’ fans as well . Who’d have thought that the team would now become something of an afterthought after their recent successes and advancement as such up the NFL ‘food-chain’ ? Now they’ve once again become a parody and the butt og jokes league wide amongst the fans NFL analysts alike.

Courtesy of NFL.com news

Anderson apologizes, hopes to avoid more YouTube face time

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson has apologized for his Monday night postgame tirade.

“My mom and dad didn’t raise me to act like that in times of adversity,” he said Wednesday.

The quarterback’s rant, now a nationwide spectacle, came after a series of questions from Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic’s beat reporter, about why Anderson was smiling with teammate Deuce Lutui on the sideline while the Cardinals trailed the San Francisco 49ers by 18 points late in the game. The brief clip of the two grinning had been shown during the Monday night telecast.

Anderson said after the game that it was no one’s business what he and Lutui were discussing. As Somers persisted, Anderson lost his temper and shouted about how he had put his “freaking heart and soul” into the team and that there was nothing funny about it.

Anderson was low-key and contrite as he opened his weekly news conference Wednesday.

“Let’s try to do this in a manner that doesn’t end up all over the YouTube, if we can,” he said. ” … Obviously I was very frustrated by what had happened during the game, and I let my emotions get away from me.”

The blowup came after the Cardinals lost their seventh consecutive game, 27-6 in a flat, listless performance against the 49ers.

“I’ve been through some rough times in football,” Anderson said, “but I think it obviously was one of the most frustrating times for me, a game that I felt like going in that we were very prepared for. I had a very good week of practice, like I said, and to lay an egg on national television was not only frustrating for me but frustrating to every one of the guys that’s out here every single day and sees what we’re capable of doing.”

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Monday night’s game and the 27-6 shellacking of the Arizona Cardinals by the San Francisco 49ers served a purpose of sorts as it illustrated how bad a number of teams are around the NFL but more so how bad they (teams) really are within the NFC West in particular ! A rather inept performance by the Cardinals and if something if might provide a respite for Singletary even momentarily. Anderson’s own performance in the game was nothing short of mediocre at best . If anything , it further shows us why a number of people find the player ill suited to lead this team as he seemingly possesses no leadership qualities much less a quarterback’s acumen for playing the game with any amount of dexterity.

In the waning moments in the fourth quarter of the game Anderson on the sidelines was seen joking and laughing with teammate Deuce Lutui as the team was in the midst of another crushing and embarrassing loss. Considering the player’s performances this season have been understated and something of an embarrassment to his team. It’s understandable as such if the player might find something funny to laugh about given the woefully inept display by the Cardinals this past Monday night. As to the fans’ own interpretation of the display and that of Anderson’s in particular I guess that they also might find it comical as well ! In his postgame interview when questioned by a member of the convened press as to why he could be seen laughing on the sidelines while the team was in the midst of defeat Anderson took umbrage at the question and went off in a profanity lace ridden tirade at the journalist stating that ……”he (Anderson) was a man and that he didn’t take any shit from anyone and that he knows what it takes to be a professional football player in the NFL”. Given Derek Anderson’s displays on the field of play this season and his seemingly psychotic meltdown on the podium on Monday night I’m not so sure that the quarterback knows what it takes to be a man much less a professional player in the NFL ! Baited or not by the journalist , Anderson has shown that he hasn’t the mentality or psyche to lead the Arizona Cardinals anywhere but into an abyss of mediocrity. And unfortunately for the Arizona Cardinals’ fans they may well have to put up wit a great deal more of the player’s inane stupidity both on and off the field.

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Picture gallery for your perusal.

At this juncture it looks as if the plight of the Cardinals isn’t a happy one with discontent amongst some players and the fans extremely unhappy with the team and perhaps more so with the front office and staff of the organization. Even with something of a contrite apology by Anderson after his postgame interview antics it’s hard to imagine him being a part of this team next season. It’s certainly not as if he’s shown the proclivity to make sound judgments as a player both on and off the field to begin with. And in terms of him showing maturity much less being a leader on this team let’s just say he’s a long way off from where he thinks he is and what’s expected of him as a player.

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