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Stranger Things in NY: Giants bench Manning for Smith

Posted on by Malik Martin

The strange season for the New York Giants just got stranger. The starting QB for the Giants in week 13 against the Raiders will be Geno Smith. Don’t adjust your eyes; your reading that correctly. The Giants are benching 2x Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning for Geno Smith. Manning 210 consecutive starts streak is over. The Giants took a chance on Smith this offseason, after his career with the Jets ended unceremoniously.

The Giants currently sit 2-11 in the standing, after starting off the season 0-6. Severally key players including Odell are done for the season. Now Manning is being benched for Smith, the same QB who was once punched by a Jets teammate for not paying back money owed. Granted Smith has grown and matured since that incident, but it still stings none the less for Giants fans and Manning.

Coming off a playoff appearance and a 10-6 season, expectations were high for the Giants. They signed Brandon Marshall to be that big receiver in the Red Zone, and drafted TE Evan Engram. With a dominating defense, and new play makers on offense, the Giants were expected to make some noise this season.  The one thing the Giants didn’t do was upgrade the offensive line which has come back to haunt them.

Now there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Giants and Eli Manning. They are going to use the last five games to evaluate Geno and 3rd string QB Webb Davis. Where that leaves Manning is everyone’s guess. The Giants will likely have a top 5 pick in the upcoming draft, and this draft has some talent QB’s in Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Josh Allen.

The Baby Bombers have arrived. How the Yankees shocked the world and advanced to the ALCS?

Posted on by Malik Martin

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but somebody forgot to tell the Yankees that. All season long they defied expectations and now there four wins away from the World Series. The Baby Bombers led by Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, bashed their ways to the playoffs and now World Series # 28 is a realistic possibility. Aaron Judge historic first half of the season completely changed the Yankees season and plans. They traded for Todd Frazier, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle, and Sonny Gray at the trade deadline and secured the top wild card spot in the AL.

Come into this Series against the Cleveland Indians, the Yankees were the overwhelming underdog. The Indians won 102 games and an AL record 22 straight victories. They were coming off a game 7 World Series lost to the Cubs, and had their sights set on finishing the job this season. Once again, someone forgot to tell the Yankees they weren’t supposed to win.

The Yankees fell behind 0-2 in this series and most people declared it over. Joe Giradi was criticized and ostracized for his inexplicable decision to not challenge a hit-by-pitch call, that led to a Grand Slam by Francisco Lindor, a blown 8-3 lead, and a 9-8 loss in extra innings. The Yankees would recover and go on to win 3 straight games to advance to the ALCS. Didi Gregorious cemented his postseason legacy with two home runs off of Corey Kluber. The Yankees would tack on 3 more runs in the 9th, before Chapman closed it out.

Now the Yankees go on to Houston to face another team that won 100 games and has World Series aspirations. The Astros have never been to the World Series, but they have a young core led by Carlos Correra, Jose Altuve, and Dallas Keuchel. They also have veterans Justin Verlander and Carlos Beltran. This team hits for power and have dynamic 1-2 punch with Verlander and Keuchel. AL MVP candidates Altuve and Judge square off.

As we learned this season, never count the Yankees out. This is October baseball and the Yankees are expected to perform on the big stage.

The Money Fight between McGregor and Mayweather was on the money

Posted on by Malik Martin

The Money Fight between McGregor and Mayweather delivered on all levels. It was a spectacle between two of the best fighters in there respective sports. It was fantasy warfare between MMA’s best vs boxing’s best.

Of course the question coming into this fight, was whether McGregor could actually hang in the ring with Mayweather. Could he take a punch and still keep fighting? For the first three rounds McGregor took the fight right to Mayweather. He was the more aggressive fighter. It took Mayweather a while to actually figure out McGregor. His awkward stance caught Mayweather off guard several times in the fight.

As the fight went on the tides eventually turned in favor of Mayweather. He wore McGregor down in rounds 5-9, and we saw something from Mayweather we hadn’t seen in a while. Him actually going for the knockout. Mayweather would win this fight in the 10th round by TKO, but not before McGregor gave Mayweather one of the most entertaining fights of his career.

He actually landed more shots in 10 rounds against Mayweather than Pacquaio did in 12 rounds. Both men proved last night why there’s so much hype surrounding them.

Mayweather retires a perfect 50-0 and gets to ride off into the sunset. McGregor gets the biggest pay day of his life and respect all across the board. Both men walked away winners last night in an entertaining fight for the ages.

Believeland: A City of Winners.

Posted on by Malik Martin

There is a strong aura around the city of Cleveland right now. The Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win the NBA Championship. Now the Cleveland Indians advanced to the ALCS after sweeping the Boston Red Soxs.

A city that has long become synonymous with losing and heartbreak, is now close to crowing a second champion. It’s like overnight, Cleveland forgot how to lose. Call it the Lebron Effect. If only the Cleveland Browns could get some of that luck.

It’s been 67 years since the Cleveland Indians last celebrated a World Series win. When you look at this team they have everything it takes to win it all. This Indians team have a great manager in Terry Francona who knows what it takes to win a World Series. He’s won two as the manager of the Boston Red Soxs. It’s underrated how well Francona manages the game. He always seems to make the right move at the right time.

They also have a shutdown bullpen led by trade deadline pickup Andrew Miller. He transformed the Indians from bullpen from a weakness into a strength. The starting rotation is led by former CY winner Corey Kluber. Then you veterans like Mike Napoli and Coco Crisp playing extremely well and have both won World Series in the past. You have a great manager, shutdown bullpen, ace in the starting rotation and a mixture of youth and veterans. That’s a recipe for success.

Of course this Indians team has to get past a red hot Blue Jays team that is also coming off a sweep of the AL West Texas Rangers. Seven different blue Jays players have already hit a home run in the postseason. Enjoy the win and moment Cleveland, you deserve it. The Cavaliers proved that anything is possible.

The homecoming nobody saw or really expected to happen. 

Posted on by Malik Martin

After feeling disrespected by the Heat’s offer off 2 years and $40 million, Dwayne Wade has decided to sign with his hometown team the Chicago Bulls. This is move almost no one saw coming, because it was almost a forgone conclusion that Wade would resign with the Heat. Even when reports of him meeting with others teams came out, we believed it was just leverage on Wade’s past. After all, he’s taken pay cuts and back seats for other players. He won the city a championship on his OWN. He dedicated his blood, sweat, and tears to the city of Miami. Wade is the type of player you expect to play his entire career in one jersey for one franchise. 

That almost became a reality until Pat Riley and Micky Arison decided to play hardball with there franchise player. This isn’t a superstar signing with another team to chase a ring. This is a franchise being cheap and not wanting to spend money on the greatest player in team history. You can give Whiteside $94 million and bosh $118 million, but can’t give Wade $50 million? 

Almost three  years ago the the Lakers gave Kobe a two year, $48.5 million dollar extension. Jerry Buss Lakers VP of basketball operation had this to say about the deal “You pay the guy. You believe in the guy. If he ends up saying healthy, that’s fantastic. With all of the injuries, plus wear and tear piling up on Kobe’s body, the Lakers had no problems or regrets signing him to a massive extension. You know why? Because of what he meant to the city of Los Angeles. Because of what he accomplished in his career. Unlike Wade, Kobe never took a pay cut. 

Wade is coming off of a productive season that saw him play in 74 games, his most since 2010-11 when he played in 76 games. Wade also averaged 19 points, to go along with 4 assist and 4 rebounds per game. In the playoffs he upped that 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assist per game.  He carried the heat all the way to the semifinals. If Whiteside doesn’t get hurt then more than likely they advance to the ECF to meet LeBron and the Cavs. 

There truly in no loyalty in sports, even when it comes to a player of Wade’s caliber. We criticize athletes all the time for being selfish and thinking about themselves, but what happens when the owners do it? It’s truly sad to see Wads’s tenure in Miami come to an end like this. He deserved so much better and deserved to end his career with the only franchise he’s ever known.  

Quote taken from USA Today article. 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/lakers/2015/10/20/kobe-bryant-contract-extension-jim-buss-lakers/74222198/

The Decision 2.0 

Posted on by Malik Martin

The Decision 2.0
The NBA’s worst nightmare has officially come true. Kevin Durant has signed with the Warriors. The Warriors team that won an NBA record 73 games and came within a game within back to back to championships. The Warriors team that has back to back MVP Stephen Curry. The Warriors team that also has Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The best team in the NBA just signed one of the three best players in the world. The NBA landscape has officially been flipped upside down. 

Six years ago another player changed the dynamics of the NBA. In 2010, LeBron made his decision to leave Cleveland and join forces with Wade and Bosh in Miami. When LeBron, Wade, and Bosh joined forces it was mixed feelings all around. Excitement, angry, fear, disappointment. Some thought it was unfair that three players in there primes were joining together. That heat team was the most scrutinized and hated team probably of all-time. Look what Miami was able to accomplish four straight finals appearances, two straight championships, and a 27 game winning streak. You expect similar results from the Warriors now that they have KD and Curry in the SAME lineup. 

Will KD face the same level of hate and scrutiny as LeBron did when he left Cleveland? The Thunder are a better team than the one LeBron left in Cleveland. Personally, I don’t KD or LeBron should have been ridiculed for their decision. It’s there decision and as a free agent they have every right to do what’s best for them. This is a new era in the NBA where players teams up with rival in order to have a better chance at winning. 

Is Superteams good for the NBA? 

Super Teams like the Heat and Warriors are both good and bad for the league. It’s bad for the league, because it hurts the competitive balance within the league and fans will start to lose interest in the game. It’s good for the game because it’s creates passion and a wide range of emotions from fans all over the world. It makes the game fun again. The only time you can see this many superstars on one team is the All-Star game or the Olympics. Whether you liked, loved, or hated the Heat, you still watched every game. 

Hope in the Knick of time. 

Posted on by Malik Martin

On paper the Knicks are much better than they were last season, or any season in the last 10 years for that matter. A starting 5 of Rose, Lee, Melo, Porzingis and Noah has the right combination of size, length, offense, and defense to really do some damage. For the first time in a long time there is legitimate optimism, hope, and excitement surrounding the Knicks.

The big question mark surrounding this team is health. Can D-Rose stay healthy for a full season? Can Noah bounce back from shoulder surgery? It’s going to take some time for this team to gel with each other and new HC Jeff Horneack. However, if everyone starts heathy, and that’s a big if; the Knicks have a realistic shot at make the playoffs. Porzingis is still the future of the Knicks and his growth and development will dictate how far they can go.

The next thing the Knicks need to do is sure up there bench by resigning Williams Galloway, and Thomas. They should go after Crawford to bring some instant offense off of the bench. Sign a back up point guard for Rose. Continue to look for quality role players who compliment the team. This current Knicks team has upside and potential.

A historic NBA season for the ages

Posted on by Malik Martin

The 2015-2016 NBA season will go down as one of the greatest seasons in NBA history. From the Warriors winning 73 games, to the Cavilers winning their first NBA championship, to Kobe scoring 60 points in his final game. Let’s not forget the Spurs winning 67 games, Paul George retuning to superstar level, Curry become the first unanimous MVP in NBA history, and one of the greatest NBA Finals of all-time. A game 7 thriller that restored hope to one city (Cleveland) and left another city (Oakland) searching for answers. So many memorable moments, highlights, and storyline from the 2015-16 NBA season.

The NBA continues to position itself as one of top leagues in the world. It’s more buzz and excitement surrounding the game, that hasn’t been seen since Jordan took over the NBA. A new TV deal worth $24 billion over 9 years, a higher salary cap, new marketable stars. It’s more foreign players on an NBA roster than at any point in NBA history. http://www.nba.com/2015/news/10/27/nba-rosters-feature-100-international-players/
The growth of the NBA is accelerating at a rapid pace and that has a great deal to do with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. His vision, willingness to negotiate, and passion for the game has the NBA reaching historic heights. It’s no better time to be a basketball fan that right now.

Game 7.Win or go home.

Posted on by Malik Martin

The Cavs have won their second straight game in the NBA Finals and now we’re headed to game 7. Everything is on the line in this game. The Warriors quest for back to back championships. LeBron trying to win a championship for the city of Cleveland. Legacies are defined in game 7’s. This finals rematch has definitely lived up to the hype. Just when you thought one team have the advantage, the other team would snatch it right back. This series has had everything you could possibly ask for. Drama (green suspension), excitement (the Cavs winning two straight and forcing a game 7), and suspense (game 7).

The Cavs outworked and out hustled the Warriors all night long. They were more physical on the boards out rebounding the Warriors 43-31. Every time the Warriors made a run, the Cavs answered with a run of their own. LeBron James has been playing like a man possessed the last two games. Back to back 41 point games.

All season long ,the Warriors have been making history. However, if they lose game 7, they’ll be on the wrong side of history. They’ll be the first team in NBA finals history to blow a 3-1 lead. The pressure is now on the Warriors to close out this series. Green suspension in game 5 changed the complexity of this series. The Warriors were down right unbeatable at that point. His suspension opened the door for Cleveland to get back in the series and now they have all of the momentum and confidence. They believe they can win this series. The Warriors must now defend there home court and there championship. Game 7 is sure to be a game for the ages.

photo courtesy of NBA.com

The game is greener without Draymond

Posted on by Malik Martin

The Cavs took full advantage of Draymomd Green suspension and won game 5. The Warriors missed Green’s toughness,competitiveness, and edge in this game. Steph and Klay rightfully gets all of the attention, but Draymond Green is the emotional leader of this team. He sets the tone defensively. He holds his teammates accountable.

The Warriors blew a chance to close out this series and that may come back to haunt them. The worse thing you want to do in the playoffs is give a team momentum. They should know because they just came back against the Thunder after being down 3-1. One game is all it takes to get back in a series. The Warriors were 4-0 under Steve Kerr in close out games.

James and Irving came to play tonight combining for 82 points. This was the first time in the NBA Finals that two teammates scored 40+ points in the same game. LeBron’s jumper and Irving’s driving complimented each other well. They were a two man show that the Warriors just couldn’t stop. Irving got to the basketball at will all night long. His growth and maturity is the key to Cleveland winning a championship. With the Cavs winning game 5 this series just got interesting. The have a chance to win game 6 at home and force a game 7.