Nevin Shapiro with defensive tackle Vince Wilfork at Miami’s team awards banquet following the 2002 season.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Death of a Dynasty, The University of Miami Scandal
On August 16th yahoo sports reported a story that former University of Miami booster Nevin Shapiro, funded players and coaches with money that violated the NCAA bylaws. It was reported that he funded money to players and coaches in the program from 2002 through 2010. Shapiro who is now incarcerated for a 930 million dollar ponzi scheme, confessed to government officials about spending millions of dollars on entertainment for players on his yachts and large houses, jewelry, paid expensive to high cost restaurants, and in the words of Randy Moss, "straight cash homie". Shapiro also gave money to players for trips and even gave extra money to players who achieved bounties like, hurting a player from the opposing team.
Shapiro was also a co-owner of a sports agency, "Axcess Sports and Entertainment" where he used his money to recruit players to sign with his company. It was reported that he gave Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork 50,000$ to sign with his agency. Along with Wilfork (a former University of Miami player) Shapiro's company also recruited other Hurricane players like Jon Beason, with cash and other benefits.
The NCAA is investigating the allegations of Shapiro and if these stories are true Miami could face the death penalty from the NCAA. There has only been one other school to face the death penalty from the NCAA and that was SMU in 1987. This violation allows the NCAA to eliminate the involved sport for at least one year, the elimination of athletics aid in that sport for two years and the school relinquishing its Association voting privileges for a four-year period. This type of punishment can destroy a program and with the Hurricanes being a popular football school it may hurt the NCAA to have a program like Miami fall apart. The investigations have just started and only time will tell.
Shapiro was also a co-owner of a sports agency, "Axcess Sports and Entertainment" where he used his money to recruit players to sign with his company. It was reported that he gave Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork 50,000$ to sign with his agency. Along with Wilfork (a former University of Miami player) Shapiro's company also recruited other Hurricane players like Jon Beason, with cash and other benefits.
The NCAA is investigating the allegations of Shapiro and if these stories are true Miami could face the death penalty from the NCAA. There has only been one other school to face the death penalty from the NCAA and that was SMU in 1987. This violation allows the NCAA to eliminate the involved sport for at least one year, the elimination of athletics aid in that sport for two years and the school relinquishing its Association voting privileges for a four-year period. This type of punishment can destroy a program and with the Hurricanes being a popular football school it may hurt the NCAA to have a program like Miami fall apart. The investigations have just started and only time will tell.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Heat is on
In last night's basketball game that involved the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls a few things happen that prevented the Bulls from winning. One, the league's MVP had a bad shooting night and he turned the ball over too many times. Derrick Rose had 7 turnovers and shot 8-27 from the field, including 1-9 from the three point line. Along with the bad shooting, he committed too many turnovers. None more crucial than the one he committed at the end of the game when they were down four looking to cut the lead to 2 and he just lost the ball, giving Dwayne Wade an easy lay-up and instead of cutting the lead to two, they went down by six basically ending the game.
Two, the Miami Heat continued to play great defense, stopping one of the best penetrating guards in the league from scoring two consecutive times in a row with the game on the line. Lebron James stepped up to the calling last night as he helped his team win by playing tremendous defense. With the game on the line twice under a minute, James recieved the assignment of guarding Derrick Rose and both times he stopped Rose, forcing him into a difficult jump shot. James who is known for doing just about everything on the court showed why he's a two time MVP as he filled the stat sheet up with 35pts, 6rebs, 6ass, 3blcks, 2stls, and two crucial stops on the opposing team's best player. As a coach what more can you ask for from a player.
The third and final reason why the Heat won this game over the Bulls was the free throw differential. The Bulls played good, they beat the Heat on the boards 42-41, they won the assist battle 20-12, they dominated points in the paint 44-24, and they had more fast break points than the heat 26-15. If you didn't know the Heat won and you looked at those stats you would think the Bulls won, but along with those stats are the difference in free throw attempts and free throws made by each team. The heat went 32-38 from the free throw line, including a controversial flagrant foul called for Chris Bosh that Carlos Boozer committed with 4:40 left in the game. This chain of events cut Chicago's lead from three to down one point. The Bulls shot 17-22 from the free throw line as Derrick Rose continued to go to the rim and try to draw fouls he only went to the line 7 times as the Heat's Bosh and James combined for more free throw attepmts than the whole Bulls team with 24, making 23 of them. This could be the reason why they lost but Boozer refused to think so by saying, "We've never been an excuse team. We're not going to start being an excuse team now. They got fouled, I guess we didn't." The Bulls didn't get the whistle last night but they did get a charge call on Lebron James with seconds left in regulation, giving the Bulls a perfect chance to win the game.
Two, the Miami Heat continued to play great defense, stopping one of the best penetrating guards in the league from scoring two consecutive times in a row with the game on the line. Lebron James stepped up to the calling last night as he helped his team win by playing tremendous defense. With the game on the line twice under a minute, James recieved the assignment of guarding Derrick Rose and both times he stopped Rose, forcing him into a difficult jump shot. James who is known for doing just about everything on the court showed why he's a two time MVP as he filled the stat sheet up with 35pts, 6rebs, 6ass, 3blcks, 2stls, and two crucial stops on the opposing team's best player. As a coach what more can you ask for from a player.
The third and final reason why the Heat won this game over the Bulls was the free throw differential. The Bulls played good, they beat the Heat on the boards 42-41, they won the assist battle 20-12, they dominated points in the paint 44-24, and they had more fast break points than the heat 26-15. If you didn't know the Heat won and you looked at those stats you would think the Bulls won, but along with those stats are the difference in free throw attempts and free throws made by each team. The heat went 32-38 from the free throw line, including a controversial flagrant foul called for Chris Bosh that Carlos Boozer committed with 4:40 left in the game. This chain of events cut Chicago's lead from three to down one point. The Bulls shot 17-22 from the free throw line as Derrick Rose continued to go to the rim and try to draw fouls he only went to the line 7 times as the Heat's Bosh and James combined for more free throw attepmts than the whole Bulls team with 24, making 23 of them. This could be the reason why they lost but Boozer refused to think so by saying, "We've never been an excuse team. We're not going to start being an excuse team now. They got fouled, I guess we didn't." The Bulls didn't get the whistle last night but they did get a charge call on Lebron James with seconds left in regulation, giving the Bulls a perfect chance to win the game.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Decision. Part 2!
The NBA's lottery was last night and as fate would have it. The Cleveland Cavaliers came out as the winners; something they didn't do a lot of last season. But with the help of this years 1st and 4th pick in the draft the Cavaliers have the ability to bounce back from a record breaking losing season as they broke the NBA record for consecutive losses in a season with 26 in a row. As they try to put that season and Lebron James behind them, they have to be careful that they choose the right players because with this year's draft not being one with a lot of star potential, it would be devastating for the Cavaliers and the state of Cleveland if their managment made some poor decisions like the Portland Trailblazers, who picked Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan and Greg Oden over Kevin Durant. Right now it's hard to tell who's going to be a star in this draft but some analyst are saying that the top 5 players are Kyrie Irving (Duke), Derrick Williams (Arizona), Brandon Knight (Kentucky), Enes Kanter (Turkey), and Jonas Valanciuanas (Lithuania). With two top five picks most people are saying that the Cavaliers should draft a guard first like Kyrie Irving and draft a big man second to help out J.J. Hickson down low. The question is what guard should they select. No one had a better year than Kimba Walker as he led his team to win the Big East tournanment and The National Championship. Then there is the NCAA player of the Year Jimmer Fredette who has tremendous shootin range from anywhere in the gym. Also the Cavs may want to consider Brandon Knight who has amazing athletic abilty and could turn out to be the next Derrick Rose who was also coached by John Calipari. As far as which big to select first it seems like everyone agrees that Derrick Williams with his shooting ability and explosiveness would be the best big. Well it seems like the Cavaliers are apart of another big "decision" only this time they can determine the outcome.
The Thunder Get Nowitzkied!
Last night's game was very entertaining if you are a fan that can sit and watch 80 free throws in a game. Despite the free throws slowing down the paste of the game, both Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant had great games. Even though Durant had 40 points, last night's game wasn't about him. It was about Nowitzki and his shooting efficiency. Nowitzki shot 12-15 from the field and a record breaking 24-24 from the free throw line, breaking Paul Pierce's record of 21-21 in a game. Not only did Nowitzki only mis 3 shots but he scored in timely fashions. When ever the Thunder made a run to cut Dallas's lead down to 5 or 7, Nowitzki simply faced up Ibaka (the forward from the Thunder who tried to guard Nowitzki last night) and either went by him or shot the ball in his face, keeping Dallas on top throw out the fourth quarter. Even when the Thunder tried to play help defense or double Nowitzki he would make the proper play and kick it out to the shooters. Just like he did at the end of the fourth quarter as Westbrook tried to help, he simply made the correct pass to Terry in the corner for a three that would diminish the Thunder's hope of winning that game.
Last night's game was mostly about Nowitzki's performance but Nowitzki also had help from quite a few people. The surprise person that contributed 21 points in 16 minutes was J.J. Barea. Barea had his way with the Thunder defense as they had no answer for him. He used the pick in roll well and even create his own shots as he blew by guards from the Thunder like Westbrook and Nate Robinson. He also had help from his typical partner in crime Jason Terry who continues to hit three pointers like they're foul shots. Last night he also helped by scoring 24 points and outscoring the Thunder's bench by himself (24-22). He also had a decent night percentage wise as he shot 50% from the three point line (4-8) and 50% from the field (8-16). Although these two are suppose to help Nowitzki, the most important help he got last night was from Russell Westbrook, who shot a horrible 3-15 from the field (20%) missed key foul shots and turned the ball over 4 times. As bad as the numbers are Westbrook still scored 20 points, some say he was out of control and hazardous to his team. The ending results prove that the Thunder are going to need a better game from Westbrook and a better team defensive effort on Nowitzki if they want any chance of winning.
Last night's game was mostly about Nowitzki's performance but Nowitzki also had help from quite a few people. The surprise person that contributed 21 points in 16 minutes was J.J. Barea. Barea had his way with the Thunder defense as they had no answer for him. He used the pick in roll well and even create his own shots as he blew by guards from the Thunder like Westbrook and Nate Robinson. He also had help from his typical partner in crime Jason Terry who continues to hit three pointers like they're foul shots. Last night he also helped by scoring 24 points and outscoring the Thunder's bench by himself (24-22). He also had a decent night percentage wise as he shot 50% from the three point line (4-8) and 50% from the field (8-16). Although these two are suppose to help Nowitzki, the most important help he got last night was from Russell Westbrook, who shot a horrible 3-15 from the field (20%) missed key foul shots and turned the ball over 4 times. As bad as the numbers are Westbrook still scored 20 points, some say he was out of control and hazardous to his team. The ending results prove that the Thunder are going to need a better game from Westbrook and a better team defensive effort on Nowitzki if they want any chance of winning.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The NBA's Final Four
When the NBA season kicked off in November who would of predicted that the Lakers and the Boston Celtics wouldn't have been included in the NBA's final four. Well, today the NBA's final four scenerio is the Chicago Bulls up agianst the Miami Heat 1-0 and the western conference finals begins with the Dallas Mavericks hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder. A lot of people may have predicted the Heat to go all the way with the big three that they have, but many people didn't have the Chicago Bulls the number one seed in the east and a blow out victory in game one. To a lot of people's surprise the Chicago Bulls have proven to be a legitimate team with the MVP of the league Derrick Rose and by having the number one defense in the league. The Bulls showcased this stifuling defense in game one, holding Lebron James and Dwayne Wade to 12 and 18 points. The Bulls were able to hold two of the NBA's premiere scorers under 20 points a piece. Also the Bulls won by such a wide margin because of their bench points and second chance points. The Bull's bench outscored the Heat's bench 28-15, and the outscored them in second chance points 31-8. The Bulls have been a shock to many this whole season and they continued to shock many people as they not only won game won but did it in a convincing fashion. The question is, will the Bulls be able to keep this up and dominate the boards and continue to make things tough for Lebron and Wade.
The other match up in the NBA's final four is the Mavericks versus the Thunder. The Thunder is a very young team that may be ahead of their time. We'll soon find out as they go up against a veteran team with a dynamic superstar in Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki and the Mavericks shocked the world as they swept the two time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. What was even more shocking was how they swept the Lakers and made them seem inferior and old by blowing them out in game four by 36 points (122-86). Also the Maverick's Jason Terry tied the NBA playoff three point record by making 9 three pointers, as he was 5-5 at one point and time from three point land. The Mavericks dominated the Lakers with their pick and roll offense and Nowitzki looked like his MVP form back in 06-07. With Nowitzki being a 7ft tall power forward that can play on the perimeter he poses a tremendous threat to the Thunder's big men.
On the other hand the Thunder also have a superstar who is the league's two time defending scoring champion and who is also a 6ft 10in small forward who can shoot from anywhere in the gym and is a prolific scorer. The Thunder may also have the edge at the point guard position as 22 year old Russell Westbrook may give 38 year old Jason Kidd a problem with his lightning speed and amazing athleticism. Just like Westbrook can help the Thunder be great, a lot of people think he hurts the team sometime when he takes more shots than Durant. The Thunder supporters say its not a problem because he is their second scorer and they need him to score sometimes. Westbrook has always taken a lot of shots and Durant was still been able to win the scoring title twice, so it may not be a problem but we will see as the series begins tonight at 9pm on espn. Will it be the Thunder's youth, or the Mavericks veteran craftiness, or will the Maverick's be rusting from 8 days of rest and be shocked by the Thunder at home in game one. Find out tonight.
The other match up in the NBA's final four is the Mavericks versus the Thunder. The Thunder is a very young team that may be ahead of their time. We'll soon find out as they go up against a veteran team with a dynamic superstar in Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki and the Mavericks shocked the world as they swept the two time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers. What was even more shocking was how they swept the Lakers and made them seem inferior and old by blowing them out in game four by 36 points (122-86). Also the Maverick's Jason Terry tied the NBA playoff three point record by making 9 three pointers, as he was 5-5 at one point and time from three point land. The Mavericks dominated the Lakers with their pick and roll offense and Nowitzki looked like his MVP form back in 06-07. With Nowitzki being a 7ft tall power forward that can play on the perimeter he poses a tremendous threat to the Thunder's big men.
On the other hand the Thunder also have a superstar who is the league's two time defending scoring champion and who is also a 6ft 10in small forward who can shoot from anywhere in the gym and is a prolific scorer. The Thunder may also have the edge at the point guard position as 22 year old Russell Westbrook may give 38 year old Jason Kidd a problem with his lightning speed and amazing athleticism. Just like Westbrook can help the Thunder be great, a lot of people think he hurts the team sometime when he takes more shots than Durant. The Thunder supporters say its not a problem because he is their second scorer and they need him to score sometimes. Westbrook has always taken a lot of shots and Durant was still been able to win the scoring title twice, so it may not be a problem but we will see as the series begins tonight at 9pm on espn. Will it be the Thunder's youth, or the Mavericks veteran craftiness, or will the Maverick's be rusting from 8 days of rest and be shocked by the Thunder at home in game one. Find out tonight.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
MELO-DRAMATIC
Carmelo Anthony has finally made it to the New Knicks. Since the season started Melo has been hinting and rumors has been circulating that he wanted to go to the Knicks and play in Madison Square Garden with all-star Amare Stoudemire. His wish has finally came true as he and Chauncey Billups are now Knicks, along with Sheldon Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman who was also apart of the trade. In return the nuggets got some young developing talent in Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Wilson Chandler, and a 2014 first round pick. The Minnesota Timberwolves also got involved as they shipped Corey Brewer to the Knicks for Anthony Randolph and Eddie Curry. So, the Knicks end up getting 9 all-star appearances and a championship ring in Melo and Billups, along with an althetic wing player in Brewer. The Nuggets get a bunch of talent that caoch George Carl will have to continue to develop. The deal works out well for both teams. The knicks get a superstar but they can't contend for a championship because they need to surround their superstars with some role players. On the other hand, Denver has all the role players and hope that one of the young players will turn into a superstar, but if not they still have a team that is set up for a superstar player to come in and make them a championship contender. With Melo going to the Knicks this only sets the Knicks up to make more moves next season. They have the ability to acquire some quality player who will hit the free agent market next year, players like Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Dwight Howard. If the Knicks are able to acquire any of those players next season then they will be worthy of being in the finals conversation. But for now there is a certain electicity in New York and The Knicks are making strides to get back to the top.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
All-Star Saturday & The Rig Dunk Contest
Following Friday's exciting festivities, All-Star Saturday was anticipated to be even better and it lived up to the hype. Starting off with the skills competition that was headlined by MVP candidate Derrick Rose and former winner Chris Paul. Neither one of them won, but it was very competitive; although Chris Paul missed a lay-up to start his run. Russel Westbrook and Stephen Curry stole the show, with times of 30 seconds flat for Westbrook in the first round and a time of 34 seconds for Curry in the first round. Curry blew Westbrook out the water in the last round recording a time of 28.2 seconds to challenge the record of 25.5 seconds set by Deron Williams in 2008. Westbrook struggled in the last round and only posted a score of 44.2 seconds. The competition was still exciting and for a good cause as Curry was able to win 30,000 dollars worth of tuition for a young girl.
With the skills competition starting things off well, the 3-point contest was up next and new record holder for most 3-point field goals made Ray Allen was favored to win. Even though the 3-point contest wasn't too exciting, a few players went on good runs. Previous winner Paul Pierce made things interesting in the final round as he challenged the final two contestants James Jones and Ray Allen by posting a score of 18. James Jones was second and he topped Pierce by posting a score of 20 putting the pressure on the six time contestant Allen. Allen struggled in the beginning and never bounced back as he only posted a score of 15. Making the Miami Heat's 4th or 5th option James Jones the new 3-point shooting champion. Which left me thinking, "the heat finally beat the Celtics in something".
Concluding the night was the dunk contest headlined by the high flying Blake Griffin. The dunk contest was a success. It was very creative, original, and simply fun to watch. Even though the judges may have got caught in the Griffin hype. It seemed like it was pre-determined for Griffin to make it to the final round as he did a two hand 360 that he missed several times and a wind mill from the side that he also missed several times. I thought his dunks in the first round were unimpressive and simple. I thought Javale McGee was the most original and creative as he dunk three balls at once and then dunked two balls simultaneously on two different courts. Although his last dunk wasn't much McGee had already did enough to win and McGee's last dunk was just as impressive as Griffin's dunk over the car; minus the hype of bringing the car out. Even though Griffin did jump over a car he jumped over the shortest end of a small sized car. He didn't jump over top of the car just the hood of it. It was like an alley-oop pass that he dunk with two hands. He didn't take off from a distance and jumping over the hood of a car doesn't seem very high. Minus the presentation of bringing the car out, this dunk was one of the worse. I thought Serge Ibaka's dunk from the foul was better. It was more difficult and he actually topped Jordan and Dr.J by jumping from behind the line. Overall the dunk contest was great but the hype of Blake Griffin stole the show.
With the skills competition starting things off well, the 3-point contest was up next and new record holder for most 3-point field goals made Ray Allen was favored to win. Even though the 3-point contest wasn't too exciting, a few players went on good runs. Previous winner Paul Pierce made things interesting in the final round as he challenged the final two contestants James Jones and Ray Allen by posting a score of 18. James Jones was second and he topped Pierce by posting a score of 20 putting the pressure on the six time contestant Allen. Allen struggled in the beginning and never bounced back as he only posted a score of 15. Making the Miami Heat's 4th or 5th option James Jones the new 3-point shooting champion. Which left me thinking, "the heat finally beat the Celtics in something".
Concluding the night was the dunk contest headlined by the high flying Blake Griffin. The dunk contest was a success. It was very creative, original, and simply fun to watch. Even though the judges may have got caught in the Griffin hype. It seemed like it was pre-determined for Griffin to make it to the final round as he did a two hand 360 that he missed several times and a wind mill from the side that he also missed several times. I thought his dunks in the first round were unimpressive and simple. I thought Javale McGee was the most original and creative as he dunk three balls at once and then dunked two balls simultaneously on two different courts. Although his last dunk wasn't much McGee had already did enough to win and McGee's last dunk was just as impressive as Griffin's dunk over the car; minus the hype of bringing the car out. Even though Griffin did jump over a car he jumped over the shortest end of a small sized car. He didn't jump over top of the car just the hood of it. It was like an alley-oop pass that he dunk with two hands. He didn't take off from a distance and jumping over the hood of a car doesn't seem very high. Minus the presentation of bringing the car out, this dunk was one of the worse. I thought Serge Ibaka's dunk from the foul was better. It was more difficult and he actually topped Jordan and Dr.J by jumping from behind the line. Overall the dunk contest was great but the hype of Blake Griffin stole the show.
Monday, February 21, 2011
All Star Friday
Now that the NBA All-Star festivities are over it's time to take a look back at the weekend that was and reflect. Opening night set the tone for a high flying weekend full of dunks and great entertainment during the rookie versus sophomore game and celebrity game. John Wall started it off leading the rookies to their first win in 7 years, with a rookie challenge record of 22 assist. The dunks in this challenge was headlined by John Walls bounce pass alley-oop to Blake Griffin who who threw it down like only Griffin can do.
The celebrity game was entertaining as Justin Bieber won the MVP honors in a losing effort. He showed off some skills with decent crossover dribble against rapper Common and a three pointer to go along with his 8 points. Other notable celebrities were Scottie Pippen who stood out with his 17 points, a win, and a blocked shot against Bieber. Also apart of this great show was Trey Songz, Romeo Miller, Rick Fox, Swin Cash, and many others. The game was fun and full of laughter, highlighting the funniest moments of the game was when coach of the west team, Irving "Magic" Johnson got on Scottie Pippen for blocking Bieber's shot. Unfortunately fame doesn't translate into talent and the final score of the game was 54-49 in favor of the East team. All-Star Friday was a great starting night for a weekend of amazement for the NBA
The celebrity game was entertaining as Justin Bieber won the MVP honors in a losing effort. He showed off some skills with decent crossover dribble against rapper Common and a three pointer to go along with his 8 points. Other notable celebrities were Scottie Pippen who stood out with his 17 points, a win, and a blocked shot against Bieber. Also apart of this great show was Trey Songz, Romeo Miller, Rick Fox, Swin Cash, and many others. The game was fun and full of laughter, highlighting the funniest moments of the game was when coach of the west team, Irving "Magic" Johnson got on Scottie Pippen for blocking Bieber's shot. Unfortunately fame doesn't translate into talent and the final score of the game was 54-49 in favor of the East team. All-Star Friday was a great starting night for a weekend of amazement for the NBA
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Brady or Vick for Offensive Player of the Year.... You Decide
The 2010 Offensive player of the year award went to none other than the New England Patriots Tom Brady. He put up ridiculous numbers barring the fact that he didn't have a legitimate star receiver. Brady threw for 3,900 yards, rushed for 30 yards, threw 36 touchdowns, rushed for 1, and only threw 4 interceptions and lost 1 fumble, giving him the highest quarterback rating in the NFL at 111.0. The statistic that stood out the most was Brady's record of throwing 335 consecutive passes with out an interception. He led the Patriots to a NFL best record this season at 14-2 and the number 1 scoring offense in the league. Meanwhile, his closest competition with 11 first place votes to Brady's 21 first place votes was Micheal Vick. Who also had an unbelievable season leading the Eagles to the playoffs and a division title. Vick threw for 3,018 yards 21 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions. He also gain 676 yards rushing and 9 rushing touchdowns. He led a phenomenal comeback victory against the Giants in the Meadow Lands, with the help of a DeSean Jackson punt return to win the game and he also recorded a record breaking game against the Redskins; completing 20 of his 28 passes for 333 yards and 6 touchdowns, 4 throw the air and 2 rushing. Obviously two games doesn't win you an offensive player of the year award but the numbers that Vick put up this season and his impact on his team is worthy of the award. So, the question is did the offensive player of the year go to the right person??????
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The NFL's Defensive MVP
Safety of the Pittsburgh Steelers Troy Polamalu has won the NFL 2010-2011 defensive MVP. The question is did he deserve it. Polamalu stat line for this year was 63 tackles, one sack, one force fumble, and seven interceptions in 14 games. He was tied for second in interceptions along with the Eagle's Asante Samuel and the Patriot's Devin McCourty, Ed Reed led the league with eight. This will be Polamalu's first defensive MVP award which some think is long over due being that he has been a top safety in the league for 6 years now. Also taking into account his importance to the team as he is arguably the best player on a super bowl contending team. This season in the two games Polamalu missed the Steelers went 1-1, in comparison to the 3-1 record the team acquired while Troy played and their star quarterback Ben Rothlisberger didn't. The Steelers are 14-4 when Troy plays and just 5-7 when he's out. With this being said some would disagree that Polamalu deserved winning the defensive MVP award over Packer's outside linebacker Clay Matthews. Matthews recorded 60 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 interception. Clay Matthew finished 4th in the sack race 2 sacks behind the league's leader DeMarcus Ware. This is Matthews' second double digit sack total in a season in only his second year. In his rookie season he recorded 10. It's safe to say that Matthews has been putting up numbers since he entered the league, the question is.... Are his numbers better than Polamalu's??? The voting finished with Troy getting 17 first place votes and Matthews getting 15 first place votes. With both stars in this years superbowl we can only hope that the game is as close as the MVP race.
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Sunday's game between the Oklamhoma City Thunder and the Miami was entertaining to say the least. Not only because of the thrilling ending but also because of the mini altercation between the Thunder's Kevin Durant and the Heat's Chris Bosh. The dispute started after Bosh fouled James Harden to prevent an easy lay up. When Durant went to congratulate his teammate on a nice play, Bosh interupted and words were exchanged between the two. After the game Durant called Chris Bosh "a fake tough guy", surfacing the question, "who would win in a street fight between Kevin Durant and Chris Bosh??". With both athletes standing at about 6'10 inches, both weighing about 230 pounds and both having about the same arm length there is no physical advantage. Durant was raised in the mean streets of D.C. where nothing is given to you, while Bosh is from the southern streets of Dallas Texas. With this limtied background information and from what we see on television; i pose this question to you all.... Who wins in a street fight between Kevin Durant and Chris Bosh????
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