Packers Win at Lambeau Field

Last night the Green Bay Packers faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field. The quarter back battle between Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers who were both taken in the 2005 NFL draft. Even though Rodgers was taken after Smith in the draft that would not reflect in this game. Rodgers would take no time getting his team on the board. At the 9:51 mark of the first quarter Rodgers would hit Ty Montgomery for the first touchdown of the night. After that the Packers never looked back. The Packers lead would grow to as large as 24 before the end of the third quarter. The final score of the game would be 38 to 28.

For the night Randall Cobb would have 3 touchdowns, the first 3 touchdown game of his career. For Rodgers he throw for 333 yards with a pass completion of 24-35. To top that off Rodgers would have 5 touchdowns for the night.

This win puts the Packers at 3-0 to start the season and there might be no slowing them down. The Packers play the San Francisco 49ers next and they are 1-2 on the season. The 49ers most recent loss came at the hands of Arizona Cardinals who had no mercy in the 47 to 7 win.

Kobe Bryant isn't done

It seems as if everyone is taking this to be Kobe's last season. I can understand why so many would think this. Kobe just turned 37 years old recently and is going into his 20th season in the NBA. Not only is Kobe getting old, but his body is having trouble aging as well. In 2013-14 Kobe played only six games due to an Achilles injury and a knee fracture. Then last season he played 35 games until he tore his rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Since then Bryant has made a full recovery from his shoulder injury and is ready for training camp. I think Bryant will have a good season and still be very productive and here is why.

The coaching staff admitted that last year they played Kobe too much and that this up coming season they will have a minutes restriction on him. This is great because the Lakers realized that they want to reserve Kobe Bryant for a late season push and not to let him over due it in meaningless games. The Spurs have been doing this for years with Tim Duncan and it seems like he never lost a step. Kobe Bryant has the fundamentals and the ability to play an old mans game. I don't expect to see Bryant driving down the lane and dunking on anyone this season. I think instead he will get more post looks and some more one on one situations where he knows he can get an open jumper off the dribble. If he changes his game to a more grounded one and combine that with a minutes restriction, I think Kobe will feel like he has more left after this season.

Bryant still has things he wants to achieve in the NBA. First and foremost he would like to add another championship to his collection. He is also just under 6000 points away from being number one on the NBA's all time scoring list. I feel like if Bryant plays three more season of averaging around 25 points per game he will definitely reach 2nd on the list by 40 years old. And by then he would have to evaluate whether he wants to play anymore. I can't see him playing past 40 years old if he can't average more than 20 points per game, but I think his future comes down to whether he can still perform at a high level and his health.

Kobe is being smart. He sounds like he just wants to take things one season at a time at this point in his career. I think he will go into next summer evaluating how he feels and how he performed this season. If he is in good health and had a strong season I can't see him retiring.

Today's NBA News

Today there are a couple stories in the NBA that are drawing headlines. For basketball fans eagerly waiting for the new season to begin any news is exciting. So without further ado here is the news.

Photo Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Last nigh Tristan Thompson said he is open to signing a 3 year deal worth $53 million. This is a lower than his original demand for 5 years worth $94 million. Realistically this new negotiation will pay the same per year as the previously demanded 5 year $94 million deal. The Cavs were looking to lock Thompson up on a 5 year $80 million deal, but they will have to find common ground with Thompson before training camp starts next week. I think Thompson is still looking for too much money. I expect the Cavs to give him a counter offer within the next couple of days. From there Thompson will either accept the Cavs deal or sign the one year qualifying offer. If he signs a one year qualifying offer he will be a unrestricted free agent next season. Either way expect Thompson to be with the Cavs next season, unless some team gives him the max contract he is looking for. If another team offers him a max contract, it will be up to the Cavaliers to match his offer sheet or let him walk.

In other contract negotiations Metta World Peace has been in the news. Metta World Peace has decided to rejoin the Lakers next season. World Peace played with the Lakers from 2009 to 2013. He signed a one year, non guaranteed, deal with the Lakers last night. I don't think this helps improve the Lakers chances at making the playoffs, but it does add depth to the small forward position and adds another veteran to the team.

Finally, today is the 15 year anniversary of Vince Carter's famous Sydney Olympic dunk. On September 25, 2000 Vince Carter would do the impossible and throw it down over the 7'2" Frederic Weis. Did I mention it was during a game!? It was something that will probably never happen again. Here is a link to my article talking about the dunk in more detail.
http://macfromireland.blogspot.com/2014/10/is-this-greatest-dunk-of-all-time.html

So long Jason Richardson

Photo Credit: NBA.com

Today Jason Richardson retired from the NBA after 14 NBA seasons. Before Richardson became the keep getting the checks guy, (shout out to Jalen Rose) he was considered high flyer in the NBA. Richardson's most notable achievement in the NBA was winning back to back slam dunk contests in 2002 and 2003. Throughout Richardson's Career he played for the Warrior, Bobcats, Suns, Magic, and Sixers. During the off season Richardson signed a deal with the Hawks, but after having pain in his knee he went for an MRI. The MRI revealed bone spurs and Richardson ultimately decided that he doesn't want to damage his body anymore.

Richardson would end his with a scoring average of 17.1 points per game. Richardson's most notable year was in 2006-07 when he was apart of the "We Believe Warriors". He was apart of a team that consisted of Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes, Al Harington, and Monta Ellis. The Warrior would have a record of 42-40 securing the 8th seed in the west. The Warriors would face the 67-15 Mavericks in the first round. The Warriors would over come the odds and upset the Mavericks by beating them in six games. Richardson was a fun player to watch and could get fans excited with just one play. Here is a highlight video to send Jason Richardson off into the sunset.

Kevin Durant is back!

Photo Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

News has gotten out today that Kevin Durant has fully healed from his bone graft surgery and he is ready to take the court when training camp begins. The league saw a lot of break out players last season including Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, James Harden, and Durant's teammate Russell Westbrook. All these young guys were in the hunt for the MVP and most even beat out LeBron James for votes. A name missing from the list of candidates this past season was Kevin Durant.

Photo Credit: nicekick.com

For those who don't know Durant had a Jones fracture in his right foot before the start of last season. The fracture was only causing Durant minor pain in his foot, but luckily he brought it to training staffs attention and the fracture was found early enough that it hadn't really been a problem yet. Durant opted for surgery on his foot and would return in early December. Durant played well but suffered multiple injuries to his foot and ankle during this stretch of play. All those injuries were minor and separate from his previous injury. Eventually by the end of February Durant complained of discomfort in his right foot. The discomfort was caused by a screw rubbing against his bone. He had the screw removed and was set to come back in a few weeks. He still had slight pain in the foot and after seeing three foot specialist he opted to have bone graft surgery. This surgery would allow him to ease the pressure on the spot where he had the fracture and decrease the chances of him re injuring his foot. Durant took the safe route and looked ahead to the upcoming seasons. This was smart on his part because foot injuries are not something to joke about. The foot supports the entire body and for someone 6'10" and plays like a guard it is a good idea to play it safe.

For Durant he never missed a beat last season when he did return. In the 27 games he played between Early December and late February he averaged 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists. The video above, courtesy of FreeDawkins, is highlights Durant's 2014-2015 season. He didn't play hesitant at all and looked like he was at his best. In part 2 of his 2014-15 highlights its more of the same. 

Photo Creadit: Howard Smith/US PRESSWIRE

I'm excited for Durant to be back. He won the MVP in 2013-2014 and looked to be poised for much more. If the Thunder stay healthy this season they will be the team to beat. And everyone needs to stop asking if Durant is the best player on this team or if Russell Westbrook will take the reins. Just go back and watch any Kevin Durant highlight video. Durant is clearly the best player on this team and possibly in the entire league. And in some highlights I saw Westbrook give up a shot he had in order to get Durant a look. I think Westbrook knows how good this team could be if he plays within the teams system. And Westbrook can clearly pass considering how many triple doubles he had last season. And think about this. Westbrook couldn't get the Thunder into the playoffs last year without Durant. Clearly Westbrook needs him and Durant needs Westbrook in order to win it all.

Kevin Durant in Brooklyn?

Photo Credit: http://www.tanglewoodfootspecialists.com/library/unhappy-ending-for-kevin-durant-.cfm

The 2016 free agent class is going to be filled with some really good players and it will be lead by Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant will be looking for a max contract, but only so many teams will be able to offer that to him. Everyone says that the Thunder and the Wizards are the two top destinations for Durant. In all honesty it is hard to see him leaving the Thunder, but with the way management has handled certain situations in the past it wouldn't surprise me if he had enough with the Thunder. Even all the way back when he was a rookie there were some problems. He wasn't allowed to say anything about the situation that was unfolding in Seattle. I have a feeling that Clay Bennett wanted him to just keep his opinions to himself. Then in 2012 the team had a break out year going all the way to the finals. Considering the team was full of budding stars under 24 years old they had plenty of potential. Then the front office basically gave away a key piece to that team in James Harden. Durant was never satisfied with that decision. There's a lot behind that James Harden trade, but it all came down to the Thunder saving money, which seems to always be the problem. This summer was the first summer where the Thunder were willing to go into the luxury tax to keep a key component, but they fired Scott Brooks, who Durant always supported. 

The Wizards are the other top destination just due to the fact that Kevin Durant grew up in Washington D.C. area. The Wizards also offer a great supporting cast, but I don't think is as good as the Thunder's.

Deron William celebrating after hitting a 3
Photo Credit: fameimages

Now could the Nets swoop in and steal Kevin Durant? Considering everything above Durant could be in pursuit of a change in scenery. This summer the Nets bought out Deron Williams to get the team under the luxury tax. The Nets basically paid Deron Williams to go away. Most people would think this is a terrible thing for any team. Well in the end the Nets owe Deron Williams $5 million every year for the next five years and that $5 million will count against the cap. Where this move really begins to make sense is looking ahead to 2016. The Nets also resigned Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young to long term deals giving the Nets a foundation in the front court. Lopez signed a 3 year, $60 million deal and Thaddeus Young signed a 4 year $50 deal. So between Williams, Lopez, and Young's deals that will count for about $37.5 million of the Nets salary in 2016. Now if Lopez and Young got those deals and Williams was still on the team that salary together would have been closer to $55 million. So the Nets saved a lot of money with the Deron Williams buyout.

Here is where it gets interesting. So Joe Johnson contract stands at $25 million right now, but he will come off the books in 2016. This opens the door to multiple possibilities for the nets. They either let the contract expire and use that extra $25 million to sign Durant or they could even use it as a trading piece if the Thunder get nervous at the trade deadline and look to trade Durant for pieces. The Nets could even look to add another piece to there team in anticipation of signing Durant. An example would be a solid starting point guard. The point is in 2016 the Nets will have about $60 million against the salary cap including all player and team options. That leaves the Nets with $29 million in cap room. Now they could create even more cap room by trading for some expiring contracts this season and denying some team options. 

Jay Z sitting court side at Nets game

What would make Durant consider coming to Brooklyn? Well to start it off New York is considered the Mecca of basketball. Brooklyn is also a big market being in the city. Durant's agent is Jay Z, who happens to have ties with Brooklyn and is a Nets fan. Some people forget, but Jay Z was a partial owner of the Nets for some time and even influenced the current logo and color scheme for the team. And last, but not least, the Nets actually began to rebuild. The Nets drafted very smart in the last two drafts considering they didn't own their first round draft pick. They drafted players with a lot of potential and could step in as great roll players. With a foundation in the front court all the Nets have to do is look into improving the back court. 

Personally I think the Nets should try to make a trade this season for a solid starting point guard. Not to say Jack can not be that guy, but I think their are plenty of other point guards in the league that don't get enough playing time due to the point guard being over saturated with talent in the NBA. If the Nets can do that and put together a team Durant could win with then they might be able to convince him to go to Brooklyn. If that doesn't work their are plenty of other free agents the Nets could sign or they could even try to aim for stealing some of 2017's top free agents. For now the Nets need to find ways to win this season.

The NBA needs to bring back the Seattle Supersonics

Durant sitting on the bench while a fan
in the background holds a
Save Our Sonics sign.

Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Ray Allen, Kevin Durant. Those are only a few of the biggest names to play for the Seattle Supersonics. Seattle is such an amazing basketball city and has the best fan base out of every team in the NBA. I say this because they still support and rally a team that is not in the NBA right now. Well most would ask "why don't they have a team?" Simple, they got screwed. The NBA first and foremost is a business and fans have to be reminded sometimes. So seven years ago, the Sonics were ready to kick off what would be there last season in Seattle. The fans knew what was coming because a man by the name of Clay Bennett bought the Sonics in 2006. He was a business man from Oklahoma. Fans felt they were safe from the team moving because there were four years left on the Key Arena deal. To make a long story short the Sonics would be relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008.

Here's where I think it gets interesting. If the Seattle Supersonics come back into the league as an expansion team, could it lead to the Grizzlies switching conferences? Now I think that would be a smart move by the NBA because it would lead to some more balance in both conferences. That would mean one less bad team making the playoffs in the east and one more good team making the playoffs in the west.

Now I don't know if there are rules on switching conferences, but if I am correct the New Orleans Hornets played in the eastern conference for two seasons before moving west and the Charlotte Bobcats taking their place in the east. Even with all that said the NBA is looking to change the playoff format to just the top 16 teams in the NBA. So if any shuffle in conferences were to be made it might not matter.

As for the Sonics there is a lot of NBA history left behind in Seattle and it need to reemerge. The Sonics won a championship in 1979. The team was coached by the great Lenny Wilkens. The teams best player was Jack Sikma, who many believe is an under rated player. Sikma was a 6'11" center who averaged 12.4 rebounds, 15.6 points and 1 block per game. This would earn him his first all-star game appearance in just his second season. Gus Williams would lead the team in scoring averaging 19.2 points per game. And the teams other all-star Dennis Johnson averaged 15.9 points per game. And the guys were 23, 25 and 24 years old respectively. They hadn't even reached there full potential. This was the only championship the Sonics would win and the three player mentioned would only play one more season together going 56-26.

In the 90's the Sonics were trying to become a power house again. 1996 they seemed like they had the best season in there franchises history finishing with a 64-18 record. The team was coached by George Karl, who is considered one of the greatest coaches of all time. They were also lead by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. The supporting cast of Hersey Hawkins, Sam Perkins and Detlef Schrempf made for a very good starting line up. Some even consider the 90's sonics the original lob city.

The trio of Rashard Lewis, Luke
Ridnour and Ray Allen

Going forward into the mid 2000's the team had players like Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, and Luke Ridnour leading the team. The team would make some noise in the playoffs, but never seemed to have what it would take to compete with the other teams in the West, most notable the Lakers and Spurs.

The rebuilding process would begin again in 2007 when the Sonics took Kevin Durant second overall in the draft. Unfortunately fans soon realized the new face of the franchise would be on the move along with the team and the fourth overall pick Russell Westbrook and 24th pick Serge Ibaka. Both selected by the Supersonics by the way. What a low blow to such a great franchise.

Rare picture of Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka
wearing there sonics jerseys after the draft.

Luckily the Sonics kept all the rights to their team colors and logos so when the day comes that they re-enter the NBA the nostalgia will be there. Seattle has been waiting too long for this. They still hold team rallies in Seattle for the Supersonics to keep team spirit alive and continue to push for an expansion team. With new commissioner Adam Silver at the helm I don't think it will be much longer before Seattle has a basketball team again.

I can't blame Deandre Jordan

Photo Credit: http://blacksportsonline.com/home/wp-content/uploads
/2015/07/DeAndre-Jordan-wont-even-take-calls-from-Mavs.jpg

This summer DeAndre Jordan was one of the most prized free agents this past summer. Like every off-season free agents are allowed to start negotiating with teams before the league wide moratorium is lifted. So during this time players can only reach verbal agreements until they can officially sign a contract. Well this summer DeAndre Jordan verbally agreed to join the Dallas Mavericks only a had full of days into the moratorium. His contract was all set and ready to go all he had to do was wait about a week to ink his name on the dotted line. Well between that verbal agreement and the day players can sign Jordan began to have second thoughts. He was starting to feel like he made the wrong choice. He contacted Doc Rivers and immediately Rivers set up a meeting with him. A bunch of players on the Clippers went to Jordan's house in Texas and decided to wait there until he could sign with them. Even Chris Paul left his vacation early in order to make sure the Clippers could secure Jordan.
In the end Jordan decided to stay with the Clippers, but now a lot of controversy has stirred up over it. For one thing the Mavericks feel cheated. They thought they were definitely going to get Jordan so they stopped any pursuit of other players to fill the center position. The second thing is the public didn't like that he said one thing and did another. I agree that you should never go back on your word, but think about it from Jordan's angle.
When free agency began he knew he wanted to be the franchise player for whatever team decided to sign him. With that said Dallas gave him exactly that and before he really thought it over he agreed.

Photo Credit: ballislife.com

Now if I were to fill his shoes in the next few days I would probably feel the same way. Friends and family giving different opinions left and right. Then I would start to form my own opinions and think about the situation myself. I would probably start to realize how I already have chemistry with the guys on the Clippers and that this team has the ability to win a championship now. The guys that I played with on the Clippers are much younger. And finally, I can make more money. With Dallas you don't get all of that in one package. So after all this probably went through Jordan's head he realized he can still fix this mistake before it's too late. So he backed out of a verbal agreement with the Mavericks and signed on the line with the Clippers.
I think it is human nature to second guess anything and, in this case a big decision. Think about this, Jordan is entering his prime and the next four to five years he will reach his peak potential. So when he realized he wanted to be with the Clippers during that time, he backed out before it was too late. I don't think there is anything wrong with this, but he should have thought this decision over more before verbally committing to any team. This would have saved him a lot of unneeded beef with people.

Allen Iverson is the Greatest Scorer in NBA History

Photo Credit: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/
allen-iverson-is-now-eligible-for-the-basketball-hall-of-fame-223014893.html

In the past week it has been revealed that Allen Iverson will be eligible for the 2016 Hall of Fame class. To be eligible for the Hall of Fame a player must be fully retired for at least 5 seasons. Iverson hasn't player a professional basketball game since 2011 when he played a few games in Turkey before having a calf injury. He officially announced his retirement in 2013. The debate was whether he would have to wait until 2018 to be eligible, five years after his official announcement; or would the five years since 2011 constitute as five years. In the end it was decided that he will be eligible for the class of 2016 ballot. With all this happening it's time took look back on what Iverson did best, score.

Just a few days ago I was watching NBATV. As always they had a throwback game on. The game they we showing was the 2001 Eastern Conference finals game 7 between the 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Milwaukee Bucks had a young Ray Allen and Sam Cassell to carry the scoring load. The thing is that those two together just were not enough to beat Iverson. 

While watching the game I noticed that Dikembe Mutombo would collect rebounds and do some scoring, but for the most part the team would rely on Iverson to get them a basket when needed and he always came through. Whether it was a drive into the lane, a quick jumper from the elbow or a corner three, Iverson would just not miss. Iverson ended the game with 44 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. It was an incredible performance that sent his team to the NBA Finals.

So what separates him from Micheal Jordan? His size. Allen Iverson was only 6'0" and 165 pounds. He had to rely on his ball handling and basketball IQ in order to compete at the professional level. Also Iverson had to carry his team night in and night out. He never really had a supporting cast when playing with the 76ers. I'm not saying he was better than Michael Jordan, but he had a completely different situation in Philadelphia than Jordan had in Chicago. I think that if Iverson had a better supporting cast in Philadelphia he would have won one or maybe even two championships.

Iverson was a great scorer. He won the scoring title 4 times throughout the course of his career. Allen Iverson left the NBA too early. In 2008- 2009 he was still capable of having 20 point nights. In fact he really didn't fall under 20 points per game until Rodney Stuckey stepped in and started taking up most of the playing time. Iverson ended his career with a scoring average of 26.6 points per game. Good enough for 7 on the NBA all time points per game list. 

Does Anyone have a Clear Idea of what they want to do?

Photo Credit: likesuccess.com

I'm sure every  person my age asks themselves once a day "what do I want to do with my life?" It's a question that seems to get a good response or a bad response depending on what my answer is. And it is such a pressure filled question. I know when I answer that question I might get a weird look. Sometimes I already know the response. The response I get will go something like this, "That's a though field to get into."

Now let me take you down memory lane. Let's go way back to first grade. A time when your favorite subject was recess and a field trip was a giant play date rather than a learning experience. At the beginning of the year the teacher would say "Ok class. I want you to tell me what you want to be when you grow up and draw a picture." Almost every kid dreamed big. Doctor's, model's, professional athlete's, fire fighter's, policemen. The list goes on and on. As I got older I realized that everyone had no idea anymore about what they wanted to be, including myself. Before I knew it I was graduating high school.

Photo Credit: Iqoncept

So let's fast forward to present day. I'm 19 years old. Still live at home. I am going to community college and am working in a restaurant. I have nothing to complain about in my life. But here I am sitting in my anatomy class reflecting on why I am learning this. The answer is because I want to be a physical therapist. Well at least I thought. Recently I realized that I might have second thoughts on this career path. I was doing it mostly because I get job security and decent money. Now I'm not sure whether that is something I would like to spend the rest of my life doing.

This caused me reach out to other people I know who have the "dream" job. I have gotten numbers left and right and I am meeting new people everyday. So the one man who called me has known me since I was 8 years old. I told him my situation and how I would love to work in the sports industry. After a long talk he told me to dream big and keep pursuing. Not only did  his talk inspire me, but he made me feel like anyone can do it if they set there mind to it. He even went as far as telling me he can get me in contact with his connections and that he may be able to help me out. He is not the only person I have talked to so far that has connections either.

Photo Credit C. McClain Brown

If you have read this far you are either really bored or you may be in the same boat I am in. This article may not have to do with sports this time, but it is me trying to reach out to anyone who is going through the same thing. It is hard to decide what I want to do with my life and I am sure it is for many of you, but the bottom line is don't let other people influence you. My neighbors, my parents, my grandparents and even my friends have all given me opinions on what I should go to school for. The thing is I wasn't asking myself what I wanted.

Take this blog for example. I originally made this blog so I could talk about whatever I want with no guide lines. Is it perfect? No, but I am allowed to be as creative as I want and express my feeling without making sure my editor likes it. I love talking sports and I want people to hear what my inputs are, even if it is only a few. The point is that I am putting it out there. Who knows? Maybe down the line a newspaper, a website, or even another blogger might like what I am doing here and ask me to write things for them once in a while. In the end it is like any other job. It is all about getting your foot in the door and it could lead to a whole bunch of possibilities. For me I am going to start posting sports articles periodically again and keep searching for that door I can put my foot in.