There was a big trade made right before the season tipped off. Houston aquired Oklahoma City's James Harden for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and (2) 1st round picks. Yes, I know there was some other stuff traded, but the rest are just typical NBA "garbage for garbage" pieces to make salaries even.
James Harden will regret this move. He wouldn't take $55.5 million over 4 years. He wanted 60. Really? Hey James, you're leaving a team that won 47 games last year (out of 66). You're leaving a team that was in the NBA finals. You're leaving a team that's ready to win NOW. You're leaving a team where you can go about your business doing your thing and make your money, under NO PRESSURE. You're now going to be counted on to come up big ALL OF THE TIME for a team that has hasn't made the playoffs since 2009. Good luck, bearded one.
Harden's a nice player. A real good player, in fact. He averaged nearly 17 points per game in the OKC uptempo offense OFF THE BENCH. Impressive, but that's when he's wasn't the focal point of the offense. James Jones leads the NFL in TD catches, but is he really a #1?? Nope. It's nice getting coverage from #2/#3 DB's. Now, Harden's gotta be the man. Defenses will key on him, especially now that Kevin Martin is gone. Harden HAD the perfect situation. He was Chris Bosh. The 3rd banana on a GREAT big 3. Now what? Harden/Lin/Delfino? Maybe he lures another big name to Houston in the future...fine, but he'll never see KD3/Westbrook walk through those doors to join him. Remember that $4.5 million, James. Hope it's worth it to lose in the 1st round of the playoffs year after year.
And as for Houston giving up Martin (17ppg) Lamb (12th pick in the 2012 draft) AND 2 picks?? HUH?? you gave up 3 1st rounders for the 6th man of the year? Here's a list of 6th man winners. Any of those not named Manu worth THREE 1st round picks? Congrats, Houston. You've just aquired the most overrated PG of the 2011-12 season AND a pretty good 6th man. Good luck.
Congrats OKC. Yes, chemistry may be tweaked a bit, but you're still set up to run to the Western Conference finals AND you're set to be pretty good for the future. Oh, and you still have Kevin Durant. If this was boxing, i'd have stopped this fight a while ago. A total NO CONTEST.
First place finisher every week gets 10 pts, second place-8 pts, 3rd place-6 pts, 4th place-4pts
1.) Ramie - Chi RB Matt Forte vs. Car - 35.40 pts
2.) LeRoy - Ten RB Chris Johnson vs. Ind - 34.70 pts 3.) Sparky - GB QB Aaron Rodgers vs. Jac - 16.84 pts
4.) Gary - NYG QB Eli Manning vs. Dal - 5.98 pts
I'm not Vince Lombardi. I'm not John Madden or Jon Gruden. I know a thing or two about football, but I surly don't know everything. And for the record, i think many people that listen to me on the radio know as much and often times, MORE than I do. But after today...wow...i may have to rethink this...The Packers lost S/DB/LB/Hot Dog Salesman/Whatever-you-need all EVERYTHING Charles Woodson. Here are SOME of the responses we received via Facebook, Twitter or Email this morning
Santo: "Now we we an replace him and let him retire in grace...He can still be an inspiration on the sideline but his lack of speed will no longer be a crutch on the field. This is a good thing."
Jason: "Our defense in my eyes will be the same if not better.."
Tim: We're loaded at DB...We'll be fine..."
Eddie: "not a huge loss in terms of performance."
Let me be clear about this. He's NOT the player he was 2 years ago, but he's still a DANGEROUS player on defense. There are 2 players on the Packers defense EVERY quarterback must recognize on defense when he comes to the line of scrimmage: #52 and #21. Woodson lines up EVERYWHERE. You MUST account for him. If not, he'll burn you with a PBU, sack, int or one of his textbook tackles. And please don't forget, he's the QB of the defense. And remember, it's not like he hasn't played well lately...he was a pro bowler in 2011.
LOSING A PRO BOWLER IS NOT A GOOD THING. Ask yourself this: Are you comfortable with M.D. Jennings at S? Anything besides "no" is a WRONG answer...the good news? Green Bay SHOULDN'T need #21 to beat Jax or AZ...then a bye...THEN it gets tough with games at Detroit and the Giants.
Of all the shows I’ve grown up watching, The Walking Dead might be the most addicting show I’ve ever seen. In honor of The Walking Dead returning to TV this fall, I thought it would be fun to mix zombies with sports. Which three athletes would you want in your group during a zombie apocalypse? To make it interesting, I chose one from football, one from basketball, and one from baseball.
Yes, I really thought this through…
Clay Matthews
If you know anything about the Packers, you know what kind of person Clay Matthews is. He’s mean, aggressive, explosive, and out of control on the football field. Now, put that man in a zombie apocalypse setting. Clay has the strength to rip off a decrepit zombie’s head with his bare hands (just don’t get bit). Throwing his weight around, Clay can pack a serious death blow to any zombie that wants to test him for his flesh. We all know his agility and speed is impressive to say the least; he can get himself out of trouble and/or save others before an area gets overrun.
Now, strap some knives, axes, hammers, and GUNS to this guy. Clay would make Arnold Schwarzenegger look like a string bean. He is your ultimate weapon. If he gets swarmed by a zombie herd, Clay will not fall to his death without pulling the pin on a hand grenade and taking the herd with him. Believe me, he’s not going to want zombies eating that prized muscle mass he’s worked so hard for.
The one concern that could put the group in danger is the hair. If a zombie pulls at his hair, Clay could be out of commission. I would recommend that he cuts his hair ASAP. However, I compare him to the great biblical judge Samson in the Old Testament. When Delilah cut his hair, Samson lost his strength. I hope that’s not the case, though, with Mr. Clay.
Shane Battier
Why the hell him?
Well, I did some research, and sources say that Shane Battier is one of the smartest players in the NBA. The man is a strong defender and a proven leader in the locker-room. He knows the game of basketball very well. If the zombie apocalypse became the real deal, Shane could lead our group in the right direction. He’d probably be the guy to come up with some strategic ideas to stay away from zombies, or take refuge in a place where he knows we’re going to be safe. When our group has to make tough decisions in order to survive, Shane will always have the final call. He also has a ton of class towards others. I think his heart will come into play for every decision he has to make.
Look, we know he’s not a scorer in the NBA; however, he’s an expert on defense. With that being said, if Shane defends well on the basketball court, who says he can’t defend us in a zombie apocalypse? From a physical and mental standpoint, I already feel safer with this guy around.
You’re probably asking yourself, ‘It’s your group, Radio Joe. Shouldn’t you be the leader?’ Would a group of badass athletes want to take orders from a 22 year old kid? I didn’t think so.
Mike Trout
Trout led the Majors this season in stolen bases (one short of 50). Obviously, I would like Trout in this group particularly because of his speed and his young, ripe age of 21. Of the three players I chose, I’d trust Trout to be the guy to get whatever supplies we need in an area overrun by zombies. Armed with a Louisville Slugger, Trout could easily maneuver his way in and out of an area without drawing attention from the zombie herd. We could also use him as a scout. Trout would be able to supply us a visual map of uncharted areas. If we’re being attacked, Trout would be a valuable weapon to take down zombies.
No insult to Clay Matthews. Clay is a speedster like Trout. I’m afraid Clay would go out if his way, though, to kill a couple of zombies just for pleasure, when that’s not the clear objective. A little taller and about 50 pounds heavier than Trout, Clay is clearly the bigger badass of the two. Trout, however, strikes me as someone that can constantly keep his cool (especially for a 21 year old), even if the group is in trouble. In his early baseball career, Trout has acted pretty humble towards the media. Unlike some other youngsters in professional sports, Trout knows his talents, but he still has a lot to learn. The tasks would surely challenge his abilities, but he also knows that if he can accomplish those challenging tasks, it will benefit the rest of the group. We need a team player, and Mike Trout is just that. Trout’s counterpart, Bryce Harper, would be too cocky and arrogant to handle in our group. He’d probably disagree with everything Shane Battier has to say. Harper would want to be the leader, and then get us all killed…That’s a clown decision, bro.
I probably shouldnt let " Bear Fan" get to me but for some reason but they are this season. "Bear Fan" is gloating over his teams 5 and 1 record against horrible opponents. Thats fine..Enjoy first place in the NFC North.. For now.. Just point to the scoreboard " Bear Fan".. Looking forward to going to Soldier Field Dec 16 for the next matchup with the Bears. By then ,the Packers should be looking at clinching another division title and doing it in "Bear Fan's" House. I hope the Bears do make the playoffs. I really do. It would be great to put another end to their season.
First place finisher every week gets 10 pts, second place-8 pts, 3rd place-6 pts, 4th place-4pts
1.) LeRoy - Hou RB Arian Foster vs. Bal - 42.30 pts
2.) Gary - GB QB Aaron Rodgers vs. St. Louis - 27.68 pts
3.) Sparky - Ind QB Andrew Luck vs. Cle - 21.64 pts
4.) Ramie - Car QB Cam Newton vs. Dal - 21.28 pts
Season Standings 1.) Gary - 56 pts 2.) Sparky - 50pts
As much as I enjoy going to Packer gameday experience in Green Bay, the Badger gameday in Madison is even better. Walking thru the streets of Madison on gameday,making your way to Camp Randall is a awesome experience..Of course, as for the game,Packer football is on its own level, but the Saturday gameday experience in Madison can't be beat.
Looking forward to covering Saturday's game against Minnesota.. Mike and I talked on the show this morning that there isnt much of a rivalry between the two schools even though the schools will say otherwise.. Love seeing the Badger players grabbing the Paul Bunyan Ax after a victory and "chopping" down the goalpost. But that is the extent of the Badger/Gopher rivalry
Have you ever heard of Jack Trice? I hadn’t until last weekend. The story is disgusting and amazing at the same time. I was listening to the Iowa State/Kansas State football game on Saturday (why wouldn’t I?) As the ISU radio broadcaster said, “live from Jack Trice Stadium….” I wondered who this “Jack Trice” was that had a stadium named after him. I was SHOCKED to learn his story:
Johnny "Jack" Trice (1902 – October 8, 1923) was a football player who became the first African-American athlete from Iowa State University). Trice died due to injuries suffered during a college football game against the University of Minnesota on October 6, 1923.
On October 6, 1923, Trice and his Iowa State College teammates played against the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On the night of the game, Trice had to stay at a different Minneapolis hotel from his teammates.
During the second play of the game, Trice's collarbone was broken. Trice insisted he was all right and returned to the game. In the third quarter, while attempting to tackle a University of Minnesota ball carrier by throwing a roll block, Trice was trampled by three Minnesota players. Although he claimed to be fine, Trice was removed from the game and sent to a Minneapolis hospital. The doctors declared him fit to travel and he returned by train to Ames with his teammates.
On October 8, 1923, Trice died from hemorrhaged lungs andinternal bleeding as a result of the injuries sustained during the game.
Trice's funeral was held at the Iowa State College's central campus in Ames on October 16, 1923, with 4,000 students and faculty members in attendance.
As a result of his death, ISU did not renew their contract to play against Minnesota after the 1924 game. They would not play again until 1989.
