The Real List

The Best of the Best

The list prior to this one was a fluke, these are the best quarterbacks. The quarterbacks on this list excelled so much that they deserve their own list. These quarterbacks are all loved in their respective cities and some have all ready made it in to the Hall of Fame. Known for their aggressive style, great leadership ability and record-breaking statistics, these quarterbacks have been forces to be reckoned with in the NFL, for quite some time now.

Trent Edwards: Known for his highly aggressive style and gun-slinger mentality, Trent Edwards has earned his place in the Pantheon of great quarterbacks today. Leading the Bills to consecutive 7-9 seasons, Edwards is loved by Bills’ fans and crazy man coach Dick “KFC” Jauron alike. Edwards will be forever immortalized in Bills’ history for his deep ball and his great chemistry with Terrell Owens.

Jamarcus Russell: Known as the hardest working man in the business, no one has ever questioned Russell’s work ethic or character. He takes football extremely seriously and eats a strict diet of fruits and vegetables. Russell will be forever immortalized in Raider’s history for his ability to eat fifty hot dogs in a minute.

Ryan Leaf: Also known as the Colt’s biggest regret, Ryan Leaf has established himself as one of the greatest QBs of all time. One of the keys to Leaf’s success was staying clear of drugs or other harmful substances. Leaf is known to be a great leader and hard working teammate. Leaf’s greatest accomplishment was single-handedly making the Chargers a dynasty.

Tim Couch: Known as the Cleveland Brown’s savior, Tim Couch has resurrected the Browns to new heights. Couch earned his justified praise when he led the Cleveland Browns to an unprecedented 3 consecutive Super Bowl victories. Currently chasing Brett Farve for the all time touchdown record, Couch has established himself as an all time great.

Aaron Maybin: The once oversized defensive end, Maybin has made the great transition from “quarterback cravin” to “cravin to be quarterback.” Maybin shocked many with 60 touchdown season. To Bills fans though, it has become the norm expect great things from Dick Jauron’s highly successful prospects.

MLB Weekly Recap: Ranking Team's Chances to Play into October

The All Star festivities are all finished up and we're now into the second half of this wonderfully strange MLB season. Although teams are still a bit jumbled up we can semi-see who the contenders are going to be. Well....we know who they're not going to be. There are nine teams that seem to be completely and totally out of the playoff race. These teams will be considered sellers at the deadline in a couple weeks. They are the Royals, Twins, Mariners, Brewers, Cubs, Astros, Rockies, Padres, and Phillies. That's right....the Phillies. They'd need to go about 50-23 the rest of the way just to have a shot at the second wild card. Historic runs tend to be tough to make when two of your five starters have era's hovering around five.

Basically, any one of the other 21 teams has a legitimate shot at winning the World Series. I know right now it seems very unlikely that a team like Arizona or Miami would win but is it any less likely than the Cardinals run last year? Any team that has a chance to make the playoffs can win the World Series. All you need is a key trade or two and a couple guys getting hot and any of one of these teams could be champs of the Fall Classic. (But in all likelihood it'll be whoever's beating Texas.) So what team has the best chance at winning and what moves does each team need to make to have a chance at winning? Read and find out!

(Rankings are based on the team's chances at making the playoffs)
21. Toronto: The AL's slightly better version of the Rockies are barely hanging on to contention for one major reason; they can score with anyone. The problem is the pitching staff where they're employing the bold strategy of starting everyone who can throw over the plate(10 starters in the first half). The Jays are only a few games back of the wild card but they have a few teams they'd have to leapfrog to get that second wild card spot. Unless Morrow returns with a never before seen vengence and another pitcher or two steps up; they just won't have be able to finish better than Cleveland, Detroit, Boston, Baltimore, AND Tampa. But what they need to have a chance is to get Morrow back as soon as possible and for Adam Lind to get back to 2008 form. Either way, they don't have much of a chance.

20. Arizona: To those who study advanced stats, 2012 seemed like an obvious regression year for the Diamondbacks. Teams that make huge leaps such as the one Arizona made from 2010 to 2011 tend to regress a bit in their third year. Although the D-Backs have done just that, they aren't dead yet. The leader in this regression movement has been former Yankee Ian Kennedy. After a Cy Young worthy season last year; he's been a little less than impressive in 2012. Trevor Cahill and Joe Saunders round out a trio of disappointment in the pitching staff. There is a nice little quartet in the line-up of Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Hill, Jason Kubel, and Justin Upton. 2009 1st round draft pick Trevor Bauer was recently called up but has struggled a tad. If he and Kennedy can improve down the stretch and the offense picks up someone with a little pop in their bat (they're one guy away from being a top tier offense); then they have a much better chance at catching San Francisco and Los Angeles.

19. Miami: Yes the Marlins are still alive despite having the same record as the already deceased Brewers and there's a fairly simple reason for that. They have the pieces for a run; it just needs to start right now. The addition of Carlos Lee and the return of Emilio Bonifacio should help a bit but it won't be enough. The Fish needs somewhat of a shake up. This is far too talented of a team to be under .500 and there may be one too many under-achievers on the roster. General Manager Michael Hill may want to look to make a trade to try and spark the team on a second half run. He may want to act soon; it won't be long before this is a lost season for the once promising Marlins.

18. Oakland: For the first time in a while the A's still matter in mid-July. This is mostly due to the pitching on a team who in 72 of 88 games has sent a starter to the mound with an e.r.a less than 4. If Brandon McCarthy can return to form after his stint on the DL Oakland could have the best pitching in baseball. The line-up isn't exactly the '27 Yankees though and they aren't really the organization to go out and make the biggest trade at the deadline. My guess is they'd rather make moves so small and sneaky that I couldn't possibly see them coming. Either that or they stand pat and worry more about the future than this year. That's usually the way the A's tend to operate; but after the Cespedes signing this spring you really never know.

17. Baltimore: I can't believe I put the Orioles 17th. The O's 46-42 record and hold on the second wild card spot is the only reason I didn't count them among the dead teams. Because there is no way in hell this team makes the playoffs. They have over a -40 run differential in a division where everyone has a positive run differential. They have one abover average offensive player and a bunch of place holders. They have two decent starters and three AWFUL ones. They're getting by on the absolutely incredible performance of their bullpen(seven pitchers with 20+ innings and below a 2.74 e.r.a.). But eventually the bullpen will be depleted after continuously cleaning up after messes of a staff that has three legitimitely terrible starters(Arrieta, Hunter, Matusz). These guys are headed for one of their pattented Oriole collapses and i'm not sure that any amount of deadline moves could stop it.

16. Cleveland: The Tribe had high hopes after leading the division for the first two months of the season but those hopes appear to be crashing and burned as the team falls into third place in the worst division in baseball. The problems are pretty simple in Cleveland; they don't have any pop in their line-up and they don't have very good starting pitching. If they really want to be World Series contenders this year then they need to make a couple big moves. First off they're going to need to trade for an ace type pitcher to pair with the young and quite average Zach McAllister. They might want to look Milwaukees way and see what it will take to get Zach Greinke. Then they should comb the other sellers for some power in the middle of the line-up. Unless some big changes are made, Cleveland fans are looking at a fifth straight baseball free October.

15. Detroit: After making a suprise run to the ALCS last year and signing slugger Prince Fielder in the offseason; the Tigers were the sexy pick to win the World Series. What many of these analysts were fogetting was that they weren't THAT good. They were reminded of this fact as it took the Tigers until July to climb over the .500 barrier. But any team who makes the playoffs can win it all; all it takes is getting hot at the right time. It also helps playing in the not so strong AL Central. They don't really have a specific need right now but they may want to trade a prospect or two to grab a bat for depth at the deadline.

14: Tampa Bay: A promising season has been derailed by injury woes and a lack of productivity from the middle of the line-up. Slugger Carlos Pena and catcher Jose Molina are both batting under .200. The team is batting .232 as a whole as others such as Ben Zobrist, BJ Upton, and Luke Scott continue to disappoint. The offense suffered another huge blow recently with the news that Evan Longoria will miss the rest of the season. The Rays will absolutely need to shake things up if they hope to make the playoffs. They're the coldest team in the ultra-competitive AL East and they have a legitimate shot at coming in last. I can't see the Rays, who have worked for years to delevop all their players through the best farm system in baseball, trading that a way to take a shot at making the playoffs this year. They seem like the organization to chalk it up to an unlucky year and remain competitive in the future.

13. Boston: One big reason Boston is dangerous: their offense. One big reason Boston likely will miss the playoffs: their pitching. The Sox have been hot and cold this year and thus far it's landed them in 4th place with a barely over .500 record. They'd like to upgrade production wise at the catcher and shortstop positions and I'd like to go back in time and invest in Apple but some wishes aren't feasable. Luckily for them their offense is humming along just fine without very much production at those positions. Their pitching staff however, is not having such a good time. They're about five pitchers short of a staff. If by some chance they did make the playoffs who do they throw out there game 1? Felix Doubront? The same Felix Doubront who is the proud owner of a 4.41 e.r.a? The Sox have been rumored to be after Ryan Dempster for just this reason. But what do they give up in their pursuit? and is Dempster enough to overcome the rest of the staff's struggles and help them into the postseason?

12. New York Mets: I must admit that I never considered the Mets as a threat to do anything but finish in last by far in what was supposed to the best division in baseball. Right now they're only 3.5 games out of the second wild card spot and they look poised to stay around for the long haul. But they'll be hard pressed to make the playoffs without a few upgrades on the roster. First off they need upgrades to one of the worst bullpens in baseball, they need a closer whose e.r.a isn't hovering around 5, and they need a bat or two in the line-up they can count on down the stretch. The Amazins don't have much besides Matt Harvery in Triple A to tempt sellets with. But do they even want to do that? Do the homegrown Mets want to go back to the ways of former GM Omar Minaya or will Manager/Demi God of Queens Terry Collins be content to let the team continue to grow? I guess we'll see in the next couple weeks. Either way the Mets have exceeded expectation this year and have a lot to be proud of/build on.

11. Los Angeles Dodgers: After getting off to a suprisingly hot start, they've cooled a bit of late. The one-two punch of Clayton Kershaw and Chris Capuano has continued to dominate but injuries took their toll on the line-up. The good news is that Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Mark Ellis have all returned from the DL as the team looks to battle the Giants for NL West supremecy. However, they'll need to add at least one more bat in the line-up if they hope to compete down the stretch. Perhaps they should look to see how willing division rival San Diego is to part with 3B Chase Headly.

10.Atlanta: Whether it be for Mark Teixiera or Michael Bourn; the Braves seem to make a splash nearly every year at the trade deadline. With the team in the thick of the wild card race and on a seven game win streak, I wouldn't expect this year to be very different. Look for them to try to upgrade somewhere in the infield; likely at the first base or shortstop position. Additionally, if they were to land a Greinke/ King Felix type they'd be World Series favorites in the National League.

9 St. Louis: Despite a +65 run differential, the Red Birds are 46-43 and sitting in third in the NL Central. They have the best offense in the NL and are 6th in pitching. This leads me to believe that at some point regression to the mean will occur and St. Louis will start winning some games. Like Atlanta, St. Louis has been known to make some noise at the deadline. The tough part is they don't really have any weaknesses so it's tough to pinpoint who they'd go after. What is clear is that they WILL make a move at the deadline. They will not be content to let this season go to waste.

8. Pittsburgh: Yes it must be 2012 because the Pittsburgh Pirates have the 8th best chance at making the playoffs. The Mayans must have been on to something because the Pittsburgh Pirates are neck and neck with the Reds for the NL Central lead in mid JULY. After suffering through nearly two months of God awful hitting, the line-up has employed the bold strategy of scoring runs. The strategy has paid off thus far as the Pirates have worked their way into contention. Andrew McCutchen is the favorite for MVP and the pitching staff is one of the best in the league. The Pirates have two things to do before they can make a run. 1. Trade for one more big bat in the outfield 2. Find out what kind of "vitamins" A.J. Burnett took this offseason and give them to the entire team.

7. Chicago White Sox: After letting Ozzie go and flying under the radar for most of the offseason; nearly everything has gone right this season for the White Sox. They have everything they need for an extended playoff run. Everything, that is, except a third reliable pitcher. If the Cubs don't want to send the suddenly great Ryan Dempster uptown, then the Sox should scour each seller for a reliable #3. The way Peavy and Sale are dealing they won't need a top tier guy. But it couldn't hurt to grab one if they could.

6. San Francisco: The Giants are returning to their 2010 form and have taken the lead in the not so strong NL West. They can throw one of the best 3-headed monsters in the MLB(Cain, Vogelsong, and Bumgarner) out there in the playoffs and they have a solid bullpen. Look for them to make a trade for a middling hitter for a small price. The Giants know from 2010 that they don't need a top tier offense to win it all.

5. Cincinatti: The Reds are leading the NL Central on the strength of MVP canidate Joey Votto and baseball's most underrated pitching staff. Not only can the Reds win the World Series this year, they have a great chance to do so. So don't expect them to be quiet at the deadline. They could use a few upgrades to add depth to the line-up. I wouldn't be suprised to see them take a shot at an intra-division trade to nab the possibly available Alfonso Soriano. If not they'll upgrade elsewhere, count on it.

4. Washington: The Washington Nationals have allowed 293 runs this entire season. They are by far the best pitching staff in baseball and they're 51-35 record reflects just that. But they need to be that good pitching wise because they're uhhhhh not very good hitting wise. In fact they're pretty bad. Thus the number one thing they need to do is to not bench Strasburg. With him they have the best pitching trio since Atlanta in the late 90's. Without him they may not make the playoffs...and if they did they no longer have the option of moving to a 3 man rotation. Besides what makes them so sure he can't pitch more than 160 innings? Are they just going to use him as an April-August pitcher for the rest of his career? Why does he have to be treated differently than everyone else? Also they may want to use the trade deadline to upgrade that line-up. Having Strasburg as the only regular hitting over .300 is cool and all but i'm not sure it's a winning model. They're badly in need of an outfielder who can hit so expect them to make a trade for someone along the lines of Soriano or perhaps even Justin Upton.

3. Los Angeles: The Angels are as exciting of a team as there is in the MLB. They have two of the top pitchers in the game in Wilson and Weaver and they have two of the best young hitters in slugger Mark Trumbo and rookie phenom Mike Trout. But Earvin Santana and Dan Haren have not been reliable enough yet. Expect the Halos to make a move to solidify their rotation. They could use a third starter if they want to compete with the almighty Rangers.

2. Texas Rangers: There are no moves to be made in Texas. Now that they have Colby Lewis and Derek Holland back; their rotation is completely solid. The Rangers also have more than a solid bullpen and oh yeah the best offense in baseball. At this point all the Rangers need to do is stand pat; they have a good enough team to lose-er um I mean compete for a World Series.

1. New York Yankees: In the past the Yankees would have ignored the fact that they had the best record and were the hottest team in baseball and would have traded valuable prospects for one of the bigger deadline prizes. Nowadays? I just don't see that happening. The next generation of Steinbrenners appear to be a little more conservative with spending money. Cashman may make a small move at the deadline but don't expect too much noise to be made. The only problem the Yankees have may be their lack of an ace. They have five pretty good pitchers but even C.C isn't putting up a very ace-like performance this year. However I still believe they'll have a quiet deadline and attempt to find out whether or not this lack of an ace is actually a problem.

Well there you have it everyone, stay hungry my friends.

Dream Team Book Review

The other day I just had the pleasure of picking up and reading the book The Dream Team by Jack Mcmallum.  While this book isn’t the greatest basketball book ever, that honor belongs to David Halberstam’s The Breaks of the Game, or the most entertaining, Bill Simmons’s The Book of Basketball, it is a must read for all people who considers themselves fans of the sport of basketball, and really all sports fans in general should read it. 

The book covers what is not only the best team in the history of basketball but arguably the best and most interesting team in the history of sports.  Following the assassin Michael Jordan as he firmly and unquestionably takes over the reign as best basketball player alive.  You get to read about the scrimmage!  The scrimmage for the uninformed is the intrasquad scrimmage that took place during a practice where both sides went as hard as they possibly could and reading the play by play of what happened is one of the most exciting things I have ever read about sports. 

Hearing though about how the players interacted with each other is really the most interesting part of the book though.  The unlikely friendships that formed most notably between Harry and Larry, Larry being Larry Bird and Harry being… you will have to read the book to find out.  Hearing the reverence or dislike that certain players felt toward one another is a fascinating study.  Of course hearing about the Round Mound himself, Charles Barkley, and his crazy nights and amazing quotes, most notably about Angola is worthy of a book in its own right. 

The Dream Team might not be the best book about basketball ever, but it is written about the best topic.  So read this book, read about why Isiah was left off the team, about read about the magical journey that made basketball international, and to read about how one team changed the course of sports forever is something every sports fan should do.

Top Ten Quarterbacks

           The subject of many of disputes and arguments, the greatest quarterback of all time debate has no definitive answer. Unlike sports like hockey, basketball, and baseball, there is no ultimate answer to the question of best of the game’s most important position.  There is a valid case for many different quarterbacks and you will probably hear a variety of answers if ask people across the country. There is no definite way to measure quarterback greatness. Stats are a good standard but statistics for quarterbacks have gotten better over the years for a variety of reasons including: better talents at receiver, more developed offenses and various rule changes favoring quarterbacks. So for those reasons I factored in: winning percentage, Super bowl appearances and wins, and stats. It is important to note then, that I look at stats relatively; how well the quarterback compared to the rest of the league.  I also didn’t include any quarterbacks who retired before the merger, 1970. This list will probably add to my crazy and irrational reputation but with the basketball and hockey seasons ended and the football season looming closer and closer, there is no better time to join this debate than now.

Honorable Mention

Fran Tarkenton- Possibly the greatest statistical quarterback not on this list, Fran Tarkenton was one of the league’s premier quarterbacks for much of his career. Tarkenton was an innovator and forever changed the league with his mobile style. He was a nine time Pro Bowler and 1975 league MVP, so why is not on my list? It was truly a tough decision and I was debating between Tarkenton and Bradshaw for that final, tenth spot. Ultimately it came down to championships; Bradshaw has four, Tarkenton has zero. While Bradshaw excelled in the Super Bowl, Fran Tarkenton’s play diminished. When Bradshaw and Tarkenton faced off in Super Bowl IX, Tarkenton threw for a dismal 11-26 102 yards passing and three interceptions. While he was facing on the greatest defenses of all time, Tarkenton also had a great defense on his side; “The Purple People Eaters”. Overall, winning a championship would have enormously helped Tarkenton’s legacy.

Drew Brees- The man who currently holds the single season passing yards record, Drew Brees’s legacy is still being built. He resurrected the Saints franchise and helped build a perennial contender for years to come. Drew Brees has been selected to six Pro Bowls and has been named All Pro four times. Brees has overcome more adversity than other player in the league. Through facing much adversity, Brees was able to become the leader of the Super Bowl 42 winning Saints team. In sum, a few more great seasons and possibly another Super Bowl would solidify Drew Brees’s presence on my list.

Top Ten

10. Terry Bradshaw- as a Steelers’ fan myself, I really should have Terry Bradshaw higher on this list. He led the Steelers’ dynasty of the 70s to four Super Bowl victories, and two of them he was the MVP. Bradshaw also made three Pro Bowls and was MVP of 1978. Perhaps Bradshaw’s biggest shortcoming was his early career struggles. For the first five seasons of his career, Bradshaw was statistically ranked in the bottom half of quarterbacks at that time. Even in his prime Bradshaw never led the league in passing rating.  The reason Bradshaw made this list though, was during his eight year prime, 1975-1982, Bradshaw was an elite quarterback and won three Super Bowls during that span. Overall, Terry Bradshaw was a great quarterback who helped achieve stardom by having quite possibly the greatest defense of all time on his team.

9. John Elway- He is immortalized in NFL history for “The Drive” and ending his career with consecutive Super Bowl victories but in my opinion, John Elway is largely overrated. His stats relative to his time were above average but not great. Had he not had his career resurrected by then “quarterback guru” Mike Shannahan, he probably wouldn’t have even been mentioned on this list. During John Elway’s five Super Bowl runs, he had some fairly talented teams behind him. During Elway’s three Super Bowl losses, 1986, 1987 and 1989, his defenses were ranked 15^th, 7^th, and 1^st, respectively. Elway also had some pretty prominent coaches during his career including: Mike Shannahan, Chan Gailey, Dan Reeves, Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips. To say John Elway’s teams were not talented enough to win him more championships is simply false. Despite all of my criticisms, Elway still has one the highest winning percentages of all time, was selected to nine Pro Bowls, 1987 NFL MVP, and was Super Bowl XXXIII MVP. Overall, for the reasons listed above, John Elway’s spot on my list is justified.

8. Dan Marino- Quite possibly the greatest statistical quarterback of all time, Dan Marino will go down in football history as the greatest quarterback never to win a Super Bowl. His 1984 season will probably go down as the greatest statistical year ever for a quarterback. He threw for 48 touchdowns and 5084 passing yards, in 1984, breaking both records by extremely large margins. Marino’s greatest concession is that he never won a Super Bowl. His play in the postseason also diminished. Despite be quite possibly the greatest regular season quarterback of all time and having one of the highest winning percentages of all time, Marino posted a dismal playoff record of 8-10 and only appeared in one Super Bowl. There several viable reasons for Marino’s lack of championships including his lack of defensive support. Marino’s defense never ranked higher than fifth and for the vast majority of his career it was ranked in the bottom half of the league. Marino also never had a good running back, at time when the NFL was still a run-first league. Marino only had one thousand-yard rusher during his career. In sum, if Dan Marino would have had sum more support from his team, he probably would have been ranked higher.  

7. Brett Favre- If not for some late career drama, Brett Favre’s legacy would a lot greater in the heart of the average fan. Favre was perhaps the NFL’s last “gun-slinger” and played the game with so much passion and heart. His mentality toward the game lead to both great triumph and defeat for Favre.    He absolutely loved the game of football and would play it even through tragedies like his father’s death. Favre’s longevity will probably be unmatched and greatly admired by future players. Perhaps Favre’s greatest accomplishment is his consecutive game streak of 321. Favre’s three consecutive NFL MVPs, his 11 eleven Pro Bowl appearances, and his Super Bowl XXXI appearance solidified his spot on my list. At the time of his retirement, Favre was the leader of almost every significant passing statistic.

6. Steve Young – As painful as it is for me personally to put him on this list; I cannot deny the great talent that Steve Young was at quarterback. At the time of Young’s retirement, he was the best rated passer in NFL history. Young’s journey to the top was longer and more challenging than most before him. In 1987, Bill Walsh knew what he was doing when he brought in Steve Young to eventually replace Joe Montana.  Young was not given the full time starting job until the 1993 season, his ninth year as a starter. Even then, the 49er fans would put him under the same expectations as Joe Montana, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. Young would answer most of his critics when he won Super Bowl XXIX and was named MVP, throwing a record six touchdown passes. His great Super Bowl victory and his record breaking numbers solidified his spot on my list, but his inanity as a football analyst instills my hatred of him.

5. Roger Staubach- Known as “Captain America” on “America’s Team”, Roger Staubach personified the great mix of both talent and class that made the 70s Cowboys a dynasty. Roger Staubach was perhaps football’s biggest star in the 70s. His talent and leadership abilities helped the Cowboys make five Super Bowls in the 70s and win two of them. Staubach made six Pro Bowls, was named to the 70s all-decade team, and was MVP of Super Bowl VI during his short 11 year career. He also led the league in passing rating four times.  In sum, Staubach’s great talent at the quarterback position captured the heart of Americans and his stats and his late game heroics justified his spot on my list.

4. Johnny Unitas- In the NFL prior to the revolution of the passing game, there was Johnny Unitas, and then there was everyone else. Unitas was the icon of a league still in its early days. He was a three time NFL MVP, a 10 time Pro Bowler, and five time All Pro. Unitas also lead his team to three championships including a victory over the Cowboys. Perhaps Unitas’ greatest record is his 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. That record is one the will never broken. Overall, Johnny Unitas’ numbers would have been great in any era and they are even better considering the times. Unitas was a league above most quarterbacks of the time.

3. Peyton Manning- The love of my fellow writer’s life, Peyton Manning is undoubtedly today’s most popular and iconic quarterback. For much of Manning’s career, he was compared to Dan Marino as being a great statistical quarterback who couldn’t win a championship. This comparison ended in 2007 when he won Super Bowl XLI. Manning is still like Marino in many ways for being an all-time great regular season quarterback, then playing poorly in the playoffs. Manning has career playoff record of 9-10. Marino is also comparable to Marino because they carried their respective teams for most of their careers. Manning is so valuable that his team only won two games without him. Manning, like Marino, never had a top ranked defense and more often than not, had a defense that was ranked in the bottom half of the league. They both also had little support from their running backs for most of their careers. Where Manning distinguishes himself from Marino is his Super Bowl XLI victory and MVP and his AFC championships. Overall with 11 Pro Bowls, 4 All Pro, and 4 MVPs, Manning could very well retire higher on this list barring his health. If Peyton Manning stays healthy a couple more seasons, he could very well obtain every significant quarterback record.  

2. Tom Brady- After much thought and inner-conflict I have come to the realization that Tom Brady is unfortunately an all time great. His numbers have been escalating since his humble beginnings and he is as good of a quarterback now then he ever was. Brady is a seven time Pro Bowler, two time All  Pro, two time NFL MVP, and two time Super Bowl MVP. Brady is often matched up against his rival Peyton Manning and was once again for that second and third spot on my list. They both have comparably great regular season stats and both have their fair share of accolades, where Brady distinguishes himself from Manning is his postseason performance. Brady has a 14-5 career playoff record while Manning has a dismal 9-10. Brady has two more Super Bowl rings than Manning and has played much better in the outdoors during the postseason. Brady is also comparable to Manning in the fact that the each has carried their team for most of their careers. Both have had many below average defenses and lack of running games. Overall, seeing Brady carry his team to the Super Bowl on the 31^st ranked defense has solidified his legacy, in my mind, and has justified his spot on my list.

1. Joe Montana- Nicknamed “Joe Cool” for his calm and attitude and late game heroics during crunch time, Montana had the whole package: he won many championships, put up great numbers, and was incredible late in games. Montana seemed like an unlikely quarterback destined for greatness being drafted in the third round, but he proved all his critics wrong. Montana with the help of his mentor and head coach Bill Walsh, transformed the 49ers from a consistently bad team to quite possibly the greatest dynasty in NFL history. Montana won four Super Bowls for 49ers during the 1980s and was named MVP of three of them. Montana made eight Pro Bowls, was named All Pro three times, and was a two time NFL MVP. Overall, Montana’s great numbers, late game heroics and winning percentage puts ahead of quarterbacks of his time and of NFL history.

Olympic Roster/NBA news

I will begin here by doing an analysis of how I thought the Olympic team was picked by dividing it into different categories:

Unquestionables (Players that under no circumstances were being left off the team):

·         Lebron James

·         Kevin Durant

·         Kobe Bryant

·         Chris Paul

Durant and Lebron are the two best players in the world and I don’t think anyone would consider a scenario where they weren’t on the team out of choice.  The respect that Kobe has around the league combined with the level of play he is still achieving would make it impossible to leave him off the team if he wanted to play on it.  Personally I think there is a case for Kobe being left off the team in that he is probably an overrated player who I am not sure helps the team substantially, but I think the effect of cutting him from the team would be quite dramatic.  Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league along with one of its most respected players; he wasn’t being left of the team, and shouldn’t be. 

Should be unquestionables (Players who should have been unquestionable based on their game and style but don’t have the best reputation to carry them):

·         Kevin Love

·         Tyson Chandler

Kevin Love to me is a top 5 player in the game and someone you can build your franchise around as a superstar.  He is a great outside/inside scorer, arguably the best rebounder in basketball, one of the best passing big men, and an improving defender.  His gameplay is perfect for international ball with his ability to shoot 3 pointers and crash the boards.  Tyson Chandler again should be a no brainer for the team mainly because of his ability to defend the rim.  He won defensive player of the year last year, an award he deserved completely.  Really looking at this team he is the only traditional rim protector on it, which to me could prove dangerous when facing a team like Spain with multiple talented big men and guards who can attack the basket.

Questionable, but should be there (Players who should be on the team, but there is a strong case to take them off)

·         Andre Igoudala

·         Russell Westbrook

·         Deron Williams

Igoudala to me is an interesting case of a player who not being a superstar is an attribute when it comes to being on this team is actually a good thing.  He is a talented player who will know his role, be a shutdown defender, run the offense sometimes and get some points in transition.  Westbrook on the other hand should be on this team because he is one of the league’s best players who fulfills a position of need for the team.  He is a dominant athlete and one of a kind player, that despite questionable decision making at time should be on the team for his ability to get into the paint offensively and pester opposing teams guards defensively.  Now I am not the biggest Deron Williams fan, but this man is one of the best point guards in the NBA who is a both consistent distributor and big time scorer.

Questionable, shouldn’t be on team (Players who are on the team, but I don’t believe should be)

·         James Harden

·         Blake Griffin

·         Carmelo Anthony

James Harden is a player that before the NBA Finals I loved, and seriously believed he could be a big-time NBA player, but after watching the Finals, I don’t believe he was Olympic team worthy.  He disappeared in big moments, and while I can understand thinking he should be part of the team, especially including his willingness to come off the bench, I have to say no to him.  Griffin, while a great talent and great player, is someone whose game just doesn’t mesh well with international basketball.  He doesn’t have any post game, can’t make a mid-range shot, and is an average defender.  The strengths of his game are hurt and his weaknesses accentuated in international basketball.  Now on to Carmelo, who should not be an Olympic team member.  In his time in New York, and right before the trade to New York what has Carmelo done to make you think he should be on the Olympic team.  He has pouted for a trade, quit on his team, gotten a coach fired, and been proven to be extremely difficult to play with.  Considering this team has the better version of Carmelo, Kevin Durant, on the team I don’t see the need for him.  He won’t be playing in crunch time, and personally I would rather have a great shooter or another inside defender than a player who will pout if he doesn't believe he is getting the playing time he thinks he deserves.  

Injury worries (Guys who if not for injuries would be on the team, or would be fighting for roster spots)

·         Dwight Howard

·         Andrew Bynum

·         Derrick Rose

·         Dwayne Wade

·         Chris Bosh

Howard, Rose and Wade were getting on this team because of their pedigrees on the court and their proven international basketball experience.  I think Bosh should be on the team based on his performance in this postseason and the way his game fits for international basketball.  Bynum is a bit trickier.  This season he has been called immature countless time and seems like he is extremely difficult to play with and not a great teammate.  Yet I would want this guy on the team because he is the 2^nd best center in basketball and the team would need an additional defensive presence inside.

Should be on the team (Players who I would want to replace the questionables)

·         Eric Gordon

·         Anthony Davis

·         Kevin Garnett/Tim Duncan (If either agree to be on)

·         Roy Hibbert (if not)

I want Gordon on the team because to me his is a better shooter than James Harden, an argument that I’ll have a hard time defending considering they have a career 3 point shooting percentage of an identical .370.  Gordon though has taken more shots from 3, and probably less open shots as the only star type player he has played with has been Blake Griffin's rookie season, while Harden has played with Durant and Westbrook his entire career.  Davis probably missed the team because he couldn’t scrimmage with the team, and to me that is a huge mistake.  Look I think one season of being the best player in college basketball should be more evidence than a week of scrimmages to suggest he should be on the team.  Even if it just it to give the team more than the one rim protector it currently has.  He is going to enter basketball as one of the best defensive players in the league, and with a team lacking with that skill I want that guy there.  The final piece for the team is the addition of one last big man who can score and change shots at the hoop.  That player would ideally be Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan, a veteran who theoretically could be talked into playing for a gold medal.  If they couldn’t be talked into playing then I want Roy Hibbert on the team.  He is a defensive force who has proven he can disrupt Lebron’s game if even slightly, enough for me to put him on the team.

Actual team:

Lebron James: Lebron James (Yes he get his own section, he occupies every position and he is so good he deserves it) (1)

Ball Handlers: Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams (3)

Wings: Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Andre Iguodola, James Harden, Carmelo Anthony (5)

Bigs: Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin

My Team:

Lebron James: Lebron James (1)

Ball Handlers: Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams (3)

Wings: Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Andre Iguodola, Eric Gordon (4)

Bigs: Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis, Roy Hibbert (4)

As you can see the focus of the team shifted from a small ball based team to a more balanced attack that can play both small and big.  You wonder why the attention on getting bigs right? Well I’m worried about protecting the rim because we are going to be playing Spain for the gold medal, and do you want to know what Spain’s strength is? They have the Gasol brothers and Serge Ibaka, and they could potentially be playing all 3 of them at the same time.  Look I do believe that the US’s basketball team will win anyway because of their superior talent; I just believe they made it harder on themselves and set themselves up for potential failure.

Alright now on to my thoughts on the recent NBA news

·         Steve Nash is a Laker

Obviously this is the biggest recent bit of NBA news since I last wrote is that the Los Angeles Lakers are now a title contender with the addition of Steve Nash.  This shocking move, as they Lakers weren’t thought of as contenders for his services puts them right behind OKC and right next to the Spurs as title contenders in the west.  They still have to figure out how Nash and Kobe will play together, and figure out its front court situation of having two guys who do the same things, Bynum and Gasol, play together.  Overall though it is a great move for the Lakers who now have the talent to win another NBA Championship.  For the Suns though this is a strong move, as while the 2 2^nd round picks and the first round pick in next year’s draft probably won’t be extremely valuable, the pick in 2015 could prove to be quite valuable as state of the ever aging Lakers will be in doubt.

·         Ray Allen to the Heat

The defending champions just made themselves a whole lot better.  Really if you were going to say what exactly the Heat needed to improve their team it would be a lights-out 3 point shooter who can’t be left open.  Does any player in the NBA fit that description better than Ray Allen?  The Heat just cemented their status as title favorites with this move as they were able to get one of the NBA’s best sharpshooters, when others were willing to pay more, including his former team the Celtics.  Also I highly recommend reading this piece on Allen’s decision by Adrian Wojnarowski.

·         Ryan Anderson to the Hornets

The sign and trade of Anderson to the Hornets signifies more than anything that a Dwight Howard trade is eminent for Orlando as the team goes into full-fledged rebuilding mode.  Now on the Hornets side, the price of 4 years $36 million for Anderson may seem a bit expensive, but I think he will be worth it.  The Hornets are clearly moving in the opposite direction of the Magic and believe they can compete possibly sooner than most people believe.  I think Anderson is the perfect type of player to match with Anthony Davis while Davis works on the inside, Anderson can work on the out, as their strength complement one another.  The Hornets now have a base of Anderson, Davis, Eric Gordon, and Austin Rivers to build around to me that is a team that I would be scared to play.
Stay Hungry My Friends

MLB Midseason Review: Who would have thought?....

Well we're already halfway through the 2012 MLB season and we've already seen so many incredible surprises. We've seen five no hitters in the first 11 weeks(including two perfect games), guys in their mid-30s suddenly become stars, perrenial losers leading divisions, and powerhouses dwelling in the cellar. Yes this has been quite the surprising season thus far. Don't believe me? Ask Cliff Lee or RA Dickey.

Biggest Surprise(Team): This year there has been far too many positive surprises to limit the list to just one. Four teams, the Orioles, White Sox, Pirates, and Mets, have proven the pre-season analysts wrong thus far.
Baltimore has been able to stay relevant in a competitive AL East mostly due to the performance of its bullpen and the emergence of players like Jason Hammel and Adam Jones. Despite having some struggles of late, they're holding onto that coveted 2nd wild card spot.
 After losing manager Ozzie Guillen and bringing back a supposedly washed up roster (Alex Rios, Jake Peavy, Adam Dunn); the White Sox were an after thought in spring. Yet they've seen those afforementioned veterans bounce back from a less than optimal 2011 while others such as AJ Pierzynski and Paul Konerko have kept up their consistent pace. Most importantly, young stars such as Chris Sale, Alejandro De Aza, and Dayan Viciedo have emerged and pushed the Sox to the top of the AL Central.
The Pirates have actually started scoring at the pace of a major league team these last two months. This combined with the suprise performances of pitchers such as AJ Burnett and James McDonald has the Pirates holding onto a one game lead in the NL Central. Could these Buccos play meaningful games in October for the first time since I was just a gleam in my father's eye?
With the Phillies having won the division five years in a row, the Braves barely missing the playoffs last year, and the Marlins and Nationals poised to finally compete; the NL East was hyped to be the best in baseball this year. That was, except for the Mets, ha the Mets like they'll ever be good again. Well those Mets are now making many of those "experts" eat their words by staying competitive in not only the wild card race but the NL East race with a mostly anonymous and homegrown roster.

Biggest Suprise (Player)R.A. Dickey After Years of toiling in mediocrity, R.A Dickey is now the best pitcher in baseball. He's had quite the first half in 2012 as he's thrown two one-hitters, had a 40+ inning shutout streak, and surpassed his career high in wins. Plus, there's still half a season to go. How far could the 37 year old take this? Could we see Dickey capture his first Cy Young and lead the Mets into the playoffs? Crazier things have happened,..... haven't they?

Biggest Disappointment (Team) Philadelphia: Who would have thought that the five time defending NL East Champs and supposed World Series Contenders would lose 50 games before the All Star break? Probably the same guy who thought that Cliff Lee would win his first game on the 4th of July. The Phils have been ravaged by injuries to Roy Halladay, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard. Yet the offense hasn't been much of a problem. Catcher Carlos Ruiz has been putting up MVP caliber numbers while others such as Hunter Pence and Placido Polanco have held their own thus far. Overall the offense is middle of the pack while pitching has not nearly been what it was expected to be. This was supposed to be one of the great pitching teams of all time but they haven't nearly shown it yet. Halladay is on the shelf for the rest of the year, Cliff Lee has one win and is hovering around a 4 E.R.A, and Cole Hamels has been good but not great. The same can be said of Vance Worley but that's it. The rest of the staff including Joe Blanton, Kyle Kendrick, Jon Paplebon, and the entire bullpen have been awful. This could be the end of a fantastic run for the Phillies.

Biggest Disappoinment (Player)Albert Pujols: I understand that he's been improving as of late but what must be kept in mind is that he signed one of the largest contracts in sports history. When the Angels signed him to the monster $240 million dollar deal, I doubt they expected him to be the third best hitter on his own team. Albert is one of the all time greats but a .268 batting average and .795 OPS simply doesn't cut it in the first year of a deal this large. Don't expect to see him this down for too long though.

Best Team(AL) New York: I gave them the slight edge over Texas for a couple reasons. First they're hotter and headed in a better direction. The Yankess are 30-12 in their last 42 and seem to firing on all cylinders. They have one of the best bullpens in baseball, no real weak spots in the rotation even with all the injuries, and their lineup is superb. Secondly, they haven't been slowed by injuries as much as Texas has. The Bombers have barely missed a beat in the past few weeks despite losing two of their top pitchers in two days. With that being said, the teams are neck and neck; either one is equally as likely to end up with the best record.

Best Team (NL) Washington: The NL doesn't really have a complete team like New York or Texas that can pitch and hit at an elite level. But they do have the Nationals who have the best one-two puch in the MLB and score at a high enough clip to win. The Nat's pitching has been beyond incredible and they are the only team to not allow 300 runs by the all star break. While all the attention has been on phenom Steven Strasburg; Jordan Zimmerman and Gio Gonzalez are equally deserving of fanfare. Gonzalez has a team leading 12 wins while Zimmerman has the team's lowest era for a starter with 2.62. While the Chien- Ming Wang experiment was a failure; Ross Detwiler and Edwin Jackson have been phenomonal for 4th and 5th starters. On the offensive side Ian Desmond and Bryce Harper have been carrying much of the load so far. But I think the 2010 Giants showed that you don't need an elite offense to win a championship.

Worst team: Colorado: This qualifies at least as a minor suprise. The Rockies weren't supposed to be THIS bad. Yes, Tulowitzki landing on the DL hurts, but offense hasn't nearly been the problem. Carlos Gonzalez is putting up all star numbers(17 HR, 58 RBI, .330 BA) and the Rockies have the second best offense in the NL. But the poor performance of the pitching staff is almost beyond comprehension. They've used 11 starters already and given up 479 runs. They've had six guys pitch at least seven starts that have over a five era. They have five relief pitchers with 30+ appearances and only one starter of the eleven with less than a five era. It's quite clear what's needed in Colorado and it sure isn't another bat.

Bonehead Moves of the year: The San Diego Padres didn't become the least relevant team in the MLB by making intelligent personnel decisions. The most egregious example might be the handling of the Anthony Rizzo situation. Rizzo was the main prize in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. After tearing up the minors, he was sent to San Diego where he promptly flopped in San Diego and batted a less than desirable .140. So obviously the Padres traded him immeadiatly for pennies on the dollar because obviously any 21 year old who has a bad first month up has no chance in the big leagues right? Or maybe he just needed a little more time in the minors. The Cubs brought him up after 3 months in Triple A he has a 1.050 OPS in his first 12 games. AKA: He's gonna be really frigin good. Good move Padres...enjoy Andrew Cashner and Kyung-Min Na.

AL MVP- Mike Trout: After being called up in late April, the 20 year old has gone on an absolute tear. He's already got a 4.6 WAR(wins above replacement) despite missing almost a month. He's also leading the AL in batting average at .343 and in stolen bases with 26. Trout has also put up decent power numbers with 11 home runs and 39 R.B.I's. Look for this guy to be in the MVP discussion for a long, long time.

NL MVP- Joey Votto- Votto leads the NL in on base percentage (.469) and slugging (.620) while running away with OPS (1.088). The first baseman also had one of the highest WARs in the game(4.5) and pretty good power numbers (14 home runs, 48 RBIs). A big change is going to have to occur in the NL for Votto to not walk away with his second MVP in three years.

Predictions: AL East: Yankees AL Central: White Sox AL West: Rangers 2 AL Wild Cards: Angels and Rays
NL East: Washington NL Central: Pirates NL West: Giants 2 Wild Cards: Braves and Reds
ALCS: Texas over New York. This always seems to be the time of year the Yankees falter and at least in the last few years when Texas thrives.
NLCS: One condition here, if Washington shuts down Strasburg, I'm not confident they can get to this far. If they don't, they should be the favorite. However if they go through with their plan and shut him down, I'm going with Giants over Pirates in the NLCS.
World Series: I've got Texas finally coming through and beating either the upstart Nationals or getting revenge for 2010 against the Giants.

Sleeper:Watch out for the Chicago White Sox. If they can find someone who's a capable third starter either on their roster or through a trade; they could easily win it all. They'd then have two aces, a third guy capable of winning playoff games, and one of the best lineups in baseball. No one on Texas or New York wants to have to deal with Paul Konerko, AJ Pierzynski, Adam Dunn, Dayan Viciedo, Alejandro De Aza, Kevin Youkalis, Gordon Beckham, and Alex Rios.

Well that's it for the first half folks, here's to a fantastic finish to the 2012 season! Stay Hungry My Friends.

NBA Offseason thus far

This NBA offseason has been an incredible roller coaster in regard to player movement and who the future powers of the league will be.  Here are my thoughts on how the offseason seems to be going for certain players and teams:

·         Boston Celtics

To me if you are the Celtics fan right now you should be ecstatic about how the team is handling this offseason.  They resigned Kevin Garnett for a good contract and are also going to be signing Jason Terry.  They will in all likelihood be able to keep Brandon Bass and Jeff Green as well, and possibly even Ray Allen.  Combining all those elements along with the addition of Jared Sullinger you have to think that while the Celtics wouldn’t be considered the favorites in the East you would think they would only be behind the Heat in that regard

·         Atlanta Hawks

Thus far no team has been more impressive this offseason than the Hawks.  This sounds strange for a team that just traded arguably their best player for only expiring contracts and traded a recent top 5 pick.  However they got by far the best end of both trades because of the position that it put their franchise in.  First let’s look at the Marvin Williams deal, to me one of the most confusing trades in years.  The Hawks were able to trade Marvin Williams, a perennial disappointment with two years left on his contract for Devin Harris a superior player with one year left.  Then with the trade of Joe Johnson, a player who has one of the worst contracts in basketball for a variety of expiring is a steal for the franchise that is no longer going to be stuck as a team that would lose in the first or second round of the playoffs every year.  This is because of the cap space that this will clear up after this year, an off season that happens to have both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul available.  These two trades to me make the Hawks the favorites to get both players.  They can make a trade for Howard, an Atlanta native, with Al Horford and Jeff Teague and then sign Chris Paul in free agency.  They would also have Josh Smith giving them one of the best big 3’s in all of basketball.  Really though if you were Chris Paul would you rather play for the Clippers with the worst owner in all of sports, Donald Sterling, who just rehired the worst coach in basketball, Vinny del Negro, or play with Josh Smith and Dwight Howard.

·         Brooklyn Nets

To me this offseason the Nets had a chance to turn themselves into a consistent title contender by waiting the season out and then signing Dwight Howard, but choose to become the new Atlanta Hawks.  They overpaid Gerald Wallace significantly, giving up the 6^th overall pick in the process, and traded for the contract of Joe Johnson.  These two are good players, but it is very unnecessary to pay those two that much money.  These trades destroyed the Nets cap space and any chance of Dwight Howard, likely just to give them a playoff team as they move to Brooklyn.

·         Dwight Howard

I know I am not in the minority here, but the way Dwight Howard has handled himself this past season or so has been an absolute disgrace.  The constant trade demands and backing off of those demands is just confusing and downright embarrassing.  Personally I am extremely excited to hear that he in fact will not be going where he wants, the Nets, and the only person he has to blame for it is himself. 

·         The Steve Nash situation

While I do believe Steve Nash out of a show of patriotism will end up signing with the Raptors, I do not believe it was smart of them to sign Landry Fields to a 3 year 20 million dollar contract just to eliminate the Knicks as a competitor.  Nash still has the opportunity to return to Dallas and reunite with Dirk, and even some other options at his disposal.  I think that they were better off just adding money to Nash’s offer then giving a mediocre player a bad contract.