Cleveland is the Team to Beat and will be crowned 2010 NBA Champions.

I said it in my preseason pick and break down of the NBA season 2009-2010 and I am going to reinterate that point now. Cleveland is the team to beat in the NBA this season. Things are going pretty much just as I wrote then that Cleveland would have some challenges out of the gate but would come around once this team gets use to playing together.

After Cleveland started off with a couple of losses a lot of haters and pundits were asking the question if the Shaq trade was hurting the Cavs. This was about one of the craziest questions I have seen in sports. You can get Shaq on your team in a trade for Ben Wallace and Shasa ? Anyone who asked that question should be banned from commenting on anything related to sports.

Mike Brown is a better coach than most people will give him credit for and this Cleveland team will not start playing their collective best until after the allstar break. They have been playing well of late and have beat some pretty good teams including: Orlando, LA, Miami, Dallas, Portland, Houston, Phoenix, and Atlanta.

Mike Brown is starting to find his rotation and Mo Williams is finding out how to be a consistent 20 point scorer on this team. On the defensive end Cleveland has stepped their defensive game up and the new guys are learning how to play Cleveland team defence.

They are asking Shaq to match up when a team has strong bigs like LA, Orlando and Boston. They only need 10-15 points and 7-10 rebounds a game from Shaq in about 22 minutes of play during the regular season. I expect his minutes to go up to about 27-30 in the playoffs and him a Z seeing some court time together against bigger line ups.

Parker and Moon are defending perimeter players just as they were brought in to do. Parker is shooting the 3 better than anyone in the league and Mo Williams and Gibson are not far behind. The bench is learning how to run offence with Lebron out of the game. This is the only weak spot right now but that has improved over the last 8 games.

I have seen Cleveland and Boston live this year and when the Celtics are on their game their ball movement is impeccable but they are not playing with the same intensity on defence as years past. They still have one of the best points allowed and Cleveland is close behind them.

Where Cleveland takes the rest of the league is their bench and their bench will be even better by playoff time because Leon Powe will be with the team.

Lebron is the X factor and if this team doesn't win it all I would be shocked. He can make up for any holes on this team and there are very few.

Write it down the King will be crowned in June 2010 NBA champion!

Week 15 in the NFL a look back at my picks and my top 10

last week was not the best for me with my picks. I went 10-6 but as you know if you follow my picks I challenge myself to be no worst than 12-4. There were some suprises last week and some of the upsets that I picked didn't come through. I was really socked at how poorly Arizona played in a big game for them and the unbeaten stayed unbeaten.

I got my picks in late this week and the Indy game is already in the 3rd quarter so I am going to have to pass on this one. So here are my picks for week 15 excluding the Thursday night game.

Here are my picks for week 15 the winners: NO, Bal, NE, Ari, Hou, Ten, KC, Nyj, Phi, Den, SD, Pit, Sea, Car, Nyg. There you have it. My upset pick of the week is the Sunday night match up. Car will stun the Vikings.

My top 10 for the week

1)Indy-They are still the team to beat and will at least go 18-0

2)NO-They will win until the last game of the season and then be upset by Car

3)Min-Even though I think they will be upset they are still my pick to go from the NFC

4)SD-These guys just keep winning and they will be a tough out in Jan

5)Phi-I think they are a very dangerous team and don't be suprise if they are in the superbowl

6)Ari-They were beat bad at SF but they are a better team than what showed up for that game

7)Cin-They are dealing with a lot this week and their schedule is pretty tough down the stretch

8)GB-They showed me something with that win in Chi

9)Bal-I really think Bal will be dangerous if they make it in.

10)Ten-They are back in the top 10 for the first time since week 2. Chris Johnson will break the record.

It should be a great week in the NFL and please pray for Henry's family and the Bengals. It was sad to hear what happened to this young man. RIP

Gasol maybe the Lakers MVP and not Kobe?

This could seem like a dumb question to ask. But who is the Lakers MVP? That's actually a good question even tough it seems like the answer is an obvious one.

Well let's examine this closely. If we look at the Lakers prior to Gasol arriving they were a very average team that could not get out of the first round of the playoffs. They were hanging around the eighth spot in the west. Kobe was demanding to be traded with basically the same players other than Gasol.

Now let's take a look at the Memphis Grizzlies. This was a franchise that had done absolutely nothing since coming into the league. They moved from Vancover to get a new identity but it didn't work. The team was still losing and not competing.

Then they draft a kid from Spain a legit 7 footer in 2001 with a polished European game. Gasol goes on to win rookie of the year and establishes himself as a 20-10 guy. It doesn't matter what team you play on it's not easy being a 20-10 guy in the NBA and if you don't believe me make a list of the ones playing now.

After only 2 years after being one of the worst teams in the league their franchise player leads them to the playoffs in the western conference. The Grizzlies reached the playoffs 3 consecutive years under the leadership of Pau and then he was traded to the LA Lakers.

If Pau could lead the Grizzlies to the playoffs 3 years in a row what could he do for the Lakers? Pau's first year with the Lakers he puts up his allstar like numbers close to 20-10 and leads the Lakers to the NBA finals. This is the same Lakers team that couldn't get out of the first round after Shaq's departure.

The first full year with the Lakers Gasol goes on to lead them to a championship. The season starts with Pau out of the lineup with a badly strained hamstring and the Lakers struggle. Pau comes back and they win 10 in a row.

I am starting to get the picture the real MVP of the Lakers is Pau Gasol. Truth be told Kobe Bryant gets way too much credit Gasol is the engine that drives this championship train.

People love Kobe and he is a great one on one player but he couldn't get them out of the first round. It's no difference from Billups going to the Nuggets and providing leadership that helped Carmelo become a better team player. Why will no one admit that Gasol has done the same thing for the Lakers? It's like the elephant in the room.

If you put Kevin Durant on this Lakers team and take Kobe off they still compete for a championship. I could fill in the blank with about 10 different players. Now you tell me who is that teams MVP. There is a reason why Kobe has only won one MVP and it came at Pau's expense.

Remember folks Pau was Pau before he got to the Lakers.

Week 14 in the NFL a look back at week 13 and Pics and my top 10

All right good people last week I went 10-6 with my picks. That's a bad week for me I know some people would be extremely happy with that but that's not how I roll.

I am going to give you my picks for this week and my top 10. But before I do when you look at my picks last week you will see I pick Miami and Arizona to win. Sometimes it's more about the physcological state of a team and how they play at home more so than who they are playing.

I will still rate Minn higher than Arizona but I knew Minnesota was going to be in for a big suprise. One of my picks that could have been an upset Tenn over Indy was not because Tenn is trying to pretend that Vince Young is a drop back passer. On those 4th down plays you make sure Vince rolls out and put pressure on the defence! Oh well.

My picks for this week:Pit,NO,Bal,Chi,Hou,Ind,Jac,KC,NE,TB,Ten,Min,Was,Phi,SD,Ari

There it is folks I feel like I will be something like 14-2 or better. I am looking for a challenger to pick against me even if we have to exclude the Thursday night game. I will put it out there a $10.00 gift card for anyone who finishes better than me. If there are multiples then whoever has the best record if there is a tie then a name will be drawn. Just make picks in the comments section.

Here's my top 10

1)Indy-I still think they are better than NO and would win that game.

2)NO-What can you say about these guys they refuse to lose

3)MIN-I still think they are probably the top team in the NFC

4)SD-It's becoming crystal clear that SD is for real

5)Cin-They are going to have a hard time this week but there's no shame in losing to Min

6)Ari-They deserve this spot and they will be a tough out in Jan.

7)Phi-I think they will win the NFC east and be in the final 4

8)GB-They are here for now but an upset is coming because the bears will win

9)Nyg-They have had a rough stretch but and they will lose this weekend

10)Dal-They are here for now but after this weekend they will join NE out of the top 10

You heard it here first the truth in sports. www.thetruthinsportsbymrj.com

The Truth about Tiger from the Barbershop Experts

Week 13 and a look back at week 12 in the NFL and my top 10

Last week was a great week in the NFL there were some good match ups and a couple of upsets. Last week on my picks I went 13-3. Now that was a pretty decent week for me. Remember in a 16 game day I consider 4 wrong picks subpar and I have never been below .500.

What about those New Orlean Saints? I guess I will have to say they are for real and they may change my power rankings for this week.

Can Tennessee make it 6 straight games and get themselves into the playoff talk. Is that amazing or what? I think Chris Johnson will have a couple of huge runs this game and the Titans will win. I am predicting that Chris Johnson will have 225 yards rushing in this game.

I also have another upset pick and the Giants will beat Dallas. I will go through my winners and give you my top 10 teams for the week.

The winners this week will be:Buf, Pit, Car,Chi, Cin, Ten, Hou, Den, Mia, Phi, NO, SD, Nyg, SF, Ari, Bal
There you have it and remember I will be no worst than 12-4.

Here's my top 10 for the week there has been some changes at the top so let's go there.

1) Min-I feel they are the most complete team in the league. If Warner plays Ari will win on Sunday

2)NO-I have to move them ahead of Indy because when they attack you they attack you great team

3)Ind-Smart team and will be in the Superbowl but they will lose to Ten this week

4)SD- They have really turned it on and are actually the hottest team in the league right now.

5)Cin-I have to give them props they are solid on defence and can score on offence

6)Ari-They are a good football team and will be in the final four of the NFC

7)Dal-I am going to put Dal here for right now but I think they will go down to the Giants and move out of the top 10

8)Phi-They will win the NFC east when it's all said and done.

9)Pit-I think they will get things in gear and secure a wildcard and then be a tough out in the playoffs

10)NE-The Saints exposed them for who they really are and I think Miami will get them this week as well

Den, Bal, Ten, are all on the rise and if each win after this week they 2 may move up into the top 10. If Ten wins they will more than likely get that number 10 spot.

Iverson will be back at practice in Philly. Yes I said practice!

I love myself some Allen Iverson. I am looking forward to seeing him play this year. I have never witness him playing live but every game I have seen him play in he gives one hundred percent.

I wanted Iverson to go to a contender and be a part of a championship run this season. I really made a case for him helping Cleveland with scoring when Lebron is out of the game or when you want Lebron playing in the post. You can check out the story at www.iversoncanscore.blogspot.com

But now Iverson goes back home to Philly where he is truly the prince of the city. He will definitely put butts in the seats and bring some exciting basketball back to the Wachovia Center.

More than that I believe Iverson will make this team a contender. Now why do I say that? I think AI is going to be the best thing to happen to Elton Brand since he got all that money. Don't be fooled by the pundits AI can still penetrate, score and dish. Just look at his numbers in Denver.

Look at this line up. AI, Iguodala,Brand,Dalembert,and Young that's a good starting line up with four scorers. This is a better line up than when Philly went to the finals. I know AI is not the same as then but I would say he is wiser and has more weapons.

I am going to predict that Philly will win 48 games and end up being the 5 seed out of the East and will advance to the second round of the playoffs. Iverson will receive the come back player of the year and average 24 points and 8 assist per game.

Iverson has a lot to prove this year and I believe his grit and determination will be infectious for this team. It's going to be an exciting year for Philly fans and the NBA because of AI being back in the mix.

Welcome back AI!

Tiger the Truth will set you free man!

Well what can we say. This is the biggest story out there right now and even though no criminal charges will be filed Tiger still has some problems. Tiger said the right thing though it is between him and his family. His personal indiscretions should not be aired out in public. I think everyone should have the right to privacy. With that being said if you are a celebrity your privacy is shot.

I love the scene of Tiger and his family. I am a family guy and family is sacred. I am not going to judge the guy on his apparent short comings but you have to learn from other high profile athletes where affairs have not turn out too well. This same type of behavior caused Steve Mcnair not only his family but his life.

Listen I understand the whole sex drive thing. Men who are driven like top athletes, business executives, and even criminals all have extremely high sex drives. Why do I bring this up? A high sex drive is not bad and it's not an excuse it's what you do with it. Tiger has been great at putting that focus on the field but when it's not directed it's dangerous. The old saying fire in the fire place is beautiful but in the curtains a disaster. I truly believe this, if you are highly driven and you don't have the spiritual balance there is no way for these things not to happen.

Tiger I sure hope you are able to work all of this out and get the spiritual balance that it takes to keep your driver in your pants because if not it's going to cost you a lot of money.

He sounds pretty desperate and guilty

Don't look now but the Bobcats are 6-2 at home and 3-1 with Stephen Jackson

The new look Bobcats  since the Stephen Jackson trade are 3-1 and on a three game winning streak. If you are a contender and coming into Bobcats arena forget about penciling in a win. If you don't believe me just ask Cleveland and Atlanta. Cleveland was down by 23 at one point and Atlanta lost by 20.

Gerald Wallace played the way I thnk he is capable of playing every night if he has someone to play off of that's also a threat on offence. Stephen Jackson is that threat. They can and I believe will average 40 points a game between those two. There are not many teams in the league that gets you that kind of production from the 2 and 3 position.

Gerald Wallace just flat out played Lebron in this game and even though they didn't score a field goal for almost 9 minutes in the 4th quarter they were still able to hold Cleveland to only 16 points in the 4th and win by 7. Wallace and the team did a good job on keeping Lebron out of the paint for most of the game. Lebron had a quiet 23 at the end of the 3rd but only score 2 in the final period.

I said it earlier and I will say it again the Bobcats will make the playoffs. They are one of the best defensive teams in the league and this is not just on paper. They have increased their scoring by about 15 points a game since the arrival of Stephen Jackson. If they can score 95 points a game they will not only make the playoffs but will probaly get a 6 seed.

People that understand basketball know that in the NBA teams with the biggest point differential will always be a contending team. If the Bobcats keep up this new found ability to score then you can look for them to n ot only win at home where they are 6-2 but they will start getting road wins as well. If they can go .500 on the road from here on out they will be a dangerous team. Larry Brown knows how to coach basketball on every level. He's  been to 3 NBA finals as a coach and won one and one a NCAA championsip at Kansas. Watch out for this Bobcats team.

Hats off to the cats. They are on a 3 game winning streak and will have an opportunity to knock off another contender in the east on Tuesday when the Celtics come to the arena. I am taking the Bobcats in that one. They will be issuing out some pay back for the humiliating lost in Boston at the beginning of the season.

They are playing the right way and the wins are starting to add up so look for these Bobcats to be playing in May.

Can the Titans win out?

What about them Titans? They have had an impressive run so far. To start the season 0-6 and now run off 4 straight wins is nothing less than amazing. The combonation of Vince Young and Chris Johnson is a lethal mixture. They are able to do things in the backfield that no other team in the league can do and it's almost impssible to defend.

This is why I think they have a good chance to win out. Chris Johnson wants to be the all time leading rusher for a season. He is focused on reaching that goal and what this means for the Titans? They will get about 130 yards rushing each and every week. If they can continue to do this they will have a good chance to win out.

Vince Young is a difference maker for this team. The guy has won at every level so to run off 10 straight games is something he has done before in college, in high school and he has now won his last 9 starts. People like to talk about what he can't do but this guy is a winner. You look at his record in High School, College and Pros the guy just wins baby!

This week will be another test for the Titans. The Cardinals are starting to put it all together and playing winning football but I think the Titans will win again this week. If Indy wins on Sunday I think it will give the Titans a better chance of beating them when they play next week.

What a story line. If Vince and the Titans can run off ten straight and make the playoffs or even win a Superbowl. How wild would that be? This would help this franchise tremendously with the passing of Mac. There is hope in the music city again. Go Titans!

Week 12 picks and a look back at week 11 picks and my top 10

Well it was a pretty decent week in the NFL last week. I usaully want to finish with a max of 4 picks to the bad. I have been off for the past few weeks. I have stayed above 500 but not where I want to be. This week 10-6. So I am going to list my picks for week 12. What about those Titans I will write a post about the 4-0 Titans. Back to the picks for week 12

GB,DAL,NYG,ATL,MIA,CIN,STL,NYJ,PHI,IND,SD,SF,MIN,TEN,BAL,NO

My top 10

1) MIN-There's a change at the top I just think they are the most complete team

2)IND-They are solid and find a way to win each week. Houston will be a challenge for them

3)NO-They will continue to win and expect them to meet the challenge against the Pats

4)NE-They keep winning against people they are suppose to beat but the Saints will be too much

5)ARI-They keep winning and have found their stride but this week will be in hiccup in TEN

6)SD- They continue to move up and take care of business they have already won the west

7)PHI-They will win the NFC east watch what happens down the stretch

8)CIN-If you are serious you don't lose to the Raiders at this point in the season when you are running out front

9)NYG-They are coming back expect them to make a charge right here

10)PIT-They are still a force but they have dropped some games they should have won

There are some teams that have come on strong in the past few weeks. JAC, TEN,GB have all played well and with TEN winning 4 straight there's a lot of excitement around that team.

Iverson don't sign with the Knicks hold out for Cleveland

The Knicks are coming after Iverson now that they are pathetic. Iverson don't do it. They didn't want him when they had the opportunity the first time but more than that they are not a contender. Iverson should go to a contender and Cleveland is the perfect fit. There is a great piece on the http://www.iversoncanscore.blogspot.com/ site check it out and give your feed back.

NFL picks for week 11 and results of last week picks and the top 10

It was a big week in the NFL. The colts mounted one of the biggest come backs again in NFL history and the debate over who is better Manning or Brady is settled in my book. The Titans have won three in a row and Denver has lost three in a row. Life in the NFL but now we know who's who.

I will go over my top 10 in this post as well but first I am going to give you the pick results from last week. There were three challengers this week choosing the games that were available. JMJ went 6-6, Eli went 6-6 and yours truly MRJ went 7-5. That's still a bad week for me but I did come out on top.  I took a chance on some picks that I felt would be upsets that didn't pan out like the Bucs upsetting Miami it didn't happen but boy they were close.

My top 10 teams this week

1) Indy-undefeated and they can beat anybody any place Peyton Manning is a man

2)NO-The saints just keep winning. They are showing that they will be beat soon but they keep winning.

3)MIN-They are the team to beat in my for the Superbowl I believe they will be there

4)CIN- They are for real folks and beat PITT twice to prove it

5)NE-They are still a top team even though they have had problems on the road

6)PITT-They are still the team to beat in the AFC even though IND is undefeated

7)ARI-They are a contender in the NFC and may be there in the championship game

8)BAL-I may go with the Ravens to knock off Indy they can play and will make the playoffs

9)SD- They have made their way back into the top 10 after leaving after week 3

10)DAL-They are suspect but I am going to include them in the top 10 this week

My picks for the week. I am going to make it easy for you to understand my picks I am going to only list the team that I am picking to win.

CAR, BAL,WAS,DET,GB,JAC,PIT,MIN,NYG,NO,ARI,DEN,NE,CIN,PHI,TEN

This week we have all 16 games going on so this should be fun I am leaving the offer on the table if your picks are better than mine and  you have the most correct you win a $25 gift card. If there is a tie the names will be drawn and a winner will be determine. If you tie with me no gift card will be given.  So come with your A game!

Who is better Peyton Manning or Tom Brady?

This question is not as hard as some would have you to believe. Just look at their numbers and then you tell me if you put both these players on every team in the NFL who would have the best record. Just in case I will give you the answer it's Peyton Manning.

I use to fight this truth years ago and felt like the media was making this guy. I was sort of like how Rush Limbaugh was about McNabb. I am a Titans fan so I felt like Mc9 was just as good if not better but what the years of watching this guy has convinced me that he will go down as one of the top three to ever play. He may even go down as number one.

Brady is a good quarterback in the perfect system for his skill set. If you put Brady on the other teams in the NFL he would struggle on some of those teams and they wouldn't be much better. I think Manning would make every team better. He is a more complete quarterback and has a better command of the position.

This video expounds on this point as well.



You can settle the Lebron vs Kobe debate the same way it's really not that difficult to know who is the best.  Check out http://www.lebronvskobe.info/

The picks Challenge The little boy vs me and you.

                    








KC vs OAK-L                                                                       KC vs OAK-W
SEA vs ARI-W                                                                      SEA vs ARI-W
TB vs MIA-L                                                                         TB vs MIA-L
DAL vs GB-L                                                                        DAL vs GB-W
PHI vs SD-L                                                                          PHI vs SD-L
ATL vs CAR-W                                                                    ATL vs CAR-W
NE vs IND-L                                                                         NE vs IND-W
DET vs MIN-W                                                                     DET vs MIN-W
BAL vs CLE-L                                                                       BAL vs CLE-L
JAC vs NYJ-W                                                                      JAC vs NYJ-W
TEN vs BUF-L                                                                      TEN vs BUF-L
DEN vs WAS-L                                                                    DEN vs WAS-L


There they are the picks for the week. Last week the little man was 10-3 and I was 7-6. Put your picks in the comments section and if your picks are better than the little man and mine you win a $25 gift card. We missed the Thursday game where SF beat CHI so that game is not included in the picks.

Here we go week 10 in tne NFL and picks for the week and top 10

Week 9 was very interesting for my picks. If you read the post last week then you know the little boy challenged me on the picks. So how did it go? I will probaly have ot move because he beat me last week and he will get a $25 gift card to Target. I still can not believe my picks were off like that. I was still above 500 but I went 7-6. The little guy went 10-3 and beat me pretty bad last week.

I will reload this week and get it done. But for now we are going to look at my top 10 teams going into the week end and then I will post the picks for the upcoming week. I am going to post my picks and JMJ's. The winner now have to have better picks than me and the little boy.

This week's top 10

1)IND-They are going to be number 1 until someone beats them

2)NO-They are going to be number 2 until someone beats them or Indy loses.

3)MIN-They are a legit super bowl contender

4)PIT-They are in super bowl form. I would not be suprise to see them playing in the big game

5)CIN-This is the suprise team of the year other than TEN. If they beat PIT they become true contenders

6)NE-They have not looked good on the road so this week will be a real test to see if they keep this spot

7)DAL-They are here for now. A road win this week keeps them in the top 10

8)PHI- Bad loss to DAL at home a win in SD on the road takes care of that

9)ARI-They are putting things together. They crushed CHI

10)DEN-Two loses in a row to good teams we will see what they are about over the next few weeks

The Cavs will be Kings of the East

I know people will say Rashard Lewis did not play and also talk about the other guy that came from the Nets who has never been a superstar. None of that matters because the truth of the matter is Shaq nuetralized Dwight Howard. If Cleveland doesn't have to double team Howard and they can hold him to less than 20 points a game they will win every time they play them. Shaq's size bothers Howard and I don't see him going for 30 in a game against Shaq. So that means no open three's for the wing players. If Shaq plays in all four games against the Magic this year I predict Cleveland will win every game.

The other thing about Cleveland that's different from Boston and Orlando they will get better up until the playoffs. Think about this Delonte West would have served his suspension or whatever, Leon Powe will see minutes, Hickson will be comfortable because of the increased minutes, and Big Z would have settled into his new role. By the allstar break this team will be recognized as the team to beat. Right now it's Boston. The Lakers they haven't beaten a contender yet.

The team that beat the Magic by 20 even though the score said 9 will only get bettter and will easily win the East and I predict win the title as well.

Lebron is the best player in the league and he makes the game look so easy when he's running and making passes and being set up for dunks and lay ups. If Williams continue to run the offense in a way that gets Lebron loose on the wing and he can get 10 easy points a game they will not lose many.

Mo Williams has a major chip on his shoulders and something to prove. He feels he let the team down in the playoffs and he is looking for redemption. If this guy averages 20 a game this year they will win 70 games.

You just got the rest of the story on the Cavs. The truth will make you free!

The Truth about Allen Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies

Allen Iverson my man, my guy, what in the world were you thinking? I wrote a column and did a you tube post begging him not to go the the Grizzlies. He is much better than this organization deserves. So why did he not go to a contender and take less money for one year. He would have been much better off with the Bobcats they need fourth quarter scoring. Just look at the game against Orlando where they were in the game but they only could score 10 points in the fourth quarter.

I blame Iverson not for wanting to start because he is 10 times better the Mike Conley Jr no disrespect but that is true. In Memphis he should be starting. I don't blame him for being upset but I blame him for going to Memphis in the first place. Even if he had to play for free I would have gone to Miami or lobbied to play with the Cavs or with the Bobcats who will make the playoffs this year. He never should have considered the Clippers or Memphis.

I really don't know how Iverson will reverse this situation maybe he can be traded to another team. Maybe the Bobcats or Cleveland but this is a mess. I blame Iverson only for his decission to play for Memphis this was a big mistake. Now teams will be leary of taking Iverson next year.

I love the way Iverson plays ball. He comes to play every night and there are teams out there that can use that example like the Bobcats. I am a Bobcats fan living in Carolina and I think both missed an opportunity to help each other. Forget all of the selfish garbage the man has average 27 points and 6 assist a game for his career. There are teams out there right now who need his ability to score the ball in key situations. The Cavs need someone else who can create and my Bobcats. Iverson find a way to play for one of these teams.

Revisit my you tube post before the season started.

The Truth about the Bobcats for the 2009-2010 Season

The Charlotte Bobcats are the team that no one expects much from except for the fans here in the Carolinas. I have watched most of the Bobcats games and I was at the game live against the Hawks. The same Hawks team that beat Dallas by about 30 and the Dallas team that went into LA and beat them by about 20. So what does this say about the Charlotte Bobcats?

The Cats can be a dangerous team this year but they have to get off to a good start. Right now as of this writing they are 3-3 and need to run off about 3 straight wins to give themselves some room above 500. Larry Brown in my opinion is the best coach in the league and he will get these guys to play the right way. That's the moto play the right way and so far outside of the sleep walking they did in Boston they have played well.

Before the season I was all for bringing in Allen Iverson because the Bobcats were one of the worst scoring teams in the league last year. After the Celtics game I was sure the Bobcats were in deep trouble. The game against the Hawks help me to see something in a different light. Larry Brown won a championship with Ben Wallace at center and he probaly average no more than 7 points a game. There was no super star end of game closer so to speak but Billups, Hamilton, Prince and Rasheed got it done. The thing Larry Brown got them to do was play defense every night and that's what I see with these Bobcats.

Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, DJ Augustine, and Felton are all going to have to average at least 15 points per game and Wallace is going to need 20 and 10 from Chandler. If they can score 95 points a game they will make the playoffs.

Detroit bought into the team concept and they were able to take down the mighty Lakers with Shaq and Kobe. This team if they come out early and push their record to about 5-10 games above 500 before the New Year they will make the playoffs.

I like what I saw from these Cats against Atlanta at home. The other point I missed was the bench production. They will get points off the bench because Flip Murray has never seen a jump shot he didn't like. I am predicting right here, right now that the Cats will make the playoffs.

I will bring you more on the Bobcats every week so check back often and tell somebody about The Truth in Sports by MRJ.

This week 9 picks and last week results and this weeks top 10

I don't know what was up with last week it seems I only had 11 picks. Was there more teams with a bye than usual? Last week I went 8-3. Not bad I did have a few picks get away from me like St Louis beating the Lions but I should have know you can't trust the Lions.

Here are my picks for the week. Sunday 11/8/09

Was vs Atl-w,  Ari vs Chi-L, Bal vs Cin-L, Hou vs Ind-W, Kc vs Jac-W, Mia vs Ne-L, Gb vs Tb-L, Car vs No-L, Det vs Sea-W, Sd vs Nyg-W, Ten vs Sf-L, Dal Vs Phi-W. Pit vs Den-L

I have a challenger this week. My 8 year old son feels like his picks are more accurate than mine. So here are his pics for the week.

Was vs Atl-W, Ari vs Chi-W, Bal vs Cin-L, Mia vs Ne-W, Car vs No-W, Pit vs Den-W, Hou vs Ind-W, Jac vs Kc-L, Gb vs Tb-W, Dal-Phi-L, Det vs Se-W, Sd vs Nyg-L, Ten vs Sf-L

There you have it the little fellow thinks he can out pick me but I doubt it.

Now for my top 10 teams this week.

1) Ind

2)NO

3)Minn

4)PIT

5)NE

6)PHI

7)BAl

8)DEN

9)Dal

10)Hou

The other two teams that are right on the bubble but didn't make it in is Atl and Cin. They are right there and will be in the playoff hunt. If Cin beats Bal they will be in the top 10 next week.

Redemption Sunday struck in the NFL this week

There is always talk of redemption on Sunday. That’s what Sunday’s are all about a chance to right some wrongs and three quarterbacks in the league did exactly that. They went out and made statements in games where there may have been doubt.

Let’s start with Brett Favre. How amazing was that? This guy goes into Lambeau and throws for 4 touchdowns and no picks. What is Ted Thompson thinking right now? Brett is playing some of the best ball of his life at 40! He is not only playing well but he is humming that ball with the zip of Brett of old. Brett has an opportunity to lead this team to the super bowl. This team is a very good and well balanced team. The truth about this situation is Brett has everything working in his favor. The best running back in the league and one of the best defenses in the league and a plethora of receivers and special weapons. The biggest advantage of all for Brett has nothing to do with who’s on the field with him but where the field is located. Playing inside for more than half their games in November and December is huge. They could very well play a couple playoff games at home also. Beating Green Bay at Lambeau I am sure was second best to only winning a super bowl.

The next quarterback to need their sins washed away is Jake Delhomme. Jake was in a real bad place with the fans in Carolina. He had been just plain awful this season throwing at least one pick in all of their games. The fans were calling for him to be benched and for the team to play anyone other than Jake. Some were saying just run the wildcat the whole game. But he was redeemed this past week in a game where he threw no picks and beat the team on the road that had embarrassed Carolina in the playoffs. Jake got redemption against  the team that started his downward spiral. He undid some of the effects of playing the worst playoff game by in quarterback in the history of the game. This win gives Jake a lot of confidence that he badly needed and puts life back in a team that was almost left for dead.

Last but not least Vince Young got a shot at redemption as well. It took the owner of the organization to go over Jeff Fishers head and point blank say start Vince this week. It may be too little too late for the Titans as a team but it’s good to see Vince bounce back and make his owner look like a genius and Fisher like a fool. Vince had a rough year last year after being booed he didn’t want to return to the game. This is almost unforgivable in some eyes and I think Jeff Fisher falls into that category. Fisher may have gone to far with this one though because if Vince continues to play well the question will be why didn’t Fisher make the change sooner? It has to feel great for Vince to silence the critics if only for a week to have played as well as he did. No turnovers, completed 80% of his passes, and played with confidence. I hope the guy can keep it up because the haters are waiting for him to fail but this kid has proven to be a winner.

All three of these guys can sing that old spiritual “ I’ve been Redeemed”

You should have got a Rondo

There has been a lot of talk over the past few weeks about Rajon Rondo’s  contract status. Over the summer to everyone’s surprise the Celtics were said to be shopping Rondo? Even for this to be a consideration you have to ask the question is Danny Ainge really a great GM or was he in the right place at the right time and friends of the right Kevin Mchale who was willing to gift his good friend Kevin Garnett. That’s a subject for another day.

Back to Rondo. Why would there be so many questions about a player who is only 23 years old and he recently carried your team through the playoffs averaging almost a triple double. This guy has improved his play every year he has been in the league and he is managing a team with three potential hall of famers. So why was Boston and Ainges playing these cat and mouse games with the future of their franchise?

Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, are all over 30. This guy is a building block piece and to even consider getting rid of him is baffling. He is definitely in a good situation with what Boston has on the court with him right now but sometimes things like not immediately signing a key player can backfire on you.

I do hear nay sayers saying he’s not worth the 55 million that his new contract will pay him. I think he is actually worth more than that. Why do I say that? The guy plays as good on defense as Kevin Garnett, and he rebounds, get steals, and is a great set up man. The knock on Rondo is he’s not a great jump shooter. The answer to that is he is still only 23 years old and he will shoot the ball better.

He is one of those elite young point guards in the league with Paul, Williams, and Rose. No he doesn’t score like Paul and Williams but his other strengths puts him right up there with those two.

Danny Ainge should be glad he came to his senses or he could have been hearing the words of that commercial from back in the day. You should have got a Rondo.

Week 8 in the NFL Last week picks and this week picks $25 if you out pick me

Ok folks my picks from last week I went 10-4 and nobody was able to top that mark. Last week was ok but I will do better this week. I am going to give you my top 10 teams for the week and my picks.

The top 10 teams going into week 8 are:

1)Ind-The colts go back to number 1 after a close call for NO

2)NO-They had a close call but still found a way to win the game in the end. This team is dangerous.

3)DEN-They are for real but they have some challenging games scheduled

4)MIN-They fought hard in PIT but someone had to lose. They are still a top contender

5)NE-They keep winning but they will face some more challenging teams pretty soon.

6)PIT-They are a solid team and they showed you what they are capable of against MINN.

7)ARI-They are starting to look like the team that made the run in the playoffs and beating the Giants on the road was hugh.

8)NYG-They just lost two in a row. They have to do something quick.

9)PHI-Philly is still a force to recon with.

10)Dallas-These guys made it this week but I will have to see some other key wins to say they are a contender.

NYG-vs-PHI-L, Den-vs-Bal-w,Hou-vs-Buf-L,Cle-vs-Chi-w,Sea-vs-Dal-w,Mia-vs-Nyj-w,Sf-vs-Ind-w,Nyg-vs-Phi-w,stl-vs-Det-w,Oak-vs-Sd-w,Jac-vs-Ten-w,Min-vs-Gb-w

Those are my picks for week 8 and remember if someone has more insight than me and pick better this week will get a $25 gift card if there's a tie a name will be drawn and someone will win.

Skip Bayless and Chad Ochocinco debate part II Lebron overrate,Adrian Peterson overrated and Tiger Woods overrated

I am going to continue to call out news writers and so called sports people as I come across ridiculous takes out there. Skip is a hater and it's plain and simple. I will bring you some contrasting views for other sports talking heads like Jim Rome, Mike Greenberg, Merle Hoge,Jeff Van Gundy, Mark jackson, Charles Barkely etc. You get the point I will call them all out when they are dead wrong. Because I am bringing you the truth.

The NBA is here it's early but the Lebron and Kobe show has started

. The season when Ben Wallace, Delonte, and Joe Smith came over it took a while for them to gel but when they did they came within a basket of upsetting the mighty Celtics in game seven of the playoffs. Shaq did what you want Shaq to do at this stage. Get 10 rebounds and 10-15 points most nights you will want 15. If this continues to happen the Cavs will win it all.

Are the Cowboys for real? What's the truth about the Boys?

You tell me are the Cowboys for real? I have had my doubts about this team for the whole season. They still haven't won a playoff game in about 15 years can you really trust them? They did mess up my picks this week because I though Atlanta would go into Dallas and come out with a win.

The Cowboys are coming closer to officially being a contender in my book but first I have to see a signature  win on the road. They have Seattle coming up next week and I will not be able to get any answers from that game but the following week they have Philly in Philly on Sunday night. This will be hugh and if Dallas wins that game on the road they will be considered ligitimate contenders.

When I look back at week 7 and come up with my top 10 the Cowboys  may find themselves for the first time this season cracking the top 10. The Boys have some tools and played pretty solid on defense against the Falcons so if things are coming together for them and they can play this way consistently then they will have a shot.

I will keep watching Romo might just be a pretty good quarterback. Good job today Cowboys and I guess all of the over the top Cowboy fans will start beating their chest and getting their tickets for Miami.

The Truth about Magic and Isaiah

Magic and Isaiah where did things go wrong? This pair seemed inseperable just a few years back, ok maybe twenty but they were the best of friends and two of the best players in the NBA. So how can you go from two of the best of friends to a pretty vicious attack in a tell all book?

I don't know what caused the rift between Isaiah and Magic but please let's no take this any further. This is really ugly folks and it seems a little out of place for both of them. You have two hall of famers, two of the top 10 NBA talents of all time if you ask me having a fued like this or a potential fued.

I have heard the accusations that were made by Magic about what Isaiah had done back in the earlyh 90's but Magic that was 1992 are you telling me you have not had the opportunity to address this with him before now? If you have had a beef all this time what has stopped you from addressing these issues in private with your former best friend? Folks I don't like this at all and I hope they both will meet somewhere and make a public appearence and say all is forgiven and they have resumed a friendship.

Nobody wins in this drama. If anything it actually makes people question Magic in all of this. Like what does he want from this? And why now? This is not the time or place and Magic definitely doesn't need the money. So what's behind this 20 year old blow up?

People have made Isaiah the center of a lot of negative energy here lately and he doesn't need this or deserve it at this point. I just hope Isaiah takes the high road and just let's it go. Magic, whatever you needed to get from this I hope it's done and you move on and continue to be a positive influence in the community.

This thing is so strange it's hard to even talk about two grown men or one grow man inviting a cat fight. I don't get it folks and that's the truth!

Check back for my post on where Isaiah ranks all time as an NBA player you maybe surprised to see that he ranks above Kobe Bryant.

A look at Week 6 picks and the picks for week 7

Wow! What can I say last week was worst than the week before. It's been years since I have gone .500 on my picks but last week was one of those weeks. I still need some challengers for the $25.00 gift card. I went 7-7 there were a lot of games that went totally off path but hey that's why they play the games.

I am going to look at week 7 and redeem myself with a more like me week. Here we go with the picks for the week.

GB-W SF SD-W IND-W NE-W MIN BUF NYJ-W
CLE Hou-W KC STL TB PIT-W CAR-W OAK

CHI ATL-W NO-W ARI PHI-W
CIN-W DAL MIA NYG-W WAS

These are the picks for week 7 so if you can do better put your picks in the commments.

Here's a look my top 10 teams in the league after 6 weeks.

1)NO-They are for real and deserve the spot

2)IND-They just do what they do they will stay unbeaten

3)MIN-The undefeated will be in the top 4

4)DEN-I have to put them up here they have arrived folks

5)NYG-They took one on the chin in NO but they are still a force to recon with.

6)NE-They are not as good as the 59-0 beat down of my Titans but they are a 10 win team.

7)ATL-They are better than I thought and if they beat Dallas in Dallas then they will be a top 5 team.

8)PIT-They are Pittsburgh and will be in the hunt at the end.

9)ARI-They are hitting their stride and the offence is starting to fire on all cylinders.

10)PHI-It's hard putting them here after that lost to OAK but I think that was a hiccup.

Hey give me your thoughts if you think some other teams should be in the top 10.

The Truth about Peppers and Beason

I have to talk about what Beason said and his apology to Peppers for his comments on the Prime time with the Pacman show. I was listening and at the time they were referring to Peppers as the said player and everyone knew who he was talking about. Being a former football player not on the pro level but college the proper way to handle something like that is in private.

Hey Beason is a great guy and stand up kid and I have nothing but love for him but I felt at the time that was not a good move. Beason is a honest guy and I love to hear him on the show because you get things from him that are honest and to the point. On the other hand the host of the show will ask him some questions that Beason will have to start pleading the 5th on.

The panthers have an opportunity to turn things around over the next 2-3 weeks and could very well end up 3-3 or even 4-3. Sometimes things like this can tear a team a part and other times things like this can be the catalyst to bringing a team together that have gone through some adversity.

We will all see how this one turns out.

WEEK 6 in the NFL and a look at last week. Pick Challenge $25

Hey it's almost the half way point in the regular season can you believe it? Last week was a disaster for picks according to my standards I went 8-6. Now for some people being above .500 is good but for me that's a bad week if I am 4 or more picks off. The $25 gift card is on the table every week and no one challenged me last week on the picks. Last week would have been a good week to get a win because that's the worst I have gone in a long time 8-6.

I missed on a few of my upset picks like Tenn over Indy, KC over Dallas, I did pick Den over NE. I am going to do a whole piece on Vince Young and the Titans before the weekend is over. I am going to give you the top ten this week right here and now and then I will give you my picks for this week.

1)NYG
2)INDY
3)MINN
4)NO
5)DEN
6)Phi
7)CIN
8)NE
9)CHI
10)BAL

Teams that are on the bubble of the top 10 but will be in the playoff hunt are ATL,ARI,SF,NYJ,SD

Here we go my picks for WEEK 6 Hou vs cin-w, Det vs GB-w, Stl vs Jac-w, Bal vs Min-L, NYG vs NO-w, Cle vs Pit-w, Car vs TB-L, KC vs Was-w, Phi vs Oak-L, Ari vs Sea-w, Ten vs NE-w, Buf vs NYJ-w Chi vs ATL-w, Den vs SD-w

This week folks I feel at least 12-2 so bring your A-game and get a $25 gift cart

The Truth about Rush Limbaugh the NFL and why white men can't jump!

Look let me hear from yall out there and tell me what you think. Or tell my why I am wrong or right.

Week 5 top 10 NFL and my Picks for the Week. $25 for best picks

It's week 5 in the NFL and we are now getting a clearer picture of who is who in the NFL. Remember each week I am challenging all readers to out pick me for the Sunday games. If you finish with a better record than me and have the best pick ratio strickly win, lose then you will get a $25 gift card. If there is a tie then there will be a drawing to pick a winner. So show me what you know and enter your picks in the comments section of this post. Register on the site with your email so we can identify the winners.

From last week I was 10-4 with my picks there were several teams that had bye weeks but I didn't have a challenger so no one got the $25. Just a little something to keep it interesting and fun. First I am going to give you my top ten teams going into week five.

They are as followed:

1)Giants

2)Colts

3)Saints

4)Vikings

5)Jets

6)Patriots

7)Ravens

8)Steelers

9)Broncos

10)Eagles

I will say this the 49ers, Bears,Cardinals, Charges, and Falcons are all in the hunt for the 11-15 spot all of these are good teams with playoff potential.

All right get ready my picks for week 5 and like I say every week if you can't go 12-4 you have no chance and you don't really know football.

cin      cle      was     pit-w dal      min-w  oak     tb       atl     hou     ne        jac      ind     nyj-w

bal-w  buf-w car-w  det     kc-w  stl       nyg-w  phi-w  sf-w  ari-w  den-w  sea-w ten-w mia

There it is folks. I have at least 3 upset picks for this week and at least two of them will hold to form maybe all three. It's the truth now go and tell somebody!

Iverson''s out with a torn Hamstring " He should have practiced"

I usually give AI the benefit of the doubt in almost every situation because I am a big AI fan I love the way he brings it every night. The critics are just that critics they don't like the guy for what they feel like he represents but that's their problem.

But AI you have got to help me out with this one. You have not played ball for 5 months and you came into to camp by your own admission out of shape? What in the world were you doing with all of your time not knowing where or if you were going to be playing. If it were me I would have been in the best shape of my life ready to go out and show the world that I am still an elite player in the league.

Now you are saying you got injured in practice because you said you haven't played basketball in 5 months. Man that is bothering me because I thought you would come back with whatever team the picture of health and ready to lead whomever on a playoff run. I am not saying that will not happen but I am saying with you out all of training camp and then you will have to work yourself into NBA game shape over the next month it will be after Christmas before you hit your stride.

Now I have to listen to all the nay sayers and haters talk about how you are washed up and how your approached proved you are not serious about winning. I am going to remain silent since I have that right until you represent and allow me to speak on this again.

If you take Memphis to the playoffs in the west then I can say I told you he's still got it!

Lebron,Kobe, Shaq Duncan the truth about the NBA season 2009-2010

Look for Lebron to have the best statistical season of his career and look for Shaq to be extremely productive in his limited minutes.

Tim Duncan and the Spurs will represent the west this season. They will be too much for the Ron Artest Lakers. San Antonio has really reloaded and with Duncan motivated and Ginolbli healthy this team knows how to get it done in June.

Getting Richard Jefferson was a hugh move that will pay big dividens for the Spurs come playoff time. RJ is a legitimate 20 point scorer and great team mate. Antonio McDyess is a big deal for the Spurs as well. He plays D, rebounds and will hit open baseline jumpers. When you add those guys to a healthy Spurs roster you have a title contender.

The up and coming teams who will make the playoffs that did not last year are the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma in the west. In the east the Charlotte Bobcats will make their first playoff appearence.

There you have it folks. I will write more about the Lakers, Bobcats, and Memphis in my next basketball post.

Delonte West " You better have my Doughnuts" and The NFL Top 10

I pray Delonte is ok on a serious note and I will give you my picks from this week as well. Remember anyone who finish the week with a better picks record than me will be put in a drawing for a $25 gift card.

L-Det vs Chi, W-Cin Vs Clev,L-Oak Vs Hou,L-Sea Vs Ind,W-Ten Vs Jac,W-NYG vs KC,W-Bal vs NE,L-Tb vs Was,W-Buf vs Mia,W-NYJ vs NO,L-Dal vs Den,L-STL vs SF,L-SD vs Pit,L-GB vs Min

There you have it. If you can't go at least 12-4 then don't even bother.

I was wrong it's the Twins Jake and John's last year in Carolina.

John Fox hitched his wagon to a falling star and for that he will be out of a job at the end of the season. If Carolina is serious about building a contender they have to get rid of Jake and John. They are like twins joined together at the hip. The show is over it's run it's course and the curtain will close.

Jake and John has been a good show but they are both has beens. Jake burst on the scene with a come from behind victory over the Jags to kick off an improbable run. He went on to ride with this team to a one and only superbowl appearence and for that John has been forever grateful.

The thing about all of that  it's in the past. Reality now is a team with a ton of talent on offense but one of the worst teams in the league on third down or any down. I watched the game cast on the computer for this game and when you look at the play selection from that vantage point my 8 year old son could have called a better offensive game. The offensive play calling was horrible but you know what the head coach is ultimately responsible. The other thing about this game is Jake just can't make enough plays. He and this team have been terrible on third down for years.

The panthers are still a pretty young team. Steve Smith is a lot better than he looks right now. With the right offensive system and a quarterback who can make plays this team could contend for a title next year. There are several coaches out there who will be looking to get back into the game next year and with the talent of the panthers and ownership Carolina will be a popular destination for a pretty good coach.

The coaches that will vie for the open spot next year will include: Bill Cowher, Mike Holgrem, Brian Billick, Mike Shanahan, and maybe even Tony Dungy. Carolina will get a big name coach next year that can take this team to the promise land.

No more excuses this ride is over for the twins. Hey we wish you the best!