Ron Rons' Back

"It's not a basketball play man". Understatement? Yes and considering it was coming from one of James Harden's teammates, even more so. We all saw it, we all know what happened. Ron Artest, not Metta World Peace, gave the soon to be NBA 6th man of the year a shot to the face he won't soon forget. In return, David Stern is going to give Mr. Peace a suspension he and the Lakers won't soon forget. Let's hold up and back track here for a second. We all remember how Mr. Artest earned his reputation for one of the baddest men in the league. Malice in the Palace. It all started with a foul on Ben Wallace, a push back, a thrown cup and the rest is history. But, we are encouraged to forget that. That was Ron Artest. This is Metta World Peace we are dealing with. He is a changed man; poised to help squeeze whatever is left out of the dynasty the aging Lakers have built. The shutdown artist and three point specialist has just thrown himself, his team and his city under the bus. And wouldn't we all like to know how and why? But, why would we ask that? We all know the answer, but we do not want to face the reality. Metta World Peace, the man who turned it all around and won a championship, who gave the ring away and now craves what he used to have. Who is determined to do whatever it takes. That same man let Ron Artest take over for 5 seconds and now will cost his team dearly. Two years ago this team could have done without him and they did so yesterday. But, with the playoffs now just two games away, an intricate piece to the Lakers fabric will and should miss at least 7 to 10 games. Let me say this. I have a special place in my heart for athletes who get second chances. I want to see them succeed, but something like this I cannot bear to watch. He has taken the sport I love is has disgraced it on every level. Being emotional is a key part of the game, but wearing your emotions on your sleeve( or in his case his elbow) will not get you too far with your team, fans and Mr. Stern. I hope his suspension is long and deals a huge blow to Lakers playoff hopes. Yeah, I hate the Lakers and I always will, but this is about more then the team. I want Mr. Peace to know what happens when you make a terrible decision like that. David Stern is going to have to play the roll of father to one of his many children that are NBA players. He will have to make an example of Peace for two reasons. Firstly, so he can learn his lesson. Secondly, to send a message to the rest of the players. This is basketball, not UFC.-Josh Neighbors

In the Knick of Time

On March 12, the New York Knicks suffered a 5-point loss at the hands of the East leading Chicago Bulls. Two teams heading in seemingly separate directions.The Bulls (35-9) pursuing a #1 overall seed in the playoffs and the Knicks (18-24) fading fast, losers of 6 straight games. Linsanity had come and gone. Mike D’Antoni was gone two days later and left Mike Woodsen with the framework of a much desired revival that never seemed to get off the ground. Questions swirling, is Carmelo as good as we think he is? Is Amare still a dominant inside threat? Are these additional parts overrated (JR Smith, Jeremy Lin, Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler) worth the price? And the biggest one of all, can this team defend? All the sudden, the 8 seed in the East and an early round exit would seem to suffice for the Knicks. But something changed, and the Knicks won 5 games in a row. In only one of those games, New York allowed more than 100 points. It was 9 days later that interim head coach Mike Woodsen would get his first taste of losing as an NBA coach. And following that loss, the Knicks ripped off 3 more wins. Two of them minus Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin. How were they doing it without two of their “Big Three”? Is it possible? Did Mike Woodsen tell his team they can stop other teams from scoring? That is one theory, or you have the other one, Carmelo Anthony is taking advantage of his counterparts absences and re-asserting himself as a dominant force. Maybe it’s a combination of the two. It appeared to be the case today in New York.
The Knicks (28-27) have been tearing it up as of late, but need that signature win. Chicago rolls in on Sunday for a nationally televised game. At (43-14), the Bulls are in terrific position. Derrick Rose coming back for the game in New York is another extra boost. The Bulls did not show up ready to play, and the Knicks took advantage. At one point, they held a 21 point advantage on Chicago. But the pesky Bulls bared down, and began to grind it out. They dug into the Knicks lead and by the fourth quarter possessed a lead of their own. Derrick Rose was taking control. But in the closing seconds, they could not make their free throws and left the Knicks with a three point deficit. Carmelo got the ball and hit a deep three to tie the game up and sent it into overtime. MSG had not been so alive since Linsanity. But during overtime, Derrick Rose began hitting big shot after big shot. The Knicks were down two and after many hectic shots and tip backs they had the ball with about 15 seconds left. Carmelo took the ball up top and went to work on Luol Deng. With 8 seconds left, he rose up and nailed a three over top of Deng to give himself 43 points on the day and his team a 1 point advantage, which they held onto with terrific defense in containing Derick Rose, forcing a fall away runner as time expired. The New York Knicks had won an absolute dogfight against the best team in the conference. The days hero was no doubt Carmelo. He simply willed his team to victory and has set a tone for the rest of the season. This Knicks team is highly motivated and is lead by the hottest player in the NBA right now. New York will be facing either Chicago or Miami in their potential first round playoff matchup, however if you expect this Knicks team to roll over, you will receive a surprise from Carmelo Anthony and HIS Knicks team.-Josh Neighbors

http://espn.go.com/nba/photos?gameId=320408018&photoId=1990864

NBA Early Season Report Cards: Eastern Conference

With so many teams needing to answer so many questions coming out of the gate this season. I will give some the NBA teams early season grades

Eastern Conference:
Miami Heat (8-4) B: To be honest, The Heat are not looking good so far. After starting off strong, the Heat are now reeling from 3 straight losses. Two of these losses in overtime. Injuries have been an issue, but with the personal on that team, there is no excuse. The Heat also need to improve on the defensive end. You think of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, you think of blocks. Yeah they look nice, but thats not the only part of playing defense. The Heat are giving up almost 100 points per game. That will fly until they get to the playoffs, but to win, strong defense is a must.

Chicago Bulls (12-2) A: I did not think Derrik Rose could look more impressive then he did last year and I was wrong. He has added the three pointer to his game, and his passing has improved. Offensively, there is not a whole lot more. But hey, when you have the #1 defense in the league, there is no need to worry. Tom Thibodeau has this team playing some serious D, only letting up 83.6 points per game. This team is grinding out wins in defensive fashion, the only problem I see this team running into is lack of offensive productivity on the bench. Later in the season, when injuries arise, you need offense from your bench guys. And I do not see it on this bench.

Philadelphia 76ers (9-3) A: Yeah, the 76ers are 9-3. This 76ers team plays fantastic team basketball. 7 players who average double figures in scoring, they are averaging about 22 assists per game. They are 3rd in points per game, 8th in rebounding and 2nd in defense. Doug Collins has done a great job with these team, can they sustain this? I am not sure. The one problem I see with the 76ers is the lack of a pure scorer, there is no go to guy on this team. Andre Iguodala is this teams best all around player, but not a pure scorer. Other then that, this team is rolling.
Josh Neighbors

Week 6 Preview

ACC:  #19 Virginia Tech @ Wake Forest
Virginia Tech is coming off a very emotional win against rival Miami, and when i say emotional I mean for every person who calls them self a Hokie. Logan Thomas finally showed us what he has to off. 23-25 for 310 yards. The question is can we expect this more often from Thomas? Wake Forest’s defense presents a challenge as they forced 5 turnovers last week in their 35-30 win over Florida State. The key to this game is which running back can be more successful. David Wilson looks like the better back, but Virginia Tech remembers Wake Forest’s Josh Harris all to well. Last year, as a freshman, Harris put up 241 yards on 20 carries and had 2 scores. Virginia Tech has some key injuries on their D-line. Harris is questionable for Saturday’s matchup. But if he does play, look for another shoot-out in which the Hokies come out on top 41-31.





Big 12: #20 Baylor @ #21 Texas A&M
The over under on this game is 75. If you like shootouts, this is the game to watch this weekend. Robert Griffen and the high powered Baylor, offense are coming a loss to Kansas State. They will go up against Ryan Tanehill and The Aggies. Defensively, The Aggies are last in the country in yards allowed through the air. Unfortunately for them, the only thing baylor does is throw the football. I know Cyrus Gray is a fantastic back, Tanehill is a solid QB, Jeff Fuller is a terrific wideout, and A&M is at home, but I still think RG3 and Baylor will roll. 45-23.





Big 10: #11 Michigan @ #23 Michigan State:
This game might as well be called the Legends division championship game. I know its early in the season, but whoever gets this one today has a huge edge in the division. Michigan travels to East Lancing for this Big 10 showdown. Michigan possesses the 7th best rushing offense in the country spearheaded by Denard Robinson. The wolverines averages 257 yards per game on the ground. But, today they will face The tough Spartan defense that only allows 10.2 points per game which ranks 3rd best in the country. Teams are averaging 64 yards per game against MSU. Something has to give. I think Michigan State has a huge advantage in this game. If the Spartans can make Denard Robinson uncomfortable, he will make mistakes. He has struggled to settle in when it comes to passing and as a result of this he has thrown 9 interceptions. Michigan State has a running attack of their own, the two-headed monster in Le’veon Bell and Edwin Baker. Kirk Cousins has struggled at times, but I think he will be able to get the Spartans past the Wolverines 31-21.





PAC 12: #19 Arizona State @ #9 Oregon
Gameday is in Eugene this week for a very interesting match up. The Oregon Ducks are without LaMichael James. They face a defense that has a lot of swagger and at the center of it is #7 Vontaze Burfict. The Junior linebacker has 29 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 interception this season. Unfortunately for the defense they have to go up against the most dynamic offense in the country with Oregon. Darron Thomas and Kenjon Barner will be handling the ball carrying duties. The key in this game will be DeAnthony Thomas. The freshmen has the ability to line up in the backfield or in the slot. He leads the team in receiving with 4 touchdowns. On offense for ASU Brock Osweiler has been very solid this year. 1750 yards, 14 touchdown with 6 interceptions. Oregon’s defense is not as solid as it was last year. Once again, we will see some points in this game. i like the Ducks in a tight one. 35-32.





SEC: Florida @ #24 Auburn
A third straight loss for Florida would be heartbreaking. This week they travel to Jordan Aire Stadium to face the surprise Auburn team. If Auburn can win this game they will be in very good position in their division. Michael Dyer and Ontario McCalebb will be the keys to this game. If they can break off solid runs against this tough Gator defense, things will open up for Barret Trotter. I like Auburn 24-21.

Picks Week 5

#16 South Florida @ Pittsburgh             USF:Connor/NW/TB/Josh           Pitt:

#14 Texas A&M @ #18 Arkansas      TAMU:NW/TB/JN            Ark:Connor

Mississippi State @ Georgia        MSU:          UGA:Connor/NW/TB/JN

Air Force @ Navy        AFA:TB/JN         NA:Connor/NW

Nevada @ #4 Boise State       Nev:       BSU:Connor/NW/TB/JN

Auburn @ #10 South Carolina     AU:            USC:Connor/NW/TB/JN

#15 Baylor @ Kansas State        Bay:Connor/NW/TB/JN        KSU:

Arizona @ USC              AZ:           USC:Connor/TB/NW/JN

Michigan State @ Ohio State       MSU:Connor/TB/JN         OSU:NW

#13 Clemson @ #11 Virginia Tech         Clem:       VT:Connor/TB/NW/JN

#17 Texas @ Iowa State           UT:Connor/NW/TB       ISU:JN

Washington @ Utah        Wash:JN         Utah:Connor/TB/NW

#3 Alabama @ #12 Florida      Bama:Connor/TB/NW/JN           Fla:

#8 Nebraska @ #7 Wisconsin       Neb:          Wisc:Connor/TB/NW/JN

North Carolina @ East Carolina        UNC:Connor/TB/NW/JN           ECU:

Notre Dame @ Purdue       ND:Connor/TB/NW/JN       PU:

UCLA @ #6 Stanford         UCLA:       Stan:Connor/TB/NW/JN

Oregon State @ #25 Arizona State        OSU:           ASUConnor/TB/NW/JN

Detroit @ Dallas      DT:Connor/TB/JN        DA:NW

New England @ Oakland      NE:Connor/TB/NW/JN     Oak:

Picks week 4

NC State @ Cincinnati                         NCSU:            Cinci:NW/AR/TB/JN/CJ
San Diego State @ #22 Michigan         SDSU:JN             Mich:NW/AR/TB/CJ
UNC @ #25 Georgia Tech             UNC: AR        GT:NW/TB/JN/CJ
Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh        ND:NW/TB/JN/CJ       Pitt: AR
Georgia @ Ole Miss          UGA:AR/TB/JN/CJ      Miss:NW
#14 Arkansas @ #3 Alabama       Ark:      Bama:NW/AR/TB/JN/CJ
#7 Oklahoma State @ #8 Texas A&M      OK ST:AR/JN           A&M:NW/TB/CJ
#11 Florida State @ #21 Clemson         FSU:NW/AR/TB/JN       Clem:CJ
Colorado @ Ohio State         CU:TB     OSU:NW/AR/JN/CJ
UCLA @ Oregon State        UCLA:TB/JN/CJ       OSU:NW/AR
California @ Washington     Cal:AR/TB/JN/CJ      Wash:NW
Vanderbilt @ #12 South Carolina           Vandy:        USC:NW/AR/TB/JN/CJ
#15 Florida @ Kentucky          Fla:NW/AR/TB/JN/CJ        UK:
Missouri @ #1 Oklahoma      Miss:       Okla:NW/AR/TB/JN/CJ
#10 Oregon @ Arizona       Ore:NW/AR/TB/JN/CJ      Zona:
#23 Southern Cal @ Arizona State       USC:AR        ASU:NW/TB/JN/CJ
#2 LSU @ #16 West Virginia         LSU:NW/AR/TB/JN         WVU:CJ
NFL:
New England @ Buffalo       NE:NW/AR/TB/JN/CJ       Bills:
Green Bay @ Chicago     GB: AR/TB/JN     Chi:NW/CJ
Washington @ Dallas       Wash:NW/TB/JN/CJ    Dal:AR

Picks week 3

#3 LSU @ #25 Mississippi State            LSU:NW/CJ/JN/TB            MSU:AR/RK

#4 Boise State @ Toledo                BSU:NW/CJ/JN/TB /AR/RK          TU:

Connecticut @ Iowa State       UConn:NWAR           ISU:CJ/JN/TB/RK

#18 West Virginia @ Maryland        WVU: CJ/TB/RK            Mary:NW/JN/AR

#21 Auburn @ Clemson            AU:NW/CJ/JN/TB/AR/RK        Clem:

Pittsburgh @ Iowa     Pitt:TB               Iowa:NW/CJ/JN/AR/RK


Kansas @ Georgia Tech          KU:       GT:NW/CJ/JN/TB/AR/RK

Washington @ #10 Nebraska       Wash:       Neb:NW/CJ/JN/TB/AR/RK

#15 Michigan State @ Notre Dame         MSU:NW/JN/AR/RK       ND:CJ/TB

Tennessee @ #16 Florida            Tenn:AR/RK           Fla:NW/CJ/JN/TB

#23 Texas @ UCLA           UT:NW/CJ/JN/TB/RK         UCLA:AR

Virginia @ UNC            VA:RK         UNC:NW/CJ/JN/TB/AR

Navy @ #10 South Carolina        NA:           USC:NW/CJ/JN/TB/AR/RK

#17 Ohio State @ Miami          OSU:NW/AR         U:CJ/JN/TB/RK

Syracuse @ USC        Cuse:TB/AR        USC:NW/CJ/JN/RK

Utah @ BYU        Utah:JN/TB/AR/RK         BYU:CJ

#6 Standford @ Arizona         Stan:CJ/JN/TB/RK       Zona:AR

#1 Oklahoma @ #5 Florida State        Okla:CJ/AR/RK           FSU:JN/TB