Friday, April 27, 2012

NBA Playoff Preview/Predictions 2012

The playoffs are finally here for basketball. After the lockout hitting the league hard, I wasn't even sure if a season was going to happen. That was cleared after a month into the season so that was a huge sigh of relief. I'm fully into the playoffs. The season can stretch a bit too long especially with the NFL playoffs going on. Now the playoffs are here and I'm ready to discuss. This is a full playoff preview but also I'll do the regular season awards from this season. Before I go into it, I got to bring up one thing before I get into it.

A big trade happened on Wednesday and it involves my team. I feel somewhat obligated to talk about it and I'll get into a bit. Asante Samuel coming to Atlanta is a huge move and people are considering it a "robbery deal" The fact that the Falcons only traded a 7th round pick for a guy that is still considered a top cornerback. I'm aware of Samuel being 31 and that he didn't have a great year but think about the potential with this move. The Eagles were a disaster at one point last year and making so many trades. Samuel ripped the company by calling the office making "fantasy football" moves which was a great quote. I'll admit I've never been a huge Samuel fan, but I've always respected him and thought highly of him. The one issue with Samuel is other than being a bit of a diva was his tackling ability which is poor. That being said, Samuel is one of the best ball hawks in the past ten years and is incredible in coverage. He's fast, elusive, and always seems to get his hands on a ball near his way (that sounded wrong but you get the idea). With this move, Samuel will be more motivated and will be ready to win. I'm really excited with this move even though it seems to be an overload. With Brent Grimes and Dunta Robinson, it seems like a bit of an overload. I thought that too but the NFL is becoming a major passing league where you need three quality cornerbacks. The money is a bit expensive especially with Grimes and Dunta making a lot of money, but when you want to win it seems like you need to spend to win. I'm really psyched for this move though and it will push Atlanta to make a run. I think this move puts Atlanta over New Orleans after this move because they are building to stopping major passing attacks. Now let's hope Falcon fans that Matt Ryan's blindside blocker will be decent and the pass rush doesn't take ten seconds to get to the quarterback. Anyway let's talk basketball.

Western Conference Quarterfinals
Let's get it on.

1. Spurs vs 8. Jazz-  If you read my predictions before the season started, I predicted the Spurs to completely fall off. I didn't say they weren't going to make the playoffs but a lower seed at least. That prediction was a major botch with the Spurs blowing me away. The Spurs have been impressive all season thanks to Tony Parker continuing his consistent play and Manu Ginobli staying healthy for the most part. Tim Duncan has been consistent as well but the role players have impressed me. DeJuan Blair continues to improve and Kawai Leonard has really caught my eye with his all around play. Stephen Jackson is a huge x-factor for the Spurs to make a run for the title. They play a Utah team that just clinched a playoff spot Tuesday beating the Suns (I was really pulling for them). Utah is an interesting team because I predicted them to barley make it this year (prediction correct, there we go!). Utah has a nice core but they don't really make you think they're a major threat. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap is a great duo in the front court but that's all the star power they have. My most improved player of the year pick had a very disappointing year in Devin Harris. Harris has struggled with his game this year and hasn't really connected with Utah. That's a concern along with a lack of scoring in the back court. Gordon Hayward has potential but he could really struggle with the physical play in the playoffs. Utah has a nice core and could grow next year, but they are going to have some major problems in this series. Spurs don't pull another collapse like they did last year against Memphis. Utah doesn't have the depth Memphis had last year and Spurs aren't that limited like they were last year. Spurs win 4-0 over Jazz.


2. Thunder vs 7. Mavericks- A year can sure change things in the NBA. While the Thunder have ascended to the NBA elite, the Mavericks seem to be on their last legs. Dirk Nowitzki has begun to age while acquisitions like Vince Carter and Lamar Odom have faltered. Dallas seems to be lacking in major areas to cause any major threat to a complete Thunder team. They could get hot and hit some threes but Oklahoma City plays among the best defense in the NBA. Dallas will have difficult through out the series against a team with more fire power offensively and tougher defensively. This is a night mare matchup for  Dallas that will struggle to match up with the stars. Jason Kidd will have a tough time with Russell Westbrook and Shawn Marion won't stand much of a chance against Kevin Durant. In 2004 the Mavericks would be the best team in the NBA but now they are on the decline. The Mavericks could sneak one win thanks to an explosion by Dirk but that's about it. They are outmatched in almost every area in this series. Thunder win 4-1 over Mavericks


3. Lakers vs 6. Nuggets- I'm really excited for this series because I'm not sure what to expect from either team. The Lakers can play with the best but they can slump into some brutal losses while the Nuggets have an all around solid team but they aren't special in anything. Denver will step up for the occasion though and make this series more frustrating than the Lakers would imagine. They got great depth with advantages at point guard with Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari. Metta World Power will be suspended for likely all of the series and his defensive presence against a scorer like Danilo will be heavily missed. Despite all of this, the Lakers are simply too good to lose here. They have a better big man core with Gasol and Bynum against a weaker Nuggets team. Kobe Bryant is finally healthy and fully recovered so he'll be the main guy to carry the Lakers into the next round. Denver will frustrate the Lakers at times and could steal a few wins with timely consistent play but the Lakers won't let up their with their star power. Andrew Bynum will be a force in this series and be the major difference. Lakers win 4-2 over Nuggets.


4. Grizzles vs 5. Clippers- My favorite series in the Western conference that seems to be so even between both teams. They are very balanced and similar with a strong front court and a balanced back court but with one difference. While Rudy Gay is a far better player than Caron Butler, it won't be that lopsided. The major question is how Memphis choses to slow down Chris Paul. Paul has been a game changed all year for the Clippers and can completely change the game. While Mike Conley has improved, I'm not sure if he can last against Paul. Memphis has better depth than the Clippers but it doesn't seem by that much with Zach Randolph back. I'm not sure how Zach is going to do against a taller and far more athletic player than Blake Griffin which has me concerned about Memphis. They are a fantastic team to watch but they don't seem to stack up well against a Clippers team that has been waiting for this big playoff moment. Both teams are going to go back and forth with their players which will bring it to the dreaded Game 7. With their backs against the wall, the Clippers emerge from the depths of doubters to achieve success away from home. This series could go either way especially with how even it is with the major reason being if Memphis can out rebound them. Chris Paul is a top five worthy player while Memphis doesn't possess that. Clippers win 4-3 over Grizzles. 


Western Conference Semifinals
Scoring at a inhumanly pace defines both men.

1. Spurs vs 5. Clippers-  It will be the clash of young vs wise with both teams against each other. Spurs have all the experience while the Clippers seem new to this. I'm very high on the Clippers but I do see their doubts when the offense can get lethargic and really toned down. They are going to need to push the pace against the methodical play by the Spurs. Without transition buckets, the Spurs will own the paint and half court offense. The stars will all likely show but the role players could be a part. I've watched both benches play and the Spurs just blow them away. San Antonio has a very deep roster that can play any kind of significant minutes. The Clippers don't have that depth to hang around but nevertheless they have two primer stars that can put them over the top for a few wins. They will get trapped playing in a half court offense game which will play right in the Spurs hands. They have enough big men depth to control Blake and they'll make sure to harass him. Clippers need some more development before being a main contender. Unless Chris Paul really begins to dominate both sides of the court, I don't think the Spurs will be affected and control the show with their balanced ring. Spurs win 4-1 over Clippers 

2. Thunder vs 3. Lakers- The biggest series of the conference semifinals has to be this one. With all the star power and the controversy from Sunday, this will be a huge test for the Thunder. They will need to bang down low and not be intimidated by the Lakers size. The Thunder seem to be much more mature and should out class the Lakers with their efficiency. Despite the star power, Lakers have went through many obstacles with chemistry and unbalanced offense. Can they utilize Bynum and Gasol right for the Lakers to pull off the surprising win? They will have their moments but the Thunder are among the most consistent defensive teams in the league. That could be difficult with Gasol always wanting the ball but the same can be said for Bynum. Both men are heavy scorers so I'm not sure what to expect from the distribution process between both men. Metta World Power is a huge x-factor in this series after the major incident with James Harden. I expect him to get booed loudly in Oklahoma City along with playing with an even bigger chip on his shoulder. The scoring should be heavy with Durant and Bryant going back and forth but led by sixth man James Harden and a recovering Russell Westbrook (awful game against the Lakers on Sunday). This will be a really fun series with the Lakers having some big moments beating the Thunder but it won't be enough. They are facing a younger and more improved Lakers team except with a more effort defending the basketball. My pick will be the Thunder to keep the momentum going and showing more support in their coach. I can't buy into Mike Brown and I'm not sure if anyone believes in Mike Brown. It will be a tough process but the Thunder will get enough stops and have their star players perform better with serious advantages at their respective position particularly Westbrook. Thunder 4-2 over Lakers

Western Conference Finals
It all ends here for Parker and company.

1. Spurs vs 2. Thunder- The series will show who is truly the number one seed. Despite the home court advantage going to the Spurs, it won't lay much effect. The aging will eventually affect the Spurs along with the large depth not having much of an advantage. It will be tough for the Spurs to have any answer for Durant when he's on the court. Spurs don't have much options to defend him which will be a massive problem. Durant can score at will and I'm expecting a huge series from him. Russell Westbrook going against Tony Parker could be a special matchup with each player playing at a high level. They are so similar that it makes you wonder who will perform better. It has to be Parker for the Spurs to have a chance in this series. That doesn't seem likely and the Spurs are facing their match right here against a team full of youth and talent. Unless the young role players step up like they have never before, the Thunder will be in control of the series. Tim Duncan could have a difficult time against athletic defenders that don't mind physical play. Duncan will get sick of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka crowding the paint when it's all said and done. This won't end well for the Spurs but it was a terrific season. Oklahoma City goes to the finals for the first time ever with a commanding series performance from Durant along with their front court and James Harden who is always the x-factor. Thunder win 4-1 over Spurs

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
90's rivalries are back!

1. Bulls vs 8. 76ers- This will be a fun matchup regardless of how much better the Bulls are. The 76ers are a fun team to watch with their balance of play and transition basketball. I'm a bit shocked that they fell off this badly but they're still young. They are still lacking that major star that most teams would need unless you're the 2004 Pistons even though they still had a bunch of stars (I considered Bullips and Rasheed Wallace all stars). Evan Turner could be that star but he's still young and can be immature. We all know that Andre Iguodala isn't going to be the franchise guy even though he's a very solid player. The 76ers are missing that major piece which could be the main reason why they have fallen off so bad. That will hurt against the Bulls who have a complete team. I'm not sure what to expect from Derrick Rose with his injury issues but he'll still be the biggest threat. The Bulls still got loads of talent with Loul Deng having a huge year and Carlos Boozer staying healthy. Richard Hamilton was a nice pick up along with a very deep bench that was very productive. The Bulls are the 1st seed for a reason and they'll pull away from the 76ers. They have plenty of muscle inside while the 76ers don't and they can out shoot the 76ers off the court. Kyle Korver has been outstanding whenever I've watched the Bulls this year with his shooting ability and will give teams nightmares through out the playoffs. Despite how complete the Bulls are, I could see the 76ers winning a game in this series because the Bulls tend to take off at times. The Bulls have far too much depth and star power for the 76ers to make it anymore than five games. Bulls win 4-1 over76ers.

2. Heat vs 7. Knicks-  I'm pretty sure this is the most popular series out of all of them. We have two teams that have a huge fan base although their two different kinds. The Knicks have true hardcore fans that may have a good share of clueless fans, but I can't find much bandwagon Knick fans. The Heat might possibly have the worst fan base which is a shame but I've accepted that many Heat fans came after the summer of 2010. Both teams have loads of star power but both teams are very different. Heat have title hopes like everyone expected with their star power even though they had a decent season by their standards. They took care of business, but they left a few big games out there without a doubt. The Knicks had a roller coaster season consisting of clueless coaches being fired, Asian point guards rising then getting hurt, the franchise player finding his mojo after three terrible month, and a different vary of bench players. The Knicks are very hard to judge because I think they are the 4th best team in the East. They have loads of talent and are very dangerous with Carmelo, Amarie, and Tyson Chandler. The issue with the Knicks is that they are so inconsistent and have an identity crisis. They seem to forget to include Amarie in the offense then they have players like Shumpert, Smith, and Davis taking bad shots. Shumpert has loads of potential but he's had his rookie pains. When the Knicks are at their best, they are forcing turnovers and hitting three pointers. That will be difficult against a Heat team that plays intense rotating defense and always seems to be in control even when losing. They go on their runs when nothing seems to go right but then they have their runs when they'll go on a 16-2 run in an instant. It can be very frustrating to watch but Miami is still among the favorites. They may be undersized but with the back court play of Wade and the improving Chalmers, the Knicks will have trouble. Bosh matches up well with Amarie so I think that will be even. Chandler could be a problem but he always seems to fade out of games especially when in foul trouble. He has been a huge upgrade for the Knicks defensively but he seems to phase out of games sometime. This should be a really fun series and I'm sad that I'm not going to any games live. It has been now two years without seeing my favorite basketball team live which is an outrage to me. I'll make sure I go to a Heat game next year regardless if I have to go to New York City or even Brooklyn. Anyway this series will be closer than some predict because the Knicks have momentum and they'll be up for the occasion. Woodson has his players fired up so I see some wins here. Knicks will win both games at home which sounds scary and I'll be pretty concerned if that happens even though I'm predicting it will happen. Eventually Miami wakes up the next two games and closes it out in Game 6 with all the Knick fans crying. Even though the Knicks are going home early again this season, they'll win a playoff game this time compared to last season when Boston swept them. Heat win 4-2 over Knicks

3. Pacers vs 6. Magic- This is a odd series that will get no buzz out of all the games. It doesn't have much star power with Dwight Howard missing this series with his back problem. Indiana was a team that I felt that could make one of the those last seeds in the East but they blew that prediction away. Indiana has a great core of young talent with Danny Granger, Paul George, and Roy Hibbert to name a few. They are very talented that can really blow out teams with their smooth passing and tough defense. They still need a bit more depth but they have more than enough to beat a beaten down Magic team that doesn't stand a chance without Howard. Orlando seems like a tired team that's ready for the off-season to happen. Ryan Anderson might win most improved player of the year which he could win but he's not someone you can rely on. Other than that, Orlando has nothing going for them. Jameer Nelson looks finished, Jason Richardson looks disinterested, and Glen Davis is too inconsistent. Orlando has loads of problems that could be in the lottery next year with the Howard situation. Indiana takes care of business with ease and Tyler Hansbrough will have a breakout performance in this series. Pacers win 4-0 over Magic.

4.Celtics vs 5. Hawks- I'll never forget the fun Hawks Celtics series when the 8th seed Hawks took the 1st seed Celtics to the limit. It went seven games with so many epic games but it's a shame that this series won't top that. This series is considered a bit dull but it could have some big moments with Boston having plenty of momentum going into the playoffs. After struggling early in the season, they've really turned it up with Kevin Garnett having a huge 2nd half of the season and the rise of Avery Bradley. I never thought I see the day of Ray Allen being a bench player yet it has happened now. Ray seems to have accepted that role though and has played well. With Rondo performing at an elite level and Paul Pierce still being consistent, Boston is looking very dangerous as a dark horse. Atlanta on the other hand looks very flawed ever since Al Horford went down with a major injury. I've heard the rumors of a return for Horford but he'll be out at least for one round. That will hurt along with Joe Johnson always struggling in the playoffs. One player that I've seen as a future star for the Hawks has to be Jeff Teague who is really aggressive and can be a play maker. Other than that, I'm not high on the Hawks and don't see them having much of a chance in this series to win more than one game. I'm really looking forward to the matchup between Teague and Rondo because both point guards are very similar to each other. Other than that, I don't see the series being longer than five with Boston outplaying the Hawks for the most part. Josh Smith won't save them this time who is still very maddeningly inconsistent especially against top quality players like Kevin Garnett. Boston goes to the next round with their balanced play especially with Garnett having a big series. Celtics win 4-1 over Hawks.

Eastern Conference Semifinals
Rose versus Rondo, a fan's dream matchup

1. Bulls vs 4. Celtics- Another matchup that brings back fond memories from not too long ago. Who can forget the 7th seed Bulls with rookie point guard Derrick Rose taking a 2nd seed Boston team to seven games. That was so much fun to watch although things are clearly different. Boston really stunk in the first round from the past although last year they were brilliant. This series is going to be very tight even though Boston is getting old but they match up well with Boston. They have the point guard that can hang with Rondo and have perimeter defenders that can lock up on Deng, Korver, and Hamilton. They don't have great depth in the front court but I think Bass and Garnett can hold their own with Noah, Gibson, and Boozer. Garnett is still the best player out of those five but he's never been the greatest rebounder. This series will go back and forth because Boston never goes away and they'll always hit big shots. The Bulls need to use their size to take command of this series and Derrick Rose will need to have a huge series because I don't see many open looks for the perimeter shooters. It will be up to the main stars which are Rose and Boozer to have big performances. I think that will happen but the same can be said for Boston with Garnett and Rondo. Even though Boston is only a 4th seed, this team is going to be a tough out with the momentum they have after a sluggish start to the season. The Bulls will have their hands full but thanks to home advantage and Derrick Rose stepping up even more. They will squeak by Boston in a seven game classic. Paul Pierce will falter dealing with a much quicker and stronger player in Loul Deng. The depth of Chicago will show against a Boston team that doesn't have a deep bench. C.J Watson has stepped up big when Derrick Rose needed rest or is struggling so don't think Chicago will be a liability in the back court without Rose. Bulls win 4-3 over Celtics

2. Heat vs 3. Pacers- A huge mis match series which aides the Heat. Since I'm a die hard Heat fan, the 2nd seed seems like the 1st seed to me even though the first round matchup is more difficult than expected. Still the Heat have to love this series against a team that can struggle to score against elite defenses. Danny Granger can struggle against big competition and that will could happen here. He'll be relied upon but look for the Heat to wake up after struggling in the first round. I expect a huge series from Bosh who has to like his matchup against David West. The Heat will control this series and completely dismantle Indiana who doesn't seem quite ready to play against the big teams. I said before that Knicks are the 4th best team while Boston is the 3rd best team based on how positive I've talked about them. Indiana is a notch below and against the Heat, it could get ugly. Darren Collison will be a liability in this series with his turnover problems since Mario Chalmers is such a ball hawk. The only way Indiana has success is forcing turnovers of their own and Roy Hibbert having a big series. Roy has had some great moments but other games, he seems to get lost in the shuffle. The Heat can be outmatched down low and it will be up to Hibbert to do that. I don' t think that will happen due to lack of experience with playoff pressure and foul trouble. Roy gets in foul trouble far too easily and that will happen against a team like the Heat. With Wade, James, Bosh, and the rest of the core, it won't be much of a series because of how poorly Indiana matches up. Heat win series 4-0 over Pacers. 

Eastern Conference Finals
Rematch!

1. Bulls vs 2.Heat- The rematch will happen just like most people would expect. These two teams are head and shoulders on another level to the rest of the East teams. It showed last year and it showed again this year. I'm expecting a better performance from Chicago this time which means more than one win. They've improved too much to just fall out after five games again. Even though players like Boozer and Noah are coming off quiet seasons, they are going to play a huge part if Chicago can beat Miami. They need to attack the paint and control it which can open everything up for their perimeter shooters. They should have success but with Miami's rotating defense, I'm not sure how much. I'm sure the Bulls will be ready to game plan fully for LeBron after he dominated them. It was also a huge series for Bosh last year with arguably his best five game stretch as a Heat player. Who could forget that Game Three performance with thirty two points? It shocked me but it was great to see Bosh taking it to them. Boozer has never been a good defensive player but he can rebound and can bang down low which makes it pretty impressive. The benches will play a big role in this series and Chicago will have the advantage there but how effective will they be? I'm sure Miami is going to get all the rest they need after sweeping Indiana while Chicago will be struggling with Boston. They will be well rested and they'll be ready to play their major stars huge minutes. I'm sure Dwayne Wade doesn't forget how poor he played last year in this series so he'll have an even bigger chip on his shoulder. This series should be better than last year even though most of the games were down to the wire. It was just Miami getting the job done in the end with their clutch play and efficient defense. I'd expect that again especially with Rose being a huge question mark. I'm not sure if he can handle the role even with plenty of options to pass to. The big three step up even more and a breakout performance from Mike Miller this series will make sure this series doesn't go back to Chicago for Game 7. Heat win 4-2 over Bulls

NBA Finals
Big Time!

2. Heat vs 2. Thunder-  The big matchup that seemed like the likely prediction from most people is my pick. Both these teams are just a notch better than everyone else. This will be another Finals where it will come down to playing fundamental basketball and keeping the turnovers at a minimum. Based on the past few NBA finals, I've seen some horrible decision making from the Heat last year and the Celtics did the same two years ago. The corny phrase "every possession counts" is in affect here because of how good these teams are. Both teams match up well with the superstar matchup in Durant vs LeBron. I'd also expect Wade to guard Westbrook at times in the series although Chalmers can also defend him as well. Miami is going to have to do plenty of rotating because the Thunder like to mix things up particularly with their bench when they use James Harden to play small forward. That can be mis match problems for someone like Mike Miller when LeBron is resting on the bench. The major concern for Miami has to deal with the front court of the Thunder. Ibaka and Perkins aren't major scorers but they know how to rebound and score hustle points. That could make a huge difference against Miami who is considered a small team. The likes of Joel Anthony and Ronny Turiaf need to show up big in this series if the Heat want to avoid failure for another year. This series will go back and forth with both teams relying on their big three for scoring and the role players to play their roles. I'm not convinced Miami's bench can be consistent because they were among the worst bench teams in the league. Other than Mike Miller, it seemed like the Heat bench which is pretty expensive bench seemed to struggle. Udonis Haslem is starting to age and had a poor year while Shane Battier struggled with his shot all year. These players will be needed come playoffs not from just a defensive stand point like Battier will by defending Durant but to hit open jump shots. I've been really going back and forth with this one because it really could go either way with both teams being so talented. Despite the Thunder's recent slip ups against the best teams in the West, they will pull this series out. They have the home court advantage and their size in the front court will make a huge difference. They won't dominate in the scoring column but the rebounding battle always plays a huge role in games. I expect the Big Three to deliver although Bosh will have some poor games going up against a terrific defender like Ibaka. James Harden will have a huge series with his array of scoring despite Miami's great rotating defense. It really pains me to take the Thunder but Miami seems too flawed to win and they don't give me enough confidence to. Thunder win in 7 while Spolestra probably loses his job even though he's an excellent coach. I hit depression mode for at least three days and possibly grow a James Harden beard in disgust for seeing my team that spends the most money not win again. As for LeBron James, well I wish that guy all the best after the Game 7 loss. Just stay away from the bars and out of the news King James. Thunder win 4-3 over Heat

Award Picks
I'm not making up any picks for awards although that may happen in a few weeks. For now these are just the legit awards that will be given out in the next few weeks to players.

      
               The best of the best       

MVP: LeBron James: I'm pretty sure nobody will debate this pick with LeBron having an outstanding year. Nobody comes close in all around stats and LeBron had to deal with Dwayne Wade missing a significant amount of games. LeBron is the easy choice here and will run away with the award. 

Runner Up: Kevin Durant: Durant was impressive as always this season but he simply can't compete with LeBron's outstanding ability of passing and being a play maker. He should win an MVP at some point in his career.

Rookie Of The Year: Kyrie Irving: I had two fantasy basketball teams and Irving was on both teams because were selling him short because he didn't play much in college basketball. He was going to be great this season and put up great numbers so he made me a happy owner. Irving has brought hope to a depressing town in Cleveland with his impressive play. He had the Cavs in striking distance for the 8th seed before an injury put them out of reach. This is another pick that isn't debatable because nobody had an impact like Kyrie for a full season.

Runner Up: Ricky Rubio: If he stayed healthy, he is someone that could give Kyrie a run for this award. Rubio was living up to the hype and made Minnesota a possible playoff team before tearing his ACL. Rubio was becoming very popular with players and fans, so it made the injury very tragic. Hopefully he has a speedy recovery because he showed so much promise with his passing ability and defensive effort. He's not a complete scorer like Irving but he's more of a play maker than Irving. Both players are going to be future all-stars.

Defensive Player Of The Year: Tyson Chandler: This is another pick that is pretty easy. The Knicks haven't played with a true center since Patrick Ewing. Chandler gives them that with great rebounding and shot blocking ability. Tyson improved the Knicks defense efficiency from 21st to 5th. That's a very impressive stat for a team that struggled so much defensively in the past. 

Runner Up: Dwight Howard: Even though he had a bit of a down year by his standards, Howard still changes the game when he's involved. No player in the NBA blocks the rim or holds the paint down like Dwight Howard. He did have injury problems this season and didn't have quite the impact but look for Howard to come back strong next season.

Sixth Man Of The Year: James Harden: James will win in a landslide without a doubt. He's very popular with the fans thanks to his great shooting and beard, but he's really come a long way. He has really slimmed down after looking a bit heavy in college. He's starting to live up to the claim of being the 4th pick of the draft. Harden is the x-factor for the Thunder because he gives them that much needed third scorer. Hopefully he recovers from that punk move Artest made (Metta World Power is another name I call him) and continues his great run because he's fun to watch.

Runner Up: Lou Williams: For the casual basketball fan, I'm sure you have guessed that Andre Iguodala was the top scorer for the 76ers. That's not the case anymore thanks to Lou Williams. Williams is a terrific scorer that can score at will at times. Lou continues to impress and could be a problem in the playoffs for Chicago. Chicago knows a thing or two about great six men, anyone remember Ben Gordon? He's fallen off the map huh? Anyway Lou doesn't start because he's in that tweener role that is too small for shooting guard but isn't a good enough passer at point guard. He'll accept the role at being Bobby Jackson and scoring at will.

Coach Of The Year:  Gregg Popovich: I'm usually against giving coach of the year to the number one seed but I've been so impressed with Popovich. Usually I'll give it to the most surprising team because it shows that the coach has done a terrific job. Instead the surprise teams has been limited and I'm sure nobody saw the Spurs coming in as a number one seed. Even though the Spurs star power is old and their role players are mostly young, they mixed it up perfectly to get the top seed in the West. It just amazes me how he keeps his players motivated to win always when teams tend to take games off. I'm pretty positive he'll win but something could change. Gregg deserves all the praise though.

Runner Up: Tom Thibodeau: Another coach that has a number one seed but still did a terrific job. He got productive year from the likes of C.J Watson and John Lucas when people saw them as afterthoughts. His team beat the Heat twice without Derrick Rose and still captured the first seed. He's a deserving winner and I would have no problem with him winning it even though I feel Popovich should win mainly because he coaches in a tougher conference. Either way though, Thibodeau did a phenomenal job without the services of his franchise player.

Most Improved Player Of The Year: Ersan Ilyasova: This isn't a popular pick and I doubt he wins, but this is my awards pick and he's my pick. Ilyasova came out of nowhere and really started to pick up his play. Once Andrew Bogut got hurt, he took that role and started to produce. He came in 12th in the league with double doubles and was in the top five in three point percentage. Illyasova isn't the typical big man but neither was Dirk Nowitzki and look how he turned out. Ersan has a great shooting stroke but could use a true center beside him. He's been playing well all season and deserves this award but since he's playing for a non playoff team, it will hurt his case.

Runner Up: Jeremy Lin: I'm aware that Lin will likely win but I don't think that's right. He came out of nowhere and took the NBA by storm for about six weeks. He was an impact player and started to become one of the most popular players in the league. That being said, Lin started to fall off once the Knicks got their stars back. Then Lin got injured which left his case lost. I'm not crazy about Lin because once the Knicks got their stars back, he started to look confused and his numbers showed. Lin deserves his due but he shouldn't win this award because he's not qualified enough.

All- NBA Teams
This is the last award that is official. I'm not doing executive of the year or most sportsmanship because I don't know who's going to win that. The All-NBA teams are my favorite award because it rewards all the premier players in the league that deserves their due.

1st All-NBA Team
SF Kevin Durant- Easy pick right here since he's the most premier scorer in the league.
PF LeBron James- Another easy pick & positions don't matter that much with these teams like you've seen.
C Kevin Love- He rose to the occasion this year and joined the elite list of players. Absolute workhorse
SG Kobe Bryant- Another scorer that is a daily award winner from the past eight years.
PG Chris Paul- He's been as good as advertised for the Clippers. He's changed that team to a contender.

2nd All-NBA Team
SF Carmelo Anthony- He's really turned it up in the past month & has been on a huge tear.
PF Blake Griffin- He's been critcized a bit lately but Blake is a stud. Still deserves his praise for his impact.
C Andrew Bynum- I'm not a big Bynum fan but I give the devil his due. He's been a monster this year.
SG Dwayne Wade- He's missed some games this year, but you can't discount him.
PG Tony Parker- He's still the same consistent player that is the main reason for Spurs being first seed.

3rd All-NBA team
SF: Paul Pierce- I'm a bit shocked he's still on, but Paul still performs at a high level for a small forward.
PF LaMarcus Aldridge- Portland was a massive disappointment, but LaMarcus has grown into a true star.
C Dwight Howard- He was quiet by his standards this year, but he's still worthy of a spot.
SG Russell Westbrook- The shooting guard position has been weak. Westbrook has been terrific.
PG Rajon Rondo- I couldn't keep him off the list. He's been too good this season not to get praised.

I'll give honorable mentions to Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, and Al Jefferson for great seasons.

Final Word & Plugs
I wish everyone good luck to their respective teams except the Knicks of course. It should be an epic playoffs although I'm not sure if can top last year. Despite the Heat collapsing, I realy enjoyed last year's playoffs with so many great games. I'm not sure what I'll be doing next week but I'll be covering the series once a week. Regardless of where the games stand, I'll make sure to cover every series once a week although if something huge happens, I'll discuss it the day after like if the Knicks take a 2-0 lead in the series over the Heat (not happening, don't get excited). Anyway here is where you can reach me below and have a good day.


Twitter: @AllenOutraged

Gmail: AStrk19@gmail.com


Feel free to leave a comment below or contact me on any of those links above.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Fights, Draft, & Fun

I'm happy to say that I'll have more free time even though I'm not thrilled about it. Last week was a rough week which is why I couldn't go two editions of The Uncommon One blog. I had to drop a class last week which really frustrates me. I hate quitting on things which is a rarity and I've always hated quitters. It was just to make sure my G.P.A doesn't totally drop because my math teacher and I just didn't co-exist well. He is Indian and doesn't speak English very well with the class being at 8 in the morning. It was just a bad situation and I didn't want a D to destroy my really good semester so far. It still bothers me though because I really pride myself on not quitting unless it's truly the right decision to do. So that got me upset and I had to go out that Thursday night to calm down so things just change like that.

Anyway the topics for today are mostly sports related. Many things are going on but I'll still mix it up. The big story was Rashad Evans versus Jon Jones which will be discussed. The NFL draft is coming up on Thursday night and I have my mock draft ready to go. My Falcons aren't picking until the 2nd round but that doesn't stop me from picking. Now people may remember me saying that I don't watch college football but that doesn't mean I don't read and watch film. I'm always reading reports and catching videos on NFL.com on top prospects so I think my predictions should be pretty accurate for teams. That will all be at the end, let's get started.

Best Man 
The recent major thing happening in my life is my brother getting married. I'm not going to get too personal about it because I always respect people's privacy that I care about. If you read my book, I don't seem too kind about people's privacy that I don't like. This isn't about my book though and I should stop shameless plugging that (e-mail me if you want to, never mind). Anyway its still surreal to me that my brother is getting married which sounds pretty lame. It just seemed like yesterday that we were talking about what time we were taking free kicks at Kessina Park on Saturday. Now I'm lucky to see him twice a month because things are so hectic. My brother and I have the odd relationship from the usual brother- brother or sister- sister or vice versa. We usually get along always because we know how to connect with people. I'm grateful for him because he has tried to keep me as much as possible away from wedding planning. I'm always there for him but he knows their certain things that I really don't care about. That being said, I take the best man with complete responsibility because this is once in a life time and my brother has taught me so much. I'm taking roles to do a speech and to do a reading at a church ceremony. It's the little things like that I don't mind because I don't mind talking and it's not like I have to talk to some random old person. I'm pretty excited but if you follow me on twitter (I don't plug till it ends), I just want this over with because I'm always getting questions when I don't know anything. People would ask me about what's going on in the wedding and since my brother is keeping me out of most things, I don't have a clue. I'm not even positive where the ceremony is being at other than it's in Long Island so that's pretty bad. 

The bachelor party was last night and it was so much fun. My brother is even more laid back than me so their weren't no strippers or guys sniffing lines off a sink. It was just a normal night going out to eat then catching the huge fight with lots of alcohol. That sounds good to me because Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans is a fight that seems to be larger than life. I wanted to do a nice preview for that but didn't have the time for that. Anyway the bachelor party was cool and it made me feel honored to do the cheers with my brothers. I used to watch so much TV so I would be like seven years old watching shows where they're doing cheers and toasts for wedding like the OC. I had no idea that was going to be me one day although I didn't wear some four hundred dollar suit at a bachelor party. A nice black t-shirt and jeans because were simple people but with complex minds. This is my second wedding ever and the first one was really lame. It was my cousin's and I was fifteen but at the time, I just stopped smoking but it was still a weird time for me. It was like early September where I'm still just looking around like I don't have a clue what's going on in my life. This time I'm walking in pretty positive minus a few other issues so at least this will be an upgrade. I'm not sure what to expect from this wedding other than nice diverse population with Portuguese and Croatian people all around. I'm just hoping to not get the million dollar dreaded question of "what do you want to do with your life" by someone because half hour rants about what I want to do isn't usually the right time during wedding. I get pissed off a bit too easily, now you know why I drink. I'm not going to do a full recap of the wedding but I'll do something small like this. It will be on May 12th and I'm looking forward to do a speech. Hopefully I get to use a famous promo line from someone like a Stone Cold or Chris Jericho that make people so confused because nothing is more funnier than old Croatians being clueless. I'm always good for four jokes and some obscure reference during any speech that I do. That's what I'm mostly looking forward to and of course talking to family members my age that I haven't seen in ages mainly because they live upstate and area always busy. That will be cool but other than that, nothing else really jumps out at me. Alright I'm bored talking about wedding things, I love my brother to death and I can't wait to do my speech along with seeing people. Other than that, wedding doesn't really get me all jumpy. Now time to talk violence.

Battle Of Icons
Even though it was a weak card, I thought UFC 145 delivered. I went one for two in predictions of major breakout of the night. Rory McDonald continues to impress and blaze through the competition while Brendan Schaub continues to disappoint. McDonald overpowered Cae Mills with ease which led to a 2nd round knock out. With George St.Pierre becoming a trainer for McDonald, the future seems bright for the 22 year old Canadian. Even though he looks like he's 17, he's going to be a major contender for years to come. Brendan Schaub on the other hand disappointed in a major way to continue his inconsistent career. He has some great moments like when he knocked out Mirko Cro Cop (they showed that clip five times those UFC production jerks, way to rub it in the Croatians face). My brother was overly excited seeing Schaub get knocked out by Ben Rothwell in the first round. Schaub was going for the knockout early and ended up flat on his face. It was pretty disappointing because Brendan had so much fire power in his fists but he's very clumsy which cost him once again. Thank god for the six pitchers of beer on the table because many fights were one sided.

A very sight for hardcore Rashad fans like myself.

The main event was here with my favorite of all time in Rashad Evans against someone that I'm really starting to really like in Jon Jones. I actually have a Jon Jones shirt because I have so much respect for him but no way was I wearing it. I've been a Rashad fan ever since he knocked Chuck Liddell into obscurity. It was pretty clear though once Rashad couldn't take down Jon that it was going to be a long night for Rashad. He got a few nice shots in on Jones in a close round, but it seems like the fight was over after Rashad taunted jones. The taunting was funny but Jones had enough and really started to hammer Evans badly. The tactics were smart by Jones by using his hands to pretend to actually wrestle with Evans then he quickly would go for the jabs. Jones take down defense was tested in 3rd round and he didn't get caught once. It was another dominant display by Jones in his third title defense. The one thing that Jones never got going were his back fists. Jones made a highlight reel off his signature back fist but it never fully connected with Evans well scouting it. He still had success though with some nice combinations with his fists then connected with a knee a few times. Evans did last all five rounds that made him the first person not to get knocked out or submitted by Jones during his title run but he seemed very disappointed. Jones easily won by decision which will continue to make people wonder if he should make the jump to heavyweight. With not much competition left and dominating most of the star power, it seems like the right move for him would to go to heavyweight. With Dan Henderson next and possibly some up and comers like Alexander Gufstasson, their may be not much left for Jones to deal with. The UFC already has one division with a dominant champion in Anderson Silva so the last thing that they need is Jon Jones starting to become an unbeatable king in the octagon. I look forward to see what Den Henderson can bring to the table because he's one of the last guys left that are truly a star. Overall this was a fun fight but it seemed that Rashad was pretty fatigued by the third round and knew that he didn't have a chance going strike for strike with Jones. I got to give it up to Jones though because for a guy that's so strong at striking, he's so discipline and you have to applaud him.

Mock NFL Draft
With the draft happening on Thursday, I've decided to do a mock draft. I've put a lot of time to do research and see clips of what to think of guys. It also helps that I know every team's need so that really helps. The mock draft is for a contest for FalcFans.com which is the best site for Falcon talk. Here's the link if you want to check it out but here's the mock draft link.


The huge complex of craziness.

 1 IND Andrew Luck- They need a franchise quarterback.
 2. WAS Robert Griffin- Read above.
 3. MIN Matt Kalil- They do have some pressing needs but they need the blindside of Christian Ponder protected. Receivers are easier to find than left tackles.
4 CLE Trent Richardson- Since Holngerm doesn't like to pick receivers early, he won't pass on this great talent.
5 TB Morris Claiborne- Talib looks finished, Barber won't last another season, and Eric Wright is inconsistent. I could be wrong here though since Caliborne is a bit unstable.
6 STL Justin Blackmon- They can't pass on him. Rams do have pressing needs but Blackmon could be a huge star.
7 JAC Melvin Ingram- They need more pass rush which has been said for the past four years it seems like. At least Mincey is starting to pick it up.
8 MIA Ryan Tannehill- Matt Moore was decent last year when he came in, but he's not a franchise quarterback.
9 CAR Fletcher Cox- Carolina was the worst run defense in the league last year. They need to add someone desperately to get their defensive up to par with their offense.
10 BUF Riley Reiff- This is an easy pick since the Bills always have offensive line problems and they just lost Bell. A left tackle is a must here.
11 KC Michael Floyd- This is a stretch here because Kansas City have other pressing needs. Floyd is too good to pass up here and he brings some much needed explosion to the offense.
12 SEA Luke Kuechly- One of the most complete players in the draft. He may go higher but just don't see needs for MLBs. Seattle needs one here so this is a no brainer.
13 ARI David DeCastro-I know guards aren't usually picked high but DeCastro is considered to be a top prospect. Arizona could use a few other parts but guard will be worth it.
14 DAL Mark Barron- I can't remember the last time Dallas didn't have safety problems. Safety is a must pick here & I hear Dallas writers are raving about him. This should be a lock if available.
15 PHI Dontari Poe- This is a bit of a risk but he has too much upside to drop anymore. Eagles had problems stopping the run and they'll take a chance here like they always do.
16 NYJ Chandler Jones- Jets have needed a pass rusher for years now and finally get a first rounder. They seem high on Jones although I'm not too sure about him.
17 CIN Stephen Gilmore- With the loss of Leon Hall, cornerback becomes a need and Gilmore could do the trick. He has some off the field issues, but hey it's the Bengals right.
18 SD Courtney Upshaw- San Diego is another team that struggles to get to the passer but they could go with a cornerback here. I'm not sure what to expect here, they are random.
19 CHI Quinton Coples- Another risky pick here but Bears are pretty aggressive. Plus they are looking for Peppers counterpart on the other side and this could do the trick.
20 TEN Michael Brockers- Titans need some major muscle on their defensive line but they could go d-tackle or d-end here. They signed Wimberly and hope Derrick Morgan can break out so I'll go with d-tackle here.
21 CIN Cordy Glenn- Benglas have a solid offensive line but they do have a big hole now that long time guard Bobbie Williams is gone. They could go at d-end here but Glenn is at perfect value here.
22 CLE Mike Adams- With Richardson coming in, they need to improve the o-line mainly on the right side. Adams or Jonathan Martin was a toss up here but Adams is getting more looked at apparently by Cleveland.
23 DET Dre Kirkpatrick- After how poorly that secondary played in the 2nd half of the season, they need massive help. Kirkpatrick has some issues off the field, but he fits well covering up the loss of Eric Wright.
24 PIT Dont'a Hightower- Steelers love taking defensive players or offensive lineman. I'll go with a defensive player and it will be to replace James Farrior. Hightower and Timmons as a long time duo could be gold.
25 DEN Jerel Worthy- This is a reach but the Broncos need help on the d-line at all costs. They have little quality with mostly backups on the front line. Worthy could bring something to the table.
26 HOU Kendall Wright- Texans need a 2nd receiver because Kevin Walter simply doesn't cut it anymore. Wright is a big time long threat that could create several mis matches.
27 NE Shea McClellin- Pats don't have many holes but they could really use a pass rusher. Patriots may trade one of these picks but regardless they need a pass rusher.
28 GB Whtiney Mercilus- He may go in the top 20 but he could fall this low. Packers are in need of pass rushers as well (I've been saying that far too often with teams). What happened to hitting the QB?
29 BAL Coby Fleener- This pick is a bit out of nowhere but Ravens could use a tight end. They haven't had a good one since Todd Heap and Flacco needs all the help he could get.
30 SF Stephen Hill- The overload of receivers continue since that was the only thing really holding the Niners back in beating the Giants last year (catching punt returns would have been nice too).
31 NE Harrison Smith- I don't know if they are keeping this pick, but if they are safety would be smart here. Smith is a bit of a reach but the safety play was horrendous last year for the Pats.
32 NYG Jonathan Martin- Giants have a leaky offensive line and should pick Martin here despite a poor season by him. They could go in a couple directions here but tackle sounds right.

I'm not going crazy over the draft since the Falcons don't have a first round pick. I'll still follow it though and possibly something happens with a trade. A few rumors came out today that Asante Samuel could possibly coming to Atlanta which would be a huge move. I'm not sure how he fits because Brent Grimes just signed a huge franchise deal for the Falcons that will make him sign a huge contract. They also still have Dunta Robinson so it will come down to if the Falcons want three big time corner backs (well two because even as a Dunta Robinson supporter, he has shown that he's not really big time unless it involves drilling people in the head). That's the only big news for me headed into the draft but I'll be tracking it to see how I do with the predictions. I bet I do better than Matt Millen!

YES!

Final Word & Plugs
The last thing I'll say before I take off will be the huge NBA playoff preview/predictions edition that will be up Friday. I'm going to start working on it tonight actually because I see a few playoff matches that are already locked in. I'll make sure it's up by Friday regardless what happens to me since I've been a bit inconsistent. Stay tuned for that because it will be a great read. The NBA playoffs are always fun and I'm really into it compared to regular season when I lose some interest mostly when football is around and March Madness. Now that no distractions are going on, I'm stoked to see what happens this year. Go Heat!



Twitter: @AllenOutraged

Gmail: AStrk19@gmail.com


Feel free to leave a comment below or contact me on any of those links above.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Twitter Takeover

I'm back for another edition of The Uncommon One. I'm not sure if I've actually defined why it's called The Uncommon One but I'll do that right now. Most people could actually grasp what the actual phrase means compared to the old blog. Most people would have to go on dictionary.com when the words "Personification Of Innovation" came up. It just didn't click with people and that's why it had to be changed. The Uncommon One comes from making the blog more unique and it fits with my persona. I'm not very common with my choices of clothes, hair, music, and a few other things. I'm not trying to fit a trend and that's where it comes from. I'm hoping to get a signature similar to the old one I had by next week from my good friend from Manchester England in Joe Craven. He's very talented in making custom signatures and it should look even better as last time. I'm liking the new way I'm doing the blogs because I can focus on just one thing instead of doing daily headlines. The headlines were fun but it could get annoying. I'd rather do long posts on things that have an heavy impact on the lives of myself and many others. If I ever get my own website or if the blog starts to grow, then headlines will start up again. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the posts of just one topic with possibly a few other things from time to time.

Today I'll be going on multiple topics because of how awesome my weekend was. My weekends have been great lately but I don't usually talk about it if it's just personal and were at a bar. I'll only discuss it if I meet someone famous or if I do something out of the ordinary. That happened this weekend and I'll talk about it later. Right now I want to get into how big and great twitter is. Unlike most people that I know, I got into twitter before most people to see how good it is. It turned out to be a much improved version of twitter thanks to more celebrities and not too much bad stupidity. I'm not sure if this is proper English but there is a difference between good stupidity and bad stupidity. The good side to it is mainly fake accounts which I enjoy even though I'm not sure if the person that does it has a life. I'll enjoy the likes of fake John Madden or cranky Vince McMahon. That's good stupidity where it may be fake, but they are usually hysterical. The bad stupidity is mostly on Facebook where people don't speak proper English and re post rap lyrics that aren't even good. It can vary but mostly on Twitter I'll enjoy what people post. It also helps that you can unfollow people and it doesn't seem to be a big deal but on Facebook if you remove someone, its like you kicked them in the nuts or called them a whore. Anyway here is the column which is a bit shorter than usual because I got to talk about my fun weekend.

Tweet Nation

Twitter jokes fella.


I'm not going to fully define Twitter because I want to explain how awesome it truly is. The website is basically a shorter version of twitter but less complicating. It keeps everything you post on your profile but it involves less work and it's the most professional way to connect with people. That's all I'm going to say writing like that because I sound like a desperate promoter that is getting paid for this. I'm not trying to make twitter sound like this "must join" place because it's not. If you don't like the social network idea, well that's your business. Some people are private and you should respect them for it. That being said, twitter has totally taken over everything since the winter. It was fun being alone for a few months with some random friends, but eventually everyone got on the trend. Some people get annoyed when people get on a trend or bandwagon but I usually don't if I'm a part of it which is rare. Twitter is somewhere where most things are tolerable and are positive. It's rare that I get angry from reading a tweet compared to Facebook where I have to see so many ridiculous things. Then you have people using a hash tag when it has zero effect on Face Book. It makes you wonder why people are using hash tags on Facebook and where did they pick it up from? That's why I don't get why people bash twitter because it seems like a more positive place with so much comedy. I think the rate of laughing has tripled since I joined twitter because of so many random tweets. I mentioned the fake twitter accounts but the fact that celebrities are on twitter makes it so cool. I'll admit I'm a bit of a kid when it comes to celebrities because if I meet them or even talk to them. its surreal to me. Some people could care less about famous people while others go insane in front of them. The fact that I've got to interact with some famous people have been incredible. The most memorable one was probably John Abraham if you read from a few months, we got into a twitter war. Many people were asking me about the situation and couldn't believe that out of all of his followers, he chose me to rip on. Then the fact that he told me to go suck a dick was just mind blowing. It doesn't really bother me and I'm happy he's still a Falcon but he certainly lost some points from me. 

It was crazy how people that I knew would make fun of twitter so much. They would make stupid jokes like "I'm thinking of making a twitter, am I gay"? It was just lame jokes like that yet a few months later, people would non stop tweet. I'll admit that I was a bit hesitant to join at first in July but after I wrote my auto biography from last May, people would say that it would be smart. With social media being hot as ever and especially in a role that I'm in where publicity is needed, Twitter was something that became huge to join to promote any kind of work that I was doing. It makes me wonder how crazy it would have been to promote my book on twitter. I can't forget how much people were excited to read my book when I was promoting it on Face Book. People were posting on my wall about wanting a copy and how they wanted to read it. It made me feel so honored which is why regardless of what certain women think about the book, I'm so proud of my work. It makes me want to write a book in the future, but I'll have to wait for the new situation. What I'm trying to tell everyone is that if you're in my position for not just writing but for something that you want to get attention for, you should join twitter. Its great for interaction and can make you meet people global. I couldn't count how many people I know from different places in the world thanks to Twitter. It depends who you are though because some people would absolutely hate to interact with strangers because everyone in the world is a predator apparently. If only people were more interactive and stop wining about everything, I wouldn't be so annoyed with life.

One thing I do want to say about Twitter is that it shouldn't determine life relationships. People get social networking connected with life which is fine to a certain degree. It seems like if you don't follow someone on Twitter, it means that you hate the person. That's something that I never understood because people have the right to follow whoever they like. Once again people are forgetting that Face Book and Twitter are totally different. It's different where you only have to read about five statuses a day on Face Book compared to fifty tweets on Twitter. If I'm your friend and I follow you, I'm only going to tell you if I have a legit problem with you. It may sound shady but it's really not because it should prove that it's nothing personal except that your tweets suck. The one thing that can get bad with twitter is when you have women that tweet about how much their life sucks and they complain about every little thing. I have deleted so many women in the past few months that some women don't even talk to me anymore for that. You would think that they would consider what do guys care about. Do I give a damn about hearing how you hate school every single day of the week? Some guys have patience while people like myself are sick and tired of hearing lame tweets. I'm on twitter to interact about interesting things and not pointless topics like that. Now people could say the same thing about me and how they don't care about much sports that I talk which is fine. I don't care who follows me and who doesn't because at the end of the day, I know I'll have my people to chat with. It really irritates me when women (yes just women because I've yet to have a problem with a guy about it) take Twitter as something that measures a friendship. It shouldn't because this isn't Face Book where they count as "friends". This is something where you want to read and interact with what people have to say and what you want to hear. You can take it however you want, but it baffles me how I'm supposed to continue to read about the lamest things without being affected. I get annoyed easily so either start tweeting jokes or actually funny real life situations otherwise I simply don't care. You could be my closest female friend but if you're lame, I'm not going to follow you. I'll go ahead and follow another Falcon player or another writer that I love reading about. Twitter isn't something to rate people on that you love, it's a place where I want to read things that interest me or make me laugh. If you don't get that message, well then simply don't follow me. 

Despite that mini rant, that's the only negative thing about Twitter. Other than that, I'm consistently on it because I can talk whenever I want without people telling me to be quiet. I can get away with not following with boring people compared to Face Book where if I block someone, it's like the world just collapsed when someone finds out. It's also really cool to follow famous celebrities and athletes especially if you love knowing what is going on with them. It's the new wave of social media and I'm finally admitting that I enjoy it after being hesitant on using it before last summer. Now go ahead and join or continue being whatever you are.

Weekend Of Awesomeness
Now the second part of the column will discuss a pretty random weekend. I'm not going to talk about Friday because I don't have any funny bar stories from Friday night. All I did was see the Knicks dismantle the Wizards and other nonsense. The fun started Saturday where a huge UFC event was being held at Brother Jimmy's. This is a bar and grill in the city but I did have some trouble at first to get in. Despite the huge promotion, you had to be 21 which had me worried. Eventually the boss knew that I was a huge fan and knew about the promotional event so they were kind enough to let me. The promotion never said you had to be 21 to get in but it didn't surprise me. The big promotion for the event was the best (he has the awards to show it) MMA writer in the business in Ariel Helwani. Ariel was the big draw to come to this event which drove me to go. This wasn't a Pay Per View event  so I could have watched this at home but Ariel is someone that is up there with my five favorite writers in the world. We are in this huge basement with like fifty people but I somehow sneaked my way into Ariel's reserved table. I came alone for this event and I'm always aggressive when someone famous is being so open. The table is set with his wife and his brother along with a few other random people. It was pretty mind blowing as the event started. The guy that was in front of me was really picking Ariel's mind which had me jealous. He was a cool guy though and knew way more than me about UFC which is shocking. I'm not going to give the play by play about the card because they're weren't many big names. It was a pretty exciting Pay Per View with only two fights not ending in a knockout or submission. Brian Stann was the huge fan favorite because he's this all American guy that prides himself to be a role model. He had a knockout within three minutes which was impressive. Eventually I got to talk to Ariel a bit and it was pretty surreal. He brought up Mirko Cro Cop on the one guy that  he would love to interview that he hasn't interviewed and it was my spot to say I'm Croatian and that guy is like a hero to me. We started talking about Cro Cop and how even though he was a bust in the UFC, he's still a legend. A cool question asked from the guy next to me about what was the scariest interview that Ariel did? If you're a huge UFC fan, you would remember how much Rampage Jackson would act like a complete bully to Ariel and always act like an a**hole. Ariel doesn't mind Rampage though and said he's calmed down since he's been taken down a few notches. The only interview that had Ariel worried was with Nick Diaz which doesn't surprise me. The interview was about the Nick Diaz-Paul Daley fight. Nick didn't like how Ariel was creating some heat between them and said something that you get slapped for pulling stunts like that. Ariel had no idea what was going on but admitted that he thought something was going to happen. Everyone knows that Nick Diaz is a nut job and can't be trusted so I don't blame Ariel. A few other topics that were brought up was that Ariel hasn't missed a show since September 2009. He was excited to become a father and wasn't too bummed out missing out on Jon Jones versus Rashad Evans. The other thing that I found interesting was how similar we were in terms of mindsets. We both feel like these next few months for UFC are going to be huge for buy rates and bringing in so much buzz to the sport. With Brock Lesnar leaving and the last UFC on Fox being disappointment, UFC hasn't been too hot lately. Eventually the place really started to get packed so Ariel began to walk around and talk to people. Eventually when the main event happened which I thought delivered with excitement. I've liked Alexander Gustafsson for the past year and love his potential. He was fighting in his own home town of Stockholm, Sweden. He was facing a returning Thiago Silva who looked like possessed from his build. Silva never got going though which was disappointing because he looked physically imposing. Gustafsson almost knocked him out in the first round and had everyone yelling but eventually toned down because Silva was defending for his life. The fight ended with a decision win for Alex which should move him up the card. Ariel picked Alex mainly because Silva is past his prime and Alex is athletically superior to him.


The show is over and eventually the place starts clearing out. I'm listening to the post fight show with Mark Munoz and Chael Sonnen. I'm not sure what was more shocking how open Ariel was or that Chael didn't cut a promo about himself. I'd like to point out that I felt a bit out of place talking to some of these guys. I'll admit that football and basketball are my main sports but UFC is starting to become a huge part of me. Still it was blowing my mind how these guys knew everything about everyone. It was tough to hold my own but I didn't look too bad in front of some experts on the table. Eventually after listening to one of Ariel's assistants explain to me how he got the job which was really basic. It was really cool and he kept saying how important college was which made my brain fried. Eventually the place is finally clearing so I got to talk to Ariel alone. Some people don't know this but Ariel is a huge wrestling fan. I had my CM Punk shirt on to catch his attention because Ariel has interviewed Punk twice and it sounded like two friends just talking. Eventually I got in this mode where this guy is my buddy and were just talking for ten minutes about the business and experiences. He admits that he doesn't watch it weekly because he's busy but he ordered Wrestlemania because he knew how good CM Punk versus Chris Jericho. The one major question I had to ask him was the Brock Lesnar Undertaker face off. Most people would remember this from last year, Cain Velsaquez beat Brock Lesnar for the championship which led to Brock all bloody and not knowing what was going on. He is walking out of the arena while Undertaker is getting interviewed by Ariel. They had the face off and Ariel admitted he had no idea what was going on. He was in the middle of two giants that might get into a scrap. We talk some more about the business and how it seems to be on the rise but he's still let down that they watered down the CM Punk rebel character. The last cool thing Ariel mentioned was that he had a radio station based on wrestling in Montreal in the late 1990's. People might think that's not major but it really is since wrestling is like a religion in Canada. It's also the 1990's where Bret Hart was considered a icon in Canada. It blew my mind when he said he was at the Montreal Screw Job and still believes that it wasn't a work which means that the entire thing wasn't scripted. I still think it's a shoot regardless what people think because both Bret and Shawn Michaels really hated each other.Ariel was an overall stand up guy talking about both companies which some people think are rivalries. I'm really appreciative of the event and it was cool to see a writer that covers UFC but still is a fan of wrestling because most people only like one sport. I've met a decent amount of famous people, but nothing has topped off meeting Ariel. I'll probably recap all the famous people I've met someday and the experience, but the fact that I got to talk to whatever I want with Ariel was cool. I wish all of him the best in terms of being a father and his writing career. His wife was really nice even though it still shocks me that she can watch such a brutal sport. She didn't look like the hardcore chick that would be into UFC, but she seems very supportive of Ariel. Overall this was a memorable experience and Ariel said this hopefully won't be the last. I wish more famous people would be more open like this and not be so plain with answers to questions. It has happened most of the time but you will get some people that are so open and cool. We took a picture and I headed out to see my friend from England. Thanks again Ariel!

Happy adults that love real and fake violence!

Before I finish up this edition, I want to give a few shout outs. My buddy Matt from England came to New York this weekend and I met up with him. He's a really cool dude that's down to earth and was a joy to hang out with for a few hours. I was pretty burnt out from traveling all day and taking so many subways, but I wanted to hang out with him. Another shot out is to A.J DiVanna who is a friend of mine. We don't see each other much, but he always seems to be excited when he sees me either in real life or on the internet. That's always cool and I always liked him from drinking experiences. The last shot out is to the softball team that I'm a part of. I don't really play because I'm not very good at hitting or playing the sport. The team needed me against our bitter rivals so I played in jeans and my new jersey. My jersey number is number one because only idiots wear number one in baseball so it fits. We get blown out 14-5 in a really brutal game with errors everywhere. I'm so out of placed as catcher and I'm completely dreading the 2nd game. I'm only one for four hitting but the game is close 4-3. With two men on base, it was my time to shine. I hit a laser over the short stop and now I'm a hero. Out of nowhere, I have two runs batted in and the entire dug out is clapping for me. They are absolutely going insane which has me speechless. It led to a five run inning and now everyone is praising me. The game ended in a tie because the extra innings only get one inning. It was an exciting way to tie with our stud center fielder Alex  Chateau throwing a laser from the outfield to get the runner at home out. I didn't have to make the catch or tag because our pitcher Will C (his last name is too long) made the catch and tag. He saved me so many times because I'm a misfit and I have no business playing in a big game like this. I'm excited for the softball season even though I hope I'm only going to pinch hit once in a while for now on. I'm very awkward with a baseball glove in my hand. That's all for now but I'm sure their will be more stories about the world's favorite s***show team known as the Deadly Alliance. Until then, hope you have a great day and here are the plugs below to contact me. I'll be back on Friday with something new. I'm not going to spoil it but it won't be sports. I'll be doing a huge NBA playoff preview next week so I want to hold off on sports discussion. I'm aware that UFC is a sport but it was a memorable experience that I couldn't keep quiet.

Plugs

Twitter: @AllenOutraged

Gmail: AStrk19@gmail.com


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