We do a weekly update on major NFL transactions. We include signings, releases, and also players who are put on injured reserve, because they are lost for the year. You can check out the Week 5 transactions here and work your way back through the season.

Additions

Redskins (add OT Levi Jones) – Jones, the long-time Bengal, comes in to try to stabilize an offensive line that has been ransacked by injuries. Washington is playing without regular OLT Chris Samuels, who suffered a season-ending and perhaps career-ending neck injury, and while Jones is not a great option at left tackle, he could be at least serviceable.

Eagles (trade for LB Will Witherspoon) – You can read more about Philadelphia’s acquisition of Witherspoon in this post. The fact that Philly had to put fill-in MLB starter Omar Gaither on injured reserve with a Listfranc injury in his foot later in the week only made the acquisition of Witherspoon more vital.

Panthers (trade for DT Tank Tyler) – You can read more about Carolina’s acquisition of Tyler in this post.

Packers (add RB Ahman Green) – Green Bay put third-down back DeShawn Wynn on injured reserve with a knee injury, and to replace him they brought back Ahman Green, who starred with the team from 2000 to 2006. Green, who most recently was a bit player with the Texans last season, fits in as a backup to Ryan Grant and should also fall behind Brandon Jackson on the depth chart, but he could provide a little bit of help if he plays in limited spot duty. This move doesn’t solve any major problems, but it does make Packers fans happy. So there’s that.

Rams (trade for WR Brandon Gibson) – You can read more about St. Louis’ acquisition of Gibson in this post.

Chargers (add CB Dante Hughes) – The Chargers haven’t gotten good play out of their secondary, so they are taking a look at Hughes, who was a third-round pick by the Colts in 2007. It’s a long shot, but Hughes showed potential at one time and thus could conceivably help.

Chiefs (add NT Kenny Smith) – After trading Tank Tyler to the Panthers, the Chiefs brought in Smith, who comes out of the Patriots’ system. Smith is more of a true nose tackle than Tyler, so he’ll at least fit the system better. But it remains to be seen if Smith can actually perform at the NFL level.

Subtractions

Bengals (put OLB Antwan Odom on injured reserve) – Odom, who has broken out this season as a pass rusher with 8 sacks, was hurt last week against Houston and now will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles tendon. That’s a huge loss for the Bengals, who don’t have other great pass rushers. To fill Odom’s roster spot, the Bengals brought back Orien Harris, whom they traded in the offseason. Harris is a warm body, but not someone who’s going to make an impact.

Jets (put NT Kris Jenkins on injured reserve) – Jenkins (aka Jackpot) is a huge man who’s one of the biggest run-stuffers around. His absence, caused by a knee injury he suffered last week vs. Buffalo, will be hard for the Jets to overcome because they don’t have another player or combination of players who can wreak havoc inside. Now that opponents can single-team the Jets’ nose tackle, fewer blitzers will break free. The Jets brought back Howard Green to be in the NT rotation, but neither Green nor anyone else on the roster can come close to replacing Jenkins.

Browns (put LB D’Qwell Jackson on injured reserve) – The Browns don’t have many good players, but Jackson, who was one of the leading tacklers in the league last season, was one of them. But Jackson suffered a torn pectoral muscle that will cost him the rest of the season. That’s a big blow to a Browns defense that’s painfully bereft of playmakers.

Falcons (put CB Brian Williams on injured reserve) – Williams, a late signee in Atlanta, had established himself as a starting cornerback and had helped to stabilize a secondary that entered training camp with many questions. Now those questions return. Atlanta brought back DB Jamaal Fudge to replace Williams on the roster, while Chevis Jackson will get the first shot to replace Williams in the lineup.

Patriots (cut WR Joey Galloway) – The Patriots looked to the veteran Galloway as an outside receiving threat, but he never fit in with the Pats, even though he beat out Greg Lewis in the preseason. Now the Patriots turn to youngster Sam Aiken and rookie Brandon Tate to step into that spot in three-WR sets.

49ers (put LB Jeff Ulbrich on injured reserve) – Ulbrich will have to miss the rest of the season due to concussion-related problems. Matt Wilhelm, who starting at inside ‘backer in San Diego last year, comes in as a solid if unspectacular option.

Buccaners (put FB B.J. Askew on injured reserve) – Askew, the Buccaneers’ top fullback, will miss the rest of the season with a neck injury.

Bears (put LB Pisa Tinoisamoa on injured reserve) – Tinoisamoa (aka the Tower) will have to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. That’s a blow to the Bears, who planned on the Tower starting at outside ‘backer entering the season. This also makes for a disturbing week for the two guys that Football Relativity has nicknamed thus far – The Tower and Jackpot. My brother Chase believes it’s a curse. (See the comments on this post.) And there is a player that needs to be very, very nervous. He shall be called Spanx. You will find out who and why very soon.

New York Giants :
*Waived (OL)Andrew Carnahan from Injured Reserve
*Re-Signed (DT)Dwayne Hendricks to Practice Squad

Philadelphia Eagles :
*Re-Signed (OL)Dallas Reynolds to Practice Squad

Washington Redskins :
*Signed (WR)Anthony Armstrong/Dolphins to Practice Squad

Chicago Bears :
*Placed (LB)Pisa Tinoisamoa on Injured Reserve

Detroit Lions :
*Signed (DT)Joe Cohen/Raiders to Practice Squad
*Signed (CB)Jahi Word Daniels/49ers to Practice Squad
*Released (DT)Jervonte Jackson from Practice Squad

Green Bay Packers :
*Signed (RB)Ahman Green/Texans
*Placed (RB)DeShawn Wynn on Injured Reserve

Minnesota Vikings :
*Released (QB)John David Booty from Practice Squad
*Signed (CB)DeAndre Wright/Lions to Practice Squad

Atlanta Falcons :
*Released (QB)D.J. Shockley from Practice Squad
*Signed (RB)Antone Smith/Vikings to Practice Squad

Carolina Panthers :
*Signed (S)Keith Lewis/Cardinals

Tampa Bay Buccaneers :
*Claimed (OL)Shawn Murphy off Waivers from Miami Dolphins
*Waived (WR)Kelly Campbell from Practice Squad

Arizona Cardinals :
*Signed (LB)Brandon Renkart/Jets to Practice Squad
*Released (LB)Lee Robinson from Practice Squad

St. Louis Rams :
*Signed (OL)Phil Trautwein from Cleveland Browns Practice Squad
*Waived (WR)Nate Jones

San Francisco 49ers :
*Signed (RB)Keon Lattimore/Cowboys to Practice Squad

Seattle Seahawks :
*Signed (OL)Mike Gibson from Philadelphia Eagles Practice Squad
*Re-Signed (OL)Kyle Williams to Practice Squad

New York Jets :
*NFL Suspended (S)James Ihedigbo for 1 Game
*NFL Suspended (LB)Marques Murrell for 1 Game

Cleveland Browns :
*Signed (TE)Michael Gaines/Bears
*Signed (TE)Colin Cloherty/Colts to Practice Squad

Houston Texans :
*Signed (LB)Jamie Winborn/Falcons
*Re-Signed (DE)Tim Jamison to Practice Squad

Kansas City Chiefs :
*Signed (DT)Kenny Smith/Patriots
*Waived (LB)Justin Rogers
*Signed (DT)Marlon Favorite/Panthers to Practice Squad

Wintergrass congratulates all of the Wintergrass 2010 performers who have been nominated for awards in 2009.

Just Plain Folk Awards:

John Reischman & the Jaybirds- Bluegrass Album of the Year

Andy Hall(Infamous Stringdusters), Trisha Gagnon (Jaybirds)- Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year

The WIYOS-Roots Album of the Year

Andy Hall-Roots Instrumental Album of the Year

Nick Hornbuckle(Jaybirds) Roots Instrumental Song of the Year

IBMA Awards:

The Infamous Stringdusters-Instrumental Group of the Year

The Lonesome River Band-Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year

The Lonesome River Band-Instrumental Recorded Performance of The Year

Sammy Shelor(The Lonesome River Band) -Banjo Player of the Year

Andy Hall(Infamous Stringdusters)-Dobro Player of the Year

Kenny Smith-Guitar Player of the Year

Weil ich gerade aus einem kurzen Urlaub zurückgekommen bin, packe ich heute nur die versprochene Platte von Kenny Smith & The Loveliters auf den Blog. Aber was heißt “nur” – das Stück ist hammergut und ich kann es gar nicht oft genug hören.

Am Sonntag gibt’s wieder mehr Text.

Wede

Kenny Smith & The Loveliters – Go For Yourself

Wintergrass is hosting their first-ever song writing contest. Writers are asked to submit a song with the theme, Bluegrass in Bellevue.  The winning song will be performed by Kenny and Amanda Smith at Wintergrass.  Rules to be posted soon, but for sure, extra points will be given for tragic or funny and lots of bonus points will be given if you can combine tragic and funny in the same song.  Start writing and check back on the blog or the Wintergrass website for information on how to submit your tunes.

The Ashville, North Carolina bluegrass band The Steep Canyon Rangers have been added to the Wintergrass 2010 lineup. And the Vancouver, WA Bluegrass Regulators. So far the lineup includes:   

Lonesome River Band (Th)

Tim O’Brien (Fri)

Steep Canyon Rangers (Fri)

The Infamous Stringdusters (Fri&Sat)

The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band (Fri&Sat)

Väsen & The Duo (Mike Marshall & Darol Anger) (Fri&Sat)

Crooked Still (Fri&Sat)

The Wilders (Sat&Sun)

Dry Branch Fire Squad (Sat&Sun)

Seldom Scene (Sat&Sun)

Prairie Flyer

Downtown Mountain Boys

The Bluegrass Regulators

One Horse Shy

The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band will be performing at Wintergrass 2010. The band featured both the singing of Kenny and Amanda Smith and Kenny has won the IBMA Guitarist of the Year twice and the band won the Emerging Artists of The Year award in 2003. Kenny performed with The Lonesome River Band for 6 years.  The band has released 5 albums and Kenny has released a solo album and has a new guitar instruction DVD. Their 2007 Rebel CD “Tell Someone” The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album category.

Band members are Kenny Smith-guitar,vocals Amanda Smith-guitar,vocals Aaron Williams-mandolin Zachary McLamb-bass

Wintergrass 2010 at the Bellevue Hyatt Regency will have a one day Wintergrass Academy this year with the emphasis on the guitar. The instructors will be Dudley Connell of The Seldom Scene and Kenny Smith of the Kenny & Amanda Smith Band.

Dudley will be teaching rhythm guitar and Kenny will be teaching lead guitar.

Dudley prior to playing with the Seldom Scene spent over 10 years with the traditional bluegrass band the Johnson Mountain Boys and has performed with the bluegrass supergroup  Longview.

Kenny performed with the Lonesome River Band for 6 years prior to forming his band with his wife Amanda Smith. Kenny has won the IBMA Guitarist of The Year award twice.

Details will be posted on the Wintergrass 2010 website  soon.

Kenny Smith wurde in Maysville/Kentucky geboren und ist in Cincinnati/Ohio aufgewachsen. Cincinnati ist Kenny auch als Musiker treu geblieben und hat die Stadt außer für den Militärdienst nie verlassen. Seine erste Band gründete er bereits auf der High School: The Enchanters. Die Band hat es immerhin zu ein paar Aufnahmen beim King-Ableger Deluxe gebracht. Danach heuerte er bei Fraternity an, wo er hauptsächlich als Songwriter und Produzent arbeitete. Als Sänger trat er seltener in Erscheinung, weil er sich selbst nicht für besonders talentiert hielt. Und so blieben seine eigenen Songs eine Art Nebenverdienst. Immerhin hatte er auch ein eigenes Label namens Goldspot, auf dem auch “Lord What Happened To Your People” herauskam, das in der Northern-Szene großes Ansehen hat. Die bei Funk-Freunden “bekannteste” Platte hat Kenny Smith mit The Loveliters aufgenommen. “Go For Yourself” (Den Track liefere ich in den kommenden Tagen noch nach) wird von einigen DJs gerne als Dancefloor-Filler eingesetzt. Kennys beste Songs wurden von Shake It Records zu einem Sampler zusammengefasst: “One More Day”. Leider gibt es ihn nur als CD.

Kenny startete noch eine weitere Karriere: Er wurde Verlagschef  bei General American Records und machte für das Unternehmen eine Fernsehshow: Soul Street. Dort empfing er zwar illustre Gäste wie James Brown oder Gladys Knight, die Show floppte aber und wurde bereits nach zehn Sendungen abgesetzt.

Auf “Soup Bone” bin ich ganz zufällig gestoßen und die Platte war mir vorher auch völlig unbekannt. Weil ich aber den Titel aber sehr interessant fand und während meines Ausflugs zur Bay ein Rinderhesse vor sich hinköchelte, habe ich die 45er mal auf Verdacht entstanden. Es hat sich gelohnt. “Soup Bone” ist vielleicht nicht unbedingt besonders tanzbar, aber zum Start des Warm-up eine wunderbare Gelegenheit, meine Vorliebe für Schweineorgeln auszuleben. Und die eigentliche A-Seite “You’ll Lose A Good Thing” ist wirklich eine wunderschöne altmodische Ballade.

Kenny Smith & The Loveliters – Soup Bone

Kenny Smith & The Loveliters – You’ll Lose A Good Thing

Gerry Dee has become one of my favorite comedians.

Interview with Charles Barkley uploaded yesterday:

On this day in 1995 Kenny “The Jet” Smith, playing for the Houston Rockets, set a Finals record with 7 three pointers in an overtime win against the Orlando Magic. The Jet is currently an analyst alongside Charles Barkley for the Emmy Award winning Inside the NBA on TNT.

Last night I watched the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of their best of seven Eastern Conference finals series.  Cleveland is now down 3-2 as they go back to Orlando.    LeBron James had an incredible 4th quarter-one of the best I have ever seen.

He had a hand in 32 straight points scored by his team!

Until Orlando began to foul at the end, there were only 3 possessions LBJ wasn’t involved in – and all three times the Cavaliers missed a shot.

LBJ finished with 37 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.

I listened to the TNT guys after the game and Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley didn’t seem to think it was a good thing that Lebron took over the game.  New York Times article.

Still, James has been given a heavy weight in this series. “That’s a great, great player doing great, great things,” the T.N.T. analyst Kenny Smith said. “But to me, that’s discouraging that a guy has to do that much to will a team to win a basketball game.” His fellow analyst Reggie Miller agreed. “They are putting so much pressure on this kid to do so much and he needs some help,” he said.

Sorry guys, it was the right thing.

Everyone always says, “so and so needs to put their team on their back”.  LBJ did that and carried his team to victory.

James had 4 assists in the final quarter-finding the open man when the double team came.

A couple of years back in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals;  Game 5 to be exact James scored 25 straight points against the Detroit Pistons-often times you hear how James needs to be more selfish that he passes the ball too much late in the game.  So here he is going to work, like everyone wants and he gets blasted for it.

To me, you as a fan need to make up your mind-what do you want him to do?  Great players, no make that superstars take over games!

-Coach Finamore

Hoops135@hotmail.com

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

Diddy’s Boys, aka Day 26 finally deliver their self-titled debut album,
singing the same familiar tune over all-star production.
The five-man group of Brian, Mike, Q, Rob and Will came into their own
during the fourth installment of Diddy’s “Making The Band” reality
show. And honestly if you want to really know who the group members are
personally, you’re better off watching the MTV reruns.
Sonically, the debut is everything expected from a Bad Boy project; the
production is BIG. Ranging from upbeat, bouncy club singles to the
multi-layered rhythms of sensual ballads, the budget was certainly
spent more on the production side. Standout tracks like the summertime
 smash “Silly Love” and the club single “Got Me Going” are surefire
 body-movers.
 

Lyrically and conceptually however, the album is very cliché and
 manufactured. It can be detailed something like this – 2 ‘I Miss You’
 songs, 1 ‘Ride or Die Chick’ song, 1 ‘What Would I Do Without You’ Song
 and 6 Sex Songs – with singles in between. Seemingly, the artists
 themselves had no actual input into anything that went into the
 creation; there is no personal relationship established or any insight
 to the group’s direction or purpose, besides a club hit.
 Vocally, the Making the Band Boys aren’t distinctive; at times it was
 difficult to distinguish who was who. The lack of personality and
 identity further contributes to the lackluster outcome that most
 factory-processed bands unfortunately suffer. Hopefully this isn’t the
 same with Day 26.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The duo of rapper/crooner Cee-Lo Green and producer Dangermouse that make up Gnarls Barkley return for a second serving of exotic tunes with “Odd Couple”, a thirteen-track bliss-ride into a dimension all their own.

After a smooth, airy start with the enchanting “Charity Case”, and the hollow, empty sound of “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul” the album picks up speed with “Going On” and the current single “Run.”

Their ability to produce the sound of a full-feature band coming from two artist shines throughout, as Dangermouse’s retro-but-futuristic production joins with the easily identifiable stories of Cee-Lo. The high-pitched southerner is able to experiment and explore while Dangermouse plays the background providing the canvas.

Gnarls Barkley goes places unimagined to their respective genre’s, which makes them a very unique pair; the primitive self-actualization of “Open Book”, the teenage rebellion of “Whatever”, the love lessons of “Surprise” and the playful undertones of “Blind Mary” define the group as having no definition.

It’s an old-school sound that’s refreshing, something rarely found in music today. Although short with a majority of the songs clocking in slightly over three minutes, the group pushes the envelope and leaves you wanting more. Fitting into no categories, Gnarls Barkley is truly an Odd Couple that meshes perfectly to produce some great music.

Downloads: “Surprise” “Blind Mary” “Open Book”

Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

Quietly reaching his ninth solo album, Brooklyn’s underrated son AZ
provides a nostalgic look at rap’s Golden Era on Undeniable delivering
rhymes as slick and smooth as the beats that support them.
However, missing are the street-slick, ghetto-gospel grittiness of past
beats and rhymes. Similar to Jay-Z’s Kingdom Come, AZ takes a more
retrospective, established, and sophisticated approach; a man who has
seen fads and trends of the industry come and go while still remaining
true.

Soulful, melodic and sample-driven beats reign supreme on Undeniable,
allowing AZ to reminisce on his ten plus years in the game. The players
ball-like “Life on the Line” and the harmonious “What Would You Do”
paints AZ at a podium receiving his rap-certification. The light and
upbeat production of “Fire” shows that effortless and almost mechanical
flow that he’s known for and “Dead End” provides the perfect backdrop
for a hazy summer on New York streets.

When he’s not instructing a course on lyricism, AZ is fulfilling the
other side of his dichotomy with attempts at crossover appeal. “Parking
Lot Pimpin”, “Undeniable” and the potential hit “Go Getta” with Ray J
displays the wordsmith’s savvy adaptation to today’s club-governed era.
Although lacking the subject matter and direction of classics like Doe
Or Die, the street-savvy appeal of Aziatic is there, providing a median
for the two extremes. With Undeniable it seems that the only thing
being denied to AZ is real mainstream success. But judging from this
attempt, it doesn’t faze him much.

Downloads: “What Would You Do”, “Go Getta”, “Fire”

"Okay, Mo, you are no longer our point guard, because Lebron is going to handle the ball for the rest of the game while you stand stationary on the wing and watch him do something Lebronesque that will hopefully lead us to a win." What else could Cleveland Cavaliers head coach have said during this meeting late in the third quarter?

Between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers, the Magic are the better team. The Cavaliers have the best player, however. That player is Lebron James, who, predictably, did exactly what NBA Commissioner David Stern was hoping he would. His Majesty notched the fourth triple-double of his playoff career with 37 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists, taking over late with, predictably, a little help from his official friends.

James, entering this must-win Game 5, didn’t want to have to score a ridiculous amount of points for his team to win. What he failed to realize is that his supporting cast is so paltry that Cleveland only wins if he goes crazy.

The Cavaliers don’t run an offense. They have one play, which is called ‘let’s-give-the-ball-to-Lebron-and-hope-he-scores.’ On this night, it worked. James had a hand in 32 points in the fourth quarter; he scored 17, and dished assists that amounted to 15 points by his teammates. The only reason they scored any points in the fourth quarter was because the Magic converged on his continuous drives and left them open. This was a good decision. How were the Magic defenders supposed to know that the likes of Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson would reward James? They hadn’t in the previous four games. This was a freak accident, and will not happen again.

Holding a six point lead late in the fourth quarter, the player ran the play, drove into the lane and initiated contact with Orlando’s center Dwight Howard. Howard was straight as an arrow, and did not commit a foul. James ran right into him, and clearly should have been called for an offensive foul. Yet, a whistle was blown, as one of Stern’s cohort’s followed continued to follow his orders, on Howard. It was his sixth foul, disqualifying him for the remaining two minutes. To make matters worse, James’ shot went in.

After the Cavaliers ten-point win that forced a Game 6 in Orlando, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and the infamous Charles Barkley weren’t impressed with the victory. Smith repeatedly asked Reggie Miller, who is clearly salivating over the possibility of a Cavaliers-Lakers finals, “Can Lebron do this two more times?”. It was a simple question, one Miller did not answer. Barkley chimed in saying, “If he does that two more times, Orlando shakes his hand.” This was Smith and Barkley’s way of saying that there is no chance he can duplicate this performance. Here’s the problem for Cleveland: Lebron will need to prove Smith and Barkley wrong to win the series.

The Cavaliers held a 22-point lead in the first quarter. Even at home, this was not a safe margin. The Magic turned the tables in the second quarter, and climbed within one on a three-pointer by Rashard Lewis at the halftime buzzer. This further proved that Cleveland doesn’t have the talent to keep up with Orlando. Yet, they regained their composure, and were down only one entering the fourth period. This is when the play went into full effect.

Orlando didn’t have an answer for James, but that doesn’t mean–even though Cleveland’s tactic managed to pay dividends–that it’s a recipe for prolonged success. The Magic, after making seventeen three-pointers in Game 4, were surprisingly outscored in this department, managing to drain only 8 of 25 attempts, while the Cavaliers canned nine. They weren’t at their best, yet they managed to overcome a huge early deficit, exploit many Cleveland weaknesses, and prove why, even with this loss, they are vastly superior.

Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy voiced his displeasure with the Cavaliers system, saying “the game is basically all Lebron, all the time…if he get’s into the lane, it’s automatically a foul. We have to find a way to stop that.”

Gundy should be thrilled: Orlando heads home, to the friendly confines of Amway Arena, where a one-play offense and one-man shows go to die.

When teams get out to big leads early in games, most people think it’s over.  But the problem is, there is always plenty of time to get back in the game.  You can’t give up!

The Orlando Magic got down 16 last night in the early going against Cleveland and managed to battle back to win 107-106 and take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

Notebook:

An amazing stat tells us that the Cavaliers, in eight playoff games have not sat in their locker room, trailing! On cue, the Cavs led by 15 last night at the break.

How about LeBron James being out on the floor shooting three hours before game time!

“I watch a lot of film and there’s always room for improvement.” James told John Thompson in an interview before the game.

Interesting conversation between the TNT guys Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller on their All-Time starting 5 in the NBA.

Miller: Kareem, Hakeem, L Bird, Michael and Magic.

Charles: Wilt, Russell, Stockton, Michael and L Bird.

The Jet: Magic, Michael, L Bird, Timmy Duncan and Russell

Finamore: Magic, Michael, L Bird, Kareem and Russell.

This is a tough thing to do but hey, it makes for a lot of fun.  You can’t go wrong with all these guys but Charles, no Magic on your five?

On the ‘Who’s Better Lebron or Kobe’ debate – Jerry West, A.K.A. the Logo made some comments on who he thought was the better player.  Kobe responded, “I can get 35 a night, but I’m all about winning championships.”

At the start, the Q was rocking.  The music was loud and the lights were flashing.  My girl J-Hill twittered, “Since when did the Cavs play in a club?”  And she also added, “Did the Cavs hire Funk Master Flex?”

First play of the game saw LBJ throw a gorgeous pass to an open Anderson Varajao for an easy deuce.

How about Dwight Howard throwing down a dunk and almost tearing the building down!  That man is a beast.  While the players waited around one minute into the game Rafer Alston and LBJ chimed in.

“This is like summer league back in New York City.”  Alston said about the shot clocks being placed in each corner of the arena.

“We did this during AAU.” Said James on the clocks being on the floor.

I love how Cleveland utilizes the dribble HO’s.  (Hand-offs).

The Cavs jumped all over Orlando in the early going (28-14).

I hope people stop their talk about Dwight Howard being limited on offense.  The dude was clicking last night.  First he had the ‘Larry Johnson move going – drop step into the lefty hook. Then he caught the ball, faced up and drove left and finally he was shooting running hooks across the lane looking like Patrick Ewing.

On the fast break, LBJ is a locomotive.  During one stretch he blocked a shot, ran the floor and took a pass for a slam-dunk.  The next time down the court he caught a pass at the top of the key for a long 3-pt make.

Marv Albert from TNT said, “He’s impossible to stop.”  Albert’s sidekick Doug Collins added, “Don’t underestimate what he brings.”   Yo Dougie Fresh, who underestimates LBJ?

How about Cleveland running a set play out of time out for a gorgeous back-door cut resulting in a slam dunk for James?  Mo Williams took the ball to the left wing and dribbled at LBJ who was waiting in the corner;  the defender overplayed and LBJ cut backdoor on the baseline.

Who said NBA players can’t shoot?  Orlando shot 55% from the field, Cleveland 48%.  James was 20 for 30 including 3 for 6 from distance.

The Cavaliers only had 5 turnovers for the entire game!

Bench play was key – Orlando outscored Cleveland 25-5.

Hedo Turkoglu of Orlando recorded 14 assists including a couple of gorgeous alley-oops to Howard.

I liked how Cavalier guard Mo Williams held himself accountable for shooting 6 for 19. More players need to do that.

“I have no idea how to play James.” -Stan Van Gundy.

“Gotta play 48 minutes.”  Said Magic forward Rashard Lewis.

James isn’t surprised that he, Howard, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony – all members of the U.S. Olympic team that won gold in China last summer- are all still in the playoffs. “We all worked really hard,” he said. “That experience was great for everyone.”

Finally from Van Gundy.  “Put the ball in the basket. We like to talk about all the other stuff, but ya gotta put the ball in the basket.”

PLAY THE RIGHT WAY!

Coach Finamore

hoops135@hotmail.com

dukemich

Sunday night I was pleased with a Laker victory and a Celtic defeat(I am obviously a Laker fan). I watched the postgame show on TNT, which features Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, and Chris Webber. I figured I’d watch some highlights before going to bed for my 8 a.m. final the next day. After the highlights, the guys analyzed the teams and the next series. It didn’t surprise me that some of them picked the Nuggets to beat the Lakers in the next series. However, what Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley said about the Lakers was unprofessional and wrong.

Both Barkley and Smith stated that the Lakers do not deserve to win an NBA championship and went as far as saying that they will root against the Lakers and will be upset if they win the NBA championship. Barkley continued his unprofessional tyrade by cursing saying that he’s “pissed off that the Lakers half-ass it every night.” Barkley also said that “the Lakers don’t respect the league.” Those who know how hardcore I am with my teams know how infuriated I was when I heard these statements. First, as a commentator you are not supposed to have a biased opinion about a team. Second, what gives you the right to say that about a team, Charles? As far I know the Lakers are still in the playoffs and swept the Celtics(with Kevin Garnett) and the Cavs in the regular season(the Lakers were one of two teams to beat the Cavs at home this season, the other team was the Sixers on the last game of the season when the Cavs sat their starters). Third, the commentator who was the most professional that night was Chris Webber. That’s right, the guy that called a timeout when his team didn’t have any, the guy who doesn’t have a championship, the guy who should hate the Lakers for standing in his way of a championship especially in 2002 when he played for the Sacramento Kings. For the first time in my life I say thank you Chris Webber the chezwicks I give at the end are not directed at you. Fourth Charles, as my friend Sam Arcieri always used to tell me whenever he got a higher grade than me on a test in grade school, “you’re just mad because” you never won a championship so don’t take it out on the Lakers because they have more talent than most of the teams you were on ever had. Barkley even stated that he never had a player on his team better than Lamar Odom(Moses Malone and Dr. J the obvious exceptions). Finally, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley are just simply WRONG!!

You want to know why? GOOD!!

You know why people think the Lakers are “half-assing” it. Because the Lakers just play the game and don’t discuss their problems like all the other teams. First, the Lakers are a very young team. The average age is 26(this is according to ESPN.com). They only have two players over 30(Kobe, 30, and Derek Fisher, 34) These are the only two players with significant playoff experience. Here are some key players for the Lakers and their ages: Trevor Ariza, 23, Shannon Brown, 23, Andrew Bynum, 21, Jordan Farmar, 22, Sasha Vujacic, 25. Here’s the limited experience of the Lakers: Pau Gasol, 28, played for Memphis before the Lakers only one true playoff experience last year when he only spent half a year with the Lakers, Lamar Odom, 29, the Lakers are the only great team he has been on 1 finals appearance, Ariza first true playoff experience, Brown never in the playoffs until now, Bynum was hurt last year not much playoff experience. I could say this about everyone on the roster except Kobe and Fisher. So this really talented team is still trying to mature together(they’re the best team in the NBA right now and they haven’t reached their full potential yet, SCARY THOUGHT).

Furthermore, we here about all the injuries from the other teams. The Lakers do not complain about their injury problems. This season Farmar, Vujacic, Walton, Bynum and Odom all had injuries. Bynum finally got back into the swing of things last game. The Lakers had to adjust to playing with and without Bynum and didn’t get enough time to readjust to playing with Bynum because he came back a few games before the playoffs. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that KOBE BRYANT IS STILL PLAYING INJURED TO THIS DAY AND WILL PLAY INJURED FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON!!!! He has a dislocated finger(I think the ring finger) on his SHOOTING HAND. He injured it half-way through the season.

When asked about it after the game he said it hurts now but I just have to learn how to play with it and adjust to the pain. If you’re reading this and you’re asking yourself why you didn’t know this people don’t even talk about it? It’s because Kobe keeps his mouth shut about it and doesn’t see it as an excuse. You think that Kobe “half-asses” it when he’s on the floor? I don’t think so!! As Shaq would say, “He wants another championship so bad it hurts.” He wants it more than any other player out there(maybe to win without Shaq or maybe it’s just been to long since he’s won but he wants this championship as if he was trying to win his first). Let’s not forget that he played with a torn ligament on his pinkie finger last year and never got surgery for it.

Finally, the Lakers had serious matchup issues with the Rockets. How does a team prepare for a team that had Yao Ming and didn’t after game 3. The Rockets played on raw emotion. Players who didn’t have to step up in earlier games were able to settle down and play their game without having a true star on the floor like T-Mac or Yao. Who knew that Brooks would have scored 30 points? Who knew that Shane Battier would become a star in game 4? The truth that nobody is willing to face is that the Rockets played better without Yao Ming and T-Mac. They were a better team without them. Out of nowhere Scola became a superstar. I’ve been on teams that have played on raw emotion. Your confidence sky-rockets. You start hitting shots that you never made before. The Lakers simply had to adjust to that and they did in games 5 and 7. Now they’ve been crucified for winning a seven game series.

Let’s go back a year. The Celtcis had 2 seven game series in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs against teams that they were clearly better than. Did they win it all? YES.

Kenny and Chuck made a mockery of themselves and TNT Sunday. They should be ashamed of what they said especially you, Chuck. The commentary just turned into a joke and reminded me of Ben Affleck’s rendition of Keith Olbermann. http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/countdown-with-keith-olbermann/805561/

For those of you who saw the postgame show on Sunday, I am truly sorry.

Five chezwicks:

As many of you know by now I’m a huge sports fan. Living in Denver for 16 years (‘90-’06)was interesting because it seemed Denver teams never get ANY respect. I was there when John Elway led the Bronco’s to their first Superbowl win and the next. And I was there when the Av’s (Colorado Avalanche) came to town and won the Stanley Cup their first year. I went to the parade downtown to enjoy the celebration. And the Rockies started out pretty good when Coors Field first opened, but that was a long time ago. And those appeared to be brief flashes of brilliance.

But the mention of the Denver Nuggets was always cause for laughter in the nineties. Part of my job in entertaining clients was using tickets we had to the Pepsi Can (Center). I would call a client and say, “Hey, do you want to go to the Nuggets game? Um, we can drink…” Or we went to watch the other teams who came to town. I distinctly remember the shift when Carmelo Anthony came to town. Everyone felt the tingle of hope. The promise that maybe, just maybe the Nuggets could become something. Melo was young and had a few things to learn. We went through a couple of coaches. When George Karl first came to town, again their was renewed optimism that now we were set. Then we got K-Mart, okay, now this is it we’re on our way. But they never made it out of the first round. I had left by the time AI (Allen Iverson) came to town, but initially it seemed again like maybe they had the winning number. Wrong again.

I’ll be the first to tell you I was pissed when they cut Marcus Camby last summer. I mean what were they thinking?  He was defensive player of the year and had been healthy. I didn’t understand it. Then there was the shift with AI when he apparently decided he couldn’t win with Denver and trade happened. We got Chauncy and AI went to Detroit where he could better his chances of being with a playoff caliber team. And Chauncy was home in Denver.

I watched whenever I could from Southern California which until the playoffs wasn’t very often. But things were different once Chauncy came to town. The team was different, yet as usual nobody seemed to give any credit to Denver…until now.

The Denver Nuggets have played incredibly well in the playoffs. Convincingly, with promise and improving in every game. I noticed  part-time comedian Charles Barkley soften a bit in his comments on TNT, but still couldn’t give Denver the nod. But today I found an article that made me smile from ear to ear.

“Denver and Cleveland are the two best teams I’ve seen in the playoffs,” TNT analyst Charles Barkley said this week. “I’m going to stick with my pick, I think the Denver Nuggets are going to the finals. The Lakers have been too inconsistent.”

Plenty are jumping off the Los Angeles bandwagon right along with him. Nobody is questioning the Lakers’ talent, just their desire and ability to demonstrate it on a nightly basis.

“We’ve seen the Lakers, they are the most skilled team in basketball, probably the best personnel from 1-12, and they know it and they are arrogant about it,” said Barkley’s partner, Kenny Smith. “Because they are arrogant, they get complacent.”

Source: Will LA put it together or is Denver the west’s best? on Yahoo news.

So not only Sir Charles, but also Kenny are finally giving accolades and notice to the Nuggets. Funny, living here in So Cal, land of the Lakers there is a ton of arrogance exuding from the fans and they laugh out load when I say I’m a Nuggets fan. This will be fun to watch!

Thanks Charles and Kenny for noticing and being objective on behalf of Denver. Go Nuggets!!

P.S. And Chuck keep up the golf lessons, you are getting better and it’s such great entertainment.

Amusement for a Sunday.

Peace,

Lori
www.Learn2Balance.com