All posts by Matt Hubert

College Football, NFL

First to Seven Wins?

Leave a comment

September means two things for me: my birthday (on the 7th) and the start of football season. As a diehard fan of the Michigan Wolverines and Oakland Raiders, my expectations are tempered for the 2008 season.

Michigan already started the Rich Rodriguez era with a disappointing, if not entirely unexpected, loss in the home opener against Utah.

The Raiders will host the Denver Broncos as the second part of the week one Monday Night Football double header. And after losing more games than any NFL team in the past five seasons, no one’s expecting big things from the Raiders. They should be better than last year, though.

The way I see it, seven wins would be a successful 2008 season for either team, but I’m predicting neither one gets there. My preview of each team follows:

Michigan Wolverines

8/30/08 vs. Utah
RESULT: Loss 25-23
RECORD: 0-1

9/6/08 vs. Miami (Ohio)
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 1-1
SUMMARY: An easy opponent allows the Wolverines to bounce back at home and earn Rodriguez’s first victory at Michigan.

9/13/08 at Notre Dame
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 1-2
SUMMARY: After being outscored 85-21 the past two seasons, you can bet the Irish will be fired up for a chance to kick Michigan while the program is down. An experienced Wolverines offense will turn it over early and often leading to a big win for Notre Dame.

9/27/08 vs. Wisconsin
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 1-3 (0-1)
SUMMARY: Michigan opens the Big Ten schedule at home against a Wisconsin team currently ranked number 11 in the AP poll. The Badgers punished the Wolverines with 232 yards on the ground last year despite a banged up P.J. Hill carrying just 5 times for 14 yards. Expect similar results with the bruising Hill back and healthy this time around in The Big House.

10/4/08 vs. Illinois
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 1-4 (0-2)
SUMMARY: Juice Williams and the Illini fell to the Wolverines at home amid their run to the Rose Bowl last year, and Michigan struggles with athletic quarterbacks like Williams.

10/11/08 vs. Toledo
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 2-4 (0-2)
SUMMARY: While Michigan fans know not to take any game for granted after last year’s Appalachian State debacle, this is a must-have and should-win game versus Toledo in the middle of their schedule. They need to be careful not to look ahead to Penn State.

10/18/08 at Penn State
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 2-5 (0-3)
SUMMARY: The Wolverines have owned the Nittany Lions for more than a decade, having won nine straight games dating back to 1996, but Penn State looks poised to end the streak this year. Expect a close game that finally goes against the Wolverines in this rivalry that has been the bizarre Ohio State feud in recent years.

10/25/08 vs. Michigan State
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 3-5 (1-3)
SUMMARY: The in-state rivals will have a wounded Wolverines team up against the ropes, but two thirds of the way through the season, Michigan’s offense shows visible improvement and wins in impressive fashion to avoid an 0-4 mark in the Big Ten.

11/1/08 at Purdue
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 4-5 (2-3)
SUMMARY: Michigan kicks off November by winning consecutive games for the first time all season.

11/8/08 at Minnesota
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 5-5 (3-3)
SUMMARY: Minnesota barely held on against Northern Illinois in their season opener, so this could be the only game all season when Michigan is favored to win on the road.

11/15/08 vs. Northwestern
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 6-5 (4-3)
SUMMARY: Northwestern keeps this one closer than it should be, but the Wolverines win their fourth straight to get above .500 for the first time all year heading into the finale.

11/22/08 at Ohio State
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 6-6 (4-4)
SUMMARY: Michigan would love to play the role of spoiler, but the Buckeyes, who may already have the Big Ten title clinched by this point, won’t allow it, continuing their recent dominance in this bitter rivalry.

Michigan finishes the season 6-6 (4-4 in the Big Ten) and plays an early December bowl game. Because let’s face it, if they’re bowl eligible, they’ll get an invite.

Oakland Raiders

9/8/08 vs. Denver Broncos
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 1-0
SUMMARY: The Raiders usher in the Darren McFadden era in style with a win at home on Monday Night Football against the rival Broncos.

9/14/08 at Kansas City Chiefs
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 1-1
SUMMARY: The Chiefs are nothing special this year, but Arrowhead is always a tough place to play. The young Raiders offense struggles and falls on the road.

9/21/08 at Buffalo Bills
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 2-1
SUMMARY: The Raiders’ stout secondary frustrates Bills quarterback Trent Edwards and leads the silver and black to a 2-1 mark.

9/28/08 vs. San Diego Chargers
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 2-2
SUMMARY: In a battle for early-season division supremacy, the Chargers will make it clear that they are head and shoulders above the Raiders and the rest of the AFC West with a convincing win.

10/12/08 at New Orleans Saints
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 2-3
SUMMARY: The Raiders cannot keep up with the high-powered Saints on the scoreboard, falling below .500 for the first time all season.

10/19/08 vs. New York Jets
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 2-4
SUMMARY: With Brett Favre at the helm, the Jets are nothing like they were in 2007. New York hands Oakland its second straight defeat.

10/26/08 at Baltimore Ravens
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 3-4
SUMMARY: Baltimore is one of the few teams in the league with a less-proven quarterback than Oakland. Whether it’s Joe Flacco or Troy Smith, this game features multiple interceptions for the Raiders defense en route to victory.

11/2/08 vs. Atlanta Falcons
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 4-4
SUMMARY: Potentially, the Raiders could be facing their second straight rookie quarterback if the Ravens and Falcons stick with rookies Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan, respectively. That spells a two-game win streak for the Raiders and a first-half finish at the .500 mark.

11/9/08 vs. Carolina Panthers
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 4-5
SUMMARY: The Raiders squander a golden opportunity to get back above .500 with a poor effort against the Panthers.

11/16/08 at Miami Dolphins
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 5-5
SUMMARY: The Raiders continue to hang around in the AFC playoff picture with a win over an improved but not threatening Dolphins team.

11/23/08 at Denver Broncos
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 5-6
SUMMARY: The Broncos enact revenge from week one in a critical divisional matchup that, once again, prevents the Raiders from eclipsing the .500 mark in November.

11/30/08 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
PREDICTION: Win
RECORD: 6-6
SUMMARY: Oakland earns a season split with the Chiefs. Darren McFadden has his best game of the season, now in a starter’s role for the Raiders.

12/4/08 at San Diego Chargers
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 6-7
SUMMARY: The Chargers deal Oakland’s playoff hopes a near-fatal blow in this Thursday night showcase game.

12/14/08 vs. New England Patriots
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 6-8
SUMMARY: The Patriots, battling for a first round bye, dispose of the Raiders in embarrassing fashion.

12/21/08 vs. Houston Texans
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 6-9
SUMMARY: In a battle of former number one picks, the Texans’ Mario Williams gets the better of the Raiders’ Jamarcus Russell. Williams records three sacks and pressures Russell into two costly interceptions in a big win for the upstart Texans. The loss assures the Raiders of a sixth consecutive losing season.

12/28/08 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
PREDICTION: Loss
RECORD: 6-10
SUMMARY: In a Super Bowl XXXVII rematch, the result stays the same, although score is closer.

The Raiders finish the year on a serious down note with a four-game losing streak after a promising 6-6 start. Nonetheless, their six wins is still a two-game improvement from last year and the most the Raiders have won since they won 11 in 2002 on their way to a Super Bowl appearance.

The way I see it, both the Wolverines and Raiders finish the season with six wins (Michigan loses its bowl game) and losing seasons. Not a fun season at all.

Well, that’s what my fantasy teams are for!

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

NFL

2008 NFL Preview

Leave a comment

Six of the NFL’s 32 franchises have never been to the Super Bowl since it began in 1967. Nine more have played in the big game but never won it. That’s right, almost half the league has never been atop the NFL mountain. But the start of a new season means fresh dreams for all 32 teams and their fans that this could be their year. There are enough NFL previews out their breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of each fan, so in this year’s NFL preview I’m breaking down the fans of all 32 franchises.

(Predicted record in parentheses)
* Wild card

NFC East

New York Giants (11-5)
They just won a Super Bowl as a major underdog in one of the most exciting and improbable finishes in NFL history. The Giants fans have no reason to complain this year. Instead of greedily obsessing over a repeat, Giants fans should just watch tapes of Eli to Tyree over and over again.

*Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
America’s Team has fans all over the country. They’re one of the most popular teams in sports, but their fans (like team owner Jerry Jones) have a sense of entitlement because they’ve played in so many Super Bowls already.

Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
Few fans have been tortured like Philly fans. Good teams kept falling short earlier this decade. Then, Donovan McNabb’s health went south. The team still hasn’t recovered from the brief Terrell Owens era, and the fans are starving for a first Super Bowl victory.

Washington Redskins (9-7)
Fans of the Redskins know success, as long as they’ve been fans for more than 15 years. Washington was a powerhouse through the 80s and won another title in 1992. Since then, it’s been a little tougher being a Redskins fan as owner Daniel Snyder has spent big with little to show for it.

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
They watched Fran Tarkenton come up short. They traded for Herschel Walker only to see the Cowboys reap the benefits and win Super Bowls with the pieces they acquired. They watched the rise and fall of Randy Moss and Daunte Culpeper. Vikings fans are cautiously optimistic about the Adrian Peterson era, but you can understand why they might be skeptical of any Super Bowl talk for this team that finished out of the playoffs last year.

Green Bay Packers (9-7)
No one had their fanhood tested more this offseason than Packers fans during the whole Brett Favre saga. With their favorite son now dawning the green of another team, Packers fans are left to embrace the untested arm of Aaron Rodgers, knowing he now leads a team that played at Lambeau in the NFC Championship last year.

Detroit Lions (7-9)
They haven’t played in the postseason since 1999. They haven’t won a playoff game since ’91. Lions fans definitely have waited a long time for a breakthrough season, so at least they’ll be well practiced at waiting another year.

Chicago Bears (4-12)
Bears fans have a common gripe: quarterback. The Bears really haven’t had a quality QB since their Super Bowl championship with Jim McMahon in the mid-80s. That won’t change with Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman back again this year.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints (11-5)
Saints fans were treated to a rare winning season two years ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It made last seasons regression all the more frustrating. But hopes are high again in New Orleans. If they stay healthy, the Saints may march into the playoffs and give their fans something to cheer about once again.

*Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6)
Bucs fans are reaching the point where that Super Bowl Championship is no longer enough to give Jon Gruden a free pass. They’ve been up and down the past couple of years, but with an aging Jeff Garcia at quarterback, the Bucs fans are clamoring for a title run now.

Carolina Panthers (5-11)
With questions about the stability and ability of their quarterback and their star receiver suspended for the first two games of the season, Panthers fans have to be a little worried about this season already. They’ve made three conference title game appearances since entering the league in 1996, but haven’t been the same since their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in 2004.

Atlanta Falcons (2-14)
Falcons fans cheered one of the most electrifying players in the NFL until last season when Michael Vick’s career came to a screeching halt. The new face of the franchise is that of Matt Ryan, a rookie. He doesn’t run like Vick, but Falcons fans can only hope he brings back his winning ways.

NFC West

St. Louis Rams (9-7)
The Rams have been a formidable franchise for the past decade, but the team struggled last year after being decimated by injuries. If healthy, the team should give their fans a pleasant surprise by challenging for the division title.

Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
After cutting loose Shaun Alexander, the Seahawks have their fans wondering about their running game. Who will carry the load for Seattle? And can the team finally get over the hump in Mike Holmgren’s final season as head coach.

Arizona Cardinals (5-11)
Now that their quarterback of the future has been benched in favor of the ageless Kurt Warner, Cardinals fans…well, let’s be honest. There aren’t many Cardinals fans. This is a franchise that has never enjoyed much success in the NFL and it shows in their fan support.

San Francisco 49ers (3-13)
After being spoiled in the 80s and early 90s, the 49ers fans have had some rough times. They are one of several fan bases wondering where they can find good quarterback play. J.T. O’Sullivan? Alex Smith? Bueller? Bueller?

AFC East

New England Patriots (13-3)
Pardon the rest of the league’s fans for not taking pity on the Patriots. New Englanders are hurting after their Pats’ bid for a perfect season fell one game short with a shocking Super Bowl loss. It will be hard for them to shake that loss, but they’ll have plenty to cheer for again this year with Brady, Moss, Welker and company running the same high-powered offense that shattered records last year.

*New York Jets (11-5)
After a playoff run in 2006, the Jets laid an egg last year that left their fans clamoring for the days of Broadway Joe Namath. Instead, the Jets landed an even more famous QB, the legendary Brett Favre. Expectation were immediately raised for Jets fans, who now expect a team capable of competing with the mighty Patriots in the AFC East.

Buffalo Bills (6-10)
They’re still waiting for that first Super Bowl title. Don’t even mention the words “wide right.” The Buffalo Bills dominated the 90s, but they have only four AFC Championship trophies to show for it. Zero Lombardi trophies. This young Bills team showed some improvement last year, but fans will have to stay patient with quarterback Trent Edwards.

Miami Dolphins (3-13)
Fans are wondering how much the Big Tuna can help the woeful Dolphins. Number one pick Jake Long should help solidify the line, but the Phins fans should expect another losing season as Bill Parcells tries to rebuild this team as he’s done in previous stops with the Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Recently ranked as the best fans in the NFL by a panel of experts at ESPN, Steelers fans are ready for a big year from Big Ben. He put up staggering passing numbers for the black and gold last year, especially for a team traditionally known for its defense and running game. With the Steelers’ exciting offense leading the way, Steelers fans should have a lot to cheer in 2008.

Cleveland Browns (8-8)
The Browns’ surprise 10-win season a year ago was a delight to Browns fans. Now, of course, they’re expecting it—plus a playoff berth. Anything short of that will be disappointing to Cleveland, but it won’t be easy to replicate the success of a year ago. Teams will be ready for the Browns and questions surround quarterback Derek Anderson’s ability to repeat his career year of 2007.

Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
If Chad Johnson really did change his name to Chad Ocho Cinco, this may be another wild year for the Bengals. Fans in Cincinnati have come to expect disappointment year after year with this team that seemed to be on the cusp of greatness just a few years ago. Injuries, arrests and losses continue to pile up, and so do the non-winning seasons for Cincinnati.

Baltimore Ravens (2-14)
Fans in Baltimore are used to a team led by a strong defense that features Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. This year, that defense may have to score the points, too. Rookie signal-caller Joe Flacco will start the season opener. The other options include injured veteran Kyle Boller and injured second-year man Troy Smith. QB trouble spells trouble for the Ravens this season.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts (13-3)
Now a full year removed from their Super Bowl title, the Colts and their fans are in an interesting spot. Peyton Manning enters the season banged up, and he’s not getting any younger. The same can be said for defensive standouts Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders. If the Colts can stave off the injury bug, though, their fans will be treated to another deep playoff run.

*Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7)
The Jags fans are happy that Jack Del Rio trusted his gut with David Garrard over Byron Leftwich last season. The move paid dividends as Garrard helped Jacksonville to the divisional round of the playoffs while Leftwich flailed out as a Falcons quarterback and has since signed on in a backup role with the Steelers. The Jacksonville faithful is hopeful Del Rio, Garrard and company can take this team even deeper in the playoffs this season.

Tennessee Titans (9-7)
The Titans fans know their team rides on the throwing arm and legs of quarterback Vince Young. After a promising rookie campaign, Young’s progress slowed last season. Still, the team made a wild card berth in the playoffs. The first round exit didn’t erase the memory of Kevin Dyson falling one yard short in the Titans’ lone Super Bowl appearance, but an improved Young might be just the cure Titans fans need.

Houston Texans (8-8)
It’s not easy being the new guy on the block, especially when you’re in a division that sent 75 percent of its teams to the postseason last year. The Texans’ fans saw promise from Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson last year, but injuries played a major role in their downfall. A healthy Texans team could very well compete with the big boys in the division.

AFC West

San Diego Chargers (12-4)
They played in the AFC Championship game last year, but a banged up Philip Rivers combined with an early-game injury to LaDainian Tomlinson kept the Chargers from reaching the Super Bowl. That’s the mindset of their fans anyway. They’re confident a healthy Chargers team is as good as any in the league. Problem is their defensive terror Shawne Merriman is already injured (and risking more injury) but daring to play out the year anyway. If he does further damage, Chargers fans will be left to wonder what if?

Denver Broncos (7-9)
Is this the year Jay Cutler has a breakout season? The reduction of Brandon Marshall’s suspension from three games to one certainly helps Cutler. Fans can only hope this is the year that Cutler emerges from Elway’s shadow and leads the Broncos back to the playoffs. Otherwise, they may start searching for the next Denver QB.

Oakland Raiders (6-10)
The Raiders made a monetary commitment to excellence in the offseason, bringing in several high price free agents plus top draft choice Darren McFadden. Raiders fans may not agree with all the moves, but they were at least satisfied to see the front office working to restore this team to prominence after several years among the league’s worst. Improvement is expected this year. If the Raiders can’t win at least six or seven games, it will be very scary in the Black Hole—and not for the right reasons.

Kansas City Chiefs (3-13)
The Brodie Croyle era has raised more questions than answers for Kansas City fans (not including “How do you spell Brodie Croyle?”) If Larry Johnson can stay healthy, he’ll help lessen the burden on Croyle, but few are expecting the Chiefs to be a top team in the league this year.

Playoff predictions

NFC Wild Card Round
New York Giants over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dallas Cowboys over St. Louis Rams

AFC Wild Card Round
Pittsburgh Steelers over Jacksonville Jaguars
New York Jets over San Diego Chargers

NFC Divisional Round
Dallas Cowboys over Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints over New York Giants

AFC Divisional Round
Indianapolis Colts over Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots over New York Jets

NFC Championship
Dallas Cowboys over New Orleans Saints

AFC Championship
New England Patriots over Indianapolis Colts

Super Bowl XLIII
New England Patriots over Dallas Cowboys

There you have it. The Patriots avenge last season’s loss with a Super Bowl win over the Dallas Cowboys. Brady vs. Romo, Moss vs. T.O. This would be a dream matchup for the NFL. As for the fans of the league, well, the Pats and Cowboys are two of the most hated teams in the NFL. And a lot of that has to do with their success, which should continue this year. So let the hating begin. It’s time for NFL 2008.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

Olympics

Golden Memories

Leave a comment

I was born in 1984. My first real Olympic memories are of the 1992 Dream Team, but I’ve never felt a real connection to the Olympics beyond the men’s basketball team (from my love of the NBA) until this year. I probably watched more Olympics coverage in 2008 than the past few Olympic Games combined.

It all started with Michael Phelps. How could you not root for this swimming sensation, who has now won a record 14 Olympic gold medals and is (like me) just 23 years young.

Two of my favorite Olympic moments featured Phelps swimming live for the gold, but the top moment of the 29th Olympiad, in my opinion, goes to Jason Lezak, who seemed to turn on a propeller to fly past the French in the final leg of the 4x100m freestyle relay. His impossible swim—the fastest 100m of his life by a full second—gave the Americans the gold and kept Phelps’ dream of a record eight golds alive.

That dream nearly came to an end in the 100m butterfly, but Phelps staged his own comeback and won by the narrowest of margins, .01 seconds. To the human eye, the difference was indiscernible.

Finally, Phelps’ eighth gold medal encapsulated it all. I watched the swim, another relay, at a bar for my brother’s 21st birthday. As the swim progressed the entire bar broke out into a spontaneous chant of U-S-A! U-S-A! I got goose bumps. Phelps got gold. America had a new invincible hero.

I wasn’t around in 1980 for the Miracle on Ice (but I get goose bumps just hearing Al Michaels on the replay). This moment wasn’t quite that. It wasn’t head-to-head with the Soviets in the midst of the Cold War. But this was a triumphant moment in its own right.

Phelps was the star, but the Olympics were not a one-man show.

It was great seeing sports that don’t get a lot of television time on TV. I loved watching volleyball—indoors and on the beach. With rally scoring, it is a high-paced, action-packed sport. With the right marketing, I think volleyball could have some sort of national prominence, possibly on the level of Arena Football.

I even found myself watching gymnastics, really appreciating what these athletes can do.

I’d be remiss not to mention Usain Bolt. The Jamaican sprinter torched the competition to earn the title of World’s Fastest Man, picking up three golds along the way.

It’s disappointing that we now have to wait until 2012 for the next Summer Olympics in London, but I think that four-year wait is also what makes the events so special. In this case, absence does make the heart grow fonder.

The start of football season will make the transition easy, but I won’t soon forget the summer of 2008 when the gap between basketball and football season was saved by a truly captivating Olympics.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

NBA

Evaluating the West

Leave a comment

Imagine winning 48 games (more than all but three teams in the Eastern Conference) and missing the playoffs. That was the fate of last year’s Golden State Warriors. Imagine winning 55 games (two fewer than the conference champion) and finishing sixth in the conference, opening the playoffs on the road. That was the fate of last year’s Phoenix Suns.

Both teams had disappointing ends to their seasons in the fiercely competitive Western Conference. As a result, they will look different this season, though not necessarily better. Several teams in the West have added or subtracted from their 2007-08 rosters. It likely means some shuffling in the standings, but what doesn’t figure to change is a high level of competition for all eight playoff spots in the West.

A quick look at all 15 teams:

Los Angeles Lakers
Last year: 57-25 (1st in West, lost NBA Finals)
Significant roster changes: Lost F/C Ronny Turiaf via free agency

New Orleans Hornets
Last year: 56-26 (2nd in West, lost Western semifinals)
Significant roster changes: Signed F James Posey

San Antonio Spurs
Last year: 56-26 (3rd in West, lost Western Finals)
Significant roster changes: Lost G Brent Barry via free agency

Utah Jazz
Last year: 54-28 (4th in West, lost Western semifinals)
Significant roster changes: None

Houston Rockets
Last year: 55-27 (5th in West, lost Western quarterfinals)
Significant roster changes: Acquired G/F Ron Artest via trade, signed G Brent Barry

Phoenix Suns
Last year: 55-27 (6th in West, lost Western quarterfinals)
Significant roster changes: Signed G/F Matt Barnes (also signed new coach Terry Porter to replace the fired Mike D’Antoni)

Dallas Mavericks
Last year: 51-31 (7th in West, lost Western quarterfinals)
Significant roster changes: Signed C Desagana Diop and G Gerald Green

Denver Nuggets
Last year: 50-32 (8th in West, lost Western quarterfinals)
Significant roster changes: Lost F/C Marcus Camby and F Eduardo Najara, acquired F Renaldo Balkman via trade, signed F/C Chris Andersen

Golden State Warriors
Last year: 48-34 (9th in West)
Significant roster changes: Drafted F Anthony Randolph, signed G/F Corey Maggette, F/C Ronny Turiaf and traded for G Marcus Williams; lost G Baron Davis

Portland Trailblazers
Last year: 41-41 (10th in West)
Significant roster changes: Signed G Rudy Fernandez, acquired draft rights of G Jerryd Bayless

Sacramento Kings
Last year: 38-44 (11th in West)
Significant roster changes: Traded G/F Ron Artest, drafted F Jason Thompson

Los Angeles Clippers
Last year: 23-59 (12th in West)
Significant roster changes: Signed G Baron Davis and G/F Ricky Davis traded for F/C Marcus Camby, drafted G Eric Gordon, lost F Elton Brand and G/F Corey Maggette via free agency

Minnesota Timberwolves
Last year: 22-60 (13th in West)
Significant roster changes: Acquired draft rights of F Kevin Love, traded for G Mike Miller, C Calvin Booth and F Rodney Carney

Memphis Grizzlies
Last year: 22-60 (14th in West)
Significant roster changes: Acquired draft rights of G O.J. Mayo

Oklahoma City
Last year: 20-62 (15th in West)
Significant roster changes: Drafted G Russell Westbrook

If I had to pick a conference pecking order as of today, it would be as follows:
1. Lakers
2. Hornets
3. Rockets
4. Spurs
5. Jazz
6. Suns
7. Blazers
8. Mavericks
9. Clippers
10. Nuggets
11. Warriors
12. Timberwolves
13. Grizzlies
14. Kings
15. Oklahoma City

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

MLB

Baseball’s All-Star Performance

Leave a comment

It’s not often that baseball reaches “Sleep Can Wait” status, but it happened last night with the MLB all-star game. Major League Baseball’s hallowed grounds, Yankee Stadium, was a fitting venue for what truly turned out to be a midsummer classic (and I only tuned in starting in the 8th inning).

With home field advantage in the World Series at stake, players from the American League and National League played like the game really mattered. There were countless opportunities for players to half-ass their way to defeat, but that would have robbed the fans of a great showcase of the game’s talent.

Admittedly, I don’t watch a lot of baseball. In fact, I haven’t watched more than a scattering of innings all season long. I stay casually invested through daily SportsCenter highlights, but even I was surprised to realize how many all-stars I had never even heard of.

But in place of familiar names like Griffey and Bonds, new faces made an impact. Matt Holiday belted a homer. Evan Longoria showed that the upstart Tampa Bay Rays have some serious players. And longtime underachiever J.D. Drew took home MVP honors.

Justin Morneau, who won Monday’s Home Run Derby, scored the winning run in the bottom of the 15th, sliding in seconds before a tag was applied. It was one of at least a half dozen dramatic plays in extra innings that seemed to feature more stranded runners than a childhood game of pickle in the middle.

The pitching staffs were whittled down to the bone, and the Fox crew cautioned fans to prepare for the worst – another tie game being ended prematurely – as the managers didn’t want to overextend their players.

That problem was avoided, and for one night anyway, baseball lived up to its claim as America’s past time. I battled my eyes to stay awake past the 1:30 a.m. mark because the effort from the stars was something to behold. From Dan Uggla overcoming errors to Miguel Tejada showing age ain’t nothing but a number, this all-star game had it all. And it actually made me excited to watch baseball, even if I won’t get this excited again until October.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

NFL

Retire, Return, Re-unite: Favre and the Packers Together Again?

Leave a comment

The big story in the NFL is that Brett Favre is contemplating a return to the NFL. He’s having second thoughts about his decision to retire from the Green Bay Packers a few months ago. Everyone is weighing in with their opinion: should he or shouldn’t he? Will Favre and the Packers re-establish their relationship or is it too late?

You can’t fault Favre for having second thoughts. Many of the best moments of his life came with the Packers. Sure, the Packers had a storied past before Favre. The Packers are a franchise steeped in tradition with one of the strongest fan bases in the NFL. But Favre added something to the mix. It’s quite possible Green Bay will never have another like him, and most of their fans wouldn’t hesitate to admit it.

A Super Bowl ring, three MVP awards and countless NFL records: Favre did it all as a member of the Packers. Still he was left wanting more. As the Packers’ roster changed around him, Favre wondered if his best days in Green Bay had passed him by, but his young teammates rallied around him and the Packers made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season. However, things did not go according to plan. Favre threw a costly interception and the Packers lost the game at home to the underdog New York Giants.

Things ended badly so you can’t blame Favre for throwing in the towel. The way things ended left a bad taste in his mouth heading into the off-season. Plus, it appeared that he and the Packers were going in two different directions. Favre was getting older and the roster around him was young and full of potential. Backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers was waiting in the wings. It looked like the Packers would have no problem moving on with life after Favre.

Favre still loved football and the Green Bay Packers, but at his retirement press conference he broke down and cried. Even though he knew he could still play and possibly lead the Packers to another Super Bowl, Favre was calling it quits. His body was still capable of delivering on Sundays, but the grueling toll the season took on his mind and body had become too much or so he thought at the time.

As the months went by and Favre began life after football, rumor has it that he got “an itch” to come back to play again. At this point it remains speculation, but don’t fault Favre as a flip-flopper. When he retired, he felt like that was what he had to do. Everything seemed to be pointing to his retirement, even if he still loved playing the game. Now that the season is growing nearer and Favre has realized that nothing else he does is going to compare to that experience, he’s probably wondering why he ever walked away.

The interesting thing is that many experts wonder what the Packers will do if Favre does make it known that he wants to return. They question if the Packers will take Favre back. As much as he’s meant to that franchise, they’ve spent the past several months talking themselves into the post-Favre era of football. They’ve been trying to sell their fans on Aaron Rodgers as the new face of the Packers, and some fans have hopped on that bandwagon, hoping that Favre stays retired. Other fans think Favre is still the best quarterback for Green Bay regardless of his age and would welcome him back with back with open arms. But what would the team do?

It’s hard to imagine Favre playing for a team other than the Packers. Sure, he began his career with Atlanta, but he saw very little action with the Falcons and that relationship was quickly terminated with a trade to Green Bay. Once he arrived with the Packers, though, Favre took off and became a new man in the NFL. A surefire Hall of Famer, Favre is the most recognizable Packer of all-time except for maybe legendary coach Vince Lombardi, who is essentially the father of the franchise.

Imagining Favre wearing colors other than green and yellow seems almost blasphemous at this point, but it’s a possibility. If he wants to come back and the Packers don’t want him, we could very well see Favre end his playing days in a different uniform.

Ultimately the decision will have to be made together. Favre has to state his intentions at some point. With the season only a couple of months away, the clock is ticking. Then, if he does announce a desire to return, the Packers have to decide if they want to re-commit to Favre or if they’ve moved on, in which case Favre will have to look for another suitor this season.

A legendary QB and a class-act franchise, Favre and the Packers will always be linked in NFL history. But can they settle their differences and make another run at a championship? Will they add another chapter to their epic tale? Not even the ghost of Curly Lambeau knows the answer.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

Uncategorized

Can Baseball Fill the Gap During the Dead Season of Sports?

Leave a comment

As a diehard basketball and football fan, I generally consider the time between the last pick of the NBA Draft and the first Saturday afternoon kickoff as the dead season of sports. But I’m trying a glass half-full approach this year. The Summer Olympics will take up a good chunk of sports time in August, so that helps.

In the mean time, I’m going to do my best to pretend I’m more than a casual baseball fan. The Midsummer Classic is just around the corner. The best part of baseball’s all-star break is the Home Run Derby. That’s an event worth watching.

And I have to be honest. As much as I love to give baseball a hard time, there are some storylines worth following in the Major Leagues this year. Here’s what I’m watching the rest of the way.

  • The Pittsburgh Pirates look to avoid making history. On the verge of tying a record with their 16th straight losing season, the Pirates currently sit at 39-44. Maybe they should bring back a player from their last division-winning team to help them fight for .500. Barry Bonds, anyone? Tell me that move wouldn’t fill some seats in Pittsburgh.

  • The best records in the American League belong to the Tampa Bay (Team Formerly Known as “Devil”) Rays and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. What a heavenly ALCS pairing that would be (and not just because they’re not the Yankees and/or Red Sox).

  • In the National League, no one’s playing better than the Chicago Cubs. I’d love a World Series pairing where scores of lifelong suffering Cubs fans squared off against the one and only (insufferable?) Rays fan known to man, Dick Vitale.

  • Atlanta Braves third basemen Chipper Jones is batting a whopping .393 this season. Everyone will be following his chase for .400, but I’m more interested in how he’s kept the Fountain of Youth a secret. It seems like he’s been playing forever.

  • My team, the Oakland A’s are in contention again this year. Their crop of young pitchers have a 3.41 team ERA, second only to that of the Chicago White Sox.

  • The Yankees are in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since the strike in 1994. They trail both Tampa Bay and Boston in the division.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

MattHubert.com site news

MattHubert.com Gets a Haircut: New look, same great writing

Leave a comment

OK, so it’s not technically a haircut, but the site has been trimmed. I hope you like the new style, and I think you will.

Gone is the clunky, outdated Microsoft Frontpage Web site. In its place is a snazzy new blog format.

The rationale is simple.

I originally designed the site to keep the articles, columns and blog posts separate. My intention was to keep things from getting complicated, but in reality, the navigation structure had the opposite effect. As time went on, I realized there was no clear cut line between what merited “article,” “column,” or “blog post,” status. I wasted time creating an individual page for each article and column and linking to it from the respective contents pages.

The refreshed designed uses blogging technology to simplify everything.

  • I get to focus on writing without worrying about Web design. I write the post, categorize it appropriately and voila, the new post is available.
  • You, the reader, don’t have to navigate to different sites to find content. It’s all centralized and easily searchable by date or category.
  • We get to interact. Every post is now open to comments. Previously, articles and columns on MattHubert.com were static pages, but now you can free to comment on anything and everything I write. Agree, disagree, ask questions. The beauty of the Internet is its ability to allow the free sharing of ideas. If you’re here reading my views, I welcome yours. Just keep your comments civil and mature and we won’t have to get into a complicated list of rules.

All of the content from the original site has been carried over. So don’t worry, your favorite podcasts and columns are still accessible through the archives. And new content will automatically show up at the top of the page when it’s added.

Thanks for stopping by MattHubert.com. I hope you’ll check back regularly for updates and get involved in the comments section.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

NBA

Congratulations Celtics, Now I Hate You, Too

1 Comment

If Game 4 was The Devastation Game, Game 6 was The Demolition Game. The Celtics demolished the Lakers in every way imaginable. The box score looks like it came from a video game where the Lakers’ were being operated by a gamer with a broken controller.

The Celtics won the battle of the boards 34-27 (14-2 offensive rebounds). They won the turnover battle 19-7, including a record 18 steals. They shot 50 percent from 3-point range, including a record-tying seven treys from Ray Allen. They held the Lakers to 42 percent shooting, while shooting 49 percent themselves. They were 32-of-37 at the line. They had 33 assists to their 43 field goals. The Lakers had just 16. And, most emphatically, they beat the Lakers 131-92 in an NBA Finals series-clinching game. If ever there was a game where one team wanted it more, this was it. And the Celtics were that team, demolishing the Lakers from the second quarter on.

The win was not shocking. Boston outplayed Los Angeles for most of this series with suffocating defense and timely offensive contributions from players up and down their roster. The blowout was a surprise, however. The Lakers went down without a fight as a four point game at the end of the first quarter quickly got out of hand.

The Celtics defense was unrelenting in Game 6, and it was the team’s calling card throughout the series and the season. In each game of the series, Boston held the Lakers to less than 20 points in at least one quarter. And the scoring droughts the Lakers suffered were never countered with defense of their own.

Defense wins champions may be a cliché, but it’s also a reality for the Boston Celtics in 2008. They made Kobe Bryant look pedestrian. They made the triangle offense stagnant. They made a flashy, fun-to-watch Lakers team look like a team playing a disjointed playground pick-up game rather than an NBA championship series.

As a Lakers fan, my mind is trained to focus on what the purple and gold did wrong, but after a demolition effort like the Celtics laid on them in Game 6, I have to be equally, albeit painfully, complimentary for the Celtics’ role in making the Lakers play out of character all series long. So congratulations to the Boston Celtics for winning the 2008 NBA Championship.

And on a personal note, I finally have a reason to justify my innate feelings toward the Celtics and Boston sports fans at large. Now I can connect with generations of Lakers fans. Congratulations, Celtics. You’re now up there on my mantel with the Yankees, Patriots, Buckeyes and Broncos. Yes, now I really hate the Celtics.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

Uncategorized

Owning Up to the Overconfidence

Leave a comment

What happened?

Heading into the playoffs, I wasn’t sure what to make of the Lakers. Then after losing just three games in three rounds en route to the NBA Finals, I bought in to the popular notion that this team could win it all this year. Youth? Injuries? Untested in the playoffs? I pushed all those questions aside and decided their playoff run was impressive enough to pick them to win the Finals in five games.

Meanwhile, I was high on the Celtics during the season. In fact, in the April 2 MattHubert.com podcast, my brother Mike and I both dubbed the Celtics as the best team in the league. But after they were pushed to seven games in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks (the 37-win Hawks?!), I was skeptical enough to pick them to lose in round two. Instead, they advanced, but only after being pushed to seven games again by the Cleveland Cavaliers. It looked like their best games were in the past, and most people wrote them off against the Lakers.

As it turns out, both teams were misleading during their respective runs to the Finals. The Celtics rose to the occasion, and the Lakers shied away from the moment. Now the Celtics are the 2008 NBA champions. So let me take this opportunity to revisit my NBA Finals prediction column. It’s scary to see how the Celtics basically refuted every point of my 14-point argument in favor of the Lakes. Ouch.

1. Killer instinct
No one has put teams away like the Lakers in this postseason.

I was talking about a killer instinct in closing out a series rather than an individual game, but the Lakers never had a series lead in the Finals. They did, however, have a chance to even the series in Game 4 when they blew 24-point lead. That devastating loss was really the turning point in this series.

2. Offensive fluidity
The triangle offense is clicking right now. The Lakers are the best passing team in the league.

The offense was stagnant all series long. The ball stuck when it got dumped into the post. Passing was sloppier than it was crisp. And the triangle simply didn’t flow like the well-oiled machine it was in the first few rounds of the playoffs.

3. Balanced attack
Number 24 is the known entity. Watching different players step up each night around him is what catches other teams off guard.

Look at the two Lakers’ wins. In Game 3, Sasha Vujacic stepped up with 20 points off the bench. In Game 5, Lamar Odom stepped up to score 20 points. No one other than Bryant managed to score 20 or more in the rest of the series.

4. Education
Phil Jackson may have some unorthodox methods, but no one teaches a profound lesson quite like Phil Jackson.

The Zen Master didn’t win his would-be record 10th NBA championship as a head coach, and he didn’t deserve it. Rookie Finals coach Doc Rivers was better. He made all the right substitutions and lineup adjustments, kept his team motivated and never let his team lose sight of the prize. Jackson doesn’t deserve all of the blame, but Hall of Famer or not, he deserves his fair share of criticism.

5. Boston’s road woes
If the Lakers are able to steal one of the first two games on the road, the Celtics are in serious trouble of losing the series in five games.

It turns out the Lakers nearly lost the series in five – at home. Boston won Game 4 on the road and had their chances in Game 3 and Game 5. It was the Lakers who seemed unnerved on the road, falling behind big in Game 2 and, fatally, in Game 6.

6. Experience at point guard
Rondo has shown flashes of brilliance in the playoffs, but he’s also shown flashes of inexperience.

Derek Fisher didn’t exploit the point guard matchup. In fact, you could argue that he lost it. All three Celtics point guards had their moments. Rondo played his best game in the clincher. He filled up the stat sheet: 21 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 6 steals and, more importantly, just one turnover. Eddie House had 11 points – including the jumper that gave Boston its first lead – in the Celtics’ historic Game 4 comeback. Even Sam Cassell, villainized by Boston fans after poor play throughout the playoffs played well in limited minutes, including 8 points in 13 minutes in a 10-point Game 1 win.

7. A gift from Memphis
Pau Gasol’s impact on the Lakers cannot be overstated.

Perhaps Gasol’s impact was overstated. He remains a versatile, talented player, but his flaw as a soft big was exposed against the tenacious defense and fearless rebounding of Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett. Perhaps Gasol will be more comfortable next year when he slides down to play power forward next to Andrew Bynum because he did not connect the dots from Mikan to Chamberlain to Abdul-Jabbar to O’Neal with his performance at center in the Finals.

8. No glaring weaknesses
The Lakers have not shown any blatant weakness for the Celtics to exploit.

They may not have shown blatant weaknesses, but the Spurs had the blueprint for containing the Lakers offense and the Celtics had the will and manpower to execute it. They made life extremely difficult for Kobe Bryant, clamping down on any space for the MVP and effectively stifled the Lakers’ high-powered offense. They also exposed the Lakers’ lack of an interior defensive presence

9. Belichick
Cheaters never win. Consider this the new curse, Boston.

I don’t know what the city of Boston did to earn three Super Bowls, two World Series championships and an NBA title in the span of six years, but I feel like the Charlie Daniels Band could sing a song about it.

10. Rebounding
This will be one of the most interesting stats to watch in this series.

It wasn’t interesting for Lakers fans; it was frustrating. The Celtics dominated the battle of the boards, especially offensively.

11. Youthful energy off the bench
The Celtics bench is veteran-laden with James Posey, P.J. Brown, Eddie House and Sam Cassell.

And that has made all the difference. Posey made huge contributions. Even if he didn’t drain several dagger threes in the series, his defense, rebounding and hustle was something that no one from the Lakers’ bench mob matched in this series. Brown played like a 38-year-old realizing this might be his last shot at winning it all, and the rest of the bench filled in admirably when they were called upon. With the exception of Sasha Vujacic in Game 3, the Lakers bench was noticeably absent from this series.

12. Allen, Ray, version 2008
Without an all-star Allen, Boston’s hopes are seriously diminished.

Fortunately for Boston, all-star Ray Allen returned just in time. His jumper was falling all series long, as he set a new Finals record for threes made in a series. You could make the argument that he even won the series shooting guard matchup versus Kobe Bryant, and no one predicted that.

13. No Boston Garden
Boston has home court advantage in the series; it’s just not the same kind of advantage it once was.

I can’t speak for what it was like to play in the old Boston Garden, but the decibel level in TD Banknorth Garden was amplified by the fact that the Staples Center was celebrified into silence in Game 3. It didn’t recover much in the other games in L.A. either. Credit the Celtics fans, fault the Lakers’ pricing out their true fans. The fact remains that the crowd pushed the Celtics to another level in Game 6, and the Lakers cracked under the pressure.

14. Talent
Match up the players down the line and the Lakers simply win more individual matchups than Boston.

Most people won’t argue this point. The Lakers’ players would probably fair better in a one-on-one tournament against the Celtics, but basketball is a team game. In this series, it was very evident that the Celtics were the better team. Their defensive rotations made it seem like they moved with one mind, one collective purpose.

*Kobe Bryant
If you didn’t catch it the first time through, the first letter in the 14 reasons spell out Kobe Bean Bryant. I figured the NBA MVP was the X-factor in the series. Commonly referred to as “the best player on the planet” and “the game’s greatest closer,” Bryant was undoubtedly the most talented player in the series. But during the six games that were actually played, he was not the best. That honor goes to Paul Pierce.

One could argue that Bryant wasn’t among the top three best performers in this series. Ray Allen was consistently good for Boston, setting an NBA Finals record with 22 made 3-pointers. And Kevin Garnett, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, became just the eighth player in NBA history to record a double-double in each of his first six NBA Finals games.

I maintain that Bryant is the game’s best all-around player, but his less-than-great performance was more uninspiring than awe-inspiring. When combined with the 2004 Finals loss against the Pistons, this series casts a shadow over his legacy.

Bryant will turn 30 in August. The window of his prime is still open, but not forever. The Lakers believe that a healthy Andrew Bynum will result in a return trip to the Finals with a different final result. If this series taught us anything, it’s that Bryant may need that help a bit more than he – or we – ever realized.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.