Monthly Archives: December 2008

ESPN, NFL

‘You Pick It’ Comments Posted on ESPN Again

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As long as Bill Williamson keeps posting my comments in response to the queries from his AFC West blog on ESPN.com, I’m going to continue to link to them. It certainly can’t hurt.

(Also, as a stingy English major, I generally try to catch all of my errors, so don’t blame me for the fact that all of my apostrophes (‘) were turned into question marks (?) in the post. I didn’t send it in that way, and I think it probably has something to do with copying and pasting the characters from Microsoft Word .)

Anyway, this week, I wrote in to say that Jay Cutler’s performance against Brett Favre and the Jets was the top story of the past week in the lowly division that is the AFC West. And thanks again to Bill for seeing fit to publish my response.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

NBA

Top-10 NBA Players I’d Like to See More Often

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I don’t get to watch nearly as many NBA games as I would like. For one thing, they aren’t on basic cable every night. And, even when they are, too many of the West coast games tip off at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time. That’s now a problem since I have a regular 8–5 day job. Also, a lot of lower-level teams simply don’t get on TV as regularly.

The point is that there are a number of players I’d like to see more often than I do. With that in mind, here’s my list of the top-10 guys I want to see more of as soon as possible.

10. Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers)
I’ll be honest. Granger is the reason I was inspired to write this column. His 32-point effort last night led the way for Indiana’s upset of the Lakers. I couldn’t pick Granger out of a lineup because the Pacers have gone MIA since the departures of Reggie Miller, Jermaine O’Neal, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson. But he is the leading scorer for a team that just became the first to defeat both teams from last year’s NBA Finals.

9. O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies)
I didn’t get a chance to see him play much at USC, and now he’s buried in the NBA’s purgatory that is Memphis. Is he a legitimate franchise player or someone looking to play a franchise for money? I’m not sold on him, but I need to see more game action before I lay down my verdict.

8. Devin Harris (New Jersey Nets)
I wasn’t totally convinced the Mavs made the right deal last year when they shipped Harris to New Jersey for Jason Kidd, but it was because of Kidd’s age not Harris’ talent. As it turns out, Harris may be the starting point guard for the East All-Stars this year. His play is the primary reason this Nets team is hovering above .500 despite being in so-called “rebuilding” mode according to many preseason predictions.

7. Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors)
By overshadowing Dwight Howard this past summer for Team USA, Bosh piques my interest. Playing for the only NBA team north of the border doesn’t help his exposure. Neither does being part of the draft class that included LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. But Bosh is a beast, plain and simple.

6. Josh Smith (Atlanta Hawks)
One of the keys to the Hawks pushing the eventual champion Celtics to the brink of elimination last year was Smith’s versatility. He’s one of the game’s best shot blockers and packs a bunch on the offensive end as well. If his maturity ever catches up to his skill set, watch out.

5. Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
After watching him struggle against the defense of Kansas in last year’s NCAA championship, I had my doubts and probably would have taken Beasley first overall. Less than 20 games into the season, I think the Bulls made the right decision. Rose is already a leader in Chicago and is primed to make a run at Chris Paul for best point guard of the next decade.

4. Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves)
The third rookie on this list, Love was a personal favorite of mine last season at UCLA. He doesn’t have the prototypical NBA body, but he uses his bulk to his benefit and has a knack for the game rarely seen in a young player. Plus, no one throws an outlet pass like Kevin Love.

3. Kevin Martin (Sacramento Kings)
Speaking of players lacking NBA bodies, Kevin Martin looks more like someone you’d run into at the local YMCA. Listed at 6’7” and 185 pounds, he’s as scrawny as they come. But he’s not your average baller. Martin has averaged better than 20 points per game the past two years, but still doesn’t get any respect when you talk about the best scorers in the league. Playing on the hapless Kings, it’s hard to find Martin on the tube, but he’s definitely worth watching.

2. Rudy Fernandez (Portland Trail Blazers)
My pick for rookie of the year, Fernandez is no newcomer to the game of basketball. A veteran of the Spanish league, he is a big reason why Portland looks poised to make the playoffs this year. Whether it’s throwing down on Dwight Howard or draining from distance, Fernandez is fun to watch.

1. Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks)
If you didn’t watch the Boston-Atlanta series last spring, you may still be in the dark about the NBA’s best kept secret, Joe Johnson. I’d put him fourth on my list of players I’d want with the ball when trailing by 1 or 2 points and less than 24 seconds remaining (behind 1. Kobe Bryant, 2. LeBron James, 3. Chris Paul). He’s clutch, able to create of the dribble and a proven scorer. The Hawks are no longer a punch line and the emergence of Joe Johnson as an all-star is a big reason why.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.

College Football

A Cold Winter in Ann Arbor

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The calendar turned to December and Michigan’s football season was already over. That’s still hard to believe. But after a 3-9 season that was disappointing even for the most cautious Wolverine supporter.

They fell well short of my 6-6 preseason forecast. They lost to Toledo and were humiliated by Ohio State. They lost an unthinkable five games in the Big House and six games against the Big Ten.

There were very few bright spots during coach Rich Rodriguez’s debut season in Ann Arbor. The historic comeback against Wisconsin to open the Big Ten season was one highlight, but Wisconsin was clearly overrated back then as they needed overtime to defeat Cal Poly and finished the regular season 7-5.

The biggest concern for Michigan has to be inconsistency from virtually every position on the field. No quarterback looked like he had a firm grasp of the offense. The defense surrendered 35+ points on five occasions. And turnovers were a season-long plague.

No one expects another losing season in 2009, but it won’t be easy for the Wolverines to get above .500. After all, a 6-6 mark next year would mean doubling the team’s win total.

While the focus will be on recruiting this year and what kind of players Rodriguez can land after a 3-9 campaign, player improvement will be the real test for the coach. A new bunch of freshmen can’t be expected to turn the program around all on their own next year. How will the players who have now been in the system for a full year show improvement in 2009? If they don’t get any better, that’s a serious cause for concern.

Michigan has already seen several players depart the program (in addition to graduating seniors), so it’ll also be interesting to see who steps up as a leader of this team. Running back Brandon Minor seems to fit that mold, but he shared carries with several backs during his junior year. Will be step up as a senior to restore pride to the maize and blue?

On defense, all eyes are on Brandon Graham. The defensive end led the team with 10 sacks this season. He could enter the NFL Draft, but if he returns, he would give the Wolverines a great anchor on their defensive line.

When it comes down to it, expectations will be low again next year. Undoubtedly, Rodriguez will feel the pressure, especially if Michigan struggles out the gate. But no one seriously expects them to contend in the Big Ten next year. What they have to do is so progress and not in the form of a one- or two-game improvement.

The program and coach Rodriguez deserves a one year pass. It would’ve been tough for anyone to overcome the loss of Jake Long, Mike Hart, Chad Henne, Ryan Mallett, Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington. But next year, there’s no excuse to miss a bowl. After the worst season in the history of Michigan football, Rodriguez better improve in a big way. Otherwise people will be calling for his head. Patience is short in the what-have-you-done-for-me-now world of college football.

For more information, visit MattHubert.com.