College Football Thoughts (Week 7)

I am hoping not, but it is looking like it has begun. That's right, the annual collapse of my beloved South Florida Bulls. After climbing to #21 in the polls, USF dropped last Thursday's game to #8 Cincinnati 34-17. BJ Daniels put up a hell of an effort. The kid is pretty much unsackable, as he was running for his life all night (thanks O-Line). I never saw a single player evade so many tackles. Unfortunately one of his scrambles led to an interception returned for 90 yards and set up a Cincinnati touchdown. The Bulls also did a good job of not letting Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike throw all over them. Unfortunately, Pike went down with an injury and the coaches did a terrible job of adjusting to Cincinnati's new game plan. The back up was a runner, and the Bulls have had a tough time defending running QBs all year. The Bulls have a tough match up Saturday in Pittsburgh, and will face the best defensive line they have seen all year. After watching what the Cincy d-line did to us, I feel very nervous about this. Give credit to the Bearcats for going into hostile territory and taking care of business. This team looks for real. Brian Kelly is an outstanding coach.

As expected, the Miami Hurricanes went out and took care of business against Central Florida with a 27-7 victory. The Canes face Clemson this week in a match up many believe could be a trap game. I do not see that happening as I feel Miami will win out and head to the Orange Bowl.

This was quite an entertaining week outside of my favorite teams. In addition, the first BCS standings were released with the top 5 being Florida, Alabama, Texas, Boise State, and Cinicinnati.

#5 Boise State escaped an upset loss to Tulsa, winning 28-21. I said earlier that Tulsa was the only team I saw remaining on Boise State's schedule with a chance to beat the Broncos. Unfortunately they will probably go undefeated and get in to BCS due to their cowardly scheduling. Maybe Idaho can pull it off November 14.

#3 Texas remained undefeated taking down #20 Oklahoma 16-13 in the Red River Shooutout. The Sooners took a big blow after Sam Bradford reinjured his shoulder in the first quarter. This was a great defensive battle which Oklahoma seemed to dominate most of. However, they were unable to hold on to the win, and their shot at a BCS game is all but gone.

In the biggest upset of the week, #7 Ohio State lost to unranked Purdue 26-18. Many do not feel Jim Tressel is properly utilizing quarterback Terrelle Pryor. My response to that is it serves Pryor right for not going to a school that runs the offense he is best suited for. Michigan looks pretty tempting now, huh Terrelle?

Biggest scandal of the year goes to #1 Florida's robbing of Arkansas 23-20. Now if the terrible officiating did not happen, I'm not saying Arkansas would have won for sure. But you do have to feel something is not morally right with Urban Meyer. Gainesville would have not been happy losing on homecoming to a 24 point underdog. I call scandal FAIL. The Gators will get there's in due time.

#25 Notre Dame gave #6 USC all the could, losing 34-27. I have not been on the Jimmy Clausen bandwagon, but I now believe he is legit. He kept his team in the game down to the last play, even after they appeared to be out of it.

#15 Nebraska failed in handling two decent opponents back-to-back. They were killed, at home, by unranked Texas Tech 31-10. The score was 24-3 heading into the 4th quarter. Nebraska can still win the Big 12 North, but I am certain that if they make it that far, they will lose to the winner of the South division.

#19 Georgia Tech took down #4 Virginia Tech 28-23 in the battle of the engineers. The Coastal Division of the ACC is now wide open, with Virginia currently in first. That ends this week, as I feel they will lose to Georgia Tech. Which in turn will put Miami atop of the division.

#2 (but my #1) Alabama took care of business against #22 South Carolina. It was not the prettiest offensive performance by the Tide, but the defense looked dominant only giving up six points. I really want Alabama to stick i to Florida in the SEC championship. I hope both are undefeated until then. Never mind, I will be happy with any Florida loss.

Games of note this week:
#12 Georgia Tech at Virginia
South Florida at #20 Pittsburgh
Clemson at #10 Miami
#13 Penn State at Michigan
Oklahoma at #25 Kansas
#8 TCU at #16 BYU

Here is my Top 25:

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Cincinnati
6. Miami (FL)
7. Boise State
8. LSU
9. Iowa
10. TCU
11. Georgia Tech
12. Oregon
13. Penn State
14. Virginia Tech
15. Oklahoma State
16. Pittsburgh
17. Houston
18. Utah
19. West Virginia
20. BYU
21. Ohio State
22. Kansas
23. Texas Tech
24. Boston College
25. South Florida

College Football Thoughts (Week 6)

As promised, I have returned. Hopefully this will not be temporary. I do enjoy writing, but have found my laziness tends to get the best of me. Maybe we will just call it writer's block.

Anyways, to the football. I will first start (as I normally do) discussing the teams important to me. My Alma mater, the University of South Florida, is heading in to a huge game this Thursday against Big East foe Cincinnati. Both teams are 5-0, and have been quite impressive this year. Cincinnati is ranked #9 and boast an impressive offense led by quarterback Tony Pike. A kid whom many have on their Heisman Trophy watch list. However, Cincinnati has not been truly tested this season, with their toughest game thus far being at Oregon State (no disrespect to the Beavers, but they are not the same as last year). #21 USF has not been tested too much either. In week 4 we went up to Tallahassee, and beat then #18 Florida State 17-7. As the weeks go by this win looks less and less impressive since FSU is now 2-4 with what seems as the worst having yet to come. More on them later. Hopefully the people of Tampa will unite and come together for this big game. A full Raymond James Stadium is tough for the opposition, and I will be there full force screaming my head off for my beloved Bulls. I expect this to be a close game, and too tough for me to call. My heart says the Bulls, but I have not had a great feeling about this one since the end of the first half against Syracuse two Saturdays ago. The defensive line will need to repeat the performance they had against FSU, and BJ Daniels will have to put the offense in a position to score. Our running game has been less than stellar, so it is going to lie on the freshman signal caller's arm and legs.

My other team, the Miami Hurricanes, are off to a more than impressive start. If anyone would have told me at the beginning of the season, they would be 4-1 after playing Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, and Florida A&M, I might have considered them clinically insane. FAMU was the only sure lock in my book, with them most likely losing the rest. Jacory Harris has looked very poised, and the offense has been great under Mark Whipple thus far (with the exception of the VaTech game). The defense has been great as well. Allen Bailey is the best player you never heard of. No doubt in my mind he should be a first round pick in the 2011 draft. The Canes handled FAMU quite easily, winning 48-16. Miami travels to Orlando to take on Central Florida this Saturday, and I fully expect the Canes to be 5-1 after that game and continue to their ascent up the polls.

In other recaps, #21 Nebraska won 27-12 over #24 Missouri last Thursday. I have been skeptical of Nebraska all season, but with this win and losing only 16-15 to Virignia Tech, I am becoming a bit more of a believer in them as a Big 12 favorite. Their game against Texas Tech will be a good measuring tool. Let's see how they handle two decent opponents back-to-back.

The big contest Saturday saw #1 Florida head into Death Valley to take on #4 LSU. The big story of the game was if Florida's Tim Tebow would be able to play after suffering a pretty severe concussion two weeks earlier. Sure enough, Tebow was out on the field and led his team to a 13-3 victory, ending LSU's 30+ (I believe 32) game winning streak at home during night games. Florida's defense was dominant, but their offense was less than stellar. In my opinion this was due to Tebow coming off the injury, and because LSU's defense is underrated. No one gave the Tigers a chance, but they killed themselves with several stupid offside penalties. Florida is definitely beatable, and at the moment they are not looking like the the number 1 team in the nation.

That title should go to Alabama. The Tide rolled into Oxford and beat #20 Mississippi 22-3. Jevan Snead is very overrated as his offense was only able to muster a field goal. And love him or hate him (I'm on the hate side), you have to respect Alabama coach Nick Saban. The man has returned that program to glory in only a couple seasons.

The only unbeaten team that went down was #17 Auburn, losing 44-23 to unranked Arkansas. I feel Arkansas is a lot better than advertised, and their quarterback Ryan Mallett is a first rounder in my opinion. Florida may have a tough time with Arkansas this week.

Sam Bradford made his return from his shoulder injury and #19 Oklahoma handled Baylor easily, 33-7. This was a good warm up for Bradford as they will take on #2 Texas this week in the Red River Shootout. Texas defeated Colorado 38-14, surviving a rough first half in which Texas was down 14-10.

#12 Iowa is still undefeated after a thrilling 30-28 win over Michigan. The Hawkeyes are looking pretty good, but I do not see them winning out. They have to play at Ohio State in November.

#22 Georgia Tech defeated Florida State 49-44, in what was the worst display of defense I have ever seen. You have to feel bad for FSU quarterback Christian Ponder whom has done everything he can for this team. If his defense was not so bad, he could be the front runner for the Heisman. Unfortunately that award has become more about team rather than individual performance. The end of Bobby Bowden is near, but since that has been all over the news, I will not discuss that situation anymore. Just know that he should be gone after this year, and all Bobby apologists (seasoned FSU fans in particular) do not care about that program getting better.

Games of note for the coming weekend:
#8 Cincinnati at #21 South Florida
#20 Oklahoma vs. #2 Texas
Arkansas at #1 Florida
#6 USC at #25 Notre Dame
#4 Virginia Tech at #19 Georgia Tech
#22 South Carolina at #2 Alabama

Here is my Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Virginia Tech
5. USC
6. Boise State
7. Miami (FL)
8. Cincinnati
9. LSU
10. Ohio State
11. Iowa
12. Oregon
13. Penn State
14. TCU
15. Georgia Tech
16. Nebraska
17. Kansas
18. Oklahoma State
19. South Florida
20. Oklahoma
21. South Carolina
22. Houston
23. BYU
24. Notre Dame
25. Utah

The Return of the Blog

This is just a quick notice that I will finally be back to blogging on a weekly basis. It will begin this week with my thoughts on the College Football season thus far. The focus will be on South Florida's big match up this week against Cincinnati. Stay tuned, and I apologize for the six month hiatus.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

Over a month since I have done a beer review, but have I got a dandy for you. Sierra Nevada comes out with a seasonal Barleywine Style Ale and it is fabulous. It is a very hoppy, bitter ale (similar to an IPA) with a citrus flavor. The color was a dark amber, but opaque enough to see through it a little. There was heavy lacing on the glass, which is what I love to see. The taste was quite strong and is not for the faint at palate. And with a 9.6% ABV ratio, one or two is enough to do you in, so sip it slow.

With a $10.99 per six pack price tag it is a bit pricey, but well worth it. When I grabbed it from the shelf it was in the wrong spot an I thought it would only be $8.99, so I was a little upset at the checkout line. However, after the first bottle I knew it was worth every penny. Highly recommended and well deserving of an A.

Happy Drinking!

MLB Preseason Predictions

So it has been almost a month since I have posted, and I apologize for my laziness. For this post I am going to list my predictions for the MLB season. Yes, I realize it has already started, but what has happened so far will probably be a lot different than the rest of the year. A baseball season has never been foreshadowed by the first week of the season. Here are the picks.

DIVISION CHAMPIONS

NL East: New York Mets

Next to the AL East, this is going to be the most competitive race in baseball. The Mets have a great lineup and even better depth after acquiring Gary Sheffield. Look for the Braves and Marlins to both contend. The Phillies surely have the bats and defense to defend their title, but I am not sure the starting pitching can stay consistent or healthy enough. The Atlanta Braves made what will turn out to be the best off season pick up in Derek Lowe, and the young Marlins rotation is one of the best in baseball (when healthy). The Florida Marlins also have this guy named Hanley Ramirez whom I consider the best player in baseball. Sorry Washington, but you have a ways to go.

NL Central: Chicago Cubs

I honestly feel this is the year that the curse of the goat can be broken. The Cubs lose only Kerry Wood from last year's team and they add Milton Bradley to their lineup which takes care of a rotational outfield position they have had the last few years. Their starters are older, but the experience will prove helpful. The only team I see having a chance to contend is St. Louis, but with health issues in their rotation (particularly Carpenter) I am not sure they have enough stamina. Their bullpen is also a concern. The Cincinnati Reds will be much improved, and I can see them making a push for this division next year.

NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers

I really like everything about the Dodgers. Great lineup, great rotation, and solid bullpen. They have a good mix if young and old, and a guy named Manny Ramirez who knows how to get it done. Arizona has a great rotation, but I don't believe much in their lineup. Everyone else in the division is an after thought.

AL East: Tampa Bay Rays

It will be the best fight for a division title this season. I am going with my heart a bit and picking the Rays to repeat as Champs in the division. However, they got rid of some dead weight in Johnny Gomes, picked up Pat Burrell, and did not dump any significant contributors from last year. It will be a shame that either the Rays, New York Yankees, or Boston Red Sox will be left out of the playoffs. They appear to be the best three teams on paper and any of them can win it. I think C.C. Sabathia is the key to the Yanks successes this year and will contribute greatly. I am really starting to hate Red Sox nation and hope they eat crow this year. Both Toronto and Baltimore will make great strides, and I would not doubt either of them being the Rays of this year.

AL Central: Minnesota Twins

There are a couple teams that could take this division, but I am going to go with the Twins. They have experience at most of their positions and a solid rotation. I think all teams can contend, and yes, that means the Kansas City Royals. I still think they are too young, but they will not be the bottom feeders of the major leagues. Mark my words.

AL West: Texas Rangers

Another decision that was tough. I think it is between Los Angeles, Oakland, and the Rangers. Texas has massive power and run scoring potential which may help make up for their terrible pitching. I like Oakland, but they will need pitcher Justin Duchscherer to come back from the disabled list fast. Do not count Los Angeles out either. Mike Scoscia is a great manager and will keep them in the hunt all year.

WILD CARD TEAMS

NL: Philadelphia Phillies

The defending world champions are too good of a team to stay out of the playoffs. I see it coming down between them and St. Louis, with Florida in the mix (prediction of the heart). 

AL: New York Yankees

As stated earlier, this could easily be Boston too. I used to hate the Yankees more than anything, but Boston is slowly taking over as my most despised team and I just really do not want them making the playoffs. 

PLAYOFF RESULTS

National League Championship: Los Angeles over Chicago

A battle of two historic teams. An intriguing match up that undoubtedly go into a 7 game series. I think the Dodgers have just a little more up their sleeves and make it into the World Series on the back of Manny and their pitching. Bartman is hanging around there somewhere.

American League Championship: Tampa Bay over New York

The Rays return to the World Series for the second straight year. After a year wiser in playoff situations, they will coast through the first round and then beat the Yanks in six. Watch for rookie David Price to be huge in the postseason for Tampa.

World Series: Tampa Bay over Los Angeles

I know most will think I am picking the Rayas because I am fond of them. Part of that is true, but the other part of me has witnessed how this team can pull out wins. They play great defense, pitch well, and I believe they will be much stronger at the plate. Evan Longoria will soon be the All-Star third baseman of the AL, Price is going to be a beast of a pitcher, and if they can find an option at closer a little more reliable than Troy Percival, they will be tough to stop. Look for a 7 game series, and which ever team has the home field advantage will take the title. Since the AL has been so dominant in the All-Star game, I do not foresee that changing.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

NL Most Valuable Player: Hanley Ramirez

This has a lot to do with what the Marlins' record looks like come end of the season, but no where else will you find a player that can get on base, display power, and run as fast as Hanley can. He is reliable night in and night out.

NL Cy Young: Johan Santana

People forget how good of a season he had last year because the win total was not there. I feel things will change in his run support luck, and they will realize he is the best pitcher in the NL.

NL Rookie of the Year: Jordan Schafer

I could easily have gone Cameron Maybin, but I did not want to seem too much like a homer. Schafer is going to be a stud, and will help the Braves to a much improved record.

AL Most Valuable Player: Miguel Cabrera

Some many candidates to choose from. I could have gone Mark Teixeira, Evan Longoria, or someone like Grady Sizemore. Cabrera is just consistent, and without him the Tigers would have no power. I could see him hitting 35 homers and 120 RBI with a .320 batting average. 

AL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia

He is just a great pitcher and will help the Yankee rotation out immensely. Usually slow to start the season, but he will pick it up. Keep an eye on Zack Greinke of Kansas City though. He will have a huge year.

AL Rookie of the Year: David Price

Most people are going with Matt Weiters, and for good reason. He is supposed to be a Mike Piazza at the catching position but with defense. I am going to stray from that and say Price because I have seen what he can do in pressure situations. Take a look at his ALCS performance against the Red Sox last year, and that was a shadow of things to come for this young man's career.

Stay tuned for a great year. Baseball is a wonderful game and I love every moment of the season. I will update my predictions after the All-Star break.

Michelob Irish Red

Let me start by saying Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! About a week ago I started to get into the St. Paddy's Day spirit a little soon (given my Irish background, I see this as acceptable), so I decided to give a try to Michelob's Irish Red Ale. I have found their "craft" beers to actually be pretty decent, and for the price (about $6 a sixer) it is worth the try.

I found this brew to be pretty similar to Killian's in appearance and taste, but a little darker in redness and definitely more hoppy in taste. It presented a wonderful aroma of nuttiness and it was also in the taste. There was a bit of a chocolate hint that lingered. Went down easily and I would have no problem knocking back a few of these. Overall I rate it a B-. If you are looking for something new to try for the holiday give it a shot. I still prefer a good old Guinness for my Irish celebration. 

Happy Drinking and, again, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My Personal Profile

Since I have not filled out my profile here on blog spot, I decided to use this post to tell you a few things about myself. I was born in raised in South Florida. Deerfield Beach is where I spent the bulk of my childhood and graduated from Deerfield Beach High in 2004. During my high school years I participated in football and soccer. I started as punter/kicker and played some strong safety for the scout defense. In my senior year we had the opportunity to win a state championship but came up short losing 31-28 in the semi-finals. That was certainly my most memorable time in high school. I was also sports editor for the school newspaper, and while doing this I found a love for reporting about sports. I thought I was destined to go into journalism in high school, but it never came to fruition.

Instead I enrolled at the University of Kentucky the fall of 2004 in hopes of pursuing a pharmacy degree. After realizing chemistry was a subject I would struggle in, and money would be hard to come up with for attending an out of state college, I decided to transfer back to Florida and enrolled at the University of South Florida in the Spring of 2005. I was not sure what I wanted to major in initially, but finally I turned to a subject that I loved all through grade school...History. I finished college with a major in History, focusing on the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement in America, and a minor in political science. During my time at USF I attended many sporting events, especially football, basketball, soccer, and baseball. I really miss those days of free tickets and a team I enjoy. Now living in Tallahassee I am surrounded by the cockiness that is Florida State country.

I moved up here in May of last year after graduating to follow my fiance, Mary-Beatrice, as she has begun her journey through medical school. It took my a while to find a job, but I now work as a P.E. coach for the Leon County school board. I'd prefer to be teaching in social studies in the classroom, but it's a job for now and being able to bean kids with dodge balls is not too shabby.

In my free time I dedicate my life to following sports, enjoying and cooking food, and reading about new things. There are many other things I enjoy, but I would consider these things to be my passions. My favorite sport is football, particularly college. Since it is my Alma mater, USF is my favorite team. I am also a close follower of the Miami Hurricanes as they were my childhood favorite. I am a hometown follower, so my favorite professional teams are the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, and Florida Marlins. I am not too big into hockey, but if the Florida Panthers are on I will watch them. In addition to team sports, I also really love boxing (obviously) and golf. I could never get tired of watching Tiger Woods play golf, even though it does not bother me when someone else wins.

Food is another passion of mine and I am a fan of all types of cuisines. However, nothing beats going to an upscale steak house for dinner in my book. My order is usually the same too. I will start with a gin martini, up, with an olive garnish and some sort of seafood appetizer (usually crab cakes). For the main course I'll get a 10-12 oz. NY strip cooked medium-rare. As a side I prefer some sort of potato (usually baked) or a creamed vegetable (spinach is best), and if they have onion rings I am all for it. A glass of merlot to complement my steak is a must. As a finishing course I tend to leave the dessert choice up to the lady since I am not big on sweets. If cheesecake is on the menu though, I will always suggest it. To finish off the meal a drink of aged scotch whiskey fits the bill.

I like to cook all types of food, but I find my best work to be done either on a grill or some sort of pasta. Never grill without a beer in hand, and I like them all. I tend to gravitate towards the microbrews because I enjoy a beer with bold flavors. However, I am still finishing up some Coors Lights that are left over from my Super Bowl party and I am getting by just fine on those.

My other interests lie in reading and music. I am always reading something to expand my knowledge. Whether it is news on the computer to keep updated with current events, or a fiction novel for pleasure. When I was younger I used to hate reading, but now I enjoy because I just love to learn. I want to continue my education by earning an MBA. I have put it on hold for the moment to finish all my teaching certifications and also since I am not sure where I will be living in the next couple of years (hopefully NYC when Mary has completed her clinicals and starts residency). I can also be found listening to music, and am a fan of most genres. I have no interest in techno, country, or real heavy/thrash/screamo rock stuff. My favorites are reggae, rock, blues, and hip-hop. I enjoy listening to classical a lot too, especially during dinner.

Later on in life I would like to open a pub/restaurant that would serve quality food and beer.

Anything more you are interested in, do not be afraid to ask. There are several more things I could put up, but I could go on for days.

Boxing Thoughts

Since I am back to catching up on my blogging, I am going to dedicate this post to the happenings in the boxing world. Since I last wrote about boxing, Antonio Margarito has been stripped of his welterweight title and was suspended one year from fighting in the United States for wrapping his hands in what appeared to be plaster. The plaster was meant to get harder as his hands sweat and got the substance wet. I am glad they caught this before the fight happened against Shane Mosley. I feel Margarito should be banned for life. Had an official not caught this, Mosley's life could have been on the line. Mosley then went on to beat the crap out of Margarito resulting in him being knocked out. "Sugar" Shane looked like his old self, and now appears to be the top welterweight fighter in the world. Perhaps a match with Miguel Cotto or Joshua Clottey next? Would be entertaining.

A deal was finally agreed on between Manny Pacquiao and Rick Hatton. Should make for a great fight, as Hatton appears to be the only person that could contend with Pac-Man at the moment. I still anticipate Pacquiao winning the fight, but be sure to tune in May 2 for it, as it could go either way.

My second favorite boxer, Kelly Pavlik (Andre Berto is number one for me), returned to action on February 21 against mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio and knocked him out in the ninth. Everyone knew Pavlik would win because he was in front of his hometown Youngstown, Ohio fans. Every superstar needs a pick me up, and after getting beat down by Bernard Hopkins, Pavlik needed this. Plenty of opportunities for his next fight, but I would like to see either Arthur Abraham (not likely) or Vernon Forrest (more likely).

If you are interested in some good fights tune in this weekend for Tomasz Adamek vs. Jonathan Banks for Adamek's Ring Magazine/IBF Cruiserweight titles and Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz for Marquez's Ring magazine and the vacant WBO and WBA lightweight belts. Best of all these fights are on Showtime (Adamek/Banks tonight) and HBO (Marquez/Diaz tomorrow), so you do not have to pay the pay-per-view prices. Just head to a local sports bar, or since most people have these channels, the comfort of your own couch and get as drunk as you want. I expect both current title holders to retain with Diaz having the best shot at an upset.

Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale

This is a brew that I tried a while ago. But since I have been putting off blogging I have to get caught up. Also, with the festivities as of late, I have had a lot of beer left over from the Super Bowl that is the normal run of the mill stuff. I'll get back to buying new stuff when that runs out.

I have been eying Kona brewery stuff for some time, and finally decided to try the Fire Rock Pale Ale. It was a nice, sweet, amber colored ale with hints of caramel and fruit. I am usually more for a hoppier tasting pale ale, as this was a bit on the light side, but in all fairness it was not an IPA. Poured with a pretty nice head and had some good lacing. I would recommend pairing it with something on the spicy side to balance out the flavor of the food. If you are not one really hoppy ales, then this is the way to go. I will definitely be giving Kona a try on their other brews (especially the Porter). Overall, I would rate this a B.

Happy Drinking!

NBA Midseason Predictions

Wow! Has it been some time since I have blogged or what? It has been a combination of coaching soccer, work, studying for PE subject area exam, and laziness that has kept me from blogging. Now that I have passed my exam, and the soccer season is nearly over, I plan to get back to blogging on a regular basis.

The All-Star break is over, and the unofficial second half of the NBA season will begin tonight. I wanted to come on here and give my predictions (as promised) on what will happen the rest of the season. It has been an entertaining year, with superstars like LeBron, Kobe, and Wade playing lights out basketball. In fact as you may recall, I was talking about how I have lost a lot of love for this league. Well I am coming on here to tell you this year has turned a page in my NBA appreciation and I find myself following it a lot closer and caring. Probably because the Heat will most likely make the playoffs, but it has been a fun year. Without further adieu, here are the updated predictions.

DIVISION CHAMPIONS

Southeast: Orlando Magic (same)
No change on my prediction here. Although they are going to be hurting a lot more with the loss of Jameer Nelson, but I think they have enough of a lead to hold off the inconsistent Atlanta Hawks.

Atlantic: Boston Celtics (same)
With the 76ers a solid 15 games behind, I would be willing to bet my life savings on the Celtics keeping the lead in this division. They are also still the defending champions with a great mix of young and old. How great has Rondo been?

Central: Cleveland Cavaliers (same)
Again I am sticking with the Cavs, and for the same reason anyone else would. They are the best team in the East, with the best player in the game. They also lead the league in point differential and Detroit is too far behind.

Southwest: San Antonio Spurs (previously New Orleans)
The Spurs do not look like they have aged at all. They are playing very well right now. New Orleans can still win this along with Houston, but those two teams have not been playing as well on the road as the Spurs. This division is going to be a dog fight though.

Northwest: Denver Nuggets (previously Utah)
In the preseason blog I stated the Jazz would win substantially. Well I was wrong. In all fairness though, I did not know Denver would have Chauncy Billups leading them. What a difference this guy makes for a team. Denver should win pretty easily because Portland and Utah cannot win away from home.

Pacific: Los Angeles Lakers (same)
And it is still not even close. The closest team, Phoenix, is in complete disarray.

REMAINING PLAYOFF TEAMS

Eastern Conference:
Atlanta (same), Miami (same), Philadelphia (same), Detroit (same), New Jersey (previously Toronto)
Milwaukee or Chicago could easily be in there instead of the Nets, but I like New Jersey with the way Brook Lopez is playing and if Devin Harris and Vince Carter can stay healthy.

Western Conference:
Houston (same), New Orleans (same), Dallas (same), Utah (same), Portland (previously Phoenix)
As stated above, Phoenix is in shambles after the firing of Terry Porter. Now they are looking to trade Amare Stoudamire? Man, has Steve Nash got a rough remaining of the season ahead of him. Portland has come along a lot faster then I thought. Brandon Roy has to be the most underrated player in the league. No doubt the Blazers regret taking Greg Oden over Kevin Durant because Roy is just as effective.

PLAYOFF RESULTS

Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland over Boston (same)
If Jameer Nelson could have stayed healthy for the Magic, I would have picked them to win the conference. However, you cannot expect to win games as a shooting team when one of your best shooters is out. Cleveland is playing really well behind James and Moe Williams (ultimate All-Star snub). I definitely expect it to go to 7 games and would not be surprised if Boston won. I just think this is the year for the Cavs.

Western Conference Finals: San Antonio over Los Angeles (previously Los Angeles over Utah)
The Lakers can still pull it out, but it is going to be a lot harder after losing Andrew Bynum a second year in a row to a season ending knee injury. San Antonio may be aging, but, with Manu Ginobili back on top of his game and their consistent chemistry, they look tough to beat.

NBA Finals: San Antonio over Cleveland (previously Los Angeles over Cleveland)
I would have really loved to see Andrew Bynum vs. Dwight Howard in the finals, but with Bynum done and Nelson out for the Magic, it seems like it will be tough for Kobe Bryant to lead the Lakers and Howard to lead the Magic. This still presents a good match up. The youth of Cleveland and the relentlessness of James vs. the experience and chemistry of the Spurs. I say the Spurs in 7.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James (previously Chris Paul)
I would have loved for Paul to get this award, but he just does not have the dazzle factor of King James. Plus it is certainly hard to argue against numbers like 28 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 7 apg. To be in the top in scoring, but also have that many assists is unreal. He is all over the court.

Rookie of the Year: Derrick Rose (previously Michael Beasley)
I'll admit it. I chose Beasley because he plays for the Heat. Now, he is playing decent and I guarantee his numbers will improve now that Shawn Marion is gone. Rose, however, has shown why he was the first overall pick. He is playing really well for the Bulls doing everything form scoring to dishing the ball. O.J. Mayo is close behind, but since the Grizzlies are so bad, he will finish second. Watch out for dark horse Brook Lopez. He has fit in well with New Jersey and is slowly climbing up the poll (I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure 12 double-doubles leads all rookies).

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard (previously Ron Artest)
Artest was injury plagued in January and he has not played his normal shut down defense. Howard leads the league in rebounds and blocks. Enough said.

Sixth Man of the Year: Manu Ginobili (previously Leandro Barbosa)
He is still averaging starting minutes, but with Roger Mason starting in front of him, he has certainly produced off the bench. He has managed to stay healthy this season, and that can only mean good things for San Antonio.

Coach of the Year: Eric Spoelstra (previously Rick Adelman)
This may seem like a homer pick, but to be able to take a team with the worse record in the league to 4 games over five hundred and in the hunt for a playoff spot is impressive. Not to mention the Miami Heat may have one of, if not the youngest, team in the league.

Berto vs. Collazo this Saturday

For those of you interested in the big rising star, Andre Berto, be sure to tune in to HBO this Saturday night as he faces his first true test of his young career. Berto is currently my favorite boxer, and I have been waiting for this fight for months. It will be the first defense of his WBC welterweight title, and should be a great bout as he faces Luis Collazo. Check in for the review, which I will probably do on Sunday.

Situation in Gaza

Just wanted to come on here to say a few things about the situation in Gaza. As you can see, our lovely military is not putting forth any effort to go and save the people of the Hamas run government. This is fine considering since they are considered somewhat of a terrorist group, but there needs to be an end to Israel's attacks. The rest of the United Nations are looking for ways to end this conflict, but the United States seems to have no interest in finding any resolve. Seems pretty contradictory considering we wanted to make "peace" in the Middle East.

It is about time the U.S. (and the rest of the world) realize that no matter how much fire power we bring to the area, we will never be able to end these struggles. This fighting is religiously based and has been going on far longer than we have even been a nation. Would we want some foreign country coming into the states and telling us we could not choose to worship the way we choose? Fighting in the Middle East will never cease, so instead of sending ignorant uneducated soldiers whom have been brainwashed by their leading officers, we just need to get out of there before thousands more die. We need to figure out our own problems in the country (especially economically) before we go fixing other problems. As you can see our economy has not fared too well by dumping billions of dollars a week into the "war" in Iraq. Help us Obama!

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

Over the Christmas/New Year's holiday I tried several new beers, so I could be here all day sharing my experiences with you. However, I just decided to review one that I had on both tap and bought a six pack. Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale is an absolutely excellent winter seasonal brew. It certainly an India Pale Ale due to its hazy amber color and the very pronounced hoppy taste. There is also a taste citrus in the background which was clearly divided out into perfect proportions to keep the hoppy bitterness and not turn it into a Hefeweizen. Another major plus is the thick lacing on the glass. After taking about a half hour to drink one, the lacing was still prominent on the top. If you are a fan of seasonal beers or IPAs, then I would tell you to not hesitate ans grab a sixer before they are done for the winter. Easily receives an A grade.

Happy Drinking!