I am thankful for...

Happy US Thanksgiving to our friends south of the border...in the spirit of giving thanks let's look at some sports-related items I am thankful for lately...



Lakers win...Lakers win...theeee Lakers win


Topping the list is I am thankful to be a Lakers fan...3-time defending Western Conference champs...2-time defending NBA champs...the type of organization that "measures success by Championships" according to my hero Earvin Magic Johnson...when your other fav teams are the Dolphins and Jays then you really appreciate a team that wins and is committed to winning like the Lakers

Speaking of the Jays...I am thankful that Paul Beeston has agreed to stick around and run the franchise...his fingerprints are all over the 1992-1993 World Series winning teams and the fact that he once again is at the top of the organization is cause for optimism...

As a sports fan I am thankful that as we speak the Miami Hate are a pedestrian 8-7...I am glad to see that just assembling a few players with massive talent does not equal huge success...at least not right away anyway...I am thankful that the whole idea of building a team through building a foundation and culture is still the blueprint for success

I am thankful that with all the assholes in sports we still have Sydney Crosby...Tom Brady...Peyton Manning...Albert Pujols...Doc Halladay...Tim Duncan...Steve Nash...Big Papi...to show the youth how to act on and off the field (Derek Jeter would normally be on this list but he is currently taking a huge gamble with his rep as he is actually making the Yankees look like the good guys in this latest contract negotiation)



Jim Joyce wipes the tears


I am thankful that I saw the essence of sportsmanship rekindled in the wake of the Jim Joyce blown call at first base on what would have been the final out of Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga...usually umps have an attitude that they are beyond reproach but Joyce (the umpire) went out of his way to acknowledge his mistake and to apologize to Galarraga after the game...the way these 2 handled the situation was inspiring...the next day Joyce rotated from 1st base ump to home plate umpire and he was showered with a standing ovation as he stood at home plate before the game to accept the line-up cards from the coaches...his eyes filled with tears as he was overcome with emotion (pictured left)...his human error the day before that cost the Tigers pitcher, Tigers organization, and Tigers fans a piece of history was all forgiven as sportsmanship trumped the blown call and inspired a lot of people...very cool scene in Motown

I am thankful that the NFL is talking about an 18 game schedule...I am thankful MLB is considering adding more teams to the playoffs...I am thankful that the NCAA March Madness pool is up to 68 teams this season...possibly more to come there too...the more teams = the more chances for the type of special upsets that only this tourney can provide

I am thankful that Allen Iverson had to go to Turkey to resume his basketball career...life lesson there kids - if you spend your entire career putting you ahead of the team then no matter what your talent level is your act will wear thin...truth is AI would have been a great fit in Boston, LA, and really perfect for Miami but he showed time and time again that he was the only person on his mind...

I am thankful for the NFL rule change to protect hits to the head...the comments from the Defensive players in the League when the changes happened were ignorant and appalling...the idea that we as fans tune in to see that level of violence is absurd...we tune in to watch football, not countless close-ups of unconscious players who have to be carted off the field while strapped to a board to go and run tests to see if their quality of life has been forever altered...disgusting

I am sooooo thankful for the new NBA rule that allows referees to levy a Technical Foul against a player who is in any way over-the-top with any antics when disagreeing with a foul call...there are 450+ players in the NBA and none of them have ever committed a foul a day in their life...at least that is the way they act after any call...the histrionics were embarrassing and really were taking away from the integrity of the game so good for you NBA

I am thankful that for whatever reason you decided to spend 5 minutes with me today reading my blog :)...as always I hope you enjoyed the read and I hope we can interact again soon...

craig.ballard@hotmail.com

Your Toronto Raptors

Hello again friends...YOUR TORONTO RAPTORS are a dozen games into the 2010-2011 campaign and thus far it has been a dirty dozen...lets review shall we...

You know how we do it around here...The Good...The Bad...The Ugly

The Good

I have seen improvement and growth from DeMar

When you have played 12 games and only have 3 ticks in the W column finding The Good is difficult...I will say this - the Craps..sorry Raps...have played 8 road games which is more than any other team in the East (Only Portland - who is in the West - has played as many road games as that) not to mention 4 of those were n the West Coast...when the sched evens out a lot more and the other teams in the East have to go on those trips while the T-Dot catches up on their home games we could see more W's...

Although it is true that Andrea Bargnani has struggled a tad with consistency he still is getting 20 points per game on average which is 6 points higher than his career avg of 14 ppg

Last season we lamented that Reggie Evans was never healthy to contribute to the Raps...this year he is averaging a team-high 12 rebounds per game...those are Craig Ballard at Father Michael Goetz numbers!!!  (a laugh there for those of you who have known me since my high school days)

Sonny Weems is coming off the bench and at 14.1 points per game he is doubling his career avg

I have thought during stretches of time that the light bulb is going on for 2nd year player DeMar DeRozan...his offensive game has improved, but I am referring to his decision making and aggressiveness in stretches where the Raps really needed it...to have a 2nd year guy provide that for you bodes well for his development...

To have a 3-9 start and only be 2 games out of the 8th and final playoff spot is good

The Bad

Oh boy...2-6 road record...0-4 West Coast trip...

blown out at Washington when John Wall was not even playing...any of the last minute plays that Jay Triano has drawn up...

The fact that Reggie Evans leads your team in steals (come on Jose...Jack...DD...Sonny...Julian Wright...Barbosa)...

David Anderson has played in 10 games (yikes...I may be a better option..did I mention my high school rebounding prowess?!?!)...



more often than not we do no want to look either

Jarrett Jack's shooting numbers are plummeting...DO NOT let JJ shoot from downtown where he has made just 4 of his 24 attempts (YIKES)...JJ's turnovers are up and assists are down...

The other PG is Jose Calderon...Calderon's also has shooting numbers that are way down, as are his assists
The Ugly



STILL waiting for Alabi and Davis to debut

 Sure the Raps lost Bosh and Hedon't Turkoglu in the off-season, but they add Leandro Barbosa, Linus Kleiza, and Ed Davis...all 3 have struggled already with injuries...Davis has not even made his NBA debut yet...personally I cannot wait to see what kind of pro Mr Ed will be as I am excited about him...heck even fellow rookie Soloman Alabi has yet to make his debut...

The New Orleans Hornets are 9-1...the lone loss came at Dallas by 3 points...they are playing great...former Raptor Marco Belinelli has started all 10 games and is averaging 12 points per game and playing very well...as a Rap he started 1 game and averaged 7 points last season

The Raps still offer no consequences for taking the ball to the rim against them...teams are still able to run lay-up drills vs the Raps D as the middle is s-o-f-t

This team has looked brutal in the 4th Q this yea...they are really a young team who needs time to jell...it does not help that the new guys are all hurt...adding new guys has its own built-in learning curve but when the guys are not even healthy the jell process is of course further delayed which as already added to Raps fans frustrations...

I would have thought 4-8 was worst case scenario for this squad after a dozen games so to be below even that is upsetting and ugly...

Go Raps Go

craig.ballard@hotmail.com

NFL Week 10-11

Hi folks...I am sorry for the delay in adding a new entry but I have had computer and Internet issues :(...but lets get right back at our weekly looks at the National Football Association...

Week 10

Matty Ice

As you know I like the NFC South winner to go on and represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLV...the way Matty Ice has his Hotlanta Falcons humming - especially at home where they have won 14 straight with Matt Ryan at the helm - the Dirty Birds look good right now...



Speaking of winning at home how about Peyton and the Colts...4-0 at home this season despite numerous injuries (I may line up at WR for the Colts this week as they are sooo short handed these days)

Speaking, again, of winning at home Toronto's own Buffalo Bills finally get a W...the most significant part of that is it came at home where the Bills were dominant in the 90's, but horrid in the 2000's...

Hmmm...looks like a home team shout-out here too but with Week 10's 49-29 thrashing of KC the Denver Broncos won a Division home game for the first time in 2 years under Head Coach Josh McDaniels

Miami had 4 different players throw a pass in an injury-filled W, their first at home in 2010...WR Randy Moss has played 2 games in Miami this season and has 1 catch...give some credit to Dolphins CB Vontae Davis...the 2nd year player is really impressing this season and appears to have a Top 5 up-side

Mike Thomas carried off the field after "The Rebound"

Play of the Year ends the Houston @ Jacksonville tilt...you have no doubt seen the replay of David Garrard's 50 yard Hail Mary toss into the End Zone on the last play of the game...the ball was spiked down by Houston CB Glover Quin but the angle of the spike allowed the football to land fortuitously in the arms of Jags WR Mike Thomas for the game winning score...the play is called "Rebound" and when they practice it Thomas is always the "scoop guy" whose job it is to try to catch a deflected/batted ball...what was huge was the play prior to that was a 5-yard offside penalty on Antonio Smith which gave Garrard the extra 5 yards needed to get his heave all the way into the End Zone...that W puts the Jags at 5-4, while the loss was the 3rd straight for a Texans franchise that had their sights set on their first ever play-off appearance when they started 4-2

Cowboys win...Cowboys win...theeee Cowboys win...QB Jon Kitna completes only 13 passes, but 3 of those are for TD's and he amassed 327 passing yards as the talented skill players in Dallas finally showed up for a football game...interim (although don't call him that to his face!) Coach Jason Garret had the 'Boys in pads from Day 1 of his regime in an attempt to change the direction of this squad asap...I understand his motivation to improve things right away as he only has the rest of this season to show that he can lead this team going forward...with guys available like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden Garret knows the competition could be tough to lead America's Team

Big road W for the New England Patriots...once again Tom Brady had his skill and leadership on display as the Steel Curtain takes a loss for the 2nd time in 3 weeks...

The Washington Redskins outscore the Philadelphia Eagles 7-0 in the 4th Q on Monday Night...sadly for 'Skins fans the other 3 Q's were sheer domination to the tune of 59-21 for Philly...1st play of the game goes for 88 yards and a TD from QB Michael Vick to WR DeSean Jackson, and the Eagles got 6 TD's from Vick in an absolute beat-down on the road...Eagles have won 4 straight games that Jackson has played in...Vick said it was his best game ever...he has never thrown an INT in his Eagles career

Week 11

Detroit @ Dallas...something here has to give...the Lions have lost the last 25 games they have played on the road...that is a record...the Cowboys are 0-4 this season in their new $1.3 billion stadium

Green Bay @ Minnesota...several teams this season have taken their turn at chipping away at the legend of QB Brett Favre and here comes the final chance for QB Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to do their damage...the Pack beat the Vikes in Week 7 28-24 at Lambeau...with Division foes Green Bay and Chicago already at 6-3 each the 3-6 Vikings are already in panic-mode and surely need this W

Oakland @ Pittsburgh...if the 5-4 Raiders get this W to go to 6-4 that will drop the Steelers to 6-4 and the Raiders would own the tie-breaker over Pitt thus be ahead of them in the standings...take that in for a moment...that means a Raiders W will have Oakland ahead of Pitt in the standings going into Week 12...another in a long line of examples of just how nutsacks this 2010 NFL season has been...


these QB's are each a classic

Indy @ New England...does it get better, or classier than Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady?!?!  This yearly classic writes itself...the last 2 games have gone to Manning and the Colts with last season being a crazy 35-34 final...Brady completed 29 passes for 375 yards and 3 TD's while Peyton completed 28 for 327 yards and 4 TD's...side-note here is that Tom Terrific will miss practise all week with foot and shoulder issues

NY Giants @ Philly...massive NFC East tilt...6-3 vs 6-3...1st place at stake...the first of 2 games between these teams over the next 5 weeks which will likely decide the NFC East winner

as always I welcome your emails... craig.ballard@hotmail.com

NFL Week 8-9

Hard to imagine the New England Patriots having a better week than this one...not only do they get a W (at home where Tom Brady stacks W's...more on that in a moment) but the hated Jets and the Steelers each lose putting the Pats as the current #1 seed in the AFC...this seems huge to me as the Jets/Steel Curtain/Ravens all have D's that will be able to travel well if need be come playoff time...the Pats D is not as strong so I don't really like them on the road, but who cares about the road if you are the #1 seed...plus Randy Moss continues to expose himself as a jackass which has me thinking it was a good move for the Pats to jettison him out of town...even Barry Bonds - the sports asshole - was never kicked out of one, let alone 2 cities for being a jerk...


Let's move away from jerk talk and look at one of the true sports heroes around - Tom Brady...Tom Terrific has a career 66-11 record at Foxboro...an 18 game, and currently 24 game home winning streak...unreal...with Tom as the King of his Castle the Pats average a 7-1 home record each year...that is WOW...a 6-2 home record would be a disappointment for Brady...think about your team and think about how much you would love a 6-2 home record (Miami 0-3...Jets 2-2...Tenn 2-2...Hou 2-2...Philly 1-2...Da Bears 2-2...TB 2-2...all of the above are playoff contenders) where as in New England a 6-2 home record under Brady is cause for concern!!!  Have we mentioned before that this guy is good?!?! 

The good news continued for Pats fans as 2-time Pro Bowl Guard Logan Mankins back from his holdout...Mankins has started all 80 games he has played in and at 6'4" 310 lbs dude is good...



Merriman was cleared on charges that he assaulted Tila Tequila


Lights Out Shawne Merriman gets waived by the Chargers and gets claimed by the Buffalo Bills...good life lesson there kids...if you (allegedly) assault a female bad things can happen...for example you could be tossed out of a climate like San Diego and forced to go to Buffalo...

RUN DMC

Another big winner this week was the Raiders...seems odd to suggest that they are playing amazing but as the kids say the proof is in the pudding (do the kids say that actually?!?! Doubt it)...the pass-rush is suddenly vaunted, and the D is flying to the ball in attack mode like they are the Ravens or Steel Curtain...RUN DMC aka Darren McFadden is running with skill and purpose...at 4-4 they are in the middle of the pack but Raiders fans will tell you it has been forever since this franchise was not a punch line so things are looking up in Jokeland...sorry, now I guess I can only say Oakland...


 Another "don't look now" pleasant surprise are the 5-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers...2nd year Head Coach Raheem Morris has this squad humming...only Seattle, Houston, and Miami join TB as teams that have winning records despite having been outscored on the season...the 4th Q road comeback wins being orchestrated by QB Josh Freeman have been very very impressive...Freeman has only thrown 3 INT's in 2010, while throwing 18 INT's last season is just 2 more starts (9) than his 7 starts this year...that is an amazing improvement and accomplishment for Josh

Dallas...1-6...0-4 at home...the billion+ $$$ home that owner Jerry Jones built with the specific timetable of having his 'Boys host this seasons Super Bowl...yikes...the last 2 weeks Eli Manning and David Garrard have each tossed 4 TD's in beat downs vs Dallas (David Garrard?!?!  and in the same Garrard game Cowboys QB Jon Kitna at 58 years old throws for 379 yards?!?!  the 2010 NFL season is n-u-t-s)...Jerry Jones is as down as we have ever seen him...this has been a nightmare for fans/players/owners etc...I think Jones realizing that Wade Phillips is a brutal Head Coach falls under the ol' We Told You So category...

The J-E-T-S JETSJETSJETS get shut-out at home?!?!  Did not see that coming...

Another good news story is the St Louis Rams...the Rams have won 6 games combined the previous 3 seasons, but are at 4 already this year...take heed Bills fans...the Rams have rebounded with #1 overall draft pick QB Sam Bradford...something tells me the Bills will have the #1 overall pick in next years NFL Entry draft so go get a winner to turn things around Buffalo

 Minny 2-5...Favre gets knocked out...waive Randy Moss...owner Zygi Wilf not at all pleased with the handling of the Moss situation, especially Head Coach Brad Childress' part in it all...does your team need a good Offensive Coordinator?!?!  If so Childress will surely be available at seasons end...

 The stunner of the week for me was the Saints running for just a pathetic 30 yards vs the Steelers, yet they win by 10 points?!?!  Big Ben Roethlisberger should have had a much better game in the Dome on National TV...to be honest shame on you Ben...brutal game Pitt...

Hey Miami - you get 6 points, plus an opportunity for an extra point to bring the value of a TD to 7 points...the rest of the NFL loves it, and you should try it...K Dan Carpenter is 10-10 the last 2 weeks on Field Goal attempts...that is a great job by Carpenter, but come on guys - its called a goaline package and when in the Red Zone teams go to that package to punch the ball into the End Zone...gees


Did you see all the injuries on O that the Colts had to deal with this week...I have to check the stats as I think I may have caught a pass this week for Indy...they were on 3rd and 4th stringers everywhere, but Peyton Manning is so damn good that they still get a big W

How bad have things got in Washington?!?!  Down 6 points vs Detroit with 2 minutes to go Head Coach Mike Shanahan replaces QB Donovan McNabb with back-up Rex Grossman...Shanahan gave numerous different explanations for the move which is troubling...heck the whole idea of pulling anyone for Rex Grossman is troubling...this week the 'Skins held a workout with several players, including former Oakland #1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell who was recently cleared in a felony drug case where police found a drink at Russell's house containing a controlled substance - codeine syrup...his Defense team said the drink belonged to someone else living with JaMarcus...



Is it me or does JaMarcus Russell look like The Game and Big Tigger had a baby?!?!



WEEK 9



Miami @ Baltimore...when your O is struggling to score TD's the Ravens D is not usually the cure for what ails you...the 'Phins can go to 5-3 with a W, and crazily enough that would mean they are 5-0 on the road and 0-3 at home (?!?!)



TB 3-0 on the road and 5-2 overall @ Hotlanta 3-0 at home and 5-2 on the road...massive game in the NFC South...can TB show they are legit contenders, or will ATL bring them back down to earth and expose them as pretenders?!?!

San Diego @ Houston...big game folks...the winner is right back in the thick of things and the loser is in major trouble...believe it or not San Diego is at the top in the NFL on O, on D, passing O, vs the pass...but turnovers have them at 3-5 overall and 0-4 on the road...

KC @ Oakland...the combined record of these 2 teams is 9-6...how that makes sense is any one's guess...a Raiders W will have them 1 game out of first place going into week 10...the Raiders are usually 3 games out of first place going into week 2...and KC in first place?!?!  wow

INDY @ Philly...too much going on in either teams Division to be able to absorb a loss here

craig.ballard@hotmail.com

2010-2011 NBA season

Some things I loved in the off-season...


this group should have a ton of help this season

 L.A. Lakers...full disclosure I am a huge Lakers fan, but I will always call it the way I see it...for me this is the 2nd straight year that LA wins a Title and then improves in the off-season...last year it was the addition of Ron Artest...this year the Lakers make major improvements to their bench with the addition of PG Steve Blake - re-signing PG Shannon Brown - signing of Matt Barnes - signing of Theo Ratliff...all 4 of those guys go with Lamar Odom to form a great bench...add long time Lakers Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton and we see the Lakers go at least 10 deep...I am excited about rookie Devin Ebanks (West Virginia) too...on the perimeter you have Kobe/Artest/D-Fish/Barnes/Blake holding it down on D, and at the rim any combo of Bynum/Gasol/Odom/Ratliff will keep the basket well protected...this team D should be great...the early moments of the season will have Kobe and Bynum nursing their current injuries, but we see a ton of depth in Lakerland this season


even more big-man depth for Doc and the Celtics

Boston Celtics...first (and most important) off-season move was getting Coach Doc Rivers to return for another season...then Ray Allen and Paul Pierce followed...Phil Jackson is on another planet and his records will never be approached in our lifetime, but the next tier of coaches has names like Sloan, Popovich, and Doc Rivers is right there too (side-note...next summer the biggest storyline other then the looming work-stoppage will be the question of will Doc be lured in by Pat Riley to coach the Heat)...Doc loses his great assistant Tom Thibodeau (new Head Coach of the Bulls) but replace him with Lawrence Frank (formerly of the Nets)...the C's also added to their roster...I like the addition of the O'Neals - Shaq and Jermaine...when Kendrick Perkins returns from injury this Celtics frontcourt is big - mean - really physical - really good...they will need to add some depth at the Guard spots...they need big play from any of Nate Robinson/Von Wafer/Delonte West/Marquis Daniels to help Rajon Rondo/Paul Pierce/Ray Allen on the perimeter



Yao and Aaron Brooks

 Houston Rockets...the x-factor team in the Association this season...F Luis Scola is as underrated a player as there is in the NBA...they add Yao Ming (he is back from injury...we have not seen Yao since the 2008-2009 season) and even though they will heavily monitor his minutes he can still of course contribute...they add Brad Miller for depth at the big-man spot...they have their first full season with dynamic SG Kevin Martin...they add SG Courtney Lee...G Kyle Lowry continues to get better and better...PG Aaron Brooks is the next household name - he is GOOD...a ton of assets here for great coach Rick Adelman, and a lot of tradeable assets too if they so choose

Chicago Bulls...I wanted the Raps to get Tom Thibodeau off of the Celtics coaching staff and make him their Head Coach...they did not, but the Bulls did and they get a good one...if you like what the Celtics have done on the defensive end for the last few years then you like Thibodeau...I also like adding PF Carlos Boozer...he will be down for the first part of the season with an injury (broken right hand suffered as he tripped over his gym bag at his house) but when he gets back and gets teamed with Joakim Noah that frontcourt is going to be gnarly and physical...plus they add veteran Kurt Thomas...on the perimeter they add Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver aka Ashton Kutcher

Atlanta Hawks...there was a lot of criticism directed at the Hawks in the off-season as they gave SG Joe Johnson more $$$ than LeBron James or anyone else made this summer...6 years $119 mill for Johnson to remain in Hotlanta...for me I liked the move...in his 5 years in Hotlanta Johnson has averaged 22 points per game, and in all honesty what other free-agent were the Hawks going to get to join them?!?!  Good luck to their new Coach Larry Drew too...

Orlando...I like the signing of SG Quentin Richardson...Q-Rich will start and is a sharp-shooter from downtown that will get a ton of open looks as teams have to double-team Dwight Howard...his 3-point shooting last season was the best of his career

Utah Jazz...this season could be the year where Jerry Sloan finally gets a Coach of the Year award...the expectations will be low as they lost PF Carlos Boozer in the off-season, but I love replacing him with Al Jefferson...I am a fan of Big Al...he has effort and skills that will fit in nicely in Utah...I also like the team adding SG Raja Bell...Bell has the grit and commitment to D that Jerry Sloan insists on

Sacramento Kings...while the team was criticised for drafting DeMarcus Cousins because he is a different kind of person (odd fellow, but only 20 years old so we can assume there will be maturing that he will do) I loved the move...he is a gifted athlete that can be combined with last seasons Rookie Of The Year PG Tyreke Evans to give SacTown a young and dynamic duo for years to come

Tiago Splitter

San Antonio Spurs...finally we will see the Spurs 2007 1st round pick Tiago Splitter...the 6'11" Splitter has been playing in the Spanish League for years now and is finally set to make his North American debut...perfect timing for the Spurs...they need a big man with Splitter's skills to give Tim Duncan extra rest in his aging years, and at times they can both be on the court conjuring memories of the Twin Towers the Spurs had with David Robinson and Duncan



Moves I did not like...

The Decision...if you do not know I am referring to the 1-hour show that Bron Bron did on espn to announce his decision, which was called of course "The Decision"...the biggest thing that you have to remember when it comes to Cleveland fans is that they are as tortured a group as there is...some cities have specific fans that have suffered for a long time...for example Chicago Cubs fans have waited forever - but the city of Chicago had the 2009 Blackhawks...2005 White Sox...and some Jordan guy stacked multiple Titles in the 90's for the Bulls...you can have examples from every city like this one...but Cleveland? Well Cleveland is a different story...the last Championship celebrated in the Cleve was 1964 when the Browns won a football Title (no not the Super Bowl - this was soooo long ago that the Super Bowl did not even exist yet!!!)...then, out of nowhere, comes a native son as special as James is...and also out of nowhere some more amazing news - your home grown Superstar is going to play for...YOU!!!  Not only can you start to realistically dream about your Championship drought ending, but it is one of your own who will be leading you to the promised land...but...then it all came crashing down on one of the worst thought out decisions I have ever seen...never mind that I think going to Miami was a mistake as far as a chance to win Titles (Boston, Orlando, and ChiTown all have superior PG's, PF's and Centers to the Heat)  but to go there via The Decision was brutal and ill-conceived...To go on National Television...to go out of your way to let the world know that you have shunned the Cavs was bad bad bad...the fan base that has provided you with love (not to mention enough $$$ that your Grandkids Grandkids Grandkids will never worry about money) deserved a better ending then that...even if at the end of the day you were going to bolt to South Beach a National TV show was never the right way to do it...we can argue for days about is Michael Jordan the best ever, but either way we know he was amazing and special...when MJ announced his return to the NBA he did it with a fax to the press that said in total "I'm back"...2 words...one of the greatest ever announced his return in a 2 word fax yet James and company thought it necessary and right to do The Decision...we see every day the backlash Bron Bron gets for that mistake...the truth is that he of all people should have had the accurate pulse of his hometown fans and known better than to leave this way...

And by the way the Heat fans are in for a rude awakening when they get a load of the "defense" that Chris Bosh plays, plus CB4 has missed games due to his wonky knees several years in a row and 2010-2011 will be no different...

Dallas Mavericks...the Mavs have an amazing streak of 10 straight seasons with at least 50 wins...to put that in perspective YOUR TORONTO RAPTORS have never won 50 games...however only once in the last 4 seasons have the Mavs made it out of the first round of the playoffs...How long will Mark Cuban put up with that?  They added Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood mid-season last year, and then add C Tyson Chandler this off-season, but I still think that either Disco Dirk Nowitzki or Jason Terry need to be moved in return for good assets to tweak this squad even further

Detroit Pistons...winning the 2004 Title has given GM Joe Dumars a very l o n g leash it appears...he has been brutal...it started when he passed on Carmelo Anthony, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh and drafted Darko Milicic in 2003...last off-season giving their $$$ to Ben Gordon and Charlie V was awful...he follows that this off-season by signing Tracy McGrady...brutal and awful...brawful


the cause of the Knicks woes

 New York Knicks...so lets look at what it must be like to be a Knicks fan...for 2+ years you are told by management that your team sucks and management knows your team sucks - BUT - bare with us as we are going to sign LeBron James/D-Wade/CB4 in the summer of 2010...we know now that plan went 0 for 3...they trade David Lee and add Amar'e Stoudemire...in many stats Lee is better than Amar'e, but they also add Anthony Randolph who has a ton of upside that has not been reached yet...the Knicks also add Kelenna Azubuike and Raymond Felton but all of that does not equal any of LeBron, D-Wade, or Bosh...to top it all off the reason you have bottomed out for years is because Isiah Thomas did an all-time butcher job on your roster/franchise...horrid mistake after horrid mistake by Thomas...and in the summer where you don't get any of your promised free-agent targets they actually re-hire Isiah Thomas!!!  In typical major screw-up fashion they are then told by the NBA that since Thomas is currently the Head Coach of Florida International University his hiring is completely against NBA rules and the contract to hire him is void...good grief

Denver Nuggets...do beware Nuggets - you are in dangerous territory here with Carmelo Anthony...did you notice that the Raps and Cavs got only trade exceptions in return for their departing assets Bosh and LeBron?!?!  You could be next...Melo clearly has no interest in signing an extension with the Nuggs...the toasts given by several NBA stars at Carmelo's wedding this summer all spoke about Melo playing in New York...heck even though the Nuggets owner was in attendance, and also made a speech, the other guys were not shy at all about openly talking about the impending move my Melo to the Big Apple...move him now Denver...the strategy of let's keep him and show him we can win to make Denver more attractive to Melo is dangerous...the Cavs had their own born-and-raised Ohio native leave them high and dry, and Bosh left an entire country high and dry...get as much as you can asap Masai Ujiri (Denver's new GM after spending 3 years as an assistant GM in...Toronto!)

craig.ballard@hotmail.com

2010-2011 Toronto Raptors

Has there ever been so much doom-and-gloom surrounding the Toronto Craptors - I mean Raptors (bad habit) - entering an NBA season?!?!  And I mean the attitude of the fans...are you predicting anything good from this team in the 2010-2011 season?  Do you know anyone who is optimistic and excited about this bunch?!?!  You sure do now...



Raptors Dance Pak - highlight of this season?!?!



I am in the minority here as I view the departure of Chris Bosh as a good thing...the way he craved the attention like a small immature schoolboy this off-season was pathetic...the fact that he referred himself as a "winner" on espn when announcing that he was headed to South Beach was brutal and inaccurate...can you find anyone in this country that will agree that Bosh is a winner?!?!...the fact that he can be a third wheel in Miami and ride Bron Bron and D-Wade's coattails is perfect for him as he cannot lead a team...exact same scenario as trading Vince Carter which is addition by subtraction...we saw here that CB4 was never the Superstar that this country begged him to be...his offensive #'s were outstanding - but does he even know how to spell defense, much less play any?!?!  With Bosh as the anchor to the Raps D opponents ran lay-up drills vs Toronto as there was no consequence for taking it to the rim vs the T-Dot...the 2009-2010 Raps were 20-2 when holding an opponent under 100 points...that is what you call easy math...hey Craps - PLAY D and get a W...again, pretty simple...but when you have a roster with guys like Bosh and Hedon't Turkoglu getting a team-D concept is not going to happen (not to mention Jose Calderon and his OLE approach to defense)...I am a believer that Head Coach Jay Triano wants to be more like Kevin O'Neal (remember him?) and coach to defense winning you games, but he had the roster that forced him to be a Paul Westphal-type up-tempo game...there are going to be numerous nights where shots do not fall, but you can always bring an effort and intensity to the defensive end...

No team in the Association was worse on the defensive end last season than Toronto...all 8 playoff teams from the East were in the top 1/2 of the NBA as far as team-D...this team projects as the worse D in the NBA for a 2nd straight year, but I don't buy those projections...for one thing P.J. Carlesimo is in as Assistant Head Coach to Triano...P.J. is no joke...he will surely have this team-D humming at a much better pace than last season...also gone is the brutal Bosh and Hedon't, and in is Ed Davis and Soloman Alabi...both are rookies who slipped down the draft board as teams were concerned about their injuries (in the case of Alabi he has Hep-B which is a concern)...in is also the slimmer-trimmer Reggie Evans...yes Evans was on the roster in 2009-2010 but he was injured almost the entire season...Evans has looked very good in Preseason, especially when it comes to grabbing an offensive rebound and finding an open teammate for a good look where in the past he thought he was the good look...I am a big Andrea Bargnani fan (again I am in the minority) but have to admit that he is a soft soft soft 7-footer on the defensive end...a Davis, or Evans, or Kleiza, or Alabi will have to guard the opponents Power Forwards and be sure to help out Bargnani on the opponents Center - a task that fits Ed Davis perfectly



Ed Davis aka Mr Ed aka Ed Truck

 And speaking of Ed Davis let's take a moment to look at the only good news (potentially) from the off-season that just concluded...for the Raps to only have the #13 pick in a weak draft, to end up with Davis was a VERY good-news story...this guy would have been a top-5 pick if he entered the NBA draft last year, and only slipped to #13 this year as he broke his wrist in Feb 2010 so out of sight meant out of mind and people slept on Mr Ed (I still think Ed Truck is the best nickname for Davis...he is built like a truck and fans of The Office love the reference...and if you are not a fan of The Office let's be clear that you should be)...Davis is a guy who will give you the effort needed every night to rebound and defend...very good help defender which makes him as rare for this organization as an actual Raptor

The Raps were top 6 in O last season, and they lose scorers, but that may be able to become a positive too...now the offense is not beholden to one guy...does not feel the need to cater to one or two guys to make sure they get their touches...Sonny Weems took major steps forward in 2009-2010, as did Amir Johnson, and both should have a chance to improve on their stats from last year in this ball-sharing O...I have faith in starting PG Jarret Jack to distribute the ball in a European-style O...Jay Triano was a consultant for Team USA recently and no doubt having to study the European game would have led to new ball-movement/player-movement type of ideas...plus wait 'til fans get a load of Leandro Barbosa...they don't call him the Brazilian Blur because that name was randomly selected out of a bag-o-nicknames...they call him that because you will be stunned at how fast he moves with a basketball...his assists MUST improve over the 2.6 he averaged in Phoenix, and his 1.5 in Preseason were bad, but this guy can fly and has the potential to create for others on the fast break...



Kleiza in a recent game repping Lithuania

 That brings us Linas Kleiza...Bryan Colangelo looked good to me when he tried to get a Matt Barnes-type in the offseason...the D that Barnes brings to the table every night was a needed fit for T.O....in usual BC stripedness he did not even realize that the trade he made with Orlando to land Barnes was in violation of NBA rules...I wrote honestly about good news things on this team, and with that same honesty state that was as dumb a move as I have ever seen...how do I, a roofus working for a phone company in Mississauga, know right away that the proposed trade violated NBA rules, but BC (who gets paid for a living to know these things) did not...completely inexcusable...you know me, I was calling for the firing of BC when he gave all of our free agent $$$ to Jason Kapono a few years ago so I was already done with BC, but this summer-o-blunders cemented all thoughts that he should be fired...remember the trade to Charlotte involving Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans?!?!  Having that get public only to have Charlotte owner Michael Jordan nix the deal was embarrassing...but I digress - getting back to Kleiza - the reason the Matt Barnes deal was against the rules is because BC had already committed $$$ to signing Kleiza...Linas averaged 10+ points per game as a bench player for Denver the last 3 years...he will start for the Raps and has a good long and short range jumper...oddly enough his middle range game is horrid...he gave the Nuggets 4 rebounds per game too which should really improve with starters minutes...

Who haven't we looked at yet...how about DD aka DeMar DeRozan...DD averaged 8 points per game in his rookie campaign and we saw that he was a one-trick pony...highlight reel dunk-or-bust...that will not cut it at this level...word is that he knows that full well and worked hard in the offseason to better his jumper...we can only hope that is the case...time will tell, but DD is one guy that has to take positive steps forward in 2010-2011

Could Julian Wright be a pleasant surprise?!?!  In August he was acquired from New Orleans for Marco Belinelli...in 2007 Wright was the #13 overall pick so we hope he can reach his potential, but he has had a s l o w start to his NBA career...

amazingly NOT on the hot-seat

For those of you hoping that this season will at least bring the end to the Bryan Colangelo era I have terrible news...look for Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment to re-up long-term with BC at some point this season...word I am hearing is that it will not even take a good start, good middle, or good end to the season...Richard Peddie et all seem hellbent on re-upping with BC so he will soon be our problem for many years still to come :(

I like Boston-Orlando-Chicago-Miami-Milwaukee-Hotlanta (in that order actually) more than I like the Raps...but that is only 6 teams...8 will qualify for the playoffs...I like the Raps to be there with New York, Washington, and Charlotte to compete for the 7th and 8th playoff spots

Good news for Raps fans is when the world was predicting the 2010 Jays would lose 100+ games I predicted 84 wins (they got 85) so you can count on my predictions...ya right...I should mention the bad news for Raps fans is that I predicted the team would make the playoffs for the last 2 seasons...ahem......

craig.ballard@hotmail.com

NFL Week 6-7

Week 6

Branch & Brady...re-united and it feels so good

Good news for Pats fans - they win...bad news for Pats fans - so do the Jets, and the Jets W came on the road vs a Conference opponent which is a big win...The Jets go to 5-1, 3-0 on the road, and continue to look like the AFC rep in this years Super Bowl...The Pats go to 8-0 in games following a Bye-Week...the New England victory also further highlighted the monster mistake that WR Deion Branch made when he forced his way out of New England to go to Seattle in 2006...as a Seahawk he had three 100+ yard games in 54 games, but gets 98 yards and the TD in his return to Foxborough...Tom Terrific won at home for the 23rd straight time...he also has an 18 game home winning streak in the books...guy is good

GREAT week for Bills fans as they did not lose...

The San Diego SuperChargers continue to struggle...2-4 overall for a team with the most talent in the Conference...in the NFC the Cowboys have the most talent in the NFL but they continue to beat themselves...moral of these stories is if you have a Super Bowl caliber team then don't have a doofus like Norv Turner or Wade Phillips as your Head Coach

The Saints discover a running game!  RB Chris Ivory ran hard all day and amassed 158 yards in a romp over the Bucs...on the flip side the running game in ChiTown continues to be non-existent

49ers win...GM Jed York predicts they will win the Division and then the team gets their initial W of the season...their opponent, the Raiders, had their QB Jason Campbell have the worst day for a Raider QB in over 30 years

BIG comeback W for the Texans...the Colts and Titans both win to go to 4-2 and both of their wins came on the road so the Houston comeback at home vs KC in Week 6 was B I G to keep pace at 4-2 also

For the 24th straight time the Detroit Lions lose on the road



Browns WR Mohamed Massaquoi KO'd by James Harrison


Week 6 was marred by numerous too-violent hits, several of which earned fines from the NFL...the League Officials spent the last few days letting it be known that violent head shots would draw lofty fines, and likely suspensions going forward...and of course these overpaid moron athletes with their sense of entitlement that comes from being told how special they are from a young age etc led them to make beyond ridiculous comments...James Harrison wants to retire as he does not think he can play the game without putting his, and his opponents quality of life at risk?!?!  Then hey James - GO AWAY...hey Ray Lewis, Channing Crowder, Scott Fulita et all GET LOST...several players made ignorant comments, and if they feel that we as fans tune in each week to watch the type of violence that is quality-of-life threatening then think again idiots...even Rodney Harrison, who made a career as a killer, was disgusted with the hits he saw in Week 6 and said that he is glad he is retired as a result...he also said that suspensions were the only chance to curb the violence which I agree with...

Week 7

Cincinnati @ Atlanta...the 2-3 Bengals come off a Bye Week and have a tough road game on their hands, but a game they must win...with Baltimore and Pitt already multiple games ahead of Cincy a loss to drop them to 2-4 would be season ending

St Louis @ Tampa Bay...a Rams W puts them at 4-3...a TB win puts the Bucs at 4-2...either way the winner of this game is well ahead of projections...

Arizona @ Seattle...the winner of this game goes to 4-2...ahead of projections

New England @ San Diego...big game...the Pats won their first post-Moss game, but that was at home against a tired Ravens squad...can they go cross country to get a W vs a desperate Chargers team in week 7?...A San Diego loss would bury them at 2-5...SD is 2-0 at home

The Sunday Night game and the Monday Night game have story lines that write themselves...



Brett Favre returns to Green Bay


Minnesota @ Green Bay...Brett Favre returns to the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field...the loser will have a 4th L already and be buried in the standings...the Pack try to rebound from a home loss to the Dolphins last week, while the Vikes try to get a 2nd straight W in hopes of resurrecting their season

New York Giants @ Dallas...PRIMO opportunity for the G-Men...a chance to knock out hated Division rival Cowboys in only week 7...a New York win would have the Giants at 5-2 and on a 4 game winning streak, while a Dallas loss would have them reeling at 1-5

craig.ballard@hotmail.com