NBA Current standings

Eastern Conference

1. TORONTO RAPTORS            10-2
2. WASHINGTON WIZARDS     8-3
3. CHICAGO BULLS                    8-5
4. MILWAUKEE BUCKS             7-6
5. ATLANTA HAWKS                  6-5
6. MIAMI HEAT                           6-6
7. ORLANDO MAGIC                6-8
8. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS   5-6
9. BROOKLYN NETS                 5-7
10. INDIANA PACERS                5-7
11. BOSTON CELTICS               4-7
12. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS    4-9
13. NEW YORK KNICKS          3-10
14. DETROIT PISTONS            3-10
15. PHILADELPHIA 76 ERS    0-12


Western Conference

1. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES                      11-2
2. DALLAS MAVERICKS                      10-3
3. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS          9-2
4. HOUSTON ROCKETS                       9-3
5. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS         9-3
6. SAN ANTONIO SPURS                      8-4
7. PHOENIX SUNS                                 8-5
8. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS              7-4
9. SACROMENTO KINGS                    7-5
10. NEW ORLEANS HORNETS          6-5
11. DENVER NUGGETS                       5-7
12. UTAH JAZZ                                      5-8
13. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES   3-8
14. LOS ANGELES LAKERS               3-10
15. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER     3-11


From seeing the standings the first thing that comes to mind is Kevin Durant needs to hurry back to this Oklahoma City team.  They are doing horrible against opponents marking their six straight lost. What is next? It wouldn't hurt to get Russell Westbrook back on the court either to get some sort of offense going for this team. Another thing, Lebron James should return back to the Heat because they are currently doing better then his team in Cleveland! Most of the Cleveland team does not have a winning bone in their body, and it doesn't seem as if they know what a win looks like.  Well we will see what happens over the course of the season.

 

NBA basketball opening (Column) LATE

The NBA season is starting this tuesday. What does that mean for you as a fan? Well the Cavaliers are a clear threat to any team in the East or any team period. They currently are 5-2 in the preseason and the King has not even played a entire game. The western Conference has no clear favorite because, well the MVP of the 2013-2014 season is out currently do surgery on a right foot injury. Some may say Lebron is the better play so why does the matter? It matters because year after year the Western Conference has had the better teams, not to say that the Eastern Conference teams are purposely tanking but they try a little harder in the West. Maybe its because their better players in the West, what ever the reason the Western Conference is the over all  the stronger  of the two conferences. The team that will come out of the west will be the Houston Rockets or the San Antonio Spurs. Yes, I know what your thinking why the two Texas teams... or Tim Duncan is to old. Both of those statements are true. Tim Duncan should retire and the two Texas are not the strongest in the West. The Rockets were a good team during the 2012-2013. Last season with the addition of center Dwight Howard they showed they were a great team and that they were a true contender in the West until the playoffs came around. From this experience this young team has learned alot and will be able to compete at a high level and even in the post season. On to the Spurs, clearly are a power house team in the West and by going to the finals for two consecutive year they have shown that. Well deserving of their championship from last season. This team minus the super stars is a definition of team, playing to every players strengths.It  also wouldn't hurt to have Tim Duncan or Tony Parker either. And we cant forget about Greg Popovich arguably one of the beat NBA coaches of all time.
Enough about the Western Conference, lets look to the Eastern Conference. There clearly is not anything to talk about in the East besides the Cavaliers will make it to the finals. I will say this, the Cavaliers will not coast to the finals but they will get their. The bulls are the only team that could stop them but i doubt they would win four games in Cleveland.
On to the season opener, wednesday night. There will be match ups between the Rockets and the Lakers , Magic and the pelicans, and Mavericks and the Spurs. None of these games are personally appealing. Possibly the match-up between the Mavericks and Spurs but they're are not in promises.
The clear point here  looking ahead, is the Cavaliers will win the title this season and either the Rockets or the Mavericks can stop that from happening or they can let Lebron get his third ring, stay tuned.

What makes the state of Ohio.........

Yes, week 10 of the NFL season has been underway. Yes, it was the battle for the state of Ohio and yes the Bengals got their living guts knocked out of them. The rivalry between the Browns and the Bengals is something like no other. The bengals for years  have been the clear dominate team in the state of Ohio just simply because the Browns have never invested in the time to be "good". But let me say that is about to change. Johnny Manziel and the Browns franchise this season has turned a complete 360. Maybe it is because Lebron James has returned to Cleveland an they don't want to be the weak link. They have definitely exceeded that, as currently they are the most exciting thing happening in Ohio. Brian Hoyer is currently the starting quarterback for the browns organization, but Johnny Manziel is the face of the franchise. The cavaliers are every bit of a "mess". The browns currently sit tied in the NFC north. Last season honestly would you have expected the Cleveland Browns , a 4-12 team to be in the contention to be the leader in the AFC North?  Johnny Manziel has definitely brought some light to this franchise. Not to say that being tied for first place in your division won't draw viewers, Johnny is just  a additional draw.Some light he didn't even think was possible. The cavaliers were suppose to be doing that but currently their doing nothing besides trying to figure out who is responsible for upsetting the King. The loss of Tristan Thompson to the team due to salary cap issues is something Lebron will not put up with. Quite frankly I completely agree, he made an agreement with the cavaliers organization before coming their so as an organization they need to fulfill their end of the bargain. Anyway, while they figure out how to please Mr. James, the browns seem to have brought some hope to this city, in more than one way. The clear argument is what is exciting Cleveland fans the cavaliers salary/ team issues or that the browns are actually playing like a playoffs team for the first time ever. The browns are clearly gaining cavaliers fans.

NBA Preseason Highlighted Match-ups

The King is back. Lebron James headed into Saturday to take on his former team the Miami Heat. A different scenery then usual as the NBA would take this very influential game global to Rio De Genaro. The heat would have their hands full as they would face a "deep" Cavaliers team after the acquirement of Kevin Love, Lebron James, and Tristan Thompson in the offseason, just to name a few. The heat would be a very good basketball team themselves as they acquired a few young talents during the offseason.

 The heat would hold their own as they would give the Cavaliers a true opponent, sending the game into over time. The Heat would put up a fight forcing the game to go down to the last second, but the Cavaliers would walk away with the win 122-119. 

In other news around the NBA, the reining MVP will be facing some time off. Oklahoma city forward, Kevin Durant fractured a small bone in his foot after expressing concern after practice on sunday. This comes as a huge blow for the reining MVP's team the Oklahoma City Thunder, as he will likely miss 4-6 weeks and might face surgery. This comes after the past two seasons being knocked out of the playoffs as a top contender for the Western Conference due to the health of the team, first beginning with teammate Russell Westbrook, Surge Ibaka, and now Kevin Durant. Durant does not have a history of injuries during his career in the NBA. 

Looking forward, are the Cavaliers shaping up to be the TOP contender in the Eastern Conference? What to think about the health of the Oklahoma City Thunder, can Russell Westbrook carry the load of the heart and sole of the Thunder while he is out or will it be to much to handle? The Cavaliers to this point are trying to figure out the dynamics of their team. Currently there is no need to panic. Although I do not think they are invincible they are a definite contender in the East. If this game has shown anything, it has shown how the Heat are not a "dead" team, they are still a very strong, powerful Eastern Conference team that might surprise the world. The thunder do have reason to be concerned. With Durant missing for an extended amount of time, the task for teammates Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson will increase tremendously. In the end this isn't something the team should pay a whole lot of attention to because it is still the preseason but it is a definite concern heading into the regular season. Yes, Durant will be out for the start of the NBA season but it won't have a huge impact on how they will finish the season. 

NBA 2014-2015 Preseason Kick off Predictions

The much anticipated NBA season is just right around the corner as October nears, basketball is back. This off season has been filled with injuries, free agency, and everything in between. The best player, the King himself returning back to his roots of Akron, Ohio is just the beginning of the eventful offseason. As we look forward to the kick off to the preseason this weekend the quest for the crowning of a new champion begins. Although it will be the start to the preseason and not the regular season, this will give a glimpse or a idea of teams that have the true potential of making it all the way. Turning to the Eastern Conference and the amount of talent that centers this entire conference it is very difficult to predict who will be in the Eastern Conference finals this season. With the return of Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose and the lost of Indiana Pacers forward Paul George, this has altered my predictions for the Conference finals. As once said I believe that the Cavaliers will make it to the conference finals, because they will be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Their opponent in the conference finals is questionable, but now with the lost of Paul George it will be the Chicago Bulls spot to lose, they have a clear path to the finals. This could all change if the bulls have to play the cavaliers in the earlier rounds. Turning now to the Western Conference. In this conference there is no clear favorite. Although the Spurs have made it to the finals for the past two seasons, I do not think that will happen for a third time. I'm positive with the lessons learned by the OKC Thunder they have a strong possibility of going all the way and a young Houston Rockets team could challenge them for the spot. Not to discount the Golden State Warriors they might also be in the shuffle for getting to the conference finals. This conference, I will have to watch throughout the season to see what player will make a statement or be the X-factor and will be a reliable role player. Going forward to the NBA finals I do not believe the Cavaliers will win the title, I think they still will have that stage of immaturity and lack of chemistry as they have a young roster. The team that comes out of the Western Conference will more then likely beat a young unexperienced Cavaliers roster to take the NBA title .

NFL week 4 recap

Week four of the NFL season continued this past weekend, as teams stepped into the bright lights once again. A match-up that was the staple for week four of the regular season were the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS vs NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. These teams came into sunday with a clear mission. The chiefs came into week 4 1-2, after dropping the first two game to the titans and broncos. The patriots different then that of the chiefs began the season rocky losing to the dolphins but would quickly find them selves the next few games. This made for a much anticipated between two great teams. First quarter both teams would get off to a slow start but the chiefs would end the quarter with a strong touchdown drive as chiefs running back Jamaal Charles would run 2 yards into the end zone. In the second quarter the focus would remain on the Chiefs as their momentum would grow. Quarterback Alex Smith would take the chiefs down the field, for yet another touchdown drive as Jamaal Charles would catch a 5 yard touchdown pass to give the chiefs a 14-0 lead. By the end of the quarter both teams struggled in making scoring drives up the field ,but the chiefs would squeeze out  with Cairo Santos kicking a 22 yard field goal to give the team a 17-0 lead ending the first half. Second half things did not change much as the chiefs would score mid way through third, as Alex Smith would throw another touchdown pass to Jammal Charles. Charles would receive a 8 yard pass into the endzone putting the chiefs up 24-0. The chiefs were not finished, following the touchdown drive, chiefs Cairo Santos would kick a 31 yard field goal. The chiefs were up 27-0 shutting out the patriots for the entire first half and nearly the second half ,but that would all change at the end of the third quarter. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady would lead his team throwing a 44 yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell. This would give the team their first points of the game ending the third quarter and avoiding being shut out three quarters. Fourth quarter the chiefs would get back to things as they would open the quarter with yet another touchdown drive.Quarterback Alex Smith would throw a 2 yard pass into the end zone to connect with receiver Travis Kelce. The patriots would answer back with a drive up the field but that would all be cut short as chiefs safety Husain Abdullah would run the ball back for a 39 yard interception/touchdown (A pick 6). The patriots would answer back with quarterback  Jimmy Garoppolo throwing a 13 yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski. The chiefs would go on to take this prim time match-up under the bright lights 41-14, giving them a 2-2 record.

NFL WEEK 4 Prediction

The thursday night NFL week four matchup is between a long rivalry of the NEW YORK GIANTS vs WASHINGTON REDSKINS. The Giants are coming into this game with a record of 1-2 and the Redskins are entering this difficult matchup 1-2 as well. The Giants at home in week three claimed their first victory, as they took on the Houston Texans and knew that this game was more important then ever. The Redskins are coming into this game suffering from injuries obtained in week three of the season, the biggest from quarterback Robert Griffin III.The redskins are crumbling right infront of our eyes and its just the beginning to week four of the season.  The redskins know that a win in week four will be anything short of a miracle. Based on the momentum from the giants in their week three win, I believe they will easily take the win over the redskins thursday night 10 plus over the redskins. The redskins are fighting a 17 player injury report roster that is limiting them from practicing for one of their biggest match-ups for the season, which has lead me to the giants being the clear winner of the match-up.  The winner of this game will determine who will be the last place finisher in the NFC East, thus making for a interesting "sprint" to the end of the season, that is weeks from unfolding.