After seeing Blake Griffin posterize Kendrick Perkins last night, it made me think of my top 5 favorite dunks. There is something majestic about watching someone rise up in the air, cock their arm back, and embarrass someone trying to defend them.
5. Jerome Lane breaks the backboard
I have had the pleasure of being on the basketball court when someone gets dunked on and the backboard breaks. It is one of the coolest things you can ever see. "Send it in Jerome!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk8EiJiWW9o
4. Dr. J over Michael Cooper
Dr. J was always so graceful as he flew through the air to hammer it down. My favorite part of this dunk was that Michael Cooper decided at the last second to get out of the way because Dr. J was way to high in the air.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCT9QyqhkBU
3. Blake Griffin on Kendrick Perkins
Blake Griffin looks like he jumps off a trampoline and this is no exception. Perkins comes to challenge and Griffin is still rising as Perkins is on his way down. Awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9q8jsVQnNk
2. Vince Carter over Weis in the Olympics
On the world's biggest stage, Vinsanity jumps OVER a 7 footer for the throw down. Not around, but completely over him. If you put that in a movie, no one would believe it. As he lands, he turns around and almost punches KG with a fist pump and yells "WHAT!" What is right. You can't really say anything after that. Just watch replay after replay in awe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMrPjl-927Q
1. Michael Jordan on Patrick Ewing
When Jordan touched the ball you always had a feeling something special was about to happen. This time was no different. He drove baseline and was cut off and double-teamed. Instead of passing it off, he spun baseline out of the trap and met Patrick Ewing at the basket. Ewing was late in reacting and by that time, there was nothing he could do. Ewing attempted to foul but Jordan was so high it didn't matter. Not many players can make the move Jordan did and then finish by dunking on a 7 footer. One of the many reasons he is the greatest player ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkEVn1VUBlE
Honorable Mention:
Durrell Summers over Stanley Robinson in the NCAA Final Four
John Starks against Chicago in the 1993 Playoffs
Kevin Johnson on Hot Rod Williams and then rides piggy back on him
Most of Lebron's dunks
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
What I learned this weekend
A few things stand out from this weekend.
1. The officiating in the Big Ten is bad.
Case number 1. The officials called a phantom foul on Meyers Leonard at the end of the Illinois-Minnesota game essentially costing Illinois a win. Minnesota was down 3 with inside 10 seconds to play. Austin Hollins decided to drive down the lane and flip it off the glass getting the layup and the foul call on Leonard. Leonard was moving backwards with both hands up in the air and the foul was called by an official along the sideline (not his call). The play occurred near the basket with the official under the basket watching idly by. Not a good call.
Case number 2. Michigan attempted 4 free throws in their game against Ohio State. The first of which did not come until 2:34 left in the game. REALLY!! 4 free throws. I am not even a Michigan fan and I think that is atrocious. I know that Michigan is primarily a jump shooting team but they do have guys who attack the rim with Tim Hardaway and Trey Burke. Plus Jordan Morgan is a physical force inside. On the flip side, OSU attempted 18 free throws. Per usual, the Big Ten officials love some home cooking.
2. Watching Men's Tennis is entertaining
The battle that Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal was one of epic proportions. The quality wasn't the highest but after almost 6 hours, who can be at the top of their game. I am just glad they let them sit down during the insanely long trophy presentations.
3. A 3 shot lead heading to 18 isn't enough
Kyle Stanley stepped up to the Par 5, 18th tee with a commanding 3 shot lead. He hit a decent drive and decided to layup short of the water (the smart move right Tin Cup?). What happened next is unimagineable. His 3rd shot was a really good one that just happened to spin back too much. It slowly and I do mean very slowly trickled back into the water creating a gasp from the crowd and some tension in Stanley. He calmly took a drop and hit a pretty good shot that was towards the back of the green. Now all he needed was a 2 putt and he would get his first career win. He left himself a 4 footer for the win and he pulled it left. Sudden death ensued where he fell short and Brandt Snedeker won the tournament. It was a shame but a valuable lesson was learned...Take nothing for granted.
4. Matthew Stafford should have been on the NFC Pro Bowl team instead of Cam Newton (who had 3 interceptions in the game)
5. Goalies in the NHL All-Start game get hung out to dry by the lack of defense in the game.
6. The Detroit Pistons are not a good team (that is being nice).
7. Hulk Hogan had the best theme song of any wrestler...EVER!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guG9cVs3ms4
1. The officiating in the Big Ten is bad.
Case number 1. The officials called a phantom foul on Meyers Leonard at the end of the Illinois-Minnesota game essentially costing Illinois a win. Minnesota was down 3 with inside 10 seconds to play. Austin Hollins decided to drive down the lane and flip it off the glass getting the layup and the foul call on Leonard. Leonard was moving backwards with both hands up in the air and the foul was called by an official along the sideline (not his call). The play occurred near the basket with the official under the basket watching idly by. Not a good call.
Case number 2. Michigan attempted 4 free throws in their game against Ohio State. The first of which did not come until 2:34 left in the game. REALLY!! 4 free throws. I am not even a Michigan fan and I think that is atrocious. I know that Michigan is primarily a jump shooting team but they do have guys who attack the rim with Tim Hardaway and Trey Burke. Plus Jordan Morgan is a physical force inside. On the flip side, OSU attempted 18 free throws. Per usual, the Big Ten officials love some home cooking.
2. Watching Men's Tennis is entertaining
The battle that Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal was one of epic proportions. The quality wasn't the highest but after almost 6 hours, who can be at the top of their game. I am just glad they let them sit down during the insanely long trophy presentations.
3. A 3 shot lead heading to 18 isn't enough
Kyle Stanley stepped up to the Par 5, 18th tee with a commanding 3 shot lead. He hit a decent drive and decided to layup short of the water (the smart move right Tin Cup?). What happened next is unimagineable. His 3rd shot was a really good one that just happened to spin back too much. It slowly and I do mean very slowly trickled back into the water creating a gasp from the crowd and some tension in Stanley. He calmly took a drop and hit a pretty good shot that was towards the back of the green. Now all he needed was a 2 putt and he would get his first career win. He left himself a 4 footer for the win and he pulled it left. Sudden death ensued where he fell short and Brandt Snedeker won the tournament. It was a shame but a valuable lesson was learned...Take nothing for granted.
4. Matthew Stafford should have been on the NFC Pro Bowl team instead of Cam Newton (who had 3 interceptions in the game)
5. Goalies in the NHL All-Start game get hung out to dry by the lack of defense in the game.
6. The Detroit Pistons are not a good team (that is being nice).
7. Hulk Hogan had the best theme song of any wrestler...EVER!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guG9cVs3ms4
Friday, January 27, 2012
Fielder to the D?
I have had a few days to think about the Detroit Tigers acquiring Prince Fielder from Milwaukee. He is a fantastic hitter and a pretty good defensive first baseman. Sound familiar...describes Miguel Cabrera doesn't it? So Detroit goes out and gets a guy who plays the same position as their best player. Hmmm. I know that Victor Martinez getting injured really hurt the Tigers' lineup, but getting Prince Fielder (who can be electric) doesn't help that out. He is going to get paid over $20 million a year so he can't sit the bench or only DH. Cabrera can't do that either. So the logical choice is the put Cabrera at... third base. The position he started his career at. Detroit tried this once before and Cabrera made 5 errors in 14 games. That would put him on pace for over 50 errors in a season. Brandon Inge was not a great hitter by any stretch of the imagination but he did solidify the hot corner with dazzling plays and great range. Thanks for the memories Inge. Let's say for arguments sake that the Cabrera experiment doesn't work. You have him and Fielder splitting time between first base and DH. Then what happens next season when Martinez comes back? He is the odd man out. Baseball can be a tough business! I sure hope that Miggy can play third. If he can, that is a World Series winning lineup.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
MSU Disappointment
Disappointing as last nights MSU - UM game was for Spartan fans, I feel it was a very telling story. I thought that if State won the rebounding battle (31-15), held Michigan to an average 3-point shooting night (6-21 29%) and out worked them than they would win big. Wow was I wrong about that.
The one stat line that stands out was the lack of free throws attempted. Michigan state averages 23 free throws a game and only shot 5! WHAT!!! Teams accidentally go to the line more than that. Last I checked, this is the Big Ten. It is a conference of physical play and tenacity where defenders practically get in your shorts to guard you. I am not saying that MSU should have gone to the line 23 times but Michigan was whistled for 8, count them 8 fouls the ENTIRE game. Unbelievable. There were many missed calls throughout the game and if you watched it than you know what I am talking about. And no I am not talking about the over and back call which was actually the correct call.
As the game unfolded, something else caught my eye. 6-7, 230 pound Draymond Green was being guarded by 6-4, 210 pound Zach Novak. Even people who don't know anything about basketball would recognize that as a mismatch. It is beyond me why Izzo never thought to throw the ball into the post every single trip. Who cares if you want to save that for late in the game or not. As a coach, you use what works until the other team stops it. Michigan could not stop it! The 3 times they got Green the ball in the post, they either scored or got fouled. Seems like an easy decision to me.
Players have to play and coaches have to coach. This loss is on Izzo (and Fife and Stephens) for not putting his players in the position to succeed.
That is all.
The one stat line that stands out was the lack of free throws attempted. Michigan state averages 23 free throws a game and only shot 5! WHAT!!! Teams accidentally go to the line more than that. Last I checked, this is the Big Ten. It is a conference of physical play and tenacity where defenders practically get in your shorts to guard you. I am not saying that MSU should have gone to the line 23 times but Michigan was whistled for 8, count them 8 fouls the ENTIRE game. Unbelievable. There were many missed calls throughout the game and if you watched it than you know what I am talking about. And no I am not talking about the over and back call which was actually the correct call.
As the game unfolded, something else caught my eye. 6-7, 230 pound Draymond Green was being guarded by 6-4, 210 pound Zach Novak. Even people who don't know anything about basketball would recognize that as a mismatch. It is beyond me why Izzo never thought to throw the ball into the post every single trip. Who cares if you want to save that for late in the game or not. As a coach, you use what works until the other team stops it. Michigan could not stop it! The 3 times they got Green the ball in the post, they either scored or got fouled. Seems like an easy decision to me.
Players have to play and coaches have to coach. This loss is on Izzo (and Fife and Stephens) for not putting his players in the position to succeed.
That is all.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
In State Rivalry
It is that time of year again when Michigan and Michigan State face each other on the hardwood. A series that had been dominated by the Green and White for so long has now become a toss up. It used to be that you knew that MSU would win. The only question was...by how many. Michigan fell on some tough times and Spartan fans relished it. Now, Michigan has closed the gap by getting big time recruits (Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke). State still gets its pick of the litter but more high school players from the state of Michigan have both schools on their radar. Michigan swept both games last year and that has fueled the fire for this years first meeting. Draymond Green took it personally and has vowed to never lose to Michigan again. Tom Izzo says that he respects John Beilein and his program but absolutely does not like them. Should be an emotional game tonight.
As for the game itself, I think it comes down to 2 things. Michigan's ability to knock down the 3, and MSU's ability to rebound the basketball. If UM is on, they can bury you quickly. They will have four 3-point threats on the floor at any given time making them a tough cover. If State can contain Hardaway Jr. off the dribble and get a few missed 3-point shots, MSU wins going away. They rebound better, they guard better, and, when motivated (as they should be), they are the scrappier group. It doesn't hurt to have Draymond Green as your leader either.
Michigan State 68 - Michigan 63
As for the game itself, I think it comes down to 2 things. Michigan's ability to knock down the 3, and MSU's ability to rebound the basketball. If UM is on, they can bury you quickly. They will have four 3-point threats on the floor at any given time making them a tough cover. If State can contain Hardaway Jr. off the dribble and get a few missed 3-point shots, MSU wins going away. They rebound better, they guard better, and, when motivated (as they should be), they are the scrappier group. It doesn't hurt to have Draymond Green as your leader either.
Michigan State 68 - Michigan 63
Monday, January 16, 2012
Greatest Speeches - Real or not
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, I thought that I would make a list of the most inspirational speeches to me. These are speeches that get my blood boiling and get me energized. These are but a small sample of motivational and inspirational speeches out there.
5. Rocky Balboa - How hard life hits Speech (yes I actually watched it)
A great speech about going out and getting what you want.
4. Independence Day - Protect against Annihilation Speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUdB8gCMcXIWhen I first saw this movie, I watched this part and immediately wanted to go fight aliens. You can't tell me that you didn't feel the same way.
3. Braveheart - Defiance of Engllish Tyranny Speech
How many people dressed up as William Wallace that year for Halloween and went around yelling, "You Will never take..our freedom!"
2. Charlie Chaplin
Speaks for itself.
1. (and it isn't even close) Martin Luther King Jr. - I have a dream speech
The speech that will live on forever!
Have any speeches that really spoke to you and got you fired up? Let me know.
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