Shameless Plug

So the latest reports are that Marbury's going to the Celtics. In case you need a reminder of just how crazy Steph is, read it here.

New post coming Thursday or Friday.

NBA Midseason Awards

Last weekend we were treated to the biggest party of the NBA season. The All-Star break has come and gone, and now the real fun begins; the stretch-run of the NBA season.

There are four legitimate title contenders (Celtics, Cavaliers, Lakers and Spurs) and plenty of intrigue. Here at Flavors of Lovelace, we're going to hand out some midseason awards before we look toward the playoffs (and I'm aware that there's actually been 51 games played, not making it true midseason. But it's my blog. I do what I want.)

(One more thing about the All-Star game before we move along though. All of the Kobe/Shaq love stories we've been forced to read... gotta stop. Have we already forgotten that Shaq performed a not-so-flattering rap freestyle about his former teammate just last summer? Or Kobe's classy confession about Shaq's lovelife in 2004? We're really supposed to believe that these guys are boys now?!? Stop. Please, just stop.)

Kobe must be a fan of Shaq's rapping

Surprise Player - Jameer Nelson
Sad way to start the awards. Nelson was playing unbelievable this season and Orlando had a legitimate chance to get to the NBA Championship. His faults were always his defense (because of his lack of size) and his inability to go left. This year his defense was improved and he practiced all summer going to his weakside. With a healthy Nelson, Orlando can beat anyone in the league. Without him? Probably second round exit at best. Sucks.


Surprise Team - New Jersey Nets
Devin Harris has been an absolute beast this year. Who knew he had it in him? (Certainly not Mark Cuban when he traded him for an almost-washed-up Jason Kidd). Vince Carter, who has been injury-riddled an slightly apathetic the last couple of seasons, has bounced back with a vengeance. Add in the fact that Brook Lopez is playing outstanding, and the Nets are sneaky effective this year. They're battling for a playoff spot and I don't think anyone predicted that to start the year.


Disappointing Player - Elton Brand
I'm a 76ers fan, so maybe I'm a little bias in this pick. I'm not a big numbers guy (I am a writer, after all), but let's take a look at 'ol Elton's season mathematically.

Brand was averaging 13.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 45% shooting before getting injured for the rest of the season. He was averaging 3.7 free throw attempts a game. For his career, he's averaged 19.7 ppg, 10 rbg, 2.6 apg on 50% shooting and averaged 6.4 free throw attempts a game. With Brand, the 76ers were 13-16. Without him (as of 2/16).... 14-8.

And here's the most important number. Brand was signed to a 5-year, $80 million contract. At $16 million a year, the 6ers paid Brand roughly $551,724.14 per game this season.

Now that's money well spent.

Nice to see the recession hasn't hurt Brand's bankroll
or his expensive suits.

Disappointing Team - Phoenix Suns
The Suns have been a train-wreck this year. Coach Terry Porter got the axe on Monday, meaning he'll take the brunt of the blame, but owner Robert Sarver is the man at fault (with GM Steve Kerr a close second). He's been trying to cut costs the last four years, so he's traded or given away every pick since 2004 (except their 2008 pick, Robin Lopez, who they kept). The players they've drafted and not kept are: Loul Deng, Nate Robinson, Rajon Rondo and Rudy Fernandez. They also failed to resign Joe Johnson in 2005 when he was entering his prime and all Johnson is doing now is making multiple All-Star appearances and is the current best player on a team primed for a top-4 seed in the playoffs.

Nice work Sarv. Keep up the good work.

This current Suns team has no idea who they're supposed to be. They got Shaq with the belief that he would make Phoenix a better defensive team. Unfortunately, he also takes up a lot of space and has forced the Suns high-octane offense into a plodding half-court one. Then they trade for Jason Richardson - a classic panic trade, and a player that in no way fits with their personnel. The players are uninspired, their best young player (Amare Stoudemire) is on his way out and they have three starters over the age of 34. Hard to believe that they're currently out of the playoffs right now, isn't it?


Team Most Likely To Make A 2nd Half Surge - Indiana Pacers
Before you scoff, consider this. Do you know there's only one team in the NBA to beat the Cavs, Celtics, Lakers and Magic (the four best teams, record-wise, in the league)? That team would be the Pacers.

They played a brutal schedule before the break and are 4 1/2 games back of the 8th seed. But if they can get off to a quick start they'll be right back in the hunt. Looking at their schedule the rest of the month, it's not completely out of the question that Indiana could be just a game back or tied for the last seed going into March. Remember that no one thought Philly would make the playoffs at this time last year. They got hot at the right time and rode the momentum into the playoffs. If there's a team that can do it this year, I think it's the Pacers.


Team Most Likely To Make A 2nd Half Collapse - Detroit Pistons
It might not be fair to pick the Pistons, considering they've pretty much been collapsing since they traded for Allen Iverson, but I predict the collapse to continue. Iverson's clearly not a good fit, and they're another team without much of an identity. Rasheed Wallace looks uninterested (and a step slower), Rip Hamilton is clearly not as good a player without Chauncey Billups setting him up and Rodney Stuckey is as inconsistent as you would expect a second-year point guard getting his first starters minutes to be.

The bright side? Iverson's huge contract comes off the books after this year, so the Pistons will have a ton of money to rebuild.


Defensive Player of the Mid-year - Dwight Howard
His defensive rebounding numbers and blocks are just obscene. He really is an absolute monster in the paint right now. Not to mention he alters nine to 10 shots a game just by patrolling the paint.

ed. note: Special mention goes out to Lebron here too. King James has been filling passing lanes and flying all over the court this year. It's nice to see him commit to the defensive end so hard).


Coach of the Mid-Year - Stan Van Gundy
Van Gundy's always been a great coach. In 2005, he was a Dwayne Wade injury away from getting to the NBA Finals. Then Pat Riley took over and we forgot all about Jeff's older brother. He's made the Magic into a title contender, and no one truly believed they could be at the start of the season.

Now let's see if he can be the Coach of the Year by absorbing the Nelson injury and still take Orlando deep in the playoffs.

As a side note, I think it would be alot easier for all of us take Stan more seriously if he shaved the porn mustache. I mean, the guy looks like Ron Jeremy at a Miami night club with those blazer/black sweater combinations and the thick 'stache. Get rid of that thing Stanny boy.

Van Gundy looks like he just walked off
a porn set in these duds

Anti-Coach of the Year - Mike Dunleavy Sr.
It's tough to pinpoint what was Dunleavy's biggest grievance this season. Was it signing Baron Davis - a bonafide superstar last year, but a player with a proven track record of getting hurt and playing uninspired - to a long-term deal? Was it filling the roster with headcases like Ricky Davis and Zach Randolph? Was it acquiring Marcus Camby, Randolph and Chris Kaman for a combined 34 million, when only two can play at the same time? So many bad decisions to make it hard to pick just one.

Let's just lump them all together and say that he's sucked hard this year.


Rookie of the Year - Derrick Rose
D-Rose is legit. He came in with a lot of hype, and has more than lived up to it. He looks like a better passing Tony Parker right now. The over/under for all-star appearances for Rose in his career is eight.... and I may take the over.

That said, his team is absolutely awful. I really hate the Bulls. They have so many young guys, but they all do the same thing. The wings (Ben Gordon, Deng, Andres Nocioni) can score, but are inconsistent. Their bigs (Tyrus Thomas, Drew Gooden, Joakim Noah) are athletic but can't score (actually, Gooden can score a little bit, but isn't nearly as athletic or valuable as the other two guys). I'm not too crazy about their coach either. What makes it even worse is they were in the mix for guys like Pau Gasol, Kevin Garnett and even Kobe Bryant (to a lesser extent) and could never conjure up the cajoles to pull the trigger.

Here's hoping they get Bosh.


MVP - Lebron James
What more can be said about 'Bronbron? The guy is just an absolute specimen that will be ungaurdable in three years. It's insane to think that he's only 24, and getting better. His improvements on the defensive side of the ball can't be stated enough, and he's good for five or six "Oh my god, how the hell did he do that?" assists and scores a game.

Looking back, it's amazing that James was able to get the Cavs to the Finals in 2007 with such an uninspiring supporting cast. This current team is constructed perfectly to Lebron's strengths; Mo Williams, Delonte West and Daniel Gibson can't be left open because they can kill you with open shots. Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace and Zydrunas Ilgauskas can take up space, protect the basket and get rebounds. And Lebron can do whatever he wants and is one of the deadliest players in the 4th quarter in the league right now. What Kobe's doing in LA shouldn't be overlooked and Tim Duncan still consistently gets it done for the Spurs, but Lebron's the clear MVP in my opinion.


Playoff Predictions
EAST
(1) Boston over (8) Indiana
(2) Cleveland over (7) Detroit
(6) Miami over (3) Orlando
(4) Atlanta over (5) Philly

(1) Boston over (4) Atlanta
(2) Cleveland over (6) Miami

(2) Cleveland over (1) Boston

WEST
(1) LA Lakers over (8) Utah
(2) San Antonio over (7) Dallas
(3) Denver over (6) Portland
(5) Houston over (4) New Orleans

(1) LA Lakers over (5) Houston
(2) San Antonio over (3) Denver

(1) LA Lakers over (2) San Antonio

NBA Title Prediction - Cleveland over LA Lakers in 6
As fans, we get the Finals we've all been hoping for. Lebron against Kobe for the Title; there's really nothing better than that. It won't be easy; the Lakers will need all their depth (and a healthy Andrew Bynum) to get past the Spurs and Boston certainly won't lay down without a war against the Cavs, but I like them both to advance to the Championship.

Even though LA has been the best team so far this year, I still wonder aloud how tough they are when they're battling against big bodies in the paint. I think Kobe does a good job defensively against Lebron too, but it's the other guys that could really make the Lakers pay. They don't have enough answers for all of the Cavs shooters. And don't forget with the injuries to West and Ilgauskas, the Cavs haven't been playing with their starting lineup since January 2nd. If they're all healthy come playoff time, I think Lebron brings a title to Cleveland.

Come this summer, James may be hoisting an NBA
Championship instead of just the Eastern Conference one

Biggie vs. 'Pac... Settling the Debate

I've always considered myself a bit of a Hip-Hop head.

I had posters of Tupac on my bedroom wall. I burned through a pair of AA batteries each week, bumping Nas's "Illmatic" and Jay-Z's "Reasonable Doubt in my CD player. I even used to look up the tracklistings for the newest mixtapes getting sold in the cities, so I could download the latest songs and make my own mixtapes.

When people would ask me who the best rapper of all-time was, I always took the easy route. I've always said that it's a tie between Biggie and 'Pac; after their horrific murders I could never decide which one was better. They both meant so much to me as a young rap fan that I never felt the need to differentiate between the two and say who the "best" was.

You could make cases for plenty of other artists too. Rakim, Nas, Chuck D and Run-DMC all have valid arguments for the crown, but for me, it's always been a two-horse race. After seeing Notorious last week, a biopic about Biggie's life (and a must-see if you're a Biggie fan), I've decided to break the tie and choose who the best to ever rock a mic really was.

So let's take a look at the two artists and settle this debate once and for all.

***

SIGNATURE SONG

'Pac - "Dear Mama"
Honorable Mentions - California Love, Brenda's Gotta Baby, Keep Ya Head Up, Hit 'Em Up
With a rapper like Tupac, it's tough to pick a signature song. His style varied so much, based on mood, time-frame and what was happening in his life at the time, that you can make arguments for a lot of different songs. For me, "Dear Mama" wins out. This song, written while he was incarcerated, shows 'Pac's lyrical prowess, storytelling ability and his emotional side (which was one of Tupac's greatest attributes). It was his second highest-selling single and was loved by Hip-Hop purists and non-fans alike. "California Love" was the official West Coast anthem, "Brenda's Gotta Baby" was another example of his ability to craft a well-written story and a special shout goes to "Hit 'Em Up" for being one of the best diss songs ever recorded; but Dear Mama puts all of his talents together.

Biggie - "Juicy"
Honorable Mentions - "Who Shot Ya," "Big Poppa," "Brooklyn's Finest" (Jay-Z's song, that Biggie was featured on)
"Juicy" was Biggie's coming out party. It has great lyrics, a catchy hook and had incredible crossover appeal. To this day, you can still hear this song just about anywhere; from a club in L.A. to at a house party in Brooklyn to a college frat party. Biggie had tons of other, more-lyrical songs than "Juicy," but as far as first singles go, this was a perfect way to introduce himself to rap fans. It's a great song to sing along to, with just about everyone in their 20s able to rap all the words. Plus, the infamous line - "if you don't know, now you know, nigga" is a great excuse for white people to say the N-word. Just sayin'.

EDGE - 'Pac


SIGNATURE ALBUM

'Pac - All Eyez on Me
Honorable Mention - "Me Against the World"
Lyrically, Me Against the World is 'Pac's best album. It's introspective, emotional and shows all of 2Pac's various sides. But for my money, give me 'Pac's two-disc CD full of anger, arrogance and swagger. All Eyez on Me is rumored to have been written in as little as two weeks, and was released just four months after he was bailed out of prison by Death Row Owner Suge Knight. On it, Tupac thoroughly repped the West Coast and most of the song's were about money, women and being a thug. Still, this album represented the Left Coast more than any other album at the time. In the center of the East vs. West battle, this album had West Coast anthems ("California Love") gangster songs ("Ambitionz Az a Ridah," "Tradin War Stories") and mainstream hits ("How Do You Want It"). The album sold nine million, featured some of the best artists in the West at the time (Dre, Snoop, etc.) and was one of 'Pac's best produced albums of his career. Plus, this was the first album I bought with my own money (I actually had this one on tape) so it holds a special place in my heart.

Biggie - Ready to Die
Ready to Die was Big's masterpiece. A perfectly crafted album featuring tales from the street life, dreams of making it big and plenty of clever punchlines. It didn't sell as much as Life After Death but is universally regarded as one of the top albums of all-time. Just scanning the interwebs, and you'll see plenty of people that believe this is one of the best rap albums ever released. You'll be hard-pressed to find a song you don't like on this CD. You want uplifting? Listen to "Juicy." You like hardcore? Put on "Gimme the Loot." How about balla? Look no further than "Big Poppa." Even the ladies get a jam with "One More Chance" (which guys love too). I just started listening to Ready to Die again recently, and let me tell ya, it doesn't age at all. This album is still unbelievable, and when compared to the garbage that's out today? You appreciate it even more....

EDGE - Biggie



LYRICS

'Pac - Tupac had some incredibly lyrical songs, often ones that came straight from the soul. He had an art of storytelling in an easy-to-understand way. His strength was writing songs that were meaningful and made you think. "Brenda's Got a Baby," "Keep Ya Head Up" and "So Many Tears" are some of the best songwriting you'll ever hear.

But part of his strength also contradicts with being a top-flight lyricist. His "thug life" demeanor that he took on full-force later in his career was light on lyrics and heavy on shit-talk. It was entertaining, great to rap to and changed the style and culture of Hip-Hop at the time, but it could of also held back Tupac from a lyrical standpoint.

Biggie - Frank White had arguably the best punchlines of all time. His specialty was rapping about what he knew - life as a street hustler. What made him so good is he was able to fit relatively complicated verbiage into easy-to-understand rhymes that always flowed effortlessly. Before he was signed, his skills earned him a feature in the popular magazine, The Source, in their Unsigned Hype section - which showcases the lyrics of an hot, unsigned MC. Although not a slow rhymer, his flow was normally heavy, but he showed his ability to adapt by lightening and speeding up his rhymes on "Notorious Thugs," to match that of the Bone Thugs and Harmony rappers.

On top of his written rhymes, he was also an impeccable freestyler, which is one of the ways he started building his rep and gaining attention. And on top of making his own albums hot, he also greatly improved his friend's LP's. A perfect example is his ridiculous verse on Diddy's "Victory"...

"Francis, m to the iz-h phenominal/ Gun rest under your vest, by the abdominal/ Rhyme a few bars so i can buy a few cars/ And kick a few flows, so i can pimp a few hoes/ Excellence is my presence, never tense/ Never hesitant, leave a nigga bent, real quick/ real sick, brawl nights, I perform like Mike/ Anyone - Tyson, Jordan, Jackson..."

Sick.

EDGE - Biggie


LONGEVITY

'Pac - It's hard to argue that any MC had more longevity than Tupac. He has actually released the same amount of albums since he passed than while he was living (and that's not if you include "Greatest Hits" albums). It's rumored that 'Pac lived in the studio, oftentimes recording songs for weeks and months at a time. When he was in prison, reading and writing was pretty much all he did, which was proven by his releasing of three CDs in the year after his prison term in 1995. (It was two albums, but All Eyez on Me was a double-disc.) Maybe he wasn't the most lyrical, but he managed to rhyme better than 90 percent of the rappers in his era, at a much larger volume. And his music certainly hasn't grown stale, as his post-death sales top 10 million. The spookiest part is that alot of the songs released after his death contain lyrics that still sound applicable to life now, leading to multiple conspiracy theories that say he's still alive. Regardless of what you believe, it's clear that Tupac has been successful for nearly two decades now.

Biggie - Biggie suffers in this category because his career was cut so short. 2Pac had made five albums before his untimely death, while Biggie had just finished his second. His post-death albums haven't reached anywhere near the critical acclaim of his first two, which show that there's a reason he didn't want to put those verses on his original albums. This one's not that close.

EDGE - 'Pac


AUTHENTICITY

'Pac - What Tupac was; and embraced, was "Thug Life." He believed so much in the mantra that he had it tattooed across his stomach and lived every facet of lifestyle in that way. 'Pac could be completely sincere and introspective one minute, and a reckless bully the next. After his shooting, Tupac embodied the West Coast gangsta mentality in his music, demeanor and personality. With Pac, this was never forced. He embraced street-life, having lived in NYC, Baltimore and Marin City, Cali., and made popular the bandana, tattoo and shirtless look. (The same look that has been copied and downright stolen by rappers that hit it big after 2Pac's death.) There was nothing fake about 'Pac.

Biggie - Where Tupac embodied the West Coast, Biggie was Brooklyn. He mentioned his hometown in numerous songs and was proud of his city. His rhymes were honest, as he rapped about things he saw and was a part of. As Biggie's career got bigger, he started to mature. He moved from a street hustler to a full-blown mafioso don and his songs reflected that. But he also realized that every song didn't have to be about money, drugs and women, even penning the inspirational "Sky is the Limit" on his second album. His style changed after his first album as well, in large part because of Diddy's influence. Boots and black hoodies were replaced by expensive suits. Biggie didn't sell out, but he did change as a person, and even though Biggie was a hero to Brooklyn... 2Pac gets the nod for representing a culture he helped create throughout his entire career.

EDGE - 'Pac


MAINSTREAM RESPONSE

'Pac - When Tupac released his first album, 2Pacalypse Now, he was trying to talk about the ills that faced young, black men in the hood. Although his heart was in the right place, he was lambasted by critics, politicians and white suburbia for his graphic language and violent imagery. His second album, Strictly for my N.I.G.G.A.Z produced the same sentiment amongst the mainstream (surprise, surprise).

He did manage to do movies though, and was critically acclaimed for his roles in Juice in 1992 and Above the Rim in 1994, so he was still pretty famous for a semi-successful rapper. He really broke through musically with Me Against the World, which showed his versatility and introspective side. Then All Eyez on Me dropped, and went nine-times platinum, proving that 'Pac was a mega-superstar. Unfortunately, his career was also littered with prison stints and his thug persona, his very vocal beef with the East Coast and his overall aggressive demeanor didn't endear him to everyone. Some looked at 2Pac as a maker of great party songs, but dismissed him as just a gangster. As marketable as Tupac was, he was more feared than loved.

Biggie - Biggie's success came quickly. "Juicy" was an instant success, thanks to its catchy beat and the marketing push by Diddy and Bad Boy records. The single went gold, Ready to Die sold four million copies, and Biggie was a household name. It helped that he came out when the West Coast was dominating the rap game, so his timing was impeccable. His entire style endeared to the mainstream. Even though he was enormous, he was still (somehow) a sex icon to women, while still being revered by his male fans.

Biggie was killed before Life After Death was released, but the album still had insane success. It was certified diamond (10-times platinum), making it one of the highest grossing rap albums of all-time. Biggie had a knack for making songs that everyone loved. He had party songs, gangster songs, lyrical songs; you name and Biggie could spit it. And spit it well, which is why he was pretty much beloved by the masses (hardcore West Coast rap fans excluded). Had Biggie survived his shooting, his crossover success could've grown even bigger. Diddy definitely gets some of the credit here for being able to market B.I.G. so well, but Biggie gets the nod for his ability to endear himself to all types of fans.

EDGE - Biggie


LEGACY

'Pac - What made Tupac so special is that he would say whatever he felt. There was no filter on 2Pac and if he believed in something, he would express it. He didn't care about creating a persona for the fans... he was who he was. He was a leader in the Hip-Hop community, and whether you agreed with him or not, when Tupac spoke; people listened.

He also was blessed with incredible talent. As great of a rapper as he was, he showed a lot of promise as an actor too. He also could relate to just about anyone; one minute he'd be an articulate intellectual, the next he'd be a thug from the hood. He was looked up to, feared and respected.

When he was killed, most of his fans (including me, for a while) didn't believe it. There were plenty of conspiracy theories. The fact that his voice appeared on albums after he died or that he read Niccolo Machiavelli - who apparently faked his own death (which is merely urban legend, and is actually untrue) all led fans to believe that 'Pac was just hiding out somewhere, and would one day return. Tupac's fans have kept his spirit alive long after he has passed.

Tupac was influential on many levels. There have been essays written about him, speeches given about him, documentaries featuring him and even college classes based around his life. 'Pac is still very much remembered as one of the most important lyricists to ever grace a mic.

Biggie - It's such a tragedy that Biggie's life and career were cut so short. The fact that we only got two real Biggie albums is one of the great crimes to rap fans. In his brief career, he's still regarded as one of the best that ever did it. The Source and Blender named him the best rapper of all time. Check just about any major rap website or magazine, and if they have a list of the best rappers of all time, chances are Frank White's in the top-5.

Biggie also gave a much-needed resurrection to East Coast rap. Before he came, the West Coast dominated, but Biggie reinvigorated the NY rap scene. Some of the other great New York rappers we discuss today, with Jay-Z and Nas being the most notable, point to Biggie as being one of the inspirations for them starting to rap in the first place.

What really shed a light on how strong Biggie's legacy was, was his funeral. His hearse was carried through Brooklyn so his fans could see him one last time. Thousands came out with signs, well-wishes and Biggie songs blaring from stereos to show how much they appreciated him (ed note: it also bears mentioning that not all the fans were peaceful. Arrests were made when some fans got too hostile).

Biggie was a hero, but he was also a man of the people. As big as he got, people from his neighborhood still believed he was the same guy that would freestyle on the corner.

Although Biggie's gone, it's clear that his legacy lives on. Major proof of that is that there's just been a major motion picture made about his life. 'Pac will always be remembered and greatly missed, but I feel like Biggie was truly loved by his fans. And that's why his legacy is (barely) more important.

(slight) EDGE - Biggie

***

So in a narrow 4-3 victory, Biggie wins my best rapper of all-time. I love 'Pac, but what Biggie did in such a short time was too much to ignore. I of course don't consider this the end-all, be-all to the debate, and can see the various arguments for why Tupac - or many other rappers for that matter - could win a "best of all-time" debate. But for now, Biggie's my No. 1, and Pac's my 1a.

And for getting through this long blog post, here's your Moment of Zen... a freestyle featuring both 'Pac and Biggie back when they were still boys. Enjoy.

Photos courtesy of Google Images and Entertainment Weekly

'Nuff Said...

New Post Coming Tuesday (1/27) or Wednesday (1/28) (the man's really been getting me down...)

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

Ed Note: 1/15/09 - I'm going with the Keystone State Super Bowl.
NFC - Eagles 27, Cardinals 21
AFC - Steelers 17, Ravens 13

(Not) Predicting the Conference Championships

I've got to be honest. Coming into the NFL playoffs, I was feeling pretty confident about my ability to understand this league.

After correctly picking both Miami and Philly to make the playoffs a month ago, I thought I had this season figured out. When the playoffs started, I assumed that I wouldn't have much trouble picking winners and figuring out which teams were contenders and pretenders to win the Super Bowl.

I only went 2-2 in the first round, but my confidence wasn't shaken. I was ready for round 2 and believed in my abilities. I knew what I saw during the season and the first round and was pretty sure that by the end of the Steelers/Chargers game, I'd be looking at 4-0.

Then Saturday afternoon came around. And Chris Johnson went out. And the Titans couldn't hold onto the ball in the redzone. And the officials forgot to throw a flag on a clear delay of game penalty.

Ravens 1, Flavors of Lovelace 0.

Still, that was a close game, between two great teams. The Titans blew a winnable game after losing their best offensive weapon. I wasn't too fazed by that.

Then the Cardinals, Panthers game happened.

Feeling pretty sad Jake? Yeah, that's how I felt
watching you destroy my Panthers Super Bowl pick

It's one thing to pick the wrong winner. It's another to pick a team in a blowout that ultimately loses.

But when you pick a team to blow out their opponent and they end up getting blown out themselves? Well then it's time to re-evaluate the way you predict football games.

I was wrong about the Giants/Eagles game too, but by then, I was too sick over Saturday's game to care. The Steelers are the only team that saved me from going Oh-fer last weekend.

The only solace is that I picked the Steelers to win the Super Bowl at the beginning of the playoffs, and they're still very much in the hunt. Then again, I also picked them to beat the Panthers in that game. So yeah.....

Anyway, for this week's predictions, I'm going to change the script a bit. At this point, I don't think anything would surprise us this weekend. Every team has a very realistic opportunity to win it all and I don't think there's any clear favorite anymore.

So instead of making bold proclamations about who I think is going to win, I'm instead going to write an extended preview of the game, followed by arguing for both teams. Because really, after what we've seen thus far, it doesn't matter who you think will win, but rather how you argue it. Just for fun I'll make an actual pick later this week, but for now, lets take a look at every team's case for getting to the Super Bowl.

Which team will be this year's Giants?

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals

Vegas Line - Opened at Philly giving 3, but has since moved to the Iggles giving 3.5.

Super Bowl Odds - You get 2 to 1 odds on the Eagles winning it all, while the Cards are currently at 5 to 1.

Key Matchup for the Cards - Larry Fitzgerald vs. Eagles Secondary

Larry Fitz is an absolute monster right now. When I see Kurt Warner throw the ball up into clear double-teams to him, I always expect Fitz to come down with it. And he always does. He made the Panthers secondary look pathetic, and he was ALL they had to focus on with Anquan Boldin out. The Eagles have a much more established secondary with Asante Samuel (one of the best playoff playmakers ever), Brian Dawkins (playing on a mission right now), Sheldon Brown (a hard-hitting, smart corner) and Quintin Mikell (underrated safety, who led the team with 169 tackles). The Eagles will be throwing double and triple teams at him all day. Fitz will have to continue to prove that he's the best receiver in the league and find holes in the secondary. Eagles D-Coordinator Jim Johnson loves to brings the blitz. For Kurt Warner to have any chance of staying upright, Fitz will have to find openings in the defense and make big plays.

Key Matchup for the Eagles - Brian Westbrook vs. the Cardinals Front Seven

The Cardinals secondary has been playing fantastic this postseason. They have seven interceptions (the most of any playoff team) and effectively made Jake Delhomme look like a high school quarterback (and a JV one at that). During the regular season, the best way to beat the Cards was on the ground, but Arizona bottled up Michael Turner in the first round, while Carolina inexplicably never really tried to run against them. Westbrook hasn't had a great postseason. He has only had one really big play in the playoffs; the long screen pass against the Vikings, but has yet to really get going consistently. To beat the Cards on Sunday, he'll have to be able to run effectively and keep the Cards secondary honest, to allow McNabb to look downfield.

Interesting Subplot, that may be Beaten into the Ground by Gametime - The last time these two teams played was Thanksgiving and the Eagles stomped Arizona 48-20. The two weeks before that, McNabb played terrible in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals that resulted in a tie, and led to his shocking revelation that he didn't know an NFL game could end in a tie. The next week he stunk it up against the Ravens in the first half, and was surprisingly benched in favor of backup and second-year player Kevin Kolb. It's possible that if the Eagles didn't have a short week going into the the Thanksgiving game, they would have stuck with Kolb and started rebuilding for next year (remember they were 5-5-1 and that point). The first game of McNabb's resurgence came against Arizona.

Potential X Factor - The Cards home crowd

I know we just witnessed three home teams go out last week, but Arizona had a outstanding crowd in its first game against Atlanta (which was subsequently their first home playoff game in 61 years). Factor in that the tickets for this game were sold out in six minutes and you can see that Arizona's pretty pumped for this one.

The Cards fans really brought the noise in the first round

Case for the Cards - No one thought the Cards would be here. I mean no one. Not you, not me, not even the Cardinals players. They poured gatorade on coach Ken Whisenhunt after winning their first game against Atlanta. We're giving gatorade showers after winning our first round home playoff games now?

Arizona has relished the underdog role all playoffs. They also have a former Super Bowl MVP in Kurt Warner leading them and a resurgent Edgerrin James (who has playoff experience himself). They have the best receiver in the league, who is borderline unstoppable right now. If the Cardinals can get up quick and get that hungry, home crowd behind them, they can rattle an Eagles team who has a history of melting in a loud, raucous arenas (see: Redskins, Week 16).

Add in an inevitable Andy Reid coaching mistake and 'Zona can do enough to punch their ticket to Tampa Bay.

Case for the Eagles - You could argue that seeing the Eagles here isn't a surprise at all. Many picked Philly to make a Super Bowl run when the season started. But when they were 5-5-1, it looked like the McNabb, and probably the Reid era, were over.

But since that loss, something has happened to this team. Besides the Redskins defeat, the Eagles have been downright dominant since the Ravens loss and seem to be gelling perfectly at the right time. Their defense has been the most impressive, yielding just 12.5 points per game (good for 2nd in the playoffs) and confusing quarterbacks with all their pressure. The Eagles have a similar feel of the 2008 Giants and the 2006 Steelers: Wildcard teams that got hot late in the season and rode that momentum all the way to a Super Bowl win.

If the Eagles triple team Fitz and force the Cards to beat them with their run game and other options, Warner and Co. may not have an answer. Also consider that Warner isn't the most mobile of quarterbacks in the pocket. If the Eagles can bring pressure and bring Warner to the turf early, and put some points on the board themselves, it could force Arizona to press. Plus, Arizona's pretty happy to be here. They could be a little too happy to be here, while the Eagles, McNabb and Reid are hungry to leave a successful legacy in Philadelphia. This year's team is capable of making this Eagles team a team to remember.


Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Vegas Line - Opened at Steelers giving 5 and has already moved to 6. People love themselves some terrible towel.

Super Bowl Odds - Steelers are a non-lucrative 9 to 5, while the Ravens are probably the best value of all the teams left at 4 to 1.

Key Matchup for the Ravens - Joe Flacco vs. Pittsburgh's D

Flacco has been great during the playoffs. He hasn't had to do too much; and hasn't, but he has done enough to win. The first game the Ravens played against Pittsburgh this season, they were in control of the game, but Flacco had a costly third quarter fumble, which was brought back for a touchdown, and completely changed the momentum of the game. In the second meeting, he was awful, and the Steelers came back and won. Even though Flacco's a rookie, he can't play like one on Sunday. The Ravens will want to run the ball, but it's difficult to run against Pittsburgh. He'll have to make some throws, in the hostile environment that is Heinz Field, if the Ravens want to advance to the Super Bowl.

Key Matchup for the Steelers - Willie Parker vs. Raven's Front Seven

Fast Willie looked the healthiest I've seen him since the beginning of the season last week. He was cutting up the Chargers defense at will and was back to his normally speedy self. Conversely, Chris Johnson was dicing up a normally impossible-to-run-on, Ravens defense last week too. He just looked too fast and shifty for the linemen and linebackers and was picking up positive yards in bunches. Parker is similar to Johnson in that he uses speed and quick moves to pick up yardage. No one's expecting Parker to have a huge day, but if he can reel off a couple of solid runs, it may open up the play-action deep pass. You have to keep the Ravens D off balance, or else Ed Reed will just sit back and bait Ben into a mistake.

Fast Willie proved why he got the nickname last week

Interesting Subplot, that may be Beaten into the Ground by Gametime - I don't know if you heard, but these two teams played twice in the regular season. Yeah, they're even in the same division. Hey, it's pretty hard to beat a team three times in the same season, ya know? Oh you've heard that one before? Really???

Jokes aside, this game promises to be a bloodbath. These teams hate each other. Not football hate, but the kind of hate where if they saw each other off the field out at a bar, a brawl could ensue. The Ravens are a prideful (read: arrogant) bunch, that despise the fact that they lost two games to Pittsburgh this year. They think they're the better team. They want to prove that the AFC North doesn't go through Pittsburgh anymore. And they're still pretty pissed about their last game that ended in controversy, when Santonio Holmes's final touchdown catch may or may not have crossed the plane. This game is the reason why we watch football.

Potential X Factor - The Steelers Offensive Line.

They played arguably their best game of the season last week, keeping Roethlisberger upright and only allowing one sack. Ben responded with a great game and Pittsburgh won relatively easy. The Ravens will certainly be bringing a ton of heat to test that O-line this time around. If Roethlisberger's pressured, he tends to make mistakes.

Case for the Ravens - This current team has some similarities to the 2000 Ravens team. Awesome defense, potentially shaky quarterback and Ray Lewis running the show. They've already proven they can win a Super Bowl without a great quarterback; what makes us think they can't do it again?

Baltimore's also a team that no one wants to play right now, and that includes the Steelers. The Ravens want revenge in the worst way, and they'll be out for blood in this game. With their defense, they have a chance in every game, no matter what the score. If they can bottle up Willie early, it'll force Ben to have to throw more than he wants to. Then the Ravens can bring the heat and either sack him, or make him force some throws. You do not want to force throws with Ed Reed patrolling the middle of the field.

This game is going to be close so it's going to come down to just one or two plays that will ultimately decide it. If the Ravens can continue to do what they've been doing all year: run the ball, play terrifying defense and Flacco making one or two big plays down field, they'll win this game.

Case for the Steelers - Credit Pittsburgh for being here after playing an absolutely murderous schedule the entire year. They've been constantly banged up, but their defense, coaching and ability to make just enough plays to win have got them in this position.

Last week the Steelers were something they haven't been most of this season: healthy. And when they're healthy, we see what Pittsburgh is capable of. They controlled the Chargers (including only letting them have one offensive play in the third quarter) and imposed their will on a clearly inferior foe.

The Ravens aren't inferior in any way. Baltimore is as good as the Steelers... almost. It's close, but Pittsburgh is still the better team. Plus, they're playing at Heinz Field, a notoriously difficult stadium to play in. And they have a major trump card in this one; Ben vs. Flacco. This is Roethlisberger's third AFC Championship game. For a 26-year-old, he's pretty seasoned. He knows how to win these games. Flacco will one day be great, but right now he reminds me (and just about everyone else) of a young Roethlisberger. The same young Roethlisberger that ultimately went out in the playoffs after playing a terrible game. If Pittsburgh can block up front, play smart and make Flacco uncomfortable, they should be going for their league-leading, sixth Super Bowl win.

Ultimately, the AFC Championship might come down

to the battle of big, goofy quarterbacks

PICKS COMING THURSDAY

Images courtesy of Sports Illustrated's Al Tieleman and John W. McDonough, Getty Images and Google Images

The Always Entertaining Starbury Show

When you talk about Stephon Marbury to NBA fans, you get plenty of different reactions; and most of those reactions are negative.

There's good reason. Marbury has been regarded as one of the dumbest, most arrogant and selfish players in the league. The Knicks are currently paying him, but won't let him anywhere near their facilities, and Steph gets to sit home and pick up checks for doing nothing (the American dream if you ask me).

I think it's safe to say, that Steph is loving life right now

So it came as a shock to most NBA fans when it was announced that the reigning NBA Champion Boston Celtics were thinking about signing Marbury when he's eventually bought out by the Knickerbockers. Many (including myself) think this would be a terrible idea. Why mess with the chemistry of a champion by bringing on a headache like Marbury?

What's interesting about this is that if the Celts were to sign Steph, it would reunite the mercurial guard with Kevin Garnett. The two of them played together in Minnesota when they first got in the league.

So with this signing looking more and more like a possibility, let's take a look at just how these vastly different players might end up as teammates once again.

* * *

I still remember when Marbury first entered the league, way back in the 1996 draft.

That draft class was loaded. A.I. went first. Ray Allen went fifth. Steve Nash went 15th and some guy name Kobe went 13th by the Charlotte Hornets, refused to play for them and forced a trade to the Lakers. With the fourth pick, the Milwaukee Bucks chose a flashy guard, who played just one year at Georgia Tech. They promptly traded him the Minnesota Timberwolves for Allen.

The kid, dubbed by fans and the media as "Starbury" had it all. He had flash. Charisma. Marketability. Street cred. He was a cocky, Brooklyn point guard, with swagger for days and he was coming into the NBA at the exact time that the Hip Hop Culture was starting to take the league by storm. Hell, I even had his poster on my bedroom wall.

Best of all, he was going to the Timberwolves, joining a freak of an athlete and uber-competitor in Garnett - who Minnesota drafted fifth overall the year before. The two were going to be the new faces of basketball in Minnesota.

It was all laughs for KG and Steph in the beginning...

The honeymoon started out well enough. Garnett and Marbury led the T-Wolves to the playoffs in 1997 and '98 and although they lost in the first round during those years, the team was looking like an eventual championship contender. After the 1998 season, Garnett was rewarded with a lucrative 6-year, 126-million dollar contract, which made him the highest paid athlete at the time. While KG was being set up for life, Marbury was fuming.

The 1999 season was shortened due to an NBA lockout that disrupted the start of the season. When play resumed, Marbury made it well known that he wasn't happy. There are plenty of rumors out there as to why, but most agree that he was stung by the fact that he would always be second fiddle to KG, even though he felt he was the better player. He also missed the bright lights of New York, and was willing to break up a championship-caliber team to get his wishes.

He did. He was traded to the New Jersey Nets in a three-team deal. And from there, Marbury and KG's career took decisively different paths.

KG stayed loyal to the franchise that believed in him when they drafted him right out of high school. After the Marbury trade, the T-Wolves would make brief appearances to the playoffs, which all ended with first round defeats. In the 2003-04 season, the team added all-star caliber players in Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell. That year, KG won the MVP award and Minnesota got to the Western Conference Finals, before losing to the Lakers (in large part because Cassell injured his back and was severely limited in that series). KG would never reach the playoffs again with the T-Wolves, but was traded to the Celtics before the start of the 2007-08 season. With Allen and Paul Pierce forming "the Big 3," KG got his first NBA Championship.

Garnett got his Championship while Marbury
continued to tarnish his legacy

Steph's career on the other hand, can best be described as a huge disappointment. He blossomed into an NBA all-star with the Nets, but never made the playoffs in his three seasons there. He was traded to the Suns for Jason Kidd in 2001. Although Marbury did help lead the Suns to the playoffs in 2003, the trade was largely looked at as a steal in favor of the Nets. Kidd dragged New Jersey out of the NBA basement and took them to back-to-back NBA Championship appearances in 2002 and 2003.

Although Marbury got the Suns to the playoffs, he couldn't lead them out of the first round. In 2004 he was traded to the Knicks. It was believed that going back home, to the place where he mastered his game, would be just what he would need to finally reach his full potential. Instead, the Knicks stayed terrible and Marbury's attitude was cancerous to the team. He had an ongoing feud with head coach Larry Brown in 2005-06 and the entire city of New York started to turn on him.

Isiah Thomas, who had been the Knicks (terrible) GM since the end of 2003, took over as head coach in 2006. Thomas is one of the greatest point guards of all-time and both he and Marbury believed that with Thomas as coach, it would be enough to finally revive Marbury's career.

It wasn't. They had a public feud just like with Brown. Things got so bad in New York, that there was a lawsuit levied against Thomas for sexual harassment by a Knicks employee (which the employee won in a settlement). Marbury was called to testify in that trial, leading to a bizarre and appalling, yet admittedly hilarious testimony. Lets just say that Marbury prefers the back of trucks to traditional beds any day....

During all of this, Marbury has gotten all of the things he's wished since demanding a trade from Minnesota. He has been grossly overpaid since leaving and has always been the No. 1 guy. He has also never gotten out of the first round of the playoffs.

This season the Knicks have essentially banished Marbury from the team, while still picking up his ridiculous contract. While Marbury is getting paid not to play, KG has been busy trying to defend his title.

The Boston Celtics had looked like a historic team for much of this season, going into their Dec. 25th game and championship rematch against the Lakers with an absurd 27-2 record, including a 15-game winning streak. Analysts and fans were debating whether they had a shot of reaching the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins.

Boston ended up losing to the Lakers in the Christmas game and have been free-falling ever since. Including the loss to the Lakers, they've dropped six of their last eight games, with two of those defeats coming against the Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats. Those teams aren't exactly setting the world on fire.

The problem with Boston is their depth. They have arguably the best starting lineup in the league but when your key bench guys are Leon Powe, Tony Allen and Eddie House... you're going to have some problems.

And there's one proven player out there, who will be relatively cheap. He'll provide scoring, experience and depth to a team that desperately needs all three.

Enter Starbury.

* * *

It seems insane that the Celtics would actually consider this. Marbury has proven time and time again that he's not worth the hassle. He's a malcontent, a whiner and generally a few cards short of a full deck....

Bringing him on could spell disaster for the Celtics chances of a championship repeat.

But right now, everyone seems to be saying the right things. Steph says he would love to be reunited with KG and wants to play for the Celtics, a contender that will allow him to get the ring that it seemed he'd never get in his career. KG says he'd welcome his ex-teammate to Boston with open arms.

From a pure theater standpoint, I'd love to see this happen. Who knows what would've happened if Marbury never fled the T-Wolves and became the potent one-two punch with Garnett that we all expected? He may have two or three rings by now. He may be known as one of the best point guards of the last decade. He may have never gotten the legacy as one of the most disappointing players in the NBA.

Going to Beantown might be Starbury's final shot at redemption.

I know Ill be watching.

Photos courtesy of Lombard/News and Google images