I Love March Madness

There's a lot to love about March. The seasons change, with Spring bringing warm weather throughout the country. Various cities celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a parade.

But easily the best thing about the month is March Madness.

Aside from the 'Cuse jersey, this girl has nothing to do
with college basketball. But do you really care?

In December, I had alot of problems with college football and dedicated an entire blogpost to it. College basketball, and specifically March Madness, is much different. I love just about everything about it.

So lets dissect just exactly what makes March Madness so great.

***

It Brings Out the Degenerate Gambler in us All
As a diehard basketball fan, I'd love watching the game no matter what. But what draws the casual fan to college basketball isn't the memorable shots, passionate players or frenetic gameplay.

It's participating in brackets.

And lots of brackets. Typically I try to get into three or four and I'm sure there are many others out there that participate in even more. The Office Pool has become an annual tradition. There's nothing better than diligently spending hours filling out various brackets in hopes of winning and cashing in on a big score. It's mostly luck, but when one of our upsets pan out, we're the first ones to brag about it. We agonize over which darkhorse will go deep in the tournament and whine when our Final Four team gets knocked out in the second round. There's no other sport that causes so much exciting discussion between casual acquaintances. Which brings us to another great thing about March Madness...


Yeah Boss, I'll get to that Project in a Second. Let me Just Check How Morehead State's Doing....
March Madness creates an utter lack of productivity in offices nationwide. When we're not scrolling ESPN, Yahoo, CBS Sportsline and every other basketball site for sleepers and upset picks, we're discussing with co-workers which team we think can make a run. We fill out brackets and edit them when we're supposed to be working. While the games are going on, we're constantly checking scores, getting updates and occasionally streaming live games. If your office is lucky (or stupid) enough to show games on the office TV, overall work goes down even more.

When national publications go so far as to write articles about the lack of production, you can tell that March Madness has quite the negative effect in the workplace.


So What You Sucked During the Season? You Still Got a Shot.

Unlike college football, where once you lose a game you're usually officially out of the National Championship race, in college basketball, every team gets a shot at redemption via the end-of-year conference tournament. This gives every team a chance to make the Dance, regardless of how they played all year. Just look at Georgia last year. The "Dream Dawgs" won just 13 games last season, but went on a miracle run in the SEC tournament, won the tournament title and earned an invite to the NCAA tournament. This proves that no matter how poor your team did during the regular season, they're not dead until they lose in the conference tourney.

Conference tournaments have also provided some of the all-time great college basketball moments. I can still remember Syracuse's memorable run through the Big East Tournament in 2006. Gerry McNamara lit Madison Square Garden on fire and cemented his legacy, by making winner after game-winner and dragging an underachieving 'Cuse team to the Dance....

(McNamara's highlights are at the 1:33 mark)

How 'bout Them Nittany Lions?
If you're not a Penn State fan, I advise you to just skip this one and move on. You're not going to like it. You'll think I'm a homer (I am), and question my journalistic integrity for writing about a team with no basketball history, that hasn't made the tournament since 2001 and has only made the Dance three times since 1965. I implore you non-Penn State fan... don't read this.

OK, now that that's out of the way... have you seen Penn State basketball this year? In case you haven't, let me summarize. The team has won 21 games and 10 in the Big Ten. They hold wins over the top three teams in the league - Michigan State, Illinois and Purdue. They beat the Spartans on the road and swept Illinois this year.

Unfortunately, their out of conference schedule is downright embarrasing. It's being predicted that the Lions will need one or two wins in the Big Ten tournament to get an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

Truth be told, I've been a North Carolina fan since I was a kid, but I've loosely cared about the Nittany Lion basketball program since I enrolled to Happy Valley. My freshman year I went to the first game of the season. We were playing Georgetown and I had near-courtside seats (they were extremely easy to get good seats back then). We were up a point with 2.1 seconds to go and it looked like we would pull off an unbelievable upset. The Hoyas inbounded the ball and one of the Penn State players tried to intercept it. He ended up fouling a Georgetown player, who went to the line, sank two free throws and gave the Hoyas a one-point win. Needless to say, I never went to a Penn State game again.

Let's just say it's nice to finally be able to root for Penn State in basketball.

This is Talor Battle. Sophomore point guard, First-team All Big Ten Selection
and responsible for making Penn State basketball semi-relevant this year

Selection Sunday
With all the excitement that comes from following conference tournaments, bubble teams and top teams jockeying for tournament seeds, Selection Sunday is the culmination of it all. For true hoop heads (and those that want to get an early jump on their brackets), this night is when we get first looks at the bracket and immediately start picking potential upset teams and argue over which bracket is the hardest and easiest. Is it sad that I look forward to watching a bunch of old guys reveal which teams go on each bracket line?

Nah, didn't think so.


The Concept of Basketball All Day is Quite Appealing to me
One of the best things about March Madness is that the games leading up to the Final Four are played all day. The first two rounds feature games from Thursday-Sunday, with tons of action to keep fans of every team interested. On Thursday and Friday, most fans will have to work, but that doesn't mean they won't be glued to their computer screens checking for updates (unless you were cagey enough to get off that day. It's a tough sell these days with bosses wising up, but I encourage you to still try).

What's great are the Saturday and Sunday games. Sounds like another excuse to get hammered to me! Camp out at a bar and drown your sorrows after the No. 12 seed you had making a run to the Elite Eight gets hammered by 20 in the first round. And you can take solace in the fact that if the game you're watching doesn't go how you hoped, there are about four more coming on in a half-hour. Anything that allows you to binge drink for hours while watching athletic competition is a winner in my book.

This man was very pleased with Western Kentucky's
run to the Sweet Sixteen last year

Cindarella Slippers. That is if Cindarella Had a Size 16 Shoe.
Everyone loves an underdog, and March Madness is infamous for producing some of the best Cinderella stories every year. We see double-digit seeds upset powerhouses, tiny schools in the middle of nowhere making runs to the Elite Eight and players that most people haven't heard of it become national celebrities.

One of the best examples of this was George Mason's run in 2006. Coming into the tournament as an 11-seed, the Patriots used an experienced team made up of mostly hometown kids to topple heavyweights like my Tarheels and tournament-favorite UConn, making it all the way to the Final Four.

Another, more historic example is the 1985 Villanova team. Ranked eighth, the Wildcats made it all the way to the Championship, and toppled the heavily-favored, Patrick Ewing-led and reigning champion Georgetown Hoyas for one of the greatest tournament performances ever.

And who could forget last year's Davidson team, featuring Stephen Curry? Davidson probably won't make the tournament this year (and they shouldn't), but last year the 10th-seeded Wildcats made a run to the Elite Eight before falling by a basket to eventual-champion Kansas. During the tournament, Stephen Curry was electric. He made big shots look effortless, endeared himself to the nation and made the name Stephen (also spelled Stefen) the most popular name for newborn baby boys in the year 2009 (alright, I have no proof of that last fact. But in 15 years, when you see every boy athlete named Stefen, remember I gave you the heads up).

Which team and player will take the nation by storm this year? It's hard to say, but you can bet that it'll be fun trying to figure it out.

And since we probably won't see Curry in this year's tournament, let's finish this with a look at some of his greatest highlights....

Why America Doesn't Care About Soccer

My love for soccer started in the summer of 2006. I played in high school and loosely followed it when I got to college, but I became a true fan when I worked in London that summer.

My time in England also coincided with the 2006 World Cup, and that's what hooked me. England's love for the game sucked me in and some of my best memories of that summer were pounding beers with overly high alcohol content and yelling till I grew hoarse for the English National Team.

In England, all the games were on in the early and late afternoon, meaning we could often watch a game as soon as we got back from work. Although there was a five-hour difference, the schedule was still favorable for Americans watching at home, and the ratings were generally good for that year's Cup. It was clear that soccer would never reach the popularity of football, basketball or baseball in the States, but many thought that the '06 Cup would make more Americans take interest in the world's game.

It didn't happen. Soccer has still never came close to the popularity it reaches abroad and the average American fan doesn't know much about the professional game.

But why? Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. I know the NFL wants you to believe that football is, even going so far as to say that the winner of the Super Bowl is the "world champion," (how does one become the world champion without playing any international competition exactly?) but like it or not, soccer is the world's game. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are much more popular worldwide than Peyton Manning or LaDainian Tomlinson will ever be.

So let's examine just why soccer hasn't caught on here.

Meet Ronaldo, one of (if not the) best soccer players in the world.
I've never been much of a fan of the pretty boy, but I will say he
knows how to throw one helluva party.

We Kinda Suck at it
Lets just start with the most obvious reason why Americans don't care about soccer. We're not very good.

Don't get me wrong, we're getting much better. Our national team has looked fairly impressive so far in World Cup qualifying, and more children are playing soccer in the US than ever before.

But all the best soccer is being played oversees. Top leagues like the Premier League in England, Serie A in Italy and Spain's Primera Division are where you'll see the world's top players. The American equivalent to those leagues is Major League Soccer (MLS). To compare, if the Premier League was the NFL, the MLS would be the hungover rec games you and your out-of-shape friends get together on Sundays.

But there is hope. Some of our best players are playing internationally to better their games and get valuable experience for the 2010 World Cup. Our most notable players, Landon Donovan (forward), DeMarcus Beasley (winger) and Tim Howard (goalie) all currently play abroad, leaving open the possibility of the Americans making some noise in next year's Cup.

We'll need Donovan (left) and Beasley to step up if we
hope to play well in the 2010 World Cup

How Many Leagues Do They Play in Again?
Following soccer is a full-time commitment. Teams' regular seasons are played in their leagues, and generally last from August to May. The regular season is 38 games (most of the top leagues have 20 teams, and play a home and an away with each team in the league).

Throughout that time, the best teams also play in the UEFA Champions League. This league is strictly for Europe's top teams, and starts in July with qualifying. Games are played throughout the year until the championship in May. Let me just say this: if you don't like soccer, watch some of the Champions League. If you don't like what you see, you'll simply never like the sport.

There's also the UEFA Cup, which is similar to the Champions League, but slightly less prestigious. Players also periodically leave their teams to play for their National Teams, so those teams can qualify for the World Cup. There's also the European Championship, named "Euro" and whatever year it's being played in (i.e. Euro 2008), which is played every four years (and two years after every World Cup). It features 16 European National Teams competing for the title of Champion of Europe. Teams have to play in qualifiers to make that tournament as well.

As you can see, there's a lot to keep up with (and I'm sure there's more. Those are just the ones I'm familiar with). Then factor in that soccer games are usually two to three hours to watch. This is a country that coined the term "fast food" because we're too lazy to wait for a well-prepared meal, and rather wait three minutes or less to inhale cheap, greasy, fatty, deep-fried garbage. Do you really think we have the attention span to follow a sport that goes all year? Me neither.

You Say Tomato, I say Tomahto. You Know What? Screw it, I'll say Tomato Too.
Lets just admit it. We stole the name football. The real futbol is the sport that, you know, is actually played with your feet. A more accurate name for our sport should be "throwball" or "tackleball." Problem is, those names kind of suck.

So we took aspects of European rugby and futbol, and named our sport football too. Wait, there's a different sport already called that? So what? We're Americans dammit; we'll do as we please.

After working abroad, I can tell you that Europeans, and particularly British people, aren't too fond of us stealing the name of their game, and arrogantly proclaiming that it's the best sport in the world. In turn, Americans feel that our football is clearly superior to their futbol and secretly enjoy the fact that we have a different name for the sport than everyone else in the world. What's funny is that as mad as Brits get about us calling the sport soccer, the word supposedly was coined by an England national team captain in the 1880s.

So yeah, we steal stuff, but at least we steal from credible sources.

This fine sir coined the phrase "soccer." Anyone with a
'stasche as good as that is fine in my book.

You Thought Madden Was Bad? Just Wait Till you Hear these Guys.
One of the best parts of watching the World Cup in England was getting all British (and occasional Scottish) analysts and commentators. They're incredibly knowledgeable, can explain complex parts of the game in simple terms and are passionate about the game. When they talk about soccer, it feels like every game is a big game. They also are great at manipulating the English language to describe action on the field; doing so better than commentators for any other sport (i.e. "That was a masterful intervention by Steven Gerrard" to describe a stolen pass).

America has started to wise up, even hiring Andy Gray as an analyst for Euro 2008, but it needs to go further. Lose American talking heads all together. Even if they know what they're talking about, it just sounds like they don't. What's worse is that they often compare things going on on the soccer pitch to more popular American sports, like baseball and football, for the average (read: stupid) American fan.

ESPN should just cut a check to the Sky Sports and BBC in England and let us watch the analysis from the British commentators. Dumbing the sport down with the cliche-filled drivel that we hear from our analysts can easily drive most fans away.

Games End in Ties. Like Alot.
There's nothing we like better as Americans than clear-cut winners and losers. We like to see one person or team show they're dominant, with the other team looking like pathetic failures.

In soccer, it doesn't quite work that way. The top leagues have their games end in ties if no one wins in regulation. There are also ties in qualifying, and usually the only time there has to be a clear winner in the knockout stages of tournament play (when teams must advance).

That doesn't sit well with many fans, especially when you've been watching a game for hours in hopes of a conclusion. Often weaker teams will play for a tie, especially on the road, as you get a point for such decisions (a win is worth three, a tie one and a loss zero). So there's a very realistic chance that you can spend an afternoon watching a game, only to see it end 0-0.

Which brings us to another problem...

We Want Goals Son, and Lots of 'Em
When games aren't ending in ties, alot of times they end 1-0. Now a game can be spectacularly played - full of great opportunities, solid up-and-down play and plenty of tense moments - but if a player only finds the back of the net once, that's the only goal you'll get.

Playing for 1-0 conclusions is actually a strategy for some teams. Italy is known for playing some of the most lockdown defense of any other country. They normally try to score first and put all their focus into keeping their opponent out of the net. When you have sick D, it's an effective strategy... and a terrible display to have to watch.

We Americans like points. Lots of 'em. Just look at the changes that have been made to hockey. Have you seen some of the hockey scores lately? Subtle rule tweaks were made to increase goal scoring. If the score is tied at the end of regulation and overtime, they go to a shootout. Shootouts are exciting (even if not a truly fair way to decide a winner) but it's something that soccer would never consider for regular season games. One goal games just aren't going to cut it for most American fans.

Isn't That the Sport Where Those Nancy-boys Flop all the Time?
As an avid soccer fan myself, this part of the game infuriates me the most. The constant flopping and faking of injuries really hinders the game. Take a brief look at some notable ones...

soccer players faking injury - More amazing videos are a click away

I feel like it has gotten to the point where players aren't even consciously trying to do it anymore. They've been trained to play that way for their entire careers, and the natural instinct when you're touched is to fall to the ground and flail around like a fish out of water. Seeing players act this way completely turns off most American fans (as it should). When you have a sport as physical as football, and then you see a guy take a dive off a tiny shove, it's bound to make you less-than-thrilled to see a soccer game.

I have a theory though. Where as most Americans see the theatrics of these players as acting soft, I actually think it's for a different reason. I think the soccer players aren't soft at all. To do what they do, 11 months a year, requires you to be one of the top athletes in the world, whether you believe it or not. It has nothing to do with being soft and everything to do with the Europeans being dirty, rotten cheaters.

They're not trying to be pussies when they take these dramatic dives. They just know that by doing that, and by basically cheating, they can get the refs to blow the whistle, make a mistake and give their team an advantage. They've mastered bending the rules in this particular way, and at times it can be very effective. That doesn't make it suck any less.

And just to play devil's advocate... don't football players hold on just about every play? If you watch every play in slow motion, you'll see at least three guys holding. The refs just throw a flag when the penalty is really blatant and causes too much of an advantage. Does it make our athletes any better because they cheat, but don't look like dandies while doing it? Just sayin'.

If Only They Could Make SportCenter's Top 10 Plays....
I think one of the biggest reasons why Americans aren't paying attention to soccer, is the fact that we rarely see highlights. Goals are awesome. The fact that they're really difficult to score makes them that much better to see. Yet, watch your everyday SportsCenter, and you'll be hard-pressed to see a soccer highlight.

Listen, I love seeing thunderous dunks just as much as the next guy, but most of them look pretty similar to one another. When you see five crazy ones a night, it's not quite as cool anymore.

So why not show one, sick soccer highlight a night? What's great about soccer is how many different ways goals are scored. Players score on fast breaks, one-timers, headers, powerful shots from 20+ yards out and even the occasional bicycle kick. If fans see enough of these plays, it may pique their interest to start watching full games. At the very least, it might make them follow or read up on what's going on in soccer when they check out their daily sports websites.

So ESPN, when you're done giving us 12 different opinions on A-Rod, try showing the occasional soccer highlight.

Photos Courtesy of Google and Getty Images

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