2012 NBA Predictions

Eastern Conference:

1. Miami (Southeast Champ) - With the addition of Battier, I don't see how they don't run the table in the East. By "Run The Table" I literally mean a 3 or 4 loss season against the Eastern conference.
2. Chicago (Central Champ) - Record-wise, they will be right up there with Miami, and I think the Eastern Conference Finals is such a lock that it's silly.
3. Orlando - I still think Dwight is a complete buffoon, and I still don't like the way they play basketball. I still think B. Bass is a better player than big baby, and I still think Turkoglu is completely horrendous defensively. But I look at the league and I don't see how they don't finish above the 5 teams below.
4. New York (Atlantic Champ) - This will be down to the wire, and I think the C's will give them a run for their money, but they just flat out have put the pieces together.  Enough pieces to beat Boston, regularly, at least.
5. Indiana - I'm starting to think that the Pacers can finish in the top 4 - and they might be better than the Knicks, but NBA Rules say the Knicks need to be seeded in the top 4 as Division Champs.  Granger, West, Hansborough...I love the roster and I love this team
6. Boston - The Jeff Green injury just killed this team from a roster standpoint, and while I think they are talented, athletic, and skilled, I believe their age is going to hurt them when looking at the athleticism of the NBA.
7. Philadelphia - They are the 8 seed if Jrue Holiday doesn't play like an All-Star, and even if he does they may not be.
8. Atlanta - Most likely I'm wrong, the Hawks are probably better than this, but they still continue to be such idiots, and they let Crawford go, who at least provided something. Josh Smith, as a team leader, is a recipe for disaster. This is more of an "I hope" pick, b/c I hope the Pacers are good, and I really hope the Celtics don't finish worse than 6th.

Western Conference:

1. Oklahoma City (Northwest Champs) - I think its finally the year they put together the run. Last season was somewhat ruined by the brain fart of Russell Westbrook - and his thinking he was the franchise. I think cooler heads have prevailed, everyone knows what is at stake, and guys like Ibaka are still getting better, Perk losing lbs help, and I just think its time.
2. Denver - Ty Lawson & Andre Miller make a great backcourt, and they got so much going on on the frontcourt with Nene, who is better than ever. They are not really all that fun to watch, but they are strong.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (Pacific Champs) - I don't have it in my heart to vote against Kobe. I don't like him personally, but my feeling about a true champion and fighter is to force them to show me they can't cut it anymore. I still think they can cut it. Kobe + Gasol is damned good.
4. San Antonio Spurs (Southwest Champs) - This team is so boring it's painful, but like Kobe I don't think Duncan is done, and Parker/Ginobili are still Parker/Ginobili.
5. Dallas - Dirk makes them a #5 seed, insert basically any other All-Star Power Forward and I don't even think they make the playoffs.
6. Los Angeles Clippers - Everyone calm down. Jordan can't hit a free throw and their bench stinks. Shut it.
7. Memphis - They were fun to watch last year, weren't they? Unfortunately, I don't think they have the mental toughness to win more than 35 games in a short season.
8. Minnesota - They are my Pacers of the East - the underdogs, the little morons that can...Kevin Love had a historic season, and I really like the youth they have on the team, and the athleticism. I think a taste of .500 ball in January will get them sufficiently motivated to make the NBA's Sweet Sixteen.

East Final 4:

Miami v. New York (Miami wins 4-1)....       Miami Beats Chicago 4-2

Chicago v. Boston (Chicago wins 4-0)....

West Final 4
OKC v. San Antonio (OKC wins 4-3)....       OKC Beats Denver 4-3

Denver v. LA Lakers (Denver wins 4-3)....

Trophy:

Miami rips through OKC in 5.

Howard to AGT

AGT is America's Got Talent, and I have essentially zero interest in that show.  Unfortunately, one of my broadcast idols, Howard Stern, has a tremendous amount of interest in that show, and has agreed to be the next judge, as many people already heard.

People know I like Stern a lot, so they've been asking me what I think about Howard going to AGT, and I have an answer, but it sorta doesn't make any sense, so I want to get it all down on paper where I can think more clearly, albeit not as concisely.

Howard is a remarkable talent - and a remarkably divisive individual. You know how people always say, "there are 2 types of people in the world, those who x and those who y..."?   Well there are literally 2 types of people in the world, those who like Howard, and those who don't.

I am always really surprised by those who don't like him, but I don't spend any time and/or attention trying to convince them, I just know that essentially on a daily basis for a VERY long period of time in my life, Howard has provided me and some of my best friends with a remarkable level of laughter, and it rarely has anything to do with what you all think it has do to with.

Yes, Howard does things that most normal people would register as gross, as offensive, as rude and as vulgar. It is a part of his personality - I frankly think it is so amazingly refreshing that he puts himself out there to an extent that literally only Charlie Sheen has - but the difference is a major portion of Howard's real personality is a loving, warm, vulnerable person.  People always talk about Howard like his perverse side is a character, but it isn't, and thats what I love about him. He's a full human, flawed, gross, lovely, charming, witty and rude. He's all of it.

AGT is a cookie cutter talent show - i've seen only moments of it, so I won't go into too much judgement, but you know from advertisements and clips if its something you want to see, and I know I don't want to see it. Howard loves it, he raves about it, he can't wait to be a judge.  As he's expressed, he doesn't want to be on AGT to bring on Eric The Midget or other recurring Wack Pack characters from his show - he wants to be on because he feels he can judge talent, and given his track record in the studio on the radio, he can.

The thing I worry about the most is that Howard does have a bit of a desire to please everyone - he really tries WAY too hard on his appearances with Letterman, Conan, MTV, etc. When he is himself, when he is his flawed self, talking with Robin & Fred about the news...when he is himself talking about his family or interviewing  Porn Star, whenever he is himself, I am drawn. Drawn to his personality, drawn to his tics and flaws, and drawn to his overall presentation.

I don't care that his radio show will be more about AGT than about anything else now, I trust him comically and trust his delivery & style so completely, I will likely even watch and be engaged with the goings on of AGT b/c of Howard - but I just hope that he lets the overall TV public judge him the way he lets his radio audience judge him.

Here's my appeal to Howard:  Do nothing but be yourself.  Judge the way you want to judge, say what you want to say, but don't try to please us.  You are funny, we know you're funny, and you're smart. You are a groundbreaking talent, and there are a lot of people who will never concede that point, and you gotta just let them go.

That's all I got - I'm real excited for Howard to expand his talent and his capacity to do really cool things - and possibly to even reinvent himself. I don't care how harsh the public is to him, I just hope he is not so harsh on himself, and allows his talent to ease out, rather than try to smash us over the head with it.

Baba Booey.

Icing the Kicker

There is a lot of controversy over whether or not Jason Garrett iced his own kicker this Sunday in the Cowboys game, and I can’t take it.

As a football fan, every single player & analyst I have ever heard has said that icing doesn’t work.  Icing, usually, only gives more time to a kicker to get comfortable and line himself up properly – I don’t have the #’s, but I am probably 100% sure that icing has shown no true effect on games – sometimes they make them, sometimes they miss.

That, however, is when the other team calls the timeout. 

I do believe icing the kicker happens when your own coach does it to you – mostly b/c you start to think, about anything…and in sports, overactive thinking is usually bad.

I have a recurring dream/nightmare that I can’t swing my golf club – that everything is in the way and even if I swung I know I couldn’t make contact. It usually results in my group/foursome holding back the entire course from progress, and results in me being so sad and frustrated that I can’t just hit the ball.  The worst part of the dream is just the thinking part – that I am over the ball convincing myself I can’t do it.

When a coach calls a timeout, sheepishly, right before a kick, you can only believe, as the kicker, that the coach is questioning something about the play, anything, who knows what, and I do believe it has the icing effect.

Fans and analysts are believing that Garrett iced the kicker in the old fashioned sense, that he was going to make it (and actually did), but then didn’t b/c he had to think about it.  That is partially true, but when your own coach second guesses a situation involving you, that’s icing on a whole new level.

I can predict this for you – at some point Bailey will have to kick another field goal at the end of regulation before this year is up, and I bet the opposing coach will try to ice him, and I can promise you that Bailey will make the FG – because icing by the opponent doesn’t work. At all.