Euro 2012 Semi Finals

My Semi Final video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_m8tAx3W88
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Bitter Sweet for the Heat

     The Heat's recent criticized and despised run the the Larry O'Brien Trophy has been nothing like a bed of  roses. There has not been a more hated team over the past two years in all of professional sports. At the center of all the hate and criticism there is Lebron James, whose controversial move to South Beach created the whole fiasco in the first place. As hated as the Heat are, nothing mattered when the clock hit zero.

     I had always been a fan of Lebron. He was going to be a great star in Cleveland and bring a miserable franchise a lot of relief. I never could have imagined what he could do to the state of basketball. I cheered him through his Finals loss against the Spurs and always hoped he would make it back every year afterwords. After the decision though, I was like the rest of the nation.

     The joy that last year's Finals brought me was incredible. My Mavs had finally been able to put the ghost the 2006 was to rest and they had knocked off the hated Heat. I believed at this time the LBJ would be cursed and would never win a ring. 

    But oh what a difference a year makes. I could barely stomach watching the 20 point blow-out that was game five. Honestly, I don't know why I watched it at all. There was just this weird fascination of the possibility of James getting a ring. Soon enough, the celebration started and I found myself happy as I watched LeBron jump for joy. "The man has finally done it", I said to myself, but almost instantly I found myself in a world of rage."I can't believe it happened". 

    So there I sat, torn between myself.  My analytic side side was telling me to be happy. LBJ is the best player in the league and he deserved to win. This whole mess was actually going to be great for the NBA. While my fan side told me to be angry. He had to go to Miami to win it! He didn't deserve it at all. What really pushed me over the edge was the post game interview with the King. When asked about what went through his mind once the game was over, James responded with, "It's about damn time." 

Shunk. 

That was the sound of my TV being turned off. I could not believe this guy. How cocky! How stupid! He expected to win? HA! I was furious with the showboat-iness, but then I remembered the Mavs. Dirk walking off the court before the game was over, Jason Terry's plane moves, his tattoo, and of course the "Hey LeBron! How's my Dirk taste?" shirt. I quickly got over the cockiness one could say. 

     Now that the Finals have been over for a couple days I've cooled down. I can be happy for Lebron, but it is tainted. I will never be truly happy for him in Miami. He could have stuck around Cleveland and tried to grind out success, but he didn't. He took the easy way out. Even if he wins 10 championships I won't consider him the greatest of all time. I may just have to backhand the 16 year old kid 20 years from now who says LBJ is better than MJ. Unless James can beat the 72-10 mark, he won't come close. Don't get me wrong. LeBron James is a great player and will forever be once of the tops on my list, but in Miami? No way. 

     As happy as I am for LeBron, he better not get used to it. I honestly hope he never wins again, but I'm almost sure I'm going to have to face this feeling many more times in my life.

Congratulations to the Miami Heat from Sports According to Neil, but get ready for next year because D-Rose is coming for you.

Thanks for reading!

Euro 2012 Quarter-Finals Predictions

Here's the link for all my Euro 2012 Quarter-Finals predictions!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkUMr9-vUjM

Thanks for watching!

The 2012 NBA Finals

     The NBA postseason has finally arrived at it's greatest moment: The Finals (cue overused NBA piano music). Over the past few years the Finals have been graced with classic rivalries, revenge, and new teams finding their way. Sadly, we have been deprived of a duel featuring the top stars in the league. This year, that all changes. 

     This Finals match up had to be what the league wanted. In one corner, you have the Heat. Miami is not only  the most hated, talked about, and scrutinized team in the league, they are also one of the most talented. In the other corner, there is the Thunder. OKC is the future of the league with many players who want to prove themselves. However you look at it though, this championship match up will be boiled down to one story line: Durant vs James. Just the thought of pitting arguably the two best players in the league against each other in a best of seven series gives me chills.

     With all the story lines aside, this will genuinely be a great series. The talent on both sides of the ball will be incredible. Both teams know how to score and usually do a formidable job defending. For a better look at who is going to win this series, let me break it down for you. 

Thunder Pros: 

1. Kevin Durant - The best part about the Thunder is KD. He is an incredible scorer and can really change the feeling of a game in just a few seconds. How he was able to respond in the Western Conference Finals was incredible. He also has the ability to disrupt the Heat in the paint. Over the past 10 games, Durant has been able to average 8.1 rebounds per game. It isn't a terribly high amount, but when you couple it with the scoring, it is a really big contribution. 

2. Stronger supporting cast - There is no doubt that the Thunder have a better supporting cast around their main star. Russel Westbrook has been a beast this post season. His scoring abilities have been a great second punch to KD. OKC also have a great sixth man in James Harden and an experienced veteran in Derek Fisher. The Thunder's ability to have other players produce will really help them down the stretch.

3. Serge Ibaka - Ibaka will be key in this series. His ability to get blocks, rebounds, and create a presence in the paint will be too much for the Heat. If he can shut down Chris Bosh, the Heat will look like they did in games 4 and 5 of the Boston Series. 

4. Rested and Home Court- The Thunder have only lost 3 games this post season and the Heat have lost 6. Miami has played a few more games and may be slightly fatigued. It won't be a huge difference, but it helps. Home court will be a huge advantage though. The fans in OKC are crazy loud and very dedicated. I think they will be able to make the Heat feel uncomfortable and ultimately help the Thunder to some great wins.  

Thunder Con:

1. Inexperience - The Thunder have to have some sort of nerves building. For many players, it will be their first experience with the Finals and they will not play the same. It will come into play early in their first road game as well as some key moments down the stretch. It will ultimately be up to the coaches as well as Derek Fisher to calm these young guys down. If the Thunder can keep their composure in the tough situations, it will be a great Finals for them. 

Heat Pros:

1. Lebron James - Either you love him or hate him, but you still have to respect him. The way he took it to the Celtics in games six and seven was incredible. This guy has the ability to put a team on his back and carry them to the promised land. No matter who he's playing, he is going to have some good games. Don't be surprised if he drops over 30 in almost every game. 

2. D-Wade - Just like Westbrook, Wade is the great second punch to the big star. His ability to go off just like James makes him a huge threat for the Thunder. He also has a way of creating his own fouls almost at will and usually converts the 3 point play. If the Heat want to win, he will need to be just as prominent as James and do whatever he can to get a W. 

3. Experience - The Heat were in this exact same position last season. They will not have the nerves that the Thunder will and will need to attack early in game one to shift the series in their favor. It also helps that Wade has a ring and knows what it takes to be a champion. 

Heat Cons:

1. Lack of Support - Outside the "Big 3", the Heat don't have many great players. When Mario Chalmers is your fourth best player, you know you're in trouble. Either the bench is going to need to come together and score 20-30 or they are going to lose. 

2. Pressure - The Heat are under so much pressure. I feel like it got to them in their last year and that it has the ability to do it again. LBJ may say that he feels better about this year coming into the Finals, but we'll see how he feels if the Thunder win a could straight against him. The Heat will one day break the pressure barrier, but I don't know if it will be this year.   

3. 4th Quarter Misery - I don't have to tell you the stats about the closing power of the Heat. We all know they have problems closing games and that the final shot has always been a problem. That will change one day, but based on their performance in this year's playoffs, the curse is still there. All they can do is keep taking the shots, but who knows if they will fall? 

     With my pros and cons laid out for everyone to see, you can see who I'm leaning towards. Here's some food for thought though. This is the first NBA Finals where neither team's name ends with an s. Isn't that incredible? So it's slightly ironic that I'm going to pick the Thunder in a number that starts with an s. I have the Thunder winning a great series in six games with Kevin Durant as the Finals MVP. 

Why I'm Cheering for the Kings

     Tonight, the Staples Center plays host to Game Four in the Stanley Cup Final. The Kings have battled past the Devils in the first three games and now possibly have 60 minutes of play between them and the cup. Needless to say, I'm on the band wagon.

   
     I was quickly behind the Kings after their first round demolition of the Canucks, but I never thought that they could be contenders. I knew that they were an under performing 8th seed, but it just wasn't possible. Round by round, they continued to win and my fondness for them continued. Initially, I didn't know how a felt about it. Sure, Quick was likable and the glitz and glamour of LA was appealing, but they were from the south and the south isn't hockey. 

 
     Like many other Northerners, I have always detested "warm weather" hockey teams. "Why do the people in Phoenix need a hockey team? So they can see the Red Wings," I used to say. Southern teams were rarely contenders and they usually won because of northern talent. It was not until this year's playoffs that my eyes were finally opened.

 
     The only way hockey fans can expect the southern teams and ultimately the league to be nationally relevant is if they get money. A great way to get money is to win in the playoffs and that's exactly what the Kings are doing. I'm not questioning the Kings fan's reputation before the run, but I have to imagine that this helps. A great cup run like this converts more locals and fans abroad. It also fills the seats, sells beer, and makes a lasting impact on the surrounding area. I can just imagine the life long Kings fan 20 years from now, "I was at the Staples Center for the Stanley Cup Finals. It was the greatest day of my life! It also made me love this team the way that I do!" 

   
     Ultimately, a run like this helps the NHL so much. It opens up a whole new market of fans. Though the NHL is incredibly popular here in Michigan, it lacks on the national stage. Hockey gets grouped with Football, Baseball, and Basketball as one of the major sports, but it is still light-years behind. By creating a market in on of the biggest cities in America the NHL will continue to climb in the interest of the US's "Four Sports". With the Kings help, the NHL could start to catch up.

   
     So don't be surprised if you were to walk into my basement tonight and hear the yells of "GO KINGS GO", it's my little way of cheering on the league. 

Euro 2012 Groups C and D

Here is the second installment of my break down of Euro 2012!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfe4V9dNAIs

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Euro 2012 Groups A and B Preview

Watch this video to find out what's going to happen in groups A and B of the 2012 European Football Championships!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkZVa9rabC0

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