Heir Rose

Barkley won't stand a shot considering the other quarterbacks in the field. Tebow, Bradford, McCoy, Pryor, and others are ahead of him. He won't do anything to warrant a Heisman, his role this year will be to be a game manager and not do anything dumb. You need to be a big game changer to win the Heisman, something he will not be as a freshman. Max Hall made a great case for himself tonight. If BYU can win out, he could get some serious consideration. Too bad the upset came early on in the season, it won't be as fresh in voters' minds come December. My rankings: 1. Colt McCoy 2. Tim Tebow 3. Sam Bradford (if he's healthy enough to play again soon) 4. Max Hall 5. Dez Bryant I wanted to put Zach Robinson there, but I think Bryant will get more recognition (similar to Crabtree/Harrell last year). It's McCoy's year IMO, the last of the NCAA's "Big Three" quarterbacks will be rewarded with the trophy this year. I expect big numbers from him, wins against Oklahoma and OSU, and a National Championship matchup with Tim Tebow of Florida. I don't think Bradford can put up the numbers he did last year, and Tebow showed last season that he won't have to carry a load large enough to win the Heisman anymore.

I think it's better to have a single thread to discuss whatever game you're watching, rather than create a bunch of different threads that will get few responses. And wow... With all my attention on the 'Bama-Tech game, I completely forgot about BYU-Oklahoma on ESPN. Bradford gets hurt, and #3 Oklahoma is upset by Max Hall and #20 BYU.

I feel like this suspension is certainly warranted, though if it were me I would make it 6-8 games instead. What he did was wrong, but I would probably feel a small touch of sympathy for him not being able to play again. I'm not going to argue with the team's ruling, considering he's still allowed to practice with the team, and will be taken care of financially since he'll remain on scholarship. I wonder if he'll be able to play football elsewhere now, so it won't be as big a transition for him once he gets to the NFL. Maybe he drops out of college and plays for a UFL team?

McElroy (don't know his first name) for Alabama got off to a rough start, but he's made a few completions this drive. This looks like an exciting match of two equal teams.

Good to hear, especially the part about Manu. Him reporting to camp out of shape will hurt early on, but he'll have less wear on his body if he doesn't do any intense work until training camp starts.

I'm pretty sure you'd get called for something if you chuck the ball at their balls. I don't think any ref's dumb enough to think that's unintentional. Unless you mean what my tip is, which is to fake a throw at their balls. It helps if you're throwing an inbounds and need room to find an open teammate.

Mine's J.R. Smith, he seems like a punk and wannabe gangster to me.

Iverson would be a bad fit for the Lakers. If you look at statistics alone and see how effective Iverson has been in the league, you would be wondering why no Lakers fan here wants a piece of him. But basketball is a much more complex game than many people think. Iverson can light up the scoreboard, but the Lakers have enough big-time scoring threats. Kobe commands most of the shots on the wings, averaging 27 PPG in the regular season. He and Iverson alone wouldn't work out together in the backcourt. Then you've got Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom. Each of those players is very capable of creating a shot and scoring on isolations, and there's a good inside-out balance. If I recall correctly, Bynum was complaining of a lack of touches during the season. Imagine how frustrated he and the rest of his teammates would be if the Lakers brought in Allen Iverson to take away 15 or so shots away and disrupt the team's chemistry. It just doesn't work. Iverson needs to sign with the Bobcats, period.

Great finish to the Iowa game. Trailing 16-17, UNI attempted a 40-yard kick for the win, and it was blocked by Iowa. Iowa's special teams let the Panthers pick up the fumble, and since the ball was behind the line and a second remained, the Panthers got another try on second down. Again, Iowa blocked the kick, and this time their celebration wasn't interrupted by a conversation between referees. Next up: Oklahoma State-Georgia. B)

Is he really dating Lucy Pinder? The girl he took a picture with looks a lot like her, but I'm sure I read in the past that he and that girl aren't dating. Tebow is my favorite collegiate athlete that I've been able to watch. He's a phenomenal player on the field that can run as well as he can pass, but off the field he's a humble guy with good values. If only he had gone to Alabama, he would be in a much better position to succeed in the pros right now. And if John Parker Wilson were replaced with Tim Tebow last season, they would have most likely won the National Championship.

I'm watching Iowa-Northern Iowa, and UNI is shockingly ahead 13-10. All kinds of things went wrong in the first half for the Hawkeyes: they couldn't establish a consistent run game, Ricky Stanzi couldn't elevate his game to make up for the lack of a rushing attack (and also fumbled early in a first quarter drive), and the defense has had trouble with the Panthers' complex and versatile offense. Adam Robinson has shown flashes as the team's starting running back, but it hasn't been consistent. He scored an 11-yard touchdown in the red zone earlier in the 3rd, and I see that drive as the beginning of a strong second half for the Hawkeyes. Quite a few stories this opening week: Greg Paulus starting for Syracuse, Boise State has to win out in an easy schedule after beating Oregon to make a BCS bowl, the Ducks' running back LeGarrette Blount is out for the year, and we have a couple exciting games to look forward to in OSU-Georgia and Alabama-Va. Tech.

Charlotte should sign Iverson. They could be getting an All-Star for the MLE, and he gives them that premier scorer they've never had. The Bobcats' roster is set up to be a playoff team if they can sign Iverson, as they have a solid supporting cast that fits A.I. perfectly. Wallace is a legit #2 scorer, Diaw is versatile in what he can do on offense, Chandler doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective, and Felton can also chip in 10+ PPG. He will set them back defensively, and although he's the kind of player that appears to care more about his image than team success, he will make them better nonetheless. I see the Bobcats winning around 45 games this year with A.I., and with him they would be expected to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Don't expect them to get any further than the second round, though.

This is extremely nit-picky, but his wingspan is 7'3", not 9'1". That's his standing reach. I'm reading through his profile on nbadraft.net and saw that and remembered this post you made. I don't see Oklahoma City making the playoffs this season. All seven teams that Real Deal listed are locks to make the postseason, and the competition looks too tough for the Thunder to slide past and grab the 8th seed. However, they don't have very many weaknesses throughout the roster: Durant is already an established scorer in the league, and Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook were productive as second and third options last season. I view James Harden as a great complement to Kevin Durant because of his intangibles and versatile skillset. He seems very mature and should adjust to the NBA quicker than most rookies. Nick Collison and Nenad Krstic are solid, but not spectacular. This is a team that will be run through the perimeter scorers, but Collison is a consistent double-double threat, and Krstic can be a nice 4th-5th option on offense as well as providing a long shot blocking presence in the middle. OKC is loaded with versatility, scoring threats, and quality role players. Player development will play a big part in how far they go this year, and though we should see big results (I predict around 40 wins -- 17 more than last year), I don't think they can hang with the veteran teams of the West. Regarding the draft, I don't see them getting a top five pick. The Thunder and Suns will both contend for the playoffs, and should be picking around 10-14 each. I see six players (Durant, Green, Westbrook, Harden, Krstic, and Collison) that should be rotational players for some time, so with two possible lottery picks they can add a backup point guard and a big man. Thabo Sefolosha is good swingman that can add perimeter defense behind James Harden and Kevin Durant. Greg Monroe, Cole Aldrich, Craig Brackins, and Solomon Alabi are all possibilities to add a third big man to the rotation. NBADraft.net lists Kemba Walker and Sherron Collins as the best point guards after John Wall. With a lineup of: PG: Westbrook | Collins/Walker SG: Harden | Sefolosha SF: Durant | Green PF: Green | Monroe C: Krstic | Collison it would be pretty hard to stop the Thunder. I see Green having a Lamar Odom-like role with the Thunder, but with Krstic, Collison, and Monroe in the post, he should probably be starting. They create a lot of matchup problems with this group, and have great depth and versatility with the lineups. Monroe at center with Green running the 4 would give them a very athletic lineup at times.

http://i29.tinypic.com/mtkvtl.jpg Flash back a little over a month and a half from today. Kobe Bryant, finally vindicated, has achieved his first ever championship without Shaq. Phil Jackson has won his tenth NBA title, surpassing Red Auerbach for the most in professional sports history. GM Mitch Kupchak can finally celebrate, as the team he rebuilt around Kobe has once again found the promised land after 7 years of waiting. The City of Angels has never been brighter. Now fast-forward to July 1st. The excitement and joy over the Lakers’ 15th NBA title has worn off, and the front office is geared up for a long offseason. Mitch Kupchak and team owner Dr. Jerry Buss have a tall order at hand: Key forwards Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza are entering free agency, there is uncertainty as to whether or not Jackson will come back and chase an 11th ring, and team leader Kobe Bryant is due for an extension, as his contract runs out in the summer of 2010. A week earlier, the Lakers wisely traded two of their picks (Toney Douglas and Patrick Beverly) to avoid putting more stress on the bank of Dr. Buss. They kept the 59th pick in the draft, Chinemelu Elonu, as a developmental project. Bringing back reserve big men Josh Powell and D.J. Mbenga was the decision reached by Lakers brass. The Lakers had the option to give both players a guaranteed contract for the upcoming season, and on July 1st those options were exercised. Mbenga is still somewhat a project, and Powell averaged 4 points and 3 rebounds in 12 minutes per game. The Lakers are already in the luxury tax, so keeping both bigs around will save them money as opposed to signing a couple of new free agents to fill their void. On the same day, Kobe Bryant inevitably declined an option to terminate his contract and hit free agency. He is expected to seek a three-year extension worth $85 million later this summer, and negotiations are expected to begin sometime in August. Negotiations began shortly after with both Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. Dr. Buss employed a hardball approach, and the two forwards were upset that they did not get offers they felt acceptable. Odom was looking for $10 million per year, and Ariza was stunned when he was offered only the mid-level exception, significantly less than the $7-8 million he was hoping for. Ariza then signed with Houston, surprisingly for the same amount the Lakers had offered him. You’d think that the MLE would mean more coming from a championship team as opposed to the Rockets. Ariza was quickly replaced with Houston forward Ron Artest. Coincidentally or not, the decisions made by both forwards presented the equivalent of a trade between the two teams. Artest, has been known for his role in the Pistons-Pacers brawl a few years ago and earning the longest suspension in league history. More recently, Artest was thrown out in a game where Kobe elbowed him in the neck. There doesn’t seem to be any animosity between the two, and Ron seems genuinely excited to be on the same team as Kobe. “Kobe’s cool, he reached out to me a couple times. On the court, it’s different, especially when you’re an opponent; there’s no friends out there, no helping nobody off the floor. Now I get a chance to play with him, and it’s gonna be a good feeling.” Those were Artest’s comments on Kobe in an interview with ESPN’s Stan Verrett. From a basketball standpoint, Artest is an upgrade to Ariza on paper. He can shoot, like Ariza, and his perimeter defense is near the top of the league. There’s no question he can fill Ariza’s shoes in that respect. However, he also takes many more shots – at 15 per game, that’s more than twice Ariza’s average of 7.2. In a lineup that features two of the league’s best scorers in Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, along with rising center Andrew Bynum and forward Lamar Odom, he’s going to have to accept his role and take less shots. Judging by Artest’s positive attitude this offseason, there’s very little doubt in my mind that he will be able to fit in chemistry-wise. He gives them a good #3 option on offense and a tough defender next to Kobe. Ron would be a good counter to LeBron James, Paul Pierce, or Richard Jefferson should they Lakers play either of them in the playoffs. On July 3rd, L.A. got another good bit of news: Head Coach Phil Jackson announced that he will be coming back for the 2009-2010 season. With Artest signed and Jackson coming back, and Shannon Brown re-signing a few days later, the Lakers shifted their attention towards Lamar Odom. Bringing Odom back was a long, arduous process. The market wasn’t very big, and Miami and Portland were the only other teams seriously contending for Odom’s services. Jerry Buss would not budge in negotiations, despite the effect of losing the versatile reserve big man would have on the team. After Odom’s camp didn’t respond for a week after his offer of $9 million over four seasons, Buss withdrew the offer. Miami went after Odom aggressively, and Dwyane Wade made two valiant attempts to recruit Odom back to the Heat. While they couldn’t give Odom the $9 million salary he wanted, Miami could offer a contract of $34 million over five years, giving Odom the long-term security he wanted. The absence of state income tax in Florida made the contract even sweeter. The negotiations lasted until the end of July, when Lamar finally agreed to re-sign with the Lakers. The contract was worth $33 million over 4 years, with a team option for the final year. Odom didn’t get what he wanted, but in the end it showed his loyalty to the city of Los Angeles. The bulk of the offseason is over for L.A. They still have to deal with Kobe’s contract extension, and by waiving Sun Yue they have another roster spot to fill. By re-signing Odom, adding Artest, and having Jackson come back for another year, the Lakers have ensured another deep playoff run, barring any major injuries. San Antonio, Boston, Cleveland, and arguably Orlando have all improved this summer, making the field deeper and tougher than ever before. Though a tough season lay ahead, the City of Angels can finally rest.

After reading some reviews at other places I've posted this, I realize I messed up a bit in saying Kyle Lowry should be upgraded. Kind of hard to write about the depth of another team when it's not one I watch a whole lot, but I still should have done some more research to make sure my writing's top-notch. Kind of like if someone said we need to go get someone to replace George Hill, I would think that's a dumb idea. Overall though I'm pleased, most Rockets fans I've talked to agree with the writing in general, just some finer points that I could have tuned up. Even made it on ClutchFans.

Rockets' Season Can Be Salvaged By The Big Three http://i29.tinypic.com/167qvth.jpg Guard Aaron Brooks. Brooks averaged 18 PPG and 2.5 APG in the Rockets' second round series against the L.A. Lakers. I was shooting hoops a little bit ago, and the main thing on my mind was the Houston Rockets and what the upcoming season holds in store for them. If you haven't heard, Yao Ming will be having foot surgery and should be out for the upcoming season. This was expected, but now Houston's front office can start making their decisions knowing that Yao won't be suiting up this year. I post at a sports forum called realsportstalk.net, and my friend htown11 posted a similar thread to the topic I'm going to be writing about. We've talked about the Rockets' situation quite a bit, and I've floated trade ideas to him a few times to see what he thinks. At first, he was extremely bummed, but he's been able to see some light in all of this, and now so have I. Let me explain. First off, Houston's hopes of making the playoffs aren't over without Yao. Their hopes of contending for a title, however, are. You don't have to worry about them tanking or rebuilding now, they're going to remain competitive. Remember, this is a group that took the Lakers to 7 games even without their two star players. Aaron Brooks will be entering his third season in the NBA, and in the playoffs he showed he could be a very good scorer at this level. Brooks is small but quick, and is a very good penetrator. His three-ball is improving, and on offense I believe he is the playmaker this team needs. http://i25.tinypic.com/xmihld.jpgKey veterans Luis Scola (left) and Shane Battier (right). Surrounding Brooks, you have a few very good role players. Shane Battier is one of the best perimeter defenders in the game, and can knock down an open shot. Trevor Ariza is similar in that he can shoot and defend, but he also adds a lot of athleticism. Some believe he could just be a product of the Triangle Offense, but in Houston I don't think that will be the case. Finally, Luis Scola is one of the best energy big men in the game. He's got a great motor, rebounds well, and can contribute with garbage buckets in the paint. Every coach in the NBA would love to have this guy on their team. This isn't a very sexy supporting cast, but they've got great chemistry. Losing Ron Artest will hurt, and Trevor Ariza can't make up for the shot-creating ability that Artest has. Tracy McGrady could be that option, but he's getting older, and he could be worn down by injuries. I wouldn't bank on him being the scorer Houston needs with Aaron Brooks, and his reporting the injury to the media before the team pissed off coach Rick Adelman. I expect him to be traded, more on that after I talk about the remaining contributors on the Rockets' roster. Houston lost shooting guard Von Wafer via free agency, and center Dikembe Mutombo called it quits in free agency. With a big hole at center, the Rockets traded for the draft rights to Australian center David Andersen. Andersen is athletic for a center, can shoot, and score in the post. The team is going to look to run more, so he would be a very good fit at center with his ability to run the floor. Could this possibly be Luis Scola v. 2.0? http://i27.tinypic.com/2n0ihhz.jpgCenter David Andersen of Australia, who is expected to sign with the Rockets and play in 2009-10. Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, and Joey Dorsey will all compete for minutes in the post off the bench. Landry is a solid scorer, Hayes is a premier post defender, and Dorsey is a monster rebounder (led the Summer League with around 14 a game). They all bring different things to the table, but also lack one thing: length. Without their 7'5" Chinese stud in Yao, Houston is suffering from dwarfism on their frontline. I personally believe size is underrated when it comes to big men, but Houston will have it's struggles with taller opponents. At guard, the Rockets drafted Arizona's Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor of UCF. Both are solid shooters, but lack on the defensive end. James White is ultra-athletic, and he could make a splash off the bench this season. Expect some electrifying dunks in transition from him. Kyle Lowry is the current backup point guard. He's quick, but can't shoot. Houston would try to find a better reserve to Aaron Brooks, but with all their needs this can't be high on their list of priorities. Losing Wafer off the bench will hurt, and with Yao, Artest, and possibly McGrady gone, some existing players will need to take on bigger roles, and younger players will be expected to jump in and get key minutes as reserves. If the Summer League is any indication (the Rockets went 5-0), then a few of these guys might be able to play right away. With very little money left and not many trading assets, they'll have to. http://i27.tinypic.com/10o09si.jpgFrom left to right: Rookie guard Jermaine Taylor of UCF; GM Daryl Morey; rookie guard Chase Budinger of Arizona. The best thing Houston can do at this point is try and trade forward Tracy McGrady. He's made some people angry in the past, and has seemed like an outsider on this team, not a core guy despite his talent. T-Mac could miss some time this year, and even when healthy I don't like him on the team. Houston is going to look to go up-tempo at times (albeit not as extreme as the Suns), which I think really suits their style of play. Aaron Brooks is a quick guard that I think can handle a big role this year, and they've got a ton of shooters around him. McGrady needs the ball in his hands to be effective, so I think a more off-ball-oriented wing would be a better fit. Michael Redd would fit in perfectly. He's missed a lot of time in the past few years, but not too long ago he was averaging 25-26 PPG. With Aaron Brooks, Redd could focus on shooting as well as creating his own shot when he needs to. Adding in a former All-Star's presence elevates the talent level of this team, and solidifies the backcourt. To make the trade work financially, Milwaukee could throw in center Dan Gadzuric, who would provide some more length and depth to the frontline. He would quietly be a very good filler in this trade. The Bucks are looking to cut salary, so McGrady's expiring contract would help them achieve that more quickly. Not to mention if he comes back healthy he could be the All-Star playmaker to complement center Andrew Bogut. This season can be salvaged. GM Daryl Morey made a good move in acquiring David Andersen, and Trevor Ariza will be a big help when the team decides to push the ball due to his athleticism. Now there is one final move, and that is to trade Tracy McGrady for Michael Redd or another All-Star caliber player. Houston has one of the best head coaches in the business, a great front office, and some of the best team chemistry in the NBA. Expect them to defy all odds, make it back to the playoffs, and overachieve as usual. And when Yao Ming returns in 2010-2011, watch out. The Rockets could very well be competing for an NBA title. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was originally published at TBT's new blog, check it out!

[expletive] no. OTR's fine the way it is, it doesn't need to be part of some outsiders' network. Keep it separate, that's the way OTR should be. There's no need to mess with things, the community's great and there's no need to change jack [expletive]. Don't do it, B.