NBA Street 2K8

It worked for hockey... so why shouldn't basketball give it a try? The Phoenix Suns are amid plans to have the first "sanctioned" NBA game to be played outside. The site, Indian Wells Tennis Garden In California, seats approximately 16,100 and the game is expected to be played in the preseason. The opponent has yet to be determined.

The deal, which is far enough along that the site has been visited by team officials and a floor been laid out, is expected to be announced within the next month.

Said CEO and president Rick Welts: "It's a completely unique experience," Welts said. "We like to do new and exciting things. I think it would be remarkably successful."

"It's going to be incredibly cool," Welts predicted, according to the Republic.

Well said Mr. Welts, well said and I agree. I think this would bring a fun, interesting aspect to NBA games. Every team had 2-3 "home" games to be played outside. The NBA season runs long enough that games could be played in warmer climates during the winter (Los Angelos, Phoenix, Houston, Miami) and then as things get warmer, finish with games in the colder areas (Detroit, Boston, Minnesota). Come on Stern, let's make things happen!

College Basketball Power 10

It's Friday, thus time for an updated Power 10 in college basketball. Dating back to the last update, there have been several upsets which have begun to turn the tide in college basketball. It's time to check out who is being a mover and a shaker in the college basketball world as we gear up for the heart of the conference season and some GREAT February basketball on the horizon.

1.) Memphis Tigers

After UNC dropped their first game this season to unranked Maryland (at home, no less), the Tigers gained the top spot in both national rankings and keep it in this poll. Big test this weekend as the Bulldogs of Gonzaga come calling.

2.) Kansas Jayhawks

I could almost put them at 1b, but for the sake of argument, I am going to put them at 2, simply because I feel that if there was one game, on a neutral court, right now, Memphis would beat the Jayhawks. However, in maybe a best of 5 or 7, I am not so sure. Things may change soon as they begin to get into the meat of the Big 12 schedule.

3.) Duke Blue Devils

Ohh, the Dookies. Is anyone else surprised at how quietly Duke is climbing up the rankings? This is Duke we are talking about, but their ACC counterpart is the team getting all the attention. All things are setting up for an epic UNC-Duke in early February where both teams could be in the top 5.

4.) Indiana Hoosiers

While the Hoosiers have not been destroying the competition and putting up gaudy numbers like some other teams, they are winning. There is no doubt that this team is one of the hottest in the nation, winners of 12 in a row. However, their climb in these rankings are more a result of teams ahead of them losing than impressive play. Big nonconfernce game this weekend against UConn, followed by a chance to make some real noise with a tough test at Wisconsin.

5.) UNC Tarheels

You have to expect the worst when you let an unranked and unimpressive Maryland team come into your house and steal one from you. UNC had a nice bounce back game against Florida State though, with POY candidate Tyler Hansborough "chipping in" with 35 points.

6.) Tennesse Volunteers

A tough loss to Kentucky, but in all honestly, not a terrible loss. Rupp is a hard place to come in and snatch a victory, even with Kentucky in a down year. Truth be told, this team is getting scarier and scarier by the day. Chris Lofton is beginning to come back to the same form as last season and Wayne Chism is emerging as a great complimentary player.

7.) UCLA Bruins

So OJ Mayo finally strikes! UCLA suffered a tough defeat (similar to UNC) in their house to an unranked and unimpressive team USC squad. Then, to make matters worse, they come out sluggish as all hell against Oregon and have to rally late to steal a W. I know rankings don't matter until that final poll of the season, but with all the talent on that team, Bruins fans must be getting a little worried.

8.) Michigan State Spartans

Sparty bounced back well after that horrid loss at Iowa. They held serve against Ohio State by coming out on top at home, then went into the Barn and beat a very tough and underrated Minnesota team before capping off the three game stretch with a win at Northwestern. Anyone who is sleeping on this team would be foolish - Sparty and Izzo always turn it on in March. A date with destiny lurks at Indiana with the College GameDay crew in late Feb.

9.) Georgetown Hoyas

Two solid wins this week help the Hoyas rise a little, but the team still lacks a signature win. Furthermore, Georgetown might not even have a chance to pick up one: they only have two games left against ranked opponents in Marquette and Villanova, both of which are dropping in stature. With Pitt holding the tiebreaker in the conference, the Hoyas may need a little help from the rest of the Big East in winning the conference, or will need a deep run the Big East tourney to secure a high seed come March.

10.) Wisconsin Badgers

Sorry, but I wasn't sold on Wazzou before and certainly am not now after losing to Arizona. Meanwhile, the Badgers have won 10 straight and currently reside at the top of the Big 10 with Indiana. A tough road game at Purdue on Saturday, followed by a showdown of the top teams looms when Indiana will come to the Kohl Center to snap the Badgers tough home court advantage.

Also Receiving Votes: Washington State, Pitt, Texas

Kangaroo Open Finals Picks

Swole and Knuckler have been following every match of the Australian Open and it's been an oustanding tournament thus far.

In the semis, Swole got 3 out of 4 correct and Knuckler went 2 for 4. Knuckler missed the Djokovic/Federer match, a match which ESPN calls a monster upset, however, Djokovic (pictured left) has been playing at Federer's level the entire Open, while also ranked 3rd in the world, so I wouldn't really call this an upset. We both missed the Tsonga over Nadal match (analysis of that can be seen in my post from yesterday).

Here are the finals picks where I can hopefully pick up some ground on the Swole one.



Young Knuckler

Men's Bracket
Djokovic over Tsonga

Women's Bracket
Ivanovic over Sharapova

Young Swole

Men's Bracket
Djokovic over Tsonga

Women's Bracket
Sharapova over Ivanovic

The Official GDB All-Star Squads

Here at GDB we call it like we see it. Therefore, when we came together to select our all-star squads we were brutally honest in our decision making. Popularity got you nowhere, neither did past success. We are looking for the best players in the NBA regardless of reputations. Our squads will probably differ from the actual East and West teams, but rest assured that our selected teams better represent which players have been the best this year so far.

Eastern Conference

STARTERS

G- Chauncey Billups - Mr. Big Shot has averaged 18 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists while leading the Pistons to the 2nd best record in the East. One of the most consistent and reliable players in the entire NBA, Billups is helping to make this the most dangerous Pistons squads in years.

G-LeBron James - We took some liberty at putting King James at the shooting guard spot, but there is no denying how incredible he has been this year. With averages of 29-7-7 and 2 steals while shooting close to 50 percent from the field, James is certified MVP material.

F-Caron Butler - Nobody gave the Wiz much of a chance to contend without Agent Zero. But thanks in large part to the Holy Caron, the Wiz find themselves well above .500, with victories over the Celtics and Mavericks in recent weeks. 21-6-4-2, 48% from the field, 90% from the line shows how complete a player he has become.

F-Kevin Garnett - We all knew The Big Ticket would make a huge difference in Boston, but it is incredible how quickly the metamorphosis occurred. From day one its been his team, and its because of him that they have gotten off to the best record in the league. KG is averaging his typical 20 and 10, and is shooting an amazing 55 percent from the field.

C-Dwight Howard - Simply the most dominant physical force in the NBA. With numbers per game like 22 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks, you can pencil D Howard in this spot for the next 10 years without hesitation.

BENCH

G-Jason Kidd - While the Nets are one of the most dissapointing teams in the NBA, you can't blame it on Kidd. He's averaging 11-8-10, which puts him dangerously close to Oscar Robertson territory.

G-Joe Johnson - Very quietly, the Hawks have become a competitive team. And very quietly, Joe Johnson has become one of the most well-rounded players in the NBA. 21-4-5 looks nice, and his leadership is helping a young team mature before our eyes.

G-Dwyane Wade - Probably the most controversial decision on our roster. The Heat have been absolutely terrible, but since coming back from injury D-Wade has been good as always. He'll probably have an even bigger second half and make our doubts about putting him on the team look even more bogus.

F-Paul Pierce - The Truth has been reborn with the arrival of KG and his play has been markedly improved. 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.5 steals show that he's been a great team player and doing everything he can to bring the Celtics success.

F-Gerald Wallace - Probably the most underrated player in the league. Wallace was always an amazing athlete which helped him become one of the best defensive players in the league, but now his offense has caught up to that level. Put it this way, the Suns would trade Shawn Marion for this guy straight up, and not blink an eye.

F-Antawn Jamison - Another player having a great season under the radar. A double-double guy who can shoot the three, Jamison along with Butler has been indispensible in the Wizards surprise success.

C-Chris Bosh - Not only was his commercial a stroke of genius, but Bosh has the game to back it up. 22 and 9 while shooting 48 percent from the field make him one of the best big men in the game today.

Others recieving votes: Jason Richardson, Jose Calderon, Rasheed Wallace, Michael Redd

Western Conference

STARTERS

G-Steve Nash - One of the toughest decisions for the committee was choosing who should be the starting PG for the west. We gave it to Nash because he still means so much to the Suns and is playing better than ever before with stats like 17 points and 12 assists per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field

G-Kobe Bryant - Kobe's been as good as ever this year while shooting less. His ability to make his teammates better while still averaging 27-6-5-2 gives even more evidence that he is the best in the game.

F-Carlos Boozer - Booze Cruise has become a certified superstar in this league. He's shooting 54 percent from the field and is averaging 22 and 10 per game and never takes a game off.

F-Tim Duncan - His stats may be down this year, but in no way does that mean he's having an off year. This guy simply knows how to play, and will continue to be the most complete big man in the game for years to come.

C-Marcus Camby - Its about time for the sports community to give props to the criminally underrated Camby. His defensive efforts of 15 rebounds and 4 blocks per game are tops in the league and have allowed AI and Melo to focus on their offense.

BENCH

G-Chris Paul - Quite possibly the most exciting player in the NBA. CP3 is the main reason the Hornets have vaulted into the NBA's upper echelon, thanks to his averages of 21-3-10 and almost 3 steals per game

G-Allen Iverson - Another great season for the Answer. Not only is he averaging 27 ppg still, but he is shooting at a better clip than usual while helping to push the Nuggets to the Northwest Division lead.

G-Baron Davis - The ringleader of the most exciting team in the NBA. When Davis is healthy, he is nearly unstoppable, as evidenced by last spring's playoff run and his averages this year of 22-4-8 and 2.5 steals per game

G-Manu Ginobili - A flat-out winner. Manu is still doing his thing averaging near 20-5-5, and even though the Spurs seem more vulnerable, they are still close to having the top record in the West.

F-Shawn Marion - Quite possibly the most versatile player in the game. The Matrix has the talent to fill up every stat category while being the only player on the Suns who plays any sort of defense.

F-Dirk Nowitzki - No one is really mentioning the Mavericks this season after last season's playoff disgrace, but Dirk as usual is busy leading his team to another 50 win season.

F-Brandon Roy - The Blazers have been the surprise team in the NBA to this point, surviving and thriving in the brutal west despite not having their top draft pick Greg Oden. Much of this success can be attributed to Roy, who's averaging 19-4-5 and providing the leadership that a young team needs.

Others receiving votes: Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming, Stephen Jackson, Deron Williams, Andrew Bynum, Carmelo Anthony, David West

The Worldwide Leader Strikes Again

From the company that brought you thrilling, high quality entertainment such as "Who's Now" comes the segment everyone is talking about... Ok, maybe it isn't THAT big of deal, and it really isn't even new. By now I am sure that everyone has seen on ESPN's front page the "Featured Comment" where they post a comment by a person with an account who makes said comment on some discussion board. Sometimes there are decent comments, but the majority of the time I find myself laughing hysterically with friends over what is featured.

So today I was in a spirited and heated debate under the "Power 16" discussion in college basketball. I was repping Indiana as is a typical thing for me to do while I am at work, and some moron decides to post who he thinks are the "Teams to Be Feared in the NCAA Tournament". Somehow, it became the featured comment. Anyways, here is his contribution:



Wow. How insightful. You are picking Kansas, Memphis, UCLA, UNC, Duke, Tennessee, Washington State, and Georgetown to be feared in the NCAA Tournament. How did you come up with such perceptive thoughts? I know, I bet you took a look at the current Top 10 in the country and just picked 8 of them. Good plan. You would fit in PERFECTLY with the other ass clowns at ESPN and their picks. Although, to really fit in, I think you would have to also consider the Yanks and the Sox to be contenders to come away with the National Title.

I'm not really sure what this random thought is supposed to accomplish, but what the hell man? How is that a featured comment? Who moderates this shit, a class of 4th graders? I guess this is more of a cry for help for ESPN. ESPN used to be one of the most credible sources for sports information, insight, and updates. Now, you can get better information from chat rooms and blogs like Deadspin and Gimme Dat Brew. The Worldwide Leader is beginning to fall off faster than Shaq from his prime. If you need further proof, look no further than the joke of a program known as Sportscenter. I'm sorry, but I'm not really interested in watching a panel of non-sports "authorities" judge athletes on the made-up and asinine credential of who is "more now".

Dear ESPN,

Please get better soon. We miss insightful information and highlights from teams that are NOT on the east coast. Miss you dearly.

Every Sports Fan in America

Extorted: Desperate Times, Rampant Accusations, & How Jose Canseco Has Completely Lost It

Ok, the title may be a bit of a stretch considering I ripped off Conseco's book title to align with this story, but if the the shoe fits. The news coming off the presses now is that Jose Canseco has attempted to make a deal with Tigers OF Magglio Ordonez in an effort for Mags to avoid having his name released as a steroid user to the media and in his next book. Apparently Jose wants Mags to invest in a movie project or face these allegations.

My friends, that is what we call extortion. Major League Baseball referred the matter to the FBI, however Ordonez decided not to go forward with a complain, so the FBI did not open a formal investigation, stating "I didn't want to press charges against him, I don't want any problems. He is probably desperate for money. I don't understand why he is trying to put people down."

I have two thoughts on this matter. The first is one that likely everyone else is thinking... WHY MAGS, WHY?! Why not press charges? I am so sick and tired of hearing Jose Canseco's wild allegations and arbitrarily naming big named players for the sake of keeping his own name in the media and scrapping off a little cash at the top. He has named so many people at this point that I am beginning to question if I took steroids at some point. If someone doesn't put an end to this madness, when will it every stop? The man lacks any credibility as it is (he met his 2nd wife at a Hooters for Christ's sake!), but due to the infatuation the American public has with steroids and everything that comes with it, this ass clown will be able to continue cracking out books and television spots, movies, and the like as long as he feels up to it. And we will continue reading it!

The second thought is about Mags' intentions. His words seem sincere... that he doesn't want to make matters worse for Canseco, that his is "desperate for money", and likely doesn't want to add legal woes to his resume. But does anyone else find it odd that someone wouldn't attempt to clear their name and have the FBI investigate a situation like this during a time in baseball when the Mitchell report has been released and the public perception regarding 'roids is guilty until proven innocent. Just hearing your name in the same sentence as steroids loses you precious points in the court of public opinion. I just don't understand why Mags "doesn't want any problems"... unless... could Canseco actually be right on the money about Ordonez and rather than delve down deep in the situation and expose potentially incriminating information about his past, Mags would rather just brush the situation aside, hope it gets swept under the rug. Haven't we learned from the Roger Clemans saga that if you don't come forth immediately and renounce the accusations and take every effort to refute them then you are signing your own death warrant???

For the record, I personally think Mags is innocent. I am on the opposite side of the fence, still believing in innocent until proven guilty (perhaps that explains my thoughts on Bonds). But I do find it a little odd that Ordonez is so willing to brush off a "small" matter of steroid allegations and extortion like it's just the bully down the street that took his tricycle.

Don't Sleep on Tsonga

I should have been asleep by now, but I just couldn't. I just witnessed one of the biggest beatdowns that I've ever seen in a Tennis Match. The Aussie Open Semifinal between #2 Rafael Nadal from Spain and Unranked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France began at about 3:30 am ET and I just flipped it on planning to watch a couple of points before hitting the hay. After watching Tsonga connect on winner after winner, though, I was mesmerized. The Frenchman won the first set and I started to wake up. Then he won the Second Set. I couldn't believe my eyes. And neither could the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena. Just before 6 am, Tsonga won the 3rd set to win the match.

Unreal. A man I had never heard of just 2 weeks ago has become one of my favorite players over night. The poise he showed the entire match engaged me like no other player I've ever watched. Even when the Head Judge made a horrible call (he mistakenly overuled the line judge and called a fault on Tsonga and then after the replay overturned it, he still wouldn't award him the point) he stayed cool and said to the Judge, "So you were wrong" and proceeded to serve 2 aces to win the game.

It's not like Nadal played a bad match. Although he did get sloppy in the 3rd set, he only made 4 unforced errors the first 2 sets combined. Tsonga used power and creativity to straight up dismantle arguably the fastest player in the game in Straight Sets! He didn't face a break point until the 3rd set. There were numerous shots that looked super human and he has one of the sickest drop shots you will ever see. He becomes the 5th unranked player in Aussie Open History to reach the Finals (the last was Marcos Baghdatis in 2006).

I gotta hand it to Young Swole. He raved about Tsonga earlier this week when he was only in the second round. He told me not to sleep on Tsonga. I didn't listen. Well now I'm watching and I can't stop. I didn't pick the Frenchman in either of my picks and Swole didn't pick him this round, but after watching this match, I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I just needed to see him Live to understand how a baller rolls. In his wake of terror he's taken down numerous ranked opponents (#2, 8, 9, and 14). The Muhammad Ali lookalike (according to the Match Announcers) will no doubt be a huge underdog in the finals, but I wouldn't sleep on him if I were you. He's gonna have everyone singing a Tsonga in Australia win or lose. I highly recommend watching the replay of this match tonight. You won't be dissapointed.

How Bout Them Bears?

The Big 12 is already known for epic basketball battles. Just last year, one of the best game's in the history of college basketball was played between Texas and Oklahoma State. The Cowboys won the Triple Overtime Battle 105-103 in Stillwater. Well, the game between Baylor and Texas A&M blew that shit out of the water a couple of hours ago. The Bears beat the Aggies in College Station 116-110 in Quintuple Overtime. That's right five, aka the number of pounds of sticky icky on Lil Wayne's tour bus. The teams combined to set a conference record for points and they also combined to shoot more than 100 free throws. The game lasted so long that even one of the referees got confused. In the break before the start of the fourth overtime, a referee approached a member of the media and asked if triple overtime was about to begin. When told it was four, he shook his head and walked off. This thriller is bound to be on ESPN Classic in the near future. And I sure as hell hope it's soon, because this game wasn't on National TV. In fact, unless you were at the game or a Texas A&M student tuning into the college's television feed, you missed this insane game. Now that's just a crime. And not a funny crime like Lil Weezy's drug incident.

The main reason for this post is to talk about the resurgance of Baylor. What a great story this is. The program has had to endure more hardships than any other in the country over the past few years. In 2003, Baylor Basketball Player Patrick Dennehy was murdered by teammate Carlton Dotson. If this weren't terrible enough, the school tried to cover it up and this led to the firing of the coach and the athletic director, an NCAA probation as well as some of the harshest penalties in the history of the organization, and the demise of the Baylor basketball program. The Bears have been the laughing stock of the Big 12 and all of college basketball since then and it looked like they might never recover.

Flash forward to today. Coach Scott Drew has led the team from the depths of hell to become a legit Big 12 program and NCAA Tourney Contender. BU is 16-2 overall and 4-0 in Conference Play and won its fifth in a row and first since entering the rankings for the first time since 1969 on Monday. It broke a 15-game home winning streak for Texas A&M and is the Aggies' third straight loss. How can you root against these guys? They are fourth in the recruiting pecking order in their own state (behind Texas, A&M, Tech...and sometimes even TCU) and they even have a guard on their team named Tweety Carter. Come Tournament time, I'm rooting for Baylor all the way against any team not named IU.

Touchdown Jesus Is Crying...

Here's what you might have heard:

Dana Jacobson, co-host of ESPN2's "First Take," is currently being disciplined for remarks made at a Jan. 11 celebrity roast for ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic.

Her characterizations of the Notre Dame football program, which have been criticized by a Catholic organization, were deemed "inappropriate" by the network, which issued the following statement from Jacobson:

"I am sorry. My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words. I also deeply regret the embarrassment I've caused ESPN and Mike and Mike. My actions at the roast were inappropriate and in no way represent who I am. I won't make excuses for my behavior, but I do hope I can be forgiven for such a poor lack of judgment." -ESPN.com

This is what you'll get from most credible news sources. But if you want to know what this crazy woman actually said and did, well, look no further:

"In a skit where she appeared to be drinking from a bottle of Belvedere Vodka, she reportedly said 'Fuck Notre Dame, 'Fuck Touchdown Jesus,' and 'Fuck Jesus.'"
(source: Michael David Smith @ the AOL Sports Blog "Farmhouse")

Hmm. Wow. I guess it's one thing to laugh at the Arab world for lighting their women on fire when some Dutch cartoonist draws pictures of the prophet Muhammad with a stick of dynamite in his turban. Something else when someone goes nuts on J.C. like that. And this woman is jewish, by the way. And ESPN just suspends her. Well do you remember why Rush Limbaugh got kicked off the Monday Night Football Telecast? (Limbaugh's Comments Touch Off Controversy ) . And how about Don Imus? He got fired for saying "nappy-headed hoes" one time. And some of the girls he was referring to might have had hair fitting the classical and factual definition of nappy, as found in the Urban Dictionary.

Well whatever, no one watches Cold Pizza anyways unless they're real bored. And it's more fun to watch a black guy and a woman fight each other over who gets to be the next President anyway.

"Oh, he still plays for IU?"

This is the response most people have when I mention D.J. White. Two broken feet and a Marco Killingsworth ago, D.J. White was the Big Ten freshman of the year and had his own theme song courtesy of Weezy F. Baby. Now, thanks to the much improved coaching of Kelvin Sampson, deciding to ditch the t-shirt under the jersey, and a wisely staying out of last year's NBA draft, D.J. is performing like the stud we all expected him to be. Anyone who doubts the fact that he is an All-American and one of top players, not just big men, in the game can look here:

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=94

This should answer any lingering questions about Big White's talent, especially for those budding sabermatricians out there.

(Thanks to Chris Engel of the Indiana Daily Student for the heads-up on this link)


IN OTHER NEWS:
I saw a great quote on ESPN regarding the Kentucky players' feelings about the Tennessee Vols last night.

"Kentucky upset the Vols 72-66 and sent the following message: We may be down, but don't disrespect us in a building that has seen more glory than Tennessee could muster in six lifetimes."

I think that message, minus the "we may be down" part, is exactly what the Hoosiers are tattooing on their opponent's foreheads this season, and for the last 29 games (all wins) at Assembly Hall.

Young Weezy going the Mike Tyson route?

Lil Wayne was arrested last night for having enough drugs on his bus to kill about 12 people, but I wasn't really surprised by that. He is, after all, known for having "that lean in my cup" aka cold medicine, a predilection for pills, and a weed habit that keeps him "so high I could eat a star". I used to actually hate rap of this variety because it lacks substance, is misogynist, and the beats are hella grimy. and then i went to a strip club and realized that making it rain was my calling in life. thanks weezy.

but check out dudes face tats. i think hes got the N.O. Saints symbol on his face twice, along with some sort of fish-hook looking thing. the tears I can understand; if I was from Holly Grove New Orleans I probably would have shot a few people by now strictly on principle. I don't remember him having those tattoos before, and now that hes rich you would think that someone other than cousin ray ray could put a decent tattoo on a brother's face region. anyway peep the story of what Weezy was holding...

http://www.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUSN2311261420080123

Sausage and butt cheeks don't mix

Kenyon Martin has been sidelined the last 3 games with a staph infection in his buttocks. According to Wikipedia "Staphylococci can grow in foods with relatively low-water activity (such as cheese and salami)." Does this mean that Kenyon Martin got a staph infection because he stuck a summer sausage up his ass? Does this have anything to do with Nene' having a tumor on his testicles? How does Kenyon's Cincinnati "education" play into this series of unfortunate events? There is only one answer to all of these questions...

No Homo

Dead Tree Crew

Not gonna lie. I really miss College. The fine Institution that is Indiana University (aka...a Drinking School with a Basketball Problem) constituted the best 4 years of my life so far. Sure, I didn't study as hard as I could have. Sure, I could have attended more than 5 classes a week. Sure, I could have killed less braincells. But if there's one thing I regret over all other things, it's that I didn't Tailgate more. My senior year, I got to enjoy the crazyness that was IU tailgating during all but one Home Football game (the one I missed was a result of me running into my roomates car and causing 10,000 dollars worth of damage to mine...which wasn't even the most costly accident I've gotten into in my life). It gets bitterly cold in the winter, but I really wish that more people would have gone tailgating during Hoosier Basketball Games. Man, this makes me excited for the Little 500...and it you don't already know what that is...you will understand come April. The point is, tailgating is the shit and my friends and I went all out during those special occasions, but anything you thought you knew about Tailgaters will be blown away after you see the Dead Tree Crew in the video above. Enjoy...and don't worry about the preachy shit in the second half, the man is only trying to hold you down!

Swole/Knucklers Aussie Open Semifinals Picks

So, my picks didn't really go as planned. Unfortunate, but I'll suck it up and hopefully pick better this time around. For the record, my record was 4-4 for the Quarters and Young Swole went 5-3 (and 4-0 in the men's bracket). The two hotties (Sharapova and Ivanovic) are still alive and since Ivanovic had the spotlight in the last post, we will dedicate this one to Maria.

Without further ado, here are the picks for the Semis.

Young Knuckler

Men's Bracket

Federer over Djokovic

Nadal over Tsonga

Women's Bracket

Sharapova over Jankovic

Ivanovic over Hantuchova

Young Swole

Men's Bracket

Djokovic over Federer

Nadal over Tsonga

Women's Bracket

Sharapova over Jankovic

Ivanovic over Hantuchova

From the People Who Brought you Spygate... Presenting: Bootgate!!!

Ok, so unless you are currently retarded, I am sure that you have heard the "late-breaking, stop the presses, oh my lord the Giants might have a chance" news that Tom Brady was seen wearing a walking cast on his foot while heading over to Giselle's for a mid-day romp session (btw, look at the picture. Why is he bringing her flowers? He's Tom Fucking Brady. He should walk over wearing only a trench coat and tell her to feel blessed). The picture was captured via TMZ.com (a site that has about as much dignity and respect from this guy as Britney Spears in a nun house). But I digress...

I just want to know... how is this a big deal?! Anyone else think that Darth Belichick is up to no good? I DO!!! Look at the facts: every single fucking week we get an injury report from Pats camp that the entire team has a sprained this, or a bruised that, or a sandy vag. Why does he do this? To both confuse and psych out the other team (I also think that Bill has a secret hatred for all of us fantasy people, although not nearly as much a vendetta that a certain asshole in Denver does... thanks for takin up that roster spot for me Selvin Young).

Anyways, I would not put it past the team to have been sitting in the locker room after the AFC title game, watching the Giants upset the Pack, Bill getting that fucking look on his face, grabbing Tom to the side, saying "Hey man, let's have some fun with this. Let's make everything THINK that you are sore. I mean, we can't possibly lose this game, so we might as well have a little fun with it". Hell, it wouldn't suprise me if maybe Belichick is trying to make up a little bit of the 500K he lost earlier this season with the "recording device which shall name be named"... -gate. My guess is the Evil One is taking the Pats to cover the sprad, but would like to see that spread come down to a normal level, then he is gonna unleash the wolves on the Giants like he did to the Dolphins, Redskins, Cowboys, and other teams in the first half of the season. Can't you imagine Brady "hobbling" on to the field, maybe falling over a little bit, until after the coin flip and all bets are then off, the Pats winning the toss, and him ripping off the cast, tossing it to Eli, then giving that Golden Boy smirk.

Ok, I might have gone a little off the deep end with that comspiracy theory there, but really, this can't be that big of a deal... could it? I'm not putting anything past pure EVIL! Look at Exhibit A and tell me if you agree.

Bill Clinton Shares Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream...Maybe

Whoa this speech is way boring, but his wife is gonna be pissed...

P.S. The speaker is actually Martin Luther King III. Even worse for Big Billy.

Would You Trust This Man To Lead Your Team To A Superbowl Victory?

So, the matchup is set for Superbowl 42 in Arizona. New England and New York will face off in a rematch of their classic Week 17 battle. It was a great weekend for football and the NFL Conference Championships definitely lived up to their billing in my opinion. I'm going to avoid recapping last week's games since everyone knows what went down and it's pretty obvious who the Heros and Goats are. So, let's bask in the Glow of Eli at his finest and prepare for the millions and millions of Brady/Lil Manning stories that will be provided for us by the always "flawless" ESPN. Hey at least, we don't have to hear another story about Old Man Favre. Finally, notice how Eli reps the GDB symbol in this pic. What a true playa.

Dunkin' Donuts

The NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans (free Bullet Proof Vest with your ticket purchase) is just coming up in a little less than a month. Today the Participants for the Dunk Contest were announced and let's just say it's kind of depressing. Here are the Blockbuster names for this year's event: Rudy Gay, Dwight Howard, Gerald Green, and Jamario Moon. It's been said a lot over the past couple of years that the Basketball Classic is dying and that may be true. Is anyone really excited for this? When your most exciting event only has 2 marquee names and 2 other guys that 3/4 of the fanbase has no clue about, you know you're in trouble. People have suggested an Old Timers game with the likes of Michael, Magic, Hakeem, and Kareem. Now that would generate some interest, it would make people reminisce about the good old days when this contest used to mean something. For now we have to disect an event that will be more hype than highlight worthy. Last year's Dunk Contest was pathetic with a mostly unknown Gerald Green winning. Dwight Howard was robbed blind. His sticker dunk was straight nasty (shown above). Both these thugs are back, but can we really expect a step up from last year...doubtful. The creativity has been sucked dry from this thing and the only prescription is more cowbell...errr Lebron. LBJ, you're killing me Smalls. Trying to take down the most freakish athlete in the sport would make this competition fun again. If you really care about improving the ratings of the All-star game, show off your skills in the Dunk Contest. If King James entered, other ballers would be willing to jump on board too. Well, enough of my shameless complaining, let's handicap this Son'vabitch.

ODDSMAKERS
2:1 Dwight Howard- He has the height and proved last year that he at least wants to try to win. I'm hoping that the fact that this was stolen from him last year will light a fire under his ass and he'll somehow spark a fire in this event.
3:1 Rudy Gay- This guy has completely taken off this year. He's got the Air to make this thing interesting and he loves to fire up the crowd (oh wait, there's no fans in Memphis, what am I thinking)
8:1 Gerald Green- The only reason I'm keeping him even in the same galaxy as the other 2 is because he won last year. He didn't deserve it, and that was when he was playing well. This year he has completely fallen off the map in Minnesota and I guarantee he wouldn't be in the field this year if he didn't win last year...wait maybe he would because look who else is in this thing.
15:1 Jamario Moon- This guy makes a great story. It took him 7 odd years to work his way up to the NBA after spending time in leagues from here to Europe. You gotta give him credit for trying, but he's just outclassed here. I hope he doesn't really think he has a chance.

Aussie Aussie Aussie

It's been an outstanding week of Tennis in the Australian Open so far. Some things were predictable like Andy Roddick's Choke job in the 3rd round followed by him acting like a drama queen. I love the guy's insane serve, but he is the Dan Marino of Tennis. He's always near the top, but he can never win the big one. Two days ago featured one of the most exhiliarating 24 hours of matches that I can remember, with heavily favored #1 seed Federer coming within a couple breaks of falling to an unseeded Croat named Tipsarovic. That match lasted 4 and a half hours, and then directly following that was the latest start (and finish) in Aussie Open History at 15 minutes shy of 5 hours between Home Favorite Lleyton Hewitt (who has a ridiculously hot wife and kind of attractive...yet kind of scary body builder sister) and Marcos Baghdatis. My boy Hewitt prevailed in a thriller, only to be downed by 3rd seeded Djokovic in the Round of 16. This field has been the most talented I can remember in recent history and the Quarters are set up to be legendary. This field is also chock full of the most hot female tennis players that I can ever remember. Two of the best are out (Vaidisova, pictured a few days ago by Young Swole, and Kirilenko...no relation to the Utah Jazz Forward who's wife lets him cheat on her once a year) and 2 are still alive (Sharapova and Ivanovic pictured in this post). The Williams sisters are both still alive and could set themselves up to play in the finals...although they have quite a gauntlet yet to overcome. Below are Swole and my Quarterfinals picks, we will make more picks as the days go on so stay tuned.

Young Knuckler's Quarterfinal Picks

Men's Singles

Federer over Blake

Ferrer over Djokovic

Youzhny over Tsonga

Nadal over Nieminen

Women's Singles

Henin over Sharapova

S. Williams over Jankovic

Ivanovic over V. Williams

Hantuchova over Radwanska

Young Swole's Quarterfinal Picks

Men's Singles

Federer over Blake

Djokovic over Ferrer

Tsonga over Youzhny

Nadal over Nieminen

Women's Singles

Henin over Sharapova

S. Williams over Jankovic

V. Williams over Ivanovic

Hantuchova over Radwanska

NBA Weekly Preview

Happy Martin Luther King day all you lovers out there, don't let the haters keep you down. Busy day in the association today, with the traditional full slate of games to honor MLK. This also means a tripleheader on TNT tonight. The schedule of games is pretty shitty, but it also means more time for Charles Barkley to make fun of EJ and Kenny. With that said, lets get down to business.

The Sweet 16

1. Boston 32-6. After back-to-back losses, there was talk of moving the Celtics from the top notch on the list. But the Celtics rebounded against the Blazers and Sixers, and really don't have a tough game until January 31 when Dallas comes to town.

Opponents this week: @NY Knicks, Toronto, Minnesota, @Orlando

2. Phoenix 29-12. Suns move up to the 2nd spot thanks to 3 straight victories and some unrest below them. If they add Damon Stoudamire to back up Steve Nash, they could be even tougher, though Swole thinks they still need another big man to win it all.

Opponents this week: @Milwaukee, @Minnesota, @Cleveland, @Chicago

3. New Orleans 27-12. Face it people, this team isnt going anywhere. And if Chris Paul and David West keep up their play, they may even win their division.

Opponents this week: Milwaukee, Portland, LA Clippers, @San Antonio

4. Dallas 27-12. A quiet week for the Mavs as they only played 2 games. The schedule gets tougher though, they have to play the Lakers, Nuggets and Celtics in the next 2 weeks.

Opponents this week: @Washington, @Charlotte, LA Lakers, Denver

5. Detroit 29-12. Boy is this team stuck in the January doldrums. The whole team looks tired and the bench play has been terrible. But we all know its just a phase and they will turn it around, probably after the all star break.

Opponents this week: @Orlando, @Philadelphia, Orlando

6. San Antonio 25-13. Something just doesnt seem right with the Spurs. Maybe they are just coasting right now, because they know its such a long season, but this team never used to lose a game like they did Thursday night against the Cavs.

Opponents this week: @Charlotte, LA Lakers, @Miami, New Orleans

7. Denver 24-15. KG is my boy and all, but Marcus Camby is playing just as good and no one ever hears about it. If he stays healthy all year and keeps playing like this, he better get some MVP consideration.

Opponents this week: @LA Lakers, Atlanta, New Jersey, @Dallas

8. LA Lakers 26-12. Went 1-1 their first week without Bynum, but they have a brutal week of games, and now Trevor Ariza is hurt too. Time for Kobe to play like an MVP.

Opponents this week: Denver, @San Antonio, @ Dallas, Cleveland

9. Orlando 25-17. Two nice home wins last week. The two games against the Pistons this week will be a good test to see where this team is right now, and how much of a threat they could possibly be in the playoffs.

Opponents this week: Detroit, @Memphis, @Detroit, Boston

10. Portland 24-16. Went 2-2 this week on their road trip. If they can split their last 2 games on the road, then they are in good shape to get some wins on an upcoming homestand.

Opponents this week: @Atlanta, @New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta

11. Golden State 25-17. Baron Davis led the Warriors to a 3-1 week on the road. He is playing like one of the top 5 players in the entire league right now, and Swole thinks this team is even better than the squad that took out the Mavs in the playoffs last year.

Opponents this week: Minnesota, New Jersey, NY Knicks

12. Utah 23-18. The Jazz ran into the Linas Kleiza revelation on Thursday night in Denver, but overall still had a 2-1 week. If this team can play enough defense against the best of the west, they can beat anyone.

Opponents this week: @LA Clippers, Sacramento, @Houston

13. Washington 21-17. The Wiz is playing better without Gilbert Arenas than anyone though they could, Young Swole included. The way they are playing, they are going to be no lower than a 5 seed in the EC Playoffs.

Opponents this week: Dallas, @Cleveland, Memphis, @Milwaukee

14. Cleveland 21-18. Another huge week for King James, and little help from anyone else. Beating San Antonio was impressive, now they have to build on that victory and keep playing that well.

Opponents this week: @Miami, Washington, Phoenix, @LA Lakers

15. Toronto 22-19. An inconsistent week for the Rap Show. Losing to the Sixers is inexcusable for this team, must step it up in Boston on Wednesday to show Swole they still belong on this list.

Opponents this week: @Boston, Milwaukee

16. Houston 21-19. The Rock Show beat the Spurs on Saturday night, and also got T-Mac back. He has to stay healthy if the Rockets want to try and move into playoff contention, without him they simply do not have enough to get there.

Opponents this week: Seattle, @Seattle, @Portland, Utah

Young Swole's Baller of the Week

His Swoleness thought long and hard about giving the award to Baron Davis or Lebron James, but he could simply not ignore the week Gerald Wallace had. His weekly averages were 29pts, 7.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3 steals, 1 block and only 2 turnovers per game. This dude better make the all-star team, he has been straight up ballin this year.

Young Swole's Jackass of the week

This week's award goes to Ben Wallace. Apparently Big Ben was the one mad at Joakim Noah, all because Noah was stealing some of his rebounding opportunities. This guy sure does talk a lot of shit for someone who has done nothing in Chicago other than steal money and live off a past reputation. Maybe its time for Big Ben to take a look in the mirror, realize he needs a fucking haircut, and then also come to grips with the fact that the only difference between him and Bo Outlaw is that he makes a lot more money that he hasn't earned.

5 Games to watch this week

1. Denver @ LA Lakers, Monday 1030pm. A good test for the Lakers to see how they match up against the big and strong Nuggets.

2. LA Lakers @ San Antonio, Tuesday 8pm. The second of a brutal B2B for the Lakers. Will the Spurs break out of their rut and start again to play the basketball we have become so accustomed to?

3. Minnesota @ Boston, Friday 7pm. I wonder how the Big Ticket feels about this one. Swole predicts their is a 100 percent chance the Celtics win by at least 20.

4. New Orleans @ San Antonio, Saturday 8pm. The Hornets are acting like a team that wants to be a title contender. This game in San Antonio will be a good measuring stick to see exactly where CP3 and the rest of his boys match up against the best in the west.

5. Boston @ Orlando, Sunday 330pm. Another up and coming team gets to test itself against one of the premier squads in the NBA. Dwight Howard versus Kevin Garnett is about as good as an individual matchup you will find in this league, get dat popcorn ready O-Town.

Updated Power 10

Lots of shit has gone down since Young Porque posted his NCAA B-Ball Power 10, so how do things shake out now after this huge weekend of upsets?

1. Kansas (18-0). Probably the most solid, well-rounded team of the two unbeatens. Extreme depth. Many threats with Chalmers, now-healthy Rush, Arthur, etc. Not to mention it's much harder to play a Big 12 Schedule than in the CUSA.

P.S.: Just imagine how nasty IU would be if Darrell Arthur had honored his commitment to be a Hoosier. Oh well, if he thinks playing for Sampson is that much worse than Davis, he's probably so stupid that we're better off without him.

2. Memphis (17-0). Yeah yeah, they're undefeated. They also play a bunch of pretenders. Derrick Rose isn't even good enough to be allowed to wash Eric Gordon's jock strap.

3. Tennessee (16-1). Are they they best one-loss team? Maybe. But do they have the best resume of any one-loss teams? Yes. Vandy might be very overrated, but they have still taken care of their business.

4. Duke (15-1). Looked like dogshit earlier in the season, but the real Dookies are starting to show up. I think a lack of Dickie V seriously hurt this team, there was no one around to obnoxiously over-hype them. But now that UNC has been exposed as a team that can't play D, Coach K is pushing his team to show all the haters that the Devils are the true kings of the ACC.

5. North Carolina (18-1). Everybody knew they were probably the weakest undefeated team until Maryland did work against them. Young Hansbrough is still a man amongst boys, but why was he taking the last-second three against the Terps? I'll bet Roy & co. would like to have that shot back, but it isn't exactly curtains for the TarHeels. Look for them to rebound against weaker ACC foes, struggle with Duke (but maybe eek out a win), and go deep in March.

6. Your INDIANA HOOOSIERS (16-1). They're only loss was to a very strong, if inconsistent, Xavier club. They've won 12 in a row, and the Big 10 is the toughest conference to play in, night in and out, especially on the road where it's always hostile as hell. White/Gordon might be...actually IS, the best inside-out combo in the country, and the supporting cast is deep and damn good. Upcoming games against a resurgent UConn, Wisconsin, and Sparty will tell us a lot about how the Hoosiers will fare in March.

7. Michigan State (16-2). Very talented team, despite two losses, including one to Iowa, an opponent that they should be beating. And even though they did have a brutal pre-season loss, this is Tom Izzo we're talking about and his teams always show up to play hard when it counts. They will almost certainly win their next six games before I show up to watch them lose to the Hoosiers in B-town.

8. UCLA (16-2). An hour before they lost their second game of the season, everyone was SURE they were the best one-loss team in the country. Haha. Frankly I hate this team, but they are well-rounded and well-coached, so they are always going to be dangerous.

9. Georgetown (14-2). This team only belongs here on days that Roy Hibbert decides to play. Otherwise, Pat Ewing Jr. isn't really taking this team anywhere.

11 (tie). Washington St. (16-1). I hate to put them here, but they do only have one loss...never mind that they play stinky teams. If they hadn't pulled out a close one against Oregon last night they would have fallen very, very far down.

11 (tie). Wisconsin (15-2). Don't look now but Bo Ryan (aka undisputed master of winning no matter the talent level) has Landry and Flowers playing like two guys named Tucker and Harris. Oh and Bryan Butch is pretty good too.

Extra Chromosomes, Wyle Out, Retarded Kids

Cam'ron's rhyme book has finally hit the web.

http://www.ohword.com/gallery2/691/...hyme-book-found

No Country for Old Men

Well there goes your dream Super Bowl America. Thanks to Brett Favre, there will be no perfect story of the aging gunslinger against the greatest team of all time. Young Swole is expecting the typical excuses for Favre like the cold weather, the Packers wide receivers being bad or the fact that this one game shouldn't outweight what he's done this year. To that, and every other excuse we'll hear in the upcoming days, the Sweezy says fuck that. Brett Favre choked when it mattered.

As much as it would seem that Favre was the key to the Packers success this year, the real reason was Ryan Grant. We saw this today, with the Packer running game being stifled, Favre's weaknesses were once again exposed. Whether it is the fact that he's lost a little bit on his fastball, or that his massive ego still thinks he can make any throw, Favre made two inexcusable mistakes at crucial points in the game. The first one he got away with, when RW McQuarters promptly fumbled the interception return. But to throw a rainbow out-pattern, to a reciever covered, deep in your own territory in overtime is a mortal mistake. Yet for the second straight playoff game that the Packers have been eliminated in, Favre has forgotten that an incomplete pass is better than an intercepted pass. Young Swole remembers the hail mary pass he threw against the Eagles in the 2003 Divisional Playoffs in overtime that gave them the victory. And Young Swole will remember this mistake much more than all the sob stories you will hear about Favre in the next few days, and how it wasn't his fault and someone else deserves the blame more than him. His Swoleness isn't really surprised by this, because its basically been going on for the last 6 years or so, but he thought he should let it be known why the Packers lost a game Lawrence Tynes desperately tried to let them win.

Maybe this will convince Favre to retire, though Swole doubts it. We'll probably see the cycle repeat itself: Packers start fast, Favre appears to be "reborn", Favre garners all the credit that should be equally spread around such players like Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, Aaron Kampman and Charles Woodson, and then he makes a huge mistake in an important game that costs them the season. For all his glittery statistics, most from over a decade ago, Favre is quickly becoming a quarterback known for his mistakes instead of his past (and Swole means long in the past) accomplishments. Thank you Corey Webster for reminding us that Favre has rode the coat tails of his teammates all year, and saving us from hearing how great he is for 2 weeks, which is exactly how long it would have been before he cost his team in another important game.

san diego SUPER CHARGERS

This is the best video I could find relating to the Chargers/Patriots Game. Sure, it isn't directly relating to the teams playing, but man this guy has better flow than Lil Wayne. Tom Brady and Company should be cowering in fear right about now.

Fight in Packers-Giants NFL game

Fans gettin frisky in the Week 2 game between the Pack and G-Men. Things get interesting about 30 seconds in. Of course the antagonist is wearing  a Brett Favre jersey.  You either love him or hate him and most people here hate him.  I hope we see a few of these brew battles break out tonight to make the game a little more interesting.  By the way, everyone here at GDB picks the Patriots and Packers to meet up in the Super Bowl.