Thursday Night Observations

Time for Sweezy to get on the soapbox and opine on some of the events of our time...

- In the final year of Yankee Stadium, its fitting that it hosts the All-Star game. I am hoping though that this is the last great moment in the stadium. I'd find it hilarious if there was no October baseball in The Bronx this year so that we could avoid all the sob stories about Yankee Nostalgia. Hopefully the stadium and the Yanks will go out in the most painful way possible, and I can't think of a better way than a meaningless game between a Red Sox team that has already clinched the division and a Yankees team with no postseason hope.

- On the subject of the All-Star game, its time for fans to be eliminated from voting for the starters. Their idiocy is one of the major factors ruining the Summertime Classic. Simply put, marginal players like Dustin Pedroia and Kosuke Fukudome do not deserve to even be in the stadium, let alone starting for their respective leagues. MLB should do something like allow fans to keep voting, but rig the votes so that more deserving players get the nod, such as Ian Kinsler or Carlos Lee.

- Could it also be the All-Star game has been losing ratings because of the deplorable announcers in charge of calling the events? First up you have Chris Berman saying the same hideously annoying catchphrases he has for the last 20 years during the Home Run Derby, and then you have the smug Joe Buck and senile Tim McCarver calling the actual game. If MLB was serious about making the All-Star game relevant, it would replace these hacks with people who are actually interested in describing the game instead of hearing their own voices and reveling in their bloated sense of self-importance.

- Its amazing how Todd Jones is still a closer. Thats all i'm going to say after today's performance. He better not be seen in Athens, Georgia tonight or he's gonna get got.

- Another banner day for the NFL as another player, Matt Jones, gets arrested for felony possession of cocaine. I'd argue that this charge is much more serious than anything Michael Vick or Adam Jones have been convicted of, but racism still doesn't exist in sports right?

- If breaking news is considered to be Brett Favre sending a text message, then its going to be a long hot summer full of worthless Favre speculation. I don't know whats more unbelievable about this; the fact that news sources deemed this important enough to smother with coverage, or the fact that supposed country yokel Favre even knew how to text message. Maybe he learned how to in rehab.

- I'm calling it right now, Sixers in the NBA Finals next year. People are about to learn just how good Elton Brand is.

- This whole Brandon Jennings to Europe thing is pretty interesting, I'm just shocked someone hasn't done it before. There's really no language barrier in large European cities, the players will get paid handsomely for their services, and European poon is no joke (though still not close to SEC Poon).

- Its pretty hilarious to hear the things that Charlie Weis says. Earlier this week he commented that its possible for Notre Dame to be 11-0 heading into a game with USC in November, and in regards to winning that game Weis said "Anything's possible." This is coming from the (gaping) mouth of a man who could possibly be the most incompetent head coach in Notre Dame history. Seriously this man makes Bob Davie look like Tom Osborne. Weis has used every excuse in the book for his lackluster career record, I'm just waiting for the day that someone actually calls him out on the bullshit that is his coaching prowess and overall just his worth as a human being. At least it keeps Notre Dame a laughingstock for the entire country, which I guess is a gift i should be more thankful for.

- Its been a pretty good week for viewing entertainment in the life of the Sweezic One. First I saw Wall-E on Tuesday which was absolutely incredible. Its good to see creative and innovative movies get shine at the expense of the formulaic tripe that Hollywood has overdosed upon in recent years. Tonight is also the 2nd season premiere of Burn Notice. If you've never seen the show, you are missing out. Not only is it fun and entertaining, but it also provided awesome tips if you ever have the need to blow shit up, escape from evil people or just be a menace to society in general. Finally, next weekend will be the opening of The Dark Knight. This movie is getting a ton of hype, and with the actors and producers involved I have a feeling its going to be beyond justified after all is said and done.

Alright I feel sick to my stomach for including that disgusting picture of Charlie Weis. So I will leave you now with a glorious picture of SEC Poon to cleanse your mind with.

Rollin' on Snubs

Tonight on TNT, the NBA All-star Reserve Squads were announced. The teams are now officially set for the All-Star Game in N'awlins on Sunday, February 17. Let's take a look at both sides before delving into the meaty part of the discussion.

EAST
Starters
Guard-Jason Kidd
Guard-Dwyane Wade
Forward-Lebron James
Forward-Kevin Garnett
Center-Dwight Howard
Reserves
Chauncey Billups
Chris Bosh
Caron Butler
Rip "City" Hamilton
Antawn Jamison
Joe Johnson
Paul Pierce

WEST
Starters
Guard-Allen Iverson
Guard-Kobe Bryant
Forward-Carmelo Anthony
Forward-Timmy Duncan
Center- Yao Ming
Reserves

Carlos Boozer

Steve Nash

Dirk Nowitzki

Brandon Roy

Chris Paul
Amare Stoudamire
David West

Now, I'm not going to tackle the "Who should be a starter vs. reserve" debate, because all of these guys are going to get PT. The most important thing to consider is who should be going to the Big Easy and who should be eating at the Buffett on Gameday (like Marwan).

East Snubs
Guard- Jose Caulderon...A month ago, I would have still labeled him as a fluke, but there's no denying anymore how talented this young Spaniard is. He is the Rafael Nadal of Basketball because of his lightning quick reflexes. He has an excellent Assist to turnover ratio, and has stepped up admirably in TJ Ford's absence. You could make a strong argument that he's better than Ford when healthy at his best. Without Caulderon, the Raptors would be somewhere in Knick-land.

Guard- Jason Richardson...When the Bobcats made the trade during the draft where they sent the 8th overall pick to the Warriors for J Rich, most people (including myself) questioned owner MJ's sanity. At least at the present time, we may have been wrong. While Branden Wright (the pick that Charlotte traded) is accumulating splinters in his ass on the bench, J Rich has been ballin' on a budget for the Bob's. He leads the NBA in 3's and has more points than any other Guard in the East.

Forward- Gerald Wallace...I realize the Bobcats aren't that good, but the Heat have won half as many games as them and D Wade still got a roster spot. Wallace has turned into a great all-around player and leads the East (and all forwards) in steals. Defensive stats just get overlooked in the voting process. It's too bad, because he's a great offensive player too and he definitely deserves a reserve spot.

Forward- Hedo Turkoglu...I was going back and forth on which Magic Forward to give this to, but in the end I think that Mr. Glu edges 'Shard, because he contributes more points, rebounds, and assists. Turkoglu is a huge reason for Orlando's success this year and has been arguably the best Fantasy value so far this year. Not that fantasy matters in all-star voting, but you gotta give Hedo some love. He's having a career year and is playing outstanding basketball.

Center- Rasheed Wallace...For argument's sake, we are going to call Sheed a Center, even though he is more of a PF. Still, the other Wallace is putting up his usual sick numbers. Is that good enough to get him an all-star nod...maybe not, but he's the only worthy snub candidate at Center in the East.

West Snubs
Guard- Baron Davis...In my opinion, this is the biggest snub of the them all. BD has been sick this year. When healthy, Baron has always been a top 5 guard, but this year, he's been a top 5 player. It's ludicrous that a guy that's leading the league in steals, not to mention top 10 in triples, points, and assists is not an all-star. Without him, the Warriors would have no shot at a playoff spot in the West. There's no way he shouldn't be going to the big game.

Guard- Deron Williams...This is a tough call. Manu Ginobili is also very deserving, but I only have one guard spot and I had to give the edge to Deron based on his sick 9.5 assists a game (I understand Manu is a SG, but there isn't another stat that he has that separates him from Williams enough). He hasn't been as baller as he was earlier in the season, but there's no denying that this is one of the best PG in the game today. Substitute a mediocre PG on the Jazz and they would be floundering. Without Deron feeding Boozer the ball, Booze Cruise wouldn't be an all-star. Not to mention he has one of the best FG % among all guards at nearly 52 percent.

Forward- Shawn Marion...How come the Matrix never gets any love from voters. This is one of the best all-around players in the game today. There's a reason he's always on top of the fantasy leaderboards. He produces in every category. There a select few who hustle as hard as he does on both sides of the floor. Sadly, it seems that his trade demands during the off-season might have cost him some popularity points with voters.

Forward- Stephen Jackson...What a thug. This baller missed the first 7 games of the season because of a suspension, and he is still putting up numbers with the best of 'em. Not only is a mean son of a bitch (he'll steal the ball away from you and your lunch money), but he's an excellent 3 point assassin. The Warriors couldn't survive without him.

Center- Marcus Camby...You could make an easy argument that this is the biggest bust of them all too. Camby has been a Monster on the defensive side. He's averaging 4!!! blocks a game and a steal as well. This doesn't even take into account the shadow he casts over anyone who's driving the lane and all of the defensive rebounds he snags. He doesn't have the flashy offensive stats that Yao and Amare do, but neither of those guys can hold a candle to the Defensive Numbers that he's lighting up the scoreboard with.

All-Star Snobs
These are the guys who I feel don't deserve to be going to New Orleans. This isn't to say that they aren't ballers, it's just that some of the snubs are having better seasons.

Rip Hamilton- I love my Pistons and Rip is having a great year, but he's basically just a great scorer, he doesn't bring enough else to the table to make him worthy of a spot.

Joe Johnson- Pretty much the same thing goes for Young Jeezy. He's been scoring at a high clip as usual, but he offers little else and plays no D (even though he may lay the D on the Hotlanta Betty's).

David West- This bid baffles me. Sure, West was one of the most underrated players in the league, but now it appears he's being overrated. I don't see how he's any better than his teammate Tyson Chandler. It appears they wanted to give another Hornet some love because they are doing so great and it's in their hometown. He'd definitely make it if he were playing in the East, but the West is too stacked at Forward for Young West to make it.

Carmelo Anthony- Everyone seems to love Melo. I don't really understand why. Remember when he got that 15 game suspension last year for that fight in the Knick's game. In my book he's as big of a ho bag as Ronny Artest. He is a great scorer like Rip and Joe, but he turns the ball over hella and is a puss on the Defensive end. He also is a fairly weak 3 point shooter.

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