WITH ROSE TEARING HIS THORN (AKA HIS ACL), "LEBRON" YOU HAVE NO EXCUSES AND MUST WIN THE NBA TITLE

When Lebron James said, not 1 not 2 not 6 not 7 championships, and made a arrss out of himself, you knew the critics would roast him after they lost in the finals to the Dallas Mavericks in June of last year.

One writer, Jason Whitlock (Fox Sports) suggested they break up the Heat. That of course is never gonna happen. thats a joke, the Heat went from no playoffs, ("PLAYOFFS, DON'T TALK ABOUT PLAYOFFS")  to within 2 games of the NBA championship,  plus every game is sold out, to go along with record merchandise sales, your dreaming Jason about that happening anytime soon.

Who's left in the East:  Boston's to old, Indiana is to young (watch out for them next year), Philly couldn't beat Miami if the Heat gave them a 10 point lead to start every game, so the eastern conference should be a cakewalk.

The best of the west:  San Antonio looks strong as usual, but the team that's coming out the western conference is..........wait for it.........the Oklahoma City thunder. With The dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, to go along with sixth man of the James Harden, OKC should be able to hold of the Spurs and get to their first NBA finals.

Bottom line: To put it mildly, if the big three and the Heat can't beat a young OKC team in the finals this year, it would have to be because of another Lebron choke, or a Wade injury. Prediction: Heat in 6 and James throws the piano and the criticism off his back. (Get ready South Beach to get your championship party on).

 Enjoy this gratuitous pic of ESPN sideline reporter
                                                         
                        JILL ARRINGTON!!!  
                       
                         YOUR WELCOME

SCHABES        

CAN JOHN CALIPARI THROW THE 500 POUND GORILLA OFF HIS BACK "AKA" AN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

Can John Calipari, highest paid college coach, multiple final 4 apperances, and possible the best family room recuiter ever, finally win that elusive NCAA championship he so desperately needs to validate his lofty status.

That's the good......

Here's the bad. Because he CHEATED!!!. While at U Mass, (recruiting, illegal payments) in the mid nineties and at Memphis in 08' with Derek Rose (same thing), he's the only coach I can think of that coached two teams to the final 4, including the 08' championship game and those seasons never happened, (erased by the NCAA) because of these violations.

Fast forward to 2012, and what do we have, coach Cal, as he likes to be called, back in the final 4 with a starting 5 that is all projected to be taken in this years NBA draft. If there was ever a year to throw that monkey off his back this is it, but with his failures in the final 4 still haunting him (had a 9 point lead with two minutes to go in 08' against Kansas) nothing is a sure thing with coach Cal.

My take:   Calipari stays out of his own way, lets this group of one and doners, play the wide open run and gun offense their built for, takes care of Louisville on Saturday and then gets his revenge on Monday against Kansas in the title game. Then all will be happy in Calipariville, I mean Lexington.


ENJOY THE GAMES AND THE WEATHER EVERYONE




SCHABES

RORY MCILROY, GOLF'S NEW NUMBER #1, TIGER SHOOTS 62, PGA TOUR SCREAMS YAHOOO!!!

If you thought you heard champagne bottles popping outside your window last night, it was just the PGA Tour celebrating what happened at the Honda Classic yeaterday in south Florida.

Not since the 2008 US OPEN, when Tiger beat Rocco Mediate in a 19 hole playoff, has Golf's ratings been this high, or as Tiger would say (" BACK IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS, WINK WINK!!!").

Between the new young guns, (Dustin Johnson, Ricky Fowler etc),  Rory at only 22 years old, to go along with Phil Mickelson and Tiger, the glory days of monster ratings like in the early 2000's is about to go off the charts.

Lets get back to Mcilroy, Golf's new #1 player in the world, defending US OPEN champion, and dating hot women, (currently Tennis pro Caroline Wozniacki), Ahhh reminds me of my days back at SIU, (OK I WASN'T GOLF'S #1 PLAYER, LOL) this my friends is exactly what the PGA needed.

The timing of this could not of been better for the tour, with the Masters in four weeks and the other three majors coming up in June, July, and August, get ready for the Sunday drama of old with one difference, the Tiger intimidation factor to these young guns, who can hit it longer and chip it closer is long gone.................

PS. The ACC tournament starts thursday, should be a great four days. Hey KC have you lost weight your looking good!!! (inside joke).



SCHABES

SUPER BOWL REDUX, ONLY THIS TIME A DIFFERENT OUTCOME!!!

  HELLO EVERYBODY, SCHABES HERE WITH THE 411 ON THE SUPER BOWL AND OF COURSE, MY TAKE........

 Super Bowl XLVI .....  Teams:  NY Giants vs New England Patriots

 Location: Lucus Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.

Game Time: 6:30

LINE: New England -3 Over the Giants (COULD GO DOWN TO -2.5 IF GRONKOWSKI DOESN'T PLAY)

Over Under: 55

Cost for 30 second commercial:  3.5  M-I-L-L-I-O-N  D-O-L-L-A-R-S     (YIKE'S, I FEEL OBLIGATED TO WATCH THEM)

MY TAKE:   Hear me now and thank me later, the New England Patriots will win and cover Super Bowl XLVI.

My reasons, Two words, Tom Brady. The last Super Bowl against the Giants 4 years ago, sticks in his craw like a giant beach ball ( no pun intended) and he intends to correct it in a big way tomorrow.

Plus in his last game against the Ravens he played very un Brady like (no td's 2 int's) and superstars "AKA" Michael Jordan, and the likes, (Brady included) don't play two bad games in a row.

Watch for two players tomorrow, Gronkowski, (beleive me he will take the needle tomorrow and play), and of all people Chad Ochocinco.

I can't explain it, but for some reason i think Bill Belicick is going to use him more in some five wide sets against a poor Giants pass defense, and this will give him more opportunities to be on the field and make a play.

Finally, New Englands defense is playing much better, especially against the run, so take the under, 55 points is a big number with the Giants wanting to establish the ground game early on, to set up their passing game.

PREDICTION:  NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 31 NEW YORK GIANTS 17

Enjoy the game everyone
Remember we all have school tomorrow!!!


SCHABES

Houston at Baltimore. NY Giants at Green Bay. I got the line and who will win!!!

   Four teams enter two teams leave after todays divisional games in Baltimore and Green Bay, here's the line on the games and my take.

Houton at Baltimore:   Baltimore -7.5 over Houston. Over under 37

My Take:  Houston is starting their 10th string QB (ok their third string) and with Baltimore's defense healthy, take the Ravens and the under. The reason you should take the under is because houstons defensive line is playing well and will keep them in the game early, but will be on the field way to much and will be gassed by the fourth quarter.                     Final score Baltimore 27 Houston 7

NY Giants at Green Bay:  Green Bay -7.5 over NY.  Over under 53.5

My Take:  This will be a shootout. Both QB's (Rodgers and Manning) are playing at the top of their games, with the difference in this game coming down to the offensive lines and right know Green Bay's O-line is playing well as a unit. Look for Rodgers to have a field day, and Green Bay covers the 7.5 and take the over. The Giants will score with Manning having to pass most of the day, so the score should be high.

Final score: Green Bay 45 Giants 35     "OOPS"

Enjoy the games everyone




Schabes

THE NBA IS BACK!!! LEBRON, D-WADE LOOK UNBEATABLE, DA BULLS LOOK ROSE-Y......

   The NBA kicked off their 2011-2012 season on Christmas day with five games on three networks over the course of 12 hours with three blow outs and couple of nail biters. The NY Knicks and the Boston Celtics played down to the wire, in a hum dinger of a ding dong dilly ( alright I'll stop) at the Garden where Carmelo Anthony with 17 points in the fourth (37 for the game) edge the C's 106-104 in a back and fourth opener reminiscent of the old Knicks-Celtics battles years ago.

Then came the much anticipated finals rematch between the Mavs and the Heat, with Dallas receiving there championship rings from the Commish and making funny faces at Lebron as they got them, (ok they only thought about doing that). Once that was over, the Dallas faithful should have left the arena, because once the game began D-Wade, Lebron and company crushed the Mavs from start to finish with James finishing with 37 and D-Wade 26 with the Heat leading most of the game by 30 or more points until garbage time trimmed the lead to its eventual 105-94 score.

The big game of the day for me was Da -Bulls opening up against the Lakers. If you weren't sure if Derrick Rose was a MVP type player, you have to believe it now. Trailing by 10 in the fourth quarter Rose, Luol Deng and company came all the way back to take the lead on a Rose jumper in the lane with 4 seconds left, then blocked a Kobe Bryant runner to win, as time expired to steal a victory from the Lakers in front of a packed house at the Staples Center.

So at the end of the day, opening night in the NBA was was exciting, but told us one thing for sure, unless Lebron James goes into choke mood again in the palyoffs, its the Heats title to lose, with the Bulls right there in case he does. (one can only hope)........

Happy Holidays!!!



Schabes

THE HOKIES VS THE TIGERS FOR THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP, I SMELL A BLOWOUT!!!

   Tonight at Bank of America Stadium, you have the big game of the year, the ACC championship in Charlotte between Virginia Tech and the Clemson Tigers. On paper this looks like a great match up, with both teams sporting high powered offenses, and good if not great defenses (see VT. stats, 9th in nation against the run), but if you watch alot ACC football like I do you see two teams going in different directions.

Virginia Tech 11-1 (7-1) in the ACC is on a seven game winning streak and clicking on all cylinders whereas Clemson 9-3 (6-2) in the ACC is reeling coming into tonights game after getting spanked and humiliated in there last two games (Nc State and South Carolina), in blow out fashion.

This game comes down to Clemson's talented (not lately) QB Tajh Bowd reconnecting with Freshman sensation Sammy Watkins (72 rec 1073 yds 10 td) to have any chance of beating the Hokies tonight, because running the ball tonight against a Virginia Tech defense will be difficult (95 yds per game allowed).

My Take:  Virginia Tech avenges there early season loss to Clemson and wins 42 -21. They contain Tajh Bowd, gets some turnovers, and the Hokie offense led by QB Logan Thomas and RB David Wilson run the ball through a weak Clemson run defense.

Enjoy the game everybody

Schabes

UNC VS NC STATE SAT 12:30 AT CARTER FINLEY, WHICH STATE TEAM WILL SHOW UP?

  You gotta ask yourself if your a NC State fan, who's gonna show up to play the Tar Heels this sat. Will it be the group that beat a much improved virginia cavalier football team 28-14 with Mike glennnon throwing 3 touchdown passes and making you forget for just a minute about Russell Wilson or the team that lost last week to florida state 34-0 and looked like a pop warner team that played liked they where deer in the headlights. Glennon in that game threw two interceptions and was sacked multiple times and the defense played like they where mad at the offense and being torched up and down the field by the Florida State offense.

So like the song M&M sings, will the real slim shady please stand up please stand up, will the real Mike Glennon please show up please show up or the Tar Heels 6-3 (2-3) in the ACC and already Bowl eligible are gonna give the wolfpack a good old fashion butt whoopin and break there four game losing streak to NC State.

there are two keys to the game:  1).  You might think its QB Bryn Renner 19 td's 9 picks, but the key for State to win this game is to stop possible ACC player of the year Giovani Bernard 945 yards rushing 243 yards receiving. State must limit his touches and finish off there tackles (he's only 5-8, but very strong and elusive) and play 8 in the box especially in running situations.  2). Mike (Opie Taylor) Glennon must play at the top of his game. limit his turnovers (preferable none) and be effiicient with his throws (19 td's) just 8 interceptions on the season. O btw throw every pass to TJ Graham that's a start!!!

Prediction=     NC State show's up and plays well at home in front of a sold out crowd at Carter Finley Stadium, TJ Graham make plays on special teams and the Wolfpack wins there fifth in a row against the Tar heels 34-24............................... sorry Larry Wilson and Keith Klutz!!!


Enjoy the tailgating and the game

Schabes