For years Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neill combined to make one of the best two man combos in NBA history. They were the main pieces a Lakers dynasty that was able to bring three consecutive championships to Los Angeles. However, they had not played together since 2004 when Shaq was traded to the heat due to drama between the two players.
That all was in the past Sunday night as Shaq and Kobe combined for 44 points to lead the Western Conference past the Eastern Conference 146-119, in the 58th NBA All-Star game in Phoenix Arizona. To make the night an even bigger blast to the past, Phil Jackson was the coach of the West team. He is the Lakers head coach and was the coach of those Lakers teams with Shaq and Kobe.
Kobe Bryant, a starter for the West, scored 27 points to lead all scorers. Shaq, who was playing in his 15th career All-Star game, finished with 17 points and possibly the play of the game. In a rare basketball moment, Shaq found himself out beyond the 3 point line, and being guarded by lead vote getter for the All-Star game, center Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. Shaq passed the ball through Howard’s legs and then cut to the basket to get the ball back and dunk the ball down. The play drew a huge roar from Shaq’s now home crowd of Phoenix. Even Howard could not help from laughing at the great play.
The play came in a stretch in the 3rd quarter that had Shaq score eight points in a row for the Western All-Stars. That run by Shaq, accompanied with the fact that he was playing in his home arena, probably won him the co-MVP award. The 3rd quarter was dominated by the West, who outscored the East 14 points to add on to their 72-67 halftime lead.
The West was definitely trying to find Shaq and get him the ball. Point Guard Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets led all players with 14 assists while also scoring 14 points. Paul was one of six All-Stars that were honored at halftime for their performance in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as members of the Gold Medal winning U.S. Men’s Basketball team. Paul, along with Kobe Bryant, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James were all given championship rings during a halftime ceremony.
James, a starter for the East, filled the stat sheet as usual with 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists. He really set the tempo early on with his signature style of attacking the basket. However, he will probably be remembered most for his off the glass dunk on the last play of the game. The dunk was a possible preview of what he plans to do next year in the dunk contest as he announced Saturday night that he want to participate next year.
Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, who finished 2nd in this years Sprite Slam Dunk contest, finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. Howard’s highlight of the night other than getting embarrassed by Shaq, was a very powerful dunk over both 6’11 Tim Duncan, and 7’6 Yao Ming. Howard’s fellow Magic teammate Rashard Lewis finished with eight points, and six rebounds.
The win gave a little bragging rights back to the West who had lost three of the past four All-Star games. Next year the game will be held in Dallas, Texas. The game will be played in the new Cowboys Stadium. They hope to fill the 100,000 seats available in the new building.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
NFC Tops AFC
It is not the Super Bowl. It is not hard hitting. It has different rules. There is no blitzing, you have to play a basic 4-3 defense, and a basic two wide receiver offense. There are not even any coach’s challenges or reviewed plays. But the Pro Bowl is not about those things. It is about celebrating the past season of NFL football that we all got to witness. It is a fun exhibition game that most players love playing in. They get to spend a week in Hawaii and they get a chance to meet players they usually are trying to kill on any given Sunday.
Larry Fitzgerald’s NFC team defeated the AFC 30-21, in a game that surprisingly had a little more excitement than most Pro Bowls. It was somewhat ironic when Fitzgerald, would have been this years Super Bowl MVP, was awarded the Pro Bowl MVP. Fitzgerald finished with 5 catches for 81 yards, and 2 touchdowns, including the game winning touchdown catch with 4:03 left in the forth quarter to go up 24-21.
Le'Ron McClain, a running back for the ravens who would not have even played much this year if it were not for injuries, scored on a little trickery from the AFC with 6:59 left in the forth quarter. McClain ran the ball in from 5 yards out on the old fumbleruski play. The touchdown put the AFC up 21-17.
The 3rd quarter was dominated by defense, which is rare for a Pro Bowl. Not only was it dominated by defense but it was also dominated by NFC players from the same Minnesota Vikings team. There were three turnovers in the quarter, two of them being made by Vikings players. The lone touchdown of the quarter came with 2:24 left when last years Pro Bowl MVP Adrian Peterson, of the Vikings, ran the ball in from 10 yards out. This came right after Jared Allen, a defensive end for the Vikings, sacked and forced AFC quarterback Kerry Collins to fumble the ball. Allen recovered the ball and gave his NFC team the ball on the ten yard line. The third Vikings player to make a play in the 3rd quarter was Antoine Winfield when he intercepted Kerry Collins with 4:36 left in the quarter.
Fitzgerald made the play of the game when he caught his first of two touchdowns on a hail marry 46 yard pass from Saints quarterback Drew Brees on the last play of the 1st half, which cut the AFC lead to 14-10. The play was almost as good as the play that Steelers outside linebacker, James Harrison made at the end of the 1st half of the Super Bowl. Both players gave their teams momentum going into the half. Harrison’s was just a little more important.
The rest of the 1st half was all AFC. The AFC went up 14-3 after a Kerry Collins 9 yard touchdown pass to Texans tight end Owen Daniels with 0:28 left in the half. The only other touchdown of the 1st half came with 7:44 left in the 1st quarter when season MVP Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts, found Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzales for a 19 yard score to put the AFC up 7-0. Gonzales with the touchdown catch broke the record for career receiving yards in the Pro Bowl with 533, tied Jimmy Smith and Marvin Harrison for most career Pro Bowl touchdowns with 5.
Larry Fitzgerald’s NFC team defeated the AFC 30-21, in a game that surprisingly had a little more excitement than most Pro Bowls. It was somewhat ironic when Fitzgerald, would have been this years Super Bowl MVP, was awarded the Pro Bowl MVP. Fitzgerald finished with 5 catches for 81 yards, and 2 touchdowns, including the game winning touchdown catch with 4:03 left in the forth quarter to go up 24-21.
Le'Ron McClain, a running back for the ravens who would not have even played much this year if it were not for injuries, scored on a little trickery from the AFC with 6:59 left in the forth quarter. McClain ran the ball in from 5 yards out on the old fumbleruski play. The touchdown put the AFC up 21-17.
The 3rd quarter was dominated by defense, which is rare for a Pro Bowl. Not only was it dominated by defense but it was also dominated by NFC players from the same Minnesota Vikings team. There were three turnovers in the quarter, two of them being made by Vikings players. The lone touchdown of the quarter came with 2:24 left when last years Pro Bowl MVP Adrian Peterson, of the Vikings, ran the ball in from 10 yards out. This came right after Jared Allen, a defensive end for the Vikings, sacked and forced AFC quarterback Kerry Collins to fumble the ball. Allen recovered the ball and gave his NFC team the ball on the ten yard line. The third Vikings player to make a play in the 3rd quarter was Antoine Winfield when he intercepted Kerry Collins with 4:36 left in the quarter.
Fitzgerald made the play of the game when he caught his first of two touchdowns on a hail marry 46 yard pass from Saints quarterback Drew Brees on the last play of the 1st half, which cut the AFC lead to 14-10. The play was almost as good as the play that Steelers outside linebacker, James Harrison made at the end of the 1st half of the Super Bowl. Both players gave their teams momentum going into the half. Harrison’s was just a little more important.
The rest of the 1st half was all AFC. The AFC went up 14-3 after a Kerry Collins 9 yard touchdown pass to Texans tight end Owen Daniels with 0:28 left in the half. The only other touchdown of the 1st half came with 7:44 left in the 1st quarter when season MVP Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts, found Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzales for a 19 yard score to put the AFC up 7-0. Gonzales with the touchdown catch broke the record for career receiving yards in the Pro Bowl with 533, tied Jimmy Smith and Marvin Harrison for most career Pro Bowl touchdowns with 5.
Monday, February 2, 2009
A Steel City Six Pack
A Steel City Six Pack
For the second year in a row now, football fans across the nation were treated to one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever played. It had it all. Comebacks, drama, overturned calls, amazing catches, and even game winning drive at the end as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII. The two teams contrasted each other so well.
There were the hard hitting Steelers, who win with a bruising defense and a hard nose run the ball offence. They were playing for their now league leading 6th Super Bowl victory. Then there were the Cardinals, who were playing for their 6th playoff win in team history. The Cardinals came in with a Quarterback who had an MVP caliber season in Kurt Warner, two Pro Bowl receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and an offence that had been throwing the ball all around the field this season.
The game was thrilling from start to finish, caped off with a 6 yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left in the game to go up 27-23. Holmes, who is enjoying himself a Disney World right now, was named Super Bowl XLIII for his 9 catches for 131 yards, and 1 game winning touchdown catch. The catch was as good if not better than the David Tyree helmet pinning catch from last years Super Bowl. Roethlisberger found Holmes behind three Arizona defenders in the back corner of the endzone and Holmes was somehow able to keep both feet in and bring the ball down for the go ahead score.
The Cardinals played an amazing football game, no player more impressive than Larry Fitzgerald. He was quiet for the first half but he came back in the second half catch two touchdowns in the forth quarter to lead the Cardinals comeback in the forth. He gave Arizona the lead 23-20, after trailing by as many as 13, with a 64 for yard catch and run up the middle of the field with 2:37 left in the forth. Maybe, even more impressive was the 1 yard touchdown catch he made on a fade route in the back corner of the endzone to bring the Cardinals within six points at the 7:33 mark of the forth quarter.
Ben Roethlisberger could have been named MVP for his performance. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards and that game winning drive and touchdown pass. What does not show up on the stat sheet is what put him apart from Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner. Roethlisberger made plays time and time again to help his team win the game. Numerous times throughout the game he had to improvise and scramble out or around the pocket to extend a play and try to find someone open. He was for the most part successful at it.
That is something Kurt Warner could not do. Yes, his stat sheet is very impressive. He was 31-43 for 377 yards, and three touchdowns. However, he was not mobile enough to make the plays that Roethlisberger did. He was sacked twice but hit even more. He also threw one very important interception. Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison intercepted Warner on the last play of the first half, and ran it back 100 yards for a Pittsburgh 17-7 lead. Warner had two turnovers, none more costly than the last one with 15 seconds left in the game. Warner was hit by Steelers linebacker Lamarr Woodley and fumbled the ball. Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel recovered the ball to seal the fate of the game.
That fumble by Warner will be remembered by Cardinal fans for the rest of time. With that fumble he dropped not just a ball, but also a chance for Cardinal fan to not be associated with losing anymore. It will also be remembered for what did not happen. The play was never reviewed. In that situation under those circumstances that play had to be reviewed. The referees dropped the ball on that. The play actually looked like Warner was passing the ball and had it been overturned; Arizona would have had another chance to score that game winning touchdown. It stings Cardinal fans even more because of the 15 yard penalty against the Steelers that would have put Arizona on Pittsburgh’s 31 yard line. That would have given the Cardinals a legitimate chance at taking a few shots at the endzone and winning the game. But the referees blew it.
That is not taking anything away from what Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers did on Sunday night. That last drive by the Steelers will go down in history as one of the greatest moments in Super Bowl history as well as the catch that caped the drive by Santonio Holmes. This was truly one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played. It is in the same category as last year’s Super bowl between the Giants and Patriots, or Super Bowl XXXIV between the Titans and Rams, where the Titans came up a yard short. The last drive will be compared to John Elway’s drive with the Broncos to win Super Bowl XXXIII. It was a drive that will be remembered forever, and a drive that gave Pittsburgh one for the other hand.
For the second year in a row now, football fans across the nation were treated to one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever played. It had it all. Comebacks, drama, overturned calls, amazing catches, and even game winning drive at the end as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII. The two teams contrasted each other so well.
There were the hard hitting Steelers, who win with a bruising defense and a hard nose run the ball offence. They were playing for their now league leading 6th Super Bowl victory. Then there were the Cardinals, who were playing for their 6th playoff win in team history. The Cardinals came in with a Quarterback who had an MVP caliber season in Kurt Warner, two Pro Bowl receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and an offence that had been throwing the ball all around the field this season.
The game was thrilling from start to finish, caped off with a 6 yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left in the game to go up 27-23. Holmes, who is enjoying himself a Disney World right now, was named Super Bowl XLIII for his 9 catches for 131 yards, and 1 game winning touchdown catch. The catch was as good if not better than the David Tyree helmet pinning catch from last years Super Bowl. Roethlisberger found Holmes behind three Arizona defenders in the back corner of the endzone and Holmes was somehow able to keep both feet in and bring the ball down for the go ahead score.
The Cardinals played an amazing football game, no player more impressive than Larry Fitzgerald. He was quiet for the first half but he came back in the second half catch two touchdowns in the forth quarter to lead the Cardinals comeback in the forth. He gave Arizona the lead 23-20, after trailing by as many as 13, with a 64 for yard catch and run up the middle of the field with 2:37 left in the forth. Maybe, even more impressive was the 1 yard touchdown catch he made on a fade route in the back corner of the endzone to bring the Cardinals within six points at the 7:33 mark of the forth quarter.
Ben Roethlisberger could have been named MVP for his performance. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards and that game winning drive and touchdown pass. What does not show up on the stat sheet is what put him apart from Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner. Roethlisberger made plays time and time again to help his team win the game. Numerous times throughout the game he had to improvise and scramble out or around the pocket to extend a play and try to find someone open. He was for the most part successful at it.
That is something Kurt Warner could not do. Yes, his stat sheet is very impressive. He was 31-43 for 377 yards, and three touchdowns. However, he was not mobile enough to make the plays that Roethlisberger did. He was sacked twice but hit even more. He also threw one very important interception. Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison intercepted Warner on the last play of the first half, and ran it back 100 yards for a Pittsburgh 17-7 lead. Warner had two turnovers, none more costly than the last one with 15 seconds left in the game. Warner was hit by Steelers linebacker Lamarr Woodley and fumbled the ball. Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel recovered the ball to seal the fate of the game.
That fumble by Warner will be remembered by Cardinal fans for the rest of time. With that fumble he dropped not just a ball, but also a chance for Cardinal fan to not be associated with losing anymore. It will also be remembered for what did not happen. The play was never reviewed. In that situation under those circumstances that play had to be reviewed. The referees dropped the ball on that. The play actually looked like Warner was passing the ball and had it been overturned; Arizona would have had another chance to score that game winning touchdown. It stings Cardinal fans even more because of the 15 yard penalty against the Steelers that would have put Arizona on Pittsburgh’s 31 yard line. That would have given the Cardinals a legitimate chance at taking a few shots at the endzone and winning the game. But the referees blew it.
That is not taking anything away from what Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers did on Sunday night. That last drive by the Steelers will go down in history as one of the greatest moments in Super Bowl history as well as the catch that caped the drive by Santonio Holmes. This was truly one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played. It is in the same category as last year’s Super bowl between the Giants and Patriots, or Super Bowl XXXIV between the Titans and Rams, where the Titans came up a yard short. The last drive will be compared to John Elway’s drive with the Broncos to win Super Bowl XXXIII. It was a drive that will be remembered forever, and a drive that gave Pittsburgh one for the other hand.
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