GarageGabs

As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve had to take a few days off from posting. I’ve had pretty good reason, a lot has been going on.  In the past week I’ve proposed to my girlfriend (she said yes) and got a new dog (in the photo).  So, between teaching the dog to poop, spending some much needed quality time with my fiance, and living life as well, I haven’t had any time to update the site.  Anyway, I thought I’d put together one big post of the stories that I’ve been watching and talking about with my friends. I’m going to try to be candid with every story, you probably know the particulars and the statistics of most of them, but perhaps you have a different opinion than me. Also, as usual, some of these stories are more local, and interesting to me. So, check out the top 10 list, and if you’ve got a story of your own, let me know…..

10. Phoenix Suns 14 game win streak:

The Suns were at it again last night, this time knocking off Sacramento, 105-98, for their 14th straight victory. What to make of this win streak? Well, obviously, the Suns are very good. The return of Amare Stoudemire has given them yet another weapon to utilize, and Steve Nash makes everyone around him better. Phoenix has so many interchangeable parts, (6 players in double figures, 5 over 15ppg) it makes them almost impossible to defend, they are averaging a league leading 110.6 points per game. Like last year, they rely on the 3 pointer for a lot of offense, making 9.5 per game (1.2 ahead of the next closest team) but they are also getting a ton of points in the paint now, and lead the league in field goal percentage at 49.2%. You guessed it, they also lead the league in Free Throw percentage at 81.9%. Long story short, this team can FLAT OUT SHOOT. What don’t the Suns do well? Well, as you might have guessed, they don’t play great defense, allowing just over 104 points per game. They also are not a great rebounding team and get out rebounded by nearly 2 boards per night. Of course, their style of offense has a lot to do with both of these numbers. So, the million dollar question is, how long will the streak last?? Mark December 28th @ Dallas on your calender. The Suns aren’t losing until then, which will give them 18 straight wins. This is kind of an obvious pick since Phoenix doesn’t have any big tests until then…if they were to beat Dallas, they’ve got the Knicks and then finish the season on New Years Eve @ Detroit. Wouldn’t it be something if the Suns had a chance to have an undefeated December and it came down to a New Years Eve game at Detroit??

9. Greg Oden’s NCAA Debut- Freshman basketball phenom Greg Oden played just his 3rd game for Ohio State last night and is already being touted as the #1 pick in the NBA draft. Much has been made of Oden’s incredible FG % as he has made 17 of his first 19 baskets, 89%. He’s also blocked 13 shots, and snagged 25 boards…in just 3 games folks. I’ve seen this guy play quite a few times in high school, and he is definitely gifted. However, little has been made of the opponents Ohio State is facing. Valparaiso and Cleveland State are not exactly NCAA heavy weights. Yeah, Ohio State beat Cincinnati last night, but come on….this Cincinnati team has lost to Wofford and UAB. I wanna see the kid hit 8 of 8 shots when he’s not dunking from directly under the basket, or hitting 2 foot sky hooks. Watching him match up against teams like Cleveland State is like watching Wilt Chamberlain in his prime…no one has the size to defend him. Talk to me December 23rd after Ohio State plays Florida…that will be a true test of Oden. All these other patsy games are just hype. Weak teams don’t have the type of athletes that can deal with a player of Oden’s caliber. So, I’m going to look at Oden and his 10-21 from the free throw line with a grain of salt. I will mark December 23rd on my calender as his coming out party. Play well then, and we’ve got a big story. Until then can ESPN please stop showing a 7 foot guy jump 6 inches to dunk from under the rim??

8. Allen Iverson and the 76ers- The whole Allen Iverson being traded thing is entering it’s second week now and things are beginning to get ugly. The Sixers have lost 11 in a row, and 6 without Iverson. Last night, Chris Webber was unable to play (ankle sprain) which left Philly missing 50% of it’s offense. I’m really not sure what is taking this whole process so long, but I imagine it is a combination of 3 things. Philly probably wants more in return for Iverson than they can get. Makes a lot of sense, Iverson is one of the best players in the NBA….however, at this point, I think it’s time to cut your losses if you are Philly. You’ve lost 11 straight games, things can’t get any worse. Just get rid of Iverson and his contract for some young talent that you can evaluate this year. That brings me to the next possible roadblock…Teams can’t afford Iverson. The NBA salary cap is making it impossible for many teams to sign Iverson at the current value of his contract. If Iverson really wants a ring, he should get with his agent, and a prospective team and just work though this….get that contract scaled down….get on the court. A third problem is Iverson’s history. Guess what, most of the contending teams are led by excellent coaches and front offices….these coaches and front offices aren’t willing to take a big risk on Iverson based on his spotty history….Hey guys, get over it….this is the NBA, half the league has a “spotty history”, hell based on last nights fight, I’d say Iverson is one of the good guys. No matter what you get off the court, you know Iverson is gonna bring it when on the court, the guy is all heart. Sign him up and reap the rewards. That being said, god only knows when something will be worked out for The Answer. If I were the Sixers brass, I’d get rid of Iverson and Webber….start totally fresh. You aren’t going to win a championship anytime soon, may as well play some exciting basketball. Meanwhile, if you are a NBA fantasy owner, scour the Sixers lineup, there are some guys on that team that are being forced to step up and score….mainly Andre Iguodala.

7. The 2006 NFL rookie class- In recent weeks this years NFL rookie class has began to show off…. A class that was hyped as Vince Young vs. Reggie Bush has become so much more than that, but neither of those two are letting us down either. This class may be the best class the league has seen since 1983. So who comes out as the rookie of the year? The candidates please: (All statistics through week 14)

Quarterbacks: 3 very solid QB’s went early and have played early as well
Vince Young- Round 1, pick 3- 1704 yards passing, 51.7 %, 10 TD, 11 INT, 458 rush yards, 5 TD- Passing numbers aren’t that impressive, but Young has shown poise in recent weeks and is a serious threat to run the ball. More importantly has lead the Titans to a 6-4 record since becoming the starter, including a current 4 game streak. ROY Status: In the mix

Matt Leinart- Round 1, pick 10- 2171 yards passing, 56.2 %, 10 TD, 10 INT, 2 rush TD- Has shown flashes of greatness, and made rookie mistakes as he continues to mature into a solid NFL QB. Started hot, then struggled, but has recently turned it back on, leading the Cardinals to 3-1 in their last 4 games. ROY Status: In the mix

Jay Cutler- Round 1, pick 11- 331 yards, passing, 52.9%, 4 TD, 2 Int- Cutler has only started 2 games to this point, so it’s only fair to give him an incomplete. Roy Status: Out of contention

Running Backs: Going by this bunch, this year will be remembered as the “year of the running back”
Reggie Bush- Round 1, pick 2- 405 yards rushing, 4 TD, 79 catches, 687 yards, 2 TD, 196 return yards, 1 TD- The ultimate “hybrid back” Bush has really began to pick his game up the last few weeks. Bush is used to a T by the Saints as they love to get him the ball in space where he can use his speed and playmaking ability to pick up big yardage. Great receiving numbers, but his 3.2 yard per carry is suspect. ROY Status: In the mix.
Laurence Maroney- Round 1, pick 21- 624 yards rushing, 4 TD, 18 catches, 188 yards, 1 TD- Numbers are a bit deceiving as he still backs up Corey Dillon in New England, Maroney appears to be the future in New England. Has gotten a bit banged up late in the season, otherwise he would have been in the ROY talk. ROY Status: Out of contention
DeAngelo Williams- Round 1, pick 27- 410 yards rushing, 1 TD, 24 catches, 245 yards, 1 TD- Another guy playing 2nd fiddle to an incumbent, and in my opinion, the Panther have mis-used him this season. Again, he has been dinged as of late, but has shown big play potential. ROY Status: Out of contention
Joseph Addai- Round 1, pick 30- 867 yards rushing, 7 TD, 31 catches, 259 yards, 1 TD- Perhaps the best back of the class on paper, but it is important to mention that Addai picked up 171 yards and 4 of his rushing TD’s in one game vs. Philly. Again, he has split carries with Dominick Rhodes for much of the year, Addai looks to be a keeper, and has a legit shot at busting 1000 yards rushing. Honestly, I haven’t understood why the Colts don’t get this kid more looks. ROY Status: In the mix
LenDale White- Round 2, pick 45- 224 yards rushing, 10 catches, 34 yards- Amazing, this guy played with Reggie Bush in college. White hasn’t gotten much opportunity with the emergence of Travis Henry in Tennessee, but has done pretty well when called upon. Looks like he is in the NFL to stay. ROY Status: Out of contention

Maurice Jones-Drew- Round 2, pick 60- 666 rush yards, (6.1 per) 9 TD, 33 catches, 332 yards, 2 TD, 25 kick returns, 689 yards, 1 TD. The kid’s numbers look even better when you consider he shares carries with Fred Taylor who is a 1,000 yard rusher himself. Jones-Drew had his coming out party last week vs. Indianapolis with 166 yards rushing, 2 TD, and a 93 yard kickoff return TD. The guy is a rare blend of speed, bowling ball, and bull. He is definitely here to stay. ROY Status: In the mix

Jerious Norwood- Round 3, pick 79- 550 rush yards, (6.5 per) 2 TD, 9 catches, 74 yards, 320 kick return yards- Another guy splitting time, Norwood gives way to Warrick Dunn. Also another speed/power guy he has huge big play ability. ROY Status: Out of contention

Honorable Mentions: Wali Lundy, Leon Washington

Wide Receivers: A weak draft at the WR position, the standouts were not thought to be impact players.
Greg Jennings- Round 2, pick 52- 43 catches, 625 yards, 3 TD- Thrown into the fray in Green Bay and responded pretty well. ROY Status: Out of contention

Devin Hester- Round 2, pick 57- 351 kick return yards, 2 TD, 518 punt return yards, 3 TD- You read that right, kid’s got 5 return TD’s. I put him in the WR bunch because he was sorta drafted as an athlete. Not sure if he will be a career return guy, but it seems to fit him well for now. ROY Status- In the mix

Marques Colston- Round 7, pick 252- 59 catches, 917 yards, 7 TD- Was running away with ROY honors until going down with an ankle injury in week 10. Has since returned, and is on easily on pace to top 1,000 yards. Was drafted as a hybrid TE. 4th to last player taken in draft.

Overhyped WR’s: Santonio Holmes, Chad Jackson, Sinorice Moss,

Defense: A pretty good draft for defensive players, a few have stood out

Mario Williams- Round 1, pick 1- 36 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 pass defensed, 1 fumble recovery- Poor guy has been trying to live up to not being Reggie Bush all year. Funny thing is, for a while he was out performing Bush. Too early to call him a bust, but seems a heavy price to pay for 4.5 sacks. ROY Status- Out of contention

A.J. Hawk- Round 1, pick 5- 108 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT, 5 pass defensed, 1 fumble forced, 2 fumble recovery- Has quietly put together a very solid season, just isn’t the type of player that will get a lot of hype. Should be a very solid linebacker and perhaps an all-pro for a long time. ROY Status- Out of contention (not due to lack of effort)

Ernie Sims- Round 1, pick 9- 111 total tackles, .5 sacks, 1 pass defensed, 1 fumble forces, 1 fumble recovered- Not a bad year for a guy spending his days in Detroit- ROY Status- Out of contention

Offensive Line- I only mention this because 1 candidate received major hype, and another has played very well

D’Brickashaw Ferguson- Round 1, pick 5- Not sure what to say, he’s started and played pretty well- ROY Status- Out of contention

Marcus McNeill- Round 2, pick 50- Makes the list because this was a huge question mark in San Diego in the pre-season. Has protected Rivers well and notice how often L.T. runs left. ROY Status- In the mix (believe it or not, I’ve heard his name mentioned)

In the mix guys: Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Joseph Addai, Maurice Jones-Drew, Devin Hester, Marques Colston, and Marcus McNeill.

Quite an awesome class, Gabs is gonna go ahead and go with Maurice Jones-Drew as your ROY, with 3 weeks to play. Honestly, it’s super tight at the moment, and these last few games should determine it.
Finally, for comparison, check out the 1983 Draft Class: Here are just a few big names from ‘83: John Elway, Eric Dickerson, Curt Warner, Billie Ray Smith, Todd Blackledge, Jim Covert, Bruce Matthews, Jim Kelly, Tony Eason, Willie Gault, Joey Browner, Gary Anderson (RB), Jim Jeffcoat, Ken Obrien, Dan Marino, Darryl Green, Henry Ellard, Craig James, Darryl Talley, Albert Lewis, Charles Mann, Reggie Roby, Richard Dent, Marc Clayton, Tim Krumrie, Karl Mecklenburg

6. Terrell Owens Spitting on DeAngelo Hall- Of course, this story ranks much higher according to the talking heads at ESPN. I could honestly care less, but figured I’d mention it just for the DeAngelo Hall factor. First, a quick run down. After Saturday’s game Falcon’s corner DeAngelo Hall claimed that Terrell Owens spit on him early in the game. Shortly after, on an NFL network interview Owens admitted spitting on Hall because Hall was “bugging” and “irritating” him. Hall went on to say that he lost all respect for Owens after that moment, and then today is calling for the NFL to suspend Owens rather than fine him. (The incident was not caught on tape, and no official saw it). I am not condoning Owens spitting on Hall. It was a stupid and dishonorable thing to do. However, for the trash talking Hall to talk of losing respect for someone is pretty funny. Let’s remember, it was Hall who basically anointed himself the best corner in history last year when he “shut down” Owens to the tune of 7 catches and 112 yards in a Monday night game. I remember watching that game and listening to Hall being interviewed afterwards and thinking…”what an idiot”. So now, his Falcons, hanging on to a thread of playoff hope, lose to the Cowboys (oh, did I mention Owens burned Hall for 2 TD’s?) and Hall openly politics for Owens to be suspended….for spitting on him. Sour Grapes. The guy talks about his man-hood being tested by the incident. I’m thinking you’re pretty much showing your lack of manhood by asking the other guy to be punished. Honestly, isn’t that sorta like telling on a guy that picks on you in school?? He also mentions how T.O. has “all the money in the world”…..Uhhh, DeAngelo, you are both compensated pretty nicely. So, long story short….spitting is bad, but crying about it after getting beat is even worse.

5. The Collapse of The Carolina Hurricanes- I became addicted to hockey last year while enjoying the Hurricanes run to the Stanley Cup….so addicted that I decided to spring for season tickets this year. It’s been an enjoyable experience, but the hockey the Canes have been playing recently is pretty boorish. Friday night’s loss to Toronto marked the 5th loss in a row for the club….The injury bug has quite often been the excuse as the team has played all year without Foward Cory Stillman and Defenseman Frank Kaberle, not to mention a host of other injuries. They got Stillman back last week, only to see team captain Rod Brind’Amour fall to the injury bug. There is no Olympic Break to fall back on this year, I’m not sure if this team will ever get totally healthy. Even if they do, I’m not sure good health is the only answer. The Power Play has been less than average (14.1%, 25th in the NHL), as has the defense…..and I really hate to say this, but I’m starting to wonder if they Canes made a mistake by putting all their goalie eggs in the basket of ‘05 playoff hero Cam Ward. Ward still makes a lot of spectacular saves, but at times seems to allow routine goals. Of course, all of this is just a frustrated, fairly uninformed hockey fan talking. I don’t claim to understand a lot of the nuances of hockey, I’m a relatively new fan, but I can tell when a team is going bad….and right now, the Canes are going bad. Despite all this, I still have hopes that the Canes will get things together and play great hockey in the 2nd half of the season, and prepare to peak come playoff time.

4. Saturday Night’s NBA Brawl- By now you’ve probably seen the latest in a series of NBA brawls. If you haven’t seen it, you can check it out here on youtube. Better check fast, this video will be removed soon as it is a violation of nba copyright policy. Not a lot to say about this, I didn’t think it was that hard of a foul to be honest. I agreed with the foul, I would have fouled the guy as well, I wouldn’t want anyone dunking in my house with the game out of hand. I don’t think JR Smith’s reaction was that bad, Nate Robinson fueled the fire by running in to defend his teammate. Let me add that I LOVE Nate Robinson, and I have no problem with his reaction. If I were on the court during that game I would have been upset as well. The sucker punches are what I have a problem with. JR Smith and especially Carmello Anthony got in some serious sucker punches…..Smith, Anthony, and Robinson should be suspended. After that, everyone was pretty tame. I don’t believe the fouler should be suspended because like I mentioned, I don’t really think it was that bad of a foul. As for Isaiah Thomas’s comments…I agree and disagree. I love that the guy is taking up for his team, also he is right, the studs shouldn’t have been on the floor…but come on, this is the NBA, not the NCAA. This isn’t about character building or good sportsmanship, it’s about winning and entertainment. No matter, it just wasn’t that bad of a foul. Shouldn’t have resulted in a fight. If you don’t want your team getting dunked on in the late moments then keep playing hard. No matter, the Knicks have showed some fight, but I gotta feeling this is only the beginning of the end for Zeke. I really don’t think this was that bad of a fight, security did a decent job, the fans behaved, and most of the players behaved as well. Pretty funny seeing Najera running around the court trying to figure out what to do. ESPN is making this out to be some huge sort of deal, flashing back to Kermit Washington and Ron Artest, but this simply isn’t on that level.

3. LaDanian Tomlinson- Ok, this at this point in this post, Sunday’s NFL games are over, so I have yet another game to judge Tomlinson by. Marty Schottenheimer said that L.T. was the greatest back he has ever seen….period. Well, I might not go that far, but I do think we are witnessing the greatest season ever by an NFL running back. Tomlinson ran wild tonight vs. the Chiefs racking up 199 yards rushing (206 total) and 2 TD’s, giving him 2,110 yards from scrimmage and a whopping 31 total TD’s. This was his 8th straight 100 yard game, and his 8th straight game with 2 or more TD’s. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve seen some pretty big NFL seasons, but this tops all. Also, there are 2 games left for the Chargers and as of right now, at least one of them is meaningful….so we are gonna get more from LT. The best thing about this is that Tomlinson is one of the more humble athletes in pro sports, you never hear a word from him…heck, I hardly even know what his voice sounds like. Also, I believe the Chargers are still the team to beat, as they are the most complete team in the NFL. Tomlinson is still young and has been relatively injury free. If he can put together 4-5 more years of this type of football (well, close to it, 4-5 more years like this and he is the best ever easily) he could possibly go down as the greatest back in NFL history. I’m hoping he gets a ring on his way.

2. The Philadelphia Eagles- The team I love to hate controls their own destiny. 5 weeks ago, myself and many others pronounced the Philadelphia Eagles dead in the water when the lost quarterback Donovan McNabb to a season ending injury. I even heard an ESPN talking head suggest that A.J. Feeley should get the starting QB job because he had a bigger arm and would have more success in the Eagles play-action pass scheme than veteran Jeff Garcia. Now, 5 weeks later, the Eagles are 8-6, only a game behind Dallas, and if they win their last 2 games, the Eagles will win the NFC East. It’s been a quite remarkable run with a win vs. Carolina, and wins at Washington and at the Giants. The Eagles travel to Dallas on Christmas day, and finish up at home vs. Atlanta. Jeff Garcia has been fabulous during his starting stretch, throwing 9 TD’s and just 1 INT. Today, he hooked up with Reggie Brown for a 19 yard go ahead score vs. the Giants, with just 2:27 remaining. This happened just minutes after Garcia threw a pick, and was called for taunting, which setup the Giants to take the lead. So, it goes….Christmas Day…. Eagles @ Cowboys. All year, I’ve been thinking each week was the biggest week for the Cowboys….the Colts game….Thanksgiving vs. Tampa…the Giants….the Saints, Falcons…..and now….it all comes down to freakin Christmas Day against a team I despise more than any in the NFL. A loss, and Dallas will have the same record as Philly, but Philly would own the tie-breaker. A win, and the division is ours. Controlling your destiny is a wonderful opportunity to have at this point in the season…..I wonder who takes advantage of it.

1. Appalachian State- Ok, this isn’t the number one story that I talk about, but it’s big news, and doesn’t get enough play. Appalachian State won their 2nd consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championship with a 28-17 win over Massachusetts Friday night. App St. was led by junior running back Kevin Richardson’s 179 yards rushing and 4 TD’s. This is a big story because these guys do things the way they should be done, with a playoff system. This was Appalachian State’s 15th game of the season, and somehow they got em all in before any of the major bowls….wow, amazing. Anyway, with Richardson, and the QB, Armanti Edwards returning next year, the Mountaineers should be in the thick of things again. Congrats!