1st Annual Sports Oscars

In light of 80th Annual Academy Awards, I would like to welcome you to the First Annual Agree to Disagree Sports Awards, also known as the Sports Oscars. After examining the past year in sports, I would like to award those deserving of Sports Oscars. In a year filled with joy and drama I present to you this year's winners:

Best Picture...
... And this award goes to Tom Brady. The picture of him wearing a walking cast in New York was the talk of Super Bowl week. This picture had every newspaper and magazine questioning Tom Brady's health before the game and his choice in flowers. This picture was bigger than the super bowl itself, well until they lost.

Best Screenplay...
... And the award goes to George Mitchell. Mitchell wrote the best and most controversial screenplay to ever hit sports, "The Mitchell Report." This 400 plus pages names 89 current and former baseball players that are alleged to have used steroids or drugs. The full report shows shocking information about the game's biggest stars, including Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. Every director wants there hands on this script.

Best Supporting Actress...

...And the award goes to Jessica Simpson. Jessica is dating Dallas Cowboy's stud quarterback Tony Romo. Jessica has become his number one fan and even showed her support by attending the game against rival Philadelphia Eagles. At the game the cameras focused on Jessica and her pink Romo jersey. The Cowboys lost that game 10-6 and Romo finished with a career low 22.2 quarterback rating. Later in the playoffs, the couple went on a trip to Mexico, and the Cowboys lost soon after that.

Best Director...
... And the award goes to David Stern. The commissioner has done a wonderful job this year getting the NBA back in shape. With the MLB having the steroid investigations and the NFL dealing with Spygate, no even remebers the betting scandal with Tim Donaghy. Stern has turned things around and deserves to be best director, you can bet on that.

Best Makeup...
... And the award goes to Roger Clemens. Roger Clemens has been caught with steroids and is making up stories every time he steps in the courtroom. He tries to cover up all his lies with make up and they are now starting to finally catch up to him. Roger has been the best at making excuses and throwing everyone, including his mother, under the bus. You can only cover up so much with make up, regardless he wins this award by effort alone.

Best Visual Effects...
... And the award goes to Bill Belichick. Belichick's visuals in Spygate are the best I've seen since E.T. won in 1982. Getting an opponent's walk-throughs and game signals is not only hard footage to capture, but to do this consistently for so many years is amazing. Spygate is not only a breakthrough in NFL coaching, but in cheating as well.

Best Leading Role...
... And the award goes to Kobe Bryant. In Kobe's monologue, which was filmed in a shopping center parking lot, he discusses his aspirations for Jason Kidd. In this he also explains who needs to be "shiped out" in order to get him. In this one scene alone, he was able to score a great supporting cast with realistic championship dreams.

These are your First Annual Agree to Disagree Sports Awards winners. Let me know who you think should win what award.

Is the NBA is BACK?

The NBA is coming back everyone. The Association is hotter than ever since the Jordan era. After watching the Lakers - Suns game I am officially saying the NBA is making it's comeback tour. It started with the makeover of the Boston Celtics, one of the most important franchises and has continued with the recent trades with the Lakers, Suns, and Mavs. The Lakers - Suns game received a cable rating of 2.9 with 3.6 million viewers, the highest regular season rating since Yao's debut against Shaq in 2003. People have comeback to watch, but will they stay is the question. Although the NBA is stronger than ever in recent years, there are still improvements that need to be made before we can say it is here to stay. Here are some suggestions that could get the NBA over the top.

Get a Team in Las Vegas
This was huge talk last year when the all-star game was in Las Vegas. It seems that all those talks are dead, but getting a team in the city of sin would be huge for the league. Las Vegas is a great up and coming city that is dying for a sports franchise. I don't recommend another expansion team, but if we can get a small market team such as Minnesota or Milwaukee to move, would be better for the league. We can call the team the Las Vegas Card Sharks or Blackjackers. A great city needs a professional sports team, why not an NBA team?

Make the New York Knicks relevant
How is the most populated city in the US irrelevant in the basketball world? NYC is the one of the biggest markets in the world with rich basketball history, but is one of the worst teams in the NBA. Only if the Knicks just knew what a basketball was or if Isiah was excluded from the city like he was on the Dream Team the league would in better shape. The league always strives when the Lakers, Bulls, Suns, Celtics, and Knicks are doing good. A solution I have for this is to somehow find a way to get Lebron James in a Knick uniform, this would bring in other players and the team will be relevant again. If Spike Lee has to make a movie out of the James' to make this happen, then please do it. If the Knicks are not contenders soon, the league will never reach full potential. LBJ to NYC 2010, Spike Lee make this happen.

Cut the regular season games down
Let's face it, the regular season is a joke. Many would rather watch Women's College Bowling than watch on one the 82 regular season games. What makes the NFL so popular is that every game in the regular season counts. The western conference right now is in a rare situation where every game counts and two losses can get you from second seed to out of the playoffs. Now imagine if this were the case in every season, where every team saw each game as a must win. I'm not saying that they should only play 16 games, but if the league cuts the games to 62 instead of 82 then the urgency to win would be greater. The 82 game season also causes fatigue and injury that are costly for the playoffs, which is supposed to showcase the best teams at their best. Now would you rather watch a must win regular season game or women's college bowling? Unless it were topless bowling, nothing beats a must win game.

No more guaranteed contracts
I think by doing this, effort in NBA games will skyrocket and it will clean up the game's image as well. Players will have to play their heart outs and have to discipline themselves because money is not guaranteed to them. Teams like the Knicks will be able to get rid of everyone, including Isiah and start over. You can also see less strip club gun fights, acting out on coaches, quitting in games, punching fans, spitting at people, domestic violence, and whatever else laws the players love to break.

These are just some thoughts on how the League can improve and be the great sport I once was loved. Although these things will probably not happen, it would be fun if it did. What do you think would help the NBA to put them at the top again?

Trophy or wife?

Sorry ladies, but this piece is strictly for the men. Athlete's and beautiful women have always gone together like Jordan and shoes, or Ricky Williams and .... well you know what I'm getting at. Some athletes may surprise you on who they nabbed. Enough of the small talk, let's take a look at these gold digg ..... I mean beautiful loyal women.

Anna Benson

Married to Phillies pitcher Kris Benson. His career isn't so hot, but at least his wife is.

Jodi Ann Paterson

Michael Mario Andretti is married to this Formula One Playboy Playmate.


Victoria Beckham

Posh Spice is married to arguably the most recognized athletes in the world, David Beckham. Although they are both "has beens" they are one of the most famous couples in the world, or at least in bloody Europe.


Veronica Varekova

This is the wife of Czech Extraliga's Center Petr Nedved. He played in the NHL for 15 years, but I guess it doesn't matter how famous you are if you are married to this.

Michelle Damon

Mr. Johnny Damon is the lucky guy. The lead off for the Yankees was able to marry her even when he looked like "Cast Away" a few years back. I guess looks aren't everything.

Carmella DeCesare

This one is the biggest head scratcher. Jeff Garcia? I have no idea how he pulled that off, I'm just speechless.

Jennifer Walcott

Sacked by Bear's safety Adam Archuleta. Another playmate married to an NFL player. The requirement at the Playboy Mansion must be that you have to be a professional athlete to get in.

Ingrid Vandebosch

She is married to another race car driver, Jeff Gordon. I wonder if I drive 500 times around the block at 150 MPH, I can get a good looking woman too. This racers have it all from NASCAR to Rice Rockets.


Eva Longoria

Frenchman Tony Parker is no longer desperate for a woman. Yes she is older, and yes she money. Hard to tell if this is gold digging or cradle robbing. Whatever it is, score one for the French.

Elin Nordegren

Talk about a hole in one. Tiger who is already a master on the links, but he is a master with the ladies as well. This is proof that Tiger has the best stroke in the world. No pun intended.

Who has the best looking wife?

Dream Team '92 vs 08'

I was fortunate enough in my young career to cover the 1992 Dream Team, who is arguably the greatest team ever assembled in any sport. Only two of the twelve players on that team were NOT one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players. This team also included the great MJ's, Jordan and Johnson. We will probably never see a team like this in our lifetime or even the rest of human existence. There is a current team that resembles a lot like that OG Dream Team, the current Team USA basketball team. This might be the closest we see to the '92 Dream Team we will ever see. At the end of this generation we may even look back to say that this was an even greater team.

Patrick Ewing vs Dwight Howard
Howard is a more athletic big man who has great defense and a killer on the boards. Ewing had a much better offensive game and had a better perimeter shot. Howard is developing into a good offensive player and he is only 22 years old. Another note Howard doesn't go through six towels in one quarter of sweating.

David Robinson vs Tyson Chandler
Chandler is a superior low post defender and rebounder. He can finish near the rim, but has no post moves. Robinson was much more versatile. The admiral could score and play defense. Although he was not as bulky as Chandler is, his athleticism for a man his size made up for it.

Scottie Pippen vs Carmelo Anthony
Pippen was the real life Robin, the ultimate side kick. The best comparison to Pippen would be Shawn Marion, another real life Robin. Since Marion will most likely not be on this team, we will have to compare him to Melo. Melo is a great scorer, he can shoot over you or take you to the hole. Pippen also had a great shot and could finish around the hoop. Pippen's defense was far greater than any defending Anthony could ever do.

Charles Barkley vs Amare Stoudemire
Amare is a great talent, but Barkley was just a beast. Barkley was the leading scorer of that team and no living creature could stop him. Amare may turn into that same player down the road. He is a great finisher and is slowly developing his perimeter game. There is no one in the NBA that can bring what Barkley did, but Amare could fill some of that void. Amare could

Karl Malone vs Carlos Boozer
Malone defined the toughness on the original team. He did the dirty work of scoring down low and grabbing rebounds. Boozer will bring that same intensity and physical presence. Boozer is a big body that will do the physical dirty work. A lot of similarities like working great off the pick and roll and both playing for Utah. In fact Boozer looked up to Malone so much, he married Malone's sister just to get in his family. Sorry, but that last part was made up.

Larry Bird vs Mike Miller
Both require attention because they are threats on the perimeter. An aging Bird is just as good as a prime Miller. They also draw comparisons because they are both white, there I said it. Is there any other reason that needs to be pointed out?

Clyde Drexler vs Dwyane Wade
Both are versatile, get to the rim, and great finishers. Both are creative and can get any shot they want on the floor. They are also good passers and can flow with any offensive scheme. They will glide through the air and dunk on you or just put up an amazing acrobatic layup to finish, either way you can't go wrong.

Chris Mullin vs Michael Redd
Mullin was the shooter of the team. Mullin was another perimeter threat which let the slashers get in the paint. Redd does the exact same thing. Opponents cannot sag off these guys in the perimeter because they are deadly.

John Stockton vs Jason Kidd
The team's leaders on the court. Look to get everyone involved and are creative with and without the ball. They make the game easier for everyone on the team and act as a second coach on the floor. I think Kidd is the better floor general and emotional leader for his group. You can also stick Chris Paul here as well. He is taking the point guard position to a whole new level.

Magic Johnson vs Lebron James
We have all read this comparison before. Huge play makers and have the most creative minds on the court. Each can play any position on the court and are amazing passers, as well as scorers. They find it more important to get people involved first, but when called upon they can take over a game instantly. Lebron may one day be considered the best ever, but for now let's just call him "King."

Michael Jordan vs Kobe Bryant
Kobe is the closest thing we have to MJ since MJ. Kobe's competitiveness, skill, die hard winning attitude has put in the same sentence as his airness himself. They smell blood and will rip your heart out if they get the chance. They are the team's fight and will keep everyone on their toes if they get to comfortable. There will never be another Jordan, but settling for Kobe is not bad either.

Do we have a new dream team? We will have to wait, may be at the end of their careers we might look back and say that this was the greatest team assembled. I did not forget about the coaches and Dream Team MVP Christian Laettner, but like my opinions they don't really matter. This current USA team is much younger and athletic. Many of them are in their primes, as opposed to the '92 team where they were aging and past their primes. The rest of the world has caught up and international play is much more competitive than it used to be. The '92 team won their games by an average of 43.8 points and did not ever use a single timeout. The current team is the best team we have seen so far since that great team. We all know that the Original Dream Team is the only Dream Team, but for the sake of argument, if you put these two teams on the court, who do you think would win? I don't know, but it would be a game for the ages.

Why this was the Greatest Super Bowl Run Ever

For those of you who watched Sunday's David vs. Goliath, you witnessed the end of greatest Super Bowl Run in the history of the NFL. No, they are not the greatest Super Bowl Champions, but they have had the toughest road of any other champion. The Giants were not only expected to lose big in the Super Bowl, but many did not even expect them to be in the playoffs. Being a wild-card team means that you have the hardest road to a championship; you must win all 4 games which are all on the road (depending on your record). Yes there have been many great wild-card super bowl champions, but the New York Giants are the greatest of the wild-card teams.
There has been a total of 9 wild-card teams to advance to the Super Bowl since the merge in 1970. Out of those 9 teams, 4 of them had all road games including the Super Bowl. The other 5 teams played the opening wild card game at home.
3 out of those 4 teams played a total of 4 games total (including SB). The odd team out is the 1975 Dallas Cowboys who only had to play 3 games to win the championship.
2 out of those 3 teams won the Super Bowl. The wild-card Patriots lost to the great Bears in 1985 season.
That leaves us with two wild-card teams left, the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006 and the New York Giants in 2008. The Steelers went on to face the Bengals, Colts, Broncos, and Seahawks. The Giants played the Buccaneers, Cowboys, Packers, Patriots. Both teams played opponents with a combined record of 53-13. Since the records are dead even, lets take a look at the x factors each team had to face in their runs.
The Steelers had to go to Indianapolis and face the best regular season team (14-2). The Colts started the season 13-0, with a high powered offense as Peyton Manning as the captain. In the Super Bowl they faced the Seattle Seahawks who had the MVP of the league with Shaun Alexander.
In the NFC Championship the Giants had to go through the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau field. The same field where the Packers are almost invincible and the wind chill was -24 degrees. After that they faced the destined New England Patriots. The same Patriots who was 18-0 going into the game and had the MVP Tom Brady.
Going into Green Bay and beating the Packers is more impressive than beating the Colts in a dome. The biggest reason this run is the greatest is that the Giants beat destiny. The Patriots were supposed have the perfect season and be the greatest team in history. Beating a team of destiny solidifies the greatest playoff run ever.