NBA

The Washington Redskins made their final roster cuts today in order to get to the mandatory 53 man roster. Some of the more noteworthy cuts:

Marcus Mason-RB

Why you should care: Marcus was our workhorse in the pre-season leading the NFL in rushing with 317 yards. Being a huge Marcus fan this is tough for me to say but this is the correct decision. Simply put, the Redskins don’t need him.  Cartwright is our return guy and Betts is a proven backup. Unless you are going to start Mason over Portis (a guy we are paying a lot of loot) you have to let Marcus go.  In fact by cutting Marcus (a.k.a the #1 Stunna) the Redskins are doing him a favor.  He stands to make more cash money this way with a team that can actually utilize his abilities. Best of luck #23, you will be missed.
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Received this little nugget from my brother-in-law. Apparently Redskins RB Marcus Mason is a star now along with Mkristo Bruce. Wait…who? Anyways, it’s always good to see a local guy gettin’ recognition. Look for Marcus to run over Mkristo Bruce this Thursday when the Redskins host the Jags in their final preseason game. Did you eat that squirrel Marcus?!

Again, we will have more pictures from last night’s game up at some point today. Dr.Gonzo had to make the drive home from the meadowlands last night and is now doubt getting some much needed rest. That leaves me to touch on Colt Brennan’s performance at the end of the game.

Colt Brennan continued his gunslingin’ ways in the fourth quarter of the Jets preseason game yesterday throwing the game winning touchdown pass to former Terp Jason Goode in the final minutes. Oh yeah, and he got to see a Hall of Fame quarterback, and the ultimate gunslinger Brett Favre, in his preseason debut. Brennan, who turned 25 yesterday, made all of his birthday wishes come true. “I want[ed] to meet him” said Brennan of Brett Favre. Okay well almost all of his wishes came true. Brennan finished the day 4 of 5 for 79 yards and a score. In addition to throwing the game winning touchdown to Goode, Brennan also completed a 37 yard loft to Billy McMullen. The golden boy keeps shining.
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First overall draft choice Devin Thomas is scheduled to make his NFL debut this Saturday vs. The Jets. Thomas had been sidelined the past three weeks with a pulled hamstring and missed both the Hall of Fame Game and the preseason game vs. the Bills.  When asked about this Saturday’s game Thomas said  “I’m confident. It’s my first chance to showcase what I can do. I’m excited and I hope I get a lot of opportunities.”  Thomas, who is 6′1 and ran a 4.34 in the 40, hopes to add size and depth to a talented but undersized receiving core.  He is extremely gifted but his injury may limit his contribution to the Redskins early on this season. So what does he need to show the coaching staff, and the fans, to get on the field in the NFL opener?  5 things to look for during Devin’s debut:

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First there was 2-Pac and Biggie, then Nas and Jay-Z, and now…Shaq and Kobe? Thats right the latest rapper to put out a diss song is Mr. Shaq Diesel himself. First off isn’t this Shaq v. Kobe thing getting a little old? I mean seriously doesn’t Shaq Diesel have anything better to “freestyle” about. Second, why does Shaq want Kobe to tell him how his a** tastes? Thats just disgusting. Third of all who the hell gave Shaq the mic and allowed him to freestyle rap in the first place? Shaq’s rapping career consists of such albums as Shaq-Fu:Da Return, Shaq Diesel and You Can’t Stop the Reign. What sinister fellow would want to subject the listening public to such a Whack MC? I think Shaq realizes that the only way people are going to listen to this garbage is if he mentions Kobe Bryant. In this respect I have to give Shaq credit. Think of how many people have already viewed Shaq’s freestyle on youtube and blog’s like this one. Had he not mentioned Kobe no one would even be talking about this video. Could a Shaq Diesel Vol. II be on the Horizon? Here is the video everyone is talking about:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLJ65x0mbv0&hl=en&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1]

If the L.A. Lakers have any chance of beating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals Kobe Bryant must be more aggressive. In the four losses to Boston this season Bryant is just 35 of 93 from the field. Too often Kobe has settled for jumpers that for whatever reason are not falling. I have to admit that I turned the game off late in the fourth when it appeared the Lakers, who were trailing by 24 at the time, were going to get stomped. I found out this morning that LA made a remarkable rally that ended up falling short down the stretch. The Kobe that came out during that rally is the only Kobe that can bring the Lakers back and find a way to win 4 of the next 5 games. It was only in the 4th quarter that I saw Kobe become the “Black Mamba” he calls himself as he slided and slithered his way into the lane. 13 of his 30 points were scored in the 4th and the reason he had so much success is that he attacked the heart of the Celtics defense. All night long Kobe was giving the refs the “stinkeye” and granted the refs did appear to be calling the game one sided. Boston enjoyed a huge free-throw advantage, going 27-for-38 from the foul line, while the Lakers were just 10-for-10. But the best way to get some calls your way when that happens is to drive strong to the hoop. I will admit driving on the Celtics is easier said then done. Players like Kendrick Perkins, Kevin the big ticket Garnett, and Leon Powe guard the paint like Lions guarding their den. However this is Kobe Bryant. The same Kobe Bryant that is the best player in the world and may challenge Michael Jordan as the best basketball player ever. Not only that but because Kobe has become such a deity among the NBA ranks he will eventually get his calls. For as much as I cannot stand Lebron James I think he understands this better than anyone. When the Cavaliers need points Lebron puts his head down, charges into the lane, and throws up a shot. If the shot doesn’t go in their is a great chance King James will get the call. Now Kobe is nowhere near the horse that Lebron is but is still more than capable of getting into the lane and making tough shots around the rim. It would come as no shock if the game plan for the rest of this series is to attack, attack, attack. If the Lakers can establish their inside game early the rest of the offense will be wide open. I wholly believe the Lakers can win this series if Kobe has the confidence that he can get to the rim no matter who is defending it. It’s a green light on Tuesday Kobe. Now go!

Kobe needs to go at, around, over, under, and through….well maybe not through, KG if he and the Lakers are to win the NBA Finals.

It started with Bill Russell and Jerry West in the 60’s. Then in the 80’s it was Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. And now after 21 years the Celtics and Lakers will once again face each other on the NBA’s biggest stage. While I by no means consider myself a basketball historian I certainly grasp, as I am sure the rest of sportsnation does, how much this matchup means for the NBA . The Lakers and Celtics have met a total of 10 times in the NBA finals with the Celtics winning all but two. The rivalry between these two teams is second only to Michael Jordan in terms of contributing to the leagues success. This is the matchup everyone wanted and now its here. The Lakers are a young, exciting team with lots of pizazz that love to get up and down the court. They wear flashy gold uniforms and have celebs in the stands. The Lakers have all the firepower. They can beat you in the paint with Gasol and Odom, can light up the perimeter with Vujacic,Fisher, and Radmanovic, oh yeah and they also have #24. Their opponents are the complete opposite. Hard nosed and gritty the Celtics personify toughness. They are comprised of a group of old vets who have attained the personal goals but have yet to win a championship. The Celtics attempt to cut the court in half, eliminating a teams fast break opportunities. They wear you down on defense and run the offense through Pierce and Garnett. This is a classic East vs. West matchup and should prove to be one of the best NBA Finals we have seen in a while. I didn’t even pick the Celtics to go to the Finals so I have to take the Lakers here. However, 4 of the three games will be played on the Celtics home court where the C’s have proven that they are a dominant and at times unstoppable force. The Celtics have lost an NBA Final in the Garden only once, the ‘84-’85 series against the Lakers, and expect them to guard their home turf with ferocity. In the end I see the Lakers getting the best of the Celtics in 6. I just feel that Kobe is too dominant. He can get his shot off from any position anywhere on the court, blow past double teams, make the right pass, and is one of the best finishers at the rim I have ever seen. He can also play great defense. I am very interested to see the amount of excitement generated over this game and the impact it has on the NBA. Is it Thursday yet?