Sleepers for a Super Bowl Run

As we enter the final two weeks of the NFL season, the top four contenders in the league are clear. The New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers have distanced themselves as the clear favorites to make it to Glendale. It would surprise no one at this point if those were the teams playing for a Super Bowl berth in late January. As for the sleepers there are a few in my book. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers stand out in AFC, because of the coaching and proven quarterback play. Both Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger are former Super Bowl MVPs and quietly having career years for their teams. It would not surprise me if one of these teams made a run to the AFC title game as a wild card team. In the NFC, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys are both teams I could see going to the Super Bowl. The Lions still have one of the best defenses in the league statistically, and the Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson connection can win games offensively. The Cowboys still have the great offensive players at every important position. One of the best offensive lines in the league leads the charge, while Tony Romo, Demarco Murray, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten is as good as it gets for a QB-RB-WR-TE combination. We'll see come 2015 if these sleepers take their game to the next level.

Rondo Trade Puts More Burden on James Harden

Now that Dallas has made a blockbuster move to acquire Rajon Rondo, the pressure is all on James Harden. The man has been playing like the MVP of late, especially with Dwight Howard out with injury. Harden has almost single handedly kept the Houston Rockets at the top of the Western Conference standings. His play has been great, but with the Grizzlies, Spurs and Mavs all in their division (not to mention the Pelicans, currently the eighth seed), it will be tough going forward for the Rockets to grab home court advantage. Perhaps this move will spark the Rockets to counter with a trade of their own. Rondo was the target but maybe Houston can grab a Goran Dragic from Phoenix. The Rockets need an upgrade if they want to compete for a title this year.

Rondo to the Mavs Equals Instant Contenders

The Boston Celtics have finally moved their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo. He is being traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Brendan Wright, Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder and 2 future draft picks. So, the move has finally been made. After the past couples years of trade speculation, Rondo is out of Boston. As a Celtics fan its sad to see the only player I really care about leave the team, but part of me is very excited. I will get to see more of Rondo now that he is playing for a contender. Rondo always used to play even better during nationally televised games, and more importantly...during the playoffs. Dallas was already a sleeper in the loaded west, but now that they have added Rondo, they immediately move into title contender status. No team in the league can say they have a more talented, yet well-rounded team following this move. The Mavericks love to push the ball and get quick hoops, so look for Rondo to be in heaven. It would not surprise me if he averaged close to 15 assists per game, nor would it surprise me if the Mavericks end up in the NBA finals.

Should the Lakers/Knicks Trade Kobe/Melo?

Not that any team would like the contract they would be picking up, but it is something to think about. Both teams are headed nowhere fast. The Knicks became the first team to 20 losses this season, and the Lakers have no hope in a loaded western conference (not to mention the team just stinks). Now I don't ever see Kobe going anywhere, and I think he wants to stay so that he can say he stayed in one place his whole career. Carmelo, however, would be very interesting. I think I'm not alone in saying I really wanted to see him go to Chicago this past summer. I do not think that is a possibility in regards to a potential trade, but if the two teams could figure it out it would be great for both Anthony and the Bulls. With Houston having such a good season thus far, maybe they would make a move to get Melo. I guess my point is that Carmelo is too good of an NBA player to spend the prime of his career on such a poor team. Who knows? The way it seems LeBron is losing a step physically, may be happening to Melo as well. The difference is James has Love and Kyrie, while Melo has an aging Stoudemire and Jose Calderon...

Why LeBron James Did Not Play Last Night

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers last night 103-94, led by solid games from both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were strong as well for Cleveland, but the game lacked a little extra excitement. Something that would have been provided if a certain former MVP had decided to play. LeBron James sat out last nights affair in Oklahoma City due to "knee soreness". Now I have never been the biggest fan of LeBron James, but I have never lacked respect for him as a player. When I heard he was missing the game due to, again, "knee soreness", I could not help but think of why he really was not playing. Think about it this was a perfect game to play in. The Cavs had won eight straight games, and were really starting to find their groove. On the other side both Durant and Westbrook were returning from very recent injuries. This could have been an opportunity for LeBron to have a signature game on the road. Not to mention we are only guaranteed two Durant-James matchups every year (not including the All-Star game). Alas, I suppose we will have to wait for Sunday January 25th, when the game will be played in Cleveland. But then again, maybe Kevin Durant will be out with knee soreness.

Is It Too Early to Ask For An 8 Team Playoff?

After the final four teams were announced on Sunday, there was much outrage from fans of the Big 12 conference, because both #5 Baylor and #6 TCU were left out. Naturally many are saying that an eight team playoff would be better than the current four. Even though we have not yet seen this four team playoff through one full season, I tend to agree. To me, the difference between the forth best team in the country and the fifth best, is much less than the seventh and eighth best teams. Or perhaps a better way to put it, is that the difference between a potential 1-2 matchup (Alabama and Oregon), and a 5-6 (Baylor and TCU), is much less than the latter. That would be comparing a Baylor-TCU matchup to a 9-10 (Ole Miss and Arizona). Also, and eight team playoff is much like professional sports. Hockey has 16 (NHL), basketball has 16 (NBA), the NFL has 12, and baseball has 10 now (MLB). Even if you want to compare to college sports, basketball provides a field of 68. Point is, I don't think this system needs to be changed right away, I think it deserves at least three or four years. However, eight should be a goal before a decade passes, as it just seems right. If we are going to have a playoff format in college football, it should be more than just four teams.

Warriors Just Keep Winning

Golden State got another win last night over the Houston Rockets. That moves them to 19-2 on the young season, and still the best record in the NBA. The team is one of the best offensive and defensive teams in the league. Last nights win was especially impressive, because of the way they closed the game, leaving no doubt who was still the best team in the league. Now Houston did not have Dwight Howard, but Golden State did not have Bogut either. In the upcoming week the Warriors will be tested by some of the best in the west, including Oklahoma City, Dallas and Memphis. If the team is able to come out of this stretch will just two losses, I may be writing about how good this team could really be.

Important For Patriots to Win Out

New England plays host to Miami this weekend, and look to continue their dominance of the AFC East. The Pats finish the season with Buffalo and the Jets as well, all very winnable games. If they win out then home field advantage is theirs. However, with Denver looming, if the Pats drop even one of these games then home field could be lost. We saw last year just how important that home field advantage is, when the Pats went to Mile High and lost in the AFC championship game. The Patriots almost never lose at home, and with the team looking as well-rounded as they have in recent years, I would like their chances against Denver in the title game. Lets hope that the injury bug does not bite them for a second consecutive postseason, and that Brady and co. are back in the Super Bowl come February.

Why Does LeBron Look Old?

The Cavaliers are on a little winning streak. One that is in no small part due to LeBron James' play. In the teams most recent victory over Toronto, LeBron scored 24 points while dishing out 13 assists. LeBron has played well for the most part this season. He has not been posting his most impressive numbers to date, but has been doing what he always does. However, he seems to be a step slow and lacking the normal athleticism we are used to seeing from him. It is far too early to say LeBron is passed his prime, but its worth considering. Just on the eye test alone there is that "wow" factor missing from his game right now. Im not ready to say he is not the best player in the world anymore, but it will be interesting to see how he progresses this season. With players like Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis playing at MVP levels, the conversation is becoming more intriguing.

We Will Know The Final Four This Sunday

Big weekend in sports, and especially in college football. The conference championship games are this weekend, and the games will go a long way toward determining the final four in the first ever college football playoff. The first big game is tonight as number ranked Oregon takes on number seven Arizona. If Oregon wins they are almost certain to have either the one or two seed. On Saturday Alabama (1) plays Missouri (16) in the SEC championship, Florida State (4) plays Georgia Tech (11) in the ACC championship, Baylor (6) plays Kansas State (9) and Ohio State (5) plays Wisconsin (13) in the Big 10 championship. If the Crimson Tide win they should finish number one, and Florida State should clinch a spot with a win as well. Now if both Baylor and Ohio State win that will open up a very interesting discussion as to who should be that final team in the playoff. Right now TCU sits at number three, but impressive wins by both the Buckeyes and the Bears should cause a debate. It will be interesting to see if there are any upsets this weekend and what the final four look like. The reaction is for certain going to entertaining.

Where Do the Knicks Go From Here?

It was not expected that the New York Knicks would be a formidable team in the NBA this year, or even an okay team. After last nights game against the Cavaliers this can be confirmed. It wasn't the way the that they played as it was only a three point defeat. But, the Knicks are now off the the worst start in franchise history, and their star player Carmelo Anthony only put up nine points on 4-19 shooting in the most recent loss. The additions of both Phil Jackson, and coach Derek Fisher are still viewed as solid choices by the Knicks, but what do they do with the roster? Carmelo Anthony is not getting any younger, and New York needs to make big moves in the next six months if they intend on contending anytime soon.

Patriots Need to Bounce Back in San Diego

After New England's close defeat at the hands of the Packers last week, the Patriots head into the weekend tied with Denver for the best record in the AFC. Now they currently hold the tie breaker over the Broncos because they won the head to head matchup, but with four games left the Pats do not have a lot of wiggle room. Denver has a pretty weak schedule to finish out the year, making this weeks game for the Patriots very important. San Diego is coming off a huge come from behind road win in Baltimore, making them currently 8-4. Brady will lead the Pats to the win, and the corners will not let Rivers operate at the same level he is used to: 38-20 New England.

A Matchup of Pac-12 Minds

This weekend is full a huge football games. The Sunday slate is action packed, including an NFC battle between Seattle and Philadelphia. Pete Carroll leads his Seahawks into Philly to face another former Pac-12 coach in Chip Kelly. Another intriguing aspect of this game is that the Eagles starting quarterback used to play for Carroll at USC; Mark Sanchez. Seattle seems to be finding itself as the season moves towards the stretch run. The defense has been great the last two weeks in wins over Arizona and San Francisco. I have a feeling that Philly may come away with this one however. A combination of the home-field advantage, and the high-powered offense led by Kelly, has me feeling like the Eagles will come away with the win 27-23.