SimonOnSports

Off to a wedding in Ecuador, enjoy the New Year and the Bowl Season, Go Jets / Wolverines.

Have you ever had the desire to watch a college team play in the NBA, well if that has ever been a part of your wishes, tune into the Celtics over the course of the next few days. Why? Well according to Boston.com Paul Pierce will be out for 2 weeks . Combine this with the fact that Wally Szczerbiak will be out for a few more games and the Celtics will be suiting up the closest thing to a college basketball team in NBA history. Hell even Scalabrine and Ratliff are out as well, and Olowokandi hasn't played in awhile due to an oblique strain. Current Roster Minus Pierce and Szczerbiak Ryan Gomes, 24 Sebastian Telfair, 21 Al Jefferson, 21 Tony Allen, 24 Rajon Rondo, 20 Allan Ray, 22 Delonte West, 23 Leon Powe, 22 Gerald Green, 20 That's the list of players who in addition to Pierce received game time last night against the Warriors. So to put it bluntly without Pierce playing the Celtics will suit up zero players above the age of 25. Meaning only two players who are older th

Well it's David Lee of course, who made the first basket on a inbounds with .1 seconds on the clock that I have ever seen in my life.

Not particularly a thursday night thriller, but the great thing about this holiday season is that instead of conversing with my family on christmas and christmas eve, instead I will be immersed in football and will be able to avoid any of those boring conversations such as how is work going, or the blanket whats new question. Hooray Football. 5. Indianapolis Colts (- 9 1/2) at Houston Texans The Colts appeared to have regained their momentum after their impressive monday night showing while the Texans seemingly get worse every single week. David Carr has lost his confidence and is continually making poor decisions. I expect the the Colts to pound the Texans in similar fashion as did the Pats last week. 4. Atlanta Falcons (-6 1/2) vs. Carolina Panthers The Panthers are a dead carcuss while the Falcons control their destiny. Coming off the beatdown at home that the Panthers had last week the might as well not show up for any of the remainder of the games this season. The Falcons pla

2 Weeks left and in typical NFL fashion all the Wild Card Spots are up for grabs and has tons of fans looking up the NFL Tie-Breaker Rules . Well here's a little breakdown of what can or has to drop in your teams favor in order to get that bye or last Wild Card. Cruisin Towards a Bye San Diego Chargers Clinched: AFC West Title Likely Spot: #1 seed How to Bye It: Win Out, 1 Win 1 Loss from Colts or Ravens, Three Way Tie with Colts Ravens where Strength of Victory remains ahead. The Chargers are in a great spot to position themselves for a bye, first off they are ahead of both the Colts and Ravens by a game. But additionally they no longer have conference games remaining on their schedule and have a phenomenal 10-2 Conference record. As long as the Chargers win one game and do not get blown out in the other they will get a bye. Remaining Schedule: @SEA, ARI Fighting for a Bye Baltimore Ravens Clinched: AFC North Champs Likely Spot: #3 seed How to Bye It: Win Out or maintain tie w

The Sixers yesterday finally pulled the trigger on AI and sent him to a desperate Nuggets team searching for the 'Answer' to their needs. Here's a Quick Recap of the trade on both sides and how to evaluate whether it was a success or failure for each franchise. Sixers Recap Two draft picks sound nice, but when you realize that they are the Nuggets and Mavericks draft picks and are destined to be the 22nd and 29th picks in the draft you have to wonder whether it was worth it. They will only clear half of AI's cap space after this season, with Andre Miller being on the roster for half AI's price for 2 more seasons, and they do not receive a player of Livingston or Foye's caliber even JR Smith would have made sense. In addition picking up Joe Smith and Andre Miller at this point of the season should help the Sixers win some games, and thus hurt their chances of landing Greg Oden or Kevin Durant in the draft. The Sixers should have waited until they got a solid NBA

There are officially way too many bowl games to pick so these are basically all quick picks as I do not have the time nor the desire to breakdown Western Michigan vs. Cincinnati. So from tonights Poinsettia Bowl to the National Championship game here are all my selections. And well why just pick a bowl game when you can rate whether or not you care to watch the game as well. So in addition I give each Bowl game a grade as to how watchable I personally believe the game is. Poinsettia Bowl - TCU vs. Northern Illinois, C+, The Poinsetta Bowl gives us a last look at Garrett Wolfe, and he faces off against one of the toughest run defenses in the land. He gets stuffed and the Horned Frogs take it home. Pick: Horned Frogs Las Vegas Bowl - BYU vs. Oregon, B-, BYU has gone under the radar for much of the season and ended up finishing the regular season in the top 25. The Ducks went in the opposite direction starting out high and plummeting during the Pac 10 season. I do like watching t

Week 15 Awards Wow You Guys Suck: David Garrard, Talk about killing your teams chances to win, not only were you responsible for the three touchdowns by the Titans, but your defense completely dominated the game and without your miserable turnovers the Jaguars win that game comfortably. Can we stop annointing Garrard as definitively better than Leftwich now, what exactly has he done that's so great? Runners Up: Houston was game over by about the 5th minute, Oakland's been outscored by about 50 points by LT alone. Cough Cough Cough: Seattle Seahawks, What are you guys doing? Back to Back losses to the 49ers and Cardinals. Are you serious? Now you actually have a remote chance of losing the division, and with the Chargers coming into Qwest this week be prepared for some extra stress come the final weekend of the season. So much for the Hasselbeck Alexander returns making this a good squad again. Runners Up: G-Men coughed the ball up too many times to eliminate the chance o

Now that all the fines and suspensions have been levied I figured I would throw out my opinion as to whether or not in my opinion these suspensions were justified. Carmelo Anthony, 15 games - Slightly Harsh - A) He was not the one fouled, B) The Scrum had for the most part been died down when he threw a haymaker, C) Said Haymaker landed on the chin, immediately making it worse, D) Superstar Carmelo Scarred the NBA Image more than any other player in the rumble. You can't have a superstar in the NBA doing that, and he deserved a huge suspension. 15 games might be a bit much, especially with Robinson getting 10, but he deserved to get embarrassed for his actions, the Knicks did nothing to start a fight with Carmelo, and he took a cheap shot after it settled down. JR Smith, 10 Games - Too Harsh - JR Smith say what you will, but Smith was destroyed at the rim and had a right to be ticked off with that transition foul. He didn't throw the first punch he simply confronted Collin

2 Weeks left and in typical NFL fashion all the Wild Card Spots are up for grabs and has tons of fans looking up the NFL Tie-Breaker Rules . Well here's a little breakdown of what can or has to drop in your teams favor in order to get that bye or last Wild Card. Clinched Division Chicago Bears Clinched: NFC North Champs #1 seed The Bears now can relax during their final two weeks as they have clinched the #1 seed in the NFC. It will be interesting to see what Lovie decides to do with his starters, who he decides to rest and how he decides to attack on offense. One would have to think that with Rex coming off one of the best games in his career Coach Smith might be best served to attempt to keep Rex in a good flow entering the playoffs. Remaining Schedule: @Det, GB Fighting for a Bye New Orleans Saints Clinched: NFC South Division Title Likely Spot: #2 or #3 Seed How to Clinch Bye: Win Out or Finish in a Tie for #2 Seed This weekends loss to Washington was very detrimental to the

Whammy and THE NBA Dumps the YouTube Video, how weak.

So a few weeks following his father's mumblings about how Mike Vick is a coach killer now Jim Mora the younger comes out and says he would leave the Falcon's during a playoff run to go coach his alma mater, the University of Washington. What in the world is he thinking, does he want his job, why exactly in midseason is he doing radio shows with his buddies in Seattle anyway. If there's one thing this proves its that the classic verbal blowup is definately in Jimmie's genes. While Mora is coming out and saying that he was joking about all of the statements, and if you hear the commentary it's pretty ludicrous, but as I always say joking is just an excuse for things you say. Anything the you say in a 'joking' manner has something behind it, and while I doubt he would leave the Falcons during the middle of the season, I would be willing to wager large amounts of cash that if that Washington job does open up at some point, he will slip his name into the hat.

Basically I just don't feel like writing a big thing about any of these topics but feel like giving a little opinion about all of them. Dice-K Per Perras's Request Personally I felt as if there was no chance that a deal wouldn't be worked out. First off what benefit would Daisuke have of going back to Japan, first off his organization wouldn't want him, he'd be making less money, and he's still have to wait two years to become a free agent. The only reason it took so long was Boras trying to get every ounce he could out of the Red Sox into that contract. I don't believe for a second Seibu would have put Matsuzaka in the minors though, makes no sense for the organization business wise or PR wise, it was all threat, they wanted their 51 mill. For the Red Sox I think it was a very good move. The 100+ million they spent is luxury tax friendly, they didn't drop a bunch of money on a mediocre pitcher, they got the best pitcher on the market for not illogic

Throwin an Equal Opportunity Holiday Spirt At You

So Good Even My Mom Appreciated It Gracias para Lanza por un link.

Devern Hansack ? Huh? Peter Gammons stated on the Dan Patrick Radio Show that if the Red Sox were to enter spring training today, that Devern Hansack a 28 year old Nicaraguan would be the teams closer. You remember Devern, he started two games in september when the Red Sox were long out of it, and no hit the Orioles through 5 in the last game of the season, no you weren't watching the Red Sox on October 1st? So you want more on Devern Hansack, this is all I got according to the stats provided at sportsline as well as the link above, he appears to have taken a two year hiatus from American baseball during the 2004 and 2005 seasons, and has yet to throw a single pitch in Triple A. If I was a Red Sox fan I certainly would hope that Peter Gammons was just name dropping there, and that they have a better current option. With that being said let's do a bit more focus on the Closer Situation in Boston. On the Roster Options Mike Timlin - Dude's about 800, I think he's been pi

Big Division showdown tonight which makes me want to get the NFL Network, pause, Not. This week feels like a very good week for the underdogs, that could be in direct correspondence to the fact that somehow, someway, the Raiders are favored to win their game. 5. St. Louis Rams (+ 1 1/2) at Oakland Raiders We'll start right there in Oakland. Sure I watched the Rams last week, and yes I know their special teams stunk up the joint, but that was against an 11-2 team not a 2-11 team. The Raiders will be without Jordan and Moss, not like that actually matters much, but still their offense is putrid, atleast the Rams still have Bulger, Jackson and Holt. Call me crazy but unless the Raiders are getting close to double digit points I'm going against them every week, and if their favored, ya saddle me up. 4. Atlanta Falcons (+3 1/2) vs. Dallas Cowboys Both really need this game but I think the Falcons show up ready to play knowing this is their playoff livelihood. Vick is due for ano

Who isn't a fan of watching 8 year olds run each other over like a freight train.

I'm far from a Notre Dame apologist but all of the Notre Dame bashers out there killing Brady Quinn have begun to annoy me to high heavens and those folks who think the Raiders or Lions should pass on him if available are insane. Phenomenal Numbers and Accomplishments There's no arguing with his numbers, complain about Notre Dame's schedule as much as you want but if you do so give equal note to the fact that Troy Smith only played in two big games this season as well. Brady Quinn finished the regular season with 35-5 the best TD to INT ratio in major college history (disregarding anyone from BYUish Hawaiiish esque schools). Twice top 5 in the Heisman voting, Sammy Baugh 05 winner, Maxwell Award 06, Unitas Golden Arm 06. Tool Set I am one of the first person's to come out and say that it is stupid that given players are often overrated or under rated strictly on physical ability rather than production. But I as a Jet fan experience what life is like with a quarterbac

Yesterday on the drive home Mike and the Mad Dog interviewed Jim Dolan , New York Knick Owner, for a lengthy period and here are a few of the things they went over. 1) Dolan still is harping on how he will make a decision on Isiah only at the end of the season and he will not define what "progress" means. He wouldn't admit to a certain record, or how far player development needs to improve. He believes Ike deserves the whole season, and for some reason believes that he actually improve the team. 2) Apparently Dolan has an agreement with David Stern to not answer basically any questions on the Larry Brown details. He sidestepped every question, regarding why he said it was a big mistake in the papers, who wanted to get the services of Steve Francis, whether or not there was any chance Larry could have come back this season. The question by Mike Francesa was great, he put it like why wouldn't you keep a coach with a proven track record instead of a GM who has run e

With the apparent official retirement of Jeff Bagwell on the way I decided to take a look at his stats and assess whether I personally believe he is deserving of the Hall of Fame. Steroid Mess It will be very interesting to see if Jeff Bagwell's name gets thrown under the bus in the land of suspicion. He has some of the symptoms: massive power years which transitioned into complete body failure during the time of testing. Prior to Ken Caminiti's passing he did come out and admit he used steroids and further hinted to the usage of Bagwell while they were teammates with the Astros. I think eventually the suspicion, which has zero proof attached will hurt Bagwell's chances, how significantly will be seen. Postseason Hitting For someone that was so great and so consistent every season, he was equally consistent in the opposite end of the spectrum in the postseason. In 9 career series he batted a career .226 and even though he was technically on the World Series roster in 0

Week 14 Awards Wow You Guys Suck: Indianapolis Run Defense, Three Hundred and Seventy Five Yards, I repeat 375 yards. Including a stretch where the Jaguars had 4 consecutive runs of 17 yards or more. We knew the Colts run defense was bad, and the Jaguars have a solid one two backfield punch, but three hundred and seventy five, I don't care who you have at quarterback, you give up that many rushing yards and you have absolutely no chance to win a football game. Runners Up: Carolina's season is over nighty night, Speaking of Run Defense if Willie Parker stayed in the game the 4th quarter he would have rushed for 300 against the Browns. Cough Cough Cough: New York Jets, With a great opportunity in front of them to make a playoff push the Jets lost an essential conference game. Now they will need to run the table and even when that happens they still will need help from the Bengals and Jaguars. Basically the Jets once again could not stop Willis McGahee nor the big play and c

As a Celtic fan I sit nervously waiting the trade of Allen Iverson from the 76ers and am adamantly hoping that Danny does not pull the trigger. Rumored throughout the summer I was worried that the Celtics would have to part with Big Al or Gerald Green and I was not happy. Now the Celtics sit at 6-14 and they are mulling over making this bad choice again. Here are the reasons why Danny Should Not Do It. Past Follies I don't want the GM of the team to avoid deals simply because of past incidents but it has to be said how the Celtics so quickly gave up on developing their own players in the past regime. Imagine a Celtics roster where Chauncey Billups was running the point, Joe Johnson was slotted in as the 2 guard and Paul Pierce at the 3 followed by some fillers at the 4 and 5. My guess is that team would be a perennial contender, instead the Celtics of the past gave up on their top rated draft picks well before they had a chance to develop into the stars they are now. While ge

On Saturday afternoon my buddy gave me a buzz and said that he couldn't go to the Jets game yesterday and wondered if I wanted the tickets I was obviously up for it I haven't been to a Jet game in forever and now that the Jets were in the playoff run how could I turn it down. In the past year I've been to a three games including yesterday, so my field of reference isn't terribly large but from what I saw yesterday it didn't have to be to know that we, as a group of Jet fans have nothing on some other teams in the NFL. First of all I get in the building and am absolutely giddy to see thousands of Jet jerseys from Al Toon to Nick Mangold and everywhere in between. Then I get to my seats and instead of being surrounded by these glorious green and white jerseys, instead I'm surrounded by Bills fans, basically fully encircled, lame. The atmosphere in Giant stadium yesterday was far from electric and that was what disappointed me the most. When looking around the s

If someone walks up to you and says, man I knew these Jets were going to be good this season you are allowed to either laugh in their face, smack them in their face or spray fart in their dinner. Depending on how bitter of a person you are, if you're a Jet fan you're probably aiming for the latter. Even as an optimistic Jet fan I figured they would rattle off 6 wins this season, but now they stand at 7-5 with a legitamte possibility of making the playoffs and these are the reasons why. Emergence of a Few Unexpected Studs Everyone has stepped up on the Jets roster but in particular their are two players that I had absolutely positively zero expectations for at the start of the season and have turned out to be key components of the team. The first is Jerricho Cotchery, who was never anything more than a 3rd wideout during the Herm years. Now every week he seems to establish himself more and more in the lineup. He has the one thing that is seemingly undervalued the most by th