Notes from the UNC-Duke game

By: Byron Parker

First and foremost, FGS would like to extend our deepest thoughts for the family of Eve Carson, a member of the student body at North Carolina who was murdered this past week. Keep your heads up and we will continue to pray and support you through your difficult times...

No it's not #1 vs. #2, but it still was a decent game to watch between the #1 North Carolina team and the fifth ranked Blue Devils on Duke's floor, surrounded by the "Cameron Crazies". Duke's last home game of the season ended on a bad note on Saturday night. In a losing effort to the North Carolina Tar Heels, Duke didn't perform at the same playing level as they did when they beat UNC in their last meeting. When three's were needed, Duke couldn't buy one as they went 10-29 from behind the arch. A rugged 32% shooting percentage from the floor wasn't going to get the job done either. And the outside threat for Duke in Greg Paulus put up a solid performance; just not the same as the last meeting. Tyler Hansborough is doing nothing but continuing to prove his dominance in the NCAA by playing a decent game and putting up 16 points and 15 boards and at the same time, becoming apart of UNC history by reaching 2000 points in his college career.

It may have not been an exciting game when it came to crunch time, but a game with as much significance as this one didn't need excitement for Roy Williams' team. The Tar Heels held Duke scoreless in the last 5 minutes of the game, which is something that Duke excels in; playing big in the final minutes. It's always great to see two rivals such as these to go at it for a prize. The prize for these two teams was the ACC title and UNC was able to take it home.

Sure, it may have not been a game that went to the final play like many of the other games on Saturday. But this right here is giving us a taste of March Madness; something that we are all hungry for. We've seen from Saturday's game that UNC plays better with Ty Lawson in the lineup because even if he doesn't contribute a lot offensively, he has the ability to hold down other players who are capable of going off, like Paulus. In the previous meeting between these two teams, Paulus and the rest of the team nailed 13 three pointers. But with Lawson in the lineup being one of the best perimeter defenders that UNC has, he was able to help hold them down a little bit more.

So we see the impact that Lawson has on this team. With Tyler Hansborough down and around the basket, he is Lawson best resort to get a quick and easy two. These two are dominant together and they will be a force to be reckoned with come tournament time. If you stop Lawson's playmaking...plays, then you have a chance to stop North Carolina. The reason this is true because in the last Duke-UNC meeting, Hansborough put up 28 points and 18 rebounds and the Tar Heels still lost. The offense wasn't balanced out as Hansborough seemed to be relied on the most, and the other threats in Danny Green and Wayne Ellington struggled and went a combined 4-24 from the floor. They lacked open looks in that game, and Lawson is the guy who can create those open looks.

Duke is a balanced team and they don't operate well unless they have a balanced attack. There are no stars on this team which is sort of a bonus for them. If your the opposing team trying to prepare to play Duke, who do you know who to control? Paulus isn't the leading scorer on this team, so he's not really the guy you have to pay attention to. But the leading scorer is DeMarcus Nelson, who is a very underrated guard and controls the tempo of most games. The freshman Kyle Singler is a guy who needs to be watched because he is the teams leading rebounder and people take him for granted sometimes. There really isn't one person to focus your attention an a lot because Duke has an array of threats on their team. It requires smart coaching, such as the coaching that we saw from Roy Williams to beat the Blue Devils. If I knew what it took to knock Duke off like UNC did, then I'd probably find myself coaching somewhere in the NCAA. That's why I'm just a writer.

The "Big Three" now a Big Team?

By: Vince Vitale

Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan.

Three names that used to be considered the big three.

But only until blockbuster trades landed Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics. Allen and Garnett along with Paul Pierce created a new “Big Three”. This Big Three is different though. None of the members of this triangle have championship rings. San Antonio’s success has been well documented throughout this decade. Boston hasn’t seen a competitive fight since Pierce and Antoine Walker were a dynamic duo. Now three hungry players are assembled together to bring Boston another title. But what’s truly special about this “Big Three” is its not just three people…

The question for the Celtics coming into this season was would the supporting cast be able to hold their own. The answer is yes. Rajon Rondo has turned into a nightmare for opposing defense because of his ability to break down the D. His ability to get to the rack and his lockdown defense along with his great athleticism has allowed him to exceed expectations. Boston now has a developed a steady point guard and if one wasn’t enough they added a proven veteran in Sam Cassell. It wasn’t to long ago when Garnett had his MVP season and Cassell was right along side of him. This chemistry is great but let’s not forget that Cassell played along Ray Allen’s side back in the Milwaukee Bucks days. Cassell has championship experience with the Rockets and adds depth to the Celtics.

Speaking of experience P.J. Browns presence adds just that. Once he gets back into game shape, Brown will provide depth at the center position. Tony Allen and Leon Powe add energy into the mix. Their exciting plays and ability to block shots will help give Pierce and Garnett breaks when they come off the bench. James Posey is a tough defender who is not shy to take a foul. He adds a defensive strength to the best defensive team, along with good 3 point shooting ability. Speaking of three point shooting Eddie House can provide a scoring spark with his shooting off the bench. Glen Davis has probably made the most dramatic improvement since the off-season. He is a good low post threat and helps bring depth to the frontcourt. The biggest surprise to this team would have to be the maturity of Kendrick Perkins game. He is now a legit center in the NBA. His shot blocking and inside scoring has improved dramatically this year and along side with Garnett adds a formidable frontcourt.

As you can see this team is no longer the Big Three; they are slowly but surely developing into the “Big Team”.

756(*) will be displayed in HOF by opening day

By: Byron Parker

Cooperstown is a place filled with history and you must have accomplished a lot in your MLB career to get there. It contains historical people, historical memorablia and historic events. Some baseball players may not have made the Hall of Fame yet, but events that may have had something to do with them have made it.

That is how the conversation of Barry Bonds comes up. Forget about the "is he a HOFer" questions. That will be determined in the future. One thing that deserves to be put in Cooperstown is 756(*). It's your choice whether or not you want to place an asterisk next to that number, but that number is an important past of history. Call it tainted, but it still is remembered in baseball in some sort of way. 756 home runs is a lot to hit in your professional career, cheating or not. But that still is no excuse for it not to be visible for everybody to see.

It may be one of the most contreversial things to ever occur in baseball, but there is significance to it on both sides of the plate.

If you're considering the record to be tainted (like 95% of you), then there's nothing wrong with that. That is the reason for it to be in Cooperstown. It is a record that was tainted due to the whole steroid scandal. The steroid era has been one of the most magnified era's in baseball. So what was one of the biggest events to occur during the whole scandal? Other than the infamous Barry Bonds home run, I can't seem to think of anything else. Well, maybe the Clemens/McNamee situation which seems to get more attention than anything else going on.

If you don't consider the record tainted, than the obvious reason why 756(*) belongs in Cooperstown is because he is the home run king. There would definitely be a sense of stupidty if he was thought of as the home run king and the record breaking ball wasn't place in Cooperstown.

The asterisk that was placed on the ball doesn't mean that it shouldn't be visible to the world. A lot will talk about how it will be placed so no one can see the asterisk on it, but if anything it should shown. Just to show the important and the significance of the home run. Everything that it went through.

The MLB made a smart decision to display the ball in the HOF. Even with the arrogance of Mark Ecko' decision to brand it with an asterisk, it will be available for people to see. It is a piece of history people, and no matter how it is looked at, there is way too much significance for it NOT to be displayed.

Packers: Time for the New Era

By: Ray Dunseith

For the Green Bay Packers, it would be very ignorant to announce that an era has ended. Along with Brett Favre’s throwing arm leaving, so does the career and history behind it.

So what does it leave in Green Bay?

Well, it starts with a new arm. That would be Mr. Aaron Rodgers. What is known about the youngster that’s been watching Brett from the sidelines three years in a row (besides the fact that he spells his name with a d)? Well, he was drafted the same year behind Alex “Little Hands” Smith, who has proven to be a decent NFL quarterback. This is about all that we know about him. He was dubbed the “future” of the Packers, and the future has started.

So, is this going to be a good thing for Cheese heads? It’s a pretty hard to tell, since we really haven’t seen much of him without a headset and a ball cap on. One would think that having Brett Favre, one the greatest to ever toss the pigskin as a mentor would make you a great player. But, I remember back when A-rodg was drafted hearing an ornery Brett Favre say that he wasn’t there to teach, only to play. Hopefully, things didn’t pan out that way and Rodgers got to spend some quality time with number four soaking it all in.

But I have hope in this guy. I could see him being pretty successful here. He has to remember a few things (as should all dose fans up in Wisconsin). He will NOT be as good as Favre was. It’s just not going to happen. There will NEVER be another Brett Favre. The only guy coming close right now has a horseshoe on his helmet, and even he isn’t proven to be that great yet. He has decent receivers and a solid line. The running game has a lot of potential in Ryan Grant (fantasy team sleeper anyone?). But this is pretty much his first year, so it might not all click at once.

Just take it easy on this California boy, Green Bay and maybe be you’ll get a quarter back that can make you as proud and sad as the one that just called it a career this week.

Earnhardt Jr: Is he really a stud driver?

By: Ray Dunseith

What? Am I second-guessing an Earnhardt?

That never would have happened if the intimidator were still alive.

But what also would have never happened? His own son turning on the race team that he created. Dale Junior was supposed to inherit Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, and he decided to leave (whether it was because of problems with his step-mother running it or other reason) for Hendrick Motor Sports.

So, it shouldn’t matter what team he’s on if he’s that good of a driver, right? Well, if you ask me, Junior’s true colors are shining through (albeit through the black and green Amped car and not the good old number 8 Budweiser). He’s really not that great of a driver. Or at least he hasn’t really proven it.

Take last race. Yeah, he got second. But in the position he was in going onto lap 5, he could’ve had the race. Carl Edwards out-drove him. His wheels spun out going into the turn and he just couldn’t keep up. He f***ed up, and the one who really suffered from it was his teammate Jeff Gordon who ended up getting into a crash with Kenseth, both of whom could have caught up with Edwards.

Face it Junior. You’re not going to be number one on a team with Jeff Gordon (who might I add is supposed to be the enemy) and Jimmie Johnson (who just came off of winning the then-Nextel Cup Championship).

He’s either going to have to step it up skill-wise big-time or just face the fact that he’s not as great as Senior was and is just an above average driver today, not a Superstar.

Oh well. At least he’s still driving a Chevy (unlike those Joe Gibbs bums).

Don't get it twisted, the Red Sox are still the team to beat!

By: Byron Parker

What's with people naming other MLB teams to be the so-called "team to beat"? When in all actuality the Boston Red Sox are still the World Champs which enables them to remain "the team to beat". A lot of people tend to get excited about off season moves that were made by other teams, but we have to remember one thing. Moves are made to win championships. The Boston Red Sox already have a championship caliber team. They still have the same team that won the World Series last year and they didn't really have to make a lot of moves because of that. But people tend to get excited when they see another organization make moves that will give them a "potential" championship caliber team.

This goes for teams like the Detroit Tigers, the New York Mets, and any other organizations who may have made a big splash in the off season. All of a sudden, teams that weren't in the playoffs a season ago are now the favorites in the league. It's okay to be “favorited”, but it gets ignorant when they become the team to beat. It's understandable for fans to call their own team the team to beat because that is what they want to believe. But it's really not true, no matter how much you want to believe it. There is a major difference between being a favorite, and being a team to beat. Favorites are...well, favorites. But most people will look at the most heavily favored teams and consider them to be the team to beat. Why does everybody count out the champs? It doesn't make any sense to me.

These new and “favorited” teams still haven't proven anything to anybody yet. The Red Sox...well, they've proven that they are built with championship caliber players. People need to learn how to show respect. You may want your team to be the new champions, but that doesn’t mean that you can go around calling your team the best team. If nobody has seen those teams mesh together yet, then there is no reason why they should be the team to beat.

We see this in a lot of sports. When the L.A. Galaxy got David Beckham, why were people so quick to jump on the bandwagon? You see where they got with him. Everybody may have set high expectations for L.A. but they were too quick to call them a better team. Same goes for Shaquille O’Neal when he went to Phoenix. As soon as Phoenix acquired him, many people may have been quick to name Phoenix a better team (even though there were a few people who disagreed). And now, everybody is riding on the Boston Celtics because they have the best record in the NBA right now. So what? You’re just going to call them the team to beat because of that when in actuality, the World Champion San Antonio Spurs are among the top in the Western Conference and they are no longer picked to defend their title? That is ridiculous.

What I’m really ranting about is that there is no reason to call off the Boston Red Sox because they haven’t lost any of the players from the ’07 World Series team; they could most likely be better. So don’t get it twisted folks, Boston is still the team to beat.

PS: Favorited is not a word

LT's backup gets a starting job

By: Ray Dunseith

San Diego knew that they had something special at the running back position. Power, speed, the moves and a nice swagger make this guy special. Wait, you think I’m talking about La-.... Nope. I’m talking about Michael Turner, his former back-up that just signed a 6 year $34.5 million dollar contract according to sportingnews.com.

Turner, coming to his fifth year in the NFL out of Northern Illinois is a stud back. He’s going to be the Frank Gore in your fantasy draft next year.

Now, as one man moves up on a team, another must move down.

As part of the Falcon’s recent cutting spree that has left Alge Crumpler and Byron Leftwich out of jobs there (but don’t expect much unemployment checks to be collected for these two, especially Crumpler), speedster Warrick Dunn is “dunn” with the Falcons. This is going to be a guy to watch in free agency. It’s not likely that the 11 year veteran will land another starting job, but he could defiantly be a guy to split with a power back, similar to what the Falcons used to do with him and TJ Duckett.

Shaq taking over the Southwest? Not quite!

By: Ray Dunseith

So, Phoenix fans, how’s that Shaq-Marion deal treatin’ ya?

Not so well, huh?

On paper, that deal might have made sense to the twisted mind of Steve Kerr, but in reality, it didn’t help the Suns much at all. Adding Shaquille O’Neal just slowed down their offense like a fresh pair of Callahan break pads on a Cadillac (that’s right Callahan Auto Parts, from Tommy Boy). Now, this is pretty obvious (especially to Phoenix fans). Its just one less option Steve Nash has to feed on the break. Sure, Diesel’s going to get them some rebounds, but is that going to be much of an upgrade over Shawn Marion’s beastly 10 per game?

What about the half-court offense that Shaq opens up for the Suns? Haven’t seen it yet. Personally, I wouldn’t have called the Suns a playoff contender before the trade and I won’t even joke about it now.

As for Shaq’s comments about making Amare Stoudemire a better player, I can’t see it happening. Sure, it would seem like matching him up with opponents’ power forwards instead of centers would help him offensively, but that doesn’t mean opponents won’t just put the PF on Shaq and let Amare deal with the big guy. As a coach, where would you put your defensive stopper, on the young, quick athlete or the large, slow guy that can’t hit a free throw to save his life?

Obviously Phoenix had a reason to get rid of Marion. The guy wanted to be a focal point like that of Nash and Stoudemire, and it just wasn’t going to happen. But in reality, he was the rice of the Phoenix burrito that held the team together. Boris Diaw can step it up and fill Marion’s role a little, but with Shaq around it’s not really going to matter. It seems like if dealing Marion was a must, they could have found a better deal.

A couple seasons we were all wondering whether the Suns’ up tempo game could be successful, and in the regular season it was. But they couldn’t get a championship (despite ABC and ESPN slurping it all up and definitely hoping this type of team would catch on). It just doesn’t work in the NBA.

Adding Shaq also isn’t going to make them contenders. Kerr’s going to have some work this off-season, and as for the West, the Spurs still got my pick for the Finals in ’08