Ocho is a no go

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Chad Ochocinco (pictured above) is no longer the dominant receiver he once was between 2003 to 2007. Now he is just an average player who struggles to learn the playbook.

By Josh Kramer

Think back to the year 2007.  Who was the best wide receiver in all of football?   Now right away Randy Moss should come to mind after reeling in a record 23 touchdown receptions and nearly helping the Patriots complete the first perfect season in the NFL since 1972 (Dolphins).  On most people’s list Chad Johnson would rank as number two or three.  Between the years of 2003 to 2007, Chad Johnson was no only one of the most entertaining players in the game, he was always one of the elite.  During the four-year span of 2003 to 2006, Chad Johnson became the only player in NFL history to lead his conference in receiving yards for four consecutive seasons.

Boy have times changed.  Not only has his game seen a colossal decline, his name has changed.  Yesterday, Ochocinco hit rock-bottom when he was released by the New England Patriots after just one season.  As mentioned earlier, Ochocino was one of the best players on the planet not that long ago.  Since, he has become arguably the most influential athlete in the world of social media, and possibly the least influential on the actual field.  Ochocinco may have nearly 3.5 million followers on Twitter, but he amassed an abysmal 15 catches last season for a meager 276 yards and one touchdown.

Advertisement

To do it all

Photo courtesy of inflexwetrust.com. Larry Bird (pictured above) added an NBA Executive of the Year Award to his already impressive resume yesterday. What can’t this legend do when it comes to basketball?

By Josh Kramer

Some people can just do it all.  Larry Bird is one of those people.  Yesterday, Bird added to his already amazingly long list of basketball achievements in taking home the NBA’s Executive of the Year Award.  Bird not only excelled as a player, but he saw  great success as a coach, and now is thriving as Indiana’s President of Basketball Operations.  Bird is the only person in NBA history to be named MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.  I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Bird would trade the latter two awards for the 1979 NCAA Basketball Championship though.  But I digress.

What Bird has accomplished is absolutely mind-boggling.  Just ask Michael Jordan how difficult it is to transition from a player to an executive.  Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats set an NBA record for the lowest winning percentage of all time this season.  Sure plenty of former players have turned into great coaches.  Phil Jackson, the “Zen Master,” is one of those guys.  But was Jackson half the player that Bird was?

Food for Thought 5-1-2012

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Rudy Gay (pictured above) is the main guy in Memphis these days. After suffering a heartbreaking loss on Sunday, the Grizzlies will rely heavily on Gay to help get Memphis back into the series.

By Josh Kramer

Today is a special day for “TheSportsKraze.”  Back when I started this blog in September of 2009, I never could have imagined all that I would learn from this experience.  Writing daily on this forum has truly been a blessing and helped me grow as both a writer and as a person.  When my roommate convinced me to start “TheSportsKraze,” I figured it would be a nice little hobby that may get some looks from ten to twenty of my closest family and friends a day.  These days, “TheSportsKraze” has become a major part of my daily routine and is read by hundreds of people from across the globe every day.  Well today, we have hit the 900th post.  Please take it in and enjoy.

Sleeping in Memphis?

All NBA fans had the Clippers/Grizzlies series circled as the one that would provide some fireworks in the opening round. Well the series opener did not disappoint by any means.  I turned the game off after the third quarter.  It was already kind of late, and the Grizzlies were absolutely making a mockery out of “Lob City.”  Shame on me for not watching the full 48 minutes.  The beauty of sports is no game is ever over until the final horn sounds or the final out is made.  I learned this as a young child when Reggie Miller ripped the hearts out of the New York Knicks by scoring eight points in nine seconds on May 7, 1995.

I have been high on the Grizzlies all season.  There is a reason why I picked them way back in December to play deep into the postseason.  The Grizzlies shocked the Spurs last year.  And this off-season, they only appeared to get better.  Through three quarters on Sunday, they looked the part as a major contender in the West.  Then the fourth quarter from hell struck.

NCAA Tournament Bracket

By Josh Kramer

Take a look at the official March Madness selections from TheSportsKraze…

2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Elite Eight:

Kentucky over Duke

-The Laettner shot of 20 years ago is still fresh in the minds of Big Blue Nation.  Too much Kentucky talent and too much Anthony Davis for the Blue Devils this time around though.

Michigan State over Marquette

-Marquette’s dynamic senior duo of Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder have been impressive  all year.  But Tom Izzo’s smarts and Draymond Green’s unwavering work ethic will prove too much in this one as the Spartans make their 7th Final Four appearance in 14 years.

Florida State over Syracuse

-The Big East regular season champs would have proven to be far too deep for a Florida State team that vastly exceeded expectations this year had Fab Melo been on the floor.  No “Melo,” means no Final Four for a very good Syracuse team.

North Carolina over Kansas

Tyler Zeller and Thomas Robinson battling it out in the paint?  It doesn’t get much better.  North Carolina not only has the size to match up with Kansas, but they also have the depth.  There will be no Rock Chalk Jayhawk on this day as Roy Williams breathes a sigh of relief.

Final Four:

Kentucky over Michigan State

-This has been the best coaching job of Tom Izzo’s career.  Finally, the lack of talent in Spartyville will be put on full blast against the nation’s most talented group out of Lexington.  The Spartans will have no answer for Anthony Davis, much like the rest of the nation.

North Carolina over Florida State

-So much for the ACC being down this year.  Beating a team two times in the same year is one of the most difficult things to do in college basketball.  Defeating a team three times is almost unheard of.  Just ask a Kentucky team that was clearly better than SEC-foe Vanderbilt.  UNC is the better all-around team.  And it will show on this day as they avoid a clean sweep from Florida State.

National Championship:

North Carolina over Kentucky (73 to 72)

-As we learned in the BCS Championship Game this year, beating a great team two times in the same year can be very difficult. Not only did UK defeat the Tar Heels back on December 3rd, but they also beat North Carolina in last year’s Elite Eight. Young Kentucky learns the hard way on April 2nd against a surging Tar Heels team that can match their depth and athleticism.  Let the Calipari questioning begin.

Good luck with your picks and enjoy the best three weeks we have in sports.

Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.

2012 BNP Paribas Open – Indian Wells, California

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Our very own Toni Headley is picking the current number one ranked player in the world Victoria Azarenka (pictured above) to stay hot and take home the title at Indian Wells.

By Toni Headley

Toni Headley is a tennis expert who worked at ESPN for 10 years and has been a freelance writer there for the past 2 years.  She also previously worked at CBS Sports and has covered every major tennis tournament in the world multiple times.

Tournament Preview:

As the biggest and brightest stars descend on the picturesque town of Indian Wells, California for the BNP Paribas Open, I am excited to see how newly minted #1 Victoria Azarenka will fare in her first big test since winning her maiden Grand Slam title in Australia.  Also, can Novak Djokovic maintain his dominant form that carried him to his fifth Grand Slam title in Australia and defend his title here in the desert?

Will the weight of being the #1 player in the world finally get to Azarenka? It certainly has not so far. After winning the Australian Open and becoming the #1 ranked player, Azarenka continued her dominance by winning her next tournament in Doha. She is currently riding a 17 match winning streak. Azarenka has had a sizzling start to the year winning three titles which includes her first Grand Slam. Let’s see if Azarenka can win here for the first time, and continue her dominance on the women’s tour.

50 Years Ago

Photo courtesy of pacejmiller.com. 50 years ago today, Wilt Chamberlain (pictured above) accomplished arguably the greatest feat in sports history.

By Josh Kramer

I know that Saturdays are the typical “Throwback” day on “TheSportsKraze.” But today marks a very special anniversary in sports history. Where were you 50 years ago?  I for one was not even born.  And I know for a fact that 99.9999% of you were not in Hershey, Pennsylvania watching the Philadelphia Warriors lay a smack down on the New York Knicks.  Only 9,346 of the 18,496 seat Hershey Sports Arena was filled on that particular night.  These days, a good high school team such as Oak Hill Academy can draw a larger crowd than the one in Hershey, PA 50 years ago for a regular season game.  Well on this particular night, 50 years ago, a goliath man by the name of Wilt Chamberlain, maybe you have heard of him, accomplished one of the greatest feats in sports history.

Food for Thought 2-21-2012

Photo courtesy of ESPN.com. Iona point guard Scott Machado (pictured above) has been simply sensational all year long and will make some noise in March.

By Josh Kramer

Want to hear a cool name?  Try “Machado.”  Now many of you are probably confused as to why I would share a cool name with you.  Granted, the vast majority of you are already aware of plenty of cooler names.  For example, God’s Gift Achiuwa.  And though God’s Gift is having a stellar freshman campaign for a very young St. John’s team, a man by the name of “Machado” is absolutely stealing the show in the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference).  Currently, the Gaels sit atop the “Mighty MAAC (it is not really mighty but I like the sound of the expression)” and are a likely tournament team.

Now many of you are probably still scratching your heads as to where I am going with this.  Well a few weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of introducing you all to Creighton star, Doug McDermott.  A star that is making it rain from long-range in Omaha like Kyle Korver did back in 2002/2003. Well today, I am going to introduce you to another big-time player that could make some real noise at the “March Dance” and beyond.  Meet Scott Machado.

Throwback Saturday Part V

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. I proclaimed Jon Diebler (pictured above) as the Buckeye "X" factor last year. Ohio State truly misses the Big Ten's all-time leader in 3-point field goals made.

By Josh Kramer

Welcome to the fifth edition of “Throwback Saturdays.”  Though this campaign was originally intended to just last a month, I couldn’t resist.  It is always fun to look at the past when analyzing the present and the future for that matter.  What was going on in sports on February 18, 2011?  What was transpiring on February 18, 2010?  Let’s find out.

One year ago..

Buckeye X Factor

Here is a snippet..

As I have mentioned many times on this blog, dating back to well over a year ago, Ohio State will go to the Final Four this year.  In my opinion, they are the nation’s best team.  I do feel that Duke would have been the favorite had Kyrie Irving not have gone down.  But injuries happen.

I have talked about what makes Ohio State so good.  They have the perfect mix of talent, experience, and chemistry.  When rumors of an outstanding incoming freshman class started transpiring well over a year ago, many considered Ohio State to be a team that would be in contention.  But when Evan Turner left for the draft, people already wrote them off.  They decided that Ohio State would be solid, but probably a top 20 team that was not quite as good as the Big Ten’s elite teams, Purdue and Michigan State.  I stuck by the Buckeyes and will continue to.  And here is why.

Freshman talent is a great thing.  Just ask University of Kentucky Coach John Calipari.  These one and done phenoms can make your team an instant contender.  But sadly, they are not enough generally to bring home the crown.  UK last year had arguably the two best players in the country, in John Wall and Demarcus Cousins.  They had 5 guys get selected in the first round.  Yet they did not even make the Final Four..

Experience still matters even in the one and done age people.  Though I will state that Kentucky will put this theory to the test next year when they bring in 4 of the top 5 rated players in America.  Experience is something that this Ohio State team possesses though.  They returned 4 starters from last year’s very talented squad.  3 of these gentlemen are seniors while the other is a junior.  Then they brought in this phenomenal freshman class.  And little did most people outside of Buckeye Nation know, but 4 of these diaper dandies came from the same AAU team.  An AAU team that dominated the summer circuit more than any team has in recent memory.  This team brought home 3 consecutive National Titles and really just laid a smack down on any and all teams nation wide.  These 4 kids are good friends.  And they all decided to take the next step together.  Thad Matta hit the jackpot when he visited the All Ohio Red Basketball program.  Or maybe he hit the jackpot in that JJ Sullinger (Jared’s older brother), played for him at Ohio State.  Either way, Matta reeled in the perfect class that had a great winning demeanor and was ready to work from Day 1 (To finish reading this post, click this link).

Bulls Rallying Through Injuries, Rose Hopes to Return Soon.

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. In order for Chicago to make a run at the championship this year, their star Derrick Rose (pictured above) will have to get healthy.

By Wesley Kaminsky

If there is one thing every person in the sports world  know about the Chicago Bulls, it’s that their championship hopes lie squarely on the shoulders of reigning MVP, Derrick Rose. After missing just six games throughout his first two seasons in the NBA, Rose has already missed eight games this season due to turf toe and back spasms. With his lingering back spasms, Rose went to see a back specialist on Monday, who revealed that there was no structural damage.

Rose went on to say, “This back pain should be behind me in a couple of days. I should be back out there in a couple days. I’m going to take my time and be smart.”

Throwback Saturday Part IV

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. A little over a year ago today, Jerry Sloan (pictured above) was forced into stepping down from his position as the Head Coach of the Utah Jazz.

By Josh Kramer

So when I originally constructed the idea of “Throwback Saturdays,” I figured I would do it for a month or so.  It would be a change of pace for you all and give you some time to reflect a bit. With that being said, I feel as if this idea has been a rousing success thus far, at least from the feedback you all have given me.  Please provide further feedback in the comments section.  I have a feeling next week you may be seeing “Throwback Saturday Part V.”

Unfortunately, I did not put up a post on February 11^th in either 2010 or 2011.  So I apologize for letting you all down on those particular dates.  We will just have to settle for dates very close in proximity.

One year ago (February 10, 2011)..

Sayonora Sloan

Here is a snippet from the middle of the post..

Sloan is one of the greatest offensive masterminds of our generation.  The guy has won his entire career.  He handles his business the right way.  No ridiculous off court mishaps with this guy.  Yet ownership has chosen Deron Williams as the future?

Unless you live under a rock, you probably know who Deron Williams is.  He is a 5th year All Star point guard who played college ball at Illinois.  The guy is arguably the best point guard in the League (I would currently rank him behind Rose, Rondo, and Paul in all honesty though).  Any guy that puts up 20 points and 10 assists a night is doing something right.  But it has been well documented that Williams and legendary coach Sloan have had their fair share of tussles over the past year (To finish reading the post, click this link).