Mook vs the Melodrama

The trade finally happened.
In the end

The Nicks get
1. Melo
2. Chauncy Billups
3. Corey Brewer
& 3 scrubs

with the Nuggets getting
1. Wilson Chandler
2. Danillo Galinari
3. Raymond Felton
4. draft picks


That's not a bad deal for the Nuggets - considering how much they save financially, and the youth they get.
It's nothing like New Jersey was reportedly offering- but that was ridiculous. It would have gone down as the worst trade ever. Remember the HErshel Walker trade, that gave the Cowboys all those draft picks that made them a dynasty, that's what that trade would have done.

i don't really know if any of those players are really that good outside of D'Antoni's system, but we'll see.

If the Nicks were smart, they would have just waited and got him next year as a FA. They should have traded Felton Anthony Randolph & draft picks for Steve Nash.


Now, some may say all the stars are in the East on 4,5,6 teams. And though a couple super-stars are important, it doesn't make a team, especially, if they don't play defense.

If the NBA was NBA Jam, it may be different

Top NBA duos

1.     Kobe & Pau Gasol

2.     A’mare & Anthony

3.     LeBron & Dwyane Wade

4.     Chris Paul & David West

5.     KG & Paul Pierce

6.     D Rose & Boozer

7.     Joe Johnson & Josh Smith/Al Hoford

8.     Blake Griffin & Baron Davis/Eric Gordan

9.     Duncan & Ginobli

10. Derron Williams & Milsap

11. Dwight Howard & Jameer Nelson

12. Durant & Westbrook

13. Dirk & Kidd

14. Monta ellis & Steph Curry

15. Kevin Martin & Luis Scolia

3 on 3

1.     Kobe, Gasol & Oden/Artest

2.     LeBron, Wade, Bosh

3.     Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Hoford

4.     Paul Pierce, KG, Rondo/Allen

5.     Duncan, Ginobli, Tony Parker

6.     Blake, Gordan, Baron Davis

7.     D rose, Boozer, Jokiam Noah

The Knicks had to make this trade though. Trading some good role players for a super-star is a no-brainer. But not sure if they'll be able to make the other moves to make them a winner.

Mook vs boys wrestling girls

Yesterday, John Piper tweeted this
 This student won a match he never wrestled. He conquered a sick system. Real men don't fight girls. http://dsr.gd/hIBByh

Today Rick Reilly wrote this piece http://es.pn/gdhdcG 

Two very opposing views on the same thing i guess.

Reilly's column makes me angry. It makes me sick in my stomach and brings a burning sensation in my chest.

It may be true that religious conviction in itself is not something to be lauded. People do some evil things in the name of faith.

Yet this boy should be lauded that he put a value of respecting someone above gaining respect.
He understood his boundaries & principles and stood by them.
There were likely many reasons he had for not fighting, but the one he took stance on - is something to be lauded.

Violence against women is a serious problem.
She may consent to the fight. That's ok.
He doesn't want to engage in physical battle for other reasons.
Once a man hits a woman, he has given over a foothold.
He does not want to even entertain the thought. And he should be lauded for that.

The thing is- i don't think he is looking for applause. i think he is standing up for something he believes in - and something others should too.

i don't know the kid, so i could be wrong.
Maybe he is using it to hide.
Maybe he really disrespects women.
But it doesn't seem like it.

Women complain chivalry is dead, not realizing it is because they killed it.

But this isn't about that either.

Wrestling should be male-male and female-female.

But this isn't about that either.


This is about respect.
She may want to fight him.
She may feel slighted.
But he showed respect. He gave respect. His statements about her as a wrestler were respectful. His decision to not fight was out of respect.

i respect women enough, that i will not look at them lustfully. i will not look at pornography, nor will i watch a scene of a movie or tv show with a scantly-clothed woman. i will not allow another man to physically assault a woman, nor will i stand for verbal abuse or abuse of any sort.

When i play sports with girls, i don't let them do anything, but i play with respect.
When a friend would steal a ball from a girl, i wouldn't let him get an easy basket. i would run hard, jump high, block the shot (which is hard for me as 5'6") and if i gave a hard foul, i gave a hard foul.


Reilly mocks the thing.
If the 12 year old boy offered to wrestle him, would he engage? Would he use his strength against him, even though there was consent? Or would he refuse, noting he doesn't want to beat up on a kid? Wouldn't that by hypocrisy?


The boy not fighting shouldn't be under the microscope.


The comment in the Reilly article that is sad and should be questioned is the quote from the father
"She's my son. She has always been my son."

She may be a tomboy. She may be athletic.
But she is not your son.
She is your daughter.
She will always be your daughter.
She has never been your son.
That is disrespect.

If my daughter wants to play sports, i will play with her. i'll be happy.
i have said i want a son to play sports with, and my wife has said Halle can play.
And she can. and i think she will because she knows how much i like it.
But she will never be my son. If i have 4 girls and one likes sports more. She will still be my daughter.

Ugh.
Mike Greenberg in his book "My wife thinks I'm an Idiot" talks about hos sports is great - b/c it is something so trivial and meaningless, that we can wrap our lives around it to take away from the misery surrounding us. And if our team loses, it's not really the end of the world.

i love when faith comes out in sports
something like this.

but when an article shows the depravity of this world, it sickens my heart.

Instead, i guess i should hope that i would make decisions based on faith and conviction and not on what the world deems acceptable.

Mook vs NBA All-stars

i don't know how Kevin Love was left off the initial all-star game. The guy is a double-double machine. He leads the league in Rebounds.

In the end, i think they got it right. Sure, there were a few guys who are having great seasons, but there are only so many players who can play for the West.

It got me thinking... what if the nba did the all-star game like the NHL...

LeBron & Kobe pick

Kobe picks: Dwight Howard (best available big man)

LeBron picks 2: Dwyane Wade (his good buddy) & A’mare Stoudamire (should be mvp this year)

Kobe gets 2: Chris Paul (who’s been amazing) and Durant

LeBron: D Rose ( no hard feelings) & Blake Griffen (want to see him dunk for me)

Kobe’s 2: Kevin Love (he’ll rebound and won’t get in the way of our scoring) and Dirk (let’s get the big men)

LeBron: Derron Williams (he’ll nail the open 3) and Kevin Garnett to stop the big men

So far

Team Kobe                                      Team LeBron

PG    Chris Paul                               D Rose                        Derron Williams

G       Kobe                                      D Wade

SF     Durant                                    LeBron

PF     Dirk                                        Blake Griffin            KG

C       D Howard            K Love      A’mare

Kobe: Russel Westbrook & Pau Gasol

LeBron: Tim Duncan & C Bosh (his friend)

Kobe: Rajon Rondo & Manu ginobli

LeBron: Melo & LaMarcus Aldridge

Kobe: Nash & Paul Pierce

LeBron: Monta Ellis

Now

Team Kobe                                                             Team LeBron

PG  Chris Paul    Rondo            Nash                     D Rose             Derron Williams

G     Kobe           Westbrook                                   D Wade            Monta Ellis

SF   Durant         Ginobli          Paul Pierce            LeBron             Melo

PF   Dirk             Pau Gasol                                    Blake Griffin   KG                    Bosh

C     D Howard   K Love                                         A’mare            Duncan             Aldridge

Top 25 players this season

1.     A’mare                       

2.     Chris Paul                

3.     Durant            

4.     D Rose                

5.     Derron Williams       

6.     LeBron                   

7.     Dwight Howard       

8.     Blake Griffin            

9.     Dwyane Wade        

10. K Love                   

11. Russel Westbrook  

12. Kobe                     

13. Dirk              

14. Ginobli      

15. Duncan      

16. Rajon Rondo       

17. KG       

18. Paul Pierce     

19. Steve Nash       

20. LaMarcus Aldridge     

21. David West        

22. Monta Ellis      

23. Pau Gasol      

24. Kevin Martin    

25. Melo     

with apologies to Luis Scolia and Paul Milsap... sorry i can't get myself to apologize to Zach Randolph

 

Mook vs NFL Hall of Fame

i use the "Mook vs..." as an homage to the tv show Chuck... but in this case, i may have a beef with the NFL Hall of Fame.

Mike Wilbon wrote that all 15 players deserved to go to the hall of fame

let's take a look on what my ballot would have looked like

1. Marshall Faulk
    clearly put up some of the best numbers in the history of the game. He is one of the 3 players (Marcus Allen & Tiki Barber) to reach at least 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards in his career and the only one to have 12,000 yards rushing, 6,000 yards receiving.[1
Some may say his umbers are bloated, but i think of Mike Martz was smarter, he would have put up even better numbers.
Not only did he get numbers, he did win one Super Bowl, and played for some other good teams... an MVP... clearly a Hall of Famer... and the voters didn't miss it

2. Chris Carter
    He has over 1,000 receptions - are you kidding me? Plus the guy was a touchdown machine. IF not for Jerry Rice, we could be talking about the best receiver in the modern era. Early in his carreer, he was kind of a  problem child- problems at Ohio st and even in Philadelphia... but he became a better person and was a highlight reel and made players like Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald better...

i read that there is a bias against receivers. i don't understand it- unless it is a racism issue. Think about it- most wide receivers- good ones - are black.
In my opinion, Wide Receiver is the most skilled position. i played wide receiver - i don't make that statement because i played that position, i played that position, because i wanted to play such a vital position. Sure receivers need a decent QB, but an average QB looks great with a good WR. They take short passes and run up their yards. Was Joe Montana that great? Or did Jerry Rice make him lookgood? They make incredible catches (how abut Duante Culpepper?). Wide Receivers deserve more respect. And Chris Carter should have been an unanimous selection his first try, and somehow he's still not in...

3. Shannon Sharpe
   He put up incredible numbers for a Tight End. And he won Super Bowls. And he was a talker. Really though, he was a wide receiver who played Tight End. In one way, that is a compliment- he was incredible at making plays, was fast...but he wasn't a great blocker. In College he actually was a WR. IF he was a WR he'd never be a hall of famer - one, because of the above prejudice and 2 his numbers aren't as impressive as a WR. but as a TE, his numbers were great as was his impact on the field. He should be in the HOF - and he was voted in.

4. Jerome Bettis
    The Bus. He's even got a nickname. He won super Bowls. He was a goal-line presence... and he is the 5th leading rusher of all-time - top 5 of all time! That should be a lock right? Who gets in? only QBs & TE's?

5. Curtis Martin
    In baseball if a player gets to 3,000 hits or 500 HR's or 300 wins- they're a lock for the HOF. i don't always agree with it.  Martin wasn't super flashy- but he was consistent and a work-horse. How can a guy with that many rushing yards be left off? but he was

6. Deion Sanders

   He's the one everyone was talking about last weekend. And i'm not so high on him... he said he wasn't paid to tackle... and if i was a coach i would have ran running backs toward him. i would have thrown screen pass or bubble screens- cuz the guy couldn't tackle. Though, i guess throwing screens even would be difficult to pull off against him. He was good. He was the definition of shut-down corner. He was an 8-time Pro-bowler, 2-time Super Bowl winner and once won AP Def PoY.
And he was a 2-sport star... well, maybe not star, but he did ok at baseball... even playing both a baseball game and football game the same day.
He was a pretty good football player... too put it lightly. Maybe he should be #5 or 4, maybe 3. Any way he is a Hall of Famer

7. Charles Haley
    If he was a QB he'd be a lock. He won 5 Super Bowls. It has been said Games are won on the lines. And that defense wins championships. Haley led defenses of 5 winners. He recorded over 100 sacks. Maybe some of the other guys are more worthy, but i'm putting him up here. He may never get in though.



8. Willie Roaf
    Offensive Linemen are usually only known for their mistakes... but those in the know, know that O-lineman are critical for team. i remember when Roaf came out for the draft and the mock drafts all had him going high for how he played against Eric Curry... i didn't understand it then b/c i was a kid, but now i know how important lineman are... he was a 11x pro-bowler. He played 13 seasons and made the pro-bowl 11 of them. That's pretty incredible. What else can a player do to get into the HOF? Still, he somehow wasn;t voted in. He may be the 3rd best on this list. seriously.

Those were my locks

9. Tim Brown
   i don't really think of him as a HOF'er... but he did put up some good numbers - 100 TD's and 9 Pro-Bowls...
10. Richard Dent
    another guy i don't think of as a HOFer... but he was 3rd all-time in sacks when he retired (now #6)
11. Andre Reed
    i guess the recievers cancel each other out... he was such a key player for those dominant Buffalo teams


a bit out
12. Chris Doleman
     i liked him when i was younger... but he's not that memorable... but he did have over 150 sacks!
  - #3 all time
13. Dermonti Dawson


NFL HOF is a bit of joke... it seems like evetually everyone gets in. And sadly some deserving locks have to wait... but then again the best players in baseball history aren't in based on speculation...

Mook vs NFL storied franchises

Since Mark Johnson sometimes reads this...

Super Bowl XLV has been a pretty good one so far.
(Go Pack!) (Maybe since they're winning and i'm rooting for them is why it has been a good one).

i'm surprised at how little hype i heard before the game... but maybe because after a week, everyone got tired of thinking about it.

The cool thing about this game is it has to be the two most storied franchises in NFL history.
But it also involves 2 very good QB's and 2 great defenses... and 2 pretty good offenses.

The most storied franchises
1. Green Bay
2. Steelers
3. Cowboys
4. Raiders (even if they've been awful recently)
5. 49ers (just think 80's)
6. Dolphins
7. Washington Redskins
8. Eagles
9. Chicago Bears
10. Colts
11. NYG
12. Denver Broncos (even if Homer Simpson makes fun of them)
13. KC Chiefs (not Chefs)
14. Pats (Though, they're recent success could propel them)
15. Minn Vikings
16. Cincinnati Bengals 
17. Browns (they never win, but they have the best fans)
18. NY Jets (great win with Joe Nameth, but not much else)
19. Buffalo Bills (sorriest of franchises, maybe? but they made a ton of Super Bowls)


as far as this game... poor Aaron Rodgers- his receivers keep dropping passes that hit them in the hands... and now Woodson is out of the game.. bad calls against the Packers... Rothlissberger and his history of winning... things don't look good for the Packers...