The Comparison is in!

Image Acquired From:  http://www.nba.com/lakers/multimedia/130329_winningstreaks

Since I was talking about streaks yesterday I figured I would post this infographic to assist in any discussions.  By posting this, I am not trying to take anything away from the Miami Heat.  It is however, important to look at some of the differences between the two streaks.

It's obviously clear that the Heat were six wins short of tying the Los Angeles Lakers 33 win streak.  The first interesting stat you come across though is the amount of back to back games as well as back to back to back games.  While the Heat had seven back to backs and the Lakers only had three, it's a different story when it comes to back to back to backs.  The Lakers had four of these!  Overall that makes 11 no-rest games for the Lakers as compared to the Heat's seven.  This stat by itself is impressive.  Remember a year ago when the NBA had its shortened season and players complained about back to back to backs?

Again, I am not taking anything away from the Heat because that was an excellent streak they had going.  Looking ahead to the margin of victory though, the Lakers streak tops the Heats at 15.7 compared to 11.9 points per game.  One of the Lakers games even had a 40+ point margin of victory.

One stat this doesn't show is the largest deficit by both teams.  While I am not sure what the largest was for the Lakers during the streak, I do know the Heat overcame that massive 27 point deficit to keep their streak alive.  That is incredible and I won't soon forget that.  The Miami Heat have an incredible will to win this year.

Be sure to read the last paragraph on this infographic too.  It is very interesting to know what flights were like for NBA teams back then.  Also, you can consider the air-mileage as a factor in the two streaks as well.  The Lakers flew more than twice as far in their streak than the Miami Heat did.

On a final note, both of these teams are incredible just like their streaks.  One thing I am even more impressed with is how humble the Heat appeared to be during their streak.  I was so tired of hearing Miami complain the last two years.  This team is a different story though.  The main thing is that the Heat still have their eyes set on the true goal of winning a championship.  The streak was just an added sweetener.

We're Going Streaking!

If you haven't figured out what this post is about from the title and logos above then you probably haven't been following sports too closely.  There have been a quite a few streaks recently that have recently ended or are still on-going.  You may know the more popular ones but which do you think is the best?

The Miami Heat's 27 game winning streak that ended last night against the Bulls.  It seems fitting that Chicago ended the Heat's streak, as Miami has recently been compared to the great Bulls teams of the 90's, mainly the '95-'96 team that won 72 games.  This streak saw Lebron James average 27 points a game.  Miami's streak is simply amazing, falling just six games shy of the '71-'72 Lakers record of 33 straight.  Even though the streak is over, the Heat are still eyeing the ultimate goal of repeating as champions.

The Chicago Blackhawks had their own streak raging earlier this season; they earned at least one point in 24 straight games.  The Blackhawks had their streak ended by the Colorado Avalanche in a 6-2 loss. This streak was very impressive and at one point it was looking better than the Heat's streak.  Chicago is sitting nicely at 25-4 with 53 points on the season.

Still ongoing, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a 13 game winning streak rolling along quite nicely.  The current winning streak record was set by the '92-'93 Pens at 17 straight.  Pittsburgh has been very active lately in acquiring new players.  They recently acquired Brendon Morrow, Jarome Iginla, and Douglas Murray.  This acquisitions certainly push the envelope for extending their own record.

The Minnesota Women's hockey team is one of the streaks you may not be as familiar with.  They recently won a championship by going 41-0 on the season.  This puts the team at 49 consecutive wins.

Last but not least, Baylor Women's Basketball team went a perfect 31-0 in the regular season.  Brittney Griner recently put up 33 points while grabbing 22 rebounds to beat Florida State 85-47.  This team is looking phenomenal as they move on to the Sweet 16 against Louisville.

So there you have it.  These are five incredible streaks, each in their own special way.  Comment below to voice your opinion as to which streak is best!

Images Acuired From: 

http://gtn206.com/2011/12/18/baylor-beats-uconn-1-vs-2-womens-hoops/

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/03/07/minnesota-sweeps-kazmaier-finalists-with-all-3-2/

http://www.famouslogos.net/miami-heat-logo

http://puckinghockey.com/2013/01/20/pittsburgh-penguins-vs-new-york-rangers-prediction-12013/

http://www.huntlogo.com/chicago-blackhawks-logo/

Those NASCAR Racers are at it Again

Photo Acquired From:  http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/racing/news/20130325/tony-stewart-joey-logano-feud-fontana/

NASCAR, a great American sport the evolved from moonshiners carrying "illegal" booze in their cars and decided to race in some fields, because men will be men.  While the first actual race was in 1949, the sport has come a long way.  And when I say a long way, that is exactly what I mean.

Late in the Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway, young Joey Logano and veteran Tony Stewart mixed it up a little bit.  Tony claims it all started earlier in the day when Logano cut him off on a restart.  Whatever happened, it came down to the incident later in the race.  It was actually interesting to watch the two drivers side by side going for the win.  It looked like the battle was heated, as you could see in the driving from both racers.

After the two made contact, Joey Logano finished third, Stewart 22nd, Kyle Busch finished first, and Denny Hamlin went to the hospital.

Post race, Stewart wanted to brawl with Logano.  The whole time the fight was going on, that camera view covered most of the screen while the winner, Kyle Busch, occupied a smaller portion of the screen.  What was this race really about?  Was it about the race or about the fight?  Clearly fans wanted to see the fight and TV production knows that.  While the fight was entertaining, if I wanted to watch a fight I would tune in to some UFC.

I don't typically get in to NASCAR.  From time to time I like to watch a few laps.  Especially to see some underdogs like Danica Patrick or Travis Pastrana race.  I really do love the technical side of the sport as well.  For instance, learning about drafting is very interesting to me.  But then again if I want technical, I'll just turn on some F1, which I find more entertaining.

Back to Stewart and Logano;  the two had some words for each other, of which Tony's were more entertaining.  That is apparently what this sport is about, entertaining.  It is just strange to me that they received the spotlight over a man that won a race and a man that was headed to the hospital.

Either way, as a sport that evolved from a bunch of moonshiners racing incognito cars through corn fields, I guess this is what I can expect from NASCAR.  In all reality though, shouldn't I be focusing this article on the man that won the race?  Or does this not matter anymore?  What the Hoff?

Tiger Regains Number 1. Sound Off!

Photo Acquired From:  http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlm45jemm/1-tiger-woods/

I for one am very happy to see Tiger Woods at number one in the world again.  What do you guys think? Sound off in the comments section below.

They Don't Make a Club for This!

I just wanted to share this with anyone that hasn't seen this yet.  Listen for the "Tree Iron" punch line too.  Sergio Garcia plays this shot well.  How does this even happen though?  It is crazy what the world of sports can bring us.

Can't Beat the Heat

Photo Acquired From:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1541261-cleveland-cavaliers-vs-miami-heat-preview-analysis-and-predictions

Leading by 21 at halftime, you would think the Cleveland Cavaliers had a nice hold on the game against the streaking Miami Heat.  That thought would be reaffirmed by the Heat allowing the Cavs to go up by as much as 27 in the third.  I didn't think there was a chance that the Cavs would stop the Heat from reaching 24 in a row. 

Seeing Miami down by 27, I started to think "Wow, this could be it.  But to the Cavs?"

I also thought something had to be wrong with the Heat because they only scored...24 by halftime?

Never mind all this negative talk.  Shane Battier and Ray Allen would combine for four three-pointers in the third to start the comeback.  Just like that, Lebron and the Heat were back in business.  Lebron scored 25 in the second half as the defending champs ended up winning by three.

This loss was the worst blown lead in Cavaliers history.  If that isn't enough for you, this comeback added up to Miami's largest halftime comeback in the history of the team.

After witnessing a comeback like this, I don't really know if the Heat can be stopped.  I stated before that I thought the game against the Celtics was the last fair chance to stop the streak.  While the streak is still alive, I am thinking ahead.

Can you imagine this team in the playoffs?  I have a hard time thinking that any team is going to stop Miami.  If they can rally from 27 down, they seriously have a will to win.  You can usually bet on that "will" being heightened in the playoffs too. 

Because of this streak staying alive due to a 27 point comeback, I have to ask "What The HOFF?"

Heat's Streak Goes Green...Momentarily.

Photo Acquired From: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/18/3293910/heat-at-celtics-mon-march-18-2013.html

I tweeted along (@whatthehoff) with most of the Heat vs Celtics game last night because I was excited to see this rivalry taken to the next level.  I firmly believed Boston had a chance to do just that by ending Miami's record breaking streak, even without Kevin Garnett.  Now I am not so sure that streak will end.

Right out of the gates the Celtics seem to be playing with determination.  They wanted to end the Heat's streak just like they ended the Rocket's streak exactly five years ago.  Jumping up six to nothing looked great but that lead ended as fast as it started, at least momentarily.  The Celtics regained control and went up by as much as 17 at one point in the first half.

Among some notable plays in the first half was the dunk that caused Jason Terry to trend on Twitter through the night.  Lebron just took it to the dude; end of that story.

The Celtics were plagued by turnovers which caused the lead to be squandered in the second half.  It was going to come down to the wire and everyone saw it coming just by looking at Lebron's face.  He was determined.

Boston wouldn't give up without a fight though, as Jeff Green stepped up to shoot for a career high 43 point.  This guy was simply impressive.  He was five of seven from three range and made some tough shots in the paint.

Lebron however, finished the game with a deep two pointer with around 10 seconds left in the game.  He ended having a monster game as well, finishing with 37 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds.  James continues to impress me not only in this streak but throughout the season.

This may have been the last great attempt to end the streak.  The game was all that I had hoped it would be, as I certainly don't see the Bobcats doing much to stop it.  Then again, the NBA can be full of surprises and anything can happen on any given day.

Stats acquired from: http://www.nba.com/games/20130318/MIABOS/gameinfo.html

The NFL is Considering Pranking Everyone

The Monday Tee-Off

Image Acquired From:  http://espn.go.com/nfl/photos/gallery/_/id/8389368/image/8/bad-news-bears-nfl-week-2-gallery

If the newly proposed rule that would require a penalty to be called on running backs that lead with their head isn't a joke, it should be.  Good one NFL, very funny.

It is true though, the NFL is considering the addition of a rule that proposes the following: any ball carrier lowering their head and leading with the crown of their helmet and is outside of the tackle box will be called for a 15 yard penalty.  As Matt Forte puts it:

"The proposed rule change for running backs might be the most absurd suggestion of a rule change I've ever heard of"

I completely agree with Forte's statement.  When I played football in middle school and high school, the first thing I was told while running the ball was to lower the shoulder, lean in to the hit, drive your legs, and keep your head up.  I realize "keeping your head up" may sound different than what this rule is proposing.  In reality, it's really the same thing.  If you think about how low some guys run (which is how a back is supposed to run) you will be able to see that even if you do "keep your head up" the chances are slim that you are not going to make contact with the crown of your helmet.

To me, this is going to defeat the chances of a team wanting to run the ball.  If a runner can't get low and drive himself into a defensive player without fear of penalty, there will be some major issues.

I know the league has been transforming itself into a "pass happy" league, but don't take away a whole aspect of the game.  That is just wrong.

The NFL has recently undergone a major adjustment when they decided to start heavily penalizing for head to head contact.  Just last season, I saw players called for head to head hits, in which were completely wrong calls (as there was no contact to the head), and possibly changed the outcome of those games.  Think about how referees are going to have to keep an eye on this proposed rule and the chances that come along with them making the wrong call.

Here we go again.

Kobe is...A Game Time Decision?

Photo Acquired From: http://www.inflexwetrust.com/2012/11/12/photo-nba-jokes-lol-kobe-bryant-mike-dantonis-first-conversation/

Kobe is a lot of things:  He's an incredible athlete, a ridiculous shooter, a legend.  He's now also a game time decision.

The Lakers lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday but they lost more than just the game, they lost Kobe to a bad ankle sprain.  Or at least they thought so.

As everyone should know, Kobe has an extremely high pain tolerance.  He has played through bad knees, wrists, fingers, you name it.  The diagnosis claimed that Kobe would be out "indefinitely".  The Lakers travel to Indiana tonight to play the Pacers.  There is no doubt in my mind that Kobe wants to play, but should he?

The Mamba called out Dwight Howard earlier in the year about not playing through injuries.  Maybe Kobe is just trying to reinforce that message, or maybe he really thinks he can play.  I don't doubt Kobe can go out there and help the team right now.  After all, this is what has made this man notorious.  And if he does play and rolls out there and throws down 35 points, it would just add to his legacy.

Honestly though, I don't think Bryant should play.  As much as the Lakers need him, he is better off sitting for a week so he can play down the final stretch.  I think the Lakers have a good shot at getting to the playoffs considering their play as of late.  They are certain to need number 24, just give him a week.

What Just Happened Elvis?

Photo Acquired From: http://coloradosportsdesk.com/wp/archives/2009/09/denver-broncos-beat-browns-with-defense/

Elvis Dumervil, who had 11 sacks last year, was set to take a $4 million pay cut.  John Elway had mentioned earlier this week that Dumervil is "too paid".  So Elvis agreed to take a pay cut to remain with the team.  Everything seemed to be figured out.

It just so happens that today, Friday March 15, is the deadline for paperwork to be in.  The actual deadline is at 4 PM eastern time.  When did the Broncos receive this paperwork?  4:06 PM.

What happens now?  Basically, the $12 million on his original contract would have been guaranteed if he remained on the Broncos' roster after the deadline.  This forced the organization to cut the three-time pro bowler to avoid having to pay up.

Now, Elvis is a free man.  He could resign with the Broncos, or he could choose to go elsewhere.  This is a huge mistake.  After thinking about it though, another team may want to take advantage of this.  Who doesn't want a defensive end that forced six fumbles last year on their team?  I think the Broncos lose big in this.  Between Dumervil and Von Miller, they had quite the linebacking duo.

I would imagine that Dumervil will now shop around a bit to see if he can make as much as he wants.  But I want to know who's fault this is.  Is this Elvis' fault, or is it his agents fault?  It just seems strange to me that a player of this calibre can't get a contract in on time.  This makes me want to ask:  "what the hoff?"

Stats from: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DumeEl20.htm

The Team Comes With the Territory

Image Acquired From: http://www.rsvlts.com/tag/basketball-team-map/

So, it seems that I often encounter fans that live by the law of territory.  I am from Pennsylvania, so I often come across fans that say "I am from Philly so I like the Flyers, Sixers, Eagles, and Phillys".

I am not writing this to say this is wrong.  I understand that people like to stick up for their home teams.  Fans like to represent their city.  They like to feel like they are part of the team, often times speaking in lingo like "I can't believe we're Super Bowl champions", while they clearly don't play for the team.  But it's about the camaraderie.

I understand this and don't have a problem with it.  But consider for a second the fans that like teams from around the nation.  I am included in this category.  As I stated above, I am from PA but yet root for just ONE PA team.  As I am a fan of sports in general, I also like teams from other areas of the country, such as California, Texas, and North Carolina.

One of the drawbacks to this is being able to watch your teams play.  It's even worse if your team from across the country is less average on the field, ice, or court.  But a true sports fan battles through this and does what they can to catch a game, even if it means paying absurd prices to get game day cable packages.

So the question is, how did you become a fan of the teams you follow?

Tiger Receives a Tip From Stricker

Photo Acquired From: http://metro.co.uk/2013/03/11/tiger-woods-scoops-doral-crown-after-taking-putting-lessons-from-runner-up-steve-stricker-3535318/

In a practice before the WGC Cadillac Championship, Steve Stricker noticed that Tiger Woods' posture while putting was a little off.  Stricker then began to work with Woods for about an hour to correct the problem.  If you hadn't known, Stricker is claimed to be one of the best putters in the game.

Throughout the weekend, Tiger ended up putting 100 times in 72 holes.  He seemed to be on top of his game and back to form.

Last year when I had watched Tiger put, he seemed to be missing shots that "the old Tiger" would have made.  But whatever Stricker said to Woods, it must have worked.

It is probably likely that good health has something to do with him winning 5 of his last 19 too.  The match really wasn't as close as what the two shot lead shows.  It could have been disaster on the last hole had he done what Tiger might usually do.  He decided chipping into the fairway for a better shot was the thing to do, rather than hitting out of the rough toward the green.  From the fairway, he again landed in the rough just passed the edge of the water.  A chip and a putt later he had taken his 76th PGA Tour Title.

I loved watching Tiger play all weekend and loved seeing his dominance.  Thanks for the advice Steve.

NFL Free Agency is Hot Already

Monday Tee-Off!

Image Courtesy Of:  http://blogs.thescore.com/nfl/2013/03/10/report-percy-harvin-requests-a-trade/

It's still one day away from NFL free agency and already there have been some big moves by teams that were eyeing the Vince Lobardi Trophy last year.  Among the notables are the Seahawks and the 49ers.

These two teams are apparently going at it, even in the off season.  I was intending to just write this article on Percy Harvin going to the revamped Seahawks.  Just as I sat down, some breaking news occurred that sent Anquan Boldin to the NFC Champion 49ers.

Percy Harvin was apparently traded away to the Seahawks for a first round pick.  If you remember, Percy was out for a bit of time last year with an ankle injury.  Either way, adding Harvin to an offense such as the Seahawks is frightening.  With Russell Wilson at quarterback and Marshawn Lynch running the football, this should open the field up for Harvin to be a great weapon.  That's not to mention that the Seahawks should still have a powerful defense.  By the way, Adrian Peterson wasn't thrilled when he heard the news.

As if to say "we're watching you", the 49ers have just traded a sixth round pick for Anquan Boldin.  You read that correctly, a SIXTH round pick.  For Anquan Boldin!  If that isn't a steal than I don't know what is.  Just like the Seahawks, this makes the 49ers even more fierce.  I don't know what this means for Randy Moss, but adding a deep threat like Boldin to a team with Frank Gore and Collin Kaepernick is unbelievable.

It's early in the offseason, and I haven't even mentioned Mike Wallace potentially heading to Miami.  This looks to be as exciting as the NFL offseason can get.  But don't forget, NFL free agency is still one day away!

Lakers Pull it Off Again, Oh and Kobe is Spectacular

OVERTIME

Photo Courtesy of:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1559630-toronto-raptors-vs-la-lakers-live-score-results-and-game-highlights

Typically, Lakers games are not easy to catch unless you live on the West Coast.  I receive a lot of updates on my phone as to how games are going and how players are performing.

Lately, I have been catching Lakers scores around the third quarter, which usually shows them at a deficit.  As I am on the East coast, it is typical that I catch the final score in the morning with an outcome I had not expected.

It started with the Hornets and a 25 point deficit.  Kobe rolled in this game with 42 points.  Next was an overtime win against the Raptors in which the Lakers had been down by 15 at one point.  Kobe registered 41 points.

"Bryant is the first member of the Lakers to record consecutive games of 40 points and 10 assists since Jerry West in 1970." (Arritt, 2013)

Sometimes I think Kobe still wants to prove himself in this league, as he has time and time again.  People are talking about Lebron James being the best on the court right now and I agree.  But I don't think Kobe is ready to hand the reigns over just yet.  I think that is evident from the two going at it in the All-Star game.

These last two games aren't just about The Black Mamba though.  We can also mention Dwight Howard performing well in each game, as well as some actual chemistry from the rest of the team.

The Lakers really are pushing for the Playoffs.  You can see from Bryant and even Howard.  Steve Nash is an important player in this push as well.  As bad as the Lakers have been, they have something cooking now.  I don't care who you are, I don't believe you will want to play the Lakers in the post season because they might just give you a run for your money.

Now that the Lakers have finally made it over .500, we will see what they can do this Sunday against the Bulls.

Source:

Arritt, D. (2013, March 09). Notebook: Lakers 118, raptors 116 (ot). Retrieved from http://www.nba.com/games/20130308/TORLAL/gameinfo.html

I Am All For "El Heat"

Photo Acquired From:  http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/el%20heat

Let me start by saying I am all for Hispanic Heritage Month, just so no one gets confused.  I think the NBA does a great job of supporting communities and giving back.  It's great that they even go to the extent of changing the jerseys of the teams for Hispanic Heritage Month.  This is also a form of target marketing for the NBA, as they wish to extend their reach to the hispanic community.

Let me just pose a question though, why "El Heat"?  Why use "spanglish" when they could easily go full Spanish; "El Calor"? You can't tell me that Heat fans are suddenly not going to recognize their team because Lebron James is wearing "El Calor" across his chest for a game or two.  Not only that, but considering the fact that the Heat, according to "Heat News" on NBA.com, have the largest fan base of Hispanic season ticket holders in the NBA.

I should point out the fact that it's not just the Heat because I have also watched games that included "Los Lakers" and "Nueva York".  Am I just missing the point with this?  Perhaps "Lakers" doesn't translate well to Spanish, but that's why I am using the Heat as my main example.

To me, people will understand why a jersey says "El Calor" for a night or two during the season, especially when you have the NBA there to explain Hispanic Heritage Month.  This is almost as weird to me as Taco Bell's "Live Mas" slogan but I won't get in to that right now, I'll stick to sports.



Source:

Heat celebrates hispanic heritage month at bucky dent park. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nba.com/heat/news/HEAT_Celebrates_Hispanic_Heritage.html