Author: John Paulsen (Page 621 of 937)

      Barack Obama reiterates his support for a college football playoff

      November 17, 2008 /

      President-elect Barack Obama appeared on “60 Minutes” tonight, and once again stated that he supports the idea of a college football playoff.

      Q: As President of the United States, what can you do, or what do you plan to do about getting a college football playoff for the National Championship?

      BO: This is important. I think any sensible person would say that if you’ve got a bunch of teams that have played throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses – there’s no clear, decisive winner – that we should be creating a playoff system. Eight teams. That would be three rounds to determine a national champion. It would add three extra weeks to the season, you could trim back on the regular season. I don’t know any serious fan of college football who has disagreed with me on this, so I’m going to throw my weight around a little bit. I think it’s the right thing to do.

      The question about the college football playoff is at the 2:50 mark.


      Watch CBS Videos Online

      If all an Obama first term brings us is a college football playoff, it will be considered a succes, at least in the world of sports.

      College Football, Television, Video

      How did the Spurs beat the Rockets last night?

      November 15, 2008 /

      I know the answer is “defense,” but the San Antonio Spurs started with this lineup last night – George Hill, Roger Mason, Ime Udoka, Tim Duncan and Fabricio Oberto – and they still managed to beat (77-75) a Houston team that was pretty much at full strength. Rafer Alston was suspended for the game and the team is still without Shane Battier due to a foot injury. Still, the Rockets have no business losing to the Spurs, who are without Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

      On the night, Tracy McGrady was just 2-12 from the field, but the Rockets still led by seven heading into the fourth quarter. Tim Duncan (22 points, 5 rebounds) was big down the stretch and he had the game-saving block (on Aaron Brooks’ layup attempt) to seal the win.

      When looking at a win like this, maybe the injuries to Ginobili and Parker are a blessing in disguise for the Spurs. Guys like Hill and Mason are getting big minutes, and this experience could very well help San Antonio down the road.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Lakers perfect no more

      November 15, 2008 /

      Coming off a win in Oakland the night before, the Pistons didn’t show any signs of fatigue as they gave the Lakers their first loss on the season (106-95). Detroit held the Laker starters to just 26-70 (37%) from the field, while Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace led the way with 25 points each. Tayshaun Prince had to cover Kobe Bryant most of the night, but still finished with 18 points, six assists and four rebounds. He held Kobe to just 12-30 from the field, but more importantly, Bryant only attempted four free throws on the night.

      The Lamar Odom Watch continues – he came off the bench and went 5 for 5 from the field to score 11 points, but he only played 20 minutes and had just one rebound and one assist. Trevor Ariza posted 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. He continues to be the Lakers’ most productive bench player and should probably get a look in the starting lineup.

      This was an impressive win for the Pistons. It was the second game of a back-to-back on the road against the best team in the league. Even Kwame Brown (10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists) played well against his old team.

      Right now, it’s looking like the Billups-for-AI trade was just what the doctor ordered.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      What is going on with Stephon Marbury?

      November 14, 2008 /

      Mike D’Antoni refuses to play Stephon Marbury, but says that he’s been “great.” Now it looks like the Knicks might buy out Marbury’s contract, which would allow him to play elsewhere this season.

      Marbury, 30, has been adamant that he will not take a penny less than the $21.9 million he is owed this season. He is in the last year of his contract and has said he doesn’t expect this to be his final season. If he doesn’t play at all, it would be more difficult for Marbury, who does not have an agent, to negotiate a new contract.

      Though Marbury is widely considered to be a cancer, he did average 8+ assists in seven of his 11 years in the league, so conceivably he could fit into D’Antoni’s up-tempo system if he were willing to buy into the pass-first philosophy. But the Knicks are 5-3 without him, so the chances of Marbury getting any playing time in a Knicks uni appear to be gone as there is just too much history between Marbury and the franchise to make the relationship work. From the Knicks perspective, it’s not worth trying to showcase him for a trade, because no one is going to want to take on his salary. (And quite frankly, the Knicks don’t want to take on equal salary in a trade. They’re trying to get under the cap by 2010 to make a run at LeBron.)

      The best thing for both parties is a buyout, but Marbury needs to be willing to back off his “not a penny less” demands. He’s not going to get much of a contract next summer if he doesn’t play this year, and he’s not going to play this year unless he signs with another team. He should take a buyout of $10-$12 million, and sign a one-year deal with a team that could use him. If he plays well, he’d be in a position to sign a 2-3 year deal for decent money ($4-$5 million per season?). If he stands his ground and demands the full salary, the Knicks could punish him for his unwillingness to compromise by continuing to pay him for the season, but banishing him from the team, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did with Keyshawn Johnson a few years back. If they went that route, the decision would be made and it may (I repeat, “may”) cease to be a story. (After all, this is the NY media we’re talking about.)

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

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