Dirty. Nasty. Sick. Whatever you want to call it. That dunk sticks out in my mind for 2007. More on that dunk and the Warriors later.
Another beautiful year of sports has passed. There were ugly stories, beautiful stories, arrests, substance abuse accusations, cinderella stories, champions were crowned... just another 12 months of entertainment.
The following is a list of the great moments according to First to Third sports blog:
- Peyton Manning and the Colts finally win the big one. Sure, Super Bowl XLI is considered to be part of the 2006 NFL season, but the game was played in February, along with the AFC championship game.
The Colts finally exercised their demons by defeating the Patriots when it counts. Then they went on to beat the Chicago Bears to crown Indianapolis champions and make Tony Dungy the first African American coach to win the Super Bowl.
Going into the playoffs the Colts were not looked at as the favorites to get to the championship game, but their less than stellar defense woke up at the right time and carried the squad to the Lombardi trophy.
Always a good thing when a great quarterback like Manning can get that monkey off his shoulders by winning a ring.
- Someone stop Boston. The Red Sox looked like they were headed for the golf courses before coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS, and eventually went on to win the World Series.
Everything looked bleak for Boston. Any pitcher not named Josh Beckett was getting hit by the Indians and Manny Ramirez was posing for home runs even though his team trailed by six runs late in the game. But the power of Rachel Phelps came over the Indians, and they choked away their chance at a World Series.
The New England Patriots. Have you heard of them lately? Spy gate came out and all hell broke loose. Dudes got pissed, and the rest of the league is paying. Every week they were going into the games with the mentality of, "we are going to kick your ass... and you can't do shit about it."
They completed the first 16-0 regular season and will be looking to move to 19-0 on the season as they chase the Lombardi trophy going into 2008.
Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen head to the Celtics. Garnett finally got his opportunity to play for a championship-caliber team with the "Three-headed monster." Paul Pierce, Allen, and Garnett quickly gelled and have started the NBA season 26-3 in 2007 (moved to 27-3 tonight).
2008 will show whether or not their dynamic three can reach that Larry O'Brien trophy.
- Retirement. Tough on the eyes. Losing his mystic. Those were the thoughts going through my mind about Brett Favre before the beginning of the 2007 season. Boy was I wrong. I thought Favre should have retired following the 2004 season because the Packers went a respectable 10-6, and 2005 was just ugly.
Something sparked inside Favre though. The Packers won their final four games in 2006, and that momentum carried into the 2007 season. The Packers ended the regular season with a 13-3 record and Favre looked like a young 20-year-old on the football field.
Ron Jaworski was talking about asking Favre about his arm strength before a game. Favre looked at Jaworski, told him to watch the pylon. Standing at the 50-yard-line, Favre nailed the pylon and answered Jaworski's question about his arm.
I am glad you never left Brett. Good luck in the playoffs, I will be rooting for you.
- Upsets in college football. First there was Appalachian State over Michigan. And then there was Stanford over USC. There were more, but those stuck out in my mind.
The Appalachian State game was obviously the biggest upset of the year... maybe ever. And the Stanford upset was a personal favorite of First to Third, because UCLA is a personal favorite here. We are probably talking about USC being in the BCS Championship Game had they taken care of business and beat Stanford on that day.
- Claire Markwardt. I wrote about this girl in the past, here.
Amazing story. Amazing heart.
- Barry Bonds. He broke the record. I missed witnessing it in person by one day. One day. What many look at as the holy grail of sports records. Many want to put an asterisk on the record, but it was still fun to watch and I was not one to pass judgment, especially since he never tested positive.
Sure he was name on the Mitchell Report, but his name (and head) have always been linked to performance-enhancing drugs.
It was entertainment, and that is what sports is all about.
- Best bowl game. Ever. Boise State over Oklahoma. Most entertaining game I have ever seen.
An instant classic... no question about it.
- The Uglies of 2007: Marion Jones. The George Mitchell report. Tim Donaghy. Michael Vick. You know the stories. It is easy to rehash on the negatives. Lets hope 2008's ugly stories are a little more bearable to look at.
- And now to my favorite story of 2007. The Golden State Warriors. Don Nelson was always a favorite of mine in the NBA. Baron Davis is an ultimate favorite of First to Third. Anytime those two combine to take down the Dallas Mavericks is fine by me.
Not only was this the biggest upset in NBA playoff history, but that series also rekindled my love for the NBA. Their play against the Mavericks reminded me of school yard ball. When you and your boys are playing ball at your favorite park/school/gym and you cannot be touched.
Everywhere you are passing is hitting the right guy. Everything you shoot is the right shot. The team is a well-oiled machine, and for those moments that you are on the court you seem invincible.
The Warriors were school yard kids having the time of their lives against Mavericks. They were jazz mixed with hip-hop on the hardwood, sort of like A Tribe Called Quest's Low End Theory album.
I could not, and would not miss a game of the series. The crowd at the Oracle Arena made me want to be a Warriors fan, and after a couple of playoff games, I was.
Unfortunately their run ended against the Utah Jazz, but we still got the dunk gem of Davis posterizing Andre "I must break you" Kirilenko.
Coupled with the youth of the Lakers to start the 2007-2008 season, the Warriors gave me a reason to take time out of my life to watch my first love again.
So there you have it. The favorites of 2007 according to First To Third Sports blog.
Oh, and I left one off the list.
- The birth of First To Third Sports Blog. Smiley face.
Raise your glasses to the end of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. Lets have some fun.
For those of you on the Monday through Friday shift, I wish you a "happy hump day," with this smiling latina.
This is Sonia Flores, ex-wife of New York Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca. I wanted to post her picture because, just like they Mets choked away the NL East, Lo Duca cheated on this ex-Playboy model and she promptly filed for divorce.
Queens native, Matt Murphy, is blaming himself for the Mets choke job because he caught the record-breaking homerun by Barry Bonds. At the time, Murphy was wearing a Mets jersey, as seen above.
I had missed the historic game by one game, as I embarked on my own Barry Bonds homerun record chase. I was sitting a couple of rows above where the historic ball was hit and could have been Murphy.
But I guess that was a good thing seeing that the Mets collapsed in September. Murphy blames himself personally and I would be the same way if I had caught the ball and my team choked.
The money would be great, but having a whole nation of fans looking at you as the reason your team lost would not be worth it. Love can outweigh money anytime. I feel for Murphy because I now how fans are superstitious.
I myself, have superstitions (that I choose not to discuss due to the fact that I may jinx myself). I think now would be a good time for Murphy to call Steve Bartman (wikipedia for you) and see how to move on (or not).
Who is to blame? Mets Willie Randolph, the GM Omar Minaya, or the team? It was a collective effort, so all sides are guilty. They had a seven game lead in the NL East on September 12, only to be caught by the Phillies. The 1995 Anaheim Angels are thanking the Mets for taking over the top spot of the "biggest choke jobs" in MLB history.
Randolph could have managed his bullpen more efficiently and could have thrown coffee and gatorade in the clubhouse to pump up his players. Minaya could have given Randolph more to work with, mainly his pitching staff. And the players could have responded to the fast-charging Phillies, especially since they still had a chance to avoid the worst finish ever.
I would hate to be those players wives. Women want to talk about your problems, and there is no way the Mets' players will want to discuss what went down in September 2007; a lot of frustrated ladies.
That is a video of Boston's closer Jonathan Papelbon dancing in his underwear after the Red Sox clinched the AL East. You can also see other Boston players doing ridiculous dances in the video. Jeez, they act like they have not been there before... maybe it is because it was their first division championship since 1995. Or it was because the Yankees had taken the division every year since 1998.
I really do not understand why Boston took the longer series in the playoffs. Or do I? Here is my theory: I think they took the longer series because the Yankees are in their head. Let me explain... in a shorter series you have to use more pitching, both starters and bullpen help. Two aspects that are not real strong points for the Yankees.
Granted, the Yankees have starting pitchers in their rotation with plenty of playoff experience (Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, and Mike Mussina) but they all have struggled this season; especially with Clemens plagued with a hamstring injury. I just think the Red Sox want the Yankees eliminated in the first round.
The longer series in the Red Sox-Angels could come back to haunt the Red Sox. This allows the Angels to pitch their two aces, John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, twice in the series on regular rest. But, maybe the decision was based on allowing Red Sox relievers to get rest during the series.
And tonight the San Diego Padres-Colorado Rockies one-game playoff will be played in Colorado. I picked the Rockies to win the wild card before the weekend started so I am taking them tonight, even if they face the Padres ace Jake Peavy.
If Colorado wins, my picks for the NL teams in the playoffs would be 100% accurate. Boo ya.
Division series picks coming tomorrow once the field is completely set. Also, the times for the games will be announced at 4 p.m. EST today.
That was Hope Solo following the 4-0 United States World Cup loss to Brazil in today's game. Solo had been replaced by veteran Brianna Scurry even though she had started each game this World Cup.
"It's not 2004 anymore..."
I love that line by Solo. I wish she had pulled this rant before they lost today, although that would mean not being a "team" player.
But she is right. Scurry may have been good in the past, but that is exactly what it was, the past. Lets compare it to baseball playoff pitching matchups:
That is like Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox starting Curt Schilling in game 1 of the ALDS because, "he has been there before," even though he has a possible 21-game winner and possible Cy Young pitcher in Josh Beckett wanting to pitch.
U.S. head coach Greg Ryan started Solo the whole World Cup for a reason: because she is the now, and the future of U.S. women's soccer. I guess he just had a brain fart... in the SEMIFINALS!
I say Ryan starts Scurry in the third place game against Norway; there is no way Solo wants to play for that ugly bronze. The force was with her.
Ryan was Uncle Owen and Solo was Luke Skywalker: Uncle Owen - "Take these two over to the garage, will you, I want them cleaned up before dinner." Luke Skywalker - "But, I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters." Owen - "You can waste time with your friends when your chores are done."
