Archive for November 6th, 2012

WATERCOOLER CHAT: NEW ORLEANS GETS LIFT IN MNF, KNICKS A PLEASANT SURPRISE, ALL STAR VOTING CHANGE

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it was Monday Night Football between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints.  Both of these teams desperately needed a win to salvage their season.  Problem is they both have bad defenses, and they both have banged up, injured teams. The team with the superior offensive line would likely dominate– and that definitely wasn’t the Eagles, as the Saints were able to get to Michael Vick over and over again.  Sometimes they didn’t even have to run through anybody.  That type of pressure resulted in Vick rushing a pass that was picked off for a long touchdown in the first quarter, as well as a fumble that would push them back on a key drive.  And of course, Drew Brees was still Drew Brees, throwing for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns.  New Orleans gets the much needed spirit-lifter.  New Orleans 28, Philly 13.

BASKETBALL

And in the NBA, it’s been a very odd start to the season.  Miami has already lost, the loaded Lakers have a losing record, and the Thunder are seriously hurting without James Harden in their line-up.  But,  given all the horrible events of the hurricane, the most pleasant surprise has been the play of the New York Knicks.  They were 2-0 going into a tough game against the Sixers, but thanks to an all-around solid night from J.R. Smith, the Knicks won again.  And make it clear, they’re not just winning, they’re crushing people.  They even crushed the Heat this past weekend.  Without Jeremy Lin there, it is clearly Carmelo’s team, and he’s making the most of it.  The Knicks will be very exciting to watch this year.  NY Knicks 110, Philadelphia 88.

Finally, the NBA has changed its All-Star voting this year, and while fans may like it, Dwight Howard hates it.  Here’s the deal:  Instead of having to elect an official “center” position to the game, fans can vote for 3 low-post players.  The reason for this is many teams in the NBA have decided to play ‘small ball’ because it’s faster and there are so many more gifted big men now.  Therefore, not every team boasts an authentic ‘big-men’ center.  You can count on your hand the number of stand out centers in the league (after Howard and Bynum and Lopez, the list drops off pretty significantly).  Howard says the games have evolved, but centers like him work just as hard as anybody else, even if their position has adapted to the modern day game.  He says you still need a center on the court.

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