LIBERATION!

Oh wow, it's been a rough season to be a Broncos fan.  I've spent that past 5-6 weeks cheering for the Broncos to lose their games in order to help insure a change at the head coaching position, and finally my wishes have come true!  I've LOVED the Broncos for as long as I've watched football (since I was 5 or 6 years old) and I've never felt about them like I have this season, even when they had some really bad seasons with Wade Phillips and Dan Reeves, I still loved them, but I didn't this year. 

Every time I'd turn on a Broncos game I'd see an uninspired team, playing garbage ball, without a running game and no defense.  Honestly though their performance wasn't the worst of it.  The worst was the lack of direction on the part of head coach Josh McDaniels and honestly the lack of hope on the part of the fans.  The allegations of cheating and the personnel moves destroyed any hope I had in him as a coach, I mean what hope can you get as a fan when your head coach orchestrates deals to lose Jay Cutler, lose Brandon Marshall, lose Peyton Hillis and gain what in return... Kyle Orton, Tim freaking Tebow and Brady Quinn.  Three QB's on a team that already had a franchise QB and WR and an solid up and coming RB in Hillis.

McDaniels was in over his head.  He had no business getting this job in the first place and honestly was destined to fail.  I have to blame Broncos ownership as well for his failure.  He didn't know how to make personnel moves, he didn't know how to win over and keep team loyalty and he didn't know how to get consistent results out of his team.  With his firing today finally, finally the pain is over... McDaniels, his arrogance, his cheating and his lack of maturity are gone, thank goodness!  I can wear my Bronco gear again! 

Here's for hoping that Jon Gruden is interested... that would make me the happiest fan ever!

Final Thoughts Utah vs. BYU

Wow, what an intense game!  Brit, the kids and I watched the ending in the lobby at the District Theater while waiting to see Tangled (great family movie by the way) and caught ourselves jumping up and down after Burton's block of Payne's potential game winning field goal.  What a great play!  This was another instant classic.

Unfortunately BYU fans are crying "foul" for the fumble after the Wynn interception, and are using that as their excuse for BYU losing this game.  Facebook, the SL Trib and the D-News comment boards are loaded with comments about the Utes "buying off" referees, or winning only because of the officials, or that the Utes are a bunch of cheaters and are "classless" (haven't we heard that before) in comparison to the BYU players.  Seriously?  Come on...  The Utah players & coaching staff had no control over that call, that is completely on the shoulders of the officials.  So layoff with labelling Utah because of a blown call by an official.  If the roles had been reversed you wouldn't hear a single complaint from any BYU fans...

You know what this reminds me of:  Lavell's last game.  BYU came back to beat Utah in 2001 after the officials clearly blew a fumble call against BYU running back Luke Staley.  Even Lavell Edwards publicly admits that it was a fumble.  If that had been called correctly, Utah would have won, and Lavell's last season would have ended with a 5-7 record, the first losing season of his career.  Instead, the officials blew a call, BYU scored a last second TD and sent Lavell off the field as a winner with a 6-6 record.  I'm sure a lot of Utah fans complained that night as well, just like the BYU fans are complaining now, but it's part of football.



Burton Saves the Day for the Utes!



The fumble/non-fumble today was a blown call.  His knee was down, BYU should have gotten the ball back.  I don't disagree with that at all.  My question is how did the officials miss that on the review, in slow motion?  It's mind boggling, but part of the game.  You will win some calls and you'll lose some calls.  It's just how it is.





Also, if BYU had converted more on third down (they were 6-15), if they hadn't kicked 3 field goals instead of scoring touchdowns when the opportunities were there, and if they had blocked out Brandon Burton on the most important play of their season, they would have won.  They played the better game, but they left opportunities on the field and gave the Utes a chance, which was all they needed to win. 

Utah won the game.  17-16 (Despite the fact that Jordan Wynn played terrible, again!), blown call and all... get over it Cougs.  You will be burned again by a ref sometime, as will the Utes.  If  you don't want to see that again, quit watching football.  At the end of the day, it is just a game. 

Now I feel better... GO UTES!  10 WINS 2 LOSSES... nice season! 

*I'm curious to see if they can keep their Bowl winning streak alive with Wynn playing as inconsistently as he is.  He did everything possible to lose this game for Utah today, it definitely wasn't a confidence boosting performance on his part.

J E T S are #1... AGAIN!

How much fun are the New York Jets?  They get shut out at home 9-0 by the Packers, but then bounce back with back to back overtime wins on the road against Detroit and Cleveland.  They may not be the most dominate team I've ever seen, but they are the most interesting, you simply never know what you're going to get out of them.  So far though, they've spent more time at #1 in my Power Rankings than any other team in the league this year, so at the end of the day, what you really get is a pretty good football team. 

Their coach (Rex Ryan) may be one of the most interesting coaching personalities in the NFL.  Seriously, who didn't enjoy his spoof of his twin brother and the supposed "bounty" he put on his brother's head before the Jets went to play Cleveland.  He's just an entertaining figure, who is also a very good football coach.  I'm expecting big things from the Jets as the year goes on, but watch out... New England is still hanging in at #2 and when the Colts get healthy, they could beat anyone on any day... It should be a fun end to the season!

Also, congrats to the Buffalo Bills on not only beating the Lions 14-12 for their first win of the season, but for also jumping Carolina in the Power Rankings.  The Panthers are now officially the worst team in the NFL.  Congrats to the Bills!  Also, congrats to Atlanta.  By beating Baltimore last week they moved up to #3 which is the highest they've been all season.

1 NY JETS

2 NE PATRIOTS

3 ATL FALCONS

4 GB PACKERS

5 PHI EAGLES

6 NO SAINTS

7 PITT STEELERS

8 IND COLTS

9 NY GIANTS

10 TEN TITANS

11 BAL RAVENS

12 CHI BEARS

13 OAK RAIDERS

14 TB BUCS

15 KC CHIEFS

16 SD CHARGERS

17 MIA DOLPHINS

18 SEA SEAHAWKS

19 STL RAMS

20 JAX JAGUARS

21 HOU TEXANS

22 WAS REDSKINS

23 CLE BROWNS

24 DET LIONS

25 MIN VIKINGS

26 SF 49ERS

27 DEN BRONCOS

28 CIN BENGALS

29 AZ CARDINALS

30 DAL COWBOYS

31 BUF BILLS

32 CAR PANTHERS

A Familiar Face at the Top of the Power Rankings

The New England Patriots, fresh off of a victory over Brett Favre and the Vikings have made their first trip to the top of my power rankings.  It's well deserved.  They seem to have flown under the radar all season, but have to be considered one of the favorites in the AFC.  They are winning without Randy Moss, they are winning without big names (except for Tom Brady) and to put it simply they just know how to win games.  They are the ultimate "Teams Team" where there isn't any main focus on any superstar, instead the focus is on the team as a whole.  I hate to say it, but the Patriots organization from coaching all the way up to ownership maybe the best in the NFL.  They know how to find unheralded talent and get the most out of them.  They are going to be a tough team to beat for the remainder of the season.  So look out, New England is back!

1 NE PATRIOTS


2 NY JETS

3 PITT STEELERS

4 TEN TITANS

5 IND COLTS

6 ATL FALCONS

7 KC CHIEFS

8 BAL RAVENS

9 NY GIANTS

10 GB PACKERS

11 NO SAINTS

12 PHI EAGLES

13 OAK RAIDERS

14 TB BUCS

15 CHI BEARS

16 MIA DOLPHINS

17 SEA SEAHAWKS

18 SD CHARGERS

19 HOU TEXANS

20 WAS REDSKINS

21 STL RAMS

22 DET LIONS

23 JAX JAGUARS

24 CIN BENGALS

25 MIN VIKINGS

26 CLE BROWNS

27 AZ CARDINALS

28 SF 49ERS

29 DEN BRONCOS

30 DAL COWBOYS

31 CAR PANTHERS

32 BUF BILLS

Bowl Predictions Offer Hope for BYU / No Hope for Utah

Luke Ashworth Finally Had a Big Game Against UW

So, the BCS ratings are once again out, and after another #1 team lost (Oklahoma) the BCS shot SEC leader Auburn from 4th up to first by virtue of their 24-17 victory over #6 LSU on Saturday.  So in other words their win was more important than Oregon and Boise State's not losing... Let's face it, BSU, TCU or Utah will not get to play for a National Championship in this system, as long as Auburn  & Oregon keeps winning.

Along with the BCS ratings, ESPN also gave some early bowl predictions and apparently they love the BYU Cougars.  BYU (3-5) are coming off a hard fought 25-20 win over Wyoming.  It wasn't impressive, but at least it was a win, which sets up BYU nicely for a shot a bowl elligibility.  ESPN had BYU playing either Central Florida in the Armed Forces Bowl or Fresno State in the New Mexico bowl, and frankly I think BYU would be estatic if they're able to get into either one of these games.  I agree with ESPN and here's why:

BYU's final four games:  vs. UNLV / @ Colorado State / vs. New Mexico / @ Utah

I think BYU will win out until they face Utah.  UNLV, CSU and New Mexico are TERRIBLE teams, worse than Wyoming, and I do think BYU's getting better.  I think they'll have to fight hard to beat UNLV and CSU, but they should win confidentally against New Mexico.  That will get them to 6-5 heading into the Utah game, which they will lose, and lose big, but hey 6-6 will get the Cougs into a bowl game.

Meanwhile for the Utes, ESPN had multiple people place them in the Las Vegas Bowl against either Cal or Washington, which means, of course, that everyone's picking TCU to beat Utah.  Let's face it TCU is a great team and they could definitely come into Salt Lake and get the win, but people shouldn't overlook Utah entirely.  They certainly have a chance to win out.  Here's the remaining schedule for the Utes:

Eddie Wide Rolls in for a Score Against CSU

@ Air Force (tough game) / vs. TCU (really tough game) / @ Notre Dame (not as tough as either AFA or TCU / @ San Diego State (should be a win) / vs. BYU (a definite win).

Utah will win at Air Force, but not by a lot.  I honestly believe the Utes will hang right in there with TCU.  If the Utes survive early look out, they could upset the Frogs.  Utah should win by 2+ touchdowns at Notre Dame (they better because I'll be in the stands) and they should have a similar result against SDSU.  BYU is a wild card since it's a rivalry game, but Utah's got the better team, and should pull it out by 2+ scores.

People shouldn't automatically write off the Utes.  They're good enough to beat any team in the country on any given day... TCU better beware.

POWER RANKINGS FOR WEEK 6: WHO'S THE BEST IN THE NFC?

The J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets became the 1st team to stay on the top spot of my Power Rankings for a 2nd consecutive week after picking up a come from behind victory in Denver.  It's pretty evident currently that the AFC is the dominant conference in the NFL, with six of the top 10 spots all going to AFC teams, but who really is the best team in the NFC?

According to the Power Rankings, it's the Eagles.  They leap frogged the Falcons by blasting them 31-17 on Sunday in Philly behind a masterful performance by Kevin Kolb.  The biggest question surrounding the Eagles is who is their true #1 quarterback?  Andy Reid continues to say the Vick will be when he returns from his rib injury, but if Kolb keeps playing this well, I don't think it would shock anyone if Reid went back on his word.  Is that going to be a continually distraction for the Eagles all season?  I think it might be, so I can't side with my Power Ranking system on this one, I don't think the Eagles are the best in the NFC.

So who is the best?  I honestly think I have to say the Giants.  Something has ignited the G-Men and they are playing fanatical football.  Their defense has turned into one of the best in the NFL, their running game is extremely solid and Eli does just enough to help them win games.  I think the Giants, despite their slow start, are the best the NFC has to offer currently and I think you'll see them continue to rise in the Power Rankings as the weeks go on.  Here are the full rankings from top to bottom:

1 NY JETS


2 PITT STEELERS

3 TEN TITANS

4 NE PATRIOTS

5 PHI EAGLES

6 ATL FALCONS

7 IND COLTS

8 BAL RAVENS

9 NO SAINTS

10 CHI BEARS

11 NY GIANTS

12 KC CHIEFS

13 GB PACKERS

14 SEA SEAHAWKS

15 HOU TEXANS

16 MIA DOLPHINS

17 SD CHARGERS

18 WAS REDSKINS

19 TB BUCS

20 CIN BENGALS

21 STL RAMS

22 MIN VIKINGS

23 AZ CARDINALS

24 DEN BRONCOS

25 JAX JAGUARS

26 DET LIONS

27 DAL COWBOYS

28 OAK RAIDERS

29 CLE BROWNS

30 SF 49ERS

31 CAR PANTHERS

32 BUF BILLS

J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS ARE #1

Okay, so the Packers (now #9) the Steelers (now #3) and the Chiefs (now #7) all lost the week after I named them the #1 team in the NFL.  Is the jinx legit?  This weekend will be a great time to find out!  The New York Jets are the new #1 team on my power rankings and this weekend they are traveling to Denver to face my beloved (22nd ranked) Broncos.  This is a game the Jets SHOULD WIN, but will they?  Or will they fall just like the Packers, Steelers and Chiefs did?  I have my doubts... I honestly think the Jets may stay at #1 for a while.  They are playing amazing football right now.  Mark Sanchez isn't throwing interceptions (0 for the year so far) so he's doing an amazing job of managing the game without turning the ball over.  Tomlinson is running as well as he did 2-3 seasons ago for the Chargers (#14 after they lost in Oakland on Sunday) and the Jets defense is strong at every position.  They are a legitimate contender for the AFC Championship right now and I don't think we'll see them slide anytime soon.  In my pre-season superbowl pick I did pick the Jets to represent the AFC in the superbowl, so I'm feeling pretty confident with that pick.  (Of course I did pick the Cowboys (#27 currently) to represent the NFC, so yeah, I'm not so optimistic with that pick.

In addition to the Jets, there are some teams to really keep a close eye on over the next few weeks.  #1 team of interest:  The Steelers.  How will Big Ben do now that the suspension is over?  #2 team if interest:  The Giants.  Look out New York, with the way the G-Men have started playing on defense a Giants vs. Jets superbowl, could be possible...

Here are the full Week 5 Power Rankings:

1 NY JETS


2 ATL FALCONS

3 PITT STEELERS

4 NE PATRIOTS

5 BAL RAVENS

6 CHI BEARS

7 KC CHIEFS

8 TEN TITANS

9 GB PACKERS

10 PHI EAGLES

11 IND COLTS

12 TB BUCS

13 NY GIANTS

14 SD CHARGERS

15 NO SAINTS

16 WAS REDSKINS

17 HOU TEXANS

18 SEA SEAHAWKS

19 JAX JAGUARS

20 CIN BENGALS

21 MIA DOLPHINS

22 DEN BRONCOS

23 AZ CARDINALS

24 DET LIONS

25 STL RAMS

26 OAK RAIDERS

27 DAL COWBOYS

28 MIN VIKINGS

29 CLE BROWNS

30 SF 49ERS

31 CAR PANTHERS

32 BUF BILLS

NFL POWER RANKINGS #3

Great coaches and a great draft = a great start to this season for the Kansas City Chiefs.  Todd Haley the Chiefs head coach has done wonders for their franchise by bringing in the coaching staff (minus Belichek) who created the New England Patriots dynasty.  Is it any wonder that with great coaching a team can turn into a decent offensive team and an excellent defensive team?  It really shouldn't be.  They also had an amazing draft with players like Eric Berry, Dexter McCluster, Javier Arenas and Tony Moeaki all turning in big time contributions.  They did what I wish my Broncos would have done, which was bolster your defense and special teams with high caliber, athletic players.  Instead the Broncos got Tebow... (yeah I'm not bitter at all?).  All of this though has lead to KC's 3-0 start and a spot at #1 on the power rankings.  Their stint in the top spot may be short lived though, the last two teams that I've declared #1 (Packers & Steelers) both lost their games the following week... will KC continue that trend this week as they match up with Peyton Manning?  We'll see...

Here are the complete rankings:

1 KC CHIEFS



2 NY JETS


3 PITT STEELERS


4 NE PATRIOTS


5 ATL FALCONS


6 GB PACKERS


7 BAL RAVENS


8 HOU TEXANS


9 NO SAINTS


10 SD CHARGERS


11 CHI BEARS


12 IND COLTS


13 TEN TITANS


14 PHI EAGLES


15 STL RAMS


16 TB BUCS


17 CIN BENGALS


18 DEN BRONCOS


19 WAS REDSKINS


20 SEA SEAHAWKS


21 DAL COWBOYS


22 MIA DOLPHINS


23 MIN VIKINGS


24 NY GIANTS


25 CLE BROWNS


26 JAX JAGUARS


27 AZ CARDINALS


28 OAK RAIDERS


29 DET LIONS


30 CAR PANTHERS


31 SF 49ERS


32 BUF BILLS

NFL POWER RANKINGS #2

Who Rose and Who Fell?

The Risers: 

Our New #1 Team:  The Pittsburgh Steelers!  It's hard to believe that a team who has started Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch (yep, he's still playing) at the QB position can be 3-0 and #1 on the power rankings, but believe it!  The Steelers and their "Steel Curtain" defense are back.  They are dominating teams on the defensive side of the ball, and are using players like Rashard Mendenhall (see pic) to impose their will on opponents.  I'm honestly really curious to see how good they'll be once they get Roethlisberger back.  Through 3 weeks, they are in my opinion the best team in the NFL.

The Fallen:

Tampa Bay, Denver, Houston, Washington, etc... A lot of teams are struggling to find any consistency and it shows in the power rankings.  Tampa Bay was #3 last week, they're #17 this week and who knows where they'll be next week... Denver, yeah, they're a .500 team at best and Washington is a total mystery to me.  They should be a lot better than they are.  I love the NFL for this very reason though, you never know what's going to happen! 

Here are the updated Power Rankings:

1. Steelers
2. Chiefs
3. Bears
4. Falcons
5. Packers
6. Titans
7. Colts
8. Eagles
9. Jets
10. Dolphins
11. Seahawks
12. Bengals
13. Ravens
14. Saints
15. Patriots
16. Texans
17. Buccaneers
18. Chargers
19. Cardinals
20. Cowboys
21. Rams
22. Vikings
23. Broncos
24. Redskins
25. Raiders
26. Giants
27. Browns
28. Jaguars
29. Lions
30. Bills
31. Panthers
32. 49'ers

BQ's First NFL Power Rankings

Here is my first edition of my NFL Power Rankings.  We're only two weeks in, so there's not a lot statistically to go off of, but I've entered the first two week's worth of results into my NFL Power Rankings calculator (a BCS Type Formula) and here's where the league stacks up through the first 2 weeks of the season:

The Packers are #1:

Aaron Rodgers has the pack of to a fantastic start.  With a week 1 win on the road in always hostile Philadelphia and a dominating win at home over Buffalo, the Pack at 2-0 are sitting on top of the NFL mountain.  Here's where the other teams rank:

#2  Miami Dolphins

#3  Tampa Bay Bucs

#4  Houston Texans

#5  Pittsburgh Steelers

#6  Chicago Bears

#7  Kansas City Chiefs

#8  New Orleans Saints

#9  Atlanta Falcons

#10 San Diego Chargers

#11 Indianapolis Colts

#12 Tennessee Titans

#13 Denver Broncos

#14 New York Jets

#15 Seattle Seahawks

#16 Baltimore Ravens

#17 Philadelphia Eagles

#18 New England Patriots

#19 Washington Redskins

#20 Cincinnati Bengals

#21 New York Giants

#22 Jacksonville Jaguars

#23 Arizona Cardinals

#24 Oakland Raiders

#25 Cleveland Browns

# 26 St. Louis Rams

#27 Detroit Lions

#28 Minnesota Vikings

#29 Dallas Cowboys

#30 Carolina Panthers

#31 San Francisco 49'ers

#32 Buffalo Bills

There are a lot of teams on here that I don't agree with (San Fran, Minnesota and Dallas for example) should all be higher in my book.  But strictly looking at wins vs. losses, margin of defeat, etc, puts them near the bottom of the list.  They'll bounce back though.

BYU & Independence

BYU & Independence:

Rise and shout the Cougars are out of the MWC!  It's about time.  MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson signed the death certificate on the MWC when he signed the deal with Comcast for the MTN.  The MTN network is a joke for teams like BYU, Utah, TCU & now Boise State who are searching for national credibility.  How on earth can these schools get credibility if no one, and I mean NO ONE back east can watch their games?  Utah went to the PAC 10, in part, because of the terrible TV deal within the MWC.  Good for them, and now, good for BYU.  Boise State and TCU should quit picking on BYU and Utah, and starting looking for their own alternatives considering the snake in the grass who's running their conference. 

I've heard a lot of people say that this move for independence was all about money, those people are lying to themselves.  BYU would have joined Utah in the PAC 10 if they had been invited.  They would have joined the Big 12 if they had been invited, BYU wants to be in a BCS conference, but when the invitations didn't come, this was really their only logical move.  Yes, the move to independence and a deal with ESPN will get BYU athletics more money, especially if they find some way to move into a BCS Bowl, but ultimately the biggest gain in this is for the Cougars to branch out to a wider television audience.  BYU knows that the game of football is really an outlet for missionary work.  It opens doors that wouldn't be opened without it and BYU should seek to get as much exposure as they can in order to help with the religious endeavors of their football program.  So, me, a BIG TIME UTAH FAN is proud of BYU's stand.  The MWC is run by an short sighted idiot who will continue to bury that conference until he's gone.  BYU and Utah were smart to leave before he brings them down with him.

Is Fantasy Football the Best "Sports" Event?

Every year, right around August I start to get football crazy!  I'm dying for both the college and pro seasons to start, as I am every August.  At least we had the World Cup this summer to help me through the long drought of good sporting events (sorry baseball but you just don't cut it for me until October.)  But finally, August is here, and with it comes my favorite sporting event, FANTASY FOOTBALL!

I've played fantasy football for about 5 years now, and have felt the highs of winning leagues and the lows of finishing dead last in leagues (which I did in 1 league last year) but no matter what, I always enjoy it and always come back for more.  I look forward to my fantasy football drafts more than I do the Super Bowl, the World Series and the NBA Finals combined, why?  I think it's pretty simple:  It's my chance to try to play "GM" for a little while.

I think being a GM for an NFL team would be my dream job, and fantasy football may be the closest I'll ever come to it.  You have to scout prospects, check injury reports, conduct trades, waive players, "sign" players, etc.  Of course you don't have to deal with massive contracts and inflated egos in fantasy football but you still have to try to work through up and down performance which can be frustrating but a lot of fun.

At the end of the day I think the reason why fantasy football has become the best "sports" event is simply that it creates fan interaction.  It forces you to watch every game possible, catch every stat that scrolls across the bottom of the screen and really become "football educated."  I love every minute of it. 

August is a great month, but in terms of the sports calendar, September is going to be even better.  :)

The Future Could be Bright in Utah

I like many Jazz fans sat in disgust when the Jazz drafted Gordon Hayward.  I couldn't put any sense into the move, I mean seriously, another wing man?  That seemed to me to be the last thing the Jazz needed.  I still think Hayward is a stretch, but when you see what has unfolded this past week or so in Jazz country, you can start to see why the Jazz brass did what they did.

1.  They let Boozer go, but somehow were able to get a $14 Million trade exception out of the deal.

2.  They let Korver go... Aha... so that's why they drafted Hayward

3.  They we attacked once again by Portland's front office (I hate their executives more than I hate the entire LA Lakers team!)  Seriously, another steep front loaded contract, this time for Wesley Matthews, seemed to be primed to bury the Jazz.  But, this time, Portland's going to have to pay the bill and I'm pretty sure the people in the Rose Garden felt confident the Jazz would match.  They didn't...

4.  Instead, the Jazz fought back and signed one of my all-time favorite former Jazz players, Raja Bell.  Eat that Portland... the Blazers will be paying close to $10 Million for Brandon Roy's backup this next season.

5.  The Jazz worked out a deal for big man Al Jefferson.  Great move.  He's a good post player, a better shot blocker than Boozer and is still really young.  He's 25 and hungry to win. 

6.  The Jazz front office proved to Utah that they actually are doing something to try to earn their salaries.  For a long time it seemed like they were destined to sit around and do nothing.

So, at the end of a busy week, I have to admit, I'm a happy Jazz fan.  The Jazz Brass showed their abilities by making some big deals and have positioned Utah to once again be a contender.  They still don't have an answer for both Bynum and Gasol though... but here's to hoping that they both blow out their ACL's this season.  (Just kidding... kind of).

GO JAZZ!

The King Will Never Fill Michael's Shoes

LEBRON'S ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS:  NO!

Of course his answer is "no!"  He couldn't have stated it more adamantly than by doing what he did on Thursday when he decided to join the Miami Heat.  LeBron made the choice in order to "win now" and he may just do that, along with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, but by choosing to take part in this all-star trio he's admitted that he can't be the next Michael Jordan.  Not that it's that big of a surprise anyway, but still, it would have been nice to have seen him try.

How many times did Michael Jordan try to win a championship only to find himself and his Bulls at the wrong end of the score to teams like the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics?  Year after year Jordan was getting better, and year after year he went home without a championship, but did that cause he to ditch the Bulls to join other all-stars in order to win a championship?  Not a chance.  Jordan wanted to win it on his merits and demonstrate that he was the best basketball player in NBA history, so he hung in there.  He helped build up the players around him, and eventually, he won 6 NBA Championships.  What do you think his image would be like today if he'd left the Bulls to sign with the Showtime Lakers to win a championship?  I think it's pretty safe to say that he wouldn't be viewed as the greatest NBA champion ever.

On Wednesday night we were all witnesses to LeBron's admission into inferiority in NBA history.  He'll never come close to Michael Jordan's legacy.  He may win 6+ championships in Miami, who knows, but one thing is certain 6 championships in Miami with 2 other future hall of famers will never hold the same weight that it would have held if he had broken the sports curse in Cleveland and brought home a championship to the Cavaliers.  He could have been so much more than what he'll now end up being.  Now he'll be a piece of a puzzle, whereas in Cleveland, he could have legitimately become an NBA King.

So long King James, your reign is officially over.