Matthysse eyes Mayweather, sense Garcia's camp is worried

As Lucas Matthysse prepares for the biggest fight of his career, two things are evident; The Argentine means business and has his eyes set on a potential showdown with Floyd Mayweather.

Before Mayweather takes on Saul Alvarez on Saturday, The Machine is set to take on undefeated Danny Garcia in the co-main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

"The One" is expected to surpass two million pay-per-view buys and will showcase Matthysse on the biggest stage of his career.

"After finally getting this fight with Danny I have become more recognized," Matthysse said thorugh his translator. "This fight will be for me, but it will also be for my team and for Argentina. I feel real good, I feel strong, we've been working really hard."

Matthysse is on the cusp of becoming a houshold name, he has a style that pleases the crowd, not to mention he rarely loses. Matthysse (34-2, 32 knockouts) last tasted defeat in a split decision loss to Devon Alexander two years ago. The only other blemish on the 30-year-old's record is a split decision loss to Zab Judah. Both decisions are controversial, but Matthysse said he has taken those defeats as learning experiences.

Matthysse has been training at the Boys and Girls Club of Coachella Valley, the same gym that produced WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley. Matthysse said he decided to come to California's desert in order to adjust to the climate.

The two fighters, currently under rival promotion banners, recently sparred in preperation for their upcomming bouts .

"It was good sparring with Bradley, it was real good," Matthysse said. "Sparring with Bradley has helped me, but it was mutual, we both helped each other."

Matthysse praised Bradley's speed and experience and feels he's helped him prepare for his October showdown with Juan Manuel Marquez. Bradley's trainer Joell Diaz agreed with the Argentine, and said they were both out to help each other and not out to hurt each other.

A win against Garcia (26-0, 16 KOs) will not just help the Matthysse brand, but will also set him up for a potential clash with Mayweather.

"I look to move up to 147. I would like to fight (Mayweather), I feel I match up pretty good against him," Matthysse said.

Although he would like to face the pound-for-pound king, Matthysse said he is certainly not looking passed Garcia. Matthysse looks to stick to his plan to defeat Garcia and will not pay much attention to Angel Garcia's crazy antics. Matthysse feels all the talking from the Garcia camp shows that they are worried.

- Jose

The Emergence of Canelo Alvarez

It's been awhile. I know my last blog I promised to continue to say active. Well, things have changed drastically for me since my "All-Star Selection" post. I'm a full-time reporter for the Daily Press now but it has nothing to do with writing about sports, but I'm not stopping until I am a sports writer one day.

Let's cut the crap and get into what's been on my mind for weeks. I wanted to write about this last week but  didn't have the time. Here I am with an hour to spare so I can write and let the world know just how badass Saul "Canelo" Alvarez really is.

Alvarez is coming off a dominating and easy win over Austin Trout on April 20. Heading into the fight I expected it to be slugfest. I expected Alvarez to possibly even stop Trout. But what happened was a more technical fight with Alvarez not allowing Trout to fight as the "taller" fighter. Trout was kept in check after the first round when Alvarez was getting a feel for what Trout was doing. Trout was dictating the fight in the first round by staying active and keeping his distance with the jab. 

After the first round I anticipated a Trout victory just as he was successful against Miguel Angel Cotto back in December. I didn't expect Alvarez to adjust and become a more sound fighter that night. He was brawling but he was smart about it this time. He may have got tagged by a few of Trout's punches, but Alvarez has a chin that can withstand the blow of a sledgehammer from Triple H.

Alvarez showed his ability to counter Trout and surprisingly beat him to the punch throughout the fight. He was landing solid and effective 1-2 combinations. None better than the left-right combo that floored Trout in the opening seconds of the seventh round.

The right looked as if it was shot out of a Colt-45 landing making Trout do the hammerdance, similar to what Kostya Tszyu made Zab Judah do back in 2001. Trout got up valiantly and came back and won the round in my opinion. I'm not sure what the judges scored the round because frankly, I don't give a shit about any judge's scorecards. I can make a whole blog entry on what the sport of Boxing can do to improve the scoring system. Judges should come with an expiration date. There should be a new wave of judges every so often. But like I said, I can write a complete blog about that, but ain't nobody got time fo dat.

Back to Alvarez, he was a bit disappointing as he couldn't KO Trout. But to Alvarez' credit Trout is no slouch nor is he not a walk in to the park. He certainly lacks power but his unorthodox approach to a fight will keep Trout around for a long time. Not to mention he has a size advantage over most Junior Middleweights/Super Welterweights.

Alvarez was impressive in the ninth round when he seemed to tire down. He dropped his hands and bobbed and weave everything but the kitchen sink that Trout threw in the final 24 seconds of the round. Alvarez toyed with Trout then threw another successful combo that made the pugilist laugh after connecting on his foe.

The open scoring system that the Texas state commission uses, took away from the drama of the "championship rounds". Trout knew he needed to score a knockdown to win, and Alvarez knew he just had to finish the fight on his feet. Would we have had a different outcome if the fight took place on it's original May 4 date on the Floyd Mayweather/Robert Guerrero undercard  If the fight took place in Nevada would Alvarez have turned on the burners in the "championship rounds" and stopped Trout via knockout? We don't know!

All the hell I know is, I'm tired of seeing fights take place in Texas. If it's not one thing with them, it's another. The most notable occurrence was back in 09 when Paulie Malignaggi went into the Juan Diaz' hometown and outclassed him only to be screwed the judges who gave the victory to Diaz. Malignaggi would have the last laugh when the rematch took place in Chicago and Maligaggi breezed to a W.

I'm sick of seeing prizefights in Texas, If there is a fight that will take place on Texas, make sure it's a fight that will end up on ESPN Friday Night Fights or Fox Sports Net. Prizefights should be held in Nevada, New York or California. Connecticut has become a nice spot for fights recently, as Atlantic City seems to have become an obsolete destination for prizefights these days.

We saw some more hometown judging in Argentina ;last weekend, when Sergio Martinez successfully defended his Middleweight crown against Martin Murray via unanimous decision. The fight was immensely boring. Martinez looks like a shell of what he used to be and has drastically lost a step. Martinez wasn't effective, Murray started connecting shot after shot as Martinez fought with his hands down, in typical Martinez fashion. Martinez was dropped and if Murray had a bit more of a true Middleweight's power, he would have probably upset the hometown favorite. He suffered a broken hand in the fight and will be out of action for the rest of the year. An anticipated rematch with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is put on the shelf for now as we wait and see what the future has in store for Maravilla.

Amir Khan made a return to the UK against Julio Diaz and just like the hometown Martinez, was dropped in the middle rounds of the fight. Khan was clearly the better man but Diaz was tagging khan all night even wobbling Khan a few other times. Khan was in trouble but managed to withstand Diaz' punishment. Khan still looked lightning fast and solid with his combos, but the man has a chin made of china. Khan's hopes of jumping up to 147 pounds will be short lived as I don't see him withstanding the power of a Welterweight. Golden Boy could have had an easy route to a 147 title for Khan if they would have matched him up with Malignaggi, who currently holds the Welterweight WBA strap. But Malignaggi has his eyes set on Adrien Broner in June.

Judah made his hometown return to Brooklyn also Saturday night against Danny Garcia. The build up to the fight was superb, it had the bad blood we saw with Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis or Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas. These guys hated each other. Mostly it was Danny's father Angel who was the recipient of Judah's verbal lashes. Their initial press conference resulted in a brawl after the outspoken Angel insulted Judah. The fight was postponed after Garcia suffered an injury and was rescheduled for April. During a meet and greet, Judah bombarded the Garcia's event and caused a huge scene. The verbal exchanges led to the Garcia camp being escorted to the back of the store as Judah's camp taunted them chanting "Brooklyn, Brooklyn". The press conference was split, as Judah's camp was forced to sit "in the basement" waiting for Garcia to wrap up his media session. Judah apparently left the building in displeasure on to return and bad mouth Golden Boy Promotions, most notably De La Hoya. The tension was so high, a split weigh in was "necessary" to ensure the fighters would settle all their differences in the ring.

Garcia won the fight, but not without the resiliency of Judah. It was a beating up until the ninth round when Judah stepped on the gas and put forth a heroic finish. Garcia floored Judah and had him in trouble, but Judah managed to stay on his feet. Judah stunned and caught Garcia with power shots that wobbled him. It looked to be snooze fest of a fight but the drama in the final rounds tied in the the drama leading to the fight made it the most entertaining fight of the night. In a show of respect the fighters embraced one another and all the differences were out behind them as the post fight interviews took place. Garcia's future is bright, but I feel if he takes on the winner of the Lamont Peterson/Lucas Matthysse fight, he will be exposed as he was in the final rounds against Judah. I'm not sure what the future has in store for Judah, possibly more undercard bouts at the Barclays as he is an attraction and easy name to sell in his hometown.

- Jose

2013 NBA All Star Reserves

The 2012-2013 NBA All Star reserves will be announced today, since we here at the SoCalSportsGuys haven't blogged about anything since Juan Manuel Marquez' brutal knockout victory over arch nemesis Manny Pacquiao, I will make a case for whom I think should make the cut. Let's get to the nitty gritty.

Western Conference

Russell Westbrook - I haven't been much of a fan of WestBRICK as a point guard, but this season he has been as good a facilitator than he has ever been. Alot of it has to do with the fact he has Kevin Durant nailing nearly every shot he attempts this season. Kidding aside, Westbrook is the most physical PG in the game because of his size advantage and cut throat approach to the game. Westbrook is averaging 22.7 points per game, 8.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds. Westbrook is a sure lock to make the cut, but I needed to say something about him.

Tony Parker - The suave but gritty Frenchman is doing nothing out of the ordinary, just posting a typical Tony Parker season. He still gets to the basket with, almost seemingly scoring at ease in Coach Pops' system. TP averages just under 20 PPG at 19.8, 7.4 AST and 2.9 REB in just under 33 minutes per game. Another sure lock for the ASG, Parker will have fun competing in the Skills Challenge and possibly lobbing up a few passes for Blake Griffin.

Stephen Curry - Steph Curry has been a warrior (no pun intended) from beyond the arc all season long shooting a lights out 46 percent. Coming off a game where he bested his counterpart and ASG lock Westbrook, Curry further justified his bid to make the team with 31 pts, 7 ast, 4 steals and 3 boards. Curry is averaging 20.9 ppg, 6.6 ast, 4.1 reb and a whooping 3.2 three pointers made per game. If Curry is snubbed from a trip to Houston, David Lee better represent the Golden State.



James Harden - Another fill in, don't believe me check his stat line. 25.8 ppg, 5.4 ast, 4.5 reb and 1.9 steals. Need I say more? Thanks.

David Lee - D.Lee has been my favorite player to watch for some odd reason since his days in New York playing along Danilo Galinari another favorite player of mine to watch. I have driven my Facebook friends and Twitter followers crazy with my banter of Lee being a top-3 power forward, and the big fella has done nothing but back up every statement I have made of him. A few weeks ago, he was the only player in the league averaging over 20 ppg and 10 boards a night. His scoring has dropped to 19.6 ppg but he still grabs 10.8 boards a night. Add that along with a finesse you only see in European players, a soft touch makes him a triple double waiting to happen every night, averaging 3.7 ast a game. Lee's play is one of the biggest reasons the Warriors are in second place in the Pacific Division. They don't have the best record in the league, but they have three statement wins over the Clippers, a season tempo win over the Thunder and a victory of the defending champions, the Heat. Lee may get snubbed this season for the likes of a Zach Randolph or LaMarcus Aldridge and if that happens, I'm boycotting the all star game. I promise.

Tim Duncan - Old Faithful! Duncan is still amazing posting some of the best numbers of his career at the age of 36. He still has the sweetest touch, still has flawless footwork, still kisses the ball off the glass prettier than anyone I've ever seen do it. 17.5 ppg, 9.8 reb, 2.8 ast and 2.7 blocks per game. The old man can't run up and down the court like he used to but he will still block the living day light out of the ball if you drive the lane on him and your name isn't Blake Griffin. Duncan should be the starting center alone based of his numbers, but unfortunately this is just a popularity contest, just ask Jeremy Lin.

I glance at my clock and I realize it is 4 p.m. and the reserves are minutes away from being announced, I wish I had time to get into why I think Marc Gasol should make the squad and the Eastern Conference, but time wasn't on my side this time. I will try to write my reaction to the rosters in the coming days, but until then, be easy y'all.

- Jose

Boxing's Alive and Well

So did you hear about Manny Pacquiao? He got knocked out cold by a right hand from his arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez.

Of course you heard about it. It was literally the shot heard around the world. The fourth installment of the Marquez/Pacquiao saga was the most rewarding re-re-rematch we have ever seen. While most people complain about having to see the same guys fight for the fourth time, I was ranting and raving about it because I have never felt like I wanted my money back after watching one of their three previous fights. The two pugilists were made for each other just like peanut butter and jelly. The same way legions of fans were lined up for the fifth and final installment of the Twilight saga, I will line up and wait to see them go at it again.

It's a fight I will watch, even if they do it annually into their 70's, sure as night and day, you can expect fireworks when they meet. Marquez was determined to show the world he can beat Pacquiao, and Pacquiao was "determined" to prove to the world he hasn't lost a step. Has he lost a step? Sure he has, he has 17 years of professional bouts to his name, eventually skills begin to diminish. Not just is time a factor in Pacman's decline, but his focus is just so scattered around between being a congressman, his wife's political venture, his change on religion among other things. Now I'm not condemning Pacquiao for changing his ways for the sake of his family, but being a Boxer is a profession that requires undivided attention and dedication. He has seemed to have lost the fire in his eyes when he was mowing down fighters, pulverizing guys like my idol Erik Morales, Antonio Margarito, and Ricky Hatton.

As for the fifth fight, Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum has said there is a plan for another chapter to the rivalry in the works for possibly June or September.

June seems to be the more logical choice as Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather have announced tentative dates for the Pound for Pound King to make his return to the ring in May and September. Top Rank can't afford to compete head to head with Floyd Mayweather's possible showdown with Saul Alvarez on one of Boxing's most important weekends, Mexican Independence weekend. Top Rank has also unofficially announced a September rematch between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. There is too much going on in that month for a mega-fight between Pacquiao and Marquez to be showcased also, that is why the June date makes the most sense.

Pacquiao fought Tim Bradley in June this year and the PPV sold just under 1 million buys. There is no reason this fight can't hover around the 2 million buys after the world wants to see how Pacquiao will bounce back after brutally being knocked out. When Pacquiao was knocked out last week, so was everyone's hopes to see Pacquiao and Mayweather finally square off. The fight lost my interest years ago, it was clear the fight would never happen. I'm glad that can finally be laid to rest, well at least for the time being.

Back to Mayweather, the announcement of two fights in 2013 is odd to say the least. He hasn't fought twice in a year since 2007, let alone just four months apart. If the reports about this are true, I see an "eliminator" style card happening in May. Robert Guerrero will finally get his shot at Mayweather and on the same card Canelo will face somebody he can easily beat setting up the money showdown (no pun intended) in September between Mayweather and Alvarez.

Boxing is alive and well, Boxing will see a magnificent 2013. There are so many fights that we are primed to see. We will see a possible fight of the year candidate between Orlando Salido and up-and-coming Mikey Garcia, a heated showdown between Danny Garcia and Zab Judah, a likely rematch of the 2012 fight of the year between Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios, Josesito Lopez is waiting in the wings for the winner of this week's bout between Amir Khan and Oscar Molina, and my favorite.... The return of the enigmatic Victor Ortiz and whomever he chooses to fight in his return to action since suffering a broken jaw at the hands of Lopez. Those are just the few fights or possible fights that come to mind now in anticipation of 2013.

2012 will end with a bang with a star studded Saturday afternoon and night of great fights.

As mentioned earlier, Khan will take on Molina is Khan's quest to bounce back after back to back losses to Lamont Peterson and being knocked out by Garcia this summer. Khan has since fired trainer Freddie Roach and has started working with Virgil Hunter (Hunter's most notable fighter is Andre Ward). Molina is a green unbeaten hometown fighter looking to make a name for himself when he will be on the big stage this Saturday on Showtime. Something tells me Khan will lose for the third time in the span of a full calender year as Molina drops him in the middle rounds, exploiting Khan's glass jaw and makes the Brit consider other options other than Boxing. Khan has his eye's on Paulie Malignaggi's WBA Welterweight championship, and may be looking past the hungry Molina. If Khan survives the fight a rematch for Malignaggi may be a reach with Malignaggi confirming that the rumors of a showdown against Shane Mosley are accurate and is being considered  for a April return to the Barclays in Brooklyn. Khan with a win on Saturday may find himself as a serious candidate to face Mayweather in May if Golden Boy chooses to skip on Guerrero.

Over on the HBO side of things, the replay of last week's Pacquiao/Marquez fight will air and so will the awaited bout between Nonito Donaire and Jorge Arce. We last saw Donaire in October and is making a quick return to fight the Mexican slugger "El Travieso". Arce's prime years are long behind him, but he is still a good fighter who has the will and courage to engage the Filipino Flash in a slugfest. Will Donaire masterfully outclass Arce? That seems likely, but I wouldn't be surprised if Arce gives him a run for his money in what could be a great bout.

Also on Saturday night, it will mark the end of an era. Longtime color commentator Larry Merchant will call his final fight for HBO. While the 81 year old Merchant didn't say he was retiring, rather he will take a break and consider other options. I have always liked Merchant's analysts, while sometimes quirky, but always on point with his words. He had a knack for bringing out the best of Mayweather as he did after his victory over Ortiz last year. How can we forget when he looked Mayweather in the eyes and said, "I wish I were 50 years younger, and I'd kick your ass". Merchant was great, and was a staple of my home on Saturday nights, but as we unfortunately lost another HBO voice in Emmanuel Steward, HBO will have an empty feel to it. That is not a knock on Max Kellerman, I love him, he is probably my favorite commentator, but I just grew up listening with Merchant, Steward, and Jim Lampley ringside.

Blinded by Purple and Gold

        As a lifelong Los Angeles Lakers fan this is the first season in which I haven't watched any games. Okay, I may have caught a few minutes of playing time almost equivalent to someone like Luke Walton. Its not because I’m boycotting the Lakers because they fired my favorite Lakers coach of my lifetime, Mike Brown (just kidding no one will ever replace Del Harris). It's mostly in part to the fact that I have DishNetwork and they refuse to come to agreement with Time Warner Cable. I haven’t gone out of my way to catch a game. II periodically glance at a box score, catch a few minutes of highlights and either nod my head in celebration or toss the phone down in disgust. I even destroyed a phone when I read all the Phil Jackson to the Lakers' hype only to find out they dissed him for Mike D’Antoni. That poor iPhone never saw that coming (once again kidding).

Since I brought up the Jackson to the Lakers hype here's my rant. 

What the hell is a matter with Jim Buss? You don’t let your general manager utter the name Phil Jackson, get your entire fan base hyped up and then sneak in the consolation prize. It's equivalent to me texting all my buddies early on Friday morning, “Tonight's gonna be serious, I’m flying all of us to Vegas, I got us a suite you won’t believe. I promise one of us will get lost. We are gonna get plastered and there might even be drugs and a hospital trip involved”. Then Friday night comes and we are headed to a Chuck E. Cheese drinking wine coolers (something tells me Jose would be down for that). They should have let Phil turn down the job or not offer him the job at all. Then if the Lakers get bounced out of the playoffs early I won’t have the what if Phil came back question hanging over my head during the summer. 
*Editor's note: I for one would be down with drinking wine coolers on my way to Chuck E. Cheese. That is probably my favorite pizza of all time and since I am lactose intolerant, I haven't ate that in ages. Let's round up the guys and plan this soon. I'm dead serious.*

The following are headlines that stood out the most during that weekend of PJ coming back and my responses. 

“Lakers fire Mike Brown after 1-4 start” (They should have done this 4 months ago)

“Lakers top coaching candidates Phil Jackson, Mike D’Antoni, and Jerry Sloan” (Phil needs to come back. Mike D’Antoni? He plays no Defense and ruins careers. Jerry Sloan had his time.)

“Lakers announce head coaching job is Phil’s to turn down” (No way Phil turns this down and no way he doesn’t squeeze a back to back out of this starting 5.)

“Lakers Hire Mike D’Antoni” (F*&* F*&* F$^$!!! Never mind I shouldn’t share what happened next I can’t wait for the 30 for 30 on ESPN to explain what happened here.)

As far as Mike D’Antoni goes, I believe he is gonna change the way the Lakers play. He’s possibly going to lead Kobe to another scoring title with his inability to pull the reigns back on him. We all saw the "death stare", D’Antoni wants no part of that. I'm not rooting for his failure, I support him 100 percent, it's just gonna take time for me to accept the consolation prize. He has so much talent in his starting five that it should be title or bust and hopefully he understands that and can figure out a way of delivering another title to a hungry Lakers fan base. 

One of the things that concern me about D’Antoni is he runs players for excessive minutes. Ask A'mare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony about their 3 game streaks of playing all but just a few minutes. He doesn’t play defense. Okay maybe that really doesn’t concern me since Mike Brown was a defense first guy but yet the Lakers would still have trouble defending the high pick and roll. And that even goes back to the days of Phil Jackson when Dallas exploited that weakness. So I could really careless if he doesn’t play defense. If he preaches it or not, the Lakers has always struggled defending the high screen and roll so I’ll give him that pass. I’m curious to see how he utilizes the talent he has on his hands and what Mitch and Jim do to help build that bench.
*Editor's note: It's about time a Lakers' fan realizes that the Lakers have never been a defensive minded team. Even with a defensive minded coach in Mike Brown. That was one thing that drove me nuts, hearing "D'Antoni doesn't even care about defense". The Lakers have never worried about playing D until crunch time when Kobe and Metta World Peace make their defensive presence felt. Thank you for realizing that unlike good ol' Bruce.*

My biggest concern is the "Just wait until Nash returns, things will work themselves out" and the laundry list of excuses that come after every loss and poor performance. Somebody needs to take accountability or at least start pointing the finger. 
*Editor's note: It's true, just wait until Nash returns. It's going to get NASH-ty for the rest of the NBA*

Now back to my original idea and purpose of writing this. I wanted to shine some light on NBA statistics and put them to the test this season. Since I’m not watching games until Dish finally comes to terms to televise them. I have followed this Lakers' season purely on box scores and short highlight videos. I want to see if the stats really can determine the way a season is going or if they don’t even tell half the story and just are merely added numbers of individual performance. I’m going with the latter.

Unlike Baseball a sport in which there is a statistic for everything and allows us to truly gauge a players ability with just numbers. Not necessarily entirely accurate but if Billy Beane can build winners with a computer stats must be very strong in MLB. The NBA on the other hand is a sport in which artistry plays a part and team play is essential. There is no statistic for how hard you play defense and how fast you hustle. It's not that you got 20 points, it's how you did it that separates the stars from the scrubs. 

Example: Player A may have a stat line 20 points, six rebounds, seven assists. Player B's stat-line, 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists. Obviously Player A statistically contributed more to his team's performance. But what you don’t get out of box scores is that Player B may have scored nine straight points in the final two minutes of a seven point game to seal a win for his team. So, who really contributed more? How we measure players in the NBA has always bothered me. I never have truly agreed with an MVP award in about 15 seasons since Michael Jordan received an award in that case he was truly the Most Valuable Player. Yes I just snuck in a Jordan praise. 

Here is the Lakers stats I pulled up the following morning after the Indiana loss and my reactions to each one.

 Indiana 79 Los Angeles 77. Really? A game in the 70's with D’Antoni’s offense. WTF? Was my first question. The Pacers only put up 79? A Kardashian must have been distracting them. 
*Editor's note: This made me LOL.*

Kobe Bryant 40 points. My eyes got big until I found out he played 44 minutes and went 12-28 shooting, 11 of those 3’s. 10 turnovers. Interesting fact, Kobe has scored 40+ points 127 times now and has lost only 38 of those games. That's 71 percent of the games that Kobe drops 40+ points the Lakers have won. 

Dwight Howard 17 points. Cool. That's the range he should be getting. Eight rebounds. What? Only Kobe registered double digit rebounds, something is wrong with that. 3-12 free throws made. Figures! 

Gasol 10 points. That's it?!?! 2-9 shooting. Kobe should have fed him more. 

Just looking at the box score, it looks like Kobe was doing everything he could to get a win. Since he had 10 turnovers, I’m assuming he was trying to drive the ball and one too many times got his pocket picked or he was making too many bad attempts at trying to feed Pau and Dwight. And he had flu like symptoms that may have played a part. 

Lakers point gaurds got a whopping three total assists, which will be corrected once Steve Nash returns (says D’Antoni). Here’s what you can’t get out of looking at the box score, it doesn’t say Kobe drained a 3 to tie the game at 77. Or that the Lakers had a shot to win until George Hill drained a layup off the glass. He looked like J.J. Barea putting a dagger in the Lakers a few years ago in the playoffs. Still not over the fact the Lakers can’t defend the simplest of plays, Dwight should have put him on his back. In other words this may have been one of the worst performances between two NBA franchises in quite sometime.
*Editor's note: I thought the same exact thing when I saw Hill kiss it off the glass just over the finger tips of Dwight to win the game. It reminded me of Barea doing that just out of the  reach of our old buddy Andrew Bynum.*

After following the Lakers in this manner it takes away from the romance of following your team. Had I actually watched, I would be more bitter looking at trades and moves that could benefit this roster. In this manner its just me peeking in the room to see what's going on and walking away. For now I will continue checking box scores, ignoring texts from friends that say “are you watching Lake show?” and continue watching highlights the following morning. Its not the same as watching live and watching it all play it out. Hopefully I can return in time to witness something special. 

Here are my predictions of where this season might go based on this roster. I don’t see them going much deeper than the second round of the the playoffs. The bench is weak. Seven players are under the age of 25 and trading Gasol for three players with experience would greatly benefit the team. Yeah, I said it. If D’Antoni can get everyone on the same page with Nash running the offense they can be dangerous, given they have weapons in this starting rotation that makes us drool. The lack of talent on the bench is holding them back and makes me want to vomit. And yes when you see "zeros" on the bench stat lines its easy to tell how their season is going. I give D’Antoni a first season pass and expect a title next year. Typical that a Lakers fan expects a title. 

Back in Action

"Camacho could fight. As a lightweight, he was blazing fast and he had great, great skills. People don't realize he was one of the signature guys that helped build the boxing brand back in the '80s. CBS loved him. Anybody he fought they put him on CBS, and he invariably got them good ratings." - Bob Arum (Source USA Today)

It's been a while since we here at TheSoCalSportsGuys have been active blogging. Truth be told I'm going through quick pace changes in my life. Started a new job, which is a challenge to say the least. I'm a new guy at a place with guys that have been there for years, and I have a bit of power over them. It's hard for them to take me serious only being there a couple weeks. Enough of that, I'm trying to escape all that by doing what I love. Write about sports. I'm still contributing my weekly fantasy column to the Daily Press, but this blog has taken a bit of a backseat to it all.

 

Since I last blogged, so much has happened in the world of Boxing. I might have last blogged when Emmanuel Steward passed. Since then, we have seen the tragic loss of one of the brightest and game changing individuals we have seen in the squared circle, Hector "Macho" Camacho. The former champion was wounded by a gunshot in his native Puerto Rico and had initially been expected to recover. Then we heard of spine damage and the chances of him being paralyzed. Then in a tragic turn of events we found out his own mother had to take him life support. 

A big loss to to the Boxing community, as he inspired so many of today's fighters. He was a cocky, arrogant, self centered, egoistical, flamboyant, the consummate guy you love to hate. Macho Camacho oozed of charisma, and it was evident when HBO aired clips of him as young champion on the broadcast of the Robert Guerrero/Andre Berto slug fest (which I will get to in a minute). Camacho's influence has been imprinted in guys like Roy Jones Jr, Naseem Hamed, Paulie Malignaggi, and hell even the ever so original Floyd "Money" Mayweather. It was one thing to be cocky and flashy with your craft in the ring, but Camacho had a swagger about him that you loved to hate. I for one didn't ever have the chance to see him fight, but I have seen enough videos of him on YouTube over the years to know he was one bad motherfucker. He was a tactician in the ring that wasn't afraid to brawl. He had heart, he had guts, he had the will to stare down somebody down and take whatever punishment they dished out. He was quick and effective with his craft, and had a chin that could withstand the blow of a sledgehammer. 

Steward said it best when he told Oscar De La Hoya he wouldn't knock him out when they fought in 1997 - "You are not going to knock him out, his chin is made of granite and his heart is twice the size."

That was Macho Camacho, the guy that people tuned into to see get his ass beat, but they wound up falling in love with after the show. Camacho was among the names in the 80's that boosted Boxing's popularity much like the UFC and MMA has experienced in the last decade. Boxing in the 80's was probably the best time to be a Boxing fan, Heavyweights weren't main attractions, guys like Camacho, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler were gluing eyes to television sets across the world. What I would give to find Doc. Brown's Delorean and watch those prizefights in person. 

But Boxing is still alive and kicking. We have hit the final stretch of the year where great cards are on a week by week basis. Nov. 10 we were dazzled by Abner Mares' and Anselmo Moreno's display of courage in the ring. We saw the long anticipated showdown between them and it delivered and catered fans whom have been waiting for that fight to finally happen. It wasn't even the most anticipated Mares fight, we're still waiting for the day Mares and Nonito Donaire finally cross paths. And if De La Hoya (Mares' promoter) is sincere, we may just see this fight happen soon. He went to twitter saying that he is willing to work with long-time rival Bob Arum to make the fight happen. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. 

November 17, we saw Adrien Broner take a leap in class and handles Antonio DeMarco with ease. Broner proved to the Boxing world he is for real, and much like people prayed to see Camacho get his arse kicked...... I'm waiting for the day somebody floors Broner. He has phenomenal talent, but has been sniffing too much of Mayweather's jock strap. His style in the ring is a come forward version of Mayweahter. Both use the same shoulder roll technique, both have quick hands, both have significant power, but Broner seems to love to brawl. His fights intrigue me, but his person is force fed as he tries way too hard to be a carbon copy of Mayweather, but this guy has what kids call "swag". 

This past weekend we witness the return of Ricky Hatton. Hatton made his return to the ring after a 3 and half year layoff riddled by drug and alcohol abuse and alleged suicide attempts. It was very heart warming seeing The Hitman get the kind of ovation he did in his hometown of Manchester. Listening to 20,000 Brits chanting in unison "There's only one Ricky Hatton" gave me goosebumps as Michael Buffer was doing the fighter introductions before his fight with Vyacheslav Senchenko. 

Hatton looked good for a pugilist that has been out of action for so long. He was quick and crisp with his combos, landing effective shots on Senchenko early. Hatton dictated the fight the first half of the 10 round bout. Then he seemed to hit a wall, the fatigue caught up to him, the long span of inactivity took a toll and Senchenko pulled up even in the second half of the fight. Then in the ninth round, Senchenko tagged Hatton with a liver piercing body shot that sent the former champion to his knees wincing in pain and could make the 10-count. After being counted out, he laid on the canvas still trying to recover from the picture perfect body blow by Senchenko. Hatton announced he was heading back to retirement after the fight, he said he felt he didn't have it anymore. I think that's crazy. He sure had it for five rounds. A tune up fight before a rematch against Malignaggi would certainly help him on his way back into the ring. I'm hoping Hatton fights again because he didn't look like just a fighter coming back for a paycheck. 

Later that night we saw Guerrero vs. Berto in what looked like a sure mismatch early in the fight. Berto was hurt, rocked, and hit the canvas twice in the first two rounds. It was a fight, the commentators said it reminded them of a street fight with the constant holding and semi-dirty antics each fighter used to gain the upper hand. Berto fought back valiantly also stunning Guerrero with heavy shots that didn't seem to phase his opponent. Berto's both eyes were swollen shut after being cut open in the second round but he willed his way through the fight. Guerrero himself had his lead right eye swollen shut also. This reminded me of a pit bull fight, as both mercilessly kept clawing until the end. If not for the Brandon Rios/Mike Alvarado fight from October, we might have called this the fight of the year. Guerrero proved he is a damn good Welterweight, he proved he has every right calling out Mayweather out by beating Berto. (I actually won a bet on this fight when I bet a certain someone that Guerrero would "whoop Berto's ass". I never win bets when it comes to Boxing. And to top it off, I still haven't collected my winnings.) Guerrero has been lobbying for a fight with the Pound for Pound Champ since early this year and was rumored to have his wish granted before Mayweather took the May showdown against Miguel Cotto. Guerrero cemented his status as a legit contender at 147 and has a bright road ahead of him. 

Speaking of Cotto, he is back in action this weekend against the up and coming Austin Trout. Trout is a young raw talent that pose a significant threat to Cotto. This is Trout's moment on the big stage as he has never been on HBO or Showtime, let alone a main event. Cotto had a small list of possible opponents after a very competitive fight against Mayweather in May. It seemed to be he would have his rematch with Manny Pacquiao, but negotiations fell through when an agreement couldn't be reached on the terms of weight. Cotto should win this fight at Madison Square Garden setting up a possible Cinco de Mayo weekend showdown against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Tune in this Saturday on Showtime and enjoy the fireworks. 

---- Jose

The Break Up Heard Around the World

If you have any kind of social media, I'm sure you're aware of the Twitter and Instagram ramblings between former power-couple Floyd "Money" Mayweather and 50 Cent. The relationship is over, the honeymoon was been over since 50 has been in business talks with Mayweather's rival, Manny Pacquiao.

"Hello! Do you not see me standing right here?"

For the past month or so, it's been reported 50 and Pacquiao were in talks of starting SMS Promotions. The short lived TMT Promotions disbanded and rumors were running rampant about the drama between the best friends. Rumors of 50 sleeping with Mayweather's girlfriend "Miss. Jackson" during Money's incarceration was the topic of discussion on the internet. Nothing has been confirmed, we're still not sure exactly what happened between the two.
But Friday night, we were given a nice little viral squabble with 50 actually hinting that Money has been dodging Pacquiao all along. 50 even pleaded that Mayweather fight Yuriorkis Gamboa, here are the exact tweets.

- "Gamboa wants to fight Floyd. I will put up a extra 20 million for the winner. He don't like it that Floyd pulled out."
- "Ellerbee you a broke bum. Gamboa want to fight Floyd tell him lace up. Lol"
- "Gamboa is the truth, Floyd no that, stop tricking and fight"
- "If you say Floyd a kill Gamboa tell him fight."
- "Gamboa moving up in weight Floyd. You should have know not to go against me punk"
- "I can't hang with Floyd no more, I'm tired of running from Manny Pacquiao"

Strong words to say towards a former domestic partner. Mayweather responded with posting pictures of 50 with a few comebacks. In on picture, he called 50 a "male boxing groupie" as he posted pictures of 50 carrying his title belts and money. More nonsense ensued, I'm sure you get the point, but it had me scratching my head and wondering something.

We've seen this same thing happen before. Remember in Twilight when Bella was Team Edward and then she was Team Jacob?

No, I'm just kidding.

But I have seen this episode before, and I'm pretty sure it will end up happening as so. This whole situation has a WWE feel to it. 

Ironically enough, Mayweather has worked with WWE in the past when he had a short lived feud with the Big Show after legitimately breaking his nose a month before Wrestlemania 24.

This has a different Wrestlamania vibe to it. Back in 1998 Mike Tyson was still the baddest man on the planet, he made an appearance on WWE Raw and formed an alliance with D Generation-X. Shawn Michaels had Tyson in his corner heading into the big main event against Stone Cold Steve Austin.
On the night of Wrestlemania 14, Tyson turned his back on Michaels. The referee was knocked out and Stone Cold hit Michaels with the Stone Cold Stunner. Tyson hopped into the ring and hit a fast three count giving Austin the win. Everybody was shocked. As soon as Michaels got up, he got in Tyson's face and gave him a bit of a shove. Tyson did what he knew best, knocked Michaels out cold. 

So do you have a mental picture of what happened?

I personally wouldn't be surprised if this is all a plot to get Pacquiao and Mayweather in the ring. 50 and Mayweather are luring Manny into the fight and possibly will work out something to rid him of Bob Arum. If the fight happened, here's what you could expect to happen.... Unofficially.

If I was your best friend, I'd want you around me all the time.

Pacquiao and 50 build a friendship that goes past just the business partnership. 50 will be the quintessential male Boxing groupie that Mayweather called him. Mayweather will be the bad guy as always, using the same tired and rehearsed phrases. We can even do a over/under as to how many times Money will use phrases like; "Like I said before", "At the end of the day", "Helluva", "43 have tried, 43 have failed", or "43 had a game plan, all of those didn't work". I can even piece together a quote that you can expect Mayweather to say.

"At the end of the day, it's gon' be a helluva fight. Manny Pacquiao know he can get it. There ain't no blueprint to beat Floyd Mayweather. 43 had a game plan, none of those didn't work. 50 want it he can get it too. Like I said before, 43 have tried, 43 have failed."

Come fight night, Manny will have 50 escort him out and Bob Arum (let's call him Vince McMahon) will appoint 50 as the special enforcer, just as Tyson was. Floyd will have his posse of Justin Bieber and  in a eerily funny coincidence, former D Generation-X member Triple H.

The fight will start and for this comparison's sake, Pacquiao will have Mayweather in trouble through out the fight (I personally think Mayweather handles Pacquiao with ease). The drama will pick up in the 12th round, 50 Cent will hop into the ring with a steel chair in hand and act like he is going to hit Mayweather. As he goes to hit Floyd, he makes a full 180 and bashes Pacquiao over the head. Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman will go insane over the HBO broadcast, just like Jim Ross does for WWE. The world will be hit with that unexpected twist and Michael Buffer will announce Mayweather as the winner of the bout.
Obviously this is unlikely, but it would be entertaining to watch. All joking aside, I don't know how serious to take these latest turn of events. I don't know how credible SMS Promotions really is. At the end of the day, Mayweather Promotions was never really credible, it was a "company" that had a mere three fighters under it's belt. TMT Promotions didn't even put together a single card, most of it's action came on the internet with the rampant rumors of Curtis Jackson hooking up with Mayweather's girlfriend. I'm sorry Miss. Jackson *oooh* I am fo' real. 

- Jose

The SoCalSportsGuys NFL Bye Week

So this week I’m taking a bye week from the usual format of NFL Power Rankings. I’m stepping back and looking at what the season has had to offer. Its been a great eight weeks of NFL action. But what have we learned from this season so far ? 

We know the Falcons are benefiting a great deal from a weak schedule. The Eagles are an up and down team. They are floating around .500 and are no longer trying to salvage their season but their very jobs (Michael Vick and Andy Reid). The Jets quarterback situation would have been a great one had they been playing NCAA teams. Mark Sanchez is fighting to keep his job and Tim Tebow doesn’t even know what position he is playing. Rex Ryan’s weight loss is about the only positive negative of the 2012 Jets. 
We know RG3 is a F#$@ing beast maybe even “Black Jesus”.  Adrain Peterson is not human. Seriously who recovers from a torn ACL and MCL injury like this? Andrew luck is far from a bust but not exactly the Colts savior this season either." Hey Peyton, we're down 24 points at the half work your magic" is the Broncos game plan week after week. Manning has been determined to keep his team from losing.
 If you don’t believe in the sophomore jinx, just ask Cam Newton. He’ll tell you there is something beyond all reasonable logic effecting his 2013 campaign. Oh and if you don’t believe in the Madden curse go ask Calvin Johnson how his season is going - just one touchdown in seven games.

We know Roger Goodell should be fired for almost letting replacement refs taint an NFL season (more important to gamblers such as myself) with bad calls and this bounty scandal that has yet to been put to bed. How many appeals do the Saints players get? Am I the only who thinks he is professional sport’s answer to Vince McMahon? I think the games played every Thursday night (Goodell’s answer to McMahon’s WWE Smackdown!) was a good move gone bad. I like the concept of having football throughout the week but even as a fan (who gambles on just about anything), do we really need to watch Arizona vs St. Louis on prime time? Or Kansas City at San Diego this Thursday? Goodell's feud with Johnathan Vilma and various NFL players (list is to long to go into detail) mirrors that of McMahon's and any of his WWE employees except they have yet to kick his ass during a press conference. Which will be the single greatest thing to happen to the NFL during his term as Commissioner if it happens. I just can’t decide which wrestling group is best to compare the 2013 New Orleans Saints to. Yes I just compared the NFL to WWE and I'm not ashamed for doing so.

Chris Johnson is on my fantasy team and I can’t remember a player that has had me second guessing starting him week after week. His production has been near the bottom and just when I’m about to bench him, boom, he suckers me back in with a performance like the 195 yard and two TD game against Buffalo a few weeks ago. Games like that leave me with more questions than answers and hating Johnson more for having a good game followed by a bad one. I feel like anyone of the following people in this commercial.
The contenders aside from the Falcons (who may not be as good as their record advertises) are definitely the Texans, Giants, 49ers, Bears and Packers. These teams have been exceptional either offensively such as the Packers and Giants or defensively like the 49ers and Bears. The Texans are the one team that is playing well on both sides of the ball. Offensively they are a force with a strong running game by Arian Foster (who leads the league with nine rushing TDs). Defensively the Texans rank second overall in net yardage and eighth in total points allowed. 
So far this season these teams have been getting the job done and have the least amount of weaknesses on their rosters. Then there are the good teams, the teams that can pick up wins but have weaknesses that can easily be exploited. 
Take the New England Patriots - A daunting offense of explosive weapons from the running backs to the tight ends, the Patriots can out gun anyone. Problem is they give up big plays with their weak secondary late in games and find themselves with a not so impressive record. Patriots benefit from playing in a division that includes the Jets, Bills and what I believe to be a decent team the Dolphins. Teams that I consider in this circle are the Broncos, Steelers, Ravens, and Vikings.

The Steelers a team of which I am a fan of, have been inconsistent with all the injuries to running backs, offensive lineman and safety Troy Polamalu. The Steelers have managed to stay above .500. Big Ben is having a great campaign ranking in the top-5 in almost every passing category and has only been sacked 13 times, one of the lowest totals in the league. With the Ravens fighting through their own struggles the AFC North division is up for grabs but not so fast Bengals and Browns fans that doesn’t include your bottom of the barrel franchises. 

The Vikings and Broncos are doing much better than I expected they would. I figured Peyton would have needed time to get things together but he came out shooting. Aside from the usual loss he receives from Tom Brady and the Patriots (somethings just never change) Manning has been looking sharp and is turning Demaryius Thomas into a elite wideout. Peterson has been carrying the Vikings and is currently leading the league in rushing with 775 yards. Minnesota may find themselves in the playoffs if they continue to grind out victories.

Then there are the not so good teams, what I like to call the Pretenders. I really don’t want to dig to deep on all these teams but just to name a few Saints, Dolphins, Seahawks, Cardinals, Cowboys, Eagles, and Redskins. Vick and Reid are under heavy fire after the not so impressive season the Eagles have had. The Saints are battling through games with Drew Brees having a phenomenal season but are still not gonna make the playoffs unless Tebow gets traded there to help balance out the bad karma. 
The Seahawks can play some D but that's about it. Offensively they've been pretty bad, rookie QB Russell Wilson has had some pretty bad games that resulted in wins and some fairly good games that have resulted in losses. The Dolphins are 4-3, surprisingly. But Ryan Tannehill will be sidelined and Matt Moore will be taking over for the time being. After the bold prediction of leading the league in rushing Reggie Bush has had six games of 69 yards or less and has only cracked the 100 yard mark once. 
RG3 is my rookie of the year through eight games. The QB has displayed a phenomenal level of explosiveness and raw talent. He’s done a lot to put his team in position to win, the Redskins defense has not done so. Tony Romo is still the gun slinger that I love to hate. I love it when he displays his level of incompetence with his five interception games and hate it when he’s putting the Cowboys in position to win with a final drive that suckers Dallas into saying Romo is elite and messes it all up with an interception on a throw away pass.

Figuring out the halfway mark MVPs this season has been a tough one. In the AFC Manning and Big Ben are having great seasons with near identical statistics and winning records. Both are playing behind sub par offensive lines and not so great defenses. In the NFC its another toss up between Ryan, Rodgers, and I’m making the case for Brees and Eli Manning to be included in the mix. Brees is doing it all, Manning is getting wins in the clutch. I can’t remember when was the last time there has been so many QBs having such great seasons. Thanks Roger Goodell for tying the secondary’s hands making the NFL a pass-first league and not letting me include a running back or wide receiver in the MVP race.

Its been a great season thus far a lot more football has to be played. Teams will begin to make stronger pushes for playoff spots in the coming weeks. The Falcons might not even lose a game this season. Has anybody looked at their schedule? Currently the Colts are in the last spot for an AFC Playoff berth and if Luck gets the Colts back into the playoffs I’m taking back my RG3 Rookie of the Year award. 
So here’s to another great NFL season.

NFL Week 7 Power Rankings

1)Atlanta Falcons (6-0) Previous Rank 1 - Coming out of the bye week, the undefeated Falcons have a nice stretch of games ahead of them as they will face the Eagles this week followed by the Cowboys and Saints.

2) Houston Texans (6-1) Previous Rank 2 - The Texans dominated the Ravens in a 43-13 victory. Arian Foster rushed for 98 yards and 2 scores on only 19 carries. Matt Schaub threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Texans enter their bye week with a record of 6-1 and host Buffalo next week.

3)New York Giants (5-2) Previous Rank 4 - So the Giants failed to stop RG3 in a last minute drive. No big deal as Eli Manning came out and connected with a streaking Victor Cruz for a 77 yard touchdown to seal a victory. The Giants get a chance to even up the score as they travel to Dallas this week to face Tony Romo and his high powered offense (just kidding). The Giants are the third best passing team in the league and Manning has a QBR 76.9. Defensively the Giants rank 21st in passing yards allowed and 23rd in rushing yards allowed.

4)San Francisco 49ers (5-2) Previous Rank 5 - I didn't watch the game on Thursday night but the score ended up exactly how I thought it would very low as the 49ers and Seahawks both have stingy defenses and not so high powered offenses. San Francisco's defense ranks first in passing yards and 11th in rushing yards allowed. The 49ers managed to get another win holding Russell Wilson to only ninth completions and 113 passing yards and completely shutting out the Seahawks in the second half. Frank Gore continues to be the offensive main weapon contributing 182 total yards. The 49ers travel to Arizona to play the Cardinals next Monday night.

5)Chicago Bears (5-1) Previous Rank 7 - Jay Cutler is showing leadership and for the first time and the Chicago fans seem to be fully supportive of the once controversial QB. The real story in Chicago is their defense it is playing very physical forcing turnovers week after week and putting points on the board. The Bears defense had no problem stopping Megatron holding him to only three receptions on 11 targets. The Bears host the struggling Carolina this Sunday.

6)Baltimore Ravens (5-2) Previous Rank 3 - Things are starting too look bad for the Ravens. Losing Ray Lewis for the season, the defense struggled to stop Texans running game. Joe Flacco looked flustered in the pocket as he was constantly under pressure and was sacked four times for negative 26 yards. Falling behind quickly the Ravens only handed the ball off to Ray Rice a total of nine times. Baltimore's defense is now ranked 23rd in passing yards and 27th in rushing yards allowed. Baltimore currently has a two game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North division. They will get a much needed bye week to regroup. Ravens will return to face Cleveland and Oakland.

7)New England Patriots (4-3) Previous Rank 6 - I know they got the win Patriots fans. The Pats really  deserve to get a bump down this week for having to crawl back into a game that involved quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. Also they get a #STUPIDSANCHEZAWARD for giving up 403 yards to a weaponless offense. On a bright note, Tom Brady and the Patriots are now 4-3 and rank fifth in passing offense and fifth in rushing offense. The Patriots offense is well balanced and have had no problem getting leads however their defense is letting opponents crawl back in too often. The Pats travel to London this week to face the Rams.

8)Green Bay Packers (4-3) Previous Rank 8 - Jordy Nelson is back to form catching eight passes for 122 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Rodgers just had another great game of the season throwing for 342 yards, three TDs and and a near perfect QBR of 95.5. Rodgers now has 19 TDs and only four interceptions. Green Bay hosts Jacksonville this Sunday.

9)Minnesota Vikings (5-2) Previous Rank 9 - The Vikings got a win over the Cardinals despite an awful performance from QB Christian Ponder. Ponder completed only eight passes for 58 yards, one TD and two INTs. Adrain Peterson carried the ball for 131 rushing yards and a TD. The deciding factor in this game was the Vikings interception for a TD in the third quarter. The Vikings host the Buccaneers coming off a very tough loss this past week.

10)Denver Broncos (3-3) Previous Rank 10 - The Broncos have had two weeks to prepare for Drew Brees and his New Orleans Saints. Peyton Manning has 1808 passing yards 14 TDs and four INTs. Manning will have an opportunity to face the 30th ranked passing defense in the league.

11)Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) Previous Rank 12 - Coming out of the bye the Eagles face the lone undefeated Falcons team this week. Andy Reid is currently 13-0 coming out of byes.

12)New Orleans Saints (2-4) Previous Rank 16 - Drew Brees has 2097 yards, 18 touchdowns and a QBR of 96.1. Brees refuses to lose and has yet to give up trying to salvage his team's season. The Saints survived a last second drive by Josh Freeman and have won two straight. They head to Denver for Sunday night and will need to survive a shootout with Peyton Manning.

13)San Diego Chargers (3-3) Previous Rank 13 - They had an unnecessary two weeks to prepare for the Browns. If the Chargers lose to the Browns and Kansas City in the following weeks, will that finally be enough for the Chargers to fire Norv Turner?

14)Washington Redskins (3-3) Previous Rank 15 - RG3 thought he had the game won before Eli Manning broke his heart. Despite the loss, RG3 continues to progress as an NFL QB. RG3 is definitely a pass first, run under pressure qb and he is becoming more and more difficult for opposing defenses to prepare for. They head to Pittsburgh this week and I wouldn't doubt it if RG3 exploits Pittsburgh's struggling defense for another 100 yard rushing performance.

15)Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3) Previous Rank 17 - Loss, win, loss, win, loss, win. Can the Steelers break the pattern and finally get a winning streak together. Pittsburgh struggled to beat the Bengals, a team they once dominated. RBs Isaac Redman and Rashard Mendenhall didn't play in the game. RB Jonathan Dwyer got the start and rushed 122 yards helping the offensive balance. The Steelers face RG3 coming off a tough loss.

16)Seattle Seahawks (4-3) Previous Rank 14 - Struggling to get anything going offensively, the Seahawks add another one to their loss column. Seattle's defense is still very impressive ranking eighth in passing yards and sixth in rushing yards allowed. Seahawks will try to mirror what Chicago did to slow down Megatron and Mathew Stafford when they play this week.

17)Arizona Cardinals (4-3) Previous Rank 11 - Make that three straight losses for the Cardinals now. Arizona won games in weird inexplainable ways to start the season. The Cardinals lost despite holding the Vikings to a total of 43 passing yards. Arizona's offense continues to fail week after week as they now fall to 26th passing and 27th in rushing yards. Hosting the 49ers next week on Monday night won't help their cause.

18)Dallas Cowboys (3-3) Previous Rank 19 - The Cowboys lost leading tackler Sean Lee for the season to a toe injury. Cowboys defense ranks third in passing and 15th in rushing yards allowed. Dan Bailey redeemed himself making all of his four field goal attempts this week to help the Cowboys get the win over the Panthers. Tony Romo has a 97.8 QBR avg in his last two games which is making me second guess this whole QBR statistic. The Cowboys face a red hot New York Giants team this week that is looking to even up the score after losing to the Cowboys in Week 1.

19)Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) Previous Rank 18 - The Bengals fell short to the Steelers as Andy Dalton completed 14 passes for only 108 yards, one TD and one INT. Dalton ended up with a QBR of 16.9 so maybe QBR isn't so bad. The Bengals enter their bye week with a losing record before hosting Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos.

20)Detroit Lions (2-4) Previous Rank 20 - It wasn't pretty for the high powered Lions offense this past Monday night. Being denied the end-zone until they managed to get a meaningless score late in the game. Detroit fumbled the ball three times in key situations and Megatron failed to have any impact on the game catching three passes for 34 yards. The Lions now will face another stingy defense as they host the Seahawks on Sunday.

21)Miami Dolphins (3-3) Previous Rank 21 - I hope Miami watched the Patriots-Jets game. They will play the Jets this week and will need to avoid the making the same mistakes the Pats defense did. Ryan Tannehill vs Mark Sanchez a battle of epic proportions (I'm joking this would have been a better college Saturday night match up).

22)Tampa Bay (2-4) Previous Rank 22 - Despite losing to the Saints, the Buccaneers looked very good. Josh Freeman played a great game 24 passes for 420 yards, three TDS. Freeman completed a would be game tying touchdown pass to Mike Williams in the back of the end-zone that was overturned due to the fact that Williams stepped out of bounds prior to making the catch. The Buccaneers play a competitive game week after week but just can't figure out how to close things out. They head to Minnesota to play the Vikings tonight.

23)New York Jets (3-4) - Previous Rank 25 - Mark Sanchez and the Jets put up a good fight giving Patriots' fans a nice scare as they climbed back to force overtime. For now, a Mark Sanchez benching talks are back down to a minimum. Rex Ryan doesn't believe his team's records shows how good his football team really is but how good is his team. The Jets rank 28th in passing offense and 14th in rushing. Defensively they rank ninth in passing and 30th in rushing yards allowed. They host Miami this week.

24)Buffalo Bills (3-4) Previous Rank 24 - How bad is the Bills' defense? Well it allowed Chris Johnson to rush for 195 yards in a losing effort to the Titans. Buffalo enters their bye week at 3-4 and will face the Texans and Patriots when they return.

25)St. Louis Rams (3-4) Previous Rank 23 - The Rams fell to Aaron Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers and now will face Tom Brady and the Patriots in London this week. The Rams definitely find themselves in a tough stretch of games to say the least. They will get a very much needed bye week before facing the 49ers in Week 10.

26)Tennessee Titans (3-4) Previous Rank 26 - The Titans rallied late in the 4th qtr as Matt Hasselbeck threw a late TD to Nate Washington for the win. The Titans have no defense. Chris Johnson seems to be getting his legs back. Johnson's running should help Tennessee control the play clock and keep their defense off the field. The Titans host the Colts this Sunday.

27)Oakland Raiders (2-4) Previous Rank 28 - Raiders' fans never know what they are gonna get after putting up a great fight against the Falcons. The Raiders needed OT just to beat the Jaguars. Carson Palmer can rack up yardage with the best of them but his  seven TD to four INT ratio must improve. The Raiders get to face a worse team than themselves this week, Kansas City.

28) Carolina Panthers (1-5) Previous Rank 27 - Firing their GM isn't going to get this team back on track anytime soon. Cam Newton must improve and the play calling may be playing a part to his lack of production. Newton has five TDs and six INTs and looks nothing like he did last year. The Panthers will travel to Chicago to face the Bears this week. Good luck trying to get points there.

29)Indianapolis Colts (3-3) Previous Rank 29 - Andrew Luck only had 186 yards and no TDs or INTs in the Colts 17-13 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns. Facing Tennessee this week, the Colts rank 26th in defensive rushing yards allowed and will need to stop Chris Johnson.

30)Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) Previous Rank 30 - Blaine Gabbert has a hurt shoulder and MJD has a foot injury. Adding insult to injury the Jaguars now will have to travel to Lambeau Field this week to face the Packers.

31)Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) Previous Rank 31 - Coming out of the bye week to host the Raiders on Sunday, the Chiefs will need a lot of run support from Jamaal Charles.

32)Cleveland Browns (1-6) Previous Rank 32 - Boasting the league's worst record, the Cleveland Browns host the San Diego Chargers. Ranking 26th in passing and 24 in rushing yards allowed, the Browns defense may continue to struggle against Phillip Rivers this Sunday. QB Brandon Weeden currently has nine TDs, 10 INTs and a 20.3 QBR for the season. He is coming off his best game of the season against the Colts with a 60.8 QBR. RB Trent Richardson has just 348 rushing yards for the season.

Emanuel Steward

When I woke this morning I looked on BadLeftHook.com to see if anything has happened in Boxing since last night. I usually do that, wake up and check my SB Nation app. I seen a story about legendary trainer  and analyst Emanuel Steward's death. After texting a few people that care about Boxing about it, I see an update to the story that Steward's family is stating he is still alive. So I get back on twitter and I see a tweet from Andy Lee. Lee is currently trained by Steward. The tweet said that Steward's sister informed him that she is by Emanuel's side and he is seriously ill but is still fighting strong. A report from WXYZ CH. 7 in Detroit is shared mentioning the Steward family disheartened by the reports of his death. It has been a roller coaster ride trying to keep up with the series of events. Early in the a.m. Wladimir Klitschko (another fighter trained by Steward) posted a statement on Facebook about Steward's death and posted a black and white image of the two. A few hours later, both items are removed from the site leading to speculation he is still alive. Well I'm under the impression Steward is still alive, and am glad to hear that. I hope to soon hear him on HBO talking about this day and his fight to stay alive and beat the 10 count.

When I initially read the news, I was heartbroken. I immediately started thinking about all the fights I have heard with him on commentary.

Then the ninth round of Micky Ward-Arturo Gatti I, instantly popped in my head. I could hear Steward screaming at Ward to keep attacking Gatti's body after Ward hurt him early in the "Greatest Round in the History of Boxing".

Here is what Steward said during the round:

"This is it, it's not like a head punch." - After Ward dropped Gatti with a wicked left hook to the bod
"And Ward is going to go back down there again. Right to the body again." - After Gatti beat the 10 count.
"He's (Gatti) is still hurt from the body punch, in addition to the head" - As Ward is throwing combinations staggering Gatti.
"But Ward should go back to the body again!" - Gatti is rallying back into the fight with pure heart and wiillingness to fight.
"Unbelieveable!"
"Now, Gatti is trying to get a break, Ward should go back to the body.... That's where he needs to go! GO TO THE BODY!" - After Gatti wore himself out from throwing and Ward starts to get his punches in, most notably to the body.
"You know, you dream of fights like this. But very seldom do they live up to the expectations, but this is even more than you could dream of." - As the men exchange blows with 30 seconds left.
"And Ward is tired, and here comes Gatti back!" - In the final 10 seconds of the fight as Gatti rallies back
"This should be the round of the century."  As the men walk to their corners at the finale of the greatest round I've seen as a Boxing fan.

This moment stood out to me like no other, I remember watching this fight and specifically telling my dad, Jim Lampley and Emanuel Steward are giving this fight so much more feel to it with their emotions.
Often times we take things for granted. We don't realize what it would be like to lose something we love. In this case it was the voice of Steward on HBO. He has been a staple in my home on Saturday nights and late at night when I watch old fights on YouTube because I would rather watch Boxing than sleep.

Take a moment and think about the blessings of being alive. Cherish everything and those you love. Tomorrow isn't promised to us. If it was, life wouldn't be such an interesting journey.

- Jose