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I tried to sit down and reflect on the year that was. I tried to scour the depths of my mind, and recall all the great moments in sports for 2008. And the more I thought, the more I realized what an amazing year it was. But, soon panic set in. How would I fit all the amazing events into one post? How would I narrow it down? Believe me, it is not an enviable task.

So I sat down, pen in hand, tapping on the side of my desk, searching for ideas. Surely I should start with the Olympics, no? Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals, Usain Bolt jogging and setting a new world record. The Redeem Team redeeming, and men’s volleyball fighting. I could start with the terrific opening ceremony, that inspired awe, and made the world jealous. Or I could start with Michael Phelps’s mom, who, I think, won over all of our hearts. Too many moments, in a spectacular Olympics.

But wait, there is more. My pen moving faster than I’ve ever seen it, I remembered a night in February. The Super Bowl. The New York Giants beating all odds to beat the unbeaten, invincible, Patriots. Of course, being that I am a die hard Giants fan, this is one of the better moments of my life. But then visions of David Tyree catching with his head, and Eli Manning going to Disney World enter my mind. The Giants shocked us. So I immediately went on to YouTube to see the highlights. I can recall the chills going down my spine when the final whistle blew.

Not a bad start, if I do say so myself. What else? I proceeded to write, yet nothing would come out. But, I heard a clink. Was it the clink of Memphis missing free throws left and right? And Mario Chalmers hitting a three to send it into overtime? I think it was. The scene of the Final Four. The scene of me ripping my bracket up, as I had picked Memphis to win. I’m not sure who felt worse: myself, or Memphis. But was that the best March Madness moment? What about Davidson, and Stephen Curry, slaying giants? I guess the name Davidson is apropos after all.

My mind had stagnated through April and May, finding nothing of significance. With this writers block, I tried take the time to enjoy the holidays. But when I turned on the TV, all I saw was a Celtics-Lakers Christmas. And memories of basketball greatness came flowing in. Memories of KG, Pierce, and Ray Allen, bringing the glory back to Boston, and back to basketball.

A dog outside barked. I could’ve sworn we had talked about underdogs… oh, well we forgot one. The Rays. From worst to first. From worst to World Series. Surely, we won’t forget that it was the Phillies who actually won. Rain and all.

My mind, tired of going back in time, tried to eke out one more memory. I wanted it to be special. Then it hit me. Baseball offseason. CC, AJ, Teixeira. All to the Yankees. Tons of Bostonites screaming. A dream come true for the Yankee fan.

In my quest to recount the year in sports, I know I’ve left out key moments. Like the Brett Favre saga. Or the Detroit Red Wings winning the Cup. Or the Detroit Lions winning nothing. Josh Hamilton hitting the moon at Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium saying good bye.

In 365 days, we’ve seen sport moments like no other. And personally, I’m happy I could relieve it all. Happy New Year. We can only hope 2009 will be half as good as 2008.

Plaxico Burress, wide receiver for the New York Giants, was charged with two felony weapon counts, for possession of a weapon that he did not have a permit for. Idiotic move, to the say the least. Here’s my issue though: why are you at a club on a Friday night before a game? Don’t you have a two year old son, don’t you have a wife? Weren’t you injured? Shouldn’t you have been getting rest? Why won’t you learn? I just don’t get it.

As a NFL player, you have certain responsibilities: Show up to meetings( something he doesn’t take to kindly to), show up to practices (another thing he doesn’t like doing), and play in the games( something he does very well). When you fail on two out of three, you have a problem. When you exacerbate the issue, by going out to a club, you’ve lost control. Get help. Go to rehab, do something. Playing football is the least of your concerns.

I like Plax, I do. As a die hard Giant fan, nothing beats him catching the game winning pass in the Super Bowl. This is just asinine, though. I’m trying to express my thoughts, but all that comes out is anger, so, trust me, the backspace button is very valuable in this case. In all seriousness, Plaxico, stay out of the public eye, stay out of the clubs, put the guns away, and get help. We’ll all be better for it.

About the Author

Your favorite writer from The Blog of Champions, is also writing for Tastefully Driven. He brings his sports expertise and knowledge to Tastefully Driven, and will continue to provide the insight and opinions you’ve grown to know and love. Any questions, comments, suggestions? You can contact him here.

Sports are getting into full gear. NFL is in midseason form. Hockey is starting to get interesting, and the NBA just began. That’s where we focus on, the NBA.

STUDS:
Brandon Roy, PG/SG, Portland
Best player on an upcoming team, that will only get better with the addition of Greg Oden.

Kevin Garnett, PF, Boston
The Defending Champs look to their leader to help repeat. A double-double from him doesn’t hurt.

DUDS:

Eddy Curry, C, New York Knicks
You could say that the entire Knicks team could be duds, but Curry takes the title. He has all the potential in the world, yet, for some reason, he doesn’t want to use it.

Richard Jefferson, SF, Milwaukee
He’s getting older, and doesn’t have Jason Kidd to facilitate.

Breakout Player:
Julian Wright, PF, New Orleans
Playing with Chris Paul doesn’t hurt. His amazing athleticism doesn’t either.

Breakdown Player:
Hedo Turkogulu, SF, Orlando
He had an amazing year last year, but there is no way he can keep it up.

MVP:
LeBron James, SF, Cleveland
Chris Paul is a close second, but LeBron is the best player since MJ.

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPS:
Boston Celtics
Too good. Best team in the league.

WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPS:
New Orleans Hornets
Chris Paul leads them here.

NBA FINALS:
Boston over New Orleans.

Enjoy the NBA season folks.

Summer might be over, but it doesn’t mean the heat isn’t. Yes, October baseball is upon us. The magic. The mystique. The aura. The moments. It’s all here. But, in some ways, I don’t want the regular season to end. It’s been such a crazy year. And part of me wants to keep living the craziness:

• I want to relieve CC Sabathia’s magical performance since being traded from the Indians.
• I want to relive the All-Star Game.
•  I want to relive Yankee Stadium.
•  I want to relive the Astros’ second half run.
•  I want to relive the Mets’ second half collapse.
•  I want to relieve Josh Hamilton’s rise to greatness.
•  I want to relive Andruw Jones’s fall from grace.
•  I want to relive the Rays ascent.
•  I want to relieve the Tiger’s descent.
•  I want to relieve Jon Lester’s no-hitter.
•  I want to relive Tim Lincecum.
•  I want to relive Cliff Lee.
•  I want to relive Joe Torre’s success.
•  I want to relive Willie Randolph’s struggle.

I was a doubter. I doubted how the league could recover from Steroid-gate. From Roger Clemens, being, well, an idiot. But it recovered. It provided memories that will last a lifetime. I want to be telling my grandkids about Josh Hamilton, about the Rays. I want to tell them about Yankee Stadium, about the All-Star Game. Because these are the moments, these are the things we will always hold on. Times are tough. But now, we can turn on the TV, watch baseball, and know, it’s going to be fine. Baseball is back. It’s better than it ever was. I don’t want it to end. I want to kiss the Billy Goat goodbye. I want to go back to 1982. I want to watch Manny being Manny. I want to watch the Angels dominate. I want to watch Ryan Howard hit one to the moon. I want to watch Josh Beckett’s playoff mastery. I want to see Tampa in October. I want to feel the Dome shake. I want to hear the buzz in Chicago. I want to see a new hero, a new goat. I don’t want baseball to end. You know why? I can’t live without it. Enjoy the playoffs.About the Author

Your favorite writer from The Blog of Champions, is also writing for Tastefully Driven. He brings his sports expertise and knowledge to Tastefully Driven, and will continue to provide the insight and opinions you’ve grown to know and love. Any questions, comments, suggestions? You can contact him here.

As the summer heat fades into the fall breeze, it means one thing: Football. Yes, it’s that time of the year again. And, as always, it’s time for speculation, opinions, and little facts. Let’s face it: My predictions here are about, I don’t know, going to be 10% right. Because so much happens in 16 weeks. But I’m going to try anyway.
NFL MVP:

This one could go a number of ways. LaDanian Tomlinson, Tony “Jessica Simpson” Romo, Tom Brady (although as of 8:30 on Sunday, it looks like he might be out for the year). But, I think that LT will take home the crown. He’s just too good, and might be the best running back since Emmitt Smith entered the league. He’s that good. And don’t be surprised if he has another record breaking season.

NFC DIVISION WINNERS:

EAST: New York Giants

It’s funny how everyone discounts the World Champs. But, last I checked, they were still on top of the football world. And this ‘us against the world’ mentality is what served them so well during their magical playoff run. Look for them to make a deep run in the playoffs.

NORTH: Minnesota Vikings

With the Packers losing Brett Favre, the Bears seemingly forgetting to get Wide Receivers, and the Lions still hanging on the bottom, the Vikings will take the crown. In fact, some experts have picked them to win it all. I’m not so sure about that. But they do have a tremendous amount of talent, led by Adrian Peterson, who could challenge LT as the best running back in the league. This is a team that will be contended for many years to come.

SOUTH: New Orleans Saints

I feel bad for this team. Every summer, they have to deal with concerns about Hurricanes, rather than football concerns. And except for a tough schedule a year ago, they’ve been able to respond well to these catastrophes. With so many weapons on offense, they should take this division easily.

WEST: Seattle Seahawks

It’s not that the Seahawks are that great, it’s just that the rest of the division is terrible. I don’t think the Seahawks will make a big run, but some college teams would win this division.

NFC WILD CARD WINNERS:

DALLAS COWBOYS: They’re too good, and could challenge for the Super Bowl. That is, of course, the many rambunctious and volatile personalities find a way to mesh. If they don’t, it could spell trouble.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Donovan McNabb is healthy, and providing he stays that way, they’ll make the playoffs.

AFC DIVISION WINNERS:

EAST: Buffalo Bills

Yesterday this would have been the Patriots. But with Brady going down, the Bills take their spot. They’re very young, and growing pains come with that, but they also have a ton of talent, on both sides of the ball, making them a tough team to play, especially in the winter months. I like this team a whole lot.

NORTH: Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben Rothlisberger, and the return of the vaunted Steelers’ D, will lead this team to the playoffs. Combine that with a formidable running game, and good coaching, and this team will be there long into January.

SOUTH: Indianapolis Colts

Two Words: Peyton Manning.

WEST: San Diego Chargers

Perhaps the most talented team in the AFC, they take this division easily. Phillip Rivers, LT, Antonio Gates, lead a tremendously talented offensive attack, and they will blow out many opponents this year.

AFC WILD CARD WINNERS:

HOUSTON TEXANS: I absolutely love this team. Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Mario Williams. They’ve been bottom dwellers for a long time, but this year they will bust out and make the playoffs, much like the Tampa Rays are about to do in Baseball.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: A chic pick for the Super Bowl, I’m not going to go that far. But they have a balanced team, a good D, and a legitimate case to be the AFC’s representative in Tampa for the Super Bowl.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

DALLAS COWBOYS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
A close game, the Saints edge the Cowboys out and make the Super Bowl

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS VS. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
The Chargers will overmatch the Jags, making this an easy one for San Diego.

SUPERBOWL XLIII

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS VS. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
The Chargers win this one, and Phillip Rivers joins Eli Manning and Ben Rothlisberger in becoming Super Bowl Champs from the ’04 Draft Class.

There you have it. Hopefully I’m right. But in this business, I’ll take just the Super Bowl Champ. Enjoy the football season.

About the Author

Your favorite writer from The Blog of Champions, is also writing for Tastefully Driven. He brings his sports expertise and knowledge to Tastefully Driven, and will continue to provide the insight and opinions you’ve grown to know and love. Any questions, comments, suggestions? You can contact him here.