Kobe or Lebron? Give me Kevin Durant

Almost two months into the season and I have noticed an ongoing trend that disturbs me. As I scroll through through sports websites and channels, Kevin Durant is constantly overshadowed by other players. Some of these players are great such as Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, thus I understand, but when you begin to mention Chris Paul for MVP I now have a problem. Why is he not the topic of conversation when it comes time to talk about the NBA? Why is he rarely talked about on the major networks? I am going to try and figure this out. Kevin Durant is the two time defending scoring champ in the NBA, winning with an average of 29 points per game. He won rookie of the year in 2008, he has been named an All-Star three times. Last year he led the Thunder to the western conference semifinals. All of the credentials are there, just as much as and even more then most players. And when it comes to clutch situation forth quarters, no one can compare to the poise and smoothness of KD. We may all remember the shot against the Dallas Mavericks on December 29th. If you are still not convinced this week he made several big shots in the last moments of the game against Portland and Golden State. When it comes to big shots/game winning shots he has risen to be one of the best. Now that we are familiar with some of his credentials it is evident that he should be in discussion when talking about the best in this sport. Is it because he plays in a smaller media market? Oklahoma City is the 45th biggest media market in the United States, a lot smaller then Miami, New York, or Los Angeles. Or maybe it is because he does nothing wrong, or does things to bring attention to himself? Kevin Durant is a class act and a great representative for the game, always acting responsibly and helping out in the community. Regardless of a reason, it is a shame that Kevin Durant is often left out in basketball conversation. He has raised a franchise from the bottom to the second best record in the NBA. He is a great player that I feel his talents are flying under the radar, but if you ask me, I would hands down without a doubt pick Kevin Durant over any other player in the NBA because he can do it all, when it matters, on and off the court. He is a game changer, he can shoot from the perimeter, post up, drive it to the goal, and even create his own shots out of nothing. You can play your best defense, have a hand in his face and he will still score. I would say along with Ray Allen he is the best shooter coming off of a screen. Unlike Lebron, you cannot get in his head, if he misses shots, he will continue to shoot, and of course step it up when it matters. At age 23 old and being one of the most, maybe the most versatile players in the league,Kevin Durant is only going to get better. And that is scary.

Super Bowl XLVI Preview

This Sunday one of the most anticipated rematches in sports history will take place as the New EnglandPatriots will face off against the New York Giants. As many of us remember these two teams faced off in 2007 as the undefeated Pats came in as a heavy favorite, but were not knocked off thanks to the heroics of Eli Manning and David Tyree. As the teams are putting the finishing touches on their preparations, there is no doubt that this will be a great game. Here are some keys for both teams that will be essential to attain the prized Lombardi Trophy:

New England Patriots

1. Rob Gronkowski must be healthy. It is widely believed according to sources that he will play which is good news, but the question now becomes how effective can he be on that ankle. He must not only

play, but play to high level, to help boost this offense. This season he had 90 receptions, amassing 1,327 yards, and 17 touchdowns. It is evident that he is probably their most explosive weapon.

2. How protected will Tom Brady be in the pocket? In order to have success on offense the Patriots will have to do an adequate job stopping this Giants pass rush. The Giants finished tied for third in the NFL

this season in sacks getting to the quarterback 48 times. The Patriots allowed 32 sacks during the season however Brady has only been sacked once during the playoffs. Clearly improvements are being made, but if Tom Brady does not have enough time to drop back and make throws then it could spell disaster for New England.

3. New York probably has the best core of recievers in the league. Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Nicks all had great seasons and post seasons. If they cannot be shut down then Eli Manning will pick apart this Patriots secondary. New England had the second worst secondary during the 2011 season allowing almost 300 yards a game. Just as the offensive line play has increased, so has the secondary. However they have not faced an elite quarterback yet who has the capabilities of Manning and an elite core of receivers.

New York Giants

1. Getting to Tom Brady will be huge in this game. As proven by other teams and the last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl, if Brady is pressured, New England cannot consistently move the ball. Justin Tuck, Chris Canty, and rising star Jason Pierre-Paul have made a habit of getting in the backfield but doing it on the biggest stage of the year is yet to be seen.

2. New York

will have to run the ball. Eli Manning is a great quarterback but just as in every great offense a good balance of both pass and run is key. The Giants though talented at the position but failed to average over 100 yards a game. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw will have to be productive because I am not sure that Eli can carry the offense alone.3. Shutting down Rob Gronkowski is going to be at the top of list on ways to shut down the New England offense. When these two teams met in the regular he only had eight catches for 101 yards and was not a big factor in the game. The New York secondary and linebackers will have to disrupt his game especially if he is able to play at full strength.

Prediction

This game will feature tow of the games best quarterbacks, Tom Brady, and E

li Manning, which will be exciting to see who outperforms who.These two teams met in Foxboro in week nine which was won by the Giants on a late drive 24-20. Thus, both teams are very familiar with each other yet now they are different teams. Since that game the Patriots have not lost again, winners of 10 in a row. The Giants barely got into the playoffs but just like their run in '07 they have caught fire at the right time. And it is for this reason that I am picking the New York Giants to beat the New England Patriots on Sunday because in the playoffs it is not who is the BETTER team but who is the

HOTTER team. New York had to get through three very tough games beating three great quarterbacks along the way. Their defensive line just as in week nine will cause a lot of trouble for Tom Brady, preventing a persistent offensive attack. Also Rob Gronkowski's injury will play a major role. The more weapons Brady has available the harder it will be for the Giants to make stops. But again the key is the Giants defensive line as they will also stop the run just like they have during the playoffs. Eli Manning has proven he can deliver on the biggest stages time and time again, now with three great receivers, New England will have trouble stopping the aerial assault, especially if New York can run the ball well. New England will be thirsty for revenge, for the '07 Super Bowl loss and ruining their perfect season but it will not happen this year.

Prediction

New York Giants 24

New England Patriots 20

NFL Preview

AFC East

1. New England Patriots- The mastermind Bill Belichick added Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth to already very talented team. Look for Brady to have a big year.

2. New York Jets- Made it to the AFC championship last year and they will not settle for less. Key pickups include Plaxico Burress. Look for the offense to put up big numbers and the defense to shut down opponents.

3. Miami Dolphins- Lost both runningbacks but picked up Reggie Bush. Quarterback issues are preventing the offense from being explosive.

4. Buffalo Bills- The linebacking core seems to be the only bright spot on this team. Major issues remain on offense.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts- The key to having a good year is Peyton Manning's health. When he is on the field, the Colts should put up big numbers.

2. Houston Texans- Switching to a 3-4 defense this year could cause problems early. The only thing preventing the Texans from the playoffs is the Colts, which they have never beaten.

3. Tennessee Titans- Chris Johnson finally got the contract he wanted, which is a major boost to this team. Do not expect a lot of production from anyone else on offense.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars- Could end up with a top five pick in next years draft. Maurice Jones-Drew seems to be the only good thing on the field.

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh Steelers- An interesting offseason for this team should have no effect. As long as everyone stays healthy then the Steelers should be back in AFC championship game.

2. Baltimore Ravens-

3. Cleveland Browns- Showed great signs of improvement last year, however they play in maybe the hardest division in football. Should have a good year with Peton Hillis and Colt McCoy.

4. Cincinnati Bengals- Look for a quarterback change this year, and an okay defense to step on the field for this very confused team.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs- Had an impressive season last year, now look even better with the addition of Steve Breaston. Should boost passing game and running game.

2. San Diego Chargers- Look for Phillip Rivers to lead this team to a bounce back season after missing the playoffs last year.

3. Oakland Raiders- Went undefeated in this division last year. Quarterback position remains the big issue but should have a decent year.

4. Denver Broncos- First year John Fox has a lot of work to do with this team including who to start at quarterback.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles- Have become the ''dream team'' of the NFL as they are stacked with the addition of Nnamdi Asomugha and Ronnie Brown.

2. Dallas Cowboys- Had a good season last year until Romo got hurt. If Dez Bryant can stay out of trouble the offense will be the strong point of this team.

3. New York Giants- Eli Manning leads this team that does not look bad on paper but has had an injury plagued pre season.

4. Washington Redskins- Should struggle as they have yet to adapt to coach Mike Shanahan.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers- Defending Super Bowl champions should have an even better season this year as they are now going to play with 16 contributors that were injured last season.

2. Chicago Bears- Had a great season last year and should again this year as the addition of Roy Williams should give the offense a boost.

3. Detroit Lions- The lions will have an explosive offense with Matt Stafford back and a stud defense led by Ndamukong Suh. Unfortunetly they play in the hardest division in football.

4. Minnesota Vikings- The loss of Sidney Rice will hurt the offense led by Donovan Mcnabb and Adrian Peterson. Give this team a year ot two and they should be very good again.

NFC West

1. St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford will finally get the Rams back in the playoffs. If receivers can stay healthy then look for possibly a double digit win total. Steven Jackson and Cadillac William will help give them a boost. Defense looks pretty good.

2. Seattle Seahawks- Had a good season last year, however the loss of Matt Hassleback leaves question marks on offense.

3. Arizona Cardinals- Offense looks okay but should take time to get in rhythm with new quarterback Kevin Kolb.

4. San Francisco 49ers- New coach Jim Harbaugh will have his work cut out for him. On paper the offense looks pretty solid with Braylon Edwards and Frank Gore.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons- Offense should be better then ever this year as Matt Ryan looks to have another great season. Julio Jones maybe the best steal in the draft.

2. New Orleans Saints- Drew Brees always has his team fired up and they have been getting team workouts in since the summer. Look for them to secure a wild card seed.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- A surprising team last year should continue to emerge but as the case with some other teams, they play in a stacked division.

4. Carolina Panthers- Contrary to what many people believe should have a good rebound season with an offense that should be rather productive barring injury.

First Pick in Draft

Buffalo Bills

NFL Champions

Packers over the Jets

First Annual Swiss Chris Sports Awards

Best NFL Player- Aaron Rodgers. He was consistent and solid throughout the entire season. Played lights out in the playoffs in which the games were all on the road against the leagues best. Was named the Super Bowl XLI MVP after he threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns againt the Steelers. He has become the leader of this team and is one of the leagues best without a doubt.

Best NBA Player- Dirk Nowitzki. Had a monster season scoring 23 points a game and leading Dallas to an NBA championship. He was clutch in every fourth quarter, most notably in game 2 of the finals were he made a three followed by a game winning layup. Arguably one of the best power forwards of all time with an unguardable jump shot.

Best Soccer Player- Lional Messi and Christiano Ronaldo. Messi led Barcelona in goals and also had yet another big year. Also captured his second Champions League trophy scoring a goal in the final. Ronaldo broke the single season scoring record, making 5o goals. Also was a key player in Real Madrid winning the Spanish Cup and to the Champions League semi finals.

Best NHL Player- Tim Thomas. The Bruins goaltender made it clear in the Stanley Cup finals why he is one of the best of all time in the net. Led the NHL in goals against average and save percentage. In the final round of the postseason, Thomas stopped 238 of the 246 shots he faced against the Canucks in seven games. Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Vezina Trophy as well.

Best College Player- Cam Newton. Led Auburn to the national championship after going through one of the toughest schedules of all time. Played well all season despite allegations and was named MVP of the national championship game.

Best Performance- Aaron Rodgers in Super Bowl XLV. Did what no quarterback was a

ble to do all season ag

ainst the number one defense in the NFL. Dominated the entire game throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. He was named Super Bowl MVP.

Worst Performance- Lebron James. Brought to Miami to help them win a championship and was a no show too many times in the biggest games. He played awful in the finals barely being able to score in fourth quarters. If he would have played to the level that he is capable of playing at there is no doubt he would have won his first ring.

Biggest Upset- This award goes to VCU for their impressive run to the Final Four. Along the way they beat #6 seed Georgetown, #4 seed Purdue, and beating the #1 seed Kansas. Not only did they beat Kansas, but completely dominated what many thought was the best team in the tournament, from beginning to end. They were even up by 18 at one point, thus VCU easily wins this award.

Best Play-

Marshawn Lynch's 67 yard touchdown run in the wild card round of the playoffs against the Saints. This is one of the NFL's best runs of all time. Leading late in the game needing a first down he goes on to break 9 tackles from the Saints defense. What makes this run even better is that this was against the defending Super Bowl champions and the Saints had the 14th best rush defense.

Best Underdog Performance- The Seattle Seahawks against the New Orleans Saints in the wild card round of the playoffs. The defending Super Bowl champions, the Saints, went into this game as heavy favorites. Meanwhile Seattle barely made the playoffs with a lousy 7-9 record. However the Seahawksoutplayed the Saints the entire game looking more focused and prepared. Drew Brees and the sixth best offense in the NFL were kept in check and the Seahawks dominated the Saints defense.

Biggest Disappointment- The Miami Heat. After acquiring two all stars to play along side Dwayne Wade, how do you not win the NBA championship? After proclaiming that they would win eight championships, the Heat looked out of sync and inconsistent throughout the year. When it mattered the most, in the biggest situations, James and company failed to follow through.

Biggest Surprise- VCU. Came out of the Patriot Conference as the #11 seed and went on to shock the brackets as they reached the Final Four.

Best Team- The Green Bay Packers. Top ten in almost every NFL statistic for offense and defense. Most impressive performance had to be in the playoffs as they went on the road four times against the best teams to win the Lombardi trophy. Solid at every position and team chemistry is not a problem. Finished 10-6 during the regular season but could have easily finished 14-2 as they lost two games in overtime and two games without Aaron Rodgers

Worst Team- The Cleveland Cavaliers. With 19 wins and a win percentage of 23% the Cavaliers are maybe the worst teams of all time. After LeBron James departed, Cleveland seemed to have lost all confidence in their play and had a hard time competing. Lost over 10 games in a row and lost by 55 points to the Lakers. Enough said.

Best Newcomer- Blake Griffin. Added an extra spark to the NBA this season with spectacular plays game after game. Averaged 22.5 points per game and 12.1 points. Also won the slam dunk contest by jumping over a car. It is evident that he will continue to improve and be one

of the leagues elite.

Best Coach- Rick Carlisle. Led the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA championship sweeping through the Western Conference. The Mavs had 57 wins this season as they claimed the third best position in the West. Found ways to shut down some of the games best includ

ing Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, and Dwayne Wade.

Best Game- Uruguay vs. Ghana at the 2010 World Cup. This game is one of the best soccer

games of all time. Ghana was looking to be the first African team to make the semifinals on their home continent but the unlikely heroics of Luis Suarez saved the day. Tied 1-1 in the final minute of extra time, Ghana had a free kick, and after a scramble in font of the net, Ghana shot it and Suarez a forward, blocked it with his hands. The game then went into penalties where Uruguay went on to win. A very competitive and intense game that was very exciting to watch.

Will Jimmer Fredette succeed in the NBA?

Jimmer Fredette, the former BYU star who led the NCAA in scoring last season, will now be playing for the Sacremento Kings. He had a monster senior year, averaging 28.5 points per game, while shooting an impresssive 45 percent from the field. But now the question that has many sports fans talking is whether he can adjust and make the transition to continue his accomplishments in the NBA. There is no doubt that he has the potential, but there are major concerns about his size. He is 6'4 a shooting guard. In college that is a decent size but in the NBA many shooting guards are a few inches taller and longer which will impact his ability to create shots. In college he was great at making plays and creating opportunities so this could affect his game as he will no longer be playing against the Mountain West Conference. However he is a natural scorer and when left open he will make the shot. It will not be as easy as in college but give him time and will adapt. He could also try to develop into a point guard but I highly doubt that that will happen. Another aspect of his game that will be closely watched is his defense. That I think will be very hard to learn and for him to improve he will have to spend a lot of time working on it and going in the weight room as he is listed at 195.

Being drafted by the Sacremento Kings is both a good and bad thing. The bad is that he will be thrown into the starting lineup and be expected to contribute immediately. It is for this reason that I will think he will struggle a little bit at first because this is a major change from college as players are going to be taller, stronger, more athletic. Also, there is no summer league for him to face off against more skilled opponents. But early playing time is good as it will help him to get better and not be forgotten on the bench as J.J. Reddick was. He will also be playing a different style of basketball where he will not be the focus of the offense, so no more pull up threes. The Kings will have to learn to distribute the basketball and play as a team as there will now be three players who will demand the ball. Fredette, Cousins, and Evans but if they learn to work as a unit look for their points per game to increase this year. Jimmer will also sell tickets and boost the Sacremento fan base.

When his career is all said and done I see him finding his rhythm in the league and appearing in a couple All-Star games. I picture him as a Mario Chalmers, who is a really good shooter but will struggle at times. Look for Jimmer to be named rookie of the year as he will definently be a boost to the Kings. He will be under tremendous pressure to be the next superstar and live up to his college reputation, but everyone must understand that it will take a little bit of time for him to flourish in this league.

Tour de France Articles

This summer I am in Europe and I will be writing articles for the Tulsa World about the Tour de France. I have already written two. Follow the links below to view them!

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=2&articleid=20110709_29_0_bEiooe769873

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=29&articleid=20110711_2_0_bEiooe615180

June 2011 Athlete of the Month: Dirk Nowitzki

After capping off one of the most impressive and memorable performance in NBA playoff history, 11 time all star Dirk Nowitzki finally hoisted the trophy he has longed for, over the past 14 seasons. Many analysts picked the second seeded Dallas Mavericks to get upset in the first round by a solid Portland Blazers team or in the second round by the two time defending champions, the Los Angelas Lakers and even by the Miami Heat in the finals. Despite this tough road, the Mavericks led by Dirk did not fall victim to these criticisms, playing strong fundamental basketball. The German superstar said after the final, ''I really still can't believe it, we worked so hard and so long for it.'' His most impressive performance had to be in the finals where he continued to make big shot after big shot no matter the situation or who was guarding him. His fade away jump shot is arguably one of the best of all time and unblockable, just ask the Miami Heat or the Oklahoma City Thunder. A defining moment in the finals series came in game 2 the Heat were up 25 going into the fourth quarter. After making a stunning rally, Dirk got the ball on Dallas's last two possessions making two huge shots, giving Dallas the victory. It was clear that he did not want a repeat of an '06 finals meltdown in which the Mavs were up 2-0 in the series and lost 4 straight games in a row. It was clear he came back hungrier, more prepared, and focused. An aspect of his game that separates him from other players and really stood out in the finals, is his confidence. In game 6 he started off the game 1-12 but that did not stop him from taking shots and sure enough he went on to finish with 21 points and taking home the finals MVP award. That is an important ability because staying aggressive keeps the defense on edge and has the possibility of opening up shots to open teammates. He is a

complete basketball player that has all the components of a true champion. If Nowitzki was not considered one of the best in the game before this series then he has definitely solidified his spot amongst the games best. He easily out performing the ''Heatles'' who were favored to take the championship back to South Beach led by Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. Nowitzki put the team on his back this entire post season even improving his scoring average by over four points from the regular season. This ring will definitely bring Dirk in the conversation of possibly being the best power forward ever. Congratulations Dirk Nowitzki on being the June 2011 athlete of the month.