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NFL General

32 Final Reasons to Watch the NFL In 2006

Best Storylines Going into the Postseason & Off-season

I know I’ve been gone for a while and I haven’t updated this series of articles as I originally intended to, but that’s what happens when you become a staff writer for a major newspaper.  But I haven’t forgotten my roots, so I’m back and ready to roll for the good people of SportsColumn.com.

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NFL General

32 More Reasons to Watch the NFL In 2006

More Storylines to Watch For

Before the 2006-07 season began, I wrote two articles giving the casual football fan reasons to watch the NFL this year.  And since the first two had so much success, I thought I would keep the ball rolling and come out with 32 more reasons to watch the NFL this season.

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NFL General

32 New Reasons to Watch the NFL In 2006

New Storylines to Watch For

Before the 2006-07 season began, I wrote an article giving the casual football fan 32 reasons to watch the NFL this year.  Well, two weeks have gone by and some of my initial reasons are starting to need a little sprucing up.  So, I now give you 32 new reasons to watch the NFL in 2006…

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NFL General

32 Reasons to Watch the NFL In 2006

Best Storylines to Watch For

As the NFL season draws closer and closer, football fans across the country gear up for what they all feel will be their team’s “year.”  The hardcore fans already have their “Sunday Ticket” subscription locked in and have cleared every Sunday on their schedule for the next five months.  But what about the casual fan who doesn’t really have a favorite team or even have a team in their city or state.  I want to reach out to the causal fans with 32 reasons to watch the NFL this season…

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NBA General

Made In Wade

Let’s go Heat! Let’s go Heat!  Three words that bring excitement and joy to the hearts of Miami Heat fans and three words that cause heartache and dejection for the entire state of Texas.  The Miami Heat, yes the same Heat that once started Harold Minor, are the 2005-06 NBA world champions.  After a year of battling doubt, skepticism, and adversity the Miami Heat got the last laugh by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4 – 2 to win their first championship in franchise history.

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NBA General

Playing In Championship Form

Heat and Mavs to Clash in NBA Finals

I believe sportscaster Keith Jackson said it best when he yelled “whoa nelly!”  There couldn’t be more fitting words to describe to these NBA conference finals and the playoffs in general.  In the East, the Miami Heat came into the conference finals looking to finally remove the proverbial “monkey” from their back and move past the Detroit Pistons.  Mission accomplished.  The boys from “Wade County” move on to the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history.  Out in the West, the now defensive minded Dallas Mavericks took on the small yet resilient Phoenix Suns.  Dallas, coming off an epic seven game war, took on the battle tested Suns and finally knocked them out.  Mark Cuban’s crew also moves on to the NBA finals for the first time.

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NBA General

The Fantastic Four

NBA Conference Finals Teams

The NBA playoffs have been nothing short of spectacular this season.  This year’s second round provided fans with dramatic finishes and some of the most poorly officiated games I’ve ever had the displeasure to watch.  But I digress.  The second round boasted four match ups that no one thought would turn out the way that they did.  

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NBA General

State of the Playoffs Address

First Round Provides Stunning Series

Last second heroics, rim shattering slam dunks, flying mouth guards, and a Clippers playoff victory and that’s only in the first week of the NBA postseason.  The 2006 NBA playoffs were built up to be the emergence of a “King,” the “Diesel’s” last go around (hopefully), Los Angeles’ one man show, and the unfortunate vindication of playing team basketball.  The first round definitely did not disappoint this year.

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NBA General

Most Valuable Snub

Nash Awarded MVP in Deepest Field Ever

It was my belief that the player who was to be honored as the NBA’s most valuable player was supposed to be a guy who made his team achieve more than what they would have without him.  Therefore, I find it hard to swallow the idea of awarding Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash his second consecutive most valuable player award.  LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Kobes/Lakers) both were much more valuable to their team than Nash ever was this year.  I understand and credit Steve Nash as being the catalyst of the Phoenix Suns success.  However, Kobe and LeBron were not only the catalysts of their respective teams; they were the entire chemical solution of their squad.  Unlike the aforementioned MVP candidates, Steve Nash had the luxury of being on a team with much better talent around him, including an all-star and MVP mentionable in forward Shawn Marion.  But many Nash supporters will shield all anti-Phoenix complaints with, “Amare Stoudamire was out all season.”  True yet irrelevant.  The Suns reloaded their roster with talented players that make the supporting casts of Kobe and LeBron look mediocre at best.  I guess most valuable player “just ain’t what it used to be.”

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NBA General

Chasing The Champs

Well the NBA playoffs are finally here (that means only five more months until NFL Kickoff!) and this year’s postseason fraternity has inducted two new members.  The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers, both of whom just recently returning to prominence from years of NBA obscurity, mutually have had very respectable seasons and are looking to make magical runs into the playoffs.  Also jockeying for position in the hunt for the elusive NBA championship: the 2005 champs San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and the Los Angeles Kobes (I mean Lakers) from the West.  And representing the East: the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls.