Monday, July 30, 2012

Weiber's World Comes Crashing Down in London



Training mentally, physically and emotionally is what an Olympic athlete does for four years in preparation for the biggest moment of their lives. This moment can last just mere seconds, and usually the shorter the better. However sometimes a person who dedicates their life to a skill in hopes of appearing on the biggest stage comes up short. For world champion Jordyn Weiber, this was the sad reality.

No matter how big a favorite an athlete may be for an event, when you're up against the rest of the world that produces phenoms overnight, there are plenty of dark horses. While it was no surprise that the American Women's Gymnastic Team easily outpointed their competition on Sunday, what was a huge surprise was that Jordyn Weiber did not qualify for the women's all around final. Instead it was Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman who put together terrific performances. The 17 year could not hold back the tears while realizing her dream had been ruined.

As shocking as the results were, the judges were correct in their grading of Weiber as she did have her struggles. On the vault, Weiber was unable to keep her balance and was unable to stay in bounds after a landing. She then struggled greatly on the uneven bars and had trouble holding a consistent handstand. These first two lackluster performances resulted in a tightly contested finish against Douglas and Raisman. After again failing to put forward an impressive performance during the floor exercises, the gold medal favorite was denied the chance to show the world her true potential. These days 3rd place just isn't enough. But should it be?

Until 2004 the top three competitors in women's gymnastics qualified. But gymnastics isn't like swimming anymore. If only the top two qualified in swimming today Michael Phelps would have come up on the short end of the stick. This terrible situation for Wieber raises the question of whether the top three finishers should get the opportunity to compete. Given that the U.S. is one of the top if not the top women's gymnastics teams in the world, there is no doubt that Wieber could beat some of the other countries competitors at her worst. Some people believe the best gymnasts, regardless country, should advance. Unfortunately for Wieber, the rules today do not support that belief.

So as Jordyn Wieber watches others compete on the biggest stage in sports, she will wonder what could have been. The Olympics wouldn't be what they are without surprises. This fact has certainly been on display this past week with Wieber's meltdown as well as Michael Phelps failure to get a medal. But if I could tell Wieber and everyone else for that matter something, its all about how you respond to failure and adversity.


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When you get knocked down you have to get back up,
 Aaron Granoff

Friday, July 27, 2012

Steve Smith Showing the Heart of the NFL


I feel like this NFL offseason we have only heard about the negative side of the NFL.  All I see when I watch the news is which players are holding out or bad mouthing their team until they get more guaranteed money. Not to mention all of the arrests...we're looking at you Detroit.

Lions running back Mikel Leshoure has more arrests than rushing yards this season an Nick Fairley has more arrests than sacks. If you think thats impressive Lions cornerback (or shall I say former cornerback) Aaron Berry was arrested twice in the past month.
But while the Lions are trying to one up the movie "The Longest Yard" a Panthers wide receiver is trying to show that he cares about something other than himself. 

Now I'm not trying to make this a battle of the large cats, but Steve Smith's recent actions are showing that the Panthers have much more class than the Lions. It's been a week since the shooting in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., that left 12 dead and 58 more injured, and people are still desperate to find ways to help those who found themselves in the middle of that nightmare. Every penny to help these victims helps, but when one man steps up like Steve Smith did it makes quite a difference. Although he has no ties to the tragedy Smith donated $100,000 dollars to the victims. "As a father and husband I cannot imagine the pain and suffering the victims are going through," Smith said on his Twitter page. 

I think this is a tragedy that has grabbed everyone's attention around the world. One of the reasons for that is because so many of us go to the movies every month and realize it could have been one of us. Steve Smith is one of many leading by example and hopefully we can all be a little bit selfless and help the victims of this tragedy. 

While Steve Smith's kind gesture will make his wallet is a little lighter this week, giving 100,000 dollars to the victims in Colorado looks a lot better for the NFL than James Harrison being fined 100,000 for dirty hits on a Quarterback.

Steve Smith I salute you for being a kind individual and making a difference. 

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Little things go a long way,
Aaron Granoff
Don't Underestimate Me!!!


 

















Two days ago Mets pitcher Matt Harvey and Pirates Starling Marte got the call they had been waiting for their entire lives. On the other end of the phone was their respected organizations saying that they had been called up to the big show.

Now usually when a minor league player is called up the media and fans expect early struggles from their prized prospects...well, you may want to think again because last night both of these kids proved that the major leagues is where they belong.

From the moment Matt Harvey toed the rubber last night, he was in total control. Half-way through the game they were comparing his debut to the likes of Dwight Gooden and Tom Seaver. It turns out that he was better than both of them. Fans expected Harvey to struggle with a hot Diamonbacks team facing a lowly Mets team going through a terrible losing streak. Harvey completely wowed every Met fans (as well as myself). Common logic would make you believe the kid isn't that great, the mets are tanking and have a glaring need a pitcher, and who gets a promotion after giving up six runs in their last start? And then Harvey, the former first-round Draft pick, went out there and struck out 11 batters, a franchise record for a Major League debut, blanked the D-backs over 5 1/3
innings Thursday and lead the Mets to a much needed 3-1 victory at Chase Field.

The only player who was as equally impressive as Harvey was Pirates center fielder Starling Marte. The ever aggressive Marte told his teammates before the game in the dugout "if he throws a fastball in the middle, I'm going to take a hack at it." Well on the first pitch Marte was a man of his word and swung for the fences. The ball jumped off his bat and landed over the center field wall. It's always impressive for your first hit to be a home run, but to have it occur on the first pitch of your career is almost unheard of. Marte became the 13th player since 2000 to hit the first big league pitch he saw out of the park.

Both of these guys showed last night that although you are a rookie, you are there to produce and be an integral part of the team. I think its safe to say that these guys set the bar pretty high.
  
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Don't underestimate a newcomer, 
Aaron Granoff

Thursday, July 26, 2012

MARLINS CLEANING HOUSE


This season things are definitely not going the way the Miami Marlins and owner Jeffrey Loria had hoped. Who would have thought after such a busy offseason, the result would be seven games under 500? You would think the acquisitions of shortstop Jose Reyes and manager Ozzie Guillen (or at least the new uniforms and new stadium) would have began an organizational transformation...but alas, they have not

Its now almost August and clear that none of these improvements have amounted to much. At some point when it is clear that you aren't going to the postseason, you have to shake things up. The Marlins have all but admitted that they are not a winning team and are cleaning house. Lorea has admitted that no player in the organization is off limits. It started with the trade of Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez for young prospect Jacob Turner. If that trade wasn't serious enough, today they shipped Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate to the Dodgers for a young pitcher in Nate Eovaldi

Its amazing to think how quickly you can go from a vital piece of an organization to expendable. It doesn't seem that long ago that Ramirez was a hot shot kid with incredible talent offensively and defensively, but that is how baseball and sports as a whole works. In a "what have you done for me lately business," Ramirez hasn't done much. 

I do believe in playing for pride, but it appears the Marlins don't have any left. With Giancarlo Stanton on the DL, Ramirez heading to LA and Reyes not producing, you may want to go to the stadium in South Beach and ask if you can tryout.

To say this season in Miami has been a disaster may be an understatement and to make it all worse, their self destruction has been captured by the new HBO show "The Franchise."
Maybe it will be one of those instructional shows on exactly what to do.

You may not have the best team Mr. Loria, but hey you do have a pretty nice stadium.
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Have a Great Day,
Aaron Granoff

Friday, July 20, 2012

Ray Rice Got 40 Million Bucks For Beating Me in Madden
 













Unless you've been hiding under your Dre Beats Headphones for the last 6 months, you many have noticed that Ray Rice finally got paid. And while some may think that he got paid for the incredible performance he has displayed on the field since the 2008 season, I think beating me in the Madden NFL 2013 video game last week was what compelled the Ravens to reward their franchise running back.

I had the pleasure of getting to meet Ray last week at a Dre Beat promotional event. Most of the time when you meet an athlete its a simple handshake and maybe a signature. Ray Rice however definitely took things to the next level and provided an incredible fan/player interaction. After signing everybody's memorabilia and taking countless photos, Ray Rice just wanted to be a normal guy and relax and play Madden. Instead of bringing one of his friends to play with him while fans approached him, Rice said "Hey who wants to play". Being the avid football fan I am, I immediately jumped at the chance and said "I'll play Ray!!!" Even though I'm a Patriots fan, I definitely wanted to make the game a little bit more competitive. So I picked the Steelers because regardless of if its a video game or a dream, Ray Rice isn't going to accept losing to the Steelers. 

What was even more fun than getting the opportunity to play Madden with one of my favorite players, was getting to ask him any question I wanted and listen to how he sees the game. We talked about thing such as college, Billy Cundiff's missed kick, and his touchdown against the Patriots in the playoffs. I have to admit Ray Rice is pretty good at Madden and beat me 21-6. 

And after beating the Steelers and I, Rice received a 5 year 40 million dollar contract the next day.

The big thing I took away from this experience is that pro athletes really are just normal people. Everyone looks up to players they would want on their fantasy team as gods. As great as Ray is, I don't think he would take any offense to being thought of as a normal person with an exquisite talent. Some guys walk around with an attitude that suggests that they are better than everyone else. Rice is certainly not one of those guys. While this offseason has been filled with more arrests, DUI's, assaults, Rice is busy giving fans memories that they will never forget. Although I like to think I was a good luck charm to Rice getting a new contract in my head, I know that nobody deserved a new deal more than him. Besides his amazing play, Ray has been extremely durable and has shown terrific character.

I had an awesome experience meeting Ray and I just want to say - Mr. Rice, we will meet again one day and on that day I will bring my A game and win.

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Have a great day,
Aaron Granoff

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Victory For Kris Humphries

It wasn't too long ago when the only team that was interested in offering Kris Humphries a contract was an AHL hockey team. The media swirling around Humphries last year was almost unbearable and turned off all NBA teams. However after putting his head down this season and playing hard, Humphries has been greatly rewarded yesterday as he received a 2 year 24 million dollar deal.

You have to give Kris Humphries a lot of credit for not breaking under the pressure this season. I don't think anybody's life became more public or embarrassing than Humphries. After getting married to reality TV star Kim Kardashian, the couple got divorced after 72 days. What made the situation even worse was that "Keeping up With The Kardashians" captured the breakdown of the relationship. 

Regardless of how many times she denies it, Kim Kardashian completely played Humphries to better her TV ratings. You can't blame a guy for going after a girl like Kardashian, but unfortunately he paid the ultimate price. After getting divorced and falling in love with a girl who didn't love him, Humphries easily could have decided to disappear from the public eye. Who could blame him?

But instead of giving up, Humphries decided to return to the court where he has excelled his whole life. Humphries, 27, averaged 13.8 points and 11.0 rebounds for the Nets last season, and averaged a double-double in back-to-back seasons for the first time.

I think that the contract that was given yesterday was extremely well deserved. The players who deserve the largest contracts are players who are not only talented, but also loyal and committed. Humphries was put in a very unusual situation last season and instead of quitting, he persevered through the public embarrassment and put together a great season.


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You get what you deserve,
Aaron Granoff
The Reign of Robert Griffin III Has Officially Begun


Today marks a very important day in Redskins history. This morning, the Redskins announced that they have come to an agreement with the RG3. The Redskins, being a team that hasn't had a legitimate quarterback since Joe Theisman are putting all of their faith in Griffin to be the savior of the team.
Griffin's signing comes just a day after USC quarterback Matt Barkley stated that had he decided to come out this year (he most likely would have been drafted ahead of Griffin). Although Griffin isn't getting the 86 million dollar contract that Sam Bradford got, he is getting a fully guaranteed contract of 21.1 million dollars, ensuring financial stability.
Although its a risky move to give a player like Griffin a fully guaranteed 4 year contract, the fact that they gave up two first round picks and a second round pick may be an even bigger risk. But the Redskins feel that Griffin has the talent and the personality to accomplish things the NFL has never seen. Griffin brings blazing speed, a strong arm, and tremendous character to an organization which has tasted mostly defeat and disappointment in recent years.
Although Griffin has so much talent, he will experience a great deal of growing pains this year. It has now become a luxury in the NFL to have the opportunity to sit on the bench and learn from a seasoned veteran for a season or two. Players such as Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Eli Manning all had to sit and watch for a period of time and learn. Griffin will have to learn on the fly and take the good with the bad. The question of whether he will put together a season like Cam Newton or a season like Blaine Gabbert is still uncertain.
Regardless of how RG3 does in year one, this marks a historic day for the Redskins. Fans and coaches will have to remain patient with the humble former Baylor QB. If Griffin is brought along correctly I think he does have the potential to change the game. 


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Have a great day,
Aaron Granoff

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A Bad Week For Jason Kidd


This is definitely a week that Jason Kidd wants to forget. At first things were looking up for the future Hall of Famer as he inked a deal with the New York Knicks. He believed that this would give him a fresh start and a great opportunity to serve as a mentor to Jeremy Lin.

Well neither have proven to work out so far. Kidd was arrested yesterday morning for driving while intoxicated. He was involved in a single car accident as he crashed his vehicle into a telephone poll after leaving a charity event. Even though he suffered minor injuries, his reputation is what may suffer the most. Kidd is second on the NBA's career list in assists and steals, but has been in trouble with the law before in 2001, he was arrested on a domestic violence charge, acknowledging that he struck his former wife. This latest incident is another black eye for Kidd who has been experienced so much success on the court, but is proving off the court is a different story.

This wasn't the only bad news Kidd experienced this week. When asked why he chose to come to New York, he stated that the opportunity to mentor young Jeremy Lin excited him. He may not have the opportunity to do this though, as the team has signed Raymond Felton while Lin has signed an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets. It initially appeared that Lin was a lock to come back to New York. But as every hour passes, it seems as though the Knicks have closed the chapter on Linsanity. 

Its definitely not the end of the world for Kidd, who has proven himself in every organization he has been in. But his wishes to start with a clean slate and mentor a phenom certainly has not been answered
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Have a great day,
Aaron Granoff


Thursday, July 12, 2012


 Who's Side Are You On Plaxico Burress?



If you weren't already wondering what Plaxico Burress was thinking, his recent comments may have have put you over the edge. Personally, I think the veteran wide receiver is becoming flat-out desperate. It's now July and Burress is without a team or any offers whatsoever. After a mediocre season in New York which experienced a very public meltdown, the Jets feel they no longer have any use for Burress.
At first, Plaxico was quick to take shots at Mark Sanchez for the teams lack of success. His comments led people to believe that he doesn't think Sanchez has what it takes to lead the Jets to a championship. Even though Burress isn't going back to New York, taking shots at your former quarterback isn't going to help your job prospects in the future. This is especially true when you are a wide receiver on the wrong side of 30 who is coming off a 2 year jail sentence and a disappointing season.
It seems as though Burress has gotten the memo as his words about Sanchez have changed extremely since his last interview. Instead of throwing him under the bus yet again, Burress surprisingly came to Sanchez's defense. “He definitely has enough arm,” Burress said to WFAN-AM in New York about Sanchez, “He was battling some injuries last year, shoulder-wise that a lot of people didn’t know about … different things like that. But I think he really turned the corner.” These comments display that Burress is quickly realizing that the window of opportunity is closing.
Since he has parted ways with the Jets, Burress has publicly stated which teams he would play for. At the top of Burress's wish list are the Eagles and Panthers. So far neither team has shown interest, which is bad news for Plaxico.
Without a doubt, there is still hope for the once dominant wide receiver. Hey, if Chad Johnson (Ocho Cinco no more as of July 4th) and Randy Moss can stay in the league with the comments they make on a daily basis, some team will eventually give Burress a shout. Now might be the perfect time for Plaxico to shut his mouth and get in shape for when that team calls.
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Have a great day,
Aaron Granoff

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

 Randy Moss Turning Heads and Changing Reputation in San Fran

While Randy Moss may look like the hot shot rookie that came out of Marshall back in 1998, the scoop coming out of 49ers camp is that his quickness and hands match the "do".

A couple months ago it was considered a surprise when the 49ers took a chance on a 35 year old Moss who's has always had questions about his character and sat out all of last season. But so far Randy is making Jim Harbaugh look like a genius.

Once Moss was traded away from the New England Patriots, it seemed as if his career was going to end in a tailspin that microcosm-ed his entire career. It doesn't get much better than catching passes from Tom Brady and being coached by Bill Belichick, but after various comments made in a press conference as well as a contract dispute, Moss was shipped back to Minnesota where he was originally drafted. Moss's move back to his old environment did not please him in the slightest, and this lade to shades of his poor attitude which eventually led to his release. He was then given another shot in Tennessee where he was able to keep his mouth shut. It didn't matter though, as Moss was put in an impossible situation to succeed with Rusty Smith (Who?) as his quarterback. After the 2010 season he was not resigned and was out of football all of last year and even announced his retirement. It seemed as though the future Hall of Fame wide receivers career had come to a sad end.

This past February, Moss got the itch to play football again. His adjustments in his life along with his sudden determination was what made Moss decide to give it one more go. But the question remained who would give him a shot? Who would take a chance on a 35 year-old, mal-tempered diva wide receiver who hadn't played in a year, and has a track record of being a locker room poison?

In March the 49ers signed Moss to a 1 year contract with very little financial investment so that if Moss didn't possess the talent or couldn't stay out of trouble, it wouldn't be a problem to hand him his walking papers. Right now, it doesn't seem that moss is going anywhere.

After initially being thought of as long shot to make the roster, Harbaugh has went on record in saying that, not only is Moss the best wide receiver on the team, he is also has the best attitude. It has been reported that Moss is avidly studying the playbook and sits in the first row during team meetings. His attitude has also rubbed off on fellow diva Michael Crabtree and other 49ers receivers including A.J. Jenkins and Mario Manningham

Jim Harbaugh deserves a great deal of credit. His positive outlook as well as his motivating personality has really struck a chord with Moss and allowed him to really buy into the teams plan. Randy looks as fast as ever and his hands have never been questioned. Will Moss get back to the top of his game one more time? And if he does could he be the missing piece in putting together a team that can go past the NFC Championship game and win the Superbowl? Let us know what you think.

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Have a great day,
Aaron Granoff
Yankees Legend Reggie Jackson Benched In The Bronx
Reggie Jackson has officially been benched.
Well, sort of.

Jackson, a long time advisor for the Yankees, hasn't played a game for the Bombers since 1981. Nevertheless, he was recently told to stay clear of the team.
Recently, Mr. October was a little too honest when he stated that Alex Rodriguez doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame because of his positive tests for PED's. He went on to say that if players such as A-Rod were inducted, it would cause players to think that their are no repercussions for steroid use. He also said that if a player like A-Rod was inducted that no current Hall of Famers would attend the induction ceremony.

Obviously Jackson has the fame and credentials to voice his opinion, but the fact remains that the Yankees want as many Hall of Famers as possible (especially those still playing for the franchise). With former Yankees such as Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Alex Rodriguez all being debatable Hall of Famers due to their positive tests but impressive careers, this kind of comment by Jackson can definitely hurt their chances.
For now, Mr. October may not be around in

October when the Yankees will be fighting for their 28th World Series. Reports have said that the Yankees do not feel this is the right time for Jackson to be around the organization. At some point, Jackson will be back and hopefully this incident is all forgotten. Reggie has already taken the right steps in order to repair this problem. He has contacted A-Rod as well as Joe Girardi and others and apologized.

But at the end of the day the man voiced his opinion when asked and is now suffering the consequences...

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Everybody makes mistakes,
Aaron Granoff

Friday, July 6, 2012

Anderson Silva & Chael Sonnen Ready To Change The UFC



When two fighters head toward a pay per view, the norm is to put on an act to hype up the fight, but the fact is, most of the fighters do like each other and are just trying to increase ratings. 

You don't have to worry about that situation this Saturday. 

Anderson Silva is widely regarded as the best mixed martial artist ever to fight in the UFC, but Saturday's challenger, Chael Sonnen, would lead you to believe Silva is just another one "hit" wonder. The lack of respect between the two men set to fight tomorrow evening at UFC 148 is literally mind boggling.

Two years after beating Silva's face in for 23 minutes, Sonnen is ready to prove that he can do it for another 25. After dominating and frankly humiliating "The Spider", Silva managed to get Sonnen into a triangle choke which forced him to tap in the final moments of the fight. Since that moment Sonnen has been criticizing and insulting Silva with everything in his arsenal. After not being much of a talker a few years ago, Sonnen is possibly the biggest trash talker in sports. He has not only called out Silva, but also his country and even his family.

The one thing that Anderson Silva can appreciate about Sonnen is that he has single handedly sold this fight without Silva barely having to say a word. At least up until recently.

After another tirade of insults towards the UFC champ, Silva snapped and stated that he is going to make Sonnen swallow all of his teeth and get both of his arms and legs broken. Of course, Sonnen made his usual scoff at Anderson and continued.

Sonnen, undeniably is a very tough man to figure out. While nobody questions that he is one of the hardest working athletes in sports today, his bi polar attitude towards fighters is what keeps people on their toes. After having tremendous respect for war hero Brian Stann, and Michael Bisping, Sonnen sounds like he wants to kill Silva and has displayed an extreme amount of hostility.

There are so many things that make this fight exciting to me. The first is that it takes a lot to get under Anderson Silva's skin. Chael Sonnen has certainly rattled the champ and has him out for blood. On the other side of this is Sonnen, out for revenge and seeming as though he wouldn't tap out again if someone was attempting to amputate his leg.
Secondly, what makes this fight so exciting is that Chael Sonnen showed that Anderson is human. Nobody would deny that "The Spider" got caught in a web of its own for 23 minutes but miraculously escaped for the final two. The third thing is that, although Sonnen is a big underdog in this fight, how can you pick a winner in this fight with any sort of confidence?
Although people enjoy seeing fighters such as Floyd Mayweather, no one wants to see him carry a fighter like Juan Marquez for 12 rounds as a favor. This fight is going to be a battle with no clear cut winner in sight.
What gives this fight the added edge is the fact that these men simply don't like each other. When you know that two men aren't taking jabs at eachother in order to sell a fight, it gives more of a reason to watch.

So who do you think will win the biggest rematch in sports history tomorrow night? Let us know!

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Here we go,
Aaron Granoff
Nash Taking His Talents To Los Angeles


You have to respect an organization that will do whatever it takes to be a playoff contender, and with the recent acquisition of two-time MVP Steve Nash, the Lakers are no exception. Earlier this week, Nash agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract with the Lakers, and in return, the Suns get four draft picks - first rounders in 2013 and 2015 and second rounders in 2013 and 2014.
The Phoenix Suns did their former franchise player a huge favor by trading him to a winner despite having multiple offers on the table for Nash. Although Nash may not be the best fit in the Lakers lineup, the opportunity to add a player of his caliber only occurs once so often. But will Nash wearing the purple and yellow change the identity of Kobe's team?

When two stars of Kobe and Nash's come together the question always becomes "can these stars co-exist"? Whether it's Carmelo and Amare, Wade and Lebron or Kobe and Nash, the very nature of basketball being a one-star, ball-dominant game always brings in doubt of teamwork.

The good news is that it was apparently Bryant who was a big part of recruiting Nash to come to LA; yet, in my opinion, Nash's success will rely on his relationship with Kobe more than anything. If Kobe yells at him and calls him soft (like he did to Pau Gasol) this is not going to work. But, if he embraces Nash and uses him to take some weight off his shoulders, they could become great partners. Nash can even serve as another voice to lend advice to the younger players like Bynum and the new rookies coming in.
In a sport where the "Big 3's" are becoming popular (Bosh, Wade, Lebron), the Lakers are now even more stacked with Nash, Gasol, Bryant, and Bynum. The question now is whether everyone can swallow their pride and win another championship before Kobe and Nash are over the hill.

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Work Together,
Aaron Granoff

Monday, July 2, 2012

Is Linsanity Leaving the Garden?


Last year's basketball season was truly unique. Not because Lebron James was able to finally step up in the clutch and earn a championship, but because of Jeremy Lin. Lin's stellar play along with his uniqueness in comparison to other NBA players captivated the basketball world last year. His rise to fame was a rare occurrence in the world of Basketball and just so happened to take place in the center of the basketball universe. Yet, just months after having every person at MSG on their feet, Lin may be on his way out of the Big Apple. 

After being released by the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets last year, Lin was claimed by the Knicks to serve as the backup point guard. Lin obviously had other plans. After becoming the leader of the Knicks and putting them back into the playoff picture, his year was cut short by a torn meniscus. The good news for Lin is that most people remember the game winners and double doubles (not the injury or the massive amounts of turnovers he committed). 

It doesn't take the Harvard education (Lin's alma mater) to realize that the time for him to cash in is now. The Knicks do not want to give Lin a backloaded deal due to the fact that they are already paying Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudamire, and Tyson Chandler. The Knicks do have the opportunity to match any offer sent Lin's way, but Toronto, Dallas and Brooklyn have all expressed serious interest.

There is a great deal of risk in signing a one season wonder like Lin. In many sports, an athlete will have an incredible year where they go way beyond what was expected of them, often resulting in new outrageous contracts or holding out for more money.

The fact is, The Knicks cannot support the contracts of of Lin, Melo, Stoudamire, and Chandler in the upcoming years and are forced with a tough decision. So I ask you, will Jeremy Lin's make the Garden erupt again this season, and is he worth the risk?

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Have a great day,
Aaron Granoff