Up and Running Again

Hope everyone had a good Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate. I sincerely apologize for the month-long break between posts. I really don't have an excuse other than the fact that I had finals and then I just got lazy. My last post was on Thanksgiving Day, so what's happened since then?

I called two ASU basketball games. One of the calls went great, and the other one didn't go so great. I had a good time regardless, and I'm looking forward to the two games I will call after the holidays. ASU starts Pac-10 play Thursday against UCLA in Los Angeles. The Sun Devils finished their out of conference schedule with a 10-3 record.

I'm done with first semester of sophomore year. I'm on winter break and have been home for about a week and a half now. It's been nice spending time with the family and catching up with old friends from high school.

Those of you who listened to the Sports Lounge/Face-Off Bowl Preview Show remember that I made picks for all 34 bowl games. Ten games have been played as of tonight, and I have picked the winner correctly for six of those games (Rutgers, Middle Tennessee, Marshall, Pittsburgh, USC, Clemson).

Here are the remaining 24 games with my picks (in parenthesis) for those of you who did not listen to the show, or do not remember my picks. Starting with the list of Bowl Games before New Years Day.

Independence Bowl- Texas A & M vs Georgia (My pick-A & M)

EagleBank Bowl- UCLA vs Temple (My pick-UCLA)

Champs Sports Bowl- Miami vs Wisconsin (My pick-Miami)

Humanitarian Bowl- Bowling Green vs Idaho (My pick-Bowling Green)

Holiday Bowl- Arizona vs Nebraska (My pick-Arizona)

Armed Forces Bowl- Houston vs Air Force (My pick-Air Force)

Sun Bowl- Oklahoma vs Stanford (My pick-Stanford)

Texas Bowl- Navy vs Missouri (My pick- Navy)

Insight Bowl- Minnesota vs Iowa State (My pick-Iowa State)

Chick-fil-A Bowl- Virginia Tech vs Tennessee (My pick-V-Tech)

Moving onto the New Years Day Bowl Games (Excluding the two BCS Bowl Games)

Outback Bowl- Northwestern vs Auburn (My pick-Auburn)

Capital One Bowl- Penn State vs LSU (My pick-LSU)

Gator Bowl- West Virginia vs Florida State (My pick-West Virginia)

Games after New Years Day (Once again excluding the BCS Games)

International Bowl- South Florida vs Northern Illinois (My pick-USF)

Cotton Bowl- Oklahoma State vs Mississippi (My pick- OSU)

PapaJohns.com Bowl- South Carolina vs Connecticut (My pick-UCONN)

Liberty Bowl- Arkansas vs East Carolina (My pick- Arkansas)

Alamo Bowl- Michigan State vs Texas Tech (My pick-Texas Tech)

GMAC Bowl- Central Michigan vs Troy (My pick-Central Michigan)

Now to the BCS Bowl Games

Rose Bowl- Ohio State vs Oregon (My pick-Oregon)

Sugar Bowl- Cincinnati vs Florida (My pick-Florida)

Fiesta Bowl- Boise State vs TCU (My pick- Boise State)

Orange Bowl- Iowa vs Georgia Tech (My pick-G-Tech)

BCS National Championship Game- Texas vs Alabama (My pick-Texas)

I promise you it won't be another month until my next post.

The Day of Thanks

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day. It sure didn't feel like Thanksgiving considering it was 80 degrees here in LA during the daytime.

So in the spirit of the holiday, I'll go ahead and list some sports-related things that I'm thankful for, in no particular order.

I'm thankful that...

1. The Arizona State Football team has only one game left in their season. The Sun Devils are 4-7, and I'm not sure how much more of this mediocrity I can take. For the first time since the 1940's, ASU will finish with back-to-back losing seasons. By the way, what are the odds that the first time in 60+ years that that happens just so happens to be my first two years at ASU? Just my luck, right? The Sun Devils play host to the hated University of Arizona Wildcats for the Territorial Cup this Saturday. This will be my first time attending a UA-ASU game as a student, and I'm looking forward to it. Sun Devil Stadium should be pretty electric. A win over the Wildcats will make the season for the Sun Devils.

2. Arizona State Basketball is just getting started. The Sun Devils fought hard in a loss against the #7 Duke Blue Devils last night in New York. ASU is 4-1, and should be able to finish in the top four of the Pac-10 this year since the conference is so weak. Coach Herb Sendek is doing some great things with the ASU Basketball program, and I'm happy to be here while it happens.

3. Pau Gasol is back in the Lakers lineup. The defending champions are 3-0 since his return, and they have won all of those games by double digits. The Lakers are very tough to beat with Gasol in the lineup, and if everyone can stay healthy, (and that is an important if) the Lakers should have no problem getting back to the NBA Finals.

4. All of the sports-related opportunities I've had at ASU. Not a lot of broadcast journalism sophomores around the country can say that they have been an on-air radio personality for their first two years of college, which I'm fortunate to say that. I've been able to do play-by-play and color commentary for Pac-10 sporting events, which is another thing that not a lot of people my age can say. I've had the pleasure of meeting a lot of people in the sports media industry, and I've also had the pleasure of interviewing some high profile people, such as ASU Men's Basketball Head Coach Herb Sendek, and Petros Papadakis of Fox Sports Radio. I'm looking forward to the new opportunities I will have in my last two and a half years of school.

Go Devils! Beat the Cats!

Weekend Wrap

Well this weekend in sports wasn't exactly a good one for me. The Lakers got humiliated twice, and Arizona State lost yet again.

Let's start with the Lakers. On Friday they got embarrassed by the Denver Nuggets, as they lost 105-79. I stated in my weekend preview that the Lakers could have made an early statement to the rest of the NBA if they came away with a win, but instead they came out and looked nothing like the team that beat the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals in May, not to mention the team that won the championship in June. They scored 23 points in the 2nd half, which is a franchise low, and they shot just 35% from the floor.

I figured the Lakers would rebound from the bad loss in Denver, and come back home and defeat the Houston Rockets last night, but I was wrong. Instead Houston came into Staples Center and handed the Lakers their second straight loss in their 101-91 victory. The Rockets outplayed the Lakers in nearly every aspect of the game, but most noticeably in the rebounding category, as Houston outrebounded LA 60-38. The Lakers' shooting woes carried over from Denver, as they shot just 38% from the floor.

The Lakers' record is now 7-3, which is somewhat disappointing considering some NBA experts thought they could be 20-1 after their first 21 games. I think the Lakers are finally feeling the effects of not having Pau Gasol in the lineup. With Gasol, the Lakers are a bigger team, they are a more physical team, and they are a better offensive team.

I'm not disappointed over the fact that the Lakers have lost their last two games, but I'm disappointed with the ways in which they have lost. It seems to me like they're in a championship hangover, and that they're playing with zero effort and nothing to prove. Teams are gunning for them this year since they're the champions, and I would hope to think that they would be more prepared. You rarely hear a Staples Center crowd boo the Lakers, but last night they did, and they had every reason to do so.

Let's talk about the Sun Devils of Arizona State University, who lost their fourth game in a row Saturday night against the Oregon Ducks. ASU is now 4-6, and has two games remaining: at UCLA, and home against Arizona. Even if ASU wins their final two games and becomes bowl eligible, it is highly unlikely they will go to a bowl since there are six teams in the Pac-10 that are already bowl eligible (USC, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, and Arizona). At this point I'm just hoping ASU can beat Arizona (That will make up for this lost season).

I will be coming home this weekend to cover the ASU-UCLA game at the Rose Bowl for The Blaze.

I've jumped on the Stanford bandwagon since my sister is an alum, and since their football team is actually good. Stanford beat the hell out of USC this weekend, and in doing so ended the USC dynasty, much to my delight. I hate Pete Carroll, I hate the USC marching band and the only two songs they know how to play, and I hate everything about the USC football program, so seeing them get their butts kicked in their home stadium made my weekend. If Stanford somehow makes it to the Rose Bowl, I will be going (assuming my sister can hook me up with some tickets).

No Sports Lounge this week due to The Blaze's coverage of ASU Basketball, so I will be off-the-air until after Thanksgiving.

Weekend Preview

Tonight the Los Angeles Lakers face a tough road test against the team they beat in the Western Conference Finals last year: The Denver Nuggets. The Lakers are 7-1, and have won six in a row, including an impressive victory over the Phoenix Suns last night, while the Nuggets are 6-3, and are coming off of a loss to the lowly Milwaukee Bucks.

The Lakers have played every game thus far without Pau Gasol, but that may not be a bad thing. Andrew Bynum looked like a All-Star in last night's victory over the Suns, in which he had 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. The absence of Gasol has also allowed newcomer Ron Artest to settle in with the Lakers, but more importantly the absence of Gasol has allowed Artest stay under the spotlight since everyone is wondering when Gasol will return.

It's only the 9th game of the season, but tonight's game is huge for the Lakers. It would be nice to see the defending champions win on the road in the second game of a back-to-back without Gasol, seeing as though Denver is arguably the biggest challenger to the Lakers in the Western Conference. The Lakers can flex their muscles early on and send a message to the rest of the NBA with a nice win tonight, in a game that happens to be on ESPN.

The Arizona State Sun Devils are in Eugene to take on the # 13 Oregon Ducks. Brock Osweiler will start at quarterback for ASU, but at this point it doesn't matter who is behind center for the Devils, because this game will be ugly. Oregon is coming off of a humiliating loss to Stanford, which ruined any chance the Ducks had at a BCS National Championship Game, and the Devils have shown all season long that they cannot put up points unless they play Idaho State or Louisiana-Monroe. As good as the ASU defense has been all year, Oregon's offense simply will be too much for them to handle, and ASU's offense will not be able to keep up. I expect Oregon to win by at least three touchdowns, but it will probably end up being uglier than that.

The Arizona State Men's Basketball team tips off their 2009-2010 regular season tonight, as the Sun Devils play host to Western Illinois. Unfortunately ASU Basketball won't be anywhere near as good as it was last year, when the Sun Devils had James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph, and advanced to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. Nonetheless it's basketball season, so let the fun begin.

A Small Step Towards The Big Stage

I can honestly say that today was one of the best days I've had in my time here at Arizona State. I had the privilege of interviewing Petros Papadakis of Fox Sports Radio for my sports radio show. Many people find Petros to be obnoxious because of his loud voice and his exaggerative personality, but I find him to be one of the best radio personnel in the country, and one of the nicest guys in the business.

It all started when I was up in the press box for the Washington-Arizona State football game a couple of weeks ago. Petros was calling the game for Fox Sports Net, and I just so happened to run into him outside his booth. We had a short conversation which ended with him telling me to let him know if I ever needed anything from him. I emailed him that night thanking him for being so kind, and he got back to me quickly and once again reiterated to let him know if I ever needed anything. Since ASU is playing USC this weekend, I figured I would ask if he would come on the show I co-host since he was a former USC tailback, and is quite knowledgeable about college football. He got back to me and said he would be more than happy to come on, and after a couple of back-and-forth text messages, I arranged to have a one-on-one interview with him.

He called in this morning, and we talked for about 15 minutes. We talked about the state of the USC football program in addition to the ASU football program. I thought the interview went very well, so did Petros as he emailed me saying that was the best prepared college radio station interview he has ever done. He was very genuine and sincere about the whole interview process, and he said he was very happy that he could help out Arizona State student radio.

I know it's only one interview and I know Petros is human just like we all are, but it felt great to interview someone of his stature, and the interview once again reiterated my passion for wanting to go into sports media. Petros is a big name in the broadcast and radio industry, as he is a co-host for the most popular radio show in Los Angeles, which also happens to be a nationally syndicated show on Fox Sports Radio. I listen to his show everyday, and being that I'm a big fan of his, it was quite an honor to interview him one-on-one.

To listen to my interview with Petros, check out this week's podcast of the Sports Lounge. The interview takes place in our 2nd segment, which is about the 15 minute mark. To get to the podcast, click here

2009-2010 NBA Western Conference Predictions

In order of how I see each team finishing

Playoff teams

1. Los Angeles Lakers: If Andrew Bynum stays healthy and Ron Artest behaves, then the Lake Show should be better than they were last year. I don't see them reaching 70 wins, but regardless this is their conference to lose.

2. San Antonio Spurs: Biggest threat to the Lakers in the West. Tim Duncan is healthy and motivated, which is scary to think about. The addition of Richard Jefferson makes them a faster and better overall team. Add in Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, and you'll see a Spurs team that will win the Southwest Division with ease.

3. Denver Nuggets: They will take a step back from last year, but I still see them winning the division over Portland. They can be threats for a Western Conference Championship, but they have so many egos on the roster that I don't see it happening.

4. Dallas Mavericks: The addition of Shawn Marion will help this team with defense and rebounding. Josh Howard's health could be a reason for concern, but with Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Marion, and Jason Terry, this team should have no problem finishing in the top five.

5. Portland Trail Blazers: Portland is a team that is better in the regular season than they are in the playoffs. They'll compete with Denver for the division title, but in the end they are still a very young team with a very bright future. I'm not sure how Andre Miller will fit in, and I'm not sure if Greg Oden can play 20 games without getting hurt, but if everyone is healthy and everyone has good chemistry, this could be a team that finally makes some noise in the playoffs.

6. Utah Jazz- Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA, and he'll have a great roster to work with with guys like Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, Mehmet Okur, and Andre Kirilenko.

7. New Orleans Hornets: I see the Hornets struggling a lot this year, but ultimately I think Chris Paul is too good of a leader and playmaker for his team to miss the playoffs.

8. Oklahoma City Thunder: Call me crazy, but I see the Thunder being the surprise team in the West. Kevin Durant will become a superstar this year and could quite possibly lead the league in scoring. Russell Westbrook will improve, and now he has solid complement in the backcourt with rookie James Harden, who is very NBA ready. The Thunder will storm everyone by surprise, and beat out the Suns and Clippers for the last playoff spot in the West.

The rest

9. Phoenix Suns

10. Houston Rockets

11. Los Angeles Clippers

12. Minnesota Timberwolves

13. Golden State Warriors

14. Memphis Grizzlies

15. Sacramento Kings

2009-2010 NBA Eastern Conference Predictions

It's been a long 135 days, but finally the NBA is back! Here is my prediction of how I see the Eastern Conference playing out.

Playoff teams (In order of how I think they'll finish)

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs finished with the best record in the East last year, and this year will be a little more interesting for LeBron James since he becomes a free agent next summer. If Cleveland doesn't win it all, does he go elsewhere, or does he stay? The addition of Shaquille O'Neal will help, but it's guys off the bench like Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker that will probably have the biggest impact for a Cavs team that has lacked depth in the past. Cleveland will finish with the best record in the East, but I don't see them hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the year.

2. Boston Celtics: In my mind the Celtics are the best team in the East if they are at full health. The problem is Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace, and Ray Allen are all aging faster then you know it, and consequently are more prone to injuries. Rajon Rondo will emerge as one of the top point guards in the East this year, but like I said the main key to Boston's success is their health. If they are at full health by the end of the regular season, they will be in the NBA Finals.

3. Orlando Magic: I'm not sold on the signing of Vince Carter just yet. I still think the loss of Hedo Turkoglu will hurt the Magic more than what they will gain in Carter. Nonetheless the defending champs from the East are still loaded with Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, but I still see them finishing below Cleveland and Orlando.

4. Atlanta Hawks: The addition of Jamal Crawford will help the Hawks on offense. Their defense is less than stellar, and they are a horrible team on the road, but they play in the East and have one of the more talented teams.

5. Washington Wizards: This is a team that won only 19 games last year, but the big three of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler will be back and rejuvenated under new head coach Flip Saunders, who knows how to win and has been one of the more successful coaches in the NBA. I see Washington being the team that improves the most from last year.

6. Toronto Raptors: Toronto will be back in the playoffs this year after only winning 33 games last year. They brought in Hedo Turkoglu, and drafted DeMar DeRozan who I think will be very good. Combine that with Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, and Jose Calderon, and you're looking at a Raptors team that could make some serious noise come playoff time.

7. Philadelphia 76ers: This is a Sixers team made the playoffs last year without Elton Brand, so assuming Brand is healthy, there is no reason why they shouldn't be back. Andre Igoudala is a great young player, and look for Thaddeus Young to have a breakout year.

8. Chicago Bulls: With Luol Deng back, and Derrick Rose entering his second year, the Bulls should be back in the playoffs. They lost a big weapon on offense when Ben Gordon signed with the Detroit Pistons over the summer. I see Chicago fighting it out and clinching the final playoff spot in the East.

The rest

9. Detroit Pistons

10. Miami Heat

11. Charlotte Bobcats

12. New Jersey Nets

13. Milwaukee Bucks

14. New York Knicks

15. Indiana Pacers

Western Conference Predictions to come later today.