FanNation

Clever Move, EA Sports

The Madden Curse.  It's more powerful than the SI Cover Curse, and is starting to crawl into the Great Bambino and the Goat Curse echelon.  Every year the player with the misfortune of gracing the cover has had either a major injury (broken feet, ankle, hamstring problems, etc.) or just a significant drop off from the previous year (Ray Lewis).  It's beyond the point of funny now.  If I were a player and was approached with being on the cover, I would have to decline.  Yeah, believing in such voodoo may seem crazy, but you can't deny with eight years of suffering by Madden Cover players.  I don't know if EA is starting to believe in its own curse or what, but word has leaked that they aren't putting an active player on the cover.  Instead, they are using Brett Favre.

Culpepper to the Packers?

Recent breaking rumors have free agent Daunte Culpepper in negotiations with Green Bay, with Culpepper flying to meet with the team today.  Word on the street is that Brett Favre has retired (I'll believe it when #4 isn't out there for the opening game), so the Packers will need to shore up the QB position.  But is Culpepper really the answer?  I'm gonna have to say no.

Culpepper was among the best QBs in the game until 2005.  In 2004 he would have been a no-brainer MVP if it wasn't for Peyton Manning throwing 49 TDs.  It all came unglued in 2005, when he tore three of the four ligaments in his knee.  He wasn't playing well to that point anyway, but the injury completely derailed him.  Last year he was hardly even a shadow of his former self, throwing 5 TDs and 5 INTs for a mediocre 78 passer rating.  He also fumbled nine times in only six games and just looked like he lost his confidence.

Favrefan's 2008-2009 predictions (40!)

Well, I seem to have done it.  For better or for worse I've reached y 40 blog mark in about 25 hours, well short of my projected midnight cut.  I will reward myself with a fun and easy blog: my predictions for next year.

MVP- Lebron James.  It doesn't look like he will get it this year, but he's improved every year in the league and at some point point he's bound to get it.  He'll have another ridiculous year, and his team should be better too, which helps his chances.

Rookie- Greg Oden.  He will technically be a rookie, will have a great team around him, and will have a year of NBA learning under his belt.  All of this will combine with his considerable talents and lead to a ROY award.

Defensive player- Shane Battier.  Maybe? Finally?  He's earned it already.

MIP- This is difficult to forcast, but I think Devin Harris is poised for a breakout year.

Coach- Jerry Sloan.  The Jazz should be right at the top of the NBA, and I bet voters will give it to Sloan as a sort of a career achievement award.

Playoffs:

West

1. Lakers

2. Jazz

3. Spurs

4. Hornets

5. Blazers

I HATE FLOPPING!!! (39)

My biggest, baddest pet peeve in the NBA today is flopping.  I hate it so much.  It kills offensive flow, reduces scoring, and gives an unnecessary offensive foul.  I understand that it is a great strategy and a good way to get the ball back, but I prefer to watch straight up defense rather than the Oscars.

Some guys make careers out of flopping.  Stockton was among the best at acting, and in today's game players like Manu Ginobili (who I love otherwise) and Anderson Varejao (who I don't) are adept at faking, rather than taking, charges.  I also don't approve of the dramatic increase in offensive fouls, because I prefer to see someone try to block the shot, but that's neither here nor there.

The Nature of Favorable Calls (38)

Year after year we all see the stars like Kobe, Wade, and Lebron getting away with traveling, carries, and cheap fouls.  It can sometimes be blatant, but usually just subtle enough for the other teams fans to notice it and the home fans ignore it.  The big question is...why?  I'd like to think it  isn't the refs actively giving certian players an unfair advantage, and I believe I have an alternative explanation.