Playoffs 1st Round Picks

We’re back at it. I know it’s been a while but in my defense I was recently picked back up by Power 103.5 working Monday-Friday mornings and Saturday afternoons I just havn’t had time to write for you all in while. But things have slowed down and I finally got my rhythm so here we go again, and you know it’s all about the Playoffs.

Time to break down the matchups. Let’s start out west shall we? First off let’s just shut it down right now The Rockets aren’t stopping or even challenging the Thunder. Big Game James is the truth and Chandler Parsons is a great compliment player but their weak length is Jeremy Lin. Lin cannot stop nor slow down Russell Westbrook period. Normally I’m mad as hell at Russ for all the shooting, but when he’s able to take it to the hole as easy as he is against Lin then I’m all good and at this rate he’ll be hitting Lin up for 50 before the series is over. Expect there to be a switch on defense featuring James Harden on Russ.

O city will get the winner of the Nuggets and Warriors matchup and this one is truly up in the air. At the beginning of the series I knew it was gonna be a great matchup for the first round but I had no idea who to pick. Then I get news that Golden State’s All Star David Lee injures his hip and is out for the rest of the season. I didn’t panic because the Warriors have played without Lee for long stretches of time before and have played well.

This time however they have Andrew Bogut back, Harrison Barnes has proven he’s an all around offensive threat, and Steph Curry has emerged as a true Superstar talent. In Game 1 in Denver he nearly sent the game into OT with a 3 pointer to tie the game towards the end of the game before old man Andre Miller took it to the hole for a game winning layup. Then came game #2.

The boy was feeling it on a bad ankle going for 30 points and 13 assists. As a team they shot 64% from the field and 56% from the 3-point line hitting14-25 shots from beyond the arch. Some say you can’t win a title as a jump shooting team, I say if you have Steph curry doin most of the shooting you got a damn good chance. If Golden State can protect home then I pick them to win the series, but if Denver’s able to steal one in Oakland then expect them to get back on track at home and win the series 4-3

Next up the Spurs and Lakers… Better yet next up The Clippers and the Grizzlies. This is going down like it did last season. Yes L.A. has protected their home turf but now they have to visit the Grindhouse located in the dirty dirty. It was hard enough for the Clipps to win at Staples but now they have to go into the Grizzlies house where I expect them to win their 2 home games and even up the series. After all is said and done both teams will make adjustments but L.A. has CP3 who is a scoring machine from the point guard position.

Chris Paul can literally score anytime he wants. He tries to do what all smart point guards try to do and that’s set up his team to be successful by getting them the ball and putting them in position to be successful. However when it’s crunch time, he can take the over the game and win it for his team see game 2 from L.A.

Now out East the saga not as exciting. Like the O City/Houston matchup we expect a game or two to be competitive but we all now at the end of the day the Heat will probably sweep the Bucks. Milwaukee may have a chance to steal one game at home, but when you boast that you can beat the Heat that tends to set their focus on another level. They’re locked in and are focused on getting the Bucks in and out of the playoffs as soon as possible. Heat in 5

The Heat will take on the winners of the Brooklyn vs. Chicago series, and I’ll admit I’m baffled by this matchup. Game 1 the Nets gave the Bulls the business and I think I can safely say nobody expected Chicago to take back to back beat downs win or lose come game 2. Not only did they not get beat down but, they controlled the pace of the game and convincingly bounced back in game 2 in such a fashion that I don’t know what to expect in game 3. I will say this much though the Nets were hot in game 1, missed a lot of shots in game 2 that they would normally hit, so some can chop it up to a bad shooting night.

Deron Williams or Joe Johnson could win the game for Brooklyn in the 4th if needed, but I don’t think as a team they’ve decided who the go to man should be yet. Watching them play for their then respective teams over the last few years, the ball needs to be in Williams’s hands to win the game, if he needs to dish it, then that receiver should be Johnson. But if the Bulls play defense like they did in game 2 then the new Brooklyn Nets will need another year to gel before trying to dance with the experienced Chi Town Bulls. Bulls in 6.

The other series to watch is the Pacers and Hawks. Paul George of the Pacers just won the “Most Improved Player” award after carrying the Pacers to the playoffs in the absence of Danny Granger picking up an all star nod on the way. The defense is scary good in Indiana, anchored by Roy Hibbert and David West on that front line. Not only does their front court play good defense but they can all score too, which if they meet the Heat could be an issue, but that’s why they picked up the Birdman. I like the ATL but as usual decent season decent playoff run, but no advancing for them this year. Pacers in 6.

And finally the matchup that should be that may be getting the most attention, the Knicks and the Celtics. Two stories here, 1 are the Celtics too old? Are they blowing up the team after this season to get younger? Who will they move Pierce, Garnett, or both? The other question in the series is can Melo get out the first round? This New York team looks to be the best team Melo has played with since entering the NBA.

He’s playing dominantly on the offensive side of the ball which explains how he stopped Kevin Durant from winning his 4th straight scoring title, but part of that maybe because Russell Westbrook took most of KD’s shots away but that’s a topic for another day. Right now there’s no stopping Melo, he’s in his zone he’s feelin it. I believe the only team in the east that can stop New York is the Miami Heat, and that’s not a given. Some may say the Pacers, but only the city of Boston thinks the Celtics can run with New York. The Celtics do have the ability to run with the Knicks but then comes the 4th quarter and there veterans start looking like they’re out of gas. They lose some spring in their legs and seem to be a step or so behind. They have youth that can run but their best players are no longer on the youthful side and it has shown in the last two 4th quarters we’ve seen from the Celtics. Knicks in 6

Damn An All Star Steph Curry is Superstar Status in the Making

Last night the NBA reminded us why college hoops is so big time. Let’s just get into it last night The Garden had another high level performance from a visiting opponent, and you know when a visitor has a big night in New york it’s normally a for real big night, and last night was no different.

My man Steph Curry went H.A.M. on the Knicks last night scoring 54 points. It was crazy because I honestly didn’t get to see the entire game. When I turned it on it was the 4th quarter and he was on the screen and ESPN had his stats at the bottom of the screen and I saw 49 points with a lot of time left in the game, and my jaw dropped. Not because it was Curry who did it on em, but because the last 2 guys to go in on the Knicks like that in the Garden was Kobe when he hit 60+ and LeBron back in his Cleveland days going for 50+.

Before last night his career high was 42 points, and the season high for any player was 52 by Kevin Durant. Not only did this dude light’em up for 54 but he hit 11 3 pointers in the process, and when the Knicks began to pressure him on the perimeter he started driving to the basket and on fastbreaks he would rush down court and pull up for three, and hit. The thing is there’s no way for me to explain how he was hitting these shots you have got to go to ESPN or NBA TV and see the highlights go to YOUTUBE or something trust me.

One shot was so dramatic it was like watching a movie. My man comes down, keep in mind they’re swamping him around the 3 point line. He pulls off some crazy move while handling the rock then pulls up over 2 Knicks and the ball just kind of floats up in the air like a Hail Mary Pass in slow motion and gradually gravitated to the rim “splash” nothing but net.

The crowd was silent when the ball left his hand and when it hit you could hear the mixed emotions in the crowd. Gasps, groans, and cheers. The city of New York, I’ll say this much for them, no doubt they’re rooting for their home team but when they see a special performance they know it and respect it. Yeah you hear the boos but that’s only because it’s happening to their team but they still give props at the same time and by the time Curry had scored 23 points in the 2nd quarter alone they knew what kind of night it was about to be.

The pain was eased a little bit when Raymond Felton finally, and by finally I mean literally the last minute of the game, got a stop on Curry when he blocked his shot which lead the Knicks going down and scoring eventually getting the win behind Melo’s 35 including a 3 pointer late in the 4th to give the Knicks the lead, and 26 from JR Smith who hit the final shot to extend the lead by 5 with less than 40 seconds left in the game. Also not being mentioned by anyone Tyson Chandler had 28 rebounds to help out as well. I say the pain was only eased because last night’s game still exposed the defensive struggles the Knicks are experiencing partly due to injuries. Those injuries include Rasheed Wallace being out 8 weeks to have surgery on his foot.

I started off the article by saying last night’s performance reminded me of college hoops. The reason I say that is because if you watched him play at Davidson especially at tourney time then you knew he had the potential to light the league on fire. A lot of people doubted his ability on this level because of his physical frame, but people forget dude’s a shooter period. Shooters can make it in the NBA and play forever (see Reggie Miller frail but deadly). Watching Curry play for 2 years in college made watching him transition into the NBA intriguing.

That’s another reason I’m always trying to turn NBA fans into college hoop fans too. It’s fun watching these guys in their prequels to the NBA. Once again the big dance is just around the corner I suggest you tune in and see who the next Steph Curry coming into the league will be, because he showed last night he’s a rising superstar in the NBA. Last night’s performance put him into pretty good company.

Curry is now 1 of the top four players to have big nights at MSG. Kobe’s 1 point performance puts him first, MJ is second with 55, Curry is third with his 54 and James is fourth with 52. Again I say that’s pretty good company.

Mid Week Review

This week is just half way through and it’s already been a crazy week in the world of sports, and I don’t know where to start. WE have the Lakers showing some life wit Mike D’Antoni actually coaching up defense. WHAT?!?!?! The trade deadline came and went without a bang as expected. Surprisingly Josh Smith stayed in Atlanta and we knew it but it still seems stupid that Dwight Howard is still a Laker. Boy they must really be feeling themselves in Laker managemet.

Also the NFL combine got underway and there’s been four stories to comeout of there. One story was that 4 offensive lineman ran the 40 in under 5 seconds the fastest came from Arkansas Pline Bluff’s, Terron Armstead who ran a 4.65 the second fastest came from Oklahoma’s Lane Johnson coming in with a 4.75. Another story was Texas wide receiver, Marquise Goodwin running the fastest 40 with a 4.27.

I hate to make it all about 40 times but these guys have to be mentioned which bring me to a guy who really needed to shine at the combine, Manti Te’o. This dude after instilling and unbelievable level of doubt to all NFL teams considering drafting this him goes out and runs a 4.82. A 4.82, c’mon man, there are lineman on defense and offense that run that fast if not faster (see previous paragraph). After seeing that it all made sense why he wasn’t able to catch anyone from behind during the Championship game versus Alabama. Safe to say his stock has plummeted some are now projecting he’ll be the last pick in the first round which would send him to Baltimore… NOOOO OZZIE DON’T DO IT PLEASE DON’T DO IT!! (Ozzie Newsome is the GM for the Ravens).

The last story from the combine that caught my attention was the Honeybadger Tyrann Mathieu of LSU’s work out. A quick look back in case you’ve forgotten this young man. He was the Tigers’ playmaker on defense and special teams and Heisman candidate 2 seasons ago before LSU cut him from the team because of marijuana. I personally have been rooting for this kid, because he owned up to his mistake like a man. He could’ve transferred o another school but he stayed at LSU took his punishment, and now he’s showing his stuff off for the scouts.

He ran a 4.43 unofficially in the 40-yard dash, which surprised people since he’s 10 pounds heavier than his playing weight of 176. Again for a guy three years removed from high school 186 isn’t too bad and even though his 225 bench press was halted at 4 reps, but his on the field physicality should erase all doubt about him not being strong enough to deal with the likes of the NFL. That 40 definitely raised some brows, and may have earned this man a few more dollars come draft time.

Lastly on my lists for the week, so far College hoops. Tuesday night yet another #1 team fell. The thing is we all know this isn’t the first time we’ve had a #1 go down but it’s also not the first time this season that Indiana was that #1 team, losing to Minnesota last night. This loss won’t have a major impact on them come tourney time but it will affect them come conference tournament time.

Now the experts are predicting Indiana, Gonzaga, Duke, and Michigan to hold down the #1 seeds come tourney time. That’s great but the teams to watch out for in this expert’s opinion should definitely be considered for top seeding come time for the big dance. Miami who just lost their first conference game of the year over the weekend is still dangerous. In the Big Ten you have to believe in Tom Izzo and the Spartans. Come post season they’re always a little bit tougher to beat.

Finally we still have to recognize Kansas. They did struggle a bit in the Big 12 losing games to OU, OSU, and TCU consecutively. However, since then they have avenged 2 of those losses in rematches against OSU, and TCU and have won 5 straight since that 3 game skid. For a better look at the Top 25 teams and what they’ve done in the last couple of weeks follow this link below start studying because the Ides of March are upon us.

Another Year of Over Hyped Trade Rumors?

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3PM eastern and I hate to tell you hoop fans, but don’t get excited thinking there’s going to be some kind of blockbuster deal that puts the basketball world on it’s ear. Every year we go through this, all the rumors, all the “they should do this they should do that” talk in regards to the different ball clubs involved.

Almost every year this day is hyped up, and then we end up hearing about a bunch of draft picks, or bench and role players being moved for maybe one starter. We hear even about the multiple teams involved in multiplayer deals, but those players usually turn out to be cap relief for the teams either dropping or getting those players.

There are exceptions to this rant however. The year Detroit picked up Rasheed Wallace on their way to winning the Championship against the Lakers in Shaq’s final yearin L.A. Remember that? When L.A. picked up Karl Malone and Gary Payton in the offseason and then the team was blown up after that Piston ass whoopin.

The other trade deadline move that sticks out to me is when Pau Gasol ended up in L.A. from Memphis in exchange for a few cereal box toys and lifetime supply of turkey gizzards. I’ve gone back and looked and looked and looked and I can’t find any other blockbuster deal that went down at the deadline.

This year the move that should be made more than any other is L.A. moving Dwight Howard. It’s been talked about all season and really before the season even started. The big question is will Howard resign with the Lakers at season’s end. All hints and comments say he won’t, and that shows us once again the pure ego of the Lakers organization.

Jim Buss made the move to acquire Howard and wants this to work so badly that I can see him allowing his pride to force his hand. He’s willing to keep Howard through this season because he truly believes he can get Howard to commit long term to the Lakers when it’s time to sign or resign free agents.

No one from L.A. to Pakistan believes Howard’s coming back because no one believes he wants that pressure to deliver championships, not championship, but championships. This is expected while Kobe Bryant is still a Laker and for years to come once Bryant retires. Dwight doesn’t want that, he wants to go to a team and be the extra piece that pushes a team over the top, but he’s not trying to be a focal point, and if Buss puts all his eggs into the Howard basket it will come back to haunt the Lakers for years to come.

Other moves to look at, Josh Smith needs to be moved for the simple fact that his name has been circulating for years now, and the Hawks have all but blown the team up already. Looking at the moves they’ve made the last few seasons tells me they’re ready to start over. Since last season Atlanta has moved Marvin Williams, and Joe Johnson, two players that were suppose to get the Hawks over the hump when they were first acquired.

Once Johnson went to Brooklyn you had to think Atlanta was planning to move some money around to sign a major superstar to put along side Smith, but with no takers interested in riding with the Hawks it looks like they’re just going to start over and wipe the slate clean. Al Horford is a solid big man and if your going to have to lose Smith, having Horford still holding down the frontcourt gives you a nice start to rebuild around.

If any team needs to really make a trade to get over the top, it’s the O City Thunder. Since losing Harden there’s a little something missing from the Thunder and being honest the game that Harden brings to the table can’t be replaced so they have to look in a whole different direction.

The backcourt is cool with Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefolosha, and Kevin Martin being the main points of focus, with Eric Maynor and Reggie Jackson coming off the bench. However Maynor’s minutes have been reduced since his return form injury, and when he’s on the floor he’s not as productive as O City needs him to be.

He may be a piece to move, but only if you can get a legit scoring threat on that front court and or a solid point guard that can run the team. Word on the street is Al Jefferson or Paul Milsap may be O City bound but it may cost the Thunder Kendrick Perkins. Personally I like Perkins on defense, but offensively he’s a liability and in the 4th quarter if I need offense I’d rather have Nick Collison on the floor, who’s not a bad defender in his own right.

If Oklahoma could somehow pull off a trade for either Milsap or Jefferson then pencil them in for a definite shot at making it to the finals again and if facing Miami with either of those two guys in their front court they may even be title bound. Come 3PM Thursday afternoon we’ll see if it’s another example of wasted daily news and rumors, or a for real for real big splash that changes the course of the 2013 season.

Is Miami the Clear cut Favorites to Win it Again After Dominating O City Again

Now we’re officially half way through the 2013 NBA season, we have 42 games worth of resumes we can use to decide who will be crowned champions at season’s end. Like I said in last week’s article most hoop fans see Miami and O City in the finals for a rematch of last year’s final, however I neglected to pick a winner between the two.

Every since the 2011 season ended, I’ve been picking the Thunder to win it all. Last season was Lebron James’s time, no excuses (other than the God awful officiating) he paid his dues and got over that hump with the Heat convincingly winning in just 5 games. Don’t know if anyone noticed, but uhhh O City hasn’t beaten Miami since game 1 of last year’s Finals. That’s 6 straight losses.

Thursday night the Miami Heat showed and proved, that for right now they own the O City Thunder. Thursday night’s lost started to look like a beat down in the making, but Kevin Durant’s 40 points, and the rest of the team’s ability to hit free throws kept the game more competitive than the 110-100 score indicates.

No doubt about it no one can hold Durant he had 40 to Lebron’s 39 points. Both men are getting their points with minimum effort, at least that’s how they make it look. However after those two cancel each other out you have to look at the rest of each team’s roster and there’s no doubt that Miami’s team is more potentate.

Dwayne Wade is getting healthier and is still considered to be one of the NBA’s top closers in the game. For O City their 2nd threat comes in the form of one of if not the most explosive athletic point guard to ever play the game in Russell Westbrook. As dynamic as he is and as big as he plays night in and night out, you never know which Russell’s going to show up. The Russell that want to facilitate and make everyone else on the team better, or the Russell who feels like he’s got to put the team on his back and lead them to victory.

That sounds like two good things you want in your point guard except that for Westbrook it normally means he’s forcing things when he doesn’t have to because he does have a Kevin Durant on his team. If you look at Miami they have so many weapons that each guy can depend on the other from the starters to the bench.

Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, and Mario Chalmers being on the court and spreading the floor out like they do has just opened up the lane for Wade and James to penetrate and dish out if needed all game long. Recently they’ve added Chris Anderson to the frontcourt for more girth and defense. He has complimented the other bigs that Miami has rather it be by his weak side shot blocking ability, or ability to get open dunks when the opposing teams are focused on the other offensive weapons that Miami has on the floor.

O City offensively has no real go to threat in the post. Kendrick Perkins is for defense only, Serge Ibaka can score and score in bunches but he’s not a main staple in what they do offensively, and as good as Nick Collison is he’s just not on the floor enough, and he of all players is feeling the affects of the absence of James Harden who use to set Collison up for easy baskets play after play.

At this time and we know at anytime any team can catch fire and run the table, but right now the way James has been playing over the last few weeks, and with Wade getting healthier day by day I just don’t see them losing 4 games to O City in a series. Not saying it can’t and won’t happen I’m just saying it’s going to be a tall order and I wish I could skip the second half of the season and just go right to the playoffs. Unfortunately we’ll have to be patient and wait but it should be an interesting race for home court going forth especially with the Spurs still doing what they do but we’ll debate that another day, for now time for All Star Weekend.

Mid Season NBA Finals Watchlist

First up let me address my mid season picks since we're basically at the mid season in the NBA. The obvious choices for the finals are obviously Miami and O City. We knew this at the beginning and end of the playoffs that this would be a rivalry for years to come so no surprises there we all knew. Today we discuss those that dare to threaten this sure shot clash of the titans this season.

First off let's start out east where some people see it as a JV league outside of the Heat, I disagree. Team for team if it was like college basketball's early season conference versus conference weeks, some of the teams in the east could play with west coast teams, we'll debate that another time.

In the East and I hate I'm saying this so late because I’ve been thinking it for like 3 weeks now, but the Indiana Pacers have a team that's built to take down Miami. Everyone knows that the Heat's Achilles heel is there front court. Not the ability to get points from the front court, outside of the Power Forward position since Chris Bosh is playing Center, but on the glass and on defense.

Enters David West who's been an all star, is a bruiser and can score inside or out, post up or hit game winners from top of the circle. Oh and defensively he likes to bang in he post.

If he doesn't scare Miami enough then they better remember he's got big boy Roy Hibbert back there too along with Tyler Hansbrough. Though Hibbert isn't a big offensive threat he'll cause trouble for Miami on the defensive end. And Hansbrough is instant energy off the bench on offense or defense.

Now when Miami has to deal with a team that has a big front court then they usually start to speed up the pace and kill those teams on the wings using all their athleticism, but against Indiana the Heat will have to also deal with all star Paul George, as well as Danny Granger, who has been all star himself. The Pacers don't have an offensive attack right now with Granger out but if they can keep it as a low scoring affair then the opposing team is in trouble.

The other team that poses a major threat is the New York Knicks. People aren't sold on the Knicks because of the chemistry between Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. I only see these dudes working it out and learning to be on the same page.

Raymond Felton has been very good when healthy and JR Smith has just been an assassin this season rather the Knicks were fully loaded or beat up by injuries. Smith was the answer for New York’s offense, and even though it was just the regular season they still put two very impressive ass whoopens on Miami at the Garden and in Southbeach.

In the West I had 3 teams that it thought would pose a threat to O City. I had the Spurs because, well hell they’re the Spurs. I had the Clippers based on the regular season matchups this season and last that they had against the Thunder, they pose a threat with all the depth they have on the bench.

Finally I had the Memphis Grizzlies who were suppose to be lead by Rudy Gay. However since my pre-season picks Gay’s been moved to Toronto. Gay in my opinion matches up with Kevin Durant better than anyone else, outside of Lebron James, and the way the Grizzlies were built they had enough other parts to cancel out the Gay Durant matchup. No answer for Big Z Bo and Marc Gasol in the front court which we know was an Achilles heal for the Thunder a couple of years ago. However no Rudy Gay no go to scorer for the Grizzlies now so look at Los Angeles, you know damn well which LA team I’m talking about, and the Spurs. However in a 7 game series I don’t think either team can beat O City but if anyone has a chance to do it it would be one of those two teams.

Another Superbowl for the Ages

Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens. They came out on all phases of the game and made it happen. The offense came in the first quarter and let San Francisco know “hey we got some weapons too”. Pow! Big play to Anquan Bolden from Joe Flacco, then the defense kept given out 3 and outs.

Then came Beyonce who show was so hot that everyman in the building got a jolt of power from her and it showed on the opening kickoff where Baltimore’s Jacoby Jones broke the kickoff return record set by Desmond Howard by going 109 yards for the score. After the blackout the 49ers scored quick and in a hurry and made what started to look like a blowout into a slugfest (power of Beyonce).

In the end despite all the craziness, such as the missed calls the missed field goal, and basically the first half shutout, the 49ers made it a damn good game, but the Ravens were able to sustain their comeback, and are now two time Superbowl Champions.

Now what did we learn? We learned that Flacco deserves his money pay the man. Matt Ryan got 70 million before touching the field, Sam Bradford 50 million, Tom Brady, who he beat twice this season, 50 million. Flacco is gonna go through that BS negotiation process, but at the end of the day Joe’s about to get paid.

We learned that Colin Kaepernick as good as he’s been showed he’s human. We spoke on his poise and quick decision-making, and saw both of them get shook up Sunday night. There were countless times when he ignored using the weapon that got him there, his legs. Sure there were times when the Ravens crowded that line and eliminated the 49ers option to run the Pistol, but there were pass plays where he could’ve gotten a few first downs.

It’s the Superbowl and he’s has to go more “Balls to the Wall” and take the hard ass hit from Ray Lewis when the endzone is in sight and it’s 3rd down. That would have made the 4th down maybe 2 or 3 yards easier to go for. Then in that situation on 4th down you have to look to your redzone specialist Randy Moss. I know Ed Reed was coming full blasts but you have to look for the alley-oop to Moss versus Michael Crabtree as great as he is.

We know both teams are going to make legitimate runs for Superbowl titles. The Ravens will have the defense still intact with the exception of Lewis, and Ed Reed may be a question mark, but everyone else is coming back. Ozzie Newsome, the GM for Baltimore has always been great at plugging holes on that tea and if they loose anyone, please believe Newsome will find just the right fits.

Offensively the Ravens just showed that B–More is no longer the defensive team you fear, we learned that their “the team” you fear because now they’re offense is just as potentate as their defense. The special tams never should have surprised anyone because Jones has been getting it all season long.

The 49ers I believe just grew up a little bit more. Last year the NFC championship this year the Superbowl, and if NFL defenses don’t catch on to San Francisco’s offense expect Kaepernick, Vernon Davis, Frank Gore, young LaMichael James, and Crabtree to come back very very hungry. They’re young, and they’re going to be around for years to come.

It was great cap off to a great season. With all the coaching moves we’ve seen, the offseason should be very interesting and that’s going to make next year even more intriguing. Congratulations Ray Lewis you gave us a storybook ending to the season and a storybook ending, to the screenplay that was your actual career.