Thursday, May 31, 2012

Giants Talk Dynasty, Don't Bother with Jets Headlines.

The New York Giants were out in full support Thursday night to help spread the awareness for Justin Tuck's R.U.S.H. for Literacy event in New York City.

Some of the G-Men in attendance included Linebacker Micahel Boley, Cornerback Prince Amukamara, and Defensive Ends Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre Paul.

While the topic of the night was Justin Tuck's charity, the questions surrounding Big Blue and their future quickly came into focus. With two rings in four years, the talk of dynasty got thrown around, and the man of the night didn't shy away form his feeling on the subject.

"You know it pops in my head," Tuck said, "It's every teams goal, they all want to be apart of the greatest teams to ever play this game. "

If the Giants want to ever reach that plateau, they're going to have to work harder than perhaps the previous two championship runs combined as they face a slew of games against some of the leagues best teams this upcoming season.

The Giants are scheduled to face seven playoff teams from last year including the Packers, 49ers, Saints, Falcons, Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers; but that doesn't seem to worry Michael Boley.

"Having more time, having these OTA's and minicamps, versus trying to rush everything, I think we'll definitely be better.  We can most definitely repeat."  "I mean two in four years, what more could you ask for?"


But even with the all of the success the Giants have enjoyed, their cross stadium rivals somehow continue to grab headlines away from the reigning Super Bowl champs.

The addition of Quarterback Tim Tebow quickly had media outlets running to their churches and praying for an interview with the overnight celebrity.  Tebow quickly grew from backup QB to a fairytale stud, pleasing and infuriating people from all over the country, but Giants don't care too much about all that.

"We're more than content to let them take the headlines, we'll just continue to win championships", said Defensive Lineman Chris Canty.

Most Giants there echoed their teammates words, except for Prince Amukamara, who didn't seem to care too much about what was going on with Gang Green.

"I don't own a T.V at all, so I don't really hear the news or watch anything, all I know is Tebow is there."

Although the Giants don't play the Jets in a meaningful game this year, that one overriding theme of supremacy will continue to hang and possibly haunt both teams all season. Welcome to New York.

Kyle McMorrow is also a Correspondent for Bleacher Report,and a writer and producer for 1010 WINS Radio in New York City. He has also worked for the Big Ten Network and ABC-TV in New York City. Kyle McMorrow has interviewed numerous prominent athletes, such as Larry FitzgeraldJustin TuckEli Manning and LaDainian Tomlinson.Twitter: @Kyle_McMorrow

Wednesday, May 30, 2012



Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and I participated in the EAS Unstoppable Tour Challenge last summer. The tour gave us a glimpse into the life of former U.S. Navy officer Sam Tickle, who completed 30 sports in 30 days, and while that was the topic of the day, it wasn't the only thing we discussed.

With an NFL lockout seemingly on its way, Larry might not be able to earn his pay check this season if the owners and players can't come to an agreement on a revenue split. Players want an equal cut, while owners want to give them a 43.3 percent share. With Friday's deadline approaching, players have to be feeling the strain a lockout could put on their wallets-however Larry isn't one of them.

"I'm not really too concerned about the lockout, I know the powers that be are going to work hard to get this deal done," Larry said. When I asked him if there is an eBay auction he wanted to plug just in case there was a lockout Larry laughed and said, "No, I've been saving for quite a while."

If Fitzgerald is right, and the NFL and its players can reach some sort of an agreement, the NFL draft must first take place before any games are played. Recently New York Giants Defensive End Justin Tuck came out and stated he would not take Auburn Quarterback Cam Newton with the first pick in the draft this year. His reasoning stemmed from his belief that athletic QB's don't last long in the league, and while that may be true for some, the Pro Bowl receiver pointed out it's not for all.



"Steve Young was considered a running quarterback when he came out of BYU and his resume speaks for itself. If he (Cam) gets into the right system and he can showcase his ability I think he can be successful."

Fitzgerald was not shy about committing to Cam's ability to succeed, but didn't want to get into whether or not he would take Cam in the draft, but rather leaving that up to the people who actually make the decisions.

All in all this season will definitely be an interesting one for Cardinals fans and players due to the questions that surround the quarterback position. Both Derek Anderson and John Skelton struggled last year, and Fitzgerald's numbers dropped off in touchdowns and receptions. With Fitzgerald having the opportunity to jump ship and ring chase, as so many athletes of this era are doing, I asked him why he would even consider staying with his team.

"I've enjoyed playing in Arizona, for other guys they might not be loyal to their teams, but every case is different."

If Fitzgerald did run for the exit sign could you blame him? The Cardinals finished last in the NFC West with a record of 5-11. The team has question marks surrounding the QB spot, and over the years they have lost key players such as receiver Anquan Boldin, safety Antrel Rolle, and linebacker Karlos Dansby.

With all the departures, I asked Larry who he would take if he had the choice between Plaxico Burress, Tiki Barber, and Charlie Sheen. After some careful thought he went with the only guy who has been labeled a winner-Charlie Sheen.

Where this Cardinal will fly next is unknown, whether he stays or leaves Arizona will be one of the most talked about stories of the 2011 season, if there is in fact a season at all. While no one knows for sure what will happen with Fitz and the NFL, one thing is certain, it's going to be one crazy year in the NFL.

Former NBA Ref Tim Donagy Breaks Down The NBA's HOT TOPICS

A few days ago, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy released a video exposing a blown call at a crucial point in the Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls series.  LeBron James changed pivot feet and knocked down a jumper sealing Chicago's fate.

Since the release, the video has caused controversy and debates as to whether or not the referees are letting LeBron James get away with too much at critical points of the game.

With the NBA Finals getting underway, I wondered if the Tim Donaghy, who now works as a blogger and consultant with Danny Berrelli,  thought the referees may influence the game in LeBron's favor, or if the Mavericks would take it down.

"I think Dallas is going to win in seven. I really believe the officiating is going to have to be as fair as humanly possible for both teams because Mark Cuban is not going to stand to be basically put at a disadvantage again like he was in the last finals that he was in five years ago."

That "disadvantage" Donaghy referenced could be linked to the disparity in free throws, which saw Miami's franchise  player Dwyane Wade attempt 46 free throws during the final two games of the series.

Following Game 5, Mavs owner Mark Cuban was hit with a $250,000 fine after being cited for "several acts of misconduct" including a quote of "Your league is rigged" according to the Miami Herald.
Although Mark Cuban has denied saying those words, his openly brash attitude towards officials is well documented, and Mr. Donaghy believes his attitude will keep the officials straightened out this series.

"Eventually he's going to erupt and cause a lot of embarrassment for the league if he's not given fair treatment."

If the series goes without a hiccup, it will be interesting to see if the Mavs can get some type of redemption since dropping their last chance at a championship back in 2006. If the Mavs can't get it done, it may be the last chance Dirk Nowitzki has a winning a championship.

Dirk is pushing 33, and with a lockout pending, the Mavs are not the youngest team in the NBA.
Veterans such as Jason Kidd, Peja Stojakovic and Shawn Marion are also nearing the end of their careers, and a lockout could send the Mavs into a serious roster turnover.

As labor negations seem to be going nowhere, the league may be locking its door come July 1; however, that's not how Tim sees it.

"I think there’s too much money at stake for both sides to be stubborn and not get this worked out. I think eventually, before the regular season starts that they will get it worked out. "

Only time will tell if Mr. Donaghy is correct, not only about the series, but the labor agreements as well, and hopefully, in both scenarios, fairness triumphs.

Kyle McMorrow is also a Correspondent for Bleacher Report,and a writer and producer for 1010 WINS Radio in New York City. He has also worked for the Big Ten Network and ABC-TV in New York City. Kyle McMorrow has interviewed numerous prominent athletes, such as Larry Fitzgerald, Eli Manning and LaDainian Tomlinson.Twitter: @Kyle_McMorrow