Believing the hype!

April 25, 2009 was supposed to be remembered as a great day for 49ers fans. This was the day that they got their successor to Jerry Rice, the day they got their first legit number 1 Wide Receiver since Terrell Owens left town after the 2003 season. The day that they finally put an end to a below mediocre passing game, that has lingered in the city for 5 miserable seasons. That's the problem it was suppose to be, but it isn't.
Leading up to draft day, I like many 49ers fans had dreams about how great it would be to land Michael Crabtree, but we thought it was just a dream. We had the number 10 pick, and he was considered to be top 3 by every draft "expert" out there. Then strange things started to happen, he was not able to work out at the combine due to an injury to his foot, and teams started to shy away from him, labeling him a "prima donna".
Draft day came, and suddenly the Niners were on the clock at 10, and Michael Crabtree was sitting there. They selected him, and every 49er fan across the country had to be celebrating, they got who they wanted. We didn't care about his injury (he would be healthy by training camp), or his attitude (Mike Singletary would take care of that). All was right in the city by the bay, we would again have an explosive offense.
Then training camp got closer and closer, still no contract. He was threatning to hold out the whole season and re-enter the draft in 2010. This guy couldn't be for real, he had to be bluffing to get a bigger deal, he would definetely be signed by the season opener. Well the season opener has come and gone, and so have two other regular season games. Tampering charges have been filed against the Jets for getting in the teams way of getting him to sign a new contract.
What went wrong with the negotiations? Does he have the wrong people advising him and telling him he is worth more than he is? Does he believe his own hype? He seems to believe that he should get paid based on where these "experts" projected him to go and not where he really did go.
It doesn't work like that, and he should accept the deal he was offered. It is a fair deal, more than the number 10 pick, but less than the number 8 pick. I don't understand where the confusion is, sign the deal. If your really as good as your hype, you will play a few years on that deal, prove it, and cash in on your second contract.

Romo still has to fix his issues!

I would like to start off by saying... "It's Time Romo"! And what i mean by that is, it is now time for you to step up and show us what you got, show us you really have what it takes. Most importantly show us that you can actually learn from your mistakes. I understand that the whole break up with Jessica Simpson may not have been entirely or even 1 percent because of the sports media. But always having to hear them say he couldn't handle being a celebrity in both the sports and entertainment worlds, at least makes me want to believe he listened! So what i am getting at is, finally we see him listen to the critics, and we see him take all the blame. And after last week's horrid performance (in Jerry Jones' self proclaimed Super Bowl atmosphere) against the hated Giants that is exactly what he did. To watch that press conference and see him sitting there pouting about how it was all on him, and how the rest of the team and Jerry did not deserve it, was a definite positive. I hadn't seen him act like that and truly believe him since he mishandled the snap against the Seahawks in the playoffs and put all the blame on himself. Which was the last time he played a game without being a "celebrity quarterback". That is exactly what Bill Parcells warned him not to turn into when he first became a starter, and yet he didn't listen and his career has not gone in the winning direction since. Yes, he lead them to a 13-3 season and had phenomenal stats but ask Bill Parcells if that stuff matters, or is it about WINNING! And still not having a playoff win or even a big win in December on his resume proves his career isn't where it could be!
So after hearing about the off-season where he worked on not turning the ball over, (granted we haven't seen the "Romo Fumbles" yet) we had to sit there and watch all those mistakes in the passing game happen all over again, and against our current bitter rival none the less. Those mistakes, whether it be rushing passes, trying to squeeze the ball somewhere he shouldn't, or even just making bad throws are what he was supposed to have fixed in the preseason. So if fixing issues is not going to work for him, I'm not sure, as much as i want to believe in it, that his last press conference, after the Giants game is really going to motivate him like all Cowboy fans wish it did. And as much as we'd all like, we won't find out after tonight's game or even by mid-season if he can actually fix his issues, we will find out come December and beyond. So as Cowboy fans bash him and praise him week to week, they all can hope (including myself) that he can finally show us all that he is the QB of the present and future for the Dallas Cowboys and not just a flash in the pan!

New York Yankee Post Season Roster Preview/Debate- Long ALDS lets Speed Kill!

How will the Yankees handle the 2009 Playoff roster come October? Well if i was asked that question i would answer it this way. First off, we have heard through the "Grape Vine" (Brian Cashman) that the Yanks will only carry 10 pitchers for the ALDS series. That series looks like it will be the longer of the ALDS's (8 days total) which will provide full rests for C.C Sabathia and A.J Burnett if they pitch games 1 and 2 for games 4 and 5. So carrying only 10 pitchers seems the logical choice here. That being said the 10 i believe will make it are: Sabathia, Burnett, Pettite, Rivera, Hughes, Coke, Chamberlain being the 7 almost definites, and these 3 as probables depending how they finish the last 9 games: Aceves, Marte and Robertson. This to me would be perfect because as i said earlier, you wont need to use a 4th starter with the longer series, so there really is not a need for another long reliever (Gaudin or Mitre) when you have Aceves and Joba who can fill that role.
The best thing about having only 10 pichers the 1st round maybe the fact that it allows for a deep bench for Joe Girardi and the Yanks. What used to be the model for Yankee World Series teams in the past? If you ask me deep benches and using that bench in the clutch time and time again. If you look back at some of those benches you might say, no way the Yanks will have a bench as deep as those from the late 90's. Well i am not going to disagree with that because there is no Tim "Rock" Raines, Ruben Sierra, Cecil Fielder, Luis Sojo, or Chili Davis. But there are some players that are going to make the roster that can do some big time damage in a different way of Yankee teams from the past. Now as a Yankee fan i know that players with top notch speed coming off the bench have killed us in the past. Such as Dave Roberts fpr the Red Sox in 2004, or Chone Figgins for the Angels in 2002. But when has a Yankee fan seen that speed really help them? Well since this Yankee team has been on its run which id say started in 1996, (probably ended last year, but Jeter, Rivera, Pettite, Posada are still on roster so we will say its still going), Never! Yeah you can say they have had guys steal bases come playoff time in the past years but nothing like this Postseason has the opportunity to do. Brett Gardener has been a burner on the bases all year long and has proven when he comes into the game late that he can steal a base or two with no problem. Also, there is talk up in the North East that the Yanks are thinking and are pretty set on carrying another speedster Freddy Guzman on the roster, so having the two of them will allow for small ball to be played big time come late innings of atleast the ALDS. So having the element of speed that has killed Yankee teams in the past might acutally be the key for them to win a playoff series for the first time since 2004.

2009 Sweet 16 Predictions

2009 Sweet 16 Predictions

Thursday's Games

• Uconn over Purdue (Too much big men, too much Price for Purdue- 74-59)
• Pittsburgh over Xavier (Blair will have a field day (no pun intended) and Young will dominate too- 70-55)
• Memphis over Missouri (Both fast paced teams, Memphis a little bit better- 84-76)
• Duke over Villanova (Could be best game of tournament- VERY CLOSE CALL- 68-67)

Friday's Games

• Louisville over Arizona (Will press the Wildcats out of the arena- 74-61)
• Syracuse over Oklahoma (Zone is better than Michigan's was, will shoot way better from three- 68-62)
• Kansas over Michigan St (Best game on tap for Friday- Buzzer Beater by Sharon Collins- 69-67
• North Carolina over Gonzaga (Lawson is by far the best guard in America and he will dominate 2nd half after a very close 1st- 88-78)

-Robert Bosco

Day 1 and 2 March Madness Predictions

Day 1 and 2 March Madness Predictions

MIDWEST

• Louisville over Morehead St
• Siena over Ohio St
• Arizona over Utah
• Wake Forest over Cleveland St
• West Virginia over Dayton
• North Dakota St over Kansas
• USC over Boston College
• Michigan St over Robert Morris

WEST

• Uconn over Chatanooga
• BYU over Texas A&M
• Purdue over Northern Iowa
• Washington over Miss St
• Marquette over Utah St
• Mizzou over Cornell
• Maryland over California
• Memphis over Cal St Northridge

EAST

• Pittsburgh over ETSU
• Oklahoma St over Tennessee
• Florida St over Wisconsin
• Xavier over Portland St
• VCU over UCLA
• Villanova over American
• Texas over Minnesota
• Duke over Binghampton

SOUTH

• UNC over Radford
• LSU over Butler
• W.Kentucky over Illinois
• Gonzaga over Akron
• Temple over Arizona St
• Syracuse over Stephen F Austin
• Michigan over Clemson
• Oklahoma over Morgan St

Bosco's Final NCAA Field of 65 with Seeds

Bosco's Final NCAA Men's Field of 65 with Seeds

1's- Pittsburgh, Louisville, UNC, UCONN
2's- Memphis, Duke, Mich St, Oklahoma
3's- Kansas, Missouri, Villanova, Washington
4's- Wake Forest, Florida St, Gonzaga, Syracuse
5's- Purdue, Arizona St, Xavier, Illinois
6's- LSU, West Virginia, UCLA, Clemson
7's- Utah, Tennessee, Butler, Marquette
8's- Ohio St, Texas, Oklahoma St, BYU
9's- California, Texas A&M, Siena, Boston College
10's- Wisconsin, Dayton, Utah St, Michigan
11's- Minnesota, USC, San Diego St, Maryland
12's- VCU, Temple, Mississippi St, Western Kentucky
13's- Northern Iowa, American Cleveland St, Akron
14's- North Dakota St, Stephen F. Austin, Binghampton, Portland St
15's- Cornell, Radford, Eastern Tennessee St, Robert Morris
16's- Cal St Northridge, Morgan St, Chatanooga
Play in Game- Morehead St vs. Alabama St

First Four Out- St.Mary's, Creighton, Penn St, Arizona

Bosco and Duncan's NBA Predictions

Bosco and Duncan's NBA 09 Predictions

Bosco in BlueGreen - Duncan in Red

EASTERN CONFERENCE *- Playoffs

Atlantic Division

1. Boston * 1. Boston *
2. Toronto * 2. Toronto *
3. New York * 3. Philadelphia *
4. Philadelphia 4. New York
5. New Jersey 5. New Jersey

Central Division

1. Cleveland * 1. Cleveland *
2. Chicago * 2. Chicago *
3. Detroit * 3. Detroit *
4. Indiana 4. Indiana
5. Milwaukee 5. Milwaukee

SouthEast Division

1. Atlanta * 1. Orlando *
2. Orlando * 2. Atlanta *
3. Miami 3. Miami
4. Washington 4. Washington
5. Charlotte 5. Charlotte

WESTERN CONFERENCE *- Playoffs

NorthWest Division

1. Utah * 1. Utah *
2. Portland * 2. Portland *
3. Denver * 3. Denver *
4. Minnesota 4. Minnesota
5. Oklahoma City 5. Oklahoma City

Pacific Division

1. LA Lakers * 1. LA Lakers *
2. Phoenix * 2. Phoenix *
3. Golden State 3. Golden State
4. Sacramento 4. LA Clippers
5. LA Clippers 5. Sacramento

SouthWest Divison

1. Houston * 1. New Orleans *
2. New Orleans * 2. Houston *
3. San Antonio * 3. San Antonio *
4. Dallas 4. Memphis
5. Memphis 5. Dallas

PLAYOFFS

Bosco's

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Boston over 8. New York

2. Cleveland over 7. Orlando

6. Detroit over 3. Atlanta

5. Chicago over 4. Toronto

1. Boston over 5. Chicago

2. Cleveland over 6. Detroit

2. Cleveland over 1. Boston

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. LA Lakers over 8. Denver

2. Houston over 7. San Antonio

3. Utah over 6. Portland

4. New Orleans over 5. Phoenix

4. New Orleans over 1. LA Lakers

2. Houston over 3. Utah

2. Houston over 4. New Orleans

NBA CHAMPIONSHIP - Cleveland over Houston in 7 ( Lebron - MVP )

Duncan's

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Boston over 8. Philadelphia

2. Cleveland over 7. Atlanta

6. Detroit over 3. Orlando

4. Chicago over 5. Toronto

1. Boston over 4. Chicago

2. Cleveland over 6. Detroit

2. Cleveland over 1. Boston

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. New Orleans over 8. Denver

2. LA Lakers over 7. Phoenix

3. Utah over 6. Portland

4. Houston over 5. San Antonio

1. New Orleans over 4. Houston

2. LA Lakers over 3.Utah

1. New Orleans over 2. LA Lakers

NBA CHAMPIONSHIP - New Orleans over Cleveland in 6 ( Chris Paul - MVP )

REGULAR SEASON AWARDS

MVP- LeBron James Chris Paul

R. O . Y- Derrick Rose Derrick Rose

C. O . Y- Mike D'Antoni Byron Scott