By: Kevin Cottrell Jr. 

Just A Thought…

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINS & LOSSES…Every great athlete has a mentor. Larry Fitzgerald leans on Chris Carter, and all Carter did was catch TDs.. Devin Hester’s mentor is Deion Sanders, so it’s no surprise how exciting Hester is when he touches the ball. On the hardwood, Deron Williams mentor is John Stockton, explaining Deron’s effortless execution of the pick-n-roll. And we all know Kobe mirrors Michael Jordan hence his clutch playing and champion pedigree. Before any of the current athletes become the best (and leaders) at what they do, they find the best individual to follow. The mentor is there to coach one through adversity, they’re the bridge between failure and success. In sports, athletes often watch “game film” of their opponents to discover mistakes teams made when facing the opponent as well as finding ways to defeat them. Remember, in life and in sports the difference between a winner and a loser is: a loser learns from HIS mistake and a winner learns after YOURS…

NBA News & Notes:

As advertised NBA camps opened this week! The Lakers set to defend their title, while Artest defends his image and Odom defends his marriage! The Celtics simply want KG healthy for a chance to regain the title. The Magic added Vince Carter, Brandon Bass and even Jason “White Chocolate” Williams, to defend their Eastern Conference title. As for the Nuggets well they didn’t add much however J.R. Smith will assume the starting 2-guard position (after he serves a 7-game suspension). As for the Spurs, all they did was add Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess to a team that’s always among the elite. In Dallas, they’re prepping to host the 2010 All-Star by adding a former all-star in Shawn Marion. Each team has a story line but the final story written will be decided by their play on the court. Let’s tip things off with a breakdown of a division from each conference.

EAST: Central (predicted order of finish)

1. CAVALIERS- With the addition of Shaquille O’Neal the Cavs’ should be penciled in to capture the Central division title, however their goal is to win a NBA title. That will depend on a few things. 1. How focused is Delone West? After battling depression last season he arguably was the best player in the playoffs for the Cavs (not named LeBron). 2. How has LeBron’s jump shot developed? This point is key because Shaq will eventually clog up a lane that LeBron is use to having open to attack the basket. With Shaq’s presence on the court he will demand attention and demand touches! The two will work inside out, but the out isn’t effective if LeBron’s jumper hasn’t improved. Prediction: 62-20
2. BULLS- Many of you know my love affair with the Bulls is higher than the Sears Tower. But realistically they have no chance of dethroning the Cavs in the central so they will be playing for second. After the lost of their leading scorer for the past four seasons (Ben Gordon) it’s going to be up to Derrick Rose (and Luol Deng) to step up and shoulder the scoring load. We saw what Rose could do in the postseasons. But questions still linger around the health of Luol Deng, and the growth and development of young bigs Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. There seems to be more questions then definite answers around the Bulls but after their first round defeat to the Celtics one would believe that they would take that experience and use it as a launch pad for the upcoming season. Prediction: 44-38
3. PISTONS- The Pistons had an interesting off-season. After being swept in the playoffs they officially cut ties with G Allen Iverson and signed G Ben Gordon away from their rivals across the Lake in the Bulls. They lost one of their staple pieces in F Rasheed Wallace and replaced him with F Charlie Villanueva (from another division rival in the Bucks). They will rely heavily on a three-guard rotation (Stuckey, Hamilton, Gordon) often playing alongside one another, Kwame Brown (stop laughing) as their center and yes Ben Wallace as their backup…(no really stop laughing). Needless to say the Pistons are in rebuilding mode but they do have enough scoring power to fight off the Bucks & Pacers. Problem is there’s only 1 ball for the 3 guards. Prediction: 40-42
4. PACERS- I like this young Pacers team however a big issue will be their youth. This is a scrappy team that will feature: T.J. Ford, Dahntay Jones, Danny Granger along with Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough. All are good at what they do solid defensively and Granger is a budding star. Only problem is no one truly draws a double team on the squad so while Granger has the ability to drop 30 on a giving night it will often be in a losing effort. Prediction: 38-44
5. BUCKS- Milwaukee always seems to be in “rebuilding” mode, with an aging Michael Redd and an injury prone Andrew Bogut coupled with the loss of Ramon Sessions, the Bucks are destined to self-destruct. Scott Skiles will have this team playing hard but the question is for how long? Prediction: 35-47

WEST: NorthWest

1. NUGGETS- Last season the Nuggets to the L by storm with their 2^nd place finish out west and their fight in the Conference finals with the eventual Finals. This season they’ll have an opportunity to enter camp with Chauncey Billups and pick up where they left off in the ’09 playoffs. But one thing will be different this season. 3-point sensation J.R. Smith will be a starter this season (after the departure of defensive specialist Dahntay Jones). This will give the team a different look without Smith’s dynamic play off the bench. Instead that role will now be reserved for former UCLA Bruin, Arron Afflalo. I myself have concerns about this teams lack of depth but my biggest issue is J.R. in a starting role. Regardless they should have enough firepower to win the NorthWest, but is it enough to conquer the entire West? Prediction: 57-25
2. BLAZERS- Two years ago the Blazers showed the L they were on the verge of being a playoff team. Last season Greg Oden did his best to contribute and the young Blazers made the playoffs. This season they’ve added veteran PG Andre Miller in hopes of making the playoffs and actually winning a series. Interesting enough Miller himself has never won a series in his career. Its evident this team has a great mixture of talent but their lack of experience is hard to overcome in the competitive West. This team will be tougher this season but if they have to face the Lakers, Nuggets or Spurs in round 1 they still won’t know what it feels like to win a series. Prediction: 51-31
3. JAZZ- All summer long Carlos Boozer expressed his interest to play for a team NOT located in Utah. But as the Jazz enter training camp Boozer is still on the team. So before one can even imagine the Jazz being a formidable force in the West, the question that must first be answered is will Boozer remain a member of the Jazz? Some may think it doesn’t matter since he was injured most of the season but when you have the ability to post 20+ pts & 20+ reb against the Lakers in the playoffs, its still a big piece to Utah’s puzzle. Assuming he will remain (and play for a new contract) the Jazz will still play hard, run pick-n-rolls and backdoor plays as long as Coach Sloan is on the sideline. So regardless as to what one may think the Jazz opponents better walk into Salt Lake City with their lunch pails. Prediction: 48-34
4. THUNDER- The Thunder is in a catch 22, they are a good, solid, young team however that only means something if you’re in the East. This team has a great future behind Kevin Durant but to me many of their other pieces are not worthy of building into a contender. Then again neither was Scottie Pippen when he was initially drafted and he’ll be in the Hall of Fame next year. While I’m not ready to crown any of these players as future HOFers, I am saying that this team will be exciting to watch and will lose a lot of close games. Prediction: 30-52
5. WOLVES- I won’t waste your time (or better yet my time typing) Prediction: 22-60

NFL News & Notes

*VICK is Just Do-ing IT! Not quite on the field but definitely in the boardrooms. After being indicted 2 years ago, one of the first sponsors to bail on the star was shoe monopoly NIKE. But after his triumph return, the Eagles are no longer the only organization to step up and show that they believe in second chances. For many MV7 fans this is a great day for a man that has paid his debt to society and do all that he can to regain much of what he lost. To the Vick haters well this is just another log on their fire. Let It Burn my friends!

NFL: PICK 6! WEEK 4 Predictions:  (Bye Week: Falcons, Eagles, Cardinals and Panthers)

1. (2-1) CHARGERS @ (1-2) STEELERS- The Chargers are a sloppy 2-1 and yet the Steelers lack of finishing games in the 4^th quarter have them looking like a well-deserved 1-2 team (despite their Champion label). So with no L.T. for the Chargers and no Polamalu for the Steelers, what will be the difference? Phillip Rivers! Rivers will have to attack the gaping hole left by Troy Polamalu in the secondary. The Steelers are currently experiencing a Super Bowl hangover and the Chargers will not be the aspirin they need to get over it. Prediction: Chargers by 3

2. (2-1) COWBOYS @ (3-0) BRONCOS- This game will be interesting the Cowboys have looked like three different teams in their first 3 games. As for the Broncos, luck is seemingly on their side as their unblemished record shows. After two straight games in Jerry’s World the ‘Boys will take their show to the Mile High City and make an attempt to hand Denver their first loss of the season. With an injured Felix Jones and a questionable Marion Barber, Dallas’ success will depend solely on the arm of Tony Romo. If you have Jason Witten in fantasy football please start him because he may have 10 catches this week. I digress, something tells me that Denver’s 3-0 starts is a fraud and they will soon be exposed. Don’t get me wrong I don’t hate Orton but I don’t believe in him either. Prediction: Cowboys by 7

3. (2-1) BENGALS @ (0-3) BROWNS- Please pay attention this game has LET DOWN FACTOR written all over it. Cincy is coming off the huge win over the Steelers heading into the battle of Ohio. Meanwhile the Browns have nothing to lose and will enter Sunday’s game with QB Derek Anderson taking over for Brady Quinn. All strategy will be thrown out the window, the gloves will be taken off and these guys won’t be fighting fair. The Browns would love to get a win and the Bengals may get caught up still relishing in their victory of the Steelers. This game will be entertaining and one that may be settle by a field goal. Prediction: Browns by 3

4. (3-0) JETS @ (3-0) SAINTS: This game will serve as the ultimate clash between a dynamic Offense and a great Defense. The difference is normally in two phases. 1. QB play. I know many NFL fans have fallen in love with Mark Sanchize but we all know that Drew Brees strikes fear in secondary and throws 400+ yards in his sleep. As for Mark he’s still learning on the job so it’s up to his defense to put him in short field situations giving him a better chance to win. The other key phase involved is location. This game will be played in New Orleans and their dome will be rocking. This game will be exciting if you pick up your phone to send a tweet you may miss the play of the game! Prediction: Saints by 4

5. (3-0) RAVENS @ (2-1) PATRIOTS: The Ravens have actually been winning more because of their offense as opposed to their defense (okay Ray Lewis did single handedly win a game in week 2) but Joe Flacco threw for 300+ yards in week 1 & 3. That stat is not characteristic for the Ravens and its something they shouldn’t make a habit out of. The Patriots love being involved in shootouts because they have a guy named Brady and a guy named Moss. Those two are salivating at a chance to explode and a match up of this magnitude provides the perfect stage. The Pats have struggled offensively but with Wes Welker back in the lineup look for Brady & Moss to finally arrive in the ’09 season. Prediction: Patriots by 5

6. (2-1) PACKERS @ (3-0) VIKINGS: As a proud fan of the NFC North I will definitely have my popcorn ready on Monday Night. Two teams that I love to hate will have another reason to destroy one another: Brett Favre. The Packers are sick and tired of playing in his shadow and the Vikings want to prove he’s the missing link to their championship puzzle. So what will give you ask? Adrian Peterson and the home crowd. There are no Xs and Os when it comes to this match up, just emotions and solid play. These two will probably find themselves in a aerial battle with Favre doing his best to teach his ex-student in Aaron Rodgers one more lesson. If you have a prior commitment, then cancel it this game will be worth the 3 hours. Prediction: Vikings by 1

NFL: QUICK PICKS (For the Office Pool Players!)

**SURE FIRE PICKS**

BEARS OVER LIONS

COLTS OVER SEAHAWKS

GIANTS OVER CHIEFS

49ERS OVER RAMS

**EVEN STEVENS**

TEXANS OVER RAIDERS

BILLS OVER DOLPHINS

REDSKINS OVER BUCS’

TITANS OVER JAGUARS

**UPSET SPECIAL**

MICHAEL VICK SIGNING WITH NIKE!

III. SAY WHAT!!! (Tweets of the Week)

@OGOchoCinco twitpic.com/jt0yi - Cover of my new book: the fingers are for the haters the smile is for the supporters

@OGOchoCinco Just waking up from a nap,,,headed to the stadium to bug the coaches, I’m sure they are still there as usual

@OGOchoCinco Oh hell na,, it's cold out here and my freaking car won't start, this is some bull droppings!!!!

@jalenrose Having dinner 2nite--i saw--the Dream and wife Christina--(hbo)Bill Maher---Jon(w/o Kate and 8...is he a celeb?)

@rudygay22 Congratulations to Mike Vick! Welcome back to the Nike fam!

@DwightHoward What's better to have. A great life with everything u want but noone to share it with. Or in love with nothin but each other.