Will the REAL Dwyane Wade…??

Posted on January 30, 2012 by jimberrysports

The young Dwyane Wade was one of the most exciting players in the NBA. The aging D-Wade..one of the most unpredictable.

There are times he still looks like the dazzling daredevil who can make tough shots, and take tough licks. And then, there are times Wade is a turnover machine who spends too much time whining to the refs.  With all due respect to Erik Spolestra, there’s only one person on the Heat who can tell him that….Pat Riley.

The Heat will NOT win an NBA title if Wade is less than himself. Teams will take Lebron out of the game (if he doesn’t take himself out). Chris Bosh is talented, but not a true 4th quarter go
 to closer. Wade is…but he’s got to clean up his game.   Get a better handle on his handles, and put the purity back in his jump shot.  Maybe he’s being a warrior fighting through injuries, and I’m being too unsympathetic.

Or maybe he needs to buckle down, and maybe deep down he agrees. If I were a betting man, I wouldn’t bet against Wade. He’s still got the closer mentality,  and certainly seems to have lost no level of desire.  He just needs to re-discover those parts of his game that once made him Jordan-esque.

If the NBA miles have added up and taken that away from him, then its up to Wade to re-invent himself into a different kind of player. He’s still stronger than most guards who try to stop him..still quicker than any forward trying to check him.  Dwyane Wade is still a great athlete, and by far, the Heat’s most popular player. He’ll get a pass for his past heroics….for a while.

But come money time…the Heat will need the real Dwyane Wade…to be the REAL Dwyane Wade.

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Love after basketball

Posted on January 29, 2012 by jimberrysports

When he played in the NBA, Rony Seikaly was always the Euro guy trying to find his space with an American urban crowd.  Now, twenty years after he jumped center for the Miami Heat, Seikaly has found his element…as a DJ of house music.

At 6′ 11″, he’s probably the tallest DJ on record. He might also be the happiest. I hung out with him during a recent gig at Club Liv on Miami Beach where Seikaly regularly does his thing for the see-and-be-seen crowd.  He seems like a man who really has found his element. Who knew ?

Seikaly always marched to his own beat. Now, he’s got people jammin’ to his beats. His thumpin’ brand of techno music isn’t what I play on my I-pod (I stay more in the R & B, Jazz, and blues lanes) but I  respect a guy who finds his musical space.  And I certainly respect Seikaly for following his passion, and turning it into a lucrative new life.  Some DJ’s command crazy money…$25,000 to $100,000 a night.

Rony won’t say what he’s pulling down, but he’s been a wheeler dealer his whole life. He wouldn’t be doing it for chump change. He’s 45 years old now, and rarely attends Heat games. He’s too busy jet setting around the world playing music.  He doesn’t think he’s too old to DJ at clubs frequented by Twenty somethings.  Rony never wants to grow up or grow old. I’m with him on both counts.

When he played in the NBA, Seikaly was a solid player, but never a true star. In his new world, he’s well on his way to becoming one.

His basketball life with the Heat has long since burned out. But Rony Seikaly has a new flame. Good for him.

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General Ireland

Posted on January 25, 2012 by jimberrysports

When Tony Sparano got fired as Dolphins head coach,  many fans thought G-M Jeff Ireland should also have been whacked.  I didn’t agree. Now, Ireland has the chance to prove me right.

Last year, when he was finally free of Bill Parcells’ considerable shadow, Ireland made some astute football moves. The Dolphins draft was solid. Snagging Reggie Bush and Matt Moore proved smart. Even Kevin Burnett started to play like the linebacker he was supposed to be.   But let’s not sugarcoat it.   This team does not yet have much elite talent.  Unless Ireland raised the talent bar, then he should follow Sparano out the door.

Ireland emerges from the Fins coaching search with even greater authority than before.  New coach Joe Philbin figures to defer to him initially on personnel matters, meaning Ireland won’t be able to pass the buck on any mistakes. The buck will stop with him.   He seems to know what the needs are….quarterback, tight end, pass rushers.   More importantly, the Dolphins need some DIFFERENCE makers.  Jason Taylor just retired and will someday be in the team’s ring of honor. But who now on the roster will join him. Jake Long..maybe ?

The Dolphins need Tom Brady, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed kind of players. I would settle even for Vernon Davis and Victor Cruz type talent. GAME CHANGERS.

Reggie Bush is very good, but is he all-pro ? Brandon Marshall is Pro bowl bound, but his pouty attitude scares me. Unless the other team is game planning to stop you, you are not a game changer.

Ireland emerged the winner in the battle of Jeffs. Team owner Stephen Ross chose him over Jeff Fisher, a seasoned coach who probably wanted more control than he deserved. I’ve been saying for years that the Dolphins need an organization, not a savior. Now, the clear leader of this rebuilding job is the military-looking Ireland.

General Ireland…you got the power. Now use it wisely.

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Too cool for school

Posted on January 11, 2012 by jimberrysports

I hope blowing that game last night against Golden State is a wake up call for the Heat. Sometimes, they are just too cool for school.   When they suffer these lapses, they act as though other teams won’t challenge them. So they make casual passes. They don’t lock down rebounds. They miss too many free throws. They end up keeping other teams in the game. No way Golden Sate should have come back and beat them last night.

When Lebron Jams buried back to back jumpers, the Heat went up by 17. But then Lebron vanished again in crunch time. Why is he standing up top, force feeding the ball to Udonis Haslem ? I love U-D, but when did he become the Heat’s closer ? Lebron didn’t even take a shot when the Heat needed someone to step up. Once again, he looked like a front runner…He’s the man when there’s no pressure..but when things get tight…Hmmm.

Dwyane Wade came back strong, but his jump shot is still flat. If he keeps missing that, teams will start playing off of him.  Haslem and Shane Battier need a little extra shooting practice. Mario Chalmers is playing hard with a great attitude. But his reckless turnovers prove he’s no real point guard.  Chris Bosh is the ultimate too cool for schooler. Time and again, he gets stripped of the ball as if no one will try to swat it when its in his hands.  Earth to Chris..when you get the ball, be more decisive and forceful.

I’m sure Erik Spolestra sees all of this. Frankly, the coach looked as bewildered as I did watching this game melt away. Why didn’t he insist that Wade and Lebron attack the rim when the game was slipping away ?  Anyway..enough of my ranting.

I’m sure the Heat will fix their problems, so these little bad habits go away. They clearly are the most talented team in the NBA, but they will NOT win an NBA title by playing..too cool for school.

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Touchdown ?..Jesus !!

Posted on January 8, 2012 by jimberrysports

That’s it…I’m a believer.  Seeing Tim Tebow throw that 80-yard touchdown to Damarius Thomas on the first play of overtime converted me.

I was thorougly convinced that Pittsburgh would march into Denver and demolish the Broncos. The Tebow charade would be over. John Elway would then be free to go get a “real” quarterback.  Things would get back to reality.

But the more gimpy Ben Roethlisberger struggled, the more I began to wonder. Tebow actually completed some passes downfield. They may have taken an hour to get there, but they were on target. The Broncos got a lead, and their defense was playing lights out.

Then, just like I thought, the Steelers would wake up. They tied the game. In overtime, they would put little Timmy in his place. Was I fooled. Tebow fearlessly put the ball on the money, beating a Pittsburgh defense so worried about him running that they left a speedy tight end wide open.  Game over. Of course, Tebow instantly dropped to one knee..and “Tebow-ed.”  They say prayer changes things. It sure has in Denver.

The final stats say that Tebow threw for 316 yards. His favorite Biblical verse is John 3:16. “For God so loved the world…he gave us his only begotten son..” is the gist of it.  In Denver, they want to amend that verse to say..”he gave us his only begotten QUARTERBACK.”

So now we know. Beyond a shadow of a doubt. TIM TEBOW IS TOUCHDOWN JESUS !! You don’t have to believe. But I do.

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Taylor made

Posted on January 1, 2012 by jimberrysports

       

 

  Jason Taylor was always cool. When he played football, and even when he danced,  J-T was always the king of composure.  His emotional farewell finally revealed the man behind that cool exterior. 

        Taylor acknowledged the family that raised him through humble beginnings in Pittsburgh, the coaches who helped mold him into a Hall-of-Fame caliber player, and even the Dolphins public relations people who urged him to do countless media interviews.

      Who knew that the best Dolphin defensive player of all time had such a dose of humility. Maybe THAT’s what helped propel him to greatness.  All week long, Taylor talked about not being owed anything.   He didn’t always feel that way.  He rightfully thought the Dolphins left him hangin’ a few years ago when Bill Parcells foolishly kicked him to the curb.

      Luckily for the Dolphins, Taylor’s loyalty to the aqua and orange got over the snub. He returned not once but twice to guarantee his career would end where it started.  Taylor might go down as the Dolphin player with the fewest critics in history.   Who can say anything bad about a guy who played to the hilt, and then faced the music whether it was good or bad ?

     Sometimes the stars align and sometimes they don’t.  Dan Marino retired without a Super Bowl ring because the Dolphins didn’t have a defense. Taylor leaves without one because the Dolphins didn’t have enough offense.  Imagine if the two had been team mates during their prime. 

   As Lebron James said, Marino and Taylor might have had “not one…not two…not three..” but who knows how many.  Marino’s legacy is not dimished, and Taylor’s won’t be either.

      As it turns out, the Dolphins coolest player…was also a cool guy.

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