Hello Brooklyn, Hello NBA

The Brooklyn Nets have came out playing great basketball in their first 14 games. They have been dominating the boards against most of their opponents and sit on top of the Atlantic Division tied with the other New York team, the Knicks. The Nets beat the Knicks on Monday in OT at the Barclays Center. Brooklyn has been playing tough and physical basketball. That didn't go over big with some of the Celtics players last night, though. After Kris Humphries had a hard foul that sent Kevin Garnett to the floor, Rondo stepped in and shoved Humphries. He swung a few punches at the Brooklyn Power Forward. Rondo wasn't happy after he got blocked by Humphries earlier in the game. Rondo was immediately ejected and wasn't able to pass John Stockton on the most consecutive games with 10 assists list. Humphries and Gerald Wallace were thrown out of the game, too. Rondo will probably be facing a suspension of a couple games and a fine. This is his 3rd ejection since the start of last year. The Nets won handily and sent Doc Rivers and the Boston fans home not happy. The Nets have won four straight and look like they can play with anyone the league has to offer. It will be very interesting to see how this team fares in the long run. To see more of my thoughts on the NBA, follow me on Twitter @MM8sports.

Things on the West Coast

This weeks slate of games could turn out to be the best weekend in college football. There are a handful of great games. In the Iron Bowl, I am picking Alabama to win, and win big over arch rival Auburn. The West coast showcases three of the biggest games this week. UCLA and Stanford will go at it in a big game that  will decide Stanford's and Oregon's fate. If the Cardinals beat the Bruins, Stanford will play UCLA again next week in the PAC-12 Championship. If UCLA wins, Oregon will need to beat rival Oregon State to play in the PAC-12 Championship. I think that Stanford will win with their defense. Up North of Pasadena is Corvallis, where Oregon will take on Oregon State in the Civil War. The game will be played in the rain, which will help Oregon State try and slow down the high-potent Oregon offense. However, I think that Kenjon Barner and the Oregon Ducks are just too much for the Beavers. Perhaps the biggest game of the weekend will be played at the Los Angeles Coliseum when Notre dame and USC take the field. Everybody knows it, a Notre Dame win will put them in the National Championship. It is all set up for the Fighting Irish. Matt Barkley is out with a shoulder injury and Redshirt Freshman Max Wittek will be getting the start for the Trojans. Wittek has a cannon of an arm, and with receivers like Marqise Lee and Robert Woods he gives this USC team a chance. I am really high on Wittek. Notre Dame doesn't have a strong secondary, so look for Kiffin to have Wittek throwing the ball. He has a tough task of going up against Notre Dame's front seven, but I think if USC can get the running game going the Trojas will knock off the Irish. This is my upset pick of the week. I really think USC will defeat the Fighting Irish. To see my thoughts on this weekend's games, follow me on Twitter @MM8sports.

Tournaments Before the Tourney

The college basketball season kicked off Friday and has been very exciting to watch. Tuesday was the annual midnight marathon that schools around the country do to kickoff the season. There have been a bunch of marquee matchups in the first week so far. UCONN took on Michigan State on an aircraft carrier in Germany. The Huskies knocked off the then-14 Spartans. MSU bounced back with a thrilling win over Kansas in Atlanta last night. Kentucky started their quest for a National Championship on Friday. The Wildcats barely squeezed past Maryland. However, Kentucky fell to Duke in Atlanta on Tuesday. A bunch of top 25 teams survived scares. UCLA beat UC Irvine in OT last night. The Bruins had a great recruiting class that came in this year. Kyle Anderson [St. Anthony's, NJ] has played well for UCLA in the first few games. The Bruins were without Freshman star Shabazz Muhammad against UCI. Muhammad is in the dog house for recruiting violations. The Freshman from Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] has not played this whole season, and might not for a couple of games. UCLA needs him back, though. The Bruins are participating in the Legends Classic at the Barclays Center this Monday. The other three teams including in the event are Georgia, Georgetown, and the #1 team in the country, Indiana. The Bruins are set for a matchup with the Hoyas in the first round. Georgetown had a tough time against Duquesne on Sunday. That gave Hoya fans a little worry, but Freshman D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera[Oak Hill, VA] came up big for Georgetown off the bench. I think Georgetown will knock off the Bruins in a good game. The big reason for that is that Muhammad [if he plays] might be a little out of sync and has a difficult challenge of going up against Otto Porter. In the Legends Classic Finals, I think Indiana will beat Georgetown. Indiana has the best Cent in the country in Cody Zeller. Zeller is one of the top candidates for Naismith Player of the Year. I have waited since early April to say this, but college basketball is finally back! You can see all of my thoughts on all of the games by following me on Twitter @MM8sports.

 

Johnny Football

Everyone has heard about the new sensation in college football. Johnny Manziel has been lighting up the stat sheets this year in the SEC as a Freshman. Johnny Football, as everyone likes to call him, has thrown for 16 TDs this season. Manziel's running is what makes him special, though. This player has the ability to make a big play out of nothing. He will be going up against the best defense in the country this weekend. The Texas A&M Aggies will take on Alabama at Paul Bear Bryant Stadium at 3:30 on CBS. This Bama team is fresh off a big win against LSU last week. This will be a very close game, but I am going with the upset pick. I think Texas A&M will knock off the Crimson Tide in a very close game. The fans in Tuscaloosa will be out today when the SEC newcomer tries to knock off the top dog in the conference. To check my thoughts on today's game, follow me on Twitter @MM8sports. 

Style Statement

 The Knicks have been playing great so far this season in their first three games. Carmelo has been playing outstanding averaging 26 points a game in their first three games. They kicked off the season with a big win against the Heat and have beaten the 76ers twice since. They have won their three games by an average of 19.3 points. However, what isn't really looking good for the Knicks are these knew uniforms they unveiled recently. Sunkist is probably looking to endorse the Knicks now. New York isn't the only team that is unveiling new alternative jerseys, though. The Thunder have joined in on the act, too. They are wearing the jersey below on Friday against the Pistons. The Thunder are at 2-2 and have had trouble getting off the ground this year after the Harden trade was made. They are probably hoping these jerseys will give them a little spark. 

Fashion Grade for Each Team

                                                Knicks                      Thunder 

                                 Color           D                              B-

                               Design          B+                             A-

                                Shorts          B+                              B

                               Overall          C                                B

P.S. Ordering the new Thunder jerseys started today at 4 PM.

Saturday Showdown

Tomorrow, there are two of the most highly anticipated matchups of the whole college football season. Alabama will travel down to Baton Rouge to take on LSU in a rematch of last year's National Championship game. The Crimson Tide are sitting at #1 in the nation and control their own destiny in the SEC. LSU has played great ever since their loss to Florida. This game will most likely decide the outcome of the SEC East. This game will come down to the wire, but I think LSU will come out on top. The Tigers have found a good RB in Jeremy Hill. Out in the pac-12, Oregon will take on USC in a clash of two of the best offenses in the country. USC is coming off a tough loss to Arizona, while Oregon just had their largest win of the year by putting up 70 points on Colorado. Oregon is favored by 8 points, but USC always plays well against the Ducks. I think Oregon is too explosive this year, though. I like Oregon to win in exciting fashion. If you want to see my updates and thoughts on tomorrow's games, follow me on Twitter @MM8sports.