NBA Series-by-Series Breakdown

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers:

The top-seeded Bulls come in with quite a resume. They won 50 games in a shortened NBA season and beat out the Miami Heat for the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. What is even more astounding is the fact the Bulls played a significant part of the season without their Superstar Derek Rose. Rose seems to be as healthy as he has been all season and that is bad news for the Philadelphia 76ers who lose this series in 5 games.


The Chicago Bulls defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 4-1



(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks:

These teams look to rekindle their rivalry and will do that without a doubt. This is, by far the most interesting series in the first round. The Knicks have the potential to beat the Heat, but will they put it all together? New York puts pressure on its team, but Miami has pressure from the whole country. Lebron James is the best player on either team and that is why I am picking the Heat in 7 games.

The Miami Heat defeat the New York Knicks 4-3.

*NOTE* Some videos from the Heat-Knicks rivalry of the 90's are shown below.

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic

This series is between two teams heading in the opposite directions. The young, upstart Indiana Pacers who play so well together are going up against a team whose best player let them down all season and ended it by getting hurt before the playoffs started. Dwight Howard isn't playing for Orlando in this series and since I don't want to dedicate this post to him, I just want to say the Magic are in trouble. They are playing an Indiana team who has all the pieces necessary to make noise in the playoffs this season: inside scoring and rebounding, very good defense and shooters on the outside. They will do just that by beating the Howard-less Magic in 5 games.

The Indiana Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 4-1.

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Boston Celtics

This Atlanta Hawks team always seems to get a bad matchup in the first round. They just aren't good enough to compete with the big time playoff teams. With that being said, do the Celtics have enough in the tank for one more championship run? I am not totally sold on them, but Rajon Rondo is the best player on either team and the Hawks are without Forward Al Horford. Boston takes this series in 6 games.

The Boston Celtics defeat the Atlanta Hawks 4-2.

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz

This is the typical 1 versus 8 matchup we are all accustomed to. The Utah Jazz played their way into the playoffs and that's great for them and for the City of Utah. Hopefully someone has told them that their dream is about to come to an end. The too often referred to as "old" Spurs looked poised and ready to make a run at the title. They will get through the first round without much resistance and knock of the Jazz in 5 games.

The San Antonio Spurs defeat the Utah Jazz 4-1.

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks:

The Thunder are coming off of a breakout regular season. However, they stumbled at the end of it and gave up their grip on the top seed in the Western Conference. That was a critical mistake because now they are facing the Mavericks who knocked them off last year en route to their first NBA Championship. Dallas is a team that struggled throughout the season and excluding last year, they have been eliminated from the playoffs early. They will get back to their old ways, but not without a fight. The Thunder take this series in 7 games.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Dallas Mavericks 4-3.

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets

The Lakers come into this series as an NBA Finals darkhorse. But, can any team from Los Angeles be considered a darkhorse? They have two seven-footers that must do their job for their team to make a run. The Denver Nuggets are a solid team; however, they do not have a star. The NBA is a star driven league and when there is two minutes left, the Lakers have a guy who can deliver with Kobe Bryant. The Nuggets are missing that guy and that is going to keep them from advancing. Los Angeles takes the series in 6 games.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Denver Nuggets 4-2.

(4) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

This series is a toss-up in my mind. Memphis played very well in last year's playoffs, but can they duplicate that performace? Los Angeles hasn't been to the playoffs in a while, but their leader has been in many playoff duels. Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league, but for the Clippers to win this game they will need someone else to step up down the stretch. Mo Williams could be a Jason Terry kind of player and help this team pull off the upset in 7 games.



The Los Angeles Clippers defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 4-3.

NFL 2012 Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford


2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor


3. Minnesota Vikings: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU


4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama


5. Tampa Bay Bucanneers: Matt Kalil, OT, Southern California


6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State


7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina


8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M


9. Carolina Panthers: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State


10. Buffalo Bills: Whitney Mercilus, DE/LB, Illinois


11. Kansas City Chiefs: David Decastro, OG, Stanford


12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College


13. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa


14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, S, Alabama


15. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Brockers, DT, Louisiana State


16. New York Jets: Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina


17. Cincinnati Bengals: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina


18. San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia


19. Chicago Bears: Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse


20. Tennessee Titans: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis


21. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama


22. Cleveland Browns: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame


23. Detroit Lions: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford


24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama


25. Denver Broncos: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State


26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor


27. New England Patriots: Courtney Upshaw, DE, Alabama

28. Green Bay Packers: Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State


29. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin


30. San Francisco 49ers: Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin


31. New England Patriots: Devon Still, DT/DE, Penn State


32. New York Giants: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford






Feel free to let me know what you think in the comment box below or on twitter: @james_rapien.

4-24-12 Show Rundown

Don't forget to go to bearcastradio from 12-2 for my live radio show. We will cover topics like the upcoming NBA Playoffs, the NFL Draft that is only two days away and whether The University of Kentucky Basketball team should be honored by the Reds (the answer is yes. It is a NO-BRAINER). Also, we will listen to some tunes, talk about Metta World War (shown below) and much much more. Make sure you tune in! www.bearcastradio.com

Metta World Peace aka Ron Artest elbows
 James Harden leaving him concussed.
(the video is below)

The UK Wildcats are being honored by the Cincinnati
Reds at Great American Ballpark tonight.

With the NBA Playoffs just 5 days away,
 who is the favorite?

Metta World WAR!!

Metta World Peace morphed into Ron Artest on Sunday and did this:

Xavier's Latest Addition

Xavier's new transfer Matt Stainbrook (above) reminds
me of this dude who looks like a lady.

The Cincinnati Reds Lock Up Joey Votto Through 2023

The Reds are just two days away from Opening Day and Reds fans have another reason to be excited about the upcoming year. Cincinnati has made a few trades and free agent signings that excited the fan base that was disappointed in 2011 after the Reds won the Central Division in 2010. Former National League MVP Joey Votto was rumored in trades last season, simply because the Reds couldn't afford to pay him (or at least that's what most baseball insider's thought).

Well, Votto signed a 10-year $225 million extension on Tuesday with the Reds. Votto, signing the fourth largest contract in MLB history, will likely be a Red for the remainder of his career.


What does this mean for a small-market team committing so much money to one player? It means the Reds have their first baseman for the next decade. It makes the Mat Latos deal look better for the Reds, considering they gave up Yonder Alonzo, who was a top notch prospect who also played first base.

It also means that the face of the franchise may be gone after this season. Some know him as @datdudeBP if you follow him on twitter and others just call him "Phillips." Either way, Brandon Phillips is in the last year of his contract. He will be 31 years-old at the end of the season. I can't blame the Reds for locking up Votto, who is three-years younger and an MVP calibur talent. Brandon Phillips is an All-Star, but he is not an MVP.

It seemed as though the Reds were still going to invest money in Phillips and either trade, or let Votto walk. I believe many Reds fans wanted tried to convince themselves resigning Phillips was the best option. But, deep down, they knew letting Votto leave Cincinnati would be a mistake. Now, the Reds have struck a long-term deal with a player who could go down as one of the best to ever wear a Cincinnati uniform.

Joey Votto is only 28-years old. He is an above average defender and a player who’s more than capable of batting .320, while hitting 40 home runs and knocking in over 100 rbi’s every year. He is the best hitter in the National League and I don’t think many people will debate that.

Reds management knows what Votto brings to the table and that talent is untradeable. The Reds would never have received equal value for Votto and that is why the decision to keep him in Cincinnati is so crucial. He will produce year-in and year-out. It shows the fans, the community and the country that the Cincinnati Reds are all about winning and they are willing to spend money to win.
Cincinnati hasn’t had news like this since the Ken Griffey Jr. trade in 2000. The difference between the two is that Votto is still in his prime and doesn’t have the wear and tear that Griffey had when he came to Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Reds want to win and they believe that Joey Votto will be a major contributor and big part of the future of the success of the organization. If someone likes a house enough to buy it, they obviously think the house fits them. They may plan to have kids and watch them grow in that house. But if they know that it will be a highly competitive market, why not make an offer that is too good for the owners to pass up?

Cincinnati did that with Joey Votto. If the Reds truly believe Joey Votto can be an MVP-calibur player for years to come and the face of the Cincinnati Reds, then this deal is a no-brainer. They gave Votto an offer too good to pass up and now he will be able to lead the team for the next decade.

Time will tell on whether or not the investment will pay off. Regardless, it is obvious the Cincinnati Reds want to get back to their winning tradition.

Joey Votto's new contract is proof the Cincinnati Reds
want to win now, and in the future.