Here are some of the first screenshots for the upcoming Madden '10 game. From the looks of it, the graphics are beginning to look more and more and realistic. I hope the gameplay does the same. Madden '10 will be available for most systems. Off the graphics alone, people will go out and pre-order this game.
Now that the NBA playoffs are underway, a star has now emerged to the spotlight. Derrick Rose. Everyone knew he was a good rookie, but no one knew that he was THAT good. In his first playoff game, he became only the second person in NBA history to score at least 35 points and 10 assist in game 1 against the defending NBA champions, Boston Celtics. He led the Bulls in a dramatic upset. Even though the Bulls lost game 2 in Boston, they managed to split homecourt advantage. Now Derrick Rose & Co. will go back home for game 3 where lately they have been 14-2 at home. Pretty impressive. I don't think the Celtics thought the Bulls had a grain of chance in defeating them, but now realization is starting to set in. They struggled to beat the Bulls in game 2, only by a last second shot, they don't have Kevin Garnett likely for the whole playoffs, Raja Rondo, their starting point guard, got banged up last game and is a little uneasy. Things in Boston seem to be unraveling, but only time will tell.
With all the playoff talk in the NBA world today, people are speculating on which teams will do well and which won't. In the western conference, people mention the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, San Antonio, or the Denver Nuggets. But with these last 2 weeks of the regular season, more and more are starting to realize that the Portland Trailblazers are FOR REAL. Last night, the Blazers made the Denver Nuggets look like a non-playoff team. They were up as many as 30 points at one point before the Blazers threw in their bench. The main aspect of their playing is that they are a non-selfish team. Even with Brandon Roy as the premiere player for them, they are always about team first. How is this for a stat, last night, the blazers bench scored 60 points. 60 points? Can a bench actually put up those types of numbers. That makes the whole playoff picture scary. People are overlooking the Blazers, but they might want to focus more on them because right now, they seem like a top team that will give others fits.
*Side note= Rudy Fernadez is BALLER. He set the record for most 3-pointers in a season for a rookie last night.
Aside from basketball, this is big football news. John Madden, the most iconic football sportscaster announced retirement. I know i'm not alone when i say that this is sad news, but it's also a celebration of football in a sense. He made football even more exciting then the sport already is. His voice is recognizable from any football fan. His name on the videogame brand "Madden," has had millions on top of millions in profit over the years. It is the most played sports gaming brand. Even though Madden isn't dying, the football world will miss him more than they know.
Isiah Thomas, former New York Knicks President and coach, is reportedly in the running for the headcoach position at Florida International University. Thomas has had his troubles in the recent past, including a sexual assault case that has been settled. Tim Hardaway, a former Miami Heat player, said that he threw his name in the hat, but that, "Isiah will get it." I know that Thomas is one of the top 50 players in NBA history, but in regards to his coaching, I don't think that it is something that works for him. Many players feel that it is easy to transition from player to coach, but find out that it's not the case at all and that it's very hard. It's not the same by any means.
In the last game between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Caveliers, the Celtics struggled to say the least. They were getting beat by more than 20 points for much of the game. It was almost a no-show for the Celtics who feel that the Cleveland is going to be their biggest competition for the Eastern Conference finals, while overlooking other teams who have given them a run for their money. But in this last game, Ray Allen, one of the most respected players in the game today, sunk to a new "low" to say the least. Allen chose to take out his frustration in a unique way...
Blake Griffin, forward for Oklahoma will not play his final two years at the school and will go to the NBA with award for College Basketball's Player of the Year. This seems like a very good decision. Even though his team didn't win the championship, he has proven that he can help take a team to the top. And with many struggling teams in the NBA right now, his help is greatly needed. In the Western Conference of the NBA, among playoff teams, the competition is steep. Blake Griffin could be that player that takes a team to contention. His rebounding, plus scoring skills are what teams lack right now.
Michael Jordan's son, Marcus Jordan has chosen to play basketball with a scholarship from the University of Central Floriday. It must be unimaginable to constantly be compared to the greatest basketball player to ever live, and by the way he is YOUR father. Marcus Jordan may not be as good as his father, but he is doing what is good for himself and that's all that one can ask for.
