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Vandalized: Moore and Pettis combine to route Vandals

Trent Lootens — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:42:20 +0000

JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER - Junior receivers Austin Pettis and Titus young celebrate after one of Pettis' four touchdowns. The pair combined for 224 yards and five touchdowns in Boise State's route over Idaho.

Boise State used rival Idaho as an opportunity to flex their muscles to the nation by blowing out the Vandals 63-25 in a game that was never close.

BSU sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore improved his Heisman stock as well. Moore threw for 299 yards and five touchdowns against an Idaho defense that had no answers for Broncos newly revived no-huddle offense.

Idaho killed themselves early in the game by turning the ball over on their first two possessions inside their own territory. Moore and junior wide receiver Austin Pettis made them pay for the mistakes.

Pettis put on a clinic, catching eight passes for 123 yards and four touchdowns. Pettis now holds the record for most receiving touchdowns in a single season by a Bronco with 14.

“We came into this game with a big mentality as a receiving core that is was going to be on our shoulders, Pettis said. “We knew if we could make a lot of plays it was going to be a good outcome.”

Idaho was down 14-0 before they even knew what hit them. The Broncos capitalized on Idaho’s turnovers early. Moore hit Pettis on a 4-yard fade route and then on the next drive found junior receiver Titus Young streaking through the middle on a 25-yard TD reception making the score 14-0 early in the first quarter.

The Vandal offense showed signs of life early. DeMaundray Woolridge was a

JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER - Junior receiver Austin Pettis catches a long ball down the sideline from sophomore quarterback Kellen Moore.

one-man wrecking crew, running for 145 yards and two touchdowns, but this game was about BSU establishing its dominance in the rivalry and leaving no doubt who was the better team.

“It’s good to start playing well. Anytime you’re able to score 63 you feel pretty good,” Moore said.

Right before the half the Vandals engineered a great scoring drive cutting into BSU’s lead 35-17, but Young made sure in didn’t stay close for long.

Young took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards to house right before the end of the half. The return gave BSU a commanding 42-17 lead going into the half taking away any wind left in the Vandals’ sails.

“That was a great play by him. I just saw him and the parting of the seas and he just shot the gap. Obviously to close the half off like that was a momentum shift,” Wilson said.

Idaho sophomore quarterback Brian Reader continued his struggles in the second half. Reader was intercepted by BSU senior cornerback Kyle Wilson five minutes into the third quarter. Wilson caught the ball on the run and was off to the races for his second interception return for a touchdown in three games.

“I recognized the formation and had a feeling it was coming. I just watched his hips and as soon as he dropped I just tried to locate the ball as fast as I could and tried to get my hands on it,” Wilson said smiling.

BSU dug into their playbook again in the third quarter. Freshmen running back Matt Keiserman took a handoff and threw to a wide open tight end Kyle Efaw in the corner of the end zone. The pass put BSU up 56-17 mid way through the third quarter.

Keiserman later got injured on a running play during cleanup duty and was carted off the field. It didn’t look good.

“He’s had some hard, tough luck,” BSU head coach Chris Petersen said. “He is a tremendously important member of this team and a really good player. Sometimes that luck goes in spurts. Really good and really bad…It wasn’t looking too good out there.”

A big part of Idaho’s failures came from Reader who threw five interceptions that seemed to come at the worst time for the Vandals. Idaho out-gained BSU 514-458, but it didn’t matter. Idaho had seven turnovers in all – BSU did not have a turnover, which was the deciding stat in the game.

Junior running back Jeremy Avery carried the ball 14 times for 110 yards. Young also chipped in big on the receiving side for BSU with six catches for 101 yards and a TD.

After the game, Petersen was very happy with the effort of his team and the offenses capability to convert in the red zone.

“For us to get as many turnovers as we did and make some plays on special teams was great. I thought our offense was clicking better than ever. I think it was a really good game to have this time of the season,” the coach said.

Moore brothers finally connect

Trent Lootens — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:45:58 +0000

NIK BJUSTROM/THE ARBITER Kellen Moore drops back during an early season contest against Miami (OH)

Kirby Moore came to Boise State to play football with his brother Kellen. The brothers played together as early as Pop Warner league and now have the chance to showcase their skills at the college level.

Saturday against San Jose State the brothers connected for their first touchdown as Broncos.

Kirby lined up wide left next to sophomore Tyler Shoemaker for a first down play on BSU’s own 39-yard line early in the first quarter. Kellen took the snap and rolled out to his left with strong pressure coming from his blind side and threw a laser over Shoemaker right to Kirby. With his great hands, Kirby pulled in the high pass and took off with nothing but blue in front of him all the way to the end zone.

“When I first caught the ball I thought the guy was really close to tackling me,” Kirby said. “It was like it was too easy at first so I was checking around to make sure nobody was around me.”

Kirby took advantage of the look San Jose State’s defense gave him and utilized a great block by Shoemaker to break into the open field.

“I wasn’t expecting it, but the defense they played just worked to our favor and I just tried to make the most of the opportunity,” Kirby said. “They were playing man coverage and Tyler Shoemaker deserves a lot of credit. He put a pretty good pick on my guy who was trying to trail me.”

The Moore combination finally coming together was a great sign for the Bronco offense. Kirby is another reliable weapon to Kellen’s arsenal. The quarterback a barrage of options for potential deep threats.

Kirby, along with receivers Austin Pettis, Titus Young and Shoemaker completes the most dangerous wide receiver combination since the 2007 Fiesta Bowl team. Mitch Burroughs, a graduate of Meridian High School, caught his first touchdown of the season on a wide open 18-yard pass Saturday.

“We’ve got a lot of guys. (Opposing defenses) Can’t really focus on one guy. Other guys will make plays and kill you with it. Every week it seems like we’ve got a new guy stepping up. You just got to be prepared for everyone,” Kellen said.

Kellen thought it was great to finally be able to connect with his brother for a score, but realizes it’s going to be the first of many.

“It had to come at some point. We’re going to be here a few more years,” the quarterback said.

Kellen’s first touchdown pass to his brother was a special moment. The team had been waiting for this moment all year and for it to happen the way it did was great for everyone.

“That was awesome. I think everybody on our sideline had a smile on their face. To get a chance to play division one football with your brother is rare. Not many guys get a chance to play division one football and then when your brother is good enough to play and you can hook up for touchdowns too, it’s special,” Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said.

The Moore brothers get their next chance to put up points next week against a beleaguered Louisiana Tech pass defense who surrendered 327 yards through the air in its most recent game in a loss to the Idaho Vandals.

Boise State Volleyball upsets U of I; Idaho football preps for Hawaii

Matt Bedinger — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:55:40 +0000

COURTESY NIK BJUSTROM BSU sophomore setter Breann Nesselhuf sets the ball during early season play

For the first time in 10 years, the Boise State volleyball team beat the University of Idaho Monday night. Boise State, now 2-16 (2-4 in WAC play) on the campaign, pulled an improbable win against a highly touted yet unproven Vandal squad (7-11, 3-3 WAC).

Idaho was supposed to dominate the match with both of the Vandals’ middle blockers, seniors Debbie Pederson and Anna McKinney. Strong and relentless play from a young Bronco team proved otherwise.
Down game point several times in the second set, Boise State rallied and capitalized on its lone set point, winning the set 28-26. The third set was won by Idaho and the Broncos closed the match in the fourth. Junior outside hitter Alisha Young and freshman outside hitter Cailin Fellows led the Broncos with 13 and 12 kills each.

On the gridiron, the Vandal football team (5-1, 2-0) is preparing to face the University of Hawaii (2-3, 0-2). After three consecutive weeks of winning by less than a touchdown, the Vandals are looking to exploit the pass-heavy offense of the Warriors, while putting pressure on the walk-on and third string-turned-starter sophomore quarterback Bryant Moniz. Starting senior quarterback Greg Alexander was sidelined for the year with a knee injury he suffered playing at Louisiana Tech and the Warriors’ backup quarterback has also been out with injury. Key players for the Warriors include wide receivers Greg Salas and Rodney Bradley, who lead the WAC in receiving yards per game.

Hawaii has had trouble stopping the power running game, giving up 352 yards on the ground to Louisiana Tech and 277 yards rushing to Fresno State. Idaho will look to get a lot of reps from their three-headed monster at halfback, DeMaundray Woolridge, Princeton McCarty and Deonte’ Jackson.

With another strong showing from fans expected at the Kibbie Dome, Idaho is looking to improve its best start in their FBS history by moving to 6-1 on the season. Game time is 3 p.m. (MT) and the matchup will be aired on ESPN360.com.

BCS Editor’s Debate: The Boise State stance

Kirk Bell — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:18:25 +0000

Every college football season reveals new non-automatic BCS qualifiers. The cream of the underdog football world starts to rise to positions of potential greatness in the eyes of fans. The one team that has set the pace for all others year-in and year-out has been the No. 5 Broncos of Boise State University.

Many have said it is due to BSU’s lack in strength of schedule. Fair enough. But the one thing making BSU stand apart is consistency. Under the tutelage of head coach Chris Petersen, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Bryan Harsin, defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and a strong supporting staff, the Broncos have dominated their opponents with regularity and precision. The team has never faltered to less than 10 wins each year since its Cinderella season during 2006-07.

The coaches have proven not to be a fluke by losing only four games in over three seasons guiding BSU.

Statistically the Broncos are superior to No. 11 Texas Christian University and the No. 12 University of Houston in key areas. First is at the quarterback position.

All three teams boast talented quarterbacks. But sophomore BSU quarterback Kellen Moore has emerged as an athlete who has ice running through his veins. When he steps onto the field to drive his companions down the lawn it becomes business as usual. When he guides a receiver into the end zone – averaging 2.5 touchdown passes per game – he simply grins and saunters off to the sidelines and gets ready to do it again.

Moore is currently the second most efficient passer in the country with a rating of 177.51. But most importantly he knows how to put the Broncos into a scoring position. They have averaged 38.6 points per game with Moore behind center. He has thrown for 35 touchdowns through his collegiate career – which is less than one-and-one-half seasons old.

The Broncos also claim several national top honors in several categories including: No. 7 scoring offense (45.0 ppg), No. 11 turnover margin (+1.5), No. 7 team passing efficiency (166.82), No. 2 team interceptions (9), No. 5 defensive passing efficiency (83.69), No. 7 kickoff returns (32.71) and No. 9 team punting (40.73).

Aside from the handful of top 10 honors, t BSU touts top-25 honors. This with only four active seniors on the roster, two of which are expected to be NFL draftees – cornerback Kyle Wilson and tight end/fullback Richie Brockel. This isn’t the end of BSU dominance. Just wait until the 2010 season.

Don’t forget the running backs. The Broncos return with a stronger, healthier and more experienced offensive line that not only creates time for Moore but boosts the running backs to an average of 214.25 ypg. Compare that to TCU’s 217.0 ypg and Houston’s 127.0 ypg. The rushing attack which was lacking through 2008 has emerged amongst the best in FBS football. Running backs lead BSU with 11 carries for scores.

The Horned Frogs thus far have yet to display multiple faces at the running back position leaving senior running back Joseph Turner and senior quarterback Andy Dalton with little support on the ground. Though a tough rushing attack, there is still a lot to be seen from last year’s No. 11 ground assault that took down the Broncos during the bowl season. TCU’s conference schedule will be much more telling than their first three opponents.

WHY TCU AND HOUSTON WILL FAULTER

TCU lacks the ability to play the catch-up game against teams who can score points on them. They have faced a less-than-stellar Clemson, a FCS Texas State team who put up 21 points and a struggling Virginia team who rates middle of the road defensively and is in the gutters with the No. 111 offense in the country.

The Horned Frogs also lack the third leg that holds up a complete team – quality special teams.

They struggle to put together good field position. They average 20.83 yards per return and just 32.87 yards per punt.

Expect TCU to fall to either BYU – who has kept up and defended quality opponents in Oklahoma, Florida State and Colorado State – or Utah – who has a chip on its shoulder and possibly the best coached team in the Mountain West Conference.

The Houston Cougars could be the most intriguing of the non-BCS busting hopefuls. They have the best of their opponents behind them with victories over Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. Now they will have to battle for conference pride to make an unbeaten season happen. A telling game will be the Tulsa match-up Nov. 7 at Tulsa where the Cougars will have to prove themselves against an offense that has no problem scoring points with the help of Golden Hurricane sophomore quarterback G.J. Kinne.

Kinne has completed 63.5 percent of his passes during his first starting season. He was baptized into collegiate football when Tulsa faced Oklahoma where he threw two interceptions in their 45-0 loss. Consider it a lesson learned by a talented young quarterback who won’t overlook the Houston defense which allows 393.67 ypg.

Much like TCU, the Cougars will have a difficult time playing the catch-up game during in-conference play.

Simply put, BSU simply must expose the Golden Hurricane during their hosting of the Broncos Oct. 14. If BSU can win the road game, the worst is behind them besides a trip to Hawai’i to face the Warriors.

With a steady and focused mentality, the Broncos should have no problem reaching their third undefeated season in four years. They are simply the most efficient architects of a flawless record that is the prize of all BCS busting hopefuls.

The best scenario would be one putting Houston, TCU and BSU against the best of the best in BCS-type bowl games this season, pending they all go unbeaten. Each has the potential to run the table and each deserves a top rated bowl game to show the power emerging from the so-called underlings who prove themselves each season.

BSU has tasted the fruit. TCU has looked in just on the fringe. Houston is the team who yet has shown their potential. The rankings are telling of the road each program must travel through the years.

If nothing else, hopefully this season finally brings the individuals who sit on their national championship thrones and BCS-made beds to understand they are no longer superior to everyone and that more than one undefeated team deserves a shot at greatness. An undefeated season for all three schools could be a victory for the FBS as a whole.

Best of luck to the trend-setters.

Sideline Pass: LeBron James. a man among boys

Archive — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:00:00 +0000

LeBron James makes his living above the rim.

His dominant dunks strike fear into his opponents and amaze more than just the crowds who are religious NBA followers.

Now the 2009 Most Valuable Player has added a new aspect to his game that he never had before.

Shooting.

The only thing that has forced James to wait five NBA seasons to finally win an MVP award was inconsistent shooting from the floor.

Before the season began, James spent more time than ever at the Cavaliers’ training facility, shooting jump shots so he could eliminate this problem, and boy did he ever.

After fine-tuning his stroke, James shot 48.9 percent from the field during the regular season and averaged 28.4 points per game, but that was just a glimpse of what James is actually capable of.

By sharpening his shooting, James hopes that his recent success in the NBA Playoffs can translate into an NBA Championship.

During the Cavaliers’ four-game sweep of the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, he stepped his game up even more by upping his shooting percentage to 50.6 as well as his points per game to 32.

He’s also averaging 11.3 rebounds per game so far this postseason, up from 7.6 during the regular season. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound James has been dominant at both ends of the court this season. After finishing second in the Defensive MVP balloting behind the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard, any doubts that he was the NBA’s most complete player were gone.

Blocking shots and grabbing rebounds is just as much a part of James’ game as his jaw-dropping dunks that make him so valuable to the Cavaliers, and at times even seem superhuman.

The craziest thing about it all is that he is doing this stuff against professional players who also just have to sit back in awe due to the blatant separation of talent James posseses.

James, who is only 24 years old, is the second youngest player to win an MVP award. Wes Unseld won the award in 1968-69 at the age of 23.

Competing with Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade for MVP honors during the regular season seemingly forced James to put on nearly triple-double numbers all season. Throughout the season, the three players seemed to feed off each other’s dominating nightly performances.

The NBA’s three biggest stars brought their A game every night, and by the end of the season, SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays became a showcase of who could out do who.

The next challenge facing James in the second round of the NBA Playoffs is the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated Wade and the Miami Heat in an entertaining series that went seven games.

The Cavaliers have suddenly become the overwhelming favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals this year, and there are many saying they might be the favorite to win it all.

Of course, Bryant and the Lakers might have something to say about that, because Bryant, the 2008 MVP, and James, the 2009 MVP, are seemingly on a collision course. A meeting in the Finals is a match made in heaven.

TRENT LOOTENS
Arbiter Journalist

Sideline Pass

Archive — Mon, 04 May 2009 06:00:00 +0000

LeBron James makes his living above the rim.

His dominant dunks strike fear in his opponents and amaze more than just the crowds who are religious NBA followers.

Now the 2009 Most Valuable Player has added a new aspect to his game that he never had before.

Shooting.

The only thing that has forced James to wait five NBA seasons to finally win an MVP award was inconsistent shooting from the floor.

Before the season began James spent more time than ever at the Cavaliers’ training facility, shooting jump shots so he could eliminate this problem, and boy did he ever.

After fine-tuning his stroke, James shot 48.9 percent from the field during the regular season and averaged 28.4 points per game, but that was just a glimpse of what James is actually capable of.

By sharpening his shooting, James hopes that his recent success in the NBA Playoffs can translate into an NBA Championship.

He’s also averaging 11.3 rebounds per game so far this postseason, up from 7.6 during the regular season.

The 6-foot-8, 250-pound James has been dominant at both ends of the court this season. After finishing second in the Defensive MVP balloting behind the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard any doubt that he was the NBA’s most complete player were gone.

Blocking shots and grabbing rebounds is just as much a part of James’ game as his jaw-dropping dunks that make him so valuable to the Cavaliers, and at times even seem superhuman.

The craziest thing about it all is that he is doing this stuff against professional players who also just have to sit back in awe due to the blatant separation of talent James posses.

James, who is only 24 years old, is the second youngest player to win an MVP award. Wes Unseld won the award in 1868-69 at the age of 23.

Competing with Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade for MVP honors during the regular season seemingly forced James to put on nearly triple-double numbers all season.

Throughout the season the three players seemed to feed off each other’s dominating nightly performances.

They NBA’s three biggest stars brought their A game every night, and by the end of the season, SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays became a showcase of who could out do who.

The next challenge facing James in the second round of the NBA Playoffs is the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated Wade and the Miami Heat in an entertaining series that went seven games.

The Cavaliers have suddenly become the overwhelming favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals this year and there are many saying that they might be the favorite to win it all.

Of course Bryant and the Lakers might have something to say about that, because Bryant, the 2008 MVP, and James, the 2009 MVP, are seemingly on a collision course to meet in the Finals is a match made in heaven.

TRENT LOOTENS
Arbiter Journalist

Philosophy 101: The Mentor, Former University of Oregon Head Coach Mike Bellotti

Archive — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0000

When coaches become iconic to their organizations, the ideals that make them great often get pushed to the wayside. A deeper look into their thoughts and beliefs about their programs sheds light as to what makes their accomplishments great.

Chris Petersen’s two biggest adversaries during the Broncos’ 2008 campaign happened to be products of the same organization, UC Davis. One was TCU’s Gary Patterson. The second was Mike Bellotti of the University of Oregon.

Bellotti has stepped down as the admiral of Oregon Ducks football and has assumed the position of athletic director. The torch was passed to Chip Kelley who provided the Ducks’ offense with a stellar ground attack during the 2008 season.

Bellotti, of course, did not take this decision lightly. Fourteen seasons of guiding young men into Autzen Stadium would supposedly leave a firm legacy as Kelley assumes that role.

“I think that each coach needs to be his own person,” Bellotti said. “I think that Chip will take things that he really believes in and run with them. I think that the basic tenets of this program – the basic concepts we’ve built it on – I think he believes in [them]. And he is not going to change.”

Bellotti touched the lives of multiple individuals during his time at Oregon. There are aspects of coaching that he has seen done well and respects in many of his cohorts. Petersen’s philosophy has been rounded off with aspects that Bellotti believes he could learn from or that he might have passed on to the BSU guru.

“He’s won,” Bellotti said. “You know, he’s done it. I think that the thing about Chris is, I think [he] stays relatively composed on the sidelines. He’s got energy but he’s composed. When things go bad you don’t see him throwing in the towel or wringing his hands in disgust . He and I come from the same roots, the UC Davis program where we both played and coached, and I think that set a foundation and a framework for our beliefs. I think that each coach, as I say, takes a little bit from everybody they work with and learn from over the years.”

Now that Bellotti has moved on from football there are aspects of his game that will continue to ring true; lessons that he has found valuable not only for himself but for those who have come to know and respect him.

“My philosophy to what I do and what my job is, whatever job that I’m in, [is] to make it the very best job possible,” Bellotti said. “And then for the same experience for our student athletes and the same experience for our coaches. I want commitment. I want people to understand how important what we do is . We’re role models for everybody out there and we’re scrutinized at a very much higher level than the normal student-athlete or the normal person in the city of Eugene. I think just that awareness that I’ve had and I think that the awareness of the impact we can have on young people’s lives.”

There are countless lives that Bellotti has influenced over the years and multiple young men with different stories to tell. Those stories were heard at Oregon. They did not fall on deaf ears.

“I think again that is something I take great pride in,” Bellotti said. “I feel like our job, the longer I coach and the more I’m in this profession, whether it’s coaching or the athletic director position, our job is to prepare young men and women for real life. And I don’t know that there is any other place that does it better than the athletic arena at the college level . Your ability to juggle all the time demands of being a student-athlete and obviously being tested on a national stage, whether it be in front of 60 our 100 thousand people or literally on television in front of millions of people, I think is a tremendous learning phase and certainly places a tremendous burden of responsibility on coaches who are basically teachers.”

Bellotti knows that he is competing heavily for athletes who are eyed by teams such as the University of Southern California, and others who seem to simply reach out their hands and players come flocking to them. Eugene, Ore. has qualities that surpass those of the southern California rat race that many coaches and athletes might find distracting. Bellotti has been a key component in building an empire at Oregon that creates a lifestyle that others can flock to.

“It is the big time experience in an environment that allows you to do what you want,” Bellotti said. “We have a lesser distraction factor here than say the big cities. We have a better commitment to facilities and we have a quality of life that is second to none. I think that each coach finds a thing that he truly believes in and he thinks that he can sell about his environment. And that’s what you sell. My job choices in life have always been dictated by quality of life. For me and my family, for my players. For their ease in getting to school and to practice, downtown.”

Bellotti is yet another unique coach with his feet firmly in the ground where he lives with passion for the benefits that tend to be overlooked by competing programs.

Mentorship has been a facet of Bellotti’s tenure that has not been overlooked by his comrades. It is a quality that his athletes and fellow coaches have not left to the wayside. Most coaches mentor. Bellotti believes in what he does and perpetuates his values.

KIRK BELL
Sports Coordinator

Sideline Pass: Will Kobe finally win an NBA title without Shaq?

Archive — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Kobe Bryant has been blessed with one of the purest shooting strokes that basketball has ever seen.

He is capable of putting up 50 points at will and has scored as many as 81 points in a single game. While his greatness cannot be denied there are still doubters that say he can’t win a title on his own.

During the 1996 off-season the Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal duo was born after the Lakers signed O’Neal, who was a free agent at the time, and acquired the rookie Bryant in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac.

Bryant and O’Neal made the Lakers a consistent powerhouse in the in the late 1990s but were never able to get the championship they so desperately strove for.

That all changed prior to the 1999-00 season when the Lakers signed Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson.

After winning three consecutive championships from 2000-2002 Jackson, the Lakers secured their place in NBA history as one of the most dominant teams basketball had ever seen.

However, Bryant and O’Neal began to spar off-court under the pressure of whose team it was and who deserved the most credit on several occasions. This disagreement was made very public through the media and eventually led to the demise of the Kobe-Shaq era in Los Angeles.

The last time Kobe and Shaq ever played together was in game five of the 2004 NBA Finals in a loss to the Detroit Pistons, costing them their fourth championship in five years.

The Lakers, who were now Kobe’s team, missed the playoffs the next two years before returning to the playoffs in 2006 and were eliminated in the first round at the hands of the Phoenix Suns.

That same year, O’Neal took the Heat to the NBA Finals with fellow star Dwayne Wade, and came out victorious against the Dallas Mavericks, giving Shaq his fourth ring.

Bryant finally got the Lakers back to the Championship last year against the Boston Celtics, but was eliminated in six games.

The criticism that Bryant could not get his team to the championship without Shaq was over, but winning it was a different story.

This year, Kobe and his Lakers are playing their best basketball in a long time and seem poised to get back to the championship for their second consecutive year.

Only one thing is different this time – the Lakers are the favorite to win the title and all of the pressure is once again on Bryant to lead his team to the promised land.

For Bryant there can be no excuses considering how close they were last year. He must silence his critics and win a championship or forever be called “the guy who couldn’t win one without Shaq."

TRENT LOOTENS
Arbiter Journalist

Sideline Pass:Will Kobe finally win an NBA title without Shaq?

Archive — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Kobe Bryant has been blessed with one of the purest shooting strokes that basketball has ever seen.

Bryant and O’Neal made the Lakers a consistent powerhouse in the in the late 1990s but were never able to get the championship they so desperately strived for.

That all changed prior to the 1999-00 season when the Lakers signed Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson.

After winning three consecutive championships from 2000-2002 Jackson, the Lakers secured their place in NBA history as one of the most dominant teams basketball had ever seen.

The last time Kobe and Shaq ever played together was in game five of the 2004 NBA Finals in a loss to the Detroit Pistons, costing them their fourth championship in five years.

In 2004, the Lakers went through an extensive roster overhaul after Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler and a first-round draft pick.

The Lakers, who were now Kobe’s team, missed the playoffs the next two years before returning to the playoffs in 2006 and were eliminated in the first round at the hands of the Phoenix Suns.

That same year, O’Neal took the Heat to the NBA Finals with fellow star Dwayne Wade, and came out victorious against the Dallas Mavericks, giving Shaq his fourth ring.

Bryant finally got the Lakers back to the Championship last year against the Boston Celtics, but was eliminated in six games.

The criticism that Bryant could not get his team to the championship without Shaq was over, but winning it was a different story.

This year, Kobe and his Lakers are playing their best basketball in a long time and seem poised to get back to the championship for their second consecutive year.

Only one thing is different this time – the Lakers are the favorite to win the title and all of the pressure is once again on Bryant to lead his team to the promise land.

One thing Bryant has going for him is that the Lakers won more than 60 games this year and in the six previous times coach Jackson’s teams have won more than 60 games, they have won the NBA Championship.

For Bryant there can be no excuses considering how close they were last year. He must silence his critics and win a championship or forever be called “the guy who couldn’t win one without Shaq."

TRENT LOOTENS
Arbiter Journalist

Sideline Pass: Opening day is truly special

Archive — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Major League Baseball’s opening day might be the only sellout crowd many clubs will have the entire season.

While a strong argument exists that baseball has been replaced by football as America’s sport, there is no doubt that opening day is a special day in the sports world.

Due to weather, many games in the northeast portion of the United States were canceled, including the highly anticipated 2008 American League Championship rematch between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox.

The 2008 ALCS was one of the most unforgettable playoff series in MLB history due to the Rays’ underdog status. For those of you who forgot, the Red Sox, who were the defending World Series Champions, forced game 7 in Tampa Bay after trailing 3-1 in the series but were ousted by a score of 3-1 after a stellar pitching performance by the Rays’ Matt Garza.

Opening day for 2009 was supposed to belong to the Yankees $161 million man C.C. Sabathia, but the Baltimore Orioles had different plans.

Sabathia, in December of 2008, became the highest paid pitcher in MLB history after signing a seven-year deal worth $161 million, but the all-star outing every Yankee fan was waiting for, was not to be.

At the end of the day, it turned into one of the worst outings in Sabathia’s eight-year MLB career. Sabathia was shelled in his Yankee debut after giving up eight hits and five walks with zero strikeouts in just five innings of work.

Not the way the Yankees wanted to start their season.

The surprise on opening day has to go to the Texas Rangers who got out in front early and never looked back, eventually leading to a 9-1 shellacking over the Cleveland Indians.

What was most surprising about the Rangers’ win wasn’t the Rangers at all. It was the way the defending American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee performed.

Lee, who was arguably baseball’s most dominant pitcher in 2008, looked completely outmatched by Texas’ young hitters, led by Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton.

When it was all said and done, Lee gave up 10 hits and seven runs before being pulled in the fifth inning.

Maybe the Rangers’ expectations leading up to the 2009 season concerning their up-and-coming hitters might not have been so far-fetched after all.

Either way, my hat is off to the Rangers’ starting pitcher Kevin Millwood who only gave up five hits and one run in seven solid innings against a Cleveland team that many had predicted to reach the World Series in 2009.

The Chicago Cubs might have been the only team that lived up to their expectations Monday after handling the Houston Astros and their ace Roy Oswalt. The Cubs matched the Astros by putting their ace Carlos Zambrano on the mound in a move that paid dividends. Behind Zambrano, the Cubs were able to get up on Oswalt early and rolled to a 4-2 victory.

It was the first time Zambrano faced the Astros since his no-hitter Sept. 14, 2008 at Miller Park in Milwaukee after Hurricane Ike damaged the Houston area, forcing the game to be played elsewhere.

TRENT LOOTENS
Arbiter Journalist