Ripper

I'll believe it when I see it. The Spurs can score with the best of them (though they seldom have to), and unlike the Mavs, their D actually works against the Suns from time to time. Di...did you see the last time they played?

Yes, Payton played longer. But being mediocre and for a while to tack on to the end of good years is not the same as play great all those years. He has 9 really good seasons. Yes, you can say that Haradaway and Johnson were easily better than payton. Both were clearly better scorers and better playmakers. Payton played the passing lane better than the two of them, but niether Hardaway or Johnson were bad defensively either(Johnson is one of the few players to record a triple double with steals). We are talking about 2 of the 4 players to average over 20 and 10 for at least 3 seasons in a row. You can say "Hey, Gary is top eight in assist." which would be impressive if it didn't take 17 freakin years to get there. Yes he has 20,000 points and 8000 assist which will pretty much lock him in there. But he only has 9 legitamately really good seasons. So does KJ, so does Tim Hardaway, and so does Mark Price. I do challenge you to name the year that Gary Payton was a top 4 point and I will name 4 points that were easily better than him....as a matter of fact, let me beat you to it. I will only take the years he actually was relevant and having great numbers. The mediocre years I will leave out. 93-94 - Kevin Johnson, Mark Price and John Stockton all clearly out played him. I say Kenny Anderson and Mookie Blaylock outplayed him two, but not as clearly as the others 94-95 - John Stockton (i can really stop naming him until his last two years here),Tim Hardaway, Anfernee Hardaway were clearly better, and once again, I would argue Mookie Blaylock as he was the superior defender. I would say Dana Barros but that is just plain bias and I realize it....just wanted to shout out Danas big year. Eh...have to make dinner but serious, I can do this for every year. He was always top 5. But like I said, never top 4. If the Hall of Fame is for longevity, then sure, and once agian, I am not saying Payton doesn't belong in the Hall, its just its annoying when people throw up question marks about Price, Johnson, Hardaway, and for some reason, Mark Fucking Jackson, but say "Oh yeah...gary payton belongs he's a lock." when he had as many good years as the other guys, who's best years were better than paytons best years and if you look, their teams consistantly played better than Gary's.

If Shawn Marion continued on his pace would you put him in? Personally he has the quietest amazing numbers i have ever seen. I think his disappearing offensively in some playoffs will hurt him though. But really, the guy is on my favorite team and I forget about him everyonce and a while.

I Chris Mullin will get in eventually, but come the fuck on. Mendy Rudolph was a ref for 25 years and refed a bunch of games. Wow...he did his job no better or worse than any other ref for 25 years....how the fuck that that qualify over Mullin?

Come on now. The Warriors are easily the worse defensive team in the history of anything. They literally don't try to play defense at all.

I would agree with those locks minus KG. Sure, he changed some things, but you can't see how you can really make a argument against Duncan, Shaq, Kobe Kidd and AI. I can argue KG.

You can't have those two without Tim. And to be clear, Kevin Johnson is my favorite player of all time and I think i still hold a grudge with Scott Skiles for ending his career prematurely, and I am iffy on him getting in. He had 9 REALLY REALLY good season. Gary had 10, and Tim Hardaway had 10. Mark Price had 8. Chris Webber had 13 really really really good seasons, and has had more playoff sucess than Kevin Garnett and people say he shouldn't get in. I am just wondering where is the cutoff between good career and great. like how many good years do you need before you get in. If we go on the Bill Walton scale, they all should make it. I don't know. thats why I am shaky on these guys. Especially with Payton, because I don't think you can point to any time in his career he was a top 4 point guard in the league. there were always at least 4 guys better( I know, not fair because Stockton was taking the number one spot all the time, but still).

See I think that the Suns match up very well against the Spurs, especially with Raja Bell there so we can see a flop off between him and manu. I imagine it will be like that time Rodman and Malone kept falling down while running up court that one time.

Can i mention now that Gary Payton is pretty freakin overrated. People are always listing him as one of the Top Point Guards of all time and how he is a first ballot lock, when honestly, i don't see how you can rank him above Kevin Johnson and Tim Hardaway when they were simply better than him for just as many years (Payton was a damn good player for 10 years. from like 93-03). If Hardaway and Johnson aren't first ballot guys (and I NEVER hear people argue that) I don't see how Payton is a lock. Hell, Mark price was just as good, but injuries pretty much ended that. And before people say "defensively gary payton was the glove blah blah blah" there was no point in Gary Paytons career where he could guard a quick point guard. Tim Hardaway, Johnson, Kenny Smith, Fucking Negle Knight and Pooh Richardoson would all roast him and he couldn't stay in front of them. Payton got his defensive rep from guarding multiple positions because of his size and playing the passing lanes well. You want to know the truth behind the Sonics losing in the first round those years? They ran into Nick Van Excel and Robert Pack who could do whatever they wanted because Payton couldn't check them. Now I don't want to completely discredit what Payton did in his career. IF Hardaway and Johnson get in the Hall, Payton should be right there because he is the same caliber of guard as they are. He was very good at being both a scorer and playmaker, and made that Seattle team very good. But he just isn't the end all be all at the point guard position in the post Magic generation like people like to say he is. And to add, if Payton is a Lock then a guy like Chris Webber and Stephon Marbury should be too. I just don't think that getting ring as a hanger on at the end of your career is what changes you from good player to hall of famer.

It is funny. I know when I heard the big trade I thought that the Warriors were insane for giving up Ike, then I thought the Pacers were going to start winning immediately because his time would go up. I personally can't figure out why he keeps getting glued to the bench. I mean seriously the guy always produces whenever he gets time.

Ignoring god awful ending, it would have a tough time outdoing Saints Row which just plain kicked ass even though it knew full well it was a GTA clone.

Good win for Phoenix. I think that Diaw is starting to adjust to his role which is important. What disappoints me is that Jalen Rose and Marcus Banks were given more minutes the last few weeks, both played EXTREMELY well, and both have gone back to the zero minute brigade with Eric Piakowski(who also played very well during a stretch this year then suddenly got no minutes) and Pat Burke....nothing else to say about Pat Burke.

I have to ask again. Why the fuck does Ronny Turiaf not play more often?

It also sucks because, while they still are only 3 games out of 1st and 1/2 game out of the 2 seed, the Bulls could end up with a 5 seed and play on the road in the playoffs. That's some bullshit. Home court is determined by record, not seeding. I have no idea why they don't just seed by record, but whatever. And what great end-of-regulation in that Wiz/Raps game... The guy that threw the ball up must feel like the biggest idiot in the world. Thats two of the most incredible finishes to regulation that I have ever seen in the last 7 games. Amazing

He wanted to get rid of that pussy ass offensive line and get a real one, which they have already started to do but they are hurt by the fact that Rich Mckay extended the contracts of almost all of the sucky ones last year thus cap space is pretty much gone. He wanted to get a real bruiser at the fullback instead of a guy like Justin Griffith(who I liked honestly). Plus he is looking forward to working Brian Finnerman and Joe Horn into the offense. Finnerman Horn and Crumpler should make for a good recieving tandem although I would hope they add a actual deep threat in that group (horn is getting up there). There isn't much that really needed to be done with the Falcons besides fire that horrible coaching staff. When you have a offensive coordinator that is so stubborn to think that if he calls a play it should work no matter what the defense shows and doesn't even have audibles to check to if it is obvoius that the play isn't going to work, you are doomed to fail. He really seems like he doesn't plan on making many changes. Although I do worry about his saying that he will incorporate plays to make use of Vicks running ability. Vicks best coach, Dan Reeves, didn't have designed running plays for him (well a few). If he ran it was because he checked down, or saw a lane. And since he was such a dangerous passer under Reeves, teams couldn't afford to leave a spy out there. And vita, when I was saying the last 4 years, I mean the 4 years that Vick actually started. Once again, this will be his 5th year as starting QB. His first 4 have been pretty sucessful but people still rag on him because he was severly overrated his first year starting, now he is being unjustly bashed.

No. thats not true. VGA ports started to leave from production about a year and a half ago.

Because they want him as healthy as long as he can. Smashing himself up against big defenders every play will shorten his career. The coaches aren't thinking of "How can I thrill the fans", they want to win, and Vick, while not a great passing QB, is passable enough that they have to protect his health so he can try to give them that. See, this is a misconception. He isn't a run first QB. Remember last year when he went on the stretch where he had really high passer ratings, was passing for over 250 and 300 yards and the Falcons were winning and he had like 10-20 rushing yards a game? You know why? 3 starters on the offensive line got hurt. so they had to take their big, pass blocking second string offensive line (the one that played with Matt Shaub in the preseason because he wasn't mobile) and he got time, didn't run and passed the ball in the upper 60 percents. As soon as the 3 offensive linemen got back in, they went right back to that Zone blocking that would leave rusher completely untouched and he would have to take off. If anything he doesn't take off enough. He got sacked alot times from avoiding the first rusher and staying back there looking for someone to pass two only to get hit by a second and third rusher. I challege people to find a falcons game from last year and see what is really happening and not just the boxscore after the game. The coaching and their schemes were seriously inept.

I don't think you can in good faith put players above him that haven't done the things in the postseason that he has done. Like, I wouldn't put Peyton manning above alot of people back when he was 0-forever in the playoffs. And Farves record over his last 4 years to vicks. And brees(although he has had a couple of great seasons now) and Delhommes, and Penningtons. Its easy to say Vick vick vick, but he has had two late season collapses that happen to coincide with a certain coaching staff coming in and making it their team and trading players ending up with a offensive line no bigger than me and a offensive coordinator that has his recievers all run the same routes every play. You can name all you want. But at the end of the day, 4 years as a starter, two playoff apperances, one championship game, one second round loss, and I will put that up against most starting QB's in the league. Well... Brady won 3 Super Bowls, Peyton will make more playoff appearances than Vick has ever done, Palmer while he hasn't gotten to the AFC title game is a better passer and that can't be denied, Brees made the NFC title game with the Saints and took San Diego to the playoffs, Marc Bulger... well that's debatable, Brett Favre has won 1 Super Bowl and appeared in another and has taken the Packers to countless playoff berths, Delhomme actually took the Panthers to the Super Bowl and was a few plays away from OT, Hasselbeck took the Seahawks to the Super Bowl and other playoff appearances, McNabb has taken the Eagles to countless NFC title games and a Super Bowl, Rivers looks good but isn't there yet, and Pennington when healthy has taken NY to playoffs a few time. Of all those people I can only consciously put Vick over Bulger, Rivers and Pennington on the basis of what he has accomplished. Yes, but you are also throwing out that Vick has been a starter for 4 years versus the resumes of guys that have been in the league for 10 plus. Yeah, McNabb is a better QB than Vick, Of course Brady is and yeah, So is Peyton (although honestly in a big game, I would take Vick over Manning. Sure, he just won a superbowl, but they guy is a big big choker) There are definately alot of great QB's in the league, but people pretending that Vick is a horrible QB because of passing rating while ignoring actual success is ridiculous. In a QB draft, Vick should not go outside of the top ten and if you would take him out side of there, you should be the new GM of the Lions(i know...low blow).

http://www.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/...830990020070328 I love that Mexico's national emergencies revolve around the price of their tortillas. Well, its a broke country with broke citizens and they are raising the price of cheap affordable food. It makes sense. I think it only sounds silly because we are in America.

I don't think you can in good faith put players above him that haven't done the things in the postseason that he has done. Like, I wouldn't put Peyton manning above alot of people back when he was 0-forever in the playoffs. And Farves record over his last 4 years to vicks. And brees(although he has had a couple of great seasons now) and Delhommes, and Penningtons. Its easy to say Vick vick vick, but he has had two late season collapses that happen to coincide with a certain coaching staff coming in and making it their team and trading players ending up with a offensive line no bigger than me and a offensive coordinator that has his recievers all run the same routes every play. You can name all you want. But at the end of the day, 4 years as a starter, two playoff apperances, one championship game, one second round loss, and I will put that up against most starting QB's in the league.

That was a pretty good game actually. The bench got to play, Marcus Banks showed why he should be getting more PT (that dude is a hound defensively) and if they could have hit some shots in the stretch they actually would have come back from 25 down in the 4th using only their bench. I enjoyed it. Plus Jason Richardson was on freakin fire and Baron Davis looked good. If they get in the playoffs, they won't beat Dallas in a series, but boy they would beat the crap out of them for 5-6 games and might end up costing them later in the playoffs.

I am not going to turn into a Vick argument here. Hell, we get enough of those in Atlanta. But I do find it funny as a guy that has been a falcons fan for the past 17 years for people to say "The only reason we aren't going to the Super Bowl is Michael Vick!!!!". When in his 4 seasons as a starter, they have gone to the NFC championship game once and to the Semis once. The other two seasons they barely missed the playoffs. I really don't see how people can call that so horrible. Take the first four starting years of any sucessful QB and see what they had done to this point.

Cheapasses like me don't want to buy a new TV. My 8-year old 26" still has life left in it thanks. I apologize in advance to any techheads I've horrified. Isn't VGA a port on computers? Yeah, but the last generation of Plasma and LCD televisions had VGA ports on them. Most newer ones don't simply because alot of people didn't make use of it, but if you get a flat screen not made in the the last year it will probably have a VGA in port on it.

Yes. $180. Its time for the modders to get on their fucking non-jobs and find a way to take a regular HD and turn it into a 360 hardrive dammit. This system has been out a year and the only thing they have come up with is firmware hacks to play copied games.

You know. HDMI really isn't that big of a deal. It really isn't. It was/is a HD console without HDMI. Don't believe everything that you read. And they won't build in a HD-DVD player because everyone knows that Blu-ray is going to win. And what the hell would be the point of a HDMI to Component adaptor?