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As we countdown to the kickoff of the NFL season tonight between the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, the anticipation for football is palpable throughout the sports world. No sport captivates America quite like the NFL, and for weeks, pundits and retirees have been throwing their two cents into the pot about players, coaches, teams, owners, winners, losers, and eventual champions. We here at Swipelife decided to join the festivities, so I will be previewing the NFC, and my colleague, Dre, will handle the AFC.

NFC East:  As much as I would like to take the Dallas Cowboys, I just can’t. With two rookies and a second-year pro starting on the offensive line – and first-round pick Tyron Smith already banged up – that unit is just too suspect for me to pick them. Not that Philly’s is much better, but at least Michael Vick is mobile enough to maybe hide some of those weaknesses. The Eagles are very weak at linebacker, but the vaunted secondary, plus an improved defensive line should make up for the young second level. The Giants’ defense just can not keep guys healthy, and the Redskins are the Redskins. So I will take the Philadelphia Eagles to win this division.

NFC North:  The defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers are clearly the gold standard in this division. Although the Bears did win the division last year, they also got every break imaginable – starting with the Calvin Johnson TD catch that was ruled not a catch – and were exposed in the playoffs. The Packers were decimated by injury last year, and still won it all. Mike Neal will fill in fine for Cullen Jenkins on the D-line, the linebackers are back healthy, as are Jarmichael Finley and Ryan Grant on offense. I think the Lions are at least a year away and always have injury questions across the board, and I just don’t think the Vikings have enough weapons to keep up in this division.

 NFC South:  Arguably the best division in football, the Atlanta Falcons won it last year with a 13-3 record. They also play much better at home in the dome, and have four of their eight road games also indoors. They bet the draft on Julio Jones being the missing piece they needed in an offense that lacked big play ability last year. Jacquizz Rogers may also add some explosiveness to the Falcon offense. But my choice in this division is going to be the New Orleans Saints. I think the three-headed runing back approach works well for them and gets back to a little more power running, like when they had Deuce McAllister. The offensive line is very good, and Drew Brees is as good as it gets in that scheme. But the keys to not only this division, but this conference, were the signings of Shaun Rogers and Abrayo Franklin to anchor the middle of that defensive line. Literally. That’s almost 700 pounds of skilled size to pair between Will Smith and rookie Cameron Jordan. No longer can you pound the ball against their undersized defensive front and keep Brees off the field; see their playoff loss to Seattle when Marshawn Lynch, of all people, carved them up. I like what’s going on in Tampa, but I think they take a step back this year, at least in terms of record. They added two more very talented defensive linemen in the draft in Adrian Clayborn and Daquan Bowers, to join last year’s #1, Gerald McCoy.  It’s difficult to start that many young players at the same position, and I think they are still searching for a second wideout opposite Mike Williams. Arrelious Benn or Dezmon Briscoe may fill that void, but time will tell. I think they are signing and resigning alll the right guys and are certainly heading in the right direction, but still have some way to go in a very tough division. And oh yeah, the #1 overall pick in the most recent draft will be under center for Carolina. This division will be a great watch all season.

NFC West:  Well, after a record-setting year for all the wrong reasons, there is nowhere to go but up…or at least that’s what one would think. The wildcard in this division is Kevin Kolb. Was he just a product of Andy Reid’s system, or is he a legitimate NFL starter? The Cards have an opportunistic defense that thrives on QB pressure and turnovers. They will not miss Dominique-Rogers Cromartie one bit, as Patrick Peterson will more then fill that void. Adrian Wilson needs to be healthy coming back from torn biceps, but if he is, and Kevin Kolb can get the ball in the vacinity of Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals have a shot. All that said, I am taking the St. Louis Rams. A second year for Sam Bradford, now in Josh McDaniels offense, may land him in the Pro Bowl. In his sophomore season, he is already the most stable and proven QB in the division. The WR position will be filled by committee, but I think they have enough guys to do it. The offensive line is solid and Stephen Jackson is a beast. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense is young and aggressive, and the dome is a significant home field advantage. The young defensive ends, second year players Chris Long, and rookie Robert Quinn, may wreck some havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Veteran James Hall had 10 1/2 sacks last year, and will anchor that position, which Coach Spag’s defense relies on. Seattle is going to be terrible, and San Francisco may have some moments, but I think the Rams get to 9-7 and legitimately make the leap to a playoff team.

Post-season Predictions: I like the Falcons and Cowboys to make the playoffs along with my four division winners. I have the Falcons going into St. Louis and beating the Rams and the Eagles beating Dallas. Philly then goes into New Orleans and gets blown out, as do the Falcons in Green Bay. The Packers then go down to the bayou and get beaten by the Saints in an epic Drew Brees v. Aaron Rodgers shoot out. The Saints then make the trip up to Indianapolis to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, and lose to the then-seven-time champion, Pittsburgh Steelers. Roethlisburger gets his third title in his fourth appearance, and let all the ‘where does he rank all-time’ chatter begin.

Conference MVP: There, of course is an argument to be made for plenty of guys, but I am going to take the easy way out and say Aaron Rodgers. I think the Super Bowl win will relax him a bit and give him another notch on his belt of confidence. I think his numbers slightly improve with a healthy Jermichael Finley and the addition of rookie Randall Cobb. 35 TDs vs 10 Ints and 4200 yards are realistic numbers for Rodgers this year. And a performance like that can win you an MVP.

Rookie of the Year: Although it would be tough for him to win the actual award with offensive guys like Julio Jones and Mark Ingram also vying for the title, I am going with Patrick Peterson. I think he was the best player in the draft. I think once the Cardinals got him in, they realized how good he was and that Rodgers-Cromartie was then expendable. Rumor has that he will be returning punts as well. If so, I would not be surprised if Peterson scored 5 TDs this year, nor if he made his way to the Pro Bowl.

Breakout Player: I am going to go with Chris Long from the St. Louis Rams. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense thrives on edge pressure on the QB, and that is exactly what Long does best. I think he makes good on his selection #2 overall in the 2008 draft. Would not surprise me if Long recorded a dozen sacks this year and his first trip to both the playoffs and the Pro Bowl.

Come on, swing it.

The Warrior was supposed to be released last year.  That was until a similarly themed Mark Walhberg vehicle, featuring a scenery chewing Christian Bale, stole it’s thunder.  Now almost a year removed from The Fighter, The Warrior is finally seeing the light of day when it’s released next Friday.

Though competitive fighting and sibling rivalry do play a huge part in the narrative, there does appear to be enough differences to set this film apart from last year’s Oscar-winner.  The films pedigreed cast includes future Batman-villian Tom Hardy, mug shot hall-of-famer Nick Nolte, and Aussie actor/director Joel Edgerton. The Warrior just might be worth a look.

Blending the classic beauty of a Cadillac car and the California coasts gave birth to the Cadillac Ciel. Pebble Beach Cadillac shows that it’s possible to merge science and art with this convertible car. Naming this latest project as Ciel, or sky in French language, this vehicle shows its aesthetic beauty radiating from its interior to exterior design. And with the Cadillac name on the line, they made it with top caliber specs and details coming from the minds of Niki Smart and Gael Buzyn, who designed the car with Cadillac’s heritage and future developments in mind.

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Read the rest of this post with more images at: Ciel Concept by Cadillc

 Last night the coach of the Tennessee Women’s Basketball Team announced publicly that at the age of 59, she has dementia. You must demonstrate a minimum six months of symptoms which, in general, are the diminishing of cognitive abilities. So, although Pat Summitt has been dealing with this condition, clinically speaking, for at least a half a year, her public acknowledgment was delivered in a way that very few could. Steadfast. Honest. Somewhat combative.

In 1974, with women’s basketball not even a sanctioned sport, a 22-year old Summitt began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee. She was promoted to head coach quickly as the former coach abruptly resigned. On a salary of $250 a month, Summitt not only washed her players’ uniforms, she held fundraisers to purchase them.  Early on, Summitt drove her own team in a passenger van to road games, once sleeping in a gym inbetween games with her entire team. When asked about such times, Summitt said, “we had mats…our little sleeping bags…and we didn’t wash our uniforms. We only had one set. We played because we loved the game. We didn’t think anything about it.”  During her first season as head coach, some of her players were born in the same calendar year as Summitt. Yet, they respected her as an elder. Pat Summitt never requested, nor demanded that respect. She just got it. In 1976, Summitt co-captained the United States Women’s Olympic Team in the first Olympic Games in which women’s basketball was recognized, earning the country a silver medal. Eight years later, she coached the same team to a gold medal, becoming the first United States Olympian to win a medal as both a player and a coach. 

That love and respect for the game and more importantly, your team, helped Summitt build a juggernaut in every aspect of the word in terms of sports. Her players wholeheartedly bought into the idea that no one player is more important then the team as a whole. While it is admirable for someone to garner that commitment from athletes at any level, it transcendents normality when one can instill those values, and truly make the best players in the country, in the world, have that team-first mentality.

I will spare you the unending list of accomplishments on Summitt’s resume, but I will give you two. As a head coach, she has 1,071 wins versus 199 losses. 100 percent of her eligible players have graduated, with over a hundred earning their doctorates. She is the spearhead of a sport that now has over 4,000 division-one scholarship female athletes, which when she began coaching, had zero. UConn has built a dynasty recently, but Tennessee was the first in the game. Personally, as an avid sports fan, I hate lists. As a writer, they are good food for fodder. I would put Pat Summitt in my top 10 coaches in American sports history. All-time.  Any sport. Any level. She did as much with less as anyone, and sustained excellence for decades. On top of that, in lieu of all the NCAA infractions plaguing the country, not once has Summitt been implicated. Not once in almost 40 years. If there has ever been a woman that could coach a prominent men’s team, it would be Pat Summitt. I would hope my son would some day have a coach like her in his life.

I could go on for paragraph after paragraph about Pat Summitt’s greatness. 8 national championships in 20 years. 16 conference titles out of 21. 18 Final Fours. Men’s or Women’s, John Wooden is 2nd. With just 12. She was named by the Naismith Basketball Committee as College Basketball Coach of the Century. The records are too great to not recognize. She wants to remain as the head coach at Tennessee. No one could ever tell Pat Summitt she can not coach anymore. That is a decision all her own. As a sports fan, I hope she takes care of herself before anything, because Pat Summitt has etched her name as one of the greatest leaders in the history of American sports.

“My parents taught me a long time ago that you win in life with people, and that’s important, because if you hang with winners, you stand a great chance of being a winner.” You, Coach Summitt, are the epitome of a winner

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Check out the mix by Unkle Chip of The Elite Camp on my recent post on The Smoking Section.
Artwork by the renowned Grotesk.

DOWNLOAD: Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll by Unkle Chip – The Smoking Section

Another night, another great night of March basketball. Derrick Williams was the best player on any court, period. Kemba was Kemba. Jimmer was not Jimmer. And Butler does what they do. Win. Ronald Norad and Mo-mo Jones, the unsung heroes. Coach K was out-coached. And Jeremy Lamb may have played his way right out of UConn and into the NBA draft. With all that said, we have four more games tonight! Let’s go…

Richmond v. Kansas:

I was a big proponent of the Spiders’ squad coming into this season. They have two legitimate pro prospects in Kevin Anderson and Justin Harper. After the preseason hype, it was made out to be a bad season, but Chris Mooney’s team is 29-7. Unfortunately, they have to play Kansas. And, although I would love to see both they and VCU win so I could travel to Richmond for the ‘Battle for the ‘Cap” and a trip to the final four, I just don’t see it. Kansas has been upset quite a bit recently in the tournament, and tend to play down to non-bcs opponents. I just think the Jayhawks are too deep for the Spiders to handle. I like Kansas to win the game, but I would take the 11 points and Richmond if I was still in Vegas. Betting pretzels, of course.

Marquette v. North Carolina

The Tarheels are long and athletic. The Eagles are stout and tough. I love this matchup as a basketball fan. Buzz Williams of Marquette called his namesake, Roy, a lion to his house cat. Don’t be fooled. Marquette will come to play. The key to this game will be Marquette’s ability to control UNC’s transition offense. Playing in Newark, NJ, somehow I think helps make this game a pit fight. I like Marquette to move on, and definitely give me the 5 points.

VCU v. FSU

Not the matchup most expected at this point in the region, but each team is here for one specific reason. VCU has been on fire! They didn’t just upset Georgetown and Purdue. The Commodores won by 18 points in each game after beating USC by 13. The key to this game to me is VCU’s ability to use their drag screen offense in their secondary break to get open 3′s against the long and athletic FSU defense. Chris Singleton coming back changes the Seminole squad. I think VCU gets killed on the boards, and FSU moves on. But I would take the 5 points and VCU.

Kentucky v. Ohio State

Clearly, the premier matchup tonight. To me, this game is a mismatch. I think Aaron Craft can give Brandon Knight fits. I think Terrence Jones will struggle either on the perimeter versus Buford or Lighty, or in the post against Sulli. Lighty, Sulli, Buford, Craft, Deebs, etc, will just be too much for the Wildcats. I’ll take the Buckeyes all day, and gladly lay the 6 points.

After last night, it is hard to expect anything less. One step closer to the final four and one more chance for names to be made. I can not wait!

The first weekend of the tournament certainly lived up to all we expect from it. Controversy, buzzer beaters, up-start teams, the stars, starring. As we roll deeper, the Sweet Sixteen always shapes up a little more tightly. Every team in it is on a winning streak. Every game is played in primetime with full arenas. And this one sets up to be as good as any in the past. Let’s start with the West bracket.

UConn vs. SDSU:
Kemba Walker is obviously the key. He has not shot well from the perimeter in games played against solid defensive squads. I think DJ Gay combined with the length and athleticism of the rest of the Aztecs will contain Kemba. During their run through the Big East tourney, the supporting squad came up big offensively. I think the size of the San Diego wings gives the young huskies trouble. Also, they are just as fast, if not faster, from end to end which should limit UConn’s transition opportunities. Give me Steve Fisher’s squad, and for recreational purposes, only, of course, I will lay the 1/2 point.

Duke vs. Arizona:
One of the best individual matchups of the year will be Derrick Williams vs Kyle Singler. Kyle has the size and quickness to bother Williams on the perimeter, and Duke is good enough to help with ball-side post defense, so Williams won’t be able to eat him up on the block. Also, he is not a very good passer – only averaging 1.1 assists per game – so there is not much worry about him eating the defense up passing out of double-teams. What makes this all possible is the return of Kyrie Irving. He allows Nolan Smith to play off the ball, and also lets Singler drop down and play the 4 position. I think Duke dominates on the perimeter and this game really isn’t even that close. 10 points are alot to give the Wildcats, so I will take them, but I don’t love it. I think the Blue Devils march on with relative ease.

BYU vs. Florida:
I have gone back and forth on this game. Since the loss of Brandon Davies, the question about BYU has been on the interior and also on the glass. But, aside from a loss to San Diego State, the Cougars have rolled right along. The Gators have won 12 of their last 14 games, losing only to Kentucky in that span; however, the key to those games was the 3-point shooting of the Wildcats, bombing from long-range at almost a 50% clip (13-28). If there is one thing you cannot do against BYU is give up open shots. I don’t think Kenny Boynton’s ankle injury will be a factor at all, but he and Irving Walker are a small backcourt, and there isn’t much off the bench. I just don’t think Florida has the personnel to contain the BYU perimeter offense. Also, the Gators may get frustrated with the BYU zone defense, and a little frazzled. Alex Tyus and Vernon Macklin have a chance to dominate this game inside, but I just think it is the year of the Jimmer, just like it was for Steph Curry and Davidson. Give me BYU and the 3 points.

Butler v. Wisconsin:

I don’t know if there could be a greater contrast in gameplay then these two going down in New Orleans tonight. The key to this one will be the ability of Ronald Norad to control Jordan Taylor in the pick-and-pop offense the Badgers run so effectively. Jon Leuer makes it even more difficult to defend. I don’t think there is much doubt that this game will be close, and Butler just has a knack for winning them. I like Butler to advance, and love the Bulldogs plus the 5 points.

Make sure you check me out tomorrow for a preview of tomorrow’s action. Enjoy your ball night! I know I will!