Cyber Max

I love Allen Iverson.

Sure, the Sixers aren’t having a very good season, and with every passing game it appears less and less likely that Iverson’s going to get them the holy grail of the NBA, a championship ring. In fact, the Sixers went into Wednesday night 25-27 SU and 22-29 ATS, not hallmarks of a team that’s gonna win the title.

So how can I say I love Iverson?

Start with his rant against Larry Brown, who is the father figure in basketball. Sure, he’s not the oldest around, but Brown is the guy who nobody can stand to be around until he’s gone. It’s like the old Mark Twain quote: “When I was 14, I couldn’t believe how ignorant my father was. When I turned 21, I couldn’t believe how much he had learned in seven short years.” Iverson feels the same way about Brown, but there was a time when the two couldn’t get along. It wound up as one of the best sound bites of all time, as Iverson screeches “Practice! I’m a franchise player, and we’re talking about practice.” The high point of his discourse was when Iverson realized that he had his audience - the reporters - going, and played to them. A showman at his best.

We’ll move on to the next quality, Iverson’s heart of a champion. This guy has played through just about any injury imaginable, and shown his mettle in his career. Iverson alludes to that in his tirade, making note of his devotion to the game by saying that he wasn’t being asked about “the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it’s my last.” Sure, it’s a run-on sentence. But the meaning is there. Iverson is a warrior.

Want proof? Look no further than the fact that he’s barely six feet tall, but winds his ways through skyscrapers in the lane, getting beaten around night in and night out. Look at the brace he wears on his left elbow as a badge of his injuries. Look at the fact that he’s averaged 42 minutes per game in his career. Look at how he’s been the face of the Sixers, suffering the slings and arrows of the outrageous Philly media corps for years, and has found himself in the echelon of the appreciated athlete.

At this point in his career, Iverson would do well to be the athlete who works his way onto a contender as a role player, becoming the missing piece of the puzzle that leads a team to the title. That’s not how Iverson wants it to be. The man wants to win a title for Sixers fans; if that were to happen, he could retire happy. Unless it does, Iverson’s not going to have a restful sleep. Philly fans may say they are tired of Iverson. What their energy would best be spent on is the team management that hasn’t figured out a way to build around one of the most dynamic players of our time.

Lenny Del Genio is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com/Lenny_Del_Genio.htm

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(CURRENT) (TEAM) (W/L RECORD) (LAST WEEKS RANK)

1) Colorado Crush (0-0) Hard not to keep the reigning AFL champs at the top of the list after winning it all last season in only the 3rd year of the franchise’s existence. With 17 of 20 back from last season’s roster, look for the Crush to be a major player in the upcoming campaign. EA sports AFL 2006 cover boy, QB John Dutton, is back to lead a potent attack with the help of OS Damian Harrell, WR’s Kevin McKenzie, Willis Marshall, Andy McCullough, and new addition Evan Hlavacek. The defense is still a cause for concern though as it was one of the worst in the league a season ago.

2) Georgia Force (0-0) HC Doug Plank and his staff are back in 2006 along with many of the players that contributed to their 11-5 mark. Back is QB Matt Nagy whose coming off his record breaking ‘05 campaign along with newly designated OS Chris Jackson and WR/LB Derek “Baby Moss” Lee who got some time in the pro ranks this past off-season on the Chicago Bears practice squad. However, a few key ingredients are missing this year and it will be interesting to see how the new guys perform. Either way, the Force boast one of the best lines in the business and it will keep the ArenaBowl runner-ups in the mix all season long.

3) Philadelphia Soul (0-0) There’s not a single doubt in my mind that if the Soul stay healthy this upcoming season the third time will be the charm for the Soul to get a playoff birth. I can’t believe how loaded this squad is on both sides of the ball! We all know about their fantastic offense from a year ago led by QB Tony Graziani and company, but it’s the additions on defense that lead me to believe the rocker guy in that commercial from a year ago in Vegas might be hoisting the hardware in ‘06. The influx of talent and knowledge from Orlando this past off-season is really going to pay off.

4) Nashville Kats (0-0) The rebirth of the Kats last season saw them get off to a terrible start, but a six-game winning streak to close has them poised to be a championship contender in ‘06. HC Pat Sperduto simply knows what it takes to win in this league, and the Kats had by far the best off-season of any other club. The Kats are stacked on the line, have one of the best WR corps in the game, maybe the best FB/LB corps ever, and decent QB play. There’s talent at every position on the field, and they’re coached by one of the games best. Nobody wants to line up against this bunch this season, and the Kats will be a flat out filthy opponent.

5) Tampa Bay Storm (0-0) HC Tim Marcum and the Storm enter 2006 in search of their sixth ArenaBowl championship, and they believe they’ve got the tools to get the job done. The offense is a very scary unit. It averaged 57 PPG a year ago at home, and brought in super WR/DB Bobby Sippio to add to its potent attack this past off-season. Look for QB Shane Stafford to maybe top last season’s gaudy numbers TD/INT ratio of 83/14). What worries me here is the defense as a few key cogs to their past success have since departed. The Storm will be a very tough out once the new guys gel with the mainstays, and will most definitely give Georgia all they could want and more.

6) Chicago Rush (0-0) Last season’s exit from the AFL Playoffs in the since deemed “Confetti Game” was a tough pill to swallow for Rush nation. Nonetheless, the outlook in 2006 looks bright for HC Mike Hohensee as Chicago is stacked at just about every position heading into the 2006 season. The main question mark remains at the QB position as former field general Raymond Philyaw’s recent string of injuries kept the front office from ponying up on extending his contract. Instead, the Rush brought in speedy QB Michael Bishop over from the division rival Rampage and hope the coaching staff can remedy his current passing mechanics. If he settles in comfortably, expect Chicago to reach the second season for the sixth straight year and knock the monkey that’s been the American Conference Final off their backs once and for all.

7) San Jose Sabercats (0-0) Last season’s early round exit in the post-season was enough to make the Sabercats front office decide to mix things up a bit this past off-season. Most of the regular mainstays are back, but they’ve retooled on both sides of the ball. HC Darren Arbet wanted to get back to more of a smash mouth type of play to compliment QB Mark Grieb’s passing attack and went out and grabbed two of the leagues better FB/LB’s in Phil Glover and Ja’Mar Toombs. The Sabercats will dearly miss the services of all everything Rashied Davis, but talent is on hand and there’s always the reliable James Roe to count on when things get tight.

Dallas Desperados (0-0) It was extremely tough to install the Despo’s this low on the totem poll, but even with all that talent they have to show me they’re not the same team that committed numerous bonehead penalties and mistakes throughout the entire 2006 season. The installment of QB Clint Dolezel should go rather smoothly as he’s got some big-time studs to throw to in OS Jason Shelley and WR’s Will Pettis and Dialleo Burks. He’s also got a running attack that needs to be respected with FB/LB Duke Pettijohn toting the rock. Dallas could explode out of the gates at 5-0, which would really install confidence into what could be a very dangerous squad.

9) New York Dragons (0-0) The Dragons won its third Eastern Division title last season with a solid 10-6 mark, but the fact that no other team in the East challenged for a playoff spot speaks volumes for how bad the division really was. QB Aaron Garcia put forth another fine campaign, and the Dragons offense looks to be one of the best units the league has to offer this season. However, the defense is another story. It’s been completely retooled and will prove to be their Achilles heel. Points won’t be hard to come by for the Dragons, but limiting opponents to score one more might be.

10) Los Angeles Avengers (0-0) Was the Avengers 2005 season and first Western Division Championship a fluke, or was all the off-season accolades and hardware warranted? We’re about to find out, and I’ve got a feeling it was a mix of both. No doubt this squad boasts some studs on both sides of the ball, but I’ve got major concerns at the QB position. However, HC Ed Hodgkiss has shown a knack for developing some stellar field generals in this league. The Avengers will be a very scrappy team in ‘06, and have the lethal K Remy Hamilton on their sideline to win all the close ones.

And the rest.

11) Orlando Predators (0-0)
12) Columbus Destroyers (0-0)
13) Austin Wranglers (0-0)
14) Grand Rapids Rampage (0-0)
15) Arizona Rattlers (0-0)
16) Utah Blaze (0-0)
17) Kansas City Brigade (0-0)
18) Las Vegas Gladiators (0-0)

Mike Rose is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com/Mike_Rose.htm.

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Gonzaga (4-1) will arrive at sold-out Hec Edmundson Pavilion as a top ranked team instead of the underdog mid-major program of the past. The kings of the West Coast Conference certainly have ruled the state against an opponent from the supposedly superior Pac-10. The Bulldogs have the seven straight games over Washington covering the spread in five of the meetings. Gonzaga has already been tested this season as Gonzaga was runner up in the Maui Invitational, losing 65-63 to third-ranked Connecticut in the finals. Before that, they beat No. 23 Maryland and No. 13 Michigan State. Pre-season All-American G Adam Morrison is scoring co-leader in the country draining 27 points per game while F J.P. Batista averaging 21 points and almost nine rebounds. The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Bulldogs as they will face Virginia, Stanford and Saint Joseph’s before they start their conference schedule. Of all the tough teams they have to play, the Bulldogs want to beat the Huskies the most. “They hate us and we hate them, plain and simple,” Gonzaga preseason All-American Adam Morrison said.

The Huskies want to win this in-state dog fight. Head coach Lorenzo Romar has his hands full trying to replace a graduating trio that averaged 41.8 points per game. The Huskies are 6-0 for the first time since 1990 and are scoring 95.8 per game. Athletic Brandon Roy is back to lead team in scoring with 16.8 points per game. Bringing the ball up the court for the mobile Huskies is freshman Justin Dentmon, a ball-distributing point guard and tough man-to-man defender. The Seattle faithful are saying that this is the best recruiting class in over 20 years. The centerpiece of this class is 6-7 Jon Brockman, a national recruit, who stayed in-state. The Huskies have beat six easy opponents. Washington has beaten Morgan State, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Air Force, American, Idaho and Loyola Marymount — all at home — by an average of 33 points. Gonzaga will be the first real test for the young Huskies “This will be the first time we will play an opponent that, as we walk out on the floor, will be just as talented or more talented than we are,” Romar said. “Gonzaga is as talented as any team in the country.”

Jorge Gonzalez is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com/Jorge_Gonzalez.htm

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