By: Matt Blue

Relax, I’m only kidding. But unfortunately the national media isn’t.

What this article is really about is the unprecedented and shameful media coverage being directed at the Miami HEAT coming off a Game 1 loss to Chicago. We are talking about confirmation bias, distortion, fear based tactics and unreasonable assessments coming from bloggers, reporters and attention seeking websites.

You would expect this kind of sensationalism from tabloid publications such as the New York Post or the New York Daily News, not from well-respected news outlets with decent reputations.

Apparently, this is a best of 1 series not a best of 7 series where the first team to 4 wins will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

On this site we like to talk about the facts and we actually like to maintain perspective.  After all, this is a HEAT team that had won their last 41 of 44 games and that not too long ago went on a 27 game winning streak.

It’s also not unusual for a defending champion to lose at home in the playoffs. Five of the last ten NBA champions have rapidly started a series with a playoff loss at home. Champions always overcome obstacles and battle through adversity. It happens to the very best. Remember when the HEAT had their backs against the wall last year when they trailed Indiana 2-1, fell 3-2 Boston, and lost the first game of the 2012 NBA Finals?

You can remember when everyone was writing them off by saying that “the formula wasn’t working. The HEAT didn’t have the right chemistry to win a championship.” You can easily recall those proclamations. What is going on right now is actually pretty similar.

The noise is absolutely exacerbating.  However, that’s all it is. It’s all noise, noise and even more noise.

Therefore, it’s basically the HEAT and the city of Miami vs the world’s most illogical buffoons. NBA writers are trying to create an atmosphere of misery around the team. These are individuals that thrive on attention, drama and negativity.

The proper perspective on the HEAT’s game 1 performance would be this.  The HEAT played a terrible game and still almost won. They were still able to give themselves a chance to win.  Even LeBron admitted that they missed a myriad of uncontested shots and they were able to get good looks. Now are you really going to bank on Miami missing open threes and wide open layups in consecutive games?

The fact is they absorbed Chicago’s best punches and kept their poise. History and logic tells us that this will be the worst basketball Miami will play in the entire playoffs. You are talking about the deepest, most talented and the most prideful team in the NBA.

Now Chicago has Miami’s full and undivided attention. So this would be a reasonable analysis if you are covering the HEAT. I think they have done enough to warrant this kind of benefit of the doubt. They are the defending champions.

On the other hand, let’s give credit where credit’s due. Chicago played smart and efficient basketball. They were energized right from the start. They were ready to run through a brick wall. The HEAT is used to getting a team’s best effort. After all, it’s not too hard to get up to play Miami.

Chicago is a team that believes they can beat anybody. Head coach Tom Thibodeau always emphasizes that they have enough to win. He has established himself as one of the league’s best coaches. So it’s obvious that the HEAT has their work cut out for them. But they have been through this before. This is nothing new to them.

While this type of hyperbolic madness and hysteria is nothing new for the HEAT’s most belligerent critics.

The post Heat Fall to Bulls in Game One, Time to Panic appeared first on The World Champion Crank Up The HEAT.

By: Matt Blue

Miami has always been known as a remarkable football town enriched with unparalleled history and tradition. The Dolphins have notoriously been the talk of Miami and most of South Florida. But is the tide finally turning? Could the Miami sports scene be shifting gears? Let’s take a good look at the state of Miami’s professional sports teams as well as the Hurricanes football and basketball programs. Consider this as a State of the Union for Miami sports.

Miami HEAT

The HEAT is the most famous, recognized and admired professional sports team in South Florida today. The HEAT’s star studded roster has garnered an astronomical amount of support from the locals. Not only do they look incredible on paper, but they have also played inspiring basketball on the court. The HEAT has advanced to two straight NBA Finals in the Big Three era and they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals last year.

The HEAT has rewarded its fans immensely by bringing star talent to South Beach and by expressing a true commitment to winning multiple championships. They have done a masterful job complimenting its three superstars with unselfish supporting cast players that have bought into the HEAT’s culture and system. The supporting cast has shown they will do whatever is necessary to win. Tremendous sacrifices have been made by just about everyone that has made the decision to come to Miami and be a part of this NBA Dream Team. The HEAT literally became instant contenders overnight after LeBron announced his much maligned and ridiculed Decision. Even though the Decision was ripped apart nationally, it was welcomed with open arms by a fan base that was desperate for a winner. Ever since Pat Riley pulled off the impossible, the HEAT organization has brought nothing but excitement, entertainment and joyful glee to a city that had been hit hard by tough economic times, local corruption and chronic losing. Right now the HEAT currently owns the best record in the Eastern Conference and they are on a 14 game winning streak. They look very poised to be playing basketball in June.

Miami Hurricanes Basketball

All it took for Jim Larranaga to achieve his lifelong goal of coaching in the ACC was his Wikipedia page.  This is by far one of Larranaga’s favorite stories to tell. While the fans and the media were clamoring and lobbying for Frank Martin, Larranaga was busy plotting his way to Miami. The University of Miami liked what they saw and the rest was history. Larranaga has used advanced analytics, inspirational speeches and team building methods to elevate the Miami program to national prominence. The basketball program at Miami was absolutely dormant before Larranaga’s arrival. Every home game Miami players looked up into the stands and saw virtually nobody. The programs identity before the arrival of Jim Larranaga, was empty seats and apathy. This year Jim Larranaga has orchestrated a miraculous turnaround with his senior core of talent. The Canes started 13-0 in the ACC with convincing wins over powerhouse programs Duke and North Carolina. Miami even picked up a signature non-conference win over NCAA tourney bound Michigan State. The Canes went almost two months without losing a single game. They also hold one of the best RPI’s in college basketball. The U will look to continue their success into the NCAA tournament. College basketball in Miami has been completely revitalized and the team’s success this season could greatly help their recruiting efforts moving forward.

The Rest of Our Sports Teams

The Miami Dolphins are going through a transition period after suffering consecutive losing seasons. The good news for the franchise is that the Dolphins have created 14 million in cap space and they also currently have 9 selections heading into this April’s draft. Even though the future may look promising, it seems like the Dolphins are always playing for next year. Dolphins fans expect General Manager Jeff Ireland to be very aggressive in Free Agency. The team has a number of needs to address via the draft and free agency. Right now, Jeff Ireland and Steve Ross have an enormous amount to prove to a fan base that has been kicked in the groin on numerous occasions. A once storied franchise has been stuck in a never ending cycle of mediocrity. Here is a little factoid that is very symbolic of the Dolphins struggles; they have had 17 different starting quarterbacks since Dan Marino. The undefeated 1972 season seems like a lifetime ago for the Dolphins fans that were alive to witness the magic from that season.

And then there is the Miami Marlins, the baseball franchise that is formerly known as the Florida Marlins. The Marlins have the most bizarre history of any professional sports franchise. Even though they have won 2 championships in their relatively brief history, they have been plagued with terrible ownership, incompetence from upper management and apathetic fans. In all fairness to Marlins fans, they have been alienated and ostracized on numerous occasions. The two mind boggling fire sales have chased many Marlins fans away.  Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria has infuriated South Floridians by manipulating the city of Miami into building him a new ballpark with taxpayer dollars. Loria has pocked revenue sharing dollars and TV money while keeping a flimsy payroll.  Loria bewildered us all by blowing up a team that had just been put together the previous season. The likes of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio, Hanley Ramirez Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez were all dealt within one year. Basically, the Marlins blew up the formula after three months. Loria never gave it a chance to work. As a matter of fact, the entire thing was a hoax to sell tickets. This is why the contracts were back loaded and not only that, the Marlins refused to give anyone a no trade clause. As long as the Bernie Madoff of baseball is running the Miami Marlins, they will have trouble regaining the trust and support of the fans.

The Florida Panthers went 10 straight years without going to the playoffs. Last year they finally ended the drought before they ultimately ended up losing to the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the playoffs. The Panthers have a very interesting young group of players. However, they have had trouble generating excitement in South Florida for hockey. The cure for the franchise could be stability and winning. The Panthers have not only failed to win games over the years, but they have also gone through different ownerships, front office personnel and players. Even after the extended NHL lockout, the Panthers were hoping they would be able to continue the momentum they had begun to fuel last season. That hasn’t been the case so far due to the Panthers current struggles.

South Florida is a region that has always embraced winning. This is why the HEAT and the Hurricanes basketball program have been at the forefront of the South Florida sports fan’s conscience. A new era has been embarked upon. Basketball is alive and well in South Florida.

The post Is Miami now a basketball town? appeared first on The World Champion Crank Up The HEAT.

By: Matt Blue

What if I told you that the San Antonio Spurs currently owned the best record in the NBA? Would you believe me? Believe it or not, the Spurs are quietly having another remarkable season. Whenever you turn on ESPN, pick up a newspaper, turn on sports talk radio, visit a sports website or read a blog post, you are very hard pressed to see any mention of the Spurs whatsoever. Incredulously, it’s like they don’t even exist.

For years the Spurs have been the model of consistency and preparation in the NBA. In fact, they should even be considered as one of the best run organizations in all of professional sports. There is no team in basketball that has drafted, scouted and developed players better than the Spurs.

Yes the same old critiques have been reiterated on a myriad of occasions.  You will hear all of the time that they are old, slow and boring. But as a true fan of the game, how can you not appreciate flawlessly executed basketball?

This season, the Spurs have been an absolute juggernaut much to the chagrin of the rest of the league. They have bombarded their opponents with an offensive attack that has averaged 104.1 points per game which is good for fourth best in the league. They also have eight different regulars that have shot 37 percent or better from the field. The Spurs are currently on pace to win at least 64 games this year. Yet they are often overshadowed in the Western Conference by the likes of the Thunder and Clippers.

This year the Spurs have been led by the ageless Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Parker is averaging 20.1 points per game and 7.6 assists per game, which is why he definitely deserves to be in the MVP discussion. Duncan is also having an impressive season averaging 17.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.

The funny thing is that despite the Spurs continued success, every single year the popular conventional wisdom is that the bottom is going to fall out for the Spurs. The demise of the Spurs always seems to be predicted.

But here they are again, quietly going about their business and just winning games. And I can promise you, they are not going away anytime soon regardless of whether you pay attention to them or not.

The post The Best Kept Secret in the NBA appeared first on The World Champion Crank Up The HEAT.

By: Matt Blue

It looks like the “Birdman” will be spreading his wings in Miami after all. On Sunday, the HEAT inked the 10 year NBA vet to a 10 day contract. Even though Miami owns the best record in the Eastern Conference, they have had their fair share of issues this season. The most glaring weakness for Miami has been their rebounding or lack thereof.

The HEAT has ranked 26^th overall in rebound rate, which is an advanced statistical measure that measures the overall percentage of missed shots and team rebounds for each NBA team. Andersen should certainly help the HEAT in this category.

In addition to helping the HEAT mightily in the rebounding department, Andersen could definitely provide a physical presence down low as well as some blocked shots and even a decent amount of scoring. He should be considered as an upgrade over Joel Anthony offensively.

Now the biggest question concerning Andersen will be how much he is used in coach Spoelstra’s rotations? Also one has to wonder whether he may eat into Joel Anthony’s minutes at all. In other words, will Spo prefer to go to Anthony or Andersen as the first big man off the bench?

The “Birdman” was recently a member of the Denver Nuggets in the 2011-12 season. He appeared in 32 games for them, posting 5.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots in 15.2 minutes of action.

Andersen was waived by the Nuggets because they were looking to clear cap space at the time. The Nuggets used the amnesty provision on him which was added to the new collective bargaining agreement.

Throughout Andersen’s career, he has averaged 5.3 ppg, 1.6 blocks, and 5.2 rebounds per game.

If Miami is pleased with what they see from Andersen, they could either offer him another 10 day contract or they could extend him an offer which will be good for the remainder of the season.

The post HEAT sign Chris Andersen to a 10 day contract appeared first on The World Champion Crank Up The HEAT.