Write On Sports

With quarterback Tony Romo, running back Felix Jones, and cornerback Terence Newman not set to play in this game, and then proceeding to lose Anthony Henry and Jason Witten during this game, the Cowboys were a team without a healthy roster. And without a healthy offense, the Cowboys’ defense needed to step up and play a strong game. And they did just that.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored NO TOUCHDOWNS as the Dallas Cowboys eeked out a narrow 13-9 victory. The Buccaneers did not, however, go down without a fight as they moved all the way to the Cowboys’ 20 yard line with less than 30 seconds remaining. But the Cowboys’ defense was not to be scored on today for a touchdown, so they held Tampa Bay at bay until the Buccaneers threw a 4th down incomplete pass.

It was not a strong game for the struggling Cowboys offense who, without Romo, is not the same team. But the 13 points were enough give them the win and to keep them close to 1st place as their record now stands at 5-3. Next week, however, is their biggest game of the year as they take on the World Champion New York Giants and will still be without their star quarterback, Tony Romo.

Brad Johnson most certainly has his work cut out for him and the Cowboys’ defense must REALLY step up against a fiery, well-coached Giants’ team, quite possibly the strongest team in football at the moment.

We’ll hope the best for the Dallas Cowboys in next week’s battle.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

The Dallas Cowboys were blasted tonight, 34-14, by one of the worst teams in all of the NFL, the St. Louis Rams. The Rams were 1-4 coming into the game, while Dallas was 4-2. Now the Cowboys are 4-3, and are 2 games behind the first place World Champion Giants, who defeated the S.F. 49ers while the Cowboys failed to show up.

When Bradie James, Cowboys’ linebacker, was told last week of Tony Romo’s injury to his throwing hand, James said, “Wow!”, and then proceeded to talk about how the Cowboys had to now step up and play harder. Well, it wasn’t a surprise that the Cowboys’ offense sputtered without Romo. But what happened to the Cowboys’ defense? Were their little pinkies also injured?

The Cowboys now have to decide whether or not to try and play Romo next week, although Romo’s hand will probably not be ready for NFL football by that time. His replacement, 40-year-old Brad Johnson, was extremely ineffective and could never get the Cowboys rolling in this one.

The now 4-3 Dallas Cowboys must get it together and play the kind of football that such a talented team is capable of. There are still 9 games to go, and a good run of successive wins here would have them no worse off than last year, at 13-3. But it must begin next week. Otherwise, next year could begin very soon.

What’s your opinion?  We’d like to know.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

It has now been exactly 33 years since Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met for the third and final fight between these two great warriors of the ring. It is again a reminder of just how quickly time flies, for it seems like it was only a few short years ago that the evening television news would remind us that Ali was fighting this evening by broadcasting a short clip of Ali making a loud and firm prediction of what he was going to do. You would see and hear Ali proclaiming:

“It’ll be a chiller, and a killer, and a thrilla
when I get the gorilla in Manila!”

Of course, Joe Frazier did not take too kindly to these sort of announcements, but then those who really understood Ali knew that it was just hype and that it was not meant to be taken literally. It was a tactic used for the fight, meant to psyche out the opponent, not to disgrace him. For the Ali that many of us knew was a kind, gentle, and charitable man who, on most occasions, was surprisingly quiet and humble.

But for the purposes of promoting the fight and getting to his opponent, Ali would whip things up into a frenzy if he was able to do so. And on this particular night, while he was the Heavyweight Champion, he was on top of the world and Joe Frazier was his for the taking. A somewhat older Frazier, who had been battered by George Foreman - the same Foreman who Ali knocked out - would be easy pickings now and another payday, so Ali thought. Frazier, on the other hand, had other ideas. He was dead set on taking the title away from Ali.

This fight would begin with Ali looking much stronger than he was in the other two Ali-Frazier bouts, and more dominant through the first couple of rounds. But in the middle rounds, in typical Joe Frazier fashion, we began to see why he was called “Smokin’ Joe”. Frazier began to ’smoke’ and Ali was in for the fight of his life. It was a hot night, and the two of them went at it full force for many rounds. Ali would later claim, “It was the closest thing to death…”, referring to the tremendous pace and energy used and needed to continue on in this fight.

But when the “smoke” cleared, it was Muhammad Ali, the Greatest of All Time, who would come away victorious, as he found a second wind and would put on Joe Frazier a series of blows through rounds 12, 13, and 14 until Frazier’s trainer, Eddie Futch, said “Enough”, and the fight was stopped after the 14th round. Muhammad Ali had retained his title in one of the greatest, and most grueling, heavyweight title fights in the history of boxing.

To read more about the life and career of the great Muhammad Ali, get the biography of Ali called, “The Dancing Master” - by N. Hamid.

You can also visit our website at http://www.muhammadali-life.com

M. Dean
Write On Sports

(Reprinted from September 2007)

When you look at Muhammad Ali’s life and boxing career, you may notice that the month of September has been both a very eventful month and a very difficult month for the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.

First, in 1966 he fought Karl Mildenberger in Germany, which he won by a 12th round knockout. Second, in September 1972, he had his 2nd showdown with former champion Floyd Patterson in New York, winning by a knockout in the 7th. In September 1973, Muhammad Ali met Ken Norton in the 2nd of their three fights, this time avenging his previous, broken-jaw loss to Norton. Ali won this time on a 12-round decision.

In September of 1976, things got a bit tougher for Muhammad Ali. He and his wife of many years, Khalilah Ali, filed for divorce. In the same month in 1976, Ali had his third and toughest bout with Ken Norton in New York’s Yankee Stadium. This fight was extremely difficult for Ali, although he got the close decision in a hard-fought 15-round battle.

The next September, 1977, didn’t turn out to be too much easier for Muhammad Ali, as he did battle with hard-hitting Earnie Shavers in one of Ali’s toughest battles. After retirement, whenever Ali was asked, “Who hit you the hardest in all of your fights?”, Ali would always say, “Earnie Shavers”. It was an extremely difficult fight for Muhammad Ali, and was one of several fights that should have been his last.

September 1978 marked both a great triumph for Ali and a very historic fight on the same night. He had lost his title in a previous match with Leon Spinks, so on this historic September 15th night, Muhammad Ali became the first heavyweight in boxing history to win the title 3 times, by defeating Spinks in a 15-round rematch in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was also historic because it would be the final victory in boxing for the great Muhammad Ali.

Three more Septembers in later years would be much worse for Muhammad Ali. In September 1984, Muhammad Ali would be diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Then in September of 1987, Ali would lose his long time motivator and cornerman, Drew “Bundini” Brown, who passed away that month.

Even worse for Muhammad Ali was September of 1994, when his dear mother died at the age of 77.

September has been a very difficult and historic month for Muhammad Ali, in a life and career which has seen many triumphs, trials and tribulations. And through it all, Muhammad Ali has come out of it as a world hero, the most famous face on the planet earth, and as far as boxing is concerned, he was as he said he was: The Greatest of All Time.

For more on the life and career of Muhammad Ali, see the new book, “The Dancing Master: A Concise Biography of Muhammad Ali“. Also visit the website at www.muhammadali-life.com.

The Boston Celtics earned the title this evening of NBA World Champions by blowing out and embarassing the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-92, in Game 6 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston.

The Celtics completely dismantled the timid-playing Lakers during the second half. The Lakers made little spurts to try and get back, but were never able to make any dent in the Celtics’ 23-point halftime lead, until Boston just completely poured it on, winning by 39 points.

The Celtics won this NBA Finals series 4 games to 2. The Lakers never really showed up for this game, allowing Boston to dominate from start to finish.

Maybe, just maybe, with a healthly Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza, along with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol as the Lakers’ starting five, MAYBE they might be more successful next year. However, to have come within 2 games of the championship, themselves, was quite an accomplishment for such a young and upcoming team.

Write On Sports extends its congratulations to the World Champion Boston Celtics.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

The Los Angeles Lakers finally showed toughness and grit. They took the lead; they lost the lead. They took the lead back. But this time, they held on to win a close one, 103-98.

In a first quarter reminiscent of the Lakers’ Game 4 start, Los Angeles came out with fire and passion against the Boston Celtics in this must-win Game Five of the NBA Finals. With the help of four 3-pointers from Kobe Bryant, the Lakers jumped out to a 39-22 lead in the first quarter, shooting at a blazing 64 percent from the field. They enjoyed a 17-point lead at the end of one, with the hope that there would not be a repeat of the now infamous 24-point meltdown in Game Four.

However, in usual 2008 Lakers’ Final fashion, the second quarter began with a Boston onslaught. The Lakers extended the lead to 19 points, only to have it quickly reduce down to 11 by 9:14 left in the period. Three quick fouls by seldom used Chris Mihm and a foul by Trevor Ariza, all against Paul Pierce, helped the Celtics launch an 8-0 run.

By the 6:00 mark, it had melted down, once again, to a 4-point lead. After a torrid 39-point first quarter, the Lakers had scored only 4 points by the 5:44 mark of the second quarter, while the Celtics scored 17. It was quite unusual in professional sports to see such turnarounds in a single half. The Lakers went more than 7 minutes without a score, even with Kevin Garnett on the bench with foul trouble.

By the end of the first half, the Lakers’ 19-point lead had dwindled to only 3 points, 55-52. The question running through Lakers fans’ mind was: If the Lakers could not maintain a 24-point lead in Game Four, and could not maintain a 19-point lead in this game, how on Earth would they be able to maintain just a 3-point lead in the second half?

Surprisingly, the Lakers were able to hold the lead in the 3rd quarter and even extend it to a 9-point lead, 79-70. They would need to hold down the Celtics in the now all-important fourth quarter in order to avoid elimination and to send the series back to Boston for a Game Six. The Celtics, on the other hand, would be looking to mount another comeback and bring the Celtics their 17th World Championship.

The Lakers began the 4th quarter well, extending to a 14-point lead at one point. But then the Celtics began making a comeback, while the Lakers feverishly tried to hold them off. At 7 minutes left, the Lakers held a slim 9-point lead.

At 6 minutes left it suddenly became a 4-point lead, after a 3-pointer by James Posey. It appears the Lakers would once again suffer another classic meltdown.

At 4:29 left, a Garnett jumper tied it to complete the meltdown. But after the point, the Lakers show the grit and determination that had previously been missing in this series. No matter what the Celtics through at them – a slight lead, defensive pressure, and a stream of fouls – the Lakers withstood the storm and came away – barely – clutching a 5-point win to tighten the series at 3-2 Boston. Game 6 will be at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston on Tuesday.

If the Lakers should be able to come alive and win Game 6, they’ll be in a position to do what 28 other teams have failed to do – come back from a 3 games to 1 deficit. Should they lose….well…it’s all over, and the Celtics will have Championship #17. Either way, Game 6, and possibly even a Game 7, will be historical and interesting to see.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

Despite the fact that MVP Kobe Bryant scored only 1 point in the first quarter, the Lakers set an NBA Finals record by ending the opening period with a 21-point lead. Lamar Odom, who had a horrendous first 3 games in the series, shot 6-for-6 for 13 points. The Lakers shot 65 percent in that first quarter while the Celtics shot a dismal 27 percent.

It would turn out, though, to be the only quarter in which the Lakers would outscore the Celtics. But the Lakers did manage to hold their lead through the second quarter, and led by 18 at the halftime mark.

In the third quarter, however, the Celtics made a Laker-like comeback and stormed all the way back to within 4 points. The Lakers helped the Celtics’ cause with a complete offensive meltdown which has been fairly typical of recent-year Laker teams in the third quarter. By the end of the third quarter, the Lakers only led by two, 73-71, after having led in the game by as many as 24 points. The Celtics outscored the Lakers in the period, 31-15.

The fourth quarter only got worse for the stunned Lakers. By the two-minute mark, they had shot a poor 5-for-15 in the quarter, and found themselves trailing by 3 points. This was as complete a turnaround as you will ever see in an NBA Finals game. The Lakers scored more points in the 1st quarter than they did in the entire 2nd half. What once looked like a laugher for the Lakers and a sure 2-2 tie in the series, suddenly became a desperate gasp for air and an attempt to stay alive.

After an eventual 3-pointer by James Posey, two free-throws by Pierce, and a layup by Ray Allen, the Lakers were finished for the night, 97-91. They now trail in the series 3 games to 1, and must win all three of the remaining games, with two of them in Boston, to keep their championship hopes alive. The Celtics, on the other hand, need only one win to capture their 17th NBA title.

Game 5, a must-win for the now desperate Lakers, will be played Sunday in Los Angeles.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

The Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Sasha Vujacic, squeaked out a narrow 87-81 victory over the Boston Celtics to draw within 2-1 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals Series. 

Both the Lakers and the Celtics had a fairly poor offensive showing from much of their roster, with the exception of Bryant and Vujacic for the Lakers and Ray Allen for the Celtics.  It was a hard-fought, down to the last minute battle for the NBA title, with the Lakers barely coming away with the victory.

By winning this game that the Lakers needed most desperately, they have prevented the Celtics from taking what would have been an insurmountable 3 games to 0 lead in the Series.  Game 4 will be Thursday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers are now 9-0 in the postseason and have won 15 straight games.  Should the Lakers win on Thursday, the series, which had previously been appearing as all Boston’s, would suddenly be tied at 2-2 with an all-important Game 5 to be played in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The series is now beginning to heat up, so we should be in for a treat in these next two games.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

With only 7:50 left in the ballgame, the Boston Celtics had a 24-point lead over the struggling Los Angeles Lakers. Game over, right? WRONG. The Lakers mounted a furious comeback and stormed to within 2 points, while the just dancing, celebrating fans in Boston stood with their mouths open and held their collective breaths. It was an unbelievable effort by the Lakers, who fell just short at the buzzer to lose 108-102 and now trail Boston 2 games to 0. The series shifts to the Staple Center in Los Angeles where the Lakers are 8-0 in the postseason. Anything can happen, especially after seeing that brilliant come-from-behind effort by Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

We’ll see what happens in Game 3, Tuesday night.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

In the first game of what may prove to be a grueling NBA Finals series, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 98-88 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Led by the awesome play of Kevin Garnett, the Celtics came back from a 5-point halftime deficit to knock off the surprising Lakers in Boston.

Game 2 will be Sunday night in Boston, and this game will have great importance for both teams. Should the Celtics win, they will lead 2 games to 0 and have the momentum going into Los Angeles. The psychological advantage of a 2-game lead is immense. However, should the Lakers win, they will be tied 1-1, have the momentum going into L.A. for THREE STRAIGHT HOME GAMES, they would have stolen home-court advantage, and will be playing Game 3 on their own territory, where they have yet to lose in these playoffs. In addition, Boston has been terrible on the road in the playoffs, so there is great pressure on Boston to take this second game.

This should be an exciting Game 2. Looking forward to the next post.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life