In what was supposed to be the pilot of The F-Bomb's new show The Bomb, instead turns to chaos as he loses his F-Bomb Mobile. The Bomb consists of random scenarios, awkward situations, and crowd interaction. Sometimes it's so good its bad. Other times it's so bad it's good. This may be the latter....
Actor/Writer: Fred "The F-Bomb" Richani
Actor: Phil "The Ladies' Man" McPhere
Camera Man: Nick The Camera Man
Dallas Mavericks: Don't Count Them Out Just Yet - 12.26.2008
Originally posted on BleacherReport.com (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/97044-dallas-mavericks-dont-count-them-out-just-yet)
Remember what the knocks were on the Dallas Mavericks the last couple of years?
They're not mentally tough. Dirk Nowitski is soft. Jason Kidd is too old. Erick Dampier plays like a scrub...
Wait that last one is true—most of the time. You see, the Mavericks are playing better ball under Rick Carlisle than most would have expected, after dismissing Avery Johnson. What most do not know either is that the Mavs have won seven out of their last 10 games and that there is a guard that is lighting defenses up.
No, it's not Jason Kidd. It is a Jason, but he's no kid. Former Dallas starting guard and now pseudo back-up Jason Terry has quietly been averaging 21 points, four assists, and three rebounds per game—off the bench.
Scoring wise, this has been the 31-year-old's best season ever. He is the man that could be an enormous X-factor for Dallas down the stretch. Dirk Nowitski is playing great basketball as usual. Erick Dampier finds ways to not stink it up at times. Jason Kidd is still a triple double threat. And oh yeah, Rick Carlisle is a very good coach that took both the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back years.
The Mavericks will certainly not have a 60-win season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make the playoffs. They have just as much of a chance as New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland, and other on the bubble teams in the Western Conference. I am not saying the Mavericks will definitely make the postseason.
However, do not be surprised if they get in and make some noise. After all, they only have two great point guards, a young upstart in Brandon Bass, Josh Howard (when not an idiot), a good coach, good ownership (assuming Mark Cuban isn’t guilty of insider trading), and oh, right—one of the best in the league, former MVP Dirk Nowitski.
Say what you want about the Mavericks and rightfully so, but remember, they are just over two years removed from an NBA Finals berth. As the Golden State Warriors showed them unceremoniously in 2007, anything can happen in the NBA—especially if momentum is on your side.
New York Knicks Create Two Years of Hope and Misery for Fans - 11.22.2008
The New York Knicks have had some serious statistical hemorrhoids these last few years. No winning season since 2001, a ridiculous amount of controversy via former president and coach Isaiah Thomas, overly priced contracts, bad draft picks (Danilo Gallinari momentarily looks away), and a sad lowering of standards by not only the fans—but now the Knicks themselves.
Knicks fans like yours truly have grown accustomed to Detroit Lionism or as I like to call it: settling for mediocrity because things suck so much (no disrespect to Lions fans). The once proud franchise that was the New York Knickerbockers has fallen off the face of the basketball earth since their run to an NBA Finals berth in 1999.
In fact, I went even as far to stating the New York Knicks were the NBA’s Amy Winehouse earlier this year and rightfully so. Fast forward a few months and there seemed to be winds of positive change in the air. New President Donnie Walsh is at the helm, bringing in a decade-plus of experience from the Indiana Pacers organization.
Former coach and president Isaiah Thomas was fired and replaced with a much better person for the job in former Phoenix Suns offensive genius Mike D’Antoni, after a merciful tenure that resulted in losing seasons and ludicrous contracts for the likes Jerome Scrubs er..James.
To make matters better for Knicks fans, the team has been somewhat competitive this season, posting a 6-6 record thus far. Not great, but certainly not terrible either. Sure, there has been some controversy this season, due to the benching of their best player and who some would argue their worst teammate—Stephon Marbury. However, the Knicks have made it clear they are moving in another direction. Good enough, right?
Perhaps, it is.
Fast forward a bit more to this past Friday, when the Knicks traded their top two scorers in guard Jamal Crawford and forward Zach Randolph in separate deals. Crawford was sent to the Golden State Warriors for forward Al Harrington. Meanwhile, Randolph, along with guard Mardy Collins was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers for veteran guard Cuttino Mobley and forward Tim Thomas.
Let’s look at the positives of these two major trades. By shipping Crawford and Randolph for expiring contracts, the Knicks save about $27 million and some change this year. Not bad for a team that was bogged down with enormous contracts. Yes, they still have to pay the benched Marbury, but he is gone after this season.
This house cleaning by Donnie Walsh obviously signals that the Blue and Orange wants to free cap space for the blockbuster free agent market in 2010 that allows LeBron James, Amare Stoudamire, Dwayne Wade, among others to be available to sign. If you’re a Knicks fan like myself or just a fan of the game, then you must be ecstatic….or not.
As great as this cap space is for the team, this is bad for the fans—particularly the paying customers. Stephon Marbury is arguably the Knicks’ best player and on the bench (he refused to play against the Bucks Friday), while their top two scorers this season that each averaged 20 points per game were traded.What this trade tells the paying customers of Madison Square Garden is “wait a couple of years and you’ll get your money’s worth”. Hardly satisfying for loyal fans that plop down hundreds to thousands of dollars to just see glimpses of hope every season.
Then again, the NBA is not just a league, but a business as well. The Knicks know that they have to suck it up the next two years for a huge payoff, even at the expense of their current paying customers. After all, there will be even more people willing to plop down their hard earned money in 2010 to see the likes of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade in the Big Apple that the current disgruntled ticket holders will not matter. That is the harsh reality.
Personally, I think the Knicks made the right move, but should have attempted to acquire a few draft picks. As much disarray as the New Jersey Nets are in, they have two potential All-Stars in the future: Brooke Lopez and Devin Harris. The Knicks on the other hand, have a group of okay players and a standout in David Lee.
Point guard Chris Duhon has potential, but is certainly not ready to lead a team that has been the NBA’s laughing stock for quite some time. Then again, Stephon Marbury would have scored a bunch of points and alienated himself from everybody anyway. Don’t even get me started on Eddy Curry, who most will agree does not deserve to be in the league with the kind of effort (or lack there of) he exudes for the amount he is paid.
Overall, the trades Donnie Walsh pulled off were great for the future, but not great for the now. Obviously, the Knicks took a page from the Danny Ainge/Boston Celtics playbook, figuring they could have an amazing turnaround in 2010 with the right moves—assuming they can sign any coveted free agents. As for now, the fans, especially ticket holders, will have to suffer through two more years of mediocrity and lowered expectations.The New York Knicks may be a contender again one day, but that day cannot come soon enough for the team, the NBA, and most importantly—the fans.
2008 NFL Midseason Awards - 11.11.2008
Every team in the NFL has played at least eight games this season. There have been pleasant and disappointing surprises in the NFL via players, coaches, and teams as a whole. Allow me to present to you, the NFL awards for 2008 thus far.
Surprise Team of the Midseason: Tennessee Titans
If someone had told me the Tennessee Titans would be 8-0 with 100-year old Kerry Collins at the helm, I would have said they are mentally insane. It looks like I am the insane one right now.Sure, the Falcons can certainly stake their claim as a pleasant surprise, but they are not the best team in football. Through adversity and perseverance, the Titans are not only a surprise team—but the best (record-wise) right now.
Best Team of the Midseason: New York Giants
In a previous blog, I stated the Titans were the best team record-wise. However, I have to go with my New York Football Giants. First off, they are the defending Super Bowl Champions. Secondly, they PLAY LIKE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS. With convincing wins over the Redskins, Cowboys, and Steelers, they have shown that they can hang with the best of them. With the exception of a horrendous effort against the Browns, the Giants have clearly shown that their Top 10 offense and defense is clicking—and at the right time.
Most Disappointing Team of the Midseason: Jacksonville Jaguars/Cleveland Browns/New Orleans Saints/San Diego Chargers (Four-Way Tie:
Wow. That’s a whole lot of disappointing teams (poor fans). Let's start with the Jaguars, who last year had a solid offense that made few mistakes and had a very good defense on route to a playoff win. This year, the Jaguars are sitting with a 3-5 record—tied for last place in the AFC South with the Houston Texans.Their quarterback David Garrard threw only three interceptions last season. This season, he already has five. Problems with coach Jack Del Rio and linebacker Mike Peterson do not help matters either.
Did I mention they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals?
Speaking of the Bengals, the Cleveland Browns not only beat them, but upset the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants this season. Coach Romeo Crennel would be ecstatic about that if his team did not have a 3-6 record, compared to 10-6 last year.Giving up double-digit leads in back to back games is also not a way to stay in good graces with management.
If you thought the Jaguars had internal problems, it is nothing in contrast to Cleveland. Between staph infections, Braylon Edwards’ butter fingers, and a topsy-turvy defense, Browns fans have to be disappointed.
The New Orleans Saints may not have as many internal problems (that fans know of anyway), but external—as in on the field. A 4-4 record does not mean all hope is lost, but when a team is only .500 in a tough NFC South division, despite having passing yards leader Drew Brees as their quarterback—something is definitely not clicking.
Much like the Saints, Brees’ former team, the San Diego Chargers are very disappointing with a 3-5 record, despite Phillip Rivers’ league high 107.8 quarterback rating. Yet, they are only a couple games behind the Denver Broncos in the weak AFC West. A playoff berth may still be in their future, but this team does not look like they will go far if that happens.
Rookie of the Midseason: Matt Ryan, ATL
While running backs Matt Forte and Chris Johnson are giving defenses a rough time, it was much harder for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to step into the limelight—especially after the shape the franchise was in after the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino fiascoes.However, that does not seem to be stopping the rookie, who has nine touchdowns against five picks.
The biggest statistic does not belong solely to Matt Ryan, but the entire Atlanta Falcons—a record of 5-3 at this point of the season. That is one more win than last season, where the birds had a horrible 4-12 record.Ryan, along with the addition of former Chargers running back Michael “The Burner” Turner and coach Mike Smith, has helped change the culture of the franchise. Arthur Blank and his wallet must be very happy right now.
Comeback Player of the Midseason: Kerry Collins, TEN
They say America loves a comeback. Something tells me the Titans’ opponents do not love the return of Kerry Collins. He may not kill your defense like a Drew Brees, he does do much of what Jeff Garcia does—manage the game.Kurt Warner may be back to old form, but his comeback started last when—helping the Cardinals end the season with an 8-8 record.
Yes, Kerry Collins only has three touchdowns to his credit, but he has led what could have been a directionless team after the Vince Young controversy to an 8-0 record. He definitely deserves credit for his leadership and ability to not make mistakes—with only three interceptions thrown this season.
For those that forget, Collins has had his own personal demons in years past, but has since gotten through them. He has been through it all—getting cut by teams, losing his starting job, rehab, etc. And now, Kerry Collins is the starting quarterback of an 8-0 team that does not look like they are slowing down.
Now that’s what I call a comeback.
Offensive Player of the Midseason: Drew Brees, NO
This was almost way too close call. On one hand, Redskins running back Clinton Portis leads the league in rushing with 995 yards—172 yards more than the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson.On the other hand, Drew Brees could potentially break Dan Marino’s 24-year old single season passing yards record of 5,084.
Brees already has a league-leading 2,563 passing yards, resulting in 15 touchdowns to seven interceptions. And this is all in spite of injuries to tight end Jeremy Shockey and top wide receiver Marques Colston.
So much for those shoulder issues of his….
Defensive Player of the Midseason: Joey Porter, MIA
Ah, an athlete that can back up his trash talking. Dolphins’ linebacker Jerry Porter sure does not seem phased from last year’s 1-15 season. After having the lowest sack total since his rookie year last season with 5.5, Porter already has 11.5. Not only is he having his best season and helping the Dolphins stay at 4-4 in the wide open AFC East, but is also be on track to break Michael Strahan’s 22.5 sack record—if he can stay at this pace.
Coach of the Midseason: Jeff Fisher, TEN
Jeff Fisher has now been head coach of the Tennessee Titans (formerly Houston Oilers) for 14 years. Lord knows how many coaching changes have been made across the league since then. Al Davis could not be reached for comment.
Jeff Fisher is coach of the midseason because of the Titans’ record and the fact that he had the guts to bench the face of his franchise—Vince Young. Benching Vince Young may not have been popular at first, but clearly this football expert believes that the star would have be better off sitting back and learning from veteran Kerry Collins. With an 8-0 record, a Kerry Collins comeback, great defense, and an inevitable division title , Jeff Fisher sure looks like he knew what he was doing all along.
Most Valuable Player of the Midseason: Kurt Warner, ARI
What could Brett Favre and Kurt Warner possibly have in common after this season?
Here’s the answer:
They would be the only players to ever be three time MVP award winners. Here’s why it is more likely than a person shaking their head may think.........If Kerry Collins is having a career resurgence, then Kurt Warner has the Fountain of Youth in his backyard. The former Super Bowl MVP does not just have a 104.2 passer rating (second highest in the league behind Phillip Rivers), but an NFC leading 16 touchdowns to six interceptions.
Perhaps the most important reason why Kurt Warner is the midseason MVP is that the often underachieving Arizona Cardinals are 5-3 and look to have the NFC West—and their first playoff berth since 1998 all but wrapped up in coming weeks.
Yes, Drew Brees could break Dan Marino’s passing yards record, but he is doing this at the age of 28. Meanwhile, Kurt Warner is lighting up defenses at the ripe old age of 37.The Cardinals may have the great receiving tandem of Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald to assist him, but that duo has not resulted into significant wins—until now.
Once again, Warner also has something else in common with Kerry Collins.
Kurt Warner was named starting quarterback this season, putting former first-round pick Matt Leinart not at helm, but on the bench—much like the Vince Young controversy. Hopefully, Matt Leinart is learning from the playoff-tested veteran with something to prove. Kurt Warner has proven up to this point, that he is the right man for the Cardinals quarterback position this season. In the process, the veteran has reminded everybody of the elite quarterback he once was—and still is.
411 Interviews: OneRepublic's Brent Kutzle
(10.09.2009)
OneRepublic's Brent Kutzle sits down with 411's Fred Richani to discuss the band, Timbaland, their new album, and much more!
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3 Review [2]
(09.11.2009)
Is Jay-Z's newest album more like the original Blueprint or recent efforts such as Kingdom Come? Click here to find out!
Prelude to a Legacy 7.24.09: Soulja Boy
(07.24.2009)
Soulja Boy is an artist that people either love or hate. Instead of Soulja Boy, this time Fred Richani tells 'em why the boy wonder is special and will have a future in the music business.
Prelude to a Legacy 6.26.09: Michael Jackson
(06.26.2009)
Michael Jackson is sadly gone, but his legacy as an artist is alive and well. Forget the tabloid stories and BS. Michael Jackson did more positive things than negative in this world. Allow The F-Bomb to remind you of his musical contributions...
Prelude To A Legacy 6.12.09: Static Major
(06.12.2009)
Static Major was a brilliant songwriter, if not the greatest of his time. Read this column and learn about the creative genius you wish you knew about years before his untimely demise.
Prelude to a Legacy 5.29.09: The Chronic
(05.29.2009)
Dr. Dre is one of music's all-time greatest producers. Click here to find out what got him to the plateau of greatness!
Eminem - Relapse Review [2]
(05.22.2009)
Where the hell has Eminem been? Well, seemingly to hell and back since we last heard of him. Click here to find out if his newest album measures up to his past work!
Prelude To A Legacy 5.22.09: John Cena
(05.22.2009)
You read the headline right. John Cena?! The F-Bomb tells you why the WWE Superstar has a musical legacy worth mentioning.
Prelude To A Legacy 5.01.09: MURS
(05.01.2009)
MURS for President....of hip-hop?! Click here to read why MURS should be hip-hop's goodwill ambassador amidst violence and rap beefs.
SPOTLIGHTS
