Hello Again, Spurs, and Mobile QBs

Well, I have to say, it's been awhile.  I have been very busy, and this has been one of the first times I've actually had to sit down and write out a post.  Even though I haven't been posting, the sports world has moved on without me.  There is just too much stuff to go back and cover or summarize it all, so I'm just going to approach this now moving forward.  I'll be posting more, hopefully every 2 or 3 days, but never longer than a week between posts. I'm going to still do the mailbag, so send anything and everything to straightupsports1@gmail.com

Now that I got all of the necessities out of the way, LET'S TALK SOME SPORTS!!!  This is my favorite time of year.  College football is down to crunch time, and college basketball is starting to heat up.  The NFL is in high gear, and the NBA is starting to roll.  The only thing that would make this any better would be some NHL, but they are locked out, and it doesn't seem like anything is happening on that front any time soon.

Resting Spurs: So far in the NBA season all that had really caught my eye was this very odd blocking call, and Stephen A. Smith ranting.  But arguably the biggest news of the season broke today when the NBA fined the San Antonio Spurs a whopping $250,000. On Thursday November 29 the Spurs were playing a nationally televised game at Miami when their coach Gregg Popovich decided to send four of their biggest players home to rest after a brutal road trip, playing 6 games in 9 days.  Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, and Danny Green were the players sent home.  The NBA said in an official statement that the Spurs acted in a way that was "contrary to the best interests of the NBA."  The Miami Heat ended up pulling the game out 105-100, needing a big run late to seal the win on their home court.

There is turmoil in The City by the Bay: Alex Smith went into this year cemented as the San Fransisco 49ers starting quarterback, but after a hard hit knocked him out the the 49ers week 10 contest against the Saint Louis Rams, Colin Kaepernick stepped into his place. In a 14-0 hole, Kaepernick brought the 49ers back to send the game to overtime, where it would eventually result in a tie.  After Smith was unable to start the next week, Kaepernick took the reins of the team, and drove them to two consecutive victories over tough Chicago and New Orleans teams.  Alex Smith meanwhile has passed his tests to get back on the field, but has found himself behind one of the hottest QBs in the league right now.  Kaepernick has displayed himself as an accurate passer, but is able to escape the pocket and run.  The 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has said that he is going to go with the "hot hand" and make a decision every week. It looks like Kaepernick will start this Sunday against the Rams, but it will be interesting to see how this situation plays out as the 49ers (8-2-1) try to make a push for a playoff berth and home field advantage.

What to Watch: The SEC Championship Game, which pits #3 Georgia against #2 Alabama, kicks off in the Georgia Dome at 4:00PM EST on Saturday.  The winner of this game most probably plays for the National Championship against Notre Dame.

The And-One: The Golden State Warriors' Harrison Barnes had this ridiculous dunk over Nikola Pekovic:

Thanks for reading, and comeback sometime next week to check out my college hoops November recap.  Enjoy the football! Til' next time.