Weekly Chat, Transcribed Edition

Ben Crook: Due to technical difficulties, this week our Weekly Chat is going silent film style, without the film. So just silent.
Matt Reese: Good, I dont like your voice anyway


BC: As always, here with Matt Reese. And since we don't have to have a bunch of playful banter and pretending to be friends, we can jump right in.
MR: Let's get to it "Buddy". First up, Super Bowl XLV, Your thoughts?
BC: I was right, the Packers won. They did it mainly because they were able to win the turnover battle and convert those turnovers into points. And like I said in our preview, regardless of whether Pittsburgh could stop the run, the Packers would still be able to be successful. Starks ran the ball 11 times for 52 yards, a respectable average.
MR: Yeah the Packer's passing attacked proved too much to handle. I mean, Jordy Nelson was their leading receiver, they played the second half without Driver, Rodgers was just great. The Steelers did exactly what I thought they would do, make the Packer's one dimensional. But the Packers used some huge turnovers and like you said, converted those TO's into points.
BC: I still believe that the Packers did what they wanted on offense. They came into the game knowing that they were going to throw the ball and throw it a lot. Starks' average speaks to that, averaging 4.7 yards per carry doesn't exactly speak to the Steelers "forcing" the Packers to throw the ball.
MR: I'm not as sure, they claimed to want a "balanced attack" according to McCarthy before the game.
At one point in the game, the Packers run to pass ratio was 10 : 37. [Final ratio was 11:39, excluding two kneel-downs] To me that is forcing them into a one sided offense. If they were so efficient, why didn't they run more? They had the lead the whole game...
BC: Because that wasn't their gameplan! That's exactly what I'm saying.
MR: They didn't NEED to pass the ball.
BC: I guess you could say that Pittsburgh forced them into throwing the ball more in their gameplan, but you could also argue that Green Bay forced themselves into that gameplan by being so terrible running the ball all season.
MR: But they had been decent at running the ball in the playoffs.
BC: Yes, they had some good performances. But that's why I made the point that they would be able to run the ball enough when they wanted to. It's just that the majority of the time, they didn't want to run the ball.
MR: So I think the Steelers definitely forced them into a one dimensional team, it just happend that the Packers were really really good in that dimension. Just a quick thought on the Packers, imagine how good they would have been this year if they didn't have 13 opening day starters go on IR...crazy.
BC: The game was a microcosm of their season, losing key guys only to push on to the ultimate prize.
MR: Great team.
BC: Alright how about some NBA talk?
MR: Sounds good, some big news today out of Utah, where the Jazz announced that Jerry Sloan, the Jazz coach for 23 years will be stepping down as head coach.
BC: Really good coach, really has been the backbone of that franchise. They put out consistently good playoff-caliber teams and it's because of the stability that they had at the top.
MR: Great coach, regardless of the fact that he never won a championship. To be a head coach with the same team for 23 years in pro sports is impressive. It really speaks to his coaching ability, his intelligence, and his determination
BC: Hall of Fame coach no doubt. Think of what his teams introduced to the league: A fanbase of white people to rival the Pacers, flopping...
MR: And of course he was a leader in interspecies relations when he introduced John Stockton to the NBA, Stockton of course being an alien as noted by Bill Simmons.
BC: Truly an innovator. And with his departure, the longest-tenured NFL and NBA coaches are gone.
MR: Bobby Cox gone from the Braves too. A new wave of coaches are coming into pro sports
BC: Forgot about him. Also news in the NBA: the futility of the Cleveland Cavaliers. What a bunch of losers.
MR: The Cavs aren't really a team, it's just ridiculous. I mean you would think that they would luck their way into a win.
BC: Does this just illustrate how good LeBron James is? This is almost the exact same team that had 60+ wins, and yet you take him out and they're setting records for being awful.
MR: Well don't forget they lost Z and Mo Williams is injured, they were solid players. But yeah, it speaks to how good LeBron is. He is clearly the MVP in the NBA, whether or not he gets that award is a different discussion.
BC: Even with Mo Williams they're probably the worst team in the NBA.
MR: He can score though. They are better, but yeah probably still the worst team.
BC: James said himself early in the year that he doesn't expect to win MVP.
MR: Yeah but i don't take anything pro players say into account, a lot of them are just really really dumb.
BC: He's probably right, because people won't vote for him.
MR: Which is ridiculous, just because they disagree with 'The Decision'.
BC: But I think he's got the right thinking, he knows how people vote for MVP. It's not about who's the best player.
MR: Agreed. Dumb, but I agree.
BC: It's a travesty. Granted, there's still plenty of basketball to be played, but he's been the best there is this year.
MR: Yeah it' s tough to argue against that.
BC: And yet people do.
MR: People get too emotionally invested when awarding players. It's about what they do on the court, not off.
BC: Well and they even take stuff on the court the wrong way. Plenty of people wouldn't vote for him because he has Wade and Bosh around him.
MR: Which makes it more impressive to me the he averaged 30, 9, and 8 in January, thats just ridiculous.
BC: Exactly. Regardless of who you put with him, he will produce just the same. He's a machine. An amicable machine. Not a death macine like Kobe.
MR: Ha!
BC: But he could kill you if he wanted.
MR: Easily.
BC: That wraps up this chat. You're on our website, bencrookexperience.blogspot.com, you can also find us on Twitter @TheBenCrook and @OhOkReese and on Facebook at facebook.com/bencrookexperience