The Golden State Warriors 73-9 | Nasser Erakat

The Golden State Warriors did something incredible. Only the 95-96 Chicago Bulls ever won 70 games in a regular season. They finished that season with a win total of 72 wins. This was a record that would never be broken, winning 72 or even passing it, was not imaginable. As a Warriors fan I was happy that they won the Championship 

last year. I didn't think that the Warriors would ever win anything and they proved me wrong. Then before this season started, I couldn't believe that there was so much talk about how, "Lucky" the Warriors were to win the Championship. It just showed me how many people in the NBA were jealous that the Warriors won the whole thing. I already spoke about that topic earlier. So many records were broken this year for Golden State, I couldn't keep track. The biggest one is that after 20 years, the 72 win season by the Bulls has been broken. The Golden State Warriors finish the 15-16 NBA season at 73-9, take a deep breath and just think about that. All I can say is "Wow". I witnessed history last night.

The Golden State Warriors 73-9 | Nasser Erakat

Hard to fathom NBA record Warriors just set

OAKLAND, Calif. --‎ The absolute peak of absurdity for the luckiest correspondent in professional sports had to be last week, when I found myself locked in a televised conversation with one of my boyhood heroes, co-narrating Steph Curry's pregame shooting session alongside a certain batting practiceking named Reggie Jackson.

Or maybe it was that crisp February afternoon in the nation's capital, weeks before the Mr. October encounter that 9-year-old me would never have believed, scurrying about the North Lawn at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to box out the crowd and get in position to ask Curry what it was like to commandeer the White House‎ for a few hours.

Or maybe craziest of all, when all the probabilities are computed, was the time Warriors vet Leandro Barbosa motioned to me from across the practice floor, cupped his hand to his ear to signal a telephone conversation, and shouted: "Neymar called me!"

That's right.

Turns out that the Brazilian third of the greatest modern triangle offense going -- Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar -- needs his Steph updates just like the rest of us.

"He calls me a lot," Barbosa said.

These are the sorts of things that happen in the Warriors' world, even when you're just an outsider trying to chronicle it all. ‎You see and hear things that, even in this wacky NBA, you simply never thought possible. Full Article

The Golden State Warriors 73-9 | Nasser Erakat

Now that the regular season is over, it's now playoff time. This whole season will mean nothing if they do not win the Championship again. I really do not see a team beating the Warriors four times, they only lost nine games all year. The playoffs start Saturday against the Houston Rockets, who I think will get swept in the opening round. When the Warriors play like Warriors, they are unstoppable. Lets wrap up this incredible season with a Championship, so the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors can go down as the greatest team in NBA History. Lets Go Warriors !!!!

Warriors heading to the All Star Break | Nasser Erakat

The Warriors heading to the All Star Break | Nasser Erakat will be a good break for the best team in the NBA. The Golden State Warriors are 48-4, think about that for a second. The Warriors who had the best record last season at 67-15 and went on 

to win the NBA Championship. This year they might break the Bulls record and go on to win another title. The Golden State Warriors are playing team basketball and they are having fun doing it. Watching other teams is boring, no offense. The Warriors have such great chemistry together. For being a long time Warriors fan it is fun to see that the whole NBA is revolving around the Warriors. For the longest time I would see the Lakers,Spurs and even the bulls when I was younger always leading the way. At some point I would look at the Warriors with their 20 win season. I use to ask myself will this get any better? After last years Championship, it has. It is nice to see a team that you follow and rout for finally win at the end.

Warriors heading to the All Star Break | Nasser Erakat

How the Golden State Warriors are influencing college basketball

About a decade ago, Eric Musselman recalls, NBA players doing elaborate two-ball dribbling drills before a game would elicit laughter.

“I can vividly remember being in Orlando with Coach (Chuck) Daly and trying to do two-dribbles with guys and they wouldn't do it,” said Musselman, a longtime NBA coach who’s now coaching the University of Nevada men’s team. “Then you try to explain to them, ‘Hey look, this is going to help with your hand speed. This is going to help with ball speed, and this is going to make you ball-friendly.’ I used those three terms, and guys wouldn't do it or another assistant coach would kind of snicker.

“Now, Steph Curry does it and all of the sudden it's part of everybody's pre-game routine. It's part of everybody's player development, and I think it just goes to show you for one, what a copycat we all are — because it's true. Then, when somebody is really successful, that does something that everybody wants to emulate.”

It’s not just Curry’s mesmerizing, pre-game ball-handling rituals that college coaches are emulating. Curry’s team, the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, is impacting the college game stylistically and culturally. College coaches are popping in to watch Warriors practices and coming away impressed by the team’s chemistry and looseness. College teams are watching Warriors film and trying to model certain aspects of themselves after Golden State, which is 47-4 while playing the most watchable brand of basketball in the NBA. Full Article

Warriors heading to the All Star Break | Nasser Erakat

For the second half the of NBA season, there is only one Goal in mind and that is to Win another title. I really do not care about the Bulls record. I want Back to Back title. After tasting my team winning, I got greedy. Lets start to prepare for playing in June in the NBA Finals. I know this team can taste the second title, they have been playing like they are in the playoffs. When the other best teams have come to play against the Warriors, they get beat and get beat bad. Lets Go Warriors, repeat as Champs. Well Thanks for Reading.

Super Bowl 50 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

That old cliche, Defense wins championships showed in Super Bowl 50. I will be the first to say that I thought that Carolina would win. I didn't think Denver would 

have an answer to Cam Newton but I was wrong. Von Miller, the MVP of Super Bowl 50 dominated Carolina's offense and Cam Newton.

For Peyton Manning he should ride off into the sunset with this Super Bowl victory. When Peyton was with the Colts, that was my second favorite team. I was a fan of Peyton Manning. Once he went to Denver, I could not cheer for him, since I am a Raiders fan. I am happy for Peyton Manning, what would they have said if he lost and was 1-4 in the Super Bowls? Was Peyton Manning's legacy in question? I guess we do not have to worry about that, the Denver Broncos won their third Championship and Peyton got his second ring.

Super Bowl 50 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Denver defense kryptonite to Panthers Superman Newton

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Reuters) - The Denver Broncos shocked the Carolina Panthers 24-10 as the Super Bowl closed out its first half-century on Sunday with an upset and a cliffhanger as Peyton Manning left everyone guessing about his future.

As a glittering shower of golden confetti fell on Levi's Stadium, Manning appeared to have penned the fairytale ending to a Hall of Fame career ready to ride off into the sunset holding the Vince Lombardi trophy, the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl and the first to win championships for two franchises.

But a coy Manning refused to reveal his hand leaving open the possibility that the 39-year-old could remain part of the NFL next season even as the Super Bowl turns the corner and steams toward its centennial and a new era that includes a team back in Los Angeles.

"It's certainly been an emotional week for everybody," said Manning, amid the post-game celebrations. "I got some good advice from (former Indianapolis Colts coach) Tony Dungy. He said don't make an emotional decision. Full Article

Super Bowl 50 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

The football season is over. Preseason starts in August 2016. The odds makers already picked who they think will win next years Super Bowl but that is why they play the games. Since I'm a Raiders fan and the Raiders will have to face Denver, the Raiders need to work on their defense. Since Jack Del Rio is a defensive guy he needs to start working on the defense. We already have Mack who is going to be a stud in this league. Lets get the defense strong. Work on that first and then worry about the offense. I just want to see a Raiders playoff run next season. Go Raiders!!!

Warriors Smash the Spurs | Nasser Erakat

Every time the Warriors are suppose to be challenged. We heard it last week when they played Cleveland, Chicago and now the Spurs. The NBA power rankings had Spurs as number 1 some lists. With everything that the Warriors have done so far, nobody still gives them the respect. Keep saying that the Warriors cannot and they will show 

you they can. The Spurs came into town on Monday night. This was the game, this was the two power houses in the NBA. This was the Western Conference Finals matchup.  One of these two teams will win the NBA Championship this year. There was so much hype about this game and so many celebrities were there too. The Super Bowl will be played in the Bay Area which brought out the stars. This was the measuring stick, this would tell you which team is the best in the NBA. The Warriors already swept the season series against Cleveland, which would be a test since in the Finals last year, Cleveland was not healthy.  The Warriors were bringing their 40-4 record against the second best team who was on a 13 game winning streak and was 38-6. When these two Power Houses clash it will be a great game or that is what we thought. Unless you were living under a rock you by now know the outcome. The usually victim fell to the Warriors. The Starters for both teams didn't play in the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry, last years and this years MVP dropped 37 points in 28 minutes. Oh and I forgot, Tim Duncan didn't play, which would have not mattered either way. The Warriors are just too good.

Warriors Smash the Spurs | Nasser Erakat

The Spurs Are Great, but the Warriors Are Much, Much Better

The San Antonio Spurs were supposed to be the team that slowed the Golden State Warriors’ inexorable run to the N.B.A. title. The arrival of LaMarcus Aldridge, the continued transformation of Kawhi Leonard into a star, the veteran leadership of Tony Parker and Tim Duncan and the craftiness of Coach Gregg Popovich seemed to add up to a formidable challenge for the defending champions.

On Monday night, the teams met for the first time this season in one of the most hotly anticipated regular-season games in years. And the Warriors won by 30.

The game was never really in doubt. Stephen Curry, who continues to hit shots that seem to defy physics, scored 37 points and sat out the fourth quarter.

Admittedly, the Spurs were playing on the road and without Duncan, who had a sore knee. But as Popovich said afterward: “It was like men and boys. They beat us in every phase of the game.” Full Article

Warriors Smash the Spurs | Nasser Erakat

I like the fact that nobody gives respect to the Warriors. I like the fact that the Warriors play with a chip on their shoulder. Come June, the Warriors will be holding up their second NBA title. The Warriors are just so much better and they keep proving their critics wrong. I don't really care about the bulls record, I care about the Bulls Championships which are six titles. The Warriors franchise has four and in June five. I see this team winning 1-2 more titles which would give them a total of seven. I know, I know, lets get this years title first and I agree. The Warriors are fun to watch and I love the fact that they are blowing teams out. Keep it up and lets go back to back. Thanks for reading.

NFL Championship Games are in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Super Bowl 50 is finally here, well in two weeks but we know who is playing in the Super Bowl. I was very Surprised that New England lost. The game between Denver and New England was a slowed hard fought game. It was basically two quarterbacks at 

the end of their careers. This was the last time that we will see  Manning Vs. Brady.  For Tom Brady I can see him playing another year or two. Tom Brady have four rings, he is 4-6 in his Super Bowls. If here were to retire this season it would be fine because he really doesn't have anything to prove. Peyton Manning is 1-2 in the Super Bowl and will be 1-3 after Super Bowl 50. I can see the Carolina Panthers blowing out Denver like Seattle did a few years ago. Carolina looks too dominate. I know everyone talks about Denver's defense but they have not met a quarterback like Cam Newton.

NFL Championship Games are in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Cam Newton is, quite simply, the best player in the NFL today

America, meet the best player in the NFL.

He's a smile-wearing, dab-doing, touchdown-throwing, touchdown-running, team-leading, football-giving, fox-tail-wearing cat.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's Mr. Cam Newton.

And it is flat-out fantastic that the face of the NFL is in the Super Bowl.

He's talented, big-hearted, confident-on-the-border-of-cocky, and he has this gift. And oh, it's a gift.

Cam Newton plays his best when it matters the most. Cam Newton is built for this stage.

I've been on record all year calling the Arizona Cardinals the most complete team in the NFL; the best roster, 1-53, in the entire league. I picked Arizona to win on Sunday. Full Article 

NFL Championship Games are in the Books | Nasser Erakat

The Carolina Panthers will be a team in the NFC that will compete for years to come. They  got a good team with a good coaching staff.  The Carolina defense is playing great. They had six turnovers against Arizona in the Championship game. The game ended in the first quarter up 17-0. Denver doesn't score points and if you get up on them by two or three touchdowns it's pretty much over. Carolina led the NFL in points per game with 31.2 and Denver was at 22.2 ppg.  As we have seen Carolina can score fast and more frequent. Denver is going to have a hard time trying to catch Cam Newton. We have both number 1 seeds playing against each other. I still see  Carolina scoring big in this Super Bowl. I guess we will have to wait and see. Does Peyton Manning get to ride off into the sunset or does Cam Newton start the beginning of multiple Super Bowl appearances.  Thanks for reading.

NFL Divisional Round is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Usually after the Divisional round you get the four best teams in the NFL left. I am going to start with the Kansas City Chiefs, who I have been saying if they get behind cannot win. During their 10 game win streak, I am not going to take anything away from 

them, they should have lost a few times. If it was not for the other teams making the mistake. I knew the Chiefs would lose to the Patriots after the Houston Texans game on wild card weekend. I know what you are thinking, that the Chiefs won 30-0 against the Texans. Let me explain. The first play of the game was a kickoff return for the Chiefs. After four turnovers, the Chiefs would take a 13-0 lead in the half. So Basically two fields goals. If the Chiefs played any decent team in the NFL it would have been a game but it was the Texans. Then to make things worst J.J. Watt left with an injury in the third quarter. Then things changed from there. Against the Patriots we had the Chiefs again only scoring two field goals in the first half. I was with a group of friends and when the Patriots took a two touchdown lead with almost 7 minutes remaining I told everyone around me that the Chiefs would use all the time and score but have no time left to score again. That's what happened.

In regards to the other three match-ups, I can break it down like this. Denver would have lost if the Steelers were healthy but the Steelers will not use that excuse like some other professional teams do. Arizona and Greenbay was a toss up, either team could have won that game. Mistakes early cost the Seahawks against the Panthers but give them credit for making a game out of it.

NFL Divisional Round is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Tom Brady never thought 10 title games were possible

Tom Brady plans on playing into his 50s, so it's rare to catch him in a moment of introspection now.

But Monday on WEEI-FM, he did just that after the hosts asked him if he could ever imagine reaching his 10th AFC Championship Game (which will take place this Sunday in Denver). As CSN New England noted, that is more than 27 franchises have in their history.

"It's beyond what I'd ever imagined in my wildest dreams," Brady said. "I remember the first one I ever participated in, which was in Pittsburgh. We had to fly there on a Friday. I missed Friday of practice so I could do a press conference at the site of the game. It was the first time it really felt like, wow, this is a big deal. Full Article

NFL Divisional Round is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

The AFC and NFC Championship games are set. As I predicted this would be the case. I have a feeling that the two teams in the Super Bowl will be New England Patriots vs the Carolina Panthers. It will be a rematch of these two teams. This time I can see Carolina winning the Super Bowl. I see that if Carson Palmer has another slow start like he did against Greenbay they will be in for a long game. Carolina has the ability to take over the game. The Denver Broncos with a banged up Manning cannot beat Tom Brady and the Patriots. If Eli Manning was playing then that is a different story but Peyton is playing. I guess we will have to wait and see on Sunday.

Warriors Destroy the Cavs | Nasser Erakat

All we heard is that since the Cleveland Cavaliers were not healthy in the Finals that was the reason the Warriors won the finals. Let me see, the Golden State Warriors won 67 games, were number one on offense and I think number one in defense. The 

Warriors were the best team in the NBA last year and that is why thy won the finals. It was not because that didn't face the Spurs (who couldn't handle business), or the Clippers (who were up 3 games to 1 against the Houston Rockets) or Houston who lost 4-1 to the Warriors. Then comes the finals against the Cavaliers, who already had excuses because Kevin Love was hurt. After game one of the Finals Kyrie Irving was hurt and out of the Finals. Everybody crowned the Warriors and give a little credit to the Cavaliers who were up 2 games to 1 against the Warriors. We all know what happened next, the warriors won the next three games to win their first championship in 40 years.

The start of the 2015-2016 NBA season showed us that some teams were jealous of the Warriors. Glenn Rivers, says that the Warriors were lucky. James Harden said that he should have won the MVP of the league. The Cavaliers said if they were only healthy when they played the Warriors, The Warriors heard the disrespect and went 24-0 and finally losing against the Bucks after a 7 game road trip, back to back and the night before playing a double overtime game against the Celtics. The Cavaliers were hoping that on Christmas the Warriors would be undefeated so they could beat them. The Cavaliers came into Oracle Arena and were all healthy but nobody talked that the Warriors have been banged up. The Warriors would eventually win the game in a slow pace game that most people said the Warriors could not win.

Warriors Destroy the Cavs | Nasser Erakat

Stephen Curry, Warriors win 5th straight over Cavs in laugher

CLEVELAND -- Stephen Curry didn't smell champagne. Blood was in the air.

Curry scored 35 points in three quarters, Andre Iguodala added 20 and Golden State returned to the arena where it won the NBA championship last season and embarrassed the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-98 on Monday night.

The Warriors built a 30-point lead in the first half, pushed their advantage to 43 after halftime and bounced back from a shocking loss in Detroit over the weekend by winning their fifth straight over Cleveland.

Only a late flurry of points helped the Cavs avoid their worst home loss in franchise history.

"They did what they wanted," LeBron James said.

Curry made seven 3-pointers -- his last put the Warriors ahead by 40 late in the third quarter -- and the reigning league MVP seemed right at home in Quicken Loans Arena, where the Warriors clinched their first title since 1975 in June. On Sunday, Curry said he hoped the visitors locker room "still smells a little bit like champagne." Full Article 

Warriors Destroy the Cavs | Nasser Erakat

On Dr. Martin Luther King day, the NBA had scheduled another rematch of the Warriors vs. the Cavaliers. This would be the final game between both these teams in the regular season. The Cavaliers and Warriors would both be healthy, oh and of course Steve Kerr is still not on the bench. After an early remark from Stephen Curry that got everybody in Cleveland talking about disrespect. This was news, this was bulletin board material for the Cavaliers.

Asked on Sunday after practice what it would be like playing in Cleveland on Monday for the first time since the Warriors clinched the Finals championship on the Cavaliers’ home court in June, Curry responded: "Obviously, walking in that locker room, it’ll be good memories. Hopefully, it still smells a little bit like champagne." Full Article 

Really did what Curry say hurt the feelings of the Cavaliers. The Warriors would be underdogs for the second time this season. The Game Started with a Andrew Bogut makes two point shot (Stephen Curry assists). It was the start of a blowout. The Warriors would go on a 10-2 run. The first quarter would end with the Golden State Warriors up 34-21 and the Half would end with the Warriors ahead 70-44. The Warriors would lead by as much as 43 at a point in the third quarter. The final buzzer would end with the Golden State Warriors winning 132-98. What excuses will we hear now from the Cavaliers. J.R. Smith got ejected, Kevin Love would finish with 3 points, Kyrie Irving would finish with 8 points and LeBron James with 16. So lets stop talking about if the Cavaliers were healthy, OK. The Warriors and Spurs will be fighting for the NBA Championship. The winner from the Western Conference Finals will go on and win the Championship. Well Thanks for Reading and hope you enjoyed this article.

NFL Wild Card Weekend is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

For the first time in NFL history all four road teams won. There was some strange finishes. First we had the Bengals melt down against the Steelers and then the chip shot field goal missed by the Vikings. The Houston Texan's didn't belong in the Playoffs, losing 30-0 showed that. We saw the Green Bay Packers offense show up. The Divisional round 

will show which teams will make a run for the Super Bowl. All these teams that made it so far were the better teams. I am going to make a prediction about who is going to be in the NFC and AFC Championship Games. Arizona Vs. Carolina and New England Vs. Denver. That's my opinion. Even though Kansas City Chiefs won 30-0 there was a little bit for concern. They were leading 13-0 at the half with 4 turnovers and a Kickoff return on the first play of the game. If a decent team played instead of the Houston Texans, the game could have turned out different. Not taking anything away from KC but New England is not Houston.

NFL Wild Card Weekend is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

NFL Power Rankings: Packers rising after Wild Card Weekend

RANK 1

15-1 PANTHERS

 

No movement for the top-ranked Panthers this week, yet there is one rather large development: Ron Rivera says Jonathan Stewart is set to suit up for practice on Wednesday. Who, with a season full of bumps and bruises under the belt, wants to tackle a fresh version of this hard-charging 235-pounder -- in weather that could get a bit nippy? Me neither. Welp, he's back, after missing the final three games of the regular season with a sprained foot. Stewart was the unheralded star in Carolina, a workhorse who at one point in the season posted eight straight games of 20-plus carries. His 989 rushing yards in 13 games, and physical style of play, were integral to thePanthers' success this season.

RANK 2

13-3 CARDINALS

It was a well-deserved week off for the Cardinals, and perhaps an opportunity to lick their wounds from the shellacking they took at the hands of the Seahawks in Week 17. In fairness, Bruce Arians did start pulling players in the second half (most notably, Carson Palmer), but you can't tell me that the embarrassing defeat isn't lingering in some players' heads.

On Saturday night, the Packers come to town for the second time in three weeks. Yes, Arizona whooped 'em 38-8 in Week 16. No, this doesn't look like the same Green Bay club that laid down in that game. (The reigning MVP kinda looked like the reigning MVP on Sunday.)

RANK 3

12-5 CHIEFS

Hard to not be impressed with the manner in which the Chiefs are playing football right now. It feels like they could beat a team full of Brett Favres. Jeremy Maclin's high-ankle sprain is a major concern, but how can you not move this team up after that resounding 30-zip road victory? As Bill Belichick said Sunday, per the Kansas City Star, there really is no blueprint for beating the team on an 11-game win streak: "The fact they haven't lost in so long, it's not like you can go to a game and say, 'Here's how this team has defeated them.' ... That just doesn't exist." Full Article

NFL Wild Card Weekend is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Ben Roethlisberger has torn ligaments in shoulder

Ben Roethlisberger's status for Sunday's Divisional Round game is very much in doubt.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback revealed during a radio interview Tuesday that he has torn ligaments in his throwing shoulder in addition to a sprained AC joint.

Roethlisberger said he is "definitely sore" and has yet to test the shoulder since Saturday's wild-card win over the Bengals.

"I'll go in tomorrow with the intent to see what I can do," Roethlisberger told KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh. "I honestly don't know. I haven't tried to throw a football since the game, and maybe that's not even the right thing to do right away. Full Article

NFL Week 17 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

With NFL week 17 in the Books, what did the 2015 NFL season tell us about the none playoffs teams. Number one is that I think that the Oakland Raiders are trending up 

and next season they should make the playoffs. The 49ers fired first year head coach Jim Tomsula, did Jed York make a mistake in firing  Jim Harbaugh. The coaches that are out or will be out are Tom Coughlin, Sean Payton, Mike Pettine, and already Chip Kelly, Jim Tomsula. As a Raiders fan I happy that the Raiders showed improvement but it is sad that they might be moving to Los Angeles. It will be very sad to see the Raiders move after they are on the move towards the playoffs.

Charles Woodson, one of the Greatest of all TIME!!!

NFL Week 17 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Ranking the NFL playoff teams

The Carolina Panthers won the 2015 NFL regular season with a 15-1 record, but as coach Ron Rivera pointed out Sunday, much work lies ahead. Carolina, a playoff winner over the Ryan Lindley-quarterbacked Arizona Cardinals a season ago, has not yet won enough when it counts to command the respect playoff-proven teams enjoy.

A personnel director reached Sunday night ranked the Panthers only fifth among the 12 playoff teams. Two other evaluators had Carolina first, with Seattle second. Arizona remained firmly in the conversation despite absorbing the third-worst Week 17 defeat a playoff team has suffered under the current seeding format. There was some thought New England could re-emerge as the team to beat once receiver Julian Edelman and tackle Sebastian Vollmer return from injuries, but there was little hope Peyton Manning could rescue Denver's offense.

I've ranked the 12 playoff teams below without regard for how their paths through the postseason might influence their Super Bowl chances. The odds are solidly against Seattle beating Minnesota, Carolina and (most likely) Arizona on the road before winning the Super Bowl, for example, but I still saw the Seahawks as the best team right now. Green Bay finished lower on this list than I could have possibly anticipated early in the season.

Here's the list, which features plenty of other surprises: Full Article

NFL Week 17 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Wildcard weekends starts and who will move on and who will go home. I have a feeling that all the home teams might win for maybe except one. I still see the New England Patriots coming out of the AFC. In the NFC, I think three teams could make it, Carolina, Arizona and Seattle. Could we get a rematch of last years Super Bowl? I hope not. I would like to see two teams that we have not seen in a while in Super Bowl 50. We will have to wait and see. We will know something this weekends, which teams go home and which teams move on.

NFL Week 16 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

On Christmas Eve the Oakland Raiders would win their last home season game for Charles Woodson.  Some people say that this might have been the last game 

played in Oakland, since next month the NFL owners will vote on which teams moves to Los Angeles. The game in general was sloppy and Derek Carr would throw a first quarter interception. The game did go to overtime and Raiders got the victory. There is one more game left this season for the Raiders and I would love a victory against the Chiefs and go 8 and 8 this season. I don't like to play the should have game but the Raiders should have beat the Chiefs in Oakland and they would have if Derek Carr doesn't throw three 4th quarter interception, which two of them lead to touchdowns. Derek needs to go into this offseason and get better in making those decisions. Derek Carr has one more game to put a stamp on the 2015 NFL Season.

NFL Week 16 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Raiders' King highlights Week 16 Players of Week

In a tight victory over the Chargers in Oakland on Christmas Eve, Raiders punter Marquette Kingkicked the ball eight times for a total of 400 yards. This news alone is not unusual for King, now in his third year as Oakland's every day punter. He has always been associated with a dynamite leg, like a driving specialist in golf. But against San Diego, six of those eight punts pinned the Chargers inside their own 20-yard line. There is absolutely no question that such miserable starting field position changes the game, and King, according to ESPN, has already set the Raiders' franchise record for most punts inside the 20-yard line this season (35). The Raiders, by the way, have employed some pretty good punters over the years.

King also has one of the lowest return rates in football, one of the lowest return yard totals in football and is tied for the longest single punt of the year (70 yards). Punters and kickers are often bypassed during the players of the week highlight, but sometimes it's good to stop and think about just how much they can impact a game. Kudos to King, who earned this week's AFC special teams player of the week award. Full Article

NFL Week 16 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

One more week to go. The Oakland Raiders have surprised a lot of people this year. They have a lot of work to do but I am happy that we have a offseason to look forward to. The Raiders will need to get better on defense. Hopefully these close games they lost this year will turn into wins next year. It is upsetting to know that now that the Raiders are on the up and up they might be playing in Los Angeles. I hope they don't leave and we see the playoff run here in Oakland.

The playoffs are set and the teams that are in, really do not have that much experience at quarterback other then Tom Brady. It should be an interesting playoffs. Which teams will be playing in Santa Clara. Will it be Alex Smith, Tom Brady or even Aron Rogers. These players have the bay area connection. I still think we will see from the AFC, New England. In the NFC, we will see either Arizona or Carolina. Carolina did lose this past week but that doesn't mean anything. If Carolina wins om Sunday, they will have home field advantage throughout.

Golden State Warriors 28-1 |Nasser Erakat

One of the biggest basketball games on Christmas day was the Cleveland Cavilers vs. the Golden State Warriors. So much talk about how the Golden State Warriors, "were lucky?" Cleveland also said that if they were healthy the Finals would have turned 

out different. The Cavilers were healthy but this time it was the Warriors who were banged up. Harrison Barns is still out and Stephen Curry is not a 100% oh and the Warriors still do not have their head coach. For most of the game the Warriors lead and even thought it was a slow pace game the Warriors looked like they would win the game. Eventually they did and they improve their record to 28-1. Which makes them the, Golden State Warriors 28-1 | Nasser Erakat. Also on Christmas the Spurs and Thunder both lost. All these people talking about the Warriors and how they have not played anybody yet? Huh? Was the Cavilers their first test? Is that what people were saying? Well not only did they have the longest streak to start the season but they have beat everyone that made the playoffs last year. What excuse is going to be next? The crazy thing is that the Warriors are not playing well. They can play so much better. That's scary.

Golden State Warriors 28-1 |Nasser Erakat

Warriors not happy with their play, despite record

Memo to the 29 NBA teams that haven’t spent the entire 2015-16 season flirting with perfection: The defending champion Golden State Warriors, 28-1 record be darned, don’t think they’re playing very well.

And that, as they see it, is an exciting reality to embrace.

“I still don't think we've played well,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said after their 89-83 win over the Cavs in a Finals rematch on Friday. “That's part of it that pisses me off, and the part of it that makes me very, very happy. I think we've got a lot of improving to do, and we will.”

Said Warriors center Andrew Bogut: “The last 10 games, we haven’t had great games – even though we won them. We just know how to win, but we felt like we weren't playing that well. So without sounding arrogant ... we're 28-1 and we're saying we haven't played that well, that we have things to work on.”

Yet what may sound crazy at first is, in fact, true. From their Nov. 30 win against the Utah Jazz to the defensively dominant defeat of the Cavs on Christmas Day 11 games later, the Warriors – whose lone loss came at the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 12 – have fallen short of their lofty standards. Full Article

Golden State Warriors 28-1 |Nasser Erakat

Once the Warriors start playing up to their potential and get healthy, I think we may see another streak in the making. I can see the Golden State Warriors in June defending their title. I can also see that in June if they win it all again and win back to back titles, come the start of the following season someone will make another excuse why they won. Stop disrespecting and start watching something special. This team may be on the verge of something special. Keep disrespecting and keep making excuses. Thanks for taking the time to read this article.

NFL Week 15 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

The Oakland Raiders were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday when 

they lost to the Green Bay Packers. The game started off very bad for the Raiders. They spotted the Green Bay Packers 14 points. You can't give a team 14 points and expect to win. The Raiders did take the lead and made it 20-17 but that score didn't hold up. The kick off after the Raiders took the lead was taken to the 47 and three plays later Green Bay took the lead and pretty much it was over. Green Bay (10-4) would go on to win the game 30-20 and Oakland (6-8) will have to wait until next year for the playoffs.

I will say that I was very happy with the team this year. They competed until Sunday, Week 15. When was the last time the Raiders were still in it until Week 15. I predicted 6-10 and they already have there 6 wins which doubled their win total from last year. These young players Carr,Cooper and Mack are the foundation of the future.

The NFL playoffs have taken shape and pretty much we know who is in and who is out.

NFL Week 15 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Raiders' Charles Woodson to retire after 2015 season

Charles Woodson will leave the NFL playing as well as he did upon entering the league 18 years ago.

The Oakland Raiders safety announced Monday evening that he will retire after the 2015 season.

"2015 is going to be my last season playing in the NFL," Woodson said. "Was it a tough decision? Kind of in a way. But a couple weeks ago it hit me that this would be it. It's important for me to let Raider Nation know now."

One of the most versatile, talented and productive defensive backs in NFL history, Woodson was a three-time first-team All-Pro at cornerback for the Raiders and Green Bay Packers before successfully converting to safety in his twilight years.

After edging Peyton Manning out for the Heisman Trophy as a rare "two-way player" at the college level, the former Michigan star earned NFL Rookie of the Year honors as the defensive equivalent to fellow first-year phenom Randy Moss in 1998.

"When he learns more about technique," then-Ramsreceivers coach Al Saunders said at the time, "he has a chance to be one of the best to ever play the position." Full Article

NFL Week 15 is in the Books | Nasser Erakat

Odell Beckham Jr. Suspended for Hit on Josh Norman: Latest Comments and Reaction

Beckham was penalized three times for unnecessary roughness, including a late helmet-to-helmet hit against a defenseless player in which Beckham left his feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent, lowered his helmet and initiated forcible contact with his helmet, and forcibly struck the defenseless player's head. This "blindside block" was particularly flagrant because Beckham, with a 10-yard running start, had an unobstructed path to his opponent, the position of the opponent was not impacted by any other player, and the contact with the head/neck was avoidable.

The suspension was imposed by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Merton Hanks. Hanks ruled that Beckham's actions placed his opponents at unnecessary risk of injury and should have been avoided.

In a letter to Beckham, Hanks noted, "At numerous times during yesterday's game against the Carolina Panthers, your actions placed a fellow player at unnecessary risk...and clearly did not represent the high standards of sportsmanship expected." Full Article