The story of Alex Smith is one that sounds familiar to one Drew Bledsoe. Bledsoe was the franchise QB for the New England Patriots and took the team to Super Bowl XXXI. A few games into the 2001 season, Bledsoe took a hit and were out for several games. A guy by the name Tom Brady took over and the rest is history. With Alex Smith being knocked out of a game this season with a concussion, the story is shaping out to look like the Bledsoe-Brady storyline.

Facing adversity is nothing new to Alex Smith. After being the overall first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Smith struggled and had to deal with several offensive coordinators. At times, it seemed that Head Coaches Mike Nolan and then Mike Singletary didn’t believe in Alex Smith until Jim Harbaugh became the coach of the 49ers. Jim Harbaugh covered himself just in case Smith didn’t perform well by drafting Colin Kaepernick. Alex Smith in 2011 had his best year as a pro and followed it up this year with an even better year until his injury. After last season, Smith had to deal with the fact the team was trying to sign free agent Peyton Manning.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another when it comes to Alex Smith. Through the adversity, Smith has been the model professional in handling the situation. He is a player that everyone can root for. He keeps getting knocked down but always manages to get up. That shows true character.

From the time that Ray Lewis announced that he would be retiring at the end of the season, the spotlight has been on him and the Ravens. With each game the attention grew. When that happens, no matter how much of an inspiration or how much Lewis has meant to the game of football, there are many people that want to see someone fail. People are now bringing up the fact that back in 2000; Ray Lewis was in the vicinity of a crime scene. Lewis pled guilty of obstruction of justice. Since that time, Lewis has become a Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, and one of the Greatest Players in NFL History. Many try to question Lewis’s integrity by saying he was a murder. After the AFC Championship Game last week, Wes Welker’s wife Anna Burns Welker took to Facebook to take a shot at Ray Lewis. “Proud of my husband and the Pats. By the way, if anyone is bored, please go to Ray Lewis’ Wikipedia page. 6 kids 4 wives. Acquitted for murder. Paid a family off. Yay. What a hall of fame player! A true role model!” Comments like this give others reason to take shots at a person who has turned his life around.

It’s a shame that a player that acknowledges that he has made mistakes and has learned from them, still has people trying to question his character. If you’re going to bring up someone’s dark past, then let’s bring up everything. Let’s talk about the charitable duties of Ray Lewis.  He started the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation which is a nonprofit corporation that aims to provide personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth.

We can all learn from Ray Lewis. America is supposed to be the land of second chances. We all are human and have made some mistakes in life. I have learned that you can take a terrible situation where you were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and turn that situation to improve your life and others.

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots: The rematch of last year’s classic Conference Championship Game, this one should be another great game. It could be the last game ever for all-time great Ray Lewis or it could be another year of disappointment for Tom Brady and the Patriots who is searching for his fourth ring. It is almost certain that this game will be close. Many people pick New England as a huge favorite in this game. Let’s all remember that this same Ravens team was a Lee Evans catch and missed field goal away from beating New England last year and actually beat the Patriots this season. This one will come down to key plays in the last few minutes of the game. There is something going on in Baltimore that is hard to go against. This team is truly playing their hearts out for Ray Lewis and it has brought them together like nothing we have ever seen. Tom Brady will be in the way of a chance to go to the Super Bowl but it just might be the Ravens time. Prediction: Ravens 27 – Patriots 23.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans – This is a rematch from last year wild card playoff game. The Texans won the game with their third string QB and was eliminated from the postseason the following week in Baltimore. Texans fans can feel good this time around by having their starter Matt Schaub in at QB this time. At one time in the season, many thought that the Texans were the best team in the league. With the Texans losing their last three out of four games, you have to worry about the confidence this team will be playing with. The Bengals finally got over the hump of beating one of their division foes in the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 16. Now with an emerging defense and rising stars Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, this Bengals team is looking to reach the next level. This young team has the experience of losing to this same Texans team last year so we will be in for a great game.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers – We don’t have to look too far to see how these two teams will match up against each other. Just last week these two teams played in a great finish as the Vikings won the game to make it to the playoffs and Adrian Peterson became the 7^th player in NFL History to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. Watch for the Packers to commit 8-9 players just to stop A.P. It didn’t work last week but being at home in Lambeau Field could give the Packers some extra incentive to keep momentum by stopping the run. With Peterson playing the way he has, it is up to Aaron Rodgers to strike early and often because the Vikings will most likely control the time of possession.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Baltimore Ravens – Emotions will be at an all-time high at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The Colts has had to deal with adversity all season long. Coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia during the season. The team rallied around their Coach and won 11 games this year to be in the playoffs. Now with Pagano back, the young Colts team will be fired up with plenty of emotion to not only win for themselves, but for their Coach. Not to mention, Pagano is going back to where he was the Defensive Coordinator for years. With this game being Ray Lewis last home game of his career, the home crowd will be filled with passion and emotion. The leader, the motivator, the man, Ray Lewis has meant so much not only to the Baltimore Ravens but the city of Baltimore. His teammates will do everything in their will to keep winning for Ray Lewis, a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Washington Redskins – Two Rookie QB’s will go head to head in a matchup featuring two of the hottest teams going into the playoffs. Everyone knows the impact that Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III has had on their franchise but it is the teammates of these young men that have helped tremendously. Alfred Morris of the Redskins has been a force to be wrecking with. The triple option and spread offensive the Redskins are working has caught the entire league off guard. Will the Seahawks crack the code? The defense of the Seahawks should get more credit than what they had. Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner are two of the most physical CB’s in the game today. They have intimidated their opponents this year with their size and physical play. This should be a great matchup.

For a young QB that went 7-4 last season and won a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, to now playing as the personal punt protector is not right and flat out disrespectful. All during the preseason, we were all led to believe that Tim Tebow was going to play a major role in the offense. Instead he hardly touches the field except the first game of the season where he was featured plenty. It’s understandable if Sanchez was playing well and Tim Tebow was just the backup but Sanchez numbers are 2547 yards passing, 12 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and throwing for 55%. To make matters worse is the game that Tebow wanted to play and team doctors cleared him to play from bruised ribs; the Jets make Tebow inactive then benched Sanchez in favor of third stringer Greg McElroy. We don’t know if Tebow would’ve done better than Sanchez at Quarterback, but what was truly the reason in bringing him to New York; the attention? With Sanchez playing poorly, Tebow should’ve had the chance to play at QB for at least a game.

What do you think was the real reason of brining Tim Tebow to New York? Should he be starting?

What Kobe needs to realize is that the problem is not Gasol; it’s the Lakers offensive system. What sparked Kobe’s comments was the Lakers sub-par performance this season and Pau Gasol being taken out of the game during critical fourth quarter moments. Coach Mike D’Antoni runs a system based on spacing and fast pace scoring. With Dwight Howard as one of the big men on the floor, Gasol cannot work in the post as much due to D’Antoni system. It’s only room for one big man on the floor with Gasol now picking and popping away from the basket. Instead of D’Antoni adjusting his offensive style to Gasol, Pau is being asked to change his game and sit out in critical moment by his coach and Kobe Bryant.

What Kobe needs to understand is that Gasol is a grown man. If you have an issue, talk to your teammate; don’t blast him in the media. Kobe is taking the “asshole” role to the extreme. Remember, Kobe would not have won his last two titles without Pau Gasol. Gasol has every right to be upset. If the Lakers trade Gasol, maybe then they will see how valuable he really is.

How do you feel about Kobe’s words towards Pau Gasol.

I believe we all can agree that the Princeton offense the Lakers were running wasn’t going to work in the NBA. With that stated, the Los Angeles Lakers were too quick to fire Mike Brown as the Head Coach. The team was getting ready for a five game home stand that they could have gone 4-1 and gotten themselves back into the conversation as contenders. Instead the Lakers made the move. Once the move was made, the first name that came to everyone’s mind was Phil Jackson. Jackson has been well rested and seemed to be the natural fit for the job. It was suppose to the Phil Jackson job to turn down but instead the Lakers inform Mike D’Antoni that he will be the next Lakers coach. Even D’Antoni was surprise to get the call. The Lakers met face to face with Phil Jackson for hours during his interview while D’Antoni was interviewed over the phone.

I believe that Mike D’Antoni is an excellent coach but when you have someone in Phil Jackson that wanted the job and has 11 NBA Championships; the answer should have been a no brainer. The reason D’Antoni is the wrong fit because he doesn’t have the right pieces in this system. D’Antoni system is predicated on pick and roll, up tempo, seven seconds or less offense. To fully implement this style, the Lakers would need plenty of spot up shooters to spread the floor while having a smart point guard to facilitate. In Phoenix, the Suns had a younger Steve Nash to go along with Amare Stoudemire and shooters like Joe Johnson, Quentin Richardson, and others that maximized the talent. In L.A., where does Kobe fit in with this system? How will they use Dwight Howard in this system? Remember, in this system, it works when you don’t have a big center to clog in lanes. Howard’s ability to score in the post will be reduced in the Mike D’Antoni system. Let’s also remember that Howard will be a free agent after the season. D’Antoni will need to find a way to incorporate Howard into the offense because this franchise can’t afford to lose him.

In the triangle that Phil Jackson would have ran, the Lakers would’ve been more potent and it would have been a natural fit instead of this up tempo offense. How will Nash at 38 and Kobe at 34 fair in an up tempo style offense for over 70 regular season games? I guess we will all see. It should be interesting. How do you feel about D’Antoni being hired as the Lakers Head Coach?

Some of the naysayers will say that the Heat had an easy path to the championship because they didn’t face a healthy Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. The fact is that the Heat played and won playoff games without Chris Bosh due to injury. This team earned the title last season. With new additions to other teams, the Heat has a big challenge ahead of them.

The Heat may have to face a revamped Celtics squad. The new look Brooklyn Nets will be much improved with the addition of Joe Johnson. Let’s not sleep on the 76ers with Bynum or the Pacers. If the Heat makes it out the East, they could face a rematch of OKC looking for revenge or Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and the LA Lakers.

This will be a tall order but if anyone can do it, it’s LBJ, D-Wade and the Heat. Do you think the Heat will repeat?

Michael Vick has not been himself this season. He has lost the ball fumbles five times this season. I attribute this to Vick not being fully healthy. Vick is playing behind a leaky offensive line and was hurt during the preseason with a rib injury. That is why we haven’t seen the electrifying Vick. Each Eagles game, you see Vick getting drilled and slow to get up. Some of the negative plays this season from Vick are not excusable but he hasn’t had the protection this year to succeed.

The problem with the Eagles has been the questionable play calling on offense along with a defense that hasn’t played up to their potential. Having Vick drop back to pass at a high rate while you have one of the best running backs in the league in LeSean McCoy is one of the most puzzling situations in the league today. It shouldn’t be a surprise though; Andy Reid teams usually are unbalanced with pass and run. The Eagles defense was their strong suit but then they fire the defensive coordinator Juan Castillo. If last game versus the Falcons was any indication, the Eagles will continue to have a long season. The defensive players have all underachieved which is a far cry from Dream Team.

This is not a Michael Vick problem: it’s a Philadelphia Eagles problem. Starting a rookie in Nick Foles is pretty much throwing the season away. You can’t go back to Vick from that point. The Eagles should just ride it out with Vick. What do you think?

The New York Knicks are primed to have a good season and contend in the East. They have a veteran squad that is the oldest in the league. What can make the Knicks a contender is if Anthony and Stoudemire can work well together? With a full training camp, a defensive minded coach and leadership from Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby joining the team, the time is now for Carmelo Anthony to get over the hump.

Anthony has only gone pass the first round of the playoffs one time in his nine year career. It was Carmelo Anthony that wanted to come to New York. The Knicks nearly gave up their whole roster for Anthony to be the cornerstone of the franchise. The time is now for Anthony to show what type of superstar he really is. Remember, Carmelo won a National Championship in College with Syracuse. In New York, Melo will face the heat if the Knicks are not contending. Knicks fans only know heartbreak besides the one year they won the NBA Championship in 1969. Most Knicks fans remember the heartache of losing to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. How about the battles with Reggie Miller and the Pacers? How about reaching the Finals and John Starks going 3-18 in game 7 of the NBA Finals? New York wants a winner now. It’s time for Carmelo Anthony and company to deliver.

What do you think about Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks?