Is Eli Manning a Hall of Famer if he retires today?

Last Night Eli Manning won his second superbowl, second MVP and played a nearly flawless game.  It may finally be time to start the discussion, is Eli Manning going to Canton?
Answer the poll on the left and discuss in the comments!

Dwight Howard. Jersey Shore vs. 90210

     About a month ago rumors began to swirl about the Orlando Magic’s All-Star Center Dwight Howard having an illegal meeting with New Jersey Nets executives in regards to a possible trade that would bring the three time defensive player of the year to Jersey and eventually Brooklyn.  While this meeting has yet to be confirmed by any sources, Howard has requested a trade from his team.  He put a stress on the word “request” because he was not yet demanding, suggesting that he would consider remaining in Orlando if Otis Smith and management can put together a contending team.  

      In the mean time the Orlando front office has given Howard’s agent permission to have meetings with three teams, the Nets, Lakers and Mavs.  It’s largely believed that the Mavs wouldn’t be able to trade for Howard because they lack assets, but the Lakers and Nets are both flowing with pieces to help the Magic win now and rebuild for the future.  

If traded to the Nets...

      It would take a lot for the Nets to land the league’s most dominant center.  Many sources suggest they’d probably have to give up Brook Lopez, two first-round draft picks and either Kris Humphries or Marshon Brooks.  On top of this they’d also take on the big contract of Hedu Turkoglu.  Earlier in the season it appeared the trade was all but done and then Lopez broke his foot in a preseason game and sidelined all trade talks until his return in early February.  

      During the preseason this trade was a no brainer for the Nets.  Since things have only gone downhill, partially due to the great play they’ve seen from both Brooks and Humphries.  Brooks, a rookie will most likely be the Magic’s goal because of his potential, but losing either of these players would leave the Nets shallow at both positions.  

Avery Johnson, Mikhail Prokhorov and Billy King
 at a Nets Practice, possibly talking about the bright future.

      With this trade the Nets would probably field a starting five of Deron William, DeShawn Stevenson, Hedu Turkoglu, Sheldon Williams/Memhet Okur and Dwight Howard.  While this group would definitely win some games and make a late push for the playoffs, D-Will and D-12 would not be enough to make a championship run, much less past the first round versus the Sixers or Heat.  It would take a year or two to sign a few more players and draft some young talent to make a real run, but they would have the foundation for long term success in an emerging professional sports market.

     If traded to the Lakers there is no question that they would be in position to win a championship immediately, but Howard recognizes the potential in the Nets.  With a move to a new arena and city on the horizon with a new owner, GM and coach the future is bright.  They will have two of the best players at their positions in Williams and Howard, surrounded by a lot of good role players.  Keeping either Brooks or Humphries would be a huge key for the future, both show signs of becoming stellar players in the league.  

     Ultimately a trade to New Jersey would be best for the Nets and the Magic.  The Magic have already shown that they couldn’t win it all with their current roster, and a trade with the Lakers wouldn’t give them any pieces to significantly upgrade any position.  While the same could be said for the Nets, Orlando would be very set for the future with cap relief, first round picks and a young center still on the rise.


The case for the Lakers...

     Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’ Neal, and now….Dwight Howard. All of these former or current players have many things in common. One in particular though, is that they are all “once-in-a-generation” type players. They are all physical specimens that were born to play the game of basketball. All of these men had illustrious careers in the NBA, while Dwight Howard’s legacy is still being written. At the height of 6’ 11 in and weighing 265 pounds, Dwight Howard is clearly the most dominant center in the NBA. He can score at will, rebound every ball of the glass, and block any shot in his path. There is only one problem though. That problem is that Dwight is not happy in Orlando. Dwight doesn’t feel as though his future rests in Orlando and wishes to seek other teams to play for so he could one day win an NBA championship. 

Bynum and Gasol could bring
their chemistry to Orlando while
Kobe high-fives Dwight Howard.

     At this point there are 2 favorites to pick up Dwight in some sort of deal. Those 2 teams are the New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. Both of these teams are very different in their own unique ways. Dwight could easily be very effective in both scenarios. Although, it is clearly apparent which team he would mold and be more productive with. That team is the Los Angeles Lakers. 

     The trade would be very simple. The Lakers would trade Andrew Bynum (disappointment thus far) and Pau Gasol (top-valued center) for the incomparable Dwight Howard. Contracts and role players may be involved as well, but the main pieces would be Bynum, Gasol, and Howard. The Lakers would offer a much better value to the Magic than the Nets would as well (Brook Lopez….haha). 

     Furthermore, after the trade Dwight would join the Lakers in Hollywood. His big smile and fun-loving personality would mesh with the city and everything the team entails as he enters a new stage in his life. Dwight’s impact on the team would be instantaneous as well. Dwight’s physically style and youthful talent will be a good change for a veteran filled but aging team with five players with at least 10 years of experience in the NBA on the Lakers roster. Dwight will be able to help on the defensive side of the ball as he clogs the middle with a fellow defensive ally Metta World Peace. Offensively, Dwight will also be a hassle to defend, as teams must cover the older, but still elusive Kobe Bryant and now physical and dominant Dwight Howard. 

     All in all, with the pieces the Lakers have compared to the Nets and the endless opportunities available for Dwight in Los Angeles, it seems as though the Lakers are the most logical and enticing choice. 

For now, we’ll watch him play in Orland near “Disney World” but don’t be surprised if he’s playing his home games not too far from “Disney Land” in a short few months instead.

Giant Victory? Packer Loss?

    Last night the New York Giants beat the reigning Superbowl champion Green Bay Packers in a home divisional playoff game.  The Packers were coming off one of the best offensive regular seasons in the Superbowl era, and Aaron Rodgers had debatably the best QB season of all-time.

Aaron Rodgers chasing down Giants
linebacker Chase Blackburn after a fumble

    None of that mattered when the 9-7 Giants marched into Lambeu.  The game looked close until the last four minutes of the first half.  From that point on it was all Big Blue.  It was borderline blowout of the juggernaut Packers.  The game was highlighted by tough defense and balanced offense from the away team, and possibly more so rusty offense, four turnovers and swiss cheese defense by the hosts.
     This leads to quite a debate.  Did the Giants win this game because of how they've been playing and their hot streak? or were they simply playing Green Bay at the perfect time after a bye week and emotional strain of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's son passing away.  Check out our poll on the left and make the call, and tell us how you feel in the comments.

Leave of absence

Followers, at Dorm Room Debates we know you've been upset with our recent lack of content.  That's all about to change. We've gone through some major revamps and plan on returning very soon.  Expect the highest level of content from some of the area's best up and coming writers.

We're looking to start 2012 off with a bang!

Nicknames

     The nickname is a timeless beauty.  Sometimes so perfect that it supersedes even the accomplishments of who it monikers and takes a personality of its own.  Some names are purely a play off of the athlete’s name (A-Rod), while others have absolutely nothing to do with anything (He-Hate-Me).  Here are some of our favorites:

XFL star Rod Smart,  or
 better know as "He Hate Me".

NK: I’m going to take “Matty-Ice” as my favorite nickname in sports so far.  Also known as Matt Ryan, he got the name because of his ability to make things happen in the 4^th quarter of games, showing he has “ice” in his veins.

     The popular yet disgusting beer Natural Ice is sometimes called “Natty Ice”, so it only seemed natural to incorporate Ryan’s first name and clutch skills together.  Though this nickname isn’t one that rolls right off the tongue, it certainly presents a great marriage of cleverness and relatability, while staying true to the player’s name.

SG: Tuck. Umenyiora. Kiwanuka. Pierre-Paul. The New York Football Giants.

This is a defensive line to be reckoned with. A defensive front that can disrupt any offense. A group of 4 men that scares any other man on the football field. This is the Kraken. A beast unlike any other. A name coined by Dan Dierdorf this past Sunday in a game against the Miami Dolphins. The Kraken is a mystical beast that lives below the ocean surface. Very similar in appearance to a giant squid, it will attack its prey by shooting up through the water and taking a vicious grasp.

Defensive line is no different. The Kraken looks like a giant squid with its long tentacles, the Giants 8 tentacles just happen to be Tuck, Umenyiora, Kiwanuka, and Pierre-Paul, Canty, Tollefson, Bernard and Joseph. What comes out? Only the best defensive line in the NFL.

Like the mythical creature, this Kraken likes to viciously grab their prey and slowly destroy it. Many a time, knocking the opposing quarterback out of the game.

JS: The Steel Curtain in my eyes is the greatest nickname in sports history. The nickname coined back in the early 1970’s, was the definition of the Pittsburgh Steelers front four defensive linemen. These linemen were the backbone to that team’s success in winning 4 Super Bowls in the 1970’s. The name, derived from the phrase “Iron Curtain”, has been a staple in Pittsburgh and sports ever since. When your nickname can rile up a city and a team to win 4 Super Bowls in one decade and also have a historical reference; well then you know you have an all-time great nickname on your hands.

Clearly today's panel has some sort of love for football nicknames, and even more a nickname for a group of players...hmmmmm

Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady

     Year after year it seems like the same two NFL quarterbacks are always considered the class of football.  Peyton Manning has possibly the best football mind of all time, with vision that goes unmatched.  Brady has three rings and consistently puts his team in position for more.  So the real question here is... You're home for Thanksgiving and you have first pick in your family game.  Uncle Peyton and Cousin Tom are both available and you need someone to chuck it to you.  Who do you pick first?


Why you want Brady:


    As the cool breeze of late November begins to give way onto the beautiful colors that have arisen on your front lawn, a tradition resumes in every family that must be carried out. That tradition is without a doubt the Annual Family Thanksgiving Football Game. Now, as captain, you have a large responsible to pick the best team. The team, that put together correctly, will give you the best chance to win and have bragging rights at the dinner table for one more year.

Brady after a win earlier
this season.

    With the first pick you have two clear-cut favorites to choose from. You can either choose quarterback Cousin Tom (Brady) or Uncle Peyton (Manning). Who to choose? They both have great athletic builds. Tom being 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 225 pounds, while Peyton is 6 feet 5 inches and weighing 230 pounds. Both quarterbacks have played for grandfathers on both sides of the family, both prestigious of course (Tom has always played for Grandpa Belichick, while Peyton loved playing for Pop-Pop Dungy.) Both have never had the most elite crew of relatives to throw to as wide receivers except for the few and far between. (Tom always loved throwing to your brothers Randy (Moss) and Deion (Branch) while Peyton always threw to second cousin Marvin (Harrison) and step-brother Reggie (Wayne).) Their stats have almost been identical throughout their playing days, their tenacity has been incomparable to any other quarterbacks that have played with them, and their work ethic is unparalleled as well. All in all, this is probably one of the toughest choices you would ever have to make while playing a backyard sport and almost a flip of a coin pick, except for one thing.
    That one thing is one simple word that separates the great from the greatest and which separates Tom from Peyton. That mere word, is “winning”. In the history of Cousin Tom vs. Uncle Peyton they have played each other 13 times, with the record at 8-5, Tom in the lead. As well, Tom has won 3 Super Bowls, while Peyton has won 1. No statistic tells more than the wins column for a player and their team. Head to head, mono y mono, man against man, Tom Brady has beaten Peyton Manning more than Peyton has beaten Tom. As well, Tom has won 2 more Super Bowl rings to put on his hand. Simple enough, that’s all that matters.
Wins.
    Wins against each other, and wins in the big games. Each player has lost the big game once, but Tom Brady has won 2 more of the BIG GAME than Peyton has. There isn’t much to argue with that. No statistic can disavow the pureness of winning and how it translates to a football game and a player’s legacy. Peyton Manning is a winner, and will always be (never take that away from him.) But, Tom is an ultimate winner, and I think it’s pretty obvious which you’d rather have on your team….The Ultimate Winner

The Case for Peyton:


     To the average NFL fan, watching Peyton Manning lead his Colts to the playoffs has become somewhat of normality. In fact he’s brought them there for the past nine years, and his value shines through possibly more now than ever as his team struggles.
     Peyton is clearly the man you want with four MVPs, a super bowl MVP, and practically every regular season award from most completions in a decade (3,575) through most TD passes in Thursday night games (25). More impressive than his stats perhaps is his ability to read a defense.
     Peyton calls his teams offensive plays, and thrives when he changes them at the line of scrimmage. Peyton may be one of the few players who gives advice to his offensive coordinators. He’s the best of his day at reading coverage and putting his team in position to beat it. Once he snaps the ball and drops back for a pass all his receivers need to do is get where they’re supposed to be and they can rely on Peyton to drop the ball exactly where it needs to be.

Manning changing a play at the
line of scrimmage, something
he's become famous for.

     Pairing the best football mind of today with one of the most skilled athletes gives you the premier Quarterback of the NFL and the guy you want heaving you passes. Another boost to his resume may be his team’s performance without him. In one short season the Indianapolis Colts have gone from a playoff team to the laughing stock of the NFL. There’s a belief circulating that maybe the Colts should place Manning on the Injured Reserve to ensure his health while also ensuring their chances of the top draft pick. Frankly that’s the wrong choice. A guy like Peyton is once in a lifetime. The second he’s ready to play the Colts need to get him on the field and bring their squad back to the respectability they deserve.
     Tom Brady is certainly an elite QB, but Peyton is on a level of his own. He can singlehandedly elevate a team to the next level, scratch that, he takes them from the basement to the 25th floor. The Patriots played one season without Brady and still went 11-5. Manning is clearly more essential to his team and the more skilled player. PICK PEYTON FIRST.