24 Jan 11 Big 12 Football: Thursday Morning One-Liners

Doug Pensinger/Getty ImagesBaylor head coach Art Briles: I know how we want to be viewed and how we need to be viewed, and that's as a fast, physical, aggressive, tough football team.Battle of the hot seats! Grab your thermometers because ColoradoDan Hawkins and GeorgiaMark Reebok New England Patriots #12 Tom Brady Realtree camo Jersey
Richt square off this weekend.Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads on Texas Tech head coach Tommy Tuberville: "There's nobody that's more relaxed or cooler than he is. There's a chance he's out hunting right now as opposed to worrying about the Iowa State Cyclones."One of Kansas Turner Gillteam rules is no women after 10 PM.Here is your last chance to know all about Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas.Missouri has struggled with penalties and offensive consistency.Check out how Nebraskaoffense compares to years past.If you have not heard of OklahomaJaz Reynolds tweets, you can read about the story HERE or HERE.Mike Gundy believes he has more flexibility throwing the football at Oklahoma State now than he did the past four years...years that saw Zac Robinson at quarterback.The Reebok New Orleans Saints #9 Drew Brees Realtree camo Jersey
blame for Texas frustrating offense cannot solely be put on a sophomore quarterbackshoulders.The Aggies of Texas AM will be playing for something other than a 5-0 record this weekend when they take on Oklahoma State.Thankfully, I am not the only one who believes Texas Tech could fall to Iowa State this weekend. (For the record, I am only taking the Cyclones on the spread. The Red Raiders win this game.)

22 Jan 11 ACC Football Week 3: Back on Track After Disastrous Week 2?

Only throwing 4 times, Joshua Nesbitt leads the Yellow Jackets to victory with his legsStreeter Lecka/Getty ImagesThe ACC came into week 3 of the football season looking to return from a disastrous week 2 in which every ranked team in the conference lost their matchup. Week 3 included several key matchups against ranked opponents, including a lopsided matchup between Duke and No. 1 Alabama.NC State started the weekend off with a bang on Thursday night as they dominated a game against back-to-back Big East Champions, Cincinnati. Russell Tennessee Titans jersey
Wilson threw for over 300 yards in a 30-19 win in the national spotlight. This was a big win for the Wolfpack coming off of a short week after a win on the road against Central Florida last weekend. NC State has started 3-0 for the first time since the Philip Rivers-era and have now emerged as a dark horse to make a run in conference play.Georgia Tech visited Chapel Hill this weekend to take on short-staffed North Carolina. UNC surprised a lot of people with a comeback that fell a few yards short in week 1 against SEC foe LSU. Coming into week 3 off of a bye last weekend, UNC remained shorthanded, only returning one of the thirteen players who were ineligible during their week 1 matchup. T.J. Yates played well, going 18-24 for 209 yards and a touchdown, while running for another. But in the end, the Georgia Tech running game was too much to handle, putting up 372 yards on the Tar Heel defense. This was a solid win for the Yellow Jackets after a disappointing loss against Kansas last week, and another solid game for a North Carolina team who continues to put up a fight.With a tough matchup on the road against No. 16 Auburn, Clemson came out ready to play. Jumping to a quick 17-3 lead at halftime, it looked as if the Tigers and the ACC were on their way to a very respectable victory against a top 25 team. That is, until Auburn came out firing after the half, scoring 21 straight points in the third quarter to take the lead. Clemson kicked a field goal in the fourth quarter to tie the game back up and eventually lead the game into overtime. Washington Redskins jersey
During overtime, Auburn got the ball first and their possession resulted in a field goal. Clemson matched Auburn with a field goal on their possession, but due to a false start penalty on the center for double clutching the ball, they had to redo the down and kick again. The second kick went wide right and gave Clemson a tough loss to swallow. Despite not turning the ball over once, while forcing Auburn to give up the ball twice, Clemson fell short in a win that could have vaulted a potential 3-0 team into the top 25.Three other matchups against top 25 teams resulted in lopsided victories by those on the outside of the ACC. Maryland lost to No. 21 West Virginia 31-17, while Duke and Wake Forest got trounced by No. 1 Alabama and No. 19 Stanford, respectively. Ithard to come up with much positive to say about Duke62-13 loss to Alabama and Wake Forest68-24 loss to Stanford as the opposing offenses seemed to score at will.Virginia Tech got back on track this week after unexpectedly opening their season 0-2. With a reassuring win against back-to-back Conference USA Champion ECU, VT hopes to return to their winning ways as they return to conference play next week in a road matchup against Boston College. Florida State also shook off their embarrassing loss from last week as they won convincingly Reebok Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald Realtree camo Jersey
34-10 against last yearend of season No. 12, BYU.After an embarrassing week 2, the ACC came back with a few good wins and good matchups while only suffering a few bad losses by the lesser teams of the conference. Overall, it was not a great week for the conference, but it was a good one and the ACC did some work in rectifying the putrid display it put on in the first two weeks of the season.

18 Jan 11 College Football Week 4 Predictions And Observations For The Top 25 and More

Jamie Sabau/Getty ImagesThis is when it begins poll-wisethat pointwhen an objective observer starts scratching his or her head and wondering if poll voters watch any football over the weekends at all.I have no problem with Alabama being number one in the polls. Ohio State likewise has played well enough to be placed at number two.Now both of these teams finished well last year but beyond feeding the beauty contest that are the preseason polls, I personally do not think that last year should account for very much at this point and beyond with regard to rankingsthis year.So Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
beyond those two teams, I believe there are arguments for and against the placement of the rest of the ranked teams in the polls.I mean, I have to wonder why my Wolverines did not drop or completely fall out of the top 25 with their performance last week; just as I would have trouble placing West Virginia at 22 considering that their victories were not statements of power.Marshall pounded by Ohio State was barely beaten by the Mountaineers and the following week the Thundering Herd was beaten worse by Bowling Green.What have TCU, Boise State, or Wisconsin done this year on the field to justify where they are now in the polls?What is in the minds of voters when they fill out their ballots always puzzles me and makes me wonder:- Why do teams rarely suffer major poll position shifts when they play poorly against lesser opposition?- Is a team that remains undefeated better than one that has been beaten by a very good team?- Why do voters not seem to consider strength of schedule?- Why is running up the score considered style points and rewarded these days and not bad sportsmanship and frowned upon by "the experts?"- How is it that lower ranked opponents are favored over someone the pollsters think is superior?Last week I went 26-2, only missing on my picks of Houston and Iowa. My rout call was correct but then everyone knew that Oregon was going to rout its FCS opponent and I was correct in two (2) of the three (3) potential upset calls; Auburn held its own closely against Clemson, the Spartans pulled out a close victory at home, but to their credit LSU did much better than I thought they would against Miss St.I know many will point to the fact that I routinely pick the favorites but the idea is to pick who you think will win and that is the definition of a favorite, generally.HighlightsThis week marks the end of the non-conference slate for a majority of the FBS schools.The SEC is already in beat each other up phase of their season with two games between ranked opponents this week, starting the clearing of the field for eventual post-season placement.Everything shown so far this season signals to me that this Saturday will not be a fond memory in the future for the Mallet led Razorbacks. Alabama will run right, left, and over Arkansas even on a wet field to at least a ten point victory and if Arkansas sells out on the run Alabama will just make them pay through the air. Arkansas will lose and fall back into the twenties in the polls where they should have always been this year.Boise State plays its last Big Six opponent on the schedule so it will go for gaudy numbers in hopes that no one notices who the remaining opponents are on the schedule. Boise State is a good team but I guess Im one of those biased people that think that Boise Staterecent success would not have been possible had it been running the gauntlet of the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, or Pac 10 over the last few years. Ditto for TCU.Game(s) of the Week[1] Alabama at [10] Arkansas- From what I have seen, Arkansas tendency to have its offense go asleep for periods Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
during the game will be the undoing of the Razorbacks. If Arkansas fired on all cylinders for four quarters, they might make a game of it but I still think they would lose.Christian Petersen/Getty Images[3] Boise St. vs. [24] Oregon State- I hope that the beavers rise up and win this game. I do not think they will but it would be my preferred outcome.[15] LSU vs. [22] W. Virginia- Two ranked opponents going at it. I personally feel both these teams are ranked higher than they should be in the polls but that aside, LSU at home at nightwill be more than the Mountaineers can overcome.Potential Upsets[12] South Carolina at [17] Auburn- The lower ranked opponent is favored in the game according to the odds makers; so is it an upset if it #17 beats #12? I know poll voters and odds makers are completely different people with different purposes but you would think there would be more similarity between their views on a game. Im old fashion and when I look at it, I see the Tigersuperior on both lines and so based on that I think Auburn wins.Whether it is an upset is still open to debate.Minnesota vs. N. Illinois- The Gophers played not to lose badly last week and it kept the score closer. I do not think, while Coach Brewster is a good recruiter, that he is a very aggressive coach. I think that being the case Northern Illinois will take the win this week.Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesPotential Routs[4] TCU at SMU- TCU will go for style points (run up the score) to try and garner more poll points in case Boise State stumbles.[6] Nebraska vs. S. Dakota St.- South Dakota State beat the Gophers not too long ago but Nebraska will only stop scoring when it chooses to.[11] Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay- The Badgers should crush Austin Peay but I thought that already a couple of times this year with regards to opponents on Wisconsinschedule.Odds and Ends- Spotting the ball: It seems to me that the placement of the ball after each play is getting less and less accurate in relation to how I see the play's ending.I am not sure my perception is correct, but with instant replay coming from every angle imaginable, it seems to me that many times the final placement of the ball is not as accurate as it used to be.Are officials too reliant on the replays on other issues, making them less observant? Is the game too fast pace for them to get good views?I do not even know if it is an issue but so far this year, when the ball is spotted, I would swear that more time than in the past, the ball is not where the play ended.Results:Week 1 31-5 [86.1%]Week 2 28-3 [90.3%]Week 3 26-2 [92.9%]Week 4 XX-XSeason85-10 [89.5%]Thursday 23 September[19] Miami (FL) at Pittsburgh- The Hurricanes have had too long to dwell on their last trip north not to use their speed to beat Pittsburgh.Friday 24 September[4] TCU at SMU- TCU will crush SMUSaturday 25 September[1] Alabama at [10] Arkansas- The Tide is too complete an offense to be stopped by Arkansas and Arkansas is too one dimensional on offense. Alabama will blitz as it wants, making it a bad day to be Ryan Mallet.[2] OhioReebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
St. vs. E. Michigan- EMU is just bad and OSU will probably get reps for most of the team this week.[3] Boise St. vs. [24] Oregon State- Oregon State will keep this game closer than in the past but I do not think they will pull off a win.[5] Oregon at Arizona St.- Oregon is the class of the Pac-10 this year and they will come out on top in this game.[6] Nebraska vs. S. Dakota St.- Nebraska will score as many points as it wishes.[7] Texas vs. UCLA- Houston lost two strings of QBs last weekon the way to losing to the Bruins. TheLonghorns are at full strength, which means no winning streak for UCLA.[8] Oklahoma at Cincinnati- The Bearcats will losenothing else needs to be said.[9] Florida vs. Kentucky-In the swamp, Kentucky will lose but this win will not mean theGators have solved their problems.[11] Wisconsin vs. Austin Peay- Wisconsin will win but are they getting the preparations to make them do well when the big 10 schedule opens next week.[12] South Carolina at [17] Auburn- Auburn is better on both lines, South Carolina may keep it uncomfortably close for Tiger fans but Auburn will win.[13] Utah vs. San Jose St.- The Utes win.[14] Arizona vs. California-Nevada exposed California last week, so the game should be an Arizona win.[15] LSU vs. [22] W. Virginia- TheMountaineers will not like the night life in Baton Rouge.[16] Stanford at Notre Dame- Notre Dame's back is against the wall butStanford should still win.[18] Iowa vs. Ball St.- Ball State will pay for what Arizona didlast week.[20] USC at Washington St.- Washington Stateis giving up Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
40 points a game and only scoring 20.[21] Michigan vs. Bowling Green- Michigan will win and probably big but are they ready for the Big Ten?[23] Penn St. vs. Temple- Temple is better but not going to win this game.[25] Michigan St. vs. N. Colorado- MSU willwin this week even with thedistractions.Northwestern vs. C. Michigan- Northwestern can handle the best the MAC has to offer.Purdue vs. Toledo- The Rockets will not threaten a depleted Boilermakers roster.Indiana vs. Akron- Indiana wins putting up great numbersMinnesota vs. N. Illinois- Minnesota will let Northern Illinois beat them by not playing aggressive.Maryland vs. Florida Intl- Maryland youth can beat FIU.

15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams LaRoi Glover Will Witherspoon Corey Chavous

In a lot of NFL stadiums, fans frequently rise to their feet and chant: "Defense!" Inside the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis during 2005, however, it was more like "Defense?"During that long and discouraging campaign, the St. Louis Rams gave up more territory than the French Army. By the time the missed Reebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
tackles and blown coverages were added up, the St. Louis "stop unit" had surrendered a team-record 5,602 yards. And that, new coach Scott Linehan and recently-hired defensive coordinator Jim Haslett realized, was unacceptable.So the Rams pulled out their checkbook and got busy. First, they signed defensive lineman La'Roi Glover, who had been cut loose by the Dallas Cowboys. Then, when the free agent rush finally began, they quickly reeled in LB Will Witherspoon as well as DB's Corey Chavous and Fakhir Brown. The current priority - with $10 million still remaining under the cap - is to retain DT Ryan Pickett.Witherspoon is considered the prize acquisition. As an outside linebacker for Carolina last fall, the University of Georgia product had 109 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions, one of which he Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
returned for a touchdowns against the Jets. The Rams plan to move him to middle linebacker to replace Chris Claiborne, and though Witherspoon isn't a huge 'backer (6-1, 231), he performed well in the middle in occasional relief of Dan Morgan. All this made him a big ticket item, roughly $33 million over six years.Chavous was an All-Pro with the Minnesota Vikings, and should fill the hole at safety left by Adam Archuleta's defection to the Washington Redskins. He may also be tapped to advise the Rams during the upcoming draft -- Chavous is a draft analyst at a high-traffic website, and owns over 2,000 videotapes of games and players.In 2005, Chavous made a few highlight videos of his own, ringing up 90 tackles -- 67 of them solo -- and two interceptions. He was also effective on blitzes, being credited with nine quarterback hurries.The third free agent acquisition, Brown, is a six-year veteran cornerback who played for the New Orleans Saints in 2005, recording 31 tackles and six pass deflections. His best season came in 2004, when he had 54 tackles and two Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
interceptions. A product of Grambling, the 5-11, 192-pounder was originally drafted by San Diego.Glover is a six-time Pro Bowler who was cut loose by the Cowboys for salary cap reasons.No doubt Haslett had some input in the signing of Glover and Brown. The latter played for him last year as he coached New Orleans through its post-Katrina nightmare. The former was also a Saint until 2001.Filling some of their defensive gaps via free agency now gives the St. Louis Rams more flexibility in the draft.Just ask Corey Chavous. (0)

14 Jan 11 Seattle Seahawks Darrell Jackson Trade "will make Seahawks better"

Yes, Tim Ruskell was desperate to send Darrell Jackson on a fly route out of Seattle. So desperate that the Seahawks' president sent the unhappy receiver to the division-rival San Francisco 49ers for nothing more than a fourth-round draft pick.And yes, it was a bad deal for both reasons. But it won't matter. In the end, this trade will be better for the Seahawks than for the 49ers.For Ruskell, it was a matter of addition by subtraction -- removing a malcontent who had missed minicamps and offseason workouts ever since unhappily signing a $25 million contract in 2004. Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
When Ruskell first arrived in Seattle in 2005, he quickly learned about Jackson's beef with former president Bob Whitsitt. And when Ruskell refused to add money Jackson claimed had been pulled from his deal just before he signed it, the new president watched how the team's leading receiver stayed away from camps.Then Jackson got hurt and missed 10 games during the 2005 Super Bowl season, and Ruskell had seen enough. In 2006, the president added Nate Burleson and Deion Branch -- obvious precursors to getting rid of Jackson. It was no surprise at all when word leaked at the combine that Ruskell was shopping Jackson. But it was a bit of a surprise that Ruskell could only conjure a mere fourth-rounder for the guy who was the Seahawks' leading receiver over the past six seasons -- and that the pick would come from the 49ers, who proved last year they are a looming threat in the NFC West by sweeping the Seahawks.Ruskell said he did not like sending Jackson to the 49ers, "but that's just kind of how it fell."And coach Mike Holmgren lamented both the place and price. "Is Darrell Jackson better than a fourth-round draft pick? Absolutely, in my opinion," said Holmgren, who drafted Jackson in the third round in 2000. "But you do what you have to do. The value, well, these are tough situations to get into. It rarely matches the value of the player." Although Holmgren and Ruskell showed their team colors together, they obviously did not see eye to eye on the deal."Well, I would have preferred he not be traded to a division opponent," Holmgren said. "I'm Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
sorry it didn't work out better and that we could [not] keep Darrell here. But I think he is probably happier about this. As you know, he has been bothered by a contract he signed for a while. ... I don't think it affected his play, I really don't, but the extra things that our players are doing right now, the offseason program for one, the minicamps, he just chose not to do those."Holmgren seemed to leave no doubt that he would not have traded Jackson, but he recognized Ruskell's authority in this matter."The organization changed a couple of years ago. A new administration came in, and Tim came in as president," Holmgren said. "He looks at players a certain way, and if you don't really know a player and haven't been with him for a long time, sometimes it is harder to accept certain things. I think that probably happened."Holmgren admitted that Jackson forced the action by staging his offseason protests."He was very respectful to me," Holmgren said, "and I think when he played on Sundays, and when he could practice when he was healthy, he gave us a lot, he really did. He didn't hold anything back. But, the extra things, he just chose not to do. I think it had reached a point with the organization where enough is enough and let's see if we can honor his request for a trade. So, that's what happened. Again, I'm sorry that it is within the division. I have tremendous respect for Darrell as a football player, but we did it."While it remains to be seen whether Jackson hurts the Seahawks' defense, the trade will not hurt the offense. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck now will get a chance to focus on building relationships with Branch and Burleson, and D.J. Hackett should step in as the starting split end. And there's always Bobby Engram, who has long been Hasselbeck's bail-out target on third downs. Ruskell also has added three more receivers in the past two drafts; Ben Obomanu, a 2006 draft pick, figures to be the No. 5 guy.So the Seahawks' offense will be fine without Jackson. And there's a very good chance that the 49ers' offense won't be so good even with Jackson. He'll probably miss one of the games against Seattle with an injury, and he will probably take all season to get in a groove with Alex Smith, the former No. 1 pick who still has yet to prove he is a viable NFL starter. Receivers who change teams often struggle, Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
especially if the new team runs a different offense and has a lesser quarterback (both the case for Jackson).The 49ers beat the Seahawks twice last season by running all over them with Frank Gore. So it's not like Jackson is the key for the 49ers to beat Seattle. But getting rid of Jackson was key for Ruskell's Seahawks, who will be better for it.Original Seattle Seahawks insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com.Got a bone to pick with a newspaper columnist, talk show personality or television analyst? E-mail us at mediawatch For more information, visit our Media Watch info page.

13 Jan 11 A 5 Player Trade Tell Me What You Think

Jeff Gross/Getty Imagestried it on the ESPN trade machine and it workedthe bulls would get Jordan Farmar, SashaVujacic, and Adam morrison's expiring contractand the Lakers would get kirk Hinrich a good defender and outside shooter selfless point guard. and at times he can play the one or the two not that they're not good at the two...( Kobe), and James Johnson an athletic forwardthe bulls would get another young up and coming pg to back up d rose and vujacic a feisty defender. maybe he can prove he was worth the contract. Reebok Baltimore Ravens #5 Joe Flacco Realtree camo Jersey
they'dstill have salmons off the bench and morrison's contract would be coming off the books next yearESPN trade machine said it would add 1 win to the Lakers projected winsbut it would be -3 wins for the bulls but i think it would make both teams betteri'm not really a bulls fan or a Lakers fan have no home team to root for...(no more sonics......tear.....jk)just let me know what you think

12 Jan 11 Keys To the Wolf Den: Lottery Can Make or Break Minnesota Timberwolves

Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesThe Minnesota Timberwolves are currently the second-worst team in the league, and worst in the Western Conference.That ultimately gives them the second-best chance of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, John Wall.ESPN holds an NBA lottery mock draft, Denver Broncos jersey
where you can simply press a button, and it will predict the lottery threshold by percentages of landing the No. 1 pick. For example, the New Jersey Nets having the worst record in the league, meaning that they have a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick.The Wolves have a 20 percent chance of landing that No. 1 pick.I tested this very tool a total of 50 times, and came up with some very intriguing results. But first some shocking ones:The Utah Jazz won the No. 1 pick one time, but ultimately, that pick is supposed to belong to the Knicks, who have the ninth-worst record in the league, and a two percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick. ScaryThe Sacramento Kings won the No. 1 pick three times.The Milwaukee Bucks won the No. 1 pick five times.The Detroit Pistons won the No. 1 pick four times.Now onto the Wolves. The following bullet points are as goes: the numbered pick followed by how many times the Wolves won that pick in the lottery. (1) The Wolves won the No. 1 pick 10 times out of 50, exactly 20 percent. (2) The Wolves won the No. 2 pick 8 times out of 50, exactly 16 percent. (3) The Wolves won the No. 3 pick 4 times out 50, exactly 8 percent. (4) The Wolves won the No. 4 pick 19 times out of 50, exactly 38 percent. Wow... (5) The Wolves won the No. 5 pick 9 Detroit Lions
times out of 50, exactly 18 percent.Based on this small sample, the percentage in which the Wolves will win the No. 1 pick is nearly identical to the percentage given in the lottery, it's only a tenth of a percentage off.What's intriguing is that the Wolves drew the No. 4 and No. 5 pick significantly more than the second and the third pick.Most mock drafts first five picks features John Wall first, then a combination of Evan Turner, Wesley Johnson, Derrick Favors, and Ed Davis.With Favors and Davis both being power forwards, the Wolves have no need for either. Wesley Johnson, Evan Turner, and John Wall are all on the Wolves radar for their first lottery pick. But if the Wolves happen to land the No. 1 pick, they would have to draft John Wall despite already having two legitimate prospect point guards, along with Ricky Rubio playing overseas.The trade value for Jonny Flynn, Ramon Sessions, and Ricky Rubio will rise immensely, while the Wolves would welcome their new franchise player to the mix. It would be wise for the Wolves to take advantage of trading situations, and trade for other lottery picks, as the Wolves are one of the few bottom-dweller teams with a plethora of first round picks and cap room, both vital for rebuilding a franchise.Is John Wall better than Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn?I Green Bay Packers jersey
don't know quite yet, in fact I won't know until around the midseason, but I do know that he's a combination of both.He has the size and court vision of Ricky Rubio, with Flynn's tenacity and leadership, with his own cool, calm, and collected demeanor.This lottery can make or break the Timberwolves, but hopefully they can finally grow to real Wolves instead of pups, and learn to hunt for their own.Thanks for reading!

10 Jan 11 The Houston Rockets Win NBA Trade Deadline in a Landslide

Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesWith 16 of the 30 NBA teams getting busy in the week leading up to the NBA trade deadline and making some kind of deal, it seems kind of crazy to weed through the mess of trades and pick out a winner six hours after the deadline.This could change weeks, months, even years down the line, but on paper, six hours after the trade deadline has passed, one team jumps out more than any other as the clear "winner" of the trade circus.Houston Rockets...come on down! You've just won the "Who can hose a team the worst at the NBA trade Washington Redskins jersey
deadline?" contest this year!Get ready for a whole new round of ESPN 's Bill Simmons slurping the genius of Rockets' GM Daryl Morey, as the stats-whiz has turned his roster of role players into a likely playoff team this year, and a legitimate Western Conference threat next year.In the offseason, much was made about the Rockets' essential swap of Ron Artest, widely known as one of the league's premier defensive stoppers, for the Lakers' Trevor Ariza, a 23-year-old who proved last season that he could be a critical role player for a championship team. ?I don't need to add any thoughts on that trade, largely because I think the trade actually made sense for both teams. ?But man oh man did the Rockets just take advantage of the league's largest expiring contract.The Rockets shipped Tracy McGrady's $22 million expiring contract out to the Knicks in a three-team deal that ended up netting them Kevin Martin from the Kings.[The whole trade: The Rockets get Martin and Hilton Armstrong (Kings), Jared Jeffries and rookie Jordan Hill (Knicks), the ability to swap Reebok Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald Realtree camo Jersey
first round draft picks with the Knicks in 2011 (top-10 protected), and the Knicks' first-round pick in 2012; the Kings get Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey (Houston), and Larry Hughes' $13 million expiring contract (Knicks); the Knicks get McGrady (Rockets) and Sergio Rodriguez (Kings).]?In other words, the Rockets mortgaged the Knicks future for the next few years with Hill and their two first-round picks, and shipped them a player that wasn't playing for them for a proven 20-point scorer.The loss of Landry may hurt some for the rest of the season, but when Yao returns, Landry would have been bumped to the bench anyway. Besides, Jeffries is a warm body that's 6'11", and he was getting rotation minutes for the Knicks. There's no reason to think that the Rockets, who start a 6'6" center in Chuck Hayes, wouldn't want to throw Jeffries into their lineup to give them some different offensive looks.Granted, adding Jeffries and Martin means that the Rockets won't be major players this summer when players like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh may be looking for new teams...but when you look at their roster, is that really an issue?Assuming Yao comes back healthy next year, they can tentatively start a lineup of Aaron Brooks, Martin, Trevor Ariza, Luis Scola, and Yao, with Shane Battier, Hayes, Jeffries, and Hill coming off the bench. That's an insanely talented lineup, and a very deep team to contend with the solid benches of the West.If the Wizards end up waiving center Zydrunas Ilgauskas (they're widely assumed to do so), allowing Reebok Baltimore Ravens #5 Joe Flacco Realtree camo Jersey
him to go back to the Cavs, then Cleveland could be a contender for the biggest winner of the trade deadline.But the Rockets' savvy move set them up with plenty of talent now, and even more talent for the future. ?Maybe I shouldn't make fun of Bill Simmons for slurping the Rockets' GM after all.

9 Jan 11 Kobe's Better Than Lebron When It Counts:The Playoffs

Since it only takes one?regular season?MVP trophy to cement a career, there isn't too much there to motivate Kobe to go for a second. Even though he is still in contention for then years MVP award in the wake up his numerous injuries, one can tell that Kobe isn't trying to be the MVP he just happens to play MVP caliber ball regardless of any circumstances.What Kobe really desires is another Finals MVP, having the Finals MVP would almost certainly mean that he has won his fifth NBA championship. The only player who ?has won the finals MVP Baltimore Ravens jersey
while losing in the Finals was Jerry West.?For the most part winning the NBA most important award goes to the victor of the Finals. With the regular season losing alot of its significance the two years Steve Nash won the award back to back, The Finals MVP has took its place in regards to naming the games real Most Valuable Player that year.I mean whats more valuable then the best player on a Championship winning team. Kobe not winning the regular season MVP this year is a blessing in disguise to Lakers fan around the globe.Those of us that have been watching Kobe over the his rollercoaster ride of a career know that Kobe is at his best when he has something to prove. If Kobe doesn't win the MVP award he will go into the playoffs with a chip on his shoulders.A chip on Kobe's shoulder means a very bad day for the opposing team. Just take Kobe's performance in the playoffs last year, not only was it a sight to see but for segments of his brilliant display it was brutal for the opposition.Shaq told Kobe that he wouldn't win one without the Diesel, and Kobe took it out on the whole NBA.In the first round the Utah Jazz were sitting ducks, they had no answer for Kobe Brewer tried his best but he was out of his league.?I can remember vividly like it happened yesterday the back to back facials Kobe rendered to Shane Battier game after game?who was playing the best defense any one has ever played on Bryant. His outstretched hands only centimeters away from the face of Kobe. Still Kobe buried shot after in route to saving the Laker's from what would of been the biggest upset in playoff history.Then the Lakers met the Denver Nuggets who made the series interesting though dominating play by their bigs. Denver's big men were a handful for the lakers to handle, but Kobe proved too much for the opposition.The same result played itself out against Orlando, with the teams being matched up pretty well up until you got to the Black Mamba and who was going to be chosen to be his next victim.As much as I think Kobe leading his team to the second best record in the league with 6 game winners, posting a stat line of?28 PPG 4 AST and 5 RPG all while battling multiple injuries all year is worth the MVP trophy.I cannot deny Lebrons star power and NBA "poster boy" pull with the media. Buffalo Bills jersey
Lebron is also having a career year that cannot be ignored. Although I seriously doubt he could play at the level he's playing now if he was battling the injuries Kobe has.?All in all who cares about the regular season MVP, Kobe has his eye on the trophy that is given to the last man standing

8 Jan 11 Aaron Brooks: Houston's Man of Speed

If the NBA playoffs last year were not convincing, last night was just another reminder as to why Aaron Brooks is in store to be one of the game's elite point guards. With 20 seconds left, and the game tied at 123, Aaron Brooks let it be known that his time is near.As the Rockets entered halftime with an 11 Cleveland Browns jersey
point lead, the Nuggets made a second half surge and finally gained the lead late in the 4th quarter. Weathering Carmelo Anthony's 45 point storm, Luis Scola converted an and-1 with 41 seconds left to push the Rockets up by one. Brooks later gets fouled and splits a pair of free throws. The Nuggets at this point, down two, turn to their dynamic offensive player, Carmelo Anthony, who drives past Shane Battier on the ensuing possession for a lay-up to tie the game up at 123. With the game on the line, Houston turns to its young leader, hoping he can provide that final shot to get Houston the lead, and ultimately the victory. As Brooks held the ball at the top of the key, waiting for the clock to count down, Nuggets assistant coach Adrian Dantley was praying to withstand this final Rocket possession. With the clock at seven seconds Brooks began to make his move. Covered by the veteran Anthony Carter, "The Blur" (as I like to call him) blows past Carter and pulls up from the elbow to bury a shot; to propel the Rockets to the lead, and the victory when Dallas Cowboys jersey
Carmelo Anthony missed the game-winner.The Rockets at this time, are 9th in the Western Conference, and by the looks of it, probably won't make the playoffs. With that said, Houston might have the most to look forward to come summer(including all the "Pray-For-LeBron-Teams"). With Yao Ming coming back, an improved Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and a point-guard that has proved his value, Houston is in contention for maybe not only the playoffs, but something more

30 Dec 10 Toronto Raptors Are Breaking Down Before Our Eyes

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesAt one point the Raptors sat at 5th place in the NBA Eastern Conference, believe it or not. However after some major struggles and disappointing losses they find themselves struggling to stay in the NBA playoffs. It a sad story no doubt. Especially from my point of view. The Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
Raptors were really good this season, something Toronto teams never are. There were high hopes set on them by the basketball fans in Toronto and we would have to slowly watch our hopes shatter. The Raptors dropped some key games and proved their 5th place seating was somewhat of a fluke and that they did not get there by their talent. Im not saying the Raptors aren a good squad, they are, but they are having their issues no doubt.Just tonight the Toronto Raptors played the Golden State Warriors and they had an excellent opportunity to win the game and walk away in a positive way. Instead they lost in a brutal score of 113-112. 1 point games are about as crushing as you can get. Especially considering what happened at the end of the game. Chris Bosh had the ball, he had a chance for the lay up, the two points and the victory. Instead it turned out to be a miss and all us Raptors fans had to say was, What the hell just happened? Sad story, really sad story.However, you cannot look past the great game that Chris Bosh had. He led the Raptors in the points category in this game with a whopping 42 points, not exactly something to shake a stick at. Pretty impressive, Im not done though. He also had the team lead for rebounds with 12 in this one. Despite the great stats he was still very disappointed with his last second screw up. I guess the little things overshadow the big things.There is no doubt that the Chicago Bulls are breathing right down the Raptors necks for the 8th and final playoff spotReebok Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison Realtree camo Jersey
in the Eastern Conference. They are only 1.0 back of the Raptors for the last playoff spot so one screw up could cost the Raptors everything and from what we have seen this season, that won be too hard to get.The Raptors haven exactly been the best example of a consistent team, or dominant for that matter. They were the poster boys for teams that break down under the pressure and as much as we Toronto Raptors fans hate to hear it, it the absolute truth. There no denying the fact that our Raptors crack when the spotlight is pointing at them.Well they have the spotlight on them one more time. Thequestion they are being faced with is if theyhave what it takes to hold on and stop the bleeding before it to relate. The thing is, no one is really sure. The Raptors have plenty of talent on their team that they could definitely find themselves winning the games in the end, but they have not shown that quality as of late.They are exactly at .500 at this point with arecord of 38-38.Obviously Raptors fans want to see the first38 increase rather than the second, Bullsfans obviously wanting the exact opposite. With only a few more games left in the NBA Regular Season it is the Raptorsresponsibility to their fans to get the job done and stop losing the games they know they can win.That right, I said it. It their responsibility to the fans. Toronto is not exactly sports capital of the world. TheMaple Leafs, Blue Jays, Toronto F.C., Argonauts, etc. are notexactly the epitome of success. The Raptors are the only shining lightin this dark tunnel of Toronto teams and we don want the light to disappear.So with that there only one more thing to say,Go Raps Go!This article was originally posted onThe Sports Dossierunder the name "Toronto Raptors Are Breaking Down Before Reebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
OurEyes." Check out more great pieces from our talented staff of writers.If you're a writer who thinks they have what it takes to write about NHL, NBA, MLB, MMA, NFL,

29 Dec 10 Uncontested Shots: Who Are the NBA's Best and Worst General Managers?

Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesMy Fansided colleague, Drew Decker, wrote a post last August on basketball website Sir Charles In Charge listing who he felt were the league's 10 worst general managers.While I agreed with most of his list, I took exception to a couple of namesmost notably, the Milwaukee Bucks' New York Giants jersey
John Hammond.Decker and I exchanged opinions until we agreed to disagree. My contention was based on what I perceive to be a general manager's No. 1 priority, and that's doing what his owner asks of him.At the time that Hammond traded Richard Jefferson to the Spurs for expiring contracts there were rumors that Bucks owner Senator Herb Kohl was planning to sell the team.So while the trade wasn't great in terms of basketball sense it did remove the last two seasons of Jefferson's monstrous deal from the team's payroll in exchange for just one more season of expiring contracts.My point being that Hammond was only doing what he was ordered to do and therefore was either doing a good job or it was too soon to judge him.It got me thinking about the criteria that should be used to determine the performance of a GM. Is it winning or putting a culture of winning in place that can be sustained over time? Is it solely about obeying the wishes of the owner? Is it in how he drafts, trades, and signs free agents?Does the criteria change depending on the market size and/or legacy of a particular team?Looking back on the moves Hammond has made you can't help but think he no longer deserves to be on anyone's list of the worst GMsas Decker even admits to in his follow-up piece on Pacman Jones posted this past week.He hired Scott Skiles as the team's head coach. He drafted Brandon Jennings, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Jodie Meeks. He signed Andrew Bogut to a 5-year, $72 million extension right before his breakout season. He brought Ersan Ilyasova back from Europe and he traded for Carlos Delfino and John Salmons.Those are the good things.Hammond is also the man responsible for selecting Joe Alexander with the eighth overall pick in the draft.But Hammond's Bucks finished the season 10 games above .500 and are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.In addition, Hammond has positioned them to be major players in 2011-12 when the contract of Michael Redd finally comes off the books.Decker still docks Hammond points for his unwillingness to trade Michael Redd when he had the chance. But as was the case with Jefferson, there weren't a lot of teams looking to add a big-money contract. Most teams are either trying to trim payroll in anticipation of this summer's free agent bonanza or are cutting expenses because they're losing a ton of money.Forget for a second that Jefferson hasn't really worked out in San Antonio as well as New York Jets jersey
some, including myself, expected.What I told Decker at the time was that the Bucks were so excited that someone was willing to take Jefferson's contract from them that Hammond probably wasn't going to keep exploring his options and take a chance that the Spurs would change their mind and go after Vince Carter instead.As for Redd, I can't imagine teams were itching to trade for the right to pay a guy coming off of knee surgery $35 million over the next two seasonsand that was before his most recent season-ending knee injury.The rest of Decker's original list of the league's worst GMs is as follows. Keep in mind that Decker made his list before the season started and approached it with a "What have you done for me lately" mentality.10) Sam Presti9) Joe Dumars8) Danny Ferry7) Jeff Bower6) Geoff Petrie5) Ed Stefanski4) John Hammond3) Mike Dunleavy2) David Kahn1) Chris WallaceYou can't argue with Stefanski, Kahn, and the since-fired Dunleavy. But there are other guys on the list that don't deserve to be there.And that brings me back to my original premise.What makes a good GM?In breaking down the league's general managers it isn't fair to lump them all onto one list because each of them has different objectives depending on the current state of their team.Therefore, it's best to put each GM in one of five categories and see where they rank accordingly.The categories are:1) Those who are trying to position themselves for free agency and/or rebuild right now.2) Those who wish they could rebuild right now but can't.3) Those who are trying to win championships now.4) Those who are trying to win championships within economic constraints.5) Those who have their nucleus in place and are just positioning themselves to try to win a championship within the next two-three years.These rankings are based solely on how these GMs have performed in trying to achieve each stated goal and not on their careers as league executives.While many of the guys on this list don't necessarily have the title of general manager, they are the men responsible for player personnel decisions.Those Who Are Trying To Rebuild Right Now (From Worst to Best) These are the teams that have their sights set on this summer's draft and/or the plethora of free agents who will be available. Their main objective over the past two years has been to trade for expiring contracts and acquire draft picks for a draft that is considered to be deep due to the threat of a work stoppage next year.7) Neil Olshey, Los Angeles ClippersOlshey is the Clippers' interim GM in the wake of the team's firing of Dunleavy and will most likely be replaced before next season.It's tough to put any of the blame for another dismal Clippers season Oakland Raiders jersey
on him, but unlike the other teams on this list the Clippers had high expectations for this season.Olshey is just keeping the space warm for whomever inherits one of the worst jobsif not the worst jobin sports.6) Ernie Grunfeld, Washington WizardsSpeaking of high expectations, before the start of the season the Wizards were thought by many to be the clear-cut fifth-best team in the Eastern Conference.Even before Gilbert Arenas decided to hold a gun show in the Wizards' locker room the team had greatly underachieved.So what did Grunfeld do? He traded Jamison, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson for Al Thornton, expiring contracts, and draft picks and will now try to lure free agents to a team that has Arenas' league-worst contract and not much else.Good luck with that.5) Rod Thorn, New Jersey NetsThorn has spent the past two years trying to shed payroll and acquire guys on rookie contracts with his sights set on this summer's free agent class. So out went Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter, and in came Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian, Courtney Lee, and Terrence Williams.While Thorn has done an excellent job in shedding contracts and replacing them with low-cost talent his team still flirted with the worst record in league history.So even though Thorn should be able to acquire some talent with all of that cap space he will be hard-pressed to get any of the A-list free agents to sign with a team that won 12 games. It wasn't that long ago that some considered the Nets the biggest threat to steal LeBron James from the Cavs.Notice how nobody even talks about it anymore despite James's status as lapdog to Nets co-owner, Jay-Z.4) Geoff Petrie, Sacramento KingsAs for Petrie, nobody really knows what he's trying to do.

28 Dec 10 Kobe Bryant-LeBron James: The Dream NBA Finals That Might Never Happen

The NBA, Nike, and their TV partners (ABC and TNT) have been selling this dream finals ever since LeBron was drafted No. 1 overall.Everything has been done by these two franchises to see this dream final comes to pass, a Kobe-LeBron finals will be a blockbuster series in every way possible and in these hard times, the league and its partners really needs it.So, what have they done so far to make this dream a reality?Kobe and LeBron have arguably the first and second best teams in the NBA, Kobe is a part of perhaps the best ran sports franchise in America and they have once again put together a cast of talent that can continue winning championships for the next two to three years.LeBron on the other hand has an organization faced with the presence of New Orleans Saints jersey
a once in a generation talent and just like the Chicago Bulls in the late 80, they are working tirelessly to ensure they are able to get the best result possible out of this talent.The Cleveland Cavalier are faced with the possibility of losing LeBron to a big market franchise and have thus put together a squad built to win a championship today.Now, let talk reality.The Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers face some very tough challenges this year in the playoffs.From the article Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a World of Trouble (Berber-shop Conversations)"Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a World of Trouble (Berber-shop Conversations) :In two previous seasons the Lakers have always played their best basketball at the end of the regular season and roar into the playoffs, this season they literally crawled into the playoffs.Kobe had been carry this team all season long and it continuing again in the playoffs. In game two of the first round playoffs series against the Oklahoma Thunder, no one on the Lakers team was willing to take a shot and the best closer in the game today essentially grabbed the ball and said "Stop me," scoring 15 fourth-quarter points, including six consecutive after the Lakers fell behind.That has become the mantra of this Lakers team; Derek Fisher just looks tired, Bynum can stay healthy, Artest can seem to pick up the triangle offense, Lamar and Gasol though solid on some nights are still performing disappearing acts most nights.The Lakers bench the main reason they won last year seems to be more than content with the ring they already won. This team has become so dependent on Kobe that Phil Jackson played the 14 year veteran an average of 40 minutes a game this season.Click here to read the complete article.In the second round series between the Los Angelis Lakers and the Utah Jazz this trend continues, in game one the black mamba had to take over the game again in the fourth quarter while everyone else just sat back from the best seats in the arena and watched Kobe win another game for them.Yes, the rest of he cast came around and helped out in game two with Bynum, Gasol, and Odom posting double-doubles and crushing the spirit of the Utah jazz in the fourth quarter.And like I said above, this has become the major issue with the Lakers. Kobe supporting cast have not been consistent and though they are the best team in the league talent wise, they don play like it on most nights.The West has some of the NBA best talents as evident in the The NBA Best Players 2009-2010 A-List Edition with the West having more players ranked than the East teams.Click here to see the complete list.NBA New York Giants jersey
History reveals that experience will always beat talent and with the west boosting some of the best talents and experience, the Lakers inconsistencies might have worked well to eliminate the young and inexperienced Oklahoma Thunder and might be good enough to eliminate the shorthanded Jazz.But, the second Western conference semi final has two of the most consistent and experienced teams still left in the playoffs in San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.From the article Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a World of Trouble (Berber-shop Conversations) : San Antonio by virtue of the talent and experience on the team are the Lakers true threat if they ever meet. The other true contender is the Phoenix Suns.Steve Nash who in the article The NBA Best Players 2009-2010 was ranked number two by the A-List team and deservingly so, is playing at a different level, no matter which players are removed or added to this team the Phoenix Suns never miss a beat.The Suns have the personal to match up well against the Lakers and have the experience needed too.The Spurs and the Suns unlike the Lakers are playing the best basketball of any team right now and everyone on the squad contributes equally helping the stars on the teams to play more relaxed basketball.If the Lakers don start playing consistent basketball, look for the Spurs or the Suns in the NBA Finals.Unlike Kobe who is playing for arguably the best coach in the game today in Phil Jackson, LeBron James biggest problem in my opinion is he coach.While Mike Brown seems to be a very good defensive coachhe has no idea has to run an offense.Daniel Gibson, Delonte West, and Mo Williams are all good point guards in some respects and yet LeBron James runs the offense while everyone else stands around. Mike Browns strategy: give the ball to LeBron and hope for the best.Last year Eastern conference Finals, Mike Brown was out coached by Van Gundy and his excuse: we couldn stop Dwight Howard. Ok, now they have Shaquille ONeal and in the three games this year against the Orlando Magic Dwight was completely subdued. So I guess that took care of that. So now we await this year excuse.From the article LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a runaway Freight Train The Cleveland Cavalier are the deepest and the most complete team in East, with the addition of Antawn Jamison and Shaquille ONeal the Cavs are a match-up nightmare for the best in the League and that where the problem begins for the rest of the East.Boston, Orlando and the Atlanta Hawks are the other good teams in the east and each team has its own major issues.In a team New York Jets jersey
with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo has become the super star, as the other stars on the team continue to struggle while Rondo has been as steady as a rock and the main reason they are still competitive. With stats like PPG: 13.7 RPG: 4.40 APG: 9.8 Rondo is ranked 12th on The NBA Best Players 2009-2010 by the A-List and is the only Boston Celtic on the top 15. Click here to see the complete List.But, experience will always beat talent, hence pedigree says that, by virtue of the championship rings that litter their starting lineupthe Celtics are the only team in the East with Championship experience. From the article LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a runaway Freight Train . Click here to read the complete article.Everyone seems to have written off the Boston Celtics as old and tired and already placed LeBron and the Cavs in the NBA Finals. The only problem with that is: the Celtics might be old but you can be rest assured, they are not tired.This is a championship caliber group of guys and just like the San Antonio Spurs in the west, these guys know how to win it all.The Orlando Magic on the other hand looked like they are ready to make a run again at the NBA finals with a very impressive beat down of the Atlanta Hawks in game one of the Eastern Conference semi finals.Again from the article LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers a runaway Freight Train : The Magic are the biggest disappointment in my book and Van Gundy is up to his old tricks. In Miami he was unable to include Shaq into his offense; Pat Riley took over and won a championship.Then for some dumb reason the Orlando Magic with a younger version of Shaq in Dwight Howard hired a Oakland Raiders jersey
coach who does not know how to use big men in his offensive strategies.Dwight Howard is not a part of the offense, he makes his baskets from rebounds or a pass to him after all other options has been exhausted. A team like this cannot be a threat to a team like the Cavs or the Celtics.So, will the Cavs meet the Lakers in the Finals? Or better still, are we going to have a LeBron-Kobe Final?A consistent Lakers team and a change in Mike Brown strategy is what is needed to have that dream come true this year.We don know how many good years Kobe really has in him.So if it doesn happen this year, it might never happen again.

27 Dec 10 Don't Despair, New Jersey

Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesHi, New Jersey.You may remember me. A couple of years ago, me and my cousin came to the Shore with fake IDs.For the record you should tell your bouncers to keep the names of famous Indian cricketers on hand. Don let in any Indian kid who carries an out-of-state Drivers License' with the names Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar (among others) and a non-American accent. Heaps fun anyway.A lot of people mock your state. I don.I like New Jersey.I love your Italian food, although itHouston Texans jersey
doesn quite compare to the food from Italy or Norton St back homeYour roads are the only ones Ive driven on and felt at home amongst thousands of other crazy, reckless drivers who think everything can be justified by yelling at the guy who tried cutting him off.Plus, you gave me and the world the Jersey Shore, both the place and the incomparable TV show.And you have the Nets.Every time this year when Ive been despondent and thought that God hates the Warriors, Ive consoled myself by remembering that God clearly hates the Nets more.However, the silver lining was closer for you guys than it was to us. Not only were you bought out by a mad Russian with more money than your average small African nation (no disrespect to small African nations or anyone from them), but you had the best shot at the first overall pick.We all know how that turned out.God must really hate you guys.Or does he?In not giving the Nets the first pick, the big man upstairs may just have done them a huge favour.Yes, yes, I know what you guys are thinking. You lost John Wall.Alright well deal with it! If you took Wall, you would have either had to trade him or trade Devin Harris. And who to say you would have plugged your main hole (power forward) with a Harris trade?You probably lost Evan Turner. You guys have three young wings (Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Terrence Williams) who are only gonna get better.You do, however, have a shot at getting Derrick Favors. With a bow on.This pick is near-perfect for the Nets. Favors isn predicted to be automatically NBA-ready, but every scout worth his salt is raving about his upside. Comparisons to Dwight Howard on defense and Amare Stoudemire on offense are the order of the day with Favors. Indianapolis Colts jersey
Drafting Favors allows him to learn on the job as a starter from day one. So what if he makes a few mistakes as a rookie? He gets the chance to develop a pick-and-roll combo with Harris that could match anyone out there if given a chance to truly reach their potential together.Plus, the Nets still have Brook Lopez as a consistent double double threat and a low-post scorer. Once he learns to pass out of double teams a bit better, hell be knocking on the door of the best centers in the league.If Favors can develop his 12-20 foot jump shot, the Nets are left with an inside-outside threat from their young forwards. What team couldn use that?Plus, your wing talent isn too shabby either. Terrence Williams will be a perpetual triple-double threat in a couple of years. CDR can flat out score when he feeling it if he improves his range to behind the arc, he will be an even greater threat. Courtney Lee is a solid glue guy, the type of player who could be a great sixth man.If Harris continues to improve as a playmaker and further develop as a pointguard, he and Yi coming off the bench to stretch the floor, along with a decent three point shooter and another big man, you have a nine man rotation that could well become the Bennett City Hijackers of the East in a couple of years. That is, a young, talented team with great chemistry that will only continue to develop and get better.If Prokhorov can bring in a couple of free agents (massive salaries and a lifetime supply of Russian vodka are quite tempting), all the better for you guys.But even if he can, just ponder the future for a second.In two years, the team moves into Brooklyn. You have the best pick and roll duo in the league since Steve Nash retired. Your center dominates in the paint and is a consistent 20-10 guy. Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
Your wings are triple-double threats who could go off on any given night. Everyone on the team is buddy-buddy and there a great vibe hanging around.If you love basketball and want to see your team win, who wouldn want that?Maybe God doesn hate the Nets that much.

26 Dec 10 Who Wants It? 2010 NBA Finals Lakers Celtics

Many people wanted to see Lebron versus Kobe. Sorry folks, maybe next year.Here we are again; just two years removed from the last time these two teams met in the Finals. A few things have changed since then to say the least. In 2008 the Celtics won in 6, but how the 2010 Finals will shake out are up for debate. James Posey, Leon Powe, Eddie House, and P.J. Brown are all gone, but Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen Davis are not the same players they were in 2008. Likely forgotten by most who watched the 2008 finals, at times Sam Cassell was getting minutes over Rondo. Cassell playoff player efficiency rating in the 2008 playoffs was 6.2, compared to Rondo player efficiency rating of 18.4 in 2010 playoffs (clickherefor more information on player efficiency rating). Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
Perkins has also become a much better player, setting better screens and playing better defense. Perkins averaged less than 20 minutes per game in the 2008 Finals, and this surely will not be the case in 2010. On the Lakers side they no longer have Trevor Ariza, but Ariza was hardly a factor in the 2008 Finals. Ariza played at most nine minutes per game in the Finals; sometimes not playing at all. The Lakers also have Andrew Bynum (although his health is a concern), who they did not have in the 2008 Finals, and have added Ron Artest. It looks as though the Lakers will have more quality players this time around, but the improvements in Celtics' players' game (including Rondo, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins) may prove to be the equalizer.Garnett versus PauTwo immensely talented power forwards. One is on the tail end of his career while the other is in his prime. Garnett time on the basketball court appears to be winding down, his legacy already cemented, but Garnett is not satisfied. He wants to win another title. He making up for lost time. Garnett career was almost wasted in Minnesota until Danny Ainge swooped in and brought Garnett to Boston. Shortly thereafter Ainge added Allen to create Boston Big Three. Pau now has something Garnett never had. A chance to play with a contender in his prime. Pau was rescued in much the same way as Garnett, only at a much younger age. Pau may outmatch Garnett in physical ability, but this matchup will be all about who wants it more. Garnett appears as though he will do just about anything to win another title, including karate chopping opponents. In game six of the Eastern Conference Finals Garnett twice chopped at Dwight Howard arm (not sure how Garnett didn at least receive a technical foul). The look Garnett had in his eyes at that moment was something like I have never seen on or off a basketball court. Intensity, tenacity, anger, determination, and, certainly, insanity (view the clip on YouTubehere). After seeing that, if you do not think Garnett highest priority at this point in his life is to win another NBA Title then you need to get your eyes checked. Just how bad does KG foe, Gasol, want to win another NBA Title remains to be seen. His disappearance in the Western Conference Finals certainly has some Lakers fans worried, and rightfully so.Artest versus Pierce.Over the past two regular seasons Artest has played Pierce well, but how much of that carries over to playoff success is anyone best guess. Pierce has shown he is a different animal once the playoffs come around, but expect Artest to limit Pierce due to his large, 250 pound frame. Lakers fans are excited about Ron Ron emergence in the final two games of the Suns series on the offensive end, but they should be wary. Once Artest makes a few buckets do not expect him to stop shooting anytime soon and that could spell disaster for the Lakers. The chance of Artest putting on a shooting display similar to that of game 6 ofReebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
the Western Conference Finals is highly unlikely. One thing Artest does appear to have is his drive to win his first NBA Title, at least when interviewed. Artest often mentions how his childhood pal Lamar Odom has a ring, but he does not and how he needs one. However, Artest actions off the basketball court make you wonder whether an NBA Title is genuinely his top priority or if he is having more fun being a celebrity in Los Angeles. Artest is a wild card. Anyone who says they know how he will play or what he will do in these finals is lying. Well, except maybe Artest himself, but even he probably doesn have a clue.Rondo versus Fisher.Do we even need to talk about these two? Fisher has been around for ages and Rondo is all that anyone can talk about when the Celtics are brought up. Rondo has shown he is one of the top 5 point guards in the league. Fisher on the other hand is winding down; put bluntly, he is old. Fisher can still hit a big three and draw a charge, but if you think he will hang with Rondo for four quarters then you obviously haven been watching the NBA this season. One concern if you're a Celtics fan is Rondo play over the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando. Rondo just did not look like Rondo. Slowed by alleged back spasms Celtics fans hope that is all that wrong. In interviews Rondo seemed passive, calm, and showed little emotion. Is Rondo motivation to win another title fading or was this just Rondo normal cool, calm demeanor showing itself? Rondo tenure in Boston has been successful to say the least and, perhaps, all that winning has made him less hungry. He does not know what it feels like to be on stuck on one of an NBA bottom feeder like the Clippers or Timberwolves. If Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
youre a Boston fan you can only hope Rondo knows just how fortunate he is. Look at Steve Nash. He may be one of the top five point guards of all time, and it is very likely he will finish his career with not only with zero NBA Titles, but zero NBA Finals appearances.Kobe versus AllenTwo future hall of famers. Kobe is one of the top 10 greatest basketball players of all time and he shot lights out in the Suns series. Kobe's stellar shooting could spell trouble for the C if it continues. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Celtics defense makes the Suns defense look like D-League. The being said, the Suns did force Kobe into some tough shots in the Western Conference Finals and he drilled most of them. Kobe's shooting percentage will certainly drop. There is no doubt Kobe wants revenge for the 2008 Finals loss to the Celtics. Kobe waited for all of last year, but the opportunity never came. He will now have his chance and you can bet he will have the Kobe Scowl ready. What about Ray? Allen has one of the sweetest jumpers ever to grace a basketball court and he showed it in the 2008 finals. Many people forget just how well Allen played in those finals due to the spectacular performance of Paul Pierce. Allen shot over 50% from three in the 2008 Finals, including hitting seven of nine three pointers in the close out game. Ray is the key to this series and do not be surprised if he is your 2010 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.Perkins versus BynumHow will Bynum knee hold up is an enormous question, but another looming question is that of Perkin technical foul situation. Perkins has amassed numerous technical fouls this postseason and after having one rescinded he finds himself in grave danger of being suspended. Currently with six technicals, Perkins is one shy of being handed down a one game suspension by the league. Double technicals are called all to often to clean up the low post in the playoffs and if Perkins somehow manages not to get Td up at least once more during these finals the Celtics will be very, very lucky. If Perkin is suspended Rasheed Wallace will have a chance to prove he is worth the three year contract the Celtics gave him in the 2009 offseason. Wallace played well against Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference Finals, but he has been known to give Howard trouble. Celtics fans better hope Wallace can do what he did against Howard to Bynum.PredictionCeltics in 5. Kobe is forced to guard Rondo because Fisher cannot keep up Arizona Cardinals jersey
with Rondo. This forces Kobe to expend too much energy on the defensive end and leaves Fisher to guard Allen. Allen ends up shooting 50% from three point range in the finals, again, and takes home the 2010 NBA Finals MVP.Don like the prediction? Have comments? Post them!If you like what you read subscribe and checkout my bloghere. More sports related posts to come!

25 Dec 10 The Los Angeles Lakers Are Why Shaquille O'Neal Chose the Boston Celtics

Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesThis summer in the NBA has been one of the most hectic of all time.Some players took less money for a title. Some took more than they will ever merit. Some (gasp!) actually got paid what they deserved.And then there was Shaquille ONeal.ESPN reported today that the Big Aristotle signed a two-year deal worth roughly $3 million with the Boston Celtics. This comes as a surprise to many who heard Shaq insist that he wanted nearly $10 million throughout the entire offseason.So what gives?Yes, it would have been Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
unlikely anyone would have given him the amount he wanted, and rightfully so. But since he took the veteran minimum, why choose the Celtics out of the plethora of teams that would have given him a deal of this size?Does he just love the nickname The Four-Ring Clover? Is he a big fan of clam chowder?Probably not.The main reason that seems to be floating around is that he just wants another ring. The Celtics were one win;and possibly one knee injury;away from a title in June, so why not join the second-place team and try to get them over the hump?In reality, that doesn wrap as neatly as it may seem.The Celtics are one of the oldest teams in basketball, and are not exactly the healthiest. While they are full of talent, so much of it hinges on the team collective fitness. If Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins can recover fully, they will not be a contender.And for someone at Shaq age, he should be looking for a guarantee.If all he wants is a ring, there are better options. The Heat are the odds-on favorite in the East, and they need big man help. The Hawks could have given him more money, and are risers in the East.He could have taken the veteran minimum anywhere, but he chose a team whose window is close to shut. Why?Because this time, winning isn the only thing that matters.It his legacy.ONeal has burned more bridges than William Tecumseh Sherman. Every team he has left, excluding Cleveland, had a bitter taste in their mouth after the Daddy departure.But no team had, and still has, it worse than the Los Angeles Lakers.Whether it was the feud with Kobe Bryant, the fact he wanted more money, or that he couldn accept being Bryant sidekick, Los Angeles felt the wrath of Shaq more than ever. They went from talk of the town to the dumps when ONeal left.So, appropriately, he has a lot of people in the City of Angels that don like him very much.While it isn close to how Cleveland feels after LeBron James left, losing ONeal to Miami enraged many fans who thought their Lakers Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
could have won eight championships this past decade. He was viewed as a selfish villain, and much of L.A. ganged up against him.Whether that was fair or not is not up for discussion.Shaq has plenty of faithful followers, don get me wrong. But he really doesn have a NBA team he can call home and a place where his fans want him.That is where the Celtics come in.ONeal can get absolutely everything he wants by succeeding in Boston. First, look at how much Boston fans love their players. As long as you help the team win a title, you will be loved and remembered by Celtic fans forever.Even you, Brian Scalabrine.But there are even more sticking points here. What the one thing the Celtics faithful love more than winning championships?Beating the Lakers for a championship.And the Red Sox.If he beats L.A. in Beantown, Shaq kills six birds with one stone:He finds a loving place to call home, because Celtics who beat the Lakers (and vice-versa) are revered.He beats Kobe head-to-head in the Finals, legitimating him (maybe not to everyone, but in his mind) as the better part of the duo.He gets his fifth ring to tie Kobe, so his legacy would be equal to Bryant.He could get his number retired in a city that loves hanging numbers in the rafters.He did it as a starter, showing the NBA he wasn as washed up as so many said.He won leave the city with a sad ending like the rest of his stops, making his career end on a positive note.There is no other place in the NBA he can do all of that. Sure, he can win with the Heat, but people would give that ring an asterisk because he just jumped on the bandwagon.Penny Hardaway tried that earlier this summer, and got as much love as A.C. Green did for the first 35 years of his life.The new Jolly Green Giant knows the path to a ring goes through the defending champion and media-created rival Los Angeles Lakers. He also knows that Boston is the one spot where if he beats Kobe and Co., the payoff is infinitely greater.Shaq went on ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
Monday and was asked if he thought it might be weird to put on a Celtics uniform after being a Laker for so long.The response from the normally outgoing and hilarious big man?No.Why?Because it about the legacy he leaves behind, not the one he might regret. The Celtics give him the best chance to become the loved icon he once was.And that how Shaq

24 Dec 10 2010 Fantasy Basketball Draft: The Top 200, Part 2

Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesYesterday I posted the bottom half of my Top 200 and today is the Top 100. You’ll see right off the bat one of the biggest differences between my rankings and Will’s if you look at the top 5. For more on my ranking of Lebron check outthis article. There are notes on other players at the end. Again, if I missed someone or something, bring it up in a comment below.Kevin Durant, OKC SFChris Paul, NO PGDwyane Wade, Mia SGDirk Nowitzki, Dal PFLebron James, Mia SF Reebok Dallas Cowboys #9 Tony Romo Realtree camo Jersey
Kobe Bryant, LAL SGDanny Granger, Ind SFDeron Williams, Uta PGDwight Howard, Orl CPau Gasol, LAL PF, CSteve Nash, Pho PGJason Kidd, Dal PGStephen Curry, GS PG, SGDavid Lee, GS PF, CAmare Stoudemire, NY C, PFBrook Lopez, NJ CCarmelo Anthony, Den SFRajon Rondo, Bos PGAndre Iguodala, Phi SG, SFChauncey Billups, Den PGGerald Wallace, Cha SF, PF Derrick Rose, Chi PGMonta Ellis, GS PG, SGBrandon Roy, Por SG, SF Chris Bosh, Mia PF, CJosh Smith, Atl PF, SFAl Jefferson, Uta C, PFJoe Johnson, Atl SG, SFPaul Pierce, Bos SF, SGTyreke Evans, Sac PG, SGTim Duncan, SA C, PFDavid West, NO PFAl Horford, Atl C, PFTroy Murphy, NJ PF, CAaron Brooks, Hou PGRussell Westbrook, OKC PGDarren Collison, Ind PGAndrea Bargnani, Tor C, PFDevin Harris, NJ PGRudy Gay, Mem SFStephen Jackson, Cha SG, SFOJ Mayo, Mem SGBaron Davis, LAC PGJason Richardson, Pho SGJoakim Noah, Chi C, PFZach Randolph, Mem PFMo Williams, Cle PGDanilo Gallinari, NY SF, PFMarc Gasol, Mem CAntawn Jamison, Cle PFRaymond Felton, NY PGGilbert Arenas, Was PGMarcus Camby, Por C, PFJeff Green, OKC PF, SFRashard Lewis, Orl PF, SFBrandon Jennings, Mil PGJohn Wall, Was PGManu Ginobli, SA SGNene, Den C, PFKevin Love, Min PFAndray Blatche, Was PF, CPaul Millsap, Uta PFMichael Beasley, Min SF, PFLuis Scola, Hou PF, CEric Gordon, LAC SGLamarcus Aldridge, Por PFHedo Turkoglu, Pho SFAnthony Randolph, NY PF, CAndrew Bogut, Mil CJrue Holiday, Phi PGTrevor Ariza, NO SF, SGCaron Butler, Dal SG, SFRay Allen, Bos SGChris Kaman, LAC CKevin Garnett, Bos PFTony Parker, SA PGKevin Martin, Hou SGJason Terry, Dal SGVince Carter, Orl SG, SFJamal Crawford, Atl SG, PGLuol Deng, Chi SFMarcus Thornton, NO SGRoy Hibbert, Ind C Andrew Bynum, LAL CLamar Odom, LAL PF, SFBlake Griffin, LAC PFLeandro Barbosa, Tor SGJohn Salmons, Min SG, Reebok Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Realtree camo Jersey
SFSamuel Dalembert, Sac CAndre Miller, Por PGEmeka Okofor, Nor CMike Miller, Mia SF, SGAndrei Kirilenko, Uta SF, PFMike Conley, Mem PGRodney Stuckey, Det PG, SGAl Harrington, Den PFBoris Diaw, Cha PF, SFTerrence Williams, NJ SF, SGJR Smith, Den SG, SFBen Gordon, Det SG13. Stephen Curry- Curry has been going top 10 in a lot of drafts this year. There’s nothing to dislike about how he plays. I’d love to see him in a Celtics uniform, but from a strictly fantasy perspective I think he’s overvalued.He’s very good and only getting better, but I can’t justify taking him in front of Howard, Gasol, Nash or Kidd as many owners have been. I see him as a very good 2ndround pick. If you take him late in the 1stround, you’ve passed on some better options. The fantasy roundtable will be discussing him this week. We’ll have our sides of the debate here, and the whole roundtable will be hosted by Give Me the Rock this week. You can find a link to Give Me the Rock on our blogroll.15. Amare Stoudemire- Amare might be second only to Lebron when you take into account his size and athleticism. The man was just made to play basketball. Everybody’s talking about him being Reebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
reunited with D’Antoni in New York. There’s a reason for that: It’s a big deal. Amare’s athleticism and style of play fit perfectly in D’Antoni’s system. I like the way he fits with the team around him, too. Sure, the Knicks aren’t contenders, but I don’t think wins are a fantasy category. If they are in your league, rethink your life.22. Derrick Rose- Another one of the most fun players to watch in the league (Rondo is #1). He’s steadily improved since his rookie debut. His mix of speed and vision translate into success from the point guard position. Not to mention his ability to drive and finish. The Bulls are steadily maturing and improving as a team. Rose will lead the way for this team with an increase in points scored. His assists should see a decent gain, too. When Boozer is healthy again, Rose’s stock will only improve.Nick Laham/Getty Images24. Chris Bosh- By far the least talked about of the Miami Thrice. Comparable to being the least notable Kardashian: Maybe the others are talked about more, but we’re still sick of hearing about you. That said, he deserves some analysis.Will he open up things for Wade and Lebron or will the dynamic work out the opposite way? Both.I think you’ll see an increase in assists for Bosh and a slight decrease in points. Rebounds will stay about the same. He could be a bit of a sleeper even at the 24 spot. Obviously, any kind of injury to Wade or James makes Bosh instantly double in value. Just make sure the hype around the Miami Thrice doesn’t induce you to reach on Bosh.63. Michael Beasley-The Timberwolves are going to be one of the most fun teams to watch in the league this year. I think this is the perfect fit for Beasley. No one would call Dwyane Wade a “ball hog”, but I think Beasley had a hard time finding himself on a team that was so clearly Wade’s. If you watched the Heat at all, you could see how passive Beasley played on offense.This young team in Minnesota should reignite the talent we all saw at Kansas State. With a team full of young guys still trying to find its identity, I think Beasley finally feels free to step up and take charge. You’ll see a pretty substantial increase in points and at least a slight increase across the board. If you’re able to get him 63rdoverall, it could turn out to be one of the best values of your draft.84. Andrew Bynum- Bynum’s summary Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
looks much like that I wrote for Yao Ming in Part One of my rankings. The Lakers should look to limit his minutes from the beginning of the season in order to maintain his health for the length of the year.Still, he’s young, so that limit will significantly higher than Yao’s. Bynum is a very important part of the equation for the Lakers, but don’t let that push you to go get him too early. He’s big and talented and he plays on a top team, but the emphasis on quality over quantity with him will be duplicated in his stats. He’ll give your team consistent numbers, but he won’t be setting the world on fire.Let me hear your thoughts on all of these rankings. I love to hear feedback, positive or negative.To check out part 1 of my Top 200 gohere.To check out Will Overton’s Top 200 on Rotoprofessor see these links:1 – 5051 – 100101 – 150151 – 200

23 Dec 10Clipped Wings: Anthony Morrow and Travis Outlaw Are Keys to Nets' Success

When the New Jersey Nets signed Anthony Morrow and Travis Outlaw this past offseason, they hoped the two wingers would bring solid, consistent offense to a team that lacked clutch scoring all of last season.That has just not happened, or at least not with enough consistency.Both players have a reputation for scoring, Outlaw gaining the nickname "Mr. Fourth Quarter" in Portland, and Morrow known for his deadly accuracy beyond the arc (45%) in Golden State.While both players have had their fair share of 20+ point games, they New Orleans Saints jersey
have yet to hit their respective strides on the same night.This trend is most frustrating during close losses, as demonstrated most recently against the Utah Jazz. In a game where the Nets hung around against a very good team, Morrow lead the team with 24 points, while Outlaw struggled to even put the ball in the basket, finishing the game with only 3 points on a miserable 1-12 shooting. A solid night from Outlaw could have easily propelled the Nets past the Jazz in what would have been a very sweet victory.In the previous contest against the Clippers, the reverse was true, as Outlaw exploded for 23 and Morrow contributed nine.Below is a scoring comparison of each player for each of the Nets' first 13 games.OpponentMorrowOutlawDEN (L)1215SAC (L)1713UTANew York Giants jersey
(L)243LAC (W)923ORL (L)320CLE (W)215CLE (L)1027MIA (L)255ORL (L)517MIA (L)116CHA (L)50SAC (W)418DET (W)135Solid offensive production from both wingers on any given night forces the defense to stay honest. When both shooters are on, a defense just cannot afford to leave one of them alone on the outside and hope for the best.In that sense, Morrow and Outlaw sort of work off each other, seeing as neither of them are good at creating their own shots. With a spread out defense, both players are more likely to see more catch-and-shoot opportunities.Fortunately, it seems like Morrow and Outlaw are starting to find their rhythm, both reaching double figures in the last two games. The only other time this happened was against Cleveland in a tough loss. New York Jets jersey
Though the Nets lost both of those games, they were only a possession or two away from wins each time. Had Lopez and Harris been on their games against Sacramento, the Nets would have won easily.It is only a matter of time before this team really clicks, but it cannot happenuntil Morrow andOutlawprovide on a consistent basis.

The Los Angeles Lakers Should Send Kobe Bryant to Knicks and Sign LeBron James

There is no debating at this current moment in sports that Kobe Bryant is far above any other current basketball superstar.Imagine in the early '90s, actually having a discussion about someone at or above Michael Jordan's level. No one would have ever imagined it to be possible.The Lakers know they have a top Reebok Chicago Bears #54 Brian Urlacher Realtree camo Jersey
notch superstar in Kobe Bryant and he deserves the acknowledgment that he is one of the greatest basketball players of all time.There comes a time where fans and the organization need to face the facts and know that Kobe Bryant may have only a few good years left in him. While he continues to add on to what is one of the greatest careers ever, LeBron James is just reaching his prime.That great title fight of LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant for the NBA Championship is starting to get old and like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, we have moved on.Kobe has proved that he can lead his team and close whatever game or situation is put his way, but the Lakers have a chance to look towards the future and no future is brighter than LeBron James'.While many started to jump on the "Kobe's done" bandwagon this year, it was obvious that he was hurt and playing with multiple injuries.Kobe joining up with Amar'e Stoudemire is an amazing situation for the New York Knicks.We all know how much Kobe loves the spotlight and there is no better place for Kobe than Madison Square Garden.By sending Kobe and possibly Lamar Odom to the Knicks, LeBron James could come to L.A. and have Gasol and Bynum, a solid core championship team for years to come.There is no doubt that LeBron James wants to be the greatest basketball player ever and before he even attempts to get to Jordan, he has to pass Kobe.What better place to try and take out the champ than in his own home?The NBA thrives on drama—just look at the Boston vs. L.A. series.Now imagine the Knicks vs. Lakers, or Knicks vs. Celtics, or Lakers vs. Cavs; the list goes on and on.I'm surprised the NBA hasn't stepped in and actually started some kind of Reebok Chicago Bears #6 Jay Cutler Realtree camo Jersey
dramatic twist and turn so people get even more excited about the upcoming season.The Lakers are still a championship team and deservingly so, but there will come a time when the Lakers will start to look towards the future to continue their domination.Kobe Bryant may be the ultimate Laker, but nowadays it doesn't matter because loyalty has been lost in sports for a long time.

Derek Jeter And Cliff Lee Lead Way in Frenzy of Misleading Reports

Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesAs the MLB rumor mill continues to churn, many fans are beginning to show a disdain towards the carousel-style news surrounding their favorite players.Just ask Philadelphia Phillies’ fans about Jayson Werth updates.This week—particularly the past 48 hours—there is even more confusing media frenzied news to keep fans on the edge of their seat, as they wait with baited breath to find out the latest whispers.But initial reports often become misleading if not interpreted properly, which in turn, can be emulated by the chain of Reebok New Orleans Saints #9 Drew Brees Realtree camo Jersey
articles that feed off of them.Leading the way is the reported deal that the Yankees apparently offered Cliff Lee a six-year $140 million deal which is now being refuted by NY Daily News’ Mark Feinsand.What is true is that the Rangers curiously offered Lee arbitration and are likely to match any offer made by any team currently hunting Cliff lee.Another major storyline leading the way is the possibility of Derek Jeter not returning to New York, as GM Brian Cashman was reported telling Newark Star-Ledger reporter Ken Davidoff: "He should be nothing but a New York Yankee. He chooses not to be."This isn’t exactly solid news as it can also be construed that Cashman is reacting poorly to the Yankees current offer of three years, $45 million—turned down by Jeter—which Jeter thinks he is worth more than.Doug Pensinger/Getty ImagesAccording to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees plan to sweeten their deal, but no details were currently available at the time of this article.And finally, Jason Stark of ESPN.com is reporting that Reebok New York Giants #27 Brandon Jacobs Realtree camo Jersey
“one source” says that talks between Javier Vazquez and the Florida Marlins are “getting hot.”This is curious news considering Vazquez had a terrible season last year, and is widely viewed as being way past his prime at 34 producing a 5.32 ERA in 31 appearances as a Yankee.Other reported clubs interested are the Cubs, Rockies, Nationals and Cardinals.There is also a report from Stark—same article—that Vazquez declined a $20 million offer over two years, but that he is looking for a one year deal only.A very curious decline indeed, but you can bank on thing: Vazquez will ultimately lead the way in MLB headlines in the coming days.Of course, everything I mentioned could significantly change with Derek Jeter suddenly deciding to play for the New York Giants; Cliff Lee— Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
after revealing his "true" sports love: soccer—deciding to play for Manchester United; and Javier Vazquez deciding to retire on the beaches of Florida, but agreeing to don a Marlins jersey as a team spokeperson for one year while sipping martinis and soaking in the sun, right?