Playing Catch Up

With over two months still left in the baseball season, the Braves are tied for second in the NL East and are slighltly losing the tie breaker to the Florida Marlins due to the less amount of runs scored. That all ends this week as the two NL East rivals face off in a three game series that begins tonight in Florida.

Land Shark Stadium will be packed tonight as the
two rivals face off in a start of a heated series.

Including this series, the two teams have 12 matches left with each other before the post season begins, but this one could be the backbone of their chance of qualifying for the NL wildcard or even the NL East title. But with the Philadelphia Phillies owning a 7 game advantage on the two teams, the wild card spot seems more reasonable for now. With an even record of 51-48 for both teams, the Braves would be taking a huge step forward by winning the series or even pulling away in a sweep. The Marlins could do the same.

Tonight, in the first of three, the Braves will start a young pitcher in Jair Jurrgens and the Marlines will have Ricky Nolasco. Jair has a slight advantage in the win column with a 9-7 record as opposed to a 7-7 record held by Nolasco. The ERA differential doesn't help Nolasco's case much as he currently holds a 5.42 ERA. Jurrgens, just 2.67. On paper, Jurrgens looks like a dominant force compared to Nolasco, but when the two pitchers step on the mount at 7:10 pm tonight, anything can happen.

Hanley Ramirez will have plenty to handle
in this three game series at home.


All eyes will be on Hanley Ramirez as Marlins players and fans will looking for the batting average leader to have another stellar night. With 65 RBI's and 59 runs, Ramirez leads the offense in nearly every category. Jorge Cantu will need to step up his game as he is just 2 for 11 at bat all time against Jurrgens. The hot hitter can't cool down here or else the Braves could run away with one. Dan Uggla will obviously be another big factor in the Marlins offense as the veteran infielder is .368 at bat against the Braves this season. The homerun hitting leader for the team will look to add a few more to the column in this tie breaking series.

When you hear Braves, you may think of #10. Chipper Jones at 37 is still hitting and defending like an all star and Braves fans are thankful for every play Chipper is involved in. With the third basemen leading the team in homeruns with just 12, the offense will have to pick things up and try to knock down their opposing pitchers.

Good ol' Chipper will be key to the Braves
success once again as #10 steps onto the field.

One youngster that doesn't really get much attention is the shortstop, Yunel Escobar. The 26 year old Cuban that was mocked for his immature actions a few weeks back after an error was made, has recently taken his game up a notch as the infielder has made some big time plays and caused some damage at bat. Escobar's 7 game hitting streak was ended on Sunday in a win in Milwaukee and during the 7 game stretch, the young gun had 3 homeruns. With a giant goose egg in the hit column of his last game, Yunel looks to grab a hit or two tonight to start yet another hitting streak. He may be the spark for a Braves offense that has slowly gotten more consistent in recent games.

Yunel Escobar has quickly become a fan
favorite as the bright young star has
made eye popping plays to keep the Braves
in playoff contention.

Brian McCann has yet to record a hit against the Marlins this season and will need to make adjustments as the All Star catcher looks to amplify the Braves offense.

Tonight may just be another game in the 162 game season, but for the Braves and Marlins, a lot more looks to be at stake.

-Jason C

The Soccer World hits the US

All the pieces seemed to be slowly coming together. David Beckham (despite his sour attitude) brought worldwide attention to MLS, the men's USA team made noise in the Confederations Cup, and the World Football challenge was being held in the United States of America. Could soccer finally be a mainstream sport in the "land of the free"?

Spice Boy, David beckham has caused plenty
of drama in the soccer world and will surely
create a nuisance in the MLS in the near future.

David Beckham was the possible breakthrough in soccer history for the US as he came to a deal with the LA Galaxy MLS team in 2007. A whopping five year $250 million contract had the English superstar packing his stuff and leaving Real Madrid, one of the most prestigious club teams in all of Europe. In exchange, the 30+ year old star was headed to a league that seemed dead to most Americans.

Beckham has caused enough trouble in the sports world already, so we shall place him aside for now.

The Confederations Cup occurs once every four years and it takes place one year prior to the World Cup. Eight teams get to participate in this small tournament and the US was one of the contenders. With nations such as Spain, Brazil, and Italy looking like the favorites in this Cup, the US just seemed to look like a country that was out to make a name for themselves by taking on the big bad bullies of the soccer world. And so they did...

USA's chances of standing a chance in this
Cup seemed quite slim. The eleven men representing
the red white and blue on the green grass
had other plans.

During the round robin portion of the tournament, it seemed like the US' journey was going to end shorter than wanted. After losing 3-1 in the first match against Italy, the US didn't seem to confident in their following match with the Brazilians. As expected, the US couldn't find any sort of advantage and collapsed to a 3-0 pummeling. With an 0-2 record and just one game remaining in their round robin schedule, the light at the end of the tunnel seemed very dim. In a last ditch effort, the Americans drop kicked Egypt in the face by winning 3-0 and with Brazils bashing of the Italians 3-0 as well, the US miraculously obtained the second place finish in the group and found themselves advancing to the semi final match.



Torres and the
rest of the Spanish
Soccer Armada
seemed stoppable
as the Spanish
took a quick an
easy route to the
second stage of
the Confederations
Cup.







With a hot Spain squad awaiting Donovan an his boys, the match-up seemed unfair. Critics were soon quieted as the Americans overcame the odds and took out the Spainards 2-0. A finals rematch with the Brazilians was in store and it seemed like the Americans would have been better off just losing to the country of Spain. A rematch with Brazil just seemed to painful to bear. As the whistle blew and the game began, the Brazilians looked confident and seemed ready to hoist the Confederations Cup trophy. But it was USA that looked like the better team as a 2-0 lead quickly formed for team America. As fans all around the world were stunned and speechless, it seemed like USA just might have pulled the greatest upset in US soccer history. When everything seemed to be going in the right direction, Brazil came kicking in high gear as three goals struck through the net of US defense. When the whistle blew at 90+ minutes, the final score read, Brazil 3 - USA 2. The Cinderella Story had been shattered and Brazil was on top once again.



Brazil and USA
took a head on
collision as the
two countries
showed plenty
of spunk in the
Confederations
Cup Finals.
Brazil just came
out with a little
more swag in the
end.





Despite the loss, high hopes were brought upon the USA soccer team for the 2010 South Africa World Cup as the US did exactly what they needed to do in the Confed Cup. Make some noise.

Some of the most powerful soccer clubs from all across the world took center stage in the United States just a few days ago as AC Milan, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Club America welcomed themselves to the States of America. The World Football Challenge represented four major club as the matches took place in major cities such as Baltimore, Foxboro, and Atlanta. As fans filled the stadiums to full capacity, horns went off and chants erupted as goals struck left and right. Stars such as Andrly Schevchenko, Didier Drogba, Ronaldinho, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic exemplified greatness as the ball was handled in beautiful harmony through the ground and above. While curving through the air and defying gravity, the ball was controlled in majestic ways that could only occur on a soccer field. All of America was given an opportunity to finally see elite soccer at its best.

Chelsea was
one of four
club teams
that took
a visit to the
United States
for the World
Football
Challenge.

With the Premier League and other leagues in Europe getting underway in just a few weeks, you can be sure that US citizens from all around the United States will be tuning in on tv to look for any match listings. The best of the rest will surely be getting a little bit more exposure than the year before as superstars such as Lionel Messi, Kaká, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Torres, and others step onto the clean cut grassy fields of stadiums that are soon to be packed with die hard fans in the respective colors of their favorite clubs.

The speedy Lionel Messi looks to have yet
another spectacular season with Barcelona.

Let Soccer enlighten your world.

-Jason C

Running Back Carousel All Twisted?

With the #1 overall pick in the 2009 fantasy football draft, the "Flying Squirrels" draft...?

ESPN and other top sources for your sports information has Adrian Peterson as the go to guy for the #1 spot on fantasy football draft kit lists. The man wearing #28 for the purple and gold has played just two years of pro football and has already jumped stars such as L.T, Steven Jackson, Peyton Manning, Frank Gore, Tom brady, and others. In fact, if the top 5 projections list was handed to an average fantasy football participant a few years back, they would say that they only knew one of the top options.

L.T. was the easy first choice in every fantasy draft last season and the one before that, and the one before that... This year? Looks like times have changed.

ESPN says go with Adrian Peterson with the top pick so does that make him a secure choice? Well what if I don't want him? Who does ESPN advise in picking other than him. Michael Turner? Maurice Jones-Drew? Matt Forte? Obviously, fantasy football veteran managers should all know that running backs are the first to go and they go quick in the earliest of rounds. Let's do a background check on these "top candidates" for the early picks in the prestigious pool of running backs.














Adrian Peterson has taken over the top of the list
after showing dominance in the running game
last season. Is a guaranteed top performer for
fantasy owners in 2009-10?

Adrian Peterson: The third year running back for the Vikings is coming off a career season and is arguably one of the top running backs in this year's group of backs. But he has plenty of question marks that won't be answered until the season starts. So what makes this guy such a secure choice? It doesn't.

Michael Turner: After being overshadowed by Ladanian Tomlinson during his days in San Diego, Turner found a nice new home in Atlanta where he paired up with Rookie Quarterback Matt Ryan. Going with this guy as the second overall choice in the entire draft? He was good in 08, but will he prove that he can do it again. LT still seems like a better choice than Turner for the 09 season. Do I stand alone on this? I don't think so...

Maurice Jones-Drew: Without a doubt, one of the hardest working and humble athletes in the league. Plenty of spunk and will go out on the field with a mindset of not backing down from any linebacker or trenchman. Sharing time with Fred Taylor, he never really got a chance to be the go to back but his 08 season showed a lot of shine for the future Jaguars star running back. But #3 overall in the draft kit rankings? I'll have to take another look around the list of choices...

Matt Forte: Who? A guy that got little attention in his short time in the NFL has already risen to the elite of football athletes. Of course, he is still young and will get better in the upcoming seasons but I see him as more of second running back pick and not a first running back pick or even a first overall pick for a fantasy team. Is ESPN trying to pull a terrible joke on fantasy football guru's?


Matt Forte was
just another name
in the free agent
pool for most
fantasy leagues
less than 36 months
ago. Fast forward
a little bit and you've
got the Chicago
Bear sitting at #4
in ESPN's "great"
list. Could he be the
catalyst for YOUR
fantasy team?




Steven Jackson: At #5, Jackson may have the biggest name in the top 5. Maybe AP has him by a slight edge but Steven Jackson is one of the toughest combo backs in the league and could do plenty of damage on the turf. It's just that his team won't cooperate. No bias here, but Jackson looks like a better pick than Forte, Jones-Drew, and Turner. Maybe I've just completely missed out on th football world during this off season.

You've got big names like LT, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Larry Johnson, Brandon Jacobs, Marion Barber, Brian Westbrook, and Willie Parker, and not a single one of these guys are in the mix for the top pick in the ESPN fantasy draft. So maybe a few of these guys lost a step or two, maybe an injury has changed their style of effectiveness on the field , or the roster changes has negated the runners former dominance that was once present. Still, to an average football follower, the top list of running backs just seems like a joke. With the most important position on any fantasy football team, running backs will be the decision of whether your team looks like a playoff team or not. I guess the pool is just that much deeper this season. Willie Parker as the #25 running back in the rankings? Larry Johnson at 26 (due to some injury trouble, he's been nonexistent at times but #26?) You've just got to think that someone like Willie at #25 in just the running backs or even Brian Westbrook at #14 is a complete steal. You've got to keep in mind that some foolish fantasy managers will pick up a wide receiver or quarterback in that crucial first round of your draft.

As of right now, I'd say it's a toss up throughout the entire first round with the running backs. Depending on who you pick, if that running back is healthy and play consistently, the possibility of riding on that players back to lead your fantasy team to championship contention should be nice. If whoever you picked in the first round unluckily has to deal with injuries or split time on the field with another back, you may have to hope for a lower round pick to explode and have a career season in order for contention. Fantasy football is 35% skill, 65% luck. It definitely takes some skill to pick and arrange the players that you snag from the draft pool, but injuries and playing time can't exactly be predicted. When it's your turn in the draft, I recommend some tarot cards. Does it even work that way? "Flying Squirrels all the way"!

The most important position in 99.9% of fantasy
football teams is the running back spot. Apparently,
you don't need a "good" running back to make it to
the Super Bowl nowadays. (Edgerrin James , on the left, #60
on ESPN's list of top running backs, Willie Parker, on the right, #25)

-Jason C

2010 World Cup Destination...

The sight of the 2010 world cup in South Africa
is looking a bit foggy. Let's hope that's not the case.

Hold on just a moment South Africa, looks like the 2010 world cup has hit a bump. Ever since the Italians held up the sleek golden trophy that declared the world champions of soccer, South Africa has gone right to work in order to prepare for the next world cup which they had high anticipation of hosting in the year 2010.

Preliminary rounds were initiated and teams began their run for the next world cup trophy as power houses of the soccer world such as Brazil, Germany, Spain, and the reigning champs of Italy looked to place their position in one of the 32 spots that are given in World Cup competition every four years. Three years set sail and things were looking smooth as fans all around the world excitedly waited just one more year until the world cup would kick off but a slight intervention was in store.

With plenty of work still to be done in South Africa, stadiums were being built one by one and plenty of hands were needed for all this craftiness to be completed by the deadline mid-December. As the midpoint of the summer time came around, an announcement was made that 70,000 unhappy workers declared a strike, stating that they would cease work until their demands were made. This is an outrage! I waited three long years just to hear this kind of news? I can't believe it! What's going to happen? A few of many reactions that I assume may happen when the news is completely spread around to the ends of the earth. Nothing positive here. Looks like South Africa may be in the bidding for 2018.














Moses Mabhida Stadium is one of the many
beautiful stadiums that will hold thousands of
fans as soccer players from all across the world
look to represent their nations in the finest way.

Fear not. This should just be a small set back that will easily be dealt with in a matter of days. Everyone can go back to their usual lives and get ready to cheer on their nations in the summer of 2010. So, what if it's not dealt with. What if the strike goes on and the unfinished work stays the way it is. Come December, there is no positive outlook on the world cup happening in 2010 right? World Cup 2010 Germany? World Cup 2010 Korea/Japan? That would be interesting now wouldn't it? With everything going the right path for South Africa and the sight of the 2010 World Cup looking swell, a problem like this was never expected to happen. So now we "fans of the world" sit awestruck and speechless as to what exactly we could do to make 2010 happen for South Africa.

With all the strikes that have happened in this world, this has got to be just the second strike that has affected my personal life. (After the writer's strike in 2008, which put the tv series "The Office" on hold) Let's just hope this doesn't turn out to be a disaster. Besides, I'm very excited to see the animated South African Lion representing the 2010 world cup logo.

Zakumi the Lion is ready to hit center stage in the
summer of 2010. He wants to be let out of his cage!

Could I be the mascot for a world cup event if I hold a soccer ball like that and keep a similar pose? Really would be nice.

-Jason C

Don't mess with Texas... The Forgotten One...

Don't Mess with Texas

As San Antonio made their move to sign Richard Jefferson, Houston quickly retaliated by making up for the departure of Ron Artest. The Rockets made a deal that brought in the young and rising Trevor Ariza. So what did Mark Cuban do? One thing for sure is, he wasn't just sitting at his desk waiting for some superstar to walk into his office begging to play for him. The Mavericks management went straight to work by re-signing the veteran leader Jason Kidd. Check. After days of negotiating, Dallas finally got a trade to work, involving up to four teams, and got themselves one of the best combo forwards in the league. Check mate? With Shawn Marion in the mix of the lineup with, the Mavericks are a huge threat in the West and are tugging at LA's 2009 championship banner. A final effort to bring in big man Marcin Gortat would greatly strengthen the depth of this team and another 50+ win season should be more than expected.














It's been just two season's since Marion had left the Western Conference in a blockbuster trade. He now returns back to the West as he still searches for his first NBA championship.

The Forgotten One

In middle school, he dribble down the floor without any defender challenging his authority. He was the "next big thing".

During his early years of high school, he didn't let his underclassmen label keep him from blossoming early. Maybe a little too early?

He played in the Elite 24 game at Rucker Park as a rising Sophomore (the youngest player ever to participate in the elite 24) and was given the nickname, "Born Ready".

In his Junior year, he was honored a spot on the USA Today's All-USA Boys basketball team as he was the only non senior on the prestigious list.

Colleges all over the world wanted this talent on their roster as coaches and scouts would call him everyday and make visits as well as inviting the future star to their campus.

His name, Lance Stephenson.

At an early age, Lance was given lots of
publicity and appeared on multiple basketball
magazines as his talent began to be exposed
all over the nation. Can he live up to the hype?

As a member of the class of 2009, this past year was his last chance to shine in high school before announcing where he was going to attend college. The anticipation and excitement continued to build as Lance would hold off his decision. Going beyond the expected announcement date, things started getting out of hand as questions arose and some rumors of him heading overseas to play in Europe were made. As colleges waited, slowly some schools began to withdraw their offers as they would sign other high school players. Stephenson, still waiting on what to do, wanted to take his time as his options began to shorten. A list of 20-30 schools became 10, then 5, and then 2. Memphis and Florida Atlanta were the final two schools that were aiming for the 6'5" wingman.

By now, talk of Lance Stephenson and what he was going to do had died and people moved on. A few days later, the young man announced his decision to go to Cincinnati after he was given a last minute offer by the Big East team that once ran the hardwood with the likes of Kenyon Martin, Jason Maxiell, James White, Ruben Patterson, and Oscar Robertson.

How will his college career end up? A one and done to the NBA? A four year man? Player of the year or bust? It's really hard to tell when you got a guy that is so indecisive.

So should Cincinnati fans be excited to see Lance in a Bearcats uniform? Definitely. With little expectation of seeing this young man sport a black and red uni with a bear claw, the program should look forward to what Lance COULD do. I would just be a little worried about if he'll actually enroll or not? His immaturity level could be a bit absurd at times and he could create overflow of diva issues in the locker room but then again, he may be different. A lot can change when a basketball player moves on to the next level of play. "Born Ready" might not be so ready after all, or maybe his nickname was perfectly assigned by the "great" Bobbito Garcia. We shall see very soon.

"What If?"

Just a few months back, Coach John Calipari shook up the college basketball nation as talks of coaching movements ocurred. The big story was Calipari's possible agreement to coach for the University of Kentucky. After coaching two freshman point guards in the last two seasons that both were drafted within the first four picks of their drafts (Derrick Rose 2008 first overall pick, Tyreke Evans 2009 fourth overall pick), Calipari was only bringing in more fire power as he had the number one recruiting class in the nation with the likes of DeMarcus Cousins and Xavier Henry committing to the big time coach. So with this bright future ahead of him what does he do? He leaves the team and moves on to Kentucky with the possibility of having a very young team that could be in the rebuilding stage.

As Calipari made the decision final, thoughts when in and out of players' heads as they had millions of different scenarios going through their head. His decision not only affected Memphis commitments but other committments as well (Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Maryland, Cincinnati, and more) Here's the breakdown. Calipari's move basically affected six of the top 25 players in the class of 2009.

Rivals #1 John Wall had plenty of schools in consideration, including hometown favorite North Carolina. With Calipari's sweet talking recruiting skills, the new Kentucky coach lured Mr. Wall to wear a Wildcats uniform in a last minute recruiting attempt. (Wall was previously interested in going to Memphis to play for Cal)

Rivals #2 DeMarcus Cousins was the top recruit in Memphis' 2009 recruiting class. After Coach Calipari said his goodbyes, so did DeMarcus, as the 6'9" power forward followed the man that recruited him in the first place.

Rivals #8 Xavier Henry finally committed to Memphis after plenty of talk had him going to Kansas for sure. After Henry surprised the nation with his choice of school, Coach Cal's departure left him speechless as he decommitted and found his new home in Lawrence Kansas. (Xavier Henry's older brother CJ Henry transferred over to Kansas from Memphis as well, due to the coaching situation.)

Rivals #11 Lance Stephenson had it all planned out as it looked like he was going to join Coach Self and the Rock Chalk Jayhawk. Holding off his decision until the deadline was his plan but things didn't turn out exactly how he wanted it to. When Xavier Henry (who basically plays the same position as Lance) made the big move by changing his mind and going to Kansas, Lance lost Kansas' interest as they withdrew their offer. Not knowing what direction to go to, he had choices such as St. John's, Maryland, and Memphis. With time passing by, teams could not wait and when Lance finally made his decision, he landed in the laps of the Cincinnati basketball program. Something, no one suspected of happening.

Rivals #17 Latavious Williams was one of the last to make his college decision. With plenty of schools showing interest, it wasn't until Cal, Cousins, and Henry departed Memphis that Williams decided upon attending Memphis. With the recruiting class rank dropping, Williams quickly chose Memphis and helped the program find some hope in their 2009 recruiting class.

Rivals #23 Eric Bledsoe was another one of those last minute "cats" that was slowly drawn in by the great recruiting genius, Coach John Calipari. After moving the Kentucky, Calipari didn't waste any time and worked his recruiting game on the young guard, Eric Bledsoe and successfully made a positive result out of it. (Before Kentucky, Bledsoe was highly interested in Memphis and Alabama)

So you can see that the move that Cal pulled affected a lot of schools in their recruiting. Some in positive ways and most in negative ways.

Coach Calipari has quickly suited up in a fresh blue
Kentucky outfit. Looks good, Cal. I heard a lot of
coaches are out to take you down though. Better
be ready.

Now let's go back to Cal's Memphis days. Let's say Coach Cal was very excited for the 2009-10 season with his new incoming class and a chance to build a fresh new lineup and possibly a championship caliber team. How would it affect the decisions of these six elite players?

John Wall might be headed for Memphis to play for Calipari or maybe he chooses to play for his childhood team, the Tarheels. Let's say he ends up going to his roots and committs to UNC. Roy 1 Cal 0

DeMarcus Cousins was committed to Memphis and had no plans of decommitting. Looking forward to playing for Calipari, Cousins was ready to help the Tigers make another run for the Final Four. Memphis 1 Cal 1

Xavier Henry had plenty of trouble making his final decision but after finally going with Memphis, Cal had a lot of fire power that was coming in to help the Memphis program. Memphis 1 Kansas 0

Lance Stephenson seemed to be headed to Kansas as the Jayhawks were still looking for their wingman. With plenty of opportunities awaiting Lance in Kansas, the decision was more than convincing. Kansas 1 Cincinnati 0

Latavious Williams didn't know where exactly to go just yet. He looked to be leaning toward Georgetown but Memphis was definitely in the picture. With too much talent headed for Memphis, Latavious might have been better off going to Georgetown. George town 1 Memphis 0

Eric Bledsoe definitely had a south team on his mind. Going about trying to finalize the destination of his home, it seemed as if he was headed to Memphis and Alabama. With Memphis just losing their start point guard to the draft, the position seemed very vulnerable and Bledsoe would have been a great fit. Memphis 1 Kentucky 0

But Calipari ditched the Memphis program and fled for Lexington. Out of all these losers, you definitely have to feel for Memphis. They literally lost a whole starting lineup of players. It's not so great to be a Tiger. With the mess Coach Cal left trailing behind him, he better produce a national championship team after causing so many players to move around. The pressure's on, Coach.

-Jason C

2009 Free Agency creates Mayhem... A #9 to Always Remember...

Rasheed Wallace is one of the many big names
in the overlooked 2009 free agency market
that has been looking for a new home. Boston,
San Antonio, and Orlando seemed to be in the running
as his favorite options. Is he in for the money or
does he just want to hold up the trophy once more?

While teams are opening up their cap room for the highly anticipated 2010 free agent pool (LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, etc) the stronger just continue to build their teams up with the talent that the 2009 free agency pool is offering.

As soon as the final buzzer went off in game 5 of the NBA finals, general managers and their front office team got right to work.

The Orlando Magic had to figure out what they were going to do with all the expiring contracts and the point guard dilemma. They decided to go with their young point guard stud Jameer, and said so long to Rafer. They refused to believe in Courtney Lee as their future off guard and shipped him along with Rafer Alston and Battie in a blockbuster trade. Losing Battie, they accepted the fact that unless they can re-sign Gortat, they will have major depth issues in the bigs, leaving Superman Howard all by his lonesome. They went with a veteran star shooting guard Vince Carter that could be nearing the end of the road on his prime. Acquiring Air Canada, Hedo set sail as he didn't see the Magic's offer to be very flattering. Orlando one and done?

The Lakers just won so they don't need to make any changes right? Think again...

Plenty of more action went about as the Spurs looked to strengthen their already explosive back court by trading for Richard Jefferson who is hungry for a title. Timmy has a new wingman and can expect a few more runs for a ring or two before his age tells him to throw in the towel.

The Cavaliers just were not satisfied with the second place finish in the East. The team that won 66 games in the regular season looked to become even more dangerous as they brought in Big Diesel, getting rid of "not so" Big Ben and his overpriced contract and Sasha Pavlovic. Did the Cavs just improve by getting the once most dominant big man in the league? You be the judge.

Three of the top teams in the NBA; the Cavs, Magic, and Spurs made a few tweaks to their strategy for a world championship but have they become better or worse? In my opinion...

Spurs aqcuiring Jefferson: A- You always want a guy like Bruce Bowen on your squad but they just got themselves an explosive wing that can score and do damage on both sides of the ball. Maybe Rich can bring in the same intensity on defense now that he's on a contending team.

Magic acquiring Vince Carter: C+ They brought in that guy that can guard the Kobe's of the world but was it worth it? Carter is a great player but he's not always going to show up when you need him to stop that guy in purple and gold or maybe even navy and red. Too many players were lost in this crazy mess of a transaction. Rafer, Courtney Lee, Toni Battie, Hedo, Gortat? Of course, the arrival of VC wasn't the main reason for the loss of ALL these players, but a connection is definitely there.

No more Hedo in a Magic's uni, but is his
decision to sign with Toronto a wise one?

Cavs + Shaq or LeBron + Shaq: B- Sure, Shaq led the Lakers to a three peat and helped guide young Wade to his first NBA championship. That was when Shaq could actually play a full 82 game season while producing with equal distribution. The Cavs may have to realize that Shaq wont be fully out there every night. Fatigue is going to slow him down and he might get in LeBron's way when the King wants to cover the whole floor when slashing to the basket. With a 66 regular season win team, Shaq just doesn't seem like the guy to make the team any better. Not at his current age at least. Just my personal opinion.

These three teams obviously aren't the only top contenders for the 2010 championship. The defending champion Lakers and the 2008 champion Celtics didn't just lounge around while other teams were hard at work to try to dethrone these last two champions.

The Lakers hoped to return their entire squad for a run to defend their fresh new title. Instead, they make their arsenal even more powerful by signing bad boy Ron Artest to a very affordable deal. Trevor Ariza, took the wrong path and traded places with Artest as he signed a fatter contract with Houston that the Lakers had no intentions of matching. Trevor, money isn't always the way to go. You just left Kobe, Pau, and Lamar for T-Mac (The next Penny but a poor man's version) and Yao (He won't be down their to grab your rebounds buddy). Lakers 2 Rockets 0

A Kobe, Artest tandem may have been the last
possibility on most people's minds but the two
have joined together in an effort to strengthen
the Lakers' hopes of back-to-back titles.
.

The Celtics obviously weren't the same in this year's playoffs as they were without the Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett. Having him back on his feet and in white and green uniform is enough of an improvement on the team for the upcoming season but Boston felt that they needed to strengthen themselves in order to take down the Lakers in another possible Finals showdown in a rivalry that goes back to 70's and beyond. As they looked for another piece to add on to the team's chemistry, the Celtics brought in Rasheed Wallace. A mutual agreement between Rasheed and the Celtics has brought havoc around the NBA world as the former NBA champions just got even tougher.

Lakers snagging Artest for cheap: A+ With Artest and Bryant on the floor in the same uniform, offenses will have no idea what to do as two of the NBA's best defenders will make it very difficult for the other 29 teams in the league.

Celtics attracting Big Sheed: A++ I don't know how this affects whatever expiring contracts that Boston may have but as long as the Celts have KG, Ray, Paul Pierce, and Rondo, the joining of Wallace to this wrecking crew could only mean positive things for the 08 champs.

My prediction for the 2010 NBA Finals match-up?
Lakers vs Celtics
Lakers vs Cavs
Spurs vs Celtics
Spurs vs Cavs
Magic vs Celtics?
Magic vs Cavs?

I'm not too sure about how the Magic are going to do with their shortened lineup but Vince Carter can only mean good things for a team. Another run to the NBA Finals for the Magic just seems blurry for now.

The 25 other teams can just forget about it. Am I sounding a little too ignorant? Why is Denver not in this equation? Dallas? LA is just the best team in the West right now, flat out. And the Spurs are always in the mix. ALWAYS.

Okay, so the Spurs (Who were knocked out in the first round by Dallas) being considered a contender over the Nuggets Rockets, and Mavericks (Who both made it to the second round at least) doesn't seem just but if you look at it, the Spurs are just built to win another championship soon. Great coaching, tough defense, and a very good captain.

The Nuggets in 2009-10 Nene and K Mart are great big men but 6'9" and 6'10" just isn't the average height of NBA big men nowadays. Pau 7'1", Bynum 7', Shaw 7'1", Yao 7'6", Zydrunas 7'3", Timmy Duncan 7', Dwight 6'11" (Presence like an 8 footer). The Nuggets' bigs have proved doubters wrong in this past post season as they didn't let height be an excuse. Still, Pau and Bynum seemed to be a wall for the Nuggets. Carmelo still hasn't solidifed himself as a leader. Don't get me wrong, the man can play some hoops but still has a lot of maturing to do. Chauncey is the main reason for the Nuggets success but this past season may be the best he had to offer for the Nuggets or any other team. This team is going to have a lot of changes done in the span of a few years. The whole starting lineup could be different very soon. But don't take just my word for it.

The Rockets in 2009-10 Yeah right, you can go ahead and prepare yourself for the lottery. T-Mac just isn't the same and if Yao goes with the wise decision of going with the surgery, he will be in a suit and tie all season. Ron Artest is gone and you've got a young Trevor Ariza who is coming off an NBA championship with a team that he started for. I wonder what his ego is going to be like as he looks to have an even larger role with Houston.

Dallas in 2009-10 Dirk, Kidd, and Josh. Kidd looks like he's going to spend the rest of what his body has to offer the NBA while in a Mavs uniform. A 3 year 25 mil agreement is quite a nice one to offer a 36 year old. Could Dallas be in for a big mistake? Then again, the main reason to Dirk's success is because of the presence of Kidd. Dirk just seems to look like a different guy out their with #2 leading the floor. They don't have enough to take on Kobe and the Lakers. They aren't even close.

Other names in the free agent market

Charlie V and Ben Gordon were the newest Pistons this past week as they agreed to join a Pistons franchise that looks to be in a complete rebuilding mode. With Rip still on the roster, could the Pistons be looking to make a starting lineup entirely of UConn alumni?

Hedo could have possibly made the dumbest move out of all the free agents as he selfishly took money over contention for a world championship as he signed with the Raptors. He must have missed Chris Bosh's phone call when Bosh was trying to warn him not to come to the soon to be worst team in the NBA. Hedo should have known what was good for him and resigned with the Magic on a mid level exception or something around that area. Instead Hedo, you have made a couple more million. What are your plans in Toronto? I heard it snows there. I guess, playing for Sacramento and Orlando, you missed the snow that you often played in back in Turkey. I guess it's okay now.

David Lee is lurking around the market and looks to make a concluding decision very soon. Don't go back to New York David. Portland?

Shawn Marion is now accepting all offers. As the Raptors came to terms with Hedo, options have been opened up for the Matrix and a new home could be in store soon.

With all these big time trades, I wonder what adidas is going to do with all their unsold jerseys of stars that got traded this year. They need to start preparing for the changes that are going to create a downfall in their market in 2010. Dun dun...

"What If?"
In Memory of Steve McNair. Rest in Peace ol' quarterback.

Super Bowl XXXIV is just seconds away from coming to an end. The St. Louis Rams are one defensive posession away from putting a period on their cinderella season while it seems like it was only a few days ago when Tennessee pulled off an incredible lateral play on a kick return to beat the Buffalo Bills in the final seconds of a Wild Card game. Steve McNair is leading the charge while his team has one last opportunity to possibly tie the game to go into overtime. When the Rams seem to have a hold of the Titans on a big time stop, McNair refuses to give up that easily and takes his team into the Rams' redzone.

#9 in Navy and Carolina blue is displaying the 2-minute drill at it's finest. With seconds left, their seems to be just enough time for one last play. The precision pass spirals into the hands of the Tennessee wide receiver and he twists his body to face the endzone and looks straight ahead. Mike Jones, a linebacker for the St. Louis Rams won't allow this and grabs Kevin Dyson by the ankle and stops him at the 1-yard line as the clock strikes 0:00. The Rams have done it, they have completed the season as the world champions.

One of the most historic last second plays in NFL history
was in Super Bowl XXXIV when Mike Jones held on tight
to the waist of Kevin Dyson to keep the Titans from
reaching the endzone in a final desperation attempt to
tie the game.

Not looking back, McNair looks on as he heads into the locker room while confetti is flooding the field for the celebration of the Rams' victory.

McNair, moves on with his NFL career, only to improve and make a name for himself. Overcoming and enduring tough injuries, McNair strides forth and even earns the AFC co-MVP away in 2003. McNair never felt the Lombardi trophy in his hands but held an impressive career that no one can take away from him.

The Rams become one of the top teams in the NFL as they display an offense known to become "The Greatest Show on Turf" only to fall apart a few years later. Kurt Warner moves onto a different team and the Rams just never look the same and are stripped of their "Greatest Show on Turf" name.

The Titans never make the Super Bowl since that year until the 2008-09 season when it seems like they may make another Super Bowl run while holding one of the NFL's best regular season records. Their road ends early as the Super Bowl isn't even in the Titans' schedule and their off season begins early.

Let's rewind that back to about 3 seconds left in Super Bowl XXXIV. Kevin Dyson heads for the endzone, Mike Jones with the last ditch effort of a tackle fails... Dyson is in the endzone! Tennessee is one extra-point away from taking this one to overtime. The extra point is good and Tennessee wins the toss, choosing to receive. Momentum is in favor of the Titans and they get themselves field goal position and put the ball right between the goal posts. It's over, 26-23 Tennesee. The new world champions in football.

McNair was a leader among men and will always
be remembered as a great football player and human being.

Unfortunately for Tennesee fans, that wasn't the case. But it would have been nice wouldn't it? Had that happened or not, regardless of what the conclusion of that game was, it goes down as one of the best Super Bowl games in NFL history. McNair might not have been able to hold up the MVP trophy that season, but boy was he a hero to many. You gave the NFL many great seasons, Mr. McNair.

-Jason C