Super Bowl XLI Prediction

New England Patriots

What is with Boston sports and their great offseasons? I normally shy away from bandwagon picks, but the fact of the matter is that the Patriots have had an uncharacteristically amazing offseason. Remember, the concern going into last season was Deion Branch’s holdout and Tom Brady’s completely new receiving corps, save for the ageless Troy Brown. This season, the storyline is similar in regards to a completely new receiving corps, but is looking a lot more promising. By now, everyone knows the additions: Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Kelly Washington, and Wes Walker. Even if the athletic Moss and speedy Stallworth are not catching long balls and putting up big numbers, their mere presence on the field forces defenses to adjust in respect to the deep passing game. This will open up the field for the versatile running back Laurence Maroney, not to mention Wes Walker coming out of the slot. While all of the additions are great talents, each is a gamble that could pay off large dividends or end up injured or a disappointment. Even then though, quarterback Tom Brady was only one big play away from defeating the Indianapolis Colts in their thrilling 38-34 loss in the AFC Championship game. With even a marginal upgrade in his offensive weapons, let alone acquiring four big name threats, Brady could have easily gone on to win the Super Bowl.

Granted, Tom Brady and company have never had a problem putting up points come crunch time. But in competitive AFC, they will not be well suited trying to simply outscore the dynamic offensives of the San Diego Chargers and defending champions Colts. The Patriots would have still had a great defense without going out and adding anyone to help genius Bill Belichick; it does not matter who he plugs in on defense, his excellent game planning and preparation usually proves to be effective. Nevertheless, New England threw $35 million at Pro Bowl linebacker Adelius Thomas, who had 83 tackles and 11 sacks as an important piece of the downright frightening Baltimore Ravens defense. Thomas will join controversial first round draft pick Brandon Meriweather as they add to the familiar cast of stingy Patriot defenders in Asante Samuel, Rodney Harrison, Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Junior Seau.

The road to the Super Bowl for the Patriots may be the toughest of any other team’s. The AFC East is rapidly improving; the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets each beat the Pats last year, including a 21-0 shutout at Dolphin Stadium. The Pats have to play the toughest of the four NFC divisions, the NFC East, including the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Finally, the Pats will not only go up against each of the other three AFC division winners, but will likely meet a couple of them in the playoffs as well. The popular skepticism surrounding the San Diego Chargers is justified; the completely new coaching staff cannot be expected to even come close to last season’s amazing performances. While the great wealth of talent is still there, former defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was known to make great halftime adjustments, leading to several comeback victories last year. The confidence in Baltimore is just as warranted. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed have their swagger back as the defense returns to Super Bowl form and the signing of Willis McGahee should improve the offense. However, Steve McNair is only getting older, and seemed to wear down towards the playoffs last season, so it is doubtful that they can put up the points necessary to win in January. Finally, there is simply no way to dismiss the champions, specifically Peyton Manning and his unstoppable offense. While the Colts defense may be softer with the notable losses of each starting cornerback and leading tackler Cato June, the fact of the matter is that is likely to once again boil down to Colts and Patriots. There is no doubt that last year’s instant classic could have easily gone either way, but this year the New England Patriots’ new additions give them the slight edge.

Seattle Seahawks

This is the third consecutive year I have picked the forgotten men of the Pacific Northwest, but this time the argument may actually be the most convincing. Last season was a complete disaster in Seattle; everything that could have gone wrong did indeed go wrong. MVP Shaun Alexander broke his foot in the first game, Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck went down soon after, and the banged up offensive line was unable to regain its cohesive 2005 form. Football is a game of continuity and familiarity, so having so many players shuffled in and out of the starting lineup cannot breed success. While the superstitious chalk up the major injuries to the Madden Cover Curse and Chunky Soup commercials, throw in the Super Bowl loser hangover and the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx, and it is a wonder the Seahawks did not crash and burn. In fact, they somehow managed to win the NFC West and a literally wild playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, even taking the eventual NFC Champion Chicago Bears to overtime before falling short by a field goal.

Not unlike the New England Patriots, a healthy version of last year’s team is already good enough to make a Super Bowl run. Nevertheless, Seattle went out and signed Pro Bowl defensive end Patrick Kerney from the Atlanta Falcons. After giving up a number of blown plays on defense last season, the Seahawks acquired safeties Brian Russell and Deion Grant as the new starters and brought Jim Mora back home to coach the new and improved secondary. While I seriously considered completely changing this pick after yet another season ending injury to former first round draft pick and effective run stopper Marcus Tubbs, this year’s second round pick Brandon Mebane from California may help fill the enormous void. Marcus Trufant is quietly establishing himself as one of football’s top cornerbacks, and LeRoy Hill, Lofa Tatupu, and Julian Peterson have the potential to be the league’s best threesome of linebackers. However, this agile defense is built to succeed when playing ahead, so much will rest upon the shoulder’s of Mike Holmgren’s trademark offense.

As hard as it is to believe, Mike Holmgren is entering his ninth season in Seattle, most of which have been spent coaching up Matt Hasselbeck, who enters his tenth year in the league. Look for the man who produced hall of famers Steve Young and Brett Favre to draw out a breakout year for Matt Hasselbeck, who is in his prime. Deion Branch enters his first full year as a Seahawk, and with an entire summer and training camp under his belt, look for him to replace the oft injured Darrell Jackson. Holmgren is known to spread the ball around, so expect Nate Burleson and D.J. Hackett to have solid seasons, in addition to Hasselbeck’s ever reliable security blanket in slot receiver Bobby Engram. Tight end Marcus Pollard looks capable of providing Seattle with something they have never quite had in a dependable tight end, opening up the complex offense. With the offensive line getting younger and healthier, and Shaun Alexander poised for a big comeback year, Seattle is primed to return to its status as one of the league’s premier offenses.

It is as good as common knowledge that the NFC is supposedly weaker than the AFC. Whatever the case, the NFC does have more contenders. The NFC West division has been dubbed as the most competitive division top to bottom, in that any of the four teams could likely win the division. The Arizona Cardinals are the annual sleeper team, yet never fail to disappoint, especially with a feeble defense and shaky offensive line. New head coach Ken Whisenhunt will form a dynamic high scoring offense with Matt “Hollywood” Leinart throwing to stud receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, but it may take some time with a new offense and second-year quarterback. The excitement is San Francisco is only due to the Dan Snyder-like spending spree on free agents. While the defense looks solid, the loss of offensive coordinator Norv Turner will actually hurt the 49ers more than most believe, actually setting up Alex Smith to regress. Finally, the St. Louis Rams have actually become most balanced team in the division. Jim Haslett has set up a solid defense, while head coach Scott Linehan has drifted away from “the greatest show on turf” style into a more precise offense, using shorter passing routes and running the ball. Steven Jackson is expected to have an MVP type of year while Marc Bulger resumes his most-underrated-quarterback-ever campaign. The Rams and Seahawks have quickly formed one of the most entertaining rivalries in all of sports. Each of the two thrilling games last year were decided by game winning Josh Brown field goals, and Rams fans will be quick to point out that it could have easily been their team making the playoff run instead of Seattle. Despite Arizona and San Francisco’s improvements, the NFC West division will likely be decided between the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks yet again.

Seattle’s schedule for the upcoming 2007 season is most intriguing. Optimistic fans hope for a 4-0 start with Tampa Bay, Arizona, Cincinnati, and San Francisco opening up the season. Week Five features a visit to Pittsburgh where you know emotions will be running high due to the Super Bowl XL rematch. Seattle is also matched up with the other three division winners from last year, and likewise the NFC frontrunners. Although the Seahawks lost twice in Chicago last year, this time the Bears come to Seattle’s loud Quest Field in Week , known to be one of the best home field advantages.

The Philadelphia Eagles are the only more consistent winner in the NFC than the Seattle Seahawks. If Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook can stay healthy and return to their dangerous forms, the Eagles are an easy choice for a return to the Super Bowl. The complicated situation involving Andy Reid’s family troubles and the drafting of another quarterback behind McNabb may be the perfect amount of motivation for the team to rally around. That being said, the competitive NFC East teams have a tendency to beat each other up over the course of the season. Jim Johnson’s aggressive defense will host the Seahawks in December.

The sexy pick for the NFC is the New Orleans Saints, and understandably so. Sean Peyton’s offense proved to overwhelm opponents last year, and many expect it to develop into the league’s next Indianapolis Colts. However, the NFL runs on preparation and game planning, and now that coaches have an entire year of Drew Brees and Reggie Bush running Peyton’s offense on film, look for defenses to be better prepared for a team that is no longer off the radar, as the magic of New Orleans and the mystique of the ultimate underdog fades away. The Saints, thrown out of their comfort zone in cold and rainy weather, visit Seattle on NBC’s nationally televised Sunday Night Football in Week Six.

The NFL originally scheduled the Patriots and the Seahawks to meet in China this season, but supposedly scrapped those plans because Beijing was not ready to host the big game. In reality, they may have wanted to save the eventual Super Bowl for America:

Super Bowl XLI
February 3, 2008

Tom Brady is clearly the best player on the field, but a couple of questionable holding calls and an unusual offensive pass interference call in the endzone cost the Patriots. A Matt Hasselbeck run is ruled as a touchdown even though a replay review clearly shows he did not get in. Should sound familiar.

Seahawks 27, Patriots 21

The Boy Who Lived

I have an empty feeling inside of me, having just finished the seventh and final installment of J.K. Rowling's epic Harry Potter series. First off, the final book is by far the best, tying together all the loose ends created beforehand. You know you have seen a really good movie (or 24 episode) when the complicated plot comes together towards the end, and it all clicks in your mind as you go "Ohhhh, I get it!" THAT feeling is what occurs during Deathly Hallows, particularly in the chapter where Harry looks back into the past. I can only hope that the last movie does justice to the wealth of great action scenes.

Everyone loves the great characters of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. But the brilliance of the genius, yet far from flawless, Dumbledore plays a rather large role in a story in which he is dead (or is he!? You had to love innocent Ron throwing the idea out there every few chapters or so that maybe Dumbledore is not dead, only to be shot down by a frustrated Harry or Hermione). For better or for worse, the numerous soap opera relationships took a backseat to the main storyline, but you had to love the whole Ginny situation, especially how she boldly cuts short the awkward return of Cho. Rowling even manages to make the reader feel sympathetic towards the deep characters of the Malfoys and Severus Snape, perhaps the only figure more hated then Voldemort himself.

The emotions created by this book is second only to the Bible. Speaking of which, the parallels between Potter and Christianity should not go unnoticed. Although Rowling quietly omitted religious references during weddings, births, deaths, funerals, and the characters never thought about praying in all of their dangerous and near-death experiences, there are some subtle references to the Good Book that the average reader will not notice. When Harry visits his parents' graves, he reads: "The last enemy to be destroyed is death" on the headstone. Those words were originally written by the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the church of Corinth (15:26). If the Potter family being a Christian one is not enough, the tombstone of the Dumbledore family reads, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." These are the words of Jesus Christ during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:21).

In his now widely spread article, Jeffrey Weiss points out how "Harry believes that only his demise will save his friends. Like his mother, Harry is willing to choose that death without fighting. The final battle includes death and resurrection, spiritual power carried by blood, and an apparent total loss followed by ultimate victory. Distinctly Christian? I'd say so."

As for all the press that the Harry Potter saga has gotten for its supposed immoral themes, such as blatant witchcraft and defiance of elders and authority figures, conservative Christians, including myself, need to relax and back off. There are actually quite a lot of good morals that children can learn from reading these books. Besides, there are tons of far worse entertainment venues out there that simply should not be.

Rowling has made it clear that this is the end for the Harry Potter saga. However, everyone knows that money makes the world go around, and with such an enormously profitable franchise, do not be surprised if Potter makes another triumphant return. Even if Rowling herself refuses to do it, think about the potential spinoffs that someone else could work up once they slither around legal barriers. The epilogue alone hinted at a whole another adventure for the next generation of Hogwarts teenagers. Imagine the possibilities of the appropriately named children building upon their parents' and grandparents' adventures going forward? Speaking of grandparents, the story could also steal an idea from the just as epic Star Wars franchise and go back into the past! The world loved learning how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, so why not do the same for Tom Riddle and Lord Voldemort? Some of the books merely grazed upon the tip of icebergs such as the developments of the Riddle and Dumbledore families. I want to know how exactly did James and Lily end up together, and what role did Sirius Black and Severus Snape play during their years together at Hogwarts. There is an action-packed chick flick waiting to happen. Imagine the loads of books and movies that can be created from the Potter universe, just on a different point on its timeline.

Forgive me for sounding like a boasting Slytherin, but when something of the sort comes out decades from now, remember that I called it long ago.

Justin and Jessica(s)

Forget Jessica Biel, Justin Timberlake has just signed on with Mike Myers to join the cast of The Love Guru, in which the man who brought sexy back will play a LA Kings hockey (!?) player who falls for his team's owner, played by the lovely Jessica Alba (!), a woman who has proven to be scientifically hot.

30-3

No, President Bush is not cheering about Iraq being compared to Vietnam, but rather his Texas Rangers putting up a football type score, routing the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a doubleheader:

The 30 runs were the most in the Major Leagues since the 19th century and set a new American League record.

The most runs scored in a Major League game was 36 by the Chicago Colts (now the Cubs) against Louisville in the National League in 1897.

The Rangers completed the sweep in Game 2 with a 9-7 victory, and set a new American League record for most runs in a doubleheader with 39. The old record was 36 set by the Detroit Tigers against the St. Louis Browns on Aug. 14, 1937.

The 49 total bases on 21 singles, two doubles and six home runs was also another single-game club record.

NFL Jokes

So I finally put down the Xbox 360 controller to take a break from Madden, and stumbled upon this hilarious article on ESPN.com's timesucking entertainment section known as Page 2. Note that in order to understand most of the jokes, one needs to be quite well informed in regards to football news.

Among some of my favorites:

The first week of camp was spent convincing new head coach Cam Cameron that his playbook consisting of 450 pages of the words "Give the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson" would not work well for the Dolphins.

Cincinnati's defensive line will be harder to penetrate this season as all of them are shackled together.

Peyton Manning missed a day of camp to film an eBay commercial in which he attempts to sell his brother Eli to another family.

Vince Young just punched his agent for talking him into the Madden cover.

Coaches say new Broncos running back Travis Henry has all the tools necessary to thrive in Denver's system. He has legs. And also arms, a torso and a head.

Players who have finished reading Al Saunders' 700-page playbook were shocked to discover that Harry Potter dies at the end.

On the first day of camp, Lovie Smith became the first black coach to open a training camp after losing the Super Bowl.

Brett Favre and his receivers spent much of camp working on timing patterns in which Favre heaves the ball wildly down the field and his receivers try to pull it out of the air just before the defense intercepts it.

The Saints worked hard on a new ball-control, clock-eating offense, consisting mainly of one play in which Reggie Bush runs around and around in circles for two minutes, ultimately gaining just a single yard.

Why We're Here

Women or Dogs?

“It’s really a sad day in this country when somehow Michael Vick would have been better off raping a woman if you look at the outcry of what happened. Had he done that, he probably would have been suspended for four games and he’d be back on the field.”

- Pittsburgh sports reporter Paul Zeise, who took a lot of heat, lost his job, apologized, but whose career (ironically like Vick's) is forever in the dumps because of the above comment.

Zeise's harsh comments and this MSNBC column got me thinking though, would Vick indeed have been better off committing other heinous crimes instead? Hundreds of professional athletes are consistently getting off on a wide variety of criminal charges, including rape and assault. The highest profile one, of course is Kobe Bryant, who has recovered to regain his status as one of the top icons in all of sports. Kobe's No.24 jersey was the top selling NBA jersey of this past 2006-07 season, topping Wade and Lebron.

While every situation is unique and different, media analyst Steve Adubato points out that "Unfortunately, women who are the victims of domestic violence are sometimes not seen as legitimate victims. Dogs have no free will and are brought into this sickening so-called “sport” and trained to kill and ultimately even be killed themselves if their owners no longer see value in them. For some people, the dogs Michael Vick allegedly tortured are seen more bona fide victims than a woman potentially beaten by a professional athlete. Sick but true.

"Let’s face it, many Americans may not have been overly shocked if Vick had been accused of beating up a woman he’s emotionally involved with. Not because it’s not a horrific act, but rather because we in the media, as well as the American public, have become somewhat desensitized to such a story."

There is no doubt that what Vick may have been involved in is definitely wrong. As a high-profile celebrity-athlete, the media circus surrounding Vick is completely understandable and expected. But let us not forget the countless acts of shameless men who have no respect for women.

Business in Seattle

Everyone keeps on grilling me on the situation in Seattle, namely the blowup of the Sonics' roster and clear intention to rebuild around Kevin Durant and Jeff Green (younger/cheaper/unknown potential) instead of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis (older/expensive/lack of defense).

I stumbled upon a column by Sam Smith with some great points about the understandable intentions of the new Sonics administration:

It's a franchise’s nuclear meltdown, which can only send one message to the people of Seattle: OK, you wouldn't build us an arena. Fine, we're blowing this thing up so when we move we're going to have a young attractive core of talent to sell to our new community.

In sports, it is easier to "save money and offer a stripped down product, which is the way the Clippers always made money" than spend a lot of money and contend for a championship to make large profits.

Remember, at the end of the day, the NBA is simply a business. Just like nearly every other aspect of life, it all comes down to the mighty dollar.

756

Who's Now

ESPN's SportsCenter feature finally came to an end this past weekend, as Lebron James lost out to Tiger Woods in the voting competition essentially set up for the golfing living legend to win:

• earned an estimated $100 million in winning and endorsements just in the year 2006.
• more wins on the PGA tour than any active golfer
• held the number one position in the world rankings for the most consecutive weeks and greatest total number of weeks
• credited with attracting a variety of races to the game of golf because of his multiethnic background
• doubled golf's attendance and television ratings sparking a major surge of interest in the game

If that is not "now," then who knows what is?

Ten years ago, Michael Jordan would have easily won this. Ten years from now, it may very well be Lebron James. But right NOW, a debate such as this ends with Eldrick Tiger Woods.

Bonds vs Costas

As Barry Bonds ties Hank Aaron with home run number 755, his verbal feud throught the press with Bob Costas (he knows everything!) continues:

Costas on Bonds: "I think reasonable people conclude that while he'd be a near-unanimous first-ballot Hall of Famer, he wouldn't be approaching the lifetime record without something that is inauthentic in the mix."

Bonds on Costas: "a little midget man who absolutely knows [nothing] about baseball, who never played the game before."

Costas: "as anyone can plainly see I'm 5-6 ½ and a strapping 150. And unlike some people, I came by all of it naturally."

What a witty genius!

Press releases are rarely all that interesting, but take a look at the selection of words MLB commissioner Bud Selig used in regards to Bonds' tainted accomplishment:

"Congratulations to Barry Bonds as he ties Major League Baseball's home run record. No matter what anybody thinks of the controversy surrounding this event, Mr. Bonds' achievement is noteworthy and remarkable.

"As I said previously, out of respect for the tradition of the game, the magnitude of the record and the fact that all citizens in this country are innocent until proven guilty, either I or a representative of my office will attend the next few games and make every attempt to observe the breaking of the all-time home run record."

Look at the Schedule!

As my main man Woody Paige loves to say, LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE! While the NBA's longer schedule pales in comparison to the significance of the NFL's, the placement of intriguing matchups on the calendar is certainly quite interesting, especially during the usually slow news days of summer.

Tuesday October 30 is the TNT's Tip-Off doubleheader, featuring the revamped Portland TrailBlazers at San Antonio for the Spurs' ring ceremony, followed by the Houston Rockets at the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA listened to my advice in booking D-Wade versus Lebron for ABC's Christmas Day annual debut. That will be followed by the Suns visiting the Lakers, and then we shall switch over to ESPN for Durant at Oden for the nightcap.

Other early notes that caught my eye on the initial glance at the schedule:

• The first few games of Oden and Durant are all on national television, including three out their four meetings against each other. Seattle gets seven total appearances on ESPN and TNT combined, while Portland has eleven.
• Not suprisingly, the Boston Celtics also made a big leap in national television appearances with ten.
• It will be interesting to see how the Miami Heat open up after a horrific first round sweep. Does Shaq come in out of shape as usual or storm back pissed off with a statement to make? Big early tests when they open up against Detroit (11/1 on TNT) then visit San Antonio the next week (11/7 on ESPN)
• Rashard Lewis returns to Seattle November 28 on NBATV.
• Ray Allen returns to Seattle December 27 on TNT.
• They each drop 50 on Durant, by the way.
• Cleveland at Miami highlights a TNT triple header on Martin Luther King Day.
• Dallas at Phoenix on Valentine's Day. Uh oh. Remember what a show these two high scoring clubs put on when on the same court? Hmm, decisions, decisions...
• All-Star Weekend in New Orleans - February 15-17, 2008
• As the NBA's longest tenured broadcast partner, TNT continues to get the best matchups as practically every Thursday night will feature a couple great matchups with a bunch of stars.

Boston Three Party

While they are calling for Kevin McHale's head in Minnesota, Boston has quickly reembraced their beloved Celtics. ESPN: To clinch his Tuesday trade to the Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett agreed to a three-year contract extension worth just over $51 million. By extending his current contract and eliminating the early termination option that would have allowed him to be a free agent after next season, Garnett also earned $8.8 million in trade bonuses that will be spread out evenly over the next five seasons, taking the value of the extension to $60 million. Garnett, 31, was eligible for a three-year extension worth nearly $90 million including trade bonuses.

Meanwhile, the New York Daily News reports:

The NBA is fouling out with fans over a referee gambling scandal, a nationwide survey reveals. A stunning 61% of pro basketball fans suspect that ref Tim Donaghy, who is being investigated by the feds, isn't the only corrupt NBA official, the new Zogby Poll reveals. The online survey of 7,362 people conducted July 27-30 confirms NBA Commissioner David Stern's biggest fear that the sacred trust of the game has been sullied. One-third of the 4,806 self-described NBA fans responding to the poll said the scandal has dampened their interest in the league. Nearly 88% of respondents said they believe Donaghy hedged his bets by affecting the outcome of NBA games he worked and wagered on during his 13-year career.

Remember, perception is as good as reality.

Finally, Mike Holmgren checks in with an angry yet humorous remark when asked about the Seattle Seahawks' offensive line committing a false start:

"It's inexcusable and I think it's a lack of concentration. It can get you out of the starting lineup quickly. ... It's a little thing, but it's a big thing. It drives me to distraction. If I could think of something really horrible to do to someone who jumped offsides, I would do it. Then you'd write about it, and it would be horrible."

Celtics

Paul Pierce. Ray Allen. Kevin Garnett. After tanking the season and a worse-case scenario draft lottery, general managers and former teammates Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale pulled the trigger in revamping their losing teams. Seeing as Lebron single handedly took Cleveland to the NBA Finals last year, the Celtics have suddenly become championship contenders in the NBA's weak eastern conference. Even with a weak supporting cast, these three similar all-stars actually compliment each other quite well as Bill Simmons eloquently writes. The winning tradition of the Patriots and Red Sox have overshadowed basketball in Boston for the past decade or so, but now the city may sport the best three team combination in the world. Finally, Allen and Garnett moving to the East almost makes up for Oden and Durant going to the West. While they hate to admit it, there is a strong east coast bias in sports, and the NBA, or any other league for that matter, is simply at their best when the New Yorks, Philadelphias, and Bostons are relevant.

Bill Walsh

Bill Walsh passed away today at the age of 75 after a long battle against leukemia. Walsh is best known for the San Francisco 49ers 1980s dynasty, winning three Super Bowls with Joe Montana quarterbacking a West Coast Offense that revolutionized football. Walsh's brilliant strategies and tactics are evident up until today, as many members of his staffs have gone on to become head coaches in the league, including four who have won Super Bowls in Tony Dungy, Brian Billick, George Seifert, and Mike Holmgren.

NBA Needs Sports Gaming

While the mass media continues to question the NBA's integrity,

SI's Ian Thomson brings up a brilliant point:

The fundamental truth is the NBA needs sports gaming more than the sports gaming industry needs his league. One of the worst things that could happen to Stern would be if people stopped betting on his games. It would be a symptom of mortal apathy for the NBA.

When fans are excited about a league, they bet on the games. It's a fact of life for the NFL and March Madness. None of the sports commissioners will admit it publicly, but all of them want their leagues to encourage fans in large numbers to place bets -- because it is a sincere expression of interest to put down money on a game's outcome.

101

David Beckham made his long anticipated debut last night here in the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles. In attendance were icons Victoria with Katie Holmes and baby Suri, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Eva Longoria, Drew Carey, Kevin Garnett, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tao Las Vegas did $55.2 million in business in 2006, a cool $16 million more than their distant number two in terms of top earning restaurants in the United States. Anyone down for a road trip to Sin City before summer ends?

The Burj Dubai is the new world's tallest building. Once it is completed next year, the 2,275 foot skyscraper will more than 160 floors, 56 elevators, luxury apartments, boutiques, swimming pools, spas, exclusive corporate suites, Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani's first hotel, and a 124th floor observation platform. The rapidly growing city of Dubai, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is a represenation of the economic boom occuring in the Middle East due to, of course, oil.

100

I did not think this would last to write one hundred posts, but here it is. At first this thing started as a simple to to quit repeating myself and actually articulate some good sports talk with friends. Then it evolved into a short but fun stint as a newspaper and website sportswrite. Now I am back to simply enjoying writing random thoughts...

• The Michael Vick dog fighting situation is going to seem more and more similar to Kobe Bryant's sexual assault charges a couple years back as we will be reading and hearing about it for a considerable amount of time. Goodell has stated that he will let the law play its course for a player without any criminal history before acting on any suspensions. Hints have been made about the Atlanta Falcons giving Vick paid leave as to avoid making the upcoming season a media circus full of distractions, but that is no longer such an attractive scenario with Matt Schaub traded away and Joey Harrington the new backup.
• Which sickens you more? Kobe cheating on his wife or Vick staging dog fights to the death at his own home? I am more sickened by the fact that these two superstars have been and probably will remain idolized by sports fans regardless of what they do. Each has had the number one selling jersey in their respective sport for lengthy periods of time.
• I love ESPN as much as anyone, but I am already tired of David Beckham and he has not even played a game yet. Besides, I find Tony and Eva to be the hotter couple right now...
• This has been one of the most intriguing NBA offseasons in recent memory. Numerous teams are scrambling to make adjustments while the champs stay silent. The Kobe and Garnett trade rumors seem to have all been for naught.
• The Houston Rockets may have quietly made the best move of the summer in signing their former all-star Steve Francis. He clicked well with Yao several years ago and can definitely be a superb number three man in new coach Rick Adelman's aggressive offensive style.
• While the arena situation lingers on, the Seattle Sonics acquired Kurt Thomas and his one year expiring contract along with TWO future first round picks from the Phoenix Suns for the trade exemption from the Rashard Lewis trade with Orlando. The more moves new youngun general manage Sam Presti makes, the more impressed Seattle fans become. Remember, this is the fellow who discovered and pressed the San Antonio Spurs to sign NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker.
• The Orlando Magic will contend for and may win a championship in the next few years if (1) Dwight Howard develops as a low post scoring threat and (2) J.J. Redick or someone else establishes themselves as a consistent number three option behind Howard and Rashard Lewis.

FBI Investigating NBA Refs

Huge top story today as the FBI is investigating 13 year veteran official Tim Donaghy as part of a Mafia gambling ring. Even if this story turns out to be nothing, at best case scenario, the NBA's integrity is still badly damaged, and at worst, the last two seasons' results could be seriously tarnished.

Sports Illustrated's Marty Burns writes:

How many times have you heard people say, 'Oh, I don't care for the NBA. The superstars get all the calls,' or 'The league wants to see LeBron or Shaq or a team from the larger market make it to the Finals,' or even, 'Gee, it's amazing how often a late, meaningless basket or free throw puts a team over or under the spread"?

Ichiro $uzuki

Check out the details of Seattle Mariners icon Ichiro Suzuki 5-year $90 million contract extension that runs until 2012...

From the Associated Press:

Suzuki, MVP of last week’s All-Star game, gets a $5 million signing bonus and annual salaries of $17 million from 2008-12 under the terms of last Friday’s deal.

The All-Star outfielder’s new contract extension calls for the team to defer $25 million of the $90 million he is owed, money that the team will not have to fully pay until at least 2032.

Seattle will pay $12 million in salary each year and defer $5 million per season at 5.5 percent interest. Suzuki, who turns 33 in October, will receive the money in annual installments each Jan. 30 starting with the year after his retirement from the major leagues.

Because of the deferred money, the average annual value of the contract is discounted to $16.1 million under the provisions of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement.

In addition, he gets a housing allowance of $32,000 next year, an increase of $1,000 from this season, and the amount will rise by $1,000 each year. He also will be provided with either a new jeep or Mercedes SUV by the team, which also gives him four first-class round trip tickets from Japan each year for his family. Provisions for the Mariners to give him a personal trainer and an interpreter were continued.

Suzuki has an impressive career average of .333. Ichiro's rookie year in 2001 sparked a record setting 116-win season for the Mariners. He also set the single season record for hits with 262 in 2004.

Sam Presti

SI's Ian Thompson checks in with an article reviewing the moves of the most active NBA team this offseason, the Seattle Sonics. Seattle's new 30-year old general manager Sam Presti is garnering a lot of attention, and his decisions to trade Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will forever be etched in the minds of Seattle (Oklahoma?) fans.

The Ray Allen trade seems to make good business sense. At age 31, the laws of the NBA say that shooting guards tend to decline. Allen's contract is backloaded with $51 million due to him over the next three years. While Ray was a stud offensively, word has it that his lack of defensive effort spread throughout the team after Nate McMillian's departure. Throw in the fact that skinny 19-year old Kevin Durant is going to take a couple years to develop and peak in the NBA, and there is no use for the Sonics to overpay a declining superstar coming off double ankle surgery. The arena situation in Seattle is looking dire, so management is better off trimming salary now and building a team capable of winning more later on into the future, even if it is in another state.

The Orlando Magic have signed Rashard Lewis signed for six years and $126 million, thanks to a sign and trade deal with Seattle. The Sonics receive a trade exemption and a future second round pick. Sam Presti has actually received even more praise on this one. For comparison's sake, there are 21 other NBA players who are currently playing out max contracts, including the likes of Lebron, Dirk, Melo, AI, T-Mac, O'Neal, Brand, Kobe, Shaq, Wade, Garnett, Marion, Bosh, and Duncan, all of whom are more talented and effective than Lewis. While the future looks bright for Stan Van Gundy in Orlando, the Magic have definitely overpaid for a scoring forward that does not play defense, bang it out for some boards, or create plays for others.

Of course, Sam Presti's daring moves may look smart now, but let us see what happens when the Sonics fail to reach the playoffs for the fifth time in six years while the Celtics and the Magic tear them apart in their four combined meetings and make the playoffs in the much more forgiving eastern conference. Just keep in mind that the Sonics are not aiming to win so much now as they are investing in the future several years down the road.

Jamba Juice

2007 NBA Draft

Kobe. O'Neal. Garnett. Stoudemire. Marion. Carter. Jefferson. Many big names have been thrown out this week amidst the tirade of annual trade rumors that surround the NBA Draft, but no one envisioned this shocker:

Boston gets:
Ray Allen
Glen Davis (Drafted No.35)

Seattle gets:
Wally Szczerbiak
Delonte West
Jeff Green (Drafted No.5)
Celtics' 2008 2nd round pick

Note that Wally's contract expires in two years. That is, his contract is what made him attractive to new 30-year old general manager Sam Presti as opposed to talent. Speaking of Presti, he must have balls of steel to come into an already skeptical fan base and trade the best player within the same month of taking the job. Note that the likely Oklahoma bound Sonics are the only NBA team that went through the draft without a head coach.

The Rashard Lewis situation keeps on getting more interesting. With Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, that would make three very similar players on the same team. Throw in Ray's departure and the uncertainty surrounding the new ownership and arena situation, and Seattle is not an attractive team for a free agent. Unfortunately, Orlando is the only sensible option for Lewis, and they would have to give up Darko to do so. Chances are that Seattle low balls Rashard and forces him to stay as there are no better options, or signs and trades him, completely revamping the team.

Note that Boston fans are not too happy about the trade either, despite the dangerous combination of Allen, Paul Pierce, and Al Jefferson. After all, the big chips here were the No.5 pick for an aging 32-year old.

Portland and New York made some great moves, highlighted by a trade with each other:

Portland gets:

Channing Frye

Steve Francis

New York gets:

Zach Randolph

Big contracts in exchange here, but this frees up room in the middle for Greg Oden and LaMarcus Alridge to flourish. Francis and Frye join Brandom Frye to form a deep and promising young team that will be well guided by Nate McMillian.

Hey, Paul Allen, think you can move your team back home to Seattle? Just a wishful thought...

Oh yeah, a boatload of good players were taken in what is expected to be the deepest draft since the 2003 Lebron/Melo/Wade/Bosh combination, but ESPN and company have them covered well enough, and we have the next two decades to discuss top selections Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.

Low Ratings?

Sports Illustrated's Peter King writes in his popular Monday Morning Quarterback Column:

There are approximately 113 million television households in the United States, and the average rating for the NBA Championship Series showed that 6.9 million of them watched the series between Cleveland and San Antonio.

Remember the late-night Monday night opener on ESPN last year between Oakland and San Diego? Awful game. San Diego won, 27-0. It was pretty much over at the half, when the Chargers led 13-0 and the Raiders couldn't get out of their own way on offense. That game -- after a weekend that started with Thursday night football, went into Sunday afternoon football and Sunday night football, and had a Monday nighter before the second game on the West Coast -- started at 10:25 p.m. EST and ended at 1:14 a.m. Tuesday. And it was on cable TV, which gets a lower rating anyway because not every TV household in America is wired for cable.

The Raiders-Chargers debacle was seen by 7.9 million American TV households [one million more than those who watched the NBA Finals]

We all know football is king in this country, but if the best the NBA has to offer gets trounced by the worst the NFL has to offer ... well, the NBA is in more than a little trouble.

When I Grow Up, I Want to be Tony Parker

Coach/Commentator Jeff Van Gundy asked San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker if he had to choose from winning the NBA championship, being a top-5 point guard in the world, or marrying Eva Longeria, which one would he take over the other two? Tony choose the beautiful girl. Duh.

In case you have been living on another planet, the 25 year old Frenchman is set to marry the 32 year old Desperate Housewife on 07/07/07 in Paris. Longoria joined the championship celebration in tears taking pictures as Parker was awarded the Finals Most Valuable Player trophy.

In other news, there were supposedly four basketball games played in this series sweep, although the San Antonio Spurs seemed fully in control against the helpless Cleveland Cavaliers. The imbalance of power in the NBA between the western and eastern conferences has never been more clear, and the true Finals may have taken place back in the second round between the Spurs and Phoenix Suns. It is a pity that series was so severely altered by the infamous suspensions of bench clearers Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudamire.

While this Finals was never going to live up to last years series of amazing Dwayne Wade comebacks, the 2007 playoffs certainly had some great moments. The Warriors upset of the Mavs, the amazing Phoenix-San Antonio series, Lebron's LeLeap, and finally the brilliance of the amazingly balanced Spurs.

Rescue Me

The fourth season of the critically acclaimed comedy-drama starring Denis Leary kicks off tomorrow night on FX. EntertainmentWeekly.com agrees with my assessment that Rescue Me is the most moving comedy on television, and is right up there with 24 and Friday Night Lights in terms of best overall series. Warning though, this cable show is not for the faint at heart as it includes just about every disgusting and immoral act you can imagine. Check it out Wednesday nights on FX at 10pm.

Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks won the 2007 Stanley Cup tonight, ironically just one year after dropping the "Mighty" from their team name and changing their logo and team colors from the familiar Disney era. Hockey has yet to recover from the 2004-05 cancelled lockout season as most sports fans, including myself, cannot even name one of the champions in Anaheim, but at least America's distant fourth favorite sport made an important step in getting some games on NBC the past few months.

Now, the real Finals series begins tomorrow night in San Antonio...

Lebron's LeLeap

Lebron followed up his 48-point performance including 29 of his team's last 30 through double overtime in Detroit with another superb game in Cleveland on Saturday as the Cavs stunned the Pistons in six, advancing to the NBA Finals. Perhaps just as importantly, James has finally found his worthy sidekick in Daniel "Booby" Gibson. Let the Jordan and Pippen comparisons rain.

Speaking of MJ, even he marveled at James' performance.

It is a pity that, during this same week, Kobe has made a fool out of himself.

The Detroit Pistons are getting a lot of heat as the media speculates on the potential breakup of the team. After all, the East may be owned by James for years to come. And let us not forget about some fellows named Wade, Howard, and Bosh. But the big difference that no one is talking about between this series and last year's was Ben Wallace, or rather the lack thereof. Chris Webber was simply not as much of an inside force as Big Ben was in allowing Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Drew Gooden, and Anderson Varejao to make plays in the inside. More significantly, Booby and Lebron were constantly penetrating and having their way in the paint.

ESPN's Bill Simmons writes:

When he passed up the game-tying dunk in Game 1 for an ill-fated pass to Donyell Marshall, in retrospect that turned out to be the most important lesson of his career. He needed to take the abuse, needed to hear the questions, needed to hear everyone call him out. Both Detroit losses hardened him, leading to his transcendent Game 3 and another focused performance in Game 4.

You could see him harnessing his considerable gifts. Every fledgling superduperstar needs one of these moments -- Jordan had the series-winning shot in Cleveland, Tiger had the '97 Masters, Magic had Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, Bird had the banker in Game 7 of the '81 Philly series -- when they can say to themselves, "I came through when it mattered, I can do it again." LeBron was one crowd-killing game in Detroit from pushing himself to another level, almost like someone completing a mission in "Grand Theft Auto.

If you care about basketball, this game immediately joined the Bird-Dominique Duel, The Flu Game, MJ's Last Shot, Magic's Sky Hook, McHale's Clothesline, the Sleepy Floyd Game, MJ's 63-Point Game, the Bernard-Isiah Duel, the '87 All-Star Game, the Suns-Celts Game, Bird's Steal, Havlicek's Steal, West's Half-Court Shot, the Miller/Spike Lee Game and every other classic over the years that can be described/remembered/rehashed in three or four words. We'll call this "LeBron's 48-Point Game" someday. 'Nuff said.

And everyone knows how much I love these types of quirky remarks:

"I love the NBA. Can you think of any other avenue in life in which a 22-year-old black kid from Akron, Ohio, would excitedly jump in the air and lovingly embrace for a good 20 seconds a 7-foot-3, 31-year-old from Lithuania?"

Twenty five years from now, every man will still remember where they were when they were a WITNESS to Lebron making his LeLeap.

LeBron

We are all witnesses.

Kobe

In case you were living under a rock yesterday, Wilt Chamberlain and Chick Hearn began rolling over in their graves due to wanna-be Jack Bauer's nonstop drama. Kobe Bryant opened the morning on ESPN Radio asking for a trade from the Lakers. He came back on the radio twice, each time further backing off his comments after speaking with Phil Jackson and Magic Johnson. A lot of analysis can and has been done on this subject, but let us make it clear that Kobe is NOT going to be traded.

Kobe simply is trying to orchestrate a Jerry West return to run the "mess" of an organization that is the Lakers, or force the current front office of Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss to make some type of trade to bring the team back to a contending status. Ironically enough, the great Seattle Sonic Ray Allen predicted this three years ago:

"He's going to be very selfish," Allen said of Bryant. "And he feels like he needs to show this league and the people in this country that he is better without Shaq. He can win championships without Shaq. So offensively, he's going to jump out and say, 'I can average 30 points. I can still carry the load on this team.'

"I think the point production is not going to be so much what people are going to look at because (Tracy) McGrady did it in Orlando, Allen (Iverson) did it in Philly. Can you win a championship? I think that's the question. Carrying guys on your back and making everybody better."

Allen was right about that, as it turns out, but get a load of Allen's crystal ball on this one.

"If Kobe doesn't see he needs two and a half good players to be a legitimate playoff contender or win a championship, in about a year or two he'll be calling out to Jerry Buss that 'We need some help in here,' or 'Trade me,' " Allen said. "And we'll all be saying, 'I told you so,' when he says that."

Man alive, that is some good stuff. He was almost exactly right. It took three seasons instead of two, but Kobe finally did exactly what Ray said he was going to do. Unbelievable.

- Frank Hughes, The News Tribune

Furthermore, Kobe is now claiming that he was not responsible for the departure of Shaq. While he may have never verbally asked the Lakers to rid of Shaq, let us not forget what Kobe has said before, leaving owner Jerry Buss no choice but to choose the younger attraction over the aging winner. The Big Fella has agreed, but this is after legends such as Bill Russell have adviced him to put the whole dramatic situation behind him.

Finally, another blog points out how it seems that Kobe is the type of person that strives to outshine everything else and be the main headline:

• January 22, 2006: Kobe scores 81 points against Toronto on the same day that the Steelers defeated the Broncos and the Seahawks defeated the Panthers in the NFL Conference Championships.
• December 29, 2006 and December 31, 2006: Kobe scores 58 and 35 (only 2 free throw attempts)..The final weekend of the NFL season.
• March 16, 2007 through April 3, 2007: Kobe scores 65, 50, 60, 50, 43, 23(7-26), 53, 19(6-14), and 39. The NCAA tournament started on March 15 and ended April 2nd, and MLB had it’s opening days April 1-3.
• April 6, 2007 and April 8, 2007: 24 drops 46 and 34 on The Masters which took place April 5-8. Kobe didn’t break 40 on the 8th for lack of trying. He was 14-25 from the field, but 1-5 from 3 and only got to the line 5 times.
• May 26, 2007-May 30, 2007: Kobe starts the trade demands and calls them off. Then starts them again then calls them off all while the NBA Conference Finals, Indy 500, and Stanley Cup Finals are taking place.

The End of the World

Good thing we have Jack Bauer, otherwise this may really happen someday...

Portland & Seattle win Oden & Durant

• The Pacific Northwest hit the jackpot Tuesday evening, as the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Sonics surprisingly won the draft lottery for the top two picks.
• Ohio State 7-foot 280-pound beast Greg Oden will go first to Portland while Texas phenom (6'9" 220) Kevin Durant is coming to Seattle baby!
• Portland last had the No.2 pick in 1984, selecting center Sam Bowie, a bust in comparison to the fellow who Chicago took next by the name of Michael Jordan. Deja vu anyone?
• Seattle last had the No.2 pick in 1990, selecting living legend Gary Payton. A decade of winning seasons and playoff runs followed.
Oden was bothered with a broken wrist last year, but still managed to be an effective force in the Buckeye's run to the Final Four. Scouts compare Oden to Shaq, Duncan, and Dwight Howard, all number one picks who have completely turned around NBA franchises.
Durant just won the John Wooden Award after averaging 26 points and 11 rebounds. Durant has often been compared to Carmelo Anthony, while some believe he has the marketability of a Jordan or Lebron. Look for Durant to make more of an immediate impact than the more raw Oden.
The I-5 rivalry between the Blazers and Sonics will certainly heat up next year on a national scale. Portland's Nate McMillian is the former Sonic guard and coach and Blazers owner Paul Allen has strong ties to Seattle as the co-founder of Microsoft and owner of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.
Both Portland and Seattle are currently in the midst of arena problems. The Blazers are locked into a financially draining lease at the Rose Garden while the Sonics were recently sold to Clay Bennett, a businessman who is expected to move the team to Oklahoma City if the Washington government does not pay up for a new arena. Hopefully this new excitement and publicity will generate enough attention and revenue to keep basketball in these two great hotbed cities.
• Look for Seattle's Rashard Lewis to leave as a free agent this summer. The franchise's uncertainty was already going to be the driving force, but with Durant coming in with a similar game at the same position, Lewis may be better off going to, say, Orlando with Dwight Howard and company.
• Sonics President Lenny Wilkens will now turn his attention to hiring a general manager and head coach, even though he may have been the best candidate for either job. But seriously, all the GM has to do is sign Lewis and the coach just has to say, "Kevin, screen for Ray" every timeout.
• Any sudden climate changes that occurred Tuesday can be attributed to the loud cheers from the caffeinated Northwest and collective groans in Boston, where after a season of tanking, the Celtics ended up with their worst possible scenario, the fifth pick in the draft. Remember that Boston was favored to get Tim Duncan in 1997 before being similarly screwed by the ping pong balls.
• Thanks to the bounce of those balls though, the Northwest Division may suddenly be a strong one next year as the already superior Western Conference continues to add firepower. The Utah Jazz are still playing and have a bright future with Williams and Boozer while Denver has yet to play a full season with the Iverson/Carmelo combination. A nod goes to Kevin Garnett and a No.7 pick in Minnesota as Portland fans are dreaming of championships with Oden and rookie of the year Brandon Roy while Seattle's potential Ray Allen, Kevin Durant, Rashard Lewis can easily form the league's highest scoring trio...

This is why Sonics Fans are hot...

Stars

Michael Wilbon checks in with yet another brilliant article, this time calling on David Stern and the NBA to reseed the playoffs after every round, forcing the best teams to play each other later on in the tournament. Wilbon also points out that basketball, more so than any other sport, is driven by its stars, most of whom have already been eliminated. With a likely San Antonio-Detroit Finals rematch looming, the most attractive star may be found on the sidelines...

UPDATE: Speaking of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria...

UPDATE TWO: Go Tony, Go!

Warriors

• The Golden State Warriors shocked the Dallas Mavericks in six games becoming the first 8 seed to upset a number 1 seed in a best of seven first round series.
• With Chicago's sweep of Miami, this means that both Finals participants were eliminated in the first round. And they say the NBA is too predictable.
• Baron Davis was the man for the Warriors, constantly penetrating and knocking down shots. Looks like Bruins finally found their NBA star to follow after the Reggie Miller era.
• Stephen Jackson stepped up big time this series, shedding his thug image in favor of a smart hard worker. We knew about the Warriors' big three of Davis, Jackson, and Jason Richardson, but who in the world saw Andris Biedris, Monte Ellis, and Mikael Pietrus turning into such ballers?
• There are several more reasons why the Warriors won this series. Don Nelson will get a lot of credit for his unique coaching style, motivating his team at the right time, promoting organized chaos on offense, throwing a variety of defenders at Dirk, and switching all screens and using zone defenses to throw the Mavs off. As the former coach of the Mavs, Nellie definitely had an advantage.
• Dallas, having clinched the top seed, were resting up and taking it easy going into April. On the flip side, Golden State caught fire and made a playoff push. Sports are all about confidence and momentum.
• But none of this would not have mattered if it were not for those crazy lunatic fans up in Oakland...
• The last time the Warriors won a series was 1991, with Avery Johnson, Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Tom Tolbert. Oh, and they were coached by Don Nelson.
• The Warriors were simply a team that had the Mavericks' number. They swept Dallas 3-0 during the season, including the final meeting in which Avery Johnson rested his starters instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to knock Golden State out of the playoff race.
• I said it at the end of last year and I will say it again. Avery Johnson is not the great coach that we all think he is. A great coach does not blow a 2-0 lead in the Finals. A great coach does not fall to a lowly eight seed after such a great regular season.
• The NBA should be ashamed to have Dirk Nowitzki as its MVP. The award should be decided and voted upon at a time much deeper into the playoffs, instead of at the end of the regular season as it is now. Dirk was criticized with choking during last year's Finals, and after this miserable disappearing act, he will be under further scrutiny.
• With Dallas gone, only Phoenix and Detroit stand a chance against the San Antonio Spurs, my pick to win it all.

Indian Pride

Indians invented numbers. Irrigation. Navigation. Medicine. Hotmail. The Pentium Chip. Mahatma Gandhi. Aishwarya Rai. But this takes the cake.

2007 NFL Draft

As the amazingly entertaining NBA Playoffs rages on, the completely overhyped NFL Draft finally took place last weekend. Despite all the coverage, the draft is hard to judge until multiple seasons afterwards when the players have had adequate time to adapt and develop. Nevertheless, here are some of the main storylines:

• The Oakland Raiders took LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick, and is expected to sign a contract well over $50 million for the next six years. Good luck behind that poor offensive line.
• The Raiders traded Randy Moss to the New England Patriots for a fourth round pick. The Patriots are the unofficial offseason winners as Bill Belichick prepares for one last push for a Super Bowl run.
• The Detroit Lions could not get a satisfactory trade proposal so took freak athelete Calvin Johnson, wide receiver out of Georgia Tech.
• Notre Dame's Brady Quinn free fall was well documented, as the Cleveland Browns passed on him at No.3 for dominant left tackle Joe Thomas. The Browns later traded back into the first round for Dallas' No.22 to nab the hometown boy.
• In the biggest shock of the draft, the Miami Dolphins passed on Quinn taking the injured Ohio State receiver and returner Ted Ginn Jr. New head coach Cam Cameron, the genious behind the San Diego Chargers' powerhouse offense the last few years, was met with heavy boos at a press conference.
• NFL.com: The 10th pick was 19-year-old defensive tackle Amobi Okoye of Louisville, by Houston. He's the youngest player drafted in the first round since the merger and will join last year's No. 1 overall pick, defensive end Mario Williams, on the line.
• Teams were not afraid to draft running backs early, starting with the Minnesota Vikings selecting Adrian Peterson at No.9 and Buffalo Bills selecting Marshawn Lynch at No.12.
• Ohio State Heisman winning quarterback Troy Smith was finally selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the final pick of the fifth round. Look for Smith, who is nothing but a winner, to flourish behind Steve McNair and a scary defense.
• Sports Illustrated on the champs: Indy has lost defenders Cato June, Jason David, Nick Harper, Mike Doss and Montae Reagor this offseason. So they need to draft defenders, right? The Colts first two picks were receiver Anthony Gonzalez and offensive tackle Tony Ugoh.
• The Seattle Seahawks, without a first-round pick because of the Deion Branch trade, went with a corner and defensive tackle for their first two picks. Their big splash was trading away Darrell Jackson to divison rival San Francisco for a fourth round pick. This puts Branch as the undisputed No.1 option, with D.J. Hackett the favorite to start alongside him, and Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram rounding out the still deep receiving corps.
• Early Super Bowl pick, and note this has nothing to do with who they drafted: Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots.

The Day They Kicked God out of the Schools

Spurs, Heat to meet in NBA Finals

Amidst all the Nowitski or Nash for MVP hype as the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks both rolled through the NBA with over 60 wins each, the San Antonio Spurs quietly completed their eighth consecutive winning season. In fact, since Tim Duncan was drafted No.1 by San Antonio ten years ago, the Spurs have the best winning percentage of all four major sports. The Spurs three world championships came in spurts during that span, largely in part to the short lived Laker dynasty and numerous injuries to the big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, who are usually banged up by the time the playoffs roll around. However, for the first time in five years, Tim Duncan has not missed a game the entire season. The remaining core of the team, Parker, Ginobili, Michael Finley, and Bruce Bowen all have been healthy all season long, each keeping their games missed to a single digit number.

The first round matchup against the Denver Nuggets promises to be entertaining, with two amazingly quick guards in Tony Parker and Allen Iverson going up against each other. While Denver’s improving frontline of Carmelo Anthony, Nene, and Marcus Camby may be able to slow down Duncan, look for Ginobili to have a huge series against a poor perimeter defensive team. Throw in veterans Robert Horry, Michael Finley, and Brent Barry, all of whom will step up their games come playoff time, and San Antonio will advance to the second round.

The Spurs have continuously shown that they are the only team in the NBA who can slow down the Phoenix Suns. Whether it be the ability of Tony Parker to keep pace with the quickness Steven Nash and Leandro Barbosa, Ginobili coming off the bench for an energy boost, or Tim Duncan’s post presence, the Spurs have consistently had the Suns’ number, with a 12-3 advantage in meetings over the past three years including the 4-1 western conference finals playoff series two years ago. Perhaps the only potential stumbling block for San Antonio is a motivated Amare Stoudemire, but look for the Suns, who only play seven players, coming off another brutal first round series against the Lakers, to be burned out.

The Dallas Mavericks are the toughest hurdle for the San Antonio Spurs. In what is quickly becoming a great Texas rivalry, the most important match up is to be found on the sidelines as Avery Johnson going up against his former coach Greg Popovich, both of whom have known nothing but success as head coaches. At first glace, San Antonio appears to have the tougher route to the western finals with Denver and Phoenix. However, Dallas cannot sleep on Don Nelson’s Golden State Warriors and the Utah Jazz or Houston Rockets, which may turn out to be the best first round series by the way. The regular season records and games are thrown out the window here. Remember, last year these two teams came down to the final minute in overtime of Game 7 in a classic series. As basketball fans, we can only hope for a similar showdown.

The Eastern Conference will actually be decided in the second round when the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat face off. No one in the east has yet to come up with answers for Dwayne Wade and Shaq. The Detroit Pistons could not beat the Heat last year with Ben Wallace, so without him they are even worse off. The aging Big Ben has never been able to contain Shaq and scare Wade away from the paint, so the Chicago Bulls, as great as they are defensively as a team, will fall to Miami again. The Toronto Raptors have been a great story, but they simply lack the experience for a deep playoff run. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Zydrunas Igauskas wants no part of The Big Fella. Miami has been plagued by physical injuries and mental disinterest throughout the season. The players have openly admitted that they were simply playing for a playoff spot, rather than a good record and higher seed. As shown by last year’s championship run, this deep group of veterans can simply turn up the heat when it matters. Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, Eddie Jones, and Alonzo Mourning are all former all-stars who can make big plays when called upon. James Posey, Udonis Haslem, and Jason Kapono round up a deep supporting cast. As TNT’s Kenny Smith would say, the Miami Heat are built for the playoffs, not all that unlike the San Antonio Spurs.

Playoffs!?

NBA Playoff Memories 2006

NBA on NBC Memories

Madden Curse

Vince Young has the honor (horror?) of gracing the cover of Madden 08. A look at past coverboys, and how the dreaded Madden curse has affected them:

• Barry Saunders/Dorsey Levens, Madden 2000: When original co-cover boy (with John Madden himself) Barry Sanders abruptly retired just before training camp in 1999, he was replaced by fellow star NFC Central running back Levens, in subsequent releases of the game. Levens' once-stellar career with the Green Bay Packers coincidentally started to go downhill in 1999.


• Eddie George, Madden 2001: In a 2000-01 playoff game, George failed to catch a pass that was then intercepted and returned for a touchdown by the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis. His performance and durability also began to decline.


• Daunte Culpepper, Madden 2002: Culpepper's 2001 season was cut short by a knee injury and his team, the Minnesota Vikings, suffered a losing season one year after making it to the NFC Championship Game.


• Marshall Faulk, Madden 2003: Faulk injured his ankle during the 2002 season, and, after five consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons heading into the cover year, never again had one.


• Michael Vick, Madden 2004: One day after the game released, Vick broke his right fibula during a 2003 preseason game, appearing in only the final five regular-season games, as the Atlanta Falcons, a 2002 playoff team with Vick starting at quarterback, went 5-11 in 2003.


• Ray Lewis, Madden 2005: Limited with a wrist injury, Lewis finished the 2004 season without an interception as the Ravens failed to make the playoffs. (In 2003 the Ravens won the AFC North division and Lewis had six interceptions.)


• Donovan McNabb, Madden 06: McNabb sustained a sports hernia and a groin injury during the 2005 season, ultimately electing to cut that season short by having surgery for the hernia - all the while engaged in a running feud with troublesome teammate Terrell Owens. All of these factors contributed to a disappointing season for the Philadelphia Eagles as they finished last in their divsion after a Super Bowl appearance the previous year.


• Shaun Alexander, Madden 07: Coming off an MVP and Super Bowl trip, Alexander suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot forcing him to miss six games and fall short of a 1,000 yard rushing season.


• Vince Young, Madden 08: No one will be surprised if a sophomore slump follows Young's impressive 8-3 record as a rookie starter. Throw in the fact that he is a scrambling quarterback, and an injury is sadly likely...

Joey Crawford vs Tim Duncan

Props to David Stern and the NBA for indefinitely suspending referee Joey Crawford after he unreasonably ejected Tim Duncan in Sunday's game in Dallas with two separate technical fouls for simply laughing while on the bench. Duncan also claimed that Crawford challenged him to a fight, in what clearly seemed to be some sort of personal outburst. In a season where the league has been cracking down on players' constant complaining, perhaps excessively, it is quite refreshing to see the NBA side with one of its icons instead, as referees are rarely disciplined by their leagues. Despite a $25,000 slap on the wrist, Tim Duncan has long been an excellent player and role model. By suspending Crawford for the rest of the year, the NBA ditched the horrid possibility of Crawford refereeing a crucial playoff game involving the San Antonio Spurs.

How Many UC Students...

How many UC students does it take to change a light bulb?

• CAL : 3. 1 to change the light bulb and 2 to debate the metaphysical state of the bulb and how it's invention has impacted human development.
• UCSD : 5. 1 to actually change it and 4 to start smoking weed.
• UCI : 11. 1 changes it while the other 10 sit around watching because honestly, what else is there to do at Irvine past 10 pm?
• UCR : 3. 1 to steal the bulb, 1 to drive the getaway car, and the other one to call up his friends to throw the celebration party Tuesday night.
• UCSB : 7. 1 to screw the light bulb and 6 to screw each other.
• UCD : 0. They don't have electricity in Davis...
• UC Merced : 2. One to hold the light bulb while the other calls his friends asking for help in figuring out this new "college thing".
• UCSC : None. Living in the forest, they see by moonlight and torches - damn hippies....
• UCLA : 2. 1 to change the bulb. 1 to call up his friends at USC and tell them how they changed it and how they did it better and for cheaper.

Dihydrogen Monoxide

2007 NFL Schedule

You know America loves the NFL when the release of the schedule is news. So without further ado, let me present to you my take on each week's best matchup:

1. New Orleans at Indianapolis (9/6 NBC) - The great tradition of having the champs host the season opener against a sexy contender continues, this time as Reggie Bush and Drew Brees come to town. Look for the banner ceremony to fire everyone up in a high scoring shootout.
2. San Diego at New England (9/16 NBC) - Chargers look to get some revenge on last year's heated playoff upset, and they have shown they can win at Foxboro before.
3. Tenessee at New Orleans (9/24 ESPN) - Monday Night Football has lost a lot of its attractiveness in the past couple of years, but Vince Young versus Reggie Bush is hot.
4. Houston at Atlanta (9/30) - Matt Schaub returns to the Georgie Dome, and after this game we should have a good feel for how well the biggest offseason gamble turned out.
5. Seattle at Pittsburgh (10/7) - Quick Super Bowl rematches are great, but this one will be more in particular because the entire state of Washington still believes the Seahawks got screwed, giving the Steelers something to prove.
6. New England at Dallas (10/14) - Tom Brady visits Tony Romo, both are against tough run-stopping 3-4 defenses. Shootout anyone?
7. Chicago at Philadephia (10/21) - These two NFC contenders' hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of their respective quarterbacks in Rex Grossman and Donovan McNabb.
8. New York Giants at Miami (10/28) - The London Bowl. Perhaps the only aspect in which the NFL is far behind the NBA, and even baseball for that matter, is that they have failed to appeal to foreign countries. This game is a good start.
9. New England at Indianapolis (11/4) - It is always Game of the Year with these two. Last year's 20-point comeback by Peyton Manning and company in the AFC championship game was the real Super Bowl, in what may have been the most amazing game ever.
10. Indianapolis at San Diego (11/11 NBC) - "Let's just say we had some, uh, protection problems." Shawn Merriman is coming for you, Peyton.
11. Chicago at Seattle (11/18 NBC) - The NFC locks to win their division meet again. Last year's overtime playoff game was awfully close, but that was in Chicago.
12. Baltimore at San Diego (11/25) - Thanksgiving weekend means two great things, food and football. The two most feared defenses against two dynamic offenses put on a show last season.
13. New England at Baltimore (12/3 ESPN) - Brady versus McNair, both backed by tough defenses.
14. Pittsburgh at New England (12/9) - Big Ben snapped Brady's record of 21 straight wins in his rookie year.
15. Arizona at New Orleans (12/16) - Matt Leinart is facing a lot of pressure entering his first full year as a starter, and by this late point in the season will be expected to impress.
16. Dallas at Carolina (12/22 NFL Network) - Time Warner, suck it up and let us watch our football please.
17. New Orleans at Chicago (12/30) - The last week always features a bunch of meaningless games, so it is hard to predict which ones will have a big impact on the playoffs. Cannot go wrong with the NFC championship rematch though.

Five months to go...

Madden Nation

ESPN's Countdown to the Cover for EA Sports' Madden 08 continues, this time with a story on Madden Nation.

EA Sports has sold over 57 million copies of Madden over the past 17 years. Madden NFL 07 sold 7.82 million units since its August 22, 2006 launch, including two million copies in its first week at retail. That made it the number one selling game in North America last year and it's the top-selling franchise in North America (lifetime).

Devin Hester

In 2006, Chicago Bears' rookie cornerback Devin Hester racked up six touchdowns on three punt returns, two kick returns and an incredible 108-yard return of a missed field goal attempt against the New York Giants. Additionally, he took the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI 92 yards for a score, making him the first player ever to open the Super Bowl with a touchdown on the very first kick. But nothing may top THIS.

Florida

The Florida Gators defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes for the NCAA national championship Monday night...again. For the uneducated, Florida also topped Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS title game in football, in what has suddenly become a heated lopsided rivalry. The Gators won their second consecutive basketball championship last night, 84-75, cementing themselves in history as one of the greatest college basketball teams ever assembled. While Florida's Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, and Al Thornton are all destined to be lottery picks in June's draft, Ohio State's Greg Oden earned the No.1 pick, stealing the show with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a dominating performace.