NFL- The big news of the week is that the current CBA will expire Thursday night, and it appears that there will in fact be some sort of a lockout in the NFL. Both sides from all reports remain very far apart and it appears that it would take something of a miracle to prevent a lockout. The main argument between the two sides continues to be money; some reports have the difference between the two sides at a billion dollars. Can you believe there arguing over such a small figure as this? Other elements such as an eighteen game schedule and a rookie pay scale also are factors but these issues are relatively minor compared to the issue of money. Obviously a difference that is rumored to be as large as billions of dollars is not a positive sign and it is starting to look like the best case for next year might be a delayed start to the season. Nonetheless the buildup to the NFL draft, which will still happen if there is a lockout, continued with the NFL’s weeklong combine for draft eligible prospects from Indianapolis. I’m not going to go over the combine in great detail but I do have a couple quick notes starting with the quarterback group. This group was obviously hurt by Stanford’s Andrew Luck staying in school and as a result there still isn’t a clear-cut prospect from the quarterback group. If I were to rank the prospects I would rank Blaine Gabbert as the best followed by Cam Newton and Jake Locker. The difference between Gabbert and Newton is fairly small and a reasonable argument could be made for either prospect to be the top quarterback prospect. I wouldn’t take either Gabbert or Newton as a number one pick (sorry Panthers and Steve Smith) but I think that they will be at least above average quarterbacks in the NFL within a couple years. Behind these two prospects it becomes a crapshoot between prospects such as Jake Locker, Ricky Stanzi, Andy Dalton, Christian Ponder, and Ryan Mallet. Locker made a mistake in coming back to Washington this year and his draft stock has taken a pounding but if you select him as a developmental prospect and give him a couple of years to learn the system he will be a solid starting quarterback. From watching him this year it is obvious that he still has trouble understanding defenses, but he has all the athletic ability you want in a quarterback and is an outstanding teammate who does all the right things in the locker room. Ryan Mallet on the other hand apparently took it upon himself to ruin his draft stock through the interview portion of the combine by refusing to answer questions about drug use and coming off as incredibly arrogant, kind of surprising since he seemed to choke in about all of the big moments in this past season. Something about Mallet screams not a franchise quarterback whether it be his late game struggles, lack of mobility, or his mindset but I’m quite sure some general manager will fall in love with his arm and draft him in the first round (guaranteed mistake).
I think Christian Ponder out of Florida State is a much safer prospect but even after a strong showing at the combine he for some reason seems to lag behind Locker and Mallet. The drafting of quarterback in the draft will certainly be intriguing but the more interesting storyline has to be what the Raiders will do in this draft after they had a draft last year that actually made some sense. Common sense says that it is impossible for the Raiders to have two straight drafts that actually make sense. In local news Oregon State’s man beast of a defensive tackle Stephen Paea broke the NFL combine record with 49 reps on the bench press. As has been stated these stats mean relatively nothing but 49 reps speaks for itself, the guy is an absolute animal. While Paea might see his stock rise fellow Beaver Quizz Rodgers will see the opposite in regards to his draft stock as he measured slightly under five foot six and ran in the mid 4.6 40 range. Regardless of the results Quizz will be a great addition to any team; he is great receiver out of the backfield, an able blocker, and is a tough runner between the tackles. He will slide a little bit in the draft but from day one I would expect him to contribute to whatever team drafts him as a third down back in the NFL.
NBA- I’m not quite sure what happened between about 11:30 AM Pacific time and noon last Thursday but the trade deadline went from little activity to full on tradeaplooza. I left my house thinking that most teams, including my Blazers, were going to stand pat in the last thirty minutes to the deadline but upon arrival to class my twitter feed (twitter is certainly not the way to follow any sports event) exploded with the news of tradeaplooza. For a quick refresher tradeaplooza is defined as any event where almost ten percent of current players change teams exemplified by the most recent trade deadline. The action got kicked off Wednesday morning with the shocking departure of Deron Williams from Utah to the New Jersey Nets. The Nets gave up an awful lot in second overall pick Derrick Favors, point guard Devin Harris, and two future first round picks for all-star Deron Williams but I would still give the Nets the edge in who got the better end of the deal. How often can you acquire a proven elite young point guard in the NBA? The answer certainly isn’t everyday and its not like the Nets were in position to contend with a core consisting of Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. Deron Williams doesn’t make this team an instant contender but this does make the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets a more desirable location for free agents. This is a considerable risk for the Nets due to the fact that Williams can become a free agent after next season, but the fact is the Nets had to do something after it became apparent that they weren’t going to get Melo in a Nets jersey. It will be devastating for the Nets if Williams chooses not to resign, but the Nets had to make a splash at the deadline and with this move they made arguably the biggest splash in the league. For the Jazz, how drastically can things change in a time period of less than a month? This team looked like a Western Conference contender at the beginning of the season only to have the bottom drop out in the past three weeks. I can understand why they made this move and they did get a pretty good return from Williams but the question remains, was Williams a lock to not return to Utah after his contract runs out? If General Manager Kevin O’Conner felt that the answer was yes, than this was probably the best deal that they could get. They get Devin Harris who is an above-average point guard (albeit overhyped), a lottery pick from the Nets this year, and an intriguing prospect in Derrick Favors. I’m not quite sure where they go from here because as of now they don’t look like a playoff team and they have quite the logjam of power forwards after the acquisition of Favors. I would look for the Jazz to reshape their team over the summer with a trade of either Paul Milsap, Al Jefferson, or Derrick Favors for more picks or a young guard prospect. The Jazz will more than likely have two top fifteen picks in this summers draft, the Nets (projected at 6th) and their own (projected at 14th), and I would look for them to target a point guard, such as Josh Selby, and a wing prospect like Texas’s Jordan Hamilton. Ideally they would like to get a promising shooting guard through the draft but there doesn’t appear to be a lottery worthy shooting guard at this point.
The Hornets in my opinion have to come out of the trade deadline as a loser even with their addition of Marcus Landry. They had a glaring hole at shooting guard, not frontcourt depth. It’s true that they needed insurance in case David West leaves as a free agent over the summer but do you really think that Chris Paul wants to resign in New Orleans with Marco Belinelli as his shooting guard? That’s what I thought the answer is a resounding no. The Hornets could have had O.J. Mayo or maybe Stephen Jackson if they had kept their first round pick instead of trading it for Jerryd Bayless (great first trade by Portland’s own Rich Cho). The Hornets then traded Bayless as part of a package that netted them Jarrett Jack and a bunch of garbage. This was a poor play by management in New Orleans as they probably could have acquired at least Mayo and maybe Jackson (Bobcats were in full sell mode) for a first rounder and some other spare parts. Another relatively minor trade went through on Wednesday with the Hawks and Wizards essentially swapping Kirk Hinrich for Mike Bibby. Hinrich may be a slight upgrade over Bibby but this trade doesn’t change the fact that the Hawks are going to be eliminated in the second round for the third straight year. From the Wizards perspective this was a relative no brainer as they were also able to net rookie guard Jordan Crawford and another first round pick in the upcoming draft. Lastly on Wednesday the Nets were able to move Troy Murphy (never heard the complete story on why he couldn’t play in Jersey) for Brandan Wright. Murphy will be bought out by the Golden State Warriors and will most likely join a contending team like the Boston Celtics. I’ve always been confused as to why Wright could never log significant minutes for Golden State, besides the fact that he might get hurt if you look at him the wrong way, he seemed to be the stereotypical Warriors player in that he plays zero defense but is an athletic, exciting offensive player. An interesting piece that may benefit from extended minutes and the presence of Deron Williams.
Thursday began with the news that Baron Davis and a lottery first round pick were getting shipped from the Clippers to the Cavaliers for Mo Williams. This trade basically amounted to the Clippers removing Baron Davis’s contract from their books as they gear up for a run at an elite free agent in the summer of 2012. The Cavaliers received Baron Davis who will undoubtedly give up on the season upon reporting to Cleveland, and what looks to become a top ten pick in this upcoming draft. The Cavaliers hampered their future ability to go after free agents but lets be realistic, no free agents are dying to play in Cleveland anymore, except for Joakim Noah of course, but this was a great trade for the Cavaliers as they continue to struggle to recover from “The Decision”. They are the favorites to land the top pick, rumored to be looking hard at Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, and in addition to that will also receive another lottery selection from the Clippers. It’s not like the Cavaliers have any strong positions on their team so who knows what they will be looking for in the Clipper’s selection.
Finally if you hadn’t heard Carmelo Anthony was dealt from the Nuggets to the New York Knicks in a move that surprised absolutely everyone (please tell me you got that sarcasm). Side note I think that this is the longest that I have made it in an article without mentioning Melo, I believe a standing ovation is in order for me (yes I am this humble at all times). The Timberwolves also were involved in this trade exchanging Corey Brewer for Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry’s contract (I say contract because I’m not sure Eddy Curry the player actually exists anymore). I love this trade for the Nuggets considering they had to do it, they robbed the Knicks considering that Melo wasn’t going anywhere besides New York. The Knicks gave up Wilson Chandler, Danillo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofy Mozgov, and a future first round pick for Melo, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and America’s favorite towel waver Renaldo Balkman. The Knicks obviously do get a dynamic scorer in Anthony and a championship caliber point guard in Billups but their bench now has absolutely zero depth, that might be putting it kindly as well. They have one true center in Ronny Turiaf and only one player that I would consider an above average backup, guard Toney Douglas. This trade obviously makes them more of a contender for both today and in the future but they were bidding essentially against themselves in this move. Melo was blocking any trade not to New York, but the Knicks continued to up their offer until they gave up basically everyone not named Amare Stoudemire. There of course was a slight risk that Melo would resign in Denver or somewhere else but did anyone actually believe that this would happen? The Knicks in all likelihood could have added Melo this summer without sacrificing their depth, which ultimately takes away from this trade. Still this is an exciting move for the Knicks and a Melo, Stoudemire, Billups trio can make some noise in the playoffs but I don’t see this move advancing them into the elite status of East powers Boston, Chicago, and Orlando. For the Nuggets I think that everyone is glad that the circus has moved on (I’m quite sure that only Melo is only liked in New York now) and as of now I still have them as a playoff team. I actually had the chance to watch them this past Friday play against the power house Frail Blazers and came away very impressed with their team. Gallinari will probably never be known as an elite three man in the league but he is a very good player in his own right. In his second game as a Nugget he was able to amass an impressive thirty points and nine rebounds against the Blazers. He doesn’t always score in the flashiest of ways and is obviously never going to be able to replace the scoring that Melo provided, but he is an elite shooter and is actually quite crafty in his drives to the rim. Wilson Chandler basically amounts to a third of the season rental, but he will help the Nuggets in their quest for a playoff berth. The Raymond Felton and Ty Lawson point guard split is obviously something that won’t last past this season as Lawson looks to become the point guard of the future, which would obviously lead to the departure of Felton through trade. The Nuggets if they can Nene to a long-term extension actually still posses a nice core group of players and if they can stay healthy and add a power forward could be back competing in the West before you know it.
Now were getting into the madness area of the deadline and I feel like it’s fair to start with perhaps the strangest trade of the day, which involved the Celtics and the Thunder. The Celtics had long been rumored to be in the market for some help on the wings but I don’t think that anyone saw the Celtics adding wing help at the expense of Kendrick Perkins. The reaction to the Celtics giving up Perkins for swingman Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic has ranged from confusion to befuddlement. And yes I realize confusion and befuddlement are the same thing but I don’t think there was any different reaction besides confusion or befuddlement. The Celtics had just gotten Perkins back from injury and looked to be primed to make another at a championship with the same group as last year and then this happened. I understand the sentiment that the Celtics had gotten to this point in the season without the services of Perkins, who was still recovering from a knee injury that he suffered last year, but Perkins, as evidenced by his teammates reaction following the trade, was such a crucial part of their chemistry. The Celtics do have other big bodies in Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal but relying on both of these guys to stay healthy is like betting that Ray Allen will miss two free throws, it just doesn’t happen. Its obvious from this trade that the Celtics think that they will be relying on more of a small-ball type of lineup with the addition of Jeff Green but I don’t understand why they sacrificed Perkins. Perkins was an upcoming free agent, as is Green, but I think that I would take my chances this season with Perkins rather than Green. For the Thunder this is a great move as they fill their main weakness with the addition of Perkins, who can now bang against the likes of Andrew Bynum and Tim Duncan. If they are able to resign Perkins this deal would resemble something of a robbery as they weren’t expected to resign Jeff Green to a long-term deal. Still maybe Celtics general manager knows something regarding Perkins, whether it is he’s injured beyond our knowledge or that he wasn’t going to sign a long-term deal, so its tough to call this trade as a failure from the Celtics end. As of now I would give the slight edge to the Thunder but this deal is one that will take until the summer to fully evaluate.
Moving on the Trail Blazers acquired rugged forward Gerald Wallace from the Bobcats for Dante Cunningham, Joel Pryzbilla, Sean Marks (thankfully he is no longer a Blazer), and two first round picks. I’ve gone both ways on this trade from a Trail Blazers perspective and as of now I’m kind of in the middle. I think Wallace will definitely help the Blazers, but its not like the Blazers had a gaping hole at the power forward or small forward position. Wallace is probably better than Nicolas Batum at this moment but the difference between them is pretty small. Of course I say this without having seen Wallace play in about two years since he’s always hurt when the Bobcats play the Blazers and a Charlotte Bobcats game hasn’t been on TV since they entered the league. Wallace will make the Blazers a better team but I still don’t think that they are a legitimate Western conference contender (I’d love to be wrong on this) that’s why the cost of two first round picks is rather steep. Granted these picks are probably low to mid twenties but when you have needs for a young point and a young center and don’t look the part of a contender its tough to sacrifice two first round picks. I was more hoping that the Blazers would be sellers rather than buyers at the trade deadline but with the return of Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby from injury general manager Rich Cho must have liked the Blazers chances of making a deep run in the playoffs.
Their were a couple of other minor moves on the day, but the award for dumbest trade has to be the Suns acquisition of Aaron Brooks from the Rockets for Goran Dragic and a first round pick. Brooks, who is revered in Oregon from his days as a Duck, has been simply awful this year and has had some clashes with the team to boot. I have no idea how the Suns thought this would be a good trade but props to the Rockets for getting rid of a player that they didn’t want for a similar player and a first round pick. The only good news that I can find from this trade is that the Suns acquisition of Brooks likely signals that Steve Nash will be on the market this summer (about time).
To briefly recap, trade action got started a little early with the Deron Williams departure and then Thursday was crazy (tradeaplooza) bringing some obvious trades (Melo) and some unexpected (Perkins) trades. Worst news of the day was that the Timberwolves didn’t acquire any more point guards in their quest to make the playoffs with Kevin Love and ten other point guards. My big winners on the day would be the Thunder, Nets, and the Cavaliers. The Thunder are the winners for obvious winners but some may be surprised to see me listing the Nets and Cavaliers as winners. My reasoning behind the Nets is as follows, they were trying to get a marquee star through free agency last year and when this failed they aggressively pursued Melo in the trade market. Once they realized that this wasn’t going to happen they struck fast in acquiring Deron Williams who I believe is a more valuable player than Anthony. Of course this trade bears with it a huge risk, as there is no guarantee that Williams will resign, but this proved that the Nets under new ownership will be aggressive in their pursuit of a championship. I think the Cavaliers also fall under the winner category because they acquired what will likely become two top ten picks in the draft. As I stated before Cleveland is no longer a destination for free agents so they have to acquire talent through trades or the draft. The acquisition of Davis hurts their cap flexibility for the future but they should be able to acquire two building blocks for the future in the draft. My losers at the trade deadline would be the Suns, Pistons, and the Hornets. One paragraph later I still haven’t been able to get the slightest clue as to what the Suns were thinking, if I ever figure it out (not likely) I’ll come back and edit this. As for the Hornets, I understand that they were in a tough situation financially but they desperately needed to upgrade at the shooting guard position but they seemed fine staying with the guys they have. The Pistons have to be the big loser at the deadline as they failed to unload disgruntled players (this could be their whole roster) Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton. As will be discussed later this team is a complete train wreck and needed some sort of change. The Blazers, Celtics, Mavericks, Knicks, and Bulls would then fall in the wait and see category. Blazers and Celtics are in this category because it will be interesting to see how Jeff Green and Gerald Wallace fit in with their new teams. Wallace’s first game was pretty disappointing but I’ll give him ten or fifteen games before I really formulate some sort of opinion. The Mavericks needed help because they have Peja Stojackovic as their starting three man, which means I can’t consider them a Western elite team but maybe Caron Butler is recovering faster than expected. The Knicks most people will have as winners but they lost an awful lot (translation- no depth) to acquire Melo. Try and name eight players on the Knicks, it’s a tough task. Besides having no depth they have very little cap room to acquire another marquee player but maybe they can convince some one to take a pay cut. I actually considered putting the Bulls as a trade winner even though they did absolutely nothing, but even though they have a hole at the shooting guard position I was a fan of them not sacrificing any of their frontcourt depth. They quietly added Rasual Butler on Monday and while this isn’t a long-term answer he will help this year and then I would look for the Bulls to go hard after a shooting guard over the summer. The wait and see part for the Bulls is basically who they can add over the summer, if the player they add is better than O.J. Mayo than they made the right decision to wait.
Really wasn’t expecting the trade deadline review to stretch on that far but that’s what will happen when more Western conference stars decide to join the Eastern Conference. I’m thinking it’s the Eastern Conference All-Star jerseys that are causing all of these players to switch conferences. From the actual slate of basketball this week there were a handful of entertaining matchups. The first would be the Blazers versus Lakers game on Wednesday. This game is considered a rivalry to Blazer fans which is pretty laughable considering that I’m quite sure Laker fans would consider at least three or four teams more of a rivalry than the Blazers (Celtics, Thunder, Heat, Spurs, you get the point). Regardless the Rose Garden was rocking only to see the Blazers allow a late seven zero run by the Lakers extend the game into overtime. Its official, Kobe Bryant is my favorite player to watch in the league at this moment. I know there are many reasons for why I should hate Bryant but its amazing to watch a player that is so intense at all times and never backs down from a big moment. It was painful to watch Bryant annihilate Portland down the stretch but it was also breathtaking to watch a player literally become indefensible. Of course my repeated bashing of Ron Artest came back to bite me as Artest had a field day compared against the Blazers. If Artest can continue to be at least decent on offense, as he was against the Blazers and Thunder, I will continue to say that the Lakers are the top team in the West. The Thunder put up a good fight on Sunday but came up just short, mainly due to the fact that they were massacred inside (Perkins obviously will help). A Thunder versus Laker series like last year would be an absolute treat to watch and something that I will hope for in the postseason. Chris Bosh proved that he isn’t an elite player, everyone should have already known this, by going a remarkable, not in the good way either, one for eighteen against the Bulls. Then in news that really no one will care about, there were some shocking plus minus splits in the Minnesota Timberwolves versus Golden State Warriors game on Sunday. I’m not sure if anyone actually watched this game in person or on TV but somehow Darko Milicic, yes I am mentioning Darko Milicic, put up a plus twenty-four line in only thirteen minutes. As good as this line was it was outdone by Anthony Randolph going minus eleven in only four minutes, maybe there was actually a reason that Mike D’Antoni kept Randolph glued to the bench in New York. Then in your crazy Kevin Love line of the week Love recorded 37 points and 23 rebounds in this game. The best moment of the week, besides Melo getting traded (duh) was a referee telling Kobe Bryant to stop complaining about what Bryant believed should have been a foul and “make the shot”. This is was simply awesome, you have a referee telling the greatest scorer in the game today to just put the ball in the basket, remarkable.
MLB- Spring training began with the sad news that St. Louis Cardinals star pitcher Adam Wainwright will be lost for the season after sustaining an injury that will require Tommy John surgery. It’s always sad to see these kinds of injuries happen and I kind of liked the Cardinals to be my pick to win the National League but this injury obviously changes things. It was apparently two weeks of hell for Cardinals fans as this followed last weeks news that Albert Pujols would be testing free agency. Good news for Cardinal fans this week I begin my short breakdowns of each baseball league this week. More bad news for the Cardinals, they will have to wait until next week when the NL Central gets their day.
AL West- Also known as the weakest league in the AL.
1. Texas Rangers- The reigning AL champions once again posses a strong team and are odds on favorites to become AL West champions again. They did lose ace Cliff Lee and DH Vladimir Guerrero but they still possess a potent offense that actually might have improved with the addition of Adrian Beltre. Beltre was phenomenal last year but this can be attributed to the fact that he was in a contract year and he seems to have truly remarkable years only when he's in the last year of his contract. Unfortunately for the Rangers he just inked a five-year deal so no word on what to expect from Beltre this year. One thing is certain make sure you don’t rub his head because this is apparently makes him furious for whatever reason. Look for the Rangers to win the division fairly easily behind Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz.
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- After a disappointing season last year the Angels pledged to be active during the offseason to get back to the postseason. Unfortunately for the Angels they struck out on their attempts to sign free agents Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre and ended up trading for outfielder Vernon Wells in a move that was criticized by just about everyone. Their offense does have some holes mainly on the left side of the infield and at catcher but their pitching rotation will keep them competitive in the majority of their games. If they had been able to sign Crawford or Beltre we could be talking about the Rangers as the AL West leaders but things just didn’t work out. Still this team can compete in the relatively weak AL West and I would look for them to finish with around 85 wins but fall short of a playoff bid in both the AL West and the wildcard.
3. Oakland Athletics- The Athletics surprised many last year when they battled to an 81 win and 81-loss campaign and due to this some are touting them as a dark horse for the AL West this year. If they had any semblance of an offense I could see this but I have no clue how they are going to score runs next year. The heart of the order could read something like Daric Barton, Josh Willingham, and Hedieki Matsui, I’m not sure if this would even scare a college team, and because of this I see the Athletics wasting many fine efforts from their outstanding young pitching staff. Maybe they will magically find some offense but ultimately I see them putting together a season that resembles last years campaign, find some hitters and this team can contend.
4. Seattle Mariners- They have in fact clinched the most boring off season of all time and maybe this would be good thing if they were coming off a season in which they won 100 games but the fact remains that they actually lost 101 games last year. This team at this time last year came in as the AL West favorites and then proceeded to fall flat on their face with the exception of Felix Hernandez. The Mariners were absolutely brutal to watch offensively last year and while its fair to say that some players will bounce back this offense is not something that you will see in an instructional hitting video. Bottom line you should only watch this team if Felix Hernandez is pitching, they will struggle to compete in the AL West and I would expect around 75 wins.
NL West-
1. Colorado Rockies- Colorado finished a disappointing third in the NL West last year as they collapsed down the stretch but I think this year will be different mainly because one of my roommates insists that they will win it all this year. Don’t worry about the logic behind me picking them their roster speaks for itself, they have a phenomenal top of the order to go along with a top of the line ace in Ubaldo Jimenez. The back end of their rotation leaves something to be desired but I think that Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki will carry this team to a division crown.
2. San Francisco Giants- The defending world champs made relatively minor changes to their aging roster and will once again ride their rotation to what they hope culminates with a repeat. Their offense once again will struggle to score runs but they hope that a bounce back year from Pablo Sandoval and the addition of Miguel Tejada will add something to the mix but I remain skeptical. This team will contend with the Rockies all season long for the division crown and if they fail in that endeavor I would look for them to snag a wild card spot.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers- This is a team very much in transition with the ongoing ownership saga and Don Mattingly taking over for the recently retired Joe Torre. They have a nice rotation headlined by Clayton Kershaw and a potent top of the lineup. I was tempted to pick the Dodgers to win the division as I do have a soft spot for Matt Kemp and James Loney, but this team almost always gets snake bit by injury and I just couldn’t bring myself to pick a team that will likely start Jay Gibbons in left field (really? Jay Gibbons??). The Dodgers are a bit of wild card in this division and I could see them contending for the NL West crown, on the other hand I could see them struggling to get to .500.
4. San Diego Padres- The surprise team of the 2010 season, the Padres after just missing the postseason proceeded to blow up their roster due to fact that they can’t sustain a competitive payroll. The Padres contended based off of their rotation last year and while it is still promising they did lose starting pitchers Jon Garland and Kevin Correia who were rock solid all last season. This team will struggle to score runs once again and as a result will have a record that will more than likely fall below .500.
5. Arizona Diamondbacks- The good news is that this team probably won’t break any strikeout records this year. The bad news is that there really isn’t anything exciting about this team besides Justin Upton as they undertake a much needed rebuilding project. Their rotation consists almost entirely of soft throwing pitchers that will have Diamondback outfielders turning and watching long balls exit Chase Field. Not a whole lot to watch on this team, as they will be one of the cellar dwellers in the MLB.
NCCA Basketball- Conference season continues to wind down as masses of people begin to gear up for the NCAA bracket madness. Nothing really noteworthy to say but Louisville will be a legitimate final four contender next year (they might be this year too after their OT victory over #4 Pittsburgh) as they only lose one starter from this year’s squad. A contender for top sports moment of the week occurred at the end of this game when a Louisville player dunked and a Louisville male cheerleader picked the ball up and threw it in the air even though there was still time remaining. Louisville was then assessed a technical foul for his actions and this actually gave Pittsburgh a chance to tie the game with a desperation three, which was missed. Louisville coach Rick Pitino remarked after the game that this would signify the end of the male cheerleader in sports. I’m sure some people took this comment the wrong way and considered it offensive but does sports humor get any better than that?
Wet Bandits over BYE week- Tough matchup this week as we struggled to conquer the dreaded bye week. Luckily enough we got some clutch performers from our role players and were able to persevere. Still no word on when and whom we will play for our next game, we may need a new league commissioner at this rate, but it should pop up on ESPN whenever it is announced. Once again no autograph signing session this week, as I have to stay focused on obtaining the free intramural t-shirt.
The Week Moving Forward
NFL- The current NFL CBA will expire plunging the league into a lockout that must end before the season starts so that I can reestablish my fantasy football dominance. The NFL combine will wrap but not before Ryan Mallet finds a couple more ways to sabotage his draft stock.
NBA- Finally the trade deadline passed so we can get back to focusing on the actual game of basketball as teams make their final push for the playoffs. Detroit Pistons coach John Kuester stands a good chance of being fired due to the fact that he has completely lost his team. This situation has turned hideous with players led by one time Detroit star Richard Hamilton boycotting practice. The Pistons have been struggling mightily all year and long time Piston players Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince have been open with desire for either a new coach or a new team. It is being reported that the Pistons actually had a deal in place to trade Hamilton to the Cleveland Cavaliers but Hamilton vetoed the trade. This is truly mindboggling because the Cavaliers would try and work a buy out for Hamilton so that he could join a contending team. I have no clue as to why Hamilton rejected this trade and this ongoing debacle in Detroit is doing serious damage to Hamilton’s reputation as a good teammate. I don’t have any idea of what kind of coach Kuester is but he will undoubtedly be fired which may or may not be justified. Lastly the deadline for teams to add playoff eligible players is Tuesday so it will be interesting to see which players are bought out and which contending teams are able to secure these players. Troy Murphy, Mike Bibby, and T.J. Ford are just a couple of players whose situation bears watching.
MLB- Spring training continues and one hopes that this week won’t bring anymore serious injuries to any players.
Wet Bandits (-.5) over Unnamed Opponent- Assuming that we actually play this week I still like our chances of getting a victory despite the fact that we haven’t played in two weeks. Yours truly might struggle considering the fact that I am coming off of a weekend were I received home feeding. Apparently the coach isn’t pleased with my conditioning so I might be coming off the bench for the foreseeable future. This situation could escalate quickly but my agent should be talking with upper management in the near future to make sure that they understand what kind of caliber player I am.
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