Michael Vick Is Quickly Becoming A God In Philadelphia

Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles arrived at FedEx Field in Washington expecting a tough, hard-fought battle against the Redskins amid a driving November rain storm. It took all of 14 seconds for Vick to deliver a knockout blow with the Eagles' opening salvo as Vick connected with WR DeSean Jackson on an 88-yard TD pass on the first play from scrimmage. The Eagles were able to bottle up the Redskins' offense early and Vick went to work once Philly got the ball back. The Eagles scored touchdowns on their first 4 possessions including 2 TD passes from Vick who also added a 7-yard TD and Philadelphia held a 28-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, the largest lead by a road team after 1 quarter in the history of the NFL.

On the first play of the 2nd quarter Vick launched a pass down the near sideline hitting Jeremy Maclin for a 48-yard TD and a 35-0 lead. The Eagles would continue their domination for the rest of the quarter going in to halftime with a 45-14 lead, setting the franchise record for points in a half of football. When it was all said and done the scored showed the Eagles 59, Redskins 28 in what was one of the most dominating performances in team history. The Eagles produced their second highest scoring output in team history falling just short of the 64 points they put 76 years ago.

Michael Vick turned in what was possibly the best performance by a Philadelphia Eagles QB ever as he went 20/28 for 333 yards passing with 4 TDs and rushed for 80 yards and 2 more TDs becoming the first player ever to throw for over 300 yards, rush for over 50 yards, throw 4 TDs and rush for 2 or more TDs.

Basically he was unstoppable. Several times during this game I simply marveled about how good Vick was last night. It really wasn't fait when he was playing at that level, there is just no way to defend him when you are trying to cover all of the Eagles' speedy receivers (Jackson, Maclin and slot receiver Jason Avant each had over 75 yds receiver and a TD) and still keep Vick in check in the running game. If Vick can continue to churn out performances like this then the city of Philadelphia will be more excited than it has been in years as the team has the chance to do something special this year with Vick at the helm

Lane Kiffin Still An A**hole

Former Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin has been denied a grievance in which he was seeking unpaid salary from the Raiders after owner Al Davis fired Kiffin 4 games into the 2008 season, his second with the team. Kiffin was looking for somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.6 million from the Raiders but was  denied by an NFL arbitrator. Kiffin was fired amid a myriad of accusations from Davis including a claim that Kiffin repeatedly made negative comments against the Raiders organization which he felt violated the terms of Kiffin's 3-year, $6 million deal.

This is just another example of Lane Kiffin not caring about anyone or anything besides himself. I was initially surprised when Al Davis first fired him but ever since Kiffin has done nothing to improve his image. After being fired Kiffin took the head coaching position at the University of Tennessee only to jump ship after only 1 years when Pete Carroll left USC for the Seattle Seahawks. Kiffin will be spending the next few years trying to keep USC afloat as they are forced to deal with sanctions imposed by the NCAA after the school was found to have a history violations both in recruiting players and providing benefits.

The one silver lining in the whole USC debacle is that Kiffin has had to keep his mouth shut for the most part as he has so little public support as it is. I can only imagine what things would be like now if Kiffin had stayed in the SEC at Tennessee with the Cam Newton saga exploding to new levels every day. I'm sure he do everything he could to make the whole situation even worse if only to bring Newton down.

NFL Week 10: Jaguars Beat Texans On 50-Yard Hail Mary; Announcer Gus Johnson Needs Some Tissues

Week 10 featured a number of thrilling endings including two games that went into overtime (Jets 26/Browns 20 and 49ers 23/Rams 20) as well as Matt Ryan's last-minute comeback against the Ravens on Thursday night. However they were all topped by the ending of the Texans-Jaguars matchup that saw Jacksonville QB hurl up a hail mary from midfield as regulation expired with the score knotted at 24. The ball was tipped by a Houston defender but bounced directly into the waiting arms of Jacksonville receiver Mike Thomas. The finish was made even better because CBS announcer Gus Johnson, known for his extreme enthusiasm in the broadcast booth, had the call and basically blew his load with Thomas came down with the game winning catch.

For those of you unfamiliar with Gus Johnson's work he can pretty much be summed up by his reaction to Brandon Stokely's game-winning 87-yard TD catch in Week 1 of last year (0:31 mark)



He's also the voice of CBS College Basketball (I love Gus Johsnon if you couldn't tell yet)

NFL Week 10: Cowboys Win First Game Under Jason Garrett

The hapless Dallas Cowboys ended a 5-game losing streak yesterday with an explosive 33-20 victory over the New York Giants in the Meadowlands in the first game coached by now interim head coach Jason Garrett. Garrett took over the coaching duties this week after former head coach Wade Phillips was fired following embarrassing losses to Jacksonville and Green Bay to drop their record to 1-7. The Cowboys took advantage of big plays and Giants' mistakes to grab a double-digit lead in the 2nd quarter and never looked back.

The Giants came into the game riding a 5-game win streak and had pretty much been crowned as the class of the NFC during the week leading up to the game. I only bring this up because I predicted that the Giants were likely to stumble once they reached the top (second paragraph). Combine that phenomenon with the fact that the Giants were likely looking ahead to next week's Sunday night match-up against Superman Mike Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles and you have the makings of a major trap game which is exactly what this was. I'm confident that the Giants will rebound (after the Philly game hopefully) and still finish as one of the best teams in the NFC. I'm not so sure about the Cowboys who despite winning this game will have a tough challenge finding success for the rest of the season.

And how have I never seen this before?

Brett Favre Says He Will Not Return Next Season... Again...

Brett Favre has said he will not return to football in 2011 and will retire with his third different NFL team at season's end. Favre has already retired with the Packers following the 2007 season and the Jets following the 2008 season so the question that must now be begged is if he really means it this time. Everything I know about football would lead me to believe Brett is really hanging it up because he would be 42 years old next season and he can't keep up with the weekly beatings he takes. The Minnesota Vikings are also in a state of flux and it is likely they will have a new head coach next season as this year has been one large soap opera lead by current head coach Brad Childress.

Another factor that I feel must be playing into Favre's retirement is the pending investigation involving former Jets employee Jenn Sterger and pictures of Brett's dick. This investigation was thought to be over a few weeks ago when it appeared Sterger was unwilling to cooperate but she has had a change of heart this week and met with NFL officials for 3 hours on wednesday and was reported to have turned over the dick shots "materials" she had in her possession pertinent to the investigation. It is unknown at this point if the NFL will have enough evidence to punish Brett Favre but if any suspension is involved in would likely not take place until next season. That may be on the very forefront of Brett's mind as he prepares to retire.

As in the past we will have to wait and see what Brett does and hopefully we can avoid another offseason of "will he or won't he" if Brett indeed hangs 'em up. I'm not so sure he will however as I have a sneaking suspicion that Brett wants to die on an NFL playing football, it's the only thing that makes sense to me.

Why Do I Not Have A Door That Doubles As A Ping Pong Table?

Definitely filing this under "I want one"

Atlanta Falcons Make Statement As Matt Ryan Leads Comeback In Final Minute

Heading in to the first thursday night game of the year I will admit that I simply didn't have a lot of respect for Matt Ryan and the Falcons despite their 6-2 record heading in to the contest. That was until the Ravens scored 14 4th quarter points to take a 21-20 lead in the game's final stages. Ryan calmly lead his team in the two-minute drill down the field in a drive that culminated with a TD pass to Roddy White with less than 20 seconds to go in the game. I was impressed with the way the Falcons responded after blowing a lead in a game they largely dominated for 3 and 1/2 quarters against one of the top teams in the AFC.

Atlanta is now 7-2 and will most likely be considered the best team in the NFC over the course of the next week as the carousel NFL supremacy continues to rotate. I would not be surprised at all to see the NY Giants lay an egg this weekend after a week of being heralded as the best team in the NFC. I only say this because in the past few weeks every team that has been championed by the football media as the best team in the league or conference has fallen quickly. For instance you now have the Ravens this week, the Patriots last week who dropped a stinker to the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers the week before who lost in New Orleans and the Jets before them who got shut out at home against the Packers coming off their bye week.

Going back to Atlanta I will say that I love Matty Ice (and always have) and that this team is a force to be reckoned with when playing at home in the Georgia Dome. Ryan is now 18-1 in his first 19 home starts and this team just seems possessed there. However the Falcons have looked rather average on the road this season including a loss to the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger and a bludgeoning at the hands of a Kevin Kolb lead Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. For now though Atlanta is solidifying their position at the top of the NFC and their likely not going away anytime soon.

Ilya Kovalchuk Suffering From "Getting Paid-itis"

27 year-old left winger Ilya Kovalchuk of the New Jersey Devils was the subject of controversy this past NHL off-season after he signed a 17-year, $102 million contract to remain in New Jersey. The league rejected the deal the next day because it was designed to circumvent NHL salary cap restrictions. Amends were made shortly thereafter as Kovalchuk and the Devils agreed on a 15-year, $100 million deal that was then approved by the NHL.

I bring this up because in his first month under his new contract Kovalchuk has been absolutely abysmal on the ice for the reeling Devils who sit in last place in their division with a paltry 4-10-2 record. Kovalchuk has been at the forefront of the team's misery posting only 3 goals and 5 assists in 16 games. If you want evidence of how this season has gone for Kovalchuk than look no further than his shootout attempt in last night's game with his team needing a goal to tie it up.



I think he's doing it wrong...

John Wall Wasting No Time Proving He's The Truth

Washington Wizards number 1 overall pick PG John Wall has wasted no time carving up the NBA during his rookie season. He punctuated his early success with his first career triple-double last night against the Houston Rockets in only his 6th career game. Wall went for 19 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists to go along with 6 steals and becomes the 3rd youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. His performance also ranks 5th all time in fewest number of games needed for his first triple-double, 3 of the 4 players ahead of Wall on that list are in the NBA Hall of Fame including Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.

Wall burst onto the scene last year as a Freshman at the University of Kentucky where he lead the Wildcats  to an SEC Championship and the school's best record in more than a decade before making it to the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament. Within his first 10 games at Kentucky NBA teams began ogling at Wall's amazing combination of speed, athleticism and finesse and he became a shoe-in for the number 1 overall pick midway through his Freshman year. Wall is destined to be a star in the NBA and it looks like he is sparing no time in getting there.

Also, he must have graduated summa cum laude at Dougie school

Early Returns From The NBA 2010-2011

The NBA has returned to action in the past two weeks and it seems that the balance of power has finally shifted back to the Eastern Conference after being mostly dominated by the West for the better part of the last decade. That of course begins with the Miami Heat triumvirate of Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh who have played some exciting basketball but have started the season 5-3. However what the Heat have been most successful in accomplishing this year has been to help create a renewed sense of animosity between teams that simply don't like each other. This was abundantly clear in the opening game of the season where the Heat were out-muscled by the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics. Besides Miami and Boston we have seen basketball revitalized in Chicago and even the beginnings of the same in New York where the Knicks are playing some decent basketball with Amare Stoudemire and a myriad of young talent (just wait until they add Carmelo Anthony, which they must do to save Knick basketball).

I feel we are seeing the birth of a whole new set of rivalries that we haven't seen since the 80s when teams like the Celtics and Pistons seemingly engaged in blood-baths every time they took the court together.

Out in the West it appears the LA Lakers are going to run away with the conference after starting the season 8-0 (although the New Orleans Hornets may be the team to give them a run for their money with a 7-0 start of their own.) The only other teams that I can really see challenging the Lakers are the Portland Trail Blazers who had surprising success last season despite some major injuries as well as the super-young Oklahoma City Thunder lead by Kevin Durant. Durant proved that he was one of the best in the game last season and only confirmed that belief this summer as he lead Team USA basketball to its first World Championship in 16 years.

Lastly I wanted to comment on the rookie class which once again is promising fans greatness. Specifically I'm talking about what I have seen from 2009 Number 1 overall pick by the LA Clippers Blake Griffin (who missed all of last year with a knee injury so he is still a rookie) and 2010 top pick John Wall of the Washington Wizards. Both of these stars are flashing their supreme talent night-in and night-out and are going to be the face of their respective franchises for years to come.

Sometimes It's Better To Be Lucky Than Good

I have absolutely no idea about where this video came from, who made it or whose playing but I do know that I've never seen a play like this before. Thank god for the Internet I guess.

MLB Free Agency 2010: The Cliff Lee Saga Begins

The MLB Free Agency period is now in it's infancy stages and the burning question on everyone's mind is where will Rangers superstar pitcher Cliff Lee sign? Lee has been one of the best pitchers in the game ever since he tweaked his fastball prior to the 2008 season and went on to win the Cy Young award with the Cleveland Indians (in 2007 Lee started the season 4-9 with a 5.38 ERA before he was sent down to the minors). Since that time Lee has pitched for the Phillies, Mariners and Rangers and is now poised to cash in on all of his recent success.

The most obvious suitor for Lee will of course be the New York Yankees. The Yankees habitually target the top free agents every year and with a need for another pitcher in the rotation Cliff Lee may be their most coveted prize yet. New Yorkers have become enamored with Lee ever since he began dominating them in the 2009 World Series with the Phillies where he beat them twice and then again throughout all of 2010 culminating in his dominating performance in Game 3 of the ALCS this year where he went in to Yankee Stadium and hurled 8 shut-out innings in an 8-0 Rangers victory that effectively deflated the Yankees for the rest of the series.

However the signing of Lee will be no slam dunk for the Yankees as plenty of other teams including the Rangers will be contending with New York. Another factor that may work against the Yankees is the treatment Cliff Lee's wife Kristen received from Yankee fans during Game 3. She stated that the fans around her and her family continually shouted profanities and her and one fan even threw beer in her direction. Kristen Lee may be able to forgive the Yankee faithful but at this point no one can tell for sure.

The one thing about this saga that is for sure is that it will take at least another month for Lee to sign if not more. Teams are already very active in meeting with Lee and his agent and are looking to get a deal done. Lee will most likely be seeking a deal similar to the one his former teammate and good buddy CC Sabathia received two years ago that totaled $161 Million over 7 years. I'm really looking forward to seeing where Lee signs because it promising to be the only exciting news out of Major League Baseball until next March most likely.

Why Do People Have It Out For Cam Newton?

Auburn University QB and leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy Cam Newton has dominated college football headlines in recent days but unfortunately it has little to do with his on the field play. Newton has been the target of a series of allegations regarding his recruitment last season while he played for Blinn Junior College and has also been accused of academic cheating while he attended the University of Florida.

The story arose when several recruiters from Mississippi State went of the record saying that Newton's representative demanded "more than a scholarship" in order for Newton to play there. They went on to say that Newton's camp was asking for somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 to bring the giant QB to Mississippi. As the story developed Mississippi state recruiters stated that both Cam Newton and his father Cecil admitted in separate phone conversations that they were seeking money in return for Newton's commitment.

Only a few days later an anonymous source came out with statements that Newton had been caught cheating 3 different times while at the University of Florida in what appears to be another last-ditch effort to bring down Newton before he has the opportunity to win the Heisman and perhaps the National Championship. Florida head coach Urban Meyer was questioned about the allegations but was adamant that he was not the source and refused to comment further. Auburn head coach Gene Chizik called the accusations "garbage" and was vocal about how disappointed he was in this whole situation.

I really have a problem with these people coming out with unsubstantiated allegations because they are clearly attacking Newton and the Auburn Tigers. No other SEC football recruiter has supported Mississippi States claim that Newton demanded money and even if they did there is simply no way to prove it. I'm not saying Newton is guilty of wrongdoing or not but I am almost certain that we will never see any proof as the only school that would have actually paid Newton would be Auburn and anyone affiliated with the University who might know something will certainly never endanger Newton's legacy.

The only people who have attacked Newton are supporters of rival SEC schools who in my mind are simply jealous of the tremendous success Newton has had in his return to FBS football. I think the Florida cheating claims are even more evident of that as I am sure the team's boosters would kill to have Newton back behind center to replace Tim Tebow.

America Could Start A Cricket Team With A Double-A All-Star Team And Never Lose A Game

I found this episode of Sports Science a while ago but had forgot about it. Basically they take some cricketer and Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks and have them try their hand at the other sport.  If you watch the cricketer explains have you have to hold a cricket bat differently and it takes a completely different type of swing to be successful. Reynolds basically says "F*ck That" and proceeds to crush just about every bowl he sees with a prototypical baseball swing.

Now I know anyone who's a cricket fan (of which I really know none) would complain about the dangers of having a 90 MPH bowl straight at you but I've seen dude's take upper-90s fastballs with movement in the dome, the back and off their knees. So basically I will never listen to anyone who champions the merits of cricket over baseball.

U.S. Women's Soccer Shows Off New World Cup Uniforms... With Playboy Models

In an attempt to generate interest (I guess...) the U.S. Women's team unveiled their new uniforms for the upcoming Women's World Cup. This story is only interesting because they enlisted the aid of Hugh Hefner in finding a suitable model. I guess Mia Hamm wasn't available.

Hef also helped out with the Women's Swim team prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics

MMA Fighters And Parenting Don't Appear To Mix Well

I'm sure this guys is being exceptionally gentle with his child and everything but shouldn't someone at some one have thought "Hey, is it really a good idea to make a video of a professional fighter choking a baby?"

Apparently not....

Mom Breaks Up Pee Wee Hockey Fight

This is a rather adorable hockey fight between what looks like two brothers who are can't be older than 7 and 5 respectively. It's unfortunate mom intervenes before they start going at because this would have been one of the funniest thing I've seen in a while. The little one really wanted to take it to his older brother. Obviously encouraging violence in little kids is bad but these are hockey players.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Anyone Ever Wonder Where The Term "Soccer" Came From?

Because I like knowing random facts concerning just about everything I was quite pleased when I stumbled upon the origins of the word Soccer. As it turns out we Americans should never have to take any crap from other countries because we use the word soccer instead of football. Soccer was a term coined by the British and was used for the game for 18 years before the term football was ever seen.

In short the story is this: There have been many types of "football" games throughout history and England was no exception. In the middle of the 19th century a group got together to standardize a set of rules from the game and came up with a sport called Association Football in order to distinguish for other football sports like Rugby Football. Because the Brits love nicknames (such as Rugger for Rugby) they began to call the game "Assoccer" which quickly evolved into the word soccer and this was the term largely used bu the upper class. It wasn't until the lower classes (who didn't elite academic institutions where terms like rugger and soccer were used) began to use the term football that it took hold and shortly thereafter dominated the word soccer.

If you'd like to read the full story that I found feel free to click here. This website is full of great and practically useless information... That is unless you have a blog and want to show off all the random crap you know.

T.O. Sign 1-Year Deal With The Cincinnati Bengals; Ochocinco's Respose "Child, Please"

Terrell Owens signed a 1-year deal with Bengals today worth $2 million including a further $2 million in incentives. That's all I'm going to mention about T.O. the football player. The Bengals have brought together two of the biggest personalities in the NFL however I wouldn't worry about locker room issues as T.O. is past his prime and this is Chad Ochocinco's team.

Speaking of 85 has anybody caught his new reality show on VH1, Ochocinco: The Ultimate Catch? It's a dating reality show that started off with 85 women competing for the Black Mexican's affection (he eliminated 69 in the first show). I had the day off yesterday and watch several episodes without feeling my brain turn to mush which is quite an achievement given how most of these shows work. Ochocinco certainly has the upper hand over T.O. when it comes to their own TV show as last year's T.O. Show was decidedly unmemorable. The only downside to watching Chad on VH1 was the receiver's failure to use the term "Child, Please" it's a real shame.

Lane Kiffin Is Still An Asshole

The Tennessee Titans have filed a lawsuit against USC’s head football coach Lane Kiffin and the Universtiy for “maliciously” luring Titans running backs coach Kennedy Pola to USC. The Titans maintain that Kiffin and USC met with Pola and lured him away with a lucrative contract with full knowledge that Pola’s contract stipulated he must have written permission from the team before discussing other potential jobs. The Titans were left with a coaching vacancy less than a week before their training camp was set to begin. Pola had only been hired in February and was under contract until 2011. The lawsuit cites this recent action as evidence of a pattern of misconduct and improper methods used by Kiffin and USC since Kiffin abruptly left the University of Tennessee for Southern California after only one season.

Lane Kiffin has drawn constant criticism from his employers since Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis made him the youngest head coach in NFL history (at the time) several years ago. Kiffin was dismissed during his second season in Oakland (although I believe much fault belonged with Davis who insisted on starting QB Jamarcus Russell. How well did that work out?) Kiffin was then hired to be the head coach at Tennessee where he drew scorn for his brash attitude and his aggressive accusations against other SEC coaches, most notably Urban Meyer of Florida, for recruiting violations. Kiffin left UT after one season for his dream job at USC where he earned fame as an offensive coordinator. Kiffin will have a tough time re-establishing his reputation after USC was sanctioned for a series of recruiting violations that took place under former coach Pete Carroll and likely involved Kiffin as well.

I used to like Lane Kiffin and his attitude toward coaching but now he comes off as selfish and childish and will have to do a lot of work to redeem himself in my opinion. Of course if he is able to guide USC threw the serious sanctions that will be imposed by the NCAA next season then I’ll tip my cap.

ESPN Outside The Lines Reveals Results Of NFL Stadium Food Safety Investigation

Outside The Lines recently began an investigation after a series of complaints arose from fans about food safety violations in NFL stadiums across the league. This was part of a larger investigation concerning Health Code violations in America’s top sports venues. In terms of food safety they investigated the number of “critical food safety violations” that occurred at each stadium’s individual vendors. ESPN’s NFL Nation Blog then organized each NFL stadium and found some shocking results. Sun Life Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins, finished dead last with an abysmal 93% of all food vendors committing at least one critical food safety violation with reports of incidents like insects being included in frozen drinks served from a machine that was never cleaned. It appears as if the state of Florida is rather lax in enforcing their health code and as Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay and Jacksonville Municipal Stadium came in right behind Sun Life at the bottom of the list. The entire list can be found here.

On the other side of the coin you’re in luck if you’re a Patriots fan as the investigation of Gillette stadium did not yield a single violation. The Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium and The Colts’ Lucas Oil Field were next in line with only 4% and 7% of vendors committed violations. Just something to think about next time you order up a $14 hot dog.

The Wait Is (Kind Of) Over: NFL Training Camp Begins

This week begins with the opening of training camp for most of the NFL. Most NFL fans have eagerly been awaiting the start of camp which marks the end of the NFL’s interminable 6-month long offseason. After following Free Agency, the Draft and OTAs it is finally time for teams to bring their offseason plans to fruition and start turning their team into a cohesive unit. Right now every team is tied for first place and fans of any team have at some reason to get excited (although some more than others). The 2010 season has begun and we are less than 3 weeks away from watching live football as the first preseason games begin in mid-August.

Of course camp lasts for about a month and then there are still several weeks before Week 1 kicks and quickly all the excitement centered around the start of camp will dissipate as we get ready for the regular season and meaningful games to begin. The one saving grace of the preseason however will be the return of HBO’s finest television series, Hard Knocks, which will go camping with the New York Jets this preseason. For anyone who hasn’t gotten the chance to follow Hard Knocks in the past I’ll describe it simply; it is the best show for an NFL fan, ever. Getting an in-depth look about what life is like for NFL players and coaches is something most people have never seen before and Hard Knocks has rarely failed to live up to the hype. The Jets boast a roster full of talent and questionable character and at the very least we should all be entertained by the personalities of head coach Rex Ryan and characters like WR Santonio Holmes, CB Antonio Cromartie (father of 7 children by 6 women in 4 states) and QB Mark Sanchez. There is a lot of hype around the Jets this year as they surprised everyone last season by reaching the AFC Championship game and that excitement level will be evident in camp. Whether you like them or not every football fan should watch Hard Knocks if you are not already familiar with it.

Matt Garza Tosses 5th No-Hitter Of 2010

The Year or the Pitcher continued to live up to its name last night as Matt Garza of the Tampa Bay Rays notched the league’s 5th no-hitter of the season and we are not even 2/3rds of the way through. Garza allowed only one walk and faced the minimum 27 batters to complete the first no-hitter in Rays history. There are now only two franchises in the MLB who have never thrown a no-hitter, the San Diego Padres and of course the New York Mets (who will never thrown one, ever).

Nobody quite knows why pitchers have been so dominant this year but batting averages, home run totals and ERA’s are the lowest they’ve been in decades while across the board starters’ win totals are up. Over the last few seasons it was commonly assumed that the days of 20-wins were over and we would never see another 300-win pitcher (which still may be true). 2010 may be evidence of the cyclical nature of the game as the steroid era seems to have finally come to a close and we could see another era of pitching dominance like that of the 1960s and early 70s before rule changes were instituted benefit hitters. Only time will tell on that but it’s interesting to note.

Side note: It’s an intriguing happenstance that in the Year of the Pitcher we have seen the most viable Triple Crown contenders in recent memory (Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers being the most notable with a .349 avg, 24 HRs and 88 RBI’s). The last Triple Crowns occurred in the 1960s, the aforementioned period of pitching dominance, it would be an interesting correlation if we saw the first Triple Crown in 43 years in a year like 2010.

Miss Billiards 2010 Just Made Pool A Lot More Interesting

Stumbling through the internet the other day I found a reason to regret the countless times I skipped over competitive billiards on ESPN 2 at 2 PM on a weekend. That reason is Anastasia Luppova and she earned her second straight "Miss Billiards" crown this year after winning both the European and World Billiards Championships. I'm surprised nobody has thought to avidly market this girl considering she's probably the most attractive athlete (I know that term is a stretch when it comes to pool but c'mon...) out of Russia since Anna Kournikova (and by the way what the hell happened to her). I feel the need to take it upon myself to share someone this talented (at pool, right?) with the rest of the world.

MLB All Star Game Tonight 8 PM

Can the National League finally regain some of their dignity? The Midsummer Classic tees off tonight at 8 PM in Anaheim with the winning team claiming home field advantage in the World Series for their league’s Champion. The National League has failed to win an All Star game for the past 13 seasons post an 0-12-1 record in those games. They have lost out on home field for the World Series every time for the last couple of years since the rule’s inception. Can 2010 finally be their year?

For the better part of the last decade the AL has been considered the better of the two leagues because of their far superior offensive numbers and their All Star Game winning streak. However 2010 is quickly earning the epithet “The Year of the Pitcher” and a lot of that can be attributed to all the young talent in the NL. It would seem that pitching has finally come to overtake the Home Run as the centerpiece of excitement in the MLB (a lack of steroid usage may have something… or a great deal to do with it). We’ve already seen 4 No-Hitters including 2 Perfect Games and we’re only at the All Star break. The NL’s starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez is 15-1 after years of speculation that the days of the 20-win season were behind us and will face-off against Tampa Bay’s David Price who is 12-4 with a 2.42 ERA. Both of these guys are under 26 and lead a group of young pitchers that will dominate the next decade including Tim Lincecum, Josh Johnson, Clay Buchholz. Phil Hughes and Mike Pelfrey to name a few.

But enough about that. I’m tired of hearing about how much better the AL is than the NL. The National League needs to get off the schnide and win an All Star Game convincingly. It still won’t be considered the better league but it will go a long way to earning some street cred from baseball fans around the country.

George Steinbrenner Dead At 80

Legendary Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away this morning after suffering a heart-attack late last night, shortly after celebrating his 80th birthday on July 4th. Steinbrenner took control on a Yankees franchise that had been suffering from its longest stretch of mediocrity since before the arrival of Babe Ruth nearly 50 years prior. Steinbrenner took a strong-armed approached to managing his franchise and the result was 11 American League Pennants and 7 World Series Championships. He brought the team for barely $10 million and now leaves it with an estimate value of more than $1.5 billion.

George Steinbrenner was renowned for clashing with his players and managers and always put winning first. I came across a fitting quote from Steinbrenner that goes a long way in summing up his legacy.

“Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning second.”

While perhaps earning the ire of many opposing players and fans (as well as some of his own players and fans) throughout his career, Steinbrenner earned the respect of all. He will be missed in the baseball world by friends and foe alike.

Thoughts On LeBron And The Miami Heat

LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dewayne Wade are teaming up to play for the Miami Heat next season with aspirations of unprecedented success as they form the most talented “Big 3” the NBA has ever the seen. I really don’t believe you can pencil this team in for the NBA Finals next season but I won’t get into that here. Instead I’m going to talk about what this move means for LeBron’s legacy.

As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James quickly earned the nicknames “The King” and “The Chosen One” because his immense talent-level gave birth to the dream that he could be the one player to reach the level of Michael Jordan, or even supplant him as the best player in NBA history. After a series of playoff failures resulting from both a lack of help from his teammates and a lack of clutch shooting from himself, fans began to doubt that James could still be the next Jordan. By signing with the Miami Heat instead of Chicago, New York or Cleveland LeBron will now never be able to reach Jordan’s level, no matter how many NBA Titles he wins (which may not be many, but again that’s for another time).

LeBron chose the Heat because of his desire to win NBA Championships (it took Jordan 6 seasons to win his first, LeBron is entering his 7th) but in doing so has sacrificed his chance at immortality. He can never overtake Jordan’s legacy now because even if he wins 4 or 5 rings with the Heat he will receive the same stigma Kobe Bryant has recently been fighting off that will go something like “Well he had both Wade and Bosh”. Instead of passing Jordan, now the best James can hope to accomplish is to replace Scottie Pippen as the best running mate in the history of the NBA. Don’t get me wrong, LeBron will still be regarded as the best player in the NBA (for the next while at least) but think about what it will take for the Heat to win in the playoffs:

The Cavaliers have failed in the postseason recently because no one (James very, very much included) has been able to make big jump shots at the end of games. If LeBron had signed elsewhere he would still be the guy with the ball in his hands at the end of the game when it mattered, that won’t be the case in Miami. If Miami wins any NBA Championships Dewayne Wade will almost certainly be the Finals MVP of those teams (Jordan won 6 Championships and was the Finals MVP 6 times). Wade is a much better shooter than LeBron and has proved it on the biggest stage (don’t forget the 2006 NBA Finals when down 2 games to the Mavericks and trailing in the 2nd half of game 3, Dewayne Wade put the team on his back and made every big shot over the next 4 games en route to 4 straight wins and an NBA Title). Does anyone really think Wade won’t have the ball in his hands for the last shot of every big game? Think about the most lasting images of Michael Jordan’s career? How many are game-winning shots in the playoffs?

When push comes to shove the Miami Heat will be Dewayne Wade’s team, not LeBron James’. I guess we have to think of some new nicknames if Wade ever gets the chance to show that to the world.

ESPN Special: LeBron James "The Decision" Tonight 9 PM

LeBron James will finally make his long awaited decision on which team his will sign with tonight during a 1-hour special on ESPN. Seriously LeBron, get over yourself. What the hell are you going to air for 60 minutes tonight? A simple 10-15 minute press conference will generate just as much publicity and attention but I guess that's just not enough for LeBron's ego. Dewayne Wade and Chris Bosh's announcement that they would be playing for Miami next year sounds humble compared to this. Kevin Durant announced his 5-year $86 million extension with the Thunder with a simple Tweet. I'm both slightly apalled and slightly intriqued by how LeBron's camp plans to fill an hour-long special.

I don't think there can be any more speculation on his decision because everyone is in the dark, everyone. Basically there are 4 destination for LeBron to choose that can each make a defensible argument: Chicago, Cleveland, Miami and New York. I picked the Knicks initially so I am staying with that. If anyone wants more in depth opinions on the subject than I direct you to ESPN's Bill Simmons, who for all his smarmy shortcoming knows his NBA, and his most recent article on the subject at the link below, it's very enlightening on the current subject.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/100708

JaMarcus Russell Arrested For Sippin’ On Dat Lean

Former Number 1 overall pick QB JaMarcus Russell was arrested this past weekend for felony possession of a controlled substance, codeine syrup, and released on $2,500 bail. Russell was severely overestimated coming out of LSU because of his immense size and physical abilities. The first pick in the 2007 NFL Draft belonged to Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders who selected Russell and thereby set the franchise back by 5 years. JaMarcus immediately caused problems by holding out for nearly his entire rookie season and barely saw any playing time in ’07. Russell was pretty abysmal during his Raiders career compiling only a 7-18 record as a starter while throwing only 18 TDs compared to 23 INTs. His career passer rating is a paltry 65.2. Russell was the reason former Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin was ousted during his second season at the helm because owner Al Davis insisted Russell start while Kiffin believed him incapable. The Raiders finally benched Russell during this season and actually success with former wash-ups Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye who each won multiple games for the Raiders last year. Russell was released after the season after receiving nearly $40 million from the Raiders over 3 seasons. Several teams including the New York Jets showed mild interest in Russell but none considered him a potential starter. Russell is quickly making a case to be the biggest bust in NFL draft history as I can’t imagine any team in their right mind taking a chance on him after this arrest. This is Russell’s first offense so he probably won’t be sanctioned by the law too harshly. Unfortunately an added character flag may be enough to keep Russell out of the NFL for good.

I guess there’s always the UFL.

Knicks Make First Splash In Free Agency

The first move in the NBA free agent market was made yesterday when All Star F Amar’e Stoudemire signed a 5-year, $99.7 million deal with the New York Knicks yesterday. Stoudemire will be reunited with his former coach from the Phoenix Suns Mike D’Antoni and gives the Knicks a lot more credibility. I think New York made the move to sign Stoudemire to increase their chances of bringing in LeBron James. The Knicks had little to offer James in terms of a winning franchise but had enough cap room to sign two big time contracts this offseason. By adding Stoudemire the Knicks have now narrowed their target to James and to a lesser extent Dewayne Wade as the spot F Chris Bosh would fill is the same as Stoudemire’s.

This move makes a lot of sense for the Knicks. Amar’e was the guy LeBron wanted the Cavaliers to bring in at the trade deadline last year to help make a playoff run and Stoudemire has already said that he will reach out to James and try to recruit him. His presence offers both Wade and James a legitimate running mate and combo-ing either of them with Stoudemire would instantly make the team relevant in the East. Also if the Knicks fail to bring in either Wade or James they have made enough of a splash to generate some excitement with their fans instead of bitter disappointment in not signing James. I think the Knicks now have the same chance as the Chicago Bulls to sign James or Wade but as always with the situation nobody really knows. James is expected to make his announcement either Wednesday or Thursday so it’s wait and see until then.

NBA Free Agency: Are We In For Anticlimax?

12:01 AM this morning marked the being of the NBA free agency period, something almost everyone has been waiting for since the Cleveland LeBron James’ were bounced from the playoffs in the second round. With names like James, Wade, Bosh, Johnson, Pierce, Stoudemire and Nowitzki all on the board the country has been bracing itself for the most intriguing NBA offseason is history. However after months and months of speculation we may be in for one of the most anticlimactic endings to what promised to be the summer’s most hyped event. As teams can finally begin negotiating with players scenarios are beginning to become more clear however that clarity might be disappointing to many of us.

Because the NBA allows a player’s previous team to offer that player more money than anyone else it is becoming more and more likely that stars LeBron James and DeWayne Wade will re-sign with their respective teams rather than move on to somewhere else. The rampant speculation as to where the big stars will go has clouded the facts that these guys want Benjamins and wins (the Cavs and Heat can provide both with a little re-tooling as they both have cap space). Obviously I predicted James would sign with the Knicks and I stand by that possibility if only because it would great for both New York and the NBA in the long run. The other big names like Joe Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce have become free agents because they want a maximum contract before a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in reach after next season which will likely lower the amount of money teams can pay players. Those 4 aforementioned players can all expect max contracts from their currents teams and it would be a surprise to a degree if they signed elsewhere, even after testing the market.

At this point F Chris Bosh appears to be the only major name that will move this offseason considering is former team is reluctant to pay him. However having said all of that this recent bout of speculation is just that. Now that players can actually negotiate we can expect much more substantiated rumors than the litany of “source” that have fueled sports analysts for the past month and a half. We’d all love nothing more than to see some major moves this offseason that shape the power-balance of the NBA for years to come. For now, as always, we can only wait.

Roger Clemens Is Bored

TEXAS - Roger Clemens has announced that he will come out of retirement! Again! Who will he pitch for, you ask? The better question is, who will he pitch to. And the answer is: his son, Koby Clemens, in the Texas League (AA minor leagues) home run derby next Wednesday. Koby is second in the league in home runs, and is in the midst of a breakout season in his young career.

Roger Clemens hasn't pitched since 2007, when he laced up his spikes for the Yankees, but rust shouldn't be a problem for the 47 year-old. He'll have to change his mental approach though - instead of trying to strike out his son, he'll be serving up 75 mph fastballs in the hope that young Koby (age 23) can clobber a few over the fences.

P.S. For Koby's sake, hopefully his dad helped him "workout" before the contest. And by "workout" I mean take steroids. Excuse me, allegedly take steroids. (Sorry, I couldn't resist).

Harry Potter 7

I know this is primarily a sports blog, but with the release of the newest Twilight movie, "Orbit" or whatever it's called, I figured I would inform our readers of another development in the fantasy realm. On Monday, the official trailer for the seventh Harry Potter movie, "The Deathly Hallows", premiered online to rave reviews (reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes have already awarded the film 100%).

Although there are no vampires AT ALL in the Harry Potter series, myself and the rest of America are very excited about the film's November release. Now you can be too.

Enjoy.

Are We Seeing The End Of Roger Federer?

16-time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer was ousted by underdog Thomas Berdych in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon (an event he was won 6 of the last 7 years) in an unceremonious 4 sets. For the better part of the last decade Federer has been easily the most dominant player in tennis and on the grass courts of the All-England in particular (only Pete Sampras could rival such a dominating run). We are used to seeing Fed make it all the way to the finals without dropping a single set in the past but the tide may finally be changing. Federer dropped the first two sets he played in this year’s tournament to an unranked qualifier, a previously unthinkable event. He has played a shaky tournament throughout and an early exit seemed in the cards. The question must now be asked: Are we seeing the end of Roger Federer’s run of dominance?

It’s certainly too early to give up on Fed completely but a quarterfinal loss at Wimbledon to anyone other than Rafael Nadal shows that his skills have to be diminishing. Federer is now 28 which is old for a tennis player (like a 30-year old NFL running back or 35-year old MLB slugger) and certainly one cannot expect his game to get any better as he gets older. On the flip-side Federer won the Australian earlier this year and nobody saw any flaws in his game just a few months ago. I think Fed will gradually fall back to the pack and that the days of almost every Grand Slam final matching up Federer and Nadal are likely over. Fed is too good not to remain a force in tennis for a least a year or two more but it may finally be time for Rafael Nadal to take his rightful place as the undisputed World’s number 1 (he is the ATP’s #1 ranked player already).

Having said all that I believe that Roger Federer is the kind of special athlete who will rise above all the speculation is going to receive over the next few weeks. He could have just had a bad tournament and been nagged by some previously unknown injury but it is too early to tell at this point. Federer still has the US Open later this summer to prove his doubters wrong and I would be more than happy to see that from such a class act. For now though we can only wonder.

As a side note this may finally be the there when Wimbledon sees its first English Champion since 1936 in 4th seeded Andy Murray. He still has powerhouses Novak Djokovich and Nadal to go through but he’ll have every single person in the stands pulling for him as well as many around the world, myself included.

The Truth Joins The Free Agent Market

The day before the most heralded NBA Free Agent period in history begins, Celtics forward Paul Pierce enacted his contract’s early termination clause and joined what was already the most star-studded class in free agent history. Pierce’s announcement may have come as a surprise to some but his decision makes a lot of fiscal sense. Pierce will forego the more than $20 million that he is owed by the Celtics next year but will be well positioned to ink a deal worth over $90 million during the next four years which would take him into the twilight of his career (Pierce would be 36 by that time). In all likelihood Pierce will give the Celts the first crack at signing him but he’ll have a number of options and here’s why:

Most importantly Pierce will never have a better market in which to cash in big time than this offseason. That may seem odd considering he will be playing second fiddle to the James-Wade-Bosh triumvirate who will be the core targets of every NBA team with enough cap space (Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Cleveland, Miami etc.). However Pierce’s monetary value will actually be heightened because of this as teams that fail to land one of the big three will feel a lot of pressure from their fans to make some sort of splash during free agency (these teams have been shedding cap space at an unprecedented rate to position themselves and all lack a true centerpiece). The huge contracts that will be signed by the big 3 will also be used as leverage by Pierce and his agent to pump up his value (the top free agent contracts in any sport generally serve to define how the rest of the market will be valued, players will compare themselves in every which way to a player that has signed for big money and teams are hard-pressed to argue, especially if they’re desperate). Pierce is pretty much guaranteed to make bank this offseason wherever he signs.

I would still think Pierce is mostly to re-sign with the Celtics and pretty much ensure that he will finish his career there. He is a smart guy and he knows that his value as a player could have been greatly diminished by the time his current contract ended if he suffered from age and injuries. Pierce has also given himself the option to have some influence over how the Celtics’ roster shapes up next year with the threat to sign elsewhere if he doesn’t like the team’s makeup serving as his trump card. This new development adds yet another level of intrigue to what should already be an incredibly exciting NBA offseason.

What To Make Of Mike Vick

Philadelphia Eagles QB Mike Vick made headlines this past weekend after a shooting took place outside of a Virginia nightclub that was hosting Vick’s birthday party last Thursday. Vick’s attorney Larry Woodward maintains that Vick was neither present at the scene of the crime nor the nightclub itself when the shooting took place. Vick has stated that he had already left the party and had been gone for some time before the shooting took place. Virginia Beach police have further stated that Vick “is of no interest to us” in regards to the investigation after Vick spoke with Police and was reported as being “fully cooperative”. Vick did not learn of the shooting until Friday afternoon while he was holding a football camp at Hampton University and running drills with former teammate Roddy White.

The main point of intrigue regarding Vick is that the victim of the shooting was Quanis Phillips who was one of Vick’s co-defendants during his conviction for dogfighting several years ago. As a part of his probation Vick is prohibited with associating with any of his convicted co-defendants although it is unknown at this time whether or not Phillips was invited to the party or if he had any interaction with Vick whatsoever.

The NFL is also investigating to the facts to determine if there is any culpability on Vick’s part. Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that Vick’s margin for error would be “extremely limited” when he lifted his suspension last summer. It’s sad to see Vick involved in another criminal investigation after it had appeared he was back on the right track following a 23-month prison sentence when he returned to the NFL and joined the Eagles last August 13. It will be interesting to see how the NFL choosing to react to this situation especially considering that Vick appears to have almost no involvement with the shooting that was reported at 2:11 AM, nearly 2 hours after Vick said he left the club with Roddy White.

I hope Vick faces no serious repercussions because he appeared for all the world to be doing his best to atone for his crimes, a process that will likely take up the rest of us profession career. Vick only received limited playing time last season but showed flashes of his former self as the season progressed. I believe there is a solid chance that Vick can be the secret weapon Head Coach Andy Reid thought he was getting this coming season. With a year of conditioning and learning the system under his belt as well as a better idea of what works and what doesn’t I think Vick will fit much more snuggly into the versatile Eagles offense in 2010. Vick will also benefit from being the full-time backup QB this year behind first-year starter Kevin Kolb after the departure of Donovan McNabb to Washington. Don’t be surprised to see an increase in the flashes of brilliance we caught from Vick at the end of last year (including a 75-yard TD pass to Jeremy Maclin in the playoffs) as he is likely to get many more reps this season. Granted he does need to avoid any consequences from the commissioner’s office and perhaps I am being a little too optimistic but if he does do well next year, you heard it here first.

Bienvenidos a Miami?

There's been tons of speculation as to which team Lebron James will sign with once the NBA free agency period begins on July 1st. His main options include New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and Miami. Nobody has any idea where he will end up (most sources say Lebron himself is still undecided), and when asked the question, most of the "experts" name one of the four cities before admitting something like, "But nobody knows for sure." Gee, thanks guys.

Yesterday though, Fox's Stephen A. Smith made a bold prediction regarding the resolution of the NBA's largest off-season story. Smith said to Dan Patrick:

I got a call last night from a source and I double-checked it with another and they told me essentially that LeBron James and Chris Bosh are going to tag team and go together and join Dwyane Wade in Miami.

Around 10 o’clock last night or so I heard the news and stayed up for a few more hours and made a few phone calls and I felt comfortable enough to go with what I reported.

I believe it’s highly likely, I wouldn’t say anything is a done deal with LeBron James until it’s signed.

If Smith is right and Lebron ends up in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh this off-season, it could spell the beginning of a Heat dynasty. And why not? We already know that signing high-profile free agents can help a team win, like the 2008 Celtics. Miami's "Big Three" would consist of two of the best guards in the NBA, and a young, athletic big man with room to improve. That makes for a scary outlook in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

FIFA's Response To Criticism Of World Cup Officiating: Censor Replays Of Match Action... What?

Alright I’m sick of FIFA and all their crap. There have been at least half a dozen terrible officiating calls during the World Cup that have either disallowed legitimate goals or allowed illegitimate ones. They have been incredibly blatant and have had a serious effect on the outcomes of matches considering how few goals are scored in the World Cup and how a change in the scoreboard can seriously alter how the two teams play the rest of the match in terms of momentum, strategy and heart. The two most grievous offenses were England’s no-goal against Germany that was clearly a yard past the goal line and Argentina’s first goal against Mexico where the goal scorer Tevez was several feet offside. Those two calls were much worse than the phantom calls that removed a pair of US goals against Slovenia and Algeria (which were still terrible in their own right) because it only took a single replay to show just how wrong the referees had been. In both cases every player and coach as well as everyone in the stadium for that matter could see the injustice and most were demanding that the refs overrule their decision.

This kind of thing has happened before and FIFA maintains their stance that they “will consider using electronic replay” but for some reason nothing ever materializes. In my opinion FIFA thinks way too highly of itself and its product and doesn’t want to “taint its tradition” with modern technology. They seems to have this idea that human error is an integral part of the game and if a referee misses a call at high speeds then the plays should just deal with it and move on.

They hammered this point home this week by announcing that they will now censor the replays of live action shown on the stadiums’ big screens in response to criticism of officiating, specifically citing Mexico’s protest over Argentina’s second round goal which was sparked after the replay showed how offside the Argentines were. I am personally amazed at the hubris FIFA and their officials are showing us right now by not being willing to admit their mistakes until well after the match in which they happened so their mistakes cannot be challenged. Now they won’t even show replays when they mess up so players and fans won’t get mad at them. That is simply cowardice.

I can understand not overturning poor calls on congested plays in the box like the ones that robbed Team USA. A good comparison can be seen in NFL officiating; there is holding along the offensive line on almost every single play and it is up to the refs to judge how egregious the infraction is, sometimes they get it right, sometimes they make bad calls. The point is you can’t go back and review every penalty because you’ll start finding penalties on every single play and the game will go nowhere. However when it comes to reviewing goal scoring where it is 99% clear what the correct call is and where the outcome of the game is likely on the line then it is time for referee’s to shelve their pride and make the right call. Or at least admit right then and there that the referee didn’t get a good look at a fast-moving play and was unable to make the correct call.

(Remember the Ed Hochuli call a couple years ago that basically gave the Broncos a win over the Chargers after he blew whistle early on a fumble that would have won the game or San Diego? Hochuli blew his whistle on a fumble initially thinking it was an incomplete pass thereby stopping the play and preventing the Chargers from making the recovery which they easily would have done. Hochuli immediately admitted that it was his fault for blowing the whistle but the rule book states that they play is dead and so he basically said that it was his error that screwed the Chargers but he couldn’t change the rulebook. Hochuli took a lot of heat but also earned a lot of respect for admitting that he was wrong, it was just the nature of the rules and in the aftermath the injustice didn’t seem nearly as bad.)

FIFA simply has no sack (they are a soccer organization after all) and want to sit back on this “human-error and tradition” crap to deflect any legitimate arguments. All they need to do is look at replay in the NHL. There was a perfect example during the NHL finals where the Fiyers scored on a puck that replay showed to be clearly be passed the goal line. The ref initially ruled no-goal because it was hard to tell at such fast speeds. Play continued for several minutes before there was a stoppage but during that time replay officials were able to see the replay and realize their error. They took the opportunity at the first possible stoppage to review the play where it was ruled a good goal and the clock was reset. The NHL literally erased several minutes of game time because they missed a pivotal goal but quickly moved to rectify the error and serve justice, not a single person had a problem with it.

Now why can’t FIFA do that?

NBA Draft: Kentucky G John Wall Taken First Overall (Duh), Ohio State's Evan Turner Number Two

In a move that surprised no one in the sports world the Washington Wizards selected super-star Freshman John Wall who came off of a brilliant rookie campaign at the University of Kentucky last year under John Calipari. Wall was anointed to be the Number 1 overall selection after his first game in college last season, simply because he is just that good. He's got athleticism, speed, can shoot, can throw it down, you name it he's got it. He compares very well to Derek Rose, another diaper dandy produced by Calipari at Memphis at few years ago, who was also the first pick in the draft by the Chicago Bulls and has met expectations so far. Wall has everything it takes to become one of the next generation of stars in the NBA along with Rose and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant to name a few. Now he has to put aside the hype and put the work in to become truly great, I don't think anybody wants to see another Michael Beasley formerly of Kansas State.

I really liked what the Philadelphia 76ers did with 2nd overall pick by taking last season's Naismith Player Of The Year in Evan Turner. Turner is a versatile SG who averaged over 20 points and 9 rebounds a game last year for the Buckeyes. Turner is the kind of all-around scoring threat that the Sixers haven't had since the days of Allen Iverson (not including the 20 or so games he played this year before flaming out). Andre Iguodala has become the face of the franchise and while he is a talented player he doesn't have the ability to make big shots to win games that is so necessary to being one of the NBA's elite (just ask Kobe). I think Turner can help right the ship in Philadelphia which had a rather dreadful season last year. Only time will tell with these guys but Wall and Turner are probably as close to a lock in the NBA Draft as you are going to find.