Melo, Amar'e Step Up As Knicks Beat LeBron And The Heat In Miami

The additions of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire have clearly revitalized basketball in New York but it may be the unsung acquisition of former All Star G Chauncey Billups that makes the Knicks a dangerous team heading into the playoffs. Billups hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with a minute left helping the Knicks knock of the Miami Heat 91-86 on the road behind 29 pts from Carmelo and 16 and 10 from Stoudemire.

The Knicks fell behind by 15 early in the first half of this game but rallied with a 16-0 run to head in to halftime with a 1 point lead. LeBron James had a chance to score a go-ahead bucket of his in the game's final seconds with his team trailing by one but was rejected on a charge to the hoop by Amar'e after he beat Carmelo from the top of the key. On their next possession with the Heat now trailing by 3 LeBron got up to his own crunch-time tricks by bricking a shot from beyond the arc that would have tied the game.

Many analysts (myself included) have been unsure about how much better the Knicks would be after the Carmelo trade considering how much of their nucleus that had to part ways with. They may now be on their way to surprising some of their critics thanks to the production they have been receiving from Billups who many considered a throw-in in the deal. Billups is a veteran scoring threat who is a knock-down 3 point shooter and has an NBA finals MVP award to show for his work with the Pistons 6 years ago. The Knicks may have lost nearly 50 pts a game in combined scoring in the deal by in return they added two guys who can consistently make big shots with under 4 minutes remaining in a game which usually makes all the difference in the playoffs (just ask LeBron who was failed by secondary scoring options who choked like Mo Williams and Boobie Gibson).

I'm not sure how much the Knicks can really contend in the playoffs this year but it would not surprise me if they sparked a first round upset over the Celtics, Heat or Bulls if they were matched up with them. The Heat on the other hand have entered a 10-game span in which they must play 9 likely playoff teams including the San Antonio Spurs twice. The Heat have only been so-so against the other top teams in the NBA so we should get a good idea of how far the Heat's big 3 can really take them.

Alabama WR Julio Jones Stars At Combine, Raider's Owner Al Davis Already Planning To Draft Him (Probably)

Alabama wideout Julio Jones entered the NFL scouting combine largely considered the number 2 WR prospect behind Georgia's A.J. Green who has been touted as the best receiving talent in the draft since Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald. However Jones significantly closed the gap between Green and himself after he churned in a show-stealing performance on Sunday.

Measuring 6'3" and 220 lbs Jones impressed scouts with a 38 1/2" vertical leap, an 11'3" standing broad jump and most importantly ran an eye-popping 4.39 in the 40-yd dash (compared to Green's 4.50 which simply met expectations). Obviously combine performances only go so far in predicting a player's true ability in the NFL but Jones' workout bodes well when combined with his prolific production at Alabama where he racked up 180 catches for over 2,600 yards in his 3 seasons with the team.

It is still unlikely that Jones would be drafted ahead of Green who is a sure fire top-10 pick but he did ensure that he will not fall below the middle of the first round with the receiver-starved Rams picking at number 14 (the Oakland Raiders don't have a pick in the first round this year but considering how much Al Davis adores players with great workout numbers you never know what might happen). This is the time of year when some high-profile players can see their draft status slip dramatically after their size, strength and character are scrutinized under a figural microscope by every NFL team. In 2005 Aaron Rodgers fell from being a possible top overall pick all the way to number 24 and in 2008 DeSean Jackson dropped from the top receiver projected in the middle of the first round all the way to the middle of the second behind 6 other WRs. How'd that workout again?

After More Than 40 Hours Of Mediated Meetings NFL Labor Talks Making Zero Progress

The dreaded possibility of an NFL lockout is almost certainly less than a week away at the NFLPA and owners spent more than 40 hours in negotiations this week under the guidance of a mediator. The certainty of a lockout after the CBA expires next week increased amid reports of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell contacted teams regarding the rules of regulations they must abide by in the event of a lockout. Players' agents recently entered negotiations and an unspecified source reported that the two sides "...are not close on a single issue. Not a single one."

The only reason for optimism I can possibly find in this situation for a new CBA being designed before the draft or season will be the players' union conceding on some issues once the reality of being locked out sets in. For instance an issue has arisen with medical insurance benefits that will not be extended after the lockout. A specific example of the ensuing ramifications can seen in an anonymous Steelers' player whose wife is due to give birth on March 8, the player's family is now considering inducing labor early if their insurance is suspended.

They're are other major issues including the nearly 500 players who are scheduled to be free agents this offseason who have very uncertain futures and the limitations imposed on players who are rehabbing injuries this offseason who likely won't have full access to their team's training facilities.

Nobody has any idea when the labor negotiations will be resolved or even progressed because it will likely come down to one side shelving their stubborn pride as realize what they're costing themselves and the fans.

Sixers Rout Pistons, Move To .500 For First Time All Season

After a dismal 3-13 start to the season the Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the NBA's hottest teams recently winning 12 of their last 16 games, the latest a 110-94 win over a depleted Detroit Pistons, to level their record at 29-29. The Sixers are 26-16 since their poor start and have compiled an impressive 19-9 record at home. While these numbers don't seem eye-popping on the surface one must consider that this team won only 27 games a year ago and have made no major acquisitions since.

Head coach Doug Collins will likely win the Coach of the Year award if the Sixers continue their strong play for the rest of the season as they could conceivably finish as high as the number 5 seed in the East (they are currently number 7). The team's success can be attributed to the revitalized play of Peekskill High's own Elton Brand (who is averaging 15 and 9 after being a major disappointment in his first 2 years), unselfish play from F Andre Iguodala who is thriving as a facilitator and the emergence of a bevy of young, blooming talent headlined by guards Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams as well as forwards Thaddeus Young and Marreese Speights. What's more is that they've done all of this without major contributions from last year's number 2 overall pick Evan Turner who has yet to develop his talent at the NBA level.

The Sixers seem to be getting better every game and currently sit only 1 game back to the New York Knicks who despite their addition of Carmelo Anthony lost to the 11-win Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. With 24 games remaining in the season they'll look to cement themselves in the 6 seed as they try to eat away at the 51/2 game lead the Atlanta Hawks have for the 5th spot. This team really isn't a contender this year but have a great outlook moving forward as they expect to finish the season over .500 for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

Bad News Adding Up For Mets Ownership

The financial woes of the Wilpon Family, owners of the New York Mets, continued to compound themselves this week as reports surfaced that the Mets received a loan from Major League Baseball to cover operating costs last November said to be in the range of $25 Million. This is only the lastest piece in a saga on financial insecurity stemming from the Wilpons involvement in the Madoff Ponzi Scheme that has resulted in the family being on wrong end of a lawsuit seeking up to $1 Billion for the Wilpons withdrawing fictitious profits.

As a result the Wilpons have been hoping to sell 20-25 percent of the Mets in order to facilitate their financial liquidity. Their agent in charge of finding potential investors, Steve Greenberg, has recently stated that they could be selling even more than that. The Wilpons maintain that they will not relinquish a controlling stake in the team which will likely inhibit to a high profile investor such as Donald Trump.

Somehow I can't see the Wilpons' situation in the near future (if ever) and depending on the outcome of the lawsuit it is entirely likely they will have to relinquish control of the team. The family continues to defend their financial stability and downplay the seriousness of the situation however that is the exact same approach they tend to take when describing the state of the Mets. The message that everything is under control is just a facade in my mind and for the sake of the team I hope they face the direness of the situation if it becomes untenable and sell a controlling interest in the team. While unfortunate I can't say I'd be unhappy if that were the case as new ownership will likely attempt to make a splash or two in order to regenerate fan fervor around the Mets that has been lethargic during the past few disappointing years.

Seriously would anyone not want to see Donald Trump in control of the team? For better or worse he would do everything in his power to attempt to unseat the Yankees at the top of New York. Even if he failed miserably it's not like the team would be in a worse position than when he took it over.

Miguel Cabrera To Begin Treatment For Alcoholism. Finally.

Detroit Tigers 1B Slugger Miguel Cabrera reported to Spring Training this week shortly after being arrested on suspicion of DUI on Feb. 16. Cabrera apologized to his team, fans and Major League Baseball on thursday and he will begin treatment for alcoholism in a situation similar to that of AL MVP Josh Hamilton.

Cabrera, who doesn't even possess a valid Florida Driver's License, said he won't do any more driving in the near future but did not confirm that he has a problem with alcohol or any addition issues at all. In his statement Cabrera did not definitively condemn his actions stating "I have it under control. It was just a bad decision. I plan to continue with treatment. I made a mistake this time, and all I can do is continue treatment."

Cabrera was Hamilton's main competition in the MVP race last year putting up silly offensive numbers: .328 avg., 38 HRs, 126 RBIs, .420 OBP with a 1.042 OBPS but has carried character issues since the beginning of his career with the Florida Marlins. Cabrera was a rookie phenom for the Marlins when they won the World Series in 2003 but has battled weight and disciplinary issues for his entire career since despite his first rate offensive production. The Detroit Tigers are expected to contend for the AL Central crown this season but in order to accomplish that goal they will need Cabrera at his best.

LeBron Still Can't Get It Done At Crunch Time; Lose To Derrick Rose And The Bulls

Despite posting one of the best records in the NBA with the Miami Heat, LeBron James is showing the world that he still struggles in crunch time. The Heat lost to MVP candidate Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls last night after blowing a lead at half time, 93-89. The Heat have proven that they have no trouble cruising through the lower ranks of the NBA en route to a 42-16 record. However after losing to the Bulls they are a combined 0-5 against Chicago and Boston, their top competition in the eastern conference. The Heat also dropped both their contests against the Dallas Mavericks who are number 2 in the West (they have yet to play the San Antonio Spurs who post the NBA's top record).

Everyone knows that LeBron chose to team up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami in order to finally win that NBA Championship that eluded him Cleveland. Despite their absurdly high profile it appears as though the Heat's season is shaping up much like LeBron's last two seasons with the Cavaliers where the at least 60 games in each and were the top seed in the East heading into the playoffs only to be knocked out in rather unceremonious fashion by the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics respectively.

As I've said before if the Heat expect to win an NBA title this season or in the near future then it will be Wade and not LeBron who carries them there. This season whoever wins the East will likely have to knock off 2 of the top 3 teams in the conference and so far it appears the Heat will be the underdogs if they have to face either the Bulls or the Celtics. Can they beat them both in consecutive series?

Glad To See Ryan Dempster Has Been Working Hard This Offseason

I can't say I've ever really cared about anything Cubs SP Ryan Dempster has ever done or said but he does do a pretty impressive Matt Foley impression. I was also glad to see that Tim Kurkjian continues to over-enthusiastically impressed with a baseball player's accomplishment, no matter how trivial.

Blake Griffin Highlight Of The Day

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that rookie F Blake Griffin has taken the NBA by storm this year with a nightly barrage of thunderous dunk highlights that lead to Griffin becoming the first rookie ever selected by a coach to an NBA All Star game and I think he did ok at the Slam Dunk competition this past weekend as well, something about dunking over a car or something...

In a little over half a season Griffin already has a full portfolio of dunk highlights that is equal to many 10 year vets. I was thinking of way to incorporate some of his highlights in this block and decided the best way will be to make a recurring segment with new Blake highlights every update. To start us off here's a compilation of Blake's top ten plays from the first half of the year. Enjoy.

NFL Combine: Cam Newtown's Time To Shine

Taking a break from the ongoing black hole of labor negotiations the NFL will descend upon the city of Indianapolis this week for the annual circus of the NFL scouting combine. This 7 day period will mean millions of dollars to NFL prospects and they look to audition for all 32 NFL teams and the NFL Draft. Players have the opportunity to display their measurable skills and talent in a number of different drills and events that will then be taken apart and dissected to Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay for the next two months until we're sick of it. Equally important to the drills however will be the interviews that many top prospects will have with their potential suitors.

These interviews are especially important to players who carry character issue flags with them heading into the NFL Draft. A player can seriously cripple their draft stock if they are unable to absolve themselves in the eyes of their potential suitors. Examples of this can be found in the recent drafts with player like Dez Bryant and Michael Crabtree who were both easy Top-5 WR receiver talents who dropped significantly because of lingering character issues which cost them both millions considering what the top draft picks tend to make.

The big story of this year's draft is easily Auburn QB Cam Newtown who is coming off a Heisman-winning, National Championship season. Newtown has the biggest upside of an QB in the draft with his tremendous combination of size, speed, strength and collegiate success. In his only season at Auburn Newtown torched SEC defenses on a weekly basis accounting for 50 totals TDs and an undefeated season. However he also carries a lot of risk as he was the subject of a pay-to-play controversy before he chose to attend Auburn. He also only started one season as a starter in FBS competition and ran a unique style of offense at Auburn. Scouts are skeptical of how this lack or experience will translate to the pro level.

In order to answer his critics Newtown will be participating in every QB drill at the combine which is a rarity for the top QB prospects who prefer to hold their own personal workouts for teams closer to the draft. Cam has already begun the process of marketing himself by holding a special workout solely for the media earlier this month and is clearly unafraid of hurting his stock with a subpar performance. Newtown finished the season being considered the 2nd or 3rd best QB in the draft and was looking at being chosen somewhere in the 10-20 range. If he can charm scouts and critics alike in the coming week I wouldn't be surprised to see the Carolina Panthers or Buffalo Bills think about taking him with either the 1st or 3rd overall selection at the end of April.

Tiger Woods Continues To Struggle

Nearly 16 months removed from his last win on the PGA Tour, Tiger Woods again failed to overcome the pressure and was knocked out in the first round of the Match Play Championship by Thomas Bjorn. A 3-time winner of the event Woods drained a clutch birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Bjorn only to send his following drive into the Arizona desert out of bounds all but assuring Bjorn of victory.

Ever since returning to the PGA at the Masters last April Tiger has struggled to regain his once dominant form. Tiger has dropped the number 1 ranking he had a strangle-hold on for the past decade last year and is making a habit of falling short during his comeback campaign. Woods has shown more and more flashes of his former self in 2011, turning in a number of good rounds. However while he has put himself in position for a win he has continued to crack under the pressure and has wasted more of his good rounds with tight, anxious ones that have cost him dearly.

It is clear to me that Tiger's struggles are all cerebral as his play has oscillated between great and putrid during the last 10 months and it remains to be seen when or even if he can recover his old form. I think we will get a much better idea of where Tiger's career in going from his performance in Major championships this year. He always plays his best in Majors and if he can pull out a win in one this year he may be able to restore himself to his familiar position at the top of the PGA food-chain.

NBA Trading Deadline: Knicks, Nets Make Big Moves

With the NBA All-Star break in the past and playoff races kicking into high gear the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets have made the biggest moves as the trading deadline approaches.

The Knicks finally ended the season-long saga of Carmelo Anthony by moving nearly half of their existing roster in return for 5 players headlined by Anthony and PG Chauncey Billups. The Knicks move has less to do with contending this season as they gave up nearly 50 points a game in production to get Carmelo. Melo is obviously one of the best scorers in the league but is nothing special on defense and on paper the Knicks haven't improved much. However Carmelo has already proved invaluable at the end of close games as proved by his 27 point 10 rebound performance in his debut against the Bucks. He also gives the Knicks the ability to give F Amar'e Stoudemire more rest for his chronically ailing knees after averaging a career-high in minutes in the first half of the season. Ultimately the Knicks will be able to replace the players they gave up and will now look to build their team around Amar'e and Carmelo. While they'll almost certainly make the playoffs this season don't expect them to be a real contender in the ever-improving Eastern Conference for another season or two.

The Nets were the Knicks biggest competitor for Carmelo and are ultimately responsible for the price New York had to pay after they had a deal in place with Denver. While they missed out on Carmelo Nets eccentric billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov pulled the trigger to bring in All-Star PG Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz to serve as a central piece for the team to build around in preparation for their planned move to Brooklyn for the 2012-2013 season. I think this is a great deal for New Jersey who is only two years removed from the worst season in franchise history. It is clear that with Prokhorov and Jay-Z at the helm this team is looking to aggressively acquire talent and produce a contender by the time they move. It would appear as though the balance of power is in the final stages of completing its shift from the Western to the Eastern Conference.