DJ Steve Porter's "All He Does Is Lin"

MLB To Expand Playoff To 10 Teams As Early As This Season

Sources have reported that Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association are close to announcing an expansion of the current playoff format from 8 to 10 teams. Thursday is the deadline (albeit a soft deadline) for implementing an expanded playoff field for the upcoming 2012 season. The new format would feature 2 wildcard spots in each league instead of just one. Those two wildcard teams would then play each other in the first round while the 3 division winners would have a first round bye of sorts. The players union had been initially opposed to expanding the playoffs until the 2013 season when the MLB will realign into 2 15 team leagues as opposed to the current format where there are 16 NL teams and 14 AL teams (the Houston Astros will leave the NL Central and move to the AL West).

I am personally all for this idea. Having only 8 playoff teams in a 30-team league with 162 games played a season just makes sense. It also better serves the division winners who will get the advantage of a bye. Since the wildcard spot was added in the mid-90s there really has been no real advantage to winning your division over just winning the wildcard. I also think this is a big improvement to the current 1-game playoff that results if two teams finish the regular season tied after 162 games. I'm trying to image who would not benefit from this current situation and am having trouble thinking of anyone. Hot teams sneaking into the playoffs and going on deep playoff run is something that is going to happen regardless and happen in any sport. Period.

Of course this doesn't make a lick of difference to any of us Mets fans who can't really have a positive outlook on our team's playoff chance until at least 2014 at the earliest, and even that's optimistic. Obviously this isn't a done deal yet but the signs are all pointing to 10 teams competing for the World Series this October.

The Dwight Howard Dilemma

It goes without saying that Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is the best Center is basketball right now (averaging 20 points and 15 boards a game this year) and it is pretty much impossible to think of a better defensive presence in the league (especially considering Dwight has been named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in each of the past 3 seasons). He is a premiere big who, at the age of 26, is in the prime of his career. Howard's contact with Orlando, with whom he has played all 7 seasons of his career, is up at the end of this season and it is becoming ever more clear that the Magic will not be able to re-sign him barring the team making some kind of magical run to the NBA Finals (which ain't happening). The question is, where will he end up?

There was a tremendous amount of trade speculation during the few short weeks in December when the NBA offseason took place because of the lockout. Howard was tied to a number of teams in search of his services and a deal seemed imminent. However this turned out not to be the case and Howard stayed put in Orlando, backing off trade demands he had made during the summer and fall. As we approach the March 15 trade deadline Howard's name has once agin become the center (pun absolutely intended) of attention once again. The question of course is where he will go and in my mind there is only one answer: The soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets. Furthermore I am convinced that Howard will not be traded this season and will simply sign with the Nets this upcoming summer.

Not trading Dwight Howard will benefit all parties involved. Obviously the Nets NEED Dwight Howard as they will be moving into their beautiful new Brooklyn stadium next year and have to sell tickets (would you buy tickets to see this roster play?).

The Nets acquired All-Star PG Deron Williams from the Jazz last season and need to pair him with a stud big-man to become a threat in the East. However trading for Howard at this point in the season just doesn't make sense. Howard has already publicly said that he wants to play for the Nets next year and the team has enough money to sign him to a max deal. Also at 11-25 the Nets have no chance of making the playoffs with or without Howard so what's the point of giving up all the other talent on your team to get him? Guys like Jordan Farmar and Brook Lopez aren't stars but will be good role players surrounding Williams and Howard and the Nets should not do what the Knicks did last year in acquiring Carmelo Anthony (they gave up all their talent except for Amar'e Stoudemire and struggled to finish the season before getting swept in the first round, they then started this year 8-15 before that Jeremy Lin fellow showed up). Obviously it's in both Howard an the Nets' best interest to wait until the offseason but you might be surprised to learn that it may very well also be better for the Magic to let Dwight Howard walk.

This seems counterintuitive to let their star walk away for free but if you think about it what can the Nets offer the Magic that will really improve their team besides a first round pick or two? Getting a bunch of role players with no star for them to orbit won't make them much better if at all and I believe that talent improvement would be greatly outweighed but the financial commitment (something like $30 Million in cap space) the Magic would have to make to those new players. Orlando will be in a better situation if they if let Dwight go because they will then have the freedom to sign the free agent talent of their choosing. Besides superstars what is the best asset you can have in the NBA besides cap space?

Now of course another team could swoop in with a great offer and completely change the landscape if say the Lakers package Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol (or both) with a few draft picks. There is a solid possibility of that happening but the Lakers have to be certain they can re-sign Howard after the season.

RG3 Impresses At Combine, Likely Solidifies Number 2 Overall Pick

Former Baylor QB Robert Griffin III continued his meteoric rise up NFL draft boards this weekend with a sterling performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. Griffin opted not to participate in throwing drills, he will save that for his pro-day later in March, but showed off his terrific athletic ability nonetheless. RG3's was the star of the show in the all-important 40-yard dash posting an official time of 4.41 (although he actually believes it was faster). That is the fast 40 time for a QB since Mike Vick put up the fastest ever with a 4.33 in 2001.

Stanford QB Andrew Luck has been penciled in as the number 1 overall pick since this time last year when he was also considered the consensus number 1 prospect but chose to return to Stanford for another season to try and bring his team a Rose Bowl and a Heisman Trophy. Luck did nothing to hurt his chances with another terrific year but failed to take home the Heisman, which pretty much everyone was all but ready to hand to him at the beginning of the year. This reason for this is simple: RG3. Griffin's total season stats were off the chart to begin with (4,293 yds, 37 TDs, 72.4% completion percentage and only 6 INTs) but were highlighted by a 5-game winning streak to close out the regular season that featured wins over Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri that vaulted Baylor to its highest end of season ranking (after finishing the year with a 67-56 barn burning win over Washington in the Alamo Bowl. RG3 was fantastic over that stretch averaging more than 450 yards of offense and scoring 20 TDs. What's more is that anyone who watch Griffin play during that time will tell you that even those numbers don't do justice to Griffin's performance. He has the moxie of a winner and the toughness to match. Griffin's play ripped the Heisman out of Luck's hands and showed the world the next QB of the future.

I jumped on the Griffin bandwagon this season and my respect for him has only continued to grow. What has impressed me the most about RG3 is what comes out of his mouth. Griffin gives a great interview showing humility, elocution, intelligence and genuine good humor. I think this is a quality people tend to underestimate (I've heard numerous people dismissing RG3 future in the NFL because they just see his flashy play and don't believe he possesses the mental capacity to take his game to the next level in the NFL) but I am convinced it is an important indicator of how well a top QB prospect can adjust to the NFL with all that is thrown at them when they enter the league. For example look no further than last year's Heisman winner and number 1 overall pick Cam Newton who overcame serious pre-draft doubts about his accuracy and ability to run a traditional offense. Cam took everything in stride with a smile on his face and despite not having a full off-season turned in the best rookie season for a QB ever. While RG3 lacks Cam's massive frame that allowed him to become the best goal line threat in the NFL last year, I still envision Robert Griffin III taking the league by storm next year and turning in some particularly eye-popping performances early and often.

Halfway Through The NBA Season, Who Is The MVP?

As we arrive at the halfpoint point of this year's truncated NBA season the MVP race appears for all intents and purposes to be down to a two horse race: Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and LeBron James of the Heat. If one were to look only at statistics than it would be LeBron in a runaway as the much-maligned superstar has been putting up the best numbers of his career averaging 28, 7 and 8 a game (pretty impressive considering this guy won back-to-back MVPs in his last two years in Cleveland). However in my opinion it's been Durant who has taken his game to another level this year.

The Durantula is currently second in the NBA is scoring at 27.7 a game (a shade ahead of LeBron) as well as averaging career highs in rebounds and assists (8.2 and 3.3 respectively) while turning the young Thunder (their 4 best players are all 23 years old or younger) into the favorites to win the Western Conference. Durant (who we should remember became the youngest player ever to win an NBA scoring title 2 years ago) has shown the biggest improvement in his scoring efficiency this season shooting nearly 52% from the field (his career average coming into the season was 46%) and has allowed his impressive supporting cast (SGs Russell Westbrook and James Harden, PF Serge Ibaka and C Kendrick Perkins) to excel and gel into one of most balanced offensive attacks we've seen in recent years to go along with their vastly improved defense thanks to Perkins and Ibaka's low-post dominace. As a result the Thunder have the best record in the NBA and should be served well thanks to this year's compact schedule that will benefit young and deep teams. The Thunder are the youngest and deepest contender in the league. Period.

I don't want to take anything away from what LeBron has been doing this year as the Heat's big three have stepped their game up as well after all the scrutiny they have faced since "The Decision." However LeBron's great numbers have been inflated by the fact that co-star Dwyane Wade missed a large portion of the season in the early going allowing LeBron more freedom on offense (Durant's running mate Westbrook has played every game this year and is dropping 23.4 points a game). However over the past 10 games it has been Wade and not LeBron who has lead Miami in scoring and while this might bode well for the Heat's NBA Championship aspirations it may very well be the factor that costs LeBron his 3rd MVP award.

Moving away from the numbers, I think Durant's humble nature and team-first attitude that will endear him to the MVP voters. If the second half of the season plays out like the first than I fully expect Kevin Durant to be named the NBA MVP, he's just that good. You only need to watch one OKC Thunder game to see that Durant does the things that we've all been hoping LeBron would do for the past 4 or 5 years. He's unselfish, is a knockdown outside shooter, is not overly concerned with his public image or "brand" as LeBron would call it and seems to do everything you want to see out of a Champion.

Obviously neither Durant nor LeBron has won an NBA title but what intrigues me most about this debate is that there is legitimately a 60% chance we see these two teams face off in the NBA Finals this year. Like it or not the Heat are the class of the Eastern Conference and the only team that could really battle them for the spot, the Chicago Bulls, are suffering through the injury woes of last season's MVP Derrick Rose and so far have not proven that they have improved to the level that would let them beat the Heat in a 7-game series (they got bounced by the Heat in 5 games in last year's conference finals). As a fan of watching great players be great I would like nothing more than to see the Thunder and Heat face off in the NBA Finals this year. I think that series would define which player and which team will be the class of the NBA for the next 5 or so years. Obviously I'd be pulling for Durant and co. but on the flip side that might be LeBron's last chance to establish a legacy of one of the NBA's greatest.

Josh Hamilton Undergoing "Makeover"

Lefty slugger Josh Hamilton has had one of the most promising Major League careers waylaid time and again by his battles with alcoholism and substance abuse. When Hamilton was drafted his was considered to be the most talented prospect since Alex Rodriguez and by now should have been chasing home run milestones. Instead he continually struggled to even make it to the Show and half of his playing days were over by the time he finally was able to put together a productive season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2007. Hamilton was traded to the Rangers the next year and has been a central facet of their potent offense which has reached the World Series each of the last 2 years.

However Hamilton has continued to struggle with his inner demons, relapsing in early 2009 and again during this past season while he was on the DL. Hamilton has shown legitimate remorse for his continued stumbles on the road to recovery and recently declared that he his undergoing a full makeover to his life in the hope of finding out what has caused his relapses.

Hamilton is a singular talent that still has 5 or 6 years of top-level ball ahead of him. It is clear that his substance abuse is something he will have to battle for the rest of his life and we can only hope that he will be able to rise above it for the rest of his playing career. For now it appears that the Rangers are supporting Hamilton and are not immediately inclined to let him walk which signals that they believe in his ability to overcome his addiction problems. I think that the team is right in this regard and hope it works out for the best. I mean who can forget the 2008 Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium?

NFL Offseason: Free Agent Wide Receivers

We're now in the middle of February which generally marks the dark times of the NFL Offseason as Free Agency and Trading do not begin for another month. Then there's the NFL draft that, despite the fact that Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay would have you believe is right around the corner, doesn't occur for 10 more weeks. This is the time where ESPN is forced to pump us with filler as they try to find how many different iterations of things like "team needs" and "cap space" that can pack into their broadcasts and website. This hasn't even begun to hit on this the Peyton Manning saga where we have a daily update of NOTHING on whether or not he will stay with the Colts. This is the spiritual successor to the tradition started by Brett Favre several years ago after his retirement from the Packers, then subsequent retirement from the Jets an then subsequent speculation on will he retire again. In short this time of year sucks.

As Free Agency is the closest impending event, it's the best subject for a blog post, or whatever. The most intriguing part of this year's class is the amount of talent that may be available at WR. Receivers are going to be in demand in March considering how last season showed how fully immersed the NFL was in the new "age of the pass" and many teams will be looking to improve their receiving corps. They'll have that opportunity with guys like Vincent Jackson, Marques Colston, Dwayne Bowe and to a lesser extent Mario Manningham, Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd. There is also a distinct possibility that speedsters DeSean Jackson (most likely through trade) and Mike Wallace (restricted free agent) might also be available.

To me the two Jacksons are the most interesting candidates. At 6'5" 230lbs Vincent Jackson has at times looked like the most dominant physical receiver in the league. However he has battled with team management and coaches as well as his own injuries over the past few years and his potential has never fully been realized, despite posting over 1,000 yards in 3 of the last 4 years. His size and strength combined with his verticality make him a prime talent for teams looking for a big time target downfield. The Philadelphia Eagles might be a serious suitor, especially depending on what they do with DeSean Jackson. D-Jax has been one of the most dynamic downfield threats since he came into the NFL, dazzling as both a deep threat and punt returner. He broke the single-season record for TDs over 50 yards in 2009 and became the first player ever to start the Pro Bowl at 2 different positions. Jackson took a step back in the Eagles 2011 debacle. He was unhappy with his contract ($560,000) and held out at the beginning at training camp before rejoining the team. Jackson's contract concerns bled through into the season however as Jackson's toughness and heart were questioned. The Eagles won't let Jackson simply walk and are expected to slap the franchise tag on him that will pay him about $9.5 Million in 2011. From there they can either trade him or try and sign him long term, I don't see him playing for a 1-year, non-guaranteed deal despite the large payout. If the Eagles can't reach a deal with Jackson expect a number of teams to come calling with trade proposals.

As for the rest of the receivers on this list I think Dwayne Bowe may be the biggest steal for a team. Bowe has been incredibly productive for the Chiefs since he came into the league, an extraordinary feat considering the best QB that threw to him was Matt Cassel. Cassel is straight-up a terrible downfield passer and would be even worse if didn't have Bowe as a target. Anyone who has played in a fantasy league with me over the past 4 years know I swear by Dwayne Bowe and if he can manage a way to land himself on a team with a strong-armed QB he could be vaulted into the highest echelon of NFL recivers.

Jeremy Lin Boosts Knicks To 7th Straight Win, .500

I'm going to assume that anyone reading this post hasn't been under a rock for the last two weeks and is fully aware of how Knicks PG Jeremy Lin and his myriad nicknames has taken over the NBA and turned around the Knicks season. In short Lin got his first significant playing time of the season 7 games ago with SF Carmelo Anthony hurt and PF Amar'e Stoudemire away on bereavement leave. The Knicks are 7-0 since, 'nuff said.

The Knicks started the season with a pathetic 8-15 record before Linsanity began. They are now 15-15 and poised to make a run at the Atlantic Division, a division that looked like it belonged to the Philadelphia 76ers in a runaway just a couple weeks ago. Amar'e returned to the Knicks lineup earlier this week and seemed to thrive with Lin moving the ball at PG. The big question that remains is how will Carmelo adjust to having Jeremy Lin in the lineup?

I personally think this is a stupid question. Jeremy Lin is a POINT GUARD and if Carmelo can't play well with someone who can shoot, drive, score and distribute at what is proving to be an incredibly high level than in my opinion he can't play with anyone. This debate stems from the fact that since Melo arrived in NY last season the Knicks have run an isolation offense through him that saw Anthony take around 25 shots a game. This kind of play has rendered Melo with a "me first" attitude that some people might not jive with Lin's high-octane style.

I think this couldn't be farther from the case. The reason Carmelo had to run so many isolation plays is that the Knicks haven't had anything resembling a competent PG since they made the trade with Denver last year. I seem to remember coming into the season that everybody with an NBA opinion saying the Knicks were only a PG away from contending. Well now they have one and it's pretty clear that Lin makes everyone on his team better. If you want proof look no further than Wednesday's win at against the Kings: 7 different Knicks scored in double figures, the team shot over 50% from the field and Lin dropped 13 assists to go along with 10 points on 4-6 shooting. Carmelo is going to fit into this system, probably sooner rather than later. Lin isn't going to keep scoring 25 points a game with Melo and Amar'e on the court but don't be surprised to see him average 12-15 dimes during the second half of the season.

As a Sixers fan, I'm scared of what the Knicks can do in the remaining 36 games this year. Combine that with the improved play of the Boston Celtics and the Atlantic Division just heated up big time.

The 76ers Are Out To Prove They're For Real

Basketball is officially back in Philadelphia as the 76ers have begun this year with their best start to a season since the 2000-01 campaign when the reached the NBA Finals (losing to the Lakers who were in the midst of a 3-peat) thanks to an MVP season by SG Allen Iverson. The Sixers have wallowed in mediocrity for most of the past 10 years but may have caught fire under coach Doug Collins who engineered a stellar second half of the season last year to make the playoffs and the team appears to have greatly improved in this season.

The Sixers raced out to a 14-6 record to begin the season but have mostly flown under the radar because they have faced one of the weakest schedules in the NBA. That all changed this week as the began a brutal 7-game stretch against Orlando, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, LA Lakers, San Antonio and the LA Clippers. The Sixers know they have a chance to define their team's identity during the stretch and have not disappointed in the early going.

Philadelphia has thrived on their hustle and unrelenting defense combined with startlingly unselfish offense to stifle opponents with a balanced, athletic and deep attack. That stingy D was on full display Monday night against the Orlando Magic as they won a physical battle 74-69 that was not nearly as close as the final score indicated. The Magic were held under 50 points midway through the 4th Quarter and the game was all but wrapped up before Orlando's bench was able to rattle off a string on 3-pointers to close the gap to a respectable margin. Coach Collins was not happy with his team's soft effort to close out the game and that message must have gotten through Wednesday against the East-Leading Chicago Bulls.

In their biggest game of the season the Sixers again answered the bell lead by SF Andre Iguodala. Iguodala had 19 pts, 9 boards and 4 ast and delivered a handful of highlight-reel plays that energized the crowd and helped Philadelphia maintain the early lead their defense had helped them build. This team is young and more importantly deep which has made them one of the best second half teams in the league. This was on full display against the Bulls and the Sixers and Iguodala came out firing and turned a 5-point halftime lead into a 20-point advantage at the end of the 3rd. The Bulls were held to only 11 points in the 3rd and went only 3-16 from the field as a team during the quarter. Collins' team did not let up this time as they were able to answer every run the Bulls tried to make in the 4th and never let their lead get below 12.

Philadelphia, now 2-0 during the 7-game test, will host LeBron James and the Miami Heat on Friday night with a chance to make an even bigger statement than they did on Wednesday. For the first time in a decade this really could be a team to reckon with. Clap your hands!