Preview of Monday in the NL East

Philadelphia at San Diego, 10:05 et

• Phillies: Joe Blanton (3-3, 6.14 era) 
• Padres: Kevin Correia (1-3, 5.11 era)

The Phils enter the coming off of a 4-2 home-stand. They swept the Nationals for the second time this year, and are starting to find some consistent starting pitching. Blanton is coming off of his best start of the year. Tuesday, Blanton went 7 innings allowing just 5 hits while blanking the Marlin offense. 

The Padres will counter with Kevin Correia who was touched up in his last start to the tune of 6 runs in 5.2 innings in a loss to the D'Backs. The Padres lost two of three to the Rockies over the weekend, and will look to get back on the right note after having won ten straight last week. Adrian Gonzalez leads the National League in homers with 20. 

The teams meet 3 times in San Diego before closing out the season series back at CBP with a make-up game later this season.

NY Mets at Pittsburgh, 7:05et

• Mets: Livan Hernandez (4-1, 4.28 era)
• Pirates: Ian Snell (1-6, 5.43 era)

The Mets will hope to get a bit more healthy than they've been the last few weeks. Jose Reyes is expected to be activated by Friday, and Carlos Beltran is expected to be back in the 3-hole Monday night. Hernandez is coming off of his best outing of the year, which was a complete game vs. the Nationals in which he held them to one run.

Snell struggled his last time out. He went 5 innings and allowed 6 runs vs. the Cubs last week.  The Pirates will look to right the ship from last week, as they lost 4 out of 5 entering Monday's play.

Milwaukee at Florida, 7:10et

• Brewers: Jeff Suppan (3-4, 5.23 era)
• Marlins: Andrew Miller (1-2, 4.55 era)

The Marlins lost 2 of 3 to the Mets over the weekend after taking 2 of 3 from the Fightins at CBP earlier this week. Hanley Ramirez has returned from his groin injury, and Jeremy Hermida has shown signs of a hitter the last few days.

The Brewers sit atop the NL Central with a 30-20 mark, a year after losing their top two starting pitchers. They enter the series having just swept the Reds at Miller Park. Ryan Braun heads the Brewer offense, hitting .316 with 9 homers and 32 rbi.

The Road to Altoona Begins Monday

Monday afternoon across the state, the PIAA begins its quest to find out who the best high school baseball team is. All 16 teams remaining in each of the four classification will be in action tomorrow. Let's take a look at the AAAA, and make some predictions.

• Warwick vs. West Chester East, 2pm at Spring-Ford
• St. Joe's Prep vs. Garnet Valley, 1pm at LaSalle University
• Parkland vs. Pennridge, 2:30pm at Coplay
• Wyoming Valley West vs. Central Dauphin, 4pm at Kings College
• Chambersburg vs. North Penn, 6:30pm at Hershey
• Council Rock North vs. Central, 4pm at Boyertown
• North Allegheny vs. Hollidaysburg, 4pm at Butler
• Allderice vs. Pine-Richland, 6pm at Washington

I have seen not many of these teams play but what the hell? I'll take the following teams to go on to play in round two later this week: WC East, St. Joe's Prep, Pennridge, Central Dauphin, North Penn, CR North, North Allegheny, and Pine-Richland.

The Bracket can be seen here.

Sunday in the NL East...

The Phillies swept the lowly Nationals 4 to 2 in front of a sold out crowd at CBP. Jamie Moyer finally picked up career win number 250, working 6 strong innings and allowing just a Josh Willingham Home-run. Chris Coste went 2-for-2 with a homer in the win. John Lannan picked up the loss for the last-place Nationals. 

Heading on the road this week, I think we will start to learn about the 09 version of the Phillies. Against teams not named the Nationals the Phillies are 18-18 on the year. 

The Mets took the rubber-match of their three-game set with the Marlins. New York used rbi doubles from Fernando Martinez, Omir Santos and Angle Pagan to provide the offense. John Maine pitched 6 shutout innings, while K-Rod picked up his 14th save as a Met. Chris Volstad took the loss for Florida which is now 12-27 since starting 11-1 in April.

Atlanta jumped all over Arizona to split their four-game set at Chase Field. The Braves jumped out to a 9-0 edge in the first 5 innings, and went on to win it 9-3. Kris Medlen went 6 innings allowing just one run on four hits for Atlanta. Chipper Jones went 3-for-4 a homer and 4 rbi.

Next up for the NL East:

Phillies play 3 in San Diego.

Mets play 4 in Pittsburgh.

Braves host the Cubs for 3.

Marlins hosts the Brewers for 4.

Nationals the Giants for 3.

Game No. 48

The Phillies and Nationals finish a 3-game set this afternoon. The Phillies have won the last 6 times the clubs have met. Overall for the season the Phillies are 9-2 against the Nationals in 2009. 

The Pitching Matchup:

• Phillies: Jamie Moyer (3-5, 7.42 era)--10-4, 3.03 era vs. Nats
  
• Nationals: John Lannan (2-4, 4.11 era)--0-4, 5.97 era vs. Phils

The Lineup:

1. Jimmy Rollins, ss
2. Shane Victorino, cf
3. Chase Utley, 2b
4. Ryan Howard, 1b
5. Raul Ibanez, lf
6. Jayson Werth, rf
7. Pedro Feliz, 3b
8. Chris Coste, c
9. Jamie Moyer, p

The game is available on 1210 wpht and can be seen on myphl17.

Later.

Romero Starts For I-Pigs Today

Phillies LHP J.C. Romero will pitch the first inning of today's Iron Pigs game against the Rochester Red Wings. Following the game, Romero will rejoin the Phillies, as his suspension will end Wednesday when the team is in San Diego. The Phillies will use Bastardo in place of Sergio Escalona's roster spot, but will still need to designate one more player for assignment. The two most likely of candidates is Scott Eyre and Jack Taschner. We will wait and see what Ruben and Cholly decide as the team embarks on another 10 game roady. 

Saturday in the NL East..

The Phillies got two mammoth blasts from Ryan Howard, as they took game two vs. the Nationals 9-6. Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Howard all had 2 hits as the Phillies retook the division lead over the folks from the north. Cole Hamels got the win, despite struggling and allowing 6 runs over the 6 innings he worked. Brad Lidge recorded his third save this week. In the series finale the Phillies send Jamie Moyer (3-5, 7.42 era) to the hill to face Nationals ace John Lannan (2-4, 4.11). 

The shorthanded Mets lost to the Marlins in game two of their series 7-3. Josh Johnson went 7 strong inning for the Marlins, scattering 5 hits and allowing just two runs. Jeremy Hermida went 3-5 with 4 runs to lead the Fish. In the rubber match this afternoon the Mets send John Maine against Chris Volstad.

Arizona defeated the Braves in 11 innings late Saturday night. Eric Byrnes singled in Mark Reynolds to win it, handing Jeff Bennett the loss. Doug Davis and Javier Vazquez were each spectacular. Both went 7 innings, but obviously earned no decisions. The D'Backs look to take 3 of 4 from the Braves Sunday afternoon when they send Max Scherzer against Kris Medlen. 

ITS BASTARDO!!!!

Welcome, Antonio.

Yesterday in the NL East..

The Phillies jumped out quickly on Nationals' starter Ross Detwiler, tagging the LHP for 10 hits and 5 runs over 4 innings. J.A. Happ again pitched well for the WFC, working into the sixth inning before giving way to Chad Durbin. The Phils had 16 hits. Each starter had at least one in the contest. The three game series concludes tonight, with staff ace Cole Hamels (2-2, 4.68 era) going up against Shairon Martis (5-0, 4.86 era) for the Nats.

The Mets snuck out a 2-1 win in 11 innings over the Marlins. Omir Santos singled in Gary Sheffield to give the Mets the victory. With the win, the Mets stay a 1/2 game in front of our WFC. Mike Pelfrey was strong, going 7 2/3 innings. He scattered 5 hits and allowed just one Marlin run. In game two, the Marlins send Josh Johnson against the Mets' Tim Redding.

Out west, Atlanta snapped a four-game skid, beating the D'Backs 10-6. Yunnel Escobar returned to the Atlanta lineup going 2-5, with 3 rbi and a HR. Jair Jurrjens picked up his 5th win of the season going 5 1/3 innings and allowing 5 earned. In game two the Braves send Javier Vazquez to the bump. The D'Backs will counter with Doug Davis.

Already dig the new format. It should be good. Later folks.

Call him up

Antonio Bastardo.

He has been lights out in the minors this year, posting a 1.82 ERA in nine AA starts and a 2.08 ERA in two AAA starts. His K/BB ratio is over 5/1. Opposing hitters are batting just .194 against him. He's a lefty. By the time the Phils reach the hole in their rotation, Bastardo will be on full rest. Call him up!!

Editors Note: Change of Plans

Dear 3 readers of this blog,

We have decided to change our focuses on what this blog will feature. We wanted to get back to the things that we know best, and that is Philadelphia sports. As a group, we think the amount of news we would have to cover would probably be the same, but we would be much more focused on a much more specific topic. We will still have national stories to give, just not as many. I think this is the best move we can make right now.

With that, the new name of this blog will be....Eric Hinske Missed. That miss gave us a championship and a ended the streak of zero championships in 25 seasons in this wonderful city.

We thank those who read this, and we look forward to moving into the so called, "New Era." 

Your friend,

Lou Brown

Sixers Hire Eddie Jordan...

Yawn. My thoughts later.

The Wait Is Over O's Fans

Tonight marks the debut of highly touted Orioles catching prospect, Matt Wieters. Wieters was the O's fifth pick in the 2007 draft, and is expected by all accounts to be the second coming of Joe Mauer. The Orioles have had success lately with prospects. Adam Jones is an all-star candidate at just 23 years of age, hitting near .360 this season. Nick Markakis is also young, hitting third in the O's 2009 batting order.

With all that going for them, the Orioles remain in a familiar position they have held for much of the past decade. That position the Orioles have held is the AL East's cellar. They currently are there again this year, but are just 6 games back of Boston. 

I think Wieters however will be a stud in the bigs. He's a big kid, with a big bat that I think will make a tremendous backstop for Orioles pitching for years to come. If they can get pitching to help surround this young crop of talent they have brought up, maybe things can change for them. Wieters in the minors this year is hitting above .300 in AAA, following up last years season where he hit about .350. 

 However, in the division they play in it takes ALOT of young talent to win the division. (see 2008 Tampa Rays) 

All in all, its an exciting night for Orioles fans. They haven't had this much to cheer about this late in the season since the Ripken years.

Clint Hurdle....Your Fired.

As our very own The Natural forecasted last week, Clint Hurdle's job was on the line. Well, today that plug has been pulled as the Rockies have fired Hurdle. 

In 2007, the Rockies made an incredible stretch run to make the playoffs after defeating the Padres in a one game playoff for the NL Wild Card. They took that birth into sweeping their way to the Fall Classic. They eliminated the Phillies in 3, the D'Backs in 4 and were than swept by the Red Sawks. 

In 2008 the Rockies were unable to recover from early season injuries and finished well behind the NL West winning Dodgers. This year was much of the same as the Rockies sit at 18-28 and in the basement of the NL West.

In seven plus season as Rockies skipper, Hurdle went 567-625. Bench coach Jim Tracy will take over the squad on an interim basis.

The Rockies begin a three game set tonight at home vs. the Padres.

Calipari and Memphis In Some Hot Water

The Memphis Commercial Appeal is reporting tonight that Memphis may have some splainin' to do after an NCAA allegation has surfaced from the 2007-2008 season. The report is that Memphis committed, "knowing fraudulence or misconduct" had taken place with a player on that years team. 

Memphis went to the Final Four as you remember that season, setting an NCAA record with its 38 victories before losing to Kansas in overtime. If the allegations are proven true, Memphis may be forced to forfeit all of it.

The player in question only competed during the 2007-2008 season. Ironically, only one player on Memphis did that, and that'd be Derrick Rose, who was chosen first in last years NBA Draft. 

New Head Coach Josh Pastner has no allegations pending against him that would have occurred during his tenure with the Tigers. 

This is not the first time a Calipari run program has been found in hot water. In 1996, Massachusetts was forced to forfeit its Final Four appearance after Wooden Award winner, Marcus Camby was found to have accepted 28 grand from two different sports agents.

Obviously, I expect more to come out of this story but its doubtful Cal will be Tweeting anytime soon. I wonder if the UK folks are going to sleep well tonight?

Here's Yahoo's Story of the Allegations.

Later.

Big Z needs anger management

The video won't imbed, so here's the link:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4210349&categoryid=null

What a clown

Clemson's Oglesby to Europe..Wait, What?

In one of the more bizarre stories of this offseason, Clemson guard Terrence Oglesby has decided to forgo his final two seasons of eligibility to play professionally in Europe. Oglesby was used at Clemson mainly for his outside shooting ability, averaging 13.2 ppg last season and shooting 39% from beyond the arc. 

Oglesby will probably be remembered most for his elbow he connected on that got him ejected from Clemson's 62-59 loss to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Now, Oglesby is the second player this week to choose to exit the college ranks and take his game overseas, as Florida PG Nick Calathes will also head to Europe. Calathes

 will most likely play in Greece, where he holds a dual-citizenship. 

Calathes however is a far-superior player than Oglesby. Oglesby shoots the three, and at times he's pretty good at it. However, leaving with two more seasons left to improve as a player in a conference like the ACC seems like a very poor decision. His father has gotten out on the forefront saying that it isn't for the money, but he feels that his best chance to make the NBA comes through playing in Europe. Sources close to the situation think Oglesby is in a position to make $500,000 per season. 

Look, nothing against Oglesby but he is a 6 foot 2 guard, with really only one thing going for him which is his outside shot. I'm not sure if he may have wore out his welcome at Clemson and Oliver Purnell is recommending he should look elsewhere, but this decision is truly puzzling. 

Here's Fox Sports' Jeff Goodman on the Oglesby situation.

MLB Power Rankings

Week 2

Records as of 3:00 PM Tuesday

1. LA Dodgers 31-15
2. Red Sox 27-18
3. Detroit Tigers 25-18
4. New York Yankees 26-19
5. Texas Rangers 26-18

1 and 2 stay the same, but the rest of the order has some big shake-ups. Both the Tigers and the Yankees have been playing great since the return of their stars, Dontrelle Willis and Alex Rodriguez, respectively. Somehow, the Rangers are getting enough pitching to compliment their ridiculous offense.

6. St. Louis Cardinals 26-19
7. Milwaukee Brewers 27-18
8. Philadelphia Phillies 24-19
9. New York Mets 24-20
10. LA Angels 23-21

The Cardinals’ starting pitching has been amazing recently, allowing only four earned in their past 46.2 innings. On the other hand, the Phillies starters have given up 9,234 runs in their past 46.2 innings. Despite almost their entire line-up being injured, the Mets are still hanging around in the NL East.

11. Atlanta Braves 23-21
12. Toronto Blue Jays 27-21
13. Cincinnati Reds 24-20
14. Tampa Bay Rays 23-24
15. Chicago Cubs 21-22

Ah, it is about time that the Jays fell back down to earth, losing their past seven games. Staying hot, the Cubs have also lost their seven games. The Braves and Reds continue to contend in their divisions, even though I do not think that will last much longer.

16. San Diego Padres 23-22
17. Kansas City Royals 22-23
18. Minnesota Twins 22-24
19. San Francisco Giants 21-23
20. Pittsburgh Pirates 21-24

The Padres were the biggest movers of the week, rising ten spots, one for each consecutive win. Despite the triumphant return of Joe Mauer, the Twins continue to wallow in mediocrity.

21. Seattle Mariners 21-25
22. Florida Marlins 21-25
23. Chicago White Sox 20-24
24. Baltimore Orioles 19-26
25. Oakland A’s 17-25
After starting 11-1, the Marlins have amazed with an impressive 10-24 record. Keep up the good work.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks 19-26
27. Houston Astros 18-25
28. Colorado Rockies 18-26
29. Cleveland Indians 18-28
30. Washington Nationals 13-31

Despite a 2007 World Series appearance, Clint Hurdle’s job is on the line. The Nationals are on pace for 47 wins.

Those NBA Kobe/LeBron Ads Look A Bit Premature Now.

As Denver dismantled the Lakers last night, I couldn't help but think about those Nike ads that had the puppets of Kobe and LeBron. Throughout the ads, the two puppets reference their excitement to ultimately play in this years finals. Well, maybe those ads came out a bit too early. Dwight Howard has been quoted to take some offense to these ads as he felt they were disrespectful. Can you really blame him? Carmelo Anthony is also a Nike guy and while he may not be on those guys level, he still is a premier player of one of the final four teams. I understand Kobe and LeBron are the leagues marquee players, but it may have been a bit short sighted as both Nike and the NBA's marketing plan may be blowing up in their face right in front of them. The Cavs are miracle away from being down 3-0, and the Lakers are an inbounds pass or two away from trailing in their series. 

In my opinion, my predictions now to these two series look brutal. I completely underestimated the Magic and the match-up problems they would give the Cavs. I also felt that while the Nuggets were a very capable team of beating the Lakers, I couldn't pick against the team with the most talent. I think now the chances of getting a Kobe/LeBron final now don't look too strong. Obviously, this all changes if the Cavs win tonight and take back home-court heading to game 5. The Lakers haven't faired much better but still hold home-court advantage. That being said, if I'm a Lakers fan, I have gotta be concerned that my team just got blown out 19 points and Carmelo was nearly a non-factor.

Hey, maybe both the Cavs and Lakers make the finals, but either way the NBA and Nike look a bit dumb if they don't since they chose to market just these two players and not the four remaining teams.

Later.

Holiday Games Suck

I just got back from the worst sport spectating experience of my entire life. Not only did the Phillies lose 5-3 to the god damn Florida Marlins, but the fans there didn't even give a shit. I have never left a stadium so infuriated. Everyone there was extremely ignorant. I guess I should have realized that the only reason people were there was to get drunk. Combine that with the fact that it was a family holiday, and the Phillies had truly found the most annoying fan combination ever conceived. So as I moped on the car ride home, I thought about a few MLB and fan conduct rules that I would set if I were commissioner:


· All Holiday games are henceforth banned; including Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Patriot’s Day (a made-up Massachusetts holiday), Mother’s and Father’s Day. The fans suck at these games. Both the players and the real fans should not be subject to their ignorance. So many people who come use the game as an excuse to get really, unnecessarily trashed. While I am not opposed to drunk REAL fans (they are often quite funny), there are so many loud, obnoxious people who have no idea what they are talking about or how to behave at a baseball game. Now I know everyone is thinking I’m being intolerant of people who don’t know the game, and that’s because I am. If you don’t know shit, shut the fuck up and stop trying to get to your seat in the middle of an at-bat.
· The Wave is prohibited at any time when the home team is losing, and in any 2-run game after the 6th. I despise the wave, but I will allow it because it is a fan-favorite. However, at tonight’s Phillies game, the fans were cheering wildly as the riptide rushed through CBP. Yet, it was the bottom of the 8th and the Phillies were down two runs. Why everyone could so easily look past the game to celebrate the fucking wave is beyond me.
· Smiling is illegal if your team is losing after the 7th. You should not be happy while your team is losing. Don’t like it? Don’t come.
· Any physical contact with a significant other, beyond a kiss on the cheek, is highly reprehensible. No one wants to see you slam your girlfriend in the bleachers, but so many people still break this rule. This is not in effect if you are on the big screen during the Kiss-Cam.
· Pay attention to the game. You paid for those seats. Why would you even come if you’re not even going to watch? Plus, you’re probably distracting other fans who just want to watch the game rather than see you make a fool of yourself.

So when I am commissioner, watch out Drunkies.

Hey, Robert Marve: Purdue Isn't Close To Tampa.

This is a story I should've gotten to about a week ago, but its newsworthy nonetheless. Robert Marve you may remember, played Quarterback for Miami. In 2007 he red-shirted after a car accident broke his arm. In 2008, Marve got the chance to start. He started 11 ball games throwing 9 TD's and 13 INT's. The two games he didn't play were the season opener and the Emerald Bowl against Cal, both games he was suspended for. Throughout the season Marve split the quarterbacking duties with true freshman Jacory Harris. As the season went on it looked more and more evident that the QB for Miami in 2009 would be Harris, who had improved immensely after being in the program for just one season. Couple that with Marve's car accident and poor academics that forced him out of the Emerald Bowl, it looked like a no brainer to make Jacory the guy.

As word spread to the Miami coaching staff that Marve had been in contact with other schools about transferring, Miami Head Coach Randy Shannon didn't take to kindly to Marve. When Marve finally requested his release from Miami, Shannon was harsh. 

Instead of placing the usual restrictions on Marve that he couldn't transfer inside of the ACC, Shannon did that and added that he couldn't transfer anywhere in the state of Florida or in the SEC. These type of restrictions were rather unprecedented so it was at this time Marve's father, Eugene, would bring his complaints to the public. Eugene Marve who is suffering from prostate cancer stressed to 790 The Ticket's Dan LeBetard that they needed their son to stay close to home because his illness. Eugene continued to stress that this in no way was a ploy for sympathy from the people of Miami or the University but, he just wanted to let the people know that facts of the situation. 

After Miami began getting negative publicity for being so strict on where Marve could transfer, they decided to modify the restrictions they had placed. They said if he wanted to stay in state, he could transfer to South Florida or Central Florida. If he wanted to go to the SEC he could do that, but he couldn't attend LSU, Florida, or Tennessee because those were schools Miami believed he had talked to during the season.

Marve is a Tampa native so USF seemed like a logical decision. They play in the Big East, its close to home since USF is in Tampa, and it offered him the chance to start because they were losing their QB to graduation after this year. Marve has to sit this season out anyway due to NCAA transfer rules.

Marve however last week announced he will attend Purdue. Purdue, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, is not all that close to home.  Purdue is a better school than USF and has a much better history of getting players to the NFL than USF (Drew Brees and Kyle Orton each played at Purdue). Now, if Marve's family decided it would be best for him to attend Purdue because it was his best choice is one thing. However, the entire song and dance about Marve needing to be close to home didn't hold very much weight at the end of the day with Marve's family. Miami has been left frustrated since they drew so much negative attention for being unfair to a player they felt wasn't fair to them. 

In no way do I want to make Eugene Marve's illness sound not serious, because it is. But if him not being close to home wasn't that important, than why bring it up? In the end it was just a bunch negative publicity for both parties and something that could've been easily avoided.

My NBA Mock Draft: First Edition

Since we are about a month away from the NBA Draft, its time I release my first edition of the mock draft. I have the lottery picks up here but will round out the rest of the mock draft as the playoffs continue. Without further ado, he is my first effort at predicting the lottery selections in this years draft.

1. LA Clippers: Blake Griffin, F, Oklahoma. The Clippers are in need of a face to their franchise. They have been here before with the top pick and butchered it (ahem, Michael Olowokandi) and really need to get it right this time around. They are pretty well set in the back court since the signing of free agent Baron Davis a year ago and the emergence of last years first round pick, Eric Gordon. The fact is with Griffin there will be question if he big enough to play the 4 in the NBA since he is smaller than Michael Beasley and doesn't have the jump shot Beasley has either. That being said, you can't not take Griffin, so this is some what of a no brainer.
   
2. Memphis: Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain: Rubio is a bit of a wild-card. We have heard of him for sometime now and he has yet to turn 19. Rubio's value has gone up a lot of recent years too, with people viewing the PG position as a bit of a premium. Rubio is very experienced since he has played professionally for sometime now. He has good size for a PG at 6 foot 3 but will need to improve his jump shot when he gets to the league.
3. Oklahoma City: Hasheem Thabeet, C, Connecticut: This is where the 2009 Draft gets interesting. There is a load of players with great upside but many have proven to be anything but raw at times in college. Thabeet is no different. He brings a tremendous 7 foot 3 inch frame with him, but is still working to prove he has to post moves to succeed at the next level. Thabeet's rebounding has been hit and miss at times in college and has sometimes been overmatched by much smaller competition (ahem, DaJaun Blair). Still, you have to take Thabeet because the next few guys have as many question marks and for Oklahoma City, the center spot is a position of need.
4. Sacramento: Brandon Jennings, PG, No College: Well, this may be a be of a surprise pick but Sacramento really lacks depth in their back-court. Some people think they will again draft a big man, but I really think it'd be over drafting at a position. I than think the next best players available are James Harden and DeMar DeRozan but each of those guys play the 2, a spot controlled by Kings' leading scorer Kevin Martin. Last year the Kings surprised some people by taking Jason Thompson 12th overall when he was projected to go later in the draft. Thats why I think they will again surprise some folks and pick Jennings. Jennings struggled much of his year in Italy but still has to tools to be a starting point guard in this league.
5. Washington: James Harden, SG, Arizona State: This pick would provide the Wizards with some scoring depth in the back-court to go along with Gilbert Arenas. Arenas plays more like a SG, but can play the point for the Wiz. This pick also would be a tremendous upgrade for them from Dominic McGuire. Even though Harden struggled down the stretch for the Sun Devils, he can flat out score the basketball.
6. Minnesota: Demar DeRozan, SG, USC: DeRozan may have the biggest upside out of any of the players I have mentioned in this years draft. He is 6 foot 7 and really began to come into his own down the stretch this year for the Trojans. His rebounding and points were up starting with the Pac 10 tournament, which his Trojans won. The T'Wolves have plenty of question marks in that back-court to begin with, so I believe this pick can at least start to answer one. 
7. Golden State: Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona: While the Warriors may have some depth at the four, I think they will want to take the best player available at this spot. They do have Brandan Wright who is still young and a kid they don't want to give up on, but they can move one of them and help answer some of the other questions this team has. They do need someone who is more of a threat on the inside than what they currently have that can help out up and coming guard Monta Ellis.
8. New York: Stephen Curry, PG/SG, Davidson: It has been no secret that the Knicks really like the versatility Curry has. They can anoint him their next PG with veteran Chris Duhon's deal expiring in a year. The Knicks also have a lot of cap room that they'll look to start using in 2010 that most certainly would be spent to bring Curry help on the inside. Bottom line is, the Knicks love Curry's shooting ability and they believe he can be a guy they build around in Mike D'Antoni's system.
9. Toronto: Earl Clark, SF, Louisville: A lot can change between now and the draft and that can't be more true than the situation the Raptors are currently in. Since they probably can't re-sign Bosh and Marion may want to be dealt again they are in a spot where they can take the best remaining player. Clark, who is 6 foot 10, played a lot in the front court for Louisville this year and proved he was not only a dominant scorer, but a solid rebounder as well.
10. Milwaukee: Tyreke Evans, SG, Memphis: Evans' short stay at Memphis proved he can not only play the 2, but can be a true combo guard. He played point from December on losing just once, and advancing the Tigers to the Sweet 16. Evans would walk into a spot where he could be in the back-court and help fill out the starting five for the Bucks. 
11. New Jersey: Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke: Henderson may be the most explosive player in the draft. He still continues to work on driving to the basket more with his left hand  and his outside shot. This pick would help in drafting someone to replace the aging Vince Carter at G/F spot. Add Henderson to the young, up and coming PG Devon Harris and the Nets may have something to build around for years to come.
12. Charlotte: Wayne Ellington, SG, North Carolina: In Michael Jordan's time as Director of Basketball Operations he has selected Raymond Felton, Sean May, Brandan Wright, and hired Larry Brown as the head coach. All of these folks all went to Carolina. Look, I really don't know if this pick can be justified unless they move Felton or Augistin to open up minutes for Ellington. That being said, I believe Ellington's great March has elevated him into a late lottery or mid-first round pick.
13. Indiana: Jrue Holiday, PG/SG, UCLA: Holiday's production wasn't anything special his freshman year at UCLA but his potential alone will be what gets him picked highly in the first round. Holiday can handle the point and can add back-court depth to go along with Jarrett Jack, and Brandon Rush.
14. Phoenix: Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse: The Suns are back to the run and gun offense and where else do you start than with the fastest player available than Flynn. Also, they may look to start replacing Steve Nash, who will be 35 next season.

I'll try to get a full mock draft up soon. Still a lot can change between now and the draft so I'll be revising this initial mock draft probably more than a few times.

Later.

I Didn't Know the New Yankee Stadium Was Located In Williamsport?

In the sixth inning of Sunday afternoon's Phillies-Yankees game, Yankees' first baseman Mark Teixeira hit a broken bat home run off of Phillies' ace Cole Hamels. Now, if this isn't enough proof that the new Yankee Stadium was designed more for slow-pitch softball than big leaguers, I don't know what is. Hamels said post-game that, "Most of the time you hear a broken bat, its a pop-up." Very true Cole, but in the new Yankee Stadium those pop ups are now home runs. 

Yesterday, the Yankees young and naive third baseman hit a game tying home run off of Phillies closer Brad Lidge. The ball went 2 rows deep to the right field porch that measures 314 feet. I'm not sure home much I believe this, "Well the wind patterns are different and they will change when the old Yankee Stadium is knocked down." Okay, and when they don't change, and these bloop homers change the outcomes of games still, then what? They built this big expensive stadium that has developed into nothing more than a joke. Not even the seventeen year-olds who were on Taiwan's Little League team made as big a joke of Lamade Stadium.  As the year goes on, and these home run records are smashed we will be left wondering why they still even bother using wood bats, because we would be just as well off letting them do as the college kids do and swing aluminum bats. (Love this video of former Miami player and current Mets infielder Alex Cora crying.) 

Anyways, some site news: The Natural went to the aforementioned Stadium for Friday's Phillies game against the Yanks. He will give us a "tell all" like Selena Roberts, but on the Stadium and not on Alex Rodriguez's weight gain from the time he was 16 to the time he was 17. He will let us know if the stadium is worth the 1.5 billion dollars that were spent. 

Also, I'm debating starting some sort of "Asshole of the Week" section so stay tuned as I'm sure that will be completely objective like the rest of this tremendous blog.

In the time it took to write this post 7 more home runs just went out at Yankee Stadium, and the Yankees aren't even playing right now!

If anyone has seen Mo Williams and LeBron James' jump shots, please let them know. It seems they didn't show up for the game tonight.

Later.

Lebron's Shot Heard Around The World.

After a few days, I thought it would now be appropriate to look back to what LeBron James did Friday evening. Cleveland was the most dominant team on their home court in recent memory. They dominated opponents in front of their home crowd throughout the season, losing just two times through the regular season and the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs. Enter the Orlando Magic. Or as I like to call them, the Orlando Magics. 

Orlando had matched-up well with the Cavs throughout the regular season. That couldn't have been more evident than in the second half of game 1 when Orlando unleashed a barrage of threes from its forwards, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. Lewis hit the eventual game winner, sending 20, 000+ Cavs fans home disappointed. This was a game the Cavs controlled the first 3 quarters with leads near 20 for much of the first half. LeBron went off for 49, and the Cavs still fell short.

Than game 2 came. The most important game of their season. The Cavs were faced with evening the series heading to Orlando, or facing the possibility of being swept out of their own building. 

Once again LeBron and company came out hot. They again had leads around 20 most of the game, including one stretch where they played with a 23-point advantage. However, Orlando fought back. With Dwight Howard struggling on the offensive end, the Magic shot three after three to get back into the contest like they did in game 1. With the shot clock unplugged, Hedo Turkoglu's off balance shot in the lane put Orlando in front 95-93 with just one second left. Again, Cleveland had seen a lead erased in the games closing moments. 

Cleveland called time out. They hoped it was true.. the NBA playoffs is where amazing happens. Well, in the Orlando huddle, they believed they had just done that. They were a second away from beating Cleveland twice in 3 nights. Cleveland again I remind you had lost just twice at home in the previous seven months.

Out of the timeout, Cleveland had one final chance to salvage a game. The shots at the fans were painful at times as they stood hoping something could save them. Luckily for Cavs fans, the worlds best player dawns a Cavaliers jersey. Mo Williams inbounded the ball to LeBron on the 3-point arc, and as Turkoglu was just slightly late getting to LBJ, LeBron released the shot heard around the world. It went in, giving Cleveland the 96-95 win.

Now, we will all hear the comparisons to what LeBron did to what other big players did in the playoffs. Michael Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo in the 1989 playoffs crushed the hearts of the Cavs fans. I also think back to the big time shots hit time and time again by Robert Horry as he defeated Sacramento in the earlier part of this decade. LeBron did what all of them have done. He snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. It was something historic and amazing, and it was one of the most clutch shots I have ever witnessed live. LeBron for the moment re-instilled the hopes of Cavs fans. He resurrected a season that may have been about to have been lost. That shot came from a player, whose best days still loom ahead. I think when things like this happen, its important to put it into perspective and how that shot effected so many things. If LeBron's MVP wasn't enough proof he arrived, this shot should be. The kid is good, and just made the amazing happen.

Now, go enjoy game 3.

Will the real John Mayberry Sr. please stand up?

This is the real one Fox... How do you F that up? Here is the video. 

Your Eastern Conference Finals Preview

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Orlando Magic

The Schedule:

Game 1: Wednesday at Cle, 8:30pm

Game 2: Friday at Cle, 8:30pm

Game 3: Sunday at Orl, 8:30pm

Game 4: Tuesday at Orl, 8:30pm

Game 5: 5/28 at Cle, 8:30pm

Game 6: 5/30 at Orl, 8:30pm

Game 7:6/1 at Cle, 8:30pm

 

The Line-ups:

Cleveland Cavaliers

G: Mo Williams

G:  Delonte West

F: LeBron James

F:  Anderson Varejao

C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Key Reserves:

F: Joe Smith

G: Wally Szczerbiak

G: Daniel Gibson

 

Orlando Magic:

G: Rafer Alston

G: J.J. Redick

F: Rashard Lewis

F: Hedo Turkoglu

C: Dwight Howard

Key Reserves:

G: Courtney Lee

F: Mickael Pietrus

C: Marcin Gortat

G: Anthony Johnson

The Keys to Victory:

• Can the Cavs Contain Dwight Howard? This is a question all teams face when going up against the Magic. Unlike Boston, Cleveland has much more depth in the interior. They can rotate Varejao, Z, and Ben Wallace who are all capable on the defensive end. 
• Can the Magic slow down LeBron? There is no such thing as containing the world's best player. LeBron will be guarded by Rashard Lewis who is two inches taller which could help out in effecting some of LeBron's jump shots.
• What happens to Cleveland when they face their first bit of adversity? Cleveland swept their way through the first two rounds and has had a layoff because of it. Orlando meanwhile won tough games and sent home the defending champions in seven games in the end. Does it pay to be battle tested here? Or is it better to have your rest and bank on having the efficiency of the first two rounds carry over?
  

My prediction: I can't pick against LeBron because his team is on such a roll entering the series and also is on a mission. I think they are clearly the better team, and defend their home floor like no one else in all of basketball. Because of that I will take the Cavaliers in 5 games, and advance to the finals against the Lakers.

Peace.

And the winner of the Blake Griffin Sweepstakes is....

the Los Angeles Clippers... Congratulations Blake!

The complete order:

1. LA Clippers
2. Memphis
3. Oklahoma City
4. Sacramento (had the leagues worst record and fell three spots. OUCH!)
5. Washington (had the leagues second worst record and fell three spots.)
6. Minnesota
7. Golden State
8. New York
9. Toronto
10. Milwaukee
11. New Jersey
12. Charlotte
13. Indiana
14. Phoenix

Time to start getting to work on my Mock Draft. The actual draft will be held June 25th in New York City.

Bleep you, John Wall.

Wall has signed with Kentucky. No word yet on the terms of the contract.

Your Western Conference Finals Preview

(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Denver Nuggets

Game 1: Tuesday at LA, 9pm

Game 2: Thursday at LA, 9pm

Game 3: Saturday at Den, 8:30pm

Game 4: Monday at Den, 9pm

Game 5: 5/27 at LA, 9pm

Game 6: 5/29 at Den, 9pm

Game 7: 5/31 at LA, 8:30pm

The Lineups:

LA Lakers: Playoff

 Statistics

G: Derek Fisher 7.2 ppg, 2 apg, 1.7 rpg

G: Kobe Bryant 27.4 ppg, 4.5 apg, 5 rpg

F: Trevor Ariza 10.9 ppg, .547 fg%, 2.9 apg

F: Andrew Bynum 5.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 15.5 mpg

C: Pau Gasol 18.5 ppg, 10.8 rpg, .551 fg%

Key Reserves

G: Jordan Farmar 6.2 ppg, 2.1 apg

G: Sasha Vujacic 3.9 ppg, .281 fg%

F: Lamar Odom 12.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg

G: Shannon Brown 6.5 ppg, .588 3-pt%

Denver Nuggets: Playoff Statistics

G: Chauncey Billups 22.1 ppg, 7.3 apg, 54.1 3-pg%

G: Dahntay Jones 7.6 ppg, 54.0 fg%

F: Carmelo Anthony 27 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.3 apg

F: Kenyon Martin 9.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg

C: Nene 12.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 55.3 fg%

Key Reserves

G: J.R. Smith 16.3 ppg, 49.6 fg%

F: Chris Andersen 6.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg

G: Anthony Carter 3.5 ppg, 2.8 apg

The Keys to the series:

• Can Derek Fisher stay in front of Chauncey Billups on defense? He struggled with this when he faced Aaron Brooks and struggled mightily trying to cut off the penetration of Deron Williams. The Lakers best game defensively vs. Houston came in game 3 when Jordan Farmar got the start due to Fisher's suspension. If he can't stay in front of Billups, the Nuggets' offense gets a huge edge with J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony from the outside.
• Which Laker team shows up? The Lakers went 7 games with a young, short-handed, Houston team. As Kobe Bryant said after yesterday's game, the Lakers have been bipolar. Andrew Bynum needs to step up on the inside and provide the muscle the Lakers need. Hes averaged 5.6 ppg in these playoffs and until he returns to the form he had during the regular season, the Lakers will struggle. 
• Is Denver's best basketball in front of them? Since acquiring Billups at the start of the season this team has grown from a middle tier Western Conference team, to a title contender. He has provided the veteran leadership that some of these younger dynamic players needed. 'Melo has been on fire in these playoffs and the Nuggets bench has added the depth they needed. Can George Karl's team keep that defense going and advance to the finals?
• Trevor Ariza vs. Carmelo Anthony: Ariza most likely will guard Anthony throughout the series and his length could be a factor. Ariza is 6'8'' and has been a huge part in the Lakers success since coming over from the Magic last year.   
  

Bottom line is if the Lakers want this series, they will win it. They are the more talented team, and I believe they have the edge in depth that they have from the bench. The Lakers need to start from game 1 unlike they did with the Rockets. If it wasn't for Houston being short Yao and T-Mac, we would be discussing a Houston-Denver conference finals. 

Prediction: Lakers in 6 games. I think this series goes one of two ways. They Lakers come out and take care of business from the opening tip tomorrow and take the Nuggets to task, or the Lakers continue with their bipolar ways and lose this series in 7 games. The Lakers beat the Nuggets 2 out the 3 times they faced them this year with Chauncey and 7 out of the last 8 overall. I'm not sure I'm ready to right off the Lakers and I still feel their best basketball lies in-front of them. At the end of the day I like Kobe more than I like Carmelo in the playoffs.

Check tomorrow for the Eastern Finals Preview.

Skip Bayless and James Harrison are colluding to destroy me

Kornheiser Out, Gruden In in MNF Booth

Its been no secret over the last three seasons that Tony Kornheiser's move to the booth has been a struggle. Today, it was announced that Jon Gruden will fill that spot as Kornheiser has opted to step down. Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski will fill out the other two positions in the booth. Kornheiser sights his fear of flying as his main reason for stepping down, which is unfortunate if it is as true as he says it is. 

There is no question Gruden is qualified enough to be in the booth. Gruden has won a Super Bowl and coached in the league for several seasons. He also coached in Oakland so you have to figure he can shed some light on what kind of clown owner Al Davis is when he goes nuts again by week 6. My only question is why they are going with a guy who wants to get back into coaching...and soon. Maybe Gruden is keeping the seat warm until Brett Favre decides hes really really retired, and moves to the press box. 

Emmit

Overall, as a viewer I'm satisfied with the moves ESPN made to their staff this offseason. Getting rid of Emmitt Smith was a good start. Emmitt struggled with simple pronunciations of names and really never came off very football intelligent even though he is the leagues all-time leading rusher. Really he was just someone I enjoyed making fun of each week, and because of that I will miss him.

ANYTHING IS POSSIBB....o wait

Editor's Note: Yahoo is stealing my ideas

Today on the Yahoo! Sports football blog, they addressed the James Harrison-refusal-to-go-to-the-White House issue. Their blogger, Chris Chase, is obviously a huge fan of Nickel and Dime. He basically stole my entire post. Here's the link to the article:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Mr-Harrison-isn-t-going-to-Washington-Steeler-?urn=nfl,163886

I'm glad he agreed with me, but our articles were eerily similar (I posted mine first!)

NFC East Notes of the Week

Dallas-

With the Boys basically trading their entire draft for Roy Williams, most news has surrounded the question of if he can step into T.O.'s shoes and become the new number 1 receiver for Romo and the Dallas offense. Over at Blogging the Boys , they say that despite his straight line speed woes, he makes up for it with his leaping ability and jump ball situations. There's also this interview, where Williams work ethic and number 1 receiver ability come into question. At one point he even says, "I've been number 1 ever since I was born."

Honestly, from what I saw from that interview, he seemed frustrated about answering questions on his ability to be a number 1. I can only imagine how he will feel once Asante Samuel is shutting his ass down.

New York-

Over at Big Blue View, the Giants also are seeming to rave about a receiver; their first round pick, Hakeem Nicks.

In Matt Mosley's NFC East blog he wrote, "Publicly, the Giants will talk about how Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith are projected to start in '09. But in reality, they're hoping Nicks forces his way into the starting lineup during training camp."

From what I have seen from Nicks I see him as a potential stud. He's tough and is willing to fight for the ball, as well as break through tackles. Blessed with great hands, he could become a number 1. The only question everyone seems to have is his speed. This is the only thing I could see hampering him as he may be too slow in and out of breaks.

Washington-

In a post entitled, "Dan Snyder is Having the Best Day Ever," Hogs Haven discusses Snyder's glee over the NFL raising the salary cap $12 million for this season. They then go on to list the best free agents on the market still, including Edge, Runyan, and Harrison.

This leads me to my next point, Sports Illustrated's rankings of NFL Owners. Snyder's slid into the number 30 spot, right behind Detroit's William Ford and just ahead of Cincinnati's Mike Brown. Great company to be in of course. Let's be real, he's a joke.

Philadelphia-

Speaking of those rankings, Jeffrey Lurie comes in at the number 4 spot. I definitely believe he's brought great stability to the franchise since taking over in 1994.

After a great Eagles draft, I see a lot of promise for this class of rookies.

Maclin said in a conversation with McNabb that, "He basically sat down and told me that they're not gonna waste a first-round draft pick for a guy to come in and sit on the bench so obviously he wants me to get out there and contribute right away," Maclin said. "He says get in that playbook and just make plays when the ball comes my way and everything else will take care of itself."

Mac to Mac connection? I like it.

New CB Victor "Macho" Harris has an inspiring story of how he got to the NFL posted on Bleeding Green Nation.

"Harris endured a lifetime’s worth of angst and change as an 18-year-old high school senior. In a span of 10 days he almost lost his house and family to a fire and lost his mother to a brain aneurysm on Christmas night.Harris also was part of a student body at Virginia Tech that had to heal from a deadly shooting spree on campus two years ago, and later that year, dodged 9mm bullets shot into the off-campus apartment he shared with three others.You wonder how close you should stand to Victor Harris until you hear the very detailed story from him and sync it to the smile, until you shake the hand of the arm decorated with skin grafts and check out the tattoo of "Mama’s Boy” on the biceps."

Personally, I'm really excited to see what this guy can do. He may not have the best 40 time but he made plays at V-Tech and I can see him doing the same with the Birds.

Also, I have this picture of new Eagles tight end Cornelius Ingram....

Consider the birds red zone problems solved, what a freak.

Finally, I have this video of Freddie Mitchell discussing 4th and 26.

Feel free to count how many times he says the word "Me."

Til next time, peace.

It's nothing political... He's just a moron

(thanks to Yaco for this one)










NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison, is apparently declining his invitation to the White House. Yet, he claims it isn't political. He says that Obama is a BANDWAGON fan, and he doesn't like the fact that he was only invited because he won. Harrison was quoted as saying:

"This is how I feel -- if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, he would've invited Arizona if they had won"

Honestly, I am at a loss for words. This has to be the dumbest protest to ever exist. No shit he would have invited Arizona, it has been a Presidential tradition for decades. So many athletes would probably kill for the chance to meet Obama and tour the White House.

I mean, if that's your attitude, then you probably didn't go to the parade, right? They only had it because you WON. You didn't hold the Lombardi Trophy, I'm sure. You only received it because you WON. Anyways, Roger Goodell probably would have given it to the Cardinals if they won, which obviously means he is a bandwagon commissioner. In fact, based on your theory, all Pittsburgh fans are bandwagon fans because they might not have attended a parade if you lost the Superbowl. I certainly agree with you there.

Thank God someone as smart and insightful as you finally pointed out that every U.S. President to invite a team was a bandwagon fan. Thank God you have the strength of character to not take the popular route (I mean WHO ON EARTH would want to meet the President of the United States?). And Thank God someone with your moral fiber finally realized the flawed system we have, honoring the winners. The Detroit Lions should have been invited to visit the White House! They were 0-16, so it's only fair to them. In fact, I think every team that didn't win the Super Bowl should have been invited! It all makes sense to me now!

So thanks for clearing that one up, James.

MLB Power Rankings

I’ll try to update these every week:

(Records as of 8:00 PM Saturday)



1. Los Angeles Dodgers 25-12
2. Boston Red Sox 21-15
3. Chicago Cubs 21-14
4. New York Mets 21-15
5. St. Louis Cardinals 21-15

Who didn’t have these guys in the playoffs? The Cubs have finally gotten things going, plus they should have Zambrano and Ramirez back soon. The Dodgers have continued to dominate, even without Man-roid, thanks to that guy up top.

6. Toronto Blue Jays 25-14
7. Los Angeles Angels 18-17
8. Milwaukee Brewers 22-14
9. Detroit Tigers 18-16
10. Texas Rangers 22-14

Other than the Angels, I didn’t expect any of these teams to be in the top ten. I think the Brewers and Blue Jays are over-achieving, and I am not sure if either team has the starting pitching or firepower to keep up their torrid paces. Roy Halladay can only carry the Blue Jays so far. However, with Justin Verlander back to his ace-form, I think the Tigers are legit (about time, considering the money they spent).

11. Philadelphia Phillies 18-16
12. New York Yankees 19-17
13. San Francisco Giants 18-18
14. Cincinnati Reds 20-15
15. Kansas City Royals 19-17
16. Tampa Bay Rays 18-20

Despite the fact that A-Rod is only hitting .154, the Yankees are 6-2 since his return. It’s probably because the Yanks are finally seeing some return on their investment, with Teixeira hitting .367 with 3 HR’s and 9 RBIs over that same stretch (and what's a picture of Teixeira without his wife?). Both teams in last year’s Fall Classic have stumbled out of the gate, but each still has the tools to work their way back into contention.

17. Minnesota Twins 18-19
18. Atlanta Braves 18-17
19. Florida Marlins 17-19
20. Chicago White Sox 15-20
21. Baltimore Orioles 15-21
22. Houston Astros 16-19

These guys are all boring and mediocre. None of these teams have any shot at the playoffs, except maybe the White Sox or Twins because their division has no clear-cut leader.

23. Colorado Rockies 14-20
24. Seattle Mariners 17-19
25. Oakland A’s 13-19
26. San Diego Padres 14-22
27. Arizona Diamondbacks 13-23

Needless to say, West Coast Baseball sucks.

28. Cleveland Indians 14-24
29. Pittsburgh Pirates 14-21
42. Washington Nationals 11-23

I picked the Indians to win their division… so much for that. Since it was Jackie Robinson Night at Nationals Park, I found it appropriate to rank them 42. It’s also because that’s how many wins they are on pace to claim (actually 52).

Lance Stephenson...Isiah Thomas Jr.?

So... I seem to remember posting a link yesterday about one Lance Stephenson (the nation's top unsigned small forward) being recruited heavily by new FIU head man Isiah Thompson..er...Thomas. Well, the next day and what do I find? Stephenson is being accused of sexual assault! (Yes, I'm serious) Two others are also being accused by the same person. Now, I seem to also remember an event about a year ago involving Thomas and his accuser Anucha Brown Sanders and sexual harassment charges. Thomas still says he was innocent of these charges but chose to plea bargain with Sanders for ELEVEN POINT SIX MILLLLLION DOLLARS (11.6 Mil ain't bleep to Isiah). Now if you were innocent, why would you plea bargain for that much cash is beyond me but the point is, is maybe FIU is the match made in heaven for Stephenson. 

Than, this article came out sort of bursting my dream of having these two united together in Miami at FIU. It seems Stephenson has eliminated FIU from contention and will choose between Arizona and Memphis. The Brooklyn native in the article from Zagsblog, proclaims his innocence and says he hopes to make a decision following being acquitted. 

Your Friday Recap...

The Lakers no showed last evening, allowing your Houston Rockets to force Game 7 Sunday at Staples Center.

Orlando's Dwight Howard helped the Magic also push the C's to a deciding Game 7.

The WFC Philadelphia Phillies took their gaudy .500 record to Pennsylvania Avenue today to celebrate their World Series Championship with President Obama. I guess the Phillies brought Xbox or something for guys who weren't on last years sqaud. J.C. Romero however was in attendance.

ESPN has decided to follow Michael Vick's every step when he is released from Prison next week. Kelly Naqi and George Smith drew the short straws and will report LIVE from Leavenworth, Kansas and Hampton, Virginia respectively. Darren Lyn will be live in Atlanta doing god knows what.

Brett Favre wants his shoulder healthy for the next Wrangler's commercial so he has decided to seek opinion on if he needs surgery from Dr. James Andrews. 

Michael Phelps put down the bong and went swimming today. 

I'll add more later if more stuff happens. No NBA or NHL tonight kids.

Going Out of Business Sale: Spectrum Edition

Christian Laettner may be interested in this piece of memorabilia.