2008 NBA Draft… Derrick Rose Or Michael Beasley?

The on-going debate for the Chicago Bulls, the team holding the #1 pick in Thursday’s 2008 NBA Draft is, “Do we take Derrick Rose or do we take Michael Beasley?”

Multiple sources — from what I have read — have said that while the Bulls state they are still “deciding” on who to take, they believe Derrick Rose will be the #1 pick in the draft. After this, apparently the Miami Heat, who hold the #2 pick in the draft, are attempting to trade out of the pick (thus assuming Rose is not on the board) with either Seattle or Memphis.

According to various articles and sources I have found on the internet, Seattle is proposing a swap of their #4 pick plus power forward Chris Wilcox for power forward Mark Blount and the #2 pick. The reason for this deal being intriguing to Miami would be the fact that Blount still has 2 years and 16 million dollars on his contract whereas Wilcox is, what they call in the NBA, an ‘expiring contract’. Simply meaning, his contract runs out after this year is up.

Another rumor involves the Memphis Grizzlies offering point guard Kyle Lowery, shooting guard Mike Miller and their #5 pick for the #2 pick. Miami, however, wants Memphis to sweeten the deal by having Memphis give up last year’s top pick, point guard Mike Conley, instead of Lowery while the Heat would then add in shooting guard Daequan Cook.

Either way, it appears that the Heat have zero interest in Michael Beasley on their team. My question is: WHY???

Beasley is, in fact, the same kid who took a Kansas State team who really wasn’t very good, put them on his back, and led them to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament, which is no worse than what Kevin Durant did at Texas last year with DJ Augustin, among others, on his team.

Beasley is the same kid who averaged over 26 points a game, led the Nation in rebounding with over 12 per game, was Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Big 12 Player of the Year, a concensus First Team All-American, and probably would’ve been the National Player of the Year if people were not in love with Tyler Hansbrough. If you compare Beasley’s stats to that of last year’s freshman phenom, Kevin Durant, they are actually better.

So someone explain to me why Beasley is most likely going to be passed over by the Bulls for Derrick Rose and why the Heat are trying to trade the pick away?!? Don’t get me wrong, Derrick Rose is a fantastic point guard, but he is not on the same talent level of Michael Beasley. Rose can’t score the way Beasley can, he can’t play in the post, command double teams, rebound, and well, you get the idea.

And please don’t give me the “oh, well Rose has no character issues and Beasley does.” Sure, Beasley seemed to have character issues in high school that probably came from moving from school to school and having a lack of maturity. But, Amare Stoudemire did the same thing, moving from school to school and while he wasn’t a #1 pick because of it, based on his production, you think teams in that draft would LOVE to have a do-over? I think so. Not to mention, you saw zero issues from Beasley of ‘immaturity’ in college, and from what I can tell, all 19-20 year old kids like to have fun and joke around, so it is not just limited to Beasley.

Simply put, while Derrick Rose is a very good player, I just don’t understand why there is even a comparision between he and Michael Beasley. Especially with the Bulls need for an offensive presence in the post. But apparently, actually having ‘fun’ is going to hurt Mr. Beasley in the end if the Bulls do indeed draft Rose.

For Bulls fans sake, if they do infact draft Derrick Rose, they better hope this ‘Mike’ doesn’t turn out to be like the last ‘Mike’ we saw in Chicago, or the team will never live it down.

Link: ESPN.com

MLB First Quarter Power Ten

Editor’s Note: Discuss this article NOW over at ACC vs. SEC! – MLB First Quarter Power Ten

**Thanks goes to Condo for assistance on these rankings!**

By my rough estimation — and I do mean rough — today marks the end of the first quarter of Major League Baseball’s regular season. Now that the smoke is beginning to clear, the landscape of the league is beginning to take hold. Thus, I bring you the ‘First Quarter Power Ten’:

On the outside looking in: Philadelphia Phillies (21-18), New York Mets (19-17), Los Angeles Dodgers (19-18).

10. Minnesota Twins (20-17): The #10 spot was tough with the Phillies lurking but a divisional leader couldn’t be left out of the Power Ten no matter how bad their division is playing overall. The Twins are 7-3 in their last ten but many expected the American League Central to be far more competitive than it has been thus far.

9. Houston Astros (22-17): There really isn’t a National League Central bias to this list, I promise. The Astros are a top five run-scoring team and are jockeying for position with the big dogs of their division in the Cubs and Cardinals. Also, being 9-1 in their last ten helps.

8. Florida Marlins (23-15): Some people may plead for the Marlins to be higher considering they are tied with the best winning percentage in ‘The Bigs’ but we have to remember, it is the Marlins. They average less in attendance per home game than the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team and their 2008 team salary of $21,836,500 is roughly $6,000,000 less than what Alex Rodriguez makes for one season. They are playing good now, but can they sustain it?

7. Los Angeles Angels (23-17): The Angels are still among the lead leaguers in runs scored despite Vladimir Guerrero only notching four RBIs since April 14th. The Angels are only a half of a game behind the division-leading Athletics and are just a few games shy of .600 baseball. When John Lackey returns to full health and Vlad returns to his old self, beware of the Angels.

6. Tampa Bay Rays (22-16): Some will argue the Rays don’t deserve to be this high as they are not knocking down the statistical record books and they are also still the Rays, a team that has never finished with a winning record and has never befre been six games above .500 until now. However, Tampa Bay is getting it done thanks in part to pitching and, more specifically, their Bullpen. The Rays are only half of a game back of the Boston Redsox in arguably baseball’s toughest division in any year.

5. Saint Louis Cardinals (23-17): I am really not trying to drink the red Kool-Aid of the Cards, mainly because they are a divisional rival of the Reds and I pretty much hate them. However, without Isringhausens’ five blown saves the Cardinals are 28-12 and sporting the best record in baseball by a long shot.

4. Okland Athletics (23-16): I make no bones about my love for Billy Beane around here along with his ‘more for less’ mentality. The A’s are leading the Majors in pitching and just picked up some guy they are calling “Big Hurt.” It may also help that the Athletics own the best team ERA in the MLB.

3. Boston Red Sox (24-17): The pitching for the Sox hasn’t been as good this year as last year with Buchholz sporting a lofty 4.50 ERA and with Beckett not being quite as dominate as in years past. But, hey, they are the Boston Red Sox and experience accounts for a lot. Plus the Sox are leading the American League in runs scored and have the most wins in the Majors.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks (23-15): The D-Backs are 5th in ERA and 2nd in batting average against, while being 3rd in runs scored and 9th in batting average in all of Major League Baseball. Oh yeah, they got that Brandon Webb guy, too (did I ever mention he’s my new hero?). And no, I don’t care that the Diamondbacks are currently on a losing streak of three games.

1. Chicago Cubs (23-15): Bob’s boys from Chi-Town are hitting well (1st overall in runs scored, 3rd in batting average) and they are pitching well (6th overall in ERA, 4th in batting average against) and all of this adds up to the Cubbies leading a surprisingly competitive National League Central — four teams at or above .500, a list that does not include my Redlegs but are you surprised?

Who Will Go #1 In The NFL Draft?

With the number one overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select…

Glenn Dorsey

New Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano runs a 3-4 defense — thanks to the tutelage of Bill Parcells — and although I’m sure Glenn Dorsey would be effective in a 3-4 system, he’s not really the type of player who is a typical ‘nose tackle’ in a 3-4 system. Dorsey is also not a real great fit in either DE spot in the 3-4 defense, as well. Due to this, Dorsey most likely will not be Miami’s top choice.

Chris Long

Chris Long would be a great fit as he played in the 3-4 system at the University of Virginia under Al Groh — another coach who learned under Parcells — and was extremely effective as a DE and NT in that system. Long is the player that makes the most sense for the Dolphins at this point given the holes they have on defense.

Matt Ryan

They could go the obvious route of QB and take Matt Ryan with the #1 overall selection which I know they are rumored to be discussing. The issue I have with Ryan at #1 is that they passed over Brady Quinn last year in the First Round because they seemed to be ’so sure’ of John Beck from Brigham Young University, whom they took in the Second Round.

Condo’s Take

Granted, Parcells and Sparano were not around when these decisions were made thus Beck may not be a player they particularly care for and therefore end up drafting Ryan. But I personally believe it would make more sense for them to draft a player that I think you can be sure will be of immediate help to you in Long, based on the system you are going to run, and give Beck a chance.

I would do this over taking Matt Ryan #1 overall and completely scrapping what you have at QB, especially when the QB you have in Beck is only in his second season.

The other route I could see the Dolphins going is trading the pick in an attempt to accumulate more picks since they have several holes they need to address. The question being would they get enough value out of trading the #1 pick, and my personal opinion is no.

Condo’s #1 Draft Pick

Chris Long – DE – The University of Virginia

Johan Santana Traded To The Mets

In case you have not visted ESPN.com in the last little bit… pending a physical and a contract extension for Santana, the Mets are the winner’s of the Johan Santana sweepstakes. The package includes Mets prospects Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey. The top prospect of this group is Carlos Gomez, who is a CF that fills a void the Twins have after losing Torri Hunter to Free Agency with the Angels. There will be a 48-72 hour contract extension window for the Mets to work something out with Santana and his agent.

Personally, if this gets done, the Mets will have gotten a steal in my opinion as really none of the prospects the Twins receive are ‘can’t miss’ prospects. I believe the Twins were best suited hanging on to Santana and making a run at the division with a 1-2 punch of Santana & a healthy Liriano leading the way. I understand why the Twins made this move, I just don’t personally agree with it. What do you think? Leave your comments below and tell us what you think of this trade.

Condo’s Power 16

I’ve been away for a while after being lost in “Historic Gallagher-Iba Arena” looking for the Sutton’s secret stash of booze. After being unsuccessful in my adventure, I came back to realize that we are midway into conference play in college basketball and felt that a “Power 16″ list was in order. The idea is to list the Top 16 teams in the land based on performances to this point in the season. I will try to update this list weekly until Selection Sunday, at which point I will then list my Final 4 picks and ’sleepers’ for those of you who may need help filling out your brackets.

But, without further ado, here is “Condo’s Power 16″

1. Memphis (19-0)
Last Week: Won @ Tulsa 56-41 (1/23), Won vs Gonzaga 81-73 (1/26)
This Week: @ Houston (1/30), vs UTEP (2/2)
You could make a case for Kansas in the #1 spot as well, but I have to commend Coach Calipari for his scheduling of the non-conference this season. Knowing that the selection committee would need to see some tough games on the schedule considering the C-USA is anything BUT strong, he went out and put Arizona, USC, Gonzaga, UConn on the non-conference schedule and so far it has paid dividends. Hopefully this will help lead Memphis to a #1 seed this season and it has put Memphis in the #1 spot in my power 16 for the mean time.

2. Kansas (20-0)
Last Week: Won vs Iowa State 83-59 (1/23), Won vs Nebraska 84-49 (1/26)
This Week: @ Kansas State (1/30), @ Colorado (2/2)
As I previously said, you could make a case for Kansas at #1, especially the way the team is destroying their opponents. Coach Self has this team on a “National Title or bust” campaign it seems after last season and they are responding. Big game Wednesday vs freshman phenom Michael Beasley and the K-State Wildcats.

3. Duke (17-1)
Last Week: Won @ Virginia Tech 81-64 (1/24)
This Week: Won @ Maryland 93-84 (1/27), vs NC State (1/31), vs Miami (FL) (2/2)
Duke is only one crazy night at the MSG (Thanks Isaiah) from being unbeaten, falling at the hands of ‘pre-injury’ Pittsburgh in OT. This team lacks an inside presence and has to rely on slashing and shooting to win, but so far, they’ve been up to the task. Leading the ACC at any point in a season is always tough, and Duke looks to stay atop until a big match-up vs UNC in Chapel Hill on Feb. 6.

4. North Carolina (19-1)
Last Week: Won @ Miami (FL) 98-82 (1/23)
This Week: vs Boston College (1/31)
North Carolina got back to their old-selves by putting up 98 at Miami last Wednesday. The Heels look like the college version of the Phoenix Suns with their run-and-gun style. That may be fun to watch, but it can also get you in trouble if shots don’t fall and your defense is lacking (see Maryland). They may be the most talented team in the country, though.

5. UCLA (18-2)
Last Week: Won @ Oregon 80-75 (1/24), Won @ Oregon State 85-62 (1/26)
This Week: vs Arizona State (1/31), vs Arizona (2/2)
Kevin Love and the Bruins are another team that have had a couple of close calls this season that they came up on the wrong end of. But this is a very talented team that is the class of the Pac-10 it appears and should keep playing that way. Freshman Forward/Center Kevin Love has been the star of the team, but point guard Darren Collison is the engine that really makes this UCLA team go.

Mitchell Report Coverage

**UPDATE** We’re now hosting the “Mitchell Report” — View it: mitchell_report.pdf (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view which is a free download here: Adobe.)

If you are looking for conciseness, I have seen preliminary lists come and go here: WNBC

WNBC Link thanks to Condo — check it periodically as they seem to be working with two sources close to the Mitchell Report.

Condo’s Updates – Prior to Mitchell Report’s Release

**UPDATE** American Legends Blog >> Names from Mitchell List has the list of names that were originally reported on WNBC’s list. Check here to see if any names you may be curious about are on the list!

**UPDATE** At this time, the WNBC link above is NOT showing the names of the players included on the list. WNBC out of New York has said they are working closely with their 2 sources in order to put a more ‘correct’ list up and the names should be back up momentarily. Check back often as we will be bringing you as much coverage as we can on this monumental day for steroids and baseball.

After seeing some of the names, I felt obliged to put up this link again:

The Genius Of Jose Canseco

Condo and I will be around for some rolling updates. Feel free to chat it up in the thread or to just drop your thoughts on us.

Below is more steroid coverage than you care to read and its all we got – well organized for your needs…

Coaching Carousel – Running Updates

Editor’s Note: I don’t feel like adding links for each one of these but most information has come from the Associated Press or ESPN. A BIG THANKS to Condo for help with the research and keeping the list accurate and up-to-date. Also, anything you read is considered only a possibility until an official announcement from the respective schools.

Updated: December 11, 2007 at 7:10 PM EST

If you’re like me then your head is about to explode trying to keep up with the movement among the coaching ranks in the past few weeks. Have no fear, however, as I am here to (attempt to) get the story straight.

Arkansas - Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt resigned/was fired (November 26) after 10 seasons with the Razorbacks with no replacement being named at the moment.

• UPDATE: (December 11) After unexpectedly resigning from his job with the Atlanta Falcons, former Louisville Cardinals Head Coach Bobby Petrino is supposedly negotiating a deal with Arkansas.
• UPDATE: (December 4) After rumors of Tommy Tuberville and/or Tommy Bowden dancing in Fayeteville, both have signed extensions to stay at their respective schools — (Aurburn/Clemson)…
• UPDATE: The rumor mill is churning once again and places current Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville in Arkansas sights…nothing confirmed yet but stay tuned as the game of musical chairs in the SEC may begin again…

Michigan – Lloyd Carr resigned (November 19) after 13 seasons as head coach of the Wolverines and it was believed that Les Miles, current head coach of the LSU Tigers, is the rumored front-runner for the job but it should also be noted that it is rumored that current Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English has already interviewed for the opening.

• UPDATE: After supposedly talking to LSU Head Coach Les Miles again over the weekend (December 11), Lester has denied that he is going to Michigan and instead claims he is staying with LSU (after signing the extension, mind you).
• UPDATE: Now being reported on ESPN.com is reports that LSU Head Coach Les Miles will be staying at LSU and will meet with the media at the Georgia Dome before the SEC Championship Game to announce this decision. The source also says that LSU associate athletic director Herb Vincent said Saturday morning that ESPN reports that Miles had accepted the head coaching position at Michigan were “inaccurate” and Miles agreed to a contract extension Saturday with LSU. God only knows what twists and turns are bound next for both the Michigan and LSU job situations, so stay tuned…
• UPDATE: ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit is reporting that LSU Head Coach Les Miles will accept the job later on next week and is also reporting that he will be taking Georgia Tech Defensive Coordinator Jon Tenuta with him to become his defensive coordinator.
• UPDATE: Michigan has formerly received permission to talk to LSU’ Les Miles regarding the position. Hopefully this doesn’t develop in to an extreme distraction for the Tigers but it is no doubt that, with all of the speculation, the month leading up to LSU’s Bowl game will be quite tough for Miles and Co.

Who Wants To Win The Heisman?

This year’s Heisman Trophy race is more like a game of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” with nobody stepping up to the plate to win the $1,000,000 prize.  There have been many contestants who as soon as they get out in the spotlight as the favorite, fall out of the race. (See: Andre Woodson of Kentucky, Darren McFadden of Arkansas, and Matt Ryan of Boston College)

The Heisman Trophy is an award that has become an award that goes to the best player on the best team rather than the best player in college football.  Typically, there is one or two players who tend to seperate themselves from the pack and their respective team is almost always unbeaten and at the top of the polls.  Last year it was Troy Smith, the year prior it was Vince Young and Reggie Bush, and before that Matt Leinart. 

However, the way this season has played out with the polls being turned upside down and no clear cut top player on a clear cut top team, it’s made the race one of the most debated in recent memory.  Guys like Dennis Dixon at Oregon and Matt Ryan at Boston College who were not even consideration for the Heisman when the season started have been at the top of the list in recent weeks with Dixon having the upperhand at this point because his team didn’t lose last week.

Could this be the first season that the Heisman may go to the best overall player instead of the best player on the best team (in the polls that is)?  If I had to make the call on the top 5 players on my Heisman ballot, it would like this:

2007 World Series Breakdown

Well, after Boston completed yet another comeback in the ALCS, we finally have our World Series match-up between two teams that couldn’t have been any further away from each other before the season started. I remember back at the beginning of 2007 when current Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton was pondering waiving his no trade clause to be traded to the team he will now be facing tomorrow in Game 1 of the World Series.

If anyone predicted that it would be Boston and Colorado fighting for the world title before the season started, then by God, you must either not know anything about baseball, or you’re from the Denver area.

Let’s breakdown some key factors in this series:

Pitching Staff:
The Boston Red Sox have two of the best big game post season pitchers in recent memory with Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett. They also have one of the best closers in the game in Jonathan Papelbon whereas the Rockies have… well, they don’t have any names they come close to the level of what Boston has, but they’ve been exceptional this post season. I think Boston has the edge in the rotation but outside of “Paps” the Red Sox bullpen to me does not seem as solid all the way around as the Rockies pen, at least in this post season.
Overall Edge though goes the Red Sox

Hitting:
The Boston lineup features big time sluggers such as Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz coupled with other capable bats like Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedoria, and Kevin Youkilis. The Rockies lineup has only one big time slugger that people have heard of in the name of Matt Holliday, but the rest of the lineup is good too and features players such as Todd Helton, Garrett Atkins, and Brad Hawpe.
I think that in when the games are at Fenway, Boston has a serious edge because of the DH, but when it moves to Coors Field, the edge swings to the Rockies because of Boston having to take out either Youkilis or Ortiz.
So I believe the overall edge is a push

Defense and Execution:
I believe the defensive edge goes to the Red Sox with a gold glover in Mike Lowell over at the hot corner and solid defense everywhere else throughout the field. Execution I believe is a push, seeing as how the Red Sox are not asked to execute many bunts, sacrifices etc.. throughout the season being in the American League as the Rockies are asked to do in the National League.
Overall Edge again goes to the Red Sox.

Manager:
Terry Francona and the Bo Sox hold the edge yet again because he’s been here before. I’m sure nobody has forgotten what he did in 2004 leading the Red Sox to the first world series in 86 years and the fact he has experience as a former manager in the National League with the Philadelphia Phillies. Clint Hurdle is a relative unknown outside of the baseball guru’s and although he is the main candidate to win manager of the year, he is not on the same level as Francona, at least experience wise in these pressure situations.
Overall Edge again goes the Red Sox.

So what does all this mean you ask? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Everything to this point has shown that Colorado has no business being in this World Series in the first place and what they are doing here nobody seems to know or care. I think this is just like the 2003 Florida Marlins team that has ZERO clue what is going on and they are just playing the game the way it was meant to be played, hard and fun! Do I think the Rockies will keep this crazy win streak up? No, most likely not, but I do believe that in the end, the Rockies will be flying up a World Series banner at the beginning of next season.

Condo’s Prediction: Rockies in 5 closing it out in Coors Field.
World Series MVP: Troy Tulowitzki — Colorado Rockies SS

Mike Gundy: The Kind Of Coach I Would Want To Play For

By now, many of you sports fans have either seen, or heard about this ‘tirade’ that Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy went on. The author of the article he is referring to, Jenni Carlson, is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman newspaper based out of Oklahoma City. In her article, here, she tells a story of how former starting quarterback Bobby Reid lost his starting role. A lot of this article appears to be attacks at Reid’s character and attitude rather than at his performance on the field.

A player on the Oklahoma State football team’s mother brought this article to Gundy’s attention right before he was to go to the press conference after the team’s 49-45 victory over Texas Tech. And rather than talk about the game, Gundy was infuriated, as you can tell in the press conference, and went off about the article and stood up for his former quarterback who had done absolutely nothing wrong.

All I can say to this press conference tirade is THANK YOU MIKE GUNDY! You ABSOLUTELY did the right thing by calling out this reporter for this piece of junk writing that she put out there. After their shootout win against Texas Tech, it does suck for the players that this is all the media is covering and not the great game they had just finished playing. But I’d like to see a former athlete, whether it was in Pee Wee up to the pros, who wouldn’t want a coach like this to be their coach. Any coach who sticks up for his players like this when they are being kicked around is the kind of coach that I certainly would want to play for. Even if he may not be the best X’s and O’s coach, Gundy just earned A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT all around the nation from fans, players, and coaches alike. And I for one would like to say…

THANK YOU MIKE GUNDY!

Patriots, Belichick Penalty Harsh Enough?

By now, you’ve already heard the news about the New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick having someone on the sidelines using a video camera this past Sunday versus the Jets to steal their signals from the sidelines.  And the punishment from Roger Goddell is in: $500,000 fine for Head Coach Bill Belichick (the NFL max. for a fine), a $250,000 fine for the New England Patriots, and the loss of a 1st round pick if the Pats make the playoffs or a 2nd and 3rd rd. pick lost if they don’t make the playoffs.

Now the question at hand is this, ‘Was this fine harsh enough?’  And my personal belief is, no, it was not.  The loss of money hurts, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t hurt the Patriots at all when it comes to this season and previous seasons (if the spying was being done in the past which rumor is it was) and doesn’t really affect the overall team as a whole here.  The loss of a 1st round draft pick if they make the playoffs, which obvious consenus is they will, hurts as well for following seasons, but if they finish with a league’s best record and a Super Bowl victory that they are expecting in New England, losing the 32nd pick in next year’s draft isn’t really a ‘big’ loss considering they own the rights to San Francisco’s 1st round pick which will be better than their own next season anyways.

Let’s face it, it was a heavy penalty, but it does not ‘hurt’ the Pats the way it should for basically cheating to gain an advantage to win football games.  Look, if a player gets a 4 game suspension for using a banned substance because he is trying to ‘gain an advantage’  shouldn’t a coach get the same suspension if he is caught doing something that is considered ‘cheating’? 

Belichick should’ve been suspended without pay for 4 games rather than getting a $500,000 fine.  This way, not only does he lose money, but he loses the ability to coach the team in practices and in games, and in effect, it could quite possibly have an effect on the Patriots for this season which is what needs to be done.  The other penalties do nothing for what he was caught doing this season.  And don’t really even hurt the team for ensuing seasons.

If the commissioner didn’t want to do that, then he should’ve just forced the Patriots to forefit the game versus the Jets and be 0-1 instead of 1-0.   He needs to send a message to everyone in the league that cheating will not be tolerated.  And while this penalty will cause teams to shy away from even considering doing what Belchick and his staff has done, it also shows that if you have a deep enough pocketbook and enough quality draft picks for the upcoming draft, you can maybe get away with it, too.

 

Condo’s Super Bowl Predicitions After Week 1

Usually, when you look up NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions, it’s before the season actually starts. But I figured, “hey, why not wait ’til Week 1 so I can at least get a little bit better glimpse of a teams’ offense and defense for an entire game, rather than one quarter like you see in preseason.”

So, without further ado, here are my predictions for the NFL Division Winners, Playoffs and the Super Bowl:

Weeknight College Football, Good For The Sport?

As I sit here this evening typing this article, I am flipping between a couple of college football games between Louisville/Middle Tennessee State and Cincinnati/Oregon State. And then, of course, I’m watching the NFL opener between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints.

Most people think that football is meant for the weekend. Saturday is college football day, and Sunday is pro football day. Thanks to the power of television networks, however, you can catch a football game almost any night. If you are a football junkie like myself, especially college football, this is a great thing. However, some people seem to think it ruins the whole ‘mystique’ of football.

Personally, I think they are crazy because, before a few years ago, you could have never seen a team like Louisville, Cincinnati, or Oregon State on TV. And thanks to television, it’s not only allowing football junkies like myself a chance to see these teams in action, but recruits that those schools are targeting as well. It brings the programs national exposure and helps bring more “parity” to college football.

Think about it, thanks to television during the weeknights late in the season, recruits are getting a chance to see D-1AA teams (Football Championship Series) in the playoffs. This is helping those schools possibly get recruits who are of D-1A (Football Bowl Series) caliber but are more interested in playing for championships instead of being pasted by the USC’s and Florida’s of the world year in and year out. And thanks to this, it’s giving these schools enough overall talent to compete with the big boys. See: Appalachian State/Michigan this past Saturday.

Look at schools like Louisville, West Viriginia, and Cincinnati, for example. A few years ago, they were only on TV if they were getting ready to be pasted by Miami (FL) or Virginia Tech, for example. Now, they are on almost every Thursday night and recruits are getting better looks at these schools and because of this, these schools are getting more talented players.

The Big East went from being left for dead as a conference to now having four legitimate Heisman Contenders, two of which are on the same team.

The atmosphere on a Thursday night may not be nearly the same as it is on a Saturday afternoon. You miss some of the tailgating, the mingling among fans while drinking countless beers and yelling obscenities at the other team’s fans.

That obviously isn’t going to happen as much on a Wednesday or Thursday night, but I tell you what, if it means bringing this much parity and this much more excitement into college football, then I say bring on more weeknight games. 

If this past Saturday was any indication of where college football is heading, I am DEFINITELY ON BOARD.

Discuss this post and others in the “Sports Bar!” 

Link: “T.N.B. Sports Bar“

KG Trade Rumors Finally Over, Garnett now a Celtic

After weeks and months of speculation on where the 6′11″ All-Star forward would end up, ESPN is reporting that Kevin Garnett is now a member of the Boston Celtics.  In an unprecedented 7 for 1 trade (when you include the draft picks as players), the Celtics gave up forward Al Jefferson, forward Ryan Gomes, guard Gerald Green, guard Sebastian Telfair, center Theo Ratliff, two first-round draft picks, and cash considerations to get their man in Kevin Garnett.

This gives Boston 3 all-stars in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, and puts the Celtics in ‘win now’ mode that can only be attempted (with success) in the Eastern Conference.

Although the Wolves gave up their prized player in Garnet, they did acquire quite a bit for him and should be pleased with the deal in an effort to help them get better in the future.  The Wolves got Al Jefferson, is a 22 year old up and coming star who plays the same position that Garnett played (power forward), they acquire an expiring contract in Theo Ratliff, 3 young players in Gomes, Green and Telfair who are 24, 21, and 22 years old respectively.  PLUS the Wolves get two first-round draft picks and cash in the deal as well.

The fact is, the Wolves had no choice but to trade Garnett after shopping him feverishly around the time of the draft, and had a deal in place with Boston earlier, before Garnett basically said he had no interest in playing in Boston.  That of course was before the Celtics went out and acquired Ray Allen from Seattle and KG realized that with Allen, Pierce, and himself,  the trio could legitimately make a run at winning the Eastern Conference even if the rest of their supporting cast was 9  people that they brought in from the Dunkin Donuts next to the arena.

Overall, I think both teams did what they felt they had to do, Ainge and the Celtics went out and acquired Garnett to take advantage of a shot to win an Eastern Conference title right now, and the McHale and the Wolves took advantage of the fact that the Celtics wanted Garnett and would basically give up the whole team to get him.

Short term, I think Boston gets the better of this trade, but in 3 to 5 years, this could be looked at as the trade that made the Timberwolves organization a strong organization for many years to come.