Dodgers at the Deadline

As I watched the MLB trade deadline show on MLB Network, I noticed a funny comment by one of the analysts.  When asked who his “winner” was for the day, he mentioned the Dodgers due to their ability to be so active despite their financial hardships.  He said nothing else.  The Dodgers were winners simply because they were active, and to me, that makes no sense.  These moves weren’t terrible, but it was exactly what Ned Colletti is known for: overpaying.  Great.

The first move the Dodgers made today was fine by me.  The Dodgers began the day by sending Blake DeWitt and their 17th and 34th best prospects to Chicago for Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot.  While many were up in arms over the departure of DeWitt, he was never going to be a franchise player, and the Dodgers could do well to simply sign a new second baseman every year for the next ten, and they would never do significantly worse than DeWitt, so no big loss there.  Other than that, Theriot adds more speed to a lineup of Furcal, Podsednik, and Kemp, adding just another player capable of stealing bases at any moment.  Lilly was a much needed inning-eater at the back of the rotation, so this trade didn’t bother me.

The second trade, however, reeks of Ned Colletti’s biggest weakness: forcing a trade.  The Dodgers parted with James McDonald and Andrew Lambo (12th best prospect) for some much needed help in the bullpen with Octavio Dotel.  Dotel is a great pickup, but at far too large a price.  McDonald has Edwin Jackson part two written all over him (Dodgers dealt Jackson a few years back for Danny Baez, another relief pitcher), and the last thing the Dodgers need is for another prospect to develop in someone else’s’ system (ala Carlos Santana).  So while the future will tell how much this helps the Dodgers, if they don’t make the playoffs this season, these moves will come back to haunt them.

Why The NFL Should Stick to 16 Games

It’s been a topic of debate for a few months now, as the NFL is considering switching to an 18 game schedule that would remove two preseason games. For an NFL fan, this might seem like a dream come true, like more of the best sport, but there is indeed a dark side to the idea. Of course I would want to see more of the greatest sport on earth, but NFL owners themselves would be biting off much more than they can chew, and here’s why:

1. Collective Bargaining Agreement and Salary: Perhaps the largest issue with switching to an 18 game regular season has to be the salary issue involving the players. The NFL is already having a financial crisis at this point in 2010, as the upcoming season is uncapped, and the league is far from reaching a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The fact of the matter is, that the more games the players participate in, the more compensation they will ask for, and deserve. This in effect falls back onto the front offices and the NFLPA, who is already having a tough time deciding what percentage of revenue and spending, should be devoted to the players. With the players themselves already very greedy, and in a season where there has never been this many restricted free agents, the NFL’s executives and players must come together and agree on a new financial plan before we see more of America’s sport.

2. Injuries and Fatigue: It does not take a dummy to realize that the NFL’s rough playing style is responsible for its players having the shortest careers in sports. An extra two regular season games would only increase the wear and tear on a starter’s body since they don’t play much in the preseason. Maybe if the league decided to add an extra bye week into the schedule things would work out, but another bye week also means another week of practice, which might also result in injury. The players go through enough risk in one season, and two more games over the span of 8 years adds up to another regular season itself, think about it…

3. Records: Although the records from before “The Merger” (1970) still count and the NFL played 14 regular season game up until 1978 when the league switched to 16, an 18 game season would substantially change the record books. If we think about it, a 1,000 yard rushing season is no longer special, but important records such as games played, touchdowns thrown, and so forth would be greatly affected by two more games on the schedule. It seems as of too many people forget that players like Jim Brown get so much credibility because he rushed for 1,400 yards and beyond in only 12 games. This is phenomenal, because a season that special is completed by very few running backs these days. Regular season records would definitely be tarnished, as Tom Brady’s touchdowns record, Michael Strahan’s sacks record, and both Eric Dickerson’s and Dan Marino’s yardage records could easily be crushed. These statures are important in the NFL, and they should be legitimately broken.

4. The aspect of competition: Usually, when playoff teams have already clinched their births by weeks 15-17, they often sit their star players (Indianapolis Colts). With that taken into perspective, who’s to say teams will not extend this notion beyond two or three games? We can argue that it is not fair for fans to pay the same amount of money for a preseason game, but it is basically the same idea if teams do decide to sit their stars late in the regular season. Owners obviously enjoy the increased revenue in the regular season, and would refuse to lower ticket prices, even if their teams are not fielding the full roster of talent. An NFL game loses its attraction when Peyton Manning is on the sideline in week 16, there’s no doubt about that!

5. An owner’s dilemma: Running an NFL franchise must be a daunting task, and with a schedule change, an owner’s list of duties could only get longer. The front office must revise ticket and concession prices, pay stadium employees for two more weeks, keep the stadium clean and running for a longer period, pay the players, and even change the scouting schedules. Every team must go through this process, and although it can be done, there might be too much pressure behind the scenes, because too many fans don’t acknowledge the hard work done by the CEO’s, owners, GM’s, VP’s and so on.

6. “If it isn’t broke, why fix it?”: The NFL has climbed to the top of the sports world, and I honestly think the system in place at this point and time will keep the NFL at the top of the professional world. Once a Collective Bargaining Agreement is put in place, the NFL has no worries. You can argue to just remove two preseason games, but the NFL loses money without those games. Every fan loves the sport the way it is, and although we could never get enough, we must be grateful for the job Commissioner Goodell has done. He continues to achieve perfection for us every Sunday, and I know I will continue to be a loyal and faithful viewer every week. I will sit on my couch, and root for the Cleveland Browns every Sunday. Sunday is our favorite day of the week as football fans, and we know that won’t change!

By: Constantine Madias

Rating the NBA Offseason

In an off-season dominated by LeBron, many people have overlooked numerous other moves made by teams around the league.  While some teams have completely changed personalities, other look relatively the same, but all of these moves must be viewed in the grand scheme of things.

I’ve rated the teams based on four factors:

1) Amount of money to spend

2) Ability to lure free agents within their price range

3) Fit of signees within current system and roster

4) Draft outcomes

For example, the Clippers can’t be downgraded for not being able to lure LeBron when they really had a 0% chance from the outset.  That being said, here are my grades thus far:

Atlanta Hawks – The story of the Hawks begins and ends with the signing of Joe Johnson, and while they are getting killed in the media for the size of the contract (largest given out this season), I tend to have a different opinion.  If the Hawks didn’t sign Johnson, what exactly would they have done? Who would they have been able to sign? I understand that Hawk fans are now stuck with Johnson for the next six seasons, and with a team who seems poised for numerous playoff runs, but never a championship run, but without Johnson they aren’t a playoff team.  While they definitely overpaid and didn’t get significantly better, people have to understand that the best case scenario this offseason was to maintain the status quo without getting any worse, and with that: mission accomplished.  As far as the draft goes, I like the Jordan Crawford signing, because his high scoring off the bench will fit right into their up-tempo style.  Overall Grade: B

Boston Celtics – For me, this team may be one of the most difficult offseasons to grade.  While they did well to resign Ray Allen and Paul Pierce while bringing back coach Doc Rivers, I have to wonder whether or not this was their best option.  The Celtics spent most of the 2009-2010 regular season underachieving due to the accumulative age of their players, and yet the core of that team remains almost entirely in tact.  Celtics fans will also be quick to point out that this was also the same team that was just minutes away from being the NBA champions last season, so that has to mean something.  Overall I look at this the same way I look at the Hawks.  While they didn’t get any better, this was still best-case scenario for them.  While I don’t think the big three will win another championship together, I think this team gives them the best chance.  In other news, the Celtics resigned Nate Robinson, and let Tony Allen walk.  I think the Robinson signing was perfect, and gives them scoring and a spark off the bench, while I think Tony Allen will be missed, but letting him go was probably the team’s best option. Overall Grade:  B+

Charlotte Bobcats – The Bobcats biggest loss this offseason was starting point guard Raymond Felton, while the Bobcats failed to make any splash signings.  In minor news, the Bobcats added Larry Hughes and traded Tyson Chandler for Erick Dampier, Eduardo Najera, and Matt Carroll.  Overall, this appears to be a disappointing offseason for the Bobcats, who did nothing to improve their roster from last season, especially given their lack of draft picks this season. Overall Grade: D-

Chicago Bulls – One of the teams in the LeSweepstakes who came out empty handed, it is difficult to justify a high grade for the Bulls this offseason.  Their biggest move was the addition of Carlos Boozer, who will fit perfectly alongside Joakim Noah on the front line.  Other notable moves include the signing of Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer as well as the trading of Kirk Hinrich.  The Korver and Brewer signings provide nice complimentary pieces to the roster they have assembled, however the Hinrich trade is especially devastating given their failure to sign LeBron.  They traded Hinrich solely to create room for a massive signing, and got nothing in return.  Overall the Bulls will be a team to watch in the east next season, but the loss of Hinrich was a blemish on an otherwise somewhat productive offseason.  Like the Bobcats, the Bulls had no draft picks this season. Overall Grade: C+

Cleveland Cavaliers – Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing positive that came out of this offseason.  While it was clear the former hometown hero had no intention of ever signing with his former team, he hung them out to dry by not allowing them to pursue other options in the meantime.  As a result, the Cavs ended up with zero draft picks and zero major signings.  In the meantime they also lost Big Z and will probably lose Shaquille O’neal this summer, leaving them with just one player under contract over 6′9″ (Varejao).  One potential move proposed by ESPN’s Bill Simmons is exploring a trade for Gilbert Arenas, however that trade looks extremely unlikely.  Overall Grade: F

Dallas Mavericks – The Mavericks grade begins and ends with their ability to resign Dirk Nowitzki.  When the Mavericks’ best player opted out of his contract, the team’s only goal became to resign their best player, which they were able to do – even at a discount.  The Mavericks convinced their best player to sign for just $80 million over four years, in hopes that they could be active elsewhere in free agency.  The remainder of their time was spent re-signing Brendan Haywood and a trading for Tyson Chandler.  Both will add solid big men to play in the front court alongside Dirk, and with the continued emergence of Rodrique Beaubois, the Mavericks have prepared themselves for another successful campaign.  Overall Grade: B+

Denver Nuggets – One of my favorite moves of the entire offseason belongs to the Denver Nuggets in their signing of Al Harrington to a contract last week.  While Harrington may be somewhat of a liability on the defensive end, he provides them with another high-powered scorer off the bench to add to a team who won’t have any problems scoring this season.  Elsewhere, the biggest priority here is to sign Carmelo Anthony to a long-term deal before next offseason, however thus far they have failed to do so.  With very little money to spend, and very few needs, I think the Nuggets did a great job finding a player that will fit in their system and compliments their existing roster well.  Overall Grade: B+

Detroit Pistons – After an atrocious offseason last year, the Pistons were remarkably quiet this offseason, doing almost nothing outside of the draft.  In the draft, however, they picked up talented big man Greg Monroe, who fit their needs, and could make an impact this season.  Overall, the Pistons had little to work with and accomplished nothing, so enjoy another losing season for DETROIT BASKETBALLLLLLL.  Overall Grade: D

Golden State Warriors – If you asked Warrior fans what the biggest move this offseason was, I can tell you it has nothing to do with David Lee.  The best thing to happen to Bay Area basketball this summer was a change in ownership.  The fans can finally look forward to an owner who may be committed to spending some money and winning, and luckily for him, that era will begin with David Lee in the fold.  In one of the busiest offseasons in the league, the Warriors have parted ways with Anthony Morrow, Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, and Corey Maggette via trade and free agency.  To compensate for their losses, they have added an all-star quality big man in David Lee and a versatile small forward in Dorrell Wright.  In the draft they added Ekpe Udoh, a raw big man who specializes in shot blocking more than shot making, but could be a long-term solution on the front line. Overall Grade: B+

Houston Rockets – With a GM as creative as Daryl Morey, you expect nothing less than a productive offseason, and this summer was no different.  After a late season trade that brought Kevin Martin into the mix and the impending return of Yao Ming, Morey knew that his team didn’t need much to continue their ascent in the western conference.  All he did was add a solid veteran center in Brad Miller at an affordable price as an insurance policy for Yao Ming, as well as rookie Patrick Patterson to boost depth along the front line.  Combine this with their ability to retain Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry, and the Rockets did everything they needed to this summer. Overall Grade: B+

Indiana Pacers – For as bad as a season as the Pacers had last year, you would think they would be one of the more active teams in the league.  Unfortunately for the folks in Indianapolis the team they got used to see lose last year isn’t getting any better.  While the Pacers had a solid draft pick going into the draft, they spent it on a player full of raw, undeveloped talent in Paul George who seems a little ways off from being a contributor in the NBA.  Overall Grade: F

LA Clippers - The Clippers are an odd case to examine, because they had the money to target whoever they wanted, and yet, the reality of them landing a star player was near zero from the beginning.  Free agents departing from the squad include Rasual Butler and Craig Smith, two players who aren’t guaranteed not to be wearing a Clipper uniform next season, but have yet to be signed by anyone.  Outside of that, the Clippers added Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes, in addition to draft picks Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe, both of whom figure to see some minutes this season.  Overall the team didn’t add a ton, but given their lack of desirability, they had an average summer.  I compare them to a below average student who just isn’t that smart regardless of how much they study.  That being said, the Clippers studied a lot this summer, and still landed at the class average.  Overall Grade: B-

LA Lakers - When a team wins an NBA championship and returns all of their best players, one can’t expect much during the off-season, but all things considered, the Lakers have done well for themselves.  Going with the student analogy that I mentioned above, the Lakers are the star athlete who just needed to pass their classes to stay on the team, but instead, they happen to ace the test anyways.  The signings of Steve Blake and Derek Fisher weren’t sexy by any means, and yet, they’re exactly what the Lakers needed.  The loss of Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell, DJ Mbenga, and possibly Shannon Brown will hurt the team, but they will be better at point guard given the system they run with Steve Blake.  Also, their draft cannot be overlooked in the slightest.  For a team with no cap room, they need to sign players to minimum contracts, and their ability to draft two players who are dominating the summer league and who could contribute this season late in the second round was definitely clutch. Overall Grade – B+

Memphis Grizzlies - It cannot be easy to be a Memphis Grizzlies fan, but hey, at least your best player (Rudy Gay) on an awful team got a huge contract to return this season right?  The addition of Tony Allen will definitely help  add depth to a team that needs it, but in no way is he a solution.  The drafting of Xavier Henry will also help, but again, he isn’t going to be the difference between a bad team and the playoffs.  Overall Grade – C+

Miami Heat - It would be easy for me to spend my time gushing about how great the Heat will be with the new big 3, but in reality, it was their action other than those three signings that will make the biggest difference.  Their ability to retain Udonis Haslem and James Jones while signing Mike Miller and Big Z was the difference between a team with no depth, and a team everyone in the league should be terrified of.  If there was ever an A+ offseason, this was it.  Overall Grade – A+

Milwaukee Bucks – While last season ended with so much pain and anguish following the injury to Andrew Bogut just before playoff time, the offseason did little to relieve any doubts fans may have.  The biggest moves have been the resigning of John Salmons and the addition of Drew Gooden and Chris Douglas Roberts, however none of those are season-changing moves.  Their draft was okay, but again, nothing overly special.  The Bucks are relying on improvement across the board from their younger players, and hoping they can simply ride the momentum they developed at the end of last season.  Overall Grade – C

Minnesota Timberwolves - Any time you can trade your best player for Kosta Kuofos, you have to do it, right?  Apparently that is how things work in the mind of the infamous David Kahn, who did just that in trading away Al Jefferson.  If their offseason ended there, it would be an awful one, but unfortunately for Timberwolves fans, things only got worse.  They also traded two second round picks for Michael Beasley and his awful contract, in addition to their resigning of Darko Milicic for an absurd 4 years and $20 million.  Darko Milicic.  Yes, that Darko.  The same Darko who has a career average of 5.6 points per game.  Thats one point for every million dollars he will be making for the next four years.  The Wolves did get better in the draft, with the addition of Wesley Johnson, who won’t be a star, but should be a solid contributor for a few years, and the acquisition of Martell Webster through a trade. Overall Grade – F-

New Jersey Nets - Entering the offseason, people hinted at the possibility of the Nets being a major player this summer, with a new owner and lots of money to throw around, but unfortunately, that never came to fruition.  Their best move of the offseason was the drafting of Derek Favors, who when teamed with Brook Lopez, could develop into one of the best front lines in the league.  The Nets also added point guard Jordan Farmar from the Lakers, who will provide some scoring off the bench in relief of Devin Harris, in addition to the signings of Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, and Johan Petro.  All of these are solid signings, and give the team some depth throughout their lineup, but it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to put them into the playoffs. Overall Grade – B+

New Orleans Hornets - I guess the good news is that Chris Paul is still on the Hornets?  That is literally all that happened this offseason.  They had an unspectacular draft, and didn’t add any free agents, so there really isn’t much else to say.  Overall Grade – C-

New York Knicks - While the Knicks can claim membership in the group of teams screwed by LeBron James, at least they can’t claim membership in the group of teams who did nothing this offseason.  While the signing of Amare Stoudemire seems like a bit of a buzzkill given the potential for moves this offseason, he will definitely make the team significantly better from last year.  That being said, the loss of David Lee is a tough one to swallow, given that he was their best player for the past few seasons.  Overall the Knicks added Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, and Raymond Felton.  Felton should see time as the starting point guard this season, and Azubuike and Randolph will also both see significant minutes, so while they only made one splash signing, they, like the Nets, were able to add numerous solid players to a roster that needed a lot of help.  Overall Grade – B+

Oklahoma City Thunder - Objective number one was to lock Kevin Durant into a long-term deal.  Check.  Objective number two was to obtain a big man that can grow alongside the youth already on the roster, and GM Sam Presti is hoping that big man is Cole Aldrich, whom they added in the draft.  While the team didn’t get significantly better this offseason, they were one of the few teams who could afford to do so, given their projected growth and improvement over the next few seasons.  Overall Grade – B-

Orlando Magic - Another team with a slow offseason, the Magic had very little to work with, and ended up simply maintaining their roster from last season.  Their biggest move was the resigning of coveted guard JJ Redick, who has emerged from anonymity over the past two seasons to become a solid contributor.  They also signed Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson, while adding Daniel Orton and Stanley Robinson in the draft.  Overall not an exciting offseason for Orlando.  Overall Grade – C+

Philadelphia 76ers - For a team with so little talent on its roster, I would have expected a busier offseason, however the 76ers were surprisingly quiet all summer.  The offseason began with the trade of Samuel Dalembert to Sacramento for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni, and then the drafting of Evan Turner.  I actually like both of these moves, because I think Hawes and Dalembert will both fit nicely in Philadelphia, and I am a big fan of Evan Turner.  I think the 76ers will be better next season, but they haven’t done nearly enough to put themselves in contention for the playoffs.  Overall Grade – C-

Phoenix Suns - With the loss of Amare Stoudemire, the Suns needed to make some moves in order to stay competitive, and I think they did the best they could.  The addition of Hedo Turkgolu is the biggest wildcard because you never know which Hedo you are getting, but I think this was their only chance of remaining amidst the top of the conference.  They also added Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress to account for the loss of Leandro Barbosa, while also resigning Channing Frye.  Overall this was a tough offseason to swallow for Suns fans, because in watching their series against the Lakers, Amare was the only thing keeping them alive, and I just don’t see Hakim Warrick, Hedo, and Josh Childress making up for that gap in performance.  Overall Grade – C

Portland Trailblazers - In what has been a strange offseason for the Blazers, their activity has been tough to predict.  I would never have expected the amount of turnover from the start of last season to the beginning of this season, but the Blazers have lost Steve Blake, Martell Webster, and Travis Outlaw while adding Marcus Camby, Wes Matthews, and Luke Babbit.  I like the addition of Babbit, however I don’t see how they expect him to be much of an upgrade over Martell Webster, at least in the short term, which is where they should be focusing their attention given the make-up of their roster.  Matthews is the biggest question mark.  How does a one-year player who averaged 13 points a game in college merit a 5 year $34 million deal?  Sure he will be a nice player, and provide solid minutes, but where?  He obviously isn’t starting over Brandon Roy or Nicholas Batum, and is a bench player worth that kind of money?  The same can be said for Babbit, who will quickly find himself lost in a list of shooting guards and small forwards including Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez, and the aforementioned Matthews, Roy, and Batum.  Overall this was a very strange offseason in Portland, and I just don’t see how they got any better.  Overall Grade – C

Sacramento Kings - The first major move made by the Kings was the addition of Samuel Dalembert in the trade mentioned above for Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni.  Dalembert should be a better fit in the Kings’ system, and if given quality minutes, could become an above-average NBA big man.  Outside of that trade, the Kings have been quiet, only aquiring other new players through the draft.  They did add Demarcus Cousins, who has the potential to be one of best rookies in the league this season, and will definitely start and contribute immediately.  Overall Grade – B

San Antonio Spurs - When the resigning of Matt Bonner is the highlight of your offseason, you know things have been dull.  Spurs didn’t do much in free agency or the draft, but rumors of the resigning of Richard Jefferson could be good news for a team that needs all the help it can get. Overall Grade – D

Toronto Raptors - When the opportunity to take a mulligan on the signing of Hedo Turkgolu presented itself, the Raptors’ front office jumped all over it.  While Leandro Barbosa won’t be a season-changer, he will be a nice piece to add to a team that doesn’t have many other nice pieces.  Obviously the loss of Chris Bosh was devastating, however, I don’t think anyone was surprised.  The addition of Ed Davis in the draft was a solid pick, and he could see lots of court time this season given their lack of talent and depth. Overall Grade – D-

Utah Jazz - While everyone expected Carlos Boozer to leave town, I don’t think many people forecasted the loss of Kyle Korver and Wes Matthews as well.  What was expected to be a slow summer in Utah, quickly turned into a devastating one very quickly.  And then David Kahn came calling.  In a trade that was about as one-sided as the Pau Gasol deal, the Jazz literally stole Al Jefferson from the Timberwolves to make up for the loss of Boozer.  Jefferson could very easily become a monster this upcoming season playing alongside Deron Williams, as long as his health can be maintained.  The Jazz also signed Raja Bell and added Gordon Hayward in the draft, both of whom will receive lots of playing time this upcoming season.  For a team on the verge of losing so much to recoup just about all of it, while maybe even improving, the Jazz must be given credit for putting together what could possibly be the most creative offseason in the league. Overall Grade – A

Washington Wizards - The good news is that the Washington Wizards added John Wall in the draft.  The bad news is that Gilbert Arenas is still under contract.  The best move of the offseason came with the acquisition of point guard Kirk Hinrich, however it appears that three of their best players all seem to play the same position now, in point guard (Arenas, Wall, Hinrich).  The Wiz also added Yi Jianlian to add some depth to a roster that seems surprisingly talented.  If the Wizards can make the Arenas situation work, or can deal him for something useful, it will change the entire complexion of the team, however, as of now that seems unlikely.  Overall Grade – B

So there it is.  Every team, every move, graded.  In summary, the best offseason obviously goes to the Miami Heat, however there were a few teams who didn’t have to spend a ton of money in order to earn high grades.  I really liked what Utah did this offseason, because they had so much to lose with Carlos Boozer, and yet managed to remain near the upper echelon of the Western Conference.  I also really liked what the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks did, in adding numerous quality players to rosters that desperately needed depth.  I thought the Lakers, Celtics, and Mavericks all did a good job maintaining their positions near the top, with the Lakers’ stellar draft, while the Celtics and Mavs were able to keep their best players around.  I thought Golden State, Houston, and Denver all improved themselves this offseason without having to splurge on the free agent market.  It has been a busy summer around the NBA, and while things may not have been as crazy as predicted, it was definitely one of the most memorable offseasons in NBA history.

NBA Free Agent Rumors: Penny Hardaway To Join the Miami Thrice?

Lebron James’ “The Decision” special which aired July 8th, 2010 was no doubt egotistical, flashy, and a bit pompous, but what else did you really expect from “Akron’s Finest“? Have you not been following his career? Did the excessive use of 3rd person really shock you? At approximately 9:27 p.m., nearly 15 minutes further into “The Decision” than the network had promised, came the moment many fans had been anticipating since the NBA season ended. “This fall, I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat,” said the NBA superstar, who at 25-years-young already has a substantial legacy, including becoming the most coveted free agent in sports history.

Whether you like the move or not, you have really got to give Lebron his props because somehow he managed to make us completely forget about the chaos that surrounded Alex Rodriguez and his 250 million dollar contract with the now bankrupt Texas Rangers.

Frankly I had no problem with his highly publicized announcement, other than a slight gripe that he called the one hour television special, “The Decision”, and the city he was fleeing, Cleveland has been riddled with heart breaks also prefixed by “The”, such as The Catch, The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot, The Sweep and The Collapse.

The fact that Lebron thought it was a good idea to self title his breakup with Cleveland, “The Decision” is an incredibly cruel dagger, but at the same time somewhat hilarious to anyone with a sense of humor. After all, due to the live announcement roughly 2.5 million dollars, and four full ride scholarships to The University of Phoenix were donated to the Boys & Girls clubs. Despite his somewhat immature and tasteless dagger, how can you really hate a man for donating a good chunk of money to the kids! Would you have rather had him take Michael Jordan’s “been there before, mature route” and simply faxed in his verdict, which didn’t net any money or exposure for children who desperately need financial support? Whether you are or were a fan of Lebron, whether you liked the move to Miami, or despise it, however you want to slice it, the polarizing LeBron James special backed it up in terms of viewer ship. The Nielsen Co. estimates that 9.95 million people watched James announcement on ESPN, which is an absolutely staggering number and testament to James’ marketability for what was essentially nothing more than a one line breakup with a team that any educated NBA fan knew was coming from a mile away.

For the record, in my opinion The Cleveland Cavaliers more than deserved the breakup. Obviously something was array last season and you can‘t solely blame Lebron for the teams demise. I don’t want to get into all of the specifics at this time, as that is not the aim of this article, but it has been pretty well documented on the internet that some “extracurricular activities” transpired between Lebrons’ mother and teammate Delonte West. Not only does the evidence on the internet strongly back up the rumors, but so do the moves made by the franchise this off-season. GM Danny Ferry quietly resigned and Coach Mike Brown was fired, weeks before even hearing Lebron’s final decision. The city and the Cav’s owner chastised Lebron after his meltdown in the Celtic series, and once Lebron officially fled for brighter days in Miami, both the city and Gilbert showed their true colors. The fans revolted against the “King“, publicly burning his jerseys in the streets, stores slashed his merchandize prices, trying to eliminate all ties to their fallen soldier, a local brewery created a new bitter beer line and Dan Gilbert wrote one of the nastiest letters ever penned.

Yet somehow David Stern only fined Gilbert a measly $100,000. Go figure, Phil Jackson makes honest comments about an NBA referee making blatantly poor calls and dictating the results of a game and series and he gets issued a $35,000 fine.

To make matters worse, Gilbert then poured acid in the wounds by slashing Lebrons’ Fat Head to $17.41, the significance being that 1741 was the date that the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold was born. Then when you thought it couldn’t get any worse at the request of the NBA, Gilbert took down his incendiary letter and replaced it instead with a picture of Delonte West.

Now if you had to deal with that dysfunctional circus all year, would you really want to go back, even if your entire life resided in that city? Why would Lebron go back to a team and owner that were not loyal to him?

And just for the record, Dan Gilbert, you will not be sniffing the playoffs anytime soon, certainly not before Lebron and the “Miami Thrice”. Mr. Gilbert, good luck with the decade long rebuild project. Maybe in ten years time you will have learned the error of your way, and you will not drive away your prodigy and franchise savior again.

As the saying goes, from the Blackest Night comes the Brightest Day, and Lebrons’ defection to Miami has become the catalyst for the creation of one of the most exciting, compelling and thought provoking teams in sports history. Three top-flight players (Lebron, Dwade, and Bosh), all either in or entering their primes, working in tandem to make history and rack up rings.

Many people have burned the Heat for not having enough around the trio to win, but in my opinion they are creating a team the right way. Sink as much as possible into your superstars and then try to fill out the rest of the roster. I.E don’t spend your first dollars on guys like Darko Milicic and Drew Gooden.

Obviously, this trio’s very existence must by definition be taken seriously. In theory, they could be a downright scary team, with the uncanny ability to drive to the rack at will. The trio alone is obviously not enough to win a championship, but Pat Riley has quickly begun transforming the Heat roster in order to match up with the incumbent Los Angeles Lakers. Riley flipped the much maligned Michael Beasley to the Minnesota Timber Wolves for draft picks. For the record, I hate the move, but I understand why it was made.

On another side note, how many SF’s do the Wolves need? Wolves GM David Kahn had already acquired Martell Webster and Wesley Johnson on draft day. Kahn is acquiring these guys like they are going out of style, when the fact remains that these fringe pieces are the most available commodities in the league.

Anyways, Riley has also inked up a strong dribbler and sharp shooter Mike Miller to a 5 year deal, brought back a friendly face and hard worker in Udonis Haslem, signed a good rebounder, shooter and passer, Big Z, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and former Fab Five member, Juwan Howard, and sharp shooter James Jones who has a career average 3p % hovering near 40%.

Add these guys to their very strong draft class comprised of Dasean Butler, Jarvis Varnado, and Dexter Pittman and their two pieces that remained on the roster prior to the chaos, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers and the Heat right here and now have enough to win a title. Yes, that is correct, I just said that I think they are better than the Lakers, and subsequently so does Bottom Line Sports Show co-host, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get anymore exciting, the story took another interesting turn as live on the Bottom Line Sports Show, last Thursday, July 15th, 2010, at 9 PM/EST, legendary point guard, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway made the announcement that he wants to come out of retirement and bring his talents to the Miami Heat. Within hours the story had become the #1 twitter topic and The Bottom Line Sports Show started receiving calls from ESPN to confirm the story. By morning, the story had made Sports Center, just about every newspaper throughout the United States and Penny was invited onto Outside The Lines to do an interview about his intention to join the Heat.

Of course some naysayer’s like Trey Kerby at Yahoo Sports came out of the wood work and ran articles stating that, “this is a husky pair of Bad Idea Jeans. Even though Penny has one of the best shoe lines ever, that doesn’t mean he should join the Superfriends. Sorry, ’90s nostalgia fiends, but the guy has played a total of 57 games since 2004 and hasn’t played at all since 2008”.

However, by the end of his article it seemed that Trey had changed his tone, “of course, Penny does have 16 games of experience in a Heat uniform and Miami sure does love its Hardaways, so if he were to come back, the Heat make at least a little sense. Not to mention his return would bring with it Lil’ Penny. We can all get behind that, I think”. Trey, if Adam Morrison and Brian Scalabrine have a job in the league you can’t tell me that the legend Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway doesn’t deserve one too.

In my opinion the point that Trey is missing is that Penny was forced to sit out of the game because of injuries, not because his skills had magically disappeared. Not to mention that Penny made the Heat in 2008, but was later released because the team was undergoing a youth movement and wanted to “get the kids some playing time”. Penny may have not been a good fit for the 2008 Heat, but he is a perfect fit for the 2011 Heat. Time can heal many wounds, and if Penny feels like his knees are rested and able to endure the wear and tear of a full NBA season, then he would be a great asset not only to the Miami Heat, but to the rest of the teams in the league that feel they have a chance to win a ring next year. Bringing Penny off the bench to backup Mario Chalmers would provide the Heat with yet another proven winner, a good shooter who can spread the court, a great passer who can distribute the ball and most importantly a smart player who understands the nuances of the game. As Penny said himself, “I love basketball and I didn’t get a chance to finish my career the way I wanted.” On the behalf of the entire Bottom Line Sports Show team, I know I speak for everyone when I say that I hope, our teammate, Penny has a chance to play alongside some of the most fun loving athletes on planet earth, under the tutelage of one of the greatest coaches ever, but most importantly the opportunity to go out on his terms and win a rign along the way.

By: Morgan Spokny

Be sure to check out Penny Hardaway, Charles Oakley, Brian Hooks, Mateen Cleaves, Gerald Brown, Jonathan Foy, Morgan Spokny, Howie Cowart, Eli Goldstein and the rest of the Bottom Line Sports Show crew every Tues 6 Pac, Thurs 6 Pac, and Sun 4 Pac.

If you enjoyed this article be sure to checkout:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bline

bottomlinesportsshow.com

twitter.com/blinesports

www.facebook.com/Bottom-Line-Sports-Show

http://universalsports.wordpress.com/

Scoutingthesports.com

You can now send your questions to Penny Hardaway, Charles Oakley and Mateen Cleaves directly: askpenny@thebottomlinesportsshow.com, askoak@thebottomlinesportsshow.com, askcleaves@thebottomlinesportsshow.com

Big Time Interviews, Athletes, and Attitude!

Featured guests include:
Stephen A. Smith, Dwyane Wade, Eric Mussleman, Chris Bosh, Chris Chambers, Ben Gordon, Paul Malignaggi, Juwan Howard, Rod Strickland, Vince Carter, Patrick Ewing, Randy Foye, Allan Houston, Antawn Jamison, Greg Jennings, Darrelle Revis, Justin Miller, Anquan Boldin, Brian Hooks, Miles Austin, Torii Hunter, Cortland Finnergan, Jamal Anderson, Vernon Wells, Terrell Owens, Kerry Rhodes, Sonny Vaccaro, Osi Umenyiora, Greg Olsen, Devard Darling, Kenny Anderson, Carl Banks, Ty Detmer, Quentin Groves, Gerald Sensabaugh, Chris Wilcox, Willie Gault, Steve Francis, Matt Barnes, C.J. Miles, Louis Williams, Courtney Greene, Anthony Morrow, Chansi Stuckey, Phaidra Knight, Floyd Mayweather, Roman Oben, Josh Powell, Danny Clark, Toney Douglas, Keyon Dooling, Bo Kimble, Santana Moss, Len Elmore, Otis Smith, John Starks, Mike Mickens, Donald Brown, Devin Ross, Mark Rypien, GilbertBrown, Leland Hardy, Warren Sapp, Jerry Rice, Bryant McKinnie, Mark Breland, Tamika Catchings, Dwight Freeney, Jerry Rice, Derrick Coleman, Rick Mahorn, Champ Bailey, Mike Davis, Mateen Cleaves.

MLB Power Rankings: The Boss Should Be Proud

1. (1) New York Yankees: 56-32, 1st in AL East
The Yankees tragically lost both Bob Sheppard and George Steinbrenner in less than a week. They have left behind a team they can be proud of, as New York owns baseball’s best record in quest for their 2nd straight World Series championship.

2. (5) Atlanta Braves: 52-36, 1st in NL East
The Braves were impressive in winning back to back series on the road against the Phillies and Mets before the break. Since then catcher Brian McCann was the All-Star game MVP and Atlanta aquired Alex Gonzalez from Toronto.

3. (7) Tampa Bay Rays: 54-34, 2nd in AL East
The Rays finished the first half strong, winning 9 of their last 11 before the break. Now Tampa Bay will start the second half with a nine game road trip, starting with the first place Yankees in the Bronx.

4. (3) San Diego Padres: 51-37, 1st in NL West
After losing two out of three to the surging Rockies, San Diego leads Colorado and Los Angeles by only two games. No one expected for Bud Black’s team to be in this position, but their strong pitching must hold up for the Padres to stay atop the strong NL West.

5. (2) Boston Red Sox: 51-37, 3rd in AL East
Injuries are really starting to catch up to the Red Sox, who have lost five of their last seven. Now five games out of first place, Boston must hold the ship until their big guys come back.

6. (4) Texas Rangers: 50-38, 1st in AL West
The Rangers lead the Angels by six games in the loss column, but Texas certainly left a bad taste in their mouth when last place Baltimore came in to sweep a four game set before the break. With Cliff Lee at the top of the rotation, the Rangers must buckle down with their next 11 games against teams with a winning record.

7. (14) Chicago White Sox: 49-38, 1st in AL Central
The White Sox have won an incredible 25 of their last 30 and eight straight to put them atop the AL Central. It will be interesting to see if Chicago can carry that momentum into the 2nd half as they will start with 10 games on the road.

8. (18) Colorado Rockies: 49-39, T-2nd in NL West
After winning 10 of 13, Colorado is only two games out of first place. With shortstop Troy Tulowitzki expected to be out another two to five weeks, the Rockies will have to continue their hot play on their upcoming 11 game road trip.

9. (17) Los Angeles Dodgers: 49-39, T-2nd in NL West
The Dodgers who are only two games out of first place have lost 11 of their last 18 games against teams with a winning record. Los Angeles will have to play better against the top teams with their next 21 games against winning ball clubs.

10. (15) Detroit Tigers: 48-38, 2nd in AL Central
The Tigers are somehow only half a game out of first place despite not having won a series on the road since April 8th. Detroit will open the second half with a four game set in Cleveland against the last place Indians.

11. (11) Philadelphia Phillies: 47-40, 3rd in NL East
The two-time defending National League champs will look to carry the momentum of a four game sweep over the Reds into the second half. The Phillies better have enjoyed the break, because the team won’t get another day off until August 2nd.

12. (12) Cincinnati Reds: 49-41, 1st in NL Central
After finishing 5-4 on a nine game road trip, the Reds will head home for seven games. Cincinnati has been a great story all year, but they must shore up that bullpen which continues to lose them games.

13. (10) St. Louis Cardinals: 47-41, 2nd in NL Central
The Cardinals open up the second half with an eight game home stand. St. Louis hopes to sit atop the division before leaving home.

14. (6) New York Mets: 48-40, 2nd in NL East
It is certainly gut check time for New York. After some shaky play before the break, the Mets start the second half with an 11 game west coast road trip.

15. (8) Los Angeles Angels: 47-44, 2nd in AL West
If the Angels are going to make a run at the first place Rangers, now would be the time. Los Angeles will open up the second half with four games at home against last place Seattle.

16. (13) San Francisco Giants: 47-41, 4th in NL West
San Francisco sits in 4th place, but only four games out of first place. The Giants boast one of the best rotations in baseball, but might need to add a big bat before the trade deadline.

17. (9) Minnesota Twins: 46-42, 3rd in AL Central
The Twins have fallen hard, losing 7 of their last 10 before the break. Minnesota will host first place Chicago in a huge four game set at Target Field and then will play 13 straight against losing teams.

18. (16) Toronto Blue Jays: 44-45, 4th in AL East
The Blue Jays have lost 14 of their last 20 and fallen below the .500 mark. Things won’t get any easier for Toronto as they will open up the second half with a 10 game road trip.

19. (19) Oakland Athletics: 43-46, 3rd in AL West
Despite being three games under .500, the Athletics are only seven and a half games out of first place. Oakland must get hot, but it will be a tough task with 12 of their next 15 against winning teams

20. (20) Florida Marlins: 42-46, 4th in NL East
Baseball fans got a glimpse of Josh Johnson in the All-Star game and it will be exciting to see if he can keep his ERA under two for the season. As for the team, the Marlins will play their next 10 games in front of nobody (at home).

21. (21) Milwaukee Brewers: 40-49, 3rd in NL Central
The Brewers finished the first half of the season with three straight one run victories over the Pirates. Now Milwaukee hopes to carry that momentum onto their upcoming eight game road trip.

22. (22) Kansas City Royals: 39-49, 4th in AL Central
Despite getting swept by the red hot White Sox, the Royals just finished a nine game road trip at 5-4. Now Kansas City heads home where they will play 13 of their next 17 games.

23. (24) Washington Nationals: 39-50, 5th in NL East
Stephen Strasburg: 7 starts, 61 strikeouts, 2.32 ERA, and a 1.01 WHIP. His next start will be Friday night in Florida as the Nationals embark on a 10 game road trip.

24. (23) Chicago Cubs: 39-50, 4th in NL Central
Chicago will stay at home on the north side for the next 10 games. Fans can enjoy their hot dogs, beer, and the beautiful Wrigley Field, because the 11 games under .500 Cubs aren’t exactly worth the price of admission.

25. (27) Houston Astros: 36-53, 5th in NL Central
The Astros will play their next 21 games against teams in their division and won’t play outside of it until August 9th. But it is the July 31st deadline that Houston could make some trades to better the team for the future.

26. (26) Arizona Diamondbacks: 34-55, 5th in NL West
Arizona just went 3-7 on their most recent home stand to fall 21 games under .500. Now the Diamondbacks get to play 16 straight against teams with a winning record.

27. (25) Seattle Mariners: 35-53, 4th in AL West
No Cliff Lee and an upcoming schedule which has Seattle playing 21 straight against winning teams. It is definitely tough to be a Mariners fan right now.

28. (28) Cleveland Indians: 34-54, 5th in AL Central
You can look at the Indians upcoming schedule two ways: One, they play 11 of their next 14 at home, or two, they play 21 of their 24 against winning ball clubs. Either way, the only thing Cleveland fans can think about is how LeBron stabbed them in the back on national television.

29. (29) Pittsburgh Pirates: 30-58, 6th in NL Central
Pittsburgh has lost six straight and now almost have a worse record than Baltimore. The Pirates will hope to avoid being baseball’s worst team, as they open up a 10 game home stand to start the 2nd half.

30. (30) Baltimore Orioles: 29-59, 5th in AL East
The Orioles are coming off a four game set in which they swept the first place Rangers to only be 30 games under .500 at the All-Star break. Now Baltimore hopes to maybe win a few more games this season.

*Number in parenthesis indicates previous ranking

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