Heisman Race 2009

The race for the Heisman Trophy in 2009 just got alittle more interesting. With the underclassman deadline for declaring for the 2009 NFL Draft passing yesterday, all three finalists decided to stay return for another season. Will all three have good enough seasons to return as finalists? Will Tim Tebow or Sam Bradford win their 2nd Heisman Trophy, or will Colt McCoy will his 1st?

My initial reaction is that it would be Colt McCoy, since the Heisman only has one person in history who has won it twice (Archie Griffin). But since all three will have overwhelming expectations that will be hard to live up to, the best answer may be, if I can borrow a line from Brewster's Millions, "None of the Above".

My darkhorse candidate would be Jahvid Best from Cal. He ended last season with 194 carries, 1580 yards (8.1 ypc), and 15 TDs. Cal just needs to finish in the Top 10-15 to legitimize his candidacy. Who's your favorite?

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Barry Bonds in the Clear?

Yesterday's Y! Sports report that the Clear actually was legal and was not considered a steroid when Barry Bonds was "allegedly" taking it (or was it "knowingly") had me thinking. Are you telling me that the face of the "Steroids Era" in baseball, really didn't take steroids? Technically, he didn't, since the government didn't consider it a steroid until January 2005, well after the BALCO operation was shut down. The article actually goes on to say that experts haven't even confirmed if the Clear actually enhances muscle growth (which is what anabolic steroid does), and is only "technically" classified as a steroid.

So Bonds reputation takes a major hit, along with many other MLB players, and the substance they are accused of taking hasn't been "proven" if it really helps. How ironic! Bonds will never get his good name back... uh.. strike that. Bonds will never have the "steroid stain" removed from his name. (Get that man some Shout!) The "good news" for Bonds is that it will make it easier to beat the perjury case against him that starts on March 2. Kinda hard to prove someone is lying about taking an illegal steroid when the drug in question wasn't illegal or a steroid in the first place.

The next question is will any team take a shot at signing him this coming year.



DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com

LeBron James a Cleveland Brown?

By now, you've all seen the State Farm commercial that was released on 1/18 with LeBron James having a press conference announcing that he's signing with the Cleveland Browns. It's kinda funny because the day before at the gym, I actually talked to a few friends about that very topic. What made me think about it was watching the NFL playoffs and highlights of Larry Fitzgerald. You throw the ball up there, and no matter what, he's coming down with it. LeBron was an All-State WR in high school in Ohio. Imagine him lining up at WR at 6'8" and 250 lbs. Similar to the NBA, there's no one in the league that could check him. The original 6 Pro Bowl CBs in this years game are "listed" at 6'2", 5'10", 5'11", 5'9", 6'1", and 5'10". The tallest of the bunch is Nnamdi Asomugha, (who BTW, is the best CB in the league but most people don't know him) and LeBron has 6 INCHES on him. We haven't even discussed the difference in vertical leap. It would be a QB's dream........ just throw it in his vicinity, and he'll get it. Double or triple covered? No problem, just throw it about 13 feet high, he'll get it. He would be a red zone nightmare! Covered one-on-one? Easy TD. Double covered? TD to LeBron, or one less defender in the box for running play or pass to opposite side. If you're a defensive coordinator, what do you do?

I personally think he would be just as much trouble on the defensive side as a pass rush specialist. As my friend CO and I said on Saturday, think Mario Williams' size with Julius Peppers' speed. Yikes! Single season sack record? It would no longer be Michael Strahans' (with an assist from Brett Favre).

I know going to the Browns is a fantasy, but most people think if he changes teams, it would be to the New York Knicks, when he becomes a free agent. In Mike D'Antoni's system, he could easily average a triple-double over the season. How would these fantasy basketball numbers look? I'd say about 35 points, 12 boards, 11 assists a game. I personally don't see that happening either, especially with Cleveland having the 2nd best record in the NBA right now. King James is looking for the NBA title this year. Browns and Knicks fans can dream, but Cavs fans only need to say one word. WITNESS!!

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Games 2 Watch (G2W) from 1/23/09 to 1/26/09

The G2W section will highlight some of the most interesting match-ups over the next few days. Here are the must watch events from 1/23/09 to 1/26/09:

Friday 1/23/09

NBA - Dallas Mavericks at Detroit Pistons - 7 pm EST/6 pm CST on ESPN

These teams have near identical records, but the Mavs (24-18) are 4th in the Southwest Division and 9th in the Western Conference, while the Pistons (24-17) are 2nd in the Central Division and 5th in the East. That shows the talent discrepancy between the conferences.

Saturday 1/24/09

Unless your a true NFL Draft fan, spend this time with your family and friends. Nothing of note to get excited about, except for....

NCAAF - Under Armour Senior Bowl - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on NFL Network

Sunday 1/25/09

NBA - San Antonio Spurs at LA Lakers - 3:30 pm EST/2:30 CST on ABC

The marqee teams of the West for this past decade square off at the Staples Center.

Monday 1/26/09

24 - Kiefer Sutherland - 9 pm EST / 8 pm CST on Fox

I know this isn't sports, but you haven't seen 24, I'll make a challenge you. Go to the video store, get any season and watch. You'll be instantly hooked on Jack Bauer.

Games 2 Watch (G2W) 1/27/09 to 1/29/09:

The G2W section will highlight some of the most interesting match-ups over the next few days. Here are the must watch events from 1/23/09 to 1/26/09:

Tuesday 1/27/09

NBA - San Antonio Spurs at Utah Jazz - 9 pm EST / 8 pm CST on Fox Sports Southwest

In the super competitive Western Conference, the Spurs look to hand Utah it's 4th straight defeat, while Deron Williams tries to end a Carlos Boozer-less Jazz losing streak.

Wednesday 1/28/09

NCAAB - Duke Blue Devils at Wake Forest Demon Deacons - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on ESPN (*Game of the Mid-week)

This will be the first of many marquee ACC match-ups. #1 ranked Duke visiting last week's #1 team and currently 4th ranked Wake Forest.

Thursday 1/29/09

NBA - Cleveland Cavs at Orlando Magic - 8 pm EST / 7 pm EST on TNT

NBA - San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns - 10:30 pm EST / 9:30 pm CST

I'll give you the TNT double header for this star-studded affair. LeBron vs. Dwight Howard. Duncan vs Shaq. Need I say more?

We'll also end with the game results from the last G2W.
Friday 1/23/09 - NBA - Dallas 112 Detroit 91

Saturday 1/24/09 - NCAAF - Under Armour Senior Bowl - Don't know. Spent the time with my family. Did anybody watch it?

Sunday 1/25/09 - NBA - LA Lakers 99 San Antonio 85

Monday 1/26/09 - 24 - Jack is Jack, so you know the deal!

Inauguration 2009

I know we didn't touch on it too much last week, but a friend of mine sent me these pics of the Inauguration of Barack Obama from the Boston Globe. It's amazing to see the impact of his election across the country and the world!

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Games 2 Watch (G2W) 1/30/09 to 2/2/09:

The G2W section will highlight some of the most interesting match-ups over the next few days. Here are the must watch events from 1/30/09 to 2/2/09:

Friday 1/30/09 - NBA - Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on ESPN

The Celtics will try to win their 10th game in a row.

Saturday 1/31/09 - Tennis - Australian Open Women's Final (Serena Williams vs. Dinara Safina) - 2:30 am EST / 1:30 am CST on ESPN2 (Replay at 8 am EST / 7 am CST)

The winner of this match will replace Serbia's Jelena Jankovic for the #1 ranking in the world.

Sunday 2/1/09 - NFL - Super Bowl XLIII - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals - 6:28 pm EST / 5:28 pm CST on NBC (*Game of the Weekend)

If you're not watching this game, then something is seriously wrong with you!

Monday 2/2/09 - NCAAWB - Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Oklahoma Sooners - 6:30 pm EST / 5:30 pm CST on ESPN2

Pat Summitt will have her hands full as she tries to get her 1000th coaching victory with a tough road test at #2 Oklahoma. Courtney Paris isn't likely to let that happen on her home court.

We'll also end with the game results from the last G2W.

Tuesday 1/27/09 - NBA - Spurs 106 Jazz 100

Wednesday 1/28/09 - NCAAB - Wake Forest 70 Duke 68 (*Game of Mid-week)

Thursday 1/29/09 - NBA - Magic 99 Cavs 88, Spurs 114 Suns 104

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Bracket Challenge Update: The Numbers

Thanks to all who signed up for our Bracket Challenge. We'll go over a few numbers of the numbers.

• 86 people signed up for the challenge.
• 1 person forgot to submit their picks, so we'll just go with 85.
• 1 person also forgot to pick the National Champion, which is unfortunate for them. They are currently tied for 5th place, but they now have no shot to win, because of this oversight.
• 25% picked North Carolina to win it all.
• #1 seeds were picked to win on 70.2% of the brackets. (UNC 25%, Louisville 21.4%, Pitt 13.1%, Connecticut 10.7%)
• Big East teams were picked to win on 50% of the brackets.
• Only 1 person picked a team to win it all that didn't make the Sweet 16 (Wake Forest).
• 5 people received 27 points (27 of 32 picks) in the 1st round, the highest in this bracket.
• 4 people received 30 points (15 of 16 picks) in the 2nd round, the highest in this bracket.
• The top 4 brackets all have different teams winning the tournament.

The current leader of the bracket challenge is meltdown1914 (MSU1914). He leads with 56 points, and his pick to win it all is North Carolina.

Big Ali (Vikings) is currently in 2nd place with 55 points. He picked Michigan State.

dhomz (dhomz) is currently tied for 3rd place with 54 points and has picked Memphis.

bkallstar3 (bk) is currently tied for 3rd place with 54 points and has picked Pitt.

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

There has been a lot of talk about expanding the field and I even heard 128 teams is how it should be. I disagree with that completely and actually would like it to get cut back down to 32. While I believe that March Madness is very exciting it has really lost it’s purpose of crowning the best team. This is the national title we are talking about and people claim that the 8th place team in a major conference should have gotten in. Do you see what is wrong with that? You finish in the bottom half of your own conference and you get a shot at the title. No way and that is why they should take it down to 32 teams. I know it will never happen and they will probably expand it but every year I root for a Cinderella to win the tournament so people will complain as much about the size of the tournament as they do the BCS. I know people will say they won it on the field and my argument is you shouldn’t have given the chance. In a one and done format anything can happen. No other sport comes close to letting in as many teams and then to have it one and done makes it even worse. Remember when Carmelo Anthony led the Orangemen to a National Title. Syracuse was the 3rd place team in the big East. Just think about the uproar had the 3rd place Big Ten team just won the National Title in football.

I was watching the end of the Missouri and Marquette game and was totally disgusted when Tiller from Missouri was fouled with 5.5 seconds to go, supposedly was hurt and Missouri got to bring in a new shooter to take the free throws. I know the rule but it needs to be changed for this reason. I say supposedly hurt because he checked right back in after the free throws were shot. Come on no one heals that quickly and it was legal but not with the intent of the rule. If you can’t shoot you should have to miss a specific amount of time, like 2 minutes of game time. That should carry into overtime if necessary.

Ohio State Coach Matta what were you thinking? Less then ten seconds to go and up three points never let the other team shoot a three. Foul them and then you won’t lose in overtime. Ronald Moore hits a barely contested three with 3.9 seconds left and your team loses in overtime. Just like the prevent defense doesn’t work neither does not fouling at the end of a game when up by three. Have seen some plenty of coaches use this strategy and not one of them has lost.

JD is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at jdthesportsguy@gmail.com

Bracket Challenge Update

We now have the Final Four teams set. The teams are Michigan State, Connecticut, Villanova, and North Carolina. No one in our bracket has all four Final Four teams, but 14 people have 3 of the 4 teams, with the most common combination of Michigan State, Connecticut, and North Carolina.

The current leader of the bracket challenge is still meltdown1914 (MSU1914). He leads with 100 points, and his pick to win it all is North Carolina. His total possible points is 164.

Big Ali (Vikings) is still currently in 2nd place with 99 points. He picked Michigan State, and his total possible points is 163.

Also tied for 2nd place is Jayce (Spartan&OrangeLove) 99 points and has picked Michigan State. His total possible points is 147.

I used the scenario generator to figure out who would win our bracket under all possible scenarios in the National Championship game. If I haven't made any mistakes, here are our projected winners. Good luck to all!

MSU over NC - Big Ali (Vikings)

MSU over Nova - Big Ali (Vikings), Jayce (Spartan&OrangeLove)

UConn over NC - seedtoglory (yeah what)

UConn over Nova - sjmanyak (Number 2)

NC over MSU - meltdown1914 (MSU1914)

NC over UConn - Gregory S (the picks)

Nova over MSU - jonnyvito1983 (Who is this guy????)

Nova over UConn - jonnyvito1983 (Who is this guy????)

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Should the Lions Trade the number one pick for Jay Cutler?

I have given this scenario a lot of thought and I think they should. First let’s go back to when Cutler was drafted. The Lions needed a quarterback and the top three were Vince Young, Matt Leinart, and Jay Cutler. At the time I thought Jay was the clear cut best quarterback and still do. The Lions passed on a quarterback and still are in need of one. I don’t think they should draft one at number one. First I am not sure that Stafford is better than Sanchez. Since there isn’t a clear a clear number one in my mind and I really believe the Lions have lots of bigger holes to fill I don’t think they should draft a QB at number one. So you would surmise that by that logic why would you essentially take Cutler with the first pick. First I believe Cutler is better than either Sanchez or Stafford. Secondly he is a known quantity. Finally he has experience and the only way to get that is time. The Lions have a long way to go but an experienced QB can help speed up the progression for all of the offense. Now the Denver Divorce. There are two ways to look at what is going on and I will side with Cutler. Yes he is under contract but the way I see it is they were trying to get out of the contract by trading him first so now he has been disrespected and is giving them just what they wanted right? Shouldn’t the Broncos be happy with this outcome? Could you imagine if you told your wife that she was almost replaced but it didn’t work out so she is “still” the love of your life. I would sleep with one eye open if it were me. Denver was dishonest and deserves as much respect as they give employer or not. Detroit should make this deal and have Cutler throw the ball to Calvin Johnson on almost every passing down. Other teams with great wide receivers do this but that is another conversation.

Now the most impressive athlete I have seen in sports since Michael Jordan retired. Tiger Woods. What made MJ amazing is his ability to will a victory and also have the unbelievable talent to make it happen. Some athletes have the will and some have the talent but only these two in my life time had the most of each in the sport. Tiger came into the round 5 back on Sunday. Now everyone thought that he would outplay Sean O’Hair and put so much pressure on him that he would choke. Sean struggled and Tiger surged just like he had pre injury. But what was amazing is how he made every putt he has to and overcame some really bad breaks from 14 in. Did anyone think that he would miss the putt on 18 for the victory? No one did even the PGA tour pros make less than 50% from that distance. He would not allow himself to lose. Give him only one good leg or any bad bounce and he just keeps coming. Can’t wait for Augusta.



JD is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at jdthesportsguy@gmail.com

Final Four Saturday

Final Four Saturday was an electric feeling. It was the largest crowd in Final Four history at 72,456, and the 2nd largest crowd in NCAA basketball history (behind Michigan State and Kentucky with 78,129, at this same Ford Field in 2003). With the game in Detroit, there was a definite home town flavor for the Spartans. When I entered the stadium, there was Green & White everywhere. I've told everyone I've talked to that it seemed the 65,000 of the 72,456 people in attendance were MSU fans. It was a MSU home game more than I could ever have imagined. It will be more so on Monday after all the UConn and Villanova fans sold their tickets to Monday's game to Spartan fans.

The highlight of the evening had to be the Durrell Summers dunk over Stanley Robinson. The crowd erupted!

Here are the game highlights, provided by ESPN, of the Michigan State's 82-73 victory over UConn, as well as UNC's 83-69 victory over Villanova.

I'll post pictures of the atmosphere of Saturday's and tonight's game later this week.

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Football Thoughts: Kiper, Cutler, and Patriots

We'll have enough college basketball over the next few weeks, so I'll talk NFL.

Let's start by talking about Mel Kiper's draft board.  He still has the Lions taking Matthew Stafford.  The Lions will not select a QB with the #1 pick.  I think Mel Kiper still has Stafford #1 because he predicted out of high school that Stafford would be a future #1 overall pick.  How can he go against himself? He'll have Stafford to the Lions in mock drafts all the way to the draft.

The Lions hope to sign their pick prior to the draft. If it happens, only then Kiper will reluctantly change his mock draft board, but without first saying "The curse of Bobby Lane continues... They just don't get it.  You have to have a franchise QB to win in this league and the Lions just missed out on drafting one."   

I've liked all the moves the Lions have made since they traded Roy Williams last year.  They have signed and traded for veteran talent during the off-season (Maurice Morris, Anthony Henry, Eric King, Bryant Johnson, Phillip Buchanan, Grady Jackson, Daniel Loper, and Julian Peterson).  True, they have many holes, but does that sound like a team who's going forward with a rookie QB?  They'll stick with Dante Culpepper and Drew Stanton, then probably add a 

veteran QB through free agency or via trade (i.e. Jay Cutler).  They could draft Aaron Curry of Wake Forest (doubt they'll pay 3 high priced LBs with Peterson and Ernie Sims), but more than likely it will be an OL, like Jason Smith from Baylor.

Speaking of Jay Cutler.  Just SHUT UP!  Football Jay Cutler, not body builder Jay Cutler.  I just want to make that clear so there's no confusion.

Am I the only one getting annoyed by his antics?  His feelings are hurt because the Broncos and coach Josh McDaniels talked about trading him to get Matt Cassel.  Jake, you are not an untouchable franchise QB.  Your name is not Manning, Brady, or Roethlisberger.  You are a good QB, but not a franchise QB.  Let me ask you this.  When was the last time you lead your team to a winning record?  Not during your 3 seasons in the NFL for the Broncos.  Not in college for Vanderbilt with 11 total wins in 4 seasons.  Did I mention that 4 of those wins were against 1-AA opponents?  Yikes!  The last time he led his team to a winning record was when he did it for the Heritage Hills Patriots in Lincoln City, IN to a perfect 15-0 season and a Indiana Class 3A State Championship.  Is that why you're untradeable?  The nerve of the Broncos for even exploring trading the Indiana High School State Champion.

If I were McDaniels or Pat Bowlen, I would tell him the truth.  "Jay, football is a business.  You are property of the Denver Broncos and you're our QB until we decide otherwise.  Our responsibility is to make the team better, and if that includes trading you, so be it."  When and if Cutler shows up at the "voluntary workouts" or mini-camp, I would make him take 2nd string snaps behind Chris Simms, and he would have to earn his job like everyone else on the team.  Jake needs to learn some humility.  McDaniels comes from an organization, the New England Patriots, that this is a key point for all players.  Cutler needs to take notes.

Speaking of the Patriots, if they pull off this rumored trade to get Julius Peppers, mark them down for a Super Bowl berth.  Their off-season has been amazing!  The only caveat is Brady being healthy, but they added Fred Taylor to help bolster the rushing attack, WR Joey Galloway and TE Chris Baker to help the passing attack (I guess Brady needs more weapons other than Randy Moss and Wes Welker?),  and CB Shawn Springs, among others, to shore up the defense.  Nothing is a sure thing in the NFL, but the Patriots may be in Mercury Morris' block again. 

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Friday the 13th Came Early: Top Teams lose in 1st round of Conference Tournaments

Prior to the beginning of the Conference Tournaments, the presumed #1 seeds for the NCAA Tournament was UNC, UConn, Pitt, and the winner of the Big 12 (Oklahoma or Kansas).  Well on Thursday the 12th, Pitt, Oklahoma, and Kansas all lost in the first round of their tournaments.  UConn lost in 6OTsagainst Syracuse, with Syracuse almost winning it in regulation with an Eric Devendorf 3-point shot that literally was on his finger tips when the light when off.  Due to the 6 OTs, this game actually finished on Friday the 13.  I watched the last 5 minutes of regulation and all 6 OTs, and felt like I've been watching games all day long.

These upsets possibly opens the door for several other teams to become #1 seeds.  The primary candidates are Louisville, Duke, Memphis, and Michigan State.  I'll review the candidates.

Louisville has a high chance of getting a #1 seed.  They won the Big East regular season title over both UConn and Pitt, however they get downgraded because they only played the top 4 other Big East teams once during the season (UConn, Pitt, Villanova, and Marquette.)  The also lost to Western Kentucky, Minnesota, and UNLV in the non-conference schedule. Their road was made much easier with UConn and Pitt both losing in the conference tournament.

Duke at one point during the season was ranked #1 in the nation, however, they haven't been consistent.  One game they look like no one can stop them, and other games they don't look into to it.  Duke has lost to UNC twice, and finished 3rd in the ACC behind UNC and Wake Forest.  I personally don't think that Duke is EVER as good as they are ranked.  They are a fraud and will be exposed again in the ACC tournament.  The only way they get consideration is if they win theACC tournament.  Don't count on it!

Memphis has won 58 straight conference games, but unfortunately that conference is Conference USA.  Memphis has no competition playing in that league and many times the games are not competitive, so they don't get opportunities to face adversity.  This will hurt them come seeding time, but most importantly in the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan State won the Big Ten regular season title by 4 games.  They also beat Kansas earlier this season.  However, the biggest negative against Michigan State is their early season lost toUNC by 35 points.  Granted MSU wasn't at full strength during that game (or any of their 5 losses for that matter), but if you're an elite team, you don't lose to another elite team by 35 points.  Never.  Never ever.  Only chance they have is if they also win the Big Ten Tournament title.

That being said, I believe that UNC, Pitt, and UConn are locks to get #1 seeds.  I think the last #1 seed will ultimately go to Louisville.  They should end up winning the conference tournament with both Conn and Pitt out, so you'll have three #1 seeds from the Big East.  I really don't think any conference deserves three #1 seeds, but it's the way this is shaping up.  The only way I don't see this scenario is if Louisville doesn't win the conference tournament, then Memphis would slide unto that final #1 slot over Michigan State and Oklahoma.  Michigan State would probably be better served being a #2 seed in the Midwest versus a #1 seed in the West.  They wouldn't have to leave the Midwest to make it to the Final Four in Detroit. 

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Why I Love My DIRECTV: Dwayne Wade for MVP

Yesterday I was at home watching DIRECTV, and for the first time, I changed it to the Sports Mix channel. This channel shows 8 sports channels simultaneously. I initially was watching some of the NCAA conference championship games, but I noticed NBA TV was showing the Chicago Bulls at the Miami Heat and the game was in the 2nd OT. I watched live as Dwayne Wade made this steal and 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game. (The look on Brad Miller's face at the :19 second mark is priceless!)

There is no question that D-Wade deserves to be mentioned in the league MVP race with Lebron and Kobe. It is definitely a 3-man race.  His stat line is ridiculous, as he showed in this game by scoring 48 points, 6 rebs, 12 asts, 4 stls, and 3 blks.  As of today, he is also leads the league in scoring (29.7 points).  The only issue preventing D-Wade from garnering more attention for MVP consideration is that the Heat are 5th place in the East, whereas, the Cavs and the Lakers are in 1st place in the East and West, respectively.  It will get VERY INTERESTING down the stretch, as he continues to torch the competition.

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

What's On My Mind: NFL Tragedy

Today, I could write about the NBA and the league leading LA Lakers.  Or I could write about what I think about the NFL Free Agent Transactions, the Jake Cutler situation, or Manny Ramirez finally agreeing to a contract with the LA Dodgers.

However, the only thing that's been on my mind since the weekend has been the tragic boating incident involving Oakland Raiders LB Marquis Cooper, former Detroit Lions DL Corey Smith, and former University of South Florida players William Bleakley and Nick Schuyler.  I don't know why it's been on my mind all weekend since I heard about it.  Was it because I can't swim and I'm afraid of deep water?  I couldn't even imagine being in their situation.  I couldn't save myself in 8 feet of water, let alone an ocean.

Earlier today, the US Coast Guard suspended the search for these men after 3 days and 24,000 miles.  Luckily, they found Schuyler on Monday with the boat, two days after the boat capsized.  This gave me hope that the other men would soon be found.  I checked every few hours during the day to get updates.  After they weren't found during the daylight hours, I began to get really worried that they wouldn't be found.  I even woke up several times during the night to check to see if there were any positive updates but to no avail.

As they went into today, and still no sight of the missing players, the Coast Guard set a 6:30 pm deadline before giving up the search.  I was still hopeful, but didn't expect any good news.  I know it had to be emotional when the family was told of the Coast Guards' plan to suspend the search.  When the deadline passed, I paused to reflect on my own mortality.  Like I said earlier, I definitely wouldn't have made it, but it reminds you how life can be taken away so quickly.  It made me want to eat better, lose weight, exercise, pretty much do anything I can to live longer to be with my family.  You can't control some factors, but the ones that you can control, I will.

Schuyler apparently told one of his friends in the hospital that a chopper flew over them the first night and shone a light above them, and later they could see lights from the shore.  This also shows you how close life and death can be.  My deepest condolences go out to the families and may the many prayers help you find solace.

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

NFL Free Agency Targets

Ring Ring.....

That's the sound of Albert Haynesworth's agent cell phone ringing precisely at this moment, Friday February 27, 2009 at 12:01 am.  It's the start of the NFL free agent period.  Haynesworth is the NFL's biggest free agent target, both figuratively and literally.  The DT is expected to get the biggest contract of all available free agents.  Per John Clayton from ESPN, he expects Haynesworth to sign a deal within two hours of the open of free agency.  We'll see if it happens that fast, but he is expected to get offers of over $100 million.

UPDATE (7:00 am) - Haynesworth has agreed to a seven-year deal with the Redskins. 

The most important free agent to a team is Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals.  The 37-year old QB lead the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.  If they expect to make it back, they must re-sign Warner.  They are several millions dollars apart on money ($10-$12 a year vs $14-$16), but I don't expect Warner will seriously consider signing with another team.  It's either the Cardinals or retirement.  Expect to see him back with the Cardinals.

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Starbury: Next Stop, Boston?

Wow, the stalemate between the Knicks and Stephon Marbury is finally over!  They reached a buyout agreement earlier today.  This comes after five months of haggling back and forth, which ultimately ended in the Knicks prohibiting Starbury from coming to the facility and him earning his $20.8 million salary for doing nothing.  With the buyout agreement, it appears that he will forgo approximately $2 million in exchange for his release.

If Starbury clears waivers, he is expected to sign with the Celtics and reunite with Kevin Garnett, who he previously played with in Minnesota, before forcing a trade to New Jersey.  If he does, it will help the Celtics with much needed depth (along with Mikki Moore, who they signed today).  It will definitely give them a boost in their attempts to repeat as NBA Champions.

The only thing we have yet to see is if Starbury is in game shape, since he hasn't played in over a year.  We'll see how much he'll be able to contribute, although I think he'll be able to fill the role they have for him.  He'll probably get worked in quickly during these last weeks of the season, but his playoff minutes will probably be limited.

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

NBA Trade DUD-line

The Phoenix Suns trade Amar'e Stoudamire to....

The Phoenix Suns trade Shaquille O'Neal to....

The New Jersey Nets trade Vince Carter to....

The Washington Wizards trade Antawn Jamison to....

The Houston Rockets trade Tracy McGrady to....

The Milwaukee Bucks trade Richard Jefferson to....


Well, at least that's what everyone thought. There were many big names floated about as the trade deadline approached. There were many teams motivated to make moves, some to get better, and others to get under the salary cap or the luxury tax.

The buzz coming to the deadline was that the many of those mentioned above could be moved to contending teams. Can you imagine Shaq in Cleveland with LeBron? I don't know how they would manage the line-ups with Shaq and Z together, but they would have made it work somehow. When Shaq has been teamed with a great side-kick (Kobe, D-Wade), he's won a title. What might have been?

Amar'e to multiple teams, Vince to San Antonio, Jamison to Cleveland.... all of those trades would have changed the balance of the conferences. All of them make my head hurt even thinking about it. Too bad none of them happened. It would have been very interesting ending to the rest of the regular season and playoffs. I think it would have had the same impact of the 2003-2004 Pistons getting Rasheed Wallace at the trade deadline a few years ago, and then winning the NBA Championship.

The best trade that was made was rescinded. Tyson Chandler was traded from the New Orleans Hornets to the Oklahoma City Thunder, however, he didn't pass his physical. He was exactly what OKC needed, so if I was the GM, I would have let him sit out the rest of this season (not like they were going to the the playoffs anyway) and paired him with a vastly improved Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green. Pair that with the high lottery pick they have (hopefully Blake Griffin, if they get the #1 pick), they would definitely be a young team on the rise.

The best trade that actually went through was the Rafer Alston to Orlando Magic trade, and it wasn't motivated by the salary cap or the luxury tax. The Magic lost Jameer Nelson for the year, and only had Anthony Johnson and Tyronn Lue as PG alternatives. They definitely needed a player the caliber of Skip if they have any chance to contend for the Eastern Conference Finals. In his first start, Skip had 12 points, 9 assists, and ran the offense effectively.


DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

A-Rod Reality: The truth shouldn't matter

OK, now that we've had a week to digest this A-Rod admission and his apology, let me say this. Can we just get over this? I don't think that his admission was any big revelation. Everyone was attacking Barry Bonds and hoping that A-Rod would soon pass his HR record since he was "clean" and Bonds was the bad guy. The fact of the matter is many players of various skill levels and positions took PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) during that time span.  Was A-Rod entirely truthful in his admissions at his press conference?  Probably not, but that's besides the point.

If someone were to test positive today for PEDs, they would get a 50 game suspension, not a lifetime ban. Why are Hall of Fame voters (i.e. sportswriters) so intent on not letting ANYBODY that has a positive PED test, or just even has just been linked with PEDs, in the Hall of Fame? Not even getting into the fact that it wasn't even against MLB rules when most of these players used PEDs, but that shouldn't disqualify a player from the HOF. Are we going to remove the many players that took uppers (amphetamines) to increase mental alertness and physical energy from the HOF? They are also PEDs, but don't have the media stigma that steroids has.  NFL player Shawne Merriman from the Chargers was suspended four games for use of PEDs two seasons ago, and it was in the news for maybe a day. We've been talking about Bonds forever, and it looks like it will be the same for A-Rod.

Is the argument because the baseball purists say it will skew the numbers for records (i.e. home run records)? You mean like uppers did? You don't think that helped increase numbers. You mean like pre-integration? You don't think the numbers for Babe Ruth and Roger Maris were better because they didn't play against black players? Do they have asterisks?  If baseball records/numbers really are sacred, why are all ball parks designed differently?  Old Yankee Stadium was 318', 399', 408', 385', and  314' ft from left field to right field.  Tiger Stadium was 340', 365' 440', 370', and 325'.  You don't think the Babe, Maris, Mantle, etc... had an advantage over Al Kaline and Hank Greenberg?  Definitely!  Asterisk?  Nope.  Want to sell extra tickets and bring excitement to your fan base?  Just shorten the fences by a few feet.

A-Rod answered, strike that.... A-Rod was asked if he felt that his numbers were tainted, or if his numbers should be wiped away for the years that he used PEDs.  That's ridiculous, you can't go back and erase numbers.  The NCAA does it, but am I really suppose to believe the Fab 5 never happened?  A-Rod's numbers are his numbers.  Bonds' numbers are his numbers. Bonds is the home run king, period.  A-Rod will eventually become the home run king.  Both deserve to be 1st ballot Hall of Famers when they are eligible.

This should just be another era in baseball, The Long Ball Era.  No different than the Dead Ball Era, the Live Ball Era, Integration Era, and the Free Agency Era.  The only reason this is getting as much media attention is because we now live in a soap opera/tabloid/paparazzi news society. That's what sells.  That's why sometimes we have to turn off SportsCenter.  Do we really need to know A-Rod's cousins name or who transported the substance from the Dominican Republic to the United States?  (BTW... that was actually a question at his press conference.)

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Games 2 Watch (G2W) 2/17/09 to 2/19/09:

The G2W section will highlight some of the most interesting match-ups over the next few days. Here are the must watch events from 2/17/09 to 2/19/09:

Tuesday 2/17/09 - NCAAB - Michigan State Spartans at Purdue Boilermakers - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on ESPN (*Game of the Mid-week)

The Big Ten leading Spartans face off against the 3rd place Boilermakers.  Both teams should be near full strength, as Raymar Morgan and Robbie Hummel should be in the line-up for both teams.

Wednesday - 2/18/09 - NBA - LA Lakers at Golden State Warriors - 10:30 pm EST / 9:30 pm CST on ESPN

Should be another high scoring affair.

Thursday - 2/19/09 - NBA - San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons - 8 pm EST / 7 pm CST on TNT

Thursday is the NBA trade deadline and there was speculation that Rasheed Wallace may be heading to SA.  We'll see.

We'll also end with the game results from the last G2W.

Friday 2/13/09 - NBA - All-Star Weekend - NBA All-Star Celebrity Game - Rookie Challenge - Rookies vs. Sophomores 

Saturday - 2/14/09 - NBA - All-Star Weekend - Shooting Stars, 3-Point Shootout, Skills Challenge, H-O-R-S-E, Dunk Contest 

Sunday - 2/15/09 - NASCAR - Daytona 500

Sunday - 2/15/09 - NBA - All-Star Game - East vs. West 

Monday - 2/16/09 - NCAAB - Pittsburgh 76 Connecticut 68 - (*Game of the Weekend)

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Games 2 Watch (G2W) 2/13/09 to 2/16/09:

The G2W section will highlight some of the most interesting match-ups over the next few days. Here are the must watch events from 2/10/09 to 2/12/09:

Friday 2/13/09 - NBA - All-Star Weekend - NBA All-Star Celebrity Game - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on ESPN - Rookie Challenge - Rookies vs. Sophomores 9 pm EST / 8 pm CST on TNT

Come back to look for exclusive All-Star Weekend coverage!

Saturday - 2/14/09 - NBA - All-Star Weekend - Shooting Stars, 3-Point Shootout, Skills Challenge, H-O-R-S-E, Slam Dunk Contest - 8 pm EST / 7 pm EST on TNT

Come back to look for exclusive All-Star Weekend coverage! (But I won't fault you if you go out for Valentine's Day)

Sunday - 2/15/09 - NASCAR - Daytona 500 - 3:30 pm EST / 2:30 pm CST on Fox 

Jimmie Johnson leads the race for the Sprint Cup.

Sunday - 2/15/09 - NBA - All-Star Game - East vs. West - 8 pm EST / 7 pm CST on TNT 

Come back to look for exclusive All-Star Weekend coverage!

Monday - 2/16/09 - NCAAB - Pittsburgh Panthers at Connecticut Huskies - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on ESPN (*Game of the Weekend)

#1 vs. #4

We'll also end with the game results from the last G2W.

Tuesday 2/10/09 - NCAAB - Michigan State 54 Michigan 42

Wednesday - 2/11/09 - NCAAB - North Carolina 101 Duke 87 (*Game of the Mid-week)

Thursday - 2/12/09 - NCAAB - Arizona State 74 UCLA 67 

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Whatever happened to..... The Franchise

I caught the 2nd OT of the 2003 NBA All-Star game on NBA TV the other day.  KG ultimately won the MVP, but what I found interesting was who was on the court for that overtime.  The East squad had AI, Paul Pierce, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Ben Wallace.  The West had KG, Kobe, Shawn Marion, Tim Duncan, and Steve Francis.

Whatever happened to The Franchise?  Of the 10 players on the court, Francis is the only one not contributing to a team at a high level.  As a matter of fact, he's not contributing anything, seeing that he was released from the Grizzlies last month.  He hasn't played this year with the Grizzlies or the Rockets (who he was with before he got traded to the Grizzlies).  The previous 3 years, he's played a total of 78 games.  I know injuries (tendinitis in right knee and quad tendon surgery on left knee) had something to do with it, but did he lose it that quickly?  I mean, he's only 31.  You would think he'd be able to contribute something to somebody. Anybody.  We'll see if a playoff team will pick up this veteran down the stretch.

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Fantasy Basketball - Pick-up of the Week (Update from 1/27)

I hope you heeded my advice in my Fantasy Advice Pick-up of the Week on 1/27.  I suggested that you immediately pick-up Ramon Sessions due to the injury to Michael Redd.    In the five games that he played without Redd, he averaged 16.2 points, 2.8 boards, 4.8 assists, 1.0 steals a game.

I also said that his numbers would be even better if he took over the point guard duty from LukeRidnour.  Well, Ridnour is now out 3-5 weeks with a broken thumb.  In the two games without both Redd and Ridnour, he's averaged 35.0 points, 4.5 boards, 9.5 assists, 2.0 steal a game.  That will make a big difference for the playoff stretch.  What's amazing to me is that in Yahoo! leagues, he's only owned in 68% of leagues.  He should be owned universally in all leagues and all formats!  If you're in one of the 32% of the leagues that he's not owned in, please do yourself a favor. 

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Random Grammy Thoughts

I'm not all that into award shows, but I did get a chance to watch the Grammy's on Sunday.  The lasting image I have is the VERY PREGNANT (as in, due date was that same day pregnant) M.I.A. performing T.I.'s Swagga Like Us along withKanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne.  Wow, what is she wearing???? 

It was good to see Jennifer Hudson win the first Grammy of the telecast for Best R&B album. She returned to the national spotlight by singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Let's hope there is more good news for the singer, that lost her mother, brother, and nephew a few months ago.

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at dcthesportsguy@gmail.com

Games 2 Watch (G2W) 2/10/09 to 2/12/09:

The G2W section will highlight some of the most interesting match-ups over the next few days. Here are the must watch events from 2/10/09 to 2/12/09:

Tuesday 2/10/09 - NCAAB - Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines - 7 pm EST / 6 pm CST on ESPN

In a strange Big Ten scheduling quirk, the only meeting of the season for these rivals.

Wednesday - 2/11/09 - NCAAB - North Carolina Tar Heels at Duke Blue Devils - 9 pm EST / 8 pm CST on ESPN (*Game of the Mid-week)

Carolina vs. Duke is the best college basketball rivalry.

Thursday - 2/12/09 - NCAAB - UCLA Bruins at Arizona State Sun Devils - 9 pm EST / 8 pm CST on ESPN

Watch one of the best nationally unknown players in the country in James Harden of ASU.

We'll also end with the game results from the last G2W.

Friday 2/6/09 - NBA - Suns 115 Warriors 105

Saturday 2/7/09 - NCAAB - Memphis 68 Gonzaga 50

Sunday 2/8/09 - NBA - Lakers 101 Cavs 91 (*Game of the Weekend - Cavs suffer 1st home loss of the season)

Monday 2/9/09 - 24 

DC is a contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted atdcthesportsguy@gmail.com