Favorite Team Part 4

Continuing in this ongoing series of my Favorite Teams we will look at my favorite NBA team. My favorite NBA team is my only favorite team that is from Toronto and it is the Toronto Raptors.

One of the main reasons that I love the Raptors is because I have been alive from the very beginning of the franchise. Not only was I alive but I was also old enough to understand everything that was going on. I was also 8 years old and thought that the name Raptors was the greatest thing ever.

I've seen the Raptors go from struggling expansion franchise to serious playoff contender in 10 years. I remember when the Raptors had Damon Stoudamire aka Might Mouse and when they had Dell Curry who could jack up a 3 ball from anywhere on the court.

They weren't always the best teams but at least they were fun to watch. This pattern of exciting teams only got better when the Raptors got Vince Carter in the 1999 draft and he started to put the team on the map. As much as I hated Vince Carter when he left and during the last few years of his career in Toronto I have to give him credit because without him the Raptors wouldn't be what they are now.

Finally the reason I love the Raptors is because of the atmosphere that they create at the ACC. Living in Toronto I mostly go to Jays and Leafs game and during the course of those games excitement is at a minimum. Most fans don't cheer or care until their team scores. Especially at the Blue Jays games people just sit there and clap politely for a strike out or a hit. At Raptors games people are going crazy the whole game and the building goes crazy numerous times a game.

I think the Raptors are the perfect team for Toronto because of the make up of the team and the make up of the city. The team has a very strong international presence with players like Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani and I think that helps people in the city connect with the team a little more.

Moving forward I think that the Raptors are going to be a serious contender for years to come, especially with the pick up of Jermaine O'Neal. They will continue to wins games and I will continue to watch and follow.

Runner Up: The Lakers

Favorite Team Part 3

In today's installment of the Favorite Team series I will be discussing my favorite NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks.

My love of the Canucks stems from one thing and one thing only...NHL 94. This is probably the greatest video game ever, at least the best sports video game, and the first time I played I chose the Vancouver Canucks. How could you not? They had Pavel Bure, Cliff Ronning, Trevor Linden, Geoff Courtnall, Jyrki Lumme, and of course the beast Kirk McLean between the pipes.

After the game came out I started to really follow hockey and to my surprise discovered that the Canucks were actually a great team and had the most exciting player in hockey on their team, Pavel Bure. The Russian Rocket led his team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1994 where they were eventually defeated by that bum Mark Messier and the New York Rangers.

Being a Canucks fan has been very rewarding over the past 15 years as they more often than not have a team that competes and plays exciting hockey. For a few years they had the West Coast Express with Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison, and Todd Bertuzzi and the Canucks dominated.

However the best thing about being a Canucks fan is knowing that I don't have to cheer for the Leafs. If you have noticed so far throughout this series my favorite teams are usually never from my home city. I find it odd that people feel the need to cheer for a team just because they live somewhat close to that city. I'm not even from Toronto. I am from Pickering and feel no allegiance to the Leafs what so ever. A bit of a rant I know but it is something that boggles my mind on a frequent basis.

Another great part of being a Canucks fan is getting to hate the Calgary Flames. The Flames are the most annoying team in hockey and boast some of the biggest tools on their roster. Miikka Kiprusoff is such a flukeshow it is unreal and their wannabe tough guy captain Jarome Iginla should pack it in and go home. Nothing better than a Cabucks-Flames game and seeing the Canucks wail on them.

Runner Up: Whoever is playing the Calgary Flames

Favorite Team Part 2

Today I will be continuing my "Favorite Team" series by moving onto a new league, the NFL. Yesterday was MLB and I described why the Boston RedSex are my favorite team and have been for as long as I can remember. Once again feel free to comment and post on who your favorite team is in the sport of the day.

When I first started watching football I was a Jacksonville Jaguars fan. I was I think 8 years old and I thought that Jaguars were the coolest animals around and that any team named after them had to be great. Luckily for me I was right as the Jaguars made it to the playoffs 4 out of their first 5 years and even made it to the AFC Championship in their second year as a franchise in 1996. Then Mark Brunell left and so did my love of the Jaguars. I was then forced to find a new team and luckily for me the greatest team in the NFL was waiting for me to become a fan, the New York Jets.

One day I was watching ESPN and saw a documentary on the Jets and their Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath. I saw how Namath was a standout not only for his play but also for his attire on the field. Upon watching the documentary I started to watch the Jets more closely and saw that they played a style of football that was exactly the kind of football I enjoyed, smash mouth offense and aggressive defense.

They also had players on their team you couldn't help but like. Players such as Curtis "My Favorite" Martin, Wayne Chrebet, and Keyshawn Johnson. Unfortunately they had an awful quarterback in Vinny Testaverde who made it somewhat difficult to like the team but I persevered. Today the Jets still have a big play receiver, Laveranues Coles, a terrible quarterback, Chad Pennington, but at least they have one of the best coaches in football, Eric Mangini, running the team and a great defense that keeps them in games.

The Jets also hold a special place in my heart because they sometimes like to beat the Patriots and wipe that smug smile off the face of Bill "I think I'm God's Gift to Football but Really I'm a Cheater" Belicheck.

The Jets are a team that is currently on the rise and even though they lost Probowl linebacker Johnathan Vilma this year to the Saints they still should make the playoffs. That is of course all hinging on the belief that Chad Pennington will not be the quarterback.

J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS!

Runner Up: Jacksonville Jaguars

Favorite Team Part 1

This week what I am going to be doing is having a 6 part series that will last from today until Saturday highlighting my favorite team in each league and why they are my favorite team. I encourage everyone to post comments that explain what your favorite team in each league is.

Monday - MLB
Tuesday - NFL
Wednesday - NHL
Thursday - NBA
Friday - Soccer

We are starting off the series with MLB. I decided to start with MLB because it is slowly becoming my favorite league. Normally I am an NFL guy but since its the summer and the only thing on is baseball it is starting to grow on me. I also chose baseball because my favorite team in all of sports plays in the MLB and that team is the: Boston RedSox

The Boston RedSox are my favorite team in not just baseball but all of sports. My love for the RedSox stems from a personality trait of mine that is a common theme amongst all my favorite teams, my love of history. At school I am a history major so when picking a sports team I try and choose a team with an interesting history and no team has more of a colored history than the RedSox. But it is not just the history that gets me but also the way the team is managed and the faithfulness of the fans.

From the Curse of the Bambino when they traded Babe Ruth to the Greatness that was Tedd Williams and finally the tragedy of Bill Buckner's costly error RedSox fans know what pure joy and true heartbreak feels like. Every year until 2004 fans would watch as the RedSox would always get so close only to fall short and leave their fans wondering how it all fell apart.

Not only does the team have a lot going for it historically but being a RedSox is almost like being part of a religion. The team means so much to so many people and can best be portrayed in this article by Tom Verducci: http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1137633/index.htm.

Besides just the history of the team however the RedSox also have one of the oldest stadiums in all of sports in Fenway Park where RedSox teams have been playing since 1912. Last year I went on a private tour of the stadium and it was one of the greatest things I have ever seen. The Green Monster looks so intimidating and the seats are so close to the players that you can understand why teams are intimidated to play there.

What I love most about the RedSox however are the players. People hate on Manny Ramirez but I love him. There isnt a better person in baseball to watch stare down one of his own home runs and for all the bad press he gets people tend to forget he is one of the best right handed hitters of all time. Big Papi is one of the best clutch hitters of all team and is a real class act. But the best thing about the RedSox is that they develop most of their own talent from within their system or make very smart trades for under rated players and make them superstars (David Ortiz was a bum with the Twins and now is an All-Star). Players like Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, and Johnathan Papelbon have all come up through the system and are now impact players. The RedSox rarely ever go out and just by the big free agent. They have developed from within and have also added through trades picking up Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett.

For all of the reasons listed above the RedSox are my favorite team in MLB.

Runner Ups: Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland A's

Is Anyone Watching?

Last night a 50 year old woman named Nancy Lieberman played in an WNBA game and broke her own record of oldest woman to play in a WNBA game by 11 years. Also in this same week a fight broke out between the Detroit Shock and the Los Angelas Sparks and several players were ejected and subsequently suspended, including the face of the new WNBA Candace Parker.

That makes two stories in one week that are newsworthy and yet if I asked 10 sports fan if they heard about them, or cared, they would more than likely all say no. The WNBA is not a popular league by any stretch of the imagination and the fact that these two incidents occurred and no one knows simply proves that.

Will this make you watch though? The Lieberman story is a nice one but it just makes the league look worse that a 50 year old can play in it. Imagine a 50 year old man playing in the NBA. He would get destroyed and probably have his ankles broken when he got crossed over or have a heart attack trying to run the floor.

"If this helps the league, I think it's great. It's entertaining, and anything that draws attention to the league is a good thing." This is a statement made by a WNBA executive who feels that any attention the league gets will help it. I personally feel if you're hoping more fans will watch your games for fights and senior citizens then I think you are in the wrong business. Yes there is fighting in almost every sport and only years ago there was the NBA brawl in Detroit but the NBA didn't like when that happened. WNBA officials seem to be overjoyed that their league is in the news and don't seem to care why.

What makes the whole thing worse is the ringleader of the fight was Candace Parker. Parker is a rookie this year but is the most famous female basketball player on the planet and the face of the WNBA and yet she is out there fighting. How bad does your league look when your best player is out there throwing punches instead of playing the game. David Stern and the NBA would go mental is Lebron James lost his temper and started throwing haymakers at people.

All of this publicity cannot help this downtrodden league. I think the real problem with the WNBA is that too many people watch it and feel that they can do what these players do. I mean when you watch the NBA you sit back in amazement when Lebron defies gravity and makes a nasty slam dunk or when Kobe Bryant hits a fade away jumper from 12 feet out with two defenders all over him. The WNBA is all about fundamentals with nice passes and good teamwork but they take the fun out of it and are left with only damentals. I've watched about 20 minutes of WNBA action in my entire life but I think I could do anything that anyone in the league could do.

Sorry for the rant there at the end, I'm not against women's sports I just don't feel like the WNBA does a good job of representing itself if its going to promote fighting between its players and if its going to resort to cheap PR moves to try and gain fan support. Your product should speak for itself like the NBA. However I may be a hypocrite because if 50 year old women are going to scrap and play basketball every game I might tune in, or at least watch the highlights.

Federer is Human

Believe it or not Roger Federer is human and he proved it when he was knocked out of the Rogers Cup with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 loss to France's Gilles Simon in a second-round match Wednesday night. That’s right. Roger Federer lost in his first match since losing to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon.

When asked about what happened on the court Federer had this to say, "As the match went on I struggled a little bit to put the forehands away," Federer said. "He's a good baseliner. We saw that today. He moves well. He's deceiving because he's kind of thin and tall but moves really well for his height, you know. He flicks a lot of balls with his backhand as well, so when you come in you can't see where he plays."

Federer looked firmly in control after winning the first set 6-2 but just couldn’t get his game together as he committed numerous unforced errors. Actually in the very last game of the match Federer was serving and lost 4 straight points by committing unforced errors.

Federer won this tournament in 2004 and 2006 and finished 2nd last year to Serbia's Novak Djokovic but yesterday became the first top seed to lose in his first match here since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.

This loss coupled with Federer’s losses to Nadal at the French Open and Wimbledon are starting to make the Swiss phenom look less invincible. If Nadal wins this tournament he may become the new #1 seed and break Federer’s streak of over 231 weeks of being the top guy.

While people may be saying that Roger has lost it and is no longer the great player he once was it seems that these statements may be made with little knowledge of Roger’s year at all. Currently in 2008 he is 43-9 and has already won 2 singles titles. If not for losing to Nadal in two Major finals then he would be 45-7 with 4 titles 2 of them being majors. He has come into a bit of bad luck in the fact that he has had to play Nadal so many times who is playing the best tennis of his life.

So while many say Federer isn’t the best anymore I feel that it is far too early to be making statements like that as there is still plenty of tennis left to be played this year. It must also be noted that in his best year to date Nadal has already lost 7 matches as well. I don’t feel that it is right to immediately get all over someone’s case just because they don’t win every single tournament.

Possible reasons for Roger’s losing of late may be that he is distracted from tennis by things such as his clothing line and his incredibly hot girlfriend. Roger may simply just have a case of celebrity and he is starting to believe his own hype. I’m not trying to make excuses for the guy but I find it troubling how quickly people forget that his pure dominance of tennis for the last 4 years.

Finally I will point out that the man who beat Roger Federer yesterday wasn’t some bum. He was the 22nd ranked player in the world so let’s not go overboard with the Roger bashing.

Kobe or Lebron?

With the 2008 Summer Olympics fast approaching new stories are being written everyday about the US Olympic team and their attempt to end their eight year drought. I personally don’t understand how they don’t wipe the floor with everyone considering they have the best players in the world but I digress. So with all of the best players in the world basically on one team the only real question isn’t are they going to win, its who is their best player? Some might say its Kobe Bryant while others believe it is Lebron James. A vote or two might even go to Dwight Howard aka Superman but I think the majority of people are picking Kobe or Lebron. So what I am going to attempt to do is break down who is the better player and try and end, or start a brand new, debate about who is really the best player?

Feel free to trash my opinion but only after you have read my arguments. Don’t read the first sentence of the next paragraph and then skip to the bottom and start hating and calling me an idiot and all that nonsense. Read, form an opinion, and then respond. I do welcome all insults though.

With that being said I firmly believe that the best player on team US and in the entire world is Kobe Bryant and this is why:

Let’s get of the simple stuff out of the way. Yes Kobe Bryant is 29 and is 6 years older than Lebron James, who is 23, so I am not going to focus on stats like points in a career since Kobe clearly has the advantage. However they don’t play the same position as Kobe is a shooting guard and Lebron is a small forward so keep that in mind. Now let’s get down to the real comparison.

Stats

............MPG--FG%--3P%---FT%-RPG-APG-PPG

Kobe----36.5--.453--.340--.839--5.3--4.6--25.0
Lebron--41.1--.467--.324--.728--6.9--6.6--27.3

Now looking at these numbers people are already starting to second guess my choice but it needs to be noted that in the first 2 years of his NBA career Kobe Bryant was not a starter and averaged well under 30 minutes per game. This is why his numbers are a bit skewed and why Lebron looks to trump him. However saying that some of these stats are very telling and need to be explained a bit.

Lebron James IS the Cleveland Cavaliers. Without Lebron the Cavs would be the worst team in basketball and relegated to joke status along with the Los Angeles Clippers. They pass him the ball almost every trip down the floor and even though he plays Small Forward he basically plays point guard. With more minutes come more chances to score points, get rebounds, and get steals it’s as simple as that.

This is one of the reasons that he has better career numbers than Kobe, but it is not the only one. Until recently Kobe was never a 1 man show, and to be fair he still isn’t today with players like Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, but for 8 years it was Kobe and Shaq who dominated and SHARED the ball and the spotlight. It was an actual team and not one guy doing everything like Lebron and the Cavs. Kobe very easily could have averaged over 30 PPG, like he did when Shaq left, but he did what all good teammates do and passed the ball and put the team above himself. The best player Lebron has ever played beside is Larry Hughes, who is not exactly in the same league as Shaquille O’neal, which explains why he is always shooting and doing everything himself.

But enough with the simple stats. Its time to focus on something more important than just the simple numbers that people use to try and prove who is better. The best way to prove someone is better is by looking at trophies, records and honors.

Trophies, Records and Honors

Kobe Bryant has been named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Lebron hasn’t. Kobe has 3 championships and Lebron has 0. Kobe has been named to the All-NBA- Defensive team 8 times and Lebron has been named 0. Yes Lebron is on pace to score the most points ever but basketball is a team game and requires defense. Also we have been over why he scores so many points so let’s not dwell on that. Lebron may have more Cavalier records than Kobe has Lakers records but honestly which is more impressive? Kobe Bryant is a much all around better player who has accomplished more as a basketball player than Lebron James has as a purely offensive threat.

Kobe
* 3-time NBA champion: 2000, 2001, 2002
* NBA Most Valuable Player: 2008
* 2-time scoring champion: 2006, 2007
* 10-time NBA All-Star: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
* Has started in each of his appearances
* 10 consecutive appearances (No All-Star game in 1999 due to lock-out)
* 2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2002, 2007
* 10-time All-NBA Selection:
* First Team: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
* Second Team: 2000, 2001
* Third Team: 1999, 2005
* 8-time All-Defensive Selection:
* First Team: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
* Second Team: 2001, 2002
* NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1997
* NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion: 1997
* NBA regular season leader in:
* points: 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008
* points per game: 2006, 2007
* field goals attempted: 2006, 2007, 2008
* field goals made: 2003, 2006, 2007
* free throws attempted: 2006, 2007
* free throws made: 2006, 2007
* 2nd most points in a Game: 81
* Gold Medal with Team USA

NBA Records

Kobe Bryant holds four and shares five NBA records:
* Most three-point field goals made, one game: 12
* Most three-point field goals made, one half: 8
* Most consecutive three-point field goals made, one game: 9
* Most free throws made, one quarter: 14
* Most free throws attempted, one quarter: 16
* Youngest player to score 15,000 points: 27 Years, 136 days
* Youngest player to score 20,000 points: 29 years, 122 days old
* Youngest Slam Dunk champion: 18 years, 175 days
* Youngest player to be named to the NBA All-Defensive Team
* Youngest player to start a game: 18 Years, 158 days

Lakers Franchise Records

Kobe Bryant holds or shares 30 Los Angeles Lakers franchise records

Lebron

* 2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2006, 2008
* NBA Rookie of the Year: 2004
* 4-time NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
* 4-time All-NBA: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
* NBA regular season leader, points per game: 2008
* NBA regular season leader, field goals made: 2005, 2008.
* NBA regular season leader, minutes played: 2005, 2007.
* NBA regular season leader, traditional three-point plays: 2006.
* Career 40+ point games (regular season): 23
* Career 40+ point games (postseason): 3
* Career 50+ point games (regular season): 5
* Career triple-doubles (regular season): 17
* Career triple-doubles (postseason): 3

Youngest Player Records

James owns numerous NBA "youngest player" records:
* Youngest player to be named NBA Rookie of the Year (19 years of age).
* Youngest player to record a triple-double (20 years, 20 days).
* Youngest player to score 40 points in a game (19 years, 88 days).
* Youngest player to score 50 points in a game (20 years, 80 days).
* Youngest player to score 2,000 points in a season (2004-05).
* Youngest player to average 30 points per game in a season (2005-06).
* Youngest player to be awarded All-NBA honors (2004-05).
* Youngest player to be named to the All-NBA first team (21 years, 138 days).
* Youngest player to win an All-Star Game MVP (21 years, 55 days)
* Youngest player to reach
* 1,000 points
* 2,000 points
* 3,000 points
* 4,000 points
* 5,000 points
* 6,000 points
* 7,000 points
* 8,000 points
* 9,000 points
* 10,000 points

Cavaliers Franchise Records

Lebron James holds or shares 49 Cleveland Cavaliers franchise records.

Conclusion

These are real numbers and achievements. I didn’t embellish them or leave anything out. Kobe Bryant has accomplished by 29 what some players couldn’t if they played until 50. Many people try and say that Shaq was the only reason Kobe was any good but that is a horrible argument. Without Shaq Kobe took the Lakers to the NBA Finals, he won the MVP, made All-Star teams, and still won awards and set records.

Looking at all of the evidence I think it has become clear why I picked Kobe Bryant as the best basketball player on the planet. He isn’t the best basketball player of all time so let’s not even start that debate but in today’s game there is no one better and no one I would rather have on my team than Kobe.

Make Up Your Mind Already

There has been something that has been bothering me about the NHL for a few years now and this latest Mats Sundin news has made this issue resurface and so now I feel the need to vent. It is being rumored that Mats Sundin may not sign with an NHL team anytime before the season starts and may opt for the Scott Niedermayer/Teemu Selanne approach and sit it out until the trade deadline. This is an approach that NHL players have adopted as of late, from Roger Clemens, and is causing serious problems for teams and serious irritation to me.

I am anything but a Leaf fan but even I think what Mats Sundin is doing now is wrong and is hurting his former team. When he first decided to test free agency I was ecstatic because I knew that he wouldn't return to the Leafs when he got a huge offer from a contender. Unfortunately though he got the offers but hasn't made up his mind yet, or so he claims. Sundin has now been in Sweden for over a month trying to "decide" what to do. By doing this Sundin is now forcing some teams, like the Leafs, to leave cap space for him to come back instead of signing more free agents to help fill the need for good players. This to me is wrong because it leaves teams holding the bag and if Sundin doesn't return then they have missed their chance to sign quality free agents.

Also you're telling me Mats Sundin doesn't already know where he wants to play and hasn't known for a while now? He clearly knows exactly what he wants to do and right now to me its looking like he is going to sit it out until the trade deadline and then come back with a contender.

This may seem like a great situation for teams due to the fact that once the trade deadline approaches they can sign a forward who is a point a game player and a physical presence. However we have seen in the past that this can be a huge risk that more often than not doesn't pay off.

In the case of Roger Clemens it never worked out as in 2006 and 2007 he sat out more than half the season and then opted to return to the Houston Astros (2006) and the New York Yankees (2007). In 06 upon his return he went 7-6 and didn't help the Astros make the playoffs. In 2007 he came back and played for the Yankees going 6-6 with an ERA of 4.18 and helped the Yankees get bounced out in the AL Division Series by the Cleveland Indians 3-1. Clearly this move never worked for Roger and should not have been adopted by NHL players.

Yet Niedermayer and Selanne both decided to take this approach and in the end it hurt the team. In this past season Nidermayer only played 48 games with the Anaheim Ducks and Selanne played a mere 26 and although they are some of the best players in NHL history it still causes issues with them coming back to the team so late in the season. Once Selanne and Niedermayer came back the Ducks made the playoffs but were beaten by the Dallas Stars in the first round 4 games to 2.

Taking this approach causes a number of issues that both teams and players need to deal with. The first issue is that cap room needs to be freed up so that both players can be signed to the team. Effectively what happens is that when a players pulls a Roger Clemens they get suspended and their contract isn't add to the cap. So when Niedermayer and Selanne wanted to come back some people had to go. To make room for the two new players GM Brian Burke was forced to trade Andy McDonald who had 78 points the previous year for Dough Weight who is a legitimate scrub which hurts the team.

The second issue is the unbalancing of team chemistry. A team plays over 55 games together and all of a sudden new players come in and lines are shuffled which causes some players to lose the rhythm that they were in. This isn't true for every player but even it it affects one or two that is a bigger deal than most people realise.

The third and most important issue is the fitness of the returning players. There is no substitute for playing in NHL games against NHL players and there is no way anyone can train for that in the offseason. You can try train your body but when you are away from competition for an extended period of time you just aren't prepared to comeback like that. To make matters worse these players return during the final stretch to the playoffs where games are harder, faster, and more intense. This means players need to come back and give it 110% every night when they haven't been used to anything near that.

This rule of allowing players to do this should be removed and if not there should be a penalty for it at the very least. Hopefully Mats Sundin doesn't opt to do this and just comes back or stays away.

No Tiger. No Problem

Going into the British Open this week the PGA had been struggling with the absence of Tiger Woods. Kenny Perry had been on a winning streak of late but decided to skip the Open leaving PGA officials in a real jam as they now had no good stories to try and promote the event. Luckily for them however one former star and one Irishman decided to step up and make it a weekend to talk about. Greg Norman had a great weekend of golf and at 53 almost won the Open and Padraig Harrington defended his title to make it two years in a row.

The first story was that Greg Norman took the lead going into Sunday but was unable to close the deal as he shot a 77 and finished 3rd. The Norman story was great as he came out of nowhere to make his first run at a major championship since 1993 when he won the British Open. The one thing I don't like about this story is the way people are now trashing Greg Norman saying that he choked. If he had come out of nowhere to finish 3rd people would have said he was amazing but since he was in 1st at one point he gets thrown under the bus. People also need to realise that Greg Norman is semi-retired and that these days he plays more tennis than golf.

The second great story was Padraig Harrington becoming the first European to win back to back British Open's since James Braid of Scotland won in 1905-06. Before Tiger Woods won in 2005-06, no one had gone back-to-back since Tom Watson in '82 and '83. In all, 16 players have defended their titles since the first Open was played in 1860. Harrington played masterful golf and its sad that his victory is being overshadowed by Greg Norman not winning and Tiger Woods not being there.

Many people feel that since Tiger wasn't there the winner should have an asterisk put by their name in the record books. I don't understand how anyone could think this should actually be the case as its not as if Tiger Woods was a lock to win. In the past 10 years he has only won 3 times. While that is very impressive it does not mean that he is a guarantee. Hell with Padraig Harrington's win yesterday he has won twice in 10 years. Harrington also won last year when Tiger was there so clearly his victory this year shouldn't have an asterisk.

I understand people thinking that Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, I think this as well, but to say that every tournament he isn't at shouldn't really count is pure idiocy. Tiger has been in countless majors and hasn't won all of them so this line of thinking clearly doesn't make any sense. Thinking like this cheapens the victories of other golfers as it makes their wins seem less important. I'm sure yesterday was one of the best days of Padraig Harrington's life and yet it get cheapened by people saying that it should come with an asterisk.

The British Open did not disappoint this year as even without Tiger Woods it was an exciting weekend that left everyone with lots to talk about. Padraig Harrington won by playing great golf and there is no need for an asterisk. The PGA can be happy that even with no Tiger there is no problem.

Gangs in the NFL?

Listening to the Dan Patrick radio show yesterday I learned that the NFL will be instituting a new committee who's sole job will be to watch all of the games and see if NFL players are using gang signs as part of their celebrations. This comes months after Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics was fined $25,000 for this gesture to the Altanta Hawks bench:

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/648/pierceqn8.jpg

This to me is one of the dumbest ideas that I have ever heard in my entire life. It was reported by the LA Times that the NFL has hired experts to study game footage to determine whether players are displaying street-gang hand signals as part of their on-field celebrations. Who are these experts that the NFL has hired? Do they have current gang members coming in to let the NFL know whats going on? Or will it be a bunch of old white guys sitting in a booth saying I saw that on TV one time its a gang sign?

I have watched countless games of NFL football and have yet to ever see anything I would call a gang sign, although my knowledge of gang signs is limited to say the least, but the NFL feels that it is a prominent issue within the league. "There have been some suspected things we've seen," said Milt Ahlerich, the league's vice president of security, according to the Times' report. "When we see it, we quietly jump on it immediately, directly with the team and the player or employee involved to cease and desist. Period."

While they may feel that the whole gang-sign thing is a big deal I personally feel that they have bigger problems to deal with. Not a day has gone by this offseason that I have not seen a NFL players name and face on Sports Illustrated with an article written about a new criminal charge they are facing. Guy are doing drugs, drinking and driving, getting caught with weapons, and committing violent offenses and the NFL is worried about hand signals. Commissioner Roger Goodell needs to really take a look at his problems and prioritize them better because sorry to say Roger gang signs shouldn't be too high up on that list.

This all comes back to Paul Pierce again who is being made an example of by the NFL. "We were always suspicious that [gang-related hand signals] might be happening," said Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating, according to the report. "But the Paul Pierce thing is what brought it to light." So one player was accused of using a gang sign and now a whole committee needs to be established? Why not give the players the benefit of the doubt that they aren't all gang affiliated.? The NFL should be ashamed of itself because it is now assuming that its players are gang affiliated and not just looking at the Pierce situation as an isolated incident.

Lets for a minute say that they are using gang signs in celebration, so what? Maybe some of the players used to be in a gang and want to give a shout out to their friends on television. Is that really so bad? Its not as if the player is committing a crime or is endorsing gang violence. It's not like players in the NFL are in a gang or are out participating in gang activities. They are professional athletes and are simply trying to let people know that they remember where they came from. It parts of their roots as a person and maybe helps them stay grounded with all of the money they now have. It is a simple hand gesture and should not be a major concern of the NFL.

The whole thing is just ridiculous but may provide one positive. The day John Madden and Al Michaels are in the booth saying, "Look at that he throwing up gang signs for his homies" will be a great day for sports.

Hits and Misses

Hits

Getting Hot - Going into the All-Star break the Toronto Blue Jays have won 5 of their last 6 with a sweep over the Baltimore Orioles and then took 2 out of 3 from the New York Yankees. The Jays have been winning with a solid combination of hitting and pitching instead of just relying on their pitching. Roy Halliday pitched an absolute gem last Friday going 9 innings giving up on 2 hits in a shutout of the Yankees (a game in which I attended). AJ Burnett also had an amazing start going 8 1/3 innings and only giving up 1 run on 8 hits on Sunday. Hopefully the Jays can keep up this pace and try and gain some ground in the AL East.

All-Star Gems – Josh Hamilton put on a show at the Home Run Derby on Monday night blasting 28 homeruns in the 1st round. This broke the old record, held by Bobby Abreu, of 24 set in 2005. Hamilton ended up losing to Canadian Justin Morneau but he clearly didn’t care. Also the All-Star game last night was real entertaining as it went 15 innings and saw Morneau score the winning run to push the AL winning streak to 12 years. The pitching was absolutely amazing, as the pitchers definitely looked more like all-stars than the batters.

Vinny – Earlies this week the Tampa Bay Lightning signed captain Vincent Lecavalier to a 11-year $85 million deal. I love this move as Lecavalier is one of the best, and not to mention classiest, players in the league. He also has has amassed a franchise-best 273 goals and 602 points since entering the league in 1998. This is just another great move by owner Oren Koules this off season.

Hit of the Week – Forrest Griffin wins the Light Heavyweight Title at UFC 86 by beating Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson via Unanimous Decision. Many fight fans were upset as they thought Rampage got robbed, me being one of them. However since then I have watched the fight multiple times and my opinion changed as Forrest definitely won. He is one of my favorites fighters and is very entertaining so I’m glad he won.

Misses

Favre Mess – The Brett Favre mess isn’t going away anytime soon and it’s starting to get annoying. Now there is a rumor going around that Favre will go to training camp with the Packers in an attempt to “call their bluff” as he believe they will not sit him. Lets hope this situation gets resolved sooner rather than later so I stop losing respect for Favre on a daily basis.

NY Idiots – NY fans booed Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis and all other Red Sox players during the All-Star game last night. I get the whole rivalry thing but these guys are on the AL team and if they do well then it helps the Yankees. Whoever wins the All-Star game gets home field advantage in the World Series so these Red Sox players would be helping the Yankees if they ever made it there. These fans need to get some class and realize that for one night everyone is on the same team.

Teddy Nolan – This week Ted Nolan was fired by the New York Islanders due to “philosophical differences” with the management. How bad of a guy can Ted Nolan really be? He seems to always get the raw end of the deal even when he does a decent job coaching. Granted the Islanders didn’t make the playoffs but no one could coach those scrubs into the playoffs. Also the timing is horrible as it’s now July. Clearly these differences have been lingering and the man should have been fired long ago if it’s that big of an issue.

Miss of the Week – Roy Halliday of the Toronto Blue Jays said in an interview this week that he is tired of the mediocrity on Toronto and wants to go somewhere where he will be able to win a world series. This is troubling news for Jays fans as the Doc is the only reason our team in not a complete laughing stock. Hopefully the Jays can do something about this and bring in some real talent. Not bums like Scott Rolen and Lyle Overbay.

Hated and Respected

Yesterday at lunch we were discussing sports, as usual, and people were taking turns naming people that they really didn’t like. Eventually someone said they would like to punch A-Rod in the face. I thought this was hilarious and was told by one of my co-workers (John) that I should make a list of my top 5 sports personalities to punch in the face and post it on here for everyone to read.

So here we go as I not only name my 5 sports personalities to punch but also the 5 sports personalities that I would like to shake hands with. Also when you're done reading make a list of your own and post it for my enjoyment.

Rules: Sports personality includes athletes, broadcasters, former athletes, sports executives, agents, and anyone who is related to sports in some way. The person does have to be alive but they can be retired and not affiliated with sports anymore except in name. Please try and refrain from picking women.

People to Punch Square in the Face

5. Jerome Bettis – I’ve never seen anyone make an entire career out of falling forward. “The Bus” was diagnosed with severe asthma when he was a child yet played running back in the NFL. How is this possible? Because he doesn’t run, he falls forwards for 2-3 yards and people think he is great. The fact that he has a ring is brutal and if it wasn’t for Ben Roethlisberger tripping over his own feet and stopping Nick Harper he would be one of the biggest choke artists in history.

4. JP Ricciardi – Has been killing the Blue Jays since they hired him in 2001. He has brought in loser after loser and has yet to get the right players to take the Jays deep into the playoffs. He also makes stupid comments like saying Adam Dunn doesn’t like playing baseball and acts like he is smarter than everyone else. He pretended to be a believer in Moneyball and yet he goes about running the team like he is George Steinbrenner. For all this he has earned himself a place on the list and a shot to the mouth.

3. Joakim Noah – Not only is he one of the ugliest people in all of sports but he also has an ego problem. “I really don’t feel like there is another player like me." Except every other big man who has played college ball before. But nice try uggo. Noah also started showing up late for practices in the NBA and was arrested for drug charges and driving drunk. His lack of real talent makes me wonder if he would have been so successful without guys like Al Horford and Corey Brewer around him. After the Gators 2006 NCAA Tournament win Noah preformed the stupidest dance I have ever seen and earned himself a place in my books as a tool forever.

Here is the link to the dance I was talking about: http://youtube.com/watch?v=bQ3y5hTHuP4


2. Derek Jeter – Never before has there been anyone more fake in all of sports. People always talk about Derek Jeter like he is the greatest thing ever and he donates every dollar he makes to charity and bleeds the cure for cancer. He is just another ball player who is vastly overpaid and is blatantly jealous of Alex Rodriguiez. Ever since A-rod came to town Jeter isn’t the star anymore and you can tell it bothers him when reporters come up to him and ask him questions about A-rod. His fakeness can’t hide his true feelings and this pretty boy deserves a mean right hook.

1. Phil Mickelson – The US Open in 2006 will forever be my favorite event in all of sports history. Phil was up by 1 stroke going into the 18th hole on the final day and ended up making double bogey and losing the championship. Yet people still feel the need to compare him to Tiger. Tiger Woods would never have done that, as he isn’t some fluke like Phil. Phil has 3 major championships and Tiger has 14 that’s not even close. The worst was during the 2005 masters Phil and Tiger were paired together and shown walking down the course. A graphic came up that said between these men they have 4 Masters Championships. Some people might see that and think oh man these guys are great when in reality Tiger had 3 of them! You could have done that graphic with any number of people and it would have looked the exact same. Golf is always looking for someone to make Tigers nemesis and I guess Phil fell into that role. But Phil has started to believe his own hype. Since Tiger has been out of action this year Phil has failed to win an event. Thought you were supposed to be second best Phil? Phil deserves more than one punch and if it was possible he would have gotten all 5 in a mean flurry to the body and temple.

Honorable Mention: Michael Landsberg for being a hack, Chad Pennington for not being able to throw more than 15 yards, Cristiano Ronaldo for being a diver and making soccer look bad

People to Shake Hands With

5. Billy Beane – Revolutionized baseball and the way GMs approach the game. He also is the GM of one my favorite baseball teams the Oakland A’s.

4. George St. Pierre – Canadian and is also one of the best fighters in the world. He also destroyed Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, two guys who came close to making the Punch in the Face List

3. Roger Federer – Best tennis player of all time and a real class act.

2. Joe Namath – Won the Superbowl for the greatest team in the NFL the NY Jets. He was also a real cool guy who seems like a great guy to hang out with.

1. Tiger Woods – Greatest golfer ever. Plus it would be fun to ask him if he hates Phil as much as I do.

Honorable Mention: Tom Brady cause he’s Tom Brady, Cam Neely because he’s one of the best all around hockey players ever, Goran Pandev for being the best Macedonian soccer player in the world, Tony Reali for being so damn cool

Midseason Awards

With the All-Star game on Tuesday I thought I would hand out my mid-season awards. So here they are:

AL MVP

Winner: Josh Hamilton, Rangers – 21 HR (3rd in AL) 95 RBI (1st in AL) .306 AVG (9th in AL). Hamilton is not only having a great year but is also a great story as well as only 2 years ago many people believed he would never play baseball again due to his drug addiction. These days the only thing Hamilton is addicted to is hitting dingers and driving in runners.

Runner Up: Carlos Quentin, WhiteSox – 22 HR (1st in AL) 70 RBI (2nd in AL) .276 AVG (really hurts him). Another great turnaround story as last year the Diamondbacks gave up on him. Now he is a solid player and earning a spot on the All-Star team.

NL MVP

Winner: Hanley Ramirez, Marlins – 23 HR (4th in NL) .311 AVG (9th in NL) 23 SB (6th in NL). Might be able to reach the very elusive 50-50 club HR-SB if he keeps at his current pace. Keep in mind all of these numbers come from the lead-off spot and all the while playing for the Florida Marlins.

Runner-Up: Chase Utley, Phillies – 25 HR (3rd in NL) 69 RBI (6th in NL) and a .291 AVG. Utley has cooled off as of late which is why he doesn’t get my vote as consistency is an important quality. Also he hits in a dangerous Phillies line up in front of Ryan Howard which means he see quality pitches.

AL Cy Young Award

Winner: Cliff Lee, Indians – 12 Wins (2nd in AL) 2.31 ERA (2nd in AL) 20 BB (2nd fewest among pitchers with 100 Innings Pitched). Lee has become the ace of a staff that boasted CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona and for most of the 1st half had an ERA close to 1. He spent some time last year in the minors and went 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA. Talk about improvement.

Runner-Up: Roy Halliday, Blue Jays – 11 Wins (3rd in AL) 2.71 ERA (5th in AL) 7 Complete Games (1st in AL). Halliday is the definition of a workhorse as he has more complete games by himself than most teams do. His W:L ratio would be much better if he actually got some run support as well so he gets my vote.

NL Cy Young Award

Winner: Tim Lincecum, Giants – Hands down the easiest award to give out of them all. Tiny Tim has 11 Wins (3rd in NL) a 2.57 ERA (2nd in AL) and 135 Ks (1st in Majors). He has 11 wins pitching for the Giants! That right there should be enough to win him the Cy Young.

Runner-Up: Edinson Volquez, Reds – 12 Wins (2nd in AL) 2.29 ERA (1st in AL) 126 Ks (3rd in AL). I realize Volquez’s numbers look a bit better than Lincecum’s but come on Lincecum pitches for the Giants and has 11 wins! 11!

AL Rookie of the Year

Winner: Evan Longoria, Rays – 16 HR, 53 RBI, .513 SLG and a .275 AVG for a rookie is unreal. Not to mention the best part of his game is his defense. Longoria is the real deal and Tampa Bay knew it all along -- thus, the six-year, $17.5 million contract.

NL Rookie of the Year

Winner: Geovany Soto, Cubs – 16 HR, 56 RBI, .522 SLG and a .288 AVG equals a solid rookie catcher. Soto is also responsible for calling games for the likes of Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden, and Ryan Dempster. A tall order for a rookie but he has made it look easy.

AL Manager of the Year

Joe Maddon, Rays – The Tampa Bay Rays are 55-39 going into the All-Star break and if it wasn’t for their current 7 game losing streak they would still be in 1st place in the AL East. That means they are 16 games above .500. Their former record was 4 games above.

NL Manager of the Year

Winner: Fredi Gonzalez, Marlins – He has the Marlins at 5 games over .500 and playing great baseball. Going into the break they are only 1.5 games back of 1st and they are a dangerous team in the second half. This is a team that everyone thought would occupy the basement for the season but with the emergence of Dan Uggla and Mike Jacobs to compliment Hanley Ramirez the Marlins look to be for real.

AL GM of the Year Award

Winner: Billy Beane, A’s – This might be a little biased because I love money ball and love the A’s but how can you argue with what he has accomplished. His payroll is still next to nothing and yet the A’s are 7 games above .500 when everyone thought they would suck. In one year he traded Rich Harden and Dan Haren and the team hasn’t skipped a beat. Billy Beane you are a genius.

NL GM of the Year Award

Winner: Pat Gillick, Phillies – The trade for Brad Lidge makes Gillick look like a genius as Lidge, who everyone gave up on, has been lights out this season. 20 for 20 in Save Opportunities with a 1.13 ERA. Now if Gillick can bring in another quality starting pitcher then he should wrap up the award no problem.

AL LVP (Least Valuable Player)

Winner: Richie Sexson, ex-Mariner - Sexson was recently released by the Mariners, and with good reason. He is batting .218 with 11 HR and 30 RBI. These are terrible numbers and all at the cost of $50 million. When the worst team in baseball doesn't want you that should be a sign that there is a problem and that you are now officially a bum.

NL LVP

Winner: Barry Zito, Giants - 4-12 5.62 ERA and 60 BB to 62 K earns Barry Zito $126 million. Life just isn't fair.

AL Anti-Cy Young

Winner: Joe Blanton, A's - Last year Blanton was 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA and was a great story in Oakland. If only Billy Beane had traded him when he got the chance. This year Blanton is 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA. Usually Billy Beane is a genius but he seems to have dropped the ball on this one.

NL Anti-Cy Young

Winner: Barry Zito, Giants - Barry is taking home lots of hardware so far thanks to his pitiful numbers. His ERA has been on the rise ever since he left Oakland and things got so bad at one point this year he was relegated to the bullpen. At least his fall from grace will be cushioned by his $126 million.

Quote of the Week

This isn't exactly a quote but more of an amazingly written article by Phil Taylor who addresses an issue I feel very strongly about. I hope you all enjoy it.

The Day Cool Died

By Phil Taylor

Cool, the onetime giant of sports culture that had long been in declining health, died in seclusion last month. In a measure of how forgotten Cool had become, the moment of its passing went largely unnoticed even though the event was witnessed by millions on television, shortly after the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. In the ensuing celebration Celtics star Kevin Garnett was asked how he felt about winning the first title of his 13-year career. He threw his head back and bellowed, "Anything is possible!" as though he had just accomplished something previously thought to be beyond human capability, like walking on the sun or deciphering the plot of Lost. With Garnett's scream, Cool took its dying breath.

Authorities say that Garnett will not be held responsible for the demise of Cool, ruling that he was no more culpable than thousands of other modern-day athletes who have an overwhelming need for self-congratulation and a tendency to overdramatize. Those athletes avoided Cool like a subpoena during its final years, instead embracing midair chest bumps, primal yells and the kind of elaborate, multistep hand jive that grade-school girls do on playgrounds.

Cool was on a respirator as the end neared, its breathing more shallow with every poststrikeout fist pump by Joba Chamberlain, every dunk-and-sneer from Vince Carter and every one-act play performed by Chad Johnson after a touchdown catch. In its weakened state, it was hard to believe that Cool once walked with kings, that Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Julius Erving, Bjorn Borg and Walt Frazier were never caught without Cool, in competition or away from it. Cool not only added to their mystique but also served a practical purpose. "I always felt that [Cool] gave me an advantage," Frazier says. "It's like in poker, if the other players can't read you, it puts that uncertainty in their minds and that puts you in control."

Its age was hard to pin down, but Cool is believed to have been born in the late 1960s, around the time Joe Namath began wearing full-length fur coats and dating models (no one said Cool couldn't be fun) and John Carlos and Tommie Smith stood silent and stoic on the Olympic medal podium in Mexico City, their leather-gloved fists raised in a human rights salute (no one said Cool couldn't be serious).

Stardom quickly followed for Cool. Kids aspired to it. Men tried to embody it. Women were attracted to it. Cool reached out to established coaches, giving their gentlemanly, controlled personas a new cachet. As Tom Landry walked the Dallas Cowboys' sideline wearing a suit, a crisp fedora and an unchanging expression, Cool was on his shoulder. It was there, too, beside UCLA's John Wooden as he directed his nearly flawless Bruins -- perhaps the coolest crew ever -- without rising from his courtside seat. It seemed not so much that winners were cool, but that Cool created winners.

Only in retrospect is it clear when Cool began to hit hard times. In the opener of the 1979–80 NBA season, the Lakers beat the San Diego Clippers on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's buzzer-beating hook shot. Abdul-Jabbar was the kind of Cool customer who would hit a game-winner, stroll off the court and go put on a Miles Davis album. But this was the pro debut for Magic Johnson, the league's No. 1 pick. Magic jumped on Abdul-Jabbar and wrapped him in a bear hug, surprising the captain but charming the fans with his joy. No one knew it then, but Cool was doomed.

Though Magic's jubilation was genuine, over time fans and players alike became so hooked on open displays of emotion that they didn't care if those displays were real or not. Partly because of the huge salaries that athletes were making, the public wanted to see players in agony or ecstasy, as proof that they cared about more than the paycheck. The athlete who preened for the cameras and pounded his chest was assumed to have more passion than the one who kept a lid on his emotions. Cool became confused with Bland and Uninterested. Now it's not the player who bashes in the occasional watercooler who's criticized, it's the one who doesn't.

Like most stars of another era, Cool had several aborted comebacks, with the occasional athlete attempting to revive it. Tom Brady, Mariano Rivera and Ichiro Suzuki were among the last advocates of Cool, but few of their colleagues followed suit. Cool's condition was terminal.

There will be no funeral service, which is how Cool would have wanted it. In lieu of flowers, mourners are asked simply to appreciate players who don't feel the need to punctuate every accomplishment with an over-the-top celebration, who understand the beauty in letting a performance speak for itself. That would be totally Cool.

Harden or Sabathia?

On Monday the Milwaukee Brewers traded for CC Sabathia. Not to be outdone on Tuesday the Chicago Cubs traded for Rich Harden. Both teams received dominant pitchers who will definitely help improve their respective rotations and should give both enough firepower to get into the playoffs but who got the better deal?

Deal 1 – CC Sabathia to the Brewers

What they Got: In his career CC Sabathia is 107-71 with a 3.82 ERA 1.26 WHIP and a Cy Young award to boot. He has over 1200 strikeouts and is a fireballer who has started at least 28 games a season throughout his 8 year career. He started 2008 slow, 0-3 13.50 ERA, but since then Sabathia has posted a 2.16 ERA with 109 strikeouts against just 20 walks and eight home runs in his last 14 outings, 10 of which were quality starts.

With the addition of Sabathia the Brewers now have a formidable 1-2 punch with Ben Sheets (10-2) and CC. The Brewers who missed the playoffs last year by 2 games are trying to make sure that doesn’t happen again. The only issue with Sabathia is if his arm can hold up. After years of keeping the annual odometer on his young arm below 200 innings pitched, the Indians finally let go of the reins last year and let the big guy throw 241 innings in the regular season followed by 15 1/3 more in the postseason. Those 256 1/3 innings were a third more than he had thrown the previous season and the most likely reason for Sabathia's rough start in 2008.

Another issue will be resigning Sabathia at the end of the season as he is set to become a restricted free agent and plans on testing the market. The Brewers don’t have big budget and Sabathia is reportedly looking for “Johan Santana Money.” However if another team sign Sabathia in the off season the Brewers get two draft picks in compensation if he signs elsewhere.

What they Gave Up: In order to land Sabathia the Brewers had to part ways with top prospect Matt LaPorta who was their 1st round pick in the 2007 MLB draft. LaPorta is flourishing in Double-A ball right now as he is flirting with .300 has 20 HR and 66 RBI in 86 games so far for the Akron Aeros. LaPorta also possesses an amazingly strong arm and even spent some time in the majors because of this fact.

Letting LaPorta go isn’t that big of a concern to the Brewers who are well stocked with outfielders. Corey Hart is finally living up to his potential in right field and the Brewers have another prospect a 22-year-old named Mat Gamel (.381/.443/.637 at Double-A this year) who looks poised to make the next step to the majors.

Deal 2 – Rich Harden to the Cubs

What they Got: Rich Harden is undoubtedly one of the best pitchers in baseball…when healthy. The Canadian phenom has only pitched in 26 games over the past 3 seasons. However when he is healthy he is absolutely nasty on the mound amassing a record of 36-19 with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP with over 500 Ks. So far this season Harden has been outstanding going 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA which is why the Cubs were so determined to sign him.

With the addition of Harden the Cubs now have a phenomenal rotation going forward that boasts Carlos Zambrano, Harden, and Ryan Dempster. If those three can stay healthy the Cubs should have no problem winning the division and possibly breaking the 100 year streak of not winning the World Series.

The biggest question with Harden is always his health. While he has looked great this season it was reported that a MLB scout noticed Harden's velocity dipping from 93-97 to 89-91 his last two outings, raising concern about whether he's unsound again. Also there is the fact that GM of the Oakland A’s Billy Beane made the deal. Beane is notorious for always knowing something everyone else doesn’t. Plus he traded Harden for very little raising concerns that Beane simply wanted to get rid of Harden.

What they Gave Up: Right-handed pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielder Matt Murton, infielder Eric Patterson and catcher Josh Donaldson. So basically, not much.
Gallagher, 22, is 3-4 with a 4.45 ERA (29 ER/58.2 IP) in 12 appearances with the Cubs this season.

Murton, 26, has split the 2008 season between the Cubs and Triple-A, batting .250 with six RBI in 19 games for Chicago this season. He has spent all or part of the last four seasons in the majors, hitting .294 with 28 home runs and 104 RBI in 308 big league games.

Patterson, 25, has also split the season between the Cubs and Triple-A and hit .237 during his three stints in the big leagues this season.

Donaldson, 22, batted .217 (51-for-235) with six home runs and 23 RBI in 63 games for Single-A Peoria this season.

It seems as thought the Cubs stole Harden but looking at Billy Beane’s track record this deal seems awfully unusual.

Who Won?

Close call but the decision goes to the Brewers. CC Sabathia is a lights out pitcher who can give you 200+ innings and goes deep into games. The Brewers added a second ace to their rotation and gave up a player who is good but plays a position they are well stocked at. However he will more than likely leave after this season so giving up LaPorta may sting in upcoming seasons.

The Cubs get Harden is injury prone but if he manages to stay healthy will be an absolute steal for what they gave up for him. Also the Cubs got Chad Gaudin to sure up their bullpen and they have got the bankroll to sign Harden after the season is over if need be. It was a response move to the brewers snagging Sabathia and also shows the pressure the team is under to do well in the post season as the 100 curse is starting to become more of a story as the season goes on.

However it all comes back to Billy Beane. Beane would never just let a top pitcher go for nothing as he always squeezes at least a few prospects out of people. To me this is the biggest warning sign of all that something is wrong with Harden. Only time will tell but for now it looks like the Brewers got the better deal.

Free Agency News and Notes

Brand Escapes LA

Today it became official that Elton Brand would be join the Philadelphia 76ers next season as today a deal was finalized at $82 million over 5 years. 76ers fans couldn’t be happier as they now have a legitimate star on the team who averages 20.3 PPG for his career. Clippers fans on the other hand are, understandably, pissed off. They are upset because earlier in the week Brand had publicly stated that he wanted to remain with the Clippers but wanted to be in a winning situation. Upon hearing this Clippers owner Donald Sterling went out and signed Baron Davis to the team. Fans drooled over the fact that their team would now boast Baron Davis and Elton Brand but the saliva dried up quickly on that one.

Both Brand and teammate Corey Maggette opted out of their contracts at the end of the season and decided to try free agency. Maggette made no promises about coming back but Brand said he loved LA and wanted to stay in town if the right deal was offered. However Brand never waited for an offer and simply flew the coop over to Philly. The thing that bothers fans the most is that Brand is not only the face of the franchise but he is well known as being a character guy so fans feel he now reneged on his word and is really just another selfish NBA player who doesn’t care about anything but the almighty dollar.

Brand’s agent David Falk is also being blamed for Brand leaving as people in LA are convinced Falk did this as retaliation for the Clippers not extending Brand’s contract when they had the chance and also for the franchise not drafting Mike Bibby in the 1998 draft. While Falk may have had some influence on Brand in the end it is not his decision to make as Elton Brand is a grown man and can decide things like this for himself. Obviously he thought the 76ers were a better fit for his playing style so he decided to move teams.

Unfortunately now for the Clippers their best players are Chris Kaman and Baron Davis which hardly puts the fear in opposing teams. Luckily though with Brand and Maggette leaving the Clippers have lots of cap room to bring in some more free agents and try and put a contender on the floor. They are in the Western Conference though so they are going to need a lot of help.

Paul Staying in the Bayou

Today Chris Paul signed a 4 year $68 million extension with the New Orleans Hornets to remain with the team until 2012. Fans couldn’t be happier as they now have one of the best point guards in the game locked up for a long time.
Last season, Paul led the NBA with averages of 11.6 assists and 2.7 steals. He was the Hornets' second-leading scorer at 21.1 points per game and helped the Hornets reach a franchise-record 56 regular-season victories. He has since been selected to play for Team USA next month at the Olympics in Beijing.

Maggette to Warriors

It is almost official that Corey Maggette will be singing with the Golden State Warriors very soon. The deal is reportedly worth $50 million over 5 years. The deal would help the Warriors replace the loss of Baron Davis who signed with the Clippers.

Maggette, a 6-foot-6 swingman who led Los Angeles in scoring last season, should fit splendidly into Golden State coach Don Nelson's up tempo style of play. He averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists last season for the dreadful Clippers, finishing slightly off his career highs in all three categories.

Around the League

DeSagana Diop signed a five-year, $31 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. This comes six months after Dallas sent him to New Jersey as part of the Jason Kidd trade.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed Spanish center Marc Gasol on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Sacramento Kings re-signed point guard Beno Udrih on Wednesday to a five-year deal. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut is reportedly close to signing a five-year, $72.5 million extension later this week.

James Jones signed a five-year contract on Wednesday with the Heat. The deal will pay him $4 million next season and could be worth more than $23 million over the life of the deal.

Chris Duhon signed a two-year deal Wednesday with the New York Knicks worth more than $11 million. Many people believe Duhan chose the Knicks over the Orlando Magic because he believes he has opportunity to be a starter in NY.