NFL Free Agency starts

NFL Free Agency starts

- The NFL’s Free Agency period opened yesterday, and the run-up to that saw a couple of big moves. First, the Minnesota Vikings sent disgruntled wide receiver Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a couple of draft pick, including their first round pick this year.
- A mere few hours later, the defending champion Baltimore Ravens continued their stripping of the team that just won a Super Bowl by sending Anquan Boldin to the team they just defeated, the San Francisco 49ers, for a single 6th round draft pick. While it may not seem like equal returns for the leading receiver in this year’s playoffs, the Ravens were going to have to cut Boldin, so even this small return is greater than what they would have received.
- The biggest winner of the early hours of free agency are the Miami Dolphins who signed former Steelers Wide Receiver Mike Wallace to a 5-year deal that could bring Wallace up to $60 million. The Dolphins also signed former Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe to a 5-year $35 million deal, and former Oakland Raiders linebacker Philip Wheeler to a 5-year $26 million deal. Other players who have found new teams are Ravens lineman Paul Kruger (who signed with the Cleveland Browns), lineman Chris Canty who will go to Baltimore to try and replace some of these lost defensive stars and former Dolphins Running Back Reggie Bush, who is reported to have come to terms with the Detroit Lions.
- Stay tuned for more big signings as they come through the wire.


Howard crushes former team

- Dwight Howard's exit from Orlando was anything but smooth and in his first game back in Orlando against the Magic, the fans let him hear it all night, booing him at nearly every opportunity.  Unfortunately for those fans, Howard played very well, scoring 39 points and grabbing 16 rebounds on 25-39 shooting from the Free Throw line (The Magic intentionally fouled Howard for a good portion of the second half but it didn't work as he shot 16-20 from the line in that half).
- Afterwards, Howard said about the reception: "I wasn't nervous tonight. I was looking forward to playing here.  It was a hostile environment, but I think that was something that was good for me. For my progress as a player, I think I needed that tonight."
- Howard's 39 attempts from the line tied his own NBA record and were the most by a Laker player, shattering Shaq's record of 31 attempts in 2002.

Heat Still Streaking and Woods Wins

Heat win 18th straight

• The Miami Heat continued to scorch their opponents, winning their 18th consecutive game, defeating the Indiana Pacers (the last team to beat them) by a score of 105-91. Lebron James had his worst scoring output during the streak, only scoring 13 points but Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh each scored at least 23 and Wade added 6 steals as well, just one off of his career high. 
• The winning streak is the ninth longest in NBA history and the longest since the Celtics won 19 straight in 2008.  Chalmers scored 26 points on only 9 shots, making 5 three pointers and all 7 of his free throws while only missing 2 field goal attempts total.
• Miami next hosts the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.

Tiger Wins Masters Tune-Up

• Tiger Woods won the WGC-Cadi llac Championship, after leading for most of the weekend. Woods won by 2 strokes, amongst the closest anybody had gotten to him all weekend. He only took 100 putts through 72 holes, a career low for him. His 27 birdies (one stroke under par) was only one short of a career high. Tiger closed the gap between him and world #1 Rory McIlroy.
• This victory was Woods’ 5th in the past year, and he is preparing for the Masters, the first major of the year. His 14 major championships is second all time, but he has not won one since 2008. Tiger is going into the Masters, next month, in the best form he has in a long time.

Rivera Retires, Big East's Big Name Change

Rivera to retire after season

• Sources report, the unquestioned greatest relief pitcher, Mariano Rivera will officially retire after this season. Taking his indomitable cutter and going home.
• Mariano Rivera, who is 43 years old, has the most saves ever and more than double any active pitcher, missed last season after tearing his ACL shagging fly balls in the outfield.
• He will return this season for one final run, and what he hopes will be fifth World Series ring in his 18th season (19 if you include 2012) all with the Yankees. He may have problems however, as Alex Rodriguez is out for possibly the whole season, Derek Jeter is returning from injury, Curtis Granderson will be out for a couple months, and Mark Texiera out for the first two months, and the Yankees have let a good amount of their remaining offense leave after last season in money saving moves.
• Rivera's return is a key part to the Yankees' plan for this season, as the team (that is old) tries to get healthy.

Big East -> America 12?

• After 7 of the current 12 Big East Schools decided to leave the conference to form their own, religious based, athletic conference, the remaining Big East Schools will form a new conference and  the conference's lawyers have registered a number of websites using the moniker "America 12."
• Between the defection of the 7 Catholic schools, and a few other schools leaving for other conferences, the new Big East, er.. America 12, only has one member (UConn) that was in the Big East as of 2005.
• In 2013-14, the conference will only have 10 teams, with the hopes to expand to the nominal 12 by the 2014-15 season.

Lakers, Heat both playing well

Lakers sneaking back

- The L.A. Lakers, given up for dead as a playoff contender despite four likely hall of famers in their starting lineup, are quietly beginning to make a push for one of the last couple playoff spots.  The Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks Sunday night to reach .500 for the first time since January 1st.  They lost the following game on Tuesday night, however it was at Oklahoma City where the Thunder are a shocking 27-4 (and received more good news, that PF Serge Ibaka will be fined but not suspended for a low blow against the Clippers Blake Griffin).  The Lakers, who are 12-6 in their last 17 games have slowly recovered from a rough patch in the middle of the season.
- The Lakers, as they have for years, have been riding Kobe Bryant during this stretch.  Kobe scored 34 points and added 6 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the Lakers to the win on Sunday after they almost blew a 16-point lead in the second half. Steve Blake stole the last minute pass to secure the 99-98 victory.
- The Lakers are 2.5 games out of the playoffs currently and will look to catch either Houston or Utah to make the playoffs.


Heat streaking

- Last week we told you about the roll the Chicago Blackhawks are on, having not lost a game all season (they're still undefeated, 20-0-3 with a 10 game winning streak as of today).  Today we'll tell you about the NBA's equivalent.  The Miami Heat are on a blistering 15 game winning streak and have not lost a game since February 1st against Indiana.
- It's the longest winning streak in team history and the Heat have a realistic chance to become just the fourth team in league history to win 20 in a row, joining the Los Angeles Lakers (1971-72), Houston Rockets (2007-08) and Milwaukee Bucks (1970-71). The Lakers hold the record with 33 straight victories, a feat the Heat would need a perfect record through April 6 to match.  That's still a long ways off and they'd have to beat the same Pacers who last beat them this Sunday but it's definitely feasible.
- The only thing that could potentially stop the Heat is if the Harlem Shake music begins playing during a game causing them to transform into dancing lunatics mid-game.

Blackhawks sizzling, NFL QB news

Blackhawks soaring to new heights

- If the Chicago Blackhawks were any hotter, they'd melt the ice that they play on.  Chicago is a mind-boggling 17-0-3, getting at least a point in a record 20 straight games to start the year. 
- The team is led by Patrick Kane's 24 points (10 G, 14 A) and great play from both of their goalies (Corey Crawford and Ray Emery), each of who has given up less than 2 goals per game. 
- The Blackhawks are only 4 games from completing an undefeated first half of the season as the NHL schedule is only 48 games long this season because of the labor dispute that shortened the season, however if history tells us anything it's that dominant regular season teams don't necessarily win in the playoffs.  Many #1 seeds have lost in the first round in recent years and with Chicago a strong favorite to win the East already, they need to hope they can buck that trend.


Ravens/49ers make QB moves

- Alex Smith, the starter at the beginning of the season for San Francisco who was benched halfway through the year despite having the best completion percentage in the NFL is on his way to the Kansas City after the teams agreed on the Chiefs' second round pick as compensation.  The trade can't be completed until March 12th but it appears to be a done deal and the Chiefs will get a solid starter to fill a hole at QB that would not have been filled in a lackluster QB draft class.
- Smith joins new Chiefs coach Andy Reid as they hope to turn around a talented but struggling team that has finished last in the AFC West in the past two seasons and had the worst record in the NFL in 2012. 
- The other Super Bowl contestant, the Baltimore Ravens, also made news at the QB position as they agreed to give Joe Flacco what is reported to be the highest deal for a QB in NFL history.  Flacco was phenomenal in this year's playoffs finishing with a record-equaling 11 TD passes and zero interceptions, going 73 of 126 for 1,140 yards.