Major FA Signing, the WBC and First Basketball teams making the playoffs

More Free Agent Noise

• The NFL Free Agency period has continued its fast start out of the gates, with numerous additional moves occurring over the past couple days after Tuesday's hot start. To recap the bigger ones:
• Star WR Wes Welker left Tom Brady and the Patriots for Peyton Manning and the Broncos (and afterwards made it sound like a break up, specifically saying it was hard to move on from Brady).
• Sack Machine DE Cliff Avril left Detroit to make a scary defense in Seattle even scarier (as did Michael Bennett, formerly of the Bucs).
• Hard hitting Safety Dashon Goldson left San Francisco for a huge contract in Tampa where he will pair with 2012 draftee Mark Barron to form one of the best Safety duos in the NFL.
• Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie found a home before Nnamdi Asomugha, the other Eagle CB who was recently cut, signing a short term deal in Denver with the Broncos.

US Playing for its Life in the WBC

• The quadrennial World Baseball Classic beings to wind down to the final round of the tournament and the US will play against Puerto Rico for a spot in the semi-finals.
• The Dominican Republic scored twice in the 9th inning to defeat the United States. A rally, sparked by Eric Aybar against LA Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel put the Dominican Republic into the semifinal round of the WBC. The other bracket of the WBC will be sending Japan and the Netherlands to the semifinals.
• San Francisco Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong will start against Arizona Diamondback’s Nelson Figueroa who will be pitching for Puerto Rico. The winner will be the second representative from the 2nd Pool (with the Dominican Republic being the first). The semifinals start on Sunday in San Francisco.

Spurs/Heat Lock Up Playoff Spot

• The Miami Heat haven't lost in almost two months, and have locked up the first playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They are on track to lock up the #1 seed in the East very early. The #2 team, the surprising Indiana Pacers are 9.5 games behind the Heat with only 19 games left.
• The San Antonio Spurs crushed the Dallas Mavericks a few nights ago to lock up the first playoff spot in the West. Lead by a gigantic effort from future-hall-of-famer Tim Duncan's 28 points and 19 rebounds, the Spurs locked up a playoff spot. In true Spurs fashion, they laid an egg the next game, losing by almost 30 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.