February 15th update

Wednesday Spotlight: Randy Moss

• One of the most talented, but frustrating players in NFL history, wide receiver Randy Moss, announced his unretirement on Monday (his 35th birthday). Moss has played for 4 teams throughout his 12-year career (including 2 stints with the Minnesota Vikings). Considered the prototypical physical specimen for a pass catcher (6’ 4” 210 lbs, running a 4.25 second 40-yard dash) in the NFL, Moss’ skills are only matched by his mercurial behavior.
• Moss was drafted in the first round by the Vikings, dropping dropping in the draft due to a number of off-the-field concerns during his college years. After a freshman year at Florida State in which he was arrested for smoking marijuana, Moss transferred to Marshall University in West Virginia. At Marshall, Moss along with future NFL quarterback Chad Pennington, combined to form a feared combination that took a Mid American Conference title.
• Moss played for the Vikings from 1998 until 2005 when he was traded to the Oakland Raiders. As a rookie Moss trained with Vikings superstar Cris Carter, who took Moss under his wing and together, helped form one of the most feared offenses in NFL history. After the 2006 season the Raiders traded Moss to the Patriots and in 2007 Moss combined with WR Wes Welker and QB Tom Brady to once again create one of the highest powered offenses in the history of the NFL.
• After the 2007 season Moss’ production began to slip. During the 2010 season the Patriots traded Moss back to the Vikings. After only 4 games the Vikings cut Moss who finished the season with the Tennessee Titans. At the end of the season, with no takers for his services, Moss retired. Although he is back now there's no promise he will be signed, as the closest player to him, Terrell Owens, went unsigned in 2010 despite having a very respectable 2009 season. Moss will be fondly remembered for his one liners, including saying "Straight Cash, homie" when asked how he would pay a $10'000 fine, and this one that was turned into a fantastic remixed video.


NBA Western conference review

• So here I am, writing about the Western conference but all I want to do is talk about Jeremy Lin. I can't though. So I won't mention that he scored 38 points against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, made a game winning 3 last night against the Raptors, that he was named NBA player of the week, that he has at least 20 points, 7 assists and a steal in all 6 games he's played substantial minutes in (all Knicks wins) or that even Lin's high school coach never thought he'd be a good college player, much less an NBA star. Nope, won't mention that stuff. Stop the Lin-Sanity! The Western Conference awaits!
• The West has been the better conference for what seems like decades now, and the reason for the is the depth of good teams on that side. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the revamped Clippers are the class of the conference, although losing Chauncey Billups for the season will hurt the Clips.
• The Spurs, Mavs and Lakers are hovering a but behind, but until those veteran teams lose to the young inexperienced squads led by Durant and Westbrook (Thunder) or Paul and Griffin (Clips) in the playoffs, they have not proven anything.
• Steve Nash's Phoenix Suns would be in the thick of the playoff hunt in the East but are the 3rd worst team in the West at 12-17. Kevin Love's T-Wolves are much improved and really any team other than the miserable Hornets or the slightly less miserable Kings could realistically fight into one of the last two playoff spots.

December 16th update

Paul on the Move, Howard to Follow?

• As widely reported on Sportico and elsewhere, New Orleans Hornets Point Guard Chris Paul has been actively shopped around the NBA, and after a very questionable move by the NBA was finally dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers. In return, the Hornets would acquire 3 players and a first round draft pick.
• We're of a mixed opinion on Sportico as to who made out better in this deal. One of us feel that this move makes the Clippers markedly better, pairing arguably the best pure point guard and the best young big man, in Blake Griffin. The other one feels that the Clippers gave up too much, including superstar-in-the-making Eric Gordon and former All-Star and future Rogaine spokesman Chris Kaman. The lowly Clippers are looking to make moves to take themselves from the basement of the NBA to major basketball relevance. Even more important, it pushes the “big brother” Lakers to the back page of the Los Angeles newspapers (or websites, since who reads newspapers anymore?).
• Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard is the last remaining major piece that is unsettled. It is widely assumed that he will not resign with the Magic next summer when he is a free agent, so it would behoove the Magic to trade him and receive something in return. It was reported that there was a deal close to completion with the New Jersey Nets before that fell apart. The Magic have claimed that Howard is no longer on the table, but that remains to be seen as this story seems to change every day.

NFL Week 15 Story Lines

• First Saturday game of the year: Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – this game would not be of any note if not for the fact that it is the first Saturday game of the year and the fact that no NFC East team is playing particularly well. The Bucs are coming off an awful stretch where they have lost 7 straight games, and have looked even worse than you'd expect while doing it. The Cowboys seem to be trying their hardest to fall out of the playoff race but continue to share first place with the New York Giants at 7-6.
• Sunday Night Brings Intrigue: Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers – the Ravens are known as a team that plays to the level of its competition; that is they play badly against bad teams, and well against good ones. The problem with the Chargers is that nobody’s quite sure which category they fall in. A supremely talented team (that generally plays very well in December) the Chargers are 6-7 (including losing 6 straight earlier in the season). This game pits the historically great Ravens defense against Philip Rivers and the always potent Chargers offense.
• Monday Night Showdown: Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers – After a bunch of less than interesting MNF games, this one should be good. Both teams are licking their wounds a bit as the Steelers stud QB Ben Roethlisburger is nursing a high ankle sprain that could cause him to not play, and the 49ers are coming off a stretch where they have lost 2 of their past 3 games. While they still hold a commanding division lead, the 49ers need to pick it up before the playoffs start, a demanding win against the Steelers could prove they are one of the teams to beat.

December 14th Update

Wednesday Spotlight: Ben Roethlisberger

• Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ("Big Ben") is known as one of the toughest players in the NFL and we saw another reason why this past week. On Thursday night, late in the second quarter Roethlisberger got hit and had his leg twisted below him. He was helped off the field and diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, an injury that generally takes 2-6 weeks to heal. But after halftime, Big Ben limped out of the locker room onto the field and led his team to a decisive win over division rival (The word rival is used very loosely here) Cleveland Browns.
• Coming out of Miami University of Ohio, Ben was part of the highly touted class of 2004 (including Phillip Rivers and Eli Manning). He was the lowest drafted of the three, at 11th overall, has won more Super Bowl titles (2) than the others (1 combined). In 2005 and in 2008, losing the Super Bowl in 2010 to the Green Bay Packers. Roethlisberger never makes it look pretty, but always seems to find a way to get the ball to the right players and win games, he has never had a losing season.
• Roethlisberger has had some off the field issues, including crashing his motorcycle while not wearing a helmet and an allegation that he took advantage of an intoxicated female in a bathroom of a club. He has avoided negative headlines now for a while and has gotten married. Ben is already one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and is working his way up to the point where he may be voted into the Hall of Fame someday.

Paul Going to Other L.A. Team?

• Last week we reported that Chris Paul was traded to the Lakers only to have the deal vetoed because the Hornets are technically owned by the NBA and some owners complained. Now it looks like he could be going to the Lakers' cross-town rival (Again, the word rival is used very loosely here) the Clippers.
• The Hornets are asking for a kings ransom from the Clippers including up and coming star guard Eric Gordon, youngsters Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe, former All-Star center Chris Kaman and Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-round draft pick. The Clippers however, have picked up former all-star guard Chauncey Billups this offseason which makes them less desperate to pick up a player like Paul. Even without acquiring him, a core of Billups, Gordon, Blake Griffin and Kaman should be good enough to put them in the playoffs which in recent years has been a rarity in the LA "rivalry".
• On another NBA related note, the Denver Nuggets resigned their Free Agent center Nene. The Brazilian player (who goes by his first name) was widely considered the best free agent left on the market. The Nuggets are in a tough spot with two of their players stuck playing in China until March because they signed there during the lockout and have no way out of their contract until the Chinese season is over.

December 9th update

Los Angeles Angels Strike Gold

• The Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) spent more than $325 million in a few hours on Thursday morning. In doing so they scored the two biggest prizes of the free agency class in what some people are calling questionable contracts.
• The first (and biggest) signing was Albert Pujols to a 10-year contract. The size of the contract is $250 million, which is greater than what any other team was offering. Additionally, Pujols was given a “no-trade clause” which gives him the ability to reject any attempt the Angels would make to trade him to another team (although he would be able to waive that clause if a future trade was to his agreement). Pujols, who will be 41 years old by the end of the contract, was looking for a 10-year deal. Some teams were reticent to give it to him, but it looks like the Angels are going to start spending the considerable money their owner, Artie Moreno, has.
• The second big signing was that of former Texas Rangers starting pitcher CJ Wilson. Wilson was the best pitcher on the market and the Angels were able to get him for a 5-year deal worth $77.5 million. The signing is especially meaningful for the Angels because the Rangers are the two time defending champions not only of the division the Angels play in (the AL West) but have represented the A.L. in the last 2 World Series.


Paul deal to Lakers nixed in NBA flurry

• Kobe Bryant almost had a dream backcourt mate as superstar Olympian PG Chris Paul seemed to be on his way to the city of Angels to join the Lake show in a 3 team deal that would have sent Pau Gasol to the Houston Rockets and multiple lesser pieces to the New Orleans Hornets.
• However, the NBA technically owns the Hornets, whose former owner was broke and had the team repossessed so to speak a few years ago. Because of this unusual arrangement, the other NBA owners felt that it was unfair to have Paul go to an already dominant team like the Lakers although this makes it very tough for ANY team to get Paul as it seems that the precedent has been set and any team who does not acquire Paul could just complain and keep him from going anywhere else.
• In other deals, Caron Butler signed a 3 year, $24 million deal with the L.A. Clippers (who look like a team on the rise), another former Maverick, Tyson Chandler, looks to be on his way to New York to join Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, and Greg Oden looks like he will rejoin the Portland Trail Blazers where he hopes to avoid the debilitating injuries that have derailed his career so far.


Weekend NFL Preview

• Two teams going in opposite directions: Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins – The Philadelphia Eagles came into this season with expectations a mile high, and have fallen completely flat. The Dolphins started the season with 7 straight losses, but have won 4 of the last 5 games and actually look like a good team despite their mediocre record. This game is a textbook example of two teams with different expectations going in vastly different directions.
• Can the Lions Recover?: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – The Detroit Lions started the season strong winning 5 straight games. But they have since lost 5 of their next 7, including the last two which were on national TV against the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, the two best teams in the NFC. They now get to take on one of the weakest teams in the league and restart their push toward the playoffs where they have not been since 1999.
• NFL Game of the Week: New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys – The two top teams in the NFC East clash in Dallas. The Cowboys, coming off an embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week, look to extend their division lead over the Giants. Eli Manning and the Giants are looking to tie the Cowboys atop the division but no matter who loses, they'll have a rematch just a few weeks later when the teams play again, this time in New York (well, technically New Jersey).

December 2nd update

BCS: Big Confusing System

Note: Skip to bullet #2 if you're already familiar with the BCS system.
• Starting in 1998 college football went to a new system that set up a set of national championship games. This new system was coined the Bowl Championship Series (or BCS). A set of 4 games featured the winners of the 6 biggest (read: most profitable) conferences and two wild card teams (in 2006 a 5th game was added, adding 2 additional wild card teams). Over the past few years many people have had issues with the system saying it wasn’t a good representation of the best teams or it didn’t allow for smaller schools to get representation.
• The South Eastern Conference (SEC) has been the dominant conference in the BCS winning 7 of the 12 championships including the last 5 in a row. This year’s LSU and Alabama teams are currently ranked in the top 2 of the BCS. However, as they are in the same division only one (LSU) can play for the SEC championship (against Georgia this weekend) for that right. If LSU wins, they will most likely face Alabama in a rematch of their offensive explosion from earlier in the year. If LSU loses they will likely still play Alabama for the National Championship despite neither of them winning their own conference. If you’re confused, you’re not the only one.
• Of the other 5 major conferences, each of them sends their conference champion to one of the coveted BCS games. This year the Pac 12 championship features a team, UCLA, that can win their conference and go to a BCS game (and get all the money that comes along with it) with a 7-6 record. If UCLA loses the game they will be 6-7 and not be eligible for any bowl game. This situation makes even less sense than the SEC confusion scripted above. Additionally, the Big East’s presumptive champion, Louisville, is 7-5, but they will make a BCS game even with their mediocre record while teams with only one loss will likely be left out.
• College football is a jumbled mess that is beyond comical at this point. Why not just play a 3 or 4 round playoff that would occur during the regular bowl season? Here's a detailed look at how that scenario might look if it were in place this season.


Weekend Football Preview

• NCAA Conference Championship Games: In addition to the SEC and Pac 12 championship games listed above, the ACC championship game will feature #5 Virginia Tech taking on #20 Clemson. The Big 10’s championship game will feature #15 Wisconsin vs #13 Michigan State and the Big 12 Championship game will not happen this year because 12 teams are required and the no-longer appropriately named Big 12 only has 10 teams.
• The “Who Thought This Game Would Be Good” Game: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers. The surprisingly competitive Cincinnati Bengals travel to Pittsburgh to take on the always Stout Steelers. The Bengals are 7-4 behind the power of their Rookie Quarterback and Wide Receiver (Andy Dalton and AJ Green) and their veteran Running Back (Cedric Benson). The Steelers defeated the Bengals 3 weeks ago and are looking for the season sweep.
• NFL Game of the Week: Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints – The Saints are coming off of a Monday Night Football clobbering of the New York Giants are looking to continue clicking against the Detroit Lions. The Lions, who lost their star Defensive Tackle Ndamukong Suh to a suspension, are looking to rebound after having lost 4 of their last 6 games after starting the season with 5 straight wins.


NBA stars on the move?

• With the NBA lockout finally resolved, the most entertaining part of the NBA other than the games can finally begin: Offseason player movement and the potential for big names to switch teams.
• Superstar PG Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets has stated that he will not sign a long term deal and since he only has one year left on his contract the Hornets may try to trade him in order to get something in return. He's been linked to the Boston Celtics in a trade for defensive wizard Rajon Rondo but both teams have denied that rumor. Paul has stated that he wants to play in New York with good friends Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.
• Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard is in a similar position as Paul with only one year remaining on his contract and the New Jersey Nets have expressed interest in trading for him, likely giving up two first round picks and young Center Robin Lopez in return.
• If it happened, the Howard deal could convince superstar PG Deron Williams to change his mind about opting out of his current deal with the Nets as it seems that NBA stars nowadays trend towards pairing up with other big names. It's also worth noting, however, that Williams could opt out of his deal and still sign with the Nets, presumably for more money under the new collective bargaining rules.