Nationals Throw The Bank At Zimmerman; Is It Worth It?

Zimmmerman just isn't worth the 17 million a year the Nationals are willing to spend on him.

We all know the Washington Nationals have been the laughing stock of the Major Leagues even going back since their Montreal/Puerto Rico/Wherever Expos years. But ever since the construction of their new stadium in 2008 and the addition of the highly touted prospect Steven Strausberg. the Washington Nationals seem to be moving in the right direction. Keyword: seem. Though Washington has added some high profile players, the prices they've paid for them might just be too great.

So far this offseason the Nationals added Brad Lidge at a 12 million dollar a year clip, signed Edwin Jackson for 10 mil and gave their long time third baseman Ryan Zimmerman a six year/100 million dollar contract extension. That last transaction has to make you say, "wait, what?" 100 million dollars for an above average third baseman? 100 million dollars for a "contact" hitter whose only crossed the .300 boundary once is his life, only cracked the 100 RBI mark twice and has only been selected to an all-star game once? 100 million for a mediocre fielding 3rd baseman? You have got to be kidding me.

I understand that he's the Nationals finest product, groomed completely from their farm system, a solid contributor over the years. I get the whole loyalty factor. But is he really better than David Wright, whose big contract extension was a six-year/55 million dollar deal? I'm sorry, but I think not. Wright consistently has gone for .300 and 100 and is a slightly better fielder and that's just comparing him to his divisional counterparts. Let's not even bring him into the discussion with Longoria, Youk or Pablo Sandoval. Don't get me wrong Zimmerman is a good major leaguer and is worth keeping around, just not for 17 million a year.

Add this ridiculous deal to the mind-blowing 7 year/ 126 million dollar contract they shelled out to Jayson Werth. Werth, of course, turned in the worst seasons of his career, going .232 with 20 homers and 58 ribbies. You would have thought the Nationals learned. Nope. Not at all. So while Washington sits around waiting for the savior Steven Strausberg to reattach his cannon they continue to drown their bank accounts with overrated players and extensively ugly contracts. Though it is nice to see the Nationals spending a lot of money, a departure from the years of signing cheap rehashed players like Dimitri Young and Ronnie Belliard, having money simply does not equal success. Just ask the Yankees who for the good part of the 2000s had the highest payroll in baseball with nothing to show for it. Or ask their division rival Mets who spent as much as Citi Bank profits for one NLCS appearance. The difference between the good rich teams and the bad rich teams is the where they write their checks. So far the Nationals are 0 for 1 and pending on how Brad Lidge and Zimmerman perform they might just be 0 for 3 by the seasons end.

Let's just hope for their sake that Steven Strausberg does his best Denny McLain impression and wins 30+ games, but even at that I doubt this team is heading anywhere near a playoff berth.

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Robert Griffin III Is A Cautionary Tale

Fans and GMs alike must beware of RGIII.

Robert Griffin III dazzled us this year with a mix of blazing speed and sensational throws. His impressive year garnered him a Heisman Trophy as he carried the Baylor Bears to a surprising 10-3 finish. Immediately after his wild 67-56 victory over the Washington Huskies in the Alamo Bowl, scouts and draft analysts began judging and plotting his whereabouts in the 2012 draft. Griffin is obviously a serious talent and it doesn't surprise me that he finds himself as a top 2 prospect, but this is not a player a team wants to dive head first in on.

Over a four year career, Griffin has amassed some interesting stats. His touchdown numbers over three years(missed one year because of injury) isn't that impressive coming in at a 25 a year, but his interceptions per year average is only 5. Combine his 25/5 TD:INT ratio with a 66% completion percentage and you're talking about an accurate QB. But, we all know that his biggest asset is his ability to make plays with his legs. Griffin's athleticism is unparalleled and is up there with the likes of Vince Young and Mike Vick in their hay days. Let's be serious, no one is doubting this kids' skills and athleticism; the combine did nothing but reaffirm them. A 4.41 in the combine was the highest registered 40 for a quarterback since Vick was burning the combine rubber back in 2000. Most scouts said his great combine will make him the surefire #2 pick in this year's draft, and with the way teams are clamoring over him, I'm pretty sure these scouts are right.

Teams that believe trading up for RGIII must beware. I'm not so sure pouring out the piggy bank for this sensational athlete is truly the right move. First off, Griffin sat out basically the entire 2009 with a slight ACL tear. While we can see that this tear hasn't affected the QB's mobility, it is always a concern when you're about to don him your "franchise" quarterback. Investing 22 million(Cam Newton's contract from last year) in an active running QB is a major risk, especially if he has caught the injury bug in the past.

Secondly, and I think the most importantly, he comes from the same camp as Michael Vick and Vince Young. Both Vick and Young were phenomenal college quarterbacks and have both showed flashes of brilliance in the NFL, but neither have been able to carry a team. Neither have been able to show the offensive leadership in crunch time that is required by championship quarterbacks. I understand that his throwing motion is far superior to both Vick and Young, but the way he led Baylor this year reminds me all too much of the Young's days at Texas and Vick's time in Blacksburg. Both of these guys, who entered the league as athletes, still have trouble staying in the pocket. While Vick has found his niche in the pocket, he hasn't been able to translate that to success in the wins department, especially in the playoffs. Young just lost his mind. I understand that people will rebuttal this argument with the emergence of Cam Newton. But Cam Newton is different to me. Newton is like Tim Tebow in terms of size and running style, but he possess actual pocket presence and an underrated knowledge of the game. Griffin can't run over people like Newton can and surely cannot withstand the hits Cam had this year. Yeah, he might be able to run around defenders, but if they catch up with him he will get crushed.

Third, he's a Heisman winning quarterback. Winning the Heisman is most likely a curse within itself, but especially for quarterbacks. Many of them either weren't suited for the position at the NFL or they simply couldn't handle the pressure. Griffin III joins an unimpressive list of Heisman winning QBs that includes Troy Smith, a career backup, Matt Leinart, who never had the mental fortitude for the NFL, Jason White, who just wasn't that good and Eric Crouch, a retiree after one year. He also joins Tim Tebow, who's had more success as a miracle worker, Sam Bradford, who has shown flashes of ability and Carson Palmer, aka, the exception to the rule. If you count Palmer and Tebow then this category is still 2-6 over the last 10 years. Last time I checked that gives RGIII a 33% chance to be good, not great and certainly not hall of fame.

So weighing the options, we're stuck at a crossroads. If you're the Dolphins, Browns and Redskins, who are all rumored to be interested in trading up for the #2 spot, do you throw the kitchen sink at the Rams for RGIII? On one hand, you're like, "Hell yeah, this is a once-in-a-lifetime quarterback with serious potential." But on the other hand, you're like, "Is it really smart to give up so much for potential?" This is what being an NFL GM is all about. Making tough, franchise altering decisions. In fact, the ultimate winner in this whole situation is probably going to be the St. Louis Rams. Trading this 2nd overall pick will surely open up possibilities to quicken the rebuilding process. Hell, I bet they're going to rob someone blind. I'm just saying, you better hope it's not your team.

One final time for closure. I'm not denouncing Robert Griffin III. I'm not writing him off. I'm not labeling him a bust before he takes his first mini-camp snap. I'm just warning fans and GMs alike; be cautious when crowning him king, one wrong move and your franchise could become the Raiders or worse, the Buffalo Bills.

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As Long As The Wilpon Own The Mets, They Will Remain In The League Basement

The Wilpons' arrogance continues to drown the Mets.

ESPN.com-PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- After surveying his players stretching on the morning of the New York Mets' first full-squad workout, principal owner Fred Wilpon reached into his pocket, pulled out a roll of $5 bills and lightheartedly flashed them for the media.

"We're OK," said Wilpon, who has been stung by the Ponzi scheme involving Bernard Madoff, in response to a question about his finances.

During a 22-minute interview Monday morning, Wilpon went on to address the progress in the sale of minority shares of the team, the future of face-of-the-franchise third baseman David Wright, the defection of Jose Reyes to the Miami Marlins, a $52 million payroll slashing and the fate of the 2013 All-Star Game, which is planned for Citi Field but has not yet been formally announced.

Wilpon said he already has all but formally sold seven $20 million, 4 percent minority shares to investors, with Major League Baseball approval granted and the money sitting in escrow. The sales of two more shares are nearing approval by MLB, Wilpon added, while an additional two are "in the process."

In total, Wilpon said, as many as 12 shares may be sold, which would infuse as much as $240 million into the organization. That would go toward paying off a $25 million loan from Major League Baseball, pay down the first mortgage on the team and provide cash on hand for operation of the franchise, Wilpon said.

This statement comes as another shot to Mets' fans confidence. Once again, the Wilpons flashed their arrogance toward a faithful, but dying New York Mets' fan base and in doing so turned a bad situation into a disaster.

I'm sorry but there is no way in the world I, as a Mets fan, believe that the Wilpons are going to turn this ship around. I don't care who they've sold their shares too and who their banking on to save this franchise, as long as they are in a $500 million dollar struggle over the Madoff case, one they will surely lose, they will do nothing but kill the Mets.

This is New York, it's not Oakland, Baltimore or Milwaukee. The Mets are in the biggest and most demanding baseball market in the United States and they are insane if they think they can survive on money ball principles. Everyone and their mother is starting to use the money ball scheme and most of them actually have payrolls to back it up. The Mets couldn't sign their star shortstop this offseason and weren't even close to bidding for star players in the market like CJ Wilson, Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder. New York is an extremely active offseason hotbed for both Yankees and Mets, but now with the Mets bleeding cash like a hemorrhaging bullet wound victim, they are seriously swimming in the sewers.

For many of us Mets fans there was serious hope when David Einhorn offered to buy a majority of the shares a few months ago, but the deal fell through thanks once again to the Wilpons feverishly grandiose attitude. They couldn't accept the fact that they would lose the Mets in 3 years if they couldn't pay off their debts to Einhorn. They couldn't accept the fact that they weren't going to own the Mets come 2014. They couldn't back up their futile attempts to persuade people that they are actually apart of the Mets' faithful. Instead they just showed the world that their egos were simply too big.

The Mets are in dire straits. There is no shining light at the end of the tunnel. "Next year is now" becomes "next year is never." As long as the Wilpons pompously continue to own the New York Mets I will continue to have a hard time watching and rooting for them. Not because the players don't deserve a fair shot at igniting the city, no that's not true. I love David Wright, Ike Davis, John Niese and co. But I cannot sit here, take a beating from the Wilpons' conceit every year, and feel good about myself. This isn't a formal resignation of my Mets' fan hood, it's simply an angry response to a vicious situation, one that my fellow fans nor I should ever have to deal with.

It's always sucked to be a Mets' fan, now it's downright embarrassing.

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The Rangers Made The Right Move Not Acquiring Rick Nash

Avoiding Rick Nash might have been the best move the Rangers made in years.

Over the last few weeks, as the trade deadline slowly creeped up on a NHL buyers and sellers alike, the New York Rangers were rumored to be heavily interested in Columbus' Rick Nash. Instead the Rangers offered a package considered too weak for Columbus' liking and inevitably stuck with the squad that had put them in first place in the Eastern Conference.

The Rangers, plain and simply, avoided a bullet by not offering exactly what Columbus wanted. The appeal of Nash is seriously apparent, I get it. Nash is a bonafide goal scorer, a play maker with abilities that can mirroring the likes of Steven Stamkos and Evgeni Malkin. At times he can be a human highlight reel, with a penitence for putting in dirty dangles like Havana Nights. Actually highlight reel is so amazing that it masks some of his glaring weaknesses. For one, he has never scored more than 80 points, and for a "playmaker" of his caliber to have never cracked the 80 point mark is downright stunning. I understand he plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets who have enjoyed their time in the Western Conference basement(Nash's Jackets have only made the playoffs once), but still scorers find a way to score no matter how bad their team is. The more glaring weakness of his game is his lack of effort on the defensive end. Nash just does not backcheck, I'm actually not sure he knows what that word means. On a more concrete note, the Blue Jackets star is a mind-blowing -75 for his career, and a ridiculous -23 for this season.

Rick Nash is overrated. He's the poor man's Ilya Kovalchuk because at least Kovy will get you 90+ points along with his ugly +/- stats. Most importantly in the New York Rangers case, his game does not fit Tortorella's defensive system. New York already has playmakers in Marion Gaborik and Brad Richards who fill the role of scorers within Tort's predominately grimy style of play. The only reason Nash' name was even mentioned in New York is because of Sather's(and New York's) love of the big time player. I'm sure Tortorella was pleading with Sather not to sacrifice a gel player like Dubinsky in order to amass a dazzler without substance. The Rangers are putting together one of their best seasons in franchise history, so if it ain't broke DO NOT fix it. After watching 24/7 I seemed to gain a sense of this team's fluid chemistry; these guys like each other. Chemistry has been a much debated item in all sports, but it is seriously real and this team seriously has it. Bringing in a hyped up, egotistical, one way center like Rick Nash seemed like a disaster for the Rangers.

So avoiding Nash, despite their weak attempts to actually acquire him, becomes the right move. Henrik Lundqvist is on pace to have one of the greatest goaltending seasons in the history of the NHL and has a good chance at a unanimous Vezina vote. They cannot waste it by blowing up the quality two way play in front of him. This talented Rangers squad is built on hard work and system players. But the key is that everyone is buying in, even Marian Gaborik(53 points and a +17)  who is a notoriously selfish player. Each player has a role and they are fulfilling it beautifully.

Bringing in Nash might have put the Rangers on Sportscenter Top Ten a few more times, but it certainly would have hurt their Stanley Cup chances.

For once, New York avoided acquiring a superstar, and I'm confident it's for the best.

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Judging All-Star Weekend

The All-Star Game, thanks in large part to KD, saved an otherwise terrible All-Star Weekend

NBA all-star weekend was supposed to be a showcase of the complete NBA talent, chalk full of high flyers deadly shooters and elite ball handlers. But instead the NBA turned its most hyped up weekend into a circus that even Cirque De Soleil would laugh at.

This debacle began with the celebrity game which is actually a hit or miss event. The game's MVP was 5'2" comedian Kevin Hart, which brought quite the laughs, seeing as it was like a midget dropping baskets and catching rebounds. The rising stars game always seems to help erase the celebrity game if it's a bust, but this year it disappointed as well. Usually it's like the all-star game where they start playing defense in the fourth quarter, not this time around. The rosters was plagued with undisciplined players, like DeMarcus Cousins John Wall and Tristan Thompson who don't even bring it in every NBA game let alone a rising stars game. 

All-Star Saturday makes the weekend. Out of all of the sports it's the best skills competition night. But this year it was turned into a big show instead of a showcase of different elite talents. The shooting competition, comprised of an NBA player, a former NBA player and a WNBA player probably was the best event. Allen Houston was stroking it like it was '98, and Kenny Smith was hitting half court shots like it was his job. The point guard event was ok, but still didn't possess the flair we've seen in the past. Finally we got to the primetime events: the 3 point contest and the slam dunk contest. But this three point contest was brutally boring. James Jones' 22 makes was the highest in the contest, and even though Kevin Durant and Kevin Love had to go to overtime to determine the winner, it lacked real drama. Love took home the crown even after he had to petition the NBA to get into the contest. We needed to see at least one guy go for 24 or 25 threes in order to really get the crowd fired up, but that never happened.

Finally came the dunk contest which was going to save the weekend. Though it was a group of relative no names, it was going to be the high flying action everyone was waiting for. But it wasn't. Instead we watched these guys turn the dunk contest into a prop usage contest. For the first time in the history of the dunk contest it wasn't about the dunks, it was about who you dunked over and how clever your "scene" was. I felt as if I was watching a bad SNL skit, you know like every single skit since 1997? There was no hype, the crowd was dead and the lights were just too damn bright. Hey, Chase Budinger how about you show that white men CAN jump by throwing down some ridiculous windmill dunk, but instead he just chose to dunk over the 5'9" P. Diddy. Derrick Williams dunked over some ugly purple motorcycle, Jeremy Evans dunked over Kevin Hart who's 5'2" and Paul George thought'd it be cool to dunk a glow in the dark basketball. What in the world happened to the dunk contests of the past? I'm pretty sure the crowd was just into it when Jason Richardson and Vince Carter were trying to destroy the rim; they didn't need any props to get the crowd going. If the NBA really badly wants to use props or people in the dunk contest, I think one and only one of the three dunks should be used on props. Please get back to the days when people were creatively dunking, not creatively dunking over people.


Finally we got to the all-star game, which became the saving grace of the weekend. The West stormed out to a 21 point lead at halftime only to watch the East come back thanks to nine straight Lebron James buckets. But the fourth quarter once again got the best of LBJ who turned the ball over in the final possession after passing up a shot. This all-star contest smashed a bunch of records, including the highest combined score in the first half(the West had 85 POINTS). Kobe took over MJ as the highest scoring all-star of all-time, league favorite Kevin Durant won the MVP and Lebron James once again blew it in the fourth quarter. I call that a pretty damn good All-Star Game.

The NBA needs to simply stop forcing entertainment into this weekend. For years now it has been an exciting weekend showcasing talent instead of turning talent into a show. For one, stop with the props in the dunk contest, and for two stop wit the fan voting, period. The NBA is on a serious rebound from its dark years in the mid-2000s, but let's not let it lose its manhood. Just let the boys play ball.

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Malkin Goes Coast-to-Coast, Making Up For Crosby's Loss

While Sidney Crosby's career is sliding out of control thanks to a series of concussions, his superstar peer has exploded in his absence. Malkin is putting together one of his best seasons ever, and most importantly he's doing it without his high scoring teammate. Malkin's 73 points(2nd in the league) and +9 rating has helped him carry the Penguins to 4th place int he Eastern Conference. Today, Malkin showed the world once again why people shouldn't be forgotten about. When the power forward is on, he's almost unstoppable and Tampa Bay found out how unstoppable he could be. The Penguins might be just fine with out Sid the Kid.

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Thank God Linsanity Is Over

Jeremy Lin's underperformance last night might have been a mixed blessing.

Finally, finally this whole Linsanity fiasco is over. As much as I've enjoyed every minute of the 8 Knicks wins thanks in large part to Lin, I'm seriously glad it's over. It was certainly overwhelming, to say the least.

Ok, we get it. The Heat dominated Lin, made him look like a school child. Miami is a damn good team, and it was going to take a seriously amazing game from Lin, Amar'e or 'Melo to win, especially in Miami. None of those three turned in a great performance, and so Linsanity, for now, is stopped. The national audience saw him implode right in front of their eyes and just as fast as they knighted him, they have goodnight-ed him. People are leaping off the Lin bandwagon, and thank God, it was just too much weight for any individual to hold.

Lin's last week or so has been absolutely insane. Everyday a new interview, a new photoshoot, a new article written about him. Not even Lebron James or Kobe Bryant have had weeks like Lin just did. It was most certainly overwhelming to him and while he handled it like a champ, it was going to result in a bad game here and there. Lin just picked the wrong team to have a bad game against... or was it the right team? He now returns to normality. He's a good point guard on a contender whose main focus is winning, not gaining national attention or creating a phenomena. It's time for the Lin and the Knicks to start building chemistry with all the new acquisitions they've just gotten a hold of. No more extracurricular nonsense, no more pressure(except from the New York Media) it's just simply basketball.

So last night's loss might have been the best thing for Mr. Lin and his Knickerbockers. If they had beaten Miami, All-Star weekend surely would have been about him and only him. For another few days everyone and their mother would be talking Linsanity. Instead, he gets to go enjoy his appearance in the Rising Stars Challenge and rest up for these 5 days. He'll have two practices next week to adjust to the newly discovered Lin-stopping defense, which is just to trap, trap, trap. The Knicks will then play the Cavs on Wednesday and life will go on. Lin and his Knicks, as one unit, will trudge on towards a playoff berth and people will start to forget about this phenomena and realize that this is just a guy on a team trying to win a championship.

From now on it's about the New York Knicks, not Linsanity, nor any other ridiculous phenomena the world wants to jump on. 

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Ryan Braun Wins Appeal, Fans Lose Again

While the Ryan Braun celebrated his appellate victory, Major League Baseball was outraged.

ESPN.com-NEW YORK -- National League MVP Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension was overturned Thursday by baseball arbitrator Shyam Das, and sources told ESPN that Major League Baseball is weighing the possibility of suing in federal court to reverse the decision.

Braun's case marks the first time a baseball player has successfully challenged a drug-related penalty in a grievance.

The decision was announced Thursday by the Major League Baseball Players Association, one day before the 28-year-old outfielder was due to report to spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers in Maryvale, Ariz.

Braun is expected to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. ET, the team said.

Braun tested positive in October for elevated testosterone, and ESPN's "Outside The Lines" revealed the positive test in December.

"I am very pleased and relieved by today's decision," Braun said in a statement. "It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side.

League of Cheaters. Major League Joke. America's Lasttime. If you're not cheating, you're not playing in the Major Leagues.

Allowing a player to win an MVP award during a season he tested positive for steroids is embarrassing. This completely erases the last ten years when baseball took a aggressive(and what we thought was a successful) approach against steroid use. Ten positives years wiped away thanks to one single decision: a monumental disaster. Issues like this bring us back to the 90s when there was more juice in MLB locker rooms than there is at snack time in kindergarten. No one wants a big headed Barry Bonds or M60 arms Mark McGwire or steroid slammin' Sammy Sosa swinging for the fences anymore. Yes, the major league meatheads have mostly been removed from Major League Baseball, but it doesn't give the right to Ryan Braun or any Major Leaguer to start playing with needles again.

What this decision reveals is that the league is only really applying this rule to those players who lack star status. Since the MLB implanted its new 50 game suspension policy in 2005 their have been 27 suspensions, yet only two "star" players have been suspended. One of them, Manny Ramirez, has never been a favorite of the league offices so it's not surprising he's received the penalty twice. The other one, Edison Volquez, was only a budding star, fresh off his first all-star appearance. The suspension of Braun came as a devastating surprise to MLB fans everywhere, but it was necessary. If a guy tests positive for steroids, no matter how much of a household name he is nor how many runs he drives in, he should suffer the consequences like any other player. Allowing Braun to dance around the rules just because he put MVP numbers with illegal enhancements is downright wrong. It sends this message to younger players, "Once you become an all-star, you gain immunity."

I understand that this appeal won in the courts through the MLBPA, and that MLB is certainly taking the appropriate action if they sue to reverse the decision, but the mere fact that they let this monumental of a settlement occur is bad news. If Major League Baseball does win its pending case then they should strip Braun of the MVP as well, I don't care if Matt Kemp(the 2nd place vote getter) doesn't take the award, this must be done. The MLB will lose all of its credibility if it cannot overturn this case back to its original result. Fans were outraged over the hundreds of names in the Mitchell Report, but most appreciated the response by Selig and co, allow this resolution to stand and fans will be even more livid.

It is up to the MLB's legal teams to be thorough about following up on this case and suing to have it overturned. Let this decision stand and we might drift slowly back into the dark ages.

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Charles Oakley Goes Off On KG, Perkins

Charles Oakley and John Starks played a physical brand of basketball we simply don't see anymore.

ESPN.com-Former NBA tough guy Charles Oakley went on the Jim Rome radio show this week and sounded off on both Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins. Here's the key quotes:

* Oakley on Garnett: "Garnett left Minnesot and hollered and screamed and all that, but he's not a tough guy. He's one of the weakest guys to ever play the game. He's a complementary player and went to Paul Pierce's team and won a championship. I wouldn't consider him a top 10 tough guy."

* Oakley on Perkins: "He's just like Garnett. They holler and complain. If Kendrick Perkins would play basketball, Oklahoma City would win a championship the next three or four years. … You're a power forward, you don't let guys dunk on you. I played 18, 19 years [and] I got dunked on three times." 


Charles Oakley was most known for his hard play, physical defense, great rebounding and his willingness to get violent to protect his teammates. To say he was the gel guy for the 90s "tough guy" Knicks would be an understatement. Oakley would stop at nothing on defense, wasn't afraid of flagrant fouls and didn't mind a suspension as long as it was in the act of defending teammates.

Oakley recently sounded off on Charles Barkley for ripping on D'Antoni, calling him a "coward." But his criticism of Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins is what really hit a nerve. I love Oakley's comments. I think they're spot on, however, the former-Knick needs to realize that this is a different generation. There are rarely brawls, the players are all friends and the only time players receive technicals are for mouthing off to the refs. The NBA has gone soft for sure, but that's not the league's fault. Society in general is no longer accepting of such "bad boy" behavior, and as much as some of us NBA fans enjoy that extra-physical style of basketball, it is just no longer plausible. Charles' comment about only getting dunked on three times is absolutely hilarious, though. Yeah, Charles, you only get dunked on three times because every time someone tried to dunk on you, you simply knocked them out. "Basketball" as Charles Oakley called it was a vastly different beast than it is today.

Perkins and Garnett are widely considered as some of the league's best defensive big men, but these two, like many other wouldn't have survived in the "contact sport" NBA in the 80s and 90s. Not many players in the NBA today could survive getting absolutely shellacked driving to the whole or get boxed out for every single shot under the hoop. The game is completely different now. Lebron might be much more of a  physical entity than Michael Jordan was, but he doesn't take the nightly beating that Jordan did, and never will. That's a major reason why people will never accept Lebron as being better than MJ; some generational differences will never be acknowledged.

Charley Oakley isn't the first old school player to call out the new-age "soft" NBA. Many former players have the same attitude toward the pretty boy league today. But that's not going to change the league's style of play. So Charles, while we all understand and thoroughly enjoy your rants about KG and Perkins, these comments come through a sphere of toughness that we no longer recognize in the NBA today.

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The Knicks, Heat Rivalry Is Back Like Old

Lebron and 'Melo have been going at it since high school, tonight will add another chapter to this epic rivalry.

Last year when the Knicks acquired Carmelo Anthony to go along with Amar'e Stoudemire they immediately sent a message to the rest of the league, but more importantly to the Miami Heat; they were here to contend. Once Chauncey Billups popped that game winning three pointer last year around this time last year, the rivalry instantly became valid again. Billups is long gone, and Lebron James isn't even the biggest story in the game. Tonight it will be about Jeremy Lin, not Lebron, not Carmleo, not Dwyane Wade nor Amar'e Stoudemire.

Both the Knicks and Heat are sizzling. Miami has rolled off seven straight victories including destroying the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks are 8-2 in their last 10, highlighting wins over the Jazz, Lakers and most impressively an offensive showcase vs the Dallas Mavericks. It's as if two Acela trains are hurdling toward each other with the meeting point being the American Airlines Arena at 7 PM tonight. We're talking about a game with potential as being the most watched regular season game in NBA history. Linsanity vs. the league's favorite villain. 'Melo vs. D-Wade. The northern nightlife city vs. the southern nightlife city. The story lines run deeper than Lebron's receding hairline.

In terms of the actual game, we've got two defensive powerhouses going at it. Yes I just called the New York Knicks a defensive powerhouse. The Heat are 5th in defensive efficiency and the Knicks are 6th. Defensive efficiency is not a BS stat like some think, it is whittled down to how many points a team allows per possession, basically adjusting defense to the pace and flow of each individual game. The days of the Knicks and Heat brawling are a thing of the past, but expect the defensive intensity to be just as high as it was in the nineties. If Jeremy Lin thinks he's driving to the hole like he's on I-95, he's in for a rough night. Lebron has been high-flying his way through this season, but Tyson Chandler is ready to keep him grounded. There will be big shots, monster alley-oops and dazzling drives to the basket.

Jeremy Lin could shut down Twitter, annihilate Facebook, and destroy ESPN if he has a big game and the Knicks win. But it's not like Twitter is going to make it through the first half anyways. I'm not sure the importance of this contest could be compacted into a short blog post, any ESPN article or any Sportscenter short. Tonight's game, if it's a good one, could have exceedingly positive implications for the NBA, implications they haven't seen since Michael Jordan was in the league.

But we should also take a step back for a second. In the grand scheme of things, this game doesn't matter. It's a middle of the year matchup, with both teams well on their way to playoff appearances. The All-Star break is this weekend and everyone is raring for some much need rest. If the Knicks lose, so be it. They'll be 1 game under .500 again, still 2 1/2 games ahead of the struggling Cavaliers in the nine spot. If the Heat lose, they'll still be an absurd 26-8. No one's season is going to end tonight. No one's job is on the line. It's a meaningful game in February, not March not April and certainly not May or June.

So when you watch tonight's game, your head might explode, I get it. I'm probably going to be on my couch freaking out, jumping around like House of Pain every time Lin throws an alley oop, and then punching a wall every time Lebron or D-Wade do what ever it is they do. But tomorrow we will all wake up and either heal our wounds or throw a small fist pump and it'll all be over; life will go on. Yet, we all need to soak in the moment, because tonight could be one of those ball games you never forget.

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Nike Revolutionizing The Sport Of Basketball Once Again

What can we say about Nike that we haven't already said. Their products look the best, feel the best and are by far the most superior for actually playing sports. This time Nike's at it again with their newest Nike+ feature, a shoe that tells you how high you jump, how fast you run and somehow how hard you play?

The simple fact that this sneaker connects to your iPhone in the slightest makes it a revolutionary product, but if it can actually track your leaping and running abilities then sign me up. Unfortunately for Nike, Lebron is still their main sponsored athlete and they still don't realize that every time we see his face we either cringe or laugh at his receding hairline. Still, Nike has the ability to defy any of the inadequacies of its athletes, especially when they release athletic products with computer chips in them.

Obviously this product is going to help embarrass some of us who are vertically challenged, but it should also help make us feel like were important. It's almost like having an NBA scout right on your phone, except it won't tell you that you can't shoot, can't go left and or that you certainly can't defend the perimeter. 

Here is the Nike+ basketball site.

I also enjoy watching the Lebron James special, a trailing swat because he got burnt so badly off the dribble.

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Previewing the NBA Dunk Contest

Iman Shumpert headlines a relatively unknown 2012 dunk contest.

The Dunk Contest is the premier event of NBA All-Star weekend, hands down. It's actually probably the premier event of the NBA season aside from Lebron's fourth quarter theatrics and Kevin Durant's late game heroics. The dunk contest usually provides us with at least one big name, or one favorite, but this year it's hard to tell. This year's contestants are: Iman Shumpert, a specimen of a man with lockdown abilities on defense, Chase Budinger, a white boy who can abuse the rim, Paul George, a high flyer from the Indiana Pacers and Derrick Williams best known for his elite play at Arizona last year.

I'm not 100% sold on this year's contestants but I can tell you one thing, Derrick Williams and Iman Shumpert will be in the finals. But with no-names comes an opportunity to prove yourself, just like Desmond Mason did in the 2003 slam dunk contest which will go down as one of the greatest of all-time, and certainly my favorite.

Here is a look at each contestant:
Paul George

Derrick Williams

Chase Budinger

Iman Shumpert


At the end of the day, I'm going to have to go with my boy Iman Shumpert, the kid's physical prowess combined with Jeremy Lin's ability to throw oops.

Update: Iman Shumpert will no longer be participating in the dunk contest, and instead Jeremy Evans will replace him. With this being said, my favorite now becomes Derrick Williams from Minnesota.

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Wasted Opportunity: Johan Santana

The Mets' had an opportunity to win a World Series thanks to Johan Santana, instead they wasted it.

When's the last time you heard about Johan Santana? Probably in 2010, when he went down with a torn rotator cuff, forcing him to miss the entire 2011 season. Or how about back in 2008 when he almost carried the Mets to a playoff appearance thanks to a 16-7 record and a phenomenal 2.53 ERA. Since then it's been nothing but bad news for Mets' fans and Johan Santana. For a guy who has become so oft-injured as a Met, the team and organization wasted a perfect opportunity to capitalize on his phenomenal talent.

In the 2008 offseason the Mets acquired Santana in a must-make deal that included sending a bunch of overrated prospects to the Twins. The Mets literally stole Santana right from Minnesota, who had watched him amass silly stats along with two Cy Young Awards over his 5 year career in the twin cities. Obviously, the big market Mets were going to pry Santana away from the small time Twins, there simply was no denying it. The Mets had just suffered an epic collapse in 2007 on the heels of horrendous pitching, making acquiring Santana their biggest offseason need. Once the Mets had acquired the two-time Cy Young winner they signed him to an absurd six year/137.5 million dollar contract. The Mets were forced give add a few "post-prime" years on the contract just to ensure he was theirs, but no one doubted the move.

For Mets fans, 2008 was theirs. The stars were aligned, literally. Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado headlined a monster offense and Santana led a promising rotation that included veteran Pedro Martinez and rising stars Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey. The Mets didn't turn it on until and epic July and August stretch in which they built another divisional lead over their rival the Philadelphia Phillies. Yet 2008 turned out similar to 2007 thanks to bullpen blowups outing after outing. The Mets wasted a scorching hot second half by Carlos Delgado and a sensational season by Santana who finished third in the Cy Young voting. 2008 was to many as big of a bust as 2007, even though this time they only blew a 3.5 game lead.

From 2008 on, Santana's stint with the Mets went downhill. His '09 was subpar, for Santana's standard, as he finished 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA. Unfortunately he injured his elbow, forcing him to miss all of September. Santana was rushed back for the 2010 season after the Mets saw their 2009 win total decrease by 19 games from 2008. 2010 actually wasn't a bad year for the Metropolitan ace, who finished 11-9 with an 2.98 ERA, including a 5 start stretch with a untouchable 0.79 ERA. But once again Santana's September was cut short thanks to a much more serious shoulder injury that made it necessary for him get offseason rotator cuff surgery; he missed the entire 2011 season.

Injuries are an inevitable part of pitching, especially when a guy throws heat like Santana did. But the Mets wasted Santana. 2008 and 2010(if literally anyone could have stepped up) were the seasons the Mets were going to go deep in the playoffs thanks to their ace. But instead, thanks to bullpen catastrophes and serious underperformance by Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes, Santana's contract turned into a huge disaster. But the Mets had to get him. They were one of the most talented teams heading into the 2008 season and thanks to the addition of a front-of-the-line ace named Johan Santana, they were poised to lift the World Series trophy. Yet instead, like only the Mets can do, they let September eat them alive, one more time.

He's poised to return one more time this season, and I'm positive he won't be the same. Pitchers rarely recover from rotator cuff surgery, and the other taxing injures Santana has suffered over the last few years shouldn't help either. The Mets are talentless at this point, and even if he can pull off a third Cy Young season, there is no way they can even be contenders.

So don't view Johan Santana's career with the Mets as a bust. Consider the Mets' career with Johan Santana a wasted opportunity of epic proportions.

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Will "Goon" Be A Bust?

Give me a movie with Stifler in it, I'm going to watch it. Give me a movie about hockey, I'm going to watch it. Give me a movie about hockey with Stifler as the main character, you're damn right I'm going to see it. "Goon" which comes out this Friday looks like it could be one of the most ridiculous movies of all-time, but also means it could be a serious bust.

The trailer was a little bit misleading, I mean, obviously it's a comedy because of Stifler, but I'm not sure how comical it's trying to be. There will be a bunch of absurd full line brawls and wild Stifler moments, but I don't know how funny it's going to be. Anyways, I'll be seeing this movie as I'm sure any hockey/Stifler fans will be. Hopefully come the weekend we'll be talking about this being a Slap Shot-like puck classic and not a Ryan Leaf style bust.

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Manny Isn't Manny Anymore

It's been a long time since Manny's done any celebrating.

ESPN.com-Manny Ramirez has agreed to a deal with the Oakland Athletics. The team announced the minor league deal Monday.

Ramirez is expected to report to spring training by the end of the week.

The deal is worth about $500,000. Ramirez is obligated to serve a 50-game suspension without pay before beginning play for the A's due to violating baseball's drug policy for the second time. With no rainouts, the first game Ramirez would be eligible to play is on his 40th birthday -- May 30 at Minnesota. That didn't deter general manager Billy Beane and the Athletics.

"I am very pleased Billy was able to add Manny to our team," A's owner Lew Wolff said in an email. "I look forward to welcoming him and the entire team that Billy and his people have assembled for the coming season."

The Oakland Athletics are giving the infamous Manny Ramirez one more chance to have an impact in the MLB, but his days of smashing home runs and high-fiving fans mid-play are long gone.

It's felt like decades since Manny has been relevant in the MLB, and I'm not talking about ingesting estrogen or press conferences with the LA Dodgers. I'm talking about when pitchers feared throwing to him. When he was raking home runs, admiring them as if he was Picasso and the long ball was his Guernica. Frustation was at a premium for Manny's organizations and coaching staffs during his career, but his career stats argue that it was totally worth it. But like most egotistical superstars, his career faded faster than the sun in Alaska during winter.

So why are the A's taking chance on Ramirez? I guess it's hardly a chance when you're paying an ex-superstar only $500,000 to potentially resurrect his career. But as much as a low-risk, high-reward ploy the A's might believe this opportunity might be, it won't be. Manny's three years removed from his last solid season, and five years out from his last prime year. He's 39 years old, going on 40. He won't rediscover his cut or add any MPH to his swing speed, and he most certainly will be a liability in the field if he ever gets a chance to play there. But I guess when you only have to pay 500k on a guy with an illustrious career, as far removed as he is, you do it.

ESPN will probably make a big deal out of this signing for a week, maybe two. They'll talk about his 50-game suspension, that probably won't matter. Manny will have 15 more seconds of fame, and we'll all read the story, listen to the analysis and then move on. Most likely Ramirez won't make the majors, and we'll be talking about Manny's retirement press conference instead of any career resurrection.

Unfortunately folks, Manny is no longer Manny.

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Smashing The Stat Sheet With The Oklahoma City Thunder

Ibaka, Westbrook and Durant abused the stat sheet last night.

51. 40. 14, 15, 11. Those are just a random set of numbers, no order, no sequence, no continuity. They are just numbers. But, when you put them in the context of last night's Oklahoma City/Denver game, they become meaningful and downright astonishing. Kevin Durant reached the 50-pt plateau for the first time in his career, while Russell Westbrook helped out with 40 more points, and finally Serge Ibaka rounded them all out with his first triple double(14 points, 15 boards, 11 blocks). When read this stat sheet my jaw dropped to the floor.

Two players combining for 91 points. That means that both Westbrook and Durant we're having once-in-a-lifetime scoring nights, cohesively. It's something not even Dwyane Wade and Lebron James have even come close to doing. Not only were Durant and Westbrook having superb individual nights, they were doing it as teammates, as friends, as superstars and most importantly as winners. Everyone has been clamoring over how Westbrook takes shots away from Durant, guess when they combine for 91 you cannot complain.

Last night's statistical oddity was the third time in NBA history that two teammates went for 40+ in the same game. One of those games took three overtimes, this one only took one. Now you're probably assuming these guys shot the you know what out of the ball, but their percentages were actually extremely impressive. Combined they were 35 of 57 from the field(61%) and from deep they were an incredible 8-12 (67%). This means neither guy was forcing their shots or attempting to overplay in order to take over the game. Both played within their system and caught fire. It was a simple case of right players, right night.

Don't overlook Serge Ibaka who had his first career triple-double by adding 11 blocks to his 14 points and 15 rebounds. I'm pretty sure he was the only one playing defense in this wildly high scoring 124-118 game. Add this all-around solid performance to the ridiculous scoring of Durant and Westbrook and you have probably one of the greatest games, if not the greatest game, ever played by three teammates. When you look at the box score, a year, 5 years, 10 years from now you're going to be just as impressed if you actually watched the game.

On February 19th, 2012 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, a stat sheet was murdered.

People are picking the Big Three in Miami to win it all, might want to think again, a new Big Three is emerging quickly in OKC.

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The Mysterious Career of A Lifelong Journeyman: Dominic Moore

Dominic Moore, a lifelong journeyman, was traded for the sixth time yesterday.

For you that know hockey through and through, you know who Dom Moore is. You know that he's a 3rd/4th line center who shoots left handed, does well for himself in the dot and quietly has a pair of hands.  But he's also a guy whose literally been bounced from team to team since the day he stepped on NHL ice in 2005. Most of the NHL fan population probably knows more because he once, for even only 18 games, played for their team. The question remains, how does a journeyman work? How does a guy play for so many teams and still stay focused? How do deal with be an automatic trade deadline player?

Dom Moore is a player that everyone wants at the deadline. He adds depth at the center position and his face-off numbers are top-tier. His consistency has been often overhyped, but also often overlooked. Every deadline he makes headlines as a "solid pickup" and every deadline he is sent off as deadweight. Yet, every time Moore seemingly settles into a club, they immediately want to ship him. For all the motivation for organizations to bring him aboard, there have been just as much desire to send him on his merry way. He's played for 9 teams, been traded six times and waived twice. Going through the gauntlet is Moore's specialty. Once Moore was traded to two teams in two separate transactions in the same day. At the deadline in 2007(the year the double trade went down) he was again traded from Pittsburgh to Minnesota.

Moore has known nothing but movement in his career. There is no consistency in where he plays, no long-term contracts, absolutely no settling down. He is, in the most basic form, an NHL player. He's not a superstar, not a star, not a playmaker, not a leader, and certainly not a mainstay. I'm not even sure he has any friends, or maybe he has too many. Everyone and their mother has called Dominic Moore their teammate and it's not clear if that's a good thing or not. Moore has never been sent down to the AHL since his true NHL career started in 2005, and for a journeyman that is absolutely amazing. I guess "solid enough" is his memo. But still, why can't a guy who has been given so many opportunities to succeed, find consistency on one team?

I don't understand why Dominic Moore can't fit a system. I don't see how he can underperform because he's never performed at a high enough level to be considered an underachiever. He's a fourth, maybe third line center. If he can win you a bunch of face-offs, skate hard and score a goal every once(that's exactly what he does) then I'm not sure why you keep dishing him to different teams. He's never made more than 1.1 million in a single year so his contract should never be an issue. There is no reason, at least to the naked eye, why Dom Moore should ever be traded.

Guess that's just the life of a journeyman, a guy everyone respects, but no one wants(or at least wants to keep). He looks like a quality player from afar, but I guess he's far from it.  We'll never know what goes on the life of Dominic Moore or several other journeymen that fill the ranks of many NHL teams' fourth lines.

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It's All About Me: Wide Receivers in The NFL

Moss and Carter both came under serious scrutiny for letting their egos get the best of them.

Over the course of the history of the NFL there have been various overwhelming personalities providing us with some of the most special and ugly moments in the league's history. Most of these outspoken players happened to play the wide receiver position and that is far from a coincidence. Guys like Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss and Jerry Rice have all had illustrious careers that were plagued(at times) by their own selfish personalities. But selflessness is not a wide receiver trait.

Many of the all-time wideout greats were tirelessly selfish. They always wanted the ball, most of the time for good reason. Wide receiver is an offensive "skill" position that is much different from the quarterback or running back positions. Wideouts have very little say over when they are going to get the ball. They can beat their defender like a rented mule, yet if the quarterback doesn't see them, their efforts go to waste. That's why wide receivers have to sometimes be self-serving. They need to let the quarterback know that they can burn this DB like a Sunday cookout, and if the QB doesn't get it the first time, it is necessary for the wideout to then drill it into his head. Their me-first attitudes are solely fueled by their lack of control over when they get the ball, no matter how wide open they get.

With their sometimes selfish attitudes, comes serious scrutiny. Moss, Owens and Ochocinco were the most recent players to have their careers fade out thanks to their vicious egotistical attitudes. But without those attitudes they couldn't be who they were. They wouldn't have have that killer instinct to make the plays they did and amass the absurd stats they did over their careers. Differently from the likes of Irvin and Rice who stayed relatively appreciated by teammates, the former three let their egos get the best of them. But even Irvin and Rice had their outbursts. This goes for plenty of receivers over the course of the NFL; selfishness, to a degree, is necessary for success in the NFL at WR.

Most people, including plenty of NFL players, are turned off by the attitudes of star wide receivers. Situations with these egotistical wideouts sometimes gets ugly, especially when you see guys like Owens or Moss throwing tantrums on the sideline when their QB missed a wide open look. But their dominating personalities actually add to their skill set. Sometimes they get sick of commanding cornerbacks and start exerting their influence over their own QBs, however that's when things go south. Many don't enjoy Michael Irvin and Cris Carter's boisterous egos on NFL Sunday Countdown, but that's just because they were wide receivers.

Wide receivers are about as dramatic as bi-polar actresses in Hollywood; you can't stand their guts, but god damn do you need them.

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Landon Donovan Is Everton's Player Of The Month, Must Stay

Landon Donovan needs to stay at Everton.

ESPN.com-Landon Donovan has been picked as Everton's player of the month for January for the second time in three years.

The American midfielder, on his second short-term loan to the Toffees from the Los Angeles Galaxy, assisted on five of Everton's eight goals in January. He added another assist last weekend.

Donovan, who received the award on Tuesday night, completes this loan with Saturday's fifth-round FA Cup match against Blackpool.

"It feels good," Donovan told Everton TV. "I think there was a point in January where no one was too happy with the way things were going, but the last few weeks have been a welcome change and a lot better, and it's been a lot more fun to be a part of, for sure."

Highlights included a 1-0 Premier League victory over first-place Manchester City.

"Any time you can beat the leaders it's a pretty special night," Donovan said, "and my dad was there that night, so it made it a little extra special for me."

Two years ago, Donovan scored two goals in 13 games during his first loan to Everton.

"It has a lot of similarities, the way it feels, to the first time," the 29-year-old told Everton TV. "I don't think anything will replicate that first trip here, but I've really enjoyed it. It's been a little easier in a way because I know the people, I know the roads, I know the area."

Landon Donovan was loaned to Everton for the second time in as many years back in December. His first stint was solid, this most recent stint has been magnificent. LD's success in the English Premiership means one thing; he must stay.

Everton has expressed interest in the past(as I'm sure they do now) to sign Donovan full-time, but Landon has had some serious desire to stay with his MLS club L.A. Galaxy. Well, it's time to move on bud. It's time to grow up and finish your career off in the real soccer world. I know it has been a fairytale story over in L.A. winning two MLS titles and enjoying the spotlight, but that is in the past now. You have an opportunity to not only improve your abilities overseas, but also open the door for future U.S. players to do the same thing. Major League Soccer in the United States will probably never make it. But it's only opportunity to do so comes with the improvement of U.S. soccer as a whole, not by adding a bunch of superstars Americans have never heard of.

I'm pretty sure Donovan has this idea that if he leaves the Galaxy for good that the MLS will crumble. But  he also needs to realize that despite the league's growth over the years, it hasn't cracked mainstream America or mainstream soccer period. The MLS is still a joke. That's why it doesn't matter if Donovan stays or bolts for the Premiership. He should take after his star U.S. teammate, Clint Dempsey, who left the MLS for England after only three years and never looked backed. LD has one more World Cup chance left in his life grab bag, so why not go into it playing elite soccer on an elite level. Being named "Player of The Month" on any premiership team is an accomplishment, to do it on Everton, is downright impressive. Donovan has the ability to do that consistently just like his American teammate, Dempsey, who was voted Fulham's "Player of the Year" last year.

So Landon, listen here. You are playing the best soccer in your entire life. Your Premiership club wants you to stay, and they just awarded you "Player of The Month." It's time to grow up and do what is best for United States Soccer, and no, that is not saving the MLS. It's about honing your skills on the brightest stage. It's about giving this last World Cup go-around every ounce of talent you have in your body. It might even be about creating yourself a nice little English legacy.

Everton is screaming for you Landon. Please stay.

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