Can the Knicks Win without Lin

Posted By Dan Dragicevich.

The Knicks are inching closer to the playoffs but they will have to continue to do it without Lin.

The Knicks are inching closer to the playoffs but they will have to continue to do it without Lin. The New York Knicks have looked like a team that has been on a mission to end the season the right way, by making the postseason. Carmelo Anthony has stepped up big lately which is a good sign since his normal all-star stats have been missed dearly these past couple weeks. It seems as if Anthony is starting to take things a bit more personally and he is really picking his game up. In the Knicks last game against the Bulls, Anthony had 43 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block including the game tying shot at the end of regulation and then the game winning 3 pointer at the end of overtime.

Besides Anthony’s stellar play of late, the biggest headline that might be coming out of New York is still centered around Jeremy Lin. The one who is responsible for bringing Linsanity to the world has been sidelined for the past few games because of a knee injury. He even went as far as to say that he will not be able to able to participate in the first round of the playoffs if the Knicks happen to qualify for it. Is this a crushing blow for the Knicks now that their point guard is out? Or does it just mean that someone else will have to step in once again for this Knicks team?

Jeremy Lin is no doubt the savior of the New York Knicks this season but is his absence really a big deal for the Knicks? Since Lin’s massive eruption to the NBA, he is averaged below 15 points a game and his assist numbers have been reduced to a mere 5 a game. He is still their floor general on the floor but there is another young gun who has taken some of the pressure off of the starting point guard role. His name is Iman Shumpert and he has been producing numbers across the board.

Iman Shumpert is a rookie who has had limited minutes throughout the season where he has shown signs of emergence every now and again but has not stayed consistent. With the injury to Lin, Shumpert has been able to get quality minutes and has worked that to his advantage. He has gotten his numbers up around 10 points a game with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and almost 3 steals a game. Now I know this may not seem like huge numbers, but the way he has worked his way back into the 8 man rotation has really provided a spark for this Knicks backcourt. As I said earlier, he is known to be inconsistent which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because for a back to back game stretch he erupted for 25 points.

The New York Knicks have found a solid two man rotation at the point guard spot but because of injuries there is a reason for Knicks fans to be weary. With the postseason approaching quickly and the Knicks only holding a half game lead for the 8th spot in the East, The Lin injury could be worse case scenario. If the Knicks hold onto their 8th spot in the East they will most likely be going up against the Chicago Bulls who have the league’s best point guard in Derrick Rose. Without a healthy Lin, the Knicks could find trouble slowing down Rose and the strong willed Bulls team. This means that Shumpert will have to take over and have to contain Rose to a reasonable amount of points. I have seen crazy things but you never know what can happen. That’s why they play the game, folks.

Flip-Flop Howard

Posted By Dan Dragicevich.

Dwight Howard was the center piece of the NBA trade deadline even though he failed to be traded.

After digesting this story, I decided to write about it because Dwight Howard, who is loved and is seen in a positive light by many people in the NBA and the public, has been in troubled waters. Last week was arguably the most interesting week the NBA has had since it returned to play after their lockout. The focus was on the trade deadline and who could possibly be traded to another team. There were many interesting possibilities with names like Deron Williams from the Nets being moved and Pau Gasol from the Lakers; but no other player was more looked at then Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

Dwight Howard

For a while now there had been rumors about Dwight Howard wanting to leave the Orlando Magic because he believed that the coaching staff and front office personnel weren’t doing enough to bring in new talent and to contribute to a championship caliber team. For as long as Dwight Howard pleaded for that to happen it never did and Howard’s trade seemed eminent.

Days before the trade deadline, ESPN analysts had been discussing different options as to where Howard could end up as if to say that this is definitely going to happen. The Orlando Magic however, weren’t going to just let their franchise center leave without trying to retain him. By doing this they pretty much begged him to stay by saying that if you stay we will make sure we bring in new talent. This isn’t Howard’s first rodeo though and he said he would not be coming back to Orlando next season. This is where things took a turn for the worst for Howard.

After hearing that Howard didn’t want to come back to Orlando the following season, front office management decided to throw out all the stops and offer him total control of the team essentially. The Orlando Magic came back with a statement saying that if Howard stays, he has the ability to decide the fates of Coach Stan Van Gundy and the General Manager of the team…. I’m sorry but is that really necessary? I understand that Howard is a franchise player but are you really going to let him have full control of this organization and allow him to make personnel decisions? To me if a player like that wants to leave bad enough then you trade him and get as much value as you can out of him. Howard has been there his entire career and has been to the finals and has not been able to close out a championship. I say you start new and bring in a bunch of new talent and see where that takes you. There is no way I would allow a player to have so much control where he should be able to decide the fates of coaches and GM’s.

After hearing this news Howard decided to stay and said he believes there is enough talent on the team to make another championship run; this was days after he said he didn’t want to be a part of the organization anymore. Unbelievable.

For all I know he could have even flip-flopped again just because he wanted to have fun with the media who knows. Dwight Howard is a standup guy and is loyal to his team but this story just blew me away and he should have talked with some PR people before blabbing away to the media.

Fantasy Playoffs

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

A few tips to keep in mind as you approach your playoffs matchup…. If you made it.

It has been a long and tiresome season for fantasy basketball owners and all that hard work is about to pay off as the playoffs approach. Depending on what type of league you are in depends on how many people are able to reach the playoffs. For most leagues, it is usually just 4 teams; the top 2 teams in each division and then 2 wild card teams with the best records. For those lucky few teams your decisions will either make or break you and will determine whether you advance or not. For those poor souls who spent hour after hour on the waiver wire trying to improve their teams but just couldn’t; don’t fret because there is still the consolation ladder.

First off the best way to handle the playoffs is to act like it is just another week. Don’t stray away from the norm and stay with what has gotten you there. Just because a player or two is not putting up the numbers they are capable of doesn’t mean you have to drop them and try and pick someone up who has had a few good games in a row. Stay with what works and what has gotten you there and you should be in the fight.

Another thing that most people forget is that the playoff matchups are two weeks long rather than the traditional one week matchup. What this means is that you can afford to be extra patient and if someone has an injury that has kept them out of a game or two and they are an important piece to the team then you can sub them out if you can but there is no need to drop them, just wait.

A third thing that most people forget is that since this is the playoffs, one absence of a player could be the difference so you need to make sure that you are consistently checking your lineups every night in case of an injury or someone is out on rest. This sort of thing really comes into play when you have a full lineup and there are still players on your bench who have a game that night. One thing that can kill you is if you have someone sitting out and you have a fully capable player on the bench who you forgot to sub in.

Basically, the key to winning the playoffs or the consolation ladder is to make sure you are checking your lineups every night and to not worry if someone is playing poorly because more than likely they will pick it up for you. Good luck and may the best team win.

Wilson Returns

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

With Wilson Chandler back, the Denver Nuggets have a lot of options at the shooting guard and small forward positions.

As the Denver Nuggets keep pace in the Western Conference at (25-21) it seems as if they have been missing a piece to the puzzle that could be them over the top; enter Wilson Chandler.

Wilson Chandler

Before Chandler went overseas to play in China while the NBA was in their lockout, he played for the Nuggets and participated in 21 games. In those games, Chandler averaged 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 1.1 blocks and 1.2 three pointers. Considering how many games he played in those are pretty solid numbers. He also is a valuable asset because he creates a lot of mismatches for opponents because of his ability to step back behind the 3 point line.

The fact that Denver signed him to a brand new five-year deal means they are preparing to build a core group of players. Those couples of players are Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and a young point guard in Ty Lawson. Unfortunately the Denver Nuggets are still a dominant big man away from being a top team in the Western Conference. I would have been tempted to say that Nene was their big man who could get them over the hump but management decided to trade him away and retrieve JaVale Mcgee. Now Mcgee is a solid big man who can throw down and play some pretty good interior defense but his problem is that he is too inconsistent in too many ways. Some days he can go off for 25 points, 20 rebounds and 5 blocks and other days he can go for 5 points, 8 rebounds and 0 blocks. Right now Denver’s case is you get what you trade for and right now they are getting inconsistency.

Now that Wilson Chandler has resigned he will be looking for a lot of minutes and to be a big part of the offense. With the injury trend seeming to happen with Gallinari; Chandler will fit right back in and be getting steady minutes. Hopefully for him it will be like he never left.

The Masked Mamba

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

After Kobe Bryant broke his nose in the all-star game, he seems to be once again on a mission to prove himself.

Once the all-star break ended and the regular season picked back up again, Kobe Bryant told the media that he had no enemies or rivalries in the league. Although he may not show his aggression toward other players, he sure uses it for determination.

In the three games after his injury in the all-star game, Bryant has posted tremendous numbers by scoring more than 30 points in all three games. He has posted scores of 31, 38, and 33 while shooting at a percentage of over .450 from the field. In the pre-game interview before Sunday night’s game against the Miami Heat, Bryant expressed how he had no animosity towards Dwayne Wade after the aggressive foul Wade had on Bryant in the all-star game. This is a perfect example of how Bryant is one of the more wise veterans playing the game.

For someone to say that they are not upset at someone for breaking their nose and giving them a mild concussion in an exhibition match is obviously lying. Bryant never said this, but how could he not be pissed off at Wade for that? Although what Wade did wasn’t a cheap shot; there is still no reason why someone should be playing that aggressive of defense in an all-star game. In my opinion, Bryant is playing this off perfectly because by saying he isn’t mad he can pretty much do what he wants. In last night’s game against the Heat, Bryant could have taken advantage of the situation and fouled Wade as hard as he wanted and it wouldn’t have been known as a “revenge” hit because he said he wasn’t mad. Although Bryant didn’t actually foul him hard in that game, he metaphorically did by posting up 20 points on Wade in the first quarter and then methodically winning the game for the Lakers by hitting timely shots. Bryant ended the game with 33 points and a Laker win and to him that is the most important thing.

As I said before, Kobe has been an unstoppable force these past three games and it seems like if he wants to score 30 in a given night then he will. Kobe is that kind of special player that can almost do what he pleases on the court. Of course he wants to make his team better and to win games, but if he wants to prove a point and post up 30 points in 3 straight games then that is exactly what he will do.

English Premier League Recap

Posted by Marino Crocco.

It was an incredible weekend in the EPL. Manchester’s big two continue to battle for the title. Chelsea sacks their Portuguese manager. Van Persie carries Arsenal and much more.

   

Battle of the Manchester’s 

It has become a two-horse race to the finish line between Manchester City and Manchester United. They went into the weekend separated by 2 points in the standings; and it stayed that way. A Gretar Steinsson’s own goal and a strike from Italian striker Mario Balotelli gave City a rather comfortable 2-0 win over Bolton at the Ethiad Stadium on Saturday. 

Ferguson’s men faced a much tougher task on Sunday when they traveled to White Hart Lane to face third place Tottenham. In a game that the Spurs seemed like the better side, the United’s stars shined bright and proved to be devastating. A Wayne Rooney header before the half and two world class finishes by Ashley Young in the second half sealed a 3-1 victory crushing Tottenham’s title dreams. 

On Sunday March 11th Manchester City will travel to Liberty Stadium to face Swansea and Manchester United will host West Bromwich Albion at the Old Trafford fresh off a historical 1-0 win over Chelsea.

Chelsea fires coach Andre Villas Boas

Andre Villas Boas journey in the EPL lasted a little over 8 months. Following a series of poor results and a humiliating defeat on Saturday vs. bottom of the table West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea’s billionaire owner made the decision to fire the Portuguese. Chelsea’s Owner Roman Abramovich paid £14million to Porto last June to buy out AVB and now will have to pay around £11million to remove him out of his contract. Chelsea is currently 5th in the standings 3 points behind Arsenal and is fighting for their lives in Champions League down 3-1 on aggregate vs. a Napoli team that is showing no signs of slowing down. It’s certainly not the season that Abramovich and the Chelsea fans envisioned at the beginning of their campaign. 

Van Persie last minute heroics propel Arsenal

Robin Van Persie’s sensational play continues as Arsenal down Liverpool at Anfield Park on Saturday. RVP’s 90th minute strike gave the Gunners a 2-1 victory and sole possession of 4th place in the standings. Arsenal seems to be gaining momentum at the right time and will be looking to finish off strong to secure a spot in 2013 UEFA Champions League.

Poll: Which Manchester team will claim the EPL title this year?

Second Half Headlines

 Posted by Dan Dragicevich. 

Many stories headline the start of the second half of the NBA, especially the health status of Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls.

Many people believe that the Chicago Bulls are the team in the East who will contend with the Miami Heat for a spot in the finals; those people would be correct if one thing holds up.

The Bulls are a great team with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer, no question, but the issue is whether or not they can hold up injury wise for the next thirty so odd games. Derrick Rose is the biggest issue because of the talent he provides for the team, without him the Bulls are a shell of the team they are with him. Before the all-star break he was dealing with some lower back spasms that were obviously hindering his ability to slice through the lane and dish out the ball effectively.

Another player that has had some previous injury issues is Joakim Noah. Noah plays so hard and with so much intensity that he is always vulnerable to a fluke injury where he turns his knee or ankle the wrong way.

A third player who has stepped onto the injury scene lately for the Bulls is Luol Deng. Deng suffered a leg injury earlier in the year which sidelined him for a few weeks. He also fell awkwardly on his wrist in the all-star game but said he felt fine and it was comfortable.

Another big story line that is hitting the media is the emergence of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Although they only have a record of 18-17, the Timberwolves have a few players outside of Kevin Love who are stepping up. The rookie play of Derrick Williams has been outstanding as of late where he has scored 13 points, grabbed 9 boards and added a block two games ago, and after last night’s game many people could be thinking about picking him up in their fantasy league because he scored 27 points, grabbed 5 boards and again added a block.

The other player who has been flying under the radar the entire season for the T’Wolves is Nikola Pekovic. Pekovic has been quietly having a great year where he is averaged 12.5 points and 7.1 rebounds. Now those may not seem like extremely good numbers but Pekovic is consistent and every now and then he will explode with a double-double going for 30 points and 15 rebounds.

Don’t be surprised if the Timberwolves make a strong run into the postseason and possibly even knock off a team in the first round. Don’t forget they still have the double-double machine and the recent 3 point shooting champ, Kevin Love and oh yeah Ricky Rubio. Mark my words, the Timberwolves are a dangerous team.

Unusually quiet trade deadline for the NHL

Posted by Dan Cafiero.

Rick Nash was one of the big names not moved on Monday.

The NHL Trade Deadline is one of the most exciting days for hockey fans. Everyone is sitting at work watching their twitter feeds, refreshing the NHL Trade Tracker on NHL.com or watching NHL Tradecentre on NHL Network and TSN to see who or what their beloved team is going to acquire. The fans’ “wants” may sometimes differ from “needs” of the team” and that is what makes it so exciting. It’s always fun checking the rumor blogs everyday for a month leading up to the deadline, some of the rumors become done deals while others don’t get past the rumor stage. This year, it felt like none of the rumors came true. Which brings us to “the trade” that never happened.

Rick Nash, the most talented player available at this year’s deadline, was involved in all kinds of rumors for about a month. Rumors started gaining some steam in the beginning of February. Some say he was packing his bags and catching a flight to L.A while other sources had Brandon Dubinsky along with several other Rangers heading to Columbus in exchange for Nash. It was later revealed that Nash had asked GM Scott Howson for a trade out of Columbus but he never got one. When the clock hit 3pm ET, Rick Nash remained a Blue Jacket and a frustrated one to say the least. He didn’t want to wait until the summer to be traded but it looks like that is now going to be the case. The 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist told the media after practice on Tuesday that his trade request was for all the right reasons and nothing selfish. He believed the hockey club could bring back several good hockey players along with top draft picks, which would help move the rebuild along in Columbus. The New York Rangers are believed to have been the closest to acquiring Nash on Monday, offering Brandon Dubinsky, J.T Miller, Tim Erixon, Christian Thomas and a 1st round draft pick, Howson declined that offer. Therefore, for the time being, Rick Nash will remain a member and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets.  However, I do believe he will have played his last game as a Blue Jacket on April 7th when they host the New York Islanders in their final game of the season as a draft-day deal seems imminent. 

Now for the few trades that actually did occur on the February 27th, Cody Hodgson was probably the biggest name dealt. Vancouver sent the young promising forward to Buffalo in exchange for Zack Kassian. Hodgson has played with Buffalo’s Tyler Ennis and Tyler Myers in the past so it shouldn’t take him long to adjust to life in Buffalo. The Sabres also dealt the gritty forward Paul Gaustad to Nashville for a 1st round pick. This deal had many people scratching their heads. I’m not sure if Gaustad is worth a 1st round pick but obviously Nashville’s GM David Poile thought differently. He will add some toughness to the lineup, which will be needed come playoff time. The Predators have had a lot of success over the last few years but have yet to find their way to the finals. The Gaustad deal may just be another attempt to keep pending unrestricted free agent Ryan Suter in Nasvhille. Obviously the deciding factor for Suter come July 1st is not going to be whether or not Paul Gaustad is on the roster. However, it does prove that Poile is doing everything he can to improve this team and make a run at the Stanley Cup. The Predators also acquired Andrei Kostitsyn from Montreal for a 2nd round pick and a conditional 5th round pick. Kostitsyn will join his brother Sergei in Nashville who was also traded from Montreal in June of 2010.

Another fairly big trade involved defenseman Nick Schultz leaving Minnesota with Edmonton’s Tom Gilbert heading the other way. Schultz, a 2nd round draft pick in 2000, has played every game in a Wild uniform. Meanwhile, Gilbert will be returning home to Minnesota where he grew up in Minneapolis. 

In a few minor deals, the New York Islanders sent veterans Mike Mottau and Brian Rolston to Boston for 2 prospects. Tampa Bay’s GM Steve Yzerman sent Long Island native Matt Gilroy to Ottawa for Brian Lee and acquired veteran Mike Commodore from Detroit for a conditional 7th round pick in 2013. 

The biggest trades were made prior to the February 27th deadline with Columbus dealing Jeff Carter to the Kings for Jack Johnson and a conditional 1st round pick. The Rangers sent Wojtek Wolski to Florida for a 3rd round pick and Mike Vernace. The New Jersey Devils acquired Marek Zidlicky from Minnesota in exchange for former Wild players Kurtis Foster and Stephan Veilleux along with Nick Palmieri, a 2nd round pick in 2012 and a conditional 3rd round pick in 2013. With Craig Anderson out for a few weeks due to injury and uncertainty behind him, Ottawa addressed their goaltending needs by adding young Ben Bishop from St.Louis for a 2013 2nd round pick. This was a great trade for both teams with the Blues already having two all-star caliber goalies in Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot. 

All in all, this was one of the quietest trade deadlines in years. There was nearly double the amount of trades just two years ago with many more high-profile names on the move. However, there was not that big of a difference between this year and last year as far as the number of trades go. Will this trend continue next year and for years to come? There just simply were not as many sellers as we have seen in the past, which would obviously result in fewer trades. With the standings being so tight in both conferences, it seems like every GM in the league feels their team has a chance to make the playoffs. They are not going to trade any valuable pieces away if they feel they are still in the tick of the playoff race. When UFAs hit the open market on July 1st, general managers will certainly be a lot busier than this past weekend. With stars like Ryan Suter, Zack Parise and Alexander Semin set to test the open market, it should be interesting to see where they land. 

NBA All-Star Weekend

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

With the majority of the focus being on Sunday and the all-star game, are the two previous days necessary anymore?

Sunday’s all-star game has been and always will be the cherry on top of the NBA all-star weekend. With Sunday’s game being no different than usual, the fans and even the players had an entertaining night. With the lack of defense being played and the frenzy of alley-oop after alley-oop seemingly always to either Blake Griffin or Lebron James, the all-star game was a success.

What wasn’t a success about the weekend was the bevy of events that take place on Friday and Saturday leading up to the all-star game. I mean it seems like it is getting a little ridiculous with everything they have now. On Friday, they have the Sprint celebrity game and the BBVA rising stars game, on Saturday they have the D-League all-star game, the Haier shooting stars challenge, the Taco Bell skills challenge, the Foot Locker 3 point shooting contest, and the Sprite slam dunk contest, and finally on Sunday they have the All-star game. Is it me or does it seem like the NBA is having all of these events just so companies can sponsor them? Of course the NBA is out to make their money, but what happened to the days when the all-star break was all about the players and the fans just relaxing and having a good time instead of it becoming a huge advertising party?

David Stern and the NBA are heading in the right direction, especially with many other sports all-star games kicking the bucket (NFL’s Pro Bowl). But is it really necessary to have an all-star game for the D-League? The Celebrity game is one thing, because it provides the fans with names they have heard before and gives them someone and something to cheer about, but unfortunately no one has heard of anyone in the D-League and having one event at the all-star break isn’t going to attract more people to go to the games.

What they should do is get rid of Friday’s events and the Haier shooting skills contest and make everything on Saturday and Sunday. Obviously they have to keep the 3 point shooting contest and the dunk contest because those are staples, but maybe they should try and have bigger names and better dunkers join the contests. No disrespect to Chase Budinger, but do the fans of the NBA really want to see him in the dunk contest? Yes, he can dunk the ball, but what happened to when Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon used to participate in it? 

Lebron James is one of the best dunkers and high flyers of all-time and he has still yet to participate. I think if you are one of the best at what you do then you should feel responsible to participate in an event that showcases the best of the best. That’s the way it used to be and it needs to get back to that way very soon.

Network concedes to Linsanity

Posted by Jon Creem.

Jeremy Lin

If you don't live in the greater Manhattan area then you might not have known that even fans living in the Big Apple were not able to witness Harvard phenom, Jeremy Lin, inspire and ignite the Knicks to their winning ways. Time Warner, who provides the cable to the customers who watch games played on MSG, along with MSG themselves, have been in an ongoing dispute over carriage fees, or the amount of money MSG pays Time Warner to broadcast events.

Since Lin arose to the Knicks starting point guard, complaints from the New York faithful began to increase. As the outbreak of demand continued, pressure by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo drove talks from the companies to make a deal. MSG chairman, James Dolan, and Time Warner Cable chairmen, Glenn Britt, then met Monday, February 13th to finally end the dispute.

What's even more compelling is that even with the Rangers, being in first place and hockey fans fuming, it took Lin's rising celebrity status to get a deal to work. Unfortunately, no financial agreement has been made public, but according to the NY Post, after a deal was made and MSG was back on the air, the network posted a rating of 4.66 and drew 344,272 viewers. The rating was the highest since Carmelo Anthony's Knicks debut.

If your a Knicks (or Rangers) fan, add this to the thank you list for the front office to consider for next year, as contract talks will most certainly heat up as Lin continues to put the team on his back.

MLB: 10 players to watch this season

Posted by Anthony Romano.

Stephen Strasburg

1) Stephen Strasburg (Washington Nationals, SP)

Strasburg was limited to only 24 innings in 2011 as he made a successful comeback from Tommy John surgery. Looking at 2012, Strasburg will be put on an innings limit, though the number has not yet been determined. With this innings limit imposed on Strasburg, it will be interesting to see how he is used throughout the season. Can his elbow remain healthy on a normal scheduled workload? And maybe most importantly, what would the Nationals do if they happened to be in a playoff race?

2) Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants, C)
Last year, Posey was involved in a controversial collision at home plate that resulted in a broken ankle for the young star. Posey claims to be 100% heading into spring training. But it will be interesting to see how the ankle holds up. Catcher is a very demanding position and Posey is the future of the franchise. There is no DH in the National League so Posey either plays catcher or doesn’t play at all. If the ankle remains healthy, the Giants will breathe a huge sigh of relief. If it doesn’t, the future of Posey could be in serious doubt.

3) Adam Wainwright (St. Louis Cardinals, SP)
Like Strasburg, Wainwright had Tommy John surgery before the 2011 season ever began. Unlike Strasburg, Wainwright did not make an appearance in 2011 as he focused on regaining the strength in his elbow. Wainwright does not expect to be limited at all in 2012, as no innings limits will be used with him. The Cardinals won the world series without its sec last season, but they have now lost Albert Pujols to the Angels. If Wainwright can pitch like he did before the injury, the Cardinals won’t miss a beat, Pujols will be an afterthought, and another world series title could be heading back St. Louis for a second consecutive year. If Wainwright struggles, will the Cardinals keep throwing him out there every 5th day and risk another injury? The latter doesn’t seem an issue, but is always a possibility.

Matt Kemp

4) Matt Kemp (Los Angeles Dodgers, OF)
Many people believed that it was Kemp who deserved the National League MVP over Ryan Braun. Kemp finished 2011 with 39 homers and 40 stolen bases while batting .324, falling one home run shy of reaching the 40/40 club. Kemp has called it that he will be the first player in major league baseball history to have a 50/50 season. 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season is unheard of and Kemp has guaranteed he will do it. All the pressure is on Kemp as he will be closely watched day in and day out to see if he is on pace to match his guarantee. Kemp will deal with a lot media over the course of the year, but if anyone can handle it, Kemp sure can.

5) Yu Darvish (Texas Rangers, SP)
Yu Darvish was the biggest name out there when it came to starting pitchers in the offseason. A sensation in Japan for the last seven years, Darvish has the numbers to support why he was wanted by so many teams. With a 93-38 record and a WHIP under 1, Darvish will have a high reputation to live up to. The pressure will be on Darvish to impress both the Rangers organization and the nation of Japan. When the Red Sox too a gamble on Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2007, the same type of hype surrounded him. Darvish has handled the media well up to this point, but like every other major leaguer, will struggle and it will be interesting to see how he handles that type of media coverage when the time comes.

6) Manny Ramirez (Oakland Athletics, OF)
Manny Ramirez is about to get his third chance in the major leagues. The Athletics took a flier on the 39-year old after he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and retired shortly after. He has come out of retirement for at least one more year after signing with the Athletics. Manny will have to sit for the first 50 games because of the positive test. It will be interesting to see if Manny is still in baseball shape and to see if the gamble the A’s took was a good one. He is only getting paid for 112 games at the most as another chapter, and maybe the last one for good, will be written on “Manny being Manny.”

Ryan Braun

7) Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers, OF)
Ryan Braun has had a very difficult offseason. He tested positive for performance enhancing drugs after winning the MVP in 2011. Braun denied the positive test saying it was a mistake. After weeks of sitting and waiting, the arbitrators surprisingly found Braun innocent and Braun is now able to play the entire season instead of missing the first 50 games. It will be interesting to see how Braun is treated by the fans away from Miller Park and if that will effect his play. Braun is now able to play in all 162 games for the Brewers and they could’t be happier. Can he still produce the MVP-type numbers without Prince Fielder around? Only time will tell.

8) Aroldis Chapman (Cincinnati Reds, SP)
Chapman might be the hardest throwing pitcher in all of baseball. At the young age of 23, Chapman is just beginning what could be a very successful career in the major leagues. Consistently topping over 100 mph with his fastball, Chapman pairs that fastball with a deadly slider that is always keeping the batters guessing. Chapman has always pitched out of the bullpen which makes this season worth watching. The word around baseball is that he will now be used as a starting pitcher, but it remains to be seen how he will be used. At only 23 years old, the Reds do not want to over use him, but at the same time cannot ignore his superb stuff. An innings limit may be used but only time will tell.

9) Alex Rodriguez (New York Yankees, 3B)
What’s a watch list without Alex Rodriguez on it? The 14 time all star and 3 time AL MVP is under the spotlight each and every year he plays. Being in New York makes that spotlight even bigger. Last year, A-Rod was held to just 99 games as he suffered a knee injury that kept him from recording 30 home runs and 100 rbi’s in a season for the first time since 1998. Rodriguez will turn 37 years old just before the trade deadline. The Yankees do not plan on using him as the primary designated hitter, but with the number of injuries seeming to increase for A-Rod, he might have to.

10) Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies, 1B)
Howard tore his achilles back in October and has been rehabbing it ever since he got surgery. He will not be ready for Opening Day when the Phillies travel to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates on April 5th. Howard may very well miss the first month or so of the season. He will have to play 1st base when he returns and it will be interesting to see how the achilles holds up. Howard is a force in the middle of the Phillies lineup that very much needs him. His power threat helps others like Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins have better seasons offensively. Without Howard, the Phillies making it to the postseason become just a little more difficult.

UEFA Champions League: English Premier teams on the brink of elimination in Europe’s top competition.

Posted by Marino Crocco.

EPL is in danger of having no representation in the 2012 Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 1996.

Chelsea, along with Arsenal, is one of the only EPL teams left in Champions League.

When Ezequiel Lavezzi’s 65th minute strike hit the back of the net to give Napoli a 3-1 lead over EPL giants Chelsea in the first leg of the round 16, Portuguese manager Andres Villas Boas walked back to his bench and sat down in disbelief. 

Barring a sensational comeback at the Stamford Bridge and the Emirates Stadium in the following weeks vs. Napoli and AC Milan, Chelsea and Arsenal will be joining the two Manchester clubs in front of their TV sets, at home, watching the quarterfinals of Europe’s biggest competition. In fact,  this will be the first time since 1996 that England will have no representation in the quarterfinals of Champions League.  This is a big blow for the star-studded EPL, who claims to be the “best soccer league in the world” 

Is the EPL losing its edge? Or, is this just a year to forget? England’s fate is in the hands of Arsenal (down 4-0 on aggregate) and Chelsea (down 3-1) and they will need a miracle to advance and avoid what could potentially be one of the most embarrassing Champions League campaigns.

Hey, but it’s sports. Anything can happen.. 

USA Men's Soccer Roster Set

Posted by JJ Comeau.

Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann has announced a roster of 21 to start training in preparation for their February 29th match against four-time world champion Italy. Here is the roster list that Klinsmann will be working with, via US Soccer:

GOALKEEPERS (3) : Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

DEFENDERS (7) : Carlos Bocanegra (Rangers), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Michael Parkhurst (FC Nordsjaelland), Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)

MIDFIELDERS (6) : Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Jermaine Jones (Schalke 04), Jose Torres (Pachuca), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim)

FORWARDS (5) : Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund), Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)

Jurgen Klinsmann and Landon Donovan

Lebron 'Villain' James

Posted by Dan Dragicevich.

Lebron James went from savor of Cleveland basketball to Villain of the entire NBA when he decided to “take his talents to South Beach” and play for the Miami Heat.

When people hear Lebron James’ name in the media what do they think of? My guess is that they remember when he so arrogantly decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team he was drafted by, and go play for the Miami Heat. This was a big deal because of the way he did it and the fact that he let a lot of people down who brought him into this league.

Lebron James came into the league fresh out of high school as one of the most anticipated players the sport has ever seen. With his body structure, skill, speed and overall athleticism, people knew he was destined for greatness and that is exactly what he started out as. James was drafted by a horrendous Cleveland team and while he was there he managed to bring attendance up, jersey sales up and the overall hype of Cleveland basketball up. He even managed to help out the economy of the city because people from all over wanted to see him play which created a boom in other businesses such as restaurants and bars. In a nut shell, Lebron James was God in Cleveland, Ohio.

Then in one full swoop his status as God came crashing down. His existing contract was up and free agency suddenly became imminent for James as every team was bidding on him to bring him to their city. Blah, Blah, Blah, we all know how this ended up. The Media made a free agency deal into a huge production and probably about 50% of why Lebron James is hated is because of the media. We all know about “The Decision” that took place on air and how ridiculous that whole thing was. We also know about how when he arrived at Miami with Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and company, that they basically had a fashion show showcasing themselves in their uniforms and where Lebron so foolishly predicted that they will win “not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven NBA titles.”

So OK, we know about how much of a jerk he is for what he did two years back but that’s not why I’m writing about this. I am writing about this because of something he said a few days ago. Lebron James is under contract with the Heat for two more years with the option of extending his contract for two more and after coming back to Cleveland for the third time to play against his old team, he was asked a very interesting question. When asked if he would ever return to Cleveland he said, “I am open to anything, I don’t know what the future holds but as long as I am healthy I wouldn’t mind coming back.” He also added that he had a lot of good times playing there and that it could be fun coming back. I’m sorry but is he serious? The arrogance of this guy is unbelievable and the fact that he would say that coming back to Cleveland would be fun is ridiculous. I don’t know what the loyalty is like in Cleveland but if the fans have any self-dignity they should openly come out and say, for lack of better words, "go screw yourself Lebron". What he did was the lowest of the low in sports especially the way he did it and to say those things is like a slap in the face to Cleveland fans.

I’m sorry Cleveland but what you have going on now with the young talent of Kyrie Irving and some of the supporting cast around him they can make some noise themselves. Give them a few more years to build and they will be in the playoff race every year.

This is just another example of why Lebron James keeps digging himself into deeper and deeper holes with people around the league, and unless he starts winning to silence some of the critics, he will be one of the most hated players ever outside of South Beach.

The rarity of a 300 win pitcher

Posted by Anthony Romano.

Will we see another 300 win pitcher in our lifetime?

Roy Halladay

There have only been 24 pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball to ever reach the milestone of winning 300 games in their career. Of the 24 pitchers who reached this milestone, 20 of them have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. So this begs the question: Do we have a chance at seeing another 300 win pitcher in our lifetime?

Not many people realize just how hard it is to reach the 300 win plateau. On average, a pitcher would need to win 15 games over a 20 season duration. Not only is the 15 wins a challenge in itself, but having a pitcher be able to complete 20 full seasons, without a significant injury, is very difficult.

Here is a list of the top five active wins leaders in Major League Baseball today:

Player - season - age - wins

Roy Halladay - 14 - 34 - 188

Tim Hudson - 13 - 35 - 181

CC Sabathia - 11 - 35 - 176

Livan Hernandez - 16 - 36 - 174

Derek Lowe - 15 - 38 - 166

CC Sabathia

Of these 5 pitchers, CC Sabathia is the only pitcher who has averaged over 15 wins a season. At the rate he is going, averaging 16 wins a season, CC could possibly become the next 300 game winner in roughly seven to eight years. This means he will need to stay away from the injury bug while still piling up the wins year after year.

Roy Halladay and Tim Hudson both average over 13 wins a season and surely have a shot at 300 wins as well. The only issue they face is their ages, as Halladay will be 35 in May and Hudson 36 in July. At the current rate both pitchers are going, Halladay and Hudson could reach 300 at 42 and 43, respectively, but will have to do it without missing any significant time due to injury.

Clearly, CC Sabathia has the best opportunity to reach 300 wins as he is only 30 years old and pitches for the offensive juggernaut known as the New York Yankees. But anything can happen in baseball and only time will tell if we will see the illustrious milestone of 300 wins reached again.