Mark Cuban does not take chances

How's this for diversifying your bonds?

Mark Cuban just invested a bunch of money in the fledgling United Football League. Yes, that Mark Cuban -- the same Mark Cuban who owns a perennial playoff player in the Dallas Mavericks and is at no shortage for money.

So why, oh why, would he throw some cash at a second-rate football league?

Cuban said one reason he joined the ownership group now was because of the timing of a potential NFL lockout of the 2011 season, which would focus more attention on the UFL.

"It will make things really interesting, potentially," Cuban said. "Now if there's not a lockout, it's a valid league. But, that just made it more interesting."

In other words, Mark Cuban probably doesn't think there will be an NFL in the season after next.

If he's right, he could make a killing on what is probably just a drop in his ocean of money.

If he's not, he probably won't even notice the difference in his bank account.

It's a win-win situation for Cuban.

Now if only the NFL could say the same thing about its own labor dilemma...

Draft day arrives; rampant unease in DC

The NFL draft is tonight; the first round will be broadcast in prime time for the first time ever.

Most Washington Redskins fans are understandably nervous as can be about the draft. There are rumors abounding that the Redskins will do a number of things:

1. Acquire OU's Sam Bradford. AOL Fanhouse reported that the Redskins are the only team in discussion with the Rams for the first overall pick and generally speaking, Bradford's rights. This would be a monumental and shocking move for the Redskins, who are generally quiet in terms of blockbuster trades on draft day. Bradford would likely sit behind Donovan McNabb for a year, learning the ropes, then take over once McNabb's time is up in DC. The consequence of this scenario is the Redskins miss out on a left tackle prospect which they desperately need.

2. Draft Tennessee safety Eric Berry at No. 4. The Washington Post's Rick Maese speculates that Berry could be the pick because he is close to the very top of the Skins draft board and is a game-changing player in the mold of Ed Reed. A lot of people are decrying this possibility because the Skins have more pressing needs than safety, namely O-line. But consider Reed. The Ravens picked him 24th; do you think they'd pick him 4th and pay him 4th pick money, after all he's done? Yes. But the unknown value of Berry may prevent the Skins from pulling a move that would be shocking as well.

3. Draft an offensive tackle. This option has the fewest detracting elements. The Skins are in dire need of o-line help. There is a great left tackle prospect, Oklahoma State's Russell Okung, staring at them. There is little chance a team before the Skins picks him, though the Lions just may.

My brain tells me Russell Okung is the pick. The Redskins have huge holes on the offensive line, without other substantive picks to help address that issue.

But my heart, still heavy from the tragic loss of Sean Taylor, thinks Berry could be the most talented player in the draft. The comparisons to Ed Reed also don't mention Berry was a hitter at Tennessee; he is almost a perfect cross of Taylor's hitting (though not quite as outlandish) and Reed's ball skills. He could be the NFL's next dominating safety and does not have the kinds of concerns that LaRon Landry had coming out of college. In fact, drafting Berry to play free safety could allow the Redskins to shift Landry to his natural strong safety position. The move could work and may yet happen.

Draft week arrives; Redskins offer not a single clue

Draft week has arrived. The NFL Draft will be moving to primetime this year, with the first round being broadcast Thursday evening, rounds 2-3 coming on Friday, and rounds 4-7 on Saturday. Commentary on that change will come a bit later..for now the focus is the Redskins and their complete and utter lack of giving fans a clue on what they'll do on Thursday night.

A refresher: the Skins have only one pick in the top 100 (No. 4 overall). They have a pick in the 4th round (No. 5, 103 overall), in the 5th round (No. 4, 135 overall), and in the 7th round (No. 7, 211 overall). The Skins' four picks are the lowest of any team in the NFL; some teams have 3 times that number of picks. And some teams have more picks than that in the first 100 picks.

So the million dollar question is what will the Redskins do?

The smart money is that they draft Oklahoma State's Russell Okung at No. 4 overall. Any rumors of the Skins moving up in the draft to secure Okung or take someone else seem to be just that, rumors. From there, the picture is very murky.

Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen seem unwilling to wait for things to fall into their lap, and Denver was always active in the draft trade market. Look for the Redskins to find a trading partner in the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are in need of a QB, but don't want to stick a rookie QB behind a decimated offensive line. The Redskins are trying to unload a QB with above average arm strength, one Jason Campbell. Hello 3rd round pick (The Bills own a pick in every round, and have two in both the sixth and seventh rounds).

Then there is the little (no, huge) matter of Albert Haynesworth. The Redskins recently paid Haynesworth a $21 million roster bonus, believed to be among the largest checks ever written by an NFL team to one player. He is reportedly unhappy with the new regime's decision to move him into the nose tackle position in a 3-4 defense and to show his displeasure, did not attend voluntary minicamp this weekend. There is almost no doubt the Skins tried to trade Haynesworth in the McNabb deal, foolish as that would've been. But there is a decent chance they'll move him soon. Shanahan recently said:

"...No, we're not going to trade him at all, unless someone gives us something we would have to consider -- that's pretty standard with any player on your roster. He's a pretty smart guy. He's really talented. I think I can get that out of him.''

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, the key to unlocking Shanahan's comment is to notice he said "...unless someone gives us something we would have to consider..." This surely means the Redskins are all ears if the Tennessee Titans (who may not want to deal with the Redskins after submitting evidence they believed proved the Redskins tampered with Haynesworth) come calling on draft day. The Titans have 9 picks in this year's draft, including a 1st rounder (No. 16 overall), and two 3rd-rounders (Nos. 13 & 33, 77 and 97 overall). A possible, but unlikely deal: the Titans send the No. 16 pick (and probably another pick or two) to the Redskins in exchange for Haynesworth, with the Skins then looking at taking Tennessee's Dan Williams, regarded as the best nose tackle prospect in this year's draft.

It seems unlikely the Redskins would trade Haynesworth to Detroit. Detroit has the second overall pick in the draft and with that pick (with Sam Bradford likely off the board) looking to take a highly-regarded defensive tackle, either Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh or Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy. But, if the Redskins were to trade Haynesworth to Detroit and allow Haynesworth to reunite with his former position coach, Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz, that would fill their defensive tackle void and then allow the Lions to take Okung at No. 2. Surely that's an outcome the Skins don't want.

But overall, there are not a lot of firm rumors about the Redskins draft plans. They've brought in the usual number of high-profile prospects to work out, but it appears Redskins fans will have to exercise some patience in finding out what the Burgundy and Gold do this weekend.

The NBA Lockout: Numbers behind the numbers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have the NBA's best record, the world's most valuable player and a perfect attendance capacity.

Yet they're set to lose $10-15 million this season, according to a report from the New York Daily News.

It's a stunning case study that shows just one reason why The Association might be headed to a lockout in 2011.

It may be the economic climate, it may be the league's organization, it may be the product, but no matter how you slice it, not many teams are making money these days.

It's one reason why deliberations over the collective bargaining agreement will inevitably reach an impasse. As per the last CBA, players take home 57 percent of all basketball related income.

Commish David Stern wants to drop it to around 45 percent.

That's a drop-off of 12 percent -- a whole lot of moolah.

To make up for the staggering losses their teams are seeing these days, franchises are finding ways to cut costs. They're laying off employees at every level of management. They're cutting halftime performers. They're settling for lesser players and coaches at lesser salaries.

But ultimately, it's the players who see the most money. And those in possession of money rarely forfeit it willingly.

It's all setting up for an ugly showdown. Players believe it's the system that need tweaking. Owners believe it's the players that deserve less.

Will the NBA bounce back? If Lebron James' franchise can't stay in the black under the current setup, I don't see why the league will, either.

NBA First-Round Playoff Matchups

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland vs. (8) Chicago
This series is one of the easiest ones to predict in the whole lot. The Cavs have this year's MVP and one of the greatest big men of all time (although he isn't half of what he used to be). While I think this one is going to be a sweep, there is a chance that Derrick Rose's sheer athleticism, Joakim Noah's heart, and the great fans of Chicago can allow the Bulls to steal one. However, this series is all Cleveland.

(2) Orlando vs. (7) Charlotte
The Bobcats reaching the post-season is one of the best stories of the whole year. Larry Brown has done a great job this year leading this deep team to the playoffs. Only problem is they are playing the best defensive team in the league with the best defensive player and big man in the league, Dwight Howard. This combined with the newly acquired Vince Carter and a bench full of very good roll players are going to make trouble for the Bobcats.

(3) Atlanta vs. (6) Milwaukee
This is one of the most intriguing series in the East. If Milwaukee continues into the playoffs playing how they did since acquiring John Salmons from the Bulls at the trade deadline, they have a legit shot at knocking off the Hawks. Jerry Stackhouse and Kurt Thomas will give this team the veteran leadership they need if they want to pull the upset. The Bucks will have to find an answer for Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and leading candidate for sixth man of the year, Jamal Crawford. This will be one of the most fun series to watch.

(4) Boston vs. (5) Miami
The Celtics have had a disappointing year for the most part, despite reaching 50 wins. The additions of Rasheed Wallace at the beginning of the season and Nate Robinson at the trade deadline have not helped the aging big three very much. Even though they will be considered favorites, the Heat have a chance to creep up on them and cause trouble, led by their star Dwayne Wade, one of the five best players in the league.


Western Conference

(1) Los Angeles vs. (8) Oklahoma City
The Lakers have the 1 seed in the West, which isn't that great of a surprise to anyone, considering they are the defending world champions. What is a surprise, however, is who they are playing. The Thunder have had one of the great turnarounds in recent years, improving to a 50-32 record from 23-59 last year. Kevin Durant is the scoring champion of the league, averaging just over 30 ppg, and a legitimate MVP candidate. The rest of the young players like Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook are having breakout seasons. It might be crazy to pick the Thunder to upset the Lakers, a team with Kobe Bryant, but this series is going to be better than many people probably think.

(2) Dallas vs. (7) San Antonio
This is going to be yet another good series. Dallas have been talked about all year as one of the teams who could beat the Lakers. Some think that they have a good chance to win the championship. And why not? The team has Dirk Nowitzki, a 7-foot power forward with as sweet a shot as anybody in the league. There is Jason Kidd, a veteran who will go down as one of the greatest point guards of all time by the time he retires. Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and Deshawn Stevenson came to Dallas from Washington in the middle of the season and have only helped. Contributions from Shawn Marion and Jason Terry will likely help them get past the Spurs. But anyone who has watched the NBA over the past decade knows to never sleep on the Spurs. This team has been there many times and even though they won't be the favorite in this series, they know how to win playoff games and series. And they have Tim Duncan.

(3) Phoenix vs. (6) Portland

Good thing the Suns didn't get rid of Amare Stoudemire before the trade deadline, as many thought they would. I don't know if all the trade talks fueled his fire, but Amare has been playing inspired basketball since then and has been arguably the most valuable player for the past two or so months. He has been getting plenty of help from his Canadian point guard, who led the league in assists this year, and a strong supporting cast consisting of Jason Richardson, Leandro Barbosa, and rookie Robin Lopez. The devastating news that Brandon Roy will be missing the series is bad news for the Trail Blazers and makes their chances of competing in this series not great. Marcus Camby, acquired at the trade deadline, and Andre Miller, who has been a solid point guard for his whole career, will not be enough for the Blazers to pull an upset. The only way that they have a chance to take a game or two from the red hot Suns is if Nate McMillan, who has been one of the best coaches in the league all year, can out coach Alvin Gentry.

(4) Denver vs. (5) Utah

Ever since coach George Karl left the team to receive treatment for cancer, the team has been on a seemingly downward spiral. The team have had problems meshing since his departure and it just doesn't seem like they are capable of winning a seven game series at this point. If they are going to win, they are going to need Chauncey Billups to take the leadership roll and psych up his teammates. As great of a story it would be if they Nuggets could advance without Karl, it doesn't seem likely. The Jazz present a strong team, led by Deron Williams, one of the three best point guards in the league. If Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer can be outstanding, Utah have a very good chance to win this series and advance.

Zen Master Takes Low Blow at Durant

The comments that Lakers' coach Phil Jackson recently made about the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant were completely out of line.

He recently said that Durant getting to the line too much, saying that the refs are calling too many fouls on him. This is most likely Jackson trying to get into the head of the 21-year-old who has never been in a playoff series before in the NBA.

While it might be a good strategy to throw Durant off his game, I think that it is in poor taste to provoke somebody this young and inexperienced.

Instead of taking shots back at the NBA legend, Durant responded in a very calm and casual fashion.

According to The Oklahoman, Durant said "That's a part of my game, getting to the free-throw line and being aggressive. If you say that I get superstar calls or I get babied by the refs, that's just taking away from how I play. That's disrespectful to me."

What Phil might not know is that he made 756 free throws this past season shooting 90%. That is an unbelievable statistic and, for my money, the most underrated stat of the season. The fact that he is trying to take away from that amazing accomplishment is not the right thing to do for somebody who hasn't been in the league this long.

Durant is on his way to his first playoff appearance and has had a breakout season, emerged as a legitimate superstar. Unfortunately for him, his first round opponent are the last year's champions, full of veteran players who have been to the playoffs multiple times.

The Thunder and Lakers will meet in the first round of the playoffs as the 8th and 1st seeds, respectively. Some think that the Thunder will be able to give the Lakers a run for its money because of their health issues. Others think the Thunder are too young and don't stand a chance in this match up.

Regardless of the outcome, it will surely be entertaining and interesting to see if the young Thunder can hold their own against a team full of veterans and arguably the greatest coach in the history of the game.

The Villain

This will be my last post, and I hope to drop science on you one last time on the game of imaginary baseball. Both my teams are in the top three in their respective leagues currently, powered by the hot starts of Curtis Granderson, Jason Heyward, Ryan Howard, Rickie Weeks, Tim Lincecum and Matt Garza. I've told you who I hate and who I love and why, I told you why I'm obsessed with the youngins, and I've told you why someone would pay 26 dollars in an auction for 120 innings of Stephen Strasburg (alcohol). The last piece of information will be a warning on which owners to avoid, and I'll use the most evil, cunning, dastardy antihero in all of fantasy baseball as my example: my best friend and former roommate, Collin Berglund.

Some of you may know Collin, as he's a student of the Philip Merrill School of Journalism. He's also a government and politics major with a penchant for seeking out the lesser owners of a fantasy baseball league and pilfering their teams via trade. He's orchestrated deal after deal after deal that include 8 or more players changing sides, effectively confusing the opposing owner with so many names, thereby rendering them incapable of realizing that they're in fact worsening their team in every way.

How does he do this, year after year? He proposes deals to everyone in the league. Some bite, some don't. The ones who don't he erases from his mind - they're not willing to play his game, so he doesn't waste his time. The ones who bite, he proposes one reasonable deal trading inconsequential players back and forth. Then he continues to propose deals until he can pull off a blockbuster like the one he just did (Collin is Providence Grays, and he's giving up the players below his team name):


Providence Grays________Jabula
Kurt Suzuki____________Brian McCann
Chase Utley____________Evan Longoria
Nelson Cruz____________Jacoby Ellsbury
David Aardsma__________Brian Roberts
Jason Frasor___________Chris Pérez


On paper, this looks like a relatively fair deal. Utley and Cruz are on fire right now. Roberts is hurt. Aardsma and Frasor are two closers, Perez is only a stopgap until Kerry Wood comes back.

A look deeper, however, shows just how sinister this trade is. Giving up Utley means almost nothing to Collin: he has Ian Kinsler, who might be the second-best 2B in the league, on his bench. He's essentially trading the difference between Utley and Kinsley for Evan Longoria, which is basically trading 6 HR, 25 RBI, 10 points of batting average, and a few negative steals for Evan Longoria. Which is absurd. Beyond that, he can just trade Roberts when BR is healthy to any one of a number of insane Orioles fans in our league who value him too highly.

The next level just gets even worse. He's selling high on Cruz (leading the majors in HR and RBI) for a proven commodity in steals in Ellsbury. Collin lacks team speed, and has an abundance of HR and RBI, and will only have more with Evan Longoria joining his posse. Ellsbury led the majors in steals last year. His one offensive weakness gets solved in one fell swoop.

Finally, the coup de gras on this abomination of a trade: the other three players. Frasor just lost the closer's job today. It's been officially announced. He's essentially worthless. Aardsma is admittedly solid, but so is Perez. Perez doesn't have the job locked up, but saying he'll lose it when Kerry Wood is healthy is pretty much like saying Mark Prior is making a comeback: it ain't going to happen. Wood doesn't stay healthy, the job is Perez's.

Furthermore, Kurt Suzuki is a below-average catcher. We're in a 10-team league that starts only one catcher. Which means that if a catcher isn't one of the top-10 catchers in the league, he's completely replaceable and not worth owning. Suzuki is completely replaceable and not worth owning. Brian McCann, however, as far as catchers go, is somewhere between incredibly valuable and ridiculously valuable. With career averages of .294, 21.5 HR, 91.5 RBI and 2 steals, and never below 18 HR or 87 RBI in any of his years. He's never missed significant time with injury and he's only 26. Pretty much as good as it gets from a catcher not named Joe Mauer (and he's not much worse than Mauer). Oh, and he's getting Brian Roberts, a top-5 2B. Just thought I'd remind you of this.

The most incredibly dastardly part of all this is that the victim, in this case Jabula (not his real name), always defends his side of the trade. Collin is such a good spin artist that he can successfully convince someone that they are not getting swindled, and that they're making out well in the deal. Mind-blowing.

This is why Collin has placed in first in every single fantasy baseball league he's ever been in except for one, where he came in third. Destroying other owners' teams and building a mega-team for himself by what I can only surmise is his form of an Irish Jedi Mind Trick is a pretty good way of consistent fantasy dominance.

I should re-state that he is one of my best friends and I love the guy, but he's pure evil. It would be more tolerable if he wasn't so damn good at it. Add in the fact that he's a Red Sox fan, and I have no idea why I like him so much.

A Look Back

Since Jeff already predicted the NHL playoff picture (I don't know about that Capitals-Penguins match-up though), I think I'll take this post in a different direction. The Washington Post has an interesting graphic on how the Capitals have made it to this point.

Every Caps fan probably remembers the 2005-2006 season as the year of Ovechkin's debut. But the year was notable for a number of other players. In fact, eight other players currently on the roster were added that season, including notables like defenseman Mike Green.

After the 2003-2004 season, team ownership decided to blow up the team and rebuild from scratch. After the lockout in the 2004-2005 season, they brought in the core of their young team in 2005-2006. The first season was rough going, and the team won just 29 games. The next season, they regressed and won just 28. But in 2007-2008 -- the same year they added Nicklas Backstrom -- the win total jumped to 48 and the Caps made the playoffs for the first time since 2002-2003.

Not only did the move pay off in the short run, but it should pay off in the long run as well. The Cap's stars are all young, and the team is prepared to be an NHL force for years to come. But it all started with the addition of those players in the 2005-2006 season.


A closing thought: The NHL is notorious for playoff upsets. For proof, see this article.

An excerpt:
"In 30 top seed-vs.-eight seed series (one in each conference every year), the eighth seed has won better than once every four tries."

So the Cap's playoff success is not guaranteed, even in the first round. They'll need to maintain their focus in every series, even the first one, to win a Stanley Cup.

My Top 10

Here are my top 10 picks for the 2010 NFL Draft!

1. St. Louis Rams: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

2. Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

4. Washington Redskins: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

6. Seattle Seahawks: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

7. Cleveland Browns: Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

8. Oakland Raiders: Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland

9. Buffalo Bills: Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

10. Jacksonville Jaguars: Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

ACC coaching shakeups

The coaching carousel has continued to spin, this time making stops in the ACC. Recently Clemson and Wake Forest both hired new coaches to lead their basketball programs.

It’s reported that Wake Forest has decided to hire Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik to replace the recently fired Dino Gaudio. Gaudio, who was a master recruiter, had difficulty getting his highly ranked players to play at their true potential and there is no question the team’s poor NCAA Tournament play factored in to his firing.

But the hiring of Bzdelik is a bit puzzling. While he had success at Air Force in 2005 and 2006, he really didn’t do much in his three-year stint at Colorado. I suppose he has some name recognition, but he’s not that relevant on the East Coast. It will be mighty interesting to see if he can compete with the likes of Coach K, Roy Williams, and Gary Williams.

Clemson also just hired Brad Brownell from Wright State to replace Oliver Purnell, who stunningly decided to leave Clemson to go to DePaul. In four years at Wright State, Brownell went 84-45 and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2007.

Clearly though there is a difference between the Horizon League and the Atlantic Coast Conference. This is the type of hire that you really can’t judge for a few years because he is a bit of an unknown. It’s hard to know whether a coach can adjust from moving to a small mid-major to a major conference school.

Although they most certainly would not have gotten rid of Purnell, his decision to leave could benefit them. Purnell restored some credibility to the program but was unable to ever make it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. There is a niceness in knowing that your coach will always get you competing for a bid to the Big Dance, but it has to be frustrating to also know it’s doubtful that said coach will take you anywhere far.

NBA vs. College Basketball

I love the NBA.

I love the game for the set plays, incomparable talent, freakish athleticism, and fast pace. There are few things in life better than witnessing a perfectly executed backdoor cut or pick and roll.

You don’t get this type of stuff on a nightly basis anywhere else.

I always find myself in conversations (or arguments) about which is better, college or pro. People blast the NBA and its players because they don’t think that the players work hard enough and are just earning a paycheck.

If you think that is true, YouTube old footage of Allen Iverson on the 76ers or watch Steve Nash or Amare Stoudemire in any Phoenix Suns game. Try telling me that they aren’t giving it their all.

Or watch the next Oklahoma City Thunder game to see Kevin Durant, a 21-year-old, go the length of the court and pop a mid-range jumper. It is truly amazing to think that somebody my age could do such things with such ease.

Put on a Lakers or Cavaliers game and watch Kobe or Lebron get all of his teammates involved, doing whatever they have to in order to lead their teams to victory. These players can seemingly drive to the hole at will or make big shots whenever it is necessary.

While some players might seem lackadaisical on the court, there are plenty of players who leave it all out there and work their butts off.

For insight on the game of basketball, listen to Hubie Brown break down every single thing occurring on the court. He knows why everyone, both coaches and players, do everything and tells you what they are doing right or wrong. The man is a wizard of the game of basketball and a complete pleasure to listen to. The NBA’s John Madden, if you will.

There is nobody in the game of college basketball like Hubie.

The main point that I try to make whenever I am comparing NBA to college is that the NBA consists of the BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD. That should be the end of the conversation right there. If you love the game of basketball, why wouldn’t you want to see the best players in the world play the game on a nightly basis?

Some say that the game isn’t played the right way. That there are too many ball hogs and all of the players’ egos get in the way of the game. This might be true to some extent, but their egos give the game personality. It isn’t like watching boring college players with little personality chucking up threes and turning the ball over.

When I watch basketball, a game I admire so much, I want to see the best players in the world showing off their talents and entertaining me.

That is why I love the NBA.

A Few Last Thoughts on the Ravens (and the Draft)

from www.baltimoreravens.com

from www.baltimoresun.com

This blog and this news article do a darn good job of saying the same thing - with the five draft picks the Ravens have, they can do a good job of adding quality players. What do we need? A corner, maybe a kicker, a defensive end, a defensive tackle, and (who knows) maybe another wide receiver. With a relatively small number of picks, you need to make sure the guys you choose have an impact. Honestly, I'm not that worried about the team doing a bad job in that department. They have a pretty good draft history, except for a few exceptions (Kyle Boller comes to mind).

There is some cause for concern, though, when comparing the Ravens' draft status to that of the rest of the teams in the AFC North. 5 picks is, well, a tad lower than the other teams - Pittsburgh has 11, Cleveland has 10, and Cinci has 9. With the new Draft format, it will be interesting to see how all the teams use that to their advantage, or if it just ends up being somewhat disastrous.

These five picks (one - 1st round, one - 2nd round, two - 5th round, one - 6th round) tie the lowest number in franchise history. GM Ozzie Newsome, however, doesn't seem that concerned. He said (quoted in the above-mentioned Baltimore Sun article), "I'm better off with Anquan Boldin than I am to be sitting here with six picks." However, there has been speculation that the team will trade down to obtain more picks. I guess we'll see how it all pans out.

Final, completely random and completely subjective note: I'm a Baltimore fan forever, and can we just pause a moment to think about how hard it is for me knowing that a Ravens team so good is waiting in the wings...and I have to wait around and sit through every painstaking O's game until then. How many more months until football?

NHL Playoff Predictions

Who will be awarded Lord Stanley's Cup this year?

The Capital's are Vegas' favorites, and an EA Sports simulation ended with the Blackhawks as champions.

However, one thing is certain: The next two months of playoff hockey are going to be incredible to watch, and filled with drama and fascinating story lines.

No one can predict the future, but here is my best shot:

Round 1
Eastern Conference

#1 Washington vs. #Montreal
Two teams going in opposite directions. Washington steamrolls the Habs in 4.

#2 New Jersey vs. #7 Philadelphia
This one's interesting, because the Devils are only 1-4-1 against the Flyers this season. Philly's defense will make it difficult for the Devils to score, but this is exactly why the devils acquired elite scorer Ilya Kovalchuk at the trade deadline. New Jersey in 6.

#3 Buffalo vs. #6 Boston
If you can't watch low-scoring hockey, don't watch this series. Buffalo's Ryan Miller (Team USA's goalie) has been amazing this season, but Boston's young goalie Tuukka Rask was brilliant down the stretch. Call me crazy, but I think Boston's offense is more built for the playoffs than the Sabres'. Boston in 7.

#4 Pittsburgh vs. #5 Ottawa
The Sens always give the Pens trouble, and expect this series to be no different. However, the Senators will find difficulty shutting down Pittsburgh's deep collection of scoring threats in a seven game series. Pittsburgh in 6.
Western Conference

#1 San Jose vs. #8 Colorado
The Sharks are infamous for choking in the playoffs after dominating the regular season, and the upstart Avalanche will definitely give them a scare. But once the Sharks find their rhythm a few games into the series, they're superior talent will seal the deal. San Jose in 6.

#2 Chicago vs. #7 Nashville
The Blackhawks are loaded with talent, but they never know what kind of goaltending their going to get. The Preds almost always play excellent defense with great goaltending and score enough goals to win games... and even though the 'Hawks are built for a run I have a feeling this is the year Nashville finally puts it all together at the right time. Nashville in 6.

#3 Vancouver vs. #6 Los Angeles
The King's have some good role players and two of the best players in the league under 23 years old in Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, but have been madly inconsistent all year. The Canucks have scoring depth and have really dominated opponents with less talent all year. Vancouver in 5.

#4 Phoenix vs. #5 Detroit
The Coyotes' magical season in light of their ownership issues have been a great story, but the truth of the matter is Detroit has played more like a #2 seed than a #5 since the Olympics. The Red Wings have been their same old winning selves lately, and they are far more dangerous on offense. Detroit in 7.

Round 2
Eastern Conference

#1 Washington vs. #7 Boston
Boston's Chara and Rask keep it from getting out of Control, but the Capitals will be well rested and ready to go against a worn-out Bruins squad. Washington in 5.

#2 New Jersey vs. #4 Pittsburgh
The Devils swept the Penguins this year, but the playoffs are a whole different story. Both teams are armed with two elite scorers and plenty of talent. It comes down to the wire, but in the end Crosby and Malkin aren't going to lose to Kovalchuk and Parise. Pittsburgh in 7.
Western Conference

Western Conference

#1 San Jose vs. #7 Nashville
I want to pick San Jose, but I don't think the Predators will be able to score themselves on the Sharks defense and goalie Evgeni Nabakov. San Jose in 7.

#2 Chicago vs. #5 Detroit
Detroit played admirably to rebound from injuries to make the playoffs, but after two consecutive that didn't end until game 7 of the Cup finals, they won't have enough left in the tank to beat the loaded Blackhawks squad. Chicago in 6.

Round 3 (Conference Finals)
Eastern Conference

#1 Washington vs. #4 Pittsburgh
Even though the Capitals won in the regular season, all bets are off in the playoffs. The Penguins will need to give it their all to contain Washington's arsenal of weapons, but Marc-Andre Fleury has done it before. Does anyone really see Crosby losing when it matters most? Pittsburgh in 7.

#1 San Jose vs. #2 Chicago
Boy will this be a fun series to watch; both teams have plenty of elite forwards and scoring defensemen. The x-factor in a series like this is a goaltender's ability to get hot, and the Sharks definitely win in that category. Holy moly, San Jose in 6.

Stanley Cup Finals

#1 San Jose vs. #4 Pittsburgh

The Sharks can't believe they've finally got over the hump, while Crosby and co. find themselves in a familiar situation. The Penguins have to be worn out, while the Sharks are loaded and every now and then a talented team with a reputation for choking in the playoffs finally puts it all together in the two months that count (Ala Tampa Bay in 2004). San Jose in 6.

Camby helps Blazers avoid Lakers in first round of playoffs

Marcus Camby was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers from the Los Angeles Clippers before the NBA trade deadline in mid-February. This move ultimately helped the Blazers to avoid playing the Lakers in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Last night, Camby recorded 30 points and 13 rebounds as he led the Blazers, sans superstar Brandon Roy, to a 103-95 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The win locked the Thunder in at the 8^th seed, assuring that the Blazers won’t have to face the always dangerous Lakers in their first series.

According to the game story on ESPN.com, the crowd chanted Camby’s name in the closing seconds of the games, which reminded Camby of the 1998-99 seasons when the 8-seed Knicks made it to the NBA finals.

Kevin Durant finished the game with 30 points on 8 for 20 shooting.

The Thunder have been arguably the best story of the season. Durant emerged into one of the five best players in the league and will likely capture his first scoring title. Coach Scott Brooks has done a remarkable job with the team this year and appears to be frontrunner for coach of the year.

As good as the season has been so far, this young Thunder team are going to have their work cut out for them as they go up against the Lakers.

Both teams have tonight off. Thunder play the eliminated Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night and the Blazers wrap up the season against the Golden State Warriors.

The Philly Minute: The Placido Effect

I said it in 2005: “Just move Polanco to third and keep Utley at second.” I’ll take my just-dues now. Returning to the Phillies as a third baseman and replacing defensive specialist Pedro Feliz, Polanco is hitting .484 and showing no signs of slowing down. Now, with an offensive presence at third, let me go on the record again: the Phillies have the best offense in the National League, if not all of the Majors.

Try to find a hole in their roster (hint: there isn’t one). The reigning back-to-back NL Champions have 2 MVPs in their first four, and the remaining seven spots are loaded with All-Stars. And it’s not like the defense took a hit with the acquisition of Polanco; the 2009 Gold Glover is a utility infielder capable of playing on any bag.

Polanco has hit as high as .341 in his career, prompting Charlie Manuel to bat him second in the order. As a result, opposing pitchers can look forward to the second half of the Phillies’ order being as intimidating as the first. After Howard comes Werth, whose seven homers in the 2009 postseason was a league best. Then comes Raul Ibanez, who looked like the MVP up until the All-Star break last year. In the seven-hole is Shane Victorino, who would likely lead off on any other club in the world, followed by Carlos Ruiz, who proved a clutch hitter toward the end of last season with two postseason bombs and a playoff batting averages of .341.

The result is a team that you can’t count out of any game, a dynasty in the making. With the league’s best record at 6-1, this offense should coast to another division title (knock on wood). The biggest challenge facing the fightins’? Keeping all the pieces in place for years to come.

The NBA lockout: 'Setting back' dreams since 2010

You've seen the early impact of the looming possibility of an NBA lockout on the upcoming draft class, as shown earlier on this blog.

But with today's announcement that North Carolina forward Ed Davis will enter the draft as well, we now hear -- for the first time this offseason, as far as I can remember -- just how the labor strife directly contributed to his decision:

“This was a tough decision for him, because he loves Carolina, loves his teammates,’’ [Davis' father] Terry Davis, a former NBA player, said in a phone interview. “But with a possible lockout the next year, that could set him back another year. And he wanted to fulfill his dream.”

Davis projects as a first-round selection in this year's draft, and that means one thing above all for players in his position: guaranteed contract money.

Now, he'd probably rank as a better prospect were he to stay in Chapel Hill for another year, but again, what if there is no draft at all next year? It wouldn't matter if he became a bona fide lottery pick if no team could actually pick him there. Davis is taking the money and running.

“Again, it was a hard decision for Ed,’’ Terry Davis said. “ But it’s been a childhood dream to play in the NBA, and he’s happy that he’s made the next step, and is going to the next level.”

Davis is an NBA-ready defender right now, so if this is ultimate dream as his father said, it looks like the most financially prudent choice for him and his family.

It would've been a joy to watch a fully healthy Davis roaming the paint for another year in Carolina. Heck, that might have been his plan in the first place.

But once the sad reality of the situation hit home -- that there might not actually be an NBA season in 2011-12 -- it seems pretty clear that he more so belongs in a nice beach house paid for by his rookie contract than in the Dean Dome for his senior season two years from now. That's just the way it is.

Sixteen Deep: Messing with perfection

You guessed it. Another blog entry denouncing the planned expansion of the NCAA Tournament to 96 teams. Since this is a Big East-centric blog, I'll try to focus on reasons it's absolutely AWFUL for the biggest conference in the land. With 16 teams, this hurts the Big East the most in my opinion because while they will probably get the most teams in every year, there are way more cons than pros that result.

Here's a quick list of reasons I can't stand this idea.

1. Too many games. Adding 32 more games in such a short time frame is just going to make people bored. You don't get to watch most of these games anyway so what's the point?

2. Players are going to be so tired, you'll see fewer upsets. Even if the worst team to get in as a 24 seed somehow miraculously upsets a 9 seed (which is the highest seed not to get a bye) they're not going to sneak up on an 8 seed in the next round. Plus, they're going to be way too tired. Murray State won a big game against a top 12 team in Vanderbilt in one of the most exciting games of the year. That's not going to happen very frequently next year because a lot of those low seeded teams are going to be Providence or Iowa. Schools in big conferences that are not at all "mid-majors" just middling teams.

3. There's a big difference between an 8 seed and a 9 seed. One gets a BYE and the other has to play a Tuesday game. You think we debate a lot when it comes to the bubble for just making the tournament, how do you decide those differences? Nine seeds have more wins than 8 seeds in the first round anyway. It's just going to cause a lot more debate. Even if a 16 seed never beat a 1 seed, it always had as equal chance as anyone else to do damage. Win 6 games in a row. That's it. Period.

4. Office pools will obviously suffer. No one wants to fill out this bracket. It's unruly, it's complicated and there's just too much to know. The average fan probably only knows a few teams anyway. Office pools will become like playing the lottery and picking random things to happen. That'll kill the tournament's mass appeal.

5. The Big East will have had 13 teams in this year. What is the point of playing the regular season if that's the case?

6. Conference tournaments, including the Big East's, will basically be useless as well. Some teams make runs in the tournament to get off the bubble, but with this new format, few teams will have to do so since they're either in a one-bid league or already in.

7. BAD TEAMS WILL MAKE THE TOURNAMENT. If expansion is needed, then why not have 4 play-in games for the 12 seeds. Every year there's a debate about 4 or 5 teams for 2 spots. Why not just let them play for the last at-large bids. With expansion, you're just going to let teams who have no business getting in in the past.

8. The game will drastically change. Right now, every team's goal is 20 wins and a .500 record in conference. That pretty much guarantees you an in if you're in a major conference. All this does is lower expectations. Does it really matter to Notre Dame if they get a 16 or a 20 seed? No. Now all you'll need is 17 wins or something like that.

Basically, this is an awful idea. But it's coming so let's just hope it works out alright.

An Impressive Start

For many baseball fans the opening week of the season can start with a great deal of excitement and end with a great deal of frustration. For the 2010 Phillies, no such swing of emotion was ever a possibility.

The Phillies offense has started off the season on a great note, which has taken the pressure off of a starting rotation that delivered a very forgettable start to the season outside of Roy Halladay’s dominance.

Over the first six games the Phillies have put up 43 runs, while allowing just 18 en route to a 5-1 record and a one game lead in the division over the Florida Marlins. The most encouraging sign that this team will make another playoff run is that Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco, the first and second hitters in the line up, are hitting .391 and .481 respectively. In addition, Ryan Howard has hit three of the team’s six home runs so far, which is a far cry from his usual struggles in April.

What has been even more enjoyable to watch than the Phillies putting up 41 runs in their first five games has been Halladay’s first two starts with the club. Fortunately for Halladay his first start was not in Philadelphia otherwise he may have gotten booed after giving up a run in his first inning as a Phillie. Even more fortunately for the Phillies, Halladay has thrown a total of 16 innings over two starts, striking out 17 and allowing two earned runs.

Although there has not been too much to worry about so far in regards to active players, Kyle Kendrick’s debut is essentially what is keeping the Phillies from being 6-0. In his return to the starting rotation, Kendrick gave up five earned runs over four innings in a 7-5 loss to the Nationals. He will have another shot at the Nationals on Wednesday at home.

Jamie Moyer also struggled in his 2010 debut, giving up five runs over six innings, including two home runs to a Houston Astros team that had not hit any in its first four games. With starting pitcher Joe Blanton expected out for at least another week and a half, the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation seems to have reopened in the regular season.

Despite all this excitement about the team thus far, it is important to remember that the first two series were against the Nationals, who beat the Phillies three out of 18 tries last season and the Astros who have not won a game this season.

The most troubling news from this week was Brad Lidge’s stat line from his first rehab assignment at Single-A Clearwater. The wildly inconsistent closer surrendered four earned runs over two-thirds of an inning on Saturday. Thus manager Charlie Manuel will be forced to rely on Ryan Madson to close out games more than expected if Lidge continues to struggle.

There’s still 156 games left to be played in the regular season, but early indications have shown that this team should capture a fourth consecutive division title regardless of what happens with Lidge.