Bleacher Report - Articles by Hudson B

Nate McLouth is Headed to the Atlanta Braves

Hudson B — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:16:59 -0400

Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Atlanta Braves have traded prospects Gorkys Hernandez, Jeff Locke, and Charlie Morton to the Pittsburgh Pirates in return for all star outfielder Nate McLouth.

McLouth is just 27 years old and is signed through 2012. He should make an immediate impact for the Braves.

On the other hand, the Pirates made out big time here. They will bring up OF prospect Andrew McCutchen, who is their top prospect to replace McLouth. They also picked up three excellent prospects.

Charlie Morton has some big league experience and was sporting a 2.52 ERA at Triple-A Gwinnett before the trade. He should be with the Pirates very soon.

Gorkys Hernandez, who was rated the Braves' No. 4 prospect by Baseball America, isn't major league ready just yet, but he is only 21 years old. Hernandez is a speedy runner who can hit for an average.

The third prospect acquired, Jeff Locke, is also a highly regarded pitching prospect. At the age of 21, Locke has a solid, low 90s fastball with a power curve and a changeup. Locke dazzled the Braves in 2007, but had a mediocre 2008 and has had a less than stellar start to 2009.

This trade is win-win because it allows the Pirates to continue to develop their young team, and the Braves have added a solid bat to the middle of their lineup. It should be fun to see what happens.

John Wall Is a Wildcat, Kentucky Is Back

Hudson B — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:35:38 -0400

Earlier today, it was reported that John Wall, whom, according the Rivals.com, is the No. 1 high school prospect in the country, verbally committed to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Wall joins arguably the best recruiting class of all time, with notable players such as, Demarcus Cousins (No. 2), Daniel Orton (No. 22), Eric Bledsoe (No. 23), Jon Hood (No. 40), and Darnell Dodson.

This class joins a decent group of talent already at Kentucky, with notable forward Patrick Patterson and, potentially, Jodie Meeks. Meeks has declared for the NBA Draft, but with the recent signings, as well as the addition of John Calipari as head coach, Meeks would have to be insane to stay declared.

The potential starting lineup is frightening:

John Wall
Jodie Meeks
Demarcus Cousins
Patrick Patterson
Daniel Orton

In the SEC, which was fairly weak last season, there will be no match for the Wildcats. Arguments could be made that Florida or Mississippi could compete, but no team has a chance to really stick with this Kentucky team.

With all the talk about the roster, its easy to forget about the biggest signing of all, in Kentucky head coach John Calipari. Calipari is leaving a program in which he did nothing but win, even in the NCAA tournament.

With their combination of incredible talent on the court and on the sideline, the Wildcats are poised and ready to make a run in the NCAA tournament. This is a team that will shock people if if doesn't make it to the Final Four.

Add the fact that college basketball is losing so much incredible talent and there is hardly an argument otherwise. Here is a list of college stars that are going to hit the hardwood on the next level:

Blake Griffin
Hasheem Thabeet
James Harden
Jordan Hill
Stephen Curry
Tyler Hansbrough
Gerald Henderson
Dejuan Blair
Earl Clark
Jonny Flynn
Tyreke Evans
DeMar DeRozan
Ty Lawson
Jeff Teague
Damion James

With nearly every team that was significant this past season losing a star or two, there is no way that Kentucky will be kept out of the top 5 in the polls from day one.

So college hoops fans, get ready for another year of excitement and thrills from another dominant Kentucky team.

Barry Who?: Barry Zito Throws A Gem

Hudson B — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:11:10 -0400

On December 29, 2006, Barry Zito, a then 28-year-old southpaw from Las Vegas, signed a seven year contract worth approximately $126 million with the San Francisco Giants.

Zito had nothing but success in a more difficult league, and one of baseball's best offensive divisions, so Zito was sure to continue his success in the National League, right?

Well, if you follow baseball you know that Barry Zito has since lost his one-time Cy Young ability.

A few months into his first season with the Giants, Zito began to lose some of the edge that he possessed in his years with the Oakland Athletic. Zito's mechanics were the suspected problem.

Despite his mechanical issues, Zito finished the season with decent numbers for the Giants, who were not at all ready to contend for a playoff spot. Zito was an average pitcher on an average team. The Giants, obviously, were hoping and expecting a lot more from Zito in 2008.

Most baseball fans and analysts believed that Barry Zito couldn't do any worse in 2008 than he did in 2007.

The Giants needed Zito to be on his game and their young prospects to develop their talents on the major league level before being ready to compete for the National League Pennant.

Unfortunately only one of those things happened.

Barry Zito's 2008 campaign was easily the worst of his career. Zito lost 17 games, while walking more batters than he did in any other season, and sporting an ERA of 5.15 and a WHIP of 1.600, which was easily the worst of his career.

So naturally, entering 2009, there weren't many expectations for Zito, only hopes and aspirations.

Zito began his 2009 season with with a crumby, four-inning garbage game in San Diego. Zito allowed seven hits and four runs. Again, the Giants were disappointed.

After another poor start, Zito was ready to take the hill today, when the Giants played host to the San Diego Padres. Zito came into the matchup, with an ERA of 10.00 and a WHIP approaching two.

Zito came out firing on all cylinders. His control was spot on and his velocity was reminiscent of the Barry Zito, who won the Cy Young in 2002. Zito pitched seven strong innings, striking out five and walking none.

Now Zito has pitched games like these in the past two years, but the vibes given off by Zito lead one to believe that this could lead to a strong season for him. It wasn't obvious, but something was definitely different about Barry Zito today.

There is a strong possibility that Zito's strong start today was a fluke, but even if it was, he will have plenty of chances to prove himself over the next five seasons.

The Nets Blow Out The T'Wolves With Old-Fashioned Teamwork

Hudson B — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:16:39 -0500

Friday night was about the Nets doing what they were supposed to do.

After an disappointing 108-88 loss to the Wizards on Tuesday, the Nets needed a solid victory.

After the upsetting loss, Vince Carter vowed that the next team would pay. Vince's promise was not broken. The Nets pounced on the Minnesota Timberwolves and took a much deserved 113-84 victory.

The Nets came out looking for blood. In the first quarter, they built a lead with a wealth of three-pointers. After the first quarter the Nets had a 31-17 lead and knocked down five threes.

Instead of running away with the lead, the Nets dwindled a bit, allowing a 17 point lead to diminish to as little as five. Fortunately, they were able to bounce back, with solid shooting from Yi Jianlian. At halftime, the Nets led 50-41.

In the second half, the Nets came out firing on all cylinders with excellent perimeter shooting and driving to the basket. There were six Nets in double figures, but none with 20 points.

The Nets' big men easily handled Al Jefferson, who has notoriously beaten up on the Nets before. Jefferson finished with 17 points on 6-13 shooting and 12 rebounds. Although solid, Jefferson was unable to become the monster that he usually is.

Speaking of the Nets' big men, Brook Lopez had yet another solid night. Lopez netted 11 points and snatched 10 rebounds. Lopez continues to improve and looks like a better player every time he takes the court.

Lopez and the rest of the Nets will use the rout of Minnesota as a warm-up for Saturday night's match-up in Philadelphia, where Elton Brand is listed as a game time decision to play or not.

Stephen Curry: Is He an NBA Stud or Just Another All-American NBA Bust?

Hudson B — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:14:43 -0500

Stephen Curry has become famous in the world of sports. Last year's incredible tournament run was anything but a fluke, but what about Stephen Curry's NBA potential? Obviously Stephen has the college game figured out. If he plays, Davidson has a chance to win. But is he good enough to make a name for himself on the next level?

Stephen Curry is the son of former NBA sharp shooter Dell Curry. Dell Curry had a knack for shooting the basketball. He, like Stephen, was also athletic and an able defender. At 6'4", Dell was often called an undersized shooting guard, rather than a point guard. Here is a rare difference between the the father and son.

After Davidson's heartbreaking 59-57 loss to Kansas in the Elite Eight, Stephen announced that he would return to Davidson for his junior season. Stephen vowed to develop himself as a point guard and become better at creating his own shots.

Most early NBA mock drafts have Stephen Curry projected as a mid-late first round draft choice. Fortunately for Stephen, most early mocks have not taken into consideration his hard work and effort put into development this summer.

Through the first four games of his junior campaign, Curry is averaging 34 points and 8.8 assists per game.

Stephen has not only further developed his scoring ability, but he has become quite the playmaker on the court. He is not as dependant on the pick and roll, leaving the big men down low.

Curry is now much more effective with the triple threat. He is using isolation to drive to the basket. If and when he approaches the big men, he is only a quick dish away from picking up two points for his team.

If Curry continues to develop his ball-handling skills and triple-threat effectiveness, he will be a valuable asset to an NBA team. In addition to his superb offensive abilities, Stephen is an able defender, with solid anticipation and decent on-ball defense. With some NBA coaching and guidance, Stephen Curry could become a very good NBA defender.

Although he is extremely gifted, there is a lot for Curry to improve upon. First, he needs to hit a weight room and put on 20-25 lbs of muscle. Stephen's small figure and size works in college, but it just won't cut it against the world's biggest, best defenders.

In the draft, Stephen will likely land somewhere in the end of the lottery. He is the type of player that can be as good as he wants to be. It should be interesting, but Stephen Curry should be an excellent NBA player.

Yi Jianlian Succeeds In Nets Loss to Miami

Hudson B — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:06:04 -0500

Yi Jianlian and the Nets traveled to Miami this past Monday.

The Nets and Heat were fairly evenly matched all night, until the third quarter came, in which the Nets began to pull away with some solid contributions from veterans Jarvis Hayes, Bobby Simmons, and combo guard Keyon Dooling.

However, the true star for the Nets was the second year big man from China, Yi Jianlian. In the third, Yi presented his brand new long range game by dropping three triples in a three-and-a-half minute span. He looked like the second coming of Dirk Nowitzki. In addition to his sharp shooting, Yi rebounded and boxed out hard all night.

His final line was 24 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, leading the team in all three categories.

At one point in the third, the Nets clung to a 12 point lead, and showed no signs of letting up. Unfortunately for the Nets, basketball is a game of runs. By the end of the third quarter, the lead had diminished to seven.

This game was defined by the final six minutes. With the Nets up 83-73 and 5:48 remaining, Dwyane Wade came alive, netting 14 points en route to the Heat taking the lead with 1:07 to play.

The Heat would hold onto that lead with solid free throw shooting from Chris Quinn and excellent defense, forcing Vince Carter to travel late in the game.

The Heat didn't just outplay the Nets, they outcoached the Nets.

Erik Spoelstra seems to be one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the NBA. Last night, with about three minutes to play and the Heat trailing, Spoelstra ordered a foul on the Nets worst free throw shooter, Josh Boone.

The Nets have a long year ahead of them, especially if Boone fails to make 30 percent of his free throws. Those are free points and the Nets will struggle to win without them.

In the end, the Nets now know what must be done at the end of close games.

Boone, as talented of a rebounder and defensive player he is, must be on the bench. Although Josh missed clutch shots last night, the loss is not entirely his fault. The Nets' defense looked sloppy and left Wade wide open way too often.

The Nets take the court tomorrow night at the Izod Center against the Indiana Pacers.

Vikings Need to Beat the Bears in Order to Stay in Division Race

Hudson B — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:11:55 -0400

Coming off of two straight victories, the Vikings head to Chicago to take on a tough Bears team. This match up could go in a few different directions.

If the Vikings want to have any chance at winning, their run defense, which is usually sterling, needs to be at its best. Last week, against a pretty bad Detroit offense, the Vikings allowed 100 yards on 22 carries, or 4.5 yards per carry. This stat is somewhat misleading because 50 of those yards came on one carry, when Kevin Smith broke through.

If the Vikings can keep Matt Forte out of this game, and continue to get a solid pass rush from Kevin Williams and Jared Allen, they should have no issues on defense.

The offense is a whole different ball game.

The passing game has been much improved since Gus Frerotte took over for Tarvaris Jackson at QB, but it is still an inexact science. Frerotte has been able to find Bernard Berrian for some key plays, having Berrian receive for over 100 yards in each of the last two games.

Unfortunately, an average Gus Frerotte game will not suffice against Chicago's secondary, especially if the running game is being shut down.

The running game needs to be what it was last season. Adrian Peterson rushed for over 100 yards again last week, but seldom was able to find holes and explode into the open field. Something tells me that Peterson is still being nagged by his ankle injury, but is too proud to speak up.

If the Vikings struggle to run the ball, it may be time for Chester Taylor to get the carries he got last season. Giving Peterson a ton of carries isn't going to help them in the short-term or the long-term. Taylor was a viable option last season and needs to be a bigger part of the Vikings' offense than he has been thus far. If the Vikings can successfully run the football the way they did last season, the passing game will open up and it will be smooth sailing.

The facts are the facts. The Vikings need to win this game to stay in the race for the division. They are extremely lucky to not only be 3-3, but extremely lucky to be tied for the division lead.

Last week, they should have murdered the Lions. If not for a rookie QB running out of the end zone and an albeit awful passing interference call in the fourth quarter, the Vikings are 2-4 and prime-time losers.

Brad Childress needs to blank out all the harsh commentary and focus on the little things that will enable the Vikings to win football games.

The first thing that needs addressing is the penalty issue. There is absolutely no reason why a professional football team should have an issue with penalties, especially false starts. Messing up a snap count is like forgetting your middle name; it just should not happen.

The other thing is the secondary. They looked a little bit better last week, but part of that is because they were dealing with a rookie QB and young, inexperienced wide outs.

All in all, the Vikings need a whole basket full of things to go right to win this game. A lot of people, or at least one person's job depends on it.

Chris Douglas-Roberts Impresses As Nets Kick Off Preseason in Paris

Hudson B — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:24:26 -0400

After a multitude of changes to the roster this past offseason, the New Jersey Nets look to be in the playoff hunt yet again this season.

The Nets took the court against a young, talented team in the Miami Heat to begin their 2008-09 preseason in Paris on Thursday, looking solid and taking the game in overtime, 100-98.

In France, the game started off as any other preseason game, but quickly became significant. Vince Carter, the Nets' veteran scorer, strained his hamstring in the second quarter.

Carter did not return to the game, but the Nets will take a look at him before Sunday's game to determine whether or not he is able to play.

Nets head coach Lawrence Frank, having a large number of big men, decided to give significant play time to rookie Ryan Anderson, Stromile Swift, Sean Williams, and Josh Boone.

Frank told media the following about how he will determine which guys get minutes in the regular season:

"We might mix in different combinations, and still try to play up to 10 guys. That's when we'll have to evaluate and see if that's going to work for us or not."

Frank also added that Yi Jianlian and Brook Lopez will get their first chances with the Nets on Sunday, when the team travels to London to again take on the Heat.

The silver lining to Carter's injury was the excellent play of Anderson and fellow rookie Chris Douglas-Roberts. Anderson had nine rebounds and nine points in 31 minutes. CDR netted 16 points, grabbed six boards, and snatched three steals in 28 minutes.

With Carter out, Douglas-Roberts played exceptionally well. He did everything the Nets could have asked for. He hustled after loose balls, displayed excellent shot selection, and appeared to be a premier player on defense.

In the second quarter, CDR showed flashes of an NBA superstar. He made key shots when the Nets needed him to get back into the game, including a nasty dunk after stealing the basketball and taking it all the way to the bucket.

He showed awesome poise as he picked up the Nets and ultimately brought the the team to victory.

CDR will likely be the backup shooting guard at the beginning of the season, but Keyon Dooling will also be a complementary option.

All in all, the Nets learned a fair amount about their team, but Sunday, as well as the rest of the preseason, will be an excellent indicator of things to come in New Jersey.

Olympic Athletes: Extremely Gifted or Extremely Hardworking?

Hudson B — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:51:27 -0400

The Beijing Olympics have certainly taken the world for a ride. Whether it was Michael Phelps dominating the competition or Usain Bolt jogging in at the end of a race, we were always given one of those "wow" moments.

So now that the Olympics are nearing their end, it is time for some analysis about what has happened. Personally, I think there is one question about the Olympics that is always impossible to answer correctly.

Are these athletes winning gold because they are naturally gifted and thus the best in the world? Or is it their extreme training tactics that make them the best?

Obviously it is a mixture of both. If an athlete doesn't milk his talent for all that it is worth he isn't going anywhere. But what plays a bigger role?

In my opinion it is the giftedness of the athlete. All of these athletes are the best in the world and something separates the silver medalists from the gold medalists. They all train for years to get to the Olympics, but in the end it comes down to what they were born with.

It isn't just the Olympics. Looking at the NBA draft it is obvious. The great athletes with more NBA “potential” are chosen first. If Bob Smith averages 25 points and eight rebounds but is 5'9", he is going to be drafted behind the 6'6" shooting guard who averages 16 points and four rebounds.

In the end, the giftedness of the athlete is always the difference and it is sort of sad. Every person is born with a slim chance of being the next Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt. No matter how hard an athlete works he or she may never be at the same level as those who are the best in the world.

Martin Truex, Jr.'s Possible Destinations

Hudson B — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:49:31 -0400

As the end of the season comes closer and closer for all but 12 drivers, Martin Truex, Jr. sits in 17th and is 248 points back on the 12th position. Unless the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Team turns on the jets and puts together an amazing finish, they will not be chasing the Sprint Cup championship.

All that being said, it is time for Marty to find out with which team he will race next season. Rumors are all over the place. Some teams that could sign Truex are Penske, RCR, and his No. 1 DEI team.

At Penske, Martin would be in the same position as Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch are: close, but not quite chase material. He would likely finish between 14th and 18th in points.

If he were to sign on at RCR he would drive the No. 33 car and would have to make the show for the first five races of next season. The No. 33 car has only been driven once this season and there is no chance that it will make it to the top 35.

His best course of action may be to allow DEI to pick up its option for 2009. If that were to happen, Marty would be the top driver and would be borderline chase material. The biggest incentive to stay with DEI one more year is the opportunity to be found in the silly season of 2009.

Here are some prominent drivers who will be looking for new rides after next season:

David Gililand
Juan Pablo Montoya
A.J Allmendinger
Kurt Busch
Brian Vickers
David Ragan
Jamie McMurray
Matt Kenseth
Kevin Harvick

Truex will likely take over the No. 29 car of Kevin Harvick following the 2009 season. Kevin has hopes of owning a team, much like Tony Stewart has done this season. This will open up a solid car for Truex to claim. There will also be three openings at Roush-Fenway and there could be a lot of mixing up there.

This article may also be seen at rowdy.com. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment on the article.

Bud Selig Needs To Get Ready for Another Shocking Scandal

Hudson B — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:40:35 -0400

In the past year, there have been two major scandals in two major sports. Everyone remembers Michael Vick's dog-fighting scandal, and the recently resolved Tim Donaghy gambling scandal, but baseball and hockey have stayed out of the negative spotlight, at least in the last year or so.

Well, it is time to check baseball off for its major scandal.

The Michael Vick investigation began when his cousin, Davon Boddie, had a brush with the law. Boddie was living in a house owned by Vick at the time. While conducting a drug investigation, police raided the house.

Instead of finding the drugs that they were looking for, they found over 60 dogs killed or injured. This was the unofficial ground breaking in the Michael Vick scandal.

Tim Donaghy's illegal betting was first revealed by the New York Post in a column by Murray Weiss. The column said that the FBI was investigating Donaghy in a possible gambling ring.

Meet baseball's big scandal. It was reported in March that White Sox Director of Scouting, David Wilder, was caught by United States Customs attempting to smuggle $40,000 cash into Miami. Since then, Wilder has been cooperating with FBI and MLB officials and has been fired by the White Sox.

Before I elaborate on recent reports, I feel that it is necessary to say that this is all alleged information, and that the FBI and MLB are currently conducting investigations.

So what is the scandal?

All we have is a man bringing $40,000 to the U.S. from the Dominican. Fortunately for investigators, Wilder has sung like a canary.

Allegedly, scouts have been over evaluating players in Latin America and signing them to inflated signing bonuses. The scouts then force the players to give a cut of their bonuses to them. It may sound as if the scouts are stealing from players, but really they are stealing from the team.

In the past, blame has been placed on street agents for taking large fees for getting the players signed. Apparently, street agents are not charging the large fees to the players, but the scouts are.

Thanks to reports by T.J. Quinn and Mark Fainaru-Wada, we have learned about the New York Yankees' participation in this scandal. All the reports say about the Yankees is that many prospects have been forced to give large portions of their signing bonuses to scouts and officials.

Last week, the Red Sox's Dominican Scouting Supervisor, Pablo Lantigua, was fired after being confronted by MLB investigators that were seeking answers on his involvement in the skimming of signing bonuses.

ESPN has reported that as many as 20 people could be implicated in this scandal. These men are from numerous MLB clubs.

In the case of the Yankees, the accusations are over a month old, but have surfaced because of a letter that allegedly lists the names of prospects involved. The letter also includes the numbers involved in the skimming of the prospects' bonuses.

One player that is allegedly involved is OF Kelvin DeLeon. DeLeon is only 17-years old and signed a deal that included a $1.1M signing bonus in July of 2007. He is a big-name prospect in the Yankees' system and may be over evaluated.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has not commented on the potential that the Yankees have been signing players that aren't as good as their bonuses suggest.

This is only the beginning of a long, rocky road. More evidence on this financial scandal will present itself in the coming months. This scandal could be the biggest thing since the steroid era.

In a perfect world, these reports are false and there has been no wrongdoing. Sadly, I get the feeling that dozens of officials and scouts could be facing prison time.

New York Yankees Quit on Kyle Farnsworth, Although He Never Quit on Them

Hudson B — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:15:21 -0400

Yesterday the Yankees finally quit on Kyle Farnsworth. Kyle was in his third season with the Bombers and looked as if he had finally hit his stride.

Farnsworth looked like a big acquisition for the Yankees in 2006. He was coming off of the best season of his career and was about to be welcomed by the city that never sleeps. Well, maybe welcomed isn't the right word, but let me get back to the story.

His Yankee career started off rocky with a tough first season, but the Yankees held onto him because of his lightning stuff. They were confident that he would eventually return to the player he was in 2005.

In 2007 Farnsworth was nothing short of awful. His ERA was a mediocre 4.80. He was OK when the Yankees didn't need him to be and he was awful when the Yankees did need him.

After the season, the Yankees low-balled Joe Torre into leaving the team and eventually hired Joe Girardi. Girardi and Farnsworth went way back to 2000, when Joe was catching the young starter/reliever for the Cubs. Girardi has had faith in Kyle ever since.

Joe has taken it upon himself to work with what he was given. He has worked toward improving players. Examples are Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi, and Kyle Farnsworth.

Mussina has had a fantastic season and has a good chance to be a 20-game winner. Giambi has also been fantastic and could very well drive in 100 runs for the Yankees. And as for Farnsworth, he doesn't have an ERA of 2.19, but he is much improved from a year ago.

Joe and the Yankees were beginning to trust Farnsworth. He seemed to be getting better with every outing, other than a short hiccup against Boston.

In the end, the Kyle Farnsworth trade was beneficial to the Yankees because it filled a bigger need, a very good all-around catcher. "Pudge" Rodriguez is past his prime, but is a great fit for the Yankees.

Kyle expressed his feelings about leaving the Yankees with tears. He wanted to stay with the Yankees and prove to all of the fans that he could do it, and he was doing it. Kyle Farnsworth was getting the job done.

A year ago I would be off the walls celebrating this deal, but now I feel somewhat disappointed that I didn't get to see more of Kyle Farnsworth.

This article is dedicated to Kyle Farnsworth for all the hard work he put into being a good Yankee. When there is a player who works as hard as Kyle did toward achieving his goal, that player deserves respect. Kyle Farnsworth can come pitch for me any day.

The Beatles' Revolution: Brett Favre Style

Hudson B — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 06:53:32 -0400

Goodell says he wants a resolution

Well, you know

We've all seen enough of this

Pretty soon there might be a solution

Well, you know

I wouldn't bet on it

But when you talk about a tra-hay-hayde

Don't you know that you can count that out

Don't you know that this will never be o-ver

Over, over

Maybe there's a resolution

Well, you know

We'd all like to see the plan

Favre offers us a contribution

Well, you know

We'd all like to hear the end

But if they want a top pick for an old geezer

All I can tell them is that they'll have to wait

Don't you know that this will never be o-ver

You say you want to change the QB situation

Well, you know

We'd all love to change your head

You tell us that it’s an institution

Well, you know

You're better off with Brett

But if you go carrying posters of Aaron Rodgers

You ain't gonna make it anyhow

Don't you know it’s gonna be a long year

Long year

Nenad Krstic Headed to Russia, New Jersey Nets Couldn't Be Happier

Hudson B — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:21:03 -0400

It wasn't long ago that the Nets had big plans for Nenad Krstic. He was a talented young big man and the Nets were going to use him to bring their team to the next level.

If Krstic had continued to develop, it wouldn't have been long until he was averaging 18 and 10. Unfortunately for the Nets, Nenad tore his ACL in December of 2006.

His injury kept him out for the rest of the 2006-2007 season and a large chunk of the 2007-2008 season. With his hard work, the Serb wanted to be a star for the Nets in the future.

But then, money got involved.

The 25-year-old big man became a restricted free agent this July. A few teams showed interest in filling out offer sheets for Krstic, but no teams did so, assuming that the Nets would match any offer.

It seemed as if Krstic was headed for another year in New Jersey via a one-year qualifying offer in which the Nets would get a year of development out of Krstic before he walked to the highest bidder.

If Krstic hadn't been extended a one-year qualifying offer, he could have been traded by the Nets in a sign-and-trade.

Both of those possibilities are now out the window, because Krstic has reportedly agreed to terms with a Russian team. The deal would be worth about $10 million over the next two seasons, and Krstic could opt out after the first year.

Some fans might be upset by this deal, but it really is an arrangement that lets both parties win.

The Nets would have had 16 men on their roster, and eight of them would have been big guys. They now have 15, and are down one big guy. They will hold onto Krstic's NBA rights, but won't pay him, which allows the Nets to keep him in their organization while he tries to get back to the level that he played at before his knee injury in 2006.

The Nets can also focus on developing their young big men—Yi Jianlian and Brook Lopez. If those two work out, Krstic could become a very valuable trade tool.

So, the Nets aren't exactly up in arms about allowing Krstic to walk for two years. And, if they were up in arms, it would likely be in celebration.

Josh Childress and Jaromir Jagr Pack Their Bags: Coincidence or New Trend?

Hudson B — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:01:31 -0400

A lot of buzz has been made over NBA players moving overseas to play basketball. Is this a coincidence that Bostjon Nachbar and Josh Childress have both moved on, or is it a new trend?

Well, I might call it a coincidence—if not for other news of players moving overseas to play. Here is a list of players who have left the U.S. to play in other countries in this year:

Josh Childress
Bostjon Nachbar
Juan Carlos Navaro
Carlos Delfino
Brandon Jennings
Tiago Splitter
Primoz Brezec
Jaromir Jagr
Sergei Brylin
Martin Straka
Ray Emery
Jozef Stumpel
Steve McCarthy
Mike York
Petteri Nummellin
Jaroslav Hlinka
Alexander Radulov

Wow. 17 professional hockey and basketball players are headed to Europe. I might call it a coincidence if it were three or four—but not 17.

The NHL has already acted by making an agreement with its Russian counterpart, the KHL. The deal prevents teams from contacting players from the other league who are entering the final year of their contracts. This deal was made after a Russian team had reportedly offered Evgeni Malkin a very lucrative deal to skip out on his final season with the Penguins.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has talked about expanding the league into Europe, but I doubt that this was what he meant. When the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement runs up in 2010, this issue will likely be discussed.

It seems unreasonable for the NBA to say that European teams shouldn't go for American athletes, seeing that the NBA goes after players on European teams via the NBA Draft.

Hockey and basketball could become similar to soccer. Perhaps European teams should have to pay transfer fees to teams in the NBA when they sign one of their players. I don't know everything about how things work in international trading of soccer players, but could that not work in the NBA or NHL?

This is only the tip of the iceberg. In the coming years a lot could be done to expand relations between United States sports and European sports—or the opposite could happen.

Why Is Joe Girardi on the New York Yankees' Hot Seat?

Hudson B — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:02:18 -0400

Yesterday in a segment on SportsCenter, Tim Kurkjian was going over numerous different topics. One of the topics that caught my eye was "Which coach in each league has the hottest seat?"

In the NL, Tim mentioned Bud Black, manager for the Padres. This came as no surprise because the Padres had gone from one victory away from the playoffs a year ago, to being a team that was tied for dead last in the National League.

The other name troubled me. Tim said that Joe Girardi had a hot seat. My jaw dropped. The Yankees went into the day just five games back on the Red Sox for the wild card and five and a half games back on the Rays for the division lead.

The Yankees started the year with troubles from young players who were reliable last season (Ian Kennedy, Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera, Shelley Duncan, and Phil Hughes).

They were hitting okay, but the pitching was shaky. This forced Girardi to make a move that he had hoped to wait on, the transition of Joba Chamberlain from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Other than his first start, Joe handled Joba beautifully, and we now see a legitimate No. 1 starter.

A player who many Yankee fans despised a year ago was Kyle Farnsworth. I remember Joe Girardi calling a game last year in which Farnsworth had runners on first and third with two outs and a one run lead.

Joe said in the booth that the Yankees better make sure that Farnsworth didn't try to throw out the runner at first, because Kyle has historically struggled to pick off runners.

So Joe Torre did not call off the pickoff attempt and Farnsworth threw the ball past a diving first baseman into foul territory. The runner on third scored and the runner on first took second before being singled in. The Yankees lost that game.

Fortunately we haven't seen those types of things this year, and something tells me that Joe Girardi may have something to do with it. The man is a genius of baseball, and that is the reason why I had no problems with his hiring.

I believe it was this spring training when Joe Girardi was asked about Mike Mussina. He told media that he could see Mike being very effective if he could mix some more off-speed pitches into his arsenal. Mike gave it a shot, and is having one of his best seasons as a Yankee.

Joe also brought up Darrell Rasner and made sure the right steps were taken in securing him as a legitimate starter for the Bombers.

The Yankees struggled to get going. Then, Posada and A-Rod got hurt. Losing your best offensive player doesn't help, but the team did not fall apart. A key part of the team's hanging around was the play of former MVP Jason Giambi.

Giambi isn't batting .360 with 30 homeruns, but he has been much improved from a year ago. He has become a lot harder to strikeout than he used to be and a much better player in the field.

He is still getting on base at a rate close to .400. Not bad for a guy that a lot of people had written off. I wonder who has guided him in the right direction, or who may have been the guy pitching to him if he was invited to the Home Run Derby.

When A-Rod came back, the Yankees were better, but still not great. Slowly but surely, the pitching staff problems began to disappear. They had a solid rotation and were ready to make a run through the AL East, but then they saw more problems.

It wasn't long until Chien-Ming Wang and Hideki Matsui were seriously injured. It also wasn't long until the Bombers were missing Johnny Damon.The Yankees season again did not spiral out of control as many thought it would.

Girardi gave the okay for the Yankees to acquire pitcher Sidney Ponson and bring up quick outfielders Justin Christian and Brett Gardner from the minor leagues.

Ponson has been much better in his second stint with the Yankees. He has posted a pair of quality starts in his first three outings with the Yankees.

Christian and Gardner have been good in the field and have stolen bases with great success. Girardi was very high on Gardner from the get-go, citing his ability to work the count and speed around the bases as some of his best qualities.

After a 7-0 loss to the Red Sox on July 3, Girardi put his foot down. He closed off the clubhouse from the media and lectured his team for a half hour.

Against the Red Sox on July 6, Gardner became only the third Yankee to get a walk-off hit against the Red Sox. Not a bad call by Joe Girardi. The Yankees had climbed back to be within four games of the Red Sox.

To finish the first half, the Yankees lost two of three to the Blue Jays in Toronto and one makeup game to the Pirates. Not a great way to finish, but not horrible.

In their first two games since the All-Star Game, the Yankees are 2-0, with a 7-1 victory and a 4-3 win. The hitting was great in the first game, but iffy in the second.

The Yankees stranded 21 batters on base. That is ridiculous. Let us say that a third of those runners could have scored, the game would have been a 10-3 Yankee victory.

The team that showed up in the latter innings of yesterday's game reminded me of the old Yankee teams in the 90s. They didn't need players to hit 50 home runs, but they used good batters and the fundamentals of baseball to win. They played excellent small ball.

I believe it was the 10th inning when Robinson Cano looped a ball down the middle for a base hit. Wilson Betemit then bunted him over to second.

The Yankees had a runner in scoring position with one out, a great scoring chance. If we could have seen a good hitter for an average dig in, the game could have been ended right there.

I'm not sure if the Yankees are inspired by the passing of former star Bobby Murcer, but they have given Bobby a solid start to the second half. Bobby Murcer gave the Yankees more than a few great seasons, so it would be great to see the Yankees return the favor this season.

Joe Girardi's style is different from the recent Yankee teams. He is a fan of solid pitching and decent hitting to win ball games. If the Yankees had everyone on their roster healthy, they would be looking scary right now.

With Carl Pavano, Phil Hughes, Johnny Damon, and Ian Kennedy all expected to be ready to come back to the Yankees soon, the team might get a boost in August. Wang will return in September and should be a huge part of the Yankees push for a division title. Yes, I said division title, not Wild Card.

This team, banged up and pushed around, is 52-45. That's not bad considering what they have endured.

So, Tim, I am sorry, but I think you have the wrong idea about the Yankees' skipper. If you are reporting that his seat is hot and that he is under pressure from the Steinbrenners and GM Brian Cashman, that is a different story.

But if you are just throwing a name out there of a guy whose seat should be hot, then you are absolutely wrong.

All things considered, Girardi has done a fantastic job. The Yankees should not be anywhere close to the Red Sox or the Rays right now, but they sit only three back on the Sox in the loss column and six behind the Rays in the loss column.

Needless, to say, the Yankees are right there and Joe Girardi is a big part of that.

This article is dedicated to Bobby Murcer and his family, as well as his legacy, that will endure in all Yankees, as well as fans forever.

Bobby was one of my top three favorite Yankees of all-time. The other two are Yogi Berra and Thurman Munson. That is a pretty special list. May God bless Bobby Murcer and help his family in their mourning process.

Francisco Liriano: Not Enough Room on the Minnesota Twins

Hudson B — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:45:50 -0400

Over two years ago, a 22-year old kid took the hill against Roger Clemens. It was a night belonging to Roger, he had the spotlight. The country was not quite sure what to expect from Clemens in his 2006 debut.

Well, Clemens pitched five mediocre innings before going on to have a decent season for the Astros. But the kid who stole the spotlight was Twins lefty Francisco Liriano. He threw eight innings of two-run baseball and struck out seven Astros.

The rest of Liriano's season is history. He was spectacular. He finished the year with a 12-3 record and a 2.19 ERA, despite a season ending elbow injury, that ultimately resulted in Tommy John surgery.

The young phenom missed all of the 2007 season while rehabilitating his elbow.

By the time 2008 rolled around, Liriano was thought to be ready to return to greatness. He started the year in the Twins' rotation, but was sent to Triple-A Rochester after an awful April. Liriano was 0-3 with an 11.32 ERA.

Here we are, nearly three months later and Liriano's name has surfaced again.

In his last nine starts in Triple-A, Liriano is 7-0 with a 2.73 ERA. Those numbers look more than good enough to get him to the big leagues, so why isn't he?

Ron Gardenhire, the Twins manager, had something to say about a somewhat sticky situation:

"I'm a little bit tired of that stuff. We have a good team here. We are a game-and-a-half out, I come back into town, and we want to talk about the guy in Triple-A."

Gardenhire went on to say the following:

"I just [got] back into town and I hear all this stuff, and Buster Olney is making my team up now and wants to tell me who is going to pitch here. No one is going to tell us who to put on our team and no one on ESPN is going to tell us who should pitch for my team.

"They haven't been here all year. If they had been down there and seen the guy pitch, and then started talking, that's one thing. But to read stats, that's another thing. I recommend they go down there and watch him pitch, come back with a good report for me and walk into my office."

The Twins skipper went on to close by saying, "He was here earlier. How did he do? How did he do?"

So, why doesn't the club just bring him back to the majors and see how he does. This may seem like a joke, but there is no room for Liriano in the Twins rotation.

The current rotation is comprised of Livan Hernandez, Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins, and Nick Blackburn. This rotation has been amazing as of late. They also have former starter Boof Bonser in the bullpen, which is also solid.

The Twins could do what the Yankees did with Joba Chamberlain and bring Liriano up as a reliever, but they already have decent pitchers in the pen. Craig Breslow and Dennys Reyes have been great in bridging the gap to the always spectacular Joe Nathan.

So the Twins aren't lying when they say that there isn't much room for Liriano, and the only potential spot is Livan Hernandez's. Hernandez is 9-6 this season with a less than renowned 5.44 ERA. If Hernandez's ERA doesn't drop significantly soon, then it can only be a matter of time before Liriano has his job.

In all reality, this is the best possible problem to have. Too many talented young pitchers to get them all in the game. Most managers at this point in the season are scrambling to shore up their rotation with a big trade, but not the Twins.

The Twins are loaded with pitching. To think what could be happening in a few years is crazy, especially considering that they could easily win the pennant this season!

Heading into a series with the Texas Rangers, the Twins were winners of 21 of their last 28 games. The pitching is on fire and it may be a while before Liriano gets brought up.

Liriano could actually not be called up this season. If the Twins leave him in the minors then he won't be able to file for arbitration this off-season.

So maybe the Twins are already thinking of next year. If they still have 'Cisco' they can get a full season out of him next year. However, if anything awful happens with Livan Hernandez's pitching, then the Twins might make the call.

Liriano might not be ready to come to the big leagues and dominate like he did two years ago, yet at least. If we see the same Liriano and the Twins retain most of their young players, look out for Liriano and the Twins in 2009.

Rocco Mediate, Filling In Nicely For Tiger Woods

Hudson B — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:55:35 -0400

When Tiger Woods told us about his knee surgery and that his season was over, the door opened for someone new to get some of the attention in golf.

We all remember Tiger's remarkable U.S. Open Victory at Torrey Pines, but we also remember another story as well. The rise of the little guy.

The likable guy from Pennsylvania taking on the legendary Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines. If you first heard the story you may have laughed, or thought that it was a joke, but it was very real.

That likable guy from Pennsylvania was Rocco Mediate, and it was no joke. Rocco and Tiger went to a 19-hole playoff at the U.S. Open. Rocco had captured the heart of America, but nobody really expected him to stick with Tiger.

Well the rest is history. Tiger pars on the sudden death hole, where Mediate bogeys. One of the most incredible happenings in the history of the U.S. Open.

So why is it being brought up again, more than a month later?

Well, Mediate is trying to make the event more than just a one shot deal and is taking a chance at a Tigerless event, the British Open. Rocco's best finish in this event is 16th, back in 1996.

So, how did the U.S. Open's runner-up fare in round one?

He leads the tournament, despite teeing off in the very weather-stricken morning. Mediate shot a -1 69 in the first round.

Most people thought that his incredible showing at Torrey pines was a fluke, but he has began to prove us wrong.

Among golfers that teed off in bad weather conditions was Phil Mickelson, the man who is ranked #2 in the world behind Tiger Woods. Mickelson shot a +9 79 in the first round. He will likely not compete to win the event, but will attempt to make the cut.

This little bit shows us how good Mediate's performance was. Not even the world's #2 golfer was able to shoot a good score in that weather, but Mediate was.

He has obviously come a long way and it should be fun to watch him compete for an Open Championship. If he wins, he just may be the man that takes the spotlight of golf while Tiger is out.

Joe Blanton Is Headed To The Phillies? May I Ask Why?

Hudson B — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:27:40 -0400

Today, ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Phillies and Athletics agreed on a trade that would send SP Joe Blanton to the Phillies. The A's received three minor leaguers, including two of the Phillies' best prospects.

May I ask why? Blanton is not a good solution to your problems. The man has a horrendous ERA of 4.96 this season. Every July, competitive teams make moves in order to make their team good enough to make a playoff run, or to rebuild their team via young talent.

This trade startles me. The Phillies traded away Adrian Cardenas, Josh Outman, and Matthew Spencer. Cardenas and Outman have shown a lot of promise in the minor leagues. Spencer is really just a throw in.

Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. Get rid of a promising young pitcher who's name is Outman. Perhaps a kid named "Out Man" has a future in this league. Is that not a good enough sign for you?!

The Phillies' minor league system isn't very good, just take a look at Triple-A Lehigh. The Iron Pigs can boast a 39-58 record and the worst record in the International League. This doesn't bode well for the Phillies, seeing the high number of players on their roster that are in their thirties.

I could see them giving up two of their top five prospects for an established pitcher who has a legitimate ERA in the threes or fours, but 4.96! Come on. You are better negotiators than that.

Why not go after A.J. Burnett? He has an identical ERA of Blanton, but has proven himself with solid numbers in the past. You could have probably given up less for Burnett, seeing that he can opt out of his contract at the end of the season.

I am sorry, I just don't see much upside for the Phillies here. It really doesn't make any sense. It would be one thing if the guy had a knack for winning ball games, but Blanton is 5-12 this season.

We all know the Phillies offense is good enough to drive in five runs a game, but what good is a pitcher with an ERA of almost five?

I can easily see Joe Blanton being what Eric Gagne was for the Red Sox last year. A waste of young talent.

Phillies Assistant GM Mike Arbuckle told Buster Olney the following:

"We think Joe is a very strong, competitive pitcher that has the mental makeup to pitch productively in a pennant race. He pitches a lot of innings and takes some burden off the bullpen."

Really? If he goes seven innings and allows five runs, doesn't that put more pressure on your bullpen? It makes for a nail-biting eighth and ninth inning.

I could go on and on about how I don't feel that Joe Blanton is a top notch pitcher, but I don't want to bore anyone.

The Phillies minor league system needs work. Trading away prospects for inconsistent players is not the way to go. Build up a solid minor league program before you take risks like this one.

In the end it is another wait and see deal. Time will tell if this works out for the Phillies, but don't expect anything special.

Richie Sexson: A SEXY Move for the New York Yankees

Hudson B — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:43:40 -0400

The Yankees acquired 12-year veteran Richie Sexson today. Sexson was released by the Seattle Mariners last week.

With the addition of Sexson, the Yankees have rolled the dice a bit. He could work out for the Yankees, or he could be a waste of time and money.

Normally, I would cringe at this type of decision for the Yankees. The man is 33-years-old, batting .218, and is one of baseball's most overpaid athletes. That being said, he is going to make for a classic Yankee.

On a more serious note, I kind of like this move. When one gambles, the question must be asked: does the benefit outweigh the risk?

In this situation, what is the possible benefit?

The Yankees could get a halfway decent bat and who knows, he might even show us a little of that old Richie Sexson power. In all likelihood, he will just be a bat that can DH for the Yankees once every couple of days. This isn't a huge acquisition, but it has a chance to have good upside for the Yankees.

He is batting .344 against left-handed batters. He doesn't have 180 at bats against lefties, but 70 at bats are enough to tell the Yankees that he can still hit for them.

Okay, so what is the risk?

The Yankees will pay Sexson a pro-rated $390,000. Seattle has to pay Richie the rest of his $14 million salary. So if Richie has an awful time with the Yankees, they release him at the end of August, without losing much. The only real risk here is if, well wait a minute, there is no risk.

The Yankees steal a pretty expensive piece of merchandise and got away with it. If they're caught, they will pay a minimal fee and return the item after they have used it a little. Either that or the Yankees keep it.

Not a bad deal, is it? A decent player to come off the bench, practically for free. We will see if it works out soon. Richie is expected to be in the Yankee lineup on Saturday against the A's.

Jimmy Valvano: 15 Years Later, His Legacy Lives On

Hudson B — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:25:08 -0400

Jimmy V. That name has become so very important to so many people. It represents the battle that millions of people have endured, it represents the unity of people to fight that battle, and it represents a great, great man.

The V Foundation for cancer research was built on the motto "Don't give up. Don't ever give up." Jimmy Valvano touched the heart of millions while he poured out his heart at the inaugural ESPY's awards.

People fell in love with Jimmy when he was coaching at NC State, and to see him on that stage pouring his heart out was incredible.

Jimmy was so grateful to be there. Most people would be too bitter, or too depressed about that type of situation, but Jimmy wasn't. He was so incredibly happy and appreciative.

He was able to put a positive spin on everything.

He told the crowd of his first speech as a coach, his Lombardi moment. He memorized everything about Lombardi's speech, the timing, the way to enter, and most of the words. Jim told us about how he attempted to pump his team up, but accidentally confused them all.

The excerpt from Jimmy's Lombardi book was the following:

"Gentleman all eyes on me. Let's go. We will be successful this year if you can focus on three things and three things only: your family, your religion, and the Green Bay Packers!"

Jimmy intended on switching up the final part and saying "and Rutgers basketball."

Unfortunately for Jim, he forgot the Rutgers basketball part, and told his team to focus on the Green Bay Packers.

That was a great thing about Jimmy, he could make a mistake, then laugh about it immediately. He didn't get upset when people laughed at him. He laughed with them.

The part of Jimmy's speech that brought tears to so many people's eyes was his small bit about his cancer. Jim laughingly said, "They got that screen up there flashing 30 seconds, like I care about that screen. I got tumors all over my body and I'm worried about some guy in the back going 30 seconds."

That was where Jimmy captured our hearts, if they had not already been captured by his courageousness of getting on that stage.

Jimmy was not done. He later introduced to the world his foundation, the V Foundation for cancer research. He thanked those who helped him start it and told us what could be accomplished.

Jimmy reminded us that a cure might not save him, but could save someone that we love.

Jimmy went on to finish with, in my opinion, his greatest words of the speech:

"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you and God bless you all."

Jimmy was absolutely right.

His mind, his heart, and his soul still carry on today. His foundation has saved people, his speech is legendary, and 15 years later we are still celebrating it.

Jim Valvano was a great player, a great coach, a great commentator, but most of all, a great man. He was so grateful for everything around him. He was never bitter or cold, just grateful for what he did have.

And that right there is the meaning of a great person.

Brett Favre: Seriously, Can We Put this Garbage in the Past?!

Hudson B — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:22:43 -0400

Stephen A. Smith put it in the perfect way possible: "It makes me nauseous. I'm tired of it. It makes me want to throw up."

Thank you, Stephen! Normally, Stephen has something controversial to say about an issue like this one, but most people agree in this situation.

This story seemingly has gone on for months and months, even though the major news has only come in the past two weeks. Stephen just earned another fan when he said what needed to be said about Brett Favre's impending return to football.

Okay, Brett, we get it. You are frustrated with the Green Bay Packers and you want to move on. Please stop milking the media for all the attention you can.

At least give it a rest for a couple of days. Everyday people get home from work and they receive another earful on the Favre saga. This is worse than the Barry Bonds' stories we saw last year.

First, we get this garbage story that Favre wanted to return, but that was only a rumor. Great players deserve respect, but liars don't. It is unfair to his fans, his family, and his teammates to lie. Here he is, one of the greatest to ever lace them up, and he feels the need to flat out deflate a rumor that was absolutely true.

Damage control?

Okay, there was no way to control the damage that the rumors would make. Decline to comment, then make up your mind and let us know. Do not lie.

Second, we hear about Favre trying to contact Packers GM Ted Thompson via text message and being blown off. When there is an important message to be sent, it is with sound. Feelings can only be shown so much in a text message. We don't have the technology to read the tone of a text message's voice, well not yet at least.

If he was taking this seriously enough, he would have picked up the phone and called the man. If he refuses to answer his phone, leave him a message.

Third, we got word that Brett had asked the team for his release. Perhaps it would finally be over! We could stop hearing about this stuff day in and day out.

Shortly after, the Packers took control of the situation and announced that they would not release Brett. Not only would they not release Brett, but he would be invited to join a team that didn't really want him. He would get a backup job behind, let's face it, a rookie quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.

Oh, and the team also implied that they were open to a trade, but had not yet received any phone calls.

Fourth, Brett was not happy. He began to speak out against a team that he could be leading next season. He went on television and gave an interview to Greta Van Susteren. Favre told Greta that he felt pressure to retire and that the Packers did not want him back.

He practically blamed his retirement on Ted Thompson, when the fact of the matter is, Thompson couldn't force Favre to do anything.

Instead of making excuses, just admit that you made a mistake and that you want to return to the Packers as a starter. If you are so good when it comes to public relations, fix things with the Packers. Apologize to the team, tell them that you are ready to compete for a starting job, whatever it takes. Don't make the situation worse. Fix it.

Fifth (yes...fifth), we hear that the Packers accuse the Vikings of talking to Brett Favre about playing for their team.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Brad Childress, the Vikings' head coach, has put a lot of stock into young quarterback, Tarvaris Jackson and has said that he is their guy. Childress fell in love with Jackson's game when he was a part of the Eagles' coaching staff and isn't giving up on him any time soon.

The man who allegedly pursued Favre, Darrell Bevell, is a former quarterback coach from the Packers. Perhaps Bevell was talking to Favre about the ugly mess created in the past few weeks, and was not pursuing him to join the Vikings.

Childress isn't stupid enough to authorize any operation of that type. This is just more garbage to throw onto the story.

So, if you weren't already sickened by this story, here it was again. I honestly hope this thing gets worked out, so America can pay attention to something a little more important.

The night of the ESPY awards, we saw an Aaron Rodgers interview and a few shots of Favre talking to Eli Manning. This story is hovering over the ESPYs and that is extremely frustrating.

This week is about honoring the greatest athletes in sports and honoring the life of the great Jimmy Valvano, as well as raising money for cancer research. I am truly disappointed that the Favre story surfaced.

That is all I have for you. I anticipate that many of you diehard Packer fans, or should I say, Favre fans, will put me in my place. I look forward to your input.

Josh Hamilton: The Hero of All-Star Weekend

Hudson B — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:42:15 -0400

Monday night, a packed Yankee Stadium saw the finale of Hollywood's next big sports movie. Josh Hamilton overcame the struggles of many everyday Americans to triumph in the end.

When the Rangers OF approached the plate at the Homerun Derby, Chris Berman exclaimed "Here comes about five stories right now!"

Josh Hamilton was drafted in 1999 with the first overall pick of the amateur draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays saw the next big thing, a kid who could either be a great pitcher or a great hitter.

He could paint the outside corners at 96 miles per hour or smack a baseball 450 feet. The best part about him was his youth. Josh was only 17 when the Rays drafted him.

Like any other young player that had just been drafted, Hamilton was sent to the minor leagues.

He started off in a rookie league, playing for the Princeton Devil Rays. He quickly excelled through rookie ball and moved up to short season A baseball, where he led the Hudson Valley Renegades to a New York-Penn League championship.

Josh was in full season A ball by 2000. All seemed to be going well in the development of the Rays’ top pick.

In order to stay with their son, Josh's parents quit their jobs to join Josh around the country. In 2001, Josh was involved in a serious car accident. Josh was not injured, but his mother was.

His parents returned home where she could recover from her injuries. Now on his own, Josh had more freedom to make his own decisions. The young, promising player soon turned to drugs.

Josh began his first rehab treatment in 2001. He played in 27 games that season with the Charleston RiverDogs and the Orlando Rays. Josh seemed to get his act together, at least for a short time.

The 2002 season started great for Josh Hamilton. He was a member of the Bakersfield Blaze. Josh put up decent numbers, with a batting average of .303, 9 homeruns, and 44 runs batted in.

When the young star's career finally started to get going, it was hit with an abrupt halt, the injury bug. Hamilton played only 56 games that season because of back and shoulder issues.

When 2003 rolled around Josh had turned back to drugs and alcohol. He was late to several spring practices and was eventually reassigned to the team's minor league camp. He continually took time off and came back to the Rays organization before eventually taking the season off for personal reasons.

Hamilton had high hopes of returning to spring training with the Rays in 2004 but was suspended for 30 days after violating baseball's anti-drug policy. Hamilton had to have failed multiple drug tests to receive that long of a suspension.

From 2002 to 2006, Josh did not play baseball. He made several attempts at rehab and treatment but could not stay out of trouble.

In 2006, Hamilton had that itch to play again. He started working at a baseball academy for developing players. After a few months there, he tried to play for an independent league team, but was not allowed to because MLB had not yet reinstated him.

After reviewing Josh's case, MLB decided to allow him to rejoin the Rays' minor league system. By June of 2006, Josh was working out in the minor leagues. That season, Hamilton played 15 games with the Hudson Valley Renegades.

In his short return to Hudson Valley, he pointed other young players in the right direction and urged them not to make the same mistakes that he did.

Due to not being on the Rays' 40 man roster, Hamilton was eligible to be drafted in the Rule Five draft. Hamilton was selected third overall by the Cubs, before having his rights sold to the Reds later that day.

Josh Hamilton is likely still the biggest name the Rule Five draft has ever seen.

In order to keep Hamilton's rights, the Reds needed to keep him on their 25 man roster the entire season. He looked promising in spring training, with a .403 batting average. To the Reds' surprise, they had another solid outfielder on Opening Day.

Hamilton had a very good April, and as a result, was awarded Rookie of the Month for April.

In May, Josh was put on the 15-day disabled list, for gastroenteritis. He was activated on June 5 and started a minor league rehabilitation, which lasted just six games. Josh did not turn to drugs or alcohol.

Hamilton again went on the disabled list in July after spraining his wrist. Josh, again, did not turn to drugs.

At the end of the year, Hamilton had very good numbers, despite missing a good amount of games due to injuries.

Josh's good rookie season caught the eyes of the Texas Rangers organization. They wanted Hamilton badly. In the beginning of the offseason, negotiations began, but the Rangers were not willing to give up their top pitching prospect, Edinson Volquez.

Eventually, the Rangers gave in and traded Volquez along with Danny Herrera for Josh.

In spring training of 2008, Josh easily clinched a starting job in centerfield. He batted .556 with 13 RBI (runs batted in) in just fourteen games. His hot bat didn't cool off then.

In April, Hamilton led the majors in RBI and batted .330. Those numbers easily won the Player of the Month Award.

May was not much different. Hamilton became the first player to win the first two Player of the Month awards in the American League. Josh was finally where he was supposed to be.

On July 9, a slumping Hamilton hit his first career walk-off homerun off of Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez. It was later announced that he was starting in the all-star game at Yankee Stadium.

He was also invited to participate in the State Farm Homerun Derby. Josh said that in 2006 he dreamt about hitting in the derby at Yankee Stadium, with the world watching him.

Josh asked 71-year Clay Counsil to pitch to him at the derby. Counsil was a volunteer who threw batting practice to Josh when he was a boy.

Many people didn't expect what happened next. Hamilton was the last batter of the first round. Hamilton took the country by storm, by slugging out a record 28 homeruns in the first round. Clay Counsil threw out 59 pitches in the first round.

At one point, Josh hit 13 straight homeruns. He smacked three balls over 500 feet away. It was easily the greatest show in Homerun Derby history. Most fans were in awe of what had just happened.

Josh is a hero to everyday people everywhere. His story is that of a fairytale. It is simply unbelievable. Josh is a great person and really should be the MVP of the league this year.

The 27-year-old star has 95 RBI at the all-star break, which is 19 more than any other player in the American League.

The story seems to be over, but in fact, it is just beginning. Josh has potential to be a great player for years to come. The script to the perfect movie has been written. Josh Hamilton is a hero.

NFL Preview Part Five: NFC West

Hudson B — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:03:54 -0400

Here is part five in my eight part NFL preview. In this article I will predict the seasons of the Seahawks, Cardinals, 49ers, and Rams. It should be a much improved season for the division, but don't expect any of the teams to make a play for the Superbowl.

The Seattle Seahawks. Last Season: 10-6. Off-season Grade: C-. Predicted Record: 10-6

The Seahawks are lucky in that they have a fairly easy schedule. The defense will be tough this year. The D-line is stacked with Patrick Kerney, Darryl Tapp, Jason Babin, Rocky Bernard, Brandon Mebane, and rookie Lawrence Jackson. The linebackers are pretty good with Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, and Julian Peterson. The secondary is also decent with Trufant, Babineaux, Grant, and Russell. Needless to say, the defense is pretty good. The offense isn't great, but it should be able to get the team to the playoffs. Julius Jones isn't a great step up from Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris is their best running back and should be the starter. He can get them 4.5 yards per carry where Jones would likely get 3.8. A lot of the teams on their schedule are mediocre at best and the schedule is way too easy for them to not take this division.

The Arizona Cardinals. Last Season: 8-8. Off-season Grade: C. Predicted Record: 5-11

The team's schedule is very difficult, at least for the Cardinals. Every year, the team should improve, but I don't see it happening this year. Edgerrin James isn't good enough to carry the running game to the playoffs, and his performance should be less than stellar this season. The team has potential on their side; they have talented young players all over the field and I can't see this team not making the playoffs soon. They aren't awful anywhere, but they aren't spectacular anywhere either. With some fine tuning they should be competitive within the next two or three seasons. They lost Bryant Johnson but they picked up Early Doucet. I also like the picks of Calais Campbell and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. They should be an interesting team to watch in the next few seasons.

The San Francisco 49ers. Last Season: 5-11. Off-season Grade: B+. Predicted Record: 9-7

The team brought in Mike Martz to coordinate the offense and I like the possibilities with their young maturing players. Look for another big year from Frank Gore and expect Alex Smith to be much better than he was a season ago. Tight end Vernon Davis may finally have an impact on the offense. On defense, they have Patrick Willis, the NFL's leading tackler from a year ago. Don't expect anything different from him or the rest of the defense for that matter. They fail to force turnovers and this could be a problem if the offense doesn't come through. Last season, they had a chance to be good, but injuries bugged them. If they stay fairly healthy, they have a good future and should be productive in 2008.

The St. Louis Rams. Last Season: 3-13. Off-season Grade: B+. Predicted Record: 5-11

The Rams are young and have a lot of talent, but their schedule is stacked. The team is better than the 3-13 team they were a year ago. This is a year devoted to improvement. With Chris Long and Adam Carriker on the D-line, the defense will be awesome in the coming seasons. I really like the possibilities on the line. It should be impossible to run or throw on them once they have gotten going. On offense, Steven Jackson is a stud and will again be great, assuming he stays healthy. The team should be very good on offense and on defense in a few years. They have a really good chance to be more than just a competitor to make the playoffs, but to get to the Superbowl.

So the NFC West isn't bad, but it isn't great either. The only team that hasn't taken large steps toward the future is the Seahawks. The rest of the teams aren't far from being very competitive. In a few years look for a possible reverse finish in the order of the way teams finished last season.

Open Mic: The Country's Most Powerful Athletes

Hudson B — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:01:03 -0400

When I learned that there would be a competition for a spot in Business Week's Power 100, I decided to take a stab. So, when I thought about the most powerful athletes in the industry, the obvious came to mind. The Lebrons, the Tigers, and the Kobes were first. Then I started to think, the top five would probably be too easy. So instead of picking apart the top five or ten, this article will discuss the top 25.

25. Candace Parker, Women's Basketball

The first woman to dunk in a women's college basketball game. She is now assisting her teammate Lisa Leslie in expanding the WNBA. When most people think of women's basketball, Candace is the second name that comes to mind. She could go down as being the best female basketball player to ever suit up. She is the first athlete on this list who is on her way to moving up.

24. Andy Roddick, Tennis

Not what he used to be, but he still deserves to be in here. He has earned a spot as, probably, the most recognizable male United States Tennis player—partly because there are few others who are competitive. James Blake might be better than Roddick, but he needs time and he needs to be able to compete with Federer and Nadal to elevate himself to the next level.

23. Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR

Dale is not the best driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, yet he remains one of the sport's most popular. Being Dale Earnhardt's son probably isn't hurting him. When his father died in 2001, fans were heart broken. People soon began to fall in love with Dale Jr. after his win at Daytona in the first race there after his father's death and the rest is history.

22. Yao Ming, Basketball

Yao is an extremely marketable player, especially to an Asian audience. He is one of the NBA's best centers and everyone knows of him. The word Yao can be recognized by almost every American that has ever watched television.

21. Adrian Peterson, Football

Here is our second up-and-comer. Adrian Peterson will soon be huge. In his first NFL season, he was a pro bowl running back. He broke the NFL's single game rushing record against San Diego and would have led the league in rushing if not for an injury against Green Bay. When he was 100 percent, Peterson dominated the league and should continue to dominate the league. The Minnesota Vikings will look to be competitive for a Superbowl in the coming years, with Adrian being the centerpiece of the offense.

20. Shaquille O'neal, Basketball

Shaq. Everyone knows Shaq. He is one of the country's most marketed players ever, and two years ago I might have him in the top ten. His prime is over and he is no longer able to score 20 points and grab 13 rebounds on a consistent basis. He has joined the Phoenix Suns and will take a shot at getting back to the finals, but will likely not get back. Shaq is one of the greatest players of all time and in his prime he could have easily been in the top five on this type of list.

19. Venus Williams, Tennis

She is one of the world's greatest grass court players of all-time. She has won five Wimbledon titles and seven grand slams overall. She is one of tennis' greats. At 28 she still has a few very good seasons left in the tank. Off the court, Venus is a role model for young women who have powerful dreams. She has also been a big hit in the fashion industry. She is very marketable and very influential in our society.

18. Chris Paul, Basketball

Here is our third up-an-comer. CP3 was the runner up in this year's MVP voting and averaged 21.1 points and 11.6 assists this past season. I would be amazed to see Paul not win multiple MVP awards before his day is done. He is only 22 and we can expect him to get much better. The Hornets reached the Western Conference semi-finals this year where they lost to the Spurs. The team should be competitive for an NBA title in the coming seasons.

17. Jeff Gordon, NASCAR

Jeff has 81 career victories and 4 Sprint Cup Championships. He has also finished second twice. He ranks first among active drivers in most categories and is one of the greatest drivers of all-time. NASCAR is a growing sport and Jeff Gordon could be the next 100-win driver. He has an enormous fan base and is extremely marketable.

16. Serena Williams, Tennis

Serena is also one of tennis' greatest ever. She has eight grand slams and three grand slam runner-ups. She, much like Venus, is a major role model for young women and preaches about following your dreams. Serena and Venus are arguably the biggest sibling duo of sports of all-time. The Manning brothers are there, but they aren't as good as the Williams sisters yet.

15. Manny Ramirez, Baseball

Its just Manny being Manny. He is nuts, but you have to love watching him. He is a great player and a sure first ballot hall of famer. He will hit 600 home runs and drive in 2000 RBI before the day is done. He is one of the greatest players of all-time, and when many people think of the Red Sox, they think of Manny Ramirez.

14. Annika Sorenstam, Golf

Anika is retired, but she still gets in here by virtue of being one of the greatest female athletes ever. She took on the men on the PGA Tour and she dominated women's golf for a long time. She deserves more respect than most of these players because she took chances—and took on the guys. One of the best female golfers ever, she definitely deserves to be here.

13. Steve Nash, Basketball

A great, complete point guard. One of the last ones I thought we'd see until Chris Paul and Deron Williams came along. The two-time MVP will surely be in the hall of fame and is unstoppable in terms of getting his team to score. A great player who is highly marketable and should continued to be marketed with great success.

12. Sidney Crosby, Hockey

Sid the Kid. He is hockey right now. Everyone who has watched hockey since the 2004 strike knows about this kid. At such a young age, he has proven to be the Lebron James of his sport, leading his young team to the Stanley Cup Finals. Without his injury this season, Crosby would likely have been the MVP for the second consecutive season. He is a very fun player to watch and will continue to grow.

11. Lisa Leslie, Women's Basketball

She is a pioneer for the WNBA. One of the greatest females, if not the greatest, to ever play the game. She is the first to dunk in a game and the Sparks have been very good for a very long time. It should be fun to watch the league continue to grow. It's good to have the games after the NBA season because it allows the league to shine on its own.

10. Terrell Owens, Football

He's T.O. Do I really have to explain this one? He's one of the best wide receivers ever and attention follows him everywhere he goes. There is always a Terrell Owens soap opera on and it is a lot of fun to watch. Whether or not he's playing there is always something going on. Whether you are a lover or a hater of the T.O. story, you will tune in anyway to see what is happening. Easily deserving to be in the top ten.

9. Peyton Manning, Football

The man is simply incredible. One of the best to ever lace them up. Every year he gets his team to the playoffs with a chance to win. Through his first ten seasons, he has 306 touchdown passes and only 153 interceptions thrown. He held the single-season touchdown pass record with 49—until Brady broke it this past season. He has one Superbowl, and his career is far from over.

8. Dwayne Wade, Basketball

Everybody knows D Wade. He teamed up with Shaq to win the NBA title in just his third NBA season. Wade is an unstoppable scorer and an overall great player. If he can stay healthy, Wade will be a sure hall of famer. His chances of getting back to the playoffs aren't too bad now that the Heat have brought in Sean Marion and Michael Beasley. The team is young and shouldn't be half as bad as they were in 2007-2008.

7. Derek Jeter, Baseball

He is Mr. November, if you recall the 2001 playoffs. He has been in the playoffs every season of his career and has been extremely successful in the post season. He has played in 25 series with the Yankees. He has a record of 17-8, but a four series losing streak. In terms of his career numbers, he will likely reach 3,000 hits for his career and bat around .315. He is an excellent fielder and probably the most popular Yankee ever. He will play in his ninth career all-star game next week.

6. Tom Brady, Football

In the past seven seasons, Brady averages 28 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions per year. He has led the Patriots to three Superbowl titles in four attempts. He broke the record for touchdown passes in a season last year by throwing 50. He may go down in history as the biggest steal of any draft. He went 199th overall to the Patriots.

5. LaDainian Tomlinson, Football

LT. When at his best there are few better than LT. He may end up being the NFL's all-time leading rusher when all is said and done. He broke the record for touchdowns scored in 2006 when he rushed for 28 and received three. LT is regarded as the NFL's top offensive player in fantasy leagues for the second consecutive season. He is a sure thing to be great year after year and he is the most marketed football player there is.

4. Alex Rodriguez, Baseball

A-Rod is one of the best baseball players ever. He will probably shatter the home run record of 760 and hit well over 800. He has two gold gloves and nine silver slugger awards. He is also a ten time all-star. A-Rod has never won a world series, but he will likely get there eventually.

3. Kobe Bryant, Basketball

Kobe Bryant just won his first MVP award in his 12th NBA season. He has led the Lakers to three NBA titles in five tries and will likely return to the finals shortly. Kobe is Mr. Clutch in the fourth quarter of a close game. He quickly grew to become a special player and easily deserves to be No. 3 on this list.

2. Lebron James, Basketball

Lebron James is the best basketball player in the world. He is 23 years old and in five NBA seasons he averages 27 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds per game. He has led a pretty crumby team to the NBA finals and could be the NBA's highest paid player in 2010 when he becomes of free agent. He is an excellent actor and thus, great for advertisements. He has hosted the ESPYs and will only continue to grow. Most players hit their primes when they are between the ages of 27 and 30. To think that this type of player has yet to peak is scary. He could go down as the all-time leading scorer, racking up 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists as well.

1. Tiger Woods, Golf

Tiger Woods is golf. No other player can compete with Tiger at his best. He, not only, is the best athlete in the United States, but in the world. He showed us recently at the U.S. Open when he overcame tremendous knee pain to win the tournament. He recently said that his knee has bothered him for 10 to 12 years and that he is looking forward to playing with a good knee. Wow. That's all that can be said. In the past 10-12 years Eldrick has won 14 major championships. He is only 32 in a sport where athletes compete deep into their 40s and 50s. Tiger is on pace to shatter the records of career wins and career majors. Every American knows his name. He is easily the most marketed athlete ever. Tiger Woods exemplifies American sports.

Notable Athletes not listed: Dwight Howard, Phil Mickelson, Jason Kidd, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Ken Griffey Jr, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, Ben Roethlisberger, Tracy McGrady, Johan Santana, Mariano Rivera, Lance Armstrong, Vince Carter, Martin Brodeur, Jaromir Jagr, Evgeni Malkin, etc.

NFL Preview Part Four: AFC North

Hudson B — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:48:08 -0400

Here is part four of my eight-part NFL preview.

The AFC North has two of the NFL's worst teams in Baltimore and Cincinnati. The Ravens will bottom out this season and start their rebuilding process this upcoming offseason.

I don't see a solid future with the Bengals, seeing as they have all old veterans on defense. This could be a historically bad season for the division.

Pittsburgh Steelers Last Season: 10-6 Offseason Grade: B+ Predicted Record: 11-5

I really like what the Steelers did on draft day. Rashard Mendenhall is a very NFL-ready back, and he should help the running game be unstoppable. Running-back duos have proven to be very successful, looking at Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor last season.

Mendenhall could easily rush for 600-700 yards as a compliment to Willie Parker, not to mention being a red-zone threat.

By picking up Limas Sweed, the team got an excellent possession receiver and should do very well when it comes down to screen plays, similar to last year's Patriots with Wes Welker.

Don't get me wrong, Sweed won't take in 112 receptions, but he makes the team a solid threat in the passing game. They can go deep or hand the ball off to Mendenhall or Parker. The offense should be great.

If the defense is itself and avoids injuries, they should be very competitive. The schedule is too tough for the team to run the table and dominate. They should split with the Browns, who are really the only other competitive team in the division.

Cleveland Browns Last Season: 10-6 Offseason Grade: B+ Predicted Record: 11-5

The Browns have kept most of their players and added two very good defensive tackles in Shaun Rodgers and Corey Williams. The defense will be great under head coach Romeo Crennel.

The team is also very good on offense and should be score a surplus of points and be competitive with the best. They will dominate the Bengals and Ravens and probably split with the Steelers.

Their schedule is way too tough for them to dominate. They are just about equal with the Steelers and should have two great games against them.

Cincinnati Bengals Last Season: 7-9 Offseason Grade: D Predicted Record: 3-13

Okay, maybe they aren't that bad, but with their schedule, they will be awful this upcoming season.

Of their 16 games, 12 are against playoff-caliber teams. Sorry, but the Bengals are no longer a playoff-caliber team. I don't see this team improving any time soon, seeing that most of their defensive players are old and past their prime.

They have Carson Palmer, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Ben Utecht, Keith Rivers, and Jerome Simpson. Those are the only players that I can see being effective this year. Rivers will be great, something like Patrick Lewis last season, the one great player on a bad defense.

Palmer will find Housmandzadeh and Simpson, but the defense is too bad for this team to compete with all of these playoff-caliber teams. The Bengals aren't this bad with a normal schedule, but they would still go around 6-10.

They again have to rebuild their franchise. Chad isn't listed because I have no idea what Chad will do. All things considered, I can't predict a big year. Ankle injuries, not wanting to be there, and whatever comes next. I don't like the possibilities for this team.

Baltimore Ravens Last Season: 5-11 Offseason Grade: C+ Predicted Record: 4-12

The Ravens have taken some big steps toward the future, with the additions of Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. The running-back tandem will eventually be very successful and be a key component in the team's return to the playoffs.

Unfortunately, this will take a few years.

The defense is old and needs some fresh blood, whereas the offense is young and needs time. They are at a crossroads with age and youth. In three or four years, they could be decent. That's all I can say. They are better than the Bengals, but not really that good. Time will tell, and it should be fun to watch.

This season is one of development for these teams. In a few seasons, the Steelers and the Browns will be very good and will compete for an AFC title.

NFL Preview Part Two: AFC East

Hudson B — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:14:17 -0400

This is the second of eight NFL previews. This is another tough division to call because we have two team that will be significantly better, in Miami and New York. Another question is whether the Patriots will even be close to what they were a year ago. It should be a very interesting season in the AFC East.

1. New England Patriots. Last Season: 16-0. Offseason Grade: B- Predicted Record: 14-2.

This is a tough team to predict. I think that they will, again, be a force in the AFC and will run away with the division. They lost Asante Samuel, but they took Terrance Wheatley in the second round. Wheatley will be good, but he isn't Asante Samuel. At WR, they will be amazing again this season.

The linebackers they brought in should be very successful. They took Jerod Mayo with the 10th overall pick and brought in former Jet, Victor Hobson. Mayo is a beast and should prove it to the country very quickly. Hobson is not a bad signing either. They get depth, and possibly a starter with Hobson. He was part of Eric Mangini's similar defense in New York and has displayed leadership in the offseason mini camps.

The team is still great, but I could never predict a 16-0 season. They play the Colts, which will be another classic and could go either way. Best case, they go 16-0. Worst case, they lose three games. Easy division winners.

2. Buffalo Bills. Last Season: 7-9. Offseason Grade: D. Predicted Record: 5-11.

The Bills got Leodis McKelvin, a good player from Troy, but other than that, the team made no big moves. They didn't lose any significant players and the only player that they brought in was Kawika Mitchell. Mitchell should be a good player in their defense, but not enough to make them competitive.

They have yet again failed to make themselves significantly better. I can’t say too much about their offseason because they really didn't give me too much to write about. The team has to be doing something that is not being reported. They are likely just developing young players. In a few years they may be tough, but I just can't see it right now.

3. New York Jets. Last Season: 4-12. Offseason Grade: A. Predicted Record: 8-8.

I love what the Jets did this offseason. They got rid of players who weren't getting the job done (Justin McCareins, Erik Coleman, etc.) and acquired a great deal of good players via free agency and the draft.

On draft day, they got Vernon Gholston, Dwight Lowery, Erik Ainge, and Marcus Henry. Gholston should be an immediate impact player. The rest will make decent backups.

In free agency, they acquired G Alan Faneca, TE Bubba Franks, LB Calvin Pace, FB Tony Richardson, and G Damien Woody. They picked up two starters on the offensive line, a good blocking offensive player, in Franks and Richardson, and a good linebacker in Pace.

They shored up many of their weak points and may be semi competitive this season. I don't think that they are good enough to be in the playoffs yet, but they certainly took some big steps.

4. Miami Dolphins. Last Season: 1-15. Offseason Grade: B. Predicted Record: 4-12.

This project will take at least three years for Bill Parcells to make successful. That Parcells fella isn't a bad drafter though. Jake Long and Phillip Merling are sure locks to be very good players. I also like the picks of Henne and Langford a lot too.

Langford is the player that I think will be a steal in this draft. He's not an amazing pass rusher, but he will make a very good 3-4 defensive end because of his strength and ability to tackle the running back. He is relentless and should prove to be a good pick.

They didn't add any great players through free agency, but Parcells has a plan and a few tricks up his sleeve. This year they won't be very good because they lack experience. Look for this team to be competitive in the coming seasons.

This division will not produce three playoff teams anytime soon. But it has got a lot better this offseason. It should be fun to watch.

College Basketball: The Next Odens and Durants

Hudson B — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:01:16 -0400

As 2008 recruiting for college basketball wraps up, we can start to make our predictions on players and teams and things of that nature.

It seems that every year since the NBA enacted its age rules, we have our one-and-done freshmen that head straight from college to the big leagues after their freshman seasons.

Here is a shortlist of the top five freshmen in the highlight reels next season.

1. B.J. Mullen, 7'1" - Ohio State

Mullen will be a big hit in the Big Ten, but an even bigger hit in the NBA. The big man from Ohio is not your everyday, run of the mill seven-footer. Some might call him a freak.

Mullen will take the country by surprise when he shows us his tremendous speed. He runs the floor very well and can match up with any player in college basketball. He will outrun and out-hustle 99 percent of the big men in the NCAA.

Usually when a very quick big man comes along, he has tremendous downside. Mullen seemingly has no major issues on the court. He is an excellent offensive rebounder and will be a pest to opposing defenses.

Mullen has excellent range shooting the basketball and should not have issues making free throws. Seeing how big men get hacked down low, this makes Mullen easily capable of averaging between 25 and 30 points a game.

Statistically, Mullen will have one of the best seasons of all time.

2. Jrue Holliday, 6'3" - UCLA

Jrue Holliday may be better than Mullen in that he could be a more complete player. It's basically comparing Wilt Chamberlain to John Stockton—there is no better player. What made me put Mullen first was the rarity of a good shooting, quick big man against a player we see more often—the complete point guard.

Holliday will make UCLA good enough to get to its fourth consecutive Final Four. He is an excellent athlete who can score when he wants to, find the perfect dish at any time, and rebound the basketball exceptionally well for a little guy. If I were to make an NBA comparison, it would be either Jason Kidd or Chris Paul.

To top off his obvious gifts on the court, Jrue was named Gatorade Player of the Year, an award given to great players who do well in school, are active in the community, and stay out of trouble. Holliday is the next big thing.

3. Tyreke Evans, 6'6" - Memphis

Tyreke Evans. Get used to that name, because there will be a lot of talk about him this upcoming season. Memphis will likely be undefeated for most of the season, if not the entire slate.

Evans is potentially the next Kobe Bryant. He was beyond the shadow of a doubt the best player in the McDonald's All-American Game. He showed off his athleticism, eye for the open man, incredible range, defensive skills, and leadership on the court.

There's not much more to say. He will be an awesome scorer and rebounder and will dominate the CUSA conference. Look for Memphis to utilize his skills and remain one of the top teams in the country.

4. Greg Monroe, 6'10" - Georgetown

The big man has the best all-around package of any of these young talents. He could be the next Patrick Ewing—Senior, that is. He sees the floor very well and is a terrific passer, great shot blocker, amazing rebounder, and a fabulous scorer down low.

The big man can also shoot with some range and is very quick for his size. He is left-handed but has developed his game to make himself almost completely ambidextrous. He is also a year younger than most prospects. As I write this, I question whether Monroe should go higher.

5. Demar DeRozan, 6'5" - USC

Demar DeRozan will replace the gap left by O.J. Mayo and likely add more than Mayo. DeRozan is a great scorer and rebounder—with him in the lineup, the Trojans will be a better team than last year.

The man looks older than his age and plays like a seasoned veteran. He has the most potential of my top five players, seeing that he has improved quickly with instruction. Demar could move himself up and become one of the top players in the country.

I'm not too high on him, but I do think that he could make himself a great player if he milks his athleticism for all that he can get.

This season is, yet again, packed with talented freshmen who are all probably one-and-done players.

Although the 2008 NBA Draft was a lot of fun and very deep, I believe that the 2009 will be the most difficult draft to predict in NBA history. There are numerous great freshmen, some very good players who pulled out of the draft, and possibly the best European class ever. It should be interesting.

by Hudson Belinsky

Green Bay Packers: Tired of Brett Favre Jerking You Around?

Hudson B — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:50:07 -0400

This afternoon, I turned on my television to ESPNEWS, where I read on the bottom line that the Packers were in discussions with quarterback Brett Favre, who retired a few months ago.

The line said that these talks were of a possible return to the Green Bay, and something tells me that they aren't asking him to cover the team from the booth.

When the all-time leader in touchdown passes retired, many believed that his tears legitimized his retirement. It seemed more real than if Brett sat back in his chair with a beer in his hand and said, "Hey guys, I think I'm gonna retire."

That wasn't how it happened. Brett attempted to hold back tears, while he stood up in front of the nation and told us that it was over. Everyone was sold that it was over.

Fans, friends, family, teammates, coaches, and even Brett Favre were sold that it was done. Arguably the greatest career in any sport had finished. It reminded some of us back to when Michael Jordan retired. MJ sold it to us.

So it began to sink in. Packer fans were in disbelief, as well as backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who sat behind Favre for three seasons. Aaron began to prepare himself to take over for Brett. In his three years under Favre, the former California star undoubtedly learned numerous techniques and skills from Brett.

In late March, about three weeks after his retirement speech, it was reported the Favre still had not filed the paperwork that would officially make him retired. Most people suggested that this was nothing to get any hopes up for and that Brett had simply not gotten to the paperwork yet.

A few weeks later, Favre went on Letterman and talked about him getting started and making it to the NFL. As the conversation progressed, Brett was asked if he had retired.

Brett responded with a joke, saying, "I have retired. Watch TV a lot, don't you?" Later Favre went on to say "...I think when training camp gets close I will (pauses) something is bound to happen."

Aaron Rodgers was likely waking up to his normal day of training for the upcoming season, when he turned on ESPN2 and saw the clip on Mike & Mike in the Morning. This rose hope in football fans everywhere.

The next few months we heard little news about Favre, other than him being on the cover of the newest Madden video game, Madden '09. But now, in early July this new story has arisen.

If I were a Packer fan, I would be very upset with the way Favre has handled the situation. The team has already drafted a backup, Brian Brohm, for their new starter, Aaron Rodgers. Had they known that Favre wasn't done, they could have filled another need with the second round selection.

So now, after all this garbage, I am done caring about this. Brett will make his decision when he makes his decision and the team should wait until he makes up his mind.

I apologize to die-hard Favre fans, but I feel that Brett is letting his team down by not making his decision. I am tired of this guy pulling everyone's leg whenever he is unsure about something.

Please, don't get me wrong. I love Brett Favre, and I think that he is one of the greatest football players of all-time. I just don't think that he's being fair to the Packers.

2008 NBA Draft: Five Big-Time Steals

Hudson B — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:48:18 -0400

After taking a look at where certain players were taken, I believe there were some big time steals. Here are five of them:

1. Jerryd Bayless. Bayless may not end up being a great player, but, if he puts the work in, he does have what it takes to turn himself into a Gilbert Arenas type player.

Note the Arizona connection. Arenas left Arizona after his sophomore year, averaging 16.2 points and just 2.3 assists per game. Jerryd's numbers are much better. Last season he averaged 19.7 points and 4.0 assist per game.

Bayless also has a year on the young Arenas. At the peak of his young career, Gilbert averaged 29.3 points and 6.1 assists per game. Although there are no guarantees, Bayless has the potential to be an All-star in a few years, assuming, again, that he puts the time in and commits himself to improvement.

2. Ryan Anderson. Anderson's numbers speak for themselves. 21.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, making him, statistically, one of the best players in this draft. In addition, he is 6' 10'', can shoot the three, and is able to knock down free throws.

New Jersey perhaps got the biggest steal in this draft. If I had my own rankings, I would have thrown Anderson in anywhere between eight and five. I know that it may seem crazy, but I honestly feel that Anderson is that good.

3. Chris Douglas-Roberts. The Nets lose the scoring factor with Jefferson's being sent to Milwaukee.

Douglas-Roberts may not be able to suit up and give us 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists every night, but the Memphis guard will be able to give New Jersey the same scoring that they lose with Jefferson, and in a few years a surplus of points.

Chris isn't a bad rebounder per say, but he isn't great either. With time, Douglas-Roberts could become a very good NBA player.

4. Ante Tomic. Tomic went 44th to the Jazz. At 7'2'', he is one of the biggest players in the draft, and all he does is score and rebound down low. He isn't a great shot blocker, but with Jerry Sloan's coaching, he can improve at most of his game.

He is 21, the equivalent a college junior, but he has professional basketball experience in Europe. Best case, he becomes a Pau Gasol type of a player. Worst case, he does not improve and the Jazz end up giving very little money in the scheme of things, to a player who could have potentially been very good.

Tomic isn't a steal because he is going to surprise us all and be the best player in the draft. What makes the big man a steal is the fact that the Jazz got him at 44 when he could have easily gone in the early twenties.

5. Pat Calathes. Pat isn't exactly a steal because he was not drafted. Pat is a legitimate small forward at 6'10''. His style of play does seem to fit an NBA roster. Some rankings have had Calathes ranked as high as the 25th best player in the draft.

The former St. Joe's star probably wouldn't make a very good NBA player, but he was good enough to be drafted. His game could be fine tuned to make him an okay off the bench player. Calathes is sort of like a J.J. Redick type of player, but he has size.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Calathes is capable of making it as a future Sixth Man of the Year, but it is always good to have a few good bodies sitting on the bench.

So, how is he a steal if he wasn't drafted? Well, whoever signs him can pay him the minimum salary with their own terms and that team didn't have to use a draft pick to get him.

Throwing Darrell Arthur in there would be a waste. Darrell is an obvious steal, knowing that he is one of the top 10 or 15 players in the draft and he nearly fell out of the first round. He is probably the third biggest steal.

Thanks a lot for reading and if you have something to add or if there is anything that I left out please don't hesitate to let me know.

Hudson Belinsky