RED SOX CLINCH WORLD SERIES TITLE AT FENWAY!!!

It was really that huge trade in August of 2012 when the Boston Red Sox started to turn their luck around. They managed to get rid of several large contracts and free up enough financial space to rebuild for the near the future. Who knew that near future meant 2013.

After an abysmal 2012 and an off season of rebuilding which included hiring a new manager, the Sox managed to have a rebound 2013 season finishing first in the AL East with a 97-65 record. They then proceeded to clear through the ALDS beating out the Tampa Bay Rays in four games and then beating the Detroit Tigers in Six games in the ALCS. That lead them to the World Series.

They got a 3-2 series lead over the St. Louis Cardinals entering tonight and wanted to put it away in game six with the Fenway crowd cheering them on. They struck first in the 3rd inning with a three-run triple by Shane Victorino who had not had a hit in the series before that. Boston would then add three more runs in the 4th inning with Victorino hitting an RBI single. All six runs would be counted against Michael Wacha who had been a solid postseason starter until this point.

That was all the Sox would score but it was enough. John Lackey, the game six starter for Boston, only allowed one earned run in the 7th on an RBI single by Carlos Beltran. The bullpen would come in to finish the 7th and the game.

The game and the series would end with Sox closer Koji Uehara striking out Matt Carpenter. Boston wins the game 6-1 and takes the series 4-2. The Red Sox win their 8th World Series title in franchise history and clinch their first World Series title at home since 1918.

What an historic run for the Red Sox throughout this postseason and a great World Series to watch. Of course, David Ortiz was named the World Series MVP. No hitter was hotter during this series than Big Papi. This cements Ortiz's legacy in Boston further with this being his third World Series title with the team.

Congrats to the city of the Boston and the Red Sox organization on another world title. NOW LETS PARTY LIKE IT 1918!!!

Tim Tebow Cut by the Patriots

The popular Tim Tebow has just been cut by the New England Patriots as they were widdling down their roster to 53 players. Tebow joined the Patriots in June as sort of a last chance effort. In three preseason games, he went 11-30 for 145 yards, two touchdown passes and two interceptions. He did also run for 91 yards in 16 attempts.

Tebow has made it clear on twitter that he's not quitting but you can't help but wonder if this is last coming of Tebow? No other teams seem to be interested in him at the moment what with the fact that he still can't throw the ball accurately. He can try his luck up north in Canada but chances are that this is the last time we ever see Tim Tebow in an NFL uniform.

He will always have the 2011 season with the Broncos where he actually lead the team to a playoff win (something Manning hasn't done yet). But that will likely remain the one bright spot for the pro career of Tim Tebow.

P.S. Perhaps divine intervention will help Tebow get back in the NFL in the form of injuries.

NFL and Players Settle Concussion Suit

It looks like the NFL is able to move beyond their biggest legal battle.

The league has reached a tentative agreement with its 18,000 retired players over brain related injuries such as concussions and CTE. The NFL will pay $765 million over the next 20 years (half within the first 3) as part of the settlement. $675 million will go former players and the families of deceased players. Up to $75 million will go to baseline medical exams and $10 million will fund research and education.

As part of the deal, however, there is a term stating the agreement "cannot be considered an admission by the NFL of liability, or an admission that plaintiffs' injuries were caused by football." (ESPN.com).

From the look of it, the NFL got off easy. It managed to reach a settlement for a relatively small amount and it was able to avoid admitting fault in the process. Now certainly the issue of concussions could still come back and haunt the NFL in the future but for the time being, let's play some football.

Ichiro with 4,000 Career Hits in Pro Baseball

One of the most accomplished hitters today reaches a milestone that involves careers on two different continents.

With a single to left off of the Blue Jay's pitcher R.A. Dickey, Ichiro Suzuki now has 4,000 career hits in the highest levels of professional baseball. This mark goes back to when he debuted in Nippon Professional Baseball in 1992. As for how many hits he has playing Major League Baseball, Ichiro now has 2722 hits in a 13 year career.

If you count careers at the highest levels of pro baseball, Ichiro is only the third player ever to cross the 4,000 hit mark with the other two being Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. While Rose and Cobb's hits have all come while playing Major League Baseball, it's still an impressive milestone in terms of an international mark.

It also makes you wonder if Ichiro would've gotten to the 4,000 hit mark if he had started his career in the Majors. Ichiro has more hits than anyone since his MLB debut in 2001 and also set the new single season hits record in 2004 with 262.

It's fun to play "what if" but there's no doubt that Ichiro is a living legend of the game on an international scale.

P.S. Yanks would win 4-2... whatever.

MLB to Expand Instant Replay in 2014 (About Damn Time)

The days are numbered for the arrogant umpires.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced today that baseball will greatly expand instant replay starting in the 2014 season. Managers will be allowed to make up to three challenges per game, one for the first six innings and two after the sixth. The best part about it is that the review will not be made by the officiating crew at the stadium but rather by a crew at MLB headquarters in New York City who will render a final decision.

As for what plays will be reviewable, it's a gray area at this point. Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz, a member of the replay committee, has said that 89% of incorrect calls made in the past will be reviewable but failed to provide a list.

This expanded instant replay still needs to be passed by 75% of the owners during the off season. The MLBPA and the umpires would also need to approve the changes.

Perhaps not the best replay system that can be put in place but it's still a significant upgrade from what they have now (just borderline home runs). While it's unclear what can be challenged, it's going to include numerous things which will make the game fairer and much less controversial.

Again, the system itself is not the best available. College Football appears to use instant replay the best ( and it pains me to admit that) with a replay official able to halt the game for a review at any time need be.

But I do get why baseball went to the challenge system instead. They're afraid that the replay official method will slow the game down too much. The challenge system, in the end, is a compromise.

Over time, I do hope that Baseball will move towards the College Football model regarding instant replay. But for the time being, it's a home run.

Peavy Wins First Outing with Red Sox

Jake Peavy, who was traded from the ChicagoWhite Sox to Boston earlier this week, made his Red Sox debut earlier tonight. He pitched against a familiar opponent that he faced primarily in his Padres days, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Overall, Peavy did well going seven plus innings allowing just two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven. In fact, Peavy might've had three earned counted against him if not for Jonny Gomes' arm in left field throwing out Cliff Pennington at the plate in the 8th. Because of that, the Sox kept a slim one run lead keeping Peavy in line for the W.

Boston would add two more runs in the bottom of the 8th with a two-run shot by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Sox would win by a final of 5-2 with Peavy (9-4) getting credited with the win.

Certainly the kind of start the Sox expect from Peavy. Pity the Rays beat the Giants to still keep a half game behind in the AL East. But if Peavy can keep pitching like this for the rest of the season, then Boston might just be able to stay in front of Tampa Bay long enough.

Ryan Braun, Ryan Gone

Baseball finally nails Ryan Braun.

Major League Baseball has suspended Brewer Ryan Braun without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season (65 games) and any possible postseason games this year. Braun will not contend with the suspension and accept his punishment.

Braun is one of several players being investigated for their connections to the Biogenesis of America. Braun also had beaten a positive drug test on appeal in 2012 which would've cost him a 50 game suspension.

The Truth is Now on baseball's side.

While doling out suspensions for any player that violates baseball's drug policy is significant news, getting Braun suspended, finally, was huge for baseball. Braun humiliated them last year with that beaten drug test and getting him suspended now removes that blemish left by Braun.

Of course Braun could've tried to fight this suspension but due to the fact that he didn't and took this deal says that the evidence collected against him was just too much to fight successfully. Braun probably saw that he was going to lose this case and instead of fighting it and have the suspension applied predominantly next season, he decided to accept his fate this year seeing how the Brewers aren't likely going to make the postseason anyway currently being last in the NL Central. This way he'll be available for all of 2014.

Now what about the rest of the players being investigated for their involvement with Biogenesis. This suspension tells me that more are on the way and that they could happen this year. It's important to note, however, that Braun is not fighting this suspension. Other players might fight just to stay on their team that could be contending for the a playoff spot.

I'm still not completely sold that teams need to trade for players to possibly replace those being investigated in this scandal. If the players involved exhaust the appeals process, it still might go into the off season to sort out. However, I would not be surprised now if teams start making those kind of moves.

Cespedes Out Slams Harper to Win Home Run Derby

He wasn't even supposed to be there. Instead, he's the Home Run Derby Champion.

Yoenis Cespedes wins the 2013 Home Run Derby at Citi Field in New York City. Cespedes batted against Bryce Harper for the derby crown in the final. Harper hit a respectable eight home runs in ten outs. Cespedes crushed nine in five outs with the clincher being a deep shot to center.

The derby win for Cespedes marks the first time an Athletic has won the Home Run Derby since 1992 when Mark McGwire won it.

Yoenis was crushing balls from the start with many of them getting up to that third deck in left field. Cespedes would hit 17 homers in the first round and didn't even need to hit another big fly to advance to the final still being ahead of 2nd place Bryce Harper by one. The 27 year old Cuban born slugger would tack on 6 more, however, for good measure and have a total of 23 over the first two rounds.

Certainly a good night of home run hitting. It was fun to see so many big flies hit by all the contestants and great to see the guy with the most homers on the night win the derby. Congrats to Cespedes.

P.S. Now time for me to see if I can get a triple decker myself.

Dwight Howard Going to Houston

Looks like Texas just got a little bigger.

As first reported by USA Today, Dwight Howard has chosen to join the Houston Rockets. Howard had met with the Rockets earlier this week and also several other teams vying for the affection of Dwight. Howard now joins James Harden and Jeremy Lin in hopes of bringing a championship back to Houston.

This might not be the only star player the Rockets get. Houston and Atlanta might make a sign-and-trade deal involving sending Josh Smith to the Rockets in exchange for Omer Asik who doesn't want to play with Dwight Howard.

A huge day for the Rockets as their bar has been raised to championship highs and instantly with this news. It's probably fair to expect a championship now that Howard is on the team but unless they can get Josh Smith as well, I'm not sure whether they are the best team in the West. OKC is still strong with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, San Antonio has proven to never count them out, and even Golden State can surprise you.

As for the Lakers, they are apparently still in denial. It's a first that an all time great player has walked away from the Lakers. Though to be fair, the Lakers sort of drove Howard away. While Dwight and Kobe might've never gotten along anyway, the Lakers hurt their chances of keeping Howard long term when they hired Mike D'Antoni as head coach. Combine that with how everything else went in LA during Howard's one year there and how do you expect him stay?

The Rockets now look like title contenders while the Lakers just look like another borderline playoff team at best. Oh what a difference a year makes.

Celtics Name Brad Stevens as Head Coach

Big move coming out of Boston.

The Celtics have found their next head coach and it's Brad Stevens from Butler. Stevens has been head coach of the Bulldogs men's basketball team for the last six years and is most noted for getting Butler to the National Title game twice. Stevens has no coaching experience in the NBA as he takes over for Doc Rivers who lead the team to an NBA title.

It's ironic but not surprising that the Celtics get another coach to leave their team to coach for them. It is surprising it turned out to be Brad Stevens of Butler. Good for Stevens getting his shot in the NBA but I wonder if this move will work out long term. Stevens won't be expected to make an impact immediately but regardless where the team stands in a few years, he will be expected to lead the Celtics deep into the postseason.

Overall, this is a win-win for Stevens. He gets his shot as an NBA head coach and if he fails, he's free to choose any university team that wants him, guilt free.

KG, Paul Pierce, and Terry to Brooklyn

Looks like the retirement community in Boston is moving to Brooklyn.

In a blockbuster deal, the Celtics have agreed to trade away Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets. The deal required KG to waive his no trade clause which he did. In return, Boston gets Kris Humphries who has an expiring contract, Gerald Wallace, Kris Joseph, MarShon Brooks, and Keith Bogans on a sign and trade and that's just the players they get. The Celtics also get the Nets' first round draft picks for 2014, 2016, and 2018.

The deal though agreed upon cannot be executed until July 10th.

Man, I thought the slightly sub-par draft class was going to be the big news coming from last night.

Brooklyn is going all in seemingly cashing in every chip they can to try and make a championship run over the next couple of years. Despite their ages, Kevin Garnett (37) and Paul Pierce (35) can still be very effective. Terry, I guess, can be as well but he's not on the same level as Pierce or KG are.

The Nets now get these three veterans joining Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and Brook Lopez. It seems like a great team but I wouldn't make them the favorite for making the Finals. They might be a contender but these three coming to Brooklyn are old and the Nets have a new coach that just retired from playing the game.

However, seeing this move happened combined with the fact that the Pacers pushed Miami to the brink in the Eastern Conference Finals and that Chicago will be getting Derrick Rose back after his bout with pussyitis, I can no longer say for sure that the Heat will make the NBA Finals next year. I am still leaning towards Miami but I can't guarantee it.

P.S. Unless they pull off a big off season move themselves, I can guarantee the other New York team won't make the Finals.

BLACKHAWKS COMEBACK TO WIN GAME SIX; CLAIM 2ND STANLEY CUP IN FOUR YEARS!!!

A lot can change in 17 seconds. We were looking at going onto to game 7 of the series to crowning a champion in that span of time.

Being down by one with less than a minute and half to go in game 6, the Blackhawks scored two goals to take the lead. Bryan Bickell would get a pass from captain Jonathan Toews and scored the tying goal with a shot from in front of the net. Then just 17 seconds later, Dave Bolland managed to score the go ahead goal with 59 seconds left.

The Blackhawks managed to kill off the remaining time and won by a final of 3-2. Chicago wins the series 4-2 and win their 2nd Stanley Cup title in four years.

A fantastic Stanley Cup Finals and a great come from behind victory for the Blackhawks in game 6. Sure, it wasn't do or die for Chicago but they know that anything can happen in game 7 and to not waste the opportunities to comeback in this one.

Patrick Kane wins the Conn Smythe Trophy being the MVP of this year's postseason. Kane scored 9 goals and had a total of 19 points in the playoffs. In the Stanley Cup Finals, Kane had 5 points with 3 of them being goals.

Still got to hand it to the Bruins for a great series and postseason run. Many thought they were destined for greatness this year seeing their comeback in game 7 of round one of the postseason against the Maple Leafs. It's ironic, really, that they fall in a comeback effort in the Stanley Cup Finals in the very same building.

It's the Blackhawks that win the President's Trophy in a shortened lockout season and then go on to win Lord Stanley's Cup. Congrats to them and the city of Chicago. Time to sing another verse of "Chelsea Dagger" by The Fratellis.

Heat Win Second Straight Title; LeBron Finals MVP

I guess nobody was leaving the AmericanAirlines Arena early tonight.

The Heat won game 7 of the NBA Finals by a final of 95-88. It was a close game throughout and it wasn't until the final minutes did Miami manage to separate themselves from San Antonio. A huge jumper made by James with 27 seconds left and costly turnovers by the Spurs sealed the win for the Heat as they claim their second title in a row.

LeBron James, NBA Finals MVP, had 37 points in the title clinching game along with 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Dwayne Wade had 23 points in the game, Shane Battier came alive with 18 himself, and Mario Chalmers had 14. Chris Bosh actually didn't score a point in game 5 but did have 7 boards, 2 assists, and 1 block.

It seemed like it was just Tim Duncan trying to keep the Spurs alive late in the 4th quarter. Duncan would have 24 points in the game along with 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. Tony Parker only had 10 points going 3-12 from the floor. Manu Ginoboli did have 18 points but committed 4 turnovers with one of those coming within the final half-minute of the game.

Many people say that the Heat should be better than this, that they should be able to win this series before the 7th game. I don't think so. I'm not bashing the Heat, they're a great team. But San Antonio is a great team as well that has been here before and quite frankly the kind of opponent you want to beat in the Finals. A team that has won titles and have claimed a dynasty in their own way.

This win OVER THE SPURS legitimizes this Heat team as an historic team. Maybe not the best in NBA history, you can't make that argument now and if you tried, most ex-players wouldn't hear you out. But they have done well enough to become memorable.

P.S. Again, not the best yet, but LeBron has earned memorable mention in NBA history as well.

Bruins Tie Cup Finals at 1-1

Looks like it will be a tight Stanley Cup Finals.

After the Blackhawks took game one in triple overtime, the Bruins comeback and get an overtime win themselves... though this one just in the 1st and only overtime. With the game tied at 1-1 and with it almost 14 minutes into the OT, the Blackhawks failed to clear the puck out of their zone and the Bruins made them pay. With assists from Tyler Seguin and Adam McQuaid, Daniel Paille scored the game winning goal past Chicago goalkeeper Corey Crawford for the game winner. Final was 2-1 Bruins.

A huge win for the Bruins evening the series at 1-1 as they go to Boston. This tired Bruins squad managed to overwhelm the Blackhawks in the overtime in game two and come away with the victory.

What is very impressive so far in this series is both goaltenders. Boston's Tuukka Rask and Chicago's Corey Crawford have been remarkable to watch, just great goal tending displays from both of them so far. It might be more about good defense than good goal tending in this series because both of these goaltenders are playing their best.

Jason Kidd Hired to be Coach of the Nets

Straight from a jersey on the floor to the sideline in a suit.

Jason Kidd, who last played for the Nets franchise in 2008, has been hired by the Brooklyn Nets to become the team's next head coach. P.J. Carlesimo was the team's last head coach and he was put into that spot on an interim basis after the Nets fired Avery Johnson last December. However, Carlesimo was fired after the Nets were booted from the NBA Playoffs in the first round losing to the Bulls in seven games.

As for Jason Kidd, he doesn't have any coaching experience and just retired after the Knicks were eliminated in the 2nd round of the playoffs. He does have a playoff ready team to lead with a star point guard in Deron Williams and that might help considering he knows a thing or two about the position (ha ha ha).

Still, the no coaching experience worries me. It might take Jason Kidd a while to get used to coaching in the NBA which means Brooklyn could be in for a wild ride next season.

Tim Tebow Going to the Pats

Just when you thought his career was dead, he's resurrected.

The favorite son of football, Tim Tebow, will sign with the New England Patriots. The current offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Pats, Josh McDaniels, was the coach in Denver when the the team drafted him in 2010. McDaniels was fired later that season for a poor record and the Broncos would trade Tebow after the 2011 season out of spite.

These two now get reunited as Tebow now enters Belichick land, a land that is not favorable towards members of the media. It's where no one is above the team and something like Tebowmania will be squashed.

There is of course absolutely no chance for Tim Tebow in taking over the starting quarterback position from Tom Brady. So why is Tebow in New England and now? I say it's Gronk. Every now and then, there is an analyst that says that Tebow could play as a TE in the NFL. Maybe Belichick is taking that to heart. Since Gronkowski keeps getting hurt, Tebow might be useful as a backup TE... and QB if anything should happen to Brady. Though they'd probably just turn to Ryan Mallet in that scenario.

Anyway, at least Tebow will be able to work under Tom Brady and perhaps work on that nonexistent throwing motion. Then again, Tom has better things to do.

Nadal Wins 8th French Title; Serena Gets Her 2nd

Long live the King of Clay.

Rafael proved once again he rules Roland Garros by beating fellow Spanish countryman David Ferrer in three sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. This is Nadal's 8th French title making him the only player in Tennis history to have that many titles at one Grand Slam event. Overall, Nadal now has 12 Grand Slam titles.

As for the Women's side, Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. It's Serena's 16th overall Grand Slam title and her 2nd at the French. Her first French title was over ten years ago in 2002.

A good couple of weeks of tennis as Wimbledon is just around the corner. Time to shop for some boring white clothes.

Blackhawks Win in Double OT; Advance to Stanley Cup Finals

There will be no repeat Stanley Cup Champions.

The Chicago Blackhawks managed to survive a double overtime game against the Los Angeles Kings to win it 4-3 and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. It was Patrick Kane scoring the series clincher in the 2nd overtime thanks to a two on one counter attack lead by Jonathan Toews. It was Kane's third goal of the night.

Chicago takes the series 4-1 and eliminate the Kings.


Now it's on to the Stanley Cup Finals to face the Boston Bruins in an Original Six finals, first since 1979. It's a great match up between two teams who have been counted out of the postseason at one time or another. Chicago was down 3-1 in the series with the Red Wings in the conference semis to come back and win the series 4-3. And Boston was down by three goals in the third period of game 7 between them and Maple Leafs back in the Conference quarters.

Whatever might happen in the Stanley Cup Finals, don't count out either side.

Pagan Hits a Walk Off Inside-the-Park Home; Giants Win 6-5

It was a long day for the San Francisco Giants but they somehow survived it.

Angel Pagan just after his Walk Off Inside the Park Home Run vs. the Rockies. 5-25-13 (Photo by Ezra Shaw of Getty Images)

The Giants had to fight back from a 4-run deficit against the Colorado Rockies. They did this with 3 runs in the 6th inning and then a 4th run in the 7th. However, the 7th inning should've been more than a tie for the Giants.

With one out and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Brandon Crawford hit a ground ball to the 2nd baseman DJ LeMahieu. Brandon Belt sees the grounder and heads for home plate causing LeMahieu to throw home. Belt gets under Yorvit Torrealba's tag just in time. However, home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez called him out despite the fact that Belt's foot hit home plate just before the tag was applied.

Next batter Joaquin Arias pinch hits for the pitcher's spot and flies out to end the inning with the game still tied at 4-4.

The bottom of the 8th comes around with another officiating mistake. With Marco Scutaro on 1st and 1 out, Pablo Sandoval hits a single to left center and, perhaps feeling a bit greedy, Scutaro heads for 3rd base. The throw to 3rd is on time but Scutaro manages to avoid the tag and slide into 3rd safely... except for the fact that home plate umpire Marquez came over and called Scutaro out on a tag that clearly didn't happen.

Giants Manager Bruce Bochy goes out to argue about now the 2nd blown call by Marquez and is thrown out of the ball game. Buster Posey then pops out to 2nd to end the inning.

The game heads into extras where Troy Tulowitzki hit a home run to lead off the 10th inning to make it 5-4 for the Rockies. Now the bottom of the 10th comes with Rafael Betancourt coming in to close it out for Colorado.

However, Betancourt walks Brandon Crawford to start the inning and then Guillermo Quiroz pinch hits to just bunt Crawford over to 2nd. Angel Pagan then comes up clutch with a big hit that hits the bottom of the wall in right center. Crawford scores easily and Pagan, chugging along with 3rd base coach Tim Flannery waiving him in, manages to slide head first into home just before the tag.

No way to mess up that play at the plate, Marquez.

Giants win 6-5 in 10 innings on a walk off inside-the-park home run by Angel Pagan. They had to overcome the Rockies and sloppy officiating but the Giants win in one of the spectacular finishes you will see all season.

P.S. Seriously, baseball, you got to something about the umps. Better officiating and instant replay are needed more than ever. The right team somehow won today but that doesn't always happen, does it.

Neymar Going to Barcelona? WHY!!!

Perhaps the biggest hyped player outside of Europe is Neymar. A 21 year old Brazilian born player that plays for the Brazilian football club of Santos FC.

It is no secret over the past couple of seasons that Neymar has been sought after to play in Europe. The two main contenders for him this year are the Spanish Clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. Santos has already accepted the two offers made by the two clubs but it is now being reported that Neymar has chosen FC Barcelona over Real Madrid.

Despite the reports that Real Madrid was willing to pay 35 million euros, 10 million more than Barca's offer, Neymar chose Barcelona's offer over Madrid's, probably because he wants to play alongside Lionel Messi which he has said in the past. If the great Pele is right about Neymar being better than Lionel Messi, even eventually, then Barcelona is the clear favorite for.... everything, including the Champions League.

Luckily soccer isn't as predictable as Basketball so nothing is secured for Barcelona (except a La Liga title). If this deal works out in Barca's favor, they could remain the top team in Europe for quite a while.

P.S. Nothing exciting and unpredictable happening over there. Let's see what's happening in baseball.

Late Goal Gives Bayern Munich Champions Cup

The biggest game in Europe has come around again.

The UEFA Champions League Final was played earlier today between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. It was devastating last year for Bayern Muncih as they lost the UCL Final in penalties in their home stadium. This year was redemption.

Mario Mandzukic scored in the 60' to give Munich a 1-0 lead. Dortmund would rebound, however, with a penalty kick in 68' which was scored Ilkay Gundogan to tie the game. The game continued on and just when it looked like extras were needed to be played, Arjen Robben, through an assisted pass from Ribery, scored in the 89' for the game winner. It was too late for Dortmund to recover. Bayern Munich wins 2-1 and takes the European Champions Cup.

Fitting it was that Arjen Robben scored the goal who had missed a penalty kick in last year's UCL Final that would've most likely won the match for Munich. It was ultimate redemption for him as Robben secures the 5th UCL Title for Bayern Munich, first since 2001.

Congrats to Bayern as I hope they enjoy a great night in London and then some partying back home.

P.S. Only 388 days till the World Cup.

ALL HAIL VIVEK RANADIVE AND THE NEW KINGS OF THE CASTLE!!!

Make way for the new owners.

In an announcement in front of Sacramento's City Hall, Mayor Kevin Johnson has proclaimed to all in state capital that the Kings have a new owner. The deal was worth $348 million for the Maloofs 65% of the team (team's total valuation sale $535 million). The new owners are a group of investors lead by the Software Wizard Vivek Ranadive. "Huzzahs" were shouted as word spread throughout the land.

With the Kings staying in Sacramento, it means the new coliseum worth $447 million by the Sacramento river. There will be mutton and turkey legs, ale, bread, and eh.... okay, this play on a medieval theme is getting boring.

The bottom line is that there are new owners in the NBA and a new hope for King's fans in Sacramento. It might take a while for the new arena to be built and a decent team to be put together but for the first time in a long while, things are looking up for the Sacramento Kings.

Owners Vote Against Kings Relocation to Seattle

It looks like the Kings are staying in Sacramento... for now.

The NBA Owners voted down the proposed relocation to Seattle by a vote of 22-8. This vote coming after the relocation committee's unanimous recommendation against Kings proposed move. The Maloof family, who owns the team, has been talking to an investment group lead by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen which would've relocated the team to Seattle. That deal now seems doomed by this recent vote.

NBA Commissioner David Stern said at a news conference "It is my expectation that we'll be able to make a deal with the Maloofs and the Ranadive group to transfer title of the team in Sacramento," latter adding "It's not a certainty, but we're going to work [toward] that result."

It seems that Maloofs are stuck in ownership purgatory. They found an ownership group that they wanted to sell to but the NBA owners shot down the one thing needed to make that deal go through. And while their back up plan might include selling a minority stake of the team to the Hansen group, I'd bet that the the NBA Owners would reject that sale knowing the group's intentions.

As for the Ranadive group, the Maloofs don't seem to want to sell to them right now despite the fact that the group has managed to match the original bid put up by the Hansen group of $525 million. Now of course the Hansen group raised their bid significantly to a total of $625 million, but the Ranadive group has shown they are serious about buying the team. Unless the Maloofs can be persuaded, it seems that they are stuck with the Kings until they find a buyer they like and also wants to keep the team in Sacramento.

P.S. While I admit that I was mostly rooting for the Kings to stay in Sacramento, I can't help but feel sympathetic to Seattle. They lost the SuperSonics in 2008 and now have failed to attract a replacement team with the Kings. I get that you feel like you just got sucker punched by league a 2nd time. But understand this; you've got the Mariners, the Seahawks, and even the Sounders to fall back on. What else does Sacramento have?

Besides, I bet you'll get another chance with a different team unsatisfied with their current location real soon.

Umps Got Instant Replay Wrong? BLATANTLY WRONG!!!

Last night at the A's-Indians game in Cleveland, it was a one run affair during the top of the 9th with two outs when Adam Rosales stepped up to the plate. Rosales managed to hit a home run to left field. The umpires, however, didn't think it went over the yellow line and called it a double. They would review the hit by Rosales and anybody at home, in the press box, the dugout, and even throughout the stadium could see and tell that the ball hit the railing above the yellow line therefore making it a home run.

The umps, however, came out of the reviewing room and ruled that it was a double. Bob Melvin went off on the umps and was tossed from the game. The A's would end up losing by the one run they didn't get 4-3.

Somehow the umps got a simple instant replay call wrong. The only thing reviewable in baseball at the moment they screwed up. Mr. Magoo could've gotten that one right.

How they got it wrong is a mystery. There are only two conceivable reasons to me on how they got this one wrong. One, they didn't have access to all the replay footage and couldn't make the right call. That, however, seems hard to believe and just looking at the home run, it just seems so obvious that it hit off the railing.

The other possibility is that their arrogance and/or stubbornness got the better of them. Umps do not like being wrong in any situation and perhaps that stubbornness in the face of indisputable video evidence influenced the wrong decision.

The right thing to do is have the commissioner reverse the decision therefore tying the game at 4-4 and replaying the rest of the inning and game. They could easily do it today before game 4 of this series starts.

Chances that they will actually do the right thing? About the same of that home run being called a double after review.

P.S. Even if it's not stubbornness and/or arrogance, it's still a problem with the umpires around the Majors.

Orb Wins the Kentucky Deby

It was a wet day at Churchill Downs as the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby commenced. The rain stopped for the actual race but it sure made the track very muddy.

As for the race itself, Palace Malice lead most of the way until that final turn when the pack managed to catch up and pass him by. Palace Malice would finish 12th. Coming down the stretch, it would be Orb being rode by Jockey Joel Rosario that grabbed the lead and won the race by 2 1/2 lengths. It was the first Kentucky Derby win for jockey Rosario and for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Always brief but exciting to watch. Orb was the favorite at 5-1 odds and he certainly proved it with the burst of speed showing near the end of the race. The runner up was Golden Soul followed by Revolutionary at third.

Of course we now look ahead to the Preakness to see if Orb will be able to make a run at the Triple Crown. Not likely but it's the only thing that keeps horse racing interesting beyond the Kentucky Derby.

Knicks Survive and Win 1st Playoff Series Since 2000

Sorry, Jets. You're the only embarrassing sports franchise left in New York City. Well, at least AROUND New York City.

The New York Knicks decided not to dress in black this time as they went into Boston to face the Celtics in game 6 of their series. New York started strong by actually moving the ball around to score 24 points in the first quarter compared to the Celtics 10. The Knicks actually played a great game for the most part. They were up by as much as 26 points in the 4th quarter.

Then the Celtics caught fire. Boston went on a 20-0 run in the 4th quarter which would cut the lead down to 6. They would later cut the lead down to 4 with 3:31 to go.

The Knicks and Carmelo Anthony, however, would be able to refocus. Melo then made a couple of jumpers with one of them being a 3 pointer to get the lead back up to 9. The J.R. Smith then made a lay up and one at the free throw line to make it a 12 point game with 1:21 left. Finals score was 88-80 with the Knicks winning the series 4-2.

New York manages to stave off 0-3 series comeback attempt from the Celtics and win their first playoff series since the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. the Pacers which, ironically, who they will play next. Indiana just put away Atlanta last night 81-73 to win their series 4-2.

As for the Celtics, they go home with questions surrounding them. It's the first time since Kevin Garnett arrived in Boston that the Celtics have been eliminated in the 1st round of the postseason.

It's not likely that things will get better in Boston for next season. Rajon Rondo will be back but KG and Paul Pierce will be another year older. Heck, Pierce and Garnett may not be back next year depending on how they feel and how the team feels.

Meanwhile, the Knicks move on trying to establish a notable era themselves. However, they've had trouble with Indiana this season splitting the season series with them 2-2. If they do get past them, then they will face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

P.S. I would say 'likely face Miami' but seriously, Come On....

2013 UCL Final Set: Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich

It's going to be an all German final in Wembley.

After both Bundesliga clubs managed to wallop their opponents in their respective first legs, they managed to hold each one of them off in leg 2.

Borussia Dortmund managed to survive Real Madrid's comeback attempt at the Bernabeu as Real took the leg 2-0. They still fell short as Dortmund advances on a 4-3 aggregate score.

As for Bayern Munich, they crushed the Messi-less Barcelona at their own home stadium of Camp Nou 3-0 making their aggregate victory 7-0.

It will be Borussia Dortmund taking on rival Bayern Munich for the Champions Cup.

Dortmund has only been to the UCL Final once back in 1997 when they defeated Juventus for their only Champions Cup title. Bayern Munich just went to the Champions League Final last year losing in penalties in their own home stadium of Allianz Arena to Chelsea. The last time that Munich has won the Champions Cup was in 2001 when they defeated Valencia in penalties (ironically enough).

As for Barcelona and Real Madrid, these top clubs will always have next year. That's the benefit of being a powerhouse. Though Real Madrid might have a lesser chance with hints and rumors that Jose Mourinho will not be their manager next season. The Mourinho era in Madrid hasn't been a pretty one but at least some silverware was won.

May 25th is the UCL Final. I need to get some Brats.

P.S. Comeback to Chelsea, Mourinho. The two Manchester clubs are killing us.

Lakers Get Swept Out of the Postseason in Round 1

It was no surprise that the Lakers got eliminated from the postseason in the first round, especially when Kobe Bryant went out with an injury. But getting swept out... that's just icing on the cake.

The Spurs beat the Lakers last night 103-82 and completed their 4 game sweep of the Lake Show. Tony Parker was one of five Spurs players to get into double digits in scoring netting 23 points. Dwight Howard of the Lakers only got 7 points as he was ejected early in the third quarter after receiving his 2nd technical for arguing with the officials.

Please, please, let that be how Dwight's career in LA ends.

Dwight and the Lakers season does end with a lot of questions left to answer, most notably, will Howard return to the team next year or go somewhere else. He will be a free agent this off season and can choose to go anywhere he wants to. If I was him, I'd go to Brooklyn or Dallas. You know, to a team that actually knows what they are doing. Hell, the Bobcats might a better choice right now.

Okay, that last one might be a bit of a reach, but almost any franchise would be better for Howard than the Lakers. Not having to clash with Kobe (who might not be up to par when returning from injury), or having to play with a coach that knows nothing about using big men or playing defense, or having to play for management that isn't big enough to hire the right coach for you. Staying in such a place would be madness, Dwight.

But alas, Dwight might stay in LA anyway out of guilt. He really needs to stop caring about what other people think. We hate that about him so much.

Day 2 of 2013 NFL Draft: Geno Smith to the Jets and Manti Te'o to the Chargers

 The NFL Draft continued today with some big names being removed from the board.

Manti Te'o was finally drafted. The Notre Dame linebacker went 38th overall to the San Diego Chargers. A nice spot for Te'o as he now gets to face Peyton Manning twice a year. Good luck figuring him out.

As for quarterback Geno Smith, he was picked right after Manti Te'o as the 39th pick by the New York Jets. It looks like the Mark Sanchez era in New York might thankfully be over. Some sources are telling ESPN that the Jets are considering releasing Mark Sanchez. Please do it now.

The first running back taken was Giovani Bernard from UNC. He was taken 37th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals. RB Eddie Lacy of Alabama would be taken 61st overall by the Green Bay Packers.

There were quite a few defensive backs taken with Tyrann Mathieu, CB from LSU that was dismissed from the team before the year began for violating the team rules, being the most notable name there. Mathieu was picked up in the 3rd round by the Arizona Cardinals as the 69th overall pick.

As for my San Francisco 49ers, they made three selections during the day. In the 2nd round, they selected DE Cornellius Carradine of Florida State and TE Vance McDonald of Rice. In the 3rd round they picked up another defensive end, Corey Lemonier of Auburn. I like the selections as they attempt to strengthen that defensive front along with trying to replace Delanie Walker at the tight end position.

Day three of the Draft is tomorrow starting around noon eastern.

Russell Westbrook to Have Knee Surgery

The Oklahoma City Thunder's chances of getting an NBA title this year were already slim considering that they had traded James Harden away shortly before the season began. Now their chances have basically been reduced to none.

Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook will have surgery on his right knee to repair cartilage. Westbrook will be out indefinitely as a result of the injury. He had injured his knee in game 2 of the Thunder's series against the Rockets.

A huge blow to the Thunder's chances as their star point guard is likely out for the remainder of the postseason though his teammates hope he can return. This clearly shifts power in the western conference, likely in the favor of the San Antonio Spurs. Though perhaps to a lesser affect, it also affects the NBA Finals and makes it easier for the Miami Heat to repeat as champions knowing that one of their potential Finals opponents has been weakened so much that they might not even get there.

Unless there is another team in the west that can challenge the Spurs, the Finals picture seems to coming in San Antonio vs. Miami.

P.S. Now my little interest in the NBA postseason is gone till the Finals.

1st Round of the 2013 NFL Draft: Eric Fisher #1 Overall Pick

Round 1 of the NFL Draft was last night with linemen being the big thing everyone is talking about.

The first pick in the Draft was tackle Eric Fisher of Central Michigan who was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs. He was one of 3 tackles chosen within the first 4 picks of the draft. The first 7 picks were all linemen, offensive or defensive. 17 linemen in all were picked in the first round.

Ball movers like QB's and wide receivers were not as well sought in this round. Not even a running back was taken, a first since 1963.

Only one quarterback was picked last night with EJ Manuel being the lucky QB out of Florida State. Manuel went 16th overall to the Buffalo Bills. Many were speculating that if the Bills were to pick a QB, that it would've been Ryan Nassib, quarterback from Syracuse who played for Doug Marrone, now head coach of the Bills. Other teams might look at Nassib a bit differently now seeing that his old coach wouldn't pick him.

Manuel being the one quarterback picked means Geno Smith is still on the board. Despite all the praise he got leading up the draft, Smith goes home unselected in the first round. Smith and plenty of other quarterbacks are still available, waiting for teams to possibly make a rush for them to start the 2nd round.

Also still on the board is LB Manti Te'o out of Notre Dame. The great people at ESPN thought that he would be a late first rounder and would even get picked up by the Baltimore Ravens. Instead, the teams pass him up and the Ravens select Matt Elam, a safety out of Florida, as the last pick in the first round.

The Minnesota Vikings were the busiest franchise last night managing three first round draft picks. First they got DT Sharrif Floyd out of Florida at 23 overall. Then two spots later, they traded for Seattle's pick to get Xavier Rhodes, a cornerback out of Florida State. To wrap up their day, they traded for New England's spot at 29 to get Cordarrelle Patterson, a wide receiver out of Tennessee.

As for my San Francisco 49ers, they traded with Dallas to get up to the 18th pick to select Eric Reid, a safety from LSU. Not knowing a thing about him, I liked that the 49ers are picking a defensive back. Getting Reid at 18 and Nnamdi Asomugha in free agency for a year says that the 49ers are trying to fix the one hole they have in an otherwise elite defense.

The Draft continues tonight at 6:30 PM Eastern.

Revis Gets Traded to Tampa Bay

Looks like there is a new island in the Caribbean.

The New York Jets finally traded Darelle Revis sending the corner to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In return, the Jets get the 13th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft which starts this Thursday and also a conditional pick for next year.

As for Revis, he agrees to a six year $96 million contract with the Bucs in which none of it is guaranteed.

Not a bad move for the Bucs as they get perhaps the top corner in the game for basically just a 1st round pick. I say "perhaps" because Revis is coming off an ACL injury which might hamper his ability to some degree. If he pulls through barely affected, then Tampa will be one of the toughest teams to pass the ball on in the league.

The Jets, meanwhile, achieve their goal of slashing salaries by getting rid of Revis. They take a step back as they try to rebuild for the future. As for the immediate future, the Jets are definitely a sub .500 team once again, not that they weren't going to be that. Revis, though, was their best player and without him, they are far worse.

With him gone, Rex Ryan's future with the team seems in jeopardy as he's set up for a failed season from the start. This set up could get Rex fired by the end of 2013 with John Idzik, the new Jets GM, putting in a guy he wants.

Jeter Out Until After All Star Break

The Captain of the Yankees will be gone a bit longer than expected.

Derek Jeter apparently has a small crack in left ankle, the one that was surgically repaired over the off season. The Yankees were hoping that Jeter would return by opening day but that had to pushed back to May. Now it seems Jeter will have turned 39 years old by the time he returns from injury after the All Star Break.

The possibility that Derek Jeter will make a significant contribution to the Yankees this year is becoming less likely. The team or himself may have rushed things this Spring and, while both sides might not rush a comeback this time around, Jeter might just not have the same pep in his step. It might take him a while to get in rhythm and the injuries to his ankle might've affected his ability to play shortstop.

Many of the Yankees are certainly showing their age with the injuries with Jeter not being an exception.

Kobe Out with Torn Achilles

Add injury to insult.

During last night's 118-116 win over the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers lost the Black Mamba. In the 4th quarter, Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles on his left leg. While he will have a MRI later today, the expected news from the team seems to be a "probable" or "complete tear." Kobe has been ruled out indefinitely with his season over.

Kobe's chances of a 6th ring just took a big hit. While he will likely try and mount a comeback, his return is obviously unknown with next season in jeopardy. Recovering from this injury can take a few months to a year. Bryant will be 35 if he manages a comeback sometime next season which will likely be a lost cause as well.

If you're the Lakers, this might be the best time to try and make the transition into the Dwight Howard era. Assuming, of course, Howard wants to stay in LA.

P.S. Look at that. Suddenly teams want to play the Lakers in the 1st round of the postseason.

Bulls End Knicks 13 Game Winning Streak

The Bulls end another significant winning streak in the NBA.

Last night, the Bulls beat the Knicks 118-111 in overtime. Nate Robinson scored 35 points off the bench while Jimmy Butler put up 22 points and 14 rebounds. Caremlo Anthony of the Knicks does get 36 points and 19 rebounds in the loss.

Chicago ended Miami's 27 game winning streak and now stops New York at 13. It's pretty impressive considering they did both of these things without Joakim Noah or Derrick Rose. Rose, of course, has been out all season because of an ACL tear and he simply doesn't want to come back. I mean, he has shaken confidence.

Chicago may not have the best chance of knocking off Miami but they still have to taken seriously in the postseason.

Auburn Football: Grade Fixes, Drugs, and Pay Scandals

Is there anything that Auburn football is not being charged with?

On top of allegedly bribing players to stay another year, changing grades so that athletes would be eligible to play, and committing recruiting infractions, Auburn is now being charged with having a drug problem and cover up scandal.

According to E:60 and ESPN the Magazine, Auburn had a drug epidemic during the 2010 season that crossed into 2011 when they played the BCS title game. The drug was called "Spice" which is a synthetic marijuana drug, and several players seemed to be addicted to it.

Drug tests for Spice, however, did not occur until after their BCS title win over Oregon. During the ensuing tests, a dozen players tested positive for Spice. Auburn then kept the tests confidential.

It is also being reported that up to a dozen more players, seniors, have used spice and gotten away with it.

This time in Auburn football seems to be one of the most scandalous ever reported in college sports. Who gets caught doing all of these things at once? The various infractions and wrongdoings are stunning for this short period of time. If any or all of these allegations prove to be true, I can see the school being dealt crippling infractions.

Of course, Auburn's fault lies partly in getting lost in the quest for a winning program. Colleges today want the best football programs, as well as basketball programs, so that they can make money. It's the endgame of every business and the NCAA and the universities are no different. The only thing that Auburn did wrong is break the rules that are there to mislead the populace (and more importantly the "student athletes") into thinking that college sports are not a business but for the betterment of student athletes and higher education.

Yes, Auburn should be punished because they've seemingly crossed ethical lines as well as broke the NCAA's rules. But to think that this university and a handful of others are the only ones committing these types of infractions is incorrect. Maybe not to the level of letting kids slide on drug use but I have no doubt that several universities bend or break the rules in effort to get a winning program.

USC Hires Andy Enfield of FGCU

Looks like the Eagle has left.

After taking Florida Gulf Coast to their first ever NCAA Tournament and getting them to the Sweet 16, coach Andy Enfield is leaving for smoother pavement. USC has hired Enfield for what source told Andy Katz of ESPN.com is to be a six year deal. Sources also say that Enfield's salary will be well over a million dollars per year. Enfield was only with the Eagles for two years as head coach with it being his first head coaching job.

Right after Enfield arguably puts FGCU on the map, he leaves the small smudge for Los Angeles. It's a shame really that this kind of thing has to happen. After hearing that coaches Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens were staying at their respective small programs, I was expecting that Enfield would do the same. Instead, he leaves for somewhere else.

Now he might do fine at USC with the fact he might've not had that great of recruiting class to begin with at FGCU, but he also had lesser competition to face on a regular basis. He also didn't have to recruit players TO a city and not away from it. Don't see a lot of a schools from large cities with great basketball programs anymore.

P.S. I wonder if the chants at that pep rally have changed to "F**K YOU ENFIELD!!!"

Astros Win Opener and My Picks for the Season

The Baseball season is here at last. Finally I can out from winter hibernation.

The season began last night with an American League West match up between the Texas Rangers and the newest member of the AL, the Houston Astros. They might make less than Alex Rodriguez combined but they certainly know how to start the season off right. They were up 4-2 yesterday in the bottom of the 6th when Rick Ankiel managed to hit a three run home run to basically seal the victory for the 'stros. Houston wins their first game as part of the America League 8-2.

As for season predictions, lets stick with the AL West for a second and just say I fully expect the Angels to float away with it. The Rangers are weaker and the Angel's are stronger while the A's might challenge them for the top spot. Tommy Hanson might be more of an impact than Josh Hamilton's bat but that lineup is to be the one to fear now in the AL West.

Moving to the AL Central, how could you not pick the Detroit Tigers. They were impressive leading up to the World Series and it's not likely they won't manage to win the division. The team I'm watching, however, is the Indians. They started off well last season and then fell off the face of the earth. I would like to see if Terry Francona will be able to get this club back on pace.

The AL East, all the attention is going to the Toronto Blue Jays after scoring big at that clearance sale the Marlins were having. It might be them or the Rays but don't forget about the O's or the Yanks either. The O's will want to prove last year wasn't a fluke while the Yankees are, uh, well let's just say to never underestimate the Dark Side. Everyone but my Red Sox seems to have a fair shot at the division crown heading into the race. My pick is ultimately the Rays but their hitting has to come alive just enough in order for that to work. Great pitching may win titles but you still have to get to October first with fair hitting.

Moving to the National League East, all signs point to the Washington Nationals (that's right, the "Nationals") will take the division with Strasburg coming off the leash and Bryce Harper set for a sophomore year. The intrigue here, however, is with Atlanta and the arrival of the Upton brothers in the outfield. If their pitching comes through, they might be able to challenge the Nationals. Still picking Washington, however.

In the NL Central, I'm going bold in saying the Milwaukee Brewers will take the division. There has been no repeat winner in the division for a few years now and I think the Brewers could surprise some with Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse in the Rotation. You can't sleep on St. Louis or Cincinnati but I'm going with Milwaukee.

Lastly, the NL West and who else am I going to pick besides the San Francisco Giants? Nobody. Go Giants!!!

Perhaps the Dodgers do present  a challenge with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in their rotation but Kershaw is the only one there that is consistent. While Greinke will probably end up with an ERA around the 3's, the rest of the rotation is shaky. They can't be written off completely but they will likely be playing in the Wild Card playoff game.

As for my World Series picks, Rays over Giants. I love my Giants and seeing how they will themselves through the playoffs last year, I can't ignore them for another pennant. Plus they've played a season after winning a title before and are used to it. But I have a feeling about the Rays and their rotation. They'll be playing playoff type baseball all year round like the Giants usually do and they have a better rotation as well. Got to pick the Rays.

P.S. Don't kill me at the Park, Giants fans. Look at my Final Four picks: I'M WRONG ALL THE TIME!!!

Syracuse and Wichita State into the Final Four

The NCAA Tournament's Elite 8 started off earlier today with two teams punching their tickets into the Final Four.

In the East Regional Final, #4 Syracuse took on #3 Marquette  and ultimately dismantled them. They held them to under 25% shooting and under 15% from behind the arch. Though the Orange shot under their average, their 38% shooting was still enough to beat Marquette comfortably 55-39. This marks the first time Syracuse has reached the Final Four since 2003 when Carmelo Anthony was on the team.

As for the West Regional Final, #9 Wichita State managed to prove they're the Cinderella team to root for with their win over Ohio State 70-66. The Shockers had a half time lead over the Buckeyes of 35-22. Ohio State managed to come back a bit but still fell short. Wichita State Shocks and Awes the college basketball world advancing to the Final Four for the first time since 1965.

Congrats to the two teams able to get to the Final Four, especially Wichita State. They beat Gonzaga, then La Salle, and then they took down mighty Ohio State.

The Elite 8 concludes tomorrow with #1 Louisville vs. #2 Duke for the Midwest and then in the South, its #4 Michigan vs. #3 Florida.

UCLA Hires Random Guy From New Mexico

The UCLA Bruins have finally found someone to accept the college basketball job at their school.

UCLA has taken almost a week to name their head coach because their first choices wouldn't accept. Shaka Smart turned them down and Minnesota as well to stay at VCU. He even signed an extension with the Rams. Brad Stevens of Butler also turned down UCLA saying he's still the coach for Butler. Even Ashton Kutcher refused the job insisting he's happy at CBS.

However, the Bruins finally found someone they liked. New Mexico head coach Steve Alford has been hired by UCLA to be the next head coach for the basketball team. Alford has had an impressive regular season record but whenever New Mexico has been in the tournament, they have been eliminated rather early on. In fact, the Lobos were eliminated in what is technically the 2nd round of the tournament this year by #14 Harvard.

The Bruins finally pulled a name out of the hat after several tries. No I don't know if Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens are really loyal enough to not want to leave their respective school for another destination. They might be or just want to build their names up further in places not known for their basketball programs. But the fact that both of them turned down UCLA says something about the instant allure of being the basketball coach for the Bruins: it's faded considerably.

The eyes of coaches, fans, and players don't necessarily see it as a place to look up to anymore like in the John Wooden era. The Bruins have only won one national title (1995) since Wooden retired and have struggled to get far in the tournament, if they get in at all. True, their last coach Ben Howland managed to get them to three Final Fours in a row but the program has since dropped along with the prestige and excitement once again.

Steve Alford now becomes UCLA's head coach with high expectations indeed. It's not that New Mexico didn't expect a lot from Alford but UCLA certainly expects the moon. And in terms of the tournament at New Mexico, Alford had barely gotten out of the atmosphere.

$167 Million Deal for Buster Posey

Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a 9 year $167 million contract. The contract covers 2013-21 with a club option for 2022. It also comes with a no trade clause. Buster Posey has been an essential player in each of the Giants two World Series Seasons. He was also named 2012 NL MVP last year after batting .336 with 24 home runs and 103 RBI's.

The man behind the plate gets the contract he has richly deserved. Posey's been a valuable part of the Giants but had been paid peanuts until now. I'm not trying to knock the team for that because all ball clubs can do it and will. I'm just glad that Buster was able to get his big payday, especially after that home plate collision in May of 2011.

The pitching seems stable for now and the Giants have locked up their biggest position player for 9 years. Just now need to figure out what to do with Timmy what with his contract coming to end. A lot of that will be determined after this season and seeing if Timmy can bounce back after an awful 2012 season.

Johan Santana Likely to Miss Season with a Re-tear?

If you're a Mets fan, I'm just sorry for you in general. But I'm even more sorry about the fact that Johan Santana will likely miss the 2013 season with another injury.

According to Mets GM Sandy Alderson, the two time Cy Young winner has likely suffered a re-tear of the anterior capsule in his left shoulder. It seems very likely that Santana will have to have shoulder surgery to repair the tear. Santana had torn his anterior capsule before and had surgery to repair it back in September of 2010. He had to wait until the 2012 season to throw in the Majors again.

More injuries plague the only pitcher to have ever thrown a no hitter for the Mets. Except for that June night, Santana's career with the Mets have been marred by one injury after another. Santana has had health problems every year as part of the Mets with the first season in 2008 being the closest to the exception only to reveal he had a torn meniscus in his left knee which was surgically repaired after the season has ended.

To take in the fact that there's an expensive 2014 club option for the now 34 year old pitcher, it's likely that Johan has thrown his last pitch for the Mets.

Bulls Snap the Heat's 27 Game Winning Streak

The streak is over.

The Miami Heat's 27 game winning streak has ended in Chicago at the hands of the Bulls. The Chicago defense and the noise of the sixth man proved too much for the Heat as they were playing from behind for practically the entire game. The Bulls went up by as many as 9 within the final minutes and would win by a final of 101-97.

Luol Deng scored the most for Chicago with 28 points along with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Carlos Boozer managed 21 points himself along with 17 boards. LeBron James had 32 points in the loss while Bosh had 21 points and Dwayne Wade had 18.

The streak ends in Chicago at the hands of a Bulls team that hasn't played with Derrick Rose all season long and did not have Joakim Noah available for tonight's game. They are definitely talented enough to beat Miami on any given night but it still felt like a small shocker.

As to the streak itself, it was a shame it ended 6 games short of the record 33 game winning streak set by the 71-72 Lakers. I was sort of rooting for Miami to break the record as it was the only thing drawing my attention to the NBA right now. The regular season means so little for most teams that a streak like this gave it meaning and purpose. Now we'll have to wait until the postseason to see meaningful basketball in the NBA.

P.S. Do I NOW have to put my clothes back on?

Is the NFL Ready for an Openly Gay Player?

CBSSports.com reporter Mike Freeman wrote on Monday that a current NFL Player is considering coming out publicly over the next few months and to resume playing in the league. Freeman doesn't know the identity of the player as he's based this on several interviews with active and former NFL Players. For the article, click here.

Some NFL Players have been in the news recently in showing support for gay marriage. Two notable advocates are Baltimore Ravens' Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo and Minnesota Vikings' Punter Chris Kluwe.

An openly gay player in the NFL, however, might not have such support. Leading up to the Super Bowl, 49ers corner Chris Culliver made negative comments about gay football players in the league while doing an interview with comedian and radio host Artie Lange saying "No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do.... Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can't be…in the locker room man. Nah." He also added to that saying gay players should wait ten years before coming out.

Culliver has since apologized for his remarks he made and said he would welcome a gay teammate saying "I treat everyone equal."

The possibility of an active NFL Player saying that he's gay comes at an interesting juncture in the country itself what with the issue of Gay Marriage now before the Supreme Court.

The question then needs to be stated: Are the Fans and the NFL ready for an active football player that is openly gay?

No, but it needs to happen anyway.

While views towards gay marriage and the LGBT community in general are shifting, there will still be considerable backlash towards a gay player that is still in the league from the outside and within. If the initial views expressed by Chris Culliver hold true for many players in locker rooms, there could be some conflict. As for the fans, they might be more tolerant but backlash can still be expected in some form.

Whether these fears are probable or not, I ask you: Is society ever really ready for any legitimate civil rights movement or issue when it arises? The answer is a resounding no. There was backlash when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 from fans issuing death threats to trouble within the Dodgers' clubhouse. There was plenty of violent backlash directed at African Americans during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's. And Parents cried out that Spongebob Squarepants was a gay show as it's popularity with kids soared.

Sorry, can't stay serious forever. It's just not in my nature.

The point is change never just happens. Parts of society have to be challenged if views and attitudes are ever going to change. The only way for the NFL and the sports world at large to ever be 'ready' for gay players is to have one play openly in their sight.

There Goes a 2nd Final Four Pick

That's it. The bracket is going in the shredder.

The 3rd round of the NCAA Tournament started yesterday and the first #1 seed has been eliminated. While Louisville got by Colorado State with ease 82-56, #1 Gonzaga of the West faced off against Wichita State. The Shockers were playing catch up with the Bulldogs in the 2nd half but managed to grab the lead late in the half. They would hold off the Bulldogs and pull off the upset 76-70. Gonzaga is out while #9 Wichita State moves onto the Sweet 16.

A big upset in the second round as Gonzaga can't be trusted again. Analysts didn't think they had the staying power but I thought they could beat the odds anyway. So much for that. Now the Shockers will take on Ole Miss or La Salle in the next round.

The nation's eyes will certainly now be drawn to Wichita State. I, of course, will begrudgingly root against them.

P.S. If they are a Cinderella, then I am a wicked stepmo... okay, maybe a stepfather.

My Picks for the 2013 NCAA Tournament

As you can see, it's time to dance until we're mad. I'm already there and I haven't even gotten up yet.

 

Filling out bracket sheets is fun but I only do one myself. Not because I have honor or like to feign it. It's because it's college basketball and I'm still turned off by the whole NCAA system. But I digress so that I can fill out space on a blog post about a subject I know almost nothing about.

 

That being said, here is my bracket.

 

 

You'll notice the type is really small (unless you click on the picture/bracket) and with the only things legible being the ESPN logos and the All State sponsor. But if you look closely I have picked Creighton, Gonzaga, Kansas, and UNLV for my Final Four. Seems risky with picking two #1's in this crazy year of college basketball but the fact I picked Creighton and UNLV seem even more nuts.

 

My title game has Kansas beating Gonzaga 68-56. When I said on my youtube channel thesportskhansf (selfish plug) that I think Gonzaga can go far, I meant it. At least I'm consistent in my lunacy. But I think the Bulldogs will fall short of the national title with the Jayhawks spoiling the fun.

 

Well, hope you all will be able to fill out your brackets in time and be able to watch some of the action. I will be following the results feverishly.

 

P.S. Watch actual basketball games be played out? I'm not that Mad.

John Harbaugh for "Change is Good" (and So am I)

The last thing you would think about doing if you are the Super Bowl Champions is trying to change too much. However, that just seems to be the cards that the Ravens are dealt with... or playing?

Baltimore's off-season has been mostly about losing players after their Super Bowl win in February. They have lost Ray Lewis to retirement and two other linebackers to other teams, Anquan Boldin in a trade to the 49ers for a 6th round pick, and other notable starters along the way. Ed Reed's days in Baltimore also look like they are over as he's getting looks from other teams like the Texans.

The only thing that they have been able to do is keep Joe Flacco with a 6 year $120 million plus contract to eat up a lot of cap space.

Despite all of this, the PR department known as John Harbaugh has spun it the best way he can. "The worst mistake you can make is trying to hold a team together," Harbaugh said in an interview. "It's impossible." He also cited Bo Schembechler's (the late family friend) advice of  "if you try to stay the same you end up getting worse."

Full article at http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9066834/john-harbaugh-baltimore-ravens-roster-change-part-nfl

An interesting question gets raised by all this: Is all this "change" better for the team/John Harbaugh long term? Also, is it best to break up a Super Bowl team rather than try and keep it together nowadays?

I'm not sure anyone can ever answer the second question perfectly but the first one seems to be a yes. The Ravens team that won it all was old and heading down the other side of the hill anyway. They certainly made a great postseason push with a deer antler charged Ray Lewis leading the pack. But now with the Ray Lewis era is over in Baltimore, the Ravens took it as a sign to start a new era with some different players.

While they did lose players in their prime, they also let aged veterans go like Ed Reed (34) and Anquan Boldin (32). Keeping them would've been too hard with the cap restrictions what they are and even if they had managed to do so, they might only be productive for a couple more seasons. (I must reiterate that I still like that the 49ers got Boldin).

The next couple of the years for the Ravens will have them trying to return to contender status. But don't despair, Baltimore. They weren't predominantly seen as contenders last season. As you all have seen, anything can happen once you get into the postseason and with a quarterback like Joe, getting to January is always a possibility.

P.S. Now my best shot at answering the 2nd question: I'm leaning towards saying yes. Just look at the Super Bowl winners over the past decade or so. Except for the Pats about ten years ago, there have been no repeat winners. It's not that Super Bowl teams haven't been contenders the season after they've won it. It's just that the path to the Super Bowl nowadays is too chaotic to navigate and predict.

Lately, it hasn't been what are considered the great teams that end up winning the Super Bowl. The last three winners have just been teams that have gotten hot at exactly the right time.

Also, of the teams that have won it multiple times over the past ten years, the common denominator is that they had great quarterbacks. The Pats have Brady, the Steelers have Ben, and the Giants have Peyton's younger brother. By that logic, the Ravens think they are set for the foreseeable future seeing how well Joe Flacco performed this past postseason.

With quarterback being the far and away clear centerpiece of a team today, everything else is interchangeable. Just look at how Bill Belichick and the Patriots deal with players not named Brady. He casually let's players go or trades them the instant he thinks their ability will tank. He then manages to find suitable enough replacements (not always the best) and gems in the draft to keep the team afloat.

While they haven't been able to close the deal since February of 2005, the Pats have been in the playoff hunt every season except for two since their first Super Bowl title at the end of the 2001 season.

Unless you have a great defense, a great quarterback, and a lot of luck, there are no dynasty's anymore in the NFL. Talent level is pretty well spread out in the league, even at the quarterback position. That's right, even at QB.

Let's name the QB's that have been good enough to lead a team to the Super Bowl: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Peyton's younger brother, Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Ben Roethlisberger. Now quarterback's that possibly join the list above as soon as next season? Colin Kaepernick (HA!!!), Matt Ryan, and Matt Schaub (bit of a stretch).

Now quarterbacks that are just good enough to get their team to the postseason at the present time: Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, Matthew Stafford, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, and Andrew Luck.

If the standard nowadays is just getting into the postseason while hoping your team is peaking at the right time, I count 16 quarterbacks that are eligible for the job. That's not even counting quarterbacks that have potential to become that or those that have faded away.

If that's the case, it's about finding the right parts for your ever changing team year after year. You can't have too many star players on your team too long because of that pesky salary cap and winning a Super Bowl just has everyone able to renegotiate at that time chirping for more money. It's today's NFL and it's what champions now have to do to remain in contention.

P.P.S. Is my P.S. longer my than original post?

Wes Welker Going to Denver

Why would you ever want to leave New England and give up playing for quarterback Tom Brady? To play for quarterback Peyton Manning.

Wes Welker has agreed to terms with the Denver Broncos. The contract is worth $12 million over two years. Welker has spent most of his career with the Patriots with this last season being put under the franchise tag. The team opted not to tag him this time around and tried to reach terms with the 31 year old receiver. They failed and are now trying to pursue other options like Danny Amendola.

I didn't think that Welker could better than Belichick and Brady but Peyton Manning in Denver seems just as good. Manning can make any receiver look good but it's hard to believe that he can make Welker look any better than he already is. Welker has caught over 110 receptions in 5 of his 6 seasons with the Patriots. He's a chain mover that will be valuable for Broncos.

Where does this leaves the Patriots? While something tells me that they will do fine without Welker, their offense is still significantly weakened. Welker was their top receiver with the only player with over a thousand receiving yards in 2012 (1,354). To rely on your injury prone tight ends along with Bradon Lloyd might not be enough. Hopefully New England can find a suitable replacement for Welker or at least come up a better way to distribute the ball more evenly.

P.S. Broncos are not my favorite in the AFC, at least not until the rest of the offseason plays out. Both Welker and Manning have great regular seasons and then drop off a bit in the postseason. I can say they are still the overwhelming favorite in the AFC West, though.

Derrick Rose's Non-Injury Status

More for kicks than seriousness.

Derrick Rose has been out of the Basketball spotlight since April 28 but has been in the 'gossip mill' for quite a while. A lot of it started when Derrick's brother and manager Reggie Rose criticized the Chicago Bulls for not making any improvements to hasten his brother's return. A few days ago, we found out that Derrick Rose's doctor cleared him to play but that he wouldn't come back until he's confident he dunk off his left foot. Now we hear from Derrick Rose saying he needs his confidence back and also...

"I really don't know [about a return this season]," Rose said. "I'm just like you all where I'm waiting till that day where I feel normal.

"Until then I would just wait. I haven't had any pressure from the organization and no one else to push me to go out there and play. My teammates have been doing great with just playing hard for me. They're still out there playing hard, fighting, so that's a good sign and we're winning games, so I'm not worried about anything right now." (Courtesy of ESPNChicago.com)

Okay, if Derrick Rose is cleared medically to play, why isn't David Stern fining Chicago a** off for not starting a star player? Don't the fine people of Sacramento deserve to see ONE star player at least once in their lives? (Bulls next game reference)

Seriously, the responsible thing to do is to rest and make sure you can play the way you're used to. The Bulls are not winning any titles this year and anytime beyond this season until they get another star player anyway. Might as well just sit back and make sure you're healthy enough to play. Heck, I'd wait until another star player came to Chicago. Then again, I would be waiting an awful longtime for that one to happen.

I do feel a bit sorry for the Bulls teammates though. While Rose shouldn't care about analysts, fans, and amateur bloggers not named me, he should care about what his teammates think of him. I'm sure they're fine with him getting back in the groove right now but that tune could change later come playoff time.

P.S. Then again, it's the NBA. "All for one while one screws them all."

Tony Gonzalez Will Return in 2013

Despite all the rumors that Tony was going to hang up the cleats after this last season, he's coming back for one more year.

Tony Gonzalez has informed the Atlanta Falcons that he will come back for the 2013 season. Most people thought he had played his last game in the NFC Championship game back in January but he appears to have had a change of heart. Despite his age of 37, Gonzalez has said in the past that he could play a few more years and he's proved that with 93 catches for 930 yards and 8 touchdowns last season.
I am happy that Tony will play another year in the league. He's a fun player to watch and I hope he gets another good playoff run out of it. Not everything works out for a returning vet thinking about retiring (Favre) but sometimes you can't resist another encore. Good Luck in 2013, Tony.

49ers Getting Anquan Boldin? (STILL NOT PICKING THEM!!!)

I love it when an owner and player have a contract dispute... at least when it's on other teams.

There were plenty of reasons why the Ravens overpowered the 49ers in the 1st half of their Super Bowl victory. One of those reasons was Anquan Boldin. Six catches for 104 receiving yards and one touchdown to start the scoring off. Even though he had left Arizona, he was still a pain in our butt.

Now it seems like he will be a pain in our opponents behind.

A trade agreement between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers now sends Anquan Boldin our way as first reported by the Baltimore Sun. In exchange, the 49ers will give the Ravens a 6th round draft pick for the 32 year old receiver. Baltimore had asked Boldin to take a large pay cut with Anquan refusing to do so and Joe Flacco backing him up. It's likely the contract dispute is what lead up to this trade.

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick seemed excited by the trade when he talked to ESPN.

"If it's true, it's a great trade," Kaepernick said. "We're happy to have him. Having a play maker like that at receiver is something you always want. It's another weapon for our offense and our team."

This is a great get for the 49ers as they are clearly trying to make a large effort to improve their passing game. Getting Anquan Boldin is a good fit for the team as he will be a solid receiver along Michael Crabtree and TE Vernon Davis. He's also a different kind of receiver than Randy Moss is which is a slot receiver which will work nicely along the demands of the team.

On top of that, the 49ers didn't have to waste too much to get him. They traded a meager 6th round pick to get Boldin and still have 14 picks in the upcoming draft. The whole thing seems like a no brainer.

P.S. I'm still not picking the 49ers as the Super Bowl favorite in 2013. Not now, not ever.

Blackhawks Points Streak Snapped After 24 Games

The amazing points streak of 24 straight games to open the season has ended for the Chicago Blackhawks.

They played two straight games against the Colorado Avalanche with the second one being in Denver. They managed to creep away with a win on Wednesday Night at home managing to score the winning goal with less than a minute left in regulation. Tonight wasn't so lucky for the Blackhawks.

After a 1-1 1st period, the Avalanche overwhelmed the Blackhawks like their name suggests and managed to score 4 2nd period goals. Chicago wasn't able to answer with any until the third period and they were still down by 3. Colorado would add on another goal with less than 5 minutes left and would win it 6-2.

The streak is snapped as Chicago finally suffers their first loss in regulation of the season. Pretty good considering it comes just beyond the halfway point of a 48 game season schedule. While it is considered a streak to start the season, it actually goes back to the last regular season which would put it at 30 games. But the streak to start the year was impressive on it's own considering the shortened season, the time off, and no practice games.

This loss will surely be a test of the Blackhawks skill and will, especially considering one of their star players Patrick Sharp is out with an upper body injury. At least their next test is at home vs. the Oilers. Then they hit the road again for four straight games.

Keep an 'Eye Out' for Visors in the NHL

The other night, Marc Staal of the New York Rangers was hit right in the eye with a puck during Tuesday night's game vs. the Philadelphia Flyers. It was redirected off a shot and hit him right in the eye.

While it seems like the 26 year old defenseman will make a full recovery, he's out indefinitely and the incident has reignited the debate of whether or not to make visors mandatory in the NHL. They are right now optional for the players but the league would like to see them as mandatory. The NHL Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPNNewYork.com "We have consistently been in favor of a rule mandating visors. The PA has historically been in favor of maintaining 'Player choice,' coupled with continued education and sensitization."

Hockey is a dangerous sport what with all the hits, puck shots and deflections, and the fights that we all scream for night after night. So a simple thing like adding visors to helmets seems like a no brainer. I would even go a step further and either get full visor masks or face masks like in football.

Maybe players are afraid that they'll break and cause facial damage. Maybe some can't see through them. Or maybe they wouldn't be able to fight properly what with some visor in the way... it's agreed; the visors remain optional. Hell, get rid of them all together. AND I AM NOT ENTERTAINED!!!

P.S. I only need two more blog titles like that to complete my "Inappropriate Comedian" card. After that, I get a footlong sub.

Real Madrid Win Contrversial Game in Machester

The Champions League is certainly the worst time for there to be a controversial call, especially when the teams involved are very well known.

Real Madrid and Manchester United played the 2nd leg of their UCL match up last night at Old Trafford. Man U managed to grab a 1-0 lead when Nani was sent off with a Red Card in the 56' by Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir. Nani had tried to bring the ball down with his leg when he inadvertently hit Madrid defender Arbeloa in the mid-section. With Man U down a man, Real Madrid managed to score 2 goals to win the game with the clincher coming from Cristiano Ronaldo. Final was 2-1 with Real Madrid advancing to the quarterfinals on a 3-2 aggregate.

Controversy is something that the world sport doesn't need more of what with the match fixing scandals all over the place these days. When you see Nani sent off in that circumstance, you have to question the referee and the validity of the match to some extent. I am not saying that Nani deserved a pass because a yellow would've been appropriate. But a red card was just a misuse of the referee's power.

Either way, Real Madrid caught a break while Manchester United got Royally screwed.

Blackhawks' Points Streak Still Alive

I have to applaud the Chicago Blackhawks further on this streak.

They went to Detroit, who would've loved to give them their first regulation loss, and managed to pull off a victory over Red Wings 2-1 after a shootout. Patrick Kane scored the only goal in the shootout on Chicago's 2nd attempt. The Blackhawks have now won 9 in a row and are on a 22 game points streak to start the season.

Still sad that they are blossoming so early in this short 48 game season. They still need to play 26 games and the playoffs. I hope this is just how good they are and not primarily how hot they are at the moment. It would be a shame to have a start like this to go to waste.

The good thing about this, though, is not that the Blackhawks are proving to be the team to beat in the league but that this points streak is providing a lot of attention for the NHL. The lockout certainly took a lot of awareness away from the sport and while it cannot be fully recovered this year, Chicago's streak brings a lot of that back. A big market team like the Blackhawks and history being made so early in the season means more fans tuning in and wondering how long Chicago can keep this going.

Spotlight or not, Blackhawks just need to worry about the next game and that's against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

Mayor Johnson Scrambling to Keep the Kings in Sacramento

If there is one guy trying his hardest to keep a professional team in his town it's Mayor Kevin Johnson of Sacramento.

In the last year or so, he's been trying to do everything he can to try and keep the Kings in California State capital. The main thing he's been doing is trying to secure a new arena for the team, something that's evaded him so far. Now with the team's 65% majority in the process of being sold to a group from Seattle, Johnson is scrambling to see if he can get an investor to match it. He somehow either found one or one came to him in Mark Mastrov, founder of 24 Hour Fitness. According to Johnson, Mastrov will submit a bid to the NBA on Friday to the buy the team.

On top of that, Johnson has said Ron Burkle, co-owner of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, will lead the effort to fund a new arena in downtown Sacramento. Johnson even has 20 other investors trying to buy 7% of the team that is up in bankruptcy court.

It seems that Kevin Johnson is going all out to keep the team from relocating to Seattle.

"With all due respect to Seattle, I do hope they get a team someday, but let me be perfectly clear it is not going to be this team," Johnson said. "Not our team. No way."

I must commend Johnson on his effort to keep the Kings in Sacramento. It sounds like one of those movies where you only have a certain amount of time to come up with the money or you lose your home/business/muppet theatre.

In that respect, I've actually changed my mood towards this story and wish that the Kings would stay in Sacramento. I'm rooting for Kevin Johnson as it seems like the true underdog story.

P.S. If only politicians were able to show this much zeal for less important matters than sports.

Goodbye Alex Smith: Truly a Rollercoaster Ride

It seems all but official as Alex Smith's time in San Francisco is up.

Sources are telling ESPN that San Francisco has agreed to trade Alex Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs. In return, San Francisco will get KC's 2nd round draft pick in the 2013 draft (34th overall pick) and a conditional mid-round pick in the 2014 draft. This effectively ends the former #1 pick's tenure with the 49ers leaving a mixed legacy behind.

Eight years in San Francisco over. It's been an interesting time with Alex leading the offense. He was the #1 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft and would forever be remembered as being picked before Aaron Rodgers. Smith never really had any luck in his first 6 seasons being plagued with injuries and different offensive coordinators year after year. Jim Harbaugh brought some stability to the 49ers in 2011 and helped Alex's game along with the offense. In those two years as a starter under Jim Harbaugh, Smith was 19-5-1 before losing his job to backup Colin Kaepernick after Smith sustained a concussion in the middle of the 2012 season.

Smith now heads to Kansas City where he and Andy Reid are looking for fresh starts. While Smith is no star college QB coming in the draft, he certainly can bring some stability to the offense if put in the right system. Reid, however, doesn't typically run the style of offense found in San Francisco. He's a very pass happy guy and Alex might not be the quarterback for him. Maybe Smith's college stats say differently but the pro stats says he's not suited for that.

While I would've liked Alex to go somewhere else, I honestly wish him the best and hope he has a fruitful career in Kansas City. That being said, the Chiefs are definitely not going to the postseason next year.

P.S. Alex might be the best option among available quarterbacks at this time but he won't likely be the savior for the Chiefs. I hope to be wrong.

Jimmie Johnson Wins Daytona 500 with Danica Finishing in 8th

The talk heading into Sunday revolved around Danica Patrick starting from the pole position looking to make history. She would lead a lap, first woman to do so at the Daytona 500, and managed to stay near the head of the pack the entire race.

However, it wasn't Danica's moment; it belonged to Jimmie Johnson as he would end up winning his 2nd Daytona 500. Johnson managed to grab the lead with less than 10 laps to go and managed to hold off surging drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. to grab the checkered flag. Dale Jr. would end up finishing 2nd and Mark Martin finished in 3rd. Danica Patrick fell 5 spots in the final lap and would finish in 8th.

Great day for the motorsports world despite the turbulent one that had preceded it. Johnson was able to regain some of his dominance to start the season off. Could it be a sign of things to come? Last time Johnson had won the Daytona 500 was in 2006. He would end up winning the Sprint Cup that year and the following 4 years. Nothing is guaranteed in motorsports but you can't start the season better than a win at Daytona.

Warriors Beat Spurs in Nifty New Uniforms

You're probably wondering: why is he writing about a Golden State Warriors game? Did he actually watch it? Has hell frozen over and the Bobcats suddenly become good?

I'm writing about the game because I did watch some of it. The Blackhawks-Sharks game ended and I happened to flip over to the Warriors game. There were no other sporting events on and I was too lazy to get up and do something else. But I also wanted to check out the new uniform design the NBA is trying out with the Warriors. They look alright with the short sleeves.

However, I do emphasize some of the game. I watched for about two minutes before finally tapping out and going to computer to stream some Netflix. That two minutes of watching was at that point a new record for me. Not watching basketball, per say, but the Warriors.

I did happen to flip back to it on ESPN trying to tune into Sports Center when the game still happened to be on. Overtime was just starting and, again, laziness crept in for either changing the channel or getting up so I watched the Warriors beat the Spurs 107-101 in OT. Amazingly, this was Golden State's first win over San Antonio in the last 16 meetings against them. Last time they beat the Spurs was in early 2008.

Whether it was laziness or just morbid curiosity to see how good the Warriors are, I saw Golden State down the stretch and they seemed pretty good. Not good enough to make me watch a whole basketball game but still good. Then again, probably no team out there can make me watch a whole basketball game... at least on TV. In person is a much better but I still wouldn't go out of my way to buy tickets.

This all being said, the Warriors are still not going to win the NBA title this year so it was all for naught.

Blackhawks Win Marks Best Season Start Ever

The Chicago Blackhawks made history on Friday night and the San Jose Sharks helped them out. In a game in Chicago, the Hawks would hold on to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Sharks to mark the best regular season start for an NHL team ever. With the win, the Blackhawks have started the 2013 season recording a point in each of their first 17 games. The old record was 16 games done by the 06-07 Ducks. Of course this means with their record of 14-0-3, the Blackhawks haven't lost a game in regulation this season.

Certainly a fine bit of history for Chicago but could this be a bad sign? Usually you want to be near the end of the season or just entering the postseason when you get on this kind of streak. Now the Blackhawks might be the best team in the league and maybe talent will be enough for them. But this streak may mean nothing to them if they do not make a deep playoff run off of it. They still remember being bounced in the first round of the postseason last year and they certainly don't want an early exit this time around.

P.S. As for the Sharks, they got swept in the season series vs. Chicago. No reason to watch San Jose play until they face Aniheim again. I like the Ducks.