24 Jan 11 Free College Football Pick Florida at Alabama 10-2-10

Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesFlorida Gators at Alabama Crimson Tide (-9.5) Saturday October 2, 2010 8:00 PM EST This matchup should be the best of the week. Its 2 of the best SEC teams both with flawless records of 4-0. Alabama is coming off a hard fought victory against ranked Arkansas on the road 24-20. Florida demolished Kentucky at home 48-14. Alabama holds the top ranking in the nation while Florida is ranked #7. Both teams come into this game with top 15 ranked defenses. Alabama is ranked #1 while Florida is ranked #15. You Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
know what your going to get on that side of the ball. The biggest difference between these two teams is what is on the other side of the ball. Alabamarushing attack is scary. A health Mark Ingram to go along with Trent Richardson should have every defense worried about getting ran over. Both RBs are over 300 yards on the season with each having 4 TDS. The better QB also resides with Alabama. Senior QB Greg McElroy has 899 yards with 7 TDs and 3 Ints. McElroyfavorite target, Julio Jones, has 303 yards with 2 TDs and is the best NFL ready WR in college football. Alabama is scary on both sides of the ball. I donthink, as a football pick, that Florida will have enough offense nor defense to stop the Crimson Tide. If this game were in Florida with the same line, I MIGHT go with the Gators. This one is in Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
Alabama and they are going to be fired up after a big win last week and ready to show that they are capable of a repeat this year. Free College Football Pick: Alabama (-9.5)Visit Freepick1.com each day for the winning free sports picks and expert football picks from our professional team. Be sure to check out our sportsbookspage for updated infoformation on bonusesfor the week. This article is also featured onSports Picks

22 Jan 11 Big East Report Card Week 3: Bad News Bearcats

A real Bearcat reacts to Cincinnati's performance at N.C. StateOkay, let's get right to it. With three teams taking an early-season breather, there was limited action but some of the students didn't fare so well.N.C. State 30, Cincinnati 19:That Bearcat in the photo is giving his namesakes the old Bronx Cheer. Just call them the Bad News Bearcats. With a national audience taking a gander at this one, Cincinnati's defense put Russell Wilson in the Heisman race. Wilson had an incredible night, 26 of 40 for 333 yards and three touchdowns. On the other side, Zach Collaros Reebok Baltimore Ravens #52 Ray Lewis Realtree camo Jersey
passed for 310 yards because his team was playing catchup all night. There's nothing good happening for Cincinnati, the defense gave up 491 yards. All in all, a dismal night as the Bearcats got rolled in Raleigh.Grade: Cincinnati, FWest Virginia 31, Maryland 17:Honestly thought the Mountaineers might put up near 50 against the Terps. Geno Smith had perhaps the greatest 18 minutes of any quarterback in the nation. He started the game going 10 for 10 for 272 yards and three touchdowns, all in less than 18 minutes. The rout was on but something happened in the second half. It was as though the faucet was turned off and West Virginia content to coast. They really took their foot off the gas pedal. Still, that was one heck of a first half. Right now, you'd have to say that West Virginia is the team to beat in the Big East.Grade: West Virginia, A-Syracuse 38, Maine 14:This one turned out about like you'd expect it to. Nice game for Ryan Nassib, who threw for five touchdowns and 260 yards. Delone Carter had a light day with 65 yards on 15 touches. The defense held Maine to 165 yards. Junior receiver Van Chew caught seven balls for 113 yards. Nice overall performance for the Orange.Grade: Syracuse, ATemple 30, Connecticut 16:Flash back to the late Vince Lombardi standing on the sidelines yelling, "What the hell is going on out there?" Randy Edsall might ask the same question. This is a really bad loss for the Huskies and another black eye for the Big East. Perhaps Temple will be invited to join the league. Jordan Toddman gotin his usual workload26 carries, 167 yards, and a touchdown. Temple sophomore Bernard Pierce ran all over the UConn defense for 169 yards and two touchdowns. UConn better come up with a defense and passing game before it starts Big East play.Grade: UConn, FOregon State 35, Louisville Reebok Chicago Bears #54 Brian Urlacher Realtree camo Jersey
28:Tough road trip but the Cardinals showed that they won't be pushovers this year when Big East play begins. Adam Froman had a good night with 288 yards on 22 of 38 passing. Doug Beaumont continues to impress with nine catches for 121 and Bilal Powell rushed for 83 yards on 20 carries. The Cards had the ball late with a chance to tie the game but couldn't put that final drive together.Grade: Louisville, C+There you have it. Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and South Florida spent the weekend in study hall. We'll see you on Thursday for some pregame entrees and appetizers!

18 Jan 11 Oregon State Beavers Paint Field Blue To Prepare For Boise State Broncos

(Hank Hager/OSU Sports Information)How do you prepare to play on the "Smurf Turf," Boise State's strangely colored football field?Well, you paint your own practice field blue, and that is exactly what the Oregon State Beavers did in order to gain some experience playing football on blue turf.Though I Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
could be wrong, I have never before heard of a college football teammimickingBoise State's field by painting their own practice field blue.Not only are the Beavers spending the week practicing on their own blue field, but the scout team is also wearing blue jerseys in order to simulate the Broncos defenders blending into the field.This shows that the Beavers coaches and players are stopping at nothing in their attempt to knock off the No. 3-ranked Broncos.It's good to see a college football program showing some creativity in order to prepare for a road game at Boise State.The Boise State Broncos have won 26 straight games at home.The question a lot of college fans and experts around the country are asking themselves is whether or not this streak can be credited to the blue field.Before any of you Broncos fans get all up in arms, there is no question in my mind that Boise State presently has one of the top college football programs in the country.The Broncos are a good team year after year and have been such a fearsome team that teams all around the country fear playing them on the road or at home.But it has to be a disadvantage to opposing teams that come into Boise and play football, most likely for the first time, on a non-green field.Blue blends with blue. The Broncos wear the same color blue jerseys as their blue Reebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
field.Surely, the Boise State players arecamouflagedby the field which can lead to interceptions thrown by the quarterback to areas he didn't necessarily see any players.It will be exciting to see whether or not coach Mike Riley and the Oregon State Beaver's preparation pays of this coming Saturday.

15 Jan 11 New Orleans Saints Deuce McAllister

New Orleans Saints fans have been calling for head coach Jim Haslett's head for the past couple years now, and they may have gotten their wish had the Saints not caught fire at the end of the 2004 season and nearly snagged a wild card birth. Haslett hopes that mad dash in December carries into the beginning of 2005. If the Saints fail to make the playoffs once again, the embattled coach may not be so fortunate this time around.Strengths: The success of the New Orleans Saints begins and ends with star running back Deuce McAllister. Reebok Baltimore Ravens #27 Ray Rice Realtree camo Jersey
Management made a wise move on the eve of training camp by locking him up for the long term with a 7-year contract extension. Deuce McAllister is the definition of a "franchise back", and he should get back to being one of the top runners in the NFL after playing through ankle problems in 2004. The New Orleans Saints defense has been a major point of criticism the past couple years, but they have a strong defensive line, led by bookends Charles Grant and Darren Howard. You can also add 2nd year man Will Smith, who had 7 ? sacks himself, to the defensive end mix. Those three accounted for 29 of the team's 37 sacks in 2004, but the rest of the front seven will need to step up for these defense to be considered above average; way too many missed assignments and breakdowns last year. When quarterback Aaron Brooks is at his best, he and receiver Joe Horn are one of the deadliest combinations in the NFL. The Saints have the ability to put up points in bunches. Unfortunately, Brooks tends to make bad decisions at crucial moments in games, and as a team, the Saints turn the ball over way too much, putting added pressure to an already spotty defense. With McAllister back, hopefully the team will be able to control the ball better, and the D won't have to spend so much time on the field. Reebok Baltimore Ravens #52 Ray Lewis Realtree camo Jersey
Dante Stallworth returns to start opposite Horn. The special teams are pretty solid. Kicker John Carney, punter Mitch Berger, and speedy return specialist Michael Lewis assume the same roles they held a season ago. Weaknesses: Defense, defense, defense. How this unit performs will tell if New Orleans makes a playoff run or if this organization runs Haslett out of town and once again starts over with a new coach. As talented as the front four is, the linebackers and secondary are just as poor. Safety Jay Bellamy is the only quality guy of those seven. The team attempted to upgrade last year by acquiring Mike McKenzie from the Packers before the trade deadline. McKenzie will pick off his fair share of passes, but his aggressiveness is also costly. Just to show you how weak this defense was, leading tackler Tebucky Jones is currently a second team player on the Miami Dolphins. The Saints failed to upgrade at linebacker, and Colby Bockwoldt looks to be the best of a mediocre bunch. Defensive coordinator Rick Venturi has been trying different combinations early in training camp. The only problem is they've had a rash of injuries. The New Orleans Saints offensive line was respectable in 2004, and they upgraded mightily by adding former Philadelphia Eagles mainstay Jermane Mayberry and the top tackle in the draft with 1st rounder Jammal Brown out of Oklahoma. If this new unit comes together early on, Deuce McAllister could have a huge season.Overall: This team looks a whole lot like the Oakland Raiders, except without Moss but with a better running back. The front four must continue to play outstanding, but unfortunately they can't cover downfield. The defense stepped up at the end of 2004 to save Haslett's job, but I can't see this group being strong all season, too many uncertainties. Reebok Chicago Bears #54 Brian Urlacher Realtree camo Jersey
If New Orleans can control the ball that'll help cover up the liabilities, but they can't afford to turn the ball over like they've done in the past.I can't see this team making the playoffs, and Haslett will most certainly be gone if they don't. Only one coach has won consistently here, Jim Mora, and we won't ask him what he thinks about the Saints chances at the playoffs.

14 Jan 11 Carolina Panthers Steve Smith Keyshawn Johnson Jake Delhomme DeAngelo Williams DeShaun Foster John Fox

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith injured his hamstring in practice this past weekend at training camp, causing him to be carted off the field. The reigning NFL receptions leader is day-to-day, according to head coach John Fox, but it doesn't appear the injury is too serious. And as far as the Reebok Baltimore Ravens #27 Ray Rice Realtree camo Jersey
Panthers go, they couldn't possibly be luckier in this situation. However, hamstring injuries do tend to linger for long periods of time, so the team should be caustiously optimistic at this juncture.Had Smith gone down with a severe injury, Carolina's Super Bowl dreams for 2006 may have been demolished. The team has solid offensive talent in quarterback Jake Delhomme, running backs DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams as well as receiver Keyshawn Johnson, but it's Smith who makes the unit tick. At 34, Johnson's no longer a capable No. 1 receiver, which would have limited Delhomme's options through the air; and to go along with that, the Foster-Williams combination would have been shut down by opposing defenses stacking the box to stop the run.Instead, however, those weapons should work like a fine-tuned clock this year. Delhomme will continue to play at a Pro Bowl level with two big-time wideouts and the running game will likely be much better than it was last season. Since the passing game is so lethal, opposing defenses won't be able to Reebok Baltimore Ravens #52 Ray Lewis Realtree camo Jersey
anticipate run plays from the Panthers, which will open up lanes for both Foster and the rookie Williams, who was the 29th overall pick in April's draft.In the Panthers' 11-5 campaign in 2005, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Smith busted out as perhaps the best receiver in football. He posted career-highs in receptions (103), yards (1,563) and touchdowns (12). Ultimately, the 27-year-old--who missed nearly all of the 2004 season with a broken leg--won the Co-Comeback Player of the Year Award (with Tedy Bruschi) thanks to those numbers, led the NFL in yards, and tied for the league-lead in total receptions and touchdown catches, too.Unfortunately for the Panthers, Delhomme's over-reliance on Smith came back to bite the team in the NFC Championship Game last January. In Carolina's 20-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Delhomme looked to Smith far too much because the Panthers lacked a running game and secondary receiver, and disaster resulted. The Seahawks' defense suffocated Delhomme, causing him to complete just 15-of-35 passes for 196 yards and three interceptions. As for Smith, he had one of his worst outings of an otherwise tremendous season, catching five passes for 33 yards.With Johnson and the other new weapons in the Carolina Panthers' fold, the franchise should be in the thick of Reebok Chicago Bears #54 Brian Urlacher Realtree camo Jersey
a championship run in the '06 season. But if Smith ends up succumbing to a lengthy injury, the team's chances of going a long way are all but over. Naturally, that's why Fox and company are so relieved that Smith appears to have averted a severe hamstring problem, rather than being just another unfortunate high-profile camp casualty.--Get more on Steve Smith

13 Jan 11 Portland Wins Big, as Rudy Fernandez Returns

The Bucks traveled to Portland to face a hungry Blazers team at the Rose Garden. The Blazers controlled the game from start to finish. At the end of the first half Portland was up 65-46 after a nice dunk by Martell Webster, assisted by Brandon Roy. Final Score Portland120 Bucks 108The Blazers tried to give the game back when Milwaukee came back and got within 11 points. Portland needs to learn how to hold a big lead and continue to rack up the points.Luke Ridnour, an Oregongraduate, made a visit back to the state of Oregon only to be defeated by theReebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
Blazers. He had12 points and eight assists in31 minutes.Roy had22 points and four assists. Rudy Fernandez made his "after injury" debut, but only had two points. LaMarcus Aldridge had21 points with six assistsand Andre Miller added 19 points with six assists.Portland improved their record to 24-16, while Milwaukee dropped to 15-21. Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings had12 points with seven assists and Ersan Ilyasova had a career-high with 24 points. Jodie Meeks added 21 points.Portland is making their run for the playoffs to show what they have. Despite the injuries, the Blazers are playing good basketball.Portland'ss next game is Friday at the Rose Garden against the tough Orlando Magic. Tip off is at 7:30 PM Western time on ESPN.Keep it up Blazers.

12 Jan 11 There Is No PG Issue in Raptorland

Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesThe only people who think there is a point guard issue in Toronto are some fans and media who are not well educated in basketball. The fact that both Jose Calderon and Jarret Jack are playing well and at the same position seems to make people worry. If you ask JJ OR Washington Redskins jersey
Jose there is no problem at all.Why is everyone so quick to assume that simply because they are both playing well someone has to be traded. The Raptors are rolling right now in a big way, not only with a great record as of late but back to back home wins over the Lakers and Heat suggest that everything is just fine. Jose Calderon is one of the most team orientated and professional players we have seen in quite sometime, not just in Toronto or the NBA but in all of sports.Jose is considered one of the top point guards in the league, and would probably be a starter on 75% of the teams in the NBA. If it weren't for the fact that the media find it a problem that he is coming off the bench most people would not even notice. Having two players of a high quality skill at the same position is the ideal situation to have. The fact that you can get 48 mins of starting quality point guard play gives a big advantage over other teams, not to mention the fact that you can do it with half the minutes and thus have fresher players come playoff time.Sure Jose would probably like to be starting again but he has no problem coming off ten bench because he feels if the team is winning then things are good how they are. That is the attitude that more players should adapt to. Lets take for example any other team that has Reebok Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald Realtree camo Jersey
a very good point guard, if he is having an off game(which everyone is going to have) you have to either hope he plays through it or hope his backup can provide quality minutes. Toronto does not have this problem, if either player is off the other is right there to pick up the slack, and your not getting a backup skill (which is why he is a backup) filling in. At any moment in the game the Raps have a star quality PG on the floor who can lead the team. No other point guard can do that by himself for and entire season every minute of the game.So to all the haters saying that the Raptors front office needs to make a decision and trade Jack or Calderon, I say why not focus on the weak position? Why not ask the front office how they can find a starting SG with skills to make his own shots and score. Derozan has done a decent job but he is a rookie and needs to develop, all the Raps are at SG is a platoon of players which depends on which player is "on" that night. To be honest it seems to work better when either Jack or Jose are in the 2 spot Reebok Baltimore Ravens #5 Joe Flacco Realtree camo Jersey
playing together.So unless you can get an over the top SG via a trade there is no reason to try and include on of the point gaurds in any type of trade. These are two player who are happy with winning and not getting stats and minutes, these are guys you want to hang on to as an example to the other players that you play for the name on the fron tof your jersey not the name on the back of it.

12 Jan 11 The New Jersey Nets and Their Search for the Imperfect 10

Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesSATIRE Only a team who plays in New Jersey could be jealous of Philadelphia.The "New Joisy" Nets are still in the NBA, but theyre in it like John Edwards is in politics.The NBA record for futility in a single season is nine wins and 73 losses, set by the Philadelphia 76ers of 1972-73. It New Orleans Saints jersey
a record that been moderately threatened, at times, in the 36 years since.Now it being circled, surrounded, and threatened more than Jodie Foster in Panic Room.The Nets, after losing to the Washington Wizards Friday night, stand at 4-41. They won on December 4, December 8, December 30, and January 27. Theyre the only team that can recall every one of their victories this season like you could recall what you had for dinner last night.And it not like anyone could really see this coming. The Nets won 34 games last season, 34 the season before that, 41 before that, and 49 the year before that.Now?The Nets sprang out of the gate like Uncle Wiggily this season, dropping their first 18 games. The season began before Halloween, and the Nets didn win their first game until more than a week after Thanksgiving.You want long losing streaks? The Nets will stop you on the street, open their coat, and show you losing streaks dangling from inside.The Nets have compiled losing streaks of 18, 11, and 10. They were hot for three games in December, when they went 2-1 after their 0-18 start.Okay, so no one saw 4-41 coming, but these are the New Joisy Nets, and that hasn meant all that much.The Nets were the team that off-loaded Julius Erving in 1976that would be Dr. J himselfbecause they didn want to pay him. The beneficiaries of this heinous act? The Philadelphia 76ers. Go figure.The Nets used to play in New York until they got booted out. Then they played a couple of seasons at Rutgers University while an arena was built for them.The Nets are a product of the old American Basketball Association, and were one of the four refugees from that league when it folded and its remnants were absorbed by the NBA in 1976. They were, by far, the worst of the quartet.The Denver Nuggets won 50 games in that first NBA/ABA merged season of 76-77. The San Antonio Spurs won 44. The Indiana Pacers won 36.The New Jersey Nets won 22.The Nets didn have their first winning season in the NBA until their sixth try. They started making the playoffs annually, but they were cameos, walk-ons. Actually, they were more like walk-OFFSas in the Nets were consistently shown the playoff door after the first round.As if you needed any proof that basketball coach Larry Brown is a vagabond, Brown even coached the Nets, from 1981-83. That a guy who likes coaching too much and who clearly doesn care where he does it.Yet these lovable Nets entered into a Satanic pact and made it to two straight NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. No, they didn come close to winning them, and were cannon fodder for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Spurs, respectively.Then Jason Kidd left town and the team has yet to recover.But aside from those two speaking appearances, the Nets have mainly been extras in the NBAbit players. New York Giants jersey
This season theyre taking on a new role.This season the Nets are playing the part of the Washington Generals, that laughable opponent of the Harlem Globetrotters for most of the latter exhibitions. All that been missing from a Nets game this season has been the bucket of confetti and Meadowlark Lemon half-court hook shot.On Friday night, the Generals/Nets actually had a shot at winningor at least tying. They lost to the Wizards, 81-79. The Wizards are a bad team toono Globetrottersbut there bad and there the Nets. There ugly and there Keith Richardsknow what I mean?Washington Earl Boykins, a veritable Lilliputianhe stands all of 55dropped home a 16-foot game-winning jump shot as time drained from the clock. There was 0.4 seconds remaining when Boykins struck. The Nets had been beaten with a fraction of a second left, by a fraction of a player."It's definitely frustrating," said Nets guard Courtney Lee afterward. "We're starting to compete. We're starting to fight. But there are things down the stretch we need to work on."Yeah, like keeping from being beaten by guys who are smaller than Shaquille ONeal breakfast. But once again, the Nets can only blame themselves. Boykins was an unemployed rookie free agent when the Nets signed him in January 1999, starting tiny Earl on his now 12-year NBA career.The Nets are coached by Kiki Vandeweghe, who once played for the team when it was actually semi-respectable. Vandeweghe played college ball at UCLA, where they would sometimes win four games in a week, instead of the 93 days it taken the Nets to New York Jets jersey
rack up their four victories.So the 73 Philadelphia 76ers are now on the Nets radar. The Nets have to go 6-31 the rest of the way to avoid the ignominy of breaking the granddaddy of NBA records for failure. And that no slam dunk; 6-31 is a winning percentage of .162. The Nets are now piddling along at .089. That not a winning percentagethat a Mel Gibson blood-alcohol level.So the next time you fret over the Pistons and their 15-30 record, remember that it still 11 full games better than the Nets. And if youve never attended a Pistons game when theyve won, circle February 6 on your calendarnext Saturday.That when the Nets come to townalso known as "Guaranteed Win" Night.

10 Jan 11 Thunder and Suns: Was the Best Move No Move at All?

Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesMany of the headlines today are focused on the deals that took place yesterday before the trade deadline. Some are also focused on Tiger Woods, but that not the point of this article.This article discusses the NBA teams that didn't make moves during the deadline. Two teams come Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
to mind quickly: The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns. First, lets look at the assets of each team.Oklahoma CityEtan Thomas' expiring contract- $7.5 million.Matt Harpring's expiring contract- $6.5 million.Kevin Ollie's expiring contract- $1.3 million.Two first round draft picks in the 2010 NBA Draft.PhoenixAmare Stoudemire's contract- $16.3 million this season and $17.6 million player option for next season.Lenandro Barbosa's contract- $14.7 million over next two seasons.Jason Richardson's contract- $13.3 million this season, $14.4 million next season.Oklahoma City: Analysis Both have a good selection ofcontracts, talent, and draft picks that would be valuable to some teams. However, neither team made a move.The Thunder have been a surprising story this season, led by MVP candidate Kevin Durant. TheThunder have quietly won31 games and currently hold the sixth playoff spot in the Western Conference. Also, they currently have the league's longest winning-streak, at seven games. General Manager Sam Presti has done a great job of building this team with young talent. It started with the selection of Durant, the trade of Ray Allen for Jeff Green, and the selection of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka in the pasttwo drafts.Presti knew he had the chips other teams Reebok Minnesota Vikings 28 Adrian Peterson Realtree camo Jersey
needed. And unless he was blown away by a deal, he wasn't going to make a move. He also knows that he needs the cap space to extend Durant, who is due a pay raise next season and has a qualifying offer of $7.9 million in 2011-2012.Jeff Green is also on the same pay-schedule as Durant. The Thunder have a young and talented nucleus of players performing above expectations. They also have veteran leadership from Nenad Krstic, Kick Collison, and Thabo Sefolosha. Clearly, the sky is the limit for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Phoenix: AnalysisSuns' President and GM Steve Kerr was in a tricky situation: trade away the second best player on the team and commit to rebuilding, or keep him and maybe lose him to free agency for nothing.Stoudemire is part of a rare breed of big man who loves to run in the open court, making him a very explosive offensive player. For two years now, Amare has been the subject of trade rumors and the talk of where he will play next season.He quieted some of the rumors by stating he would not opt out of his contract after this year. It could of been the truth. Or it could of been a reassurance to a team trading for him that he wouldn't leave after the season (Miami, Cleveland, New York). Whatever the case may be, more bridges are burned in The Desert.This was a deal that Kerr had to make. Even ifit wasn't thepopular move: cash in your chips and get what you can. The Suns' desperately wanted a draft pick in thisyear's deepdraft. But now they will have to wait and see. The locker room expected aReebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
deal to be made and now they will have to grin and bear it for the rest of the season.The Bottom LineThe Thunder are winners because they didn't need to make a move. However, the Suns are losers at this year's deadline because they needed to make a move, and didn't.

9 Jan 11 The Verdict: Are The Cavs Better Without Shaq?

SATIRE So Shaq is injured, who cares? Why is everyone up in arms about this his average on the year is only 12 ppg and 6 rebounds. The Cavs losing Antwon Jamison right now would be more of a stumbling block to them right now.If that unfortunate scenario did some how manifest the Cavs would still be theJacksonville Jaguars jersey
best team in the East, because they were the best regular season team in the East last year minus Shaq and Jamison.I think people fail to realize how much easier the competition is in the Eastern Conference. Well if you don't I will try my best to enlighten you. Out of the 8 teams in the Eastern Conference set for a playoff run this year one of them has a losing record, while 3 more are barely holding their heads above water when it comes to being a .500 basketball team.For example the Portland Trailblazers the team that caps off the last place for the Western Conference Playoff bracket, would be the fourth best team in the Eastern Conference.That's only statistically speaking, in reality they would probally have 40 wins instead of 35 because of the lack of?competition in the Eastern Conference.If that doesn't display a vivid enough picture for you, maybe this high definition stat will help you find the contrast knob. The team in last place in the Eastern Conference only has a 10% winning percentage! In the words of Keyshawn Johnson?C'mon Man! Even?worse the Nets almost beat Miami in a 80-81 loss. They beat the Bulls, they beat Charlotte and only loss to the Cavs by ten points??I know the biggest argument is that Shaq will be needed to counter Dwight "Super-Man" Howard, but when you think about Kansas City Chiefs jersey
they haven't been able to stop Dwight with Shaq. So what does it really matter, nothing!The season will play out like it has for the last couple of years, Lebron will lead the Cavs to the best record in the East and ultimately the NBA.However when the smoke clears don't be surprised to find Lebron surrounded by court side officials trying to perform the Heimlich Manuver on him. I'm just saying.

8 Jan 11 Michael Jordan Becomes Majority Owner of Charlotte Bobcats

Charley Gallay/Getty ImagesHall of Famer and six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan is now majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.According to ESPN, the NBA Board of Governors approved Jordan's $275 million purchase of the team on Wednesday. MJ has been serving as a minority investor with final Kansas City Chiefs jersey
say on basketball decisions since 2006, and he will now take over the team from former owner Bob Johnson."Purchasing the Bobcats is the culmination of my post-playing career goal of becoming the majority owner of an NBA franchise," said Jordan. "I am especially pleased to have the opportunity to build a winning team in my home state of North Carolina.Sluggish ticket sales and lack of sponsors have caused the Bobcats to lose nearly $30 million in revenue this year, according to ESPN.com.League commissioner David Stern predicted last week that the deal would happen, and is quite happy that it did. Obviously, Jordan doing anything involving the league leads to more publicity and revenue."We are pleased that Michael Jordan's purchase of majority ownership of the Bobcats was approved by the Miami Dolphins jersey
NBA's Board of Governors and closed in such a smooth and expeditious fashion," said Stern in a statement.The Bobcats are currently 35-32 and are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, currently in good standing to make the playoffs.Jordan is scheduled to hold a press conference tonight regarding his new role.