April 2008 Archives

Dirk choked and the refs help the Heat win the 2006 NBA Championship. From that point on. the Mavericks were destined to do one of two things:

1- Come back stronger and more determined than ever.
2- Flame out like Johnny Storm.

Unfortunately for Avery Johnson the Mavs choose door #2. The team has deteriorated quicker than Roger Clemens asking 15 year olds back to his hotel room. Nothing worse than a team whose best player isn't a "serial killer" (Dirk), whose "Scottie Pippen" player (Josh Howard) is more interested in smoking that "Ricky Williams" than improving his game and whose point guard (Jason Kidd) is more likely to beat down his wife that make an open jumper or heaven forbid defend an opposing point guard.

Just remember that Mark Cuban had a chance to trade for Shaq (when he eventually got traded to the Heat) in his semi-prime and Kobe in his prime, but he didn't want to let go of Dirk with whom he has a "man-crush" on. Maybe Cuban should have fired himself as opposed to Avery Johnson.

Why aren't we surprised that Pat Riley has resigned as Head Coach of the Miami Heat? Riley has completely revealed himself and confirmed that the entire Organization quit early on in the season when they claimed Wade was too hurt to play.

Riley flat-out stole the team from Stan Van Gundy a few years ago when he decided the coast was clear to coach again because Heat basketball was on it's way up. Ultimately, he stole a NBA Championship. We all watched this season as the embarassment that became the Miami Heat went from elite status to bottom feeders. I watched closely to see some resolve and grit from the "greatness" in Wade, Shaq and Riley. I wanted them to prove to us that they could handle a little adversity.

What did we see? We saw Wade crying on the court numerous games, snapping out on his team-mates and basically looking like a defeated player on the court. Coach Riley basically quit on the team in the middle of the season, insulting the fans by showing them it was more important to scout college games than to coach a losing team.

Last time I checked, Pat Riley was supposed to be one of the best handful of coaches to ever coach in the league. It's now clear to me that Riley felt like this team was beneath him and wasn't worth his time. There are 30 teams in the NBA and, correct me if i'm wrong, you're suppose to coach whether your team is good or bad. You'd expect him to stay in the foxhole with his troops, get his Larry Brown on, and coach up his players.

I expected Riley to show he's a great coach and teacher in any circumstance. Instead he rolled all the way over and resigned. Pat, where's your Integrity? The long time NBA fans want to know.

Forget all the stuff about Brian McNamee, steroids, perjury or misremembering. If Roger Clemens slept with a 15 year old girl when he was 28, that makes him a pedophile. Am I the only one who sees this? Am I the only who finds it a bit disturbing that a 28 year old man meets a 15 year girl singer in a bar and invites her back to his hotel room?

If this were Barry Bonds, hell if this were you and I, do you think the media would gloss over this huge fact. I don't like to accuse people without facts, but since Clemens has proven to be a liar of gargantuan proportions and the country singer in question Mindy McCready has publicly said that she will not refute anything in the New York Daily News story, I find it hard to believe that this was just an innocent relationship.

I have pointed out several times if there is one person in the world who is taking Clemens for his word, he or she is an idiot. But, I am going to take it a farther after this latest allegation. Anyone in this world, solar system or universe who believes anything that Roger Clemens has said has to be seen as clinically retarded and needs to be institutionalized immediately.

It is one thing to be shooting steroids in your ass and lying about, but it is a totally different thing to be almost 30 having sex with a 15 year old. That is just disgusting, creepy and criminal and something that shouldn't be glossed over because it is Roger Clemens. I wonder if he is a fan of R Kelly?

I use to think that Roger Clemens was just an arrogant liar, but now I am starting to think that he is a truly disturbed man who thinks he is bigger than life and can do and say whatever he wants just because he is Roger Clemens. I hope he gets what he deserves.

This is the best way I can describe "Wrong Way" Larry Brown returning to the bench to coach the Charlotte Bobcats.

Early on Monday morning. when asked if he was interested in talking to the Bobcats about the job opening "Wrong Way" said:

"There is nothing to talk about."

Less than twelve hours later, it was being reporting he had signed on to be the coach. This describes Larry Brown to a tee. He is a habitual liar and he is someone who is always looking out for himself. He is a great coach. But let me warn you Bobcats fans (the five of you) if it doesn't work out, he is going to leave your franchise in tatters with probably another twenty million dollars in his pocket.

A few years a go I wrote an article: "Wrong Way" Larry Brown and Larry Brown "Serial Killer." That article went into detail of what a snake Brown could be. Check it out and probably. in a year or two. we will be talking about how Larry did the Bobcats wrong.

READ "WRONG WAY" LARRY BROWN AND LARRY BROWN "SERIAL KILLER"

A few thoughts on the 1st round of the NBA Playoffs since we are about half-way through the 1st round.

• Detroit and Boston should be ashamed of themselves. I have already spoken on this, but it is an embarrassment that these so call beasts of the east can't even take care of two below .500 teams. I can forgive losing one game, but two? Come on how can I take you seriously?

• The Nuggets are horrible. Carmelo Anthony is not a legendary player. He is a good player, and if they are ever going to be a great team, they are going to need to bring someone else to come in and no that isn't A.I.

• Maybe we should start paying attention the the Orlando Magic who is actually took care of business in the East. At this point, I believe they could make the NBA Finals since they are taking the playoffs seriously, unlike some other teams in the East.

• Waiting on the Soulja Boy diss song to Lebron. You know it is coming.

• Lebron does need to stop whining. After all, you are Lebron James.

"Me responding to DeShawn is like Jay Z dissing Soulja Boy" Lebron James

And with those words, a battle of minimal proportions was started. You would think that Jigga would have more important things to do than make diss songs about C level basketball players. (I mean he just married Beyonce; shouldn't they be on some tropical island or something.) But, when you are worth over 300 million dollars I guess you can do what you want.

Soulja Boy seems to be the only one handling the situation with any maturity which is somewhat disturbing in its own right. I am now wanting this series to go seven games so in Game 7, I can see the rap off between Soulja Boy and Jay Z. Maybe Usher will show up and bring Young Jeezy with him (yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!). Could someone please make sure Rhianna is there. That might make this nonsense all worthwhile.

For those who wanted to hear the diss track here you go. I wasn't very impressed.

Jay Z dissing DeShawn Stevenson

Ok, as everyone knows, the Bungals are a team in turmoil right now. We know that they have a star receiver who wants out. We also know now that their book-end offensive tackle wants to be on the next plane out as well. I do believe secretly that many eyes were on the draft looking to see what the Bungals were going to do. Needless to say, it was entertaining.

The Bengals drafted Florida's Andre Caldwell in the third round Sunday, giving Cincinnati two receivers in their first four picks. They already had put stock in their second-round pick of Jerome Simpson from Coastal Carolina. Oh, and they both idolize Chad.

"We went from a very strong and deep group to a group that we were able to replenish with these guys," said offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. "I don't think it's necessarily a message to T.J. (Houshmandzadeh) or any of these guys. We needed depth at that position." Yeah, right. What that basically means is that the organization is willing/preparing to part with both Chad and TJ after this season. The good things about the picks are that they are high character guys, meaning if they did anything wrong it was either not reported or swept away. This leads us to the rest of the Bungals picks.

In the fifth round, the Bengals took a defensive tackle that has a defense lawyer and a court date. Jason Shirley missed most of his final season at Fresno State while getting arrested and serving three suspensions. This is the kind of background that the Bengals have overlooked in the past and paid for it reputation-wise.

The Good:

• The Kansas City Chiefs burned down the house when they traded Jared Allen to the Vikings, but they did a great job of starting to build it back up. Glenn Dorsey, Branden Albert and Brandon Flowers should be starting day one. Now they didn't take a QB so they must believe Brady Crolye is the answer.

• The Dolphins got two players that should start their rebuilding process. Jake Long you already know about, but Phillip Merling will be the one you should watch out for.

• USC had about 500 palyers drafted in the first 3 rounds. If I am a high school kid looking for the best college to get me ready for the pros I definitely noticed this.

• Players in the green room. No Brady Quinn/Aaron Rodgers this year (I was a little disappointed to be honest).

• The Miami Hurricanes who have gone 14 straight years with having at least one player drafted in the 1st round (Kenny Phillips 31st to the Giants).

• The NFL Network which clearly outshined ESPN's coverage.

• Offensive Tackles who were at a premium even if they were 2nd and 3rd round grades.

• The Redskins who actually had picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds and on top of that made solid selections.

• Joe Flacco, who should be thanking his P.R. people for getting him enough buzz to be a 1st round pick.

The Bad:

• No Wide Receivers taken in the 1st round (what happened to Devin Thomas going to the Bills at 11?).

• ESPN for their horrible coverage (sans Mel Kiper Jr. and Jaws).

• Keyshawn Johnson for wearing quite possibly the ugliest suit ever. This is the NFL Draft not the 2008 Pimp Convention.

• Chad Henne and Brian Brohm. Henne looked like he was ready to strangle someone and Brohm had that face like if I would have come out last year I would have been a Top 10 pick.

• Girlfriends of players who fell out of the 1st round. You can see flashes of dollar signs in their head.

• Aaron Rodgers realizing that Brohm is coming in to take his job.

• John Beck (see Aaron Rodgers and input Henne name).

• Jerry Jones for picking Felix Jones with Rashard Mendenhall on the board.

• The Ravens for picking Joe Flacco when they already have Joe Flacco on their roster. His name is Kyle "Garbage" Boller.

• The Tennessee Titans for drafting a RB when Vince Young had absolutely no wide receivers to throw to.

• The Carolina Panther for giving up a 1st round 2009 Draft Pick to move up one spot to draft Jeff Otah?

The Ugly:

• The Atlanta Falcons who have set back their franchise by 5 years with the pick of Matt Ryan. I don't care what team, what division, what climate or what conference. If you throw 19 Interceptions in 11 college games, you should not be the 3rd pick in the draft. That is the bottom line.

I have come to the conclusion that Brett Favre is Jason Voorhees. I thought once he finally retired that he would fade to "Bolivia" with Mike Tyson. That doesn't appear to be the case. If he isn't on ESPN talking about coming back, he is on David Letterman making cryptic comments about a possible return. No wonder the Packers want to retire his jersey on week 1 before Favre changes his mind for the 15th time.

Just when I think the Favre hoopla was going to die down, it was announced that Favre would be the cover boy for Madden 09. He is retired. Why is he on the cover? Besides the fact that John Madden sleeps in his Madden Cruiser with Favre highlights on repeat 24/7 and it is his franchise, there is no reason every time I pop my copy of Madden into my Xbox 360 I have to look at Favre. Just die already (not literally). I can't take it anymore!

Ummmmmmm! I am trying to care about the Eastern Conference, but it is very difficult when the best two teams are having trouble in the 1st round putting away teams whose regular season record was under .500.

The Celtics should not have lost a game in the first two rounds of the playoffs. It is as simple as that. I would have understood if they had lost one game in the 2nd round, but it is inexcusable that the Celtics should lose any game to the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks should not even be within 10 points of the Celtics at any point in the series. So, it was a bit disturbing to watch KG look like he was going to murder the entire Boston roster because they were playing like garbage. Hopefully this will be a wake up call to the Celtics since they are the only team in the East that has a chance in the NBA Finals.

I have made this point many times about the Pistons. When "Wrong Way" Larry Brown walked out of the building so did the Pistons chances of ever winning another NBA Title. When the playoffs started, I thought it was possible the Pistons could come out of the East. After watching them go through the motions against the Philadelphia 76ers, I am wondering if they can even get out of the 1st round. To watch the 76ers hustling, scratching, crawling and doing whatever needs to be done to win, while the Pistons are laughing, joking and being very uninspired as they are being run off the floor was a bit surprising. Flip Saunders is looking like Isiah Thomas on the bench. It makes you wonder if their window has closed.

Hopefully, both of these teams will correct themselves going forward because, if not, when either one of them gets to the Finals, they will get destroyed.

Chris Byrd, heavyweight contender for almost a decade, will compete in the Light Heavyweight Division. His most respected attributes, defense and speed, would mix with some other characteristics, very good chin and heart, to bring him wins over many contenders of this era like David Tua, Evander Holyfield, Fres Oquendo, Jameel McCline, DaVaryll Williamson, among others. Some of those fights were boring, others were tight decisions, but nobody can argue that Byrd's resume is one of the best of this heavyweight era.

After his most recent loss, Byrd, who is now 37 years old, announced that he would go down to 175 and fight there. He claims he will be even faster, his defense will be better. But can he still be competitive against top level fighters at his age? The division is not as great as it once was, but it is still highly competitive.

He was already at the mountain top. He was heavyweight champ of the world or at least part-holder for a while. My question is, at age 37, why melt down to 175? Is his need to compete so great?

I wish him the best, but I have to wonder one thing. If Byrd succeeds at the Light Heavyweight Division, will he make the jump back up to the Heavyweight Division?

I thank everyone who came out for the live NFL Draft Chat. We will be doing it again next year. Be sure to check out the site of Monday for my NFL Draft thoughts. I have a lot of them.

Do Trust the Game Film

It doesn't lie!! If a running back doesn't hit the hole well in college, he probably won't do it in the pros. That quarterback who is only six feet tall but did everything well on the field is worth drafting. The defensive lineman who played for a big name program but had two big games and was ineffective the rest of the season isn't going to find a magic potion that will make a run stopping stud for 16 games in the NFL. And that reciever who only ran a 4.5 40 but was always getting open and scoring touchdowns is a pretty safe bet. There are no guarantees, but if a guy can play, that usually translates well.

Don't Trust the Combine

Yeah, I said it. The idea that you would trust things that a draftee will never have to do in an actual football game (running 40 yards in a straight line with no pads on, jumping straight up in the air, bench pressing 225 pounds) more than what they did in actual games is just stupid.

Who cares if a cornerback can run a 4.2 40 if his technique is awful? Or. if a defensive lineman can lift 225 pounds 100 times but plays lazy? Or if a quarterback is 6-foot 4 with a rocket arm but can't read defenses? A lot of scouts care, and every year they make stupid picks in the early rounds because a guy's combines are used instead of trusting what they did on the field.

I don't need to run through the names of the usual suspects for combine wizardry that led to real life failure; you know them already. But I can guarantee you that there will be some high picks who flame out because they were picked based on combine work instead of game-day work, and there will be guys who can play but fall to the later rounds because of their 40 times.

Do trust your gut

If you have the first pick and everyone is telling to pick a guy that you just flat out don't like, don't pick him. If you feel the safe pick is a better bet than a guy with potential, make the safe pick. Remember, no one will ever fault you picking a guy who turns out to be a good player, but if you take the gamble that doesn't pay off, you will be lampooned for eternity.

The weather is now partly cloudy in Dallas because "Make It Rain" Jones is officially a Cowboy. Make no mistake. Strip club owners all over the metropolitan area are jumping for joy.

And if you think that Pacman won't be in a Cowboys' uniform opening day because of his suspension from the league, you are a fooling yourself. There is no way Jerry Jones makes this trade unless he had it on good authority that Pacman would be reinstated. So as long as he doesn't shoot anyone within the next three months (you never know with him), he will be in uniform by training camp.

The Cowboys are now officially the most interesting team in 2008. You have the Tony Romo/Jessica Simpson ongoing gossip saga. You never know what is going to happen with T.O. "Horse Collar" Williams will be trying to break people's ankles again and blowing coverage left and right. Marion "The Barbarian" will be trying to get paid like he is Barry Sanders. Now, "Make It Rain" Jones is installing stripping poles in the locker room. You got to love that.

The NFL draft is already in full swing with the #1 pick already signed and the Chiefs and Vikings pulling off a huge trade. With three days left before the draft, here is the official BlackSportsOnline NFL Mock Draft.

1- Miami Dolphins- Jake Long, OT Michigan
Deal already done, very solid pick.

2- Saint Louis Rams- Chris Long, DE Virginia

They would prefer Jake Long and, personally, I think over-the-long-run Glenn Dorsey, Vernon Gholston and Sedric Ellis will be better, but for the Rams they cannot take that type of risk.

3- Atlanta Falcons- Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU

The sexy pick would be Matt Ryan, but the smart pick would be Dorsey. Matt Ryan is no savior and, without an improved offensive and defensive line, he will not survive in ATL.

4- Oakland Raiders- Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas

The Raiders don't necessarily need a running back, but they do need to bring some excitement back to their fan base. So while I don't agree with the pick I definitely understand it. They signed a ton of fringe free agents and adding McFadden to the mix will be a very interesting experiment.

5- Kansas City Chiefs- Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State

With the trade of Jared Allen, they really have no choice at this point. They will think about Matt Ryan. But they will pass.

6- New York Jets- Ryan Clady, OT Boise State

They want McFadden. They will have to settle for Clady. Once again the quickest way for a bad team to become a good team is to shore up the offensive line.

7- New England Patriots- Keith Rivers, OLB USC

The Patriots are in dire need of a cornerback, but I believe Belichick thinks he can plug anyone into their system and make it work. They are getting real old at LB and Rivers is the type of do-it-all linebacker they love.

8- Baltimore Ravens- Matt Ryan, QB Boston College

Steve McNair has retired, Garbage Boller is Garbage Boller and it appears the Ravens don't want to give Troy Smith a fair shake, so they will take Ryan. Similar to Brady Quinn last year, I don't think Ryan is a franchise guy and would be better served getting drafted later than earlier.

9- Cincinnati Bengals- Cedric Ellis, DT USC

Forget about all the drama with Ocho, TJ and Rudi Johnson, the fact of the matter is the Bengals will never get better until they shore up their defense . Cedric Ellis will be the inside presence they have been seeking for years.

10- New Orleans Saints- Leodis McKelvin, CB

The Saints were torched in the secondary last year. McKelvin has been flying up on the draft boards.

11- Buffalo Bills- Jeff Otah, OT Pittsburgh

A lot of people are predicting wide receiver here, but they need line help more.

12- Denver Broncos- Derek Harvey, DE Florida

The Broncos have to stop bringing in over hill defensive lineman and start getting some young guys in the mix. Harvey is a beast coming off the corner.

13- Carolina Panthers- Devin Thomas, WR Michigan State

Steve Smith needs help and he needs help badly.

14- Chicago Bears- Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois

Cedric Benson is a bust; the other Adrian Peterson is not an every down back. So Mendenhall is the perfect pick to start Day 1.

Back when BlackSportsOnline was just a blip on the radar, I was beating the drum that one of the most overrated players in the NFL was Shaun Alexander. I screamed at the top of my lungs that if Seattle ever paid him big money, he would fold quicker than the Dallas Mavericks in a 1st round series.

I was the one that coined "Carebear" Alexander which he is now currently referred to in many media outlets. (Ummmm yeah, I am still waiting for my credit). So it was no surprise to me that, after getting paid, he was horrible and is now no longer employed by the Seahawks. I think I could be a NFL GM. Honestly, who didn't see this coming? Where are all the Seattle Seahawks fans who told me I didn't know what I was talking about? Seahawks fans, do you take pie in "humble" flavor?

LOL. So KG has won Defensive Player of the Year.

I always start off my entries by stating whether I am a fan or not of the athlete that I am writing about. People, often times, take the words they see or hear and try to change the facts. Well, just to let you know, I am a big KG fan. But do I think he should have won NBA Defensive Player of the Year? Ummm....No.


He was 19th in steals, 25th in blocks, and 17th in rebounds

How they (meaning voting members of the media) can justify KG, I do not know. But what are the criteria for this award if KG receives 493 first place votes out of 846? I know the Celtics had a the biggest turnaround in history, but NBA Award voters, what exactly are you really trying to prove?

This is not a middle school graduation where people get Certificates of Attendance. You do not have to pacify an athlete with an award he doesn't deserve. KG has never been a "glory hog." Don't give him an award just because he won't win that "most prestigious" MVP award.

So now it comes out that Pacman "Make It Rain" Jones paid "extortion" money to the person who is now charged with attempted murder in the infamous Las Vegas strip club incident. Before the biased sports media gets it all twisted and turns it into something it is not, let's state the facts.

According to court documents, the money was paid not because the shooter was threatening to go to the police about Jones, but because the shooter threatened to go after Jones, his daughter and his mother if Jones talked to the police about the him. Documents further state that Jones, once confronted by police about the incident, told them of the extortion money and identified the shooter.

So, in this case, I don't think anyone should find fault in what Jones did. In the end, he did the right thing by fingering the shooter to the police. So before ESPN spins, just be aware of the facts.

How can I put this nicely?

The Bengals front office, management and ownership are idiots.

While I don't agree with the antics Chad Johnson used to get out of town, I agree that the Bengals are one of the worse run organizations of all time. It is obvious that Chad doesn't want to be there. When you have teams like the Washington Redskins offering a 1st round pick in this year's draft and a conditional 3rd round pick (which could become a 1st round pick) in next year's draft, you take that deal. I don't care if Johnson didn't want to be traded you take that deal. To put it in its proper perspective, the Patriots got the a 4th round pick for Randy Moss and teams are offer a 1st and 3rd for Chad Johnson. No wonder the Bengals are the laughing stock of the league.

Throw out what's fair or unfair, why contracts are set up the way they are, or why an aging Brian Urlacher might want to renegotiate his own multimillion-dollar contract with the Bears when he has four years left on it.

It's as simple as this.

The NFL destroys its stars' bodies.

Just look at newly retired quarterback Steve McNair's health in, say 10 years, for proof.

Urlacher has given a lot to Chicago. What is given back to him will have nothing to do with what is given to anybody else.

People who doubt Brian Urlacher's influence in the locker room are ignoring the teammates who are following his lead by seeking new contracts. They also disregard the wedge being driven between players and management by Urlacher's impasse visible at a recent workout when a Bears veteran loudly pleaded with Coach Lovie Smith for the team just to pay the linebacker, according to a teammate.

Extending contracts for key players before they expire exemplifies a standard business practice for NFL teams that shows a sign of respect, reward and commitment. It's this way of thinking that has, in a way, let potential extensions never get done. This is simply because the player will come to the table with an asking price that often times may cripple the team.

"I realize I signed a contract five years ago," Urlacher said. "But you know what, what happens when a guy signs an eight-year contract and he gets hurt the second year? They cut him the next year. What happens if a guy signs an eight-year contract and he plays like crap the first three years? They cut him. So when a guy plays great five or six years into his contract, what's wrong with rewarding him with a new deal? Is there a difference?"

Urlacher says the Bears have offered a one-year extension through 2012, believed to include at least $5 million up front and an extra $1 million added to each year remaining on his current deal. But he wants at least a two-year extension with more money up front.

The team has acknowledged their concerns about Urlacher's recovery from neck and back injuries, not to mention the beating his position and his style of play have taken on his body. It is these kinds of reasons that could lead the negotiations to become volatile.

It would be a shame for the Bears to lose a player like him over this.

Someone tell me where I can get a job like Isiah Thomas, former coach and president of the New York Knicks. After being relieved of his duties, new boss Donnie Walsh has informed the media that Isiah will not have an official title and will not have anyone reporting to him. Did I mention for these services Isiah will make,

So in essence, you can destroy a franchise and get paid almost twenty millions dollars to sit in an office and I assume talk to yourself since no one is reporting to you and you have no title. So no one knows exactly what you do.

I picked the wrong profession. Instead of writing about sports, I should have been in the business side of sports. You know what Chris Henry, Pacman Jones and I would do with that type of money. They would call us "Seattle" because we would make it rain all day and all night.

As you know, Ya Boy Robert Littal is always on the exclusive BSO T-Mobile Sidekick. But now it's official. T-Mobile is the exclusive mobile sponsor of BlackSportsOnline. So what are you waiting for? Click the link if you want to get bona fide through T-Mobile.

So Bernard Hopkins was beaten by the white boy, more specifically the British Boy, but I digress. The thing about it is that it shouldn't be a surprise because anyone with a sound boxing mind could see it was going to be very difficult for Bernard who throws about 5 punches a round to beat someone who throws 75-100 punches a round. It didn't matter if he was white, black, green or yellow, it was a long shot that Bernard would win.

Personally I didn't think the comment was a big deal. After all, this is boxing we are talking about. It isn't unlike Bernard to stir the pot a bit to put a few more dollars in his pocket. Hopefully now, Bernard will retire. There isn't much more he needs to prove He was able to knockdown Calzaghe and give him a decent fight considering he is 43 years old. That shows everyone how great he is/was. There is no need to continue.

Washington vs. Cleveland: The Wizards couldn't score in crunch time, and the Cavaliers did. The game was even throughout, but when it came down to the last minute of the game, the Cavs gave it to their go to man and he delivered. The Wizards tried to score but weren't able to make any baskets. If you want to know what is needed from a true franchise player, look at what Lebron did. 30 points, including six big ones when they were needed most. The Wizards guards, other than Gilbert Arenas, were terrible. Deshawn Stevenson, Antonio Daniels, and Roger Mason Jr. shot a combined 3-for-17 from the field; if they'd done anything the Wizards could have pulled off the win here. Brendan Haywood played very well (15 points, 10 rebounds) but was limited by foul trouble. Even though they won, this game doesn't offer much hope for the Cavs long term playoff hopes. Ben Wallace wasn't much good (zero points and six rebounds in a very telling 23 minutes), and no one outside of Lebron, Zydrunas ilgauksas, and Daniel Gibson were able to hit their shots with any consistency. If the 'Zards can keep Haywood on the floor and hit a few more shots they should win this thing.

Phoenix vs. San Antonio:

Timmy added to the legacy yesterday with his game saving three pointer; who'd have predicted that? For anyone who thought he was starting to slip, this was your notice otherwise. Duncan's 40 points and 15 rebounds led the way to victory while Manu Ginobli sunk the game winning shot with less than two seconds on the clock in double overtime. The Suns may view this game as a missed opportunity if they lose the series; they had three to five point leads on several occasions and flat out could not hold them. Foul trouble was a problem; Shaq and Amare had eleven fouls between the two of them, and once Amare fouled out the Suns had problems scoring. He'll have to get better with that if they want to pull the series out.

New Orleans vs. Dallas

The Mavericks were looking like the experienced old hand laying down the young upstart for a little while....then the second half happened. The Hornets outscored them 64-40 in the second half and won by twelve. The Maverick trio of Jerry Stackhouse, Josh Howard, and Devean George shot a combined 7-for-32...yikes. That was enough to undo Dirk Nowitzki's 31 point, 10 rebound day and Jason Kidd's near triple double. For the Hornets, Chris Paul showed he wouldn't shrink under the spotlight by going for 35 points, 10 assists, 4 steals, and only one turnover. Depth is still a concern, though; only two Hornets reserves got any real minutes and if Tyson Chandler or David West get in foul trouble, that could be a real problem for them.

Utah vs. Houston

If the Rockets don't start shooting better, this could be over really quick. The Houston guards shot a combined 12 for 45, and the entire team shot an abysmal 36.7%. Take away Shane Battier's 7 for 7 and it drops to 30.6%. That's how you get swept, ladies and gentlemen. With no Yao Ming to get them easy baskets you can expect more where that came from. On the flip side, the Jazz got 20 points and 16 rebounds from Carlos Boozer to go along with 21 from Andrei Kirilenko and Deron Williams' 20 points and 10 assists. The Rockets look to be done here. It's only a matter of how long it will take.

Your Bona Fide Sports Expert and Super Model Supreme Amber Fox engage in our latest test of prognostication skill in what is shaping up as possibly the most exciting NBA playoffs ever. Amber did topple me in our March Madness Tournament, but I will exact my revenge. We will be picking every NBA Playoff series all the way to the NBA Finals.

The Bon Fide Sports Expert vs. Model NBA Playoff Challenge Presented by RhoPhotos, the photographer that will make you famous.

EAST:

Celts - Hawks = Amber - Celtics , Robert - Celtics
Cavs - Wizards = Amber - Cavs, Robert - Cavs
Magic - Raptors = Amber- Magic, Robert - Magic
Pistons - 76ers = Amber - Pistons, Robert- Pistons

WEST:

Lakers - Nuggets = Amber - Lakers, Robert - Lakers
Jazz - Rockets = Amber - Jazz, Robert - Jazz
Spurs - Suns = Amber- Spurs, Robert - Suns
Hornets - Mavericks = Amber- Mavericks, Robert - Hornets

The NBA playoffs are set to kickoff this weekend, which means we're about to separate the stars from the superstars, the men from the mice. I know you've all looked at the western conference juggernaut match-ups and couldn't decide who's going to win, let alone how many games it'll take them to do it. Not to worry, I got your 1st round series winners here at The Great BSO for free 99. Thank me later.

Eastern Conference

Pistons(2) vs. Sixers(7)

The Pistons maybe the most savvy team in the NBA, also one of the strongest. The problem with them is that they are like Randy Moss because "they play when they wanna". The Sixers are young, energetic, athletic and will play hard but in the end the boys from "The D" are too experienced, but they'll let the Sixers get one. Detroit in 5

Celtics(1) vs. Hawks(8)

I want to be able to tell you Hawks fans, who are excited about the playoffs, something good. I want to say that they somehow could slow down the "PGA Tour" (Pierce, Garnett, Allen). All I really can say is that it's good to see the Hawks back in, and Josh Smith will definitely get his. But the C's are on a mission, and their defense will break the young Hawks will. Boston in 4

Magic(3) vs. Raptors(6)

The is the Eastern Conference version of the Suns vs. Warriors. It should be an exciting series, up and down, two teams who like to space the floor with shooters around a dominant big man. Orlando has Howard, Raps have Bosh, who will wilt? Neither. What will decide the series is which teams duo plays better. Lewis and Turkulo? or Calderon and Ford? Look for the pick and pop/roll to be too much for the Raptors in the end. Orlando in 6

Cavs(4) vs. Wizards(5)

This bout looks to be easily the most intriguing and competitive series in the East. You know Agent Zero craves for the dramatic. Whether it's launching 3's from almost half court or talking about how he wants to play Cleveland in his blogs. Gilbert Arenas has something up his sleeve. Standing in his way is the "Government Experiment" himself, Lebron James. Recently Deshawn Stevensen called James overrated which only adds to this drama that's about to unfold. The Cavs are still trying to find themselves after the huge trade. Also they lack the defensive toughness from a season ago. The Wizards have Gil back and are peeking now. Look for the Wizards to get over the hump in 6.

In ancient times, The Romans thought themselves superior to the Galicians. The Huns thought themselves superior to the Romans. The Persians thought themselves superior to the Huns, and so on. Each group believed in their heart that they were bigger, stronger, better...superior to the other group and thus when engaged in combat would win because to be born other then themselves was to be born inferior.

As the centuries passed, Hitler took power in Germany and convinced a nation that simply by being born Aryan they were destined to control the world...every other group was born weak and thus should be made submissive.

These weren't just thoughts, these were passionate, intense beliefs that each group fought to the death for. And death is what they got, because each one of these groups suffered catastrophic defeat and were themselves brought down by the sword.

If history has shown us anything, it's that you can never make judgments based on color, religion, or any other typical stereotypes. In every single instance, there's always an exception that can be found. You underestimate an individual based on what "group" he belongs to, and you just set yourself up for failure. That means you are taking your opponent lightly not because of sound objectivity but because of racial or religious ignorance and bias. Every single human being is separate, his own man or woman, and can't and shouldn't be categorized.

Finally, this brings me to Bernard Hopkins. In a press conference hyping the April showdown between Hopkins and Wales bred Joe Calzaghe, Ole' Bernard said that he would never lose to a "white boy". He stated further to print it, shout it, announce it; he would never lose to a "white boy". Never mind the fact that Calzaghe is in his mid-30's, he still gets called a boy. Ask yourself, if someone calls you a "boy" what would your reaction be?

Steve McNair was the definition of a "very good quarterback." Not great, not spectacular, but just a solid pro for 13 years! Before Donovan McNabb, Daunte Culpepper, Michael Vick (sans Dog Whispering), Vince Young and etc., he was a pioneer for black quarterbacks. He was the second black quarterback to play in the Super Bowl.

You want your QB, your leader to be the toughest player on the team both mentally and physically. There is no denying that McNair was one of the toughest Quarterbacks to ever play the game. If I listed all the injuries he played through it would be take up a whole page. In the end that determination probably knocked 3-4 years of his career, but, to hear him talk about it, he wouldn't have had it any other way. Hall of Famer? No, but he will be forever be remembered as a quarterback that other quarterbacks should strive to be in terms of leadership and ultimate determination.

For those of you who have grown tired of traditional boxing, and enjoy a more brutal-style of combat, allow me to take this time to highlight one of the mixed martial arts fastest-growing phenomena, Kimbo Slice.

The video above, courtesy of ESPN and World Star Hip Hop, tells the story of how this internet legend is capitalizing on his street fame. For those of you who are familiar with Slice, I don't need to tell you how much of a monster he is.

In a move to market itself to the masses, mixed-martial arts federation Elite XC will begin to televise its matches on CBS. On May 31st 2008, Elite XC will be hosting its first televised prime-time event. Kimbo Slice will be taking on James "Megapunk" Thompson in the main event.

Barack Obama was scheduled to do a podcast with my ESPN.com buddy Bill Simmons. He is one of the few people employed by ESPN that I like. Unfortunately, at the last minute, ESPN producers nixed the show. It is ok for ESPN to show endless hours about steroids hearings, spygate and its own cheesy programming, but it won't allow 30 minutes for possibly the future president of the United States?

I guarantee you if this were John McCain or Hillary Clinton, they would be on the air right now. However, when you are an entity that is afraid to go against the status quo, you don't have enough guts to let an African-American presidential candidate on your network.

BlackSportsOnline endorses Barack Obama. So Barack, if you want to talk to an organization that is trying to make a change in the sports media just as you are trying to make a change in the United States, come holla at us.

I honestly don't know what else I can do for Chad Johnson. Obviously, he didn't read my letter.

"AN OPEN LETTER TO CHAD JOHNSON"

At this point, he is becoming such a distraction that, if I owned an NFL team, I would want to get rid of him. Of course, if I owned an NFL team, it would have never gotten this far. But I digress. I will keep you informed of any rumors about potential trades leading up to the draft.

That gasp you just heard is from Darth Kobe fans all around the world whom I just shocked with my proclamation that Chris Paul not Bean is my 2007-08 NBA MVP. This is a decision that I have been struggling with for the past couple of months, so let me explain how I have come to this conclusion.

At the All-Star break it seem like a no brainer that the MVP would be going to Kobe Bryant who is still in my opinion the best pure player in the game. The knock that he isn't a "team player" and "doesn't make his teammates better" has always been the cliché that the media and people who dislike Kobe the personally would say when trying to minimize his tremendous talent.

They said the same thing about Michael Jordan until he got some talented players then he was the "ultimate competitor." Hence, I always found that critisms about Kobe comical. Magically, once he got some better teammates his team became one of the best teams in the West and a West that is stacked from top to bottom. Kobe of 2008 isn't that much different from Kobe of 2007 or 2006. What is different is that the players around him are allowing him to show that it is a lot easier to play a "team" game when you have teammates that you can trust.

The fact that he has kept his team together through a lot of injuries, not just to the team but also to himself. Does anyone remember that he is dealing with a broken pinky that the team wanted him to get surgery on. The reason you don't remember is because he has still been deadly efficient while keeping the Lakers right at the top of the Western Conference even after losing Andrew Bynum for the majority of the year and Pau Gasol for a couple of weeks.

Kobe Bryant should already have an MVP trophy, but circumstances and bias have prevented that from happening. If he is named NBA MVP you won't get any complaints from me. However, in the end I think CP3 was just a little bit better and I will tell you why.

What's up people? Time for a last week of the season edition of the Roundup. The playoffs are almost here, so it's time for a last look before we get to the Playoff Preview, which I'll have up towards the end of the week. I've got some editorializing to do first, then on to more objective topics.

Why I'm not mad about the Western Conference

Enough with the "we've got to fix the playoffs" nonsense, OK? I'm tired of hearing people cry about the possibilty that a near 50-win team may get shut out of the Western playoffs while a couple of under .500 teams get to compete in the Eastern bracket. It doesn't matter, OK? You want to know why? Real simple:

The Warriors had no shot of winning the West

As an eighth seed, the Warriors would be facing Lakers in the first round, which means they'd be going home after the first round. Now I know that the Warriors pulled of the big upset last year as an eighth seed, but I can guarantee you that wouldn't be happening this time around. Kobe Bryant does have the psychological deficiencies that Dirk Nowitzki does when it comes to big games, and wouldn't get rattled by some Stephen Jackson roughhousing. The two most beatable teams in the Western bracket are going to be Houston, because the shorthandedness they've been able to deal with during the regular season will eventually do them in, and Dallas, for the same reasons they were beatable last year. Whoever got the eighth seed won't be facing either of those teams in the first round, so you can forget about them pulling an upset. And even if they did, the Warriors aren't good enough to get through three rounds and to the Finals. My point here is that I don't consider it a tragedy if a team gets legitimately shut out of a playoff that they have no chance of winning anyway.

The Warriors wouldn't win the East if they were in it, either

Who really thinks that the Golden State Warriors would win the Eastern Conference if they were over there? Anyone who does needs to call me about this oceanfront property in Nebraska I'm selling. I'll give a real good price on it, honest.
There is no way on God's green earth that a size and defensively challenged team like Golden State would win a seven-game series against either Boston or Detroit; they'd also have a hard time with either Cleveland or Orlando, and they'd likely be extended to six or seven by the Wizards or the Sixers. When you flat out stink defensively, it allows anyone to stay close with you (see the 150 points that Seattle put up on Denver recently) no matter how bad they are. Again, you can't win three playoff series against increasingly better teams when you have a serious deficiency at either end of the floor. In the East they'd be out as soon as they met Detroit or Boston, which would be in the second round. Again, no chance of winning the conference just like the West. So please, spare me the whole 'they'd be a high seed in the East' argument. It wouldn't help them any in the long run.

Don Nelson. Your team plays a do-or-die game for the last seed in the playoffs, and they lose 122-116 to the Suns. But it's not the fact that they lost, its how they lost.

You benched your lethal weapon for the entire second half because "you wanted to give him a much needed rest." Yeah he went 2 for 12 in the first half, but still. You dont think BD was good for 6 points against Steve Nash in the second half of a do-or-die game? Thats what BD lives for.

Your star player has the option to test the waters this summer and you bench for an entire half? Its not making sense. Okay, maybe he said something to you in the locker room that you didn't like, but come on! Let that sub plot come out after BD goes off on Steve Nash's non-defense in what could very be his last game in a Warriors jersey.

You sir, with all do respect, have no testicular fortitude and that was made apparent last night. You obviously didn't want to go to the playoffs this season.

Over his entire career, Tori Hunter has always spoken his mind about a wide range of topics. It is what makes him one of the most sought after interviews in baseball. This leads us to this little gem that Tori told the press recently in regard to "Jackie Robinson Day."

For those that don't know, "Jackie Robinson Day" was introduced by MLB five years ago. Clubs playing at home on April 15th would commemorate "Jackie Robinson Day" with special pre-game ceremonies which will feature Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars and will showcase activities that reflect Robinson's legacy. Clubs that are not playing on April 15th hold "Jackie Robinson Day" celebrations at a later date. Players are even allowed to wear Jackie's jersey number, 42, which has been retired from all clubs.

On a day as special as this for all minorities, one would expect Torii to be all for this move. Well, that's not exactly how it went. This is what Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii said, to USA Today: "This is supposed to be an honor, and just a handful of guys wearing the number. Now you've got entire teams doing it. I think we're killing the meaning. It should be special wearing Jackie's number, not just because it looks cool."

What upset Hunter, he says now, was this: The Houston Astros had no black players on their team last April, and yet the entire team wore No. 42. "That got it away from, 'OK, we don't have any blacks,' " he said. To Hunter, a roster with no black players did not represent the progress for which Robinson stood, and baseball celebrated. "When you have a team that doesn't have any African American players on the team, and then everybody on the team wears it, yes, it's watered down, because they don't have blacks to represent Jackie Robinson over there," Hunter said. "It's pretty weird. That's just my opinion."

Needless to say Torii has been called a racist and even exhibiting reverse racism for his comments. Personally, I feel his comment is reasonable. Anyone who knows statistics knows that the chances are pretty slim that a team will have zero blacks on it (as the Astros did in April last year) when blacks make up ten percent of the league. This is particularly worrisome because this seems to be the trend with some teams. You can argue that he's mistaken, or that Blacks just don't want to play for Houston, or whatever, but at least realize that the comment is legitimate as a starting point.

And the idea that "there just aren't any qualified Blacks playing MLB" is absolutely silly in just the same way the idea that, "The reason there are almost no women heading Fortune 500 companies is because no qualified women are out there" is silly. Consider the facts. Don't just knee-jerk react and scream at the messenger.

There is nothing more asinine that getting excited over the release of the NFL Schedule.

IT DOESN'T MATTER

I heard this stat while listening to the radio. Of the last seven teams who started the season with the statistically "easiest schedule," six of them didn't even make the playoffs. Just for the record, the Patriots have the easiest schedule (yes, the 18-1 Patriots) and the Steelers have the toughest schedule. Now with all that being said, there are some interesting match-ups. But in the end, there will be games that look horrible now that will have playoff implications in December. So calm down NFL fans.

You can't do it, you simply can not do it! If you are Carmelo Anthony, you have to be smarter than this. You are worth millions upon millions of dollars. Even if you just had a few drinks, have someone drive you home.

Your team is fighting for their playoffs lives. You already have a reputation for not being a responsible player both on and off court. Why fuel the fire? If the Nuggets don't make the playoffs. guess who's going to get blamed? If the Nuggets make the playoffs and get swept, guess who they're going to blame? You just have to be smarter than this You aren't a kid anymore! Melo, time to grown up!

A lot of people have been asking me what is the definition of a "NoHo" is so what I am going to do is I am going to write out this definition and bury it deep on my site, but this way I can just refer to this link when people ask:

No Ho- A ho who displays ho like tendencies but rationalizes what she is doing is not ho like.

Actual text message that started the "No Ho" phenomenon verbatim March 12th, 2009 2:53 PM:

"We aint no hoe's or nothing but I have sum friends willing to get down if paid so wut yall tryna do? "

There are various types of No Hos. They are all over our society.

Gold-digger No Hos, Model No Hos, MySpace No Hos, Work No Hos, Club No Hos, Facebook No Hos, Twitter No Hos, Message board No Hos, Celebrity No Hos, Church No Hos, Born Again/Saved No Hos, Corporate No Hos, Political No Hos, Music No Hos, Ho No Hos, Wifey No Hos, Baby Mama No Hos and the list goes on and on.

The person you are with right now could be a "No Ho". Your wife could be a "No Ho". Your girlfriend could be a "No Ho". Your boss could be a "No Ho".

Don't fall in love with a "No Ho". No Hos are for play purposes only. I repeat do not fall in love with a "No Ho" don't be the dude paying for the my Xbox games. That isn't pretty. All guys have at one time fallen in love with a "No Ho" they aren't worth it. Find you a nice female (only 10% of females are genuinely nice so if you are lucky enough to find one hold on to here) and treat her right. If you are going to cheat on her with a "No Ho" be discreet following my 10 Cheating Commandments and you will be ok.

Hope that helps clears everything up.

The start of the 2008 Major League Baseball season has begun and it seems as though everyone is excited but me. Barbecues, beer, and baseball. The beginning of summer, the start of warmer days, of new beginnings.

MLB is enjoying enormous success, with record attendance levels, huge television contracts, and a ridiculous amount of coverage spent on ESPN. (Why have baseball highlights on Sportscenter and then an hour long edition right afterwards on Baseball Tonight. Isn't the NBA being sold short?).

But underneath the happy little smiley face that MLB is fronting to the nation, there is a very dark and sinister side. It's a side of baseball that is threatening to make me disown the sport. I'm a fan; I go to games, watch highlights, keep up with the stats, etc. I played Little League Baseball and fell in love, and it's been a love affair ever since. Now why do I suddenly feel guilty about being passionate for baseball?

It's because what they're doing to Barry Bonds is criminal. Isn't it ironic that the San Francisco Giants had no problem playing Barry last year, collecting money, benefiting from the huge crowds and television exposure, and basking in the glow of Barry knocking ball after ball into McCovey Cove. And now, not so silently, they are removing everything associated with him at the ball park, trying to cut all cords. This would be bad enough under any circumstances, but how about this: Barry has never been convicted of knowingly using performance enhancing steroids.

It's pretty sad when an individual who gave his heart and soul to an organization has that same organization remove all ties with him based on allegations. This is what our country has become? I know this is sports and not a legal forum, but doesn't every person deserve the benefit of having an assumption of innocence unless proven otherwise?

Evidently athletes don't. And especially Black athletes don't. I'm not someone with my head in the sand and a pair of blinders on. It's not lost on me that Barry, who hit 28 home runs last year and hasn't admitted guilt or been proven guilty, can't find a job while Jason Giambi, who admitted guilt, gets cheered every time he walks to the plate. What a joke, but I'm not laughing!

Hasn't the media learned the lesson that you should always give the benefit of the doubt to someone just like they, themselves, would want that benefit of the doubt were they ever accused of something. I thought we all learned that in 4th grade.

Look what happened to Kobe Bryant. If you read the papers or watched TV, you saw immediate speculation of how many years in prison Kobe would do. Never mind that he might not be guilty. He got his name trashed, his image and marketability forever tainted. Even McDonalds, one of his sponsors, dropped him like a bad habit before the case ever even hit trial! It didn't occur to the media that Kobe is rich, and the woman who accused him of rape might be full of hot air? You don't have to be Perry Mason to see the woman had a motive to make such an accusation. It would be cheaper for Kobe to just pay the woman off rather than pay a high powered legal firm to represent him. That's true even when he's innocent! I'm thinking that's what that woman thought. Only she didn't realize Kobe's an ice-cold assassin who would call her bluff during the day at court and go drop 50 on some team later that night. That's gangster.

Memo to ESPN, Golf Channel, CBS and etc: "It's difficult to win a golf tournament and Tigger (yes, I know it is Tiger but I like calling him Tigger) Woods isn't Superman no matter how much you want him to be."

The fact that he has won 13 majors is remarkable at such a young age. But, the odds are still more likely that he will lose than win. So when I saw graphics like Tigger was 4 to 2 to win the Grand Slam of Golf, I laughed and put $100 down on his not winning the Masters and $100 on his not winning the Grand Slam. Guess who is going to the bank tomorrow? I understand that Tigger is the PGA money-maker. Let's not fool ourselves. The PGA would be an afterthought without him, but he is still much more likely to lose than win no matter how much they try to make you think otherwise.

When your Bona Fide Sports Expert was a young lad growing up, he liked to impress people at family gatherings by doing a Michael Jackson "Beat It" impersonation. One time, during a Christmas gathering, in the middle of my MJ spin, I slipped, fell on my stomach and knocked the wind out of me. It felt as if I were dying. I couldn't breathe; I couldn't move; and I was basically paralyzed for seemed like hours, but, in reality, was only about thirty seconds.

So, I can imagine how a boxer feels when, after getting battered around for multiple rounds, he gets hit with the perfect body shot. Can you even imagine the unthinkable pain and agony that must feel like?

Last night, we saw two of the best welterweights on the world destroy their opponents with picture-perfect body punches. Miguel Cotto, who is known for his vicious body attack, just overwhelmed Alfonso Gomez who had no business being in the ring with Cotto. It was a glorified sparring match. Cotto delivered one of the prettiest uppercuts to the body you will ever see. That blow put Gomez down for the 2nd time in the fight. The rest was just academic with the medical staff finally ending the massacre in the 5th round.

More impressive to me, though, was the performance of Antonio Margarito who simply walked down, through and over Kermit Cintron, whom he had knocked out three years previously. There is nothing more dangerous than a boxer who can take his opponent's best shot and just keep coming. That is exactly what Margarito did to Cintron. When Margarito delivered a picture perfect left hook to the body, the shot was so devastating that Cintron was spitting up blood. Now that is a vicious body blow!

While Money Mayweather is out counting his WWE check, Cotto and Margarito are on a collision course that will be worth whatever the PPV price will be.

News Flash!!! News Flash!!! The NHL Playoffs have started!!!

What? You didn't know? You should be ashamed of yourself. There is nothing more exciting than NHL playoff hockey. Just because it is on channel 9202 on sports tier 7 gives you no excuse not to know it is going on. I know you haven't watched a game all year and you probably think Wayne Gretzky is still playing. But I am implore you to take time out of your busy weekend schedule to sit down and watch at least one game (and make sure it is in HD). You might like what you see.

Don King's acclaimed promotional career ventured into cyberspace with his first-ever live webcast of a boxing event on DonKingTV.com on March 27. As usual, his mere presence was felt when 400,000 total page views and 200,000 unique page views were recorded for his championship doubleheader featuring Cory Spinks vs. Verno Phillips and Devon Alexander "The Great" vs. Miguel Callist from Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

"I am delighted with the super-sensational response to my first webcast at DonKingTV.com," King said. "I felt the timing was right for me to begin providing boxing matches on the Internet and the public's response with more than 200,000 individual visitors logging on in 94 countries has confirmed that. It's definitely the wave of the future and Don King Productions will be on the leading edge."

Don King, have to hand it to the man, for all the wrong he is to boxing, what he does right, he really does right.

A new Hall of Fame class was announced this week. The NBA notables are Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Adrian Dantley. Ewing and Hakeen both had stellar careers at the college and pro levels, going to a combined six NCAA Final Fours and three NBA Finals (four if you count the Knicks trip in 1999 that Ewing missed due to injury). They were among the best centers in the league for most of their careers, and both have to be considered among the top dozen or so centers in NBA history. It was their first time on the ballot, and they both deserved to get in immediately.

Dantley taking this long to get in is an outrage; he is as much of a no-brainer as Ewing and Hakeem. Yet, it took him eight tries to finally get voted in. That is an absolute joke; Dantley had a stellar career at both levels and could have gotten in on the strength of either his college or pro career. Yet he was shut out for this long. Here's how good Dantley was:

College numbers: 25.8 points on 56 percent shooting and 9.8 rebounds per game in three seasons. Averaged 30.4 points and 10.2 rebounds in his second year at Notre Dame.

Pro numbers: career averages of 24.3 points and 5.7 rebounds over 15 seasons, along 21.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in six postseason appearances. Averaged over 25 points per game in seven different seasons, and 30 points per game four different times. Shot over 50 percent from the floor in 12 of his 15 seasons, and made the All-Star team six times. Finished in the top three in scoring average five different times, and won the scoring title twice.

Now how on earth can you exclude someone with those credentials from the Hall of Fame? Politics, maybe? That's got to be it, because there is no legitimate reason to have disqualified him. Yes, he never won a ring, but neither did a lot of other people. So what! Now, I'm sure that the voters who didn't want to pick him until now will have some stupid justification. Whatever! At least they got it right, finally. Congrats, AD! It's long overdue.

Before I even speak on anything here are the raw numbers:

• Pat Summit has been the coach of the University of Tennessee for 34 years.
• 18 Final Four Appearances
• 8 NCAA Championships
• 14 SEC Championships
• 7 time NCAA Coach of the Year
• 983 Wins
.
The crazy thing is she is only 55 years old. It is feasible that he can coach for another 20 years. Just image what type of numbers she will leave the game with. John Wooden had a great decade; Summit has had three great decades. Dean Smith and Bobby Knight won a lot of games but they can't boast to never missing a Sweet 16 ever!!!

The closest coach to compare her to in the current men's game is Coach K and, while his resume is impressive, he has only three titles and only one since 1992.

The common response from the biased mainstream media is to discredit Summit for coaching in the women's game. That is foolish talk. I don't see any one else in Women's Basketball putting up the numbers she has. I honestly believe she could step in and take over a Men's team and win a National Championship. She is that good a coach and it is about time she is recognized as the one of the greatest, if not the greatest, collegiate basketball coach of all time.

In the end, Memphis missing their free throws didn't just cost Memphis a chance at the National Championship but also cost our own Amber Fox a chance to win the BSO March Madness Pool. In the end, long time BSO reader Jason Ward makes an incredible comeback to the take the title and the bragging rights.

1 JASON WARD Kansas
2 Amber Fox Memphis
3 drew b 119 Kansas
4 Don Burton North Carolina
5 Adam Thomas Memphis
6 Treazus Christ UCLA
7 Alex Schallert North Carolina
8 Robert Littal UCLA
9 k nik North Carolina
10 Bobby Drakes North Carolina
11 Jemal Taylor UCLA (120)
12 COREY CHAPMAN North Carolina
13 Juan Galdos North Carolina
14 tony online North Carolina
15 Sean Schroeder North Carolina
16 rob price North Carolina
17 phillip owens North Carolina
18 Tony Wayne UCLA
19 Christopher Walker UCLA
20 LJ SYKES III 67 33 67 33 UCLA (116)

"Any commentator talking about our free throw shooting doesn't know anything about basketball"

Memphis Coach John Calipari.

One thing about making defiant quotes is you better be 100% sure you know what you are talking about because, if you are proven wrong, people will be reminding you for the rest of your life. John Calipari would tell anyone who would listen the entire year that people didn't know what they were talking about when they said that Memphis free- throw shooting would at some point bite them in the ass. To be honest he looked prophetic during the tournament when his team was sinking free throws like they were possessed by Steve Kerr. He smirked and chastised any and everyone who commented that it is easy to make free throws when you are up by 20 but asked what would happened in a close game?

Then it happened and it happened in the most important game of the year with everything on the line (no pun intended). Memphis on the verge of winning the National Championship with their best two players shooting a total of five free throws. If they make two out of five they are champions.

Funny thing though, they only hit one. One out of five. Chris Douglas Roberts and Derrick Rose, hopefully, will be great pros, but similar to Chris Webber, there will always be that chapter when speaking on their careers. They will be remembered as the guys who choked away the Championship from the free throw line.

Mario Chalmers=Serial Killer nothing else to say about that.

Kansas played beautifully. They pounded it inside all night and simply killed Memphis. Brandon Rush did disappear offensively for stretches, but defensively he played his heart out against both Rose and Roberts. Being down 9 points with 2 minutes to go, they could have given up. But they kept fighting, kept clawing, kept coming and, to be honest, of the full 45 minutes of this game, they were the best team.

Definitely a game that will be remembered for a very long time! One that I will remember more for Memphis blowing the game than Kansas winning the game. But this should be a lesson for all those kids out there just practicing 3-pointers and dunks. Take a little more time at the foul line because you never know when it will be you on that line with a chance to win the game for your team. You don't have to be a basketball expert to know that.

Jim Leyland and I need to have a talk real soon. While I do understand that it has only been a week into the major league season, expectations surely are not being met when you go 0-6, all games played at home.

Lofty expectations come along with a payroll high enough to make the Bosox and Yankees blush. Mr. Leyland, this is not the feel-good Tigers from 2006 who overachieved and brought a city so much joy. This is supposed to be the Midwest version of the evil empire, hate also included. See Jim, when your payroll crawls toward $200 million quicker than Paul McCartney's ex-wife without her prosthetic, you are no longer a lovable team. The feel-good Tigers went away when you signed Cabrera to the largest contract in Tiger history. We expect you to win, no, dominate. We expect you to embarrass and crush the competition.

Jim Leland, your Tigers have been officially put on notice. If this keeps up, expect the "boo birds" to migrate back to Detroit ahead of schedule.

The Phillies and the Mets are now ready to square off in their first series of the season. Fans have to brace themselves for what is sure to be the most heated rivalry in MLB besides the Yanks and BoSox. Last season's Phillies absolutely destroyed the Mets down the stretch, in every game that counted.

The Mets miraculously folded like a cheap tent. With 17 games to play, with a 7 game lead, the Mets coughed up the division title to the Fightin's on the last day of the season. To put this meltdown into perspective, the last time a team lost the division with a 7 game lead in September was in 1938. The Pirates did us the honor that time.

You have to understand what something like this does to not only the players but the entire organization. Willie Randolph, the Mets Skipper, had to field questions all off-season about how it happened. How articulate could the brother get in explaining over-and-over again his teams' enormous choke? How could GM Omar Minaya consciously tell his boss that Randolph was still his guy and the team would bounce back next year? How could the players still show their faces at their favorites spots in the city after they played as if they were shook?

The Mets organization needed something that would let them forget about the nightmare of what just happened and focus on the future possibilities. The acquisition of Johan Santana, the Venezuelan flame thrower, allowed them to do so. Santana is arguably the most dominant pitcher in MLB, winning about 70 games in the past 4 seasons baffling hitters with the game's best change-up.

The only problem is he is now playing in New York and not Minnesota. So in essence. he is now billed as the savior of the Mets, not a piece to the puzzle. Randolph and Minaya are now all smiles because they know now the pressure is somewhat off of their shoulders and squarely on to Santanas. Gotta love New York!

The problem that Johan faces is that he has that bulls-eye on him. But not just any bulls-eye. You know that evil, demonic looking eye on the one-dollar bill? Yes! - That's the eye that's following him this season. Oh, the beauty of playing in NYC people, you know, the same city that will boo ARod even in a 10-run Yankee win because he didn't get a hit, or he didn't hit a home run. The same city that was on Eli Manning's ass like Tampa Bay female-teachers on students. The Yankees have re-signed ARod and Eli Manning has since then won a Super Bowl.

So Mike Vick is playing on the prison football team right out of a scene in "The Longest Yard." Now in my twisted mind, he is using this time on the field to plan a "Prison Break" style escape. Instead of using tattoos, he is using discarded dog biscuits. The funny thing will be in about 18 months when NFL scouts start showing up to break down how he is playing. I can see Mel Kiper Jr breaking it down.

"Prisoner Vick shows great elusiveness when scrambling out of the pocket to avoid the rush from defensive end Shante Sheri Johnson. who you may have known as Sean Johnson in the past. Prisoner Vick still shows his inaccuracy in the pocket when he tries to thread the needle on a pass between solitary confinement and the prison cemetery."

This is reality TV at its finest. Someone please get ESPN 19 on this ASAP.

The national championship game will be a contest against two great teams. Memphis and Kansas deserve to play Monday night. By the way, I'm picking Memphis. I expect the game to be a back and forth battle with with Calipari and crew having enough gas in the tank to defeat Kansas, even though Kansas played some of the best defense I have seen in the tourney in a minute.

My pick to win it all, as they have been since I was like 7, was the North Carolina Tar Heels. But, as we saw on Saturday night, the Tarheels got drilled/drugged/murked/beat down/(insert local slang here). That wont be happening this year. As I was driving through Atlanta traffic, dejected after the loss, my fanhood challenged me to figure out what happened.

One more reason I'm not a handicapper!

Seriously, if you ever see my name in an ad for an 800-betting-advice-number, call the FCC to report me for fraud. In every tournament bracket I filled out, I had Georgetown in the Final Four, Memphis losing early, and UNC vs. UCLA in the title game. Wrong, wrong, and wrong!

My only excuse is that I watch so much NBA that I didn't really check out much college ball until the conference tournaments. So I believed the bad hype on Memphis, drank the UNC/UCLA Kool-Aid, and made a homer-pick with the Hoyas. If I ever get into the sports betting business, take all my picks and go the other way. You'll be able to retire in a year! Now all that being said....

Memphis will win it!

There's no stopping those guys right now. They're running everyone out of the building, and I don't see anything from Kansas that suggests they'll be able to shut them down, either. If I had the first pick in the draft, I'd take Derrick Rose, even ahead of Beasley. The man is phenomenal.

No more NFL please!

Can we please allow the NFL to go away until the draft, and then stay away until training camp opens up? I love football as much as the next guy, but this is overkill. I don't need entire segments of sports radio taken up by speculation about possible trades or signings, draft pick talk, and lamenting about the Bengals legal troubles (unless you're pointing out just how much more criminality there is in the NFL as opposed to the NBA).

It is April, and we have real games/races to talk about in the NBA, March Madness, MLB, NHL and NASCAR. I don't need to hear whether or not the Dolphins are going to trade the first pick. It's not like anything they do in the draft is going to take them from 1-5 to the Super Bowl.

I admit it! I was wrong about Memphis. I guaranteed they wouldn't make it to the Final Four. I told you to mark the tape and, when I tell you to mark the tape, I am 99% sure of my prediction. I thought they would lose to Michigan State. They were up 50-20 at the half. I thought they would lose to Texas. They embarrassed the Longhorns in Houston no less.

They made it to the Final Four and I still wouldn't believe. My bracket from the beginning had UCLA winning the title and, unlike most sports media personalities, I am not a hypocrite or a flip-flopper. So, I put together "5 Reasons" UCLA would win the title. However, by my standards, the "5 Reasons" were admittedly weak. But I still had hope. Unfortunately UCLA was never in the game and Kevin "Justin Timberlake" Love became a poster (see video below).

So to all the Memphis fans, I have seen the error of my ways and I apologize for thinking your team that coasted through Conference USA, and shot free throws like Ben Wallace doing the regular season would slip up in the tournament. Obviously, I wasn't paying close enough attention to see this is a team that has the best athletes in the country playing on the floor.

This team can lock you down on defense and run you to death on offense. Derrick Rose already looks like a NBA Star. Chris Douglas Roberts aka CDR is a fearlessly passionate player. I'm sure every North Carolina fan wishes he played on their team. Joey Dorsey simply embarrassed Kevin Love and many UCLA guards who dared to drive to the hoop. It has been a long time since I have seen a team go through the tournament so dominantly.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me four times; well, lets just say I'm no fool.

Memphis 70
Kansas 57

Coverage will be continually updated with videos, insights and player profiles so check in everyday.

April 6th

• Going away from the Final Four if you haven't seen this dunk from Patrick Ewing Jr in the college dunk contest you definitely need to take a look.

April 5th

• I am changing my Final Four Pick immediately to Memphis. My goodness they were impressive in beating UCLA.

• It was if someone forgot to tell UNC they were in the Final Four until halftime.

March 30th

• I guaranteed you that Memphis wouldn't make it to the Final Four. Well I was wrong about that.

• Stephen Curry is still a serial killer, but he just ran out of magic.

• Four #1s I can't wait.

March 29th

• I want Tyler Hansborough on my team. It is as simple as that. He will never be Kevin Garnett but he is everything you would want in a player.

• Finally UCLA played like I knew they could.

March 28th
• If you don't know by now that Stephen Curry is a beast, I don't know what to tell you. Here is a little background on Del Curry's kid. Check out the video.

• Just when I started to believe in the Lopez twins, they play like the Olsen twins.

Thursday March 27th

• Xavier is a very resilient team. After they blew that 18 point lead to West Va there were so many times that I thought to myself the Mountaineers got this game in hand. Every time Xavier came back and finally West Va just wilted under the pressure. Xavier is a legit threat to be in the Final Four.

• UNC showed why they are UNC

• Lets just be honest. Tennessee was never as good as their ranking suggested.

Sunday March 23rd

• North Carolina looks scary good.

• Mark the tape. Memphis won't make it to the Final Four.

• I am sure Roy Hibbert wished he would have entered the NBA Draft last year.

• Once again all I can say is Stephen Curry is a beast.

Saturday March 22nd

• Duke lost so it is a good day.

• Great game between Marquette and Stanford. Here is the game winner.

• If you liked defense UCLA vs. Texas A&M was the game for you. Kevin Love is a beast. Here is the game winner from that game.

Friday March 21st

• I told you I will have videos of any game winning shots. 1st up Western Kentucky beating Drake.

• Next San Diego upsetting Uconn

• Stephen Curry=Serial Killer

Thursday March 20th

• You don't know how great I would have felt if Duke had lost, but alas Belmont blew it.

• UCLA is my pick to win it all and they just embarrassed Miss Valley State holding them to 29 points. I don't care if it is a 1 vs. 16 matchup that is just sick.

• I was 100% sure USC would beat Kansas State, tells you how much I know.

• Was that UNLV 1991 or 2008? Because they simply crushed Kent St who I thought had a good chance to win that game.

• My upset special was Georgia and for a half they looked like world beaters but after halftime Xavier woke up and Georgia remembered they were just an average team.

• My two sleeper teams Michigan State and Stanford both looked excellent.

The world famous "5 reasons" series in back. Check out Ya Boy Robert Littal break down why he thinks UCLA will take home the NCAA Championship.

Dear Chad,

Wassup Ocho! It's ya boy Robert Littal. I'm sure you already know why I am sending this. I saw your interview on ESPN last night and, to be honest, I was a little disturbed.

Chad, you have to know by now ESPN is not your friend. Moreover, the media aren't your friends. They will never be friends to athletes like you even though, without you, they wouldn't exist. I know I've explained this to you before, Chad. We have talked about this several times. But, I'm going to break it down for you in a different way this time. So sit down and try to take it all in.

The media is a like a very beautiful woman who cheats on you constantly. You know she is going to do you wrong, but you are seduced by her beauty. Every time she cheats on you, she says she is sorry and invites you back. Every time, like the simp you are, you keep coming back and then she does it to you all over again. It's like the movie "Groundhog Day".

The beautiful woman will always cheat on the ones that come back. She doesn't cheat on the ones who generally treat her like crap (see: Roger Clemens). It doesn't matter how much the beautiful woman likes you. She will always be creeping behind your back because she knows that you lust for her attention. You are addicted to the attention like a drug. The message board people call people like you "Attention Whores". For lack of a better term, Chad, you need to pimp the beautiful woman and not let the beautiful woman pimp you.

Ocho, I know you see how they do T.O. ,and you know what they are labeling you now:

"THE NEW T.O."

I'm not sure that many people outside of Philly and Michigan know much about the 76ers forward. I can't believe that this is how he wanted his name out there. According to porn star and former California gubernatorial candidate Mary Carey, Jason Smith is a good kisser.

The two were part of a group that hit up a club on Monday, March 31. The kicker is that Smith told her that she was a "goddess." Not surprisingly, a member of Smith's entourage contacted the PR person for Carey attempting to do some damage control on the story.
Suffice it to say, some things you just can't take back.

Innocent until proven guilty? Right? I'm trying really really hard not to jump to conclusions in the latest legal entanglement of Bengals Wide Receiver Chris Henry. I'm supposed to be writing about Ocho right now. That is still coming, just a little bit later. However, I feel I must address the Henry situation first.

You should already know by now that Henry has been charged with punching an 18 year-old. as my good friend Reggie always says "Straight Up In His Eye." and busting a windshield of the victim's vehicle.

Henry says it is a case of mistaken identity which could be true, but it is hard to mistake the identity of an NFL player when getting punched in the face. If proven to be true, it's a wrap for Henry because his promising NFL career is over.

Did I also mention that Henry was a college teammate of Pacman "Make It Rain" Jones? Looks like Rich Rodriguez, the former coach at West Virginia, was running a tight ship down there. This is just another blow to the crumbling franchise known as the Cincinnati Bengals.

When Matt Leinart stayed for his senior year at USC, most applauded him for staying in school to hone his football skills and further his education. However, in reality, the only skills he was honing were his Hugh Hefner skills.

So why are the Cardinals surprised that pictures exist like these of Leinart having a good time with some co-eds? If he were a pimp in college, what makes you think he wouldn't be a pimp in the pros?

Leinart has a lot of work to do to become a good NFL Quarterback, but calm down Arizona Cardinals fans and coaches there isn't anything unusual about this except for the fact that it was caught on camera. There are plenty of drunken pictures of Eli Manning and Big Ben and the last time I checked they were both sporting Super Bowl rings. Hanging out with the ladies isn't a precursor to being a NFL bust if anything for Quarterbacks it seems to lead to success, so if I was the Cardinals I would send a few more ladies from the "University of Arizona" over to Leinart's house maybe then they can make it to the playoffs.

Shaq has many women all over the country. So I wonder why he brought this young lady to his 36th Birthday Party? Could it be because she looks like a lesser version of his soon to be ex-wife? Things that make you go hmmmmmmm.

I must admit I have never been a die hard fan of women's college basketball. However, every other year or so, I'll tune into the women's side of the Big Dance to see whats going on.

Last night, I caught the last six minutes of the Tennessee versus Texas A&M game. For those who don't know, Candace Parker dislocated her shoulder TWICE.

But the strangest thing happened. SHE FINISHED THE GAME!!!! She played through the pain and along with Hornbuckle, who hit probably the clutch shot of the year in the Women's Tourney, led their team to victory. It was all-or-nothing last night. The determination to play one more game was apparent.

It is no secret that Candace Parker has skills. Hopefully she will be that big-name draw that the WNBA needs. It is also no secret that a lot of fellas like myself think Candace Parker is the sexiest thing wearing a jersey. But the most important thing we learned last night about Candace Parker's playing through the pain of a dislocated shoulder(twice) is that she is tougher than a certain San Diego Charger and a few other well-paid athletes who sit out for far less.

What's up people? It's been a while, but I'm back with another NBA Roundup for you. It's do or die time for everyone trying to get in the playoffs, and for those already in but looking to improve their stading in the seedings. These last eight or nine games that everyone has will determine awards, firings, and new contracts so don't believe the mainstream media hype about the NBA season not meaning anything. I'll be getting into that more soon, but first I have to get to the topic of the week as far as the NBA goes:

Farewell, C-Webb

Webber and I are around the same age, and it's weird as heck to see his career ending while mine still has a long way to go. Few players have generated the full range of emotions among those who watched them as much as Webber did during his time in the league, and you can count me among those who ran through the whole gamut of them. I've felt excited, proud, angry, and disappointed with him at different times, often at the same time. I've been overly critical and overly supporftive, and never without good reason in my mind. There have been times where he was one of my favorites and times where I had no use for him at all. I felt proud when he and his Fab Five mates got to the title game as freshman, and I felt sympathy after the whole time out debacle. I was elated when he was traded to Washington where I'd get to watch he and Juwan recapture some of the Fab Five glory up close, and then angry when he couldn't stop getting into trouble. Not Pac Man Jones or Rae Carruth trouble, but just a bunch of stupid things that you would expect a grown man who was raised right to avoid. I was hopeful when he got his chance for redemption in Sacramento, and sad for him again when they lost to the Lakers in that game seven. When he blew out his knee, I knew the end was coming and was disappointed more than anything else, because I knew his legacy would be more about how much money he made and how much he failed rather than how talented he was and how much he did accomplish.

No one had as much to work with entering the league as he did. He could score in the post or with the jumper, could lead the break and finish on it, could play like Magic for stretches and then like Karl Malone for others. He averaged 20 points and just under 10 rebounds for his career, and that's when you include the this season and the one before it, when he clearly was not the player he used to be and his numbers were a lot lower. The strength of that alone says put him in. But his failures when it mattered most say keep him out. Webber's performances in big games usually went like this: greatness early on but nothing in crunch time. It wasn't uncommon for him to finish a game with 25 points, but only 5 in the fourth quarter and none in the final three minutes. And his team almost always would lose. If you look back at the biggest wins of his career, someone else always took the big shots be it Jalen Rose when they were at Michigan or Mike Bibby in Sacramento. You can't ignore that.

You do know it is wrestling right? That was my response to someone giving me an in-depth breakdown of the Floyd Mayweather match with the Big Show at Wrestlemania.

As I watched and read various media outlets describe in detail the tremendous risk that Mayweather took, I could only chuckle. I watched the match and, to be honest, it was quite comical. Nevertheless, it achieved its desired purpose because everyone was talking about it.

It probably sold a few more pay-per-views and definitely put a couple of dollars in Mayweather's pocket, but not twenty-million. Stop being naïve! However, it wasn't anything anyone will remember ten years from now. But for right now, let's check it out.

For such a successful organization, the NFL sometimes argues over some of the silliest things such as the hair issue. They have come to their senses and have tabled the discussion. However, the fact that they were even considering it was asinine.

The NFL isn't the military. It's bad enough they have uniform police, that you can't celebrate or say anything enlightening without the media twisting your words. Now you are telling the players that they can't wear their hair the way they want to?

Memo to the NFL and Roger Goddell: Please don't go "Racist" Stern on us. Just because someone has dreads doesn't mean they are any better or worse than someone with a crew cut. Next thing you know, they will be trying to outlaw tattoos which, in turn, would shut down the entire league.

****DISCLAIMER*****

I don't DISLIKE A-ROD or JETER. I just don't like the league they play for.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A-ROD...............2008 SALARY - $28 Million
JASON GIAMBI 2008 SALARY - .$23.4 Million
DEREK JETER .2008 SALARY - .$21 Million

The ENTIRE Florida Marlins Roster - $21 Million

So, you mean to tell me, that one player, can make more money in a single season, than an entire professional team? Wow!

Better yet, three players on one team can make more than an entire roster?

Want more? Three players on the league's most overrated team are rewarded with fat contracts, but haven't lived up to the hype since they have played together?

Can someone please get a Commissioner with some guts to construct a better business model for "America's past time".

In this era of college basketball players pursuing dollars rather than completing their degrees, Rookie of the Year front-runner Kevin Durant and his teammate Jeff Green have decided to put their careers on hold and go back to school.

In a Seattle Times article, Durant makes the statement, "Even though I love the game, I can't play forever and you can't do nothing without the degree." He added, "So I got to get it sooner or later. It's going to take a while, but I'd rather it take a while than not having one."

That the two Supersonics focus on post-NBA life is commendable.

One thing I have noticed about Durant is that he isn't really caught up in the hype of being a highly-regarded player in the league. He remains humble and it is apparent that right now, he is content with where he is at. Maintaining focus on their education is something that the mainstream media rarely celebrates.