February 2009 Archives

It has to be a sad sad day for Eagles fans across the country when the man known as B-Dawk will no longer wearing the green. He'll no longer be leading the cheer to the Eagles fight song getting the crazies in the "700 level" of the Linc to their intimidating best. Understand the Philadelphia Eagles lost more than a player when Brian Dawkins decided to leave the only place he's ever played for a 5 year 17Mil deal. At age 35, it really comes down to the first two years would he would be scheduled to make 9 million. 7.5 Million is guaranteed. Not bad for a 35 years old Safety who just early last season had reportedly lost a step to hear some tell it.

Not sure if we can all put this one on Eagles management, who have a rep to short change their veteran players and some how manage to always get their young players to sign contracts that are less than their market value. This is clearly a player at the twlight of his career doing the smart think, looking over at his family and taking the guranteed 7 million. But for the Eagles fans the bottom line will be: that management is in great cap shape and somehow let the most beloved Eagles player possibly ever leave over money that you weren't willing to pay. Apologies to McNabb, Westbrook, Reid or Jim Johnson this is the leader of the players on this football team. In the trenches of the rugged NFC East battles, B-Dawk is the Maximus Decimus Meridus, the player that the other players responded to, respected and didn't want to let down more so than the coaches. He made the coaches job's easier because when you're playing on the same field with Dawkins there was no time to b.s. or be thinking about the club later on, he demanded your best.

A force fumble machine, Dawkins is even a better person than player. And it is the intangibles that make him hard to measure in terms of dollars and the exact reason why the Broncos paid what was necessary to sign him.

I know there are millions of sports fans out there who need and want their voices to be heard. One of the ways I got my start in the sports journalism industry is through Sportsviews.com. Before I had BlackSportsOnline I used Sportsviews.com to publish my stories. My stories on there became so popular it helped launch my career to the heights that it is in now. Plus if you are tired of reading the same stuff from the same writers on the major sports site Sportsviews.com has such a diverse community of fresh and innovative writers. I have it bookmarked and it is one of the sites I checked out daily for real sports opinions from real fans.

So do "Ya Boy" a favorite click the banner or links and sign up and register. Trust me you can become a BonaFide Sports Expert in no time at all.

NFL Free Agency started at midnight and while it pains me to say someone is actually better than me at something without question the person to get all of the up to minute free agency news today is from my friend Mike Florio at Profootballtalk.com. I know that is where I will be checking out all the information from and I suggest you do to:

BREAKING NEWS IN NFL FREE AGENCY FROM PROFOOTBALLTALK.COM

I can understand how the basketball artistic stylings of Ron Artest can get an announcer hyped up (I am being sarcastic by the way), but even I was taken aback by Reggie Miller very enthusiastic (I was going to say orgasmic but we have sponsors you know) reaction to a Ron Artest fade away jumper. You would have thought that Artest told Miller that if he didn't have a "Fred Sanford" while announcing his performance he would jump in the stands and beat him down.

The humor though is not in the over the top call the humor is in the great Marv Albert who after Reggie 15 second rant of horror simply says:

"Reggie you ok?"

In reality what Marv was saying was:

"Reggie calm your skinny ass down it is just Ron Artest."

Leave it to Marv to once again show while even when not cross dressing he is the best.

No need to beat around the bush here: Michael Vick will play in the NFL again. At quarterback. As a starter. There's a lot of talk on sports radio, the internet, and cable television that's expressing doubt on this issue, or wonder if he'll back as a Wildcat specialist or something of that nature. Let's kill all of that right now. He will start at quarterback for somebody in the near future. Why?

NFL quarterbacking stinks

Did you see some of the scrubs who were starting games last season? Dan Orlovsky? Ryan Fitzpatrick? Brodie Croyle? Now if guys that lousy are starting, then how bad are the guys backing them up? Does anyone honestly think that Vick couldn't outplay some NFL QBs right now ? Remember, for all the criticism he was getting for his play before he got suspended, he was still no worse than middle of the pack for an NFL starter. You can't tell that a guy who was somewhere between the tenth and fifteenth best quarterback in the entire league just a few years ago can't be in the top thirty-two now. The Vikings just gave up a draft pick for Sage Rosenfels. Need I say more?

The current economic state of the country is letting you know that no one is immune to being hit, even the NBA.

The trades we saw or heard that might take place over the last couple of weeks were not for talent, as mentioned by David Aldridge. The "recession" has teams losing money and have backed many franchises into a corner.

My Redskins just dropped $100 million for Albert Haynesworth.......oy. It seems that we do this every year, or at least every other year, and the results are usually the same. Some of the guys sign play well (like London Fletcher, Marcus Washington, Cornelius Griffin, Pete Kendall, and Randy Thomas) while others are downright awful (Brandon Lloyd, Adam Archuleta, Jeremiah Trotter, Jeff George), but the results on the field are usually playoff appearances every other year. So where will this one fit in? I have no idea. On paper, Haynesworth is what they need. They have undersized, pass rushing defensive ends in Jason Taylor and Andre Carter, but did not get much of a push up the middle on pass plays. Haynesworth should be able to provide that, which will help Carter and Taylor get to the quarterback easier. But of course, there is the possibility that Haynesworth will get fat, get hurt, and suck. Just like Dana Stubblefield did when we brought him in over ten years ago. But hey, at least my team owner spends money. I'll take that over what they do in Cincinnati.

I have to be honest any television show that has Dennis Rodman, Joan Rivers and Andrew Dice Clay in it is must see TV (by the way how old is Andrew Dice Clay now like 60 still wearing leather jackets and smoking that hanging cigarette). When I first heard about the new Celebrity Apprentice I immediately ran to my DVR (ok it was more like a light trot) and set it to record because I am 100% sure hilarity will ensue. Here are a couple of videos and some information about the new season.

This is a sneak peek of the Celebrity Apprentice Premiere featuring Herschel Walker and Dennis Rodman, airing on Sunday 3/1 @ 9/8c on NBC. The first task for Trump’s 16 apprentice-wannabes will be to sell as many cupcakes as possible in New York City. Stepping out as project manager for the male team is former NFL player Herschel Walker and taking charge for the female team is TV host Joan Rivers:

http://www.nbc.com/the-celebrity-apprentice/video/clips/tension-in-the-boardroom/1031662/

Just last year I was killing Wade around these parts for quitting on his team. Bailing out and not playing hard because the Heat was garbage. I don't know maybe he was just following Riley who also quit on the squad. It was unbelievable to me because just a couple years ago the same D-Whistle that effectively stole the Dallas Mavericks Championship. Well not only is Wade dogging entire squads this year, it looks like he's channeled that same Finals Wade that killed the Mavs. He not only has reached that inner MVP, getting the refs whistles to work those whistles but he has his show on cruise control. His Olympic experience definitely had to inspired him. I guess playing next to Bron and Bean will do that to anybody. But maybe Wade really needs to be thrust into that arguement. I think he just has to figure out, much like Lebron has and A.I did before him, how to get an average group of characters to play at a high level. With the Wade Show going full throttle If Jermaine O'Neal can ever find the old J.O. maybe... just maybe.

Now back to Wade, he has the fake crossover pull up working like Stevie Franchise when he was on top of his game. You might of thought he was running through the NFL combine how he's weaving in and out and around helpless defenders while they are foolishly trying to draw a charge. His off balance jumper game is on some ol' Summer League/01 A.I.-ish. Not to mention that sneaky explosiveness, you know the one straight out of the Kobe Bryant transcripts. Just when you thought he burned his man for a nice little lay up, he dunks on a big.

I questioned his TLC band-aid under his eye and his suspect fashion sense at the all-star game. But I gotta give the man credit for the show he's been putting on since Beijing. As a self proclaimed hoops nut, I must confess that there's no more space left on my tivo because of Wade's assault on the league.

To find out what the writers of BlackSportsOnline are up to and what updates are upcoming on the site follow us on Twitter. You might be surprised at some of the stuff you see. If you haven't notice we are a pretty strange bunch.

Anytime we can feature the lovely Serena Williams on BSO we try to. Check out this innovative campaign with Gatorade. Don't forget to check out MissionG.com to find out "What's G?"

HOLLYWOOD, CA. (February 24, 2009) -Top world ranked tennis player Serena Williams - who just came off winning her 10th Grand Slam Singles
Title at the 2009 Australian Open - teamed up with Gatorade G2 today at
Hollywood's famed Roosevelt Hotel to select who will appear alongside
her in a new national "Everyday Athletes" ad campaign for the Gatorade
G2 low-calorie sports drink. Emceed by Access Hollywood host and
upcoming Dancing with the Stars competitor, Nancy O'Dell, The G2
Everyday Athlete Search featured five semi-finalists -all named Serena -
who traveled to the event from around the country to discuss their
personal stories of how sports and exercise have helped them overcome a
challenge or allowed them to reach and accomplish a significant,
personal goal.

"Whether you are Serena Williams or Serena Cuevas, we all have it within
us to achieve our dreams and goals, thanks to sports, exercise and being
active," said Sarah Robb O'Hagan, chief marketing officer for Gatorade.
"This G2 campaign invites more consumers to see themselves as athletes
while motivating them to be the best they can be."

Tiger is back and the PGA is giggling like a high school girl who just realized that Robert Littal was going to speak at their career day.

Tiger will be back on the course Wednesday at the Accenture Match Play Championships. This will be shown exclusively on the The Golf Channel starting at 1pm Eastern.

The Golf Channel has put together a video to get everyone hyped up about Tiger's return. Money obviously was no expense because they have Samuel L. Jackson in the video. I would have done it for free as long as I got per Diem, but I digress.

According to the Tennessean,

Titans running back LenDale White was allegedly involved in an altercation during an incident earlier this month in Denver, but on Monday the city's district attorney refused to prosecute the case. The Denver police department said the case has been reviewed and "is closed." According to a police document where an aggravated assault offense was reviewed, the incident took place on Feb. 14 in Denver when White and other parties were involved in a verbal altercation after a minor vehicle accident. White then allegedly struck Leslie Joe Hoch, a white male. "The verbal argument turned physical and (White) began striking and shoving the victim," the offense report said. According to the report, White, listed as an unknown suspect, "began striking the victim with a belt and belt buckle" before the parties got in their vehicle and fled. Hoch required hospitalization for lacerations, the offense report stated.

A belt Lendale? Boy you crazy! At least you didn't pull a Marvin Harrison ("allegedly"). Him beating that guy with a belt reminds me of this classic scene from House Party:

So Donovan McDiva had a little pow wow with upper management where months after the fact he is still crying over being bench and wanted an apology. Here is my message to Donovan:

NFL hopefuls draft stock rises and falls based on what NFL coaches, scouts and team executives see on the field turf and hear in the interview rooms at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. It's a big FREAKIN deal. The combine itself is all about money. The players who work out there are in essentially a job interview, auditioning for future employers. With that being said, let's take a look at who helped and hurt themsleves the most sa far at the combine.

Rising:

Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee: He enjoyed a standout week at the Senior Bowl in January, and in his meeting with the media over the weekend said all the right things that leads one to believe he is willing to work and make the most of whatever chance he gets.

NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock likes Ayers so much, he called him the 12th best player on his list.

Pat White, QB, West Virginia: There are some teams who still aren't sold on White as an NFL quarterback, but those who saw his performance during drills over the weekend can't deny the fact that he was very impressive, and might even tempt some team into giving him a shot at quarterback. At the very worst, he has at least convinced teams that he can be a very good asset to have in the ever changing offenses of the NFL.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland: Darrius Heyward-Bey ran the fastest 40-yard dash among wide receivers and running backs at the scouting combine, perhaps even securing a place in the first round of the draft. Considered a fringe first round pick at best with second-round grades, Heyward-Bey seized the moment at the combine with a 4.30 time in the 40. He not only ran well, but performed well in his position drills.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia: Due to the lack of quality QB's at the combine, Stafford's decision not to throw was a big win for him. He will instead throw at his pro day on March 19. He now has a few more weeks to work on the things he knows the scouts will look for. Stafford did look decent in his agiliy drills and ran a decent 40 time.

Successful college football and basketball coaches make a lot of money. Do they deserve it? In some instances yes, in others no. But is it really that outrageous that many of them get big salaries? I don't think so. The Jim Calhoun press conference incident that happened a few days ago has really shined some light on this. I know Calhoun was harsh with the 'reporter' asking him stupid questions about his salary, but in my opinion the dude deserved it. For those who haven't heard, the guy asked Calhoun in a post game press conference whether or not he'd give up some of his salary due to the recession that the whole country that we're in right now. Calhoun got pissed, told him no, then the guy went off on his attempt at gotcha journalism by asking the coach if $1.6 million was enough money. Calhoun told him that he made more than that, that he should shut up and get some facts, and that the UConn Basketball team brings more than $12 million a year to the university. Now I've heard Calhoun get praised for going off on the guy, and get ripped for it. I'm in his camp.

Devin Harris is having a very good year and is starting to receive the recognition as one of the better point guards in the NBA with that being said:

First off was he fouled? Second off did he travel? Lastly did he get the shot off before the buzzer?

So many questions, but all that matters is after what seemed like 37 hours the refs counted the basket.

Even Dwight Howard was like:

What is his claim to fame? Nothing too major. He just set the World Record for the 400 Meter Relay this past weekend....As a freshman.

Check out the article from Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/02/23/georgia_track_lawrence.html

I was in LA a couple of months back shooting a commercial (come on who is more Hollywood than "Ya Boy" Bona Fide Expert Robert Littal) on the Sony studios lot. While I was there I met a very attractive production assistant who knew little to nothing about sports. In my effort to impress her first off I told her I was an extra in "American Gangster", but I also told her of an idea of a movie script I was working on. Here is the transcript of that conversation:

Production Assistant: American Gangster really? That is really cool.

Production Assistant: You are writing a movie script? Please tell me more.

The leading man would be an athlete that was a high school phenom who took an R&B singer to prom in the process humiliating his high school sweetheart. He was drafted and then traded to the most glamorous franchise in the NBA and brashly as a 17 year old rookie air ball two potential game winning threes in his first playoff series. Undeterred the Phenom would go on to become one half of the greatest duos in NBA history. Along the way he would marry a Video Vixen who claim to fame was being in a Snoop Dogg video and who may or maybe not been underage when they got together. Because of this decision his parents ostracized him. Through it all the phenom became the one of the best players in the game, but didn't like playing "The Game" to his bigger than life teammate playing "50 Cent". Whereas the Phenom considered himself more talented and driven than his more celebrated teammate his larger than life teammate thought his little brother was an arrogant jerk and that he was mostly responsible for his success. The tandem would win multiple championships the Phenom did not like be a supporting character in this Oscar winning team.

RL: What you think so far?

RL: *crickets*

You know "Ya Boy" represents the Show Me State Saint Louis, Mo, so when I can I try to support other people from the Lou trying to do it big.

My girl Miss Kitty Katt has been blowing up the airwaves with her new CD "Diary of Hustler". Check out her new single above "I'm a Hottie" let her know what you think:

MISS KITTY OFFICIAL MYSPACE

On her Myspace you can find out more information on how to purchase her debut CD.

Yes folks according to TMZ.com, Charles Barkley is headed to jail.

Barkley just pleaded guilty to 2 counts of driving under the influence and pleaded "responsible" to running a stop sign for the December 31st incident in Scottsdale.

Barkley will begin his sentence on March 21 -- but it's unclear if he will serve time in Arizona's famed Tent City Jail, where they make the inmates wear pink.

I guess this means he can't call D-Wade from his T-Mobile phone from jail eh? Regardless I'm sure when he gets back it should be interesting to see what Ernie and Kenny have to say about all this seeing as how he just returned. Add that to his reality golf show expected to debut soon. There's never a dull moment with Charles. I wonder if Letterman will bring it up when Charles is slate to appear on the show next Monday night.

Is there anything that Dwight Howard can't do? I am just chilling on a boring Sunday listening to my cousin's very loud husband trying to explain to me how Ray Lewis really wants to come to the Saint Louis Rams not the Dallas Cowboys when out the blue "Superman" flicks this 75 foot shot and hits nothing but net.

Just the fact that he doesn't even seem like he is trying is what makes it even more amazing. Maybe he isn't human? Maybe he is an alien.

Why couldn't Charles Barkley do that in the T-Mobile commercial against DWade?

Why is my cousin's husband telling me that Tracy McGrady is going to be on the Clippers next year?

Anyway enjoy this BlackSportsOnline exclusive.

Shawn Kemp's legacy isn't laden with 50 point games, NBA championships, or superstar endorsement deals. He was the template for the highlight-reel dunks that have become a staple for the basketball culture as we know...On the other hand, Kemp was also the prototype for the athletes who would end up fathering children (multiple) by different women.

When Kemp did actually play, he was a force to be reckoned with. He and Gary Payton formed when of the most memorable tandems in history with their flashy style of play. With their successful year being the 95-96 campaign, which ended with defeat to a Jordan-led Chicago Bulls team, Many basketball scholars acknowledge this as the end of Kemp as we knew him.

I know there are millions of sports fans out there who need and want their voices to be heard. One of the ways I got my start in the sports journalism industry is through Sportsviews.com. Before I had BlackSportsOnline I used Sportsviews.com to publish my stories. My stories on there became so popular it helped launch my career to the heights that it is in now. Plus if you are tired of reading the same stuff from the same writers on the major sports site Sportsviews.com has such a diverse community of fresh and innovative writers. I have it bookmarked and it is one of the sites I checked out daily for real sports opinions from real fans.

So do "Ya Boy" a favorite click the banner or links and sign up and register. Trust me you can become a BonaFide Sports Expert in no time at all.

My new favorite dance group The Jabbawockeez had a little dance off with some KG, Kevin Durant and DWade (come on DWade loosen up a bit man you too stiff..lol).

Now I know you don't want to see me breaking it down a bit. I can get my two step on a bit. In lieu of that check out MissionG.com to find out exactly "What's G?".

You know the deal BlackSportsOnline will be showing the PPV Double Header of Kelly Pavlik vs. Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Cotto va. Michael Jennings. Donations (via paypal) are always appreciated:

FIGHT IS OVER PLEASE COME BACK NEXT TIME FOR ALL YOUR PPV STREAMING NEEDS.

You know the drill BlackSportsOnline will show live coverage of UFC 95 starting at 9pm Eastern (because it is an international card you might be able to catch it at 3pm Eastern as well). Until the show starts preview stuff will be playing. Donations are always appreciated.

FIGHT IS OVER PLEASE COME BACK NEXT TIME FOR ALL YOUR PPV STREAMING NEEDS.

Lebron's "Pimp Focus" was definitely behind the arc last when he dropped the "Double Nickel" on the Bucks. You can check out the highlights above. There was also a minor scuffle as well with Charlie Villanueva and Zadrunis Ilgauskas where Villanueva puts Big Z in Big Show style chokehold.

Emmitt Smith has left the building Stage Left. ESPN has cut the former Cowboys running back and Dancing with the Stars winner according to our friend Mike Florio at
ProFootBallTalk.com. Who is the happiest about this departure?

The English Department at The University of Florida

Because to be honest I am still trying to figure out how he graduated (a little birdie reminds me that he left early for the NFL, but I digress).

In memory of Emmitt click here for the Greatest Emmitt Smith Quotes of All Time.

The Indianapolis Colts can no longer afford wide receiver Marvin Harrison, and NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports it's just a matter of time and formality for when the team releases him.

NFL Network's Adam Schefter writes,
"That it's not a matter of if, but when the Colts will part ways with Harrison. And in all likelihood, it'll happen in the next 10 days, sometime before the start of the new NFL calendar year, which begins on Friday, Feb. 28.
But make no mistake: It is happening. The Colts no longer can afford to carry Harrison, who is scheduled to have a $13.4 million number for an Indianapolis team that is starving for more salary-cap room to deal with free-agents-to-be such as CB Kelvin Hayden."

Harrison, 36, is scheduled to be owed $13.4 million for the upcoming season, and assuming he's cut before the new league year starts a week from Friday, the Colts would save an estimated $7 million against the cap, according to Schefter.

It's possible Harrison could accept a reduced salary and stay with the franchise, but no such conversation has taken place.

The Colts shouldn't miss a beat without Marvin around. General manager Bill Polian has an amazing talent for finding players to step into starting roles. Anthony Gonzalez will now join Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark as Manning's favorite targets, and look for Polian to find someone in the draft who everyone else is down on and turn him into a star.

Ah, the Franchise tag. It's a teams way of letting a player know, "Hey, we really value what you do as a player on out team, we really do. We just don't want you doing it for us for 4 or 5 years."

The tag stinks because it cuts out the players ability to negotiate fairly with other teams. By using the tag, the team must tender to the player a one-year salary equal to the average cap number from the prior season of the five highest-paid players at the position, or 120 percent of the franchise player's salary from the prior year, whichever is greater

The Baltimore Ravens tagged linebacker Terrell Suggs for the second consecutive season, the Arizona Cardinals tagged linebacker Karlos Dansby, the San Diego Chargers tagged running back Darren Sproles, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tagged receiver Antonio Bryant.

Arizona and San Diego used the "non-exclusive" tag, meaning the players can field offers from other teams. The players' current teams can either match any offer or choose to let the player go in return for two first-round draft picks.

The Ravens' move will cost the team $10.2 million against the salary cap for 2009 for the three-time Pro Bowler. Suggs played last season under an $8.5 million franchise tag.

The Cardinals' move guarantees Dansby a salary of at least $9.7 million next season, the average salary of the five highest-paid players at his position.

Sproles will get a salary equivalent to the average of the five highest-paid running backs. It also pretty much gurantees that Sprole will be a Charger next season.

In our latest installment of the soap opera that is Dwayne Wade's impending divorce from his wife, we know find out according to FoxSports at MSN.com that he is suing her for defamation. Exactly a month ago, Siovaughn sued her soon to be ex-hubby for giving her an STD and she wanted to know all the names of all the people he slept with during their marriage. Of course a couple weeks ago she dropped this claim and now Wade is flipping the script and suing her. I must say this is an interesting turn of events many have wondered that with her dropping the claim this would be the last we've heard of it and that he may have paid her off on the sly. Apparently that's not going to be the case if this goes through since Wade is countersuing the claim. Not only does he want 50 K from his ex but also her lawyers. He also stated:

That wasn't enough to satisfy the 2006 NBA finals MVP, who said her allegations not only defamed him, but caused "embarrassment" and "humiliation" along with damaging future earning potential.

Wade declined further comment.

Of course the article goes on to mention other tabloid fodder in his past along with how despite all this he's still balling for the Heat. Regardless I find it interesting that despite being one of the "names" of the NBA that this is barely making any waves over at ESPN. But I guess with A-Rod what's an image wrecking divorce? Oh wait they also covered A-Rod's messy divorce too but then that involved Madonna. And while there's Gabrielle Union she doesn't register for mainstream headlines the way Madonna does. Personally I don't know who to believe in this case. I do know one thing: this story will not be under the radar much longer if this keeps up. Stay tuned.

With the deadline for the use of the franchise tag approaching, here are the top 5 NFL free agents. Anything is possible over the next few days, but these are the players that I believe are locks for the upcoming "stupid money" period:

1) Albert Haynesworth DT - There is no doubt that Haynesworth will be the most coveted free agent this offseason. The soon-to-be former Titan is looking for the richest contract for a defensive player in the league and somebody (Lions? Bucs?) will show him the money. He has already announced that he will enter the market, meaning the historically cheap frugal Titans franchise will take a step back towards mediocrity.

2) TJ Houshmandzadeh WR - He's a number two receiver who will be overpaid as a number one option for some team desperate to improve at the position (Eagles and Bears). He's not a gamebreaker, but he can make the tough catch and keep the chains moving. He's a gamble and the potential for him to turn into Peerless Price is very real. Either way he's a winner just for escaping the purgatory known as the Bengals.

Honesty is the best policy unless you are cheating on your spouse or significant other then I suggest you got the Eddie Murphy "It Wasn't Me" route.

Kobe Bryant was asked who would win in a game of 1 on 1 between him and Lebron and showing why we call him "Darth" Kobe around this parts he didn't hesitate in saying he is the best 1 on 1 player in the game. Seemed a bit offended the question was even asked. Personally the only two NBA Finals matchups I want to see are either Boston vs. LA or Cleveland vs. LA anything else would be a let down.

Way back in the day before I was "Sports Journalist Rob" or "Corporate Rob" or "Actor Rob" and etc I was "Rapper Rob" and I had this called "Who I Be". This is in the early 2000s and the song wasn't really about anything just a lot of bragging and boasting, but out of the millions of lines I have written and rhymed about over the last decade or so (I started rapping when I was 16) these one set of lines even to this day I find myself muttering randomly sometimes:


"I'm Talking To Kobe's Lady / She's Calling Me Baby / T-Macking in the Bed / She Screams Tracy McGrady"

It is a play on words because there were a lot of people at that time who thought Tracy McGrady would be a better player than Kobe Bryant. With the news today that McGrady will need Microfracture surgery on his knee I am starting to think that his career as a dominant NBA player is done.

I don't think he will retire or that he won't be healthy enough to play again but I believe though the T-Mac we knew we will never see again. Very similar to Penny Hardaway or Grant Hill sometimes you just never recover. McGrady even when he was a young player was having back issues that had him walking around the court like a 50 year old man.

It is sad really because skill wise he had it all, but he was just never able to put it together at the right time with the right team. Now you have to wonder if he will ever get that 2nd round virgin label off of him.

The 2009 McDonalds All American teams tomorrow, Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. ET on:

The blog is chalk full of updates and news surrounding the McDonald's All American Games and relevant basketball topics and will be the place for fans to visit when we announce the team tomorrow.

Dwight Howard is on the Advisory Council for the site and considering last night he put up 45 Points, 19 Boards and 8 Blocks he should be great inspiration to all of these young men and women in High School that hard work and a positive attitude can really make a difference in your lives.

So be sure to check it out and see who will be the future stars of College Basketball and the NBA.

While its nice to see Starbury not above chilling with the fans he really should be the last person to talk about the economy seeing as how he gets paid $20 million to sit on the bench. Sign me up for that job!

Tracy McGrady is out for the season....Thats all folks! No story here! Just keep it moving to the other newsworthy items below.

If you missed me yesterday on the "The Drive" With Dave Smith you can check out the segment above. Definitely had a good time talking about Elgin Baylor lawsuit against Donald Sterling and Kobe & Shaq. I always appreciate your opinions so tell me what you think.

Here is a download audio link:

http://am830.net/audio/KLAA-Drive-20090216-RobertLittal.mp3

Although not unexpected, it was still somewhat of a sad day to see the release of RB Deuce McAllister from the Saints. A first round pick of the Saints in 2001, Deuce quickly became a fan favorite. His stats were modest in the grand scheme with 6096 rushing yards, 50 TD's, and a couple of Pro Bowls. Injuries took away his prime years and prevented him from padding his totals.

More than the stats, McAllister was a hero to many in the Gulf Region for his charitable work and his efforts to help the people of the region recover from Hurrican Katrina. He carried himself with class and he will always be considered one of the all time great Saints players. Hopefully a contending team (like the Eagles and Patriots) that needs a good backup RB and locker room leader will give McAllister a chance to go out with a ring.

Let me make one thing clear I don't believe Alex Rodriguez at all. It was a good story that he told this afternoon, but in reality it was a lie. What it a 100% lie? You never can tell, but trust me you aren't getting the whole truth.

With that being said I beg you and the "bias mainstream media" to let it go. ARod cheated, but here is the thing the majority of baseball players cheated. This wasn't the exception this was the norm. It is 2009 this allegedly last happened in 2003 it is a dead issue to me and it should be a dead issue to you.

If I am the people handling Alex Rodriguez right now (and trust me he is being told exactly what to do) I would strongly suggest that he no longer speaks on the subject. If reporters ask him about it he should simply and politely say that he has said everything he is going to say on the topic.

I truly don't understand what the big deal is with Major League Baseball and steroids. Our good friend Mike Florio at ProFootBallTalk.com points out how Patriots Special Team Ace Larry Izzo is going to be a witness at the Barry Bonds perjury trial and will admit receiving banned substances and absolutely no one cares about that.

In one of the most entertaining games all season, definitely the most physical game of the year. Dejuan Blair went not around, but through College Basketball's shot blocking machine Hasheem Thabeet to lead #4 Pitt to a win over #1UConn. Blair proved to be too physical and too strong for Thabeet as he consistently kept his brute force in between Thabeet and the ball. Watching Blair go to work reminds me of what Barkley used to do to taller opponents in the NBA. Bullying his way to the rim against a player who has 7 to 8 inches on him and still managing to finish with a soft shot. His entire Barkley-like arsenal was on full display last night which had to boost his NBA draft projection. It was a national stage all the scouts you'd want at the game if you're a player, It was controlled chaos in the paint last night and Blair thrived in it and Thabeet just couldn't adjust and it might end up costing him some money in the long run.

The game was a old school playground fair-one. You know, pop-sicle stick on each kids shoulder which represents their mothers and both kids knock the stick off the other guys shoulder, now who's going to strike first? Blair took it to Thabeet early and often which put Thabeet in foul trouble all game. Blair ended up with a 20-20 performance which definitely will have a physcological affect on Thabeet when they meet again. At one point, I thought Blair could of broke Thabeet's arm when he ripped away the ball with Thabeets arm stuck in between, Blairs sheer force flipped the 7 foot 3 inch center over his back by his arm. This play summed up for me who wanted it more.

Jim Calhoun complained after the game about the refs letting them play too physical. Last time I checked both teams we're teams that were known for out muscling their opponents. Yes, the refs let the physical play go, but it was both ways. I myself thought the refs had lost the whistles in the 2nd half. But Calhoun shouldn't complain just because his team ran into a team that was more physical than his team. Again, It was called even and his team was home. The real story is that Hasheem Thabeet, coming off of a 20-20 performance, was absolutely punished by Dejuan Blair and only finished with 5 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. In my assessment Coach Calhoun needs to take the focus off the refs and begin to get his team in the right frame of mind for the next time they play Pitt or risk losing this same game in the Tourney before the game even starts.

I am now a big fan of the The Jabbawockeez after they got down with Shaq Diesel over NBA All-Star weekend. So when I got this picture from the people in charge of the "What G?" campaign from Gatorade (by the way go to MissionG.com for more details about the "What's G?") with the Jabba boys unmasked and D Wade I thought you would enjoy it.

Ironically one of the biggest questions I received over All-Star weekend was:

"What is up with D Wade and the Band-Aid?"

Now the official politically correct answer is that Wade was elbowed below on the left eye by Juwan Howard and needed six stitches to close the gash. So he decided to wear designer band-aids to cover up the stitches.

Of course I am not much for the politically correct way of thinking and here is what I think is going on. Wade was brainwashed into thinking it was 2002 and he was the reincarnation of Saint Louis Rapper Nelly:

Think about it they both allegedly got stitches and needed a band aid to cover it up. They both allegedly played a little "Bed Gammon" with Gabrielle Union (maybe I should get elbowed so I can get a band-aid so Gabrielle will holla at me).

Once again in my quest for World Domination you can check out "Ya Boy" Robert Littal on the "The Drive" with Dave Smith on 830 AM in LA. Dave Smith has been a supporter of the site ever since I was talking about the Shaq & Kobe divorce back in the day, so it is a honor and privilege to appear on his show which is by far the best Sports Talk show in LA.

We will be talking NBA among other things, so if you have a chance check me out. I will be on around 6:30PM Eastern, so don't be late.

If you aren't in LA go to The Drive 830AM website to listen to a live stream I would definitely appreciate it.

In this video, Alicia hangs out at the T-Mobile Party, visits the Dwyane Wade All-Star Luncheon for charity and interviews DWade, Alonzo Mourning and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, catches up with Jason Terry from the Mavericks at the Phoenician and chats with Common on the red carpet.

Once again remember every time you visit the MissionG website Gatorade gives a dollar to charity. So you not only checking out the coolest website not named BlackSportsOnline, but you are also helping out a good cause.

is Danica Patrick. I'm saying this because it's obvious at this point that she's going to make a lot more money from photo shoots than she will from driving. She's had some success on the racetrack but most of her publicity has been for racy commercials for GoDaddy.com and various photo spreads she's done for different magazines. Now this really isn't news, but it went into overdrive the past few weeks. She was featured in another GoDaddy commercial where a couple of computer geek guys were fantasizing about her showering, and then came the SI swimsuit issue. Now a lot of female athletes do the SI issue, but unless I'm wrong she's the only one to do a full spread more than once. Now that's all well and good, but it's time to tell the truth about what she's become: the new Anna Kournikova.

Without question this was the best part of the 2009 NBA All-Star game on Sunday. Unfortunately it happened during the introductions (the game was a blow out or "blowed" out if Emmitt Smith was watching). Shaquille O'Neal gets down with The Jabbawockeez and I must say that I am very impressed. Shaq is not a small man, but he has a little MC Hammer in him. He is a much better dancer than he is a rapper.

Shaq & Kobe went on to receive co-MVP honors. It reminded me when New Edition got back together with Bobby Brown. Good times I tell you, good times.

Just when you thought you were safe from hearing about another NFL player and a gun, there's another story out this time on Marshawn Lynch being arrested last Wednesday for packing some heat that is not accessible to the general public. At least according to TMZ.com who say

Culver City cops say they found Lynch and two other males sitting in a 2006 Mercedes Benz -- and a "subsequent field investigation led to the discovery of a loaded firearm... The officers determined the gun belonged to Lynch." The type of gun has not been released.

Marshawn was arrested for felony possession of a concealed firearm and was released on $35,000 bond.

Add this to last offseason where he fled the hit and run scene, he's starting to develop a pattern and Commissioner Goodell may end up suspending him this time around.

These pics are from Jay Z's and Lebron's "Two Kings" Party. You know "Ya Boy" always gets the inside scoop so here are some pics that normally you would see next week, but because you check out the The Infamous BlackSportsOnline you are seeing today.

By the way if you even needed to know why Vanessa Bryant topped our "Top 100 Athletes' Wives" just look at the picture below. Anytime you can make me turn my attention from Beyonce that means you are doing something right.

Lebron is not doing to bad for himself either:

So besides getting his "Mc Hammer" on in pregame introductions Shaq also had the play of the 2009 NBA All Star game with this beautiful "Give & Go" with Chris Paul where he passes the ball between an unsuspecting Dwight Howard's legs.

You know the deal BlackSportsOnline presents the Free Live Stream of WWE No Way Out starting at 8PM Eastern. We will have multiple players up if one doesn't work just try another. Donations would be greatly appreciated via Paypal below.

You know the deal for those who don't have TNT you can watch the NBA 2009 All Star Game here free on BlackSportsOnline. Donations would be greatly appreciated via Paypal:

LeBron James announced on TNT during Saturday night's Slam Dunk Contest that he wants to participate in next season's competition.

James told TNT's Cheryl Miller that he is entering his name as a preliminary contestant in 2010, when All-Star Weekend heads to Dallas.

Needless to say, LeBron is the odds on favorite for the contest next year if he keeps his name in.

This is big because it puts a bigger name in the dunk contest. The hype alone of Lebron even considering it may also even cause other dunkers to come out as well, (D-Wade and Kobe come to mind).

However, there is a lot of time between now and 2010 and anything can happen. I just hope Bron Bron keeps his word and competes.

New Spalding commercial featured this weekend during All-Star Saturday night. Very welld one.

Check it out.

Gatorade's "Quest For G" campaign at NBA All-Star Weekend - a behind the scenes look at the parties of NBA All-Star Weekend featuring the EA Sports NBA Late Night Lounge party where DJ Jazzy Jeff was DJ, and NBA players Danny Granger, Al Horford and Jameer Nelson attended.

And here is a really cool component that is going on over All-Star weekend. For every hit to the MissionG.com website Gatorade will be donating a dollar to charity. Now that is something we all should be getting behind. So be sure to check out MissionG.com it is not only one of the hottest innovative sites around you will be also be contributing to a good cause.

Also check out these videos:

Alicia Sacramone reporting behind scenes at The NBA All-Start Game

Also you can check out the What's G Youtube Channel Here.

BSO Writer, Scott Koral started the dialogue about Nike shoes at this year's All-Star game. (see article here.) So let's go off of that and detail who's wearing what this year.

I went through most of my sneaker blogs last night and have compiled a pretty good list.

So for all the sneaker heads out there, much appreciated.

Check out Lebron's and Kobe's special edition kicks after the jump.

Former Los Angeles Clippers vice president Elgin Baylor is suing the National Basketball Association club, the league and Clippers owner Donald Sterling for age and race discrimination.

The lawsuit claims that Baylor was "discriminated against and unceremoniously released from his position with the team on account of his age and his race" and that he was "grossly underpaid during his tenure with the Clippers, never earning more than $350,000 per year, when compared with the compensation scheme for general managers employed by every other team in the NBA."

Baylor also charges that Sterling had "a pervasive and on-going racist attitude as expressed to then NBA player Danny Manning during contract negotiations." The lawsuit, which was obtained by The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday night, alleges that Sterling once said of Manning: "I'm offering a lot of money for a poor Black kid."

While not to discredit the merit of Baylor and his case, this whole thing seems a little strange to me.

So we are to believe that Baylor worked for this man for over 20 years knowing that he was a racist. Furthermore, while knowing of his attitudes towards minorities he continued to stay on board. Only when he is fired after almost single-handedly running the Clippers into the ground does he say something.

On the same token, Sterling himself has been more than a little aloof with his players and the team as an organization. Add that to the fact that in August 2006 the U.S. Department of Justice sued Sterling on charges of refusing to rent apartments to black families and families with children. The Feds said Sterling and his wife, Rochelle, and their family trust not only refused to rent to prospective tenants of color, but also treated those of color they did rent to poorly and misrepresented the availability of apartments to them in the city's Koreatown section.

So who do you side with; an owner with a checkered history when it comes to minorities, or the jaded former employee? This situation definitely merits some attention.

When you are BonaFide Sports Expert like myself you are very particular about what sites you go to bet your money on. You want to make sure that it is a site you can trust and one that you would recommend to friends and colleagues. I found such a site in 888Sport.com which has taken sports gambling sites to another level.

The first thing I noticed about 888Sport.com is that they are one of the few truly worldwide betting sites. What I mean is that if there is a sporting event going on in the world 888Sport.com has odds on it. For me that is a big benefit because I like to spread my bets over several sports, but if you are an expert in one sport they have you covered as well.

It is extremely simple and easy to get started. Just as a test I contacted their customer service just to get a feel of how friendly and helpful they were. First off I was able to get someone on the line ASAP and secondly they answered all my questions in a very courtesy and detailed manner. They made me feel extremely comfortable I was so comfortable I set up my account with that day right over the phone.

I would definitely recommend 888Sports.com to all of the readers of BlackSportsOnline.com including all of our international readers as well. This is one of the most global sites around and it doesn't matter if it is the football betting or the English Premier they definitely have you covered.

Ty Lawson scored a career high 25 points with 21 of those points coming in the second half in UNC's 101-87 victory over the Duke Blue Devils. In his press conference, Coach K acknowldeged that, " Lawson played like a pro tonight." "He played as well as any point guard against us in a long time." I think this pretty much sums up the beat down.

Sidebar: I noticed the University of Oklahoma's coach Bob Stoops at the game. Bob Stoops don't need to be in Durham, North Carolina. He still needs to be thankful for the BCS nod over the University of Texas in addition to his office studying film from that BCS Title Game lost to the Florida Gators. While you were there, Bob, did you chat with Coach Williams, k or better yet Coach Cowher on what a real winner looks like? The nerve of some people.

I heard Mike Golic saying that he thought that the Jets getting Brett Favre for one year was ultimately a good thing; I couldn't disagree more. These short term flings with superstars looking for one last go round rarely work, and in the Jets case it couldn't have been a bigger flop. After missing the playoffs in 2007, they bring in Favre so that they can.....miss the playoffs in 2008! Eric Mangini, on the hot seat heading into 2008, agrees to bringing Favre and he ends up....getting fired after season anyway. Is there anyone this worked out well for? Favre got to play one more year to finally feel finished with playing, but that's about it. The Jets jettisoned a good dependable QB in Chad Pennington, and now have no good quarterback on their roster to speak of. And they didn't even get a good playoff run out of it for their trouble. A trip to even the second round would have been a good return on the investment, and may have even enticed Brett to keep playing for another year or two while they found and groomed their next quarterback. But none of that happened.

The NBA gods just aren't being helpful the past few weeks. Just a week after Ray Allen was selected to replace Jameer Nelson for the All-Star game this weekend, he may end up not playing after all.

In tonight's game against the New Orleans Hornets, Allen hyper-extended his thumb, and did not return to the game. No reports on whether he will play or not, but if he does decide to sit, who gets called up? New York's David Lee has had 16 double-doubles in a row, and is hustling night in, night out. I've always believed that the stat-stuffing players on terrible teams should not be picked, but if Devin Harris and Danny Granger are on the team, you might as well put David Lee on there.

More on this as it develops.

So the "God" has decided to retire for the 2nd time. Normally this is where I do an overview of the player's career, but since we are talking about Brett Favre I think I will hold off on that for a few months. In the back of my mind I still think he wants to play for the Vikings, so who knows if this is all shrewd maneuvering on his part.

If we take him at his word Favre leaves as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Not the greatest, but one of the best. Just like a lot of great players his time with the New York Jets will be forgotten by the time he goes into the Hall of Fame (for example I completely forgot recent Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Smith played his last years in Washington). Even his fiasco with the Packers will be forgotten because as time goes by we only want to remember the positive things and while I have harped on a lot of the negative things about Favre the fact is he was always fun to watch and you never knew what was going to happen when he was on the field.

Personally I liked players that are a flawed. No one is perfect (ask ARod) and we shouldn't expect them to be. Favre wasn't perfect, but he was damn entertaining and in the end that is what I will remember.

That is if he stays retired.

Rudy Gay is out of the Sprite 2009 Slam Dunk contest (due to injury) and has been replaced by Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith meaning the tattoo count at All Star Weekend has went up 137% since yesterday.

Fans can text their vote or vote at NBA.com/dunk to help choose this year's Sprite Slam Dunk Champion. To get in the competitive spirit, the dunkers discuss their thoughts on who they'll be facing in these new videos below:

Dwight Howard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAG3QYCWR6U
Nate Robinson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WolTNEMucXI
Rudy Fernandez: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp0dWl2iDsw

For more info, see the official Sprite Slam Dunk page: http://www.nba.com/dunk

Watch NBA All-Star Saturday Night Feb. 14 On TNT to Decide Who Will Be The 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Champion!

Carolina and Duke is one of the most storied rivalries in sports - period! As a lifelong Carolina fan, tonight's game brings back nostalgia. Do you remember the dunk that almost was?

or what about the put back that saved the season back in 05?

You Duke fans can go find your own videos to watch.

But what happened to the "legends" that make this rivalry what it is?

It took a Cleveland outcry, a removal of a historic triple-double, a first home loss and a kick in the face, but it's finally here. Mo Williams was selected today as Chris Bosh' replacement.

Chris Paul fighting a groin injury is still considering whether or not to play this Sunday as well. If he doesn't...does Steve Nash or Deron Williams get the nod?

Dear Arod,

First off fire your makeup artist ASAP. I understand you wanted to look bad and hurt on camera but looking like you have been in a tanning booth for 72 hours straight is not a good look for anyone. It is hard to take anyone seriously when they look like the Red Skull.

Beyond that I think you did a good job. Obviously your "crisis management" team seeing what happened to Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens realized that a denial even a soft denial would hurt you more than help you, so they only thing you could was admit it.

With that being said it is still obvious to me you are lying, but I am not the person you are trying to convince am I? You wanted to convince the America people that you were just a stupid kid doing what everyone else was doing. For the most part I think you did that. Most people are sick and tired of talking about steroids so just by you admitting your guilt you automatically are going to have it better than Bonds and Clemens because there can't be a "witch hunt" after a confession.

You are probably thinking to yourself what do I do now? I think you should study the case of Kobe Bryant.

Just when you thought Dwayne Wade's divorce couldn't get anymore lurid, according to, Wade's former business partner Richard Von Houtman has come out and said that Wade had marijuana and sex parties at his condo. He also delves into a traffic accident in 2007 Wade was allegedly involved in that he helped make "go away". He also goes on about how Wade is not who he appears to be and that his goal in life is to have sex with as many different women as possible.

"The man isn't what people worldwide think he is," Von Houtman said Sunday in an extensive interview. "He and his friends are just a bunch of idiots. I mean, I'm in Chicago at a charity party in 2007, and weed is being passed around and Wade takes a hit. In front of everybody.

"I got sucked into doing business with him because he has a first-class media persona, the new Michael Jordan. He was that good guy, father-of-the-year, celebrity who had his head on his shoulder. I found out after a year he was not like that."

Yeah I never was under the impression MJ was like that at all but I digress. The article then goes on about his failed business ventures. Simply put, it seems Von Houtman has an axe to grind otherwise why else would he so willingly throw D-Wade under the bus here? Now is what he's saying true? Perhaps but considering the source apparently got stiffed on some cash he felt was owed to him well its hard to take him seriously. For D-Wade though it won't register beyond the internet because between A-Rod's saga and Chris Brown's drama nobody will care. However it does make you wonder what else about D-Wade will come out. We know one thing Von Houtman is definately not in Wade's Fave 5.

As basketball fan, a lot of these pending trades have us baffled, but as I have said before, its always business with what we see transpire in the various leagues.

David Aldridge provides insight as to the real m.o. behind some of the rumors we are hearing.

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/02/09/aldridge/index.html

While Michael Phelps was hitting the bong, and Alex Rodriguez took (rubbed? injected? ate?) steroids, other athletes simply tried to get stronger by working out and drinking things like Vitamin Water to reintroduce vitamins into the body.

On January 15, 2009, the NCAA Convention told its members about the "impermissible" substances in certain flavors of Vitamin Water.

Wait, so the Mets' David Wright might be next on the steroid chopping block? Shaq? 50 Cent?!?!?

Not exactly...More after the jump...

It happens every year around this time. Everyone wants to see what shoes the NBA All-Stars are going to wear...at least, the Nike athletes (if I had some adidas contacts, I'd show you those).

I got the goods for you, and I'll give you a preview of one now, but there are two different shoes, so, as I always say...

More after the jump...

It took a little longer than expected, but the truth about Alex Rodriguez has finally come out. After years of inuendo and flat out denials, A-Rod finally came clean about his use of performance enhancing drugs over a period from 2001-2003. And it looks like the only honest man in Major League Baseball is Jose Canseco. What a surprise!

I'm not going to get emotional over this story because I'm pretty tired of hearing, reading, and writing about it. The thing that concerns me is that it took an act of betrayal by someone within the union to expose Rodriguez while many people made their careers from trying to destroy Barry Bonds for the exact same thing. Since Rodriguez was supposed to be the chosen one who would reclaim all the "tainted" records from Bonds, what happens now? Will he be vilified the way Bonds and (to a lesser extent) Roger Clemens have? Or will he get the Jason Giambi/Andy Pettitte treatment since he "admitted" his use? I say "admitted" because Rodriguez has already issued many public denials (lies) to the media and fans over the years.

Fresh off his four wins at the 2009 Grammy Awards Sunday night, rapper Lil Wayne will be a panelist on Around the Horn Tuesday (5 p.m., ESPN) where he will match wits with Woody Paige, Jay Mariotti and Michael Smith in the 30-minute sports debate program moderated and scored by Tony Reali. Lil Wayne, who has also appeared on ESPN's First Take and contributed to espn.com and espnthemagazine.com, won four Grammy's this year -- Best Rap Album (for Tha Carter III), Best Rap Solo Performance ("A Milli"), Best Rap Performance by Group or Duo ("Swagga Like Us"), and Best Rap Song ("Lollipop") -- and led all performers with nine nominations. He will appear on ATH from Los Angeles.

I've written about this before so I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I hope the readers of this site aren't fooled by the federal government's attempt to influence public opinion of potential jurors in Barry Bond's upcoming perjury trial. The information that they are leaking pertains to Barry's use of steroids, specifically letting people know that they have a match between BB's blood & DNA and the needles that were used to inject Bonds with HGH and other anabolic steroids.

But for those of you paying attention, Bonds never said he didn't use steroids. BB said that he never KNOWINGLY used them. Personally, I doubt that, but the man is innocent until proven guilty per the Constitution and the government has to prove that BB knowingly used steroids. And they can't.

It's very similar to when cops kill unarmed people and then say they feared for their lives so the killing was justifiable. The law says that prosecutors have to prove that the cops didn't fear for their lives. That's impossible to prove, so essentially cops have a license to commit murder. Barry can claim that he didn't knowingly take steroids and if his former personal trainer continues to keep his mouth shut there's really no way to prove that he did. Period. It's a smart legal strategy.

So the government's plan now is to put out so much negative information against Bonds that potential jurors will be influenced, will feel hatred and envy towards Bonds, and will already believe he's guilty before the trial even starts. In so doing, it's going to be much harder for Barry to get a fair trial, if not impossible. It shows how biased the court system is against BB in that the judge approved the information to be unsealed so the media could release this prior to trial. I won't say this is unprecedented, but it's highly unusual.

Former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson was charged early Sunday morning with possession of cocaine and that "Michael Phelps". The story was broke by WSBradio.com in Atlanta here are the details:

Former Atlanta Falcons Star Jamal Anderson was arrested early Sunday morning on drug charges.

His first court appearance will be Monday 11 a.m.

I don't think we will be seeing Jamal on ESPN's First Take in the near future. While these aren't the mug shot pictures I think it gives you an idea that maybe Jamal should also lay off the alcohol as well.

I've never been an Alex Rodriquez fan. I don't like the fact that he plays for my all time favorite sports team. In my opinion, Alex Rodriquez has never felt like a Yankee. He never looked good in the "pinstripes" from the back in the way that Dave Winfield, "Mr. October, Willie Randolph and others looked. You can file that last comment under girl just want to have fun. Meaning, only a woman and real female Yankee fan would get it.

However, all jokes and fun aside, this latest baseball steroid story has brought me out from under, "my indifference rock." While I have never liked Alex Rodriquez, the lack of integrity disturbs me more. It is my understanding that when these players were screened or tested in 2003 that the results were supposed to be "confidential." Question, how did Alex Rodriquez's test result become public? Why did we run to the bias media to ask if A-Rod would become a MLB Hall of Famer? Why was the first instinct to protect the reporter of this story's source?

Why do we think that Jose Canceso has some how been vindication when he has been allowed, for profit and press mind you, to expose his fellow baseball brethren in the name of capitalism? Jose Canceso or the people who helped him don't give a damn about baseball, and that's what makes what he has done all the more sickening. He doesn't care about the preservation and integrity of America's past time. He is a self professed cheater. When do self professed cheaters get "air-time?" Jose Canseco is an angry man who wants others to join him in his misery. Question, why do we as Americans feed off of this type of individual and story? What is inherently wrong with us when we think it is okay for one to expose another knowing that none of us are perfect and knowing that the innocent will also be harmed?

I am lucky in the fact that I have my father in my life. It was unfortunate that for the majority of my life he has been in another state, but I always look at it as he could have easily not been involved at all (He and my mom were never married). So this is a very sensitive issue to me. I think a lot of the problems that the African-American community can be traced back to fatherless homes, so I encourage everyone to watch this program on MSNBC.

Here is a video from Tiki Barber who will be involved in a round table discussion along with some information about the program:

"A Father's Promise" is a thought-provoking documentary and attempts to understand this issue better. It includes a cross-section of African-Americans, including NBC's Al Roker and Tiki Barber, who come together for a round-table discussion of these situations and issues. The other round-table participants are Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey; Rev. Eugene Rivers, a Boston pastor and MSNBC analyst; Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Princeton university professor of politics and African American studies; and Marni McKoy, Heru's Principal at Link Community School in Newark."

Count me among those who hopes Barry beats the rap. Not because I think he's innocent of steroid use or even innocent of perjury, but because of how the media tried the hardest to make him the face of steroids. Now I'm not saying they all got together and came up with the idea. But it's obvious over the years that so many of the tv guys, writers, and radio hosts gave it to Bonds with both barrels while holding their fire on everyone. It took a bad appearance in front of Congress for Mark McGwire to get any real heat, and Roger Clemens had to make a fool of himself in a 60 minutes interview for any real suspicion to come up. Bonds got it as soon as he went after the 70 home run record after ballooning up like the Michelin Man. Yes, it's obvious he was on the juice, but it was obvious with McGwire and Sosa as well. And Clemens late career resurgence screamed steroid (or HGH) use but nobody cared much.

Barry got tagged as the face of steroids not so much because of any actual use of them but because he was reportedly a jerk. To the media, to his teammates, and even some fans. OK, there's more than enough evidence over the years to come to that conclusion. And I'm sure that the fact he was about to break some serious records made the baseball media elite want to hurl. I also think that even if Bonds had been totally clean the media still would have hated on him. That's what you get when you get snippy with them. If Brett Favre treated the media like Bonds did we'd have read a zillion columns and articles about whether or not Favre should have been suspended being for being a pill popping drunk instead of the syrupy stuff we've been handed all these years.

You know the deal the Darchinyan vs. Arce fight will stream here live. If one stream goes down just refresh and try another one

Fight over see you next time

What in the world is Steve Kerr doing to the Suns? Trading Amare? Come on man. I don't care how high maintenance he is; you don't trade a 26 year old power forward. First of all, Amare should be frustrated. The Suns have basically decided to run there offense through Shaq....the 36 year old Shaq that can no longer dominate on a consistent basis. As someone who has proven that he can dominate; why is he deferring to a no longer great big man who up until a month ago wasn't playing in back to back nights? Kerr is now reportedly open to trading Shaq. So you traded Marion for Shaq to win a championship and are now open to trading Shaq? I won't even talk about getting rid of a coach, no matter your opinion on his defensive concepts, who won more than 55 games a year while he was here. There is no clear plan it seems for Mr. Kerr.

Back to Amare; how do you trade this guy? It makes no sense. They talk about his lack of defense but have they taken a look at their point guard and his issues with playing defense? Yet somehow those are overlooked and he isn't held to the same standards. The Suns will make a mistake and trade Amare for some guy who they say has potential and some salary cap space. And then they will spend years trying to replace his talent. The Suns have for years complained about not having a great big man and have one now. It looks like Steve Kerr is willing to roll the dice and get rid of Amare. Trading Amare will mean a long term sun set in Phoenix.

I lost my faith in athletes about five minutes after Kobe Bryant told a bunch of reporters after his rape and cheating allegations surfaced:

"Come on guys you know me."

Obviously we didn't and as much as we like to think in the media that we understand athletes we truly don't. I have pointed out that 99.9% of athletes are lying and cheating in some capacity. That .01% that didn't use to be Doug Christie, but he has been replaced by Kurt Warner (even though he seems a little too perfect).

So no I wasn't surprised to hear that Alex Rodriguez may have been caught using steroids in 2003 even though he has denied using in the past and neither should you.

What you see on your TV screen is not a real person in regards to athletes. What you are seeing is an actor portraying a role. Some are a lot better than others, but they all are faking. To be honest the media prefers the actor to someone being real. Just think about it more athletes are persecuted when they are honest as oppose to knowing when to "say the right things".

Back to ARod here are the particular details of his alleged use of steroids back in 2003 as told by SI.com:

Though MLB's drug policy has expressly prohibited the use of steroids without a valid prescription since 1991, there were no penalties for a positive test in 2003. The results of that year's survey testing of 1,198 players were meant to be anonymous under the agreement between the commissioner's office and the players association. Rodriguez's testing information was found, however, after federal agents, armed with search warrants, seized the '03 test results from Comprehensive Drug Testing, Inc., of Long Beach, Calif., one of two labs used by MLB in connection with that year's survey testing. The seizure took place in April 2004 as part of the government's investigation into 10 major league players linked to the BALCO scandal -- though Rodriguez himself has never been connected to BALCO.

Primobolan, which is also known by the chemical name methenolone, is an injected or orally administered drug that is more expensive than most steroids. (A 12-week cycle can cost $500.) It improves strength and maintains lean muscle with minimal bulk development, according to steroid experts, and has relatively few side effects. Kirk Radomski, the former New York Mets clubhouse employee who in 2007 pleaded guilty to illegal distribution of steroids to numerous major league players, described in his recent book, Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report, how players increasingly turned to drugs such as Primobolan in 2003, in part to avoid detection in testing. Primobolan is detectable for a shorter period of time than the steroid previously favored by players, Deca-Durabolin. According to a search of FDA records, Primobolan is not an approved prescription drug in the United States, nor was it in 2003. (Testosterone can be taken legally with an appropriate medical prescription.)

Talk about a crazy week in the NBA. Today, league offices announced after reviewing the game tape that one of Lebron's rebounds actually belonged to Ben Wallace.

That being said, Lebron only had 9 rebounds while Wallace ended up with 2. The rebound in discussion was at 39.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The recorded rebound was awarded to Lebron, when Ben Wallace was the real recipient of the rebound.

Lebron's official stat line ends up being 52 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds.

Did you witness the destruction? Lebron displayed to all willing to take a look at his genius that he can do the unthinkable, the unimaginable, when he makes a decision to do so. He played possumabout whether he would try to match Kobe's awesome feat then went out and not only matched but out performed Kobe in Madison Square Garden. A 50 point performance that was accompanied by a triple double is a ridiculous statement of how good this guy is. Which is why he doesn't need New York as much as New York needs him. Being in a big market such as New York is not as important as performance's such as the one he put on Wednesday night. This statement will shock some but Michael Jordan didn't play in LA or New York. I know, I know, shocking statement considering he is the most popular athlete ever behind Ali. When Mike got to Chicago, that franchise was nothing and had very little history. What made Mike a legend was not the city he played in but the performances he put on in the city he played in and abroad. Mike dominated, won championships, won dunk contests, won MVP's, Defensive Player of the Year awards, and made memorable game winning shot after game winning shot in big games and against big rivals (see Detroit Piston battles). So Bron, don't believe the hype. Contrary to what people are trying to tell you, you don't need New York. What you need to do is to keep performing and drawing your greatness in the memories of all of us who are witnesses to your greatness.

And they say weed never hurt anybody. Sure you can still operate heavy machinery and might not reenact a scene from "Too Fast Too Furious" on the city streets potentially killing someone but your alcohol vs marijuana stats might be lost on Michael Phelps. Now that the "mistake" has been leaked by a British tabloid showing the 8 time Olympian gold medal winner bonged out at a house party this past November, Kellogg's has dropped him quicker than quality minority TV shows on major TV networks and U.S Swimming has suspended him from competition until May without pay.

USA Swimming only provides a $1,750 monthly stipend to national team members to help with travel and training expenses, plus performance bonuses. Granted it's a small percentage of the millions Phelps makes through endorsements however I doubt Phelps would trade competitive swimming for wading in a kiddie pool for 3 months straight.

"This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero," the Colorado Springs-based federation said in a statement.

Yes, the millions of kids that look up to Phelps were surely disappointed by the monstrosity of Phelps being captured getting so up, close and personal with the "sticky icky." Why where will America's children get their inspiration from to break world records and obtain other nearly impossible hopes and dreams? Hmm, luckily for Phelps, thousands of supporters have rallied around him offering up their support for his plight including fellow dopeheads, fans, teammates and other Olympians such as Olympic gold medalist, swimmer Amanda Beard who made a splash in a sea of media and public scrutiny for her naked pictorial in Playboy.

"Enough is enough," said Evan Morgenstein, a rival agent who represents a large number of Olympic swimmers. "The penalty is far greater than the crime. He has said he is sorry. Let's move on to the real problems in this country."

Even Katt Williams took some time to offer up some words of encouragement.

Despite, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott telling the Los Angeles Times that he would charge Phelps if he could prove the U.S. Olympian smoked marijuana in his county, Phelps chances for competing in the 2012 Olympics in London haven't gone up in smoke. In fact, his stock has gone up on Google with related searches Michael Phelps Smoking Weed and Michael Phelps Marijuana headlining 8,990,000 searches for the Olympian, Phelps might have other endorsement deals on the horizon such as spokesperson for High Times Magazine, his own line of 24kt gold bongs, you name it! Sky's the limit!

Don't use my picks - ever!

I did get the winner right, but I said load up on the Steelers to beat the spread and was dead wrong. I finished 6-5 for the season, but the only spread pick was the big game, and I blew it. So trust me, there's a reason I'm not working as one of those professional gamblers in Vegas. If I tried it I'd be homeless right now. I was looking good there when it was 20-7 Steelers, but that faded real quick.

Free agency has helped the Super Bowl more than hurt it

I know people are always talking about the mediocrity that comes with relative parity and all that, but you have to admit that we've had much better Super Bowls since free agency began in 1993. We didn't get a true free agency stocked Super Bowl champion until maybe Green Bay in 1996-97 (they had a lot free agents in crucial roles on both sides of the ball like Reggie White, Sean Jones, Keith Jackson, Andre Rison, and Eugene Robinson); the 1994-95 Niners had guys on defense like Deion, Ken Norton, Tim McDonald, and Gary Plummer but the offense was all pretty much homegrown. Since that Green Bay win we've had a few blowouts (Denver-Atlanta, Baltimore-New York, Tampa-Oakland), but ten good and/or competitive games. You go back and look at the thriteen Super Bowls prior to the Green Bay and you get ten blowouts versus three competitive games (Dallas-Pittsburgh, San Fran-Cincy, and New York-Buffalo). I know we seemingly get a lot more teams in the seven to nine win range every year, but the payoff is that the last, biggest game of the season has turned out a lot better.

Joe Calzaghe retired Thursday with a perfect record and a guaranteed legacy as one of the greatest boxers of his time (note this does not make him an all-time great i.e. either Klitschko).

Calzaghe has held the WBO super middleweight world title for more than 10 years.

Calzaghe noted it was a difficult decision but accomplished everything he wanted to during his career. He also noted that he doesn't see himself getting back into the ring again.

Personally, I feel that it's great to see a boxer go out while he's still on top. Who wants to see him come back only to exit again like Sugar Ray or the Golden Boy anyway? We should wish him the best of luck and thank him for some great fights over the years.

Let's add fuel to the already ignited fire. David Stern today selected Celtics guard as Jameer Nelson's replacement in the All-Star game that is less than 2 weeks away. Is it warranted?

Ray Allen is averaging 18.1 points a game, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while Mo Williams is averaging 17.1 points a game, 3.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game.

Over the past month as both teams have hit mid-season strides and are playing some pretty good round ball, the numbers have been a little different. While big Jesus is getting nearly 19, 3 and 3 a game... Mo is getting close to 21, 3 and 5 a game.

Maybe the NBA was won over by Allen's game winner the other night. Who was more worthy? Ray Allen or Maurice Williams? Needless to say, I'm sure Lebron and co. are quite upset, and will be eager to get to Boston March 6 to play Boston.

Anyone interviewing former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin these days normally comes up with questions regarding her role in Senator John McCain's loss to (now-)President Barack Obama, and whether she is still looking out her window to see Russia.

Not Esquire. They went all out...about her daughter Bristol.

More (including Palin's sportcaster vid from 1988) after the jump...

Signing Day happens to be a very big day for college football and basketball. Wednesday, it was football's turn, and LSU, Alabama, Miami, USC and Ohio State all got banner classes.

One student-athlete missing from all the hype is one of the top runningbacks in the nation, Bryce Brown out of Wichita (KS) East High School.

Why? More after the jump...

Do you know Max Mosley? Most people don't. He happens to be the President of the FIA, which oversees many of the international racing leagues, including Formula 1. It's a pretty big job, since it is the richest association of all sporting leagues (billions of pounds-British currency-are spent within the association every year). So, its leader is fairly prominent internationally.

Except the world economy has forced the association into crisis. The same sport faced a crisis last March, due to Mosley.

More after the jump...

There's nothing better than half naked chics rubbing themselves down with various members of the produce family, or so I've been told. Personally I'm partial to whip cream myself. Apparently PETA is all for getting a little "Veggie Love" and brought in a harem of sexy scantily clad stunners to push the envelope and lick the cantaloupe, um pumpkin.
The ad featuring women powerless to resist the temptation of "Veggie Love"--was deemed too hot for the Super Bowl. NBC rejected the video because of concerns over "rubbing pelvic region with pumpkin," a woman "screwing herself with broccoli," and more!

While this certainly is no instructional video showcasing the latest tips on the new sex craze known as vegetality, the ad does nothing if use cheap thrills to push a Vegan crusade against animal "cruelty" and the benefits of a vegan lifestyle vs the lifestyle of us dirty rotten meat eaters and no doubt amounts to mad unique hits to the PETA website!

With all PETA's in your face media tactics from blood stained fur protests and celebrity/ athlete smear campaigns in the name of anti-animal cruelty are we really surprised by
PETA succumbing to major networks glorification of sex and women as sex objects to promote their agenda? Got to give it to them. Vegetables never looked so "sexy" or should I say so beyond "a level of sexuality exceeding our standards" as quoted by NBC.

In a continuing effort to crack down on misdeeds and mishaps of the financial sector and automotive industry, the government is sparing no expense in the time and money it is dedicating to sending Barry Bonds up the creek without a paddle. After all, it's the menaces of baseball such as Bonds and Roger Clemens that are the real threat to this country, not the economy, healthcare, financial institutions and fortune 500 corporations or education.

Most of you will remember Bonds scandal broke in 2001, when suspicions of performance drug enhancement use ran amuck shortly after Bonds hit a record 73 home runs in one season, shattering the record previously held by Mark McGwire. During a raid of Bonds' ex-trainer, Greg Anderson's home as part of the BALCO investigation, federal authorities "coerced" Anderson into giving an interview resulting in the name dropping of some of his most distinguished clients including Estalella, Santiago and two other former Giants' players, Armando Rios and Marvin Bernard, the same clients' who will act as witnesses for the prosecution when Bonds' faces perjury charges at his upcoming trial set on March 2nd in San Francisco.

Also joining the lynch mob are Tigers outfielder and Bonds former workout partner, Gary Sheffield in addition to retired Oakland A's outfielder Jason Giambi and his brother Jeremy Giambi who all allege that they were obtained drugs from Anderson after being introduced to him through Bonds.

In tonight's loss against the Lakers, Chris Bosh sprained his knee, an injury similar to Andrew Bynum last weekend. No word on the extremity of it, but this could put Bosh out the rest of the season. Results will come out tomorrow, but this might put him out of his 4th All-Star appearance, and pave room for another Eastern Conference forward? Or maybe both Ray Allen and Mo Williams?

Or does Vince Carter get the nod?

In other CB4 news, homeboy has been complaining about the lack of respect he feels he is getting as the fans in Toronto have begun to boo the Raptors in blowout losses. And there's a lot of talk going around saying that Bosh isn't happy with the situation in Toronto and might leave? Isn't that what always happens to stars in Toronto anyway? They are the go-to player in Canada, and then they leave for more money and another team... so that means Bosh is on his way to being another star that rarely gets out of the first round (a la T-Mac, Vinsanity)? Granted he's a free agent after next season, I don't think he is going anywhere.

I don't think the boos are going to stop either.

Make no mistake about it Lebron James' 52 point triple double trumps Kobe Bryant's 61 point outburst. If you need a factual reason when you are at the water cooler or the barbershop tomorrow consider this:

The last player to score 50 points as part of a points-rebounds-assists triple double was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Jan. 19, 1975.

When you do something that hasn't in 24 years that is special. Scoring 61 points is very difficult, but it happens and you will see it before again before 2010, but you won't see a 50 point triple double for a very long time.

Lebron is a young dude just wait until he hits his prime. Scary thought.

It appears that Lebron "Pimp Focus" was on letting you know that while Bean is still #1, The King is a strong 1b.

With the NBA All-Star Game around the corner, we wanted to share with you the Quest for G campaign inspired by Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The campaign, filmed throughout parts of Europe and the United States, features athletes such as Kevin Garnett, Alicia Sacramone (yeah I included a pic), Derek Jeter, Usain Bolt as the Knights of G who confront humorous challenges on their ultimate quest to be "G."

Do me a favor and check out http://www.missiong.com/ for all of the web episodes I guarantee you will love them.

While BSO's Aamir Syed debates whether LeBron James will attempt to break Kobe Bryant's three-day-old Madison Square Garden single-game record of 61 points, just understand 'King James' will come in a taxi cab...Nike style...

More from Osneaker.com after the jump...

There are several people outside the Denver (or New Orleans) area that have probably never heard of the name Chris Andersen. If you haven't, you probably don't watch much basketball.

Andersen, also known as 'The Birdman (a self-imposed nickname),' is among the league leaders in blocks per game at 2.0 (currently ranks 4th), and does so in 18.8 minutes per game. Pretty amazing! Imagine what he would do in 36 minutes...

So, when Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post asked about his defensive prowess, Birdman was neither too shy or...well, too bright...

More after the jump...

First of all I want to congratulate coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers on their victory in Super Bowl XLIII. I'll be the first to admit that I picked the Cardinals, but I also believe the best team won in the end. Maybe now Coach Tomlin can escape the considerable shadow of The Chin and build his own legacy.

The controversy over Michael Phelps will die down quickly because there are too many people/groups/organizations that have a vested interest in seeing the Golden Child succeed. As Dan Patrick pointed out on his radio show, the media is giving him a pass and it reeks of hypocrisy compared with how other athletes are treated. Although the act of smoking weed is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it does show that we should never put ANY athlete on a pedestal no matter what they accomplish.

Speaking of hypocrisy, Charles Barkley was apparently fired from T-Mobile for his arrest on DUI charges. This is in addition to his suspension from NBA broadcasts on TNT. Is the offense more egregious because of the allegations of oral sex? Was he considered expendable because he didn't win eight Olympics gold medals? I guess some DUI offenses are worse than others.

All basketball fans can agree with me when I say that Penny Hardaway's seasons with the Orlando Magic were his best. Penny is another one of those guys who saw his promising career derailed by injuries. It almost makes you think, what would have happened if he would've stayed healthy?

I tell this story often when I started this site back in 2005 (the actual launch date is somewhat of an urban legend) I was telling a friend how I had just checked and saw I had 100 visitors come to the site.

My friend said to me:

"It is a new site, so 100 visitors in a day is nothing to be disappointed about."

So I look at my friend and say:

"Dude that wasn't for a day that was for a month."

His reply:

"Oh"

Doesn't seem like that long ago, but it illustrates just how far BSO has come since the early days. I already had an idea that 2009 was going to be a good year, but I didn't know that we would just out the box with over a million page views and more than a quarter of a million visitors to the site in January.

We have been the #1 Black owned sports site for awhile, but for the first time I can say we have crack the exclusive Top 25 sports blog/sites in the United States.

The reason is simple.

You the reader have put your faith in me and the talented staff to bring you unbiased sports opinions that you can't get anywhere else.

Trust me without you there is no me and there is no BlackSportsOnline and for that I am eternally grateful I could never express in words how BSO has changed my life. In an ironic twist it is you the reader who has made me "Infamous".

But we are just getting started I have a lot of surprises coming in 2009. I mean come who are you talking to? It's Ya Boy Robert Littal I am not going to stop until I take over the world like Pinky and the Brain.

You can always hit up "Ya Boy" on: Myspace or Facebook search for me under Robert Littal

I think my homie Money Mayweather was smoking that "Michael Phelps" when he did this interview with the BBC's Mihir Bose. Nomination for the quote of the year:

On the comedy scale this is a high eight especially when you add Ray J into the mix. I do know one thing Money is no BonaFide Sports Expert because he picked the Cardinals and Kurt Warner to win the Super Bowl, so maybe there is a Mayweather curse?

For someone who supposedly has a six million dollar tax issue he sure seems to be having a good time. I need those types of problems. Watch the video trust me you will be entertained.

Unbeknown to me Charles Barkley was fired from T-Mobile after his drunken oral sex adventure, but not before he made one last T-Mobile commercial. Our friends at LayUpDrill.com have track down the last Chuck Wagon commercial you can watch it here.

With Jameer Nelson dislocating his shoulder last night in the loss against Dallas, who does David Stern pick as a replacement for him? Does he go with one of the defending champions and pick Ray Allen, a player that some say deserves to be on the All-Star team more so than Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce? Or does Stern go with Cavalier Mo Williams, who has already publicly said he was disappointed that he didn't make the team, citing that that is how his career has gone.Side note: With Chris Paul injuring his groin last night against the Blazers as well, it may open up a spot for a back-up guard, and possibly push Blazer's guard Brandon Roy into the starting lineup. Or maybe Phil will start Shaq with Yao and Duncan.

My pick? Mo Williams. As much as I love Ray Allen and that jumpshot of his, I think Williams has been more key to his team than Jesus Shuttlesworth has been to the Celtics.Jeff Van Gundy's Pick? Al Jefferson. The City of New York's pick? Stephon Marbury.

Yes I am biased as a Laker fan. And even further biased that I think Number 24 is the most complete offensive player to ever play the game of basketball. But anybody who watches the game of basketball can't deny that Kobe's offensive prowess was on a whole other level tonight.

Saying part of tonight's performance was motivated by the news of Andrew Bynum's injury, Bryant did a lot bit of everything tonight from threes to dunks to hitting difficult shots on his way down. A perfect 20 for 20 from the free throw line, Bryant was unstoppable on a night where he gave the Madison Square Garden the best performance ever by a visiting player or a Knicks player.

It's unfortunate that the Lakers will miss Bynum for 8-12 weeks, but while every other Laker must make up for Bynum's presence, one thing is for sure. Statistically, Kobe Bryant has always played better in the second half of the season. From the tail-end of January to the end of the season, Bryant has lifted his game up a notch in the past 2 seasons. He was only 20 points off his career high (a little ridiculous to say that).

The Mamba has returned.

Here is the thing about serial killers. They might be able to resist their urge to kill for a little while. They might find a good job, might find them a nice girlfriend and on the surface appear to be "normal". But a serial killer never loses the edge to kill. Never ever forget Kobe Bryant is a:

Everything was cool with the Lakers and Bean was playing his part, but when Bynum went down with his torn MCL, Darth sent a message to the rest of the league don't forget who is the Alpha Dog of the NBA.

Dropping 61 in Madison Square Garden is a big deal especially when the man you are passing on that totem pole is Michael Jordan. So if you forgot ladies and gentlemen I present to you the best player in the game Darth Kobe Bryant.

PS- Just look at that last shot that is all I got to say.

Honestly I thought this was one of the funniest Super Bowl Commercials, so when I got to see the extended version it was even more hysterical. The classic line:

Puts a smile on my face every time I hear it.

So Michael Phelps likes to smoke that "Ricky Williams" what is the big deal? It is weed, if it was crack or cocaine that would be one thing, but it is weed and before you go on your "Rob must be a pot head" tangent let me say that I am not a smoker. I mean I have smoked before but that was because of this girl and a bet that involved some Victoria Secret lingerie and a video camera but I digress. The point I am making is this there is a lot more things to worry about in this world than Michael Phelps hitting the bong.

I understand he is a role model and what not, but I will tell parents this if the worst thing you catch your kids doing is puffing the sticky icky consider yourself blessed because it could be worse. Stop using athletes as role models; you don't want your kid to hit the bong talk to them about drugs. I am on record stating that alcohol is much more dangerous than weed and anyone can buy beer even McLovin.

NC State has always been one of the biggest champions of cancer research in the country.

The school took a chance on a proud New Yorker several years ago to coach their men's basketball team, who later won a national championship and became one of the more famous faces in the battle against the deadly disease. Rest in peace, Jim Valvano...

On the women's side, Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow battled breast cancer for over 20 years, only to succumb January 24th. She also happened to be one of the greatest coaches in the sport, and a very interesting character. Anyone who had the honor to meet her, such as I, knows that.

This past weekend, State played host to North Carolina in men's basketball, and the school paid tribute to Yow. A mural in her honor was painted in the school's Free Expression Tunnel, which has been a target of students from rival schools to 'get back' at NC State. This one went too far...

More after the jump...

Read any label on over-the-counter medicine or listen to commercials for drugs for depression or cholesterol and you will hear the so-called side effects (you know, loss of appetite, hair loss, loss of libido, kleptomania, penile disfigurement, etc.).

If you watch someone on TV, the station you are watching can also issue a public warning to prohibit you from watching too long.

Does this sound ludicrous? Not if you ask anyone watching the Super Bowl in the Detroit metropolitan area. Seriously.

More after the jump...

Lakers Center, Andrew Bynum's MRI revealed a torn MCL which will keep him out 8-12 weeks, which will surely test the Lakers with a tough few games with Boston up on Thursday, and Cleveland on Sunday, both road games.

More on this as it develops in the coming days.

AP Photo

Welcome to the first edition of Reese's boxing rankings. Every month I will rank my top 10 fighters in the world. Some you will agree with. Some you won't agree with thats why you have the ability to comment. Feel free to post your own top 10 or do what everyone else does, AGREE WITH ME!!!

1. Manny Pacquiao (48-3-2 36 KOs)- Undisputed. The "Mexicutioner" has been on a tear since his loss to Erik Morales in March of 05. 6 of his last 10 opponents have not answered the bell. He crushed the Golden Boy and in May I really dont expect Hatton to do any better.

2. Juan Manuel Marquez (49-4-1 36 KOs) - Dinamita literally owns our number 1 fighter but for some reason he just cant get the decision losing twice to Pacman in dramatic fashion. The newly crowned lightweight champion last defeated joel Casamayor by TKO in September and is gearing up for a showdown with the young Juan Diaz later this month.

3. Paul Williams (36-1 27KOs) - Shocked yet? The Punisher is the most versatile fighter in the world. The most feared fighter from 147 all the way to 168. Who else can simultaneously occupy 4 weight classes demanding people fight him. Pavlik ducked him at 160, Forrest ducked at 154, Margarito ducked him at 147. Maybe because his last 3 fights have been TKO victories in all 3 of those divisions. He will face-off with Winky Wright in April.

4. Joe Calzaghe (46-0 32 KOs) - It's kinda hard to rank him this high for several reasons. The most important being that he is overrated. Although he destroyed a diminished Roy Jones, an overrated Mikkel Kessler, a young Jeff Lacy, and a overtrained Bernard Hopkins nearly put him to sleep, Super Joe has showed us that anyone is a special fighter when your fighting has-beens and never-will-bes. 3 things he'd never do again; fight Bernard again, fight Chad Dawson, or leave Wales. Retire Joe, please.

5. Arthur Abraham (28-0 20 KOs) - From the overrated to the underrated. King Arthur has held the IBF Middleweight title since December of 05, his record only has 1 notable name, Edison Miranda. Dont get it twisted though. "King" Arthur has challenged everyone from Jermain Taylor when he was champ to Kelly Pavlik who is still champ. There are 2 reasons you may not have heard of him; 1. He's fought in America once (his 4th round TKO win over Miranda in Hollywood, Florida June of 08), and nobody wants to see this man across the ring.

Candace Parker is the best female basketball player in the world. I would argue that if she wanted to she could hold her own in NBA that is how talented a player she it. But beyond the skills, the national championships and the MVP awards there is a person who is a role model to millions of female athletes. A person that is an inspiration to so many young women that she has only scratch the surface of her potential effect on people. So when Adidas came to me with a new program that Candace is the face of I wanted to make sure all of my readers had an opportunity to check it out and get involved. Here is the information:

Adidas announced today that starting February 1 it will host an enter-to-win promotion encouraging women to share their real stories about training struggles and successes. Three entrants whose inspiring stories receive the most votes will star in the new women's 'Me, Myself' campaign alongside Adidas basketball star Candace Parker.

* Consumers can place their photo in the 'Me, Myself' campaign creative and share their stories and sources of inspiration both in-store and online at www.adidas.com/women.

By now everyone knows the drill. As soon as someone starts talking about the Super Bowl and what calls were missed and who stunk up the joint, the conversation somehow leads to the commercials. With the current economic crisis that we are in, I was a little skeptical of this years spots. There were a few who didn't live up to the hype, as well as some who came up big. Here are my choices on the best five commercials. If I missed one you like, or if you have a favorite one let me know.

GI Joe: Rise of Cobra:

Land of the Lost:

Sobe (2d):

Coke (Heist):

Career Builder:

"You could tell Michael had smoked before," then "He grabbed the bong and a lighter and knew exactly what to do. He looked just as natural with a bong in his hands as he does swimming in the pool. He was the gold medal winner of bong hits. Michael ended up getting a little paranoid, though, because before too long he looked like he was nervous and ran out of the place." Those were the words of someone close to Phelps, close enough to recieve a contact from the marijuana. Now I'm not the brightest star in the sky but I knew about when Randy Moss was scrutinized for admitting but not getting caught. Remember the bottle that Michael Vick had in the airport that was used to hide jewelry? How about the countless NBA players that are thrown under the bus for marijuana usage that are suspended, arrested, burned by the media, and, performance in question? What makes Michael Phelps any better? Because was in the olympics? What puts him above other athletes that his weed use gets thrown out the window, he apologizes and we forgive him? I've said it before and you will hear me again; If your white, it's all right.

I often talk about becoming a legend. You don't become a legend by being a front runner. You don't become a legend by just managing the game. You don't become a legend running from the spotlight. For many years I have been a critic of Ben Roethlisberger. Even when he won a Super Bowl the Steelers won in spite of him.

This was the game I felt that Roethlisberger could possibly make his legendary mark, but when Larry Fitzgerald ran free through the Steelers secondary to make the score 23-20 with a little over two minutes to go I wondered.

I wondered if Big Ben was up to have his "Montana Moment"?

Then he orchestrated a drive that turns you from just a regular Quarterback into a legendary one. Ben Roethlisberger has my respect and with two Super Bowl rings he should have silenced any leftover critics out there.

While Big Ben deserves a lot of credit how about Santonio Holmes? Everyone was talking about Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin but it was Holmes that stole the show and eventually the MVP. It is one thing to just make catches, but Holmes made clutch catches including the biggest catch of Super Bowl 43. As a former Wide Receiver myself you dream about catching the winning pass in the Super Bowl. Just a thing of beauty and for the second year in a row an improbable catch will define a Super Bowl.

By the way Santonio is a proud alum of The Ohio State University (I know my school produces ballers).

I can not tell you how hard of a catch this was. Back of the end zone, high throw and with three defenders near by. Did I mention he also had to get his feet in bounds?

Santonio Holmes my friend you deserve that MVP award for making one of the most memorable catches in Super Bowl history.

It is so ironic that on the play previous to this he had an easier catch that went through his hands.

In a game that featured Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, Holmes showed that he has that same type of talent and in the end he was the one that made the play that will be remembered forever.

Best receiver in the game. Point blank period. When the Steelers decided they weren't going to allow any deep routes to Fitzgerald he showed why now there isn't any weaknesses in his game when he took a slant route and ran away from the Steelers defenders. He had the best post season of any receiver in the history of the game and for that he should be very proud. The Cardinals just came up a little bit short, but Fitzgerald did everything in his power.

The play that changed the game. Who knows what happens if the Cardinals score a touchdown before the half. When you are the defensive player of the year you are expected to make big plays and that is what James Harrison did.

I think he is still receiving oxygen though as we speak.

....and then there were six. All day, I thought about what I could name this blog to celebrate the most storied franchise in all of American sports. I thought about the title "Cardinal Knowledge", but there was only one title to describe what I saw this evening, and it is simply "10." Though it was a complete team effort in the end, there was but one who could claim the title of Super Bowl MVP, and this year it was 10 (Santonio Holmes). With but seconds to go, Rothisberger lead his team down the field to find at the end the perfect 10.

I have been a Steelers fan all of my life. I can not think of a game that had greater significance (Tomlin, youngest coach and African-American) and sixth Lombardi Trophy on the line. This year's festivities did not disappoint. From the pre-game show, the first three points of the game, The Boss's kick-ass halftime performance to the trophy presentation, in the final analysis, it was all Pittsburgh.

The Steelers are still in charge.

Three players are now up. Enjoy the Super Bowl. If one goes down just refresh your browser.

Game over. See you next time

Our good friends at Gatorade gave us a sneak peak of their Super Bowl Ad:

After you check out the commercial please visit www.MissionG.com, a new online sports and entertainment network that gives people the backstory on what G is all about. Right now, there are five new shows on MissionG.com as well as a new series that takes Gatorade athletes on a funny quest for G. It's something completely different from what you've come to expect from Gatorade.

With all the hype around the Super Bowl this weekend, I'd like to point out a championship match/game/set/event...etc. - the Australian Open, will be an event people will most likely fail to watch. With all the hype around Arizona and Pittsburgh, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will be overshadowed by the biggest sports event of the year. With all the coverage around the marketing, game and quotes this week and especially on Super Bowl Sunday, this article may potentially be hidden.

Regardless, it is a must to point out the brilliance that these two tennis players are bringing today at the Australian Open's Championship Match which began around 1 a.m. PST.

Federer and Nadal not only bring out the best in each other, but show how incredibly stunning the sport of tennis truly is.