Are You (your bracket) Still Alive?

By Dan Rodgers

The NCAA has been thoroughly entertaining thus far. Most of the games have been competitive and that is what most people want. However, I have a bracket, and even though my champion has been long gone, I can still tie for first place. If you go back and look at my bracket, I have Missouri beating Louisville in the Elite 8. If only I had chosen Louisville instead...haha.

I was working all day yesterday, so I didn't have time to post my picks, but I did like Louisville to win outright, and I already have Ohio State in my Final Four so clearly I liked them as well. Today we had Kentucky do work against Baylor, so I have another Final Four team correct. UNC is the other team (I have them in the championship), and they are tied with Kansas at halftime.

Anyway, on to the NBA...

Utah Jazz @ Atlanta Hawks -1 = This is an interesting game. Utah is not a good road team and Atlanta is a good team even though they haven't been playing great. They are at home and there is no reason they shouldn't win outright. The Hawks have won three in a row and just seem to do enough to win the game. Meanwhile, even with wins in their last two road games, Utah is a terrible 7-16 on the road this season. CORRECT - it took four overtimes to get it done, but the Hawks did as expected.

Memphis Grizzlies @ L.A. Lakers -6.5 = The Lakers are 20-3 at home this season. The Lakers have won seven of their last 10. Kobe Bryant is the best scorer in the NBA (28.5 ppg). The Grizzlies have lost three in a row. The Grizzlies are 9-14 on the road this season. The Grizzlies lost last night in the same building to the Clippers by 16. These are all of the statistics I have come up with to enforce my decision of picking the Lakers tonight. INCORRECT - The Lakers played crap defense the entire night and Kobe got benched even though he had a solid shooting night.

Enjoy tonight's games. The Heat play in Oklahoma City tonight and it should be a great game.

Rodgers That

It's been slow...

By Dan Rodgers

Sorry for not posting for a few days, I was out of town... hopefully you did OK without me. Since the NCAA tournament is only Thursday through Sunday, the in between days are slow. Below you'll find my thoughts on a few games tonight.

NBA

Los Angeles Clippers @ Indiana Pacers -3.5 = This game puzzles me. Lob City is coming off a game in which they barely beat the Pistons in overtime, and their offense is struggling mightily. The Pacers had back-to-back losses to the apparently surging Knicks, but they beat Philly before that. They aren't struggling to score point and shouldn't have any issue against this Clippers squad. Indiana matches up well as they have bigs inside and capable shooters on the outside; however, LA does have Chris Paul and that could pose problems if the Pacers match him against Darren Collison. I still think the Pacers have no problem and win this one big. CORRECT - we coasted to an easy victory in this one...

Los Angeles Lakers @ Houston Rockets +3 = This is another very confusing line. The Rockets are a very good home team, while the Lakers have really struggled on the road this season, especially in comparison to the past. The Rockets have lost two in a row, but both were on the road. The Lakers had won five in a row before a home letdown to the Jazz. While they haven't had issues scoring, I think that Houston's home-court advantage will be enough to cover and possibly win outright. CORRECT - the Rockets dominated the fourth quarter and were able to pull out the win.

Best of luck. Expect posts in the coming days regarding my thoughts about the NBA trades that went down and my take on the Peyton Manning situation in Denver.

Rodgers That

Everyone Loves the Big East Tourney

By Dan Rodgers

I am going to come back to this post and update it a little bit later today. I just wanted to post my pick for the UConn/WVU game.

Connecticut -2 vs. West Virginia = UConn has won their last two games, including a blowout against DePaul yesterday in the first round. Jim Calhoun is back and I think he is the difference. West Virginia just had a solid win at South Florida to end the regular season, but USF struggles offensively. UConn is experienced and they were just in this position last season and I think that gives them a huge advantage. Look for them to get it done again today. CORRECT - are you kidding me? This game was incredibly exciting... even more so because we came out on top!

Expect more later today...

UCLA -12 vs. USC = Southern Cal is a top football program in the nation, but they are in the cellar of the Pac-12 and rarely provide anything cheer-worthy. UCLA has been playing fairly well recently even though they are having an down season. USC constantly gets destroyed and there is no reason to expect anything less tonight. UCLA needs to win the conference tournament if they want to make the NCAA tournament so they should leave it all on the court. CORRECT

South Florida -2 vs. Villanova = Nova is having an extremely disappointing season. Usually, when a team sweeps Nova, it's something to be proud of and put on your NCAA tournament resume, unfortunately for USF, that's not the case this season. The Bulls need to win tonight and possibly in the next round to try to get off the bubble. They are a solid defensive team and are desperate for a win. CORRECT

Central Michigan vs. Toledo -2.5 = The Rockets gave us a scare the other night when they blew a double digit lead. Thankfully, they ended the game on an 8-0 for the easy cover. The Chippewas are terrible this season so Toledo should find similar success tonight. They split during the regular season, but I'm not concerned especially because the conference tournament is in Ohio. CORRECT

NBA

L.A. Lakers -7 @ Washington Wizards = I would be surprised if lightning struck the same place twice. Kobe was off in the beginning of the game last night. He should be fine tonight since he switched back to his original mask, and the Wizards are a team I could've added to the list with Charlotte and Detroit. However, I'm sure the Lakers want to prove last night was a fluke so they shouldn't let up on the gas. Not crazy about this one though. INCORRECT - don't even get me started...

I'm confident that tonight will be better... and if it isn't... I might have to stop picking!

Rodgers That

What'd we learn?

By Dan Rodgers

OK, last night was clearly an indication that I shouldn't just post a few thoughts before the games without during my usual research. On Saturday, I knew my stuff and had a fairly successful day hitting four out of five of my college basketball picks. Last night, at one point or another, every team I picked looked like they were going to cruise to an easy cover. Let's review...

The Orlando Magic defense was embarrassed last night, giving up 100 points to a Bobcats team that accomplished the feat for just the fifth time this season. Charlotte scored 13 points over their season average, and while Charlotte on average gives up 100 points per game, they only gave up 84 to a Magic team that scored nearly 10 points below their average. The difference was mainly in the fourth quarter. However, we saw spurts early on in the game. Orlando was up big in the second quarter before the Bobcats went on a 12-0 run in three minutes to end the quarter. That was a huge turning point in the game because that made the halftime deficit five instead of 17. Charlotte had taken the lead by the end of the third quarter and then Orlando's defense hit a wall in the fourth, only managing a pathetic 13 points. They were outscored by 15, which was just about the difference.

Similarly, the Lakers were up seven after the first quarter, and we all once again thought we were going to cruise to an easy victory. However, a pathetic second quarter (17pts) led to a four-point halftime deficit. However, the defense picked up the slack after half and held the Pistons to nine points in the third quarter. The Lakers were once again up seven and we all assumed they had gotten their act together. However, the offense was once again pathetic in the fourth quarter (17pts) and L.A. only managed 78 points in regulation against a Pistons squad that on average gives up just under 96 points per game. That is seriously embarrassing, but what is even worse, not only did they not get their act together for OT, they lost outright also!

Last night was crazy in the NBA because in three out of the six games the underdog won outright, making the spread off in those games by 8.5 points or more. Vegas must have loved that.

NCAAB wasn't much better... I threw you North Texas, Villanova and Valparaiso...

North Texas was up 55-42 in the second half, but then they realized that they need to blow their huge lead like everyone else, and they were outscored 32-15 the rest of the game.

Villanova was actually down four at half but left no doubt in the second half and just destroyed Rutgers by 21 (the only bright spot of the night).

After sweeping Detroit in the regular season, the Crusaders held a 31-25 lead early in the second half. However, Detroit took the lead after an 11-0 run, and while Valparaiso cut the lead to one possession, the Titans eventually pulled away for a 20-point victory and a NCAA berth.

The Big East tourney is the main attraction right now, so I'll be back later with some thoughts on the early games today.

Let's hope for a better day than yesterday!

Rodgers That

Consistency is key

By Dan Rodgers

I have class like right now and I've had class all day so this one is the definition of a quickie...

Once again, we have the Charlotte Bobcats and Detroit Pistons playing tonight. Since both are at home, against the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, we are getting value. These teams just suck wherever they play.

Orlando Magic -9 @ Charlotte Bobcats = The Bobcats have no one to matchup with Dwight Howard in the middle, and we all know that Orlando is one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA from beyond the arc. This one shouldn't even be close at halftime.

Los Angeles Lakers -5.5 @ Detroit Pistons = The Lakers are having an off season compared to their track record, but they are still among the best in the NBA with All-World guard Kobe Bryant. No reason why L.A. doesn't take this one easily against a completely over-matched Pistons squad.

Nothing tickles me too much in NCAAB, but a few picks are: Villanova, North Texas, and Valparaiso.

Enjoy the games while I'm in class!

Rodgers That

Around the league

By Dan Rodgers

Today was a good day for a sports fan:

• NHL all-star game, Team Lidstrom 11 Team Staal 10
• NFL Pro Bowl game, NFC 55 AFC 41
• St. John's 93 Duke 78
• Heat 108 Thunder 103
• Celtics 109 Lakers 96

As you can tell (above), there were a ton of points (or goals) scored today. I don't really have much to say about the NHL game because I think the captains drafting their teams is a complete joke and the league not taking the game seriously.

I thought the AFC was gonna win the Pro Bowl but it's a game where the players just go through the motions and have fun. St. John's shocked me and the rest of the world by completely owning Duke the entire game. The Big East is ridiculous.

The Heat edged the Thunder is a great game. Kevin Durant looked great as usual but it wasn't enough to get past Wade/LeBron/Bosh.

Kobe is amazingly normal I guess. 16-29 for 42 points. However, he was basically the only offense for the Lakers as Pierce, Allen, Rondo and Garnett were all in double figures for the Celts.

THIS JUST IN:

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=310130019

Go to that site and look at Gilbert Arenas' line. He DNP (Did Not Play) for his apparent 'Left Knee CONFUSION'.

They will probably change this as soon as they notice, but I love when things like this get messed up. It's probably from a semester in a news editing class.

Rodgers That

Lakers are champs

The L.A. Lakers embarrassed the Boston Celtics in one of the ugliest basketball games I've ever seen. I'm glad the Lakers won, but it was just terrible basketball. I'm not even sure I want to continue this...just glad L.A. won and Kobe is MVP.

Nothing greater than a game seven

By Dan Rodgers

So, I was wrong about the end of the Lakers game on Tuesday night. I said L.A. would win by 9-14 points...they won by 22 points. Haha...nothing really to say about that.

I am 100 percent convinced that the Lakers will once again dominate on their home court; probably not to the extent of a 22 point victory though. I see the Lakers flirting with a double digit victory and depending if Boston decides to hit a couple last second three-pointers.

Kobe is almost a lock to win MVP, and a Lakers win will obviously cement that. He will also be only one championship away from MJ which would further the talk about who is the greatest of all time. However, that talk is for after the Lakers win tonight.

L.A. X-factor: Lamar Odom - Odom either shows up and adds to the Lakers success, or he doesn't show up and he is a primary factor for the Lakers struggles. He is a big player that can shoot from the outside, so any contribution he can make will be a big help to Kobe and the Lakers.
Boston X-factor: Big Baby (Glen) Davis/Rasheed Wallace - This combo is filling in for the injured Kendrick Perkins. Perkins was a big reason for Boston's rebounding success, and struggled in game six without him. Look for this duo to split time and play a deciding factor in the outcome of the game.

Predictions:

Rodgers - Lakers 91 Celtics 82

Leatherworld - Lakers 88 Celtics 80

Rodgers That

Kobe politely declines a game six loss

By Dan Rodgers

I wish I would have gotten this post out before the game started, so you could have heard me say that I would bet my house on the Lakers to cover the 6.5 spread... if I were a betting man that is.

If it's any consolation I talked to my friends about it?

Regardless, I'm pretty sure the whole world knew the Lakers wouldn't lay down in game six at home. Kobe put on a very impressive first half performance, but he got a ton of help from his teammates.

Kobe - 6/12 FG 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

Artest - 4/8 FG 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block

Gasol - 3/6 FG 7 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

My favorite Uncle Ray is the only Celtic to do anything impressive in the first half (13 points). Unfortunately for the Celtics, Kendrick Perkins injured his knee in the beginning of the first quarter and will not return.

Look for Boston to have a better second half (couldn't be any worse I guess), but don't expect the Lakers to give in. However, one thing that might be a problem for L.A. is the fact that Derek Fisher just picked up his fourth foul at the start of the third quarter.

Watch for the Lakers to win from 9-14 points, and for Gasol and Kobe to each put up double digit points and rebounds. Also, the Celtics will probably have a poor 3pt shooting percentage because they will force them and Uncle Ray has been struggling.

Can't wait for game seven, go Lakers!

Rodgers That

(Not so) rapid reactions

By Dr. Jekyll

Apologies for the hiatus, but when life gives you Stanley cup and NBA finals and a world cup, sometimes forget to share opinions. With that being said, here are some (not so) rapid reactions to the past few weeks in sports:

The Los Angeles Lakers remind me that every sport constantly needs a bad guy. I’m not an NBA fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I tune in to watch them lose… Andrew Bynum makes me feel like a failure at life for doing what he does at my age. Originally, I ate cake while watching the game for enjoyment, now it’s eating feelings…

Strasmus came early this year in DC, as the resurrection of the franchise is in the hands of ohmygodthiskidcanpitch… For how awful it is that Baltimore has more opponent fans in the stadium than O’s fans, it really makes me more likely to make the trip up to “Fenway South” a few times each year… MASN2 had coverage of the Strasburg start, MASN covered the O’s vs. Yankees. That’s like having the Super Bowl on ESPN2 and the “Puppy Bowl” on ESPN…

I really hate Chris Pronger, and Duncan Keith was robbed of a playoff MVP trophy in the only sport where the playoff MVP trophy is just about pointless…

I watch soccer games on mute, thank you vuvuzela. Also, ESPN should have Spanish announcers do the World Cup as well; they’re much more active…

Speaking of active, Rajon Rondo is the reason the Celtics will win this NBA finals, as opposed to ’08 where they won in spite of him…Kobe Bryant is still “the next Michael Jordan”. No knock on LeBron, but when Kobe takes over, it’s a beautiful thing to watch…

Everyone throwing no-hitters every week is getting annoying. Want to make an anniversary less special? Have one every other day. See what I mean…?

Soccer won’t make it big in the states for one reason: that all of our best athletes play football or basketball. And the moment they’re good enough to play at an international level for soccer, they’re shipped to England (not that I particularly care)…

The realignment of the conferences will be the death of age old rivalries, but will eventually lead to the playoff system over the BCS that we all desperately want…USC is doomed, Lane Kiffin will miss Oakland, if such a thing is possible…

Tied at two, the pressure builds

By Dan Rodgers

Today I worked outside, in the 90+ degree heat...and the NBA Finals are on tonight? It has never made sense to me why basketball is still being played in the summer, but I don't make the rules.

The Lakers and Celtics have alternated wins so far this series, L.A. winning games one and three and Boston taking two and four. The series stays in Boston for game five (currently in progress: L.A. - 22 Boston - 30 Q2), and then heads back to Los Angeles for the final two games.

This has been a fairly heated series between the NBA's two most historic franchises; however, the smallest margin of victory for either team has been seven. That is definitely surprising if you ask me. Many people thought the series was definitely in Boston's favor once they took a game in L.A., but the Lakers answered right back winning the first game in Boston.

I think game five is a must win for Boston because even though they already won one game in L.A. I don't think they can.

*Ron Artest just kind of hard foul on KG. Rondo nudged Artest who then flopped onto the ground to draw a technical foul. Smart play by Artest even though he looked stupid flopping. The announcers said it best, "That's a 112-pound guy (Rondo) putting his hand on a 280-pound guy (Artest)...he couldn't even pick him up if he tried!"

You've got to love that. L.A. battled back to take a one point lead, but then Pierce hit a three followed by a tip in by Gasol (he was fighting for a board and tipped it in for Boston) to give the Celtics a 41-37 lead with 2:42 left in the second.

This is just a quick shoutout to my boys from the U.S.A. who are fighting in South Africa in the FIFA World Cup. I'm not a soccer fan by any means, but I will always root for the the U.S. no matter the "sport".

World Cup: U.S.A. vs. Slovenia Friday 9:30 am

NBA Finals: Boston @ L.A. Tuesday 9:00 pm

**Game seven: Boston @ L.A. Thursday Thursday 9:00 pm

**If necessary

Game five update: Celtics 45 Lakers 39 HALF

Rodgers That

NBA Finals, just as I suspected

By Dan Rodgers

I told you so. Kobe is so far beyond anyone it amazes me. Well, maybe not considering it is something I am getting used to seeing. I'm writing this post during game two, so I'll include parts of that as well.

Let us keep track during the post. I'm starting and it's Lakers 21 Celtics 20.

Game one went exactly how I suspected Kobe owned; and Pau Gasol showed that he can play with the big boys (i.e. Garnett). Like I said in the previous post, the Lakers x-factor Gasol, would be the key to the Lakers dominating in the paint on both sides of the ball. He had 23 points and 14 rebounds, eight of them on the offensive end. He also added three blocks while managing to stay out of foul trouble.

Kobe added another 30-point performance, which he achieved on a three-pointer with three seconds left in the game. Kind of funny but understandable because the shot clock expired so he had to take a shot.

The Celtics shot a measely 1-10 from three-point land and got out rebounded by 11. Paul Pierce had a respectable game with 24 points and nine rebounds. No one else on the Celtics had a notable game. I know what you're thinking, not even Rajon Rondo did (13 pts 8 assists).

Update: Lakers 22 Celtics 29 End Q1

As for my other x-factor, clearly since above I said Kobe had 30, they didn't do their job. So, we'll see if anyone can do a better job covering number 24 tonight. I don't think they will, but hey...what do I know?

Rodgers That

Celtics @ Lakers...Need I Say More?

By Dan Rodgers

I know you're probably upset that no one wrote anything about the worst call in sports history last night, but I'm sure Dr. Jekyll will include it in his segment of Rounding the bases.

This is a quickie as I am going to see Get Him to the Greek. (Don't worry, it's free)

Game One:

Celtics @ Lakers 9:00 PM on ABC

This is a ridiculous rematch of the greatest player of my era (Kobe) against a franchise that owns the Lakers in the finals (Celtics hold 9-2 edge).

I don't think it will matter because Kobe is a hoss and wants payback after losing in 2008. I will review this game and go into more depth before game two. Enjoy watching Kobe, KG, and Uncle Ray.

L.A. X-Factor: Pau Gasol

Boston X-Factor: Whoever defends Kobe

All I know is that if I were a gambling man, I'd bet on the Lakers...

Rodgers That

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

By Dan Rodgers

This weekend there have been all kinds of exciting things happening in the NHL, NBA, and MLB. We'll start with hockey and work our way down the list.

NHL:

The Stanley Cup series is underway as the Chicago Blackhawks return to the Cup finals for the first time since '91-'92 and look for their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. The Flyers return to the Cup finals for the first time since '96-'97 and look for their first championship since '73-'74.

The Flyers have been a big surprise as they first upset the number two-seeded New Jersey Devils four games to one. Then, shocked everyone again and made history by coming down from being down three games to none against the Bruins and winning the series. The Flyers then only needed six games to cool down the very hot eight-seeded Montreal Canadiens in order to advance to the Cup.

The Blackhawks have been on fire and have just cruised through the playoffs as they have improved each series. They won the first series in six games, the second in five, before sweeping the number one-seeded Sharks. Game one took place on Saturday night and it was a fun one for the fans as it was full of offense. The Blackhawks gave the home team fans something to cheer about as they kept pace with the Flyers and won the always important game one 6-5.

NBA:

On Friday night, which is the weekend in my book, the Boston Celtics unfortunately closed out their series against the second-seeded Orlando Magic. The Celtics won the first three games before dropping the following two. They definitely didn't want to be the second Boston team in the past month to blow a three games to none lead so they just went ahead and won game six. They now advance to their second NBA Finals appearance in three years.

On Saturday night, which is most obviously the weekend, the L.A. Lakers went into Phoenix and beat the Suns with yet another 30+ point performance by Kobe Bryant. The L.A. Lakers advance to their third consecutive finals appearance and for a chance to defend their title. We will be witnessing a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals when the Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games.

This Finals should be even better than 2008 as Kobe has been on a 30-point tear this post-season and is as hungry as ever for another ring. I have been watching more basketball than usual because I find the things Kobe does to be absolutely ridiculous. The guy makes some of the most amazing shots I've ever seen; ones LeBron couldn't make if he had 10 chances. Kobe is clearly the best basketball player of our era, and so far above LeBron it doesn't even seem fair. I understand they play different positions and I don't want to get into this right now, but Kobe is such a better offensive player and is a solid defender. He will win NBA Finals MVP...

MLB:

Ah, baseball...my first love. I know that most people don't give baseball any credit, but the people from Philadelphia got to see something very special on Saturday. Personally, I don't think they deserve it considering they way they have acted this season and in previous seasons.

Okay, I have beat around the bush long enough...if you didn't catch any ESPN this weekend, you didn't hear that Doc Halladay threw a perfect game against the Florida Marlins. That's right...absolute perfection (sounds like a good name for a brand of vodka). For me, there is no prettier thing in baseball...I mean just the sound of it...PERFECTION. It is impossible to acheive anything close in any other sport. A shutout in hockey? 20/20 in save chances...impressive but nothing out of the ordinary. Shooting 10/10 from the field in a basketball game...damn impressive, but still nothing too special. A perfect 158.3 QB rating in football...not too likely but still...just doesn't sound as good.

The reason I say that Phillies fans might not deserve it is because they have acted as bad this year as any other year. It is unbelieveable how they act, just click the link above. For them to behave the way they do, and then have the pleasure of watching a perfect game doesn't seem fair. I will speak for Yankee Nation, our fans might be obnoxious but we certainly don't act that bad. In fact, I will go as far as to lightly speak for Red Sox fans, or the few I know at least...

Not to mention, they have the pleasure of being graced by one of the greatest pitchers of our era... Harry Leroy Halladay III. Doc, as many call him, has been incredibly dominant this season...nothing out of the norm for him. The guy definitely deserves it more than anybody I can remember. He has owned the Yankees for as long as I can remember, formerly being a member of the Blue Jays, and I was more than overjoyed for him the leave not only my division but the American League all together. Regardless...this guy is incredible, a Hall of Famer if he retired tomorrow, and a classy guy. I hate him because he's so good but you've got to love him.

Rodgers That

Magic fight back, Lakers stumble back to L.A.

By Dan Rodgers

The Orlando Magic have made the Eastern Conference finals a bit more interesting now that they've won two in a row. The series heads back to Boston with the Celtics looking to close out the series up three games to two. The Magic seemed to have found their way offensively, after struggling in the first three games and only breaking 90 points just once. They have since scored 96 points in their game four win and exploded last night with 113 points in their game five win.

I don't really have much to say until the Magic win game six. However, I do want to bring to everyone's attention that we in the sports world have already experienced a historic 3-0 comeback involving a Boston team. As a New York fan, it would be sweet revenge to witness two Boston collapses in one year. All that would make it even better, is if the Red Sox participated in it as well in October.

Boston/Orlando Game 6: Tomorrow

Okay, now on to the Western Conference finals. The Lakers seemed to dominate to the first two games, winning by 21 points in the first and 12 points in the second. However, the Suns have recorded back-to-back nine point victories to tie the series at two games apiece. The series heads back to L.A. and the Lakers all of the sudden don't seem to have an answer for Amar'e Stoudemire. Pau Gasol seems to be way too soft to take care of Amar'e, and since Andrew Bynum is still not 100% it should be interesting to see what the Lakers try to do to neutralize Stoudemire.

L.A./Phoenix Game 5: Tonight

Rodgers That

LeBron...the king once again

By Dan Rodgers

Cleveland Cavaliers SF LeBron James was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year.

2010 NBA Most Valuable Player Voting

LeBron James, Cle - 1205
Kevin Durant, OKC - 609
Kobe Bryant, LAL - 599
Dwight Howard, Orl - 478
Dwyane Wade, Mia - 119

Personally, I thought that Kevin Durant deserved the MVP award this year. Kevin Durant is the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring, barely ousting James.
KD - 30.1 ppg
LBJ - 29.7 ppg

However, LeBron does average more assists and rebounds per game and led his team to the number one seed in their conference. Durant also led the Thunder to the playoffs, but they were the eight seed. They did put up a fight against the Lakers, but were knocked out four games to two.

I think that if the Thunder had upset the Lakers, Durant would have put up a much bigger fight in the voting.

Maybe next year, good luck KD.

Rodgers That

This Week's Down and Dirty

By Dan Rodgers

Week 2:

The Down

Tim Tebow - QB NFL Draft Prospect

There was a report earlier this week that Tim Tebow was at Palm Beach Autographs in Florida to sign autographs. They were priced at $160 per autograph and an additional $75 if you wanted a picture with the University of Florida legend. If you do the math, with the approximate 1,500 people that showed up, over $240,000 was raised. It is said that a portion of this will go to Tebow's foundation, but I personally think it's ridiculous to charge anything but especially that much. Unless all the money goes to charity of course. Tebow is a national icon and is about to get drafted in this year's NFL Draft. This is ridiculous.

The Dirty

Dallas Mavericks - 11 game win streak

I don't see how Dallas can't be mentioned. I understand it's only for this week, but the Mavs are clearly the hottest team in the NBA. They have stampeded all the way back to second place in the Western Conference, only three games behind the L.A. Lakers. Look out for the Mavs to challenge the Lakers for the one seed if L.A. can't get their act together (three game losing streak).

Rodgers That

Let the boys play

By Dan Rodgers

It that in today's world of sports the officials play a greater role in the outcome of games. Even in baseball, when all the official has to do is call balls and strikes, declare whether or not the runner is safe or out, and determine foul or fair balls, they still make questionable calls that can affect the outcome.

Andrew Bynum recently made comments, "It's hard to win when it's five against eight." This with the implications that the referees were playing for the other team because Bynum was called for traveling twice against Dallas and there was ten more team fouls called on L.A. then on the Mavs.

The MLB has made recent adjustments to help the umps. They have now instituted replay on any questionable home-runs to ensure the correct call. I don't see why they don't allow managers a certain number of challenges like in the NFL. If a manager feels a ball was foul and not fair they can challenge. Sounds like a good idea to me.

The thing that bothers me the most is in the NFL. The "method" for spotting the ball could be the most flawed system of all time in any sport: The refs put the ball in the spot closest to where they think the runner was down. Are you kidding me? They have to come up with something a little bit more effective than that. Maybe a microchip in the ball and then a sensor that lines the entire field? I don't know but something else...

The NHL is a bit more efficient...I mean nothing is perfect but that is decent...

Tennis also has a good system, the players can challenge and there is replay to look at any disputes...

Sports aren't perfect...but due to the high revenue streams and the ridiculous amount of money everyone is being paid, there should be a better method...

Rodgers That