2010 NBA Playoffs Predictions

Its Put Up or Shut Up for Lebron and the Cavs

Eastern Conference

Round 1

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers over (8) Chicago Bulls in 5 games

(2)Orlando Magic over (7) Charlotte Bobcats in 4 games

(3) Atlanta Hawks over (6) Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games

(4) Boston Celtics over (5) Miami Heat in 7 games

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers over (4) Boston Celtics in 5 games

(2) Orlando Magic over (3) Atlanta Hawks in 6 games

East Conference Finals

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers over (2) Orlando Magic in 6 games

Western Conference

Round 1

(1) Los Angeles Lakers over (8) Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games

(2) Dallas Mavericks over (7) San Antonio Spurs in 6 games

(3) Phoenix Suns over (6) Portland Trail Blazers in 5 games

(4) Denver Nuggets over (5) Utah Jazz in 7 games

Western Conference Semi-Finals

(1) Los Angeles Lakers over (4) Denver Nuggets in 6 games

(2) Dallas Mavericks over (3) Phoenix Suns in 7 games

Western Conference Finals

(2) Dallas Mavericks over Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games

NBA Finals

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers over (2) Dallas Mavericks in 5 games

Devalue the Divas

If there is one thing we have learned from the Santonio Holmes trade, its that NFL executives and coaches no longer put up with problem-child wide receivers, not matter how good. Here's Holmes, a 26 year old play maker coming off a 1250 yard season. It was just 14 months ago that Holmes was making one of the most spectacular catches in NFL history, which earned him Super Bowl MVP honors. All these accolades and Holmes netted only a 5th round draft pick in the fast approaching 2010 NFL draft. If it adds any insult to injury, the pick is in the latter part of the 5th round (151st overall.) Upon further observation, should the football world be surprised that Holmes was worth so little? It appears he is just the next in line for a long list of de-valued hot shot wide receivers.

Rewinding to 1998, Randy Moss was arguably the most outstanding wide receiver prospect the NFL had ever seen. Concerns about his judgement and character were out there, but nobody thought this good a player would be available for very long. Twenty picks later and Moss was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the 21st overall pick. Some notable players taken before Moss in the 98 draft? Ryan Leaf, Andre Wadsworth, Curtis Enis, Jason Peter, etc. In other words, its a long list of nobodies. Moss may have been the first wide receiver to suffer a fall from grace due to character concerns but he certainly would not be the last.

Moss never truly shook off the persona of being a locker room cancer. After a reign of dominance Moss would be passed up again during the 2007 NFL Draft. To the shock of many, the Oakland Raiders traded Moss to the New England Patriots for a 4th round draft pick. That draft pick turned out to be John Bowie, a defensive back from the University of Cincinnati. Who? You get the point.

Perhaps the NFL's most famous diva, Terrell Owens, can attest to feeling abandoned and unwanted. Go back to the 2009 off season and you will find a free agent wide receiver coming off 3 straight 1000 yard seasons to go along with 10+ touchdowns. One would imagine a player of this magnitude would be swept up quickly. Not when that player is Terrell Owens. He was a free agent for over 2 weeks and had to settle for the lowly Buffalo Bills. Where is Owens right now? Oh that's right he is still unemployed after being released by...the lowly Buffalo Bills.

In the present day, the story that has not gone away has been the Denver Broncos and their attempts to trade Brandon Marshall. Marshall is a 26 year old Pro Bowler coming off 3 straight seasons with over 100 receptions and over 1000 yards. To his credit, these accomplishments have come with two different Quarterbacks in two different offensive systems. Marshall is available to every team in the league, the price being only a 1st round draft pick in return. Now perhaps nobody over-values draft picks more than NFL teams but that is another topic for another day. One would think that any team would jump on the opportunity to acquire a top 5 NFL Wide Receiver at 26 years old. Again, Marshall has been labeled a problem child, and again the same pattern continues. No interest.

In nine days the 2010 NFL Draft will kick off. The newest diva Wide Receiver? Oklahoma State University wide out Dez Bryant. After watching tape, one would not expect that Bryant will have to wait long to hear his name called. Bryant has unquestionable talent, yet, like Randy Moss before him, he will be undrafted much longer then anticipated.

Again, does a 5th round draft pick seem like an absurdly low asking price for a player such as Santonio Holmes? Sure. As history has taught us, however, teams do not want, nor will put up, with unruly pass catchers. Talent on the field has taken a backseat to the character of the man off the field and in the locker room.

He's Back

Just in case you haven't heard, Tiger Woods returns to Golf today. Since that infamous Wednesday night in late November, America has been held hostage by the ongoing story of the trial and tribulations of the world's most recognizable athlete.

Woods has been through a marriage on the verge of termination, a stint in sex rehab, and arguably the most famous press conference in the history of sports. As more and more women revealed their affairs with Woods, the weight of the world seemed to grow day by day.

Fortunately for Tiger, all these evens are now in the past and it is time for him to return to the sport he has dominated for close to 15 years. No one knows what to expect from Woods after all he has been through. He must be confident in his abilities because he is making his long anticipated return on golf's biggest stage. If Tiger is able don the green jacket, it will take his legend to heights it has never reached. Golf is a mental game, its the players against the course. Should Tiger win, it will speak volumes about not only his physical ability after such a long layoff, it will show the mental makeup of sports biggest star. He is not sneaking in the back gate, he is kicking in the front door at Augusta.

Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan took layoffs from their sports but their situations were nothing like Woods. They came back and dominated as if they never left. In the case of Tiger Woods, his story is still to be written. Sure he has only won 1 Masters in the last 7 years but this year is different. The circumstances are unique and the anticipation of his performance is at a level of which it has never been.

Everyone deserves a second chance. Tiger didn't kill anyone or get caught with any illegal drugs, he simply fell victim to the fame and money of sports. It's not outrageous to say the only mistake Woods has ever made was getting married. Last year Woods made more money then any other athlete. He is the most dominant competitor in the world. Golf needs Tiger, the other competitors need Tiger, and America needs Tiger. Yes he has disappointed many but this is his time to rebuild his reputation. It may be too early for the country to be in his corner but he can start that transition today.

Be Careful What You Wish For

On Sunday night the Eagles did the unthinkable, trading the face of their franchise to a division rival. Though the compensation for a soon to be 34 year old quarterback seems to be fair (2010 2nd rounder and a 2011 3rd/4th rounder) the Eagles are putting themselves in very dangerous territory.

It was just two years ago that the New York Jets rid themselves of long time starter Chad Pennington. He went to their arch rival, the Miami Dolphins, and ultimately beat the Jets in their own stadium in the final game of the season. The Dolphins won the division and the Jets went home. The story of sweet revenge went according to plan.

Eagles fans will reference the Drew Bledsoe example when he was traded by the Patriots to their division rival, the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots would go 5-1 against Bledsoe over the next 3 years. However, there is one big difference between the two situations. The Pats were coming off a Super Bowl victory with Tom Brady. The Eagles are coming off a season in which their replacement quarterback, Kevin Kolb, played in just two games.

Regardless of which example repeats itself, one thing is clear. The fans of Philadelphia have grown tired of McNabb and wanted to move on. After 11 year without a championship that is understandable. The shocking part in all this is that they would trade him to a QB-needy team inside their division. Make no mistake, this decision speaks volumes about what the Eagles hierarchy thinks of McNabb. They believe he is no threat to them in 2010 or in the foreseeable future. That remains to be seen, yet, the thinking behind the decision is as clear as day.

In 2010, the Eagles might get a taste of failure for the first time in a long time. With McNabb at the helm, the team has never had to rebuild or refocus. That may not be the case with a young inexperienced quarterback leading the team next year. The Philly faithful might have to be patient and understanding when their team is in the cellar of a tough division in 2010.

The winner in all this is Donovan McNabb. Sure his supporting cast will be a huge drop off from the Eagles to the Redskins, but he has won with sub par talent around him before. McNabb is like the guy who has been dating the hot girl that treats him like crap. In the Redskins, McNabb will find that though the girl may not be as good looking, she will definantly treat him better.

Joe Banner, Andy Reid, and the rest of the Eagles organization better hope things work out next season. The image of McNabb leading the Redskins to victory in Lincoln Financial Field might be too much for Eagles fans to stomach. They've wanted McNabb out and they have finally gotten their wish. However, as the old saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for."

Baseball is Back

The game's biggest rivalry stepped up to the plate tonight and reminded America why they have missed baseball over the last few months. A back and forth contest between two storied franchises that are also competing for October supremacy ended with a 9-7 victory for the Red Socks of Boston.

Josh Beckett and C.C . Sabathia were the only disappointments in Fenway on Sunday Night as both failed to dominate and eat up innings. The Yankees started out strong with back to back home runs in the 2nd inning, one by new comer Curtis Granderson in his first Yankee at bat. Eventually the Yankees had a 5-1 lead that seemed insurmountable. Boston, however, battled back to overcome the deficit, scoring 3 runs in the 6th, 3 runs in the 7th, and adding one more in the 8th. The Yankees bullpen was awful, giving up 4 runs after Sabathia's lackluster performance. Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Mike Cameron came up big for Red Socks, combining to go 7 for 11 with 5 RBIs. The game had plenty of offense but in the end the Red Socks had just a little bit more.

The game was first of the couple thousands that will be played in the next few months. For the Yankees and Red Socks it simply means 1 down, 161 to go. For America though, it means baseball is back and all is right with the world.

Blue Devils Conquer on Easter Weekend

In what had been their biggest game of the year, the biggest stars for the Duke Blue Devils rose to the challenge. Duke's "Big 3" owned the offensive end and ultimately controlled the game. Mike Krzyzewski's squad is on their way to the championship game once again to take on tournament Cinderella Bulter after their dominating 78-57 win over the Mountaineers.

When the brackets were announced, Duke was the most widely criticized of the four #1 seeds. Since that time 63 teams have lost and Duke is still standing strong. Their performance against West Virginia spoke volumes about the calibre team that the Blue Devils have put on the court all season.

Duke's offense was dominate all night. They were able to create countless open looks for Smith, Singler, and Scheyer, and the three star never let the team down. The three combined for 63 points and their offensive output kept the Mountaineers from trying to mount any type of 2nd half comeback. Brian Zoubeck was a beast down low, collecting 10 rebounds in all, with 5 coming on the offensive end. Duke's 4 best players allowed them to not only win the game but dominate it throughout. Offensively and defensively, this was Duke's best game of the season and it came on the biggest stage.

Many will be pulling for Butler on Monday night as they play David in the "David vs Goliath" match up that will be the National Championship game. If the Duke Blue Devils play as well as they did tonight they David will be hard pressed to pull off the upset.

Butler Advances to the Championship Game

The dream lives on for the hometown team. After going 11 minutes without a field goal at the start of the 2nd half, Butler was able to hold on for a 52-50 victory. Tom Izzo and the Spartans played tough and feisty throughout, but the Bulldogs were just too much. Butler shot just 30% on 15-49 from the field and hit only 5-21 from 3 point range but their output was enough to get them to Monday Night's Championship Game.

A few months ago the people of Indianapolis watched the Colts celebrate their AFC Championship in Lucas Oil Stadium. This Monday night they could be seeing the most unlikeliest of Indy teams hosting a championship trophy of their own.

-Time for West Virginia-Duke