I absolutely love watching him play and believe he has top-five player in the NBA potential.  He has a such a unique blend of creativity, toughness, tenacity, and basketball IQ that if I were starting an NBA team today, Rondo would be the second point guard on my board behind only Bulls guard Derrick Rose.

This article is also not a reactionary piece to last night’s Suns victory over the Lakers in Game 3 because, honestly, Steve Nash wasn’t that much better in Game 3 than he was in either of the first two games.

And this also isn’t a bold prediction article where I stand atop a mountain and proclaim that the Suns will come back in the Western Conference Finals, either.  Because, quite frankly, saying so is both mathematically illogical and slightly idiotic.

All negativity aside, Steve Nash is still by far the best remaining point guard in the playoffs.

The reason Steve Nash is the best point guard remaining began after the 2003-2004 season when Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who is one of the smartest business men of our generation, decided against re-signing a 30 year-old point guard with a bad back who is a defensive liability on his best day.

Normally a smart business decision, right?

Well, Nash set out to prove Cuban wrong and prove him wrong Steve did.  In his first season in Phoenix, Nash took a 29-win Suns team and instantly turned them into the NBA’s best team.  The 2004-2005 Suns finished with 62 wins – the best record in the NBA – and Nash won the league’s MVP award.

And not only was this Phoenix team great, it was also incredibly fun to watch.  Running new coach Mike D’Antoni’s run-n’-gun offense, Nash’s Suns took full advantage of NBA’s ban on hand-checking and scored a whopping 110.4 points per game.

The 2004-2005 Phoenix Suns also had about as much playoff success as one could expect from a team that had won just 29 games the year before, losing in the Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs.

However, the combination of fun and playoff success was short-lived. Over the next four seasons, a combination of Suns owner Robert Sarver’s blatant cheapness (he sold multiple draft picks, including aforementioned Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, got rid of Joe Johnson for salary purposes, and wouldn’t pay Mike D’Antoni), horrible luck (Amare leaving the bench, anyone?), and GM Steve Kerr’s initial ineptitude (Trading for Shaq, hiring Terry Porter, etc.) slowly killed seven-seconds-or-less basketball.

That’s all without mentioning the Suns’ seeming Curse of the San Antonio Spurs (The Suns bowed out of the playoffs to San Antonio in three of the first four years of Nash’s second stint in Phoenix).

All of these circumstances would drive even the sanest men on the planet completely berserk.

However, for Steve Nash, they helped create the quality that makes him the best point guard left in the playoffs:  his leadership.

Once again, pitchforks away, Boston – I’m not saying Rondo isn’t a leader.  What I am saying is Rondo is in the process of becoming a leader.  He has three other strong leaders that help carry his burden. And it’s also less than a year since Celtics GM Danny Ainge secretly tried to trade Rondo last off-season because Ainge felt Rondo was a derivative force in the Celts’ locker-room.

However, unlike Rondo, Steve Nash has completed his evolution into being a great leader.  He has shown an undying loyalty to both the Phoenix Suns franchise, its fans, and he fellow teammates along with taking a unparrallelled off-the-court leadership position. And, in my opinion, leadership is just as important as skill to a point guard.

Nash’s leadership and his willingness to be an ambassador for the Suns franchise exposed itself on July 21, 2009 when, after Nash’s worst season of his second Phoenix tenure, he signed a two-year $22-million extension instead of readying himself to become part of the 2010 free agency bonanza.

He also continued to show his evolution throughout the season – basically creating careers for Channing Frye and Jared Dudley, as well as convincing former Charlotte Bobcats star Jason Richardson to take his rightful place as a role player.

(I’m a regular listener to Bill Simmons’ B.S. Report podcast and hearing Jared Dudley speak ravingly about Nash’s off-field leadership only added to my adoration of Nash as a person:  he regularly counsel’s the younger players on how to eat, how to avoid Roethlisbergerian mistakes, etc.)

Nash also looked on idly as Phoenix shopped Nash’s right-hand man Amare Stoudemire at the trade deadline and asked only for the same thing Nash had given the Suns when he signed his extension: faith.

Well, as soon as that faith was granted, the Phoenix Suns took off and never looked back.  Over the second-half of the season, they compiled the NBA’s best record, slayed their Spurs dragon, and became everyone’s sentimental favorite to win the NBA

Hey, Suns fans, remember when I said it was both mathematically improbable and slightly idiotic to believe you can win the Western Conference Finals?

Well, maybe you just gotta have faith.

Kobe Bryant is the single most polarizing NBA player of this generation.

He is both globally loved and loathed.  Laker fans jump to his defense when they hear any disparaging word while his detractors relish in every single one of his failures.

Bryant is either a fierce warrior who drives his team to victory or a selfish dictator who saps the confidence from his teammates. It just depends who you ask.

He is either a rapist who should be incarcerated or the victim of notoriety-wanting floozy who was in search of money.  It just depends who you ask.

Kobe is either a soulless, derivative force that succeeds in spite of himself or a misunderstood superstar on a never-ending search to be loved.  It just depends on who you ask.

Despite the vigor in which people show their emotions toward him and despite the awards and championships he has won, there has been only one constant in Kobe Bryant’s career:  His entire career has been plagued with a massive shadow of doubt.

The shadow of doubt began immediately after Kobe stepped to the podium at Lower Marion High School and smugly announced his intention to enter the NBA draft right out of high school.  People wondered aloud whether he was mature enough to handle the rigors of being an NBA player. Consequently, he fell to thirteenth to the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 Draft.

The shadow grew even larger when Bryant’s agent let it be known Kobe wouldn’t play in Charlotte, which led to the famous Kobe-for-Vlade Divac trade.

After a complete choke-job during the 1996 playoffs against the Utah Jazz in which Bryant shot three air-balls in crunch time, the criticism changed from maturity to whether Kobe was even good enough to be an NBA player.

Kobe then squashed that criticism over the next few seasons, becoming a crunch-time scorer, an All-Defense and All-NBA selection, and one of the three alpha dogs that led the Lakers to back-to-back titles in 2000-2001.

After the second title, most fans began wondering aloud who the true catalyst for the Lakers’ success.  Was it Phil Jackson, the “Zen Master”, who had already led Michael Jordan’s Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990′s?  Or was it Shaquille O’Neal, the most dominating big-man since Wilt Chamberlain?  Or, finally, was it Kobe Bryant, the up-and-coming superstar who had already heard comparisons to the aforementioned Michael Jordan?

Well, Kobe damn sure thought he was the catalyst.

Throughout the next three seasons (one title), the Lakers locker-room was divided by constant in-fighting and bickering both in the media and behind the scenes.

Basically, you were in Camp Shaq/Phil or Camp Kobe.  There was no middle ground.

The masses all piled into Camp Shaq/Phil in the summer of 2003 when Bryant was accused of raping a woman in Eagle, Co.  The media once portrayed Bryant as a clean-cut family man that some would even call “boring.”  Following his indictment, many wondered if we ever knew Kobe Bryant at all.

The shadow continued rearing its ugly head following the 2004 NBA Finals as fans and media alike wondered whether Kobe would allow his ego to destroy a juggernaut Lakers team that could dominate for years to come.

Well, we all know the rest of the story.  It’s been told. A lot. If you don’t, just pick up Phil Jackson’s book “The Last Season:  A Team in Search of Its Soul”, and it will tell you everything you need to know.

After Phil and Shaq’s departure, doubt continued to grow as Laker fans and the media vocally wondered if Kobe could win without them.

What followed was a three year stretch where, at best, Kobe acted like a petulant child without his binky.  At worst, he was the re-incarnation of the devil himself in basketball form.

Bryant barked at teammates, quit during games, wore on fans, and irreparably damaged his image.  Oh yeah, he also put together one of the most dominating individual stretches of basketball in NBA history and led teams to the playoffs that started the likes of “Smush” Parker, Chris Mihm, Brian Cook, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Kwame Brown.  Not exactly the 1986 Celtics.

The “can’t win without Shaq” criticism continued until last season when the Lakers won the NBA championship five seasons after the Big Aristotle’s departure.

All shadows gone from a brilliant career, right?

..Not quite.

There are still two massive shadow’s that Kobe must compete with:  Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.

The competition with Magic Johnson is quite simple:  greatest Laker of all-time.

The MJ one, however, is much more complex.  As previously mentioned, Kobe began drawing Jordan comparison very early in his career.  And that wasn’t by mistake.

Kobe modeled his game after Jordan and attempted to do everything he possibly could do to emmulate his idol.  Some of his critics have even called it an obsession.

If you truly sit time to think about it, the Jordan-Kobe comparisons are spot-on.  They are both incredibly intelligent basketball minds, both are extremely demanding teammates, both are disgustingly sore losers, and both certainly are the top two shooting guards of all-time.

The problem is, Jordan was better.  And knowing that has given Bryant the ultimate Napoleon complex.

So, what is the point in all of this?  Why bring up all of Kobe’s old criticisms?

Because Kobe Bryant is six more Laker wins away from extinguishing any shadow left on his NBA career.

With the Lakers currently up 2-0 on the Suns, they are almost assuredly on their way to the franchise’s seventh NBA Finals appearance in eleven years – a feat only eclipsed by  Russell’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers.

Given the improvements to the competitive balance of the game, you could argue that Kobe’s feat is better than the aforementioned dynasties.

If, as favored, the Lakers do indeed win the six more games necessary to win the 2010 NBA title – Bryant’s fifth – the new question becomes how highly do you place Kobe Bryant among the greats of all-time?

I say no lower than fifth.

You can debate your top five all you want, because after number one, it’s debatable.

For full disclosure, here is my current top 10:  Jordan, Kareem, Russell, Magic, Wilt, Bird, Kobe, Oscar, West, Shaq.

If the 2010 Lakers win the NBA title, Kobe simply vaults Bird and Kareem into the top five.

Why?

Well, first let’s take care of Bird.

Bird:  13 Seasons, 12 All-Stars, 10 All-NBA Selections, 3 All-Defensive Team Selections, 3 MVP’s, 3 NBA Titles, 21,791 Points, 5,695 Assists, 9,874 Rebounds

Kobe:  14 Seasons, 12 All-Stars, 12 All-NBA Selections, 10 All-Defensive Team Selections, 1 MVP, 5 NBA Titles, 25,790 Points, 4,766 Assists, 5,410 Rebounds

The only two places where Kobe loses by a significant margin are MVP’s and rebounds.  On the other hand, Kobe is a far superior defensive player, better scorer, and has won more championships.

Don’t get me wrong, if Bird’s back doesn’t go out on him, this very easily have gone the other way but Kobe has both better stats and more rings.

As for Wilt, there is absolutely no individual statistical way you can possibly defend saying Kobe is better, and that’s the problem:  It was always about stats for Wilt.

There have been countless tales about Wilt overpowering 6-4 white guys and scoring 50.1 PPG. But there have also been just as many stories about Chamberlain’s petulant babyish attitude that would make Kobe’s greatest temper tantrum seem like a minor complaint.

Winners win championships.  Wilt won scoring titles.  Edge to Kobe.

Do you want to know the greatest part of this?  Kobe is nowhere near finished.

This Lakers team, as currently constituted, could be a top-tier team for three or four more years.

If Bryant finishes with six titles and eclipses Kareem’s all-time scoring record (both semi-realistic), how great does that make him?

Better than Jordan?

I don’t know.

I just know one thing:  Writing this will either make me someone who finally recognizes how great Kobe is or a complete moron.  It just depends who you ask.

I disagree not because I hate everything and anything that anyone else enjoys like Bayless, but because of one simple reason:  LeBron James is staying in Cleveland.

Why do I say that with such certainty?  Well, I could sit here and give you the same plethora of reasons everyone else will or give you the same hare-brained theory I gave you during my mid-season summer of 2010 evaluation…or I could simply give you the obvious reason:  LeBron is trapped in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.

I know what you’re thinking:  How in the hell – in a summer where 29 other teams will vie for his affections – is LeBron James trapped in Cleveland?

The answer is simple:  loyalty.

We have all been taught by our parents about loyalty being the most virtuous characteristic we can possess.  Be loyal to your family.  Be loyal to your friends.  Be loyal to your teammates/co-workers.  Hell, we even love dogs simply because they’re more loyal than humans.  That’s why any less-than-loyal act/decision is seen as the ultimate betrayal – loyalty is so ingrained in our inner psyche’s that we automatically empathize with the scorned and villainize the offender. We have no time for the reason or explanations behind the betrayal.

LeBron is currently in the wake of the worst week of his professional career.  Fans, media members, and even his owner feel he quit on his own team in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.  He followed-up quitting on his own team with a near quadruple-double (including turnovers) and his entire team quitting in the final minutes of Game 6.  Criticism of the media’s golden boy has never been higher.  I have even gone as far as to say Lebron is more like Vince Carter than he is Michael Jordan.

Hyperbole aside, if LeBron were to turn his back on his city after the stink-bomb the Cavs put up in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, King James would instantly go from hometown hero to pariah.   Cleveland Plain Dealer beat writer Brian Windhorst made the point on Bill Simmons’ B.S. Report podcast that Cleveland fans have never forgiven Art Modell for moving the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore.  If LeBron goes to New York or Chicago, multiply the hatred for Modell times about five billion and you’ll have Cleveland’s hatred for Bron Bron.

With that in mind, do you think someone with the goal of becoming a “global icon” would willingly alienate his home state/city and all of Middle America in the process?  Not unless he’s a complete moron.

Obviously, not everyone agrees that loyalty is always best.  And sometimes it isn’t.

After Cleveland’s Game 6 loss, LeBron and Celtics’ forward Kevin Garnett had an extended embrace in which KG basically told LBJ to “get the hell out of Dodge while you still can”.  One might wonder why KG thought it was within his rights to offer LeBron free agency advice.

Well, LeBron’s current situation is not unlike the early years of the KG era in Minnesota:  constant contention, revolving door of a surrounding cast, entire weight of a city on his shoulders, MVP awards (one for KG), and no NBA championships.  Like Garnett, LeBron’s loyalty (and a massive contract) will cause him to stay in Cleveland.  It remains to be seen whether LeBron will waste his entire prime trying to carry a mediocre supporting cast and an entire city on his shoulders. If KG’s career is any indication of what the future holds for LeBron in Cleveland, he should bolt to either Chicago or Los Angeles immediately and never think twice.

I’m sure that if Garnett had to do it all over again, he would have taken advantage of the Joe Smith fiasco and forced his way out-of-town.  But loyalty forced Garnett to toil away the greatest years of his career on a Minnesota team going nowhere fast.  Garnett’s Celtics are eight wins away from winning his second NBA title in three years since leaving the Timberwolves.  Just imagine if he had forced his way out five years earlier.

Make no mistake, LeBron James will ignore KG’s advice and return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Sure, James will ask for a “King’s” ransom in order to return – most notably, the firing of coach Mike Brown and/or GM Danny Ferry – but in the end, his heart will tell him to stay in Cleveland (it also won’t hurt that Cleveland will pull off a sign-and-trade this off-season for another superstar).

It just remains to be seen whether the loyalty LeBron feels for the city of Cleveland is a virtue we should applaud or a curse that will rob us from seeing the game’s greatest player succeed on the biggest stage.

Let’s hope it’s the former.

It was unbelievably refreshing to hear the likes of TNT’s Charles Barkley and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert thrash into James’ lackadaisical performance last night.  But you’re insane if you think the backlash won’t create an army full of LeBron Jihadists.  But I have a question for LeBron apologists everywhere:  what possible excuse do you have left in your “it’s not his fault” Rolodex?

For years we have heard about how amazing Bron Bron is even though “he’s only… years-old”. While the six-foot-eight, two-hundred and fifty pound forward is still just twenty-five years of age, James has been in the league seven full seasons.  He has 548 regular season games on his odometer, 70 playoff games played, and over 3,000 playoff minutes logged.  This isn’t exactly a wet-around-the-ears-and-a-little-in-his-pants Kevin Durant we’re talking about here.  LeBron James is nothing if not a veteran NBA player in the meaty prime of his career.

Then..there’s the elbow.  If I were to honestly guess, I’d say LeBron’s elbow injury is actually vastly more serious than anyone is letting on.  But we don’t know anything about the elbow.  Other than when someone mentions it about 5-10 million people collectively roll their eyes in disgust.  Let’s just simply put it this way for anyone who will use the elbow as an excuse foe LeBron’s suckery:  It damn sure wasn’t hurting him in Game 3 when he single-handedly eviscerated the Celtics.  Exactly.  Let’s move on.

Over the past few seasons, we’ve heard a never-ending clamoring from various analysts/talking heads about how LeBron’s supporting cast sucks and James could not be blamed for his team’s failure in the playoffs.  And this was true…in years past.  Not this year.  The Cavs are arguably the deepest team in the league, have a player that can takeover games in stretches when LeBron is out (Shaq), and have team chemistry that can only be rivaled by the Phoenix Suns.

So, if it’s not the supporting cast, the elbow, or the teammates, who can these apologists pin another failure on?

Mike Brown.

It’s perfect!  He absolutely refuses to have an offensive strategy, ignores the fact that playing small-ball would destroy Boston, and just sucks overall!  He’s absolutely the perfect scapegoat, you know, except for the fact that LeBron basically hand-picked Brown to be the Cavs head coach after the firing of Paul Silas.  But if you ignore that, it’s perfect!

LeBron’s post-game press conference performance was just as disgusting and appalling as his in-game performance was.  It was such a half-assed attempt to “say the right things” while at the same time keep a distance between himself and the blame.  The quote that stuck out to me was, “Have three bad games in a seven-year career….”.  That just stank of Vince-Carteritis.  Where was the anger in his voice?  Why not just simply say “I sucked” instead of using the plural “we”?

The media has spent years deploring Vince Carter as nothing more than a choking malcontent who will never win because of his selfishness and self-pity.  If you would allow me to call myself a sportswriter/media member, I would proudly consider myself among Vince Carter’s detractors.  But let’s take a look at Vince’s strongest criticisms and see whether LeBron has these qualities:

Milking a possibly fake injury:  check.
Blaming teammates for his own short-comings:  check.
Arguing with coaches publicly:  check.
A full arsenal of self-pity and above-it-all cockiness:  check.
An aloof and careless look in critical moments:  check.
Coming up short when his team needs him the most:  check.

Now, I’m not saying LeBron James is Vince Carter.  But I am saying, seven years into his NBA career, that maybe LeBron James will never become the icy-veined killer like Kobe or Michael.  Even though, according to 82games.com, LeBron dwarfed the competition in their Clutch statistics metric, would you honestly want him taking the last shot if your life depended on it?  And could you not name five to ten guys you’d actually trust more to be your savior?

The media has also spent columns, books, and even a movie praising LeBron James for almost a full decade and have spent almost none of that time acknowledging his faults.  We have been like a loyal girlfriend steadfastly staying with our mentally abusive boyfriend because we see so much potential for greatness.  Well, after seven years, I think it’s about time we realize LeBron is who he is and we’re not going to change that.  He’s the guy we placed on a level with Michael, Larry and Magic without ever winning anything.  He’s the guy we have assumed multiple NBA titles for when it’s actually more probable that he never wins one.  And he’s the guy who has spent seven years soaking up this praise and loving every minute of it.

Michael Jordan spent his seventh off-season hoisting an NBA trophy.  Vince Carter spent his seventh off-season deploring the city of Toronto and boasting about his new-found home in New Jersey.  And unless things drastically change, LeBron James will spend his seventh NBA off-season hoisting his already inflated ego shooting a movie and parading around on a self-indulgent free-agent tour when everyone knows he’s staying in Cleveland.

Long live “the King”.

My love affair with the 2001 NFL Draft did not stop with the mock drafting, either.  On both Saturday and Sunday, I woke up bright and early, ate my Cocoa Puffs, and watched every single minute of the draft.  Not only was I watching the draft, but I was documenting its every pick with a pen and a notebook just in case a friend had a question on Monday in school.  Little did I know that a simple File-Print on that personal computer thing would have saved me from countless hand-cramps and hours of wonderment at Mel Kiper’s unflappable hair.

Over the nine years since the 2001 Draft, I have still watched most-every pick, have still done multiple mock drafts every year, and still have subscribed every year to ESPN’s Insider mainly for NFL draft coverage.  However, in recent years, I’ve found my interest in the NFL draft waning as the public’s interest has been peaking.

Why?  Maybe it’s because I have become infinitely more skeptical and jaded as I’ve grown older.  Maybe, like PTI’s Michael Wilbon, I am sick of the spectacle that goes along with the draft.  I don’t know.  All I do know is I have grown tiresome of talking heads analyzing every pick as if they’re discussing the intricacies of healthcare reform, I’ve become weary of the validity of Mel Kiper/Todd McShay’s job (jobs I once coveted) and I’ve become disgusted with NFL GM’s instance on taking a Quarterback first overall every year regardless of the other talent on the board.

It’s the latter portion that bothers me the most.  In no other sport is a position drafted first just because it is the  “most important” position.  Of the last twelve NFL drafts, nine quarterbacks have been taken number one overall and only two of those players (Peyton and Eli Manning) are considered franchise quarterbacks, yet every year some moronic general manager decides to tie his career to the “franchise quarterback” and the fans buy into it.  How about, instead of blowing smoke up your fans’ asses with the promise of a franchise quarterback coming to town, you draft the best player available?  Miami did it in 2008, made the playoffs that season, and still got their franchise quarterback in the second round.

Not one expert I have read or seen on TV considers Sam Bradford the best player in this draft, yet when Roger Goodell steps to the podium at around 7:45 PM tomorrow night, Bradford will become the first quarterback taken by the Rams in the first round of the modern draft era.  And I will watch Bradford shake Goodell’s hand and somewhere, deep down, will still be the excitement of that little eleven year old boy with the pen and notebook.

That little boy with the notebook part still lives in all of us.  It’s what enables us to take the good with the bad.  Or, as Jay-Z would call it, the gift and the curse.  Since the draft is upon us, I think it’s important to establish both the gift and the curse of this draft, so without further ado, here are the five best and five worst things about the 2010 NFL Draft.

The Gift (best)

1.  Eric Berry is the best player in this draft class hands down.

First of all, I’ll come right out and say it – I’m not an NFL scout and probably never will be – but I saw Berry play four times last season and every time he was the most dominant player on either side of the ball.  I was completely memorized by the almost mano y mano battle Berry had against Tim Tebow in Gainsville last season.

You can argue the premise that football is the most team-centric sport there is and Berry benefited from a stellar surrounding cast in Tennessee, but I will counter that’s what makes Berry so special – he stood out head and shoulders above the others on a stellar defense.   Old-heads will try to devalue him because he plays safety, but just in case anyone has lived under a rock for the past twenty years, the NFL is now a passing league.  And having a solid safety is essential to preventing big plays – just ask the Cowboys.  The team that lands Berry is getting a future Hall of Famer.

2.  The best Quarterback out of the big four (Bradford, Clausen, McCoy, Tebow) will be Colt McCoy.

I will be the first person to admit that I am bullish on all of the Big Four’s pro prospects.  In fact, coming into the draft process, I was most bullish on Colt McCoy’s chances at the next level.  Everything about him screamed overrated:  Spread quarterback, relatively small, coached by Mack Brown, and so on.   What changed my mind?  Jon Gruden’s “QB Camp” special on ESPN.  Out of the four quarterbacks there, McCoy was the only one who would criticize himself without being prompted by Gruden.  For me, that’s a sign of someone who knows how to read film and doesn’t need someone to hold his hand on the field.  Studying the game on your own time is how quarterbacks become great and being able to read what you’re studying is half of the battle.  There is still no doubt in my mind that McCoy needs to sit at least two years, but if a team like Minnesota decides to draft a Favre heir-apparent, there will be no better guy to take over a west coast offense in this draft than Colt McCoy.

3.  The best NFL Draft analyst is NFL Network’s Mike Mayock.

As I previously said, I’ve become skeptical in regards to listening to the opinions of these so-called draft “experts”.  In most cases, these network talking-heads are failed scouts who take their propensity for being both strongly opinionated and articulate to television and their careers skyrocket.  However, when listening to Mayock, I don’t hear the “above it all” smugness of Kiper or the all-around arrogance of McShay, I hear a football man making his honest evaluations of college prospects.  Mayock isn’t on television engage in pseudo-PTI arguments or to look like the most intelligent man in the room, he’s there to make football judgments about football players.  Good enough for me.

4.  The best RB in this draft will not be drafted in the first round.

I honestly do not see any sense in drafting a RB in the first round.  Over the past few seasons, we have seen a RB-revolution of sorts.  No longer is this a league where you have a sole running-back to carry the load while his back-ups stand on the sidelines.  Running-back-by-committee drives fantasy owners crazy, but has been proven to be by far the most effective way of utilizing the running-back position, so wasting one of the first thirty-two picks on at the running-back position seems superfluous to me.  Furthermore, I just plain don’t believe in C.J. Spiller as an NFL running-back.

5.  Dez Bryant is the best offensive player in this draft.

I’m sick and tired of hearing this BS about Dez Bryant’s character issues.  Is he a divo?  Absofreakinglutely.  But name me five great wide receivers playing now that aren’t divo’s.  As a matter of fact, name me three.  I hate to clump all WR’s into a stereotype, but the position has become the position of the divo.  So, after you get past the character nonsense, the real question is, “Can Dez Bryant play the game?”  And the answer is hell yes.

The Curse (worst)

1.  The worst player picked in the top ten will be Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy.

I’m a production over potential guy.   Show me a guy who produces great numbers, then show me a guy who has the potential to produce super-great numbers or do nothing, I’m taking the guy who produces great numbers 100/100 times.  In speaking of McCoy’s potential, draft “experts” say he has the potential to be a pass rusher of the likes we haven’t seen since Warren Sapp.  They also say, if you want a pass rusher, you take Oklahoma’s McCoy over Outland Trophy winner Ndamukong Suh.  That’s all well and good until you take a look at the stats.

McCoy (2009 season stats):  34 total tackles, 6 sacks, 2 passes defended, 10 QB hurries
Suh (2009 season stats):  85 total tackles, 12 sacks, 10 passes defended, 28 QB hurries

….wait a minute.  You’re saying McCoy is the better pass rusher?  From where I’m sitting that doesn’t seem to be the case.  In fact, it doesn’t even seem close.  All the numbers here indicate that not only is Suh a better run stopper, but is also a better defender on the pass.  It’s not like you can say McCoy had a tougher schedule – they play in the same conference!  Everything about McCoy seems bust-like to me.

(Note:  If Jason Pierre-Paul is taken in the top ten, he’s the biggest bust.  Kid will be over-matched and out of the league in three years.)

2.  The worst Quarterback out of the Big Four will be Jimmy Clausen

Clausen was every college football analyst’s personal cliche  this season.  I can’t tell you how many times I watched ESPN’s College Football Live and wound up hearing Mark May or Lou Holtz lauding Clausen for  “coming into his own” and “finally reaching his potential” and now Mel Kiper believes Clausen is the best quarterback in the draft.  Seriously, am I the only one who thinks his absolute crap schedule should be taken into account?  Notre Dame played just two games against ranked opponents last season – USC and Pittsburgh – and neither of them were great teams by any stretch of the imagination.  Clausen holds onto the ball way too long and was never a winner in college.  He gets points from me for toughness and leading so many fourth quarter comebacks last season, but that’s not enough for me to justify him as a first round quarterback.

3.  The worst subplot of the NFL draft will be the endless conjecture about Ben Roethlisberger.

Should Ben be suspended?  If so, how long?  How many games do you think Ben will be suspended?  Has Roger Goodell hinted at how many games Ben will be suspended?  Will the Steelers draft a quarterback?  Will Ben be traded?  How much do you think the Steelers could get for Ben if he was traded?  Did Ben use Trojan condoms or was he a cheap bastard who uses Lifestyles?

There are two guarantees this weekend regarding Roethlisberger:
1.  His name is said no less than 500 times
2.  When his name is spoken, I change the channel.

(Editor’s note: After submission, the NFL announced Roethlisberger’s six-game suspension.  Let the annoyance ensue. )

(Note:  Close second in this race – Tim Tebow conjecture.)

4.  The worst injustice about the draft system is its pay-scale.

Sam Bradford will make up to $50 million guaranteed before he even takes an NFL snap.  Do you know who else has $50 million guaranteed in their contracts?  No one. It’s absolutely preposterous that Sam Bradford is in line to make more guaranteed money than Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, or Tom Brady.  It’s not just preposterous, it’s Charlie Manson-Jeffrey Dahmer love-child insane.  If I’m running for collective bargaining for both the players and owners, I want this practice ceased immediately so the money is given to, you know, the players that are actually on the field.  However, I do realize that the NFL is a heartless business, so when the pay-scale is implemented, I think players in the first three rounds should be given fully guaranteed contracts based on position played and round drafted.

5.  The worst part of the draft for me is knowing I’m probably wrong about 75% of what I have written.

I truly do find it amazing that every year we sit for hours drinking beer, eating wings, cracking jokes about whoever Oakland picks, having arguments that just involve reiterating whatever the talking head just said on ESPN, and then never hearing the names of 80% of these players ever again.  I know I’m using hyperbole, but no sport other than baseball has a more inexact science to drafting their players.  As the saying goes around draft time, “for every Peyton Manning, there is a Ryan Leaf.”  Here’s to hoping your team picks Peyton Manning’s.

Mock Draft

(Note:  I believe a team will trade up in the late 20′s to draft Tim Tebow, but I have to go with the order as currently constructed.)

1.  St. Louis Rams – Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

2.  Detroit Lions – Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

3.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

4.  Washington Redskins – Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State

5.  Kansas City Chiefs – Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

6.  Seattle Seahawks – Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

7.  Cleveland Browns – Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

8.  Oakland Raiders – Mike Iupati, G, Idaho

9.  Buffalo Bills – Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

10.  Jacksonville Jaguars – Earl Thomas, S, Texas

11.  Denver Broncos – Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

12.  Miami Dolphins – Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

13.  San Francisco 49ers – Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers

14.  Seattle Seahawks – C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

15.  NY Giants – Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

16.  Tennessee Titans – Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

17.  San Francisco 49ers – Joe Haden, CB, Florida

18.  Pittsburgh Steelers – Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida

19.  Atlanta Falcons – Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

20.  Houston Texans – Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

21.  Cincinnati Bengals – Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

22.  New England Patriots – Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU

23.  Green Bay Packers – Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama

24.  Philadelphia Eagles – Brandon Graham, OLB, Michigan

25.  Baltimore Ravens – Jared Odrick, DT/DE, Penn State

26.  Arizona Cardinals – Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas

27.  Dallas Cowboys – Taylor Mays, S, USC

28.  San Diego Chargers – Ryan Matthews, RB, Fresno State

29. New York Jets – Bryan Price, DT, UCLA

30.  Minnesota Vikings – Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

31.  Indianapolis Colts – Charles Brown, OT, USC

32.  New Orleans Saints – Daryl Washington, OLB, TCU

Other than my personal pick of Kevin Durant for Most Improved Player, I cannot disagree with any of the award winners this year.  So what in the blue hell am I supposed to talk about?

The playoffs are just going another wash of predictable match-ups which will create a predictable, yet cum-fiesta ratings bonanza Cavs-Lakers NBA Finals match-up, the outcome of which really isn’t in much jeopardy. So if I wrote about that, it would consist of about twenty words (hypothetically:  “The Cavs are hungrier, are more unified, and are led by the best player in the game. Cavs win in six.)  And I already spent 4,000 words tackling the free-agent class of 2010 and another 4,000 debating Chris Bosh’s departure so that’s out, too.

Once again, I was at a crossroads and was even considering skipping the end of the NBA season until, for some strange reason, Mike Dunleavy popped into my head.  As all of my fellow fifteen Clippers fans know, the first thing you think of when someone mentions the word Dunleavy is how much he sucks.  Royally, epically, monumentally sucks.  In fact, if they created a Mount Rushmore of Suck, he would be the inspiration.

Just before I began frothing at the mouth while thinking about Dunleavy’s six and a half years in Clipperland, I realized something: A lot of sucking has happened this NBA season.  The Nets damn near made a run at imperfection, Rasheed Wallace made a run to the bank then decided to stop running altogether, and a poor college co-ed made a run from a bathroom to escape Big Ben’s little Ben.  Sorry, wrong sport. But never in my lifetime have I seen such a concrete divide between the top and the bottom of the league.  So this year, much like in my sex life, I’ve decided to honor the bottom.  And to honor the bottom, I have created my own of awards and named them after their inspiration:  Mike Dunleavy.

“So without further ado, the first annual Dunleavy Awards!!!”

“Foot in the Mouth” Award (Team & Player) (for the team/player who has made me look like a jackass based on my preseason predictions)

Player:
Nominees: Tyreke Evans  (for saying he’d suck) , Brandon Jennings  (ditto), Gilbert Arenas (for saying he’d play in all 82 games), Marvin Williams (for saying he’d be an All-Star)
And the Dunleavy Goes to…..Tyreke Evans
Reasoning: I always say do not ridicule others unless you can ridicule yourself.  So this is me ridiculing myself:  Not only did Tyreke shut me up, he bound me, gagged me, and did everything they do in those weird S&M porno movies short of fucking me.  Evans is an absolute beast and I was dead wrong in saying he’d never be a superstar.  I may have been correct in saying he’ll be the best player on a multitude of bad Kings teams, but Tyreke is the reason the Kings won more than ten games this season.

Team:
Nominees: Milwaukee Bucks (Pre-Season Wins Projection:  21), Memphis Grizzlies (Wins Projection: 29), Philadelphia 76ers (Wins Projection:  44), Los Angeles Clippers (Wins Projection:  44)
And the Dunleavy Goes to…..the Milwaukee Bucks
Reasoning: Well, obviously, because they more than doubled my projected win total and made me look like a total buffoon.  Many people that read this will also clamor for Brandon Jennings to win the Player version of this award.  I still say my projection for Jennings is on target – a me-first, low-percentage shot taking, head-case in the mold of Stephon Marbury.  In spite of Jennings shooting just 37% from the field, Milwaukee still won 46 games.  Foot, meet mouth.

Jerome James Award (for the player who signed the most inexplicable off-season contract only now it looks a thousand times worse)
Nominees: Charlie Villanueva (five years, $35 million), Ben Gordon (five years, $55 million), Hedo Turkoglu (five years, $53 Million), Marcin Gortat (five years, $34 million)
And the Dunleavy Goes to…..Hedo Turkoglu
Reasoning: It really came down to a choice between the two largest contracts on this one.  Gordon’s scoring dropped by almost seven points a game while Hedo chose the Toronto night life over his own team.  I hated both of these signings when they happened, and hate them more now.  When it comes down to it, Turkoglu’s contract is worse because he’s four years older and has already passed his peak.  Gordon could very easily rebound score 25 PPG next year.  Turkoglu is done.

Don Draper Award (for the executive most likely to be performing their job drunk)
Nominees: Joe Dumars (Pistons), Ed Stefanski (76ers), David Kahn (T’Wolves), Ernie Grunfeld (Wizards)
And the Dunleavy Goes to…..Joe Dumars
Reasoning: Choosing this award was like having a girlfriend put four Kate Hudson movies in front of you and telling you to pick one.  After about fifty minutes of dissecting the plots and looking for any shred of manhood in the movies, you realize that the movies are so equally, yet unbelievably horrible that you just close your eyes and pick one.  When I closed my eyes, and pointed, I came up with the man who spent $90 million last off-season on two players who made a combined 33 starts this season.  Works for me.

Dominique Wilkins Award (for the superstar surrounded by such trash you’d swear it came out of the “Jersey Shore” house)
Nominees: Tyreke Evans, Chris Paul, Danny Granger, Chris Bosh
And the Dunleavy Goes to…..Chris Paul
Reasoning: Cheap ownership, horrible management, bad coaching, you name it, Chris Paul has it in New Orleans.  To make matters worse, the team’s second best player plays Paul’s position!  It’s gotten so bad in the Bayou state that “experts” are beginning to make the argument that Deron Williams is better than Chris Paul.  I mean, I love Deron, but as Ochocinco would say…child please.  If I was Donnie Walsh, I would be calling Jeff Bower on a daily basis trying to bring CP3 to New York.  You’re telling me having the best alley-oop throwing point guard in the NBA wouldn’t be more enticing to LeBron than Joe Johnson?  That’s what I thought.

Kate from “LOST” Award (for worst performance by a player on a contender)
Nominees: Rasheed Wallace, Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Bibby, Richard Jefferson
And the Dunleavy Goes to…..Rasheed Wallace
Reasoning: Much like Kate from “LOST”, Rasheed is in a show on its last legs that’s trying to pull one big final run out of its nucleus.  Much like “LOST” fans, Celtics fans groan everytime they see Rasheed Wallace on their screen.  And the place where Kate and Rasheed are most alike is also the saddest:  They both have ample bosoms.  In case you did not know, Rasheed is a man, Kate is a woman. Bill Simmons did a great job ripping ‘Sheed a new asshole in his column last week, so I’ll stop piling on here.

Michael Olowokandi Award (for worst performance by a lottery pick)
Nominees:  Terrence Williams, Hasheem Thabeet, Earl Clark, Ricky Rubio
And the Dunleavy Goes to…..Hasheem Thabeet
Reasons: Ricky Rubio didn’t even play in the NBA this season and he was more effective than Thabeet.  Already 23, you have to wonder how much the number two overall pick can even improve.  Hell, even Olowokandi started 36 games in his rookie season.  Considering Memphis passed on Evans and Curry to draft Thabeet makes the pick even more deplorable.  To make matters worse, Memphis has already totally given up on him.  If there’s any good news that taken out of that it’s if Chris Wallace gives up on him, he’s almost assuredly going to be a future Hall of Famer.

“Two and a Half Men”Award (for the team who most everyone thinks is good, but ultimately sucks big donkey balls)
Nominees: Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns
And the Dunleavy Goes to….. the Orlando Magic
Reasoning: “Two and a Half Men” is one of the highest rated shows on television, but anyone with an IQ over seven knows it is a formulaic, steaming pile of crap.  While Orlando certainly isn’t a pile of crap, they certainly are not a title contenders, either.  I said it the pre-season, and I will continue to say it now, Vince Carter is just simply not going to the NBA Finals.  If and when he does find the fortitude to put a team on his back in crunch-time and leads them to the promised land, I’ll write a 5,000 word apology and bow to the greatness of Vinsanity.  Don’t hold your breath on those 5,000 words, Magic fans.

Eddy Curry Award (Least Valuable Player)
Nominees: Rasheed Wallace, Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Greg Oden
And the Dunleavy Goes to…..Gilbert Arenas
Reasons: Everyone seems to have forgotten about the artist formerly known as Agent Zero.  Not me.  Not only did he singlehandedly destroy the Washington Wizards organization, but he also hurt 27 of the other 29 teams in the NBA by forcing Ernie Grunfeld into trading Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and Brendan Haywood.  In acquiring Butler and Haywood, the Mavericks became instant title contenders and acquiring Jamison put the cherry on the top of Cleveland’s NBA title sundae.  Gilbert’s stupidity may make him the MVP in Dallas and Cleveland, but it also makes him the LVP in 28 other locker-rooms.

Mike Dunleavy Lifetime Achievement Award

Since this is the first annual Dunleavy Awards, I would be remiss in mentioning that the namesake of these awards lost his NBA coaching life this year.  And, much like the Oscars, I thought it was only right to pay tribute to the man whose suckery made these awards possible.  If you find yourself getting teary eyed during this little picture montage, I know just where to find a plethora of $50 suits.

Without further ado, former Lakers, Bucks, Blazers, and Clippers head coach, Mike Dunleavy

He's frantically calling a time-out to put in Steve Novak for a game-winner.

"This is the type of nucleus you keep together for years!"

"Wait...Sterling wants to give me HOW MUCH?"

Goodbye, Mike

Now that the ceremony is over…I’ll make my playoff picks quickly.

Eastern Conference:

Round One:
Cavs over Bulls in 5
Celtics over Heat in 6
Hawks over Bucks in 5
Magic over Bobcats in 7

Conference Semi-Finals:
Cavs over Celtics in 6
Hawks over Magic in 7

Conference Finals:
Cavs over Hawks in 6

Western Conference

Round One:
Lakers over Oklahoma City in 5
Nuggets over Jazz in 6
Suns over Blazers in 4
Mavericks over Spurs in 7

Conference Semi-Finals:
Lakers over Nuggets in 6
Suns over Mavericks in 7

Conference Finals:
Lakers over Suns in 5

NBA Finals:
Cavs over Lakers in 6

More importantly, this team was hungry.  After losing slugger Bobby Bonilla to free agency during the 1991 off-season, and Barry Bonds’ all-but-certain departure during free agency after the season, everyone in Pittsburgh knew this was their last chance at contention with the current nucleus.  In a time where Mario Lemieux’s Pittsburgh Penguins were the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers faced turmoil after thirty-four year-old Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Bill Cowher replaced legendary coach Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh was a baseball town.

From April until October Pittsburgh’s sports mecca Three Rivers Stadium was filled to its 47,952 seat-capacity with crazed Pirates fans hoping for their first World Series championship since 1979.  The Pirates’ regular season did not disappoint either; the team won 96 games and finished nine games ahead of anyone else in the National League’s Eastern Division (remember: This is pre-wildcard so there were only two divisions per league).

Following the past two NLCS losses, many in Pittsburgh believed that this Pirates team was snake-bitten.  The previous year a 98-win Pirates team was shut-out in successive games in the NLCS by Atlanta’s Steve Avery and John Smoltz after having a 3-2 series lead.  Needless to say, this Pirates team felt the pressure in 1992′s NLCS rematch against Atlanta and quickly dug itself into a 3-1 deficit.  All hope in Pittsburgh seemed lost until the Pirates roared back, defeating Atlanta by a combined score of 20-5 in games five and six.

Now ask the same nostalgic Pittsburgh sports fan about the most depressing moments of his life.  He will tell you two things:  Neil O’Donnell in Super Bowl XXX and the ninth inning of the 1992 NLCS.  Up 2-0 in the ninth inning, manager Jim Leyland decided to keep workhorse Doug Drabek in for the final inning to face the heart of Atlanta’s order.  In case the words “depressing moments” weren’t a good enough indicator, let’s just say the move backfired.  Terry Pendleton started off the inning with a base-hit, followed by an error on a double play ball by Jose Lind, then a walk to Sid Beam.  Finally with the bases loaded, Leyland brings in closer Stan Belinda.  He gets Ron Gant out on a sacrifice fly (score now 2-1), then walks Atlanta catcher Damon Berryhill to load up the bases again.  Just when it looked like all hell was about to break loose, Belinda forces Brian Hunter to pop out leaving Atlanta’s manager Bobby Cox in a precarious position – running out of men on the bench he pinch hits Francisco Cabrera – a defensive specialist who had all of ten at bats in the 1992 season.

What happens next is one of the best finishes in baseball history.  You can watch it here.

Seventeen seasons have passed since 1992′s heartbreak and the Pirates are yet to get over it.  In a short span, the Pirates went from the best team in the league, to the worst team in the league, to the worst franchise in the history of professional sports.  As they embark on what surely will be another last place finish in the NL Central, only one question comes to my mind:  Why?

Why the hell are the Pirates so bad year in and year out?  They have a beautiful stadium, a semi-major media market, a loyal fan base, and a rich tradition, yet management will stop at nothing to screw progress.  There has been seventeen straight seasons of excuses like “wait until next year“,  “wow, you should see this prospect we have coming up next year”, and “We traded our star player because we don’t have enough money.”  Yet, somehow, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Florida, and Oakland have all had multiple year runs of serious contention over the past decade.

When Andrew McCutchen is wearing pinstripes in a couple of years, Pirate fans, just remember at least you can’t have your heart-broken if you don’t even try.

2010 MLB Preview

AL East

1.  New York Yankees
2010 Season Prediction: 97-65
Bold Prediction: Phil Hughes wins 15 games and has an ERA of 3.50 or below.
My Thoughts: My view is skewed here.  My happiness between the months of April to October is directly tied to this team and I just plain disliked every single move they made other than the Granderson trade.  I remember the first Nick Johnson and Javier Vasquez eras.  They weren’t fun.  You’re telling me that Cashman couldn’t find an extra $2 million and give it to Damon instead of signing the human Disabled List Nick Johnson?  Color me cautiously optimistic.

2.  Boston Red Sox
2010 Season Prediction: 94-68 (AL Wildcard Winner)
Bold Prediction: Jon Lester wins the AL Cy Young…and John Lackey has an ERA of 5.00 or higher
My Thoughts: Once again, I’m looking through a skewed view.  I would love nothing more than to see this team fail miserably and win 70 games.  But it’s not going to happen.  The team is dramatically better defensively, has a staff of All-Stars, and if my prediction is correct, will be looking at a bounce back year for David Ortiz.

3.  Tampa Bay Rays
2010 Season Prediction: 88-74
Bold Prediction: Wade Davis finishes top five in the AL Cy Young voting.
My Thoughts: If Tampa played in any other division, they would be looking at their third straight season of 95+ wins.  Instead, they’re mired in this state of purgatory behind New York and Boston.  I have nothing to say other than I feel bad for Tampa.  Hopefully they can take solace in being the best run organization in baseball.

4.  Baltimore Orioles
2010 Season Prediction: 75-87
Bold Prediction: Matt Wieters hits 30 home runs.
My Thoughts: Baltimore has the opportunity to have a scary good rotation in a couple of years.  Couple the rotation with an emerging offense and Oriole fans are looking forward to a bright future.  Key Words:  “couple of years” and “future”.

5.  Toronto Blue Jays
2010 Season Prediction: 62-100
Bold Prediction: Toronto wins no more than 3 games against Boston, New York, or Tampa Bay.
My Thoughts: A team trades away their best player for B-level prospects and you expect me to say anything positive?  I know this isn’t going to help my already terrible Canadian approval rating, but this is just a bad, bad, team.

AL Central

1. Detroit Tigers
2010 Season Prediction: 88-74
Bold Prediction: Scott Sizemore is the AL Rookie of the Year.
My Thoughts: Call this one a gut feeling – I really have no saber stats or simpleton stats to back up how I feel about this Tigers team.  They defied all of the odds last season so I’ll just throw this crap out there and see if it sticks:  Johnny Damon has been to the playoffs the last nine seasons while playing three different teams.  Let’s make it four teams and ten seasons.

2.  Minnesota Twins
2010 Season Prediction: 85-77
Bold Prediction: Joe Mauer hits less than 20 home runs.
My Thoughts: Call this another gut feeling, but I have trepidation about Minnesota’s move to a new stadium.  This team was built for the Metrodome, one of the very few baseball stadiums with a distinct home-field advantage, and there’s no chance Target Field provides the same advantage.  That, in addition to the loss of Joe Nathan, will result in a disappointing season from the boys in Minneapolis.

3.  Cleveland Indians
2010 Season Prediction: 77-85
Bold Prediction: Grady Sizemore goes 30-30 and hits .280 or higher.
My Thoughts: I can’t come up with a better word for this team other than…well, weird.  Cleveland is in a youth movement, yet still has some of the pillars of their last talented young team (Hafner, Sizemore, Peralta).  At least they’ll have an NBA Championship and LeBron’s certain resigning to keep them going through the summer.

4.  Chicago White Sox
2010 Season Prediction: 74-88
Bold Prediction: White Sox relief pitcher Ryan Braun is mistakenly bid on in 500 fantasy auctions.  In related news, there are 500 aggravated assault cases over fantasy baseball drafts this season.
My Thoughts: Secretly, this team is getting old.  They are starting to remind me of the AL version of the Houston Astros – same nucleus every single year, getting progressively worse as time goes by, and management makes no effort to make changes.  Ozzie gets the blame and the ax.

5.  Kansas City Royals
2010 Season Prediction: 73-89
Bold Prediction: I will laugh every single time I look at a Royals box score and see the name “Jason Kendall.”  Every time.
My Thoughts: Zack Greinke is just fantastic.  I enjoy everything about him – from the fact he looks like he was in AP history with American Idol’s Aaron Kelly a week ago to the way he spells his first name like Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell.  The only bad thing about Greinke?  He plays for the crappy Royals.

AL West

1.  Los Angeles Angels
2010 Season Prediction: 87-75
Bold Prediction: Brian Fuentes has less than ten saves.
My Thoughts: Many people are predicting that made two of the worst free agent signings (Rodney and Piniero) and lost its ace will finally lose this division for the first time since 2006, but not me.  LA of A is vastly worse than last season, but I don’t trust any team in this division.  Neither Texas nor Seattle has proven it can consistently compete on a year-to-year basis, so call me stubborn, but I’m sticking to what I know.

2.  Seattle Mariners
2010 Season Prediction: 85-77
Bold Prediction: Cliff Lee makes less than 20 starts because of injuries…but King Felix wins 20 games.
My Thoughts: Seattle is everyone’s trendy AL West pick because of their huge off-season and their bursting on the scenes last season, but it seems this year that everyone is catching up to what Seattle is doing with defensive metrics.  Just this off-season both the Yankees and Red Sox, two teams that could have a 1-9 lineup of 40 HR guys, made decisions solely just to get better defensively.  Once people catch on to what you’re doing, talent wins out and Seattle is still only on the fringes talent-wise.

3.  Texas Rangers
2010 Season Prediction: 82-80
Bold Prediction: Nelson Cruz hits 50 home runs.  Yeah, that’s right.  Fifty. Fifty is also the number of games Ron Washington will be suspended when fifty kilo’s of coke are found in his El Camino.
My Thoughts: Texas is the ultimate ‘prove it’ team to me.  If all things were equal, and the best talent always won out, Texas would win the AL West.  They have a young, talented pitching staff that’s only going to get better, three potential 35+ home run guys, a solid leadoff hitter, and are solid defensively.  If there’s a team I’m wrong about, it will be Texas.

4.  Oakland Athletics
2010 Season Projections: 75-87
Bold Prediction: Brett Anderson has an ERA below 3 and 15 wins.
My Thoughts: So…what happened to Billy Beane – boy genius?  Seven seasons ago, Beane was a baseball God, a rogue figure that was well ahead of his time in analytical statistics and churned out cheap winners every season.  Now he’s the guy who cuts his leading power hitter over the past three seasons for…Eric Chavez?  Let’s just say I’m not optimistic about Oakland’s chances.

NL East

1.  Philadelphia Phillies
2010 Season Prediction: 102-60
Bold Prediction: Roy Halladay has an ERA of 1.50 of below.
My Thoughts: Had Philadelphia chosen to keep Cliff Lee around, you could have written them in for the World Series championship.  Now their chances are contingent on Cole Hamels finding the 2008 version of himself – and I’m not so sure that’s going to happen.  Anyone who watched Hamels last year knows how lost he looked.  There’s no doubt he has the talent of an ace and having Halladay around can only help, but as we’ve seen in the past, once a young pitcher loses his confidence, it often never comes back.  Either way, watching Roy Halladay dominate the terrible National League will be fantastic.

2.  Atlanta Braves
2010 Season Prediction: 89-73 (NL Wild Card)
Bold Prediction: Jair Jurrjens has an ERA of 5.00 or higher.
My Thoughts: There is a reason Bobby Cox chose 2010 to retire – and it’s not just because 2010 is the 20th anniversary of him becoming the Braves’ manager for the second time.  Atlanta has a plethora of young talent and veteran leadership that will offer sage advice when the youngsters struggle.  Problem is we just don’t know how much talent the veteran leadership has left in the tank.  I’m not going to hold my breath for Chipper Jones, Troy Glaus, and Billy Wagner to stay healthy.  But I’m saying it will happen.

3.  New York Mets
2010 Season Prediction: 83-79
Bold Prediction: David Wright hits 30 home runs…Jason Bay hits half of that.
My Thoughts: Oliver Perez and Gary Matthews Jr. are making a combined $23 million dollars this season.  Don’t worry; I’ll wait for you to stop laughing your ass off.  Done?  Okay.  That said I can’t see a team featuring David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, and Jason Bay being as terrible as they were last season.  Expect a slow start while the team gets healthy, then a “surprising” mid-season run.

4.  Florida Marlins
2010 Season Prediction: 78-84
Bold Prediction: The Marlins fire manager Fredi Gonzalez after he charges a $4.99 Big Mac meal from McDonald’s on the company credit card.
My Thoughts: Every year the Marlins spend $100 per player, draw 16 fans per game, and somehow win between 75-85 games.  This year will be no different.

5.  Washington Nationals
2010 Season Prediction: 64-98
Bold Prediction: Stephen Strasburg wins less than five games and has a WHIP of 1.6 or higher for the season.
My Thoughts: Washington, much like Pittsburgh, has absolutely no excuse to suck.  How in the blue hell can a team based in our nation’s capital be classified as a “small-market” team?  It’s inexcusable.  But hey, when your management sucks and your owner is a cheap bastard, just blame it on the Yanks and Sox.

NL Central

1.  St. Louis Cardinals
2010 Season Prediction: 97-65
Bold Prediction: Brad Penny wins 15 games with an ERA below 3.50.
My Thoughts: St. Louis is by no stretch of the imagination a great team, but New York, Boston, Tampa, and Philadelphia all would win 145 games playing in this division so I guess St. Louis can win ninety-seven.  I really can’t see Chris Carpenter making 28 starts again this season or Matt Holliday being worth the $120 million, but in a division this bad, they’ll have the division wrapped up by early August.

2.  Chicago Cubs
2010 Season Prediction: 82-80
Bold Prediction: Alfonso Soriano goes 30-25 this season with a batting average of .280 or higher.
My Thoughts: Sorry if replacing Milton Bradley with Marlon Byrd doesn’t exactly excite me.  Say what you want about Bradley as a person, but he’s a better player than Marlon Byrd hands down.  You also can’t rely on Derrek Lee to have another 35 HR season, either.  Nothing about the Cubs screams contention, but I’m sure Sweet Lou will keep them in the Wild Card race until the last few weeks of the season.

3.  Cincinnati Reds
2010 Season Prediction: 81-81
Bold Prediction: Scott Rolen plays in 145 or more games, hits 20 home runs, and has a batting average above .300.
My Thoughts: I don’t know why, but I’m excited to see the Reds play this year.  I want to see Chapman blow the ball past hitters, I want to see Homer Bailey finally reach his potential, I want Bronson Arroyo rewarded for having the balls to admit he took andro, and most of all I want Dusty Baker to succeed so we never have to hear his commentary on ESPN again.  That’s all that I ask, God.  Thanks in advance.

4.  Milwaukee Brewers
2010 Season Prediction: 79-83
Bold Prediction: Prince Fielder hits 60 home runs.
My Thoughts: The Brew Crew sports one hell of an offense…and one hell of a terrible rotation after Yovani Gallardo.  It’s also not a good sign when 39 year-old Jim Edmonds just decides he wants to play baseball and becomes part of your right field platoon.  Not a good sign at all.

5.  Houston Astros
2010 Season Prediction: 70-92
Bold Prediction: Hunter Pence hits .250 or below and has less than 15 home runs.
My Thoughts: Just like the Biggio/Bagwell nucleus of yesteryear, Houston seems equally determined to watch the Oswalt/Berkman dynasty bottom out.  Both Berkman and Oswalt could very easily help contenders get over the hump, but owner Drayton McClain seems perfectly happy to let them ride out their careers as “superstars” in the Houston area.  Just don’t expect a winner anytime soon here.

6.  Pittsburgh Pirates
2010 Season Prediction: 61-101
Bold Prediction: I go to one Pirates game this season with my dad.  By inning three, he’s buying me beer as an apology.
My Thoughts: The only hope for Pittsburgh this year is the hope that maybe Washington will pass on future superstar Bryce Harper in the MLB draft.

NL West

1.  Los Angeles Dodgers
2010 Season Prediction: 85-77
Bold Prediction: Clayton Kershaw finishes second in the NL Cy Young voting.
My Thoughts: In Torre I trust.  That’s all.

2.  San Francisco Giants
2010 Season Prediction: 84-78
Bold Prediction: Tim Lincecum starts 24 or less games because of injury.
My Thoughts: Another year, another horrible offense in San Francisco.  Kung Fu Panda is the only totally reliable bat in that lineup and we don’t even know if he’s completely legitimate.  It would not shock me to see the Giants lead the majors in ERA, but also score in the bottom three in runs.

3.  Colorado Rockies
2010 Season Prediction: 83-79
Bold Prediction: Jorge De La Rosa strikes out 250 batters.
My Thoughts: Basically, my thoughts are this team comes back to earth and plays more like the Rockies team of the first half of 2009 instead of the second best team in baseball as they were in the second half.  But, if I’m wrong, and the second half team was for real, don’t be shocked if they win 95 games.

4.  Arizona Diamondbacks
2010 Season Prediction: 80-82
Bold Prediction: Stephen Drew hits .290 with 25 or more home runs and Brandon Webb starts less than five games this entire season.
My thoughts: There is no shortage of pitching talent in the NL West and Arizona is no different.  Armed with three All-Star starters (Edwin Jackson, Webb, Dan Haren) and 2009 breakout superstar Justin Upton, the D’Backs looked poised to make a run at the division crown.  However, Webb’s injuries are getting the best of him and I have a feeling Edwin Jackson will take a giant leap back this year.

5. San Diego Padres
2010 Season Prediction: 70-92
Bold Prediction: Adrian Gonzalez isn’t wearing a Padres uniform after July 31…but Kyle Blanks hits 35 home runs.
My Thoughts: I began this preview on a low note, talking about a team with no plan, so why not end the same way?  I have absolutely no clue what San Diego is doing with this team, and I’m really curious to see what Padres fans have to say about where their team is going.  As I take a look at the major and minor league roster, I see no chance of San Diego competing within the next five years.  None.  I look forward to your comments, San Diego.

If last night was any indication, this is gonna be one hell of a season.

Awards

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
AL Cy Young: Jon Lester
AL Rookie of the Year: Scott Sizemore

NL MVP: Prince Fielder
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
NL Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward

Playoffs

Wildcard Round:

Yankees over Angels
Red Sox over Tigers

Phillies over Dodgers
Cardinals over Braves

ALCS:

Yankees over Red Sox

NLCS:

Phillies over Cardinals

World Series:

Phillies over Yankees in seven games.

World Series MVP: Roy Halladay

Needless to say, David Stern has plenty of reasons to have sleepless nights.  However, he does have one large beacon of light in the future.  And no, it’s not “Super Nate” participating in his 8,000th consecutive Slam Dunk Contest:  It’s the “summer of 2010″.  Spoken about like a piece of Mayan folklore since 2008, this upcoming summer is a virtual fantasy draft with the potential to bring pandemonium to the NBA’s foundation.  Or it could simply become the single most anticlimactic post-season in sports history.  Either way, come July 1, all basketball fans will be on the edge of their seat awaiting word from their favorite players.

LeBron is the obvious grand prize and this summer could probably be more aptly titled a George Costanza-like “Summer of LeBron!” Teams are scrambling for corpses that can be bought out and expiring contracts in order to make their pitch to the best player in the game.  As we have seen, regardless of supporting cast, having LeBron equals 50-60 wins for the duration of his contract.  The $500 million question floating around NBA circles is how likely is LeBron to leave Cleveland?  Some think it’s a virtual certainty that LeBron bolts for New York, Chicago, or New Jersey/Brooklyn, while others steadfastly claim he’s staying.

The next question is in the event LeBron leaves Cleveland, who comes with him?  Because we know he’s not leaving alone.  There have been rumors circulating since the 2008 Olympics about a pact LeBron/D-Wade or LeBron/Bosh made about their future.  Who really knows whether a pact was made or not, but one thing is for certain, it makes for riveting entertainment.

The best thing about not knowing is we get to speculate until we’re blue in the face.   So here are the ten biggest names coming onto the free agent market and their likelihood of being moved between right now and when/if we tip off the 2010-2011 NBA season.

LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers
Contract Type: Player Option
Likelihood of Leaving: 5%
Possible Destinations: Anywhere
Best Destinations (in order): Chicago (if Bosh/Wade comes), LA Clippers, Chicago (if Bosh/Wade doesn’t come), Cleveland, NY Knicks
What Will Happen: Stays in Cleveland
My Thoughts: LeBron is the obvious coup de grace of the 2010 free agent class.  James’ agent can literally put map in front of his face, LeBron can close his eyes and blindly point to a place on the map, and that’s where he’ll play next year.  Dallas?  Los Angeles?  Kazakhstan?  Anything is possible.   While the possibilities may be endless, the reality is LeBron James is going nowhere.  Not even the basketball player with the most endorsements since Jordan can pass up the extra $30 million Cleveland can offer.  The best part is that LeBron already knows he’s staying in Cleveland.

You are probably asking, “How do you know?” Well, I’m not big on theories, but I have one regarding LeBron:  He was never even considering leaving. With speculation beginning before the 2008 season, LeBron has had thousands of opportunities to squash the “he’s leaving” rumors, but has never even come close to doing so.  Why?  Some say it’s because he wants to keep GM Danny Ferry on his toes.  While that may be part of it, the real reason is to weaken the competition across the NBA.  Think about it.  For the past couple of seasons, teams have hoarded 2010 expiring contracts like franchise players, shied away from making trades or signing free agents to contracts that go into the 2010-2011 season just to have a shot at LeBron.  And what has Cleveland done?  They added Shaquille O’Neal and Mo Williams for virtually nothing.  So basically LeBron’s team got immensely stronger, while the rest of the NBA (minus Lakers, Mavs, Spurs, Celtics, Magic, and Hawks) has stayed stagnant.  That leaves very few contenders standing in the way of LeBron and his first NBA Title.  So LeBron re-signs with Cleveland, and all the GM’s who coveted 2010 cap space are left looking like jackasses.  It’s the perfect diabolical plan.  I have you thinking, don’t I?

Dwyane Wade, SG, Miami Heat
Contract Type: Player Option
Likelihood of Leaving: 1%
Possible Destinations:  Chicago & Miami
Best Destinations: Chicago (With Bosh/LeBron), Miami (With Bosh/LeBron), Chicago (W/O Bosh/LeBron), LA Clippers, Miami (W/O Bosh/LeBron)
What Will Happen: Stays in Miami.
My Thoughts: Word out of Miami that Pat Riley is worried about Dwyane Wade’s discontent with his supporting cast.  Well rest assured, Pat, D-Wade isn’t going anywhere.  Miami is in a position to add two max players this summer, which means Wade will almost certainly have a Robin to his new-found Batman role.  The only reason I gave D-Wade a 1% chance of leaving is the allure of going home to Chicago.  If Chicago can get into a position to add two max players over the summer, a lineup including Bosh/Amare, D-Rose, and Noah might be tempting enough to get the Windy City the ultimate silver medal of the free agent class.

Chris Bosh, PF, Toronto Raptors
Contract Type: Player Option
Likelihood of Leaving: 90%
Possible Destinations: Chicago, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Cleveland (via Sign & Trade), Toronto, Dallas (Via Sign & Trade)
Best Destinations: Chicago (With LeBron/D-Wade), Cleveland Chicago (Without LeBron/D-Wade), Miami, Dallas
What Will Happen: Signs With Chicago.
My Thoughts: Finally, we get to talk about someone who will be on the move this summer.  Presumably it will come down to two major markets for Bosh’s services:  Miami and Chicago.  So why, with the opportunity to team up with Dwyane Wade, would he want to sign with Chicago?  Pat Riley.  We’re being blissfully ignorant if we think Riley isn’t just waiting in the wings to Stan Van current coach Erik Spoelstra.  And for some reason, I get the feeling that Bosh doesn’t respond well a forceful personality like Riley.  In turn, Bosh will tell his agent to take the Chicago offer, where he can play for a coach that makes Colts coach Jim Caldwell’s coaching style look like Al Pacino in “Any Given Sunday.”

Amare Stoudemire, PF, Phoenix Suns
Contract Type: Early Termination Option
Likelihood of Leaving: 100%
Possible Destinations: Philadelphia, Houston, New Jersey, New York, Detroit, Miami, Chicago, Washington, Cleveland
Best Destinations: Cleveland, Phoenix, Houston, New Jersey, Miami
What Will Happen: No trade gets worked out for Amare before the All-Star break.   He signs with former coach Mike D’Antoni & the New York Knickerbockers in the off-season
My Thoughts: The best thing for Amare is to stay in Phoenix with Steve Nash.  The proposed trades to Philadelphia, Detroit, and Miami will leave the teams with a presumptive horrendous extension they’ll be looking to get out of virtually immediately.  He’s already proven to be 20% less effective in a slow-down type system, couple that with the below par point guard play for Philly and Detroit, and Wade’s ball domination in Miami and you have a concoction of crap headed to whoever would land him in that scenario.  Luckily for the teams involved, Ben Gordon’s atrocious contract and Miami’s atrocious supporting cast will prevent any trade from happening.  This will allow Stoudemire to waltz out of Phoenix as a free agent where Coach Mike D’Antoni will land his 4th choice and massively overpay for a player who may not even be better than David Lee.

Joe Johnson, SG, Atlanta Hawks
Contract Type: Unrestricted Free Agent
Likelihood of Leaving: 35%
Possible Destinations: Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Atlanta
Best Destinations: Chicago (Wait on this one), Atlanta, New York, New Jersey
What Will Happen: Stays in Atlanta
My Thoughts: Okay, let’s immediately separate what will happen and what should happen.  Joe Johnson will not pass up the extra cash Atlanta will offer to keep him around, but let’s say he did for a second.  We’ve already established Wade and LeBron are staying put and say Bosh goes to Chicago like I have speculated.  Joe Johnson is not a max player, so Chicago won’t need to get rid of both Deng and Hinrich to afford the Johnson/Bosh duo.  So if they do get rid of Hinrich for an expiring, we’re looking at the following lineup for Chicago for years to come:
PG- Rose
SG- Johnson
SF- Deng
PF- Bosh
C- Noah
So regardless of whatever LeBron is able to bring into Cleveland or Wade to Miami, Chicago’s lineup will be better.  Multiple championships better.  But in the end, this won’t happen because Joe Johnson has proved although he’s a relatively quiet guy; he’s very interested in making the most money possible.  Atlanta will offer that.

Carlos Boozer, PF, Utah Jazz
Contract Type: Unrestricted Free Agent
Likelihood of Leaving: 75%
Possible Destinations: Utah & Miami
Best Destinations: Miami
What Will Happen: Signs with Miami
My Thoughts: I was going to put a lot of work into looking into Boozer’s best possibilities, but Miami just makes way too much sense not to happen.  Pat Riley wants a big man to team up with Dwyane Wade.  Boozer has been linked to Miami various times for the past two seasons.   Boozer’s market isn’t exactly going to be sprawling.  Basically, he’ll be one of the last players to sign, initially demanding a max deal before settling on something like 5 years/$60 million.  If I’m wrong about this, I’ll stick my foot square up my ass.

David Lee, PF, New York Knicks
Contract Type: Unrestricted Free Agent
Likelihood of Leaving: 30%
Possible Destinations: New York, New Jersey, Sign & Trade
Best Destinations: New York, Sign & Trade to Phoenix, Sign & Trade to Dallas, New Jersey
What Will Happen: Stays in New York…I think….Actually, fuck it….I have no idea.
My Take: Lee may be the player most adversely affected by being in the Class of LeBron.  I mean Lee may be averaging the quietest 20-12 in New York City history.  No one in NYC knows David Lee exists.  Even Spike Lee ignores him at the family reunion.    The sad part is if Lee put up these numbers last season, God knows Detroit would’ve thrown $100 million at him, but now he’ll be lucky to get 4 years/$36 million on the open market.  Since I really have no feel about what will happen to Lee, let’s go over my favorite scenarios for him.

New York:  This can only happen if the Knicks are totally burned on the free agent market and Lee is still available very late in the free agency process.  That way the Knicks can put a spin that they’re trying to build from within and were really focusing on the free agent class of 2011 the whole time.  Lee continues for playing for D’Antoni and the Knicks save face.  Win/Win

Sign & Trade to Phoenix:  This is cut and dried:  Amare for Lee in a sign-and-trade deal.  Lee gets to play with Steve Nash in an up-tempo system.  Phoenix gets something for Amare.  Opens up New York to sign another free agent based on Bird Rights.  Both teams win.

Sign & Trade to Dallas:  This is the trickiest scenario – It would require the Knicks being on the verge a second max player over the summer and Erik Dampier’s weird contract.  Jeffries and Lee for Dampier?  Which team says no in that scenario?  The real interesting part of this is how it would affect Lee’s game.  People have made jokes over the years about Mike D’Antoni’s system inflating stats and I equate it to a new program being the program shown after the Super Bowl.  Yes, “Undercover Boss” may have drawn 33 million people, but how disappointed will CBS be if draws 8 million or less in weeks to come?  Those are David Lee’s stats to me.  He may average 20-12 in D’Antoni’s system, but will owners be satisfied with the 16-8 he puts up in a normal system?  I think Mark Cuban may be the only owner who would.

Rudy Gay, SF, Memphis Grizzlies
Contract Type: Restricted Free Agent
Likelihood of Leaving: 20%
Possible Destinations: Memphis, LA Clippers, New York, New Jersey, Miami, Chicago, Cleveland (if LeBron leaves)
Best Destinations: LA Clippers, Memphis, Chicago, Miami, New York, New Jersey
What Will Happen: Signs an offer sheet with LA/NY/NJ worth around $8 million per, Memphis matches.
My Thoughts: Gay is another player that’s going to suffer from the increasing frugality of NBA owners.  An unselfish, 23 year-old, forward who puts up 20 a night with ease while often guarding opposition’s best player gets a max deal five years ago.  Not now.  Gay was looking for 5 years/$50 million in an extension with Memphis and he’ll be looking for no less than that on the “open” market.  Granted, if Mike D’Antoni or Russian Cuban wants their organization to save face this off-season, Gay may get massively overpaid if his agent is willing to pull a Scott Boras and wait until the last minute.  The sad part about the NBA is Gay’s unselfishness will end up burning him as he won’t be seen as a big enough name to excite either Metropolitan New York fan base.  Gay stays in Memphis.

Ray Allen, SG, Boston Celtics
Contract Type: Unrestricted Free Agent
Likelihood of Leaving: 60%
Possible Destinations: Any contender (depending on salary demands), Chicago, Washington
Best Destinations: Cleveland, Boston, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago
What Will Happen: Not traded during regular season, signs with Cleveland in off-season
My Thoughts: It is imperative that the Boston Celtics trade Ray Allen by the trade deadline.  They’re old, predictable, and have no chance to make a long playoff run if Allen is on the roster come May.  Well, actually, there is one scenario, but it’s messy.  Boston would have to make the rumored Allen for Caron Butler & Antawn Jamison deal, and then Washington would have to buy out Allen.  This won’t happen, mostly because Boston’s willingness to take on both Butler and Jamison’s salaries is nil.  Due to this, Celtics fans will be subjected to watching their team slowly die and Allen will leave for greener pastures on a mid-level deal in the off-season.

Shaquille O’Neal, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
Contract Type: Unrestricted Free Agent
Possible Destinations: Cleveland, New Jersey, Dallas
Best Destinations: Retirement
What Will Happen: Stays with Cleveland

My Thoughts: Maybe this area would have been best served talking about Manu Ginobili or Zydrunus Ilgauskis, Cleveland’s most effective center, but I’m using it for a plea to my all-time favorite player.  Shaquille, retire.  Please.  I’m begging you.  You’re 2 pounds away from Kevin Federline calling you to say “Bro, you let yourself go.”

I was watching the Cleveland-Orlando game last night and Patrick Chewing looked more in shape than you!  If he’s out of shape now when he was motivated to “win a ring for the King”, what the hell will he look like next season?  Shaq is so massively ineffective; he’s starting to remind me of Jerry Rice:  Seattle Seahawks version.  Much like Rice, he’s stunting the growth of younger players (J.J. Hickson) and only playing to boost his own ego.  I mean would anyone be shocked to see a 500 pound Shaq sign with Dallas, hurt his hamstring in the pre-season, and have to retire a la Denver Broncos Jerry Rice?  I thought so.

Other Notable Free Agents:

ETO/PO, will sign extension in the off-season: Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce

Free Agents that will re-sign:  Ray Felton, Zydrunas Ilgauskis, Manu Ginobili, Carl Landry, Kyle Lowry, Luis Scola, Derek Fisher, Roger Mason, Randy Foye

Free Agents that will leave: Mike Miller, Brendan Haywood, Nate Robinson, Al Harrington, Jermaine O’Neal, Marcus Camby, Tracy McGrady

This Season: 118-90

Had Indianapolis & Dallas Thursday & Saturday.

New England (-7.5) over Buffalo
Arizona (-10.5) over Detroit
Miami (+3.5) over Tennessee
Kansas City (-2.5) over Cleveland
Houston (-9.5) over St. Louis
Atlanta (+6.5) over NY Jets
Cincinnati (+6.5) over San Diego
Denver (-13.5) over Oakland
Philadelphia (-7.5) over San Francisco
Pittsburgh (pick) over Green Bay
Chicago (+10.5) over Baltimore
Seattle (-7.5) over Tampa Bay
Minnesota (-7.5) over Carolina
Washington (+3.5) over NY Giants

Last Week: 10-6

This Season: 109-83

Had Steelers Thursday Night

Atlanta (+9.5) over New Orleans
Green Bay (-3.5) over Chicago
Denver (+7.5) over Indianapolis
Buffalo (pick) over Kansas City
NY Jets (-3.5) over Tampa Bay
Miami (+2.5) over Miami
Baltimore (-13.5) over Detroit
Houston (-6.5) over Seattle
Cincinnati (+6.5) over Minnesota
New England (-13.5) over Carolina
St. Louis (+12.5) over Tennessee
Washington (-1.5) over Oakland
San Diego (+3.5) over Dallas
NY Giants (pick) over Philadelphia
Arizona (-3.5) over San Francisco