Draft Recap

Although this draft had a weak class, some block-buster deals went down, making it a somewhat interesting show. I'm going to break down the draft, show the winner of the draft, and the best parts of being in the Prudential Center to watch it live.

Jan Vesely

Washington was a clear winner in the 2011 Draft. With the 6th pick, they snagged Jan Vesely. Jan is a player with a very bright future and will fit well in their system. With the 18th pick, they stole Chris Singleton, a great prospect who was supposed to go much earlier. I also love their second roung pick in Sheldon Mack. He was a big leader for the Butler squad last year and was a blast to watch. He is going to be a good backup for John Wall, as well. For a starting lineup, you are looking at John Wall, Jordan Crawford, Jan Vesely, Andray Blatche, and JaVale McGee with Chris Singleton and Nick Young coming off the bench. Look for a great season from the Washington Wizards next season and maybe a playoff appearance.

At first, I felt bad for Knicks fans when they drafted Iman Shumpert. Yet, I did a little research and found out he wasn't too bad of a pick. He's a defensive specialist, what the Knicks need. He didn't remove the Knicks' need for defense, yet he lowered it. The whole crowd booed when David Stern called him name, and I don't blame them because he has "no name". Even Spike Lee didn't like the pick, yet he and the crowd should regret it. Although he was a good pick, but they had so much more available (Chris Singleton, Kenneth Faried).

I have no idea what went through the minds of the San Antonio front office when trading George Hill for Kawhi Leonard. Yes, they are trying to get younger, yet George Hill was one of their youngest players at 25-years-old. Maybe they love something in Kawhi....

To be completely honest, the draft was not the most entertaining one, yet , there were a few fun parts. It was amazing to see the Morris twins go back-to-back, and the Pru went insane. Many think that they went way too early, yet they were picked in the first round by Phoenix and Houston. Additionally, the fact that Houston picked Marcus while he was being interviewed was unbelievable. Another fan favorite was when Jan Vesely hooked up with his girlfriend, who actually was around his height. Other than those two moments, the draft was pretty dry (as expected).

Harrison Barnes

For those who did not follow/watch the draft, do not use this one as a first impression. Next year's draft is expected to be unbeleivable with players like Austin Rivers, Anthony Davis, Jared Sullinger, and Harrison Barnes. It is viewed as one of the deepest classes in history, and will be a blast to watch.

I highly recommend you attend the draft next year, as the tickets are cheap and the draft class will consist of many future all-stars.

Renault Megane Sport sets new FWD Nurburgring Record

Some might be surprised that the FWD record on the Nurburgring is held by Renault, but matter of fact is that this French car maker has held the FWD record for a few years now starting with a stripped down version of the Megane and now with the RenaultSport Megane 265 Trophy. This record was set by Renault test driver Laurent Hurgon. Fun fact, it was his second lap around the Nurburgring.

The official lap time was 8:07.97 which offically puts it ahead of the likes of the Audio S4, Porsche Boxster S, BMW M3 E46 and and the Nissan Skyline GT-R R32.

Here is the question we're all asking us. Why can't we have it?

Bradley In or Out?

After last nights disappointing 4-2 loss to Mexico, some USA soccer fans are starting to think should coach Bob Bradley be fired. Bradley and the US team have had their up and downs in the recent years. Some fans say that Bradley has done very well with this group of players; bringing them to a world cup round of 16, confederations cup final, and countless Gold Cup finals. These are solid points, but some 'yanks' fans think that Bradley needs to go. These naysayers claim with the size of the United States and the quality of out players that we should be considered one of the world's finest. USA's falling apart in the Gold Cup final just reiterates those fans opinions. If Bradley is to go there are some frontrunners for this much wanted coaching job. These candidates include Tab Ramos, Claudio Reyna, and Wilmer Cabrera. Do you think USA soccer needs this change? Does caoch Bob Bradley need to go?

Nurburgring 24 Hour Results

Track

The Nurburgring 24 Hour endurance race is one of the most prolific racing events that does not get enough coverage as it deserves. Taking place on probably the most famous racing track in the world every year the teams of Porsche, Audi and the likes bring exciting races to this famous German track.

The Winner of the race was the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Final Results

1. 18 Lieb/Luhr/Bern/Duma 156 9:50.166
2. 1 Mül/Farf/Alze/Lamy 156 9:24.921
3. 14 Bass/Fäs/Picc/Stip 155 9:37.582
4. 15 Stip/Henn/Haas/Wink 155 12:03.884
5. 16 Ekst/Sche/Wern/Abt 154 10:37.689
6. 22 Heye/Jäg/Blee/Seyf 153 9:03.563
7. 32 Arno/Marg/Brü/Fran 153 11:05.863
8. 2 Farn/Simo/Seef/Melo 152 9:43.708
9. 26 Abbe/Schm/Kent/Berg 152 9:36.345
10. 12 Weis/Kain/Jaco/Krum 151 10:44.891
11. 21 Meht/Bres/Bres/Rös 150 9:33.726
12. 17 Ludw/Mies/Jön/Abt 149 11:29.063
13. 8 West/Menz/Stur/Rieg 149 9:29.581
14. 125 Amme/Biel/Klin/Tomc 148 9:26.303
15. 34 Stuc/Stuc/Stuc/Rost 148 9:48.516

Source: Autoblog.com

NBA Labor Dispute is between owners themselves

After the NBA owners and NBAPA met yesterday again in New York to prevent the inevitable Lockout we found out that no progress was made and that a meeting was scheduled on wednesday in which the owners could potentially vote to implement a work stoppage. However what many people seem to forget in this ongoing rift is that the disagreement is not between all the NBA owners and the players yet the Owners have a rift between themselves.

The main issue that is preventing a deal from being reached is the issue of a hard cap vs a soft cap a hard cap would have a number set to be about 46 million that would not allow teams to have the abilty to have 3 close to maximum deal contracts and potentially make teams such as the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder from improving their teams and cause the less competitve teams such as the Washington Wizards, Sacremento Kings Cleveland Cavaliers to add talent with still a restrictive cap space.

Though the players have constantly maintained that they do not want to have a hard cap, Owners of current competitve teams do not want a hard cap as well and will do whatever they can to keep the current system. Those owners as well as the majority of players like the current system that involes all teams flexibilty to improve and create strong teams. As the players are united more than ever according to Union president Derek Fisher, the same can not be said for the owners which makes this whole labor dispute entirely ridiculous.

Tennis-Baseball All Star Team

I know we all think that the 4 major sports are baseball, basketball, hockey, and football. But the new up and coming sport is by far Tennis Baseball. It is a combination of two interesting sports tennis and baseball. Now here is our all star team for this amazing sport.

Catcher: Shaquille O'Neil (former basketball player)
This player is beast at the catcher position. He is strong and has the perfect tennis baseball mentality. I think he would be a very strong 3 hitter for this team.

1B Rory Mcilroy (golf player)
This player has a great swing and has really good hands. He would be good on the field because of his hands. And a good leadoff hitter because of his fast swing.

2B Dwight Freeny (football player)
This player is a great team motivator and that is what is needed for him out of 2B. And he's not a great hitter but when he hits it he hits it hard.

3B Roger Federer (tennis player)
At 3B the team needs a player who can throw far. He is a veteran on the team but his production has slowed down from his glory days.

SS Christiano Ronaldo (futbol player)
This player is a perfect franchise player for this team. He can kick start any team to victory.

LF Carl Crawford (baseball player)
This player Does not really fit this position but we might as well put him there.

CF Ed Bassmaster (comedian)
This player has a great attitude and can really spark up the team with his attitude

RF Alexander Ovechkin (hockey player)
This guy us a hard hitting right fielder and has the throw of a champion. After last season he Is a prized player and that is why he is on the all star team.

SP Danica Patrick (NASCAR driver)
This girl shows perseverance and that's what this team needs. She has good stamina and has a great curveball

SU Jeff van gundy ( ESPN Anyalist)
This guy just fits the prototype of this position no more said.

CP Snoop Dog (artist)
This guys pitches are so sweet and they always get the win.

Manager: Harry Potter (quidditch)
This guy just gives the team magic. Which i think can give the team a boost to win.

Thats all folks: your 2011 Tennis Baseball All Star Team.

Big Apples Eyes on the Prize

While everyone is paying attention to the NBA Draft tonight including mine; at 10:00 my eyes will be glued to the ESPN2 watching the New York Red Bulls vs Seattle Sounders. The New York Red Bulls have emerged as one of the leagues finest. They went from 2009 having the MLS's worst record and the second worst record ever to being first place in the eastern conference. One of the biggest reasons for this giant turnaround is former French national team captain, Thierry Henry. Henry, the leading goal scorer in Arsenal FC history and the MLS this year isn't just a scoring machine, but is now interested in turning a franchise around. Henry was the first to help the Red Bulls, and then brought over former teammate and Mexican national team captain Rafael Marquez. Two years ago, New York were just looking to get a .500 record, but now they have their eyes on the prize. The "Metros" are now looking to be a driving force in the MLS and pull away with first place in the Eastern Conference. Even with half of the Red Bulls lineup playing in this month's Gold Cup tournament, the Red Bulls have still maintained their first place spot. Young academy products such as Matt Kassel and Juan Agudelo have showed that the veterans don't have to do everything. They have both stepped up strongly and have played an important role in the Bulls rebuilding process. The Red Bulls who used to be a poor mans excuse to do something on a friday night are now the team that all metropolitan soccer kids are striving to play for. They are a team to watch out for and could be making a late November playoff run.

NBA 2011 Season Preview- Fantasy Basketball Edition

Welcome to another edition of The Fantasy Insider- Basketball Edition. Over and Undervalued.  Now that the 2010-2011 NBA season is complete, we can look back and discuss the flukes and non-flukes.  The following players I will list are people you should definitely trust or players you should stay away from. Players that are over and undervalued in Fantasy Basketball leagues.

Trust/Undervalued

Danilo Gallinari: (DEN)- With out a doubt, one of the NBA’s most overlooked players.  I don’t see why people aren’t paying more attention to Dinilo.  He’s got everything.  Pure shooting, a great passer, gets rebounds, both on defense and offence.  He’s got a great career a head of him. Only 22, he’s 6’10, 225 Lbs and in his 3^rd year.  You can trust Gallinari to put up solid numbers for your Fantasy team, blocks, steals, points, you name it.  He’s not INSANE, but can help your team with all categories.

Kris Humphries: (NJ)-Exactly the same situation as Gallinari, VERY underrated.  Kris has been trying to get his name out for years, and his 2010-2011 campaign was a success.  His name is getting out there, but still overlooked.  Humphries is legit.  Very aggressive, and can help you team with many categories. Last year he averaged a double double in points and rebounds (10 points and 10.4 Rebs per games). Now, those stats are amazing considering he averaged playing 27.9 minutes per games. (Also averaged 1.1 Blocks per game).  Humphries is a team leader, very trust worthy and will be a great pick in your 2011-2012 draft.

Tyson Chandler: (DAL)- Chandler is very underrated.  He showed many people why he should be talked about more often throughout the playoffs.  He plays shut down Defense, gets a lot of boards and blocks.  Probably, in my opinion, one of the best team leaders, and energizers in the NBA.  He helped the Mavs to win their first franchise championship.  He doesn’t score much, but is and will be a HUGE help with all the other categories (Besides assists and FT %).  Many people think he’s old cause he has been in the league for so long, but he is only 28 and is on his way to becoming a premier Fantasy center.

Other players: James Harden/ Luol Deng/Michael Beasley/Lamar Odom

Don’t trust/Overvalued

Dorell Wright: (GSW)-Last year was his first year as a full-time starter, Wright finished in the Top 30 in ESPN’s player rater. Averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 2.3 3-pointers on the season, Wright gave fantasy owners a great combo of stats, with his steals, rebounds and 3-pointers. Typically the players that can offer that type of stats, are trusted, but if owners head into next season expecting the same type of season, they may come away disappointed. It's not really the steals and blocks; it's his scoring and 3-point shooting that makes people worried. Wright was a streaky shooter for a majority of the season, and without a question benefited from playing alongside Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. Wright could take a major hit in the shooting and scoring categories in this upcoming 2011-2012 season.

Tim Duncan:(SA)- One of the best Centers of all time, Tim Duncan, is on the decline.  As each season goes by, his numbers are declining in almost every category.  Now, 35, turning 36 in April, Duncan also worries is owners with his risk in injuries.  Although Duncan still can put up solid numbers when healthy, he isn’t who he used to be.  He only has a couple of years left in him.  I expect him average around 10-12 points, and 7-8 rebounds per game in this upcoming season.  I’m not saying he is overvalued, but I think Duncan is the type of player you shouldn’t trust to be your starting center in your fantasy lineups.

Vince Carter: (PHX): Worthy of The HOF, Vince Carter is in the same boat as Duncan. Vince isn’t so much overvalued; it’s just that you shouldn’t trust him.  In the past 3 years Vince’s stats have dropped, points, rebounds, assists, etc.  His injury risk also worries me; turning 35 in January. His past seasons: 08’-09 averaged 20.8 points. 09’-10 averaged 16.6 points, and last season he averaged 13.5 points.  He still might be able to average double digit points, but don’t expect a lot out of the aging Carter. 

Other Players: Andre Iguodala/Andrew Bynum/Baron Davis/Chauncey Billups

Flyers Trade Richards, Carter in Blockbusters, Sign Bryzgalov

The Philadelphia Flyers are a new team.

In an attempt to relieve themselves of much needed cap space, the Philadelphia Flyers have traded captain, Mike Richards and consistent goal scorer, Jeff Carter in two separate blockbuster trades.

The first deal involved Carter being shipped off to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakub Voracek, a first round draft pick (8th overall), and a third round draft choice.

Jakub Voracek, a first round draft pick back in 2007 has been developing nicely, and has the potential to be a first line/second line player in the National Hockey League.

The 8th overall pick may have sealed the deal for the Flyers, as they have a chance to select a premiere prospect tomorrow at the NHL Entry Draft.

Jeff Carter is on a mega million dollar contract, after recently signing a 11 year deal, which will annually pay him 5.272 million dollars a year. However, despite the hefty price, Carter is a very talented two way player and a future 50 goal scorer in this league.

Although the Jackets obviously paid a big price for Carter, they finally (can't emphasize that enough) get a guy to play along side Rick Nash on the Blue Jackets first line.

In the second deal of the day, the Philadelphia Flyers moved captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a second round draft pick.

Wayne Simmonds is a serviceable second line/third line winger who can get the job done when called upon, making him a valuable asset for any team.

Brayden Schenn, a first round draft selection in 2009 is a guy with tons of potential. Having dominated the Western Hockey League for some time now, Schenn recently moved up to the American Hockey League, playing for the Manchester Monarchs. Schenn now has quite the opportunity to crack the Flyers lineup for the upcoming 2011-2012 season.

Mike Richards will be an enormous addition to this King's team, looking to make it out of the first round for the first time in a long time.

However in the city of "Brotherly Love", Richards appeared to be a bad seed in the locker room, often butting heads with bonifide veteran, Chris Pronger.

With that being said, Richards is a complete player, and will surely complement the likes of Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar.

After the conclusion of these deals, the Flyers organization made the much anticipated announcement- the signing of Russian goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov.

The contract was signed for 9 years, for a reported 51 million dollars. At a cap hit of 5.7 million dollars, (OH BOY) the Flyers have potentially, possibly, maybe, not exactly fixed their goaltending problems.

I will go into more detail about the signing of Bryzgalov in a different article.

Stay Tuned!

NHL Awards Ceremony Recap

The superstars of the NHL graced the beautiful scene of Las Vegas, as the National Hockey League rolled out the red carpet for the annual awards ceremony.

In cased you missed it last night, here's a list of the winners for all the awards presented.



Stanley Cup- Boston Bruins

Presidents Trophy- Vancouver Canucks

Prince of Whales Trophy- Boston Bruins

Clarence Cambell Trophy- Vancouver Canucks

Conn Smythe Throphy- Tim Thomas (Boston Bruins)

Art Ross- Daniel Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)

Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy- Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks)

William M. Jennings Trophy- Roberto Luongo and Corey Schnieder (Vancouver Canucks)

Vezina Trophy- Tim Thomas (Boston Bruins)

Frank J. Seleke Trophy- Ryan Kesler (Vancouver Canucks)

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy- Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Calder Memorial Trophy- Jeff Skiner (Carolina Hurricanes)

James Norris Memorial Trophy- Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings)

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy- Ian Laperriere (Philadelphia Flyers)

NHL Foundation Player Award- Dustin Brown (Los Angeles Kings)

Jack Adams Award- Dan Bylsma (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Hart Memorial Trophy- Correy Perry (Anaheim Ducks)

Ted Lindsay Award- Daniel Sedin (Vancouver Canucks)

General Manager of the Year Award- Mike Gillis (Vancouver Canucks)

Mark Messier Leadership Award- Zdeno Chara (Boston Bruins)

King Clancy Trophy- Doug Weight (New York Islanders)

What to expect from the NBA Draft

Many agree that this years NBA draft class is one of the weakest in NBA history. There are no automatic stars in the draft this year. In former drafts there was almost always a player who was bound to be a future all-star. Last year: John Wall and Demarcus Cousins. The year before that: Blake Griffin, and every year there is another star.

Some of the few who are projected to be very successful in the National Basketball Association are Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams, Enes Kanter, and Jonas Valanciunas. Not any of these players are truly defined so i am going to go describe why I don't think they will be immediate stars.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving (Duke): First of all, we only saw Kyrie Irving play 10 games in his college career. He is a leader but in my opinion I do not think that a player of his age and experience is ready to compete with NBA-level players. He definitely has the talent, yet he has to show us more of it.

Derrick Williams

Derrick Williams (Arizona): Secondly Derrick Williams is good but come to the NBA Level he is just as big as everyone else. That allowed him to dominate at the college level but in the NBA he is no bigger then anyone else. I do not think Derrick Williams will last more then 5 years in the NBA.

Enes Kanter

Enes Kanter (Turkey) and Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania): Lastly i don't think either of the International players will be good in the NBA. Yes Kanter and Valanciunas have height and potential but i am not really a fan of international players. I mean maybe once every 10 years we get a player like Dirk but most of the times they spend their careers on the Bench.

I could be wrong and all of these players could be in the Hall of Fame one day. But in my opinion i think that this years draft will be known for wasting the 1st 5 picks on unuseful players.

USA Soccer on the Incline

Soccer in general is thought to be a South American and European sport. Though, with the United States continuous rise they could soon put North America on the map. The USA team had a par World Cup and don't have much to brag on that part of the scale. Since then, they have only lost two games and have put in some clutch performances against solid teams. US are in the Concacaf Gold Cup tournament and are now moving on to the Finals to play either Mexico or Honduras. Also, some people think that the United States team has no good players and the United States should just stick to football and baseball. This could be any further from the truth because players such as Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan are in their prime and thriving. Dempsey, the leading scorer all-time at first division English club Fulham made the EPL all-first team this year to go along with his 12 goals. The USA, ranked 22nd in the world out of over 200 teams is hitting their stride at the right time. They have many young players such as Eric Lichaj, Juan Agudelo, and Alejandro Bedoya that could be in top-competition form for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. This team is possibly the best team the USA has ever had and they have a strong possibility of winning the Gold Cup tournament and advancing to the Confederations Cup tournament in 2013. While some doubters may say the US don't have a chance, I believe that they can become a force to be reckoned with. Disagree? Comment and tell me what you think about the topic.

Who is this Rory Mcilroy

This man is a 22 year old golfer who just achieved one of the greatest feats in golf. He won the prestigious U.S Open. He did not just win it he dominated every other golfer in the running. Some people compared him to Tiger in his prime. Now i have heard from many that his swing is the best in the PGA. But how many Majors is that going to produce him?

About 2 months ago Rory blew most likely the biggest lead in Masters history. He was up by 4 strokes going into the final day and ended up loosing by 10 strokes to Charl Shwartzel. This was just a stage in a young kids life that he had to handle. Luckily this happened to him early in his career.

This ended up helping him not blow his lead in the U.S Open and led him to his first major. I think this young kid has a very bright future as long as he is led on the right path.

Who's the greatest soccer player in the world

The one question that always come to mind when thinking about soccer is who is the greatest soccer player in the world. Lionel Messi in my opinion has ended this debate...for now. Messi, the 5 foot 6 argentinian forward has proved size doesn't matter when it comes to soccer. When Messi was growing up in Rosario, Argentina he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. At this time, Messi had tons of futbol skill, but no team was willing to take a risk because of his size. Though, one team took a chance on the future Ballon d'Or winner; this team was FC Barcelona. Messi has since become one of the greatest soccer players of all time. You can't compare anybodys stats with Messi's league leading 31 goals and 18 assists. Even, though these may be astronomical numbers for a soccer player; it isn't the statistics that blow your mind when watching him play. Messi, is knocked and beaten to the ground every game (with maximum contact) and doesn't say a word to the referee. Unlike most soccer players Messi doesn't dive and fall down everytime he gets touched. The thing that suprises you when you watch "Messiah" is that he toys with other players and it looks like he isn't even trying. This small skinny kid that nobody wanted is now the man that everytime is willing to pay millions of dollars for. Anybody disagree? Feel free to post

Verdasco 5-Set Comeback in Round 1 at Wimbledon

21st ranked in the world Fernando Verdasco pulled off a close win today against Radek Stephanek in a five-set marathon earlier today.  Stephanek had no trouble manipulating the court and taking control of the game and took the first two sets in his favor. Verdasco quickly fell behind, but some light sparked in his game entering the third set. The Spaniard rallied back, picking up the mess he had just left behind. He went on to win the third set 6-3, and continued to hit rather well, compared to the previous two sets.

The fourth set was truly a nail biter. Both Verdasco and Stephanek were on serve at 6-6, leading to a tiebreaker. Late in the tiebreaker at 6-5 match point for Stephanek, Verdasco pulled of a beautiful passing shot, saving himself from being eliminated. He had already disappointed the crowd weeks earlier at the French Open in Spain, where he lost early in the third round. He went on to win the fourth set 7-6. At 2-2 in sets, both players were once again even in terms of scoring. Verdasco however, had the momentum, winning the last two sets. Stephanek didn't seem to be bothered, holding serve and keeping the score close. Wimbledon rules state that the last set has to be won by a margin of two games, not points, so therefore the two players would go into extended matchplay. Fortunately for both players, they did not have another Isner-Mahut incident and Verdasco pushed through to win the 5th set 9-7. Verdasco, once ranked in the single digits, has been awfully quiet this year at tournaments. We have still yet to see Verdasco win a major, but the 27 year-old still has some energy left. He is set to play Robin Haase on Wednesday.

Formula One returns to the United States

Source: racingready.com

The F1 Commercial Rights Holder and Full Throttle Productions, LP, who are promoters of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix announced that the Formula One Grand Prix host city for 2012-2021 will be Austin, Texas.

The agreement will for the first time in 50 years cause a dedicated Formula One racing facility to be built. The last time a dedicated course in the United States was used for Formula One was 30 years ago in 1981.

The German design firm, Tilke GmbH, that is responsible for developing the track has already started to set up office in Texas. The facility is said to be over 900 acres large and be able to hold over 100,000 fans. The construction of the facility will cause the creation of over 2,000 temporary jobs. The creation of the facility would bring over 300 million dollars annually to the local economy.

Why American soccer is horrible

Source: CNN.com

American soccer is horrible. It can easily be classified as the most emotionless, boring and unimpressive soccer played in the world and for a good reason.

For most of the world soccer has become a daily occurrence in their lives. From advertisements to lunch break talks,  soccer is a fact of life for hundreds of millions of people around the world. It is far beyond just a simple obsession but a way of life. You can at any time point randomly at the map and there is a 97% chance that the biggest sport in that country is soccer. Unless you happen to point at the United States of America. A nation with over 300 million people, mind you many of them immigrants, and take a guess how soccer fares there. Soccer is most certainly not the most popular sport in the United States. It isn't even in the top five sports. Now my issue is not with the U.S. not watching soccer, in all honesty that is a cultural thing and no one should judge that. My real issue lies that a good majority of Americans consider soccer to be "gay, queer and unimportant".

Yes, my issue lies with the big mouthed opinion that many Americans have towards soccer. Americans have that odd belief that the whole sports world rotates around them. My favorite example is that the World Series is called the "World" Series. I don't see anything international about it. This mentality is the direct cause of why soccer sucks in the United States. Many Americans refuse to accept soccer to be the biggest sport in the world. I've had people tell me "Well you're in America, soccer is not important here!" These people are ruining American soccer by taking away any potential interest in the sport.

Here is the truth about soccer, there is 45% the game and then there is 55% the passion revolving around the game. You can have the best team in the world but you're game will still suck if the crowd is slow and the announcers don't have passion. The United States is an excellent example in the case. The U.S. national team is not bad beyond any measure, they are an above average team, that has potential to become one of the all time greats. But it just won't if the U.S. crowds stay this boring and the general acceptance of the sport stays this low. Every single soccer game In the U.S. that I have watched or been to has been emotionless when compared to games I watched in Germany. The crowds were just not involved in the game and the TV announcers don't have any enthusiasm for the game. Believe it or not it takes away from the game, I would much rather watch a 2nd Bundesliga game then any MLS game for that same reason.

Take everything I say with a grain of salt, it is an opinion after all but something to think about. What is the reason that absolutely nowhere in the world the MLS is watched as religiously as the Premiere League or La Liga. I don't think it's the lack of skill, but something more, it's that little thing that brings everyone no matter what team together, it's the passion for the game. I don't think it's missing, but yet to be found.


Note: This is an editorial and the opinion of the writer.

Breaking News: Atlanta To Winnipeg Officially Done

The National Hockey League Board of Governors have officially approved the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers franchise to Winnipeg.

This marks the first time a National Hockey League franchise has relocated, since the Hartford Whalers moved to Carolina back in 1997.

More information, posted in a previous article, can be found here.

2011 NBA Offseason: Free Agency

This offseason their aren't really that many quality free agents. Most of the free agents are just role players. This is where i think some of them will go:

J.R. Smith- Nets

Jason Richardson- Memphis

Tayshaun Prince- Dallas

Caron Butler- New Orleans

David West- Nets

Marc Gasol- Knicks

Jamaal Crawford- Portland

Greg Oden- Toronto

Wilson Chandler- Nuggets

Thaddeus Young- Sixers

Nick Young- Nets or Wizards

Post where you think these players will be next season as a comment.

2011 NBA Mock Draft

The NBA Draft is only a few days away, on Thursday, June 23rd in Newark, NJ. So this is everyone's favorite time for mock drafts. While this draft class may be viewed as weak by many pundits, there are players to be had, it's just a matter of finding them. And without further ado, here is my 2011 NBA Mock Draft.

Kyrie Irving

1) Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving, 6-2 PG, Duke: Kyrie is a special PG with excellent court vision and playmaking skills. He has the potential to be an All-Star down the road even though he had very limited college experience. Expect Ramon Sessions to be traded after this pick.

Derrick Williams

2) Minnesota Timberwolves: Derrick Williams, 6-8 SF/PF, Arizona: Williams is a do-it-all kind of player. He can shoot, he can take you off the bounce, he can play in the low post. He is also very athletic. His only problem is that he lacks a clear-cut NBA position, but even so, he is the second best player in this draft. In my opinion, this pick will be traded, but whoever ends up making this pick will almost certainly draft Derrick Williams.

3) Utah Jazz: Brandon Knight, 6-4 PG, Kentucky: Utah will look to replace Deron Williams with this pick, and Knight is the kind of guy who can do that. He has great size for a PG and while his passing could use work, he is already a good offensive NBA PG.

4) Cleveland Cavaliers: Enes Kanter, 6-11 C, Turkey: Kanter is a legitimate 6-11 Center who already possesses a post up game, which is tremendously rare at his age. He has great size and the potential to have an offense built around him and Irving.

5) Toronto Raptors: Jonas Valanciunas, 6-11 C, Lithuania: This is a huge kid with great passion for the game and good developing skills. He could potentially be a steal with all that upside he has, but could also be a disappointment as such a high pick. Look for Andrea Bargnani to possibly be traded in this case.

6) Washington Wizards: Jan Vesely, 6-11 SF, Czech Republic: Vesely has great length and a developing outside shot, and is also very athletic. Could develop into a good NBA wing, but is definitely a risk.

7) Sacramento Kings: Kemba Walker, 6-0 PG, UConn: The Kings have long lacked a true point, and Kemba with some work could give them that. He is a dynamic scorer and will be a good sixth man right out of the gates behind Marcus Thornton (assuming he is resigned) and Tyreke Evans in the backcourt.

8) Detroit Pistons: Kawhi Leonard, 6-7 SF, San Diego State: Kawhi is a tough player and a strong rebounder, and although his outside shot isn't great, he could be a good player on the wings in the NBA. With Tayshaun Prince's contract up, Kawhi would be an ideal replacement.

Bismack Biyombo

9) Charlotte Bobcats: Bismack Biyombo, 6-9 PF/C, Congo: Biyombo has had a meteoric rise up draft boards as his stock improves, with good reason. He has an absolutely ridiculous 7-7 wingspan and uses it to block shots at extremely high rates. He will be a defensive force in the NBA.

10) Milwaukee Bucks: Alec Burks, 6-6 SG, Colorado: Burks is a tremendous prospect at the 2 guard position. He is a little skinny and may get pushed around a little at the outset of his NBA career, but that doesn't change the fact that he is tremendous offensively. He can score in a variety of ways, is great in transition, and has a great handle. Love this pick for Milwaukee.

11) Golden State Warriors: Donatas Motiejunas, 7-0 F/C, Lithuania: Valanciunas is another big kid with enormous potential. However, he shows even more polish than some of the other international guys, displaying tremendous shooting ability from anywhere on the court. Think of a very, very, very poor (almost homeless) man's Dirk Nowitzki. I hate to compare anyone to a guy as great as Dirk, but he is very similar to him in some ways. Klay Thompson is a possibility here if they trade Monta Ellis.

12) Utah Jazz: Chris Singleton, 6-9 SF, Florida State: The Jazz already have Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap up front, along with their big man of the future, Derrick Favors. So using another high pick on a big man would not make sense. However, Andrei Kirilenko is a free agent, and Singleton is an ideal replacement as a big wing defender with versatility. This is really a perfect pick for Utah.

Tristan Thompson

13) Phoenix Suns: Tristan Thompson, 6-8 PF, Texas: Phoenix needs another big man, and Thompson is a pretty good one. He can score down low, and is very athletic. Good fit here for a guy who could possibly go even higher.

14) Houston Rockets: Jordan Hamilton, 6-7 SF, Texas: The Longhorns go back-to-back here as Hamilton joins the Rockets. He is a great shooter and scorer and Houston is in need of a Small Forward. Good value here.

15) Indiana Pacers: Klay Thompson, 6-6 SG, Washington State: Thompson is a great shooter and would be a great fit as well as a good value at 15. The Pacers lack a good starting two guard, and they could be getting one here.

16) Philadelphia 76ers: Marcus Morris, 6-9 SF/PF, Kansas: The Sixers could use another rugged, tough, big man up front and Morris also has a serviceable game around the perimeter. This is the area of the draft where great value picks are being made, and this is a good one for Philly.

Jimmer Fredettw

17) New York Knicks: Jimmer Fredette, 6-2 PG, BYU: Jimmer's slide is over with what would be an incredibly popular pick. Fredette is an unbelievable shooter and would have one year under Chauncey Billups before (ideally) taking a bigger role as a popular player for the Knicks. MSG would love to learn how to Jimmer.

18) Washington Wizards: Marshon Brooks, 6-5 SG, Providence: Brooks is an amazing scorer, as evidenced by his 20+ point average in the Big East. While he could use some polish, he is very athletic and can score with the best of them. Good compliment for John Wall.

19) Charlotte Bobcats: Tobias Harris, 6-8 SF, Tennessee: Having already selected Biyombo in this Mock Draft, Charlotte goes with a young but extremely talented SF to eventually replace Stephen Jackson. He may be one of the youngest players in the draft, but he has great polish and basketball IQ along with good athleticism and offensive ability.

20) Minnesota Timberwolves: Nikola Vucevic, 7-0 C, USC: Minnesota desperately needs a Center (they start Darko Milicic, yes, you heard that right) and Vucevic measured extremely well at the combine and is one of the few 7 footers in this draft. He can also shoot well, even if he isn't the most athletic guy.

21) Portland Trail Blazers: Markieff Morris, 6-10 PF, Kansas: Portland needs some depth in the frontcourt and Markieff is the bigger and tougher Morris twin. He can rebound well and brings incredible intensity whenever he's on the floor.

22) Denver Nuggets: Tyler Honeycutt, 6-8 SF, UCLA: Pretty much all of Denver's wings are free agents (Chandler, Afflalo, Smith), so they need to have some insurance. Honeycutt is a good, versatile player who can shoot off the dribble, rebound, and pass.

23) Houston Rockets: Iman Shumpert, 6-5 SG, Georgia Tech: Athletic wing defender that can play both positions in the backcourt. The Rockets need some depth at the point.

24) Oklahoma City Thunder: Justin Harper, 6-10 SF/PF, Richmond: Harper is a stretch 4 with great shooting ability. He is skinny and not a great rebounder, but he certainly has the length for the PF position. He is a great replacement for Jeff Green.

25) Boston Celtics: Kenneth Faried, 6-8 PF, Morehead State: Boston is thrilled to land the sliding Faried. He gives them much needed intensity and rebounding down low, with the departures of Shaq and Perkins and the pending Free Agency of Big Baby Davis, Faried fills a big need after his big drop.

26) Dallas Mavericks: Kyle Singler, 6-9 SF, Duke: After their great championship run, the Mavs know their window for greatness is closing fast. So, with this pick, they pick up a mature SF who can help them now with his shooting ability.

27) New Jersey Nets: JaJuan Johnson, 6-10 PF, Purdue: Johnson is a great scorer, shooter, and athlete, who fills a need in Jersey as backup PF behind Kris Humphries. He may also get some minutes at Center behind Brook Lopez.

28) Chicago Bulls: Josh Selby, 6-3 SG, Kansas: Chicago has a pretty glaring need at SG, and Selby is a great athlete who could potentially bring scoring to the Bulls bench.

29) San Antonio Spurs: Trey Thompkins, 6-10 PF, Georgia: Tim Duncan isn't getting any younger and the Spurs need to start grooming his eventual replacement. Thompkins is a good athlete and scorer and has potential.

30) Chicago Bulls: Jimmy Butler, 6-8 SF, Marquette: A hard working kid with a great story, Butler adds more much-needed depth to the Chicago wing.

SECOND ROUND:

31) Miami Heat: Reggie Jackson, 6-3 PG, Boston College

32) Cleveland Cavaliers: Davis Bertans, 6-10 SF, Latvia

33) Detroit Pistons: Nolan Smith, 6-3 PG/SG, Duke

34) Washington Wizards: Chandler Parsons, 6-10 SF/PF, Florida

35) Sacramento Kings: Nikola Mirotic, 6-10 SF, Serbia

36) New Jersey Nets: Charles Jenkins, 6-3 G, Hofstra

37) LA Clippers: Jon Leuer, 6-11 PF, Wisconsin

38) Houston Rockets: Bojan Bogdanovic, 6-7 SF, Croatia

39) Charlotte Bobcats: Malcolm Lee, 6-5 SG, UCLA

40) Milwaukee Bucks: Norris Cole, 6-2 PG, Cleveland St.

41) LA Lakers: Shelvin Mack, 6-3 G, Butler

42) Indiana Pacers: Jordan Williams, 6-10 PF, Maryland

43) Chicago Bulls: Andrew Goudelock, 6-3 PG, Charleston

44) Golden State Warriors: Isaiah Thomas, 5-9 PG, Washington

45) New Orleans Hornet: E'Twaun Moore, 6-4 SG, Purdue

46) LA Lakers: Scotty Hopson, 6-7 SF, Tennessee

47) LA Clippers: Jeremy Tyler, 6-11 C, USA

48) Atlanta Hawks: Jereme Richmond, 6-7 SF, Illinois

49) Memphis Grizzlies: Demetri McCamey, 6-3 PG, Illinois

50) Philadelphia 76ers: Jon Diebler, 6-6 SG, Ohio State

51) Portland Trail Blazers: Cory Joseph, 6-3 PG, Texas

52) Detroit Pistons: David Lighty, 6-5 SG, Ohio State

53) Orlando Magic: DeAndre Liggins, 6-6 SG, Kentucky

54) Cleveland Cavaliers: Jamine Peterson, 6-6 SF, Providence

55) Boston Celtics: Rick Jackson, 6-9 PF, Syracuse

56) LA Lakers: Ben Hansbrough, 6-3 PG, Notre Dame

57) Dallas Mavericks: Keith Benson, 6-11 C, Oakland

58) LA Lakers: Malcolm Thomas, 6-8 SF/PF, San Diego State

59) San Antonio Spurs: Matthew Bryan-Amaning, 6-9 PF, Washingotn

60) Sacramento Kings: Willie Reed, 6-9 PF, St. Louis

The Young Aces- Fantasy Baseball Edition

Welcome to Fantasy insider-Baseball edition.  Pitcher Keepers for a 10+ team league.  The following Pitchers I have selected are up and coming young players.  Their names might already be big, but you might be able to get them cheap now, where as in a couple of years you wont.  Alright here it is:

Starting Pitchers:

Clayton Kershaw- (LAD)- Came in to the Biggs at 20, and had 22 starts, fanning 100 batters. Now, that’s pretty good considering he was a rookie.  Kershaw is a huge strikeout guy, which will help your staff, and manages to keep a low ERA.  Last year Clayton had an amazing 2.91 era, with 212 strikeouts in 204.1 innings.   With his build of 6-3 215 lbs and arm, I think he will be an elite pitcher for years to come.

Jaime Garcia- (STL) – Only 24, Garcia is showing what he is capable of.  He is on a great St. Louis Cardinals ball club, and has great stuff.  Garcia started to get his name out last year when he got put in the starting rotation.  He started 28 games, had a 2.70 Era, 13 wins and 132 strikeouts.  This year it looks like he is right on track, already has 6 wins, 84 strikeouts and 3.19.  Now the Era will come down sooner or later, due to 2 bad starts.  Garcia is a great candidate to invest in, and will definitely be worth it, as he becomes stronger and a more experienced pitcher.

Tommy Hanson- (ATL)-Hanson 6-6, 220, has as a ton of potential. Only 24, he is on his way to becoming a CY Young candidate.  Last year wasn’t his best, but still put up pretty good numbers; posted a 3.33 Era, 10 wins, and 173 strikeouts in 202.2 innings.  Actually in his first year as a rookie, 2 years ago, he was dominant, had a 2.89 Era, had an 11-4 record and fanned 116, and only started 21 games.  This year he is right on pace for another stellar season.

Michael Pineda- (SEA)- My favorite Keeper, by far.  This kid has an insanely strong arm and averages in the high 90’s when throwing his fastball.  He is only a rookie, 22, and is showing that he can be trusted as a great fantasy pitcher and keeper.  He is huge, 6-7, 260 lbs.  He has a 2.64 Era, 85 K’s and 7 wins so far in his rookie season.  I can’t imagine how good Pineda will be in later years, as he becomes stronger and more durable. 

Closers: 

Neftali Feliz: (TEX)- Many people might not think so, but closers are just as valuable as starting pitchers in a rotisserie league.  But you need the right closers in order to make that statement true.  Nefali Feliz, only 23, is becoming one of the leagues premier closers and is climbing to the top each time he closes. (HINT: this is a good time to get Feliz before he IS the Top closer!).  Playing of the Texas Rangers, he gets a lot of run support.  He gets a lot of saves and a lot of strikeouts.   In only 69.1 innings, he fanned 71 and had 40 saves.  Like Pineda, he averages in the high 90’s when throwing his fastball.  In a couple of years, he will make is way to top status as the leagues’ top closer.

Craig Kimbrel: (ATL)- Get this guy quick!  He doesn’t have a big name, like Neftali, but is doing very well this season.  He is a great in investment in a keeper league, only 23 in his 2^nd year.  Has 19 saves, 55 K’s in only 36 innings as the Braves closer. Like Feliz, Kimbrel gets a lot of K’s and saves, is on a good ball club, and keeps a low Era.  Put all that together = a great Closer.  Even this year, he is approaching top 10 status for closers, so in a keeper league, this guy is a must own.

Nicklas Lidstrom Resigns With Detroit

It appears as if Nicklas Lidstrom will not follow in the foot steps of fellow veteran, Marc Recchi.

Instead, the six time Norris Trophy Winner will return for the 2011-2012 season, in search for his fifth Stanley Cup Championship.

The Detroit Red Wing's captain has struck a deal with the Wings for one year, worth a reported 6.2 million dollars.

This move made by Ken Holland is huge, considering the Wings lost offensive defenseman, Brian Ralfaski to retirement.

Though Holland is expected to make a big splash in free-agency, to acquire another stud defenseman to replace Rafalski.

Finishing with 62 points last season, it's obvious the future hall of famer still has plenty to offer for a Detroit franchise looking to hoist it's second Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League post-lockout era.

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Philadelphia Phillies: The Brilliance of Cole Hamels

Today against the Mariners, Cole Hamels can become the first pitcher in the MLB to reach ten wins. Wow, what a difference one year makes.

Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee raved about Hamels this spring, saying he was improved and finally would live up to his potential. After a terrible showing in his first start of the season going only two and 2/3 innings while allowing six runs in a loss to the Mets, Cole had Phillies fans thinking, "Here we go again."

After this awful showing, Hamels has been an ace among aces. He has nine wins (tied with Roy Halladay for the NL lead), only two losses, and has a stunning 2.49 ERA, which leads the Phillies staff. Hamels has also went seven or more innings in 11 of his 14 starts. He has 97 strikeouts, which is eighth in the MLB and fifth in the NL.

However, the most impressive part about the way Hamels has pitched has not been his stats. It has been his mentality. Back in 2009 and even last season, it was evident that Cole did not have his head straight.

If he didn't get one call his way, he would pant and argue until he pitched himself out of the game. In the World Series in 2009, Cole said he couldn't wait until the season was over. He was in line to pitch game seven of the World Series, but he was worrying about when the season would be over.

Cole then had a decent 2010 season going 12-11 with a 3.06 ERA, but made it his goal to return to his 2008 World Series and NLCS MVP form.

Cole has been brilliant on the mound, and has kept his composure many times this season after not getting calls his way.

Coming out of the Phillies farm system, scouts raved about Hamel's mid-90s fastball and his nasty change-up. The question was, could he develop a third pitch?

Not only did Cole develop a third pitch, but he even acquired a fourth.

This season, Cole has been throwing all four of his pitches effectively. Early in career, his curveball was responsible for most of his HR allowed, and now it is a go to strikeout pitch along with his change-up. Also, he has developed a very good cutter to add to his repertoire.

Ironically because of a doubleheader with the Marlins, Hamels is now pitching the game before Roy Halladay. Maybe this is a sign for years to come, that Cole Hamels will be an ace for years to come.