Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Latest NFL Mock Draft

NFL Mock Draft Latest Update

Round 1
1 Detroit Andre Smith* OT 6'5" 340 Alabama
2 St. Louis Matthew Stafford* QB 6'3" 237 Georgia
3 Kansas City Michael Johnson DE 6'7" 247 Georgia Tech
4 Seattle Michael Crabtree** WR 6'3" 214 Texas Tech
5 Cleveland Chris Wells* RB 6'1" 235 Ohio State
6 Cincinnati Michael Oher OT 6'5" 325 Mississippi
7 Oakland Brian Orakpo DE 6'4" 248 Texas
8 Jacksonville Eugene Monroe OT 6'6" 318 Virginia
9 Green Bay Malcolm Jenkins CB 6'1" 203 Ohio State
10 San Francisco Aaron Curry OLB 6'2" 246 Wake Forest
11 Buffalo Jason Smith OT 6'5" 300 Baylor
12 Denver Everette Brown* DE 6'4" 254 Florida State
13 Washington Aaron Maybin** DE 6'3" 250 Penn State
14 New Orleans Vontae Davis* CB 6'0" 205 Illinois
15 Houston Jeremy Maclin** WR 6'0" 198 Missouri
16 San Diego Rey Maualuga ILB 6'3" 250 USC
17 NY Jets Knowshon Moreno** RB 5'11" 207 Georgia
18 Chicago D.J. Moore* CB 5'10" 180 Vanderbilt
19 Tampa Bay B.J. Raji DT 6'1" 325 Boston College
20 Detroit (from Dallas) Mark Sanchez* QB 6'4" 220 USC
21 Philadelphia LeSean McCoy** RB 5'11" 205 Pittsburgh
22 Minnesota Percy Harvin* WR 5'11" 181 Florida
23 New England James Laurinaitis ILB 6'2" 244 Ohio State
24 Atlanta William Moore S 6'1" 215 Missouri
25 Miami Alphonso Smith CB 5'9" 191 Wake Forest
26 Baltimore Sean Smith* CB 6'3" 215 Utah
27 Indianapolis Sen'Derrick Marks* DT 6'1" 290 Auburn
28 Philadelphia (from Car) Chase Coffman TE 6'6" 245 Missouri
29 NY Giants Brian Cushing OLB 6'4" 240 USC
30 Tennessee Tyson Jackson DE 6'5" 291 LSU
31 Arizona Duke Robinson OG 6'5" 330 Oklahoma
32 Pittsburgh Mike Mickens CB 6'0" 165 Cincinnati

To get rounds 2-7 click here

Monday, March 30, 2009

Bird vs. Magic created March Madness


Bird vs. Magic created Madness

Great Article from Michael Wilbon. This is a good read on Larry Bird and Magic Johnson's Epic Battles that Started March Madness.


Johnson and Larry Bird did this. With all due respect to John Wooden and his 10 championships at UCLA, the Bruins dominated what was then merely a basketball tournament. But Magic and Bird, 30 years ago Thursday night, gave us March Madness.
The game itself, on the evening of March 26, 1979, wasn't the best championship game ever. Playing for Indiana State, Bird missed 14 of 21 shots and Michigan State was in control for essentially the entire game. Magic's greatest performance had come two days earlier, in the national semifinals, when he ran the University of Pennsylvania off the court with a triple-double. But no basketball game, before or since, college or professional, produced the anticipation, television ratings, impact or reaction of Indiana State-Michigan State, Bird vs. Magic.
Most people, in a television audience of about 20 million, had never seen either man play live on TV. Few had seen Bird, who had been on national television only three times all season, even though the Sycamores were undefeated. A great many, having heard stories about Bird's shooting and passing skills, were stunned to turn on the game that night and find that Bird was white.
College basketball, by today's standards, was primitive in 1979. Coaches usually didn't have film of an upcoming opponent and because scouting was outsourced, coaches from out of conference had never seen Bird nor Magic until the teams took the court. It seemed as if everything about college basketball changed that night, and dramatically so.
In "When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball," a must-read book for anybody who considers themselves a basketball fan, Seth Davis chronicles how the championship game between Bird and Magic kicked off a six-year stretch that took the NCAA tournament from basketball event to calendar-defining cultural festival, every minute of which is televised.
In 1979, the NCAA tournament had a 40-team field. It was expanded twice over the next six years, to 48 teams in 1980 and 64 teams in 1985. The rights fees, only $5.2 million in 1979, doubled in 1980, went to $48 million in 1982 (when CBS snatched the tournament from NBC) and doubled to $96 million in 1985. Now, it's $6 billion over 11years.
On the court, Bird-Magic kicked off an era that in just six years gave us Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon, all of whom played in the NCAA tournament title game. The Big East and ESPN were born. And as Al McGuire is quoted as saying in Davis's book: "The college game was already on the launching pad. Then Bird and Magic came along and pushed the button."
And nobody had expected any of it when the 1978-79 season began. Indiana State was a nice little team that simply hoped to win its conference, the Missouri Valley, and make it to the NCAA tournament in Bird's senior season. Magic and Michigan State — which also featured forward Greg Kelser, a future first-round NBA draft pick — were talented but seemed just a little less than they should have been in the Big Ten.
I can't remember the correct night to put out the garbage these days, but I remember so much of that winter of '79 like it was yesterday. I was a junior at Northwestern University, but worked that winter as an intern at the Lafayette Journal and Courier in Indiana. Not knowing a soul outside the newsroom became a blessing because parts of Indiana, even then, had cable television.
I could (and did) walk to my apartment every night and watch college basketball from somewhere in the region.
Ray Meyer's DePaul team, featuring a freshman named Mark Aguirre, was Final Four-bound and always on WGN. Digger Phelps's Notre Dame team had been to the Final Four a season earlier. Purdue and Indiana seemed to be on most nights. Then there was a team from Terre Haute, Ind., featuring Bird that just kept winning, every night. It was unbelievable to follow, like our own little Midwestern secret. Nobody outside Indiana and maybe Illinois knew what conference the Sycamores were in or whom they played or how they got to be undefeated.
It took forever for them to creep up in the polls. Billy Packer, obsessed as he was with North Carolina and Duke, was utterly dismissive of Bird and the Sycamores for most of the season. Dick Versace, the brash young coach at Bradley, said he could stop Indiana State by throwing what he called the "Bird Cage" defense around Bird, a triangle-and-two. Bird took only two shots that night and scored a career-low four points, but Indiana State won to go to something like 22-0.
Michigan State was only a four-hour drive, if that. While Bird was desperate to not interact with almost anyone outside his team and buddies, Magic was restoring the lob pass (to Kelser) to college basketball. The Spartans also were pressing Heathcote to take the wraps off them, and ultimately they were able to persuade him. By the time the tournament started, people who loved college basketball were praying for Bird and Magic in the championship game.
Michigan State cruised, more or less. Bird narrowly avoided losing to both Sidney Moncrief and Arkansas and Aguirre and DePaul. The most memorable scene from the title game is Bird, having lost for the first time as a senior, sitting with the white towel over his head, sobbing underneath it. That and Magic's smile while he hugged Heathcote after the 75-64 Spartans win.
More than 35 percent of all TV sets turned on that night were tuned to Magic and Bird. It was like a Christmas present in March, and it's something that could never happen today. We'd know everything about an undefeated team featuring any player as talented as Bird. A 6-foot-9 white kid from small-town Indiana who had driven a garbage truck and who had run from Bob Knight during a freshman year spent briefly at Indiana? Are you kidding? A game between Bird and Magic — two "Cousys," as McGuire called them — that reintroduced the passing game to basketball, only at a higher and more sophisticated and entertaining level, could never sneak up on anybody today, not with 24-7 saturation coverage and bloggers and Twitter.
But 30 years ago, Magic vs. Bird didn't have any such clutter. Dave Kindred, who wrote so eloquently in this space during the '70s and early '80s, told Seth Davis: "If Magic and Bird came along today we'd have 29 different scouting reports on each guy. We'd have 'Outside the Lines' documentaries, 'Instant Classics.' We'd know too much."
Now, what we know in retrospect is that it was one of the most groundbreaking sporting events in America the last 40 years, one that launched the popularity of college basketball and began the Golden Age of professional basketball. And without that game, March might be just another month.

Friday, March 27, 2009

LeBron's Shot from the Other End of the Gym While Filming for 60 Minutes

Lebron's One-handed Underhand Shot from the other volleyball line while getting ready to film his 60 Minutes Spot. Must See!!!!





Watch CBS Videos Online

Friday's NCAA Tournament Games


Friday's NCAA Tournament Games


Indianapolis, Ind. - Midwest Region
7:07 pm
Arizona #12
Louisville #1

Memphis, Tenn - South Region
7:27 pm
Syracuse #3
Oklahoma #2

Indianapolis, Ind. - Midwest Region
9:37 pm
Kansas #3
Michigan State #2

Memphis, Tenn - South Region
9:57 pm
Gonzaga #4
North Carolina #1

Arizona vs. Louisville
When: 7:07 p.m. ET Friday
Where: Indianapolis (Midwest Regional)
Comment: There are already stories popping up about whether it's possible Arizona could be playing against its next head coach, i.e., Rick Pitino, and you can expect Pitino to be asked about it at some point, if he hasn't already. On the surface, such a move sounds crazy. But when you consider that Pitino is about to complete his eighth season at Louisville, and that he has never started a ninth season anywhere, and that he's going to lose Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, and that he doesn't enjoy coaching in the brutal Big East, and that he likes new challenges, and that the weather is nice in Tucson, well, maybe it's not as crazy as it sounds. In other words, if Arizona can pay the type of money it would take to land a Hall of Famer, this is the type of Hall of Famer who might consider rebuilding its program. My take: Pitino is going NO WHERE! He will be at Louisville for at least two more years. I don't think Arizona is his type of school to jump ship again. I think they can win it all this year or next. He will be a Cardinal. However, I could see him going across town before out west this year......Kentucky?????
Final score: Louisville 73, Arizona 65 I say: Louisville 79 Zona 60

Syracuse vs. Oklahoma
When: 7:27 p.m. ET Friday
Where: Memphis (South Regional)
Comment: I like this Oklahoma team, love Blake Griffin. But does it concern anybody that the best team the Sooners have beaten all season is Purdue, and that it took a 46-5 advantage at the free throw line to do it? That concerns me a little, long as I'm being honest. Meantime, Syracuse has beaten Memphis, Connecticut and Kansas, otherwise known as three other Sweet 16 teams. So what I'm telling you is that the Sooners haven't beaten anybody as good as the Orange (unless you think Purdue is as good as the Orange), and that the Orange have beaten at least three teams as good as the Sooners. What does that mean? Perhaps nothing. But I can't get it out of my head, and that's why I have Jonny Flynn pulling this out, in overtime, naturally. My take: The Oarange win behind terrific TEAM PLAY and a Zone defense that will take Blake Griffin away. Don't get me wrong, Blake is a beast, but now he will need some help and experience...... Oklahoma doesn't have that just yet.
Final score: Syracuse 82, Oklahoma 81 (OT) I'll take:Oklahoma 60 Syracuse 67

Kansas vs. Michigan State
When: 9:37 p.m. ET Friday
Where: Indianapolis (Midwest Regional)
Comment: Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was announced as the winner of the United States Basketball Writers Association's "Good Guy Award" this week. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I won't argue against it because, yes, Izzo is absolutely one of the good guys. He is among the most accommodating and genuinely pleasant men in this business, someone who always seems appreciative that you'd even consider calling him or pulling him aside. I don't know a single writer who doesn't rave about every encounter with Izzo, and though that has nothing to do with this game, I just thought it was worth mentioning. My take: Izzo! IZZO! Enough Said!
Final score: Michigan State 69, Kansas 65 I'll take: State 71 Kansas 60

Gonzaga vs. North Carolina
When: 9:57 p.m. ET Friday
Where: Memphis (South Regional)
Comment: My brother is nothing like me, which is probably good for him. We don't have the same political views or opinions on anything, really, and though I spend every day of my life either writing or talking about college basketball in some form, he couldn't care less, evidence being the following real-life conversation we had Monday morning. My take: Carolina all the way. I think: this is where Carolina begins to roll. Lawson will gut out the next four games and help them cut down the nets.k

My brother (who is in sales): Hey, I've got a customer who says his nephew is playing at FedExForum this weekend. Plays for North Carolina, I think. Tyler or something. Do you know him?
Me: Tyler Hansbrough?
My brother: Yeah. Is he good? My customer is building him up like he's pretty good or something.
Me: Yeah, he's pretty good. He's like a four-time All-American. Seriously, you've never heard of him?
My brother: Is he a white dude?

Final score: North Carolina (and its white dude) 82, Gonzaga 79.
I'll take: Carolina 89 Gonzaga 69

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Thursday Night's Sweet 16 Matchups



Thursday Night's Sweet 16 Matchups

Glendale, Ariz - West Region
7:07 pm
Purdue #5
Connecticut #1

Boston, Mass - East Region
7:27 pm
Xavier #4
Pittsburgh #1

Glendale, Ariz - West Region
9:37 pm
Missouri #3
Memphis #2

Boston, Mass - East Region
9:57 pm
Villanova #3
Duke #2

Momentum: No. 2 seed Duke. After Duke lost to North Carolina 79-71 on Tyler Hansbrough Day in Chapel Hill on March 8, Coach K said, "We're a better basketball team than we were a month ago, but they're really good." Five wins, an ACC tournament title and a Sweet 16 berth later, the Blue Devils look like a team coming together at the right time. On Saturday night, Duke rode Gerald Henderson (24 points on 7-of-21 shooting) to a tight victory over Texas, but it was other players who complemented him. Jon Scheyer displayed savvy in saving a loose ball, David McClure did his part on another loose ball and Kyle Singler (17 points) shot well. If Henderson, the Merion, Pa., native, can continue to get to the basket against the Villanova and Pitt, Duke could be dancing in Detroit.

Best Matchup: Pitt vs. Villanova. The battle for Pennsylvania bragging rights will play out on a neutral court in Boston if the bracket breaks the right way, and if it does, fans can expect the Big East powers to provide high-end entertainment. New York guards Levance Fields and Corey Fisher will offer flash when paired against each other and a Dante Cunningham-DeJuan Blair block fight would provide a nice contrast in styles of play.
Home cooking: None. 'Nova steps out of the comforts of the Wachovia Center and into the TD Banknorth Garden -- a venue which none of the four competing teams has ties to.
Burning question: Is Levance Fields really healthy? After an uncharacteristically sloppy opening-round performance (five assists, three turnovers) the man they call "The General" bounced back to dish out nine assists while turning the ball over just twice in Sunday's 84-76 second-round win over Oklahoma State. All his guile and sleight-of-hand passing will be necessary in order for the Panthers to beat Xavier and Villanova or Duke in Boston.
Difference maker: Dante Cunningham. Running rim-to-rim, there may not be a better forward in the country right now than the Big East's Most Improved Player. Able to get out on the break with Wright's ball-pushing guards, Cunningham provides the inside presence the 'Cats lacked in recent NCAA tournament runs. His boarding prowess will be a necessity if the Pitt matchup comes to fruition.
The pick: Villanova. In the lobby of the basketball offices at Villanova, coach Jay Wright presses a button that cues up One Shining Moment every time he enters or leaves the building. After reaching the second weekend for the fourth time in five years, he appears to have his well-balanced unit ready to take the next step. No word yet on whether he would purchase a new Hugo Boss suit to wear on such an occasion.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Top 15 Richest People in the World

The Top 15 Richest People in the World as of 2009
Besides the wal mart tycoons!!!!!!


1. William Gates III
Net Worth: $40 billion
Source: Microsoft/U.S.
Age: 53
Marital Status: Married, three children
Software visionary regains title as the world's richest man despite losing $18 billion in the past 12 months.
Stepped down from day-to-day duties at Microsoft last summer to devote his talents and riches to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Organization's assets were $30 billion in January; annual letter lauds endowment manager Michael Larson for limiting last year's losses to 20%.
Gates decided to increase donations in 2009 to $3.8 billion, up 15% from 2008.
Dedicated to fighting hunger in developing countries, improving education in America's high schools and developing vaccines against malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS.
Appointed Microsoft Office veteran Jeffrey Raikes chief executive of Gates Foundation in September. Gates remains Microsoft chairman.
Sells shares each quarter, redeploys proceeds via investment vehicle Cascade; more than half of fortune invested outside Microsoft.
Stock down 45% in past 12 months.
"Creative capitalist" wants companies to match profit making with doing good.

2. Warren Buffett
Net Worth: $37 billion
Source: Investments/U.S.
Age: 78
Marital Status: Widowed, remarried; three children

Last year America's most beloved investor was the world's richest man. This year he has to settle for second place after losing $25 billion in 12 months. Shares of Berkshire Hathaway down 45% since last March.
Injected billions of dollars into Goldman Sachs, General Electric in exchange for preferred stock last fall; propped up insurance firm Swiss Re in February with $2.6 billion infusion. Admits he made some "dumb" investment mistakes in 2008.
Upbeat about America's future: "Our economic system has worked extraordinarily well over time. It has unleashed human potential as no other system has, and it will continue to do so."
Scoffs at Wall Street's over-reliance on "history-based" models: "If merely looking up past financial data would tell you what the future holds, the Forbes 400 would consist of librarians."
Son of Nebraska politician delivered newspapers as a boy.
Filed first tax return at age 13, claiming $35 deduction for bicycle.
Studied under value investing guru Benjamin Graham at Columbia.
Took over textile firm Berkshire Hathaway 1965.
Today holding company invested in insurance (GEICO, General Re), jewelry (Borsheim's), utilities (MidAmerican Energy), food (Dairy Queen, See's Candies). Also has noncontrolling stakes in Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo.

3. Carlos Slim Helú
Net Worth: $35 billion
Source: Telecom/Mexico
Age: 69
Marital Status: Widowed, six children

Economic downturn and plunging peso shaved $25 billion from the fortune of Latin America's richest man.
Global recession testing his ability to live up to the principles he sets for his employees: "Maintain austerity in times of fat cows."
Son of a Lebanese immigrant bought fixed-line operator Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) in 1990; now controls 90% of Mexico's telephone landlines.
Would be a billionaire based on his dividends alone.
Biggest holding: $16 billion stake in America Movil, Latin America's largest mobile phone company, with 173 million customers. America Movil and Telmex reportedly planning to jointly invest $4 billion to bolster telecom infrastructure in Latin America.
Buying up cheap media, energy and retail assets.
Last year took stakes in New York Times Co., former billionaire Anthony O'Reilly's Independent News & Media and Bronco Drilling; also increased position in Saks.
Baseball statistics aficionado, art collector.

4. Lawrence Ellison
Net Worth: $22.5 billion
Source: Oracle/U.S.
Age: 64
Marital Status: Thrice divorced, remarried; two children

Database titan continues to engulf the competition; Oracle has racked up 49 acquisitions in the past four years.
Bought BEA Systems for $8.5 billion last year. Company still sitting on $7 billion in cash. Revenues up 11% to $10.9 billion in the six months ended Nov. 30, 2007; profits also up 11% to $2.4 billion. Stock down 25% in past 12 months.
Invested $125 million in Web software outfit Netsuite; took public in 2007, stock down 80% since. His shares are still worth $300 million.
Chicago native studied physics at University of Chicago, didn't graduate.
Started Oracle in 1977. Public in 1986, a day before Microsoft.
Owns 453-foot Rising Sun; built a smaller leisure boat because the long yacht is hard to park.
Squabbling in court with Swiss boating billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli over terms of next America's Cup. Recently unveiled hulking 90-foot trimaran he intends to use to win it.

5. Ingvar Kamprad
Net Worth: $22 billion
Source: Ikea/Sweden
Age: 83
Marital Status: Divorced, remarried; four children

Peddled matches, fish, pens, Christmas cards and other items by bicycle as a teenager.
Started selling furniture in 1947.
Opened first Ikea store 50 years ago; store's name is a combination of initials of his first and last name, his family farm and the nearest village.
Retired in 1986; company's "senior adviser" still reportedly works tirelessly on his brand.
Discount retailer now sells 9,500 items in 36 countries; prints catalog in 27 languages. Revenues up 7% to $27.4 billion in fiscal-year 2008.
Opened 10th store in China this February; planning to open first in Dominican Republic later this year.
Three sons all work at the company.
Thrifty entrepreneur flies economy class, frequents cheap restaurants and furnishes his home mostly with Ikea products.

6. Karl Albrecht
Net Worth: $21.5 billion
Source: Supermarkets/Germany
Age: 89
Marital Status: Married, two children

Germany's richest person owns discount supermarket giant Aldi Sud.
Retailer faring well amid economic downturn; analysts expect its 2008 sales to be up 9.4% to $33.7 billion. Sales in the U.S. up estimated 20% last year to $7 billion.
Plans to open 75 U.S. stores in 2009, including first in New York City.
With younger brother, Theo, transformed their mother's corner grocery store into Aldi after World War II.
Brothers split ownership in 1961; Karl took the stores in southern Germany, plus the rights to the brand in the U.K., Australia and the U.S. Theo got northern Germany and the rest of Europe.
Retired from daily operations.
Fiercely private: little known about him other than that he apparently raises orchids and plays golf.

7. Mukesh Ambani
Net Worth: $19.5 billion
Source: Petrochemicals/India
Age: 51
Marital Status: Married, three children

Oversees Reliance Industries, India's most valuable company by market cap, despite stock falling 40% in past year. Merging his Reliance Petroleum with flagship Reliance Industries. As part of deal, will exercise right to buy back Chevron's 5% stake in Reliance Petroleum at $1.2 per share--the same price at which he sold it three years ago. Today the stock trades for $1.80 a share.
Increased stake in Reliance Industries last October; paid $3.4 billion to convert 120 million preferential warrants into shares.
Reliance Petroleum refinery on India's western coast began operating in December despite falling global demand and declining margins.
Late father Dhirubhai founded Reliance and built it into a massive conglomerate. After he died, Mukesh and his brother, Anil, ran the family business together for a brief time. But siblings feuded over control; mother eventually brokered split of assets. Brothers may be looking to bury hatchet; played joint hosts at mother's recent 75th birthday bash.
Has yet to move into his 27-story home that he's building at a reported cost of $1 billion.
Ardent fan of Bollywood films.
Wife, Nita, oversees school named after his father.

8. Lakshmi Mittal
Net Worth: $19.3 billion
Source: Steel/India
Age: 58
Marital Status: Married, two children

Indian immigrant heads world's largest steel company; ArcelorMittal was formed via hostile takeover three years ago.
Stock in company makes up bulk of his fortune; shares at a four-year low, with steel prices down 75% since last summer.
Company forced to pay heavy fines after a French antitrust investigation found 10 companies guilty of price-fixing in European steel markets.
Arcelor posted $2.6 billion loss in most recent quarter; announced plans to slow acquisitions, cut capital expenditures, pay down debt.
Started in family steel business in the 1970s, branched out on his own in 1994.
Initially bought up steel mills on the cheap in Eastern Europe. Company bought 19.9% stake in Australia's Macarthur Coal last year.
Also owns pieces of Mumbai's Indiabulls Group, London's RAB Capital; owns stake in, sits on board of Goldman Sachs.
Holds substantial cash; owns 12-bedroom mansion in London's posh Kensington neighborhood.

9. Theo Albrecht
Net Worth: $18.8 billion
Source: Supermarkets/Germany
Age: 87
Marital Status: Married, two children

Runs discount supermarket group Aldi Nord; firm holding up amid economic downturn. Sales expected to hit $31 billion in 2008.
After World War II he and older brother Karl transformed their mother's corner grocery into Aldi.
Brothers split ownership in 1961; Karl took the stores in southern Germany, plus the rights to the brand in the U.K., Australia and the U.S. Theo got the northern Germany stores and the rest of Europe.
Unable to operate Aldi stores in U.S., Theo developed discount food store Trader Joe's; now has more than 320 U.S. stores.
Also owns stake in Supervalu.
Became a recluse after being kidnapped for 17 days in 1971; said to collect old typewriters, loves golf.

10. Amancio Ortega
Net Worth: $18.3 billion
Source: Fashion/Spain
Age: 73
Marital Status: Divorced, remarried; three children

Railway worker's son started as a gofer in a shirt store.
With then wife Rosalia Mera, also now a billionaire, started making dressing gowns and lingerie in their living room.
Business became one of world's most successful apparel manufacturers.
Today Inditex has more than 4,000 stores in 71 countries. Sales: $12.3 billion. Ortega is chairman.
Company exported its cheap chic Zara stores to four new markets last year: Ukraine, South Korea, Montenegro and Honduras.
Stock up 1% in past 12 months, but fortune down because of weak euro.
Also has personal investments in gas, tourism, banks and real estate.
Owns properties in Madrid, Spain; Paris; London; and Lisbon, Portugal; plus a luxury hotel and apartment complex in Miami, a horse-jumping circuit and an interest in a soccer league.
Shuns neckties and fanfare.
Daughter Marta works for Inditex; recent speculation suggests she is being groomed to eventually replace her father.

11. Jim C. Walton
Net Worth: $17.8 billion
Source: Wal-Mart/U.S.
Age: 61
Marital Status: Married, four children

Wal-Mart remains the exception to the rule in the crumbling retail sector, thanks to its global footprint and deeply discounted prices. Also helping: the exodus of competitors like Circuit City and Linens 'n Things.
Shares down 25% since September.
Fourth-quarter profit hurt by lawsuit settlements, poor currency exchange; still beat analyst expectations.
Stake in solar-paneling outfit First Solar fared far worse; shares down 60% since August after surging 120% in previous 12 months.
Sam Walton started as J.C. Penney clerk in 1940; opened Newport, Ark., five-and-dime store Benjamin Franklin five years later. Lost lease in 1950.
With brother James started general store chain in Bentonville, Ark., in 1962.
Today Wal-Mart is world's largest retailer: 7,200 stores, 2 million employees serve 200 million customers. Sales: $378 billion.
Jim chairs Arvest Bank Group, Community Publishers.

12. S. Robson Walton
Net Worth: $17.6 billion
Source: Wal-Mart/U.S.
Age: 65
Marital Status: Divorced, remarried; three children

Wal-Mart remains the exception to the rule in the crumbling retail sector, thanks to its global footprint and deeply discounted prices. Also helping: the exodus of competitors like Circuit City and Linens 'n Things. More from Forbes.com:
Shares down 25% since September.
Fourth-quarter profit hurt by lawsuit settlements, poor currency exchange; still beat analyst expectations.
Stake in solar-paneling outfit First Solar fared far worse; shares down 60% since August after surging 120% in previous 12 months.
Sam Walton started as J.C. Penney clerk in 1940; opened Newport, Ark., five-and-dime store Benjamin Franklin five years later. Lost lease in 1950.
With brother James started general store chain in Bentonville, Ark., in 1962.
Today Wal-Mart is world's largest retailer: 7,200 stores, 2 million employees serve 200 million customers. Sales: $378 billion.
Rob is Wal-Mart chairman; helping company become eco-friendly through partnership with environmental group Conservation International.

12. Alice Walton
Net Worth: $17.6 billion
Source: Wal-Mart/U.S.
Age: 59
Marital Status: Twice divorced

Wal-Mart remains the exception to the rule in the crumbling retail sector, thanks to its global footprint and deeply discounted prices. Also helping: the exodus of competitors like Circuit City and Linens 'n Things.
Shares down 25% since September.
Fourth-quarter profit hurt by lawsuit settlements, poor currency exchange; still beat analyst expectations.
Stake in solar-paneling outfit First Solar fared far worse; shares down 60% since August after surging 120% in previous 12 months.
Sam Walton started as J.C. Penney clerk in 1940; opened Newport, Ark., five-and-dime store Benjamin Franklin five years later. Lost lease in 1950.
With brother James started general store chain in Bentonville, Ark., in 1962.
Today Wal-Mart is world's largest retailer: 7,200 stores, 2 million employees serve 200 million customers. Sales: $378 billion.
Alice's Crystal Bridges art museum in Bentonville under construction. Collection already growing; acquisitions include Sargent's "Robert Louis Stevenson and His Wife," Benton's "Ploughing It Under."

12. Christy Walton & family
Net Worth: $17.6 billion
Source: Wal-Mart/U.S.
Age: 54
Marital Status: Widowed, one child

Wal-Mart remains the exception to the rule in the crumbling retail sector, thanks to its global footprint and deeply discounted prices. Also helping: the exodus of competitors like Circuit City and Linens 'n Things.
Shares down 25% since September.
Fourth-quarter profit hurt by lawsuit settlements, poor currency exchange; still beat analyst expectations.
Stake in solar-paneling outfit First Solar fared far worse; shares down 60% since August after surging 120% in previous 12 months.
Sam Walton started as J.C. Penney clerk in 1940; opened Newport, Ark., five-and-dime store Benjamin Franklin five years later. Lost lease in 1950.
With brother James started general store chain in Bentonville, Ark., in 1962.
Today Wal-Mart is world's largest retailer: 7,200 stores, 2 million employees serve 200 million customers. Sales: $378 billion.
Christy is the widow of John Walton (died 2005); donated seven-acre San Diego home to Cross Border Philanthropy.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Marcus Jordan wins a state title and another team loses due to illegal uniforms.

Two good articles from yahoo.com on Illinois State Basketball Championships. The first artilce is about Marcus Jordan winning a state title. Obviously, it is Michael Jordan's son. It is neat to see his picture and read what he is up to now besides being MJ's son. The second article deals with a team that received a technical foul because they had illegal uniforms and they ended up losing by one point. I have mixed emotions on this topic because they had all year to be told that their uniforms were illegal and nothing was done until that game?? I could understand if they have been receiving technical fouls all year long every time they wore those particular jersies, but if not then that was kind of crappy to do that to them. Now! With all of that said, I don't think you can blame a technical foul shot at the beginning of the game as the reason you lost when it is all said and done!!!!!







Marcus Jordan Leads his Team to State Title as dad CRIES Tears of Joy!
Michael Jordan celebrated another Chicago basketball championship—his son's.
Marcus Jordan, son of the Bulls' six-time champion, scored a game-high 19 points to lead Chicago Whitney Young to a 69-66 victory over Waukegan in the Illinois Class 4A championship Saturday.
As Marcus Jordan and his teammates celebrated on the court after the final buzzer, Michael Jordan stood quietly, clapping his hands with tears in his eyes.
"Crying?" the NBA great said in response to a reporter's question. "I'm not crying. Not for me, anyway."
The younger Jordan was key down the stretch after two teammates fouled out, hitting four of four free throws in the final 3 minutes to seal the victory.
"Awesome," Marcus Jordan said. "Just awesome."
Michael Jordan, part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, skipped his team's home loss to Indiana so he could attend his son's game. Another son, Jeff Jordan, plays basketball for the University of Illinois.




Illegal Uniform may have COST Team in State Basketball Game

Teams have lost basketball games at the charity stripe. They've lost because a referee wearing black and white stripes made a bad call.
Losing partly because of a stripe on their uniforms is a little rarer.
The black ring under the armpit was a violation of uniform policy.
But that's what happened before the opening tipoff Friday at the Illinois 3A state semifinal basketball game in Peoria, where referees assessed a technical foul on North Lawndale College Prep because stripes on the sides of its uniform violated a National Federation of State High School Associations rule.
Champaign Centennial's Jeff Johnson sank one of two free throws, giving the Chargers a 1-0 lead before the opening tip. Centennial also was awarded the ball to start the game. When the final buzzer had sounded, Centennial had won by one point, 66-65.
The rule states that the torso of the jersey must be a solid color and that side stripes must center vertically below the armpit and be no more than four inches wide. North Lawndale's uniform featured black stripes that curled around the armpits into the torso.
While the national federation makes the rules, state associations interpret them. Kurt Gibson, the Illinois High School Association assistant executive director over boys basketball, told the Chicago Tribune that he had warned North Lawndale that its uniforms were illegal during its previous day's shootaround at Carver Arena and on several occasions during the past two years.
"They had ample warning," Gibson told the paper. "If they had to put together white uniforms of differing styles, that's fine - so long as they adhered to the uniform rule."
Gibson told the Tribune he does not know how often the rule is enforced.
North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe said Gibson had not mentioned the problem when he attended a Public League quarterfinal playoff game in February.
"I can't understand why they didn't tell us before about the uniforms," he told the paper. "This is the most painful loss I've had since I've been coaching."
Mary Struckhoff, NFSHSA national interpreter for basketball rules and rules editor, said the regulations have not changed in the 10 years she has worked for the association, and they exist for a reason: "Quick recognition, sanctity of the number."
She said opponents, referees and scorekeepers must be able to identify a player quickly, often by using the number. Certain uniform designs could obscure it.
"We have very specific guidelines, and once you say, well, four inches could really be five inches, then five inches could really be six, and what difference does it make?" Struckhoff said. "So, so to speak and pardon the pun, where do you draw the line? Four inches is four inches."
The game was about more than one technical foul, of course. Despite starting the game in the hole, Lawndale was leading in the fourth quarter until Centennial's 21-point, fourth- quarter surge gave it the victory. Centennial defeated Oswego, 61-59, for the state championship Saturday.
North Lawndale wore the same uniforms in its third-place game against Leo the next day and again was assessed a technical foul. As before, the team fell behind 1-0 before tipoff, but this time it won, 91-77.
Thorpe said his team was wearing the same uniforms it had worn all year and wasn't trying to make a statement. Its alternate uniforms, which it had worn the previous year, also violated the rule.
Struckhoff said the national federation began emphasizing uniform regulations two years ago at the behest of manufacturers, who said coaches were insisting on purchasing illegal uniforms because the rules were rarely enforced. A PDF file on the national federation's website clearly demonstrates uniform regulations.
"This PDF is almost like 'Uniforms for Dummies,' " she said.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Top Plays from the first 2 Rounds of the NCAA Tournament

The top plays from this past week's NCAA Tournament. The Sweet 16 is set! I think Duke vs Nova will be a great game to watch and I think Memphis and Missouri could be interesting as well. What do you think?








Friday, March 20, 2009

Friday's NCAA Tournament Schedule, Times, and Venues



AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, Fla.) - South Region
12:15 pm
Stephen F. Austin #14
Syracuse #3


University of Dayton Arena (Dayton, OH) - East Region
12:25 pm
Tennessee #9
Oklahoma State #8


Metrodome (Minneapolis, Minn) - Midwest Region
12:30 pm
North Dakota State #14
Kansas #3


Taco Bell Arena (Boise, ID) - West Region
12:30 pm
Utah State #11
Marquette #6


AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, Fla.) - South Region
2:45 pm
Temple #11
Arizona State #6


University of Dayton Arena (Dayton, OH) - East Region
2:55 pm
E. Tennessee State #16
Pittsburgh #1


Metrodome (Minneapolis, Minn) - Midwest Region
3:00 pm
Dayton #11
West Virginia #6


Taco Bell Arena (Boise, ID) - West Region
3:00 pm
Cornell #14
Missouri #3


AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, Fla.) - Midwest Region
7:10 pm
Arizona #12
Utah #5


University of Dayton Arena (Dayton, OH) - Midwest Region
7:10 pm
Morehead State #16
Louisville #1


Metrodome (Minneapolis, Minn) - Midwest Region
7:20 pm
Southern California #10
Boston College #7


Taco Bell Arena (Boise, ID) - East Region
7:25 pm
Portland State #13
Xavier #4


University of Dayton Arena (Dayton, OH) - Midwest Region
9:40 pm
Siena #9
Ohio State #8


AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami, Fla.) - Midwest Region
9:40 pm
Cleveland State #13
Wake Forest #4


Metrodome (Minneapolis, Minn) - Midwest Region
9:50 pm
Robert Morris #15
Michigan State #2


Taco Bell Arena (Boise, ID) - East Region
9:55 pm
Wisconsin #12
Florida State #5

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Thursday's Match-ups and Game-Times for the NCAA Tournament


Thursday's Match-ups and Game-Times for the NCAA Tournament


Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, NC) - South Region
12:20 pm
Butler #9
LSU #8


Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.) - West Region
12:25 pm
Northridge #15
Memphis #2


Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, Pa.) - West Region
12:30 pm
Texas A&M #9
Brigham Young #8


Rose Garden (Portland, Ore.) - West Region
2:30 pm
Northern Iowa #12
Purdue #5


Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, NC) - South Region
2:50 pm
Radford #16
North Carolina #1


Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.) - West Region
2:55 pm
Maryland #10
California #7


Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, Pa.) - West Region
3:00 pm
Chattanooga #16
Connecticut #1


Rose Garden (Portland, Ore.) - West Region
4:55 pm
Mississippi State #13
Washington #4


Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, NC) - East Region
7:10 pm
Minnesota #10
Texas #7


Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.) - South Region
7:10 pm
Michigan #10
Clemson #7


Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, Pa.) - East Region
7:20 pm
American #14
Villanova #3


Rose Garden (Portland, Ore.) - South Region
7:25 pm
Akron #13
Gonzaga #4


Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, NC) - East Region
9:40 pm
Binghamton #15
Duke #2


Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.) - South Region
9:40 pm
Morgan State #15
Oklahoma #2


Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, Pa.) - East Region
9:50 pm
Virginia Commonwealth #11
UCLA #6


Rose Garden (Portland, Ore.) - South Region
9:55 pm
Western Kentucky #12
Illinois #5

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Coaches who will start '09 on the hot seat


Coaches who will start '09 on the hot seat
www.msnbc.com
I agree with most of these and I would like to add some of my own. I really believe that if Jim Tressel does not make any changes on his staff then Buckeye Nation will go into the season critical. If they don't win, especially the USC game and a BCS Bowl game, then he will def. start to fill the heat from Columbus.
I think that if Lane Kiffin doesn't win right away he will feal the heat early and often in Rocky Top. Especially since he ran his mouth to Urban Myer, and will take a complete ass-kicking against Florida. Those are my thoughts. Here are Matt Hayes's thoughts from Sporting News.


The carnage is complete — for the most part, anyway. Now it's time to look at 2009, and coaches who already are in win now or else mode.
It's a brutal cycle, but that's what makes the million dollar salaries so enticing. Those feeling heat next fall at the BCS level, in alphabetical order:

Bobby Bowden, Florida State: Bowden has finally admitted the turnaround at FSU may not happen with him in charge. I've got news for everyone else: It's not going to happen with Jimbo Fisher involved, either. Bowden is CEO right now; this is Fisher's team. Anyone who thinks it's not is kidding themself. And these two seasons under Fisher haven't exactly been impressive, even with the ACC at its most vulnerable.

Al Groh, Virginia: Groh's teams have had the same problems over and over: win games they should lose, lose games they should win. A sure sign of instability. It also doesn't help that Groh is 1-6 vs. rival Virginia Tech.

Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville: A train wreck. There's no other way to explain Kragthorpe's two seasons. Blame players (Kragthorpe has), blame discipline problems inherited (Kragthorpe has), blame assistant coaches (Kragthorpe has); the reality is this program is nowhere near where it was under Bobby Petrino.

Mike Sherman, Texas A&M: This job is too good, with too much support and too many advantages, to muddle through the Big 12 in humiliating fashion. Can you fire a coach after two seasons? Probably not, but this team better show serious improvement next fall. There are many deep-pocketed boosters who won't sit and watch it get worse.

Bill Stewart, West Virginia: Four losses with a championship-ready team is shocking.

Charlie Weis, Notre Dame: Weis would be the first to say there has to be significant improvement next year. Nine wins should be enough, but 10 would alleviate the postseason finale drama.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Join the SportsTalk4Us Blog Crew





We are looking for anyone who may be interested in joining this blog and bring your own views, writing, pictures, interesting sites, articles, videos, etc.... Basically anything you want that deals with sports, videogames, outdoors, etc... Obviously, the site is growing little by little everyday and I think we could do even better with some fresh ideas and views.
If you are interested please leave a comment to this post and I will get back in touch with you.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Join Our College Bracket Pick Em Contest for Free




shortcut click here

Please join us in our march madness brackets for free. Go to yahoo.com and go to fantasy and click on tournament pick em and then join group, put in this group id
Group ID #81227 and the password is justbs

Friday, March 13, 2009

Last 3 NCAA College Basketball Champs Won their Conference Tourney's




Good article on how important the conference tournaments are from www.nbcsports.com's Ken Davis

League tourney title a boost to winning it all
Last 3 champs all won conference tournaments, but it's not required


On the way to the 2008 national championship, Kansas defeated Texas 84-74 to capture the Big 12 tournament championship. The Jayhawks celebrated the addition of another trophy for the Allen Fieldhouse display case, but that one victory accomplished much more than that. It avenged an important regular-season loss to the Longhorns and gave Kansas the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Beyond that, it helped establish the reputation of junior guard Mario Chalmers as a clutch performer in big-time games. Chalmers hit eight three-pointers and scored a career-high 30 points that day against Texas.
“It’s the greatest game of my college career,” Chalmers said.
That self-assessment would later require amendment. Chalmers, of course, hit the three-pointer that forced overtime against Memphis in the national championship game. But the Jayhawks walked away from that Big 12 tournament trusting Chalmers a little more and feeling much more confident as a team. Perhaps they would have gone on to win the national title even if they had lost to Texas, but history will record the moment as the seventh consecutive victory in a 13-game winning streak.
NCAA tournament history was made in 2008 when all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four in San Antonio. And like Kansas, Memphis, UCLA and North Carolina also advanced to the final weekend after winning their conference tournaments.
That’s pretty impressive stuff. It also reflects the perfect symmetry of last year’s tournament. Those four teams were the best of the best. They proved it in their own neighborhoods and were rewarded with top seeds. Then they proved it under the toughest circumstances of all, surviving those first four steps on the way to the Final Four.
Along the way, at least for one year, they also quieted the argument that winning a conference tournament may not be the best idea. That theory is based on the belief that exerting so much energy over a three- or four-day period isn’t worth it in terms of the big picture.
Some say a coach can’t have the best of both worlds. He can’t push his team to win the three-day sprint and then hope to have enough left to successfully execute the six-game marathon required of national champions.
The last three title teams, Kansas and Florida, along with Connecticut in 2004, did win their conference tournaments. But UNC in 2005 and Syracuse in 2003 and Maryland in 2002 did not.
And as some conferences grow larger, the task has become even more demanding for teams that don’t qualify for the luxury of a bye (or in today’s Big East a double-bye).
In 2006, Syracuse opened the Big East tournament as the No. 9 seed but became the first team from that conference to win four consecutive games and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
“That was really unbelievable,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “Outside of winning the national championship [in 2003], there’s never been a better stretch of basketball for me. To beat the teams we had to beat and do it four days in a row was an unbelievable experience.”
But the strain of four consecutive days on the court took its toll. Gerry McNamara had played magnificent — if not magical — basketball leading the Orange through the Big East games but injuries caught up with him the next week and Syracuse was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Texas A&M 66-58.
The cynics would say that proved their point. But this is college basketball. There are no absolute truths and certainly no formulas that are proven successful 100 percent of the time.
What worked last year may not function at all this season. North Carolina was once viewed as invincible, with the potential to go undefeated. We now know that won’t happen. It appears there are eight or nine teams capable of winning the national championship. Based on recent history, the winner will likely be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, but without a dominant team, this field is wide open.
And heading into Championship Week, it’s highly doubtful you will find any coach or any player who admits he wants to lose, get some rest and then move on to the NCAA Tournament.
No one thinks that way. There’s really nothing quite like the experience of being king of your own neighborhood, especially when that title earns you an automatic bid to the main event.
There’s plenty of time for rest after April 6.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

NFL Teams that Passed and Failed the Free Agency Period




NFL Teams that Passed and Failed the Free Agency Period

Three teams that passed the test
from www.cbssports.com

1. The New York Giants. They went into March with an urgent need at outside linebacker, so they added Atlanta's Michael Boley. Nice move. The guy was the top outside linebacker in free agency, and he's 26 -- meaning his best years are ahead of him. Next, they added defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, followed by defensive end Chris Canty. OK, they overpaid for Canty, but look what they've done: Solidified their defensive ends, shored themselves up inside (where Canty will play on passing downs) and found an outside linebacker to plug a hole. Then, they signed free-agent safety C.C. Brown to offset the expected loss of James Butler.
The Giants pass rush fizzled down the stretch last season. Now they've made their front seven deeper -- especially with the return of Osi Umenyiora -- and their opponents a little less confident. Remember, this is a team that produced 12 sacks in its last nine games (including the playoffs) -- including none in four of them -- so help was not only needed; it was necessary.

2. New Orleans. The Saints re-signed linebacker Jonathan Vilma, guard Jon Stinchcomb and wide receiver Devery Henderson, then added free-agent cornerback Jabari Greer and fullback Heath Evans. So why do I like what they did? They sacrificed almost nothing, kept key veterans and added one of the best free-agent cornerbacks on the market. This is how you play the game and make it work.

3. The New York Jets. Rex Ryan said he would instill the Baltimore Ravens' toughness on defense in his Jets, and he's off to a good start. First, the Jets signed linebacker Bart Scott -- albeit to an inflated contract. Nevertheless, they added experience and talent at a key position. Then they re-signed guard Brandon Moore, which is good for the offense, and traded for cornerback Lito Sheppard, which might be good for the defense. I hedge on Sheppard because he has a history of injuries and hasn't done anything in two years. If they acquired the Lito Sheppard of 2006, it's a great move; if they got the underachiever who was dumped as the Eagles' nickel back in 2008, they have a liability. Finally, they picked up safety Jim Leonhard, an invaluable try-hard guy who can help you in a zillion ways. Good for them, bad for the Ravens. Best of all, I like what the Jets didn't do: Add Terrell Owens. He would've been counterproductive to what Ryan is trying to accomplish, which is make these guys tough, resilient and pull in one direction.


Three teams staying after school
1. Denver. They get an "A" for an Aggressive Approach, but more is not necessarily better. Apparently, that memo didn't reach Denver. No one signed more unrestricted free agents. No one signed more marginal unrestricted free agents, either. I know marquee free agents aren't necessarily tickets to overnight success, but they sure helped Atlanta and Philadelphia last year and New Orleans in 2006. The Broncos must figure you crawl before you walk; otherwise, there is no other explanation for their spate of 30-and-older additions: Brian Dawkins. Andra Davis. LaMont Jordan. Renaldo Hill. Correll Buckhalter. Andre Goodman. Someone please tell them Marvin Harrison is available.
This strikes me as a club without a plan, shopping for value where there is little. But that's not the worst of it. The Broncos were involved in the Matt Cassel trade talks, with quarterback Jay Cutler's name kicked around. The Broncos swear they didn't bring it up, but it doesn't matter. The damage has been done, and Cutler is steamed. "Rookie mistake," one personnel director said of first-year coach Josh McDaniels. Cutler wasn't as forgiving and is expected to meet with his new head coach this week. Somewhere, Pat Bowlen is not amused.

2. Cleveland. Another former New England coach is shaking things up -- and not for the better. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the Browns need playmakers on an offense that produced one touchdown in its last six games. Yet one of Eric Mangini's first acts was to jettison tight end Kellen Winslow, one of the Browns' two most effective playmakers. In return, the Browns picked up free-agent tight end Robert Royal, and that's what you call a balance-of-trade deficit. They also lost Andra Davis, their second-leading tackler, and safety Sean Jones, but they're not my concerns. Winslow is. Yeah, he was a pain in the keister. But there's new management and a new head coach in town. It's time for a new attitude. Sadly, Cleveland, it looks as if you're in for another long, cold winter of discontent.

3. San Francisco. I don't mean to pick on the 49ers, but they have a nasty habit of spending a lot of money on marginal talent. This year's winner is wide receiver Brandon Jones, who picked up a $5.4 million signing bonus. I don't know much about Jones, other than when I watched the Titans, I never had a feeling he was a guy who could beat you. He had one touchdown last year. He had two the year before. And he has a history of injuries: A knee. A concussion. A groin. It's always something. When healthy, Jones is really nothing more than another Bryant Johnson ... and the 49ers recently let him walk. So why spend more money for the same guy?


Best value for the money
Derrick Ward. The Bucs signed him to a four-year, $17 million contract that includes a $2 million signing bonus and a $1 million roster bonus. That's a steal for a 1,000-yard back. Compare it to what Atlanta paid bench-sitter Michael Turner a year ago -- $16 million in his first year -- and I think you'll agree. Now, if he can only produce like Michael Turner.

Andra Davis. Yeah, I know -- the guy is slow, but he still makes a lot of tackles. In fact, he made 134 of them last year. In general, I don't like signing free agents 30 and over, and Davis turned 30 last December. But it's not a long-term deal, and the Broncos paid virtually nothing. Davis gets a $540,000 signing bonus, with $460,000 of his first-year base ($1.2 million) guaranteed. If he makes 100 tackles again, they have themselves a bargain.

Jim Leonhard. I love this guy and what he did for the Ravens, which was almost everything: Start. Sub. Special teams. Force fumbles. Make interceptions. Produce big plays. Return punts. In 50 years, teams will want to clone him 53 times to fill their rosters. Now the best news: The Jets got him on the cheap. They paid a $1 million signing bonus, with a three-year contract that averages just under $2 million. Nice.

Matt Birk. I'll tell you what I like about this move: The Ravens got a smart, experienced center for their young quarterback, and all it cost them was a $3 million signing bonus. Compare Birk's three-year, $12 million deal to what Jason Brown got from St. Louis, and you'll appreciate what the Ravens did. Sure, Birk is not the same guy who was a Pro Bowl mainstay, but he has enough left to help Baltimore and its second-year quarterback.


Bigge$$$$t money for the value
DeAngelo Hall. He has, shall we say, a questionable reputation, yet he was on his best behavior for a half-season in Washington. Still, that qualifies him for $21.5 million in cash? When I looked at this contract, I couldn't believe it. Someone forgot to notify Dan Snyder we're in the middle of a recession. Hall gets $1.5 million in signing bonuses, $5 million in salary this year (consider it guaranteed money because he makes the team) and a $15 million option bonus due in March 2010. Now, here's the catch: Let's say the Redskins don't exercise that option. Then, according to his contract, they must pay him $6.5 million in 2010, $8 million in 2011-12 and $13 million in 2013. Bottom line: They exercise the option.


Domonique Foxworth. Normally, I love how the Baltimore Ravens do business, but I didn't like what they did with Foxworth -- which was pay him $16.5 million in guaranteed money. This is not Champ Bailey we're talking about. This is a young man working on his third team in three years. I know the Ravens need a safety net to protect them against Samari Rolle's uncertain future, but they sank a ton of money in a cornerback who hasn't started more than 10 games or produced more than two interceptions in any season. "I've been able to play against some of the best receivers in the NFL," Foxworth said, "and fared quite well against them." He should have at this price.

Jason Brown. St. Louis needs help on its offensive line like New York City needs another subway line ... which is to say the Rams dialed 911. So they went out and signed the best offensive lineman on the market. Smart. Brown can play guard or center, and he's young. But look what it cost the Rams: Brown hauls down an $11 million signing bonus, with his first two years of salaries guaranteed. That's $20 million, folks, and it's why Baltimore let him walk. A year ago, Kevin Demoff -- then with Tampa Bay -- made free agent Jeff Faine the highest-paid center. Now that Demoff is the Rams' executive VP of football operations, it's déjà vu all over again.
Chris Canty. He's valuable because he can play inside or out, but the Giants paid $16 million in guaranteed money for a defensive end with 10 sacks in four years. Yeah, I know -- rushing the quarterback wasn't his job in Dallas; playing the run was. But the Giants invested a fortune in someone who played in a 3-4. Now, he's a 4-3 defensive end who sits behind Umenyiora and Justin Tuck and who can go inside on passing downs. Having him is good; having him at a reduced price is better.
Antonio Smith. Houston was looking for a bookend for pass rusher Mario Williams, and the Texans think they found him in Smith. Maybe. But look what they paid: a $12.5 million signing bonus and $3 million salary in 2009. That's basically $1 million per game for someone who had nine sacks the past two seasons. Yeah, he looked good in the playoffs, but $15.5 million? I don't think so.


One deal that should have happened but didn't
Philadelphia re-signing safety Brian Dawkins. He wanted to retire with the Eagles, and it wouldn't have taken gazillions to make it happen. But the Eagles' two-year offer wasn't enough to prevent him from going to Denver, where he signed a deal that, in effect, was a two-year, $9 million proposition. In Denver, Dawkins is another outsider in an unfamiliar locker room; in Philadelphia, he was a team leader, a fan favorite and a welcome voice of reason. The Eagles' policy basically precludes them from re-signing 30-something players, and Dawkins will turn 36 this year. But they should have made an exception here. Not only was Dawkins the glue to the team's defense; he was coming off his seventh Pro Bowl season. He will be missed.

Best under-the-radar move
Dallas' trade for Jon Kitna. First of all, Kitna can do what Brad Johnson could not a year ago, which is to step in for Tony Romo and win. No need to convince Dallas. Kitna lit up the Cowboys for 306 yards, four touchdowns and 39 points in a season-ending upset in 2006. Second, he's the perfect understudy for Romo -- an experienced teacher who will be supportive. Third, and most important, he's great for the locker room. He is positive, positive, positive, and it's about time Big D stood for something other than Dysfunction.

Second best under-the-radar move
Minnesota's trade for Sage Rosenfels. This time last year, the Vikings were willing to trade a second-rounder for him, and the deal never happened. So they waited a year and offered a fourth. Yahtzee! If Rosenfels becomes the starting quarterback -- and I think he does -- the Vikings look like Einsteins.

Biggest gamble
Buffalo taking on Terrell Owens. I understand why the Bills want a playmaker, but Terrell Owens? Sorry, I don't get it. I know they need a second receiver. I know Dick Jauron needs to win. I know they need to sell tickets. I know it's only a one-year deal. But this is not the guy to solve their problems.
First of all, he will turn 36 this season. Second, he's a descending player. Third, he goes to a cold-weather city where running the football, not passing it, is the ticket to success. Fourth, he plays opposite a younger, better receiver. Fifth, Trent Edwards is not Tony Romo, Jeff Garcia or Donovan McNabb; he's a young and unproven quarterback. Sixth, Buffalo is not the bright lights, big city that Owens craves. Seventh, Owens is a self-absorbed jerk who destroys locker rooms. Eighth, he was expelled by every club that has ever employed him. Ninth, he is tougher on quarterbacks than Pittsburgh's pass rush. Tenth, he is intoxicated with his self-importance.
I think you get the idea. I feel for Jauron, but he not only signed off on this acquisition, he initiated the inquiry into Owens' availability. Be careful what you wish for, Dick. Owens' acquisition means a lot more of Buffalo at the top of ESPN's SportsCenter, but that is not necessarily a good thing. Ask the coaches he played for. All those guys can't be wrong.

First guy waiting to go through this all over again
Miami safety Yeremiah Bell. Not because the Dolphins don't want him. They do. In fact, they gave him a $6 million bonus to re-sign. But look at the fine print of his contract: There's a $14 million roster bonus due in 2010. Can you say, "renegotiation"?


Former All-Pro wondering where the money went
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison. Indianapolis cut him when Harrison wouldn't take a pay cut. So he became a free agent, available to the highest bidder. Only there are no bidders ... not yet ... and there's a good reason why: Harrison has almost nothing left. Not only will he turn 37 this season, he hasn't been the same since missing 11 games in 2007 with a knee injury. He's old. He can't separate from defensive backs. And his hands aren't what they used to be. All that's missing is the gold watch.


All-Pro who wised up
Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis. He thought he would strike it rich on the open market, but he was wrong. And his first clue should have been the Jets' signing of Scott. Scott is 28, Lewis is 33 and was injured three of the past four seasons. Rex Ryan was going to pursue one of them, and it wasn't Lewis. Dallas wasn't interested, either, though the Cowboys went after a 33-year-old middle linebacker. That would be Keith Brooking, and that was the signal to Lewis to appreciate what he had ... and what he had was a standing and generous offer from the Ravens. So he did what he should've done all along: re-sign with the one club that appreciated him. Let's hear it for common sense.


Guy who can't get a sniff
Quarterback Byron Leftwich. For the life of me, I don't know why his phone isn't ringing. "He can't move," one quarterbacks coach told me. Yeah, so what? Kerry Collins can't, either, and he starts. Leftwich doesn't have to start. He just wants a job, and nobody seems interested. He played with a winner. He has been to the playoffs. And he's a decent guy. What's wrong with this picture?


Move that looks worse with each day
Washington's release of defensive end Jason Taylor. A year ago, the Redskins thought so much of the former All-Pro they gave up two draft picks -- a second and sixth -- to acquire him. Now they release him because ... well, because he wouldn't sign up for offseason workouts. Wow. I can see if this was someone like, say, Javon Walker or Jeremy Shockey. But Taylor? One thing I know about Jason Taylor is that nobody needs to baby-sit him or pay him to show up for offseason workouts. He will show up on time, and he will show up in shape. When Taylor declined to sign, the Redskins cut him ... and blew off two draft picks, including the 44th overall this year. That is not what I would call good business.


Most intriguing move
New England's trade of Mike Vrabel and Matt Cassel for a second-round draft pick. Some people suggested Patriots coach Bill Belichick was doing former New England GM Scott Pioli a favor, but apparently they don't know this business. Nobody in the NFL does favors for the competition. You take the best offer you can get, and this might have been the best offer New England had. Remember, before last season, Cassel hadn't started since high school, so what you have is a résumé built on 15 games. Granted, he played well, but you're taking a flyer here ... and does the name Scott Mitchell ring a bell? Plus, Cassel signed the Patriots' franchise tender, which guarantees him $14.65 million. Kansas City might have found itself a starter, which is great, but I'll wait on the verdict. All I know is that if I'm New England, and I'm confident Tom Brady is OK, I'm not paying his two backups anything near 14-and-a-half mill. So I deal him. The Patriots did, and now they have four of the top 58 picks in the upcoming draft.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

2009 Conference Tourney Dates and Picks to win them and LOCKS for the BIG DANCE


2009 Conference Tourney Dates and Picks to win them and LOCKS for the BIG DANCE

With the fun about to begin, here’s a brief look at the six major conference tournaments, including which teams are locks to make the NCAA tournament and which teams need a few wins:

Atlantic Coast Conference
March 12-15, Georgia Dome, Atlanta


Favorite: North Carolina
Sleeper: Florida State
Who’s In: North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, Boston College
Work To Do: Virginia Tech, Maryland
Game We Want to See: Florida State vs. Wake Forest, just for all the athleticism.
Our pick: Wake Forest

Big East
March 10-14, Madison Square Garden, New York


Favorite: Pittsburgh
Sleeper: Villanova
Who’s In: Pittsburgh, Louisville, UConn, Villanova, West Virginia, Syracuse, Marquette
Work To Do: Providence
Game We Want to See: Pitt vs. Louisville, to see if Louisville deserves a No. 1 seed.

Our pick: Pittsburgh

Big Ten
March 12-15, Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis


Favorite: Michigan State
Sleeper: Michigan
Who’s In: Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan
Work To Do: Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Northwestern
Game We Want to See: Michigan State vs. Michigan, because John Beilein is so tough in March.

Our pick: Michigan State

Big 12
March 11-14, Ford Center, Oklahoma City


Favorite: Oklahoma
Sleeper: Texas A&M
Who’s In: Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M
Work To Do: Oklahoma State
Game We Want to See: Kansas vs. Oklahoma, this time with Blake Griffin taking on Cole Aldrich

Our pick: Oklahoma

SEC
March 12-15, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Fla.


Favorite: LSU
Sleeper: South Carolina
Who’s In: Tennessee, LSU
Work To Do: South Carolina, Florida
Game We Want to See: LSU vs. Florida, just to see who can handle the pressure.

Our pick: Florida

Pac-10
March 11-14, Staples Center, Los Angeles


Favorite: Washington
Sleeper: Arizona State
Who’s In: Washington, UCLA, Arizona State
Work To Do: California, Arizona
Game We Want to See: UCLA vs. Arizona State, to see if James Harden can get it done.

Our pick: UCLA

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

NBA salaries have to change



NBA salaries have to change
By Ira Winderman
NBCSports.com


Poverty or positioning?
Distress or deception?
Turmoil or tomfoolery?
This truly is a difficult one to decipher, the block-charge of all financial ledgers.
On one hand, the NBA takes out a $200 million line of credit to help its teams during this period of worldwide economic distress.
On the other hand, commissioner David Stern says his league must be in pretty good shape to merit such a loan in these times of tight cash.
On one hand, Stern talks about how changes will have to be made in the league's collective-bargaining agreement to reflect the economy.
On the other hand, it is too convenient to not declare distress when the current working agreement is two seasons from expiring.
That's not to say that the NBA is not suffering. Back in October, Stern already was making plans for a shrinking workforce in the league office. Teams have significantly trimmed staff as revenues wane.
Yet what better way to sweat out markets where new arenas are sought than to offer tangible evidence that your team already is on fiscal support, and that without new revenue streams, they might soon be gone?
In Sacramento, woe-is-we could not have been better timed. The Kings tap into the new credit line, voila, significant new arena talks.
Granted, this remains a world unto its isolated self.
As the staff member of one team pointed out, his franchise several years back made calls to each of the players' families, with the team on a lengthy trip during the holiday season, to make sure they were able to secure their holiday turkeys.
That same team, at that same time, was dismissing members of its secretarial staff.
And while several teams currently are in the midst of cutbacks, everything from trimming game-night meals for staffers to elimination of team publications, players still are spending their nights at the Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton.
(As an aside: Those very same players frequently express a preference to stay at Marriotts, Hiltons and Hyatts, with those properties often closer to malls and more in line with players' sensibilities when it comes to room-service charges.)
Walk into the offices of most teams and there is a very real and ornate wall between the basketball and business sides. In some places, the differences can be stark, from cathedral to cubicle.
No, those two worlds will never become unified.
Yet to truly restore something closer to fiscal sanity, where lines of credit won't have to be justified as signs of economic strength, what first has to change are the rules of the workplace, rules that can save far more than any current cost-cutting on the business side.
First will come a spending binge unlike any the league has experienced, with the 2010free-agent free-for-all of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire.
Then, on July 1, 2011, ownership can put something in place that just might save themselves from themselves.
Expect a push for several changes from the current collective-bargaining agreement.
Salary cap
The current formula should result in its own decrease in the payout to the players, without much wrangling, based on declining revenues.
At least that's the way teams are already approaching the process.
While the cap is $58.7 million this season, the expectation from at least one front office is for it to drop to $57.3 million for next season and $56.5 million for 2010-11.
At that rate, it is unlikely teams would push too hard to adjust how the players' share is calculated from the overall revenue stream.
Soft cap
What might change, though, is how soft the cap will remain.
Unlike the NFL, with its hard cap, where the annual ceiling is a definitive ceiling, the NBA long has allowed for exceptions that allow teams to retain their own free agents, as well as continually add lower- to mid-range free agents.
However, the bane of teams with over-aggressive general managers long has been the mid-level exception, the means to add one player each offseason at the average salary.
The problem is those players, indeed, prove to be just that, average, with their contracts lingering on the books long after the search resumes for something better.
A mid-level deal this season started at $5.6 million. The dilemma is that such deals can be offered for up to five seasons, mistakes that keep on giving.
Look for the mid-level exemption to either be eliminated or reduced to a maximum of two seasons, as is the case with what the league calls its lower-level exception, one worth less than half of the mid-level that can be utilized only in alternate years.
Maximum contract length
Currently, teams that retain their own tenured free agents can re-sign those players for up to six seasons. Most other contracts, including extensions, are limited to five seasons.
Unless the union is willing to move toward non-guaranteed contracts, as is the case in the signing-bonus-based NFL, figure on those maximum lengths to be trimmed severely.
Considering how well the current rule has worked in keeping players with their current teams, perhaps the move would be to a three-year maximum length when signing with an outside team or a five-year limit when re-signing with your current team.
Maximum salaries
This is an interesting one. Currently, a player with seven or fewer years of service can receive a starting salary of no more than 25 percent of his team's salary cap. Those tenured between seven and nine years, can receive 30 percent of their team's cap. With 10 or more seasons of experience, it rises to 35 percent.
While the goal of this rule was to spread the wealth, the NBA, with its preoccupation with 2010 free agency, has come to the realization that one player can make all the difference.
The key here is that if you can pacify the leading players, and, therefore, the leading agents, you just might find the rank and file falling in line.
This might be one area in a new deal where the percentages go up. A league with a happy Kobe, LeBron and Dwyane tends to be a happy league.
Maximum raises
Currently, players re-signing with their teams can receive annual raises up to 10.5 percent. Player signing with other teams can receive raises of up to 8 percent.
Considering we're essentially living in an inflation-less society, those figures come off as excessive, even by NBA standard. Of course, this being pro sports, common sense tends to only get in the way.
But if ever there was a time for reform, the league appears to be at that crossroads.
The economy is changing. So must the NBA.

Monday, March 9, 2009

NBA Award Races Update



NBA Award Races March 4, 2009
According to the writers at www.si.com
I actually agree with most of these. LeBron is the MVP without question. I would have to go with Mayo over Rose for Rookie of the Year. Mike Brown is the Coach of the Year. (How could you give it to Harry Reams, I mean Van Gundy)

MVP
Ian Thomsen: I put LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as the two candidates. Some weeks I think LeBron should win, other weeks it should be Kobe. Which tells me to wait until April to see how it plays out.
Jack McCallum: Well, you saw the results on Monday night. Miami's Dwyane Wade was fantastic in the Heat's loss to the Cavaliers. In another year, he is the MVP. But that game was a microcosm of the MVP race: LeBron was just a little bit better, and he will be (and should be) this year's MVP. Kobe comes in at a solid third, with Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard at Nos. 4 and 5 in some order.
Chris Mannix: Wade's staggering numbers have made this more than a two-horse race, and Andrew Bynum's injury has brought back the 2007-08 version of Kobe, but this is still LeBron's award to lose. James is a triple-double threat each night, and the Cavs' tenuous hold on the top spot in the East means he will be bringing it right up to the last game of the season.
Steve Aschburner: The elite players tend to win this award in pairs -- winning a second MVP award is the NBA's equivalent of a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection in baseball, only more exclusive. But I'm not prepared to make it Kobe 2, LeBron 0 based on this season. To me, James has had less to work with and more injured teammates to overcome in Cleveland. His leadership, defense and outside shooting all ought to qualify him for Most Improved Player consideration, but since that never goes to the very best, he'll have to settle for the consolation of this prize.

Rookie of the Year
Ian Thomsen: I like Chicago's Derrick Rose, not only as the best long-term talent in this class but also for his leadership and presence. New Jersey's Brook Lopez might be the No. 2 rookie -- again, let's see how the next several weeks unfold -- followed by Memphis' O.J. Mayo and a lot of other talents in what is an excellent rookie class.
Jack McCallum: This is a close one between Rose and Mayo, and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook is closing strong. But from the beginning of the season, it was Rose's task to lead the Bulls, and he has done so in an efficient and mature fashion.
Chris Mannix: Rose has been effective all season, and in five years I have no doubt he will be in the Chris Paul/Deron Williams category. But Mayo is just too smooth to ignore. An emerging star at either guard position, Mayo just needs his to-the-basket game to catch up to his NBA-ready jump shot. His defense is already superior to most rookies', too. He'll lose votes because of the Grizzlies' struggles, but no rook is more complete than Mayo.
Steve Aschburner: Rose is the one to catch. Most of the other guys who are getting mentioned heavily -- Mayo, Westbrook, Love -- aren't in pursuit of a playoff spot like Rose's Chicago club, and New Jersey's Lopez doesn't shoulder the load that a starting point guard does.

Coach of the Year
Ian Thomsen: This is always the toughest category. My choice at the moment is Mike Brown, who has his Cavaliers in championship contention with Mo Williams added to the same roster that went 45-37 last year. Orlando's Stan Van Gundy, Houston's Rick Adelman and Utah's Jerry Sloan are worthy, as is Milwaukee's Scott Skiles. It is amazing to find the Bucks in playoff contention despite their injuries and their overhaul in style.
Jack McCallum: I'd be tempted right now to make my annual vote for Sloan, who has never won the award, which is a minor crime. But the injury-plagued Jazz just aren't high enough in the standings ... yet (they've won eight in a row and are within two games of third place in the West). So I'm going with Van Gundy, who coaches his guts out every night and has the Magic within striking distance of first place in the East.
Chris Mannix: Van Gundy has developed three All-Stars and dealt with the loss of his starting point guard (Jameer Nelson) by seamlessly transitioning to a new one (Rafer Alston) to keep the Magic in contention in the East. Barring a late-season fade, Van Gundy should sweep this award.
Steve Aschburner: Van Gundy is the front-runner. This is a process-of-elimination selection for me. My personal leaning is that the guy coaching the likely MVP shouldn't win because he has the league's best player, thereby making his job a tad easier. So that eliminates Cleveland's Brown. Then there's the tendency to look for coaches of improved teams rather than the powerhouses, which explains why Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich have won only one COY award each. Doc Rivers has last year's defending champs, so he can't be doing much heavy lifting, right? Nobody trusts Denver yet, so George Karl won't be claiming this (and curiously, he never has despite three seasons with 60 victories and five more of 50 or more). Sloan, we all know, cut a deal with the devil, trading all consideration for this award for unrivaled job security. That leaves Van Gundy, who has emotions among voters on his side from his Miami exit and might inspire swell woe-is-me comedy from his brother, Jeff, on NBA broadcasts, if he gets this edge in sibling rivalry.

Most Improved Player
Ian Thomsen: New Jersey's Devin Harris has a slight advantage over Indiana's Danny Granger. Harris leads all point guards in scoring (22.3 points) while adding 6.7 assists.
Jack McCallum: I struggle with this award. You don't necessarily want to reward a player who had a bad season and comes up with a pretty good one the following year. And you almost never have a young player because he needs a track record to establish a baseline. Nevertheless, I'm going with second-year player Kevin Durant, who has expanded his game and showed a lot of leadership in getting the Thunder back on track.
Chris Mannix: No matter how many times he denies it, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban must cringe every time Harris makes SportsCenter. The Nets went out of their way to build the offense around Harris and Vince Carter this season, but even so Harris has exceeded all expectations. Numbers aside, Harris has earned the trust of coach Lawrence Frank and become a team leader. With a reasonable contract ($42 million for five years), Harris is positioned to be the face of the Nets for several seasons.
Steve Aschburner: I'll go with Roger Mason. Paul Millsap is a popular choice here. Harris will dominate the vote among You-Tubers thanks to his shot worthy of the Highlights Hall of Fame. Chris Duhon was an early-season candidate, at least. But Mason has filled one of the most important and pressurized positions in the league -- key bench guy for the always formidable Spurs -- when San Antonio needed it most, given Robert Horry's and Brent Barry's departures. He has logged more minutes, boosted his scoring and three-point shooting to career highs and come through with late-game dramatics.

Sixth Man Award
Ian Thomsen: Manu Ginobili has been out since the All-Star break with a stress reaction in his right ankle, and Jason Terry recently returned with a padded glove for his broken left hand. The front-runners' issues could enable the Knicks' Nate Robinson to leapfrog them. But right now, I'd give it to Ginobili for his overall impact on a top-four team.
Jack McCallum: Terry was the early leader and Robinson has been fantastic at times, but Ginobili, last season's top reserve, is my favorite.
Chris Mannix: Terry's move to the bench has produced spectacular results. He's a prolific scorer and an underrated distributor. If he remains in a reserve role, he will contend for this award the rest of his career.
Steve Aschburner: It's tempting to type in Allen Iverson's name here, in the hope that showing AI the possible prize might persuade him not to fight this role with the Pistons. But really, Ginobili's embracing of his sixth-man value is a throwback to the mentality of two-time winners such as Kevin McHale, Ricky Pierce and Detlef Schrempf, who were content to carve out livings off the bench. It's a shout-out, too, to guys such as Vinnie Johnson, Fred Brown and the Celtics' legends (John Havlicek, Frank Ramsey) who never won this award but provided the reasons it exists.

Defensive Player of the Year
Ian Thomsen: Kevin Garnett is the obvious pick.
Jack McCallum: The issue here is whether to pick a stopper, a player who guards his man out on the floor, or a basket protector, a big man who patrols the interior and not only swats away shots but also changes them. There is no stopper nearly the equal of Orlando's Howard, a clear choice in this category.
Chris Mannix: Yes, Howard has substantially improved his defense and emerged as the NBA's preeminent shot-blocker. But he's no Garnett. KG's numbers will never be staggering, but there are only a handful of players in NBA history who have been able to transform a defense like Garnett has in Boston. The Celtics' success is inextricably linked to their defense, and Garnett is the heart and soul of it.
Steve Aschburner: Howard's spot atop the rebounds and blocks lists is the obvious argument, but just as persuasive is the way he covers up for the penetration past his point guards, be it Nelson or Alston. Van Gundy's defensive schemes would unravel without Howard in the middle as swiftly as Boston's would have last season without Garnett.