Supreme Court of Sports Knowledge is back and so are Vic and the Matzie. Don’t be afraid to express your comments!

1- Biggest winner and biggest loser at the NFL draft?

Vic Vinegar: It will come as a huge shock to those of you that know me, but the Redskins were the biggest losers of the draft. That Kerrigan guy should be pretty good (as long as Tanya Harding and her hired goons stay away), but this was a team with a Top 10 pick and in desperate need of a QB of the future, and they did nothing. Who’s your QB for the next five years? Rex Grossman?? Really? DMac? Nope. Accept it Redskins fans, you will not make the playoffs….again. I would give runner-up loser to the Eagles for drafting a kicker in the fourth round. Unless that kicker is a dunkey (I know how I spelled it wrong) named Gus who can put it through the uprights from his own 10 yard line with Coach Don Knotts looking on, you don’t draft a kicker…ever. As far as winners go, I think the league’s bottom feeders did pretty well as a whole. Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland all did really well IMO.

Bob: The loser has to be the Chicago Bears. Their GM’s blunder for not getting the Ravens trade put through and ultimately getting the guy they wanted without giving away their fourth round pick exposed their draft room as looking like nothing more than a fantasy football draft with chicken wings and bud light cans strewn everywhere. If this GM does not get fired for thinking that the Chiefs were going to draft a guard that was not high on the draft boards and then botching a trade with the wizard of the draft, Ozzie Newsome, then the Bears owner is the worst in football. This must be the same GM who pulled off the Jay Cutler trade too.
Winner: Ravens: Anytime you get a physical shutdown corner plus Maryland wide receiver (both 1st rounders in my book) you had a great draft. Let’s look at a few Terps in the NFL, Merriman, Vernon Davis, Boomer, EJ Henderson, Erin Henderson, D’Qwell Jackson, Kris Jenkins, Lamont Jordan, Jermaine Lewis, Heyward-Bey and Randy White. Maryland produces. Torrey Smith may have been the steal of the draft.

Gib: I have to start by saying that handing out draft grades a few weeks down the road is pretty foolish. The fear of being foolish, however, rarely stops me.

Biggest winner: The Detroit Lions. Yes, the Matt Millen era is long behind us. I love the Nick Fairley pick in the first round. With Fairley and Ndamukong Suh (a big thanks to the inventor of spell check) on the defensive line they have turned what was already strength of the Lion’s defense into an absolute force of nature. NFC North quarterbacks should be warned – playing the Detroit Lions will be an absolute dogfight for two weeks a year for the rest of your careers. The boys in Honolulu blue also had two very nice picks in the second round when the team turned their attention to the other side of the ball. They picked up a nice WR in Boise State’s Titus Young to help try to keep coverage from collapsing to Calvin Johnson’s side of the field. They also recognized that, while Jahvid Best is a rare talent at tailback, Illini back Mikel Leshoure adds much needed depth to an obvious running back by committee approach.

Biggest loser: The Atlanta Falcons. I know plenty of people liked their draft, but I for one absolutely hated it. In order to move up 21 spots to grab Julio Jones in the first, Atlanta and Cleveland exchanged first round picks and Atlanta threw in its first rounder in 2012, a second rounder in 2011, a fourth in 2011 and a fourth in 2012. To me that’s a lot to give up for a WR with bad hands. It seems like Atlanta was trying to make a deal for A.J. Green and when it couldn’t – the Dirty Birds just pivoted and went after Jones, despite the fact that he appears to be significantly inferior to the Bulldog standout. Those who approve of the deal use the “Atlanta is one player away from the Super Bowl” defense, which can be debunked just by looking at the teams in the most recent Super Bowl. The Packers sustained a wave of injuries this year; however, they were able to overcome this with superior coaching and a deep roster that can only be assembled when draft picks are cherished and used judiciously. A team is never “one player away” from the Super Bowl, because each year you start all over with a different set of circumstances and injuries. We’ll never know who the Falcons would have drafted, but those picks could have improved the team significantly, even if the drafted players did not immediately replace front line players. Secondly, the Super Bowl losing Steelers have a roster full of impact WRs that they acquired in the mid rounds of the draft, headlined by the dynamic former third rounder Mike Wallace. WR is a position that can be upgraded on Friday or even Saturday of the draft and very few WRs are worth a top ten selection – certainly not one with a case of the dropsies. This will not go down as the second coming of the Herschel Walker trade, or even Ditka’s famous “all-in” for Rickey Williams, but, in my mind, Atlanta’s move was dumb nonetheless.

Matzie: Biggest Winner….Christian Ponder. Where in the hell did that pick come from? Leave it to the Minnesota Vikings to blow the No. 12 pick in the draft on an unknown QB. Hopefully they can fix the hole in their stadium roof because they certainly didn’t take any steps towards fixing their QB situation on draft day. Which leads me to part two….and would lead you to believe that the Minnesota Vikings are the biggest loser. No, they are the runner up to the NFL. Over the past decade, I can remember counting down the days to the draft and waiting with eager anticipation. Kinda like Marion Barry in a Washington D.C. hotel room. The league has eroded my enthusiasm for the NFL and all associated fan fare. All over splitting hairs with what equates to One Billion….Austin Powers pinky extended….dollars. In a nearly 20 Million Dollar industry, how much is this really worth?

Stinger: Biggest winner to me are the Detroit Lions. They added three parts that will pay dividends right away. Fairley, Leshoure and Young. Detroit has to now look good to somebody like Nnamdi Asomugha when free agency begins. Fairley could up being a bust but he could also end up being Warren Sapp.
Biggest loser to me was anyone watching at home. The suspense of the draft is gone. You know the pick before the announcement because every draftee is on camera and they show them taking calls. The commissioner doesn’t even need to go up to the podium anymore. If I was someone who was going to be picked in the late 1st or 2nd, I would have been on my cell crying or looking thrilled before Cam Newton was announced to see if you could fool ESPN or NFL Network…What’s this in the green room? Carolina is on the phone with Danny Watkins? Could this be the first pick in the draft?

2- Does the NHL offer the best playoffs?

Vic Vinegar: If I’d answered this question a week ago, I would have said yes. The NFL is my favorite of the pro sports, but can you imagine the drama that would have been created last year if the Ravens had to play the Steelers SEVEN TIMES in the playoffs last year? Even Osama Bin Mendenhall may not have made it through something like that. And while we’re talking about the Steel Town Taliban, can you believe that sh*t? Twitter is the best/worst thing to ever happen to pro athletes. Back to hockey…in the second round the “Annual Regular Season Champion Washington Capitals” pulled their usual spring face plant, the Flyers were down 3-0 to the Bruins (we have them where we want them…see 2010), and even the Red Wings were in danger of being swept. The first round of the NHL playoffs was unreal, but this round is pretty anticlimactic. I bet the NHL is salivating at the TV ratings explosion that would be a Tampa Bay vs. Vancouver Stanley Cup. Good times.

Bob: Yes, because they have three intermissions and start their games at 7pm. During intermission number one, I get to refresh my beer, put my daughter to bed, respond to some emails, make a snack and if your team is down 3 goals, you are still in it. During the second intermission, prime time TV is on, plenty of time to catch the end of Community or Helicopter Loggers. “I always worry that they will not get the job done in time.” And if your team is down only 2, you still have life. Third period is non-stop action. The hitting and speed picks up to a frantic pace and most games come down to the final three minutes. No sport is that dramatic, but it is the intermissions that make it so enjoyable.

Gib: I prefer the NFL playoffs over NHL playoffs. You get the sense that only the best make it to the NFL tournament where only 12 out of 32 franchises participate, rather than more than half of the teams making it to the postseason in the NHL (16 out of 30 teams qualify). I think the best playoff system has to raise the importance of the regular season first and foremost, and the NFL playoffs is a pretty exclusive club where mediocrity during the regular season does not earn you the right to participate – even though the NFC West does its best to shoot holes in my theory.

For my money, nothing beats the scenario where we have one game for all the marbles. A seven game series may be best for determining which team is better, but one “winner take all” game adds an element of “anything can happen” to the playoffs. This is the magical quality that makes the NCAA Basketball tournament what it is. Sure, a Game 7 in the NHL, NBA, or MLB is thrilling, but the majority of playoff match ups are decided without a Game 7.

Matzie: No. Plays a great third fiddle to the NFL and the NCAA tourney though. If it’s any consolation prize, it’s a much better league than it was 5 years ago. Even without the best player since Super Mario. That’s right….I’m talking about Sid the Kid. One of the NHL’s superstars that can win playoffs games…and cups.

Stinger: Yes, but since I posted this question the Caps got swept. The answers to this question probably were not that good since all Supreme Court justices’ teams have been eliminated. Saying that I still think the NHL is the most exciting. Almost all games are close and nothing beats sudden death overtime. Add to that the announcers are the best by far of any sport. Any sport where a fight can completely change the games momentum has my attention. I never thought I would be glued to a Nashville Predators playoff game but throw in a little Carrie Underwood and I am throwing “Community” and “The Office” on DVR.

3- Who is the best player right now in Major League Baseball?

Vic Vinegar: Not sure how anyone can say anyone but Pujols, until he struggles over a long period of time. The numbers he’s put up over the past 10 years are legendary. He plays good defense, plays every day, and seems like a good clubhouse guy.

Bob: Hands down, Jered Weaver. 6 wins in April. No Oriole pitcher has 4 wins by the break last year. He is on pace for 24 wins. His ERA is 1.39 and he is only two shy of the leader in K’s. And this guy has him on his fantasy baseball team. How you doing?

Gib: Despite his slump, Albert Pujols is still the best player in baseball right now. Over the last 10 seasons, Pujols has put up numbers that rival anyone who has ever played the game. His numbers this year are well below his career stats; however, he has shown signs of coming out his funk. If I could have any player in baseball on my squad for the rest of the year, it would be Albert. The man puts in the work and I think it’s very likely that he reverts to his old self any day now.

Matzie: Same player it was at the beginning of the season….Albert. One of the only power players not tarnished in the steroid era. He has a HOF skill set in any generation. Although he may very well be 49 years old. Which means he cheated in a different capacity. Forget Obama….I want to see Albert’s certificate of birth! Somebody call Donald Trump!

Stinger: Derrek Lee for sure. Joking. Although I really want to say Ryan Braun, I still have to go with Albert Pujols. Once he gets fully healthy he will go on a tear and the debate will be over. And the only question will be where he plays in 2012.

4- Should Jim Tressel still be the football coach at Ohio State?

Vic Vinegar: There isn’t a big time college football program (at least a good one) that doesn’t play in the fringes of what the NCAA considers legal. That being said, the NCAA usually seems to be harsher in the prosecution of the cover-up than they are in the prosecution of the infraction. He was suspended for the infraction. Now, it seems like something new and unseemly comes out every week about his program. How many other things has he covered up that haven’t even been exposed yet? I think he’s gone. But, in typical NCAA glacial speed, he will be fired sometime around 2014.

Bob: Yes, Ohio State is basically run like a professional team right now. They need a coach who can commit violations and not get punished. The University is strong than the NCAA and Jim Tressel’s sweater vests are the only reason they are not sitting out bowl games every year for suspensions.

Gib: There is so much I don’t like about the recent events in Columbus. I don’t like that the NCAA allowed the suspension of Terrell Pryor and four other Buckeyes to start after the team’s Sugar Bowl appearance. Even worse than that weak move, was the grandstanding by Tressel, who claimed that he looked each player in the eye and had them commit to coming back the following season so that they would not go early to the NFL and escape punishment. Tressel’s actions seemed a little self serving at the time, but in hindsight, the move seems downright hypocritical. Given how light-handed the NCAA dealt with the players in this issue, it makes sense why Ohio State believed that it could impose its own sanctions, by recommending a 5 game suspension for their coach and have it stick (of course, the university initially recommended that Tressel be suspended for OSU’s games against only Akron and Toledo – how very responsible of them).
The NCAA needs to go beyond this 5 game suspension and make a statement that rule breaking and lying about rule breaking will not be tolerated. The sanction against the coach should extend beyond the sanctions levied against the players involved. With that said, I think it would be asking a lot to have OSU fire Tressel. Coaches like the sweater-vested one do not grow on trees and university presidents understand this. For this reason, it’s up to the NCAA to dish out the punishment, which should be more severe than the five games the university self imposed. Maybe an eight-game suspension is closer to the right punishment?

Matzie: If he had not won a National Championship, Jim Tressel would’ve been gone. Which makes it even worse because any other coach would’ve been gone. Besides, he already had a second chance after the Maurice Clarett scandal. Yes, it did happen DURING the season and sources say Tressel knew about that too. That’s what you get when you sell your soul to the devil for a championship. See Carroll, Pete.

Stinger: Tressel should probably have been already fired for what he did. NCAA violations are always a tough subject for me after what they did to Maryland basketball in the late 80s. Hundreds of times since schools and coaches have done worse than Bob Wade and his staff and no school has been f’d by the NCAA like Maryland was. If Tressel is fired most of the blame I would throw at the players for the stupidity they showed trading in the memorabilia. Tressel was dishonest but is more of victim of trying to protect his players. He will get another job and Ohio State will probably just get probation and still be playing games on Jan 1.

5- Name your starting five from any basketball TV shows or movies.

Vic Vinegar: Hands down the best question of the week. I’ve tried to stock my starting five with a combination of scoring, gritty defense, positive team chemistry, and an ability to teach us all an occasional lesson about the important things in life.

G – Scott “Teen Wolf” Howard – Granted he won a Championship without having to go “Full Wolf”, but I would take him in his wolf-like state 9 out of 10 times with a game on the line. Brings ridiculous ball handling skills and mad hops to the floor. Wears a headband even though he is completely covered in hair, and learned a valuable lesson about being true to one’s self when things don’t go the way you want. Only concern with Howard is potential off the court issues. His antics with his best friend Styles (surfing on top of a van, participating in closet make-out parties) could alienate teammates.

G- AC Slater – If you notice, Bayside’s entire athletic program seemed to be dominated by Slater. He could throw touchdowns, hit home runs, pin grapplers, outrun anyone, and even keep Preppy’s from cracking too much wise. But it was his hoops exploits that went largely unnoticed. Unnoticed that is until a very special episode of “Saved by the Bell” where the whole gang decided to play in a charity wheel chair hoops game to make a disadvantaged youth feel special. You’d think this would be a heartwarming event. Wrong. Slater showed his killer on court instincts by dominating the game like a true champion does, highlighted by several STANDING block shots against a team of wheelchair confined disabled youths (evidence below).

AC Slater playing in Charity Basketball game.

F – Jimmy Chitwood – Can you get more clutch than Chitwood? Nope. That team was awful while he was sitting out. Just awful. He comes back, pretty much unstoppable. He is the straw that stirs the drink, the glue that holds the team together, the donkey eating a waffle (some of you might get that). Chitwood is also a character guy who liked nothing more than shooting hoops on his dirt court with a flat basketball.

F – Will Smith – In the “Courting Disaster” episode of Fresh Prince, Will went OFF against a rival High School in an oddly small gym with oddly low rims. Suspension of disbelief aside, he put up like 40 points that night. Dunks, three pointers, fadeaways off of Carlton’s head…you name it, he did it. Deadspin has done an amazing analysis of that historic evening here….http://deadspin.com/#!5784151/calculating-the-fresh-prince-of-bel-airs-usage-rate-and-what-it-can-tell-us-about-ball-hogs

C – Warren Coolidge – Every team needs an imposing force in the middle, and Coolidge brings the full package. While “White Shadow” was only on for three seasons, the 6’8″ man child Coolidge has quite the resume. Consider that all of this happened in one season…after one of his better games, he was almost tricked into signing with a crooked agent, he contracted a venereal disease from an apparently dirty fellow student, he tried his hand at acting, and if that weren’t enough, he also tried out for the Harlem Globetrotters (he later decided to stay in school after seeking the counsel of teammate Mario “Salami” Petrino). Coolidge isn’t afraid to do the “dirty work” inside if you know what I mean (and no, I’m not talking about the episode where he gets VD).

Bob: Jackie Moon, Teen Wolf, Jimmy Dolan/Kevin Bacon “air up there”, Hoosiers Jimmy Chitwood, Woody Harrelson (Semi-pro/White man can’t jump) and team manager Pedro from Basketball Diaries. I had to go with an all-white team because Hollywood cheats when it comes down to casting African American actors to play basketball. Only a real basketball player can be cast to play an African American basketball player because when it comes down to it, if we were to see Denzel or Forrest Whitaker play basketball, it would be so laughable it would totally ruin the movie. The only actor ever to be cast to play a basketball player (don’t quote me on that fact) was Omar Epps in Love and Basketball. The problem with that movie is that if I turned on the TV and started watching that movie, I could easily confuse it for Save the Last Dance. Going back to my team, Team manager Pedro from Basketball diaries is the difference maker over all other these teams in this blog. First, he steals all the jewelry from the opposing team, second he was the most loyal friend to the egotistical Doogie Howser. His skills as a people person and problem solver will go a long way with the mental quirks of Jackie Moon, Jimmy Dolan, and Woody Harrelson. By the way, the brilliance of this team selection is in the synergy I have created ala six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Teen Wolf is the only pick I wish I could take back, I’d take Meat from Porkies just to party with him afterwards.

Gib: Let’s start with our guards, which we conveniently recruit from the same movie, “White Men Can’t Jump.” Running the point is Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes) who has the cockiness and flair you need to run the show. Management will make sure that his game check is sent directly to the IRS. At shooting guard we go with Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson), the degenerate gambler can flat out shoot and get in the opponent’s head. Our swingman, of course, is Jimmy Chitwood from “Hoosiers” (not sure who played him in the movie, but he sort of looks like the lead singer of Arcade Fire). While “the picket fence” probably didn’t outlive the 1950′s, we’ll find other ways to get him and his Kevin McHale haircut open. At power forward, the incomparable Jackie Moon from “Semi-Pro” (Will Ferrell) and of “Love Me Sexy” fame. The puke play will be lifted from the Tropics playbook and immediately incorporated into our offense which can only feature one half man/half wolf at center. Scott Howard of “Teen Wolf” (Michael J. Fox) is probably 5′ 8″ on a good day making him an odd choice for center. He IS a freaking werewolf though, so we can probably ignore the numbers and just play the kid in the paint.

Matzie:
1) Point Guard….Michael J Fox from TeenWolf. If he doesn’t get you with his killer crossover, he will shake you with his spasms. I know it’s wrong.

2) Shooting Guard….Woody Harrelson from White Men Can’t Jump. Even if he still can’t dunk.

3) Shooting Forward…Duane Martin from Above the Rim. If he’s OK by Tupac, he’s OK by me.

4) Power Forward…William Gates. I’m making this choice based on movie merit alone. One of the top 3 basketball movies ever made. This Bill Gates never made a Billion bucks or a software conglomerate. However, he had a lot of heart and basketball skill.

5) Center….Shaq from Blue Chips. No explanation necessary. One of the best of all time in film and reality.

Coach….Dennis Hopper from Hoosiers and a case of Wild Turkey.

Stinger:
Point Guard- Scott Howard aka the Teen Wolf. No doubt. But even though Howard was unstoppable in the final game versus the Dragons as himself. I want him as my point guard as the Wolf. The only tough decision here was who would I get to do the remake of “Win In The End”? Maybe Ruben Studdard. Its tough not to add the whole team, especially Chubby. Backup point guard would have to be “The Professor” from the And 1 Mixtape tour.

Shooting Guard- Everyone is expecting Jimmy Chitwood here. But we have a no babies rule on Stinger’s team. Chitwood was afraid to play most of the season and that cost his spot. Giving this spot to a downtown bomber who isn’t afraid to play a little defense with the psyche out. Joe “Coop” Cooper from Basketball. Rarely you find a defensive stopper combined with a long range bomber. Plus Yasmine Bleeth may hit the games.

Small Forward- The NBA playoffs have shown how important it is to have a fat guy who can step out and hit 3s. Zack Randolph has taken over the playoffs this spring. That’s why I go with Teddy Broadis from HangTime. That round mound can step it outside and will free the lane for Teen Wolf. Maybe not the popular choice but it’s all strategy.

Power Forward- All good teams have an enforcer and I think I got enough scoring so I would go with the gun waving madman from “White Men Can’t Jump” Raymond. No last name needed. You won’t see Andrew Bynum putting his shoulder into Raymond like he did to Nowitzki. Raymond was bringing guns to the arena when Gilbert Arenas was in diapers. He might even play games in the ski mask.

Center- Neon Boudreux from “Blue Chips.” My team doesn’t need to take the SATs so racist tests won’t be a factor. Derrick Rose would fit I guess also. The most dominating big man in basketball movie history completes my team. Although he may only have one game of college experience, that game was versus Bob Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers. Neon didn’t even want that Lexus so I know he would not be a questionable character to have. I could see him and the Teen Wolf becoming best friends on and off the court.

All this under the expert tactician coaching of “Teen Wolf’s” Coach Bobby Finstock.

As the baseball season is underway, there’s already lots of questions to think about.  Will a team take down the heavily favored Phillies? Do the Giants have what it takes to make it back to the World Series? Will Cubs finally end their World Series drought of 102 years and coming? Here is my outlook on the NL this year:

NL East:

Team to Watch: Atlanta Braves; The Braves have one of the best farm systems in the major leagues and finally we may see some of the young stars of the organizations. I see Jason Heyward having an MVP worthy year. Much expectations have been asked from Heyward and the young guns of the staff. Look for this team to be one of the front runners of the division and win the wild card spot.

Player to Watch: Craig Kimbrel (RP, Braves); The braves organization has had its eye on Kimbrel for the past year to take the reigns of the closer role. This hard throwing reliever has hit 98mph on the gun multiple times and looks to be a big difference maker for the Braves this year.

Division Winner: Phillies; As much as it kills me to say it, the Phillies are the front runners for the World Series this year. Over the offseason they were able to turn an above average staff into a hitting nightmare. As long as Chase Utley can come back from his knee problems look for the Phillies to be the favorites to represent the National League this year in the World Series.

NL Central:

Team to Watch: Brewers; A lot of talk has been circulating around this Brewers club. Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun anchor a very decent line up that should give plenty of run support to the pitching staff. Yovani Gallardo anchors a very young pitching staff. The acquistion of Zach Grienke was clutch for the Brewers in the offseason. As long as the bullpen can stay above water look for this team to be pushing for a division title come September.

Player to Watch: Starlin Castro (SS, Cubs); Much hype has been given to this young talent in the Cubs organization. After making his first appearance in the summer of last year, Castro was able to hit .300 and bring a nice spark in the Cubs offense. Look for Castro to have a Rookie of the Year type of year and build off his performance from last year.

Division Winner: Reds; The Reds are coming off a turnaround season last year after not making the playoffs since 1995. Led by MVP Joey Votto and young star Jay Bruce, look for the Reds to continue their success into the playoffs this year.

NL West:

Team to Watch: Rockies; In a division that is basically a coinflip every year, look for the Rockies to capitalize on a disappointing season last year. Led by star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and Ace Ubaldo Jimenez, look for the Rockies to capitalize on there runner up MVP Carlos Gonzalez’s season and make some noise come playoff time.

Player to Watch: Mat Latos (SP, Padres); After quite an impressive year last year, Mat Latos is a name that will be heard around the baseball community for years to come. He had one of the best era’s in the major leagues last year and he is only going to get better. After his little minor stint on the DL this year, look for Latos to pick up where he left off and have another All-Star worthy year.

Division Winner: Giants; Its hard to pick against the defending World Series Champs. With as young and talented pitching staff their is in the national league, look for the Giants to put themselves in position for another division title.

NL World Series Representitive: Rockies

World Series Prediction: Yankees over Rockies in 6

Besides the fact that most  of the baseball cities in the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast have been succumb to downpours and even snow, it is almost April and it’s beginning to look a lot like baseball season.  Teams are wrapping up spring training in their sunny southern ballparks and ready to get the 2011 season underway.  I will take a look at the three AL divisions and predict a surprise team to watch out for, a player to watch, and which team will win the division.

AL EAST:

The AL East will be the strongest and most competitive division in baseball this year.  The traditional powers, Red Sox and Yankees, are extremely strong and world series contenders.  The Red Sox are the preseason favorites after some monster moves in the offseason.  They picked up OF Carl Crawford and 1B Adrian Gonzalez, and if they’re pitching can stay healthy watch out.  The Yankees picked up some veteran pitchers in Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to try and fill in their pitching staff.  My surprise team of the AL East is the Orioles.  When Buck Showalter took over the struggling birds last year, they started playing real well.  Baltimore will surprise some people after acquiring infielders J.J. Hardy and Derrek Lee and OF Vladimir Guerrero.  As for a player to watch in this division, I would love to say Adrian Gonzalez and Mark Teixiera, but they are the frontrunners for AL MVP.  So, I say look down in Tampa at the newest Ray, Manny Ramirez.  It will be very interesting to see how Manny (and Johnny Damon, for that matter) fit in with the Rays and if he can produce at the plate like when he was in Boston.  Toronto may finish last in the AL East this year but it will be interesting to see if Jose Bautista can have another 50+ home run season.  As much as I hate to do it, the Red Sox will win the AL East.  The Yankees will compete until late season, but without a solid five pitching starters, I don’t know if they can win more games than the Red Sox.  The Yankees will get the AL Wild Card.

AL CENTRAL:

The “big three” of the AL Central will all be looking to compete for division titles in 2011.  These teams include the Twins, White Sox, and Tigers.  Minnesota is heading into opening day with a couple of injuries, including one “M” of the M&M brothers, Justin Morneau.  Joe Mauer will compete for AL MVP and I think they will win the division and make the postseason for the third straight season.  A player to watch in the AL Central is White Sox DH Adam Dunn.  The powerful lefty moved to the Windy City this year from D.C. and will add a huge bat in a lineup with fellow slugger Paul Konerko.  The Tigers are my surprise team to watch with their solid pitching and hitting.  Even though Detroit is usually in the division title race, this year could be the year for them to retain the crown.  The Indians and Royals will continue to be bottom-feeders of the MLB that they have been.

AL WEST:

The defending AL Champion Texas Rangers will look to get back to the World Series in 2011.  However, they have to beat out the Angels this year who have a stud pitching staff.  The Angels will be hungry this season after a disappointing 2010.  I think the Angels will come out as division winners since the Rangers lost ace Cliff Lee.  No matter what team, other than the lowly Mariners, Lee has been on he has taken them to the postseason with his dominant pitching.  Texas still has a powerful lineup that make pitchers cringe, but I don’t think they can repeat their magical run of 2010.  My surprise team of this division to watch is the Oakland Athletics.  With the highly publicized Beanball philosophy, the Athletics are a young squad as always and have a great pitching staff.  The Mariners need to beef up their lineup and keep King Felix if the want to start competing in the division.  Hernandez is my player to watch in the AL West.  The 2010 Cy Young Winner had a remarkable season on a team that provides him with no run support.  If the Mariners can get some increased production, King Felix’s numbers will only get better, even though they can’t get much better (other than wins).

AL East: Boston Red Sox

AL Central: Minnesota Twins

AL West: Los Angeles Angels

AL Wild Card: New York Yankees

AL Champions: Red Sox

Just about a month away from the offical start of the MLB 2011 season. Many offseason publicity and free agency moves make this year in the MLB very interesting. Crawford to the Red Sox, Cliff Lee back to the Phillies, Werth to the Nationals, and Rafeal Soriano are only some of the new faces, in new places from this years offseason transactions. Here is my run through on my projections for this year:

AL East:

1) Red Sox; It kills me to put the Soxs as my division winners being a diehard Yankees fan but the Red Sox really beefed up their line up with the acquisitions of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. Their line up is as good as any in baseball and their pitching staff when healthy is top 5 in the league. Look for the Sox to make it back to October with either a division title or a wild card spot.

2) Yankees; Many Yankee fans look at this offseason as a failure. Not being able to convince Cliff Lee or Zach Greinke to come to New York was a tough pill to swallow. Their line up is still as lethal as any in the game and with the acquisition of Rafeal Soriano to help set up Rivera in the 9th really helped the needs of the bullpen. The starting pitching is going to be the real question mark throughout the season. If Burnett can turn his season around, Nova can turn into an every 5 day starter and the Mark Prior project can make strides, the Yankees will be pushing for yet another division title. Look for them to contend with the Sox until the last month of the season and either walking away with a wild card spot or best case scenario a division title.

3) Orioles; The Orioles are my surprise team of the league this year. They have done a great job of loading up on young talent and I feel that 2011 is the year they start making some noise. With Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, and Matt Wieters being the focal points of this team, the pitching talent needs to step up and you may be looking at a very dangerous team in the next few years. Look for the Orioles to have an above average year and finishing 3rd in the AL East.

4) Tampa Bay; Tampa Bay is in a transitioning period. They lost Crawford, Garza, and Soriano to free agentcy/trades and that leaves some big holes to fill for some young talented players in their farm system. With the acquistion of Manny and Damon, the Rays bring in some experience to their club with a more risk/reward mentality. The Rays staff is still a dangerous one lead by David Price and Evan Longoria will only improve and maybe a darkhorse candidate for MVP this year. Give the Rays some time to develop and they will be back in the postseason within the next couple of weeks.

5) Toronto; With still lingering questions on what Toronto’s next move is going to be, look for them to have a down year this year. Jose Bautista coming off a 54 home run year campaign and getting an extention I could see having a downer year. With some young potential pitching talent, look for the Blue Jays to use those as trade bait especially strikeout specialist Brandon Morrow.

AL Central:

1) Twins; It is difficult for me to pick a winner in this division being as the parity is so well distributed, so I will take experience and choose the Twinkees as the division winner. With Morneau coming back and the ability to resign Pavano, who is an innings machine, the Twins are poised to be the front runners of this jam packed division. If Nathan comes back healthy from his season ending surgury last year look for the Twins to be the winners of this division.

2) White Sox; Last year was a disappointment for the White Sox. With much publicity hovering over Ozzie Guillen, the White Sox struggled for most of the season. With the key offseason acquistion of Adam Dunn and resigning Paul Konerko this team will have quite a powerful 4 and 5 spots in their line up. Also, Buerhle leading the staff followed by Floyd and Danks, look for this team to contend with the Twins for the division title and the loser will be in the wild card hunt.

3) Tigers; The Tigers 2011 season is on the shoulders of how healthy/sober Miguel Cabrera can be. The man has as much talent as their is in the MLB but, off field troubles have put the Tigers in a spin. Offseason acquistion Victor Martinez adds some power to a line up that was in desperate need for help around Cabrera.  Verlander leads this young staff, and when he is on is one of the most powerful pitchers in the league. A sophmore slump from promising young star Rick Porcello was a key difference maker in the Tigers 2010 season. If Porcello can get over his 2nd year struggles, look for the Tigers to contend for a majority of the season, but I feel the off the field publicity and inexperience in pitching will lead them to a 3rd place finish.

4) Royals; Its been a bad decade for the Royals but, this year,  I can see them making some strides to becoming a better squad. Alex Gordon needs to become the player we all thought he would become when he was drafted 4th overall in 2005. Luke Hochevar splashed onto the scene last year with a decent season and showing signs he could become a decent starter at the Major league level. The Royals still have a long way to go but, if their draft picks start stepping up the next 5 years could look promising for this squad.

5) Indians; The Indians are in the rebuilding stage as an organization. With many young prospects gained from the Cliff Lee trade and Victor Martinez trade, look for this team to show a lot of new faces this year. Shin soo Choo is a rising star in the outfield showing signs of power and batting average and a good piece to build around. This will be a struggling year for the Indians and will stay that way unless they make some noise at the trade deadline.

AL West:

1) Angels; Coming off a very disappointing season last year look for the Angels to make it back to the postseason this year. With a star studed staff lead by Jared Weaver, Scott Kazmir, and Ervin Santana look for the pitching to help carry this team into October. Kendry Morales maybe the biggest difference maker on this team this season. If he comes back as healthy as he was before his ACL accident, look for him to be another darkhorse MVP candidate.

2) Texas; Losing Cliff Lee to free agency crippled this teams potential for years to come. Coming off of the organizations first World Series experience the sky was the limit for this team. Led by MVP Josh Hamilton and power slugging OF Nelson Cruz, this team will go as far as these 2 stars can stay healthy. With questions surrounding the starting staff, look for the Rangers to pick up an arm at the trade deadline in hopes of making another push into October.

3) Athletics; The Athletics have one of the best young pitching staffs in baseball and they live and die on how well these young guns can do. Grant Balfour, Dallas Braden, Trevor Cahill,  Brett Anderson, and Andrew Bailey are the cornerstones of this young franchise. Dont be surprised if they A’s make a push at the deadline by moving one of these players for a bat in an often weak line up with an aging Eric Chavez. Look for the Athletics to continue rebuilding and continue improvement for years to come.

4) Mariners; The Mariners need power and they need it fast. The Mariners were last in almost every statistical batting category last year and they need to add some power to that line up. With much promise in former 2nd overall pick Dustin Ackley from UNC, it wont be a surprise to see him starting by mid season. Felix Hernandez is just a decent offensive team away from being arguably the best pitcher and baseball and look for him to continue his dominence in 2011.

NL East:

1) Phillies; Many analyst have it already penciled in that the Phillies will be holding up another World Series Title come October in 2011. With possibly the best 4 starters ever to be assembled on a single team, look for them to dominate most of the teams in the NL. Additions such as Cliff Lee only make this team even stronger and a star studded line up to back him up it will be quite a challenge to take this team in a 7 game series. With Werth gone that opens up the spot for top prospect Dominic Brown to take the rains of right field. The Phillies will walk away with this division and by July be focusing on the Playoffs.

2) Braves; The Braves suprised many of us last year and this year are a team not to mess with. With Hudson, Hanson, and Lowe leading the staff and the emergence of Jason Heyward becoming a star in the MLB, and the acquisition of Dan Uggla,  look for the Braves to win a wild card and being on an upset alert come playoff time.

3) Marlins; The Marlins have been trying to develop young talent for most of the past couple of years in hopes of turning into a legit playoff squad. Lead by MVP candidate Hanley Rameriz and pitching stud Josh Johnson, the Marlins are looking for an additional bat and arm to help make a charge at a competitive East division.

4) Mets; I really do not know where to start with Los Mets. They have as much talent as a team would need to make an apperance in the postseason but, for some reason they never seem to all click at the same time. Look for this years Mets team to be centered around David Wright and a healthy Jose Reyes. Pitching is very suspect due to Johan having elbow surgery. Look for the Mets to try and compete but come up short in the East race.

5) Nationals; Being from Northern Virginia and having been to multiple Nats games its difficult for me to put them in this position. Strasburg is what brought this team alive and made them play with passion and pride but, with Tommy John Surgery dont look for Strasburg to be throwing until September, if they even decide to let him throw at all. With key acquistion of Jayson Werth, the Nats will be along the same lines of production as last year. The future looks bright in Washington and if Strasburg can come back as good as he left, and Harper doesn’t disappoint down in the minors, this team will be fun to watch in the coming years.

NL Central:

1) Cubs; I know its as shocking to you as it is to me that the Cubs are going to finish first in the division. The Cubs made a key move in acquiring Garza this winter, and if their young talent continues to produce look for them to be a sneaky good team come playoff time. This pick is definitely a stretch and my upset of the year.

2) Reds; The surprise team of the year in 2010, the Reds will be looking to capitalize on thier run last year and continue it into this year. Joey Votto is the leader of this squad and looks to duplicate is MVP year last year and transition it to this year. Pitching was a strong point for the Reds last year but, I feel that they will struggle this year with to much inconsistentcy. Look for the Reds to make it back to the post season and be a contender as a wild card.

3) Cardinals; The Cardinals would be first in the Central if it werent for the staggering news on Adam Wainwright out for the season. The loss of Wainwright equals trouble for this club. With the huge injury to the staff and an unhappy Albert Pujols, look for this club to have a difficult time with all the distractions and end up chasing a wild card spot.

4) Brewers; The Brewers have 2 young stars in Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, arguably 1 of the best tandems in the league. With the line up set up to produce runs the Brewers made a huge trade in aquiring Zack Greinke to help with the staff. Look for the Brewers to improve and possibly take the Cardinals spot and fighting for a spot in the post season.

5) Astros; It is easy to say that the Astros are in a rebuilding year. Losing Roy Oswalt to a trade pretty much sums it up. With young talent in the minors and an aging outfield minus Hunter Pence, look for the Astros to struggle most the year and look to being sellers at the deadline

6) Pirates; This team is the only team that manages to get great prospects and trade them away. The Pirates have not had a well established club since the 80′s and I don’t see that happening this year. Their one true star Andrew McCutchen is a lead-off hitter and you can’t build a team around that. Zack Duke will finish with a sub .500 win record and they will use many new arms from their farm system this year. Sorry so called “City of Champions” but you may want to concentrate on NFL happening in the fall and Crosby recovering over watching this squad this year.

NL West:

1) Giants; The defending World Series Champions have to be the favorites to come out of this jam packed West division. Offseason loss of World Series MVP, Edgar Renteria, leaves a big hole at shortstop and Juan Uribe’s departure to division rival LA leaves a big spot open at the utility role. With the young guns on the pitching staff such as Lincecum, Cain, and Bumgarner leading the way and crazy Wilson closing out games, look for this team to make it back to the Postseason in a coinflip of a division.

2) Rockies; the Rockies struggled last year despite the fact they are known as being a second half team only 2 years removed from their prolific playoff run. With flame thrower Ubaldo Jimenez leading the staff and Troy Tulowitzki the captain of the team. Look for the Rockies to make some noise and be a strong challenger for being the wild card team come October.

3) Padres; the Padres had a banner of a year last season coming down to the wire last season with the Giants going into the last game of the season. The Padres have an underrated pitching staff lead by rising star Mat Latos, with verterans such as Jon Garland to help mentor the fire baller. Free Agency hit the Padres hard by losing their superstar first basemen Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox. I can see the Padres relying on their arms to keep them in the race but with no one significant to replace Gonzalez, runs are going to be hard to come by for this club.

4) Diamondbacks; This team is tricky to pick. One day their hot the next day their not. After giving up Dan Haren to the Angels in return for some prospects, the diamondbacks are clearly a process in the making. Relying heavily on star outfielder Justin Upton is going to be too much for this team to overcome.

Playoff Predition:

AL                                           NL                                         World Series

Red Sox                              Giants                               Phillies vs. Red Sox

Yankees                            Cubs                                         Phillies win 4-2

Angels                               Phillies

Twins                                 Rockies

Supreme Court is back in session.  Justices have taken their seats and are ready to tackle today’s sports issues.  Here are the justices again.

The Matzie
Bob
Vic Vinegar
Gib
Stinger

Question 1:
Were you tired of the Melo trade talks and is the NBA getting ridiculous with all the players heading to 3 or 4 teams in the future?

The Matzie- Glad that the Melo drama is finished? Yes. Although, I think that Denver should have made this deal 6 months ago. I guess they were hoping for a change of heart. Melo and his not so beautiful bride always had an Empire State of mind. Denver was stuck and they got the best deal possible. Some decent prospects instead of nothing come summertime. As for the unbalance of power in the league? I’m all for it. It gives great publicity to the league and makes those teams interesting to watch. Which, I can’t say about the rest of the teams or the NBA as a whole. The solution, smaller market teams and those with only the power to star gaze are welcome to learn how to draft. Just ask San Antonio.

Bob-Absolutely, not. I love hearing the sound bites from Net’s Owner Mikhail Prokhorov in his best Dolph Lundgren voice, ”It was a fantastic meeting, trust me. No words, live music, excellent atmosphere. We looked into each other’s eyes. Just real man talk.” Safe to say, the new star of the NBA is indeed Mr. Prokhorov. Only a matter of time before he brings in some huge Russian cyborg to patrol the paint in the swamp.

Vic-Like most situations, Egyptian unrest and the wrongful, hateful persecution of Lindsay Lohan for example, I blame the media. The phenomenon of some big time player being disgruntled in the final year of his contract and wanting to move to a better situation is nothing new. What is new though is the manner in which agents and players use the media to communicate their messages. The media (ESPN in particular) are a bunch of suckers that treat this as “news” 24/7, and allow the players to save face (except for LeBron). I’m not a huge NBA guy, but the notion of too many teams being able to truly create “super teams” seems pretty unlikely with a salary cap system in place. We’re dealing with massive egos, and the list of guys of will truly take a backseat (and less money) to win a championship is a lot shorter than one would think.

Gib-Tired?  It’s always refreshing when little old Gotham lands a free agent.  Really, after missing out on free agent LeBron James and Cliff Lee recently on the baseball side of things, New York was beginning to feel like a city that actually had to compete on a level playing field in the NBA and MLB.  As for NBA players buddying up – I think LeBron forced the issue when he formed his own super group in Miami, now everyone else feels they have to do the same to compete.  This is a bad business model and the NBA needs to find a way to reduce this trend.

Stinger-It got old and it was great to see the Knicks get smoked on the trade.  Denver loses a top player but added a lot of pieces.  All the best to La La on her career now in NYC!  I had no issue with Melo the past month but I think my real issue is I hate the Knicks.  Actually I hate all New York teams.  Next up is Chris Paul or Dwight Howard to NY next season.  The Olympics crushed David Sterns NBA or did it?  Is this really bad for him?  As a Wizards fan, do we start shopping John Wall in the off season since we’re not LA, NY, Miami or Chicago?  Many questions to be answered about many players with crazy tattoos.

Question 2:

Where will Cam Newton go in the draft?

The Matzie- Cam Newton…..is a special talent. The type of player that is worthy of #1 pick status and money. However, the Panthers are stuck on Jimmy Clausen like Jim Carrey was Stuck On You.  They will draft Nick Fairley, who will be a great player but I don’t like the off the field wildness. That character trait just doesn’t seem to work in the NFL. Even if he does pan out, he is not the elite type of player that a franchise gets the opportunity to draft once a decade. Buffalo will relish this same opportunity and he will thrive in a young and soon to be up and coming team. You see Buffalo doesn’t understand everything but they know one of the most important rules. This IS a quarterback driven league. And neither Jimmy Clausen or Ryan Fitzpatrick is cutting it.

Bob- Not sure where, but a lot higher than people think. Michael Vick proved for the time being that an athletic QB can indeed make it in the NFL.  If McDaniels was still coach, I’d imagine he’d be drooling of the idea of pairing him and Tebow in the same backfield. Alas, not to be, but maybe McDaniels can convince the St. Louis Rams that they need him more than Sam Bradford. The man has the midas touch.

Vic-Me thinks that “Cameron the Entertainer” make a big blunder this week by touting his ambitions to become a multi media icon before he’s played a down in the league. Not sure where such bad judgment comes from (wait…stolen computer, academic dishonesty, daddy agent, etc…), but he’s setting himself up as Jemarcus 2.0 (minus the Drank problems). Have you ever had the Drank? I knew a guy my freshman year who drank a bottle of Robo and ended up in Leland hospital with a huge gas bubble in his belly instead of the mind enlightening experience he read about in “High Times”. Newton may have some pretty sick athletic talent, but the last 10 years are littered with QB’s who put up huge numbers in college but were just too stupid (see no common sense) to succeed at the next level. All that being said, I hope the Redskins draft him. Better yet, I hope they trade a bunch of picks to move up to get him. Then I will just sit back and watch the Snyder carnage continue for another several years…giggling.

Gib-Cam Newton is destined to be drafted higher than he should.  Too many teams have struck gold in the first round in the last few years – most recently the Rams with Sam Bradford – that there probably is a false sense of security settling in.  Still, Newton hasn’t played much football, and when he did, it was out of the gimmicky spread offense.  Plus, there is huge knucklehead potential here – he may see himself as “an entertainer and an icon” but I think he’s lucky he wasn’t declared ineligible by the NCAA this past season and he appears to be pretty immature.  So, which NFL team would draft a not-ready-for-primetime quarterback from Auburn and take him way too early?  That move sounds like it could be right in Dan Snyder’s wheelhouse.

Stinger- Cam Newton will end up the #1 pick by Carolina.  Dad Newton will use all his recruiting cash to hype Cam up so much the Carolina Panthers can’t pass him up.  It happens every year this time.  Teams get nervous taking a defensive player #1 overall and the QB’s rise.  Plus I last saw Todd McShay had him going 10^th so that means he will go 1 or 3 at the latest.  I would believe a mock draft by “The Situation” or Bieber before McShay.  I just don’t see anyone else going #1 overall.

Question 3:
Who is your early call for the World Series?

The Matzie- This is easy. The Phillies are the lone horse in this race and they are going to win by more than a nose. They have the best pitching rotation in the history of baseball. You are looking at FOUR # 1 pitchers on one staff. How are you going to beat Hamels, Holliday, and Lee with Oswalt pitching the 7 and 8th of every other game? It’s not happening. Now look at the Phillies lineup and you will see that there’s no chance and it’s really an unfair race. I’d be crying too….if I wasn’t a lifelong Phillies fan. Go Phils!

Bob-Orioles. Why? I say, Why Not?

Vic- How can you not pick the Phillies? Pitching wins championships, and the Phils have arguably assembled the best starting rotation in the last 20 years. Tell me that the O’s wouldn’t love to have Cole Hammels at the front of their rotation. Guess what? Cole Hammels is the FOURTH best pitcher on that staff. Couple that with an offense loaded with big bats, and you have a team that can beat you a bunch of ways. Assuming they can stay away from a bunch of injuries, I’d have to say they are the clear cut early pick to win it all.

Gib-Pitching wins championships and you can’t get much better than the staff in Philadelphia – I’ll take the Phillies.

Stinger-It crushes me to say but it has to be Boston and Philadelphia.  The Red Sox have the American league’s best staff and lineup and the Phillies have the best staff in a long time and probably the Nationals best lineup.  Praying for injuries.  Vince Coleman tarp remover type injuries for both.  I am really hoping for a demise of the Yankees this season.  Did you see the pics of Cameron Diaz on the beach with A-Rod?  Looks like Mr. and Mrs. Clemens may not be the only juicing couple.  New York will probably add Pujols by midseason and then all my hopes are crushed.

Question 4:

Who do you see in the Final Four at this point of the season?

The Matzie- Duke, Ohio State, Pitt and BYU. The first two are easy. Pitt will win the Big East, which is the BEST division in the country. As for BYU, they’ve beaten San Diego State TWICE and they have the best player in the country. That’s right…I said it, I meant it, I’m here to represent it. Jimmmmmmmmmer!

Bob- Duke, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and BYU. Note to reader, no Big East teams.  Enough talk that the Big East should have 11 teams in the tournament. Last year they got 8 bids (the most) and only 4 teams made it out of the first round. Big 10 got 5, and 4 teams made it out of the first round, 3 teams into the sweet 16.

Vic-I would LOVE to see Charlie Sheen in the Final Four. His radio rant the other day was epic. His “Thomas Jefferson was a pu**y” angle was beyond classic. I realize this question is about hoops, but c’mon, Sheen is gold. Anyone remember the time he bought an entire section of seats at Angels Stadium just so he could sit there alone with his glove on and catch a homerun ball?  Take a crazy idea like that and mix it with a three day coke and “paid talent” bender and this interview is the result. It reminded me of some of the Charles Manson parole board hearings over the years. On a side note, I’ll take Duke, Pitt, Texas, and Ohio State.

Gib-It’s a pretty mediocre field this year in college basketball – there are no truly great teams.  There is one great conference though, and I think they could cancel the NCAA tournament and just let the battle royale at Madison Square Garden in a couple weeks decide the national champion.  The Big East is going to have 3 solid teams in multiple regions for this year’s NCAA tourney – so my prediction may be just playing the percentages:  The Big East sweeps the regions and gets 4 teams to the Final Four.  If that wasn’t ridiculous enough – I will now say that the four teams that make it will be Notre Dame, Pitt, St. John’s and Syracuse.

Stinger-Ohio State, Texas, Syracuse, BYU.

Ohio State and Texas have played the best since conference play began.  The Big East will have 11 of the 68 teams so one of theirs will have to make it.  I like Syracuse to turn it on come tourney time.  Pitt always hits the brakes and I could have had Georgetown here until Chris Wright went down.  Duke will also go down.  And Kansas has to stop the sex romps between the men’s and women’s teams.  BYU has Jimmer and he can carry them in this year.  The teams are just not as good as in the past.  Jimmer improved his game by playing prison ball.  Word is that JR Rider took him for 36 though.

Question 5:

Which was a bigger event to you? A rookie winning Daytona or the Rock’s return to Wrestlemania?

The Matzie-I will go on record as saying that NASCAR is the biggest waste of time in all of Sports….if you can call driving a car a sport. Sorry Joe Campanella….even Dale JR sucks. And since I am a fan of all wrestling….I will take the Rock. Can you smelllllllll what the Matzie is cookin!

Bob- I have to say the Rock. I have not seen a Wrestlemania event in two decades but I would if old wrestlers came back to wrestle. Who wouldn’t want to see Magnum TA fight Ivan Koloff one more time only to have the match interrupted by Tully Blanchard and a 60 year old Baby Doll running into the ring to join the fray? Like the old adage says, “Put any sport on one side of a gym and a fight on the other, guess what people watch.

Vic-Let’s look at this a different way. Which participant was more excited about last week’s event? On one hand, you have a kid who is not old enough to rent a car winning a race where you drive in a circle at 200mph. This kid will be a chick magnet for years to come, and will be a legend should he never win another race. On the other hand, you have a gentleman who left the world of wrastling to become a film star. His movie career maybe not playing out to be as “huge” as he thought, he is forced to return to the squared circle in some sort of eye brow trick shame to stay relevant in the public eye. I go with the kid winning the race.

Gib-C’mon, we all know that one of these sports is completely rigged…….and for that reason I just cannot take Nasser seriously.  Give me the people’s elbow.

Stinger- It’s the Rock.  Daytona has already been forgotten.  The Rock should throw in his famous catch phrases in his movies so maybe someone would go see them.  Am I too old to remember Wrestlemania I?  Hogan and Mr. T versus Piper and Orndorff.  King Kong Bundy beat some nugget in like 6 seconds.  Now if Kamala or Mr. Fuji won the Great American Race I would go with the Daytona 500.

Pitching is often touted as the essential ingredient for winning championships while offense is often referred to as the entity that fills the seats. You would think that with a lineup consisting of players by the names of Howard, Utley, Rollins, and Victorino would be the guaranteed magnet that continues to draw consecutive sellouts to Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia this summer. However, in 2011, we may hear about another foursome that overtakes that throne.

Historically, if you ask any merchandise director of a professional baseball team what position sells consistently the most, I guarantee their response will be an offensive player. However, for the first time in franchise history the pitching staff of the Philadelphia Phillies might legitimately outsell the rest of the team as the city of brotherly love shows they also <3 their pitchers.

I could honestly spend the next five years discussing how R2C2 (commonly known as Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels, and Lee) may in fact be the best starting four pitchers any rotation, yet alone the Phillies, has ever embraced in baseball. However, rather than spending several paragraphs gushing like a school girl over how much talent the Phillies starting rotation presents this year. Instead, I will just share some statistics that will concisely express the awesomeness that is about to embark in the city of Philadelphia. Enjoy:

Wins – Loss ERA CG K
481-275            3.47  105   5,362

Low and behold, the above statistics are the combine career stats for Roy Oswalt, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. Without jinxing the Phillies pitching staff, I think the biggest concern this year for the Phantastic Phour is not their impending success, but who will come out at the end of the season as the statistical ace of the staff. Keep an eye on this starting rotation as it seems for this deck of arms, aces will be wild.

Loudly heard, the biggest concern for the Phillies pitching staff going into the 2011 baseball season is the current state of their bullpen. After spending close to 100 million dollars on their fierce starting rotation over the last two years, the Phillies have unfortunately neglected the one area on their team that needed the most attention – middle relief.

Inadvertently, the Phillies pitching staff is exceptionally strong at the front (Oswalt, Halladay, Hamels, Lee, Blanton) and at the rear (Contreras, Madson, Lidge), but like an Oreo, they currently have a very weak middle. Even more troublesome the most consistent middle reliever of the Phils pitching staff over the last several years – Chad Durbin – has still not re-signed with the club in 2011. As it looks right now, the bullpen lines-up like this on Opening Day 2011:

Middle Relief:
Danys Baez, David Herndon, and Kyle Kendrick

Left-Handed Specialist:
JC Romero, Antonio Bastardo

Setup:
Ryan Madson, Jose Contreras

Closer:
Brad Lidge

Excitingly for the Phillies this year, Madson came off an impressive year in the setup roll in 2010, Jose Contreras was very consistent last season, and for the first time in three years Brad Lidge reported to spring training this year healthy and probably in the best shape of his career. On the flip side of that coin, JC Romero walked more people than he struck out in 2010, Antonio Bastardo has very little major league experience and Baez, Herndon, and Kendrick are inconsistent at best.

So, as a die-hard Phillies fan, we can only hope that the work ethic, competitiveness, and energy surrounding the Phillies starting rotation will rub off on the rest of the pitchers this spring. Yes, pitching can and will win championships, but only if their whole is stronger than the parts that makes up its’ composition. With young pitchers waiting in the wings like Vance Worley, Michael Zagurski, Brian Schlitter, and Justin De Fratus, I expect no less than an arms race this spring for the middle relief spots on the opening day 25-man roster. Let the games begin…

Corey, an avid Phillies fan, will be analyzing the Phillies chances at another ring through a 3-part series looking at their offense, pitching, and the x-factor. Corey is also the Founder and CEO of RemixYourHealth, a grassroots and social media based health promotion initiative. Visit RemixYourHealth.com for more information.

There is a certain glow around the Phillies spring training camp this year, and it’s more than just Jimmy Rollins 10K diamond earrings or Ryan Howard’s White Escalade with 26” Chrome Asantis Rims. In fact, the glow surfaces primarily from four individuals who do everything they can to hide from the limelight, and honestly, show less emotion come game time than a British Royal Guard. However, is that really where we should be focusing our attention regarding the Phillies?

Philadelphia is a city poised for greatness and triumphed battles (see Rocky I-VI, Liberty Bell, Pat’s vs. Geno’s, the film Philadelphia, Invincible, Tasty Cakes, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Transformers, etc.). Embarking on the 2011 baseball season, the Philadelphia Phillies will head to the table with four aces, $161 million payroll, and a potential wild card in Domonic Brown. Does this guarantee to be a winning hand? Honestly, I am not convinced.

What MLB coach wouldn’t want to wake up in the morning and hand the baseball over to their 4th starter, an individual that will either have a Cy Young, NLCS MVP, WS MVP, or comeback player of the year award under their belt? Don’t get me wrong; the Phillies starting rotation will win this year – a lot of games too. In fact, I predict that in 2011 their starting rotation will have at least two, 20 game winners. The last time Philadelphia witnessed that occurring was almost 100 years ago in 1916 when Grover Alexander (32) and Eppa Rixey (22) accomplished the feat.

Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hammels, and Cliff Lee – now referred to as R2C2 by the media world – would make any coach giddy about the upcoming baseball season. In fact, the great prophet Jimmy Rollins just announced his prediction for the 2011 baseball season – 100+ wins and possibly the most wins in baseball history. It’s true, offense attracts the fans, but pitching will always win championships. But the bigger question here is, can these four high-profile pitchers be enough to overcome some glaring holes in the Phillies lineup and an overall aging team (average age = 30+)?

With the departure of the power hitting right-handed bat of Jayson Werth to the Nationals during the off-season, the first major question I must present is “Who’s in right?” At a glance, the obvious solution here would be the Phillies Top 25 MLB prospect Domonic Brown. Brown’s ability to hit for average and power and his often-touted speed and arm make him a potential 5-tool super-star in the making. Unfortunately there are two problems’ with this solution: 1.) Did anyone else watch Brown’s swing disappear like a Harry Houdini act last fall? And 2.) He’s another left-handed bat.

Nevertheless, it seems Domonic will be Philadelphia’s go to guy. The Phillies have stated emphatically over the last two weeks that he’s been working extremely hard this winter to correct some major flaws in his swing that showed face late last season. Essentially, it’s Domonic’s position to lose this spring. Trust me, everyone especially Charlie and Domonic hope that this means the return of his double threat attack of power and hitting for average that he showcased in the minors. The reality of it all, however, is even if his swing returns; can he handle the rigors of a full major league baseball season?

Mechanically, Brown may be back to the feared hitter he was in the Phillies farm system. Unfortunately for him, and the Phillies, is the fact that he is another left-handed bat in an already extremely heavy left-handed lineup. Does being left-handed mean being left-out come opening day? I guess we will just have to wait and see how well downtown Brown performs this spring.

As it sits right now, the projected lineup for the Phillies come April 1st, 2011 will look something like this:

SS Jimmy Rollins S
3B Placido Polanco R
2B Chase Utley L
1B Ryan Howard L
LF Raul Ibanez L
CF Shane Victorino S
RF Domonic Brown L
C Carlos Ruiz R

With not one right-handed power bat, yet alone right-handed bat period in the middle of that lineup, any team with a left-handed pitcher who can break 80 on the radar gun and throw something that resembles a breaking or off-speed pitch can potentially handle the meat of the Phillies lineup with relative ease. This-is-not-good!

How can the Phillies ratify this issue? There options as of right now are slim to none with bringing in either Ben Francisco or John Mayberry off of the bench. At best, Ben (4yr exp., .263, 39, 140) has been very streaky with his productivity in a Phillies uniform but has shown promise when given the opportunity to play regularly. John (2yr exp., .232, 6, 14), although showing promise as a potential power hitting outfielder, has very littler major league experience and has seemed to adopt Ryan Howard’s philosophy on off-speed pitching – swing often, swing hard, swing and a miss.

The haunting question becomes, are the Phillies setting themselves up for yet another epic fail offensively come playoff time (see: 2010 NLCS vs. Giants)?

In my opinion, one of two things needs to happen in 2011 in order for the Phillies to return to the World Series. Either Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez invest their combined $30+ millions dollar salaries this year in an off-speed pitch hitting coach, or the Phillies need to hope and pray that Domonic Brown will be productive against both left and right –handed pitching in his first full year of major league service. Oh yeah, and if the Phillies can find Ponce De León’s “Fountain of Youth” while in Florida this spring, that may not necessarily be a bad thing. Viva la Moyer!

I guess what it will really come down to for the Phillies this year is being able to win with the cards that they are dealt, and not necessarily just having the best hand in the deck. Even if the Phillies really do have four aces in their hand.

(Corey, an avid Phillies fan, will be analyzing the Phillies chances at another ring through a 3-part series looking at their offense, pitching, and the x-factor. Corey is also the Founder and CEO of RemixYourHealth, a grassroots and social media based health promotion initiative. Visit RemixYourHealth.com for more information or check out the RemixYourHealth Group on FanSpeak!)

If the good Lord picked one weather day to represent spring training for every baseball team spread out over Florida and Arizona, he would have chosen today.

With clear blue skies and temperatures hovering around 80 degrees, the Washington Nationals picked up the pace on the fourth day of workouts for pitchers and catchers.

Yesterday’s big story was no doubt Stephen Strasburg’s pain free throwing session. Strasburg had Tommy John surgery at the end of last season and the Nationals are in no hurry to rush the pitching phenom back any time soon.

The talk around camp today was the impending arrival of another ready made MLB phenom, outfielder Bryce Harper. Harper is due to report on Sunday when the rest of the positional players report. Strasburg and his battery mates worked on the fundamentals of the game like covering first base and they even did some situational bunting.

Of course, there was also lots of running and stretching. Strasburg did no throwing today.

The Nationals spring training facility is located in Viera, Fla. The team reports to Space Coast Stadium each morning and then walks the quarter mile to the four beautifully groomed and perfectly greened practice fields, which surround the stadium.

Upon seeing the walk by the players today, I came up with the name for my diary segment that will include player’s interviews, “the walk and talk with…”

Today I was fortunate enough to meet and interview a fantastic young personality in the Nats bullpen.His refreshing attitude on playing the game of baseball really made me feel as though the future of Americas Past Time is in safe hands.

Today’s walk and talk is with pitcher Drew Storen. Nats Manager Jim Riggleman has called Storen the closer of the future in DC.Storen had quite a whirlwind of a year in 2010. Aside from turning just 23 last August, Drew was promoted from the AAA Syracuse Chiefs to the Nationals on April-30.

In the span of six days, Storen accomplished a lot for a young major league relief pitcher. He debuted in the show May 17 against the St. Louis Cardinals.In three batters faced, Storen collected two outs, with Matt Holliday becoming his first MLB strikeout, as well as hitting his first batter, Ryan Ludwick.

Working two-thirds of an inning two days later, Storen would collect his first major league win against the NY Mets. Four days later in an inter-league game against the Orioles, Storen smacked his first big league hit, a line drive to left center field off Kevin Millwood.

Storen is a born closer. He was one of college baseball’s premier closers during a stellar two-year collegiate career at Stanford University. He was a first team All-Pac-10 selection following each of his two seasons in a Cardinal uniform (2008 and ’09) and he led Stanford in both wins and saves in 2009, becoming the first Cardinal pitcher since Jeff Ballard in 1984 to accomplish the feat.

Originally drafted by the Yankees in 2007, Storen did not sign so that he could attend Stanford. After selecting pitching phenom Steven Strasburg with the number one overall pick in 2009, the Nationals drafted Storen, a native of Brownsburg, IN, nine spots later, making him the tenth overall pick.

The Nationals added a little more to Storen’s whirlwind year when, on Jul. 30, they traded his good friend and their saves leader, Matt Capps, to the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline.

Capps was leading the Nats with 26 saves at the time of the trade and was the winning pitcher for the National league in the All-Star game. Storen has said on numerous occasions that Capps had a big part in his success last season, taking him under his wing after the two met at the Nationals Fan fest last February.

Eight days following the Capps trade, Storen knew his time was coming to collect his first major league save. He figured it would probably come in L.A on the road and he was right. “I kept sitting out there (in the bullpen) knowing that the call was coming,” Storen said. “When the call came I was so pumped up and excited that I don’t even remember who I got out, I think I got Belliard to end it.”

It was Bellliard he got out to end it. Belliard pinch it for Brad Ausmus and grounded out to Adam Dunn to end the game. Storen would go onto to record four more saves last season with a 3.58 ERA in 54 appearances. He would boast a record of 4-4 with 52 strikeouts in just 55.1 innings pitched.

“I had closed at Stanford and was pretty good but this was like nothing I had ever prepared for, I was so happy when I got that first one (save)”. Storen said. “I was nervous and excited all at once, it was all like a big blur.” He ended the year 4-4 with a 3.58 ERA.

When I asked him if Nats Manager Jim Riggleman had sat with him to discuss expectations he said: “Not really, I know what I have to do and I don’t really feel like that I have actually won the job yet. There are some guys here that are capable and I just have to go out there and do what I know how to do”.

The scouting report on Storen is that he defiantly has a closers mentality. He does not get rattled and is intensely competitive; giving him the perfect closer’s makeup. He has a devastating slider and a mid 90s fastball. Storen developed a changeup during the fall two seasons ago where he worked as a starter to further enhance all three pitches, as he throws a lot of strikes and attacks the hitter.

When asked about the veteran leadership the Nats acquired in the off-season by signing free agents like Jason Werth and Adam Laroche, he simply replied: “I’m excited, the leadership these guys bring is important to me, as a young guy I just love the experience a guy like (Jason) Werth comes with.

Originally drafted by the Yankees in 2007, Storen did not sign so that he could attend Stanford. After selecting pitching phenom Steven Strasburg with the number one overall pick in 2009, the Nationals drafted Storen, a native of Brownsburg, IN, nine spots later, making him the tenth overall pick.

The Nationals added a little more to Storen’s whirlwind year when, on Jul. 30, they traded his good friend and their saves leader, Matt Capps, to the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline.

Capps was leading the Nats with 26 saves at the time of the trade and was the winning pitcher for the National league in the All-Star game. Storen has said on numerous occasions that Capps had a big part in his success last season, taking him under his wing after the two met at the Nationals Fan fest last February.

Eight days following the Capps trade, Storen knew his time was coming to collect his first major league save. He figured it would probably come in L.A on the road and he was right. “I kept sitting out there (in the bullpen) knowing that the call was coming,” Storen said. “When the call came I was so pumped up and excited that I don’t even remember who I got out, I think I got Belliard to end it.”

It was Bellliard he got out to end it. Belliard pinch it for Brad Ausmus and grounded out to Adam Dunn to end the game. Storen would go onto to record four more saves last season with a 3.58 ERA in 54 appearances. He would boast a record of 4-4 with 52 strikeouts in just 55.1 innings pitched.

“I had closed at Stanford and was pretty good but this was like nothing I had ever prepared for, I was so happy when I got that first one (save)”. Storen said. “I was nervous and excited all at once, it was all like a big blur.” He ended the year 4-4 with a 3.58 ERA.

When I asked him if Nats Manager Jim Riggleman had sat with him to discuss expectations he said: “Not really, I know what I have to do and I don’t really feel like that I have actually won the job yet. There are some guys here that are capable and I just have to go out there and do what I know how to do”.

The scouting report on Storen is that he defiantly has a closers mentality. He does not get rattled and is intensely competitive; giving him the perfect closer’s makeup. He has a devastating slider and a mid 90s fastball. Storen developed a changeup during the fall two seasons ago where he worked as a starter to further enhance all three pitches, as he throws a lot of strikes and attacks the hitter.

When asked about the veteran leadership the Nats acquired in the off-season by signing free agents like Jason Werth and Adam Laroche, he simply replied: “I’m excited, the leadership these guys bring is important to me, as a young guy I just love the experience a guy like (Jason) Werth comes with.

I wanted to get some various opinions on the current Sports World. So I thought and thought. What if I put together a round table discussion on five topics with myself and four other outspoken sports fans I have known in my lifetime? 5 questions with 5 opinions.

Feel free to comment and give your thoughts on this week’s winner.

Here is a rundown of the court’s justices:

The Matzie: Popular victim of my past blogs. Matzie proclaims to be, “Tactfully robust and refreshing, yet surprisingly tasteful.” We will see about that. Fan of many teams.

Bob: Rabid Ravens fan, disappointed Terps fan, and an eternally optimistic Orioles fan.

Vic Vinegar: Simple said…”Firm But Fair”

Gib: Born and raised in PA, a Maryland alum who loves all sports – but loves football a little more.

John aka Stinger: Fanspeak.com guest blogger and Chief Justice

To the questions….

1 – Did Green Bay win the Super Bowl or did Pittsburgh lose it?

The Matzie – “Call me biased, call me predictable, call me a girl named Sue, but the Steelers lost the game. Down four points as the fourth quarter began, the Steelers were staring down 2nd and 2 at the Green Bay 33 yard line. That’s a very enviable position after a lack luster first half and two turnovers given and none gained. For what it’s worth Mendenhall had only 2 fumbles all season on 324 carries. I’ll take those stats any season at 4.5 yards per carry with 1,273 yards rushing and 13 TD’s. HOWEVER, you have to protect the football when you are carrying the football in a crowd and Mendenhall didn’t follow the standard operating practice for an elite NFL running back. Thus, momentum shifted and the Packers pushed the lead up to 28 – 17.”

Bob - Working a Super Bowl commercial front- Most similar commercial “Snickers Bar lumberjack commercial”- Pittsburgh lost the Superbowl. The snickers commercial from last year with Betty White and Abe Bigoda stole the show. It was such a classic that it deserved a repeat this year. See it worked because they used celebrities that we thought were dead, but glad to see alive, then ultimately shocked to see pounded in the mud. Instant classic. This year Snickers dug up Richard Lewis and Rosanna Barr! Huh? I not only do not care that they are alive, they are so irrelevant to the public eye, that it was almost sad to see them trying to make a quick buck on commercials. The Steelers in their 2nd Superbowl in 3 years found themselves down 6 points with 2:07 minutes, in almost the exact same situation two years ago. Yet, instead of marching down the field and ending the game on miraculous catch in the endzone by Randle El (thought to be dead), they stumbled with clock management, only got one first down, and ended the game after only 5 plays on an almost interception. The Steelers had failed to stand up and deliver on the biggest stage at the biggest moment. You had to feel sorry for not only them but their fans also. It was such a pathetic effort to try and duplicate an instant classic.”

Vic - “Green Bay won it. Sure, the fumble was huge, and the Ladies Man (allegedly of course) threw two big picks, but had it not been for a couple of big drops by the Packers, this game could have been over early. More importantly, and speaking of “losing it” how about Xtina and the national anthem? Although looking at her, the case could be made that she has certainly “gained” more than she has “lost”. Just saying.”

Gib – ”The reality is that nearly every football game is both won and lost. While the Steelers continued their post season trend of not playing quality football for 60 full minutes, I believe that the Packers won the game more than the Steelers lost it. Aaron Rodgers dictated the pace of the game right out of the gate and the Green Bay defense came up with big plays when they needed them. It’s unusual to look past a pick 6 as a team’s biggest defensive play – but it really seems to me that the Clay Matthews hit on Rashard Mendenhall on the first play of the 4th quarter was the biggest play of the game. Pittsburgh trailed 21-17, had scored the last 14 points, and were playing their game – running the ball downhill on the Packer defense. At that point it seemed like Green Bay was about to meet the same fate as the Ravens a few weeks earlier, squandering a double digit lead in the second half to the more experienced team. The Packers did not allow that to happen. Although Roethlisberger would get the ball in his hands one score down with about two minutes to play, the game was won when the ball violently left Mendenhall’s hands at the start of the final quarter.”

Stinger- “Green Bay won the game. Pittsburgh turnovers were caused by Green Bay making plays. As a Skins fan, we could have used Howard Green. Actually we could have used a lot of Green Bay’s backups. Actually we could use Green Bay’s interns as our decision makers. Why does this always go back to other teams being better than my team? As I said in my Super Bowl blog, this could be the start of three in a row for the Packers.”

2- Whose side on you on? NFL players or NFL owners?

Matzie aka Sue- ” There’s a claim that the NFL players get 60% of the revenues. The more accurate breakdown is that the players take approximately 50% of revenues and the players take 100% of the punishment. The 60% figure represents gross revenues that add up to nearly $1 billion in “expense credits”. All of this and the league, the richest and most popular in the United States, continues to deny insurance claims to NFL veterans in the most brutal contact sport aside from MMA or boxing. The league decided to opt out of the agreement in 2008. Drawing a hard line in negotiating three years ago, the league created the tensions felt today. Not such a smart move when the collective league stands to lose nearly $400 million per week during the regular season, which doesn’t even count lost revenues starting in March once the current agreement expires.”

Bob- Most similar commercial “The never aired Tim Tebow pro-life commercial.” Two things here. No one wins in this political argument. Both sides make piles of money for playing a game. Second, it is not our money at stake yet we end up paying for it. No matter what the outcome, fans are going to see increased ticket prices passed thru to them. If the Tim Tebow commercial would have aired, you’d make some bud light induced dumb comment and be subject to the ire of all the females and republicans in the room. Next thing you know, the crowd you had so wittingly impressed with your knowledge of all things football, commercials, and Black Eyed Peas, is now looking at you like you spit in the guacamole.”

Vic- ” I have to go with the players on this one. Unfortunately, they are paying the price for their union getting b-slapped by the owners for the past 25 years right now. Like the players, I don’t want an 18 game schedule. Like the players, I want quality healthcare after I retire. And, like the players, my body feels the equivalent of 18 minor car accidents every day that I go to work…wait. I’m typically a “pro big business” kind of guy, and it’s hard to sympathize with many of today’s players (playas), but in this one I find it hard to listen to a bunch of billionaires cry poor.”

Gib- ” I believe the credibility of the owners will suffer as the CBA process drags on. The proposal for an 18 game schedule and the crackdown on “illegal hits” (however that is defined) stand in direct conflict. Polls indicate that even the football-craved American public rejects the notion of the prolonged season. That is not because they don’t want to watch two extra games in the future, it is because they understand the toll the season takes on the players. They have seen the length of Green Bay’s injured reserve list. They recognize the hypocrisy the league shows the players when they say that they hold the player’s health as the highest priority. Don’t get me wrong, both sides are in it for the money – it’s just that one side is worse at hiding that reality. I side with the players.”

Stinger- “Players need to stick it to the owners. The 18 game schedule is crap. I would make them pay, especially that lawsuit happy owner in DC. Fanspeak, call the lawyers in case Danny reads this. I would understand if there is a delay in the 2011 football season if the players don’t give in. Then again the owners may need money after paying out the 400 victims who didn’t Super Bowl seats when they start taking the Commish to court. If they don’t have a season in 2011, I hope MTV gets all former Real World and Road Rules cast members and has one mega-challenge. They could show this on Sundays from 1-7 easily. Tired of Jersey Shore and Teen Mom re-runs.”

3- At the midway point who will win the NBA championship?

Matzie/Sue- ” I’m gonna go with Cleveland. Wait…. Lebron left? Ok, I’ll take Lebron’s prettier, sunnier, friendlier, and classier landing spot. Miami is 24 – 7 in the Eastern conference. They’ve had a 12 game win streak and they are an All Star team acting in synergy as each game clock expires. The only other competition, in my humble opinion, is Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio as Exhibit A, B, and C, respectively. Exhibit A is too old, Exhibit B is too young, and Exhibit C doesn’t face any competition to battle test them in the weak Western Conference. Don’t give me any arguments on that. LA is bLAh and Kobe lost two steps not one. Durant can only do so much by himself in Oklahoma City. Denver is about to lose Melo. Dallas has the pride of Pittsburgh in Mark Cuban but his aging star power is losing much of its luster.”

Bob – “Most similar commercial “Volkswagon Darth Vader”- The evil empire of the NBA, the Lakers will win the NBA championship. Their quiet yet forceful business-like approach to basketball still rules the galaxy even though teams consisting of young rebels are sprouting up all over to challenge their destiny. The biggest threat maybe the Miami Heat but they are akin to the Budweiser Wild West commercial, which for the first 25 seconds looked to have all the makings of a classic commercial, only to end with the guy from Fargo singing the most overplayed cliché college bar song of all time. Like the Heat, lots of production, great star power with sinister past, but didn’t deliver the goods. Lakers in 6. Over the Heat.”

Vic- ” I hadn’t realized the NBA season had started yet, but I looked it up this morning, and you are absolutely correct, its halfway over. Weird. Assuming they stay healthy, I guess I would have to say the Heat probably have the inside track. If it were one game, there are probably a handful of teams with a legit shot, but best 4 out of 7 is a different story.”

Gib- ” As much as it pains me to say it, I would say Miami has the best shot to win the championship at this point. Although, it is being reported that the Lakers and Nuggets might be working on a trade that sends Carmelo Anthony to Los Angeles. If that happens, that could be a game-changer.”

Stinger-”I like the Mavs for some reason. I think they are due. Dirk is too good not to win a title at some point and Jason Kidd is a legend. Plus, they always make a move before the trade deadline to get better. All can change depending on where Melo lands. Maybe Dallas? My pick gets better. We should revisit this question in March for sure. I can tell you who won’t win, Cleveland. That losing streak is getting out of control. Hope it goes until they host the Wizards and their road losing streak. Loser leaves the NBA match? Call in “Dangerous” Danny Davis and Earl Hebner to ref that one. Really don’t want to see the Heat win. Have a friend who is a Heat fan and is on a roll in 2011. His year is good enough already.

4- Can the Orioles or Nationals finish above .500 based on what they did in the off-season?

Matzie- “Two words…..Peter Angelos. This is the reason why the Orioles are and will continue to struggle to put a product worthy of competing in the AL East. In 1993, Peter Angelos issued this statement in taking over what was a highly competitive and historic ball club, “”Profit margins are secondary. The fans should be satisfied that they have a strong and vibrant organization pursuing a team that is absolutely and totally capable of reaching the top.” Nearly 18 years later, Angelos is nearly 80 years old and the Orioles struggle to get it up almost as much as their notorious owner. The Nationals….well they are at least trying. Did they overpay for Werth…Yes. However, they had to. They don’t have the championship pedigree to lure free agents. Instead, they dangle dollars. For that, I applaud them. Their pitching staff includes elite talent in Stephen Strasberg and Jordan Zimmerman. For my money, I’ll take Washington’s chances at an above .500 record in the less treacherous NL East.”

Bob- “Most similar commercial “Go Daddy Joan Rivers”. Like the commercial, we as viewers/fans became engrossed in the image of great legs, butt, and chest that came onto our high definition screen. We no longer hear our screaming kids hopped up on Coke, candy, and Doritos, only the image of sexiness and the thought of what the complete package will look like. Like Bryce Harper (chest), Strasburg(legs), Werth (butt) or in the case of the Orioles Guerrero (chest), Derrek Lee(butt), and Duchscherer(legs), we only see the anatomy of what appears to be a Class A franchise. But when the camera pans up to the face and gives you the whole image including the face, we are only see the same old Orioles and Nationals. Both can try to defy gravity and improve upon key parts, but in the end, gravity wins and we are both still Joan Rivers at a bar competing with Marissa Miller and Brooklyn Decker.”

Vic- ” I don’t see it. The O’s had a really nice finish to 2010, but the reality is that they have to play the Rays, Yanks and Sox in 54 games this year. They have a pretty tough inter league schedule to boot (Reds, Braves, and Cards among others). I’d love to see them keep up the momentum from the last few months of 2010, but their signings in the offseason carry a ton of risk (unknowns). The worst part is that .500 has become some sort of goal within the fan base, which is pretty lame. As for the Expos, no, they have no shot at finishing .500. Jayson Werth can’t pitch (at least not every day).”

Gib- “No and no. Still, I think the Orioles are on the right track – even though the Vlad Guerrero signing did not include a time machine. The AL East is not sympathetic bunch, however, and it will be difficult for the O’s to stack 82 wins in that company. I think the Nationals will miss Adam Dunn more than they currently realize and believe, like everyone else, that they probably could have gotten more bang for their buck than they did with Jayson Werth. 2012 may be the target date for the DC club, with Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg adding some much needed juice. Let’s hope the Mayans are wrong and we get to see how this turns out.”

Stinger- “O’s yes. Nats, not yet. Buck proved he can get them to play. They should hit the ball out of the park. Wieters hitting 8th? He could finally explode this season. Anyone down for opening day? May start pregame at 8am this year in anticipation. Once Buck took over and B Rob got back in the lineup, it was a different team. Others will bring up Angelos but I think he has changed some. Still would rather see another owner but this isn’t 1998-2007 with him. Nats in 2012 should look at over .500. I like what they are doing, but the Strasburg surgery will set them back. At least they hired a color guy for TV with a hot wife.”

5- Would you have attended Michael Vick’s Super Bowl party if it happened and you received an invite?

Matzie- “This one’s easy. I wouldn’t attend Ron Mexico’s fiesta, though I believe every one deserves a second chance. However, the closest thing to a human being on this planet is a dog. The only rungs lower on the ladder are murders and child molesters. There’s a reason why dog’s are called man’s best friend. You have to be somewhat evil to make an animal, as loyal and smart as a dog, suffer and die. I personally would like to see Michael run a 40 yard dash against ten of the pit bulls he tortured. Hell, I’d love to put him in a room alone with my Olde English Bulldogge named Hogan. Did I own him in fantasy….Yes. However, I am giving myself a pass because it was my only way to compete in a league where NO ONE will trade. I tried to trade one owner Ocho Cinco and the Giants D for Pitt’s Defense. His response….No thanks. C’mon man!! You have to judge his football merit based on his team though….Jersey Meatball. I would’ve been more successful trading him a jumbo plate of baked ziti and a case of Pauly D’s hair gel.”

Bob- “Most similar commercial “Kim Kardashian Sketchers exercise shoes” – Yes, absolutely. Michael Vick was not even allowed to attend by the NFL. But the star power that showed up to that event may have been something I would have paid $200 to stand outside and watch on TV. At the party I was at, as soon as the Kardashian commercial was over a woman in the room announced that it was proven by some scientist that the Sketchers shoes don’t even work. A lot of others in the room nodded and agreed and quickly dismissed everything about the commercial. I did not even see the shoes in the commercial. And if I was at Michael Vicks party, I would not even have noticed him if he wore an oddly brown and oddly smooth coonskin hat. “

Vic- ” 1000% yes. I’m not just saying this as an Eagles fan, but as one who also appreciates the finer things in life. His now infamous 2010 bday party was held here…http://www.guadalajaravb.com. If a $12.99 all you can eat fajita Thursday doesn’t scream “come rub elbows with a bunch of millionaire athletes”, then I’m not sure what does. And to think that lil bro Marcus would probably help in promoting such an event through his mass Twitter following only emphasizes the exclusive opportunity at hand if I got such an invite.”

Gib- ” No. I think you need to have Mike’s speed and elusiveness to get out of his get-togethers in one piece. I’d be an easy target – so to speak.”

Stinger- “Would have attended in a Mean Machine Paul Krewe jersey. Joking, I would have probably passed. Not a fan of Ron Mexico, as many of my friends have had to listen to me talk about. He had a sick season but did get beat up. I hoped for his own sake he has changed. I am just not sold on it. I got nothing else positive to add.”

So what do you think, who wins the arguments this week?  Do you agree with the court’s decisions?

To figure this out I am going to compare the Nationals offense, defense, rotation, and bullpen to their fellow N.L. East compatriots:

OFFENSE:

The Nationals swapped Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham for Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche, but I’d expect a significant improvement in their offense. Now Werth is the key, as he might not have the power of Dunn, but he is just as dangerous of a hitter. The most important thing for Werth though is to just stay healthy. The Nats lost Willingham for 1/3 of the season last year and their offense suffered without him. If Werth can be counted on for 150+ games, their offense should be fine. LaRoche needs to stay healthy as well, but he isn’t near the concern of Werth.

The Nationals will need more than just a healthy Werth to improve on an offense that ranked in the bottom third (and usually closer to the bottom) in every major category. The first thing to point out is just why Werth’s health is so important. If Werth can play just about every day, then that means only one of Roger Bernadina and Mike Morse is in the lineup every day, allowing the Nats to take advantage of their strengths. Also it means a much more potent bat is on the bench for pinch hitting duties. Now obviously the Nationals need to see Morse sustain his success from last year, and Bernadina to continue to grow. While neither player is a star, they can be an effective platoon for the Nationals.

Another area where the Nationals can improve is the 660 at bats that Adam Kennedy and Christian Guzman had last year, that now should go to Danny Espinosa (and a few more going Ian Desmond’s way), which should be a big improvement. Espinosa at his peak profiles as a solid-to-good starter, and should perform near that level this season. I’d expect him to offer more production than what Guzman and Kennedy combined for. The Nationals will also likely see a boost in production from the catching department. Pudge Rodriguez held his own last season, but in reality his numbers died off after a huge April. He should probably receive no more than half a season’s work at this point in his career, which is exactly why the Nationals went out and acquired Wilson Ramos. Ramos is a pretty good catching prospect, who likely won’t be an All-Star, but should be a very good starter. He will definitely improve on last year’s back up catcher’s Wil Nieves at bats (.554 OPS, ouch), and will be at least a slight improvement over Pudge’s at bats as well.

One area where the Nationals greatly improved, but is often overlooked is their bench. Last season Justin Maxwell, Alberto Gonzalez (still could be back), Wil Taveras, and Willie Harris combined for about 550 at bats and the results weren’t pretty. This year you can expect the majority of those at bats to go to Jerry Harriston Jr., Rick Ankiel, and Matt Stairs. While none of Harriston Jr., Ankiel or Stairs are stars, they should offer a big time improvement over the bench options from last season.

Now I don’t want to make it seem like the Nationals will have a top ranked offense or mash their way into the postseason, but I do think it is important to acknowledge that improvements have been made, and while there aren’t any additional superstar players (i.e. Werth=Dunn), the quantity of major league talent as gone up. I’d expect the Nationals offensive numbers to be somewhere in the high teens (15-19 range) in most major categories. While it won’t be a drastic change, it is a step in the right direction.

Now even with those improvements the Nationals offense is far from great, but it should be more competitive. Pound for pound it pales in comparison to both the Phillies and Braves, but it definitely is a lot closer than it was before. The Marlins had a solid offense last season, right about where the Nats should be this year, so you could go either way as to who is better. Florida did lose Dan Uggla from the middle of their lineup, but they should get better full seasons from top young guys Logan Morrison and Mike Stanton, so that is basically a wash. I think overall I’d give it to the Marlins by a slight edge, but the Nationals offense will be right behind them. The Mets on the other hand are trending downward, and while they should have a few players returning from injury this year, I think their offense will be well below the Nationals in terms of production.

While the Nationals improved on offense, it is really just one part of the equation, and in the coming days I’ll look at their defense, rotation and bullpen and how it stacks up.