By Guest Blogger Geoff Nelowet:

There has been a lot of talk that the New York Knicks had little reason to make this trade since Carmelo Anthony was willing to sign with them in the offseason, which obviously would have allowed the Knicks to hold onto a ton of assets. I think, though, that it’s hard to really gauge how obvious it is that Carmelo was a lock to sign with the Knicks from the open market. We don’t really know what was said between Carmelo’s party, the Nuggets and the Knicks, but I think it would have been worth rolling the dice. The Knicks have given away a ton to pick up a second superstar, which is generally an acceptable proposition, but the Knicks really aren’t in position to contend for a title in the near future.

One of the biggest drawbacks to making this deal now, though, is that it could prevent them from signing Chris Paul or Deron Williams down the road, and I think this is the biggest issue with the trade. Because Melo will be signing an extension as opposed to a free agent contract, he can sign at the Joe Johnson rate, which could be the absolute max: 6 years, $119 million. If the Knicks can’t put together a superstar trio (a la Miami, an unproven model at this point), they’re left with very few options if they want to contend for a title. From here on out, they’re likely a 50-win team, so there is no more rebuilding, and free agency is really their only option for getting better.

At this point, they have two superstars, a good but aging point guard in Chauncey Billups who isn’t a substantial upgrade over Raymond Felton, a solid rookie at shooting guard in Landry Fields, a hole at center, and an empty bench. This team is grossly unbalanced, and they won’t be able to afford resigning Fields in 2012 if they intend on going after another star. It’s hard to imagine that they’ll be a serious championship contender, and even if they bring in a Chris Paul, how great will that team really be? The general consensus will still be that Miami’s trio will be markedly better than New York’s, and not to mention the teams that are currently better than Miami.

The NBA is run by superstars, and the elite fifteen to twenty players in the league dictate virtually everything, and when one of those players is made available, it’s sensical to think that a team such as New York would give away a huge number of assets in order to add a second superstar to their team, but this deal just doesn’t make that much sense, and especially when looking at the current NBA landscape.  The Knicks could be a much better situation if they cultivated their young talent over the next two seasons and waited for 2012 in hopes of luring a Dwight Howard and maybe even a Chris Paul as well. Putting Dwight Howard with any other superstar equates to a championship team. Giving away your bench and all meaningful role players to play two or three-on-five basketball really won’t cut it, and the Miami Heat at this point look like a very good team but with very little chance of knocking off defensive juggernauts like the Celtics, Spurs or Mavericks come playoff time.

The trade itself wasn’t horrendous. The Knicks gave away a bit too much, but my issues lies with their desire to trade for Carmelo Anthony in the first place. Their roster is not equipped for him, and they’d be in substantially better shape if they had waited for free agency to sign him. If they miss out, it’s not the end of the world. They would still have a solid young core centered around Stoudemire and a huge free agent class coming up in 2012.

NETS GET:

PG DERON WILLIAMS

JAZZ GET:

PG DEVIN HARRIS, PF DERRICK FAVORS, 2011 1st round pick (Nets), 2012 1st round pick (Golden State via Nets), $3 million

NEW JERSEY GRADE: A-

I thought the Nets did exceptionally well in this deal, mainly because no one knew it was going on. Unlike the Carmelo deal that was completely aired in public and was basically dictated by the player himself, this deal was done in private and was built between the Jazz and the Nets. Now I’m sure a few additional teams called the Jazz asking for the availability of Williams, but I doubt there was much in the way of substantive discussions. This allowed the Nets to strike quickly and complete the deal, not only did it ensure that there wouldn’t be a bidding war, but the Nets quickly answered their soon to be city rival’s acquisition of Carmelo Anthony. As indicated by my grades I prefer what the Nets did over what the Knicks did, because of the additional contracts New York took on.

While Devin Harris was a good point guard, Williams is still a big upgrade because he is simply a star. He’s one of the top 10 players overall in this league and plays a prime position. He is a better shooter, passer and floor leader than Harris, which should make the Nets’ other star Brook Lopez a better player as well. Since the Nets lacked production from their 2, 3, and 4 positions they had to get another true star. Adding Williams is great because at PG he can impact everyone else.

As for what they gave up I don’t think it will come back to haunt New Jersey. I really do like Devin Harris and think he is a playoff caliber guard. The problem is he needs to be on a team with 2 other stars, and shouldn’t be a focal point of the offense. If he is a team’s 3rd or 4th option I think he can be very effective, but as a true star he will always be overmatched. As for Favors, I’ve never been too high on him and thought he was a reach for the Nets last year. While he has a ton of potential I think it will take him a couple years to reach it. While Favors doesn’t have an expensive contract because he is on the rookie scale, he’s not exactly a bargain either. It’s quite possible that two years from now Favors is still languishing on the bench and eating up valuable cap room. Right now perception is above reality for Favors and they were able to capitalize and land a true star. The draft picks are another matter, but 2011 is looking like a fairly weak draft class so in all likelihood the Nets are only sacrificing a solid starter there (unless of course the Nets would win the lottery). As for the 2012 pick, it has some protections from being a top selection and with the Warriors playing better basketball it is likely to be a pick in the teens. Again it could yield a solid starter but no guarantees.

Yes there is a chance that Deron Williams leaves after next season, but with an impending move to Brooklyn and a new stadium it could be enough to convince Williams to stay. Now I think the Nets will need to have a good offseason and add some talent via free agency. If they can do that and begin to compete, I see little reason why Williams would look to leave.

UTAH GRADE: C+

In a vacuum I’m not a huge fan of this deal for the Jazz. When you have one of the 10 best players in the game, you should try to do everything in your power not to lose him. And if you are going to lose him, you should probably have a bidding process to ensure you are getting the best possible deal. I can’t believe that a contending team (or even other non-contenders) wouldn’t give up more for a star like Williams. Devin Harris is a nice replacement, but the rest of this deal should have improved the Jazz and I don’t believe it really did.

Does giving Derrick Favors minutes over Milsap, Okur or Al Jefferson make any sense? All of whom are signed for at least next season, with Milsap and Jefferson signed for 2012/2013 as well. I don’t see how Favors will be much of an asset these next two seasons, at a time where Williams would have kept the Jazz as a playoff contender. While Favors contract extends beyond that, he’s going to have to vastly improve to duplicate the value Williams is bringing to the Nets (particularly if the new CBA offers some sort of ‘franchise’ player distinction keeping him in New Jersey another season). I realize there is a chance this could allow the Jazz to trade Milsap or Okur (to help get under the luxury tax they are now going to have to pay), but unless they land a good wing player it’s probably a bad trade. If you trade them just to clear cap room and create playing time for Favors, it is hurting this team in the long run.

As for the first rounders, they are nice and all, but won’t lead to stars. Hopefully the Jazz can use these picks to help them land another young star. No it won’t be someone on Williams level, but they could get a good young player if they play their cards right. I would hang on to the Nets pick until at least the Lottery since it has a chance of being a top 3 pick. If they do luck out in the lottery, then I would give them more of a B to B+ grade.

Overall, I don’t mind developing a young talent like Favors, but considering you gave up your best player, and an elite star in this league, you shouldn’t have to wait so long for a return. If Favors doesn’t produce in the next couple of years, this trade grade likely falls to an F, and right now I don’t have much faith in the current grade. The Jazz should have landed a better return for their star, and unless they luck out in the lottery/draft I’m guessing this deal haunts them for some time.

David Stern Talks About The Current Labor Situation And Even Contracting The Hornets:

In a very candid interview NBA commissioner David Stern, we find out a good about the NBA’s thinking regarding the Hornets, including that contraction has been on the table. Why some NBA owners would want to contract the Hornets is beyond me? People need to start realizing that in professional sports, expansion, not contraction is the answer. Remember when MLB talked about contracting a team, including the Florida Marlins who won a World Series earlier this decade, and the Tampa Bay Rays, who are one of the bright young teams in baseball. Why would the NBA look to contract a team that has a pair of stars like Chris Paul and David West? The Hornets problem is bad management, and an over inflated salary structure, not lack of star talent. New Orleans has the star players needed to compete, they just haven’t been able to find the role players to build around them. For as much as we focus on the Kobe-Gasol led Lakers (or Kobe-Shaq version), the Jordan-Pippen led Bulls, and the Duncan-Parker led Spurs, there were other players that helped lead them to Championships. Where would the Bulls have been without Ron Harper and Steve Kerr (among others), or the Lakers without Derek Fisher or Robert Horry, or the Spurs without Horry, Kerr, or Bruce Bowen? The Hornets have never found those complimentary starters or reserves and that is why they have languished as a fringe playoff team. In this day and age when the NBA is bringing in more and more talent from Europe, South America and Asia, why would it make sense to limit the number of jobs available. Now it remains to be seen if New Orleans can support a franchise, but I do know this their previous management system didn’t exactly ‘wow’ the city into believing they should go to every game.

Colts Franchise Manning:

There was no way this wasn’t going to happen, and it wasn’t surprising to see the Colts use the exclusive franchise tag, meaning other teams can’t even talk to Peyton. While he might be in his 30′s, there would be a team or two out there that would be willing to give up a pair of first round picks and a mega contract if Manning hit the market. It is smart of the Colts to ensure that he doesn’t get tempted, but now comes the hard part. Indy needs to sign Manning to a contract that compensates him for what he is worth, while at the same time ensuring that he isn’t to costly that it prevents the team from having quality players in other areas. I still believe that having a long term deal with guaranteed money in future years makes sense in this situation. Sure usually I wouldn’t advocate a strategy that would leave a team with a lot of ‘dead’ money 6 years down the road. But it is better to have a single year of having to worry about tightening the budget instead of being a bit short handed each of the next few years. The Colts aren’t going to compete without Manning so what does it matter if they have to be frugal that first season after he is gone. I think it is better to have that money now when it can really impact the Colts Super Bowl chances, than in a season when it will determine whether the Colts get 6 wins instead of 5.

By Guest Blogger Geoff Nelowet:

Carmelo Anthony trade rumors have been in the news for months now, and with the February trade deadline looming, it will be a relief to finally not have to hear about this anymore. Regardless of how all of this turns out, Anthony has become as unlikable as LeBron James at this point. Obviously every player has the right to not want to play for his team, to want to play elsewhere. That’s fine. Just like LeBron, he’s allowed to go play for whichever team he most prefers. Is he seemingly frustrating, uncooperative, and fickle with how he works with the Denver Nuggets and New Jersey Nets front offices? Sure. Again, it’s his career and his life. That’s fine. But what’s vexing to me, is how he’ll come out and say that all of this trade commotion is about his audacious “desire” to win championships. Here’s what Carmelo had to say via NBA.com:

“I’m going into my ninth season. I have no time to waste right now,” Anthony said. “I want to see the light at the end of the tunnel in my future. That light is a championship.” “Going to a bigger market and all that stuff is cool, but if I feel like I have a chance of winning a championship in Denver in the next five years, then I’ll sign the extension. It really doesn’t matter. I just want to win. At the end of the day, that’s all I care about.” “If I feel I can’t do it here, I don’t think this is the right thing to do,” Anthony said. “It’s just the uncertainty in the future of the organization. It’s a lot of things that come into play, contracts, not knowing what’s going to happen in the future.” “At first, a lot of people were saying it’s a money situation. It has nothing to do with no type of money,” Anthony said. “I don’t care about the money. My ultimate [goal] at the end of the day is to win and win a championship. Whether I feel like I can do that here, whether I feel like I need to go somewhere else and do it, that’s my own ultimate decision.”

First of all, there’s no chance Carmelo will sign an extension with the Nuggets. If there were the Denver front office wouldn’t be having a Carmelo Anthony fire sale. If Carmelo had any serious inclination to sign an extension, he would have by now.

But more importantly, the notion that Carmelo would come out and say that his desire to change teams is all about winning, is completely insulting and verifiable false. He wants to win, so he chooses the New York Knicks – and only the New York Knicks? Sorry, but I don’t buy it. They’ve made it to the playoffs once this decade, and they haven’t won a title since 1973. They’ve been one of the most inept failures of a franchise over the last six years or so. Yes, they’ve put a few pieces in place this past offseason, but to say that New York is suddenly the destination of champions, is simply laughable.

Moreover, the fact that he turned his nose up at the New Jersey Nets’ laborious efforts to court him is telling in and of itself. I find it hard to believe that Carmelo is that short-sighted to think that one of the newest, most powerful, and most aggressive owners in the NBA in Mikhail Prokhorov has no shot – or desire to reinvigorate that franchise. At this point, there’s absolutely no reason to claim that the New York Knicks have a substantially better looking future than the Nets do.

Carmelo wants to be under the bright lights in New York City. Fact. And that in itself is fine. No one will be up-in-arms if simply wants to live and play in New York City. But to say that it’s all about winning is blatantly dishonest, and comes off as being entirely self-righteous and majorly delusional. If Carmelo wants to win, he should be trying to play for the LA Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs – not one of the worst teams of the past ten years.

By Guest Blogger John Manuel & Friends:

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?

By Guest Blogger Geoff Nelowet:

Andray Blatche Should Be Traded:

There was a point last season when I was ecstatic about Blatche’s progression as a long and dynamic power forward who could kill a team in a multitude of ways. Blatche was putting up something like 22 and 9 over the last 30 games or so of last season, and he looked like a major part of the Wizards’ future.

Well, things have changed this season, and Blatche has become a black hole on offense with his horrendous shot selection, and coupled with his lazy, indifferent collective attempt at playing defense, he has undoubtedly become the archetype for a “stats guy”. People like to gawk at his size and skills, and when they see he’s only 24, they peg him as a future star. These would be shrewd observations, but when taking into account just how effortless Blatche’s play really is, it’s evident that he’ll never be more than an inefficient jump-shooting seven-footer who has an aptitude for avoiding contact on defense. I think the Wizards should trade him before the deadline. He hold some value and he currently has decent numbers (16 and 8), and I think a contender along the lines of the Oklahoma City Thunder might consider him a good option off the bench.

The Wizards Need To Be Careful With Nick Young:

Nick Young is having a career year averaging nearly 17 points per game, and this is not discounting his time on the bench behind Arenas. Young has essentially been scoring well over 20 a game since he’s taken over as a starter, and all signs point to a pretty big payday – whether it’s justified or not – come this off season.

My fear is that the Wizards will overpay as they historically have done. Obviously, the Wizards are operating under new ownership, but the Gilbert Arenas contract still burns, and Antawn Jamison’s contract was clearly a mistake considering his age and his value to his team. Young is looking like an efficient scorer – but not much more than that. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Young because of his age and the perceived potential that he ostensibly hasn’t unleashed, but the reality is that he’ll never be more than a good scorer in the NBA, and the last time I checked, guys that can put up 20 a night aren’t that uncommon in this league. I see Nick Young in the J.R. Smith vein, and that doesn’t amount to more than a very good role player. I think they should let Nick Young walk. They’ll likely have to overpay for a guy whose stock couldn’t be higher right now.

John Wall Looks Good, But Has Work To Do:

Wall has been mostly impressive in his rookie season thus far averaging 15 points and 9 assists. I believe his assist numbers, assuming he’ll keep them up, will be the highest for a rookie since Mark Jackson’s 10.5 in 1987-88. Aside from that, Wall has been shooting poorly of late, and he hasn’t had much success with his jump shot.

There have been countless comparisons between him and Derrick Rose, and I think at this point, Wall is actually farther along. Rose is having an MVP-caliber season, but prior to this year, he had a number of issues with his game. Mainly, he wasn’t getting to the free throw line nearly enough to be considered an elite point guard, and what made things worse was that his jump shot was slightly worse than Wall’s is now. Rose’s free throw numbers have gone from 3.1 attempts per game, to 4.3 in year two, to now 6.2 thus far this season. On top of that, his three point percentage has gone from 26% last year to 37% this year. Both his free throws and jump shooting have drastically improved.

Wall, on the other hand, is putting up better overall numbers than Rose did his rookie year. He’s shooting 30% from three, and he’s averaging 4.8 free throw attempts per game. More importantly, he’s averaging three more assists each night than Rose did during his rookie campaign (6). The fact remains that if Wall puts the work in, he’ll be at least the player Rose is today, and in my opinion, he has a higher ceiling as he’s a better passer.

By Guest Blogger Rob Yunich:

It’s not often that a visiting player is the reason for a special night at any NBA arena. But such is the case these days with Omri Casspi, the only Israeli-born player in league history. Since joining the league before last season, Casspi has been honored during many Jewish Heritage Nights around the country.

“It’s a great feeling and something I look forward to when I’m on the road,” he told me recently. “It’s great support, it’s unbelievable to go out there and have people cheer for you.”

The Wall Street Journal recently chronicled several heritage nights around the league, noting that Toronto, Boston and Atlanta have honored Casspi this season. Last year, New York — home to the second-largest Jewish population (by metropolitan area) in the world – honored Casspi in a celebration that included the playing of the Israeli national anthem.

“He’s done more than his share,” Kings’ spokesman Troy Hanson said in the WSJ article. “We just had to say no to some teams.”

But there’s more to life in the NBA for the six-foot-nine-inch forward from Yavne, located about 15 miles south of Tel Aviv. Casspi, like any young player, has been working to improve his game.  So far, the 23rd pick of the 2009 draft hasn’t been able to improve upon last year’s modest 10.3 points per game average, but he’s shooting nearly 40-percent from the three-point line this season and about 72-percent from the free-throw line — both upgrades from his rookie campaign.

“I feel a lot more comfortable. Things are going well,” he said. “I would like a lot more wins, obviously, but besides that, I’m happy with my game.”

Growing up, Casspi only had the opportunity to watch Israelis play for American college teams. The two most famous men, Doron Sheffer (who was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers but never signed) and Nadav Henefeld, both starred for the University of Connecticut. (Shay Doron played at the University of Maryland and subsequently in the WNBA before going back to Israel.)

“I really wanted to make the NBA. I had the opportunity to go play college ball, but it never crossed my mind too much,” Casspi said. “I’m just happy that I had a chance to make the NBA and hope to be here for many years.”

By Guest Blogger Geoff Nelowet:

The NBA’s MVP award is generally an inaccurate representation of the most valuable NBA player each season. This is not to say that the winner of the MVP award is typically not the best player in the NBA, rather it’s that the final top-ten vote-getters each season is almost always a misrepresentation of the ten best players of that year. Kobe Bryant seems to make the top-five in votes every single year, and it’s because he’s the leader of the best team in the league. He won the MVP award in 2007-08 averaging 28 points per game, yet in ’05-’06 he averaged 35 points per game – the highest mark of the decade. He followed that up with 31 ppg, the league scoring title, and no hardware. And, of course, the LA Lakers made it to the NBA finals in the year that he won the MVP. It’s undeniably true that there is a correlation between individual success and team success, but there are maybe two guys in the league that could take any team to the playoffs, and at this point it would be LeBron James and Dwight Howard. Aside from those two, it’s commonplace to find a great player having a great season while sitting on a bad team. These players almost never garner any attention in MVP voting despite being some of the best in the business.

When looking at the 2010 MVP balloting, it’s laughable to see that Kobe Bryant finished in third, yet Dwyane Wade finished in fifth. I would like to hear an argument that supports Kobe Bryant being more valuable to the 2010 Lakers – as in the team with Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum – than Dwyane Wade was to his team of role players. LeBron made a valid argument in his reality special that Kobe, in game seven of the finals, was afforded shooting 6-24 from the field because he has great players around him.

The MVP award is inherently unfair, as it prevents great players on losing teams to receive any sort of recognition. The award should be for simply the best player of that year, as a way of mitigating the Kobe Bryant effect, which seems to allot countless votes to the player that happens to be the best player on the best team. This year we will see either Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili make the top-ten in votes (which is absurd) because they are the two best players on the team with the best record. The fact is that the San Antonio Spurs are a great team on both ends of the court. They play hard every night, they share the ball, and they don’t make many mistakes. They have a great bench and great chemistry. In reality, though, if the NBA decided to start over and have every team re-draft their players based on the results of the 2010-11 season, not a single Spurs player would go in the top-25 of this imaginary draft, and yet, one or two Spurs players this season will be recognized as a top-ten or fifteen player while someone like Blake Griffin – who is already a top ten player in the NBA at any position – will go unnoticed.

Here’s my stab at a true MVP award: I’ve ranked the ten best player of the 2010-2011 season irrespective of their team’s record or past success prior to the start of this season.

1. Kevin Love
2. Derrick Rose
3. LeBron James
4. Dwight Howard
5. Kevin Garnett
6. Blake Griffin
7. Amar’e Stoudemire
8. Dirk Nowitzki
9. Deron Williams
10. Chris Paul

HM: Rajon Rondo, Pau Gasol, Monta Ellis

To the chagrin of players and coaches, the NBA is pumping out five games this year on Christmas day. Phil Jackson and LeBron James have already expressed their distaste for christmas games, but fans have every right to be thrilled with the christmas schedule. Here are two marquee match-ups:

Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic:

This game is intriguing on so many levels. Firstly, these are two Easter Conference contenders with Boston leading the pack all season. Orlando is fresh off of a 123-101 crushing of the NBA-best San Antonio Spurs.

Orlando, though, have essentially a brand new team after making two blockbuster trades this past week. With the additions of Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu (who already played for Orlando in the past) and Earl Clark. After watching this new team demolish the San Antonio Spurs, it will be interesting to see how they fair against the next best team in the NBA on a back-to-back.

More importantly, it will be interesting to see how Orlando can manage these new moving pieces. Stan Van Gundy has already stated that Jameer Nelson is his guy, but with Gilbert Arenas in the fold, it will be difficult to manage the two. Arenas had a solid outing against the Spurs, putting up 14 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds. At some point, Van Gundy might have to eat his words and hand the reigns over to Arenas. Otis Smith didn’t bring Arenas and his absurd contract over from Washington so that he could come off the bench for 30 minutes a game.

Arenas may be the headline of the trades made, but let’s not overlook the value that Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu can bring to the team. Both of these guys are very solid veterans, and the last time Turkoglu played for Orlando, they made it to the NBA finals.

If Van Gundy can find a way to make the pieces fit, this Orlando team could be very dangerous.

Miami Heat at Los Angeles Lakers:

This game, of course, is the premier match-up of the night, as two star-studded teams will square off in LA.

It will be interesting to see how Miami plays against one of the best teams in the league. They played a tough, close game with the Dallas Mavericks a week ago in what was a surprisingly low-key match-up, but ended up with a two-point loss to the defensive-minded Dallas team. It seems that Miami has a tendency to look great against mediocre teams, but when they go up against the best of the NBA, they fall short — especially against great defensive teams.

Also, there is a chance Dwyane Wade won’t be playing in this game, which puts a damper on the game — and the outcome — entirely. The value of this game is that we can get an idea of how good Miami really is, as they’ve now had over 30 games to build chemistry, but without Wade in the mix, this game is entirely about entertainment value.

LA, on the other hand, is just now getting fully healthy with Andrew Bynum returning from injury. It’s hard to imagine the Miami Heat shutting down both Pau Gasol and Bynum with Chris Bosh and Zydrunas Ilgauskas leading the front court defensive efforts. Bosh and Ilgauskas are two decorated offensive players, but they have yet to prove their worth (it’s too late for Ilgauskas) on the defensive end, and this will cause problems for them agains the better teams in the league. WIthout Wade, this game will be very one-sided in favor of LA.

By Guest Blogger Brian Murphy:

Larry Brown Out in Charlotte: The Bobcats are out to a disappointed 9-19 start this season and coach Larry Brown has stepped down.  Owner Michael Jordan (ever heard of him?) said in a release that it was a mutual decision between the organization and Brown.  The 70-year-old Brown was in his third season with the Bobcats and led them to a franchise-first playoff appearance last season.

Carmelo Anthony in Other News Rather Than Trade Talks: Nuggets’ All-Star Carmelo Anthony will miss Wednesday’s game in San Antonio due to a death in the family.  Despite his 24 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game he is averaging, it has been a busy year off the court for ‘Melo.  Since he signed a 3-year $65 million extension in the summer, there has been much talk about him going to New York.  The Knicks were at the front of these talks until recently when the Nets started to make moves.  Anthony would be the key for the Knicks to get back to elite Eastern Conference contenders that they once were.  Watching the hyped Heat-Knicks game, it was evident that the Knicks have a solid foundation (since Stoudamire has joined) but are about one superstar (Anthony) away from going toe-to-toe with teams like the Heat and Celtics.  As for the Nets, they are still struggling this year, but not nearly as bad as last year.  If Anthony goes there, I would expect a lot more player movement and the Nets signing another All-Star so that they can compete on a regular basis.

Heat vs. Lakers Christmas Day Showdown: With possibly the most anticipated NBA game of the year thus far, Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson expressed some discontent with the Christmas Day games.  He stated that it’s not a reasonable thing for those a part of the organization and players to have to play on such a holy day where they should be celebrating with their families.  He said it’s tough to get mentally focused without having any sort of walk-through the day before, and knowing his little kids are putting batteries in toys while he has to entertain in front of thousands.  I’m on Jackson’s side with this one.  Although it makes for some great television, you got to figure the players and coaches would rather be with their families which is more important.  I’m not complaining, however, because I will probably be watching what should be a great (and potentially Championship Series) match-up.  I wonder what Kobe thinks of these games because this is his 13th Christmas Day game in his 15-year career.