Cuban to Own Team in Rival NFL League

Apparently, a wall street businessman and a senior executive at Google have decided that's its a good Idea to start up a new football league to rival the NFL, and Mark Cuban is first in line to be a team owner.

The league intends to play its first preseason games in August of 2008. According to the wall street business man Hambrecht,"(Former NFL coach) Bill Walsh used to tell me that the last 20 players cut from every team were almost interchangeable with the last 20 players to make the team."

Wake up!!!! No one packs stadiums to see the last 20 players to make the team, they come to see the superstars! Have theses guys never heard of the XFL? You would think between a wall street business man and a google exec. they would think this through a little more. And Mark, we all know about Mark -Mr. HD Net.

Kobe Bryant Demands Trade

From Fox Sports

"I would like to be traded, yeah," Bryant told ESPN radio. "Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative. It's rough man, but I don't see how you can rebuild that trust. I just don't know how you can move forward in that type of situation."

Bryant, who helped the Lakers win three consecutive NBA championships, has four years left on the seven-year, $136.4 million contract he signed July 15, 2004. That was a day after Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat.

Bryant became infuriated Tuesday when a Los Angeles Times columnist quoted what he called a Lakers insider as saying it was Bryant's insistence on getting away from O'Neal that prompted the trade to Miami.

Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer the past two seasons, said he spoke with Phil Jackson on Tuesday, and the coach told him he was being let go because the Lakers were committed to reducing payroll and rebuilding long term.

"They said nothing to me about a long-term plan - absolutely nothing," Bryant told KLAC radio, the Lakers' flagship station. "They told Phil one thing and they told me another. Actions speak louder than words."

"It's a trust thing," he added. "They're in a long-term plan that I had no idea about."

The Lakers and Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, did not immediately respond to messages left by The Associated Press.

Bryant, an 11-year veteran who turns 29 in August, urged the team at season's end to do what it takes to get back into contention. He essentially repeated those comments last weekend in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

On Sunday, he suggested former Lakers general manager Jerry West should return. West left the team in the summer of 2000 and was succeeded by current GM Mitch Kupchak.

Why the Spurs will beat the Jazz

Any guy that will let this type of embarassment occur will not beat the Spurs.

Michael Vick's Pit Bull Kennels painted black

Take a real close look at the fence and structures painted black at the back of the Vick property. Courtesy SI.com:

The brick house Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick owned on Moonlight Road in rural Smithfield, Va., is painted white. It has a white door, a white fence and a huge white gate that opens on a spare front lawn holding a white birdbath. In the woods behind the house, out of view from the road, stand five smaller buildings. These are painted black -- not gray or charcoal, but pure black, as if they'd been dipped in ink. They are set off from the house by a fence, also painted black.

Kathy Strouse, an animal control officer, was standing in front of those outbuildings as night fell on April 25 when a simple question came to her: Why the black paint? A moment passed before Strouse had an answer. At night, when most dogfights are held, no one would know these buildings were here.

Reading the article you realize the scope of involvement between a large number of professional athletes and professional dogfighting. Personally, this is more disturbing to me than steroids.

Source: Vick 'one of the heavyweights' in dog fighting

This one keeps going from bad to worst. This is probably one of those situations that the NFL wishes would go away. Guess what? It's not. This is the kind of felony that makes worse PR than Tom Brady knocking up two super-hotties. This is cruelty to animals. This is PITA throwing blood on the blazer of the NFL Commish. Courtesy ESPN's Outside The Lines:

Our confidential source said he's been involved in dog fighting for more than 30 years. He has trained and fought -- by his estimation -- about 2,000 pit bulls and was poised to tell "Outside the Lines" about the time in 2000 when his dog squared off against a dog owned by someone he referred to as one of the "heavyweights" of the dog fighting world: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

Ron Mexico is going down.

What Happened to the NBA

With all the rule changes to increase the score, increase the sales, make it a more fast paced action packed ticket selling event; somewhere in the midst of all the hoopla, the game got lost.

No more defense, no more hard fouls, no more spectacular players= no more fun.

What happened to the good ol days?

Next Avery Johnson or the Next Kwame Brown?

Michael Jordan has hired Sam Vincent to take over the Head coaching job for the Charlotte Bobcats. When asked about his decision Jordan replied that he was looking for the next Avery Johnson, former NBA player and court general who knows how to manage his players.

Vincent has never been a head coach on the NBA level and isn't the lead assistant with the Mavericks.

Did Jordan watch the playoffs?

I am a Jordan fan so I hope this decision doesn't turn out like the one to draft Kwame Brown. They can't run Jordan out of his home town, can they?

Allen Iverson Playing Football, Enough Said

Durant vs. Oden....You Decide

The NBA draft lottery is upon us, which spurs debate over who will be drafted first i this year. It's obvious it will be either Kevin Durant or Greg Oden. To me you can't really go wrong with either.

On one hand you have a stump in the middle that can throw anyone that comes in the lane and scores recklessly on the block. On the other hand you have a athletic swing man that can play 4 positions and shoot from anyone on the court with ease.

I would take Oden simply because he has proven his poise in big games. In the title game against Florida, he was 10 for 15 from the floor with 25 points. I believe he will have more of a immediate impact than Durant.

Greg Oden and Kevin Durant aside, I can't wait to see what Acie Law does in the NBA. The guy is a stone cold killer.

Bengals' Henry must serve jail time after failed drug test

Suspended Bengals receiver Chris Henry failed a court-ordered drug test and will have to serve 88 days in jail, a prosecutor said Monday.

Kenton County (Kentucky) Attorney Garry Edmondson said that Henry tested positive for opiates and he will be forced to serve jail time.

Wow, that didn't take long. Opiates? Well, that pretty much narrows it down to morphine, codeine, thebaine, or Papaverine. Nice. And here I thought pro football players only smoked the ganja.

Way to go Chris, have a nice life.

Witness can place Vick at the dogfights

My, my, my. Will wonders ever cease?

Kathy Strouse, the animal control coordinator for the City of Chesapeake in Virginia which is investigating the case at the Smithfield home, told Yahoo.com on Tuesday she has spoken with individuals who can "put Vick on that property" during matches.

Saying she is "very confident" that Vick will be tied directly to the dog fighting on the property, Strouse has challenged Surry County Commonwealth attorney Gerald Poindexter to bring charges.

You're young, you're rich, you're one of the most marketable superstars in the NFL. You can afford pretty much anything. So, what do you like to do with you freetime? Golf? Nope, too boring. Gamble? Nope, that involves losing money. Party with Pac-Man in Atlanta strip clubs? Nope, I work in that town.

I've got all this money burning a hole in my pocket, what do I do?

Pit Bull fighting? Oh, hell yeah.

Steve Nash gets a Big Shot From Rob

What was Robert Horry thinking?

This is a guy who has more playoff experience than Phoenix's entire team. He more than anyone should know when to hold his composure. After all he is big shot Rob. Right?

Not only did he lose the game last night, he may have lost the series for the Spurs. Who is going to close out the close game in Phoenix? He will get at least a game suspension.

I guess this ends the debate over the Spurs being a dirty team.

Ricky Williams tests positive for pot AGAIN!!!

"MIAMI - Former NFL rushing champion Ricky Williams tested positive again for marijuana last month, which will delay his return to the league until at least September, a person familiar with the case said Friday. Williams sought to end a one-year drug suspension last month when he asked to rejoin the Miami Dolphins."

NO! RICKY! SAY IT AIN'T SO!! Can anyone honostly say they're surprised. I for one actually am surprised. With an $8.6 million judement against him for work already lost, this time Ricky honostly had everything to lose. We've moved past funny and straight into sad. This guy is going to be the posterchild to my kids when it comes to losing it all for weed. Unbelievable... then again, did we really expect him to straighten out? This guy was going to be a Hall of Famer. Now he's going to become a footnote.

At best in twenty years he'll make an interesting read on Wikipedia.

Dale Jr. Leaving DEI

From FOX Sports:

Earnhardt, 32, announced on Thursday that he was leaving DEI, where he started his NASCAR career at 21 in the Busch Series, to become a free agent.
In December, Earnhardt said he hoped to have his contract completed by May. But as the months passed, Earnhardt added he was free to contact other owners on May 1. As that deadline expired, Earnhardt told FOXSports.com on Tuesday, "You'll all know soon what my plans are." Earnhardt and his stepmother Teresa addressed DEI this morning before the press conference at JR Motorsports.

Budweiser's contract with DEI expires at the same time as Earnhardt's does. Earnhardt was expected to speak with Anheuser Busch officials at 10:30 a.m. ET this morning.

Earnhardt has a press conference scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at JR Motorsports.

Now the question becomes just which owner can present the most attractive offer. For Earnhardt it's not just about the money, but where he can go to win championships.

There have been more than a few Earnhardt sightings with Hendrick Motorsports' principals over the last few months that have fueled rumors that Budweiser would return to NASCAR's top organization, possibly with the No. 3 in tow. But which car would he drive and which driver would be displaced? Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson obviously aren't going anywhere. Kyle Busch, 21, has exhibited a few prickly, uncomfortable moments but factoring in his level of talent along with his age the potential of growth on both accounts is more than promising. Casey Mears has had an unfortunate season so far but it's not like Rick Hendrick to cut the cord this quickly.

Certainly, Earnhardt's relationship with Richard Childress dates back the farthest, although his grandfather Robert Gee was one of Hendrick's first motorsports employees. But since Earnhardt Sr.'s death, Childress has been there for the entire family whether the children needed something or if Earnhardt matriarch Martha needed a flight to Daytona. There's a level of trust between the Earnhardts and Childress dating back almost 30 years. While Hendrick's roster is full, Childress is currently in expansion mode and is adding 90,000 square-feet to the existing building.

"He's a great race car driver," said Mike Dillon, vice president of competition for Richard Childress Racing. "I believe he can win races and championships and we could provide that for him here.

"His fan base and popularity will certainly make any deal attractive with Junior. He's a genuinely nice guy, that's the cool part of the deal. But you have to be concerned with the existing teams here and make sure they're comfortable any situation we would bring in. We'd love to have him but you would have to be prepared. We have championship caliber teams already and have to be careful not to upset the existing situation.

"Certainly, we would love to have him. I hope we're that lucky. I wish we're in the running but if you listen to the rumor mill, I don't see that happening."

A third scenario has Earnhardt becoming a satellite organization with Hendrick Motorsports. Engines and engineering support would come directly from HMS.

Spurs Draw First Blood

When they win, its experience. When they loose, they are getting old.

No matter how you shake it, the Spurs showed they are capable of keeping up with the run and gun offense of the Suns.

What I can't figure out, is why everyone was so quick to jump on the Suns bandwagon this year. Hasn't anyone else watched the Suns in the playoffs the last several seasons?

When ever someone argues that the Suns are going to win the Championship I always tell them what I have been told my entire life. Offense wins games, defense wins championships. Offense will come and go night to night. One night you may shoot the lights out, the next, you can't it the broadside of the barn. Defense can be there every night.

Bottom line the Spurs will eat the Suns lunch.

Choke of the Year? Easy, it's the Mavericks.

I had notion that the Mavericks could pull the comeback. When Baron Davis pulled up in the second quarter with a bad hammy I thought the deal was sealed. After all, the Mavs were the FREAKING OVERALL NUMBER ONE SEED FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. But 111-86??? Are you kidding me? I can't think of a bigger chokejob since Jason White from OU in a BCS bowl. Nowitzki goes 2 for 11 for a whopping 8 points. MVP? Oh hell no. Cue up the Nash band. So what did coach Avery Johnson have to say following the crushing loss:

"We just didn't have the confidence."

Seriously. I can think of some other quotes to cover things that might have been lacking that particular night:

"We just didn't have the defense."

"We just couldn't make any shots."

"We just didn't have a gameplan."

"We just didn't make any in-game adjustments."

"We just couldn't overcome the inury of their star player."

"We just didn't have the league MVP tonight."

Cue franchise meltdown.

Tonight! Mavs vs. Warriors! Who is going to get it done??!!

So, today is the day, tonight is the night, carpe diem, the future is now, the time is right, git 'r done, all that crap. There aren't enough cliches to cover the hole that the Mavs have managed to dig. All week I've been saying that tonights game will mark a key moment in the history of the franchise. It's win or go home. Realistically, the Mavs shouldn't be in this predicament. They're one of the greatest regular season teams in the histoy of the NBA. It's not like they didn't have competition along the way. There are two other team in their own conference capable of winning it all. This is a team that is supposed to blow the Warriors right off the court.

Anyone want to make a prediction? I will. Mavs by 11, staving off armaggedon by another day.

Can Golden State Seal the Deal?

The Golden State Warriors are human.

Although it seemed at times during this series (including last night) that Golden State was the number 1 seed and Dallas was the number 8, I believe we will see some more human like mistakes from the Warriors come Thursday. I think they will have trouble closing this series out even with the uber emotional Oakland crowd cheering them on.

The youth, and inexperience showed last night when Golden State began to unravel after a 9 point lead with 3 minutes left.

Not only did they loose the game, they allowed Dirk to regain his confidence. Had any other player on Dallas stepped up and made the shots Dirk did, I don't think they would be in as much trouble going back to Golden State.

Do you think Dallas can steal one at Golden State?

NBA Refs Racist?

From The New York Times:

The study, conducted over a 13-season span through 2004, found that the racial makeup of a three-man officiating crew affected calls by up to 4 1/2 percent.

The NBA strongly criticized the study, which was based on information from publicly available box scores, which show only the referees' names and contain no information about which official made a call.

"The study that is cited in the New York Times article is wrong," president of league and basketball operations Joel Litvin told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. "The fact is there is no evidence of racial bias in foul calls made by NBA officials and that is based on a study conducted by our experts who looked at data that was far more robust and current than the data relied upon by Professor Wolfers.

"The short of it is Wolfers and Price only looked at calls made by three-man crews. Our experts were able to analyze calls made by individual referees."

Litvin said the NBA's study, using data from November 2004 to January 2007, included some 148,000 calls and included which official made each call. The Times said the NBA denied a request by Wolfers and Price to obtain that information, citing its confidentiality agreement with the officials.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that white refs usually call more fouls on black players because.......THERE ARE MORE BLACK PLAYERS!!!!

This is ridiculous.

Again for Big Shot Bob

Last night Robert Horry put game 4 of the Spurs/Nuggets series away with yet another cliched clutch three pointer. Can a guy get into the Hall of Fame with 6 rings, countless clutch shots, and no All-Star Appearances? Let's look at his resume (courtesy Wikipedia):

• "He is second on the all-time list of three-pointers made in the playoffs, behind only Reggie Miller, which is an amazing feat for someone of his height. He also holds the record for three pointers all-time in the NBA Finals, passing Michael Jordan's previous record of 42, and finished 2005 with 53 career Finals 3-pointers.

• Horry collected his sixth championship as a member of the Spurs in 2005. That year he joined John Salley as the only players to win NBA rings with three different teams. Horry has also played in more NBA playoff games than any player except Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, having passed Scottie Pippen for 2nd place during the 2006 NBA playoffs. He joined Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan and Pippen as the only non-Boston Celtics to be on six championship teams.

• He holds an individual NBA Playoffs record for most three-point field goals made in a game without a miss (7), against the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of the 1997 Western Conference Semifinals."

If and when Robert Horry decides to finish his NBA career, he could have SEVEN rings over a 14 year career (don't kid yourselves, the Spurs could win it all). I'm thinking HoF.

Can the Mavs Win 3 Straight?

After watching last nights playoffs games, Houston looks very poised to make a run in the playoffs this year. Right now, they have what they were missing all season long.....T-Mac healthy. I would not be suprised to see them in the finals. I think that Everyone is hopping on the Suns bandwagon a little too early.

Back to the topic of discussion, will the Mavs win 3 straight? All season long after every game, we have heard the Mavs talk about making it back to the finals, and gearing up for the playoffs. Now here they are, down 3 to 1 against the eight seed.

I know Nelly is a good coach, but that good? The Warriors are talented, but is a team that only won 40 games that talented?

After the drumming that Dallas has taken from Golden State, I still believe they have a legitimate chance to win the series. They play tonight at home with their backs against the wall, a game they should win. After the win tonight, they could build some confidence, and go to Golden State and win. That will leave them with one final game at home, and possibly a win.

Could it happen, yes. Will it happen, who knows. Dallas has the best worst scenario possible. If they win, its a great comeback against a team they never should have been down against. If they lose, we'll get to see Mark Cubans eye's pop out of his head.

Either way, relatively entertaining.