Brett Favre is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. There is no doubt about that. He is also a likable person because - unlike other superstar signal callers such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning - Favre is an everyman. He's the kind of guy who is more at home eating chicken wings and drinking beer in a sports bar than savoring fine wine and an exquisite filet at a lavish restaurant.
That said, enough of the media coverage about Favre's retirement! Can you say "overkill," ESPN? Favre did not die, he retired. The seemingly non-stop coverage about Favre on Sportscenter and banter about the Packers great on ESPN's radio affiliates is already a tired act. It would be more interesting to debate about whether Green Bay will give the starting job to untested Aaron Rodgers or trade for a quarterback. The Packers are unlikely to get a franchise QB in the first round of the draft since they have the 30th pick. Of course, Favre was selected in the second round of the 1991 draft by Atlanta and then traded to Green Bay a season later, so the Packers could roll the dice with a quarterback at some point in the draft.
While Favre prepares for life after football, Ben Roethlisberger is enjoying his new status as the highest paid player in Pittsburgh Steelers history. The Steelers, who are known for pinching pennies, inked Big Ben to an eight-year, $102 million deal, including $33.2 million in guaranteed money and a $25.2 million signing bonus. Of course, now that Pittsburgh broke the bank with Roethlisberger, they now have no money to upgrade their offensive line (which lost Alan Faneca and was already suspect in the 2007 season). No doubt the Steelers will choose an offensive lineman with their first round pick.
We are entering one of my favorite times of the year for sports. March Madness is about to begin. Spring training is in full force. And the NBA is reaching the stretch run of its' regular season. There is little drama in the Eastern Conference, where Boston and Detroit are the clear favorites. In the Western Conference; however, Denver is currently 36-24. If the playoffs started today, the Nuggets would be left out. That shows the Western Conference's depth. If the playoffs started today, three sub-.500 teams in the Eastern Conference (Washington, Philadelphia and New Jersey) would make the post-season.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
A year brings a dramatic difference for the Celtics
The adage, "What a difference a year makes," is especially true for the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics.
A year ago at this time, Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge were hoping to get the first pick in the NBA draft, yearning for Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Instead, the Celtics were stuck with the fifth pick, even though they finished with the second worst record at 24-58. What seemed like a dismal sign for the future was transformed into a reason for excitement when Ainge executed trades for Seattle's Ray Allen and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett. Creating The Big Three (Allen, Garnett and veteran Celtics star Paul Pierce) also helped lure key free agents like James Posey and Eddie House.
Surprisingly, the new-look Celtics immediately gelled on the court, racing to the league's best record. Today, Boston is expected to shore up its' only weakness by signing 38-year-old Sam Cassell, whose contract was recently bought out by the Los Angeles Clippers. If he clears waivers and signs with the Celtics, Cassell will serve as a backup to starting point guard Rajon Rondo, who is rapidly developing his his second NBA season. Last week, Boston signed veteran big man P.J. Brown to provide depth at the center and power forward spots.
It is an exciting time for the NBA. Boston is 46-12 and appears poised to contend with Detroit for the Eastern Conference title. Yet Cleveland made a significant move by acquiring Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Delonte West to help LeBron James. In the Western Conference, Phoenix added Shaquille O'Neal, the Los Angeles Lakers dealt for Pau Gasol and Dallas brought in Jason Kidd. For the first time in several years, there is reason for anticipation for the NBA playoffs. It should be dramatic, especially since there is not a clear-cut favorite to win the championship.
If the regular season ended today, my prediction for the NBA finals would be Boston and San Antonio. I know that the Lakers are a popular choice since acquiring Gasol to team with Kobe Bryant, but I think the Spurs have more depth and more on-court chemistry with an array of solid role players. Your thoughts?
A year ago at this time, Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge were hoping to get the first pick in the NBA draft, yearning for Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Instead, the Celtics were stuck with the fifth pick, even though they finished with the second worst record at 24-58. What seemed like a dismal sign for the future was transformed into a reason for excitement when Ainge executed trades for Seattle's Ray Allen and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett. Creating The Big Three (Allen, Garnett and veteran Celtics star Paul Pierce) also helped lure key free agents like James Posey and Eddie House.
Surprisingly, the new-look Celtics immediately gelled on the court, racing to the league's best record. Today, Boston is expected to shore up its' only weakness by signing 38-year-old Sam Cassell, whose contract was recently bought out by the Los Angeles Clippers. If he clears waivers and signs with the Celtics, Cassell will serve as a backup to starting point guard Rajon Rondo, who is rapidly developing his his second NBA season. Last week, Boston signed veteran big man P.J. Brown to provide depth at the center and power forward spots.
It is an exciting time for the NBA. Boston is 46-12 and appears poised to contend with Detroit for the Eastern Conference title. Yet Cleveland made a significant move by acquiring Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Delonte West to help LeBron James. In the Western Conference, Phoenix added Shaquille O'Neal, the Los Angeles Lakers dealt for Pau Gasol and Dallas brought in Jason Kidd. For the first time in several years, there is reason for anticipation for the NBA playoffs. It should be dramatic, especially since there is not a clear-cut favorite to win the championship.
If the regular season ended today, my prediction for the NBA finals would be Boston and San Antonio. I know that the Lakers are a popular choice since acquiring Gasol to team with Kobe Bryant, but I think the Spurs have more depth and more on-court chemistry with an array of solid role players. Your thoughts?
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