Since We've Been Gone ...

You know, summer is one of those times of year that's always so conflicting. School's out; yay! Baseball season is being dominated by the Yankees and Red Sox; boo! We're going to the beach; yay! Your sole source of NFL news is about your team's seventh string running back; boo! ... And so it goes. This summer, however, has been quite an exciting one for the sports world. Here's a brief recap of what you've missed if you haven't seen a minute of ESPN since school ended.

Brett Favre announced he was coming back. But then everyone thought he was going to retire because of his arm. But then he made it clear he was coming back ... and then announced he was retiring for good. Finally, it's clear he's coming back for good (or at least until his arm gives way in week 6). The winners during this situation: the 13 teams on the Vikings' schedule. Brett Favre (pictured, left) is a joke. He can't throw the ball accurate more than 30 yards in the air,

and at this stage in his life, makes poorer decisions than ever. The losers during this situation? Everyone else. The Vikings, for having to put up with this distraction all summer. The fans, who used to be very pro-Favre around America, and now hate the guy. Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson. One of those guys thought he was going to be the starting quarterback of a Super Bowl contending team this fall. That same guy is about to be a third stringer. Brad Childress, perhaps the biggest goat of all, who has admitted that he will sell his soul to the devil and abandon his team for a risky player. And, of course Favre. Brett, you're still going to the hall of fame; I just don't know whos going to be there to support you.

Elsewhere in the NFL, draft picks are showing why their teams drafted them. Except Michael Crabtree, because he thinks he deserves top three, not top ten, money because he feels he was a top three, not top ten, player. Oh, and Andre Smith, because who honestly thought the Bengals' organization could do anything right? Oh, and Tyson Jackson, because people are still wondering why the hell the Chiefs took him.

In the NBA, Shaq and LeBron are now together ... And every single fair-weather NBA fan in the entire world has become a Cavs fan, because you have no sense of humor at all if you dislike both of those players. I'm proud to say one of the very few predictions I got right last year was predicting LA would go all the way and win the NBA championship, and I made that prediction because of how much better LA was inside than Cleveland. Of course, I didn't realize that the Magic were that much better inside than Cleveland, too. If the big Shaqtus (pictured, right) has anything left in the tank, this should put Cleveland over the hump.

Of course, baseball is still in progress, and things are starting to get good, so there will be more on that soon. Maryland football is about to start up their regular season, and even though they're not supposed to be good, there will be more on that soon, too. And Maryland basketball is still months away, but they're supposed to be really good, so it's never too soon to start thinking about them either.

The Case for the NBA Playoffs

Yesterday, I posted about how, during the month of May, the only sport leagues really available to you are the NHL and the NBA, both of which conveniently are the middle of their playoffs. The NFL draft is over, college football spring games are done, and there's only so much you can do with college basketball recruiting. So, you're left with a choice. Which one do I follow? In all likelihood, neither is your primary league of interest. I made the case for the NHL yesterday; today, it's the NBA's turn. Keep in mind, these are for the casual fan.

1. It's much more relatable. Everyone's played a game of pickup basketball in their life, even if the last time it happened was in middle school. Everyone knows the silent satisfaction you get from making a jump shot that's slightly out of your range, and the frustration and embarrassment that comes with missing a layup. So that makes it all the more awe-inspiring when you see Ray Allen curl off a screen and hurl up a three pointer that magically finds it way into the basket, or when you see a guy only a few inches taller than yourself drive through the lane for a thunderous dunk. I'm about six feet tall and I can barely grab rim on a nine inch rim for crying out loud. Maybe that's just me, though. 

But anyway, the fact of the matter is you know how hard it is to play basketball. Odds are, you don't know how hard it is to play hockey. Once again, making generalizations here, but I feel like this is a good one. To me, a Lebron James slam makes me say "I want to do that" more than an Ovechkin wrist shot. 

2. True star power in every game. So you know Ovechkin and Crosby. The other hockey players still in the playoffs that are household names? Maybe Malkin. Maybe Cam Ward. Maybe Chris Pronger. Maybe Pavel Datsyuk, and that's a real reach. I'm sorry, but that's not too much. I counter those six with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant (pictured, right), Dwight Howard, Yao Ming, Carmelo Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki. Now those are household names. Those are players with personalities that are as tall as they are. Dwight Howard may actually believe he's Superman. None of them (um ... replace Carmelo Anthony with Chauncey Billups) are punks, either. They're good, fun players to watch who are good ambassadors of the game. And I haven't even talked about their level of play. 

3. A Cavs-Lakers final will go down as one of the best in history. I guarantee that. The first round games? With the exception of the Garnett-less Celtics and the Bulls, they were kind of boring. The second round games? Well, Houston has already shown they're going to go down with a fight, but I don't know if Boston, Atlanta and Dallas will do the same. The semifinals? They'll be fun. Howard keeping LeBron out of the paint, the Nuggets going deep to try to outrun the Lakers, that will be some good basketball. That being said, nothing's going to compare to the inevitable Cleveland-Los Angeles finals. You're going to see two of the top 10 players in the history of the NBA squaring off. It's going to be amazing to watch. Unlike the NHL, whose best matchup is happening right now in the quarterfinals, the NBA's best matchup will happen on the biggest stage.

4. Charles Barkley is the primary NBA analyst. And I don't even like Barkley. But come on. Whenever the guy opens his mouth, something absurd is going to come out of it. That's entertainment value. 

(Photo Credit: AP)

The Big Post

"It's not all about talent." You hear that all the time about sports teams. "You can have all the talent in the world, but that doesn't mean anything." You hear that too. "A great coach is worth more than a few great players." That may ring a bell as well.

Next time somebody tells you any of that, just tell them they're lying, because they are, even if they don't know it yet.

Time for bold so you don't miss this. 19 of the past 20 national champion teams in college basketball have had at least three players go on to play in the NBA, and all 20 have had two. Now, I recognize there's a difference between playing in the NBA and actually being good in the NBA. I get all that. I also get that you have to have some talent to get there in the first place.

Don't believe me? See for yourself. The following is the list of teams and the players for those teams who have gone on to play at least one minute in the NBA. Bear in mind that the Gators of 2005-07 and Jayhawks of 07-08 could still send people to the NBA. 

1989 Michigan Wolverines (4): Loy Vaught, 10 years; Glen Rice, 15 years; Terry Mills, 11 years; Rumeal Robinson, 7 years

1990 UNLV Runnin' Rebels (3): Greg Anthony, 11 years; Stacey Augmon, 17 years; Larry Johnson, 10 years

1991 Duke Blue Devils (5): Bobby Hurley, 6 years; Antonio Lang, 6 years; Brian Davis, 1 year; Christian Laettner, 13 years; Grant Hill, 15+ years
1992 Duke Blue Devils (6): Bobby Hurley, 6 years; Antonio Lang, 6 years; Brian Davis, 1 year; Christian Laettner, 13 years; Grant Hill, 15+ years; Cherokee Parks, 10 years

1993 North Carolina Tar Heels (6): Eric Montross, 9 years; Jeff McInnis, 13+ years; Derrick Phelps, 1 year; Rasheed Wallace, 14+ years; Kevin Salvadori, 2 years; Jerry Stackhouse, 14+ years

1994 Arkansas Razorbacks (3): Corliss Williamson, 12 years; Corey Beck, 3 years; Clint McDaniel, 1 year

1995 UCLA Bruins (5): Tyus Edney, 4 years; Toby Bailey, 1 year; Charles O'Bannon, 2 years; George Zidek, 3 years; Ed O'Bannon 3 years

1996 Kentucky Wildcats (9): Tony Delk, 10 years; Antoine Walker, 13 years; Walter McCarty, 10 years; Derek Anderson, 11 years; Ron Mercer, 8 year; Mark Pope, 6 years; Jeff Sheppard, 1 year; Wayne Turner, 1 year; Nazr Mohammed, 10+ years

1997 Arizona Wildcats (4): Mike Bibby, 11+ years; Michael Dickerson, 4 years; A.J. Bramlett, 1 year; Jason Terry, 10+ years

1998 Kentucky Wildcats (5): Scott Padgett, 7 years; Nazr Mohammed, 10+ years; Jeff Sheppard, 1 year, Wayne Turner, 1 year; Jamaal Magloire, 8+ years

1999 Connecticut Huskies (3): Richard Hamilton, 10+ years; Jake Voskuhl, 10+ years; Khalid El-Amin, 1 year

2000 Michigan State Spartans (4): Charlie Bell, 2 years; Mateen Cleaves, 6 years; Morris Peterson, 9+ years; Jason Richardson, 8+ years

2001 Duke Blue Devils (6): Carlos Boozer, 7+ years; Chris Duhon, 5+ years; Jay Williams, 1 year; Dahntay Jones, 6+ years; Shane Battier, 8+ years; Mike Dunleavy, 7+ years

2002 Maryland Terrapins (4): Lonny Baxter, 3 years; Steve Blake, 6+ years; Juan Dixon, 7+ years; Chris Wilcox, 7+ years

2003 Syracuse Orangemen (2): Carmelo Anthony, 6+ years; Hakim Warrick, 4+ years

2004 Connecticut Huskies (6): Hilton Armstrong, 3+ years; Josh Boone, 3+ years; Ben Gordon, 5+ years; Emeka Okafor, 5+ years; Charlie Villanueva, 4+ years; Marcus Williams, 3+ years

2005 North Carolina Tar Heels (6): Raymond Felton, 4+ years; Sean May, 4+ years; Rashad McCants, 4+ years; David Noel, 1 year; Jawad Williams, 1 year; Marvin Williams, 4+ years

2006 Florida Gators (5): Corey Brewer, 2+ years; Taurean Green, 1 year; Al Horford, 2+ years; Joakim Noah, 2+ years; Chris Richard, 1 year

2007 Florida Gators (6): Corey Brewer, 2+ years; Taurean Green, 1 year; Joakim Noah, 2+ years; Marreese Speights, 1+ year; Al Horford, 2+ years; Chris Richard, 1 year

2008 Kansas Jayhawks (4): Darrell Arthur, 1+ year; Mario Chalmers, 1+ year; Darnell Jackson, 1+ year; Brandon Rush, 1+ year

... So why did I just spend the past few days of my life compiling this? A couple of reasons. First, when you make your bracket this coming week, make sure your national champion team has three potential NBA players on it (or two + Carmelo Anthony). Second, I wanted to make a point about Maryland. 

Do you know how many players since the national championship team have played a game in the NBA? One. DJ Strawberry. Maybe Vasquez will get in, maybe he won't. My point is that sure, the 2002 national champion team has been heralded as the team of non-stars. Steve Blake is starting for a playoff team right now, though. Chris Wilcox has been a productive sixth man for his entire career. Juan Dixon has been bounced around from team to team, but always ends up on a team. If Lonny Baxter didn't fire a gun in front of the White House, who knows where he would be. That team had talent.

This team? Well besides Vasquez, who's going to go pro? Milbourne? He may get a few looks but there's no way he's tough enough defensively. Before the season, people were touting Mosley as that guy, and he could develop into a great player still, but first I want to see him make a layup. 

Next year, though ... say Lance Stephenson decides that Maryland is the school for him (he will make his decision on April 15). If he comes, Vasquez has already announced that he will come back. That's two probable NBA players right there. I'm not saying Maryland has a chance to win the national championship because they don't. They could at least give it a fighting shot, though, because, if Stephenson comes, they will have some talent. I think this post has proven above everything that on national championship teams, NBA talent is the common denominator. 

Individuals Making NBA, NHL More Fun

Time for a quick break from the college basketball and NFL free agency talk you've been hearing on the show and reading on here. And no, this isn't Tyler. This is Tony, and I want to talk some hockey.

I've never had a problem with hockey. In fact, I used to play hockey. As I got older, though, I learned a hard lesson: There are only so many hours in a day. With sleep requirements, eating requirements, and school requirements, there simply was not enough time in the day for me to rationalize caring about hockey - especially when the Ravens were preparing for the draft and the Terps were making their annual end-of-season bubble push. Hockey just wasn't ... fun enough. 

Then, Alex Ovechkin (pictured, left) and Sidney Crosby came along. Their almost-daily highlights on ESPN followed shortly behind. Intrigue followed that, because I couldn't watch this and not think it's one of the coolest things you've ever seen in your life. They play each other, and it's on NBC, and I watch a period. I read about it after the game and learn that Ovechkin thinks Crosby is a whiner; Crosby thinks Ovechkin is a dirty player. Now I want to watch another game between them, this time all the way, and hopefully I see them go at it. During the process, I see another Ovechkin goal and I start checking the "NHL" page on ESPN.  

Wait, did I just become a hockey fan again?

I still don't follow the Capitals, or any other hockey team, religiously. But if I flip through channels and a hockey game is on, I'll probably stop to watch, especially if it's Ovechkin. Such has one man completely changed my perspective on a sport I thought I didn't have time for. 

It's really the same type of deal for the NBA. There is one notable difference, though. I still loved the game of basketball. I have never not been a college basketball fan. The NBA to me, though, was a completely different sport. There was no teamwork. Traveling was allowed. Players really didn't care until the playoffs started. 

Enter LeBron James. 

Remember that Ovechkin goal? Try this play, and you'll find they're about on the same plane. You have to get excited. Go a few days, and you see LeBron puts up something silly like 38, 13, and 11 or something. You think to yourself, "Man I have to see if he's for real." So you tune in to a Cavs game one night, but it's not on because they're showing the end of a Lakers game, and you watch as Kobe Bryant hits a fade-away three to beat the buzzer. You've never cared about the NBA, but instantly you are going to watch the next game because you want to see LeBron top that.

Like it not, you care about the NBA now. 

The NFL and MLB are undoubtedly the top two professional leagues in America, but both the NBA and NHL are surviving. It's now no wonder why. Individual players are driving both of these leagues, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, as long as you know what you're getting when you go in. So, for the next few months, enjoy Ovechkin and LeBron singlehandedly will their teams on their championship runs. These are once-in-a-generation players, so don't miss them. 

5 Things to Keep an Eye on

Sure, you have the NFL playoff races, but there's other things to keep an eye on this weekend. Here's five things I'll be paying attention to.

1. The Mark Teixeira sweepstakes. C.C. already went to the Yankees; everyone expected that. Teixeira, on the other hand, is a local boy. Both the Orioles and Nationals have expressed interest, and Teixeira has reciprocated with both. It will be interesting to see where Texeira ends up, and whether the local teams will be filling to fork over enough money to get him.

2. Maryland basketball: taking care of business. More on this later, but it's the worst time of the year for Maryland basketball. It's no longer the beginning of the season, so we're not really learning anything about the team. They no longer play anyone that will help their resume at the end of the year. It's full of Elons, Bryants, and Delaware States from here on out. None of these wins will help, but losses will devastate.

3. Pittsburgh-Baltimore: Will the emotions finally boil over? Both teams have been good all week. No players or coaches have expressed anything but mutual respect for the other team. You know it's just because they feel the eyes of Czar Goodell looking over them, though. I mean, after all, this is the same Ravens team with Bart Scott (pictured), who openly threatened to kill Hines Ward last year. It will be interesting to see whether all this emotion they're keeping inside will spill out onto the football field in terms of some 15-yard penalties.

4. Which team will get back on track: Dallas or New York? I have a feeling New York is going to destroy Dallas in this game, but that's just me. Everything I've ever said negative about Tony Romo (pictured) I will reverse if he managed to get the huge win this week. If not, I don't see Dallas winning another game. Conversely, New York has to show the league that they just ran into a Philadelphia team at the wrong time, and that the Giants are still the team to beat in this league, with or without Brandon Jacobs. We're going to learn something about both of these teams after this game.

5. We will immediately start to see the effects of the first big trade in the NBA. Forgive me, but I don't think the Wizards getting rid of Antonio Daniels for two guys who combine to average about 5 ppg is going to make that big of a difference. There was a trade that went down last night between the Bobcats and the Suns, though, that caught a lot of people's interest. Boris Diaw (pictured, left) and Raja Bell (two staples of Suns for the past few years) and Sean Singletary (whom Maryland fans know quite well) left for the Bobcats. In return, the Suns received Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley (also well known by Maryland fans). Steve Nash was visibly upset during last night's Suns-Lakers game. 

And yea, I just wrote about the NBA. 

(Photo Credits: AP)

Looking Back

With so many sports going on at once, how can you keep track of them all? You don't have to, but I will. Every Monday* I will look back and hit briefly upon the five story lines that stuck out from the previous weekend. *Editor's note: I know it's Tuesday, and this happened twice in a row. Forgive me. 

1. It's a shame that Texas Tech-Texas was on Saturday night, because I was not able to watch it. College students go out on Saturday nights. I was at a Halloween party. If this game was on a Saturday afternoon, I would have watched and most certainly enjoyed. But I digress.

What a terrific game with such enormous implications. In one amazing catch and run by Michael Crabtree (pictured), so many things happened at once that it is hard to believe. Instantly, all my gushing about Colt McCoy goes for naught; Graham Harrell one-upped him. Texas is now no longer a lock for the national championship; Texas Tech is now slated for the game with Alabama. If Texas Tech loses any more games, the Big 12 - by far the best conference in America - will probably be devoid of a team. 

2. The NBA season tipped off, and then people realized that they don't care about the NBA until March at least. Although one blockbuster deal already happened - Allen Iverson to the Pistons and Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess to the Nuggets - you can tell by looking around arenas everywhere that even die-hard NBA fans don't care about their teams yet. Nonetheless, listen for a preview tomorrow.

3. Did baseball happen? I don't remember a season that was so quickly forgotten about before this one. The Phillies had their glory for two days, highlighted by Chase Utley's "World ____ing Champions" (warning: explicit content), and since then we haven't seen any "season in review" or anything like that. I suppose it was such an odd season that people didn't know how to revisit it, so they just didn't. Can't say I'm really upset.

4. These NFL happenings get me excited for the rest of the season:

- The AFC East race: Is Miami the best team that just happens to have the worst record?

- The NFC South race: Will either the Bucs or Falcons have enough to hang with the Panthers?

- The AFC North race: Can Baltimore continue to make Pittsburgh nervous?

- The NFC East race: Will the Giants lose enough to give the Eagles and Redskins a chance?

5. These NFL 

happenings I have already heard too much about it and will continue to:

- Rex Grossman has to play a few games because Kyle Orton is hurt.

- Derek Anderson (pictured) is terrible and Cleveland made a decision they should have made in Week 4.

- The Colts and the Jags are playing below expectations. They've been playing that way for 8 weeks and probably will continue to.

- Anything about the Cowboys

(Photo Credits: AP)