Lots of stuff going on today in sports:

• Apparently Shaq is on his way to Phoenix for Shawn Marion. This could work very well for both teams considering Marion is a free-agent this summer and Shaq, well, lets just say that Lebatard puts its best: "Shaq's style doesn't work in Phoenix? Taking passes from Nash kind of works for anyone. And dunking and shooting 60 percent fits just about anywhere."
• Tonite the US Mens soccer team is playing a 'friendly' against Mexico at 7p on ESPN2. This is turning out to be a great rivavlry and this game will defintley be worth watching, even if you're not totally sold on soccer. look for Landon Donovan to have a big game, this is about the only team he plays well against.
• speaking of soccer, US rising star, Jozy Altidore was apparently almost tranferred to English Premier League bottom-dwellers Reading this past January. The deal fell through, which is both good and bad; Jozy is young and he's awesome and he brings a high-level talent to the MLS, but he would have been thrown into a starting role in England in arguably the best league in the world which would help him as a play instantly
• in NFL news....Patriots suck, and looks like they're in more trouble, no sympathy from me
• The Browns now have SIX pro-bowlers, and deservedly so, now that Brady and Moss have backed out. Derek Anderson, Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards, Joe Thomas, Ryan Pontbriand, and Josh Cribbs.
• In the best commentator news, still in soccer-mode, ESPN has dropped Eric Wynalda, who basically sucked as a soccer announcer and could be at fault for people not liking soccer.

Well that was fun

Nuggets Fans Beware

the Lakers just got a ton better. For a quick fix and showing that they're going for a championship this season, the Fakers just traded for Pau Gasol.

this is a pretty good upgrade to the lakers, i have always thought Gasol was good, and people don't know much about him because he's been stuck in Memphis since he was drafted.

did anyone catch the line about what the Grizzlies got in return?:
"The Grizzlies will get the Lakers' first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010; guard Aaron McKie, signed earlier Friday for salary cap purposes; cash considerations, and the rights to Gasol's brother Marc, a 2007 second-round pick of Los Angeles."

thats wierd

anyway, if the Nuggets don't make a move for Ron Artest, i'd be surprised. The Nugz have a roster of people who are built to win right now, before their window closes. Camby, KMart and Iverson aren't getting any better, so get Artest and make a run!

Problems in the MLS

man, problems with Major League Soccer? no, tell me it can't be!

its true

I follow MLS because i like soccer, and i like to know who the players are that are playing for our National Team. Even though the average joe still thinks that players from the USA don't/can't play in Europe, most of our national squad is playing in the top level in England including:

Demarcus Beasly
Freddy Adu
Micheal Bradley
Tim Howard
Kasey Keller
Clint Dempsey
Eddie Johnson
Bobby Convey
Brian McBride
Bocanegra

and quite a few others, and they're getting starting minutes even

so here's the problem with MLS. last week they had the 'Superdraft', in which the MLS teams drafted the best players from college, just like every other sport. But unlike every other sport in America, drafting first is not good. The top players in college are trying to get jobs overseas and so if you draft Joe Schmo from UCLA, the best striker in the country to turn around your franchise, and then he signs with some Football club in Sweden, well, you're out of luck.

that sucks. if you pass on that kid, and he doesn't get a job overseas well then you miss out on some great talent.

it reminds me of when all of the good basketball players were skipping college to play in the NBA, colleges would sign these kids and then they'd get burned.

Drafting the right player is hard enough, but then for that player to skip out to Europe, that makes it even harder. i don't know how to fix this, but i hope the MLS continues to improve and our homegrown talent sticks around.

What Is There To Talk About?

ugh

I hate the time around the Superbowl, nothing going on. I'm not really looking forward to the big game for any reason, except maybe a Patriots loss which would be hilarious.

I've determined that there is no reason whatsoever to follow the NBA before the All-Star game every season because there are so many freaking games (82 in case you didn't know). But the All-Star game is coming up and i'm still not excited.

The Kings are playing way over their heads which is awesome and Reggie Theus is turning out to be a good coach, though i think it has to do with coaching scrubs and not stars. But that will change now that Bibby, Artest and KMart are back, lookout!

Some names you'll be hearing in the Association for the next 5-10 years are Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Kevin Martin, Dwight Howard, Derron Williams, and Spencer Hawes. Bosh is amazing! i love that kid. Same with Dwight Howard, this guy is only getting better. Spencer Hawes, well, that just hopeful.

At least Manchester United is on top of the table in the English Premier League, barely topping Arsenal. The league doesn't end until May, but its already intense. Arsenal and ManU are playing each other on Feb. 16 for the FA Cup which will be the most hyped game of the year so far!

And last but not least, the Rockies seems to be nailing down all the big names, Tulo, Holliday, Atkins. so its good to see O'Dowd spending some cash on a World Series calibre team!

The Birdman Could Fly Again

ex-Denver Nugget fan favorite, Chris 'Birdman' Andersen has begun the reinstatement process to get back into the NBA

Birdman's last flight was with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornet and missing dunks in the Slame Dunk Contest before being 'excused' for drug-related reasons.

The Hornets supposedly want him back.

i'm excited

more ugly white-dudes in the NBA, yes!

Go Giants?

well, we finally have the Superbowl teams. talk about a disappointing playoffs. first my Brownies don't make it in along with the Vikings and/or Donkeys so i don't really have a team to follow.

My backup team is always the Colts, i love 'em, and i love the whole Colts vs Patriots debate. When we look back on this era it was all be about the Manning vs Brady, and i'm hoping Manning can put it together the next few seasons.

But anyway, i was talking to my homies, and basically if i have to pick my 5 least favorite teams in the NFL it would be the Patriots, Giants, Packers, Chargers and Steelers. well that made for an interesting Championship weekend since 4 of 5 of those teams were playing, but above all, i'm anti-Patriots, so whoever beats them, i'll support.

So that brings me to the Superbowl, Giants vs Patriots. I've got to go with the Giants. i kind of like them now. and let me explain why.

I didnt like the Giants because i felt they were vastly overrated. i still think every team in the NFC is terrible, and the fact that the Giants came out on top isn't much to celebrate, but they did come up with some huge wins, including at Lambeau which is pretty crazy. gotta support that!

so Go Giants, but those evil Patriots and make history forget about this season.

oh, and watch out for the Kings, they're healthy and on a roll!

So a majority of my friends in Denver are part of the blind masses that are bowing down to Devin Hester, who in my opinion, is the most overrated player in the NFL. He's terrible, and this whole "Game changer" tag he gets is worthless if you consider that he's only the field for maybe 2 minutes the whole game.

the fact that the bears WR corps is so bad and Hester actually gets on the field during the game is embarrassing. Yes, he scored 6 touchdowns this year, but did you noticed the muffs, the fumbles, the mistakes, the times he should have just done a fair catch but didn't. he's too much risk for reward, and if he's the guy the Bears look to take over games for them, well, they're not going to make the playoffs, oh wait, they didn't.

Here's a comparison of Devin Hester, and the best returner in the game Joshus Cribbs from Cleveland: