All Day Sports Talk

One more hurdle to greatness

The Michigan State Spartans fed off the Ford Field crowd Saturday night and pulled away from the star-studded UCONN Huskies.

UCONN's big men all had great games. Thabeet, Robinson, and Adrien all had big nights and stayed out of foul trouble, yet the Spartans were able to win. Win comfortably I might add.

Tom Izzo's collection of players, mostly from Michigan, gave the home crowd plenty to cheer for. Raymar Morgan answered the UCONN bigs with 18 points and 9 boards of his own. Then the guards and bench did the rest. Kalin Lucas, Korie Lucious, and Durrell Summers were all in double figures last night.

Craig Austrie and Kemba Walker of UCONN were rendered mostly ineffective against the tough Spartan defense. It's the same defense that will look to shut down the high octane North Carolina Tar Heels tomorrow night.

Danny Green, Wayne Ellington, and superstar Ty Lawson are firing on all cylinders right now. They should finally meet some resistance tomorrow night, as MSU looks to be peaking at the right time.

This is hardly the same Spartan team that was embarassed by the Tar Heels in Ford Field earlier this year. Suton will be in the lineup, ready to clash with Tyler Hansbrough. The UNC big man went for 25 and 11 in the December matchup. He'll be hard-pressed to reach those numbers this time.

Luckily, the Tar Heels have others in the front court to step up and take the load off of Hansbrough. Deon Thompson and Ed Davis are steady contributors, and will give Morgan fits all night.

Michigan State won't be afraid of being aggressive with UNC's big men, or even their guards for that matter. The game against UCONN showed the strength of their bench. A bench that is significantly deeper than the Tar Heels bench.

It should be a great end, to what has been a lack-luster tornament.

Final Spring Training Thoughts

Derek Jeter will perform just fine as the leadoff hitter. Some have pointed out that Damon has hit leadoff for most of his career, but that doesn't mean he's ill-suited for the second spot in the lineup. Jeter has a career OBP of .387, while Damon has a mark of .355. Jeter being on base more benefits not only the Yankees in general, but Damon in particular. Damon is a lefty, and I'm sure he'll love coming up to the plate with more space open on the right-side of the infield, thanks to Jeter being on first.

Tim Lincecum will continue to dominate. Many point to his mechanics, which appear to be violent. However, much work has been done on recent years to dispell the orthodox on pitching mechanics. The posterchild for flawless mechanics and bodytype, Mark Prior, can't stay healthy for an entire season. Meanwhile Lincecum, who understands the importance of his legs and hips, will continue to churn out the Ks and dominate the league, while defenders of the old guard continue to predict when he'll have arm surgery.

Huston Street! Really? A 5.23ERA vs. a 1.00ERA by Manny Corpas. Hmmm. Is this just the Rockies trying to show they got something tangible in return for Matt Holliday? It's not like Corpas doesn't have experience closing out games, and he has thoroughly outperformed Street this spring. He should be closing games for the Rockies going into April. However, next winter, most people around the league won't remember the shaky, nail-biting 9th innings. They'll just see 30+ saves and agree that at least the Rockies got some immediate return for Holliday.

Orioles fans should be pissed! Matt Wieters is being held down in the minors to save a few bucks. Meanwhile, fans get to pay full price to watch Gregg Zaun catch. What a joke! If a player is one of the best hitters on the roster, he should crack the opening lineup. This isn't a kid that needs anymore conditioning in the minors. Everything I've read on him says he could realistically be the best hitting catcher in the league this year. I understand wanting to save a few bucks if management is unsure if the guy can contribute right away, but Wieters could be hitting 3rd in the Orioles lineup before this season is over.

The Marlins could win the NL East. We all hate them. Win a championship, reward your fans by blowing up the roster, rebuild with youth. Two World Series victories later, who can argue with the system. The Marlins don't resemble the team that won a World Series back in '03, but they'll certainly be in the mix this year. Hanley Ramirez is argueably the best player in baseball, the young pitching staff is coming together, and Cameron Maybin will give them a dynamic presense at the top of the order.

The Big 2010 Flop?

NBA teams and fans are gearing up for the 2010 summer. Teams are trying to clear salary off the books within the next year, while fans are praying that their team might have a shot at a top tiered free agent.

Could all this hope and planning be for nothing? In the wake of the recent economic crisis, yes!

The NBA is in trouble. By now, everybody has heard of the line of credit JP Morgan and Bank of America provided the league. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The league hasn't truly felt the brunt of the economic crisis because season tickets were already paid for before the market collapsed in the fall.

Next year, I doubt season ticket subscriptions are as high. Plus, keeping the average fan in the seats will mean discounting tickets or other promotions that cut into margins. All of this equates to the 57% of league revenue that is allocated to the cap will decrease.

The players likely to get max money, like LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Pierce, Stoudemire, and Yao will be inclined to do two things: 1)resign with their current teams and 2) resign this summer. Doing this allows for two things. Firstly, by resigning with their own club, the salary cap becomes irrelevant, since teams can go over the cap to resign their own players. Secondly, the aforementioned players will all qualify for max contracts worth 30% of the cap, and 30% of this summer's cap will be more than 30% of next summer's cap.

As a fan, I do hope there's a huge shakeup in 2010, but it just doesn't make economic sense.

Making a Case for Matthew Stafford

While I definitely side with the school of thought that Detroit should pick an offensive tackle with their first pick overall, I certainly don't think Matthew Stafford would be the colossal disaster that some of his detractors are predicting.

Stafford probably takes some extra criticism because Georgia failed to live up to their preseason hype. Not only did the Bulldogs fail to win the National Championship, they didn't even make it to a BCS Bowl Game.

Is the '08 criticism of Stafford warranted? Definitely not. He certainly grew and improved as a quarterback between his '07 and '08 seasons. In 2007, he threw for 2523 yards, a 55.7 comp. %, 7.25YPA, 19TD-10INT, and a 128.92 QB rating. In 2008, he went 3459, 61.4, 9.03, 25-10, and 153.54. His stats grew as his responsibility and expectations in the offense grew. Stafford may be the face of Georgia's failures, since he's the QB, but he was hardly the reason. The Bulldogs gave up 40+ points in all 3 of their losses. Plus, there was a game of musical chairs on the offensive line all season. Stafford played well, all things considered.

Moreover, the physical tools he has are amazing. Detroit won't be able to find a quarterback with Stafford's skillset in the later rounds of this draft. He has a big arm and can make all the throws. Him and Calvin Johnson would be a highlight reel waiting to happen.

Yes, I know he's just a junior. But, he did start for three years in the SEC. This isn't a case like Mark Sanchez where teams only have one season of tape. Stafford likely could come in and start week one if the Lions so desired.

The protection for him might not be as bad as previously imagined either. William Beatty or Eben Britton will be available at 20, Jeff Backus can slide to RT, and if the Lions wanted, they could go interior line in the second, where Max Unger will be available.

Whichever way the Lions go, fans will squabble about how it was the wrong decision.

Does Michael Vick fit into the NFL anymore?

A year ago, many agreed that Vick would have no problem finding work if he ever got reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

How the times have changed. A league once filled with teams that took victories over character has seen Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress, Matt Jones, and Pacman get cut.

Where does somebody like Vick fit into a NFL where multi-million dollar contracts aren't waiting for the guy with the best 40 time? Atlanta certainly doesn't want him. Oakland and Dallas, usual suspects for troubled players, have quarterbacks. Maybe a troubled team like Detroit or Kansas City? Unlikely with new coaching staffs in place.

Maybe he signs on somewhere to run an option package? Possible, but is it worth the headache? Not when the NCAA has plenty of capable 'wildcat' quarterbacks coming up.

Vick will bring a huge media circus, and most teams will want to avoid that distraction. Especially when the distraction is coming from a player who hasn't been playing football recently, and when he did, struggled to maintain a completion percentage in the 50s.

Good thing he has a construction job lined up. The NFL is hardly a guarantee for Vick anymore.

Bears ready to roll over North?

The Bears have sent two first round picks, a third, and Kyle Orton to the Broncos from Jay Cutler and a fifth, according to Jay Glazer.

The move should make the Bears preseason favorite in the NFC North. The team was competitive till the end last season, and Cutler now gives them a decisive advantage over division rival Minnesota in the all important quarterback position.

The development of LT Chris Williams, along with Matt Forte and Greg Olsen, should give the Bears a respectable offensive unit. Adding a RT and WR is still desirable, but luckily the Bears are in a division where a flawed team can still thrive.

The defense still needs some work, and the second round pick should look to address that side of the ball. Help along the defensive line would be desirable. Maybe they get lucky, and a high potential player like Michael Johnson falls into their lap.

If not, they could go wide receiver, and hopefully find a player who can step in and start this year.

Regardless of who they draft, the Bears have set themselves up to win the NFC North this year. Jay Cutler is entering his prime, and should terrorize NFC North defenses for years to come.

Final Four Preview

2 Michigan State vs. 1 Connecticut

The Spartans will try to shut down the Huskies on Saturday night, just like they did against the Louisville Cardinals last week. The tight defense of MSU shut down the Cardinals, who were unable to score any fast-break points.

Goran Suton continued his great tournament, with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He'll need to continue his great play this weekend, as Hasheem Thabeet and the rest of the UCONN frontcourt is waiting for him. It will be interesting to see who UCONN matches up with Suton because he does have the ability to step outside the arc and drain the three (3-5 against Louisville). If it happens to be Thabeet, it could mean trouble for the Huskies. Suton is a skilled playmaker for his size, and is more than capable of finding Durrell Summers or Kalin Lucas slashing to the hoop.

Speaking of Summers and Lucas, both men will have to bring their A game on defense. Kemba Walker and A.J. Price are both playing exceptionally well right, and might be the best backcourt combination left. Both men are capable playmakers and scorers, which gives the Huskies a lot of versatility on offense. Both men are also capable of making plays against a pressure defense. If UCONN can score against it early, maybe they can force MSU into a more tentative gameplan that will allow the Huskies to run some more halfcourt.

The pick: I like UCONN. Suton has been amazing, but the Huskies have too much depth in the frontcourt.

3 Villanova vs. 1 North Carolina

Thanks to Scottie Reynolds and his last second bucket, we got some madness in what has amounted to a very tame tournament. The Wildcats were able to knock off the Pittsburgh Panthers, a team many thought would win the tournament. They had no superstar big man, nationally known wing, or highly celebrated point. 'Nova was able to win because they grind games out as a team. Everybody scores, everybody rebounds. The team effort they put up was enough to outrebound the tough Panthers and ultimately outscore them too.

The Wildcats aren't just about grit. This team is full of talented players who should be able to run with UNC's athletes. It'll be interesting to see how the Tar Heels do against a team that can keep up with their guards and wing players.

If the 'Heels want to win this game, a big key will be inside. Dante Cunningham is the Wildcat's leading scoring and rebounder. The 'Heels should feed it inside early and often. Try to get him to commit fouls against Tyler Hansbrough or Danny Green slashing to the bucket. If Cunningham has to sit out for any prolonged period of time, the 'Heels could get some separation.

The pick: UNC in a close one. Villanova will be able to play with them, and it'll likely come down to the wire. However, with a season and national title hopes on the line, Ty Lawson is the guy I want with the ball in his hands.

Broncos to Trade Cutler

Pat Bowlen, owner of the Broncos, has made it clear that the team will look to trade young quarterback Jay Cutler. The relationship between Cutler and the organization began to sour after Josh McDaniels allegedly tried to acquire Matt Cassell from the New England Patriots.

While Cutler has all the physical tools in the world, McDaniels probably can do without the 18 interceptions (2nd in the league). The system he'll implement in Denver will likely be less vertical, so the need for Cutler's huge arm won't be necessary. Decision making will be at a premium, and McDaniels likely has more faith in a guy of Matt Cassell's mold.

However, I feel good quarterbacks are hard to find, and Denver made a big mistake by flirting with the possibility of acquiring Matt Cassell. Maybe Cutler still has some holes in his game and doesn't fit McDaniels system perfectly, but a good head coach will find a way to make a talented player fit his system.

Now the Broncos are in a situation where Chris Simms is the only experienced signal caller on the roster. The options on the free agent market aren't anything to write home about either. Meanwhile, the draft's top quarterbacks are underclassmen. Who knows, maybe the Broncos like Mark Sanchez. He played in a West Coast offense at USC and might be able to fit in well with McDaniels. Still, he is a player who only started one season in college, and played in a conference with suspect defenses. Not exactly an upgrade over Cutler.

McDaniels really shot himself in the foot here. The New York Jets, Tampa Bay Bucs, Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, or San Francisco 49ers would all glady welcome the presence of somebody like Cutler to their lineups. He'd be the immediate answer at the most important position in the game. On the other hand, the Broncos will be starting over. A new QB, a new offensive gameplan, and the transition to the 3-4 defense.

At least with Cutler they would've been competitive through this transitional year. Now, Denver might end up being the worst team in the AFC West. Good job, Josh!

NL West Preview

The Diamondbacks looked good for a lot of last season, before they choked down the stretch. Now they have to deal with a Manny Ramirez led Dodgers team for a full 162.

1) Los Angeles Dodgers - Everybody talks about Manny, but Clayton Kershaw might be the most important piece in the Dodgers season. The Dodgers pitching staff took a big hit this offseason, with Derek Lowe and Brad Penny leaving the rotation. For the staff to replicate the success they had last season, the 21 year old will have to put it all together and become the top of the rotation starter he was drafted to be.

The bullpen needs Jonathan Broxton to perform in the closer role. His high K/IP ratio leads one to believe he can handle to role, but he struggled a bit in the second half of last season. Still, Hong-Chih Kuo could man the closer role if Broxton falters.

The team will be able to hit. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are stars in the making, while Manny provides a stabilizing force in the middle of the lineup. The corners are serviceable with Loney and Blake, while Russell Martin is one of the better catchers in the game. The middle infield is also solid. Furcal and Hudson will make a great double play combination, while providing above average offense at their positions.

2) Arizona Diamondbacks - The team can pitch. Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Jon Garland, Doug Davis, and flamethrowing youngster Max Scherzer give the D-backs one of the best rotations in baseball. Unfortunately, the bullpen isn't as good. Qualls, Pena, and Rauch will need to put it together and emerge as a good backend to the pen, or late-inning leads will be shaky in the desert.

On offense, there's tons of potential here. Chris Young, Justin Upton, and Stephen Drew all have the ability to be all-star players. Conor Jackson is a solid bat at first, who could take the jump to 20+ homers this year. On the other side of the diamond, the team would love Mark Reynolds to stop striking out so much. Eric Byrnes being healthy and returning to 20+ homerun form would also be a major jolt to the lineup.

3) San Francisco Giants - Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Randy Johnson, Matt Cain, Noah Lowry, and Jonathan Sanchez give this team more than enough starting pitching to choose from. Brian Wilson and Jeremy Affeldt give SF a decent 8th/9th inning combo too.

The problem on this team will be hitting. There just isn't enough to it to compete with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. Pablo Sandoval will hopefully rake, Bengie Molina is a decent hitter for his position, Travis Ishikawa might be good (but below average for a first basemen), while Renteria and Winn will be steady, but not amazing performers.

The Giants could hang around in the NL West for awhile, but will be to go after a power hitting bat near the trade deadline if it wants to compete.

4) Colorado Rockies - It's the Rockies, so even without Matt Holliday, we know they'll be able to hit. Garrett Atkins, Troy Tulowitzki, Ian Stewart, Chris Ianetta, Brad Hawpe, and Ryan Spilborghs should give the Rockies plenty of offense. If Carlos Gonzalez lives up to his potential, the Holliday trade might not look so bad either.

The problem here, as always, if the pitching. Jeff Francis won't be ready to start the season, so the rotation lacks an ace. Meanwhile, Hutson Street can't be relied upon to close out games. Manny Corpas probably takes the job, while Street keeps fans on the edge of their seats in the 8th.

5) San Diego Padres - The only thing interesting about San Diego is the Jake Peavy trade rumours. He's the best player on this team, arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and will likely be the most talked about player heading into the July 31st deadline. Chris Young is also a good starter, and Heath Bell should be a good closer, but after that the pitching on this team is horrible.

On offense, it doesn't get much better. Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmonoff will give the team some pop, in a power draining stadium. After them, not much is here. Hopefully Hundley and Headley develop, but after that, there's nothing to get excited about here.

Get ready for a long summer, San Diego.

NL Central Preview

The Cubs finally hope to shake the curse of the Billy Goat, while the Brewers will once again become a baseball afterthought.

1) Chicago Cubs - Clearly the class of the division. The Cubs should have this division wrapped up by early September. The pitching is superior. Zambrano, Dempster, Harden (if healthy), and Lilly give them a dominant pitching staff. Gregg, Marmol, and the flamethrowing Golden Domer Jeff Samardzija give the Cubs very good late relief.

The offense is very good too. Aramis Ramirez, Derek Lee, and Alfonso Soriano are all consistent performers. Soto proved last year that he can be an elite catcher, and Milton Bradley should chip in with 15-20 homers too. The big hole in the lineup is centerfield. Kosuke Fukudome needs to start playing to his hefty contract. His spring last year was pretty good too, so hopefully for Cubs fans he can carrry that play through the entire season.

2) St. Louis Cardinals - I was tempted to put the Reds in this spot, but they're a young team that could have some setbacks. The Cardinals, have question marks too, but have Pujols carrying the load on offense. Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel provide additional pop in the lineup. A key will be Skip Schumaker being able to transition to second base. His .359 OBP will need to be in the lineup every, since no other leadoff options are on the team. Him being able to play second will let Duncan play everyday in left, giving the lineup a bit more pop.

The pitching is ok. Dave Duncan does wonders with the Todd Wellenmeyer's of the world. However, making medicore talents average won't get into the playoffs. The team will need a healthy Chris Carpenter to join Adam Wainwright at the top of the rotation. If those two can combine for 375 innings this year, the Cards will be in the race come September.

3) Cincinnati Reds -  They have great young talent. No clear cut cleanup hitter, but plenty of guys who can potentially produce (Votto, Bruce, Encarnacion, Phillips). Homeruns shouldn't be a problem, even if there isn't a guy they can lean on. The big concern, in my opinion, comes at the top of the order. Willy Taveras needs to duplicate his .367 OBP of 2007 to be an effective leadoff hitter. 68 steals is great, but not when you only get on base 31% of the time and strikeout a lot.

The pitching could be incredible. Edinson Volquez, Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, and Johnny Cueto give them a very good rotation, which could get better if Homer Bailey finally pans out. If the young pitchers produce, this could be the best rotation in the NL. Plus, Francisco Cordero gives them a serviceable closer.

4) Milwaukee Brewers - Yovani Gallardo has ace potential, but him and Manny Parra will not make Brewers fans forget about Sabathia and Sheets. The rotation after them is less than inspiring too. Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush, and Braden Looper are all candidates to get shelled when they take the mound. The relief situation doesn't look any better. As of this writing, it looks like Trevor Hoffman will start the year on the DL.

The offense needs Prince Fielder to return to his 50 homerun self. J.J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, and Corey Hart give this team some serious pop. Don't wait on Rickie Weeks to join the offensive assault. It might be premature, but at this point, I'm willing to call him a bust. He strikes out way too much, and doesn't walk or hit for enough power to make up for that.

5) Houston Astros - Berkman, Lee, and Pence will rake. After that, I don't know where the offense will come from. Tejada is on his last legs, Pudge can't bring it anymore, and Bourn looked lost last year. Oswalt is still a stud, and the bullpen looks solid. I just don't see much depth here, and it will be a rough season in Houston.

6) Pittsburgh Pirates - Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit give them two solid bats to build around. Now the team just needs to find parts of the other positions. The middle infielders are serviceable, but are both older guys that might be traded in July. LaRoche has potential, but has failed horribly in his big league stints. The pitching looked good a few years ago, but Snell, Gorzelanny, Duke, and Maholm failed to give this team the rotation it needs. Snell, Duke, and Maholm are still serviceable starters, but hardly gamechangers. It will be a rough year in Pittsburgh.