in 1991, he was the IRL and Indy 500 Rookie of the year in 1996, and the Nascar Rookie of the year in 1999. Voila, there?s your point guard.The Holy TrinityNo, I?m not channeling Tim Brando on Tim Tebow in this discussion. Here is a selection of those already done, and a few on the way soon.Randy Wells Derrek Lee Carlos Marmol Jeff BakerRyan Dempster. And the way the current MLB environment is looking, it may be the Orlando Rays we are cheering for.Of course, we are a long way from this even being possible For all we know, we may never hear about this idea again. There were two players (Elvis Dumervil & Jared Allen) who had more sacks than that last year Clearly they need to add a pass rusher. Yes.

I just don’t believe Lebron will ever be in that argument, and here are my reasons. 1.) LeBron did as expected.A first pick in the draft who had all the media attention behind him. This Cavalier is a quick-rising prospect with ideal size and strength. Welcome to the third edition of “Daily Random Sports Thoughts!”For those not familiar, I pick a team, player, or any other topic in sports that I have five random thoughts about. The San Jose Sharks may look like an example to follow now, but their success is mostly down to industry in trades and not due to selecting Andrei Zyuzin, Patrick Marleau, then Brad Stuart to affect their outcomes I could go on (hello Winnipeg) Tanking is no guarantee for success. The Joe Mauer contract saga appears to be headed to a conclusion.Now that the Star Tribune’s Joe Christensen  publicly broke the news of the Twins on-again, off-again negotiations with Minnesota’s mega-superstar, I can attest, without letting down my source (one that is not Christensen), that the deal was indeed intended to go down last Friday but the final parameters were still being hammered out.WCCO-TV sources appear to have confirmed what I also heard to be a ten-year deal , although no one knows yet what the final dollar amount will be. Mike Singletary has obvious ties to the Bears, but Kurt Warner’s retirement means the NFC West is up for grabs. But if Zimmerman was a Boras client, the Nationals would have him for just two more seasons before losing him to free agency.

Sam Querrey kept his run going at the ATP Event in Memphis with a straight sets victory over the talented Argentine Leanardo Mayer. If Bell can improve his 40-times, look for him to go in the fourth or fifth round. Current NCAA Tournament Status: Sliding off the bubble quickly. McFadden was a second-team All-SEC performer and despite a lack of hype surrounding the fleet of foot cornerback, he?s still a decent NFL prospect. Munyer, who is 6′3″, 265 pounds, is considered a three-star performer, and is rated as the 63rd-best guard in the nation by Scout . The two men standing in this year’s Australian Open final have survived six matches and the grueling conditions in Australia. We look for Jamaal to carry the ball around 300 times and add 50 receptions giving him about 350 touches for the year.

As expected (well, I did anyway), the alleged assault case filed against WWE Superstar Randy Orton has been denied on February 10, 2010 because there was no probably cause found .As you may remember, the accuser, a 15 year old fan, told the cops that Randy Orton spat a gum at him and called him a deregoratory name when he approached him for an autograph and a picture last January.Here?s the copy of the document as acquired by TMZ from the District Court in Massachusetts where the whole thing was said to have occurred.CLICK HERENow, I know some of you think TMZ’s not the best source for this stuff, but I think the document should be good enough. . You know that was a power play move by his agents over at SFX. Displays like that are going to have to come weekly for the Rossoneri to have a shot. When looking at the schedules it isn?t going to be easy for the challengers to overcome the deficit in Serie A. AC Milan clearly has the toughest remaining schedule of the three sides?nine of their final 14 matches are against teams on the top half of the table. And how do they manufacture points?Who?s going to run the show? How are we going to get easy buckets in transition? Who?s going to guard James Anderson? Are the Kansas Jayhawks working out with state-of-the-art Eastern Block weight lifting equipment and using steroids? Moscow, Kansas.Hmmm?.One thing?s for sure, there?s no easy way out, but here are three ways to easier offense.1.Maximize Number ofBall HandlersNo.

The years and money were more than the Tigers willing to pay. While the Gators relied primarily on their shotgun offense, Tebow took more snaps under center then in any other year. This team is one of the best in the nation once March starts, led by the reliable junior point guard Kalin Lucas and outstanding coach Tom Izzo who never seems to let the Spartan Nation down when it matters most in the Big Dance. Not to mention, the team’s chemistry will also be back to the way it has been for many years.Although, Portland will still be lacking a center with Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden out for the remainder of the season, in my mind they can still contend in the Western Conference.Everyone will get plenty of playing time and the team will be rested up after the All-Star Break.

If there is a team that could be considered the polar opposite of the juggernaut-like Philadelphia Phillies that team would be the Washington Nationals. Louis.Theshortstop carousel never happens, as Orlando Cabrera and DavidEckstein stay with their respective teams.Because JD Drew is in the doghouse withTony LaRussa, the trade to the Braves of him and Eli Marrero forJason Marquis, Ray King and Adam Wainwright goes through thatoffseason.  However, because of Dan Haren’sexceptional work in the World Series and the fact that the team won aSeries, the demand for a top-of-the-rotation lefthander is lessenedand the team Is not inclined to bite on Oakland’s demand of Haren,Kiko Calero and Daric Barton for Mark Mulder.No one else takesBilly Beane’s bait and becomes unmovable when a physical reveals theextent of his injuries.Going into 2005, the Cardinals areagain stacked.The MV3 is still in top form and the rotation isimproved with additions of Marquis and the full-time use of Haren. There’s a lot of value in a guy like that, but to get there, he needs at least 450 PAs this year.I hate hate hate the idea of making Desmond a super-utility guy this year. There are only a handful of players who match great offensive production with impressive defense and 2 of them are serenaded with MVP chants everywhere they play.The solution: get some more offensive weapons to take some of the weight off of Lee’s shoulders. So this demand will be much tougher to resolve that the first two. Even so, the fact that the NFL players’ 59 percent take is the largest among the top professional sports in the United States makes this one very likely to argue against. But the union will try, and they are already asking the owners to open up the books to them to prove they are losing money. Houksaying? The Yankees were a terrible team with great weaknesses and adepletedfarm system. With that kind of skill bottled with his dedication, the sky is the limit for Tebow..

While watching the replays it is evident that Hull had possession of the puck, had his first shot stopped by Hasek, after which he collected the rebound, had the part of his left skate blade enter the crease at the same time the puck left the crease, and he jammed home the game-winning goal. The NHL did the right thing in allowing the goal to stand. His 17.5 points per game is the eighth best mark in D-II history. Evans was recently selected as the Rookie Challenge game MVP. His knees are wearing down, and the vertical jump that once put him amongst the league?s top shot-blockers, just isn?t there anymore. After Haley showed up in 1992, the Cowboys were fifth in defense and allowed only 243 points for the season.The only change to the defensive starting roster was Charles Haley He brought a championship attitude. Most college teams could find minutes for a 39-year-old Michael Jordan, especially the Tar Heels in 2001, his first year with the Wizards.

This kid is tough, he has ice water in his veins; he can do everything on the basketball court.All in all, Curry DOES have some cons. Just a beast at inside linebacker.One out-of-state stud.Defensive Backs/AthletesI say we need at least four and maybe five.Give me?Sheroid Evans:Super fast 6′1″ DB that?s not afraid of contact.LeRoy Scott:5′10″, 190-pound ball of hatred.He looks a lot like Earl Thomas.Hybrid safety prospect.Desmond Roland:6′3″ 200-pound dudes that can run and aren?t afraid to light you up make awesome safety prospects.Kolby Griffin:6′0″, 180-pound cornerback out of St. It takes them a lengthy amount of time until they find their legs, which means their pregame routine needs to change. Taylor Mays is not an immediate need here, but the Steelers had issues without Troy Polamula around this season.I think Mays is has too much potential physically to pass up at this point. The statement is reminiscent of one they made in light of Toyota quitting Formula One in November, in which the Italian team said we must “wait and see just how many [of the new teams] will be there on the grid for the first race.” Ferrari have always been sceptical of the way Formula One has been heading in terms of its entry list, and it is very unlikely that this is the last we’ll hear on the matter.

John Salmons isn’t a two-guard and couldn’t replace Ben Gordon’s lost production. Former Cleveland State Vikings men’s basketball starter J’Nathan Bullock has just signed an one-year, expenses-paid contract with the the St.  Week 15 (Feb. Starting out as a member of Evolution Randy Orton made his mark as the Legend Killer.Earning the ire of the fans, Orton went on to disrespect and beat some all-time greats including the likes of Harley Race and Shawn Michaels. And he would help every aspect of the Rams horrid defense that ranked 29th in the NFL.

Just some food for thought, mostly. Final wordThis class isn’t going to knock your socks off, absolutely not. He could be a deep bench kind of guy that you don’t mind putting in if you have to rest someone for a few minutes, but you really don’t want to have to rely on…and that’s what they are having to do.Well, there it is, thought I’d call attention to perhaps the team that people overlook as having injuries Comments are always appreciated.. Falcons President Rich McKay said in a statement Thursday, “We are aware that Representative Burkhalter filed legislation that would extend the hotel/motel tax, a percentage of which currently funds the debt financing for the Georgia Dome. He is hoping to revive his career in National League after signing with San Francisco Jarrod Washburn was the tale of two seasons in one.

For the first time, the 2010 Pro Bowl is being held the week prior to the Super Bowl instead after The game will also take place in Miami instead of Hawaii. Winner: Derozan over Brown.Well that is a wrap on my prediction for All-star Saturday and a congrats goes to the Rookies for a shocking win last night over the Sophomore The future is on display and its shining better than ever. I have been in a management position, and when someone decides that they no longer support the status quo, it can have a very negative affect on their job performance.It is my opinion that Wilcox probably started getting offers almost immediately after beating up on Oregon, and it did have an effect on the field for the Broncos.BSU’s D, which looked incredible against Oregon, had four or five mediocre games against mediocre opponents, and I’m sorry to say that the problem was the defense.But on the big stage against TCU, Wilcox did roar back and make a statement for his resume.Wilcox was elevated in 2006 to coach the Broncos defense, but Chris Petersen and Co. The legendary Allen Iverson who was still capable of leading a contender and leading the league in scoring was being asked to come off the bench for Rodney Stuckey. (Click “Continue Reading” below for more)During the 1980s, the company’s reputation grew steadily, and its founder was invited to offer courses and seminars on club-design, manufacture, and repair at the likes of Ferris State College, the Tommy Armour Golf Co (then called the PGA Golf Co.), and the Ben Hogan Co.

The promise of Darren McFadden’s greatness is now non-existent. Wacky Prediction No. With the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine coming up soon, it is time to get to know some of the lesser players that will be attending. Agree? Disagree? Argue away Now onto my UFC 109 predictions.Matt Serra vs. However, the stinker of the night was the Electrified Cage Tag Team Title match between LAX and Team 3D.

Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Auburn are pretenders as much as Alabama. Linebacker Jessell Curry and Defensive end Craig Sanders are already enrolled at school.As of today, including the currently enrolled students, Auburn has four linebackers, five offensive lineman, and four defensive lineman.  Chizik is looking to add more defensive lineman over the weekend.Auburn also has five athletes on their verbal committed list: Ryan White, Trovan Reed, Shaun Kitchens, D.J. Well, our fair Jess is happy todemonstrate that for us.Somehow I think these undergarments look better on her than they might look on, say, Chris Snee.. Michigan State should be running at full speed coming off their game against Notre Dame and should run over the Bears without any problems Look for a Spartan blowout to end September.. Punk has started to gain a kind of Jesus look right? Or is it just me? Then in every promo he has made in his quest to save the lifes of the adicts has been nothing but a very interesting copy of the message of Jesus. He can be reached through his website or by e-mailing him to  . The Undertaker responded by saying ?those are some bold words little man? and continued on his usual spiel about how his opponent will lose and then rest in peace.

Measurables: 6′0″, 205 lbsGame Experience?Played In 41 games Started 5Career Statistics: 72 Tackles, 7 TFL, 2 Sacks, 2 Pass Break Ups, 2 INTsThenarse has been one of the most oft-injured players for Nebraska and has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA and looks to make it through his final season without injury.Thenarse hits hard and plays hard, but doesn’t always play smart.That’s the reason why the less athletic Matt O’Hanlon started over Thenarse for so long.It’s up to Rickey to silence the critics this season though and start to play smart, fast and tenacious ball.He has what it takes to be a really good safety, let’s just hope he stays healthy enough to prove it.. The Bills fired chief pro scout John Guy last week. It wasn’t necessarily hard hits; it was still OTA’s for Pete’s sake It was arms up in the air as the ball was thrown. An interesting combination ofBritish engineering excellence and Malaysian money, Lotus Racing have an mixture of 2009?s most erratic driver and the winner of F12009?s Award for underachievement.Both Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen have a lotto prove.Having tested so far without power steering, and with onlytheir test driver, Fairuz Faunzy, the car looks magnificent and iskeeping pace admirably to say the Cosworth engine was only fired up forthe first time less than a week ago…the T127 lapping around threeseconds ahead of Virgin?s pace. House played under Knicks Head Coach Mike D’Antoniwith the Suns.Robinson is a “base-year compensation” player, which means the Celtics may have to send multiple players and a draft pick to complete the deal.

4.112 New York Giants – Trevard Lindley, CB, KentuckyMade a HUGE mistake not declaring last year He would’ve likely been a first round pick last year Now thanks to a terrible senior season he falls to round 4. Others say that those who feel scared behind the wheel don’t belong out there. If you believe that this team really isn?t any good, guess again. He’ll go to Milwaukee and become the starting shooting guard next to Brandon Jennings. That same year, he was named a First Team All-Pro and made his second career Pro Bowl appearance.HM: Rufus Porter (Seahawks). 98 ? Sam Adams, SeahawksThe eighth overall selection in the 1994 NFL Draft, Adams began his career with six seasons (1994-1999) as a Seattle Seahawk. It’s hard to tell where the National Football League will stand following a lockout.Currently, the two sides are fighting about $8 billion in profit, and if there’s no settlement anytime soon, matters may turn ugly and end an entire season before it resumes.Smith said owners want the players to take an 18 percent pay cut, for an annual average of $340,000 including a steep request in which players are allowed to accept only 41 percent of applied revenues Yes, the NFL is stuck in a storm.

In order for this offense to take the next step, they need to find a playmaker that Joe Flacco can rely on.Remember what Cam Cameron was working with in San Diego?he had Antonio Gates to utilize. From The Rock having a concert or making coach do theCharleston to Edge calling us all big failure turtles. He defended his title against Edner Cherry and grab Kendall Holt’s WBO title along the way. Both have some abilities that some may consider attractive, but once you get past that, you are pushed away. The real reason Goodell, who represents the legal interests of the league and is responsible for ensuring these owners, these fat cats, make a lot of money, the reason he is so worried about this issue with “resting starters” is because he knows he risks anti-trust lawsuits up the ying yang, when stuff like this happens.  There has become such a focus on the league, so much money now involved that the NFL is really, in my opinion, having a tough time, or going to have a tough time keeping the integrity of their league intact.  I am the type of guy who will stop watching a sport that is not 100 percent true competition.  Now, when the Colts and Saints do not play their starters, there is much more room for manipulation of the outcome of games that no one gives a crap about, right?  We all knew the Colts would not play their starters vs the Bills, we did not know what they would do for sure against the Jets?  They never clearly told us, but I can guarantee you that the NFL knew (and most likely the legal bookies in Vegas knew too).  I am a conspiracy theorist, but if the league is only about the money, they should shut down the league, everyone says “its a business”, well if that is 100% true, there is no way you will be able to sell true competition, because the ultimate outcome is to make the most money you can, no matter what.  That is why you saw bad calls against the Steelers when Manning was on his best Colt team, in the 2005 season.  Sponsors lose out if the guy in their commercials cannot continue to be regarded in a “God-like manner”.  In my opinion, allendorsements by athletes should be managed by a review board, or something, because this way we would not have to read articles like “WHY CBS WANTS THE COLTS TO BEAT THE JETS”.  I could give a shit about CBS,OK, we want to know that these were the two best teams on each day they won in the playoffs, not worry about how good the network’s ratings will be vs. In a Facebook blog, Taz praised McMahon’s love for the history of pro wrestling, and wrote about how confused he was that McMahon would simply discard the three letters “ECW” with so little fanfare.In the interview with Brian Fritz on “Between The Ropes,” Taz elaborated about the demise of the brand letters that brought him to prominence in the 1990’s, commenting that it was a passionate group of individuals who had been recruited by and developed by a genius named Paul Heyman who carried the banner “ECW” for several years.Taz says it better than I ever could recap.

What a great day for hockey and with the come from behind win the Capitals win their 14th straight game just three games shy of 17, the NHL record. With great ball skills and a sound tackler, he’ll be a fit in many systems.Why we differ : Cox doesn’t have great speed and his hips aren’t fluid enough to keep up with speedier guys. Last year, Jason Varitek had a .306 wOBA (weighted on base average), while Victor Martinez managed a .399 while with Boston. “It’s not as easy to leave Arsenal as you maybe think.”Even if you want to leave, as a player, I don’t think it is easy because when you move to Arsenal you are led there by your heart.”After signing his new contract, Van Persie started the season in stunning fashion and recorded seven goals and seven assists in just 11 Premier League games before suffering a serious ankle injury during an international friendly between Netherlands and Italy in November.The striker is hoping to return to the first team in April as he recovers from the latest in a long line of injury setbacks at Arsenal. He finished his 2007 rookie campaign strong, starting the final 15 games of the season.

Break down of AL East team by team:New York Yankees:  The Yanks have gotten better this offseason and should again be the top team in the American League. Given Flacco’s success in the passing game this season (3,613 yards, 21 TDs, 12 INTs), some might say that the Ravens don’t need any additions at all, but for all the hits Mason has taken in the past two seasons, he’s aging at a rate that far exceeds almost any other receiver in the league, meaning that he probably won’t be catching passes for too much longer (he turned 36 last month).For a team that needs (and has needed) a quality young receiver immediately, the lack of activity in the Ravens’ front office is nerve-racking. They could have the combine in January before we start school.”3 Move the draft so it comes after the College World Series. Would be an outstanding addition in the 7th round, and a high priority free agent if he goes undrafted.. There’s a mid level exemption, meaning a team that is over the cap can sign one player per year at an amount the NBA determines as a “middle ground” of all salaries.Next, there isthe Bird exemption, which allow teams to resign their own player for any amount up to the maximum allowed salary, even if they are over the cap. Hardy and Orlando Hudson as some are, but they are markedly better than the middle infield combo that the Twins headed into the 2009 season with.Joe Mauer is one of the game’s top players and having Justin Morneau batting behind him makes for a deadly left-handed combination in the middle of this lineup. It could be somewhat like what HBK did last year with Taker, only instead of keeping HBK on the babyface side of tweener, they push him toward full-blown heel, allowing us to see HBK as he was in his heel glory days of 1994-95 and 1997-98.

Sather has made mistakes in his time, but he has also shown that he can find slick ways to fix them. So remember when everyone wrote off the Hokies last season following the season-ending injury to Darren Evans?Someone forgot to tell Ryan Williams.People knew that the freshman was going to be a good running back, but most had to be surprised just how quickly he was able to take over the ACC.Behind a strong offensive line, Williams was able to cut through defenses and use his strength to bully his way into the endzone 21 times.In the process, he not only broke the school record books for freshmen but helped solidify another big season for the Hokies as they claimed victory over Tennessee in the Chick-fil-a Bowl.That’s right, even defensive guru Monte Kiffin, a coordinator who shut down Florida quarterback TIm Tebow and kept Alabama running back Mark Ingram out of the endzone could only watch in disgust as Williams found pay dirt twice while rushing for 124 yards.The 1,655 yards was the most of any ACCrunning backlast season and earned him All-ACC honors.Bad news for opponents, he shows no signs of stopping in 2010.Although Virginia Tech may have a loaded backfield heading into next season, Williams will still see plenty of action on the field and you can bet he will make the most of those opportunities again.His play and his toughness could cement his legacy as one of the top Hokie running backs ever. “I loved being squat in the middle of my new family, the athletes of the world are my brothers and sisters. A quarterback is something to be considered later. Turning to the other teams, the Steelers need help on their offensive line desperately, while both the Ravens and the Bengals could use some more offensive weapons for their quarterbacks to exploit. Here’s a quick rundown of the positions and some names that AFC North teams will likely target.  Cincinnati Bengals Carson Palmer needs more tools to work with. Shi came up with 49 saves and played an incredible game, regardless of what the score may indicate.Team USA looks like they are ready to be serious medal contenders. They put it all on the line together.You can thank Bruce Pearl for that..

Preston Medlin shoots 39.5 percent. Wichita State is not great at defending the three-pointer, although it is not horrible. But I still like this move.Johnson has one of the highest OBP’s in the major leagues and is a great fit for the lineup. He nickled and dimed them all night long and the Colts defense eventually wore down. Chara is not playing at an All-Star level, let alone a Norris Trophy level on offense or defense.Is it too much to ask for a player that stands 7 feet on skates to intimidate, use his size and hit? Apparently it is too much to ask out of Chara this year He has just 4 goals and a +/- of about 5. Jordan Shipley and Mike Williams could both be good fits in detroit Jordan Shipley especially.

If the AL Central remains so wide open in coming years, that bodes well for these two organizations.. Nearing trade deadline the Houston Rockets are trying to make a deal out of Tracy Mcgrady and his fat $23,239,561 contract. I believe this scenario is extremely likely, since WWE has already hinted strongly towards an Edge & Jerichofeud. finished in last place his 1st season and the bottom half last year (and currently this season as well). I really hope this isn’t the start of a meltdown because I’m kind of tired seeing this team not really going anywhere. 13 Calgary Flames (26-20-7, Last Week: No. We?ll break down what each drill entails, what it shows about the prospect, and what you can expect to see come draft day.Be sure to check out other articles coming soon about other things to expect from the combine..

Averaging 427 passing yards per game, he guided Houston to a 9-2 record and 14th overall national ranking. Yes he has admitted to gambling on baseball over 52 games for an average of $10,000 per game. (Ironically, the best thing for the survival of the BCS would be for Oregon, UCLA, Arizona State, and Boise to get into the BCS title game, and for a 12-1 SEC team to receive the 2004 Auburn treatment.)Second, the BCS is forcing the major conferences to follow the SEC and Big 12 in forming 12 (or 14!) team conferences, with a conference championship game to survive.The ACC, which prior to the BCS was doing only as much as they needed to do to survive in football, but no longer, was the first. Oh, and about him rebounding in the NBA…he’s averaging 7.5 a game from the small forward position.  One of the few cognitive comments John Madden made during a telecast still plays in my mind. Drink a double if he is waving his piece, drink a triple if he is firing it.Drink aCuba libre at anyCuba libre sign or shout. He crossed the line in 2:17.976, just ahead of teammate and bronze medalist J.R.