Celtics Lakers Game 4 will go down as the best game in NBA history. The Lakers came out playing like a team of ringers taking on middle-aged accountants at a local YMCA. After the first quarter the Celtics set an NBA Finals record for the largest deficit (21 points) and were losing by more points than they scored. In the second quarter the lead grew to 24 points, and was 20 in the third quarter. No matter how good your team is, you do not come back from that in the NBA Finals, it just isn’t possible. That fact was lost on the Celtics.

The group of bench players that were not good enough to lead the Celtics to an NBA Title stepped up and made history. Role players like James Posey, PJ Brown, Tony Allen, and Eddie House sapped the life out of the Staples Center and helped shrink the deficit to only two points by the start of the fourth quarter. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen showed that they had the heart to will the Celtics back into the game, and even take the lead. The Lakers’ fans headed to the parking lot early as the Celtics as the Lakers just couldn’t retake the lead.

A confident Lakers team in the first half were in stunned shock as they looked up at the scoreboard and saw that instead of a tied series they were one game away from golfing. When the Boston Red Sox were losing 3-0 to the Yankees in 2004 I told everyone that they would win the series. I had that same feeling that the Celtics would win Game 4. I have only had four Father’s Days, but on Sunday night I will be watching the Celtics receive the golden NBA Title. Actually I could deal with a loss on Sunday; I want title number seventeen to happen on the fabled Boston parquet.

As team sports go, basketball is the game that can most easily be won or lost by a spectacular performance by one player. A triple-double or 50-point game will certainly help you win, but other support players are needed. Would Larry Bird have been as good without Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish, or would Michael Jordan have won so many titles without Scottie Pippen? If you doubt the importance of a quality supporting cast than look no further than LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. One player can carry a team on his back on every level up through college, but the NBA is a different animal. The Lakers versus the Celtics in the NBA Finals is a perfect example of a star’s need for quality teammates.

There is no question that Kobe Bryant play is the reason the Lakers would win or lose a playoff series. When Bryant won his NBA Titles it was with Shaq as the alpha dog. Now Kobe finally has his own team, as well as competent complimentary players in Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. Throw in the instant offense that Sasha Vujacic can offer and the Lakers can be a brilliant team. Paul Pierce has had a similar experience over the last decade. The Celtics had a few deep playoff runs, but those teams were lead by Antoine Walker (the only player in NBA history that thought he could play all five offensive positions by himself but never play defense). Pierce was better than Walker, but he was a better and less selfish teammate. Now Pierce has another veteran shooter in Ray Allen and a low post threat he has never had in Kevin Garnett. The combination of veteran leadership and hungry youngsters gives the Celtics a deeper rotation than most people expected in October. The one difference in the series is not bench scoring, points off of turnovers, or any other measurable statistic. It all comes down to ego.

During the first two games in Boston the Celtics came out ready to defend that home court at any cost. One of the biggest reasons the Celtics have had success all season is because the best players play as a team, not as a group of individuals. The Lakers’ players played the first two games (both losses) as if they are afraid of incurring the wrath of Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. No matter how well you play you could have always played better, and Bryant seems to thrive on making sure his teammates know that. Kobe tried to get his teammates involved in the first two games before deciding to try to win by himself in Game 3. The only player that even had a chance to contribute in Game 3 was Vujacic, and he was arguing with Bryant for a chance to get his shots. Lamar Odom spent the game on the bench in foul trouble, and Pau Gasol played a timid game and looked uncomfortable out on the floor. While Paul Pierce was mired with foul issues, and Kevin Garnett couldn’t hit a jump shot, Ray Allen stepped up and kept the Celtics in the game.

Game 3 was won by the Lakers, but it will be remember as the game where the Celtics found the formula to beat the Lakers. Rajon Rondo is a player very similar to Jason Kidd when he entered the NBA. Both are great passers, defenders, and rebounders, but neither were a threat to score unless they drove to the basket. With Rondo in the game the Celtics offense lacked the ability to stretch the defense. The Lakers could collapse off of Rondo since he isn’t a threat to shoot. When Rondo went down with an injury, Sam Cassell and Eddie House stepped up and the game changed drastically. Both House and Cassell look for their shot first, and will take any shot at any time. This forced the Lakers to cover the point guard more diligently, which left them unable to double-team as easily as they did in the first two games. This allowed Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins/P.J. Brown to work in the paint against smaller defenders. The Lakers are stellar perimeter defenders, but they struggle on the blocks. If the Celtics continue to play three outside shooters and two big men then they should be able to score at will against Los Angeles. The key to this success is Rajon Rondo. Rondo missed part of Game 3 with an ankle injury, and his availability is in question for Game 4. The Celtics would be in trouble with House and Cassell running the offense for a full 48 minutes, as House lacks the ball handling ability, and Cassell doesn’t pass enough to keep the Big 3 involved. Rondo’s game is based on speed, so an ankle injury would leave him far less effective. The ideal situation would be a healthy Rondo but playing only about half the game as a precaution. His speed would still cause the Lakers’ guards fits, but when he was on the bench the Celtics would be able to stretch the floor and get the Lakers’ frontcourt in foul trouble. Doc Rivers has taken a lot of heat for not being a great coach, but even a fan can see the opportunity presenting itself. If he doesn’t try to have the Celtics exploit this than Rivers doesn’t deserve to be a coach.

Every year at least one NBA team is accused of packing it in early in an attempt to gain a better draft pick. This year is no different, as the Miami Heat are officially in shutdown mode. It will be very difficult for Miami not to finish with worst record in the NBA, and the franchise has made sure they will have the most ping pong balls come lottery day. From trades to injuries to coaching issues, the Heat have had a dysfunctional season, a far cry from their championship season two years ago.

Miami started their makeover by freeing themselves of Shaq’s monster contract in exchange for Shawn Marion, who will likely opt out of his contract after this season, which will free up exorbitant amounts of cap room for next year and beyond. Dwyane Wade has been the lone bright spot for Miami this year, and now he has opted to sit out the rest of the year with an ailing left knee. With injuries to Wade, and at least one player at every position, the Heat are having trouble filling out their roster, and now are trying to scrounge up healthy bodies to occupy the empty seats on the bench. The coup de grace lies with coach Pat Riley, who just announced he was leaving the bench during the season to scout potential draft picks. Are things really that bad down in South Beach?

Riley’s move may be a necessary evil when you are head coach as well as the man that makes the roster moves, but this decision reeks of abandoning all hope. Shouldn’t one of the best coaches in NBA history at least try to portray that he cares about his team in the long and short term? Even if Riley is leaving the bench just for a few weeks, and is doing so to scout potential draft picks, doesn’t that just scream of desperation? Why have scouts if your coach has to leave during the year to evaluate talent? This reminds be of the Cincinnati Bengals when they wouldn’t spend the money to hire enough scouts to properly evaluate talent. 

As bad as this move looks it does make a modicum of sense in a convoluted way. As long as the Heat continue their losing ways they will have a top four pick in the next NBA draft. The general consensus among draft experts is that the top talents are all freshmen and sophomores, and only one player (Memphis guard Derrick Rose) has stated that he plans on returning to college. The best player at the moment looks to be Kansas State forward Michael Beasley, who looks like Shawn Marion with more upside. Guards such as Rose, USC star O.J. Mayo, and Indiana’s Eric Gordon are point guards by definition, but both Mayo and Gordon are shoot first guards. With Dwyane Wade as a shoot first combo guard, does Gordon or Mayo really fit? The most talented big men (DeAndre Jordan, Brook Lopez, Anthony Lopez, and Bake Griffin) all project to be good to great players, but none are instant impact players. With so much up in the air with this draft class, all potential picks need to be scrutinized. Depending on which players enter the draft, it is possible this lottery will contain no upperclassmen, or even any player older than twenty. Teams will need to know exactly what they are getting, and the player they draft will be the player that a franchise can be built around. For those reasons it is tough to fault Pat Riley for wanting to make sure he knows his investment inside and out. Being an NBA General Manager or Head Coach are more than full time jobs, and one man trying to fill both roles is a recipe for disaster, even for one of the best minds in NBA history.

To paraphrase Jon Stewart’s intro for Daily Show correspondent Lewis Black, “Sometimes a news story falls through the cracks, here to catch them is Chris Vining, with his column, Delusions of Randomness.” So I will touch upon stories that didn’t get big headlines, but are still important.

The Red Sox finally decided to give Terry Francona (the most successful Sox manager in decades) a three-year contract extension. Francona is now signed through 2011, and as long as nothing drastic changes (Manny Ramirez goes insane and tries to mentor upcoming prospects)he has a great chance to lead the Red Sox to another World Series Championship in the next four years. Francona is a class act and does a great job of handling the Boston media.

Kudos to the Red Sox for signing Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract this week. Curt Schilling will be lucky if he can pitch with any effectiveness again, and Colon is a low risk (and cost) investment to make sure the Sox have depth in the rotation. Colon is not the Cy Young pitcher he was, and despite being an injury risk, he provides Clay Buchholz a chance to be brought along slowly. If the Sox can get anything above twenty starts they would be in a great position, as Colon can still pitch when he is on his game. For those people complaining about the rich getting richer, Colon was still unsigned when Spring Training opened, and was signed for chump change. He was more than fair game.

The Tampa Bay Rays dropped the “Devil” from their name but they might sign the Devil to their roster. Barry Bonds has arisen as a target for Tampa, which might not be as bad of an idea as it sounds. The Rays are young and talented, and Bonds would take a rapidly improving offense to dangerous levels. Bonds would also provide insurance for Cliff Floyd and Roco Baldelli. If Evan Longoria can be effective in the Majors this year, than the Rays have one of the top 10 offenses in baseball, and that is without Bonds. Adding the *All-Time Home Run King* would make the Rays a Wild Card threat, but the health of Scott Kazmir and Troy Percival will be key factors toward the Rays’ quest to get out of the AL East cellar.

Koby Clemens has been caught in a very tough spot for the Astros. While he is in Major League Spring Training he is subject to the substance advise of Miguel Tejada. If/when Koby is sent to Minor League Camp he will have his father to talk with. The younger Clemens should say he has visa problems and skip camp, or show up for another teams’ Spring Training.

Not only is Jonathan Papelbon the best young closer in baseball he showed that he could bust a move during the playoffs, and people took notice. Paps was offered a spot as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars, however he turned it down when he realized he had to dance to music that wasn’t played by the Dropkick Murphys.

Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor are family, and were teammates on the Dolphins up until Bill Parcells rolled into town. Taylor is now working on his footwork as a member of the Dancing With the Stars cast. Thomas was pushed into the unemployment line until Jerry Jones offered Thomas a chance to play in his home state of Texas. Thomas will make the Cowboys better on defense, even if his skills are diminishing. His knowledge and leadership will be key to the Cowboys defense, and his locker room presence cannot be underestimated. He also hates vacationing during bye weeks.

The Atlanta Falcons won the coin flip to give them the third pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The downside is that the Falcons have so many holes that they could have used a lower pick. The benefit is that more players would be off the board so they would have an easier time picking which player will be blamed for a string of losing seasons.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated predicted that the Giants would win the Super Bowl against the Patriots if they could apply consistent pressure on Brady. He also suggested the Giants might win if they could outscore the Patriots. I am a Peter King fan but my three year old knew the game was in trouble when the Pat’s line had trouble blocking the rush.

Rex Grossman was resigned to a one year, three million-dollar contract by the Chicago Bears. No seriously, the Bears resigned him and Kyle Orton in the same week. That is a punch line, but I can’t even come up with a joke.

Former players Keith Van Horn and Aaron McKie were included in trades despite not being active players. In an attempt to bolster their roster the Celtics had a trade in place to send Bob Cousy to Memphis for Mike Conley. Memphis was looking to add veteran leadership and cut payroll (Cousy was making 5 figures in his last contract) and the deal was perfect for both sides. The trade fell through at the last minute when Memphis was unable to find a pair of shorts short enough for Cousy to wear. 

Yao Ming suffered a stress fracture in his foot and now will be out for the season. While this is a shot to the Rockets playoff chances, the worse news is that Yao’s backup is Dikembe Mutombo, who has scored a whopping seven points this season. The Rockets do not have any players 6’10’’ or taller besides Steve Novak, who weighs in at a massive 220 pounds and has played less than fifty career games.

Sam Cassell has asked to be bought out of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers so he can sign with (most likely) Boston or Denver. What makes Sam I Am even more attractive is that he has already missed 15 games due to injuries this year. When questioned about his health Cassell had this to say, “The Celtics are getting damaged goods if I do go over there," Cassell said. "But I'll be all right." Nothing says sign me like that quote.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a new team but the same winning ways. Junior hasn’t been allowed in the winner’s circle in over five-dozen races. Maybe he should spend less time doing commercials and spend more time on figuring out why his engines keep blowing up. Just a thought, I’m no car expert.

The trade deadline just passed and players were moving all over North America (except to Mexico, there is no ice there). The Penguins acquired Marian Hossa, the top forward available, and the player that can put the Penguins in position for a Stanley Cup run. Wait, Penguins adding payroll? Weren’t they going to be sold and moved to Canada earlier this year?

In what has become an all too familiar scenario, the Boston Bruins promised to be active at the trade deadline but failed to bring in anyone at all, even a fourth line bench warmer. The Bruins are clinging to a playoff spot but are falling fast. Why are season ticket sales down again?

LeBron having a supporting cast = Good

This supporting cast = Not So Good

With seconds remaining before the NBA trade deadline the Cleveland Cavaliers remade their roster surrounding LeBron James. The Cavs orchestrated a three way trade with Seattle and Chicago, a deal that allowed them to jettison bad contracts (Larry Hughes), moody players (Drew Gooden), and spare parts (Ira Newble, Shannon Brown, Cedric Simmons, and Donyell Marshall). Cleveland was able to bring in four players that can make an immediate impact, Seattle guard Delonte West and forward Wally Sczerbiak, and Bulls forwards Ben Wallace and Joe Smith. Despite bringing in a serious upgrade in talent, the Cavs might be worse off in the short run, and are far from being the favorites in the Eastern Conference.

There is little doubt that LeBron James is the best player in basketball, and he led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals last year with very little consistent support. Zydrunas Ilgauskas has been an All-Star caliber center in the past, but he has been on a decline the last two years, and too much weight has been placed on his shoulders. Shooting guard Sasha Pavlovic and power forward/center Anderson Varejao were the sparks that helped Cleveland exceed expectations last year, but both have been out with injuries for a month. Varejao could be back in a week, but Pavlovic’s return is still a month away. Cleveland had recently been fueled by a poor mans’ Allen Iverson (shooting guard in a point guards’ body) Daniel Gibson, but he just injured his ankle and is likely out for at least a month. Once these players return the Cavs will be much improved, but will the team have any chemistry?

While the Cavs would have preferred to add an impact star (Shawn Marion, Pau Gasol, Jason Kidd, or Michael Bibby) as opposed to revamping their entire roster mid-season, this shake up was a necessity to turn around the team’s performance. The issue with this trade is that the Cavaliers will certainly have more depth, but they still don’t have any impact players besides LeBron James. All four of the new players are having sub-par years compared to their career averages, and only Delonte West isn’t on the downward slope of his career. Will the Cavs really be able to compete for a title this year?

So how will these new acquisitions fit in with the Cavs? Joe Smith is a veteran that can play power forward and center, giving Zydrunas Ilgauskas a chance to stay fresh during the stretch run and playoffs. Since Larry Hughes was sent to Chicago and Gibson and Pavlovic are hurt, Cleveland lacks a shooting guard. Delonte West is a true point guard that has been shuffled from the point to shooting guard since college. The issue is that West shoots less than forty percent from the floor as a shooting guard, and James handles the ball as much as most point guards. Wally Sczerbiak may see the most time at shooting guard, however he is a defensive liability and lacks the speed to keep up with any guard in the NBA. Sczerbiak is a pure small forward, but LeBron will not be losing any minutes to him. Wally is a big contract and good scorer but has no place to play without compromising more than he offers. The real problem in this deal is Ben Wallace and his contract. Wallace has a wealth of playoff experience, but he cannot score, and his defense and rebounding has dropped immensely since leaving Chicago. Wallace has gone from star to liability almost overnight, and Joe Smith and Drew Gooden are better than Wallace at this point in his career. Wallace’s reputation as a star may keep Anderson Varejao on the bench more than he should be, thus hurting the Cavs playoff chances.

The Giants won the Super Bowl fair and square, they knew what they had to do to disrupt the Patriots and they did. I am not taking their win away from them at all. The Patriots had plenty of time in the game to make adjustments, but it was too little too late, and they made some bad decisions. For the first time all year the ball didn't bounce the Patriots way.

However I would be remiss if I didn't share this tidbit I found that shows something was up with the clock in the final two minutes. Click the link and watch for yourself. The video isn't great but it is explained very well and shows that there was a questionable finish to that game that nobody is talking about.

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_
id=27384

This link shows a video of how the refs screwed over the Pats in the last 90+ seconds of the Super Bowl. The funny thing is that the issues the person mentions (uncalled penalties, clock issues) are not reviewable. I thought something seemed wrong watching the last part of the game, and I was positive I saw the game clock go from :58 to :59 before a play.

Added Later

As far as the Super Bowl, I am not taking anything away from the Giants, they won fair and square. They had a game plan to win, stuck to it, and took home the brass ring. I am in no way disputing that at all. A sincere congrats to them, they did what nobody else this year could do.

I also admit that the Pats got their share of lucky calls and bounces this year, I said that (the failed 4th down in the Ravens game for instance). This isn't an issue of sour grapes, there is nothing saying that the Giants still wouldn't have won if the clock did go differently. My entire point is that even the announcers saw there was an issue with the clock several times, and you don't see time being added back onto the clock very often without any ref explanation.

As for the time out, the coach can't run onto the field and make contact with a ref, that is a penalty, there is no dispute. If there were no refs near Coughlin then Manning should have called the time out on the field. I find it strange that the ref let illegal contact and an illegal time out happen. Sure it is easy to get cought up in the moment,especially in that big o####ame in a game deciding drive, I am just surprised that none of the officials either threw a flag or disallowed the time out until a player on the field called it.

The entire point is that everyone, even a HOF QB and anti-Boston announcer Joe Buck admitted there was something wrong with the clock, however nobody seemed mentioned it. Both teams played a sloppy offensive game until late in the 4th and could have won easily, but it didn't happen. It just adds more interest to the way the game ended and that the game was great. 

Being the best basketball player on the planet must give LeBron James the ability to get away with comments that make him sound like a ####. When Shaq was traded to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, both James and Cavaliers coach Mike Brown were pleased to see The Diesel join the Western Conference, but they were remiss that talented players were not coming to the East, especially to Cleveland. The Cavs have had their once promising season turn somewhat grim after injuries to Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao. The Cavs have been left depleted and lacking in firepower outside of James, especially with the streaky play of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Larry Hughes. What LeBron needs to realize is that Cleveland isn’t going to get another star player soon, and the East is better and deeper than last year. 

For years the Western Conference has been better and deeper than the Easter Conference, almost on par with the difference between the American and National Leagues in baseball. The balance of power is shifting with Toronto and Orlando becoming legitimate threats instead of cellar dwellers. If memory serves me correctly one of the biggest free agent signings this offseason was the Magic signing Rashard Lewis, who played in the Western Conference. Also the team with the best record in basketball, the Boston Celtics, traded for two Western Conference All-Stars (Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett) and only had to give up one player that is even close to being a star (Al Jefferson). Even the trade of Shaq means more to the Suns than the Heat only because they can win a title with him. The Heat have the worst record in basketball and that is with Shaq out hurt and Dwyane Wade battling injuries. Shawn Marion is a 20 point 10 rebound player for 82 games a year while Shaq’s numbers (15 points 8 rebounds) have been on the decline the last three years and is lucky to play in 2/3 of his teams’ games. At this point Shaq’s name is better than his game, and Marion is an All-Star caliber player. This deal is a steal for the East.

It would be tough to argue that the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t in rough shape, despite being the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. They are in strapped with the salary cap unless another team is willing to take on Larry Hughes’s ridiculous contract (get Isiah Thomas on the phone). The team doesn’t have a true point guard, Hughes plays the point as an out of position shooting guard. LeBron handles and distributes the ball the way Michael Jordan did in his prime, with the offense revolving around him. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is an All-Star center but his play has been sporadic and he is on the down slope of his career due to injuries. Drew Gooden is an average at best power forward and the backup guards are offensive minded without enough offense, defense, or playmaking ability. The Cavs have LeBron and whoever else decides to contribute on a given night. There isn’t another playoff caliber team in the NBA that is so devoid of talent surrounding their top option.

Here are the quotes from LeBron according to ESPN

"Unbelievable," James said after practice Wednesday. "That's all I got. It's unbelievable."

When James was asked if being paired with Kidd, his teammate last summer on the U.S. national team, could win the Cavs their first championship, "Yeah," James said. "It's that easy."

"It helps," he said with a laugh. "It does help when you have guys on the team that are perennial All-Stars or can go out there and produce every night and you know what you're going to get."

"It can mess up the chemistry a little bit and it could take a little longer for them to fit in, maybe not," he said. "The reward is you get a good player. Like the Lakers, they got a guy [Gasol] who has averaged 20 [points] and 12 [rebounds] for his whole career. Last night, Kobe Bryant gets six points and the Lakers win by 15, that's the reward.

Once again the Boston Red Sox will not go away easily. For the second time in the last five games the Sox have roughed up potential American league Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia. Post season stats are not supposed to have any baring on regular season awards, however it seems highly likely that voters may reconsider Josh Beckett as the American League Cy winner after he dominated Sabathia twice in one series, and also had a shutout in the ALDS. Regardless of who has the better ace, the Red Sox/Indians series now rests on the arms of the secondary starters. Grizzled playoff veteran versus upstart youngster, and perhaps shaky former ace against struggling international sensation.

Despite the best efforts of the Indians, the series is heading back to Boston, where white towels will not be flying. Fenway Park may be one of the most difficult places to play for opponents, and one of the most difficult places in terms of ground rules. That is bad news for this crew of umps, who seemed to have weekend plans that didn’t involve a trip to New England. (Just out of curiosity, has anyone made sure that Tim Donaghy is not part of this umpiring crew?)

All joking aside, Sox skipper Terry Francona will decide this series. His reluctance to make necessary changes will either help or doom the Sox. Dustin Pedroia has shown he can play (as he will likely win the Rookie of the Year) but has struggled as a leadoff hitter. Jacoby Ellsbury has shown during the regular season that he is the best outfielder on the Sox next to Manny Ramirez, however Coco Crisp and JD Drew have been sucking the life out of the bottom of the Sox order. While you can understand the rational of the “dance with who brought you” philosophy, Ellsbury as a leadoff hitter was the fuel that carried the Sox down the playoff stretch. If the Sox miss the World Series due to a manager sitting on his hands (paging Grady Little) Francona may find himself looking for a job. Joe Torre in the Boston Red Sox dougout next year? Stranger things have happened, just look at whom the Indians or Red Sox will be playing in the World Series, the powerhouse Colorado Rockies.

Thanks to the Dropkick Murphy's for the column title, hopefully the band will bring us some luck like in 2004. 

Whenever the topic of the New England Patriots recent audiovisual scandal was mentioned one though jumped to the forefront of my mind. Hemorrhoid cream. Strange I know, but it is a quasi-logical progression of mind ramblings that makes at least some sense. Eric Mangini was once a Patriots defensive coordinator who left to coach the New York Jets, a job the Bill Belichick didn’t think was the best fit for him. Since that time Mangini has been determined to use any and all means he has at his disposal to hurt his former club. He signed free agents that didn’t have any real spot on the Jets roster, but their departure left a void for the Patriots. Mangini has seemed focused on beating his former boss, almost to the point of obsession. If the Patriots had been violating league rules than it is possible that a former employee would know what to look for and where to look (especially if he was the beneficiary of information while with the Patriots).

Take a stroll down memory lane almost a quarter century ago to another game in New York, this time at Yankee Stadium. New York Yankees manager Billy Martin (in his 6th of 14th stint as Yankees manager) had inside information that Kansas City Royals future Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett had an illegal amount of pine tar on his bat. When Brett hit a go ahead home run in the ninth inning, Martin used the information he knew about the illegal bat (information which he had been keeping secret until he needed it) to convince the umpires that Brett had broken the rules. The umpires agreed, the home run was negated, and George Brett produced one of the most famous tirades in sports history. After MLB officials decided that Brett didn’t “Break the spirit of the rules” the game continued and the Royals won. George Brett went on to become the most famous Preparation-H spokesperson ever, and Billy Martin became yet another bitter New York coach.

So Eric Mangini takes his inside information, squeals once the Patriots beat his team, and gets revenge on his former employer. If the Patriots were not videotaping or using radio signals to help beat the Jets they may have only won by 17 not by 24 (38-14). The Jets are a fringe playoff team at best, and even if the Pats did cheat, they didn’t need to to beat the Jets. The last thing you want to do is #### off Bill Belichick and the Patriots, and San Diego found that out in a big way on Sunday, losing 38-14. San Diego was a Super Bowl favorite and the Patriots simply abused them for sixty minutes Sunday night, just like how Sixty Minutes abuses common sense earlier on Sunday nights. The Patriots have already been fined and forced to forfeit a first round pick (they won’t miss the playoffs and have to give up the second and third round picks) and it seems like Mangini will do anything he can to try to get the Pats to be forced to forfeit their win. Are the Jets that desperate for a win? Well, they should be.

A few things strike me as unusual about this entire situation, besides that one of the best coaches ever felt the need to try to evade the rules. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was interviewed before the Patriots/Chargers game and he seemed to be hiding that this story still had a few chapters left, and that he expected that there would be more issues for the Pats in the future (and the questions about which first round pick the Pats would have to give up seemed to surprise him, almost as if he didn’t know that the Pats own the 49ers first rounder next year). During the game we were informed that the Jets are now accusing the Patriots of using radio transmitters in the defensive players helmets in an attempt to relay signals to try to shut down the Jets anemic offense. Despite missing Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour with a knee injury, Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison to a league suspension, and only getting limited action from Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, the Patriots still dominated the Jets (and Chargers as well). The Patriots don’t need any help to dominate; they don’t even need their best players on the field.

When John Madden was talking about the usefulness of videotaping opponents, he actually made an insightful comment, which is a news story in itself. Madden commented that he never needed video because it took away from natural coaching instincts, and created too much confusion. With only seconds before each snap, substituting personnel and changing formations seems to be a bit prohibitive to running a smooth defense. This would be a very uncharacteristic and reactionary tactic for a coach like Belichick that prides himself on making teams adjust to what he brings to the table.

Now that the Patriots have to turn over any and all notes, video, audio, and who knows what else, to the NFL will this show the Pats have been cheating, or that one former coach was a bit bitter? While most coaches seem to be against Mangini, you can’t fault him for trying to protect his team. In the end it won’t make a difference, the Patriots will cruise to the AFC East Crown, finish first or second in the AFC, and will make the AFC Championship, if not advance even further. With scandal surrounding this team, the Patriots are the one franchise that has consonantly been able to thrive when their backs are against the wall, and this team will be no different, just don’t hold your breath waiting for Tom Brady to endorse rectal cream.

Unless the news comes from this man it is a lie!

visit www.sportspunk.com for my own unique website 

Now that the NFL has officially kicked off its season, it is time to make my foolproof predictions on what to expect this year. Every person has their own opinions on who will be MVP, will win the Super Bowl, who will be the breakout rookie or the biggest bust. While I will briefly touch on a few of those subjects (Super Bowl rematch, just not a rematch of last years’ game) I will cover things you might not have considered. If by some stretch of the imagination one or two of these predictions don’t come true (even I am not perfect) you will have forgotten what I said by that time.

• Brady Quinn will be the starter in Cleveland by Week 6
• While Peyton Manning struggles to have his blindside protected, Dallas Clark will catch 70 balls and break 1000 yards receiving
• The Lions will not finish 10-6 as Jon Kitna predicted, however they will not have a losing season (8-8) for the first time since Barry Sanders was in diapers
• Jerry Porter would have worn Tim Brown’s #81 with pride, and put up numbers that Brown would be envious of, 80 catches and 1400 yards
• Teams playing the Falcons will stack the line and force Joey Harrington to beat them. Harrington will do just enough to remain a starter until the Falcons’ 2008 first round pick Brian Brohm is ready to start
• Ahman Green and Ron Dayne will be solid but Matt Schaub will find out that he would have been better off had he stayed in Atlanta
• Jamarcus Russell holdout and time on the bench will last until Daunte Culpepper wants out of Oakland
• Randy Moss will lead the Patriots wide receivers in touchdowns, Donte Stallworth will lead the team in yards per catch, but Wes Welker will lead the team in receptions and yards
• Ben Roethlisberger will be a top five AFC quarterback this year, and Santonio Holmes will be the wide receiver you wish you drafted in your fantasy league
• The Rams will have the best offense in the NFC. As far as their defense…well they will still have a great offense
• Automatic Adam Vinatieri will struggle to make any kick outdoors that is longer than 40 yards. He will no longer be automatic
• Clinton Portis will not be happy when Ladell Betts starts to take his carries, and Portis will demand to leave Washington
• The Super Bowl will be a rematch (with the same outcome) of Super Bowl 36. New England Patriots defeating the St Louis Rams
• The Broncos will have the best pass defense in football (thanks to Champ Bailey, Dre Bly, and Dominique Foxworth) but they will have a tough time stopping a practice squad running game
• Marshawn #### will lead rookies in first half rushing yards, while Adrian Peterson will lead rookies in second half rushing yards. Both will rush for over 1000 yards but neither player will be enough to help his team reach the playoffs
• The defensive rookie of the year will be Buffalo Bills linebacker Paul Posluszny
• This will be the year that Rex Grossman finally steps up his game and shows us that he is really better than Danny Wuerfful, not the Florida Gators version, but the NFL version. By 2010 Grossman may be able to actually deserve to be a starter…in the CFL
• Jamal Lewis will gain more yards than Willis McGahee, but the Ravens will still sneak into the playoffs while Lewis will be home watching
• No New England Patriot defensive player will record 10 sacks, 6 interceptions, or top 120 tackles, but the Pat’s will still have the best defense in football
• Brett Favre will still think about a comeback after another season of streaky play
• Cedric Benson will be steady as the Bears running back, however he would be more effective if Garrett Wolfe saw time in the backfield with him. Picture the thunder and lightning combo of Warrick Dunn and Mike Alstott of the late 90’s
• Edgerrin James will use a vastly improved offensive line to look like the Edge that the Cardinals thought they had signed before last year
• The Madden cover curse will strike again, however Vince Young will remain healthy. Young’s curse will be that he has no wide receivers to throw to and no running backs to run the ball. Young will lead the Titans in rushing, mostly due to running for his life on passing plays
• Jacksonville will need to count on Tim Couch to win at least one game, and the former #1 overall pick will deliver
• The Bears were smart to convert Devin Hester to offense. They will use him all over the field (including in the backfield) to confuse opposing defenses. Hester will have more value as a decoy on offense than as a receiver, but anything that takes pressure off of Rex Grossman is a positive thing
• Carson Palmer will put up the best passing yards for any quarterback in the NFL. Peyton who?
• Byron Leftwich will end up in the NFC by Week 3 and will start at least five games. Leftwich can stand pat until the first major injury of a starting quarterback, however the Vikings should be willing to give him his own boat to join the team. Nothing against Tarvaris Jackson but he is Quincy Carter all over again. He was picked two rounds too soon, was rushed into a starting job he wasn’t ready or qualified for, and will have his career crushed. Expect to see him out of the league before Michael Vick begins playing in the NFL again.

The baseball world needs to take notice, the “Slutter” is here. Boston Red Sox star closer Jonathan Papelbon, the first closer in Sox history to post two thirty save seasons, has a new devastating pitch. By mixing a cut fastball and a slider grip, and changing his release point and angle, Papelbon has added something completely new to his already devastating arsenal. Papelbon had already started to use a cut fastball to keep batters off guard; now the slutter makes him an even more dangerous pitcher. By increasing his repertoire Papelbon now has three pitches that can be used as an out pitch, something that separates him from even elite closers like future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera.

Papelbon is one of only a handful of pitchers that have been able to post back-to-back thirty plus save seasons in his first two complete major league seasons. The other members of this elite club haven’t had the most memorable careers (Billy Koch was effective for several years before losing his stuff, Kaz Sasaki returned to Japan, and Todd Worrell was an effective closer for many years before fizzling out before his career should have ended) but Papelbon is hoping to be the breakout star of that group. With his career as a starter officially over, Papelbon has embraced and even desired to be a career closer. Coming up as a pitcher with comparisons to Roger Clemens, becoming a closer could be viewed as step back, but not for Papelbon. He has strived to be one of the best closers ever, and Trevor Hoffman should be prepared to relinquish his all time saves record to Papelbon around 2022.

With the upper eighty mile per hour slutter in his bag of tricks, Papelbon can now add more life to his fastball that tops out at over ninety-five miles per hour. Papelbon has experimented with many different pitches in his young career, and that is something that looks to continue. By this time next year Papelbon may mix the secretive gyroball and maybe even a knuckleball into his rotation. On a cross-country flight Papelbon may learn the secrets of a dominant curveball from Josh Beckett, or maybe even a sidearm delivery from his brother in the Red Sox minor league system. Despite his young age and relative inexperience, Papelbon is far from complacent with this success, as he is always looking to gain an advantage over the competition. As a two time All-Star the Red Sox may just have the most dominant closer in baseball for the next decade, a commodity that is a must for a successful team. When Papelbon enters the game the opponent better recognize that all the scouting reports in the world may be for naught: Papelbon might have just developed something new that very day, and you never know what he might throw at an unsuspecting hitter. All in a days work for Cinco-Ocho, master of the slutter.