It's been awhile since I've posted an actual thing on here. I'm not trying to make excuses or anything, but my life is getting a little hectic.

I've been slipping at work because I would rather work on this thing and talk sports, my home life is going out the window...oh, and I almost got fired. Yeah...loads of fun. But you guys don't wanna hear about that. I do know something though...WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ALL THE SEATTLE SPORTS TEAMS??? I mean, really?

The Mariners have gone from favorites to the basement in a hurry, the Sonics castoffs are mainly on teams that made it to at least the second round of the NBA Playoffs, and then the heart and soul of the Seahawks has been arrested on suspicion of DUI. It is not a good time to be a Seattle sports fan.

The M's are batting .249 as a team. .249!?!? Really? Add on to that a team ERA that is 12th in the AL 23rd in the majors, you've got all the signs that this team is just plain bad. We are talking Stephen A. Smith "TERRIBLE!" here.

Then there's all the former Sonics sniffing the ring. With Ray Allen in Boston, Kurt Thomas and Brent Barry [he counts] with the Spurs, and Delonte West [mumble grumble Presti...] and Wally Szczerbiak STARTING for the Cavaliers, I really do think it's ok for Seattle fans to be a TAD bitter. Not to mention Ira Newble and Vladamir Radmonavich with the Lakers and Rashard Lewis with the Magic, that is literally a whole ROSTER of former Supes that were more or less shown the door.

Then, there's Lofa Tatupu. Aside from having an awesome name, [seriously, say that name and tell me you don't love saying it!] he has become the motor of a defense that has become the backbone or a perennial power in the NFC. He's been in the Pro Bowl his first three seasons in the League, so this is more of a national story then if say, Porkchop Womack went through the same. Who's Porkchop? Thank you for proving my point.

What Lofa did was stupid, without a doubt, and he has come out and manned up for his mistake. I hope the NFL looks at that and his past and fine him and maybe put him the Substanse Abuse program at the maximum. This is a young guy that made a mistake. We're not talking about a Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, or even a Leonard Little type situation. This is the only blemish on this guy since coming in and becoming one of the faces of the franchise.

Now, before you get on me for my BLATANT homerism, especially with Lofa, now that I write what I know. And I know that we as Seattle sports fans are cheering on the UW Men's baseball team, who I believe is #1 in the Pac 10. We can't wait for the WNBA to come back, because if Stern and Clay get there way, that's all we'll have.

And as far as Lofa goes, yes, I would feel differently if someone was actually hurt. But, no one was. Does that make it right? No. That means that Lofa was extremly lucky. And that he's got a much easier road to travel to earn the trust of those outside the 12th Man faitful. I think he'll be just fine, take whatever Roger Goodell passes down to him, and then go out there and play like he always has before. This is a one time thing. If not, I'm sure someone will let me know about it.

More then likely, it'll be Kobe Bryant coming away with the hardware in this amazingly tight race. But, he doesn't deserve it. In fact, the other three guys have more claim to the award then Kobe can even imagine. At least for this year.

LeBron James is the first, second, third, and probably fifth (whoever is closer to LBJ at the time is #4) on his team. And yet, he has willed them back to the postseason this year. I like Delonte West and Boobie Gibson, but they aren't even close to what Kobe's got as far as cast goes.

Kevin Garnett came to Boston in the same offseason as Ray Allen, which really helped the Celtics. But it was KG's defensive intensity that put this team over the top. Without him buying into Doc Rivers' system, no one else would have and they'd be out of the playoffs again, but saddled with a roster full of aging pieces rather then potential young studs (read: Al Jefferson, Delonte, Jeff Green, maybe Gerald Green). But, they are arguablly the best team in the league and overwhelming favorites to face...you guessed it, Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now, before I get to the guy who gets my vote, I'll touch on why Kobe doesn't.

First off, all offseason and for first month or so of the season, we weren't even sure if Kobe would be a Laker at this point. In fact, if the Bulls would've just given up Luol Deng, Kobe would be a Bull at this point.

Second, he blasted everyone of his young teammates as opposed to being a TRUE leader and building them up. No, that would be to much to ask from the guy who's been a "Me first!" kinda guy since he got into the NBA. But that's what an MVP and a leader should do.

Lastly, Pau Gasol. When Mitch Kupcheck stol the Spainard from Memphis, the Lakers got exponentially better. Yes, they were dealing with the lose of Andrew Bynum, who was having a monster season this year as he finally grow into his body. To me, Pau outshined Kobe for most of the gams that they played. Kobe had his highlights, but they would just lose like the last few years if it weren't for Gasol. That does not bode well for Kobe campaign.

Chris Paul SHOULD be the MVP. He willed a team that looked impressive but young to the #2 seed in the UBER West behind the Lakers. He, like LeBron, was the focal point of the Hornets and yet teams could not contain him for long. He constantly gutted teams during the season, unless of course the other point was Deron Williams, but we won't talk about that.

This just goes to show, if you missed the last few seasons, that the MVP is a joke. It doesn't go to the most valuable player, it goes to the biggest name on whatever team David Stern would like to see hoist the O'Brien Trophy. But, here's something for all the Lakers fans out there: Who was the last MVP to win a Championship? It was one of the guys you're going to have to go through to get there: Tim Duncan. What would you rather have?

I think we're all in agreement on a few things:

1. Dog Fighting is bad.
2. Cock Fighting is bad.
3. Bull Fighting is bad.

All of those are inhuman and puts the animals involved in horrible postions, often times life threatening. But, in their cultures, they are embraced and loved. PETA has a field day with Michael Vick, Pedro Martinez, and any and all of those celebrities that even SNIFF like they've been around these activities. Yet, I never hear anything on days like today. Days when the Kentucky Derby is run.

Today marked the 134th running of the premier horse race, with Big Brown taking the roses. The runner up, a filly by the tag of Eight Belles, put up a great race. That was until she fell flat after rounding the first turn after the line.

During the course of the race, she had broken both ankles on her front legs. She was euthanized on the track.

Yet, the celebration continues. The talk of if Big Brown can win the Triple Crown. No outrage. No protests. No arrests.

As far as I'm concerned, this is no different then of the "sports" that I listed above. Horse racing is bad. Horse racing is cruel. Yet, horse racing is okay.

It's just another fierce double standard that makes me ashamed to be white at times. Yes, I went there.

Public perception as basically assigned these sports to skin colors.

1. Black people like dog fighting
2. Latin people like cock/bull fighting
3. White people like horse/dog racing

It's insane. It's wrong. It's hypocritical. It's racist. But, it's the way things seem to be painted.

(Just so you know, I fully understand that all people are guilty when it comes to these "sports". I'm just pointing it out.)

All those tied to dog fighting are revieled and vilified. Same with cock fighting. Yet, those associated with horse racing are revered and painted as the cream of the crop.

All of them train these animals to take to pieces of their nature (aggresion in all cases) and push them to a point where they are almost to the brink.

Fighting is bad. Racing is fine. 

Dogs and roosters dying is crual and prison worthy. Horses dying is sad and sympathetic.

Dogs have been bred to be killing machines. Horses have been bred to bring their talents to the point where they are able to shine.

Dogs fighting is bad. Horse racing is good.

This is what I truly beleive:

1. Dog fighting is bad
2. Cock fighting is bad
3. Bull fighting is bad
4. Dog racing is bad
5. Horse racing is bad

I'm not a member of PETA. In fact, a lot of times, I want to punch them in the face for taking some things to far. I am an animal lover. I believe that making animals do anything, ANYTHING, for the enjoyment of the masses or to make major monitary gain is horrible.

I, unlike most of America seemingly, am consistant.

41 years as a franchise. Players like Lenny Wilkins, Gus Johnson, Doug Johnson, Gary Payton, Rashard Lewis, Shawn Kemp, and countless others have worn SuperSonics green. But, they have just had a first. One of their players has won the NBA Rookie of the Year. And it appears as if no one cares.

Kevin Durant is the best thing to happen to the Sonics since the run in the 90's, but you'd never guess it if you asked the average person walking the streets. He is the kind of kid (he's only 19 for crying out loud!) that can bring a community together around a team that is horrible now, but has such a bright future. And yet, the media isn't allowed to talk to him. or anyone else with the team for that matter, outside of a 30 minute window.

This is what basketball has become in this city. The ownership group and Public Relations department has made it borderline impossible for local media to even talk to anyone on the team, let alone give them and the fans enough time to truely bond with and except Kevin, Jeff Green, or anyone else on this very young team.

And yet, there he was at the final home game, calling on the fans to cheer "Save Our Sonics" louder and prouder. There he was, crying at the end of what may have been his final game in front of the Seattle faithful. The fans that supported him the entire season while teariing down the people who signed his check.

He's known since day 1 that the team wasn't going to stay long, yet he still formed a bond with a group of children that come over to his house to play video games. He took this franchise, the fans, and the people of this community and let them in when all the brass wanted just the opposite.

I hate to keep harping on the Sonics situation, but it just shows how much people like David Stern and Clay Bennett don't care about the average fan. Stern is a money hungery elitest who will bow down to the highest bidder and Clay and his groups saw a golden oppurtunity to be just that.

I love the game, I always have and always will. Where ever KD, Jeff, Nick Collison, and the rest of these guys land, I will continue to follow them. I hope that either Howard Schultz wins the lawsuit he has to get the slae recinded, but I know that the burden of proof that he will have to present may be to difficult to even comprihend.

I hope that the city can win it's suit, but am also hopeful that if they get a deal presented to them that includes an expansion team in the next 5 years that they take it.

Either way, I am amazingly happy as a fan that Kevin Durant won the award and look forward to the Most Valueable Player award that will no doubt be in his future, even if the team doesn't want me to.

UPDATE: Hawks coach Mike Woodson has come out blasting the fact that Al Horford didn't at least a share of the award. Really? I like Al, I really do, but he was on the same team as Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Josh Childress, all established vets.

"It's a travesty and it's not right," Woodson moaned. "We haven't had a power forward/center come in our league and do what he's done [average 10.1 points and 9.7 boards] in I don't know how many years."

Um...

Dwight Howard 2004-05: 12 points, 10 boards, 1.7 blocks

Emeka Okafor 2004-05: 15.1 points, 10.9 boards, 1.7 blocks

Al Horford 2007-08: 10.1 points, 9.7 boards, 0.9 blocks

That's two other guys in his division to do just that...but I won't tell Mikey if you won't.

Well, two teams in the West have been sent on vactaion early again this year, their deadline deals turning out to be just that: dead.

With the Suns and Mavs getting bounced easily by the Spurs and Hornets respectivly, the fallout from the two trades that made the least sense around the deadline have exploded in the teams faces. Instead of either organization, the teams have reportedly taken it out on the coaches who where given two old pieces rather then go with what got them into the hunt in the first place.

Avery Johnson is out of Dallas two years after leading his team to the NBA Finals, a year after a 67 win season (but a horrible series against Golden State), and a 3rd staight year in the post season. While the last two years, with exits in the first round that most talking heads never saw coming, have mared his overall image, I believe that Avery is going to be a great coach. Remember, Dallas is only his first stop and there will be plenty of time for him to prove that he's more like the coach of 2005-2007 rather then the coach of the postseason last year and this year.

The Mavs brought in Jason Kidd, a guy who's never been high on defense, and gave up a great young point guard in Devin Harris and the wrong part of the two headed center (Desonga Diop) that Avery had going. Left with scraps down low and a slow point guard that couldn't keep a Laz-E-Boy in front of him, the early exit was destined to happen.

There are also reports (and at time of posting that's all I can find) that Mike D'Antoni is soon going to be following him to the Unemployment Office. This is the guy that with the help of Steve Nash, brought the Phoenix Suns out of mediocrity in the West to an automatic favorite.

New GM Steve Kerr unloaded an unhappy Shawn Marion and a point who never played (Marcus Banks) to get another aging hero that did more for tickets then the actual team: Shaquile O'Neal.

Now, I've never been a huge Shaq fan. He doesn't defend, doesn't rebound unless he's the focal point of an offense, and can't make a free throw to save his life. But, for some reason, Kerr brought him into sure up the defense that D'Antoni's Suns have been missing the entire time. Ask San Antonio how that worked out for them.

With both of theses trades blowing up in the respective teams faces, these coaches have been turned into the sacrafical lambs rather then the people who made the trades in the first place. I told you neither of them would work out, and I was correct. Now I just hope that these teams make some major moves in the offseason to make themselves better, not just flashier.

And part of me wants to see what Kidd can do now that Avery is gone. Bring back the trend of player/coaches Cuban! I beg you. I would DEFINITLY watch as Jason and the rest of the team fell flat on their faces because no one will play D. It'd be awesome!