Above the Rim: Understatement of the Year

Gilbert Arenas admitted that storing guns in his locker was "bad judgment" on his part. Other examples of bad judgement of this magnitude include Bill Clinton's behavior around his interns and Gus Frerotte headbutting a wall in celebration. It's amazing that it took half a week of news coverage to make Agent Zero realize that his locker at the arena was not a gun locker. Furthermore, his bad judgment in this respect is minor compared to his decision to allegedly pull one of those guns on teammate Javaris Crittenton. This situation is an example of some of the worst judgment ever. What could Arenas possibly have been thinking to think it was ok to store guns in such a public venue and then pull a gun on his teammate? I can't even offer an explanation.

Compared to troubled Cavaliers guard Delonte West's arrest this offseason, also in Washington D.C. (should they switch the name back to Bullets?), Arenas probably shows worse judgment that West. First, Arenas was storing the guns in an extremely public place while West was allegedly transporting them. Arenas pulled a gun on a teammate while West did not threaten anyone. In fact, at least one report stated that West was carrying the guns because he was concerned for his safety after being threatened. Finally, West suffers from depression and bi-polar disorder, both of which probably contribured to his lapse in judgment, and he admitted to not taking his medication. When comparing the two situations, Arenas has no justifications for his actions and threats, while West not only did not threaten anyone, but also is more sympathetic due to his unique circumstances.

There are many examples of poor judgment by Ron Artest that the Arenas situation could be compared to:

• Artest drinking Hennessey at halftime when with the Bulls- while extremely poor judgment on Artest's part, this in no way was a violation of the law and did not endanger anyone else, although it may have hurt his and the Bulls' performance.


• Artest leaving the Pacers to promote his (awful) rap album- again, poor judgment by Artest that shows a "me-first" attitude instead of being a team player, but Artest's behavior does not harm anyone other than himself and his team, and only in terms of performance or image.


• Artest's role in the Fight at Auburn Hills- when I first saw this, I was actually surprised at how much Artest was behaving by laying on the scorer's table and not being provoked into a fight with the 6'8" 250 lb. Ben Wallace ... then he ran into the stands and began throwing haymakers at a 5'8" 250 lb. fan wearing a Ben Wallace jersey. This is a closer parallel to Arenas. Not only was it an example of some of the worst decision making ever, but it also endangered everyone in the arena that night, fans and players alike. The only real differences between the two situations are that Artest involved 20,000 people while Arenas was only including members of the locker room. Also, Artest's situation did not include a deadly weapon (although it did include 40,000 fists) while Arenas used a gun.

The closest parallel to Arenas is probably when Plaxico Burress shot himself in the league at a night club. Both situations involved the reckless use of a gun in a public venue. Both endangered innocent bystanders. Fortunately, no one was injured by Arenas in this scenario.

To be honest, this "judgment" by Arenas will probably be one of the most infamous lapses of judment in sports history when it is all said and done, competing with Burress, 10 Cent Beer Night, Disco Demolition Night, and the Brawl at Auburn Hills. There are few occurrences in sports that can create such a degree of danger, and the scary thing about Arenas is that it included firearms.

One more variable that compounds the situation is the massive chip that Arenas insists on carrying on his shoulder. Arenas has always been quick to point out when people underestimate him, which some consider to be a key to his success. But this attitude can also be aggravating and potentially troublesome. First, Arenas insists on saying he doesn't get any respect despite being a past all-star and making near the league maximum. More troubling is that with such a large chip on his shoulder, who takes everything personally, would have a stash of guns in his locker. And then actually pull a gun on a teammate. Arenas can be a hothead at times, and when he does get fired up, it is not good that he has ready access to a cache of dangerous weapons. Arenas does not strike me as particularly responsible, and coupled with his short fuse, this could be very dangerous.

It will be interesting to see how the NBA and authorities handle this situation. Regardless, it should be remembered as one of the worst decisions ever by a professional athlete.

Above the Rim: Coming Attractions

I recently had the pleasure of attending the High School Basketball showdown between #1 Findlay Prep (Las Vegas) and #5 (or #7 or #13 depending on the ranker) Northland (Columbus). The matchup featured some of the best high school basketball prospects in the country including Ohio State bound Jared Sullinger (6’8” and 260 lbs. according to Rivals.com) of Northland and future Texas Longhorn Tristan Thompson (6’9” and 240 lbs.) of Findlay in the post and an exciting point guard matchup between Northland’s Trey Burke (Penn State in 2011) and Findlay’s Cory Joseph (uncommitted, but considered the 3^rd best point guard in the country). The game also featured Rivals top 100 players Godwin Okonji, Jabari Brown, Nick Johnson, and Winston Shepard of Findlay. Northland’s other Ohio State commit, JD Weatherspoon did not play with an injured ankle, however sophomore Jalen Robinson (West Virginia commit) stepped up big to play some great defense in the post.

Going into the game, I was expecting a high scoring shoot out featuring Northland’s talented OSU commits and Burke challenging the high scoring attack of Findlay Prep (just under 100 ppg coming in). However, Northland’s suffocating defense kept Findlay on its heels early with Sullinger and Robinson both locking down the paint and Burke harassing Joseph on the perimeter. At the half, Northland had opened a 29-15 lead. That’s right; Findlay Prep, who was averaging 96 points per game, was held to just 15 in the first half.

In the second half, Findlay got hot from the outside and used an aggressive full court press to force a few turnovers and convert them into easy buckets to get back into the game. The score was 39-35 heading into the fourth. With the teams trading the lead down the stretch, both teams went to their go to guys. Northland was feeding Sullinger in the post nearly every time down, playing a two man game with Burke, and Findlay was leaning on Thompson and Joseph. With under a minute left, Burke beat Joseph on the perimeter and dumped it off to sophomore Kechaun Lewis who converted the layup after a nice backdoor cut, but the referees waived off the basket because of a blocking foul on Findlay before the pass. With a one point lead, Burke missed the first half of a one-and-one, his only mistake of the game, giving the ball back to Findlay. After Findlay scored with ten seconds to go, Sullinger received the inbounds pass and dribbled up the sideline, being bumped by Thompson the whole way. With four seconds left, Sullinger got the blocking call on Thompson and converted both free throws to give Northland a one point win, 53-52.

The victory was impressive for Northland in many ways. Not only was Findlay the #1 team in the nation, but they had a 45 game winning streak, an all-time record of 75-1, and were held to 52 points for the game despite averaging 96 on the season.

Individually, there were a lot of impressive players on both sides that should be making names for themselves in college in the near future and possibly the NBA.

• Jared Sullinger showed why he is considered one of the best players in the country. He finished with 32 points and 17 rebounds, and one monster block, to lead Northland, but his most impressive contributions were his perfect night from the free throw line (10-10) and his clutch performance down the stretch to put Northland on his back and help them keep pace with Findlay. His 17 rebounds were also huge in limiting Findlay to one shot per possession most of the time.


• Tristan Thompson showed that he is a top post player as well. He finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks and was the only player with the strength to try to stop Sullinger in the post. If Thompson, who fouled out when he fouled Sullinger with 4 seconds left, would have stayed out of foul trouble early, he may have been more aggressive with Sullinger down the stretch which could have made the matchup even more exciting.


• Trey Burke made a case for himself being considered a top point guard in the class of 2011. Not only did he show an amazing handle with the ball and good court vision, but he also scored 10 points to go with 7 assists. He also hit 4 of 5 free throws. Most importantly, he did not turn the ball over at all and held the high scoring Joseph to just 8 points.


• Corey Joseph did not get going scoring the ball, but showed his value in other aspects of the game. Joseph still scored 8 points to go with 4 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal and was a big part of the full court press that got Findlay back into the game in the third quarter. Like Burke, he has a great handle and only turned the ball over once.


• Nick Johnson and Jabari Brown quietly scored 14 and 10 for Findlay, respectively. When a game features as many top players as this one, it is easy to fly under the radar a little, and Johnson and Brown were victimized by this on Thursday. Both played solid games but were overshadowed. Johnson and Brown, both juniors, were averaging 14 and 17, respectively.


• Finally, the Northland trio of sophomores Kechaun Lewis, Jalen Robinson, and Devon Scott, while scoring only 3, 2, and 2 points on a combined 3-5 shooting, were the unsung heroes of the game. These three provided lock down defense from start to finish and committed only one turnover combined to help Northland maintain possession and control of the game. Defensively, Lewis was solid on Findlay’s wings and played a big part in limiting their perimeter game while Robinson (3 blocks) and Scott contested every shot in the post. While their stat lines were not impressive, these players were the keys for Northland in the one point victory as they stepped up and made plays on the defensive end repeatedly.

Overall, Sullinger provided one of the best high school performances I have ever seen, probably better than when I saw LeBron James go for 40+ against Zanesville in 2003. While LeBron put up a near triple-double and 40 points in three quarters, it was also against Zanesville who was not ranked in the state, let alone the country. Sullinger put up 32 and 17 against the #1 team in the country that was loaded with 5-star recruits. Not to be outdone, Burke, Joseph, and Thompson all showed that they will be college starters when their turn comes around. Findlay’s Johnson and Brown showed potential and they should be the leaders of Findlay next season when Thompson and Joseph graduate. Finally, Northland’s sophomores Lewis, Robinson, and Scott showed heart, determination, and athleticism and should have Northland and central Ohio excited for the next few years as they finish their high school careers. All three have a chance to play college basketball when they graduate.

Above the Rim: 0-17 and Counting

Will the Nets pass the Clippers and go to 0-18? The Clippers are always just assumed to be the worst no matter what record for futility you talk about, but the Nets are on the verge of taking one off of their hands. After getting crushed by the Lakers last night, 106-87, the Nets have tied the Clippers and will see if they can break the record for worst losing streak to start a season on Wednesday at home against a good Dallas Mavericks team.

Are the Nets this bad or have they just caught some bad luck? Looking at their roster, they do have some pieces in the place for the future. Point guard Devin Harris was an all-star last season when he averaged 21.3 points and 6.9 assists per game. This year, he has 15.3 points and 5.7 assists per game, but he has only played 6 games due to injuries early. Second year center Brook Lopez looks like he may join Harris as an all-star in the near future. The big man from Stanford is following up a solid rookie season by averaging 17.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, all leading the team. Chris Douglas-Roberts, another second year player, should be a solid starter for the Nets. This season, the wing has averaged 17.2 points, second on the team, and has added 5.3 rebounds and 1.15 steals. That gives the Nets three young, solid starters to build around. Rookie Terrence Williams has also shown that he is capable of playing in the NBA. Williams is averaging 10.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, mostly off the bench. Other Nets that should be contributors in the future are guard Courtney Lee and power forward Josh Boone. Lee was a rookie for the Magic last year and came to the Nets in the Vince Carter trade. Last season with Orlando, he showed that he can be a capable starter or a solid bench player for a good team in the NBA, and he is averaging 8.7 points this season for the Nets. Boone provides rebounding and physical defense in the paint, but he is probably better suited to coming off the bench. Offense is usually a bonus with Boone, but he is averaging 5.8 rebounds and .56 blocks to go with 4.6 points as both a starter and a reserve this season.

The problem with the Nets is the inexperience and inconsistency of these young players and a lack of veterans to steady the team until the young guys develop. Rafer Alston is a solid player, but he played above his head last year for Orlando. Ideally, he would be a back-up point guard and a sharp-shooter off the bench, but he has started 13 games this season. The same goes for Trenton Hassell. Hassell has been a solid bench player in this league for years, but he has started 11 of 12 games this season. While averaging 9.9 and 8.8 points per game, respectively, these two would be better utilized if they had smaller roles and could focus on that job. Another veteran, Bobby Simmons, is a decent bench player, but he has been declining for the last five seasons since winning the Most Improved Player award for the Clippers. Yi Jianlian has been a bust since day 1 in the NBA and is dead weight on the roster at this point.

The Nets could develop as the year goes on and be respectable by the end of the season, but they are probably at least a year or two away from pushing for a .500 record. In the meantime, they need to snap this losing streak and get a win under their belt. With the young team they have, that may take a lot of pressure of them and they could quickly improve. While the Nets are 0-17, they are not as bad as the record indicates. Look for them to approve throughout the season as the gain experience. With a few off-season acquisitions, this team could be a dangerous 7 or 8 seed next season.

Above the Rim: Brandon Jennings Emerges

After spending last season in Europe instead of at the University of Arizona, Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings was an unknown coming into the NBA draft. Reports on him were good, but a lot of teams seemed uncertain of what effect playing in Europe straight out of high school would have on him. After seven games, Jennings is averaging 25.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. It seems that the move across the pond worked pretty well. It will be interesting to see if more prep stars follow in his footsteps and try to emulate Jennings quick start.

So far this season, Jennings has had games of 24, 25, 32, and, recently, a Bucks’ rookie record 55 point game. He has also had two 9 assist games. Shooting wise, he is hitting 49.6% from the floor and 56.7% from three point range while connecting on 82.8% of his free throws. Those percentages are among the best of any player across the board in the NBA. Is this the kind of debut we can expect from prep stars that choose to go overseas rather than attending college?

We have to remember that Jennings was slated to play for Lute Olsen at Arizona, so he was already a top prep player and not a normal high school recruit. Still, the move to Europe worried a few NBA general managers as he was drafted tenth overall, behind point guards Ricky Rubio (5th), Jonny Flynn (6th), and Stephen Curry (7th). Flynn was a freshman, graduating from high school the same year as Jennings, and Rubio was another relative unknown coming over from Europe. NBA execs felt that Flynn and Rubio, both taken by the Timberwolves, were better and more of a sure thing than Jennings. Meanwhile, while Jennings is becoming a star in Milwaukee as one of the best rookie point guards in the last 20 years, Rubio is still in Spain and Flynn is averaging 14.2 points and 3.3 assists in Minnesota. However, Flynn is also averaging 3.6 turnovers per game (.92 assists per turnover) and only shooting 26.9% from three point range for the 1-10 T’wolves while Jennings is averaging 3.4 turnovers (1.5 assists per turnover) for the 5-2 first place Bucks.

While Jennings has made Europe a viable option in lieu of college for prep stars, high school stars will need to think long about their decision before making the jump. Jennings had the skill set and the confident personality to pull it off. Most high school basketball players are not at that stage of their basketball careers or psyches to make such a move successful.

In the meantime, Jennings is the early favorite for Rookie of the Year, but we will see how viable the move will be for other players. This could be a dangerous precedent for high school players with visions of the NBA in their heads.

Above the Rim: NBA Season Preview

The NBA season kicks off with the Cavaliers and the Celtics tomorrow night in a rematch of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals (the Magic derailed the Celtics to ruin another matchup in the 2009 Conference Finals). This year’s offseason was fairly quiet with a lot of movement early and an unusual lack of off the court drama.

The contenders in the East and the West got richer this year without any teams making moves to join their ranks (the Pistons picking up Ben Gordon and Charlie Villaneuva should be enough to get them into the playoffs, but they will lose in the first round).

• The Cavaliers picked up Shaquille O’Neal early in the offseason to start the movement. While many seem to think that Shaq won’t perform at a high level, I think they are underestimating the Big Aristotle. He was an all-star last year in Phoenix averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds and Cleveland will be able to keep him fresh with Zydrunas Ilgauskas backing him up at center. Also, even if Shaq does not match his numbers from last year and settles around 14 points and 7 rebounds, it is still a large improvement over what the Cavs got from Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic last season. The Cavaliers then added Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to increase their depth and athleticism at the shooting guard, small forward, and power forward positions. The Cavs are also expecting former Celtic Leon Powe back by the all-star break after off-season knee surgery.


• The Celtics also improved by adding Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels to their bench and, currently, are healthy after losing Kevin Garnett down the stretch. I think Wallace will be an effective pickup, but will not match his 12 points and 7.4 rebounds from last season with less looks on offense. I have always liked Daniels and he has proven he can be effective off the bench.


• The Orlando Magic had surprisingly high turnover on their roster after winning the Eastern Conference last season. The net result: Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston, and Courtney Lee are all gone after contributing to the Magic’s run in the playoffs and are replaced by Vince Carter, Brandon Bass, and Ryan Anderson. I feel the Magic are worse off for the changes. Their bench is weaker with Mickael Pietrus stepping into the starting lineup at small forward because there isn’t an explosive player on the bench to replace him. Bass will help at the power forward and Anderson can shoot, but neither can match how effective Pietrus was. Lee was poised to break out this season and should have a good year in New Jersey where he will get more looks on offense. Carter is good, but he is getting older and has peaked. Swapping him for Turkoglu in the starting lineup also eliminates the matchup problems that a 6’11” point forward like Turkoglu created. His flexibility was a big reason why the Magic were able to knock off the Cavs last year. With a more traditional offense, the Magic lose that advantage and will struggle with both the Cavs and Celtics.


• The Lakers were the champions and then swapped Trevor Ariza, a potential star, for Ron Artest, an established star who I thought deserved top finish in the top 5 for MVP last season. The Lakers may also get something from Adam Morrison off the bench this season after getting him from Charlotte last season. After getting Shannon Brown from the Cavs, Brown developed into a nice role player within a season, and Morrison could be on track to follow in his footsteps.

Off-court drama in the NBA this off-season that could carry over into the regular season.

• How is the Stephen Jackson situation in Golden State going to unfold? After signing an extension, Jackson wants out for New York, Cleveland, or a team in Texas. The Cavs don’t have the pieces to make it happen and New York wants to maintain cap room for the 2010 free agent class. So where will Jackson end up…


• Toronto? The rumor a few weeks ago was a trade that would send Jackson to the Raptors for Chris Bosh. Bosh is a free agent in 2010 and is probably on his way back to the states. Toronto may try to cut its losses and get something back for Bosh if they are not in contention. However, the Raptors picked up Turkoglu this off-season and should be able to make the playoffs. Also, if they trade Bosh for Jackson, their leading rebounder from last season would be Andrea Bargnani, a 7 footer who plays more like a shooting guard instead of a post player, with only 5.3 rebounds per game. I look for Bosh to stay put in Toronto until at least the all-star break when the front office will have to evaluate how the season is going.


• Delonte West in Cleveland broke the silence of the off-season when he was arrested outside of Washington D.C. with pistols on his ankle and in his waistband, and a shotgun in a guitar case on his back. West left the team last year in training camp to get help with depression and bi-polar disorder. Supposedly, he was off his medication at the time of the arrest and is back on it now. Based on last season, West should be ok once the season gets started; he seems to cope better when he is around the other Cavs as he had his best season last year. However, the Cavs will probably have to play without him for a while as he will probably get suspended for a few games for his arrest.

Where is LeBron going?

• This story has been relatively quiet during the off-season as the economy will probably lower the salary cap next season restricting the number of teams that can offer him a full contract, or offer LeBron and another player max contracts. While the New York media, especially the New York Post, likes to write articles about why LeBron is coming to the Knicks, the rest of the country seems to think that LeBron will be back in Cleveland with an extension after the season. While I think that is probably what will happen, I still expect a steady stream of articles about LeBron leaving every time the Cavs play the Knicks or the Nets.

So what do we have to look forward to this season?

• LeBron James will win his second straight MVP award. His scoring may dip a bit as he shares the ball with Shaq and the other newcomers, but his rebounds and assists could jump as he plays off the ball a little more. I expect his assists to go up especially with Shaq in the post and Parker, whom coach Mike Brown said was the best shooter he has seen since Reggie Miller, on the wing. The Cavs were a 66 win team last season and improved, so they should be the top team in the East again which will help James in the MVP vote. Dark horse- Brandon Roy will lead the Blazers to the second best record in the West and will become one of the league’s elite players.


• Blake Griffin will run away with the Rookie of the Year. Last year’s best college player will get plenty of opportunities to produce for the dysfunctional Clippers and should average close to 15 points and 8 rebounds. A double-double average is an outside possibility as well. Second round surprises- Pitt Panthers Dajuan Blair and Sam Young were both productive and fundamentally sound players in college that will produce in the NBA this season. Blair will be a force in the post off the bench for the Spurs and Young should get looks for the Grizzlies at multiple positions.


• The Cavaliers and Celtics will play a classic series to decide the Eastern Conference championship for the second time in three years. This series will probably come down to who has home court advantage, but the Cavaliers are younger overall and have a little more depth on the bench and will be able to avoid and overcome injuries better than the Celtics. The series will go to seven games, but the Cavs should make their second appearance in the NBA Finals in four years where they will play …


• The LA Lakers. The Lakers are head and shoulders above every team in the West. It is kind of like when Larry Bird asked the other 3-point shooters who was going to finish second behind him at the 3-point shootout; there are talented teams out West, but this race is basically already decided. The only team I expect to give the Lakers trouble are the emerging Blazers. They played LA tough in the playoffs last season and should improve with another year of experience. I expect the Blazers to take the Lakers to six or seven games in the Western Conference Finals.


• In the NBA Finals, the NBA will finally have its Kobe-LeBron matchup. While the Lakers have the experience and may be the better team on paper, this series is too close to call. I would probably give the Lakers a 60-40 advantage today (which kills me as a Clevelander), but this series could go either way if LeBron or Kobe gets hot or if Shaq gets an adrenaline boost from playing against Kobe again.

SportsJudge.com PTI: Was Ryan Howard Robbed?

[Editor's Note: SportsJudge PTI appears every other Monday at 9am as Chris Stanley and Adam Primm weigh in on hot topics in the world of sports.]

Chris:

Ryan Howard hit is 200th career home run at Land Shark Stadium where it was caught by a 12 year old girl named Jennifer Valdivia. Howard naturally wanted the ball back given the major significance of the 200 HR milestone. He invited the girl down to the clubhouse and met her. He also autographed a different ball and gave it to her. That is a class act in my opinion, and more than a fair trade.

Apparently the 12 year old’s parents saw things differently. Instead of giving Howard credit for being a good guy in a world of athletes who make the newspapers almost daily for the wrong reasons, they did the American thing….they filed a lawsuit.

Only in America. This is one of those threatened lawsuits that make me understand why all the lawyer jokes fly around so often and why there is so much disdain for attorneys in this country.

You just had the great fortune of catching a ball at a baseball game, something that not every fan gets to experience in their lifetime. Just ask my co-author how hard those things can be to catch (especially the Travis Hafner foul ball that went through his paws this season!) To top it off you just got to meet one of the best players in baseball today. And then Ryan Howard gives you an autographed baseball as icing on the cake. Still, the family claims that Howard took advantage of the young girl by offering her less than what he should have given for the ball and threatened a lawsuit.

So what would you do if you were Ryan Howard at this point? Would you hire a better attorney and battle it out in court? I don’t think anyone would blame you for doing that, but that’s not what Howard did. Instead, Howard simply gave the ball to the family.

If this would have happened to me when I was 12 years old, it would still be the best moment of my life to this day. Instead, the little girl looks back on the moment as the day that Ryan Howard screwed her out of a ball and mommy and daddy hired an attorney to get it back. You gotta love the American justice system. Kudos to Ryan Howard for being the bigger man (pun intended).

Adam:

Normally Chris and I debate both sides of an issue, but I can’t on this one. I agree 100% with what Chris said. In fact, we had this conversation earlier this season, and I said that I would give the ball back to the player in exchange for one ball autographed by the player and another by the team (except for a home run ball that could be auctioned for over $1 million, although I think I would still see if the player wanted it first).

This whole situation comes down to one thing – greed. In America today, no one thinks of what the other person is feeling; they only try to maximize their own benefit. One of the reasons the parents felt their daughter was taken advantage of was because they heard the ball could be auctioned off for a few thousand dollars. While the ball may have been worth that much, I still have a problem with this situation for two reasons.

The first problem is that the girl made a deal already. She traded the ball for a chance to go into the dugout, meet Howard, and receive an autographed ball. Now she has both balls and a trip to the dugout while Howard has nothing.

Second, no one auctioned the ball off to earn the few thousand dollars. The Phillies representative whom the parents accused of taking advantage of their daughter never was in possession of the ball, so he couldn’t auction it off. Howard wanted to keep the ball for the sentimental value, so he wouldn’t auction it off either. The argument is totally false. The parents and their attorney created the straw man of a sinister baseball executive taking advantage of a 12 year old girl to make a few thousand bucks. But that person didn’t exist and no one tried to make any money.

Instead of a nice story about a fan giving a ball to a player because the player has a sentimental attachment to this particular ball, we have a story about good, old-fashioned American greed present in a twelve year old and her parents. While Jennifer may have made the trade without a parent present increasing the chances of her being taken advantage of, it is hard to argue that she was taken advantage of when the trade is pretty standard in Major League Baseball. It is fairly common for a player to trade an autograph for a ball that means something to a player, generally a first home run or a milestone homerun. So even if Jennifer was not accompanied by a parent, it is hard to argue that she was taken advantage of when the result would have been the same regardless.

In the end, it makes me sick that Jennifer and her parents cried foul on a fair deal, Howard is deprived of his piece of his own milestone, and the legal system defends greed and seller’s remorse. The lesson that this is teaching Jennifer, and the potential it holds for others like Rudy Giuliani’s spoiled golfing son (article here), doesn’t show much class for our nation’s youth. The only person showing class in this story is Howard, who quietly gave the ball back even though he could have fought to keep it.

SportsJudge PTI: What Happened at Michigan?

Chris

Michigan football has had a bad run of things as of late. Ever since Appalachian State pulled off one of the biggest upsets of all time, the Wolverines have experienced a tough run. The sweater-vest in Columbus apparently has their playbooks, because they cannot hang with their rivals to the south. In fact, they haven’t been playing very good football at all and last season the once mighty Michigan went 3-9 including a loss to Toledo (and a 35 point loss to the Buckeyes).

Just when it appeared that things couldn’t get worse, Coach Rich Rodriguez’s football program is being investigated for regularly breaking the rules of the NCAA regarding the amount of time that players can spend on training and practice. Apparently Michigan players were putting in well over the NCAA maximum of 8 hours of mandatory workouts per week in the offseason, and 20 hours in season.

I think this is just bad timing for the Wolverines. They are looking to wipe out the memory of last season and start off 2009 on the right foot. Now they will have this problem to add to the already bad situation.

So how big of a deal is this? I think the allegations themselves are definitely a problem for the football program and the university. However, I don’t see this as that serious of an infraction. Adam and I wanted to take this opportunity to look at some other recent infractions and we began to wonder just how rampant this type of thing is in college football.

Adam

I can understand where Michigan is coming from. There is such pressure on athletic teams and programs to win and be productive monetarily for their respective universities. Teams have to cut corners (right John Calipari?) to try to make the team as productive, prepared, and talented as possible.

After switching to the Big Ten and mighty Michigan from West Virginia, Rich Rodriguez inherited a weak roster that was not equipped to run his spread style offense. Rodriguez made a poor decision (allegedly) in requiring more work than the NCAA allows, but Michigan cannot be the only school in the country doing this. I’d be willing to bet that at least 70% of the schools in the country at least bend the rules in implementing their off-season workouts and drills. Add that to all the different recruiting violations (USC with Reggie Bush, Calipari and Memphis, Bobby Bowden at Florida State, Kelvin Sampson wherever he goes) that plague NCAA athletics, and Michigan doesn’t look that bad (at least off the field and in practice).

To be honest, this type of violation is much tamer than cheating in the classrooms and improper payments to athletes. Extra practice is probably good for a lot of these kids. The main issue is that it takes away from the students studies’, which is, or at least should be, the reason they are attending college. Cheating in the classroom isn’t fair to anyone at the school, both the student-athletes and all of the other students that don’t get any extra benefit for being an athlete. Paying the athletes is simply training these impressionable young men that they can get freebies because they are special. For the massive amount of players that do not make it professionally, this can be disastrous (Maurice Clarett). By comparison, extra practices are teaching these athletes to work hard and take pride in their work. It really isn’t bad; it just may take away from the time the young men can devote their schoolwork. While distracting from the athletes schoolwork is not a good thing, it also does not have the ethical implications of cheating or improper payments.

For Rodriguez personally, I can sympathize with his decision. Michigan was coming off of a disappointing season that featured a loss to Appalachian State, the prospects for 2008 looked bleak, and Michigan had lost The Game to the powerful Buckeyes six of the last seven years. Sometimes people try to cut corners when they look for help (it failed for Rodriguez as the Wolverines won only 3 games and were destroyed by the Buckeyes 42-7). All I am saying is that we shouldn’t condemn the man or the program for a violation that most schools in the country are probably guilty of and is not nearly as detrimental to the student-athletes as other potential violations. While the Wolverines and Rodriguez probably broke the rules, the punishment should not be much more than a slap on the wrist.

SportsJudge.com PTI: Who is the better fantasy quarterback: Jay Cutler or Kyle Orton?

This week Chris and Adam give their take on the Kyle Orton/Jay Cutler trade and the implications on fantasy football. Last year Jay Cutler was a fantasy stud while Orton was mediocre. Is Cutler just that much better than Orton? Or were they each a product of their environment last season?

Chris

I think Kyle Orton will have a better year than Jay Cutler in terms of fantasy football value. I like both Cutler and Orton and I think they are both good players. However the situation in Denver is much more quarterback friendly than the situation in Chicago.

While a lot of people have been talking about Cutler this off season, it seems that Orton has flown under the radar.

Both players struggled in their team’s first preseason game. Cutler went 5-10 for 64 yards and a pick. He ended up with a poor 30.8 quarterback rating. The Bears were without starting running back Matt Forte and starting tight end Greg Olsen, so these numbers can’t be viewed with much weight. However, the Bears offense looked as flat as ever with Devin Hester being the one real threat for Cutler.

Orton looked bad as well in the Broncos’ first preseason game going 9-16 for 89 yards and 3 interceptions. He ended up with a similarly poor 32.6 quarterback rating. Like Cutler’s preseason debut, Orton’s should not be given much weight. He was lacking his number one threat in Brandon Marshall.

So both quarterbacks started off with a flop for their new team. The difference between Orton and Cutler is supporting cast. Orton will have at least 4 viable options to throw to during the year, while Cutler will only have 2-3 at best and no real WR threat.

First, both quarterbacks have a running back to dump off to. Last season Forte got a lot of catches and he has proven to be effective out of the backfield. Forte will also look to take some pressure off of Cutler and the weak passing game. Similarly, Orton has a committee of solid running backs who can catch passes and move the chains on the ground. The platoon in Denver includes Knowshon Moreno, Lamont Jordan, Correll Buckhalter and Peyton Hillis. Hillis is particularly intriguing because he doubles as a tight end. Each quarterback has a nice running back option to dump off to, but the advantage on the ground clearly goes to Orton and Denver. The Broncos ranked 12th in rushing yards per game last year despite an injury plagued season. The Bears finished 24th and there is no reason to believe that this will change. Advantage Orton.

Second, both Orton and Cutler have viable options at tight end. However Tony Scheffler in Denver is a better receiving tight end than is Greg Olsen in Chicago. Last season Scheffler had 645 yards receiving compared to Olsen’s 574. This is really a close call, but I give Denver the edge on this category as well. Once again, advantage Orton.

Next, and most important, Orton has proven receivers to throw to while Cutler has a corps of question marks. Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal proved last year that they are capable of making big plays and both are quality NFL receivers. Devin Hester has shown that he is an explosive player with ridiculous open field moves. However Cutler doesn’t need a return man, but a number one receiver. Is Hester a number one? I don’t think so. Brandon Marshall ranked 7th last season for receiving yards among WR with 1265 yards to go along with 6 receiving touchdowns. The number 2 option in Denver, Eddie Royal posted a solid 980 yards receiving to go along with 5 receiving touchdowns. Hester put up mediocre numbers last year with 665 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. And the number 2 receiver in Chicago? Not a receiver, but a TE. That’s right Greg Olsen ranked number 2 in receiving yards in Chicago and Matt Forte ranked 3rd in receiving for the Bears. This clearly demonstrates a huge advantage for Kyle Orton in Denver.

Finally the Broncos finished 3rd in passing yards per game last season while the Bears finished 25th. That is a HUGE gap between passing offense from last year. I don’t think Cutler has a chance to make that up even if he did have a true number 1 receiver. Without a true number one, he has no chance. Look for Kyle Orton to have a much better year in Denver than Cutler has in Chicago as far as statistics are concerned.

Adam

Jay Cutler is going to have a better year than Kyle Orton this year and you have to look beyond the numbers to understand why. I agree with Chris that what has happened in the preseason thus far is irrelevant because neither played an entire game and neither had all of their weapons available for the game.

The running game- Matt Forte for the Bears is a better back than anything the Broncos have this season. Knowshon Moreno should be an upgrade over what the Broncos had last season, but I felt that Moreno had a disappointing season last year at Georgia and I am not sold on him having a huge season. Chris points out that the Broncos had the 12th best rushing offense in the league last season, but I think this is more due to Cutler’s arm than the backs the Broncos have. Cutler threw over 600 passes last year because Denver used the pass to set up the run. Because Cutler is a Pro Bowl quarterback, this strategy worked and the running game rode the Bronco’s prolific passing offense to a respectable season. Kyle Orton does not have the passing ability to command the attention of the defense and open up the running lanes. With Orton at the helm of the Denver offense, Forte won’t have to face 8 in the box all season and could make the Pro Bowl.
Additionally, Forte is a better receiver than Denver’s backs. Peyton Hillis has shown that he can be a good receiver out of the backfield, but he will not be the feature for the Broncos. Forte showed last season that he is as effective receiving as he is running, and he will be on the field every down, unlike Hillis. Moreno is adequate as a receiver, but he has not proven that he can succeed like Forte did last season.

Tight Ends- Tony Scheffler may have had more yards than Greg Olson last season, but it is not because he is a better tight end. Olson is one of the better receiving tight ends in the NFC and Scheffler was a product of an offense that attacks through the air as much as the Royal Air Force. Scheffler should have a good season again as a safety valve for Orton, especially because he will struggle to hit Brandon Marshall downfield, but Olson will blossom finally playing with a top-tier quarterback. Orton was solid on the intermediate routes that tight ends generally run, but Olson’s game will really open up with Cutler’s ability to throw downfield and stretch the defense as well as his accuracy in threading the needle. Cutler will also be more effective than Orton in the red zone where a big target like Olson could pick up some easy touchdowns.

Receivers- The Broncos have a better corps of receivers than the Bears in theory. Brandon Marshall is the best receiver on either team when he has a good attitude and he stays out of trouble. However, that is far from a sure thing. It will also be interesting to see if Orton will be able to hit Marshall on the deep routes that make him so dangerous. Cutler has the arm strength to take the top off the defense and make a receiver like Marshall dangerous. Orton, however, showed last season that he does not have the top shelf arm to fully utilize a receiver like that. In Chicago last season, Devin Hester’s productivity was greatly reduced because Orton could not throw it deep enough to utilize Hester’s speed. Frequently, Hester would beat the defense only to have Orton underthrow the pass allowing the defense to break it up. I think that Marshall may experience a dropoff in his effectiveness downfield without Cutler throwing him the ball. If this affects his attitude, it could be a very disappointing season as he pouts about his stats and his lack of a new contract. In Chicago, Hester should see a big spike in his statistics as he finally has a quarterback that will be able to connect on the home run with him. Hester will finally be able to realize his full potential as a wide receiver. I do agree with Chris that Eddie Royal could have a big year as an underneath threat for the Broncos because Orton will be forced to throw the short dump-off passes when defenses learn he can’t complete passes downfield. This happened last season in Cincinnati as Ryan Fitzpatrick could not throw the ball downfield. Chad Ochocinco’s production tumbled while underneath receiver T.J. Houshmanzedah has a huge season.

Overall, the Bronco’s offense last season was created by Cutler’s passing ability opening up opportunities for the skill players on the roster. He will bring this ability to get his teammates involved to Chicago. On the other hand, Orton will bring his mediocre skills to Denver where he should put up decent numbers, but nowhere near the numbers Cutler put up in Denver, or what Cutler will put up in Chicago this season. Cutler has the ability to make people better with his skills while Orton simply has limitations to his skills that prevent him from doing the same.

SportsJudge.com PTI: The All-Clean Team

With David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez (again) being implicated in the use of performance enhancing drugs due to the leak of their “anonymous” tests in 2003, Chris and Adam looked at the all time clean lineup of the steroid era (mid 1980s-present).

Catcher - Mike Piazza (Adam and Chris Agree on this one)

Piazza, a former 62nd round draft pick that was taken partly as a favor to his father, is easily the best hitting catcher of this era. Piazza’s career should put him in the Hall of Fame in 2012 when he becomes eligible. With career numbers of 2127 hits, 1048 runs, 1335 RBIs, 427 home runs, and a .308 batting average, Piazza is in the class of the best catchers to ever play. Piazza also earned spots on 12 all star teams, 10 straight silver slugger awards, and was the Rookie of the Year in 1993. Piazza narrowly missed out on the MVP awards in 1996 and 1997, finishing 2nd both years. Baseball-reference.com’s top two similar batters for Piazza are Hall of Fame catchers Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra.

First Base

Adam Picks: Frank Thomas

As good as Todd Helton has been for the Rockies (.328 average, 321 homers, and nearly 1200 runs and RBIs), Thomas has to be the pick at first. In a career that ended last season, Thomas hit .301 with 521 home runs, 1704 RBIs, 1494 runs, 2468 hits, and 1667 walks against 1397 strikeouts. Thomas’s career OPS of .974 is 15th all time. Even with Thomas’s number deteriorating with his health after he turned 33 in 2001, he is still one of the best hitters of this era. Shockingly, Thomas only made 5 all star games and won 4 silver sluggers in his career despite being all over the leader boards each season. Thomas also won the MVP award in 1993 and 1994.

Chris Picks: Albert Pujols

In only 9 seasons the Cardinal's First Baseman has put up 353 HRs, 1069 RBI's and scored 1029 runs. His career batting average is 333. I normally would not put someone this young on a list like this, but these numbers are pretty good. The real selling point for me is Pujols' stat sheet this season. In 109 games he has put up 92 RBI, 34 home runs and 82 runs. On top of the numbers I just like this guy. He is a good character player and St. Louis has a good face of their team in number 5.

Second Base

Adam Picks: Roberto Alomar

Alomar won 10 gold gloves and 4 silver sluggers while making 12 all star teams and winning 2 World Series. In 17 seasons, Alomar hit .300 with 1508 runs, 2724 hits, 210 home runs, 474 steals, and 1134 RBIs as the most dominant second baseman in the game for over a decade. If not for a rapid deterioration in his health and ability at the age of 34 when Alomar was with the Mets, he easily would have achieved 3000+hits. Alomar was a rare combination of power, speed, and bat control at a middle infield position when middle infielders were generally defense first players. Not that Alomar was overmatched defensively; Alomar and Omar Vizquel formed the best and flashiest double play tandem with 21 gold gloves between the two of them.

Chris Picks: Ryne Sandberg

Ryne Sandberg was a great player, both offensively and defensively. In his career he was awarded 9 Gold Gloves in a row from 1983 to 1991. In 16 seasons, Sandberg compiled 1061 runs batted in, 1318 runs scored, 282 home runs and 384 stolen bases to go along with 2386 hits. There is no one that I would rather have at 2nd base then "The Ryno."

Third Base

Adam Picks: Chipper Jones

Chipper narrowly beat out Wade Boggs on my list because of his power hitting advantage. In 16 seasons, Jones has hit .310 with 421 home runs, 1425 RBIs and 1432 runs. Somehow Chipper made only 6 all star teams and won just 2 silver sluggers, but he also won the 1999 MVP award. His .953 OPS ranks 22nd all time. Chipper has also shown tremendous plate discipline in his career with 1307 walks against 1191 strike outs. Throughout his career, Jones has been a fixture in the Braves lineup for the majority of their dynasty and continues to produce today at age 37.

Chris Picks: Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs is the obvious choice for me at Third Base. Those Red Sox years are some of the best that a Third Baseman has ever strung together. For his entire career Boggs was the type of guy who would get on base and score. His career batting average was .328, and he hit .368 in 1985 and .366 in 1988. He also scored 1513 runs, and batted in 1014 runs. Boggs is also a member of the 3000 hit club. For these reasons, Wade Boggs is my choice at 3B.

Shortstop

Adam Picks: Cal Ripken Jr.

Ripken revolutionized the shortstop position to what it is today. The two-time MVP was able to combine power and fielding at a position that was historically known for light hitting and slick fielding. Although he only hit .276 for his career, Ripken hit 431 home runs with 3184 hits and topped 1600 runs and RBIs. In addition to his 2 MVP awards (nearly a decade apart- 1983 and 1991), Ripken was the Rookie of the Year in 1982, won 8 silver sluggers, 2 gold gloves, and made 19 straight all start teams. Ripken also broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak by playing in 2632 consecutive games.

Chris Picks: Barry Larkin

I admit that this is somewhat of a homer pick. I love Barry Larkin even though he went to Michigan. I am putting him on this list even though there are players out there who might have slightly better numbers. Larkin compiled 198 home runs, 2340 hits, 960 RBI, 369 stolen bases and hit a respectale .295 for his career. None of these numbers by themselves are that spectacular, but Larkin was an all-around player with no weakness. He also won 3 gold gloves and an NL MVP award and lead the Reds to a World Series.

Left Field

Adam Picks: Albert Belle

Belle was one of the most feared power hitters of the 1990s, consistently breaking the top 5 in the league in home runs and RBIs. Belle essentially played only 10 seasons (he had only 259 at bats in his first two seasons) before a degenerative hip ended his career. In that decade, Belle hit 381 home runs while driving in 1239 and scoring 974. Belle batted .295 with a .564 slugging percentage (16th all time), and a .933 OPS (33rd all time). Belle made 5 all star teams and won 5 silver sluggers in this time. In only 10 seasons, his 381 home runs still place him 59th all time. From 1992 through 1999, Belle led the league in RBIs 3 times, finished in the top four 3 more times, and the top ten the other two seasons. He was the premier cleanup hitter of the 1990s. For his career, his numbers are extremely similar to recent Hall of Fame inductee Jim Rice and short career Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner.

Chris Picks: Ricky Henderson

The Man of Steal was recently inducted into the hall of fame and with good reason. Henderson put together a stellar career and will always be remembered for his base stealing and ridiculous interviews. Henderson stole 1406 bases to go along with 2295 runs, 3055 hits, and 1115 runs batted in. I don't go as far as Ricky to proclaim him as the greatest of all time, but I had no hesitation putting him as my LF on this list.

Center Field- Ken Griffey Jr. (Chris and Adam agree on this one)

If Griffey would have been able to stay healthy, he would have broken Hank Aaron’s home run record before Barry Bonds and the record would be legitimate. Griffey is a 4 time home run king that currently has 622 for his career, but he was more than just a power hitter. Griffey also is a .286 hitter with 1805 RBIs, 1643 runs, and 2740 hits while winning 10 gold gloves, 7 silver sluggers, an MVP in 1997, and making 13 all star teams. Griffey accomplished this while missing at least half a season 4 times because of injury. Despite the missed time, Griffey is still 5th all time in home runs, 13th in total bases, 18th in RBIs, 33rd in runs, 49th in hits, and 55th in OPS.

Right Field

Adam Picks: Larry Walker

Injuries kept Walker’s career from being even more impressive than it was, but, when healthy, Walker was one of the most feared hitters in the games. Walker combined power, speed, and batting average like few players can on the way to 5 all star games, 7 gold gloves, 3 silver slugger awards, and an MVP in 1997. His .965 OPS ranks 18th all time. For his career, Walker topped 1300 runs and RBIs with 383 home runs, 230 steals, 2160 hits, and a .313 batting average. From 1997-2001, Walker hit over .350 4 times in 5 seasons with 156 home runs. Walker’s average was .357 for those seasons, but injuries limited him to 127 games per season, although he still averaged over 30 home runs and 100 runs per season with 97 RBIs.

Chris Picks: Dave Winfield

Dave Winfield is my choice for RF. He played 22 seasons that spanned from 1973 through 1995. Throughout his career, Winfield compiled 3110 hits, 1669 runs, and 465 home runs. He was the oldest man to ever hit for the cycle and was awarded with 7 Gold Gloves and 6 Silver Sluggers. Winfield represents a great career that was defined by his longevity and consistency. He won a Silver Slugger in 1992 at 41 years of age.

Utility: Craig Biggio (Chris and Adam agree on this one)

Biggio hit .281 in his career with 1844 runs, 3060 career hits, 291 home runs and 414 steals while making all star teams at catcher (1) and second base (6). Biggio 4 four gold gloves at second base and 5 silver sluggers (1 as a catcher, 4 at second) while also providing productive seasons for the Astros in the outfield. Of the top ten similar players according to baseball-reference.com, 7 are in the Hall of Fame, and Roberto Alomar should be in soon.

Right Handed Starter- Greg Maddux (Chris and Adam agree on this one)

Maddux won 355 games in his career on finesse and strategy when many around him were taking short cuts to try to overpower the opposition. Maddux finished his career with a 3.16 ERA, but that does not do justice to his dominance from 1992-1998 when he compiled a 2.15 ERA in the midst of inflated power hitters. Maddux won 127 games and 4 Cy Young awards during this stretch and also managed 19 shutouts. From 1988 through 2004, Maddux achieved a major league record 17 straight seasons of at least 15 wins. Maddux was able to be consistently dominant for over a decade enabling him to be the best right handed pitcher since Bob Gibson. Defensively, Maddux won a remarkable 18 gold glove awards. His 355 wins are 8th all time, his .610 winning percentage ranks 88th, 3371 strikeouts are 10th, and his 3.374 strikeouts to walks ratio is 19th.

Left Handed Starter

Adam Picks: Randy Johnson

Johnson reached 300 career wins this season (he is now at 303) and has topped off the most dominant career for a left handed pitcher since Steve Carlton. Johnson has won 5 Cy Young awards, including 4 straight from 1999 through 2002 with the Diamondbacks. The opposite of Maddux’s control, Johnson overpowered batters with his fastball and slider en route to 4869 strikeouts including 6 seasons of 300+ strike outs. Johnson also made 10 all star teams in his career despite missing parts of 3 seasons due to injury. Johnson’s 303 wins are 22nd all time, his .646 winning percentage is 30th, his 4869 strikeouts are second to Nolan Ryan and his 10.608 strikeouts/9 innings pitched is first all time. Also, his 189 hit batsmen (3rd all time) made him one of the most feared pitchers in the game; ask John Kruk.

Chris Picks: Carlton/Glavine/Johnson

I agree with Adam on the Randy Johnson pick, but I wanted to mention that Steve Carlton and Tom Glavine deserve honorable mention. Carlton played most of his career before the steroid era, so I can't really pick him. For me, this decision comes down to Glavine vs. Johnson. Lets compare the numbers. Wins - Glavine 305, Johnson 303. ERA - Glavine 3.54, Johnson 3.29. The real selling point for me and the reason I pick Johnson over Glavine is the strikeouts. Strikeouts - Glavine 5.3 SO per 9 innings, Johnson 10.6 SO per 9 innings.

Closer

Adam Picks: Mariano Rivera

It doesn’t matter what era we are examining, Rivera is the best and most dominant closer of all time. With 511 saves and a 2.28 ERA, Rivera has been at the top since he took over the closer position for the Yankees in 1997. Eight times in those 13 seasons (including 2009), Rivera’s ERA was below 2. Rivera has been so dominant and unhittable during his career, that when his ERA landed at 3.15, the only time since his rookie year in 1995 that it was greater than three, analysts were predicting that Rivera was done. When you consider Rivera’a 8 wins, 34 saves, and 0.77 ERA in 76 playoff games, his greatness is even more amazing.

Chris Picks: Trevor Hoffman

We are talking about closers so the one statistic that matters the most is career saves. Hoffman is the all time leader in saves with 577. That is 66 more than Rivera. Hoffman has been good for a long time, and he shows no signs of slowing down now. This season his ERA is a spectacular 1.74 while he has picked up 23 saves and only 1 loss. Hoffman's career ERA is 2.74.

That does it for our "All-Clean Team." Let us know what you think about our picks in the comments.

Above the Rim: Summer League Roundup

The NBA Summer League finished its schedule on July 19th and some players caught the attention of analysts and executives around the league. Following is a list of players that made a good impression in the Summer League.

Anthony Randolph, Warriors- The 20 year old second year player had GMs gushing about this future superstar after he followed up three straight double-doubles with a 42 point performance. Randolph led the league in scoring at 26.8 points per game and added 8.5 rebounds. Randolph also averaged 3 blocks and 2.2 steals per game.

Adam Morrison, Lakers- The former Gonzaga star may have found the confidence that will help him live up to the potential he showed in college. Morrison averaged 20.8 points per game and added 42$ shooting from 3-point range and 89.5% from the free throw line.

Blake Griffin, Clippers- Griffin lived up to expectations as he averaged 19.2 points and 10.8 rebounds in five games. Griffin shot 50% from the floor, but did struggle at the free throw line shooting only 45.9%.

Stephen Curry, Warriors- Curry showed why the Warriors took him seventh in the draft as he filled up the stat sheet with 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. Curry’s shooting percentages were disappointing though as he only shot 32.5% from the floor and 34.5% from 3-point range. Curry and Randolph’s performances added to the continued emergence of Anthony Morrow (24.7 points per game in the Summer League) bodes well for the Warriors’ future.

JaVale McGee, Wizards- Last year’s first round pick showed his ability to score and play defense as he averaged 17.3 points per game and 4 blocks per game. McGee also added 6.3 rebounds and shot 54.2% from the floor.

Jonny Flynn, Timberwolves- After a stellar season capped by his memorable performance in the 6 overtime game against UConn, Flynn entered the Summer League and averaged 15 points and 7.4 assists per game. Flynn was also one of the most efficient players in the league shooting 48% from the floor, 58.3% from 3-point range, and 90.9% from the free throw line.

Brandon Jennings, Bucks- Jennings was closely watched in the Summer League after spending last season playing professionally in Europe instead of attending Arizona for one season. Such a bold move was going to be scrutinized going forward as more high school seniors explore their options. Jennings responded by leading the rookie league in assists at 8.2 per game (tied with Marcus Williams) and added 14.6 points and 3.6 steals. While getting rave reviews for his passing ability, Jennings did struggle shooting only 37.9% from the floor.

Joey Dorsey, Rockets- Dorsey dominated the paint in five games averaging 14.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 62.1%. Dorsey also averaged 9.8 points per game. Dorsey will have to stay out of foul trouble when the season starts as he picked up 6 personal fouls in three games and 7 in one other (players do not foul out in the Summer League).

Marcus Williams, Grizzlies- The Grizzlies are trying to resurrect the career of this promising young point guard. In the Summer League, it looked as though the project was ahead of schedule. Williams tied for the league lead with 8.2 assists per game, including 17 in one game. Williams also added 13.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

SportsJudge.com PTI: The 2009 Tour de France

Lance Armstrong returned to the Tour de France this year after a 3 ½ year absence from professional cycling in an effort to win his eighth title. Today, Chris and Adam are examining some questions about the 2009 Tour de France.

1) Can Lance win?

Adam

Lance still has the ability to win. He has been in the top 3 or 4 riders within a minute for most of the Tour so far. Going into Stage 15 on Sunday, Lance was 4th, but he was only 8 seconds back of the lead. After Alberto Contador won Stage 15 in the Alps, Lance was now second, but 1 minute and 37 seconds back from his Astana teammate. With his ability to stay near the top and his heart, Lance still has the talent and drive to win, and he is close enough to the yellow jersey where the lead is not insurmountable, although Contador did just extend the lead by quite a bit. The question regarding whether Armstrong can win is more about whether he will take a backseat to Contador as a teammate or if he will try to overtake him for a personal victory.

Chris

We are talking about Lance Armstrong, a name that is synonymous with winning. I place a lot of value in the heart and will to win of athletes, and Lance has more than almost anyone. He is a little older and a little out of practice, but don't kid yourself into believing that Lance wont be competing in whatever it is he tries. Lance will finish strong at the Tour de France, and whether or not he wins, you can guarantee that his heart will show through as always. I personally think that Contador's lead is too much for Lance to come back. Contador and Lance are the 2 riders to watch the rest of the Tour, and Contador has over a minute and a half lead. It will be very diffifult for him to come back, but if anyone can do it Lance can.

2) How well does Lance have to do for his return to the Tour de France for it to be a success?

Adam

I already consider Armstrong’s return a success. He is 37 years old and he has been able to stay with the top cyclers in the world, most of them 10 years younger (Contador is 26). True, Armstrong is a 7 time Tour winner and is also one of the top riders in the world, so he should be able to compete regardless of age, but he has also been retired for over 3 years. The rest of the field has been training consistently and has not taken the time off that Armstrong has. For Armstrong to beat the front of the pack in second place despite being so much older and being away from cycling for such an extended period of time is impressive. To me, staying in the top 5, especially 2nd place, would make Armstrong’s return to the Tour de France a success. I do not feel that winning is the only way for Lance to make his return a success.

Chris

I personally feel that Lance will be disappointed with anything short of victory. Lance didn't come back to place 2nd in the Tour de France. He came back to take home the prize. Most people would be happy coming off of a hiatus and finishing 2nd place in the Tour de France, but I think Lance wants more. Anything less than victory for Lance is not good enough, because he sets the bar that high.

3) If Alberto Contador, Armstrong’s teammate, wins, does that make Lance’s return a success?

Adam

Contador winning would also be a victory for Armstrong. Despite some tension between the two earlier in the Tour, Lance said yesterday that “Alberto is the best rider. He is the best climber … [his performance in Stage 15] is how you win the Tour.” Armstrong continued to say that he is “happy to be [Contador’s] domestique. I am proud of him.” The domestique (French for servant) is a rider who works for the benefit of the team and the leader, such as leading the team leader so the team leader wouldn’t have to ride directly into the wind. If Armstrong embraces this role and it leads to a Tour win for Contador, you have to consider that a victory for Armstrong. Putting his individual desire to win and differences with Contador aside would not only lead to a victory for Armstong’s team Astana, which to me is enough to consider Armstrong’s return a success, but it will also show that Armstrong is not too arrogant to put aside his personal goals for the benefit of his team. From a cycling perspective, this leads to a team victory which makes the return a success. From a public relations perspective, not only will Armstrong finish near the top of the field showing that he can still race with the best in the world, but he will also look a the humble team player that is willing to step aside for the benefit of his teammate. This may also be seen as Armstrong passing the best cyclist in the world torch to Contador to carry in future Tours. If Contador wins and Armstrong can hang onto second place while embracing his role as domestique for team Astana, his return to the Tour de France and cycling has to be considered a success even though he won’t walk away with the yellow jersey.

Chris

No. If Contador wins, guess what, Armstrong loses. I don't care about this Tour de France team stuff. No matter what Contador and Armstrong tell the media, they want to win for themselves. These guys are on the same team, but they are more like rivals than teammates. If Contador beats Lance this year, Lance will be able to feel like he contributed to the victory, and that he did the right thing to help Contador win. That being said, Lance does not beleive that Contador is the best rider out there. I think Lance is slowly discovering that the rest of the pack in cycling is catching up to him, and I think that bothers him. I don't think he holds a serious grudge against anyone, or wishes anyone any misfortune. I think there is healthy competition between Lance and his rival, and for this reason Lance does not want to finish 2nd. If he must finish 2nd, having his teammate win is obviously better than losing to anyone else, but still not a good result.

Above the Rim: NBA Off-season Moves

The NBA off-season started with a bang as the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired center Shaquille O’Neal from the Phoenix Suns, but there still might be one or two bullets (Carlos Boozer?) left in the chamber before the off-season is over. Here is a summary of the big moves so far.

Richard Jefferson, San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs traded for the talented wing after Jefferson spent last season in Milwaukee. Jefferson has shown that he can be very effective when playing with an all-star point guard (Jason Kidd in New Jersey) and that will continue in San Antonio where he will play with Tony Parker. The Spurs still have the pieces to win a championship with Parker and Tim Duncan both returning and healthy. Sixth man Manu Ginobli may be wearing down as it is taking him more and more time to come back from nagging injuries. With Ginobli deteriorating, Jefferson will step in and be the third option for the Spurs as they challenge the Lakers in the West. The Spurs gave up aging role players Kurt Thomas, Bruce Bowen, and Fabricio Oberto to get Jefferson, but RJ should be able to make up the difference as he helps spread the floor for Duncan and Parker and scores around 17 points per game this season.
Verdict- major upgrade; the Spurs gain a high scoring wing while giving up three veterans who are in decline

Vince Carter, Orlando Magic
The Magic traded Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston, and Tony Battie for Carter (and Ryan Anderson). After watching the Magic dismantle the Cavaliers in the playoffs last season, I think this trade will actually hurt Orlando, along with the loss of Hedo Turkoglu. The Magic were built on perimeter shooting, ball movement, and Dwight Howard. Lee and Alston both fit that system well and Battie was a solid back-up in the post. Carter will not fit that system as well because he likes to dribble and drive. That could make the Magic stagnant as it will slow down the offense and result in lots of players becoming stationary. Alston was expendable with Jameer Nelson returning from last season’s injury, but the Magic have now lost Lee, who was a promising young guard, and Turkoglu. Carter can score, but he needs the ball and that could take away from the rest of the team’s effectiveness.
Verdict- one step backwards; the Magic lose a young core player in Lee and Carter may not mesh with Howard and Rashard Lewis

Shaquille O’Neal, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs finally pulled the trigger on the Shaq to Cleveland trade that was rumored at the February all-star break. Shaq played 75 games last season, his most since playing 73 in 2004-2005 with Miami when they won the championship and he should be motivated next season by the chance to win a ring with LeBron. However, the Cavs should not expect, nor do they need Shaq to match last season’s 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds. If Shaq can perform at that level, the Cavs would be thrilled, but with LeBron and Mo Williams already in the offense, the Cavs should be satisfied with 15 points and 7 or 8 rebounds a night. With shooters like Delonte West, Williams, and Daniel Gibson, the Cavs should also benefit from Shaq’s ability to pass out of the post. The Cavs still have Zydrunas Ilgauskas to back Shaq up and split minutes, so Shaq may not see 30 minutes a game like he did last season. However, this will keep both Shaq and Z fresher and healthier for the playoffs where Shaq should give the Cavs a better match-up with Dwight Howard than Anderson Varejao and Z did last season. With this acquisition, the Cavs greatly strengthened their front court and added size that should help against Orlando, Boston, and the Lakers.
Despite all of these positives that Shaq brings, the real plus for the Cavs is what they gave up to get him. Subtracting Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic without gaining anyone might be seen as improving the team and at least could be seen as not getting worse. So to add a talent like O’Neal while giving up two players who would not have played significant roles next season is a major coup for GM Danny Ferry. It is reminiscent of Ferry’s trade last off-season in which he gave up Joe Smith and Damon Jones and received future all-star Mo Williams in return.
Verdict- big upgrade in the post while not giving up any value

Ron Artest, Los Angeles Lakers and Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets
While both of these players were free agents, their signings virtually created a trade. The results should be interesting as well. The Lakers definitely improve in the short term with Artest joining Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to make the Lakers the early favorites to repeat. Artest is more polished than Ariza, although a very similar player, and is an upgrade to the Lakers for the next three years.
However, Ariza is only 24 and could become much better than Artest by the end of the contract. A good perimeter defender with the ability to score, Ariza will be in his prime near the end of this contract and could become a star. Artest has probably peaked, and while he is a good player, there won’t be any more improvement.
Verdict- this deal makes the Lakers better in the short-term, but the Rockets better in the long-term. If Artest can keep his emotions in check and avoid the suspensions that have hurt him in the past, the Lakers should win at least one title in the three years of this contract. Artest represents a mild upgrade over Ariza due to his more polished game, especially offensively. However, the Lakers may have hurt themselves in the long run because Ariza may develop into an all-star. The Rockets, on the other hand, may not make the playoffs next year with injuries to Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, but Ariza will be able to mature with Aaron Brooks, Von Wafer, and the Rockets other young players. When Yao returns and the Rockets use McGrady’s salary to sign other pieces when he comes off the books, the Rockets may be in a strong position to make a run at the Finals in the last few seasons of Ariza’s 5-year deal.

Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons made a splash on the first day of free agency by spending $90 million on these two young players. Coming off a disappointing season in which the Pistons made the playoffs, but finished under .500 and were swept by the Cavs in the first round, the Pistons used their cap space to add two of the better young players in free agency. Initially targeting Carlos Boozer, the Pistons turned to Villanueva after Boozer exercised his player option with the Jazz. Villanueva will provide the Pistons with scoring and rebounding at the 4, but he will not be the banger Rasheed Wallace was. Villanueva is more of a finesse forward and is not as good defensively as Wallace. However, because he is only 24, Villanueva could grow into a more complete power forward and show he is worth $40 million over 5 years.
Gordon has already proven that he can score with anyone in the league, including Ray Allen in the playoffs, but the Bulls were unable to persuade him to stay in Chicago. The Pistons gain a shooting guard with unlimited range to plug next to promising young combo guard Rodney Stuckey. While Gordon can shoot the lights out, he is only 6’3” which can present match-up problems with some of the NBA’s bigger backcourts and Gordon is not very strong defensively to begin with. The signing also gives the Pistons three shooting guards (with Stuckey and Rip Hamilton) and no real point guard.
In these two deals, the Pistons sacrifice defense for offense and get younger in the process. Neither Villanueva nor Gordon will carry this team defensively like a Tayshaun Prince or Ben or Rasheed Wallace would. Also, neither player is the go-to-guy that can absolutely carry a team to victory. Both are good players, but they are not at the level where they will put a team over the top. The Pistons should see improvement, but they will not be able to catch Orlando, Cleveland, or Boston.
Verdict- moderate upgrade with defensive questions

Rasheed Wallace, Boston Celtics
This deal should help the Celtics depth, but should not be a very big upgrade. Wallace joins a crowded front court where Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis, and Leon Powe are already fighting for minutes. Wallace could provide intensity and perimeter shooting at the 4, but his potential contribution is being greatly exaggerated. Garnett will still be the starter, and Davis and Powe are productive back-ups who will also get playing time. While the Celtics did not spend much to obtain Wallace (just the mid-level exception), the signing will not put them over the top. If Wallace plays, it will take minutes from Powe, Davis, and maybe Garnett. If he doesn’t play as much, then his contribution is even more limited. Wallace does not present a major upgrade over what Boston already had, so it does not improve them that much to play him instead of their other post players.
Verdict- staying in place

Potential deals that could make waves are the rumored three team trade that would send Carlos Boozer to the Bulls and Kirk Hinrich to the Blazers, Boozer to the Pistons for Hamilton, and Boozer to Miami. I don’t think Boozer will be traded, but he could be the final piece of a championship for some teams in the league, especially the Bulls.

SportsJudge PTI: Joey Chestnut aka American Hero

This week Chris and Adam reflect on the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and dream of one day competiting for glory.

Chris

Every year I look forward to the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July. In recent years, we have seen epic battles between Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut, the two best hot dog eaters on this planet. I was happy to see Chestnut take the title this for America this year on Independence Day.

The best part about the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is the ridiculous coverage on ESPN. This year, they compared Kobayashi’s hot dog dunking ability to Kobe Bryant’s basketball dunking ability. They also keep track of each competitor’s previous eating championships, which can get very strange. Among those in this year’s field included the World Champion Eater of Fried Okra, and a woman who could eat 10% of her body weight in cheesecake.

This truly is a unique event that has become an American tradition. I look forward to watching this event for years to come, and cheering on Joey Chestnut on the 4th.

Adam

I have never watched the Nathan’s Hot Dog eating contest, but Chris reminded me this year so I treated myself to a Ruthian display of chewing and swallowing. After the competition this weekend, I was left wondering who is the better competitor eater: Takeru Kobayashi or Joey Chestnut? The debate is not just who is better currently, but who is the best ever. No one else enters the conversation which is why ESPN’s coverage barely left the two competitors, who were seated side-by-side, during the 10 minute race. Other competitors who could make waves in the future, Pat Bertoletti and Tim “Eater X” Janus, appear to be a few years of training and development away from seriously contending for first.

I am going to pick Chestnut as the best competitive eater ever. Although he only has 3 titles to “Tsunami” Kobayashi’s 6, Chestnut has smashed world records on his way to his recent 3-peat. In the postgame interview following his stunning display of digestive endurance, Chestnut claimed that he could have eaten 71 hot dogs during the 10 minute race but that he didn’t push himself to that extreme because he already had a 3 hot dog lead on Kobayashi. To totally destroy a world record while coasting down the stretch reminds me of another world class athlete who pulled up near the finish line to showboat: Usain Bolt. Bolt and Chestnut both are young and burst onto the scene of their sports with stunning dominance. The only difference is that Chestnut has been able to maintain his dominance over a 3 year period while Bolt has only done it once. If Bolt comes to London in 2012 and breaks his sprinting records, then we can put him in the same class as Chestnut.

Comparing Chestnut to Kobayashi, I know the Tsunami has 6 titles, but Chestnut’s 3 titles have all been extremely memorable. His first title, in just his third Nathan’s competition came in 2007 when he ate a world record 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes. In 2008, the competition was shortened to 10 minutes because of both Chestnut and Kobayashi smashing the world record by cracking 60 in ’07. They responded by eating 59 hot dogs and going to a 5 hot dog overtime period which Chestnut won. Both 2007 and 2008 saw Chestnut stage a comeback to catch Kobayashi in the last minutes of the competition showing the drive and heart that Chestnut brings to this competition. Some of Joe Montana’s nicknames (Joe Cool, The Comeback Kid) are more appropriately bestowed on this indulger of the weenie. Chestnut completely smashed the competition in 2009 with a world record of 68 hot dogs eaten and also saw his widest margin of victory in the competition, beating Kobayashi by 3 ½ hot dogs. While Kobayashi had won 6 straight titles, he appears to be on the decline of his career, like Ken Griffey Jr. after he was traded to the Reds. Of Kobayashi’s 6 titles, only 4 set world records while Chestnut set the 12 minute mark and then consecutive 10 minute records. So in half the titles, Chestnut has almost matched Kobayashi’s world records. By continuing to set world records, Chestnut is not just winning the competition, he is continually going above and beyond what we all thought was athletically and physically possible. Man is not meant to eat so many delicious Nathan’s hot dogs, but Chestnut’s stomach of steel continues to shock and amaze us with this remarkable ability of digestion. With Kobayashi on the downside of his illustrious career, Chestnut should have a few years of easy championships before Bertoletti or Janus can challenge him. Look for Chestnut to have 5 or 6 titles and a world record of 75 hot dogs before he is seriously challenged again making him one of the United States most celebrated athletes, remembered every 4th of July when young gluttons attempt to attain the high level of accomplishment that we have been blessed to witness.