Labron, who led the Cavaliers with 25 points, lost the ball out of bounds with 3.2 seconds to go after powering his way to the basket. Chicago’s forwards double teamed James and denied the superstar on a drive in the final seconds as the Chicago Bulls ended Cleveland’s three-game winning streak with an 86-85 win Thursday night. James led the Cavaliers with 25 points. Shaquille O’Neal had 14 and 10 rebounds and Anderson Varejao added 12 with 13 boards. But Cleveland’s offense never got into a flow and the Cavs didn’t help themselves by going 12 of 20 on free throws.

On Wednesday night, the New York Yankees rode one player…Hideki Matsui to their 27th World Series title with a 7-3 win over the defending champions, the Philadelphia Phillies. Matsui’s heroics came at just the right time. The Yankees had lost Game 5 in Philadelphia, forcing a sixth game at Yankee Stadium. If Philadelphia could win it, they could force a seventh and deciding game. Manuel says he expects to be back in the World Series next year. With Matsui becoming a free agent after this season, will he be playing for New York

Desperate to hang onto their World Series title and hounded by the Yankees to the very last swing, Philadelphia somehow held on for an 8-6 win Monday night in Game 5. Put those parade plans on hold, New York. The Phillies are coming back. “We had to do it,” Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. “We didn’t have a choice. It was either go home and watch football and college basketball or extend the season. The Yankees, who have won the Series all eight previous times they took a 3-1 lead, will try to close out title No. 27 on Wednesday night at home. “If we would have pitched today, we probably would have won,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “That’s the bottom line.” Stay posted on game 6 which will air tonight (Wednesday, November 4, 2009).

The Phillies dominated the game from the start with great pitching from their ace Cliff Lee who is now 3-0 with a 0.54 earned run average in four postseason starts. He threw 122 pitches, and 80 for strikes. When the Phillies needed to score, they got two big home runs from their second baseman Chase Utley who hit one in third inning and one in the six inning off Sabathia. Who hadn’t allowed a home run to a left-handed hitter at the New Yankee Stadium all year. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been nervous playing this game,” Lee said. “I’ve already done the work - it’s game time, time to go out there and have fun and execute and let your skills take over.”
Game 2 of The World Series will Tonight at 7:57.

By: Jeffrey Ellison

Antoine Walker has earning a reported $110 million over the course of his 13-year NBA career, but is now apparently broke. According to the Boston Globe, Walkern was in a Las Vegas courtroom this week to answer to charges of fraud for writing bad checks to different casinos, totaling $1 million. The Globe also reports that Walker also owes J.P. Morgan Chase Bank $1.5 million, Wachovia Bank $1.5 million, American Express $53,000, and his former agent $450,000. That’s a total of over $4.5 million dollars. Walker has yet to publicly speak on the situation.

There is no Monday, no game seven. The Yankees are in the World Series for the first time since 2003 after beating the Angels 5-2 in game six of the ALCS. The Angels sealed their own fate in the bottom half of the inning when they made back-to-back errors on sacrifice bunts to help the Yankees to two unearned runs and a 5-2 lead. The Yankees host the Phillies in game one of the World Series on Wednesday with the start time TBD. The Yankees will send Sabathia to the mound to face Cliff Lee of the Phillies.

As it stands right now the Saints are the best in the league right now. They proved this by crushing one of NFL’s best team the Giants.The New York Giants, the team so many people thought was the best in the league, came into New Orleans and the Saints made them look like a lower-tier team. New Orleans won 48-27 and it wasn’t even that close. For the first time in a long time, they won a big game. “The more big games you win, the more big games you play in,’’ offensive lineman Jon Stinchcomb said. The Saints are about as healthy as any team. They’re also clicking everywhere on offense and defense. That’s why they’re the best team in the NFL right now.

In a game that started with temperatures near freezing and ended past midnight, the defending World Series champs took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Players and coaches looked like they were dressed for a day on the slopes, but both teams were ready to get on with the game. Carlos Ruiz broke a 4-all tie in the sixth with his second run-scoring single, this one off Jose Contreras, who walked the two batters ahead of him. Tulowitzki’s sacrifice fly in the seventh tied it at 5. Phillies won against the Rockies in the back-and-forth game by 6-5.

The Cleveland Browns have traded wide receiver Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets. The Jets sent key special teams player Jason Trusnik, wide receiver Chansi Stuckey and a pair of draft picks to Cleveland. The Jets obtained a receiver who gives rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez the legitimate deep threat they have lacked. For his career, Edwards has 238 catches for 3,697 yards and 28 touchdowns. Now that’s impressive.

Tiger Woods has been making history ever since he turned pro in 1996. He became the youngest winner ever and the first black player to win the Masters the following year. His career has been nothing short of amazing to say the least.Tiger career is jam-packed with nothing but accomplishments. He has won 14 major titles, 9 annual money tittles, and 9 Player of the Year awards, just to give you an idea of how much success he has achieved.

Tiger Woods success has made him a very rich man. There is no question if he is a millionaire, but Tiger Woods has recently accomplished a level of wealth that is scarce in the current stage of the economy. According to Forbes magazine the prolific golfer has topped $1 billion in career earnings. With endorsements from Nike, Tag Huer, Gatorade, and income from his own business ventures. Mr. Woods has accumulated a great deal of wealth off the golf course. By, winning this year’s Fed-Ex Cup title, Woods earned a $10 million bonus, which put him over the $1 billion mark in his career. The feat is impressive in itself, but the crazy thing is, Tiger Woods is only 33 years young with a lot more golf in his tank. Tiger Woods has without a doubt transcended the face of golf and it’s safe to say that this is only the first billion for him.

Kyle Bush

Terrell Owens is a very talented and future Hall of Fame NFL receiver. However, Terrell Owens is becoming more known for his outlandish antics, rather than his talent. He is known around the NFL as the “team obliterater “. Recently, he was let go by America’s team the Dallas Cowboys. Now signed with the Buffalo Bills Terrell Owens has been on his best behavior. We all know that wasn’t going to last very long.

Terrell Owens is now taking shots at Rodney Harrison., via his Twitter page. Owens, fires accusations in the direction of Mr. Harrison claiming he used steroids. Owens tries to discredit Rodney Harrison’s career by calling him a cheater and player that cheated the game. Owens states that “U’re a loser & a cheater? Got any steroid … Hey Rodney! Send me sum steroids 2 the Bills facility next week!” Terrell Owens always keeps controversy around him, but has he took is to far this time? We have yet to here anything from Rodney Harrison. Stayed for more info.

Kyle Bush

Bills coach Dick Jauron says he has confidence in his quarterback Trent Edwards and Buffalo’s struggling offense after T.O. was a no-show on the stat sheet for the first time in 14 seasons. Jauron wants to see a few more passes thrown in Terrell Owens’ direction.

“We’ll take more shots,” Jauron said Monday, a day after Owens had a 185-game reception streak snapped in a 27-7 loss to New Orleans. “We definitely have to get him more involved in the game no matter what the defense does.”

I cannot explain what is going on with Brad Lidge, mentally or physically this season, but he seems like another closer than how he performed last year. This time last year, Brad Lidge was recording save after save for the Philadelphia Phillies as he went 48 for 48 in save opportunities, leading to a World Series title. This year it seems like he is just going through rough times as going into last night’s game he had already blew 10 save opportunities. Lidge entered the ninth inning with a 6-5 lead versus the Florida Marlins. He gave up a double and walked a batter, which led to the game-tying and game-winning runs. Lidge has 11 blown saves this season and is not looking good for the most important time of the season……playoffs. Hopefully he can get his swagger back in time for the post-season or the Phiilies will be in a little trouble if they are planning to repeat.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Week 2 of the NFL had a few great games and suprise victories. One major victory of the week were the NY Jets victory over the New England Patriots 16-9. The Jets players were running their mouths during the week coming up to the game, but backed it up. Over scores for this past week were:

NY Giants 33 - Dallas 31
Atlanta 28 - Carolina 20
Minnesota 27 - Detroit 17
Cincinnati 31 - Green Bay 24
Houston 34 - Tennessee 31
Oakland 13 - Kansas City 10
NY Jets 16 - New England 9
New Orleans 48 - Philadelphia 22
Washington 9 - St. Louis 7
Arizona 31 - Jacksonville 17
San Francisco 23 - Seattle 10
Buffalo 33 - Tampa Bay 10
Chicago 17 - Pittsburgh 14
Baltimore 31 - San Diego 26
Denver 27 - Cleveland 6

Check out tonight’s game where the Colts play the Dolphins.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s big return fight is this Saturday (September 19). His opponent is Juan Manuel Marquez, in the HBO Pay-Per-View bout. Anyone that has seen the HBO special “Mayweather/Marquez 24/7″ knows that both boxers are training very hard for the big bout. Mayweather recently announced that WWE star, Triple H, will be escorting him to the ring for his big fight. Within the last year, Mayweather, has been involved with the WWE on several occasions, including the 2008 Wrestlemania where he fought the Big Show. The fight will be very interesting and can be seen on HBO PPV this Saturday. Who do you think will win?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the first official weekend of the NFL! The season started on Thursday with the titans versus the Steelers, but the majority of the games were yesterday. Here are some of the results from the games:

Green Bay 21 - Chicago 15
NY Giants 24 - Washington 17
San Francisco 20 - Arizona 16
Seattle 28 - St. Louis 0
Atlanta 19 - Miami 7
Denver 12 - Cincinnati 7
Minnesota 34 - Cleveland 20
Indianapolis 14 - Jacksonville 12
New Orleans 45 - Detroit 27
Dallas 34 - Tampa Bay 21
Philadelphia 38 - Carolina 10
Baltimore 38 - Kansas City 24
NY Jets 24 - Houston 7

It was a great first weekend back! Look out for tonight’s double-header where New England plays Buffalo and San Diego plays Oakland.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Sixers, Nuggets, Pistons and now Grizzlies! Thursday (September 10), Allen Iverson became a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, signing a one-year contract reportedly worth $3.5 million. A.I. made $21 million last season in the final year of his contract. With Memphis, he’s taking a big pay cut, but the baller says it’s not about the money.

“I have been blessed to make plenty of money in this league,” Iverson tweeted. “Now it’s not about the money, it’s about playing, me getting back on the court & playing every game like it’s my last!”

Anyone that missed last night’s game between the University of Miami and Florida State missed a great one. A lot of talk was behind Miami to see if the football program was back. The game kept going back and fourth and in the last quarter Miami was up by 4 points when Florida State had a final drive to win the game. Miami’s defense was ready to play and sealed the victory for the Canes. This was a great game and probably the best game of the opening weekend. Miami QB, Jacory Harris, threw for 386 yards with 2 TDs, 2 Int, and a rushing touchdown. Look out this week for Ohio State versus USC.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Minnesota Timberwolves will not enjoy the presence of 2009 draft pick Ricky Rubio this season. The team in Spain which had his rights (DKV Joventut) traded them to FC Barcelona who offered a higher buyout then the Timberwolves could, under NBA rules. Throughout the whole negotiation process, it seemed that Rubio would be coming to the NBA this season until the last couple of days in negotiations with each party involved. It seems like Rubio had a change of heart and did not want to play in the NBA for another two years, when he would be 20 years of age. It is an interesting situation, but an example of the business side within the “higher-ups” in a major organization.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Smith was been suspended without pay for seven games, after he pled guilty to reckless driving in a 2007. While Jason Richardson will miss two games after he pleaded guilty to drunken driving in Arizona.

No Retirement. Brett Favre is back with another new team. This time with the bitter rival of the Green Bay Packers, where he etched his name in the history books as a Hall of Fame quarterback. Yes, Favre unretired again and, this time he’ll be wearing Vikings purple this upcoming season. This has been a vision Packers fans have been cringing about for months, but Favre is back once again. The 39 year old Hall of Fame quarterback has a lot of pressure on him this season. He is now in control of the offense of one of the best teams in the NFL and he believed to be the final piece the team needed to win a championship. Maybe he will? Maybe he won’t? But this year is sure to be interesting for the Minnesota Vikings. Can a 39 year old quarterback coming off a serious shoulder injury lead them too the promise land? We will see!! Stay tuned this season!!!

Kyle Bush and Jeff Ellison

Mcnabb is excited about the whole ordeal of Vick becoming a Eagle. Mcnabb even sated in the video below how he feel that Vick is a team player and goes to say that he has a unstoppable drive for a player in his present situation. Check out the video belowthat is currently on ESPN.com. Go Eagles!

On Thursday night, the news had spread that Vick is an Eagle, joining Philly for a one-year deal with an option for a second year. He’s expected to make $1.6 million this season and as much as $5.6 million in the option year. Vick was once the NFL’s highest-paid player, but has been out of action since 2006.

I hope Vick redeems himself after his three year leave. Go Eagles!!!!!!!!!

It’s definitely that time of the year again when you lose your spouse for up to 2 months. Yes, its Madden season for those who don’t know. Madden 2010 is slated to release Friday at midnight. Madden fans and gamers are already getting ready to camp out for arguably the best simulated football game ever made. According to gamer website Madden 2010 is “The best pure football experience in video game history”. How can the Madden game get any better?

Equipped with all new features and updates Madden 2010 is sure to continue the legacy of the Madden video game franchise. This year Madden 2010 will allow Gamers to have first hand experience of what its like to “Fight For Every Yard”. Madden 2010 will feature all-new Pro-Tak animation technology; which will allow gamers too have more control over the outcome of each play. For Example, Gamers will have the ability to help drive a receiver towards the first down and gamers can battle for a fumble at the bottom of the pile until the whistle blows.

As you see, Madden 2010 will feature unprecedented authenticity of an actual football game. Wait there is more! Referees peeling players off a fumble pile, the chain gang rushing into measure for a key first down, authentic throwing and kicking styles, and all-new player equipment ensure that if you see it on Sunday, you’ll see it in Madden 2010. Along with the most in depth broadcast presentation to date, Madden 2010 captures the authenticity and emotion of the NFL like never before. If you haven’t pre-ordered the game, I suggest going a couple hours early to your local game store too purchase Friday.

Kyle Bush and Jeff Ellison

According to Jacky Jasper’s DiaryofaHollywoodStreetKing.com (HSK), Miller has been push up on the fiance of Alex von Furstenberg, a Malibu resident and surf shop owner locally. He reportedly started up a conversation with her recently, and then waited for her to leave the local Country Mart before following her down Malibu’s PCH highway begging to see her again. Days after a banner flown back and forth along the Southern California with the words “REGGIE MILLER STOP PURSUING MARRIED WOMEN” on it.

“I was very upset about Reggie’s behavior towards my fiance,” von Furstenberg said, according to HSK. “I think people in Malibu share my views that being a famous basketball player should not provide some sort of shield against inappropriate behavior. Reggie sincerely apologized to me on a phone call with Ronald Richards, his attorney, and myself. I cannot comment further on the matter as I believe it has been resolved.”

Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson isn’t ruling out potential interest in Michael Vick.
Asked on Tuesday about the possibility of signing Vick, Thompson said the team looks “at all options at all times” but didn’t want to speculate about the odds of the team actually pursing him.

Thompson typically is coy about the team’s plans, so it wasn’t immediately clear whether his comments indicated sincere in Vick. Vick has been conditionally reinstated in the NFL after completing a 23-month federal sentence for running a dog fighting ring. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said Vick can sign with and begin playing by week 6 of the NFL season.

More than two dozen NFL teams have said they have no interest in signing the 29-year-old Vick. The others have declined comment or taken a stance like that of the Packers.

Jeffrey Ellison

The Dallas Cowboy have waived injured tackle Michael Turkovich today, also announced the signing of free agent tackle Andre Douglas from Temple.

Terms were not released.

Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are two player that a now added to the list for testing positive for performance-enhancing substances that dates back to 2003. This list was suppose to remain anonymous, but it seems that these two names have leaked somehow. The two were key members of the Boston Red Sox World Series championship teams in 2004 and 2007.

After months of anticipation, Favre who is nearly 40, has decided to remain retired from the NFL, rather than become a Vikings starting quarterback.

“It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” Favre said. “I didn’t feel like physically I could play at a level that was acceptable. I would like to thank everyone, including the Packers, Jets and Vikings — but, most importantly, the fans.”

Favre’s decision was made after consulting with former coaches Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid, and despite the lobbying efforts of Vikings players.

This past week was a tragedy for the family of former boxing champion Vernon Forrest. Forrest was shot Saturday night (July 25) during an apparent robbery.

According to reports, Forrest was the victim of an attempted carjacking, and was shot “multiple times in the back”, said police, as she attempted to chase at least two men who had tried to steal his Jaguar when he stopped to put air in his tires at an Atlanta gas station.

“It’s 100 percent confirmed. He’s dead,” said Shaw, who served as Forrest’s promoter in the past.

Forrest was a former WBC super welterweight champion. He beat Sugar Shane Mosley two times in 2002. And in September 2008, Forrest reclaimed his WBC 154-pound title by beating Sergio Mora. It was his last fight.

Mark Buehrle pitched the first perfect game against the Rays Thursday (July 23). The game ended with a score of 5-0. Michel Hernandez had fans chanting Buehrle’s name, Jason Bartlett grounded to shortstop. Buehrle was mobbed by teammates between the mound and first base.

Los Angeles Dodgers star, Manny Ramirez, made history Monday night (July 20) when he hit his 537th career homerun, putting him past Mickey Mantle on the all-time list. He ranked #15 on the all-time homerun list. The only active players above Manny on the list are Jim Thome with 557 at #13, Alex Rodriguez with 572 at #10, and Ken Griffey Jr. with 621 at #5

His next target is Mike Schmidt with 548 homers.

Former NBA star Antoine Walker was arrested Thursday morning (July 16) inside the Harrah’s Casino in South Lake Tahoe. He’s being charged for owing nearly $1 million in gambling debts. According to local news station KVBC, the 32-year-old baller player had a warrant out for his arrest over $822,000 in gambling debts and faces three felony counts of writing bad check.

Apparently Wayde had a 3 year signed deal with Converse to revamp their basketball business. This Friday, Miami Heat basketball star Dwyane Wade has chosen to represent Nike’s Jumpman label instead. Doing this Wade will be joining other impressive player such as Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Derek Jeter.

“I grew up on the south side of Chicago idolizing Michael Jordan and have worked hard to achieve the same success that he’s had on the court,” Wade said. “I have enormous respect for this brand.”

According to ESPN “Wade told The Associated Press that he inquired about switching allegiances from Converse to Jordan’s brand before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, doing so, he said, out of concern over Converse’s long-term viability in the basketball marketplace.”

We all know the legendary Favre. Will he take the Vikings to a victory next year? He stated he would give the Vikings an answer on whether he’ll play this season by the July 30 start of the Vikings’ training camp.
I’m not sure whether Farve is up to the task. Check out the video below.

Arturo Gatti, welterweight and lightweight Canadian boxer was found dead in a hotel in Brazil on Saturday (July 11), where his wife and young child were vacationing. His 23-year-old wife has been charged with the murder, while they stay in a northern Brazilian seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas.

The Los Angeles Lakers are on their way to becoming a NBA dynasty. They officially signed Ron Artest on Wednesday (July 8).

This was a long time coming,” the new Laker said. “As I started to compete against the Lakers and against Kobe [Bryant], I had respect for him and I always wanted to be a teammate of his.”

If you noticed, Artest was present court side during Lakers games during the playoffs, as well as their appearance the year before when they lost to the Boston Celtics.

Brandon Jennings may have been the 10th pick in the 2009 Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, but without even officially playing for a second as a pro, he’s already causing a stir and making bad decisions.
Moments after being drafted, Jennings had a phone conversation with rapper Joe Budden, which he videotaped and posted on his Joe Budden TV YouTube channel. During their conversation, the NBA rookie bad-mouthed NBA vets like Ramon Sessions and Chris Duhon, boasted that he would beat out the Bucks’ current starter Luke Ridnour to become the starting point guard, and even called out the New York Knicks for not drafting him with the 8th pick. The video has since been removed from YouTube.

Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was shot and killed in Nashville home this weekend. It is said to be a double homicide. Further details regarding the shooting were still unknown.

The Titans released a statement through its owner Saturday (July 4), sending their condolenses to McNair’s family. “We are saddened and shocked to hear the news of Steve McNair’s passing today,” Titans owner, Bud Adams Jr., said in a statement. “He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans. He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they deal with his untimely passing.”

“I am relieved to be cleared to fight as I was already looking forward to getting back in the ring,” said Mayweather in a statement. “Trust me, September 19 is a great weekend for boxing, and all of my fans, of which there are many Mexicans too, can certainly hold on to their hats and sombreros when I get back in to the ring and show them what they have been missing these past 18 months. I will destroy Marquez and reclaim my rightful place as boxing’s pound-for-pound king all in one night. Don’t miss it.”

Kendra Wilkinson and her NFL fiance Hank Baskett tied the knot on Saturday (June 27) at Kendra’s one-time residence, the Playboy Mansion. Kendra reportedly wore a white dress, dripping in more than $100,000 worth of platinum jewelry by Michael Barin, including a 4.25-carat platinum drop earrings ($47,000), a 2.5-carat platinum pendant ($33,700) and the 4.5-carat bracelet ($21,000). The groom also wore white, as did the groomsmen, while the bridesmaids were in lavender.

The couple are currently featured in their own reality show called “Kendra” on E!.

The Cavaliers have agreed in principle to acquire Shaquille O’Neal from the Suns for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, an NBA source confirmed late Wednesday night.The deal for O’Neal is the latest move by Cleveland in its attempt to build a strong supporting cast around league MVP LeBron James, who can become a free agent in 2010.

Last week, (Phoenix center) Shaquille O’Neal said, “I just want to keep winning championships. What matters to me now is seeing if I can help a team get a ring. The way (the Suns) were playing, running all the time, we weren’t going to win a ring. If we want to win it, we need to slow it down, we need to play defense and we need to get me the ball.”

Now the only question is will Shaq get a ring?

All will agree that Lebron is one of the best players in the NBA. Yet he and his team have fallen short due to the Majics. Check out Lebron true feelings on the outcome.

After dropping the fourth game of the series to the Magic to go down 1-3 in the series, the Cav’s bounce back facing elimination in game 5.  After taking a commanding 17 point lead after the first quarter, it looked like the Cav’s came ready to play.  Despite scoring 35 points in the opening quarter, the Magic battled back to cut the lead to 1 by halftime.  The Magic were playing well and were poised to win the game and end Cleveland’s season, but the Cav’s held on to win the game by a count of 112-102.  The Cavaliers started the game great and were not able to maintain the lead, and that seems to be the storyline of this series.  Game 6 will be Saturday at 8:30 in Orlando.

There was a lot of action this weekend in the NBA playoffs and there have certainly been some great games to watch. In the East, the Cav’s were about to take a second loss in a row in game 2 against the Magic, down 2 points with only one second left. That one second was enough for LeBron James to steal that game and give Cleveland a chance in the series. Apparently, narrowly escaping the game 2 loss did not ignite anything in the Cavaliers, because in game 3 Orlando seemed to walk away with the game in the second half, with a lead score 116 to 114.

In the West, both LA and Denver took a game over the weekend, to even the series at two games a piece. Game 3 in Denver resulted in a 6 point victory for the Lakers, in a hard fought game where Kobe scored 41 points. It was a completely different story in game 4, where the Nuggets dominated the entire game. With Carmelo Anthony playing on a bad ankle and stomach virus that slowed him down, he was unable to contribute as much as he usually does. The bench stepped up tremendously to help guide the Nuggets to a 120-101 victory. Major contributors off the bench included J.R. Smith and Chris Andersen. The question is, how will the Lakers and Cav’s respond to adversity? The Cav’s are being challenged for the first time this post-season, and the Lakers seem to have trouble playing their hardest every night. Is it possible that neither of the fan favorite teams will make the finals? Halfway through both series’, what are your picks now?

After a close game 1 in the western conference finals, the Nuggets avenged the 2 point loss with a 106-103 victory. Once again it was a close game throughout, but this time the Lakers could not hold off a strong willed Denver team. Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant both showed up with their “A” games again, and continue to put on a show for the fans. The Nuggets seem hungry for a championship and the way they are playing will make for a great series. It is now tied at one game a piece and the next game is Saturday night in Denver.
On the east coast, the Orlando Magic handed the Cleveland Cavaliers their first loss of the postseason in a 107-106 victory. To no fault of the Cav’s, the Magic came ready to play, and not willing to let them walk through to the finals. LeBron James had an outstanding game, scoring 49 points, grabbing 6 boards and dishing out 8 assists. Despite his efforts, they still fell short. Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis both had great games, the latter hitting what turned out to be the game winning shot. Not only did Cleveland sweep both of their previous series, they were all double digit wins. Expect the Cav’s to come out and play with much more intensity in the next game tonight in Cleveland, as they try to redeem themselves.

Last night the Lakers and Nuggets battled it out in game 1 of the west finals. It was a close game all the way through with the Lakers having a one point advantage at halftime. After the third quarter the Nuggets jumped out to a 2 point lead but couldn’t hold on to it and lost a tough game 105-103. Both Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony had great games scoring 40 and 39 points respectively. Each of them also picked up a technical foul, and it will be interesting to see the intensity and emotions increase in the coming games. Game 2 will be Thursday night in L.A.

The Lakers have to battle it out with the Denver Nuggets. Who will rep the West? My vote will have to the Lakers, not that I’m a fan, cause I’m certainly am not. If you happened to look at the Nuggets track record you will see that until this year, the Nuggets had not advanced past the first round of the playoffs since 1994. While the Lakers have made the most NBA Finals in history with 29, but are just 14-15 in those series. The Denver nuggets may have Carmelo Anthony who it quite am impressive player, but he has won only one postseason series (1-5). While the Laker’s point guard Derek Fisher has never lost a first-round series in his NBA career (11-0) and must I bring up Kobe. This will be a competitive game to watch.

Well Orlando looked out of it after what happened from game 5. Game 6 in Orlando was another story. Dwight Howard got the ball, like he was complaining about after game 5, and had 23 points and 22 rebounds in the 83-75 victory over the Boston Celtics last night. Rashard Lewis had 20 points and Hedo Turkoglu had a key 3-point shot to seal the deal for Orlando. So there now is a game 7 for this weekend. Being that game 7 is going to be in Boston, I have a feeling Boston might take it and would be surprised is Orlando stuns them.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The game was close and Orlando had a nice lead heading into the 4th quarter. Big Baby had another big game scoring 22 points as the Boston Celtics rallied down 14 points to win game 5, 92-88. The series is now 3-2 Boston. The whole playoffs, Orlando has been giving up big leads and came out lucky with a few games but not so lucky with others. This was another game they lost after having a big lead in playoff game. One more win and Boston will head to the conference final versus the Cavaliers.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend had more playoff games in the NBA & NHL and other events.

NBA: The Nuggets took a commanding 3-0 lead in the series with the Dallas Mavericks after Carmelo Anthony hit a 3-point shot with less than 5 seconds in Saturday’s game. They are only one win away from the conference finals. The Rockets lost Yao Ming with a broken left foot this weekend, but were able to bounce back and tie the series with the Lakers 2-2, after Aaron Brooks stepped up for 34 points in game 4. Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are one win away from the conference finals as Lebron scored 47 in game three versus the Hawks on Saturday. Finally, Boston tied the series last night with a clutch, game-winner by Glen “Big Baby” Davis.

MLB: The Phillies lost two out of three this weekend versus the braves, but Cole Hamels was the winning pitcher for the Phillies on Friday. Some scores from Sunday included: D-Backs 10 – Nationals 8, Giants 7 – Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 5 – A’s 0, Rockies 3 – Marlins 2, Angels 4 – Royals 3, Mariners 5 – Twins 3, and Yankees 5 – Orioles 3.

NHL: The Pittsburgh Penguins took a 3-2 lead over the Capitals this weekend. The Red Wings also took a 3-2 lead in their series versus Anaheim Ducks.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, J.C. Romero, was handed the same suspension before the season started and now MLB All-Star, Manny Ramirez, was hit with the same suspension. The reason is the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport of baseball. It seems like the scandal will never go away either. Manny tested positive to a test, but says that it was due to medication prescribed by a doctor, and not from a steroid. The Dodgers star said in the statement. “He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was okay to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility.” I don’t know Manny, you are a little bulk and have 533 career homeruns. He also mentioned that he has taken about 15 tests and passed them all, before this incident. What are your thoughts?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Denver Nuggets are a surprise team for this season. A lot of people didn’t think they would be playing so well together, but the addition of Chauncey Billups has been the key to the team’s success. Last night’s game versus the Dallas Mavericks was just another example of how well the team is playing. After winning game one, the Nuggets just played like they are the team to beat in the Western Conference of the NBA. Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and Nene also dropped 25 points in the 117-105 victory for the Nuggets. The series is now 2-0 Denver. Do you think they have a shot in making it to the finals?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Rockets went into the Staples Center in Los Angeles and stole game 1 of the second round in the NBA Playoffs. Yao Ming scored 28 points and 10 rebounds, Ron Artest scored 21, and Aaron Brooks added 19 points in the 100-92 victory over the Lakers last night. Kobe scored 32, but the Lakers as a team only shot 2 for 18 from the 3-point line and their largest lead of the game was only 1 point. This win makes the series 1-0 Houston and gives them home court advantage in the series.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Reports on ESPN’s website is that the Cleveland Cavaliers are holding a press conference today at 4pm. The nature of the conference is not made specific but the reports are that the NBA will be announcing guard, Lebron James, as the 2008-2009 NBA MVP. Lebron was a major reason for this year’s success of the Cavaliers, especially being the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA Playoffs and only losing 2 games at home this season. Congrats to Lebron James and we’ll see how the playoffs turn out as the time goes. Next up for the Cavs are the Atlanta Hawks.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend had a few NBA Playoff games and a big boxing bout.

NBA: The Bulls and Celtics series ended in a game 7 with the Celtics finally taking control and defeating the “Baby Bulls.” The Bulls had their chance, but some players were on and off throughout the series and the key players were not on when it was needed. Derrick Rose had an average game, but did not step up. The Celtics now head to Orlando for round 2. The Atlanta and Miami series ended in a game 7 and Atlanta won the series in a blowout 91-78 victory. Every game in the series ended up in a lopsided victory for the winner. Now for Atlanta, it is off to play a fierce Cleveland Cavaliers team. The Golden Nuggets of Denver started the second round like Jim Jones……Ballin’. Even though it was a close game, the bench stepped up. J.R. Smith, Nene, and Chris Andersen all played vital roles in the 109-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

MLB: Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford stole 6 bases in yesterday’s 5-3 win versus the Boston Red Sox. Some other scores from yesterday were: Reds 5 – Pirates 0, Blue Jays 4 – Orioles 3, Cubs 6 – Marlins 4, Royals 7 – Twins 5, Dodgers 7 – Padres 3, and Giants 1 – Rockies 0. The Phillies were rained out yesterday for the game versus the Mets.

Boxing: Well he was the favorite and won in the second round of the fight. Manny Pacquiao was set to tie history, being the second boxer in history to hold belts in six different divisions during his career and he did. Pacman was too much for Hatton and even knocked him down three times. Pacquiao won by T.K.O. in the second round to win the junior welterweight title. Next up is rumored to be either Miguel Cotto or a huge fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. The Mayweather option would be a huge money maker and potentially fight of the year if it can happen this year.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Wow! Who would have thought this series would go to 7 games? Who would have thought the BULLS would give Boston so much competition? Who would have thought that this series was going to have 4 overtime game? Last night the Chicago Bulls were on the brink of elimination but they were not going down. Derrick Rose scored 28 and John Salmons scored 35 for the Bulls. Ray Allen scored 51 for the Celtics. The crazy part is that the game went to three overtime periods before the Bulls could snatch a 128-127 victory over the Celtics and force a game seven to be played on Saturday. Who do you think will win the series?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It seems like the Bulls and Celtics love to play overtime games. Ray Allen fouled out the game and it was up to Paul Pierce to step up and be clutch to represent the big three in last night’s game versus the Bulls. Pierce hit a 15 foot jumper that sent the game into overtime, after the Bulls gave up the comfortable lead they had in the 4th quarter. Then in overtime, Paul Pierce hit another jumper with 3.4 seconds left to seal the deal and win the game 106-104. The series is now 3-2 Boston. This is the first series in NBA Playoffs to go to three overtime games.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the NFL Draft and continuation on the NBA Playoffs.

NFL: The NFL Draft was not that exciting. The Lions signed Matthew Stafford to a 6-yr, $78 million dollar contract before the actual draft started. Also, almost $42 million is guaranteed. The Jets traded 3 players and two draft picks to Cleveland for the No. 5 pick where they drafted QB from USC, Mark Sanchez. The Eagles picked up wide receiver Jeremy Maclin from Missouri and running back LeSean McCoy from Pittsburgh. A sleeper they picked up was corner back Victor Harris. The Eagles were also able to pick up Ellis Hobbs from the Patriots in a trade.

NBA: The Cavaliers swept the Pistons on Sunday with a 99-78 win. The Bulls tied the series 2-2 with the Celtics after an exciting double-overtime 121-118 win on Sunday. The Mavs took a 3-1 lead over the Spurs despite Tony Parker scoring 43 points on Saturday night. The Hornets grabbed a needed win to make the series 2-1 with the Nuggets. The Magic tied the series with the 76ers last night with a near last second 3-point shot made by Hedo Turkoglu. Finally, the Rockets were able to hold off the Blazers in a 89-88 victory last night making the series 3-1.

NHL: Unfortunately the Flyers were eliminated this weekend from the playoffs, but Pittsburgh is still in the run. Also, the Capitals were able to tie the series with the Rangers 3-3.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!
By: Adrian Gonzalez

The NFL Draft has not begun but the overall No. 1 pick is basically set in stone. The Detroit Lions and quarterback Matthew Stafford have agreed on a 6 year deal worth $78 million. The Lions are coming off an 0-16 record, which is the worst in NFL history. This is a big investment and the quarterback position will not completely turn around this team. Stafford will be the first Georgia QB selected first overall. The draft is at 4pm today.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Utah Jazz had to win last night and it got really close at the end. The lead kept changing in the final minute until Deron Williams was able to make a jumper with 2.2 seconds left, which ended up being the game winner. Carlos Boozer had a big game scoring 23 points and grabbing 22 rebounds for the Jazz, including a facial on Pau Gasol. This 88-86 victory for the Jazz was crucial because a loss would have made the series 3-0 Lakers which would have made it almost impossible to come back and win the series. The series is now 2-1 Lakers and game 4 is on Saturday. Do you think the Jazz have a chance to come back?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yesterday, the Atlanta Falcons obtained Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez from the Kansas City Chiefs. In return, the Chiefs will get a second round draft pick. Gonzalez spent his career so far at Kansas City and has just about been the face of the football team. He is sad to go as he expressed on ESPN’s website saying “It will be sad to leave a city I love.” The NFL is a business and with the Draft this weekend, it is not a surprise it happened when it did. Tony will be a nice target for Matt Ryan.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Chauncey Billups is the main reason the Denver Nuggets were able to end up as the No. 2 seed coming into the playoffs. He really helped turn around the team. Game 1 was spectacular for the point guard and so was game two. Chauncey scored 31 points in the 108-93 rout of the New Orleans Hornets. David West had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets but it was not enough to take down the emerging Nuggets team. The Nuggets now lead the series 2-0 and are headed to New Orleans for game 3.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

D-Wade was not going to let another blowout by the hands of the Atlanta Hawks strike twice. He dropped 13 straight points towards the end of the first half and ended up with 33 points at the end of the night. Mike Biddy had 18 and Josh Smith had 17 for the Atlanta Hawks. The final score was Miami 108-93. The series is now tied 1-1 and head to Miami. Oh yea……that is rapper T.I. in the picture.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Philadelphia Eagles will look somewhat different next season after all the changes they made during this off season. The latest talk is that bringing in a big name receiver is possible for the Birds. Arizona is willing to deal Anquan Boldin and Chad Johnson wants out of Cincinnatti. With the draft this weekend, will the Eagles deal away any of their many draft picks to pick up one of thee receivers or will they just blow it again?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the start of the NBA Playoffs.

NBA: Saturday was the start of the playoffs. Derrick Rose scored 36 points and the Bulls stunned the Celtics in game 1 by the score of 105-103 in overtime. Lebron and the Cavs crushed the Pistons by the score of 102-84. Yao Ming played a perfect game and scored 24 points as the Rockets demolished the Trailblazers 108-81. Josh Howard led the Mavericks past the Spurs 105-87. Sunday was the second batch of games. The Lakers proved how solid they are as they defeated the Utah Jazz 113-100. The 76ers stunned Orlando in a 100-98 victory with a jumper made by Iggy with 2.2 seconds left in the game. The Atlanta Hawks shocked most people in the score that they beat the Heat by, 90-64…yeah that is crazy! Finally, Denver knocked off the Hornets 113-84. It was a great start to the playoffs.

MLB: The Phillies started the season slow but they got a big win on Sunday as outfielder Raul Ibanez hit a game winning 2 run homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the Phillies over the Padres 5-4. The Yankees were smoked on Saturday by the score of 22-4. The Marlins came from behind to defeat the Nationals 7-4 and now have an 11-1 record for the season.

NFL: Next weekend is the NFL Draft and a big surprise is the talks about Seattle possibly drafting USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. We’ll just have to wait and see if it will actually happen.

NHL: The Flyers bounced back from an 0-2 start in the series to defeat the Penguins 6-3 on Sunday and make the series 2-1 Pittsburgh. ESPN analysts are saying that the Flyers are right back in the series and have shifted the momentum. Time will only tell and the perfect game to prove this is game 4 in Philly on Tuesday.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yes, we are talking playoffs…NBA playoffs! Tomorrow is the beginning of the 2009 NBA Playoffs. The match-ups are as followed: Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics, Detroit at Cleveland, Dallas at San Antonio, and Houston at Portland on Saturday for game 1. On Sunday: Utah at LA Lakers, New Orleans at Denver, Philadelphia at Orlando, and Miami at Atlanta for game 1. This is going to be very interesting to see especially Miami at Atlanta and Houston at Portland. Who do you think will take it all? Will Garnett missing the playoffs affect the Celtics a whole lot? Well have to just wait and see.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It looks like Isiah Thomas has found another gig. Thomas is trying to get away from the legal and personal troubles that he encountered while working for the New York Knicks and now he is headed to Florida. Reports say that he has accepted the head coaching position for Florida International University (FIU). The position became vacant this past Monday. The school is located in Miami, Florida and has 38,000 students enrolled. This is an interesting move from NBA to the Sun Belt Conference in the NCAA. Also, this conference only sends at most 2 teams to the NCAA tournament every year. It will be good to see him out of New York and actually seeing him work in public.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The long-time voice behind the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse has past away. Harry Kalas has been the voice and broadcaster of the Phillies since 1971. He had a distinctive voice and know for his its ‘Outta here!’ call, that many try to impersonate. “We lost our voice today,” team president David Montgomery, describes this sad time in the city of Philadelphia. Kalas was able to call the last pitch before the Phillies won the World Series last season. Harry Kalas was found collapsed in the broadcast booth, by the director of broadcasting at 12:30pm today just before the series opener versus the Washington Nationals, that is currently being played in Washington. Harry Kalas is gone but his legacy will stay in the city forver. He died at the age of 73.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the end of the NHL regular season and almost end of NBA regular season.

MLB: The Phillies bounced back from a bad loss on Friday to win Saturday and yesterday versus the Colorado Rockies. The Yankees new ace, CC Sabathia was able to recover from his bad first lost to win his first game as a Yank on Saturday. Some scores from Sunday were: Reds 2 – Pirates 0, Tigers 6 – Rangers 4, Marlins 2 – Mets 1, Indians 8 – Blue Jays 4, and Braves 8 – Nationals 5.

NBA: The Cavs are on such a tear in the league that they will kick themselves at the end of the regular season if they finish with 1 or at most 2 home losses. They could have had a perfect home record this year. Yesterday, they breezed past the Celtics 107-76. Other games included: Hornets 102 – Mavs 92, Raptors 111 – 76ers 104, Miami 122 – Knicks 105. The end of the regular season if almost here and that means playoffs!

NHL: The regular season is over and playoffs are ready to begin. In the Eastern Conference: Bruins will play the Canadians, Capitals will play Rangers, Devils will play Hurricanes, and Penguins will play the Flyers. In the Western Conference: Sharks will play the Ducks, Red Wings will play Blue Jackets, Canucks will play Blues, and Blackhawks will play Flames.

Other: Angel Cabrera won the Master’s and Nick Diaz defeat Frank Shamrock in Strikeforce.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Tragedy struck the Los Angeles Angels clubhouse Thursday as 22-year old pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others were killed by a suspected drunk driver. The rookie who overcame elbow-surgery was finally living his childhood dreams this season playing Major League Baseball for the Angels. He even pitched on Wednesday and threw for six scoreless innings with his father watching at the stadium against Oakland. Adenhart was a passenger in a Mitsubishi Eclipse when a minivan ran a red light and hit them at 12:30am Thursday. The driver of the minivan, Andrew Thomas Gallo, tried to flee the scene but police were able to get him. This is just some advice to everyone, drinking and driving is serious and dangerous and do not mix well.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It was made official on Monday! The man, the myth, the legend himself, Michael Jordan, will be entering the NBA Hall of Fame this year. It will be very tough for anyone to emulate what M.J. has been able to do throughout his life, on and off the court. Many fans thought that once he finished his career (the actual last year) that he should have been inducted then and there, or even be inducted all by himself and no one else. To join him in the ceremony to be held on September 10-12 will be John Stockton, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan, and C. Vivian Stringer. Congrats go to the Class of 2009.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, the favorite did it! North Carolina defeated the underdog Michigan State is a easy manner. Ever since Ty Lawson retured to the team, it just got refueled with energy to go hard for the National Championship. When Ty Lawson, Wayne Elington, Danny Green and Tyler Hansbrough declared they would be back for another season, it was sensed that they were coming for the same reason…….to win a title. Last night, Michigan State could not use home court to their advantage. UNC was too focused to win and took the title in a 89-72 victory. They were able to shut down their critics with this win. Wayne Elington was namde Final Four MVP.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the start of the 2009 MLB season and the Final Four in college basketball.

College Basketball: Well the National Championship game is set for tonight. Michigan State gave it to UCONN on Saturday to upset them and earn a spot in tonight’s National Championship Game. North Carolina’s scrappy game helped them beat Villanova to earn the second spot in the title game. UNC and Michigan State met each other earlier in the season which ended in a blow-out win by UNC. Michigan State is a whole other team now and has a chance to take the title at home.

MLB: Last night was Opening Night in Major League Baseball. The San Francisco Giants defeated the LA Dodgers 3-1, in the last Spring Training game of the season. Also, the Atlanta Braves defeated the reigning World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies 4-1. Tonight there are many games on schedule, with a few afternoon games.

NBA: Lebron James helped his Cavs get away from the team’s first three game losing streak by the hand of San Antonio as he scored 38 points in 101-81 victory over the Spurs yesterday. The Mavericks gave the Suns a hard blow as they won 140-116. With only a few games left in the season, the Suns need to win and keep winning unless they will end up missing the playoffs by a game or two. The 76ers earned a playoff berth with a come from behind victory over the Pistons on Saturday. Even though the Knicks were eliminated from playoff contentions, they beat the Raptors 112-103 on Sunday.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well the saga in Denver has come to an end for Jay Cutler. after his name was mentioned in a possible trade when free-agency opened, everything just went sour from their for the young quarterback. It was finally made official that the Denver Broncos would trade him and they sent him to the Chicago bears. In the trade, Denver sent Jay Cutler in exchange for Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton and a 2009 and 2010 first-round draft pick. this is going to be very interesting as Denver will be led by someone else who if probably not as good as Cutler was for them. Chicago will enjoy this trade, even thought they gave up two first-round draft picks. From here it just will lead to the beginning of the next season and see which team end better off.

Well, he slept on it and decided to leave Memphis and head to Kentucky. Coach John Calipari is known for his recruiting skills and that is what Kentucky was looking for. He also has is a great overall coach who knows how to win games. Calipari has not coached in a major conference before (A10 and C-USA) and is now going to a major conference in the SEC. This will have an effect on recruits that were deciding to go to Memphis because of Coach Calipari and the recruits who will then decide to come to Kentucky. It will be interesting to see how Memphis turns out next season losing Calipari and Tyreke Evans who will opt to enter the NBA draft this summer.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend has some great Elite 8 basketball games.

College Basketball: This weekend was full of great games in college basketball. It was the Elite 8 in action and only 4 teams would survive. On Saturday, UCONN defeated Missouri with the help of Kendra Walker, by the score of 82-75. Then, Villanova defeated Pittsburgh in a crazy game then ended in favor of the Wildcats, 78-76. Sunday’s first game was wild, as Michigan State defeated the overall No. 1 seed Louisville 64-52. Finally, Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin was not enough for the Tar Heels, as North Carolina defeated Oklahoma 72-60. The Final Four match-up is set and will definitely be great to see.

NBA: Lebron James is just continuing his successful year individually as well as with his team. Yesterday, the Cavs won their 12th straight game as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 102-74. Cleveland is now 60-13 for the season. In other games this weekend: Bulls 112-Indiana 106, Detroit 98-Washington 96, Charlotte 96 – New York 85, Miami 102-Milwaukee 85, and Houston 110- LA Clippers 93. Also, Gilbert Arenas made his season debut on Saturday after suffering from an injury.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After the start and halftime score, it looked like the only way Memphis could come from behind is everyone playing stronger defense and straight up scoring. Missouri was up by 13 at the half and looked on its way to the elite 8. When the lead was up to 24 points it just got worse for Tyreke Evans and the Memphis Tigers. Missouri’s J.T. Tiller scored 23 points as the battle of the tigers went Missouri’s way and in doing so ended the 27-game winning streak for Memphis. The final score was 102-91. Tyreke, you are not ready for the NBA, please to not leave college!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The little brother of Davidson phenom Stephen Curry, Seth Curry, will be transferring to another school. The word broke out today on ESPN which is somewhat surprising. Seth played for Liberty University this season and was the top freshman in scoring in college basketball. His game is tight and maybe has realized that he will be recognized even more and might have better places to show off his talents on a higher level. Maybe Davidson if Stephen enters the draft? We will see as the time goes on.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The weekend was a wild one in the NCAA Tournament!

MLB: The finals of the World Baseball Classic are tonight. Korea shockingly manhandled powerhouse Venezuela and eliminated them on Saturday night with a 10-2 victory. Then, Team U.S.A. looked good but could not stop Japan last night in 9-4 victory for Japan. Tongiht are the WBC finals that will have Korea versus Japan in Dodgers stadium.

NBA: Udonis Haslem and D-Wade led the Heat to a big victory over the Detroit Pistons, 101-96 on Sunday. Oklahoma City brought the Thunder out and stopped the Timberwolves 97-90. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 30 points on Sunday. The Rockets beat the Spurs 87-85 and the Raptors beat the Clippers 100-76 on Sunday.

College Basketball: It was a wild weekend in the tournament but the Sweet 16 match-ups are finally set. On Thursday: Memphis will play Missouri, Pittsburgh faces Xavier, Villanova will face off with Duke and Purdue will play Connecticut. On Friday: Arizona plays Louisville, Gonzaga will play North Carolina, Kansas plays Michigan State, and Syracuse will play Oklahoma. There are a lot of interesting games in round three of the tournament and I can’t wait to the game.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yesterday was full of men’s college basketball games. There were close games, blowouts, you name it. Memphis survived an upset with a win over Cal State Northridge 81-70, LSU won a close one against Butler 75-71, Purdue past by Northern Iowa 61-56, Texas A&M looked good in a victory over BYU 79-66, North Carolina walked all over Radford 101-58, Maryland looked tough in a victory over Cal 84-71, and UCONN also walked all over Chattanooga 103-47. Other scored were: Washington 71 Mississippi State 58, Texas 76 Minnesota 62, Villanova 80 American U 67, Gonzaga 77 Akron 64, UCLA 65 VCU 64, W. Kentucky 76 Illinois 72, Oklahoma 82 Morgan State 54, Michigan 62 Clemson 59, Duke 86 Binghamton 62.Today will have the rest of the first-round games.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Philadelphia 76ers guard Royal Ivey paid a special visit on March 12 to Imhotep High School. Imhotep played at VILLA’s 2nd Annual Holiday Classic and the boys also won the public league title this year. VILLA, along with Anthony Gilbert helped to bring Ivey to the school where he was able to tell the students his story and how he became a 76er. Also, Royal Ivey was able to do drills with the boys and girls basketball teams.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It was sad to see both these teams face each other in an elimination game last night but that was the case. Puerto Rico only lost one gaming going into last night’s game versus the United States and the U.S. has many stars including our Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino. U.S.A. had an early lead of 2-1, and then Puerto Rico came back and took the lead 4-3 in the 6th inning. But in the 9th inning, Team U.S.A. rallied back to score 3 runs and eliminate one of the favorite teams in the World Baseball Classic 6-5. Team U.S.A. is now in the semifinals.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The weekend was all about the NCAA tournament and the World Baseball Classic.

MLB: The second round of the WBC began and the U.S.A. loss under the mercy rule to team Puerto Rico on Saturday by the score 11-1. Also, Venezuela defeated the Netherlands 3-1. Japan defeated Cuba 6-0 on Sunday. Mexico and Korea finished it off late last night.

NBA: Dwayne Wade has continued his hot streak as he scored 50 points this weekend against the Utah Jazz. The Celtics fell to the Bucks 86-77. The 76ers added another win making it three in a row after a special win at the Spectrum versus the Bulls on Friday and Miami Heat yesterday. The Grizzlies upset the Pistons 89-84 as well.

College Basketball: Finally Selection Sunday came and went. The brackets are complete and there are many good match-ups. Louisville, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut are the No. 1 seeds in each section. Villanova will be playing in Philly for the first round and Temple will be playing in Miami. It will be a tough tournament to pick who will win it all

By: Adrian Gonzalez

I’m actually upset because I did not see the whole game last night. It was meant to be a great match-up in the Big East Tournament but who would have thought that it would reach 6 overtimes to get a winner? Well Syracuse and Connecticut put on a show for the fans in Madison Square Garden last night. It was close throughout the whole game. Close to the end of the game Syracuse’s Eric Devendorf had a chance to win the game but a controversial call sent the game to overtime. A three pointer by Devendorf was still in his hands, said officials as they reviewed the play. The game was sent into overtime, then a second, then a third, until the game was decided in the sixth overtime period. Syracuse went off and scored 17 in the period and UCONN only put up 7 points and the Orangemen eliminated UCONN from the Big East Tourney 127-117. It was the longest game in big East Tournament history.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Villanova had a somewhat comfortable lead against Marquette today and almost gave up the game. The Golden Eagles rallied back and even took the lead in the last stretch of the game. Nov had one last chance and a reverse lay-up by Dwayne Anderson as time expired won the game and is sending Villanova into a semi-finals game versus Louisville tonight. It was exciting game and had a great ending. Louisville is the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tourney so it will not be an easy win for the Wildcats of Villanova.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With such a highly paid roster in the World Baseball Classic, the Dominican Republic looked like that would have not problem beating the Netherlands, whose roster combined makes less than a million dollars. The combined $83.4 million dollar roster could not stop the Netherlands in the first meeting between both teams and not last night either, in the most important meeting between the two. The game was scoreless until extra innings. The Dominican Republic score first in the top of the 11th inning making the game 1-0. Then the Netherlands rallied in the bottom of the 11th with a hit that tied the game and hit that won the game and sent its team to the second round of the WBC, eliminating the Dominican Republic.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, any hope of making the NCAA tournament for Georgetown this year is like Ron Browz’s hit song “Jumpin out the Window.” In the first game of the Big East Conference Championship tournament, St. John’s was placed against Georgetown last night at Madison Square Garden in New York. Just about the only way to enter the NCAA tournament for Georgetown was to win this tournament. Well, Parish Horne and St. John’s thought otherwise. Horne dropped 23 points as he lead St. John’s to its first victory in the tourney since 2003. The Red Storm won the game 64-59.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a quite interesting one to end the college basketball regular season.

NFL: The biggest news this weekend in the NFL was how quick a team signed Terrell Owens. After the Cowboys cut him, there were plenty of teams that did not want him. On Saturday, there was one team that was open to sign him and it did. The Buffalo Bills signed T.O. to a 1-year deal worth $6.5 million dollars. He lucked out because the amount he signed for could have been a lot less.

MBL: The World Baseball Classic is up and running and had some good games already. Japan is looking to repeat after the whooping they gave China and Korea. The U.S.A defeated Canada and played Venezuela last night. The series is looking interesting as all the teams are looking to eliminate Japan and win its first World Baseball Classic.

NBA: Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic were able to stop the Boston Celtics on Sunday with a 86-79 victory. Deron William led the Utah Jazz past the Toronto Raptors 109-101. The Spurs defeated the Suns 103-89. The Nets scored a victory over the Knicks 106-101 yesterday. The 76ers lost to the Thunder by the score of 89-74 which is just unacceptable.

Elsewhere: It’s almost tournament time in the NCAA and 4 schools already have bids to go dancing. Cornell, East Tennessee State, Radford, and Morehead State in their respective conference championships and will be headed to the big tournament. UNC captured the regular season ACC title with a win over Duke yesterday. This week is conference championship week so look out because it will be a special preview to what the tournament has in stored for us.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With a great start to the season, the Penn State Nittany Lions were not a team that looked like they would be in March Madness because of its mid season play but now its looking the other way. With some big wins, Penn State faced No. 23 Illinois last night in an important game that probably had tournament implications. Well it was a great game! Illinois had somewhat of a nice lead throughout the game until the final two minutes. Penn State’s Taylor Battle lead the run and made the winning lay-up by running from one end of the court to the other end with 3 seconds left in the game. The Nittany Lions won a huge game and look like they will go dancing in March Madness. The final score was 64-63.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, all the hype about being a Dallas Cowboy and doing this and doing that and winning a title is out the window for Terrell Owens in Dallas. The Cowboys decided to cut T.O. last night after a disappointing tenure with the team. Yes he was a force to be wrecking with but he did not deliver for the team. I wonder who is looking to sign the stud? I’m thinking Eagles! Click out the clip for more details.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Coast Guard has stopped its search as of Tuesday for the 2 missing NFL players and a third man. Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith, and former South Florida player William Bleakley, had been missing since Saturday when they embarked on a fishing trip. The incident occurred in near the Gulf of Mexico and one man was actually rescued. The 24-year old Nick Schuyler, as of now, is the lone survivor from the fishing trip. The Coast Guard has been searching for 3 days and 24,000 miles of the ocean for the other missing men. The boat capsized and Schuyler was found clinging to the boat but no signs of the other men. There was a cooler and lifejacket that was found 16 miles from the boat. Families and friends have come together to embrace and find ways they can help.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a big in the NFL.

NFL: The NFL season is still months away but free agency started with a bang! The Redskins sign Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall. The Denver Broncos signed long time Eagle, Brian Dawkins. The Eagles traded Lito Sheppard to the New York Jets. The Patriots traded Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs. The Texans signed Antonio Smith. Finally, the Broncos almost traded Jay Cutler.

MLB: Spring training has started an in full-effect already. Look out starting this Wednesday for the World Baseball Classic, which runs until March 23. By the way….the Phillies defeated the Rays 12-5 this weekend

NBA: Dwayne Wade did not let a 15 point NY Knicks lead stop him from bringing the heat in Miami. The Knicks had this lead going into the 4th quarter, but D-Wade out score the Knicks by himself in that quarter dropping 24 of his 46 points as he lead his team to a 120-115 victory Saturday night. The Pistons picked up a huge victory yesterday in Boston as they defeated the Celtics 105-95. Shaq lead his current team, the Suns, to an upset of his former team, the Lakers, 118-111. Finally, former guard Jason “White Chocolate” Williams was denied immediate reinstatement by the league because since it was voluntary, all 30 teams have to approve and 6 teams did not.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball: Georgetown upset Villanova 56-54, Louisville defeated
Marquette 62-58, Kansas defeated Missouri 90-65, North Carolina defeated Georgia Tech 104-74, Memphis defeated S. Miss 58-42, UCONN defeated Notre Dame 72-65, Duke defeated Virginia Tech 72-65, Oklahoma defeated Texas Tech 78-63, and Pittsburgh defeated Seton Hall 89-78.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

In what was a 23-month sentence for a dog fighting probe, Michael Vick was approved to finish his sentence at home. The reason reported by ESPN was that the half-way house that he would have been going to was too full to put him in there so he was allowed to finish his stint at home but still being monitored under house arrest. He will finish the last two months of his 23 at home and will only be allowed to leave under approved locations by his parole officer. Vick is set to start house arrest in May and finish up by July 2009. His status in the NFL is still unclear especially since his former team has found a good and young quarterback in Matt Ryan.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After a long time of back and forth with the New York Knicks, the team has finally decided to reach a buyout agreement with guard Stephon Marbury. When asked to player very early in the season it was rumored that Marbury said he was not going to play in that particular game. When the rumors of him going to Boston were leaked, the Knicks became really hesitant on letting him go, especially to a division rival. Yesterday, the team finally was able to reach a buyout with Stephon Marbury. Since the buyout was agreed upon before Sunday (deadline), Marbury is allowed to play during the playoffs if a team picks him up. Boston is a good spot because when Garnett returns it will bring former teammates back together along with the other talent on the team. Let’s wait and see if Boston will pick him up.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

In what was a rematch from the 2nd Annual VILLA Holiday Classic, the Public League Boys High School Championship game featured Imhotep and Franklin Learning Center in a faceoff for the title. Imhotep had somewhat of a good lead of 43-37 in the game with 1:06 left. FLC’s Jerrod Johnson and Basir Fullmore tried to rally their team back, but Imhotep’s Parrish Grant led his team to a 47-43 victory over FLC. The win gave Imhotep its first Public League basketball title in school history. This was also the first title game in history that did not have at least one neighborhood team. The game was on February 20 at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a good one for Lebron James and Miguel Cotto!

NFL: The NFL combine has started and so far the running backs are not doing so great and analysts have said that that none have ran better than a 4.5 in the 40 yard dash.

NBA: Dwayne Wade dropped 50 point on the Orlando Magic last night but it was not enough as Dwight Howard’s team dominated 122-99. Howard led his team with 32 points. Rajon Rondo lead the Celtics with 32 points as the Celtics got past the scorching Suns 128-108. Both teams were missing its star power-forwards due to injury. Also, the Pacers defeated the Bulls 98-91, Raptors beat the Knicks 111-100, Rockets defeated the Bobcats 99-78, and Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 111-108. The Cavs dominated Detroit with a victory over them 99-78.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball: Maryland upset No. 3 North Carolina 88-85 in overtime, Texas upset No. 2 Oklahoma 73-68, No. 13 Clemson defeated Georgia Tech 81-73, No. 14 Villanova defeated No. 25 Syracuse 89-86, No. 11 Marquette defeated Georgetown 78-72, No. 6 Memphis defeated UTEP 70-63, No. 1 UCONN defeated S. Florida 64-50, No. 4 Pittsburgh defeated DePaul 80-61, and Washington State upset No. 15 UCLA 82-81. In boxing, the Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto defeated Michael Jenning by way of a 5th round TKO to claim the WBO welterweight title on Saturday night. Also, Kelly Pavlik defeated Marco Antonio Rubio.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

There were several moves made the few days leading up to yesterday’s trade deadline in the NBA. Some teams did its moves earlier than others and most teams did not even make any moves. On Wednesday, The Kings, Bulls, and Blazers were involved in a trade. The Bulls sent Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Michael Ruffin, and Cedric Simmons to the Kings in exchange for Brad Miller and John Salmons. The Kings then went and sent Michael Ruffin to Portland in exchange for Ike Diogu and cash considerations. The Lakers traded Chris Mihm to Memphis for a conditional 2013 draft pick, and do not ask me why this was done….maybe salary issues. Yesterday the Kings traded Rashad McCants and Calvin Booth to Minnesota for Sheldon Williams and Bobby Brown. The Knicks traded Jerome James, Anthony Roberson, and Tim Thomas to Chicago for Larry Hughes. Orlando is acquiring Rafer Alston from Houston in a 3-team deal. The Rockets will get Kyle Lowry from Memphis and Brian Cook from Orlando and the Grizzlies will get a first-round draft pick from Orlando. Finally, the Knicks sent Malik Rose to Oklahoma City in exchange for Chris Wilcox.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After his interview with Peter Gammons, Alex Rodriguez had a formal press conference with the media yesterday. Rodriguez made a statement on what happened when he administer a substance that triggered a positive steroid test. He goes on to say that in the Dominican Republic he heard of a substance called Bolay. His cousin and he debated on whether or not to take the substance. After some time, his cousin started injecting him twice a month for six months but apparently did not know how to administer it properly. ESPN analysts say that what he said originally and yesterday was different and do not know what to believe. This was hard for A-Rod and hope this eventually clears up to just focus on baseball.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was NBA All-Star Weekend!

NFL: The biggest news in the NFL was Brett Farve announcing his retirement.

NBA: What a Valentine’s NBA All-Star Saturday Night! The Rising Stars competition went to the Detroit Pistons squad as they defeated the home team Phoenix Suns team. The Skills Competition went to rookie Derek Rose as he defeated Tony Parker, Devin Harris, and Mo Williams. The 3-Point Competition went to the the Miami Heat’s Daequan Cook as he defeated Orlando’s Rashard Lewis in a tie breaker 19-7. Finally, the most anticipated event of the night was the Slam Dunk Contest. The finals featured Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard. It was close and exciting but a dunk by Nate in which he jumped over Dwight sealed the deal and led him to victory. The all-star game ended in the West’s favor by the score of 146-119. Shaq and Kobe shared the MVP honors.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball: No. 5 Duke loses again and to Boston College 80-74, No. 3 UNC defeated Miami 69-65, Virginia upset No. 11 Clemson 85-81 in overtime, Georgetown loses again and to No. 22 Syracuse in overtime 98-94, Arizona defeated No. 6 UCLA for the second time this season 84-72, and No. 4 Pittsburgh defeated Cincinnati 85-69. Tonight will be a huge game in the Big East between UCONN and Pittsburgh.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Starting tonight, NBA All-Star weekend kicks off. Tonight will be the McDonald’s NBA All-Star Celebrity
Game at 7pm on ESPN. At 9pm, the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge airs on TNT. Saturday night is one that all fans looks forward to being that it will host the Haier Shooting Stars, Playstation Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, and finally the Sprite Slam Dunk, which all will air on TNT. The NBA D-League All-Star game will also air on Saturday at 4pm on NBA TV. Finally, the 2009 NBA All-Star game will be on Sunday at 8pm on TNT. I’m looking for someone other than Kobe Bryant and Lebron James to pull away as MVP. How about Danny Granger?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Quarterback Brett Farve may be retiring again, reports from ESPN are saying. His stay with the New York Jets was for about 5 months leading to a 9-5 season for the team. Also, Brett Farve led the league with 22 interceptions, missed the playoffs and in doing so lost to the team that picked up the former New York Jet quarterback Chad Pennington (Miami Dolphins). The beginning of the season looked positive for the Jets and even had them at the top of their division for a few weeks. From there, everything went down hill. The Jets just started losing games and Farve was not playing well during the stretch of the season. He had a 79.3 second-half passer rating and even teammates thought he should have been benched at times. So will this actually be his final farewell or will be do another comeback…..maybe with the Packers this time?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

A lot of talk has been speculating about the Phoenix Suns trading their star power forward/ center Amare Stoudemire. When the Suns completed the trade to bring over Shaquile O’Neal, the one goal that Shaq set was to help make Amare the one of the best players to play his position. Having two struggling seasons with Shaq has ultimately hurt the run and gun Phoenix Suns position in the Western Conference and is close to even costing the team a young start which at a point was the “center” of the team. A lot of talk has come up recently about the Suns trading Amare Stoudemire because the team is currently at a bad position in its conference and the vision does not look like the “run and gun” franchise anymore. There is not talk about what specific teams are offering what, but there are many team from each conference that are interested. So will the Suns trade Amare Stoudemire?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was Pro Bowl weekend and there were also good college basketball games.

NFL: The Pro Bowl was last night and boy I can say this is one of the most boring professional all-star games ever! One interest fact that I just found out is that the players of the wining team receive $45,000 and the losing team’s players receive $22,500 for playing in the game. The NFC won the Pro Bowl 30-21.

NBA: The Lakers finished off their 6 game road trip 6 foe 6 yesterday. They handed the Cleveland Cavalier their first loss at home this season as they were 23-0 at home going into Sunday’s game against the Lakers. Even with Kobe not feeling great, Lamar Odom stepped up and picked up the slack for the team with 28 points and 17 rebounds. The Lakers won the game 101- 91. The Spurs and the Celtics clashed yesterday and the Spurs late run helped them come back and defeat the Celtics 105-99.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball, this weekend was pretty good but not as exciting as usual. Villanova handed Syracuse a beating 102-85, UCLA defeated Notre Dame, 89-63, Duke beat Miami in overtime 78-75, Nebraska upset Texas 58-55, Oklahoma beat Colorado 77-72, UCONN beat Michigan 69-61, and UNC defeated Virginia 76-61. If anyone is interested in NASCAR, the Daytona 500 is next weekend.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Tennessee women’s college basketball coach, Pat Summit, did something last night that no other coach in women’s and men’s college basketball has yet to accomplish. Summit won her 1,000th game in her coaching career. It almost came earlier this week but they lost to No. 2 ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Last night Tennessee faced off with Georgia and basically had the lead during the whole game and took the victory 73-43. Her first win as a head coach was on January 10th, 1975 and gas was only 35 cents a gallon. Now, 34 years later and 8 national championships won, Pat Summit has the most wins in college basketball history and has laid down a legacy that many may never even thought could happen. Congratulations coach Summit and lets see how many more can come after.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Reggie Bush is an NFL superstar’s name that really has not been mentioned much in the last two NFL seasons (well at least not for football). He was the NFL’s Lebron James, many could argue. So what has happen? For one, he got injured which put a toll on his career and also hooked up with Kim Kardashian (which no one can blame him for). This past Super Bowl weekend, Reggie Bushed was announced as the newest athlete to be endorsed by the top energy drink company, Red Bull. The company made Reggie Bush the first NFL player to be endorsed to the brand. Other athletes on the brand include: Shaun White, Phil Dalhausser, Todd Rodgers, and Robbie Madison. It was not mentioned what Red Bull will be doing with Bush so keep your eyes out.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

One of the best available free agents in Major League Baseball just rejected the second offer from his current team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers offered $45 million for 2 years and then $25 million just this past Monday, which was then rejected on Tuesday by Manny Ramirez. Even with the rejection of two offers, the Dodgers are showing a lot of interest in resigning Manny. ESPN experts are saying that the Dodgers can get several good players that are available for the money they are offering Manny, but will potentially not make such an impact on the team like Manny. I think Manny is looking at the Yankees and the money they are offering to their players, but might not necessarily sign him. The Dodgers need to make a move fast before they miss out on Manny and free agents like Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The first game after Lakers center Andrew Bynum was announced to be out 2-3 months with a severe knee injury, Kobe Bryant knew he had to step up his game or the Lakers would be on the verge of a bad stretch going into the all-star break and after. Well, last night Kobe made some history against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Kobe broke a record that was currently going for 25 years. He scored 61 points (record was 60) in a 126-117 victory over the New York Knicks. The game was sold out and even the Knicks fans were chanting “MVP” for Kobe as he put on a show for the crowd. Pao Gasol added 31 point and 14 rebounds as the Lakers tried to shut down any speculations of its supremacy in the western conference.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The well awaited biggest football game of the NFL season was last night and what a game it was. It had a little slow start but overall was a great game. The Steelers scored first and then the Cardinals came back. Right before haft time, James Harrison from the Steelers intercepted a pass from Arizona QB Kurt Warner in the end zone and ran it back for 100 yards, which was the longest play in Super Bowl history. The third quarter was just lame though, not too much going on. The fourth quarter was when both teams got to the “nitty gritty.” Arizona scored with a touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald to make it a 20-14 game. Arizona then got a safety on Pittsburgh with an offensive holding call in the end zone that made the game 20-16. On the following series, Fitzgerald scored another touchdown to make the game 23-20 and gave Arizona its first lead of the game with 2:36 left. But, Pittsburgh rallied back and scored a touchdown with 35 seconds left to make it 27-23 and win the game. Congrats go to the Super Bowl 43 champions.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was Super Bowl weekend and there were also good college basketball games.

NFL: Finally, Super Bowl 43 came. The Steelers won the Super Bowl in a great finish (see Steelers article for more details on the game.)

NBA: The Celtics continue winning as it got its second 10 game winning streak of the season this weekend. In a tough game between division rivals, Lebron James scored 33 points as the Cavs defeated the Pistons 90-80. The Cavs currently have the best record in the NBA at 37-9. In unfortunate news, Andrew Bynum of the Lakers injured his knee in a collision with teammate Kobe Bryant and reportedly has a sprained knee. The NBA All-Star Game is almost here, and it will reunite Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Phil Jackson once again on the same team.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball, there were a lot of good games this weekend. The Big East has not failed to provide great games this season. No. 7 Louisville defeated West Virginia, No. 3 Pittsburgh defeated No. 22 Notre Dame 93-80, No. 8 Marquette defeated the slumping No. 23 Georgetown Hoyas 94-82 and No. 2 UCONN defeated Providence 94-61. Penn State was able to get its first victory ever at No. 9 Michigan State yesterday 72-68.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After about a week from the time the NBA All-Star team starters were named, the Eastern and Western Conference teams were finalized when the reserves were named yesterday. The Eastern Conference’s bench will include: Chris Bosh, Danny Granger, Devin Harris, Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, and Paul Pierce. The Western Conference’s bench will include: Chauncy Billups, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O’Neal, Tony Parker, Brandon Roy, and David West. One snub from the all-star game was Denver’s Carmelo Anthony.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Could Ken Griffey Jr. make a return to the baseball city where he started his Major League Baseball career? During the 1990’s Seattle was Griffey’s town as he was the energetic kid that was helping his team win many games and kept the stadium seats just about filled, night in and night out. After leaving Seattle, Griffey made his way in Cincinnati and Chicago, but was not as productive suffering from injuries that affected his performance. Now that he is a free agent, there is talk that he could return to the Seattle Mariners to finish up his illustrious career and end it with the team in which he made a name for himself. Team president Chuck Armstrong and new General Manager Jack Zduriencik have mentioned the possibility but with not too much detail. I think this would be perfect for Griffey to return to the city where he started his career off because it brings back the feeling of “belonging” and not just for money.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was pretty good for sports fans, there just wasn’t any football.

NFL: Well, there was no NFL football this weekend just talked about the Super Bowl. The Steelers and Cardinals will both arrive in Tampa Bay, Florida today to start practicing for the biggest game in football. The Super Bowl is February 1st, 2009 on NBC at 6:28pm ET.

NBA: The Celtics are back in their winning ways as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 124-100 yesterday. The Lakers faced the Spurs in good match-up and the Lakers came out on top as they won 99-85. The 76ers defeated the Knicks two Saturdays in a row as they won 116-100 on Saturday night. In bad news for the Bucks, Michael Redd suffered a torn ACL/MCL and is done for the rest of the season. Congrats go to Orlando Magic’s center Dwight Howard as he broke the record for most votes for the all-star game by any player at over 3 million.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball, there were several interesting games and upsets. No. 14 Georgetown was upset yesterday by Seton Hall. This was a bad loss for the Hoyas because they have lost several games this season that they should have won. No. 12 Louisville defeated No. 8 Syracuse 67-57, No. 24 Memphis defeated Tennessee in a close one 54-52, No. 2 Duke demolished Maryland 85-44, No. 3 UCONN snapped No. 19 Notre Dame’s 45-game home winning streak with a 69-61 victory, and Washington upset No. 11 UCLA 86-75. In sad news, NC State women’s head coach Kay Yow past away with a battle with breast cancer. Kay Yow was 66 years old and was battling breast cancer since 1987. Her legacy will live on forever. In boxing, Sugar Shane Mosley defeated Antonio Margarito in a 9th round TKO.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After 15 long seasons in the NBA, center Alonzo Mourning decided to retire from the NBA yesterday. He was a stunning player in his prime. Alonzo played college basketball at Georgetown before being drafted second overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He then went to play for the New Jersey Nets for a few seasons and finally landed in Miami, where he decided to retire. A seven-time all-star, Mourning suffered a few season back, a severe leg injury that he overcame, but has still been nagging him and is one of the main reason why he has decided to retire at this point of his career. Alonzo Mourning is what is known as an old-school center that many new and in-coming NBA centers should look up to as a role model on and off the court.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Philadelphia Phillies starting first basemen Ryan Howard asked for $18 million in salary arbitration yesterday. This is coming in light of Howard being part of helping the Phillies win their first World Series title since 1980. Also, by seeing what other baseball starts have done and got in return, he feels that he is a vital part to his team and deserves that extra money. Roger Clemens did it and received $22.5 million in arbitration in 2005 and Derek Jeter did it and got $18.5 million in 2001. Teammate Cole Hamels was asked about the demand by Howard and responded, “All I can say is more power to him.” I can see why Howard is asking for more and think that he does deserve it.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was crazy in college basketball and was NFL Championship weekend!

NFL: Well, the Super Bowl is finally set. Both championship games were incredible. The Arizona Cardinals started strong and had an 18 point lead on the Eagles up to the 3rd quarter. Larry Fitzgerald was almost untouchable. The Eagles made a strong comeback and were close to victory but the Cardinals were the better team in this game and are now headed to the Super Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals will play in their first Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 43. The Ravens and Steelers battled in what was full of defense and lost plays for both teams. The Steelers looked better overall even though both teams looked bad at some parts of the game. Troy Polamalu grabbed a late 4th quarter interception that sealed the deal for the Steelers. Ravens running back Willis McGahee suffered a very hard hit in a collision that got him carted off the field. Super Bowl 43 is February 2, 2009.

NBA: The 76ers extended their winning streak to 7 as they defeated the NY Knicks Saturday night. In relating news, Stephan Marbury is offering to put up $1 million of his salary to finally get a buyout from the Knicks. Reports say that the Boston Celtics are interested in signing him but until the ordeal with the Knicks is finalized, Marbury will not be able to play ball. Also, in other NBA news, there is more trouble between a team and player, specifically with the Blazers and Darius Miles. It is kind of another mess as well, what I do know is that the Blazers are threatening to place a lawsuit on the Grizzlies for signing him because Miles stopped playing for a while due to an injury that was life threatening.

ELSEWHERE: No. 1 ranked Pittsburgh suffered their first loss of the season by Louisville on Saturday. No. 3 Wake Forest defeated No. 9 Clemson, No. 22 Villanova defeated Seton Hall, No. 16 Xavier defeated St. Johns, No. 6 UNC defeated Miami (FL), and No. 2 Duke defeated No. 16 Georgetown. The big question is who will be this week’s No. 1 team since Pittsburgh loss Saturday.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Leaving early to go to the NFL is a huge decision that plagues many college athletes every moment of their collegiate years. It is something common that athletes do in all major sports played. With yesterday being the last day to declare for the 2009 NFL Draft, USC’s quarterback, Mark Sanchez, was one of many that declared for the draft. It is rather unusual when a head coach publically says that they disagree with one of their player’s decision to declare for the draft. USC’s head coach, Pete Carroll, displayed his disagreement toward his QB’s decision saying how they both sat and discussed what Sanchez would be leaving if he decided to leave early and sort of sounded like he didn’t think Sanchez was ready for the next level. Carroll even said that he was disappointed in Mark Sanchez’s decision to leave early. I guess we’ll have to wait for the draft to see who was right.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Only needing 75% of the votes to enter the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Ricky Henderson received 94.8% of the votes to be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The other member that was chosen for this year’s Hall of Fame was Jim Rice who received 76.4% of votes, in his last year of eligibility to be entered into the Hall of Fame. This was the 15th year Jim Rice was on the ballot, and nearly missed it last year with 72.2% of votes. Next year’s eligible members will have first time nominees that are a little more familiar to some such as Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin, and Fred McGriff. Congrats go out to Henderson and Rice.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a surprising round in the NFL playoffs!

NFL: Who would have thought the NFC Championship game would be the Eagles versus Cardinals? Well, they both beat the top two seeds in the conference and will play each other next week in Arizona. Arizona’s offense showed up Saturday night and took care of business as they shocked a lot of people and defeated the Panthers 33-13. Sunday was a battle between two big rivals, the Eagles and Giants. They battled but it was one sided as the Eagles took care of business and defeated the Giants 23-11. In the AFC, the Ravens pulled off a close victory as a field goal with 53 seconds remaining helped them defeat the No. 1 seeded Titans. On Sunday, the Steelers played great in the snow and took care of business as they defeated the Chargers 34-23. The battle of the defenses in the AFC will take place next week as the Ravens will play the Steelers.

NBA: The Cavs gave the Celtics a whooping Friday night and basically became the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics were able to bounce back from their recent bad streak with a win Sunday against the Toronto Raptors. The 76ers extended their winnings streak to 4 games as they defeated the Hawks yesterday 109-94.

ELSEWHERE: My Temple Owls earned a good win last night as they took care of the LaSalle Explores, which was the first game in conference play. Then North Carolina loss its second game as the Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated the Tar Heels 92-89 last night. Finally, Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow has decided to return for his final year at Florida, giving the Gators a better chance to repeat championship victories.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With so much interest in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game after some trash talking earlier this week, last night was finally the night to crown the BCS National Champion. The match-up put No. 1 Oklahoma against No. 2 Florida to compete for the most prestigious award every season in college football. The game started slow, until Florida scored the first touchdown. Oklahoma immediately came back to tie the game the next series. For the rest of the game it was close, until the Gators pulled away in the fourth quarter win the BCS National Championship. Now that the game is over, everyone is putting their attention to who is the No.1 team for the end of the season? There are legitimate arguments about Florida, Texas, USC, and Utah because of their results at the end of the season. Utah ended their season ranked No. 5 and was the only team that was undefeated, so they are my pick for No. 1. What do you think?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Just a few months after beating the Rays in the MLB World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies, outfielder Pat Burrell has just signed a 2 year deal for approximately $16 million dollars with the Tampa Bay Rays. There were many rumors of Burrell leaving Philadelphia the last few seasons and with the Phillies sign Raul Ibanez during the off season, it was just a matter of time for Pat “The Pat” to leave Philly. Burrell will be playing designated hitter for the Rays, a position in which he will be playing for the most part during his time with the team. Good luck to your success and hopefully next season’s fall classic will bring both teams back at it again.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

In what was meant to be a great game, seemed one sided for the most part. Ohio State’s defense was not letting the Texas offense spoil there chances of winning the bowl game. As a matter of fact, Ohio State only gave up 6 points in the first half. The game changer occurred in the last 16 seconds of the game when Texas QB, Colt McCoy, threw a short pass to receiver Quan Cosby which turned into a 26-yard game winning touchdown for the Texas Longhorns. There are only two bowl games left in college football. Tonight is the GMAC Bowl between Ball State and Tulsa and the bowl games wrap-up Thursday night with the FedEx BCS National Championship Game which has Florida playing against Oklahoma.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the start of the NFL playoffs, full of big bowl games, and one important upset in college basketball!

NFL: This was the opening weekend of the 2008-2009 NFL playoffs. Saturday and Sunday brought us 4 interesting match-ups. Saturday’s two games were the Falcons at the Cardinals and Colts at the Chargers. Both home teams won their games as the Cardinals took care of business with a 30-24 victory and the Chargers pulled off an overtime victory with a 22 yard rushing touchdown in overtime by running back Darren Sproles. Sunday’s games were the Ravens at the Dolphins and Eagles at the Vikings. The Ravens showed why their defense is one of the top in the league as they went into Miami and stopped the Dolphins with a 27-9 victory. Next week’s games will be the Cardinals at the Panthers, Chargers at Steelers, Ravens at Titans, and Eagles at Giants.

NBA: Every team was in action Friday! On Saturday, the 76ers loss a heart breaker right at the end of the game as point guard Tony Parker shot in a last second basket to help the Spurs defeat the 76ers 1008-106. Sunday was a bad day for the Cavs as they blew a 16 point lead against the Washington Wizards 80-77. The Toronto Raptors topped the Orlando Magic 108-102 despite a 39 point game by center Dwight Howard. Finally, veteran Darius Miles made his debut with the Memphis Grizzlies as he played against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in a 102-82 victory for the Grizzlies.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, Ole Miss defeated Texas Tech in the AT&T Cotton Bowl 47-34. In the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Kentucky defeated East Carolina 25-19. In the AllState Sugar Bowl, Utah completed a perfect season as they defeated Alabama 31-15. In the International Bowl, UCONN defeated Buffalo 38-20. Tonight is the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, putting Texas against Ohio State. Finally, number 1 ranked college basketball team, North Carolina, loss its first game of the season yesterday as they were defeated by Boston College 85-78.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

What was the most awaited bowl game besides the National Championship Game, turned out to be almost a one-sided victory for the Trojans of USC. Going into the game, Penn State was known for its tough defense and legendary Coach, Joe Paterno’s overall most bowl wins as a coach with 23 wins overall. USC was known for its high flying offence and well-respected coach Pete Carroll. Talks about the results were that the game was either going to be a close one and win by Penn State or blow out and win by USC. Well, from the first quarter it was all USC’s offense and help by defense which helped them seal the Rose Bowl victory. USC quarterback Mark Sanchez threw for over 400 yards passing and passed for 4 touchdowns. Penn State was down big but rallied somewhat in the 4th quarter, only to turn up short. USC made sure that their lead would not be given up and won the game 38-24.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Just days after the final regular season game past and several NFL teams started passing out the pink slips. The Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions all fired their head coaches the night of the season’s final weekend during the regular season. On Tuesday the San Francisco 49ers fired their offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Also, what was kind of shocking, the Denver Broncos fired long time head coach and vice president of football operations, Mike Shanahan. The Browns have already expressed interest in former Jets head coach Eric Mangini who just missed the playoffs with the Jets by losing to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. There was talk of the Cowboys head coach, Wade Philips, possibly leaving but owner Jerry Jones said he will be staying. With the NFL season not even completely done, expect a lot more pink slips being handed out before the start of the 2009-2010 season.

Happy New Year everyone!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a crazy NFL weekend, with one very sad moment to end the season!

NFL: This point last week it looked like the Eagles were completely out of the playoff picture, but what a difference a week makes. The Eagles needed a win, Tampa Bay loss, and either Minnesota or Chicago loss to earn a playoff spot. Well let’s just say they whooped the Cowboys 44-6, the Bears lost 31-17 and the Bucs lost 28-24, giving the Birds the final playoff spot. In other related news, the Lions ended the season 0 -16 officially making them the worst team in NFL history. The playoffs are set and next week we will see: Eagles at Vikings, Falcons at Cardinals, Baltimore at Miami, and Indianapolis at San Diego.

NBA: Carmelo Anthony returned to the Nuggets line-up and dropped 32 points on the Knicks in a 117-110 victory on Sunday. Also, forward Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks has to serve a one game suspension for throwing a back-hand swipe to forward Matt Harpring of the Utah Jazz on Friday night. Finally, the Celtics suffered two straight losses for the first time this season as they lost to the Lakers Christmas day and lost to Golden State Friday night.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, this weekend had some exciting bowl games. QB Pat White and West Virginia defeated UNC 31-30 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, making White the first QB to start and win 4 bowl games. University of California defeated University of Miami 24-17 in the Emerald Bowl. Florida State defeated Wisconsin 41-13 in the Champs Sports Bowl. Finally, FAU defeated Central Michigan 24-21 in the Motor City Bowl.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

It seems like every Philadelphia sports franchise has an opponent accomplish some type of record on them. Last season the New York Giants sacked the Eagles Donavan McNabb a record 12 times in one game. The Boston Celtics accomplished their best start in franchise history at 27 – 2 with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers by the score of 110-91 on Tuesday. The win also helped extent the Celtic’s winning streak at 19 straight games. The big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are playing like they have been on the same team for years. The big surprise for the team is how point guard Rajon Rondo has stepped up his game this season. Unfortunately though, The C’s suffered an important loss on Christmas day as the Los Angeles Lakers got some revenge in a 92-83 victory and snapped the Celtics winning streak. On the upside, The Celtics are still 27-3.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a terrible one for the Philadelphia Eagles and the start of the Bowl Season in college football!

NFL: In what was a must win for the Eagles, turned out to be a loss. Going into their game, the Eagles had everything going for them. The Cowboys lost on Saturday to the Ravens and Tampa Bay loss to the Chargers on Sunday, so all the Eagles had to do was win and win next week. Unfortunately, the Eagles played a bad game and loss to the Redskins, 10-3, but technically the birds are not officially out of the playoffs. Other winners this weekend included the: Patriots, Falcons, Bengals, Saints, Titans, Dolphins, 49ers, Seahawks, Raiders, Bills, and Colts (Thursday). In what was one of the best match-ups this weekend, the Giants pulled off a victory over the Panthers.

NBA: Right now all NBA news should be placed on the Boston Celtics. With a 25 – 2 win-loss record, the Celtics are on pace to put up numbers like the famous ‘96 Chicago Bulls team. The big three in the team are playing well and one key, other starter, has been playing great as well. Rajon Rondo, the starting point guard for the C’s, has been clutch this season and just another lethal weapon on the squad. The Cavaliers, Magic, Lakers, and Blazers round up the top 5 teams of the NBA at this point of the season, with an honorable mention to the Atlanta Hawks who have a nice group of players that may be able to give Boston a run for their money again this season during the playoffs.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, the bowl games have begun. BYU, USF, Colorado State, and Wake Forest have all won their bowls games so far. In college basketball, Syracuse picked up a win over Memphis, Kansas defeated Temple, Duke trashed Xavier and UCONN slipped fasted Gonzaga this weekend. Congrats go to Tyler Hansbrough who became the scoring leader in UNC school history.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

During Wednesday night’s win versus the Milwaukee Bucks, the Philadelphia 76ers suffered a severe loss. The starting power forward for the 76ers, Elton Brand, was injured and suffered a dislocated shoulder. Brand was going up to contest a shot, but there was a pump fake and brand ended up falling hard on his shoulder. The fall led to a fracture and tear in Brand’s right shoulder. Team officials say he will not need surgery. With the team struggling, the 76ers will need help from the bench to keep up for the month Brand will miss.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This is probably the first professional sports league to really be affected the hardest by the economic times that the world is facing. The cancellation of the season first started with the folding of one of the teams in the league, who were the New Orleans Voodo. The series talks of canceling the season came about last week, but it was not certain and there was still hope. Team owners met in deliberation to keep the season going but it was a business decision to cancel the season. The board of directors, acting commission, and owners all agreed that the AFL needs to restructure the business so that the brand itself could be built better for such an affordable, fan-friendly sport. This cancelation will affect employees and players salaries. There already have been job cuts and some players luckily have off-season jobs. There have been a lot of rumors of the league itself folding and with this cancellation, it might seem possible. All owners in the league expect to return for the 2010 AFL season.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was yet another great one in college basketball and a sad one for Maurice Cheeks.

NFL: Well since the Eagles did not play on Sunday, I have nothing on them….sorry. In other related news, the Buffalo Bills made a poor coaching decision in the last 2 minutes of their game against the Jets and gave up a possible win. The Redskins are starting to dig themselves a whole in the playoff contentions as the lost to the Bengals 20 -13. Other winning teams from Sunday included the: Falcons, Seahawks, Dolphins, Colts, Jaguars, Chargers, Texans, Patriots, Steelers (who won their division), Panthers, Vikings, and Cowboys. Tonight’s game is a must win for the Eagles as they face the Browns.

NBA: The biggest news this weekend came from Philly where the 76ers fired head coach Maurice Cheeks. I really was surprised because I can’t tell whose fault it is for the poor start of the season for the team. The Cavs got their 11 game winning streak snapped by the Hawks on Saturday night as well. One big speculation stirring up in the NBA is trade talks for Shawn Marion. It looks like he will be leaving Miami, but to where is unknown. Other players in trade talks are Michael Redd and Gerald Wallace. Finally, with about two months to go to the all-star game, Dwight Howard is leading the vote tally.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball, my own Temple Owls gave No. 8 ranked Tennessee a whooping on our home court Saturday afternoon, which was aired on ESPN. Dionte Christmas scored 35 in the beating the Vols took by the Owls and I was there to see it, which ended 88-72 Temple. There was also a big game in D.C. where Georgetown and Memphis squared off and the Hoyas took over the game in overtime to win 79-70. Also, congrats go out to Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford who took home this year’s Heisman Trophy.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

What do you know? Terrell Owen is upset with yet another one of his quarterbacks and this time it is Dallas’ own Tony Romo. For some odd reason, T.O. thinks that Romo is ignoring him and throwing the ball more to players he is friendlier with, specifically Jason Witten. Terrell Owens thinks that Romo and Witten are having special session in which they are making up plays to throw specifically to Witten. This is just another sob story for the legendary Owens. It is not Romo’s fault that when he throws to Owens, that a third of the time it is a dropped pass and that maybe they would have more than 33 touchdowns together, than they already do. Put it this way, if you can get a little more wide open and stop dropping the ball as much then Owen will have more catches and touchdowns and all sides can be equally as happy. Dallas better step up their game before they turn into the NFL’s New York Mets and give up their season at the end.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Basically the best closer in Major League Baseball this past season has signed a nice contract with a new team. Closer, Francisco Rodriguez who played for the Anaheim Angels last season signed a 3-year deal for approximately $37 million dollars with the New York Mets. The Mets, who have had pitching problems late in the past two seasons, were in need of a legit closer. And Rodriguez was the best available on the free agency market. This past season K-Rod broke the record for most saves in a single season with 62 saves. With a good closer the Mets should be a better team next season and will definitely try to give the reigning World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies a run for their money. One pitcher will not make the team a World Series contender, so the next step is fixing up the rest of the bullpen for the team.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

For those that do not know who Stephen Curry is, he is the son of long time NBA player, Dell Curry. Stephen is also probably the best player in college basketball right now. While averaging 30+ points a game and leading Davidson to a current record of 7 – 1, Curry has had several big performances during the second half of several games that his team has won. Before the game last night, one of the ESPN commentators mentioned how he is probably the only player in the nation that can easily score 50 points on any given night. Last night’s game against West Virginia was another big game for Curry as he scored 27 points and led his team to a come from behind victory. A lot of people criticize him for being too small, but if he finishes up his career at Davidson in four years, he will be a beast in the NBA level. Watch out for Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats this season. Last night’s game was also to support the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. Jimmy Valvano was a college basketball player and head coach who was diagnosed with cancer and created his foundation during his famous speech at the inaugural ESPN ESPY Awards. Jimmy’s speech is an inspirational speech to all and his foundation has raised up $80 million dollars to date for cancer research. Watch out for Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats this season.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a sad one for Oscar De La Hoya and OJ Simpson and a great one for the Arizona Cardinals and college basketball and football followers.

NFL: I don’t think anyone gave the Eagles a chance to beat the Giants, but they actually did. The Cowboys also lost to the Steelers, but at the end of the season it looks like the tie the Eagles earned will be the difference maker between playoffs and no playoffs. Other winner in the league included the: Cardinals (who won their first division title in 33 years), Bears, Saints, Texans, Colts, Vikings, Titans, Broncos, Chiefs, 49ers, Patriots, and Ravens. Tonight’s game involves two 9-3 teams; the Bucs and Panthers and should be a very good one.

NBA: I’m not going to lie; I love the NBA, but for some reason it really haven’t caught my attention to actually really get into the games yet. All I know is that Andre Miller almost needed to get carted off the court after Derrick Rose cracked him really bad last week (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAA8mLz8aJ0). Also, the top four teams in power ranking are still the Cavs, Celtics, Blazers, and Lakers.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, Alabama messed up their chance to reach the National Championship, as they loss to Florida on Saturday Night. With the bowl selection last night, the championship game will be Oklahoma versus Florida. Penn State will also be facing USC in the Rose Bowl. In boxing, Manny Pacquiao sent Oscar De La Hoya packing! Pacquiao really let Oscar know who was the boss and hurt him so bad that fight was ended in the 8th round because Oscar’s eye was badly wounded. OJ Simpson is going to prison and it will be for at least 9 years because of the whole robbery situation he got himself into. Finally, tomorrow raps up the Jimmy V Week in college basketball in which there were a lot of good games playing for the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. The big game tomorrow will be Texas versus Villanova.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Tomorrow night is the big fight! Fighting at 147 pounds, both Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao have a lot riding on their shoulders going into their meeting tomorrow night. There was been a lot of talk behind this match ever since the rumors started speculating and even more when the fight was made official. This fight is so big that it has potential to be the fight of the year in the world of professional boxing. There is a lot of talk saying that it could go either way, but Manny Pacquiao is taking bigger risk in the fight than Oscar. Pacquiao is moving up to weight divisions to make this fight happen, which is very difficult to do for most boxers. I really do not have a pick yet on the fight, but if you want to catch it, the fight will be televised live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on HBO Pay-Per-View.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

What a mess has the New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress got himself into, huh? Well if you don’t know by now, last Friday night at a night club in Manhattan, Burress apparently shot himself by mistake. So, not only was we wounded but now is facing possible criminal charges as well. So after checking out the hospital, he surrendered to the police with his lawyer on Monday because he did not have a license to have the gun that he accidentally shot himself with. Plaxico was let out on bail but if convicted, could face between 3.5 – 15 years in prison, unless a plea agreement can be reached. So after all this, he finally returns to his team Tuesday morning to continue rehab on his hamstring. Nonetheless, Plaxico finds out that his team has suspended him for the final four games of the season and was placed on the reserve non-football injury list, for violating team rules. Regardless the suspension, he would not even be able to play the rest of the regular season because of the gunshot wound. Well, what will this do for the future of Plaxico in New York? It does not seem like the team will give up on him yet, but you never know.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Who would have figured when we heard the saying “We talking about practice” again, that it would be mentioned with Allen Iverson. Well, the Detroit Piston’s Head Coach, Michael Curry, decided to have practice on Thanksgiving morning and most of the players were not fond of it, especially Mr. Allen Iverson. Iverson was in such disagreement with the practice that we decided not even to show up. Let’s stop right here for a second. Does everyone remember when Iverson was in Philly and had a press conference where he said “We talking about practice”? Well, yes we are talking about practice and for missing practice Allen Iverson will be getting a hefty fine and did not Friday against the Bucks. This story broke out around noon on Thanksgiving Day and when I heard it I just laughed because first of all, will that one practice determine the outcome of the season for the team? Plus, it is Thanksgiving Day. Then again, he is getting paid millions of dollars to play basketball and practice is just one responsibility he has to take on. Will this be the last of practice and Iverson????

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Every Thanksgiving Day, there are many rivalry football high school games in the city of Philadelphia. Even if one team is from the Catholic League and the other is from the Public League, the same two teams play each other on this day. So, tomorrow is the day that many high school alumni and current students look forward to. It is also usually a day when alumni reunite to reminisce on the good old days in high school. Personally, I will be at the North Catholic-Frankford game, since North is my alma mater. So, if you are wondering when and who your school is playing than here is a list of the games for Thanksgiving Day thanks to (www.tedsilary.com):

Public/Catholic
N. Catholic at Frankford, 9:45am
Judge at Lincoln, 10:00am
Roman at Roxborough, 10:30am
Neumann-Goretti at Southern, 10:30am
Public/Public
Overbrook at West Phila., 10:00am
Fels at Olney (Gratz), 10:30am
Franklin at Dobbins, 10:30am
King at Germantown, 10:30
Univ. City at Mastbaum (Olney), 10:30am
Central at Northeast, 10:30am
Imhotep at Edison, 10:30am
Del-Val at Bartram 10:30am
Public/Suburban
Penn at Penn Wood, 10:30am
Catholic/Suburban
Conwell-Egan at Truman, 10:00am
Catholic/Inter-Ac
SJ Prep at Malvern (Villanova Stadium), 10:30am

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a sad one for the Philadelphia Eagles, a great one for the rest of the NFC East and all college sports lovers.

NFL: It really looks like the Philadelphia Eagles’ chances of any playoff hope are just about down the drain. After a week in which they tied with the second worst team in the league, Donavan McNabb was benched and the Eagles were destroyed by the score of 36-7 against the Raven. If you are still interested in the Eagles they do play on Thanksgiving night against the Cardinals. Also, in some other sad news, the Titans finally lost their first game against the NY Jets. The Jets are still in first place in the AFC East and might actually make the playoffs this year. Other teams that won yesterday were the: Cowboys, Patriots, Falcons, Texans, Bucs, Vikings, Bills, Bears, Raiders, Giants, and Redskins. Tonight’s match-up between the Saints and the Packers is a key game for the Packers being in such a tight division.

NBA: It seems like the NY Knicks are really looking forward to the 2010 NBA season when there will be a huge list of notable unrestricted free agents, starting with Lebron James. The Knicks were part of two trades on Friday that sent Jamal Crawford to the Warriors for Al Harrington and Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Clippers for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley. Whatever these two trades do for the Knicks this season, it is clear they are looking forward to the 2010 season. Also, the OKC Thunder fired head coach PJ Carlesimo after a terrible 1-12 start to the season. Finally, despite having the flu, D-Wade dropped 38 points in a win over the Pacers on Saturday.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, Texas Tech proved that they did not deserve the No. 2 ranking as Oklahoma demolished them on Saturday night by the score of 65-21. Alabama retained their top position and are getting ready for the SEC Championship game against Florida, which could be a preview of the national championship game. There were also some exciting games in college basketball. Xavier won an exciting game over Virginia Tech in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off with a game winning, buzzer beater, half-court shot in overtime on Friday night. Then, Xavier faced off with No. 12 Memphis last night in the title game and defeated them by the score of 63-58. Memphis shot poorly from the free-throw line and paid for it once again.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It is bad enough that he is not performing to his expectations as being a big name receiver in the NFL. Chad Johnson has really not performed up to par for the past two NFL seasons. Then there was a point with controversy of him legally changing his name to “Ocho Cinco” or the numbers 8 and 5 in Spanish, his jersey number. Well, Chad is in some trouble was deactivated for last night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. There were reports on ESPN that he violated team rules, but when first reported there were no specifics. ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen than reported that the reason for being deactivated was that Chad was 45 minutes late for a team meeting and then had a verbal confrontation with Coach Marvin Lewis. Cinco’s agent Drew Rosenhaus spoke on ESPN and hinted that the infraction was minor and will not go past a one game suspension. Well, the Bengals lost another game, in a 27-10 defeat by the Steelers and probably could have used Ocho Cinco, but by his play this season he probably would not have been a difference maker. I’m very upset at Mr. Ocho Cinco because he was my favorite player at one point, now he’s just another receiver.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

          When I looked at the schedule for yesterday’s NCAA college basketball game, I was looking towards the late game since that’s when the games usually come on (around 7pm or so). Looking at the schedule, I noticed something very odd. I thought to myself, it is not tournament time so why is there a 10am college basketball game. Well in fact there was a 10am college basketball game yesterday, between UPENN and Drexel, which was a close one but ended in the Drexel Dragons favor 66-64. Then, while looking at the schedule I looked for what ranked teams were playing or what noticeable unranked teams were playing and I stumbled across a few games that fell under that criteria. No. 14, Tennessee played but against a no-name school (Tenn-Martin), No. 11 Purdue played a no-name school (Loyola Chicago), and St. Johns played Boston College. Another big game on last night was No. 21 Davidson versus No. 14 Oklahoma. Stephen Curry and Blake Griffin had big games. Curry dropped 44 points, but Blake Griffin dropped 25 points and 21 rebounds leading the Sooners to victory by the score of 82-78.The game every college basketball fan was probably looking forward to was the No. 1 North Carolina and Kentucky game last night. Kentucky was coming of a heart breaking loss and North Carolina had started its season in a usually winning manner. Well, UNC started off strong and pulled off a 77-58 victory over the Wild Cats, without the best player in college basketball, Tyler Hansbrough. The Tarheels were just playing with Kentucky throughout the whole game as if they were a high school team. I’m looking forward to catching Tyreke Evans play because he has some high expectations.

 By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a bad one for the Philadelphia Eagles, a great one for the Tennessee Titans and UFC fighter Brock Lesnar.

NFL: Who would have expected a tie any time soon in the NFL? Well, the Philadelphia Eagles managed to be a part of the league’s first deadlock game in 6 years, as they faced off with the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was a very bad one for both offenses and ended up as a 13-13 tie at the end of overtime. This is very sad for the Eagles and is a big blow for chances to reach the playoffs the way the Giants and Redskins are playing. The Giants beat the Ravens 30-10 to improve their record to 9-1. In the rest of the league the Broncos, Packers, Colts, Saints, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Cowboys and Panthers all picked up victories. The Tennessee Titans are a whopping 10-0 with a come from behind victory against the Jaguars. Tonight’s match-up between the Bills and Browns might be an interesting one to catch.

NBA: The last unbeaten team in the NBA was the Lakers until A.I. and the Pistons rolled into the Staples Center and handed them their first loss of the season this past Friday night. The 76ers got two wins this weekend as the beat the Pacers and Thunder. Also, there were two huge fines handed out this past week. One went to Kenyon Martin of the Nuggets for his actions after being ejected Saturday night from a game for $20,000 and the other went to the Kings coach Reggie Theus for comments he made about the officiating in a loss to the Pistons for the amount of $25,000.

ELSEWHERE: UFC fighter Brock Lesnar gained the biggest victory during his MMA career as he dismantled veteran Randy Couture. Not only did Lesnar get the TKO victory but he also won his first heavyweight championship in his career. With the college football bowl games about a month and a week or so away, Alabama retained its number 1 spot and Texas Tech and Florida round out the top 3 in BCS rankings. Also, college basketball regular season is almost here. I can’t wait to see how Tyreke Evans will perform at Memphis.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This has not been said since November 19th, 2001. The New York Jets are in sole possession of first place in the AFC East Division. With this season’s slew of Thursday night games, the Jets faced off with rival New England Patriots last night. What looked like a runaway by the Jets in the first half, was really not for the Jets. A second half comeback by Matt Cassel and the Patriots, including a game tying touchdown with one second left sent the game into overtime. The score going into overtime was 31-31, in a deadlock tie. In the first possession of overtime Brett Farve and the Jets rallied down the field and kicker Jay Feely knocked in a 34 yard field goal to win the game for the J.E.T.S…….Jets, Jets, Jets! The Jets can be happy with the big win, but they only have a 1 game lead in the division and still have 6 games remaining. The way the team is playing, they have a legitimate chance to win the division but they cannot sleep on the Patriots because they can quietly bounce right back up. Let’s see how long the Jets will ride in first place because another team takes over.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Anyone who at least saw highlights of the Celtics and Raptors game from Monday night saw what Celtic’s power forward, Kevin Garnett, did to the Raptor’s Jose Calderon. Garnett was basically taunting him in the 3rd quarter, by staring at Calderon and clapping his hands repeatedly, while Calderon had the ball. He also started pointing in Calderon’s direction and waving his fingers near Calderon’s face. Kevin Garnett did all of this without a taunting technical foul or even being ejected from the game. The referees really blew this call big time. In most situations the call would have immediately been a technical foul on the player, but for some odd reason nothing was called and play resumed. While watching the discussion on what occurred on ESPN, some analysts mentioned how Garnett used to do that to Tim Duncan and he just does it to get into player’s heads. Jose Calderon did have some words with Garnett, but in the end nothing happened. Should the taunting have been called a foul? You be the judge.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a bad one for Roy Jones Jr. and the Penn State football team, a great one for the Tennessee Titans and Chris Bosh, and a surprising one for some teams.

NFL: Who expected the Tennessee Titans to be 9-0 at this point in the season? They improved to this record by defeating the Chicago Bears this weekend. The Indianapolis Colts got a close victory over the Steelers to improve their record to 5-4. This was another huge weekend for Bret Farve as the Jets rolled over the Rams 47-3. Other teams that scored victories this weekend include the Falcons, Dolphins, Jaguars, Vikings, Patriots, Ravens, Panthers, Chargers and Broncos on Thursday night. Check out the Cardinals - 49ers game tonight, if you are bored.

NBA: I know it is a little early in the season but the Atlanta Hawks are actually undefeated! The Boston Celtics keep on rolling as they defeated Allen Iverson and the Detroit Pistons yesterday to improve to 6-1. In bigger news for the Spurs, Tony Parker will be out for 4 weeks with a severe ankle sprain. With a not so great start to their season, the Spurs need help off their bench to continue its success. The Clippers finally won a game as they started the season 0-6, with a victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Chris Bosh had a huge game (30 pts and 15 reb) in a victory over the Bobcats yesterday. Finally, there are rumors of Lebron James becoming a Detroit Piston in 2010. Well, I’m not too convinced.

ELSEWHERE: Penn State probably ruined their chances of making it to the national championship game with an upset loss to Iowa, giving the Nittany Lions their first loss of the season and dropping them to the 8th position in BSC rankings. Also, in the big fight this weekend Joe Calzaghe took care of business and defeated Roy Jones Jr. by a unanimous decision. Even though Calzaghe was knocked down in the first round, he recovered and did his thing improving to 46-0. This was a huge year for Hoe Calzaghe as he finally decided to come to the U.S. to fight and defeated both Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Many people could have pictured tomorrow night’s fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe, to take place about 10 years earlier. The reason it did not happen was because Calzaghe was busy with fights in England and Jones was busy with fights in the U.S. Also, at that time, Calzaghe did not want to fight in the U.S. not allowing the fight to actually go down. The common thread between the both is that they wanted to fight each other for some time now, and tomorrow night is when they both get the opportunity. Joe Calzaghe has a record of 45 -0 and Roy Jones Jr. is pushing 40 years of age. This fight is a big one for both competitors because of the implications it has. Joe Calzaghe is talking retirement and is undefeated, while Roy Jones Jr. is at a point of his career where a loss could really put his career near down the drain. This will be an interesting fight. The fight is on HBO Pay-Per-View tomorrow night at 9pm in Madison Square Garden in New York City. By the way, Zab Judah is in the undercard as he will fight Ernest Johnson.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Ever since Stephon Marbury joined the New York Knicks, it just seemed like a bad choice on part of the organization. He is probably one of the highest paid NBA athletes to probably perform really mediocre or not up to par and part of some type of distraction to the team. So why keep him, and not trade him? Team president Donnie Walsh says that Marbury is a good player, but the organization has made the decision to let him ride the bench and make his $21.9 million without playing. On the other hand, if any of the Knicks top three guards (Chris Duhon, Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson) get injured, then Marbury will be able to get some playing time. Ironically, Marbury has not done anything to make the situation any worse in fact he has been “behaving” well with what is going on. He is in the last year of his contract so if things stay the say it seems like after this season or maybe before it is over, that Stephon Marbury will no longer be a New York Knick. Personally, I think Marbury should just go play overseas where he might actually make some type of impact. The league has too much talent for Marbury to actually make a significant difference for any ball club. The NBA players association is set to come in and help Marbury with the situation. Whatever finally happens, it looks like the Knicks will need some serious rebuilding or turn around to compete in the eastern conference because it just seems like one bad decision after another for the organization.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Sources on espn.com say that a deal to send Allen Iverson to the “Motor City” Detroit will be finalized as early as this evening. After the Pistons lost to the Boston Celtics in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, the lost basically put anyone’s job in jeopardy, according to team president Joe Dumars. The team had difficulty in making a deal over the summer, but it seems that just after two games into this current season in the NBA, a deal is just about finalized. The proposed deal will send guard Allen Iverson from the Denver Nuggets to the Detroit Pistons for guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess, and center Cheikh Samb. Billups and McDyess will be returning to the Nuggets as they both played for the team back in 1990. By acquiring Billups, Denver hopes that he will mesh better with Carmelo Anthony, than Allen Iverson. Iverson is in the last year of his contract and will be receiving $20.8 million this season. Can Iverson actually have a chance now to finally get a ring?…….I don’t know. It seems like he might because Detroit has been contenders the last several seasons, but everyone knows the type of player on and off the court Iverson is. So what team will have the better outcome after this trade is finalized???? Only the season will tell.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

I can’t call myself a sports writer without writing an article on the grand finale to the Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship….the parade. The parade was remarkable and really something for the record books. There was a reportedly 2.5 million fans in the city supporting the team on the parade route, and I was one of them. The scene at 15th and Market Streets was one you would probably stay away from if you were not there by 9am because there really was not a spot to see the actual players come down the parade route, unless you worked in one of the buildings around the route. Philly fans were trying to get on top of anything possible to get a good view, even a local news channel’s van, until the police intervened. New channels also mentioned that only about 60% of high school students were in class on Friday, due to the parade. Following the parade route from 15th & Market St.. All the way to the sports complex was a first and unforgettable experience. This is probably the first time in a long time that so many people in the city of Philadelphia were so happy for a common cause. The whole Phillies organization that was on the floats in the parade head from 20th and Market St., all the way to the sports complex in South Philadelphia. From there, they made a stop at Lincoln Financial Field, then at Citizens Bank Ball Park for the ceremony. Overall, this was a great experience and the city is ready for another one next year. Go Phillies!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After 23 years of not making it to a world series, not only did our Phillies make it, but we won. The Phillies won the World Series. After a controversial suspended game 5 Monday night and bad weather Tuesday night as well, the Phillies and their fans were even hungrier for a championship. The game’s continuation started in the bottom of the 6th were the Phillies were able to take a 3-2 lead. Then, in the top of the 7th, the Rays tied it up with a home-run. In the bottom of the 7th, Pedro Felix drove in the leading and winning run, making it 4-3. Finally, in the top of the 9th inning, “Lights Out” Brad Lidge sealed the deal and the Phillies won the 2008 MLB World Series. Cole Hamels was named the series MVP and awarded a 2010 Chevy Camaro. The official parade will be held tomorrow, October 31st, starting at 12 noon. It will begin from 20th and Market and head down Broad St. to the Sports Complex. Not only does the team deserve the championship but our city and fans do as well. We waited and the wait is finally over. Congrats Philadelphia Phillies and see you at the parade.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After a horrible night of weather on Monday suspending game 5 of the World Series, horrible weather not allowing it to resume last night, and a controversial call to end the game when it was, will there finally be an end to game 5 of the Phillies and Rays series? There were thousands of angry Philly fans when they found out that game 5 was suspended at the exact time it was. Many fans thought that the weather was poor enough to end the game at the end of the 5th inning and not the bottom of the 6th inning. Allowing the Rays to bat in the top of the 6th inning gave Tampa a chance to tie the game and they took advantage. As soon as the top of the 6th inning was over, that is when it was decided to end the game. Even if the game would have ended in the Phillies on top 2-1 at the end of the 5th, the game would have just been a rain delay. The rules of the ending the game early are Rules 4.10 ( c ) and 4.12 ( c ), which are described on the MLB website. Then, when the game was supposed to resume last night, the game was called off because of more poor weather in Philadelphia. So what does this mean? Well, today the game is set to officially resume, but for all ticket holders, if you do not have your Monday night ticket, you will not able allowed to attend the rest of game 5 when it resumes. Those that do have their tickets will be and even just the stub or a ticket damaged by water might still get you in. This has to be one of the craziest set of events to occur during a World Series game. Whatever does finally happen, hopefully will be in the Phillies favor.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a great one for Philly sports teams, a dominating one for the top 3 teams in college football, the last one before the 2008-2009 NBA season starts and another NFL weekend.

MLB: The Phillies are 1 win away from winning the World Series. After a 91 minutes rain delay on Saturday, the Phillies rallied and won game 3 in the bottom of the 9th innings with a grounder by catcher Carlos Ruiz. Last night was game 4 and a very impressive one, I may say. Philly fans were
waiting for the bats to come out and they did. Ryan Howard came out his shell and hit 2 home-runs. It was such a great hitting night for the Phillies that even the pitcher, Joe Blanton even helped the cause with a home-run of himself. Tonight is game 5 and Cole Hamels is on the mound for the
Phillies. With a commanding 3 games to 1 lead, tonight is the night to bring a championship to the City of Brotherly Love. Let’s Go Phillies!

NFL: Did anyone know that there was a game played in England this weekend? Well if you didn’t, now you do. The Chargers played the Saints at Wembley Stadium. It was a shootout but the Saints were on top with a 37-32 victory. The Eagles came off of a bye week and had a somewhat impressive victory over the Falcons by the score of 27-14. Also, there are still 2 teams that have not won a game yet, The Bengals (0-8) and the Lions (0-7). Dallas was just able to slide past the Buccaneers
and the Giants beat the Steelers in a battle of top teams in the NFL. Tonight should be a great match-up with the undefeated Tennessee Titans playing the Indianapolis Colts.

ELSEWHERE: The top 3 teams in college football had big victories this weekend and stayed in their respectful rankings. Also, there was a strange fight in the UFC as fighter Anderson Silva was basically playing around until he actually landed a knee to Patrick Cote’s forehead. The way the match ended was the bizarre part because even though Silva was playing around, and even offered to help Cote up from the mat, Cote actually blew out his knee and the fight was ended, giving Silva the victory. Finally, the NBA Season begins tomorrow night…I’m very excited.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After a good start to the series, the Phillies really did not have an answer for Tampa Bay’s Jason Shields. He pitched 5 and 2/3 solid innings to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to their first victory of the World Series. The Rays hitting started in the first inning where they scored 2 runs off of Phillies pitcher Brett Myers. Then, the Rays scored 1 run in the second inning and 1 in the fourth inning. The Phillies tried to rally in the eighth and ninth innings, but only scored 1 run in each innings, leading to a 4-2 victory by the Tampa Bay Rays. Both teams have today off as they travel to Philadelphia for the next three games. Tomorrow is game 3 with the Phillies Jaime Moyer going against the Rays ace Matt Garza.

With a bad performance by Brett Myers, the Phillies might have to rely on hitting, which they haven’t had much of this postseason. Moyer has lost both of his stars in the playoffs and the only thing behind him is probably pitching at home and not away. The team also needs Ryan Howard to step up because he has been a non-factor throughout the playoffs. Don’t forget to check out game 3 tomorrow night at 8pm on FOX.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

For those who may not know, EliteXC is a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. It was founded in 2006 through a partnership between Pro Elite Inc. and Showtime Networks Inc. The company’s biggest asset is the one and only MMA fighter Kimbo Slice. Unfortunately, it looks like the days for EliteXC are officially over. Earlier this year, there was an agreement with CBS to televise EliteXC shows on prime time television. Part of the agreement was that if the shows were successful then every month there would be an EliteXC “special” aired. After three shows on CBS, there apparently will be no more. On Oct. 4th, 2008 on CBS the company’s “future” Kimbo Slice, was defeated in 14 seconds by a no-name fighter. The next event was suppose to be aired on November 4th but has been canceled, according to sherdog.com.

As of October 20th, the Pro Elite has ceased operations for EliteXC and will close its doors for good, which left employees and fighters out of a job effective immediately. One reason the company is closing is because reports were that Showtime was intending to buyout the rights of the company but negotiations failed leading to EliteXC going out of business for good. Also, there was talk that Seth Petruzelli, who beat Kimbo Slice, was offered money by promoters to actually stand up to his opponent that Saturday night. The moral of the story is….bad business leads to a bad business.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was another boring NFL weekend, an end to the MLB ALCS, some order in college football rankings for once, and Bernard Hopkins looking sharp.

MLB: After what looked like a complete turnaround to the series, the Tampa Bay Rays pulled it off last night in a decisive game 7. Losing games 5and 6to the Red Sox made everyone think that Tampa Bay was on the verge of giving up a 3 games to 1 lead in the series. Last night a strong performance by the Ray’s pitcher Matt Garza (series MVP) helped the Rays get to the World Series for the 1st time in franchise history. Finally the dust is cleared! Game 1 of the World Series is Wednesday where the Philadelphia Phillies will be at Tampa Bay. Let’s Go Phillies!

NFL: In the NFL; The Dallas Cowboys lost their second game in a row, the Tennessee Titans are still undefeated, the Steelers manhandled the Bengals (0-7), and the Chicago Bears won 48-41 in a shootout with the Vikings. This weekend did not make a lot of “noise” but tonight’s match-up between the Broncos and the Patriots should be a good one.

ELSEWHERE: Finally a week in college football where there is not a huge mix up in the AP Top 25 rankings. Texas stays on top with a victory over Missouri on Saturday. Also, Penn State is still ranked No.3 with a big victory over Michigan. In Boxing, the biggest news comes from the 43 year-old Bernard Hopkins who dominated Kelly Pavlik this past Saturday night in a unanimous decision.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Tomorrow night is the big game! Usually when one hears Temple University sports there are mixed reactions, but I’m a Temple Owl and love our sports teams. Tomorrow night’s football game against Ohio is a huge one. No it is not for a championship or anything; it’s the Temple University “Owls for the Cure/ Pink-Out” game. The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the Temple Athletics department has been working for several months to put this great event together. The initiative’s main goal, on behalf of head coach Al Golden and his wife Kelly, is to raise funds for the Philadelphia Affiliate to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Movement. For every Temple student that attends the game, the school will donate $1 to the cause, on a minimum of 7,000 students, and 10% of all ticket sales will also be donated to the cause. Philly’s own Bill Cosby and cancer survivor Vince Papale will be in attendance for the game. If you cannot make the game, it will be televised nationwide on ESPN 2, so don’t forget to check it out. I just want to thank the whole Temple University Athletics Department and everyone involved, especially Coach Golden and his wife for helping to put together what will be a great event! Good luck Owls!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yes…it is true there is a Curse of William Penn and it applies to the major sports teams in Philadelphia (Phillies, Flyers, 76ers, and Eagles.) If you are wondering what exactly the Curse of William Penn is, it goes as follows: There was a law in Philadelphia for a long time that said no building can be built that was taller than the tip of William Penn’s hat, referring to his statue on top of City Hall in Center City. Unfortunately, this law was removed in the mid 1980’s and One Liberty Plaza’s construction started shortly after. Ever since One Liberty Plaza was completed, in 1987, there has been no championship ring for any of the Philadelphia major sports teams. Combined, there are 94 seasons of the 4 major sports teams without a ring and this is very sad for Philly fans. Actually, this is the longest streak for any city to have 4 teams in all for major sports.

I guess William Penn was the “Biggest Boss” that has been seen thus far in Philadelphia and to be disrespected by people that wanted taller buildings, he has been holding a grudge on our sports teams. Well, now that you have a better understanding of the Curse of William Penn, do you think he will give our city a break and help the Phillies win a World Series? I hope so.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

When it looked like the Tampa Bay Rays were on their way to the World Series last night, the Boston Red Sox thought otherwise. The Rays had total control of the game into about the 7th inning. The score was 7-0 and I know most people thought that it would be a wrap from there, but no. The Red Sox came and scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning and changed the outcome of the game from there. David “Big Papi” Ortiz helped the cause in a big way bringing the game to 7-4. Then, J.D. Drew hit a two-run home-run in the 8th inning to make the game 7-6. The Red Sox added another run to tie the game in the bottom of the 8th inning. Finally, J.D. Drew hit a single to right field and brought in Kevin Youkilis to finish off the rally and win the game. The series is now Tampa Bay 3 and the Red Sox 2. Game 6 is tomorrow night in Tampa Bay. Can the Red Sox actually come back? We’ll just have to wait and see.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Last night the Philadelphia Phillies advanced to their first World Series in 15 years against the New York Dodgers with a 5-1 Game Five win. Hundreds of red clap Philadelphia fans went crazy with excitement for the Philadelphia Phillies moving towards to the World Series. They will open the World Series on Oct. 22 against the winner of the Tampa Bay Rays-Boston Red Sox series. The Phillies are on a roll themselves, winning 26 of their last 36 games and dominating the Dodgers. So lets keep our P’s seen and flags raised and hopefully the Phillies will pull through the World Series.

-Keith Wardlaw

That’s right. The Phillies are one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1993. Tonight’s game is a very important one for both teams; the Phillies win and they are off to the World Series, the Dodgers win and they are still alive in the series. Cole Hamels will be on the mound for the Phillies as Chad Billingsley will start for the Dodgers. This should be a good game for the Phillies as Hamels has had two solid playoff starts and wins. The keys to success will either be to shut the Dodgers hitting down or keep hitting for the Phillies. Even if Hamels pitches a good game, the Phillies need to provide him with run support to seal the deal. Also, the Phillies need to be able to contain Manny Ramirez as he has had somewhat of a hot bat throughout the series.

This by far is our best chance to go to the World Series! By the looks of it though, it seems as if we are going to be matched-up with a team that is on a hot streak…the Tampa Bay Rays. Last night they beat the Red Sox 13-4 and took a commanding 3 games to 1 lead in the series. Good luck Phillies and World Series we are almost there!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was mainly about several last-second NFL wins, another mix up in college football rankings, NBA Pre-Season in full-effect, and an exciting start in both MLB championship series.

MLB: After taking a 2-0 lead in the series, the Phillies suffered a loss last night to put the series at 2-1 against the L.A. Dodgers. The Dodgers came out on fire as Jaime Moyer did not even last three innings. It looks like Moyer’s days could be numbered. Today, Tampa Bay and Boston go back at it as their series is tied 1-1 and the Phillies and Dodgers resume their series in the night game. The first game starts
at 4:37pm (EST.) and the night game is at 8:22pm (EST.). Good luck Phillies!

NFL: 5 games ended within the last seconds of the game by a field goal or ended in overtime. The Vikings, Falcons, Rams, and Texans all won by last-second field goals and the Cardinals won in overtime. Most of these had the losing team come back in the last quarter but just ended up losing the game. Also, the Eagles had a close one, but eventually pulled away for a 40-26 victory over the 49ers. The Colts, Saints,
and Buccaneers all had blowout victories. Finally, the Chargers manhandled the Patriots in a 30-10 beat down! Tonight’s game is between the Giants and the Browns.

ELSEWHERE: Another week in college football and another mix up in the AP Top 25 rankings. Due to Oklahoma’s loss to Texas,
the new No. 1 team is Texas and Oklahoma dropped to No. 4. Also, Penn State is ranked No.3, so congrats to the Nittany Lions. In the NBA, the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns this past Saturday night’s Pre-Season game was the first outdoor game in over 35 years. The game was played in at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. Also, the New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday by a score of 110-104.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Last night was the first game of the National League Championship Series on FOX and what a game. It was a pitcher’s duel for most of the game, even though the L.A. Dodgers struck first in the first inning. Manny Ramirez had an RBI in the first inning that gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead, and then the Dodgers struck again in the fourth inning. The Dodgers pitcher, Derek Lowe had his sinker ball going for him until the sixth inning. Phillies second-baseman, Chase Utley, hit a two-run home run, and then Pat “The Bat” Burrell hit a solo homer in the same inning that gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead. From there it was all the Phillies pitching that sealed the game as Brad Lidge came into the game in the ninth inning to get yet another save. The Phillies lead the series 1-0 with the next game this afternoon at 4:35pm. The first game of the American League Championship Series is tonight at 8:37pm between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox.

To win this series the Phillies have to keep hitting the ball because Manny Ramirez is a threat and one never knows when he will get on fire. Also, the pitching has to continue its success as well. It is only one game down and the Phillies still need three more wins to win the series. Good luck this afternoon and go Phillies.

- AGE

With the NBA regular season almost here, what teams are expected to come out on top in their respected divisions? I’ve been checking several sites and watching ESPN just to hear the predictions for this up-coming NBA season and they are fairly interesting. In the Eastern Conference, it looks like the defending champion Boston Celtics are the favorites. With such an impressive performance last season and in the playoffs, it looks like they are on the verge of repeat. To round out the predicted top 3 teams in the conference are the Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers have a good looking team, but only time can tell how good they will actually be since they are lacking a 3-point shooter.

Surprisingly, in the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz is predicted to be the top team. They had a good previous season but had a bad playoff run. It is a little strange that they are predicted 1st over the Lakers and the Hornets. To round out the predicted top 3 teams in the conference are the L.A.
Lakers and the Houston Rockets. Is Ron Artest a changed man and how much of an impact will he make in Houston? We will have to wait until the start of the season on October 28th. By the way, NBA Live 2009 and NBA 2K9 are out in stores now!

- AGE

This weekend was a great one for the Phillies, a terrible one for Kimbo Slice and O.J. Simpson and interesting one in college football rankings.

MLB: This was a great weekend for the Philadelphia Phillies and the L.A. Dodgers who both won their first round series and will face each other in the NLCS (game 1 is Thursday in Philadelphia.) The Chicago White Sox were able to extend its run in the playoffs by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday by a score of 5-3. The L.A. Angels were also victorious to keep the series going with a 5 – 4 victory over the Red Sox.

NFL: It looks like it may be a rough season for the Philadelphia Eagles. After a nice start to the season they have fell down to a 2-3 record with yesterday’s home loss to the Redskins. I don’t know what’s going on Andy Reid. It seems like the NFC East is still the best division in the league though because the Cowboys, Giants, and Redskins all have 4 wins a piece with week 5 just about done. There were several blowouts this past weekend and only two teams remain unbeaten, the Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants. Finally, the Steelers defeated the Jaguars with a 26-21 victory in the Sunday night game.

ELSEWHERE: The Oklahoma Sooners are still atop the AP Top 25 rankings but besides that it’s another weekend where the rankings make major changes in the order. In some shocking news, mixed martial arts fighter Kimbo Slice was knocked out by Seth Petruzelli on Saturday night in a mere 14 seconds. This was unbelievable, especial since it was his first loss in a sanctioned fight ever. Congrats go to the WNBA’s Detroit Shock who defeated the San Antonio Silver Stars yesterday to win the WNBA’s championship title. For all gamers, NBA 2k9 and NBA Live 2009 both release tomorrow 10/07/08! Finally, if you didn’t hear, O.J. Simpson was convicted this weekend on all counts.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

- AGE