NFL Europe Victim of Greed

Maybe I’m just naïve but I thought that developmental leagues were supposed to produce future stars and not necessarily a profit. Apparently the NFL would like to have it the other way around. Instead of producing players like Kurt Warner and Adam Vinateri the NFL wants to produce big dollars across the pond.

So now the NFL’s European league is gone and instead American’s are going to lose some of their regular season NFL games and Europeans are losing a league they have become passionate about.

Continue to complete story.

Two Records/Two Styles

Houston Astros’ second baseman Craig Biggio became Major League Baseball’s 27th player to reach the 3,000 hit mark Thursday the same day Frank Thomas, of the Toronto Blue Jays, became just the 21st member of the 500 homerun club.

While the two accomplishments are extremely different the styles of the two men who reached the milestones are just as different. Biggio left the field to a stadium chanting his name while Thomas left under the order of home plate umpire Mark Wegner.

Continue to the complete story.

1997 NBA Draft Revisited

With the NBA draft taking place tonight and the Portland Trailblazers in a seemingly can’t miss situation I thought it would be fun to travel back 10 years in time and see who hit and who missed in the 1997 draft. Only one player taken in the first round led the team that drafted them to an NBA Championship and only two have spent their entire careers with the same team.

Is the NBA draft a crap shoot? See for yourself!

1. San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan, Wake Forest – 1998 Rookie of the Year, two-time league MVP (2002, 2003), four-time NBA champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007), one time NBA All-Star Game MVP(2000)and three-time NBA Finals MVP (1999, 2003, 2005. HIT

2. Philadelphia 76ers - Keith Van Horn, Utah - Van Horn has played for the New Jersey Nets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks. - MISS

3. Boston Celtics - Chauncey Billups, Colorado - Billups was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kenny Anderson midway through his first season. Billups then played for the Denver Nuggets, who traded him to the Orlando Magic. Had a breakthrough 2001-2002 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In June 2002 Billups signed with the Detroit Pistons. MISS

4. Vancouver Grizzlies - Antonio Daniels, Bowling Green - Over his career Daniels has played for the Grizzlies, the San Antonio Spurs (Daniels was on the 1999 team that won the NBA Championship), the Portland Trail Blazers, the Seattle SuperSonics and the Washington Wizards. MISS

5. Denver Nuggets - Tony Battie, Texas Tech – Played one season in Denver. Played for the Boston Celtics six seasons, then Cleveland Cavaliers who traded him to the Orlando Magic for Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejão to the Cavaliers. MISS

6. Boston Celtics - Ron Mercer, Kentucky - After two seasons in Boston, Mercer was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He played 37 games for Denver in 1999-2000, then was traded to Orlando for the final 31 games of the seadon. In 2000 he signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls where he averaged 19.7 points per game in his first year with them. He was traded partway through the season to the Indiana Pacers. Before the 2003-2004 season, he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. After playing 39 games with the Spurs, he was released. MISS

7. New Jersey Nets - Tim Thomas, Villanova - immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the Sixers' draft pick Keith Van Horn. In 1999, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. In 2004, he was traded, again in exchange for Van Horn, to the New York Knicks. On the eve of training camp in 2005, he was again traded, to the Chicago Bulls. In 2006 he was waved by the Bulls and then signed by Phoenix. MISS

8. Golden State Warriors - Adonal Foyle, Colgate - Foyle is tied with Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs (10 years) for third place among active NBA players who have played their entire career for one team, behind Kevin Garnett (12 years) and Kobe Bryant (11 years). HIT

9. Toronto Raptors - Tracy McGrady, Mount Zion Academy (NC) - The Toronto Raptors made a sign-and-trade deal which sent McGrady to the Orlando Magic in exchange for a first round draft pick in 2000. In the 2000–01 season, he won the NBA Most Improved Player Award and was selected as a starter in the All-Star Game. On June 29, 2004, McGrady was traded to the Houston Rockets in a seven-player deal. MISS

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Danny Fortson, Cincinnati - Immediately traded to the Denver Nuggets. In his first year, he averaged double-digit points and the next year averaged a double-double in both points and rebounds. Before the 1999-2000 season, he was traded to the Boston Celtics. Following that season, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors. In 2002-2003 he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks who traded him to Seattle in 2004. MISS

11. Sacramento Kings - Tariq Abdul-Wahad, San Jose State - In November 2006 Italian team Climamio Bologna invited Abdul-Wahad to a try out, but he was not signed. MISS

12. Indiana Pacers - Austin Croshere, Providence - On July 5, 2006, Croshere was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Marquis Daniels.Croshere was the last Pacer remaining from the 1999-2000 Eastern Conference championship team. HIT

13. Cleveland Cavilers - Derek Anderson, Kentucky – Played two seasons in Cleveland, on in L.A. with the Clippers, one in San Antonio, four in Portland, one in Houston, one in Miami and is currently with Charlotte. HIT

14. L.A. Clippers - Maurice Taylor, Michigan - signed with the Houston Rockets in 2001 and was then traded to the New York Knicks in 2005, before joining the Sacramento Kings in 2006. MISS

15. Dallas Mavericks - Kelvin Cato, Iowa State - Cato's draft rights were immediately traded to the Portland Trail Blazers where he played two seasons before being traded to the Houston Rockets. MISS

16. Cleveland Cavilers - Brevin Knight, Stanford – Knight has played for the Cavaliers, the Atlanta Hawks, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Phoenix Suns, the Washington Wizards, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Bobcats, averaging 7.6 points and 6.5 assists per game in his career. MISS

17. Orlando Magic - Johnny Taylor, Tennessee-Chattanooga – Played four seasons in the NBA for the Magic and the Denver Nuggets. MISS

18. Portland Trailblazers - Chris Anstey, Australia – Played three seasons in the NBA, none for Portland. MISS

19. Detroit Pistons - Scot Pollard, Kansas – Played only one season in Detroit. MISS

20. Minnesota Timberwolves - Paul Grant, Wisconsin – Played three seasons in the NBA but only one in Minnesota. MISS

21. New Jersey Nets - Anthony Parker, Bradley – Played three seasons in the NBA before going overseas. Returned last season to the NBA to play for the Toronto Raptures. MISS

22. Atlanta Hawks - Ed Gray, California - Had a brief stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. MISS

23. Seattle Sonics - Bobby Jackson, Minnesota - Traded to the Denver Nuggets prior to his rookie season. MISS

24. Houston Rockets - Rodrick Rhodes, Southern California - Played for the Rockets, Vancouver Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks in three NBA seasons. MISS

25. New York Knicks - John Thomas, Minnesota – Played two seasons in the NBA. MISS

26. Miami Heat - Charles Smith, New Mexico – Played in only 11 games in his one season in Miami. MISS

27. Utah Jazz - Jacque Vaughn, Kansas – Played four seasons for the Jazz. MISS

28. Chicago Bulls - Keith Booth, Maryland – Played only two seasons in the NBA. MISS

Difference of Opinion

Looking back at my last few posts on Bases Loaded it seems as if I’ve been man crushing on Ken Griffey Jr. a little bit. Then along comes our newest member of the My Opinion on Sports family with a totally different take on the Cincinnati slugger.

Check out why Ken Griffey Junior’s quest for 600 doesn’t really matter.

600 or 3,000?

Sammy Sosa just passed the 600 homerun barrier and Ken Griffey Jr. is knocking on the door of the 600 club. Meanwhile there is another barrier that is about to be broken this season that is a milestone not many MLB players reach as well. Houston Astros’ second baseman Craig Biggio is just three hits shy of 3,000 a mark he will surely hit in the next week or so.

Baseball players are defined by their accomplishments. Whenever a professional player meets up with fans they are bombarded with questions like, “How many homeruns did you hit? How many hits do you have?” There aren’t many who can reply back with, “I hit over 600 homeruns” or “I hit the ball over 3,000 times.”

In fact, Griffey will be only the sixth player to enter the 600 club while Biggio will become the 27th member of the 3,000 hit club. Both are accomplishments that have obviously taken years of productivity to achieve which begs the question, “Which accomplishment is more difficult to achieve?”

Read the complete article and cast your vote on the opinion poll.

Blockbuster NBA Deal Waiting to Happen?

The Los Angeles Lakers have a pouting All-Star who is requesting a trade because the team isn’t doing enough to improve. The Minnesota Timberwolves have an aging All-Star who they owe a ton of cash to. The Indiana Pacers just need players!

All of this makes for some great rumors and potentially the biggest trade in the NBA since Shaq went to the Miami Heat. Reportedly the original deal included the Boston Celtics as well but has fallen through because the Celtics backed out not liking what their end of the deal was going to be. My opinion is that Boston problem was just sour grapes because they wanted Garnett. Now they may possibly have more issues because it looks like Paul Pierce is taking the Kobe approach by telling team management to either get better or trade him.

Trade discussions initially involved the Lakers, Wolves, Pacers and the Celtics. Boston would have gotten Jermaine O'Neal from the Pacers and sent young players to the Wolves. The Lakers would have gotten Garnett, while the Pacers would have landed Los Angeles forward Lamar Odom and center Andrew Bynum. Minnesota would also have acquired at least one of the teams' draft picks, possibly Boston's No. 5 in Thursday's draft.

With Boston out of the mix the Lakers are trying to broker a two team deal with Minnesota but the Timberwolves reportedly aren’t interested in Odom and Bynum meaning that most likely a fourth team needs to emerge for this deal to work.

With the draft just over a 48 hours away a deal is going to have to happen quickly if it is going to happen at all.

When Is Your Team Going To Camp?

July is upon us which means NFL training camps are going to start popping up. 4th and Inches has the start dates and locations of all 32 teams. Find out when your team starts and follow them from the very beginning to the very end.

For me the NFL season begins when the Miami Dolphins go to camp on July 28th. When does it start for you?

Making the Market Work

I have to admit that when it comes to the stock market and how it works I’m completely lost. I invested in some eight cent stocks just to try and figure it all out and it did absolutely no good for me at all.

Obviously when it comes to stock options trading I, like most people, need some serious help. PowerOptions is able to provide you all the support and information that you may need to be successful in trading.

There are so many options out there that a person really needs a guide to navigate them through the maze known as the stock market. PowerOptions automatically sorts, filters and analyzes all the options to find investments based on your goals.

Check it out to start your free 14 day trial.

Tank Gets Cut

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson was released from the Cook County jail two months ago. At the time he said that his legal troubles and eight game NFL suspension were "opportunity for me to move forward."

The problem for Johnson is that he was moving forward at 40mph in a 25mph zone while a wee bit inebriated.

Read the Full Article and cast your vote on the Opinion Poll.

Jr or Sosa?

Ken Griffey Jr. and Sammy Sosa are playing the role of baseball’s comeback kids this season despite the fact that both of them are well into the twilight of their careers. I have to admit that I laughed and scoffed at the Texas Rangers when they decided to make an attempt at reviving Sosa’s career by signing him to a minor league contract this spring. 59 RBI’s and 13 homeruns later I’m thinking that Sosa could be the best value for a buck in the majors. Meanwhile Ken Griffey Jr. is shaking off what has been an injury plagued stint in Cincinnati to hit .290 this season with 46 RBI’s and 21 homeruns.

Read the full article and cast your vote in the opinion poll.

4th and Inches – Our Newest Site

I’m excited to introduce 4th and Inches as the newest member of the My Opinion on Sports Empire. This brand spanking new blog is going to cover the NFL front to back with all kinds of news, predictions and opinions. With training camps opening up next month things should be heating up and taking off real fast!

Head on over and read the welcome post!

Rockie Road

Is it possible that the Colorado Rockies are playing the best baseball in the majors right now? The New York Yankees think so, "I don't want to see them again, how's that?" Yankee manager Joe Torre said.

The Rockies are only four games above .500 but since May 22 Colorado has posted a 20-7 record and are 9-3 against the AL East in interleague play. The New York Yankees scored only 5 runs in three games during the visit to Colorado while watching the Rockies more than double their effort by putting out 13 in route to sweeping the Bronx Bombers.

Full Story

F1 Vs NASCAR

Prat writes up a pretty good comparison of F1 racing to NASCAR at nonstop nascar. Here’s a little excerpt.



With no race during the week, it’s probably a nice time to get in a more opinion-based post rather than just a race preview or race commentary. And what better to talk about than compare NASCAR with the Holy Grail of Motorsport, the Formula 1 Grand Prix?

Juan Pablo Montoya shocked the F1 world by leaving the series for NASCAR. 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneueve praised the move and is rumored to be thinking of following him if he cannot hold onto his BMW seat.

NASCAR boasts gigantic audiences in the United States and dominates the US motor racing scene with vastly more fans than the Indy Racing League and Champ car World Series. But some suggest it is too contrived to even be called a sport.

Read the complete story at Nonstop NASCAR.

Kevin Garnett to Boston?

With the NBA draft just over a week away trade rumors are starting to pop up everywhere. Some of them are serious reaches and some of them make so much sense you’ll wonder why they aren’t going to happen.

Danny Ainge acknowledged Monday that he has talked with the Minnesota Timberwolves about a potential trade to bring Kevin Garnett to Boston. Rumors have it that Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and Boston’s fifth pick in this year’s draft were offered Garnet.

Other NBA Rumors

Drew Gooden could be heading to Chicago freeing up salary cap space on Cleveland’s roster.

The Bulls are also in play for Kobe Bryant even though Phil Jackson says he won’t be traded. Chicago could be trying to work a three team deal that would send Bryant to the Windy City and either Paul Pierce or Washington’s Gilbert Arenas to LA.

Joe Dumars is insistent that the Detroit Pistons are going to re-sign Chauncey Billups but the rumors say he is going to Milwaukee. The Bucks actually have the money to sign Billups and need a veteran point guard.

I Love ESPN’s Top 10

ESPN is great for any sports nut like myself but even better is their Top 10 countdowns. I just recently came across their Top 10 Sports Knockout Accident Crashes and Fight. It could possibly be their greatest Top 10 ever!

My personal favorites are numbers 10 and 4 and if I had to pick just one I would go with number 4. Check it out and let us know your favorites.

Carl Edwards ends 52-race losing streak on Father's Day

So, a new winner in a new race, and boy, what a win. A win that ended 52 straight races that went winless. Does it get any better? Yes it does.You'd have to be coldhearted if Carl Edwards' win in Sunday's Citizens Bank 400 didn't get to you at least a little bit.

Sure, on the surface, it was just another race win. Yes, there was a bit more significance in Edwards also breaking a nagging 52-race winless streak, but that wasn't enough to rankle some undue emotion.

Even the fact that Edwards' win at Michigan International Speedway came in his 100th career Cup start wasn't enough to really generate the warm fuzzies.

The real special part of Edwards' fifth career Cup win and his first since 2005 was that he accomplished the feat on the most special day of the year for all men: Father's Day.

Reas The Full Story At Nonstop NASCAR

Not Now But Someday!

I’ve been blessed by having the opportunity to travel quite a bit in my lifetime. I’ve been to great places both in and out of the country but one place I’ve never traveled to is the great state of Hawaii.

I can only imagine that with the miles and miles of open beaches finding the right place to stay can’t be that hard. However, in a paradise like Hawaii great deals become even greater and Hawaiian Beach Rentals offers you the opportunity to stay in style.

They offer spacious rentals on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. Your Hawaii beach condo is waiting just a click away.

Weekend Poll - Where Do They Rank?

Sure They’re a Dynasty but Are They the Best?

I have to admit, because of my distain for the San Antonio Spurs I didn’t watch the NBA Finals beyond game one where the Spurs showed that they were on a whole different level than Cleveland.

Tim Duncan collected his fourth NBA Championship with the Spurs bringing home another trophy to go with the ones earned in 1999, 2003 and 2005. Duncan’s fourth championship now puts him in the Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan category leaving the question, who had the best dynasty?

Help Wanted!

The My Opinion on Sports Empire is three blogs strong now and we are looking to grow by another. We are looking for a person who is passionate about the NFL and would like to help us launch an NFL specific blog next month.

Our new writer must enjoy blogging as a hobby and have the time to post at least three times a week during the season and once a week during the off season as well as be active in the forum.

If you think you have the stuff and would like to help us expand the Empire please contact me for complete details.

Finally the Finals – Game 1 Preview

We have finally reached the pinnacle of the NBA season with the Finals beginning tonight. While the heavily favored Spurs were making headlines for what seems to be the wrong reasons the Cleveland Cavilers may be doing the exact same. Not that anyone in a Cavs jersey is flopping or delivering blows below the belt rather the written word or broadcast news surrounding Cleveland is all about #23’s first ever trip to the NBA Finals. What seems to be overlooked by just about everyone is that this is not just LeBron’s first trip to the Finals it is Cleveland’s as well.

While LeBron’s team may struggle a little in the limelight James himself is used to it. Sure this is the biggest stage he’s ever played on but he’s been used to being the center of attention and having every eye on him since his Hummer driving high school in Akron, Ohio.

The Spurs have the experience factor on their side which is huge in the Finals but the Cavilers will have the best player on the floor and youth on their side which could turn into a significant advantage should this series go to six or seven games. Tonight’s game is all about sizing each other up and finding out about your opponent. I think it’s more crucial for San Antonio to win game one than it is for Cleveland because all the Cavs want to do is just win one of two in San Antonio before going home for three in a row.

What the Cleveland Cavilers will find out in Game 1
* Playing team ball will give them a chance to win this series – While all the talk will be about LeBron the Cavilers know that it was a team effort and not an individual who put them past the Pistons.
* LeBron James is the best player in the NBA – With all due respect to Kobe, Steve Nash, Dirk, Dwayne and Tim Duncan there isn’t a player who has put up an effort to match what James has done in the play-offs. While it was a team effort that put Cleveland in the Finals it was LeBron who set the team up for success and carried them when it was needed. No, he’s not the next Michael Jordan but he is the first LeBron James.

What the San Antonio Spurs will find out in Game 1
* Bruce Bowen cannot guard LeBron James - Sure they already know that but they are going to try anyway. Bowen gives up at least 40 pounds and a ton of athleticism to James. The Pistons defended him with a double-team and yet he still averaged 25.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.5 assists in the series.
* Cheap shots won’t work against the Cavs – While they were able to get under the skin of the Suns with “dirty ball” it won’t work against Cleveland. It’s one thing to knee a guy in the groin who is smaller than you but I seriously doubt they’ll try that with the James. In fact, the intimidation factor may be on the other side in this series. The Spurs best shot at getting under the skin of the Cavs is to do what they do best, flop around on the floor.
* Karma stinks – To this point in the play-offs everything has gone the Spurs way. The NBA suspended the only referee who would stand up to Tim Duncan. The league also suspended two of the Phoenix Suns best players and to top it all off they had a Finals walk-thru with the Utah Jazz. What goes around comes around and it would be terribly frustrating if it started coming around during the Finals.

Game One Pick: Expect the Spurs to look rusty and the Cavs to look feisty in San Antonio’s four point win.

Share your opinions on the Finals in the NBA Finals thread at My Opinion on Sports Forum

Greener Pastures in Miami Are Only Temporary

It took a lot longer than I initially thought but Trent Green is now officially a Miami Dolphin. The move finally gives Miami a complete stable of quarterbacks with a healthy All-Pro as the starter in Green, a veteran backup in Cleo Lemon and a promising rookie in John Beck.

Noticeably missing from that list is Daunte Culpepper who won’t be wearing Aqua and Orange much longer. Culpepper, who was possibly one of the worst acquisitions in the history of the franchise, informed the media this morning that he is officially being shopped around.

"This morning I met with (general manager) Randy Mueller and (coach) Cam Cameron," Culpepper wrote in an email on Wednesday morning. "They finally notified me that they are going in a different direction at the QB position.
They would like to trade me in order to 'get something for me.' However, it is my position that I have already been down that road and I am not interested in being traded. They have told me throughout the off-season that I am under contract to the Dolphins.

"Therefore, it will be up to them to either keep me under contract or release me. In the meantime I will continue to work out at the facility with the team and prepare myself for training camp, wherever it may be."

Why wouldn’t Culpepper want to be traded? He’s pretty much mooching a salary from the Dolphins and is slated to make $5.5 million this season. I’d want to stay for as long as I could as well.

Daute’s days are done in Miami with Trent Green on board now. It was a failed experiment and Miami just needs to cut their losses with him because there are much larger questions looming out there for the 07-08 season. Like now that they have Green how are they going to protect him? When you invest in an aging, concussion prone, quarterback you have to make sure that the offensive line is able to protect him. Green will have all the offensive weapons he needs to be successful if the line gives him the time to pull the trigger. However, John Beck is one nasty hit away from being the backup to Cleo Lemon which brings another question to the table.

What is the time table for letting Beck try to earn the starting spot? Green is a two year – three tops – temporary solution at the quarterback spot. Will Beck be ready to take the reigns in two seasons? I hope so!

Online Education is About Reputation

This blog post is based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

There are several places that offer you the opportunity to earn university degrees online leaving a person to suffer through seemingly endless choices for education. The leading criteria that a prospective student should look for is the reputation of the people associated with the institution.

Sara Orem is a faculty member in Capella University’s online university’s School of Business and Technology. She has also co-authored a book titled ‘Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change.’ The book guides the reader through four stages that will inspire them to an appreciative and empowering view of themselves and their future - Discovery, Dream, Design and Destiny.

Weekend Poll

The Florida Gators are the defending champions in college football and two-time defending champions in college basketball. You could say that the Florida athletic department is the most prestigious department in the country which is what makes Billy Donovan’s departure from Gainesville even more puzzling. From the outside looking in this appears to be all about the money and nothing else. I’ve already given my opinion no it’s your turn.

Why?

NBA coaches are supposed to be retreads. They are supposed to be guys like Don Nelson who is best known for coaching the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and then the Golden State Warriors again with stops in Milwaukee and New York on his resume. They are supposed to be guys like George Karl who had coached in Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle, Milwaukee and now Denver.



NBA coaches aren’t supposed to be the youngest and brightest minds from the college ranks. For some reason they just don’t work! See Rick Pitino, John Calipari and Tim Floyd for examples of how the best college coaches fail miserably in the NBA. Despite all that the crown jewel of college basketball coaches is leaving his self-made dynasty in Gainesville, Florida for the millions of the NBA.

Billy Donovan was introduced today as the new head coach of the Orlando Magic leaving Gator fans and anyone with logic questioning why. For every Larry Brown success story there are a dozen guys like Pitino.

Perhaps Donovan really thinks he can win on this level. Possibly he thinks he’ll be the one to buck the trend and his motivation is to win an NBA championship to go with his two college titles. I don’t think so. My opinion is that Donovan’s motivation was five years of service for $27.5 million dollars thus selling out his established success and possibly happiness for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.