Sweet Revenge

“An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” 

- Mahatma Gandhi

All due respect to Gandhi, but I completely disagree. I think every Patriots’ fan in the world is in agreement with me when I say that an eye for an eye is exactly what the doctor ordered for Super Bowl XLVI. Just a few years after having their perfect season spoiled in the Big Game by the New York Giants, New England gets a rematch for the Lombardi Trophy on February 5th. Redemption. Revenge.

 

The Pats’ have a few things going for them heading into the game:

1. Tom Brady will NOT have back-to-back terrible games, he will bring it in a big way.

2. The defense has steadily improved to at least respectable and has a knack of making the big play.

3. MHK. Robert Kraft’s late wife has given this team a special feel all season long.

 

Of course, even if New England does win it will not change what happened a few years ago. They were one game away from cementing many things in stone: best coach in history, best quarterback in history, best season in history, best team in history. All gone due to numerous flukey, heartbreaking plays (I still wake up with nightmares of Eli scrambling and completing passes to David Tyree’s helmet). This is a new team, trying to create their own reputation and gain back some of the prestige they lost on that awful night. However, it would be sweet, sweet revenge to be able to instill just one one-hundredth of the pain in Giants’ fans that we felt at the end of Super Bowl XLII. I can not wait to see Tom Terrific, Coach Satan, and Bobby Kraft holding up the trophy in a wave of confetti in a little over a week. Revenge is a dish best served cold…to obnoxious New York Giants fans.

I think Maximus said it best:

 

Despair? Outrage? Disappointment? Welcome Back Red Sox Nation!

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away Boston was not the triumphant city of champions that it is today. The Patriots were a pre-Belichick joke, the Celtics consisted of Paul Pierce plus a bunch of stiffs, and the Bruins…well, I actually can’t recall if the Bruins even existed. The king of all these sports lackeys (no pun intended Jon) was the almighty Boston Red Sox. Much like a woman, the Sox were great at getting your hopes up, taking your money, and leaving you feeling crushed and heart broken. Sorry ladies, maybe that was a bit harsh. After all, I don’t think all the woman in the suburbs of Boston combined have caused as many heart attacks as the Red Sox. The key to these masters of pain was not only the continued losing, but in the way they did it. They had a knack for getting your hopes up and then crushing you back to earth just when you had allowed yourself to believe again. Boston was not the city champions, it was the city of failures. “Red Sox Nation” was not a bunch of naive fair-weather fans (a.k.a. “pink hats”), but instead consisted of angry, critical, baseball-savvy, die-hard, blue-collar sports fanatics. They loved nothing better than to call in to sports radio and bitch and moan about the players and managers that continually let the city down. Boston was a big black hole of negativity…and it was far better than this blind faith and optimism we find ourselves surrounded by today.

When a team is awful, let alone a whole city full of team’s, obviously the fan base dwindles. The only ones left are the true die-hards; the fans who stick around through all the years of futility just for the slim chance of one day reaping the joy that comes from long-awaited success. Over the past decade, these Boston fans have gotten quite the return investment on all the years they put in rooting for losers. The Patriots have become the class of the NFL (3 Super Bowls), the Red Sox are a juggernaut (2 World Series), and even the Celtics and the Bruins have each won a recent championship and sit at the top of their leagues. No fans deserved it more, as Bostonians got to celebrate time and time again. However, as each team continued to succeed, more and more people started jumping on the bandwagon. These fans had not stuck by their teams while they struggled and they considered the games and gear mere novelties instead of aspects of true fandom. Thus, prices skyrocketed on everything from tickets to jerseys to ball caps and more. Also, instead of having raucous crowds full of die-hards at games, Boston was stuck with at least half the audience more interested in getting on the Jumbotron or texting their friends than they were in watching the game. This swell of fake fans who know nothing about the actual teams they pretend to cheer for, has had a disturbing trickle-down effect on the city as a whole. Long gone are the days of criticism and negativity, replaced by unwavering (and unquestioned) faith in the local teams. Instead of asking the hard questions, reporters stand wide-eyed asking Tom Brady about his wife or his hair or sympathizing with Tito Francona about the tough job he has as a baseball manager. A city once known for its tough media has gone soft.

Rick Pitino once said of Boston, “the negativity in this town sucks.” Sorry Rick, but I disagree. The optimism in this town sucks. It was the negativity that defined us as a great sports city; A city that bled with their teams, a city that cared for their teams, and most importantly a city that gave everything to their teams. Don’t be like New York or L.A., go back to your roots. It is the undying passion of this city that separates it from those other big-market towns. It is the undying passion of this city that has been swept away by a wave of success carrying a bandwagon full of fake fans. It is the undying passion of this city that is fighting to take Boston back for the true fans.

Who Would You Rather Be?

This is a new little segment I’ve started here on the blog called “Who Would You Rather Be”. For the first matchup I’m bring some serious heat, especially if you are a fan of football and hot chicks…ok so that makes everyone. I’m going Old School Vs. New Skool, Legend Vs. Prodigy, I’m talking Tom Brady Vs. Aaron Rogers.

 

First, let’s go with on the field. Aaron Rogers is the new number 1 QB in the NFL, leading the Pack to a Super Bowl win this past season. I will be the first person to admit that I am a huge Rogers fan and that he might be the best of the best right now. However, let’s not forget that this is his first championship and Mr. Brady still has 3 rings to his name. Not to mention 2 league MVP’s, 2 S.B. MVP’s, and the record for most TD passes in a season. So while Rogers is a beast, his game is just beginning. Not real close when you look past the flavor of the month and look at the career. Gotta go with Brady.

Next, inspect the off-field lives of these guys and you might see polar opposites. Tom Brady is classy and sophisticated, goes to Presidential proceedings, could easily a politician himself someday. He has the famous model wife and the famous actress ex, kids with both, and seemingly is Captain America. Never an off field problem or even anything interesting really, other than that he can pull some of the best chicks in the world. Rogers, likewise, has not had off field problems, but that beard is anything but clean. He talks and walks like a surfer dude, has new rumors of banging chicks left and right every day, definately parties hard, and has that whole shadow of #4 in his history. Still, personally I’d rather be juggling Erin Andrews and the rest of my harem of hotties than warming up bottles and shit. Tough choice, but I’m going with Rogers.

Overall, this was a battle of epic proportions, but it came down to 2 major components for me: Ass & Rings. Now with all the hot chicks these dudes have been layin over the years, it was just to close to call (even with Rogers getting the advantage of being single). So it all came down to glory to me, and Brady and his patented screaming fist pump come up on top any way you slice that pie. So who would I rather be: Tom Brady.

He Got Game

I’m a man, maybe not the most imposing one, but a man none-the-less. Yet as I sit here typing this I can’t help but still be wiping a few tears from my eyes. An emotional moment here in my living room, I’ve never been more jealous than I am right now of the Celtics fan lucky enough to be in The Garden right now. Ray Allen has just made history, first tying and then breaking the all time 3 point record in basketball history. With former record holder Reggie Miller on hand, as well as Ray’s Mom and other family, we got to see a glimpse of emotion that we rarely see from the NBA sharp shooter.

Ray was once a co-star of Denzel Washington’s on the big-screen, but the court is truly where is finest performance is. A sure-fire Hall of Fame player, as well as H.O.F. person, Ray is close to any Boston fan’s heart. The old cliche’ “It couldnt’ve happened to a nicer guy” truly applies  in this case. Congratulations to Ray Allen for this historic accomplishment, keep shooting that “J”!

To Err Is Human

”If you can make God bleed, then people will cease to believe in him.” - Iron Man 2

 

The New England Patriots are the luckiest franchise in all of sports; not because of their Super Bowl victories or their talent level or their coaching staff, but because of their fans. They have a fan base that almost blindly, almost cult-like, follows and believes Brady, Belichick, et. all to a fault. Atleast they did until this past weekends playoff loss to the New York Jets caused each fan from Rhode Island to Maine and every where in between to question the mantra that had so smoothly slipped off the tongue in years past: In Bill We Trust.

The New York Jets are the ultimate villain team: they talk sh*t (Bart Scott), they have questionable character players (Antonio Cromartie, Braylon Edwards), unlikable stars (Mark Sanchez, L.T.), and a Head Coach who never shuts up unless he is asked about his foot fetish videos with his wife. The week leading up the game was almost unbearable for any Pats fan, having to listen to the garbage coming out of the Meadow Lands every day while our team did the “Patriot Way” and kept their mouths shut. Everyone was in anticipation of a blood bath on the field to shut them up.

That blood bath never happened, and in fact the Patriots lost, breaking hearts all over Patriots Nation. I could dissect the game and analyze all the questionable calls (the fake punt, benching welker, the lengthy drives, etc.), but I want to take a look at the bigger picture. I want to take a look at the last 3 post season games for the Patriots: this year’s loss to the Jets, last year’s loss to the Ravens, and the Super Bowl loss to the Giants. There are some eerie similarities between all three that any New Englander might not want to look at, but it is time to stop blindly following this team and realize that they are not the same force that once won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years.

In all three games, the problems were the same:

1. No Pass Rush

2. Can’t Stop Run

3. #2 Lead To Succesful Play Action

4. #3 Lead To Average QBs Having Great Games

5. Recievers Did Not Work Enough To Get Open

6. #5 Lead To Brady Holding On To Ball Too Long

7. #6 Lead To O-Line Giving Up Sacks.

8. No Adjustments During Game

While each of those 8 points is troublesome, #8 should be the most worrisome simply because it calls into question the two main cogs in this “Dynasty”: QB Tom Brady & HC Bill Belichik. For so long these two men have been heralded as among the best who ever lived at their respected positions, and certainly that is true. However, it is time to admit that neither is what they used to be, or atleast appeared to be: infallible. They now make mistakes, they now can be questioned, they have lost 3 straight post-season games. Now, does this mean that they are washed up? Of course not, but it does mean that expectations (and personnel) needs to change. The veterans surrounding this team (especially at the WR position and on the defensive side of the ball) have either moved on or aged too much. The young guys for the most part have shown promise, but still lack experience and that Super Bowl pedigree.

Fans still look at this team as the same team that dominated the early part of this decade simply because the two lead guys (Brady and Belichik) are still there. What people need to realize is that football is the ultimate team sport, and while the faces of this franchise may be the same, the heart beneath is very different, and thus expectations must be lowered. Fans must realize what the rest of the NFL has known for a few years now: that these are no longer the God’s of their sport, but men just like every other team.

But with a slew of draft picks and money to spend, it’s time to make the long climb back up Mt. Olympus.

Dueling Douchebags

This NFL season has clearly been one of the most entertaining in recent memory, with young teams like the Rams and Bucannears quickly rising to challenge the perennial champs of the league. It is the epitomy of competition at its finest. However, the best battle going on this season is not between any division rivals nor is it for the Super Bowl. No, truly the best game we’ve seen all year is the cotinuing saga of “Dueling Douchebags” pitting Brett Favre against Randy Moss. Now, nobody would say that these two are rookies of douchebagery, in fact some might say they are perennial Pro Bowlers of Egomania and sure-fire candidates for the Asshole Hall of Fame. However, I personally don’t think I have ever witnessed such a close contest of purely self-centered combatants going at it each week. Every day seems to have one guy at the top of the hate list, then BOOM the other comes back with a new propostorous headline on ESPN to steal the lead. I really can’t decide which one of these douchebags I hate more, and that is truly a tip of the cap to the athletes involved.

Let’s try to rewind to the pre-season and set the stage for how this epic battle started (assuming that they didn’t get together and PLAN to run ESPN for the NFL season, which I wouldn’t exactly rule out. Some drunken bet about who can get more air time that resulted in this debacle. I’m not ruling this out…). Both came into the year with early questions. Moss was being questioned about his work ethic and had a contract year looming over his head, but Favre clearly took the cake with his usual off season retire/don’t retire routine. Both play so-so on the field, not living up to their level of success, but neither going crazy. Suddenly Moss is at the podium, rocking some sweet headphones during a press conference for some reason, and “Ding, Ding” Brett Favre, Moss just rang the bell, it’s on. Moss starts talking about underappreciated he feels, how he wants to be loved, and basically just putting on an amazing display of insecure self absorbtion. I can just imagine Brett Favre sitting at home in his wranglers, fuming as he watches an ESPN story not about him. The old man wasn’t gonna take this lying down. The crafty veteran had laid the seeds years before, in New York, and yet the story just surfaced this year of how Brett reportedly was texting Dick Pics to sideline reporters. Brilliant. As if Favre wasn’t a good enough story already, over 40, a grandfather, still playing in the NFL, now he can add secret perv to that resume’. Moss tried to keep up, sulking, causing problems behind the scenes, sounding like a crazy person in interviews, showing off his thin grasp on the english language, but it just wasn’t enough. Bill Belichek really did a poor coaching job on this one, instead of pushing Moss to glory and helping him achieve the scumbag success he so desired, the Pats as usual kept a lot of these stories under wraps and didn’t let it out to the public. Moss knew he had to take it to another level.

The always-talented Moss DID in fact take it another level on Monday Night Football, the biggest stage there is, against the Miami Dolphins. His teammates really helped him out on this one, by dominating on the field. They scored some great special teams touchdowns and played inspired football, not just to win obviously, but to set up Moss for his big play against Favre. You see, most players would be ecstatic after a big road win on MNF against a division rival, but here was where Moss showed why he’s a veteran prick. Despite the victory, Moss was only thrown to once and did not record a catch, and no matter how big the Pats won that just wasn’t gonna fly with Mr. Moss. Randy not only got into a heated argument with his offensive coordinator, but also refused to talk to teammates and coaches on the flight home. His disruptive behavior stole headlines and I’m sure Favre was as shocked as the rest of us when he found out that Moss was being traded…TO FAVRE’S MINNESOTA VIKINGS! Oh the irony, the two foes locked in fierce competition now sharing a locker room. Brett had to act fast, since the NFL was investigating his pervish ways, but keeping it low key. Moss was all over ESPN for his selfishness and forcing a trade from the best organization in sports while Favre was forced to watch. Brett saw the writing on the wall when he looked at the schedule and saw that they had a game in New England in a couple weeks. Moss going home to face the Pats, the headlines would be historic. Favre new he had to act fast. Still ESPN taled about his sexting, and even some new info popped up about the old man trying to work a 3-way with a couple 18 year old masseuses, but Favre new it wouldn’t be enough. Strategically, he sucked against the packers and threw a terrible Pick-6 (A Brett Favre Staple Play), but the true genius was when he suffered minor ankle fractures (an injury that experts reported any QB would play on) and started talking about how he might end his iron man streak of games started and sit out against the Pats. He even spent the next week hobbling around whenever he saw a camera to show how tough he was even to stand. Moss must have been outraged that the QB stole the headlines from him as the team travelled to New England for the big game.

This was it, the big game, with the Patriots technically the opponents, but truly it was Favre VS. Moss. Things started slow, with Favre actually playing well for once and Moss not even involved in play. Then Moss struck first when he ran a go route, drew a penalty, and instantly slowed…as the ball dropped two feet in front of him. WHAT A PLAY! Any other reciever would’ve kept the play going and caught the TD, but not a master of meatheadedness like Moss. Again, Favre felt the pressure as Randy took his douchebaginess to new heights. The QB took a big hit that opened up a gash on his chin (just a few stitches needed), but seized the opportunity to shine. He not only stayed out for the rest of the game, but even was seen on camera laying in the fetal position with his eyes closes getting carted to the locker room. The Vikings lost the game of course, but the true fans knew the real action was just beginning.

I will say as a huge sports fan that I have never witnessed a better competition than these two Gods among men going toe-to-toe in their looney press conferences. No dick sextin, no crazy rants, no terrible effort, no old man pervy fun could come close to the douchebagery on display after the game in New England. First, Moss went into full on psycho mode talking about how much he missed New England and Brady and Belichek, literally sounding like a crazy person. He also was pissed that the league fined him 20 grand for not talking to reporters so he claimed he would interview himself from now on. Brilliant, pure lunacy. Finally, he slipped in some sublte insults to the Vikings organization and coaches. One of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Now it was Favre’s turn though, and the man just refused to lose. He went on a rant about how tough he is and how he has healing powers greater than all other men (Um, no, that’s Wolverine’s super hero, you are just a douche). He talked about how awesome he was to just give his team the chance to win despite his injuries. Truly one of the most self-absorbed rants I’ve ever heard, not once talking about how his team lost or the effort of his other teammates to keep them in the game. Too close to call in such a tight race.

Things took an unexpected turn this week when the Vikings released Moss! They had just traded a 3rd round pick for him, but his crazy antics were so extreme that the team decided to cut him. Reports surfaced of Randy insulting some poor Mom & Pop caterers being the last straw. Now that’s how a coaching staff propels a player to greatness, take note Mr. Belichek. Randy is getting all the press now by being the newest member of the Tennessee Titans (the only team that put a claim on him), and I’m giving him a slight edge over Favre for the season. However, we are only there and Favre is a force to be reckoned with. This battle surely is not over yet! Who is the bigger douchbag? Only time will tell.

There Can Only Be One Winner, But All Of America Loses…And Isn’t That What’s Really Important? Thanks Brett And Randy, For Making America Dumber With Your Actions…Go Fuck Yourselves. 

NFL Mid-Season Studs & Duds

So We’re About HalfWay Through The NFL Season (a weird one this year), so I wanted to point out some players who are OVER performing and others who are UNDER performing. Guys like Manning & Brady Do Not Qualify cuz even if they play like superstars, that is what is expected of them. So here we go:

ALL STUDS

• Arian Foster, RB, Texans - Dude Legit Came Outta NOWHERE And Is Leading League In Rushing

 

• Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Bills - Proving That Harvard Boys Can Do It Too

 

• Peyton Hillis, RB, Browns – White Runningback Is A Battering Ram

 

• Mike Williams, WR, Bucannears – Third Round Draft Choice Is A Quick #1 Wideout

 

• BenJarvis Green-Ellis/Danny Woodhead, RB’s, Patriots – LAW FIRM & LIL’ DANNY BOY! Someone These Two No-Names Have Put Forth A Solid Run Game For The #1 Team In The League. Run Hard And Good Things Happen.

 

• Chris Long, DE Rams - Prematurely Considered A Bust Last Year, Howie’s Son Has Been A Force This Season For Upstart Rams.

 

• Deangelo Hall, CB, Redskins – Known More For His Bad Attitude Than His Play, Has Truly Become A BallHawk With Great Hands.

 

• Clay Matthews, OLB, Packers - A Very Good Player Last Year, Matthews May Now Be The Most Feared Pass Rusher In The Game.

 

• Osi Umenyiora, DE, Giants - Many Thought Him Washed Up, He Responds With 8 Sacks And 7 Forced Fumbles…And It’s Barely November

 

• Patriots Defense - Started Off Rough, But Thanks To Key Performances By Patrick Chung, Vince Wilfork, Rob Ninkovich, And Especially Jerod Mayo (Plus Great Play From A Handful Of Rookies), The Pats’ D Has Been Solid And A Turnover Machine.

 

ALL DUDS

(Not Even Worth The Explanation)

• Brett Favre
• Randy Moss
• Donovan McNabb
• Entire Cowboys Team
• Kickers
• Albert Haynesworth
• Bob Sanders
• Rashean Mathis
• Shawn Merriman
• Buffalo Playing “Home” Games In Toronto

 

Quick Hitz! (11/3)

Ok Folks, I know I’ve been M.I.A. for too long, but I’m gonna get my ass in gear this week. Today I’m gonna be productive as shit starting with this “Quick Hitz!”, then doing My first half all studs and all duds teams from the NFL season so far, and hopefully get a late night article out focusing on the two big figures in sports this week: Randy Moss and Brett Favre. Because clearly those guys don’t get enough press. Also, I am working on a pitch to send out to sports industry professionals focusing on some of my kick-ass ideas so when I’m done with that I’ll post that up on the site. Plus, I will try to get a couple videos up soon on the youtube channel. So lets get it started:

 

• Congrats To The Giants On Winning The World Series
• Big Offseason For The Sox, Praying For Car Crawford
• Cliff Lee Looking To Get A BIG Pay Check
• My True Passion, Bruins Hockey, Off To Great Start
• Tim Thomas Playing Out Of His Mind Allowing .5 GPG, Absurdddddd
• College Football Shaping Up For A Confusing 4-way of BCS Champ contenders (Oregon, Auburn, Boise St., TCU)
• Terrible Coaching Going On In The NFL This Season (Shannahan, Childress, Phillips, etc., etc.)
• Patriots Have Best Record In NFL, TRUST IN BILL & BRADY!
• The Big Diesel A Good Addition To The C’s So Far
• Rajon Rondo Dropping Dimes At Record Setting Rate, Him And Garnette Look MONEY Right Now
• LeBron James Is Still A Tool And He Still Doesn’t Understand Why We Hate Him
• Concussions Taking Over Sports Landscape
• Blake Griffin Is A Beast & John Wall Is A Freak. Good Too See #1 Picks Living Up To The Hype
• Twitter Is Gay
• LeBron Has A Highlight Block Every Night, But He Shows Off And Slams It Into Crowd…Giving The Ball Back To The Other Team
• Moss On Waivers Today, New Team Coming Soon…Then Next Team Shortly After That
• Minnesota Timberwolves Isn’t Just The Team Where B.Ball Players Go To Die…Dreams, Flowers, Puppy’s, And Other Nice Things Die Around Them To. Must Be That Poisonous Stench Of Failure
• No True Front Runner For NFL MVP So Far
• My Fantasy Football Team Is 4-4 After Winning 4 Straight Then Dropping The Last 4, Streakier Than Ray Allen’s 3′s
• I Smell Multiple Championships In Boston This Year

TGIFS = Thank God It’s Football Season!

Time to play some Tuesday Morning Quarterback! It is really nice to have football back in our lives, both college and professional. I spent my saturday at Alumni Stadium screaming myself hoarse rooting for Boston College and my favorite player, cancer survivor Mark Herzlich. I spent my sunday glued to the couch, back in my old routine: watching the Pats, laptop in hand, checkin on my fantasy players. Dam it’s good to have football back. Let’s break down some of the key outcomes from the weekend!

Patriots Big Win

The New England Patriots told the pundits to shove it with a big win over the Bengals. The defense had been a big question mark for the Pats coming into the season, but they proved that they could hang with the big dogs. Rookie CB Devin McCourty and second year SS Patrick Chung were especially impressive for the Patriots. Gary Guyton intercepted a pass and returned it to the house and the explosive Brandon Tate opened the second half with a 97 yard kickoff return TD, completing a strong victory in all three phases of the game. Tom Brady looked as good as ever, the 3 new TEs all played significant roles, and most importantly Wes Welker returned from injury ahead of schedule and caught 2 TD passes. All-in-all a stellar victory for the Pats.

Arian…Who?

That is what everyone in Indianapolis must be thinking right now as their Colts got absolutely run over by the Texans’ Arian Foster for over 200 yards and 3 scores, leading Houston to just its second victory over their rivals in 17 games.

TD…Or Not

The biggest controversy from the weekend came from the Lions loss to the Bears. With under a minute remaining, backup QB Shaun Hill tossed a ball into the endzone and it appeared that Calvin Johnson had brought it down for the go-ahead score…but the officials (citing a crappy, but true, rule of posession through the end) called it incomplete. Another heart breaker for Detroit fans.

Monday Night Madness

Arguably two of the favorites to win the AFC, the Jets and the Chargers, fell in their monday night openers. The Jets faced a tough Ravens defense and lost by 1 in a slugfest. QB Mark Sanchez was ineffective and the running game couldn’t hang on to the ball. The Ravens offense wasn’t much better, but new addition Anquan Boldin showcased his #1 WR ability. The Ravens gave the Jets some REAL “Hard Knocks” and toughed out an impressive victory.

The more surprising of the two games was the latter, where the unheralded Kansas City Chiefs beat the much talked about Chargers by the strength of their rookies. Safety Eric Berry was flying around making tackles, CB Javier Arenas was dangerous in the return game, and WR Dexter McCluster returned a punt for a TD. While the offense was sputtering at best, the KC defense held strong and gave up just 14 points to Phillip Rivers & Company. Definately a nice win to start the season for the Chiefs.

NBA Free Agent Run-Down

Lots To Talk About Here, So I’m Jut Going To Jump Into It! First and foremost, Miami deserves a lot of credit for being able to snare all 3 of the main talents available. The Knicks and Nets deserve a lot of scrutiny for wasting cap space and not luring anyof the big 3. The fans of Cleveland deserve our sympathy for the knife LeBron left in their backs. Let’s Dig Deeper!

Miami Heat: Re-signed D-Wade and added Chris Bosh & King James, forming the most talented tri-fecta in the leage. The only problem is that all of their money is tied up with them so they will have to surround them with players who will sign for the league minimum. Certainly worth it to get arguably 3 of the top 15 players in the league on the court together. Looking like a powerhouse for the next 5 years. Scary Good.

New York Knicks: Did land Amare’ Stoudemaire, but lost David Lee and failed to snag King James. Got a little better, still have cap space, but really a let down.

Chicago Bulls: Much like the Knicks, they landed a conslation prize (Carlos Boozer) but failed to get a star. Still a good team.

Boston Celtics: Brought back Sugar Ray and Paul Pierce (along with coach Doc), but blew a 2 yr deal on Jermaine O’Neal.

New Jersey Nets: No superstar, Big deal for Travis Outlaw, crazy new Russian Owner. Strange.

Atlanta Hawks: re-signed Joe Johnson to MAX deal. Good team, but maybe not the smartest move.

More to come from Free Agency still, but the big players are locked in and South Beach is looking for some championships.