I have ravaged through the NBA rosters and I have put together the most overpaid and underworked roster in the league.  The fifteen players I would have on this team will earn $121,246,393 bucks this season.  Here it goes:

POINT GUARDS:  Mike James of the Wizards would start here for this team.  He has played in 3 games (0 starts) for the Wizards this season and he is averaging 14.3 minutes, 6.0 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.7 assists per game.  He is one of the very few players on this team that are whining about playing time so at least he cares somewhat.  He is making $6,466,600 bucks this season.  His back-up would be Marcus Banks of the Raptors.  Banks has played in 15 games (0 starts) for the Raptors this season and he is averaging 12.4 minutes, 4.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.  For all of that productivity Banks is getting paid $4,553,793 bucks.  Speedy Claxton would be the #3 PG on this team but he’s gimpy righty now.  He has yet to play in a game this season for the Warriors but that isn’t stopping him from getting paid $5,209,454 bucks.

SHOOTING GUARD:  Tracy McGrady would be the starter at shooting guard for this team.  He is by far the best player on this list and he’s here because he isn’t earning his checks this year.  T-Mac got off to a slow start coming back from injury before the Rockets just told him to go home.  T-Mac has played in 6 games (0 starts) this season for the Rockets and he is averaging 7.7 minutes, 3.2 points, 0.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  For all of that production the Rockets are paying T-Mac $22,843,124 bucks!  DeShawn Stevenson would back up T-Mac on this team.  Don’t worry Stevenson will be more than happy to fire up the other team if need be as he liked to run his mouth about how overrated LeBron James is before the Cavs kept bouncing his Wizards out of the playoffs.  Stevenson has played in 37 games (12 starts) for the Wizards this season and he is averaging 15.8 minutes, 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  Stevenson would be the lowest paid player on this team as he is only getting paid $3,883,929 bucks this season.  Matt Carroll would be the #3 SG on this team.  He has played in 15 games (0 starts) for the Mavericks this season and he is averaging 4.3 minutes, 1.5 points, 0.2 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.  Carroll is making $4,700,000 bucks this season.

SMALL FORWARD:  Bobby Simmons would be the starting small forward on this team.  He has played in 23 games (2 starts) for the Nets this season and he is averaging 17.2 minutes, 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.  For Simmons trouble this season he is making $11,242,666 bucks this year.  Adam Morrison definitely deserves a spot on this team and he would back-up Simmons.  Morrison has played in 21 games (0 starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging 8.1 minutes, 2.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  Morrison is pretty awful but that isn’t going to stop him from making $5,257,229 bucks.  Brian Cardinal of the Timberwolves will be the #3 SF for this team.  He has played in 25 games (0 starts) for the T-Wolves this season and he is averaging 9.2 minutes, 1.7 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.  Cardinal is making $6,750,000 bucks this season.

POWER FORWARD:  Darko Milicic would have to be my starting power forward on this team.  He has played in 8 games (0 starts) for the Knicks this season and he is averaging 8.9 minutes, 2.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  Milicic has really been a awful player and the Pistons are paying for it right now as they picked him over D-Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh!  Milicic is still a rich guy no matter how bad he sucks at basketball as he is making $7,540,000 bucks this season.  For a lack of alternatives I’m going to use Milicic’s Knicks’ teammate Eddy Curry to back him up.  Curry has played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Knicks this season and he is averaging 8.9 minutes, 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.  Curry is making $10,500,423 bucks this season.

CENTERS:  All you have to do is look at the Charlotte Bobcats here.  Tyson Chandler would be the starting center on this team.  He has played in 25 games (all starts) for the Bobcats this season and he is averaging 25.7 minutes, 6.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 1.2 blocked shots per game.  While his numbers are not near as bad as most players on this team they are still not worth $11,700,000 bucks.  DaSagana Diop would back up Chandler just like he does with the Bobcats.  He has played in 24 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats this season and he is averaging 9.8 minutes, 1.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game.  Diop is making $6,031,800 bucks this year.  Mark Blount of the T-Wolves and Jerome James of the Bulls would be the other centers on this team.  Neither of them have played a game this season.  Blount is making $7,967,375 bucks and James is pocketing $6,600,000 bucks this year. 

This is a team of guys who come to the gym for practice with ski masks on because they are stealing their paychecks.  Now you can see why NBA tickets cost so much!

We are more than halfway through the 2009-’10 NBA season, and the All-Star game is now less than two weeks away in Dallas on February 14th.  There has been a lot of action so far this year and some major players have been stepping up their play all season long.  You’ve got LeBron James leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the best record in the NBA, Kobe Bryant dominating despite playing most of the season with a severely broken index finger on his shooting hand, Carmelo Anthony lighting it up in Denver, and Dwayne Wade doing his thing in Miami.  Then there is a host of young talent that has been very impressive this year, and the future of the NBA is looking very bright.  Guys like Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Andrew Bynum, Rajon Rondo, and many more are all coming into their own.  Then there are some rookies who are already playing like seasoned vets.  There are plenty of talented guards in this year’s rookie class, most notably Tyreke Evans of the Kings, Brandon Jennings of the Bucks, Stephen Curry of the Warriors, and Ty Lawson of the Nuggets.  Well, here are my award winners in the NBA so far this season:

MVP:  Kobe Bryant  (Los Angeles Lakers)

Runner-Up:  LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)  

Kobe’s stats:  48 games, 28.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.7 steals, 38.6 minutes, 46% FG, 32% 3PT, 83% FT

There really aren’t any flaws in Kobe Bryant’s game, and the 31-year-old shooting guard is not showing any signs of slowing down.  Kobe has been doing it all this season for the Lakers, leading them to the best record in the Western Conference (37-11), which is only .5 games back of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA.  Many people are going with LeBron as the MVP, but I think Kobe has the slight edge over King James.  Kobe has played without Pau Gasol in 17 games this year but he has still kept the Lakers at an elite level.  I also think the West is a little bit tougher of a conference.  Oh, and did I mention he has been doing all of this with a broken index finger on his right hand?

Rookie of the Year:  Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings)

Runner-Up:  Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Evans’ stats:  42 games, 20.5 points, 5.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 36.9 minutes, 46% FG,  80% FT

This was an easy choice, as Evans has been the best rookie this season since day one.  Stephen Curry has surpassed Brandon Jennings as the second best rookie, as Curry has been on-fire lately and Jennings shooting percentage keeps dropping.  Both are not playing close to the level Evans has been playing, and although the Kings are only 16-30 so far this season, they can be a dangerous team and Evans gives them a chance to win every single night.  He definitely does not play like a rookie, and he has a strength and maturity on the court that helps him outplay some older, elite NBA players.  This 20-year-old point guard is going to be a star in this league for many years to come.

Defensive Player of the Year:  Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)

Runner-up:  Gerald Wallace (Charlotte Bobcats)

Dwight Howard is an absolute force on both ends of the court, but I think his defense and rebounding have more of an impact than his offensive game.  That is saying a lot since Howard averages 17.7 points and is shooting 60% from the field.  He gets 9.7 defensive rebounds per game, along with 2.7 blocks, and 1.2 steals.  His presence is always felt on the defensive end and even if he doesn’t block a shot or get a rebound, odds are that he affected how the other team attacked the Magic’s defense.  He forces guys to adjust their shots when driving to the hole, and teams are much more likely to shoot from the outside rather than challenging Howard down low.

Sixth Man Award:  Jamal Crawford (Atlanta Hawks)

Runner-Up:  Tie between Jason Terry (Dallas Mavericks) and Carl Landry (Houston Rockets)

Crawford’s stats:  46 games, 17.7 points, 2.8 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 30.7 minutes, 46% FG, 36% 3PT, 86% FT

The Atlanta Hawks are 30-16 this season, and Jamal Crawford is a big reason why.  Crawford provides a big scoring option off the bench for the Hawks, and he also has a knack for hitting the big shot.  Crawford may not take the best shots at times, but somehow he makes most of them.  He can be deadly from three, and is second all-time in 4-point plays (22) trailing only Reggie Miller.  Crawford can really light it up and will be a huge asset for the Hawks come playoff time.

Most Improved Player:  Carl Landry (Houston Rockets)

Runner-Up:  Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies)

Landry’s stats:  16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.9 blocks, 27.4 minutes, 55% FG

Carl Landry has really stepped it up this season, and the Houston Rockets really needed him to.  With Yao Ming out for the season, Landry has been a consistent low post threat for the Rockets.  He is also a very efficient player, averaging over 16 points despite only playing 27 minutes per game.  His scoring average is about 7 points more a game this season compared to last, and his rebounding numbers are up as well.  Houston will be fighting for a spot in the playoffs, and if they make it Landry will be a big reason why.

A lot of quality free agents still remain unsigned with pitchers and catchers ready to report to spring training in less than two weeks.  So I will take a look into my crystal ball to predict where the players will land.  The first thing I see is that the A’s, Red Sox, Tigers, Rockies and Pirates appear to be done shopping which is a shame with some many bargains left.  Here we go:

TEXAS RANGERS:  The Texas Rangers are not happy with their catching situation going into the 2010 season and with that in mind they will sign Rod Barajas.  This will cap a fine off-season for the Rangers as they are ready to rock this year.

SEATTLE MARINERS:  Look for the Mariners to bring back Jarrod Washburn on a 1-year deal as he pitched great for them last season.  They have waited him out and will likely get a good deal for 2010.  Look for them to also bring back outfielder Endy Chavez on a minor league deal as he fits with the defensive philosophy that the Mariners are going with in 2010.  Righty reliever Mike MacDougal is the kind of pitcher the Mariners like to take a chance on.  He’s a tad wild but so was David Aardsma and you saw what happened with him.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS:  The Angels could use a cheap veteran for the bullpen and with that in mind righty David Weathers would be perfect for them.  Also, look for them to try to bring back OF/1B Darin Erstad and lefty reliever Scott Schoeneweis (if he still wants to pitch) on minor league deals.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS:  The Blue Jays have a big hole at DH unless they are going to go with Randy Ruiz there and I don’t see that happening.  Looking into the crystal ball I see both lefty swinging Carlos Delgado and righty swinging Gary Sheffield moving north to share the DH spot at a bargain price.

TAMPA BAY RAYS:  The Rays have been picky so far this off-season.  Joe Maddon says he wants another reliever and that is where Chan Ho Park fits in as he can give the Rays a lot of innings.  But, the cherry on top of the post-season for the Rays will be when they sign Johnny Damon to DH even with Pat Burrell still on the roster.  Damon lives in Orlando and he would cherish all of the extra time he can spend with his family.

NEW YORK YANKEES:  The Yankees will add righty swinging outfielder Marcus Thames to give them some pop off the bench and lefty reliever Ron Mahay will also come to the Bronx to help the pen.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES:  The Orioles could use another decent righty reliever and that is where Kiko Calero fits in for them.

CLEVELAND INDIANS:  The Indians look to a couple of old friends in 1B Russell Branyan and righty starting pitcher Bartolo Colon.  Branyan might finally deliver on all of the potential the Tribe thought he had.  Colon could steal the #5 job in the rotation as it looks pretty weak right now.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX:  The White Sox are playing this pretty coy but I think they are ready to pounce and sign Hank Blalock to be the DH against righty pitchers.  His power would play really well in the White Sox’ home field.  Lefty John Bale also goes to the White Sox on a minor league deal.

MINNESOTA TWINS:  The Twins are playing it cheap right now.  Look for 2B Adam Kennedy to sign with the Twins and start at 2B in 2010 for them.  Lefty reliever Will Ohman will sign a minor league deal to be the Twins’ #2 lefty in the pen.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS:  The Royals need some lefty pitching and with that in mind they will sign Eric Bedard for the rotation and Ron Villone for the pen.

SAN DIEGO PADRES:  The Padres are hot and heavy for catcher Yorvit Torrealba and they will get him to start behind the plate in 2010.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS:  The Giants have played the market right as they will sign Jermaine Dye to start in RF in 2010 for them at a nice price.  Look for the Giants to make Bengie Molina even happier by bringing in his brother Jose to back him up.  The Giants also clean up in the pen adding righties Jeff Weaver, Kip Wells and lefty Alan Embree on minor league deals.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS:  The Dodgers will sign outfielder Reed Johnson to be the #4 outfielder in 2010.  They will also bring back righty starter Pedro Martinez and sign Chien-Ming Wang for down the road.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS:  The Diamondbacks will bring in righty starter Brett Tomko and lefty starter Noah Lowry on minor league deals to compete for spots at the back end of the rotation.  Righty reliever Chad Bradford will also get a chance to revive his career in Arizona.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS:  The Nationals still have some money to spend.  They will use most of it on Orlando Hudson to start at 2B for them in 2010.  They will also bring in 1B Mike Jacobs for a nice price as a strong bat off the bench.  Righties Livan Hernandez and Todd Wellemeyer also come in on minor league deals to compete for rotation spots this spring.

FLORIDA MARLINS:  The Marlins will sign righty reliever Kevin Gregg to compete with Leo Nunez this spring for the right to be the closer in 2010.  The Marlins will also bring back Alfredo Amezaga to back up everywhere if he is healthy.  The wildcards will be the spring invites and minor league deals they give to 1B Tony Clark and OF Brian Giles.  The Marlins are also collecting pitchers like Jamey Wright so why not bring in the real thing on a minor league deal.

NEW YORK METS:  Lefty swinging 1B/OF Greg Norton is a solid pinch hitter and that is why the Mets will bring him to camp.

ATLANTA BRAVES:  The Braves still seem short a couple of bench players.  With that in mind righty swinging OF Rocco Baldelli and righty swinging 2B/3B/OF Ryan Freel come to town.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES:  With Jamie Moyer likely not ready to start the season the Phillies ink righty starter Braden Looper to help out.  Lefty reliever Scott Eyre decides not to retire as he signs on for one more year with the Phillies.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS:  I see the Cardinals swooping in and signing a lot of players to bargain 1-year deals.  It all starts with Felipe Lopez who signs on to start at 3B in 2010.  The Cardinals don’t stop there as they bring in outfielder Garret Anderson and 1B/3B Robb Quinlan to provide some punch off the bench.  Righty starter John Smoltz comes back for one more year to serve as the Cards’ #5 starter.  Righties Guillermo Mota and Russ Springer are added to the bullpen.

CINCINNATI REDS:  The Reds will bring back outfielder Jonny Gomes to provide some punch in the line-up.

CHICAGO CUBS:  The Cubs sign outfielder Dave Dellucci with him having a chance to win a bench job this spring.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS:  The Brewers sign lefty reliever Joe Beimel.  They also give old friend lefty swinging Geoff Jenkins a minor league deal.

HOUSTON ASTROS:  The Astros will ink lefty reliever Jamie Walker to a minor league deal as they need some help from that side in the pen.

I’m sure that I won’t be right on most of these destinations but I had fun looking into the crystal ball for you.  I can’t wait until April as baseball in the best sport in the world.

The Nets are sitting at 4-42 on the season as they have the 1972-1973 Philadelphia 76ers in their sites.  That Sixers team went 9-73 compiling the worst record in NBA history.  The Nets have a real shot at this record especially if they dump some players at the trade deadline.  The Nets are equally horrible both at home (3-19) and on the road (1-23) as they are outscored by an average of 12 points per game (101.7-89.7).  The Nets are not without talent though so I have a hard time believing that they can’t win at least 6 more games this season.  It all begins with second year center Brook Lopez who has played in 45 games (all starts) in which he is averaging 36.4 minutes, 18.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.  Lopez is the Nets’ only untouchable player as the trade deadline approaches.  Point guard Devin Harris has been a huge disappointment when he has been healthy enough to play.  He has played in 31 games (28 starts) this season and he is averaging 33.6 minutes, 15.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  Harris is only shooting 37.8% from the floor and 21.7% from the three point line.  It looks like the losing is getting to him as he seems to be pressing too much.  Harris just needs to get healthy and worry about doing his job of running the offense instead of gunning the ball too much.  Power forward Yi Jianlian got off to a late start this season due to injury.  He has played in 21 games (20 starts) for the Nets this season and he is averaging 32.4 minutes, 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.  Chris Douglas-Roberts has been a surprise for the Nets this season as he is playing pretty well.  He has played in 36 games (34 starts) for the Nets this season and he is averaging 33.8 minutes, 13.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  Courtney Lee has been a disappointment so far this season for the Nets.  He has played in 37 games (32 starts) this season and he is averaging 32.5 minutes, 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.  I will be stunned if the Nets set a new record for futility this season because they do have some good, young talented players.

Baseball announcers have been mentioning the Mendoza Line for quite some time without really explaining what it means.  There was a shortstop in the majors who played from the middle seventies to the early eighties who was names Mario Mendoza.  He flat out just couldn’t hit the ball but he hung around because he had a good glove.  Mendoza played in 686 games in 9 years in his major league career and he was 287 for 1,337 (.215 avg, .507 OPS) with 106 runs scored, 4 homers, 101 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.  So an average of about .215 would be the Mendoza Line for the record.  He had a “career” year in 1980 when he played in 114 games in which he was 68 for 277 (.245 avg, .596 OPS) with 27 runs scored, 2 homers, 14 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.  Impress your friends when you hear the “Mendoza” line on a baseball broadcast now as you know exactly what the announcer is talking about.

Kurt Warner decided yesterday to hang up his cleats and call it a career.  He played 12 years in the NFL appearing in 125 games in which he completed 2,666 of 4,070 passes (65.5%) for 32,344 yards with 208 TD passes and 128 INTs (93.7 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 173 times for 286 yards (1.7 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  I was talking to my brother yesterday and he asked me if I thought Warner was a Hall of Famer.  I said maybe.  A first glance at his stats shows that he is #26 all-time in both TD passes and passing yards.  But, he also is #2 all-time in completion % and he is #6 in career QB Rating.  The tiebreaker with me was Warner’s Super Bowl production which is out of this world.  He is the all-time leader in passing yards in Super Bowl history with 1,156 and he did that in only three games!  The amazing Kurt Warner has the three highest yardage totals in Super Bowl history (414, 377 and 365) and with that in mind I would say that yes he is a Hall of Fame QB.

First of all, I am 40 years old so my time goes back to the late 70’s on.  I would rank Steve Carlton right behind Randy Johnson if I were to rank the best lefty starting pitchers that my two eyes have seen.  He was a lot like the Big Unit as he had a good fastball and a outstanding slider.  Carlton pitched 24 seasons in his major league career appearing in 741 games (709 starts) in which he was 329-244, with 2 saves, a 3.22 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.  Carlton won 4 Cy Young Awards with the Phillies in 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1982.  But, Carlton was at his best in 1972.  That was the year he won his first Cy Young Award with the Phillies.  He did it by starting 41 games in which he was 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP.  He threw a stunning 30 complete games that season including 8 that were shutouts.  The most amazing thing about Carlton’s 1972 season was just how bad his team (the Phillies) were that year as they finished up with a 59-97 record!  Carlton led the majors in wins three times (the N.L. 4 times) and he led the N.L. in strikeouts 5 times.  Carlton is #63 all-time in major league history in games pitched (741), #6 in games started (709), #11 in wins (324), #75 in complete games (254), tied for 14th in shutouts (55), #9 in innings pitched (5,217 1/3) and he is #4 in strikeouts (4,136).  Carlton was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.

The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints will be facing off in Super Bowl XLIV on February 7th in Miami, Florida.  This will be the Saints first appearance in the Super Bowl and the Colts fourth.  The Colts won Super Bowl XL, which was also held in Miami.  Both of these teams have very good quarterbacks and high-scoring offenses, so this should be a fun Super Bowl to watch.  For a recap of the Conference Championship games, just click on the team name.

NFC Championship

Minnesota Vikings 28, New Orleans Saints 31 OT

AFC Championship

New York Jets 17, Indianapolis Colts 30

The 2010 NBA All-Star game takes place at the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas on February 14th and the fan-votes are final for this year’s All-Star game starters.  Since the starters are voted in by the fans, there are a few names I don’t think should be starting (most notably Allen Iverson), but as long as the fans are the deciding factor there will always be a few undeserving starters.  Well, here are your starters for the 2010 All-Star game:

Eastern Conference

G     Allen Iverson - Philadelphia 76ers (11th All-Star game)

G     Dwayne Wade - Miami Heat (6th All-Star game)

F     LeBron James * - Cleveland Cavaliers (6th All-Star game)

F     Kevin Garnett - Boston Celtics (13th All-Star game)

C     Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic (4th All-Star game)

Western Conference

G    Steve Nash - Phoenix Suns (7th All-Star game)

G     Kobe Bryant * - Los Angeles Lakers (12th All-Star game)

F     Carmelo Anthony - Denver Nuggets (3rd All-Star game)

F     Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs (12th All-Star game)

C    Amar’e Stoudemire - Phoenix Suns (5th All-Star game)

* Top Conference Vote-Getter

I agree with most of the picks in the West, however I think Dirk Nowitzki should get the start over Tim Duncan.  In the East, I don’t think Iverson or Garnett should start.  Iverson shouldn’t even be in the game let alone start and I almost feel the same way about Garnett too.  Both have missed a lot of games this season and there are plenty of players more deserving to start.  In my opinion, Joe Johnson should be the starter over Iverson and Chris Bosh should start instead of Garnett.  The reserves have yet to be announced, but here is who I think should get the nod:

Eastern Conference:  G - Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls), G - Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks), F - Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), F - Gerald Wallace (Charlotte Bobcats), C - David Lee, G/F - Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics), F - Josh Smith (Atlanta Hawks)

Western Conference:  G - Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets), G - Monta Ellis (Golden State Warriors), F - Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks), F - Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), C - Al Jefferson (Minnesota Timberwolves), G - Brandon Roy (Portland Trail Blazers), F/C Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz)

It has been a pretty exciting postseason so far in the NFL and the Super Bowl is just around the corner.  Only four teams remain in the hunt and the matchups Sunday are looking like some good ones.  Here are our predictions for Sunday’s games and for a preview just click on the team name.

NFC Championship prediction

New Orleans Saints 31, Minnesota Vikings 28

AFC Championship prediction

Indianapolis Colts 21, New York Jets 17

This has been a weird off-season so far as there still are a bunch of impact free agents available.  I will take a look at some of the new faces each team has brought in over the winter and give each front office a grade.  The grade won’t be based on and re-signing of players but only on the news ones brought in.  Here we go:

I really like what the Baltimore Orioles have done so far.  They have brought in Garrett Atkins who will start at either 1B or 3B for the Orioles this season and the price was right to take a chance on him.  The Orioles brought in Kevin Millwood in a trade with the Rangers to give them a solid veteran to team with Jeremy Guthrie at the top of the starting rotation.  The Orioles also signed veteran lefty Mike Gonzalez to close for them.  ORIOLES GRADE:  B

The Boston Red Sox have decided to focus on defense and pitching this winter.  Signing John Lackey as a free agent gives the Red Sox one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball with Beckett, Lester and Lackey at the top of it.  The Red Sox lost out on Jason Bay who signed with the Mets.  But, the Red Sox signed veteran Mike Cameron to replace him.  Cameron’s arrival bumps Jacoby Ellsbury to LF really making the defense better for the BoSox in 2010.  Cameron is still probably a 20/20 player but he won’t put up numbers anywhere close to Bay’s.  Adrian Beltre will replace Mike Lowell as the starting 3B in 2010.  Beltre is one of the best defensive players at the hot corner but he is a so-so hitter who might be able to put up numbers like Lowell if he can stay healthy and focused.  Marco Scutaro was signed to take over at shortstop for the Red Sox this season.  It has been a black hole for the Red Sox for years now.  Still, Scutaro had a career year last season so I think he will regress a tad in 2010.  Jeremy Hermida came over in a trade with the Marlins and he will serve as the Red Sox’ #4 OF in 2010.  RED SOX GRADE:  B

The New York Yankees have been semi quiet over the off-season at least on the free agent front.  Nick Johnson was signed to replace Hideki Matsui at DH.  I’m not so sure I like this move because Johnson rarely stays healthy and he just isn’t near as good of a hitter as Matsui is.  I did like the trade that brought in Curtis Granderson whose swing is perfect for Yankee Stadium.  Granderson will also improve the defense of the Yankees in 2010.  The Yankees also brought in Javier Vazquez in a trade with the Braves moving the popular Melky Cabrera as part of the deal.  Vazquez did not pitch too well in his first time around with the Yankees so it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure in 2010.  YANKEES GRADE:  B-

The Toronto Blue Jays have made a few big moves this winter.  I don’t think that they got fair return for Roy Halladay as the Phillies took advantage of the Blue Jays’ need to trade the big guy.  1B/3B Brett Wallace and/or Kyle Drabek could make their major league debuts for the Blue Jays this season and they were part of the return for Halladay.  The one move I really liked for the Blue Jays was when they stole Brandon Morrow for Brandon League.  Catcher John Buck and shortstop Alex Gonzalez were brought in to start for the Blue Jays this season as free agents and I have a feeling neither will do too well for the Jays.  I did like the recent signing of Jeremy Reed to help out of the bench in 2010 in the outfield.  BLUE JAYS GRADE:  C-

The Tampa Bay Rays had two needs coming into the winter.  They needed a catcher to push Dioner Navarro and they needed a new closer.  They filled both of those needs in the trade market.  The Rays acquired catcher Kelly Shoppach from the Indians for pitcher Mitch Talbot.  Shoppach might push Navarro right to the bench or they could wind up platooning.  Either way I love that trade for the Rays.  The Rays then took the pitcher they got from the Pirates (Jesse Chavez) for Akinori Iwamura and they traded him to the Braves for closer Rafael Soriano.  In essence they acquired Soriano for Iwamura and that was another win for the Rays.  RAYS GRADE:  A

I thought the Minnesota Twins were going to be big spenders this winter but the only real free agent they have brought in is righty reliever Clay Condrey.  The Twins did fill a huge hole at shortstop by trading outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Brewers for J.J. Hardy.  I like that trade for both teams as the Brewers had a big need in CF.  The Twins still have needs at 2B and 3B.  TWINS GRADE:  D-

The Tigers drew a lot of fire for trading Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson over the winter but they got a decent return for them which has improved the depth of the pitching staff while bringing in a replacement CF.  Austin Jackson will likely start in CF for the Tigers in 2010 as long as he proves that he is ready.  He will probably be just as good as Granderson defensively but he is nowhere near the power hitter that Granderson is.  Despite Edwin Jackson pitching so well for the Tigers last season I really like the upside of Max Scherzer who they acquired as part of that trade.  He will replace Jackson in the Tigers’ rotation.  Lefty Phil Coke is the wildcard because the Tigers have been talking about using him in the starting rotation.  He does have good stuff and if he isn’t deemed good enough to start he will work out of the pen in 2010.  Fellow lefty Daniel Schlereth will be working late in games for the Tigers in 2010 because his stuff is that good.  The cherry on the top for the Tigers this winter was the recent signing of closer Jose Valverde to close for them in 2010.  He is a huge upgrade over Fernando Rodney.  TIGERS GRADE:  B

The Chicago White Sox have not made any huge moves this winter but they have successfully tweaked the roster making the team better.  Juan Pierre will give the White Sox a solid hitter at the top of the line-up who can really run getting into the heads of opposing pitchers.  Ozzie Guillen will be giving Pierre the green light early and often in 2010 and he could lead the league in steals.  The White Sox acquire Mark Teahan in a trade with the Royals and they are going to start him at 3B.  I’ve always thought he was overrated but maybe playing half of his games in Chicago will wake up his bat.  Andruw Jones signed for next to nothing (500K) for the 2010 season and he could surprise if given a lot of playing time.  He will likely get quite a few ABs at DH this season and it will be interesting to see what he does with them.  White Sox’ GM Kenny Williams pulled off a master stroke in signing veteran Omar Vizquel to back-up Gordon Beckham and Alexei Ramirez and tutor them defensively where he is a wizard.  J.J. Putz was signed as a free agent giving the Pale Hose another huge arm at the back of the bullpen.  WHITE SOX GRADE:  B

The Kansas City Royals have done nothing to help the pitching staff but they have brought in a lot of position players to hopefully help the offense and defense.  I was not a fan of the signing of veteran Jason Kendall to start behind the plate as his play appears to be fading at his advancing age.  I have a hard time believing he will outplay Miguel Olivo or John Buck this year.  I did like the trade that they made with the White Sox sending the vastly overrated Mark Teahan to them for Josh Fields and Chris Getz.  The Royals have signed three free agent outfielders (Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel and Brian Anderson) who could all have huge roles with the team.  Podsednik has the best chance of making a impact out of the new trio of outfielders because his speed will be a welcome addition to the Royals’ line-up.  But, Rick Ankiel probably has the highest upside because of his power.   ROYALS GRADE:  C-

The Cleveland Indians have brought in one of the worst managers in all of baseball (Manny Acta) and they followed it up with a very poor winter.  The Indians traded Kelly Shoppach to the Rays for starting pitcher Mitch Talbot who will be given a chance to earn a spot in the rotation this spring.  The Indians have signed veteran free agent catcher Mike Redmond to replace Shoppach as the back-up catcher in 2010.  He is on the downside of his career so his best asset to the team will be leadership.  The Indians have also brought in a few minor league free agents like Shelley Duncan, Mark Grudzielanek, Austin Kearns and Saul Rivera.  INDIANS GRADE:  F

The Angels have lost more than they have gained this winter.  The main problem with that is where the players that are leaving went to.  Vladimir Guerrero and Darren Oliver signed with the Rangers and Chone Figgins signed with the Mariners.  I do think that the signing of Hideki Matsui will negate the loss of Guerrero whose body started breaking down last season.  The Angels recently signed Joel Pineiro as a free agent but he is not in the same league as John Lackey.  I did like the signing of Fernando Rodney who will compete with Brian Fuentes for the closer’s job this spring.  ANGELS GRADE:  C-

The Texas Rangers are rolling the dice this winter as they have brought in some players with huge upsides who have been brittle lately.  Offensively the Rangers have brought in Vladimir Guerrero and Khalil Greene.  Guerrero will be the full-time DH for the Rangers this season and he has been lethal in his career at Arlington Stadium.  I love this signing for the Rangers and I can’t wait until they play the Rangers.  Khalil Greene had a lot of issues in St. Louis last season but the Rangers are giving him a clean slate and he has a nice upside if he keeps his head on straight.  The Rangers traded Kevin Millwood to the Orioles and the next day they signed Rich Harden to replace him.  Harden has better stuff than Millwood but he’s not nearly as durable.  The Rangers also brought back Colby Lewis who was awful for them before going over to Japan and learning how to pitch.  The Rangers hope he brings the lessons he learned with him.  Righty reliever Chris Ray was acquired in the Millwood trade with the Orioles.  He still has a outstanding arm and he could pitch late in games if he can prove that he is healthy.  Stealing Darren Oliver from the Angels will give the Rangers a lethal lefty combo late in games with C.J. Wilson.  RANGERS GRADE:  B+

The Seattle Mariners have really made their team much better over the winter.  It all started with the signing of Chone Figgins who they stole from the division rival Angels.  Figgins will give the Mariners a lethal duo at the top of the line-up teaming with Ichiro.  Figgins also will bring a solid glove to the hot corner for the Mariners.  The Mariners also traded for Casey Kotchman to replace Russell Branyan at 1B.  Kotchman is a wizard with a glove on his hand but he has nowhere near the power of Branyan.  The Mariners decided to take a chance on Milton Bradley who will start in LF.  I like that move for the Mariners because it allowed them to ditch Carlos Silva and Bradley will give them a better return on their cash.  Josh Bard will get a lot of playing time behind the plate this season and he came as a cheap free agent.  Pitching wise it’s all about Cliff Lee.  Getting Cliff Lee in the big three way trade with the Phillies and Blue Jays gives the Mariners one of the best 1-2 starter combinations (Felix Hernandez) in all of baseball.  A lot of experts are drilling the Mariners about giving up Brandon Morrow for Brandon League.  But, when I look at League I see a pitcher very similar to David Aardsma pre-Seattle.  I also liked the early waiver pick-up of Yusmeiro Petit who will compete for a spot at the back end of the rotation.  MARINERS GRADE:  A-

The Oakland A’s love their young pitching staff so they focused on offense over the winter.  The A’s signed Coco Crisp who will take over in CF this season and he gives the A’s good defense, speed and a solid bat.  The A’s also brought in 1B/3B Jake Fox and OF Michael Taylor in trades over the winter and I see both of them starting for them in 2010.  Look for Fox to start at 1B and Taylor in RF.  I really like Taylor’s upside as the Phillies did not want to trade him.  But, Kevin Kouzmanoff is probably the best player the A’s have brought in over the winter.  He has a lot of power but it was negated by his home park in San Diego.  A’S GRADE:  B

The Philadelphia Phillies are a better team right now than the one that ended the 2009 season in the World Series.  First off was the signing of Placido Polanco to replace Pedro Feliz as the starter at 3B.  Polanco might not have the power that Feliz did but he brings another .300 bat with a good glove to Philly.  I know that Cliff Lee was incredible for the Phillies last season but make no mistake…..Roy Halladay is a better pitcher.  He is a horse who likes to work a lot of innings and his move to the N.L. will have him in the top 5 in ERA without a doubt.  In fact, I’m thinking he will be the pre-season favortie to win the Cy Young Award.  Brian Schneider and Ross Gload will give the Phillies a couple of solid veterans on the bench.  I really also like the signing of Danys Baez who has the stuff to help out late in games.  PHILLIES GRADE:  B+

The Florida Marlins bring a new meaning to cheap.  The MLB Players Union got on them about not spending the revenue sharing money they get every year.  But, that hasn’t compelled them enought to bring in much new talent.  Infielder Danny Richar and reliever Chris Schroder have signed minor league deals with the Fish.  They selected 3B Jorge Jimenez in the Rule 5 Draft and they acquired lefty reliever Hunter Jones in the Jeremy Hermida trade with Boston.  MARLINS GRADE:  F-

The Atlanta Braves have brought in a lot of new players for 2010.  The Braves will have a revamped bullpen with Billy Wagner serving as the closer.  I really like Wagner’s signing as he is more dependable than the platoon (Soriano and Gonzalez) at closer that the Braves have used over the years.  Until last season Soriano and Gonzalez had not stepped up for the Braves.  Takashi Saito was brought in to serve as the set-up man for the Braves in 2010.  Saito will also give the Braves solid insurance should something happen to Billy Wagner as he has a lot of experience as a closer.  Lefty Mike Dunn and righty Jesse Chavez came over to Atlanta in trades and they could both serve in middle relief for them in 2010.  The Braves really needed to add offense and I don’t think they got enough yet.  Trusting Troy Glaus with first base is quite a risk for the Braves as he didn’t play in the majors until last September as he was rehabbing a bad shoulder.  But, if  he can stay healthy the Braves will likely get a lot of power from him.  Melky Cabrera came over in the big trade that sent Javier Vazquez to the Yankees.  He will likely start in CF with Nate McLouth likely moving to left.  Eric Hinske was a good signing for the Braves because he could wind up platooning with Matt Diaz in RF and he also provides insurance at both 1B and 3B for the Braves.  BRAVES GRADE:  C

The New York Mets appear to only have 1 bullet in the gun and they fired it signing Jason Bay to play LF.  I really like this signing for the Mets as Bay will give them another solid bat in the middle of the batting order.  The Mets lost out on Bengie Molina but they have signed Henry Blanco.  Blanco is a solid defensive catcher but he can’t be counted on to add much with the bat.  The Mets also brought in righty relievers Ryota Igarashi and Kelvim Escobar with the expectation that one of them will serve as Francisco Rodriguez’ set-up man in 2010.  METS GRADE:  B-

The Washington Nationals liked the line-up they had so they focused on making the pitching staff better.  The only position player of note they have brought in is catcher Ivan Rodriguez who should really help the pitching staff and he will probably also toss in a few key hits this year.  The Nationals brought in Jason Marquis as a free agent to anchor the starting rotation.  He will give them a lot of innings and wins in 2010.  The Nationals also wanted to fix the back end of the pen.  They signed Matt Capps and they traded for Brian Bruney who will compete for the closer’s job.  It will probably result in Capps getting the job due to his experience with Bruney serving as the set-up man.  The Nationals signed Eddie Guardado and Doug Slaten to help out from the left side of the pen.  Righties Ryan Speier and Joel Peralta were brought in on minor league deals to compete for jobs in the pen.  NATIONALS GRADE:  B

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Brad Penny early on in free agency and pretty much closed up shop then.  The good news is that Brad Penny still has great stuff and pitching coach Dave Duncan usually gets the best out of the guys he tutors.  Infielder Ruben Gotay has been brought in as a minor league free agent and that’s been about it.  CARDINALS GRADE:  C

The Cubs have not been very busy this off-season which has been a lot of addition by subtraction.  The Cubs finally found a taker for Milton Bradley in Seattle but they got saddled with Carlos Silva in return.  At least Silva isn’t a complete A-hole to everyone like Bradley is.  The Cubs then signed Marlon Byrd as a free agent to replace Bradley and that should be a upgrade on the field as well as off it.  The Cubs also trade Jake Fox to the A’s and they got back righty reliever Jeff Gray who should help them in the pen in 2010.  CUBS GRADE:  C

The Milwaukee Brewers decided to replace position players on the cheap preferrring to spend their money on pitching and the results look good so far.  Greg Zaun will likely get most of the playing time behind the plate after signing on with Milwaukee as a free agent.  The Brewers also claimed George Kottaras off waivers from Boston and they also signed Matt Treanor to compete for the back-up catcher job in 2010.  The Brewers traded J.J. Hardy to the Twins for Carlos Gomez who will replace Mike Cameron as the starting CF in 2010.  The Brewers went with a lefty tilt to the rotation in signing Randy Wolf and Doug Davis as free agents.  LaTroy Hawkins was signed to serve as Trevor Hoffman’s set-up man in 2010.  BREWERS GRADE:  B

The Reds spent big money on Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman who has a huge upside.  It’s doubtful that Chapman will help the Reds much in 2010 but he has a huge upside as lefties that throw as hard as him don’t come around too often.  The Reds have also signed Josh Anderson to a minor league deal.  That’s about it for the Reds this summer.  REDS GRADE:  D

The Houston Astros decided to spread their free agent cash around to fill up the roster.  The Astros didn’t like their production out of the hot corner in 2009 so they signed Pedro Feliz.  He brings a gold glove caliber mitt and he combines it with some power which should play well in the Astros’ home park.  Corey Sullivan was brought in on a minor league deal and he will compete for a job off the bench in 2010.  The Astros needed help in the starting rotation so they decided to roll the dice by signing Brett Myers.  If Myers can stay healthy he will likely slot in the #3 spot in the starting rotation for 2010.  The Astros let Jose Valverde leave town as a free agent and they signed Brandon Lyon and traded for Matt Lindstrom who will compete for the closer’s job in 2010.  ASTROS GRADE:  C

The Pirates opened the winter with a nice trade offing righty reliever Jesse Chavez to the Rays for Akinori Iwamura who will be the new starting 2B.  The Pirates then signed shortstop Bobby Crosby who will compete with Ronny Cedeno for the starting job in 2010.  The Pirates also signed Ryan Church with the idea of using him either as the #4 outfielder or possibly the starting RF if they move Garrett Jones to 1B.  The Pirates have also re-worked the bullpen signing affordable free agents.  Octavio Dotel will be the new closer and he will probably be a upgrade on Matt Capps.  Brendan Donnelly will likely serve as the set-up man in 2010 for the Pirates.  D.J. Carrasco, Brian Bass and Chris Jakubauskas have also been brought in to help the pen.  PIRATES GRADE:  C+

The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing poor right now.  They have signed Jamey Carroll who will play all over the infield.  Nick Green and Luis Ayala came to the team on minor league deals.  DODGERS GRADE:  F

The Colorado Rockies are feeling pretty smug going into spring training.  The only player of note coming to the Rockies is Miguel Olivo who will push Chris Iannetta for his starting job behind the plate.  The Rockies have signed Paul LoDuca and Jay Payton to minor league deals but I have a hard time thinking either of them will make the team.  ROCKIES GRADE:  C-

The San Francisco Giants have addressed their needs this off-season with the signings of Mark DeRosa and Aubrey Huff who should give the offense a nice boost.  Santiago Casilla, Kevin Cameron and Tony Pena Jr. all have live arms and could help the pen at some point in 2010 for the Giants.  GIANTS GRADE:  B-

The San Diego Padres got really active the last week trading Kevin Kouzmanoff to the A’s for Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham.  Both of those guys could play major roles for the Padres in 2010.  The Padres have also signed Jerry Hairston (Scott’s bro) to serve as the super utility man as he can probably play everywhere in the field except 1B and catcher.  The Padres have also brought in Dusty Ryan and Chris Stewart to compete for the back-up catcher job in 2010.  PADRES GRADE:  C

The Arizona Diamondbacks have really improved their team over the winter despite not breaking the bank.  The D-Backs have signed Adam LaRoche and Kelly Johnson who are going to start at 1B and 2B for them this season and both of them are nice upgrades.  The D-Backs also acquired Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy in the huge three team trade with the Tigers and Yankees and they are penciled in at #3 and #4 slots in the rotation.  The D-Backs have also signed Rodrigo Lopez to a minor league deal and he will compete for the #5 starter job this spring.  Aaron Heilman (trade) and Bobby Howry (free agent) have been brought in to help the back end of the pen in 2010.  DIAMONDBACKS GRADE:  B

Kobe Bryant know has scored 25,012 points which is good for #15 in NBA history at the age of 31 becoming the youngest player ever to score that many points.  He probably has his eyes set on Kareem Abdul-Jabaar who is the all-time leader in points scored in NBA history with 38,387.  I think Kobe can get there if he can just stay healthy and motivated as he gets older.  But, I think it’s the same situation that is playing out in the NFL.  If Kobe Bryant does wind up the #1 scorer of all-time he will have to keep playing ala Brett Favre to hold off LeBron James.  Kobe is still playing at a very high level this season despite playing most of it with a broken finger on his shooting hand.  He has played in 42 games (all starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging 38.4 minutes, 28.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game.  Bryant is more than just a scorer as he is starting to climb up the all-time NBA charts in other categories as well.  He is #188 all-time in rebounds (5,236), #61 in assists (4,590) and #32 in steals (1,515) in NBA history.  Kobe Bryant is one of the best players in NBA history and that is without a doubt.

Former Jets’ QB Joe Namath was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985 but did he deserve it?  Sure, he predicted his team would beat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and then he backed it up by making it happen.  But, does that negate the fact that Namath led the NFL in interceptions 4 times in his 13-year NFL career?  I’m not so sure about that.  But, Namath was famous….after all he was a underwear model and he was a guest star on the Brady Bunch for one episode.  He’s lucky he was famous because he does not have Hall of Fame worthy numbers.  He played in 140 games in his NFL career and he completed 1,886 of 3,762 passes (50.1%) for 27,663 yards with 170 TD passes and 215 INTs (65.5 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 71 times for 140 yards (2.0 ypc) with 7 TD runs.  Namath’s teams were 62-63-4 in games he started.  So a sub-.500 QB is in the Hall of Fame because he won one big game…..that is amazing.

I decided to take a look at another Jets’ QB to see if he should be in the H.O.F.  Ken O’Brien played 10 years in the NFL (9 with the Jets).  He played in 129 games in his NFL career and he completed 2,110 of 3,602 passes (58.6%) for 25,094 yards with 128 TD passes and 98 INTs (80.4 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 174 times for 394 yards (2.3 ypc) in his career.  O’Brien’s teams were 50-59-1 in games he started.  So is O’Brien a Hall of Fame QB?  I don’t think so.  Would he be a Hall of Fame QB if he was on a episode of the Cosby Show and won a Super Bowl?  I guess he probably would seeing how his numbers were better than Joe Namath’s.

NFC Divisional Round

Arizona Cardinals 14, New Orleans Saints 45

Dallas Cowboys 3, Minnesota Vikings 34

AFC Divisional Round

Baltimore Ravens 3, Indianapolis Colts 20

San Diego Chargers 14, New York Jets 17

The Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, and New York Jets all made big statements with their convincing wins, while the Arizona Cardinals put on an offensive show in last week’s NFL Wild Card playoff round.  They all face a bigger challenge this weekend heading into the divisional round as underdogs.  Here is how we think the divisional games are going to end up over the weekend, and for a preview of each game click on the team name.

NFC Divisional Round

Arizona Cardinals 31 @ New Orleans Saints 38

Dallas Cowboys 28 @ Minnesota Vikings 24

AFC Divisional Round

Baltimore Ravens 20 @ Indianapolis Colts 23

New York Jets 20 @ San Diego Chargers 27