President Barack Obama is planning a trip to Denmark to meet with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Copenhagen, to show his support for the 2016 Olympic bid that the United States has in Chicago.  The former Illinois Senator resided in Chicago before becoming president and his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, is a native of the second city and will also be in Denmark to show her support.

There has been a lot of support on both sides of the debate, especially in the city of Chicago itself.  Many believe that if Chicago does get the Olympic bid for 2016, that it will put too much of a burden on the Chicago tax payers.  Chicago Mayor Daley and the 2016 Chicago Bid Committee have stated that the tax payers will not take on more taxes.  Most of the funding will come from corporate sponsors, donors, TV rights, ticket sales, and other Olympic related revenue.  Yet, some money is going to have to come from public money, but that will be used to improve the city and a lot of it will be federal funding.  Here is an animation of what the Olympic layout will be in the city of Chicago:

Without the Olympics and the money it brings in, Chicago would not be able to do any of the things they are planning, which include better housing, parks and green space, transportation, and sporting venues.  All of these projects would improve an already great city and the Olympics would be an exciting and great event for the city of Chicago and its residents.  Hopefully President Obama is able to persuade the IOC to bring the 2016 Olympics to the Windy City.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov has apparently made a deal to purchase the controlling interest in the New Jersey Nets.  Prokhorov would also be the main funding behind building a new stadium in Brooklyn and moving the Nets there.  An NBA team in Brooklyn will bring a big buzz to the New York City borough, and I am looking forward to this deal happening soon.

The deal has to be approved by 75% of the NBA’s board of governors and Prokhorov has stated he hopes the deal is done by the first quarter of 2010.  This will be a huge move in the NBA and basketball world-wide, as all of the current NBA owners are north- American.  Prokhorov has a big interest in basketball and really wants to spread the sport’s popularity in Russia.  He also played basketball back in his high school and college days, so he truly does seem to have an interest in basketball beyond just business.

This is a dream come true for the Brooklynite Nets part-owner and hip-hop icon, Sean “Jay-Z” Carter as NBA basketball is coming to Brooklyn.  Here is a video courtesy of YES network via YouTube of where the arena will be built, what it will look like, and how the people of Brooklyn feel about the Nets coming to their borough.

The former wide-receiver for the New York Giants began his 2-year prison sentence today.  Burress broke the very strict New York firearm laws after he accidentally shot himself in the leg last year in a Manhattan club.  Burress has had quite a fall from grace after being a Super Bowl champion and hero to Giants fans after he caught the game winning catch against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

This seems like a pretty unfair sentence for Burress, but he would have gotten at least 3.5 years if he was convicted in trial.  Although it was a completely moronic move by Burress for having a concealed weapon in a nightclub, and an even bigger idiotic move when he shot himself in the leg, I think two years in prison is way too harsh.  Michael Vick only gets a year for running a dog-fighting ring and brutally killing some of those dogs.  Donte Stallworth killed a man while driving drunk and was charged with DUI manslaughter.  How long was he in jail?  Thirty days!

Now Burress is no saint, as he has had a few minor run-ins with the law and has been sued almost 10 times for delinquent payments on countless cars and houses.  But does he really deserve to have his football career destroyed and his life put on hold for two years for accidentally shooting himself in the leg?  What is way more devastating than losing his football career is that he is leaving behind a pregnant wife and a 3-year-old son.  Had this not happened in New York (where gun laws are one of the most strict) and if he were not a famous athlete being made into an example, he probably would only see a few months, at most, in jail.

When it comes down to it though, Burress is the idiot who shot himself with a concealed weapon in a night club.  Why does he need a gun in the first place?  If he thinks he does need protection then hire a body guard who knows how to use a gun (and wont shoot himself in the leg).  Let him legally carry a firearm.  I still don’t think Plax should be put in jail for two years, I mean he did kind of get punished when it happened with a bullet going into his thigh…

Now a humorous message from LandlineTV via YouTube on gun safety by Plaxico Burress (not really):

The Falcons punished the Panthers 45-28 on there last visit to Atlanta.  Falcons’ Coach Mike Smith is 8-1 in Atlanta.  So, the Panthers will have to play a almost flawless game to win in Atlanta.  The Falcons gave up 4.4 yards per carry last week against the Dolphins so look for the Panthers to keep the ball on the ground with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.  The Falcons had 4 sacks last week and the Panthers allowed 5 of them last week against the Eagles so Jake Delhomme could be under some pressure.  The key to Delhomme is to relax as it’s better to throw the ball away than force it into double or triple coverage.  After all, the Eagles intercepted 3 passes intended for Steve Smith last week.  Still, if the running game is effective then the Panthers can go deep to Steve Smith against the Falcons.

This a bad matchup for the Panthers’ defense.  They allowed 185 yards rushing (5.8 ypc) against the Eagles and the Falcons have better RBs than them.  Michael Turner only had 65 yards rushing last week which makes him even more dangerous than usual this week.  He rushed for 117 yards and 4 TDs last year against the Panthers in Atlanta.  But, Matt Ryan will balance the Falcons’ offense with passes to Roddy White, Michael Jenkins and Tony Gonzalez.  If the Falcons are successful in protecting Matt Ryan from DE Julius Peppers he will have a field day throwing the football.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 31, PANTHERS 16

The NCAA’s President Myles Brand has died from pancreatic cancer.  Brand was 67-years-old.  The news about Brand’s cancer was announced in January, but that did not stop Brand from battling through and continuing his job.  Brand will be remembered for his emphasis on academics, as he called for higher standards for student athletes and to put academics before winning.  He is also known for his great contributions as a university professor and university President of numerous institutions, most notably and recently Indiana University.

While President at IU, Brand vastly improved their information technology, making IU one of the top technologically equipped state schools in the country.  This helped improve enrollment and perception of the school.  Unfortunately what Brand is most known for while at IU was the firing of basketball coach Bobby Knight.  Whether it was the right move or not, Brand wanted to make sure the school did not show that they valued athletics over academics and that all IU personnel were going to be held to the same standards.   This firing did not go well with Hoosier nation and Brand was gone two years later.

Brand became the NCAA President that same year (2002).  The NCAA noticed Brand’s commitment to maintaining academic integrity in college athletics, something the NCAA’s perception lacked at the time.  Brand helped improve that perception and cleaned up a lot of corruption and illegal recruitment in college athletics.  Myles Brand was a strong and committed leader and he will be missed.