36-year old lefty swinging LF Johnny Damon was coming off a great season with the Yankees into free agency.  He played in 143 games for the Yankees last season and he was 155 for 550 (.282 avg, .854 OPS) with 107 runs scored, 24 homers, 82 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.  He got too greedy for the Yankees’ taste when he said that he wanted $10 million bucks per year so they signed Nick Johnson for roughly half of that to DH for the Yanks in 2010.  Damon got kicked to the curb by the Yankees despite playing well for them.  He played in 576 games in his four years with the Yankees and he was 636 for 2,231 (.285 avg, .821 OPS) with 410 runs scored, 77 homers, 296 RBIs and 93 stolen bases.  His agent, Scott Boras, is not doing a good job for Johnny Damon as Coco Crisp will likely make more money that him in 2010.  Damon has now played in 2,131 games in his 15 years in the majors and he is 2,425 of 8,408 (.288 avg, .794 OPS) with 1,483 runs scored, 207 homers, 996 RBIs and 374 stolen bases.  Damon would like to play three more years in the majors as he would like to get into the 3,000 hit club.  But, he will likely have to swallow his pride in 2010 and take a contract valued at way less than he is worth.  Six teams could probably use Johnny Damon right now especially with his price likely dropping into the bargain basement level.  The team that makes the most sense to me is the Tampa Bay Rays.  The reason is twofold as 1.) He can sleep in his own bed often as he lives less than two hours away in Orlando and 2.) He can stick it to the Yankees and Red Sox all season long.  The Tigers are also very interested in Damon as it would allow them to DH Carlos Guillen full time in a effort to keep him healthy in 2010.  The Braves are also very interested in Damon and I think he’s a good fit there.  The White Sox (DH), Giants (LF) and Reds (LF) all would be much better teams if they added Damon to the team.  Damon could be the final piece for a team like the Rays and they should really consider bringing him in.

Len Bias took the college basketball scene over during the mid 1980’s while at the University of Maryland, and many believed he was just as good as Michael Jordan.  His life was tragically cut short though, and Bias never played a minute in the NBA.  He was drafted second in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, but only two days later he had a cocaine overdose which caused a cardiac arrhythmia and ultimately his death.  Bias, at only the age of 22, was celebrating with friends after achieving his lifelong goal and dream of becoming an NBA player.  Now not to condone cocaine use by any means, but during the early and mid 1980’s cocaine use was much more prevalent and the consequences of using it were not widely known.  It was seen as a glamorous drug, used by Hollywood stars and professional athletes.  Bias’ death was a shock to not only the sporting world, but to the entire country.  His death put the potential deadly consequences of the drug front and center, and it helped to begin a nationwide decline in the use of cocaine.  In 1988 Congress passed a law known as “The Len Bias Law”, which was an Anti-Drug Act that put stricter penalties on drug crimes and also started the D.A.R.E. program for kids.

As a player, Bias was nothing short of extraordinary.  He was a 6′8″ 225-pound forward who could jump out of the gym.  Although mostly known for his athleticism and leaping ability, Bias also had a silky smooth shot, with great touch.  He had a high basketball IQ, and was a strong defender who was a good shot-blocking threat.  In his four-year career as a Maryland Terrapin, Bias improved every year and had career averages of 16.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 32.8 minutes while shooting 53.6% from the field.  He was the ACC Player of the Year in 1985 and 1986, and was a first team All-American his senior season where he averaged 23.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.5 blocks, 0.8 steals, 37.0 minutes and shot 54.4% from the field.  Although Bias’ life was cut short by drug use, Bias was known as good leader and was extremely popular and friendly on Maryland’s campus.  It was very tragic what happened to Bias, and I am sure he would have been a great NBA player who could have helped extend the Boston Celtics’ dominance.

I wrote about the overpaid team last week and this week I look at the most underpaid team in basketball.  I have assembled a team of 15 players which would only made $13,850,810 bucks this season.  Here we go:

POINT GUARD:  A basketball team all starts with the point guard who is the QB of the offense.  With that in mind I picked Aaron Brooks from the Houston Rockets who will make $1,118,520 bucks this season.  He has played in 50 games (all starts) for the Rockets this season and he is averaging 35.8 minutes, 19.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.  Backing him up will be Jason “White Chocolate” Williams of the Orlando Magic.  He is due to make $825,497 bucks this season.  Williams has played in 52 games (18 starts) for the Magic this season and he is averaging 22.7 minutes, 7.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.  He is also shooting 40% from three point range which will also aid this team.  Tiny Earl Boykins came back to the NBA this season and he is due to make $752,659 bucks for the Wizards.  Boykins has played in 41 games (1 start) for the Wizards this season and he is averaging 18.5 minutes, 7.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.  Sundiata Gaines is known for his big shot to beat the Cavs in Utah in his first game.  The Jazz are only on the hook for $269,169 bucks for him this season.  He has played in 10 games (0 starts) for the Jazz this season and he is averaging 8.2 minutes, 3.7 points, 0.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

SHOOTING GUARD:  This is a deep position on this team as they have four very capable players on the depth chart.  I would start Anthony Morrow of the Warriors who is only going to make $736,420 bucks this year.  Morrow has played in 38 games (19 starts) for the Warriors this season and he is averaging 29.4 minutes, 11.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  He is also a great shooter from everywhere on the court as he has connected on 48.7% of his shots from the floor, 45% from three point range and 90.7% from the free throw line.  Arron Afflalo is starting for the Denver Nuggets this season and he will earn $1,086,240.  He has played in 51 games (44 starts) for the Nuggets and he is averaging 26.4 minutes, 9.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.  Afflalo is also a deadeye from three point range hitting 44.7% of his shots from three point range.  Rookie Marcus Thornton is starting for the Hornets despite only making $457,588 bucks.  Thornton has played in 43 games (6 starts) for the Hornets this season and he is averaging 21.3 minutes, 10.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  Will Bynum brings a lot of offense off the bench for the Pistons.  He has played in 30 games (0 starts) for the Pistons this season and he is averaging 26.6 minutes, 11.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

SMALL FORWARD:  Wilson Chandler of the Knicks would be my starter here and he would be the second highest paid player on this team as he is making $1,255,440 bucks.  Chandler has played in 50 games (all starts) for the Knicks this season and he is averaging 34.8 minutes, 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.  Chris Douglas-Roberts of the Nets is making only $736,420 bucks this season.  He has played in 41 games (35 starts) in which he is averaging 31.1 minutes, 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  Keith Bogans has been starting at shooting guard for the Spurs this season.  He has played in 48 games (38 starts) for the Spurs this season and he is averaging 20.1 minutes, 4.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

POWER FORWARD:  I’m thinking defense and rebounding at power forward and with that in mind I have picked Ben Wallace of the Pistons to start here.  He is making $825,497 bucks for the Pistons this season.  Wallace has played in 49 games (all starts) for the Pistons this season and he is averaging 30.0 minutes, 5.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocked shots per game.  Louis Amundson would be my pick to back up Wallace and he is making $855,189 bucks.  Amundson has played in 49 games (0 starts) for the Suns this season and he is averaging 14.4 minutes, 4.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  He is also connecting on 52.4% of his shots from the floor.

CENTER:  This is where I’m spending the most money as I would pick Joakim Noah to start on this team.  Noah is making $2,455,680 bucks this season making him the highest paid player on this team.  Noah has played in 46 games (all starts) for the Bulls this season and he is averaging 32.7 minutes, 11.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 blocked shots per game.  I would back Noah up with veteran Juwan Howard who is starting at center for the Portland Trailblazers this season.  He is making $825,497 bucks this year.  Howard has played in 45 games (21 starts) for the Blazers this season and he is averaging 22.8 minutes, 5.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game while shooting 54.5% from the floor.

This basketball team wouldn’t win 70 games or anything like that, but, it would have a chance of getting a 7-8 seed in either conference thus making the playoffs. 

This really comes as no surprise as the Browns released Stallworth less than 24 hours after he was reinstated by the commissioner.  Stallworth missed all of the 2009 NFL season due to a league suspension after he ran over a pedestrian and killed him in Miami.  He last played in the NFL in 2008 with the Browns appearing in 11 games in which he caught 17 passes for 170 yards (10.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He has now played in 95 games in his NFL career and he has caught 296 passes for 4,383 yards (14.8 avg) with 32 TD grabs.  Some team will give Stallworth another chance just like Michael Vick got with the Eagles in 2009.  Maybe one day one of the sports leagues will step up and ban anyone from the league for life for committing any felony.  That would help the image of sports instead of slapping someone like Stallworth on the wrist and then letting him keep making over $1 million bucks a year.

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!