Please, Pete Rose, Do the Right Thing

September 11th, 1985 is one of the biggest days in Cincinnati history. It was the date where Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's record for most career hits. 4,192. Everyone in Cincy knows it and that single off of the Padres' Eric Show is locked in everyone's memory and will stay there as long as they live.

So September 11th, 2010 should be quite the celebration at the Nati's Great American Ballpark. That will mark the 25th anniversary of the event and the Reds want to honor and celebrate that. Even though Rose is banned from baseball, commish Bud Selig has allowed the team to honor Rose at a celebration (despite the whining of Fay Vincent). So everything should be great, right?

Nope.

On that date ... the 25th anniversary of becoming the Hit King ... Rose will be sitting at Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, signing autographs for gamblers. Awesome. That really helps Rose's image of a seedy person who puts money above honor.

Instead, the plan is for the team to honor Rose on September 12th ... the day after the 25th anniversary of the hit. That sucks hard since it isn't the actual date (will the team celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Reds' 1990 World Series champion in 2011?). Also, the 12th (a Sunday) just happens to be the start of the NFL season. They can't move it back a day to Friday the 10th since that would just dump on high school football.

So it really is up to Pete to get this thing done. I'm sure the casino won't mind if Rose's appearance falls on a different date. They could have a weeklong celebration for him at the casino. No one would care. Yeah, it's still sleazy but he has every right to make money if he can. But to schedule this when the Reds ... the one franchise and city that has stuck by you through thick and thin ... plan to give you one of the biggest ovations of your career is really lame.

With three weeks left until this all goes down, I hope it works out. But, like anything in Pete Rose's post-playing career, it probably won't.

Jay Mariotti Arrested ... and the Blog World (Like Me) Are Giddy

Most of you have heard by now that ESPN's and FanHouse's Jay Mariotti was arrested for a domestic dispute. I don't know all the facts yet, but I can't say that I didn't laugh out loud on this one.

I am not a Mariotti fan. I'm not one of those whiny bloggers who hate all the sports personalities ... like Skip Bayless or Jim Rome or Tony Kornheiser. I don't like Mariotti because he really is a pompous ass and it is really, really, really, really hard to figure out if he even likes sports. He covers them with a chip on his shoulder and comes at anyone who doesn't see what he's seeing.

On a personal level, I'm not a fan of Mariotti because what it helped do to me on a personal level. I was a blogger at AOL's FanHouse ... back when it started and it was actually a blog. I worked there for three years and had been promoted to a college hoops lead blogger. But in the beginning of 2009, AOL decided to go after all those expensive newspaper columnists that got laid off after the economic crisis hit. Mariotti was their first big fish.

I was told that I wasn't good enough to stick around there anymore and they were basically shutting down my blogging because it didn't match those professional writers. They told me that my topics and enthusiam was great ... but I would put together too many run-on sentences and didn't have normal article structure. It's a freakin' sports blog -- that's how we all write and read it! Now AOL is filled with newspaper writers and the "blog" is now a "sports information website". Fine. They can do with that as they wish.

Still, I've never hit my wife and been involved in any domestic dispute. Very few people have called me an idiot about my writing and even fewer would want to kick me in the nuts if they ever met me. Now the shining knight has a big stain on him and anyone involved is scrambling to make press releases about how they are "looking into the situation."

We all have problems, but I'm not sorry that I have a bit of a smile on my face when I see a "professional" that I'm not good enough to associate with turns out to be a dirtbag piece of garbage.

Thank you for making me feel better.

BYU to Leave Mountain West; Become Independent

BYU is looking to leave the Mountain West Conference and become an independent. Wow. After a summer of schools jumping from one conference to another, it is interesting to see that one school rather get rid of all of that.

BYU's position is pretty sweet. They'll be Independent in football but play their other sports in the WAC. It's similar to Notre Dame's status of football independence while playing in the Big East in other sports.

Could this turn into a trend the other way? Maybe, but don't get your hopes up too much. BYU most likely will not get the same BCS concessions that Notre Dame has (if the Irish finish in the top eight in the final BCS standings, they get to go to one of those bowls). Maybe BYU would have to finish in the top four of five to reach that status (the other two independents, Army and Navy, have to finish in the top two). That may not fly with schools from major conferences (I don't think Miami is going back to that), but it could be an excellent means for a non-BCS team.

BYU can make its own schedule. The can play whomever they want wherever and whenever. Their only stipulation is that they have to play four to six WAC teams every year in football. Whatever bowl they do get to, the keep the money for themselves instead of sharing it with the rest of the conference. It also allows BYU to form its own television network ... or use the current BYU-TV that's available on satellite systems already ... to gain even more money. That's quite a feat for a school that doesn't have a seat at the BCS table.

This could be something other big fish/small pond schools. Could Boise State think that this would be a good route for them, too? UNLV? In fact, I wouldn't put it past these schools to form a conference all by themselves in every sport ... EXCEPT for football. They all get what they want on the gridiron and still have a base in other sports. Who could ask for anything more?

Give kudos to Notre Dame for sticking with this plan as well. Despite everyone calling for them to join the Big Ten, the Irish have maintained their independent status. We all cried, "but you have to be in a conference to survive!" Um, no.

If this works out well for BYU, then look out. We could see a lot of teams from the WAC, Mountain West and Conference USA that will go the same route.

Fantasy Footballers: Please Hold a Live Draft

It's August, so you have millions of men (and women) searching through magazines, websites and digging up all kinds of stats to help them with their upcoming fantasy football drafts.

Fantasy football drafts have turned into and adult Christmas morning. Remember as a child, you couldn't wait to wake up, run downstairs and see what you have waiting for you under the tree? Well, draft day is the same thing. You wake up excited and filled with hope as you wonder who will comprise your team this season.

In the last 10-15 years, fantasy football drafts have changed quite a bit. Most people elect to go through an online draft. You go to Yahoo!, ESPN.com, NFL.com, Fleaflicker or any other host site and have them do all the dirty work. I must say that having your league there instead of digging through a USA Today on Monday morning with a pencil, pad and calculator is heaven. And, yes, I used to have to do that (the first fantasy football league I commished was back in 1990).

That being said, one great tradition of fantasy football has gone endangered: the live draft. Nowadays, people sit at a desk (or lappy or phone) and participate in an online draft (note: back in the day an "online draft" meant getting a chat room or email loop and them just posting your picks). That works great when you are in a league where you haven't met any other owner or when the owners just can't all commit to meeting at one time. But if you have a group of buddies in a league ... hold a freakin' live draft.

Again, it's like Christmas. It is a guy's version of a baby shower (funny thing is my wife is hosting a baby shower the same day as my Fantasy Football Draft). You get some food, fire up the grill, drink a few and just B.S. on all that's been going on in the real world and in sports (usually there's a baseball game on while we're drafting). Plus, it is the one day where everyone in the league is together, talking smack and actually conversating.

And the league I've run has had the same 8 members (save one, who left and was replaced). Through moving and life choices, those members hail from Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Yet all of them make the trek to the draft site every year. So it truly is the lone time we all get together.

Live drafts are great and give you an excuse to geek it up. Wear your favorite player's jersey. Make up shirts or hats with your fantasy team's logo on it. We actually bring a podium with a microphone that you must walk up to and make your pick. Everyone hears it and it brings a bit of drama to the proceedings. We all bring some food and usually spend another hour after the draft just catching up.

Soon, we will have an entire generation of people who never will experience this. That one guy who we added in our league had never been at a live draft until he joined. He absolutely loved it and said it was one of the cooler things he'd been a part of. I'm telling you, it works.

So when you guys are out there planning your leagues, see if there's any way to hold a live draft. Have it at your house, a hotel room or a place like Hooters or BW3 who actually promote for you having your draft at their place.

Give it a try. It will be your next tradition.

Ten NFL Coaches On the Hot Seat

With the NFL season one month away, here is a list of ten coaches who need bright seasons if they want to keep their jobs.

10-BRAD CHILDRESS (Vikings): You better deliver Brett Favre. You better.

9-LOVIE SMITH (Bears): Yeah, they play in a division with the mighty Vikes and Packers, but Chicago has expensive talent on that roster and need to at least appear to be on the upswing.

8-TODD HALEY (Chiefs): Two years may not be enough ... especially when you took over one of the worst teams in the league ... but there is an opening in the AFC West to become San Diego's bridesmaid.

7-GARY KUBIAK (Texans): The shame is that the Texans are coming off their best season ever. Still, no playoffs despite having Matt Schaub slinging all over the place, Andre Johnson dominating and one of the better young defenses out there. Another 8-8 or 9-7 season may not get it done.

6-NORV TURNER (Chargers): Since taking over the Bolts, Turner has had a Super Bowl calibar team each year. Still, this team just can't get over the hump. Playing in a very weak AFC West should ensure another playoff appearance, but another postseason letdown could seal Noval's fate.

5-TOM CABLE (Raiders): Every coach under Al Davis is on the hot seat.

4-RAHEEM MORRIS (Buccaneers): He was almost fired after his first season in Tampa. Don't think for a moment that he couldn't be the first guy canned during the season.

3-WADE PHILLIPS (Cowboys): This Cowboys team may be the best one they've had since their Super Bowl years. The Super Bowl is in Dallas this year. Jerry Jones wants this sooooooo bad that if Phillips doesn't get them there, he may elect to get someone in there who can.

2-JACK DEL RIO (Jaguars): He seems to always be on the list ... but he doesn't get canned. Well, Jacksonville is in a tough spot right now. The fans aren't showing up and they play in a division with the Colts, Titans and Texans. Ouch. If Del Rio gets them into the playoff hunt, he could stay. A losing season may lead to his removal.

1-ERIC MANGINI (Browns): With Mike Holmgren now running things in Cleveland, Mangini better start getting Cleveland pointed in the right direction. Holmgren has many friends and disciples around the league that he'd love to make his new head coach.

We Need to Stop Enabling Favre

Anyone hear anything new about Brett Favre? Anyone? Did his mom's uncle's wife's niece's former roomate tweet any little stupid detail that brings us closer to a resolution?

Despite what you think, I guess LeBron James had it right all along. Favre should just schedule an ESPN special to announce his decision. Maybe ... just maybe ... Favre will stick to it.

I'm tired of this. Id like to think media guys are tired of it too. This is the fourth stgraight year that Favre has waivered on retirement and it keeps getting later and later every year. ESPN spent all day Tuesday waxing poetic about Favre's career as if he really was going to call it quits. Only for the very next day it to be all redacted and Favre acting stupid during interviews.

I know it is important news. There is a big drop off from Favre to Tavares Jackson. But in our digital age of runor mongering, every little mundane detail is analysed and disected to the point of comedy.

Guess what! Here's my major prediction: we're going to have to deal with this next year too.

The Sad, Unecessary End Of Shaq's Career

Look, I'm rarely the one who screams that athletes should retire when I want them to. The window to be a pro player is so short that everyone should be able to squeeze every drop out of it.

That being said, sometimes players are squeezing too hard and finding nothing.

Shaquille O'Neal is one of those guys. Shaq has had an amazing career. Four championships, an MVP award, scoring title, yada yada yada. No one over the last two decades in the NBA has had a bigger personality than him. For a good ten year stretch, Shaq was one of the most feared and skilled big men that ever played.

That's what makes the end of his career so sad. Shaq signed with the Boston Celtics yesterday for the veteran's minimum. He wants to "win" a ring so "badly" that he's willing to take a major pay cut. That's fine for a guy to ride the coat-tails of someone else at the end of his career ... provided that it would be their lone chance to taste the championship spoils. But Shaq has won four rings. He was the Finals MVP on three of those teams. HE has been the focal part of championship teams already. Winning one with the Celtics while averaging 10 ppg and 6 rpg is beneath him.

When we remember Shaq ... we will most likely remember him storming into the league in Orlando, dominating with the Lakers then bringing a title to Miami. People hopefully will forget that destroyed path of playing for Phoenix, Cleveland and Boston to close out his career. In each instance, Shaq felt he was going to a team to win another title. In each instance, the team underachieved. Whether or not Shaq was the reason for it is debatable.

For those of us who remember that Shaq who tore down backboards ... the guy who was 350 lbs yet as nimble as a guard ... we are saddened at the fact that we will get to see that old Shaq lumbering up and down the floor, getting beat on defense and bowling around the paint for some baby hook shots.

The sad thing is that this is all unecessary. If Shaq wanted to really squeeze a few more drops out of his career then maybe he should've tried a little harder during his prime. It was seemingly always out of shape, always had nagging problems, barely worked on his free throws and rarely put up the effort on defense. He also couldn't handle Kobe Bryant and whined his way out the door in L.A. If he could have stayed with Kobe and had 50% of the intensity that Kobe possesses, Shaq would be sitting on 7 rings right now. You can't tell me that a Kobe-Shaq teaming during the mid-to-late 2000s wouldn't have netted several more rings; especially one where Shaq was committed to being ready to go at the start of the season.

For Shaq, he's holding on too long. While that's not a problem that he isn't retiring yet since that is his right, it just makes me feel weird watching it.

Top Super Bowl QBs Of the Last Decade

Now, this list isn't about what these QBs did during their Super Bowl appearance(s) or their placement among the all-time greats. This is just ranking the impact each of these guys had in the successes of their teams. This combines the Super Bowl teams whose regular seasons were from 2000-2009.

1-TOM BRADY (Patriots): He has three Super Bowl wins, another Super Bowl appearance, MVP award and an undefeated regular season on his resume. Not bad at all.

2-PEYTON MANNING (Colts): Four MVP awards, two Super Bowl appearances and one title. He's regarded as maybe the smartest QB to ever play.

3-BEN ROETHLISBERGER (Steelers): Two Super Bowl wins and one of the winningest QBs during his career. Yes, he's got some personal issues but this is one of the biggest, baddest quarterbacks out there.

4-KURT WARNER (Rams/Cardinals): The only QB on this list to lead two teams to the Super Bowl. He went to two of them this decade (he won his other appearance after the 1999 season). Warner owns the top three passing days in Super Bowl history ... amazing for a guy who came from nowhere TWICE.

5-DREW BREES (Saints): Brees has fought off all the naysayers and shocked the world by leading the Saints to a Super Bowl championship. His last two seasons can be placed among the greatest stretch in history.

6-ELI MANNING (Giants): Very good, but not great QB. Yeah, he won a Super Bowl MVP award, but that game was all about the Giants front seven and David Tyree's amazing catch (yeah, Eli threw it).

7-DONOVAN MCNABB (Eagles): The first guy on this list without a Super Bowl ring in his career.

8-MATT HASSELBECK (Seahawks): He was on the tier below the elites for a while. Now injuries have derailed his career a bit.

9-JAKE DELHOMME (Panthers): He could be exciting and great ... or frustrating and lousy. Sometimes in the same game. Like Super Bowl XXXVIII when Delhomme picked and chose his time to shine.

10-RICH GANNON (Raiders): Remember that he won an MVP award the year Oakland went back to the Super Bowl. He fell off just as quickly.

11-BRAD JOHNSON (Buccaneers): Most people don't remember that he was the QB of that Tampa team that won it all.

12-TRENT DILFER (Ravens): He may be among the worst QBs to ever lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.

13-KERRY COLLINS (Giants): You just cannot trust him. Especially when he put up one of the worst Super Bowl performances in history.

-REX GROSSMAN (Bears)

We Better Get Used to These "Super Teams"

Depending on your point of view, the triumvirate of LeBron, Wade and Bosh banding together in Miami is either sickening or exciting. New school cats love it. Old school cats hate it. Either way, the Heat will be the talk of the league next season (it already is) and they don't feel bad about that.

The thing is, we better get used to it.

Reports are that the Knicks are hoping to deal for Chris Paul and find a way to get Carmelo Anthony to join up with Amare Stoudemire for another Big Three. Maybe the Orlando Magic will get Paul to pair up with Dwight Howard and either Rashard Lewis or Vince Carter. That could start a trend all over the league just to get attention and, plainly, to compete.

This isn't a new trend. Remember that the Big Three of Boston came together in the summer of 2007 when the Celtics dealt for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett (to join Paul Pierce). The Lakers dealt for Pau Gasol to pair with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum.

The difference there is that those guys were all traded to their new teams (technically, so were the Miami Thrice as Bosh and James got sign-and-trade deals from their original teams). Gasol was a salary dump from Memphis. The teams dealing with Boston all were on the outskirts and were trying to get younger.

The Miami cats all were free agents and all three wanted to combine as one. Somehow, Chris Paul will get his wish. Maybe Carmelo will, too.

With the new CBA ready to come down next year, this kind of thing can happen a lot easier. The league is hoping to reduce the max years of contracts to the 4 or 5 year range. That would most likely mean that players will be signing for 3 or 4 years and having options after the second or third years. That will cause more turnover, more free agent bonanzas and more opportunities for teams to form these powerful teams.

Remember that LeBron, Wade and Bosh all saw this. All three signed similar deals that all ended this summer. They had kept in touch and knew that this was a great possibility since Miami had shed all kind of cap space. You can't tell me that other players won't follow suit ... especially guys who aren't already on one of these elite clubs. I mean, couldn't Oklahoma City with all their astute spending find a way to lure a couple of stars down there (it's hard to see anyone announcing they will be "taking their talents" to the OKC)?

That means that most of the stars in the league will be hoarded onto the top 5 to 10 teams. Meanwhile, we'll have a ton of teams wading at the bottom just hoping to draft the next big thing ... and watch him bolt to South Beach/Big Apple/Hollywood less than a decade later.

Why the MLB All Star Game Has Become Unwatchable

The MLB All Star game came and went on Tuesday and no one seemed to care. According to ESPN, the game earned its lowest rating ever.

Why doesn't anyone want to watch it anymore? Why is it being pushed aside?

"THIS TIME IT COUNTS": I hate this. I loathe it. An exhibition game should not determine who gets home field advantage in the World Series (the league with more interleague wins should get the nod). It's a bad idea ... even to those who think it's a good one.

By the way, since the fact that home field advantage was on the line and no one still watched (which was the entire reason for pinning that prize to the game), can we just stop it? It doesn't work so let's scrap that.

While that prize puts a little more emotion and drama to the game, it doesn't make it better. One of the most memorable All Star moments in my adult life was the battle between Randy Johnson and John Kruk. Or remember Cal Ripken Jr's final All Star apperance and A-Rod game him his customary shortstop position when they trotted out on the field? Those kinds of things can't happen anymore. They cannot fart around, have fun and do things out of the ordinary.

And then the game gets weird. The managers are trying to find the line between getting everyone in there to play and actually winning the game. It's like Little League.

TOO MANY PLAYERS: Sorry, but there are just too many players on the All Star team. It reminds me of the proposed 96-team NCAA Tournament -- they hate leaving a couple teams out that they are willing to invite unworthy teams in. Same thing here. There are tons of guys having All Star worthy seasons but they can't all get on this team.

Of the 70 or so All Stars ... there were about 20 of them that I hadn't heard of until Tuesday night. And I've probably forgotten them already. To fit them all in, a manager has to use one to pinch hit, one to pinch run and one to be the defensive replacement the next inning. It's just stupid.

PITCHING IS TOO GOOD: We are just coming down from the steroid era where offensive numbers were staggering. After everyone got de-juiced, pitching has started to dominate. In an All Star game, a manager can run out about 4 or 5 aces ... then bring in dominant closers to get the game home.

Good pitching beats good hitting. So rotating great pitchers to the mound will keep the game low scoring and not as fun to watch.

People watch the NBA All Star game for the high offensive theatrics. The NHL and NFL All Star/Pro games are usually higher scoring than an average game. The great pitching makes the MLB All Star game lower scoring than an average game. We don't get to see those great hitters doing anything.

HOME RUN DERBY: I'm not a fan of this event, but I know people who love it. It's gotten so big that it ... at times ... trumps the game itself. Sort of like how the Slam Dunk Contest used to be in the NBA.

I just told you that pitching rules during the game, so the majestic offense fireworks are invited the night before it.

NOVELTY IS GONE: With free agent movement and salary dump trades all the rage in baseball ... not to mention interleague play ... the novelty of the game has worn off. It used to be that you could only see Roger Clemens pitching to Barry Bonds in an All Star Game. Now a David Price-Albert Pujols battle can easily have been seen before.

"The Decision" Was As Disgusting As I Had Figured It Would Be

What LeBron James did on Thursday night was nothing short of disgusting. It was sickening. It was way too much.

Some of it wasn't LeBron's fault. The half-hour homage to how great LeBron is before the decision was announced was all ESPN. To call this the "biggest free agency signing ever" is a slap in the face to Shaquille O'Neal. Remember that in 1996, Shaq's free agency was epic and ... as revisionist history will show ... changed the landscape of the NBA entirely. He would win three titles with the Lakers while the Magic have been back to the Finals just once. Sure, LeBron James was waaaaaay more hyped and there's waaaaay more money involved.

But the spectacle was overblown. Especially since ESPN had led the entire day that LeBron James was picking the Miami Heat. That was the word all day long ... yet ESPN found it in their hearts to try to keep that "but it's not a done deal" and "he could change his mind at the last minute" so that we may actually watch "The Decision" with some suspense and purpose.

I watched the entire program ... including the bonus features. I guess that's the point all along. Who cares if it was wretched TV? We watched it.

Still, LeBron came off a lot worse than I though he would have. He seemed just as narcissistic as people have whispered about. He talked in the third person repeatedly. He kept talking about "taking his talents" to Miami. He just looked smug.

It's fine that he's moving on. He has every right to look at every opportunity out there and take the one he wants. Thoughtful people understand that. And he should be happy about his decision ... so seeing any joy in it is fine. He should be excited.

But why the show? Why the charade? Why the dumb drama? It would have had a ton more meaning if we hadn't been told all day long that Miami was the destination. LeBron must have millions of fingers since he said he could count all the people who knew his decision on one hand. Instead, the drama was replaced by a slow painful death for the city of Cleveland ... as well as New York and Chicago.

New York and Chicago will get over it pretty quickly. They never had LeBron. They have never seen him wearing their teams' jerseys before. While it was yearned for, it never happened. Cleveland, however, lost its star. Lost its hometown guy. Lost its sporting soul again.

Just look at the Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert. He ripped LeBron just moments after the decision was made ... going as far as calling LeBron a "coward" and saying "he quit" on the Cavs during the playoffs. He even dropped this awesome line: "Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there."

While I'm fine with his decision, I'm definitely not fine with the way it was given. Just have someone announce it to the media ... then have your news conference. That's what everyone else does and what is expected.

But LeBron always thought he was better than everyone else.

The Balance Of Power In The NBA Is NOT Now In The East!

One of the things I keep hearing from people around the media is that with all these free agents changing teams, that the balance of power in the NBA has moved from West to East. The Eastern Conference is now the better conference with more dominant teams.

I'm not buying it.

You can point to the fact that Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer went to the Eastern Conference from the West. I get that, but that doesn't mean anything to me.

Sure, a LeBron-Wade-Bosh team in Miami would make the Heat as powerful as anyone in the league. But it doing so, Toronto and Cleveland have become ghost towns. Remember that Cleveland has been one of the best teams in the NBA over the past four years, getting to the Finals once and finishing the last two seasons with the NBA's best record. Now that team will be a borderline playoff team.

The band is back together in Boston. We all remember that this team was dominating Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals until the Lakers got it together and got past them. Still, this team is a year older and will be mere months removed from a long, long playoff run of tough physical series and ending in heartbreak.

Atlanta is pretty much all back together, but that team needs some tweaking to become elite.

Chicago and New York have signed big name power forwards and both have money to get a few other parts in some way. But neither are really power teams yet. Chicago is closer but isn't in the elite class yet. New York needs some other star to pair with Amare to make them relevant again.

Orlando has done nothing (oh, they brought in Chris Duhon). Charlotte will lose Raymond Felton and probably Tyrus Thomas. The only other team that dramatically improved this offseason was the Milwaukee Bucks.

I'm not saying the West is as powerful as it once was. San Antonio's window is barely open. It will be interesting to see how the Suns perform post-Amare (more on that later). But all is not lost. Utah may have lost Boozer, but they've been preparing for that for two years now (um, Paul Millsap got a huge deal to be his replacement last year).

The Lakers, in case you forgot, are the defending two-time champions. The core is still young enough to put together another run or two. The Nuggets were supposed to be the team that challenged the Lakers last year, but George Karl's battle with cancer took the life out of this team. Say what you want, but Karl is the perfect coach for that team of ... well ... interesting individuals. A healthy Karl could get them back on track.

Karl isn't the only "addition" to a team that was already there. Yao Ming will be back with the Houston Rockets next year. They fought most of the year for a postseason spot without Yao last season. Remember that this team added Kevin Martin during the season and has a nice group of role players. Blake Griffin missed his rookie campaign with a knee injury. He'll infuse some much needed bang with the Clippers.

Oklahoma City will be the next power out of the West. They have outstanding talent, a bona fide super star, a great front office and tons of flexibility to make changes to the roster when needed. Portland was supposed to be that team, and still could be. Dallas was the buzz team during the second half of last year.

The Warriors and Kings have some huge young talents (Curry, Ellis in G-State; Evans and Cousins in Sacto). Memphis has a formidable roster. New Orleans still has Chris Paul.

All I am saying is that the East hasn't taken the mantle of best conference. How about winning a title (the East has won just three of the past 12 titles) to prove me wrong.

LeBron Is About to Kick Cleveland In the Nuts

I have a hunch that LeBron James is not coming back to Cleveland. Just a hunch.

Why hold an hour long "special" to announce you're not going anywhere? It can't be used as a recruiting tool for free agents to come to the Cavaliers. They lack the funds to make a play for any other big dogs ... not to mention that most of them have already agreed to deals.

Why hold this presser in Greenwich, CT ... just a few miles away from New York City? Well, there is a reason for that. He's in Carmelo Anthony's wedding, which is this weekend in Greenwich. Still, with the demands on LeBron and this wedding, why would he bother having this charade just to announce he's coming back?

(If I had to put some cheese on this, I'd say that LeBron is heading to New York. Amare Stoudemire is already there, he could become a world icon and own that city. In a city with A-Rod, Eli, Rex Ryan and Derek Jeter, LeBron would still be king.)

(NOTE: The big rumor throughout the night and morning is that LeBron would go to Miami. Again, why not have a triple news conference about that with Wade and Bosh on Wednesday?)

I'm sorry, but LeBron James has looked really bad through all of this. A likeable guy, LeBron has turned himself into a somewhat hated fellow. We're tired of all of this. Pick somewhere! If it is Cleveland, then all of this was a royal waste of time. If it isn't Cleveland, thanks for holding this event to kick Cleveland in the nads.

That would be the most classless and cruel exit I'd could ever see.

I'm not a fan of the city of Cleveland. It isn't really anywhere I'd want to go. Their sports teams could be loveable losers if it wasn't for the way they lose. Jose Mesa. The Drive. The Fumble. Of course, only Mesa involved a championship that was in their grasp. His meltdown against the Marlins in 1996 clutched defeat from the jaws of victory. The Drive and The Fumble kept them from the Super Bowl, but it wasn't as if the champagne was chilling in their locker room.

I do feel bad for the sports fans there. Art Modell pulling the Browns from the city and moving them to Baltimore was crushing. It's about the only thing that could compare to LeBron ditching his hometown Cavs for whomever. The only difference is that the NFL almost immediately guaranteed that they'd put an expansion team in Cleveland, name them the Browns and keep all of the franchise's history. A couple years and the team was back.

With LeBron, there ain't no coming back. If he leaves, there is no other super star that's walking through that door to replace him. They'll have to pray that someone falls in their lap ... at some point ... in the next decade or two ... via the draft. In fact, you could make the case that no star in their right mind would ever choose to play in Cleveland. If a guy who lived his whole life there doesn't want to stay ... then why would anyone else?

I'm not being overly dramatic and saying the entire city of Cleveland will burn and sink to the bottom of Lake Erie if LeBron doesn't come back. But it will take the sporting soul out of this town. The Cavs of the last seven years have been the closest thing they've had to a champion. Now it could all be gone.

I Can't Blame College Athletes Taking the Money

The joke about college sports is that it takes a lot of cash to land these five star recruits. We see stuff like this happen all the time ... and sometimes they even get caught. That's what happened to USC involving Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo. Now it seems to be happening with John Wall and Kentucky.

First off, I knew Wall was going to bite Kentucky in the rear. There were schools that wouldn't touch him because they knew there was some dirt linked to him (famously, my UNC Tar Heels refused to recruit him even though he wanted to come there). Still ... duh.

It has to be extremely difficult to be in that situation. Go back to when you were 17 or 18 years old and someone said, "look, I'll hook you up on the down-low if you remember me when you go pro" to you. Despite all your morals, you'd think about it. Don't lie. Stealing is wrong but we all had that "hook-up" at McDonald's back in high school that scored us free food or the friend who worked at the music shop that got us discounted stuff. Did that feel wrong back then? That's part of life: getting the most bang for our buck. It happens when you are an adult, too. Remember that whole "scratch my back" adage? Same thing. I'll do something for you now if you do something for me later. We all ask it and we all receive it.

Granted, receiving money or benefits while you are an "amatuer" may seem more harsh ... but is it? I mean, what really do you OWE anybody? High schools and those AAU-type leagues exploit these guys. Then the NCAA does it. All for free. So why wouldn't a kid who has limited resources decide to cash in a little on HIS TALENTS!

Remember, he's selling something that everyone is buying. The NCAA and the University of Kentucky had no problem pimping John Wall every chance they had. He was the face of one of the elite basketball programs in the country. They made tons of money off of him ... and all they had to "pay" him was a scholarship. They will even profit off him by saying "remember that John Wall went here!" You think the name "Michael Jordan" doesn't come out of Roy Williams' mouth when he's recruiting? Wall will forever be linked with Kentucky and all they had to do was pay for one year's tuition and the cost of the expenses of him being on the team. Yeah, that's nice and all but that doesn't even remotely equate his worth to the university or the NCAA.

That's why I think that all this agent stuff should be thrown out. Let these cats go ahead and get an agent ... even when they are in high school. Who the heck cares? As long as the university, the conferences or anyone linked with any school isn't funnelling money thru the agent ... what's the big deal? The agent then knows he has a client down the road and you won't get the feeding frenzy as you do now. Heck, have that agent work with the university about using him in advertising.

Of course, Kentucky or the NCAA doesn't want that because they have darn near free labor and making a gazillion dollars off it. Plus, this will still get pretty messy and this problem would then trickle down to the high school ranks.

Of course, just dumping the one-and-done rule would help a ton. Too bad the NBA doesn't want it. You don't see them punishing agents that are involved in this junk. They profit indirectly from this whole deal. John Wall is a much bigger name coming into the league because he went to Kentucky for a season. Sure, he was known around hoops circles during high school, but he wouldn't have had the draw if he came directly out to the NBA. Not just him, but the Xavier Henrys and Derrick Favorses of the world. Heck, not many people knew who Dwight Howard was until a couple of months before he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Orlando Magic.

The point is, I can't blame these kids for pocketing some money. Chump change to what they've made for other people. And ask Wall, Bush or Mayo if they feel bad about it right now. They don't care. That's all in the past and can't really hurt them if they don't want it to.

The Sportz Assassin's Free Agency Predictions

Since everyone else is doing it ... so will I. I'll reach into my butt and attempt to pull out where all the big dog free agents are heading this offseason.

Let me just say that this is all pretty cool, actually. To see so many big free agents out there ... as well as all these teams that can actually shop for these guys ... is awesome.

LEBRON JAMES: I think he stays in Cleveland. I think the lure of the big cities and all of that isn't enough for what he has built in Ohio. It may hinge on the Cavs bringing in a second tier free agent, but I think somehow this gets done. If not there, then ... Chicago.

DWYANE WADE: He stays in Miami. Unless the Heat totally disrespect him, I think he's not going anywhere. If not there, then ... Chicago.

CHRIS BOSH: Now it gets tricky. I don't think he'll go to Cleveland because they'd have to deal away a lot to get him (as well as Varejao ... which would make Bosh a center, which he doesn't like). I don't think Miami has anything to offer Toronto in a sign-and-trade. Maybe they can just sign him outright. Still, he has the same problem in Miami as being the lone inside threat. I think he heads to Chicago. The Bulls already have a team on the rise, an All Star in Derrick Rose and the money to add another dog. If not there, then ... Miami.

JOE JOHNSON: Two days ago, I would've said New York. Now Atlanta is throwing the bank at him and that has to sway him back home. If not there, then ... New York.

DIRK NOWITZKI: He stays in Dallas. The opt out is the cash in on a big contract now and to gain that rare no-trade clause. If not there, then ... New York.

PAUL PIERCE: Same thing here. Pierce stays in Boston to get a big payday and that same no-trade clause. If not there, then ... New Jersey.

AMARE STOUDAMIRE: This one is tough. I think he'll stay in Phoenix, but I can really see him going to New York to play for Mike D'Antoni. I think he'll like the fact that the Knicks would be built around him and he stays in a high octane offense that fits his skills. This is by far my thinnest limb I'm going out on. If not there, then ... Phoenix.

CARLOS BOOZER: While I think Stoudamire would be a better fit, I see Boozer taking the big money in Miami. It isn't the LeBron-Wade-Bosh trifecta, but Boozer gives the Heat a scorer down low with a very good mid-range game. If not there, then ... Chicago or New Jersey.

DAVID LEE: This is a really tough one. If the Knicks sign Amare, would they still want Lee? I think so. I think a Mike D'Antoni offense with Amare at center and Lee at power forward would be pretty darn good. I think New York resigns him. If not there, then ... Phoenix Suns.

RUDY GAY: This one is really difficult. New Jersey has money that I don't have them spending yet -- and they could use him. I'm leaning on him heading to the Los Angeles Clippers. They have money and a gaping hole at small forward that they need to fill. If not there, then ... New Jersey.

--UPDATE -- Gay signed with Memphis for a max contract. I can't blame him for that. No one could/would/should offered that for him.

RAY ALLEN: With Doc Rivers back and Paul Pierce most likely locking in a long-ish deal, I think Allen would come back to Boston for a little less to take another shot at a title. Chicago is a very, very interesting option if they show him the money. If not there, then ... Chicago.

TYRUS THOMAS: He stays in Charlotte. He'll shop for a big deal, but I don't see anyone offering one. He takes the one year tender. If not there, then ... New York.

LUIS SCOLA: He stays in Houston. They'll have to pay him. If not there, then ... Toronto.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL: I think he globs on to Dallas. He wants another shot at a ring and he's burned enough bridges in Los Angeles and Miami that Dallas will be the next best choice. It's a shame that this guy will be known as a guy who chased rings at the end of his career. If not there, then ... Boston.

JOHN SALMONS: I think he stays in Milwaukee. He realizes that this Bucks team is on the rise and were a horrific Andrew Bogut injury away from doing some real damage in the playoffs. Plus, they just added Drew Gooden earlier today. With Michael Redd most likely out of the way, Salmons has the gig all to himself. If not there, then ... LA Clippers.

RAYMOND FELTON: Charlotte just can't afford him, so I think he gets nabbed by the Indiana Pacers. They need a point guard and have been aggressively trying to get one. They have enough young guys to deal back in a sign-and-trade. If not there, then ... New York.

STEVE BLAKE: The LA Lakers want him badly and he fits their style perfectly. Will Jordan Farmar gone, I think Blake would be a nice fit. If not there, then ... Charlotte.

BRAD MILLER: I think it depends on a few things. If the Bulls load up on talent, I think he'll want to stay in Chicago. If it doesn't go like that, I think he heads to Boston. If not there, then ... Chicago.