Building the NBA's Super-Team

At least one team is going to come out of this year's free agency looking almost like an all-star team with the Knicks, Heat, Nets and Bulls making the biggest push.

All of this is of course centered around the acquisition of LeBron James, but it comes nowhere close to stopping there.

Teams are figuring out ways to lure LeBron in and since this is probably the flashiest free agent class in NBA history, teams have plenty to work with.

Currently the Heat have the most leverage here because they have Dwyane Wade and are now working to get Chris Bosh to join.

Imagine that? Wade, LeBron, and Bosh all on the same team. Plus Miami is a glamorous city that will attract the likes of LeBron.

The overall consensus has been that LeBron will go to the Bulls in the end, but that really depends on where Bosh goes. He's kind of the x-factor in where all of the dominoes end up falling.

Then you have the lowly Nets who are extremely young and have nowhere to go but up. At the end of the week they'll make their first face-to-face pitch to LeBron and still plan on making pitches to Bosh and Wade as well.

It doesn't matter where these three guys end up if they end up together. Wherever it is that team will be nearly unstoppable. It will make the 2008 additions of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to join Paul Pierce child's play.

The Cavaliers can pretty much kiss LeBron goodbye because there's no way he's staying there and passing up on the opportunity to play alongside the likes of Wade or Bosh.

And then you have the Knicks who have the advantage of playing in New York City and offering more to LeBron's "brand" than any other team can. But LeBron said he wants to win championships more than anything else.

The Knicks are trying to address that by talking to Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson. Those players would definitely be enticing to LeBron so we'll have to see where that goes.

So take all the time you need to decipher all of this because it's really like firing into the dark and trying to hit a bulls eye to figure out where LeBron will end up after he becomes a free agent on July 1.

2010 Noteworthy Free Agents (Unrestricted)

• LeBron James
• Dwyane Wade
• Amare Stoudemire
• Chris Bosh
• Carlos Boozer
• Joe Johnson
• Dirk Nowitzki
• Paul Pierce
• Kenyon Martin
  

FIFA Gives Whole New Meaning To Bad Officiating...

This World Cup has had its ups and downs when it comes to the actual play on the feel, but I'm sure a consensus could be reached in regards to the officiating, or lake thereof.

I have a new found appreciation for officials in our major American sports now after seeing the horrible job that the FIFA officials have done during the World Cup.

Those bad calls continued today with a clear goal being taken away from England and a Argentina goal being allowed against Mexico. Both calls were easily the wrong call.

The England no-goal really hurt them because it would have tied the score 2-2 and changed the entire complexion of the game. Instead England continued to be down one and had to keep pressing for that tying goal which left wide open holes in the defense for Germany to counter attack.

Germany went on to win 4-1 with all of the momentum on their side.

The Argentina goal should have been disallowed because the player who scored the goal was offside. Now this missed call was also crucial because the team that scores the first goal usually wins in soccer.

So let me get this straight. You can't call offsides enough against the Americans, but then you miss offsides in an even bigger game?

These officials have to get better if this sport is going to gain any popularity in the United States. We have enough bad officiating to deal with in our own sports.

Team USA Has Easiest Path To World Cup Semis

I guess you can call it poetic justice that the U.S. got a last-minute goal against Algeria to advance to the Knockout stage of the World Cup, something they haven't done since the Great Depression.

That single goal by Landon Donovan increased soccer's popularity so much in this country. Even in bars here in Nashville people were up bright and early on a work day to support their country in the world's greatest sporting event.

By scoring more goals than England they got the tiebreaker and won the group, meaning they avoided the likes of Germany and Spain which are on the other side of the bracket. They wouldn't have to potentially play Brazil until the semi-finals.

You definitely can't get caught looking ahead at this point. Ghana is said to be a young team that is very capable of scoring a quick goal. Their defense is their weak point which I believe the U.S. will be able to exploit effectively.

If they get by Ghana then the U.S. would play either Uruguay or South Korea. Everyone expects Uruguay to take care of business here but then again no one expected South Korea to advance to this point.

Either way both of these teams are not impossible to beat by U.S. standards.

If we are all fortunate enoughy to see the Americans reach the semi-finals then we might be rewarded with a rematch of last summer's Confederations Cup final with Brazil. A game that the U.S. was leading 2-0 before crumbling in the second half.

Looking over the 16 teams remaining in the World Cup I would say the Americans are better than at least half of them which means the have a great chance at advancing to a date with Brazil.

If this happens then this whole country might just have to take a sick day. Just tell the boss you're supporting the country. I'm sure he or she will understand and probably go watch it with you.

ESPN Interview Shows Chris Johnson's Frustration

If the Chris Johnson holdout wasn't national news then it certainly is now.

An exclusive interview by ESPN with Johnson outlined his frustration with the Titans over his current contract that currently only calls for him to make $550,000 next season.

Here are some of the main quotes that have come out during this holdout:

• "I wanna be one of the highest paid offensive players in the league" ESPN
  

Yes, Chris you did come this close to setting the single-season rushing record last season, but those are strong words. The Titans do have to re-work your contract because you did obviously out play that contract, but demanding to be the highest paid offensive player in the league is pushing it. There are players that had to put in their time and prove on a consistent basis that they weren't a one-hit wonder. It's happened before and the Titans have to protect themselves to some degree.

• "Its like how u expect ur players to give they all and put their bodies on the line when you not willing to give them what they deserve." CJ's Twitter page

Now this makes a little more sense, with the exception of the horrible grammar. Johnson did play a huge role in the Titans' season turnaround last season. Even during the 0-6 start Johnson was playing well. Once again, the Titans do have to throw Johnson a bone so to speak. He deserves more than what he's up for. A happy employee is a productive employee.

• " I want anywhere between 30 and 40 guaranteed". ESPN

This one really kind of surprised me. First of all that is a bold statement coming from a guy who has only put two years into his line of work. Sure, he's had two great seasons but what happens if those were the two best years he's got? What if defenses finally figure him out and he turns into just another average running back? What if a career-altering injury comes up next season with all of this guaranteed money? If that were to happen, then the Titans would be dead in the water.

You can't blame a team for being cautious about guaranteeing that much money to a player who's only been in the league for two years. How many job professions offer their employees that much of a pay increase in just two years? It just doesn't happen and in this regard Johnson is being extremely selfish.

If the Titans do end up paying up then Johnson is putting a ton of pressure on himself to perform and live up to his demands. He screwed up by taking the bait and naming a figure like that.

A below average season will leave Johnson looking like a fraud, so he better live up to his demands.

This situation is far from being resolved. Recent history has shown that the Titans don't like to throw their money around.

Group C Still Up For Grabs

Every team in Group C still has a chance to advance to the knockout stages thanks to Algeria shocking England with a scoreless draw earlier today.

That drama came nowhere close to the drama the U.S. brought to the table against Slovenia earlier in the day.

For once the U.S. was the favorite to win, but that expectation was handled poorly as Slovenia took a two-goal lead to halftime.

Considering the U.S. had never come back from two goals down to get a draw, it looked hopeless that the U.S. would advance out of the group.

That's when Landon Donovan and the rest of the team began to work their magic. We saw a team that was desperate like a vicious dog backed into a corner.

Donovan scored the first goal as broke loose the right side and got within inches of the goalkeeper before scoring top-shelf just minutes into the second half.

The U.S. would get dangerously close to running out of time before the second goal and game-tying goal was scored by the coach's son Michael Bradley. It was pure excitement to say the least and it made you proud to be an American.

Jozy Altidore set Bradley up beautifully with a header that would make the soccer greats like Pele very proud.

What ended up overshadowing the great comeback was a horrible foul that was called on the U.S. that cost them from taking the lead with just minutes remaining. Even South Africa is ripping their own officials for calling a horrible game, but the U.S. should be counting it's blessings that they even got a draw after playing such a horrible first half.

With two draws Group C is still wide open for all four teams. The final two matchups will be England against group-leader Slovenia, and the U.S. against Algeria.

The scenario is simple for the U.S.: Beat Algeria and they'll advance. They'll still be alive with a draw if England loses or draws but fails to outscore the U.S. by more than two goals.

Confusing, I know.

One common thread among almost all sports is to just take care of business, and the U.S. has the luxury of controlling it's own destiny by defeating Algeria.

Don't expect this to be a walk in the park because obviously Algeria is better than some people gave them credit for. They held a solid English team to no goals and lost a tough one to Slovenia.

The U.S. has to play the full 90 minutes the way they're capable of playing and they'll beat Algeria. It's been 13 straight games since the U.S. shutout a team in the World Cup so what better time to do it than on Wednesday against Algeria.

Group C Standings

1. Slovenia 1-0-1 (4 pts) 3 goals
2. United States 0-0-2 (2 pts) 3 goals
3. England 0-0-2 (2 pts) 1 goal
4. Algeria 0-1-1 (1 pt) 0 goals

It's All Come Down To This..Game 7

Like so many of us wished for, there will be a Game 7 between the Celtics and the Lakers thanks to a full team effort by the Lakers on Tuesday night.

Now the Lakers will get a chance to avenge their 08' loss to the Celtics by winning their second-straight NBA championship.

You would have to be very dumb to count the Celtics out at this point even without Kendrick Perkins. The Lakers have yet to win back-to-back games in this series and a lot of that can be attributed to Doc Rivers and the adjustments he's made after each loss.

Expect Game 7 to be anything but a blowout. You can make reasonable argument for either team to win it all at this point.

In the end I wish I could stick with my prediction of the Celtics in seven, but I'm afraid I'm going to end up being wrong by the slimmest of margins.

The Perkins injury really hurts the Celtics from a defensive standpoint. He's the anchor of shutting down Pau Gasol. Gasol came one assist shy of recording a triple-double with Perkins out of the lineup.

We all know Kobe Bryant will get his numbers, but Pau Gasol can put this team over the edge as far as winning this series. Perkins was a great defender against Gasol and now that defender is gone.

Glen Davis is a sub-par defender against Pau Gasol and Rasheed Wallace definitely isn't known for his defense.

If Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett all come out firing on all cylinders on offense then they have a chance to just simply win in shootout fashion, but last night's dismal 67-point output tells me that might be a stretch.

I'm not counting the Celtics out completely, but it's going to be a tough challenge to stop the momentum the Lakers built on the home floor in Game 6.

Once again if Rondo plays like his heroic self then maybe, just maybe, the Celtics can pull this one out.

Either way it does promise to be another great Game 7 between the Celtics-Lakers rivalry.

Trouble Finds Vince Young Once Again

What is it with Titans players not being able to stay out of trouble lately?

Vince Young was involved in a fight at a Dallas strip club over the weekend after a club employee taunted Young with an upside hook em' horns symbol. Young then responded to the insult of his alma-mater by shoving a few people out of the way and landing a punch on the employee in a small office.

You've probably already seen video of this altercation, and if not then ESPN or YouTube will gladly supply you with that priceless footage.

The employee is originally from Oklahoma, which is obviously Texas's long-time rival in college athletics.

Instead of using self-control, Young proved he still has a ton of growing up to do. This is something an 18-year-old might do because he's just getting use to going to a nightclub, but not an adult who is suppose to be setting an example for young teens.

You have to expect Young to get some sort of punishment from Roger Goodell, which has had his hands full since becoming commissioner.

Young is lucky to only get a minor citation from the altercation, but the NFL has proven in the past that they can be harsher than the law.

When are these athletes going to learn that being in these nightclubs greatly increases the likelihood of putting themselves in a negative spotlight.

The employee suffered a cut to his lip from the incident, but nothing serious.

It's now a possibility that Kerry Collins may have to step back in as a temporary starter and send the Titans back down the dark road of who the starting quarterback is going to be.

As much as I don't want to see Collins thrown back in as the starter, in this situation Young has to be suspended in a no-nonsense league that the NFL has become.

This video puts a negative light on the NFL and that will lead to a suspension from Goodell.

Thanks, Vince. I hope punching that average joe was worth it. Now we're stuck with Kerry once again.

Americans Lucky To Get The Draw

Luck has always played a crucial role in sports, and today the USA used a botched save attempt by England's goalie to earn a 1-1 draw.

If you're England you have to be upset over the draw considering they had a number of opportunities to put more goals on the board.

On the other hand, if you're the USA you have to be happy about earning the point. Now the Americans have two seemingly easy opponents to get them out of the group and into the next round of the World Cup.

At first it seemed like the Americans were a little intimidated by the big stage and the third ranked team in the world according to the FIFA rankings.

It definitely showed when England scored in just the 4th minute of action.

Eventually they settled down and started playing some great soccer that created more scoring opportunities, including the goal by Clint Dempsey just before halftime.

Even though the Americans got a little lucky you still have to give them so much credit for being resilient and never giving up.

That resiliency almost got them a 2-1 lead late in the game when Jozy Altidore broke loose and hit the post. Dempsey also came within inches of shooting on a wide open net.

It's obviously never good thing to give up a goal, but giving it up in the 4th minute gave them virtually an entire match to get it back.

There's nothing wrong with having a little luck on your side and now the Americans are sitting in a good spot to advance.

Goalie Tim Howard deserves player of the game honors for sure as he made five clutch saves to keep everything knotted up in the 2nd half.

Next up is Slovenia on Friday. They're no England, but they shouldn't be taken lightly by any means.

USA-England Stats

• Shots on Goal: England 6, USA 4
• Corner Kicks: England 8, USA 4
• Time of Possession Percentage: England 57%, USA 43%
• Time of Goals: England- Gerrard (4th min.), USA- Dempsey (40th min.)
  

Goodbye Big 12, Hello Super Conferences

We are witnessing a historic time in the history of college football as every second ticks by.

Colorado is the latest team to take the plunge and leave the Big 12 by joining the Pac-10. Not sure I understand why an average program like Colorado would go to a conference where it will most likely be at the bottom of the barrel.

It's also becoming more and more likely that the likes of Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State will be leaving for the Pac-10 as early as Tuesday.

Texas A&M is in this conversation as well, but they're more on the fence.

The Big 12 as we know it is done for.

Teams like Kansas State, Baylor, and Iowa State are left out in the cold and will have two options: Look for a new, much smaller conference to join, or wait and see if the Big 12 can find new teams to join their conference.

It's really going to leave a huge mess to sort out. You can basically throw everything you learned in geography out the window because schools in the heartland of the country will be playing in a conference made for the west coast.

When this is all said and done the Pac-10 could end up with 16 total teams and the Big Ten with 12 total teams thanks to the inevitable addition of Nebraska.

Like most conferences that have an even number of teams, the Pac-10 would be divided into two divisions that would most likely lump the two Arizona schools with Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State.

Now that would be the gauntlet of all divisions in college football.

The WAC also got rocked today as they lost their best program in Boise State to the Mountain West. They won't officially join until July of 2011. All of the sudden the Mountain West is a conference that should be respected greatly, if it wasn't already.

With the addition of Boise State, the Mountain West now has four teams that won at least ten games and finishing in the Top 25.

All of this realignment could mean that smaller schools in America's heartland would get an invitation to join the Big 12.

This could have a trickle affect and impact smaller conferences like Conference USA and maybe even the Sun Belt and the MAC. It really depends on whether or not the Big 12 decides to throw in the towel or tries to stay in existence.

This whole thing is far from being over.

Nebraska Adds Credibility To Big Ten

The talk of conference expansion by the Big Ten and the Pac 10 has been all the rave over the past week, and the Big Ten has become the first of the two to make a move.

This move makes sense for the Big Ten. Nebraska is right in the middle of Big Ten country and will add a solid program to a conference that has regressed over the past few years.

Nebraska improved greatly last season and was one questionable call away in the Big 12 championship game from upsetting Texas.

If you're Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, or to a lesser degree Iowa then you have to love this addition because it gives your conference more credibility. Now of course that adds another tough obstacle to your conference schedule, but you have to welcome that obstacle.

For a while now the Big Ten has been attacked for being to easy of a conference that lacks a conference championship game.

This addition has to lead to the formation of two divisions and a conference championship game.

This scenario has been talked about for years now with the possibility of Notre Dame joining the Big Ten considering a good chunk of their schedule consists of Big Ten teams, but that obviously never happened.

The ball has officially started rolling on conference expansion and I'm sure this won't be the only change we'll see.

The Pac 10 is still waiting to possibly pull the trigger on the golden goose of Texas, but the Big Ten also wants Texas.

If the Big Ten or the Pac 10 gets Texas then they'll instantly be elevated to the most feared conference in the country along with the SEC.

Previous Conference Expansions

• Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College joined ACC in 2004
  
• Penn State joined Big Ten in 1990
• Arkansas and South Carolina joined SEC in 1994
• Arizona State and Arizona joined Pac-10 in 1978

Commodores Bunt Their Way to Super Regionals

Walk-off home runs are always exciting, but sometimes walk-off bunts are just as effective.

Vanderbilt (45-18) used the bunt squeeze play to perfection on Monday night as they defeated the highly ranked Louisville Cardinals (40-15) for the second time in as many days to earn a date with Florida State in the NCAA super regionals.

The winner of this three-game series will get a berth in the College World Series.

The Commodores have relied on their hitting all season long, but last night proved that their pitching is just as dangerous at times.

They held the Cardinals to just seven hits in ten innings.

Last season this same exact scenario occurred between these two team, but Louisville came out on the winning end.

Louisville sent out an undefeated pitcher to try to slow down the Vandy bats, but he didn't slow them down enough to get the win.

Now the Commodores get a chance to play on the big stage, which doesn't happen often in college baseball. They'll be on ESPN2 for the series opener on Friday in Tallahassee to take on a very tough Florida State team.

Vandy shouldn't be too intimidated because the Seminoles are actually ranked one spot behind Louisville, so they have to be feeling confident enough to beat anyone in the country right now.

It's only the second time the Commodores will play in the Super Regionals in school history. Congrats Commodores!

Who's Got the Edge With Lakers-Celtics Tied

There's already two games down in the NBA Finals and it's still a toss up to many on who's going to win this series.

The first game was dominated in almost every way by the Lakers, but last night's game proved to be a little different. The Lakers had every opportunity to take a commanding two games to none lead, but in a shocking turn of events Kobe Bryant actually found himself in foul trouble. That almost never happens to the superstars of the league.

With Bryant being in foul trouble he couldn't be as aggressive as he normally is, which helped the Celtics increase their slim lead to a deceiving nine-point win.

Don't be fooled by the road win. The Lakers are still in great position to win this series in as little as six games. Sure, the Celtics are going home for three straight games in Beantown and can win another championship on their home floor if they don't slip up at home.

Home-court advantage may be a slight edge in this series, but it doesn't matter where the game is being played, the Celtics will not beat the Lakers three straight times. They barely got by the Lakers last night with Kobe Bryant in foul trouble, Ron Artest playing like he should be on a junior varsity team, and Lamar Odom being virtually invisible on the court. With all that, the Lakers still had a chance to win last night.

There were a few questionable calls at the end of that game as well that really swayed the momentum. One call being the out of bounds call that ruled Pau Gasol last touched the ball. Instant replay proved that Kevin Garnett last touched the ball. At that point every possession was of the essence.

The other horrible call was the foul called on Artest as he was trailing Rajon Rondo. Artest hardly even grazes Rondo and a foul was called.

This is suppose to be playoff basketball where physical play is suppose helps your team, not handicap it.

However, Ray Allen does deserve a lot of credit for setting the record for most three-point field goals in an NBA Finals game.

He had eight and seven of those came in the 1st half. Chalk up another great adjustment by Phil Jackson because the Lakers held Allen to only five points in the 2nd half, including an air ball that looked like a shot you would see in a YMCA pickup game.

Also, as I've been saying all postseason long, Rondo is the straw that stirs the drink for the Celtics. His stat line is down right remarkable and once again he leads his team in rebounds with 12. It's not like the Celtics are full of small interior players. We're talking about Rondo out-rebounding the likes of Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis, and Rasheed Wallace.

That shot he hit on the elbow to seal the game was just icing on the cake to a great individual performance. It may not have been as flashy as Allen's three-point extravaganza, but it was just as effective.

He'll be the Finals MVP if the Celtics figure out a way to win this series.

The bottom line is the Celtics still have way more adjustments to make than the Lakers do. We all know Bryant will come back with avengence in Game 3, and until the low post defense of the Celtics can figure out a way to slow down both Gasol and Bynum then the Lakers will win their second-straight NBA championship.

Notable Game 3 Stats

• Rondo record 5th career triple double (19 points,12 reb, 10 ast)
• Gasol and Bynum combine for 46 points, 14 rebounds, 13 blocks
• Garnett held to just 6 points and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes
• Bryant plays less minutes than any of the other four starters (34 minutes)
  

Teams Make Final Adjustments For World Cup

There's not a more simple way to say this. The World Cup is finally almost upon us.

Ever since USA's improbable run in the Confederation's Cup last summer the World Cup has been something I have greatly looked forward to.

Most teams, including USA, have arrived in South Africa by now and are in the midst of acclimating to the climate of South Africa. The climate is more on the winter side this time of year so teams from the Northern Hemisphere will have to make sure they adjust to that.

The Americans have already expressed how comfortable they feel playing in South Africa and how it's almost become a home away from home. The people there have been very welcoming and that has to be good for the psyche of the players.

It's definitely got to be better than having bags of urine thrown at you like in Mexico.

So just who is the favorites to win the World Cup. Well it's almost like firing a shot in the dark to really answer that, but the usual suspects are there.

Brazil is obviously a safe bet here. They're by far the best team in this World Cup but that doesn't always mean success. All it takes is one simple goal and an offensive breakdown for your team to get sent packing by the likes of a less formidable opponent.

What makes Brazil so tough to beat is how explosive their offense is. We saw that against USA in the Confederations Cup final when Brazil came back from two goals down in the 2nd half.

Obviously you have to watch out for teams like Spain, Italy, and Germany.

As for the Americans' group, England will be a tough obstacle to climb if they want to win the group. You should be reminded that they don't have to win the group to advance. It's the top two teams that advance to the second round.

That means that the Americans will have to get by either Algeria (31st in the world) or Slovenia (23rd in the world). The way the Americans have been playing as of late leads me to believe they'll finish second in their group.

The Americans just won an international friendly against Turkey this past week and have a date with Australia before beginning World Cup play a week from Saturday.

Mexico is my sleeper pick and everyone should be afraid to play this team. They have so much tenacity and such a high soccer IQ. They're always very nicely conditioned and they fought their way into this World Cup against all odds.

When it's all said and done I'm playing it safe here and calling Brazil to win another World Cup. They'll meet a fellow South American nation in Argentina in the final and their will be plenty of excitement to go around.

Now by no means is soccer my specialty but my love for March Madness is coming out in me when looking over the World Cup bracket. All I can say is I can't wait to here those World Cup announcers yell "GOOOALLLLL" when the Americans take the field against England on June 12.

Baseball's Newest Pitching Sensation

There's a new force to be reckoned with on the mound in the National League, and it's not Tim Lincecum or Roy Halladay. It's Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies.

Just in case you don't keep up with baseball, Jimenez currently has an ERA of 0.78. In fact, he hasn't given up an earned run since May 15.

This is the kind of pitcher that can carry you to the World Series. We saw it last season with Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia, and we could very well see it again this season with Jimenez.

The most surprising thing about this is the fact that Jimenez is no stranger to baseball. He's been around since 2006 but has never pitched anywhere close to how he's pitching now. His career ERA is a modest 3.39.

He's also never won more than 15 games in a season and he's already won ten this season. Let's also not forget that no-hitter he threw towards the beginning of the season.

Barring some kind of meltdown, he'll easily win the NL Cy Young and help the Rockies at least get a Wild Card berth.

Thanks to Jimenez the Rockies are very worthy contenders for the NL pennant.

The Numbers

• 10-1 record (1st)
  
• 0.78 ERA (1st)
  
• 70 strikeouts (T-7th)