European Champions League of Soccer, Volleyball, and More

UEFA Champions League (Soccer)

Cristiano Ronaldo
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The Round of 16 for the UEFA Champs League has ended with three teams from La Liga (Spain), two from the Bundesliga (Germany), and one team from Serie A (Italy), Ligue 1 (France), and Super Lig (Turkey) making the quarters. No teams from England have made the quarterfinals, a first since the 1995-96 Champs League. The premier teams in the final eight are Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid. Borussia Dortmond, Juventes, and Paris Saint-Germain. Galatasaray is a good team that will be undervalued. Malaga is a few steps below the other seven. They have the smallest chance of making it to the semi-finals. The quarterfinals games will be played on in early April, with the first leg on the second and third and the second leg on the ninth and tenth.

The draw for the quarterfinals were on Friday. The match-ups are Barcelona-PSG, Bayern Munich-Juventus, Borussia Dortmond-Malaga, and Galatasaray-Real Madrid. Of all the games, Boruissa Dortmond has the easiest road against Malaga. Every other game will be close. Barcelona vs. PSG will be closer then you would think at first glance. Bayern Munich is better then Juventes, but after being blown out by Arsenal in the second leg of their Round of 16 series, Munich may be vulnerable. The German club will need to put that behind them to win. The final match-up is between Real Madrid and Galatasaray. The winner of this match-up will be the team does performs it's best on the road. This, and Barca-PSG, are my favorite games. 

Euroleague (Basketball)

Jordan Farmer
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The Euroleague is also in it's Round of 16. Unlike other sports, the basketball league's round of 16 has two groups of eight teams.  Each team will play fourteen games against the the other seven teams in their group. All the teams have just finished eleven games. Group E features Alba Berlin, 
Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Brose Baskets, CSKA Moscow, Panathinaikos Athens, Real Madrid, Unicaja Malaga, and Zalgiris Kaunas. In the first Group E game of week eleven, Anadolu Efes won a close game against Brose Baskets. Anadolu Efes, led by former NBA player Jordan Farmer, enhanced their record to 9-2, while Brose dropped to 0-11. Next up was Zalgiris Kaunas at CSKA Moscow. CSKA Moscow improved to 8-3 with the 70-61. Zalgiris record is now 4-7. After that, Liga ACB members Unicaja Malaga and Real Madrid went at it in Madrid. Malaga pulled off the upset away from home, winning 77-74. Real Madrid, who with the loss slid to 9-2, were without 3 time MVP of Week Rudy Fernandez. Malaga enhanced their record to 6-5. The last game of the week for Group E teams was a blowout. Panathinaikos beat Alba Berlin 82-58. With the win, Panathinakos record became 7-4, while Alba Berlin dropped to 1-10.

BC Khimki MR, Besiktas JK, Caja Laboral Vitoria, FC Barcelona Regal, Fenerbahce Ulker, Maccabi Electra, Montepaschi Siena, and Olympiacos Piraeus are the teams of Group F. The first game of the week for Group F was between BC Khimki MR and Maccabi Electra. In a game that went down to the wire, Maccabi Electra won 80-79. The win boosted Maccabi Electra's record to 6-5 and BC Khimki MR slid to 6-5. The next game was also a nail-bitter between Olympiacos and Montepaschi. With Olympiacos up by one, Montepaschi's star player Bobby Brown drove and then kicked it out. However, they could not get a shot off in time, and Olympiacos got the win away from home, 68-67. After the game, both teams had a record of 7-4. Caja Laboral then went up against Fenerbahce. At home, Caja Laboral destroyed Fenerbahce by a score of 87-67. Caja Laboral, who improved to 6-5, had five players who scored in double figures. Fenerbahce dropped to 2-9. The final game was also a blowout. FC Barcelona, in front of their home crowd, defeated Besiktas by 25, 88-61.

CEV Champions League (Volleyball)- 16th-17th

This weekend was the Final Four weekend for the CEV Champions League. The four teams that reached the semi's were Bre Baanc Lannutti of Italy, Lokomotiv Novosibrsk and Zenit Kazan of Russia, and Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle of Poland. The first game of the semi's was between the two Russian teams, Lokomotiv Novosibrsk and Zenit Kazan. Novosibrsk, playing in front of the home crowd, lost the first set 25-19. Novosibrsk then rebounded in the second set, winning 25-20. The next set was close, but Zenit Kazan pulled it out with a score of 25-22. The fourth set was all Novosibrsk, winning 25-16. In the fifth and deciding set, the home team won 15-12 to advance to the final. In the other semi, Bre Baanc and Kedzierzyn-Kozle also went to the fifth set. Kedzierzyn-Kozle took the first and fourth set, while Bre Baanc won the second and third set. In the fifth set, Bre Baanc got out to the the early led and never looked back. They won the final set 15-10 and won the game, setting up a Lokomotiv Novosibrsk vs. Bre Baanc Lannutti.

Lokomotiv Novosibrsk celebrating their championship
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Before the championship game, they had a third place game between Zenit Kazan and Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle. The two teams split the first two sets with Kazan taking the first one and Kedzierztn-Kozle taking the second. The next two sets went to Kazan as they took the match 3-1. The championship game went all the way to the wire. Bre Baanc Lannutti took the first set 25-22 against Lokomotiv Novosibrsk. Novosibrsk, playing at home, then took a really close set 26-24. They then took the next set too, 25-23. The fourth set went to Bre Baanc 25-20, setting up a winner-take-all fifth set. Novosibrsk took the early lead, but by the third partial they were only up by one. In the end, Novosibrsk won the match 16-14, and the match, three games to two. This is Novosibrsk's first ever CEV Champions League championship.

EHF Champions League (Handball)- 14th-17th and 21st-24th

The EHF Champions League finished up their first leg of the Round of 16. In the first game of the week, HC Dinamo Minsk and HC Metalerg faced off in Dinamo, Belarus. HC Metalerg won the match 26-23. Chekhovskie Medvedi upset the defending champions THW Kiel in a shootout, 36-34. Celje Pivovarna Lasko went up against HSV Hamburg. Even though Celje's Borut Mackovesk had thirteen goals, Hamburg still won easily 29-38. Pick Szeged and KS Vivie Targi Kielce went down to the wire. Pick Szeged had the one point led at half. They kept the lead and won 26-25. 

MKB Veszprem KC beat Reale Ademar Leon away from home, 23-20. FC Barcelona Intersport beat Bjerringbro-Silkeborg 32-26. FC Barcelona had four players, Enterrios Rodriguez, Gurbindo Martinez, Jesper Brian Noddesbo, and Siarhei Rutenka, who scored five goals and two players who scored four goals. Athletico Madrid and Fuchse Berlin played to a 29-29 tie. The last game of the first leg of the Round of 16 featured Gorenge Velenje and SG Flensburg-Handewitt. SG Flensburg-Handewitt won 28-25.

LEN Champions League (Water Polo)

The LEN Champions League is currently in it's round of 16, called the Eight Finals. The first leg of this round was played on the ninth and tenth of March, with the second and final leg being played on the twentieth. In the first leg, there were nail-bitters and blowouts. The blowouts included Jug CO Dubrovnik 19-1 demolition of Schuurmanea BZC and CN Atletic Barceloneta annihilation of CSM DiGi Oradea 15-5. These two matches have almost, but guaranteed the two winners will make the next round. Crvena Zvevda also helped their chances tremendously with their 13-6 defeat of ZF Eger.

The other five games are still up for grabs. The closest of these match-ups is Olympiakos and Spartak Volograd. Their first leg ended in a 9-8 victory for Olympiakos. This grouping could go either way. Another good match-up is between Galatasaray and Sintez Kazan. Galatasaray won the first game 9-6. The second game looks to be a nail-bitter. In a high-scoring affair, Vouliagmeni NC beat CN Marseille 16-12, setting up an interesting second leg. The last game of Final Eight is between Partizan Raiffeissen Belgrade and AN Brescia. After winning the first game, Partizan is looking to win the second game to confirm their advancing. 

CERH European League (Roller Hockey)

Group Play for the CERH European League just finished up. There were four groups of four teams that play each other twice over six weeks. The top two teams in each group make the quarterfinals. Group A was set before the sixth game. FC Barcelona and Igualada clinched were the top two teams, while HC Dinan Quevert and Candelria SC were the bottom two. These games were just for placement. Barcelona's 4-1 victory over Quevert made them the group winner, while Candelria beat Igualada. In Group B, Porto had clinched their spot in the next round. However, the second spot was still up for grabs between Noia and Amatori Lodi. Noia won their match, 4-2 against Porto. Amatori Lodi also won, 10-3 over SCRA St. Omar. Noia sealed their spot in the quarters due to having more points then Amatori Lodi.

Group C had their top two teams set with Benfica and Reus Deportiu. Benfica defeat the winless Cronenberg, 12-3. Reus Deportiu lost to CGC Viareggio, 8-3. That was their only loss in Group Play. In Group D, Lieco, the defending champ and Valdagno went head-to-head to see who would be the group winner. To win the group, Lieco needed to win and have a better goal differential. Valdagno beat Lieco 7-3 to win the group. In the other game, UD Oliverense beat Geneve RHC, 11-2. The loss dropped Geneve to 0-6 in group play. The quarterfinals start on April 6th with the first leg and the April 20th is the second leg. The four match-ups are FC Barcelona vs. Lieco, Benfica vs. CE Noia, Igualada vs. Valdagno, and Porto vs. Reus Deportiu.

The End of the Big East

The Big East Conference is splitting up
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Today was the last day of the Big East's regular season. This is significant because it was the last time that Big East will have regular season games. For years, the Big East was known as the best basketball conference and the worst football conference. Now, the conference is on it's last ride. After the spring sports season, the conference will be splitting up, with  members going in all different directions. Some will not be leaving for a few years, but by 2014, all but three members of current members will be playing somewhere else (and who knows if those three will stay). They already lost West Virginia before this season. The Big East is going to be missed. Here are some final thoughts on the conference. 

The Big Impact of the Big East

When the Big East began play for the 1979-80 season, there were seven teams (Boston College, UCONN, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, and Syracuse), a six-game conference season, and only three teams made the NCAA tournament. Now, there are fifteen teams, with  last season's eighteen-game conference schedule.  In 2012, nine teams made the NCAA tournament. In the 34 year history of the conference, the Big East has become the best basketball conference in the nation.

Since the founding of the Big East, conference members have won six national championships. Members have also had eighteen final four appearances. During the last 34 seasons, the Big East teams have had more then 7750 wins, compared to less then 7200 wins for the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC teams. They have also have 114 teams in the final AP Poll. Their members have always play well in the tournament. Since 1980, UCONN, Syracuse, and Georgetown all have 44+ victories in the tournament. 

What We'll Miss

Scoreboard of the 6 OT Game between 'Cuse and UCONN
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There will be a lot to miss.  Every year, more the half of the teams had a chance to win the conference and/or make a NCAA tournament run. The annual Big East Men's Basketball Tournament will be remembered as one of the better conference tournament/title games in all sports. Since 1983, Madison Square Garden, arguably the most famous arena in the world, hosted the tournament. There was no better setting. Many tournaments held multiple remarkable games that are remembered for years. One of the most memorable of games was the 6 Overtime Game between Syracuse and UCONN in the 2009 tourney. Whenever a college game heads into overtime and especially double overtime, the game will be referenced. This game has become the new "standard" of overtime games. Match ups like this will be missed.

The Big East has had many notable rivalries that have made the conference great. None are bigger then the Georgetown-Syracuse rivalry. These Big East founding members have two of three best winning percentages of teams during their Big East history. When this rivalry is remembered, Syracuse coach Jim Boehiem and Georgetown's former head John Thompson Jr and the current head coach, his son, John Thompson III will always be mentioned. These teams will definitely play again, but it will not be the same.

What will happen to UCONN, Cincinnati, and USF?

UCONN celebrating their 2011 NCAA championship,
possibly the last win by a Big East team
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There are the three teams that are currently staying in the current Big East Conference. If I am UCONN and Cincinnati, I am looking for a way to  quickly get out of the  conference.  The best fit may be leaving with the "Catholic Seven" for the new Big East. Both teams have more National Championships by themselves then any of the "Catholic Seven".  UCONN and Cincy have nine and seven NCAA appearances since 2000-01 respectively. Only three of the other seven teams are in that range of appearances since 2000-01 (Georgetown, Marquette, Villanova). They are all high profile programs that will draw fans and attention to the new conference. The problem with joining the "Big East" is that the new conference will not sponsor a football program. That may be a deal breaker. If they want a place to play where they can do both, the ACC will have an odd amount of teams (fifteen) when Maryland leaves (this includes Notre Dame, who will join the ACC in all sports except football). The conference may want to even out the number of teams to sixteen.

There is never going to be a conference like the Big East again. It changed college basketball multiple times with the performance of the teams, the innovations, the competition and the consistency of high caliber of play. The Big East will be missed by many and remembered forever.

2013 World Baseball Classic Preview

San Francisco is hosting the finals of the 2013 WBC
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The World Baseball Classic is back. After four qualifying rounds in last September and November, the tournament is ready to start. For the third time ever, the best baseball players in the world will be representing their home countries to see who will bring home the WBC trophy. This will be a competitive and intense tournament. It will be remembered for years to come. Every team has a different backstory and each team will have a different result.  Japan is looking to build on its past successes. While others, like Spain, are looking to get experience and start to become a world contender. No matter what, I would have high expectations for this year's WBC. Here are previews of each team by Pool.

Pool A

Shinnosuke Abe
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The Fukuota Yahoo! Japan Dome in Fukuota, Japan is hosting Pool A from March 2nd-6th. Brazil, China, Cuba, and Japan will be vying for the opportunity to make it the next stage. This group is locked up by Japan and Cuba.  They are much better teams. Baseball in China is still a work in progress. Brazil is an up-and-coming team, but is years away from contending. Japan is the two-time defending champ.  But unlike past tournaments, Japan has no players who currently play in the MLB.  All their players play in the NPB. This will not affect the quality of the team. Catcher Shinnosuke Abe is a slugger. He hit and 104 RBIs last season. The infield will feature Hayato Sakamoto and Kazuo Matsui. Sakamoto is an outstanding player. The Yomiuri Giants shortstop hit 35 doubles, 173 hits, 14 round-trippers, and a .311 batting average. Matsui is the only player on the roster with MLB experience, meaning he will be a big leader. The ace of the staff will be Tadashi Settsu. The 2012 Sawamura Award winner went 17-5 with an ERA of 1.71 and a WHIP of 1.045. Japan, as always, has fielded a solid team.

Cuba has many good players in the MLB. None of the them are playing on the team because they defected from the country. This does not mean Cuba won't be a title contender. They will  feature little known players. Frederick Cepeda was a member of the 2009 All-WBC Team. Cepeda had 12 hits, three home runs, a 500 average and a 1.497 OPS. Infielder Yulieski Gourriel is back again after batting .333 in the 2009 Classic. Ismel Jimenez was clutch coming out of the bullpen in 2009, pitching in four game and picking up a win. 

China has been in all the tournaments so far, but have won onlyone game in six games. China has the potential to be a contender, but it will take years to happen. Ray Chang is the only member of China in the MiLN or MLB. Last season he played Triple-A ball for the Rochester Red Wings. In the 2009 WBC, he hit .455 with an .818 slugging percentage. He should play well in the tournament. Jiangang Yu won the only game China won in 2009. He should be the ace of the staff. 

Barry Larkin
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Brazil are the feel-good team of the tournament. They pulled off an unexpected upset in their qualifier against Panama. It is unlikely they will advance to the next round, but if anyone can upset Japan or Cuba, Brazil can. They have no real notworthy players, but the manager is Hall of Famer Barry Larkin. He should make the team even more interesting to watch. If you want to look out for some player, Leonardo Reginatto had a .583 batting average and 1.282 OPS in the qualifier last November. Brazil will definitely be fun to watch, but not a team to pick to make it far. Give them a few years and soon they may be a contender. 

Pool B

Hyun-Soo Kim
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Pool B is occurring in Taichung, Taiwan at the Intercontinental Baseball Stadium from March 2nd-5th. This pool's four teams are Australia, Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, and South Korea. This is South Korea's grouping to lose. Even thought they have not won the WBC, South Korea has the best winning percentage of any team. They won silver in 2009 and bronze in 2006. They had the best record of any team in 2006. They will be led by power-hitting first baseman Lee Dae-Ho and Outfielder Hyun-Soo Kim. Dae-Ho had 24 homers, 91 RBIs, and a .286 batting average in the Nippon Professional Baseball last year while winning a Pacific League Best Nine Award for first base. Hyun-Soo was on the 2009 All-WBC team. South Korea tends to fly the radar and this year is no exception. They are the sleeper team.

The Netherlands were a surprise team four years ago, upsetting the Dominican Republic twice in group play to make the quarterfinals. They have ten-time Gold Glove winner Andruw Jones and Roger Bernadina in the outfield. The player that might make the biggest difference is shortstop Xander Bogaerts. The twenty year old is the number eight prospect in the MLB according to Baseball America. He has a chance to make a name for himself at this years tournament. Loek van Mill is a 7'1'' pitcher that will intimidate many hitters.

Chien-Ming Wang
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Chinese Taipei may be the fifth ranked team in the world, but that has not translated to WBC success. They have not made it passed the group stage in the two WBC's. They even had to go through a qualifier to make it to the tournament. The qualifier was not much of a challenge for Chinese Taipei, winning every game by more then nine runs. They have a good combination of young and experienced players. Chien-Ming Wang will be an important starter on the team. Patrolling the outfield will be Che-Hsuan Lin. Che-Hsuan was the MVP of the 2008 MLB All-Star Futures Game and played in his first MLB game last season for the Boston Red Sox. 

Australia is not a team that is likely to make a run and win a few games. However, they can pull of an upset. In 2009, they beat Mexico 17-7 in group play (Mexico did beat them 16-1 later in another group play game). This year's team is not the same as the '09 team. This team is not as good. One of their pitchers, Ryan Rowland-Smith, pitched four years for the Mariners and is the first ever player to play in the majors with a hyphened last name. Stefan Welch is a first baseman in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He is an excellent fielding first baseman with the ability to hit for power.

Pool C

Jose Reyes
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The home of Pool C is Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico from March 7th-10th. The four teams in the pool are Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain, and Venezuela. Pool C is a tough pool to be in. Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela all have great players on their rosters and have a history of success. One team will be going home disappointed. The Dominican Republic were shocked four years ago when they were defeated twice and eliminated by the Netherlands. Having a first round exit again would be devastating. This year's team has a nice blend of power and contact hitters. Their infield looks to be great with Edwin Encarnacion, Robinson Cano, Jose Reyes, and Hanley Ramirez. Their outfield is not as great and is definitely a weak spot on the team. Their lower-profile outfielders need to play very well for a successful championship run.

Venezuela is a sneaky team. You know they are good and sometimes they are better then you except. This year's team will be no different. They are loaded with talent. Led by 2012 AL MVP Miguel Cabrera. This offense can score runs. Carlos Gonzalez has put up two quiet yet productive seasons. Asdurbal Cabrera's good offensive game is overshadowed by his stellar defense. The pitching isn't elite, but can still bring home a win. Venezuela will be a good team to watch.

Carlos Beltran
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Puerto Rico has a history of success in the tournament with fifth place finishes in 2006 and 2009. This time around, I don't expect the same success. This year's team doesn't have the same talent past teams. On the offensive side, Carlos Beltran is the best player on the team and the most productive at the plate. Others have one or two of those qualities but, not all. He does have his Cardinals teammate, catcher Yadier Molina, who is coming off a great season. Molina had 22 homers, 159 hits, and 6.7 WAR (according to baseball-reference.com, 6.5 WAR on fangraphs.com). The pitching, like the offense, is not as good as hoped. They will need everyone to over perform and  to make it to the next round.

Spain is a team that is going to have a tough time making the next round. Not only are they inexperienced, the Spaniards are in a tough group. That doesn't mean they do not have players to look out for. Outfielder Engel Beltre had a breakout year for the Frisco RoughtRiders, a Double A team in the Texas League. He had 17 doubles, 17 triples, 13 home runs, 36 stolen bases, and .707 OPS. Pitcher Yoanner Negrin could make the majors this year with the lowly Cubs if things get bad quickly. In four more years, Spain may have a better team, but this year, they are not good. 

Pool D

David Wright
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Pool D takes place at both Salt Rivers Field at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona and Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona from March 7th-10th. The four teams in this pool are Canada, Italy, Mexico, and the United States. The favorite is the United States. The US has a big chip on their shoulder. Always a favorite in international tournaments, the US has underperformed in both in the previous tournaments. In 2006, they placed in eighth with a record of 3-3 and in 2009 they came in fourth, but had a 4-4 record. This year might be their year might be their year to bring home their first title. Their line-up has speed (Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins), power (Giancarlo Stanton, Ryan Braun), pure hitters (Joe Mauer, David Wright), and great fielders (Adam Jones, Brandon Phillips, Mark Texteria). The one problem with their line-up is that they have only one lefty, Mauer. That may limit their options. Their pitching is not full of stars, but is solid. Their rotation features 2012 All-Stars Gio Gonzalez and R.A. Dickey. The bullpen has Craig Kimbrel, Chris Perez, and Heath Bell. I would look out for this year's US team.

Mexico has made quarterfinals in 2006 and 2009, but has never made it past sixth place. Their line-up will be led by Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez will be a defensive stalwart and an offensive juggernaut. They will need to have good pitching to advance. They will have Yovani Gallardo to lead the rotation and Sergio Romo to close out games.

Justin Morneau
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Canada has struggled even more then the US. They went 2-1 in the group stage in 2006, but missed the quarterfinals due to a tiebreaker and in 2009 didn't win a game. They easily won their qualifier, but it was against inferior competition. This year's team has a chance of finally making it past the first round. They have good hitters to build their line-up around in Joey Votto, Justin Morneau, Brett Lawrie, and Taylor Green. The one problem is, Votto and Morneau are first baseman and Lawrie and Green are third baseman. That lead to some issues. Votto and Morneau will probably switch off as first baseman and as the DH. Lawrie is has played only one game at a position other then third base in his career. That means Green will probably be a pinch hitter. Also in the line-up will be Russell Martin. Martin, who plays almost exclusively catcher, is going to play shortstop. 

The final team and only team outside of North America in Pool D is Italy. Italy is a long shot to make it to the next round. The team does have two players to look out for. They are Anthony Rizzo and Alex Liddi. Both are power-hitting corner infielders and play for inferior teams (Rizzo plays first base for the Cubs and Liddi plays third for the Mariners). This might be their only chance to play for something all year, which might light a spark in them. One of their pitchers Pat Venditte, can pitch lefty and righty, which might create some intrigue when he is on the mound.

NBA Deadline Deals and No Deals

This year's NBA Trade Deadline to say the least was, quiet. There were no real big name players dealt and many of the deals had one player traded for a draft pick or a trade exception. Of the twelve trades made yesterday and two days ago, only two included more then three people. This may not have been a very exciting deadline, but some of the teams should be excited with their new pieces. Here is a look at some of the deals and no deals.

Jordan Crawford

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Celtics get: G Jordan Crawford--Grade: A-
Wizards get: G Leandro Barbosa and C Jason Collins--Grade: D

This deal is really one sided, both short term and long term. The trade is should be focused on the two guards, Collins is just a extra to make the deal work. In the short term, Jordan Crawford is healthy. Leandro Barbosa has a torn ACL. In the long term, Crawford is under contract through next season, with a qualifying offer for 2014-15. Jason Collins is not  good player. Crawford is also six years younger then them. Crawford is a shooter and will give the Celtics 18th ranked offense some points. Crawford is currently averaging 13.2 ppg and 3.7 apg.

Milwaukee gets: G JJ Redick, F Gustavo Ayon, and G Ish Smith--Grade: B+
Orlando gets: F Tobias Harris, G Doron Lamb, and G Beno Udrith--Grade: C

JJ Redick is the biggest name that was traded during this deadline. He is also the only key factor for this deal. The others are just fixtures that make the numbers line up. Redick will make an immediate impact with he Bucks. He will most likely be the sixth man. With Redick's, Brandon Jennings', and Monta Ellis' contracts all up, the Bucks now have three guards they can try to resign, instead of two.

Charlotte gets: F Josh McRoberts--Grade: C
Orlando gets: F Hakim Warrcik--Grade: C

Imagine what this is like for Josh McRoberts? McRoberts is playing for the lowly Orlando Magic. Then he finds out he is traded. He is probably excited, believing he might be moved to a playoff contender. Instead, he is going from the second worst team in the league to the worst team. This trade does not mean much, which is why the team's grades are the same.

Josh Smith
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Atlanta still have: F Josh Smith--Grade: F

Atlanta's Josh Smith was expected to be dealt at the deadline, but was not. Atlanta should have traded away it's star player. Even though he is the team's top player, it is unlikely that the Hawks will resign him in the offseason. He wants to move on. There were multiple teams (Nets, Bucks, and Celtics) that were willing to pick up Smith and his contract. These teams would also give up good talent for Smith. It may not have been equal to his value, but what is better, getting something in return for Smith or losing him and gaining nothing in free agency. It looks like the Hawks have chosen the latter, for better or for worse.

Los Angeles Clippers still have: G Eric Bledsoe--Grade: A+

Eric Bledsoe is in a tough situation in Los Angeles. He is a very good point guard, with a really high aptitude. In a few years, Bledsoe can be an electrifying passer-scorer. The only reason Bledsoe was on the market because in front of him on the death chart is Chris Paul, arguably the best point guard in the league. However, Bledsoe can develop with Paul and, if they somehow use Paul in free agency, still have Bledsoe to be the point. 

College Basketball's Elite

This year of college basketball has been crazy. Top teams have been dropping games each week. This past week, four of the top five teams in the nation have been upset. All of the these games have been on the road. There is not one top team in the nation or a select group. There is a surplus amount of teams that could say they are the best. I believe there are four teams that can consider themselves the best team in the nation.

Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr
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The best conference in the nation is the Big Ten. They have many good teams. Two of them stand out as the best of the best. They are the Indiana Hoosiers and the Michigan Wolverines. Indiana was ranked number one at the start of the season has stayed in the top ten all year. They have two Wooden Award contenders in C Cody Zeller and G Victor Oladipo. Zeller is the best low-post player in the country. Oladipo is a great all-around player. Michigan is led by two guards, sophomore Trey Burke and junior Tim Hardaway Jr. Burke is also a Wooden Award contender and is arguably the best point guard in the nation. Hardaway Jr is a consistant wing player and always a threat to score 20+ points. The best qualities  these two teams have are that they have good role players and shoot a high percentage. Indiana has Jordan Hulls, Christian Watford, among others. Michigan has Glenn Robinson III and Nik Stauskas. Indiana and Michigan both shoot a very high percentage.

The Duke Blue Devils are a top team in Division I b-ball. As always, Coach Mike  Kryzewski has put a championship contender on the floor. The Blue Devils start with big-man Mason Plumlee. Plumlee averages a double-double per game with about 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. The Backcourt of Quinn Cook and Seth Curry is stout. Cook is a good passer-scorer and Curry is a lights-out shooter. A key piece to the puzzle is Ryan Kelly. The 6'11'' forward can stretch the floor with his outside shooting and can also rebound well. However, he is currently out with a foot injury. The Blue Devils are good without Kelly, but with him, they are a much better team.

Brandon Triche
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The Syracuse Orange are tops in the Big East and one of the top teams in the nation. They have players who are versatile and all have good skills. The team is led by senior guard Brandon Triche. Triche is a player who is just a great scorer and has improved every season at Syracuse. Michael Carter-Williams is an excellent facilitator who knows how to score. Forwards CJ Fair and James Southerland both are experienced, can score, and get boards. The Orange are definitely a team to watch out for. They have been flying under the radar for the last few weeks and will probably for a few more until the Big East tournament. By then, they could be the most productive team in the country.

These four teams may not be the best by the end of the season, but they stand out. Each team has a good nucleus of players who work well with each other. They all have good wins, and at the same time, some tough losses. Teams that are a tad below these four include: Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, and Ohio State. As the last few tournaments have showed us, it doesn't matter if your the best or not. All that matters is how well you are playing.

Match Fixing in the World of Soccer

Europol announcing the Scandal
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There is a major scandal brewing in the world of soccer. Europol, the European Union's police force, announced that more then 680 soccer matches from 2008-2011 have ties to being fixed. 380 of the matches occurred in Europe, with the other 300 occurring mostly in Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. These matches are not just minor, unimportant games. They include World Cup and European Championship qualifiers and UEFA Championship League matches.

The investigation by Europol took about 18 months. Evidence suggests a crime syndicate based in Singapore is a main player in many of the fixed matches. A warrant has been placed for the leader of the gang. 425 people from more then 15 countries, including players, officials, and criminals were involved in the fixed matches in Europe. The names of these 425 people and other have not been released to not affect ongoing investigations. The country with the most cases of fixed matches was in Turkey with 79. 

The bribes involved more then two million euros and eight million euros in betting profits. That equals 2.7 US dollars and 10.9 million US dollars respectively. The crime group from Singapore would spend up to one hundred thousand euros, or one hundred and thirty-six thousand US dollar per match for bribes.

This scandal will have an enormous impact
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This scandal has the potential to be on, maybe even above, the level of the Lance Armstrong and cycling community doping scandal. If you have some of the top teams and players in world involved in the scandal, soccer's reputation will take a tremendous hit and will set the sport back. Even if the sports' major teams or players did not take part in the fixing, the game will take a hit. Soccer's lower leagues still draw very well and have the fandom of some of the higher level league, too. From the information  released so far, I would expect to see a mixture of mostly top tier teams and players as well as some lower profile players and teams. Europol director Rob Wainwright said that acts of the Singaporean crime-syndicate "threatens the very fabric of the game." When a major Europol official says that the game is threaten by this, that means there is lots of information not yet released. No matter the outcome, the impact the fixings' will be major.

Friedhelm Althans, a German investigator, summed up what this might mean for soccer and the integrity of the game. He said, "This is the top of the iceberg."

2013 World Men's Handball Championship

The 23rd  Men's World Handball Championship just wrapped up at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona. The championship was held in multiple cities in Spain. This was Spain's first time hosting the tournament. 24 teams enter the tournament. Six teams are put into four different groups for a preliminary round. The top four teams in each group make the knockout stage. The knockout stage is a regular single-elimination tournament with seedings based on performance in the group stage. Here are three things to remember about the 2013 World Men's Handball Championship.

The Final

Spain celebrate winning the Handball title
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The Men's World Handball Championship Final featured Denmark and the hosts, Spain. The road for Denmark started by going undefeated in group play, followed by knockout round wins against Tunisia, Hungary, and Croatia to make the finals. Spain lost one game in group play and defeated Serbia, Germany, and Slovenia for the opportunity to compete for the Gold Medal. The game started off close. After 19 minutes of play, Spain only held a one goal advantage over Denmark. For the rest of the match, Spain controlled the game. They went on a 26 to 11 run to end the game and run Denmark out of the building. The championship for Spain in their second, and their first since 2005. This is the second consecutive silver medal for Denmark. 

Top Performers

The All Star Team
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There were many players who performed at their highest level. Both teams in the final had two players on the 2013 World Men's Handball Championship All-Star Team. Keeper Niklas Landin and Right Wing Hans Lindberg represented Denmark on the team and Pivot Julen Aguinagalde and Left Back Alberto Entrerrios did the same for Spain. Also on the team, at Center Back Domagoj Duvnjak of Croatia, Right Back Laszlo Nagy of Hungary, and Left Wing is Timur Dibirov of Russia. The MVP of the tournament was Denmark's Left Back Mikkel Hanson. Hanson scored 22 goals, 20 assists, and eight steals. The top goal scorer of the tournament was Denmark's Anders Eggert. Aron Palmarsson of Iceland was the tourney's leader in assists with 35. Poland's Marcin Wichary was the leader in saves with 46.6%. 

The "Loser's" Bracket

The Australia national handball team
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A unique quality of the World Men's Handball Championship is that their are games for 23rd place, 21st place, 19th place, and 17 place games. To get to these placement games, the teams would have to go through a bracket. The last-place finishers of the Group Stage went to a bracket in hopes of being the 21st place team. The second-to-last team of the Group Stage go to another bracket to try to become the 17th place squad and the President's Cup.

In the 23rd place game, Australia went up against Chile. Australia has a history of losing at the championships. The Aussies have  only one win ever and have finished 24th at every World Championship except one. This year was no exception as Chile beat Australia 32-23. In the 21st place game, Montenegro lost to South Korea, 30-27. The 19th place game featured two Middle Eastern teams in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In a shootout, Saudi Arabia defeated Qatar, 33-30. And, in the 17th place game, Algeria topped Argentina 29-23 to win the President's Cup.

The Return of Basketball to Seattle

According to reports, Sacramento Kings majority owners, the Maloof family, a have agreed to sell their majority interest to a Seattle based group for 525 million dollars. The group will get 65% of the Kings. The group is led by hedge fund manager Chris Hanson. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is also part of the group. The 65% include 53% from the Maloof's and 12% from Bob Hernreich a minority owner.

The Primary Logos of the Kings franchise
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The Kings have a history of moving cities. They were formed in 1945 in Rochester, New York. The team was called the Royals and was originally in the National Basketball League. They joined to the NBA for the 1948-49 season. After the 1956-57 season, the Royals moved to Cincinnati and stayed their for 15 seasons. Before the 1972-73 season, they left Ohio for the midwest. The Royals played a split schedule in Kansas City and Omaha and also changed their nickname to the Kings to avoid confusion with the Kansas City Royals of MLB. That's how they got the name the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. After three seasons, they dropped Omaha from the name. And finally, the Kings moved to Sacramento before the 1985-86 season and have stayed there since.

Seattle has a strong basketball history. They had their own NBA team from 1967-2008, the Seattle Supersonics. The team moved to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season. Even though it has only been five years, there has been a wanting for another team. Now, it looks like 
Seattle has gotten their wish.

A reason the Supersonics left for Oklahoma City was because of the inability to get money for a new arena. The KeyArena is not a top tier arena. When there was a team in Seattle, the KeyArena had the lowest capacity of any arena. The new arena is being funded by Hansen.  Tomorrow there is a meeting in Seattle on the subject of the arena .

Does the move to Seattle also mean the return
of the Sonics
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I have always thought of Sacramento as the little brother in the NBA family. They always felt a step behind. Sacramento isn't a place you would think "They definitely have an NBA team." Being the little brother, they were put in a hole. When fans think of the next relocation, they would instantly think Sacramento. Losing Sacramento is not going to drastically change the league. Seattle is probably more fit for a team anyway. Seattle has about 4.2 million residents in the metro area, more then Sacramento's 2.461 million. Seattle also doesn't have any problems with making a new arena. The one question I have is whether or not the new name of team will be the Supersonics. I like the Supersonics' name, but it's history is with Oklahoma City. Also, Seattle must take into account the Kings' rich history. If the new owners don't name the team the Supersonics, they will need to work on a good name, or else the fans won't be happy.

NHL Season Preview 2013

The NHL is back. After a 119 day lockout, the league is coming back after only a week of training camp. The season will only be 48 games and with only conference opponents facing  each other. That means the Stanley Cup will have two teams that have never faced each other during the season. That should make for a very interesting season. Here are some things and teams to look for when the first puck is dropped on Saturday.

Top Form

During the lockout, Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk
went to play in the KHL
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Unlike after the NBA lockout, the players have been playing in other leagues, putting many of them in mid-season form. Ilya Kovalchuk is one of the players who should be firing on all cylinders. He played for CSKA Moscow in the KHL. He captained the West in the KHL All-Star Game over the weekend and had a hat trick in the game. Kovalchuk had 42 points on 18 goals and 24 assists during the regular season. I  expect a lot for the hot Kovalchuk and the Devils this season. Same with Evgeny Malkin who played with the KHL's Metallurg Magnitagorsk during the lockout. He had 65 points on 23 goals and 45 assists. Malkin should be dominating in the first few weeks as Sidney Crosby will try to get back in the swing of things. 

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning had a bad season last year after coming into the season with high expectations. There were some bright spots and the Bolts. Steven Stamkos was the league leader in goals with 60 and 37 assists. Martin St. Louis had 49 assists and 25 goals. While the frontline was playing very well, the back line struggled. They averaged 3.39 goals against per game, worst in the league. They signed Andres Lindback to compete with Mathieu Garon for the starrting goalie spot. No matter what who starts, they need to keep the opposing players from scoring. If they can do that, they will be in good shape.

Vancouver Canucks

Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo
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The Canucks were the number one team going into the playoffs and lost in the first round to the number eight seed Los Angles Kings. The big controversy of the playoffs was over the goaltender situation, where starter Roberto Luongo in favor of Cory Schneider. It looks like Schneider will be the starter, as Luongo might be traded soon. One thing that worries me is that they only had three players who played in Europe during the lockout. I know some of their stars are getting older, but more players should have played during the lockout. With only a week to get ready for the season, the Canucks will need time to get into a rhythm. Vancouver has a chip on it's shoulder after last year's playoffs. Expect them to start slow and finish the season strong.

2013 Hall of Fame Inductees

No one on the BBVAA Ballot Will Be Included In This
Years Plaque Section In Induction Row
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For only the time eighth ever and first since 1996, there was not one player elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) to become a Baseball Hall of Famer. 3000 Hit Club Member Craig Biggio was the leading vote-getter in his first year of eligibility with 68.2%. Steroid allegations affected players in their first year on the ballot. Those include Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa, who all received 36.2%, 37.6%, and 12.5% respectively. Their will be players inducted into the Hall of Fame who were voted in by Veteran Committee a few weeks ago (Who we will talk about later). There are many players who are on the cusp or are not getting the support they deserve. Here are some of the more notable and interesting players who will be on the ballot next year.

Craig Biggio

If I am Craig Biggio, I would not be worried, unlike second place vote Jack Morris. He only needs 39 more votes to become a Hall of Famer and has 14 years to get it. That is more than enough time for Biggio. 

Jack Morris

Jack Morris is another story. Morris only three votes less then Biggio, however, he is in his 14th year of eligibility. He has one more year to make and I am not sure if he can. I am unsure if I would vote for him, considering there are other players who are more deserving.

Tim Raines

Tim Raines
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I believe that Tim Raines is a definite Hall of Famer. He has had a steady rise after getting only 24.3% in 2008 and 22.6% in 2009. It started with Raines getting 30.4% in 2010 then 37.5% in 2011 followed by 48.7% in 2012 and finally 52.2% in 2013. He has a career WAR of 66.2, 2605 hits, .294 batting average, .385 on-base percentage, 1571 runs, 808 stolen bases, and 1330 walks. Those are Hall of Fame numbers, especially the steals. One of the best base stealers of all time should have already made it into the Hall. Since he has not, it should not be soon before he is standing at the podium giving his acceptance speech.

Lee Smith

Only a select group of closers make it to Cooperstown, and Lee Smith should be one of them. He was once the career leader in saves with 478 before Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. He has 178 more saves then Bruce Sutter and 168 more then Goose Gossage. He also had 1251 strikeouts, 3.03 ERA, and 1.256 WHIP during his 18 year career. Lee Smith was a consistent and dominant closer who put fear into the hitter's when he went to the mound.

Inductees Inducted By The Veteran Committee: Hank O'Day, Jacob Ruppert, and Deacon White

Hank O'Day
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Hank O'Day was elected in as an umpire, but was also a pitcher for seven years before umping and also managed for two years. O'Day is known as one of the greatest umpires of all-time and is finally getting his recognition. He was an umpire for 35 seasons, second only to fellow Hall of Famer Bill Klem, and was an umpire in ten World Series, tied for first with Klem. He received fifteen of the sixteen votes possible.

Jacob Ruppert was the co-owner of the New York Yankees from 1915-1922 and then owner of the team from 1922-1939. During his tenure, the Yankees went from a middle of the pack  to a successful franchise. The team went from zero World Series appearances and World Series championships to ten World Series appearances and seven World Series titles (Note: Ruppert passed away before the 1939 season, in which the Yankees won the World Series). His biggest accomplishments include signing Babe Ruth in 1920 and the building of Yankee Stadium. Ruppert also received fifteen of the sixteen possible votes.

Deacon White played in the majors for twenty years from 1871-1890. White caught more then 400 games without a glove and the luxury equipment we have today. White had the first ever hit in a major league, in the first ever game of National Association in 1871. He has a career batting average of .312 and 2067. He had a great season in 1877, leading the league in batting average (.387), slugging percentage (.545), OPS (.950), hits (103), RBIs (49), triples (11), and total bases (145). White won SABR's 2010 Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend. White received fourteen of the sixteen votes possible.

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds's Difference In Body Size
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Barry Bonds is a first ballot Hall of Famer, without a doubt...if there are no steroid allegations. Since there are and he admitted to unknowingly using steroids. That turns me away from voting for Bonds for the Hall. However, he didn't use steroids for all of his career. According to a a book, Game of Thrones, by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, he started using steroids after the 1998 season. When you look at his stats from 1986 to 1998, he had 411 homers, 1216 ribbies, 445 steals, a .290 batting average, .411 on-base percentage, and .556 slugging percentage. He had 3 MVP's in 1990, '92, and '93. Those are define Hall of Fame numbers. Barry Bonds was a Hall of Famer before the steroids and should be rewarded for that.