What about Amare?

The Knicks have been playing some great ball against some of the top teams in the league. Even when losing, its been nice to see solid game play for once as well as smart shots and not being blown out by double digit leads. Rather the opposite as of late, and who is to thank? Melo mostly on the offensive end and Chandler on the offensive side. And its startling to realize all of this is being done without Lin and even more, Stoudemire. When Amare was initially signed, he was arguably viewed as the great hope for the Knicks and finally get things going. But after Melos’ signing and  Lins’ emergence, Amares popularity has been somewhat of an afterthought.

With Amares’ possible return this Friday many wonder if the two superstars can coexist. And they can,but it can be more beneficial in some games,rather than others. For instance, the knicks could have really used him in the Heat game. But will Melo be willing to give up the ball when Amare will be fed the pick and roll? Nope, Melo has been playing some great teamwork as of late and spreads the ball evenly, take tonight for example where Novak just received his 1^st triple double as a Knick.With Stoudemire in play he can help open up Novak for the 3’s.With proper spacing on the floor, there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing. If the Knicks are able to keep up the morale, they’ll make a serious run in the playoffs.

Read More

Damon Joins the Tribe

When Grady Sizemore went on the 60 day DL for the Cleveland Indians this year, they knew they would have to find sometime to fill in the hole at center field. When the Indians began the season 1-4, they went out and signed the 38 year old veteran Johnny Damon in hopes to help spark the offense.

Last season Damon hit .271 with 16 homers, 73 rbi's, and 19 stolen bases in 150 games. With Sizemore constantly getting injured year after year, to have a guy who is able to play that many games in a season is a big boost. Michael Brantley was currently in center field but will be moved over to left once the deal is officially completed.

This is a great pick up for the Indians because Damon brings so much to a team. His veteran leadership and experience can help mold this young Indians team and give them a better understanding of what it's like to be in the playoff race in October. Damon is always giving it his all on the field and hopefully that will rub off on the rest of the team. His baseball IQ is extremely high and he can teach the younger players the ins and outs on both sides of the field.

However, we can not ignore the milestone that Damon is 277 hits away from 3,000 in his career. Damon was drafted in 1995 and spent his early years with the Royals until being a part of the Athletics, Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays. He has appeared in 59 playoff games and has been apart of a few championship teams.

He will spend some time in the minors until he is ready to come back up to the big leagues, but I am confident he will return to his normal self, fielding and hitting the ball exceptionally well.

If Damon can come out and show that he still has it, then he could be on his way to being in the 3000 hit club soon. After last year it appeared he wouldn't be finished with baseball because he played so well and proved that age is just a number.

As an Indians fan, I enjoy watching Sizemore play, but it's been rough not seeing him on the field the past three years with injuries. This pickup is great for the Indians because he is such a great mentor and a positive life in the clubhouse.

The Indians are a very young team that has a lot of potential for the future, but after last year they showed that they are ready and looking to win now. Unfortunately, the tribe struggled on the road and the pitching had some issues. However, they may be able to make some noise in the playoff picture not that there is another wildcard team added to the playoff mix.

Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2012/04/its_official_cleveland_indians.html

Dwayne Wade Doesn't Need Compensation

After making somewhat-controversial statements on Wednesday saying that NBA players should be paid for their participation in the Olympics, Wade clarified the statement on Thursday, saying that he himself does not need to be paid and that he was speaking of all Olympians in general, not just NBA players.

There should not be any backlash, whether he clarified his statement or not; it is his opinion, let the man live.

Although that is not what the media is about, so they will take this and try to make a big deal out of it.

But he has a point, the players sell a lot of Olympics jerseys and draw a lot of television viewing.

Why should they not get a part of that money? Obviously Dwayne Wade still wants to be in London this summer whether or not he's getting paid, but he certainly wouldn't mind if he was.

All They Do Is Win, Win, Win..

The ladies of the Baylor Bears of Baylor University won the Women's 2012 NCAA Tournament in Denver last night. The first team in women's college basketball to ever go 40-0.

Despite the fact, Skylar Diggins of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish had a good game she couldn't hold the team by herself. The usual leading scorer in the tournament Natalie Novosel didn't show up. She missed all of the 11 shots she took last night. Which could have ultimately been the reason her team lost 61-80.

There were many tears falling from people's faces in the arena. Surprisingly most of them coming from the Baylor ladies.

Head coach Kim Mokley stated "There were many tears on that bench, but they were tears of joy."

With emotions flying all around, Mokley left the ladies with heartfelt words.

"I just hugged 'em and told 'em, 'I'm so happy for you guys. Thank you for letting me coach you. Thank you for letting me challenge you"

Congratulations ladies!

http://www.chron.com/sports/solomon/article/Solomon-Baylor-s-title-win-a-perfect-ending-3457316.php

Nike makes new NFL jersies

The NFL has recently allowed Nike to create new uniforms for teams. This new measure could create new dynamics within the NFL.

The first dynamic is it could allow teams to create more buzz for themselves in terms of pure creativity visual wise, this would apply especially to the teams who are at the botom of the league.

The second dynamic is it could lead to the NFL becoming more of a unique experience. Just imagine every week seeing new uniforms and every year after that teams possibly changing their uniforms. Think of the headlines in the immediate future as teams would try and hide until the last minute to display their uniforms. it could bring a new experience to opening day as fans would anticpate the entrance of the players.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/nfl_unveils_new_nike_uniforms_kYregq711fWGHSqWGoMg5K

Injury Plagued Knicks

Let’s face it,the Knicks have had a crazy season, filled with ups and downs, and currently a mixture of both. Under Woodson, they’ve performed extremely well, and some even question whether or not they performed poorly to just get D’antoni to leave, which is questionable. But the change in overall team morale and team work can be seen by anyone. Even with tonight’s loss, the Knicks have been great lately. But can they keep doing it? Amare is expecting to be out for at least 2-4 weeks with a bulging disc in his back(ouch),and Lin underwent knee surgery yesterday and will be out for the season.

Even though Carmelo is playing, he agitated groin again, which he now admits is strained. The Knicks are .500 on the season and need to keep playing the way they have. But will ‘Melo be able to put the team on his back? Or fall under pressure? We got a glimpse of what the team is like tonight, up against a decent team, and Melo stepped up to the challenge with 39pts. I just hope that all of the hard work and hardships the Knicks have been through this season don’t go to a waste. I think they can make a decent run in the playoffs, considering if they are able to hold on to that 8^th place spot!

Read More

Jimenez Out for 5 Games

With the baseball season just a few days away, every baseball fan is looking forward to the start of a new season to see how their teams improved from last year.

The Cleveland Indians squared off against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday in a regular spring training game, however it was far from normal. Ubaldo Jimenez was traded to the Indians last season from the Rockies and it left a sour taste in Jimenez's mouth. He was very upset over the deal because he has pitched well for the Rockies for several years.

Jimenez struggled early last season on the Rockies and they pulled the trigger on the trade with the Indians. When Troy Tulowitzki came up for the Rockies on Sunday, Jimenez struck him with a pitch to the elbow.

After Tulo was hit by the pitch a few words were exchanged and Jimenez rushed off the mound and met Tulowitzki to speak his mind. The benches were cleared but no punches were thrown.

Jimenez was suspended for five games after the incident because officials believed the hit on Tulowitzki was intentional. The Indians planned on using Jimenez as their second day starter, but now he will have to remain out of the lineup for five games. This is a big loss for the Indians even though it is only for the first five games of the season.

Jim Tracy, general manager of the Rockies, said that this was one of the worst things he has ever seen in all his years in the league, referring to the hit on his star short stop.

Being an Indians fan I disagree completely with the ruling and I am glad that Jimenez and the Indians are appealing the suspension. Before Tulowitzki came to bat, Jimenez walked a batter on four straight balls and finished the game with five walks. All spring training Jimenez has had trouble locating his pitches and the control just is not there.

Players get hit with pitches all the time, but the fact that Jimenez is still upset over being traded sparked some turmoil in this situation. It is ridiculous how they can rule him out for five games on an accident. Numerous people keep saying he threw at Tulowitzki intentionally, but the fact of the matter is, it was just a pitch that got away from him.

The Indians started off last season red hot with the best record in the league for a while. Everything was clicking for the Tribe until late in the season when the Detroit Tigers went on a hot streak and passed the Indians to take the AL Central. I personally feel that the decision to suspend Jimenez is uncalled for for numerous reasons. But it's only the beginning of the season, hopefully it wont affect the attitude of the rest of the team as the season progresses.

Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2012/04/ubaldo_jimenez_doesnt_think_he.html