LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony

Highlights from a great game last night in Cleveland.

Tiger Woods Apology

NBA Trade Deadline Winners/Losers

Another NBA Trade Deadline passes and many moves are made. Some moves are made to help teams improve for this season and make a run at a championship, some are made to clear cap space to move under the salary tax and some are made to set up big moves in the offseason. All of these moves came to fruition this year, some just were a little more successful than others.

Winners

Dallas Mavericks- Adding Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to an already potent lineup makes them a scary team come playoff time. Haywood is the center that Erik Dampier was never able to be, and Caron Butler gives them a legit scoring option beside Dirk in crunch time. A crunch time lineup of Haywood, Dirk, Caron, Terry/Marion and Kidd is mighty dangerous. DeShawn Stevenson off the bench along with Jason Terry gives them more outside shooting.

Cleveland Cavaliers- Antawn Jamison is the perfect person to add to this team, more than Amare Stoudemire, in my opinion. Jamison doesn't need to have plays ran for him to score. He hustles, grabs rebounds, and can stretch the floor unlike the other Cavalier big men. He will be a great matchup for Rashard Lewis in the Eastern Conference Finals, and Lamar Odom if they meet in the Finals. Those were two players who would give them fits before the acquisition of Jamison. Also, they traded Big Z, but there is a possibility that he can return after a buyout from Washington after 30 days.

Houston Rockets- In my opinion, T-Mac is one of the best scorers and perimeter players in the NBA in the last decade. Is he often injured, Yes. Has he ever made it past the first round of the playoffs, No. But he is one of the few people in the league who can dominate a game from the wing and can get off his own shot at will. He isn't the same scorer he was in Orlando, but he still has some juice left. However, he had an expiring contract and the Rockets parlayed that into Kevin Martin who can provide some offense from the wing which Houston desperately needs. Great move by them, although I'm sure they wish they could have kept Carl Landry.

New York Knicks- The Knicks won't do anything this year. They know it and they don't care. However, with the moves the Knicks made today, particularly shedding Jared Jeffries' contract in the T-Mac deal, they are now able to offer TWO max free agent contracts to the plethora of available talent this summer. So if they go into training camp with a combo of LeBron/Wade/Bosh/Amare, then they are definitely the winners of this trade deadline.

Chicago Bulls- Shedding the salary of John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas allows them to offer a max free agent deal, preferably to hometown hero Dwyane Wade. If they can land Wade, huge win for the Bulls. If not, they will definitely be able to sign a big-time post presence, a la Carlos Boozer/Amare Stoudemire/Chris Bosh.

Other Winners by shedding salary for the summer of 2010: LA Clippers, Washington Wizards.

Other Winners by acquiring players for a playoff run in 2009: Milwaukee Bucks (John Salmons), Portland Trailblazers (Marcus Camby), Boston Celtics (Nate Robinson) & Charlotte Bobcats (Tyrus Thomas)

Losers

Miami Heat- The Heat failed to land either Amare Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer to play alongside D-Wade, assuring them of a first round sweep out of the playoffs this year. This doesn't mean they can't sign one of them in the offseason, however it does increase the chances that another first round exit will also mean the exit of the franchise's best player, Dwyane Wade.

Philadelphia 76ers- No one expected the Sixers to actually land Amare Stoudemire, and unless Elton Brand was traded (which he wouldn't have been), then it wouldn't have made much basketball sense. Why they are on this list is because they failed to unload any of the MANY bad contracts they have (Iguodala, Dalembert, Brand).

Washington Wizards- Sure the Wizards dumped a ton of salary, but they also dumped every talented player on their team. Josh Howard was the only legit player they got in return and the Wizards are going to need plenty of pieces if they ever want to be relevant anytime soon.

No one really got roped into a bad deal, most teams just did nothing. The next step of course is to see which players get bought out and what teams add veterans for the playoff stretch run. A ton of teams will be able to offer max free agent deals in the offseason so the summer of 2010 is setting up to live up to the hype.

Kobe, AI Out of All Star Game

Perennial All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson will not partake in this weekend's All Star Game in Dallas. Both voted to be starters in the game, Kobe won't play because he is nursing multiple injuries and Iverson declined because of personal reasons. Kobe will still make the trip to Dallas in order to assist teammate Shannon Brown in the dunk contest. Jason Kidd and David Lee will replace the players on their respective rosters. David Lee was a popular snub this year, having a stellar season. Kidd is more of a surprise, especially with great seasons by Chris Kaman, Monta Ellis and Carlos Boozer in the Western Conference, among others.

Team USA Has 9 Players Return

Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade highlight the names who have decided to return to Team USA and defend their gold medal in London in 2012. Everyone from the 2008 gold medal team returned except for Jason Kidd, Tayshaun Prince and Michael Redd. Expect Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose to eventually make the team. The list of 25 players who will be invited to training camp this summer is linked below.

Team USA 25-man roster

Iverson's Starting Spot in Jeopardy

Well, this should be an interesting little bit of entertainment: “Allen Iverson has started each of his 22 games as a 76er this season. When Iverson sat out four games in mid- to late December with knee arthritis, Sixers coach Eddie Jordan always said Iverson would start when he returned. But after Monday’s practice, which Iverson again missed due to his daughter’s illness, Jordan wouldn’t commit to Iverson starting when he comes back. ‘That’s a topic we have to discuss,’ Jordan said. Later, Jordan said, ‘We’re going to talk about that as a staff. We’ve had some of those discussions. We’ll cross that bridge when we cross that bridge.’ The 19-31 Sixers have won three in a row - all against teams with a .500 or better record at the time - with Iverson absent and Willie Green starting in his place. The 6-foot-3 Green and 6-4 rookie Jrue Holiday have given the Sixers better size and matchups in the backcourt than when the 6-1 Lou Williams and 5-11 Iverson started. They’ve also cut down on opponents’ dribble penetration, allowing teammates to stay on their man rather than having to rotate over to help on the ball.”

ViaSLAM Online

SB XLIV Most Watched TV Event In History

Over 106 million American people watched the Big Game last night, breaking the U.S. audience record held by the series finale of M*A*S*H since 1983. Viewership was up 8% from 2009's Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals nail-biter, which was seen by a then-record 98.7 million viewers.

via The Hollywood Reporter

"Nothin But Net"

In an homage to the old MJ/Larry Bird McDonald's commercials, Mickey D's unveiled a new ad featuring Dwight Howard and LeBron James.



The original is below. Great to see them bring back a classic.

Saints Are Super Bowl XLIV Champions

The Saints became champions on the NFL tonight, with a 31-17 victory in Super Bowl XLIV against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts, led by league MVP Peyton Manning, were out to a 10-0 lead to start the game. The Saints outscored them 31-7 the rest of the game behind a balanced attack. The game was close the whole way and trailing 24-17 and driving, Peyton served up what ended up being the game-clinching play. On a third down he stared down Reggie Wayne who was running a dig route. Tracy Porter, who intercepted Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game at the end of regulation, jumped the route and took the Manning pass the other way for a TD clinching the game for the Saints. The Saints contained the high-powered Colts the whole game, holding them to only 17 points and intercepting Manning when it mattered most. Drew Brees was named MVP and it was well-deserved. Brees was 32 of 39 for 288 yards and 2 TDs. Manning played a nice game aside from that mistake, finishing with 333 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Manning falls to 9-9 all-time in the playoffs, giving his haters plenty of fuel. Regardless of the loss, Manning remains one of the all-time greats. With the victory, Brees elevates himself into the elite among NFL QBs. Great win for the Saints and the city of New Orleans who will be celebrating this victory for the foreseeable future on Bourbon Street.

D-Wade's New Jordan Commercial

The Jordan 2010 Sneaker is scheduled to release next Saturday, Feb. 13th.

Deadspin's Full Wing Bowl Recap

Make sure you check out Deadspin's Full Wing Bowl Recap HERE and click the link in the article to Philly.com's full photo gallery from the event.

Super Bowl XLIV Preview

New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts(Sunday 6:25PM, CBS, SunLife Stadium, Miami, FL)

Saints Offense vs. Colts Defense

The Saints offense has been a prolific unit all season long. With Drew Brees at the controls, this team has steamrolled many teams this year in various ways. Known for throwing the ball, the Saints are actually 6th in the NFL in rush yards per game. They will depend on their balanced offense to attack the speedy Colts defense. This defensive unit for Indianapolis might be one of the most under-rated groups in the NFL. Without Bob Sanders all season, the defense has been excellent. All-Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney is iffy with a torn ligament in his ankle, but I expect him to play. Whether or not he will be effective is another issue. Freeney's presence on the field during passing downs will be enough, he doesn't need to be Superman. The Colts D will atleast contain the Saints offense enough. They are a stingy unit that doesn't give up enough points and they are quick enough to keep Reggie Bush from making any spectacular plays. Now, whether or not he makes a couple amazing plays on Special Teams is a different story. I expect the Saints to be frustrated much like they were against the Vikings. Even though they scored plenty of points, much of that came off the many costly Vikings turnovers. The Colts will not be that careless with the ball, giving the Saints much worse field position.

Colts Offense vs. Saints Defense

The Saints defense has made a living this season preying on opponents' turnovers. They will not have that opportunity this weekend against the surgical Peyton Manning. Can Manning throw up a duck to Darren Sharper? Sure. Will they fumble the ball six times like the Vikings did? Absolutely not. Peyton was able to shred the number one defense in football, the Jets, so I expect him to be able to do the same with the Saints who have inferior personnel. Reggie Wayne will not be shut down like he was against Darrelle Revis. I expect him to test Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter early and often. The only concern the Colts should have is protection. They are well aware of the beating Brett Favre took last week and as long as they are able to keep Peyton Manning upright, then they will fly back to Indianapolis with another Lombardi trophy.

Bottom Line

If it wasn't for all those turnovers the Vikings committed in the NFC Championship game, we would be previewing a Peyton Manning/Brett Favre Super Bowl. The Saints were outgained by 200 yards in the NFC Championship game and they only won by a field goal in overtime. The Colts will not commit many turnovers, if any, and Peyton Manning will have an answer for anything the Saints Defense presents him with. Peyton will continue to carve out his Hall of Fame legacy with another Super Bowl trophy.

Prediction- Colts 31 Saints 21

Super Bowl MVP- Peyton Manning

Photos From Wing Bowl

Via Deadspin

13-Year Old Commits to USC

Are you kidding me? Lane Kiffin really will do anything to keep his school in the news. The QB coach who discovered this kid was the same guy who predicted Jimmy Clausen's success and discovered Matt Leinart and Matt Barkley.

LINK

NBA's Best Buzzer Beaters of the Decade

First Episode of the Michael Vick Project

BET Videos

Deep look into the life of Vick. He's brutally honest about his dogfighting past and gives great detail and insight into his world.

Vote for Who Gets Madden Curse Next Year

This year, to determine who gets the prestigious cover of the Madden video game, the fans will have the chance to decide who gets the cover and the curse that comes along with it. By logging on to www.doritoschangethegame.com you can pick between Jared Allen, Reggie Wayne and Drew Brees to be the new cover-man.

ESPN Story

Kobe Bryant x Bruce Lee

For The Black Mamba's newest edition of the Kobe V sneaker, he has channeled his inner "Enter the Dragon" for these Bruce Lee inspired kicks. For those Bruce Lee fans out there you will notice the claw marks from "Enter the Dragon" as well as the color scheme resembling his suit in "Game of Death" when he fought Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.



More promotional photos and photos of the shoes can be found HERE.

Best NBA T-Shirt Ever?

Spotted on Deadspin, this hilarious t-shirt features the three best white big men on the Bulls in the 1990's (OK, so they were the only three white big men on the Bulls in the 90's), and their nickname the "Bang Gang" which I believe they gave themselves. Just so much wrong with this shirt, read about it HERE.

Chauncey Replaces Paul in ASG

Chauncey Billups, recently named to The Let Out's All-Decade Team, was picked to replace Chris Paul in the All-Star Game. Paul will will be out for up to 2 months with a knee injury. Chauncey, much deserving of the honor, will play in his fifth All-Star Game.

Phoenix Suns x Avatar

Another hilarious vid from Steve Nash and his Phoenix Suns teammates.

Rex Thinks You're Number One

Oh Rex.

He was fined by the team $50,000 for the gesture.

Kobe Becomes Lakers All-TIme Scoring Leader

In tonight's loss to the Lakers, Kobe Bryant passed the "logo" Jerry West to become the Lakers all-time leading scorer. Quite a feat considering the amount of Hall of Famers that wore purple and gold through the years. With Kobe's 44 points tonight, he now has 25,208 in his career. The Lakers end their 8-game road trip with a 5-3 record.

The Let Out's All-Decade NBA Team

After posting the article about the NFL's All-Decade Team, I decided to make one for the NBA. 5 starters, 12 total players. The bench will consist of best PLAYERS, not necessarily a specific amount of players at each position.

C- Shaquille O'Neal
F- Tim Duncan
F- LeBron James
G- Kobe Bryant
G- Allen Iverson

Bench
Kevin Garnett
Paul Pierce
Dwyane Wade
Dirk Nowitzki
Steve Nash
Jason Kidd
Chauncey Billups

There is an abundance of guards on the list, but I couldn't see myself leaving any of these players off the list. Just doing it for fun, post up people you would have/take off and why in the comment section.

Photo of the Week

Amazing picture of LeBron looking eerily similar to MJ's Jumpman logo. Great angle by the photographer.

NFL All-Decade Team Announced

Congrats to David Akers and Brian Dawkins, the only Eagles named to the NFL's All-Decade Team.

LINK

Irrelevant Football Game was Played Today

The Pro Bowl was played today amidst much scrutiny. The time of the game and the location were changed this year, to before the Super Bowl and in Miami as opposed to Hawaii. 40% of the players originally selected to the Pro Bowl did not participate. However, the game was still played and it was a shootout, with the AFC getting the victory 41-34. Matt Schaub, filling in for the injured Tom Brady, threw two TDs in the first 5 minutes and won the MVP award. DeSean Jackson had 101 yards and two TDs, and Vincent Jackson (no relation) in the AFC had 122 yards and a TD. From a business standpoint, the move to Miami was a success, with attendance over 70,000 people, the biggest Pro Bowl crowd since 1959. The game will return to Hawaii the next two years.

Kurt Warner...A Hall of Famer

On Friday, Kurt Warner retired from the NFL, leaving the league with one less great quarterback. In a league that is starving for great quarterback play and where there are too many teams without a solution at the position, one of the league's all-time greats decided to hang up his cleats. When any great player retires, inevitably the next question people ask is, "Is he a hall of famer?" Kurt Warner, the former Arena League/NFL Europe star, as well as a former grocery store employee, is without a doubt a hall of famer.

In his 12 seasons in the NFL, from 1998-2010, Kurt has amassed over 32,000 yards, 208 TDs and a QB rating of 93.7. He has won 2 league MVPs, led his team to three Super Bowls, winning one. He has the THREE highest passing games in Super Bowl history in terms of yardage. He is a 4-time Pro Bowler and holds countless NFL records, which can be found here.

Kurt is responsible for resurrecting two dead franchises, the St. Louis Rams and the Arizona Cardinals, leading both franchises to the Super Bowl.

He is without a doubt, the biggest Cinderella story in the history of sports. After being cut from numerous teams and practice squads after college, Kurt found himself in the Arena Football League as well as a stint in NFL Europe. After playing in those leagues Kurt found himself bagging groceries in Iowa, not knowing if he would ever get another chance to make it in the NFL. Eventually he was signed by the St. Louis Rams in the 1998 season only making an appearance in one game. However, in the 1999 preseason when Trent Green was injured, Kurt got his chance to run the show and he never looked back. He posted an MVP season and led the "Greatest Show on Turf" to the Super Bowl. That was the first chapter in his Hall of Fame career.

After being benched for Mark Bulger, the Rams never saw the same success they saw when Warner was operating. The team has yet to finish a season over .500 since Warner was benched for Bulger. Warner then got a chance to be the starter in New York while the Giants were grooming Eli Manning. Warner never re-captured the magic he had in St. Louis and had a disastrous 2004 season with New York. He then signed with the Cardinals in 2005 to be the quarterback and eventually groom Matt Leinart who was drafted the following season. Leinart got his shot and never took control, forcing the team to go back to Warner who didn't disappoint. Warner turned the Cardinals into a high-flying offense much like his old Rams teams. The Cardinals reached their pinnacle last year, making it one Santonio Holmes catch away from being Super Bowl champs.

Warner amassed all those great stats in 12 seasons, only in 8 of those seasons did he start at least 10 games. Warner has been one of the greatest QBs of the decade and deserves more praise than he receives, relative to some of the other QBs in the NFL with similar or less credentials. He retires with a higher QB rating than Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Troy Aikman, and other Hall Of Fame QBs.

If you speak to anyone in the NFL they will tell you that Kurt is an even better man than he was a player, and that is saying something. He is a man who will sorely be missed in the NFL and particularly by the Arizona Cardinals who now have to turn to unproven Matt Leinart to lead them.

Lakers Take Down C's

Highlights of the game of the day in the NBA. The Lakers took down the Celtics in Boston on Sunday 90-89. Kobe Bryant hit the game-winning jumper with Ray Allen all over him with 7 seconds left. Ray missed the potential game-winner on the next possession giving the Lakers the W and a 5-2 record with 1 game left in their road trip. Bryant and Andrew Bynum finished with 19 points a piece in the victory.