The Sports Buffet Podcast slowy but surley, coming back around

Slowly but surely, "The Sports Buffet Podcast" is going to make it back. Problems with software and other factors outside and within my control will not deter me. Here are two interviews I did prior to Friday night's Jefferson Forest-Magna Vista tilt with Bob Christmas & Joe Favero

Joe Favero Previewed Magna Vista at Jefferson Forest

Bob Christmas Previewed Jefferson Forest at Magna Vista

I'm really looking to write more within my blog as well. Three blogs at your service

General Sports

High School Sports

Nothing to do with Sports

Please be patient with me, slow and steady, I will get back in this race and I'll win it.

Bob Alvis

8-30-15 Chris Harris Talks Fantasy Football

You may have heard Chris Harris from the ESPN Fantasy Underground podcast, but now he's got his owe podcast and website that you can check out here at Harris Football.  I caught up with him this past Monday to talk some Fantasy Football. We talked about some of the injuries (Jordy Nelson & Kelvin Benjamin) and their replacements. In addition we checked in on some quarterbacks, Chris may like as well. You can call him Chris or Christopher, you can follow him on Twitter as well @HarrisFootball and now you can hear him here on "The Sports Buffet Podcast"

8-30-15 Chris Harris Talks Fantasy Football 

Previewing Saturday, January 31st in the ODAC

It’s getting late early is a quote attributed to Yankees Hall-of-Famer, Yogi Berra. That quote sums up the ODAC, 4 weeks remain in the Men’s Basketball regular season before the tournament commences on Monday, February 23^rd.  For all great ODAC information, check out ODAC Online

Standings headed into Saturday (ODAC Record, then Overall Record)

Randolph Macon 9-0, 16-2

Virginia Wesleyan 7-2, 15-3

Guilford 7-2, 14-4

Eastern Mennonite 6-3, 13-5

Hampden Sydney 4-5, 11-7

Lynchburg 4-5, 11-7

Randolph 4-5, 11-7

Bridgewater 4-5, 9-9

Washington & Lee 4-5, 7-11

Roanoke 2-7, 7-11

Emory & Henry 2-7, 3-15

Shenandoah 1-8. 2-16

NOTES

·         * The top 4 teams in the league have all won 2 or more in a row (Randolph Macon-13, Virginia Wesleyan-2, Guilford-5 and Eastern Mennonite-2)

·        *  Four teams have lost two or more in a row (Hampden Sydney, Bridgewater and Emory & Henry have all lost back to back, while Randolph has dropped 3 straight)

Saturday’s Games

Randolph Macon at Lynchburg, 2:00

                Last time against each other:  Randolph Macon 53-52 on December 6 at Randolph Macon. The Hornets never trailed by more then 5 in the 2^nd half.  Lynchburg trailed by 10 points in the 1^st half, and answered with a 10-0 run. Alex Graves (Lynchburg) was the only scorer in double figures with 20 and also added 10 boards for a double double. Both teams were abysmal from the free throw line with Lynchburg winning the percentage battle shooting 57 percent (8 for 14. The Yellow Jackets shot 40 percent. Nathan Davis has never lost to Lynchburg, while at Randolph Macon, and Hiliary Scott hasn’t beaten the Yellow Jackets since being in charge at Lynchburg. Hornets last win against Randolph Macon came at Turner Gymnasium on December 6, 2006.  

                Lynchburg defeated Roanoke on the road on Wednesday, 103-101. Austen Arnold set a career high with 33 points, while Zack Burnett matched his career high with 27. Randolph Macon also escaped with a road win on Wednesday, as they knocked off Bridgewater, 58-55. Marcus Badger notched 16 for the Yellow Jackets, while Joe Hassell and Chris Hamilton each chipped in 10.

Emory & Henry at Hampden Sydney, 2:00

                This one is not happening on Saturday. Due to multiple illnesses at Hampden Sydney, the school is closed until Monday. This one will have to happen another day. That day has yet to be determined. 

Both teams are coming off mid-week losses. Hampden Sydney fell  to Washington & Lee 77-67 in Lexington.  The Tigers were 7 of 20 beyond the arc, while W&L knocked down 10 triples to go along with 23 points from the foul line. Jake Duncan’s 26 led Hampden Sydney. Meanwhile, Emory & Henry almost shocked Guilford, falling to the Quakers in double OT, 91-88. Three Wasps players played over 40 minutes, and the Wasps led by 12 with less then 8 minutes to go but were unable to hold off the Quakers.

Shenandoah at Randolph, 2:00

                Last time against each other: December 6, 2014, the Wildcats left Winchester with a 1 point victory over Shenandoah, 63-62. Two Wildcats came off the bench and scored double figures (Jason Eddie-13, Seth Wimbish-12) and Randolph’s bench outscored Shenandoah’s bench, 27-16.  Malcolm Clark led the Hornets with 14 points.

                Shenandoah has won 6 games in three years in the ODAC, they hope Saturday can be number 7.  The Hornets had 3 players in double figures on Wednesday against Eastern Mennonite, but only had 11 points beyond that in a 71-53 loss against Kirby Dean’s Runnin’ Royals.  Randolph fell to Virginia Wesleyan in Lynchburg on Wednesday, 82-74.  The last time Randolph lost 4 straight ODAC games dates back to the 2010-2011 season.

Roanoke at Virginia Wesleyan, 2:00

                Last time against each other:  February 15, 2014. Dave Macedo’s squad has a little something to remember here, as Roanoke pulled the upset at the Bast Center, 84-79. Andrew Daniels scored 22 for the Maroons in victory while this season’s ODAC leading scorer, Khory Moore was 0 for 7 from downtown and 3 for 17 from the floor.  Since, Moore has a streak of 14 straight ODAC games scoring in double digits.

                Khory Moore scored 29 in Wednesday’s win against Randolph. The second leading scorer in the game was Breven Lyons. Lyons scored 21 off the bench to lead the Marlins to an 82-74 victory at Randolph. In the double overtime loss against Lynchburg,  Daniel Eacho was a bright spot for theMaroons, as he notched a career high 37 points.  Roanoke hits the road again on Wednesday (at Shenandoah) before returning home next Saturday when they host Randolph. Macedo, a native of Fall River Massachusetts, will definitely be pulling for the Patriots this weekend when they go for their 4^th Super Bowl,  and Macedo will close in on a milestone next season, as he is 12 ODAC wins away from 200 in the ODAC.

Eastern Mennonite at Guilford, 4:00

                Last time against each other: Saturday January 25^th, 2014 Guilford went to Harrisonburg and took a road win against EMU, 77-63. The 3 which is a big part of the Eastern Mennonite offense, was absent last time out. The Royals only hit 4 of 25 from behind the arc.  Even though Eastern Mennonite made more free throws that day (13), Guilford didn’t miss one (10 for 10).

Matt McCarthy, the reigning ODAC player of the week, made the case for another one on Wednesday night as he scored 44 in the double overtime victory against Emory & Henry. Eastern Menonite on the other hand, recorded their last margin victory of the season in their 71-53 victory over Shenandoah. David Falk scored 16 points and recorded 15 rebounds in the victory.

Washington & Lee at Bridgewater, 4:30

        Last time against each other: December 6, 2014, Bridgewater recorded a victory in which the winner did not reach 50, when Don Burgess’ Eagles won 46-44. Washington & Lee shot 1 for 15 from downtown and made more free throws then field goals (17 free throws to 13 field goals).  Ed Reddick recorded 9 boards for the Eagles in the victory.

        Bridgewater dropped a tough one to Randolph Macon on Wednesday night, 58-55. Ed Reddick recorded a double double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, but the Eagles starting backcourt totaled zero points for the game. Washington & Lee scored 53 of their 77 points from the charity stripe (92 percent) and behind the arc in their 10 point victory over Hampden Sydney.

Enjoy the Saturday in the ODAC!!

NFL 2013 Predictions

Okay, I am 7 Peyton Manning touchdowns late, but here we go with division by division predictions

AFC East
New England 12-4
Miami 8-8
NY Jets 5-11
Buffalo 4-12

AFC North
Cincinnati 9-7
Baltimore 8-8
Pittsburgh 8-8
Clevleand 8-8

AFC South
Tennessee 10-6
Indianapolis 9-7
Houston 7-9
Jacksonville 5-11

AFC West
Denver 12-4
Kansas City 10-6
Oakland 6-10
San Diego 5-11

NFC East
NY Giants 9-7
Philadelphia 9-7
Washington 7-9
Dallas 7-9

NFC North
Green Bay 10-6
Detroit 9-7
Minnesota 8-8
Chicago 6-10

NFC South
Atlanta 10-6
New Orleans 10-6
Carolna 10-6
Tampa Bay 3-13

NFC West
San Francisco 9-7
Arizona 9-7
Seattle 7-9
St. Louis 7-9

AFC Wildcard: Colts over Titans, Chiefs over Bengals
AFC Divisional: Patriots over Chiefs, Colts over Broncos
AFC Championship: Patriots over Colts

NFC Wildcard: Giants over Panthers, Saints over 49ers
NFC Divisional: Packers over Saints, Giants over Falcons
NFC Championship: Giants over Packers

SUPER BOWL: Giants over Patriots (This has never happened before. Plus, we don't need Putin stealing anymore Super Bowl rings from Bob Kraft.)

MLB Trade Deadline Coming Up..What I Would Do

The Major League Baseball trading deadline is fast approaching (next Wednesday) so I figured I'd throw in my two cents on some assorted thoughts on some teams and players.

With the injury of Tim Hudson this past week, the Atlanta Braves could use another starter. They don't necessarily need another starter with Brandon Beachy on a rehab assignment. However, I'd go and trade for Jake Peavy. Peavy, I think is a National League pitcher and I think would be a big asset to the Braves coming down the stretch. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the playoffs (if they started today) but it could never hurt to add another starter. Ervin Santana, of the Kansas City Royals, may be a nice option. Santana has never thrown in the National League but in a short series would be paired with comeback kids Francisco Liriano and A.J. Burnett giving Pittsburgh a solid shot in the National League playoffs. 

Obviously, it would be a big blockbuster if the Marlins would deal Giancarlo Stanton. The Texas Rangers need a big bat, but after already giving up top prospect Mike Olt (who was struggling to say the least hitting in AAA) but the Rangers top two prospects after that are pitchers Cody Buckel and Martin Perez. Lewis Brinson, is a sleeper in the outfielder. If you can get Stanton, who is 23, give up what you need to give up. He's under control for a while I believe, as long as you don't purge the farm, I think they are okay. Realistically, if I am the Rangers I would trade for Alex Rios from the White Sox.

In terms of a fantasy trade for me (Yankees fan), I would love to see the Yankees deal Phil Hughes & Joba Chamberlain to Arizona for Martin Prado and I'd even take Heath Bell's lousy contract back in return. If the Yankees want to trade Robinson Cano (which I don't think would be the worst idea in the world), I want the moon, stars and the planet formerly known as Pluto back in return). 

If I was San Francisco, I'd almost gut the team. If anybody wanted Barry Zito, I'd ask for a bag of baseballs in return. I am a fan of Hunter Pence, I wouldn't give him up for just anything. I would sent Tim Lincecum across the bay if the A's were interested. The A's, I also think could use some veteran presence, maybe Michael Young from the Phillies could fit that bill. 

Speaking of the Phillies, I'd try to retool if I could. Cliff Lee could help give the Cardinals another solid arm. The Redbirds have one of the better farm systems in the big leagues and could help the Phillies out. Also, another choice would be the Reds. Their rotation would be absolutely loaded with Lee.

In another note, let's review my Major League Baseball predictions

Teams I picked to win their division and where they are now in the standings.

AL East: Boston (1st, half game lead on Tampa Bay)

AL Central: Cleveland (2nd, 3 behind leader Detroit)

AL West: Texas (2nd, 3 behind leader Oakland)

NL East: Atlanta (1st, 8 ahead of Washington & Philadelphia)

NL Central: Cincinnati (3rd, 5 behind division leader St. Louis)

NL West: Los Angeles (1st, half game in front of Arizona)

Happy trade deadline day friends!

MLB 2013 Predictions

I realize that I am a couple of days late, but better late then never. Here are my predictions.

AL East
Boston
Toronto-
Tampa Bay
NY Yankees
Baltimore

AL Central
Cleveland
Detroit-Wild Card
Chicago
Kansas City
Minnesota

AL West
Texas
LA Angels-Wild Card
Oakland
Seattle
Houston

NL East
Atlanta
Washington-Wild Card
Philadelphia
NY Mets
Miami

NL Central
Cincinnati
St. Louis-Wild Card
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
Chicago

NL West
LA Dodgers
San Francisco
Arizona
San Diego
Colorado

World Series: Tigers over Reds
ALCS: Tigers over Indians
NLCS: Reds over Braves
NLDS: Reds over Cardinals, Braves over Dodgers
ALDS: Tigers over Rangers, Indians over Red Sox
AL Wild Card: Tigers over Angels
NL Wild Card: Cardinals over Nationals

Awards
AL MVP: Prince Fielder
NL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander
NL Cy Young: Gio Gonzalez
NL Manager of the Year: Fredi Gonzalez
AL Manager of the Year: John Farrell

I look for very little of this to come true, if not the Tigers & Reds, may back up World Series prediction is the Angels over the Braves.

I know I am a day late (or two) but it's time. The sports predictions for 2013 as according to yours truly, Bob Alvis!

* Alabama will beat Notre Dame in next week's BCS National Title game.

* The New England Patriots will take the Super Bowl for the 2012 season, when they defeat the Green Bay Packers. Tom Brady captures the MVP.

* With all the rookie quarterbacks that have started games in 2012 in the NFL, not one team will start a rookie quarterback for a game in the 2013 NFL season.

* In NASCAR, Carl Edwards will win the chase, while Jimmie Johnson will kick off the season winning the Daytona 500.

* Novak Djokovic wins 3 of the tennis majors this year on the men's circuit. Roger Federer will not reach the semifinals of Wimbledon.

* In Golf, the majors winners will be Steve Stricker (Masters), Luke Donald (U.S. Open), Tiger Woods (British Open), Matt Kuchar (PGA Championship)

* The Miami Heat will knock off the Los Angeles Clippers for the NBA Title. The Heat will beat the Pacers to reach the NBA Finals, while the Clippers will knock off the Houston Rockets in the NBA Western Conference Finals,.The Rockets will knock off the Lakers in the Western Conf. Semis. Finals MVP will be Dwayne Wade.

* The Detroit Tigers will win the World Series when they defeat the Cincinnati Reds in 6 games. Other playoff teams/division winners will be Boston (AL East), Cleveland (AL Central), Texas (AL West). The Tigers will beat the Angels for the AL Wild Card. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays and A's will all be within 3 games of the AL Wild Card. In the National League, division winners will be Atlanta (NL East), Cincinnati (NL Central), Los Angeles (NL West), the Cardinals will defeat the Nationals for the NL Wild Card, while the Giants will miss the Wild Card by a game.

* MLB Post season award winners will include Adrian Gonzalez (NL MVP), Prince Fielder (AL MVP), Justin Verlander (AL Cy Young), Gio Gonzalez (NL Cy Young), John Farrell (AL Manager of the Year), Fredi Gonzalez (NL Manager of the Year)

* Horse Racing history will be made, as a horse will win the Triple Crown this season.

* Indiana will cut down the nets, as they will defeat Lousiville for the National Championship.

* In boxing, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will win two fights this year, knocking off Robert Guerrero to start the year, and then win another fight in September against a boxer not named Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. 

* The Texas Rangers will acquire Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins.

* Starting Quarterback changes in the NFL next year will look like this Mark Sanchez (Arizona), Alex Smith (NY Jets), Tim Tebow (Jacksonville)

* Next year's NFL MVP will be Andrew Luck.

* The Virginia Cavaliers will rebound and get to a bowl game, saving Mike London his job.

Any other predictions you want to know? Let me know, e-mail me at TheSportsBuffet@gmail.com

Reviewing the Bob Alvis Sports Predictions for 2012

Reviewing 2012

Before we look ahead to 2013, let's look back and see how I did for 2012.

* We will be on the path for the super fight between Manny Pacquiao and FloydMayweather Jr. The two guys will fight in November, but each will take a tune up fight before then. Manny Pacquiao will take a tune up with Timothy Bradley, while Floyd Mayweather Jr. will take on a game Erik Morales.

Result: 1 out of 3 right. Pacquiao did take on Timothy Bradley which turned out not to be a tune up, as Pac Man was "defeated" by Bradley. Mayweather fought Cotto, not Morales and neither fought each other (and they probably never will). Overall this prediction gets a FAIL.

* Concussions and injuries will force Sidney Crosby to retire from the NHL, with all of asking how good could he have been..

Result: FAIL. No if's and or but's about this one.

* Peyton Manning will retire before the 2012 NFL season, leaving the Colts no choice but to select Andrew Luck.

Result: Yea, Peyton Manning is really on the road to retirement with the Broncos having home field advantage in the AFC. But, hey things have worked out for that Luck guy too. FAIL

* Golf's Majors winners will include Tiger Woods (Masters), Rory Mcllroy (U.S. Open), Lee Westwood (British Open) & Mike Weir (PGA Championship).

Result: Well, Rory won a major. It just wasn't the U.S. Open,  If you consider finishing 40th in the Masters a victory, then Tiger was a winner too. Rory finished the U.S. Open in two days this year (when you finish it in two days, that's not good) and wasn't around for the weekend. Lee "The Best Player Not to win a Major" Westwood didn't get it done at St.Anne's and finished 6 over, tied for 45th. Finally, it's hard to win when you don't play. Mike Weir was not in South Carolina for the PGA Championship. FAILURE on so many levels.

* No man or woman will win more then one tennis major.

Result: Four different men won majors. Women, however was a different story, as Serena Williams won the last two majors (Wimbledon & the U.S. Open). Close but no cigar, FAIL.

* Dale Jr. will win the Daytona 500. Denny Hamlin will win the Sprint Cup Points Championship

Result: Really close on the Dale Jr. part. He finished 2nd. But, that just means he was the 1st loser. Denny Hamlin did make the chase, but finished 6th. FAIL but this one wasn't a miserable fail. I got a date with the pretty girl, she just didn't invite me inside.

* Albert Pujols struggles, and hits no better then .280

Result: Well, I was looking good on this one for a while. Pujols struggled mightily to start the season, but finished with a batting average of .285. FAIL. However, the girl at least invited me inside on this one.

* Robert Griffin III leads the Washington Redskins to the playoffs.

Result: Touchdown! The Redskins defeated the Cowboys in Week 17 to make the Playoffs. Albert Morris had a lot to do with this one too though. SUCCESS!

* Cowboys will fire Jason Garrett after the 2012 season, and replace him with Lovie Smith. Ron Rivera will leave Carolina and take over for Smith in Chicago.

Result: Incomplete. Even though I don't think Garrett will get fired on the last calendar day of the year, I don't think it is impossible that all of the above could happen. Likely? Probably not, but impossible. The inmate is still on death row and the governor is still in his office, so he could pick up the phone.

* Miami Heat win the NBA Championship over the Memphis Grizzlies in 5.

Result: 100 % right on this one, EXCEPT it was the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Also, the Grizzlies did go 7 games in Round 1 with the Clippers, and who knows, maybe the Grizz could have beaten the Spurs. I'm great at rationalizing aren't I? Fail, but I refuse to put it in all caps.

* North Carolina wins the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship over Kentucky.

Result: Kentucky did there part. They were there and WON the National Championship over Kansas, who defeated North Carolina in the Regional Final. Fail, but again there have been worse ones I have whiffed on. 

* Virginia will win the ACC Coastal in football in 2012.

Result: I could have said I forgot to add the Tech to this one and I would have still been wrong. MASSIVE FAIL.

* LSU beats Alabama for the National Championship next week.

Result: If points were rewarded for not crossing the 50, then LSU would have blown out the Tide. FAIL

* Green Bay & Pittsburgh meet in a Super Bowl rematch with the Packers winning 27-17.

Result: Giants & Patriots had other ideas. FAIL

* The Boston Red Sox finish 4th in the AL East. The Red Sox will be involved in a blockbuster trade with the Texas Rangers at the trading deadline, or in the off-season and will acquire either Elvis Andrus or top SS prospect Jackson Profar.

Result: Close on the blockbuster trade, except it happened during the season and it was with the Los Angeles Dodgers, not the Texas Rangers and the Red Sox gave away a ton more in terms of talent, then what they received. Also, the Red Sox did not finish 4th. They finished last. FAIL on the prediction, but SUCCESS on the happiness.

* The Yankees win the World Series over the Cardinals in 6 games.

Result: Tigers beat the Yankees in the ALCS, Giants beat the Cardinals in the NLCS. So, close, but no cigar! Fail, but I have  bombed on bigger levels.

* MLB Award winners include John Danks (A.L. Cy Young), Roy Halladay (N.L. Cy Young), Prince Fielder (A.L. MVP as a member of the Texas Rangers) & Troy Tulowitzki (N.L. MVP)

Result: Tulowitzki was hurt most of the year, Halladay just flat out sucked this season. Fielder's teammate Miguel Cabrera won as a Detroit Tiger and John Danks started 9 games. Give me a "F", give me an "A", give me an "I", give me a "L". What's that spell? Fail. Louder. FAIL!

* With the success of Cam Newton & Robert Griffin III in the pro ranks, Logan Thomas will be a projected Top 5 pick after the 2012 season, but he will come back to Virginia Tech and win the Heisman Trophy his Senior Year and be the number 1 pick of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Result: All I can say to this one is things need to get better in Blacksburg. 

Coming later this morning, the 2013 Bob Alvis Sports Predictions

What Does Your NFC Team Need to Do Before 2012?

With the regular season now over in the NFL, I thought I'd give my take on what each team needs to do (or what I think they will do in the off season). I'll break them down division by division (and I will include teams in the playoffs)

Dallas Cowboys

First off, I think Jason Garrett stays. One more bad year (aka not making the playoffs) and then I think Garrett could be on some thin ice. Part of the problem with this year's squad was every running back they had seemed to get hurt. I heard even Tony Dorsett was having knee problems. I think the Cowboys would be well off to try and trade Miles Austin. If you could get a 3rd round pick or better for Miles, I would do it. Defensively and up front on the offensive line is where they need help, and that's where they should be looking to address the problems.

New York Giants
If the Giants don't beat the Falcons, I think one can make a case for Tom Coughlin to be fired. The Giants have been like the hare the past few years and have finished the race like the tortoise. I think the Giants do have a budding star on their team in Victor Cruz though. He has established himself as one of Eli's trusted targets, to where I think the Giants could look at dealing Nicks or Manningham if it could net them something of worth in return. I think another thing the Giants should look at doing is continue to get younger on the defensive side of the ball.

Philadelphia Eagles
If this team had a full off season, I think they would have been better this season then their 8-8 record. If I was in charge of the team, I would want a DEFENSIVE guy as my defensive coordinator and not a former offensive line coach. I don't see Andy Reid being fired, but I don't see this team as the dream team either. Vick was overpaid when he got his contract extension. DeSean Jackson is a free agent, and I would look at replacing him with another Jackson (Vincent). Otherwise, I think the Eagles will be fine, but at the start of next season, will probably still be looking up at the Packers.

Washington Redskins

Let's just get this out of the way early; Rex Grossman is not the quarterback of the future. Can they get Robert Griffin III? Maybe, maybe not. It depends if the Vikings (I know they selected Christian Ponder in Round 1) or the Browns decide they need to select a quarterback. If they don't, then the Redskins will either need to explore a trade, or probably taking a quarterback later then Round 1. Free Agents they could opt for could include Jason Campbell (don't see that road being travelled again), Kyle Orton or Matt Flynn. Other then that, I think the Redskins have firmly decided on Roy Helu being the man at running back. I think they could use upgrades at WR. Defensively, they could use upgrades too (you give up 34 points to the Eagles in the last week, you need to do some upgrades).

NFC North

Chicago Bears

Re-sign Matt Forte and getting Jay Cutler healthy would be a start. Also, I think the receivers really need some upgrades (I would have signed Terrell Owens in the off season). There are several options at free agency that are better then what the Bears have right now (Dwayne Bowe, Pierre Garcon and others). Defensively, I think the Bears might want to look for a couple of players, because you don't want to have a situation to where that defense gets old real quick and that could happen if you totally neglect it.

Detroit Lions
First off, I don't think you panic because of Week 17. Flynn had a career day and the Packers offensive players could change their jerseys to where everyone says TNT because they are very explosive. You don't need to mess with the defensive line if you are the Lions but might want to address the linebackers and secondary. Also, I'd be a little concerned with the running game. Best is proving to be injury prone, plus with concussions you never know. I'd look for a durable running back, but it doesn't have to be a 1,000 or 2,000 yard rusher, but someone that is going to at least keep defense's honest.

Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers is the man. I don't think the Packers need an upgrade at running back. If I am a Packers fan, the only thing that worries me is the defense. I would just tell them bear down and not rely on the offense to score 80 points every game. Other then that, the only thing that will stop Green Bay is Green Bay.

Minnesota Vikings
I don't think the Vikings need to fire Leslie Frazier. I don't think the Vikings need to draft a quarterback. I do think the Vikings need some help up front and on the defense. Even with Adrian Peterson out for a while, maybe for the first few games of next year, I think the Vikings can get by. I think a WR would help out Ponder a lot and long term, I believe the Vikings can be okay.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons
One thing is for sure, they are set at a lot of the offensive skill positions. I always think teams can improve up front on both ends of the ball. Defensively, they could probably look to use some secondary help, especially with the NFC South being a pass happy division with Drew Brees and Cam Newton leading the way. I would also re-sign Curtis Lofton, so you don't have to add linebacker to that need list.

New Orleans Saints
Re-sign Drew Brees I believe is probably a formality. After that, (Guard) Carl Nicks & Wide Receiver Marques Colston are priorities. Defensively, they have to get better. I think counting on out shooting people is a recipe for disaster. But, don't ignore Brees. Get that done and then you can take care of everything else.

Carolina Panthers
For one, hope that Cam Newton's 2nd season is as good as his first. That probably won't happen, but another WR wouldn't hurt things. I think a Robert Meachem (New Orleans) or a guy like Mario Manningham (NY Giants) would help things. Defensively, they need to work on some things too finishing 24th against the pass and 25th against the run.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Make a good hire as head coach. I think Mike Sherman would be a good hire. After that, I think you need to look at the defense, the offense, the special teams. I don't think the Buccaneers were a big problem on the field this year, as much as their attitude was the problem with the team's quitting attitude. The Falcons could have probably hung 70 on them if they had wanted to in the regular season finale. Your leaders need to be leaders, and you need to make a good hire at head coach. I do think Raheem Morris will be a good head coach one day, but right now is probably a little too soon.

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers
Biggest overachievers in the league this year. Jim Harbaugh should definitely be the Coach of the Year in my opinion. The 49ers not giving up a rushing touchdown or 100 yard rusher until Week 16 is incredible. I think eventually the 49ers will need to look at upgrading at quarterback and adding a veteran wide out since Braylon Edwards certainly didn't pan out. David Akers could be the team's MVP.

St. Louis Rams
Again, another team where the head coach hire is critical to the success of the franchise. They have a franchise quarterback in Sam Bradford. Steven Jackson isn't getting any younger but I don't think he needs to be replaced, yet. Wide Receiver I think is a position of need, retaining Brandon Lloyd wouldn't be a bad start. Defensively, I think they should look in the secondary, but again this is a team that had problems getting Josh Brown on the field, for PAT's or field goals, so that means your offense is what needs the work.

Arizona Cardinals
Kevin Kolb being injured for most of the season doesn't help. While we are on topic of Kevin Kolb, after what happened Week 1 of his starting career when he was playing for Philadelphia against Green Bay, and he was taken out with injury (I believe concussion) and replaced by Vick, never got the job back, Kolb's career may never be the same. I think Arizona has to give him some time though and not say "We are done with you. It's John Skelton's team now". I think the loss of Steve Breaston also hurt. Beanie Wells finally was the running back that they thought he would be, and they also have Ryan Williams waiting in the wings next year. Defense might need some upgrades. They also have one of the biggest game changers in the league in Patrick Peterson (more as a return man right now, although I think he can be a dynamic corner as well).

Seattle Seahawks
First and foremost, re-sign Marshawn Lynch. Lynch had an outstanding season (he's in my top 10 of MVP candidates in the league). I think they need a quarterback, Tavaris Jackson is not the long term solution. I will admit, I was wrong on Pete Carroll. I didn't think he would succeed as a NFL coach again, with his rah-rah attitude, but it has been working. Seattle is a tough place to play and the defense has been tough as well. Seattle could be in competition in this cluster we call the NFC West.

It took me a week to write this (starting and stopping), so we'll see how long it will take me to get the AFC done. Stay tuned

Sports Predictions for 2012

Am I right a lot? Not near as much as I think I am. But, I did decide let me try to look into my crystal ball and make some sports predictions for the next 12 months. I hope to get 2 right.

* We will be on the path for the super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. The two guys will fight in November, but each will take a tune up fight before then. Manny Pacquiao will take a tune up with Timothy Bradley, while Floyd Mayweather Jr. will take on a game Erik Morales.

* Concussions and injuries will force Sidney Crosby to retire from the NHL, with all of asking how good could he have been.

* Peyton Manning will retire before the 2012 NFL season, leaving the Colts no choice but to select Andrew Luck.

* Golf's Majors winners will include Tiger Woods (Masters), Rory Mcllroy (U.S. Open), Lee Westwood (British Open) & Mike Weir (PGA Championship).

* No man or woman will win more then one tennis major.

* Dale Jr. will win the Daytona 500. Denny Hamlin will win the Sprint Cup Points Championship

* Albert Pujols struggles, and hits no better then .280

* Robert Griffin III leads the Washington Redskins to the playoffs.

* Cowboys will fire Jason Garrett after the 2012 season, and replace him with Lovie Smith. Ron Rivera will leave Carolina and take over for Smith in Chicago.

* Miami Heat win the NBA Championship over the Memphis Grizzlies in 5.

* North Carolina wins the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship over Kentucky.

* Virginia will win the ACC Coastal in football in 2012.

* LSU beats Alabama for the National Championship next week.

* Green Bay & Pittsburgh meet in a Super Bowl rematch with the Packers winning 27-17.

* The Boston Red Sox finish 4th in the AL East. The Red Sox will be involved in a blockbuster trade with the Texas Rangers at the trading deadline, or in the offseason and will acquire either Elvis Andrus or top SS prospect Jackson Profar.

* The Yankees win the World Series over the Cardinals in 6 games.

* MLB Award winners include John Danks (A.L. Cy Young), Roy Halladay (N.L. Cy Young), Prince Fielder (A.L. MVP as a member of the Texas Rangers) & Troy Tulowitzki (N.L. MVP)

* With the success of Cam Newton & Robert Griffin III in the pro ranks, Logan Thomas will be a projected Top 5 pick after the 2012 season, but he will come back to Virginia Tech and win the Heisman Trophy his Senior Year and be the number 1 pick of the 2013 NFL Draft.

I think that's a good start, if you want to bet on any of these predictions, my advice to you is don't.

"Cujo" Fights Again on Friday in Raleigh and The Bruiser Wrestling Federation in Charlotte Court House on Saturday

I am going to try to update each blog each day. It may not be long, but may have some links in it or other stuff. You can check them out by going to "The Sports Buffet Podcast" facebook page or become a follower write here on the blog.

Local sports happenings this weekend (non-high school related) are as follows.

* Scott "Cujo" Sigmon looks to add another "W" to the resume tonight. He is scheduled to fight in Raleigh, NC at the Longbranch Saloon.

* The BWF is at Central Middle School in Charlotte Court House on Saturday night. Bell time is 8:00. Double main event features Dustin Daniels against Billy Gibbs for the BWF Title. Co-feature is Kimberly Spades vs. Kacee.

For more on the Bruiser Wrestling Federation, you can go to their Facebook page or check out their web page.

2011 MLB Predictions

Here are my predicitions for the 2011 Major League Baseball Season AL East Red Sox Yankees Rays Orioles Blue Jays AL Central Twins White Sox Tigers Indians Royals AL West Rangers A's Angels Mariners Award Winners AL MVP: Joe Mauer Cy Young: Justin Verlander Manager of the Year: Bob Geren NL Predictions East Phillies Braves Marlins Mets Nationals Central Brewers Reds Cardinals Cubs Pirates Astros NL West Dodgers Rockies Giants Padres Diamondbacks MVP: Ryan Braun Cy Young: Chris Carpenter Manager of the Year: Don Mattingly Playoffs AL Yankees over Twins Red Sox over Rangers Red Sox over Yankees NL Braves over Brewers Phillies over Dodgers Phillies over Braves Phillies over Red Sox in the World Series There are my predictions. Laugh at me or you can sing my praises in about seven months.

Regular Segments Starting on "The Sports Buffet Podcast"

I have really felt energized since I have been able to restart "The Sports Buffet Podcast". But, I decided on one thing that I thought would be better, and even make me more accountable (and Lord knows I need that). Starting in January, "The Sports Buffet Podcast" will start having certain segments that will either air weekly, every other week or once a month. Now, some interviews will still be done on a regular basis (like game recaps, previews, interviews that a team's coach is just being interviewed to talk about current things going on with the team), but there will be some segments that will follow a pattern (weekly, every other week, or monthly).

Here is the schedule of planned segments for "The Sports Buffet Podcast" beginning in January.
WEEKLY
* "Chew on This" is a segment that will feature four people (counting yours truly as the moderator) in a weekly discussion about sports. Not only, will there be talk about the current events in the sports world, but also some debatable topics in sports such as "Top 10 NFL quarterbacks of all time" or "Biggest chokes of all time". If you would like to be a panelist (or suggest some topics) on "Chew on This" at some point, contact me through Facebook (You can join "The Sports Buffet Podcast" facebook page by clicking here, or you can e-mail me at TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net.

* "Bob and Dad" is a segment that features my dad and I just arguing about sports. You can ask my mom or my wife, nobody can argue about sports like me and my dad. We will not only debate current topics, but like in "Chew on This", we may discuss debatable sports topics as well that aren't currently relevant in the news. Check out "Bob and Dad" by clicking here.

* "Teammates" is a segment that will test how well two teammates know each other. Each teammate will be given five questions, with the other teammate having to guess the answer that the teammate gave (think of the Newlywed Game). Most likely this will be a contest between teams (i.e. three sets of teammates from the Brookville football team will participate against each other). Check out an episode of "Teammates" with former Amherst Golfers Marshall Tinsley & Robert Martin.

* "Know Your Coach" is a segment that is similar to "Teammates", where a player instead of being matched up with a teammate will either be matched up with a coach or this will be a competition between 3 teammates to see which one knows their coach the best. Stay tuned to see how the segment develops.

* "One On One with Bob Alvis" is an interview with someone to where they are asked 11 questions that have absolutely nothing at all to do with their sport. This segment is designed to get to know the athletes (media members, officials or whomever) better away from their sport. Check out this episode of "One On One with Bob Alvis" where my guest was E.C. Glass Girls Soccer Head Coach, Darien McClurg. Sometmes I even do "One On One with Bob Alvis" with more then one person as in this case when I took on a trio of William Campbell football players, Antwain Hubbard, Drew Davis and K.B. Younger

* "Inside the Game" will be a segment of quick hit soundbites and such that will encompass multiple sports into one segment (if you ever heard "Quick Hits" back in the day on
"Talking High School Sports", that is how the segment is being designed. Here is an example of Quick Hits featuring Jefferson Forest Volleyball & Cross Country, as well as former Nelson County football coach Tim Crawford.

* "The Sports Buffet Profiles....." will be a segment to where we will profile someone who is currently involved in the sports world, and will just let you learn a little bit more about the individual. It will be similar to "Checking In" and "Where are They Now" which will be heard every other week.

The daily debut schedule for "The Sports Buffet Podcast" is as follows (new segments will debut on the listed day at 10 A.M.)
Monday-One On One with Bob Alvis
Tuesday-Teammates
Wednesday-Know Your Coach
Thursday-The Sports Buffet Profiles...
Friday-Chew on This
Saturday-Bob and Dad
Sunday-Inside the Game

EVERY OTHER WEEK
* "Checking In" is a segment that catches up with an athlete from the area who is now continuing their career in college. Not only will you hear from the athlete, but also from their high school coach, college coach and others from their past team and their current team. Here is an episode of "Checking In" from 2006 with Chris Rocco, former football player (and other sports) at LCA.

* "Where Are They Now" will feature a person from the high school (or maybe college or pro or media member, the possibilities are endless) sports world and will examine, where they are now. Like "Checking In", it will feature people from their past when they were coaching or playing in the sports world. Here is an example of "Where Are They Now" with Mark Hanks, former head boys basketball coach at Liberty, and at the time of the interview, Pulaski County head coach.

* "Coach's Corner" is a segment where a coach will talk about a nuisance of their game. It can be simple as something of proper free throw shooting to something as complex as when to execute a suicide squeeze. Here is an example of Coach's Corner featuring E.C. Glass Head Coach, Roy Roberson talking about use of a full court press.

New segments will debut every other week at 10 A.M.
Where Are They Now-Monday
Coach's Corner-Wednesday
Checking In-Friday

MONTHLY
* "The Roundtable" will be designed to feature 3 coaches (or maybe players) but the segment will feature more on philosophies or issues in the sport as opposed to current events. Here is an example of The Roundtable with three football coaches, Don Rice (Jefferson Forest), Jeff Woody (Brookville) and former Amherst head coach, Scott Abell.

* "Bumps and Bruises" will feature an athletic trainer discussing something that will either maybe prevent an injury, how to rehab an injury, or something related to the athletic training field. On this edition, Tony Tucker (Athletic Trainer at Heritage High School) talked about heat illnesses.

* "Away from the Game" is designed to tell you about an athlete (or other figure) and what they are contributing away from their sport of play. Whether it be involvement in a church or community endeavor, you will hear about an athlete's contribution away from the game.

* "Rules of the Game" will be an official from a certain sport describing a rule of the game. For those fans back in the '80s of college basketball, I believe Hank Nichols used to have a segment that would air (I think it was sponsored by State Farm" and it was called "Rules of the Game"). We may not have Hank Nichols but we will have one of our officials in sports in the area explaining a rule of the game.

* "The Sports Buffet Feature" will be a feature that we do each month. It will be a 4 part series where each week a new segment will debut. For example, Febuary is Valentine's Day, so we may do a feature on being the spouse of a coach. How tough is it? How much understanding involved? Then one month, we may take a look at something serious such as leadership. How do you develop leadership amongst your team? It promises to be interesting, informative and entertaining.

Here is the debut schedule for the monthly features.
Bumps and Bruises will air the 1st week of each month
Rules of the Game will air the 2nd week of each month
Away from the Game will air the 3rd week of each month
The Roundtable will air the 4th week of each month

The Sports Buffet Feature is to be determined on debut dates.

I for one am looking forward to all these segments. Tell your friends and neighbors about our Facebook page and more. "The Sports Buffet Podcast" is always looking for active participation from our fans (or even our non fans) so let us hear your suggestions by e-mailing TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net or become a fan of "The Sports Buffet Podcast" on Facebook. You can also check us out on Twitter.

Important Information about "The Sports Buffet Podcast"

For those of you diligent followers of "The Sports Buffet Podcast", you may have seen this on my other blog that is dedicated to High School Sports. Check out the announcement and information by going to that post by clicking here.

The Sports Buffet Podcast....One More Try

Okay, "The Sports Buffet Podcast" is going to make one last try of it. Basically, when I was doing "Talking High School Sports", that was in my BK (Before Kids) era, and I had tons of time to dedicate. Now, I have two kids and a full time job that has me working abnormal hours, so basically I don't have the time that I'd like to dedicate to my podcast. So, I am going to bring back the 'Buffet. The interviews/segments may not be as plentiful as they once were, but it's a labor of love, and I need my hobby back, so the 'Buffet is back in town!

More updates and developments hopefully to come. Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, please don't hesitate to e-mail them to me at TheSportsBuffet@verizon.net

Thoughts on the ALCS

Being the devout Yankees fan that I am, I thought I would offer a few thoughts on the ALCS against Texas.

- Joe Girardi has been outmanaged and has looked like a total fool. If the Rangers bullpen doesn't blow up in Game 1, then this series is already over and they are awaiting the winner of the Phillies-Giants in the Fall Classic.

- Mariano Rivera should be well rested. Why Girardi didn't throw him in Game 3 when the game was still manageable, is beyond me. This is the playoffs, you can't be resting somebody saying "Well, we want him available to throw 2 innings tomorrow." Rivera is your stud in the pen, and he should be treated as such. The Yankees haven't led much in the series, but Rivera can still be valuable to keep a game close rather then bringing in David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, or anyone else.

- The Yankees hitting has reminded me of the 2001 World Series against Arizona. They didn't hit for lick in that series either, and they aren't hitting against Texas. If it weren't for Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter, they'd be extremely dismal.

- The Yankees are down 3-1, they need to take the mindset of winning one game at a time, not winning 3 games. Win Game 5, before you worry about Game 6.

The Voice of God

I think when a lot of people hear "the voice of God" in terms of sports context, they think of John Facenda, of NFL Films fame. But, as a Yankees fan, the best set of pipes ever belongs to Mr. Bob Sheppard. Maybe, I shouldn't say best set of pipes ever, but as far as public address announcers are, he is by far and away the best there is, was and ever will be. Sheppard once said his philosophy of what a PA announcer should be is clear, concise and correct. Sheppard exemplified all three and you could probably add another "C" to it as well. In terms of class. Even though Sheppard has been retired for about 3 years now, his voice still lives on. He is featured prominently on the YES Network's bumpers ("You are watching the YES Network"), and to this day he still announces one person's name each game. Derek Jeter, made a request that a recording of Sheppard be used when Jeter comes to the plate. Jeter will also have that honor, when he steps to the plate during Tuesday's All Star Game.

Never going to the "old" Yankee Stadium is one thing I really wish I could have done. I also would have love to have heard Bob Sheppard in person. Seldom in today's day and age do I think public address announcers or regular play by play announcers get lumped into the distinction of being lumped in with a team's legacy. There are only a few exceptions, Vin Scully with the Dodgers, Chick Hearn was with the Lakers, and I'd throw Bob Sheppard into that. Sheppard may not be tied in with the Yankees as much, but no doubt he is the voice of Yankee Stadium and he always will be.

Here's more links and features on Bob Sheppard.
Buster Olney tribute
ESPN Story
YES Network Coverage
MLB Network Tribute

Lebron, Lebron, Lebron

Have you heard of this guy that plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers? Supposedly, he's pretty good. Some call him "King James", but he was born Lebron Raymone James in Akron, Ohio. Tonight, Lebron will decide his legacy when he chooses where he will play basketball for the foreseeable future.

If Lebron chooses to leave Cleveland for somewhere else, I think his legacy is destroyed. If he goes to Miami (which is the hot rumor), he can win six rings, and I don't think it rebuilds his image. Lebron is turning just the ANNOUNCEMENT of where he is going to play into a three ring circus. When Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player ever, came back from his gambling suspension, I mean retirement in 1995, he did so by issuing a statement that simply said "I'm back." Lebron James is handpicking his interviewer (Jim Gray) and holding his decision on national television (ESPN. I am surprised he didn't ask to go to the Oval Office so he could have Obama get him some network TV time from the Press Briefing room at the White House) from a secluded bunker in Greenwich, CT. He could be the biggest villain in Cleveland sports history supplanting Art Modell, who took a whole football team out of Cleveland moving it to Baltimore. I also contend if Lebron was just playing for the Cavaliers, but from Saginaw, MI or Waco, TX, it's not a big deal if he leaves, because he is not a native Ohioan. Would you rather get 1 ring for a habitually losing sports city, or 6 rings in a city to where each year you don't win the championship, it's a failure.

Now, let's look at the final choices (let's just go ahead and throw the Clippers out, because my 3 year old and 2 year old have a better chance of playing with the Dutch in Sunday's World Cup Final).

1. Miami Heat: Some people list them as the favorite in the clubhouse. But, I think this would be one of the worst places he could go. It is a ready made championship, Lebron doesn't have to work for it as much, he just becomes another piece. Besides, Miami will never be his team. It's D-Wade's team. Imagine if Michael Jordan had gone to the Celtics or Lakers, and Bird and Magic had been a little younger. Jordan would be no where near as famous and remembered with either the Celtics or Lakers, as much as he was with the Bulls.

2. Chicago Bulls: It's Michael's team, it's Michael's town. If you win 5 rings, Michael won 6. If you make a 30 footer at the buzzer, Michael sank a 31 footer to win one. If you sneeze, Michael sneezed quieter, or louder, however you feel to put it.

3. New Jersey Nets: The Kremlin controlling Lebron? Child please. Plus, in some people's eyes, Jersey is New York's arm pit.

4. New York Knicks: The league needs the Big Apple to be important. They haven't been in the mainstream eye since Patrick Ewing was there. Plus, Lebron is buddies with guys like CC Sabathia, and those folks (it's worked out for CC so far by the way) so he's hanging with his buddies. Also, Lebron would be playing in the world's most famous arena 41 times a year.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: The hometown team. Lebron's legacy will never be as strong anywhere else. Weakness is your supporting cast is about as strong as that of Tim Lincecum's biceps. But, you have an experienced NBA coach and a winner as a player (Byron Scott). I think help would be on it's way, it may just take a year or so. There are plenty of players out there the Cavs could trade for to help in the post or on the wing (David West, PF New Orleans, Al Jefferson, PF Minnesota, Gilbert Arenas, SG Wizards, Chris Kaman, C LA Clippers, Zach Randolph, PF Memphis, Marcus Camby, C LA Clippers, Elton Brand, PF Philadelphia,). Granted, some of those players would be gambles or reaches, but the other thing is maybe you can trade for a big superstar (i.e. Chris Paul) or someone of that ilk to help. I think 1 ring in Cleveland is greater then 4 in Miami. The reason I say that is no one has won a ring in Cleveland, while Dwayne Wade took Miami's championship virginity years ago.

The one thing I do think though is Lebron James PR team has put him in such a negative light, it's going to take some time to recover from this. I think for the goodwill aspect, he must return to Cleveland. Otherwise, I think he is going to come off as a selfish, me first, childish, spoiled sports villain. The one thing I do think is worth taking note of, is TNT/NBA TV's David Aldridge stated that this media truck goes both ways. So, Lebron can think he has ESPN in his pocket and everything like that, but if it goes the other way, and Lebron has negative publicity, then he has got to take the bad with the good.

Lebron, Lebron, Lebron, he is enough to drive Jan Brady crazy.

Where, oh where will Lebron (and the others) end up?

I think in today's day and age, more people enjoy off season's as much as they do season's. I think people crave hot stove talk and player movement more now then they have in the past (although, I do think most people like superstars to stay in one place, but I'll address that in a future blog). So, I will address the top free agents, and where I think they will end up.

Lebron James
Named Possible Suitors: Bulls, Cavaliers, Clippers, Heat, Knicks, Nets
My Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers
I have debated this with friends, and I think Lebron comes back to Cleveland in part to his Ohio roots. Tom Penn, on ESPN's NBA Fastbreak, brought up some good points. If you go to Chicago, you have to win 7 NBA titles, because Michael has 6. If you go to Miami, you need to win 2 without Dwayne Wade to top Wade's solo title. Now, Penn was making the case for Lebron going to New York, stating if you win just one title in New York, then you are immortalized forever. I just see Lebron returning to Cleveland, as a situation where the NBA can market a star as bringing a championship to his hometown. Does Lebron need some pieces around him in Cleveland? Sure, but I think Lebron needs some complimentary pieces not superstars. I think superstars at their superstar levels rarely co-exist and are able to win titles. I know there are examples you can point to, and say I am wrong, but I don't think it has happened lately. Even when the Celtics won their title over the Lakers, I don't think Kevin Garnett was still a superstar at this point, I think he had settled into becoming a complimentary player. I think Lebron stays in Cleveland though. But, if I had to rank them in order of where I'd see him going, I'd say Cleveland, then New York, then New Jersey, then Chicago, then Miami and I think that hell has to get a little chilly before he plays for the Clippers.

Dwayne Wade
Suitors: Heat
I think there are other suitors for Dwayne Wade, but just none that are really named. I think Wade probably stays, but what if he went to his hometown team, the Bulls. Imagine the Bulls with Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Dwayne Wade, Joakim Noah and the Bulls would probably add another max player in the front court. With that being said, I think more often then not top tier superstars are better off staying put, so I think he stays in Miami.

Chris Bosh
Suitors: Chicago, Miami, NY Knicks
I am very unsure to where I see Bosh headed. I think he would like to play with Lebron James, but I don't see him traveling to Cleveland to do so. Plus, I see him going in a sign and trade wherever he goes. I am going to say he goes to Miami, and I see the Heat sending Michael Beasley, Quentin Richardson and Dorrell Wright back to Toronto. But, with Bosh I really have no solid inclination, if I had to throw down money, I'd just assume as to throw down on Pick 3 or Pick 4.

Joe Johnson
Suitors: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, LA Clippers, NY Knicks
I saw on ESPN's Bottom Line, where Johnson says he wants to stay in Atlanta. If that's the case, then he stays in Atlanta. They can offer him the most money. The only other strong contender I see is New York. Johnson played for Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix, so there is familiarity with the system. Plus, I think Johnson would put up just as big of numbers in New York, as he would in Atlanta. Now, the thing is would Johnson want to play in a big city? Some people just aren't big city guys. I definitely see Johnson playing in the Big Apple or back to Hot 'Lanta.

Dirk Nowitzki
Suitors: Dallas
I see Nowitzki playing for the German National soccer team before he leaves Dallas. I just don't see him playing for anyone other then the Mavericks. I think addressing this topic more is just a waste of finger movement.

Paul Pierce
Suitors: Boston, LA Clippers, New Jersey
I see Pierce probably staying in Boston, but I would not be 100 % (probably 88 %) shocked if he went to play for his hometown Clippers. Pierce is from So Cal, but I am a big advocate (again something that will be discussed in a future blog) of superstars leaving a place that they have had great success damages their legacy. I think Pierce is just looking to cash in a little more with a better contract, as the collective bargaining is expiring pretty soon.

Amare Stoudemire
Suitors: Miami, New Jersey, NY Knicks, Phoenix
Alright, well I got Bosh going to Miami, which means I can't have Amare to the Heat as well, but I also don't see Amare going back to Phoenix even though I have heard he doesn't want to sign with the Knicks. What about Chicago? I don't know that he would fit in with the Bulls. I think Amare is a good player in a run and gun system. Could Golden State land him in some type of trade? Maybe Dan Gadzuric, Vlaidmir Radmanovic, Charlie Bell and a 1st round pick? Now, in no way am I saying, I think that is value for Amare, but it is salary matchup.

Carlos Boozer
Suitors: Chicago, Miami, New Jersey, NY Knicks
Again, I can't place him in Miami, if I have Bosh in Miami, so under that scenario I have Boozer headed to the Bulls. I see Chicago or Miami as the likely destinations for Boozer. I think if he heads to Chicago, the Bulls become a very dangerous team. I see Boozer in Chicago as a good fit, but he's had his eye on Miami for a long time. With that being said, I am going to say Boozer ends up in Chicago.

David Lee
Suitors: New Jeresey, NY Knicks, Toronto, Utah
Put seven or eight teams on a dart board and throw a dart and you hit a team and you have David Lee's destination. ESPN pundits all have mentioned the four teams I have listed above. This one is kind of hard for me to pick, I don't know that I see Lee headed back to the Knicks, but at the same time, I don't know what new team I would see Lee headed to either. I am going to go with the Knicks, but I honestly don't know, but think he would be a good player for many teams.

Rudy Gay
Suitors: LA Clippers, Memphis, Minnesota, New Jersey, NY Knicks
I think all the suitors are strong (maybe with the exception of Minnesota), but what about Phoenix? I don't think they could do a Stoudemire swap, but I think Gay would work well in Phoenix. When it comes down to it, I see him signing with the Clippers or remaining in Memphis, but I would list New Jersey as the most likely dark horse.

Guys I look for to be traded before the seasons starts includes Al Jefferson (Minnesota). He might be some good help in Cleveland for Lebron (if he stays). I don't think Chris Paul leaves New Orleans. Carmelo Anthony is rumored to be on the block if he turns down an extension from Denver. I think Melo will go to the Northeast somewhere. I could see New Jersey or the Knicks. Also, I would put Baron Davis and Gilbert Arenas in the trade possibilities, but I think you would just need to find someone to take on those contracts, because they are owed a ton of money.

NBA free agency season, it's fantastic!

My Happiest Super Bowl

I never thought I'd have a Super Bowl to where I'd have a major rooting interest in the Super Bowl. Lions and Browns fans share my thoughts I am sure. However, being a Saints fan, I had the Super Bowl I have had the most interest in this past Sunday.

Venturing to my favorite Super Bowl watching venue (my parents house, I think I have watched almost every Super Bowl there, maybe minus a few), I travelled to the house in my Deuce McAllister jersey, and equipped my wife Suzanne in my New Orleans Saints t-shirt.

Game thoughts
One thing is for sure, the Saints were playing to win, and not just happy to be there. When Sean Payton opted to go for it on 4th and goal in the 1st half with the Colts leading 10-3. Some could argue that the smart play would have been to kick the field goal and trail 10-6 midway through the 2nd quarter. However, if you do that, then you are giving the ball to Peyton Manning on probably the 20 yard line or better. Even though it is Peyton Manning, I'd rather have him go 98-99 yards then 80 yards or less. Also, to start the 2nd half with an onside kick, if that doesn't spell gamble, I don't know what does. I think that onside kick was the turning point of the game, and gave the Saints huge momentum.

Another thing the Saints did right was to keep Peyton Manning off the field. It seemed like to me in the 2nd quarter that Peyton Manning was barely on the field. He was on the field for only 2 series

Garrett Hartley was money. The first guy ever to kick 3 field goals of 40 yards or more, didn't even play the whole season, being suspended for the first four games of the season, for violating the league's drug policy with a banned supplement. The Saints didn't start using Hartley until the game against the Redskins in Week 13. So, even though Hartley is a good kicker, for a guy who wasn't used until week 13, it's pretty good to nail 3 40 yard field goals in the biggest game of the season.

Tracy Porter's touchdown return was Reggie Wayne's fault. I heard Cris Carter say it during the postgame on ESPN, that the cardinal sin for a wide receiver is getting beat to the spot. Carter went on to say that as a receiver, you do whatever it takes to avoid getting beat to the spot. If you have to tackle the WR, then you tackle him. Porter beat Wayne to the spot and took it to the house to put the Saints up 14. I still didn't feel good until Manning's incompletion on 4th down on the following drive. If the Colts had scored, the score would have been 31-24, and the Colts could have recovered an onside. The point is, you never know what could have happened. Also, even though Manning doesn't have the best playoff record, I still don't count him out.

Questions that come from the Super Bowl in my mind (feel free to answer)
Does this move Brees up the list on best current quarterbacks? I think you still have Manning, Brady and Favre has the 3 greatest all time quarterbacks that are still playing. Is Brees 4th, 5th, Top 10? Where is he specifically ranked?

What do the Saints do in the off-season? It looks to be an uncapped year in 2010, which brings the question can the Saints afford to keep some of their better players. Darren Sharper and Scott Fujita probably go to the top of that list.

Does the lack of playoff success and only one Super Bowl ring affect the legacy of Peyton Manning?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Let me hear 'ya!