During the 2006 NBA season many young players took the next step in becoming elite players in the League. After the Philadelphia 76ers parted ways with Allen Iverson management found their franchise player is still named AI. No longer in Iverson’s shadow Andrea Iguodala had the best season of his career. Iguodala added six points a game to his average this season and doubled his assist average from three to six proving that the Sixers are in good hands.

Al Jefferson from the Boston Celtics had an amazing third season in the league, posting numbers comparable to any power forward in the league. Jefferson doubled his scoring and rebounding averages from last year averaging sixteen points and ten rebounds this season. If I were Celtic’s GM Danny Ainge and I already had a dominant big man such as Jefferson I would take Kevin Durant with my draft pick.

The Phoenix Sun’s Leandro Barbosa, Denver Nugget’s Nene Hilario, and even Golden State Warrior Andris Biedrins all deserve credit for taking their games to the next level this season, but they cannot hold a candle to the monster season Al Jefferson and the other top four finalists for the Most Improved Player Award had.

Before I go into my finalists, I would to like to end the Loul Deng Most Improved Player speculation. After looking at the Chicago Bulls’ second leading scorer’s stats, I have to disagree with his Most Improved Campaign. Deng had a great season this year adding five points to his averaging while raising his field goal percentage from 46% to 52%. A rise in point average along with a rise in field goal percentage is an accomplishment, usually when a player’s scoring average rises their percentages take a hit. When you look closer at Deng’s numbers he did not improve, he just took better shots. Throughout his three years in the League Deng has been a terrible three point shooter with a career average of 26%. The reason he has improved so dramatically is because he has stopped jacking threes. Loul Deng’s rookie season he shot 117 three only making 26%. The following season he fired 78 three point attempts averaging the same terrible percentage, but averaged three more points a game with a higher field goal percentage. The third season of his career Deng decided to move his game completely inside the arc only taking seven threes all season, consequently having career highs across the board. Although Deng does not win the Most Improved Award, he definitely wins the “Understands the game better than Antione Walker Award.�

Coming in fourth behind Al Jefferson is Utah Jazz starting point guard Deron Williams. In his sophomore season Williams made his first All-Star appearance and finished second in assist in the NBA. Williams finished in the top ten in assist turnover ratio and is coach Jerry Sloan’s voice on the court. Adding six points and five assists to last years average earned Deron Williams honorable mention in the Most Improved Player of the Year Award.

Tyson Chandler played with a huge chip on his shoulder this season. Chandler was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the New Orlean/Oklahoma City Hornets before the start of the season for P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith. The trade was a financial move by Chicago to create cap room for the addition of Big Ben Wallace from Detroit. The Bulls felt that Wallace would be a better fit for their young team than Chandler. Ben Wallace averaged six points and ten rebounds a game in his first year as a Chicago Bull, while Chandler averaged ten points and twelve rebounds a game with a field goal percentage of 64%! Chandler doubled his point average from last season from five to ten points a game. He has been a great defender this year finishing second in the league in rebounds and averaging almost two steals a game. The worst part of this trade is not that Chandler clearly out played Wallace, but that Wallace makes seven million more a year and is eight years older.

Runner up in the Most Improved Player Award is Sacramento King Kevin Martin. While averaging only ten more minutes a game Martin doubled his scoring average to twenty points a game. The skinny kid from Western California University impressed the franchise so much at the end of the last season the team drafted Quincy Douby in the first round hoping that lightning would strike twice with lanky guards.

Kevin Martin was the leading scorer on his veteran ball club this season. Having five hundred more shot attempts this season, his field goal percentage only dipped one percent from 48% to 47%. As the NBA continues to shift towards a more up tempo game with smaller lineups players such as Kevin Martin will continue to become a larger factor in the League.

My choice for Most Improved Player of the year is without question Golden State Warrior Monta Ellis. Ellis is one of the fastest and most talented young players in the league. If I were Golden States GM, I would trade Baron Davis this summer and hand the team over to the sophomore Ellis.

After Golden State Warrior coach Don Nelson decided to double young Ellis’ playing time this season the results were immediate. Ellis went from seven points a game to almost seventeen points a game in one season. The amazing part of Ellis’ success is how efficient his numbers are. Even though Monta took seven hundred more shots this season his field goal percentage improved from 42% to 48%. That type of dramatic change is rare in the NBA. Not only did he improve his field goal percentage this season, his free throw percentage went up 5% to 76% this season shooting three hundred more free throws this season. Ellis also improved on the defensive side of the ball adding another steal a game averaging almost two steals a contest. Congrats Monta on being the sophomore leading score despite being drafted in the second round and good luck in the playoffs.

David Stern’s age limit for the NBA could not have come at a better time. I am not sure I could handle another rookie class this disappointing. Only six players out of the entire draft averaged twenty minutes a game! Two teams that picked in the top five are already calling for a do over. If the 2006 NBA Draft was a rookie class on Madden, I would have pushed the reset button on the PS2. In the Rookie Challenge during All Star Weekend, the rookies played the second year players and were embarrassed, 155-114. Sophomore David Lee scored thirty points on a perfect 14 of 14 shots. Anytime Monta Ellis, a 6’3� twenty-one year old guard catches four alley-oops in the first five minutes of a game, you know the opposing team is outmatched.

The 2006 NBA rookie class was all over the board this year. The number one pick of the draft, Andrea Bargnani, showed he belonged in the League. The Italian big man displayed excellent versatility, averaging 11.5 points a game and shooting 38% from the behind the arc. The second and fourth picks of the draft, Texas’ LaMarcus Aldridge and LSU’s Tyrus Thomas, came on strong late in the season. While Portland Trailblazer Zach Randolph was on “bereavement leave,� Aldridge proved to the world he was worth the second pick of the draft averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds while starting five games. Tyrus Thomas has earned a spot in coach Scott Skiles’ deep Chicago Bulls rotation as a good defender and strong finisher. If you saw Thomas posterize Atlanta’s Josh Smith last month, you would know Thomas is the real deal.

The Charlotte Bobcat’s third overall pick Adam Morrison from Gonzaga, and Duke’s Sheldon Williams, drafted fifth by the Atlanta Hawks, struggled to earn time on the floor. Morrison struggled adjusting to the more athletic NBA. Williams’ “landlordâ€? status was evicted, barely averaging five rebounds and less than half a block per game.

Two surprise second rounder picks were Boston College’s Craig Smith and Louisiana Tech’s Paul Millsap. Both power forwards played remarkable basketball all season averaging seven points and five rebounds a game in less than twenty minutes per game.

Another surprise player, one of my favorites, was Renaldo Balkman. I remember watching Balkman hustle, run the floor, and dunk on everyone in his during his years at South Carolina University. Balkman is pure energy off the bench and any GM that laughed at Isaiah Thomas on draft day would love to have Balkman come off the bench for their franchise.

The only player that was ready to make an impact in the NBA this year was my choice for rookie of the year, Brandon Roy. Scouts fell in love with Roy coming out of Washington University, stating he was sure pick. Roy averaged 16.7 points a game for the Portland Trailblazers, adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists along the way. Roy was also a solid defender, swiping one steal a game. Originally the number six pick of 2006 NBA draft to Minnesota, Roy outplayed what the Wolves traded him for in Villanova’s Randy Foye, who averaged 10 points and 3 assists (Portland’s 7th pick), and Sebastian Telfair, who the Portland Trailblazers traded to the Boston Celtics for the number 7th pick of the draft. Telfair averaged six points and three assists a game, struggling his way into the rotation.

The team I really feel sorry for is the Atlanta Hawks. Last year the team passed on future superstar point guard Chris Paul, drafting the raw small forward Marvin Gaye Williams. This year the Atlanta franchise decided to draft undersized big man Sheldon Williams with their pick passing on the solid Brandon Roy. I guess they decided that Marvin Gaye Williams and Sheldon Williams were a better fit for Joe Johnson and their plethora of young small forwards than a great point guard in Paul and solid starter in Brandon Roy. Congratulations Brandon on rookie of the year and thank God you did not end up in Atlanta!

The Washington Wizards are notorious for having bad luck. At least, that is the frame of mind around the beltway. The departures of Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, and Richard Hamilton right before their primes has haunted our franchise for years. Finally, this year, we had a team with a legitimate shot at reaching the NBA Finals.

I remember sitting in the Verizon Center rafters when Chris Webber’s Pistons came to town right before the All-Star Break. I chanted MVP every time Agent Zero went to the free throw line. The Wizards beat down the Pistons that night. The highlight of the evening was texting “Hibachi� to my friend Tyrell, a diehard Pistons fan from Detroit who was seated a few rows up from the court, every time Gilbert scored. We were on top of the world! I watched my team stink for so long, standing in my seat begging fellow fans to stop booing young Kwame Brown, but those days were over.

We were the number one team in the Eastern Conference and Eddie Jordan was going to coach the All-Star game. Does it get any better?

We all know how the season has gone since then. Jamison misses six weeks with a bad knee. Caron Butler misses a few weeks with a bruised knee and back spasms, only to come back and break his hand, ending his season. Then the straw that broke the camel’s back: Gilbert Arenas, aka. Agent Zero, aka. Mr. Hibachi himself is lost for the season with a torn meniscus. The Washington Wizards’ season is over.

The Wizards have lost six of their last seven and backed their way into the playoffs. To make matters even worse, Arenas’ backup Antonio Daniels went down with bruised back this weekend. Even though we are probably looking at an early exit in this year’s playoffs, I could not be happier with the way our team has played since Gilbert and Caron went down. In fact, I think that Eddie Jordan deserved April’s Coach of the Month Award.

I know you are reading this thinking, “I.G. has lost his Washington, DC sports-loving mind,� but hear me out.

Excluding Sunday’s no-show, our point differential has averaged around five points a game. Not bad, considering four out of those six games were against playoff teams.

During the losing streak, Eddie Jordan has been doing his best coaching job of the season. He has every player our roster playing well beyond what they have been doing all season. Look at the stats:

• Etan Thomas has had two double-double in a six game span including a game of 19pts, 10rebs, and 3blocks against the Charlotte Bobcats.
• Songalia scored 19 in an overtime loss to New Jersey Nets on 7 of 14 shooting.
• DeShawn Steven scored 25 in a win over Atlanta Hawks on 9 of 16 shooting.
• Jarvis Hayes has been shooting 50% from three the past six games and had 29 pts against the New Jersey Nets in an overtime loss shooting 5 of 8 from behind the arc.

Even Big Brendan Haywood had a double-double against the Miami Heat, leading the Wizards in scoring with 14 pts and 10 rebounds over the Big Aristotle.

The player who has really stepped up their game since Gil and Caron have gone down is Antonio Daniels. In his past six starts, Antonio is averaging 14 pts and 10 assists a game, both double his season average. Daniels also leads the league with a 4.10 assist-to-turnover ratio, compared to Steve Nash, the reigning MVP, who sits at eighth-place with a 3.06.

Eddie Jordan has his team playing their hearts out. Gilbert and Caron averaged a combined 47.5 pts, 12 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 4 steals a game this season. If Eddie Jordan and the rest of the team had decided to give up after losing their two best players would anyone have blamed them? Instead, Washington went from a run-and-gun system to a defensive, pound-the-ball-inside team overnight.

Who knew the Wizards were capable of playing such a way. In the win against the Atlanta Hawks the Washington Wizards had 27 assists on their 36 field goals!

Even though the team has lost six of the seven games, they have only been blown out once. And in the Wizards’ defense, Donyell Taylor was the starting point guard. It is almost impossible for any team to keep it close with a second year, third string point guard leading the way. In a league where teams such as Boston, Memphis, Milwaukee, and Seattle tank for an upcoming loaded draft, it’s good to know Eddie Jordan and the Wizards are too proud of a team to stoop so low. I am proud to say that I will be cheering on my depleted team and great coach in the playoffs.

By now everyone has heard radio announcer Don Imus’ racist and sexist comments regarding the Rutgers Women’s Basketball Team. People were appalled, disgusted, and disappointed.

You talked to your friends and family about how shocked you were that today, in 2007, people still think like that. Got up on your soapbox at work letting everyone know that you thought he should be fired, never allowed on the radio again. I would bet some of us even joked about being locked in a room with him for five minutes to show Imus some manners. After you voiced your opinion and let your anger be heard what did you do? You turned on the radio and hear your favorite Game song “Wouldn’t get far.�

My point? How can you expect America to take African American culture seriously if African Americans do not respect the culture themselves… ourselves. Although angered, I was not shocked when I heard Don Imus’ comments from a few days ago. America has a LONG way to go when it comes to racism. We live in a society where Paris Hilton can call producers niggers with no backlash from the community. We live in a country where Abercrombie & Fitch can settle out of court for a measly $40 million dollars for discriminated against minorities in 2005 and yet is still one of the highest selling clothing lines amongst the youth. The settlement was not even major news! Last week during my flag football game, I was told to “know my place boy,� emphatically by a white player on the other team. The sad thing about last weekend’s events is that the opposing team was half African American and not one of the black players felt the need to reprimand their teammate or apologize to me. Does America still think like Kramer, who we still can see on television at least three times a day?

Being almost twenty-five in America, I am no longer surprised by racism. I do however hold my family accountable for their actions. I demand that we stop calling each other niggers, bitches, and hoes.

This morning I heard Snoop Dog and Stuart Scott attempting to explain why it is acceptable for black men to call their friends niggers and black women call their friends bitches and hoes. I could not disagree more. On Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio (April 11, 2007) Stuart Scott tried to justify this unacceptable behavior by saying it was a way of turning a negative into a positive, a way of taking the power out of the word. Making these terms words of endearment. I would like Stu to go home and call his wife or mother a bitch or a hoe and see what type of loving reaction he receives and have him give them the same lame excuse to them on why it is acceptable. My father did not take part in sit-ins while in college for his son to call himself and his friends’ niggers. My mother did not get spit on for being the only black person living in her New York City building for me to call black women hoes and bitches. How can I possibly get mad at Michael Richards or Don Imus if I use the same language?

I went to Allegheny College, about an hour north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since my home is Alexandria, Virginia, I was not able to go home often. Easter was particularly hard because I was never able to go home during that weekend. I had a close friend who would take me home with him every Easter and considered him one of my best friends in college. Spending Easter with his family was a big deal to me. We would go over his grandmother’s house, eat, and have Easter egg hunts with kids, it was great! Our senior year of college we were hanging out in my apartment playing Madden before a night of drinking, obviously Redskins versus the Steelers. As Laveranues Coles caught a deep bomb for a touchdown my friend called his defensive back, “a stupid nigger.� I was shocked; I had been to this man’s grandmother’s house for the past two Easters! I calmly told my supposed friend that language like that was not acceptable in my home. His rebuttal was, “Come on Ian, you know we are cool, you guys say it in rap songs.� My response was had he ever heard me call anyone that word, he replied with an embarrassed no. Needless to say, I did not go to his home for Easter that year. The point of this story is what could I have said to him if I used that type of language? How can I hold someone accountable for something that I have no problem doing?

Hip Hop artists need to realize that the majority of their music is bought by suburban white youth. I do not knock Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, and others for trying to support and financially establish their families, I am happy for them. All I am trying to say is, Talib Kweli put it best when he said, “Where else in America can a black man get in front of a microphone and say whatever the hell he feels like? That is a lot of responsibility.�

Jason Whitlock, from the sports media point of view, is the latest whistleblower from the black community. As you can imagine, as with most whistleblowers, he’s catching a lot of heat. As it goes, he knew this would be the case, but what gets lost in the heat is the topic he’s speaking of. People dismiss his argument altogether to personally attack how they believe Whitlock himself is “bojangling” for the white media he speaks to through the Kansas City Star and AOL Sports.

A common misconception tends to be that Whitlock is clearing Don Imus of wrongdoing. This is most definitely not the case. Imus should be (and has been) held accountable for what he’s done. Albeit a slow response, MSNBC removed Imus from his simulcast and hopefully sponsors will continue to drop and WFAN will follow suit.

Whitlock’s argument is meant to get people to focus less on Imus as the ultimate, end-all problem. Imus is one of many “shock jocks” who gets his popularity by speaking his ignorance and bigotry. For every Imus there are many, many others waiting in the wings to overtake his old “throne” on-air (Not to mention the countless others without radio time).

It would be more ideal for Whitlock to sit down in an open forum with various other well-respected journalists and leaders and discuss the issue at hand. He had this forum at the World Wide Leader (WWL) but following his interview with TheBigLead.com, he was removed from the best current sports forum.

Another common argument I’ve heard has been that Whitlock is voicing his outrage through the wrong medium. He’s on a popular, national stage with AOL Sports, as well as the KC Star, where he repeatedly writes about how he things the gangster culture is destroying the black image. People in hoods and impovershed neighborhoods cannot always access his work.

Whitlock is speaking through the medium that will access the most people. His medium speaks to many of the leaders and idols kids look up to. He’s speaking a lot to those players in the league who work side-by-side with those 2% of trouble-makers giving the rest a bad rep. Athletes and leaders of communities who have access to Whitlock’s work can make a difference. More importantly, his focus is specifically at the persons who he is particularly angry at — the media who chooses to cover that 2% with all their resources. Why are they giving coverage to these few bad seeds?

The answer is simple: Consumers love to hear about it. We pay more attention to lead stories covering more wrongdoing than charity work.

Whitlock stepped up and takes the heat from the black community as the lead whistleblower. Because of this, he’ll catch heat from various persons and groups, but after more Imus-like issues arise, people will begin to see the light. I don’t doubt he’s went to hoods, suburbs and all types of communities to speak his message, but it doesn’t matter. People will ridicule him and say he’s not “down” enough and hate will follow. And, just like with the Imus, everyone will again stray from what should be the primary focus.

Have a better method for what Whitlock is trying to do? If so, feel free to let the rest of us in on your solution. Sometimes the bold method, with a whistle in hand, is the right path to take.

Don Imus isn’t smart enough to understand the wave his ignorance started.

But do realize that this is not a new issue. For years now, and most notably ever since his interview with thebiglead.com, Jason Whitlock (Kansas City Star, AOL Sports) has been the ring leader for the main issue people are just now starting to focus on.

The terms Whitlock use to make his argument, however, tend to make people of every race, religion and color extremely uncomfortable. When a person refers to a group of people as the “black KKK,” expect for hate and insecurities to follow. JWhit just simply refuses to bite his tongue — ironically, much like most shock jocks — pointing out that it is the black community who should be looking inward and not outward in searching for a way to start solving racial inequality issues. The same issues we keep focusing on when idiots like Imus show off their inner bigot.

And the leaders first to lend their voice for the community in cases such as this one, when ignorance is heard ‘roun the world, are more than susceptible to losing focus on the real issues at hand.

Which is why, using his AOLSports stage, Whitlock calls for Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to step down.

From his Kansas City Star platform, Whitlock pointed out the most overlooked issue: Don Imus isn’t the real bad guy.

Leave it to JWhit to say the words no one else has been willing to say. And, not to overplay the cliche but, no truer words have been spoken.

What started as a few ignorant words over the airwaves became a complete storm overnight. Rightfully so.

The issue at hand is larger than a decaying old radio voice, and can only be solved with the cooperation of not only black society, but the all others. People who support and celebrate rappers and gangsters who degrade their own culture are in the wrong. Hip-hop culture, specifically, needs to reassess itself.

More importantly we, as consumers of all types of degrading mediums, need to have higher standards for what we support. Years ago, when Imus first uttered ignorant remarks, people should’ve been outraged and demanded his ouster.

Instead, we see everyone just now catching up and showing outrage for an issue that, as Whitlock has repeatedly said, should have been addressed long ago.

Here are some selected, related Whitlock columns:
*Note: Most of these are from AOL Sports, but his KC Star collection can be found HERE*

• End Welfare for Non-Revenue Sports
  
• NBA, NFL and NCAA Must Get on Same Page
  
• Pro Football, Basketball Drawing Line
  
• Basketball, Football Rotting As We Watch
  
• Vegas Backlash Misses Point
  
• Time to Stop Looking Past Black KKK
  
• Hip Hop Serving Up Plan for Failure
  
• Mayhem Main Event as NBA All-Star Weekend
  
• Black Community Must Combat Gun Violence
  
• Vick Standing Pat With Enablers at His Side
  
• Irvin Joins Ranks of ‘Bojanglers’
  
• ‘The Wire’ Calls Out Destructive Culture
  
• Welcome to Real Talk With Jason Whitlock
  
• 10 Rules for Rolling With Big Sexy
  

According to thenewstribune.com, Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon was arrested last night with suspicion of DUI.

Moon, 50, was pulled over Friday in Kirkland, trooper Courtney Stewart said Monday. He was arrested and processed at the Kirkland Police Department, Stewart said.

Moon, a former quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks and University of Washington, has not been charged. A Kirkland Police spokesman said the department had no record of any incident involving Moon, an indication Moon was not detained following the arrest.

Their Seahawks Insider followed up, saying that the details were sketchy:

It’s impossible to know whether something serious occurred here, or whether this is one of those cases where the arrest makes headlines, only to have no charges filed in the end.

Say it ain’t so… this could be a blow to the fine reputation of one of the best QBs ever. We’re rooting for it all to be just part of a bad dream…

Kevin Durant To Go Pro; Sun To Rise In Morning
He wins six awards deeming him National Player of the Year. The latest from Texas is that — shocking as it may seem! — Longhorns stud hoops star Durant is going pro, according to The Dallas Morning News. He’s got no choice. The ceiling has been set for him as a college player. If he goes back, yes, they contend for another title but he’d be wasting away his professional shining moments. And, don’t know if you know it by now, but the kid’s going to be nasty in the pros.

Don Imus Gets 2-Week Suspension From MSNBC, CBS
If you’ve ever heard Don Imus on the radio, you can tell that he is one-half intelligent, well-rounded and well-informed, and the other half makes you think of the stereotypical old white grandpa who can’t be taken out in public because they believe things should “be how they used to be.” It took a Jesse Jackson protest and a Reverend Al Sharpton face-to-face lashing for MSNBC to finally drop the hammer. Shame on them for letting others beat them to the punch. Even Al Roker (I can’t believe he’s got a freakin blog too! Hurry and save the RSS feed! … yep …) is campaigning for the man’s ousting. While every idiot with a mike shouldn’t be fired for every outlandish insensitive line they use (thank you 1st amendment), a swift punishment should be automatic, no question. On a side note, not many people are saying this but Imus deserves some credit for withstanding the eye of the backlash storm, going on Sharpton’s radio station for a face-to-face LIVE, on-air. Now that takes onions. Kudos. Not get your MIND RITE!

Kevin Millar Cuts A Little Opening Day Rug
Opening Day in Baltimore inspired ex-BoSoxer Kevin Millar to do his best Ray Lewis get hyped dance. Apparently it worked! Millar homered to go along with a 6-2 win over those defending champ Detroit Tigers. I was going to say mocking the Lewis dance was getting old but when someone like Millar decides to act a fool in public like that, how can we not enjoy its hilarity?

Lidge Scared of 450ft Shots, Loses Closer Role
One-time dominating closer Brad Lidge is out, and Dan Wheeler is in. Assuming a new role for Lidge means a gentle coddling by Houston Astros skipper Phil Garner, who plans on working back in the confidence of his former dominant closer. We’ve got a feeling that when the ink blotch test is applied to Lidge, the name “Albert Pujols” is heard quite a bit, along with an unhealthy mix of sorrowful tears and a few “I want my mommy” outcries. Tough times in Houston.

Denver Nuggets Beat Lake-Show
Take a look at Kobe’s final shot of the game. Down by two, he shoots an awkward, deep 3-pointer off one foot, which clanks off the rim with 3 ticks remaining AFTER the ball hits the rim. Forcing it a bit much? Ok, ok… we’ve seen the squad play, so if we were as good as Kobe we might’ve taken an even crazier shot. AND… don’t know if you already know it or not but Carmelo Anthony is hoopin his La La lovin tail off! He put up 33 pts, 5 dimes and 5 boards in the win over the LA Kobes, while other contributers included A.I. (24 pts, 5 dimes), Marcus Camby (22 boards) and bench players Eduardo Najera (14 pts, 8 boards, 3 steals) and Linas Kleiza (17 pts) did their thing-thing as well. Look out for this team to give someone a nice little run in the first round… Phoenix, maybe?

Bonds Not Affected By Hammerin Hanks Decision To Be MIA At Record-Breaking
In a subdued, cool tone, Barry Bonds said of Henry Aaron’s decision to miss the record-breaking moment when it happens, “He has every right to do what he wants to do. I respect that… There’s no reason for me to be disappointed. He’s his own man, he can do what he wants to do.” Speculation surrounding Bonds’ breaking the record is at an all-time high and will be maxed out once he is sitting one homer away. Aaron still has a ch The hate is there and promises are made, but the “BONDS WATCH” when he’s sitting 1 away will be absolutely incredible. It’s been a long time since everyone hated one person this much. Which reminds us…

A-Rod Temporarily Holds Off Boo Birds
He can hit as many homeruns as he wants now (oh, and he’s been hitting plenty) but the first clutch situation he blows, Yankee fans will be back to their usual antics of booing the richest, most sensitive man in baseball. And you’d think they’d be more sensitive considering he has no more sleepovers at Jeter’s house in which he’d be able to stay up all night eating ice cream and vent. The nerve of some fans.

Cleveland Will Never Play Baseball At Home Again!
Snow has postponed four straight days of games for the Tribe, so for the next home series scheduled with the Angels, the games were moved to Milwaukee (where they have a dome). The games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will offer $10 tickets. Not to sound like a homer, but maybe Cleveland should trade its team to Washington so we can get some competitive ball going this year… or next… and mind you, RFK withstands each and every snowstorm mother nature sends our way!

BONUS COVERAGE:

• Tim Montgomery pleads guilty in multi-million dollar fraud scheme, plans on outrunning jail sentence.
• Mike Shanahan Signs A 3-Year Extension, plans on signing Montgomery in 7th round of draft as starting RB
• Joey Harrington Signs 2-Year Deal With Falcons, plans on personally keeping Mike Vick relaxed and healthy so he will never have to play.
• Not-MVP Debates Coming To A Close: Not Dirk or Not Nash?

Ever since we caught him on the Dan Patrick Show, tearing a hole into the heart and soul of the host, CBS Sportsline’s Greg Doyel has held a special place in our heart.

Not that we don’t enjoy the Dan Patrick Show every once in a while. It’s just that every once in a while people on high horses need the occasional grounding. And on that particular afternoon a few weeks ago, Patrick was very much grounded, and even backed into a corner. (Not sure where the link to that show is exactly. Hearing Doyel on another ESPN show again last weekend he said they’d taken it down completely.)

The latest from Doyel shows us that he has his MIND in the RITE place about a topic that also holds a special place in our own heart (don’t be fooled, we haven’t much space in it) — tanking the season to get a shot at talented draft prospects.

We do agree that if both Kevin Durant and Greg Oden go pro, that 1-2 pick will be miles ahead of 3 through the rest. We love Horford and Brewer (lots) as pro prospects, but will they single-handedly change the landscape of a team the same as Oden or durant? Not so much.

And to show a true gesture of faith towards the 2007 NBA Draft, the Celtics have shown they will stop at nothing to show they’re tanking. They’ll dress 8 of their players a night, not including Pierce. But to show off a little cruel irony, here’s to hoping they score pick number three when the lotto balls fall in place. Maybe then they’ll free Pierce from their wretched grasp and allow him to hop to a team where we can finally see him join the ranks of the most clutch post-season gamers ever. He and Kevin Garnett deserve to be thrown onto a team together and they’d immediately become our favorite squad. No two players love the game but hate their situations more than those boys.

Tough livin… if that can be said for millionnaires.

He’s quirky. Crazy. Weird. Silly. A prankster. Risk-taker. Gambler. He would, quite literally, go through hoops just for the sake of fun.

But one thing everyone around Wizards star Gilbert Arenas will agree on is this: the man loves to hoop.

Unfortunately for Wiz fans who’d hoped that this year the Wizards would make it deeper in the playoffs this year, Gilbert Arenas is officially done for the entire season.

Without Arenas and the team’s utility man, Caron Butler (fractured hand), in the line-up the squad is doomed. And, to think, fans were finally getting to see the full potential of an off-court Arenas.

In his blog, Arenas proved that he has more of a grasp of his sport than any player, coach or fan. (Or atleast he’s made it known more clearly than any in recent history.)

And, of all people, we have Skip Bayless — Really??? — to credit.

When Arenas sat back to watch a little boob tube one fine day, he found himself switching over to The World Wide Leader. And, like many athletes before him, he begain to hate Bayless.

Side note for reader: If you have never heard him speak, Bayless is the Roseanne of “sports analysts” (term used loosely).

Watching an episode of 1st and 10 (an ESPN show where Bayless and another sportswriter battle it out about random sports topics, usually until Skip’s face is about to burst - either on its own or from an incoming swing from his “opponent”), Arenas felt the need to break Zero down for the: uninformed, over-assuming, the “Skip Baylesses,” and even you and me who will swear up and down we’re nowhere near any of those categories.

So I urge you to read the Zero Docrine and tell me that the man dubbed “Agent Zero” by the D.C. locals doesn’t have the sports “hustle” down.

Why can’t more profesional athletes be more like Gilbert Arenas?

He’s just bizarre enough to be interesting. He speaks openly without needing to put his foot in his mouth on a daily basis. To top it off, he’s as skilled an athlete baskeball has in the league.

Why won’t professional sports leagues let their employees open up to fans?

Are they afraid that a player will oust some top secret of the under-workings of their enterprise that will cause it to fall?

It’s all simply absurd.

All fans want is good, hard competition. They want to see players who don’t take plays off. And, in the off chance that we could be fooled into thinking a player is having fun in the field of play - BONUS!

But, again, Zero has it down, like Eminem and the rap game.

And for those who think Arenas is just around for entertainment purposes, you are absolutely right. But he’s got his shit together, and hopefully more folks in pro leagues will follow suit because, in essence, he’s just a fan like the rest of us.

He just has a much better view. (And pay stub!)