Belanger Inks Deal with Phoenix, Gives Exclamation Point to Awful Offseason for the Caps

Heading into the trade deadline last season, Washington saw two weaknesses: defense and penalty killing. They needed defensemen and a center. They brought in defenseman Joe Corvo and center Eric Belanger (along with Scott Walker and Milan Jurcina, but neither made much of a contribution) to try and fix the problem. Yet, these two failed to completely fix the problem and as a result the Capitals were sent home in the first round in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the NHL. Rather than continue to address these needs in the offseason, the Capitals have sat back and now appear to be no closer to winning the Stanley Cup.

In the playoffs last season, the Caps dressed Joe Corvo, Mike Green, Jeff Schultz, Jon Carlson, Shaone Morrisonn, and Tom Poti. They also had Tyler Sloan, Karl Alzner, and Jon Erskine as backups. Joe Corvo went back to Carolina. Hard to fault the Caps for that one, there was no question he was leaving. Green, Schultz, and Poti are back. Carlson established himself as ready for a full time slot and he will be back. Despite being one of the best true defensive players on the team, for some reason the Caps let Morrisonn sign with the Islanders. Alzner will be brought onto the roster this season. This means that the Caps defense will be Green, Schultz, Carlson, Poti, Alzner, and Sloan and Erskine will battle for the last spot. I think Sloan has potential if he continues developing, but any system that promises Erskine extended playing time does not work. He is useless. As a fighter, he has become popular among some fans, but ask yourself if he would have a spot on this team if he could not fight. The answer is no. He either commits a penalty or gives up a big play every game. It is unacceptable. So compare the two lineups. Which one is better? Granted a lot of the players are young and will continue to develop, but the Caps are in desperate need of a DEFENSIVE star. Not a Mike Green, a Carlson, or a Corvo, but a DEFENSIVE defenseman. Instead of fixing that, the Caps have a lineup that will give Erskine playing time. Fail.

While the team has an abundance of offensive talent, they have few true centers. Centers are not only important in the offensive game, but they are VITAL on the penalty kill. For the playoffs the team had Nicklas Backstrom, Eric Belanger, Brendan Morrison, and David Steckle. Morrison is old and expensive. It is not surprise he was on his way out. Steckle is great on the faceoff, but he has fourth line talent at best. Now Belanger is gone. So the team has Backstrom and Steckle. They also have this fantasy of putting Marcus Johansson, a bright young prospect, on the second line. I've seen him play. He would be great on the third line, but he doesn't fit on the second line and this is simply way more playing than he's ready for.

Now the team is talking about how it shows the organization has faith in the team. Absolutely false. There have been rumors about trade talks throughout the offseason. The reason why Belanger is contemplating legal action against the team is because they agreed to a deal weeks ago, but the team said it was contingent on a trade the team was working out. The Capitals could not convince players to come to DC despite the incentives of playing for a contender AND playing with the best player in the world. When it comes to trades, George McPhee is like the cautious poker player. He can win a few chips here and there, but he will never win the pot without pushing more chips into the center. Unless he is willing to put real value on the table, the team will never be able to pick up the players they really need.

So here's the timeline. The team says they need defensemen and centers and bring in players at the deadline. The team enters into the offseason far too soon and lose all the players they brought in at the deadline. They also lose defenseman Shaone Morrisonn and center Brendan Morrison. They try to make deals to fix these problems, cannot make any, and then tell the team that it is because they have faith in them all. Now they are left with holes to fill and only prospects to fill them with. Oops.

Redskins Hold on Against Cowboys, Give Shanahan His First Win

The Mike Shanahan/Donovan McNabb era began last night with a 13-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys. It was a sloppy game that was more a Dallas loss than a Redskin win, but they are still 1-0.

It was a rather odd game for the Skins offensively. They never were able to get the running game going despite Shanahan's ability with the running game. McNabb's numbers look pretty average going 15/32 for 171 yards, but he managed the game very well. You watched the game and saw the offense keep making plays and then at half time you wondered how they had not managed to get it into the end zone. As he settles into this offense he will continue to improve.

One of the biggest improvements was the offensive line. They allowed a single sack all night and McNabb was able to scramble out of trouble on occasion, something Jason Campbell was certainly not able to do. Rookie Trent Williams played extremely well for his first game. There were a few rookie mistakes, but those were to be expected. There were other times when he literally blocked a defensive lineman 10 yards down the field.

Defensively the Redskins looked stout until the last almost game winning drive. This really was due to bad play calling from Dallas. They completely abandoned the run despite how well Marion Barber was running against the 3-4. Everytime they took out defensive linemen and brought on the blitz, Barber ran straight up the middle for 10-20 yards. Yet the Cowboys decided to force the pass. LeRon Landry had an incredible game with 17 tackles, but the Cowboys never challenged the Redskins deep which has been Landry's Achilles' heel. I am certainly thrilled with the game he had, but I worry what this means for Houston. Will he cheat up again to get high tackles and shut down the surprising Arian Foster who rushed for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns? If he does then Andre Johnson is going to embarrass him all day long.

What was encouraging about the defense was the outside rush. Brian Orakpo looked incredible. He was held all night long because they had no answer for him. This leads me to the minor controversy of the end. On the last play of the game, Tony Romo was forced out of the pocket and threw to Roy Williams for the game winning touchdown. The play, however, was negated by a holding penalty. Since there was no time left on the clock, the game was declared over. Yes, I understand the argument that referees should not decide a game, that on the last play the referees should put away their whistles. Very true. But there is a line that Alex Barron, the player who held Orakpo crossed. You cannot commit a blatant penalty and expect the referees not to call it. Watch it, Barron was strangling Orakpo. He held him by the neck because there was nothing else he could do. This is not controversy what so ever. It was the right call.

I thought all summer that Dallas was overrated, but I never really knew what we were going to get from the Redskins. In all probability Houston is a better team than what we saw against Dallas, so this Sunday will be a much bigger test for the Redskins. It will give everyone a much better idea of where this team stands.

Virigina Tech Falls Short Against Boise

Virginia Tech was not able to hold onto a late lead and fell to the Boise State Broncos Monday night 33-30. After falling behind 17-0 in the first quarter, Virginia Tech took complete control of the game roaring back to take a 30-26 lead late in the fourth quarter. The Hokies, however, just could not hold on, and quarterback Kellen Moore connected with Austin Pettis with only 1:09 left to go in the game.

The game has been analyzed repeatedly so I won't sit here and analyze the entire thing, but there are a few things I want to focus on. This is not the end of the season for Virginia Tech. Everyone seems to think it's all over now. Maybe I'm just an optimist, but Boise State is a great team and Virginia Tech easily could have won this game. The Hokies out scored the Broncos 30-16 for 3 quarters. If the Hokies had played as well in the first quarter as they did for the rest of the game, they win. Period. They clearly have coverage issues on defense, especially with linebackers covering wide receivers, but otherwise they looked good defensively. Ryan Williams picked up right where he left off last season with 3 touchdowns. Many have been critical of Tyrod Taylor's passing ability and he went 15/22 for 186 yards and 2 TDs. Darren Evans was used sparingly, but otherwise this offense looked very good. Boise State is the best team the Hokies will play all season, I think their chances for an 11-1 or 10-2 season and an ACC championship are very good. They obviously have challenges ahead, but don't count out the Hokies.

I am absolutely sick and tired of great games tarnished by referees. I was sad the Hokies lost, of course, but I was thrilled with how great a game it was...except I felt the referees had helped decide the game. At the beginning of Boise State's game winning drive, Virginia Tech punted and an obvious clipping penalty was called by a linesman 5 yards away. After the play, the referees huddled and then picked up the flag. It was an obvious call, but what really was infuriating about it was that the linesman who was right next to it and saw it clearly was somehow overruled. What was said during that conversation? "I know you were closer and had a better view, but I don't think that was clipping." It made no sense. Later on in the drive, Moore passed to Pettis who ran down the sideline. Tech's Bruce Taylor lunged after him and hit him just after he stepped out of bounds. He was flagged for a late hit and 15 more yards were tacked on. Was the play intentional? No. Was it malicious in any way? No. It is completely unreasonable for a referee to expect a player who is in midair to somehow stop himself from touching a receiver who stepped out of bounds. When Taylor jumped, Pettis was in bounds. When he hit him, Pettis was out. This was completely unfair.

I also have to bring up the glorious BCS. Virginia Tech was the best team on Boise State's schedule. The only other ranked opponent is Oregon State so there is a very good chance that the Broncos will yet again go undefeated. This will begin the debate again about whether they deserve a shot at the BCS. Can a team that is not in a BCS conference play for the National title? Obviously the BCS believes it is possible if they actually deserve it or the system would not make sense...well it would make less sense. There is of course the very legitimate argument that a team from the BCS conference has a much tougher schedule than Boise State. It is harder to play in a BCS conference than it is in the WAC. If two BCS teams go undefeated can you put Boise in the National Championship?

All that aside, you CANNOT deny Boise State their shot if they win out this season. Essentially they have done absolutely everything you've asked them to do. They have a weak conference so they fill their non conference schedule with power house teams. They do it every season. They even played Virginia Tech at an even bigger and louder venue than Lane Stadium. You cannot tell them they have not done enough after going undefeated for two straight seasons with wins over Oregon, TCU, Virginia Tech, and Oregon State. If that's the case, then they will never get their shot. They cannot do more than they have already. Unless Virginia Tech needs them to lose later on in the season, I hope they win out just to mess with the BCS. The idiots in charge of the BCS won't notice of course, but anything that might help bring a playoff would be great.

Even with the devastating loss, it was still a great game and it was only the first week of the season! There will be more great games to come.

Strasburg Out 12-18 Months, Needs Tommy John Surgery

Stephen Strasburg will be out a whopping 12 to 18 months with a torn ligament in his right arm. This means that not only is his rookie season over, but his sophomore season might be done as well. Strasburg will have Tommy John surgery on Friday after an MRI showed the extent of his injury.

Strasburg's diagnosis came under some scrutiny when Rob Dibble commented that he should just "suck it up" and play. 12 to 18 months seems a bit steep, but this is how long it takes to come back from this type of surgery. Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmerman just came back from the same surgery which he had a year ago. This is not a case of the Nationals being over protective of their star, this was just a completely unfair comment from someone who has no idea what he's talking about.

Yes, the Nationals have been very cautious with him this season, but that's because it is very easy to mess up a future star pitcher. There are numerous examples of prospective star pitchers who amounted to little because of injury or because of teams asking too much too soon. The Nationals were determined not to let that happen, yet despite their precautions, injuries have been a problem. Strasburg was placed on the disabled list a month ago when he complained of tightness in his back and shoulder. Strasburg then tore his tendon in his third start back right when the team was debating whether they should shut him down for the rest of the season.

The short term affects of this are pretty bad. This is almost worst case scenario for the Nationals. After two straight 100 loss seasons, the Nationals finally began to convince some fans that they had the pieces in place to begin building this team, and Strasburg was an integral part of that. He has been the face of the franchise all season long and has taken attention away from what will most likely be the Nationals' fifth last place finish in the division in the last six seasons. The Nationals were even selling out games at home and on the road with people who wanted to see him pitch and he did not disappoint. Strasburg's rookie season stats are a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings, the best strikeout rate in the Major League. After establishing Strasburg as their franchise player, the team has little to draw fans for the rest of the season and most of next season. The only hope is the quick development of number one pick Bryce Harper. The Nationals could really use a full time draw rather than a pitcher to bring the fans back in.

As bad as this may seem presently, the long term affects might actually not be too bad. Injuries are always serious when it comes to pitchers because there is the chance that they never fully recover to the pitcher they were or could have been. The good news is that around 90% of pitchers who undergo Tommy John surgery return to be just as good. While it is definitely something both Strasburg and the team need to keep an eye on, it is too early to worry that the future phenom's potential has already plummeted.

An interesting question that the team may have to ask themselves is whether they should bring Strasburg back at all next season. If Strasburg is ready to play by next September, will it be worth bringing him back? If the team is not in any sort of contention should they risk another injury for the valuable major league experience and fan draw or should they keep him back for the 2012 season? Something to keep an eye on.

For the near sighted this is pretty much the worst thing that could have happened. In reality, this may be the one long term injury that won't jeopardize his entire career. While I'm certainly disappointed that his season is already over, if the worst thing that happens from this is that Strasburg sits out a year, I'll be relieved.

McNabb's Ankle Still Sore, Cause for Concern?

Donovan McNabb will not play in the Redskins' final preseason game against Arizona the team has announced. There is no real reason to be concerned about his anlke at this point, however. Coach Mike Shanahan rarely plays his starting quarterback in the final preseason game and there is no real point in risking further injury to your starting quarterback. So this ankle injury is probably nothing to worry about, but it does bring into question what the Redskins will do if McNabb should go down sometime during the season.

Throughout his career, McNabb has had injury problems. McNabb has been a starter since 2000 and has only played 4 full seasons out of 10. He is also 33 years old, which is older for a quarterback. He will gradually become less mobile and more injury prone. The question is if the team is prepared to play 2, 3, 4, or even 5 or more games without him.

Along with McNabb, the team also acquired quarterback Rex Grossman as the backup in the offseason. Grossman used to start for the Chicago Bears and the team made it as far as the Super Bowl. He, however, was less than impressive. Most people thought Chicago made it in spite of Grossman, not because of him. While I feel very comfortable with Grossman as a backup, the question with McNabb starting is whether I am comfortable with Grossman starting 2-5 games a season. Backups can be tricky because a quarterback that you feel comfortable with playing several games usually leaves to start for another team. A good example is Matt Cassel. In 2008 Tom Brady was injured in the first game of the season and Cassel had to start for the Patriots the rest of the year. He led the team to 11 wins and was immediately traded to Kansas City the next season to be their starter. The Redskins used to have Todd Collins as a backup and he played extremely well every time Jason Campbell went down and more importantly he played well when he was needed to start, but he was released by the team in March. The reality is that Grossman will probably need to start 2 games this season at least and the team cannot afford to lose every game in which he plays. Judging by his preseason performance, however, he has yet to fill me with confidence.

So while McNabb's ankle is no reason for concern and Grossman appears to be an excellent backup quarterback, what I wonder is whether he is good enough to lead the team for an extended period of time. With McNabb as the starter, that is the role Grossman will have to fill as the backup.

Ravens Bring Redskins Back to Earth, Haynesworth Still Unhappy

The Redskins had a bit of a reality check Saturday night with a 23-3 preseason loss to the Balitmore Ravens. After their big win over Buffalo, fans began to raise their expectations dramatically and this loss may have brought them back down to Earth. The headlines have been stolen however by the latest bizarre chapter in the Albert Haynesworth saga, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The way to evaluate a preseason game is to throw out the score, evaluate how the first team offense and defense played, and then look at the individual performances of the backups. The score is meaningless so despite how one-sided it was, it really is not a big deal. The first team offense did not look too bad, but they still need some work. Donovan McNabb looked good, but his timing was a bit off. He under threw several passes, but that is to be expected with all the different receivers the team is trying out and it is easily fixable when the roster gets set. Speaking of receivers, Anthony Armstrong had another strong performance. I would be surprised if he did not earn a roster spot at this point. Santana Moss also had a good game, but Devin Thomas still has failed to impress. The problem facing this team is that they have one solid starter in Moss, but no one has established themselves as the number 2. Joey Galloway and Malcolm Kelly have had injury problems in the offseason, but Shanahan knows what he gets in Galloway, where as Kelly has shown nothing since he was drafted. If I were to pick the top 4 receivers heading into the season I would say it would be Moss, Thomas, Galloway, and Armstrong.

Clinton Portis looked very good, but his spot is not in question. Larry Johnson may have left the door open for the previously thought "odd man out" Willie Parker after a lack luster performance. And then we come to the offensive line. First round pick Trent Williams had no answer for Terrell Suggs. The offensive line as a whole looked pretty weak. McNabb and Grossman were obviously briefed about it as they reacted to pressure by quickly getting rid of the ball. Still, with an older quarterback who has faced injury problems through out his career you would like to see better protection.

Defensively the team looked pretty solid. The starters only allowed one touchdown and that was after a fake punt that was taken 51 yards to the goal line. Brian Orakpo, who always seemed to be a defensive end/linebacker hybrid is now thriving in the new 3-4 defense. The team constantly pressured quarterback Joe Flacco who was only saved by multiple uncalled holding penalties. LaRon Landry has clearly worked on committing too early. He reacted well to the run, as he always has, but he also seemed more cautious. It is a good step forward. The secondary did take a hit, however, as the only true free safety on the team, Kareem Moore, suffered a knee injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks.

And then we get to Haynesworth. After the game, Haynesworth let loose saying that he was angry about playing with the backups and then released the big bomb shell saying that the team intentionally underplayed his "condition" to make him look bad for not practicing. Haynesworth is claiming that last week he suffered a muscle condition called rhabdomyolysis. Haynesworth sat out of practice last week with what the team called dehydration and head aches. Before we get into exactly what this condition is, let's take Haynesworth at his word. Has the team done something wrong? No. NFL teams constantly underplay injuries. Teams want opponents to prepare for players who may or may not be playing. What's more, Hayneworth has been enough of a media headache. Why would the team come out and say he has some random muscle condition that would spark another media circus?

So did he have it? Well, there is some speculation. You have a player who does not want to practice who is now claiming he has a condition that will not allow him to practice and it clears up just in time for him to get angry about not starting. Sound suspicious? Sure. When I used to play football in high school you would constantly see magical injuries and illnesses that would last all week and disappear on game day so there is definitely some question as to whether he is telling the truth, especially when the team was completely unaware of what can be a serious condition.

Rhabdomyolysis is a muscle condition that causes an abnormal amount of muscle breakdown that releases a large amount of protein into the blood stream that can be very dangerous to the kidneys. It can be serious if not treated and it would certainly prevent a player from practicing or playing. Its symptoms include dehydration and headaches so they are consistent with what has kept Haynesworth out. The most important thing to know about this condition is who gets it. According to Dr. Michael Kaplan of ESPN, "Typically we see it more often in someone who's not as well conditioned and particularly if they have sudden and significant onset of exertion...." So Haynesworth refuses to work out with the team in the offseason saying he can get in better shape with his own personal trainer. He comes to camp and repeatedly fails the conditioning test. When he does begin to practice he gets a muscle condition that is brought on when someone that is "not as well conditioned" faces significant exertion. Essentially, if he had this condition, he got it because he is out of shape. Period. And, what is even more perplexing is that in his little temper tantrum he already said that he's not going to offseason work outs next year either. You have failed the conditioning test and faced a potentially serious condition because you are out of shape. This guy just doesn't get it.

At this point what can you do with him? He's getting paid too much money to simply cut unfortunately. I thought heading into the season that if both sides resigned themselves to working with each other they could make it work, but Haynesworth's immaturity will not allow for this to happen and his conditioning is so bad that he constantly needs to be subbed out. Best case scenario at this point would be for another team to lose their starting defensive tackle for the season with an injury that would force them to make a deal for Haynesworth. If we're lucky we could turn it into a 2nd round pick, but my guess is that at best we get a 3rd round pick. After all the money we've paid this guy, we are now keeping our fingers crossed for a 3rd round pick, that's sad.

This Week in Review: Bryce Harper, Brett Favre, and Roger Clemens

Bryce Harper Signed

For the second year in a row, the Washington Nationals signed the number one overall pick in the draft in an eleventh hour deal just beating the deadline. A lot was made out of this because of the similarities between Harper and Stephen Strasburg and because of Strasburg's comments, but I do not think there was any real doubt that Harper was going to sign. His entire amateur career has been sped up so that he could get into the majors. He completed his GRE after his sophomore year in high school, he signed with a college that plays in a wood-bat league; I really had a hard time believing he was going to let the deadline pass and sit out a full year for next year's draft. This is just how agent Scott Boras operates. He drags out these talks so that he can get the best deal possible for his players.

Any tension between Strasburg and Harper was purely a media concoction. Strasburg was badly misquoted earlier this week regarding Harper's negotiations. Far from being a negative comment, Strasburg was being very neutral and unconcerned saying that if he wanted to play in Washington then the deal would get done and if not he could go elsewhere. That's all. It was not a shot at his now teammate, it was just him being unconcerned.

Now the story will be whether Harper can behave himself. He will no doubt start out in the minors next season and if he doesn't climb the ladder as quickly as he thinks he should, then there may be some trouble.

Brett Favre Comes Back...Again

After all the debate, after all the "indecision" Brett Favre announced he would be joining the Minnesota Vikings for another season. What a shock. Before you listen to any of his press conferences or any statements by him or the team, there are a few things that you need to bear in mind. First, he came back on the Tuesday after the first preseason game. This matters because that is the exact time he came back last season. I have a very hard time believing this is a coincidence. That means all the apparent indecision, all the soul searching, all of that was a blatant lie. He was stalling just so he could miss camp just like last year. The second thing you need to keep in mind is that I predicted this. I'm not pointing this out to stroke my ego, I'm pointing it out because everything he did was completely predictable. Everyone knew he was coming back which he did, everyone knew he was just trying to avoid training camp which he did. All this talk about it being about the team, everything he says he thought about and all the reasons he gave for coming back are false. This is what he was planning all along and most people saw it coming.

Now some people may say that he really was on the fence until some of his teammates came to Mississippi to beg him to come back. I do not know exactly what happened here, but it just goes to show you how big his ego is. Some of the best players on the team had to miss practice to get on their knees and beg him to come back. This is ridiculous.

If Favre can still play, which he proved last season, good for him. The reason I hate Favre is not because I do not think he should play or that he's old and should step aside, it's because he has made it all about him. You cannot sit out of training camp just because you don't want to do it. You cannot handcuff an entire organization by not telling them what you're planning to do. If Favre went to camp, listened to his coaches and teammates, and decided quickly whether he was staying or retiring, he would still be a great quarterback. Aren't you curious why head coach Brad Childress is on the hot seat despite having a team most people would classify as a Super Bowl contender? It is because he has completely mishandled the situation. If Minnesota does not make a deep post season run, he may be out of a job. What's more is that he has been a terrible influence to the younger players. Adrian Peterson reportedly left practice early because he did not want to participate anymore that afternoon. When your team leader can do it, the whole team gets the message. This whole situation has shown how selfish and egotistical he really is.

Roger Clemens Indicted

Speaking of egotistical, it is hard to have any sympathy for cheating baseball players desperately trying to repair their legacies. Roger Clemens has apparently decided to take the Barry Bonds route of denying ever taking steroids despite the fact that everyone knows he did. Clemens was indicted this week for making false statements to congress for which he faces a maximum of 30 years. He was offered a plea bargain in which he would receive no jail time if he simply admitted to using steroids and he refused. Maybe Bonds and Clemens can share a cell.

Yes, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I also think it is also worth mentioning that if I were charged of a crime I was innocent of, I would not admit to it just to avoid jail time either. But looking at the rampant cheating scandal through out baseball, Clemens' character, and the evidence against him it is hard to believe anything he says. The story began when the Mitchell report was released documenting the use of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. Clemens was mentioned 82 times in the report. He denied ever using steroids even while numerous other players in the report were coming clean. Then former trainer Brian McNamee came forward saying he personally injected Clemens with steroids numerous times and reportedly brought forward several syringes he used on him and bloody gauze (why he would keep it is a good question). Again, Clemens denied it and even tried to sue McNamee but the case was thrown out.

So, you have a player named mutiple times in a credible report, accused by a former trainer who has a box of evidence, and who now faces 30 years in jail and he refuses to admit that he's done anything wrong. If he is telling the truth, then good for him. If not, and it is hard to ignore the evidence against him, I do not know what he's trying to prove. His reputation is in the toilet, what is he holding on to? I do not understand what fantasy land these players like Clemens and Bonds are living in. Nobody believes them, their reputations are in shatters, and at this point neither will be getting into the hall of fame. Is it worth going to jail to protect a lie that no one believes?

Caps Agree to Terms with Center Eric Belanger

The Capitals have signed Eric Belanger to a one year deal for next season filling the void at second line center. The team was originally hoping to bring up prospect center Marcus Johansson, who will most likely still receive a full time roster spot this season, but who failed to impress (me anyway) during the team's development camp. Belanger played tremendously after he was acquired by the team from Minnesota at the trade deadline last season and I for one am greatly relieved by this move. Johansson will be a significant addition to the third and fourth lines this season, but frankly he was not a good fit or ready for the second line.

There also could be more moves in the mix. The team has not officially announced the signing and general manager George McPhee refused to comment. It is believed the team is waiting to announce the signing because they are working out other "roster changes" and will make the announcement once those are completed. The offseason may not yet be over for the Capitals.

This is a Drill, No Reason to Panic

There are many reports out there saying the Brett Favre has retired and I do not believe it for a second. We've gone through this several times before. It seems that Favre cannot commit to another season without hinting that he is retiring at some point. How many years did he tell EVERYONE he was retiring in Green Bay? He tearfully announced his retirement before signing with the Jets. He told everyone he was leaning towards retirement last season, then decided to come back halfway into training camp. This is not time for Vikings' fans to panic.

Why all the fuss? Why all the reports? Why is Favre not rushing to the nearest news station to tell people he isn't retiring? Because this is what he does. At this point, Favre has proven himself to be such a narcissistic jerk I actually think he likes this kind of attention and build up. What other reason could there be? Bard Childress may be saying the Vikings are prepared if Favre leaves, but they are not. They are going to go to Favre on bended knee and beg him to come back. Meanwhile, a 40 year old quarterback is the headline story of every sports page in America.

While I do think Favre is coming back, I really hope he does not. I cannot stand watching him act so selfishly in the offseason then talk every week about how it's about the team. I hate that to some people he justifies his behavior by having a good season. And, I especially want to see the Vikings suffer for not being prepared for what everyone saw coming. On the radio today I heard signing Favre compared to dating a stripper. Is she amazing? Yes, but you know one day you'll wake up and the bed is empty and she's gone. How if you are the Vikings do you not have a backup quarterback better than Tarvaris Jackson when your starter is Brett "I'm a selfish, narcissistic jerk who refuses to go to training camp and wants to retire every five minutes" Favre? How do you not FORCE Favre to make a decision? This is the NFL and you have a team that can make it to the Super Bowl if you have a quarterback. The Vikings could have gotten someone if they wanted. Now they may have to reap what they sow.

Still, not time to panic. This is just a drill.

Handling Haynesworth

Despite all the demands for trades, despite all the outcry against him, despite all the desperate attempts to unload him, Albert Haynesworth remains a member of the Washington Redskins and is set to report the training camp with the team this week. In a very positive offseason for the team, Haynesworth has been the one negative story that has hung over the Redskins. After all the different chapters to this story, both sides find themselves stuck with one another and Mike Shanahan has to figure out how to dissolve the situation.

Just to briefly sum up the situation, Haynesworth was given a seven year $100 million dollar contract and has failed to live up to expectations in his first season with the team. After the 2009 season, the team reportedly shopped around to see what they could possibly get in a trade, angering Haynesworth. Haynesworth was also upset at the hiring of Jim Haslett as the team's defensive coordinator because he was going to use a 3-4 defensive scheme with Haynesworth at nose tackle, a position he adamantly does not want to play. So despite his enormous contract and receiving checks from the team, Haynesworth refused to show up to offseason workouts, including a mandatory mini camp, and has been widely criticized by teammates, coaches, and the media. He demanded a trade, but his price tag has been just too high and the team was unable to unload him.

The situations seems awkward and volatile, but it is actually pretty easily fixeable for head coach Mike Shanahan. Haynesworth has realized that a trade is not forthcoming and has said that he is coming to training camp so now the ball is in Shanahan's court. He has to realize that for the time being, Haynesworth is not going anywhere. This may not be such a bad thing if he can difuse the situation. Despite all the offseason nonsense, Haynesworth has apparently been training very hard and has lost about 30 lbs. Ok, so 2009 was not a great year. Instead of being the defensive monster we had hoped for, he seemed more like a big baby that ran to the sideline for a blanket and a juice box after taking one or two snaps. If he's in better shape now, then he'll be able to last longer out on the field. The simple truth is that our defensive line is better with Haynesworth than it is without him. It looks like he's resigned himself to playing another year in Washington so why not use him?

Using a big man that will pout all season and is unliked by all of his teammates does not help, so simply acting like nothing has happened is not an option. When Haynesworth reports, Shanahan should bring him into his office and explain the situation. He chose to come to Washington and he's getting a lot of money to play football. If he wants to be traded, it is in his best interest to prove he can still play and who knows? If he plays the season like a monster and regains the respect of his teammates and fans, then he may find out he actually likes it in DC and he can build on that next season. But if he is going to play, it will be as a nose tackle in the 3-4 and there is nothing he can do about it. Shanahan also needs to tell him to speak to the media once and tell them he's ready to play football this season and then not talk to them again for the rest of the season. Haynesworth got into a lot of trouble mouthing off about former coodrinator Greg Blache's scheme last season. Once the Redskins get a loss under their belt this season, Haynesworth may find the urge to vent to the media and say "I told you so" and "This just doesn't work" and whatever else he may think about the 3-4.

After talking to Haynesworth, Shanahan then needs to get the players together and give Haynesworth the chance to explain himself to his teammates in a players only meeting. Let all the players air out their grievances and get it all out before hand. Team is such an important part of football and you cannot have this kind of thing hanging over everyone's head the whole season. At some point, it will explode and it will be a lot uglier than talking about it before you even get into the swing of things. Once this is done, Haynesworth and the team can tell the media it's resolved and we're moving on, and everyone can put it all behind them and start thinking about the season.

Haynesworth might not want to get a talking to from his coach or be paraded in front of the team, but it needs to happen. It is better for everyone involved to solve this issue now, early on. If he wants a trade, no one will take him if he continues to pout, play at less than 100%, and complain about his team. The defense will be better with Hayneworth leading rather than dividing and with a brand new coaching staff it is better to solve these problems quickly and quietly rather than allow them to plague the team in their first season in charge. This would be an easy way to nip it in the bud and the team would find themselves with a formidable defensive line to go with the much improved (hopefully) team.

Brett Favre Still in the News and Still Undecided

With NFL training camps beginning, Brett Favre has been in the news a lot lately about whether or not he will return. Coach of the Minnesota Vikings, Brad Childress, took a trip out to Mississippi just to hear Favre tell him again that he was undecided. I am really sick of all the talk surrounding Favre and how he has made this all about him and how the Vikings are still allowing this.

First, let me preface this whole thing by letting everyone know that both Favre and the Vikings know Favre is coming back. Come on, he is. He is not undecided at all. When the season ended and he said yet again that he did not know whether he was coming back or not, ok, so there was a chance at that point that he actually did not know. The longer he was undecided, the more clear it was that he was coming back. This is just a song and dance both sides are playing so that Favre can skip training camp just like last year. A year ago, Favre announced in the middle of the preseason that he was going to the Vikings. This year he is going to wait until the middle of the preseason and then he will announce that he is coming back. So for all of you that are actually Favre watching to see whether or not he'll stay or go, there's your answer.

Not only is this what he did last season, but the Vikings have also shown that they knew with their approach to the offseason. Before Favre came to Minnesota, this was a playoff team with no quarterback. The only person in the world that thinks Tarvaris Jackson can actually play quarterback is Childress. He let that experiment go on far too long and finally even he had to admit he needed a quarterback. If the Vikings thought for one second that Favre was even considering retiring, they would have brought in someone, whether it be through the draft or free agency. Without Favre, the Vikings turn back into the playoff contender with no quarterback. With a quarterback, they know they can challenge for the Super Bowl. There is no way the Vikings would allow that opportunity to slip by. The whole conduct the Vikings have shown this summer and last has been so frustratingly patient, that they have to know something we don't. It does not matter who that quarterback is, no team in the NFL goes halfway through the preseason without knowing if they are going to keep their starting quarterback or not. It just does not happen. On his most recent trip to Mississippi, Childress said he still would not give Favre any kind of a timeline. That's because he already knows he is coming back. If not, the Vikings have been completely mismanaged and if Favre does somehow decide not to come back, their season will suffer tremendously and it will be their own fault for not forcing him to decide.

So yes, if Favre is actually undecided, both sides are being stupid. Favre is being selfish and the Vikings are being spineless. This is not the case. So why do I still think Favre is being selfish and the Vikings are being spineless? Because Favre is thinking only of himself and in such a team sport, for the Vikings to allow this is unbelievable. How many players could tell their team, I'll play but only if I can skip training camp? I mean, they're not fooling anyone. Most NFL analysts know this is what's going on so you can be sure the players know it too. Training camp gets players back in shape for the season, important now the Favre has gained 14 lbs. this offseason, and allows the players to start coming together as a team. For quarterbacks, this is important so they can learn player's tendencies, how receivers run their routes, how running backs handle the ball, etc. There's a lot for them to learn. Training camp is not optional because it is important. Favre will miss a lot of practice that he needs and there will be teammates who resent this notion that he is too good for training camp.

People like throwing arguments out there saying it's ok. Favre is 40 years old, he can't handle an entire training camp. It did not seem to affect the team too badly last year as they went all the way to the conference championship game. These arguments are just plain dumb. The Vikings are well aware of Favre's age. If they are worried about how much he can take in a full season then put him in a jersey and put him on the sideline. They control the camp, they can have him play as much or as little as they want. You can learn a lot from just watching. That's why players and coaches constantly watch video. Plus, by being there they can get him back in shape. He's gained 14 lbs! He's out of shape! He needs it even more this season than last season. Plus, him being on the sideline will help his relationship with the rest of the team. Players resent this kind of thing! The Redskins have all come out to criticize Albert Haynesworth for all the nonsense he has put the team through. It will affect his relationship with the team and how he plays. When the New York Yankees signed Roger Clemens, he had it put into his contract that he was not required to travel with the team if he was not pitching. The team clearly resented a player, who was seen as a leader, stipulating that he did not want to be with the team. This is the same thing. Last season, while many people thought Favre was just trying to skip training camp, we did not know for sure and players would be more likely to give him the benefit of the doubt. Something like this had really never happened before. If he does it again this season, there can be no doubt. While Adrian Peterson and the rest of the purple and gold are working and sweating and hurting, Favre will be putting his feet up in his air conditioned home, still supposedly pondering whether to come back or not.

In such a team sport, it really bothers me that a player is putting himself that far above the rest of the team. What is even more baffling is that the team is allowing it! I just wish Favre had retired after Green Bay. I still had some respect for him after New York. Now I have none. Remember what Favre's legacy used to be? How much people looked up to him and loved him? How we used to cheer for him when he came onto the field after the death of his father and played so tremendously? Now I just want him to go away. Have the last three years really been worth it?

Marcus Shows Potential at Development Camp, But Not Enough

The Capitals just wrapped up their development camp this weekend with their final red vs. white scrimmage on Saturday. I was there and had my eyes fixed on Marcus Johansson. General manager George McPhee talked at the beginning of free agency about how his biggest target in the offseason was a second line center. Now, however, he has hinted that Johansson may be ready not only for a spot on the roster, but to move all the way up to the second line. As I watched him on Saturday the only conclusion I could make was that he was not ready for such a big NHL role.

Selected 24th overall by Washington in the 2009 draft, Johansson spent the 2009-10 season playing in the Swedish Elite League where he posted 10 goals and 15 assists in 49 games. He has not yet suited up for the Capitals, so development camps is really the first place I've gotten a chance to see what he can do. The first thing I noticed about his play was that he needs work on his faceoff. He either loses it out right or wins it too hard, meaning the puck shoots all the way down the ice. Any offensive zone faceoffs were useless because even on the rare occasion he did win, he would ice it for the defense. He does have tremendous stick handling capabilities. He was very good at avoiding the first one or two defenders that approached him. His major problem, however, was not being able to distribute. He held onto the puck for far too long. While he may have been able to skate around the first guys that came after him, he constantly skated himself into a hole he could not get out of. All of a sudden, when surrounded by three players, he would lose the puck because there was no where else for him to go. It was clear he was not looking for someone to pass too. He really needs help developing his hockey sense. He may have been avoiding defensemen, but he was not creating anything with his moves.

Compare this to a Nicklas Backstrom. What makes Backstrom so great at the center position is that he can see plays developing. Not only does he make just the right pass at just the right time, but he also gets himself in a position to score just because he knows how a play is going to develop. That was not evident with Johansson who was not looking to distribute the puck at all. Ok, so maybe he is destined more for the Ovechkin role of play making. Stick handle around everyone and either take your shot or draw everyone to you leaving a teammate open. The problem was that Johansson was not creating plays with his stick handling, he was merely boxing himself in. More importantly, this is not what we need for our second line anyway. The Capitals' second line is going to have Alexander Semin on the left and either Eric Fehr or Brooks Laich on the right. Semin is a playmaker, like Ovechkin. He can draw defensemen to him with his abilities and still score or leave open another player. Eric Fehr is really developing into this sort of style as well. Brooks Laich is more of a grind it out player. You will always see him in the crease ready to tap in rebounds and screen the goalie. This line does not need another stickhandling play maker. It needs a Backstrom type distributor. Johansson's game as of right now is simply not where it needs to be for him to move all the way up to the second line.

This of course brings me back to the major criticism I have had of McPhee this entire offseason. We have holes to fill at center and defense and I do not think prospects are the answer...yet. Eric Belanger, a trade deadline acquisition last season played tremendously for Washington. He needs to be re-signed. Johansson may be able to develop his game more during training camp with the help of fellow Swede Backstrom, but moving him to second line just seems to me like throwing him to the wolves. He might be NHL ready, but if he is then put him on the third line. Re-signing Belanger would give you Backstrom on first, Belanger second, Johansson third, and Steckel fourth. I think Belanger would be the right move, but if McPhee is determined to have his prospects there are other choices as well. I have been thoroughly impressed by Matthieu Perrault every time he was called up last season. Jay Beagle was also just re-signed by the team. Both of these players have NHL experience. Perrault especially seems like a much better fit for the second line than Johansson.

If the Capitals do not have the money for an expensive second line forward, there are other options other than just Johansson. I am not opposed to bringing him up this season, or even giving him a roster spot so he can cycle with Beagle and Perrault. Believing you can put him on the second line, however, is wishful thinking. The Capitals need to allow Johansson to develop his game without putting too much responsibility on his shoulders. They also need to find a lineup that will suit him better than Semin and Fehr/Laich. He can be a good player if he gets the right players around him. Second line? That just doesn't make sense.

The Clock is Ticking for the Nationals

After a promising start to the season, the Nationals went into the all star break in the familiar position of last place. Compared to the last two seasons this is actually an improvement, as the Nationals do not have the worst record in baseball and are on pace to win 71 games. Still, this is not where many hoped the team would be when Ted Lerner took over the team in 2006 and brought in Stan Kasten as team president to rebuild. Now, with many promising pieces coming together for this team, the Nationals are on the clock. This team needs to be a competitive team before Stephen Strasburg's contract expires or the core may fall apart.

The reason I set this goal for the team is because it will be VERY important to make sure Strasburg stays in DC and because this is not an unrealistic or unreasonable goal. Strasburg was one of the most hyped players coming out of the draft of all time. So far, he has lived up to expectations. In his seven major league games he has 61 strike outs and a 2.32 ERA. Yet, he has a 3-2 record. He will play a full season next year and, assuming a sophomore slump, I think Strasburg will be one of the best pitchers in the league in 3 years, if not the best. He is that good. Why, if you are that talented, would you continue to stay on a .500 team? Loyalty to the team that drafted you? Perhaps, but for big time players who want to win sometimes loyalty is not enough (Lebron James). Strasburg was born in Santee, California. He played college ball at San Diego State. When his contract expires, he may well consider moving back west. The Nationals MUST give him a reason to stay here. Sure, maybe he will decide he likes DC and will want to stay. I hope so. But the Nationals did not just draft Strasburg to fill seats, they drafted him to win games and help this team get better. The best way they can convince him to stay is to show him how good this team has been and will continue to be with him. A 71 win season does not do that.

Saying that this team needs to be a playoff team in 3 or 4 years is not unreasonable at all. The National's best season was their inaugural season in 2005 when they finished with a .500 record. Since then, they have been bottom dwellers. Now, the team is beginning to bring in a solid core. Pitching, the Achilles' heel of the Nationals for years, has been much better this season with the addition of Strasburg, Matt Capps, and the return of Livan Hernandez. Bryce Harper, if he can behave, will be a major asset to this team playing along side Ryan Zimmerman. The pieces are there, but the rebuilding needs to start showing more than just minor results. Besides, after five sub .500 seasons, is it really that unreasonable to want to see major improvement? When the Nationals first came to DC, games were always packed. Now, the seats are empty every night Strasburg is not playing. How much longer are DC fans suppposed to wait?

I think the first step for this team will be to re-sign Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham who will both be free agents at the end of the season. The two have hit a combined 37 home runs this season and with Zimmerman batting fourth, they make a formidable 4, 5, 6 batting lineup. Dunn actually leads the National League with 22 home runs. With the Nationals struggling at the plate this season (ranked 25th in runs, 20th in hits, 24th in RBIs, and 18th in batting average) you would like to see them keep two of their best hitters. I have had enough of this notion of "patience" and the idea that prospects will solve all of your problems. That time has passed. Do not let pieces of the puzzle walk because you are ok with setting the team back another two or three years so you can have more prospects develop. By the end of the 2010 season, barring a major comeback, the Nationals will have had five consecutive seasons with a sub .500 record. That is long enough. It is time to make a move up the standings.

Say what you want about Steinbrenner and the Yankees, but he did have one thing right. Every season you do not win the World Series is a failure. Plain and simple. Granted, some failures are worse than others, but that is the goal for each team each and every season, the Nationals included. In a few years, the Nationals are going to have to start convincing all those prospects that they tried to build the team with to stay in DC. That means the rebuild is taking too long. If not soon, at what point are you planning on bringing a playoff team to Washington? Now, you are on the clock to turn this around soon, or start all over.

Lebron James Heads for Miami Leaving Dan Gilbert Looking Classless

On Thursday, Lebron James announced that he would be leaving Cleveland for Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat. The announcement itself was not hugely surprising, as sources had leaked that Lebron would be headed to Miami earlier that day, but it did end weeks of scrutiny as to where the superstar talent would end up. The big story followed Lebron's decision when Cleveland owner, Dan Gilbert, sent a letter to Cleveland fans regarding Lebron.

If you have not read it, it is not too hard to find online. Gilbert's response was classless, petty, and just plain stupid. Now I will be the first to say that I did not really like the way Lebron handled free agency. Since Lebron skipped college for the NBA draft, this was the first chance he has had to really be recruited and he clearly enjoyed himself. The whole one hour show in which he made his announcement did make him look pretty narcissistic, but this does not excuse Gilbert from his scathing remarks and in fact, in my mind, somewhat justifies Lebron's departure.

Gilbert berates Lebron saying that his leaving was a "cowardly betrayal" and mocks him with all the nicknames that people have given him over the year. Gilbert also came out and said Lebron got away with far too much while he was in Cleveland including giving up in the playoffs and now it will all come to light. My favorite part is the guarantee Gilbert makes saying "I personally guarantee that the Cleveland Cavaliers will win an NBA championship before the self-titled former 'king' wins one." Wow.

To say Lebron's leaving Cleveland is an act of betrayal is completely unfair. Now I of course am a huge Washington Capitals fan and I can tell you that if Alexander Ovechkin decided to leave I would be devastated. We thought that his addition to the team would mean a championship so if he leaves before accomplishing that, I would be upset. That is completely understandable. Would I cheer against him? Probably. But you have to keep in mind that Ovechkin is the type of talent that requires the organization to do whatever it takes to keep him. Lebron is the same way. Lebron's departure is more a mark against the Cleveland Cavaliers than it is against him. He made your team relevant and a major contender. He even tried to recruit Chris Bosh to come to Cleveland and Bosh said no. Lebron was clearly not satisfied with the team's chances of winning a championship and that is the fault of the management. As I have said numerous times heading up to this decision, the NBA is a superstar driven league. Superstar teams, if they can work well together, win championships. Bryant/Gasol, Garnett/Pierce/Allen/Rondo, Duncan/Ginoboli, Wade/Shaq, etc. This is the way it works. You of course have to give Gilbert credit for trying. He put together a good roster with Antawn Jamison, JJ Hickson, Delonte West, and Mo Williams, but this was the same formula he used for years and it did not work. Gilbert has been trying to surround Lebron with good talent, but he needed another superstar. Think about it. People have debated for years about whether Michael Jordan could have been as good as he was without Scottie Pippen. Lebron even tried to stay in Cleveland. He wanted to stay in Cleveland, but neither he nor Gilbert could bring in another superstar and that is why he left. The responsibility for that rests on Gilbert and the Cleveland Cavaliers, not on Lebron.

I do not for a second believe the notion that Lebron quite on the Cavs during the playoffs. If he has been consistent about anything it is that he wants to win a championship. He feels so strongly about winning that he left a team in which he could have made more money and will accept less than the maximum deal to help Miami build the rest of the team. Now you are telling us that he quite on you in the playoffs? Even if it were true, that is not an ace in the hole that you keep quiet until he leaves. That is something that you deal with immediately. If the team thought he was quitting on them, then they needed to take him aside and tell him "Cleveland will not lose in the playoffs if you are going 100%. We will win a championship if you play 100% every minute of every game." Instead, Gilbert did not say anything and then as soon as Lebron announces he's headed to Miami all of a sudden he wasn't going all out? That is completely ridiculous.

Ok, so what was Gilbert supposed to do? All the best free agents are signed and Cleveland lost the player that made them relevant for all these years. He needed a way to fire up the fan base and convince them that they still have a basketball team. All very true, but in the end this hurts Cleveland's chances. If you are a star basketball player, why would you know want to play for Cleveland? If you ever left all of a sudden it might be you he's attacking. If you cannot win with the mediocrity he's surrounding you with, then you have betrayed Cleveland. I have no problem with Gilbert trying to fire up his fans. I don't even have a problem with the guarantee that Cleveland will win a championship before Lebron because it excites the fans. It doesn't have to be true and Gilbert knows its a long shot, but he has to sell his team to the fans. The problem I have is that if a player ever thinks about what is in his best interest, all of a sudden it is treason! What he fails to realize is that the NBA is a business. Believe me, no one knows that sports mean so much more than that to people better than I do, but NBA players are employees. Teams have to convince players that it is in their best interest to play for their team and Gilbert failed. The answer is not to bad mouth Lebron, but bring in players who can beat him. Gilbert may have already burned too many bridges to make that a reality.

Lebron James Set to Reveal Decision Tomorrow Night

Lebron James plans to announce where he will go in 2010 tomorrow night at 9 pm ET on ESPN. Before the decision tomorrow, now would be a good time to speculate where he will be going and why. Last week, Lebron visited with six teams: New Jersey, New York, Miami, the LA Clippers, Cleveland, and Chicago. It is safe to say that one of those six will have the King next season. While different executives are saying different things about what Lebron is intending to do, here is where I rank those six teams starting with the most likely destination:

1. New York
2. Miami
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
Definitely not: New Jersey and Los Angeles

Let's take a look at where he definitely is not going first. Los Angeles was never really a contender for the Lebron sweepstakes. The Kobe/Lebron city rivalry was a nice story, but a player who really wants to win a championship is not going to the Detroit Lions of the NBA. There was a lot of talk about New Jersey with new owner Mikhail Prokhorov taking over this year, a man who is as focused on winning a title as Lebron, but things have just not gone their way so far. Despite winning a whopping 12 games last season, New Jersey fell to third in the NBA draft and was not able to bring in either of the mouth watering prospects John Wall or Evan Turner. Bringing in coach Avery Johnson was a step in the right direction, but the Nets have fallen flat so far during free agency. Besides Jay-Z, the Nets have nothing to offer Lebron that other teams can't. The idea of a minor league team plus Lebron is not really what the King has in mind for next season.

Many people thought heading into the offseason that Chicago had the best chance of any team. They were a playoff team in the 2009-10 season which means the addition of Lebron could potentially be enough to send this team over the edge. I don't buy it. I have never thought Chicago made much sense for Lebron. If you are Lebron James, you are trying to figure out what's missing from your team, what is keeping you from a championshp. First, while Mike Brown was not a terrible coach by any means, he was clearly not good enough to take Cleveland the distance. This postseason, Doc Rivers outcoached him and last season it was Stan Van Gundy. Also, while Lebron may be surrounded by good talent, he is the only major superstar of the bunch. Meanwhile, the Lakers are winning championships with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol coached by Phil Jackson; the Celtics with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett coached by Doc Rivers; the Spurs with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili coached by Gregg Popovich; the Heat with Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal coached by Pat Riley; etc. This is a superstar driven league and we see teams win with superstar tandems and established coaches. So this is what I believe Lebron wants.

Does this sound like Chicago? No. The Bulls hired Tom Thibodeau as their coach in the offseason and he is an unknown commodity. He has been an enormously successful assistant coach, but he has never been a head coach before and that is not what Lebron wants. Also, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose, while both are very good, are not a superstar tandem. This would be a very good team with Lebron, but that's what Cleveland is, very good and Lebron is looking for championship caliber.

Chicago will always belong to Michael Jordan. Lebron would have to do something pretty spectacular in order to not be chasing down Jordan's legacy. Lebron wants his own legacy to go with that championship that has avoided him. Lebron is not desperate enough to sacrifice his legacy for a championship and especially when going to Chicago does not bring him any closer to that championship.

Lebron has made it pretty clear in the past few days that he wants to stay in Cleveland. Cleveland made a very positive move in hiring Byron Scott as their new head coach. Scott certainly fits what Lebron is looking for in a coach. Lebron has also taken a Dwayne Wade role for Cleveland in contacting free agent Chris Bosh to convince him to come to Cleveland. As Lebron is from Ohio, it would be very hard for him to leave Cleveland. So why do I have Cleveland at 3 on my list? Because they have been unable to bring in any of the numerous superstars to their cause. Toronto made it known that they would be willing to do a sign and trade with Cleveland for Bosh and he said no because he did not want to play in Cleveland. Bosh is potentially leaving millions on the table by signing with Miami who Toronto does not want to deal with. Had Lebron been able to bring in Bosh, there is no doubt he would have stayed. Bosh's reaction, however, may be all Lebron needed to know. Cleveland is not the place a lot of people want to play. If even Lebron can't bring players in with a maximum sign and trade deal on the table, then putting a superstar team together in Cleveland might not be in the cards. He will not stay in Cleveland if he thinks he cannot win a title there and he cannot win a title with the team they have. Bosh has sealed Lebron and Cleveland's fate.

There was a rumor at the beginning of free agency that Wade, Bosh, and Lebron were interested in coming together in Miami. Bosh told reporters he did not see it happening, but that rumor has persisted and many say Lebron is still interested. The reason why this will probably not happen is the salary cap. You are talking about signing three players at the maximum salary meaning you do not have room for much else. NBA rules allow for trades that do not affect cap space and players to be signed at the minimum for no cap penalty. Assuming Miami trades Michael Beasley, and they would pretty much have to, then Miami would have the super trio, three draft picks, and several players signed at the minimum even if Wade signs a deal for less than the maximum as he has offered to do. Granted, with Wade, Bosh, and Lebron a lot of players would be interested in Miami, namely young rookies and desperate veterans. NBA players, however, do not like leaving money on the table. To think Miami could put a team together working with just the bare minimum is a bit optimistic and I do not buy it. The question is will Lebron? He will know even better than I will the salary cap question and Miami will have had to present a plan to him of what they will do if he does come. If they do not have a realistic plan for how to build the rest of the team, then Lebron may decide not to risk heading into 2010 with half a team and a whole lot of expectations.

That leaves New York. New York has a coach in Mike D'Antoni that has established himself as a very good and successful coach. They have added a superstar player in Amare Stoudemire. This is a team in which Lebron could establish his own legacy of rising them up from the basement. This is also a team that with Lebron and Amare together, would be ready to compete. And, New York is poised for more free agent moves next season if this team is not as successful as he hopes this season. New York would be a much easier city to recruit from. This team has everything Lebron wants for a championship run and the ability to keep building if they need more, unlike a maxed out Miami team if the super 3 were not successful. So while Miami may look like an attractive move and even though he wants to stay in Cleveland, the best chance Lebron has for continued success is New York and that is where he is most likely to end up. Of course, it's up to him. He may see things differently and then he will go elsewhere. We won't know for sure until tomorrow night.

NHL Free Agency Under Way, Are Capitals Looking in the Right Direction?

With NHL free agency now underway, Caps fans everywhere are keeping their fingers crossed for that missing piece of the puzzle. While no one can say for certain what that missing piece may be, I have had my theory for the last 2 years. Defense. This team needs defense.

Last season, the Capitals finished the season ranked 1st in offense and 16th in defense. Their powerplay was ranked 1st and their penalty kill was ranked 25th. Now take a wild guess as to what this team may be missing? When it comes to offense or defense, it seems to make a certain amount of sense for this team to focus on defense. This team is overflowing with offensive talent, but there is a serious lack of defensive talent. I have felt for 2 years that this team still needed a strong defensive player. NHL experts have said since the offseason began that this team should focus on defense. Yet an article from the Washington Post this morning wrote that general manager George McPhee was going to be very cautious heading into free agency. Granted, team projections show that the Capitals might not be working with a lot of money and this is a pretty weak free agent class, but when your team exits the playoffs in the first round, you would like to see some changes made to help the team go forward. But wait, the article was not finished. McPhee went on to talk about how his top priority was a second line center, not a defenseman. He believed our defense would be better with the additions of prospects Karl Alzner and Jon Carlson who now appear ready to take on full time roles with the team and hinted that the team would not re-sign free agent defenseman Shaone Morrisonn. This was a hard pill to swallow.

At the trade deadline last season, it was clear the Capitals were seeking a natural and productive center. Brendan Morison will not be re-signed and I am unclear as to what will happen to Eric Belanger, so this team will be in need of a center. Centers are important for offensive set ups, but also contribute a lot on the penalty kill. Still, you know what would help our defensive game more than a center? A DEFENSEman. I cannot understand why when we are the best offensive team in the league and at best a middle of the pack defensive team we refuse to address the issue. Even when we do seek defensemen, we only take offensive minded ones. Mike Green is a fantastic talent, but the reason why he has never made an Olympic squad, all-star team, or won the Norris Trophy despite being nominated two years in a row and leading all defensemen in goals, assists, and points, is because he is terrible defensively. He was the worst player on the ice for the Capitals in the playoffs last season. At the trade deadline, the Capitals added Joe Corvo which failed the address the problem because he is another offensive minded defenseman. Now, the Capitals are talking about letting Shaone Morrisonn walk, despite the fact that he is one of the few defensive minded players on the team.

And what is their solution? Prospects of course. McPhee's answer to everything. To be fair, Carlson looked fantastic when he was called up last season and really gave the Capitals a spark in the post season, but, of course, he is an offensive minded player. Alzner is more of a defensive, grind it out player, which is good, but I have a hard time believing he is the solution to our defensive woes. I look at the starting six for the Capitals and see Green, Jeff Schultz (if he re-signs with the Capitals), Tom Poti, Tyler Sloan, Alzner, and Carlson. That is just not enough.

Of course there is currently no reason for DC fans to hit the panic button. Goalie Semyon Varlamov continues to develop and the team will not have to deal with the post season problems that have plagued Jose Theodore the past two seasons. A strong goalie obviously helps bring the goal totals down. Plus, this team has shown they are more than capable of handling the regular season and perhaps they could make a deal at the trade deadline to bring in a great defenseman who can help contribute to a long playoff run. And of course, free agency is not over yet. Defenseman Anton Volchenkov is still available and still a perfect fit for this team.

And yet, I am still nervous because of McPhee's sense of patience. I will give him all the credit in the world for building this team. He preached patience for years when he brought in many of today's stalwarts as prospects and the team is now a major playoff contender. He brought in Ovechkin and Varlamov and worked deadline magic in 2008 to help the team win the Southeast Division for the first time in 7 years. But I have also seen the Capitals exit the playoffs far too early the last three years. I heard him preach "patience" in 2009 when the team made no moves at the trade deadline despite being second place in the conference because we needed to "think about the future." I watched the urgent need for a defenseman go ignored in the offseason last summer and at the trade deadline last March and I see it happening again. While he has all the confidence in the world in his prospects, I have to ask, are Alzner and Carlson enough to help this team improve one of the worst penalty kills in the league? Are Alzner and Carlson really going to give the team the bump they needed to get deep into the playoffs? They are good players to be sure and may one day be great, but I would feel a lot more confidant about Washington's Stanley Cup chances in 2010-11 with a Volchenkov rather than two unproven prospects.

There is always a limited window of opportunity in sports. I sincerely hope that McPhee is making the right move now or that he will realize we need a big defenseman before that window has closed completely.

FIFA Instant Replay

Months ago, I was in a fury over the Ireland/France World Cup qualifying game. Ireland lost a two-legged playoff against France 2-1 in overtime after William Gallas scored the winning goal, a goal that came off of a blatant handball from Theirry Henry. The goal denied Ireland a spot in the World Cup. Everyone hates when a blown call determines a game. It is both a fan and referee's nightmare and it gets even worse when the game has major implications. I felt that this was clear evidence that instant replay was needed. If a referee and a linesman can miss a call that obvious in a game that important, then it is clear help is needed. Still, FIFA would not hear of it. Now heat is growing because of numerous missed calls during this World Cup.

Look at the track record so far in South Africa. Against Slovenia, a mystery foul call that no expert has been able to explain cost the USA its third goal which most likely would have won the game. Against Algeria, a bad offside call cost the USA a goal yet again. Thankfully a miracle 91st minute goal from Landon Donovan insured that it did not cost us. In the knockout game between England and Germany, England trailed 2-1 and Frank Lampard took a shot that hit the cross bar, bounced fully across the line, and bounced back up. It was a clear goal that was not allowed. In the knockout game against Argentina and Mexico, Carlos Tevez headed in a shot from an obvious offside position, but the call was missed and the goal counted. These have been the most widely publicized referee mistakes, but I can assure you there have been several more. Offside calls are missed all the time. The Clint Dempsey goal that was called off received a lot of publicity here in the US, but I am sure there were several more that people in other countries are outraged about. There are also numerous cards incorrectly given and many more that are missed. FIFA needs to take a long look at these games because they are rapidly losing legitimacy.

So far, FIFA's response has been to say they will discuss goal line technology again. For those of you who follow FIFA, this comes as no surprise. Despite the uproar that the Ireland problem caused, FIFA refused to discuss the possibility of instant replay. The only form or replay that they have ever truly considered is goal line technology. Their hands may now be tied thanks to the England game. That was potentially a game changing goal in a knockout game during the World Cup. The stakes were pretty high. But conceding goal line technology is not, as many believe, a step in the right direction for FIFA, but rather a calculated concession. FIFA will give in here only to buy time and appease their critics because they still absolutely refuse to consider instant replay in any other form.

This 'Bud Selig' like reluctance to accpet replay stems from the nature of the game. One of the great things about soccer is its constant, flowing play. When the whistle blows, there are few breaks during a 45 minute half. Slowing down the game for constant instant replay would be an absolute nightmare. FIFA's notion, however, that referee error is merely a 'part of the game' is absurd and does not help USA, England, or Mexico. This World Cup has shown that one referee, two linesmen, and one off field official is simply not enough to officiate a game. Missed or incorrect calls are a serious problem. Watch the replay of the England or Argentina goals. How long did it take you to realize Lampard's shot was a goal? How long did it take you to realize Tevez was offside? We are literally talking about a matter of seconds. Referees currently have earpieces in order to communicate with one another, so to add a replay official would be simple and may not slow the game as much as FIFA fears.

There is one thing, however, that advocates for instant replay need to keep in mind. Even if there was an instant replay system in place, it still would not be able to help with situations like USA's disallowed goal against Slovenia. The NHL has instant replay but penalties cannot be reviewed. The NFL has instant replay but penalties cannot be reviewed. The NBA has instant replay but fouls cannot be reviewed. There is no possible replay system that would be able to judge fouls. It just won't happen. If every second of a game were watched by an off field official and he could stop play at any time to let the referee know about a missed foul, or if he judges every foul to determine if it was a correct call, it would be a complete nightmare. What then do you hope to solve from instant replay? Really the only things replay could solve are offside calls or blatantly illegal goals (like Gallas' against Ireland or any other 'hand of God' situations). Granted this would help, but people need to realize a replay system is a not an instant fix for all situations.

Because FIFA is stubbornly losing legitimacy and instant replay can't solve all of soccer's problems, a compromise might be the right option. As I said before, it has become obvious that there simply are not enough officials on the field. Why not adding more? You can add more officials in order to ensure the correct calls are made without slowing down the game as the NHL has seen with its decision several years ago to add a second referee. Offside calls are constantly missed because linesman are out of position since they have to cover an entire half of the field. Referees struggle telling what's a foul and what's not. Sometimes, they turn around and see a player on the ground holding his face and have to figure out what happened. Adding more eyes will help get these calls right. Add a second referee for half the field and two more linesmen. Then a linesman will only have to account for a quarter of the field and will be more likely to be in position for offside calls. There also needs to be a more realistic appeals policy. Currently, players can appeal cards, but it is pretty much a joke. Appeals rarely work. Diving is blatant in soccer and for a card to stand even when it is obvious a player took a dive is unfair. Obviously cards cannot be issued in a postgame replay, but if a card is unfairly issued it needs to be addressed especially when there is such a harsh suspension policy.

The vast majority of the problems we see in soccer that are fixable can be solved with added referees, a realistic appeals process for cards, and goal line technology. FIFA may not want to add replay to the game, but they cannot pretend any longer that their current referee policy is working. Replay advocates also need to realize that the problems cannot all be solved with replay and they cannot push for a policy that would ruin the game. A compromise can really help the game and solve most of the issues we have seen in this World Cup. I really do not think goal line technology is going far enough, but I expect this will be the only change FIFA will make.

US Perseverance Pays Off, Late Goal Sends them Past Algeria to the Next Round

USA had chance after chance to put in that one goal they needed, but for 91 minutes it looked as if it was not meant to be. Then, one minute into injury time, Landon Donovan tapped in the game winning goal to win the group and send USA into the next round. It really looked like it was not to be. The US had its normal poor start, allowing a shot from Algeria that beat goalie Tim Howard, but actually hit off the post. Still early in the first, Clint Dempsey tapped in an easy goal off of a pass from Herculez Gomez, but it was disallowed because he was called offsides. Replay showed Dempsey was not offsides at all, and the call left Americans everywhere muttering "not again."

Still, the team never gave up and really began to take control. Jozy Altidore missed an empty net shot, Clint Dempsey beat the keeper but hit the post and then deposited the rebound into the cheap seats, Edson Buddle headed a point blank shot right into goalie Rais M'Bolhi, chance after chance was turned away. With each one the tension grew, as word came that England was up 1-0 over Slovenia. A tie would send USA home. As the linesman raised the sign, the USA knew that without some kind of miracle, their World Cup would last only another 4 minutes. Then, after a nice save, Howard heaved the ball down the field. Algeria had begun to feel the pressure as they too needed a win to advance, and moved a lot of players forward leaving room for Donovan to move. Donovan took the pass and sprinted down the field. He passed it off to Altidore and he chipped it to Dempsey in the box. M'Bolhi came out to challenge and Dempsey could not get the shot off, but he did hit it hard enough that M'Bolhi was not able to control it and it bounced right to Donovan who netted the rebound. And just like that, the US went from an early trip home to group winners.

The reward for moving on? Ghana. With their 1-0 loss yesterday to Germany, Ghana fell to second in the group. Ghana actually sent USA home in the last World Cup. Heading into the final group game, the USA needed a win over Ghana, but Ghana had its own ideas and won 2-1 to seal their place in the next round. Ghana has reached this stage by beating Serbia 1-0, tying Australia 1-1, and falling to Germany 1-0. Ghana is very good at moving the ball and creating chances, but they cannot finish. Their two goals both came off of penalty kicks. When they get close to the goal they either send the ball a mile over it or a mile wide, but rarely do they force a save from the keeper. Ghana was heavily criticized for its game against Australia as a first half red card left Australia a man short for about a full 60 minutes, yet Ghana did not seem to push the tempo at all and settled for the tie. The game against Germany really opened up as Germany needed the win and Ghana looked very impressive until they got close to the box and then fell apart. Ghana will be able to create chances against the US, but the question is whether or not they can finish them. If they play timid like against Australia, the USA will walk away with this one. If they play they way they showed they are capable against Germany, then this could be a tough matchup.

One thing's for sure, the US will be walking away with their heads held high regardless of the outcome because it took a lot of guts to get here in the first place. USA has earned their spot in the final 16 and can be proud of what they have accomplished.

USA Gets Set for Pivotal Matchup with Algeria

Tomorrow morning USA will take on Algeria in their last group match with a chance to qualify for the knockout stage. USA is in a great position because if they win, they will advance regardless of what happens between England and Slovenia. Algeria has been held scoreless in their first two games and is certainly a team that USA should be able to beat. Any reason for US fans to be nervous? Well, Slovenia was a team the US should certainly have been able to beat. In fact, USA has a terrible history when it comes to big games against teams they should beat. USA had a chance to take control of group C last Friday, but soon found themselves facing a 0-2 deficit. USA did manage to battle back, but they did so because they were the better team and should never have been in that position in the first place. In the 2006 World Cup, USA came in ranked 5th in the world, their highest ranking ever. They were immediately brought back down to Earth with 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic. They tied Italy 1-1 but it was off an own goal. Despite their struggles, USA was still in a position to advance if they won their last game over Ghana. What happened? They lost 2-1. In the 2002 World Cup after upsetting Portugal and tying host South Korea, USA could seal their spot in the next round with a win or tie over Poland and they lost 3-1. They still advanced, but their loss made sure it was no guarantee. In the 1998 World Cup USA walked away with 3 losses. A loss to Germany was perhaps not surprising, but losses to Iran and Yugoslavia certainly were.

Algeria also proved they will not go down easily in their game against England. England was never able to establish themselves as the dominant team. Goalie Rais M'Bolhi had a solid game saving the 6 shots a sleep-walking England did manage on net. The Algerian offense constantly harassed England throughout the game managing 11 total shots of their own. So far, USA has had poor starts to both of their games. If they do that again, this Algerian team can make them pay with another early goal. If they manage that, they'll sink back into their disciplined defensive style of play that will be very hard to break. Do not forget that the one goal Algeria did concede was off of a bad goalie error. Otherwise, this defense can be air tight.

What is most important for the US is to forget about what happened against Slovenia. They have to be worried about Algeria and Algeria alone. Granted, the heartbreak of having a legitimate, game winning goal taken away for no reason is a hard pill to swallow, but what's done is done. If they continue to dwell on the fact that they should have 4 points right now instead of 2, then they will be thinking about it all the way home because Algeria will send them packing. If anything, USA should consider themselves lucky that despite a terrible start leading to a 2-0 deficit and a win stolen away from the referee, they still control their fate. While I believe Algeria will be a tough opponent, the fact is that if the US cannot beat Algeria, they do not deserve to advance. They are better than both Algeria and Slovenia, and even maybe England if they continue to struggle. Group C was a great draw for the US and it would take a collapse equal to those I listed above to prevent them from advancing into the next round.

Catching Up

As I've been gone for over a week a lot has happened in the world of sports so here are some quick stories to get me up to date:

Strasburg Dazzles in First Major League Starts
Stephen Strasburg made his highly anticipated MLB debut on June 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates and put together a performance that left Nationals' fans excited more than ever about their young franchise. He pitched 7 innings allowing only 4 hits and striking out 14. In his second start against Cleveland on Sunday, he put together what many analysts consider to be an even more impressive outing. Strasburg battled a hostile crowd and a disintegrating pitcher's mound for 8 strikeouts and 2 hits in over 5 innings. The Nationals may have something really special in this kid and they need to start building around him. Excitement in the team has not been this high since they moved to Washington from Montreal, and it won't last forever. If the Nationals hope to build on the current interest, they will have to build a team around Strasburg sooner rather than later.

Nationals Select Harper with Top Overall Pick in the Draft
With all the excitement over Strasburg, it is easy to forget that there are other things happening in baseball, but the draft did take place the Nationals hope they have just taken another step forward by selecting Bryce Harper. Harper is the first junior college player ever selected number one overall in the MLB draft, but his talent and performance last season makes this no real surprise. In 66 games he has hit 98 RBIs and 31 home runs, breaking the previous school record of 12. The league in which he played, the Scenic West Athletic Conference, uses wooden bats so there is no issue of inflated batting stats as you see with players in division one baseball who use aluminum bats. There are questions, however, about Harper's character. Harper was ejected twice in 2010, including during the National Junior College World Series. After being struck out, Harper drew a line in the dirt with his bat indicating where he thought the pitch actually was and was ejected. As this was his second ejection of the year he was suspended for two games and his team lost the series. Many have described Harper as an arrogant jerk and scouts have reported he has a disturbingly high sense of entitlement. Well, that will happen when your parents allow you to get your GED after two years of high school so you can start your professional career sooner and you get drafted number one overall at the age of 17. That's right, 17. Harper may have some growing up to do before he shows up in the Nationals' lineup.

USA Manages a 1-1 Draw with Favored England
USA opened up the 2010 World Cup with their highly anticipated game against England on Saturday and managed an impressive 1-1 draw. England always comes into the World Cup with high expectations and talent to match, but remain dreadfully inconsistent in international play (they failed to qualify for the last Euro Cup). USA came into the tournament with high hopes after an impressive second place finish in the Confederation's Cup a year ago, but also with the cloud of the last World Cup's terrible finish (0-2-1, including a loss to Ghana) and the daunting task of facing England to start. Four minutes in, England embarrassed the US team with a goal from captain Steven Garrard which made the defense look outmatched, unprepared, and just plain sloppy. The US really picked things up after that and matched England step for step. What many no doubt remember from this game, is goalie Robert Green's failure to corrale Clint Dempsy's innocent shot which tied the game at 1. Most would say the US was lucky to walk away with a tie, but after England's quick start, the US looked much better and even had the better chances. Late in the second half, Jozy Altidore burned England's defensemen and banged a shot off the post that would have given the Yanks the lead. Tim Howard, who was just cleared to play in Friday's game against Slovenia, looked very solid in net and US looked every bit England's equal late in the game.

What is important now is for USA not to have any feelings of "mission accomplished." True, they walked away with a point against the best team in their group, but the pressure is on after Slovenia's win over Algeria. In the last World Cup, the US managed to tie eventual champion Italy 1-1, but then lost to Ghana 2-1 in a game that could have earned them a spot in the second round. A 1-1 draw against England means little if the USA cannot follow up against Slovenia and Algeria.

College Shake Ups
When I left, there was talk of Big 10 expansion. When I came back, all of the sudden college conferences seemed to be breaking at the seams. While there seems to be a new story everyday, here is what has happened so far: Colorado is leaving the Big 12 for the Pac 10, Nebraska is leaving the Big 12 for the Big 10, and Boise State is leaving the WAC for the Mountain West. The Texas shakeup has been avoided for the time being, keeping Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State in the Big 12. I was surprised by how deep this story went. When I heard the Big 10 extended offers to Nebraska, Notre Dame, Missouri, and Rutgers, the only team I thought would consider the move was Rutgers. I was very surprised not only that Nebraska accepted, but that they did so because most of the conference was considering moving as well. The Big 12 is considered second only to the SEC in college football and I was shocked that so many were considering leaving the conference. Silly me, I forgot what drives all these decisions: money. In the end, the Big 10 Network and the money it brings is what won Nebraska over.

And let's not forget Boise State who has gotten lost in all the speculation over Texas. The Pac 10 really dropped the ball by not getting Boise State. I do not know all the details of how this happened, but if the Pac 10 did not do absolutely everything they could to bring Boise State in, then they messed up. Boise State is a major competitor in college football and seemingly the only thing keeping them out of the National Championship game was their non BCS conference. Boise State would have brought a lot of interest, media coverage, and revenue to a conference who's traditional powerhouse has now been banned from postseason play for 2 years. It may have turned out that the Pac 10 did pursue Boise State and they chose the Mountain West anyway to help out fellow "ignored by the BCS" contenders TCU, BYU, and Utah. If that's the case, then you cannot fault the Pac 10, but this really seemed like a good fit to me and they must be kicking themselves now for not getting it done. What this means for the Mountain West is that they are going to push hard for a BCS bid and no doubt, because the BCS is run by morons, they will be ignored until conference expansion destroys the Big 12 or the Big East. Still, the Mountain West is now poised to become a power conference very soon.

Lebron to Washington? Short Answer, No

I saw in the Washington Post on Sunday an article about why Washington would be a good destination for Lebron James. The author did not understand why Washington was not in the discussion arguing that Washington was a major basketball market and had lots of money to work with thanks to the trade deadline departures of most of their expensive players. I had to laugh. This article was not in the "Sports" section, but in the "Metro" section, which of course explains why the author seemed to be taking a lot for granted when discussing the Wizards.

Don't get your hopes up. Lebron will not be wearing blue and gold next season. There were some good points made in the article and there are some reasons why Washington would at least enter the discussion. Washington was completely off the radar until they won the draft lottery. Most analysts agree Lebron will try to bring another superstar with him and with John Wall waiting, you could have 3 superstars playing next season which would completely transform the team. The Wizards are now owned by Ted Leonsis who transformed the Washington Capitals and looks ready to win in the NBA. DC might not have the glitz and glamor of New York, but wherever he goes the market will follow. With the top pick, the Wizards may be an easier team to build than New York and he wouldn't have to play in the shadow of Michael Jordan like he would in Chicago. With President Obama down the street, an avid basketball fan, Lebron should seriously be considering Washington.

Now let me tell you why this is all wishful thinking. Washington's entry fee into the Lebron sweepstakes would be to fire headcoach Flip Saunders, which if they were going to do they would have done by now. With the team that was put around Lebron this season, he's got to be feeling that coaching may be the missing piece of the puzzle. When he is looking for where to go next season if coaching is a major factor, which I think it will be, then you can count Washington out. If he can't win with Mike Brown, I doubt he thinks Flip Saunders is the right choice. As head coach of Minnesota, Saunders lost in the first round in his first eight playoff appearances. He did manage to make the conference finals in all three of his seasons as head coach of Detroit, but he lost all three times even with a championship caliber team that had won the NBA championship in 2004. This is precisely the problem Lebron has had in Cleveland. Why leave to have the exact same problem in Washington?

To say that Washington is as notable an NBA franchise as say Boston or Los Angeles is completely false. The author even argued that Red Auerbach was a Washington coach before he was a Boston coach. While this is true, it is irrelevant. It's like saying New York is a basketball market since Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn. Auerbach made his name in Boston, not DC. When people talk about the storied franchises of the NBA, they refer to several teams, but not the Washington Wizards who have won a single NBA title. Yes, the market will follow Lebron wherever he goes, but if he doesn't want to resurrect the major market of the Knicks or the Bulls, why leave Cleveland for Washington? Why leave a team dedicated to winning for a coach who struggles in the playoffs, a draft pick who could turn out to be a bust, and a franchise still clouded by Gilbert Arenas? There are far too many question marks surrounding the Wizards for Lebron to consider this a possible destination for the 2010-11 season.