Lebron James NBA MVP 2009

LeBron James is the 2008-2009 NBA MVP. It has a good ring to it, as now one of the best players in the NBA right now can simply be called "MVP LeBron James" now. Being declared the MVP (Most Valuable Player) denotes quite an accomplishment for him, as he has really led his team to much success. The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the 2008-2009 season with their best record in franchise history, including a 40-1 record at home. They are currently in the Playoffs as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, hoping to make it all the way to the NBA Finals.

During the season, LeBron James played an average of 37.7 minutes per game for the Cavs, which marked the lowest number of minutes he had played in his career. That had been one of the plans for the Cavs, which intended to rest him when needed so that he would have a lot of energy for the Playoffs. It became much easier when the Cavs started beating other teams by wide margins during the season, meaning that James could sit out much of the fourth quarter a number of times. Now he has some extra energy for this post-season, and this freight train will be something that nobody wants to get in front of.

LeBron James put up some impressive statistics during the past season, playing in 81 games, and averaging 28.4 points per game. He also pulled down 7.6 rebounds per game, and dished out 7.2 assists per game. His shooting percentage also went up to the highest of his career, with a 48.9% field goal percentage as well as a 78% free throw rate. It was definitely a remarkable year for James on the court, and his statistics, combined with the enormous success that Cleveland has had, led to him being selected as this year's NBA MVP.

The announcement that James would be named the NBA MVP was leaked from league sources, and planned for an official announcement at St. Vincent Mary High School where James went to high school. Not only is James going to take home the MVP trophy, but his coach, Mike Brown, has already received NBA Coach of the Year, as the Cavs put up an amazing record of 66-16 in the NBA season. This could be the first of many NBA MVP awards that LeBron James wins, but his eyes are still set on taking home an NBA Title above anything else.

Cutler Trade Could Have Impact On Seahawks First Round Choice

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As if the 2009 Draft hasn’t been hyped up enough, the recent trade of Jay Cutler to the Bears has added a completely different dynamic toward projections of what may happen with the Seahawks first round pick. While the consensus among many seemed to be that Seattle would likely draft tackle Eugene Monroe or Jason Smith, linebacker Aaron Curry, or either quarterback Matt Stafford or Mark Sanchez, the ability for Denver to use either both or one of their two first round picks to potentially trade up may mix things up a bit.

Unless Hasselbeck is severely dinged to the point where the organization doesn’t believe he’s going to be able to go at the beginning of the season, I just can’t see Seattle taking a quarterback with the first pick. Considering the number of years that Matt could potentially have with the team, and the money that goes along with picking the first or second quarterback in the draft, it doesn't make sense financially. Look at a guy like Matt Ryan, drafted third last year, and is making an average of $5 million over the next five years. That’s a lot of money to pay a guy to be a backup for the next few years. I have a gut feeling that the Hawks are hyping up the fact they could go QB as ammunition to get a team like Denver or San Francisco to trade up.

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The greatest need for the Hawks, with the aging Walter Jones and the success they had while having a solid left side, has to be on offensive line. While taking Curry fourth would probably be a no-brainer if he were to fall that far, linebacker isn’t a desperate need—even with Peterson’s departure. Considering some believe the top two tackles in the draft may go in the first three picks, it could be that the talent that the Hawks would be willing to pay fourth-pick money to is off the board. If Curry and the two tackles are gone, it leaves them in the perfect position to trade down and allow another team to move up and pick the top QB. Considering the number of teams looking for a quarterback (Jets, Broncos, 49ers, even the Jaguars may have interest), Denver would now seem to have the most ammunition to move up.

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If by some crazy chance a QB hasn’t dropped off the board by the Hawks first pick, how great would it be if Denver were willing to give up both their first round picks to move up? It would give Seattle a look at potentially taking a couple guys like cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and tackle Andre Smith. Or if they’re still looking to go with a QB in the first round, Josh Freeman could be available.

A potential wild card could be a guy that was heavily talked about going to Seattle prior to the combine and Seattle signing Houshmanzada in free agency. Will the Hawks still be considering Michael Crabtree at that spot? A lot has been made about the guy’s recent injury and the fact that he came up a couple inches shorter than what he was listed, but the fact remains that he flat-out balled at Texas Tech. Just watching that guy play last year made me wonder if he could be the next Larry Fitzgerald. If the Hawks could get a playmaker like that, suddenly it doesn’t matter as much who’s behind center. So maybe he’s still an option at the fourth pick.

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Ultimately, a lot is going to depend on what the Lions do with their pick. With the Cutler deal, and the fact that Detroit still needs a QB, they could take Sanchez or Stafford and Denver could trade up ahead of Seattle to take the second quarterback off the board. Everything seems to point to the Rams taking a tackle, and that would still leave an abundance of options for the Hawks. Any way you look at it, it’s shaping up to be an interesting first hour.

I’m going to be watching this closely, and for those who will be Twittering on draft day, look for me online under the handle mil_seahawkers.

One Shining moment

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In 2009, the One Shining Moment of college basketball was expected to
go to the North Carolina Tar Heels in preseason. When CBS aired One
Shining Moment, the Tar Heels were expected to have the last image of
the famed montage as 2009 NCAA champions. Although the Big East took
up most of the headlines for the last few months, the Tar Heels
returned to their position as favorites by the Final Four. And indeed,
when the 2009 version of One Shining Moment played on CBS at around
midnight, North Carolina was still celebrating.

North Carolina did not get fazed by Michigan State's destiny, 72,000
fans, or by their previous Final Four disaster last year. Instead, the
Tar Heels claimed their one shining moment in pretty much 10 minutes.

Like in all but one of their NCAA Tournament games, North Carolina had
the game won within minutes, and just ran out the clock the rest of
the way. The 89-72 win over the Spartans gave the Tar Heels the one
shining moment in 2009 that they had been pointing to for 12 months.

Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, coach Roy Williams and
the Tar Heels were number one in the preseason, and number one at the
end. It was only three months ago that North Carolina was being talked
of as an undefeated team, until losing their first two ACC games.

College basketball fans almost forgot about North Carolina for the
next few months, despite their various victories, while the Big East
took over the sport.

But the Big East ultimately tripped over itself, while North Carolina
reverted back to their early season dominance. The formula became
painfully clear for their opponents, and for any fans who wanted
competitive games, in the Tar Heels last four wins.

Gonzaga, Oklahoma, Villanova and Michigan State all fell into the same
Tar Heel trap. Get down by about 10 points in the first few minutes,
miss almost every jump shot, watch North Carolina make every early
three-pointer, and do absolutely nothing on the inside.

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With no chance
to play anything but North Carolina's game, the opponent is done
within a half hour.

For the first half, North Carolina seemed ready to threaten the record
for biggest national championship game blowout, set by UNLV over Duke
in 1990. But the Spartans did not lose by 33, or even by 35, as they
did to the Tar Heels in December. Still, Michigan State was never
close.

CBS wrapped up the NCAA tournament with One Shining Moment, which
North Carolina felt should have ended with their championship the last
two seasons. But in Hansbrough, Lawson and Ellington's last shot, the
Tar Heels finally took their place at the end of the final NCAA
Tournament recap.

Will the Yankees Need Team Chemistry This Season?

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Free agents C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Texeira cashed in with the Yankees, but the Bronx Bombers' spending spree did not buy one critical element to a team's success: Chemistry. Can the Yankees put talent before team chemistry and return to their World Series glories of the late '90s?

Let's state the obvious: No team can match the Yankees' own version of murderer's row, especially when Alex Rodriguez returns from his hip injury later this spring. On paper, it doesn't seem like any pitching rotation can hold the Yanks down for long.

Sabathia, Burnett, Chien-Mang Wang, Andy Pettitte, and Joba Chamberlain also comprise a strong rotation - but again, the rotation's strength is on paper at this point

Let's break down the Yankees' vaunted pitching rotation and bullpen:

Sabathia, an AL Cy Young winner in 2007, had a rollercoaster AL 2008 stint before Milwaukee acquired his services from Cleveland. No question, Sabathia was phenomenal in the National League; however, he was pitching against lesser hitting talent. He has a career ERA of 3.66 and has never finished with a seasonal ERA lower than a 3.21 pitching in the American League. Sabathia is a winner - he has better than a .600 winning percentage - but will he go the way of other recent high-priced Yankees pitching acquisitions? Remember Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown, and Javier Vasquez to name four?

Burnett has dominant stuff, no one argues that point. He led the American League in strikeouts, yet his ERA was still over 4.00. For every two or three good starts, expect a clunker out of Burnett. His command will come and go, and based on his history - outside of last season - Burnett is a good bet to hit the disabled list at some point in 2009.

Wang is apt to become the most consistent pitcher on the Yankees' staff. He had back-to-back 19-game winning seasons in 2006 and 2007, and was on pace to win 20 games last year before a foot injury saw him miss more than half the season. He's not a strikeout pitcher, but he keeps the ball in the park and keeps the Yankees in games with a devastating sinker.

Pettitte was something of a mystery, and his disintegration in the latter part of 2008 had many thinking he was done in the big leagues. We all known that starting left-handers are a commodity, and Pettitte is still good enough to remain the fourth starter on most teams' pitching staffs. He signed a one-year deal laced with incentives, and a 15-win season is not out of the question.

Chamberlain was a phenom as a set-up guy for closer Mariano Rivera. So far, the jury is still out on Joba as a starter. He wore down last season and was bothered by nagging injuries. His velocity is down a couple MPH from the 98 and 99 MPH he was hitting two years ago, and perhaps the American League is starting to figure him out. Nonetheless, if Chamberlain remains healthy, no team in the Major League can run out a fifth starter of his caliber.

Rivera has enjoyed more success closing games than any pitcher in baseball over the last decade. He's a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer once he hangs up the cleats, yet he is moving toward the twilight of his career, and is coming off shoulder surgery. Expect the same Mariano magic, although the cast of characters punching the clock in the seventh and eighth innings really hold the key.

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Brian Bruney is set to become Rivera's prime right-handed set-up man. Bruney missed much of last year with an injury, but was terrific in limited duty finishing with a 1.83 ERA in 32 appearances. In his only full season with the Yankees, Bruney had a 4.68 ERA in 2007, and he struggled with his control. Yankees fans hope he replicates his 2008 performance.

Damaso Marte came over from Pittsburgh late last season, and he'll share set-up duties, while also appearing situationally against tough left-handed hitters. Jose Veras proved a durable middle innings reliever, and Phil Coke is a young power pitcher with electric stuff. He just needs more seasoning at the big-league level.

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Bottom line: The Yankees will score runs, and have captain Derek Jeter leading a talented roster. Texeira and A-Rod are 30-homer guys, Xavier Nady and Hideki Matsui are solid complimentary guys who should approach 100 RBI, Robinson Cano should rebound from last season and hit well over .300. Johnny Damon will steal bases and score runs, and catcher Jorge Posada looks fully recovered from last year's injury.

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Roger Clemens is one of the few pitchers signed as a free agent over the past decade-plus whose contributions directly led to a title. History suggests that Sabathia and Burnett will not earn the coin each is getting paid this season, and if history repeats itself, the Yankees' World Series drought will continue.