Some teams are sitting pretty throwing around the D word. Hey, didn’t I tell all the dirty-minded people to stop last week! Dynasty. Some are living it, some are trying to create it, and some are just trying to disrupt it. Why don’t we talk balls and explore all the fuss around the big D… ok, I see where you’re coming from now. Let’s see what went down this week.
NBA
A Drama Too Juicy For TV
I may be the only one, but something about the NBA offseason just keeps me glued to my computer. I need the latest news and rumors about who’s going where and which teams are becoming contenders. During a time when all of the good TV shows are on hiatus, this is my source of Drama and laughs. Granted, it’s not as enjoyable as watching Snooki get punched in the face, but it gets me through the summer. Even though no one is technically allowed to sign until July 11th, teams are still making efforts to woo their dream players and trade for a winning squad. So let’s kick it off with the team we all love, The Celtics.
Big 3
We can all breathe little easier here in Boston knowing that Kevin Garnett will be wearing green for the next three years. The logic there doesn’t make much sense to me though, retire or play until I’m 40. In any case, I’ll take it. The Celtics got KG back for almost half his salary, 3 year 34.5 million, which gives them their superstar and cap space to rebuild.
Welcome back old friend
Two other familiar faces, Brandon Bass and Jeff Green, are in the works. Bass has agreed to a three year deal and Green is closing in on an agreement. And hey, Jeff Green is signing for a lot less money than he otherwise would have because he feels bad that he couldn’t continue to play for the C’s when he had his heart problems. What a class act! Both are expected to sign on the July 11th opening of free agency.
To add to this mass signing, swingman Jason Terry has agreed to a 3 year, 15 million dollar deal. This former Sixth man of the year can play both guard positions and will provide the Celtics with that much needed spark off the bench. He’ll also be able to give Rondo a break, which may not be the worst thing in the world. I personally believe that the best part about Terry is that he knows how to rub it in Lebron’s face. During the 2011 NBA finals, Terry was spectacular, thwarting James’ every effort to guard him.
With all this good news, there is a little bad. We are all waiting for Ray Allen to make a decision. He has narrowed his choices to Miami and Boston. Even though the Celtics have doubled the Heat’s offer of 3 million a year, Ray seems to be leaning toward joining the Heat. DON’T DO IT RAY! You’re supposed to be one of the good guys; I don’t want to have to hate you! This swap wouldn’t be the first time a beloved player has broken the hearts of Boston fans *cough, Fuck you Johnny Damon, cough cough* but it would certainly be one of the worst. With that said, let’s get into Ray’s head.
Nanananananana… ok, we’re in there now. Oh, there it is, he wants another ring before he retires and he thinks joining the Heat is the best way to do that. Don’t be a greedy turd! You have a ring; now stick with your brothers in a city where everybody loves you and there is minimal chance that your face will get eaten.
I Bet He Listens To Justice Beaver
Pretty good stuff so far right? It gets better, I have even more transfer news for you guys! Around the league, teams are reaching verbal agreements with players and swinging trades galore. One of these such trades sent Canadian superstar and likeable guy Steve Nash to the… ah crap. He went to the Lakers. I used to like Nash. He is a good guy, hosts a charity soccer game every year, and has an excellent attitude. But like any player who decides to dons that grotesque yellow and purple, I must now view him as the scum of the earth. This trade gives the Lakers one of the most fearsome backcourts in the game. Funny, a few years back Nash told reporters he’d never play for the Lakers. In any case, the pairing of these two veterans, if they’re able to gel, is a deadly combo.
Bringing In Someone To Teach The Kid
In other news, Jason Kidd is still playing. I know, right? Kidd decided to leave the Mavericks and join the New York Knicks. This isn’t a big deal, but it was an extremely smart move by the Knicks because they now have a tutor for their budding star, Jeremy Lin… provided he stays. Lin is a Restricted Free Agent so the Knicks are able to match any offer for him. They will have to do so quickly as Lin and the Rockets have reached an agreement that would pay him almost 10 million a year. No more living on couches for him! The Knicks have the money and will pony it up to keep the Linsanity going.
Return Of The Czar?
The new New York team has also been in the news as of late, making three major signings. Deron Williams, one of the top Point Guards in the league, re-signed with the Nets. This news came on top of the trade for former Atlanta Hawks swingman Joe Johnson. Holy backcourt Batman! But that wasn’t enough for billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov who promised back in 2010 that the Nets would win a championship by 2015. To solidify his squad, he re-signed veteran big man Gerald Henderson. That’s a big three right there! With those moves, the Nets are definite playoff contenders. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they’re getting close to obtaining Dwight Howard as well. The Nets have offered everything, even the kitchen sink, to the Magic for the big man and the only problem seems to be the Salary cap. We’ll see how it all plays out.
Not Since KG
The Minnesota Timberwolves have never been relevant. Their claim to fame is one division title back in 2004. But things are starting to look up for the wolves as they’ve made big moves this offseason. You guys might remember Brandon Roy, that phenomenal young player who retired from the Blazers two years ago. Well he’s back and will be a Timberwolf next season. If he can stay healthy, he’ll definitely add to the team’s success. Nother big name, Nicolas Batum, who is a Portland Trail Blazer Restricted Free Agent, has been offered a max contract by Minnesota and wants to accept. If Batum joins up, the Wolves will be a serious playoff contender (like they would have been last year had Rubio stayed healthy).
Medium 3?
The Suns are another team making moves. Although their star, Nash, as left, they have reached agreements with Forward Michael Beasley and Point Guard Goran Dragic. A move for Restricted Free Agent Eric Gordon is also in the works.
NFL
Blabbermouths
Hey remember last week when I said that there wasn’t much going on in the NFL? Yeah, noting has changed. It seems the only news comes from players shooting off their mouths. Chad Ochocinco recently bragged that he thinks he’ll be able to play until he’s 40. Good luck with that Chad. He’s 34 now and showing signs of deterioration. Look, when you play with one of the best Quarterbacks of all time and drop that many passes, you know you’re starting to lose it. On top of that, no Wide-out other than Jerry Rice has ever started a game at the age of 40. Chad, the stats are against you my friend.
Another random claim came from former Giant Amani Toomer who said that Tony Romo is a better Quarterback than Eli Manning. My first question is who the hell is Amani Toomer? Although I agree with this statement to some extent, I can’t help but feel like this is simply a call for attention from some random player whose five seconds of fame are up.
EURO 2012
It’s Once Every Four Years, Just Watch It!
The epic finale of the 2012 European Championship was… a bit disappointing! That’s not to say I was upset that Spain won, I was just upset that Italy didn’t put up more of a fight. Spain retained their title and became the best national squad ever when they defeated Italy 4-0. The game looked to be a close one with both sides on the offensive from the start but the Spaniards struck early as Cesc Fabregas sent a glorious cross off the head of David Silva.
The Italians had a few opportunities to answer back but couldn’t beat goalkeeper Iker Castillas. The rout continued as new Barcelona man Jordi Alba made a brilliant run and was fed a beautiful ball by Xavi, which he slotted past Italian goalkeeper Buffon to make it 2-0.
Things started to look up for Italy in the second half as substitute Antonio Di Natale had some great shots on goal, but then disaster struck as Thiago Motta suffered a game ending injury leaving the Italians, who had no more subs left, with only 10 men. This inequality opened the game for late goals from benchwarmers Torres and Mata.
Spain has won every major international tournament in the past 4 years! They are the only team ever to win back to back European Championships. And don’t forget they won a World Cup in between; no big deal. To put this in perspective, even if Spain doesn’t win the next World Cup, they will have reigned as the ‘best’ for six years. To put it in perspective, the 1960’s Boston Celtics, who are commonly referred to as the greatest dynasty of all time, reigned for 8 straight years from 1959- 1966. I know that there is only a championship once every two years (alternating between the World Cup and EUROs), but a six year stay as International kings is nothing to scoff at.
The Player of the tournament award went to Andres Iniesta. He deserves it. One person who didn’t deserve an award was Fernando Torres. He won the golden boot with 3 goals. 5 other players (Mario Balotelli, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mario Gomez, Alan Dzagoev, and Mario Mandzukic) all had 3 goals as well but Torres had an assist so the honor went to him. Some of you may be asking why I don’t think he deserves the award. The answer is he is the king of garbage goals. Torres is not the clutch player that Gomez, Balotelli, or Ronaldo is. He either scores against crappy teams or in garbage time when the game has already been decided. Look at his goals. He had two against Ireland… IRELAND! And his last goal, as well as the assist that won him the title, came late in the second half of the final against a shorthanded Italian side that had all but given up. So congratulations to Fernando Torres who won the Golden Boot for being on a team that decided games early.
MLS
Adding Some Flair
The Revolution added Honduras forward Jerry Bengtson yesterday. Bengtson was the three time consecutive leading scorer for Honduras’ La Liga Nacional from 2008- 2011. He recorded 13, 12, and 15 goals in these three consecutive seasons. Head coach Jay Heaps stated that he is very excited to work with the player and wants to get the goal-scorer out on the pitch as soon as possible.
Unbeatable
In their last match, the Revs tied the Seattle Sounders 2-2. This marks the fourth unbeaten game in a row as the Revolution have won or tied in their last few games. This game started with a miss from Sene who had a golden opportunity in the 5th minute but instead sent the ball whizzing over the crossbar. He redeemed himself with a goal in the 11th minute set up by Blake Brettschneider. The Sounders answered back with 2 goals to take a 2-1 lead. The game looked all but over until 17-year-old Diego Fagundez struck a beautiful 94th minute goal. The Revolution will look to continue their unbeaten streak when they face the New York Red Bulls on Sunday.
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