1st Annual Big 12 Conference Preview

I will be doing a Big Ten Conference Preview that is more in depth than the Big 12. I was not far off at all with my predictions with the Big Ten a year ago. We will see how I do with the Big 12 as I don't know it as well as the Big Ten, but here it is.

Big 12 North
1. Nebraska. They are lucky they are in the North, they might as well have a bulls-eye on their helmet, every team and away fans will want to beat Nebraska for leaving the conference.
2.  Missouri - They return quite a few players, will be much better this year, and Pinkel will show that he can coach somewhat.
3. Colorado - Its now or never for coach Hawkins. He has a lot of players coming back from a disappointing season in 09, but his job is on the line this year thanks to the paycheck written by PAC-10.
4. K-State - Wildcats have a big powerful Running back that will be their key player, but its still K-State.
5. Iowa State - They are coming off of a 7-6 season and a bowl win in Paul Rhoads first year, call it a miracle, but not happening this year. They play at Iowa, and get Oklahoma and Texas back to back weekends, you won't find another program that gets that every time like ISU does. They will be better than Kansas though.
6. Kansas -They are back to being a basketball school, at least for now. They did land Turner Gill as their new head coach, he did an outstanding job at Buffalo, apparently he likes coaching at the worst locations in the country.

Big 12 South
1. Oklahoma - The Sooners return from a season they would like to forget by punishing everybody. They are lead by a QB that got an early start to his career due to Sam Bradford getting hurt last year, and that will pay off big time for the Sooners.
2. Texas - Not this year for the Longhorns, they will be coming in with a QB that got National Title experience, but not a season like the Sooners QB. Texas won off the field this year in keeping the Big 12 together and filling up their bank account, so they will be easy on others this year.
3. Texas A&M - They are A&M, they are content for being middle of the pack when they could be as big or bigger than the 2 above them. If they would have went to the SEC, they would have become the powerhouse of the state, but they like being little brother to Texas, so enjoy being average.
4. Texas Tech - They are going from Air attack to Ground attack. Tommy Tuberville was very successful at Auburn, we will see how he does in West Texas, and changing a team's philosophy big time.
5. Baylor - This is really their chance to shine and go to a bowl game. They could be number #4 in the south this year, but when you are use to losing, and losing a lot, its hard to change the culture. 
6. Oklahoma State - This team lost a lot of talent, and its going to be a long year in Stillwater. You may not see a team drop as much as this team from one year to the next.

Oklahoma will win the last Big 12 Conference Title game in Dallas, TX over Nebraska who will be going to the Big Ten next year.
 

NCAA Football Probations are Not Fair

You may be saying, whats wrong with NCAA probations. Here is the problem I have with it, take USC Trojans. They got handed a 2 year bowl probation, and limited scholarships that they can give out. Most people are saying finally something is being done with USC, they cheat and now it has been proven. Here is my issue with it, they are being punished for things that happened when Reggie Bush played there. Reggie Bush is going on year 5 of his NFL career. He has been playing pro football for over 4 seasons going on 5. There isn't one player at USC that was even there when Reggie Bush was there, yet they have to pay the punishment while Reggie Bush is in a 6 year $52.5 million contract. Seems fair doesn't it? It makes no sense whatsoever. The head Coach Pete Carroll even left USC for the Seattle Seahawks. So the player and the head  coach that were present during the so-called violation are not affected by it, just the kids that were playing high school football when it took place. I understand that the University should be penalized if they were aware, but to punish players that had nothing to do with it while the player that had everything to do with it is sitting in a multi-million dollar mansion playing in the NFL gets nothing? That doesn't cut it for me.

Spain Goes for First World Cup on Sunday

Spain beat Germany on Wednesday 1-0 to go on to the World Cup Final this Sunday against the Netherlands. For Americans, its hard for us to truly know what this is like for most of these countries. We have NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB. We get so connected to our regional teams in those leagues that sometimes when we have a USA team competing we still don't have that National pride that other countries have. When we watch Team USA basketball, I think we expect to win, and if we don't it doesn't bother us like our team losing the NBA Finals does. If my Cubs are having a bad season AKA like right now, then I can focus on Football coming up and it starts before baseball even ends. Soccer in Spain is a way of life, its pride, and they believe they are the best in the world, and they won't hear it otherwise. I spent 2 weeks in Spain in May. I attended a Soccer promotion they had going on at a park, and people in Sevilla were excited then for the World Cup. While I was in Spain, Athletico Madrid won a Europa League Cup, Barcelona FC won the Spanish League title, and Sevilla FC won the Copa Del Rey Cup. I didn't need ESPN Sportscenter to inform me, because their was people celebrating in the streets. Their was fireworks, car horns, and screaming in the streets. Chipiona, Spain is 697 miles from Barcelona, 12 hour drive. Yet their was a car parade of fans hanging out their windows screaming of joy and honking their horns as they drive down every street to let everyone know that Barcelona FC had won the title over Real Madrid. They don't have other sports to get into, this is it. Spain is good in Basketball, but it has nothing on Soccer. They live and breath soccer. Its their national past time, and they have a very rich tradition in Soccer, just have never been able to put it all together to get into the World Cup Final, let alone win it. But on Sunday, a Nation that is very proud, will try to prove to the world they are the best Nation in the game of Soccer. They will be patient, and will control the ball to wear down their opponent, and strike when the opportunity is there. You will not find a better passing team than the Spaniards. They make the game look easy, and have a great skill of dribbling the ball. Spain will feature their scoring machine David Villa who has had a wonderful World Cup. Xavi Hernandez is known as the World's best mid-fielder and he shows why every time he touches it down by the goal in traffic. If Spain can get their other superstar Fernando Torres who has been struggling to score, if they can get him going, its going to be all red and yellow in the streets of Spain all night Sunday into Monday.

Spain's national team (Bottem L-R) Santiago Cazorla, Xavier Hernandez, David Villa, Marcos Senna, Raul Albiol, and (Top L-R) Iker Casillas, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Xabier Alonso and Fernando Torres pose for a team picture during the FIFA2010 World Cup Qualifier match between Spain and Turkey at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 28, 2009 in Madrid, Spain. Spain won the match 1-0.

(March 28, 2009 - Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Europe)

Lebron Could Never Top the Legacy of MJ in Chicago

Lebron James will be playing for Miami Heat next year. Not the Cavs, Bulls, Nets, Knicks, and everybody else who thought they had a shot. Personally, I think Chicago would have been a good choice for Lebron, they have a lot of potential in the future with their young players. One problem for Lebron, Michael Jordan. You can't fill his shoes, you shouldn't even be allowed to wear his jersey number, and you will never win 6 titles like he did. Lebron could never live with the fact that he would never live up to Jordan. He would be reminded daily with the statue outside the United Center, and the banners above him. The fans of Chicago would support Lebron, but it would never be what Jordan was to the city of Chicago.
Cleveland's owner has thrown Lebron under the bus by saying he quit on the team Vs. the Celtics in the playoffs. Yet he would have been ecstatic if the same Lebron would have chosen Cleveland yesterday over Miami, the same player who apparently quit. Cleveland will go back to being an average if not below average franchise, plus who would go there after the owner bad mouthed a player that brought more money to him and his franchise. People in Cleveland also need to realize that most athletes don't play for their hometown in professional sports, so get over it.
I think Lebron was over the top with his Decision making and national TV spotlight, but apparently it was all for a good cause and money was given to Boys and Girls Club. Lebron would have gotten more money going elsewhere, so it wasn't about money as he will have the same amount as Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. I think Lebron has a huge ego, most stars do, so it will be interesting to see how the 3 of them will co-exist on the same team, wanting their touches. What is crazy in the whole deal is most mega stars don't switch teams, and by going to Miami he may win some titles, but I don't see Miami being his last stop. I think Lebron wants to make sure he gets a title as soon as he can, but I think he knows by winning it with 2 other All-Stars in a different city will not feel the same as if he would have won in Cleveland.

If he truly wanted to be in the class of Jordan and Kobe, I think he should have went to New York. If the Knicks get Carmelo Anthony next year, he could have already been there and formed the foundation with Stoudamire. Making New York City relevant again would be huge for the NBA, and would have boosted his career and legacy if he could win a title there. But maybe in 5 years he will go to New York City, because I'm pretty sure Cleveland will not want him back.

Zambrano Is Out Of Control!!!!!!!

Carlos Zambrano will make $18 million this season while he has a record of 3-6 5.66 ERA. This has been a common theme with the Chicago Cubs, players making a lot of money and not producing numbers to equal the pay they receive. He is making $18 million dollars, and is not even ranked in the top 100 in the MLB with that ERA.  That is only half the problem, the other half is between his ears. Zambrano has had anger issues for a while now, and it finally became an issue when he went ballistic and Derek Lee called him out on it. So Zambrano is suspended indefinitely and he should be, but what do you do with him? He makes a lot of money, and his numbers are Triple-A numbers. You can't send a $18 million dollar a season player to Triple-A Iowa, you just can't. I think the Cubs should hold onto him a for a little bit, see if he can start to pitch good again, and then trade him. Right now he is worth less than he has ever been, so don't trade yet, and don't release him, this is a business, you got to get a return for the guy if you can. Last year it was Milton Bradley, and this year its Carlos Zambrano. I think its Cub fans turn to be ballistic about this so called product of a baseball team. Instead of the famous White flag with the Blue "W" flying, it should just be WHITE!

The Cubs are 9.5 games behind the Cincinnati Reds for first place. And yes I said the Reds, and that is the thing, nobody is running away from the pack in this division. It has been an average division, but the Cubs are trying to gain ground on Pittsburgh who is 16.5 games out of first. Pittsburgh is a 34% winning team, yet they have beaten the Cubs 9 out of 12 games this year. I'm convinced that Triple-A Iowa could beat Chicago in a best of seven series. Pittsburgh is no different than a Triple-A team, and they have been since the day they lost Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla. Its like Major League 3 when the Salt Lake City Buzz beat the Minnesota Twins. The Cubs are just like that Twins team in that movie. The movie wasn't good, so don't bother wasting your Netflix one movie at a time on that thing. Its time to clear house in Chicago. The General Manager has made his last bad decision. I like Soriano, but he is way over paid. The Cubs are #3 in MLB in payroll behind Yankees, and Red Sox. 11 teams in the National League have a better record than the Cubs, and 10 teams in the American League making it 21 teams ahead of them. The Kansas City Royals only have one more loss than the Cubs, and have the same amount of wins. I can only name one Royals player and that is Zach Grienke because he won the Cy Young Last year. Living in Des Moines, there is a huge difference between the Cubs franchise and the Royals franchise. One is a classic car, and the other is a Dodge Neon, but right now they are both sitting in the junk yard, just one has a lot more money sitting in it.