Slam Dunks, anyone

I missed last years Sprite Slam Dunk Contest and everything else except H.O.R.S.E? Why am I mentioning this, simply because I still have no idea who was the greatest in game and slam dunk champion I ever seen.  My choices are

1. Seeing Michael Jordan on videos
2. Seeing Dominique Wilkins videos
3. Kenny "The Skywalker" Walker memorable 1989 slam dunk contest in memory of his father
4. Shawn Kemp's windmills when he was a Seattle SuperSonic in the 1990's
5. Vince Carter's highlight real season in 1999 and wining the slam dunk contest one year later at Oakland
6. Brent Barry flying as only a Los Angeles Clipper can in 1996 at San Antonio
7. Jason Richardson trying to be old school early in the past decade, also was very creative.
8. Chris Anderson before being known as "The Birdman" was allowed so many attempts on his dunks in the 2005 slam dunk contest, I almost fell asleep.
9. Gerald Green blowing away the candle of a cupcake hanging on the back of the rim.
10. Josh Smith made Dominique Wilkins, Diana Taurasi and the entire bench go crazy by wearing the legendary Wilkins #21 Atlanta Hawks jersey to win the 2005 slam dunk contest.
11. Kobe Bryant was graceful and cocky as he won the 1997 slam dunk contest in rookie season at Cleveland

Gerald Wallace for the Charlotte Bobcats or DeMar DeRozen should with this years slam dunk contest at Dallas tonight.

NHL Olympic break

10 things I've learned in the NHL before the break.

1. Detroit Red Wings due to free agency and inconsistency, the team only has 66 points and could miss the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. A brave new world in the NHL.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins  Sidney Crosby and Jordan Stall are growing up to become men in the NHL as the team has 74 points.
3. San Jose Sharks are great and powerful as usual with (former captain) Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle and Rob Blake with league leading 89 points. Will the Sharks stop being the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers from 1986-1992 and finally with the Stanley Cup...only time will tell.
4. My favorite team the Vancouver Canucks have been tested on the road throughout the season with a division leading 74 points. Will the Canucks have enough scoring and a rested G Roberto Luongo to end the Winter Olympic road trip?
5. Atlanta Thrashers are only 4 points short of the Boston Bruins for final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but already trading away Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils probably ended the teams season.
6. Calgary Flames trade roughhouse D Dion Pheneuff to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Olli Jokinen to the New York Rangers to not only inprove the second line, but was also a message sender for Jarome Iginla, Mikka Kiprusoff and Jay Bouwmeester to get the team in order as the team is holding of the Dallas Stars for the final playoff spot with 67 points in the Western Conference.
7. Chicago Blackhawks were a team that I thought they would be, not only growing up with Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and acquiring Marian Hossa in the offseason has fueled the teams resurgence with 83 points recorded.
8. Phoenix Coyotes are back from the dead with 77 points recorded. Radim Vrbata scoring 20 goals and Shane Doran recorded 29 assist could be leading the Coyotes to first playoff appearance in Glendale, Arizona and first playoff appearance since 2002. Great story of a team rising amid bankruptcy, relocation rumors and terrible drafts throughout the tears, Wayne Gretzky couldn't help coaching the team.
9. Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings is riding the shoulders of the team is Dwayne Wade does for the NBA Miami Heat seemingly every night by scoring 27 goals and 36 assist. Every good scorer in hockey needs a good goalie as Jonathan Quick GAA is at 2.57 as the Kings have 75 points and could reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
10. Alexander Ovechkin does have scoring help behind him after all as the Washington Capitals had won 14 consecutive games before losing the last two games to arrive at the Winter Olympic Break. Nicklaus Backstrom, Alexander Semin and veteran Mike Knuble has improved Stanley Cup Final hopes. Capitals heed a younger version of Jose Theodore to go further in the playoffs as the team has 89 points, 14 points in the clear of the New Jersey Devils.

All Star Break

NBA All Star Weekend is here at last. Here are the 10 things I've learned about the NBA at this date

1. Los Angeles Clippers really tried to built a team around rookie PF Blake Griffin, But his season ended in pre-season due to a broken knee cap. Clippers were 3 games under .500 with a 18-21 before the news was official on January 19th Griffin was lost for the season. Reality set in as the Clippers are now 21-31 entering the break.
2. My favorite team the Dallas Mavericks aren't as bad as the sports experts thought they would be, even though the Denver Nuggets slaughtered them on Tuesday night by 36 points. Mavs record is 32-20
3. Oklahoma City Thunder...a surprise to many NBA fans, except me. Thunder had great draft picks around PF Kevin Durant and SF Jeff Green in final season as the Seattle SuperSonics in 2008, and drafting Russell Westbrook in first season in Oklahoma. Also adding veterans like Kurt Thomas and retaining Nick Collison after relocations has helped this team make strides. Thunder are dead last in scoring defense and youth could catch up with this team on the rise in the Western Conference with a 30-21 record.
4. Charlotte Bobcats have ever progressed in a Tampa Bay Rays pace, but this season seems to be the first playoff appearance in franchise history as the team finished 26-25 at the break. Bobcats need a young, and physical low post player to compliment SG Raymond Felton, SG Gerald Wallace and SF Stephen Jackson who was acquired from Golden State earlier in the season.
5. Toronto Raptors are likely to reach final playoff appearance with cornerstone PF Chris Bosh (assuming he leaves as an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season) with a 29-23 record. Acquiring Hidayet Turkoglu in 4-way trade in the summer was a wise move to give Jose Calderon open shots and double teams.
6. Boston Celtics are getting old, except for Rajon Rondo, he's three years younger than me. Celtics were swept by the rising Atlanta Hawks 4-0 and lost season series to the NBA Finals finalist the Orlando Magic 3-1. Ray Allen is not the reason why the Celtics are as old as Rip Van Winkle, they need a solid bench behing Rasheed Wallace and Eddie House.
7. New Jersey Nets as a cinderella team turned to NBA Finals contenders is not only over, but I don't think they'll make contenders again. The record is an appalling 4-48, this was a team that were playoff contenders as Lawrence Frank was the head coach, as the team reached consecutive NBA Finals as Byron Scott was the head coach. Jay-Z (I can't stand him but his impact on the franchise has helped the growth of the players) and ownership group are still hoping to built an arena in Brooklyn, but not having to share the Prudental Center in the 2010-11 season (Nets originally said no to sharing the arena with the NHL New Jersey Devils, even though they were invited to move as a tenant, God forbid). What has happened to the team from the New Jersey swamp?
8. Cleveland Cavaliers have the NBA best record at 43-11. The acquisition of C Shaquille O'Neal will determine how far the Cavaliers will fair in the playoffs.
9. San Antonio Spurs 3-way trade of Richard Jefferson didn't work out at all, FOX basketball columnist Charley Rosen and I knew the trade wouldn't work as Jefferson only scores baskets, but can only guard screen players but not one on one =no defense. Drafting DeJuan Blair to take the pounding away from PF Tim Duncan was a great gem in the ruff as the Spurs always draft well. Spurs are due to a first round series loss in the playoffs if defense (except Jefferson) improves in a hurry as the record is 30-21.
10. Sad  story for the Washington Wizards SG Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenden. Both players suspendend for the remainder of the season by rampage of gambling and extorting money against each other led to both players to draw guns on another, and keeping them in the locker room. Wizards franchise are screwed fro yeard to come as trade rumors involving SF Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler are only increasing by the hour as the record is 17-33. Terrible example for their children, indeed and a terrible black cloud in the NBA.

Life and the New Orleans Saints

Why do I think the world is passing me by now...the world has moved on normal axis except mine.  I see the world coming to an end as the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 to win first Super Bowl in beleaguered franchise history (no offense to Saints fans...your team was the Los Angeles Clippers of the NFL). Real Salt Lake in MLS were the last team to qualify for postseason play and became the Pittsburgh Steelers, by defeating the best teams like the Columbus Crew, Chicago Fire and the Los Angeles Galaxy to win first MLS cup.  The Arizona Cardinals were the Saints of 2008, but fell short in Super Bowl 43 to the Steelers in the final seconds of the game. Tampa Bay Rays were the Saints of MLB as the team earned first winning season, division title and reached the World Series in 2008. The New York Giants faced insurmountable odds, but defeated the (almost perfect) New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42. LeBron James doesn't have a crown yet, but led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals for the first time in 2007.  Cavaliers were the NBA version of the San Diego Chargers of the late 70's to early 80's...win so many games, but burned out before reaching the Super Bowl. Chargers didn't get to the Super Bowl until 1994.  The Edmonton Oilers of the NHL were the last team to qualify for the playoffs, but reached the Stanley Cup Final losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.  The (recently folded) Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA had playoff failures verses the Los Angeles Sparks similar to their brothers the Kings verses the Los Angeles Lakers, but finally climb through the mountain top and won only WNBA title in 2005.  The Boston Red Sox of MLB proclaimed themselves as "Idiots" ended curse of Babe Ruth in 2004 by winning first World Series in 86 years at the time. Florida Marlins defeated the powerful New York Yankees to win 2nd World Series championship in 6 seasons in 2003.  The New Jersey Nets were swept by the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but won a division title, won 50 games and reached the finals for the first time in 2002. The Notre Dame Lady Fighting Irish defeated the powerful Connecticut Huskies in the final four. Notre Dame then defeated Indiana state foe Purdue Lady Boilermakers to win NCAA Women's Basketball title in 2001.  The Baltimore Ravens  in 2000 escaped Cleveland Browns obscurity to win only Super Bowl in first season reaching the playoffs since moving out of Cleveland in 1995. The Sports landscape has changed for the better, not having all of the evil empires like the New York Yankees every year is a breath of fresh air.