LET'S NOT GET CARRIED AWAY

The Patriots season came to a frustrating end yesterday, even after New England shut out the Buffalo Bills, 13-0. Both the Dolphins and Ravens won, giving them the remaining two playoff spots over the Pats. So despite an 11-5 season, Bill Belichick and company will be watching the postseason from home.

While it is extremely frustrating that New England will not be playing into January for the first time in six years, let's not get carried away with the "flaws in the system." Yes, I do know that an 11-5 team was eliminated before a matchup between a 7-8 team and an 8-7 team for a spot in the playoffs. In past years though, other teams have gotten screwed out of the playoffs simply by being in a tougher division too. It's really not that big a deal. These things have a way of balancing themselves out in the long run.

In retrospect, the job Belichick and the other New England coaches did was simply amazing. Losing a franchise quarterback in the first quarter of the season, and then losing important pieces for significant time just didn't effect them the way it does most teams. That has to be a credit to the coaching staff.

If only former Pats assistant Eric Mangini had done as good a job with the Jets. Then maybe the Patriots would be preparing for a showdown with Ravens next Sunday at Gillette Stadium. And the "Mangenius" would still have a job.

EVAN'S PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

Well, our regular season predictions didn't exactly play out how we had hoped. No matter, it's time to move on anyway. Now that the playoff matchups are set (minus the Pats...stupid Jets), let's predict how it will all turn out.





Wild Card Round:
5. Indianapolis Colts (12-4) at 4. San Diego Chargers (8-8)
Colts 31, Chargers 24

6. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) at 3. Miami Dolphins (11-5)
Ravens 24, Dolphins 21

Divisional Round:
6. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) at 1. Tennessee Titans (13-3)
Titans 27, Ravens 16

5. Indianapolis Colts (12-4) at 2. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Steelers 34, Colts 31

AFC Championship:
2. Pittsburgh Steelers at 1. Tennessee Titans
Steelers 24, Titans 20







Wild Card Round:
5. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) at 4. Arizona Cardinals (9-7)
Falcons 24, Cardinals 16

6. Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) at 3. Minnesota Vikings (10-6)
Vikings 20, Eagles 17

Divisional Round:
5. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) at 1. New York Giants (12-4)
Giants 30, Falcons 13

3. Minnesota Vikings (10-6) at 2. Carolina Panthers (12-4)
Panthers 24, Vikings 6

NFC Championship:
2. Carolina Panthers at 1. New York Giants
Panthers 27, Giants 24








SUPER BOWL:
Carolina Panthers: 24
Pittsburgh Steelers: 20


And if these predictions don't come true, then they'll be just like all the other picks I've made this season.

WOULD A SALARY CAP BE GOOD FOR BASEBALL?

In the wake of Hank Steinbrenner's insane spending spree, Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio voiced his concern over competitive balance in the game by wondering aloud whether baseball should impose a salary cap. After all, the Yankees have spent $420 million this offseason alone, and no other team can afford to do that. Personally, I think a salary cap could work, but only if done differently from almost all other sports.

Say Major League Baseball set a hard cap at something like $150 million and set a minimum as well. That way, teams like the Marlins would be forced to spend a certain amount of money on players, and new owners would know at least how much money they would need to set aside for player salaries. If the cap was $150 million, and the minimum was $50 million, there would be more competitive balance in the league, without upsetting the distinction between the big market clubs and the small market teams.

The Yankees and Tigers were the only two teams in baseball that had to pay the luxury tax last season, because each team exceeded the $155 million limit set by Major League Baseball. Over the past six years (since the cap began), the Yankees have paid over $148 million, over 90% of all the luxury tax money collected by MLB.

The problem is that there are no real consequences for exceeding the luxury tax threshold. Sure teams need to pay more, but only the teams with enough money that a little bit more doesn't make a difference. Bud Selig needs to abolish the luxury tax and set up a league minimum and a hard cap.

Not only would this keep small market teams more competitive, it would also help curb the ridiculous size of players' contracts. For the most part, though, a cap like this wouldn't be that big a deal to most teams.

If a salary cap was set at $150 million only one team, the Yankees, would be over it (based on last season's opening day salaries). With a $50 million minimum, only the Pirates, A's, Rays, and Marlins would need to increase payroll, and three of those four would need to add less than $7 million.

Not only would this keep salaries down, help smaller market teams without compromising the integrity of the game, and add more emphasis on smart signings by general managers (instead of just throwing money around), it would also keep stingy owners from selling off all their good players. Owners like Jeffrey Loria of the Florida Marlins would be forced to spend at least $50 million on his team, or sell them to someone who would. If it does nothing else, this idea would at least get Loria out of baseball, so it can't be all bad, right?

EVAN'S WEEK 17 PICKS

Time to make up some ground.

St. Louis vs. Atlanta (-11)
New England vs. Buffalo (+6)
Kansas City vs. Cincinnati (E)
Detroit vs. Green Bay (-6.5)
Tennessee vs. Indianapolis (-1.5)
NY Giants vs. Minnesota (+1)
Carolina vs. New Orleans (E)
Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh (-8)
Oakland vs. Tampa Bay (-5)
Chicago vs. Houston (+3.5)
Washington vs. San Francisco (-1)
Jacksonville vs. Baltimore (-7)
Miami vs. NY Jets (+1)
Dallas vs. Philadelphia (-2)
Seattle vs. Arizona (-5.5)
Denver vs. San Diego (-6)

MARK'S WEEK 17 PICKS

ATLANTA -11
new england -6
kansas city E
detroit +6.5
INDIANAPOLIS -1.5
MINNESOTA +1
carolina E
PITTSBURGH -8
TAMPA BAY -5
chicago -3.5
washington +1
BALTIMORE -7
miami -1
PHILADELPHIA -2
seattle +5,5
denver +6

NHL DROPS THE BALL AGAIN

As has been recounted many times (on this blog and others), the NHL has no clue what it's doing in setting precedent for suspensions. Randy Jones gets two games for nearly decapitating Patrice Bergeron, yet Sean Avery gets an "indefinite" suspension for his "sloppy seconds" comments and then isn't invited back to the team afterwards?

Well, the NHL is essentially now saying it's OK to do whatever the hell you want...as long as you are a star player. That's the only possible explanation for the Sidney Crosby/Boris Valabik tilt from a Pens-Thrashers game in Atlanta earlier this month. Crosby was clearly the third man into this fight, and took two big swings (with gloves on) at Valabik, striking him both times below the belt. His penalty? Two minutes for roughing. No fine. No suspension. Nothing.

Say this was the other way around, and Valabik had been the one cheap shotting Sid the Kid down south. You don't think NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell would have been all over it? Or say it was Alexander Ovechkin who made the sloppy seconds remarks. Would he have been suspended at all? This is just another ridiculous precedent being set by the NHL.

Crosby should probably watch out next time Pittsburgh and Atlanta meet. And the Thrashers should also probably be weary of suspensions from the head honchos upstairs. Unless of course Ilya Kovalchuk is the one taking the cheap shots.

3 GREAT SPORTS MEMORIES FROM 2008

With under a week left in the year 2008, now seems like the perfect time to recap one of the greatest years in Boston sports history. 2008 was chock full of great games, fantastic finishes, and entertainment abound from the Pats, Bruins, Sox, and Celts. So, for our 100th post, let's take a quick look back at 2008 with three great memories from the year in sports.

3. BRUINS 5 CANADIENS 4: GAME 6 (April 19, 2008)
The Bruins struggled mightily at times to score goals in 2008. So, with their season on the line in game 6 against Montreal, all seemed lost. The eighth seeded Bruins, who weren't given much of a shot to beat their long time rivals, trailed the game 1-0 after one period of play. Phil Kessel tied the game under two minutes into the second frame, but Montreal converted again and led 2-1 after two. The third period of game six was one of the most spectacular periods ever. Boston rookie Vladimir Sobotka tied the game at two, but then Francis Bouillion gave the Habs a 3-2 lead with 9:56 to go. Everybody was shocked when the lightly regarded B's came back for the third time, when Milan Lucic potted a wrister two minutes later to knot the score at three. Phil Kessel gave Boston a brief lead in the final five minutes, but Christopher Higgins scored for Montreal just 11 seconds later. Finally, with just 2:37 left on the clock, David Krejci found Marco Sturm for the game winner; Bruins 5, Canadiens 4. This game makes the cut because the Bruins offense was so weak all year, and they had lost eight straight to Montreal entering the series. Nobody expected this team to come back from one goal deficits three different times against a team nobody thought they could compete with. Outstanding game.

2. RED SOX 8 RAYS 7: ALCS GAME 5 (October 16, 2008)
The Sox looked finished against the upstart Rays in game 5 of the American League Championship Series back in mid-October. After BJ Upton doubled in two runs in the top of the seventh, the Rays led 7-0 in the game, and 3-1 in the series. Boston, baseball's best home team in the regular season, had been shelled at Fenway by Tampa Bay in the ALCS, and at this point, had been outscored 29-5 in two and a half games there in the series. But, when all seemed lost, the Sox dug in. AL MVP Dustin Pedroia had an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to make it 7-1. The next batter was David Ortiz, who crushed a Grant Balfour offering over Pesky's Pole in right, 7-4. In the eighth, JD Drew rocked a Dan Wheeler heater over the bullpen with Jason Bay on base, pulling Boston to within one at 7-6. With two men out, Mark Kotsay hit a wall ball double to left center, and then Coco Crisp singled to right to tie the game at seven. Justin Masterson got out of a jam in the top of the ninth, and then Drew hit a screamer just over the glove of Gabe Gross to score Kevin Youkilis and win the game for the Red Sox, 8-7. Trailing by seven runs with seven outs left, Boston stunned Tampa Bay with the greatest comeback since 1929.

1. CELTICS 131 LAKERS 92: NBA FINALS GAME 6 (June 17, 2008)
Was there any doubt what number one would be? Heading into the NBA Finals last June, nine of the 10 "experts" on ESPN.com said the Lakers would hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy. Oops. After a huge comeback by Boston at Staples Center in game four, the Lakers narrowly held on for a five point win in game five, sending the series back to Boston with the Celtics leading 3-2. But in this one, LA had no shot. Ray Allen finally found his stroke, and second year point guard Rajon Rondo played the game of his life, with 21 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and six steals in 32 minutes for Boston. The 131-92 drubbing by the Celtics clinched the club's record 17th title and first in 22 years, and capped off the biggest one season turnaround in NBA history. Allen, KG, and NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce finally captured that elusive first ring, and the Green "Beat LA" once again. Just remember, "anything is possible!"

Hopefully, 2009 will bring some great memories as well. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

WEEK 16 PICKS RECAP

This was a week Evan really needed to make up some ground on me if he wanted that free dinner. The good news? I went 5-10 yet again. The bad news? So did Evan. Again. Talk about finishing up the year strong. Here's the updated standings:

MARK: 103-109-2

EVAN: 97-115-2

Can Evan pull off the miraculous six-game comeback in week 17? Check back soon for our final picks of the season!

THE GOODELL THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS...

I'm pretty sure Roger Goodell has lost his mind. The NFL commissioner, it seems, hands out fines for just about everything. Many of these fines are warranted. Many are not. Shaun Ellis of the Jets was fined $10,000 last week for throwing a big chunk of snow at a fan. That may not sound like much, but I can understand where the Commish is coming from. If a paying fan gets hurt unnecessarily, it can leave a black mark on the league, and Ellis was made an example of to further illustrate that point.

What I can't wrap my head around is the fines handed down to Ben Watson and Wes Welker of the Patriots in the past couple of weeks. Three weeks ago in Seattle, Watson stuffed the ball into his jersey after a score to honor his wife Kirsten, who is expecting the couple's first child on February 1. He was subsequently penalized fifteen yards for unsportsmanlike conduct and slapped with a $10,000 fee. Welker dropped to the snowy ground last week after a touchdown grab and made a snow angel ala Lonnie Paxton after Adam Vinatieri's game winning kick in Super Bowl XXXVI. Same penalty, same fine.

So let me get this straight. Putting the ball in your shirt: 15-yard penalty, big fine. Making a snow angel: 15-yard penalty, big fine. Spearing yourself head first at a player who is slowing down as the play is ending (yes, I'm talking to you, Ryan Clark): 15-yard penalty...that's it? That's one hell of a precedent Roger Goodell is setting.

Goodell seems to be doing a tremendous impression of the Grinch this holiday season. Except at the end of all of this, the only lesson that anybody will have learned is not to mess with the No Fun League.

THE PREDICTIONS REVISITED SIMPSONS STYLE

With the NFL season winding down, and only a few teams still vying for playoff spots, now seems like as good a time as any to revisit our picks from earlier in the season. Let's take a look, with some help from our friends The Simpsons, at whether or not our predictions will come true.
Here are my picks, and here are Mark's picks.

Homer: Yeah, Moe, that team sure did suck last night. They just plain sucked! I've seen teams suck before, but they were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked!
This one is for both Mark and my prediction that the Buffalo Bills will win the AFC East. In reality, it is the other three teams in the division that are still hoping to be crowned champions. After a 5-1 start, the Bills faded big time. And now, with JP Losman quarterbacking the club, they will be watching the postseason from home yet again.

Homer: I'm like that guy who single-handedly built the rocket & flew to the moon. What was his name? Apollo Creed?
To both Mark and I once again, for getting the easiest picks right! We both had the Steelers, Titans, Giants, and Cardinals winning their respective divisions. We both picked San Diego to top the AFC West as well, which can happen with a home win against the Broncos in week 17.

Bart: Milhouse, what happened?! You were supposed to be watching the factory!
Milhouse: I was watchin'. First it started to fall over, then it fell over.
This quote goes to the team both of us picked to win the NFC North, and Mark picked to win the Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers. The Pack improved to 5-5 with a 37-3 drubbing of Chicago back on November 16, but have gone 0-4 since then, losing to the Saints, Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars. The only thing fitting at this point would be to close the season with a home loss to the Detroit Lions. I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that one.

Moe: Call this an unfair generalization if you must, but old people are no good at everything.
I'm starting to think Moe might be on to something...since I picked Jeff Garcia, Derrick Brooks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the NFC South, and then the Super Bowl. Wrong. The Falcons win in Minnesota yesterday clinched them a playoff spot, and knocked the Bucs out of the playoff picture.

Mr. Burns: I don't like being outdoors Smithers, for one thing, there's too many fat children.
To the dome-dwelling Indianapolis Colts, the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs and winners of one of the two coveted Wild Card spots. I predicted the Colts to finish in this spot exactly, while Mark had Denver and New England owning the last two seedings.

Homer: I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T! I mean S-M-A-R-T...
And the final quote belongs to me for picking the Carolina Panthers to miss the playoffs entirely. In fact, the Cats were one gust of wind in the Meadowlands from securing the number one seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Despite the loss to the Giants, Carolina will still get a first round bye.

Q AND A WITH MIKE REISS OF THE GLOBE: PART II

With just one week left in the regular season, and the Patriots currently on the outside looking in, Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe joins us once again to discuss the club's chances this season, and what we might see from them in the future.

Saturday Morning Sports: Given all the injuries the Patriots have had, and with Bill Belichick's history (spygate), and the job Tony Sparano has done in Miami this year, do you think Belichick will get any votes for coach of the year?
Mike Reiss: I do think Bill Belichick will get some votes, but I don't think he'll get enough to earn the honor. There are too many other candidates, from Tony Sparano, to Mike Smith, to John Harbaugh, to Jeff Fisher. But you listen to people around the NFL and they tip their cap to the job that Belichick has done this year.

SMS: Is Tedy Bruschi done for the season? Is his career in jeopardy?
MR: Bruschi has yet to be placed on season-ending injured reserve, so the door is not closed on his potential return, but it's a longer shot. The knee injury itself isn't a career-ender, but given where Bruschi is at this point of his career, it's something that must be kept in mind.

SMS: Do you think the Patriots will re-sign Matt Cassel in the offseason?
MR: I don't see Cassel re-signing with the Patriots. There is the possibility of the franchise tag being assigned, and then Cassel being traded. Otherwise, it would be that rare situation where a quarterback in his prime years, who led the team to a winning season, hits the open market. If the Patriots lose Cassel, they would likely receive the highest possible compensatory draft choice in 2010 -- the year after he departs -- which is a third-rounder.

SMS: Who would you say is the Patriots MVP so far this year?
MR: My choice would go to receiver Wes Welker. He leads the NFL in yards after the catch and I thought his presence in the short passing game helped the offense stay afloat until Matt Cassel got more comfortable throwing the long ball. His consistency has also been most impressive.

SMS: Do you think the Patriots playing in London will hurt them at all next season?
MR: I don't see that experience hurting the Patriots from a travel perspective. The only thing that comes to mind is that some players have voiced concerns over the playing surface in past years, but that was supposedly improved this year.

SMS: Any predictions for the Pats playoff chances?
MR: I think the Patriots will beat the Bills on Sunday, so it will come down to the Ravens-Jaguars and Jets-Dolphins. I don't see the Ravens losing, which would rule out the wild-card. I could see the Jets winning, though, which would open the door. I don't have any strong prediction at this time, though.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE AFC...

Just when it looked like the Patriots might be eliminated from the AFC East race, the Jets laid an egg. New York, needing a win in Seattle to create a two team race for the division, lost 13-3 to the Seahawks at a snowy Qwest Field earlier today. Had the Jets beaten Seattle, coupled with the Dolphins win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and it would have been mathematically impossible for New England to win the AFC East. Now, a Patriots win in Buffalo next week and a Jets victory over Miami will make the Patriots divisional champs once again.

The Pats are tied with the Dolphins at 10-5, with the Jets following them at 9-6. Miami travels to the Meadowlands to take on the Jets in Week 17. New England is not out of the woods yet though. If the Fish beat New York next week, they win the division. If Baltimore, which currently owns the sixth and final playoff spot, also wins, the Pats will be left out in the cold.

The Ravens closed out Texas Stadium with a bang, beating the Cowboys 33-24. If the Ravens win in Jacksonville next week, they win the second wild card spot. The Colts clinched the other wild card spot and the fifth seed by beating the Jags last week. It's extremely confusing, with so many teams with good records. Hopefully, this will help:

PATRIOTS WIN AFC EAST IF:

• They beat Buffalo
• Jets beat Miami
  

PATRIOTS WIN WILD CARD IF:

• They beat Buffalo
• Ravens lose to Jacksonville

Keep in mind that no 11-5 team has ever been left out of the playoffs. While one 11-5 or 10-6 team is guaranteed to miss the postseason, either Denver or San Diego will make the playoffs at 8-8 or 9-7. The Chargers hold the tiebreaker over the Broncos, so if they win next week and Denver loses, the Bolts will win the AFC West. Any way you slice it, one good team will be watching the playoffs from home.

*Quick Note: The Broncos play the Chargers next week in San Diego. It is, essentially, a one game playoff for the AFC West title.

A WILD AND WACKY SEASON IN THE NBA

The Celtics are going for win number 17 in a row tonight at TD Banknorth Garden against the Bulls. It has been an unbelievable season thus far for the defending champs, who are off to one of the best starts of all time, and already have an 11 game lead in the Atlantic Division. The C's though, are not the only reason why this has been a wild and wacky season in the NBA. Here are a few thoughts about the first 30 games or so in the National Basketball Association.

First off, it's interesting how good the good teams are and how bad the bad teams are. Heading into tonight's action, Boston is 24-2, Cleveland is 21-4, and the Los Angeles Lakers are 21-3. All three of them are virtually unbeatable at home, combining for a 41-2 mark on their respective home courts. The Cavaliers are the only remaining team that is undefeated at home, and have outscored opponents by 13.4 points per game overall, the largest margin in the NBA. Orlando, at 20-6, isn't really even in the discussion of the best teams in the league.

On the other hand, the league does have a few really terrible teams. The Thunder, in the team's first season since moving from Seattle, are just 2-24 and have lost eight straight. And they might not even be the worst team in their own division! Minnesota is just ahead of them at this point at 4-21. The Timberwolves have lost 11 in a row, and haven't won a game since they beat (who else?) Oklahoma City on the day after Thanksgiving. As a team, Minnesota has the lowest field goal percentage in the league, and the lowest adjusted field goal percentage, which measures the efficiency of their shots.

And of course, you can't talk about the truly bad teams without a mention of the Washington Wizards. Without Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards have only four wins, and never really play defense. At all. Ever. Of course, there is something else that Washington, Minnesota, and Oklahoma City have in common. All three have fired their coaches.

In fact, they are three of the six teams that have decided to make a coaching change, joining Sacramento, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Six, as you may have guessed, is the most coaches fired before Christmas in the history of the NBA. Teams appear to be giving less and less time for coaches to succeed, and, at least in some cases, are using more of a "what have you done for me lately" approach. Eddie Jordan led the Wizards to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, Sam Mitchell of the Raptors was only two years removed from winning the NBA Coach of the Year award, and Mo Cheeks signed an extension with Philadelphia last season! Six coaches have lost their jobs so far, but you can bet more will be forced out before season's end.

Other noteworthy story lines include the emergence of the Nuggets with new point guard Chauncey Billups and the struggles of the Pistons with Allen Iverson, and the unreal Stephon Marbury saga in New York. All of these reasons, and more, make this one of the craziest NBA seasons in quite some time.

EVAN'S WEEK 16 PICKS

Baltimore at Dallas (-3)
Cincinnati at Cleveland (-2)
New Orleans at Detroit (+8)
Pittsburgh at Tennessee (+4.5)
Miami at Kansas City (+5.5)
San Francisco at St. Louis (+4)
Arizona at New England (-4)
San Diego at Tampa Bay (-4.5)
NY Jets at Seattle (+3.5)
Houston at Oakland (+3.5)
Buffalo at Denver (-3.5)
Philadelphia at Washington (+6)
Atlanta at Minnesota (-2)
Carolina at NY Giants (E)
Green Bay at Chicago (-6)

MARK'S WEEK 16 PICKS

DALLAS -3
cincinnati +2
new orleans -8
pittsburgh -4.5
KANSAS CITY +5.5
san francisco -4
NEW ENGLAND -4.5
TAMPA BAY -3.5
SEATTLE +3.5
houston -3.5
DENVER -3.5
philadelphia -6
atlanta +2
carolina E
CHICAGO -6

Q AND A WITH SEAN McADAM OF THE BOSTON HERALD

Sean McAdam is the Red Sox beat writer for the Boston Herald and an occasional contributor to ESPN.com. He agreed to answer a few questions for us (via email) about the Sox and the club's current and future plans.

Saturday Morning Sports: Do you think we will see Mark Teixeira in a Red Sox uniform in 2009?
Sean McAdam: Not now I don't. It sure looked that way for a few hours Thursday night, and I suppose nothing should surprise us, but it seems obvious that the Sox have made their last, best offer and it apparently falls way short of what's being offered elsewhere.

Editor's Note: While earlier tonight it appeared the Sox were on the verge of signing Teixeira, those talks are apparently over. Team owner John Henry said in an email to the Associated Press that Boston has been outbid for the first baseman, and "will not be a factor" in signing him.

SMS: If Jason Varitek does re-sign with Boston, do you think he will be the every day catcher again this year?
SMA: I do think Varitek will re-sign for a one-year deal and while "everyday'' might be a stretch, I see him catching the majority of games, probably around 100 or so.

SMS: Do you think the Sox will add a starting pitcher to take the fifth spot in the rotation?
SMA: I think it's likely that the Sox will sign a veteran on the (relative) cheap -- someone like John Smoltz, or somewhat less likely, Brad Penny. Neither will be ready to start the season, but could provide the same kind of veteran depth that Bartolo Colon provided last year.

SMS: Are you surprised by the Yankees seemingly trying to buy every major free agent?
SMA: Not at all. First, you know that missing the playoffs after a 13-year run wasn't going to sit well with the Steinbrenners. Also, the Yanks are moving into a new ballpark which only enhances their economic advantages.

SMS: Where does Clay Buchholz stand with the Red Sox? Do you think he'll start the year in Boston or back in the minors?
SMA: Much will depend on how Buccholz fares in spring training. He ended the year on a postive note and the Sox believe he's ready to make an impact. But if he struggles -- especially with mechanical issues -- it wouldn't surprise me to see him begin in Pawtucket.

SMS: With the emergence of Jed Lowrie last season, will the Red Sox try to unload Julio Lugo (and his big contract)?
SMA: Lugo will be given a chance to win back his job in spring training, but ultimately, I think Lowrie will be the shortstop. There aren't any takers for Lugo this winter, so the Sox can either have him fill the utility role or hope that some team discovers it needs to trade for a shortstop in the spring.

SMS: Do you think the Rays were a one year cinderella story? Are they going to be as good this season?
SMA: I think the Rays are for real. They've developed a lot of great young talent and will be a factor in the division. I do, however, worry how they're going to retain those players when they get to arbitration and closer to free agency. I do think the set-up relief could be an issue, too, since it's unlikely that Balfour and Howell, two journeymen, will duplicate their performances again.

SMS: What's your opinion of the new logo and uniform(s)? What were the players thoughts on them?
SMA: I'm not crazy about the new road uniforms; I liked the red lettering and the names on the back. Also don't like the new "hanging sox' hat, but it's all about merchandise sales, I suppose. Everyone's doing it. Sorry, but haven't had much access to players in the last week to gauge their thoughts on the new unis.

A TEAM THAT'S (GASP!) BETTER THAN THE BRUINS?

The Bruins hot start has shocked many in the world of hockey. It's been another team, however, the seems to be pushing hockey slowly back into sports fans' collective consciousness: the San Jose Sharks. The Pacific Division leading Sharks are actually off to the best start in NHL history, with 53 points in 31 games, surpassing the 1929-30 Bruins for most points (52) in a team's first 30 games.

The Sharks raw numbers are staggering. They are 25-3-3, and lead the (more) talented Western Conference by eight points, and the Pacific division by 15. Through 31 games this year, San Jose has scored 110 goals, most in the NHL. On average, the Sharks score the second most goals per game in the league (3.55), and allow the third fewest (2.32).

Most impressively, though, is the fact that the team is only 15th in home attendance. Now, why would that be impressive? Because even without that advantage, the Sharks are so damn good at home. Inside "The Shark Tank", they are 16-0-2, and have potted 68 out of their 110 goals.

Here are three reasons the Sharks have had this kind of success so far, and will continue to dominate the NHL in 2008-09.

EVERYBODY CONTRIBUTES
Much like the Bruins, the Sharks seem to have the right mix of developing youngsters, and veteran stars who show them how to play the game "the right way." Devin Setoguchi, San Jose's 21-year-old right wing is an emerging superstar, and has taken off playing on a line with former Bruin Joe Thornton and captain Patrick Marleau. Setoguchi has 16 goals and 17 assists (33 points) in 31 games, compared to last year when the rookie appeared in 44 games and scored 11 goals with 6 helpers (17 points) for San Jose.

Starting goaltender Evgeni Nabokov has struggled with injuries at times in his career, so the stellar play of backup Brian Boucher has been a tremendous boost as well. Boucher is 8-1-1 in 10 starts this season, with a goals against average of 1.88, and two shutouts to boot. Should Nabokov go down for an extended period of time, Boucher has proved that he can hold down the fort until the starter comes back.

SPECIAL TEAMS
The Sharks penalty killing unit has been solid, and their play with the man advantage has been huge. Ryane Clowe, who scored a career high 16 goals for the Sharks in 2006-07, already has eight power play goals so far this season, good for third in the league. As a team, San Jose is also third in the league in power play goals with 34 , and second in the NHL in short handed goals, having tallied seven shorties so far this season. Special team success, of course, comes from puck possession, and the Sharks face-off percentage is up to 52.8%, trailing only Detroit and Nashville in that category.

DEPTH
San Jose, like most teams, has struggled with injuries at times this season. Jeremy Roenick is now out three weeks with a shoulder injury, but that shouldn't hinder the Sharks approach much at all. Torrey Mitchell, a breakout rookie one year ago, fractured his leg in the preseason and hasn't played a game yet. Young bucks like Riley Armstrong and Tom Cavanaugh have filled in when necessary and San Jose hasn't lost a beat. Of course, the team's every day lineup is plenty strong, with Thornton, Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo, and Joe Pavelski up front, and Rob Blake, Dan Boyle, Marc-Edouard Vlasic (pickles!), and Christian Erhoff on defense, so it will take a lot more than one injury to slow this team down.

The Sharks dominance is an extraordinary story, and hopefully they will continue to put hockey back in the spotlight, at least for a little while. Of course, San Jose is a team that has struggled in the playoffs before, so they will need to buck that trend to truly make this season a success. Through 31 games though, they are off to a start nobody could have possibly imagined.

PLAYING GM

One blogger on ESPN's SportsNation website had an interesting idea. Try putting together a baseball team, based on 2008 salaries, that could (theoretically) contend for a championship. The only rule is that your full roster of players can't exceed $50 million. So, here we go, with my team of thirteen position players and twelve pitchers, including a five man starting rotation, and a bullpen.

STARTING LINEUP
1. Curtis Granderson, CF, $1,000,000
2. Hanley Ramirez, SS, $490,000
3. Joe Mauer, C, $6,250,000
4. Ryan Braun, LF, $455,000
5. David Wright, 3B, $5,250,000
6. Milton Bradley, RF, $5,250,000
7. Kevin Youkilis, 1B, $3,000,000
8. Brandon Phillips, 2B, $2,937,500
9. Pitcher's Spot

BENCH
1. Geovany Soto, C, $400,000
2. Shannon Stewart, OF, $1,500,000
3. Billy Butler, 1B, $399,000
4. Kelly Johnson, 2B, $430,000
5. Pablo Ozuna, IF, $1,050,000

Total for position players: $27,711,500

STARTING ROTATION
1. Jake Peavy, SP, $6,500,000
2. Brandon Webb, SP, $5,500,000
3. Jair Jurrjens, SP, $390,000
4. Edinson Volquez, SP, $392,500
5. Jon Lester, SP, $421,500

BULLPEN
1. Chad Billingsley, LR, $415,000
2. Joe Beimel, LR, $1,925,000
3. Chad Qualls, MR, $1,312,500
4. Chad Bradford, MR, $3, 666,666
5. JP Howell, MR/SU, $397,400
6. Mike Gonzalez, SU, $2,362,500
7. Jonathan Papelbon, CL, $775,000

Total Salary: $49,769,566

Just in under the $50,000,000 "cap". Anyone care to agree? Disagree?

TOP 5 TEAMS IN NBA HISTORY

With the Celtics continuing their torrid pace with a 100-91 win over the Utah Jazz last night, they now stand at 23-2, which is tied for the best 25 game start of all time. Boston has won 15 straight games, and is looking even more dominant than last year's 66-16 team that won the NBA Championship.

So in looking at these Celtics, as well as the 20-3 Lakers and the 20-4 Cavaliers, let's take a look at the best five teams in NBA history. Will any of these three make future lists like this? We'll just have to wait and see.

5. 1988-89 DETROIT PISTONS (63-19)
This Pistons of 88-89 were one of the best defensive teams of all-time. Led by Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, along with Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, and Vinnie "the Microwave" Johnson, Detroit's regular season dominance was nothing compared to their post season success. The team went 15-2 in the playoffs, and swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, 4-0.

4. 1982-83 PHILADELPHIA 76'ERS (65-17)
The Sixers "Fo Fo Fo" team, as named by Moses Malone for the number of games it would take Philly to win each series (he was almost right, too) was spectacular. In Malone's first season with the 76'ers, he led the team with 24.5 points and 15.6 rebounds per game. His playoff numbers were slightly better (26.0 points and 15.8 rebounds) and Philadelphia cruised to a 12-1 post season mark. Their .923 playoff winning percentage is the highest all time.

3. 1985-86 BOSTON CELTICS (67-15)
The '85-'86 team was probably the best of the original "Big Three" era in Boston. Bird, McHale, and Parish were joined by Dennis Johnson, Bill Walton, and Danny Ainge, and were virtually unbeatable at home. The club posted a 40-1 record at Boston Garden, the best home record ever. Upset by last season's NBA Finals loss to the Lakers, the Green came back strong, and beat the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals.

2. 1971-72 LOS ANGELES LAKERS (69-13)
These Lakers were virtual opposites of the Celtics team above, as they posted the best regular season road record the game has ever seen (31-7). At one point, they won 16 straight road games, and 33 straight games overall, both NBA records. Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain brought the Lakers their first championship of the Los Angeles era, and broke the NBA record for most wins (since broken) in a single season.

1. 1995-96 CHICAGO BULLS (72-10)
Who else? The best team of all time was led by the best player of all time, Michael Jordan. In MJ's first full season since returning from retirement, he led the Bulls to a scorching hot start, beginning the season 41-3. Chicago never let up, as it's 72 wins remains the most regular season wins ever. Including the playoffs, these Bulls went 87-13, by far the best mark ever. His Airness, then 32, started all 82 games and averaged over 30 points per. The 1995-96 Bulls truly are the greatest team in NBA history.

Will this year's Celtics (or Lakers or Cavs for that matter) be able to crack the top five when all is said and done? No one knows. What we do know is it will take something truly extraordinary from KG and company to even be considered the best Celtics team ever. Through 25 games though, they are certainly off to a good start.

Disagree with this list? Should we have included the '86-'87 Lakers, '69-'70 Knicks, or '64-'65 Celtics? Let us know! Leave a comment, or email us at wntnsports@gmail.com.

WEEK 15 PICKS RECAP

Wow, what a rough week for the two of us. When I first tallied up my picks, I thought this might be the week where Evan closes the gap big time. Then, I tallied up his picks.

MARK: 5-10
EVAN: 5-10

For the season:

MARK: 98-99-2
EVAN: 92-105-2

So with two weeks left to play, Evan has a six-game deficit he must make up. Otherwise that dinner is all mine. I'll be also trying for the moral victory of finishing above .500.

EVEN WITH WINS, PATRIOTS NEED HELP

Right when it looked like the Patriots would be alone atop the AFC East, JP Losman fumbled the ball. The Bills quarterback was hit by Jets safety Abram Elam, who knocked the ball loose just as Losman was attempting to throw it. Shaun Ellis recovered and took the pigskin into the end zone, giving the Jets a 31-27 lead with 1:54 to play at the Meadowlands yesterday afternoon. Of course, they held on to beat the Bills by that same score. Meanwhile down south, the Dolphins seemed to be getting manhandled by San Francisco, but the 49'ers just couldn't get the ball into the end zone. Even though they ran 79 offensive plays, 37 more than Miami, the Dolphins narrowly escaped, 14-9.

So, as the Pats kicked off their game in Oakland yesterday, it was another must win. Against the Raiders, it was over early. New England's offense dominated the overmatched Oakland D, with the Patriots gaining 277 yards on the ground. Matt Cassel threw a career high four touchdown passes in the 49-26 victory, including two to ex-Raider Randy Moss. So after another Sunday, the Patriots find themselves in the exact same spot, tied with the Jets and Dolphins atop the AFC East.

Unfortunately for New England, they are third in the tiebreakers, so winning out won't necessarily guarantee a playoff berth. If the Jets and Dolphins, who play each other in week 17, both win next week, the Patriots can not win the division. With Indianapolis poised to grab the first wild card spot, the Pats would need a Baltimore loss to sneak in as the sixth and final seed. Baltimore plays at Dallas next week, and at Jacksonville to close out the year.

No team that went 11-5 in the regular season has ever missed the playoffs. But with the Dolphins playing well, and the Jets playing Seattle next week, it looks like that may just happen. Hopefully one of them will lose, and the other will lose in the final regular season game. At this point, that just doesn't seem very likely. The Pats best chance to make it appears to be a Ravens loss. Of course, if they lose to either Arizona or Buffalo, whatever happens outside of Foxboro doesn't really matter.

MORE DALLAS DRAMA: AVERY WON'T RETURN TO STARS

Mark wrote a great post a while ago about Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery's comments about other NHL players dating his ex-girlfriends, and the subsequent "indefinite" suspension that followed. And now, just a couple weeks later, the plot thickens once again.

Avery, just 23 games into a four year, $15.5 million contract, will not return to the club once his suspension ends. Commissioner Gary Bettman suspended Avery for six games on November 2 for saying "I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight" before a game between the Stars and Calgary Flames. Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf is dating Avery's ex-girlfriend, actress Elisha Cuthbert.

This seems like a convenient excuse for Dallas to rid itself of Avery. I mean, they can't really be kicking him off the team for this comment, right? Not only is it a freedom of speech issue, but it really wasn't all that vulgar. It appears that the Stars players, who were united in their decision to dump Avery, believe that he has problems beyond ex-girlfriends. If this interview is the only reason he won't return to the club, it sure seems like a gross overreaction.

One commenter on ESPN's article about the decision wrote "He should have just slashed Phanuef in the head, then he would have gotten two games, if anything." Unfortunately for the NHL, it's actually a valid point. In his blog for NESN.com, Bruins play-by-play man Jack Edwards questioned precedent in NHL suspensions. Flyers defenseman Randy Jones viciously hit Patrice Bergeron from behind, giving him a grade-3 concussion and a broken nose, and knocking him out for 72 regular season games and seven playoff games, and was suspended for two games. Same with Scott Hartnell, who took a cheap shot at Andrew Alberts and gave him a terrible concussion as well. So that's two games for cheap shots on the ice that badly injure opposing players, and six games for a comment about an ex-girlfriend in the media, and then a ban from returning to the team. Wow.

So what's next for Avery? The Stars can trade him, send him to the minors (through waivers), or buy him out for two thirds of his deal ($8 million instead of $12 million). He probably won't be flat out released, because then Dallas would need to pay him his entire salary for the next four years. Should he get claimed off waivers, his new team and the Stars would split the salary. Whatever ultimately happens with Avery doesn't matter, the NHL will look stupid either way. But that's nothing new for Gary Bettman and company.

Yes there is still more drama in Dallas. But for once it has nothing to do with TO.

THE MANIFESTO OF HANK

Big surprise! The Yankees are making a splash in free agency once again. After a disappointing 2008 campaign, New York emptied it's (extremely) deep pockets to free agent starters CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett, paying them a combined $243.5 million over the next few years. And they aren't done yet. The Yanks appear to be in the bidding for Ben Sheets and (possibly) Mark Teixeira, although the latter may just be to drive up the price for the Red Sox, among other teams.

But why exactly is Hank Steinbrenner paying the GDP of a small nation to make his Yankees the team to beat in baseball once again? The answer is simple: He wants to prove a point. Hank is essentially saying that failure will not be tolerated. Last year's team failed miserably, so he is looking to improve it by doing something the Yankees know how to do well. Spend money.

As a Red Sox fan, this delights me. No, it's not because CC Sabathia weighs a metric ton, nor is it because AJ Burnett if often injured and has never had an ERA below 3.30. It's because Hank is taking the exact wrong approach to turning the Yankees around.

If he were smart, Hank would invest more into his farm system, and only fork over the dough for free agents that fit in perfectly with his team. Look at the Red Sox. A large number of the club's starters were drafted by Boston, and came up through the Sox farm system. Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Manny Delcarmen, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia are all homegrown talents that were found through great scouting by Boston, and have all helped the club win two World Series titles in four years.

Now that's not to say the Sox haven't spent their fair share of money in the past couple of years. JD Drew, Julio Lugo, Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett, and Daisuke Matsuzaka are among the high priced players brought in through either trade or free agency. Finding the right mix is what wins down the line, and hopefully, Hank will learn that the hard way.

Remember just a few years ago, when the Yankees said they were going to pay more attention to the players down on the farm? Well, they failed miserably at it. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are still in the minors (maybe they should have traded them for Johan Santana...), Melky Cabrera is being used as trade bait, and Robinson Cano is another boneheaded play or mental lapse from giving the entire city of New York a heart attack, and he may soon be headed elsewhere as well. It seems that out of their entire system, only Joba Chamberlain has given them substantial results, and will continue to do so down the road.

Maybe instead of buying players, Hank should consider buying a competent scouting department. But hey, it's not like that formula has ever worked in New York before. Oh wait, the great Yankees teams of the 1990's had homegrown players like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, and Jorge Posada.

I guess Georgie's son just hasn't learned. So he is going to continue to spend and spend and spend daddy's money until the Yankees are unstoppable. Unfortunately for Hank, it usually doesn't work out that way.

EVAN'S WEEK 15 PICKS

Tampa Bay at Atlanta (-2)
Washington at Cincinnati (+9.5)
Seattle at St. Louis (E)
San Francisco at Miami (-2)
Buffalo at NY Jets (-5.5)
Detroit at Indianapolis (-11.5)
San Diego at Kansas City (+3)
Green Bay at Jacksonville (+1.5)
Tennessee at Houston (+3)
Minnesota at Arizona (-1.5)
Denver at Carolina (-5.5)
Pittsburgh at Baltimore (-1.5)
New England at Oakland (+4)
NY Giants at Dallas (+2)
Cleveland at Philadelphia (-9.5)

MARK'S WEEK 15 PICKS

ATLANTA -2
washington -9.5
seattle E
MIAMI -2
JETS -5.5
INDIANAPOLIS -11.5
san diego -3
green bay -1.5
tennessee -3
minnesota +1.5
denver +5.5
pittsburgh +1.5
new england -4
giants -2
cleveland +9.5

GROSS NEEDS TO GO FOR SYRACUSE TO SUCCEED

I know what your thinking. Oh great, another post about Syracuse! Well, the Orange are in the news again, as Athletic Director Daryl Gross has apparently decided on New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Marrone as his next head football coach. The move is a puzzling one, and reveals a horrifying trend for fans of Syracuse: The continued incompetence of Dr. Daryl Gross.

Now that may seem a bit harsh but believe me, it's not. Sure, Greg Robinson was a disaster, but his boss is just as much to blame. Gross has done nothing of value since taking over as Syracuse AD, and even worse, has tried to convince fans that none of the problems are his fault. Sure, the football team is the worst it's ever been, and the basketball team hasn't reached the big dance in two years, but Gross wants you to look at the other sports to see how well he's done. The men's lacrosse team won the national championship last season. The field hockey team was ranked number one for much of the year! It's not just about the high revenue sports, you know.

But wait. How much of that was actually Gross' doing? The lacrosse national championship sure wasn't because of him. In fact, until two years ago, the lacrosse team had been to the final four 22 straight times. And with field hockey, he wasn't exactly doing the coaching or recruiting.

What about other sports, like swimming and diving? Oh wait, Gross decided to cut those two sports completely. It wasn't until the criticisms came rolling in that he ultimately opted for a three year phase out, instead of just eliminating the programs right away. After his initial announcement to get rid of the teams, Dr. Phil Witten, Executive Director of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America, stated that Gross "had a breathtaking lack of competence" and called for his resignation. No such luck. What a huge help in the "non major" sports Daryl Gross has been.

Which brings us back to football. Within weeks of his hiring as Syracuse AD, Gross unceremoniously fired coach Paul Pasqualoni, who went 107-59-1 in 14 seasons, and went 6-3 in bowl games. I guess that just wasn't good enough for Gross. He then elected to hire Greg Robinson, who had no head coaching experience whatsoever. Yeah, that really worked out.

And now, Gross is going with Marrone. Hmm, a coordinator who has shuttled between the NFL and the college game and has never been a head coach before...sound familiar?

I hope Marrone succeeds, I really do. But with Gross' continued buffoonery, I'm just not sure that's possible.

A HILARIOUS NHL FEUD

Barry Melrose, former (and future) ESPN hockey analyst and ex-coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning is in a hilarious feud with team owner Len Barrie. Melrose, hired in June to serve as head coach of the club, was fired just 16 games into the season and replaced by assistant coach Rick Tocchet. A war of words of this quality is rarely seen on today's sports scene, but this one has all the makings of fight that just won't go away.

One major point of contention is the play of rookie Steven Stamkos. Stamkos, the first overall pick in last year's NHL draft, has struggled in his first season of professional hockey, with just three goals and nine assists through 28 games. Melrose contends that Stamkos, who has no minor league experience, is not ready for the NHL yet and needs some seasoning in the AHL before coming up to the big club. The owner, however, disagrees. "He didn't want Steven on this team from day one, and it was evident how he played him," Barrie said, according to the St. Petersburg Times. "Everyone knows this kid is a star player."

When exactly did it become the decision of the owner who plays and for how many minutes? While it's true, Melrose is certainly not the most experienced coach in the league, he's the guy YOU HIRED. He's the one running practice every day, he's the one spending all the time with the players, and it should be HIS DECISION who plays in the games. Based on Stamkos' numbers so far this season, it appears Melrose is absolutely right. The kid just isn't ready for the NHL yet.

In a great Q and A session with John Buccigross (friend of the show), Melrose responded to Bucci's question "Have you been rooting for the Lightning to lose?" exactly how I've always wanted an ex-coach to respond to a question like that. "Yes. I hope they never win another game. I think when people say that they don't care, they are lying to you. One of the reasons ESPN wanted me back on the air is to tell the truth, and yeah, I hope they never win another game." Finally, someone not thinking ahead to another job, but responding to a question in the here and now.

As for owner Len Barrie, is it really a surprise that Tampa Bay is an NHL worst 6-14-8 (20 points)? You hired a coach, then fired him after 16 games because he wasn't doing it in the way you would have. Why don't you give coaching a try? The more I read into this great feud, the more I agree with the mullet: Len Barrie is the problem.

WEEK 14 PICKS RECAP

Evan picked up a game this week, and once again we both managed to both go under .500 for the week.

EVAN: 7-8
MARK: 6-9

For the season:

MARK: 93-89-2
EVAN: 87-95-2

RED SOX UNIFORM CHANGES: JUST STOP IT ALREADY

The Boston Red Sox ownership group, comprised of John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino, are known as guys who get things done. In their brief reign over Boston's baseball team, we have seen two World Series Championships, as well as soaring popularity throughout the nation (and plenty of hatred, too). But there is one aspect of Henry, Werner, and Lucchino's time as owners that is most telling: Their need to squeeze the fans out of every last dime.

There are the constant additions to Fenway Park, adding seats in every possible direction, the embarrassing Red Sox Nation Membership Cards, and now a logo and uniform change that is set to be unveiled on Thursday. The Sox have had the same basic uniform design (and logo for that matter) for quite a long time, and it seems like the only reason to change that now is to sell more hats and jerseys. All of it seems so unnecessary.

Hopefully the changes will be minor, and they won't completely butcher the whole thing. Either way, you can bet these new unis will be up for sale on redsox.com very soon.

A NEW JOB FOR ROBINSON?

Rumors are swirling around former Syracuse head football coach Greg Robinson about a possible new job. Robinson, who was fired by Syracuse after going just 10-38 in four seasons, is considered one of the biggest head coaching disasters of all time, yet a new position seems likely to fall into his lap. I'm talking, of course, about teaching kindergarten at Edward Smith Elementary School (what, you thought I meant coaching football?!). After all, Robinson seems like an ideal fit for the job. His rendition of The Little Engine That Could was wonderful, and his overly positive approach seems perfect for the little ones.

IS JULIEN A RUNAWAY FOR COACH OF THE YEAR?

Bruins head coach Claude Julien is most definitely a favorite to take home the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year. But is he a runaway for the prestigious honor, even this early in the season?

I think it will come down to a two man race between Julien and San Jose Sharks head man Todd McLellan, a first year head coach. McLellan was an assistant on last season's Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings squad, and was hired by San Jose after the club fired Ron Wilson in June.

McLellan's Sharks are off to the best start in NHL history. Through 27 games, San Jose is 22-3-2 with 46 points, six more than Boston. They are 14-0-2 at home in the Shark Tank, and have scored 102 goals (most in the league) and have only allowed 64. While the Sharks were considered a top flight NHL team coming into the season, nobody truly saw this coming.

Which brings us to Julien. The B's were the eighth seed in last year's playoffs, and only added rookie Blake Wheeler, fourth line center Stephane Yelle, and forward Michael Ryder--a highly criticized signing-- to the roster. Yet here they are with 40 points (18-4-4), the most in the Eastern Conference. The defense has been tremendous for Boston thus far, as they have allowed only 56 goals, the fewest in the NHL. And the offense, a weak point last year, has been nothing short of great. Boston is third in the league, having lit the lamp 89 times so far this season.

It would be a huge surprise for anyone other than Julien or McLellan to take home the hardware after the season. Julien has to be the early favorite, we are certainly looking at a tight race down the stretch.

EVAN'S WEEK 14 PICKS

Jacksonville at Chicago (-6.5)
Minnesota at Detroit (+8)
Houston at Green Bay (-7)
Cleveland at Tennessee (-10.5)
Cincinnati at Indianapolis (-11.5)
Atlanta at New Orleans (E)
Philadelphia at NY Giants (-9)
Kansas City at Denver (-8)
Miami at Buffalo (+1)
NY Jets at San Francisco (+8)
New England at Seattle (+7.5)
St. Louis at Arizona (-14)
Dallas at Pittsburgh (-2)
Washington at Baltimore (-7)
Tampa Bay at Carolina (+1.5)

MARK'S WEEK 14 PICKS

CHICAGO -6.5
DETROIT +8
houston +7
cleveland +10.5
cincinnati +11.5
atlanta E
GIANTS -9
kansas city +8
miami -1
jets -8
new england -7.5
st. louis +14
PITTSBURGH -2
washington +7
tampa bay +1.5

THURSDAY NIGHT PICK

Mark and Evan both pick Oakland +8.

RONDO'S IMPROVEMENT KEY FOR C'S

Last night, the Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 114-96 at TD Banknorth Garden, and are now 18-2 for the second straight year. After a closely contested first half, Boston crushed the Pacers in the final 24 minutes, outscoring them 57-45 in the last two quarters.

This Celtics team is just as good as last year's group, which of course raised banner number 17 last June. While yes, James Posey, one of the team's best defenders, is gone, Rajon Rondo has improved so much it's scary. Now don't get me wrong, Rondo was good last season. Without his great play, who knows what would have happened? But this year he has truly been special. Against the Pacers last night, Rondo became only the third player in NBA history with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 17 assists, and 3 steals in a game (Magic Johnson and Fat Lever were the others).

Rondo's oft-criticized shooting has improved a ton as well. He's draining 51.3% of his shots this season, up from 49.2% a year ago. He has also been slightly better from three (he doesn't take many), and has been better from the charity stripe as well.

If the Celtics are as good as last season's team--and by all accounts they are, Rondo's contribution has to be one of the major reasons why. Hopefully he will continue his stellar play and help the team build off it's 18-2 start.

YET ANOTHER REASON TO LAUGH AT THE NHL

I really wanted to get back into hockey this season. I swear. With the Bruins playing as well as they are (and myself being unemployed and bored), I figured now was as good a time as any to start watching hockey regularly.

But the worst commissioner in sports, Gary Bettman, continues to do his best to cultivate the laughing stock image of hockey he has so successfully created in his tenure. His most recent bonehead decision is the suspension of Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery for comments about his ex-girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert. Here's Avery's quote:

"I'm really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada," he said. "I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight."

The trauma. The horror. How will our children sleep at night with Sean Avery's words creeping into their bedrooms at night and raping their eardrums.

As a result of his comments, Bettman decided to suspend Avery INDEFINITELY. This comes the same day as the New York Giants suspended Plaxico Burress for the remainder of the season. Let's compare infractions.

Plaxico Burress:
-Carrying a concealed weapon in a club
-Carrying a weapon without a permit
-Discharging said concealed, unpermitted weapon inside club into his leg
-Trying to find a hospital where incident would not be reported
-Checking into hospital under a fake name
-Trying to dispose of said concealed, unpermitted, weapon somewhere in New Jersey

Sean Avery:
-Made fun of another hockey player for dating his ex-girlfriend

Burress is slapped with a 4 game suspension, Avery is suspended INDEFINITELY. I cannot stress this enough. If Gary Bettman has any sense left whatsoever, he will make this a one game suspension and get it over with. It is a complete joke. Not only is it not even remotely worthy of deserving suspension, but should also be protected within the first amendment. This is a free speech issue! In other sports, when atheletes say non-politically correct things, they are fined. But in hockey, you are suspended INDEFINITELY. Welcome to the first sport that runs itself like the Chinese government.

PICKS RECAP

It's been a couple of weeks since we've updated the standings on Evan and my season long competition. Here are the results of the past two weeks:

WEEK 12
Evan 6-8
Mark 8-6

WEEK 13
Evan 6-7
Mark 5-8

SEASON TOTALS
Evan 80-87-2
Mark 87-80-2

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

I recently stumbled across this story from CBS Sportsline, originally published in October, 2004. The column, written by Greg Doyle, lists the ten best shooting guards from college basketball that season. Now, more than four years later, some of these former superstars are tearing it up in the NBA, while others are playing in Europe, and others are narrowly hanging on to their basketball lives here in the United States. Let's take a look at who made it big and who fizzled out since then, in Saturday Morning Sports' Where Are They Now?

BIG TIME PLAYERS
Point guards one and two from the list are Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Both are now superstar players in the NBA, and look to be all-star players for years to come. Paul is averaging 20.3 points and 11.6 assists per game for New Orleans, and Williams is scoring nearly 10 points and dishing out 11.8 assists a game for Utah as he makes his way back from an ankle injury.
Danny Granger is the only small forward who can be considered a Big Time Player, and he is certainly one of the best 3's in the game right now. Granger, who signed a massive deal to stay in Indiana this past offseason, is scoring nearly 25 points per game for Jim O'Brien's Pacers this season.

GOOD NBA PLAYERS
These are the players who aren't necessarily superstars, but are solid contributors for teams in the NBA. Andrew Bogut of the Bucks was listed as the NCAA's third best center in 2004. Bogut of course went on to be the number one overall pick for Milwaukee. The Australian big man is averaging a double double (11.4 points, 10.9 boards) so far this year. Another Buck on this list is Charlie Villanueva. The former UConn star is scoring 12 points per game while hitting 94% from the line. Hakim Warrick of the Grizzlies can fit this list as well. The Helicopter Man, and 19th overall pick by Memphis back in 2005, has played sporadically since his rookie season, and is just now getting serious PT for the awful Grizz. In 23.1 minutes, Warrick is scoring nearly 10 points per game. Raymond Felton of the Bobcats has been pretty good so far in his NBA career. Who knows if he will be in Charlotte for long, though, with the Bobcats drafting Texas point guard DJ Augustine in the first round.

NOT GREAT, BUT NOT TERRIBLE
The majority of players from this article fall into this category. Some get a little playing time, while others are rotting at the end of the bench. All, however, are still in the NBA.
College basketball's all-time leading three point shooter, JJ Redick, is playing sparingly for the Orlando Magic. In his first two seasons, Redick barely played. But now, with Michael Pietrus out for 3-4 months with a thumb injury, and Kieth Bogans shelved as well, Redick is getting an opportunity to play. He is averaging 18.4 minutes per game this season, but his trademark three just isn't falling. He is scoring only 4.4 points a game, on 29.4% shooting from behind the arc. Adam Morrison, who battled it out with Redick for player of the year honors, fits in here as well. Rumors continue to swirl that Morrison may be traded. At this point, he looks like a bust having been picked so high in the draft. Francisco Garcia has been OK for the Kings so far, and Ronny Turiaf, Shelden Williams, Josh Boone, Ike Diogu, Channing Frye, Jarret Jack, Ryan Gomes, Nate Robinson, Linas Kleiza, Paul Millsap, and Chuck Hayes all fit into this column nicely. Millsap, Turiaf, Robinson, and Gomes have been surprisingly good from this list, while Williams, Boone, and Diogu are simply mediocre. JR Giddens was drafted by the Celtics this past year, and is currently on the Utah Flash of the D-League, and Rashad McCants has been solid for Kevin McHale's Timberwolves.

NEVER MADE IT, BUT STILL IN BASKETBALL
These are those guys who were great in college, and then fizzled out quickly in the NBA, but are still trying their hand at pro ball. Remember Lawrence Roberts from Mississippi State? According to Wikipedia, he's playing for Red Star Belgrade in the Serbian League. Taylor Coppenrath from Vermont is playing the Spanish League. As is former Kansas star Wayne Simien, who did in fact win a ring in the NBA with the 2005-06 Miami Heat. Carl Krauser, who played at Pitt for about as long as Julius Hodge played for NC State (10 years maybe?) is in the CBA with the Pittsburgh Xplosion, and former Syracuse great Gerry McNamara, listed as the top shooting guard, has played in the D-League, and leagues in Greece, and Latvia.

OUT OF BASKETBALL
That just leaves former Iowa guard Pierre Pierce.The higest scoring member of the Hawkeyes, Pierce was kicked off the team after being arrested for third-degree burglary, assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, false imprisonment, and criminal mischief. He served 332 days in prison, and was released on probation; the terms of which prevented him from leaving Iowa to pursue a career in the NBA.