Celtics Win Thriller, Rockets Top Lakers Without Yao, Blue Jays Go Atop AL

In Orlando, the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 95-94 in a thriller to even the series at two games apiece. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 27 points and Rajon Rondo led them in rebounds with 14, but it was Glen "Big Baby" Davis who was heroic. Davis hit the game-winning jumper as time expired to give them the win, after relinquishing a nine-point lead with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Dwight Howard led the Magic with 23 points and 17 rebounds. Rashard Lewis also had a good game for the Magic, scoring 22 points. Game 5 is Tuesday in Boston.

In Houston, the Houston Rockets played surprisingly well in their game against the Los Angeles Lakers, beating them 99-87 to also even their series at two games apiece. Yao Ming, the Rockets' superstar, missed the game and will miss the rest of the playoffs with a broken foot. Rockets' guard Aaron Brooks led the Rockets with 34 points, and Luis Scola led them in rebounds with 14. Pau Gasol of the Lakers had a very productive game, leading his team in points with 30 and rebounds with nine. Kobe Bryant, Lakers' superstar, only scored 15 points in easily his worst game of the playoffs. Game 5 is Tuesday in Los Angeles.

In Oakland, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Oakland Athletics 5-0 to win their 22nd game of the season, which gives them the best record in the American League. Brett Cecil of the Blue Jays pitched an excellent game, pitching eight innings and only giving up five hits and no runs in his second major league start. Alex Rios drove in three runs for the Blue Jays, as the Athletics struggle. Dallas Braden got the loss for the Athletics, whose loss brings their record to 11-18.

Hall-of-Famer Daly Dies, Nuggets Stun Mavs, Saunders Outduels Greinke

Chuck Daly, the former head coach of the Detroit Pistons who won two championships with them in 1989 and 1990, has died. A couple of months ago, Daly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Since then, NBA head coaches and NBA analysts have paid tribute to him by wearing pins on their suits with Daly's initials on them. Daly went 638-437 as an NBA head coach with the Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic. Daly also led the 1992 U.S. Mens Olympic basketball team to a gold medal, a team mostly known as the Dream Team. He was 78 years old.

In Dallas, the Denver Nuggets shocked the Dallas Mavericks, beating them 106-105 to take a 3-0 series lead in their second round matchup. The game included a controversial play, when Carmelo Anthony of the Nuggets hit a three-pointer with one second remaining. Antoine Wright of the Mavericks was trying to intentionally foul Anthony, but the foul wasn't called. The NBA publicly said after the game that a foul should've been called. Chauncey Billups led the Nuggets with 32 points, while Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 33 points and 16 rebounds. Game 4 is Monday in Dallas.

In Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim beat the Kansas City Royals 1-0, behind the great pitching of Joe Saunders. Saunders pitched a complete game, pitching a shutout and only giving up five hits. Royals' pitcher Zack Greinke, who has been the early front runner for the AL Cy Young award, was excellent as well, only giving up a run by a sacrifice fly by Chone Figgins in the third inning. That was the only run in the game. Greinke only gave up four hits in his complete game as well, but he was handed his first loss of the season. The Royals fall to 18-13, while the Angels improve to 15-14.

Magic and Lakers Take 2-1 Lead, Yankees Shut Out Orioles

In Orlando, the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 117-96 to take a 2-1 series lead in their second round matchup. The Magic were missing Rafer Alston, who was suspended for a game for his incident with the Celtics' Eddie House. That didn't matter much. Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 28 points, and Dwight Howard had 17 points and 14 rebounds. Paul Pierce came alive for the Celtics in this game, scoring 27 points, but it didn't do much as the Magic were able to take firm control of the game early. Game 4 is Sunday in Orlando.

In Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 108-94 to also take a 2-1 series lead in their second round matchup. The Lakers were able to get their usual production from Kobe Bryant, who scored 33 points and grabbed six rebounds. Lamar Odom scored 16 points and grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds. Ron Artest led the Rockets with 25 points, but he was ejected again late in the fourth quarter for a flagrant two foul on Pau Gasol. Yao Ming was also limited by a foot injury but scored 19 points in defeat. Game 4 is Sunday in Houston.

In Baltimore, the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-0 in perhaps the best game of the season for the struggling Yankees. Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees superstar who missed the first several weeks of the season after arthroscopic hip surgery, hit a home run in his first at-bat of the season. It came off of the first pitch he saw from Jeremy Guthrie, and it was a three-run home run. Yankees' pitcher C.C. Sabathia had his best game of the season, pitching a complete game shutout for the win. The Yankees improved their record to 14-15, while the Orioles record falls to 12-18.

Manny Suspended 50 Games, Cavs Handle Hawks Again, Red Sox Top Indians

Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for violating baseball's drug policy. The earliest Ramirez can return is July 3, which is a big blow to a Dodgers team who has the best record in baseball, mainly because of him. So far, Ramirez has a .348 batting average with six home runs and 20 RBIs. Ramirez has stated that he took medication that was prescribed by a doctor, that happened to contain the banned substance.

In Cleveland, the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Atlanta Hawks again, beating them 105-85 to take a 2-0 series lead in their second round matchup. Lebron James led the team and the game with 27 points, and also grabbing three rebounds and five assists. Wally Szczerbiak scored 17 points, while Anderson Varejao led the team with eight rebounds. Maurice Evans was the leading scorer for the Hawks, with 16 points. Game 3 is Saturday in Atlanta.

In Boston, the Boston Red Sox plummeted the Cleveland Indians 13-3 in historical fashion. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Red Sox scored 12 runs, all of the runs in the inning came before an out was recorded. This ties the modern day record for most runs scored before an out is recorded. Jason Bay doubled in a run and hit a three-run home run in that historical sixth inning, giving him four RBIs in the game. Tim Wakefield again got a lot of run support on his way to another victory, while Jeremy Sowers was hit with the loss, responsible for giving up seven runs.

Celtics and Lakers Rebound, Dodgers Set MLB Mark

In Boston, the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 112-94 in Game 2 of their second round matchup to even the series at one. Celtics' guard Eddie House was on fire, leading the Celtics with a game-high 31 points. Rajon Rondo was also a major contributor, getting a triple-double with 15 points, 18 assists, and 11 rebounds. For the Magic, Rashard Lewis and Mickael Pietrus led the team with 17 points and Dwight Howard led them with 12 rebounds. Game 3 is Friday in Orlando.

In Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 111-98 in Game 2 of their second round matchup to even their series at one as well. Lakers' guard Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 40 points, and also grabbed six rebounds. Pau Gasol was also effective for the Lakers, scoring 22 points, grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds, and blocking four shots. Ron Artest led the Rockets with 25 points, but was ejected in the fourth quarter for his confrontation with Bryant. Carl Landry was productive for the Rockets also, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Lakers' point guard Derek Fisher was ejected in the third quarter for his flagrant two foul on Luis Scola. Game 3 is on Friday in Houston.

In Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 10-3 to set a modern day record, starting the season 13-0 at home. Orlando Hudson and Manny Ramirez had two RBIs for the Dodgers, and Andre Eithier also drove in two runs, even though he's only credited with one RBI because the first run he drove home was a double play, which doesn't count as a RBI if a run is driven home. Jesus Flores for the Nationals hit a solo home run in the lone highlight for the Nationals. Clayton Kershaw gets the win for the Dodgers, while Daniel Cabrera gets the loss for the Nationals. The Dodgers have a league-best 21-8 record.

Cavs Trash Hawks, Nuggets Take Commanding 2-0 Series Lead, Royals Win In Extras

In Cleveland, the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Atlanta Hawks, winning 99-72 in Game 1 of their second round matchup. Lebron James, after being presented the MVP trophy in front of the home fans, led the Cavaliers with 34 points and 10 rebounds. Mo Williams contributed 21 points and Delonte West contributed nine assists. Josh Smith led the Hawks with 22 points, and Al Horford contributed a team-leading eight rebounds. Game 2 of the series is Thursday night in Cleveland.

In Denver, the Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks 117-105 to take a 2-0 series lead and continue their dominance in the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony and Nene led the Nuggets with 25 points each. Chauncey Billups also contributed 18 points and a game-high eight assists. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 35 points and nine rebounds, and Jason Terry contributed 21 points. Game 3 is Saturday in Dallas.

In Kansas City, the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 8-7 in 11 innings. The Royals trailed 5-1 in the fourth inning when Mike Jacobs of the Royals hit a three-run home run to close the deficit to one. The game went into extra innings tied at seven, and in the 11th inning, the game ended. John Buck hit the game-winning hit with a single that scored Mitch Maier. Relief pitcher Juan Cruz pitched the top of the 11th inning in relief for the win, while Lance Broadway was saddled with the loss for the White Sox. The Royals record improves to 16-11, while the White Sox's record falls to 12-14.

Lebron Wins MVP, Rockets Stun Lakers, Magic Handles Celtics

In Akron, Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers was awarded the NBA MVP award, beating out Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. James accepted the award at his high school St. Vincent-St. Mary. James averaged 28.4 points this season, along with 7.6 rebounds a game and 7.2 assists. He led the Cavaliers to a league-best 66-16 record after going 45-37 last season, giving them home-court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. The Cavaliers also had a league-best 39-2 record at home, just second behind the 1985-1986 Boston Celtics mark of 40-1 at home.

In Los Angeles, the Houston Rockets stunned the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their second round matchup, beating them 100-92. Yao Ming led the Rockets with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Ron Artest added 21 points and a team-high seven assists. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 32 points and also contributed eight rebounds and four assists. The Lakers were awful from three-point range, only hitting two three pointers out of 18 attempts. Game 2 is on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

In Boston, the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 95-90 to take a 1-0 series lead in their second round matchup. Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 18 points and also grabbed seven rebounds. Dwight Howard also contributed greatly, with 16 points, a team-high 22 rebounds and three blocks. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 23 points and Kendrick Perkins had six points and a team-high 16 rebounds. The Magic were up by as many as 28 points before the Celtics rallied to cut it to three. Game 2 is on Wednesday in Boston.

Hawks Advance, Crawford Steals 6 Bases in Win, Nuggets Take Early Control of Series

In Atlanta, the Atlanta Hawks advanced to the second round of the playoffs by beating the Miami Heat 91-78 in Game 7. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 27 points, and also grabbing five rebounds and five steals. Josh Smith also had a solid game for the Hawks, scoring 21 points and grabbing a team high nine rebounds. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 31 points, but no one else on the team contributed. The Heat were down big since the second quarter, which has been a trend for the losing team the entire series. The Hawks will now play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.

In Denver, the Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks 109-95 to take Game 1 of the second round. Nene surprisingly led the Nuggets with 24 points. Carmelo Anthony also contributed, scoring 23 points and grabbing five rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Game 2 of the series will be on Tuesday in Denver.

In St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 5-3 to win three out of four in the four game series. Carl Crawford of the Rays was a major contributor, going 4 for 4 and stealing six bases. The six bases Crawford stole ties the record for the most stolen bases in one game, a record shared with three other players. James Shields pitched 7 1/3 solid innings for the win, while Brad Penny was saddled with the loss. The Red Sox record fell to 15-10 and the Rays record improved to 11-15.

Celtics Advance, Phillies Top Mets in Extras, Pacquiao KOs Hatton

In Boston, the Boston Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls 109-99 in Game 7 to advance to the second round. This game was competetive again, but the Celtics were in control for most of the game. Ray Allen led the Celtics with 23 points and added seven rebounds. Kendrick Perkins added 14 points and led the team with 13 rebounds. Ben Gordon led the Bulls with 33 points. Joakim Noah added seven points and led the Bulls with 15 rebounds. The Celtics will play the Orlando Magic in the second round.

In Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 6-5 in 10 innings on a bases loaded walk. Daniel Murphy and Ramon Castro of the Mets had back-to-back home runs in a sixth inning that saw the Mets take a 5-4 lead after entering the inning down 4-2. In the bottom half of the inning, Raul Ibanez of the Phillies hit a solo home run to tie the game. In the 10th inning with the bases loaded for the Phillies, Mets pitcher Sean Green walked Shane Victorino with the bases loaded to bring in the winning run.

In Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao defeated Ricky Hatton by knockout in the second round in their highly anticipated match. Pacquiao knocked Hatton down twice in the first round, and it wasn't any better in the second round as the fight would end there. The numbers were overwhelming in Pacquiao's favor. Pacquiao landed 73 punches out of 127 thrown, while Hatton only landed 18 punches out of 78 thrown. Pacquiao improved his record to 49-3-2 with 37 knockouts, while Hatton's record now stands at 45-2.

Heat Force Game 7, Yankees Rally To Beat Angels, Johnson Gets 297th Win

In Miami, The Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 98-72 in Game 6 to force a Game 7 in their first round series. This series has been uneventful, with the winning teams usually winning big. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 41 points and also had five rebounds. Michael Beasley also contributed 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Heat in his best game of the series. Mike Bibby led the Hawks with 20 points and also had seven rebounds. Josh Smith had 10 rebounds but only had seven points in an uneventful game for him. Game 7 is Sunday in Atlanta.

In New York, the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 10-9 to improve their record to 13-10. The Angels record dropped to 9-13. The Yankees were down 9-4 entering the eighth inning. The Yankees scored four runs in the eighth inning by RBI hits from Melky Cabrera and Ramiro Pena. In the ninth inning, Jorge Posada ended it with a two-run single that brought Angel Berroa and Mark Teixeira home for the win. Angels closer Brian Fuentes was hit with the loss.

In San Francisco, the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2 to give Giants pitcher Randy Johnson his 297th career win. Johnson struck out nine batters, and was scoreless in seven innings of work. Johnson left the game with the Giants leading 3-0. The Giants relievers gave up two runs in the eighth inning, but Brian Wilson was able to shut the door on the Rockies in the ninth inning to preserve the win. Ubaldo Jimenez was the losing pitcher for the Rockies.

Bulls Force Game 7, Magic and Rockets Advance

In another thriller, the Chicago Bulls beat the Boston Celtics 128-127 in triple overtime to tie the series at three games apiece. This has been the fourth game this series that has gone into overtime. Ray Allen led the Celtics with 51 points, the second most points scored in a playoff game in a losing effort. John Salmons led the Bulls with 35 points. Allen hit nine three-pointers, including the three pointer to send the game into triple overtime. The Celtics looked like they had things wrapped up with a 99-91 lead with under four minutes to play, but the Bulls were able to come back and force overtime and then go on to beat the Celtics in triple overtime.

In Philadelphia, the Orlando Magic were able to advance to the second round by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 114-89 without Dwight Howard, who was suspended. Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 29 points and also had seven rebounds. Andre Miller led the 76ers with 24 points. Marcin Gortat, who is the backup center for the Magic, pulled down 15 rebounds in the win. The Magic will play the winner of the series between the Celtics and Bulls.

In Houston, the Houston Rockets closed out their first round series against the Portland Trail Blazers by beating them 92-76. This is the first time the Rockets are advancing past the first round since 1997, when they lost to the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Finals. Ron Artest scored 27 points for the Rockets, and Yao Ming pulled down 10 rebounds with his 17 points. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Trail Blazers with 26 points. The Rockets play the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.

NFL Draft

The NFL Draft took place on Saturday April 25 and there was only one guarantee. That guarantee was that quarterback Matthew Stafford was going to be the #1 pick. He signed a $78 million contract for 6 years with the Detroit Lions the day before the draft. The St. Louis Rams had the #2 pick and they picked Jason Smith, offensive lineman from Baylor, who everyone predicted the Rams would pick. The Kansas City Chiefs had the third pick and they picked Tyson Jackson from LSU, who people predicted they would pick as well.

Many thought that the Seattle Seahawks would pick quarterback Mark Sanchez with the fourth pick. They decided to pick linebacker Aaron Curry instead, and that prompted the New York Jets to make a move. They made a trade with the Cleveland Browns to move up to their #5 spot, where they acquired Sanchez. The Oakland Raiders made a big move at #7 by drafting Darrius Heyward-Bey, wide receiver from Maryland. He was projected as a late first round pick and he went ahead of Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin.

Which teams made a splash in the draft? Which team did the worse in the draft?

Terry, Rose Receive NBA Awards

Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls and Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks have been rewarded with NBA awards this week. Rose won the Rookie of the Year award, and award that many saw him winning since the middle of the season. O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies was a far second in the running for the award. Terry has been reported to win the award, having a good season for the Mavericks off the bench.

Terry has always been a factor in the Mavericks offense. He has come off the bench to give the Mavericks energy, complimenting Dirk Nowitzki's good season. Terry had competition from J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets for the award, but Smith came on late in the season, while Terry has held the team together and has consistently produced offensively for the Mavericks. Rose was able to take a Bulls team who won 33 games and bring them to the playoffs.

Did Rose and Terry deserve their awards respectively?

April 19

The only big news that happened on this day was the second day of the NBA playoffs. The four games that were play were the Western Conference matchups between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers, and the New Orleans Hornets and Denver Nuggets. The Eastern Conference matchups were the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic, and the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. This day wasn't like the first day, where three road teams were victorious. The only road team to win on this day was the 76ers.

The 76ers beat the Magic, despite being down 18 in the third quarter. The 76ers beat the Magic 100-98, on a game winning jump shot by Andre Iguodala with 2.2 seconds remaining. The Lakers, Hawks, and Nuggets were able to dominate their Game 1 matchups, with each team winning by double digits. Game 2 for the 76ers and Magic, Heat and Hawks, and Hornets and Nuggets is Wednesday night, while the Jazz play the Lakers in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

April 18

The New York Yankees, in their third game in the new Yankee Stadium, lost to the Cleveland Indians 22-4. This was aided by another terrible start by pitcher Chien Ming Wang, who only lasted 1.1 innings, giving up eight runs. The Indians scored 14 runs in the second inning alone, a MLB record for the most runs in the second inning. The Indians were the team who started out 0-5 to begin the season, but have gone 4-3 since. The Yankees record stands at 6-6 after the loss.

The NBA playoffs started, with three road wins coming on this day. The first one was a shocker to a lot of people. The seventh seeded Chicago Bulls beat the second seeded Boston Celtics 105-103 in overtime to take a 1-0 series lead. The Cleveland Cavaliers easily beat the Detroit Pistons 102-84, with the Cavaliers being the only home team to win on the playoff opening day. The Dallas Mavericks shocked the San Antonio Spurs, beating them 105-97 to take a early series lead and the Houston Rockets surprisingly handled the Portlan Trail Blazers, beating them 108-81.

April 16

John Madden has announced his retirement as an NFL broadcaster, after serving 30 successful years as a broadcaster. Madden was a broadcaster for CBS, Fox, ABC and NBC. For the past couple of seasons, Madden was a commentator for NBC's Sunday Night Football, including calling the Super Bowl XLIII matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals.

Also, the Cardinals announced that they would finally hear offers for the services of wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Boldin has expressed his frustration before the start of the season about not getting a new contract. The Cardinals have stated before that they will not trade Boldin and will get a deal worked out, but now, nine days before the NFL Draft, they have decided to pursue other options. It isn't a guarantee that Boldin will be traded, but the Cardinals have said they are looking for a first and third round draft pick if they were to deal him.

Finally, Doc Rivers, head coach of the Boston Celtics, has stated that there is a good possibility that forward Kevin Garnett may not be available for the playoffs. The Celtics play the Chicago Bulls in the first round, and Garnett has tried to practice in order to get into game shape. After watching Garnett attempt to practice, Rivers concluded that there is no way that he is able to play now. There is still an outside chance Garnett can play later on in the playoffs if they're still in it, but that is not a guarantee.

Angels Pitcher Dead

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed on Thursday morning after his car was struck by another driver hours after the Angels game against the Oakland Athletics. Two other passengers in the car with Adenhart were killed as well and another passenger is currently in intensive care unit. The driver that struck their car fled the scene after the accident but was caught by police shortly afterward. It was reported that he had a blood alcohol level over the legal limit.

Adenhart had just pitched his first start of the season and it was a successful outing for him. Adenhart had the Athletics scoreless for the first seven innings. The Athletics ended up scoring three runs in the eighth inning and three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Angels 6-4. Adenhart had five strikeouts and was very impressive, getting out of a couple of jams. That would end up being Adenhart's final start. He was only 22.

This is a tragic circumstance for the Angels team. However, I don't think the other three passengers, with two of them killed, should be left out as well. This always happen in the media when there are multiple victims with one of them being professional athletes or celebrities. The same happened with the death of New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle. He was killed, along with another passenger, when his small plane went into a Manhattan high-rise building. Lidle was the only one recognized, and it's unfair to the families of the other victims.

North Carolina Takes Title

North Carolina has claimed their fifth national championship by dismantling Michigan State in the national championship game 89-72. Tyler Hansbrough scored 18 points, Wayne Ellington had 19 and Tywon Lawson led all scorers with 21 and also had a record eight steals. North Carolina came into the game and the tournament as the favorites by many to win the national championship. Now seniors Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green go out like champions and hopefully continues their career in the NBA.

From the start of the game, North Carolina was already dominating. They jumped out to a 24-8 lead, and Michigan State never seemed like they could recover. At halftime, the score was 55-34. That set the record for the most points in a half in a national title game. Lawson also had seven steals in the first half alone, tying the game record. He got his eighth steal in the second half, setting the record. They were up by as many as 24 points, and Michigan State were repeatedly making careless turnovers. Michigan State, defensively, couldn't stop North Carolina's offense, and Michigan State is an excellent defender.

I knew from the time the title game was set up that North Carolina was going to destroy Michigan State. A lot of analysts were saying to not look into North Carolina's 35 point regular season win against Michigan State in the regular season. The Tar Heels were healthy, so it was evident that with all of their pieces, they were going to win easily against Michigan State. Lawson, Ellington, Hansbrough, Green and Ed Davis are worthy NBA players. Green and Hansbrough are the only locks to be in the NBA Draft since they're seniors, but Lawson, Ellington and Davis are making their decision.

What should Lawson, Ellington and Davis do?

Cutler Traded To Bears

The Chicago Bears acquired Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler in a trade on Thursday April 2, giving up quarterback Kyle Orton and first-round picks in 2009 and 2010, along with a third-round pick in 2009 to complete it. Earlier in the week, the Broncos revealed they were going to trade Cutler because of his refusal to speak with team officials and head coach Josh McDaniels.

The fallout between Cutler and McDaniels began when McDaniels inquired about the possibility of acquiring quarterback Matt Cassel from the New England Patriots. McDaniels was the offensive coordinator of the Patriots the past two seasons. Cutler was unhappy about it, feeling that he was the face of the franchise. He requested a trade initially, but then was able to sit down with McDaniels, which didn't go well at all. Afterward, he never communicated with the Broncos, forcing them to trade him.

I think this is the most unbelievable story I've heard in a while. I want to know what gives Cutler the right to act this way. Cutler is a decent quarterback at best, and Orton, in my opinion, played better than Cutler this past season. The Broncos asked Cutler to throw the football much more than Orton did with the Bears. Orton makes good decisions and he threw 12 interceptions, compared to Cutler's 18. Cutler had a better passer rating because of the passing yards and touchdowns. But Orton had a winning record this past season and as a starter in his career, while Cutler has yet to have a winning season. In my opinion, I don't think Cutler makes the Bears offense any better than when they had Orton. Cutler is just a baby who needs to get rid of his diapers and realize that this is the NFL and it is a business, in addition to it being a sport.

Calipari To Kentucky

John Calipari has accepted the head coaching offer for Kentucky, leaving a Memphis team that has had a lot of success under him. Calipari has expressed his desire to take on the Kentucky coaching job from two years ago, when Kentucky hired Billy Gillispie. Calipari will receive an 8 year $31.65 million, and he was also receiving a $2.5 million signing bonus. This is now the richest contract in college basketball.

Calipari led Memphis to the national championship game last season, where they lost to Kansas in overtime. They were eliminated last week by Missouri in the Sweet 16. He has produced NBA players such as Rod Carney, Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Joey Dorsey. Memphis is not particularly thrilled about the move, but they'll continue and look for another head coach for their basketball program.

Calipari jumping to Kentucky, in my opinion, is not a good move. I think being the head coach of Kentucky is overrated. There are other programs that are better, in my opinion, such as Duke with Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina, and Kansas and Michigan St. with Tom Izzo. However, I think Calipari will be able to make them contenders again because a lot of high school kids will want to play for him.

What do you think? Was this a good move for Calipari and Kentucky?