Why You Should Watch John Wall and Co. (And How They Might Be Pretty Damn Good Too)

Get excited for the Wiz show, Washington. And I don't mean this. Or this.

I mean this. And this. And this.

I never thought I'd actually say this, but the Washington Wizards are well on their way to becoming one of the more exciting teams in the NBA; a team that I will actually try and watch next season. Maybe even make my way to the Verizon Center once or twice. And I don't think I'm alone with thinking this.

That's what happens when you draft as well as they have the past couple of years. Obviously some luck was involved. Winning the lottery to get John Wall in 2010. Having Jan Vesely drop to #6 in this year's draft. And, possibly most miraculously, having Chris Singleton, the best defensive player in the draft, drop to #18.

USA- North Korea Live Blog

USA Kicks Off Women's World Cup Today

The USA will open up their bid to back up the number one ranking when they begin pool play Tuesday at noon.

The American ladies will be taking on a North Korea team that is ranked 8th in the world, but that almost no one knows anything about.

The USA is the top ranked team according to FIFA, but it has been Germany who has won the last two World Cups.

For the USA to win they are going to need Abby Wambach to perform at great heights. As shown in the England Mexico game, headers will go in even from 17 yards out, and Wambach can do that.

The other key for the US is of course in goal, where Hope Solo returns from a shoulder injury. Many consider the US to have the strongest goal-tending in the world, and it is going to be very difficult for North Korea to get shots off, let alone good ones.

I'm thinking the US is going to win this one, although apparently just last week they lost to Norway 3-0 in a closed door match, so it really depends on what team shows up.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @cleyden1 for some uneducated soccer tweets during the match.

Chris' Quick Weekend Sports Recap

Hey folks, was in Albany this weekend so I was not able to get anything up here. Hope you enjoyed Mike's posts on the NBA draft, I know I did.

Just wanted to hit on some of the big sports topics of the weekend, in an extremely brief bullet point form.

NBA Draft Winners and Losers

Let's get this out of the way. My mock draft got embarrassed. But you know what? I'm pretty damn sure every one else's did too. There was such a ridiculous amount of uncertainty with almost everyone in the draft that it was near impossible to nail down what each team was going to do.  Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the ride. Let's see who drafted well, and who came out looking like dumbasses. Looking at you Sacramento.

Draft Winners:

Cleveland Cavaliers - When you get the top pick, and take the top player in the draft (Kyrie Irving), you're certainly off to a good start. Tristan Thompson is also a great talent, and they will be able to play and develop him immediately, which they wouldn't have been able to do if they had drafted Jonas Valanciunas.

Washington Wizards- Probably my favorite draft for a team. Jan Vesely is a freak athlete, and is sure to bring some swagger and excitement to Wizard fans. In his words, "Blake Griffin is the American Jan Vesely". if he can back that kind of talk up, he and John Wall are going to make some serous highlights on the fast break. They then drafted Chris Singleton, one of my favorite players in the draft, and one of the best, if not the best, defensive players in the draft at the 18 spot. Great value. They later drafted proven winner Shelvin Mack as a back-up guard.  Wizard fans have plenty to be excited about next year, with three quality players joining John Wall.

Detroit Pistons- They managed to snag the second best PG in the draft, Brandon Knight, at #8.  He will hopefully reach his potential and help lead the Pistons back to the playoffs.  Their second round pick Kyle Singler also brings a winning attitude to a team that hasn't done a whole lot of that the past couple of years.

NBA Draft Trade Summaries and Reactions

There weren't any "blockbuster" trades like I had hoped during last night's draft, but there were certainly enough to shake things up for next year (if we actually have a season). Here are some of the more important ones:

1) Charlotte- 7th pick ( Bismack Biyombo) and Corey Maggette
    Milwaukee- 19th pick (Tobias Harris), Stephen Jackson, Beno Udrih and Shaun Livingston
    Sacramento- 10th pick (Jimmer Fredette) and John Salmons

I talked about this a bit yesterday, but I can't stress enough how truly awful this trade was for the Kings. What did they actually accomplish? The had a worse draft pick moving from 7 to 10, and they took on an atrocity of a contract in John Salmons. Really baffling move. Charlotte came out of this looking pretty damn good, picking up Biyombo with the 7 pick. Add that to gaining a nice scorer in Maggette and the fact that they drafted Kemba Walker at 9, and the Bobcats are heading in the right direction.  Milwaukee gained a good young talent in Harris, Stephen Jackson, and a solid back-up for Brandon Jennings in Udrih.  The Kings must've lost a bet to MJ, because this was a joke of a trade for them.

2) Trail Blazers- Raymond Felton, 57th pick (Tanguy Ngombo)
    Nuggets- Andre Miller, 26th pick (Jordan Hamilton), future second round pick
    Mavericks- Rudy Fernandez and Petteri Kaponen

Raymond Felton showed during his time in New York that he is perfectly capable of being starting point guard in the NBA. He is definitely an upgrade from Andre Miller, and in my opinion is a much better value that Rudy Fernandez. I'm a fan of this for the Blazers. The Nuggets already have Ty Lawson as their point guard of the future, so losing Felton is not that big of a blow.  They also gain Andre Miller as back-up, and Jordan Hamilton is a fantastic value at the 26th pick. Not a bad deal at all for the Nuggets, who got rid of a player they didn't need for a very promising prospect. The Mavericks picked up a quality shooting guard in Rudy Fernandez, a postion where they could use a consistent starter since Jason Terry is far more comfortable coming off the bench. Also, J.J. Barea is likely looking for a hefty raise this offseason, and the Mavs may be unable to sign him back on, so Rudy fills that spot in the rotation. Overall, pretty sound trade for all three teams involved.

So It Begins...

We have our first developments of the 2011 NBA Draft! Here they are:

- The Cavaliers plan to take Kyrie Irving at #1 (obviously), but the surprise is that they now plan on taking Jonas Valanciunas at the #4 spot. I'm surprised not because I think Valanciunas isn't talented enough to go at #4 (he definitely is), but because he won't be released from his contract in Europe until January at the earliest. This may imply a number of things. 1) The Cavs don't care if this pick results in an immediate impact. 2) They anticipate a lockout may make this complication irrelevant. 3) Valanciunas is simply too talented to pass up.  I find it hard to believe that Dan Gilbert isn't trying to improve immediately, especially after his prediction of a title before Lebron manages one, so I have to believe it's option #3. They must be enamored with Valanciunas's game, so they are willing to risk playing a year without him.

- There may be some issues with potential lottery pick Bismack Biyombo.  Though he terminated his contract with his former Spanish League team in April, the team has decided to sue and a court date has been set. What does this mean? He may not get immediate clearance to play in the NBA. Yeah, I'd call that a minor issue if a team was considering drafting him with a top pick.

- John Hollinger tweeted that the Wizards invited staff members from the Czech Republic embassy to the team draft party. Now, I don't know much, but I'm pretty sure they aren't doing that to celebrate drafting Kawhi Leonard. Get ready for Jan Vesely Wizards fans.

- We have our first trade! Here are the details:

Charlotte Bobcats receive: 7th overall pick, F - Corey Maggette
Milwaukee Bucks receive: 19th overall pick, G - Stephen Jackson
                                              G - Beno Udrih, G - Shaun Livingston
Sacramento Kings receive: 10th overall pick, G - John Salmons

In my opinion, great trade for Charlotte. They now have two top-10 picks (7 and 9), and picked up Maggette.  The Bobcats need talent, and these picks should go a long way. Don't be shocked if they try and trade up either. The Bucks dumped a tough contract (Salmons), but Stephen Jackson is not at all pleased with moving to Milwaukee. (Not exactly an improvement from Charlotte. Just as dull, but much colder.) Awful move by the Kings though. Salmon's contract sucks. And they went from the 7 to the 10 spot. Maybe this was a set-up move to get Tony Parker? We'll see, but according to sources, the Kings plan on taking Jimmer Fredette at the #10 spot. I'm sure he and Tyreke Evans will get along famously.

There are plenty more trades and other updates on the way. Stay tuned NBA fans.

(Side note: My mock draft is going to get destroyed.)

NBA Draft Preview Part II

(Just a heads up, this is going to be a bit more abbreviated version compared to Part I.)

6) Jan Vesely, SF/PF - Washington Wizards

I went back and forth between Vesely and Kahwi Leonard plenty of times, but I think the Wizards go with Vesely here. He will likely replace the recently required, and aging, Rashard Lewis at the SF spot, and his ability to play both SF and PF will certainly aide the rebuilding Wizards. The potential is obviously there, and if he maximizes it, he and John Wall could eventually turn the Wizards into a playoff team.

7) Kemba Walker, PG - Sacramento Kings

It's becoming increasingly clear that Tyreke Evans isn't the point guard the Kings were looking for. Not to say Evans isn't a talent, he is. Selecting Walker here, and moving Evans to SG, would give the Kings a formidable back court to go along with promising young big man DeMarcus Cousins.

8) Kawhi Leonard, SF - Detroit Pistons

The Pistons need a consistent scorer for the future to go along with their extremely talented center, Greg Monroe. Not to mention current SF Tayshaun Prince isn't getting any younger. Leonard would be a great fit at this spot for the Pistons. (There are also rumors that the Pistons promised Leonard they would take him if he was available at this spot.)

9) Marcus Morris, SF/PF - Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats are desperate for some young talent, and Morris certainly looks capable of excelling on the next level.  Tristan Thompson is a player who I considered here, but he is more set in the PF position, a position the Bobcats are comfortable with because they already have PF Tyrus Thomas under contract. Morris is able to play both forward positions, and should help Charlotte almost immediately.

10) Klay Thompson, SG/SF - Milwaukee Bucks

With current SG's John Salmons and Michael Redd heading towards the twilight of their careers, the Bucks are looking to add a back court partner for PG Brandon Jennings. Thompson is an excellent shooter, a skill that will immediately benefit the Bucks while the rest of his game develops.

NHL Releases Schedule, 10 Dates to Circle Now

The NHL released the 2011-2012 schedule Thursday, with the season set to start in early October. Below are ten dates to circle as some of the best regular season games.

1. October 6- The season opens up on this night, with three games. The Flyers travel to Boston to take on the Stanley Cup champion Bruins, the Canadians take on Canada rival Toronto, and the Stanley Cup loser Canucks take on coach of the year Dan Bylsma and the Penguins.
2. October 7/October 8- The rest of the NHL teams kick off their seasons on these dates, but the real reason I pointed them out is because of the games being played overseas. The Rangers, Sabres, Kings and Ducks will all travel to Europe, with games in Stockholm, Helsinki and Berlin.
3. October 9- The first game in Winnipeg since 1995 will be when the still to be named Winnipeg team hosts Montreal.
4. October 15- The past two Cup winners play each other in Chicago. Also of note the Islanders and Rangers square off in what is my personal favorite rivalry in hockey.
5. October 28- With the Oilers selecting #1 Friday and the Avalanche selecting #2, this could be the first time these two players face off when Edmonton travels to Colorado.
6. December 1- Sydney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin meet in the Verizon Center as the Penguins visit the Capitals.
7. January 2- The Winter Classic is a day later this year, but that won't make it any less exciting as the New York Rangers take on the Philadelphia Flyers in an Atlantic division rivalry.  The game will be played at Citizens Bank Ballpark, the regular home of the Phillies.
8. January 7- A Stanley Cup rematch, the Bruins will welcome Vancouver to an arena that saw Roberto Luongo completely collapse.
9. March 20- With a bunch of games on the schedule as the season winds down, what that I really focus on is the Sharks taking on the Kings in a battle between LA and San Jose.
10. April 7- The last day of the season is also the busiest, when all 30 teams play in 15 games that could mean a lot to not only the playoff seeding, but who is in and who is out. Very smart by the NHL to do this as opposed to staggering the games.

This is of course just a taste of what the NHL schedule has to offer. If there is an important date I left out please let me know in the comments section.

Was Stamkos Right for NHL 12 Cover?

During the NHL awards Wednesday night EA Sports announced that Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning would by the next cover-boy for its very popular NHL franchise.

There seemed to be a lot of uproar about Stamkos being selected, despite him being one of the brightest young stars in the game. Judging by the comments on the photos on EA's Facebook Page most fans wanted Tim Thomas on the cover, not Stamkos.

I personally can see it both ways. Thomas did just lead his team to the Stanley Cup and had one of the best years in goal of recent memory, but it is very rare that a goaltender is shown on the cover. The last one to be on the EA Sports cover was John Vanbiesbrouck all the way back for NHL 97.

It makes sense that EA wouldn't put a goalie on the cover, because for the most part you are never playing as the goalie, even though there seem to be big changes to the goalie play this year.

The good news, at least we didn't get a third straight Chicago Blackhawk on the cover.

Overall Stamkos seems like a solid choice, and it could bring some welcomed publicity down to Tampa.

NHL Awards Prediction Time

The NHL Awards are on tonight at 7 on Versus, and are a great way to cap off a relatively memorable NHL season.

Consider this The Technical Fouls official predictions for who takes home the hardware. If you don't agree comments are always welcome at the bottom.

Hart Memorial Trophy: Daniel Sedin- This is a tough choice, as all three candidates (Sedin, Martin St. Louis, Corey Perry) had stellar seasons and will be deserving of the award one year or another. Of the three, Sedin was the only one to go over 100 points, and also blew the other two out of the water in plus/minus, with a plus 30. Sedin's Canucks won the Presidents Trophy (given to team with most regular season points) and Daniel was a large part of that. I don't think he should, or will, be penalized for having a better team than the other two candidates.

Why a True Hockey Fan Knows To Avoid ESPN

The NHL awards are Wednesday (predictions to come sometime before the actual awards) and ESPN thought it would be a good idea to put a page together that allows fans to vote on each award.

A pretty decent idea, if it were executed. Of course ESPN, who puts maybe .001% of their budget towards the NHL, would find a way to screw this up. All I can say is thank god ESPN didn't win the TV rights for the NHL.

Anyway onto the mistakes:

Here is the link to the original story, but I'm sure by the time you read this these mistakes will have been fixed. Because of that there are screenshots below.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/6688754/who-walk-away-vegas-winner

First up we have the Hart trophy, which is pretty much the MVP in the NHL. One of the nominees is Martin St. Louis. Anyone who has paid even the slightest attention to hockey over the past five years would know that St. Louis plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning, not the St. Louis Blues. Still, this is an understandable mistake compared to what's to come.

NBA Draft Preview Part I

Here's the first five picks of my mock NBA Draft. The rest of it will get posted over the next couple of days. Just a couple quick thoughts before I start:

The Clippers have to be kicking themselves for not protecting their pick in the deal that sent Baron Davis to Cleveland. They lost out on the number one pick and the opportunity to add Kyrie Irving to a team already boasting Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman. That's a possible immediate fringe playoff team if they make the right offseason moves, and a sure bet to be a playoff team down the road. Now? They're just praying that Blake Griffin doesn't go anywhere come his free agency period. Just a classic Clipper's mistake.

Cleveland just can't catch a break.  Though I think Kyrie Irving is going to be exceptional in the pros, they simply got fucked in regards to the 2011 draft class. Harrison Barnes. Jared Sullinger. Perry Jones. Terrence Jones. All these guys would have been perfect for a Cleveland team that needs about everything. Unfortunately, they stay in college, and Cleveland catches the #1 and #4 pick in one of the worst classes in recent memory. Onto the picks.

1) Kyrie Irving, PG - Cleveland Cavaliers

So I may have exaggerated Monday when I called Derrick Williams the Oden to Kyrie Irving's Durant.  Still, I've made my opinion pretty clear about Irving, and there shouldn't be any other course of action for the Cavs in the top spot. He's the only guaranteed franchise player in the class, and as a result the only one worth taking with the first pick. The Cavs are claiming that they haven't settled on him yet, but ESPN's Ric Bucher reported that they decided on selecting Irving Monday. The good news if the Cavs don't pick him? We should be able to enjoy some quality riots in Cleveland. Granted, there isn't too much left worth destroying in that city, but they could probably tip over some abandoned cars and throw leftover flaming Lebron jerseys at failed businesses.

2) Derrick Williams, F - Minnesota Timberwolves

As the only other player in the draft being mentioned in the same breath as Irving, it's safe to say that the Timberwolves go with Williams here. Critics of this selection (there are few) are quick to point out that the Wolves don't actually need another SF/PF, considering they are set at both positions with Michael Beasley and Kevin Love, which would explain why they appear so intent on shopping the pick. According to ESPN's Chad Ford, the best current offer is from Phoenix, with Marcin Gortat and the #13 pick. Not a bad deal considering it fills a center need and they will still pick up a young prospect (SG Alec Burks may be available), but Williams is easily regarded as the most talented player behind Irving, and is far more likely to have an immediate impact than the majority of players in the draft. His potential is hard to resist, and I doubt Minnesota will be willing to let him slip through their fingers.

In my Irving post Monday, it may have sounded like I wasn't a fan of Williams, or that I believed he would be a bust in the NBA. On the contrary, I'm fully confident that he can reach an All-Star level of play if he can maximize his potential.  His career will certainly be helped if President of Basketball Operations David Kahn can pull his head out of his ass and make some sensible offseason moves (Trade Beasley for good value, acquire a veteran center, not draft the 19th PG in 3 years, etc.). But with Kevin Love and the long-awaited arrival of Ricky Rubio, there are worse situations for a young player to come into. Just ask Kyrie Irving.

3) Brandon Knight, PG - Utah Jazz

The Jazz are looking for their next franchise point guard after trading away Deron Williams. Knight is no Irving, but he's not a bad consolation prize.  The Jazz can wait to fill other needs at the #12 spot, and Knight is far too good a player to drop out of the top 8.  The Jazz, if they were enamored with Kemba Walker or Jimmer Fredette, could go in another direction with this pick, and select Jimmer later, or trade up from their #12 spot to take Kemba. Options at this spot other than Knight would probably include two of the promising European bigs, Enes Kanter or Jan Vesely. However, the Jazz are pretty comfortable right now with the young frontline of Al Jefferson and Derrick Favors, so I say they stick with Knight.

4) Enes Kanter, C - Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have already added their franchise cornerstone with Irving, so now comes the building around him.  A big man who has the potential to be one the top centers in the NBA is a good place to start. He's no Jared Sullinger, but if he turns out to be as good as advertised, the Cavs are coming out of this draft heading in the right direction. Jan Vesely is a possibility, but Kanter seems to be getting the most interest from the Cavs. (It's still the top 5, and I'm already talking about two random unproven foreigners. God this draft sucks.)

5) Bismack Biyombo, PF - Toronto Raptors

Jan Vesely is the popular pick here. But do the Raptors want to go with another European big man with a top 5 pick? Sure, scouts are saying that Vesely is in a different mold than Bargnani. A great athlete, defender and tough player, who has the ability to play at SF and PF. I'm just not sold on him. The Raptors need a big time player with this pick if they have any intention of reaching the playoffs in the next 15 years.  I simply don't think Vesely will develop like the Raptors will hope.

Biyombo is an absolute freak, and a defensive monster. I think pairing Bargnani's offense and Biyombi's defense is a combination that the Raptors can build on. And if Biyombi can continue to improve his offensive game, he has the potential to be an All-Star. He also seems like a nice guy, if that counts for anything.

Part II coming tomorrow...

Will Soccer Fever Hit the US Again

Soccer, or as the rest of the world calls it Football, may be the most played sport by youth in America, but it is not so popular when it comes to being watched on TV.

The one exception to this rule is the World Cup, when the entire world is captivated as countries battle it out to say they are the best team on earth.

The men's World Cup was last summer, and the US had enough success that people in this country really got behind them, and began to watch all the games.

Now the women's World Cup will be starting up Sunday, and with the US women ranked number one in the world, there is a good chance they will have even more success than the men.

The question becomes will people watch these games, or is it like the WNBA compared to the NBA and softball compared to baseball where there is a severe drop-off of viewers.

In all honesty, I have a feeling people are not going to watch the US pool play games, and it is going to take until the semi-finals or finals for them to draw enough buzz for most people in America to tune their TV's to the games.

If we can have another repeat of 1999, with this memorable moment, then people are going to watch. But if the US struggles, the general public is just going to be counting down the days until the men's World Cup.

Cleveland, Please Pick Kyrie

If the Cavaliers don't pick Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick in this year's draft, and in all likelihood select Derrick Williams instead, they will be making one of the worst draft decisions in NBA history. Not quite Bowie over Jordan, but certainly on the level of Oden over Durant.

The fact of the matter is that in this god-awful excuse for a draft, Irving is widely considered the one sure thing, a notion that I actually agree with. He's explosive, and a player who can create his own shot, and a shot for others, something that is necessary in this league, a fact that Kevin Durant learned the hard way in the Western Conference Finals. He is a player you build around. His skills allow him to not only excel as an individual, but allow him to take his teammates to a higher level.

And it's all the better that he's a point guard.  If the Cavaliers have any intention of fulfilling their owner's ludicrous prediction of winning a title before Lebron, they have to deal with the likes of Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, John Wall, Deron Williams, Brandon Jennings, Jrue Holiday and Darren Collison in the Eastern Conference alone. Unless you're the Heatles, you don't get by without a steady point guard in this league.

He's also calm. And dedicated. And quietly confident. Not a hype machine who already has a deal with Nike proclaiming that he's some kind of monarchy. No, Cleveland doesn't need another superstar who cares just as much about his brand as he does his team. They need a foundation. Irving gives them that. That rock you need in this league if you want to have success, not for the next three or four years, but for the next 10 or 12.

Sure, he's not Lebron James. He's not Dwayne Wade or Blake Griffin. Hell, some could argue he's not even Derrick Williams, the specimen who put on as athletic a show as we have ever seen in the NCAA Tournament, and had pro scouts practically wetting themselves.

And you know what? Good. Perfect. Because Cleveland doesn't need another jaw-dropping athletic freak who will make 2 to 3 "holy-shit" plays a game, then fold when it gets tough, or worse, bail.

They don't need a Chris Webber or a Vince Carter. They need a Paul Pierce. A Dirk Nowitzki.

They need a player who's in it for the long haul. They need a leader. They need a competitor who won't let the Cavaliers sit around as a perennial lottery team. They need a guiding force out of the cellar of the NBA. They need Kyrie Irving.

So pick him, please.

Remembering Bias

It's a full day late, but I'd be ashamed of myself if I didn't take the time to acknowledge one of the greatest tragedies in all of sports: the passing of Len Bias.

His impact on Maryland basketball was obvious, winning an ACC Title and becoming an All-American. A lot of this is covered in a terrific "30 for 30" documentary called "Without Bias".  (Side note: You aren't a real sports fan if you haven't watched at least one of these "30 for 30"'s, they're awesome. My personal favorite is "The U". Just a bunch of cocky sons of bitches kicking white-boy ass and changing college football forever.) He was drafted second overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA Draft, then overdosed two days later on cocaine. His death sent shock waves through the entire country, forever changed how we treated drug use and altered the entire landscape of the NBA. For the sake of keeping this blog at a reasonable length, I'm going to focus on the immediate impact this had on the Boston Celtics, just to illustrate the actual damage his death did to the team.

The Celtics were the defending champions at the time they drafted Bias. Here's a brief list of the major names on the returning roster that you might recognize: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish, Bill Walton, Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson and Rick Carlisle. And they were about to add the most explosive player to enter the NBA since Jordan. I believe the phrase you are looking for is "holy shit".  The following year, without Bias (or anyone from the #2 pick), they returned to the NBA Finals and lost to the Lakers in 6. Take a second to imagine what that team would have been capable of had they added a freak athlete who could score seemingly at will. Now try telling me that team wouldn't win 70 games and a championship. Not only did the Celtics lose what likely would have been at least one more title, but without Bias, Bird and McHale began to wear down from the heavy minutes, eventually resulting in the steady decline of their careers.

It's hard to measure long term what effect he would have had exactly, but know this: the NBA, not just the Celtics, lost what could have been one of the greatest of all-time. Not to mention a perfect foil for Michael Jordan. R.I.P Len.

What To Do During This Sports Lull

So we have come to that dreadful part of the year where the NBA and NHL have just finished their seasons, the NFL is yet to start, and baseball still has way to many games to play for these to really matter.

Thank god this lull is during the summer, because as opposed to sitting around flipping through reruns of Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond, sports fans can go out and enjoy the same games they love to cheer their favorite athletes during.

With this in mind here is a bucket list of sorts of five summer activities to try to do this summer, and hopefully this will at least get us to the MLB Playoffs and a NFL season.

1. Golf- The best thing about golf is that anybody can play it, thick or thin, old or young. It's actually a decent exercise and there is always space for improvement.
2. Water Polo- Don't worry, I don't mean the Olympic type of water polo where you tread water for over an hour straight. Instead throw up a small goal on the edge of the shallow end of pool, get a group of six guys together and play full tackle water polo.
3. Bike Rides- I remember the second I got my license I thought I would never need or want to ride a bike again. Now I look at the bike as not only a great source of exercise, but a pretty enjoyable ride. Unless your driving around in a car with no windshield you don't enjoy that breeze hitting your face. On a bike you do.
4. Beach Football and Sports in General- It's the summer, everyone is bound to take a trip to their local beach, whether it be on the ocean or at a nearby lake. Make sure to pack that football, soccer ball and wiffle ball so that once you get to the beach you are not bored sitting next to your lady friend who is trying to work her tan. The sand makes for an extra good workout, and chicks are totally into the athletic guys at the beach.
5. Roller Hockey- Yea, I know that no one roller-blades anymore. But with the ice melted it's time to hit the street for a little hockey. The best part about this game is that it can easily be played in front of your house with a garbage can resting on the curb as a goal. Grab some sticks, some blades and some balls and enjoy a great workout that can get very competitive.

I'm sure you will enjoy those five summer activities as much as I will. Hopefully we can all go back to sitting on the couch and watching preseason football by August.

McIlroy Roars Into the History Books

No tradition quite says Father's Day like the US Open Golf Tournament, and this year's was especially notable because of the performance by 22-year-old Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy shot an amazing 16 under, doubling up the second best score of eight under posted by Jason Day (who also seems to have a very bright future).

Some of my favorite moments of the tournament were:

• When McIlroy walked up to the 18th green on Sunday and after sinking the putt to win the tournament walked over and told his father "Happy Fathers Day." All I got my dad for father's day was a lame Apple TV gadget thing, Rory gets his dad the US Open.
• It's hard to not cheer for Y.E. Yang, but what made me love him even more was when I found out that he lives in Texas and that his kids are actually hockey players. I can't think of too many Asian hockey players in the NHL, and can probably think of even less players from Texas.
• The variety of putters used in the tournament was marveling. Adam Scott has long been known to use a long putter, but what really got me was the putter used by Robert Garrigus. Garrigus is a big guy, and I believe has the longest drive of all PGA Tour golfers. So when he walked out to putt for the first time and looked like he was using a mini-golf putter for a 6-year-old I couldn't help but laugh.
• Looks like Rory had a little fun with the trophy. Damn Irish.
• Speaking of the Irish, anyone see the guy throw the Ireland Flag at Rory's face as he walked from the 18th to the trailer to go over his scorecard. Don't know if it was supposed to be political or just some idiot, but Northern Ireland's flag looks like this, not this.

On a personal side note, I like Mike have been gone from this blog for way too long, more for other writing jobs than for an obsession with alcohol. I would say the odds are good that I will be slowing down my contributions to those to nothing, and with that upping my contributions here big time. Nothing like writing about whatever you like, and doing it alongside two good friends.

I'm Back

So, I've decided to start writing again. Not entirely sure why I chose to take this sabbatical in the middle of the NBA Playoffs, where I would have had plenty to write about my favorite sport, but it happened. I'll chalk it up to finals time, laziness and a minor case of alcoholism. Either way, I'm back kids. Chris and Sanchez may contribute from time to time, but they apparently have better things to do with their time than  put up with my immature bullshit, so no guarantees.

I thought about going through everything that happened while I was gone, then decided that there's no use living in the past, and the last thing you want me to do is ramble on about the Celtics demise or how much I hate the Heat.  Fortunately, we have the German Moses, and possibly Rashard Lewis, to thank for rescuing us from the monster that is Lebron, or as I lovingly call him, the next Karl Malone. Good for Dirk, but I'm ready to look forward. And by forward I mean to the shittiest draft in recent memory and free agency, providing that there's actually a season to be had.

Here's to hoping I can get back into my blogging groove.