WBRS Sports Blog

Gustavo "Gus" Dominguez can be considered a renaissance man. Not only is he a sports agent but he also aids Cubans seeking a Communist-free lifestyle...sort of. Dominguez's "heroic" actions will no longer go unnoticed.

Apparently Dominguez "illegally smuggled Cuban players into the United States, eventually shipping them to California in hopes that they would be signed by major league teams, federal immigration officials said Tuesday. Dominguez, head of California-based Total Sports International, is accused of paying four aides to transport several Cuban athletes into the U.S.

After leading 19 men into America via boat,"According to the indictment, the defendants transported the athletes to Los Angeles by van, rented an apartment for them, provided them with food and clothing and began training them. It could not be immediately determined if any of the Cubans have been signed by major league teams."

If I were a Major Leaguer I certainly would want an agent like Dominguez. Not only would he represent you well, but he can almost successfully smuggle you in to a country! Now they don't teach you that in Sports Agents 101.

WEEK 8 Sunday Studs and Week 9 Upset Specials
SUNDAY STUDS
Ravi: Peyton Manning (32/39 attempts, 345 yards, 3 TD, led 4th Quarter comeback in 34-31 win against Denver)

Mickey: Larry Johnson (39 attempts/155 yards, 3 TD in 35-28 win against Seattle)

Zack: Michael Vick (20/28 attempts, 291 yards, 3 TD in 29-27 win against Cincinnati)

Alex:Rex Grossman (23/29 attempts, 252 yards, 3 TD, helped lead Chicago to 41 1st half points in 41-10 win over San Francisco)

WEEK 9 UPSET SPECIALS
Ravi: TB over NO
Mickey: PIT over DEN
Zack: CLE over SD
Alex: TEN over JAX

And here are the picks...

Game	Young Daniel	Mini Me	Intern Nate	Mikey C.	Random Boy
Houston @Tennessee (-3)	Ten	Ten	Ten	Ten	Hou
Jacksonville @Philadelphia (-6.5)	Phi	Phi	Phi	Phi	Jax
Atlanta @Cincinnati (-5)	Atl	Atl	Cin	Cin	Cin
Tampa Bay @New York G (-9.5)	TB	TB	TB	TB	TB
San Francisco @Chicago (-16.5)	Chi	Chi	SF	SF	SF
Arizona @Green Bay (-3.5)	GB	GB	GB	GB	GB
Seattle @Kansas City (-6)	KC	KC	KC	KC	Sea
Baltimore @New Orleans (-2.5)	NO	Bal	NO	NO	NO
St. Louis @San Diego (-9)	Stl	Stl	Stl	Stl	SD
Pittsburgh (-9) @Oakland	Pit	Pit	Oak	Oak	Oak
New York J @Cleveland (-2)	Cle	Cle	NYJ	NYJ	Cle
Indianapolis @Denver (-3)	Ind	Ind	Ind	Ind	Den
Dallas @Carolina (-5)	Car	Dal	Car	Car	Car
New England @MInnesota (-2.5)	NE	NE	Min	NE	NE

If there's one thing that isn't getting enough hype on my radio show, Overtime (seriously, our agenda today is probably 100 percent baseball), it's the beginning of the NBA season. No league has more characters than the NBA, and no league is run more effectively than the NBA.

I wasn't going to post an actual preview, being that I'm pretty busy running Bullets Fever and writing profiles in the Justice about some wierd dude that runs a sports blog at some random liberal arts school outside of Boston.

[As a sidenote, since we are talking about a blog who's creator promotes it like no other, let me promote Bullets Fever for you. If you're looking for your one stop on the Wizards, Bullets Fever is the place for you. I participated in the NBA Blog Previews recently, which is an outstanding collection of team previews from the top team bloggers on the internet. If you want to really know about the NBA, check out the link.]

Alright, so where was I. Oh yeah, now I remember. I wasn't going to do this, but with Mike predicting a Clippers-Bulls final, I just had to jump in and throw some hard analysis down. As you've probably guessed, I'm not as high as most people are on the Clippers or the Bulls. I admire the boldness, and I enjoyed the preview, but let's look at all of this more carefully. I'm going to give you 5 offseason moves I liked, 5 I didn't like so much, 3 underrated teams, 3 overrated teams, and division previews and playoff predictions. Let's get the ride on!

5 moves I loved this offseason

1. Peja Stojakovic to the Hornets

They overpaid, yes. There's no way Peja is worth the type of money he is worth. But it's incredible how good a fit Stojakovic will be in New Orleans. Last year, the Hornets won 38 games with an offense that was one of the worst shooting teams in basketball. Only the Clippers shot a lower percentage from 3-point land, and only the Clippers shot fewer threes than the Hornets. For all of Chris Paul's accomplishments last year, imagine if he had someone who could shoot the rock. With all due respect to Desmond Mason and Kirk Snyder, you can't win when those are your starting wingmen. I expect Peja to get his game back and for the Hornets to be a dynamite offensive club.

2. Charlie Villanueva to the Bucks

Young bigs like Villanueva don't just grown on trees. I understand the motivation for Toronto to trade Villanueva when you already have Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani, but a better option would have been to hold on for him and try to go small in the frontcourt. Villanueva was inconsistent last year, but that's to be expected for a young big guy like him. For Milwaukee to be able to get a guy like that for T.J. Ford, who is severely overrated in my opinion, that's a major steal. With Bogut and Villanueva, the Bucks frontcourt is set for the next decade.

3. Shane Battier to the Rockets

Memphis should get out of this trade well, because Rudy Gay has the potential to be a superstar. However, I love this trade for Houston because you have to take into account the time frame. The Rockets are only going to have a certain amount of years until Tracy McGrady's back is messed up for good, so they have to acquire guys that can win now. Battier is a jack-of-all trades; the consumate role player. With stars established in T-Mac and Yao, the Rockets have to now work to get strong role players. Battier knocks down the open threes, shuts down the opposing team's top threat, and is still young enough to show more offensive improvement. If T-Mac and Yao stay relatively healthy, the Rockets will be right back at their 2005 level.

4. Anthony Johnson to the Mavericks

I'm shocked that Indiana was so willing to give up on a guy who was so good in the playoffs, especially considering how fragile Jamaal Tinsley is. Dallas struck out on Mike James, but I feel like Johnson is a much better fit. Although Devin Harris was awesome at times in the playoffs, he still is a relative unknown at the point. Johnson is perfect insurance for Harris in case he can't turn the corner and show consistency. He's a solid veteran who can run an offense and hit the big shots when necessary. Contrary to popular belief, the Mavericks were mostly a half-court team last year, playing at one of the league's slowest paces. Johnson fits in perfectly with that style and will add to Dallas' incredible bench.

5. DeShawn Stevenson to the Wizards

Alright, I'm biased. I understand. Here's why I love this move. Stevenson quietly had a really solid season in Orlando, averaging a career high in points and showing Bruce Bowen-like defensive ability. After rejecting the 3 year, 10 million dollar extension with Orlando, the Wizards happily scooped him up for the league minimum. This is exactly the type of guy Washington needs. Jared Jeffries was a tease; he couldn't guard shooting guards and was a really poor rebounder. Stevenson is a legitimate defensive stopper, and he's shown in camp that he can hit the open 17 footer that he'll get all season. As a comparison, the Clippers didn't take off last year until Quinton Ross stepped up as a really good defensive player. Stevenson will be that guy for the Wizards.

5 Moves I didn't like

1. Nene re-signs with Denver for 6 years and 60 million

This guy just ruptured his knee and hasn't played at all in a year in a half, so it makes perfect since to pay him 1/6 of your payroll a season! Seriously, what was Denver thinking. I understand that young bigs like Nene command a high price tag (see below), but I don't think too many teams were aiming to pay anywhere close to that much for this guy. By not understanding the market, the Nuggets cost the chance to get the shooter they desperately needed. Look for another disappointing, frustrating season for the Nuggets this season.

2. Tyson Chandler to the Hornets

I'm not so down on this because of the talent level necessarily. The Hornets needed a big guy badly and the price of P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith wasn't bad. The problem here boils down to salary. Chandler is owed 50 million for the next 5 years. New Orleans just signed Peja Stojakovic for 5 years and 64 million. In a couple years, Chris Paul will want to sign a max extension. You do the math. How will New Orleans be able to upgrade the team when those guys are sucking up nearly all of your payroll? If Chandler doesn't turn it around, I don't think too many teams will want him. I think New Orleans will be good this year, but they have very little salary cap flexibility, which will make it difficult to make the team better in the future.

3. T.J. Ford to the Raptors

See above blurb with Villanueva. The problem is that Ford looks a lot better than he actually is. He's way too sloppy with the ball and doesn't have a jump shot. His speed is going to be good with the Raptors, but he was losing crunch-time minutes to Charlie Bell last season. The Raptors have a decent young point guard in Jose Calderon, so why trade a promising big for Ford straight up? I wouldn't be surprised if Calderon is the starter by the end of the year.

4. Jared Jeffries to the Knicks

There's a reason I refer to Jeffries as "The Enigma" on Bullets Fever. He's long, athletic, and versatile, but he sucks on offense, sucks at rebounding, and is not very good at on-the-ball defense. Basically, he sucks at everything, and after sucking in a system that should be tailor-made to his strengths in DC, I don't think he's going to get any better. With all the small forwards/shooting guards on the Knicks roster, why sign Jeffries? There really was no point.

5. John Salmons to the Kings

This was the dumbest storyline of the offseason. Three teams (Sacramento, Phoenix, Toronto) are fighting over John freaking Salmons because they feel like he's a perfect fit for their system. Keep in mind that this is a guy who averaged 7 points a game coming off a horrendous Philly bench. There's no way Salmons is any better than a 10th man on a decent team. His decent stats are deceiving last year because he got so many unwarranted minutes. With Sacramento already having Kevin Marin, Francisco Garcia, and Quincy Douby, what purpose does Salmons serve anyway. Sacramento is heading for a fall this year.

[Notice how Ben Wallace isn't on either list. The Bulls overpaid for Wallace, and he's not going to solve all their problems, but after getting rid of Chandler, I like the move more. Swapping Chandler with Wallace will make the Bulls a lot better, even if they still have significant flaws offensively.]

Alright, so what teams do I like (other than the Wizards, of course)

1. Houston Rockets

There's no way the Rockets will be as unlucky as last year. I realize that McGrady's back and Yao's foot are potential problems for their careers, but I doubt either player will miss as much time as last year. Add in the addition of Battier, who will do wonders for this team, and you have a club that nobody wants to deal with. Bonzi Wells is a lunatic, but I have a feeling that he'll be kept in check after the embarrasment of this year's offseason. The one achilles heel is at the point, but if Jason Williams can turn into a strong floor leader, then so car Rafer Alston. Finally, remember the name Chuck Hayes. He was a rebounding machine last year, and with a hole at power forward, don't be surprised if he comes out of nowhere a la Udonis Haslem. Houston, if healthy, is a dark horse contender.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

It's a real travesty that LeBron James didn't win MVP last year. Other than LeBron, every single Cavaliers player had a horrible year. Larry Hughes missed half the year, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones suddenly forgot how to shoot, and Drew Gooden struggled with his consistency. Basically, everything other than LeBron was a disaster, yet the Cavaliers still won 50 games and nearly advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. If Hughes, Marshall, Jones, and Gooden simply get back to their career norms, the Cavaliers will win 60 games. Book it, mark it down!

3. New Orleans Hornets

I think New Orleans may have screwed themselves in the future, but I love this team for this year. I don't think anyone beyond San Antonio, Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston really improved this summer, so the 5 spot is New Orleans' for the taking. Chris Paul finally has a legitimate shooter in Stojakovic, and Chandler can't be any worse than the centers who played up front last year. If David West can duplicate his year, the Hornets could approach 50 wins.

What teams don't I like

1. Chicago Bulls

As I said earlier, I'm not down on the Wallace signing, and I don't doubt that Chicago will improve. But those who think this is a legitimate NBA title contender need to calm down for a second. The Bulls were a mediocre team for 5 months, and they turned it around due to a fairly easy schedule down the stretch and a good matchup against a Miami Heat team who hadn't played meaningful basketball for 2 months. The Wallace signing was a major coup, but only because they didn't mess up their cap flexibility doing so. The Bulls' defense and depth will keep them in every game, but in the new NBA, you need slashers who can get to the free throw line and put the other team in foul trouble. Nobody on the Bulls can do that, and unless someone can, the Bulls will struggle with offensive consistency. I say 48 wins or so and the 6 seed in the East.

2. Los Angeles Clippers

Last season was a fairytale ride for the Clippers, with a second-round appearance in the playoffs. With young guys like Shaun Livingston, Chris Kaman, and Quinton Ross, you'd expect that to continue, right? I'm not convinced. One element that is relatively consistent with teams that fall off after a run of success is age in the backcourt. I don't think Sam Cassell will be nearly as good as last year, and I'm concerned about Cuttino Mobley's age. I also don't think Elton Brand will be quite as good as last year, and I don't know whether Corey Maggette can ever be the player he once was. Ultimately, I see the Clippers in a group of a handful of teams fighting for the last couple playoff spots with 42-46 wins.

3. Sacramento Kings

Ugly. That's the best word to describe Sacramento's offseason. They came on really strong at the end of the year, but I think that's more of a factor of the energy that Ron Artest brought to the table. The biggest thing that will kill the Kings (and is already killing the Kings) is a lack of depth. Beyond Mike Bibby, Kevin Martin, Ron Artest, Brad Miller, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and Kenny Thomas, the Kings have nothing. With Bibby already out for a few weeks, there's literaly nobody who can step in and be even halfway-decent. Replacing Bonzi Wells with John Salmons is a significant downgrade, even when you factor in the chemistry issue. Sacramento will ultimately be slightly under .500 this season.

Alright, enough talk, let's get to the predictions

Alright, as you wish. Here's how it's going down.

Atlantic
1. New Jersey: 46-36
2. Boston: 40-42
3. New York: 33-49
4. Toronto: 30-52
5. Philadelphia: 27-55

Central
1. Cleveland: 57-25
2. Detroit: 51-31
3. Chicago: 48-34
4. Milwaukee: 38-44
5. Indiana: 35-47

Southeast
1. Miami: 53-29
2. Washington: 50-32
3. Orlando: 40-42
4. Atlanta: 33-49
5. Charlotte: 32-50

Southwest
1. San Antonio: 62-20
2. Dallas: 55-27
3. Houston: 54-28
4. New Orleans: 47-35
5. Memphis: 29-53

Northwest
1. Utah: 45-37
2. Denver: 39-43
3. Seattle: 35-47
4. Minnesota: 31-51
5. Portland: 18-64

Pacific
1. Phoenix: 58-24
2. LA Lakers: 44-38
3. LA Clippers: 43-39
4. Sacramento: 40-42
5. Golden State: 36-46


MVP: LeBron James
Coach: Jeff Van Gundy
Rookie: Randy Foye
Defensive: Andrei Kirilenko
Improved: Kevin Martin
Break-out Star: Al Jefferson
Trade: There won't be anything huge. Iverson will be traded in the offseason
First Coach to be Fired: Mike Fratello, Memphis. The athletes that Jerry West keeps bringing in just don't fit Fratello's system at all. He'll be fired very quickly, if you ask me.

By the way, Mike Montgomery was already fired and Don Nelson is coaching Golden State].

Wierdest Stat Line: Josh Smith gets 10 points, 10 blocks, and 15 rebounds while shooting 3-13 against the Timberwolves.

Wierdest Injury: Ron Arest breaks his jaw when a microphone strikes him in the mouth during a recording session.

Playoffs

Cleveland over Orlando in 5
Miami over Boston in 4
Detroit over Chicago in 7
Washington over New Jersey in 6

San Antonio over LA Clippers in 6
Phoenix over LA Lakers in 6
Dallas over New Orleans in 7
Houston over Utah in 4

Cleveland over Washington in 7
Miami over Detroit in 5

San Antonio over Houston in 7
Dallas over Phoenix in 6

Miami over Cleveland in 6
San Antonio over Dallas in 5

San Antonio over Miami in 6

Finals MVP: Tim Duncan

What do you guys think? Let me have it in the comments section.

Eastern Conference

1. Miami
2. New Jersey
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
5. Detroit
6. Washington
7. Milwaukee
8. Indiana

Just missing out: Toronto, Boston

Chicago over New Jersey in Conference Finals

Western Conference

1. Dallas
2. Phoenix
3. San Antonio
4. Clippers
5. Houston
6. Memphis
7. Utah
8. New Orleans

Just missing out: Sacramento, Denver

Clippers over San Antonio in Conference Finals

Clippers over Chicago in Finals (Corey Maggette is Finals MVP)

MVP: LeBron

ROY: Randy Foye (tie)
Brandon Roy (tie)

Break-out star: Deron Williams

Biggest star traded: Mike Bibby to Cleveland for Daniel Gibson, Ira Newble, David Wesley and next two 1st round picks.

First coach fired: Mike Montgomery, Golden State

Weirdest stat of the day: Samuel Dalembert blocks 12 shots and goes a combined 0-12 from the field and FT line against the Seahawks

Weirdest injury of the year: Mark Madsen slips in the shower and falls on Kevin Garnett shattering Garnett's tibia.

And yes, I did just pick the Clippers to win it all. I'm not stoned, just potentially dumb.

Who you ask? Smokey IX, the Tennessee Volunteers' bluetick coonhound mascot. The dog is being accused of biting an Alabama player last week during the Vols' game. Apparently during warm-ups, "Crimson Tide receiver Mike McCoy fell on the 3-year-old dog during pre-game warmups after jumping for an out of bounds, near where Smokey was standing with the cheerleaders."

What happened next?

Well Alabama Coach Mike Shula claims his player was bit when he landed right on top of the dog. Meanwhile, Smokey's owner insists that no such bite transpired. According to the owner of the dog, "Smokey did not bite him. The article in the paper said he bit the player. He got a little of his uniform, didn't break the skin I was told, but Alabama made a big deal out of it I understand." However, Shula insists the dog did bite his player, "I can confirm that. I wasn't an eyewitness, but I did see that it drew blood in pre-game warmups."

Regardless of the controversy and what really occurred, expect Smokey IX back on the sideline this Saturday.

The Olympics showed us that the US is now longer dominant in basketball. The World Baseball Classic showed us that the US certainly isn't dominant in baseball. At least we have football, but things might slowly be changing...The NFL announced yesterday that next season two regular-season (not pre-season) games will be played abroad. The potential host countries include: Mexico, Canada, England and Germany. According to the plan, "teams would rotate over a 16-year period, with each team playing outside the country twice over that span, once as a visitor, the other as a home team. That means a team would lose one home game during that span."

This could be the real catalyst (NFL Europe doesn't count) that gives children in foreign countries the interest of playing football. Who knows, maybe football could be an international sport and other countries could provide the US with some competition. That certainly would be interesting to see.

With the World Series tied at 1-1, this thing might end up being a decently entertaining series...contrary to what most believed before it began. But just because it has been good doesn't mean people will watch. In fact, this Mid-Country World Series has recorded the worst ever average rating for the first two games. An average of 9.8 isn't good. I guess this is what happens when none of the New York teams are playing in late-October.

SUNDAY STUDS

Mickey: Michael Vick, ATL QB (18-30 pass attempts, 232 yds, 4 TD in 41-38 OT win over the Steelers)

Ravi: Brett Farve, GB QB (19-35 pass attempts, 206 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT in 34-24 win over the Dolphins)

Zack: Ronde Barber, TB CB (2 INT returned for TDs, 1 forced fumble in 23-21 win over the Eagles)

Alex: Ronde Barber, TB CB (see stats above)

WEEK 8 UPSET SPECIALS

Mickey: HOU over TEN
Ravi: SF over CHI
Zack: ARI over GB
Alex: TB over NYG

One of WBRS Sports Blog's favorite basketball players, Kevin Pittsnogle, was cut yesterday by the Boston Celtics. Pittsnogle did sign a 2-year deal with the Celts this summer however he received limited playing time during the preseason (1.0 points in 3.7 minutes) and the Celtics decided to get ride of him. Hopefully Kevin gets signed by another NBA team and if not we hope he spends next season spotting up from behind the arc in some league...and Pittsnoggling his opponents in the process.

And here are the picks...

Game	Young Daniel	Mini Me	Intern Nate	Mikey C.	Random Boy
San Diego (-5.5)@ Kansas City	SD	SD	KC	SD	KC
Jacksonville (-9.5)@ Houston	Jax	Hou	Jax	Jax	Hou
New England (-5.5)@ Buffalo	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE
Pittsburgh (-2.5)@ Atlanta	Pit	Pit	Atl	Atl	Atl
Green Bay @Miami (-5)	GB	GB	GB	GB	GB
Philadelphia (-5.5)@ Tampa Bay	Phl	TB	Phl	Phl	TB
Detroit @New York Jets (-4)	Det	Det	NY	NY	NY
Carolina @Cincinnati (-3)	Cin	Car	Cin	Car	Car
Denver (-5.5) @Cleveland	Den	Den	Cle	Den	Cle
Washington @Indianapolis (-9.5)	Ind	Ind	Ind	Ind	Was
Minnesota @Seattle (-7)	Sea	Sea	Min	Sea	Min
Arizona (-3)@ Oakland	Arz	Oak	Arz	Arz	Oak
New York @Dallas (-3)	NY	Dal	NY	Dal	Dal
Survivor Team	X	Sea	Jax	Jax	X

Coming later this afternoon...Here are the standings after Week 6

1. Mikey C (46-36-5)
2. Young Daniel (43-39-5)
2. Mini Me (43-39-5)
4. Intern Nate (41-41-5)
5. Random Boy (41-41-5)

With the increasing trend of athletes wearing "bling" it is only inevitable that robbers begin targeting this expensive jewelry. That is exactly what happened on Monday evening when Sebastian Telfair had his bling necklace ripped right of his neck. The theft occurred just outside a New York City night club. Telfair's necklace is valued at $50,000 and he was unable to identify the thief in a police lineup last evening. I think Telfair will be financially capable of replacing the necklace, so no worries.

The NFL is apparently upset with the celebration used by Michael Strahan and his defensive teammates after recording a sack. The celebration is a mockery of the awful jump shot move seen in the music video "We Fly High" by Jim Jones.

"According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Giants are being scrutinized because several defensive players took "jump shots" simultaneously after some of the seven sacks of Michael Vick on Sunday in Atlanta. On one play, Strahan, who didn't have any sacks, formed a hoop with his arms and other defenders took "jump shots" toward it."

For those that haven't seen the celebration yet, check out the first video below. The second video is the Jim Jones "We Fly High" music video, which features the "jump shot" dance move.

At 1-5, Sports Illustrated's Super Bowl pick isn't look too hot right now. But yesterday a little bit of a spark was added to the last place Miami Dolphins...The disgruntled Marcus Vick was added to the roster. Vick spent the first six weeks of the season on the practice squad and while he will predominately serve as a wide receiver and kick returner, he will also be third on the depth chart at the QB spot. With the recent success of college quarterbacks converted into NFL wide receivers (Matt Jones, Antwaan Randle El, Drew Bennett), I expect the Dolphins to give the athletic Vick plenty of opportunities to prove he can make the transformation successfully.

Is this reason enough to watch the Dolphins? Probably not.

And the Mike Tyson saga continues...

"Mike Tyson's World Tour" officially begins this Friday evening when Iron Mike takes on Corey "T-Rex" Sanders (23-10, 15 KOs), a man who's resume includes a KO victory over reigning WBC heavyweight champion of the world, Oleg Maskaev. The four-round bout in Youngstown, Ohio is a pay-per-view event! Meaning we can all watch the roller coaster that is Mike Tyson.

More intriguing, in a press conference yesterday Tyson made a few announcements regarding future events on his tour, including the fact that he wants to fight female professional boxer Ann Wolfe (21-1, 15 KOs). YES YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY!

"She's such a prominent, dominant woman in the boxing field. I'm very serious." However Wolfe's promoter has already dismissed the idea insisting such a fight would never take place. "That's the first we've heard of it. No state would sanction that. She would be outweighed by 60 to 70 pounds. Ann would never entertain the idea."

The fact that Tyson is willing to fight a woman has to get you both curious and excited about what exactly is going to happen on this so-called "World Tour"...it should be interesting and fun.

Southern Methodist University's football program hasn't been the same since 1987, when the Death Penalty was inflicted upon the Mustangs. The effects on the program were catastrophic to say the least...A record of 47-119-3 and 0 post-season appearances since the harshest penalty evoked in NCAA history. Things still didn't seem to be turning around in the new millennium when SMU went 0-12 in 2003. But suddenly a 5-6 season last year, including a historic victory that ended TCU's BCS hopes, and optimism suddenly spread throughout the campus.

But how exactly can we measure when a team has officially turned that corner? Maybe the fact that fans care so much that SMU's starting freshman quarterback Justin Willis has a stalker! Not only that, but Willis was recently suspended from the team after punching his stalker in the face! According to the story:

"Justin's father, Samuel Willis, claimed that his son had been stalked and harassed by another male student for almost a year leading up to Friday morning's encounter. According to the elder Willis, the other student showed up at a team gathering at an off-campus residence and would not leave when asked. At that point, Justin Willis "snapped," punched the other student and had to be physically restrained by his teammates."

UPDATE: Justin Willis was reinstated to the football team this morning. At 3-3 this season, as long as SMU has fans as devoted as Willis' stalker, it might be enough to lift SMU to its first bowl game in the post-Death Penalty era.

Here are the Week 6 picks from the radio personalities on the Wednesday evening show "Overtime"...

Cumulative season records vs. spread, going in to Week 5:
1. Mikey C (39-30-5)
1. Intern Nate (39-30-5)
3. Young Daniel (38-31-5)
4. Mini Me (35-34-5)
5. Random Boy (33-36-5)

Game	Young Daniel	Mini Me	Intern Nate	Mikey C.	Random Boy
Cincinnati (-6) @Tampa Bay	Cin	Cin	Cin	Cin	TB
Tennessee @Washington (-10)	Was	Ten	Was	Ten	Ten
Houston @Dallas (-12.5)	Dal	Dal	Hou	Dal	Hou
Buffalo (-1) @Detroit	Buf	Det	Buf	Buf	Buf
Seattle (-3.5) @St. Louis	Stl	Stl	Sea	Sea	Sea
New York @Atlanta (-3)	Atl	NY	NY	Atl	Atl
Philadelphia (-3.5) @New Orleans	Phi	NO	Phl	Phl	NO
Carolina @Baltimore (-3)	Bal	Car	Bal	Car	Bal
Miami @New York (-2)	Mia	NY	NY	NY	NY
San Diego (-10) @San Francisco	SD	SF	SF	SD	SD
Kansas City @Pittsburgh (-7)	Pit	KC	KC	Pit	Pit
Oakland @Denver (-15)	Oak	Den	Den	Oak	Oak
Chicago (-11) @Arizona	Chi	Chi	Chi	Chi	Arz
Survivor Team	Was	Den	Den	Dal	X

I’m sure most of your typical Sundays include beer (Gatorade for the youngsters), pizza, and a couch. It also probably involves you being in front of a television all day as you cheer on your team and track your fantasy football players. On more than one occasion I have thought to myself “now only if I could get paid for this”…

Well a few days ago while bouncing around on the internet I stumbled across a website called HIREAFAN.COM . Basically, you sign up and a sponsor adopts you as a fan of whatever team they desire. You take a picture of yourself watching the game and cheering for the specified team and they send you $5. Apparently the sponsors receive an advertisement on the Hire A Fan website as incentive for agreeing to this transaction. Now how many game assignments you receive depends on the sites ability to secure sponsors. Assuming they can do this, it seems like a pretty sweet deal.

Well five bucks a game might not be enough to live off of but it isn’t a bad way to cover your fantasy football entry fee each season.

The first time WBRS Sports Blog was linked on Deadspin the post was in regard to a Japanese pitcher named Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka isn't your typical pitcher...The gyroball throwing phenom not only has outstanding numbers but also has ridiculous stamina. He once threw 250 pitches in a single game! Yesterday Matsuzaka was granted permission by the Seibu Lions to pursue a career in the Major Leagues.

If Matsuzaka's name rings a bell but you aren't sure why, it might be because he was the MVP in the inaugural World Baseball Classic.

My question to you is this...What team will Matsuzaka end up signing with?

How do the majority of Yankee fans feel about Alex Rodriguez returning to New York next season? I think this Ebay auction speaks volumes. Titled "Unwanted Alex Rodriguez for Sale- Rare Opportunity", this Yankee fan has put A-Rod up for auction, with an opening bid of a penny. However 54 bids later, the auction is currently priced at $99,999,999.00. The description written by the seller, identified as bxleft23, can be found below:

"You are bidding on great regular season baseball player Alex Rodriguez. He is especially good agaisnt fine quality teams such as the Royals, Devil Rays, Rangers and any game where you have a 9 run lead.

Now you may wonder why I listed him in the category of antiques. That is a fair question. The answer is quite simple. The baseball from his last playoff RBI is an antique. Casey Stengle has hit a playoff homerun more recently that Arod.

Why is the price so low? After all that brain surgeon Tom Hicks gave him 252 million dollars. That was several years ago and the market just isnt what he used to be. I tried to trade him last week for some enron stock but I was accused of price gouging.I have started the bidding at 1 cent because that is the lowest allowed ( I know it is excessive but the United States stopped minting the half penny over one hundred years ago.)

Now you may wonder what is Arod even good for these days? There are many things.

1.If you teach an EMS class Arod chokes all the time. Youll have tons of practice trying to revive him.

2.Arod is a perfect gentleman. He would never hit a woman. 2 days ago a woman walked up to him and kicked him in the balls, I asked her why she wasnt worried about him hitting her back. She told me she would never do that in April but had nothing to fear. Arod couldnt hit her in October if he wanted to.

3.Build up your little leaguers confidence. If you have a child is is strugggling with his pitching have Arod play on the opposing little league team in the Championship game and your son/daughter will have scouts all over him in no time.

4. Arod can be a politician. He said people don't like him because hes biracial. He has a good point. Derek Jeter is biracial and Yankee fans hate him.

5.Hes so soft he can replace your matress. Arod has no stones whatsoever.Just when you think he couldnt get any worse he makes Kenny Rogers look like Sandy Koufax. And Kenny Rogers is almost as old as Sandy Koufax.

How will I ship Arod? Simple. I'll tell the Redsox that they have a game against Arod's team right next to the winning bidders house and theyll send him a limo like they always do.

What kind of payment do I accept? Pocket change!"

If any GM's are out there shopping for a fantastic regular season performer, hurry up and bid now because this auction ends in approximately 6 days!

Playing Howard Hughes in one of WBRS Sports Blog's favorite movies, The Aviator, Leonardo DiCaprio constantly repeated the phrase "The way of the future"...Mainly due to his obsessive compulsive order. It seems now Cleveland Cavalier season ticket-holders will experience that this upcoming season. In an attempt to "take business back from scalpers", approximately one-third of Cavs season ticket-holders have agreed to give up their paper tickets in exchange for "Flash Seats". Under the Flash Seats program, the ticket-holders will "go through special gates and use their driver's licenses or credit cards to prove they have reserved seats."

While this is an attempt to reduce the number of scalpers selling Cavs tickets, ticket holders will still be able to transfer Flash Seat tickets to others..."Ticket holders will also be able to give tickets away or sell them on the Flash Seats Web site. The seller can price the tickets for more than face value, and the buyer pays a fee to Flash Seats."

It seems the only downside to this is that fans won't be able to keep their ticket stubs from memorable Cavs games. If they can't keep their stubs, what proof do they have that they were legitimate "witnesses"?

So the Yankees have been knocked out, and a grateful nation (my family) rejoices. That said, there's a lot of offseason decisions to make for the Pinstriped Ones, and who better to do that than somebody who absolutely hates them--me? Don't worry, I'll give my real, smart opinion at the bottom, and you can bash either one. Remember: at WBRS Sports, if you don't have something nice to say, say something anyway.

1) Should the Yankees pick up the option on Gary Sheffield for $13 million?
Answer: No. They should renegotiate his contract and sign him for four more years and $55 million! After all, what says "Yankees" more than an aging slugger who isn't needed in the field anymore and doesn't have a position?

2) Should the Yankees pick up the option on Mike Mussina for $17 million?
Answer: No. Mussina should just be let go. The Yankee fans don't want boring stats like quality starts or lowest WHIP and ERA on the team or even team leader in strikeouts; they want EXCITEMENT! How are they gonna get that with such a steady pitcher on the team? Besides, we all know hitting wins championships. Use that extra money to resign Sheffield. Now there's excitement.

3) Should the Yankees fire Joe Torre?
Answer: No. Torre is 66, which means he's just entering his golden years. And back to that excitement issue: fans don't wanna wait until the postseason to see Mariano Rivera in every game! They paid good money to see him wear his arm out before it matters! Kudos to Mr. Torre on his bullpen decisions, his quotes regarding Alex Rodriguez, and his overall resemblance to Pizza the Hutt.

4) Should Alex Rodriguez be traded?
Answer: Are you crazy? No way! The guy is so due. You have to think that after getting no RBIs in his last 12 postseason games, he's ready to blow up! You know who should be traded? Derek Jeter. I mean, come on; the guy went 7 for 14 in this series with four doubles, four runs scored and an OPS of 1.467! Is there any way he can duplicate that kind of success if the Yankees ever make it back to the postseason? Nah, he's burned out.

5) Should the Yankees sign Barry Zito or Jason Schmidt?
Answer: No. Remember: hitting, not pitching, is the answer. Throw Rivera on the mound as a starter; that way, fans get bigger doses of him! Same for Bernie Williams.

6) Should Jason Giambi play third base?
Answer: Absolutely. He's big, so when he lays out for balls, chances are he'll at least block them over towards A-Rod (who gets moved to shortstop after Jeter gets bounced). Besides, in the Yankees' book, production is very important from a corner infielder. So is steroids use.

Now for my real answers:
1) Should the Yankees pick up the option on Gary Sheffield for $13 million?
Answer: No. The guy is roughly done, and the Yankees don't need him anymore, even as a Strawberry-esque pinch-hitter. Besides, for that job, Sheff would have to use a different kind of drug.

2) Should the Yankees pick up the option on Mike Mussina for $17 million?
Answer: Yes, and today. The guy was their best pitcher, and his ratios were solid across the board. Supplement him and Wang with a good #3 starter (not the Unit), and they'll look pretty unstoppable next year.

3)Should the Yankees fire Joe Torre?
Answer: Yes. It's time to do so; after all, he does continually wear the bullpen out during the regular season, and his decision-making has been generally sloppy. That said, I have no clue who could replace him; his political savvy was a guiding force in the Yankee clubhouse, and they'll certainly miss that about him if he goes.

4) Should the Yankees trade Alex Rodriguez?
Answer: Yes, if anybody gives them decent value for him. I'm not talking the kind of stuff the Yankees sent to the Phillies for Abreu and Lidle (what a joke that trade was); I'm talking a blue-chip prospect (like Brandon Wood, Alex Gordon or Felix Pie), a mid-level prospect (think Colter Bean if you're a Yankee fan), and a halfway-decent relief pitcher (like Will Ohman). If they can't get all of that, it's not worth it to them, even with the potential headaches. The Angels are a probable suitor, and the Phillies could step up.

5) Should the Yankees sign Zito or Schmidt?
Answer: If those guys are happy being #3 starters. Otherwise, they should seek somebody more in that role.

6) Should Jason Giambi play third base?
Answer: Why not? Couldn't be any worse than A-Rod.

Young Nucleus out.

First FC Barcelona beats the Philadelphia 76ers 104-99 on Thursday in Barcelona. Then today in Moscow, CSKA Moscow defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 94-75. If these games were played two months later when NBA players were actually in game-ready shape I would be quite concerned, however because they are just tune-up games I'm not too worried. But yes in case you were wondering, all of the Clipper regulars did play, they just lost. Who exactly did they lose to? Well CSKA Moscow was led by the Alaskan Assasian himself, Trajan Langdon. The former Duke sharpshooter led Moscow with 17 points.

Following the game Clippers forward Corey Maggette said, "I'd love to come back and play these guys when we're definitely in shape -- to show them what we can do." I remember the good old days when NBA players didn't have to be in shape to easily defeat foreign teams. However apparently those days are far behind us now.

With all the hoopla surrounding Terrell Owens and the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Philadelphia Eagles this week I thought it was only fitting for WBRS Sports Blog to provide some TO news from a different angle, in fact you could consider this a nurturing perspective. It was announced yesterday that TO will release his first children's book, Little T Learns To Share. The book is scheduled to be released sometime in mid-November. Here is a brief synopsis on the book...

It's about a young boy learning the value of sharing. Little T, the title character, refuses to share his football at first but later realizes he can't enjoy his new ball without friends. "I tried to play outside alone and throw it by myself, but football isn't football unless you play with someone else," Little T tells his mother in the book.

Apparently this is TO's first of several children's books, which will all be a part of T.O.'s Timeout Series. "The second book, Little T Learns What Not to Say is due in spring 2007, and the third one, Little T Learns To Say I'm Sorry comes out fall 2007. The other topics haven't been determined."

Courtney Parker, the co-author of the book and also a good friend of Owens, explains the inspiration for the series of children's books... "We're watching television and the commentator said, T.O.'s behavior is so childish," Parker said. "And then [Owens] says, 'That's not a bad idea for a book. It should be about discipline since the world thinks I have none."

WBRS Sports personality MC has predicted the titles of Books 4, 5, and 6 in TO's Timeout Series...

Book 4 - Little T Learns to Take the Recommended Dosage.

Book 5 - Little T Learns to Look Smart by Having a Dumb Friend Speak at His Press Conference

Book 6 (title tentative) - Little T Learns that D Batteries Bruise

Here are the Week 5 picks from the radio personalities on the Wednesday evening show "Overtime"...

Cumulative season records vs. spread, going in to Week 5:
1. Mikey C (34-24-2)
1. Young Daniel (34-24-2)
3. Mini Me (31-27-2)
4. Intern Nate (30-28-2)
5. Random Boy (28-30-2)

Game	Young Daniel	Mini Me	Intern Nate	Mikey C.	Random Boy
Tennessee @Indianapolis (-18.5)	Ind	Ind	Ind	Ind	Ind
Washington @New York (-4.5)	Was	NY	NY	Was	Was
Detroit @Minnesota (-6.5)	Det	Det	Min	Det	Min
Tampa Bay @New Orleans (-6.5)	NO	NO	TB	NO	TB
St. Louis (-3) @Green Bay	Stl	Stl	Stl	Stl	GB
Miami @New England (-10)	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE
Buffalo @Chicago (-10.5)	Chi	Chi	Buf	Chi	Buf
Cleveland @Carolina (-8)	Car	Cle	Car	Cle	Car
New York @Jacksonville (-7)	NY	NY	Jax	NY	NY
Kansas City @Arizona (-3.5)	KC	KC	KC	KC	Arz
Oakland @San Francisco (-3)	SF	Oak	SF	SF	SF
Dallas @Philadelphia (-2)	Phl	Dal	Phl	Dal	Phl
Pittsburgh @San Diego (-3.5)	Pit	SD	SD	SD	Pit
Baltimore @Denver (-3.5)	Bal	Bal	Den	Den	Den
Survivor Team	Car	NE	Ind	Ind	X

Each week seems even more nerve-racking than the previous one, for fantasy football owners that have Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai on their roster. Among these owners is Colts outside linebacker Cato June. June has both Rhodes and Addai on his roster and is unsure each week as to which running back he should start. When June asks Addai who he should start between the two, Addai usually responds with, "We don't even know." Meanwhile, Rhodes tells June to start him each and every week. So, if you are one of those owners that has to choose between Addai and Rhodes each week, just remember Cato June is in the same boat, and these two backs don't even know when and how much they will play.

	Dominic Rhodes	Joseph Addai
Rushing Attempts	59	46
Rushing Yards	189	207
Touchdowns	3	1

Last week, on September 27th, the laptop computer containing the Auburn Tigers' offensive plays was stolen from the Columbia Plaza Hotel, where the Auburn team was staying. The robbery occurred in a meeting room in which Auburn players and coaches were gathered after a post-game dinner celebrating a 24-17 victory over South Carolina.

At first I thought this was some sort of prank committed by a fan of a rival SEC team. If not that, I was fairly certain the thief knew exactly what he was stealing. Well I was very wrong, as yesterday Michael Stockman, a 53-year-old homeless man, was charged with grand larceny, for stealing the missing laptop. Talk about hitting the jackpot! Not only did this bum steal a laptop, but it is reported that the Auburn plays located on the hard drive bumped up the value to $15,000. The police originally identified the criminal as a "drifter", and Auburn Head Coach Tommy Tuberville was even rooting for the homeless man to get his money's worth..."Somebody needed some bucks, and I hope they got more than $100 because it's worth a lot more than that."

Well, unfortunately for Stockman and even Tuberville, who was hoping the bum would get some nice $$$ out of it, a civilian recognized Stockman from the surveillance video at the hotel, which was aired on television and called 911. Apparently though there is a second suspect who was also caught on tape. At this time who knows where he is, and who knows what he did with that laptop!

So baseball playoffs have started (signified by the fact that Bill Simmons has already punched a wall, the A's won a big game so they can disappoint their fans by somehow losing game 5, and Derek Jeter has made all the Yankee haters out there a bit more bitter) and the NFL season is in full swing (signified by the fact we have a T.O. against his former team story, a Madden cover athlete is injured, and Jeremy Shockey has again opened his big mouth). But, unbeknownst to many, another sport is about to start it's season.

That's the NHL, folks. In the second year of the revamped playing system (complete with salary caps, more open ice, and shootouts), many teams will start training camp with a real chance of making the Stanley Cup.

We don't have room to give you every story from ever team, but I, Andrew "Cookie" Katz will try to dissect the playoff picture for both leagues from Scandanavia, the home of King Henrik, Saku Koivu, Mats Sundin, and Peter Forsberg:

Eastern Conference:
1. Buffalo Sabres
2. Carolina Hurricanes
3. New York Rangers
4. Ottawa Senators
5. New Jersey Devils
6. Tampa Bay Lightening
7. Boston Bruins
8. Philadelphia Flyers

Just missing out: Thrashers, Panthers and Canadians
Let's just go to the draft: Penguins, Maple Leafs, Islanders and Capitals

5 Players to Watch:
1. Brendan Shanahan: Maybe it's biased as a Ranger fan or maybe I just don't believe in old age, but I think this man is about to have a big year, especially on the power play. Him and Jagr together should create some match up problems and that's a good thing for Broadway Blueshirts
2. Zdeno Chara: Huge contract and huge expectations from a huge man who was just named the captain of the Boston Bruins. Maybe it’s a good thing that he got the “C” on his jersey. The last guy to have it won the MVP…for the San Jose Sharks.
3. Todd Bertuzzi: No one in the NHL can use a tabula rasa (clean slate for those who aren’t Latin scholars) more than Big Bert. But after escaping Vancouver in favor of South Florida, can he really turn around a franchise longing for the days of John Vanbiesbrouck? I think no…but he can certainly help.
4. Cam Ward: So you won a Stanley Cup? Want to fight about it? This 22-year-old needs to show that last year was not a fluke or else the talks of a dynasty in Raleigh are going to be quite premature. But with Ward and Eric Staal, the ‘Canes certainly have a nice young nucleus to build that potential dynasty around.
5. Rick DiPietro: I think Charles Wang has been spending too much time around Madison Square Garden lately because he’s acting way too much like Isiah Thomas. This off-season has been quite comedic for the Islanders (if you missed it, just Google Garth Snow and Neil Smith and you’ll get a sense), and this move may have been the worst of all. The former #1 pick has never lived up to the superstar status. So Wang rewards him with a 15-year, $67.5 million contract. There really is only one successful Wang in NY.

Western Conference:

1. Anaheim Ducks
2. Calgary Flames
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Nashville Predators
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Dallas Stars
8. Minnesota Wild

Just Missing Out: Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, and Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche

Fight for the Bottom: St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks

5 Players to Watch:
1. Chris Pronger: Pronger is going to form one of the most intimidating defensive pairings in hockey on a team that was on a cusp of a Stanley Cup last year. That’s got to be scary. But for Pronger, the key is to play healthy, to play smart, and to show up in the playoffs. Oh yeah, and to make sure his wife enjoys the weather in Anaheim.
2. Marty Turco: After a very disappointing performance in last year’s playoffs and with an aging team in front of him, there is a lot of pressure or Turco to perform and perform now. In a very tough Western Conference, he’s going to have to be the difference-maker on that team.
3. Dwayne Roloson: While Turco’s pressure was put on him by playing poorly, Roloson put a lot of pressure on himself by playing well. Hopefully for him it was not an anomaly and he can repeat it in front of a very exciting Edmonton Team who will probably feel the loss of Pronger. That loss can be much smaller if Roloson can repeat his performance of last spring.
4. Jason Arnott: He has the reputation in some circles of being constantly injured and overrated, but this could be the year he puts all those naysayers to rest. A member of Stanley Cup teams in the past, Nashville GM Dave Poile is hoping that he can find a way to help Nashville make a big run at the Stanley Cup.
5. Nicklas Lidstrom: No more Yzerman means that the pressure to lead this team falls on the shoulders of the perennial Norris Trophy Candidate. Can he step up and lead this team to another Stanley Cup run? Many will say no but don’t count out any time with Lidstrom on the point for the power play.

Playoffs:

Eastern Conference Finals:

Sabres over Rangers

Western Conference Finals:

Ducks over Sharks

Two out of the four finals teams have new logos, but I’m banking on the team with the new name to win. The artist formerly known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim have been close before but I believe that this is the year that they take home Lord Stanley’s trophy. What do you think? Post your comments and let us know.

For some time I have wondered if a boxer would be willing to strip down to nothing in order to make weight for a fight. Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding! Celestino Caballero has answered yes to my question..."Caballero, weighing in for his WBA super bantamweight fight with champion Somsak Sithchatchawal of Thailand, stunned reporters in Bangkok by removing his underwear before stepping on the scale."

Apparently for the past week or so there was much speculation regarding whether or not Caballero would be able to weigh in at 122 pounds. I guess there was some truth to that speculation...or more likely Caballero was trying to get some