WBRS Sports Blog

The human juggernaut/punching bag that is Colts tight end Dallas Clark is at it again. Last week Clark was kicked out of a girls high school basketball game for making "inappropriate" comments to a referee. I say Clark deserves to be cut some slack considering he just spent a whole season with Peyton Manning and probably has some steam to let off. Besides, if the Colts repeat next year the door will be open for Clark to film a commercial where he says "I just won the Super Bowl, but instead of going to Disney World, I'm going to watch Iowa high school girls basketball."

We all remember when Bruce Pearl showed up at a Tennessee Volunteers women's basketball game with his body painted and cheering loudly in the student section. Well it seems Pat Summit is going to return the favor, sort of.

Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said then she was planning a similar gesture for a men's game, and now her time has come.

Summitt and her staff are planning a special appearance during Tennessee's game Tuesday night against No. 5 Florida.

Summitt didn't want to say exactly what she is doing, but she's dropped hints by mentioning her days as a cheerleader in seventh and eighth grade.

While whatever she does will be a surprise to viewers and fans in attendance, Pearl is already aware of what will transpire.

"I know what Pat is doing, but I'm not at liberty to say," he said. "I think (fans) are going to love it, and I think America is going to see a side of Pat Summitt that they haven't seen in a long time."

Summitt noted the appearance will be '"a little out of character, a lot out of character actually."

"I think people see me as being really serious, and I've just always been a kind of person that likes to have fun and do things like I'm going to do tomorrow night. But I usually don't do it on camera in front of the whole country," she said. "I figured, why not?"

I am all for this kind of school spirit and I look forward to seeing exactly what Summitt does. But she better show up in a cheerleading outfit, rather than anything that involves her painting her bare body.

And here is that new commercial...




Dwyane Wade has decided to seek a second medical opinion in regard to his dislocated left shoulder. Coach Riley claims that that Wade will most certainly decide whether to prematurely end his season by sometime next week. And if Wade calls it quits this year, the Heat season certainly goes down with him.

Regardless, make sure to check out D-Wade's new commercial above.

I actualy happened to see The Departed for the first time this past Saturday evening. I thought it was fantastic and I'm very pleased that it won Best Picture last night and Scorsese won Best Director. A college basketball post coming later this evening...

Until then, Free Medium Curly Fries @ Arby's Today...Enjoy that. :)

We all remember when disgruntled ex-NBAer Latrell Sprewell rebuffed a Minnesota Timberwolves contract offer of 3 years, $21 million by claiming "I have a family to feed." Well, it appears Spree won't have that concern on his conscious anymore since a judge ordered an extended order of protection against Sprewell, preventing the former shooting guard from seeing his girlfriend, Candace Cabbil, and their four children.

"The 36-year-old Sprewell is charged with third-degree assault, obstructing governmental administration and five counts of endangering the welfare of a child. The charges say Sprewell assaulted Cabbil on Dec. 11 in their Purchase home and refused to let in police for 90 minutes."

There is more bad news for Sprewell in this story, though...

"Cabbil filed a $200 million lawsuit against Sprewell last month in Manhattan. She claims he broke his promise to share his life and his fortune with her, and reduced his support for their children. The lawsuit says Cabbil also is guardian for a fifth child, a 16-year-old Sprewell fathered with another woman."

Thankfully, Spree is allowed to communicate with the kids via phone, e-mail and text message. But knowing Latrell he will probably complain about having no NBA contract and a now hefty phone contract to pay.

Hey fellas,

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I was gone from Sunday to Friday on vacation in Miami Beach. Don't worry I am back now though. There were no Heat games while I was there, however I did learn something sports related on the trip. I now know why so many teams, especially undisciplined ones, struggle when they have to travel to Miami to take on the Heat. Miami Beach is extremely fun and the club scene is simply amazing. I had a great time and I recommend all of you visit if you haven't recently.

It's an all-star game, it doesn't matter, blah blah blah. I don't know about you, but I'm a huge all-star weekend junkie, and with the game moving to Vegas this year, I'm even more excited than usual.

So who wins the events? Here's one man's opinion.

The Rookie Challenge

The game itself should be pretty obvious. I don't see how arguably the worst rookie class since 2000 can compete in any rookie challenge, especially when the sophomores can trot out Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Bill Simmons likes to say that point guards are the keys to exhibition games, and the sophomores are well-stacked in that category.

The more interesting debate is who will win the MVP. Here's how I handicap the odds.

The Field: 20-1

David Lee: 15-1
I can see it now. In response to Isaiah Thomas not playing him, Lee will play out of his mind and have a 20 rebounds, 22 point game.

Chris Paul: 8-1
You really can't go wrong with him, but I think he's going to do just enough to set someone else up.

Deron Williams: 8-1
For many of the same reasons as Paul.

Andrea Bargnani: 5-1
If the Rookies somehow find a way to win, I'm thinking Bargnani will get it. The sophomores won't be able to guard him.

Monta Ellis: 2-1
Exhibition games seem tailor made for Ellis. This is not to say that he's not a good player in real life (in fact, he might be the favorite for Most Improved Player). But with his athleticism, and with the point guards giving him the ball, Ellis is going to get plenty of fast-break points. Besides, we all know he's the next Gilbert Arenas anyway.



Skills Challenge

Can we just skip this? I'd rather see a 1 on 1 tournament instead. Either that, or a four-person P-I-G competition between Gilbert Arenas, Eddie House, Ben Gordon, and Larry Hughes? Wouldn't that be so much more entertaining? The battle of the undersized combo guards taking the same horrible shots they always seem to hit. I'd pay to watch something like that.

Three-Point Shootout

I thought this contest was supposed to have 8 people? Did I miss something? Anyway, handicapping the chances...

Jason Terry: 15-1. Sorry Mini Me, I really don't see Terry competing. He's more of a rhythm shooter than a stand-up one, so unless he gets hot early, I see him struggling mightily.

Jason Kapono: 15-1. I mean, he's a great shooter in games, but somehow, Kapono's just doesn't strike me as one of those exhibition shooters. He's also the most likely of the 6 to have the "happy to be here" syndrome, where he comes out so nervous and ends up bricking nearly all his 3s.

Gilbert Arenas: 10-1. You'd think I'm crazy, because you know that after finishing second last year, Arenas is going to really want to win again. But considering the way he's been shooting the ball in the last month, and his tendency to try too hard and press, I don't like his chances this year.

Dirk Nowitzki: 7-1. I mean, he could repeat, and it's been done before, but who honestly wishes for a repeat? Outside of Dallas fans like Mini Me, I don't see any reason to root for Nowitzki.

Damon Jones: 3-1. Nobody here has more to prove, and nobody is looking forward to this more than Jones, the self-proclaimed best shooter in the game. I personally think he'll make a long run, but fall just short when someone on the Pistons reminds him of Game 7 of the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals. (My bet's on Sheed for that).

Mike Miller: 2-1. You would think he's a longshot, but I have a gut feeling about this one. Miller's one of the more under appreciated players in the game, and it's unfortunate that he's had to waste his career on boring Memphis teams. Put Miller on Phoenix, and he'll average 20 points a game and hit 50 percent of his threes. He's going to come out of nowhere and shock everyone. You heard it here first.


Slam Dunk Contest

First of all, a quick word on the ultimate slam dunk contest in my mind. I mentioned in the comments section a couple weeks back that I like the rising stars aspect of it. Like it or not, the dunk contest always is a tipping point for something, whether it be greatness (MJ and Nique), a cult legend (Harold Miner), or ridicule (Chris Anderson). If you put veterans in the dunk contest, it robs it of this mystique. Unless you're a Dr. J level legend (Vince Carter would apply), you shouldn't be in the dunk contest if you're over 25.

With that being said, here's my ultimate 8.

-LeBron James
-Dwayne Wade
-J.R. Smith
-Monta Ellis
-Gerald Green
-Andre Iguodala
-Nate Robinson
-James White

Anyway, the odds on these contestants.

Nate Robinson: 20-1. I'm sorry, there's just no way he's repeating. There's a time limit this year, and he's not going to be able to generate the type of energy he did last year. That and they're not letting a 5-7 guy win a second time. Spud Webb's repeat bid didn't go over so well either.

Tyrus Thomas: 15-1. If you don't want to be there, you're not going to give it your all. That and I'm struggling to see why Thomas would be good for this contest. He's athletic, but it's more of a jumping-to-get-offensive-rebounds athletic than dunk-contest-athletic.

Dwight Howard: 10-1. He's a big guy, and big guys traditionally don't do well. But Amare Stoudemire was pretty solid in 2005. He's certainly going to do something cool.

Gerald Green: 3-2. Is there any way he doesn't win? Some of the stuff he does in games is pretty insane, and you know he's going to try to do something cool to restore Boston pride.



The All-Star game itself

With no point guards in play, get ready for a sloppy affair. I completely agree with Bill Simmons' assessment that point guards are the key in all-star games. They're the one throwing all the lobs and controlling the ball most of the time. Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are both out, and both teams are starting two shooting guards in the starting lineup. Get ready for a chuckfest, folks.

With all the injuries to the West, I see the East winning, and Gilbert getting MVP. He's going to take the most shots, after all.

Charles Barkley vs. Dick Bavetta

Dick Bavetta, easily. Like you needed to ask. This is going to be the beginning of the end for Charles' broadcasting career. Soon, he'll be on HBO with Rich Eisen.


Running Subplot of the Week

The day before the big race, Charles Barkley is going to be spotted gambling until 6 AM. Some blogger is going to catch it and post for all the world to see. Then, when Barkley gets smoked by Bavetta, there will be a new running joke in the blogosphere.

Odds on this happening: 1-1. It just makes too much sense.

Timmy is killer crossovering gays one man at a time.

Coming soon to a theater near you...




Courtesy of NBX

Enjoy this video of Tony Romo and Dennis Haskins (aka Mr. Belding) singing "Don't Stop Believin" by Journey, on stage with Metal Skool.

The clip was recorded on February 12th, when Metal Skool performed at the Key Club, a venue on Hollywood's Sunset Strip.

And for Tony Romo, this is just one of the many "perks" of being the quarterback of America's team! Let me guess, we will next see him in one of Screech's pornos.

Enjoy the clip!

(Warning, not safe for work)




Speaking of Mr. Belding, WBRS Sports Blog commenter Turets Syndrome noted this:

Separated at Birth? (Mr. Belding left and Bill Belichick right)

// posted by Mini Me @ 2:39 PM
22 Comments | Leave a Comment

I swear I am having deja vu. This happened a couple of seasons ago, didn't it? Remember the long dispute between the Boston Red Sox franchise and ex-Red Sox first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz? Well eventually that ordeal ended with the defensive specialist "reaching an agreement" with the Red Sox, which resulted in the ball finding a new home in Cooperstown.

Well this situation is a tad different. This situation of course refers to the St. Louis Cardinals World Series ball. And this situation differs from the Red Sox dilemma, as this one involves two players rather than a player and a franchise. Those two players are closer Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina.

The final out of the World Series occurred when Wainwright struck out Detroit Tigers' Brandon Inge. The ball landed in Molina's glove and has remained in his possession, specifically his home office in Puerto Rico, since then. The controversy surrounding this story only exists because Molina agreed to give the ball to Wainwright.

This offseason, Wainwright confirmed the ball's location when he recalled the conversation he had with Molina during the celebration. He said he approached Molina, who led all players with 19 hits in the playoffs, and the catcher said he would give Wainwright the ball when the team got its championship rings.

"He told me, 'You deserve it, you deserve it,'" Wainwright said. "But he told me to wait. He was there with his brother (Giants catcher Bengie Molina), and it's hard to argue with two of them."

However, now it appears Molina has no desire to relinquish the prized ball.

"He was trying to get that ball from me, I know," Molina said Monday at Roger Dean Stadium, two days before Cardinals pitchers and catchers report for workouts. "He deserves it. He does. But that's the one thing I have from a long season. I hit .216. It was a tough year. I didn't earn much else, but I have that ball.

Certainly Wainwright wants the ball back. He seems a bit perturbed, but not bitter or resentful over the matter.

"Hopefully, he'll change his mind. The final three outs of a World Series — how often do you get to do that in your career? But then, who's to say we would have gotten to that point had he not hit the home run against the Mets in the (National League Championship Series) or if he doesn't (bat) like 4 thousand in the World Series? He probably does deserve it."

In my opinion, the ball belongs in a museum in St. Louis however it seems the Cardinals aren't going to step into the middle of this controversy. So, if I had to choose between Wainwright and Molina, I think Wainwright is entitled to the ball. If Molina had not promised it to Wainwright than there would be no dispute in the first place and the ball would clearly belong to Molina. However, because the catcher verbally agreed to give the ball to Wainwright I truly believe Molina should act like a man, keep his word, and give the ball to Wainwright.

What do you think? At the end of the day, does the ball belong to Wainwright or Molina? Also, do you think if this matter does not get resolved it could have a negative affect on the team?

Whether or not you advocate the United States' involvement in current War in Iraq, it is a no brainer that you should support the livelihood and well-being of U.S. soldiers. Further, we should all hope and pray that Iraq war veterans can return and live successful lives in the U.S. Even further, when one has suffered permanent disability and can go on to live a successful life, we certainly should celebrate that. And when this occurs and it relates to sports, I'm certainly going to write about it...

Yesterday it was announced that the San Diego Padres have agreed to a minor league deal with Brandon Cooper and he will be invited to participate at Padres' spring training with other minor leaguers. Cooper, is not your ordinary 22-year old right-hander, as he is also a Purple Heart recipient and Marine corporal whose service includes two tours of duty in Iraq.

But there's even more, Cooper only has 9 fingers. Apparently, "Cooper sustained wounds to his left hand during his second deployment, which resulted in his being sent to San Diego Navy Medical Center. " Obviously missing his left pinky won't affect the right-handed pitcher, but nonetheless it is great to see him overcome his handicap.

The best part about this signing is the fact that Cooper seems to have a legitimate chance of being successful. According to team spokesman George Stieren:

"Padres general manager Kevin Towers was adamant that we were doing this because of his potential, not because it was a great story. This was a legitimate baseball decision."

Good luck Cooper! I am sure not only all of us at WBRS Sports Blog but all baseball fans in this country hope to see you in a Padres uniform some day!

At Wade Phillips' press conference, introducing himself as the next Dallas Cowboys head coach:

"Terrell Owens," Phillips said, smiling wide. "I did say his name. Terrell Owens." "He's part of the Dallas Cowboys family. So he's part of my family," Phillips added. "We are going to trust each other. We are going to be loyal to each other and have a common purpose."

And with that, we give you Terrell Owens and Wade Phillips, at the family dinner table...

Wade: Terrell, could you pass me the bread?

TO: I don't pass the bread, the bread gets passed to me. Anyways, let me get some first. Somethings gotta feed these washboard abs.



Wade: You know, part of Jerry's hiring process included reading your book to find "the real Terrell Owens", not the one the media depicts. And I know you are going to share that bread just like you shared that football in your book.

TO: Oh yeah, I do share the ball in my book, don't I? That's why bookstores keep it in their fiction section. Anyways, that was Drew's idea, not mine.

Wade: It was?

TO: Of course it was. The only thing I share in this world is blame. But don't worry Wade, I'm like the Red fuckin' Cross when it comes to handing that shit out.

Wade: Terrell you don't need to curse, do you? And can you please pass me the bread?

TO: I like you Wade, I really do. Bill was starting to get on my nerves. Always running the ball, it bothered me. He didn't understand that I want the ball, I need the ball, I am the ball.

Wade: You are the ball?

TO: That's right Wadey Poo.

Wade: The ball is made out of pigskin.

TO: Yea...I know. Terrell's ready for dessert. Terrell's gonna get him some dessert.

(TO exits the room and fixes himself some dessert in the kitchen. A mildly irate Phillips calms himself down by getting a breath of fresh air outside in his garden. He successfully releases his anger with a leg chop to his Doug Flutie garden gnome. Flutie's head flings across the garden and Phillips returns to the dinning room as Terrell reappears from the kitchen with a dessert in hand.)

Wade: Umm, you know Terrell I saw the way you ran Parcells out of town right into retirement. I don't know if you know this but I ran my dad out of New Orleans in 1985, only to take over the job myself.

TO: I respect that Wade. I like the way you operate.

Wade: Thank you, Terrell. I am glad to hear that we are now seeing eye to eye. What is that you are eating by the way?

TO: Vanilla ice cream sprinkled with prozac crunchies. Mmm...My favorite.

Wade: Hmm. That seems to be a trend in the NFL locker rooms I have been in lately. Merriman had a similar dessert, only a little bit stronger.

TO:Interesting. Maybe you can get that recipe for me.

Wade:I'll see what I can do, Terrell. Can I finally have the damn bread?

(Terrell picks up the bread and attempts to pass it to Wade but it falls in the middle of the table)

TO: Oops. I Romoed it.



Wade: Hey, if things don't work out with Mr. Homo (TO giggles), then I think my man-servant can handle the job.

(As Phillips escorts TO out of the house, Rob Johnson begins clearing the dishes.)

After the Dallas Mavericks only produced a single all-star this season after leading the NBA with a 40-9 record, Mavs owner Mark Cuban must have been pissed. Cause after Josh Howard got snubbed, it appears Cuban doesn't want any Mavs to miss out on any more NBA honors...

Naturally when Cuban is upset he ventures into cyberspace. But not his blog this time, but rather the Mavs have created a "Dirk For MVP" MySpace Page.



In all honesty though, you have to doubt the effectiveness of a myspace page like this. I assume most Dallas fans are educated enough to already be driving the Dirk for MVP bus. While the page consists mostly of Dirk graphics supporting his MVP run, there is a little bit of comedy within the page...

The page's most recent post is a Mid-Season Awards article written by John Hareas, who explains why Dirk should be this year's MVP (as if he were going to support anyone else on Dirk's MVP page). But Hareas goes just a tad overboard when he begins the article by claiming that Dirk is so superior to Kobe, Nash and Arenas that he has ascended himself into a class beyond these other NBA stars. A class with Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Michael Jordan. No, seriously...

"Nash, Kobe, Arenas? Try Wilt, West and Jordan. Those are really the players Dirk Nowitzki should be measured against as the first half of the NBA season reached its midway point. The aforementioned contemporary players are all in the mix for first-half MVP honors and rightfully so, but no one has done more to earn this season's MVP award than Dirk. The best player in the NBA has led his team to the best record as the Mavs are cruising on a torrid, historic pace, with no signs of slowing down."

And just like that Dirk's myspace page loses the little validity it once possessed. Well hey, he does already have 2522 friends...So maybe that means the Diggler should be the MVP.

It is one thing for Ron Artest to do an asinine thing like attacking a fan which consequently resulted in a brawl in The Palace, but it is another thing to be cruel to defenseless animals. And that is what Ron Artest has done...

Animal services officers seized a Great Dane from the mansion of Sacramento Kings star Ron Artest, saying the dog was underfed.

Apparently Artest's neighbors had complained for weeks that the Kings forward had neglected his dog Socks to such an extent that they witnessed the dog starving in a gated area for weeks. After several complaints, animal services finally visited Artest's home on January 30th and issued a pre-seizure notice insisting that if Artest didn't treat Socks in a better manner than they would come back and seize the dog. And that is just what they did...

lacer County animal services officers returned to Artest's home Monday and removed Socks.

Whether you like Artest or not as a player and even a person, you can't have any less respect for the guy after the way he treated his innocent and dependent dog. What a schmuck.

Artest has 10 days to request an appeals hearing in order to win back Socks. Knowing him though, he will probably be too busy with an album release...Oh yeah, wait, nobody buys his crappy music.

Peyton Manning unjustly wins the MVP, Rexy Sexy blows it, Dungy becomes the first black coach to win a Super Bowl, blah blah blah... Yes it is a little saddening that the NFL season is over but those two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl might be the longest two weeks on the sports calendar. So now we are done with Super Bowl talk, right? Wrong.



Let me introduce you to the logo and mascot of Super Bowl 42, which will be held on February 3, 2008 in University of Phoenix Stadium. Arizona officials released the mascot and logo yesterday, and it seems like they mean business:

"We are the Arizona Super Bowl. We are not Miami, we are not Detroit," host committee President Bob Sullivan said before attending a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the Glendale Media Center, near the stadium. "We truly wanted to capture the state's imagination and interest in the game. For us to do that, we have to go out on the road and engage Arizonans."

So what is the deal with this ridiculous looking mascot? Well his name is Spike the Super Ball, loosely inspired by the California Raisin. I am not sure why Arizona officials, who are supposed to be promoting the fact that the Super Bowl is in there state (remember the quote above about engaging Arizonans and capturing the state's imagination and interest?), would want their mascot to look like an icon that is associated with California, but what do I know? I am obviously not qualified to be on a Super Bowl committee.

Anyways, Spike the Super Ball is supposed to make visits to cities throughout Arizona, promoting the Super Bowl. So look forward to that if you are a resident of Arizona. And is it me or does the mascot look a little like the monkey from Family Guy?

It seems as though the NBA is trying to revive the All-Star Slam Dunk contest to the prestigious status it once held way back in the 80's (Dominique, MJ, Spud) and just briefly in the 90's (Carter, Kobe, McGrady). However they aren't doing it by fielding star-filled competitors (Gerald Green, Dwight Howard, Tyrus Thomas, and Nate Robinson), but rather having these young, athletic freaks be judged by perhaps the Mount Rushmore of dunkers. The five judges for the contest this year are set to be: Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter.

The NBA proved last season that they don't need established NBA stars to bring the fans an exciting event, but simply electrifying dunkers. They seem to have that in this year's four-man field.

However, I think this will be extremely entertaining for viewers, as they get the privilege and rarity to witness five amazing players (who were great dunkers as well) from three different eras converse amongst each other throughout the duration of the contest. I am especially curious to see how Jordan and Bryant interact throughout the evening.

Do you think the addition of these world-class judges to the event will result an extremely entertaining NBA Slam Dunk Contest?

Well if it doesn't work out, at least we get to see Barkley and Bavetta in the race of the century!

We learned a lot about Rex Grossman, aka The Sex Cannon The Impotent Cannon, as he failed to produce the big play and he couldn't settle for being the "efficient leader" every great defense requires to win a Super Bowl. But maybe this revelation isn't really new to us, but instead we are just now opening our eyes to it. Grossman is who he is. He isn't that "efficient leader", but rather a gunslinger on a tight leash. A combination like that usually doesn't produce good results.

And in the end, a great defensive team like the 2006 Bears only needs an efficient leader, one who can consistently throw the short and medium route with accuracy...and oh yeah, one who doesn't turn the ball over multiple times per game.

Yes this is Rexy Sexy's first full season as an NFL quarterback, so maybe we should cut him some slack here and assume that he can only progress as a quarterback. But even if Rex does improve as a quarterback, his general makeup doesn't seem compatable with this Chicago Bears team, one that dominates on the defensive side of the football. This team won 13 games this regular season and while I don't want to take anything away from Rex, I truly believe this team would have won 13 games regardless of who their quarterback was.



Looking back at it now, it seems like a rather simple blueprint...Dominant defense + efficient quarterback usually = success.

The Bears didn't have that "efficient leader" on their roster and Lovie Smith had to do the best he could with Rex, and that job was rather admirable considering all things. But the quarterback the Bears really need is not one that makes the throws Grossman attempted in The Game last evening.

The 2006-07 season is over now. Does the Impotent Cannon have a future in Chicago? What should the Bears do? Should they pencil him in now as their starting quarterback next year?

What if the Bears decide to try the free agency market, in search of a quarterback who is not only a savoy veteran but also fits the description of an "efficient leader"? Isn't that someone they should consider signing to replace the young, gunslinging Rexy?



Welcome to Chicago, Mr. Garcia. Donovan McNabb is staying in Philadelphia. Thus, Jeff Garcia certainly will test the waters via free agency. The man is a competitive warrior and there is no way he wants to ride the pine next season hoping McNabb succumbs to injury. The way Garcia played down the stretch was inspiring and it manifested the fact that the veteran not only has plenty left in the tank but also has it in him to lead a great team to the Super Bowl. Garcia seems to be a perfect match for this Bears team. He doesn't commit turnovers, he is an extremely accurate passer, and he can make plays when needed.

Teamming up with this filthy Bears defense, a Garcia lead offense could be the final variable to the Super Bowl equation, the same variable this year's team lacked.

With Super Bowl Sunday so close, it is officially prediction time! Below you can find our predictions not only for the winner of the game, but also the score and the MVP.

Name	Winner	Score	MVP
Mini Me	Chicago	20-17	Thomas Jones
Young Daniel	Indianapolis	31-20	Peyton Manning
Mikey C	Indianapolis	34-21	Joseph Addai
Intern Nate	Indianapolis	27-23	Prince

Now it is your turn! Leave your predictions in the comments section. Make sure to include the winner, the score, and your MVP. The winning prediction will receive a free post on the blog, if they so desire.

Update:Congrats to Young Daniel for winning the contest. He predicted a 31-20 Colts victory with Manning as MVP. He edged out One More Dying Quail in the contest for the post, but only by a single point. Because it was so close, I will grant One More Dying Quail a free post as well, if he wants one.

I'm sure the Zen Master thought he was being pretty clever when he deviously had his team's bus driver take the Lakers team on a 45-minute tour of Washington D.C., rather than just going straight to the Verizon Center for their planned Saturday morning shoot around. But it seems that the tour didn't quite have the effect Jackson had desired as the team was pretty exhausted from arriving in the nation's capital at 3 AM that morning...

"This was the first time we've ever done anything like that," center Andrew Bynum said. "I was kind of asleep."

Jackson goofed again when he kept the tour a secret from everyone except himself and the bus driver. As a result there was no available tour leader on board to narrate and educate the players on what exactly they were seeing (most for the first time) and well the tour appears to have somewhat fallen apart...

The team bus driver wasn't much of a talker as he passed the Capitol and the Washington and Lincoln memorials.

"Our bus driver couldn't narrate," Jackson said, "because he isn't licensed."

But not even the great Zen Master could salvage the tour...

The driver offered Jackson the microphone, but the coach demurred.

"Just tell them what the five-sided building is," Jackson told him as they passed the Pentagon.

That must have been 45 minutes of pain for those tired Lakers. Maybe they should have asked Wizard Gilbert Arenas to give a tour of his city. That would be a fun tour. That tour would have been "Hibachi"!