James Harrison retires

Happy trails to James Harrison.  The veteran line backer has decided to call it quits after 11 NFL season's with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. Harrison went undrafted out of Kent State in the 2002 NFL Draft.  He bounced around including a stint in NFL Europe before finding a steady home in Pittsburgh.

Harrison was named to five Pro Bowls during his career.  He was named first-team all-pro twice. He was named second - team all-pro on two occasions.  Harrison was an intricate member of two Super Bowl Championships with the Steelers.  He helped the Steelers franchise return to their glory days.

Harrison 's greatest success was being named NFL Defensive player of the year in 2008.  That's quite an accomplishment for a player that went undrafted.  He was also named Pittsburgh Steelers team MVP IN 2007 and once again in 2008.  Harrison ' s put together an excellent Hall-of-Fame resume in only 11 seasons.

Harrison was considered one of the dirtiest players in the league during his playing days. However, he never changed his ways and refused to be apologetic about his approach to the game.  Roger Goodell has feasted on Harrison 's pockets since taking over as commissioner.  The two played a game of cat and mouse for years.

Harrison played the game with an old school mentality.  Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary would have been proud to call him a teammate.  Love him or hate him, but James Harrison has been one of the best defensive players in the NFL over the last 10 years.  His presence will certainly be missed.

Rivers inks extension!

The Los Angeles Clippers And Doc Rivers have agreed to a contract extension through the 2018-2019 NBA season.  Rivers and new owner Steve Ballmer appear to be getting along just fine.  Ballmer recently purchased the Clippers for a record $2 Billion dollars.

Rivers led the Clippers to a franchise record 57 wins in 2014.  Since moving to Los Angeles the Clippers have been second fiddle to the Los Angeles Lakers.  Former owner Donald Sterling neglected winning for years.  As a result the Clippers have been bottom feeders in the Western Conference for years.

Rivers led the Boston Celtics to an NBA Championship in 2008.  He was named NBA coach of the year while in a previous stint with the Orlando Magic.  Rivers is certainly the right man to guide to Clippers in their future endeavors.

The future looks bright for the Clippers in the city of angels.

Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis has emerged as the next big superstar in the NBA.  He guided the Kentucky Wildcats to the 2012 NCAA Championship.  This was Kentucky's first NCAA Championship since Tubby Smith's first season in 1998.  John Calipari has coached numerous NBA stars. Marcus Camby, Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans to name a few.  However, it took Davis' s defensive prowess to capture Calipari his first NCAA Championship.

Davis grew five inches the summer between his sophomore and junior year in high school.
His previous status as a guard gives him a distinct advantage matching up against other big men in the NBA.  In only his second NBA season, Davis averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and fours blocks per game.  Davis has over performed during his first two years in the league.

The one knock on Davis is his durability.  He's missed 33 games in his first two years in the league.  Big men often struggle staying healthy during the early stages of their careers. Players 6'10" or better must learn the art of managing the human body.  Playing at the correct weight plays a huge role in maintaining health over long stretches.  Davis' s issues have not been weight related.  Either way as the New Orleans Pelicans best player, Davis needs to be on the court.

Davis has been the the biggest difference maker up front for team USA this summer. Playing in the 2014 FIBA World Cup will help him learn how to guard smaller, more agile centers.

Anthony Davis has a chance to be the next great center in the NBA.

NFL preseason injury bug

Injuries are a harsh reality in the game of football.  At some point every NFL player will suffer some sort of injury.  NFL teams must be prepared to deal with multiple injuries during the season.  The absolute worst time to suffer a severe injury in the NFL is during preseason play.  The games carry very little importance.  The preseason is when coaches are evaluating potential reserves, working out kinks in the game plan and looking for a diamond in the rough.

Sam Bradford ' s career is in serious jeopardy after suffering a season ending torn ACL.
This is the same injury Bradford suffered last season.  The St Louis Rams have been committed to Bradford since selecting him number one overall in the 2010 NFL Draft.  The Rams passed on Johnny Manziel in the offseason with the hopes Bradford would return to 100% health.  This time around the recovery process will be more difficult for Bradford. Only time can tell, but a preseason injury may cost Bradford his job as starting Quarterback of the St Louis Rams.

St. Louis fans shouldn't get too discouraged about this injury.  In 1999 the Rams Lost Trent Green to a season ending knee injury in the preseason.  That turned out to be the start of Kurt Warner ' s illustrious career.

Wes Welker has been diagnosed with yet another concussion.  This is the third concussion Welker has suffered in the last 10 months.  In this day and age, concussions are taken very serious in the NFL.  Luckily for Welker, this latest injury is not as severe as the previous two. However, With the current billion dollar suit the NFL is facing, playing football might not be an option for Welker anymore.  The proximity of Welker's concussions certainly raises a red flag.  The veteran receiver has to do some soul searching before he decides to return to the field.  Peyton Manning did his receiver an injustice by leading him into a crowd of three Texans defenders surrounding Welker.

Cam Newton is back on the Carolina Panthers injury report.  Since entering the league in 2011, Cam has been sacked or hit 467 times.  That's twice as much an any other Quarterback in the NFL.  Newton may be forced to miss the first game of the season due to bruised ribs.  Newton is the Panthers franchise player.  In the future he will need to make smarter decisions when leaving the pocket.  Despite Cam 's 6'4, 245 lbs frame he is still subject to injury.

Every NFL player will be injured at some point.  When these injuries take place in meaningless games it makes it a bit more difficult to cope with.

Marion to Cleveland

LeBron James is the best general manager in the NBA.

LeBron has been working his magic this off season.  His old friends James Jones and Mike Miller have agreed to join King James in Cleveland.  These may not be marquee additions, but both guys bring intangibles and a history of winning to the Cavaliers.

Shawn Marion has agreed to a one-year deal to join the Cavaliers.  Indiana showed interest in signing Marion.  The Pacers are looking to fill the void left at the small forward position. Not only did Cleveland improve, but they also put a damper on the Pacers plans as well. The Pacers were expected to be one of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference prior to Paul George going down.

In his prime, Marion was one of the premiere forwards in the league.  His versatility makes him a head coaches dream.  You can plug Marion in at multiple positions and still get a solid effort.  The best thing about Marion is the fact that he doesn't need plays called for him.  You just throw him out there and let him roam.

The Phoenix Suns flourished for years playing Marion at the power forward slot.  He's gotten away with being undersized by bringing energy every night.  Marion is the type of player that can have an affect on his teammates just by showing up.  Young guys see a veteran out working them and take notice.  No young player wants to be embarrassed by a player perceived to be well past his prime.

With this addition the Cleveland Cavaliers improved by half a letter grade.  LeBron strikes again.

Dick Bavetta retires after 39 years .

Veteran NBA referee Dick Bavetta has announced his retirement after 39 years of service in the NBA.   Bavetta began his career on December 2nd, 1975 at Madison Square Garden.  He is one of the most  respected officials in NBA history.  Bavetta retired without ever missing an assigned game.  He officiated 2,635 consecutive games during his career.

Bavetta started out officiating high school games in New York City.  He has also had the pleasure of calling games in Rucker Park.  Bavetta is a member of the New York City basketball Hall-of-Fame.  He always brought a little swagger to the officiating crew.

Due to Bavetta's ties to New York, players often accused him of calling games in the Knicks favor.  Those accusations turned out to be nothing more than hoopla.

Bavetta has called three all-star games, the 1992 Summer Olympics , 270 playoff games and 27 NBA finals games.  Bavetta has forgotten more about basketball than most people will ever learn.  When he began his tenure in the NBA Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in his seventh professional season.  Rick Barry and the Golden State Warriors were defending NBA champions.

Bavetta holds a special place in the NBA's history book.  The role of an official is extremely difficult.  These men often do not get the respect they deserve.  The games would mean nothing without excellent officiating.  That's exactly what Bavetta brought to work every day for 39 years.

Derrick Rose is looking good.

By now most people are aware of Paul George's gruesome leg injury suffered during a warm up scrimmage for team USA.  Even people without a genuine interest in basketball have heard about the player that broke his leg in a freak occurence.

George recently signed a five-year, $90 Million dollar contract with the Indiana Pacers.  If this were the NFL George may have been released by now.  George is expected to miss the entire 2015 NBA season.  However, contracts are guaranteed in the NBA.  Indiana is on the hook to pay George unless he is traded.

Demarcus Cousins went down clinching his knee in one of team USA's recent practice sessions..  Cousins is expected to call it quits for the remainder of the tournament.  Kevin Durant's decision to leave team USA prior to international competition beginning is understandable.  Durant is coming off his first league MVP award.  He's yet to enter his prime.  The Oklahoma City Thunder have become a fixture in the Western Conference playoff picture.  The easiest way to get hurt is by playing tentatively.  Durant getting hurt would be a tragedy for the NBA, especially after one of the leagues rising stars has already gone down.

Derrick Rose has played in only 11 games over the last two season.  Injuries have cost the Chicago Bulls three opportunities to win another championship.  Rose appears healthy based on team USA's scrimmages.  Chicago's front office has their fingers crossed he returns from international play injury free.

Should Derrick Rose be participating for team USA?

Basketball has been Rose's favorite pastime since his youth growing up in Chicago.  He has a genuine love for the game not seen in every athlete.  Sitting on the sideline watching his brothers go to battle has been gut wrenching for the former number one pick.

This summer Rose appears to be having the time of his life while he continues to gain back confidence in his legs.  He's shed the disappoint look and even cracks a smile for us every now and then.  We've had sightings of Rose's two hand tomahawk dunk he's become famous for.  The amazing speed burst from half court to the rim also appears to be intact.

Loving the game too much can come with a price.  Chicago is once again a threat in the east.  Despite missing out on the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, John Paxson has done a great job reloading the Bulls for yet another championship run.  Aaron Brooks and Pau Gasol are both veterans with playoff experience.  Chicago could be the team to beat in the east this year.

Rose was named NBA MVP in 2011.  His hybrid style is different from most point guards in league history.  Rose and Russell Westbrook are arguably the two most athletic lead guards in NBA history.

Hopefully Rose has a great tournament and returns to Chicago feeling great.  The NBA cannot afford to lose another elite player this summer.