Adding Oswalt to a rotation with Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay means the Phillies have the best rotation in the Nation League. Despite being currently 2.5 games behind games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, they are now the team to beat in the NL.

This trade suddenly turned the Phillies from a team who could miss the playoffs to a team who can make it to their third straight World Series.

This is a good deal for the Houston Astros too. Being 17 games under .500, it's obvious that they need to move on without Oswalt's $16 million contract.

They were able to add J.A. Happ and two minor leaguers that can help them rebuild during the offseason.

While the immediate results may not prove it, over the long run, this deal can help both teams out equally. The Phillies have a great chance of getting in the playoffs, and are well talented enough to win a seven game series with Halladay, Hamels, and Oswalt at the top of their rotation.

As for the Astros, the rebuilding process has now started. The question is, how long will Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee be in Houston?

Only time will tell.

This means he turned down offers from Scottish Giants Celtic, and newly promoted Sunderland in the Premier League.

James will sign for Steve Coppell's team tomorrow, and has agreed to a one year deal with, crucially,  an option for a further year—better terms than he was being offered from other teams.

James was a member of England's dismal World Cup squad as well as the Portsmouth team that was relegated from the Premier League last season.

James was tempted by the prospect of working with Coppell. He also believes that Coppell can be a help when the goalkeeper moves into a coaching role.

Family reasons seem to have played a big part in the move as James said, "I've had offers to stay in the Premier League, but it is more important that I play football—which I love—for the right club and be a family man."

He also wants to help City move into the Premier League. "The club is ambitious and that's what I am," he said. "The south west has not had a club in the Premier League and that needs to change."

Will the fact that he now plays in the Championship affect his England career, with players and teams at a slightly lower quality and no games against European teams?

Abyss' appearance and rant about what "they" want keeps the mystery and suspense going. The fact that EV 2.0 is not "they" will only add another combustible element to TNA when they make themselves known. That's a plus for the company.

The Beautiful People's uneasy truce led to a number one contender's match between Angelina and Sarita. Angelina's victory earned her a rematch, and the back and forth action gave Sarita a rub and keeps her push going.

The usage of the Explosion footage is a smart move. It explains storyline background that only European fans have been privy to. In a word, the Eric Young/Orlando Jordan vs. Ink Inc. match was weird. Even a mannequin being involved in this one couldn't kill Ink Inc.'s climb up the tag ladder. Someone should introduce Eric Young to Al Snow!

Fortune's promo was classic Flair. His street fight with Lethal may steal the show next week. Beer Money joining the group was not a surprise. AJ Styles rechristening the Global title as the TV title is another tribute to old school wrestling in the tradition of Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson's reigns. Kurt Angle's challenge to AJ signals another epic match between two of the best on the planet.

Match number three between Beer Money and the Motor City Machine Guns was a cage war featuring a cage dive and a misfire "beer bottle spot" that saw the Guns win. This was another five-star effort that builds the Ultimate X match perfectly.

The Matt Morgan/Mr. Anderson promo showed promise. When Jeff Hardy and the Security team got involved, I expected Pope D'Angelo Dinero to even the odds. As it played out, it was too much hype just to debut a new team.

Fortune's bad night continued as Rob Terry squashed Frankie Kazarian in less time than it took AJ to get backstage. I know Terry is being portrayed in the Goldberg/Batista mode, but squashing Kaz hurts the budding heel group's image. I hope the length of this match was due strictly to time restraints and that Kaz does not get buried.

Eric Bischoff's announcement has the potential to be a game changer in the industry. Years ago, Sting commented that too many pay-per-views would swamp the fan base. It took a bad economy, a smart woman, and a few years to prove him right. If this show is in the mold of the old Clash of the Champions events, ratings should soar and we'll get more great action without the pay-per-view prices that the "entertainment" fans will have to shell out 12-to-15 times a year. Advantage: TNA!

Abyss' interruption of the announcement got him his match with Rob Van Dam and a confrontation with the champ that led to his weapons match with Tommy Dreamer. Raven's turn revives the cornerstone EV 2.0 feud for Hardcore Justice and Abyss' win sets up his match with RVD and the arrival of whoever "they" are.

Overall, iMPACT! gave everyone at least a taste of why they watch wrestling. From comedy to violence, Dixie and company are not afraid to go outside the box with their shows instead of staying in a repetitive sandbox of predictability.

On an outside the ring, personal note, whether you support EV 2.0 or not, please keep Tommy Dreamer and his family in your prayers. His mother-in-law underwent heart surgery yesterday and encountered complications.

My prayers are with you and your family, Tommy.

Thanks for reading until next week.

Photo courtesy: Gerweck.net

Late last night word got out that the White Sox and Diamondbacks are close to agreeing on a deal that would send Daniel Hudson along with a minor league pitcher to the Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson.

On the surface this seems like a logical deal for each team. With Jackson the Sox would be getting a more experienced version of Daniel Hudson and a guy who would instill a little more confidence when he takes the mound down the stretch.

That being said, the numbers for Jackson this season have been less than impressive. On the year Jackson is 6-10 with a 5.10 ERA. If that's not enough, he also has 60 walks and 13 wild pitches in just 132 innings. So why would the Sox want him?

Well look at what he did in the AL last season with the Tigers. 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA, 161 K, and 212 IP. That's a workhorse.

Jackson is also signed for next season at $8.35M. This means that he's not just a rental and would slot in nicely as a No. 4 starter in the 2011 rotation.

On the flip side, the Sox would be trading away what appears to be a younger version of Edwin Jackson. In both of his stints in the big leagues, Hudson has had control problems. Last season he walked nine batters in 18 innings, and this year he's walked 11 in just 15 innings.

All right, so he's not Greg Maddux. But Hudson has shown an ability to strike out major league hitters (14 K/ 15 IP).

He's also a couple years away from being arbitration eligible, which is especially enticing to a team like the Diamondbacks that is looking to rebuild with younger, cheaper players.

The main complaint from Sox fans with this deal (if it goes through) will be that if I'm saying Hudson isn't getting it done, then I have to say Jackson isn't getting it done this season either.

That's a fair point, but at least Jackson has some track record of being effective, and not only that, but he also did it in the American League.

Hudson does not have that track record.

It's always tough to give up young, major-league-ready talent. But Kenny Williams has shown he wants to win now, and Jackson gives the Sox a better chance to do that than Hudson does.

In 2009, Heap was on the field for over 1000 snaps. He recorded 53 catches for 593 yards and six touchdowns. This season, with the arrival of two rookie tight ends, expect to see considerably less of Heap.

Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron stated, "It's going to be god to get Todd out of the game some. We had no chance to get Todd out of the game last year, so hopefully we'll be able to spell him a little with one of these guys."

Cameron offered the following as well, "What Willis McGahee does for Ray Rice or what Ray does for Willis, we're looking for that at the tight end position. To have a guy come in and have some Willis McGahee-type of production will allow Todd to play at an even higher level with less snaps.

Where some players would chafe at a situation such as this, Heap sees his role as a mentor as an opportunity to help the team. "Having these two young guys, rookies coming in and learning our offense and how we work around here, it's been fun for me."

Heap also recalled his own mentor when he was new to the league. "I remember I had a guy my first year who did the same for me. I definitely want to be the same kind of mentor that Shannon [Sharpe] was for me."

The two rookies, Dennis Pita and Ed Dickson welcome the help from Heap. Pitta said, "He's a guy who's been in this league for a long time, has a ton of experience and he's been a tremendous player. He's really stepped up and been a really good mentor to us."

Heap, being faced with a reduced role on the playing field is stepping up and doing all the right things for the Ravens.

NASCAR fans lost a champion, Lesa France Kennedy lost a husband, Bobby and Judy Allison lost a son, and Rick Hendrick lost his family.

It wasn’t the headlines about another plane crash involving someone from NASCAR that was on everyone’s mind this past week. It was the question no one wanted to ask, but everyone wanted answered: “Did Jack Roush die in the plane crash?”

While I was writing this breaking news story a few days ago, twitter was scrolling up one side of my computer screen like credits after the movie, and, as fast as I could type, words were being assembled down the other side like a psychotic game of Tetris.

Information and pictures were coming in from a source at the scene and other sources as far away as California .

When I finally left clicked the publish button, I breathed a sigh of relief and closed my eyes briefly.

During the next several moments it was hard not to remember, even reflect, on those men and women in the NASCAR community who had lost their lives, or the lives of their loved ones, in some type of aircraft accident.

Time management in NASCAR has become an industry in itself. Sponsor obligations alone take up most of a driver and owners time. Gone are the days of traveling across the country by bus or car.

Most of the mega teams, and even a few of the drivers, have private jets and or helicopters.

Twenty years ago, Rusty Wallace was one of the first known race car drivers to have an aviation sponsor, hold a commercial pilots license, and use his own private helicopter as a common mode of transportation to and from races or personal appearances.

Today’s drivers, owners, and high level team members log more hours in the air than on the asphalt.

Race tracks have also adapted their venues to this mode of transportation.

Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway both have specific areas set aside large enough to accommodate as many as 10 helicopters.

Once the race at Bristol Motor Speedway has finished, a variety of team and private helicopters will land and depart for the next two or three hours, ferrying personnel out of the facility to the nearest airport.

Davey Allison was flying a helicopter. Alan Kulwicki was traveling in a corporate jet. Both men were utilizing the advantages of air travel when tragedy struck.

I was brought back to reality when a lone instant message popped up on my computer. The simple words brought a chill to my spine—“Is he dead?”

In this instance, Jack Roush was flying his own plane for recreation purposes, and for the second time, escaped death. Being at the top of NASCAR's elite allows Roush, Hendrick, and drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards, to participate in ultra expensive hobbies like flying.

NASCAR has gone to great lengths to protect the men and women who make their living on the asphalt. That protection does not extend into the air. 

With a growing number of teams and drivers choosing air travel as their primary mode of transportation, the risk involved has become acceptable. What's unacceptable is the tragic results of that risk. 

Motorsports is big business and air travel has certainly added a considerable amount to the business.

It has also taken a considerable amount away. 

Photo Credit: David L. Yeazell

It takes about a month for the Wimbledon euphoria to abate - a period during which the tennis calendar seems to wedge itself in a slight lull before the actual storm presents itself over the hard courts of Toronto, Cincinnati, and eventually the bright lights of New York City.

Just in case you felt out of touch, here are five story-lines that you might have missed from the tennis world:

1) Yes, it's official. For your average Federer fan, it must feel like a breath of fresh air! Away from the maddening crowd and calls for his imminent decline, the Swiss World No. 3 found time to hire Paul Annacone, the man who led Sampras through his record breaking years in the late 90's till his retirement.

Federer's move has been warmly welcomed by most with the belief that an extra pair of eyes and ears could only help the Swiss legend as he deals with relatively more losses and upsets. More importantly, it's a sign that Federer believed that he was in need for a change and was willing to do whatever it took to start winning big again.

P.S: Murray split with his coach too!

2)  WTHIGOW Anna Chakvetadze? We have an answer! After a dazzling breakthrough 2007 where she won four tournaments, reached the quarters in Melbourne and Paris as well as the semis at Flushing Meadows and then peaked at number five in the WTA rankings, the young Russian slid to a current ranking of 74 (up 29 spots after her most recent title)! What happened?

In that offseason, burglars forced their way into her Moscow home, tied her hands up so tightly that she lost feeling in her left hand, hit her father over the head with a pistol and made of with $200,000 in cash and jewelry. With a slight air of confidence after her victory at the Slovenia open in Potoroz, here's hoping the 23 year old manages to win a couple of matches in New York.

3) Of all the competitors that the great Martina Navratilova faced during her glittering career, here's her most difficult yet. After a lumpectomy in March, she underwent over two dozen radiation treatments over a six week period, which ended days before she added yet another Wimbledon title (Ladies Invitation Doubles) to her stacked trophy shelf!

In Martina: My Toughest Opponent , CNN will delve into her journey as she attempted to balance treatment, tennis and work all at the same time. Narrated by Sanjay Gupta, the half hour "intimate" special premieres on CNN International on August 7th at 12:30 PM (ET). A must watch for all tennis fans around the world.

4) The latest furor in the virtual tennis community involved the perhaps premature anointment of Serena as the Greatest Of All Time. I too, was guilty of an attempted rebuttal myself.

Wertheim's belief led to Graf defenders hating Serena lovers, Seles lovers criticizing Graf fans, Martina fans getting irate at everyone else... and basically a looping vicious cycle of undeserved detrimental comments to the game's greatest female exponents! Let's leave it for right now and bring it up once Serena retires. Till then, enjoy the game instead.

5) Three up, three down? Here's a list of movers and residents in the latest ATP and WTA rankings:

- Vera Zvonareva up 12 spots to No. 9 after reaching the final at Wimbledon.

- Tomas Berdych up five spots to No. 8 after beating Federer and Djokovic.

- Yen Hsun-Lu up 38 spots to No. 44 after knocking off Roddick at SW19.

- Dinara Safina, former No. 1 with a chronic back problem now sees her ranking at 35!

- Ivo Karlovic with a foot injury down 22 spots to No. 54.

- Long John Isner and Surging Sam Querrey, while having not particularly moved over the week, now note-worthily reside at No's. 19 and 20 respectively. Refreshing to see results from the new American brigade. 

Until the Roger's Cup kicks off in Toronto, here's a brilliant piece by Steve Tignor on the Los Angeles Tennis Club (the Bollettieri of its day), and its four greatest male players - Ellsworth Vines, Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer and Pancho Gonzalez.

Well, I have two words for you: Rich Bisaccia.

The best coach on this Buccaneer staff is Bisaccia. Spend and hour with him and you'd understand why.

His special teams from the dreadful 2009 season ranked ninth in a poll produced by Rich Gosselin from the Dallas Morning News.

Here's a simple story that will perhaps help you understand what Bisaccia is all about.

The deposed Jon Gruden kept scratching his head when he looked at running back Clifton Smith in practice. "He's too small, he's too small," Gruden kept whining. In fact, Gruden was about ready to let Smith go. In stepped Bisaccia, who simply told Gruden: "Give him to me!"

Gruden did and the rest is history. You all know about Smith's return capabilities.

He's back, and should be a big part of this year's special teams play that Bisaccia will be orchestrating.

Here's a quick look at what's happening with that unit:

PUNTER:   Brent Bowden, rookie.

The Scoop : Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris are obviously convinced that this guy is the real deal, as they have basically handed him the punting duties. A punter can be a huge weapon in football. He can change the complexion of the game and dictate field position.

Bowden's reputation is that he's an ace at kicking the ball inside the opponents' 20. He's a big kid—6'3" and 200 pounds with a strong leg—and you'll get a feel for him quickly because there's a lot of punting in preseason games.

His age should help him stay healthy. The last thing this team needs is for him to go down with some sort of injury or nagging muscle pull.

You can talk about Gerald McCoy, Brian Price, Mike Williams, and Arrelious Benn all you want. But Bowden's performance will have a lot to do with the success of this team.

It's the one position where a rookie will be EXPECTED to perform well and contribute in a big way.

PLACE KICKER:   Connor Barth, incumbent; Hunter Lawrence, rookie from Texas.

The Scoop: With a defense that is supposed to be vastly improved, one would hope that the Buccaneers will be involved in more close games this year than last.

Now the attention turns to field goals.

Barth was OK last season. He hit 14 of 19 attempts, but that's nothing to stand at the top row of Raymond James Stadium and rejoice about.

That's why Lawrence is in camp. He'll be given every opportunity to win a job.

This should be one of the more intriguing position duels in camp.

LONG SNAPPER: Andrew Economos.

The Scoop: His job, and his alone. Nice way to make a living in the National Football League.

Problem is, make a mistake and the world sees it.

RETURN MEN : Clifton Smith, Sammie Stroughter.

The Scoop: Mentioned their names—enough said. Both are solid.

Special teams are where bubble players can make a football team. Seventh round draft pick Cody Grimm finally got around to signing his deal on the day before players report.

The staff visualizes this guy as a special teams standout, a college linebacker who will play strong safety and come down in the box to help stop runs. If he pans out, he could be an eventual special teams captain.

Players report today and practice begins Saturday morning.

We have a mere 14 days until the first preseason game at Miami, where your Bucs will go against a Dolphin team that's supposed to be pretty good.

I can't wait. Can you?

While I agree that the hangover from the Steroid Era and the length of games have added to a general decline in interest across the sport, I vehemently disagree with the charge that the Red Sox have been uninteresting.

Nota bene, I really like the Sports Guy, and in no way intend to rip or criticise one of the better writers at ESPN. I just think he is wrong on this, and was inspired to write this in response.

He said today “Quite simply [JD Drew]’s a boring player on a boring team during a fairly boring season.”

He’s wrong. Here’s why.

First off, I will concede that JD Drew can be an infuriating player at times. Not many people would decide literally five minutes before the game that they were not going to play because their leg was a bit sore. Also, not many would, when at bat, watch his teammate steal home plate (in your home stadium, against the New York Yankees) and not even crack a smile.

He doesn’t show emotion, he just goes about his business. His face wears the same nonchalant look when he hits a grand slam in the ALCS as it does when he strikes out looking. Again.

So, maybe he is dull. But who else on the 2010 Red Sox is? Adrian Beltré has taken it upon himself to take out as many of his fellow Sox as possible, and has carved out a niche in proposing to his home runs.

OK, the two players who made their Boston debut alongside him, Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro aren’t the most exciting or dramatic players.

Scutaro hasn’t been electrifying, but he has been vital as a leadoff guy since Jacoby Ellsbury was Beltréd on April 11.

Cameron has been poor—especially in the field, which has surprised most people, not least those who spent the offseason bleating about UZR.

Speaking of the outfield, some suggested before the season that the Red Sox re-sign Johnny Damon, and the outfield’s collapse has only reinforced their cries. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I would have tracked down Theo Epstein and battered him with sticks had he done that.

Victor Martinez, when he’s not nursing a broken thumb in the Sox’ favourite holiday spot, the DL, swings like a pendulum from "great hitter" to "I’m gonna throw my pitchers under the bus".

Then there’s his backup, Jason Varitek. The captain’s injured, too, of course. But before he hurt his foot, he was one of this season’s better surprises. He may only have 105 plate appearances, but he has the highest slugging percentage of his career and had he continued at that level for the whole season, was on pace to reach a career-high in home runs.

His fellow veteran Big Papi is hitting—21 home runs, 64 RBIs, his highest wOBA since 2007—and is getting back to the status he enjoyed for so long in Boston: when he’s at the plate, you’re not leaving the sofa for another beer.

Those guys were the faces of the franchise for years, but these days, it’s Dustin Pedroia, and to a lesser extent Kevin Youkilis. Youk is on pace for career bests in OBP, SLG, wOBA and homers and perhaps most remarkably of all, he is still healthy. Touch wood.

As for Pedey, he has been what you expect. He plays every game like he’s a six-year-old being allowed out of the house for the first time in a month. He broke his foot, but that didn’t stop him taking grounders from his knees. He epitomises this year’s Red Sox. Scrappy, determined, and imbued with the just-won’t-die attitude of 2004.

The middle relief hasn’t been that boring, either. It’s just sucked.

At the back of the bullpen are Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon. Bard’s been as lights-out and blasé as a closer-in-waiting should be, but Pap has enjoyed a season-long game of the not at all boring How Close Can I Come to Blowing This One? It’s painful to watch, but it’s not dull.

But all of that pales in comparison to the people who have stepped up when the starters have gone down. Bill Hall has played left, centre, right, third, short, second and has even pitched a perfect inning.

Darnell McDonald had a game-tying home run and a walk-off single in his first game. Daniel Nava hit a grand slam on the first pitch of his Major League career.

They should be at Triple-A or in a platoon role on the Pirates, but they are largely responsible for Boston being just 5.5 games out of the Wild Card.

As for the season itself, it’s been exciting. Being stuck in third place all year has been difficult, but for the first time in a long time, the AL East is a race between three teams. It will never—it can never—mean as much or be as important as it did in 2004. Of course not.

But if one stops looking for that level of meaning behind the season, one can see that 2010 has been a damn good year so far. Five no-hitters, two perfect games, a player gunning for a Triple Crown, the Padres, Braves, Reds, and Rangers being in first place attest to that.

The 2010 Red Sox have been at times painfully mediocre, often exasperating and always injured. But they have at no point been boring, regardless of what anyone on the LeBron Network says.

The Reds biggest needed is in the bullpen and their General Manager Walt Jocketty has addressed that need. Well, sort of. He signed Russ Springer and Jason Isringhausen, sending them to Triple-A Louisville.

Isringhausen has made two appearances giving up two runs and two hits in 1 2/3 innings of work. One of the two hits was a homer!

Springer has pitched much better. He has appeared in six games allowing one hit, one walk and struck out five in 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

In addition to adding Isringhausen and Springer, left-hander Aroldis Chapman has been moved to the pen in Triple-A Louisville. He has pitched 11 games in relief for Louisville and is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA, recording 23 strikeouts and eight walks in his 14 innings of work.

Reds Manager Dusty Baker wants him to be more consistent before bringing him up. "I've been monitoring him some, he's been dong pretty good. Still, he's a little bit erratic. Naturally, we want him to be more consistent and do better. That's why he is there." Baker said.

It appears this may be the Reds only action before the tradeline. "It's quiet. I don't expect anything to happen, not with us. A lot of times it doesn't start to escalate until the last few days. Maybe when we get back home, it might change." Jocketty said.

Jocketty has been involved in some conversation with other GMs and had this comment.

"The sense I get from other clubs is two factors: People don't want to give up their young prospects, and clubs don't want to take on additional payroll. That makes it hard to make a deal. Again, that may change closer to the deadline."

Now that Donovan is back in Major League Soccer with the Los Angeles Galaxy, rumors have once again started to circulate that he could be leaving the Galaxy and going back to England to play in the Premier League.

And now, Donovan has stated that he wants to once again return to Goodison Park to play for the Toffee's.

According to Everton's Official Website , Donovan said to a reporter after Wednesday's match for the MLS All-Stars against Manchester United in Houston, "I would love to go back to Everton. I love the people there and I love the fans there."

Donovan also stated that other clubs were interested in him, "but right now, it's only preliminary".

Right now, many people don't believe that Donovan will be moving away from MLS, as commissioner Don Garber is not keen to see his most renowned American player move overseas.

Why is Donovan so valuable to the MLS? Because the league would like, "to deepen the connection between the American fan as an MLS fan first and a Premier League fan second."

Garber also stated, "I'm the commissioner of MLS and for my goal, raising the profile of our league, we need our best players here and I will always fight hard to keep them here."

Last season, Donovan became a fan favorite for Everton during a three-month loan, with two goals in 13 matches. Everton were able to beat both Chelsea and Manchester United during that same stretch.

Donovan is rated in the 10 million pound range (or about 17 million US Dollars) for a transfer.

Sunday is fast approaching, and giving Brian Xanders workman like approach to getting deals done one has to believe Demaryius will also report on time. Thomas is the last of Denver's draft selections yet to sign and their first overall.

Most had Dez Bryant being the top receiver taken in the draft. But the Broncos had seen enough to give that distinction to Demaryius Thomas, A 6'3" 230 lb. Wideout from Georgia Tech.

Demaryius' college career was impressive in a lot of ways and very unimpressive in others. Which left teams wondering whether or not Demaryius should be the first receiver taken. A foot injury left Demaryius out of the combine so he was kind of dismissed as unproven.

In 2009 Thomas started all 14 games as a junior at Georgia Tech and finished with 46 receptions for 1,154 yards (25.1 avg.) with eight touchdowns... Earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press along with first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference accolades... Tabbed a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award (nation’s best receiver)... Placed second in the nation with a school-record 25.1-yard reception average... Registered the second-highest single-season receiving yardage output (1,154 yds.) in school history despite playing in a triple-option offense that completed only 78 pass attempts all season... Was one of just three NCAA FBS players with at least 40 receptions to average more than 20 yards per catch... Caught 17 passes of at least 20 yards.

Despite those numbers there has been (as with all things Broncos it seems these days) Lots of questions and doubt. Questioning his route running, and ability to translate his game to the pro game since he came from the triple option.

Despite the nay-sayers and critics, Demaryius has taken it all in stride and just as his fellow first round selection teammate, is very thankful and gracious the Broncos showed the confidence in faith in him to make him a first round selection.

Demaryius' past family issues are well documented but that has not slowed nor hindered his progress, enthusiasm, and determination. Proving to his teammates and Broncos fans alike that we are transitioning from Shannahan into the New Era. Gone are the excuse makers, tabloid headlines, and me first players. They have been replaced by hard working, team first, character men. Demaryius fits right in.

Here is hoping that the contract is coming VERY soon. Bronco fans will soon forget those "other guys". Yes, you know who I am talking about. One thing Bronco fans should be sure about:

Gone are the head scratchers, the days when you do not know which Bronco team will show up, The late season collapses, and locker room distractions. What you will see is a TEAM play hard whistle to whistle. A TEAM that believes in itself with great leadership. A TEAM that will lay it all out on the line for each other.

We may be missing the great INDIVIDUAL performances, but I like the product we are putting on the field and out into the community MUCH more. How many wins that will translate into I have NO IDEA. But I am sure I will enjoy every minute of this upcoming season.

Let's get Demaryius on PAPER !

As part of BCS Know How’s 2010 college football season preview, we will be breaking down each week’s most important games that could have BCS and postseason implications in the “Road to Glendale 2011.″

Let’s move to Week 6 where two marquee matchups in non-BCS conferences will probably be your best bet for pressure packed college football this early in the season.

Troy at Middle Tennessee State: Tuesday Oct. 5, 8:00 p.m. ET

This mid-season Sun Belt showdown between the two conference favorites could act as a de facto Sun Belt championship game. With the skill both teams bring to the table in 2010, it wouldn’t be surprising to find these two teams at the top at season’s end.

This seemingly unimportant non-BCS conference game suddenly becomes a marquee matchup of Week 6, and could also provide high entertainment for 60 straight minutes of football.

The likely star here, Middle Tennessee State’s quarterback Dwight Dasher, is an all-around threat with the ability to pick apart defenses with both his feet and arm. Dasher will put his skills to the test against Troy, whose run of Sun Belt titles may be over this year after losing their long-time quarterback Levi Brown.

Brown, who holds many Troy all-time records, will be sorely missed in what will likely be a shootout between the two teams. However, the Trojans won’t be without any hope when they travel to MTSU’s Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium in early October.

Long time Trojan coach Larry Blakeney returns star running backs DuJuan Harris and Shawn Southward, along with defensive ends sophomore Jonathan Massaquoi and senior Mario Addison, who will need to put the pressure on Dasher if they are to have any hope of pulling off the road victory.

Temple at Northern Illinois: Saturday Oct. 9, 12:00 p.m. ET

Another high quality non-BCS matchup will again feature two conference title hopefuls, this time the Temple Owls and Northern Illinois Huskies of the Mid-American Conference.

Both teams fell just short of the conference title game last season. With major changes occurring all over the conference, both teams could be right in the middle of the hunt for a berth in the championship game.

The game will feature two unheralded running backs in Northern Illinois’s Chad Spann and Temple’s Bernard Pierce. Both had shining seasons, including Pierce’s surprising MAC rushing title as a freshman in the ’09 season. Questionable quarterback situations will cause both teams to rely heavily on their running games.

Florida State at Miami (FL): Saturday Oct. 9, TBA

A rivalry that was once a non-conference affair has lost some of its luster after the teams joined the same conference and were unable to keep pace with the results of past decades for both teams.

However, after an entertaining edition of the rivalry in 2009, 2010 looks like it could be a reminder of what made both programs so strong during a dominant stretch of Florida football.

Quarterbacks Jacory Harris and Christian Ponder have a lot to do with it, and are early ACC Player of the Year favorites along with Heisman contenders. Coaches Randy Shannon and Jimbo Fisher, although both young and relatively inexperienced in relation to their programs’ history, have returned some youthful energy in the programs and could make the upcoming years more successful.

When the teams meet in Sun Life Stadium in Miami in Week 6, don’t be surprised if you see a game that reminds you of the “Wide Rights I-IV” and “Wide Left” that seemingly define this rivalry.

Just in case you’re wondering: Senior Matt Bosher kicks for the Hurricanes and sophomore Dustin Hopkins takes kicks for the Seminoles.

Other Games of Note: Wyoming at TCU, Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, Mississippi State at Houston, Alabama at South Carolina

It’s no secret that the Phillies’ uncanny ability to consistently win away from home has helped make them of baseball’s best teams in recent years.

Winning on other teams’ home turf has been a staple for this club ever since 2004 and is also a huge reason why they’re three-time defending NL East champions.

The 2007 Phillies won their last SIX games in Shea Stadium against the Mets.

The 2008 Phillies won ALL NINE of their games in Turner Field against the so-called division rival Braves.

The 2009 Phillies averted disaster by starting the season 24-9 on the road, despite beginning the year 13-22 at home.

Yet, it’s been a much different story so far in 2010.

The Phillies are 22-28 in games played outside of Citizens Bank Park.

It gets worse.

This month, the Phillies have lost three-of-four to both the lowly Cubs and Pirates. Remember that Chicago would have swept that four-game set if catcher Geovanny Soto could have just handled that perfect one-hop throw to home plate…

Since starting the season 13-7 on the road by mid-May, the Phillies have lost 21 of their last 30 road games. The last time the Phillies have suffered through that bad of a prolonged stretch on the road was back in 2003, as that team lost 24 of its final 33 road games en route to coughing up the Wild Card on the season’s final week.

But thankfully there’s now a renewed sense of optimism here in 2010, with these Phillies embarking on their next road-stint as both the winners of eight straight and the rightful owners of Mr. Roy Oswalt.

This upcoming six-game road trip against the Nationals and Marlins is a great place for the Phillies to start improving their play away from home. Recently, the Phillies have enjoyed playing in these two cities, as the Phils have gone a combined 16-5 in Miami and Washington since the beginning of 2009.

Twenty-one of the Phillies final 28 road games this season will come against the NL East, so playing well against the division will be pivotal, as usual.

The Phillies will also catch a few lucky breaks this week, as they will not face Nationals’ ace Stephen Strasburg nor Marlins’ ace Josh Johnson. Strasburg is on the 15-day DL while Johnson is slated to pitch the day before the Phillies arrive in Miami.

But winning on the road ain’t easy.

So far this season, 21 of the 30 ML teams have winning records at home, including all four of the Phillies NL East adversaries, but only eight have winning records on the road.

Can the Phillies turn it around away from home? You bet they can. They have the talent, the tradition, and right now they surely have the confidence.

After all, this great era of Phillies baseball has been partially defined by this group’s knack for performing well in enemy territory…especially when it matters most.

The fate of the 2010 Phillies hinges on their ability to start doing it again, and this upcoming trip down the East Coast is the perfect place to start….

Phillies Yearly Road Record (Since 2004)

Year                Record              ML Rank

2004                44- 37              Tied 5th

2005                42- 39              Tied 6th

2006                44- 37              Tied 5th 

2007                42- 39              Tied 5th

2008                44- 37              2nd     

2009                48- 33              Tied 1st

2010                   22- 28                 17th      

Jon Jones has been touted and hyped as the future of the light heavyweight division, and as such, his fight with Matyushenko is seen as little more than a fight that will allow him to develop his skills.

Vladimir Matyushenko goes into this fight with a 24-4 record, yet he still walks in as a huge underdog. There are a few reasons why Matyushenko is as big of an underdog as he is.

Why Jon Jones Is a Massive Betting Favorite

First of all, Matyushenko's greatest strength is his wrestling ability. Because Jon Jones is also a very good wrestler, the idea out there is that Jones might be able to neutralize Matyushenko's wrestling, taking away the latter's clearest road to victory.

The second reason Jones is so heavily favored is simply because of the hype surrounding him. The fans have anointed Jones as being the next big thing in MMA, and until he faces somebody in the very top echelon, he's going to be heavily favored by the fans and bettors.

All of that said, despite the perception that Jones should have an easy time with Matyushenko, there are some things Matyushenko can do that could cause trouble for Jones.

How Matyushenko Can Upset Jones

As already has been said, many people feel like Jones can neutralize Matyushenko's wrestling. What some people may fail to understand is how good Matyushenko is as a wrestler.

Matyushenko's wrestling credentials are greater than those of any of Jones' previous opponents, including Matt Hamill. If Matyushenko is able to put Jones on his back, Jones will be in unfamiliar territory.

If Matyushenko is unable to get Jones off his feet, many feel like Jones will be able to utilize a striking advantage, but again, this may not actually be the case.

Certainly Jones has a more diverse arsenal than Matyushenko does, but Matyushenko can still cause Jones problems with boxing from the inside.

With his long reach, Jones may have trouble dealing with the kind of inside boxing that Matyushenko is capable of, especially if Matyushenko is able to keep up the pressure and stop Jones from unleashing his unorthodox attacks from the outside.

What To Look for in the Development of Jon Jones

While Matyushenko can create problems for Jones, Jones is still expected to win, but even if that's the case, there are still things to look for in the fight that should give us some indication of how he'll do in the future:

1. Can Jones take Matyushenko down?
2. If Jones takes Matyushenko down, can Jones work for a submission?
3. If Matyushenko takes Jones down, what will Jones' guard look like?
4. What answer will Jones have for Matyushenko's inside boxing?

We probably won't get answers to all of these questions, but I personally am hoping that Matyushenko takes Jones down at least once, so we can see what kind of weapons Jones can use with his guard, which hasn't been seen yet in the UFC.

Also, I'm kind of expecting that Jones will keep the fight on the outside, but if Matyushenko gets through Jones' range, I'm interested in seeing what kind of offense Jones can use there, aside from his throws from the clinch.

All fans have listened to the hype. Every one of us has heard how Alabama is deeper and more talented at every position than any other team in the nation. We have all been informed of the great recruiting classes Nick Saban has stacked up.

Already the spin masters are telling us it does not matter that Alabama lost most of its defensive production after the 2009 season. We are being told every day how Alabama simply reloads.

Some have even mentioned that Alabama will get better when they lose starters. It would seem the theory is, the replacement is more talented so must be better. We have all been exposed to hype saying Alabama has better running backs on the bench than last year’s Heisman winner. Some have even mentioned that there are two better quarterbacks on the bench than the Alabama starter that has never lost a game.

The nation has been convinced that the inexperience means nothing. These were great players in high school, so they will be great on day one in college. Starting experience means nothing when you are that talented. It would seem talent eliminates the learning curve.

Given all these points we have been force fed for months on end; there is only one question that comes to mind; why would Alabama worry about opponents having a bye week before they play?

We know the best Alabama players are on the bench patiently waiting their turn. We know the talent level rises when substitutions are made. We have even been repeatedly told how the Alabama coaching staff is far superior to every other staff in the nation.

It would seem a team having a bye week before Alabama would be disadvantaged. A team would then face the possibility of playing their real talent that is on the bench. A team would never want to face a tired or injured Alabama starting line up. 

Fans have all been informed of the mere formality of playing the 2010 season. The SEC only has two teams. Alabama and Florida will play each other for the SEC Championship in December and Alabama will win. We have all been repeatedly exposed to this line of thought for months.

This is not the first year fans were exposed to this kind of hype. They were told the same things about the conference and Florida in 2009. This is not a new line of thought; it has been prevailing wisdom for years.

Most fans that are capable of remembering more than a few months know that these predictions are almost always wrong for the SEC Champion. Most fans do believe that these predictions are usually close. With fall practice starting in a week, it is a good time to evaluate the performance of the preseason prognosticators.

For this look we can use a consensus combination of the major preseason prognosticators.   Here is a compilation of such data should the reader want to delve a little deeper.

A Look at Preseason Prognostication

• Auburn was replaced in the SEC Championship game by Alabama due to NCAA Sanctions.

The preseason prognosticators have been right about both divisional champions three times in 18 years or 16.67 percent of the time.

They have predicted the eastern division winner six times in 18 years or 33.33 percent of the time.

They have had the SEC eastern division winner picked first or second all 18 years.

They have predicted the western division winner six times in 18 years or 33.33% of the time.

They have missed the sec western division winner by more than two positions six times in 18 years or 33.33 percent of the time.

In defense of these prognosticators, they did get it right in 2009. The bad news is, that this is 16.67 percent of all the times they have been right.

If a person were to simply go out on the street and find someone who did not know what football is and let them pick the divisional winners; they would have a one in six chance or 16.67 percent of picking a divisional winner.

This leaves us knowing that preseason prognosticators are about twice as likely to get it right as opposed to the average citizen of Somalia or another country where football isn’t covered. For a gambler it would be more profitable to bet against these predictions than go with them.

The prognosticators have gotten it right in 1993, 1994, and 2009. The only reason they got it right in 1993 was the actual champion of the west was disqualified from post season play due to NCAA sanctions. What are the chances of them getting it right two years in a running?

Fans are welcome to put in their thoughts on this, it would certainly seem that an educated fan has at least as high of a chance of getting it right.

On the homemade page-of-the-day calendar that I made my wife as a Christmas present, today's page reads as follows:

"On this date in 2006, Bobby Abreu was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Yankees for, well, not much. Although the deal was heavily criticized at the time, the Phillies have since enjoyed the winningest period in their history, winning three division titles, making two trips to the World Series, and winning the 2008 World Championship.

"More relevantly, it was the day we moved to Philadelphia."

For Philadelphia fans, that day meant the end of the misery known as Bobby Abreu, Philadelphia Phillie.

What only fans who watched him day in and day out could appreciate was that Abreu, while accumulating impressive numbers in the home runs, stolen bases, and bases on balls departments, could be a spectacularly bad fielder and could, at times, give the impression of not trying all that hard.

Or so I've been told. Frankly, I thought the move had been a mistake. I was wrong.

The Phillies have had no regrets.

If that day marked the end of the Bobby Abreu Era in Philadelphia, it also marked the end of the Chancey family's own personal hell, a hell that had begun 11 months earlier with Hurricane Katrina.

As we loaded our moving van four years ago today, I was reminded of the one thing my wife and I told each other just before we evacuated the City of New Orleans with my mother and brother in tow and with the massive hurricane looming in the Gulf of Mexico:

No regrets.

We had lots of choices to make that day: whether to leave, when to go, where to go, and how to get there. We had three choices of places to evacuate to because we had people waiting for us in Dallas, Texas, Tallahassee, Florida, and Lake Charles, Louisiana.

We had no idea what lay ahead of us, and so we thought it was important that we not end up playing the "what if?" game should things turn out poorly for us.

And so we didn't. No regrets.

What followed that evacuation, of course, was the worst natural disaster—from a financial perspective—in United States history. The Chancey family spent a brief couple of months as nomads-turned-squatters before ending up in Alexandria, Virginia just in time for Thanksgiving and the longest, most dreary winter these New Orleans folks had ever endured.

We spent roughly a year feeling out of place and out of touch, feeling as though our world had been turned upside down and we had no control over it. Don't get me wrong: Alexandria, Virginia is a lovely place, but we didn't chose to live there, and it wasn't home to us.

And so it was that eight months, a law school graduation and a job offer later, that we found ourselves in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As we arrived with a moving van full of stuff we'd found on craigslist over the previous year, we looked at each other, and one truth became astonishingly clear.

For the first time since the hurricane had forced us from New Orleans, we were once again in control of our own destiny. We were back on track.

We were finally home.

So, too, did the Philadelphia Phillies finally come home that day in July, 2006.  

As it turns out, the Chancey family had moved to Philadelphia on the very day that the Phillies became a National League dynasty, and the ride has been nothing short of magical.  

After trading away Bobby Abreu (I'll never forget my first ever purchase of the Philadelphia Inquirer , which featured a column titled "Wait 'till the Year After Next"), the Phillies went on an improbable run, and Ryan Howard won the NL MVP on the strength of matching Jimmie Foxx's record for home runs by a Philadelphian with 58.

The following year Jimmy Rollins told the world that the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East and then backed it up, winning his own NL MVP on the strength of becoming the fourth player ever with 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases.

I believe it was Shane Victorino's grand slam against C.C. Sabathia in the 2008 NLDS, two batters after Brett Myers' Epic Walk, when I started saying "we" when referring to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils got us a world championship that year and then went to the World Series again the following year.

To tell you the truth, I have no problem whatsoever considering the Phillies' run to be my own personal reward for past ills suffered, both the acute trauma of Hurricane Katrina as well as the chronic lifetime condition of being a Chicago Cubs fan.

As I've said in the past, if you spent your life rooting for the Cubs and then moved to a new city and the team in that city suddenly started going to the World Series every year, you'd switch allegiances too.

And so it continues.

Tonight, on the fourth anniversary of Bobby Abreu's departure from Philadelphia, the Phillies are two days into the tenure of Domonic Brown, the player we hope will be the next Phillies superstar. Meanwhile, newly acquired Roy Oswalt takes his first turn in the Phillies' rotation against our NL East neighbors to the south, the Washington Nationals.

Will this be the beginning of a third run to the World Series? Will Oswalt and Brown be the pieces we need to win our second championship in three years?

We'll see.

For my part, I could not be more pleased with this team or this city.  

Becoming a Philadelphian has meant, to me, making "Our Nation's first..." jokes (this is the site of our Nation's first microwave dinner, etc.), figuring out where the best cheesesteaks really are, and making fun of people who take their picture in front of the Rocky statue.

Meanwhile, my wife, my kids, and I have found ourselves in a wonderful West Philadelphia neighborhood surrounded by the best group of friends we could have ever hoped for, living a life I don't think we could have imagined four years ago.

True to our word, we have no regrets.  

As one of my favorite movie lines goes, I'd rather be with the people of Philadelphia than with the finest people in the world.

As for the Phillies, it's been a great run, and while all good things must come to an end, I hope that this Phillies run doesn't end for a long, long time.  

It is crazy to think it all started by trading away what appeared to be their best player, but here we are. Now, as we watch Roy Oswalt take what we hope will be the first step towards our next World Series appearance, hopefully a couple of months from now the Phillies will be able to look back on this deal and, once again, have no regrets.

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com .

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup this past season and are poised to make another run at the Cup providing that they can overcome their schedule next season.

In a six part series, we will analyze all six months of the Blackhawks schedule.  We will look at each opponent, what their record was in 2009-2010, and how much better (or worse) they will be during the upcoming season.  Finally, we will predict how many games the Hawks will win depending on their current personnel and state of the team.

The first month we will look at is October 2010.

The Hawks kick off their new season with a game at Colorado versus the Avalanche.  The Avalanche made the playoffs and are looking like a better team in 2010-2011.  

The Blackhawks played Colorado four times during the 2009-2010 season earning a 3-1 record and should be able to beat them to start out the season on the right foot.

The Blackhawks play the Detroit Red Wings in the month of October (their second game and just one time during the month) as well.  During last season, the Hawks split six games with the Red Wings (3-3), and both teams traditionally play each other very tough, so any game between the Hawks and the Red Wings is a good one. 

The Blackhawks will play the Buffalo Sabres twice during the first month of the season.  Last year, the Blackhawks played just one game against the Sabres, a game that they didn’t win.  Can they beat them this season?  We shall find out, but the Sabres have improved and could present a challenge for the Blackhawks. 

Chicago will face the Nashville Predators, a 2009-2010 playoff opponent in their drive towards the Stanley Cup.  Not including the postseason, the Blackhawks split the six games they played against the Predators in 2009.  They play them once in the month of October.

The Columbus Blue Jackets play the Blackhawks twice during the month of October.  Last year’s record against the Blue Jackets was 3-2, but Columbus promises to be a much tougher opponent this season thanks to some offseason moves.  The Blackhawks may have a tougher time with the Blue Jackets next season.

The Blues play the Blackhawks twice in the month of October as well.  In 2009-2010, the Blackhawks edged the Blues three games to two last year and will battle them once again this year several times.  The Blues and the Hawks always play good competitive games and getting over the “Blues” can get the Blackhawks back towards winning the Stanley Cup.

The Canucks and the Blackhawks will face each other once during the first month of the new NHL season.  In 2009, Chicago beat Vancouver just once in the regular season (on their way to a one and three record against them) and will have to contend with this team again in 2010-2011.  The Canucks are returning a lot of the same guys that they had last season, so they will continue to be a difficult matchup for Blackhawks this coming season.

The Los Angeles Kings will come to the United Center in October to play one game against the Blackhawks.  Last season, the Blackhawks went 3-1 against the Kings and should be able to do well against them again in the 2010-2011 season.  Look for them to beat the Kings in their October contest.

Chicago will also host the Edmonton Oilers once in October.  During the 2009-2010 season, Chicago went 4-0 against the Oilers last season and despite the fact this team made some strides during the offseason, the Blackhawks should be able to beat them again this year.

Finally, to close out the month of October, the Blackhawks will play the Minnesota Wild.  The Hawks went 2-1 against the Wild last year and should have similar success against them this coming season.

For all those interested, here is a look at the Blackhawks schedule in October of 2010:

October 7th at Colorado
October 9th versus Detroit
October 11th at Buffalo
October 13th versus Nashville
October 15th at Columbus
October 16th versus Buffalo
October 18th versus St. Louis
October 20th versus Vancouver
October 22nd at St. Louis
October 23 versus Columbus
October 27 versus Los Angeles
October 29th versus Edmonton
October 30th at Minnesota

All right, the Pittsburgh Pirates CAN win on the road.

At least they did so against the Colorado Rockies. Two out of three, anyway. In quite good fashion I might add, especially considering the first-inning injury to Ross Ohlendorf on Wednesday that required more than eight innings of bullpen work.

The Pirates have been on a hot streak at the plate since the All-Star break, at least relative to themselves. Enough to get out of a 30-team cellar for offense, anyway. The Rockies, on the other hand, have been on a cold streak, losing eight of their previous nine.

Sometimes it is the luck of the draw, but the Pirates did take advantage of things. If only they could do so well in every road series.

The Pirates were not nearly as good earlier against the San Diego Padres, going 0-3 at PETCO Park. But the Padres, perhaps surprisingly, have the best record in the National League, meaning that they are now too high a hurdle for the Bucs to beat—at least on the road.

Last year, the Pirates actually won two out of three road games against San Diego—in April, at a time when the Bucs were actually 11-7. But San Diego has been a powerhouse team since about the middle of last year, and took back three out of four from the Pirates at PNC Park in the fall.

The Pirates' results against the other Western division teams on the road are intermediate; 1-3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 1-2 against the San Francisco Giants, and 1-2 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Five of their 13 "Away" wins (just under 40%), have come against Western division teams. That compares to the fact that they'll play only 16 out of 81 (less than 20%) such games.

Still, with a young team you will take any reason for optimism you can get.

Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo recently went on record to say that Chris Bosh chose not to play some crucial games last season.

Colangelo, the son of USA basketball operations manager, Jerry Colangelo, who may have gotten the ball rolling to create the Miami super team when he selected LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh to represent the USA over two years ago, said:

“Despite limited swelling and any excessive damage on an MRI , he felt like he needed to sit for six more games... I’m not even questioning Chris’ injury. I’m telling you he was cleared to play subject to tolerance on his part, and the tolerance just apparently wasn’t there and he chose not to play."

This is in reference to an inadvertent elbow by Antwain Jamison to Bosh’s face in an early April loss to Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors were barely holding on to the eighth playoff spot, but then went on to lose three of their last five games without Bosh.

Two of those losses were against top four Eastern Conference rivals, Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. The third was against the Chicago Bulls who eventually sealed the eighth spot by one game over the Raptors.

In two previous meetings between these teams, Raptors beat Bulls both times with a healthy Bosh averaging 26.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. Therefore a strong case could be made that with Bosh that late season game loss to Chicago might have had a different result.

While Bosh’s mentality after the injury is open to debate, his work ethic during games speak for it’s self.  So it is baffling why Colangelo went on to say.

“Whether he was mentally checked out or just wasn’t quite into it down the stretch, he wasn’t the same guy. I think everybody saw that, but no one wanted to acknowledge it.”

In the last five games prior to the Cleveland game where he was injured in the first three minutes, Bosh averaged 29 points and 10.5 rebounds, winning three of those games and had the Raptors in the playoffs. In response to these allegations Bosh told Sportsnet.

“I play the game as hard as I can every time I step on the court. On the back of my jersey it says Bosh. That’s my grandfather’s name. He is dead in the ground right now. Just to know if I even did something to affect the Bosh name… the Bosh’s are hard workers; we have a lot of pride in what we do. In our jobs and in life, there was no time at any time when I step on the court in my NBA career, in my life, did I stop playing hard or give up.”

Based on his numbers, it is hard to dispute his statement that he fought hard when he stepped on the court. The power forward just had his best statistical season in the NBA averaging 24 points and nearly 11 rebounds.

However Conlangelo alleges that Bosh could have played if he wanted to during the last part of the season. With limited swelling and no excessive damage showing up on an MRI and a playoff spot on the line you expect your star to want to take a chance and play.

Maybe Bosh had already decided to team up with James and Wade and was saving himself from the grind of an inevitable first round exit. He is not the first player to suffer injuries to his face.

Steve Nash was able to deliver a knockout blow to his arch enemy, San Antonio Spurs, even though he had six stitches under his right elbow and a swollen right eye after it collided with Tim Duncan’s elbow.

Obviously Nash is at the tail end of his career and maybe just desperate enough to take these chances, after having a life time of missed opportunities, but his courage and gamesmanship is commendable.

After sweeping the Spurs, Nash was further injured in the Western Conference finals against the eventual NBA champions, Los Angeles Lakers, and could be seen at one point trying to slide his nose back into place.

"I'm lucky. I've had a couple bumps or bruises that haven't affected my play," Nash said. "Those don't bother you. It's the ones that limit you that you hope you don't have to face."

A broken nose or black eye will not impede a player however it may affect breathing and vision. In that same game (game 3) against the Lakers, which the Suns won, Nash had 17 points and 15 assists in 38 minutes.

Even Phil Jackson who had a war of words with Nash prior to the finals had nothing but respect for Nash.

"This guy's gone through a lot of stuff the last two or three years in the playoffs. I don't think it's going to bother him," Jackson said. "On second thought, Ginobili, it really curtailed his game. I thought his game really tailed off after the broken nose, so it's probably an individual thing."

It is hard to imagine Steve Nash electing not to play after being given the all clear because “the tolerance was not there.” He had surgery after game three to repair his broken nose but was ready to go by game four.

Highlighted by free agent signings Teddy Purcell (F), Chris Durno (F), Marc Pouliot (F), Brett Clark (D), Pavol Kubina (D) and Dan Ellis (G), Yzerman has slowly put together the makings of a playoff contender in Tampa.

Other notable moves include trading for veteran forward Simon Gagne and assembling a much improved coaching staff that now includes Guy Boucher (head coach), Rick Wilson (associate coach), Martin Raymond (assistant coach) and Dan Lacroix (assistant coach).

While there is no “Gucci” name amongst Tampa’s coaching staff, Yzerman believes his coaching staff will bring a new direction to the hockey club and supply the team with plenty of innovative coaching, something Boucher is known for.

The guidance of Yzerman, a new coaching staff, the addition of several key players, and a roster that already includes the likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steve Downie , reigning goal-scoring champion Steven Stamkos , Mattias Ohlund, and Victor Hedman , makes Tampa one of the favorites to compete for a playoff spot and, with a little luck, perhaps even compete for the Stanley Cup.

Tampa Bay finished the 2009-10 season with a paltry 34-36-12 (80 points) record, finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference, 25 th overall.

The Lightning’s 80 points was not enough to get them into the playoffs, as they came up eight points shy, behind the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers, both teams finishing with 88 points which secured the eighth and seventh playoff spots, respectively.

Despite Steven Stamkos 51 goals last season the Lightning struggled offensively, finishing 23 rd overall in offense with an average of 2.60 goals scored per game.

Comparatively, the Lightning were one of the NHL’s worst defensive teams, finishing 27 th overall in keeping the puck out of the net, finishing with a 3.08 goals against per game.

As poor as the Lightning’s 2009-10 season went, there is plenty to be optimistic about for the upcoming season.

Free agent goaltender Dan Ellis has the ability to drastically improve his numbers. A duo of Ellis and Mike Smith, while not imposing, should be very solid.

The additions of Clark on defense will help out dramatically in the shot blocking department where Clark finished second overall last season (238) while Kubina’s return to Tampa should give the Bolts a shot in the arm in the puck moving department.

The addition of Simon Gagne gives the Lightning some more depth at forward. His veteran savvy and leadership qualities should endure him to the coaching staff and teammates alike, while his offensive contributions will be welcomed with open arms.

On defense Victor Hedman should see a great improvement on his rookie season, while veterans Ohlund and Kubina should help to anchor what is shaping up to be a decent defense.

No question, the Lightning would be wise to seek out another addition or two on defense, but the overall picture is good enough to get the job done in the East.

More importantly, the Lightning’s ownership woes look to be a thing of the past with Jeff Vinik looking to make the Lightning a winning franchise both now and for the future.

Vinik , who became the owner of the Lightning in March, 2010, is on record as saying, “I pledge to our fans that I will work my hardest as the caretaker of this franchise to build it into a world class organization, both on and off the ice”.

This summers coaching and player additions will go a long way in securing a better future for a franchise that has had plenty of trouble both creating and solidifying a viable fan base.

It appears as if all the pieces are in place for the Lightning to have a very successful 2010-11 season. Now all they have to do is go out and prove they are worthy of making the playoffs.

Until next time,

Peace!

Chris Pronger and Mike Richards better be ready to step up next season as the team's captains, or this could be a long season.

If anyone thought the reports last season that there was a a split due to Carter having an affair with Hartnell's wife were bad, this could be worse.

On the defensive side, due to the dealings of Holmgren, you have eight NHL-ready defensemen.  As a GM, not a bad problem to have. 

But here is the problem:

Four of them are 31 or older.  And seven of them played at least played 50 games this past season.  You are going to have some hurt egos in that group when they see their playing time go down. 

Players usually aren't content with even being the third pair, much less healthy scratches—particularly after last season, when they were key men for their respective teams. 

Pronger and Kimmo better be stepping up here and making sure that these guys do not do anything to cause a tear in the defense between those playing and those not.

Then we go the offensive side.  If Laviolette decides to keep the super line from the postseason of Briere-Leino-Hartnell together, then that means you have five guys fighting for three spots on whatever line number Briere's line is not (first or second).

You have JVR, Giroux, Richards, Carter, and Zheredev.  The two losers are going to be relegated to the third line and probably have to play with Carcillo, and if Carcillo plays like he usually does (fight anything in the other color), they won't play much. 

But then who do you put on the third line? 

JVR will probably be on it since he is only 21, but then again he put up 35 points last season. 

Giroux was a breakout star last season who had 47 points and is also only 22. 

Richards is the captain of the team and the heart and soul of the Flyers (see play first game against Montreal for point). 

Jeff Carter put up 61 points last season but has been injury-prone. so what to do there? 

Then finally you have Zheredev.  You have a guy who wants to completely redeem himself after having to suffer in Russia for a year.  But then again, he is also prone to disappearing for large chunks of time.  If he disappears and he is not friends with guys on the team, then they have an even bigger problem to deal with.

This team if they can see a miraculous continuation of Leighton or Boucher's play, then can have large success on the ice. 

But what happens in the locker room could bring the entire season down.

On Thursday night, the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a five-year deal with first-round pick Brandon Graham. The former Michigan standout becomes the seventh first-round pick from this year’s class to reach a deal with his team and he’s expected to report to training camp at Lehigh University on Friday.

Graham was selected by the Eagles with the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft after an impressive four-year career with the Wolverines. He was considered one of the top defensive lineman in from the 2010 class and talented enough for Philadelphia to trade up 10 picks just so they could acquire him.

Throughout his high school and college career, Graham has always played football in the state of Michigan. Now that he’s officially come to terms with the team, Graham is ready to take that next step in his football conquest–playing professional football for the Eagles.

“It’s been a long journey with long days and hard nights,” Graham explained about his road to the NFL. “But it’s been a great experience and I wouldn ’t trade it in for anything. The dedication I’ve put into this sport is finally starting to pay off. Now, I can finally show everyone what I’m made of—and that’s the exciting part.”

If any player knows the definition of hard work, it’s Graham. Not only was Graham honored with numerous awards during his final two years as a Wolverine, but he became the first player in Michigan history to win defensive MVP twice and led the nation his senior year with 26 tackles for a loss.

Rookies missing part of training camp has become a common theme for most teams over the years–especially with this year’s class. Of the 32 picks from the first round, 25 remain without deals as of Friday—which is why it came as no surprise Graham was still unsigned prior to Thursday night.

The Eagles and Graham knew it was all a matter of time before both sides came to an agreement. While the veterans were scheduled to report to camp for the first time on Friday, the rookies reported to camp on Monday—which means Graham missed four days of practices. Despite his absence, Graham is eager to get on the field and show everyone how far he’s come as a rookie.

“The biggest thing is to let them know that I haven’t fell off since minicamps ," Graham said. “I still know everything they’ve taught me and I want to go in there and keep learning as much as I can—especially when it comes to technique.”

Ask any rookie; the transition from playing at a college level to a professional level can be difficult and can seem overwhelming at times.

Some players from smaller schools have to adjust to playing in front of larger crowds at the professional level. Lucky for Graham, playing in front of 68,000+ fans at Lincoln Financial Field should be easy for him, considering the Big House at Michigan holds over 100,000.

While playing in front of large crowds each Sunday won’t be an issue, there is one adjustment that Graham will have to get used to now that he’ll be participating in Eagles Training Camp: practicing while thousands of fans watch as spectators.

“I know they’re excited and I’m excited for them to see me on the field. That’s going to be the fun part. Going to training camp everyday and practicing in front of 20,000 fans. That’s one of the greatest things to be a part of since I never got to experience that at Michigan because we had closed practices. It’s going to provide me with extra motivation when I’m out there.”

Like most athletes in this generation, Graham loves to connect with his fans through popular social media networking sites like Facebook and Twitter . One of the best experiences for Graham as an athlete is the way he gets to interact with his fans on these sites, which is part of the reason why he’s excited to see some of them at camp over the next few weeks.

The city of Philadelphia has every reason in the world to be excited about Graham during his rookie season. Not only has he shown what he’s capable of doing during his time at Michigan, but just from speaking with him it’s clear Graham has a strong work ethic and enough determination to play a key role in the Eagles’ defense during his rookie season.

Sure, he may see a few bumps along the way while he makes the transition to the NFL, but most rookies do. If anything, Graham contains the right mentality to work his way through the process.

“It’s something new and you want to go out there and give it your best,” Graham said about the transition to the NFL. “You know you’re going to go out and make a lot of mistakes, but at the same time, as long as you capitalize the mistakes—that’s all you can ask for.”

A special thanks to Brandon Graham for taking the time to talk with me after announcing his deal with the Eagles.

Dan Parzych is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com.

He is also the founder of the new NFCEastFootball.com.

Questions or comments, feel free to email Dan: djp746@gmail.com