Alvin Robertson is a sick man

Former NBA all star guard Alvin Robertson has been charged with child trafficking,sexual assault of a child,and forcing a sexual performance by a child.Robertson has not yet been apprehended.  

   Robertson,whose NBA career spanned from 1984-1996 was a four time all star,the first NBA most improved player award winner and 1986 defensive player of the year.He played for the San Antonio Spurs,Milwaukee Bucks,Detroit Pistons,and Toronto Raptors.He was a solid all around player and one of the best defensive players of his time. Enough about his playing career.

  Authorities say Robertson was part of a sex ring that kidnapped a 14 year old girl from San Antonio and forced her to have sex with clients and dance at a strip club in Corpus Christi,Texas.Seven people have been charged,that also includes his girlfriend.He's the only one who hasn't been arrested.The girl escaped which prompted an investigation.Robertson,is best known in the Detroit area,for attacking,alledgedly choking player personnel director Billy McKinney,while he was a member of the Pistons.In 1997 he was charged with four misdemeanors for abusing a former girlfriend and sentenced to one year in prison.In 1990 he spent a month in jail for beating his then wife.He served that time in the off-season.In January of 2007,he was arrested on a variety of charges related to domestic violence.Now the sex ring operation,alledgedly.You can see the pattern of legal problems,namely domestic violence.If what has came out is true,he needs to be put away.I hate to wish the worse on anyone,but i hope he gets sexed up while he's locked up.With the legal pattern he's developed he deserves it.

The Brothers McGwire

To someone on the outside looking in,Mark and Jay McGwire have a strange relationship.It started with a swat to Jay's son on the backside to a book detailing Mark's steroid use.Yesterday Mark said that "he never wants to see Jay again" and that he's "saddened" by the book.In the book Jay says that Mark did use them to recover from injuries,but also knew he would gain size and strength .I guess Jay would know since he's a former bodybuilder.
  Really,Mark's use was no secret.If you look at him from his rookie year to his later years with the Oakland A's and St. Louis Cardinals he gained a lot of size.Same thing with Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa,two other noted sluggers from the steroid era.I do believe Mark used them to heal from injuries,since he had so many of them before his last few years in Oakland.I also believe he used them to gain more strength,since he was primarily a home run hitter(check the stats).Personally,I really don't care.If that's what he and many others choose to pump in their bodies,then so be it.I'm sure they'll pay for it somewhere down the road.I know it's not fair to other players that don't use them and have their path to the majors blocked by someone that is.
  As far as the relationship between him and brother Jay,I feel it shouldn't have come to this.Yes,Jay has a book to sell.A book that probably should've never been written.I understand their relationship has been strained since 2002,when Jay's stepson,Eric, tickled Mark and he spilled coffee on himself.Mark gave Eric a swat on his backside raising his wife,Francine's ire.She then decided to no show Mark's wedding.Jay has spoken out previously about Mark's use of steroids.Now he's co-authored a book about it.Even if you aren't getting along,you don't sell out your blood brother like this.I'm wondering what former NFL quarterback and brother Dan McGwire is thinking about this.I guess there won't be any full fledged family gatherings in the near future.Right now it looks like blood definitely isn't thicker than water.

Big names might find it tough on the open market

Brian Westbrook and LaDainian Tomlinson were two of the bigger names recently released by their respective teams.Leading up to the draft there will be more big names hitting the waiver wire.Even though there will be an uncapped year in the NFL,I suspect it might be pretty hard for some stars of recent memory to find a job.There won't be a lot of free spending,like a lot of fans think.Westbrook and Tomlinson,will find it even harder.Tomlinson,due to so-called performance issues.Westbrook,due to injury concerns.
   Personally,I think Tomlinson still has something left in the tank.The experts say running backs decline around age 30.I don't remember that when I was growing up.They weren't known to be washed up aound that point in their career.Times have changed and when you hit the big 3-0 your done.Sometimes its the player,sometimes its the team your on.I do think LT could help a team that is a contender,that might need a push over the top.He's had some nagging injuries that have slowed him down.Also he's been slow to recover from them.He'll find a team that can use his skills only if he doesn't think he'still a big money player.He still has some productive years left,if he goes to the right team.
   Westbrook on the other hand will be a risk/reward to someone.Once again i think it would be better served if he went to contender.A multi-purpose threat,he has a history of injuries,most recently a damaging concussion that sidelined him for most of 2009.I still think he has some juice left, only if he's being used in a timeshare backfield.Eagles coach Andy Reid said concussions weren't the reason he was released.I don't totally buy that,but a $7.25 million dollar price tag didn't help Westbrook's cause.If he signs somewhere,that team will be assuming a big risk because of Westbrook's injury history.If he's healthy it could be a wise bargain,making someone look like a genius.Both players still can bring something to the table,but only at the right price.

You have to know when to break it up

While watching the Trailblazers-Celtics game last night,my wife asked,"If Boston wanted Rasheed Wallace,why couldn't the Pistons use him?"You see she's a Piston fan,more of a casual one since she really can't bear to watch an effortless team parade toward Lotteryland.I'm a Pistons fan through and through.It's where I'm from so I'll always support them.Well,back to the point of today's posting.We always have the discussion about how the business of sports works.More specifically about when to break a contender up and start over.

  A lot of people in the Detroit area were upset about the Chauncey Billups-Allen Iverson trade.Including my wife.At that point it seemed like a trade that wanted to put fans in the seats.You know,get a bonafide superstar without a championship,and add him to a team that made the Eastern Conference finals for 6 straight seasons and you might make a deep run in the playoffs.In addition,seeing someone fresh and new,you could put a few extra fannies in the seats.My wife hated that move,but I explained that since Iverson had an expiring contract they had to get something for Billups while they could.If it worked out for the Pistons,great.If not,then they had the option to start the rebuilding process instead of waiting out everyone's contract,having an old team going nowhere.Which is something I always bring up.You can't let a team age and just get old without having younger talent in place for the future.This is something I alluded to in a previous post about the current Celtics.They have 3 of the premier players in the league,but in the NBA you can get old quickly.Just ask the Miami Heat (2001) about that.Yes someone wanted Rasheed Wallace.He signed with the Celtics.But they had a better role for him,also he's a better fit with Boston than Detroit.I explained that to her as well as the art of the trade nowdays in the NBA.You try to trade a player with a heavy contract for a player with equal ability and value with a contract that is up after the season.It just didn't work out well for the Pistons.

 In the NBA,when your team has a lot of good,but not great players such as the Pistons did,there will come a point where you have to cast an eye to the future.Detroit wasn't getting any better as they were constructed.They would've put up 50 or more wins in the regular season, only to be embarrassed by teams they once dominated such as Atlanta,Cleveland,and Orlando.Then you would have to hear,why didn't they get rid of these players when you could've?  Joe Dumars had to do something .It's just that the wrong move was made last year.If you allow your team to get old without having younger talent to take their place, there will be a longer,steeper climb back to the top.Celtic fans know all about this.They weren't going to trade Larry Bird,Kevin McHale,or Robert Parish,but they got older and eventually walked away from Boston with no one there to take their place.Of course the untimely deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis didn't help.In the early 90's when the Pistons were surpassed by the Chicago Bulls,they were devoid of younger talent to replenish the roster which led to some dark days at the Palace.The Los Angeles Lakers seemed to overcome this phenomenon by getting lucky with younger,cheaper talent like Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones and Vlade Divac,the latter two being parlayed into Kobe Bryant.Good things don't last forever.Some fans need to learn to let go.Sometimes you have to get bad before you're good again.If management makes the right moves and has a little luck it can happen a little quicker.You gotta learn how to bridge the gap.

Johnny Damon tells his wife she'll go where I go

Free Agent outfielder Johnny Damon is reportedly being courted by the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers among others.The Tigers also have a two year,$14 million dollar offer on the table which damon is mulling over.His wife decided to speak on the subject of his possible whereabouts,by saying "she wants to go to a more cosmopolitan city".I guess she doesn't want to come to Detroit.Problem is,Detroit is offering the most money.And we know in the world of professional sports,it's all about the money.Damon,being the cash cow,breadwinner et al.,says "she'll go wherever I go".He either is protecting his wife or she must've had his kahunas in her purse for awhile and he wanted to reclaim them.Personally,I think she should keep her mouth shut.Last time i checked it was Johnny and not her crashing into the centerfield wall in Yankee Stadium.It was Johnny hitting home runs and stealing bases, not her.So I guess if he signs with Detroit,she'll come with him and will happily spend his money.

Duke lacrosse accuser charged with attempted murder

The woman that accused the Duke University lacrosse team of rape,Crystal Mangum,has been charged with attempted murder and arson and more.
  Mangum alledgedly,since we don't know the details of the case,assaulted her boyfriend,Milton Walker,set his clothes on fire,and threatned to stab him.She was charged with attempted first degree murder,arson,identity theft,assault and battery,communicating threats,three counts of misdemeanor child abuse,injury to personal property,and resisting a public officer.Quite a list of charges for Ms. Mangum.Also for that little stunt she pulled by crying wolf on the Duke lacrosse team, accusing three team members of rape, you know her credibility is shot.She made it bad for women who were actually raped and the case swept under the rug.This makes her look like a psycho that has no control over her emotions.Now,we don't know what led her to do what she did,and it wouldn't make it right,but i'm sure she has a reason.But that was overkill.I can understand if you want to kick a man in his junk and beat him,but wanting to stab and burn him,come on! Just a case of poetic justice I guess.

2 kickers for $18 million dollars.Only the Raiders

Leave it to Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders braintrust to sign their kicker to a contract worth $9 million dollars.Last week it was reported that Sebastian Janikowski was signed to an extension for two years and $9 million dollars.In the same story,it was reported that the Raiders also sined punter Shane Lechler to the same deal.I know it seems like I dog the Raiders a lot on here and I really don't have much room to talk since I'm a Lions fan.At least the Lions can get rid of their mistake(Millen).The Raiders can't do anything with Al Davis.Also they make lousy draft picks(JaMarcus Russell,Darrius Heyward-Bey),hiring lousy coaches(Lane Kiffin,Tom Cable),they also make lousy signings that will hurt their salary cap for a few years.No one signs kickers and punters for that much.I guess this is their committment to excellence.

The Bengals must like the criminal image

Recently,Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga,was cited for drunk driving and entered himself in a rehab clinic.According to reports over the past week,the team is looking into bringing in receiver Donte Stallworth and reportedly want to bring in Adam "Pacman" Jones in for a workout.Stallworth was reinstated by commisioner Paul Goodell after a one year suspension for pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter after killing a man in Miami Beach last March.Although he got off easy,I can see giving Stallworth a second chance.Jones,on the other hand,seemed to run out of chances.At least until I heard the the Bengals were bringing him in for a workout.If you pay any attention to the news,you should know all about Jones' rap sheet dating back to his college days at West Virginia.I guess as long as the talent is there you'll still get multiple chances to play somewhere.Thing is, I really don't think head coach Marvin Lewis has anything to do with this.I kinda feel sorry for the guy.I feel that as far as personnel matters go he is consistently undermined by team president Mike Brown.I don't know him  personally,but Lewis seems to be a man of integrity.He just happens to coach a team that always has someone running afoul of the law.He has changed the culture,somewhat,by winning a couple of division titles.But if he is being sabotaged regarding personnel,he should resign and hold out for a better situation.Lewis,not Brown will ultimately be held responsible when the players underperform or get in trouble off the field.Brown wants his input and will let him coach the team,but won't let him help put it together.That's why the Bengals,at least right now,won't be taken as serious contenders.   

I might be wrong,but the Celtics could be done

I was talking basketball with a few friends recently and the conversation turned to the NBA playoffs and possible matchups.More specifically about the Eastern Conference.One of my friends boldly predicted a Cleveland vs. Atlanta Eastern Conference final.We both came to a conclusion that Orlando is a good team,but doesn't really know what they are.They seem kind of lucky last year.They caught Cleveland looking ahead and their perimeter shooters caught fire.Just like the hot goalie in hockey.We said that if Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson can't score for the Hawks,Cleveland would run through them.As good as Joe Johnson is it seems like he shrinks up when guarded by Lebron James.After Johnson and Crawford,the Hawks have no bonafide scorers.They have some good players,but not enough to beat the Cavs.Then the talk turned to the Boston Celtics.
   The Celtics are a good team,but they might be fool's gold.They'll make the second round by default since the East is so weak.But they might not have enough to beat the young gun squads like Orlando,Atlanta,and Cleveland.The Celtics need to get younger,which is why the Ray Allen rumors have been out there for the past few weeks.The team's core,the big three,aren't getting any younger and as much as it might pain Boston fans to think about it,its getting dangerously close to thinking about blowing this team up.Don't be alarmed,I'm not saying do it now.If there are some sweetheart deals in trade possibilities that can keep them among the elite, then make those moves.If things remain status quo,others will start to pass them by.I've seen this before with the Miami Heat back in 2001,when they held on and were swept out of the playoffs in the first round.It happened with the old Pistons and Celtics teams when they held on to aging stars.Piston fans today think they should've held on to Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace.But the fact is that they would've gotten their 50 wins and drummed right out of the playoffs.The Celtics need to heed this warning.Kevin Garnett is playing on one leg,Ray Allen is prone to shooting slumps,Paul Pierce is Paul Pierce,which is the only thing that seems to be holding them together.Rajon Rondo is good,but he might end up pouting himself out of town this offseason.I think they might have a last stand in them,but Danny Ainge might want to think about retooling this offseason if they can't make a deep playoff run.

What's with NBA players and nude pics?

Last week we hear about nude pictures of Portland Trailblazers center Greg Oden(gasp!) circulating and now it comes out that San Antonio Spurs guard George Hill is apologizing for having nude pictures that made their way into cyberspace.First of all,I'm not into judging other men by their looks,but Oden isn't much to look at.Secondly,who would go out of their way to put these photos out there.I know it can't be the players themselves.Who really knows though? There are some things that need to be kept private and left alone.I know they have both apologized for the inappropiate photos,but I don't think they were the parties responsible for the overexposure.Oden,Hill and others also need to be more careful about who has access to such things so they don't get put out there.

Saints were super,but you can't pin the loss on Manning

The New Orleans Saints are the Super Bowl Champions.It was hard fought and well deserved.Down early 10-0 the Saints never wavered from their gameplan.Play keepaway from Peyton Manning.It was clear which team was the agressor and which team played on their heels the entire night.Even though Drew Brees threw the ball around,they were short, precise passes that chewed up much of the clock.The defense stepped up big time and showed that they are capable of shutting down a top notch offfense.The Colts had their chances to make this outcome different.I won't blame coaching,but there was no way that Matt Stover should've been attempting a 51 yard field goal.They should have tried to shorten the distance instead of going for it all with the incomplete pass to Austin Collie.The Colts didn't get her playing it safe,but sometimes you have to.If anything maybe they should've tried to pin the Saints deep in their own end.Another thing I noticed was that it seemed like Reggie Wayne was shortarming passes all game.That eventually came back to haunt them,when he cut his route short on Tracy Porter's game clinching pick 6.I wasn't in the huddle so I don't know what play was called,but it looked like he sat on his break,while Porter jumped the route.I know,Manning was the one who threw the ball.Being a watcher of bad football for years(I'm a Lions fan),I know when receivers run bad routes.That's why I say you can't blame Manning for the loss.He didn't have his greatest game,and I know the quarterback is supposed to be your leader,but he can't go out and defend passes and tackle the opposing running back either.Overall,it was a good game and the Saints defense showed me alot.With a lot of key players in their last year of their contract,they might not have this oppurtunity again.The players and fans should enjoy this,as they've been through hard times and lean years in the Big Easy.The Colts had a great season and have nothing to be ashamed of.They will be back and hopefully Manning can shake the choker label and get another ring.

Old,bitter quaterbacks

First we had to hear Fran Tarkenton go all bitter old man on Brett Favre,mostly for being a former Packer now quarterbacking the Vikings.I believe it had something to do with Favre possibly getting the Lombardi Trophy to Minnesota.Something he wasn't able to accomplish in his storied,Hall Of Fame career.Now there is the Joe Theismann shot at Tim Tebow.I'm not the biggest Tebow fan,but he's taken enough about his possible NFL prospects.Theismann was quoted as saying"Obviously they don't teach throwing the football at Florida.I'm no football historian,as Theismann's college days were a bit before my time.But if I can remember,Notre Dame wasn't throwing it all over the yard during your playing days either Joe.Just leave Tebow alone and let it all play out.Odds are he won't be a quarterback,but he at least deserves a shot to try.At least Tebow wore a real helmet.     

All Talk Millen(ATM)

After Herschel Walker's semi-impressive MMA debut,former Detroit Lions president and current football analyst,Matt Millen said he thought about giving it a try.As a Lions fan we know how he like to try jobs that he's not qualified for.This would be hilarious and ridiculous if he actually went through with it.He wouldn't have a shortage of possible opponents.There would be thousands of Lions fans(insert joke here) that would be willing to get a shot a Millen in any ring.

OH NO!

Rumor has it that Isiah Thomas could be next in line to lead the eternally cursed Los Angeles Clippers.A source close to the situation says Thomas has been contacted about taking over as coach,GM,and president.This would be yet another bad decision in Clipperland. This is after Mike Dunleavy stepped down as coach.but is staying on as GM.

  I like the Clippers for some odd reason and would hope that they could finally get their house in order.But even a basketball genius couldn't get them on track as long as Donald Sterling is in control.I like Isiah Thomas.He singlehandedly made my hometown Detroit Pistons a relevant NBA team.Although I feel he got a raw deal with the Indiana Pacers,he made some downright boneheaded moves when he was in charge of the New York Knicks.This would be a match made in hell.It would further sully Thomas' name in the NBA,after a brilliant Hall Of Fame career.And you know Sterling wouldn't give Thomas much to work with.If you think I'm wrong,go ask Paul Silas.You know Thomas is itching to get back in the NBA,but this would be a dastardly move that wouldn't be good for anyone.It should be thanks,but no thanks for Thomas.Stay at Florida International an build your name up again and maybe a better situation might come along. 

I love the Super Bowl. I hate the show

Super Bowl Sunday is one of the greatest sporting days of all time.Maybe the greatest.The buildup to the game can usually provide some candid moments.Like the Raiders' Barrett Robbins going out on a bender the night before the game.Or Jim McMahon mooning a helicopter.How about Hollywood Henderson saying that Terry Bradshaw couldn't spell cat if you spotted him the c and a.The most comical to me,although some may beg to differ,was when Eugene Robinson,then of the Atlanta Falcons, was busted by an undercover cop for soliciting sex.Me and my friend had jokes for days about that one.The part I hate is that they've made the game more of a show.
  Everyone talks about,no pun intended, who the entertainment is.This year is happens to be The Who,although a much watered down version.The game has become more about commercials,entertainment,and celebrities.Taking the focus off the two teams playing in it.Granted,there have been some lousy games(Patriots vs. Bears anyone),but I don't want to turn on the news the next day hearing people talk about how much that Tostitos ad cost,or how great the King Cobra malt liquor commercial was.Or who was at the game.I'm sure if tickets weren't so much you would have more pure fans showing up to the game.I don't give a damn about who partied where and what the halftime entertainment is.I can understand you want the fans to enjoy themselves,but I don't care if they trotted out Coco the birthday chimp for entertainment.I do like the commercials,just stop trying to make them bigger than the game.Same goes for the halftime entertainment.I just want a good game,with the usual buildup and a player making an ass out of themeselves before the game.There's never a shortage of those,but recently it seems to be kind of dry.Off the field the ghost of Max McGee couldn't spice this one up.Anyway,this should be one of the better games we've had recently.

Colts 34
Saints 21