NBA implements 'H-O-R-S-E' to All-Star weekend, changes name to 'G-E-I-C-O'

The classic blacktop game has been given a new name.

"H-O-R-S-E." It's a game that any basketball player has played. This year, among the other festivities on NBA All-Star weekend, NBA stars will be seen playing this childhood game.

However, there are some catches to this. The event won't be featured with the Slam Dunk and 3-Point contests, but rather during an episode of Inside the NBA.

What's the other catch? According to ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, the name of the game is being changed to "G-E-I-C-O," in order to get the sponsors name in.

Hey, David Stern. Here's an idea. How about the winner gets a chance to take on the Geico ad lizard to decide the true winner. Or maybe, for his prize, you should give him a googley-eyed stack of five dollar bills.

Here's my thoughts. This is absolutely ridiculous and it infuriates me. I'm sick of seeing everything in sports being sold out to corporate sponsors and businesses. It takes away from the uniqueness of the sports, which include the names of stadiums, fields, arenas, and in this case, a classic backyard basketball game. I understand that the economy is down, and David Stern is trying to do the best he can with what he has, but do we really need to result to this?

Said Tony Kornheiser: "This is so stupid, not even a caveman would do it!"

SEC, Pac 10 see uncharacteristic seasons

This season has been full of surprises.

For me, two of the biggest surprises have been the SEC and the Pac 10. These two conferences generally combine for anywhere from 6 to 8 teams in top 25. This season, there are only three, all coming from the Pac 10.

The SEC is significantly down this season. Tennessee has dropped out of the top 25, just one season after being the number one team in the land. Vanderbilt, and both Kentucky and Florida are also struggling this season, depsite playing well as of late. LSU has also been playing well, atop the SEC West with a 6-1 record.

The Tigers are riding a three game winning streak in to the rest of their schedule, which has them in games against Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Also, a pesky Arkansas team could play spoiler to the Tigers, much like they did to Texas back on Jan. 6.

Florida's remaining schedule isn't much easier. The Gators still have to play Kentucky twice, Alabama, Vanderbilt, LSU, and Tennessee, who is still dangerous. The Gators lost to the Vols back on Jan. 31, 79-63.

After losing to Kentucky 90-72 on Jan. 13, Tennessee will get a redemption match-up against the Wildcats on Feb. 21. The Volunteers are essentially in a must win situation now throughout the rest of the conference schedule if they want any chance to win the regular season conference title.

With that being said, my pick is going to Florida. They're in great position right now, only a half game behind LSU for first place. They're riding the momentum of an exciting overtime win over South Carolina, and will need that momentum in their Feb. 24 meeting with LSU, which could potentially decide the champion.

Now, we head out west to the Pac 10.

After putting six teams in last year's NCAA tournament, the Pac 10 will likely only get three teams in this year.

UCLA is the clear favorite to win this conference, and is also my pick to take the season title. The Bruins sit atop the Pac 10 with an 8-2 record, suffering a loss to Washington, and an overtime loss to Arizona State.

Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, and freshman Jrue Holiday are all averaging double figures in points, and are making their cases for a spot on the All-Conference first team. As a team, the Bruins are third in the nation, shooting just over 50%.

Look for the Bruins to come out firing when they enter their rematches with Arizona State and Washington. My predicition is that the leadership of Collison and Shipp will take over, and the Bruins will remain at the top of the conference and win the season title.

This is the only team from this conference that I see doing anything in this years tournament. However, I don't see them getting any farther than the Sweet 16, but we'll discuss that later on down the road.

Manny being Manny, or just the Dodgers being the Dodgers?

With only two weeks before spring training, Manny Ramirez has still not found a home.

It took less than 24 hours for Ramirez to reject the Dodgers second offer of the offseason, this time for 25 million for one year. Scott Boras has made it clear that Manny is wanting a long-term deal, possibly anywhere from four to five years.

With today's economy, things aren't looking too hot for the first ballot hall of famer and his agent, even though Boras has stated that the economy should not be a determining factor in where Ramirez plays next year.

It seems the Dodgers and Joe Torre have made it clear that they want to see Manny in Dodger blue next season.

"We are an entirely different ballclub with Manny," Joe Torre said. "He has shown our young players how to relax and have fun."

Without the presence of Ramirez, the Dodgers probably wouldn't have made the playoffs last season, and without him, the 2009 Dodgers will be in the same boat they were at the beginning of last season.

Dodgers chairman Frank McCourt has also told the public that signing Manny Ramirez is still the Dodgers main priority right now.

"Scott Boras is very difficult to work with. We've made three efforts and Boras has still not given us a specific number," McCourt said.

Boras has tried a few tricks already to try to speed up the process of signing Ramirez to a long-term deal. When Ramirez turn down the Dodgers first offer, Boras announced that the slugger would retire if he did not receive the contract he felt he deserved. This was later proven to be false about two days after that statement was made. The agent's second trick was reporting that there were other teams that were interested in Manny, besides the Dodgers, but he could not give any names.

The San Francisco Giants seem to be the only other team that is really interested in Manny, but they do not have the money to sign Ramirez. ESPN Radio reported today that Boras told Ned Colletti if the Dodgers want to play with fire, they might get burned. This is another game Boras tries to play with general managers to scare them into giving his client what he feels he deserves.
In my opinion, no Manny Ramirez in L.A. means no October for the defending NL West Champions. Although the Dodgers have many young and promising players, such as Andre Either, Russell Martin, James Loney, and Matt Kemp, it's not enough to get them to the playoffs. They need the presence and experience of Manny Ramirez to fuel their offense to the postseason.

It makes no sense to me why the Dodgers wouldn't give Ramirez a four year deal. Even if he doesn't end up producing the last year or two of his contract, it is still better to make the playoffs for the next two years rather than not making it the next four.

It's ridiculous for Ned Colletti and the rest of the organization to say they are not only looking at the present, but also the future of the club, because without a leader like Manny in the dugout and on the field, their future does not look very promising.

Ramirez turns 38 this year, which is probably the main reason why most teams are shying away from signing him to a long-term deal. Although, sometimes Ramirez might be portrayed as a player who doesn't hustle or doesn't seem to care, no one can overlook the numbers he has put up over his seventeen year career. He has a lifetime average of .314, 527 homeruns, 1725 RBI's, and 2393 hits. He also has 525 extra base hits, which means 44 percent (almost half) of his hits go for extra bases.

Three year, 62 million dollar contract. That's my prediction on what it will take to keep Manny in L.A.

New Jersey star chooses school on coin flip

Call it in the air: heads or tails.

No, this coin flip didn't decide who would kick or receive, but rather which university a highly recruited high school football player would attend next year.

Ka'Lial Glaud, from Winslow, NJ, was torn between going to West Virginia and Rutgers. So torn, that he left it up to the flip of a coin to decide his future. Heads, he was headed to West Virginia. Tails, he was on his way to Rutgers. The coin landed on tails, and the star recruit's future was set, to remain in state and play his college football at Rutgers.

"I really didn't know until I flipped the coin," Glaud said at the news conference in his high school cafeteria. "It's the hardest decision I ever made in my life."

Glaud's high school coach Mike McBride said that he had never seen a player make a decision on a coin flip.

"I think it's a credit to all the schools involved with Ka'Lial that it was such a difficult decision for him," said McBride.

Glaud's high school principal, Glen Jackson, knew this was going to be a tough decision for him.

"I asked him 'Want to flip a coin?' And he said said 'Yes.' I didn't think he was serious. But he was serious."

You could say it's destiny, or maybe just chance.

Glaud left the press conference yesterday, still holding the quarter that decided his future as a football player.

"I'm going to keep this quarter," he said, smiling. "This might be a collector's item."

Michigan State, Oklahoma lead way in 'Big' conferences

It's time to turn the focus to the Big Ten and the Big 12.

The Big Ten, as a whole, has been a pleasant surprise to any college basketball fan this season, and the Big 12 is still a tough conference, just like every year, with three teams in the top 25.

The pairity in the Big Ten this season is absolutely remarkable. This is one conference that I honestly believe every team, with the exception of a rebuilding Indiana team, has a chance to win the conference tournament come March. Also, there are nine teams fighting for spots in the NCAA Tournament.

However, I came here to discuss who will win the regular season title. In that case, only one team sticks out to me at this point, and that team is Michigan State. After an impressive 76-47 win over 19th ranked Minnesota, the Spartans remain atop the Big Ten standings with an 8-2 conference record.

The Spartans suffered losses to a surprising Northwestern team, and a very talented Penn State team. Their remaining schedule isn't all that easy, either. They have road games against Michigan, Purdue, Indiana, and Illinois, not to mention home games against Wisconsin and another battle with Purdue. Of these opponents, the Spartans have only played two of them so far, Illinois and Iowa, both of which they won. They also need to watch out for Purdue. The Boilermakers have struggled as of late with the injury to Robbie Hummel, and now Chris Kramer, but this team can still play, and is right in the thick of things in the race for the title.

However, Penn State and Illinois pose the biggest threats for the Spartans to lose their top spot in the conference, so the March 1 contest against the Illini will likely be the difference between an outright Big Ten championship, or a possible shared title.

The Big 12 has also been a fun conference to watch this season. Kansas and Oklahoma are both still unbeaten in conference play. The Sooners have impressive wins over Texas and Baylor, but had to survive a close one against Texas A&M. Right now, they are the strongest team in this conference, and ultimately one the strongest teams in the country, led by Player of the Year candidate Blake Griffin.

Texas had a slim chance at making a run at the title, but after the upset loss to Missouri, they will have to wait until the Big 12 tournament to have a chance at being conference champions. At this point, it really boils down to just Kansas and Oklahoma. Missouri is still hanging by a thread, and will get a crack at Oklahoma on March 4 and still have two meetings with Kansas.

My prediction is that Kansas will beat Missouri, and that it will come down to the February 23 showdown when the Jayhawks take on the Sooners in Norman.

My pick is going to Oklahoma. Blake Griffin is just too strong for Kansas to contain, and is, in my opinion, the favorite to win National Player of the Year. Oklahoma will win the conference, earn a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, and have a great chance at playing in the Final Four in Detroit.

National Signing Day 2009

As you may know, I'm a college football recruiting junkie. I can't go 2 hours without checking Rivals or Scout for the latest news in recruiting. That being said, Today, on a day called National Signing Day, the top prospects sign their Letters of Intent to attend the top programs in the country. Today is like Christmas for programs to get their toys to play with on the gridiron. I will be focusing on the top schools in the nation that had top classes in the nation. Also, with a profile of what to expect out of them in the coming years.

We start off with my beloved Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who signed 17 recruits today. The Irish got the #1 rated Linebacker in the nation in Manti Te'o (The person in the picture) The 6-2, 225lb, 4.5 40 kid has got all the tools to be one of the finest linebackers ever to play in the "House That Knute Rockne Built." He provides the Irish with an immediate impact this year. He possesses the athletic ability, instincts, and tackling ability to be one of the best. The problem is, he has to take a Mormon Mission Trip sometime during his college career. But one thing is for certain. Manti will be on the field this year.

The same can be said for Cierre Wood, the 8th ranked running back in the country. But, personally, I think he's better than Miami commit Bryce Brown. Cierre uses his 4.4 40 speed to elude defenders all night long. He also has the the explosiveness to be dominant in college and in the NFL in 3 to 4 years. He possesses great hands coming out of the backfield. Look for Charlie Weis to get him on the field immediately. This kid will be a household name in the future. Also, Charlie got himself a burner at the wide reciever slot in Shaq Evans, who has tremendous speed with a 4.3 40. He has got the tools to be an All-American in the coming years. He can catch almost anything thrown his way, and is a threat to score everytime he touches the ball.

The Irish also got a heck of a roadgrader at the offensive guard spot in Chris Watt. The 6-3 280lb run blocking fool is the best guard in the nation in my mind. Look for him to open up holes for the running backs in the near future. They also got a heck of a nose tackle in Tyler Stockton, a 6-1 295lb mammoth of a man to clog up the middle to stop the run and get to the QB. He will be an offensive lineman's worst nightmare in the coming years. It's safe to say the Irish got one heck of a recruiting class. With the talent the Irish landed, they will be back in hunt for national championships and Heisman winners, just like the good 'ol days.

Of course it can't be a recruitng day if the U$C Condoms (Trojans I mean), have their fair share of talent to re-load every year. Looks like Pete "The Poodle" Carroll got some of his own weapons as well. As much as I hate to talk about the Condoms, I have to mention them. They got the #1 QB in the nation in Matt Barkeley, a guy who possesses the arm strength, accuracy, and awarness to be good in college. But looking at the Condoms depth chart, he's got stiff competition ahead of him. They also got some offensive firepower to keep "The Poodle's" offense to click, in athlete Patrick Hall, who is blazing fast and has good hands. The Condoms will most likely be using him to run up the score on teams as they normally do game by game. What a dirty program they are.

They also got their fair share on the defensive side of the football with Devon Kinnard, who is a pass rushing fool as a defensive end, and corner back T.J. McDonald, a shut down corner. Its safe to say the Condoms keep on re-loading every year. But I would like to say one thing: TO HELL WITH U$C CONDOMS and SCREW PETE "THE POODLE" CARROLL. I hope the U$C Condoms have a losing season every year 'til pigs can fly, as most Irish fans would say to their arch rival.

With the Irish and the Condoms in the fold, we have the National Champion Florida Gators. Urban Meyer and his staff re-loaded, big time to say the least, with a talented wide reciever in Andre DeBose, a guy who possesses the 4.4 speed to stretch the defense out and catch the football all day long. But it's on the defensive side of the ball where the Gators made their mark, signing outside linebacker Jelani Jenkins, a hard hitting, fast, athletic kid who brings the lumber. But he still needs to bulk up at 6-0 200lbs. Look for him to red-shirt this year, and come back next year strong in the SEC. They also landed a stud hoss Defensive Tackle in Gary Brown, who is both a pass rusher and a run stuffer at defensive tackle. Look for the Gators to be back in the National Title race almost every year.

There is another SEC school that had a heck of a recruiting class this year, the LSU Tigers. After a horrible season this year, by their standards, it's safe to say Les Miles will be playing a lot of freshmen this year to get talent on the field. Starting with athlete Russell Sheppard, who can play QB and WR. He has all the talent to be an All-American type when he graduates. He can provide the Tigers with a threat everytime he touches the ball. The Tigers signed the #1 rated reciever in Reuben Randle, who will be outstanding at the next level. The 6-3 190lb reciever will give the Tigers a desperately needed weapon on offense from the get-go.

They also got their fair share on defense with #1 safety Craig Loston, who is drawing comparisons to Ed Reed of the Baltimore Ravens as a ball hawking safety who can hit like a ton of bricks. Look for the Tigers to be playing a lot of young talent to get back in the SEC race.

If I didn't mention your team just let me know, and I will do my best to bring you the best recruiting news outside of Rivals and Scout.

College basketball feature: My picks for conference champions

We're just about midway through the conference schedule in NCAA basketball, which means it's time for me to lay down my predictions for who will win the regular season title in each of the six major conferences. Tonight I will showcase the ACC and the Big East, tomorrow the Big Ten and Big 12, and then following that will be the SEC and Pac 10.

We start with the ACC. The ACC is undisputably one of the top conferences in the nation. Duke is currently at the top of the standings, but has arguably the toughest schedule of the remaining power teams, which include the Blue Devils, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Clemson. They still have to play Clemson, an upstart Miami team, North Carolina twice, and Wake Forest again, the only team to beat them in coference play thus far. This being said, I don't see Duke staying atop the conference.

North Carolina and Wake Forest have the same amount of losses in conference play, two, and both have significantly easier schedules than Duke and only one more loss than the Blue Devils. With that, my pick is going to Wake Forest to the win the season title. The Deamon Deacons and the Tar Heels will likely win out the rest of the conference schedule, barring an upset. But since Wake Forest defeated North Carolina on January 11, they would win the tie breaker, giving them the ACC regular season title.

Now to the Big East. This is arguably the best conference in America, putting six teams in the current top 25. As many as 10 teams from the Big East could get in to the Big Dance.

Marquette is currently at the top of the conference, remaining unbeaten, with impressive wins over Villanova, West Virginia, Notre Dame, and Georgetown. However, their remaining schedule has them at Villanova, at Georgetown, at Louisville and Pittsburgh, a home game against Syracuse, and a battle againt Connecticut, the number one team in America. I don't see Marquette being able to hold on to their undefeated record much longer, especially against these teams.

With that being said, I think UCONN will win out the remainder of the conference season, retain their number one ranking, and be crowned Big East regular season champions. However, it won't be easy for the Huskies. They have a non conference battle with Michigan, and games against Marquette, Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh twice. But Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien are true leaders, and will continue to play like they did when they beat they beat seventh ranked Louisville by 18 points.