411mania- Inside The Penalty Box 08.26.08: Retire Or Return?

To Stay Or Go: Veterans Weighing The Option To Retire Against Another Run In The NHL

 

 

 

 
 

Mats Sundin Photo Credit: sportsnet.ca

All athletes are eventually faced with deciding whether they are capable both mentally and physically to return for another run in the sport they love, or simply hang ‘em up and call it a career. With the Brett Favre and Roger Clemens’ of the world, retirement isn’t as final as it used to be. However, any player that has to come to grips with the closing of his career wants to face the unenviable predicament as few times as possible.

Three of the greatest talents to ever apply their craft on NHL ice currently remain in limbo about their future in the sport, while another is certain he will return but is in no rush to ink a new deal. Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg have made it quite clear that they’re taking their time in this truly life-altering decision. Meanwhile, Brendan Shanahan has made it known that he wants to play another year and preferably with the New York Rangers, yet will be patient and is willing to sign elsewhere if continuing his career on Broadway is not in the cards.

The most prolific of this bunch is Sundin. As the NHL turned toward the free agent frenzy of the summer on July 1, one of the most sought after players was Sundin. In addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs, several teams came out the chute offering big money deals to the 37-year center, including a reported $20 million offer over two years from the Vancouver Canucks. At the end of the day, though, Sundin stood pat in his stance to take his time and didn’t jump at the first top-notch contract to come his way. Insane or not, it’s August 26 and the Swedish forward remains a free agent. And despite claiming that he would make a decision by August, I don’t think there’s going to be one for at least another week or two. He could reasonably take this to the start of training camp.

1wrestling.com- The Good, The Bad, The In-The-Middle: WWE Monday Night RAW 08.25.08

The WWE may have had to move the original run of this week’s Monday Night RAW over the Sci-Fi thanks to the USA Network airing some U.S. Open tennis. But that didn’t put a single hitch in what I consider to be one of the better RAWs to come across the airwaves in quite some time. This past Monday, the WWE provided a great mix of in-ring action, promo work and build toward the Unforgiven Pay-Per-View two weeks away.

THE GOOD

• Opening the show with a great match: For as much as I hate to admit it, John Bradshaw Layfield was actually part of something productive this past week on RAW. As opposed to being that annoying heel that thinks he’s good when he’s really not, JBL opened the show in a match with the World Heavyweight Champion, C.M. Punk, to provide some build going into the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. Together, JBL and Punk actually put on a really solid match that the WWE gave a good 17-18 minutes to at the top of the program.

Both wrestlers looked good in accordance with their styles during the match. When Punk was in charge, which accounts for a large portion of the beginning of the match, he was fast-paced and all over the place. When JBL took control right before the lone commercial break taken during the contest, he turned the pace down a bit and was more deliberate.

411mania- MLB Fastball 08.22.08: The Battle For The NL West Crown

 

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Battle For The NL West and Playoff Contention

Manny Ramirez Is batting .406 in 19 games since joining the Dodgers

The National League West may represent the worst division in all of Major League Baseball (though I’m sure a great case could be made for the American League West), but it’s still garnering a ton of attention because of the two-horse race at the top. Following Thursday night’s action, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers are separated by just two games and appear ready to keep the competition close in the remaining 35 games on each teams’ schedule. And considering the unlikelihood of the NL Wild Card going to a team in the NL West, whatever teams comes out as the No. 1 when the season wraps up next month should be the only representative from the division.

The battle between the two clubs has been one fought both on and off the field. We’re beyond the non-waiver trade deadline from three weeks ago, which saw the Dodgers add Manny Ramirez, as well as Casey Blake, for some much needed offensive support. In the waiver stage of the trade period, both Arizona and Los Angeles made impactful transactions – the Diamondbacks countering Ramirez’ addition with a big bat of their own in the form of Adam Dunn and the Dodgers adding a veteran arm to the starting rotation in Greg Maddux. Though Maddux has yet to suit up for his new team and thus an assessment of the trade cannot really be made, Ramirez and Dunn have been no less than spectacular for their new clubs.

Since being acquired by the Dodgers on July 31, Ramirez has been a model player for the team. In 19 games, he is .406 at the plate with a stellar .494 on-base percentage. He’s belted six balls out of the park, tallied 21 RBIs and crossed home plate 12 times. In addition to his production at the plate, Ramirez has apparently been a ball in the clubhouse, which translates into a big morale boost for his new teammates.

Dunn has been a Diamondback for 10 fewer games than Ramirez has been in LA. But in just nine games, he’s batting .296 with an incredible .537 on-base percentage, two homers, eight RBIs and eight runs scored. All this considered, he’s appeared much more disciplined at the plate. I’m sure as his tenure continues in Arizona, Dunn’s batting average and OBP will decrease, while his power stats and strikeouts dramatically increase. But for now, he’s been doing a tremendous job of adding some plate production to the Diamondbacks’ game and countering the efforts made by Ramirez in Los Angeles. Plus, according to Scott Bordow of The East Valley Tribune, the rest of the Diamondbacks players are being alleviated of some of the pressure felt prior to Dunn’s arrival in Arizona.

1Wrestling.com- The Good, The Bad, The In-The-Middle: WWE Monday Night RAW 08.18.08

A lot went down this Sunday at SummerSlam. CM Punk managed to retain the World Heavyweight Championship against John Bradshaw Layfield, new Intercontinental and Women’s Champions were crowned after Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix defeated Kofi Kingston and Mickie James in an inter-gender tag team match, the epic battle between John Cena and Batista ended with The Animal having his hand raised in victory and an encounter between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho left Michaels’ wife battered in the middle of the ring. The fallout of all this, including the announcement of the brand’s main event at Unforgiven, was handled this past Monday on RAW.

THE GOOD

• Jericho/Michaels feud being given some incredible build: It’s pretty unbelievable that with all that went on at SummerSlam, including CM Punk retaining the World Heavyweight Championship and Cena vs. Batista for the first time ever, the vendetta between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels was highlight enough to lead off RAW.

Jericho came to the ring on Monday’s opening segment to address what happened the night before at SummerSlam. At SummerSlam, Shawn Michaels came down to the ring in what appeared to be a retirement announcement. With his wife, Rebecca, by his side, “The Heartbreak Kid” was finally going to listen to doctors and hang up the wrestling gear. Jericho didn’t want Michaels to go out like that, though. He wanted to Michaels to let it be known that the reason Michaels was leaving was because Jericho forced him into retirement. Michaels retorted by saying Jericho would never be Shawn Michaels. It was then that Rebecca pulled for Michaels to walk away. As he did, Jericho unloaded with a punch that missed a ducking HBK and landed right on the face of his wife.

411mania- Inside The Penalty Box 08.19.08: Minnesota Begins Process Toward Extension For Gaborik

 

 

Wild Execs Pay Visit To Gaborik
 

 

The Minnesota Wild look to lock up Marian Gaborik before he's eligible for free agency next summer.

 

Marian Gaborik is the last remaining original member of the Minnesota Wild organization. He will remain that way if team president and general manager Doug Risebrough, who has also been with the franchise since its inaugural season, gets his way.

Along with assistant general manager for hockey operations Tom Lynn, Risebrough paid a visit to Gaborik in his hometown of Trencin, Slovakia last week, according to The Canadian Press. With just one year remaining on his current contract, the Wild want to get started working toward an extension for their franchise winger and avoid having him pursue a spot in next summer’s free agent class.

The visit by Risebrough and Lynn began the process by educating Gaborik on the team’s “philosophy and plans, used statistics to sell the 26-year-old right wing on how he fits in Minnesota’s system, and took time to answer Gaborik’s questions about the team’s strategy and direction,” reports The Canadian Press.

Terms of a new contract were not discussed. Instead, Minnesota merely wanted to assure Gaborik that remaining with the Wild was a mutually beneficial decision for himself and the franchise on both a short-term and long-term basis. They also wanted to alleviate concerns on the part of Gaborik that his offensive skill would perhaps be stifled in Minnesota’s defense-first system and in the Western Conference, in general.

Gaborik’s agent, Ron Salcer, believes this was a good first step for Minnesota in its attempts to lock up their franchise wing.

“I have a lot of respect for how they handled that,” Salcer said, according to The Canadian Press. “It was a smart move on their behalf.”

Salcer, however, would not make any guarantees on this trip’s effectiveness toward Risebrough’s ultimate goal.

“As far as the future, it would be all hypothetical for me to speculate on what may or may not happen,” Salcer said. “We’re not saying no, we’re not saying yes to anything other than living up to our obligation to play this season. Then we’ll see.”

A lot of credit needs to be offered to Risebrough and Lynn for the lengths they were willing to go just to appeal to Gaborik to remain in Minnesota. Without even discussing money and years involved in an extension, he and Lynn made an unnecessary, yet intelligently outgoing, attempt to convince Gaborik that spending several more years with the Wild is the best move for him and the organization.

Regardless of the discourse, though, I don’t know how truly effective this visit is going to be. At the end of the day, athletes listen to the terms of a contract much sooner than they listen to team goals and philosophies. And Gaborik is no stranger to chasing dollars.

After concluding his rookie contract, Gaborik didn’t hesitate to hold out from training camp and the first month of the 2003-04 season because he was seeking a new contract worth at least $6.5 million per season. This was a ridiculous number at the time considering he was already being offered the second richest deal in NHL history coming out of an entry level contract in the form of three years at $9.5 million. He ended up settling for a three-year deal at $9.4 million and didn’t produce up to expectations in just 65 games played that season, registering only 18 goals and 40 points.

Gaborik goes into next season in the final year of a three-year, $19 million that will pay him $7.5 million for the 2008-09 campaign. It’s believed the Wild are prepared to offer Gaborik a deal that would average $8.5 million a season. Such a salary would make Gaborik the fourth highest paid NHLer, behind only Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. But will it be enough for a player who could probably produce greater offers on the open market and perhaps move to a team with a more open system for offense?

As far as the latter is concerned, Gaborik is already an offensive machine. Despite being in the Jacques Lemaire coached defensive system, Gaborik has scored at least 30 goals in five of the previous six seasons and produced a career-high 42 scores last year. Lynn also noted that Gaborik ranks fourth in the NHL since the lockout in goals per game. He’s already doing a pretty good job scoring in Minnesota, even if it isn’t the most encouraging system for his offensive skills.

A move to a more open system could help him produce more goals. But so could remaining healthy. Gaborik has had his fair share of groin problems and is currently recovering from hip surgery. In his seven-season career, the 26-year old right wing has yet to play a full season’s worth of games (82).

Still, he proved he could score 30 goals in just 48 games (2006-07) and 38 goals in 65 games (2005-06). And in missing just five games last year, he set a career-high mark and put in 42 goals. So while a more offensive system couldn’t hurt in his efforts to solidify himself as a top-notch 50-plus goal scorer, staying healthy and not allowing personal issues (like contract holdouts) to prevent him from hitting the ice could help him achieve such a feat with Minnesota, as well.

I think Gaborik’s situation really revolves around the almighty dollar. If he can live with making $8.5 million per season, which I know is hard to feed one’s family on, then it’s possible Minnesota can continue it’s marriage with the face of the franchise for many more years to come. If Gaborik is intent on testing the market and receiving higher offers, it could spell the end of his tenure in Minnesota with the Wild.

Risebrough and Lynn have a month to get something worked out with Gaborik, since it’s difficult to negotiate during the season and teams would rather avoid disrupting the on-ice product with off-ice contract talks. If a deal isn’t reached, look for Gaborik to be the most highly publicized piece of trade bait in the NHL over the course of the season.

1wrestling.com- The Good, The Bad, The In-The-Middle: WWE Monday Night RAW 08.11.08

Just under one week remains before “The Biggest Blockbuster of the Summer,” and the WWE had one last opportunity on Monday to build toward the matches being promoted by the RAW brand. What would take place between the two men that managed to win the World Tag Team Championships last week but still have a first-time-ever, one-on-one battle scheduled for SummerSlam, John Cena and Batista? What would World Heavyweight Championship No. 1 Contender John Bradshaw Layfield have in store to try and psych out the man with the strap, CM Punk? What would unfold in the “Adamle Original” scenario pinning Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston and Women’s Champion Mickie James against the duo of Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix? All of this and much more was answered in last night’s final RAW before this Sunday’s SummerSlam.

THE GOOD

• DiBiase and Rhodes quickly regain the World Tag Team Titles: In my opinion, it was a poor decision for John Cena and Batista to be teamed together and take the World Tag Team Championships away from a talented young tag team on the upswing in Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. For too long, the tag team division in the WWE has been an utter joke and the belts have been used as a tool to hype bigger singles feuds that simply don’t need that kind of extra build. When it happened last Monday, it came off as a pointless and completely unnecessary move for an already much anticipated battle between Cena and Batista at the expense of a team on the rise.

411mania.com – Inside The Penalty Box 08.12.08: McCabe Reconsidering Stance On No-Movement Clause

Defenseman Rethinking Stance On No-Movement Clause:
McCabe May Become Fletcher’s Latest Deposed Star

After a 23-point season in 2007-08, Bryan McCabe could be in his way out of Toronto if he waives his no-movement clause

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher is apparently determined to have the 2008-09 version of his team look vastly different from the one sported at the Air Canada Centre over the past few seasons. Having eliminated Andrew Raycroft, Kyle Wellwood and Darcy Tucker from Toronto’s roster while subsequently replacing them with the likes of Niklas Hagman, Jeff Finger, Curtis Joseph, Jamal Mayers and Ryan Hollweg, Fletcher has pieced together a very new on-ice product. With Mats Sundin future as a member of the Maple Leafs, and the entire NHL for that matter, still in limbo, this drastic change could be all that more noticeable when the puck drops in October.

Fletcher’s sights are currently set on ridding Toronto of another player who’s worn the blue and white for several seasons. Defenseman Bryan McCabe has been on Fletcher’s trade radar since prior to the draft. He has been able to foil the GM’s position on moving him thanks to a no-movement clause in his contract. But the feeling of being pushed out by the team has apparently caused some discomfort for McCabe. As a result, he may be prepared to give Fletcher what he wants by waiving his no-movement clause.

If he chooses to waive the clause, McCabe is likely to be picky on where he ends up. I doubt he’ll accept a trade anywhere other than to a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup. And that leaves Fletcher with the job of finding such a team that has enough room on the roster and in payroll to bring on the 33-year old, 12-year veteran. McCabe still has three years remaining on his current contract with salaries of $6.15 million next year and $4.15 million in 2009-10 and 2010-11. His annual hit toward the salary cap is $5.75 million.

Prior to last season, I would have figured it a no-brainer to bring aboard a defenseman the caliber of McCabe at under $6 million, especially considering the market of the NHL these days. In the year prior to the lock and the two following it, McCabe posted seasons with over 50 points and proved a be a great blue line goal scorer and power play contributor. He also provided a physical edge with over 86 penalty minutes in 2003-04 and over 110 in each of the 2005-06 and 2006-07 campaigns.

Unfortunately, McCabe’s production slipped immensely last year, reverting back to numbers he posted during his days with the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks.

Cliff Fletcher Is leaving his thumbprint on the Maple Leafs

Contrary to those years of his career, it must be considered that McCabe only suited up for 54 games last season thanks to groin and hand injuries. But in that time, he only posted 23 points and five goals. Over the course of a full 82-game schedule, he would have scored just 34 points. In a more reasonable 75 games, McCabe would have been a 31-point producer.

While it’s entirely possible that was just a fluke season torn down by injuries, there’s simply no guarantee he’ll return to 50-plus point production. And there’s just no room in today’s NHL to pay a defenseman, who isn’t exactly the greatest in his own zone, $5.75 million on average over three years when he’s only going to post 25-30 points.

Any team looking to acquire McCabe will hope he’s capable of returning to the form of a top two defenseman. But those same teams should also have some depth in case he’s not completely healthy and/or has really lost a bit of his offensive touch. And since McCabe’s destination would likely already be a contender, I would think depth wouldn’t be too much of an issue.

This is a situation McCabe should be more than willing to take advantage of. I whole-heartedly believe he should be thrilled about the chance to leave the cluster that is the Maple Leafs and embrace the possibility of continuing his career outside of Toronto. I can’t for the life of me understand why these players are so reluctant to leave Toronto, especially since the team has been nothing more than a laughing stock for the past few years. Based on the moves made by Fletcher this offseason and Sundin’s tenure with the team likely coming to a close, I don’t anticipate the Maple Leafs doing any better next season. A fresh start in another city could actually be a reprieve for McCabe.

Soon enough, I think he’ll realize that it’s really in his best interest to give the team what it wants and allow Fletcher to continue his questionable rampage over the Maple Leafs’ roster.

Photo Credit: Cliff Fletcher – cbc.ca

From 411mania.com

The Good, The Bad, The In-The-Middle: Live Reaction To TNA Hard Justice 2008

 

 

TNA Hard Justice 2008 hailed from Trenton, NJ on August 10

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling made its first stop in New Jersey this past weekend, with Asbury Park hosting a house show on August 8 and the Hard Justice Pay-Per-View taking place inside the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. As someone who likes to go to the bigger, more important shows, I didn’t hesitate to purchase tickets for Hard Justice. And last night, I wasn’t disappointed, despite some minor bumps in the road.

The Good

Jersey Street Fight delivers:

It was tough to imagine exactly how Team 3D and the team of Christian Cage and Rhino could top what they’ve done over the past couple of weeks between some heavy duty brawls and even the introduction of the glass table. What could these duos possible offer in the Jersey Street Fight at Hard Justice that could even compare or do better than what we’ve seen before? Well, how about taking the fight into the crowd and mixing some hardcore beatdowns with comedy when inside the ring for one of the best matches of the night? As four veterans of the game, these competitors know how to make things exciting an elicit a genuine crowd reaction. And from a personal perspective, it was great seeing Cage and Brother Ray brawl literally right in front of me in good ’ol section 106. They made sure to accentuate the hardcore element of the match and added in some good wrestling moves to keep it a little more than just a brawl. In the end, they really delivered something different and didn’t need a glass table for show, which I think is something we all kind of expected to see.

AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle a hot match:

This was one of TNA’s highlight feuds going into Hard Justice and perhaps one of the only promising exhibitions of wrestling going into an event filled with gimmick matches focused on being hardcore. In this Last Man Standing Match, a lot of great wrestling took place with both wrestlers playing their roles to perfection. Angle was the saavy veteran looking to outsmart AJ at every turn. Styles, on the other hand, had vengeance in his heart and was eager to take it to Angle regardless of the cost. Both wrestlers had their time to shine in the match and it was even cool to see Angle tap out to his own Ankle Lock and Styles foil Angle’s plans on delivering his own Styles Clash to him. Angle took a sick bump as he landed on his neck following a suplex off the ropes at the hands of Styles. It was enough for a pin and a referee 10-count for the win. Following the match, Styles attacked Angle while he was being placed on a stretcher board just for good measure (or to put over an injury to Angle so he can take some much needed time off). Overall, this was a terrific match to lead into the main event and finally, Styles gets the last laugh. Well, sort of …

Sting attacks … AJ Styles:

It seemed apparent that when Sting made his presence felt at Hard Justice, it would be in the main event. That wasn’t the case, though, when the lights went out as AJ Styles walked up the ramp following his beating on Kurt Angle. When the lights went on, there was Sting with Styles hooked in for a Scorpion Death Drop. I’m not sure where TNA is going with this exactly. But, being able to see the legend that is Sting live had me excited. Plus, getting him out of the main event allowed for another top TNA star to make an impact, even if he wasn’t in the building …

Guitar shot signals return of Jeff Jarrett:

Samoa Joe retaining the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Hard Justice wasn’t a surprise. He faced Booker T. in a Six Sides of Steel Match with weapons inside, and walked out with his title in hand. But with interference from Sting very much expected, it wasn’t Steve Borden who made an impact when the lights went out and subsequently returned in the Sovereign Bank Arena. Instead, Samoa Joe had a guitar in hand and delivered a shot to Booker T.’s head that lead to a win for the champ. This wasn’t just any guitar. It was a silver and black guitar, which is a trademark of Mr. Jeff Jarrett. With Bound For Glory just two months away, I’m sure we’ll building up for the return of Jarrett at some point in the near future. The only question now is who will TNA match him against for their version of WrestleMania. Based on the events of last night, I’d think we’re going to get Jarrett vs. Booker T. at BFG. It’s a little too WCW-ish, but it is new to TNA and can be dealt with in a different fashion. Regardless of how that turns out, it’s safe to say Jarrett is making his triumphant return and the swerve used by TNA to make that happen was very nicely done.

 The Bad

Beer Money as new TNA Tag champs:

I unfortunately feel as if I’m in the minority when it comes to hating Beer Money, but I was none too pleased when they managed to take the TNA Tag Team Titles away from perhaps the best tag team in all of wrestling right now, LAX. Bobby Roode is an overrated wrestlers and James Storm is getting pretty stale these days. As a relatively new team with those individual flaws, placing the straps around their waists just kind of irks me. I think the match between LAX and Beer Money was good, but that was mostly thanks to LAX (and to narrow it down even further – Hernandez.) I realize that TNA was determined to make Beer Money champs. But LAX should have scored at least one big victory over them because Beer Money doesn’t even remotely deserve that to just move right past TNA’s legitimate No. 1 tag team.

Lethal and Dutt handicapped by tuxedos and chains:

I was afraid it would happen, and it did. This dumb Black Tie Brawl and Chain Match between “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal and “The Guru” Sonjay Dutt was a disaster, and it had a lot to do with the stipulation getting in the way of things. There were some decent spots and the action picked up toward the end. But for most of the match, Lethal and Dutt tried to play too much to the tuxedo and chain rather than putting on a good wrestling match, which they would be more than capable of doing under different circumstances. Hopefully they will be given an opportunity to redeem themselves is a match that’s either straight one-on-one or more fitting for their style. This match didn’t work and it showed for most of the 13 minutes it took place.

Dark matches work better than cheap pop attemps:

For those who attended Hard Justice live, we had the wonderful pleasure of being bribed for our adoration of TNA rather than being given a match to start the hype for the forthcoming PPV. Prior to going live to the “millions” around the world, Jeremy Borash informed the crowd that the focus would be on us for the evening. And that throughout the night, agents of TNA would be handing out backstage passes to the fans that cheered the louded for their favorite stars and the TNA company. And just so we didn’t think it was a bluff, JB and a TNA worker in the crowd handed out some passes to psycho fans before Hard Justice, with each pass listing a certain time for the holder to actually go backstage. In my opinion, this was a ridiculously cheap way of garnering a crowd reaction. If you want to get fans pumped and ready to go before the event hits the airwaves, give them a nice dark match. TNA had plenty of wrestlers not on the card that could have put on a good 10-12 minute showcase to get the juices flowing. Three seconds with Kurt Angle in the back was not incentive enough for me to join in on this low attempt at audience participation.

If you promise Ice T, deliver:

Okay, I’m far from a big rap fan and really didn’t give a damn about F.I.L.T.H.E.E. and Grandmaster Caz opening the show with their little TNA diddy. However, when you promise what can be considered a music legend, and a star in the best version of Law and Order (SVU), makes sure you deliver on that promise. Now, I don’t know what happened to Ice T. and what the reason was for his absence. But, at the very least, inform the fans ahead of time that he couldn’t make instead of trying to pull a fast one on us. Some random dude posing his muscles isn’t going to make us forget that Ice isn’t there.

The In-The-Middle

Knockouts a nice blend of wrestling & humor:

The six-woman Knockouts match didn’t thrill to beyond belief, but it was a decent show for the second match on the card. The girls did a nice job of putting forth a good ladies wrestling showcase and giving the crowd a few laughs along the way. I’m not sure any scores were settled and I think we’ll see some clashing continue for many weeks to come. But to get the top women in TNA together in one match and have it come out decent is impressive.

Nice X-Division opener:

The X-Division had the tough task of being the opening match on the card, and Consequences Creed and the champ Petey Williams did a nice job. This bout wasn’t entirely enthralling, but there was some good back and forth action between the two wrestlers. Creed continues to grow before out very eyes and had some nice opportunities to put away the champ and take home the strap. In the end, we were blessed with a viewing of the Canadian Destroyer, thanks in large part of interference from Sheik Bashir. But overall, both wrestlers were strong in the opening contest. Now, Williams moves on to take on the next challenge in defending his title while Creed and Bashir do battle in what should be an interesting feud of nationalistic pride.

Closing Thoughts

TNA should be proud of its first New Jersey PPV. It did get off to a bit of a rocky start with cheap pop attemps prior to the show, an Ice T-less musical performance and some good, but not overwhelming action to open the event. However, things really heated up in the second half with the Jersey Street Fight coming off real strong, AJ Styles and Kurt Angle putting on a helluva show and Samoa Joe vs. Booker T. leading to the comeback of Jeff Jarrett. If TNA makes a return to Trenton, there’s a very good chance I’ll be right there to see them again.

Lesnar The Real Deal With Win At UFC 87

Lesnar's win over Heath Herring at UFC 87 puts him on the map in the heavyweight division

Inexperience and impatience did Brock Lesnar in at UFC 81 when he took a submission loss to Frank Mir in his first contest with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. At UFC 87: Seek and Destroy, we saw a much different Lesnar, as he remained calm, cool and collected in his unanimous decision victory over Heath Herring. With the win, Lesnar avoids being called a mixed martial arts bust and solidified himself as one of the best up-and-coming stars in the entire sport.

From the beginning of the first round, Lesnar was dominant against Herring. It took only seven seconds for Lesnar to connect a right first to Herring’s left eye and bust him open. Right after that, Herring hit the ground, where he spent a great deal of the three rounds in the fight. Throughout, Lesnar did a good job of smothering Herring while using his brute force in combination with sick fists, elbows and knees. In the end, Lesnar was a more confident fighter who knows he has something to offer in MMA.

Lesnar needs to be weary of getting too over-confident. His first win in the UFC definitely puts him on the map in the heavyweight division, where there aren’t entirely too many top-notch figthers. However, even in his impressive showing against Herring, he didn’t take advantage of several opportunities to relentlessly pound away at Herring or put him away with a submission. While Herring is a smart veteran fighter who was undoubtedly solid competition for Lesnar, there is much better talent out there that won’t allow Lesnar to get away with laying his bulky body on top and allow the seconds to tick away toward a decision. If a rematch against Mir is in the cards, I have to think Mir is one of those guys that just won’t stand for that.

But for now, Lesnar erased that loss at UFC 81, chalking it up to being new to the game. At UFC 87, he proved to be the real deal with immense potential to take his talents to the top of the heavyweight division in the UFC. It’ll be interesting to see who Dana White lines up next for the Minnesota native. Whomever it is, he just better be sure not to make Herring’s mistake of arrogantly looking past Lesnar. That didn’t work out too well for Herring.

Heath Herring took a beating at the hands of Brock Lesnar

Kobe Bryant: Italian Basketball Star?

Will consider offers to play in Europe

It appears that the European threat is not solely a problem in the NHL. In the midst of the Olympics in Beijing, several of the biggest stars in the National Basketball Association currently representing the United States are being tabbed as potential future stars overseas. Following talk that LeBron James may look into options in Europe once his deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers concludes, Yahoo! Sports’ Andrian Wojnarowski reports that Kobe Bryant could explore the global free agent market as soon as next summer.

Bryant’s current contract with the Los Angeles Lakers runs through the 2010-11 campaign, but he may opt out of the deal following next season. Whenever his term with the Lakers reaches its end, Bryant will see what options exist for him in Europe, according to Wojnarowski.

The most likely destination for Bryant is Italy:

“Bryant spent several years of his childhood in Italy and loves it there. Seven years ago, he bought an ownership stake in Olimpia Milano of the Italian league for his father Joe to run. When Bryant was asked whether he held intrigue with owning and playing on a team together, he said, ‘Absolutely,’ (Wojnarowski)“

Obviously, the Lakers cannot be pleased with this news. After doing everything in their power for so many years to please Bryant, especially after last summer’s back-and-forth saga with Kobe wanting to be traded and then not, the prospect of losing him after next year is disheartening news. After a resurgence of the star and the team last year, culminating in an NBA Finals appearance, the team must have assumed a long-term contract to take Bryant almost near retirement was well in the cards. Having to compete with up to $50 million a year offers (which I assume would include marketing efforts) is a pretty big obstacle to come up against. After doing so much to please its star, this is the last thing Los Angeles wants to hear.

It’s not exactly an impossibility, either. Though he would clearly be the biggest star to head overseason, the NBA has lost quite a few players to Europe this offseason. Players like Carlos Delfino and Atlanta Hawks 2004 first round draft pick Josh Childress have left the NBA for contracts worth decent money and the possibility for greater exposure in Europe. Childress landed a three-year, $20 million with Greece’s Olympiakos.

It’s also possible Bryant, and even James, are using this European option solely for leverage. Even if $50 million were to come their way per year, they are two of the NBA’s biggest stars and that’s unmatchable in any European league. For players that are going to make so much money in contracts and endorsements in America, is $50 million per season really enough to make them leave the best basketball league in the world?

Bryant already plays on a large stage in Los Angeles and just witnessed Lakers management form a team more than capable of competing for the NBA Title for several years. For LeBron, the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, who provide a much bigger stage than Cleveland, are both making it a priority to have cap and roster room available when he’s free agent eligible in a few years.

So, I doubt either player will actually end up in Europe despite claiming to be interested. Even that mere interest, though, presents a leverage problem to NBA clubs who would be foolish to even think about calling the bluff of players like Bryant and James.