Age - It's just a number!!!

Jetlag is over and its time to get back to my weekly scheduled blog on the top 5 news stories I am following around the world of sports. Before I get into that I wanted to mention a few other things. The fall TV season has begun and there are definitely some new shows worth watching.

- For people who like a good Suspense/Action/Drama like 24, a great new show is Prison Break that airs on FOX on Monday Nights at 9pm (ET). My girl Solitaire pointed out a bonus reason to watch this show... Wentworth Miller!! He is definitely "Fyne" in my books. Aside from the fact that Mr. Miller is the star of the show, the plot is a very interesting one of man trying to break his elder brother (who is on death row) out of prison. If you haven't seen it yet... you are missing out so go try to get your hands on the first few episodes.

- The next show I am going to recommend has gotten a ton of press and not all positive. Mary Louise Parker stars as a widowed mom in this single camera show Weeds that airs on Showtime. (For my friends in Canada... Downloading is the way to go since we don't get the show on TV here unless you get showcase where the show is premiering on October 12th.) The premise is of a typical suburban family that was left without a husband/father and so the mother turns to selling weed in the fictional town of Agrestic, California. The dialogue witty, the acting superb adds to a story that took things a bit out of the box and put a reality on TV. Ofcourse, a show dealing so openly with the use and sale of marijuana has gotten its share of negative press, but its worth checking this one out.

- Next week the new season of America's Next Top Model begins and I cant wait. The new group of women look great and from the buzz on the net these women are much more prepared for the world of modeling than the previews seasons. On a side note... does Tyra Banks have a thing for brunettes?? From the pictures I have seen only 2 of the girls in the new season actually sport a blonde coiffe.

- Last but not least is the Apprentice series. This season we get double dosage of the hit reality show as contestants vie to get a job with "The Donald" (Donald Trump) and additionally this year with Martha Stewart.
To be honest, I don't know if this Martha version is going to work for me but curiosity prevails and I will be tuning in to see the premiere of The Apprentice: Martha Stewart next Wednesday on NBC. As for The Donald.. Word has it that he was disappointed in a few things from the last season and this year went and hand picked his contestants. I found last season to be pretty disappointing as well in terms of the people chosen and I am looking forward to seeing the Apprentice return to its first season glory. Tune into NBC next Thursday for the premiere... If nothing else you get another look at that terrible combover he has going for himself.

Now back to the world of sports... I begin with a quote from a sports legend
"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender" - Vince Lombardi

#5: Jerry Rice: I'm done!!!
He has had a storied career as the most successful wide receiver that has ever played in the NFL. At age 42, legendary WR Jerry Rice retired from the game of football after a 20 year stint in the league. His role with his current team had been reduced to a 4th or 5th receiver and he figured this was the time to go out rather than be a cheerleader on the sidelines. Rice ends his career with 38 NFL records, including the most career receptions (1,549), yards receiving (22,895) and touchdowns receiving (197) on his list of accomplishments. He also led the San Francisco 49'ers to 3 superbowl titles and set the standards for future wide receivers who enter the game. A guaranteed spot in the hall of fame awaits Jerry Rice who said last week, "I never thought I'd ever see this day" (Denver -AP)

#4: Andre Agassi - 35 and in the U.S. open finals
He had the expression of a 7 year old as he won his semi-final match against Robby Ginepri... Andre Agassi was the oldest Grand Slam finalist in over 30 years. 35 is not considered old to most but in the world of tennis it is near ancient. Agassi headed into the finals against Roger Federer as a huge underdog but from everything I saw on the court this 8 time grand slam title winner was not ready to close out his career. He mastered his game in the later stages in his career as it became brain over brawn for him and as he challenged his opponents and pulled out wins. A dynamic personality on and off the court Andre has helped evolve the sport for the modern day fan and helped bring tennis back to the forefront. I hope we haven't seen the last of him...

#3: Mark Messier - Stepping of the ice for good
A 25 year career comes to a close as Mark Messier at age 44 and what a glorified career it was. Messier who retired as a New York Ranger won 6 Stanley Cups; 5 with the Edmonton Oilers and 1 infamous one with the Rangers where he had guaranteed the city of New York a cup in 1994. Amassing 694 goals, 1,193 assists, 1,887 points and 1,910 penalty minutes in 1,756 games Messier was never about personal statistics and was known to be the perfect captain in the locker room. To most around the league he will be remembered as one of the greatest men to ever play the game and to those who had the chance to be a teammate of his, they will have had the honor to have been on the ice with the man who will soon find a home in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

#2: NHL - Where the drama never ends...
Training camps are underway and there have been a flurry of retirements in the National Hockey League but behind the scenes there are still problems. What the media has tagged a "rogue group" is against the hiring of new NHL Player Representative Ted Saskin. The small group of players, mostly veterans in the league, believed he was elected without a proper vote and feel that the process may have been tainted. Ted Saskin has offered to re-open the voting for his election for the job and it seems that now the players will have a silent vote to confirm the decision to keep Saskin as their new player rep. Hopefully by the end of the week this issue will be resolved and we can get ready for the real action... On the ICE!!!

#1: J. Rose v/s Rob Babcock v/s Raptor fans
"Whether we win or lose more games than last year, I think if you look at us on paper, we probably will not win as many games as last year." Rob Babcock said to the Toronto Sun. Never shy to speak his mind, Jalen Rose voiced his displeasure in reaction to the General Managers words. "Even bad teams have optimism. You don't want to take away the optimism so early in the season. The Bad News Bears coach wouldn't even tell (his team) that." Jalen told the Toronto Sun. Meanwhile fans of the Raptors are understandably furious and were trying to buy into the youth movement but no one ever expected to have to hear such negative words towards their team from the man who is supposed to be building a winner. There is a lot of controversy in the air and rumours of MLSE wanting to sell the Raptors have even emerged. This issue may have been taken out of context and Rob Babcock has gone ahead and tried to clear up his mess (read) ,but it better calm down before it becomes just another distraction in the Raptors locker room heading into training camp. Raptors fans thought they had seen the end of this saga that is the Raptors organization but they may have been a little to quick to jump to that conclusion.

Countdown to Kickoff - Part II

Okay shoot me! I am really taking my time getting used to the 11 hour time difference from my recent travels. Either way, Sunday games kickoff in less than 24 hours so I am going to go ahead and give you my rundown for the NFC. There are definitely some surprises in this conference and my bias may be a little evident as I say that the Philadelphia Ealges should once again clinch the NFC for the regular season.

NFC EAST

Donovan McNabb has flourished under coach Andy Reid and up until last year he did not have a legitimate receiver to throwto. Enter the most dynamic wide receiver in the game today, Terrell Owens. These two had phenomenal seasons in their own right but with Owens' aggressive personality there were some very public riffs amongst the WR , QB and the coach. All this drama still exists in the forefront as we head into the season but it has not put a doubt in my mind... The Philadelphia Eagles should clinch the NFC east this year. On their tails the Dallas Cowboys under Bill Parcels should be vying for a wildcard spot in this years playoffs. With a healthy Julius Jones and an experienced but aging Drew Bledsoe they have a great chance at seeing some action in this years post season. The Washington Redskins looked great on paper last year and somewhat this year as well but will probably disappoint missing the playoffs all together this year. The Giants should finish last in this division barring some miracles from their young quarterback.

Standings

NFC NORTH

Daunte Culpepper is probably in the top 3 QB's currently playing in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings may have lost a great Wide receiver in Randy Moss but they still have one of the most dominating quarterbacks in the game and a solid pair of corner backs on defence that will be their strength in clinching the #1 spot in this division over the Green Bay Packers. Bret Favre may be one of the best players to ever play the quarterback position but I think this year will be his last as the age factor will kick in. As the season unfolds my prediction is Green Bay and the Dallas Cowboys will be fighting for the wildcard spot along with Atlanta and possibly a team like the Seahawks in the West. In this division the Detroit Lions who will be hosting the superbowl will struggle and many have picked them as sleepers to squeak in to the playoffs but I look at them as having a losing record and looking forward to the future. Chicago was one team that messed with the Vegas odds last year. They almost always went in the game as underdogs and the other team rarely covered the spread but as last year they are just not playoff contenders this year and will probably end up with one of the worst records in the NFC.

Standings

NFC SOUTH

Defence over Offence? One may think Atlanta is the team to beat in this division but last year the Carolina Panthers played injured and they still had some great games and I believe they will be the victors in the NFC South. With Jake Delhomme running their offence this years Panthers should be able to grab the division barring any major injuries like last year. The Atlanta Falcons have definitely got something to be happy about. They have one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the game manning their offence but Vick needs to evolve his game. Sure he can run and displays spurts of brilliance but his passing game has yet to be really refined and this is something that comes with experience but I think the Falcons should nab one of the wildcard spots in the NFC. Tampa Bay a team who walked away champions not to long ago are still finding their place again after a miserable season last year they hope to bounce back but I don't see them holding a winning record this year. As for the New Orleans Saints... They are in a tough spot. They have some bright spots but just are not there yet. This year with the hurricane disaster it may be even harder to get an audience and a winning record. Their quarterback has shown to be promising but their core is still weak and needs some key pieces before they become legitimate contenders.

Standings

NFC WEST

The St.Louis Rams are definitely the team to beat in this division and their only real competition should be from the Seattle Seahawks who should have a decent season. Mark Bulger may not be the best quarterback in the league but with a running back like Marshall Faulk on your side you need not worry so much and in one of the least competitive divisions in my opinion, this should be more than enough to make sure the Rams clinch the division and their spot in the playoffs. The Seahawks have toyed with consistency but they are my "you never know" team. Sure they have some great players in Sean Alexander and last year the quarterback Matt Hasselback showed some great signs but I don't think this team is ready yet and might be a sleeper to squeak into the post season. As for the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49'ers .... check back next year! These two teams have a ways to go and lets hope their rookies start to develop.

Standings

Countdown to Kickoff - Previewing the upcoming NFL season

I have been humming the tune for Monday Night Football all week. The 2004-2005 season ended in heartbreak for me as my team, the Philadelphia Eagles, lost in the superbowl to the New England Patriots. Sure I was glad to see them make it to the final dance but this year I want even more than ever for them to win it all. I will try my best to be unbiased this season when I write about football but there will be days when I feel extra passionate for my team so I hope people don't mind. At this time I would also like to congratulate again the New England Patriots for what they accomplished in the last 4 years. They have done something that seemed near impossible in an era of salary caps ... They became a dynasty. I have been suffering from some major jetlag so I decided to do this piece in two parts with the AFC going first. Part two will have a rundown of the NFC as well as a complete prediction of how many games I think each team will win. Hope you enjoy it.

AFC EAST

I shall never doubt the brilliance of coach Bill Belichick. Even with a new defensive coordinator ... An obvious exclusion of an offensive coordinator and a few missing pieces from last year I think the New England Patriots have this division locked. The Jets are a great team don't get me wrong they might even try to push for a wild card slot but that's the best I can see for them this year. As for the Bills they have added a few key pieces but I don't think their defence will stand as strong as it did last year and that will be a huge difference. The Dolphins may have Ricky Williams back but they have a long ways to go to be contenders. Their offense shows major weaknesses beginning with their quarterback.

Standings

AFC NORTH

To be honest this division had me the most uncertain of a clear cut winner. There is one this for sure the Steelers are definitely not going 15-1 this season. From my predictions they will be lucky to make it to double digits in the win column and possibly nab a wild card spot. Like a lot of people I do believe the Bengals have something to show us this year and are the sleeper pick to win this division or atleast a wild card slot. I changed my mind several times about this pick but I see The Baltimore Ravens pretty much on par with Cincinnati if not below them to give the Steelers a run for their money in the wild card race. The Browns very similar to the dolphins are just not in the picture at the moment to be considered a threat in this division that will be close till the very end.

Standings

AFC SOUTH

As much as I have read during the pre-season that Steve McNair is ready this season I am not convinced that he can lead the Titans to win the division over the powerful Colts offence. The Peyton Manning - Marvin Harrison connection has been almost perfected to a T and they are definitely the team to beat in this division and probably grab the number 1 spot in the conference. The Titans have made some steps forward but they have some real competition from a charged Houston Texans team. The Titans had their window and I think it has passed them and the Texans are just coming alive and should nab the 2nd spot in this division but will probably be looking at the playoffs from the outside as the AFC has a lot of powerhouses they would have to beat out to grab a wildcard spot. Not far behind are the Jaguars who have a defence made up of no names but it is a very good defence and as it goes if you got defence you never know. The Jags look to be a sleeper team to many but I think they will be looking from the outside this year along with the Titans and the Texans.

Standings

AFC WEST

Can Drew Brees show us some of what we saw last season? I hope so I like the Chargers this year for this division. They have a pretty darn good offensive set up and with no major threats in this division I think this division title is theirs to lose. The Denver Broncos are not to be forgotten here like the Bengals they are my sleeper pick to possibly win this division or somehow get a wild card slot and see themselves in the post season this year. As for the Raiders I am writing this after watching game one and it didn't really change my mind. Kerry Collins just can't bring it. Randy Moss showed some good signs and he might have some great games but consistency is the problem here in this case the offence just is not going to be enough. I know people might be thinking what about the Chiefs... But to be honest I am not a fan and I don't see them doing anything to write home about. Sure they have offence, but as we know: "Offence wins games but Defence wins championships!!!"

Standings


That's all for now... I shall be back later in the day with the part two for this piece and some bold predictions of the team by team wins and losses for the year. (P.S: Sorry for the crappy layout i will try to fix it when i work on part 2)

Back to Life.... Back to reality

Its been a crazy summer and my temporary blogging hiatus is officially over. I didn't think the wedding in the family would be so consuming but overall it went well and after two months of total chaos and a few 8 hour plane rides later, I am finally back to a state of normalcy. I figured I shall fill my few readers up on what's been going on with me before I get back to my regular sports blogging.

• The wedding was a long drawn out affair and basically lasted for an entire week of dinners and dressing up and trying to survive 4-8 hours a night in very uncomfortable shoes. Even though I bitched and groaned it was a blast as we had our entire family fly down from all over the world, some of them whom we rarely get a chance to see. The bride looked beautiful and the venue was stunning and before we could stop and absorb it all we were ready to fly off and continue with the wedding festivities on the other side of the world.

• Next stop Pakistan... The wedding wasn't over just yet. We all flew to my country of birth and there was an encore wedding reception there. As a bonus, this year was also my 10 year reunion from high school. I have not been back home as much as I thought I would and had lost touch with most of my peers but got a chance to see some of them after 10 years which was great. Some were married with children and others hadn't grown up one bit .. Overall it was nice to look back at the good times and our youth.

• Next up .... Dubai (United Arab Emirates) My parents left Canada last year and moved to Dubai but since its about a 16 hour plane ride this is my 2nd time visiting them in a year. I decided I wanted to spend my birthday with my family this year as usually I am away from them at this time of year. This turned out to be a not so good idea.. The birthday was great but the average temperature in Dubai was soaring around 50 degrees Celsius daily. My glasses fogged up when going from the house to the car and I could barely breathe as there were several dust storms happening. Dubai is a incredible place but note to self: never go there in the summer!!! 6 days was enough for me and I was ready to go home.

• I got back on the 29th of august but not for long. Our usual trip to Vegas was booked for September 1st with 5 of my close friends and before I knew it I was off to sin city for some fun in the sun and if I was lucky some extra cash in my pocket. We stayed at the newest hotel in Vegas "The Wynn" and it was unreal... Huge suites with plasma TV's in the bathroom so u can bathe and watch TV and the room had stunning views of the pools, golf course and the Las Vegas strip. I had some luck at the tables rolling dice and won myself a mini shopping spree which was cool and also saw some celebs like Wayne Gretzky, Mos Def, Xzibit, Eric McCormack and Charlize Theron. Come Sunday night I was exhausted and ready to go home.

Now that my travels are done and the wedding is a memory I can finally get back to writing regularly. I have so many topics I have wanted to write about and have not had the time but I shall start off by a countdown to kickoff for the NFL season and then return to my regularly scheduled weekly top 5 sports stories of the week article. I hope to end the weekend with a little look into the free agent market in the NBA and the NHL. I have been reading other peoples blogs as often as I can but have not commented in a while but you all shall be hearing from me soon.

Ciao for now ... Nat.

I have officially been "tagged" ...

Past... Present... Future ... I was tagged by Solitaire and I have been so busy I have had no time to write about the stuff that I usually do but this seemed like it would be quick and fun so here goes...

Ten years ago: 1995... The summer graduated high school. I packed my life into two suitcases and began my journey towards becoming an architect at Rhode Island School of Design.

Five years ago: 2000... Wow I had finally completed my degree in architecture and was in the process of getting my degree in Interior Design and a Diploma in Auto CAD. This was also the end of my first year of living in Canada.

One year ago: 2004 ... My family decided to up and move to Dubai to be closer to my Grandmother and Brother. I had just turned 27 and took my friends on a vacation to Vegas for my birthday!! This was also the summer when I met two of the most amazing guys who have come to mean the world to me.

Yesterday: Dance practice... Dance practice and more dance practice followed by a very long night of poker that rolled into 4:00 am

Today: Got my brother a Hummer H2 for the week as a wedding present to him from his siblings. (We wanted him to have an experience to remember rather than just another thing that may or may not collect dust) helped with more wedding preparations and then ofcourse the evening was all about dance practice!!!

Tomorrow: Lots of cleaning , a lunch to attend and ofcourse more wedding preparations, which means ... MORE DANCE PRACTICE!!!

Five snacks I enjoy
1. Choc. Chip granola bars
2. All Dressed chips
3. Subway Chocolate Chip cookies
4. Wendy's ( yea I know its not just a snack!)
5. Salted cashew nuts

Five bands/singers that I know the lyrics of MOST of their songs
1. NAS
2. Jay Z
3. Immortal Technique
4. Richie Spice
5. Coldplay

Things I would do with $100,000,000
1. Take a trip around the world
2. Shop till I drop
3. Sell both my cars and get a Mercedes SLR!!
4. Go to Vegas and give a shot at the World Series of Poker
5. Start a business with my friends (we dream about it all the time)

Five locations I'd like to run away to
1. The Maldives
2. Italy
3. Turks and Caicos
4. Malta
5. Antigua

Five bad habits I have
1. Smoking
2. Biting my nails (almost stopped but then came the wedding stress)
3. Drink too much diet coke
4. Sleep is my enemy .... Almost an insomniac
5. I get bored with things.. People fast unless I really love it or them. ( thus I don't hold a 9-5 job!!)

Five things I like doing
1. Watching sports
2. Watching movies
3. Road trips
4. Playing sports
5. Reading and as of late... Writing

Five things I would never wear
1. Daisy Duke shorts
2. Tube top
3. Button down shirts
4. Bikini
5. A dress that would require double sided tape to hold it together!!!

Five TV shows I like
1. Chappelle Show
2. 24
3. Alias
4. Desperate Housewives
5. Lost

Five movies I like ( I have too many... I am listing the first 5 that come to mind )
1. The Godfather series
2. Scarface
3. Rudy
4. Life as a house
5. Crash

Five famous people I'd like to meet
1. Salman Rushdie (I'd love to hear his thoughts in person)
2. Vince Carter (Just long enough so I can speak my mind on how I feel about the way the shit went down with the raptors)
3. Immortal Technique ( His lyrics have stayed with me I just want to meet the man behind the voice)
4. Oprah (that woman is really something)
5. Morris Peterson ( YEA YEA YEA... I think he kinda hot!)

Five biggest joys at the moment
1. I am alive and well
2. I am on a 2 month vacation from work for the first time in 3 years
3. My entire family is in town for my brothers wedding. Great to get a chance to have everyone in one place considering we are all located across the world
4. Cruisin' around top down in my car thanx to the 40 degree weather
5. NHL is baaaaack!!! Something to watch when there is no raps game next season

Five favorite toys
1. My Cars ( Honda S2000 and BMW X5)
2. My TiVo (Personal Video Recorder)
3. My Plasma TV
4. My digital camera
5. My poker chip set

That's all for now... I am sure most of the people who read my blog have already done this but if not go ahead and give it a shot.
In other news... by this time next week I will have alot more time and will return to bloggin regularly.

Ciao,
Nat

I'm comin for that #1 spot! - NBA Draft Preview and Predictions

I have wanted to do this for a while... But, things like work, family commitments for the upcoming wedding and this crazy weather that tempts me to be outdoors every chance I get, have prevented me from being able to write out the article the way I would like to. As I am writing this we are 3 hours from draft time and time is not on my side to do a detailed analysis of what is to come. I am going to go ahead and throw out my predictions for the draft. If all goes as planned... I will return tomorrow to see how my predictions fared compared to the real thing and give a roundup of who went where and other major happenings that went down on draft day. With a deep draft this year but no stand out future Michael Jordan's, many teams are hoping to hit the lottery. This years draft is loaded with an abundance of Point Guards and Guards so teams looking to get bigger may be looking to trade their picks for something better. The list I am including does not include any potential trades...

Note: Utah has already moved up the ladder to the 3rd spot by acquiring that pick from Portland for the 6th and 27th pick as well as a conditional 1st round pick next year.

1. Milwaukee Bucks: Andrew Bogut
2. Atlanta Hawks: Marvin Williams
3. Utah Jazz (from Portland): Chris Paul
4. New Orleans Hornets: Gerald Green
5. Charlotte Bobcats: Deron Williams
6. Portland Trailblazers: Danny Granger
7. Toronto Raptors: Antoine Wright
8. New York Knicks: Channing Frye
9. Golden State Warriors: Hakeem Warrick
10. L.A. Lakers: Fran Vasquez
11. Orlando Magic: Martell Webster
12. L.A.Clippers: Yaroslav Korolev
13. Charlotte Hornets: Joey Graham
14. Minnesota Timberwolves: Raymond Felton
15. New Jersey Nets: Ike Diogu
16. Toronto Raptors: Jarrett Jack
17. Indiana Pacers: Rashard McCants
18. Boston Celtics: Charlie Villanueva
19. Memphis Grizzlies: Sean May
20. Denver Nuggets: Francisco Garcia
21. Phoenix Suns: Wayne Simien
22. Denver Nuggets: Johan Petro
23. Sacramento Kings: Ersan Ilyasova
24. Houston Rockets: Chris Taft
25. Seattle Supersonics: Matt Walsh
26. Detroit Pistons: Julius Hodge
27. Portland Trailblazers: Ryan Gomes
28. San Anotonio Spurs: Salim Stoudamire
29. Miami Heat: Roko Leni Ukic
30. New York Knicks: David Lee

Breaking News: Done Deal!!!

"The days of jumping from the preps to the pros - the route to the NBA chosen by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and others - are almost over." San Antonio - (AP)

The NBA has reached an agreement with the NBA Players Union and hammered out a new 6 year deal which will replace the current agreement that expires on July 1st 2005. This is great news for the sport and all of its fans as a lockout would most definitely have had a negative impact on the game. I don't have time to do a full out analysis on the major changes in the agreement but I'll do my best to give a quick rundown of the new deal and my opinions on some of them.

Maximum contract length: The maximum length of contracts has been set at 6 years for players signing with their current teams and 5 years if they are signing with a new team. These numbers have been reduced from 7 years and 6 years respectively and provide owners more flexibility. This issue seemed of great importance to me. Firstly the NBA does not allow front loaded contracts and so you are basically investing in a 7 year career not expecting the players ability to play the game to decline over time. I had hoped for the max contract length to be 5 years with some kind of clause that would allow the player to extend it for a sixth year if he met certain criteria but for now something is better than nothing. Over the past few years we have seen multiple situations where a player at age of 29 is given a 7 year contract but he is burnt out by the 5th year of the contract and then you basically over paying a guy for two years or trading him for a Spalding or two.

Minimum Age for eligibility to enter the league: The minimum age to enter the draft has now been set to 19 years or one year removed from high school. International players will have to turn 19 by the end of the calendar year in which they become draft eligible. I think this is a very touchy subject for a lot of basketball fans who have seen the likes of Lebron James, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant emerge and rapidly gain superstar status in the league but personally I think its a wise move on the part of the NBA to give the kids a chance to play in developmental leagues and show their skills away from the high school atmosphere this will also encourage players coming out of high school to attend a college or university which will only give them more in terms of maturity and exposure to different situations and all helps in the process of character building and mental toughness which is very much tested when you enter the big leagues.

Reduction in annual salary increase: The maximum annual raises within a contract have been reduced from 12.5% to 10.5 % if the player re-signs with his current team. If a player joins a new team, his annual raises within the new contract will be capped at 8 %. This is great incentive to get a player to stay with his team for the majority of his career. In the past 5-10 years we rarely see a player like Reggie Miller who sticks out with his team through his entire career. Sure when they get old and haven't gone tot he final dance the urgency is increased but this may keep some players aiming for this goal with teams longer as you lose out if you sign a new contract.

Drug testing: The number of random drug tests have been set at 4 per year even for veteran players. Also the penalties for testing positive have been increased where a 1st time offender will get a 10 game suspension, 2nd time is 25 games and 3rd time will cost a player a 1 year suspension. They have also placed a penalty where a 4th time offender will be given a lifetime ban from the league. This may seem harsh at first but with the state of drugs in sports it seems quite adequate and needs to be clear cut so that players don't even get tempted to cheat the sport by juicing up.

Rookie contracts: These contracts will only be guaranteed for two years with team options for the 3rd and 4th year. This is definitely something that benefits the owners. If a players turns out to be a bust or is not able to adjust to the NBA game they will not be bound to keep that player on for more than 2 years. This two years will give them enough time to evaluate if they want to extend the contract as well as send the player to the NBDL for development if needed. From the view of players, if they are unhappy with the team they got drafted by they have a shorter stay there...

Salary Cap: The salary cap has been increased 3 % from 48% of the league's basketball-related income to 51%. This effects the numbers greatly as what looked like a $43.8 million cap for the 2005-2006 season will now look more like a $51 million cap. This looks good for a lot of teams who did not mind spending $50 million but not at the cost of paying a tax of $7 million in order to do it. I know we are still in a time where contracts are very inflated and teams get stuck with players but a higher ceiling will give the teams a chance to sign more mid-level contracts.

Luxury Tax: The money the players pay has been reduced to 8% of their salaries for the length of the new agreement. That money returns to owners at the end of the season if the players' salaries exceed 57 percent of revenues. Under the luxury tax, which requires a dollar for dollar penalty for exceeding the salary cap, this money will now be equally distributed to all teams rather than just those who were under the ceiling for that year. I am not sure I agree with this.. Why should people paying the taxes get some of it back?? I want to look into this one further but for now this is how it stands. The money gets distributed equally so technically the penalty for being over the limit isn't so much as it may seem for the team at first when they get money back at the end of the year in the case where the players salaries exceed the allowed 57%.

Player compensations: The players are now set to receive a guaranteed number of 57% of basketball related revenues. Over the past two years this is the amount the players ended up receiving but this is now a guaranteed amount no matter what the league revenues are. This is an aspect that seems to be added in to balance out a lot of the other issues players have compensated on.

NBDL: Players in their first two years in the NBA now can be placed on teams in the NBA's developmental league where the minimum age will be reduced from 20 to 18. Minor leagues have worked out great for the NHL and MLB , and it's a great stepping stone for players entering the league who need experience at a more competitive level but are not yet ready for the big league. This will give the teams a chance to develop players who are seeing more bench time than floor time and in turn develop their skills playing in "game" situations. tThis will give the players a chance to be more prepared when they are called up to fill in orwhen they are ready to solidify their place on their NBA team.

Active roster's: Active roster's will be expanded to 14 players. This is something I hadn't really thought about but it will in a sense be creating more jobs and give more players a chance to showcase their talents and prove they belong on an NBA roster and also eliminate in most cases situations where due to injuries some teams in the past have been left with a bench of just 8-9 active players. ( I seen it happen to the Raptors numerous times over the past few "Vinjury" years)

That's all I can churn out for now... I'll be back later this week with my rundown of the upcoming NBA draft which includes what each team will be looking to address and what players should be available to them in the draft which goes down on June 28th 2005. Also, by the time that article is ready I should be able to give my two cents about the NBA finals as we are going to see a game 7 which has been a rarity in recent memory. I have really enjoyed the past 2 games and look forward to the deciding one. I shall leave you with a quote from a player currently in the NBA finals...

"Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best." - Tim Duncan

Records, Repeats, Retirement and an inevitable Rehiring ...

A little update before I get to my regular article...

I want to take a minute to thank my dad for being such a great inspiration to me and I hope to one day garner the level of respect he does from all those around him. Happy Fathers Day to my dad and all the other dad's out there.

I have been swarmed with stuff over the last few weeks and this weekend I got a chance to get away. I went up to the lake and it was great (despite returning with numerous mosquito bites)

I got a chance to finally watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith and I really enjoyed it. The action sequences were great and there was a surprisingly witty banter that was present through the entire movie which created for a unique relationship between the two stars. Overall good entertainment and worth the $10. My next mission is to make some time this week and go watch "Batman Begins".

"It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it." - Vince Lombardi

Here is my usual rundown of my top 5 sports stories for the past week (more like 10 days but oh well!) ...

#5: The NBA Playoffs - Repeat?
Over the past few weeks I have made it pretty clear that I am not a fan of either of the teams battling it out in this years NBA finals. I sit here on this Sunday afternoon going over box scores for the first 4 games and not surprisingly no team has scored 100 points yet in this series. On the other hand, both teams have taken care of their home court and as we head into game 5 we are all locked up at 2-2. There have been some unsung heroes in each game .. The latest being Lindsay Hunter who scored 17 points. Manu Ginobli has been completely ineffective over the last two games and one may say he is injured but this is gut check time. In order for the Spurs to prevent the Pistons to repeat their feat of last year they are going to have to pull it together and win the game tonight on the road. With Tim Duncan shooting around 30% over the last 2 games and Ginobli struggling this is looking to be a very uphill climb for the best team during the regular season. In previous years Duncan always had David Robinson right beside him and the time has come now to get others to step up be it Ginobli, the streaky Tony Parker or a role player like Nazr Mohammed.

#4: TKO - The end of an Era
19 years ago he was the youngest heavyweight champion in the boxing world. Last weekend as he lay slumped over at the end of the 6th round of his bout versus Kevin McBride it was evident the road has come to an end. This is the same man who tried to bite off the ear of his opponent several years ago and once again his desperation was evident as he attempted to break McBride's arm along with some cheap shots. Tyson at the age of 20 had a bright future looking ahead but he squandered all that in the years following as he had a 3 year stint in jail followed by a bankruptcy charge. Boxing is not really my thing but I too have sat down with my dad to watch a few of these great fights I watched the Tyson v/s Buster Douglas in 1990 and I watched the infamous fight against Holyfield. Boxing is a skill sport and when watching it at the Olympic level every 4 years I gain a new appreciation for it but an athlete like Mike Tyson eliminated the idea of "sport" from the event as over the last few years it been a lot about the money he is being paid rather than the fight itself. Last weekend he looked old and tired and probably not to anyone's surprise he came out the next day and announced that he has decided to walk away from the sport. He spoke in a press conference saying ""I'm sorry I let everybody down, I just don't have it in my heart anymore." In my eyes he had taken the heart out of the sport a long time ago.

#3: Lockout - Is history going to repeat itself?
As the 11th hour approaches the NBA labour talks have hit a lot of bumps. For sometime last week things were looking bleak as both sides lashed out at each other. Not brought to the heights of the NHL labour dispute yet but things are looking like they can get ugly really fast. There are the issues of contract lengths, minimum age to enter the league and harsher drug testing that have taking the stage as the main negotiating topics. In these talks we have also heard about implementing some clause for player asking for trades publicly (a.k.a Vince Carter) which may lead to the value of the player being lost. The current contract that ends on July 1st is very much in favour of giving the players a bigger piece f the pie and the player agents are not going to let this go easily. I personally feel that if the maximum contract lengths are not changed much they need to allow the contracts to be heavily loaded in the he early years rather than the last year being the highest where the teams are stuck in the 6th year of a contract with a player not even worth half of what he was. Also there needs to be a deal made in order to prevent these trade and don't show up to play and go back to your old team stuff where players are still getting paid for these antics a-la Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning. There is a lot of talking still to be done and things began to look up towards the end of the week when the two sides met for 10 hours and are presumable close to a 6 year deal. Until then I shall keep my fingers crossed and hope this league doesn't see the same fate of the NHL.

#2: 400 and counting - A-Rod reaches a landmark
Congratulations!!! On June 8th 2005 Alex Rodriguez became the youngest member to join the 400 Home Run club. The Yankees have had a very shaky start to their season and this is definitely one of the bright spots of the season to date. It is most definitely a personal achievement but helps lift the teams morale as well as the owners as their money spent shows some signs of return on investment. For years A-Rod was a big money player playing on a losing team and now he stands in the spotlight in a Yankees uniform and says hitting this 400 hr in that uniform made it even better. Yet, it was only a month ago where everyone down in the Bronx questioned his role on the team and he took a lot of smack from the media. This feat completed by A-rod did not get the hype it may have elsewhere though as the team has other things its worrying about. In a time where the sport is tainted by steroids linked to all the power hitters in the game A-Rod looks like the knight in shining armour but he has a long ways to go. (Read more about this here)

#1: California Love - The Zen master is back in La La Land
"Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Baaack" ... To the tune of Mase, the L.A Lakers have wooed back one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport. Just a year ago the Zen Master, Phil Jackson walked away from this very team for reasons that included his inability to coach the All-Star Kobe Bryant. The Lakers need a high profile coach to keep their fans believing and there was no better out there than Phil Jackson. He had ties to the team even when he was away from them, his girlfriend happens to be the daughter of the owner Jerry Buss and all if there was anywhere he would couch after leaving a year ago was right back in LA, a high profile team which has Hollywood as its backdrop. His differences with Kobe were also very evident as he detailed the issues he had in a book that was published last year but over time and several lunch dates later, it seems that they are ready to give it a shot. "I think it's a matter of trust and rebuilding the trust that we've had," Jackson said. "I have talked to Kobe. He called me this morning, congratulating me on the job, and I felt confident that's he's confident that we can go forward. I think that was the important part." The day Phil Jackson walked from the Lakers last year also prompted Shaq O'Neal to ask to be moved. I still believe Kobe Bryant is the "virus" and I shall watch closely to see how this rekindled relationship works out over the course of the next season.

Monologue: The sound of wedding bells is giving me a headache!

"Marriage is a matter of give and take, but so far I haven't been able to find anybody who'll take what I have to give." - Cass Daley

Summertime in Toronto is amazing! As residents of the great white north most of us look forward to these three months of basking in the sun enjoying the patio life and wearing minimal clothing. This summer is going to be different for me though. My brother is getting married in less than two months and check this ... He is marrying the girl next door (literally!) This girl also happens to be one of my oldest friends in the city... Little did I know that one of my best friends and future sister-in-law had "BRIDEZILLA" tendencies!!!

Before I go any further I want to shed some light of what a Pakistani wedding entails... A wedding in my culture aint just a pretty ceremony with lots of free booze (actually there is not a drip of alcohol present). The wedding usually takes place over 4-5 days depending on the families and what they decided on. 5 different locations are sought out and not to mention catering done different for each event. It requires months of practice of choreographed dancing for one of the events that takes place before the actual wedding day. It requires putting ridiculous amounts of henna on your hands as to show you are celebrating a wedding (mind you I can't bear the look of it on my own hands). Wedding outfits are custom made for every person in the family and their cats and dogs practically. I know weddings are huge in every culture but in ours tradition has taken the reins and we are sent in a frenzy... From wrapping random fruits baskets to preparing garlands for the bride's family when they enter the wedding hall. We are talking like a big Broadway production ... With the bride and groom as the stars headlining the show and a group of 200 supporting roles a.k.a family and extended family and their extended family, and this number doesn't even include the 500 or so extras who get to be the guests of this huge production.

Now that you have an idea of what a South Asian wedding is like let me dive in and bring you up to speed with the madness that has been going on for the last year or so. My family is based in Dubai, the bride is from Toronto so she wanted the wedding here. Since my parents have a lot of ties in Pakistan and Dubai this wedding is taking place in three countries!! Insane or what?? We got 10 days of events and dinners here before I jet of to Pakistan for more ceremonies and then off to Dubai for the finale! Personally I think its ridiculous I feel like we are honeymooning with the bride and groom traveling to all these places but as the sister of the groom I don't have much say in this...

Last weekend the cards were finally ready to be written (not without a big fuss that the bride and groom did not like the font) and so a 8 hour calligraphy session ensued ... In other words, writing out the names on the invitation cards for the wedding (thus my blogging hiatus). I figured since the wedding is in Toronto we will have a smaller guest list (I mean how many people can my family have gotten to know in 7 years??).. BOY was I wrong!! My fingers are numb from writing out 600 cards and then I got the news.... Nat you gotta divide the piles and start delivering them if you don't have mailing addresses.... HECKKK NO... It aint my wedding? Why am I suckered into this stuff. Sure I am the only person from my immediate family who is in the city right now but cot dayum why do I have to suffer. Sure my brother is the first to get married in the family so the excitement is up a notch but really do we have to go through all this?? Let me take you back a few months... When the wedding cards were not even in the picture. I went weeks where for hours on end all I heard was "OMG!! What should we give as gifts for all the guests to take home?", "do you like these heart shaped candles", "do you know any photographers", or "Hey Nat, wanna come cake tasting with me" and not to forget the 10 bridal shows that were attended in a span of 1 month. Everything from the colour of the bangles her friends should wear to the shape of the cake has been made into a production. Tears have been shed, tantrums thrown and when I'm about to give up I get told " she is young... You have to be the wiser one and guide her"!!

Now ... I am not a hater and hope to say my own vows some day, but not at the expense of driving everyone around me to the brink of insanity. I can't wait for this wedding to be over.. I have lost track of reality in the midst's of choosing venues and tasting 20 versions of chocolate mousse... I need a vacation A.S.A.P.

edit: note to "M" ... I gave you the heads up that I was going to blog about this and I hope u can take it as it is.. A little insight into a paki wedding... some details have been given a little umphh for effect. You know im happy for both of you and i shall be dancing the night away when the time comes.

Speak Up... But it may cost ya 20 grand!!!

A few things I need to blurt out before I carry on with my regularly scheduled blog...

I am very upset that the pistons beat the heat!!

I added scoreboards on here to make my life easier to get to CBS sportsline and hopefully my other readers lives too. (tiefed the idea from the guys at

NBASource)

I signed on to a new job contract this week!! I get to work from home 3 days a week until July when the contract ends. (gotta love freelance)

I lost $60 bucks playin poker this weekend... I guess you can't win 'em all.

I got a nice tan just drivin top down in my baby thanks to the beautiful weather we have been getting for the last couple of days. (click thumbnail for a larger view of aforementioned baby )

My hands got quite the workout along with my calligraphy skills this past weekend, as I wrote out 400+ wedding cards for my brothers wedding going down in 2 months. (I shall be bloggin on this subject in the near future so stay tuned ... Imagine the bride standing over my head saying "No!!!! That is crooked... Redo that one!!!")

Now onto my regular top 5 sports stories for the past week...

#5: Tennis - Is it about the game at all anymore?
So the French Open just concluded this past weekend and I really got to thinking about the sport. The women and their looks are almost the sole feature keeping this game alive for television audiences. Tennis is not even close to attracting the type of audiences other professional sports have in the past 10 years. In the glory days of the sport, the skill and the elegance of this individual sport was making headlines daily. The Americans had their share of fame as they dominated the ranks for many years. Now, we see a new breed infiltrated into the game... The beautiful women. It began with the hype over Anna Kournikova and its become a phenomenon. Are people watching tennis for the sport anymore? There was a simplicity to the game back in the day where all the paticipants wore white and drank tea the morning before Wimbledon but now these athletes with their clothing lines and designer duds are parading the red carpets as if they were a Hollywood celebrity. The Williams sisters entered the stage when women's tennis was definitely on a rise and they brought power and grit to the game but since have also signed onto multi million dollar endorsements and become self proclaimed "fashion designers". The men in the game have taken a back seat.. What was once " wow! Its going to be an Pete Sampras v/s Andre Agassi final" has now come down to reports of what the latest Russian Beauty was wearing as she hit balls with her equally beautiful training partner. Even though this all sounds very negative I think it has done the game good.

#4: FIFA -Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!
I have to admit I don't follow league play much when it comes to football but I am a big Italy fan and always get hyped up when the EuroCup is about to roll around and even more so now as we head into qualifying for the World Cup to be held in Germany next summer. The Euro Cup last year was some of the best soccer(yes I prefer to call it that) I seen in a while and I have a new team I am following... Portugal. Living in Toronto we have a great mix of cultures and it was evident last year as all the Greek flags went up as Greece won the final over Portugal and next summer will be even more intense. I love to see all the national pride and the old rivalries build up. Soccer is not as big in North America as it is in Europe, but when World Cup comes around everyone seems to become a die hard fan. It brings generations together, it creates some healthy competition and overall is one of the most successful sporting events. These athletes are playing not for millions of dollars for those 2 weeks they are playing for their country and in ways similar to the Olympics it has been successful in highlighting a lot of positive things about the less fortunate countries who do get the chance to show the world some of their greatness. (the pic is just eye candy for me.. LOL I think Christiano Ronaldo is HOT!)

#3: NFL - Locked Up or On the Run?
Its the offseason and the NFL Draft has come and gone but that doesn't mean they players of the league decide to stay out of the sports headlines. Last week in particular there was a ton of coverage on Jamal Lewis being released from his four month off season jail sentence. (story here & here) I understand that the media has to find the positive in this situation but wait till he gets on the field again before deciding to big up how happy he is to be out and how he is looking forward to playing again. A couple of days later Sean Taylor popped up in the news as he turned himself in on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm. (story here) Not that this was enough Indianapolis Colts cornerback was charged with battery over the past weekend. (story here) That is the gist of what I'm getting at... In my last article I mentioned how I felt the sports media approaches reporting on professional sports similar to the way Hollywood is covered, but these atheletes are role models to many and more so they are ruining the face of the sports they play. In Hollywood you may hate the actor but they play someone else in the movie, these athletes don't have the luxury of switching into another role some game time. They are setting a terrible example and the offseason seems to be far from what it stands for as they seem busy posting bonds and making speeches about how they have cleaned up. I hope this past week isn't a common occurrence as these athletes make the news for all the wrong reasons.

#2: NBA - Whatever you say might cost ya!
This topic was the inspiration for the title of my post. Is it possible to speak up at all these days without getting a $20,000 fine slapped on your ass if not a couple games suspensions(a-la-George Karl) Last week Rasheed Wallace got fined $20 grand for his public criticism of game officiating. (Story here) I understand that the NBA does not want their officiating crew to take blame for what goes on with the games but what about freedom of speech. Sheed is an emotional guy and he has been one of the most penalized players in the history of the game in his 10 year career. I understand that he used some "inappropriate language" but really should saying the refs sucked cost him 20 grand?? I don't agree with that. Mark Cuban has been fined thousands and recently in this years playoffs Jeff Van Gundy got slapped with a hefty one for speaking against the officiating. I understand both sides as the refs are just trying to do their jobs the best they can but the players and coaches feel the refs control the outcome of a game too much at times. Its a tough situation but I don't feel such hefty fines are due as people who voice their feelings are using their freedom of speech. In other news George Karl, coach of the Denver Nuggets broke one of the infinite number of rules in the NBA by inadvertently (or so they say: read story) speaking to a player not yet eligible for the draft. This cost his 3 game suspension and the team $200,000. All this said as long as the ppl keep speaking up, the NBA will remain to be a highly profitable business.

#1: NBA - Offence wins games ... Defense wins championships
I am going to state again... I dislike both the teams that have advanced to the NBA finals. I am a fan of the sport, so, odds are I will sit down and watch parts of each game but I just can't sit through games that have more rebounds and blocks than points scored. I understand that they are the best of the best and that is why they have reached the finals, but at the same time I was hoping to see an offensive team face off versus a defensive team. The pistons and spurs don't try to score they try to stop the other teams from scoring and if they score thanks to a defensive play that's a bonus. I know a lot of people feel differently but I personally like the uptempo style of game where assists lead to dunks rather than when a block leads to a turnover! Highlight of the Detroit Pistons team is watchin what Ben Wallace will decide to do with his fro on game days and on the other end Ginobli is a pleasant surprise amongst a team of defensive specialist's. I am going to go out on a Limb and say if Tim Duncan is well rested and close to 100%, I give the series to the San Anotnio Spurs if not its gonna be a REEEPEEEAT by the Deeeeetroit Pistons! Expect the series to go into 6 games until we see a winner and don't expect the point totals to exceed 100 points this series for either team on any given night. I'll wait till next year to hope the raptors see a glimpse of the playoffs let alone reach the final dance, until then, ill get myself a good book and sit thru this snooze fest!