Bulls trade talks

The Chicago Bulls are in talks with the Toronto Raptors about trading Carlos Boozer for Andrea Bargnani.

The trade scenario comes from Marc Stein on ESPN.COM after sources told him that the Bulls and Raptors were in trade talks.

Boozer makes $15 million and Bargnani only makes $10 million this season. In order to make the trade work the Bulls would have to use the $5 million trade exception they have from trading Kyle Korver to the Atlanta Hawks. This would make the trade work money wise, but the question is should the Bulls trade Boozer?

Boozer has not lived up the five-year $75 million contract he signed two years ago. That’s a lot of money for a guy averaging 16 points and nine rebounds in three years as the Bulls power forward. That’s not going to cut it if he’s the second go to guy after Derrick Rose. The problem with this trade is that Boozer is a better player than Bargnani and is staying healthy this season.  

The reason Bulls would make the trade is because Bargnani makes $5 million less and can stretch the floor better than Boozer can. The Bulls fans have moaned and groaned about boozer being weak and disappearing when the team needed him most. The problem is that Bargnani hasn’t been any better at least so far this season. Bargnani has only played 23 out of the possible 50 games this season. Bargnani has average 16 points and only four rebounds in those 23 games. The four rebounds will not cut it for Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau.

Boozer might disappear in crunch time for the Bulls but Bargnani might not even have that chance, as he might be out of the line-up because of an injury. Bargnani would stretch the floor for the Bulls and that would open up lanes for Rose. The problem with Bargnani is two things: First, he’s not known for playing defense. Second, he’s been injury prone for the past two seasons.

The idea of trading Boozer and his terrible contract sounds great for Bulls fans but the thought of what the Bulls would get in return makes the Bulls and the fans think twice about it.

Remember the old saying Bulls fans “The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.” 

Superbowl fixed?

In my opinion, after watching Super Bowl XLVII, I started questioning if the game could possibly be fixed in some type of way. It may just be coincidence, but after the blackout happened all of the sudden the 49ers came back. The momentum completely shifted and it almost cost the Ravens the Superbowl. My argument is that I think the only reason that was a close game was because of the blackout. Anybody who really knows their sports knows that momentum is a huge factor. Well, Before the blackout at halftime the score was 21-6. After halftime, Jacoby Jones returned the kick to make the game 28-6. Now, its getting out of hand. And what happens...the lights go out! What a coincidence...if it really is one? I will say as a person who know his sports, if those lights don't go out...its a blowout.
 It wouldn't even have been a close game. Now, people may argue that the 49ers were bound to make a comeback, and I wouldn't say they would be completely wrong. Though, I will say that they were not going to make a game out of it. They might have scored some points trying to come back, but I say it would never have been as close. The thing that makes it even more suspicious is the current investigation going on in Soccer right now. If the most popular sport in the world is being "fixed,"what makes us viewers think that these other sports aren't rigged as well?
 A lot of people would never want it to be admitted that sports are fixed, but I wouldn't want to be oblivious to the fact that it could happen. The fact that Baltimore lost such momentum after the blackout was just skeptical to me. I honestly think that the game was getting out of control and somebody didn't want that to happen. I may be completely wrong and this all can just be coincidence. All I will say is you should think about it next time when a bad call is made. Whether it is a bad call; or an odd scenario like a blackout, momentum is real. I think stuff like that can affect a game...just like it did in the Super Bowl.

NCAA Age Requirements in Need of Reform?

Alex Collins, a running back for Plantation (Fla.) and five-star recruit had nothing standing in his way of going to his dream school... except for his mother.

When Collins received his National Letter of Intent, the tri-sport athlete was ecstatic. His dream to play football for Arkansas was finally coming true. All he had to do to formalize his devotion to join Arkansas' 2013 recruiting class, was get a parental signature. A prospect under the age of 21 cannot submit an official letter without written consent from a legal guardian. Seems easy enough, right?

This is when the story takes an interesting twist.

Collins is a high school senior at South Plantation High, near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he lives with his mother. When Collins asked his mom to sign his letter of consent on Wednesday she declined saying she wanted him to attend the University of Miami. Andrea McDonald, Collin's mother, had hopes that her son would stay closer to home and follow through with a verbal agreement they had made with Miami earlier in the year.

What's a boy to do when one parent tells you no?

Try the other!

This is when Collins takes matters into his own hands and asked his father to provide the written consent required by the NCAA. When his father agrees, everything seems set in place. One of the nations top 100 football recruits is on his way to sign.

Here comes another bizarre turn of events..

McDonald was so outraged by her son's decision that she sought legal advice from the Cochran Firm on Wednesday.

For anyone who has been living under a rock, the Cochran Firm is known all around the sports world and is most famous for defending O.J. Simpson during his 1995 murder trial.

Think she's trying to get a point across? She's not the kind of mom to double-cross.

Despite her hopes to keep her "mama's-boy" home, Collins finally signed with Arkansas on Thursday. A press release was given 45 minutes before the signing by Cochran Firm saying McDonald sought out their services to represent "the families interests".

Collins took to Twitter on Thursday addressing the events, "Finally over! Finally a razorback! I'm glad this is over alot of weight off my shoulders happy to be a hog! The camo suit was for the fans!"

While I'm happy that Collins's story has a happy ending, I think this debacle raises some really serious issues. Shouldn't an 18-year-old be able to make a decision like this themselves?

In other aspects of the law, 18-year-olds are able to make most decisions for themselves. It doesn't make sense to me that the NCAA can uphold their own laws. If being 18 means you are able to sign other contracts, why are they unable to make one of the most important decisions of their life, on their own-- choosing their school. It should be a player's decision who they want to sign with, period.

Chicago the Great

Chicago sports teams have been on fire lately! The Blackhawks are currently 7-2 and The Bulls are 29-19...what a great feeling for all the Chicago lovin' fans out there! But what about this talk of D. Rose coming back? It has definitely stirred up some excitement along with other mixed feelings. Many people, myself included, are wondering what the 2011 MVP will bring to the court. The Bulls have been doing extremely well without their star player; will Rose be ready to jump back in and reclaim his title? A few are also wondering what Rose's comeback will do to the team. The big question is if Rose is ready to even come back and get on the court. Due to his major injury, it is possible he won't be the same fierce point guard we once knew.  According to Carlos Boozer in an interview with the Chicago Sun Times, the team is looking forward to his return and only expecting good things to come. We'll get all the answers to these questions after the All Star break.

A Sober Super Bowl for Recovering Substance Abusers

While the majority of the country tuned in Sunday night for Super Bowl XLVII, with pizza and beer on stand-by, for nearly 300 Chicagoans, there wasn't a beer in sight.

Held at a gymnasium by the Salvation Army's Harbor Light Center near Chicago's West Side, this sober Super Bowl party, allowed recovering addicts and their families, to watch America's game without having to worry about the temptations that are associated with a "party."

Those in attendance were not only able to enjoy the game on a 10-foot screen, but were also able to enjoy more than 100 pizzas that Home Run Inn had donated to the event. 

Eric Goplerud, senior vice president of Substance Abuse, Mental Health and Criminal Justice Studies at NORC at the University of Chicago, says that attending an event such as this is a crucial step for people with past addictions. 

I think it was a great idea that a big organization such as the Salvation Army, really took an initiative by creating a safe and enjoyable environment for recovering addicts and their families.

Because the majority of Super Bowl parties include alcohol, recovering addicts could have easily found themselves in tempting situations had sober parties such as this did not exist.

"(A sober party) provides an opportunity to get together with other people who are in recovery in a social, exciting event where alcohol is not necessary to fuel or support camaraderie and having a good time," says Goplerud. "It reinforces that sobriety can be fun."

And though the Baltimore Ravens were the Super Bowl Champions, it's safe to say that everyone at this party also left as winners. 

Cheerocracy and Cookies

While most eyes were on the field for Super Bowl XLVII, Courtney Lenz couldn't take her eyes off the sidelines.

Lenz, a Balimore Ravens cheerleader, didn't make it to the Super Bowl as she had hoped. Lenz planned on retiring from the Ravens after Sunday night, but was denied performance at the most important game of her life.

The Ravens chose thirty-two out of sixty cheerleaders to perform this Sunday. The coaches looked at seniority, performance ability, and personal conduct throughout the season.

I give you, Cheerocracy.

For this veteran cheerleader, either the five years she's spent on the squad aren't enough, or there is something fishy going on.

Claiming her recent weight gain as the reason, Lenz reached out through various media outlets for support to try and sway her coaches' decision. All that resulted in was a big messy argument over what did and didn't happen. I know I am a little old for this back and forth, hair-pulling girl drama, but I think we may have just found the answer to an age-old question. Was it Courtney who stole the cookies out of the cookie jar?

Lenz claims the reason for being barred from last night's Super Bowl was on account of a 1.6 pound gain.

As a former cheerleader, I fully understand what it takes to look good in one of those toddler sized uniforms, but 1.6 pounds? Isn't it possible that Lenz used an extra can of hair spray on the day of her weigh-in? There goes my cookie-jar-theory.

Lenz backs her claim by recalling two previous games this season where she was benched because of her weight gain of 1.6 pounds.

People became so outraged by Lenz's story that a group formed on facebook. Over 7,000 fans proved their support by "liking" the page.

Depsite all of the media attention, Lenz was not able to perform in last night's Super Bowl game.

Many former Ravens cheerleaders have since spoken out against Lenz defending Ravens policies. Some have claimed that Lenz did not adhere to the fraternization policy and that her conduct had not been up to par.

Super Bowl XLVII Recap

Between Jacoby Jones, a power blackout, and a certain supermodel's slimey spit-swapping session, viewers of Super Bowl XLVII were left with a lot to talk about after the big game.

The Baltimore Raven's defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31, and after gaining a huge lead in the first half they weren't going to let anything like a major power outage stand in their way. Half the stadium lost power shortly after half-time, and it wasn't fully restored for what seemed like the longest 34 minutes in Super Bowl history.

Millions of viewers spent the half hour complaining about the blackout to their social media sites of choice, including Facebook and Twitter. The news of the blackout quickly out-shined even Beyonce- and her electrifying half time performance. The singer was joined on stage for a surprise reunion with former Destiny's Child singers Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

While the power outage was the first of its kind we've seen at a Super Bowl, it wasn't the only thing making history. Jacoby Jones' 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was the first one ever seen at the start of the third quarter. The only other person to do so was former Bear's player Devin Hester at the beginning of a past Super Bowl game against the Colts.

Supermodel Bar Refaeli made a lot of people lose their nachos in her raunchy Go Daddy commercial. The company that started sexualizing domain names took it a step further this year in their ad, where Rafaeli can be seen sucking the tongue of a computer geek, nauseating sound effects and all.

UFC 156: Title Issues

In UFC 156 Franky Edgar looked to take hold of the feather weight belt that Jose Aldo has defended for 3 fights in a row.  The first two rounds started put as many people thought with Aldo controlling the pace of the fight as well as bloodying up Edgar's face.  The well conditioned Edgar is not one to give up as most people would agree he took the next two rounds to tie up the score card.  With a couple take downs and good counters it looked like the fight was getting real good.  The fifth round was a toss up in my opinion and neither fighter really showed their dominance.  The fight, however, went all five rounds and Aldo won a unanimous decision.

The fast pace fight that these athletes put on was spectacular, and Edgar deserves a chance to take the belt once more.  This bout was just too close to say Aldo won it decisively.  The only reason why I could see the UFC not giving Edgar a second chance would be because all of his title fights have to have a rematch and that sets the whole division back.  For example, Anthony Pettis, a light weight fighter, was promised a title shot against Franky Edgar, but when Edgar was not able to beat Maynard decisively, they had to give Maynard another shot which put the number one contender in a weird position.  He could have either waited for the fight to be over, or take another fight in the mean time.  Pettis took a fight against Illinois local Clay Guida and lost which was even more of a set back for Pettis.

So what is the UFC to do? I really think that if the judges make the decision that it should be final, regardless of how close the fight is.  It gets kind of annoying watching the same fighters going for the belts after a while.  I realize the hype between the fights is good for business, but that hype would be the same, if not greater, if they let the next number one contender have their chance.  Staying int he light weight division for my example,  Edgar vs.  Maynard I was the only fight that at the time Maynard did not win.  It ended in a tie.  So when Edgar v. Maynard II was for the light weight belt, there was still a alot of hype over the bout.  So why not just keep the fights coming and allowing for the number one contenders to have their chance at taking the belt when they deserve it?