Author Archives: nolankartholl

Bringing more talent to South Beach

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There is some serious stuff going down in Miami right now. The Marlins have made the decision to totally revamp their entire organization from the ground up. We all know how dismal they were last year (didn’t they lose like 46 straight?), but they are bringing it this offseason. Big moves with Jose Reyes, a new reliever in Bell, and they’re after some guy named Pujols if you haven’t already heard ($200+ million for a 10 year deal). Although there are rumors that they have missed the boat on Pujols, they just snagged Mark Buehrle to bolster their starting pitching staff a few hours ago. On top of all this, they just built an absolutely tricked out stadium in Miami, and have rolled out some fresh new jerseys that actually looks like that they’re from Miami. Regardless, the Fish are still in the NL East and will have to battle with the likes of Philly and the rejuvenated Braves. If they grab one more big name pitcher they have more than a chance of snagging the Wild Card spot and if they over-achieve could quietly win the division. Don’t know what Miami is putting in the water, but $100 million contracts are like peanuts to these organizations. Meanwhile the Orioles are in the hunt for absolutely no one…stay hot.

Another New Big 3?

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According to sources, there is a good chance that Dwight Howard and Chris Paul could be wearing Purple and Yellow this season. Yes, both of them. This story popped up on my news feed at like 2AM last night and I couldn’t believe it. I was sold on CP3 heading to NY to join Amarie and Melo seeing how that’s the only thing he’s been saying. I also think that it would be ridiculous to match those three guys up. But if Dwight and Paul head over to the Lakers, the whole league is in trouble. I know everybody is against Kobe, but we have seen what he can do with a quality big man. Sprinkle Paul (who would be better Derek Fisher) into the mix and you can pretty much say that LA has the West on lockdown. Now, the Lakers would definitely have to dish out Odom, Bynum and Gasol in a deal like this, but I think the return would be incredible. Then again, we have seen how Mike Brown coaches superstars, and no Phil Jackson on the sideline could create some trouble. Nonetheless, the defensive player of the year paired with one of the most dynamic point guards in the league and one of the most clutch players of time? Uh oh…

Kraft Casino?

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I am not a huge fan of the Pats. I admire the organization’s emphasis on winning and how Belicheck could be the best coach of all time. The front office is fantastic at football related decisions, and that’s illustrated by their ability to draft the likes of Tom Brady in the 8th round, Wes Welker, Gronk and Hernandez, all while still making deep runs into the playoffs. ESPN.com just reported that Robert Kraft – who is an absolute boss – is looking into adding a Casino-like resort in Foxboro right near Gillette Stadium. Honestly, big props to this guy for bringing something to the table. I’ve been to Foxboro, and the entire city revolves around Gillette Stadium, regardless if it is a Sunday or a Wednesday. He just dropped millions into this place making it more than just a stadium and now he wants to combine two things that go together better than spaghetti and meatballs – Football and Gambling. Kraft just become an even bigger ‘G’ in my book with this move. If this thing goes through, Foxboro could become one of the greatest cities on the east coast. Because let’s get real, nothing good has come out of Foxboro besides the Pats.

@KDTrey5 vs @KingJames

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So, after much buildup and a few tweets back and forth, Kevin Durant matched up against LeBron James last night in Akron Ohio for the much anticipated Flag Football game between the two. First off, I am absolutely shocked that the Heat and Oke City were okay with this. Now, I know the CBA isn’t “official” yet, but if I am either organization’s owner and I know the season is starting on December 25, and I know how much money that I have already lost, you better believe that I would have these superstars on 24 hour lockdown. God forbid KD comes down awkwardly and rips up an ACL (cause honestly I know half the country was hoping LeBron got lit up coming across the middle) and Oke City is legit done for the year. That being said, the athleticism that was in this game was insane (except Durant’s brother who could have been the worst quarterback ever). I was rather upset that ESPN (as usual) put the entire spotlight on LeBron. The highlights only showed Durant when he was making a play on Lebron. All of this aside, I don’t think there is a doubt in the world that Lebron could not play in the NFL. You think Deon “Prime Time” was nice for playing baseball and football? Imagine playing – and dominating – in the NBA and NFL. Holy hell. Just saying, Lebron as a 6’8” wide receiver with speed and strength? Hate if you want, but this guy would make Calvin Johnson look like Muggsy Bogues.

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Saints vs. Pats Superbowl?

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Alright, let me start this post out by saying that this is not my prediction for the Superbowl. As good as both teams are, I just don’t see them getting past some of the more balanced teams in the league. With that being said, I would love to see this matchup come February because it has the ingredients to create one of the most delicious offensive showdowns in history. Looking at the figureheads of both squads, Brady and Brees, these guys are out of their minds this year. With both teams really using their entire wide-receiving core because each team lacks a Randy Moss / Calvin Johnson like superstar, it is truly incredible that these guys are both (yes, both) on pace to break the record for yards in a season. It’s a testament to their preparation and dedication to the game (if you watched the post-game last night, you could see Steve Young draw full as he described Brees). With that being said, this Superbowl matchup would be an all out slugfest. I legit think the over-under might be 409. With neither team possessing much of a secondary, players like Sproles and the super tight-end that is Gronkandez stepping up, the offensive display will be a masterpiece. Watching two of the best in the history of the game battle it out is something that I am undoubtedly looking forward to. That is unless Rogers continues to perform the same way he has in the last 11 games. In which case it will go down as the greatest QB performance ever (yes, even better than ’08 Brady).

New Season, New Rules

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Three things as a result of the shortened NBA season:

1. John Wall will have his coming out party. Due the fact that this kid has more athleticism than just about anyone who has entered the league in the last decade – besides Yoa Ming of course – the shortened season will help him come out of the gates hot. Building off of his incredible second half performance last year, 17+ points and 8+ assists per game( look it up), this guy is going to come out of the gates like Seabiscuit.

2. Oklahoma City will cruise. Okay, so everyone is talking about how the shortened season will benefit the vets because they will have more poise and know how to manage the ups and downs better. With that being said, I am very excited to see how the San Antonio Spurs – who have a mean age of 46 – are going to hold up with back-to-back-to-back games. I love the Spurs, don’t get me wrong, but Oke City is young, fast, and healthy. These guys have the mojo and the scorers to flat out beat teams with their pace.

3. The Miami Heat will win the NBA Title. I mean, I know how much everyone out here loves Lebron… why wouldn’t you? This guy knows how to make a classy exit, perform in the 4th quarter and announce the unprecedented 8-peat – what’s not to like? Son of a bitch. Okay seriously now, I hate to announce it here on BSB, but I can’t get away from it. The shortened season, coupled with the fact that the Heat gelled late last year is a recipe for success. The 66 games will give guys like Dwayne Wade, who still have some left in the tank, the ability to push themselves more down the stretch. Athleticism and the ability to stay injury free will be critical this season.

It may be “un-BSB” of me to post this, but I’m a Pacer fan (at least we have Larry Bird), so I really have no hope whatsoever.

‘Cuse Me?

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Well, looks like dominoes are dropping as allegations have arisen about Syracuse assistant men’s basketball coach, Bernie Fine. In case you missed SportsCenter the last few days, Bernie has been accused of molesting two ball boys (not funny) over a 16 month period. Now, I don’t really want to touch on the specifics of the incident, I’d rather talk about the way Syracuse is handling this situation – the exact way that Penn State should have. This is not to the degree of Penn State, but you still have one of the highest profile programs, with one of the most legendary college coaches of all time in the hot seat.

Syracuse and the police have agreed to investigate the matter (which has been investigated prior to this incident in ‘05), and has done the right thing by releasing a statement saying, “There should never be a rush to judgment when someone’s personal integrity and career are on the line.”

Now, what I find best about this is the direct action the university is taking, not just from administration, but from Beiheim himself. On ESPN, Beiheim said that it is a “bunch of a thousand lies …You don’t think it is a little funny that his cousin (relative) is coming forward? He supplied four names to the university that would corroborate his story. None of them did … there is only one side to this story. He is lying.”

Honestly, Beheim is a flat out G. This guy came out, defended his assistant head coach with facts and with fury, and took a stance. Something that Joe Pa failed to do.

Now, if real evidence surfaces, not only do I look like a dumbass, but we may have lost two of the most legendary coaches in collegiate history in a month span. I guess that would be payback for ‘Cuse leaving the big east.

Theo Making Moves

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Welp, it looks like Epstein is making moves on Red Sox prospects before they have a chance. Theo just snagged Milwaukee hitting coach, Dale Sveum, from the Red Sox short list of manager potentials, many saying that this was the Sox’s top choice. Now, besides the fact that this guy’s name is Dale and he has a whopping 7-5 record in his managerial career, I’m pretty excited to see how this guy can turn around one of the most dismal franchises in the MLB. He knows how to win – 2 championships in 2004 and 2008 – and he turned the Brewers into a hitting machine and a playoff team.

What does this mean for the Red Sox? Seeing how their prospective manager list is pretty dismal and none of their top three prospects have real managerial experience in the majors, I think it’s time to open up the interview process again. Now, Francona didn’t get hired until December in ’03, but after last season they need to bring in somebody who can raise the clubhouse drinking age to 40 so Varitek is the only one who can consume. And someone who can actually convert superstars into winners.

On a side note, new Sox GM Ben Cherington is heading out of the country for a much needed breather. Wait a second…who is Ben Cherington and what has he done so far?

Ugh oh Red Sox, Dan Duquette is coming back for revenge…

MLB’s Productive Offseason

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Unless you’ve been living in Sandusky’s basement for the last few months (too soon?), you’re well acquainted with the NBA lockout situation. Every negotiation has gone from bad to worse and recent news offers almost no hope for a season. However, this monumental collapse has actually overshadowed another extremely critical and game-changing agreement in the MLB.

ESPN.com and almost every other sports publication has attached itself to the Penn State shenanigans, the lockout and the start of college hoops. Simultaneously, an agreement is on the verge of being signed between the MLB and its players that will literally revamp the entire ballgame – I think for the better. According to ESPN, the MLB is about to “realignment of the sport into two 15-team leagues, adding a second wild-card team in each league, spreading interleague play throughout all six months of the regular season and making significant changes to the draft, free agency.”

Whoa now, I like what I’m hearing. Two wild card teams per league basically means that there will be 3 playoff teams from the AL East (one of which will naturally be the Orioles). Nonetheless, it’s great to see a league actually be productive in the offseason. Following one of the most pure baseball years all time, it’s fantastic to see them trying to improve.

David Stern – Bud Selig called and he wants you to get your shit together.