On Saturday, the NFL’s current Pro Bowl stars were given the unique opportunity to play in what was expected by many to be the last Pro Bowl ever played. Following the abysmal effort from players in the exhibition last year, coupled with a strict warning from Commissioner Roger Goodell that the Pro Bowl’s future would be decided this year, the portents were not looking kind for the event, which was first played back in 1939.

Although many expected the Pro Bowl to write its own eulogy, the viewing public were treated to a surprising compelling game, and the players could well have done enough to breathe life into an event that was all but on the scrapheap.

Both teams displayed considerable effort given the circumstances, and could have found a comfortable ‘middle ground’ which could see the Pro Bowl remain a feature on the NFL calendar.

A perfect example of this was evident when Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil had a big blindside hit lined up on Drew Brees, but pulled out of it, seemingly remembering where he was as he got closer to the quarterback. Protecting the quarterback in a game such as this seems fair, especially when you consider the defensive hustle that was shown throughout the game (by this I mean tackles were made, an odd sight in recent Pro Bowls).

The game also featured its madder moments, not least so the inclusion of JJ Watt as a wide receiver at one point, but to the Pro Bowl detractors, let’s not forget that this is an end of season showpiece – If you can’t do the crazy here, where can you?

One of the most resounding arguments for keeping the Pro Bowl was surely made by Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday. Manning and Saturday played together for the majority of their careers in Indianapolis, and following Saturday’s recent retirement announcement, the NFC center was allowed to snap the ball one last time to the AFC’s Manning. It was a poignant moment, and if Goodell does end up scrapping the Pro Bowl, it was a fitting moment for the exhibition to go out on.

It will inevitably, if unfairly, be compared to the NBA’s ‘All Star Weekend’ which far exceeds it in popularity and effort displayed by its players (the joys of a non-contact sport). However, could the Pro Bowl learn something from its round-balled cousin?

All Star Weekend is littered with extra events that all lead up to the All Star game, such as the three-point shootout, slam dunk competition, and a celebrity game, all of which contribute to the success of the weekend. It is difficult to imagine similar events at the Pro Bowl, with perhaps the exception of a highly appealing quarterback shootout, but it is something which Goodell could consider to help rejuvenate the event.

Unfortunate, it is unlikely that we will ever see a Pro Bowl competed for with the intensity that the players play with in the NFL. Due to the money these players risk losing if they suffer a serious injury, sensibility will always cause them to reel in their efforts.

In the world of Rugby Union, the Barbarians invitational side play with passion and effort abound, despite the fact the players are at just as much risk of injury as those in the Pro Bowl. There is however a large disparity in earnings, and most rugby players also have guaranteed contracts, meaning that all but the most serious injuries should have little to no affect on the players’ earnings.

With the Super Bowl, Free Agency, Combine and Draft all looming on the horizon, anxiety over Goodell’s decision in regards to the Pro Bowl will be very low. This essentially has left many with decidedly mixed feelings over the Pro Bowl. It is a nice event to have, but if Goodell does decide to do away with it, I certainly won’t lose any sleep over it.

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There are two possible words to describe the NBA offseason thus far: player movement.

Since last season’s trade, deadline rumors of Dwight Howard leaving Orlando took NBA movement headlines. Although he has made it clear that he wants to join the Brooklyn Nets, the Orlando Magic have not found the right deal to send their superstar packing. It seems talks between the Magic and Nets are over for now after Brooklyn inked current center Brook Lopez to a four-year, $61 million deal. The longer the Magic continues to hold onto Howard, the less leverage they will have when it comes to deals. Orlando doesn’t want history to repeat itself when they lost Shaquille O’Neal for nothing.

The Brooklyn Nets did not let the “Dwight-mare” affect them when it came to making other deals. One of the biggest moves this offseason included the addition of ex-Atlanta Hawks guard, Joe Johnson, to Brooklyn. The Nets sent Jordan Farmar, Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro, DeShawn Stevenson, Jordan Williams, and two draft picks in exchange for the six-time all-star. The addition of Joe Johnson definitely helped Deron Williams make his decision to come back with the Nets, signing a five-year $98 million deal. The Nets also agreed to terms with veteran point guard, C.J. Watson.

The Nets possible starting line-up for next season could be: Brook Lopez, newly signed forward Mirza Teletovic, Gerald Wallace, Joe Johnson, and Deron Williams. Let’s not forget MarShon Brooks, who will make a great impact off the bench for the Nets. It seems the Nets have made a jump from possible lottery winners to playoff contenders in a few months.

With the Nets making all these moves and improving, their New York rival Knicks had to start doing something. In a sign-and-trade, the Knicks welcomed back Marcus Camby and sent Toney Douglas, Josh Harrellson, Jerome Jordan, and two future second-round picks to the Rockets. The 38 year old will help back up Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire, as well as help the Knicks improve defensively.

Knicks brought in another veteran signing point guard, Jason Kidd. Kidd is coming off his worst career year, averaging only 6.2 points per game and 5.5 assists per game. Signing Kidd made Knick fans assume they would re-sign Jeremy Lin; however, that does not seem to be the case after the Knicks’ latest move. The Knicks are bringing back Raymond Felton and Kurt Thomas for Jared Jeffries and Dan Gadzuric.

Bringing back Felton likely closes the idea that the Knicks will match the Houston Rockets three-year $25 million deal for Lin. The Knicks have also re-signed Steve Novak and J.R Smith. Felton back in New York may be the only good move so far for the Knicks. Looking at everything else they seem to have just gotten older, not better.

However, the Knicks have parted ways with guard Landry Fields after not matching the Raptors three year $19 million deal. Toronto also added guard Kyle Lowry in exchange for Gary Forbes and a future first-round pick.

When everyone thought the Heat couldn’t get any better, the NBA champions did. The Heat added veteran sharp shooter, Ray Allen, in a three-year deal. Also, the Heat added veteran, Rashard Lewis, to a two-year deal.

After losing one veteran, the Celtics locked up Kevin Garnett to a 3-year $34 million deal. The 36-year old will definitely help improve Boston’s rookie big men Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo’s skills in order to be effective in the NBA. The Celtics also brought in another veteran guard, Jason Terry. Terry will likely start due to guard Avery Bradley undergoing shoulder surgery; however, once Bradley returns, Terry will take the duty as sixth man.

Philadelphia 76ers added guard Nick Young, who averaged 14.2 points per game last season. Young will be a good replacement for Lou Williams, who has reached an agreement with the Atlanta Hawks. In addition, Young may have the edge to earn the starting job over Evan Turner.

The Detroit Pistons traded away guard Ben Gordon and a first-round pick to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Corey Maggette. The Bobcats also added free agents Ramon Sessions and Brendan Haywood.

Indiana Pacers re-signed guard George Hill as well as center Roy Hibbert. In addition, the Pacers added Gerald Green and D.J Augustin. However, the Pacers traded guard Darren Collison and Dahntay Jones for Ian Mahinmi.

The Milwaukee Bucks were able to re-sign probably one of the most underrated free agents this offseason, Ersan Ilyasova. Ilyasova signed a four-year, $45 million contract after having the best season of his career averaging 13 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Although the only news coming from Orlando is about Dwight Howard trade rumors, they were able to re-sign guard Jameer Nelson and add Gustavo Ayon via trade for three-point specialist Ryan Anderson.

There is still tons of time and room for more deals to be done in the East and it will be exciting to see what will happen next.

For More Eastern Conference Moves/Deals 

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The trade deadline has come and gone and not a single meaningful shot was fired. In fact, the shot not heard meant the most to the league and to those who followed every word anticipating big changes in Orlando.

Dwight Howard, the big fish in the small pond chose to stay and opt-in the early termination clause of his contract. The process says more about the perennial all-star than the eventual outcome but what matters more is the impact his decision will have on free agency after the 12-13 season.

The team that Howard had been linked to for the last two years had been the New Jersey Nets, soon to be the Brooklyn Nets. A lot was expected from the Nets but things have not gone according to plan since the Russian billionaire took over — Mikhail Prokhorov came in and raised expectations for the franchise but it was clear things wouldn’t be as easy as he might have expected.

From Carmelo to Lebron, the Nets have swung and missed and now with Dwight choosing to stay because of his loyalty (as he puts it), the Nets are wandering through the NBA without a great amount of options.

Derron Williams will not follow Howard and sign his early termination clause, instead opting to test free agency in the off season and most likely leave to another franchise. The biggest competition at this early stage in the process is the Dallas Mavericks.

The Mavericks will be without Jason Kidd who at this point is keeping the seat warm for a younger more dynamic guard in the mold of Williams. They will be in a great position given their cap situation to acquire the 26-year-old guard leaving the Nets without a marque star in Brooklyn.

The Nets will have the financial advantage in that they will be in the position to offer Williams twenty eight million more than any other team can offer. However; something tells me money won’t be the determining factor in his decision. The Nets can add pieces via free agency and the draft but it remains to be seen if it will match a potential Dirk Nowitzki/Williams combo. Not to mention the many other teams who will throw their hats in the ring for his services.

There was much excitement early on but that feeling has been replaced by disappointment and maybe even panic. The stadium is already making its presence felt in downtown Brooklyn and the people of Brooklyn are excited about having a team again but things are not looking good in terms of star power in the big city.

With the Knicks struggling at times, the opportunity is there or at least was there for the Nets to make an impact and at least become part of the conversation. The names are drying up and all that money won’t mean nothing if no one wants to come and play.

At this point it doesn’t really matter what Howard does two years from now in free agency — if it even gets to that point, chances are Williams will be gone and coming to Brooklyn to play by himself for Howard wouldn’t make much sense. Sure other big names will become available but given the track record of the Nets under Prokhorov, fans of the team should prepare for a lot more swings with many more misses.

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If you’re going to upgrade to a beautiful new home you might as well get some fresh furniture to put in it. That’s the exact philosophy that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has lived by this off season. Last month he moved his newly named Miami Marlins into a brand new stadium and this week he added considerable depth with the big free agent acquisitions of shortstop Jose Reyes, starter Mark Buehrle, and closer Heath Bell.

“Outstanding week,” said Marlins new manager Ozzie Guillen. “I’d never thought we were going to do it so fast, so quick. They [the front office] were very aggressive.”

The Marlins initially received most of their buzz for their strong interest in Albert Pujols, but their most recent signing of Buehrle late on December 7^th, was quickly followed by an end to those rumors. Pujols then agreed to a mega deal with the Angels the next day – ten years, $254 million.

Miami also lost out to the Angels for the top pitcher available, C.J. Wilson. Wilson also signed with them on December 8^th, agreeing to a five year, $77.5 million deal.

Yet although the Angels came out of the fair with the nicest prizes the Marlins still feel that they emerged as the Winter Meetings’ biggest winners. They came to Dallas known as a losing team that was never active when it came to highly sought after free agents – but they left with $191 million worth of prizes.

Loria’s desires to build a contending team that will bring this starving fan base hope began on December 5^th with the official signing of Bell to a three year, $27 million contract.

“It’s going to be totally different,” said Bell. “We’re now the Miami Marlins. People are going to be in the seats. It’s going to be loud and exciting. There’s going to be a buzz.”

When fans think of today’s best closers the list usually includes obvious names like Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jose Valverde. But Bell has become one of the top closers himself over the last few years. Playing in the small market of San Diego since 2006 has made him somewhat of a hidden gem, as he is the only closer in all of baseball with at least 40 saves each of the last three seasons.

“We know firsthand how tough he is coming out to close in the ninth inning,” said Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest. With the all-important closer role taken care of, the front office then began focusing on acquiring a big-time position player.

And they did not waste any time in doing so. An appointment to meet with Reyes and his agent was scheduled the minute the free agent signing period began on November 3^rd – just one past midnight. The two sides agreed to a six year $106 million deal by November 7^th.

If anyone understood how much of a superstar Reyes was, it was the Marlins. Playing in the N.L. East had only made them firsthand victims of Reyes’ antics for the past decade. They knew the Mets could not afford to keep one of the game’s most dynamic players so they swooped in.

“We now have at the top of our lineup a four-time All-Star, a batting champion and one of the fastest men in the game,” said Beinfest. The signing has sparked a lot of controversy, however. The Marlins already have an elite shortstop in Hanley Ramirez. The plan was to move Ramirez to third base if Reyes was signed, but many are unsure whether or not he would be willing to do so.

Rumor now has it that front office may be shopping him if he does not cooperate with the team’s desires. Just hours after Reyes became a Marlin the team bolstered its weak starting pitching by adding Buehrle to the staff. The veteran lefty signed a four year, $58 million contract. No one was happier about this than Ozzie Guillen, who managed him for years during their time with the White Sox. Buehrle is 161-119 with a 3.83 ERA over his career.

“The Marlins know how much I love him,” said Guillen. “I know how much he can help us. If we have Buehrle, it can make my life a little easier.” This organization couldn’t be any happier with the new toys they just bought. “When we drew up our off season plan, and how we wanted our team look, we are in the A box right now,” said team president David Samson.

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No Angels fans, that was not a dream. And as far as the other 29 teams and their fans are concerned – sorry, but that was not a horrible nightmare. Thursday morning really did begin with news that the Angels not only signed pitcher C.J. Wilson, but Albert Pujols as well.

Veteran outfielder Vernon Wells was ecstatic when talking about the addition of his new teammates. “You’re adding two of the biggest pieces in the market, two guys still young and in their prime who can dominate. This gives us a legitimate chance to get to the playoffs and farther,” he said.

All the excitement definitely begins with the shocking acquisition of King Albert. The Angels were not mentioned as a contender for his services until just 48 hours before the deal took place. It was clear that Pujols was potentially the most talented player to ever hit the free-agent market. Contrary to rumors that had his overall contract estimated around $300 million over ten years the Angels were able to get him onboard for ten years and $254 million.

But, when hearing these circumstances, the situation should not be misconstrued. Pujols was not shortchanged by any means whatsoever, and the Angels were not given an easily affordable check to write. The two sides agreed to the second largest contract in Major League history.

Only Alex Rodriguez’s ten year, $275 million deal that he signed in 2007 with the Yankees has ever been worth more. Angels owner Arte Moreno had no doubt that Pujols was worth the nice chunk of change. “This is a monumental day for Angel fans, and I could not be more excited. Albert’s career performance clearly speaks for itself. He has proven to be the best player of his generation.”

And while Pujols’ star power was the big story of the day, the signing of Wilson should not be overlooked. Unlike Pujols, most people were aware that the Angels were strongly pursuing the lefty starter in Wilson. The 31-year-old grew up just 12 miles from Angel Stadium and did not reassure the Rangers and their fans that he desired to return for another season in Arlington.

His hometown team showed interest and made him a suitable offer. “At the end of the day, my family was a big player in this, and my friends and stuff back home,” said Wilson. “Going back to where you’re from is a difficult thing to turn down when you have an opportunity, and it works out really in every way.”

Although Wilson was regarded as the best starter available this offseason, he did not receive a $100+ million contract like many expected before this October. His lack of a power fastball and struggles this postseason were the contributors in the end. He went 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA in 6 starts during the 2011 playoffs.

Not only does adding Wilson give the Angels one of the top starting rotations in the league with Jared Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana, but it also weakens the Rangers rotation. Texas has won the A.L. West the last two years and gone to the World Series both times.

Now the Angels aim to get back to dominating the division the way they did in past years. In just one day’s worth of signings C.J. Wilson and Albert Pujols have also changed the entire landscape of the American League as a whole. Get your tickets now, Angels fans. They won’t be available for too long.

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What was originally viewed as a great deal for Nets fans could ironically become their worst nightmare by season’s end. Deron Williams, acquired last year in a deal with the Jazz, stated Thursday that he will not sign an extension with New Jersey and will go elsewhere following this year according to ESPN. Williams has a player option at the end of 2012 that he will reportedly exercise.

New Jersey traded for Williams in 2011 in exchange for rookie forward Derrick Favors, point guard Devin Harris and their upcoming first round draft pick. The rest of the league did not see it coming, but as one of the league’s elite point guards they depended on him to be the first major piece in hopefully a new era of winning.

However, it was certainly viewed around the league as a risky move by new owner Mikhail Prokhorov and general manager Billy King, knowing that Williams could walk away without even playing two full seasons with the club. And if he were to do so the team would suffer a major setback.

The Nets have been painfully irrelevant the last few years, as most NBA fans can recall following a 12-70 season just two years ago. They’ve appeared even worse to fans in the northeast recently due to the Knicks recent success.

New York has become an elite contender since acquiring Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, and New Jersey’s front office hoped to achieve the same by trading for Williams with their move to Brooklyn less than a calendar year away.

The Nets made the move despite awareness of potentially jeopardizing their future. Derrick Favors was not performing like the lottery pick that he was, averaging only 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 56 games with the team. But giving up on a rookie who could still grow for a player who controls his own future is a transaction most teams wouldn’t have made. They also gave Utah what turned out to be the number three pick in the draft.

Meanwhile, Harris posted solid numbers for a starting point guard, averaging 15 points and nearly eight assists per game for New Jersey last year. The acquisition of Williams will be detrimental to the team’s development if he really does leave, but many believe that it could also just be his way of forcing the team to make a more aggressive push at potential free agents such as Dwight Howard.

Howard will be on the open market this summer and the popular sentiment is that the Magic will be unable to retain him. Most are going with the notion that he will sign with a team in a big market to join other superstars in a similar fashion to the great players that went to the Heat and Knicks.

The Magic would be forced to trade Howard in order to avoid being left empty-handed. Recent rumors discuss a deal between they and the Nets that would involve Brook Lopez and draft picks. A deal like that could produce a powerful Eastern Conference contender for years to come.

Williams knows this and would love to team up with a force like Howard. It is possible that he could already be discussing his future so the Nets won’t waste any time in pursuit of players like him. New Jersey knows that the likelihood of him re-signing would almost be a given if they make a huge splash within the upcoming months.

For Nets fans acquiring Deron Williams has gone from a sign of hope to potentially many more years of misery. But no matter what happens they will certainly undergo some sort of emotional extreme once a decision is finally made.

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On the verge of an NBA season to be opening on Christmas day, fans will enter a familiar place where curiosity sets in for their beloved teams and how far they can go this year. However, with the exception of the summer’s draft picks, teams have remained relatively the same since the end of last season due to the lockout prohibiting trading and free agency. Therefore, expectations should be the same.

With free agency set to begin on December 9^th, just sixteen days before the season tips off, several general managers will make significant roster moves that can have a huge impact on the playoff picture at season’s end.

The 2011 class doesn’t contain any stars the way that the 2010 list did with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, but it does possess some interesting talent that can really shake up the final standings in comparison to last year. So out of the dozens of players available which ones should fans hope that their teams go after exactly? Let’s break it down categorically beginning with restricted free agents.

Some of the top restricted free agents include names like Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler and Grizzlies center Marc Gasol. Chandler brings the ability to score from anywhere on the floor, which is why he was a major piece of the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York. Meanwhile, the much improved Gasol brings incredible size with the ability to also shoot at 7’1, 265 pounds.

Other restricted free agents that will spark interest include Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo, Celtics forward Jeff Green, Heat guard Mario Chalmers, and Clippers center DeAndre Jordan for his remarkable athleticism. Although there aren’t any restricted names that jump out as great scorers, there are a few unrestricted ones that could help a team put up points down the stretch to complement their primary threats.

This includes Mavs forward Caron Butler and Magic guard Jason Richardson. Richardson has averaged 18 points per game over his career since coming into the league in 2001, while Butler has averaged 16.6 since beginning a year later in 2002. While Butler did not contribute to the Mavericks title run in 2011 due to injury, three key components on that team will also be available on the 9^th.

Guard J.J. Barea, who brings great energy and a consistent jumper, will be on the market along with teammate forward Tyson Chandler, who adds ferocious defensive intensity and strong rebounding.

Guard Peja Stojakovic, an extremely lethal shooter, helped spread the floor for the offense as well, while hitting a number of big shots throughout his career going all the way back to his early 2000’s days with the Kings.

Every team needs at least one pure three-point threat similar to Stojakovic. The Nuggets’ J.R. Smith, the Hawks’ Jamal Crawford, and the Heat’s James Jones provide excellent shooting for any team that lacks it. Jones won last year’s three point shootout and shot almost 43% from behind the arc, while Crawford and Smith can also score off the dribble as well.

But shooters and scorers won’t be enough to win championships. That can only be done by obtaining size to clog up the paint and rebound, along with lockdown defenders to shut down perimeter scorers in the big moments of a game. Players such as Boston’s Glen Davis, Denver’s Nene and Kenyon Martin, and New Orleans’ David West make the best available big men.

Memphis’ Leon Powe and Shane Battier, Phoenix’s Grant Hill, and Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince are the main desired defenders. Although there are several more players who will become free agents in a matter of days, these seem the vital pawns for a team’s playoff run, and even perhaps to win a championship.

Fans should hope that their teams can acquire any of these players, especially those that played for them last year. While there are other players who seem interesting on paper such as Mavs forward DeShawn Stevenson, Lakers guard Shannon Brown, and Wizards guard Josh Howard – their character issues make them distractions that fans should hope their teams stay far away from.

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This time around its time to break down the AFC North.

Pittsburgh Steelers: 2010 Record: 12-4 Divisional Finish: 1^st Playoff Finish: Lost in Super Bowl to Green Bay Packers

Key Off-season Acquisitions:

WR Jerricho Cotchery (Free Agency)
RB Mewelde Moore (Resign)
K Shaun Suisham (Resign)
CB Ike Taylor (Resign)

Key Off-season Losses:

Antwaan Randle El (Released)
The Steelers didn’t do much in way of big off-season acquisitions, but then again they made it to the Super Bowl last year. What they did do was resign some key pieces such as RB Mewelde Moore and CB Ike Taylor which will be vital to them making another run at winning it all.

They did lose third string receiver WR Antwaan Randle El, choosing to part ways with the veteran receiver, but they were able to pick up WR Jerricho Cotchery who was released by the New York Jets and they have high expectations for young WR Mike Wallace who really came into his own at the end of last season into the playoffs.

Having no real major roster changes the Steelers are coming back with virtually the same team from last year which should bode well for them. It should be another solid season for Pittsburgh with a very good chance to get back to and win the Super Bowl

Record Prediction: 13-3

Baltimore Ravens: 2010 Record: 12-4 Divisional Finish: 2^nd Playoff Finish: Lost in Divisional Round to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Key Off-season Acquisitions:

CB Chris Carr (Resign)
FB Vonta Leach (Free Agency)
SS Benard Pollard (Free Agency)
RB Ricky Williams (Free Agency)

Key Off-season Losses:

DT Kelly Gregg (Kansas City)
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Free Agency)
WR Derrick Mason (New York Jets)
DB Dawan Landry (Jacksonville)
FB Le’Ron McClain (Free Agency)
RB Willis McGahee (Released)

The Baltimore Ravens coming into this off-season had a lot of questions facing them with a lot of players becoming free agents. The Ravens had a solid season last year and where looking to take that next step toward winning it all. This off-season they were able to sign people to fill the voids left by losing some key people.

The losses of FB Le’Ron McClain and RB Willis McGahee were countered by the signings of FB Vonta Leach and RB Ricky Williams. Losing DT Kelly Gregg, WR Derrick Mason, and DB Dawan Landry are big loses for this team and they are looking within the team for some help filling those slots.

With their staunch defense, the Ravens should have another good year fighting for not only the AFC North title, but also for a high playoff seed and championship. The Ravens have all the pieces to make a run at the Super Bowl, but much of their chances rest with QB Joe Flacco and his performance this season.

Record Prediction: 12-4

Cleveland Browns: 2010 Record: 5-11 Divisional Finish: 3^rd Playoff Finish: Did not make playoffs

Key Off-season Acquisitions:

K Phil Dawson (Franchise)
RB Brandon Jackson (Free Agency)

Key Off-season Losses:

RB Mike Bell (Detroit)
QB Jake Delhomme (Released)
WR Chansi Stuckey (Arizona)

The Browns have a tough road ahead of them. With no big name signings they’re still in the rebuilding process and trying to develop young QB Colt McCoy. When a team uses there franchise tag on the kicker you know that they aren’t in the greatest of situations. Being in the same division as the Steelers and Ravens also doesn’t help being they have to play them both twice.

They haven’t lost much, but really haven’t upgraded either. It’s going to be another long season for the Browns as there division along with a lack of play making pieces will not make them contenders this year. They will again miss the playoffs and will be well short of .500.

Record Prediction: 4-12

Cincinnati Bengals: 2010 Record: 4-12 Divisional Finish: 4^th Playoff Finish: Did Not Make Playoffs

Key Off-season Acquisitions:

RB Cedric Benson (Resign)
CB Nate Clements (Free Agency)
C Kyle Cook (Resign)
QB Bruce Gradkowski (Free Agency)
TE Bo Scaife (Free Agency)
FS Gibril Wilson (Resign)

Key Off-season Losses:

MLB Dhani Jones (Free Agency)
QB Carson Palmer (Retirement)
WR Terrell Owens (Free Agency)
CB Jonathan Joseph (Houston)
TE Reggie Kelly (Atlanta)

The Bengals went from being a solid playoff team two years ago to dead last in the division last year. The team has some great pieces, but with QB Carson Palmer requesting a trade and then retiring when he wasn’t is going to resonate throughout this season. They did sign some good players, and resign a few key players, but lost some good players as well.

Resigning Cedric Benson was their biggest move and a move that needed to be made as they will have to rely heavily on the running game with either Bruce Gradkowski who they signed from the Raiders or TCU’s Andy Dalton who they drafted this year. The lack of receivers will hurt this team in the long run as they parted ways with Terrell Owens and traded Chad Ochocinco.

They also lost CB Jonathan Joseph who is one of the most talented in the league at his position, but were able to sign Nate Clements from the 49ers who also has the potential to be one of the tops in the league at his position. With the lack of a passing attack and a middle of the pack defense, combined with being in a tough division will spell a long season culminating in a few wins and no playoffs.

Record Prediction: 4-12

AFC North Prediction: The Steelers won the division last year due to a tie breaker, but they should win the division again this year outright. With the Ravens changing many key pieces and the Steelers not changing any the Steelers will defend their AFC North title and be on their way to a potential top seed in the playoffs.

Like the AFC East look for the Steelers and Ravens to have a rematch of their divisional round playoff game from last year.

For my next preview I will be looking at the AFC South.

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With the football season right around the corner and training camps starting to get into full swing I’m going to be taking a look at every team division by division over the next few weeks, breaking down off-season moves, making predictions about final records, and predicting who will be coming out of each division. I’m going to start with the AFC East.

New England Patriots: 2010 Record: 14-2 Divisional Finish: 1^st Playoff finish: Lost in Divisional Round to New York Jets

Key Off-season acquisitions:

WR Chad Ochocinco (Trade with Bengals)

DT Albert Haynesworth (Trade with Redskins)

G Logan Mankins (Franchise)

T Matt Light (Resign)

RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis(Resign)

DE Shaun Ellis (Free Agency)

Key Off-season Losses:

DE Ty Warren (Denver)

K Shayne Graham (Washington)

The Pats didn’t sign any top notch free agents this off-season, but leave it up to Bill Belichick and company to make a splash anyways. Trading for pro-bowlers WR Chad Ochocinco and DT Albert Haynesworth the Patriots were able to improve their roster.

Ochocinco represents a significant upgrade at WR and gives Tom Brady the big (much taller at 6’1” than Welker and Branch at 5’9”) number 1 target the Patriots have been missing since Randy Moss’s departure at the beginning of last season. Haynesworth, though unproductive recently is a pro-bowl caliber tackle that with Vince Wilfork will provide significant size in the middle of the D-line.

Add these to the resigning of key lineman Logan Mankins and Matt Light along with stealing Shaun Ellis from the Jets and the Patriots have had quite the off-season. The Patriots look well equipped to make another run at a Super Bowl.

Record Prediction: 12-4

New York Jets: 2010 Record: 11-5 Divisional Finish: 2^nd Playoff Finish: Lost in AFC Championship to Pittsburgh Steelers

Key Off-season acquisitions:

WR Santonio Holmes (Resign)

CB Antonio Cromartie (Resign)

WR Plaxico Burress (Free Agency)

S Eric Smith (Resign)

S Brodney Pool (Resign)

WR Derek Mason (Free Agency)

Key Off-season Losses:

WR Jerricho Cotchery (Released)

WR Braylon Edwards (San Francisco)

WR Brad Smith (Buffalo)

DE Shaun Ellis (New England)

CD Drew Coleman (Jacksonville)

The Jets started this off-season by resigning the best WR available Santonio Holmes. After the Nnamdi snub the Jets went to work resigning CB Antonio Cromartie, and Safeties Eric Smith and Brodney Pool to sure up there secondary behind ‘All-Universe’ corner Darrelle Revis.

The big question for the Jets is how big of a step will QB Mark Sanchez take and they’re taking a risk getting rid of WR’s Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery whom Sanchez has developed with over the past two years in favor of fresh out of prison Plaxico Burress who hasn’t played in two years and veteran Derek Mason from Baltimore. By not resigning Shaun Ellis they’re also putting a lot of pressure on 1^st round draft pick Muhammad Wilkerson to step up into a starting role instead of learning and developing behind a solid veteran.

The Jets are definitely taking a ‘win now’ approach and with most of the team that made it to the AFC Championship last year still in place they should be poised for another Super Bowl run. The question becomes whether newly named captain Mark Sanchez will step up and propel this team to the next level.

Record Prediction: 12-4

Miami Dolphins: 2010 Record: 7-9 Divisional Finish: 3^rd Playoff Finish: Did not make playoffs

Key Off-season acquisitions:

QB Matt Moore (Free Agency)

RB Reggie Bush (Trade)

T Marc Colombo (Free Agency)

OLB Jason Taylor (Free Agency)

Key Off-season Losses:

RB Ronnie Brown (Philadelphia)

ILB Channing Crowder (Released)

CB Al Harris (St.Louis)

RB Ricky Williams (Baltimore)

Miami hasn’t had the greatest off-season. With many key pieces leaving in free agency Miami let go of their RB’s Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams as well as ILB Channing Crowder.

Looking to upgrade at QB Miami struck out on the bigger name free agents, but were able to sign Matt Moore from Carolina which should represent an upgrade from Chad Henne. Miami was able to trade New Orleans for explosive yet injury prone RB Reggie Bush which should help fill the void left by Brown and Williams, but doesn’t offer a number one option at RB should they not sign anyone else.

Jason Taylor resigned with Miami after his one year hiatus with the nemesis New York Jets which should help Miami’s D and pass rush. There have been rumors about a possible Brett Farve return to the Dolphins but is simply speculation for now.

Overall the Dolphins have taken a step back this off-season, though a little one, but being in same division as the Patriots and Jets who always seem to be contending for a Super Bowl doesn’t help either. The Dolphins will more than likely miss the playoffs as there are just too many strong teams right now in the AFC.

Record Prediction: 8-8

Buffalo Bills: 2010 Record: 4-12 Divisional Finish: 4^th Playoff Finish: Did not make playoffs

Key Off-season acquisitions:

ILB Nick Barnett (Free Agency)

WR Brad Smith (Free Agency)

QB Tyler Thigpen (Free Agency)

ILB Sean Merrimen (Resign)

Key Off-season Losses:

DL Marcus Stroud (Released)

ILB Paul Posluszny (Jacksonville)

FS Donte Whitner (San Francisco)

The Bills have had a so-so off-season losing some pieces, but filling the voids with decent replacements. The signings of Nick Barnett and Sean Merrimen should help to fill Paul Posluszny’s spot, as he was lost a lot to injuries and now to free agency.

The big signing for the Bills comes with being able to pull away multifaceted WR Brad Smith from divisional rivals the New York Jets. The Bills haven’t really upgraded or lost anything from a team that was dead last in the AFC East and one of the worse teams in the league.

It’s already looking like another long season for Bills fans as being in one of the toughest if not the toughest division in football is not helping anything. The bills will again miss the playoffs and struggle to win games all season due to a tough schedule.

Record Prediction: 4-12

AFC East Prediction: The Patriots will defend their divisional title again this year slightly edging out the Jets again. With the Dolphins and the Bills being non factors the Patriots with their off-season moves as well as still having Belichick and Tom Brady should be able to beat out Mark Sanchez and the Jets.

Even if Sanchez improves greatly Brady should still be able to lead his team to another divisional title and potentially a 1 or 2 seed in the playoffs. Look for the Jets and the Patriots to potentially meet again in the playoffs for a repeat of last years divisional round showdown.

Stay tuned for my next preview as I will take a look at the AFC North.

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After coming within one game of making it to the Super Bowl for the second straight year the New York Jets are looking to bolster their roster to take the final step and get to and win a Super Bowl. Coming into this off season the Jets had a lot of questions facing them with many key pieces to their team becoming free agents.

So far the Jets haven’t made a “splash” in free agency, but have made some key moves to sure up there team going into this season and haven’t been shy about throwing money around. The first move was to place the franchise tag on David Harris which he signed a tender for $10.4 million. He has since reworked his contract and signed a 4 year $36 million deal.

From there they moved onto the harder part of deciding which key members to retain. With Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Antonio Cromartie, Brad Smith, Shaun Ellis, Eric Smith, Brodney Pool, as well as kicker Nick Folk and punter Steve Weatherford all due to be free agents there was quite the daunting task facing GM Mike Tannenbaum.

Tannenbaum made Holmes their top priority and re-signed him to a 5 year $50 million deal. The Jets then turned their focus to arguably best available free agent Nnamdi Asomugha and for a few days it seemed as if the Jets were the front runner to land him and potentially have the two best corners in the game on the same team.

Asomugha eventually chose Philadelphia as his destination and the Jets then worked out a deal with Antonio Cromartie signing him to a 4 year $32 million deal. However, due to the Jets waiting on Asomugha to decide they lost all purpose WR Brad Smith to the division rival Bills. Now for all of you counting at home, so far that’s a whopping $118 million between 3 players.

This unfortunate tally ultimately lead to the Jets lack of interest in other big name WR Braylon Edwards. Rumored to have interest in other FA wide receiver Randy Moss, the Jets went with Plaxico Burress and have since signed the former Giants player who recently was released from prison stealing him away from his former team and following in the path of the Eagles who did the same with Mike Vick.

The Jets while taking a gamble on Burress as no one is sure what kind of shape he’s in or where his skills are at after two years away, were able to get him a much cheaper cost than Braylon Edwards and both have the same skill set of a tall deep threat receiver. The Jets have also re-signed S Eric Smith to a 3 year $7.5 million deal helping to sure up their secondary where they are somewhat thin past Revis and Cromartie.

So far the Jets staff has done a great job in being able to hold onto the key pieces they might have lost in free agency and adding talent to make up for what they have lost. With the season only a month away and some cap room still to work with don’t put it past Tannenbaum and coach Rex Ryan to make another big move or two to bring in more talent to a team on the brink of a championship.

Don’t be surprised if they re-sign DE Shaun Ellis to a short deal or go out and make a move for a pass rusher, Osi Umenyiora being the big name out there right now available for trade due to being unhappy with the Giants. So far this hasn’t been the off season of miracles for the Jets as the Eagles with all there big FA signings win that one, but has none the less been exactly what the Jets need to gear up for another shot at the Super Bowl.

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Things are moving extremely fast in the NFL these days; in fact, sports fans haven’t been able to take in every thing that has been occurring in terms of free agency and trades.  The movement throughout the league is not surprising given the small window teams have to accomplish all of their off season requirements.

Free agency is an exciting time and so far it has been great to cover, the moves should have a big impact on other players still considering where they will take their talents next season. Also, these player movements should impact the success and failures we see during the season.

Let’s examine what has happen thus far and where the surprises lie.

Why not start with the biggest name still available—Asomugha hasn’t moved yet, but would the big name defensive back choose to return to Oakland.  He is a very loyal player but loyalty will not necessarily earn you a ring.  He is reaching a point in his career where he must make a move; the question remains though, where will he play.  Will he decide to play with another great defensive back in Revis and a potential Superbowl team in the Jets, play with another team offering the most money or will he return to Oakland? Only he knows at this point, but I know where the sports world hopes he goes.  It just makes sense to be in a jets uniform next year but will he accept that challenge.

The jets have already taken care of primary receiver Holmes and will likely not attempt to resign Braylon Edwards who had a decent year for them last season.

Other notable signings thus far include big named quarterback Donovan Mcnabb, perennial attack dummy for fans and NFL players alike.  He will take his talents to Minnesota this season and mentor their first round draft pick Christian Ponder until he is ready to take over.

Minnesota will also lose big time receiver Sidney Rice who has chosen to sign with the Seahawks.  The Seahawks are taking a chance on him given the fact he has had one productive season with the indecisive Brett Favre and he will be coming off surgery which sidelined him for most of last year.  The Seahawks have also acquired Tavarus Jackson from Minnesota after parting ways with their long tenured quarterback Matt Hasslebeck who will now be taking his veteran talents to the Titans.

The first big time talent to come of the board so to speak is Deangelo Williams, the Panther back has chosen to resign in a 5 year deal with over 20 million in guaranteed money.

The hated Patriots have struck potential gold in their trade with the Redskins in which they acquired Albert Haynesworth for a 6th round pick; once again, coach Belichick gets a possible steal that puts them back on top in the AFC East division. I don’t know how many teams were looking at the troubled defensive tackle, but looking at the potential defensive line, the AFC East along with the rest of the league have been out maneuvered up until this point.

While we already have big movements with quarterbacks, there are still moves to be made– specifically Kolb in Philadelphia and Kyle Orton in Denver.  Also, Vince Young will be released today, we have yet to hear where exactly he will pay, what role he will have on that team or even what teams have shown interested.  The young quarterback’s reputation has been damaged significantly, it remains to be seen if he will recover and get his career back on track.  Speaking of great college players, 3rd down back Reggie Bush has signed with the Dolphins with a 2 year contract worth roughly 5 million; a considerable reduction in value from his Saints days.

ESPN is now reporting that Chad OchoCinco has been dealt to the active patriots; maybe a way to combat the potential addition of Asomugha to the Jets.  It remains to be seen what happens with many more players including receivers, Plaxico Burress, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. Expect many more announcements in the day’s ahead, things are just heating up as we approach the upcoming NFL season.

Image Courtesy of  Walter G Arce / Shutterstock.com

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With a joint press conference,the NFL lockout is officially over; we will finally have football.  The press conference came about an hour ago with owners, the commissioner and NFL players union all speaking in front of media in a very calm cordial manner.  It is evident that these men know the impact football has and the urgency in which this needed to get done.

The players agreed to a 10 year CBA deal which is the longest in the history of the NFL.

The details that ended the NFL lockout are still coming out at this point, but it is important to know that tomorrow the everyday business of the NFL will officially be in motion.  Owners like Robert Kraft is said to have played a large role in the deal being done and the pace at which this was accomplished. Free agency can now begin and players will now know where they will play and although deals can’t be signed, the parameters of deals can take shape.

The deal itself specifically is generous for owners and a good deal for players already in the league.  Rookie pay scale has been reduced while the minimum pay for NFL players will increase and continue to do so every year.  The deal involves less contact during off season or preseason and more benefits for veterans and injured players as well.

The salary cap will increase to $120 million for all teams and more importantly the team rosters will increase by 10 to allow teams to go up to 80 players; very important for coaches and players.

This was a battle between millionaires that needs to be settled and surprisingly, it was settled pretty quickly.  Maybe our political leaders can do the same for the greater good. They realized what was at stake and it took some posturing and savvy public relations, but it is over.

More details on how the NFL lockout ended will come throughout the week but as of right now, all that matters is the gates to stadiums around the league will now be open and remain open for 10 years.  Winners and losers aside, NFL football is back and we are all winners for it.

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If you follow the NBA, it is important to know what happens behind the scenes. The truth of the matter is, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), is a major piece of the puzzle in regards to what happens within the NBA.

Creative Artists Agency has a huge advantage in signing elite athletes, especially elite NBA athletes. The agency represents famous and credentialed players such as: Yankees shortstop and captain, Derek Jeter, Colts QB, Peyton Manning, and Pittsburgh Penguins centre and captain, Sidney Crosby.

Despite only delving into the sports market in 2006, as USA Today columnist Thomas K. Arnold writes, the agency, “has built CAA Sports from concept to colossus.” There is no doubt that the agency, despite entering the sports agency business a short five years ago, represents an extremely impressive list of clientele. The interesting question is: how did the agency get this impressive list of clientele?

It has been reported by insider sources and journalists alike that the agency’s pull in signing elite NBA stars is because of LeBron James.

After aligning with CAA—are Chris Paul and Deron Williams destined to pull a LeBron James?

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo sports, reported in a June 11th article, that James is very valuable to Creative Artists Agency. In the article, an anonymous league executive is quoted as saying, “LeBron has almost become a movement within the league…With Worldwide Wes [CAA agent William Wesley] and him, you’re making a decision as a player to be packaged the way they packaged him. They follow him.”

Elaborating on this, Wojnarowski specifically says, “James has been a part of recruiting everyone else over to his side…” In reference to the article by Wojnarowski, the players that have been recruited by LeBron to unite with Creative Artists agency include stars like Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul.

Now, with the recent announcement that New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams fired his “longtime agent” and is considering joining Leon Rose of Creative Artists Agency, a question has been swirling: Will Williams switch teams?

The fact is, after Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony became clients of Creative Artists agency they switched teams. With the announcement of leaving his agent and possibly joining CAA, Williams will be asked the same questions as, free-agent-to-be, Chris Paul.

Chris Paul who, like Williams, is slated to become a free agent after the upcoming season, became a client of CAA a year ago. Interestingly, both Paul and Williams have been the subject of speculation in regards to switching teams when they become free agents; but would both of them switching to CAA before they’re slated to become free agents, be a coincidence or not?

The puzzle is all too similar to Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony. Chris Paul, who is playing for the small-market New Orleans Hornets, has already aligned himself with CAA and Deron Williams, who plays for the New Jersey Nets, appears to be ready to align himself with CAA.

Although Williams does not play for a small market, both Paul and him appear to be on a similar path as Bosh, Anthony and even James; all three players left smaller market teams in order to team up with superstars on bigger market teams. All three left their teams after joining Creative Artists Agency.

A great question was posed by a blogger for cbssports.com’s eye on the basketball blog. The blogger asks the following question, “James and company paved the way for star players to realize how to maximize their leverage. If you’re Williams, watching the Heat compete for a title in Year One, what is there to convince you that following in those footsteps isn’t a good idea?” A similarly pertinent question is: Are NBA superstars who are following in LeBron’s footsteps by signing with CAA, realizing that they need to sign with bigger markets in order to maximize their leverage or is this just a coincidence?

Will the Knicks front office decision be further indication of CAA’s influence?

Another tidbit of information, which might shed somelight on CAA’s influence within the NBA, is the Knicks situation. The decision the Knicks make about who to hire as their next general manager, might be a decision based on who they think gives them the best rapport with Creative Artists Agency.

Sports writers Stefan Bondy and Frank Isola addressed this subject in the New York Daily earlier this month. The article explained, how both, Mark Warkentien, who is currently a Knicks consultant and Isaiah Thomas, the ex-general manager of the Knicks, have a good relationship with CAA.

More specifically, Bondy and Isola state the following, “Warkentien is represented by Creative Artists Agency, the most influential representation in the NBA. Thomas also has a cozy relationship with CAA and its power broker, William Wesley, which he used to convince Dolan to get involved in the chases for LeBron James and Anthony.” Bondy and Isola elaborate that because of their good relationship with CAA, Thomas and Warkentien could be candidates to replace Donnie Walsh.

The fact is that if the Knicks re-hired Thomas it would be a public relations nightmare for the team. However, if the Knicks feel Thomas is the person best suited to form a rapport with CAA they could keep interim general manager Glen Grunwald as the GM. Grunwald has a close relationship with Thomas since their days together with the Pacers, Raptors, and most previously the Knicks front office.

As Frank Isola notes in a recent article, Grunwald’s relationship with Thomas’s could result in him being hired. Isola states, “Grunwald’s association with Thomas, who serves as an unofficial consultant to Dolan, doesn’t hurt either.”

Isola’s quote leads one to believe that Grunwald could be used as a pawn by Dolan to kill two birds with one stone. Grunwald could be hired by Dolan as the next general manager in order to prevent a public relations disaster. Or, at the same time he could be used to keep Thomas as a close adviser to the Knicks. Ultimately, he could be used as a link to CAA that forms a good rapport between the team and the agency before Paul and Williams are to become free agents.

Note: citations are courtesy of, Thomas K. Arnold of USA Today, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo sports, cbssports.com’s blog—eye on the basketball, and writers Stefan Bondy and Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.

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