Kevin Love Minnesota long time!

Since Kevin Garnett was traded from the Timberwolves to the Celtics in the off-season of '07, basketball fans in Minnesota have had little to cheer for and have lacked a star player that could produce numbers remotely close to those of Garnett. And though the team has still had its struggles and are yet to fully recover since dealing their franchise player and former MVP, the Timberwolves are slowly making strides back to relevance. Led by All-Star Power Forward Kevin Love who was awarded as the NBA's Most Improved Player last season as well as be named to his first ever All-Star Game after averaging 20.2 Points Per Game and leading the league in Rebounds with 15.2, the then 22-year old would develop into a double-double threat on a nightly basis by logging 53 consecutive double-doubles, the longest such streak since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. Despite Love's remarkable season, the T-Wolves would see minimal improvement in the standings from the season before and lacked a decent supporting cast to surround Love with. But that didn't restrain the organization from signing Love who entered the season in the final year of his contract to a new deal.

The former Pac-10 Player of the Year out of UCLA agreed to a four-year, $60 Million maximum extension which allows him to opt out after the third year. While many would question why a player of his caliber would sign an extension with a small market team given he would've attracted a lucrative contract by numerous suitors had he tested the free-agent waters after the season, Love realized the fan base he has created in Minnesota as well as the young crop of talent the organization has brought in via the Draft in Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams is something he'd like to continue to be a part of. And with head coach Rick Adelman now at the helm who's been known to help turn around and steer teams into the right direction, the 65-year old will try to work his magic in Minnesota much like he did in Portland, Sacramento and Houston in effort to get Timberwolves franchise back to where they haven't been since 2004 -- the Playoffs.

With ten wins already in their first 21 games this year (10-11) in spite of the lockout-shortened season, the Timberwolves are only seven wins away from matching their win total from just a year ago when they finished with the worst record in the league at 17-65. Though I don't expect them to make a push for the Playoffs this year, I like the path the team is moving in and think they have a very bright future that Love and rookie Ricky Rubio hold the keys to. And as much as I would've loved to see Kevin Love donning a Lakers uni and playing for the team he grew up supporting, it's nice to see a small market team like the T-Wolves ink their franchise player to a multi-year extension considering it's become somewhat of a rarity with the large market teams playing the role of shot-caller nowadays. Not to mention him re-signing with Minnesota is a positive from a league standpoint.

At 6 ft 10 in, Love in my opinion is one of the few treasures in the league to watch granted you don't often come around a player of his size who can not only post up and rebound, but can do so in bunches as well as shoot from long range. He also brings an excitement to the court as well as maintain a very likable personality off the court which makes him one of my favorite players in the game today.

Super Bowl XLVI, A Clash of Familiar Foes.

With the Conference Championships officially in the books, the table is now set for Super Bowl 42 and will feature two cities and teams who are quite familiar with one another both on and off the main stage. Though the rivalry between Boston and New York sports has been well documented over the years mainly through the rich history of arguably sports' most heated rivalry --Yankees-Red Sox, in 2008, the New York Giants and New England Patriots added another chapter to the rivalry, this time in the form of football. With the Patriots only one win away from being enshrined into football immortality, attempting to become the first NFL team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season since the '72 Miami Dolphins and the first team in NFL history to do so since the adoption of a 16-game regular season schedule in 1978, there was only one team standing in their way -- the New York Giants. Despite being 12-point underdogs, the Giants pulled off the biggest upset in Super Bowl history with the help of some late-game heroics by Eli Manning, defeating New England, 17-14.

And while the storylines differ from those in 2008, both teams are in many ways the same teams they were then with the lone exception of New England's defense which is no longer the formidable force they once were. After becoming only the third team to finish the regular season 9-7 and reach the Super Bowl, the Giants will try to distance themselves from the other two teams who've achieved that feat ('79 Rams and '08 Cardinals both of whom lost) by becoming the first to win it. Giants quarterback Eli Manning who will match older brother Peyton Manning this Sunday with two Super Bowl appearances, will have a chance to surpass his brother in Lombardi Trophies with a win. Coincidentally, the game will be taking place in Lucas Oil Stadium, the same stadium Peyton's Indianapolis Colts call home and will be against Peyton's arch-rival Tom Brady.

Meanwhile, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady who's coming off one of his worst games in recent memory, will tie the great John Elway for the most Super Bowl appearances with five, and will have a chance to cement himself among two of the game's all-time greats -- Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to win four Super Bowl's. And though his team is once again favored to win the Super Bowl, this time by much less than in '08, one thing to consider is that the Patriots who enter Sunday's match-up winners of their last 10 games, have not faltered since their week 9 loss to these very Giants who stormed into Foxboro and escaped with a 24-20 victory. And while the Patriots have only gained steam without looking back since their November 8 loss to New York, the Giants have turned on the jets in their own way by keeping their playoff hopes alive with must-wins in the final two games of the regular season followed by a double-digit shellacking of the Atlanta Falcons and back-to-back wins on the road against the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers.

With more than half of their wins this season orchestrated by Eli Manning's record-setting 15 fourth-quarter touchdowns, one thing is certain and that is that no lead is insurmountable for Eli to overcome when he's clicking on all cylinders. At least not that we've seen this year anyway. With that said, I think we'll see more of the same with New England getting off to an early lead and Eli once again coming through during crunch time with an MVP-like performance to lead the Giants to their fourth Super Bowl win in franchise history with a 24-20 win. Game time is set for 6:30 eastern and can be seen on NBC (Ch. 3).

Mo Power in Motown

For the past two seasons, the team to represent the American League in the World Series has hailed out of the AL West with the Texas Rangers claiming back-to-back American League pennants. And after an influx of blockbuster moves being made this offseason by both the Rangers who won the sweepstakes for Japanese pitching sensation Yu Darvish and the division-rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who acquired Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson, those favored to represent the American League in the World Series this year once again appeared to be coming out of the West. That was until the Detroit Tigers signed 3-time All-Star slugging first baseman Prince Fielder to a 9-year, $214 Million contract on Tuesday. Prior to his big pay day with Detroit, the Rangers, Blue Jays, Mariners, Nationals and Cubs were all said to be interested in the hard hitting slugger, but similar to the Pujols signing, it was a dark horse who flew under the radar and came out on top to snag the slugger.

For Detroit fans, the news of the ball club landing arguably the most highly coveted free-agent this offseason couldn't have came at a better time as it was learned just a week ago that the Tigers would be without Victor Martinez for the entire 2012 season after tearing his ACL during offseason conditioning. Martinez, a 4-time All-Star who spent last season sharing time serving as the team's designated-hitter as well as catcher, finished the year with 103 RBI's and a career-high .330 batting average to help Detroit run away with the AL Central division during the second half of the season and come within two wins of a World Series birth. Tigers manager Jim Leyland chimed in regarding Martinez' unfortunate injury days after the incident and said Martinez was irreplaceable. Leyland would proudly eat his words now that he has hands down the best hitting tandem in all of baseball with Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera, both of whom finished in the top 3 in MVP voting last year in their respective leagues. The only problem being both players are accustomed to playing first base leaving Leyland to shuffle them around the field just like he'll be doing with the batting order.

Without Fielder who logged 38 home runs and 120 RBI's for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011, the Tigers are the best team in the division. With him they're arguably the best team in the American League. Led by the best pitcher in the Major Leagues in Justin Verlander who became the first pitcher since Dennis Eckersley in 1992 to be crowned MVP as well as take home Cy Young Award honors, the Tigers are just as dangerous from a pitching standpoint as they are on offense. With Doug Fister and Max Scherzer also in the rotation and with Jose Valverde in the bullpen who went an entire season without a blowing a single save, Detroit has all the right pieces to dominant the AL Central for many years to come. Whether or not they can contend for a Championship without Victor Martinez remains unknown. Once he returns fully healthy from his injury however, look out.

At the age of 27, Fielder is no stranger to the Tigers organization as he grew up watching his father Cecil Fielder play a majority of his Major League career with Detroit where he became a fixture around the teams clubhouse as a child, often taking batting practice with the team. And just like his father who served seven years with the Tigers as a fan favorite, Prince shouldn't have any trouble fitting in.

49ers stun Saints, Punch ticket to NFC title match with Giants

This past weekend we were treated to one of the more thrilling Divisional Playoff games in recent years between the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers which had everything one could ask for including big plays, hard hits, costly turnovers and late-game heroics. What began as a one-sided error fest for the Saints, would soon turn into a teeter toter affair that came down to the final seconds of regulation and will forever be embedded in the minds of football enthusiasts and 49er fans alike. Prior to kick-off, the 49ers were ruled underdogs despite being the home team as New Orleans stormed into town riding one of the hottest streaks in all of football, winners of their last eight. Having been rather quiet virtually all year long on the offensive side of things, the 49ers would explode onto the scoreboard thanks to an Alex Smith performance that was seven years in the making.

Entering the game, Saints quarterback and potential MVP candidate Drew Brees hadn't thrown an interception during the postseason in five years and had only two picks throughout his entire postseason career (eight games). The daunting 49ers defense would add to their NFL-best 38 takeaways during the regular season by forcing Brees to throw two interceptions in the first half of Saturday's game alone before later adding three fumbles to eventually win the turnover battle, 5-0. The costly miscues would spell doom for the Saints who came into the hostile environment of San Francisco's Candlestick Park still seeking the franchise's first playoff win on the road (0-4). The Saints appeared to be on their way to their first ever road victory when Brees who finished the game with 462 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes overcame an early 17-point deficit and connected with tight-end Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard touchdown reception followed by a successful 2-point conversion to give New Orleans a 32-29 lead with 1:37 remaining on the clock.

After putting San Francisco up, 29-24, with a 28-yard touchdown run on third down with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, former number one overall pick Alex Smith would be called upon one last time to lead the 49ers to a victory and send them to their first NFC Championship since 1995. Having been M.I.A from the playoffs for nearly a decade, the 49er faithful made their presence felt as a sellout crowd of 69,732 screaming fans witnessed the 49ers become the first team in NFL history to score two lead-changing touchdowns in the final three minutes to win a playoff game as Alex Smith channeled his inner Joe Montana by finding Vernon Davis in the endzone to win the game. The 14-yard connection from Smith to Davis was reminiscent of possibly the NFL's most famous play, "The Catch" from Montana to Dwight Clark and even more so to "The Catch Part II" from Steve Young to Terrell Owens as both Owens and Davis were seen in tears following their game-winning grabs, coining Davis' catch as the third installment of "The Catch." Coincidentally this year marks the 30th anniversary of the famed play from Montana to Clark which won the NFC title game back in 1981.

Alex Smith threw for 299 yards and 2 touchdowns on 24-for-42 passing, 7 of which to Vernon Davis who finished the game with 2 touchdowns and 180 receiving yards, setting a record for the most receiving yards in a playoff game by a tight-end. Just a season removed from being pelted with boo's from the home crowd, Alex Smith has now led his team to the NFC Championship and is one win away from returning the 49ers to their sixth Super Bowl, first since the 1994 season when the proud franchise captured their 5th title. Standing in the way of San Francisco making their first Super Bowl appearance since the Steve Young era is a New York Giants squad that is also on a tear. Fresh off their defeat of the defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, Eli Manning and the New York Giants will try to avenge their Week 10 loss to the 49ers by putting an end to the Super Bowl hopes.

Preview & Prediction: Unfortunately for them, the game will be played in the same stadium they lost at during Week 10 of the regular season by a score of 27-20. 4-0 all-time in NFC Championship games, the Giants will pay a visit to San Francisco's Candlestick Park where they've lost 11 of their last 14 games (including playoffs) since 1980. Meanwhile, the 49ers boast an all-time record of 4-3 vs New York in the playoffs, including 4-1 at home. And as if the storyline wasn't already an intriguing one, meteorologists are calling for rain which could very well play a factor in Sunday's outcome. Considering the 49ers were able to overcome the hottest quarterback in the entire league entering last week's match-up, I like San Francisco's chances of doing the same against arguably the league's second hottest quarterback in Eli Manning. New York's dominant pass rush could be quite an obstacle, however, but that won't stop me from picking the Niners to come out on top, 27-23, punching their ticket to a long awaited sixth Super Bowl. GO NINERS!


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

49ers-Saints Face off for Ticket to NFC Title Game

With the first round of the NFL Wild Card Playoffs in the books, the table is officially set for the Divisional round which will feature a number of intriguing match ups, but none more so than the match up taking place out West. Saturday afternoon will witness San Francisco's Candlestick Park host its first playoff game in over nine years when the (13-3) 49ers welcome a red hot (13-3) New Orleans Saints team that's coming off a 45-28 beating of the Detroit Lions. After logging one of the best regular seasons by a quarterback in NFL history which saw Drew Brees break Dan Marino's single-season passing record by compiling 5,476 passing yards, Brees continued his success on into the playoffs by throwing for the second most passing yards in playoff history with 466 against Detroit who allowed 626 yards of total offense.

That number is expected to drop drastically this week however, as Drew Brees and company get set to face the top ranked defense in the NFC. And for a well rested 49er team that's coming off of a BYE week after clinching the NFC's no. 2 seed, they'll try to add to their NFL best 38 takeaways by applying pressure to Brees and forcing him into making bad decisions, something San Francisco has been superb at all season long. Another number that should see a decline and that stat geeks will have their eyes on is how many points New Orleans scores. When playing indoors like they do at home, the Saints have averaged 38.6 Points Per Game (including the Playoffs) opposed to just 25.8 Points Per Game when playing outdoors on the road. Making that statistic a little more juicy will be that the 49ers rank second in the league in points allowed.

Another area to definitely keep an eye on will be the Saints rushing attack which ranked sixth best in the league. Unfortunately for Darren Sproles and co., they'll face a tall order as San Francisco owns the leagues best rushing defense. And while the 49ers defense is expected to be a key component to whether or not San Francisco comes out on top, another factor that will be just as significant if not more will be how well the 49ers capitalize on offense. Though Jim Harbaugh's squad isn't one to have a shootout with a powerhouse offense like New Orleans', they possess a run game which features Pro Bowler Frank Gore and Rookie speedster Kendall Hunter that could very well be called upon to keep the 49ers offense on the field long enough in hopes of minimizing Drew Brees' passing attempts.

Preview & Prediction: With other notable matchups including Texans-Ravens, Broncos-Patriots and Giants-Packers, the Saints and 49ers are the only teams facing one another in the postseason this year that didn't face each other during the regular season. But that hasn't stopped everyone from labeling the 49ers as the underdogs despite being at home. Last season proved that anything could happen however, when this same Saints team was sent packing after being upset in the Wild Card round by the Seattle Seahawks in a similar situation which featured a dominant run game and New Orleans being the visiting team. That's a trend that has followed the Saints franchise throughout their history as they've never won a Playoff game on the road and are a lifetime 0-4. And if history repeats itself like the saying goes, I like the chances of the 49ers continuing that streak with a 23-20 victory to send them to the NFC Championship. #BeatTheSaints!


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Just another day at the Office

Back-to-back 40-point performances for any player is nuts, but for someone to achieve that at the age of 33 in his 16th season with torn ligaments in his wrist is just unheard of. That's something Kobe Bryant can now add to his resume and is something no other player at that age can say they've accomplished. Off to one of the best starts of his career production-wise this season despite an ailing wrist that requires cortisone shots before and after games, the one they call the "Black Mamba" has proven time and time again that age is just a number. Though Kobe has encountered his struggles behind the arc as well as at the free-throw line, he's managed to utilize and rely on his jump-shot that has made him among the most dominant shooters in the game today.

Coming into Tuesday's Lakers-Suns game in Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant entered the contest with the most 40-point games among active players with 107. He would add to that mark by dropping a season-high 48-points in a winning effort against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. One night after becoming the oldest player in NBA history to log 48-points in a game, Kobe followed up his stellar performance with another 40-point outburst, this time on the road against the Utah Jazz in a 90-87 Overtime thriller in which the Lakers won. With the back-to-back 40-point performances in as many days, Kobe has now reached the 40-point mark in 109 games, ranking him third on the all-time list behind only Michael Jordan (173) and Wilt Chamberlain (271). Kobe's red hot streak as of late has also helped his stats quite a bit as he now leads the league in scoring by averaging 30.5 points per game, edging out Miami's LeBron James (29.0 PPG).

Say what you must whether you're a fan of his or not, but Kobe has continued to prove that he is still the most talented player in the league with Derrick Rose, LeBron James and Kevin Durant among others all waiting for him to pass the torch. See if Kobe can make it three 40-point performances in a row when he and the Lakers host the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Tebow Works His Magic to Close Curtain on Steelers

Since inheriting the reigns at the quarterback position for a Denver Broncos team that's been absent from the Playoffs since 2005, Tim Tebow has played the role of a miracle worker by breathing life back into the franchise. Following their dismal 1-4 start which resulted in Kyle Orton losing his job to Tim Tebow in week 6 before later being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, the unconventional wiz kid would lead the team on a journey which saw the former Heisman Trophy winner pull out victory after victory in storybook fashion by winning 7 of his first 8 games. Unfortunately for Tebow and the Mile High faithful, the magic show would eventually come to a screeching halt.

Losers of their last three games heading into the Playoffs, the Broncos limped into the Postseason and were once again underdogs, this time to the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers who featured a depleted roster, most notably a hobbled Ben Roethlisberger. Coming into the game, Denver was the subject of a possible quarterback change with speculation swirling around head coach John Fox and the rumor of him potentially going with backup QB Brady Quinn who hasn't played a down all season long. Those rumors would be just that come game day however, as coach Fox stuck with Tebow which would prove to be his best decision at helm since deciding to promote Tebow to the starting role back in October. Having been criticized all season long for his mediocre passing accuracy despite remodeling the team from pretender to contender, Tebow would log his best game at the NFL level yet, once again proving the doubters and naysayers wrong.

Entering Sunday's match up, the Steelers had not allowed an opposing quarterback to throw for 300 yards all season long. That mark would soon be vanished as Tebow torched the NFL's number one ranked defense for 316 passing yards as well as another 50 yards rushing. At the end of the first quarter, Tebow and the Broncos faced a 6-0 deficit before Tebow threw the first of his two touchdown passes to take the lead, connecting with wide receiver Eddie Royal from 30 yards out for the go-ahead touchdown. Denver would tack on 13 more points before the end of the half to make it 20 to 6, Broncos. Denver's 20 unanswered points would be highlighted by two Matt Prater field goals and an 8-yard rushing touchdown by Tim Tebow.

But just when you began to rule them out, Big Ben and the Steelers fought back to overcome a 14-point deficit and send the game into overtime where football fans would get to see their first glimpse of the newly changed overtime rules. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh who lost the coin toss, those rules wouldn't work in their favor as the Wild Card thriller came to an early end just one play into overtime when Tebow connected with WR Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown on a play-action slant route to win it in stunning fashion by a final score of 29-23, sending both the Broncos faithful and the Twitter feed into a frenzy. The game-winning touchdown pass from Tebow to Thomas netted 80-yards, making it not only the longest play in overtime history, but also the shortest overtime in NFL history at just 11 seconds. Broncos wide-out Demaryius Thomas who hauled in 204 of Tebow's 316 passing yards proved to be a match up nightmare for Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor who was exposed, getting burned time and time again before eating a stiff-arm by Thomas on the final play of the game.

Though Sunday's game with the reigning AFC Champions wasn't exactly a walk in the park, Denver's next opponent won't be any easier as Tim Tebow and company get set to fly out to Foxborough where they'll be facing Tom Brady and the number one seeded New England Patriots who several weeks ago in mid-December handed the Broncos a 23-41 loss in their own venue. Broncos head coach Jim Fox will hope to re-write the script in the rematch to once again overcome the odds. Coincidentally, the Patriots just hired former Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels to the staff to serve as an offensive assistant. Adding to the already intriguing storyline will be that McDaniels is gearing up to go up against Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas, both of whom he drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft when at the helm in Denver.

One thing that's certain is that Tebow has shined brightest when all eyes are on him. And whether or not his team gets eliminated this coming weekend, his success this year should do wonders for his confidence and an even stronger Tim Tebow should be expected next season. Be sure to catch the action on Saturday @ 5 p.m. on CBS and see if Tim Tebow can pull the upset and add another chapter to his remarkable run.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

49ers withstand Rams' late rally to win, 34-27.

For the San Francisco 49ers, a week 17 victory over the St. Louis Rams meant they could take the following week off with a BYE in preparation of the Playoffs as well as guarantee themselves home-field advantage with the NFC's no. 2 seed. And though they would face the same Rams team they shutout by a final score of 26 to 0 several weeks ago to clinch the division, St. Louis would come out swinging in the rematch in their own stadium.

With neither team's passing offense known for blowing away the opposition in the box score, it would be the quarterback's legs that were showcased in the game's early going. The 49ers who had not allowed a rushing touchdown all season long until last week's run in with Seattle's Marshawn Lynch, would witness third-string quarterback Kellen Clemons make his way into the end zone with a rushing touchdown on St. Louis' first drive on offense. Two drives later Alex Smith would answer Clemons with a rushing touchdown of his own to tie the game up at 7-7. The Rams would try to respond on the following drive with a bit of trickery by running a direct-snap play to Jerious Norwood who lobbed an errant pass intended for Clemons resulting in a Tarell Brown interception.

Coming into the game Alex Smith needed only 69 passing yards to reach the 3,000 yard plateau for the first time in his career. Smith would reach that mark two plays after the interception with a hitch pass to Michael Crabtree for a 28-yard touchdown to give San Francisco a 14-7 lead. After forcing the Rams to punt, a 44-yard reception to Vernon Davis would setup a David Akers field goal to pad the lead to 17-7. Akers would add another field goal to his resume before the half ended to give the 49ers 20 unanswered points after falling behind 7 to 0. Both team would exchange punts to open the second half until Rams kicker Josh Brown added a season-long field goal from 49 yards out to make it 20-10, but not before the 49ers defense added insult to injury to St. Louis' dismal season as the Rams Pro-Bowl running back Stephen Jackson who's been the heart and soul of the franchise for the last several years left the game with an injury after absorbing a huge hit from safety Dashon Goldson. Though he would later return to the sidelines after undergoing x-rays, the Rams all-time leading rusher would see his day end early.

The 49ers who had a trick play unsuccessfully ran on them earlier in the game would turn the tables on the Rams with a fake field goal. Head coach Jim Harbaugh who's been known for his creativity would run one of his most creative plays yet, catching the Rams defense sleeping with a direct-snap to David Akers who found a wide-open and unguarded Michael Crabtree who pranced into the end zone for his second score of the day. Having starred in 205 career games, the touchdown pass was the first of Akers' career and resembled a similar play 49ers special teams coach Brad Seeley ran several years ago against this very Rams squad when he was at the helm in New England. Another Josh Brown field goal to open the 4th quarter would make it 27-13, SF.

After being pinned deep in their own territory by a sellar punt from Andy Lee who's been magnificent all season long and will be making his third trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl this year, Clemons would throw his second pick of the game as Tarell Brown undercut a pass to WR Brandon Lloyd for his second interception on the day. San Francisco would capitalize on the turnover with Anthony Dixon plowing into the end zone from a yard out to increase the lead to 34-13. Just when the game appeared to be over and well out of reach, the Rams began to make some noise with Lloyd hauling in a 36-yard touchdown reception from Clemens to inch St. Louis a bit closer, 34-20. The Rams would get the ball right back with a well executed onside kick from Josh Brown. On their first play of the drive, Clemens would take a shot at the end zone where Brandon Lloyd and Tarell Brown were tangled up, resulting in a pass-interference call which then set up a Cadillac Williams rushing touchdown on the very next play to cut the deficit to 7.

With all the momentum in the world on St. Louis' side, the Rams would be hit with a reality check as their late-game heroics were derailed with Clemens leaving the game with a foot injury as Navarro Bowman recorded his one and only sack on the day. St. Louis would end up turning the ball over on downs allowing Jim Harbaugh and company to milk the clock and come out victorious. For the Rams, the loss is the 14th of the season and the 38th in three seasons under head coach Steve Spagnuolo who according to sources will be fired on the first day of the postseason which has notoriously been known as "Black Monday" when teams often fire unsuccessful coaches and general managers alike. For San Francisco's next opponent, the 49ers will host the winner of Saturday's Saints-Lions match up the following weekend.


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Padres add a pair of All-Star's to the mix

With many new faces in new places this upcoming MLB season like every year following the off-season, two players who will see a drastic change more so than others due to their new surroundings will be Mat Latos and Carlos Quentin. Having dealt such talent as first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and reliever Mike Adams last season, the San Diego Padres made another trade this off-season to continue the franchise's path to rebuild. After making his Major League debut in 2009, the year 2010 saw starting pitcher Mat Latos make his way onto the big league scene with a breakout season where the 24-year old right-hander capped off his first full year with a trip to the All-Star Game by compiling a 2.92 ERA in 184.2 innings to go along with his 14-10 record and 189 strikeouts. Latos would miss the beginning of the 2011 season due to an injury sustained to his throwing arm, but would respond much better than his 9-14 record indicated with a respectable 3.47 ERA and WHIP of 1.18.

But just when it began to look like the Padres had found their long-term answer for an ace, the team shipped Latos to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for former All-Star pitcher Edinson Volquez along with first baseman Yonder Alonso, catcher Yasmani Grandal and pitcher Brad Boxberger, all of which are former first-round Draft picks and are highly touted prospects. For Volquez who has been unable to duplicate the success from his breakout season in 2008 due to injuries and a suspension, if he can stay healthy he could very well regain form while benefiting from one of the league's more pitcher-friendly ballparks in San Diego's Petco Park. Meanwhile, Latos will be forced to make the transition to one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in all of baseball in Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park which will demand more precision in Latos' pitching location, or that fly-ball that normally resulted in an out could very well end up being a souvenir.

If both hurlers can find success in their new homes, the Padres might have very well found their new ace while the Reds hope to build a formidable tandem at the top of the rotation led by Latos and Johnny Cueto.

The Padres followed up their acquisitions from Cincinnati by adding a power hitter to the lineup in Carlos Quentin. The hard hitting slugger will be sent from the Chicago White Sox where he's served the last four years to his home town of San Diego in return for Minor League pitchers Simon Castro and Pedro Hernandez. Quentin is projected to be the team's starting left fielder come opening day where he'll join an outfield cast of Cameron Maybin and Will Venable. Since dealing Adrian Gonzalez last December to the Boston Red Sox, the Padres have ranked among the worst teams in all of baseball in the home run department which just so happens to be Quentin's bread and butter. After seeing minimal playing time in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Quentin amassed a monster 2008 season in his first full year, batting .288 while hitting 36 home runs and driving in 100 RBI's to receive his first of two All-Star nods.

Though he hasn't quite matched those numbers from 2008, logging 24 HR's and 77 RBI's just a season ago, Quentin has remained productive and should generate a majority of San Diego's offense next season. Playing in Petco Park, however, could hurt his home run numbers. If he can pull the ball to the left side of the field though like he's been known to, he should fare well. With pitching being their strong point the last few years, the Padres could once again depend on the pitching staff and bullpen in 2012, something that will be a lot more difficult now with former All-Star closer Heath Bell now setting up shop in Miami. Unlikely to compete for a division title this upcoming season, San Diego appears to be making the right moves that could spring them back to the top of the division and lead to success the franchise has been starving of since bidding a farewell to such Padres as Trevor Hoffman and Jake Peavy.


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Bynum the Key to Lakers Success

Coming into the 2011-12 NBA season, many teams had questions and concerns following the lockout-shortened pre-season, but none more than the Los Angeles Lakers. After being on the short end of the stick in a collapsed trade that would've sent All-Star point-guard Chris Paul to the Lakers, the team was forced to explore other options, one of which being Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard. Unfortunately for the Lakers, an unwillingness from the Magic front-office coupled with the shorter than normal pre-season would require the team to start the regular season without any drastic changes. And after an 0-2 start to begin the season, the Lakers looked like they were in desperate need of some help. After winning their next two games to even their record at 2-2, that help would come in the form of 7-foot center Andrew Bynum.

After shining during the team's two pre-season games, L.A. would be without their star center for the first four games while serving a suspension issued for his thug-like antics during Game 4 of last year's Western Conference semi-finals. In his first game back against the Denver Nuggets, Bynum would make his presence felt by compiling 29 points to go along with 13 rebounds in a winning effort to put the Lakers over the .500 mark for the first time this season. His biggest night, however, would come two games later in last night's 108-99 win over the Houston Rockets. Though Kobe Bryant would finish with a game-high 37 points, it was Bynum who stole the show by racking up the first 20-20 game of his young career by putting up 21 points and hauling in 22 boards, helping the Lakers improve to 4-3 on the year.

Having seen a majority of his career cut short due to injury since making his debut in 2005, Bynum has been the subject of trade rumors and criticism with many including myself pondering if the 24 year old could be a long-term answer. Though I won't shy away from admitting I'm one of those who have criticized Bynum time and time again for his fragile frame and inconsistencies over the years, when he's healthy like he has been thus far Bynum has shown glimpses of what he's capable of when at 100% which is why I believe he'll be the key cog to the Lakers' season (other than Kobe Bryant of coarse) and will determine if they succeed in the Playoffs. To say Bynum was missed at the start of the season would be an understatement and if the big man can continue to put up big numbers like he has been then don't be surprised if Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak puts an end to those Dwight Howard trade rumors and tries strengthening the team at another position.


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