Say It Ain't So Belue.

As a lifelong Georgia fan, I heard something that startled me today. Not because of the dialogue, but because of the source. On 680 the fan, former Georgia QB Buck Belue, stated that the Florida Gators will win the SEC in 2009. With as much talent as Urban Meyer has returning to Gainesville, I'm not surprised by the prediction. I am, however stunned to hear such blasphamy from the mouth of a national championship winner at UGA. Well, the conversation on www.680thefan.com only got worse. Belue went on to proclaim UF QB Tim Tebow as the winner of next year's Heisman Trophy Award. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Belue's entitled to his opinion and professionalism, but isn't there an unspoken rule of Dawg-isms? Even if you feel this way, Belue, at least humor the Bulldog Nation by lying.

NBA MVP

I am very humbled and honored to win this award. As voted on by the readers of www.robsealersports.blogspot.com, I am the unanimous selection to receieve NBA MVP honors. It's quite an accomplishment, considering I've never played professional basketball. To be honest, my best days were on the courts of Durham Street.
I can't tell you what this means to me. With 2 votes to none, I have surpassed Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Lebron James, and Dewayne Wade. This is the proudest day of my life. Thank you to the voters. I will always be grateful. God bless you all, even if I "fixed" the results.

A Game Called Basketball

With all of the excitement surrounding the NFL Draft, I nearly forgot about the NBA playoffs. To be honest, I wish I would have. As I'm typing these words, the Atlanta Hawks are being humiliated in game 3 of their series against Miami. After a very dominant performance in game 1, I thought the Hawks were capable of "shocking" some folks. Unfortunately, the Hawks are only shocking me. Never in my lifetime, have I seen such a heartless lack of effort on the basketball court. Although the Hawks are at their best when their defense creates fast break opportunities, this team is inconsistent and undedicated towards this aspect of the game. Atlanta fought through 82 regular season games, just to secure home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Through three playoff games, they've only fought once.
As a lifelong Hawks fan, I feel ashamed, disgusted, and belittled by any association I have with this team. Hopefully, they'll come out swingin' in Game 4. As for now, I guess I'll go back to watching the NFL Draft.

Falcons Acquire Tony Gonzalez

Three days before the NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons brilliantly filled their void at the TE position. GM Thomas Dimitroff worked out a deal to acquire 33 year old Pro Bowler, Tony Gonzalez from the Kansas City Chiefs for just a 2010 2nd round draft pick. Gonzalez may be aging, but his skills are not in decline (TG caught 93 passes last season). This move gives young signal caller, Matt Ryan, a tremendous weapon between the 20's and inside the red zone. The former Chief is not just a playmaker with the ball in his hands. The veteran TE is also an outstanding blocker. His presence on the field will make life easier for runningbacks Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood. The trade appears to be a win-win situation for the Falcons. Although they'll send their 2nd round pick to KC in 2010, Atlanta will still have many options available in the future draft. Due to the losses of veterans Keith Brooking, Michael Boley, Lawyer Milloy, and Dominique Foxworth, the Falcons could receive as many as 4 supplemental draft picks in 2010.

The only negative: Atlanta still needs a defense. Although this move inches the Falcons closer towards becoming an NFC power, there are still many holes on the other side of the ball.

Hawks Vs Heat

Hawks lost to the heat. Profanity ain't allowed on this site, so I've blocked myself from posting any more comments on the topic.

NL East On Deck

Wednesday 4/22/09
Florida Marlins @ Pittsburgh Pirates at 12:35.
SP-FL: Nolasco 1-1 6.60 ERA
SP-Pit: Maholm 2-0 0.87 ERA

Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals at 7:05.
SP-ATL: Jurrjens 2-1 2.04 ERA
SP-Was: Lannan 0-2 6.46 ERA

NY Mets @ St. Louis Cardinals at 1:40.
SP-NY: Hernandez 1-0 4.63 ERA
SP-STL: Lohse 2-0 2.57 ERA

Philadelphia Phillies Vs. Milwaukee Brewers at 7:05.
SP-Phil: Hamels 0-1 11.17 ERA
SP-Mil: Looper 1-0 3.27 ERA

All times are eastern time zone.

NL East On Deck

Tuesday 4/21/09
Florida Marlins @ Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:05.
SP-FL: Sanchez 1-0 1.64 ERA
SP-Pit: Karstens 0-0 6.75 ERA

Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals at 7:05.
SP-Atl: Kawakami 1-1 5.25 ERA
SP-Was: Martis 1-0 4.82 ERA

NY Mets @ St. Louis Cardinals at 8:15.
SP-NY: Perez 1-1 7.84 ERA
SP-STL: Wellemeyer 1-1 4.50 ERA

Philadelphia Phillies (H) Vs Milwaukee Brewers
SP-Phil: Blanton 0-1 9.00 ERA
SP-Mil: Parra 0-2 6.97 ERA

Sports Tonight

NBA Playoffs continue at 8 ET, as the Detroit Pistons square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pistons are looking to avoid an 0-2 deficit. TNT will broadcast the game.

Following Cavs Vs Pistons, TNT will air game 2 of the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers playoff series. LA leads 1-0. The opening tip is scheduled for 10:30 ET.

Over on Vs. you can catch up with the NHL playoffs. At 7 ET, the Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Vancouver Canucks are at the St. Louis Blues at 9:30, also on Vs.

NL East On Deck

Monday 4/20/09
Florida Marlins @ Pittsburgh Pirates at 7:05.
SP-FL: Miller 0-0 6.43 ERA
SP-Pit: Ohlendorf 0-2 4.91 ERA
Update: Pirates win 8-0.

Atlanta Braves @ Washington Nationals at 7:05.
SP-Atl: Derek Lowe 1-0 2.81 ERA
SP-Was: Jordan Zimmerman 0-0 (1st Start)
Look for updates in comments section.
Nats win 3-2.

NY Mets- OFF

Philadelphia Phillies (H) vs SD Padres PPD
SP-Phil: Moyer 1-1 6.55 ERA
SP-SD: Correja 0-1 4.09 ERA

Sports Tonight

At 7 ET, the Boston Celtics look to even their series at 1 win a piece, as they host Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. The game will be shown on TNT.
109-108 Chicago with 1:54 left.
112-111 Boston with 1:01 left.
115-113 Boston with 20.1 left. Bulls have ball.
115-115 with 12.3 left.

Also airing at 7 ET, the Okland A's travel to NY to battle the Yankees. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN. Baseball Tonight follows.

Looking for some NFL conversation? Catch Path to the Draft at 6 PM ET on the NFL Network. If that ain't enough coverage, the four letter network will be airing a SportsCenter Special at 8 PM. The ESPN2 broadcast will take a look the upcoming draft.


At 7 PM ET, the Washington Capitals travel to NY, as they take on the Rangers in game 3 of this eastern conference game. The NHL quarterfinal game will be shown on Vs. At 9:30, the network will broadcast the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks game 3.

How 'bout some CFB coverage? At 8 ET, the NFL Network will be airing the Top 10 Football Factories. This show features universities that produce the most NFL players. How many SEC schools will be highlighted?

Crimson Tide fans can catch a replay of A Day at 6:00 ET on ESPNU.

Following the Bulls Vs Celtics on TNT, you can watch the San Antonio Spurs take on the Dallas Mavericks at 9:30 PM ET.

Sports Tonight

In Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers are up 79-68 over the Utah Jazz. As I type this, there are less than 2 minutes left in the 3rd Quarter. The game is being played on ABC. Carlos Boozer just hit 2 Free Throws for the Jazz. Update: Lakers 100 Utah 89, with 4:58 left in 4th Quarter. Update: Lakers defeat Jazz, post game news conference to be shown on ESPN News.

At 5:30 ET, the Eastern Conference Playoffs resume, as the Philadelphia 76ers travel to Orlando to beign a best of 7 series against the Magic. The game will be shown on TNT. Update: Orlando wins opening tip, Rafer Alston hits 3, to give Magic early lead. 76ers shooting 1-5 to start game. Magic 7 Philly 2. UPDATE: Philadelphia goes on an 8-0 run to take the lead 16 to 11 in 1st quarter.
2nd Quarter update: Orl 38 Philly 39. Under 5 minutes remaining before Half-Time.
3rd Quarter update: Orl 75 Philly 60. Less than 4 minutes left in 3rd.
4th Quarter update: Orl 84 Philly 73. Donyell Marshall hit a 3 for Philadelphia. A second consecutive 3pt shot by Marshall clanked off the iron. Big miss. 76ers could have cut the lead down to 8. 9 minutes remaining.
South Gwinnett's Lou Williams has scored 10 points for 76ers. UPDATE: Lou Williams strikes again. 17-5 run by 76ers brings them to within 6. Philadelphia's Ratliff fouled by Rashard Lewis. Makes 1 of 2 Free throws. Orl 84 Philly 79. Sixers get a stop. Andre Miller scores. Orl 84 Philly 81. About 6 minutes left in 4th. Now's a good time to tune in and watch the remainder of this game. Lou Williams at the line. Orl 86 Philly 84. Foul on Ratliff. 4 minutes left: D. Marshall 3 cuts lead to 2. 76ers get a rebound and A. Miller ties game on layup. D Howard scores, Iguodala turns ball over. Orlando ball with 2:38 remaining. Orl 93 Philly 91.
Turkolu scores. D Marshall answers. Less than 2 minutes. 3rd foul on Andre Miller puts Howard on line. Misses 1st FT. Makes 2nd. 76ers ball, down 3. Iguodala slams. Orl 96 Philly 95. Philly ball. Blocking foul on Magic. Iguodala shoots 2. Misses BOTH. Great pass by Alston sets up Howard for MONSTEROUS DUNK. 49.1 seconds left, Orl by 3.
Marshall 3 ties game with 34.8 seconds left. 98-98. T.O. Orl. Magic ball. Lewis misses, Miller rebounds. 76ers ball with 12.5 left. 11 seconds on shot clock. TO. Iguodala SCORES. 100-98 76ers with 2.2 seconds left.
Turkoglu misses 3. Philly wins 100-98. Dwight Howard, the MVP candidate from Atlanta, finished with 31 pts, 16 rbd, 2 blocks. South Gwinnett's Lou Williams scored 18 pts for Philadelphia. Next up, HAWKS vs heat. Go HAWKS!


Later, the Atlanta Hawks will host the Miami Heat. Game 1 of this series is scheduled for 8 Eastern. This is the second game of a playoff triple-header, being shown on TNT.
1st Quarter update: M Williams 3 gives Atl early 12-8 lead. Williams has 7 pts already.
Atl 20 Mia 19 with 2:06 left in 1st. End of 1st. Hawks 24 Heat 21.
2nd Quarter update: Hawks 30 heat 24 with 9:20 left in 2nd. Heat ball.
Former gator, Al Horford rejects Wade's shot. Joe Johnson throws alley oop to J Smith. Hawks 33 Heat 27. You will see this highlight on ESPN!
Hawks add 4 more points to lead and go up 37-27. Wade already has 2 fouls. 7:27 till Half.
J Johnson knocks ball from Wade. Wade recovers, but Bibby steals ball. Bibby runs, Bibby falls. Wade (falling out of bounds) saves ball, and somehow J Smith ends up at FT line. One of the sloppiest exchanges in the history of the NBA. You'll see this on a blooper reel. Philips Arena is going crazy. The last two minutes have seen 2 incredible dunks by J Smith, as Atl builds 14 pt lead. Timeout Miami. This one's starting to resemble a track meet. DVR SportsCenter for highlights.
1:14 left in 2nd. 3 by Johnson puts Hawks up by 19. Foul on Bibby puts Wade on line. Crowd boos. Wade makes 1 of 2 FTs. The Heat look TERRIBLE.
End of 2nd Quarter. Atl 59 Heat 39. Hawks dominated 2nd quarter with stellar defense, and Arena rocking points in transition. Josh Smith leads Hawks with 17 points at the half. Wade has 17 for Miami.
3rd Quarter update: Bibby hits 3. Heat still look terrible. Shot clock violation on Miami. Hawks 62 Heat 39. 3rd Foul on Joe Johnson. Haslem (another old gator) hits 2 FTs. 64-41 Atl.
6:45 left in 3rd. Hawks 68 Heat 47. Both teams are comitting too many turnovers.
Horford scores. 70-47 Atl. Bibby steals ball, Johnson scores. 72-47 Hawks. Yes, Miami still looks TERRIBLE!
Hard to believe this is playoff basketball. Hawks 74 Heat 49 with 3:40 left in 3rd.
6-0 run by Miami reduces lead to 19. Still boring to watch this blow out.
End of 3rd. Hawks 76 Heat 57.
4th Quarter update: Anybody else hear crickets chirping?
Dare I say the "T" word one more time? Hawks 82 heat 59. Josh Smith is putting together an impressive highlight reel, as Miami plays un-inspired, lethargic, and just plain embarrassing basketball. It seems as if the Heat's will has been broken. Al Horford's having a good time on the Hawks bench, as he head bobs to Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer."
The Heat have scored just 2 points in the fourth. With 4:28 remaining, it's still Atlanta 82, Miami 59.
Don't look now, but the Heat have scored a quick 5 points. The score... Atlanta 90, Miami 64. OUCH! This one is mercifully coming to an end. Not before another commercial break, though. Finally, Game 1 is over.
The Hawks took command of this game, by outscoring the Heat 35-18 in the second quarter. Miami never recovered. Although I'm an avid Hawks fan, that was painful to watch. Game 2 is Wednesday night. Can Miami rebound from this beatdown?
Josh Smith led the Hawks with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and added 3 assists. Dwayne Wade was held to 19 points (2 in second half).

St. Louis Cardinals at Cubs 8 ET -Game has been postponed.
In other MLB news, the Florida Marlins go to 11-1 with a 7-4 victory over Nats. BREAK UP THE FISH!!

In the final game of TNT's triple-header the New Orleans Hornets travel to Denver, for game 1 of this Western Conference Matchup. The game is scheduled for 10:30 ET.
1st Quarter update: Denver 29, NO 25 after one.
2nd Quarter update: There ain't one. I'm tired.


IndyCar Racing is being shown on Vs. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach began at 3:30 ET and should last until 6 PM.

If you're looking for some NHL playoff action, keep your television set tuned to Vs. At 7PM ET, the Vancouver Canucks take on the Blues, in St. Louis. Following that game, is Hockey Central from 9:30 to 10:00 PM ET. After the 30 minute recap and highlight show, the San Jose Sharks will be hosting the Anaheim Ducks. I'll be watching NBA playoffs, so don't look for many NHL updates.

No Hitter Through 6

A potential story to keep an eye on, is that of Cubs ace Ted Lilly. Through 6 innings in blistery Chicago, Lilly has yet to surrender a base hit to the Colorado Rockies.

Due up for the Rockies in the top of the 7th:
Spilbourgh
Helton
Atkins

The Game is being shown on WGN.

Update- A 2 out single by Atkins in the top of the 7th has ended the chance of a no hitter in Chicago. Cubs lead 3-0.

Update-Angel Guzman brought in to relieve Ted Lilly. Troy Tulowitzki flied out to center to end the 7th. 3-0 Cubs.

The no hitter's gone, so I am too. If you wish to catch the rest of this game, tune in to WGN.

Marlins and Braves

Just six games into the young MLB season, the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves are battling for the top spot in the NL East. It's early. Very, very early in the 162 game season of 2009. But, if you're a fan of one of these two franchises, you can't help but feel excited about the future of your team. As a lifelong Braves fan, my main concern is the bullpen. From what I've seen, it appears as if Atlanta has embraced a philosophy that served them best during their 15 year reign as NL East Champs; pitching and defense. Don't get me wrong. There are holes on this roster. Although the starting 5, led by newly acquired ace, Derek Lowe, seems solid, the bullpen ain't as strong. But, if healthy and capable of chewing up innings, the Braves starting rotation could take some heat off their later inning replacements. I guess you could say that the key to Atlanta's success is keeping the relief pitchers fresh. Throughout the latter portion of last season, their over worked bullpen collapsed.

As for the fighting fish from Florida, 2009 might be the year this
squad re-emerges as a NL power. Led by Hanley Ramirez and youngsters, Emilio Bonifacio (3B) and Cameron Maybin (LF), the Marlins could be a serious threat in the NL East. Although others are content to wait until Memorial Day before they analyze records and "jump on bandwagons," I can confidently say that Florida's 5-1 start demands recognition. This is a franchise that knows how to build a contender. The Marlins draft well and trade well, even if it means dealing player(s) the home crowd adores.

On Tuesday night, these two southern rivals begin a three game series at Turner Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 eastern as Javier Vazquez (4.50 ERA) takes the mound for Atlanta. Opposing him will be Marlins pitcher, Chris Volstad, who brings a 1.80 ERA into this contest. On Wednesday night, Atlanta's ace, Derek Lowe takes on Florida's Andrew Miller. Lowe enters the game with an ERA of 0.82 and Miller brings a respectable 3.86 ERA to Turner Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM Eastern. Thursday afternoon at 12:10 ET, Kenshin Kawakami is slated to make his second start for the Braves. The 33 year old import from Japan looks to improve upon an ERA of 4.50. The Marlins will give the ball to 25 year old Anibal Sanchez. The 3 year veteran from Venezuela enters this match up with 5 K's and an impressively untouched ERA of 0.00.

Sporting identical records of 5-1, the Braves and Marlins both hope to make a statement in this series. This is the most exciting match up of the young 2009 season. Championship caliber teams don't win divisions in August, they build upon their foundation for success now! Don't shrug off the importance of this series, regardless of the fact that it will be played in April. The Marlins travel to Atlanta and take on the Braves Tuesday night. Don't miss one pitch!

What's on my Mind:

I think I read somewhere that UNC just won their 5th NCAA tournament title. Good for them. I guess they've got some ballers. Now, let's move on to something that actually matters....SEC FOOTBALL. Spring practices have been going on for weeks down in Dixie. This Saturday, Mark Richt's Georgia Bulldogs will be featured on ESPN, as the Red team battles the Black inside of Sanford Stadium at 1:00 eastern time. Admission is free and word on the street is that a ban has been placed on the phrase "Black Out." Keep an eye on RS Freshman Carlton Thomas (RB).

Meanwhile, folks down in Gainesville are dreamin' of a repeat. The '09 Gators will be phenomenal, despite the loss of WR Percy Harvin. With Tebow still at the helm, Florida will likely be the favorite to win next year's BCS Championship Game. I'd like to say their hopes will die in Jacksonville. But...let's be real. The red and black colored glasses are off, maybe even stomped on once or twice in frustration.

Speaking of tirades...The "Ol' Ball Coach" has had a less than stellar coaching career in Columbia, SC. Spurrier's Gamecocks have failed to become a contender in the SEC East, but isn't that to be expected? We're talking about South Carolina. The university is better known for parading Ric Flair around the sidelines, than actually achieving greatness on the football field. Sorry, George Rogers.

Speaking of sorry... Lane Kiffin is an idiot! You didn't hear it first on this blog. You heard it months ago. My mother once told me that a wise man keeps his mouth shut and lets people believe he's intelligent, while a fool opens his mouth and proves his ignorance. Kiffin was reprimanded by the SEC for falsely accusing UF coach Urban Meyer of "cheating" on the recruiting front. Meyer allegedly made phone call(s) to a prospect,while the kid was visiting UT. Who cares? That's allowed under NCAA regulations.

So, how 'bout the SEC West? Saban's Tide rolls 'em all in 09. Young QB Star Jackson doesn't have to put up Heisman numbers. All he needs to do is manage the game, and give the ball to Pensacola's own Trent Richardson. Bama will dominate the west, but will history repeat itself in Atlanta? Who knows? Crazy things can happen in the SEC.