(Reported) ROY possibly to Cleveland? (Reportedly)

This image might look familiar! That's right! It's right below this post! Except now it's all Cavalier-ed!

That's right! THe Cleveland Cavaliers got another part of their LeBron James severance package from the totally fair and not at all fixed National Basketball Association in the form of the first overall pick. The Philadelphia 76ers sold their fan base on the idea that "the 3rd pick is good enough, plus we got that 10th pick too so we'll be just fine."

Well apparently the Sixers don't feel as fine as they let on, because they are reportedly trying to get that first round pick that they had so heinously stolen from them.

There has also been talk ever since the end of the regular season about the possibility of trading ROY and teen-heart throb, Michael Carter-Williams. Is this the time where it happens?

MCW (reportedly) is the Rookie of the Year!

(Reportedly)

Guys. GUYS!

It's all going to be okay. Today it was announced that Michael Carter-Williams will (reportedly) win the Rookie of the Year.

OMG! Right!?

I've written on the Sixers a couple of times in the past few months. Back at the beginning of the season when they were 3-0 and everything was awesome! And more recently, when things were noticeably less awesome. And even when Bynum was on the team (at least we're not at that point anymore amiright?!)

But NOW, MCW is (reportedly) rookie of the year. And that means everything is great!

Sure it doesn't change anything about the season. And MCW would have his great season whether he was recognized for it or not. But still. This is the best thing ever!

Until the Sixers win the lottery on May 20th and have the first over all pick! That'll be the best thing ever!

MLU Week 4: Games to Watch

Well it's a sad week here at Sports Pro and the Average Bro. After coming out of week 2 with a 2-0 record, I thought for sure I would maintain my undefeated record through week 3 as well. ESPECIALLY, after the amazing game I watched in Philadelphia, where the Spinners edged out on top just like I predicted.

But alas, the Nighthawks couldn't pull out a win against the Rainmakers. I don't blame Vancouver. It's not their fault that I'm 3-1 instead of 4-0. You shouldn't read too deeply into the fact that I'm not picking them to win this week-and-wouldn't-if-you-paid-me. So let's get to it!

I will say that the MLU knows what they're doing. This is the second week in a row where the best games to watch are both the best games you CAN watch on MLULive.

East:

Both teams in this battle are coming off interesting games. The NY Rumble are coming off a double overtime match up against the Spinners. Sweeping the home and home would have firmly cemented the Rumble as a top force in the east. The second game, however, did not go the way the Rumble would have liked. Rumble made too many mistakes and too many missed opportunities. No matter how many chances the Spinners gave them to win the game, they simply couldn't close it out.

The Whitecaps, on the other hand, are coming off a statement game in which they certainly made their statement. The Current beat them in a similar overtime game in week 2, giving them their first loss in the history of MLU. Was this the end of Boston's Ultimate Reign? Boston answered this question for us: "Nope, we're still here."

MLU Big Game Recap: Spinners vs. Rumble

Spinners huddle up before first OT this past Saturday night.

This week, I selected Philadelphia Spinners vs. NY Rumble as my Game to Watch in the East.

Boy. Was. I. RIGHT!

I was at this game and the excitement was insane throughout the game. It was on the brink of being the lowest scoring game in the history of Ultimate, but that doesn't mean it lacked action in any way.

It appeared, at first, that the Spinners were still relying on big plays like they had been in their first contest versus the DC Current. It didn't work well for them then and it wasn't doing much for them this night either. But, like the Spinners always seem to do, they kept it close and made it a 7-5 NY Rumble game at the half.

Lakers Need a Coach All of a Sudden

RING RING! Hello! Kentucky! May we speak with Mr. Calipari!

Who Let These Guys In? The 2014 Flyers

Because it's the Cup.

The NHL keeps telling me this. It's the greatest playoffs in American sports "Because it's the Cup."

But there's another reason why the NHL can boast the best playoffs. It's because the competition is all so balanced. There's a true chance of an 8 seed upsetting a 1 seed in either conference. These teams have played against each other and fought hard all year. In the NHL playoffs it is the cream, and only the cream, that rises to the top. This means every game is a fight to the end. Every game is a battle that can be one by anyone. Anyone that is, except the Philadelphia Flyers.

I know, I know. They won Game 2 so clearly they can beat someone. But that was a fluke. I think Ray Emory must have snuck in some of that Super water from Space Jam and blocked 29 shots at the end of the game. But even with his super water induced body, he still let in 2 early goals! And don't even get me started on Games 1 and 3.

MLU Week 3: Games to Watch

Oh hey there Ultimate Fans! I didn't see you come in! I was busy reading over last weeks installment of MLU Games to Watch. You know, the one where I swept the weekend picking two upsets, SUPER close to the actual score? I mean really, it's no big deal. But just since we'e on the subject:

There!

Now to try and bring it to 4-0, I give you the Sports Pro and the Average Bro MLU Games to Watch in Week 3!

East

The East is Rematch City this weekend! Two of the great games of Week 2 will be replayed in enemy territory. And since last week I picked the stunner in the Nations Capital, this week I'm heading a bit north to Philadelphia.

Conflicted Love: NBA Superstars

If you've followed this blog since the beginning, you know that there is one athlete on this planet that I love more than any other. More than Roy Halladay. More than RG3. It's Lebron James. You can see examples of this love here and here.

I've lived a very comfortable and happy life with the idea of Lebron. He's always been there when I've needed him most. He's been a perfect role model for me no matter what-don't-you-try-to-tell-me-different-I-can't-hear-you-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA!

Anyway, things have been pretty good. I could have went through life with Lebron being my favorite player forever.

And then I watched Game 2 of the OKC Thunder vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. And I saw a basketball player there who wowed me. Who made me say "woah." That player, of course, was Kevin Durant.

Wizards Answer the Skeptics

Nay-Nay indeed!

A Tribe Called West: SPAB NBA Playoff Preview

Now that we've seen the first game of every match up, it's time to look at the NBA's Western Conference.

The West is much more competitive than the East. The Phoenix Suns, who just missed the playoffs in the West, would have been the 4 seed in the East. There are five teams I can see making it out of the West: The Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, Rockets and Warriors. Of those five however, I only see the Spurs and Thunder as legitimate contenders. They are my picks for the Western Conference Finals (I know big surprise, but hey this is the NBA.) The other three teams have upset potential but it is hard to see them going through both top teams in a 7 game series.

It seems like for the past 5-6 years, The Spurs have been counted out because of their age. That kind of thing can be expected when the man who leads their team, Tim Duncan, is so old that his social security number is 1! However to go along with that old age The Spurs have great young talent, and one of the best coaches ever. The Thunder’s hopes at their first championship in OKC were crushed when Russell Westbrook went down last year. This year Westbrook and MVP favorite, Kevin Durant, are determined to get back to the NBA Finals. Durant is on a mission this year, he led the NBA in scoring for the 4th time in 5 years at 32 ppg and he will lead the Thunder to the NBA Finals.

In a repeat of the 2012 NBA Finals which seems so long ago, the Heat square off against the Thunder. Lets take a trip down memory lane at some of the events waaaaay back in 2012.

• Gangnam Style became a mega hit
• The Dark Knight Trilogy came to an end
• Tim Tebow led the Broncos to an OT win in the playoffs over the Steelers
• The world did not end on December 21st (I was really wrong on that one)

What do these things have to do with this year’s NBA Finals? Well not much, its just fun to take a trip down memory lane. This year’s NBA Finals will come down to LeBron vs Durant. While Durant won the regular season battle, LeBron will win the battle when it matters most. Picking the Heat to win it all this year is not as easy as it was the past two years, but they still have the best player, and the best team.

In two years we can only hope that when the SPAB playoff preview comes out it will involve the Andrew Wiggins led 76ers winning it all.

MLU Week 2: Games to Watch

After an exciting Opening Weekend in the MLU, teams brushed off the rust and set their sites on their Week 2 Matchups. After a surprising Portland Stags win last week, they get the week off, but the rest of the league will be vying to be undefeated or to even up their record.

Let's look at the games to watch in the MLU:

East

There's a rivalry a brewing as both the Boston Whitecaps and the DC Current come off wins in week 1. Both teams shamed their opponents showing that they had a superior game plan from start to finish. A big difference between their games was Boston's ability to finish. DC let Philadelphia stay in the game far longer than they should have. Like I wrote in my DC vs. Philadelphia recap, the teams were pretty unevenly matched and, though the score was close, the game was pretty one sided. But that doesn't mean Philadelphia didn't have plenty of chances to pull away. Boston put the Rumble to bed early and piled up on them after that. They struggled somewhat on their one possession scores.

Beasts from the East: SPAB NBA Playoff Preview

The NBA season is over, so lets take a look at the SPAB NBA Playoff Preview!

Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks got the #1 seed with a 25% chance at the number 1 overall pick in the draft. The Bucks actually set out to be a playoff team this year which makes it pretty embarrassing that they finished with the league’s worst record. Bad news for the Bucks is it has been 9 years since the team with the best chance has actually landed the first overall selection in the draft.

Philadelphia 76ers - The #2 seeded Sixers have a 19.9% chance at the number 1 pick. Its no secret that the number 1 pick is what they have planned on getting ever since GM Sam Hinkie took over last year and traded away Jrue Holiday. The Sixers brought in and ended the season with wins against the Miami Heat. The real story in what was sandwiched in between those wins, 63 losses (including an NBA record tying 26 game losing streak), acquiring almost all of the second round in the draft, and putting a team on the court that had about 8 guys who belong in the D-League.

 Huh?

Are you sure?

I’ve just been informed that the NBA Playoffs is not the race for the #1 overall pick in the draft. I guess after a year of watching the Sixers I lost sight of what basketball is played for.

Well, I guess I’ll get into the ACTUAL Playoff Preview.

Fixing Instant Replay...Already

Finally!

It's 2014 and the ancient and noble game of Baseball has done what pretty much everyone born after 1980 wanted it to. Integrate instant replay into the game.

And now, three weeks into the season, pretty much everybody is super complainy about it.

Here's the thing. It's new. It's good that it's here and it is going to do more help than hurt eventually. There are some inherent problems in that the umps probably don't want to overturn calls they just made (especially when they're still sore about losing some of their emperor-ship) and the managers just use it to slow down the game for one reason or another.

MLU Opening Day: Philadelphia Spinners vs. DC Current

The final score of Saturday's Opening Day match between the Philadelphia Spinners and the DC Current was close. The game itself, however, was not as close as the score makes it seem.

The Current controlled the game from first pull to the end. They dominated on just about every stat line. They were able to capitalize on their turnovers and Philadelphia's defensive overcomittals. They took advantage of some weak Philadelphia pulls and got the disc quickly down field.

I would attribute this to the superior game planning by the Current offense. They did a great job of spreading the field and keeping their cutter's open. But even more than that, they made the Spinner's defense work.

And they didn't work all that well.

Sarge and Wheels Rubbing It In

I do...I really, really do.

Major League Ultimate's Rule Changes

The baseball purists have been out in full swing this year, crying out about the addition of instant replay and the Posey Rule. Even Football purists, though fewer, have been vocal about their displeasure with a change to the extra point. But there are another group of purists out there that are joining the ranks. Ultimate fans.

Ultimate is a sport with a great deal of unwritten rules. The concept is simple enough. Throw the disc, catch the disc, don't walk with the disc, and catch the disc in the end zone. Call your own fouls on the honor system with observers. Simple! Just a few unwritten rules, until the game went professional and the rules got written down.

The Greatest MLB Picks You'll See All Season!

How has everyone been enjoying opening week so far? We've been loving it! In fact, we've been loving it so much we almost forgot about getting you our picks! 

SO! 

Without further ado! Here they are:

Sports Pro:
The Pitching staff in Detroit is just too good! Boston spent a lot of money so they'll be fine. The A's have Brad Pitt and Jonah so you can't go wrong there.

Random Pic of the week! Bear-ed Allen

It's a bear with Jared Allen's Head.

That is all.

Real Sports in a Virtual World

The Oculus Rift headset has been making a bit of a splash lately. The virtual reality headset has essentially been in development since the 1980's. But recent technological advancements have made it a polished product just about ready for consumer shelves. It played a fairly big role in this years South by Southwest festival and has wowed video game developers at conferences around the country. Oh and it's creator, Oculus VR, was recently acquired by Facebook for $2.4 Billion. So they're having a good 2014 so far.

So this got me thinking. With Facebook being the giant that it is, a lot of money could be poured into this technology over the next few years. Would it be a stretch to see the Oculus Rift headset in a sports context?

NBA Draft: Who's your first pick?

As I watch the NCAA tournament, I watch through a number of different eyes:

1. I watch through the eyes of a bracket owner (though that's been busted for a long time now so I don't look through those eyes for long).
2. I watch through the eyes of a fan of the tournament and everything that makes it great.
3. I watch through the eyes of a Sixers fan. Knowing that in a few months we'll be talking about a new season with a new franchise player.

And I think that's how we have to view these players as they enter the draft. No, the tournament isn't the end all be all of how a player will be in the NBA, but if a player really steps it up or shuts it down, it can be a telling sign.

Let's Dissolve the NCAA!

Get it? It's dissolving.

From the Johnny Manziel signing scandal to the Northwestern Football Unionization, there is one issue that is pretty resounding through college sports: Should we pay these kids?

The NCAA says resoundingly No. Because they are student athletes and it would ruin integrity and blah di blah blah blah.

I happen to agree that athletes should not be paid by the Colleges and Universities which they attend. Not because they don't deserve it, but because there is no logistic way to make it work (please comment below with all your logistic ways to make it work).

Do you pay the football team more than the basketball team? Swim Team? Do you pay the starting quarterback more than the third string offensive lineman? What happens if the quarterback gets injured? Does his money get allocated to the backup? And once you do pay athletes, how much is enough? How much is enough that they won't feel the need to take more money if they can get it? (spoiler: it will never be enough)

2014 Sixers: I Sure Hope This Works

Chart does not actually depict Sixers trends...just their lack of awesomeness.

I usually try not to do posts just about the home team, but I think the home team is enough of a national story laughing stock that a post is warranted.

The Tankdelphia Seventy Tankers are well on their way to a top draft pick after the end of this horrifically bad season. The end of a season that cannot get here any faster. The ends justify the means though, right? If the Sixers win a Championship in the next 5 3 years, no one will care that they tore the team down to the rafters to get there. They'll talk about it, because haters always gonna hate! But what will we care? Sixers will be champs again after all these years.

Except, I don't know if I'm cool with the tanking. It's lame...sooooper lame! Watching games is painful. I subscribe to a service that texts me reminders about Sixers games and final scores. I'm wondering how many variations of losing they have on tap. Sixers "slide". Sixers "fall". [Opponent] "top" Sixers. Sixers "come up short"..which is really the best one of all. They came up short? Like a cockroach comes up short to Shaq? Yeah I guess short covers it. Frankly, I'm surprised they are still sending me texts at all. If I see this one day I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

The Bracket Battle is B-B-BACK!!!

It is the moment you've all been waiting for!

No, not the newest season of House of Cards...
No, not the next flavor of Lay's potato chips...
No, not the 2014 football season...


It's the NCAA TOURNAMENT!

Which is really cool and all. Basketball and colleges and heated competition. But what's REALLY cool about it is the return of the Sports Pro and the Average Bro Bracket Battle! (Password: battle)

BUT WAIT!

The 4th annual version of our world famous Battle comes with a new twist. The Big Dance is coming up, so who are you bringing with you?

Do you know any Famous Celebrities? D-List Celebrities? Sports Personalities? Some guy that more than 5 people have heard of? Get them to compete in our battle and you could win an extra prize!

Sh*t People Only Say During The Olympics

The best of all the stuff you heard all Olympics long...and won't hear again for another 4 years.

Sports Pro's Celebrity All Star Team

Really NBA? These are celebrities? Couple of WNBA ladies and the Secretary of Education?! Let me educate you Mr. Secretary: You aren't a celebrity!

Here is the perfect Celebrity All-Star team. Funny, Smart, and Tough. This team has the chemistry to compete with the greats. The late 50s early 60s Celtics. The Lakers of the 80’s. The soon to be Sixers of the future. So, without further ado, here they are:

PG- Ben Stein 

 A solid point guard needs two things, brains and vision. He needs to be able to see the floor, find the open teammate, and avoid any dumb decisions. He was Ferris Bueller’s Ecom teacher, so you know he’s got the smarts. And he starred in countless Visine commercials, so you know he’s got the vision. He’s old, sure, but he’s got the makings of a solid floor general.

The Sport's Pro's Super Bowl

You know what’s so great about the Super Bowl? (Other than the commercials, the gambling, the friends, and even the actual game) It’s the buildup. The two weeks prior to this one game, where the media can make judgments, create story lines, and allow viewers to become invested in a team, that they really don’t care for (especially this year with two distant, probably unpopular, cities like Denver and Seattle). I mean just look at the past couple years, you had Ray Lewis retiring, Harbaugh V Harbaugh, Eli V Brady II, Green Bay as a 6 seed, Manning’s first title, the other Manning’s second title; there’s always something, whether it’s a player’s story, their childhood, their legacy, or a team’s story/legacy, or a head to head matchup that is all decided in one game, one night. It’s this kind of buildup that allows your average Patriots/Eagles fan like myself to root for a team, and become invested in the game, or at least the story.

This year is no different. Offense V Defense. Manning V Sherman. Old School v New School. This game will not only define Manning’s legacy, but that of Richard Sherman as well. If he gets beat, after all the talk, he may never recover. But if he, and this defense, beat up on Manning, then he may never have another chance to win it all.

The Average Bro's SuperBowl

You came here for insight. Let's cut right to the chase.

Here's how it's gunna go down!

The Broncos haven't faced a first half offense at all in the playoffs. They never punched a team in the mouth from the get go, either, but they consistently scored points from beginning to end to keep them on top.

Seattle came out swinging on offense and defense against the Saints and didn't look back the rest of the game. They started slower against the 49ers but a superior defense and generally more precise quarterbacking led them to a victory.

So here's how it goes.

First Quarter:

Seattle Scores first. It'll be early in the game. Marshawn Lynch will break off a huge run and take it in for the score. Denver will answer back with a field goal. Seattle will match them with another 3 point play to end the quarter 10-3.

Guys! It's almost the Super Bowl!!!

Well...

Here

It

IS!

Pahchoooo! Pahchooo!

That's right! It's almost Super Bowl Sunday! (Sunday!) (Sunday!)

The invincible Denver Broncos led by the golden boy Peyton Manning will face off in the swirling vortex of snow-dom against the surging and brutal Seattle Seahawks. We've got a good old fashioned battle of Heroes vs. Villains thanks to the over the top personality of Richard Sherman. 

The SP&AB NFL Picks Recap

Hey there Pros and Bros! As I'm sure you all know, the Super Bowl is fast approaching! As I'm sure even more of you know, we made our picks back in September! Let's see how they panned out!

The Sports Pro:

This guy knows the game. Though a lot of the AFC went chalk, The Sports Pro was able to pick almost the whole AFC save for a Texans misstep (and frankly there were a lot of Texans missteps this year).