Dallas Forward Nowitzki May Opt Out of Current Deal

There are rumors circulating that Dallas all-star forward Dirk Nowitzki may opt out of his current deal and become a free agent. I can't really blame Nowitzki for wanting to do this. He's just trying to explore his options. Nowitzki has been with this team for many years and has accomplished a lot. As a member of the Mavericks, he led this team to a winning record and the playoffs as well. I believe that when it is all said and done, he will remain a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Arizona Immigration Law Is Causing Outrage

People overall appear to be unhappy with the Arizona Immigration Law. There is a protest scheduled later on in Phoenix today. The Reverend Al Sharpton, along with other opponents of this law, are scheduled to peacefully march in a protest rally. This law gives police the right to stop anyone they feel is here in the U.S. illegally. This law is controversial because it opens up the door to racial profiling. When it is all said and done, I think that this law will eventually be revised.

Bulls Fire Their Head Coach

The Bulls decided to fire their head coach Vinny Del Negro. Despite the fact that he took this team to the playoffs, the Bulls organization thought it was best to go in another direction. Personally, I don't think he should have been fired. He took a team that looks like it is in the rebuilding process to the playoffs. This team, under the leadership of Del Negro, competed very hard in the playoffs even though even they were over matched against their opponents the Cavaliers. The referees also screwed the Bulls with some questionable foul calls. Even though the Bulls had some bad calls go against them, they still played their hearts out during this season. The Bulls organization may live to regret this decision.

Spurs beat Mavs and Advance On

During Thursday night's game, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Dallas Mavericks 97-87. Both teams put forth a great effort, but it the end, it will be the Spurs advancing to the next round. They will play the Phoenix Suns. These two teams from Texas are definitely rivals to say the least. The Spurs started off scoring at will. They were ahead at one point by a large margin. To complicate things even further, the Mavs star player, Dirk Nowitzki had four fouls in the first half. Luckily for the Mavs, they got a huge contribution from a player from Rodrique Baubois. Honestly, prior to this game, I didn't even know the guy existed. Unfortunately for the Mavs, his scoring wasn't enough and they lost to the Spurs. Whenever these two teams play one another, they always put on a great show for us. The next time these two teams play each other, I'm quite certain they will continue to bring their best on the court.

Officiating Played a Role in Bulls Cavs Game

The Bulls put forth a great effort against the Cavs, but in the end they couldn't get the crucial points needed and lost 96-94. The score was close throughout the game, but the Bulls came up just short. They definitely need to upgrade their roster if they want to be more competitive in the Eastern Conference. During the free agency period, the Bulls need another perimeter scorer and some who can score in the low post. Even thought they lost in the first round, the Bulls should be proud of the fact that they made the playoffs this season. They were competing against the Toronto Raptors for the last playoff spot. The Bulls found a way to secure that last spot despite many people doubting them.

The referees also played a role in the Bulls losing. There were two bad calls against back up Bulls Center Brad Miller. He was guarding Shaq when he got the fouls. After getting these two fouls, Miller was forced to sit during the fourth quarter. The refs look like they were punishing Miller for complaining about some things he didn't like. Also Derek Rose scored on what looked like a three point play. The refs would later waive off the obvious three point play. Had the refs allowed that play to count, the Bulls could have tied the game and even taken the lead. NBA Commissioner David Stern needs to take a look a the game and reprimand the refs for the poor officiating they displayed.

Despite losing in the first round, the Bulls have nothing to ashamed of. They secured the 8th spot during a time when it looks like they are rebuilding. If they can add more legitimate scoring to their roster, they will return to the playoffs and will be hard to beat. There are reports the Bulls might fire Vinny Del Negro. I really hope they don't. He has done a great job coaching this team. It's a shame that him and John Paxson got into an altercation over the playing time of Joakim Noah. Both men should have been professional and talked about whatever issues they had without getting physical. I hope that he can keep his job. The Bulls are a good team that will continue to be a contender in the Eastern Conference.

NFL Draft Review

This years NFL Draft was definitely exciting to watch. As expected, many of the high profile players were taken in the first round. This was the first time that the draft took place during prime time. I like the fact that it lasted three days. This gave many people including myself a chance to watch as much of the draft as possible. When it lasted two days, I couldn't see most of it because I had to do other things. It is very likely that they will use the same three day format next year.

As expected, Sam Bradford was taken in the first round. It made perfect sense for the Rams to draft him since they were in desperate need of a quarterback. The pick that surprised me the most was Tim Tebow going to the Broncos. Many reports projected him as either a second or third round pick. Also, the Broncos already have two decent quarterbacks on their roster in Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn. Josh McDaniels is taking a big risk by drafting Tebow. If Tebow doesn't excel at the next level, many people are going to be even more critical of Josh McDaniels than they are now.

The team that did well in this years draft was the Baltimore Ravens. They definitely upgraded their offense and defense with the rookies that they're bringing in. On offense, they drafted two great tight ends in Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. The Ravens on defense added defensive tackle Terrence Cody and linebacker Sergio Kindle. These rookie additions will certainly help the Ravens become legitimate contenders in the AFC North.

Overall, this years NFL Draft was a success. A lot of talented players got drafted. My early prediction for rookie of the year will be Ryan Matthews. Matthews was the running back taken in the first round by the San Diego Chargers. There was a big void in the Chargers backfield after LaDainian Tomlinson was released. The team is now looking for Matthews to fill that void. He will certainly get the opportunity to run the ball for the Chargers. I like the three day format as well. It gave me as well as others to watch more of the draft. When the draft took place on two days, it took a large part of the day to watch. I believe they should stick with the three day format. This years draft was loaded with talent all across the board. I look forward to seeing what these players do once they get on the field.

Ben Roethlisberger Gets a Six Game Suspension

NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell has decided to suspend Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for six games. Ben's suspension can be reduced to four games if he successfully follows certain procedures that Goddell has placed in front of him. The Steeler's owner appears to agree with the suspension Ben has received. Goddell has made it clear from day one, when he stepped in as commissioner, that he expects players to behave both on and off the field. Goddell has made sure no player is exempt from that rule. Not even Big Ben can get a pass from Goddell.
Personally, I agree with the decision the commissioner made. He did the right thing in suspending Roethlisberger. Ben has put himself in too many bad predicaments. This is the second time in a year that he's been accused of improperly intermingling with a woman. After going through this last year, Ben should have made sure that this type of thing never happened to him again. We can't also forget the decision he made not to put a helmet on while riding his motorcycle. Ben ended up crashing his bike and he suffered serious injuries as well. He seems to take these risks which impact not only himself, but impact his friends, fans, family and the league as well. Despite all that Ben has done, I still believe in him. I really believe that he gets it now. I'm glad that Goddell has intervened and instructed Ben to take the necessary steps to redeem himself.

There are reports that the Steelers are entertaining offers for Roethlisberger. According to several sources, the Steelers are willing to trade Ben for a team that has a top ten pick in this years NFL draft. The Steelers would be making a big mistake by getting rid of him. Ben is a great young player that has proven his toughness on the field. He has won many games for this franchise. None of the quarterbacks in this years draft are as good as Roethlisberger. I would rather have a proven quarterback on my team than an inexperienced one. I believe Ben now knows that he must be on his best behavior. Anything less than good model behavior from him would be unsatisfactory. I predict when it all said and done, Ben will start and end his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler.