Oden & Young Blazers Set To Tip-Off 2008-’09

A little less than eighteen months after being the first overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, Greg Oden will finally make his professional debut for the Portland Trailblazers when they tipoff their regular season Tuesday on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers. Oden, who missed all of last season after having micro-fracture surgery to repair a chip in his right knee, is only a piece in what is promising to be one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. The 7-foot former Ohio State Buckeye center will be teamed with 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy along with other young impact players such as center LaMarcus Aldridge and guards Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless. The combination of Oden and Roy, who at 24 is already one of the league’s elite floor generals, almost eerily reminds me of a certain center/guard duo that used to run and gun for the Orlando Magic during the early-1990s. Of course, I’m thinking of Penny Hardaway and one Shaquille O’Neal. Oden’s size, speed and length certainly reminds me of a 21-year Shaq “sprinting” down the court in transition and shattering NBA backboards left and right. It’s always the best to catch on to a good thing before it reaches its pinnacle, and that mindset is perfect when thinking about authentic Portland Trailblazers memorabilia. While Portland’s exciting young cast of athletes may be two years away from contending for an NBA championship, who knows how long it will be before Greg Oden photographs are mentioned in the same sentence as Shaquille O’Neal memorabilia.

Can Anyone Stop Jimmie Johnson?

Time, weekends and miles are running short for anyone in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series trying to derail Jimmie Johnson’s run at a third consecutive title in the sport’s most elite series. After this Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a track where Johnson has three victories and nine top-10 finishes in 14 career starts, those chasing the 48 will have only three races left to dethrone a man redefining a dynasty in NASCAR. With a 149-point lead, the largest in Chase history, separating him from second place Jeff Burton, there’s talk of the California native being dubbed “the new Jeff Gordon” or in racing terms: quite simply the man to beat. With his fifth victory of the season coming last Sunday at the tiny Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia, it’s no surprise that searches for authentic Jimmie Johnson memorabilia are at an all-time high. It seems not even Mother Nature could stand in the way of the two-time reigning Sprint Cup Champion, as Johnson will start on the pole Sunday after this afternoon’s qualifying session was cancelled due to rain.

Chad Sticks With Johnson

Chad Johnson announced today that he will wait until the opening of the 2009 NFL season before showcasing his new Cincinnati Bengals jerseys complete with “Ocho Cinco” adorned on the back. Johnson legally changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco in August just before the kickoff of the regular season, however the league stated he would have to financially compensate Reebok for the already made NFL jerseys that’d be all but useless if Chad had changed his name. Coincidentally, Bengals line backer Keith Rivers had to shell $10,000 out of his own pocket when he changed his jersey number from 58 to 55 after the team’s fourth preseason game in August. The winless Bengals look to turn around their season when they kickoff Week 8 of the NFL season in a Sunday battle on the road against the Houston Texans.

New Faces At New Heights

Sure we’re without the traditional October powerhouses like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, but that’s all the more reason to get pumped up for tonight’s World Series Game 1 matchup between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies. In a sport that loves to showcase young athletes as they reach new heights (think Josh Beckett circa 2003), there’s no better time than to support budding superstars like Chase Utley or Evan Longoria than by donning a new Tampa Bay Rays jersey or finally grabbing an authentic Phillies autographed baseball. The fresh faced Rays, behind the hot hotting of Longoria and B.J. Upton are looking like a team of destiny while the Phils , loaded with MVPs Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard, are looking to end a 25-year championship drought for one of America’s greatest sports cities. Regardless of your affiliation, there’s no reason to not be absolutely pumped up for what’s sure to be a World Series for the ages!

Rays Dethrone Red Sox, Head To First World Series

The tide had changed in the American League East when the Boston Red Sox upset the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series. Four years and two World Championships removed, the Red Sox have carried the crown as the 2000’s best team past the AL-best Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and into their fourth ALCS in six years. Oh how quickly things can change. The Tampa Bay Rays, led by all-of-a-sudden stars like Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton and Matt Garza, officially dethroned the reigning World Champion Red Sox late Sunday night to advance to the franchise’s first World Series in their 10-year history. Garza, who tossed seven innings of one-run baseball, received not only last night’s win but the series’ Most Valuable Player award for his two dominant victories against Boston.

The Rays’ attention now turns from the defending World Champs to the National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Even though the National League has only four victories in the past four World Series contests, I don’t expect the well-rested and time-tested Phillies to share that same fate. There hasn’t been a foursome as fierce as Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell since the All-Star-laden Florida Marlins’ “fire sale” Championship team of 2003.

The World Series kicks off Wednesday evening with a well-rested Cole Hammels squaring up with “Big Game” James Shields at Tampa’s charmless Tropicana Field.

The Jeff & Jimmie Show

One of the interesting differences between NASCAR and the other popular sports in North America is the fact that teammates actually compete against each other. Two drivers, who may have their race cars built just feet apart by many of the same world-class technicians and mechanics, quite often find themselves one another for wins and valuable points come Sunday. No two drivers exemplify this quasi-conundrum more than Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Not only have they both dominated the sport at different times in their career in the vein of Michael Jordan and Roger Federer, they’ve often found themselves beating and banging around the race track when the laps start dwindling down. Since Johnson joined the Sprint Cup Series in 2002, he and his mentor Gordon, who has raced in Cup since 1992, have finished 1-2 eight different times with Gordon having the edge with five victories. Their most recent nose-to-tail finish came in last fall’s visit to Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway, where the Chase For the Sprint Cup is set to roll into later today. Look for both men, who have a combined 11 wins at the paperclip-style short track, to have a strong day as the Chase winds down with only six races remaining.

Rays Turn To “Big Game James”

Trying to rebound from a crushing 8-7 collapse at the hands of the Boston Red Sox bats Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays will send “Big Game” James Shields to the hill to close out the ALCS and send Tampa to their first-ever World Series. Shields, who went 14-8 with a 3.56 ERA during the regular season, will oppose the always-dangerous-come-October Josh Beckett. Rest assured Shields and Rays manager Joe Madden will throw the kitchen sink at Boston, pulling out all the stops to avoid a winner-take-all matchup with baseball’s most clutch team and their lefty ace Jon Lester. Though he lost the series’ Game 1 to Daisuke Matsuzaka, there’s nobody else that the mohawk-clad Rays and their fans would rather have taking the hill at Tropicana Field. On the year, Shields boasts a 9-2 record with a miniscule 2.59 at the Rays’ unique stomping grounds.

Comeback Kings

I’m pretty sure almost everyone is still catching their breath from the unbelievable comeback made by the Boston Red Sox in tonight’s American League Championship Series Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Rays. As Boston fans watched Evan Longoria, Scott Kazmir and the Rays jump out to yet another large early-inning lead, something like magic wouldn’t allow the optimism of a victory escape the faithful congregated at Fenway Park. With only nine outs remaining in their season, the Boston bats in the form of Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and J.D. Drew came alive. What looked like a timid roster teeming with pessimism turned outright electric as the Sox crept to within three in the seventh inning and tied the game at seven in the bottom of the eighth with a liner off the bat of Coco Crisp. Following rookie Justin Masterson masterfully navigating the heart of the Tampa Bay order in the top of the ninth, a frozen rope line drive off the bat of Drew scored Kevin Youkilis from second base, who had made it to scoring position on an earlier throwing error by Rays’ rookie Evan Longoria.

The miraculous Boston win ensured a Game 6 and a return to St. Petersburg for another do-or-die match for the Sox on Saturday. Look at the statistics however one may, but you can’t argue that all of the momentum of the series has now shifted Boston’s way. With Josh Beckett starting Game 6 and Jon Lester Game 7, the pieces are in place for what could be another magical Red Sox postseason comeback.

Cowboys Deal For WR Williams

Two days after learning they’ll be without franchise quarterback Tony Romo for four weeks, the Dallas Cowboys sent a package of draft picks to the Detroit Lions for former Pro Bowl wide receiver Roy Williamsearly Tuesday afternoon. Frustrated by years of futility in Detroit, the 26-year old Williams will now have a chance to prove he’s the real deal for a franchise with Super Bowl XLIII aspirations. It’ll be interesting to see how this deal effects the Cowboys’ always-vocal star wideout Terrell Owens. Despite his reputation for sometimes pulling too hard on teammates, I’m guessing the future Hall of Famer is going to embrace the former first rounder to the offense with open arms. I say that because Owens has been anything but open lately. Facing double coverage week-in and week-out has worn down both his patience and his numbers. While his five touchdowns in five games are impressive, his line of only 23 catches for 367 yards so far this season is very un-TO like. With veteran Brad Johnson leading the offense for the next month, the ‘Boys will head to St. Louis this Sunday to take on the one-win Rams.

The Lions got a lot out of this deal, including Dallas’ 2009 first round selection. A pick that they’ll inevitably use on a wide receiver.

Is Jon Lester the New Josh Beckett?

Josh Beckett has given up 12 earned runs in only nine innings but nobody in the Nation seems to be sweating it. Even as the Boston Red Sox usual playoff hero has struggled in two October starts thus far, the 24-year old Lester has emerged as the American League’s premier left handed starter. With their ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays tied at one game a piece, the Red Sox have to feel confident handing the ball to their new ace-in-the-making tonight against a Rays’ offense that put nine runs on the board just two nights ago. In 14 innings pitched so far this postseason, Lester has struck out 11 while walking only three. He’s allowed only ten base hits and hasn’t surrendered in earned run in two starts, both Boston victories. On top of it all, Lester on the year is a team-best 11-1 at Fenway Park. When you see how valuable he’s become to the Red Sox organization now, it’s no wonder why Boston’s front office balked at including him in trades that would have brought superstars like Johan Santana or Alex Rodriguez to Fenway Park.

The Rays will counter with fellow 24-year old Matt Garza. Although winning 11 games and posting a 3.70 ERA in the regular season, Garza was smacked around by the Chicago White Sox in Game 3 of their divisional series matchup to the tune of seven hits and five earned runs in five innings.