Adam Silver Bans Clippers Owner, Donald Sterling from NBA for Life

NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver has banned Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling for life from all NBA activities on top of a $2.5 million dollar fine and will seek to force him to sell his team. 

"We stand together in condemning Mr. Sterling's views." Silver said. "They have no place in the NBA." After hearing the tape, Silver commented that he has known Sterling for many years and has suspected that the voice on the recorder was in fact, his. Most players as well as fans are very satisfied with the ruling from the most powerful man in the league. 

Former NBA player and Los Angeles mayor, Kevin Johnson, stated that the scandal was "bigger than basketball." This has to deal with race and racial superiority. 

Not only that, but the NBA will also seek to grant Clippers players free agency after the season is over. 

Magic Johnson and his business partners have also thrown their names in the ring to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers. 

This is the right thing for Silver to do for himself and the NBA as well as its fans. Racism has no place in the world today. 

As the Clippers Twitter account says, "WE ARE ALL ONE!"

@_BriyantHines

Memphis Grizzlies: Western Conference Dark Horse

The NBA Playoffs is a place where legends are born, dreams are made and icons are immortalized. It's a place that a team longs to get to after a long and grueling 82 games. A place that only 16 teams, eight in each conference can make a trip to. Emotions run high. Expectations are through the roof no matter which team you represent. In the midst of all this, there can only be one winner. One NBA Champion. One that is worthy of holding the Larry O'Brien trophy in triumph. You have teams that are expected to be NBA Champions. Then you have teams who are not expected to go any further than the first round...a dark horse.

In the Eastern Conference, I have already determined that the dark horse is definitely Tom Thibodeau's Chicago Bulls. After careful and much consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the Memphis Grizzlies are indeed without a doubt, the dark horse of the Western Conference.

The Memphis Grizzlies are 50-32 heading into the playoffs on Saturday night at 9:30 at the Chesapeake Arena in Oklahoma City to face the Thunder. The team has been through a lot this season and has made the bold statement that they are not going anywhere. February Western Conference Coach of the Month, David Joerger in his first year with the underrated Memphis Grizzlies has made much improvement with this team. Although the seventh seed in the Western Conference, Memphis has shown itself as a threat to the West in this year's NBA Playoffs. They are third in the league in points allowed with an average of 94.6 ppg, they are 14th in assists per game with an average of 21.9 apg.

Currently, the Grizzlies rank 6th in the NBA in power rankings. The Grizzlies made it known that they actually <em>wanted </em>San Antonio and the eighth seed. No matter how exciting that would be for the team, the Dallas Mavericks will end up getting what Memphis deserves.

Grizzlies power forward, Zac Randolph no doubt is the leader of the team. Not only is he the leader of the team, but he actually has help in Marc Gasol, Tony Allen, and Mike Conley. Randolph is leading the team in points and rebounds while Gasol is leading in blocks, Allen with steals, and Conley with assits. Despite their much earned success in the extremely competitive Western Conference, they are barely recognized and not really discussed much on major stations like ESPN. Since Marc Gasol returned in January, his rim protection has made the Memphis Grizzlies number one with a D-Rating of 97.7. Definitely bad news if you're the Oklahoma City Thunder.


This post season, the Grizzlies are there to make a name for themselves and silence the naysayers. They are looking to take over the West and smite each team that comes in their way of winning the NBA Finals. Their performance on the court is electrifying and you cant help but to get goosebumps watching them play at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. If the NBA Finals are not reach, you can rest assure that the Grizzlies are going to at least make the Western Conference Finals. This team viciously clawed their way to the seventh seed, disappointing Jeff Hornacek and company while battling for the eighth and final seed in the West.

Let us not forget their perimeter shooting which is above and beyond expectations. This is a team that knocked off the Thunder last year in the 2013 Western Conference Semi Finals.

David Joerger is an amazing coach and he is definitely benefiting from the performance of the players adapting into his style of play. Look for this team to shock and rock the NBA world to its core this postseason.

Remember, this is the NBA Playoffs...Where Anything Can Happen!

Cleveland Sports Talk Writer &amp; Site Manager,

Briyant Hines

@_BriyantHines

The Dark Horse of the Eastern Conference

The NBA Playoffs was built off one thing: Survival of the Fittest. 16 teams. 2 Conference Champions. 1 NBA Champion.

From the beginning of the season. the low and subpar Eastern Conference has dealt with criticism from all over the NBA world. Teams that had playoff spots besides the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers were at least two to three games below .500 or a game or two over .500. This conference struggled and almost any and everybody in it was eligible for a playoff run all year long, even with a losing record. Now, that is not the case. I find it amusing how time can turn things around for most teams in the Eastern Conference. Seeds one through seven are over .500 and in great position for the NBA playoffs. The only team that will not have a winning record going into the 2014 NBA playoffs in this conference is of course the number eight seed, Atlanta Hawks who have proven themselves worthy of postseason play despite their inconsistent performance.

Whether you are in the NHL, NBA, NFL, MLS, or MLB, the postseason is where dreams are made, icons are born, and teams rise to the occasion. In every professional sport's postseason, you have a David in the company of many Goliaths, an unworthy team in the midst of teams with endless accolades, an underdog, a long shot, <em>a dark horse. </em>That dark horse in the Eastern Conference undoubtedly is none other than the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls (47-33)  who are currently tied with Dwane Casey's Toronto Raptors (47-33) for the number three seed,  has had a season of high expectations, doubt, worry, and transition as well as triumph. The doubt and worry was evident when the much anticipated return of their point guard franchise player, Derrick Rose was cut short as he was injured again. For many Bulls fans, this was an ongoing nightmare never seeming to come to an end as the 25 year old was out for the season. The Bulls were suffering, and by the eighth week of the season, they were 10-16 and looking for some sort of light at the end of this never ending dark tunnel. After the injury of Rose, and losing him for the season, it was up to D.J. Augustin to stand in the gap for the struggling Bulls team who has in my opinion does a great job but is under so much pressure to fill the shoes of Rose.

By week 13 in the 2013-14 season, the Bulls started to make a statement and were 7-2 since the beginning of the new year. They were 19-20. Everybody in Chicago was saddened to see Luol Deng being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Joakim Noah expressed his disappointment in losing part of Chicago's stellar defense. At that time, the Bulls were one and two games over or under .500 and were really not as consistent as head coach, Tom Thibodeau would have liked them to be. The former Boston Celtics assistant had to find a way to get his team to win despite losing Deng in a trade and through Rose's torn meniscus, and with precious time, he did just that. If anyone remembers, this team was 9-16 in December 19, and became 24-10 since then. One word: PROGRESS!

<a href="http://www.cstsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/NbaP2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-47 aligncenter" alt="NbaP2" src="http://www.cstsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/NbaP2.jpg" width="269" height="187" /></a>

It was clear that by that time, the Chicago Bulls were probably the best team in the Eastern Conference besides the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers. Thibodeau's name was considered for NBA Coach of the Year along with the Phoenix Suns first year coach, Jeff Hornacek. The Bulls defense was astounding and on average held their opponents to 90 points or less. Joakim Noah was also considered an MVP candidate to the fans at the United Center and was constantly hearing MVP chants at the free throw line. He made it clear that the team was waiting on their MVP Derrick Rose to come back. How humble.

The team had become 24-17 since trading Deng.

Currently, the Bulls have the number one defense in the NBA and are not necessarily the favorites to win the Eastern Conference crown. They are tenth in the league in assists and rebounds which can be contributed to the play of former Florida Gator, Joakim Noah. The Achilles heel for this team would have to be their struggling offense which is 30th in the league on average of 93 points per game. The Bulls are playoff ready defensively which can win them games when it really comes down to it. To take charge and really annihilate the low Leastern Conference (yes, Leastern.), they are really going to have to step it up offensively. Taj Gibson, D.J. Augustin definitely need to step up! Noah cannot do everything for this team. Despite these offensive struggles, I know without a doubt that Thibs is up to something and the Bulls will be better offensively in the playoffs.

Thibs will create a system with a killer instinct and the defense will be more dominant than it was in the regular season. My dark horse, the Chicago Bulls will surprise a hell of a lot of people and will defeat the likes of Miami or Indiana.

Bet on it.

Cleveland Sports Talk Writer &amp; Site Manager,

Briyant Hines

@CST_SportSnitch

theblogspot.sportsnitch.com

NCAA: Modern Day Slavery

Reported in the year of 2012, the NCAA who was started by former president Teddy Roosevelt in 1906, has recorded an annual revenue of nearly a billion dollars ($871.6 million dollars.) The revenue is generated from TV, marketing rights fees, championship revenues and other services according to ESPN.com. About $30 million dollars is put towards staff salaries and "administrative assistance" which is about 4% of the annual budget. The other 96% is claimed to have gone back to the member schools in programs or direct payments. 60% of the 96% goes to the Division I members. But guess what? Not a penny of it goes to student athletes. Why? Well, for the simple fact that current NCAA president Mark Emmert believes that paying the student athletes a cheap stipend of $2,000 should be enough. This man is sadly mistaken.

Firstly, the $2,000 Student Athlete Stipend is given to the players for extra fees that their scholarship does not cover. The scholarship covers tuition, room, board, books and fees. The average student athlete scholarship is worth at least $23,000 according to Ramogi Huma who is the president of the Players Association. The stipend is for tuition only and is set to cover the remaining balance, if there is a remaining balance. Other than that, Emmert believes the idea of paying student athletes to play is "silly." “ It’s been called a $2,000 stipend, but it’s really just the full cost of attendance. It is not in any way paying players to play games. But it is covering the legitimate real cost of being a student athlete. We want to do that, and we have the flexibility to make that decision,” he said. Plainly speaking, the stipend is meant to cover miscellaneous expenses, not talent.

In October of 2011, the NCAA board passed legislation to give some athletes an additional $2,000 towards their tuition that would surpass tuition, room and board as well as books and other fees. Emmert constantly states that the stipend which was temporarily placed on hold in December of 2011 would not be "pay-for play" money.

As a result of this "stipend" which in my opinion is a rip off, the student athletes are seeking to unionize and stand up against the "NCAA cartel." Former NCAA player, Ed O'Bannon filed a suit against the NCAA in 2009 after he saw an avatar of himself on a NCAA College Basketball game. O'Bannon strongly believed that it was wrong for the NCAA to license and sell his image without paying him. Of course, the NCAA believes that they actually own the rights to all of their players and can sell merchandise or anything with their name to the general public or a business, therefore, they believe that players are not subject to be paid any proceeds.

In 2013, Jay Bilas claimed that the NCAA was taking advantage of its student athletes when they began to sale their jerseys at stores and online. After hearing this, the NCAA pulled the jerseys from shelves. It is no secret that the NCAA is making a substantial amount of money off of its players whether its featuring them in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated such as Creighton's Doug McDermott, video games, commercials promoting March Madness, etcetera. The NCAA has a bad reputation for how it treats is players and has caused national attention even on adult cartoons such as South Park in which they renamed the NCAA, the CBAA which stood for "Crack Babies Athletic Association." This has to be embarrassing.

To increase the stipend or give players money, Emmert has made it clear that it is not going to happen under his watch. He has also made it clear that paying the student athletes would change the relationship between the student athletes and the NCAA. Understood. However, my question is, in what way will paying them effect the relationship? Exactly. Basically, the man who had made $1,674,095.00 on his tax return is saying that he does not feel the players will be dedicated if they are paid for play. Giving the student athletes scholarships and paying them for their performance on the court "utterly makes no sense" to the 51 year old Washington state native. The NCAA does not complain about how they spent $20.1 million dollars in legal fees in 2011-12 which was their highest since 2006-07.

Former NCAA president, Walter Byers stated in his book, "Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Exploiting College Athletes" that college game earnings go to overseers and administrators whom he described as overseers and supervisors, and also called student athletes, plantation workers (slaves).

One can easily look at the NCAA as a slaver and its student athletes as slaves. The relationship is horrible between the two. The student athletes are not being treated how they need to be treated. Why should student athletes go hungry at night because they have no money while the coaches, administrators, college presidents, athletic directors, etcetera have eaten a T-Bone steak for dinner. Why should they have to beg for money from their parents when they are one of the top scorers in the NCAA? Why must they become malnourished while the NCAA big wigs are becoming fat with money and success.

The problem is not with the NCAA not having enough money, the problem is them not wanting to lose the money they successfully make by paying its student athletes. The lowest an NCAA coach makes is at least a million dollars. In the year of 2012, the NCAA had made about a billion dollars in tv ad earnings promoting March Madness. That year, they earned more than the NFL playoffs that made $971 million dollars. Tickets and sponsors make close to at least $40 million dollars in revenue during March Madness. On April 22, 2010, the NCAA signed a 10.8 billion dollar agreement with CBS which made it its exclusive March Madness outlet. The agreement is for 14 years and the NCAA is expected to make at least over $700 million dollars annually from March Madness.

What should the student athletes do to get a piece of the pie? How about a union? Well, Mark Emmert is dead set against it. He agrees that the NCAA should change, but a union is not the answer in his opinion. He calls the idea a "grossly inappropriate solution." "It would blow up everything about the collegiate model of athletics," he said, "no one up here believes the way you fix that is by converting student-athletes into unionized employees."

Maybe the slaver, NCAA should rid themselves of their prideful arrogance and finally pay their student athletes. Emmert needs to stop being so arrogant and pay the student athletes a fair amount and not a stipend. Give them at least $500/week or month. They are not property and you do not own them. Up until 1972, the NCAA gave student athletes monthly allowance for laundry money. I guess that was too much because that stopped as well.

I support Jeffrey Kessler and his antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA. It's only appropriate and only right.

The NCAA and its president should be ashamed of themselves for the exploitation of its student athletes.


Cleveland Sports Talk National Writer &amp; Site Manager,

Briyant Hines

@CST_SportSnitch

theblogspot.sportsnitch.com

Ready Or Not: Indiana Pacers

Make no mistake about it, the Indiana Pacers has a roster full of talent, however, the way that they have been playing is certainly does not seem like it. 54-25, the Indiana Pacers who seemed to have the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference locked up at the beginning of the season are a stunning and disappointing 3-7 in their last ten games. Despite having the #2 defense in the league behind the Chicago Bulls (90.2) with points allowed (92.3) , the Indiana Pacers just cannot seem to get in a groove here. They were pounded on by the #8 seed Atlanta Hawks in Indiana 107-88. Now, what if that were a playoff game? In that game, I believe everybody saw the lack of ambition and drive in the subpar Eastern Conference’s #1 seed. There seems to be no confidence in this team nor a desire to win. Like everybody else in the NBA world, the Pacers performance in the last ten games make you question if they are ready or not to compete in the NBA Playoffs.

Paul George has not been performing the way that he normally is and it is definitely wearing on the Indiana Pacers fans. An example of this would have to be a Pacers fan searching for Paul George’s “Missing Talent.” It goes on to read, “The talent for short-lived NBA superstar Paul George has gone missing. We’re desperate to reunite the body back with the talent before the NBA playoffs start in a few weeks. We’ve checked everywhere. Strip clubs. Sex shops. Moron Mountain. Tune land. No luck so far…”  According to espn.com, the Palmdale, California native has averaged 21.7 ppg, 3.5 apg, and 6.7 rebounds.His performance has been gradually declining since the beginning of the year. As each month passes, he scores less than his average and now, he is down to 18 ppg which needless to say isn’t his usual. In the month of March he has averaged only 18 ppg, .372 from the field, and .297 from 3 point range. His numbers now are not identical to his performance in January according to BleacherReport,com. His numbers have been plummeting since December, and now, he is in desperate need to make a statement tonight against the Miami Heat in Indiana. To make sense of the slumping situation, George told USA Today’s Zak Keefer, “Teams were figuring out how to slow me down. I’m just trying to learn you can’t beat a whole team, and that’s what I was going through.” Is George blaming his teammates for his plummeting numbers? Maybe he is, considering the fact that the Pacers have no kind of offense. Okay, granted. However…how do you explain his poor defensive play as of lately?

Bleacher Report.com gave out a poll with this question: Why is George struggling much? 63.7% of the fans believe that he is struggling with off court distractions, fatigue, and teams guarding him better. I guess that just about sums it up. I personally can agree to all three, especially the fatigue part. Averaging 36.2 minutes per night can wear anybody down…and age does not play a factor in this. Paul George is not the sole reason for the Pacers problems.

Let us not lose sight of what this article is really about, the Indiana Pacers.

The Eastern Conference crown seems up for grabs at this moment. The Pacers along with the Miami Heat have been struggling and under-performing. On the same night that the Miami Heat traveled to Memphis to play and lose against the Grizzlies, Pacers coach Frank Vogel decided to rest all five of his starters against the Milwaukee Bucks. That was a terrible idea. Whether it was against the low Bucks or not, I do not understand why a coach would rest his starters when they are performing below average. Needless to say, the bench won the game by 2 points. The team as a whole is not doing well as most people know. They are struggling offensively and defensively and lack the drive or desire to win. You can even see their dispositions on the sideline. Its just not looking good for this basketball club.

With the NBA playoffs coming up. it is not known whether the Indiana Pacers will keep the #1 seed or lose it to the Miami Heat and becoming the #2 seed. Both teams are in jeopardy of being ousted in the first round. It is my opinion that neither team will be ready to go to the Eastern Conference Finals, let alone the NBA Finals. I for one will not be surprised because there is not motivation. It is also no secret that LeBron James is frustrated with Dwayne Wade missing games including this one amongst other things. It is no secret that the Pacers are frustrated with their failing offense.

Tonight, the Indiana Pacers travel to Miami at American Airlines Arena at 7:30 pm to battle it out for the #1 seed and a chance to have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The only time these two teams will meet again is if they both make it to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals which in my opinion, will not happen.

Cleveland Sports Talk-National Writer & Site Manager,

Briyant Hines

@CST_SportSnitch

- See more at: http://www.cstsports.net/nba/is-indiana-ready-or-not/#sthash.pSUVJYgL.dpuf

NFL Releases Pre Season Schedule

Alright football fans, we are getting closer and closer to the most popular sports season of all time..FOOTBALL SEASON! Today, the NFL released the 2014 NFL Pre Season Schedule set to begin on August 3rd, 2014 in Canton, Ohio at the NFL Hall of Fame Game in which the New York Giants will face the Buffalo Bills at 8 pm on NBC.

The schedule is as follows:

Week One: August 7th-10th:

Buffalo Bills @ Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals @Kansas City Chiefs

Cleveland Browns @ Detroit Lions

Dallas Cowboys @ San Diego Chargers

Green Bay Packers @ Tennessee Titans

Houston Texans @ Arizona Cardinals

Indianapolis Colts @ New York Jets

Miami Dolphins @ Atlanta Falcons

New England Patriots @ Washington Redskins

New Orleans Saints @ St Louis Rams

Oakland Raiders @ Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears

Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers @Baltimore Ravens

Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Two: August 14-18th

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Chicago Bears

Kansas City Chiefs @ Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns @ Washington Redskins

Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings

Atlanta Falcons @ Houston Texans

Baltimore Ravens @ Dallas Cowboys

Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Denver Broncos @ San Francisco 49ers

Detroit Lions @ Oakland Raiders

Green Bay Packers @ St Louis Rams

Miami Dolphins @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New York Giants @ Indianapolis Colts

New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals

Philadelphia Eagles @ New England Patriots

San Diego Chargers @ Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans @ New Orleans Saints

Week Three: August 21-24

Oakland Raiders @ Green Bay Packers

New Orleans Saints @ Indianapolis Colts

San Diego Chargers @ San Francisco 49ers

Cincinnati Bengals @ Arizona Cardinals

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Detroit Lions

Tennessee Titans @ Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys @ Miami Dolphins

Carolina Panthers @ New England Patriots

New York Giants @ New York Jets

Washington Redskins @ Baltimore Ravens

St Louis Rams @ Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos

Minnesota Vikings @ Kansas City Chiefs

Week Four. August 28th, 2014

Arizona Cardinals @ San Diego Chargers

Atlanta Falcons @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Baltimore Ravens @ New Orleans Saints

Carolina Panthers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Chicago Bears @ Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos @ Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions @ Buffalo Bills

Indianapolis Colts @ Cincinnati Bengals

Kansas City Chiefs @ Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings @ Tennessee Titans

New England Patriots @ New York Giants

New York Jets @ Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers @ Houston Texans

Seattle Seahawks @ Oakland Raiders

St Louis Rams @ Miami Dolphins

Washington Redskins @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

WE HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH!

Cleveland Sports Talk National Writer, Site Manager

Briyant Hines

CST_SportSnitch

- See more at: http://www.cstsports.net/uncategorized/nfl-releases-2014-pre-season-schedule/#sthash.aWM6rcE0.dpuf

Coach of the Year, Tom Thibodeau?

Coming off of his 200th career win in four years against the Atlanta Hawks a few nights ago, Chicago Bulls head coach, Tom Thibodeau is headed for greatness, and the majority of the NBA world doesn't know it as he is one of the most underrated coaches in the league today. Named the 18th Chicago Bulls head coach in franchise history on June 23, 2010, the Connecticut native has done nothing but steer this franchise into the right direction. In his first season with the Bulls after the termination of Vinny Del Negro, Thibodeau led the Bulls to a 62 win season along with an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals which was their first since the 1997-98 season. Not only did he exceed above and beyond expectations, but he broke the legendary Zen Master, Phil Jackson's record for 55 wins in the first year as head coach with the Chicago Bulls. He joins the likes of Bill Russell and Paul Westphal as one of only three coaches who have won 60 or more games in their first year as head coach. Thibodeau has a very long list of accolades such as being named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month three times in the 2010-11 season and also winning Coach of the Year. Keep in mind that all of these accolades were accomplished within his first year!

Including his current stint with the Bulls, Thibodeau has advanced to the postseason a total of 15 times  and looks as though he will add one more to that total at the close of the 2013-14 season. Three of those times, he appeared in the NBA Finals as an assistant and head coach (1999. 2008, 2010). Not only does he know how to win, but he is a defensive guru and has proven that defense wins games. While under former Boston Celtics, and current Los Angeles Clippers coach, Doc Rivers he oversaw and implemented defensive principles that gave Boston their stellar defense which only allowed an average of 90 ppg. Not only that, but he held the Celtics opponents to a FG percentage of .419 which was a turnaround from the previous year where opponents had a .468 FG percentage. 17 times in his illustrious career has he helped teams become one of the Top 10 defenses in the NBA.

Successful fortification is definitely key for the 53 year old's much earned success  in Chicago. This season, the Bulls have had the #1 ranked defense in the NBA allowing only 91.6 ppg, and #9 in rebounds averaging 44.4 rpg. Losing Small Forward, Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers worried some fans, but there was one guy who put all fear and anxiety away. Bulls Center, Joakim Noah definitely has made his presence known defensively, leading the 45-32 team in assists, rebounds and blocks. Shooting guard, Jimmy Butler leads the team in steals. Most believe that Noah is the Chicago Bulls defense.

Offense is not really Thibodeau's strong suit this season as the Chicago Bulls have struggled offensively and currently have the #30th ranked offense in the league averaging 93.4 ppg. This is where Derrick Rose is supposed to come in and help save the day, but unfortunately he cannot do that due to his injury early this season. D.J. Augustin is no Derrick Rose, but he definitely gets the job done. In his last five games, Augustin has struggled from 3 point range, but has managed to average at least 20 points. His production is not consistent, but his minutes are. There is no secret that Thibodeau needs help with his struggling offense. Despite having a troubling offense, the Bulls rank 11th in the league with assists averaging 22.5 assists per game.

Notwithstanding losing two prominent and key players in Luol Deng and Derrick Rose, Tom Thibodeau has found ways to win. He knows how to effectively strategize and come up with a gameplan. The Chicago Bulls team thrive off of the talents of their coach who is vital in moving them forward and turning them into NBA champions. Chicago remains competitive because of this man's grand philosophy on overall and defensive structure. ESPN's Beckley Mason stated in January that Thibodeau "... is often credited with being the first coach to fully leverage the abolition of illegal defense by loading up the strong side box while having the weakside defenders zone the back side of the defense. In effect, Thibodeau's defenses force ball handlers -- whether in isolation or in side pick-and-rolls -- to the baseline and then send a second defender from the weakside over to the strong side block to cut off dribble penetration."  That spells out defensive genius!

The Chicago Bulls have won five in a row and are 8-2 in their last ten games. They currently hold the third seed in the subpar Eastern Conference. It is my belief that Tom Thibodeau should win the 2014 NBA Coach of the Year Award for the simple fact that this man is a proven leader and has one of the most elite and defenses in the NBA. He is dangerously overlooked and as I had stated previously overrated when you throw his name in the mix of candidates along with San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich, Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra, Dallas Mavericks Rick Carlisle, Toronto Raptors Dwane Casey, Portland Trail Blazers Terry Stotts, Indiana Pacers Frank Vogel,  Los Angeles Clippers Doc Rivers, and Golden State Warriors Mark Jackson and even Phoenix Suns Jeff Hornacek, just to name a few.

The NBA Coach of the Year Award belongs to a coach that has turned their team around and made them a lot better than they were in the previous year. The NBA focuses more on popularity than they do statistics which is why in my belief that Gregg Popovich will probably win this year's award. My favorite, of course would be Tom Thibodeau because he actually deserves it; and if not Thibodeau, Dwane Casey, Jeff Hornacek, should definitely be the recipient of the 2013-14 NBA Coach of the Year Award.

Briyant Hines

CST_SportSnitch

Cleveland Sports Talk National Writer & Site Manager

Pete Carroll Signs Contract Extension With Seahawks

If ever there was a man responsible for the Seattle Seahawks huge turnaround, it was Pete Carroll. Pete Carroll's five year, 35 million dollar contract which had run out this season was extended another three years. The 62 year old former coach of the USC Trojans will make the list of becoming one of the highest paid coaches in the NFL following behind New Orleans Saints head coach, Sean Payton, New England Patriots' Bill Belichick, and Kansas City Chiefs', Andy Reid.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported the news via Twitter on yesterday, "Source: Seahawks reach an agreement with coach Pete Carroll on a contract extension. Will be announced tomorrow at a press conference tomorrow." The press conference took place announcing the former New England Patriots, and New York Jets former head coach's extension through 2016.

Overall, Pete Carroll is 71-57 as a head coach in the NFL. His best coaching stint came from when he held the reigns of the USC Trojans where he was 97-19. The San Francisco, California native is 38-26 since becoming the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. He is the third oldest coach behind New York Giants Tom Coughlin, 65, and former St Louis Rams head coach, Dick Vermeil 63 who has won a Super Bowl.



Cleveland Sports Talk National Writer, Briyant Hines

TheSportSnitch

CST_SportSnitch

Bucks Larry Sanders Suspended 5 Games

Just when you think that the struggling 14-61 Milwaukee Bucks' problems couldn't mount any higher, think again. Earlier today, Bucks center Larry Sanders was suspended five games as a result of violating the NBA Anti-Drug policy using marijuana. Sanders is already out with a broken thumb which resulted from a bar fight he had earlier in the year and was also given a citation by the police for leaving his dogs out in the cold. The Bucks cannot seem to catch a break with the man they had signed a four year, 44 million dollar contract extension with the last summer. The Bucks team and Sanders are not strangers to trouble as they have clashed with each other on and off of the court.

The Milwaukee Bucks addressed the situation via Twitter (@Bucks) stating, "Larry Sanders has a responsibility to every person in our organization and our fans. We are all disappointed by the news of his suspension." Two minutes later, another tweet was sent to the infinite world of Twitter from the Bucks organization quoting the 2010 1st Round 15th Overall draft pick. "Sanders: I apologize to the entire Bucks organization &amp; our fans for being suspended five games...I take full responsibility for my actions."

The suspension will take place as soon as he is able to compete on the floor which will probably be next season. The apology seems to be generally accepted amongst the Milwaukee Bucks fans, but some are not buying his apology. Sanders seems to be prone to getting into trouble. According to the NBA's Anti-Drug Policy, the players are subjected to "drop" anytime without notice. This is the third time Sanders has failed the drug test administered by the NBA. How do I know this? Well, according to the NBA Article XXXIII Anti Drug Program, the First Violation, the player has no choice but to enter the Marijuana Program. The Second Violation, the player will be fined $25,000 and, if the player is not then subject to in-patient or aftercare treatment in the Marijuana Program. be required to enter the Marijuana Program. For the Third Such Violation the player shall be SUSPENDED for (5) five games, and if this player is not then subject to in-patient or aftercare treatment in the Marijuana Program. The next time (if there is a next time) that Sanders fails a drug test, he will be for five games longer than his immediately preceding suspension.

Plainly speaking, if Sanders fails again, it will be a ten game suspension. If he fails after that, it will be a fifteen game suspension, and so on. With the Bucks attempting to leave this bad season behind and looking ahead to the NBA Draft, you have to wonder if keeping the troublesome Larry Sanders is really worth 44 million dollars.

Cleveland Sports Talk National Writer, Briyant Hines

CST_SportSnitch

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Eighth Seed Battle for Final Playoff Spot

Three teams in the subpar Eastern Conference are still very much alive in the playoff race for the eighth seed...even with losing records. Those three teams are the Atlanta Hawks (31-40) who now hold the advantage for the 8th seed followed by the New York Knicks (30-42) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (29-44). I would have never imagined that a team nine games under .500 would have the eighth and final seed in the conference. There is light at the end of the tunnel for one of these teams, but who will it be? Who will take on the Indiana Pacers (52-20) in the NBA Playoffs?

First, lets check out the remaining schedule of these three teams, and my best friend, STATISTICS! By the end of this article, we will know who will win the coveted eighth seed, and the other two teams who will be watching the NBA Playoffs from home.

The Hawks are 5-5 in their last ten games and are desperate for a playoff appearance. Last night, they came off of a 15 point loss against Terry Stotts and the Portland Trail Blazers which narrowed their lead in the eighth seed, giving New York an advantage to creep up behind them and scheme their way into the playoffs. In their eleven remaining games, they host the Philadelphia Sixers, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and the Charlotte Bobcats. On the road, they will travel to face the Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, and the Milwaukee Bucks. Of those eleven remaining teams, six of them are currently over .500, while five of them sit at the bottom of their conference.

Despite their eighth seed position,the Hawks have lost five in a row, and they are 2-8 in their last ten against road teams. Home is not that much better as they are 4-6 in their last ten. They definitely stand the chance of losing their position in the playoffs if they cannot win the games that they SHOULD be able to win. The Hawks are not ready for the playoffs because they are dangerously inconsistent and have subpar performance on the court. If they do make the playoffs, it would be a surprise. I believe that they will go 4-7 in their final eleven games.

The Wizards (36-35) who are barely above .500 and have the sixth seed will square off against the Hawks tonight at the Verizon Center in our nation's capital.

Mike Woodson and the New York Knicks are desperately attempting to claw their way into the playoffs and it seems as though they will have a hell of a battle trying to get there. The Knicks are one step behind the Hawks for the last seed. They are 8-2 in their last ten games. Two of those losses have come from the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Since the hiring of Phil Jackson, the Knicks seem as though they really have something to prove now. They put the horrid and embarrassing loss against the Los Angeles Lakers behind them and traveled to Sacramento to defeat the Kings by eight points. Things seem to be looking up for the New York Knicks, but is it enough?

The Knicks have ten remaining games left on their schedule. Nine of the ten teams that they have to face are currently playoff teams. Six of the ten games are on the road against the Phoenix Suns (43-29) who currently hold the 8th seed in the West with the Dallas Mavericks (43-30) breathing down their necks, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and the Brooklyn Nets. The final four home games are against the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls and the Toronto Raptors.

Trying to get into the playoffs will not be easy for the New York Knicks. However, if the Hawks continue with their streak of the bad luck, somehow, they just might luck into that final spot. The Hawks have an easier remaining schedule than the Knicks have. But it has proven that the Hawks are inconsistent. They may win and then they may not. Right now, the Knicks cannot worry about the Hawks, they HAVE to win at least seven or eight of these games to really have a lock on the eighth seed.

There are many scenarios to how this brawl could come out. The Knicks are 5-5 at home in their last ten, and 5-5 on the road in their last ten.

The wild card to this 8th seed playoff race is the Cleveland Cavaliers who are also pushing to make a playoff run. They are 3-7 at home in their last ten, and 6-4 in their last ten on the road. It seems as though they can win on the road, but cant at home. What's wrong with that picture? The Cavaliers have the talent in their players but lack a leader in head coach, Mike Brown to realistically make a playoff run. The Cleveland team is 5-5 in their last ten games. They were able to beat the Suns and the Warriors in two straight road games which is really impressive for a team that is actually fighting for a playoff spot in the lowly Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers have eight remaining games left in the 2013-14 season after they play the Brooklyn Nets tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. On the road, they will travel and play the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and the Milwaukee Bucks. They will play host at The Q in Cleveland, Ohio to the Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets. Out of eight of those teams, three of them are currently in the NBA Playoff picture and only one is over .500. What a scenario! Playoff aspirations without a winning record! I guess that is what happens when you are lucky enough to be in the Eastern Conference.


New York has a tougher schedule than the Cavaliers and the Hawks. Basically, the 8th seed is up for grabs and it will be very interesting to see these three teams come to a head as they close out the regular season.

One of these three teams will have a chance to play Cinderella in the playoffs this year...but who will it be?



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Briyant Hines, Writer

Stephen Curry vs Kyrie Irving: Mid Season Performance

During the All Star game last Sunday, Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry went at it. Both statistically identical throughout the season battled it out on the court at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, home of Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans. It seemed as though high milestone records were set that night, including the most points combined in one All Star Game. The league's top two performers, Kevin Durant and LeBron James battled it out on the hardwood. King James was 11-22 from the field with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. The Slim Reaper who has had stellar performance throughout the first half of the season and sits atop the entire league averaging 31 points per game was 14-27 from the field, 6 of 17 from 3 point range, 38 points, 6 assists and 10 rebounds. What a game he had! We can discuss the difference between these two tough competitors all day long, but that is not the purpose of writing this piece...at all.

Other than King James and The Slim Reaper going at it in Sunday's All Star game, you had two of the most prominent and promising point guards in the NBA going at it as well. Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, and Cleveland Cavaliers' leading scorer and NBA All Star MVP, Kyrie Irving. Now, those were the ones to look out for during that game. I knew that the spotlight would be on those two once they were confirmed and announced to be on their respective conference's All Star teams on Jan. 23rd. I would be the first to admit that Curry was relatively quiet that game. Irving blew up in the second half of the highest scoring All Star game in history and earned the MVP by scoring a double-double with 31 points and 14 rebounds. Curry, the lesser made 12 points that night. He was more of a supportive kind of player that game. However, his point game does not take away from him being one of the best offensive minded players in the game. Everybody in Oakland, including Mark Jackson knows that the Warriors need Curry to survive. Same story for the Cleveland fan base and subpar head coach, Mike Brown.

So, the question is: Who's been better this season? Who would you give the ball to in the first half of the season if you were down by one point with 3.6 seconds left in regulation? Well, lets break this down in something I love....STATISTICS.

According to espn.com, Kyrie Irving leads the Cleveland Cavaliers who is coming into tonight's game against the Philadelphia 76ers  with a 4 game winning streak in points per game (21.5), assists (6.2) and steals (1.3).  I guess you can say that he's the LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both he and King James are leading in most team categories. Anyway, Irving is a solid player. Quick on his feet. Fast hands. Has been known to cross over and break the ankles of his competitors despite a not so good first half of the season. The Cavaliers are currently 11th in the league in rebounds which Irving has contributed 3 of those per game. In the former Duke University player's past 5 games, he has scored an average of 23 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds per game. From 3 point range, he has a percentage of .571. He was a perfect 4-4 against the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 9th.

Irving is assisting the Cavaliers in adding numbers to the Win column. Going back even further, he scored an average of 21 points or more in his last 7 of 8 games. Can you say CONSISTENCY? This guy is far from stingy and it shows in his assists during his past few games. He is a team player. Nobody could tell that at the beginning of the season where the Cavaliers were losing games, Anthony Bennett was averaging 2.1 points per game, and Mike Brown was losing his mind. Now, the Cavaliers are rolling in the Eastern Conference and are 3 games out of having possession of the 8th seed in which the 23-30 Charlotte Bobcats currently own. They are definitely going to need Irving to step up...and that he will do! I can see him being better in the first half of the season. The Cavaliers are Irving's team. I am sorry Mike Brown, but that is not your team. You may manage the team, but Irving runs the team.

Irving's field goal percentage as gone up since November. True enough, he sat out a couple of games this year, and I believe that is what contributed to his monthly field goal percentage coming down. The 21 year old was great in December and shot a surprising .461 from the field which was a big step up from shooting .406 in November (his lowest this season.) 21, 24, 19, and 20. Those are his averages from November to right now. With a lot of hard work and more consistency, Irving can be better than he thinks he can.

On the flip side is Steph Curry. The Golden State Warriors most prized possession. I have seen Kyrie's ball movement and handling...its a lot better than Curry's. However, Steph Curry has the ability to make his own shot and take chances. Not only is he solid like Irving, but he is consistent like Irving. The son of former NBA player, Dell Curry has averaged 24 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds per game in the first half of the season. He has been in the league for 4 years and has proved himself this year in  more than one category. Excellent ball movement he has. Smart moves he makes. In his last five games, he has been superior to Irving in with an average of .958 in free throw percentage. However, Irving takes the credit for a distinctively higher 3 point percentage.

In the All Star game, Curry was 2 for 11 from 3 point range. Certainly not the Stephen Curry we are used to seeing. He has been struggling as well as Irving, but Curry always makes up for it. Mark Jackson makes him on the court, and oftentimes, he does not disappoint.

I see Curry doing a lot more than he has done in the first half of the season. Look out for the 25 year old to make headlines in the second half of the season. Bet on it!

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors will meet again on Friday, March 14th at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The last time these two teams met were on December 29th when the Warriors pulled away with a victory 104-108. Curry had 29 points and 11 assists. In the first half of that game, Irving was perfect from 3 point range. Irving's crossovers were grand that game! Despite losing, Irving battled with Curry and earned himself 27 points and 9 assists.

If you look at these two...closely...you will see that whether they are going head to head or competing against other teams...they are almost completely identical. (Except for as I have said before...Irving has a mean crossover and can break ankles)

Looking and considering everything, again, I give you the scenario: Who would you give the ball to in the first half of the season if you were down by one point with 3.6 seconds left in regulation?

Sports Kings Pass The Pill Contributor, Briyant Hines

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Kevin Durant Sues Attorney, Scandal With IRS

Basketball phenom and NBA MVP candidate, Kevin Durant has more going on than his hot streak. The NBA's leading scorer is suing his former tax attorney Joel Elliot with a claim that he had written a personal expense off as a business expense. Durant stated that "Fees paid to a personal chef would not be regarded by a reasonably prudent accountant as qualifying for a business expense deduction." In other words, Durant is saying that a tax attorney who actually knows what he's doing would not claim that a personal chef is a business expense. Does not take a rocket scientist to know that one, eh? However, it seems as though there is more to it than Elliot regarding the personal expense of a chef as a business expense.

This cannot be all that he has done, and apparently, the infamous IRS wasn't buying it. Literally. After discovering this, Durant fired Elliot and hired another tax firm to handle his business. It is clear that Durant wants no trouble with the IRS. Because of Elliot's carelessness, the 25 year old has had to pay $200,000. Now, it is Elliot's turn to fix the situation...in court. I imagine that Durant will make Elliot pay the $200,000 back and then some. Currently, Durant has made no comment about this situation.

I commend the NBA All Star for doing the right thing and taking care of this before it had gotten out of hand. That is a very intellectual move on his end. Apparently, he does not want to end up like celebrities and sports  stars who have had bouts with the IRS.

Durant will have a chance to take his quiet frustrations out on the court when the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-12) take on the Miami Heat (37-14) this Thursday.

This should be one interesting game as Durant and LeBron James battle for the NBA MVP title.

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Jerseys Soon To Change IN NBA?

New NBA commissioner Adam Silver has some very interesting plans to put his league on top. However, those plans may not be very agreeable with the current fan base. There have been talks of expanding the NBA season, and even to shorten the NBA season. Other talks include television contracts with various networks. Whatever else Silver's plans are for the NBA, everyone knows that he plans to make the league more popular than the NFL. Is that even possible? Well, the commissioner's plan may work off of one idea.

What is that idea, you might ask.  Well, that idea is to put commercial logos on NBA jerseys? That's right. In 2011, Silver mentioned that placing ads on NBA jerseys will attract a revenue of over $100 million dollars. That alone will make his dream at beating out the NFL in popularity, a real one. Right now, the NBA is 3rd in professional sports revenue and sales. Roger Goodell's NFL is at first place, and Bud Selig's MLB is at second place. Currently, the NBA is worth an estimated $5 billion dollars. Now, it is to my understanding that adding the commercial logos onto the jerseys of our famous NBA stars will generate a much larger revenue for the league. But what do the fans think? How do the players feel? Does anybody even like the sleeved jerseys that were worn at the All Star game?

One thing for sure, two for certain, Adam Silver does not need the fans permission to put the ads on the jerseys. I know that's pretty tough to take in, but it's the truth. Silver has the authority to do almost anything he wants with the league if he can get it pass the NBA Board of Governors, which most likely he will. But not to worry NBA fans, Silver told ESPN.com that "The sense was that we were a little premature on the program and we needed to think it through systematically a little bit more." Therefore, no decision will be final for a while on whether the NBA jerseys will have commercial ads or not.

I do not believe that Silver is acting in the best interest of the fans nor the players in regards to the changes in team apparel on the court. Most players even dislike that jerseys with sleeves. They believe it to be interfering with their performance on the court. However, there was a split between the fans on whether they liked the sleeves or not. This NBA season, players were allowed the opportunity to wear their nicknames on the back of their jerseys. Personally, I did not agree with that. It took away from the seriousness and the competitiveness of the game. It was as though they were amateurs playing street ball at Rucker Park. Of course, they did not perform as amateurs, but judging by the names on the backs of the jerseys, it seemed like I was observing a game played by amateurs. That is not what the NBA is all about.

I am all for Adam Silver attempting to compete with the NFL for popularity, but I do not believe that placing ads on the jerseys is the way to go. Certainly, it would generate sales and bring in a larger amount of revenue for the league, yet there are pros and cons to any and everything. In this case, the cons outweigh the pros. That is just my personal opinion. I know that most fans do not want to see their favorite players in jerseys that sponsor McDonald's for instance with their team logo at the bottom or center. What are they? Billboards? Walking, shooting, passing, stealing, dunking billboards. This is a bad idea. Not only is it a bad idea, but I imagine it to be extremely tacky and useless. Can you imagine Wilt Chamberlain wearing a Soul Glo ad on his Los Angeles Lakers jersey? Ridiculous!

More things such as the officials should be discussed and open for change. That of all things need to change. The officiating today is horrible. The calls are an utter travesty. Cut out the touch fouls, the charging fouls, etc. Let the players play! Get rid of the technical fouls. Only use them when they are necessary. It is as though the officials are controlling the players emotions and keeping them on leash.  This is basketball!

In contrast to Adam Silver, I do not believe that wearing ads on  jerseys will be the future of the NBA. Beat out the NFL in another way.

Sports-Kings Pass The Pill Contributor, Briyant Hines @CST_SportSnitch 

www.thesportsnitch.blogspot.com

Changes in Browns Front Office

Exciting news in Cleveland this morning! Cleveland Browns owner, Jimmy Haslam has terminated General Manager, Mike Lombardi and CEO Joe Banner. This may not seem like good news to the normal human mind that somebody just lost their job especially in today's society. But this particular termination was key for the Cleveland Browns organization. Its future success as a football team, A winning football team, A playoff football team. Maybe even a Super Bowl football team, (You can stop laughing now.) In order for that to happen, Lombardi had to go and Banner had to go. Period,

Let's get one thing straight. The Browns fans whom are ever so loyal, are not disappointed in this termination. Not by any means. They have been known for their impatience from the Head Coaching search that took place after the firing of the Rob Chudzinski after he had gone 4-12. Not to mention the team had more Pro Bowl players than wins. That alone is mind boggling. So, as I said before, the Browns fans are ecstatic about this. They could not stand Lombardi, and they could not stand Banner, The jury is still out on new head coach, Mike Pettine . He seems to be a tough and motivated guy. He even has billboards across Cleveland with his face and a quote saying that they will be the toughest on the field. Convincing?

The day after the firing of Chud, the media, after referring to Haslam, Banner, and Lombardi as "The Three Stooges" asked Joe Banner if he had ever thought about why general manager, Mike Lombardi never attended press conferences. Banner stated that he "never really thought about it." Really? You don't know why Lombardi never attends press conferences. Why was he even hired? To me, it was an unnecessary hire. I cannot tell you what possessed Joe Banner and Jimmy Haslam to hire him. But the fans are glad that he's gone. I know I am,

Joe Banner loves to brag upon his success in Philadelphia. About how he and former Eagles head coach Andy Reid had won games and had great players. Apparently that success did not accompany him during his tenure in Cleveland. Since he and Lombardi arrived in Cleveland, the Browns have not been any better. In fact, they have been worse. They have gone through players as well as coaches, assistant coaches, coordinators, etc. It has been one muck of a circus since they have been there. Joe Banner was actually part of a group that wanted to purchase the Cleveland Browns. Browns fans are grateful that that did not happen.Banner was even hated after his 18 year tenure in Philadelphia. Apparently the man did not know how to run a football team,

Mike Lombardi will be replaced by president Ray Farmer who turned down the Miami Dolphins general manager job to stay in Cleveland. I believe Farmer is well deserving of this promotion because of his dedication to the organization, He left a lot of fans with their eyebrows raised when he turned down the job because of the horrid position the Browns were in.

Ever since Browns were purchased by owner, Jimmy Haslam, he has been dedicated to finding the right guy to steer them in the right direction and turn them into a winning team. Hopefully, for Browns fans, this is a start to WINNING GAMES!