Sports Blog

Today NBA free agents can officially sign with a team.  After a week of being able to shop around, most know where they are going or have agreed to verbal agreements already.  For the most part all the big names have already stated where they are going, but until it’s official, anything can happen.  The NBA has already announced that the salary cap will be lowered for next year.  This will affect effect teams decision to sign a big free agent that will put them over the cap and force them to pay a tax.  With the economy the way it is I think teams will be less willing to go over this year.  We’ll just have to see what happens.  Here is a list of some free agents that have already gave their verbal decision.

Ron Artest, SF - Signed with Lakers

Good signing as both sides have been wanting to join forces for a while.  This gives the Lakers some much needed toughness and allows Kobe to get rest on defense as Artest can shut down the other teams best player.  The only bad thing is they lose fan favorite Trevor Ariza.

Trevor Ariza, SF - Signed with Rockets

This is pretty much like a trade for Ron Artest as they will trade places.  I think that Ariza will be kicking himself for years after he tried to hard ball the Lakers for more money, then accepting the same deal in Houston.  He was great for the Lakers but that was only for a year.  He needs to prove he can do it for longer.

Shannon Brown , G - Re-signed with Lakers
In keeping Brown, the Lakers will pretty much have the same team, assuming Lamar Odom signs, as last year and might even be better will Artest.  Brown gives energy off the bench and he is very athletic.  I see a repeat coming!

Rasheed Wallace, C - Signed with Celtics

This signing makes the Celtics the team to beat in the east again.  Although he is older now, teaming him with KG will be deadly in the middle.  I see another Lakers-Celtics Finals.

Jason Kidd, G - Re-signed with Mavs

There was some temptation to join the Knicks, but in the end the Mavs could offer more money and wanted him the most.  Though they still cant compete with the elite teams, this signing will at least keep them competitive for the fans.

Ben Gordon, G - Signed with Pistons

Good signing for the Pistons as Ben is a good player, but it still doesn’t make them better than the big three in the east (Magic, Celtics, Cavs).  The fact is that the Pistons want a shot at Lebron next year and having Ben might help.  We’ll see.

Hedo Turkolgu, F - Signed with Raptors

After having a great playoffs, Hedo wanted to cash in as he’s not getting any younger.  And, that he did getting almost $10 million a year from the Raptors.  I guess winning a championship isn’t that important to him.

Image Source: Getty Images

It was a very busy weekend full of fireworks all over the sports world.  We’ll start with tennis: Roger Federer and American Andy Roddick played one of the best matches in the history of Wimbledon.  Tied at 2 sets apiece going into the final set, both players played an epic 5th set that was the longest in Wimbledon history.  It was back and forth all the way until Federer finally got the win in the set 16-14.  With this win Federer became the greatest champion in tennis history as he passed Pete Sampras for first all-time Grand Slam victories at 15.  Even Pete, who was on hand to watch, had to give him props saying,” I have to give it to him. He’s won all the majors.  He’s won 15 now.  He’s going to win a few more here.  So in my book he is (the greatest).”  I would have to agree.  On the women’s side Serena made quick work of her sister Venus.  The win gave her three of the four major tournament wins this year.  Even with that she was still disappointed that she couldn’t win them all saying, “I’m really disappointed because I think this is the year I could have done it.  And I didn’t.”

In baseball, He’s BACK!!!!  Manny Ramirez returned to the Dodgers to a cores of both cheers and boos.  Though he was quiet for most of his at-bats, he did go deep in one bringing the crowd up to make noise.  It’s safe to say that its going to be a circus every time he comes up for the rest of the season, especially on the road.  Also the All-Star team rosters were announced on Sunday with the fans getting the starters right for the most part.  I don’t see how Josh Hamilton was an all-star this season, I’m sure fans voted for him based on his Homerun Derby performance last year.  Even he didn’t agree with the selection saying, “I don’t feel I personally deserve to go, but at the same time the fans voted me in so I’m more than happy about that.”  Overall that was the only questionable starter so that was good and it should be an excellent game.  Notably Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, caught up in steroid stories, were not among the selected.  For more on the rosters go here.

In the NBA, free agents were on the move.  With Friday being the first day to meet with teams.  The biggest splash so far is by the Lakers as they picked up Ron Artest.  Some thing that both sides have wanted for a while.  This move and keeping Lamar Odom will make the Lakers a heavy favorite to repeat.  While gaining Artest they did have to part ways with a very key contributor Trevor Ariza.  Ariza’s agent tried to play hardball with the Lakers to get more money and it back fired.  He ended up taking the same deal with Rockets, trading places with Artest, that the Lakers offered to him.  I have a feeling he will be kicking himself for years after this.  Other free agents will be making their choices this week so keep watch.

Image Source: AP Photo

This week in sports blogs and news:

• Paul Pierce says he’s the “best player in the world - Larry Brown Sports
• Ron Artest is still claims to be “ghetto” - Deadspin
• Top 7: WWF/WWE Tag Teams - Joe Sports Fan
• Manny Ramirez traded to Dodgers, Jason Bay to Beantown - Fox Sports
  
• Play fill the Aaron Rogers fill in the blank game - The Sports Hernia
• Get your Yankees news- Yankees Chick
• Brett Favre just might take Packers bribe - Milwaukee Journal
• Kate Hudson dumps Lance Armstrong for Eric Lindros? - Sports by Brooks

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “I wonder if she can tell I’m staring”
• Orel Hershiser Brings the Pain to Announcing
• Kwame Brown’s Dead Weight Heads to Detroit
• Houston Rockets Trade Forward/Wrestler Ron Artest

Photo Source.

Teams in the NBA’s Western Conference let out a collective moan earlier this week when small forward Ron Artest was traded to the Houston Rockets.

Artest was already in the Western Conference last season – although on the playoff irrelevant Sacramento Kings – but by pairing him with All-Stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, the mighty west just got a lot more difficult.

The move wasn’t exactly a shocker. Artest had publicly admitted he regretted not opting out of the last year of his contract after watching marquee free agents like Elton Brand and Baron Davis decide their own fate. Rumor mills have been turning all summer, especially at the idea of a trade that would have sent Artest to the Lakers for Lamar Odom.

Kings GM Geoff Petrie settled on Houston though, receiving back up Bobby Jackson, first-round pick Donte Greene and next year’s first-round pick in return. Not quite the coup the Lakers pulled off in getting Pau Gasol, but a nice trade for the annual first-round-exit Rockets.

The question now is whether or not T-Mac and company can finally abandon their perennial above average status and finally join the Lakers, Spurs and recent juggernaut Hornets in the battle atop the west. The answer is … well there isn’t exactly one.

McGrady has never been able to claw his way out of the first round, and both he and Ming have a reputation of being soft. Artest will bring with him a tenacious attitude that should shore up any questions of the Rockets toughness.

Artest is also known as a defensive stopper, which coincidentally, is the one thing that the Rockets can say they are already pretty good at. They ranked second in the NBA last year on defense and also have Shane Battier on their roster – who isn’t exactly a slouch on the perimeter.

The biggest perceived challenge is Artest’s large personality and sometimes volatile emotions. We all remember the brawl at the Palace, but Artest has played for Rockets Head Coach Rick Adelman before and put up some of his best numbers in his career under Adelman’s guidance.

Regardless of how it turns out, you can’t fault the Rockets for trying. They weren’t going to win a title with the roster they had last year, and while I still don’t put them above the Lakers, Spurs, and Hornets, at least they’re taking a risk and shaking things up.

Now, for the Rockets sake, let’s hope Artest doesn’t decide to shake things up again.

Tell us what you’d say!

What would you say? Write us your caption and post them in our comments!

Photo Source.

“He lied and then came back and apologized to everybody. I felt that was classy.”

- Ron Artest, Sacramento Kings Forward on Michael Vick’s apology.

Source: Sports Illustrated.
Photo Source.