With all the hype around LeBron James and the other marquee free agents, the Clippers have to be realistic. None of them are going to Clipperland. With a nucleus of Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, and Blake Griffin, the Clippers look better than some may think. They are clearly missing a small forward to fill that spot. And the right man to fill that hole would be Rudy Gay.

Gay is a restricted free agent, meaning the Memphis Grizzlies can match any offer made to him. However, a maximum contract offer could shy away Memphis from retaining Gay. The Clippers have to be realistic in thinking that they are going to get a huge name. But the Clippers must get Gay.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

I am just wondering how one person’s mistakes can cause an entire school to get punished so severely. Usually punishments should fit the crime. Eye for an eye, that sort of thing. If I understand it correctly, the NCAA is punishing USC for incidents that took place several years ago. It appears as if Pete Carroll and Reggie Bush are both shocked at the punishments because they DON’T fit the crime. I believe USC is being made an example of at the expense of the next wave of high school seniors and college kids and not of the players and coaches who were involved. Basically, it has caused untold consequences and collateral damage for tomorrow’s players. What judge would think is fair?

Chael Sonnen has recently being getting on my nerves with his comments toward the UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. I find it very funny how someone tries to call out Silva saying he is going to destroy him when he cannot even finish a fight. His previous 3 wins have all come by decision and before that he lost in the first round by submission to the last man who challenged and was embarrassed by Silva, Demian Maia. For someone who is calling for a knockout but has not won by knockout in three years is absolutely absurd. That’s like me saying I am going to play in the MLS and win a championship this year and I haven’t played soccer since 1999.

Sometimes I believe that MMA fighters see what works in other sports and try to use it just to hype a fight or produce sales for their own profit. Boxers do it and it helps produce numbers. But when people take it to far like Chael, it just makes people look down on the sport and sets it back a few steps. Chael’s comments toward Silva’s manager Ed Soares was very inappropriate “Ed, pray to whatever Demon effigy you prance and dance in front of with your piglet tribe of savages that I decide not to CRUCIFY you,” stated Sonnen. Now that seems a little racist to me but that’s just my opinion. Chael rude and distasteful comments are just calling for one of the worst beatings in UFC history. I am very indifferent about Silva but after some of the things I’ve heard from Sonnen I hope Silva destroys him to a point where he knows not to open his mouth again.

This Wednesday night on June 16th Strikeforce will have a special fight card in Los Angeles. It will be a 6 fight special attraction on Showtime starting at 11pm eastern. The main event is a battle between Robbie Lawler vs Renato “Babalu” Sobral. This fight while be a classic striker vs. grappler match. This will be a good match but I can see Lawler getting the advantage in the stand up and ending the match by TKO in the second round.

In the co-main event its Marius Zaromskis vs. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos . This is going to be a great striking battle. Marius is a much better striker than Santos and a see him winning by TKO in the first round. In a the card is decent just because its a free card on a Wednesday.

Tuesday night, the Boston Celtics come into Los Angeles, looking to capture the NBA Championship. Just two years ago, Boston was able to do it against the Lakers. And last year, the Lakers reigned supreme over the Magic to become NBA Champions. But this year, Los Angeles finds themselves in a 2-0 hole.

If the Lakers lose, it has other consequences. After the game five loss, Kobe Bryant looked like the old Kobe Bryant. The one who was very selfish and looked like he was unhappy with his teammates. While he played great and nobody else did, when has LeBron James vocally been displeased with his teammates?

The Lakers need to win tonight to stay alive. But they also need to win if they want to avoid an off-season of misery.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Although he is Golden State’s best player, it may be in the best interest of the Warriors to trade star player Monta Ellis. Ellis is a solidified all-star, but there are two reasons why he should be traded. The first is that he is very injury prone. He has only played a combined 89 games over the past two seasons. The other reason is that he could possibly be stopping the development of Stephen Curry. Curry had a phenomenal rookie year, averaging 17.5 points per contest.

But both Ellis and Curry truly strive from running the offense. While either can play both PG and SG, both excel when handling the ball. It would be an injustice to either one to not have the ball in their hands. So if Ellis was dealt, then it would be Curry’s team to run.

Either way, Golden State is in trouble due to the contracts that Biedrins and Maggette have. But trading Ellis would allow Curry to truly develop into the star that he can, and will be.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

A few years ago, Manny Ramirez provided an unbelievable spark for the Los Angeles Dodgers. His batting average with the team in 2008 was a whopping .396. But last year, we all know Ramirez was suspended for steroid use. Due to that, Manny’s numbers were far from impressive last year. And this year, the same can be said.

A .281 average, five home runs, and 28 RBI’s are not bad by any means. However, this is not the Manny Ramirez that we are all used to. Yes, he is getting up there in age. And yes, maybe his performance is bound to be worse since he is off steroids. But for the sake of Dodger fans, Manny needs to start being Manny.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Tonight marks the start of the NBA Finals. The matchup of the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers is one that we have seen before, twelve times to be exact. The Celtics beat the Lakers in the 2008 finals 4-2. The series was highlighted by a 24 point comeback win in game four to take a 3-1 series lead. The Celtics eventually closed the Lakers out in game six in Boston.

I expect this series to be very highly competitive, much like the one in 2008 was. This time however, I expect the outcome to be different. The main reason I see this series ending differently is due to the fact that Kevin Garnett is no longer a dominant player. In 2008, Garnett was still a very capable offensive player and was armed with many weapons in his offensive repertoire. In 2008, Garnett was able to play above the rim and caused the Lakers front line issues. Now, Garnett is merely a spot up mid range shooter on the offensive end. The Celtics lack of a post up scorer who commands a double team will allow the Lakers length to disrupt the Celtics perimeter offense. The only way that the Celtics can win this series is if Rajon Rondo not only keeps playing well, but actually elevates his game and becomes more of a scorer. Rondo is the one Celtic who does not live by the perimeter shot on the offensive end. If Rondo is able to continuously get to the basket and finish, the Celtics may be able to take this series. I, however, do not see the Celtics being able to match the Lakers athelticism and scoring options. Lakers in 6.

Is Tim Lincecum in a funk or is it something that the Giants should seriously worry about? Lincecum’s last three starts have been bad by most starting pitcher’s standards and horrible by the lofty standards that the reigning two time Cy Young winner has set. In his last three starts, Lincecum has not gotten out of the 6th inning and has given up 5, 6, and 3 earned runs. While some believe that his small frame and awkward delivery may be taking its toll, I believe it is just a small blip on a career that will continue to astonish. Lincecum has toyed with a new pitch this season, a changeup, that he is starting to throw too much. Early in the year, when Lincecum was his usual dominant self, he was throwing the changeup sparingly and had great results. Due to the success that he had with the pitch, he began to fall in love with it and has forgotten what made him such a great pitcher in the past. If Lincecum only sparingly uses his changeup, the two time Cy Young winner will be fine and Giants fans will have no need to worry.

As NBA fans turn their attention to Los Angeles, where the Lakers are preparing to battle the Celtics for the second time in three years, it’s easy to overlook Los Angeles’ other franchise, the Clippers. For years, the Clippers have lived in the shadow of the Lakers, compiling losing seasons, and watching as their best players either left town or got hurt.

This past season was no different, as the Clippers limped to a 29-53 record. To make matters worse, Blake Griffin, the first pick of the 2009 draft and the player who was expected to lead the Clippers’ turnaround, was injured and was unable to play a single game. To make matters worse, the Clippers only received the 8th pick in the draft, where they are unlikely to land a game-changing player.

In many ways, the Clipper franchise appears to be cursed, as they have a record of bad luck and poor personnel decisions, in addition to one of the more controversial owners in sports, Donald Sterling. Why, then, might there be reason for optimism for Los Angeles’ 2nd team?

The primary reason for optimism amongst Clippers fans is an economic one. Next season, the Clippers only have 5 players under contract, and they have freed up enough money to offer a max contract to an established superstar. Despite the available money, however, is there a reason for a great player to head to leave their previous teams and head to a team without any prior track record of success.

Surprisingly, the answer might be yes. While the Clippers have been a doormat of the league for quite some time, they do have a talented roster that could lure a talented player to Los Angeles. First and foremost, the Clippers boast Eric Gordon, one of the most talented young shooting guards in the NBA. Although he is only finishing his second year, he has already established himself as one of the top jump-shooters in the league, and he has also shown solid athleticism. For a great player looking for a complimentary second player, they would be unlikely to find a better sidekick than Gordon.

In addition, the Clippers also boast a solid veteran presence in Chris Kaman and Baron Davis. Although Kaman is not regarded as an elite player, he provides a solid and dependable presence at the center position, which few other teams can offer. Like Kaman, Baron Davis also provides veteran leadership and solid production. Although Davis is no longer an elite point guard, he still has the ability to effectively distribue the basketball and control the tempo of a game.

With the presence of Blake Griffin, whose potential is considered to be nearly unlimited, it is fair to say that no other team could offer a better situation for a free agent looking to win and win immediately. Although Lebron James doesn’t appear likely to head to Los Angeles, there are a number of other talented players, such as Rudy Gay or Joe Johnson, who could contribute to the Clippers success for the 2010 season.  Although the Clippers must contend with decades of futility, there appears to be, for the first time, reasons for optimism in the future.

by Nathan Eagan at the Sports Fan Blog Network