For the last few years all Knicks fans have had one date in mind...July 1st 2010.  This is the date where the Knick fans were to erase the miserable last 10 years and focus on THE SUMMER OF LEBRON.  This is the date where the Knicks were going to make the big splash in FA by signing to top FA to max contracts.  It was going to be LeBron/Wade, LeBron/Bosh, or some form of two studs.  This plan was still looking strong up until about 10 days ago when other teams found ways to free up money.  The Heat, Bulls, and Nets know have freed up a lot of money to become attractive options for the top guys.  As we are on the eve on the FA mania, it is looking more and more than the top guys aren't going to be lighting up the lights on Broadway.

Here is what reports are stating in regards to the top FA's:

LeBron-most likely is staying in Cleveland...because of the money

Wade-staying in Miami.  He was really never going anywhere.

Bosh-if money is his #1 priority, then a sign in trade with possibly Chicago or Miami makes the most sense.

J Johnson-Knicks are making a strong play, but reports are saying that he will stay in Atlanta

Nowitzki-resigning with Dallas seems most likely, no other teams have said much

Stoudemire-best option financially for him is to resign with the Suns, but if LeBron or Wade come calling...that could change

Boozer-seems like he is the third option for LeBron and Wade, but could also be the consolation prize for Knicks or Nets

Unfortunately Knick fans it seems like a Ridnour, Chandler, Gay, Gallinari, and Lee line-up is appearing most likely for the 2010 season. 

There are MLB reports stating that the Mariners are already scouting Yankee minor leaguers in preparation of a potential trade for Cliff Lee.  The main target will be Jesus Montero who is a highly regarded catcher, but many feel will end up at another position.  I don't think the Yanks need to get him...unless it is to keep him away from another top contender.  Although, Lee's 2.77 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and a 57/4 K/BB ratio in eight starts for Seattle makes him very attractive.

The Yankees line-up, rotation, and bullpen are strong enough to get them to October.  If the season were to end today, the Yanks post-season rotation would be CC, Burnett, Pettitte, and then Hughes if they go with 4.  I think those 4 matchup against any other rotations.  Yes, Lee would look nice in a Yankee uniform in October, but they don't need him.  Plus, he would only be a rental as he isn't signed for next season.

Let's just hope they don't panic come July and keep their kids for the future.

Last night Strasburg's debut is being compared to the greatest of all-time.  Last night he went 7 strong with 14 K's and no walks, while reaching 100 on the radar gun.

Some other great first games:

Lew Alcindor:  56 points in his first game at UCLA

LeBron James: 25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals

Juan Marachal: 9 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 12 K's

Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux: Both scored a goal in their first game

Will Bryce Harper, the first overall pick from this week's draft be the next?

The Yankees head home after dropping 3 of 4 to Johnny Damon and the Tigers.  The Yankees have been hit hard by the injury bug, but more noticeable was the lack of production coming from the line-up.  I understand Posada has been out, Cano is banged up, Swisher is out, Nick Johnson and Granderson are both on the shelf, and the greatest closer of all-time was out for a few games.  Bottom line is they still have a tremendous line-up without those guys, and they still have a strong starting staff.

Although Teixeira and AROD are starting to come around, they are now dealing with a struggling Jeter.  Just like we knew that Tex and AROD will turn it around...we know Jeter will be fine.  His average was similar to this last year at this point and he still hit over .330.

Despite the struggling offense, the Yanks are still winning.  The main reason is the pitching staff.   CC, Burnett, and Pettitte have been great for most of the season. Oh and there might not be a better pitcher in the AL right now than Hughes. 

The Twins come into town as the Yanks look to right the ship and get back on their winning ways

As the Cavs were quiting in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, I could only think...does this mean that LeBron to the Knicks is a possibility?  Over the next 6 weeks, we are going to be hearing more gossip and rumors in regards to the NBA MVP as well as other All-Stars.  LeBron is the grand prize, but that doesn't mean Wade, Bosh, and Joe Johnson can't help rebuild the Knicks.  Next year Carmelo Anthony will be a free agent and then Chris Paul the following year. 

Knicks fans are hoping that come July 1st, we will here:

LeBron welcome the world's most famous arena!!!!

You ask most knowledgeable baseball fans and they will tell you the key to the regular season is to win as many individual series as possible.  First the Yankees took two of 3 from the Red Sox, then followed that up with another 2 of 3 again on the road against the Rays, and then tonight they closed out the series against the Angels taking 2 of 3.

The Yankees have been doing this with the same formula of success they had last year: strong pitching, good defense, and well-timed hitting.  Just like last last April, Teixeira isn't hitting, but this year is it is Cano and Granderson carrying them through April and not Swisher.  Of course Jeter has been Jeter...did you expect anything else?  AROD hasn't homered, but has been contributing enough at the plate and in the field.

Almost all of the starters have looked sharp, but Vazquez.  It is way too early for fans to be booing him as he adjusts to being in the AL East and not in the weaker NL.  Fans are forgetting he is the number 4 starter, not the 1 or 2 he was brought into be a few years back.

The bullpen has been solid overall and Rivera continues to dominate.  Not bad for a guy his age,

Up next are the Rangers and Nelson Cruz.  Let's see if the streak continues...

Tomorrow night the Knicks will take the floor one final time when they face the Raptors in Toronto.  A season that began with not much hope other than counting the days until July 1 and  with anticipation of what could be for 2010.  One main positive that they accomplished was that they were able to get even further under the cap and can afford two max contracts.  We won't know until the summer if the Knicks plan will work out, but on most nights they were competitive and even shocked top teams.

The Knicks only have 4 guys under contract for next year: Gallinari, Douglas, Chandler, and Curry.  Thankfully Curry is signed for one more year.  The first three are strong role players and with the right group around them could do well.  Unfortunately for the Knicks, other teams will be going after the top guys and some have better to offer.  The Nets have Lopez, Harris, and some kids, the Bulls have a good young core, and I believe if Wade stays in Miami, they have the money for another guy as well.

Bottom line the Knicks management made the right moves in order to try and get this franchise back to the way it was in the 90's.  Hopefully LeBron will be our big prize, but if not, I am sure Walsh won't disappoint too much.

How all 30 baseball teams got their names:

Arizona Diamondbacks

In 1995, the expansion franchise’s ownership group asked fans to vote from among a list of nicknames that included Coyotes, Diamondbacks, Phoenix, Rattlers, and Scorpions. Diamondbacks, a type of desert rattlesnake, was the winner, sparing everyone the mindboggling possibility of a team located in Phoenix, Arizona, called the Arizona Phoenix.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves, who played in Boston and Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta in 1966, trace their nickname to the symbol of a corrupt political machine. James Gaffney, who became president of Boston’s National League franchise in 1911, was a member of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party machine that controlled New York City politics throughout the 19th century. The Tammany name was derived from Tammamend, a Delaware Valley Indian chief. The society adopted an Indian headdress as its emblem and its members became known as Braves. Sportswriter Leonard Koppett described Gaffney’s decision to rename his team, which had been known as the Doves, in a 1993 letter to the New York Times: “Wouldn’t it be neat to call the team the ‘Braves,’ waving this symbol of the Democrats under the aristocratic Bostonians? It wouldn’t bother the fans.” And it didn’t, especially after the Braves swept the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1914 World Series.

Baltimore Orioles

When the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954, the franchise was rebranded with the same nickname of the Baltimore team that dominated the old National League in the late 1890s. That team, which featured the likes of Wee Willie Keeler and John McGraw, was named after the state bird of Maryland. The orange and black colors of the male Oriole bird resembled the colors on the coat of arms of Lord Baltimore.

Boston Red Sox

The team that became known as the Red Sox began play – wearing dark blue socks, no less – as a charter member of the American League in 1901. With no official nickname, the team was referred to by a variety of monikers, including Bostons and Americans, as in American League. In 1907, Americans owner John Taylor announced that his team was adopting red as its new color after Boston’s National League outfit switched to all-white uniforms. Taylor’s team became known as the Red Sox, a name popularized by the Cincinnati Red Stockings from 1867-1870 and used by Boston’s National League franchise from 1871-1876.

Chicago Cubs

Chicago’s first professional baseball team was known as the Chicago White Stockings. When the team began to sell off its experienced players in the late 1880s, local newspapers began to refer to the club as Anson’s Colts, a reference to player-manager Cap Anson’s roster of youngsters. By 1890, Colts had caught on and Chicago’s team had a new nickname. When Anson left the team in 1897, the Colts became known as the Orphans, a depressing nickname if there ever was one. When Frank Selee took over managerial duties of Chicago’s youthful roster in 1902, a local newspaper dubbed the team the Cubs and the name stuck.

Chicago White Sox

In 1900, Charles Comiskey moved the St. Paul Saints to the South Side of Chicago. The team adopted the former nickname of its future rivals (the Cubs) and became the White Stockings, which was shortened to White Sox a few years after the club joined the American League in 1901.

Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Red Stockings, so named because they wore red socks, were baseball’s first openly all-professional team. In 1882, Cincinnati’s entry in the newly formed American Association took the same name and retained it after moving to the National League in 1890. Red Stockings eventually became Redlegs, and Redlegs was shortened to Reds. Before the 1953 season, club officials announced that the team would once again officially be known as the Cincinnati Redlegs. Around the same time, the team temporarily removed “Reds” from its uniforms. As the AP reported in 1953, “The political significance of the word ‘Reds’ these days and its effect on the change was not discussed by management.”



Cleveland Indians

Cleveland’s baseball team was originally nicknamed the Naps after star player-manager Napoleon Lajoie, so when the team cut ties with Lajoie after the 1914 season, it was in the market for a new name. Club officials and sportswriters agreed on Indians in January 1915. The Boston Braves’ miraculous World Series triumph may have been part of the inspiration behind Cleveland’s new moniker.

Colorado Rockies

When team officials announced that Denver’s expansion team would begin play in 1993 as the Colorado Rockies, some fans couldn’t help but question why the team was adopting the same nickname as the city’s former NHL franchise, which averaged an abysmal 19 wins per season from 1976 to 1982. “I think for us to compare a failed hockey franchise 10 years ago is nonsense,” Rockies CEO John Antonucci said. “We feel very strongly that Colorado Rockies might be one of the strongest names in all of professional sports.” According to surveys conducted by Denver’s daily newspapers, fans preferred the nickname Bears, which had been used by Denver’s most famous minor league team. “The name we picked…it’s strong, enduring, majestic,” Antonucci said.

Detroit Tigers

Detroit’s original minor league baseball team was officially known as the Wolverines. The club was also referred to as the Tigers, the nickname for the members of Michigan’s oldest military unit, the 425th National Guard infantry regiment, which fought in the Civil War and Spanish-American War. When Detroit joined the newly formed American League in 1901, the team received formal permission from the regiment, which was known as the Detroit Light Guard, to use its symbol and nickname.

Florida Marlins

The Marlins take their name from the minor league Miami Marlins that called South Florida home from 1956-1960, 1962-1970, and 1972-1988. Owner Wayne Huizenga hoped to give his expansion team, which entered the league in 1993, more regional appeal by including Florida in the name. However, when the Marlins move into their new baseball-only stadium in 2012, they will become the Miami Marlins.

Houston Astros

Houston’s baseball team was originally known as the Colt .45’s, but team president Judge Roy Hofheinz made a change “in keeping with the times” in 1965. Citing Houston’s status as “the space age capital of the world,” Hofheinz settled on Astros. “With our new domed stadium, we think it will also make Houston the sports capital of the world,” Hofheinz said. The change was likely also motivated by pressure from the Colt Firearms Company, which objected to the use of the Colt .45 nickname.

Kansas City Royals

When Kansas City was awarded an expansion franchise in 1969, club officials chose Royals from more than 17,000 entries in a name-the-team contest. Sanford Porte, one of 547 fans who submitted Royals, was awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to the All-Star Game. Porte submitted the name because of “Kansas City’s position as the nation’s leading stocker and feeder market and the nationally known American Royal Livestock and Horse Show. … Royalty stands for the best—that’s another reason.” Coincidentally, Kansas City’s Negro League team was nicknamed the Monarchs.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Los Angeles gained a second major league team in 1961 when the Los Angeles Angels entered the American League. The nickname had been used by Los Angeles’ Pacific Coast League team from 1903-1957. The team was renamed the California Angels in 1965 and became the Anaheim Angels after the Walt Disney Company took control of the team in 1997. While the team’s lease with the city requires that Anaheim be a part of the team name, owner Arte Moreno changed the team’s name to include Los Angeles in 2005 in hopes of tapping into the L.A. media market. The result is one of the most absurd names in all of professional sports.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers trace their roots to Brooklyn, where the team was known as the Bridegrooms, Superbas, and, beginning in 1911, the Trolley Dodgers. The Dodgers nickname referenced the pedestrians who dodged the trolleys that carried passengers through the streets of Brooklyn. While the team was known as the Robins from 1914 to 1931, in honor of legendary manager Wilbert Robinson, the nickname switched back to Dodgers when Robinson retired. When Walter O’Malley moved the franchise to Los Angeles after the 1957 season, he elected to keep the name.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers nickname, a nod to Milwaukee’s beer industry, was used off and on by various Milwaukee baseball teams during the late 19th century. When the expansion Seattle Pilots relocated to Milwaukee after one failed season in 1969, the team adopted the traditional Brewers nickname under the ownership of Bud Selig.



Minnesota Twins

Minneapolis and St. Paul, which are separated by the Mississippi River and collectively known as the Twin Cities, argued for years over where an expansion team in Minnesota, should one arrive, would call home. When the Washington Senators moved to Minneapolis in 1961, club officials settled on Twins as the team nickname and unveiled an emblem showing two baseball players with hands clasped in front of a huge baseball.

New York Mets

Team officials asked fans to choose a nickname from among 10 finalists when New York was awarded an expansion National League franchise in 1961. The finalists were Avengers, Bees, Burros, Continentals, Jets, Mets, NYBS, Rebels, Skyliners, and Skyscrapers. The team received 2,563 mailed entries, which included 9,613 suggestions, and 644 different names. Mets was the resounding winner, followed by two nicknames that weren’t among the team’s 10 suggestions—Empires and Islanders. As the New York Times noted, “what the fans will call the team when it begins play, of course, will depend in part on how it performs.” One of the reasons that team officials chose Mets was because “it has a brevity that will delight headline writers.” Another reason was the nickname’s historical baseball association. The New York Metropolitans, often called the Mets, played in the American Association from 1883 to 1888.

New York Yankees

In 1903, the original Baltimore Orioles moved to New York, where they became the Highlanders. As was common at the time, the team, which played in the American League, was also known as the New York Americans. New York Press editor Jim Price coined the nickname Yanks, or Yankees, in 1904 because it was easier to fit in headlines.

Oakland Athletics

The Athletics nickname is one of the oldest in baseball, dating to the early 1860s and the Athletic Baseball Club of Philadelphia. In 1902, New York Giants manager John McGraw referred to Philadelphia’s American League team as a “white elephant.” The slight was picked up by a Philadelphia reporter and the white elephant was adopted as the team’s primary logo. The nickname and the elephant logo were retained when the team moved to Kansas City in 1955 and to Oakland in 1968.



Philadelphia Phillies

Founded in 1883 as the Quakers, the franchise changed its nickname to the Philadelphias, which soon became Phillies. New owner Robert Carpenter held a contest to rename the team in 1943 and Blue Jays was selected as the winner. While the team wore a Blue Jay patch on its uniforms for a couple of seasons, the nickname failed to catch on.

Pittsburgh Pirates

After the Players’ League collapsed in 1890, the National League’s Pittsburgh club signed two players, including Lou Bierbauer, whom the Philadelphia Athletics had forgotten to place on their reserve list. A Philadelphia sportswriter claimed that Pittsburgh “pirated away Bierbauer” and the Pirates nickname was born.

San Diego Padres

When San Diego was awarded an expansion team in 1969, the club adopted the nickname of the city’s Pacific Coast League team, the Padres. The nickname, which is Spanish for father or priest, was a reference to San Diego’s status as the first Spanish Mission in the United States.

San Francisco Giants

The New York Giants moved to San Francisco in 1957 and retained their nickname, which dates back to 1885. It was during that season, according to legend, that New York Gothams manager Jim Mutrie referred to his players as his “giants” after a rousing win over Philadelphia.

Seattle Mariners

Mariners was the winning entry among more than 600 suggestions in a name-the-team contest for Seattle’s expansion franchise in 1976. Multiple fans submitted the nickname Mariners, but the team determined that Roger Szmodis of Belleveue provided the best reason. “I’ve selected Mariners because of the natural association between the sea and Seattle and her people, who have been challenged and rewarded by it,” said Szmodis, who received two season tickets and an all-expenses-paid trip to an American League city on the West Coast.



St. Louis Cardinals

In 1899, the St. Louis Browns became the St. Louis Perfectos. That season, Willie McHale, a columnist for the St. Louis Republic reportedly heard a woman refer to the team’s red stockings as a “lovely shade of Cardinal.” McHale included the nickname in his column and it was an instant hit among fans. The team officially changed its nickname in 1900.

Tampa Bay Rays

Vince Naimoli, owner of Tampa Bay’s expansion team, chose Devil Rays out of more than 7,000 suggestions submitted by the public in 1995. The reaction was not positive. “So far, I’ve fielded about 20 phone calls protesting Devil Rays, and most of the callers have described themselves as Christians who are upset about the word devil,” a Tampa Tribune columnist told a reporter less than a week after the nickname was announced. Naimoli reportedly wanted to nickname his team the Stingrays, but it was trademarked by a team in the Hawaiian Winter League. The team dropped the “Devil” after the 2007 season and the curse that had plagued the franchise for the previous decade was apparently lifted, as Tampa Bay made a surprising run to the World Series the following season.

Texas Rangers

A second franchise named the Senators left Washington in 1972, this time for Arlington, Texas. Owner Robert Short renamed the team the Rangers after the Texas law enforcement agency that was formed under Stephen F. Austin in the 1820s.

Toronto Blue Jays

More than 30,000 entries were received during a five-week name-the-team contest. A panel of 14 judges, including 10 Toronto media members, selected 10 finalists. From that list, the club’s board of directors settled on Blue Jays. “The Blue Jays was felt to be the most appropriate of the final 10 names submitted,” according to a statement issued by the board’s chairman, R. Howard Webster. “The blue jay is a North American bird, bright blue in color, with white undercovering and a black neck ring. It is strong, aggressive and inquisitive. It dares to take on all comers, yet it is down-to-earth, gutsy and good-looking.”



Washington Nationals

Washington’s original baseball team was interchangeably referred to as the Senators and Nationals, or Nats for short, for most of its time in the District before relocating to Minnesota in 1960. Washington’s 1961 expansion franchise was known almost exclusively as the Senators until it moved to Texas after the 1971 season. When the Montreal Expos relocated to the nation’s capital in 2005, the team revived the Nationals nickname.

We are now one week away from the start of the 2010 baseball season.  The season starts next Sunday with 2009 World Champion Yankees against their hated rivals the Red Sox.

10 questions to think about as the season approaches:

Will the Yankees repeat?

Will someone step up and replace Pujols as the best player on the planet?

Are the Mariners the team to beat in West with the 2 headed monster?

Which all Star player will be busted for steroids first?

Will the Mets stay healthy enough to compete with the Phillies?

Can Lincecum win his 3rd straight CY Young award?

Will there even be more homers hit at Yankee stadium this year?

Who will have the worst record: A's, Royals, Nationals, or the Pirates?

Which manager will get fired by Memorial day?

Which team will Adrian Gonzalez help for the play-off run?

Tune in next Sunday as these questions will begin to be answered.

It is the eve of one of the greatest sports days of the year and phrases like cinderalla and bracket buster will be common in most conversations around the sports world.  Tomorrow is the beginning of a month long tournament where the ivy leaguers and the mid-majors will compete with the big boys.  The gap between the talent that goes to the smaller schools and the big conferences has shrunk over time; which means upsets will happen, but are they really upsets.  One of the main reasons is that over the last ten years we have seen players get drafted from smaller schools who dominate their conference increase and top players struggle when they go to the top teams when they aren't the man.  Two small school players that come to mind are Adam Morrison and more recently Steph Curry.

Overall I do expect Kansas, Kentucky, and other top seeds to be picked by many to win the ournament.  I wished the Hoas and West Virginia were in other brackets as I think they both would have had a better chance getting to the Final Four.

Tune in tomorrow to see which team wrecks your bracket on day one.