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The Sports Freak and Big Money Tony to talk Chuck Klosterman's Grantland piece on the Top 50 College Basketball Players, Blogs with Balls and Bloomberg Sports, Tony LaRussa and Theo Epstein, the Redskins, and Things to Eat and/or Drink.

The link to the Grantland piece is here.

The brand mentioned in the Things to Drink segment is Southern Tier.

You can find our podcast on iTunes. All the episodes are there and new ones will be published there. Subscribe so you automatically get it by clicking on the iTunes button on the top right. Please rate us in iTunes.

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It's chilly out and the beer store is packed with 900 different varieties of Oktoberfest/Pumpkin beer (Ummmmm Beer), which can mean only one thing ----- Post-season Baseball time!

Facts are facts, the post-season has already started, so I can't really make bold predictions, but I will try to give my honest opinion about the four Divisional Series currently underway. To put it in other terms, here comes the Yankee bashing.

Writers Disclaimer: When approached by my colleagues at the dcsportspage.com to do a baseball article, at first I wanted no part of it. As a lifelong Red Sox fan, I was still dealing with the worst September Collapse in the History of Baseball, but then I thought hey if Francona gets to move on, then so do I. Plus who deserves to be in the playoffs when you have John Lackey as your number three, who plays more like 'number 2' and you paid an obscene amount for a guy who doesn't like to bat where you tell him to bat or play where to tell him to play. Damn, I'm ranting, let's get to the playoffs.

Yankees v. Tigers: Let's start with the obvious. I'm all in on the Tigers, actually enter any name v. the Yankees and I'm pulling for them. Even if you choose team Iceland from Mighty Ducks 2, I'm taking them over the Yankees.

Observations: The Tigers got eight innings and 11 strikeouts from Verlander last night and currently hold a 2-1 lead over the Yanks. Guess what? Verlander throws really, really hard. The gun read 100 in the 7th and 8th inning. I love that, in the era of pitchers being praised for giving the team a solid six innings, Verlander is going 8, sometimes 9 and still pitching at 100mph, that's unreal. I was flipping between the game and WWE Raw and I swear that Tigers crowd chanting MVP while Verlander was throwing bullets reminded me of the old E-C-W chants!

Final thoughts: Miguel Cabrera got faaaaaaaaaaattttttt! Seriously, I was watching the Bartman 30 for 30 on ESPN last week, and I'm almost positive that 2011 Cabrera went back in time and ate 2003 Cabrera and was still hungry.

Like most public school kids in this country, I have experienced my fair share of time
capsules over the years. In elementary school we crammed that thing full or Pogs (Microsoft Word doesn't recognize Pogs), Goosebumps books, a copy of Jurassic Park on VHS and a DARE t-shirt. As time went on we pretty much forgot where these time capsules went. One day they will be uncovered, and analyzed as a snap shot of that time period. What would a time capsule tell us about the summer of 2011 and the state of the Washington Redskins? (Insert dream sequence......)

Imagine if you will, a hundred years from now when someone digs up the time capsule from the summer of 2011 and inside they find a copy of the WashingtonPost sports section. Their first reaction will no doubt be confusion, since by that time a Newspaper will be looked at the way we currently look at cave drawings today, extinct.

After the initial moment of confusion passes, someone will read that sports section and what they see we should all fear, because it is so embarrassing. Right there above the fold, "Beck v. Grossman." Guess what, even 100 years from now people will still find it hard to believe that someone would allow one of these two bums to actually lead an NFL team.

As embarrassing as it will be in the future, the reality of today is even more depressing. When you turn on local sports talk or even look at ESPN.com, the main storylines involving the Washington Redskins are about two guys battling for a job neither deserves. Grossman or Beck, I mean honestly who cares? It's like asking lima beans or cauliflower, even the family dog doesn't want that decision. What else you got? Kellen Clemens. Oh, man I think I'm allergic to that.

Another year is rapidly approaching, but somehow I get that same sinking feeling I do every season, except that sinking feeling usually comes around week six, but this time it's not even week two of the preseason. WE ARE F'ED.

May be I'm being too critical. It's possible that Beck could be the guy, but it's not possible that either one of the two should really be starting in the NFL, a quarterback driven league. Notice how I said it's possible that Beck could be the guy and didn't mention Grossman being the guy? There is a reason for that, and it's this, you have to be on some kind of excellent psychedelic drugs to really think that "Sexy Rexy" has somehow put it all together after ten seasons in the league. I mean really high.

Opening Kick: EPL starts with a whimper - After riots in London caused a mid-week friendly between England and the Netherlands to be cancelled; we spent most of the week wondering if the EPL would actually start on time. For the most part it went off without a hitch, excluding the cancellation of the Everton v Tottenham game, but that actually allowed ESPN 2 to pick up the Fulham v Aston Villa game, a pleasant surprise, or so I thought.

Like most sports fans, I like to plan my day around the upcoming fixtures. So when I saw that the Fulham game was the replacement I was pumped, a ten o'clock date to watch Clint Dempsey open up the EPL season followed by my beloved Gunners playing at 12:30. What more could I ask for? So much more, the next four and a half hours of my life featured, zero goals and little to cheer about.

The Fulham game had no real moments of intrigue as Villa collapsed in to defensive shell mode and Fulham lacked the creativity to break it down. The Arsenal game was tough to watch as the Gunners missed time and time again. Then late in the game Joey Barton, the Newcastle United version of Dennis Rodman, grabbed Arsenal striker Gervhino, pulling him off the pitch and began to berate him. Gervhino, slapped at Barton who sold the punch in a way that would have made Bret Hart proud, and fell to the ground. The dive gave Gervhino his walking papers in the form of a red-card as the Gunners limped out of town with a worrisome 0-0 tie. The worst news for Arsenal however, was yet to come.

Not the best showing for the opening week of the EPL. Only three out of the 16 teams in action this weekend gained the maximum three points, five games ended in ties and Chelsea matched Arsenal by not notching a single goal. Manchester United did what they always seem to do, they got a 2-1 result, but they seemed vulnerable. Dave De Gea, the new man between the pipes, looked shaky and with Rio Ferdinand out with injury, a banged up backline will be even more cause for worry. Bolton come out of week one as the big winners so far, after they dismantled QPR 4-0. Still to come is Monday Night Futbol, featuring Manchester City and their new signings taking on newly promoted Swansea, so there is a chance that City will make up for a weekend that came in with a whimper.

Sidebar time: I was impressed by the coverage of the EPL, by both ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel. FSC featured a real studio show for pre/halftime and post-game coverage. It almost felt I was like watching Fox's NFL coverage, just with 3-4 less talking heads. ESPN2 had a nice feature during halftime of the Fulham game detailing Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham FC. The feature gave us a feel for what it's like to actually attend a game in London. Well done.

At the Half: United grab first home win since early May - If forever feels like a really long time, that's because it is. It took DC United what seemed like forever, more than three months to be exact, to finally win at home. A 4-0 thrashing of the cellar-dwelling Vancouver Whitecaps should not be taking lightly. It should be looked at as the next step in the process of a team making a serious playoff push.

Chris Pontius continued to look like one of the best players on the pitch, scoring two goals, while Stephen King and Andy Najar each scored a goal apiece.

Special mid-week USMNT Recap

Last night before a crowd of more than 30,000 fans, after five years of flirting, the Jurgen Klinsmann era finally began. And guess what? He had fun!!!

I won't lie seeing Klinnsman's interview after the game, in which he said "I really had fun tonight", summed up how the whole US Soccer contingent is feeling today, we're truly excited and for once in a really long time, we feel optimistic. I didn't feel that way when the game started or for that matter even after the first 70 minutes, but then something happened, something I'm not used to seeing a USMNT coach do, Klinsmann inserted youth and more importantly took a freaking chance. Before the insertion of Juan Aguedelo (18 yrs.), Brek Shea (21 yrs.) and Robbie Rodgers (24 yrs. /Former Maryland Terp) the game was anything but enjoyable for me, so let's reflect on game one of the Klinsmann regime.

Kickoff: We have to begin with the starting line-ups. I quickly got that uneasy feeling when I saw the likes of Edson Buddle and Kyle Beckerman trotting out of the tunnel. Where had I seen these guys before? I will however, give Beckerman credit as he played a solid game in the midfield, and really made a difference winning balls and pushing forward.

Buddle is another story. You will remember Buddle from his LA Galaxy days, where he greatly benefited by playing with Landon Donovan, David Beckham and being coached by Bruce Arena. Buddle as a national team player is pretty pathetic to watch, think a poor man's Eddie Johnson. The buddle inclusion had me worried, add the fact that he was playing as the lone striker, and you've got a recipe for no possession up top and failed run after failed run. Much to my chagrin, I was right, he stunk up the pitch.

The defensive selections had me excited as Edgar Castillo finally got a chance to claim his spot as left back, and even more importantly, I didn't have to watch Jonathan Bornstein attempt to play soccer. Castillo was partnered with the reliable, but aging duo of Carlos Bocanegra and Steve Cherundalo. The final piece of the backline was Michael Orozco Fiscal, which I admit I know nothing about. I know he plays in Mexico making him one of three players who apply their trade in Mexico in the USMNT starting eleven. The other's being Castillo and midfielder Jose Torres. A really good sign since the previous coaching regime seemed to ignore anyone who played below Texas. At first the backline looked shaky, Castillo, who has a tendency to attack on the left side, was caught a few times, and Cherundalo barely missed out on getting a red-card, but all in all nice performance by the US backline.

The rest of the half was pretty un-watchable, failed opportunities, little creativity and barely any possession. ESPN kept going to shots of Klinsmann on the sideline and my first instinct was telling me that this guy looks in over his head. He just didn't look confident at first, but as we found out later he had a couple of cards hidden up his sleeve.

Big Money Tony, Q, and The Sports Freak discuss potential moves that General Manager George McPhee may make as the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline approaches, as well as identify some possible areas towards improving the slumping scoring for the Caps.

The trio also reflects back on the NBA, David Aldridge's article, and the group unveils a new topic during the podcast - "unfinished business" (tune it to see what unsettled business the group wants to resolve.)

Aldridge's article can be found here.

The article referenced by Q written by Andrew Tomlinson can be found on On Frozen Blog.

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It's that time of the year again to grab those fantasy magazines, read all the same old websites, make your own evaluations, and start ranking players for your upcoming draft. Sure you can glean fantasy opinions just about anywhere these days so what's a little more information to add to the fold? Anyone that's followed The DC Sports Page advice over the years has probably done very well in their league - see previous advice.

Let's take a closer look at the top ten Fantasy RB's this season.

1. Chris Johnson: Chris Johnson tore up fantasy leagues last season and there's no reason he can't lead the way again this year for fantasy running backs...especially when playing for a better contract.

2. Adrian Peterson: Peterson plays for what many have said could be the worst coach in the NFL. His rushing yards may have taken a hit last season as the addition of Favre (the first real starting calibur quarterback in Minn. in his career) helped stretch the field and take them one step from the Super Bowl. Peterson is the most complete running back in the league and is taking a back seat for the good of the team to share the ball in order to bring home a title. Peterson's stats speak for themselves, so let them carry you to as Johnny Drama (from Entourage) would say, "VICTORY!"

3. Maurice Jones-Drew: Without Fred Taylor to carry some of the load, fantasy owners received exactly what they expected last season...a giant increase in already solid production. Expect similar numbers to last season.

4. Michael Turner: Turner began to break down last season...was it due to the strong load from the previous season? It appears that Ryan is also tied to Turner and as Turner went so did the Falcon's offense. Look for the Falcons to keep Turner more fresh and for Turner to make the most of his rushing attempts to prove that his numbers from two seasons ago weren't a fluke.

5. Ray Rice: Everyone took notice of Rice's small frame, huge heart, and aggressive running last season despite losing carries along the goal line to McGahee. It may not be realistic to expect Rice to duplicate last season's performance and with the addition of Boldin to help stretch the field Rice may lose more open field touches resulting in a decrease from last season's numbers.

6. Frank Gore: Has there ever been a more quiet running back in recent memory that just shows up week in and week out without much hoopla? Gore may not be as powerful as ironhead Heyward used to be or as fast as DeAngelo Williams, but he effectively gets the job done and produces consistent fantasy numbers...and The DC Sports Page likes consistency.

7. DeAngelo Williams: It's all about the running game in Carolina. Somehow the Panthers have two starting running backs where both can eclipse over 1,000 rushing yards and plenty of TDs. It's too bad that there isn't a capable QB or #2 WR to help stretch the field and back off the S & LBs to open up more of the running game.

8. Shonn Green: Green should flourish in the Jets run heavy offense. Don't worry about LT stealing carries as there'll be lots to go around. It will also help keep Green fresh. His fantasy numbers should be less erratic then others further down the rankings due to the large volume of rushing attempts.

9. Steven Jackson: Jackson's numbers have tailed off from his last spectacular year four years ago, but still racks up impressive numbers at season's end. Expect some games for Jackson's numbers to drop off the map with a couple of giant fantasy game stats.

10. Rashard Mendenhall: As the Steelers leaned more on the running game and their 2nd year running back, Mendenhall should fans exactly what he was capable of doing. He has the ability to rack up huge fantasy stats as he can run short yardage and make plays in the open field. With Big Ben on the bench to start the season, Mendenhall will be expected to shoulder more of the offense.

Most Overvalued:

Benson had a career year last season. He's the classic high risk high reward pick. Can he handle the full load through an entire season and without any off the field issues? These issues land Benson just out of the top ten.

Most Undervalued:

Has the NFL and Carolina seen the best that Stewart has to offer? No. Stewart has yet to be completely healthy and splits carries with Williams yet has found a way to co-exist and keep fantasy owners and teammates happy, Imagine a healthy Stewart shouldering a majority of carries. A strong pick in hold over legues.

Sleepers:

Jamaal Charles: Charles quietly amassed huge numbers towards the end of the season on a poor offensive team. As the Chiefs rebuild the OL, Charles numbers can only improve. As the OL improves Charles yards per attempt should increase. He's an elusive runner to tackle in the open field. Even with Jones pouching carries, Charles should be more fresh for some explosive runs.

Ryan Matthews: Matthew was drafted to fill the starting role left open by the departure of LT. He's a quick & strong rb with size. Norv likes to run and look for a lot of opportunities for Matthews.

Deep Sleepers:

Ronnie Brown: Brown may fall of the radar due to his return from injury. When healthy Brown has shown the ability to be a top ten fantasy rb. Bide your time and look for a steal in mid to late rounds by drafting Brown.

Felix Jones: The hits are piling up and so is the mileage on Barber. Although Jones has yet to make in through an entire season, this explosive runner is sure to take more touches from Barber and threaten him for the starting role.

Jahvid Best: Kevin Smith is slowly returning from injury. Best is making the most of his opportunities and adds dimension of speed that Smith lacks. The first few games Best plays and performs (as Smith works his way back into the fold) may determine the rookie's fate this season.

Arian Foster: Tate could be done for the season. Slayton's season ended early last year with a neck injury and all of a sudden the name Foster moves up the depth chart. Keep an eye on this young rb in late rounds.

One Last Helpful Hint: Too much is made of drafting a starting RB's handcuff (i.e. their back up running back on the depth chart.) The real strategy should be drafting starters as reserves and ensuring that you have the best reserve running backs that can come in and start for you when needed. The only handcuff that should be drafted over another starting running back is Jonathan Stewart who garners as much yardage and TD's as a back up compared to other starting running backs.

Once all the starting running backs are off the board, then consider the fantasy potential if they became the starter for their team for a significant part of the season. McGahee, Sproles, & Bradshaw move towards the top of the list.

Good luck and feel free to send your questions to any of the team here.

It's that time of the year again to grab those fantasy magazines, read all the same old websites, make your own evaluations, and start ranking players for your upcoming draft. Sure you can glean fantasy opinions just about anywhere these days so what's a little more information to add to the fold? Anyone that's followed The DC Sports Page advice over the years has probably done very well in their league - see previous advice.

Let's take a closer look at the top ten Fantasy QB's this season.

1. Payton Manning: Most sites and publications will rank Payton 2nd or 3rd, but not here. How can you deny that Manning has been one of the most consistent and durable fantasy players for almost a decade.

Let everyone else take Brees or Rodgers while Manning slips right into your lap. That's right, if you're drafting at the end of the first round you'll have as close to there is for a lock for 30 TDs and 4,000 yards passing. Manning isn't a feast or famine fantasy player that racks up huge numbers in a couple of games to skew a season's average. He does it for 16 games!

So finish the end of the 2nd Round knowing you have a top RB & QB. Why take a 2nd & 3rd tier RB and allow Manning to slip back in the 2nd Round to someone that already has a top tier RB. (Know you're scoring system and whether QB TDs are 6pts or 4 pts)

2. Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers numbers spiked up again last year to 30 TDs while his INTs fell to 7. It's hard not to like numbers like that. GB's OL didn't do Rodgers many favors early in the season as the hits piled up, but after a decision to switch from a more max protections scheme to a spread offense with quick throws the passing game opened back up and Rodgers found his receivers again.

The GB offense is loaded with talent at the skill positions however they didn't bolster the OL much. Rodgers has the potential to single handedly vault your team into the playoffs, but will his stats help you in the playoffs when GB plays in the cold windy arctic tundra in the final weeks of the season?

3. Drew Brees: Brees is slowly winning fans over with his steady numbers and demeanor leading the Saints to their first title last year, but will he see his first drop off this season? Even Manning and Brady reverted to their statistical averages after their spectacular TD seasons and many QB's face an uphill challenge as defending Super Bowl Champions. As the defending champion, every team is attempting get to the QB and dump Brees to the ground quicker to disrupt the passing game. As a result, the risk increases for injury and a drop off in numbers due to rushed throws, incompletions, fewer big plays, and turnovers. Oh, and Brees lost some key depth along the OL as two time Pro Bowl OT Brown was traded to the Redskins in the offseason.

4. Rivers: The LT era is over. All that remains is Rivers & Gates and the near 30 TDs, 4,000 yards passing, and limited number of INT's. Rookie RB Matthews should fill in nicely for LT, but as the Chargers hit some bumps along the way look for Rivers to pass their way out of it.

5. Brady: Don't count Brady out. Much like a SP two years after Tommy John surgery, Brady's repaired knee should be fine and so should his confidence in it. Welker's return should ease some of the pressure Brady will feel as his intermediate and 1st down receiver returns and allows Moss to do what he does best - run straight down the field for big plays. Look for Brady's 2nd half numbers to exceed the first half (due to Welker). Also, factor in the likes of what some in The DC Sports Page like have called "Fragile" Fred (Taylor at RB) to help stabilize the running game and should bring a balance (run/pass) back to the Pats similar to the earlier parts of the decade.

6. Favre: Favre had one of his best years last year as he eclipsed the 30 TD mark (at 33) while throwing only 7 INTs - while playing for what many believe to be the worst coach in the NFL. Not only did Favre limit his INTs, but developed two young receivers, too. Let's see what another year for the combination of Favre to Rice/Harvin can do.

7. Romo: Barber is older and fighting for playing time with Felix Jones (who has yet to play a full season) and Austin Miles steps into the #1 receiver role. Romo can rack up huge numbers, but with the possibility of so much inconsistency for him to navigate through there remains the possibility for a drop off in numbers. An increase in key decisions and situations will occur for Romo as the team looks to answer many questions at WR & RB.

8. Schaub: Schaub should probably be rated higher after last season's performance, but The DC Sports Page isn't sold yet. When you factor into the equation that last season was also Schaub and Andre Johnson's healthiest season together it makes you question can they both make it through the season together again. Toss in that their Offensive Coordinator left for Washington and their draft pick RB Tate may be lost for the year even before the season started and the signs don't look good for this high risk high reward pick in a draft.

9. Flacco: Comparisons between QB Flacco & Ryan occur frequently as to who's the better QB, but it's not much of a debate when looking at fantasy stats and Flacco now has WR Boldin to throw to which only increases Flacco's fantasy value.

10. Manning: The other Manning is quietly getting his due respect...fantasy wise even after winning a Super Bowl. The Burress era ended as Manning developed two young receivers. Look for Manning, Smith, and Nick's numbers to slightly increase this year.

Most Overvalued:

• Matt Schaub:
It was a break out year for Schaub last season. No joke intended. Schaub made it through the season as did A. Johnson and both benefited. Are you willing to roll the dice again this year? Tate could be gone for the season before it started, Slayton is coming back from neck surgery, and Kyle Shanahan left for Washington.

Most Undervalued:

• Eli Manning:
Eli has another year under his belt developing the Giants young receivers. The Giants may need to rely more on their offense this season and Manning owners could reap the benefit. The only concern would be a lack of balance in the running game (pass/run) as the team must decide who is the primary rb and tailor the plays to the #1 rb.


Deep Sleepers:

Kolb: Kolb has shown he can make the same passes as McNabb, but can he make the same throws after being knocked down repeatedly at the NFL level. McNabb also had the ability to make others look better around him, while Kolb is still growing. Kolb's numbers may tail off as the season progresses and the hits take their toll.

Henne: Miami will continue to be a run first offense but with the addition of Marshall the team now can have a closer run/pass mix of plays pulling some of the safeties away from the line.

One Last Helpful Hint: Don't be the one that waits to be the last person to draft a QB and then finds themselves with one of the worst starting QB's and a bad back up too.

If you draft Schaub, then consider drafting a backup QB much earlier. If you're drafting a QB with injury concerns or a low fantasy producer then pick a back up within the next two rounds before everyone else circles back on drafting reserve QB's. Don't panic and continue to take mediocre receivers that may never start or pan out and take the QB. If you have a Flacco why not turn around two picks later and take Manning to deprive someone else of a talented back up. Why should you have the worst set of QBs in the league.

Also, if you're going to draft a Schaub then you probably shouldn't be taking a flyer on Kolb or Henne because they may soon become your starter.

Avoid taking a QB late as a starter and as a reserve to sure up voids at other reserve positions. All The DC Sports Page can say is that you'd better have a two top five RB's, one top three WR, and Gates at TE to start with.

Good luck and feel free to send your questions to any of the team here.

If you don't want to hear "whining" then you should stop reading now, otherwise continue at your own peril.

So how many times have you watched a game (or even played in one) where the referee or umpire made a bad call that you felt cost a team a real shot at winning? I'm sure all sports fans have gone through it. And what's the typical response to that? It's the old, "Well it wasn't just that one call. They had plenty of other chances to win the game." or "They should be good enough team so that calls like that don't matter." Well, I'm here to say, "Fiddlesticks!" (It's a family friendly blog. I'm trying to keep it clean here.)

Alright haters, it's time to talk about the NBA playoffs, I may have just lost a majority of the readers, but those who stayed are in for a treat.

May be it's the night owl in me or the fact that I find beauty in a game played by overgrown men with more tattoos than degrees, but I love the NBA playoffs.
To me, nothing beats a 10:30 pm tip-off and more importantly nothing beats listen to Charles Barkley at 1:30 in the morning.
Round one already gave us minor upsets as the Jazz and Spurs overtook the underachieving Nuggets and Mavericks. Is there anything easier to predict than the Mavs choking away another 50 win season in the opening round? NO.
Now the fun begins, round two started on Saturday with the Cavaliers taking game one in their series with the aging Celtics and the final team advanced on Sunday when the Hawks punked the ailing Bucks. Tragically that ends the run for the best battle cry in recent years "FEAR THE DEER".

LAKERS V JAZZ: The Lakers took game one of their second round series over the Jazz, who valiantly fought until the bitter end, but in the end IT'S THE LAKERS!! Don't get too happy Jazz fans, you do have the best point guard in the league in Darren Williams, but you don't have the size to rebound with the Lakers.

Prediction: Lakers in 6 (The New dynamic duo in Utah will give the Lakers everything they have, but it wont be enough. Watch for Ron Artest to give Williams fits)

SPURS V SUNS: Possibly the sexiest series on paper is the rivalry between the Spurs and Suns. Who's older than the Spurs? Well the Suns have Grant Hill who's been around since the dawn of time and is finally healthy, but the Spurs have Tim Duncan who is also getting to the end of an all-star career.

Prediction: Suns in 7 (It's going down to the wire, and these two have no love loss for one another. This is no doubt the series to watch, watch for fights, watch to see whose bench will carry the load and watch to see Amare "posterize" Tim Duncan one more time)

MAGIC V HAWKS: Here is what could be the most exciting series packed with amazing athletes and youth. Can Dwight Howard stay out of foul trouble? Can Mike Bibby guard Jameer Nelson? Will this be Josh Smith's coming out party? It's amazing, on paper this has the potential to be some of the most exciting basketball ever played, but games aren't played on paper.

Prediction: Magic in 5 (I know I know, I said this could be one of the best series around, so why not seven games? Simple the Hawks are terrible on the road and the Magic, who I may remind you are defending Eastern Conference Champs, got better in the offseason. The additions of Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, Brandon Bass and Jason Williams puts them way over the top. More importantly Jameer Nelson is the key, if he has a series like he did against the Bobcats then it won't even be close)

CAVALIERS V CELTICS: A difficult series to accurately predict. There are just too many what ifs. Who is a bigger "Drama King" Lebron James and his hurt elbow or Paul Pierce, who once left a game in a wheel chair only to return and win the game? How much of a factor will Shaq and Jamison be? The only thing that is almost sure to happen is that at some point Labron will drive the lane and taste nothing but Hardwood. The Celtics aren't afraid on the Cavaliers, but that wont matter at all if no one can guard the MVP.

Prediction: Cavaliers in 6 (Lebron finally has a decent supporting cast and that in the end will be the game changer in the series. Jamison only has to have 1-2 good games to have a huge impact in this series and if you remember not long ago Jamison played well as a Wizard in Boston. Boston will try their best to compete in this series, but they are just too old in a game league led by young guns, like MVP James.

That's it and that's all for the second round of the NBA playoffs. Try to watch a few games, there's only about a month left.