Washington Wizards down 2-0

The Wizards have a new nemesis in the Chicago Bulls. They can't seem to catch a break, being outplayed in 2 games in the this best of seven Eastern conference first round matchup. Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes have been leading the way, but if the other players on the team don't step it up they are doomed. The problem for Washington has mainly been Ben Gordon, who had put on some scoring clinics against them in the regular season and so far played well in the playoffs. Tightening up the defense will be crucial, though leaving spot up shooters open off of double teams is a big mistake. Kirk Hinrich proved this in Game 2 by lighting it up from the outside, scoring over 30 points on 15 of 19 shooting.
More production and defense is going to be needed from Antawn Jamision and Brendan Haywood. They need to put forth their best efforts in the remainder of this series. Cutting down on unneccessary long rang shot attempts will help the Wizards too. Arenas' quickness should allow him to drive more frequently to the basket to score, draw fouls, or diss it out to one of the big men. The Bulls of late have been coming with their A game, not giving Washington any breathing room. That's the mentality that enables a team to win games. Look for Washington to battle with a sense of urgency and pick up the intensity to stay alive.

Another Uncertain Year For The Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have gotten off to a so-so start. Despite having Kerry Wood and Mark Prior available to pitch instead of later in the season, they are now without Nomar Garciapara and Todd Walker, both on the DL with injuries. With Garciapara's groin injury against the Reds on Monday, another infielder(s) will be needed to take over duties at shortstop. Nefi Perez has been given the assignment so far and has been hitting over .300. His defensive glove balances well in the infield with Lee and Ramirez playing at the corners, but he's not going to drive in the amount of runs Nomar is capable of this year.

Being a long suffering Cubs fan it bothers me to see that the Cubs General Manager brought over Jeromy Burnitz in the off season. Sure this guy provides another potent bat in the lineup and is a decent outfielder, but doesn't come close to replacing Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou. The Cubs GM and Owner need to think bigger and look at possible candidates such as Lance Berkman, Jose Guillen, and Adam Dunn. These guys will most likely have a tremedeous impact on the offense. If the Cubs could trade a starting pitcher and few prospects in exchange for one of these guys it would be worth it. The scoring per game would increase and they would win more close games. There is no doubt that the Cubs need another power hitting outfielder. This will make it easier to fit slugger Corey Patterson in the #2 spot or lower part of the lineup, enabling him to get better pitches to hit. The Cubs Owner shouldn't wait too long to make deals, especially if Nomar is determined to be out for 2-3 months. They need to get an edge on their rivals in the Central division therefore, having less pressure put on themselves late in the season to clinch the playoffs.

NBA Playoffs

The regular season for the NBA is almost over. It is a mad race for the final eighth seed in the league. With a damaging loss today, the Cavailers' hope of clinching a playoff spot are fading fast. New Jersey must also lose for the Cavs to stay alive, remaining a game ahead of the Nets. The teams that are already in are Miami, San Antonio, Detroit, Chicago, Boston, Denver, Sacramento, Washington, Dallas, Phoenix, Seattle, Houston, and Indiana. One final spot is left in the eastern conference. It will be a shame if the Cleveland Cavailers don't make it after all of Lebron James' outstanding performances this year. Other players need to step up on the team and handle some of the load put on this young phenom if they expect to win. Nonetheless, there will be some great matchups in the playoffs. The Wizards are the probably the most surprising team in the eastern conference, currently holding a 45-35 record, a major improvement from the past 4 or 5 years. With Miami's dominating style of play which includes two of the best players in the league, Shaq and Dwayne Wade, they have the best shot at winning the championship. I believe they are stronger than the Detroit Pistons and the other teams because they have a more solid inside game with Shaq, hot streaky perimeter shooters, and a contigent defense that can force massive turnovers than score off the fast break. The action in the playoffs will no doubt be intense.

Baseball Alive Again in Washington D.C

Not since the Senators has Washington D.C. remained with something to believe in and stand behind in sports. With the new stadium, new name and a restructured, vamped team baseball fans have a fun filled season to look forward to this summer. Sure the Nationals don't have players with legendary stature like hall of famer Walter Johnson, but they've got a fine team that has unmeasurable potential. New acquistions, Jose Guillen, Vinny Castilla, and Christian Guzman add depth and power to the offense. Starting pitchers Livan Hernandez and Esteban Loaiza are not too shabby either. The Nationals have already gotten off to a good start this season. The mayor in Washington is also pushing for them to share space with the Baltimore Orioles to have games broadcasted on the same sports television network. So instead of having to put up with the foolishness of the President, listen to repeats of old, depressing news all the time, followers and supporters of baseball can go see live games. There these fans can kick back, take in the whole baseball scene, and relax. The Nationals can make them proud. They can even eat a hot dog or two, buy some cracker jacks, and sink themselves deep into the wonders of this great national past time.

The Hit King Of Safeco Field

It's another season and a time for more baseball records to be broken. Seattle Mariner's Ichiro set a new hit record in 2004, moving past George Sisler in the record books. Expected to have another stellar season batting .300 or better, Ichiro will have to provide a spark at the top of the lineup. Added with new potent bats of acquistions Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexton, the superstar centerfielder will be relieved of some pressure in the Mariner's offensive attack. This will allow for more runs to be scored as well. With reliable, effective pitching Ichiro will help Seattle improve their win loss record.Ichiro will look to surpass his previous 4 year career statistics and expand his professional accomplishments.

NCAA Championship

The showdown is finally here, UNC vs. Illinois for the NCAA championship. It seemed like this was inevitable. The two top teams in the country will square off to determine who is the best. Coming off less than dramatic finishes in the Final Four both teams look to tighten their defense to cut down on high scoring. The contest not only will be thrilling, but very close in my view. Illinois' strength is in it's hot outside shooting while North Carolina relies more on inside scoring. The difference in the game will probably come down to which team is the most effective in converting points from set screen patterns and free throws. In any championship game single points can be crucial. Jawad Williams comes off a 20 point scoring performance, shooting 9/13 as does Luther Head who will be a key man in the upcoming match up. Rashad McCants will need to have another solid scoring game. If Illionis gets into a running game early, scoring at will on transition the Tarheels are going to be at a major disadvantage. Whatever happens, this should be a classic game for the ages in college basketball.