While I don't think Carmelo Anthony will have the impact on the NBA that LeBron James did in 2010, I think his decision will have the biggest impact on the league in 2011 compared to any other player transactions. If Carmelo stays in Denver the rest of this entry is void. And with the chance that he doesn't get traded to New York, it would make sense for him to take the money while he can. But if Carmelo Anthony really just wants to be a Knick then this will be a major move for the NBA.
Obviously I'm being a homer by thinking Carmelo Anthony going to the Knicks is one of the major stories in sports, but let me gloat and pretend the Knicks are national news, and that they're so relevant and close that they're worth mentioning as one of the more important stories in all of sports. This season the Knicks look like they're one piece away from being a championship contender. They've played the Celtics tough, beaten the Bulls a couple of times, and handed the Spurs their fifth loss of the season on Tuesday. They definitely need to add some depth, but if there was some way they could keep Landry Fields, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari, and add Melo, they'd be pretty close to the best teams in the league.
I'm anticipating the Knicks having to part with at least one of the three guard/forwards that I just mentioned, but they're still in the process of rebuilding and it seems that Amar'e Stoudemire and Ray Felton are two great starting points. Melo could attract more talent to the Big Apple and the Knicks/Heat rivalry will reach new highs. Or Melo could get traded to the Nets and fade into obscurity. Keeping my fingers crossed....
2) NFL Postseason
I don't think there's been a year where everyone's at such an even playing field in recent memory. I mean the Saints are defending champions and won't play a home game, the Steelers, Ravens, Falcons, and Bears have pretty much cruised all season, the Patriots are looking unbeatable, but the Jets are one one of the two teams to defeat New England this year. Oh yeah, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers are still around too. The only team that really doesn't stand a chance is the 7-9 Seahawks, but even they play exceptionally better at home and will host the Saints in the Wild Card round.
I'm not using this opportunity to make any predictions, but I am excited and think this will be one of the more unpredictable playoffs in a few years. I'll trim the edges and say I don't think it'll be both one seeds in the Superbowl, and I also don't think home-advantage will matter that much. There are twelve different teams, that play twelve very different styles of football, and I really think that every team but the Seahawks stands a chance. Or the Patriots will continue to maul through everyone and win it all.
3) Phillies vs Red Sox World Series?
Tell me, if not the Phillies and Red Sox, then who? What team in the National League has the pitching (or hitting really) to go up against Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Roy Oswalt at the front of a rotation? Don't forget about Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, and Jimmy Rollins in the lineup. The N. L. really feels like it's Philadelphia's to lose, even if the Giants are the defending champs. The Phillies have played in two of the last three World Series and they're a team that's poised to win.
And American League followers, why don't you tell me who has the pitching to stop Carl Crawford, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez, and David Ortiz (probably their 1-5)? Cliff Lee left Texas, and while the A.L. West can still be won, I don't know who has the pitching or offense to keep up with Boston. I'm obviously playing a little stupid here because I still think the Yankees are going to win the A.L. (sorry for being a homer), but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid of Boston this year...at least until Papelbon takes the hill.
4) Mayweather vs Pacquiao please?
I tried to talk about other sports in my 2010 article, so let me give boxing a shout-out in 2011. This is the fight that boxing NEEDS! It's the sports two biggest stars, who happen to be in the same weight-class, who have both been on top of the sport for the past five years. They were slated to fight in 2010 but impromptu drug tests set Pacquiao off and the fight was never made official. The fight being on-and-off has built the anticipation to see the undefeated Mayweather take on the hard-hitting Pac-Man, but Mayweather doesn't fight too many fights anymore and it seems these two are content with making money and beating up on lesser opponents. Not to disgrace boxing but this is the fight everyone wants to see, and until it happens the sport can expect to play second fiddle to MMA.
5) So an Owners League and a Players League walk into a bar...does either come back for 2011?
This has the potential to be THE biggest story in 2011...in fact, the TWO biggest stories in 2011. There's a good chance that we may not see the NFL after February, or the NBA after June (or July or August, whenever the playoffs finally end) this year. Both leagues look like they're heading towards lockouts, and there really isn't much room for optimism.
The NFL has become American royalty as far as sports go, but the players want more guaranteed money and the owners want more games and lower salaries. Even if there is a lockout, the NFL is still going to be paid five billion dollars from the NFL Network...do you know how much of that the players are going to see? Zero. I doubt either side wants to not play for numerous reasons (league image and insane income to name a couple), but this is a situation that doesn't seem to have much give.
And the NBA lockout is looking like a sure thing too. Again, the players want more money and the owners aren't in favor of the players contracts. The NBA hasn't quite had the success that the NFL has had recently, so teams are bringing in less money and players are being paid well beyond their abilities. I mean how does Amar'e Stoudemire get nearly 20 million dollars a year out of a mid-50 million dollar salary budget? Or a better example, how does Darko Milicic get a four-year, 20 million dollar deal when he came into the season averaging way less than 10 points and 5 rebounds a game. Of course I'm just stating my opinion in who deserves what. The owners make a nice salary and why not share that with the players who bring in the money? But when you're giving guys like Darko and Adonal Foyle mega-deals, we have a problem. And as a result we may not have NBA basketball in 2011-2012.
6) NFL Coaching Changes
We may see some big name coaches return in 2011, including Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden, and it seems Jim Harbaugh is the hottest thing to hit football coaching since Bill Belichick found his groove with the Patriots. While it seemed just a couple of weeks ago that jobs in New York, Dallas, and Minnesota might be available, those positions have been solidified, while the 49ers, Raiders, and Browns jobs have become the most highly touted. Even Cleveland could see Mike Holmgren return to the sidelines. Will Tony Sparano be bounced from South Beach? Lots of questions to be answered, and hopefully we'll have some of our favorites back in action next season.
Legacies are on the line...
7) Best since MJ? How about better than MJ?
Yep, I'm mainly talking about Kobe here. Do the Lakers three-peat and get Kobe Bryant his sixth NBA championship? They've been to three straight NBA Finals, and as good as San Antonio and Dallas look at the beginning of the season, we all know the Lakers are still the cream of the crop. If the Lakers do win, it'll tie Kobe and Michael Jordan for championship rings, and the question will have to be asked...is Kobe better than Jordan? You know my answer (if you don't it's no). Hopefully LeBron wins instead (unless the Knicks make a push, then by all means) and we can start to call him the best since Jordan.
I don't think this season necessarily has that great of an effect on LeBron's legacy. Obviously the sooner he starts winning championships the better it is for him, but it's not win or bust for him this year. I know if the Heat don't win every championship while they have LeBron and Dwyane Wade it will be considered a failure, but he could still come out and win more than a handful of rings even if he doesn't this year.
8) Who's the Yankees shortstop?
Derek Jeter had arguably his best season in 2009. Moving back into the leadoff spot, Jeter hit .334 with 18 homers, while stealing 30 bases and winning a gold glove. In his contract year in 2010, Jeter's average dropped to .270 with only ten home runs. Now we all know Jeter isn't a power hitter, but the fact that his average dropped .64 points is alarming considering the Yankee Captain is going to be 37 years old in 2011. Everyone has their off years, but you can't debate that the older an athlete gets the less effective they become. Is this the end of the road for Jeter? Or was 2010 just one of those years?
9) The Greatest Quarterback ever?
While there's a lot of hype surrounding Stanford Junior quarterback Andrew Luck, within the next couple of months we will have a new NFL champion, and there's a good chance that the winner will be lead by either Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Without a doubt, Brady and Manning are both in the conversation as it is, and I think if either one of them wins another championship it'll put their names at the top of the list.
I want to start with Brady because his team is looking like the clear favorite to win Superbowl 45. I know the playoffs haven't even started yet, but the Patriots have scored at least 30 points in 11 of the 13 games they played since trading Randy Moss. This is a team that crushed the Jets, pummeled the Bears, beat the Ravens, and looked unstoppable against the Steelers (not to mention two wins against the Dolphins, and wins over the Chargers, Colts, and the Aaron Rodgers less Packers). I know that none of that means anything in the regular season, but this team has walked the walk, and Belichick and Brady are at their best in the playoffs. Brady's probably going to win his second MVP, but if the Pats go all the way this will be his fourth ring. Numbers like that probably equate to number 1.
While Brady has the meaningful numbers, Peyton Manning may be the guy who breaks all of Brett Favre's records. His excellence and consistency really haven't been matched by anyone in his era besides Brady. While Brady has won more championships, Manning has more MVPs, and it's arguable that Brady and the Patriots success is a byproduct of the teams coach, while the success of the Colts is dependable on Peyton Manning. If Manning would have beaten the Saints last year his case would be stronger, but multiple rings for Manning is the key to his legacy and this may be one of his last shots.
10) The Greatest Coach ever?
It's going to happen, and it's going to happen sooner than people thought. No more are the days of Greg Paulus and David McClure, Mike Krzyzewski's getting top prospects again, and the Dukies are winning a lot. Coach K moved past Dean Smith into second place on the all-time wins list just last week, and is currently 21 wins away from passing Bobby Knight at 902. Duke will most likely lose a few games this year, but between the rest of this season and the beginning of next season, Duke and Coach K will get those 22 wins and then some.
It should be an interesting year, especially if we are spared those lockouts. I tried to talk about what I thought were the most impactful storylines on the sports world, but also receiving honorable mention are...
- Jimmie Johnson's Chase for Six
- Tiger Woods, a Year Removed from the Drama
And of course...
- Brett Favre's Comeback (come on, you guys know he isn't gonna stay retired!)
Enjoy the NFL Playoffs and Let's Go Jets!
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