Yao Ming's Injured; Who's To Blame

ESPN is reporting that Lee from Dream Shake is giant jinx. Ok that not exactly what they said but I'm paraphrasing here. Maybe I am the jinx for metinong Dream Shakes Nostradamus skills. In either case Yao Ming is is out for the year, with a stress fracture in his foot.

Over the last few weeks Lee, over at Dream Shake, has been predicting win after win. I found it quite impressive, so impressive in fact that when the Rockets finally hit that tenth win and Lee's prediction was completed, I decided I'd give I'd give credit where credit was due and acknowledge his brilliance with a post of my own. Unfortunately I showed my lack of brilliance by crediting Dave who also writes for Dream Shake. Lee left me comment to clear things up. Now that we have all that cleared up though I can't help but wonder. Does Lee really want credit for jinxing the Rockets right out of the playoffs.

Yao is going to miss the rest of the year, including the playoffs-along with the rest of the Rockets now. An MRI revealed fluid around one of the bones in Yao's foot, upon further examination, the teams doctor think Yao should have surgery. There is an alternative to the surgery but either way the recovery time is 4-months. In related news that I could care less about that means that Yao will be available for the Communist Reds uhhh I mean China for the Olympics

Linking up with RonDean

More interesting Logo development, Google(Neatorama)

Taking stalker to a whole new, buttered-popcorn flavored, level(Neatorama)

Bears, two wrongs do not make a right. After signing Rex Grossman last week, Chicago is nearing a deal to resign Kyle Orton(Fanhouse)

Mustafa Redonkulous breaks down the match made in heaven that is Darren McFadden and the Cincinnatti Bengals. RunDMCYouInOrange(DueceofDavenport)

Niners feel amazing(ly bad) performance last year warrants a ticket price hike; fans say no(SFGate)

Nader to run for president in 2008. Apparently he is tired of the same old Black son of a muslim candidate again(NyTimes)

PTI Guys are OK with the Oregon sequin on black uniforms; they're wrong(Fanhouse)

Vikings Trade Troy Williamson to Jags

Anthony Hall of Vikings War Cry is reporting that Vikings receiver Troy Williamson has come to terms on a trade with Jacksonville. Reportedly it will be a pick from the 2nd day of the draft.

Last week Williamson's agent was total he could shop around to see what other teams might be willing to give for his player. I am sure the Vikings like myself expected the answer to be "nothing, I wouldn't trade you anything for the biggest draft bust in recent memory."Apparently Jacksonville has a short memory, as in, "can't remember how bad Williamson was last season" short. At this point I am having the most difficulty with two simple choices; Am I more pissed off they are only getting a day 2 draft pick or am I more surprised they got anything at all.

While it is impressive that the Vikings aren't being forced to just release him, the disappointment still kills me. It isn't that he was 7th overall and now we are getting a 6th or 7th rouunder for him. It is the fact we chose him in the first place, a junior out of a smaller school like South Carolina just isn't the 7th pick overall. Especially in a year where the Vikings passed on Antrel Rolle, Carlos Rogers, Demarcus Ware, and Shawne Merriman. Those 4 came in the next 5 picks, forget the late round surprises that did well. These 4 were known talents, but the Vikings thought they were smarter than everyone else.

I am willing to let this go, I promise not to rant on for the next 20 years about it the way I do about the Herschell Walker deal. In return I want only one thing from the Vikings. Don't try and hit a home run in the draft this year; just take the best guy out there. When the Vikings took Randy Moss inspite of the issues that had cause him to drop that worked out. When they got Adrian Peterson because of his durability questions it seemed to work. So just take the best guy on the board, everytime you go for the surprise it seems as though us fans are the ones who are surprised, and not pleasently.

Dream Shake is Being Run By Nostradamus

Recent trade action around the NBA has managed to keep another story under the radar. Grungedave over at Dreamshake(Note: I was mistaken the prediction was made by Lee- though now that the Jinx has come in with Yao going down for the season, I am wondering if Lee really wants all that credit) has predicited correctly win after win for his Houston Rockets, who are on a 12-game win streak. His over the top claim that Houston is the hottest team in the NBA, is a litte suspect with the Los Angeles Lakers succes since the Pau Gasol trade. Phoenix, is be given credit for 11 straight agaisnt the east. A streak that ended against Detroit on Sunday.

GrungeDave's constant predictions are impressive. They are made even more so by the fact he realistic about his team shortcomings. People often predict a win every game for their team, celebrating easily when they get it right. If the Rockets momentum carries with them to the playoffs, they will be a force to contend with.

I doubt the Lakers will be shaking in their sneakers at that thought. The Lakers have only lost one game since Pau Gasol's arrival. Their 7-game win streak is reassuring while their hottest emerging players this season, Andrew Bynum, is out recovering from a knee injury. If the chemistry that seemed evident from the moment Gasol donned the Purple and Gold continues when Bynum returns, the Lakers wont fear anyone in the league.

While it is to early for full scale panic; Phoenix GM, Steve Kerr, is likely experiencing some fear. He pulled the trigger on the questionable deal that brought Shaquille O'neal to Phoenix. In the game Phoenix won it appeared to be in spite of Shaq. The two losses seemed directly tied to him. His non-impact in his debut against the Lakers was not an endoresement of the trade. Yesterday's loss against Detroit was strongly tied to Shaq. Phoenix, one of the highest scoring teams in league history finishes a loss with only 86 points, 30 points short of their opponent. The anemic offense and lack of scoring on the break is easily tied to the new, immobile big man.

Barry Bonds Sinks To A New Low

While both of Barry Bonds fans wait, along with the millions who despise him, for him to sign with another club. Rumors are surfacing that he may be finding a new low. and by new low I mean a place that is still too good for him. Fanhouse is reporting that Barry is not ready to retire. If no Major League teams want his bat in their lineup, he will look to play over seas. Barry has a few strikes against him; his looming indictment for perjury, his ties to the steroids era, his black hole of a personality; and his lack of mobility in the outfield.

Bonds, the all-time home run champ, would on the surface be an easy pick-up. He still has power at the plate, as well as box office power. He is no doubt a hall of fame caliber player, but a lot of that is past him now.

Denials of his steroid use to federal investigators got Bonds a perjury indictment receently. Media attention has been drawn away by Roger Clemens and the Mitchell report. General Mangers it seems do not follow the media, and have opinions of their own. Bonds agent has taken to "driving from training camp to training camp in Florida, hoping to persuade a general manager of some major-league club to give Bonds a new opportunity"

While the indictment creates playing time, courtroom appearance conflicts. The larger issue for the General Managers my be the actual issue of steroids. No GM wants his team and clubhouse associated with steroids. It ould clearly be a gamble to have the greates hitter of the modern era wearing your uniform if the steroid allegations finally stuck.

As the Bonds approaches his twilight, he doesn't seem suited to the path that most diminishing veterans take. Clubhouse mentor just doesn't fit Bonds, from his public fued with Jeff Kent. to his general Vader like presence in a locker room. When beat writers are dropping quotes like "a reporter who visited the home clubhouse at Fenway Park when the Giants played in Boston in June was struck by the jocularity and fellowship inside a room populated by youngsters and superstars who together won a World Series four months later. It was a stark contrast to the way the Giants tiptoed through Bonds' clubhouse." you know you are a parriah.

The final piece to the Bonds puzzle is his ever decreasing mobility. His defense is lacking, no longer able to cover as much ground in the outfield. With diminshed speed on the base paths, he is not far removed from the David Ortiz Homerun or a single scenario. This leaves him only available to teams in need of a DH and even amongst that small group a team would have to be desperate to take on all the other baggage.

Would you take Barry on your team??