Urlacher Calls It Quits After 13 Seasons

Brian Urlacher went out on his own terms and he went out wearing just one jersey. Those are two things that don't happen in most retirements. So often athletes limp to the finish line, their careers spiraling into a mess and relationships with former teams disintegrating by the day. Urlacher seemed to be headed down that path after the Chicago Bears released him, but after contemplating the future, the future Hall of Famer decided that 13 years was enough and announced his retirement today over Twitter.

Urlacher's statistics, awards and accolades speak for themselves. He led the Bears to the Super Bowl in 2006 before falling to the Indianapolis Colts and he was the leader of one of the NFL's best defenses for years. In his rookie season in 2000 he had a career-high in sacks with eight and he also intercepted two passes. He also had a fumble recovery and 101 tackles, one of two seasons he would pass the century mark.

After 13 seasons of football Urlacher finishes with 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries and 1,052 tackles. Remarkably, he stayed healthy for much of his career excluding the 2009 season in which he missed basically the entire year. He also missed four games last year and seven in 2004, but he played in every game for 10 seasons. In the game of football that consistency is something to be proud of.

Urlacher won the 2000 Defensive Rookie of the Year award and then won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2005. He was named to eight Pro Bowls and was a First Team All-Pro four different times. At age 34 there is no doubt that he could probably give a few more decent years to a franchise, but as he said in his retirement statement, he may not be able to give the same performance and passion that he has grown accustomed to.

So with retirement comes questions about legacy. For Urlacher, his next stop is Canton, Ohio. Whether the Hall calls in five years or in 10 years, there is no doubt that he will be the next Bear to enter. He joins a decorated history of great defense in Chicago and his name will be mentioned in the same breath as players like Butkus and Singletary. That's how good he was. He came into the league and made himself a star and he left when we still thought of him as a present-day star.

Again, there's something to be said for the timing of Urlacher's announcement. In sports, we are so used to players like Brett Favre, Allen Iverson and even Michael Jordan not knowing when it's time. Every time a player retires there is a good chance of a "comeback" and that usually means altering a legacy. Not Urlacher. He leaves the game while he is still playing well and our vision of him is not skewed by declining production, injuries or age. He is the same Brian Urlacher as he was ten years ago.

For the Bears it's the start of a new era. They are without the heart and soul of their defense and that calls for guys like Lance Briggs to step up. Urlacher leaves big shoes to fill as players like him don't come around to often. Then again, stars like him don't leave like he did too often either.

3 Reasons Why the Pacers Could Beat the Heat

Could. That's the key word in that headline. Three reasons why the Pacers could beat the Heat. Let's face it: the Miami Heat are the best team in the NBA. They are the defending champions and they have marched right through the postseason, defeating the Bucks in four games and the Bulls in five. They won 27 games in a row and 45 of their last 48. Yet, Indiana went 2-1 against them in the the regular season and the Pacers did take them six games in the playoffs last season. So why not the Pacers? Indiana plays a style that the Heat don't like and they trot out an enormous lineup that Miami will find difficult to match up with. Although it may still be considered a David vs. Goliath matchup by nearly everyone outside of the state of Indiana, here's why the Pacers may move on to the Finals.

1. Physical style of play
The Pacers are a tough, grind-it-out team. They don't win flashy and they don't lose flashy. Sometimes it can be a grind just to watch them for 48 minutes, but that doesn't matter because it's translated over to wins. Indiana employs a physical style of play and that's not something that Miami enjoys. It's been well-documented that the Heat have raised complaints when teams like the Pacers and the Bulls get physical with them. However, the Bulls physicality didn't matter in the semi-finals as Miami brushed the battered and bruised Bulls aside.

Here's the difference between the Bulls and Pacers: the Pacers are healthy and the Bulls weren't. Chicago played physical, but they didn't have their best out on the floor. Indiana will play physical and they will have their best players out on the floor. Guys like Tyler Hansbrough, Lance Stephenson and David West don't mind banging and that will be something the Heat will have to adjust to. The two teams are polar opposites. Indiana is made up of big, tough players while Miami has built their team with knock down perimeter shooters.

2. Size
Miami has an interesting roster when it comes to size. They don't have a true center and, at times, have to play LeBron James at the power forward position. Chris Andersen has given the Heat a boost and Chris Bosh has rebounded well in the postseason, but the Pacers have size in four different positions. Indiana starts three players that are 6'8" or taller and Lance Stephenson is 6'5" at the shooting guard position. While some of the Heat's wings have the height, they don't bring the physical presence that the Pacers will.

Indiana also brings Ian Mahinmi off the bench and he has provided a great rebounding presence and also stands just shy of 7'0". All that said, size alone will not beat the Heat. The Pacers must use it to their advantage and that means winning the battle of the boards and making shot opportunities for Dwyane Wade and James difficult. The Pacers led the NBA with 45.9 rebounds per game while the Heat were 30th in the league at 38.6. It's a mismatch that Indiana must exploit.

Stephenson, George and West will also be matched up against James and Wade for much of the series. They must use their size to alter shots and make it difficult to get off clean looks. However, this doesn't mean bodying them up on the perimeter because James and Wade are both quick enough to drive around all three.

3. Roy Hibbert and George Hill
Hill suffered a concussion in during the semi-finals series, but he was able to start in the decisive Game 6 and had a nice game of 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and a block in 42 minutes. He will have time off to continue his recovery and the Pacers need him at full strength. Obviously it's difficult to beat the Heat, but the way to do it is by winning the point guard battle and winning in the post. You can't beat them on the wings because there is no one as good as James or Wade. Hill is better than Mario Chalmers or Norris Cole and he must play like it. If Indiana does not take advantage of the positional matchups that they are better at then they have no chance.

That is precisely why Hibbert could be a difference-maker. The 7'2" center is going to be the biggest player on the floor all series long, but will he play like a man or a mouse. There are times he is dominant and there are times where he disappears. Indiana can't afford to have him disappear, whether that be foul trouble or poor play. The Pacers need him active and aggressive and they should feed him the ball repeatedly. Miami lacks depth inside so why not let the big man go to work?

Again, beating the Heat four times is a tall task, but the Pacers have the set of tools to get the job done. They were close last season and the stage is even bigger in 2013. Miami has hardly been tested in the postseason and they have, once again, had plenty of rest heading into this series. If they are rusty at all then the Pacers must jump on them in Game 1 like the Bulls did in the semi-finals. If they steal a game in Miami then they have a legitimate shot to win the series, but if not then expect a re-run of last year.

Red Wings-Blackhawks Rivalry As We Know It Comes to a Fitting End

In professional sports there are so many rivalries that come about and fascinate fans for a few years. However, as players get traded and teams experience roster overturn, most professional rivalries die out. There are those that stand the test of time, but they are few and far between. It's hard to find two teams that can keep the passion and intensity no matter who is on the team and what the records are. In the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings have stood the test of time and, with changes afoot, are closing out the conference rivalry in perfect fashion.

Both franchises were founded before the 1926-27 season and they played their first game that season. Detroit won that first meeting at the Chicago Coliseum 1-0 87 years ago and the two teams have met more times in the regular season than any other franchises. Counting postseason games played, only the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens have taken the ice against each other more times.

Detroit owns the all-time series record at 434-356-85, but in the playoffs the Blackhawks have the advantage at 40-36. The Western Conference semi-final series this season is the 16th time the two teams have met in a postseason series and Chicago has won eight of the series so far. The Blackhawks dominated the regular season meetings this year, winning all four of their meetings, but heading into Game 3 of the semi-finals the series is tied at one.

With NHL realignment on the horizon, Detroit will move to the Eastern Conference and the Blackhawks-Red Wings rivalry will see changes. No longer will the teams play each other four times during the regular season, but instead will play a home-and-home series each year. For fans of both teams, it's a sigh of relief that they will still be able to preserve the rivalry at each arena. And then there's the new possibility of the two squaring off in the Stanley Cup Finals. That's something that hasn't happened since 1961 and couldn't happen because of the two being in the same conference.

Detroit has won 11 Stanley Cup titles while Chicago has captured four, but both teams have hoisted the Cup recently. The Red Wings won it all in 2008 and two years later the Blackhawks snapped a 49-year-old drought when they won it. The game of hockey is that much better when both teams are playing well and the league has been blessed to have both very successful in recent years.

With the changes coming, the playoff series is the perfect ending to the rivalry as we know it. Although Chicago won all four games in the regular season, three of the games went into a shootout. It's the rivalry at it's best and it may be the last time the two teams meet in the playoffs for quite some time. That said, we can hope it lasts the full seven games, but no matter what it should be a great series.

Hockey in America has struggled at times and the NHL's constant work stoppages have affected the league in a negative way multiple times. It's not out-of-bounds to say that these two teams have played a large role in saving hockey. Lockouts turn away fans, but it was hard to ignore the Blackhawks winning streak at the beginning of the season and it's hard to ignore the intense series that is taking place right now. It's what the game needs.

However, the meetings won't be as regular starting next season and the playoff series against each other will be rare. Yet, the most exciting part about it all is that the next time the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks meet in the playoffs they will be competing for Lord Stanley's Cup. The stakes won't get any higher and the rivalry won't be any greater than that.

Young Wave of Stars Rejuvenates MLB

It's a rare thing when a new wave of stars enter a sport and several become highly successful. Even more rare is a group of them making a big splash right away. In Major League Baseball, fans are being treated to a show every night with some of the game's brightest young stars doing what the do best. On the West Coast Mike Trout swipes another base while across the country in Baltimore Manny Machado makes another spectacular play in the field. In Chicago, Anthony Rizzo launches another homer and in the nation's capital Bryce Harper continues to live up to the unfathomable hype. Stephen Strasburg and Matt Harvey strike batters out with ease and that's what we've come to expect from these young players. Greatness. Is the MLB lucky or what?

There had not been a young baseball prospect as hyped as Stephen Strasburg was when he first got called up to the Nationals. The sports world shut down as he made his first career start and every pitch was broken down by every analyst imaginable. Baseball, a game that sometimes can be seen as slow-moving and boring, was all of a sudden the talk of the summer and, to make things even sweeter, Strasburg did exactly what was expected -- he dominated.

As if that wasn't enough, Bryce Harper made his debut for the Nationals last season and, despite being 19 years old, won the Rookie of the Year and was named an All-Star. Not too bad. However, he wasn't even the best rookie that season. That honor belonged to the Angels' Mike Trout. The centerfielder made spectacular plays on defense and hit towering homers on offense. There's only one way to win the MVP award over a guy who batted .326 with 30 home runs, 83 RBI and 49 stolen bases. That would be to win the Triple Crown and Miguel Cabrera somehow managed to do just that. Were it not for him then Trout would have been named the MVP along with being named Rookie of the Year.

Strasburg, Trout and Harper have garnered much of the headlines, but Machado, Rizzo and Harvey have been marvelous as well. Machado is currently leading the league in hits with 59 and he is seventh in batting average. Rizzo is a ray of hope in a rebuilding Cubs franchise and so far this season he has belted nine home runs in 40 games. Last year he hit 15 in 87. Harvey, this week's Sports Illustrated cover boy, is 4-0 for the New York Mets with a 1.44 earned run average. The 23-year-old has also struck out 62 while walking just 14.

All these young stars have come into the league at the perfect time. Players like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay and Ichiro Suzuki don't have that many years left in the tank. The game needs a new wave to keep it going and they go just that. If the young players stay out of trouble off the field and continue to dominate on it then the game won't miss a beat once. Retirement for the stars of today is imminent, but luckily, the stars of tomorrow are already here.

ESPN's Reporting Continues to Falter

As an aspiring sports journalist/broadcaster it once was my dream to work at ESPN. While I still watch the various ESPN stations and enjoy some of the programming, it is my view that the business has gone downhill. No longer is ESPN an unbiased sports news station. Instead it centers around it's favorite teams and leagues. Rather than reporting on stories and issues, the various shows that ESPN airs would rather debate about the topic in an almost-uncivilized manner. It's all too much. It's not good reporting or journalism and it has brought ESPN's credibility down. Below are my observations.

There's an ESPN favorites club
If you're in the ESPN favorites club then life is sweet. If you're not then forget about being covered. For example, if LeBron James changes his shoes at halftime of tonight's game then I'm sure even that will be covered by Sportscenter tomorrow morning. However, if Indiana's Paul George records a double-double in the series clincher against the Knicks then it will register as just a blip on the radar. Why is that? Well it's obvious. Carmelo Anthony is a member of the Knicks and a member of the ESPN favorites club. When the Pacers defeat the Knicks that is not a story. The story is that Carmelo didn't get it done for the Knicks. Same story with the Heat. Instead of asking, how did the Bulls win, they ask, how did LeBron let the Heat lose?

Brett Favre might be the president of the ESPN favorites club. Remember his multiple retirement saga? ESPN followed him around like it was some kind of reality show. If Favre was caught throwing passes at a local high school then it was the top story. Meanwhile, the quarterbacks who were actually on teams at the time were getting zero press.

ESPN has there favorite teams too. The Cowboys and the Jets are always going to be top stories when it comes to the NFL. If it's the NBA then it's the Heat or the Lakers. Never mind that LA was ousted by the Spurs almost two weeks ago; ESPN still discusses the future of the Lakers despite all the other playoff series still going on. The Yankees are always going to be covered when talking MLB and the NHL hardly exists to ESPN. They have their favorite teams and players and those are the ones that will receive the coverage.

The sports world revolves around the NFL
ESPN has plenty of different shows that air on a daily basis, but there is an obvious favorite among the major pro sports. The NFL has almost five shows that air during a week and all of them cover the same topics. In contrast, the MLB has Baseball Tonight, the NBA has Fastbreak and the NHL has nothing. It is the middle of May and there is still NFL Live, NFL 32 and NFL Insiders airing on a daily basis. Why do we need that much NFL coverage? I couldn't tell you because Sportscenter also feels the need to use much of their program to cover pro football.

It's not fair at all because the reality is that most fans' only avenue to sports news on television is ESPN. That means that all they hear about is football. But you know what ESPN can't figure out? They will be the ones to comment on how hockey seems to be lacking attention, lacking fans and lacking interest in the United States. They fail to realize that their lack of coverage on the sport is part of the problem.

Right now I should turn on ESPN and see plenty of coverage on the NBA and NHL playoffs to lead off. Following that there should be coverage of last night's MLB games and then lastly there should be news from the NFL. The NFL is irrelevant right now because it's out of season, but someone forgot to inform ESPN about that.

A story isn't worth reporting if ESPN can't argue and debate it
Here's the perfect example on this new-found phenomenon at ESPN of always debating stories. When Jason Collins came out as the first openly gay athlete in American pro sports, it was a huge day for the LGBT community. It was a monumental moment and no one can argue that fact. Whether you support gay rights or not, this was a story worth reporting because it signals a change that is imminent in our professional leagues. Sports Illustrated reported on the story and did a magnificent job of letting Collins tell his story. That's it. Just tell his story.

Smith has become the poster child for the Debate Era

ESPN couldn't merely tell his story. Instead, the found a way to twist what should have been an informative story into a raging debate. LZ Granderson, an openly gay journalist for ESPN, and Chris Broussard, a Christian reporter on the NBA for ESPN, both appeared on ESPN's Outside the Lines just hours after Collins' announcement. What happened on the show was disgraceful and should not have happened. Broussard was asked several questions and basically baited into sharing his personal views on homosexuality. I'm fine with Broussard's opinion and I'm fine with Granderson's, but I have a problem with debating whether homosexuality is okay or not on a show that shouldn't be used as a platform for that.

I used to like watching ESPN First Take, but I no longer watch it because I cannot stand to listen to Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless yell at each other about every topic put in front of them. There is room for debate in sports journalism, there is no doubt about that. Pardon the Interruption has found the happy medium between debating and discussing. First Take would rather yell their way through the show and that is not enjoyable at all. Sometimes a story is just made to to be reported, not to be debated.

These are three of the biggest faults ESPN commits and it has hurt the television shows, their reporting and their entire programming in general. I sometimes wonder what direction ESPN is headed in because, in the day and age of reality television, it really seems like that's the direction that ESPN wants to go. They are not worried about giving equal coverage to all leagues and teams, but they would rather focus on the teams and leagues that they find most exciting. That's not good reporting.

ESPN is highly-regarded as the best option for sports reporting. If we really do consider them the best then it's time they be held accountable.

Should Major League Baseball Implement Protective Headgear?

Happ was taken off on a stretcher after being hit in the head

J.A. Happ became the latest pitcher to fall victim to a vicious line drive right back at him during a Major League Baseball game. Happ, pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, took a Desmond Jennings' liner off the left side of his head during the second inning of last night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was taken off of the field on a stretcher, but fortunately he is in good condition and was released today from a Florida hospital. However, Happ's injury is becoming all too familiar in the game of baseball. It begs the question: should the MLB implement protective head gear for pitchers?

Think about it. A pitcher starts just 60 feet, six inches away from home plate. When he releases the ball he is inside 60 feet and he is throwing the ball, depending on the level of baseball, at about 80-100 miles per hour. The ball comes off of the bat even faster than that and the reaction time is so minute it's nearly impossible to get out of the way. The man must get lucky. Happ attempted to put his glove up, but it was no use. The ball hit him square and he collapsed to the Tropicana Field turf.

So far, despite the amount of injuries, Major League pitchers have not been in favor of the protective headgear. There have been talks about using padded hats or helmets, but pitchers have not liked the proposed changes. It remains to be seen what the MLB will do, but a possibility is that they could implement the headgear in the minor leagues. To have it in the Major Leagues though it would have to be passed by the MLBPA and as of now that doesn't seem likely. Also, while the padding would help, the reality is that the impact will still be absurdly forceful. Yes, some padding is better than none, but this is an issue that is difficult to fix.

Here's the other thing about pitchers that will most likely keep the protective headgear out of the game: they know the risks. Baseball is a game that has been around for a long, long time and unfortunately this is something that could very easily happen. Many pitchers have expressed that they understand the dangers of pitching and, because they do, they are able to recover and go pitch again after a horrific hit to the head.

When I was a junior in high school I had a similar thing happen to me. I took a line drive off of my rib cage and I had to go to the hospital. I was sore for quite some time and I missed a few games, but it was never really something I thought about while pitching. I think, as a pitcher, you aren't worried about those things when doing your job. With that being said, I still don't think that's an excuse to ignore the issue that is at hand.

All it will take is one man to die from a blow to the head and the game will drastically change. All sports are experiencing issues with dangerous plays. Because men are getting bigger, faster and stronger all of our games are changing. Suddenly, the games aren't what they once were. Football is more dangerous than it was 30 years ago. Baseball players can hit a ball back at a pitcher faster and harder than ever before. Hockey players are more physical than the past and the same can be said for basketball. As the science of conditioning and weight lifting continues to advance, sports will continue to get more dangerous.

The MLB should look into ways to help pitchers, but it is a very difficult problem. There is no way to fix it and it will be hard for veteran pitchers to change the gear they use after using the same stuff since they were kids. This is a change that will come the hard way or a change that will have to start at the bottom in youth baseball. It's not something that baseball can ignore, but it is something that we have to understand is part of the game.

It's Steph Curry's World and We're All Just Living In It

Steph Curry doesn't need much space to make a defender pay. Many a man has chased him all around the court, hounding him on every possession. Curry may catch the ball and the defender will play solid defense on him for the final 10 seconds of the shot clock. However, it takes the slightest of dribbling moves and Curry has the inch of space he needs. Once he has that inch it's game over. The Golden State Warriors guard has lit up the NBA Playoffs this season and has left fans breathless while leaving defenders frustrated.

Golden State was a mental lapse on defense away from stealing Game 1 from the Spurs in San Antonio last night. While they lost 129-127 in double overtime, it's not because Curry didn't produce. He finished the night with 44 points on 18-35 shooting and also had four rebounds, two steals and 11 assists. Stars come out when the lights are brightest and that's exactly what Curry has done this season. 

If you didn't notice him during the regular season when he dropped 54 at Madison Square Garden or when broke the single-season record for three point field goals made, then he has made you notice now. His numbers are up in the postseason and he has led the underdog-Warriors to the conference semifinals. Overcoming the Spurs will be a tall task, but when the Warriors have the benefit of a man who seems to always be hot then anything is possible. Twice this postseason Curry has poured in 20-plus points in a quarter.

You want an MVP for the playoffs? Look no further than Curry. The Warriors are an exciting, young team, but they were not supposed to beat the Denver Nuggets. Denver finished 57-25 in the regular season and Golden State's David Lee was injured in Game 1. However, Curry hit shot after shot and when he wasn't scoring he was dishing out assists. That's the brilliant thing about him. During his magical run with Davidson in the NCAA Tournament he was viewed as a shooter. Now, he is a scorer. The difference being that before defenders really needed to focus on the jump shot, but now he can get to the rim and create more for himself. On top of that, he has become great at creating for others. In the playoffs he is averaging 9.6 assists. 

Whether or not he is a pure point guard is a debate for another day. Right now he is the best point guard still playing basketball, but questions remain about his health. He has a history of ankle issues and he did roll his ankle in the Denver series. Playing 58 minutes last night can't help his case, but for now he seems fine and the 44-point outburst clearly illustrates that. He leads the NBA postseason in assists and is currently third in points per game and fourth in steals per game.

Steph Curry is an elite player. Every star needs a coming-out party and Curry is using the entire postseason as his platform. There's no telling how far this Warriors team could go. While they do seem like a long shot to defeat the Spurs, you simply can't count out Curry's uncanny ability to go off when his team needs it most. And remember, if you give him just an inch he will make you pay.

Rose Continues to Sit as Bulls Struggle

While his teammates struggle, Rose continues to watch at the end of the bench

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Chicago Bulls last night to make the series 3-3 with Game 7 due up Saturday night. The Bulls are battered and bruised, sick and hurt, but that didn't mean they went down without a fight. It was a valiant effort from a team without All-Star Luol Deng, steady guard Kirk Hinrich. On top of that, Joakim Noah, Nate Robinson and Taj Gibson were all sick yet fought through that to contribute mightily. At the end of the game, TNT's crew acknowledged the Nets won the game, but the focus was on how tough the Bulls were.

Chicago did fight to the end and it was fun to watch, however, I was more annoyed and angry after the game than I have been in awhile. As not just a Bulls fan, but a sports fan in general, Derrick Rose drew my ire as I watched him sit there in a suit and watch as his sick and hurt teammates failed to close out the series on their home court. I've gone back and forth on the Rose issue and whether or not he should be on the court. I was angry last night so I decided to sleep on it rather than spilling my emotions on this blog post. However, my feelings haven't changed about the matter.

Rose sitting on the bench at this point is a mockery. It's a joke. It's been a full calendar year almost. He's been cleared by doctors, he's practiced, he's warmed up before games, he's got his lateral movement back, he's fine. Do I personally know he's fine? No I don't, but I haven't heard one source say he's not ready to play. Yet there he is at the end of the bench acting as another coach, jumping around in celebration and distracting TNT and ESPN cameras at every dead ball.

Prior to Game 1 of the series Joakim Noah was questionable due to injury, but he still played and said in an interview that he wouldn't miss the game for anything. Last night Nate Robinson was throwing up in a trash can during timeouts, but he said that you have to do what you have to do to win the game sometimes. Both Noah and Hinrich have been playing on one leg basically, but have given the Bulls quality minutes. Robinson was good again last night despite feeling ill. But where's Rose?

Listen, I understand the severity of Rose's injury. I really do. I have friends who have suffered that injury and I know the mental struggle that comes with the rehab process. Here's what I'm saying though: this is Rose's job and this is his obligation. Sometimes you have to go to work when you aren't feeling 100 percent. That's just the way life is. If my parents didn't go to work every day they woke up and weren't quite feeling it then they would be fired.

To make it even more of a joke David Lee played last night. In case you didn't know, Lee tore his hip flexor in Game 1 of the Warriors-Nuggets series and was supposed to be done for the playoffs. He made a surprise comeback last night and helped Golden State close out the series. So let me get this straight. A guy who just tore his hip flexor went out there and played, but Rose can't get out there after almost a calendar year?

Let's stop making excuses for the guy too. The idea that he shouldn't play because this team isn't "built for a championship" is stupid. So what if it's not? It's still his job to be out there on the floor. If this team isn't built for a championship then do we just tell Noah to shut it down and rest up for next year? Should Deng just forget about it and stay in bed? I don't get it.

I know there is a chance that he could re-injure himself, but there will be a chance of that next year as well. Rose owes it to his teammates to get out there and give them 15-25 minutes. As a former athlete I'm not sure how you sit there in a suit and watch your teammate throw up in a trash can during timeouts and not feel guilty. I'm not sure how you watch Noah and Hinrich play through pain and not feel guilty. You have guys leaving it all out there on the floor and you have the star player scared to step foot in between the lines.

Rose's injury was severe and he only 24 years old. It's a risk to play, but it's always going to be a risk to play. Again, that excuse has gotten old. The doctors have cleared him, he's been practicing and his team needs him. That sounds like all the ingredients for a comeback. 

The Bulls backcourt last night was a sick Nate Robinson and rookie Marquis Teague. That sure doesn't sound like playoff material to me. Rose could have helped and he would have helped. It's time to stop talking around this subject. Is he going to play or not? Well I'll tell you what will really set me off. If Rose plays against Miami in the second round (assuming the Bulls win Game 7) I will lose it. There is no difference from last night to next week and he could have helped Chicago end the series quicker.

If I was a teammate of Rose's it would be hard for me to speak with him right now. He doesn't know the struggle and he shouldn't act like he does. At this point it looks like Rose isn't truly invested like we thought. He's never been mentally tough and he's clearly cementing that thought right now. His team needs him, but he isn't going to answer the call. He says he would die for the game and he can't wait to get back out there. Does he really? I'm not seeing it.

The playoffs are winning time. A team needs a full arsenal and the Bulls don't have that right now. Almost the entire roster is doing whatever they can to be on the floor and to help this team win. Then there is one guy who appears to be doing whatever he can to NOT be on the floor. I never thought I would question the MVP Derrick Rose, but I am now. Your team needs you D.Rose. Time to recognize that.

Collins Steps to the Forefront of Gay Athlete Movement

The movement is like a freight train. It starts out slow, takes it awhile to get going, but by the time it starts rolling it comes at full force. It appears that this is how the gay athlete movement is going to happen in America. It has been a long time coming, but Jason Collins is just the beginning it would seem. With his admission that he is gay he has stepped to the forefront of a movement that is sure to gain speed in the coming years.

This post is not to express my personal viewpoints on gay marriage. It's not my intent to choose sides on this post and if I do so I apologize in advance. Because here is the reality: whether you support the movement or not, it is coming and Jason Collins will forever be remembered as one of the trailblazers. While I may not agree with everything on the matter I will say this: I respect the move Collins made.

It takes extreme courage to do what he did, especially in this period of his career. Before Collins the only athletes in America that had come out as gay were retired. Not only is Collins still playing, but he is a free agent. That means that Collins not only came out, but he was willing to take that chance with strong possibility that a team may not sign him because of it.

The reaction among players in the league has been mixed, but the majority of high-profile players have been in support. Kobe Bryant and Tony Parker have tweeted their support and President Obama phoned Collins to say he was proud of him. Others in the sports world have not been so supportive. Mike Wallace, wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, sent out a series of tweets that questioned the idea of homosexuality.

Most notably, ESPN's NBA reporter Chris Broussard, made headlines for his personal views expressed on Outside the Lines. Broussard expressed his Christian views on homosexuality and has been criticized heavily by some, but heavily supported by others. What is most irritating is that ESPN took the news of Collins' admission and turned it into a sideshow on their show by goading Broussard into a debate.

That's not what this should be about. The world is changing. That doesn't mean anybody's views have to change. I, as a religious man myself, believe that Christians should stand to their morals and values. However, I do believe respect should be shown from both sides. Social media has served as the platform for the raging debate, but no solutions or peace is made through anger. I respect what Collins did and I respect what Broussard said because he expressed his opinion in a polite manner.

People who can't see past their own narrow viewpoint are too close-minded for the times. I'm not saying you have to agree with everything, but you have to see that the world is changing. A changing world will be a better place if respect is shown.

Collins is a true American trailblazer. That cannot be denied and he will face unabashed support and criticism as the rest of his career plays out. There will be players who openly support Collins and there will be those that openly say they don't want to be in the same locker room as him. For American sports it is a huge change.

It's a change that is gaining force and it's a movement that is upon us whether you support it or not. And whether you support it or not, the right way to react to it is with respect. Otherwise there is no peace, common ground or solution to the issue.