Starting off the week on a bad note was a road loss to the enthusiastic Oklahoma City Thunder 106-99 on Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Thunder forward Kevin Durant has been on a monster tear as of late, as he has scored 30-plus points in 19 of his last 22 games. He had 33 points and 11 rebounds against the Hawks. Bouncing back on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, Atlanta got off the losing side with a 103-97 home victory against the Los Angeles Clippers. Hawks guard Joe Johnson poured in 34 points. In a home tilt with the Chicago Bulls on Friday, February 5, 2010, Atlanta beat the Bulls 91-81 as Josh Smith recorded his second career triple-double as he chipped in with 18 points, 10 assists, and 14 rebounds. Things got a little rocky in the national capital however, as the Hawks game against the Washington Wizards got postponed because of snowstorms in the D.C. area.

Going into all-star weekend brings light action for pretty much the entire league as the NBA family gets prepped up for NBA All-Star Weekend 2010 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Atlanta travels to play the vastly improved Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 in a Tennessee/Georgia state border affair. Staying along the lines of the borderline face-offs, the Hawks then host the Miami Heat on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 in a Georgia/Florida match up before they take a break for all-star weekend.

Give us your Superbowl predictions for tonight’s game. Colts or Saints? Who wins and what will the final score be? Get the winner and score exactly right and we will send you $25 through paypal. You have to get both right to win the money. Max of one prediction per person.  Go to Facebook.com/studyofsports to give your prediction or go to Thewinningbet.com and click on our Bodog link to throw some real money down.

THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE WINNER AND THAT WILL BE THE FIRST COMMENT ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE WITH THE CORRECT WINNER AND SCORE.  THE DEADLINE IS FEB. 7 @5:30 PM CT .  GET YOUR PREDICTIONS IN QUICK!!! 

Good Luck!

I’d rather be on a baseball field than anywhere else.  For the majority of my life that was my home - George Brett

George Brett was the face of the Kansas City Royals during most of his 20-year career.  He was a late season call up in 1973 and closed his illustrious career as he kissed home plate at Kauffman Stadium on the final game of the 1993 season.  The records and highlights established by Brett are many.  But the feat that stands above all the rest is his winning of batting titles in three different decades.  The unique accomplishment testifies to his superior hitting skill and high level of excellence over a long career.        

George Brett could get good wood on an aspirin. Former Royals manager Jim Frey

Brett won his first batting title in 1976.  During a six game stretch in May he had three or more hits in each game establishing a major league record.  But the hitting crown wasn’t decided until the very last day of the season.  The Royals had the division sewed up and were facing the Twins to finish the regular season before facing the Yankees in the AL championship.  The drama was found in the fact that four players on the field were vying for the batting title-Brett, KC’s Hal McRae, and Rod Carew and Lyman Bostock of the Twins.  Brett went three-for-four that afternoon.  When he came to bat in the bottom of the ninth he needed a hit to pull ahead of McRae and Carew.  He blooped a fly ball that  Twins’ left-fielder Steve Brye misplayed.  It took an Astro Turf bounce over the outfielder’s head and rolled to the warning track.  Brett hustled it into an inside-the-park home run.  McRae followed George to the plate and grounded out giving Brett the title by a microscopic .33333 to .33207.  With that hitting crown his legendary career was off and running and before it was over he would hit over .300 ten times.

If God had him no balls and two strikes, he’d still get a hit. Former Major League umpire Steve Palermo

Brett’s second batting title came in 1980.  This time he wasn’t challenged by his playing competitors.  Instead, he chased hitting legend Ted Williams and .400.  His .259 average in April gave no indication of the epic pursuit of history that was about to take place.  For a sixty game stretch in the middle of the season Brett would hit a sizzling .459 including a thirty game hitting streak from July 18 through August 18.  On August 26 he would stand on second base and raise his cap with the scoreboard showing .407 having gone five for five for the game.  He would still be at .400 (.3995 to be precise) as late as September 19.  He ended the season at .390, going 14 for 46 the final two weeks and missing baseball history by a mere five hits.  His .390 average was, at that time, the highest since Williams eclipsed .400 in 1941. (Tony Gwynn would hit .394 in 1996)

If he can hit .350, we (the Missouri Drivers License Bureau) figured he could see. Harvey Duncan on why they waived the eye test.

Brett’s record-setting batting title would come in 1990 at 37 years-old.  Only two others, Honus Wagner and Ted Williams, led the league in hitting at an older age.  George was hitting only .256 as June came to an end and was seriously considering retirement.  Manager John Wathan encouraged him not to throw in the towel so Brett stuck it out. He caught fire in the second half of the season ripping American League pitching at a .388 pace. He overtook Rickey Henderson and captured the title once again on the final day of the season.  It was an incredible run and more than assured his place in Cooperstown.

Brett was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.  His excellence that spanned three decades stands as the hallmark of Royals baseball history.

PHI vs. NO:  Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets will be out four to six weeks due to arthroscopic knee surgery.  Paul will miss the 2010 All-Star game being held in Dallas February 14th and will start rehabilitation as soon as possible.  The Hornets are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference and struggling without Paul in the lineup.  A 101-94 loss to the Iverson-less 76ers doesn’t help matters.  Philly had six in double figures while Stojakovic couldn’t carry the Hornets with a team high 23 points.

DET vs. IND:  The Indiana Pacers shot 53% from the field while beating the Detroit Pistons 107-83 Friday night.  Ben Gordon led the Pistons with 26 points while the team only shot 39.5% from the field.  Danny Granger led the Pacers with 25 points.  Detroit is 16-32 on the year while being 3-7 in their last ten and fighting for their spot at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.  The Pacers are putting up the points as of late.  They just need to start coming out on top at the end of the game.

WAS vs. ORL:  The Washington Wizards came out on top 92-91 against the Orland Magic Friday night.  Despite Dwight Howard having a game-high 18 rebounds, the Wizards out rebounded the Magic 52-39 while Caron Butler shot 50% from the field and perfect from the line with 31 points.  Butler’s shot with 0.5 seconds left on the clock sealed Washington’s come from behind win while at one point being down by 21.  Randy Foye added 22 points for the Wizards while Dwight Howard and Vince Carter added 20 and 21 for the Magic.

NJ vs. BOS:  New Jersey and Boston both had five players in double digits Friday night while Ray Allen lead all scorers with 26.  The Nets kept it close most of the game, putting pressure on the Celtics to keep them from winning their 5th game of the season.  The Celtics came on in the second half while the Nets fell apart and Boston took the game 96-87.  The Celtics had 26 assists compared to 15 by the Nets who lead the category with the lowest amount of assists per game.  Boston has now won three straight while moving into second place in the Eastern Conference with a 32-16 record.  Paul Pierce missed the game with a strained foot and is still day-to-day.

MIL vs. NY:  The Milwaukee Bucks beat the New York Knicks Friday night 114-107 while outscoring the Knicks by 14 in the third quarter 36-22.  David Lee continued his great play for the Knicks scoring 32 and rebounding 15.  Both were game-highs.  Ersan Ilyasova led the Bucks with 25 points while rookie Brandon Jennings added 22.  Jennings scored 19 in the second half.  The Knicks had the chance to draft Jennings in last year’s draft, but passed allowing him to drop to the 10th spot and go to the Milwaukee Bucks.

CHI vs. ATL:  The Atlanta Hawks beat the Chicago Bulls Friday night 91-81 topped off with Josh Smith achieving his second career triple-double scoring 18, rebounding 14 and finishing it off with 10 assists.  Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford added 18 and 17 points while Luol Deng and Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 20 and 19 respectively.  The Bulls signed forward Chis Richard to a 10-day contract while American Idol newcomer “General” Larry Platt performed his “Pants on the Ground” song during a timeout.

HOU vs. MEM:  The Houston Rockets topped the Memphis Grizzlies 101-83 Friday night.  The Rockets outscored the Grizzlies by 18 while outrebounding Memphis by 15.  Aaron Brooks led the Rockets with 19 points while Trevor Ariza and Carl Landry both put up 17.  Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 17 with OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay both putting up 11 while the team shot an abysmal 17% from the 3-point line.  Memphis takes their 8-16 road record and head to Minnesota Saturday night to take on the Timberwolves who just came off a big win. 

MIN vs. DAL:  Mavericks fans are still scratching their heads on this one.  The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks Friday night 117-108 ending a 13-game losing streak.  Dirk Nowitzki came off the bench in the game due to being tardy to a pregame shootaround and still had a game-high 21 points.  Johnny Flynn led the Wolves with 19 points.  Both teams had six players in double figures, but the Timberwolves outshot the Mavericks at all the lines shooting 53% from the field, 54.5% from the 3-point line and 85% from the free-throw line.  Dallas only shot 43% from the field for the game.  Dampier returned to the lineup Friday night after missing the game Wednesday night due to a knee injury.

PHO vs. SAC:  This one was never really a game from the start.  The Phoenix Suns beat the Sacramento Kings 114-102 Friday night in a game that was never close with the Suns going in at halftime with a 15 point lead.  Amare Stoudemire led the Suns with 30 points and 9 rebounds with Steve Nash following closely with 23 points, 10 assist and 8 rebounds in 32 minutes of play.  Six Suns were in double figures.  Kings forward Donte Green led all scorers with 31 with three other Kings scoring in double figures.  A struggling Kevin Martin scored 5 points shooting 2-9 from the field.  Jason Thompson is expected to return to the lineup on Sunday when Sacramento faces the Toronto Raptors.  Phoenix next matchup is next Wednesday vs. the Portland Trailblazers.

DEN vs. LAL:  Chauncey Billups scored a career high 39 points Friday night helping the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 126-113.  An injured Carmelo Anthony watched on while J.R. Smith dropped 27 along with Billups nine 3-pointers to beat the Lakers six players in double figures.  Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 33 points while the team shot 45% from the field and just 31% from the 3-point line.  While that might be good on some nights, the Nuggets were making shot after shot Friday night shooting 57% from the field and a ludacris 68% from the 3-point line.  Chris Andersen led the Nuggets with 15 rebounds while Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 17.  Derek Fisher finished his 24 minutes with four points and none assists.  The Lakers travel to Portland for their next game where they have lost eight straight.

   Seahawks fans, believe it! The Seahawks were in a Super Bowl! Of course, we all know what happened in Super Bowl 40. In case you forgot, Seattle was down 14-10 but driving deep in Steeler territory. Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck drops back to pass and hits then tight end Jeremy Stevens for a big gain down to the Steelers one yard line. The next play, Shaun Alexander goes in for the touchdown run. Seahawks goes up 17-14. Oh no, wait a minute, what am I thinking! More importantly, what are the referees thinking! The zebras call a holding call on the play. Up in the press booth John Madden calls the play a phantom holding call, questionable at best. Still the penalty holds up.

Now, Seattle has to pass to get a first down or maybe to get into field goal range. So on the next play, Hasselbeck drops back but throws an interception! To make matters worse on the run back, Hasselbeck blocks a steeler but the zebras say the hit was illegal. What? I know right! Pittsburgh has the ball around midfield now. Just when the Seahawks moral was at its lowest point, the Steelers set up a wide receiver pass to Hines Ward. Ball Game! 21-10 Steelers.

The only solice about the game was everybody knew Seattle got robbed of a fair game. Even steeler fans I know say they got lucky on those calls. I’ve learned to move on from the loss, but around Super Bowl Sunday the defeat still stings for me and I’d venture to say that is the case for most Seahawk fans (Photo Courtesy: Scott Eklund/SeattlePI).

Now to the big game on Sunday. Super Bowl 44: Indianapolis vs. Saints.

I have ties to both teams. I lived in Louisiana for about a year after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf. I have family and friends in Louisville, Kentucky who are Colts fans. That said, I have no stake in the game except I want to see a well played game. I think we’ll see that and more but I’ll take the Colts to beat the Saints in a shootout, 41-38. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning are great. Both defenses are about the same, opportunistic but vulnerable to great offenses. If Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney plays he probably won’t be as effective as he would if his ankle was healthy. This game is clearly a toss up game but in a close game, I trust Peyton Manning to get the job done just enough. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Colts blowout the Saints but not the other way around.  

While everyone else is focusing on the Drew Brees and Peyton Manning showdown, we thought we would check out what else was going on in the league. So sit down and rest that ankle Dwight Freeney. Let’s see what’s not happening in Miami.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has a great interest in signing MVP quarterback Peyton Manning to a contract extension. This could come as soon as the end of the season. The deal will most likely make Peyton the NFL’s highest paid player.

NFL Network insider Michael Lombardi reported that the Eagles plan on keeping Michael Vick for the upcoming 2010 season. Vick would like to start for an NFL team, but that is not likely going to happen next season. Although Vick didn’t do much in 2009, he did give the Eagles that option qb that could do a little bit of everything. Dick Jauron has also been brought in by the Eagles to help out defensive backs. His title will be the senior assistant/defensive backs coach.

The Jets are still in the news despite their loss to the Colts. Mark Sanchez will undergo surgery on his left knee and should be ready for training camp with no problems. Rex Ryan was fined $50,000 by the New York Jets for his obscene gesture. The gesture was made towards a fan this past weekend at an mixed martial arts event.

The Saints vs. Colts matchup isn’t the only feud going on in Miami. Joey Porter of the Miami Dolphins has expressed his unhappiness with the organization and his role within it. He is asking the team to release him opposed to a trade because of his rocky relationship with current Dolphins coach Tony Sparano.

The Houston Texans have agreed to terms with head coach Gary Kubiak. The extension is a three-year contract that would keep him around through the 2012 season.

The Dallas Cowboys have extended Wade Phillips contract through the 2011 season. Cowboys fans seem to be happy about the extension, but stll don’t think Phillips will make it that long unless he puts the Cowboys in the Superbowl next year. Cowboys fullback Deon Anderson was in the news yesterday after being arrested on warrants at a Dallas area restaurant.

Mike Martz will be taking over the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator position. Bears fans are hoping Martz can turn Jay Cutler around from last year. Kurt Warner is evidence that he can mold a quarterback into a winner. Just be ready to work your tail off. Martz expects more out of his guys than other coaches.

The Cardinals Kurt Warner has called it quits while the Vikings Brett Favre has no end in sight. Cardinals fans may want to switch teams for a couple years while they search for a quarterback. Matt Leinart has not proven anything since coming into the league. Defensive tackle Pat Williams of the Vikings is also planning on making a decision soon about the 2010 season.

The Washington Redskins have signed another coach. Former NFL receiver Keenan McCardell will serve as the receivers coach under new head coach Mike Shanahan. Former Redskins receivers coach Stan Hixon will coach with the Buffalo Bills in the 2010 season.

NBA All-Star Celtics forward Paul Pierce has been put day-to-day with a sprained left foot. It was originally thought that Pierce would be out for a large amount of time with a reported broken foot.

New Orleans All-Star guard Chris Paul will undergo knee surgery. He will most likely miss the All-Star game being held in Dallas February 14.

The Nuggets Carmelo Anthony is a game time decision for tonights game against the Phoenix Suns. Chauncey Billups will be in the lineup.

Allen Iverson will miss the Philadelphia 76ers matchup against the Chicago Bulls tonight. It is reported by NBA.com that one of his children is ill.

New York Knicks legend and Hall of Famer Dick McGuire passed away today. He was 84 and died of natural causes.

Former University of Texas basketball player Kevin Durant and Dallas native Chris Bosh have been named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the week for January 25-31.  Durant averaged a league high 34.3 ppg for the week, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 2-1 record.  Bosh ended the week leading the league in rebounds with 16.0 rpg and a scoring average of 25.7 ppg while helping the Toronto Raptors to a 3-0 record on the week.

Kevin Durant has been quite a force this year.  He is averaging 29.6 ppg for the 2009-2010 season trailing only Carmelo Anthony for the league lead and helping the Thunder fight for the 8th spot in the Western Conference.

I said last week that I was very interested to see how the Hawks would fare in their back-to-back-to-back games against three of the top quality opponents in the entire NBA. Well, Atlanta had a somewhat respectable week. They split their four games for the week, winning two and losing two.

The Hawks started the week on the right track with a 102-95 win over the Rockets in Houston on Monday, January 25, 2010. Atlanta’s game against the San Antonio Spurs wasn’t too competitive as the Hawks lost 105-90 in San Antonio on Wednesday, January 27, 2010. The win snapped the Spurs three-game losing streak as well as snapped Atlanta’s three-game winning streak. Spurs forward Tim Duncan snagged a career-high 27 rebounds. The Hawks rebounded nicely to defeat the team whose number they have seemed to have all year, the Boston Celtics. Atlanta defeated the Celtics at home, 100-91, on Friday, January 29, 2010. With the win, the Hawks swept the season series with Boston as they went 4-0 against them this regular season. In another pivotal game against division foe the Orlando Magic, the Hawks came up short as they were drilled by the up-tempo team in Orlando, 104-86, on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Magic center Dwight Howard had a monster game with 31 points and 19 rebounds for an Orlando team that has seemed to have the Hawks number as of late. The Magic also went ahead of Atlanta in the Southeast Division with the victory.

The Hawks have another long week ahead of them in week 15 of tilt. They go on the road to face off against the young and surging Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, February 2, 2010. The next day on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, Atlanta hosts the Los Angeles Clippers. After having a day off, the Hawks host the energetic Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls on Friday, February 5, 2010. Going on the road to end the week, Atlanta travels to Washington, D.C. to play against the distraction-filled Wizards on Saturday, February 6, 2010.

I haven’t been able to write nearly as much as I would like recently, leaving me with many pent up sports related thoughts. Without any further ado, these are my accrued thoughts in no particular order:

- If I can take any solemn from the Giants’ late season collapse it is they did not finish in the top eight teams leaving them the ability to sign as many unrestricted free agents as they would like. Generally, I believe in building a team through the draft, but with an offense that looks primed to score lots of points next year and several clear quick-fix holes in the defense, this may be a year where free agency is the right approach.

- I think I am going to like Perry Fewell - the new Giants’ defensive coordinator. Every time I hear him speak I am impressed. He seems like a player’s coach, yet one who will still find a way to keep his unit aggressive and motivated.

- David Lee not making the All-Star team is a travesty. He is averaging 19.6-11.6-3.4. Anyone who argues  his number are inflated by playing in D’Antoni’s system has not been watching this team. They currently rank eighth in pace at 96 possessions per game - and have only gotten slower as the year as progressed. Lee has developed an outside shot to almost 20 feet, forcing opposing teams’ bigs to leave the lane and allowing the likes of Wilson Chandler, Al Harrington, and (even) Danilo Gallinari to get all the way to the rim.

- I found myself rooting for whoever had the ball during the NFC Championship and think I will be doing the same during the Super Bowl. Lets go over!!!!!

- I have about 15 years of conscious sports memory and Peyton Manning is by far the best quarterback I have ever seen play. In fact, I cannot imagine anyone being better than him ever. I know recent rules changes have accentuated the passing game, but his ability to recognize defenses and make in-game adjustments is unparalleled. I am highly looking forward to his NFL Films interviews 20 years from now when he finally reveals all the things he knew about his opposition. It may be unfair because Tom Brady got injured, but those Brady-Manning arguments sure look stupid now; especially if the Colts defeats the Saints.

- Before I go to sleep every night I pray for Kenny Phillips knee to heal quickly and properly.

- Why doesn’t UZR account for flyballs for infielders? Further, why doesn’t foul territory get included in the several zones. (I know there are varying amounts of foul territory in each stadium, but the size of the outfield changes too. Why can’t the stadium adjustment factor be expanded to included foul territory?) Also, doesn’t a lefty first baseman have a natural advantage with his glove being on the side where he has vastly more room included to his responsibility area? Why can’t we quantify catcher’s defense with the advancements in pitch f/x? And MOST IMPORTANTLY: Why don’t so many people believe in the SABR metrics? If you look at the teams that outperform their payroll, they generally have one thing in common: a full embrace of the quantification of baseball. Once these teams get Field f/x and Hit f/x perfected baseball is going to change forever.

- I understand Tim Tebow is a religious man and by all accounts an incredible human being, but does he really want his first endorsement to be a pro-life commercial? It doesn’t matter where one stands on the issue, I think all can agree it is a divisive one. With his already being a murky NFL prospect, why would he want to add anything to his resume that could bring any more doubt to someone deciding whether or not to pay him millions of dollars and a chance to fulfill his dream of playing quarterback in the league? I just don’t get it.

- Kurt Warner is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

- I really want to get into hockey again (and by again I mean for the first time since 1994…I swear I was an actual Rangers’ fan then and not a bandwagoner) but I can’t pronounce players’ names. I’m the least bit xenophobic but it is difficult to have conversations about the NHL when I don’t know if I the sound I am making is a player’s name or a bad cough.

- Cornell Big Red 86 - Harvard Crimson Tide 50. And this was the most anticipated Ivy League Men’s basketball game in years.

- If I was the Jerry Reese, I would cut Brandon Jacobs, Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard, and Antonio Pierce.

- Myron Rolle in the second round? Yes please!

- My thoughts on the Yankees’ offseason:

1) The Granderson deal was incredible. Austin Jackson’s ceiling is, well, Curtis Granderson. I think I would give up Ian Kennedy (a AAAA player) and Phil Coke (an easily replaceable LOOGY) to ensure myself the equivalent of my second best prospect reaching his full potential, even if I get less years of said potential.

2) I strongly disliked the Vasquez deal. Besides loving Melky as a human being and numero uno amigo to Robbie Cano (my favorite player), I was disappointed to see the Yankees give Arodys Vizcaino. I know he is several years away from the big leagues but the kid is good enough to be a five-star prospect and rank fourty-third on Keith Law’s Top 100. This plus $500,000 (and Mike Dunn - a hard throwing LOOGY) was shipped for a guy who has only posted a sub-4.00 ERA once in the American League. I just don’t like spending $11.5 MM plus a stud prospect and an incredible clubhouse guy for someone who is a borderline AL third started. I don’t care how much revenue the Yankees generate, I just don’t like it.

3) Free Agent Acquisition/Loss in a nutshell:

• Add: Nick Johnson - B+
• Add: Randy Winn - C+
• Loss: Hideki Matsui - B
• Loss: Johnny Damon - A-

- LeBron is the best player in the NBA. If you think Kobe is then you do not know basketball. Do not be fooled by grace. Understand how much one can influence an outcome via all aspects of the game. Oh, and if I was starting a team today and I had the second pick, I would take Kevin Durant. Dude can score.

- Mark Sanchez is going to be good. Incredible footwork and a great play-action fake.

- If the Jazz win the lottery I may kill myself. John Wall + LeBron + the current Knicks roster would win championships. Those two additions are that good (and the Knicks roster isn’t that bad!). If you did not know the Jazz own the rights to the Knicks first round pick thanks to Isiah Thomas.

- I’ve completely changed my views on Jordan Hill. He is a keeper. But I still would rather have Brandon Jennings.

- Cornell should be ranked in Men’s basketball and deserves at least an eleven seed.

- Pro sports are infinitely more entertaining than college sports, unless you like watching players who are not as good play for coaches who are not as wise play in leagues that are less well run on programming that is not as well produced.

- It is 11 PM on a Saturday and I am in bed and asleep. Getting old sucks. (I am 22.)