Tonight is the 2012 NBA Draft and unless there is a tremendous shock.... Kentucky Freshman Anthony Davis will be going to the New Orleans Hornets with the first selection. Anthony Davis has also reportedly trademarked his unibrow, which is ridiculous in this sport's journalists opinion.
New Orleans Coach Monty Williams
Kentucky Freshman Anthony Davis
The above picture is how the NBA Draft Lottery played out but there has been plenty of moves over the last few days,
13 transactions have occurred for the round 1 picks and 17 picks for the round 2. Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets have made the most transactions.
Kentucky Wildcats have 5 projected players in round 1 and 1 in round 2.
The Boston Celtics are attempting to trade up and select Doc Rivers son Austin in the first round and have a father-son duo playing together.
Tonight's draft seems to have the makings of freshman galore. Here is the latest Mock Draft done this morning.
Sidney Crosby has reached an agreement with his Pittsburgh Penguins to a new 12-year 104.4 million dollars.
The Penguins annoucned this deal through their website on Thursday and they also announced his average annual salary will be 8.7 million.
The new deal keeps Crosby a Penguin through the 2026 National Hockey League season. He has suffered from concussion related symptoms which have kept him out of many games the last two seasons but he has still proven how valuable he is to an organization.
In 443 regular season games he has totaled 609 points which include 223 goals and 386 assists. He also has 90 points in 68 career playoff games including winning the Stanley Cup in 2009.
Here is a link to some of his accomplishments throughout his historic career in all aspects of hockey.
2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth has been a member of Roush-Fenway Racing since he began in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 16 years ago but now a mutual decision between him and Roush-Fenway co-owner Jack Roush has him going to a different organization after the 2012 season.
Matt Kenseth is currently the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader with 1 win, the 2012 Daytona 500, 8 top 5's and 11 top 10's. He leads his current teammate Greg Biffle by 11 points and Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 14.
Kenseth's NASCAR career began in the NASCAR Nationwide Series where he ran 248 races of a 16 year span. His first race was at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the 1996 Red Dog 300 and ironically his last race was the 2011 Top Gear 300 also at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kenseth also entered only 1 NASCAR Candian Tire Series event in his career which was the 2002 Canada Day Shootout in Cayuga where we won.
In 1998 Kenseth finished 2nd in the Nationwide series points which was his best of his career. He ended with 26 wins and 168 top 10's with 16 poles. This was also the season where he got his first win at the famed Rockingham Motor Speedway in the GM Goodwrench Service Plus 200 driving for former rival Robbie Reiser.
94 Matt Kenseth Cup Series Debut 28 Kenny Irwin Jr.
His first Sprint Cup Series race was in 1998 at Dover Delaware filling in for Bill Elliot while he was attending his father's funeral. Kenseth has raced in 452 races with 22 wins and 220 top 10's with 7 poles. Matt Kenseth is also a 2-time Daytona 500 champion, one of a select few drivers who have accomplished this feat.
Kenseth has signed a 2013 Sprint Cup Series contract but the details of where he will race has not been disclosed. Kenseth looks to be joining Joe Gibbs Racing, hall of fame NFL Head Coach, which makes it either a four car team or Joey Logano will be searching for a new ride.
Either way Matt Kenseth is one of the best drivers NASCAR has seen and will do well with whomever he signed with.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. left Trevor Bayne right
2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will take over Kenseth's ride leaving 2011 Daytona 500 Champion with a full-time ride in the Nationwide series.
Matt Hagen interviewing sports sociology professor, Dr. Steve Smith.
Dr. Steve Smith went to Eastern Illinois and DePaul as well as played basketball in the French B League. He was my professor for sociology when I attended Pellissippi State Community College and has taught me about the different perspectives and aspects of sports and how they affect the world.
This is the first edition of Sports Interviews and Talk. There will be new videos posted at least once a week regarding different sports topics. Some will be interviews and some will be solo stories.
During the Seargento 200 Danica Patrick was running extremely well during the Road America NASCAR Nationwide Race and was headed to tie her career best finish with a 4th until Jacques Villeneuve, a road-course ringer and former Formula 1 driver, decided to take things to a whole nother level.
Jaques Villeneuve
Danica Patrick
Max Papis
On the last lap when Nelson Piquet Jr., was on his way to his first career Nationwide series victory in just his 3rd start Jacques Villeneuve, in the 22 Discount Tire Roger Penske Dodge, decided to dive-bomb into a turn below Danica, in the 7 GoDaddy.com JR Motorsports Chevrolet, after he was attempting to pass Max Papis, in the 33 Menards Richard Childress Chevrolet.
He punted Danica into the gravel trap causing her to get a 12th place finish instead of a top 5 and he ended up 6th.
After the race was over Villeneuve was spotted on pit road with Tony Eury Jr., Danica Patrick's crew chief, having a heated debate.
Afterwards Villeneuve brushed Eury off as if nothing had happened and didn't want to hear anything about it.
Villeneuve was quoted saying "... It's not my fault so I don't really care." when NASCAR ESPN asked him about the incident.
Twitter than was blowing up with reactions calling for penalties, suspension, fines and even Ryan Newman asking for a Nationwide ride in Watkins Glen just to take Villeneuve out since Villeneuve wrecks someone every time he enters a race.
Nelson Piquet Jr. Pole winner
The ultimate thing though was the first win and pole in the Nationwide Series for former Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. Congratulations to him. He is a full-time NASCAR Camping World Series Truck Driver.
It seems like there is more controversy stirring up in Ohio State, and this time NOT from the football team.
One of there star performers on the highly talented basketball team, 2-time all american Jared Sullinger is not invited to the NBA Draft June 28.
Sullinger was told by some recruiters that he would not be drafted in the top-15 so he should not go to the NBA Draft. Ultimately Sullinger decided to watch it from a restaurant in Ohio.
Sullinger played two outstanding seasons with the Buckeyes and led them both times to the NCAA Tournament. In his career he averaged just about 31 minutes per game, in a 40 minute game, 53 percent field goal shooting, 32.5 percent three point field goals, between 5-7 free throw attempts per game making 73.6 percent of them.
As for his triple-double categories he averaged 17.3 points per game with 9.7 rebounds with an assist and steal each game. He also only averaged 1 foul per game with is really good in college.
His stats became better in his sophomore season in every category except in rebounds where he dropped a little but he doubled his block total to make up for it.
The Buckeyes won the Big Ten regular season titles and the 2011 Big Ten Tournament title. They finished 2nd in the Big Ten Title in 2012 losing 64-68 to Michigan State.
The Buckeyes made the Sweet-16 both seasons he was with them and advanced all the way to the Final Four this year.
This NBA Draft seems to have the makings of another Kentucky draft with many of their freshman entering. Anthony Davis is almost a guarantee to go to New Orleans with the the first pick.
After a little more than 20 hours of deliberation the jury in the Child Abuse case of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky came at around 11 p.m.
The trial began Monday, June 11 with the prosecution calling up 8 of the 10 victims and character witnesses for the other two. Mike McQueary and members of Child Services also testified for the defense giving gruesome details of what happened to the children.
In Pennsylvania however, expert testimony about child abuse and how it affects the victims afterwards is forbidden as well as all camera and recordings.
Thursday June, 14 the prosecution rested and the defense took over. The case went to the jury on Thursday and they deliberated for approximately 8 hours.
The jury reconvened today at 9 a.m., to rehear testimony from Mike McQueary, prosecution witness, and Dr. Jonathan Dranov, defense witness, which lasted 2 hours and then they deliberated until around 10:30.
Sandusky's wife Dottie was the last person to testify for the defense before they rested and did not let Jerry Sandusky testify for himself. His adopted son, Matt Sandusky, was on the prosecution's rebuttal list if Sandusky did testify.
Matt Sandusky went onto Rock Center and told them that that his dad had abused him to as a child which means that there maybe another trial.
Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 of the 48 remaining charges. Here is the verdict sheet. The 3 counts he was found not guilty were, count 7, victim 2's 1st charge, felony involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, count 23, victim 5's 1st charge, misdemeanor indecent assault, and count 27, victim 6's 1st charge, misdemeanor indecent assault.
Counts 16, 18 and 19 were dismissed by the Judge on Thursday morning before closing arguments and count 33 was dropped by the prosecution because it happened prior to the statute of limitations ruling in 1997.
Joe Amendola, defense attorney for Sandusky, is one of the worst public speakers of all time.
The Jerry Sandusky trial is now in the hands of the jurors after the prosecution ended its case on Thursday and the Defense yesterday.
Today Closing Arguments were made and around 1:00 eastern time the jury inherited the trial.
Sandusky began with 52 counts of different forms of child abuse including molestation charges.
Last week, the prosecution dropped one charge and today the judge threw out 3 more charges that were all brought on by alleged victim 4.
This case has led to the firings of Penn State former President Graham Spainer (top-left), Atheltic Director Tim Curley (top-right) and former Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno (center).
Coach Paterno was one of, if not the most esteemed coach in NCAA History staying with the Penn State program after he played for them. He coached them for almost 50 years. He won 2 National Titles and 24 Bowls in 37 appearances. The 24 bowl wins is a new record in NCAA.
Hopefully the jury will find the correct decision for Jerry Sandusky and not have another situation like they did in Florida with the Casey Anthony verdict.
With the NBA Finals already completed four games... the officiating has been horrendous to say the least. The first game was officiated well spliting the calls and actually letting the players play. Even with all of the whining and complaining by the Heat "Big 3" LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.
The last 3 games however, all won by the Heat, have been officiated horribly except for the first quarter of game 4. The refs have given James, Bosh, and Wade the significant calls and the big stars for the Thunder, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have been completely shunned.
The first quarter of game 4 when the referees let them play... the Thunder completely manhandled the Heat with a score of 33-19 and a lead as big as 17 points. The Thunder ultimately lost the game by 6 and Russell Westbrook had 43 points. Even with those points he was being tossed like a ragdoll and shoved everywhere in front of the officials and nothing was being called.
Durant was fouled numerous times throughout every game and even EVERY member of ESPN's show "First Take" said he was not getting the respect he deserves.
In my opinion the series is The NBA Officials 3 The Thunder 1 and the Heat 0.
Tonight is game 5 let's hope the NBA Officials let them play OR the Heat actually EARN a victory.
For the first time since 2004 Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back in victory lane ironically on Father's Day at Michigan International Speedway. This was also the sight of his last win 144 races ago on the same weekend.
Earnhardt Jr., won driving the number 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports with a paint scheme he helped create honoring the latest Batman movie " The Dark Knight Rises."
The Michigan race was laced with new and more difficult things for the drivers to overcome including: a new surface, for the second week in a row (Pocono last week), faster speeds (an upwards of 225 mph listed at one point going down into turn 1, and a narrow groove but two factors came into play that no one expected.
NASCAR had testing Thursday at Michigan International Speedway to find out how the tires were going to react to the new surface. The tires would blister, or cause holes as seen in this pictures from Martinsville, causing holes and cuts in them after about 15 laps.
NASCAR then ordered new tires which slowed down the speeds from Marcos Ambrose's record setting pole speed of 203+ mph. The new tires slowed the speeds down during the special 75 minute test session after the Nationwide race by almost 10 mph.
Then the rains came and delayed the start of the race but no matter what happened Dale Jr., won and is now a serious contender for the Sprint Cup Series points sitting 2nd behind Matt Kenseth by 4.
