With GM’s everyone from New York to Los Angeles with open wallets, the free agent class of 2008 is planning on getting paid some serious gwop. Heres a list of the top ten free agents available this off season. You never know, one of these guys may end up with your team. Note: Jorge Posada was just signed to a $52.4 million, 4-year contract. He would be on the list.

1. Alex Rodriguez – Whoever get Alex Rodriguez is going to have to pay an arm and a leg but they will be getting one of the best hitters of our time. Rodriguez is coming off one of the best hitting regular seasons ever. He hit .314 with 54 home runs and 156 RBIs. Scott Boras, Rodriguez’s agent, will be sure to get the best possible contract. Alex Rodriguez could earn $300 million in his next contract.

The speculation is that A-Rod has only 3 teams that are really trying to pursue him. The leading candidate is the San Fransisco Giants who would be looking to replace Barry Bonds for Alex Rodriguez.

2. Andruw Jones – Everyone should be allowed to have a bad year. Even though this was a rough year, Jones, who is only 30, should get to 400 home runs this season and even though he has lost a step, he is still a great outfielder. His agent is also Scott Boras, so he should be good.

3. Torii Hunter – The Twins veteran CF has many suitors. The Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, and even the Kansas City Royals have expressed interest. For some reason I just don’t see the Royals getting Hunter, but you never know.

4. Barry Bonds – Whether you love Bonds or hate Bonds, you can’t deny that he can still swing the bat. Look for an AL team in need of a DH to pick him up. UPDATE – Barry Bonds indicted

5. Kosuke Fukudome – The Japanese slugger Kosuke Fukudome has finalized his free agency and will move to US. He is regarded as one of the best outfielders in Japanese pro baseball. Fukudome has 192 homers and a .305 batting average over nine seasons with the Dragons and his defensive skills have been compared to Ichiro Suzuki many times.

6. Mike Lowell – Mike Lowell is waiting like the rest of us to find out if Boston will offer him the fourth year on his contract that he wants. Four year offers are coming in from other squads, will the Red Sox match it?

7. Mariano Rivera – Rivera was one of the people who was most vocal about wanting Joe Torre as the manager of the Yankees. Now that Torre is in LA, Rivera might be tempted to leave but I highly doubt it. I don’t see Rivera leaving the Yankees.

8. Andy Petite – Petite is currently debating the possibility of retirement. If he decides to return, the Yankees will make a strong effort to resign him.

9. Aaron Rowand – He the right time to have a career year.

10. Francisco Cordero – Even though Cordero had a rough second half of the season, there is a weak class of closers, he could get close to B.J. Ryan money.

CC Sabathia Beats out Josh Beckett for the Cy Young award

Not that its any consolation but CC Sabathia finally beat Josh Beckett at something. Sabathia was announced as the american league MVP beating out Beckett and other worthy competition.

Sabathia had a sick season. He went 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA and 209 strikeouts. He was also a workhorse, leading the majors in innings pitched with 241. Beckett pitched 200 and 2/3 innings going 20-7 with a 3.27 ERA. The third place pitcher was the Los Angeles Angels John Lackey. Lackey lead the american league in ERA with 3.01. He also pitched for 224 innings going 19-9.

The last Indian pitcher to win the award was Gaylord Perry in 1972.

Luckily for Sabathia, the voting took place before the post season that saw Sabathia struggle while Beckett would pitch his team to a world series.

Colts lose second straight, should they be concerned?

Should the Colts be encouraged or discouraged after their loss on sunday? Peyton Manning threw 6 interceptions in the loss. It was one of the worst games in his career.

It was the colts second loss in a row to AFC opponents. They can pretty much kiss home field advantage good bye. They might not even beat out the Steelers for second seed.

At the end of the day though you can’t be too concerned for the Colts. They have been riddled by injuries. They were without seven starters in yesterdays loss. Peyton Manning threw 6 interceptions and they were still a 29 yard field goal away from winning the game. Once the playoffs roll around, they should be good.

Best NFC Team: Cowboys or Giants

Both the Cowboys and the Packers had big division wins yesterday. The Packers stomped the Vikings 34-0 in Lambeau field yesterday. The Cowboys went on the Road to the Meadowlands to take on the Giants. They walked away with the victory 31-20.

Both of these teams are very strong. The Cowboys (8-1) have a very balanced and versatile offense with Romo and his mobility. The Packers (8-1) have won 12 of their last 13 games going back to last season.

I’m going with the Packers though. The Packers have the first ranked pass offense and second ranked scoring defense. If they can get home field advantage in the playoffs then they are going to be very tough to beat.

Peterson out for at least one game

Vikings RB extraordinare Adrian Peterson will miss at least one game after tearing part of his knee ligament in their loss against the Packers.

This is a huge loss for the Viks. They were already a one dimensional team but now they look like they are going to be in some trouble after this loss. Chester Taylor is going to have to pick up the slack.

Worst Loss? Saints or Lions

Ok I’ll admit. I was on the bandwagon of both of these teams. Going into week 10 I thought that they were both potentially top tier NFC teams but the New Orleans Saints lost to the winless Rams and the Detroit Lions lost to the Arizona Cardinals on the road.

I don’t think I’m ready to give up on the Lions just yet. The Cardinals really exploited the fact that the Lions are a one demensional team. The Saints poor defense was also exposed against the Rams. They made the Rams look like the Patriots or something.

The Lions will be ok but I’m not so sure about the Saints anymore. You can’t let a winless team come into your house and score 37 points on you.

Posada deal “close” for the Yankees

Jorge Posada prefers to stay with the New York Yankees and believes he is really close to reaching a new deal with the team. Posada feels like his “heart is with the Yankees.”

“It’s not about the money, it’s about the situation,” Posada told the Daily News. Posada has played his whole career in a Yankees uniform so can you really blame him?

Too bad for the Mets. They still were highly interested in Posada but they will have to look elsewhere to fill their catch-needs.

Mariners interested in Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda

Add the Seattle Mariners to the long list of suitors for Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. In 11 seasons in Japan, Hiroki Kuroda was 103-89 and there is a list of teams interested.

The Mariners will be one of the major bidders for the free agent’s services. The Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers have also expressed interest in Japanese free agent.

MLB News and rumors

• Cubs deal outfielder Jacque Jones to Tigers for infielder Omar InfanteThe Tigers are doing a good job of addressing their issues this off season.
• Ryan Braun and Dustin Pedroia won the Rookie of the Year awards. Nobody really challenged Pedroia in the AL; Braun just barely beat out Troy Tulowitzki for NL award. I would’ve given it to Tulowitzki.
• Joe Torre said that “its possible” that Alex Rodriguez may join him in LA. The Dodgers need to make that deal.

Manning’s fourth quarter comeback came up a little short

Peyton Manning made a valiant effort. His team was down and he had to take his share of the blame. Coming off the emotional loss to the Patriots last week, the Colts lost 23-21 to the Chargers last night in San Diego. Manning threw 6 interceptions in the game. Thats his career high.

Despite Manning having one of his worse career games, the colts being riddled by injuries, and being down 23-0 at one point, the Colts still had a chance to take the game in the end. With 1:31 left in the fourth quarter the Colts had all but made an improbable comeback scoring 21 unanswered points in the second half.

The score was 23-21 with automatic Adam Vinatieri up to kick a 29 yard chip shot. Vinatieri has made 96% of field goals 30 yards and under in his career and he has been known as a clutch kick. However, the hostile crowd and the rainy conditions in last nights game must have gotten to him or something because he missed it and the Chargers escaped with the win. What a crazy ending.

Cowboys sweep the Giants

In the NFC game of the week, the Cowboys took it to the Giants yesterday beating them 31-20. The Cowboys came in being the most penalized team in the NFL and at some points it seemed like they were trying to beat each other by penalties.

The game was close at halftime. The Cowboys were up 17-14 and the Giants were content with going in the the locker rooms with that being the score. The Cowboys got a taunting penalty which allowed them another chance to get into field goal range which they capitalized on and went into halftime with the score tied up at 17.

The Cowboys have been known this year as a second half team though. Their superstars didn’t disappoint either. Tony Romo hooked up with Terrell Owens for two second half TD’s. One for 25 and one for 50.

Other Notable Games

• Big Ben scampered for a 30 yard TD run in the Steelers 31-28 win over the Browns. The Browns had a shot in the end but their kicker Phil Dawson came up just short on a 52 yard field goal to tie it in the end.
• Brett Favre’s milestone season continued as he became only the second player to pass for over 60,000 yards in the Packers rout of the Vikings 34-0. Adrian Peterson left the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. He will get an MRI Monday.
• These Rams looked like the Rams of old in their 37-29 win over the hot Saints. The Saints 4 game win streak was snapped in the loss as Marc Bulger went 27-33 for 302 yards and 2 td’s

Cotto Knocks off the Mosley

Last night in Madison Square Garden, Miguel Cotto faced off with Shane Mosley. Cotto usually wins fight with his passion and by overpowering opponents but last night was different. He faced off against Shane Mosley who was his best adversary to date. The fight went 12 rounds and was very hard fought but Miguel Cotto was able to pull off the well earned tactical victory.

There were no knockdowns and few big hits but the 27 year old Cotto (31-0, 25 KOs) was able to consistently land his jabs. Mosley couldn’t get anything effective going and could not stop the consistent Cotto attack.

Cotto’s right eye was cut in the final round after an accidental headbutt. Mosley tried to use his power to make a comeback in the final round but Cotto was able to avoid Mosley’s strengths as the blood dripped down his face. When the bell rung, Cotto knew that he had won.

Very good fight. Cotto looks foward to his potential next challege, “I’ll fight whoever the company tells me, Oscar (De La Hoya), (Floyd) Mayweather, all the big names,” Cotto said.

Ohio State loses to Illinois

The Ohio State Buckeyes national title hopes took a big hit after their stunning loss to the Wisconsin Badgers yesterday at home. The turning point of the game was in the fourth quarter when the Illini went for it on fourth down and converted. The final score of the game was Illinois 28, Ohio St. 21.

2007 is a cursed year for ranked teams in college football and the buckeyes are the latest casualty. As the year of the upset rolls on, here is the updated AP top 25:

1. LSU (40) 9-1
2. Oregon (22) 8-1
3. Oklahoma (1) 9-1
4. Kansas (1) 10-0
5. West Virginia (1) 8-1
6. Missouri 9-1
7. Ohio State 10-1
8. Georgia 8-2
9. Arizona State 9-1
10. Virginia Tech 8-2
11. USC 8-2
12. Texas 9-2
13. Hawaii 9-0
14. Florida 7-3
15. Clemson 8-2
16. Virginia 9-2
17. Boise State 9-1
18. Boston College 8-2
19. Tennessee 7-3
20. Illinois 8-3
21. Cincinnati 8-2
22. Kentucky 7-3
23. Michigan 8-3
24. Wisconsin 8-3
25. Connecticut 8-2

The Celtics win one for Doc

It was a long day for Doc Rivers yesterday. In the beginning of the day he was in Illinois attending his father’s funeral. Only hours later he was in East Rutherford, NJ coaching his team to an impressive 112-101 victory over the Nets. Luckily for Doc though he doesn’t play for the Vikings.

The Celtics were able to effectively send a message to the Nets that they are in fact the team to beat in the East.

The Big three looked very good in this victory as usual. Paul Pierce, who was scoreless in the first quarter, went 13 of his 28 in the third when Boston turned a seven-point halftime lead into a 21-point margin. Allen added 27 points and Garnett had 18 points and 14 rebounds.

Vince Carter left the game in the third with a sprained right ankle after adding 17 points.

NBA News

• Brandon Roy lead the way with 32 points for the Trail Blazers as the defeated the Mavs 91-82 last night. This ends a 13 game skid against the Mavs for the Blazers.
• Leandro Barbosa had 39 points to lift the Suns past the Magic last night 106-96. Grant Hill was considered the bad guy for maybe the first time in his career last night having to deal with relentless booing. Despite that he still had 14 points and 8 rebounds

First Yao vs Yi draws 100 to 200 million TV viewers in China

Yao is the king of chinese basketball right now. He proved that last night in the Rockets 104-88 win over Yi Jianlian and the Bucks last night. He believes that the rookie Yi Jianlian will be better than him one day.

Yao Ming scored 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and had 3 assists in the win. Yi Jianlian scored19 points and pulled down 9 boards in the loss.

The game drew an estimated audience of 100 to 200 million viewers in china. The last Super Bowl drew 96 million viewers. The NBA is really gettin it right now. They are going international. Yao and Yi look happy about it.

Other NBA News

• The Celtics stomped the Hawks I think all Boston teams are not only killing everyone but they are also running up the scores. What the fuck?? First the Patriots and last night, the Celtics were all over the Hawks in their 106-83 win.
• Watch out for the Magic in the east. The Magic just completed a perfect four game road trip in the east by defeating the Knicks 112-102 last night. The Magic are a better team than a lot of people are giving them credit for.
• The Heat, the Wizards, the T-Wolves, the Sonics, and the Warriors are still winless. Kevin Durant had another 20 point game but it wasn’t enough to get the Sonics a win.
  

Thats it for now people… I’ll be back later

Yao vs Yi expected to draw 200 million viewers

The first regular season matchup between the new look Houston Rockets and the Milwaulkee Bucks is tonight and it is expected to draw an audience that would put the super bowl to shame.

The Game is scheduled to air in China at 9:00am but it is still expected to draw over 200 million viewers. The game will be broad casted on 19 different chinese channels, two webcasts and wireless phone.

It’s the first regular season matchup between the games next great big man, Yao Ming facing his highly touted rookie countryman Yi Jianlian for the first time.

“It’s the two best basketball players in the country coming to play in the best basketball league in the world. It doesn’t matter who wins. It’s the best thing that can happen in China, because people will be excited either way.”

said Wang Meng, a sports writer who covers the Rockets for Titan Sports, a Beijing-based newspaper.

Vikings fine Williamson for attending funeral

The Minnesota Vikings fined wide receiver Troy Williamson for missing one game and three practices last week. Williamson was docked for one-game of pay. For Williamson that equates to $25,588.24.

Williamson missed the game to attend his grandmothers funeral. The Vikings should be ashamed to be even considering trying to dock Williamson. They fine the guy for attending the funeral? Whats next? They need to give him his money back.

Yanks interested in Tejada?

The Yankees don’t look like their going to be able to get Mike Lowell from the Boston Red Sox. They don’t seem like they wanna pay the kind of money its gonna take to get Miguel Cabrera from the Marlins either. So who is left to replace Alex Rodriguez at third base. Miguel Tejada’s name came up in the discussions and he is probably the best option for the Yankees.

Tejada’s availability was no secret this week so the Yankees are highly interesting in the 2002 AL MVP. Tejada had hard season this year hitting only .296 with 18 homers and 81 RBI. He had injury issues throughout the whole season.

I honestly don’t see any deals going down here though. Yes Tejada is available and yes the Yankees need a third basemen BUT the Yankees are in the same division as the Oriels so I couldn’t see the Oriels doing anything to help the King of their own division for the past 13 seasons.

Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox and many others interested in Santana

The Yankees will be one of the top teams in the running for picking up Johan Santana if he becomes is put on the trade market. It looks like that will happen and while the Yankees are in the running and have young players to send to Minnesota in exchange for Santana, there are a lot of other teams interested in picking the former Cy Young award winning pitcher.

The Mets, the Dodgers, the Angels, and the Red Sox have also shown interest in picking up Johan Santana. All of those teams also have a lot of young talent to offer the Twins in a possible deal. As far as young pitching goes though, few of the top market teams have the type of superior young talent as the Yanks have in their stash. They have Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy and while they are reluctant to trade any of those guys, they understand they will probably have to include one of those guys in a deal for Santana.

The Twins have always been known for having exceptional scouting so expect them to fare very well in any deals that they get for Santana.