Olympic Basketball Preview

Let's face it, the US is going to win gold when it comes to basketball. This team has too much talent and athleticism. They lack in height, but make up for it in every other aspect of their game. There are a couple of other teams that can make a run deep into the event, though.

Spain

Spain has lots of pressure. They were dubbed the team that will give the US the most trouble. They lost to the US by 22 yesterday without Marc Gasol. This team has the size that will help them go far.

Brasil

Brasil has an inside presence with Nene and Anderson Varejao. They also have Leandro Barbosa as a guard. FIBA has this team ranked at #13 in the world, but they are a much better team. 

Argentina

This Argentina team has experience and comes in at #3 in the world. Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola will have to play very well if this team wants to get a medal. They are in the same pool as the US and France. 

France

France has come in under the radar. They have the second most NBA players on their team. I like Tony Parker to put up huge numbers for this team. Joakim Noah and Nicolas Batum will have to anchor the ship down low in the paint. This team starts out pool play with the US. 

Here are my predictions for this event:

Gold Medal- USA

Silver Medal- Spain

Bronze Medal- Brasil

Penn State Update

Earlier today, the NCAA announced that Penn State will suffer penalties for the actions of Jerry Sandusky and all of the men in charge at Penn State. The football team will not be able to play in a bowl game for the next four years and they will lose 40 scholarships. The biggest thing was that all of Penn State's wins from 1998-2011 have been vacated. Joe Paterno lost 111 of his 409 wins. He is now 8th on the all-time wins list for coaches. The players on this year's team are allowed to transfer without any penalty. 

This will not heal the victims of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, but it shows that educating and nurturing the kids is more important than football. The Joe Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium has been taken down. It will take a long time for Penn State to rebuild its football program. Hopefully, these penalties will stop scandals like this from happening again. It will be a tough year Nittany Lion fans, but I think the NCAA got it right this time. 

The Hope of Britain

Tomorrow the hope of Great Britain will be on Andy Murray's back at Wimbledon. He is looking to win the first Grand Slam for England in over 75 years. Murray beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to get to where he is now. He will have to face red hot Roger Federer. Federer is coming off an incredible win over Djokovic. Federer has beaten Murray twice in Grand Slam finals. However, Murray leads the all-time series 8-7. All of the matches have been on hard courts. This should be a very exciting match. The fans at Wimbledon will be rooting for Murray. In the end, I think the fans will go home bummed as I like Federer to get his 17th Grand Slam Title. This will be one of the best sporting spectacles the world will see this decade. There is a great atmosphere in London, and it is because of Andy Murray.

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

It is official, Ray Allen is a member of the Miami Heat. This is just the perfect place for him. This Heat team will just be unstoppable. This is the missing piece. Mike Miller has sustained injuries and will likely retire in a year or two. This team just keeps on getting better and better. Allen had a career low season last year. Hopefully for the Heat, he will pick up his game. The Celtics signed Jason Terry to try and replace Allen's presence. The Celtics are still a team that can go deep in the Playoffs. Rondo will have to carry that team throughout the season. They will run into the Heat sooner or later, though. Miami is jacked up for Ray Allen's debut in a Heat uniform. 

Brooklynsanity

There is a new team in New York grabbing the headlines. The Nets have made a huge splash in free agency. The Nets have picked up 6-time All-Star Joe Johnson. Deron Williams also has chose to re-sign with them. There is still a chance that Brooklyn trades for Dwight Howard. They are willing to send Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries along with a couple of draft picks to the Magic. If this works out, the Nets will be dominant in their new home. The Barclays Center will be alive. This could set up for an intense Nets/Knicks rivalry. Brooklyn has a bright future ahead of them.