BASKETBALL

In the NBA, it was Game 3 of the Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.  The series was tied at a game a piece, but the Spurs are very tough to beat in front of a raucous home crowd.  The Heat got off to a very slow start, and then the Spurs started raining threes.  It was as if Tony Parker(formerly wed to Eva Longoria), Danny Green, and especially Gary Neal couldn’t miss.  When you can’t guard the Spurs from the 3-point line, they are basically unbeatable.  The Heat stayed in the game only because Mike Miller was also automatic from beyond the arc, but in the 4th quarter, the Spurs absolutely throttled the Heat.  In fact, it didn’t even look like the Heat — you would think that the Spurs were playing the Charlotte Bobcats out there.  The Spurs now lead 2-1 with Game 4 looming on Thursday night.  San Antonio 113, Miami 77.

SOCCER

USA had a must-win World Cup qualifying game.  They have looked good as of late, but needed a win against Panama.  Fortunately, they continued their hot streak with Josey Altidore leading the way to a successful win.  With the win, the U.S. can breathe easy, but they still have a long road to qualifying for the Cup.  The U.S. has something to prove in the next World Cup, and hopefully they can continue to gel.  U.S. 2, Panama 0.

FOOTBALL

Finally, in the NFL, all eyes are on Robert Griffin III in the off season.  He was one of the most interesting players to watch in the entirety of the league last year.  Unfortunately, in the Redskins game against the Seahawks, they lost RG3 to an ACL tear.  Many blamed coach Mike Shanahan for the injury, as they thought Griffin had no business being out there.  But RG3 is making tremendous strides toward getting back into playing shape.  And Tuesday, Griffin was seen running explosive sprints.  This is remarkable considering that a projected recovery time is 7-9 months, while Griffin is only in month 6.  Then again, RG3 is not just an ordinary guy, he’s practically Superman.

FOOTBALL

The major news out of the sports world yesterday definitely came out of the NFL.  Earlier this off season, the New York Jets parted ways with Tim Tebow.  They just didn’t think he had a future as a quarterback for the team.  Most pretty much determined that this was the end of the line for Tebow’s career.  Arena football teams wanted him only because they knew he would be great for sales given his fervent following.  While that may be true, Tebow still wanted to pursue an NFL career.  On Monday, his wish was granted.  It’s being reported that the New England Patriots have signed Tebow for next season.  He definitely won’t play quarterback with Brady at the helm, but certainly Bill Bellichick can use Tebow in a variety of strategic ways.  After all, Tebow is still a super athlete, and they also have Josh McDaniels on their staff who drafted Tebow when Josh was head coach of the Broncos.  This could be very interesting.

BASKETBALL

And in the NBA, another drastic coaching move.  Just a few days after the Denver Nuggets parted ways with Coach of The Year George Karl, the Memphis Grizzlies have decided to let go of head coach Lionel Hollins.  Hollins was responsible for turning the Memphis Grizzlies franchise into a perennial contender.  And this year, he got the Memphis Grizzlies to the Western Conference Finals in their best season yet.  You would think they would ink him to a multi-year deal.  But you never know what happens behind closed doors. Hollins, however,  won’t stay unemployed long, as there is already strong interest from the Nets, Clippers, and Karl’s former team the Nuggets.
Finally, in another head coaching move, the Detroit Pistons signed who they believe is the coach of their future, Oklahoma City assistant coach, Maurice Cheeks.  The Pistons have a solid young team and now with Cheeks, the Pistons believe that they can become a playoff team next season.   The NBA is always better when the Pistons are good — they’re a classic team with a notable basketball history that deserves to have a winning squad year in and year out.