What do you even call this?

Watch this insane video from last weeks Timberwolves-Spurs game.  The Wolves got called for 5 T's in a 10 second span!  To make things even crazier, the referee was a St. Paul native named Mauer.  One things for sure though, while this seasons Timberwolves are just as bad, they sure are more entertaining.  Enjoy

Dominique Barber Interview

Dom Barber

We would just like to thank Mr. Barber for taking the time out of his busy schedule to grant us a great NFL Player interview, he is the definition of class and we wish him the best!

DP – Is there a reason behind your #34?
DB – No reason behind the number 34, there were a couple of numbers to choose from and 34 was the best out of the bunch. 23 was my number in college and high school, but it was taken. So 34 it was, and it’s a special number here in Houston, a lot of greats have worn this number so I def wear it with pride.

DP – Both your dad and brother played running back, what made you play defense?
DB – When I was a Freshman in college, there were plenty of running backs, (Marion, Laurence Maroney, Gary Russel) all who are in the NFL or played. I wanted to play right now, so the coaches found me a place at safety. Ever since then I’ve just went with it. Love that I did that.

Sports News Nightly

Sports News Nightly

I'm glad to announce SportsBank's new partnership with Sports News Nightly, a great source for all sorts of sports news.  As a result, a number of posts, interviews and articles from both sites will now be available to read on both SportsBank and SNN.  Enjoy!

Questions with the Potential Melo Trade

Rumors have been swirling all season about the potential trade of Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, but with Melo having to essentially OK any move (nobody will trade for him without some sort of agreement on an extension), nothing has materialized.  That might change in the coming weeks, however.  The latest scenario includes Denver, New Jersey and Detroit as a potential third team.  In it, Anthony, Billups and Rip Hamilton would join forces in Jersey, Devin Harris, 1st round pick Derrick Favors and Anthony Morrow, going to Denver, along with multiple first round picks, and Troy Murphy & Johan Petro going to Detroit, with some expiring contracts.  (of course, there are a few other players that are of very little significance also moving with these players to make ends meet).  The biggest question mark in this trade is why on earth would Carmelo OR the Pistons be interested? 

Dunk of the Week

Amar'e Stoudemire throws down a hard alley-oop against the Suns January 7th, 2011

How Luck's Decision Affects the NFL

Andrew Luck

As you’ve probably heard, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, projected by many to be the No. 1 pick in this April’s draft, decided to return to school for his redshirt junior season.  Luck’s decision, however, will likely affect much more than just Stanford’s 2011 football season.  First, with Luck’s return, the highly sought after coach Jim Harbaugh is now more likely to remain at Stanford… forcing NFL teams like the 49ers, Dolphins and Broncos to look elsewhere to fill their coaching vacancies.   Harbaugh’s brother and Baltimore Raven’s head coach John Harbaugh has already speculated that he thinks Jim is definitely considering remaining at Stanford next season.  However, it is important to note that many analysts expect Harbaugh to get as much as $8 million per season – and anything can happen when you’re talking that type of money.  Furthermore, the Carolina Panthers, owners of the 1^st pick in the 2011 draft (and the likely destination for Luck) are now forced to make new plans with their coveted pick.  While there are many holes to fill in Carolina, they are desperately in need of a franchise quarterback, and it’s unlikely they will reach for another quarterback with that high of a pick.  The affect of Luck’s decision won’t stop there, however.  With Carolina possibly taking a look at Georgia wideout A.J. Green, the dominos will continue to fall throughout the first round.  Most notably, there is one less quarterback on the board for those other QB hungry teams such as the Bills, Cardinals, Titans, Vikings and Dolphins.  Although you can’t really question a guy who wants to finish his education, especially at a school like Stanford, it certainly was a surprising choice.

On that note keep an eye out in the coming week for our first version of SportsBank’s Mock 2011 NFL Draft

Is This Finally Blyleven's Year?

.8 percent... 5 votes.  That is how close former Twins great Bert Blyleven got to finally making it in to the Hall of Fame in 2010.   After 13 years of falling short, Blyleven is likely to get the required 75% of votes this year.  Whats amazing, though, is how he has been snubbed for all this time.  In fact, history shows us that 21 candidates have fallen between 70-74.9%, and each and every one of them has eventually made it to Cooperstown.  Additionally, every one of those 21 were elected in their very next year.

Blyleven has the 13th best WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in MLB history.  Among full-time starters he is 21st in Win Probability Added, 18th in Runs Saved Above Average, along with 287 wins, 60 shutouts and 3,701 strikeouts.  So how could voters look past these amazing stats?  Well, surprisingly, Blyleven did fall short in a few key categories.  He made only two All-Star teams in his 22 seasons, had top-3 finishes in only two Cy Young elections, and is often 'criticized' for not reaching the all-important 300-win plateau.

Still, these shortcomings in no way outweigh his significant career achievements, and it's simply wrong that he hasn't made it to Cooperstown already.  So, will this be his year? Well, we'll find out Wednesday.

5 Minutes with NFL Rookie John Russell

Russell (58) with his original team, the Green Bay Packers

John Russell is an NFL rookie currently with the Buffalo Bills, and a great friend of mine.  An undrafted free agent in the 2010 NFL Draft, John had brief stints with the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs before settling in with the Bills.  John and I lived together for a year when we were both at Wake Forest.  I thought it would be interesting to talk to John about his transition from college football to the NFL as well as some of his new experiences.  Here's what he had to say: