Rondo and Mavericks Part Ways

Rajon Rondo left the Dallas Mavericks following their Game 2 loss in Houston. The Mavericks announced Rondo had suffered a back injury and that he would miss the remainder of the postseason. After being eliminated by the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, it was announced that the point guard and the team mutually agreed to part ways. Rondo played only 10 minutes in Game 2, and clearly underperformed in his short time in Dallas. He was traded in December from the Boston Celtics to Dallas to provide leadership and the ability to make plays in the postseason. After getting into fights with the coaching staff and struggling to shoot the ball from the outside he was benched for the majority of Game 2. 

 Rondo will be a free agent this summer and Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle has made it clear that the all-star will likely not be wearing a Mavericks uniform next season. Dallas traded away Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright, Jameer Nelson, a first-round pick and a second-round pick to Boston in exchange for Rondo, who at 28 years old is playing the worst basketball of his NBA career.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao on May 2nd

    The Floyd Mayweather- Manny Pacquiao fight is scheduled for May 2nd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It is already said to be the biggest fight in boxing history, and one million dollars has already been bet on it. Ringside seats to the match are currently at a face-value of $5,000 and are expected to jump to over $6,000 by the end of April. The fight will be available for $100 on pay-per-view.

    Floyd Mayweather enters the fight on May 2nd with a record of 47-0 and 26 career knockouts. Standing at 5 feet 8 inches he is 2 inches taller than Pacquiao. Mayweather also has a 72" reach while Pacquiao has a reach of 67". Pacquiao (36) is two years younger than Floyd (38) but comes in with a record of 57-5-2. Mayweather's height and reach are a huge advantage and play into his strengths. He does not have to battle Pacquiao within close range and just land huge punches from farther away. Pacquiao excels at hitting explosively from up-close, which puts him at a huge disadvantage.

   Pacquiao has more experience at a younger age but Mayweather's height and reach advantage will be too much to overcome. The fight will last 10-12 rounds because of the experience and both sides, but Mayweather will win the fight by KO late. This win would cement Floyd's legacy as one of the best boxers of all time, because fighting Pacquiao has been the only one he would not fight. Pacquiao will not be able to land many punches because of Mayweather's 72" reach and the slight height advantage he has. This fight will live up to the hype with Floyd Mayweather ultimately remaining undefeated.

Krzyzewski Wins Fifth National Championship

     Duke University won their first national championship since 2010 on Monday night, beating the Wisconsin Badgers 68-63. The Blue Devils, led by outstanding freshmen Tyus Jones (23 points), outscored Wisconsin by 14 in the final 13 minutes of the second half to seal the victory. The match-up that everyone was focused on was Duke's Jahlil Okafor battling against Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin. Both 7-footers are going to be lottery picks in the upcoming draft, but this was Kaminsky's definite last game as a Badger. Although Kaminsky had the better game scoring 21 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, it was Okafor who won the title. Grayson Allen provided the spark off the bench that the Blue Devils needed, scoring 16 points (he averaged 4 per game this season). Tyus Jones had a game high 23 and played like an experienced veteran throughout the tournament. Duke's roster is filled with potential one-and-done players Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, and Justise Winslow, whose draft stock has risen greatly since the tournament began.

     This was the 5th national championship for Coach K, putting him in second place alone behind the legendary John Wooden for most all time. Duke's offensive talent was undeniable, but it was their willingness to put in the effort on the defensive end of the floor that made them a championship caliber team. They held Sam Dekker of Wisconsin to only 12 points when he averaged over 20 in the tournament. Stopping Kaminsky is impossible, but the combination of Okafor, Winslow, and Marshall Plumlee frustrated the Badger center all night long. The senior leadership of Quinn Cook and his versatility on both ends was a huge difference maker for Duke all year long. He was the only senior starter and was relied upon to guard the opposing team's best scorer. Krzyzewski said that this national championship team was one of if not his favorite team to coach because they did not carry themselves like freshmen. Every single one of them handled themselves like an upperclassmen, and that showed in the second half against Wisconsin the Allen, Jones, and Okafor took over to bring another championship back to Durham.

Matthew Berry Article

I agree with Matthew Berry's perspective on the Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito situation. Martin was stuck and had no way out of escaping. Berry felt the same way as he was bullied as a child. If Martin told the coaching staff about the issue he would be labeled as weak. Other teammates would make fun of him for being weak and not being able to stand up for himself. If he did stand up for himself, a fight would break out and everyone would be punished. There was no way out for Martin just like there was no way out for Berry. People only make a big deal about Martin's case because he is a professional athlete. Bullying occurs regularly in all parts of the world, and I do not agree with the fact that Martin is the only case being talked about because he is a professional athlete. Berry's childhood story is identical to many other kids, and the issue of bullying should be brought up as a serious problem.