How To Be A Bad Leader: The Hanley Ramirez Story

Today is a special day here at Ice Cold Sports. Florida Marlins star player and starting shortstop Hanley Ramirez has graciously offered to teach us all on what not to do when you are the leader and face of your franchise.

The first not to do is to make any bogus excuses why you didn't hustle or give your all. LeBron James you are guilty of this too Mr. We lost because my elbow hurt. So Hanley claimed he didn't hustle after booting the pop fly that fell over his head into left field because his ankle was hurting from when he fouled a pitch off it earlier in the game. That COULD be believable if he didn't run his little heart out trying to catch the ball on the fly. If your gonna fix up an excuse like that. At least make it somewhat believable.

This lack of hustle and lets give big credit where its due to Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez. He pulled him from the game and made him sit on the bench. And this happened early in the game. Better yet, he refused to play him until he apologized to the team. Which brings us to the next not to do on the list.



Not only did Hanley Ramirez refuse to apologize for his lack of hustle, he called out other teammates for the times when they haven't hustled. He simply threw his teammates under the bus with the "if they don't have to why should i" attitude. Saying things like "We got a lot of people dogging it after ground balls." and "They don't apologize."

Further he went after manager Fredi Gonzalez by saying he had lost respect for him and felt like he shouldn't apologize because he, meaning Ramirez can do "whatever he wants" and that Gonzalez doesn't "understand" because he never "played in the majors."

And hes right. Fredi Gonzalez never did make it to the big leagues when he played. But just because he never played in the majors doesn't make him adequate to coach a team. I was a member of my high school baseball team. And after that I never played again. But that didn't stop my teammates from telling me I would make a good coach some day. Its not about experience. Its about the understanding and knowledge of how the game is played.

Okay he managed to get the hat trick in how to piss off the entire franchise and its fans off. He didn't hustle, he trashed his teammates, and disrespected his manager with no signs of remorse or regret. But wait...yesterday he apologized. But he said he didn't need to! So what happened? Well a couple of hall of famers who happen to be special advisors to the Marlins sat him down and had a rhetorical father son chat. With the father a.k.a the hall of famers doing the talking. They told him exactly what I was thinking when this event first happened.

Hanley Ramirez has been slated as the leader and franchise player of this team. He is expected more than the others to lead by example. That means hustling on every play and respecting everybody on the field. In other words. Get your act together homeboy.

Thanks for logging in today. I hope you had as much fun as I did. We got lots more coming soon in Ice Cold Sports so be sure not to miss a thing. You can get your fill elsewhere on Facebook, just search Ice Cold Sports. Following me on Twitter is pretty fun too. You can find me on AppStIceman. Till next time enjoy the world of sports nation. This is the Radio Blog Network.

How The NBA Lottery Got It Right

The chances of winning the lotter is one hundred twenty million to one. The odds of getting struck by lighting are 244-1. The Washington Wizards had a ten percent chance of winning last nights NBA lottery. The Wizards overcame their slim odds winning the number one overall pick despite having the leagues fifth worst record.

One thing you will hear a lot today will be the worst record doesn't mean worst team.

The New Jersey Nets had the leagues worst record winning only twelve games in the season. That gave them a 25% chance to win the lottery. But again...the worst record doesn't mean worst team.

The New Jersey Nets were not the worst team in basketball this season. Winning the fewest games doesn't make you the worst teams, it just means your talent level stinks. The nets went out every night playing their hardest as a team with a goal to win a game. They are a very young team and are lacking veteran leadership.



The true worst team was the team that won the lottery, the Washington Wizards. The Wizards do have better talent than the Nets but their season despite more wins was awful.

The Washington Wizards made more headlines for off court issues than they did for what they actually did on the court. First there was the whole guns in the locker room situation with face of the franchise Gilbert Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton. For those who don't remember what happened its simple. They both brought loaded guns into the locker room, got into a dispute and pull their guns on one another. Both players were suspended indefinitely and Arenas got probation and had to go to a halfway house.

Real quick I just wanna say something about Gilbert Arenas. This is a man who is holding the Washington Wizards franchise hostage with his ridiculously huge contract that he signed in 2008, which totaled six years and 111 million dollars. In the first year of that contract he only played two games due to mainly injury. But bad attitude can be sited too. He refused to return when ready because he thought it was pointless since the team was so bad. The season before that he played thirteen games. And this past season before the guns deal, he played in thirty two games. So in the last three seasons your star player, the face of your team has played a half of season. In three years.

So after all that the Wizards made a bunch of trades, trading what "stars" they had remaining on the roster for one decent player and some scrubs. That one decent player being Josh Howard played only four games with the team before getting injured and missing the rest of the season.

As if their season could not get worse it did. They had a player quit during the middle of a game. Andray Blatche someone I think maybe two percent of the world have heard of refused to enter in March against the Charlotte Bobcats. The worst part about that incident was that it happened in the first quarter. The teams coach took him out because he was playing sub par and they wanted to coach him. He refused it and refused to enter the game.

THAT is what makes you the worst team in your sport. Again...worst record doesn't mean worst team. Pulling guns, quiting, stuff like that, makes you the worst team. And now we can all fear that Kentucky one year sensation John Wall will be the top pick in the draft and will have the responsibility to save the Wizards franchise. Some the now third pick Nets were hoping to have happen. Well that and signing LeBron James. Lottery got it right! So remember, worst record doesn't mean worst team.

Check me out on Facebook just search Ice Cold Sports and be sure to follow me on the fun that is Twitter. AppStIceman is the name. Stay tuned coming up next here on the Radio Blog Network, I will dab into the fun that is Florida Marlins baseball now that their star is making headlines for all the wrong seasons. See you then! This has been Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.

You Can't Tarnish Your Legacy When You Don't Have One

I hope I will only have to talk about LeBron James only slightly throughout the remainder of this NBA season. Not like he needs the attention from me when you got ESPN and everyone else devoting 75% of their programming to what his next move will be. In Case you were wondering the other 25% is made up of Tiger Woods (15%), other news (5%) and game highlights (5%).

With another early bailout in the postseason everybody wants to discuss LeBron's legacy. Saying things now how he can't get the job done or he can't win the big one. But its not just him, its the whole franchise. LeBron has been begging for years now for the team to bring in better players to help win Cleveland a title. So they brought in guys like Larry Hughes and Donyell Marshall. Obvious that wasn't the right kind of help. Two seasons later they traded that help for guys like Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West. And this year the help that was going to win not the team but LeBron the championship was Shaq and Antawn Jamison. But I can still promise you that hardly anyone including myself could name Cleveland's starting five off the top of their heads with no help.

Many suggested with another disappointing season that it was time for a coaching change. Which would help. Mike Brown really isn't a good coach. LeBron practically coaches that team. You can clearly see that the players listen to him more than Brown. But the Cavs owner came out immediately saying that Brown would remain the head coach. Or in this case overpaid babysitter for rich young men with ego's larger than the arena.



Maybe ownership should fire Genernal Manager Danny Ferry. He has been the mastermind behind all these moves to help LeBron which clearly have not worked. Am I the only one thinking that Mr. Ferry here can't judge talent too well?

But back to LeBron and his so called legacy. Look people he is twenty five years old hes won two mvps, six all star appearances and a scoring title. The last three seasons they were proclaimed the best team in the east after making one finals appearance but then lost to actual teams like the Celtics and Magic.



Lets just cut the legacy crap already. Look folks, he doesn't have one yet. He hasn't done enough to be dubbed a legend of any kind. He's a top three player in the game right now. Thats it. Remember when Kobe's "legacy" was that he couldn't win a title without help? News flash. Nobody wins championships alone. Kobe didn't win those four titles alone. The Celtics and Spurs played the ultimate team basketball in the league. Even the great Michael Jordan didn't win those six titles by himself. He had a team of all stars where the guys on the bench were good enough to start for most other teams.

LeBron James has no legacy. He hasn't won anything and it is ridiculous to put all the blame on him when the team loses. The guy is only one man. Plus you can't have a legacy at 25. He's not King Tut here.

I will end todays edition of Ice Cold Sports by adding that LeBron James will not only be wearing a new number next season but a new team uniform too. I can't say where. I just know it won't be Cleveland.

Dallas Braden: From Feuding Nobody to Record Books.

It’s amazing what kind of turn of events can do for someone to change your perspective on a person. Here its no different on Ice Cold Sports, which as you know is part of the Radio Blog Network.

A couple weeks ago Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden made headlines for probably the most unusual reason in the sports world. An Altercation occurred between himself and New York Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez. It wasn’t the kind of altercation that you may be thinking of. Braden did not throw at A-Rod. There was no collision of any kind between the two that would spark what events occurred.

First I'm sure most of you are sitting there scratching your head wondering who the heck is this Dallas Braden guy and maybe thinking this guy must be pretty brave to be calling out Alex Rodriguez. Well by the end of todays discussion you will know all about Dallas Braden and you will probably be on his side rather than A-Rod's.

So here’s what happened. A-Rod took off on the pitch and went from first to third on a foul ball that was hit by I want to say Robinson Cano. Instead of going back to first the way he came, A-Rod proceeded to take a shortcut across the infield grass. Of course there is nothing wrong with that but what A-Rod did do that sent Braden off the deep end is what we know as a hidden baseball rule.

A-Rod...set foot...on the....pitchers mound. A-Rod broke maybe the biggest rule of the unwritten baseball rules. Its just one of those things you don't do as a player. The mound is for the pitcher only and you can easily tell it is when the pitcher will step off it when the catcher comes out to talk to him. Not even the manager who pulls him and calls the pen steps directly on the mound. I guess you can say the mound is sacred. Never in my life as a player and spectator did I ever see anyone other than the pitcher step on that mound. I have talked with other players and they too have never seen someone other than the pitcher on the mound. Dallas Braden was within his rights to get pissed off at A-Rod. Of course A-Rod did what A-Rod does in that case. He just brushed it off and didn't understand what the deal was and felt it was "silly".

I want to stray off Braden for a moment and just run down other Alen Rodriguez antics. The list is long so sit tight.

He admits to regretting signing with the Texas Rangers back in the year 2000. Saying he should have picked the Mets. He put the blame on his agent Scott Boras who advised him to take the money.

...really? The guy who gets a cut of your dollars told you to take the money. Excuse me while I recover from the shock.

Lets look at the 2004 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox. You remember that series. First 3-0 lead to be blown yada yada yada. In game six of that series A-Rod slapped the ball out of pitcher Bronson Arroyo's hand has he reached to tag him running to first. A-Rod looked around and acted like he did nothing wrong.



Early that season at Fenway Park A-Rod got upset at a pitch thrown by Arroyo that lead to the fight between him and Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. I am a firm believer that if that moment never happened, Bill Mueller would of never hit that walk off home run and the Red Sox would have not made that amazing run to get into the postseason.




Fast forward to the 2007 world series where during the 8th inning of the deciding game A-Rod announced that he was opting out of his contract to become a free agent. He wanted the worlds attention and got it. Not many were pleased.

There was an event when during a game against Toronto where he yelled "mine" as he passed the second baseman. Which is another unwritten no no. Its okay when you do it in the movies like Major League. But thats another case where you just don't do it.

Then you have the Toronto prostitute incident, his divorce from his wife, and reporting having an affair with Madonna, and lastly supposivly dating Kate Hudson during the end of last season into the playoffs.

Oh...and we can't forget the admittance to using performance enhancers.

So its clear that A-Rod has done a lot and then we added the mound thing to the list. At first I supported Braden but then there was a point where Braden got screwy with it. He just wouldn't let it go. During this past week he kept talking and taunting like he was gonna make A-Rod pay for it when they meet next month. But then Sunday came.

It was mothers day. Dallas Braden is on the mound against the current best team in baseball Tampa Bay Rays. He goes out and throws a perfect game. Only the 19th perfect game in baseball history. It marked the second time in a year that the Rays were no hit.

But Braden's mom was not in the stands yesterday. He died when Braden was in high school from Melanoma. But his grandmother was in the stands. She took over raising Braden after the death of his mom. Braden is still very close to his grandmother and hometown community of Stockton, California. He has the home area code 209 tattooed on his chest, he still lives there, and had as many residents of the town in attendance yesterday after getting them a special deal in section 209. After he lost his mom he went through a rough patch in his life and his grandmother pulled him out of it and got his life on track.



So now we aren't looking at Dallas Braden like hes a psycho that can't let a little incident go. He is now in the history books pitching a perfect game for his mother on mothers day with his replacement mom a.k.a grandmother in the stands.

After the game his grandmother gave A-Rod a special message on national tv. A message they claim that just happened to slip out. That message to A-Rod was to "stick it" A-Rod's response after he got word? "Uncle"

Is this the end of the feud? I can't say. The A's host the Yankees in early July. It appears that the last shots have been fired and its over with but we won't be totally sure till that series. Personally I think it. If your Dallas Braden you certainly can't thinking about A-Rod when you just pitched a perfect game on your mound. I say feud over.

You can give me your thoughts on this topic and more on the fan page on facebook. Just search Ice Cold Sports. You can also follow me on Twitter at AppStIceman. Till next time folks this has been Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.

Tim Tebow: A Risk That May Never See A Reward

This is Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network. I'm the Iceman Dan Pacini. And with the 25th pick in the NFL draft the Denver Broncos shocked EVERYBODY when they took Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

Question to all... What was the most shocking part about this? The fact that they took a guy they didn't truly need? Or what they gave up for him? For me really it is a toss up because they will find out in a few years that each decision was not the right choice.

Lets examine the pick selection Time Tebow first. We all know he is a guy with amazing character, heart, leadership, and skill. But think back to the combine what everyone said about his game. He needed to completely change his delivery and motion. That was his biggest obstacle. Nobody doubted his abilities, just his techniques. Most coaches said he wouldn't play quarterback in the NFL. If I were a coach he wouldn't be my first option. He is so big and quick that you can really slot him anywhere and he'll succeed. But the Broncos only plan to use him at quarterback.

That brings us to the next shock factor in this. The Broncos didn't need a quarterback. They're starter is Kyle Orton who I will argue only had success last year because of the same reason why Jay Cutler had success in Denver. They threw the ball to Brandon Marshall. Look at Cutler in Chicago without a guy like Marshall. He stunk, led the league in interceptions and before that Orton had the same issue. But none the less, Denver has their starter.


They also have a backup who has the ability and experience to start in Brady Quinn. I know what you are going to say about Quinn but hear me out on him. Brady Quinn was in a bad position the second his name got called by the Browns. He we developed and coached poorly and in my opinion he never got the chance he deserved to develop and learn to be a starter in the National Football League. It seemed like every time he made bad decision or executed a play wrong the Browns would sit him for Derek Anderson who never did play better than Quinn but it took more for Quinn to replace him than it was for Anderson to replace Quinn. The Cleveland Browns were a train wreck when they drafted him and are just now getting on their feet now that the somehow convinced Mike Holmgren to take the job to run that franchise.



So we've covered two sides of this. The decision to take Tebow and why they shouldn't have. But there is another factor here and that is what the Broncos gave up. Which to me is the most astonishing aspect of this whole deal.

The Denver Broncos gave up a second, third, and forth round pick in the draft for Tim Tebow. I'll repeat that. The Denver Broncos gave up three picks for a quarterback who needed too change his entire game and a rookie when they already had two established quarterbacks on the roster. Again...THREE draft picks, high round draft picks for ONE guy. All the Redskins had to give the Eagles for Donavon McNabb was a fifth rounder. McNabb is gamer. A proven winner in this league. Are we to assume now that Tim Tebow is better or more valuable than Donavon McNabb? It really bothers me that the league sees unproven rookies to be more valuable than proven veteran that get the job done. Giving up three picks for Tim Tebow may have been the worst decision in recent draft history. Especially if you don't plan to utilize his talents and skills at all. The Broncos are pretty much just gonna make him sit and learn on the sidelines.

Of course we don't exactly know whether the risk will have paid off for a good three to five years. But at this moment I can't help but call Josh McDaniels and the Denver Bronco organization a collection group of boneheads. Let me know how you feel about this and other topics on facebook. Just search Ice Cold Sports. You can also follow me on Twitter at AppStIceman. Till next time folks I'm The Iceman Dan Pacini and this has been Ice Cold Sports, part of the Radio Blog Network.

NFL Draft: Time To Hand Out Some Grades

Pencils down children its time to hand in your draft sheets. Welcome back folks and thank you for joining me, Ice Cold Sports is back on the figurative airwaves and ready to hand out some draft grades.

There were quite a number of draft surprises this year. Who would have thought that Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy would fall as far as they did. And an even bigger surprise that Tim Tebow was A) drafted in the first round. B) drafted as a quarterback and C) Drafted by Denver of all teams. We'll cover all the surprises throughout this addition so with thirty two teams we better get started right away.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO BILLS

Question to everyone. What was the Bills biggest need this draft. I'm sure you all know it. Well...everyone but the team that is. The answer was a quarterback. What did they do? They reached tremendously for C.J Spiller and took a handful of defensive lineman. C.J Spiller going to Buffalo most likely spells the end for Marshawn Lynch, but when you fail to even address your largest need, you've pretty much failed the whole thing. Someone should remind Buffalo next year that the point of the draft is to fill needs and holes.

GRADE- F


MIAMI DOLPHINS

The Dolphins were able to grab Penn State standout Jared Odrick who should add some depth to their front line but other than that I didn't really see anything that would make me think "good draft" Miami filled it's biggest need, that being a wide receiver via trade by getting Brandon Marshall. I would have liked to see them grab another receiver but they chose to mainly stick to defensive depth.

GRADE- C

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Heres a shocker...the Patriots traded. Not only did they trade. But they traded a lot. That is typical New England Patriots drafting. With everything they did they were able to fill a lot of key needs and stock up for next year. This years class include three Florida Gators whom all should impact immediately. With Brandon Spikes joining forces with Jerod Mayo, the Pats inside linebacking core is set for a good amount a time. Then there was their tight end problem. Safe to say they nailed that with two way threat Rob Gronkowski and reigning Mackey Award winner Aaron Hernandez. I would have liked to see them get another wide receiver but for the most part it was a typical brilliant New England draft.

GRADE: A

NEW YORK JETS

The Jets didn't have much to work with this year with only four picks but they managed to make the best of their situation. They bulked their roster up mainly via trade and free agency grabbing LaDainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, and Jason Taylor. On draft day they sent aging Guard Alan Faneca packing by drafting Vladimir Ducasse then later traded young injury prone running back Leon Washington after getting USC standout Joe McKnight. Tomlinson will have a lot of offers and teaching to McKnight and second year starter Shaun Greene. Same goes for Darrelle Revis with new cornerback Kyle Wilson.

GRADE- A

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Its been no secret that Baltimore has an tremendous defense and it looks like that trend is not going to go away anytime soon. The Ravens didn't have a first round pick but it looks like they didn't need it as they were able to pick up two studs in Sergio Kindle and Terrance Cody. It would have been nice to see them grab a defensive back but Baltimore's thinking is, they can't allow deep pass players if the pressure is too much for the other team to handle

GRADE- A

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Simply wow. Love what the Bengals did this year. Jermaine Gresham is going to be a pro bowl tight end for years to come. They upgraded the defense all around with Carlos Dunlap, Brandon Ghee, Geno Atkins, and Roddrick Muckelroy. Jordan Shipley should also make a nice offensive weapon for Carson Palmer.

GRADE- A

CLEVELAND BROWNS

With their first pick everyone was screaming them to get a quarterback. Instead they took a cornerback. Then two times in the second round everyone thought "they have to take a quarterback here" nope. Third round comes and somehow Colt McCoy is still there. FINALLY! The Browns did what the Bills failed to do. Draft their biggest need in a quarterback. But don't get excited yet Browns fans. The team has already decided to sit McCoy for the whole season. Trust Holmgren here. He knows what hes doing.

GRADE- B

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The biggest story heading into Pittsburgh's draft is whether or not Big Ben would be a member of the team by the end of the weekend. They were unable to find a suitor for the suspended quarterback and stuck to their game plan. they filled in holes nicely with Maurkice Pouncey and getting a good running back in Johnathan Dwyer as late as they did can be classified as a steal. Overall...not bad.

GRADE- B

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON TEXANS

Houston's two biggest needs were a cornerback and a running back. With their first two picks they took..anyone? thats right. A cornerback and a running back. Thats called smart drafting. I'm eager to see what Trindon Holliday can provide for this team. He isn't your best option for a big play, but with his speed, he could do some damage in the return game.

GRADE- B

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Taking Jerry Hughes with their first pick was a good move but other than that, nothing really jumped off the page. But this is a team that didn't really need much of anything. They are coming off a Super Bowl appearance and are still loaded at most positions.

GRADE- C


JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Lets be honest here. The Jags were desperately needing someone to come in and basically save the franchise from relocation. A guy that could make an impact right away and sell some tickets. They passed that chance up with a guy who's name I can't pronounce. Professional football continues to die in Jacksonville.

GRADE- F

TENNESSEE TITANS

Heres another team that didn't really jump off the page. They didn't really do anything that would make me think theres a playoff team here. Plus they took a giant risk gamble in drafting Myron Rolle. A football player who doesn't want to play football.

GRADE- D

AFC WEST

DENVER BRONCOS

The gamble of the draft came courtesy of the Broncos when they sent a second, third, and forth round pick to Baltimore to land quarterback Tim Tebow. The head scratcher in it is that Denver doesn't need a quarterback. You gotta think McDaniels is going to go wildcat in Denver but you never know. They also needed to fill the void left by Brandon Marshall. Good luck DeMaryius Thomas.

GRADE- C

KANSAS CITY CHEIFS

They didn't have the top pick but they still got the best player in Eric Berry. Then they were able to compliment Berry With Javier Arenas. Those two should be defensive stars for a long time in the NFL. Taking Dexter McCluster in the second round was also a solid pick.

GRADE- A

OAKLAND RAIDERS

Oakland is the death penalty for new draftees in the league. Just ask Darrius Heyward-Bey, Darren McFadden, and JaMarcus Russel. I hope for Rolando McClain he doesn't fall into that list. But someone else just did...Jason Campbell. I can hear the sound of Taps being played as we speak.

GRADE- C

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

They needed a running back. Insert Ryan Mathews here. He should compliment Darren Sproles well. They also drafted quarterback Johhny Crompton from Tennessee. Very unnecessary move. But once again...they filled their biggest need.

GRADE- C


NFC EAST

DALLAS COWBOYS

Dez Bryant fell to them and they took advantage. This is a wake up call for a struggling Roy Williams. Not bad when you get the best guy at his position late in the first round.

GRADE- B

NEW YORK GIANTS

Obviously offense is not a concern in New York. Why would I say that? How can you not when one of your seven picks was on offense and that pick alone was a guard. I won't lie, the Giants confused me a lot with their picks. But then again...they confused a lot of people.

GRADE- C

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

The Eagles managed to get two sleepers late in the draft in Riley Cooper and Charles Scott. Both are SEC bred guys who play their positions well. Micheal Kafka looks to be the heir to the backup role once Michael Vick leaves. The clear focus for the Eagles was defense. They're first five picks were on the defensive side.

GRADE- B

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

It's really hard to make a big splash in the draft when you have one pick in the first hundred. They did well with that one that pick, taking the top offensive lineman in Trent Williams. The Skins have and will make most of their moves via free agency.

GRADE- B

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO BEARS

They had five picks. First pick being the 75th pick. Corey Wootton was a very solid pick and should provide good services on the defensive line. Consider Jay Cutler on notice with the drafting of Dan LeFevour.

Grade- C

DETROIT LIONS

Lions fans have a big reason to be excited for the new season. Ndamukong Suh is going to be star in this league. Then they traded back into the first round to get the closest guy to Barry Sanders that they may ever get in Jahvid Best. Third round pick Amari Spievey should be productive as well. Detroit has been having a very nice offseason and with Matt Stafford entering his second season, the Lions could make some noise this year.

GRADE- A

GREEN BAY PACKERS

The Packer didn't need to fill a whole lot and nothing really jumped off the page at me. They didn't do bad but they weren't spectacular either. We'll see what happens this year at the Beau.

GRADE- C

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

The rich get richer here. It's almost unfair that the Vikings were able to draft the tank that is Toby Gerhart to now compliment Adrian Peterson in the backfield. Chris Cook and Emerson Griffen should fit well in the Vikings defense. The only question mark now is whether or not Brett Favre will return.

GRADE- B

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA FALCONS

The Falcons used their draft to add size to the roster grabbing a linebacker, defensive lineman and two o-linemen with their first four picks. Perfectly understandable to try to get more protection for Matt Ryan when your draft two 300 pounders.

GRADE- B


CAROLINA PANTHERS

Carolina proved that you can still have a good draft even if you don't pick till #48. It helps when that pick happens to be the second best quarterback on the board in Jimmy Clausen. They then added in the third round two athletes in Brandon LeFell and Armanti Edwards, who both can provide added sparks of brilliance when the ball is in their hands. These two compliment the best running back core in the league and a very Dangerous Steve Smith. To add depth to the quarterback position they were able to land Tony Pike late in the draft giving them three of the top six quarterbacks in this years draft. The excitement level is through the roof already in the Carolinas.

GRADE- A


NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

The super bowl champs didn't have many needs they could fill with the last pick in the draft but they made the best of it with Florida State standout cornerback Patrick Robinson and USC big man Charles Brown. Saints are keeping the "you can't outscore us" mentality they had last season.

GRADE- C

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEER

The defensive line in Tampa just got a lot stronger with Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. The addition of Arrelious Benn to the receiving core should help out as well. But I don't think they added enough to climb out of the cellar.

GRADE- C

NFC WEST

ARIZONA CARDINALS

This is another team that didn't exactly jump off the page with me. Andre Roberts will be looked at to step in right away for the offense now led by Matt Leinart. With the other three teams in the division improving dramatically, Arizona's reign in the west may be ending here.

GRADE- C

SAN FRANCISCO 49NERS

The Niners bolstered their o-line taking two lineman in the first round to hopefully give Alex Smith some safety in the backfield. Look for safety Taylor Mays to play with a chip on his shoulder when he faces Pete Carrol and the Seahawks twice a year. The additions of Anthony Dixon and LaGarrett Blount should take some pressure off of Frank Gore.


GRADE- A

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Pete Carroll sure made a splash this year getting top offensive lineman Russell Okung, stand out safety Earl Thomas and arguably the best wide receiver in the group in Golden Tate. Tate is wild card here. He has the ability to be very explosive with the ball. The hawks also managed to strengthen the running game with trades for Leon Washington and LeDale White.

GRADE- A

ST. LOUIS RAMS

Sam Bradford chose to wear the number eight in honor of Troy Aikman and the Rams will hope he can have the same success. Mardy Gilyard should provide to be an excellent return man and deep threat for the Rams this season.

GRADE- B

Well there you have it everybody. thirty two teams thirty two grades. Like always some teams know what they are doing and others don't. But just remember we need a good two to three years to really know what each team really got out of this. Be sure to leave your own grades and thoughts on the facebook page. Just search Ice Cold Sports. You can also follow me on my Twitter at AppStIceman. Be sure to stick around because there is plenty more action coming your way on Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network with NCAA basketball and Major League Baseball. Holla.

Lets Play Ball!

Yes folks the time has come again for another fabulous season of major league baseball. Now I'm not gonna sit here and pretend I am an expert and pick divisions or who is going to win. We're gonna do something for simpler here on Ice Cold Sports. Heres how its going to work. We have seven categories. Every team will be placed in one. Lets not waste any time here batting lead off we have the favorites category. The lone disclaimer I have is that these are not in any particular order.

The Favorites

New York Yankees

They are coming off their 27th world title and they only improved with key pieces like Curtis Granderson and Javier Vazquez, but thevoffense may suffer a little bit with the loses of Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. The Yankees biggest concerns this season will be health and depth. If a big bat goes down they will have trouble filling shoes.

Philadelphia Phillies

To put it short, the rich got richer. Already having been in the last two World Series the Phillies added arguably the best pitcher in baseball to their rotation in Roy "Doc" Halladay. And if that weren't enough they added an elite infielder to play third base in Placido Polanco. If the fighting Phils pitching can stay healthy and Cole Hamels returns to his old form, Philly may be in line to hosting a third straight series.



Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox were the big spenders in the offseason but they managed to spend it wisely. They added former ace now middle of the rotation John Lackey who had the best spring among Sox pitchers. The team also filled major holes in centerfield with Mike Cameron and at shortstop with Marco Scutaro. Both more known for their gloves than bat but can still produce. They'll lead the league in defense and pitching but many are concerned about their offense as they try to transition from long ball to small ball.


St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals won't have trouble finding offense with Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday and company and they have two of the best pitchers in the National League with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. The rest of their staff looks shotty and they have some youth but Tony LaRussa always finds a way to make his team a contender every year


The Contenders


Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays are a feisty bunch that can run and slug with any team in baseball. They have proven over the last few years that the AL East is more than a two team race. Expect them to make a lot of noise this season.

Detroit Tigers

Miguel Cabrera looks to be in tip top shape heading into this season. With the addition of Johnny Damon and Rookie of the Year candidates Austin Jackson and Scott Sizemore, these two bring youth and new attitude to a dangerous Tigers lineup. Just keep in mind that the AL Central will be a dogfight till the last day.

Atlanta Braves

This is one scary team. Troy Glaus is going to provide a lot of offense for a young and powerful offense and with Tommy Hansen and Jair Jurrjens leading a veteran pitching staff. They will be able to challenge Philadelphia and contend well into October.

Seattle Mariners

Seattle must have gotten sick of looking up at the Angels for the last decade because they went out on a shopping spree this winter. Cliff Lee will take pressure off of Felix Hernandez while Chone Figgins brings his glove and speed. It'll be interesting to see how Milton Bradley acts with his new team. Look for them to Battle Texas for that West crown.

Texas Rangers

There is no question that Texas could always hit and score runs and that their biggest problem was pitching. Well they may have finally fixed that with the emergence of Scott Feldman and the addition of Rich Harden. Look for the Rangers to be contending for a spot in October this season.

Colorado Rockies

There are a lot of people picking the Rockies to dethrone the Phillies in the National League. I see them as the National League version of the Rangers. All the offense in the world but pitching is a liability. They've been known to shock in the past. We'll see if they can overcome a tough NL West division.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants have the talent and experience to make a deep run in October. However that may also hurt them. With guys like Aaron Rowand (32) Mark DeRosa (35) and Edgar Renteria (34) it may be a challenge for the Giants to keep healthy or keep up with the younger teams. But with Tim Lincecum...you always got a chance.

Sleepers

Minnesota Twins

Ozzie Guillen hates this team for a reason. No matter what they always find a way to be there in the end. Losing Joe Nathan was rough but they will overcome it.

Chicago White Sox

If Jake Peavy pitches like the 2007 Cy Young winning Jake Peavy and Andruw Jones shows that he still has some pop in his bat. Watch out for the southsiders come October.

Arizona Diamondbacks


The Dbacks can put runs on the board but they will need a healthy Brandon Webb to truly be dangerous.

Milwaukee Brewers

Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun will lead a young talented core to compete with the Cardinals in the Central.


Rising


Baltimore Orioles

The addition of veterans Kevin Millwood and Miguel Tejada will serve this young team well.

Florida Marlins

News flash: the Marlins can hit and have decent pitching. They should finish strong this year.


Cincinnati Reds

They have the perfect lineup for a homerun happy ballpark. Pitching may be a concern though.


Washington Nationals

Expect to see Stephen Strasberg called up by the all-star break. Expect them to make moves to HELP the team for the future. The Nats are ready to start contending. It'll be a slow process but you can't run till you know how to walk.

Failure To Improve


Los Angeles Dodgers

The only headlines the Dodgers made in the offseason was the owners divorce from his wife.

New York Mets

They got Jason Bay yes. But they failed to address their true need: pitching. Plus they still have many health concerns and a crappy general manager.

Chicago Cubs

They got rid of Milton Bradley but that was just one of many problems they didn't address. It'll be a long year on the north side.

Oakland A's

The A's added two veterans. One is already on the DL. I expect the other one to join him at some point.

Houston Astros


Lets face it...manager Brad Mills has his work cut out for him.

Kansas City Royals

They play in the AL Central with gives them a chance. Its a small chance but its a chance.


Sliding


Toronto Blue Jays

They'll never have a pitcher like Roy Halladay again. Expect them to contend for baseball's worst record.

Los Angeles Angels

They lost their ace pitcher and lead off man and failed to replace either. But they did add a Japanese player who looks older than my grandfather.


It's Going To Be A Long Year


San Diego Padres

Adrian Gonzalez: Hurry up and trade me, I can't take much more of this.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Don't worry Andrew McCutchen you have talent and a bright future. You won't be in Pittsburgh long.

Cleveland Indians

I give you the cast of Major League 4. But instead of a comedy, this will be a tragedy.

Awards

AL MVP- Evan Longoria
NL MVP- Albert Pujols

AL Cy Young- Felix Hernandez
NL Cy Young- Roy Halladay

AL Rookie of the Year- Scott Sizemore
NL Rookie of the Year- Jason Heyward

AL Manager of the Year- Don Wakamatsu
NL Manager of the Year- Bobby Cox

There you have it folks. Feel free to voice your thoughts and opinions about the season on facebook or twitter. Just search Ice Cold Sports. We'll see you tonight at Fenway Park for Opening Night.