Where Does A-Rod Rank Among The Game's Elite

Alex Rodriguez has now gotten 3,000 hits and over 500 home runs and owns many major league records, but where does he rank among the elite. This is an interesting question as you must look at many different things when you talk about A-Rod. One of the things you really do not need to look at is his numbers. They are some of the best around, but many people want to put an asterisk around those numbers, and I guess they should have the right to do that considering A-Rod's past.

Everyone knows A-Rod has used steroids and have been suspended for it a good amount of games. Now I think this should factor into it, but the question is how much of a factor. It is hard not to consider him an elite player as he showed what he could do before steroids. As a Mariner and a Rangers play he put up some very good numbers. He continued that as he moved to the Yankees. The real question which is anyones guess is when he started using steroids. No one really has an answer for that one.

The way I look at it is A-Rod was an elite prospect and would be an elite player no matter what. Taking it all away because of some mistakes is just not fair. I look for A-Rod to get the benefit of the doubt over time. He will get into the Hall Of Fame eventually it will just take some time for it to happen.

MLB Baseball Wipe Out Some Royals Fans Ballots As Too Excessive

It seems the Kansas City Royals fans know how to vote and vote very well. Kansas City fans voted enough to have around seven possible starters for the mid-season classic. MLB did not find alot in humor in what the fans were trying to do. MLB voided some millions of fans votes. You are allowed to vote up to 35 times, but according to Major League Baseball some people were way over that amount so some votes were voided. You cannot blame Major League Baseball as they are just doing the right thing. No one city should dominate the voting that way.

Fans come to the all-star game to watch a variety of players and no team should dominate the lineup. I do  agree with Major League Baseball on you just can't let the voting  be rigged. There has to be a point where you have to stop it. Should MLB take away the voting from the fans? Many people are voicing that is what should happen.

I think that we need to put some kind of rules in about voting for the fans. I do not know how to do it but we cannot have voting rigged for this event. Players should be chosen on a certain formula not just who gets the most votes from the fans. Hopefully, after what has happened in this years voting some changes must be made. I hope they do not take it away from the fan's as in my opinion that would not be fair.

What's Next For The Cavaliers?

What is next for the Cleveland Cavaliers and there team moving forward. Las Vegas already has them as the favorite to win it, but I am not so sure about that one just yet. Cleveland has a lot of issues that must be address this off season. LeBron James and Kevin Love will both probably opt out and must be resigned. Both players have indicated they want to be back with the Cavaliers and will resign with them.

Does resigning those two guarantee anything for the Cavaliers? The answer is no because that is only three players. Cleveland must improved there second unit if they want a chance for a title. The problem is finding those players in free agency. Other teams will also try and get them under contract as well. I do not think the real issue will be that for the Cleveland Cavaliers it will be LeBron James. No signing him won't be a problem it is all the other problems he brings to the team. Let's look at some of those issues right now.

LeBron James maybe the best player in the league right now but he is dong some things that will turn off other players. Chris Bosh said it best when he said it is tough playing basketball with LeBron James. He runs the team and some players that rubs the wrong way. There is a coach on the team, but LeBron basically overrules the coach in Cleveland. Players like a structure atmosphere and with James around many times that is not the case. For as good as James is he just has to much power as a player and that is why many guys don't want to play with him.

David Blatt Deserved More Respect Then He Got

David Blatt was excited to be the Cleveland Cavaliers coach, but after one season he may have second thoughts about it. Blatt had a great resume of accomplishments in foreign countries, but doing it in the United States is much different. Blatt found out when you get to the states the pressure is very intense to deliver a winner to a franchise that has never won one. Cleveland is starved for a winner and when that happens many times people will show you no respect. Blatt has learned that first hand from his first full season in the NBA.

Everyone from the outside had this impression that David Blatt was running the team, but over the season we could see that was not the case at all. Lebron James was making more decisions as the season went along and you just cannot have that happen. Blatt became a lame duck coach. Players at the end were tuning him out and you had to feel sorry for the guy. No matter what decision he made the media jumped all over him about it. Coaching Lebron James is never easy, but knowing he has the authority to change things and overrule the coach had to hurt Blatt.

Where does this leave David Blatt? Well the truth is that is a good question. Blatt in my opinion will not be around long. Cleveland does everything to make Lebron James happy, so look for a new coach in the near future. I just cannot see Blatt playing second fiddle to Lebron James for a very long time. One of the main reasons is Blatt will never get the respect and credit he deserves and that is a shame. People have been piling it on Blatt for no real good reason.

Losing Can Be A Good Thing For King James

Now through the years I have been critical of Lebron James and getting to the NBA Finals and winning them. When he went to Miami I thought he was buying an NBA Championship and he did win a couple of times, so you must tip your hat to him. Now though after another Finals loss many people keep piling it on Lebron James, but I will not be one of them. Many people want to compare him to Michael Jordan which just is not fair at all. Jordan will in my mind always be the greatest and never losing an NBA Finals has forever cemented his legacy.

Back to Lebron James and what he did in the NBA Finals. Now during this season he had Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving for different parts of it. Once he reached the NBA Finals though he lost two of his best players and the supporting cast was not the greatest, but good enough to win. Yes, Lebron James had a monster series, but this loss should be pinned on his supporting cast, but it will not. James teammates had plenty open looks, but did not knock them down when it counted. You cannot blame James for that one. He put them in position to make plays, but his teammates failed him miserably.

Losing this NBA Finals could be a good thing for King James. People were able to see one man cannot carry the whole team. James did all he could do against the Warriors to get a championship, but it did not happen. I think this lost showed people how much James cares about winning and how talented he happens to be as a basketball player. He did more then anyone could ask of a player. Win or lose give Lebron James credit he laid it all on the line for his team and the city of Cleveland. We really cannot ask anymore from him.

King James On Epic Finals Run

LeBron James many times has been his own worst enemy, saying things that could be turned around on him. In this Finals though he has been epic to say the least. James has done everything for his team. He was run out on a rail when he left Cleveland, but in this Finals without a doubt could be his best ever. James has been able to do whatever has been needed of him to win games. In fact, Cleveland could easily be up two games to none.

The one thing that has set James apart this Finals is his ability to keep the Cavaliers together despite all the injuries. Most teams would have fell apart, but James has been able to keep them together. This is a testament to the kind of leader LeBron James has been for the Cleveland Cavaliers. What's next for King James?

LeBron James must continue to play well in the NBA Finals, but some people will say he did not do enough. The truth is without James Cleveland would be down 2-0. James has had an Epic Finals and we should really expect no less from the best player in basketball. Like him or hate him give LeBron James credit for playing at such a high level despite the injuries.

Cleveland Cavaliers Blew A Golden Opportunity In NBA Finals

The Cleveland Cavaliers had the Golden State Warriors on the ropes and did not take them out a big mistake. Lebron  James had a monster game and it was all for nothing as the Cavaliers fell in overtime 108-100 to Golden State.  Kyrie Irving had a very good game but his knee started acting up and he could be limited or done for the series. The Cavaliers cannot afford to lose Irving for an extended period of time and Lebron James frustrations continue in a Cavaliers uniform as he has failed to win a Finals game as a Cavalier.

Besides the Irving problem the Cavaliers have other pressing issues as well. Cleveland must figure how to slow down the Warriors who have ten good players they can throw at you every night. The Cavaliers cannot match that and the depth could be a real issue for them. As good as James is he is only one guy and they just do not have the firepower to match up. If Cleveland wants to win they will need to play better defense and hope Golden State struggles from the floor.