Carrier Classic about much more than the final score

By Gary Parrish | CBSSports.com College Basketball Insider Follow Gary

  Roy Williams and Tom Izzo said the game played before 8,111 people worked out well. (US Presswire)  

CORONADO, Calif. -- Tom Izzo had spent the past few days touring a Navy base, walking through ships, shaking the hands of military personnel and just generally taking in all the sights and sounds of what he later acknowledged created a "helluva memory." And now here he was, only a few minutes away from the first high-profile college basketball game of the season, anxious and ready and making small talk with the President of the United States.

North Carolina beats Michigan State onboard aircraft carrier on Veterans Day - National College Basketball | Examiner.com

The North Carolina Tar Heels beat the Michigan State Spartans, 67-55, as the two teams opened the season aboard the USS Carl Vinson carrier ship.

The game itself, in the San Diego Bay, was set to play on the aircraft carrier in April, although the specific ship was kept under wraps for security purposes. Tickets were given to close to 4,000 military men and women as well as specified people associated with the two schools.

Chicago Bulls: Why a Trade for OJ Mayo or Courtney Lee Is Not the Best Option | Bleacher Report

As a featured columnist for the Chicago Bulls, and one of the more read writers, I get asked questions frequently in regards to a trade for players like OJ Mayo or Courtney Lee and whether I think it is in best interest to make a trade.

Fundamentally, I think that right now it is in the Bulls' best interest to seek a shooting guard through free agency for two reasons.

Lockout cloud hovers over outdoor game - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles

SAN DIEGO -- Shannon Brown arrived at will call several hours before tipoff for Friday’s inaugural Carrier Classic between North Carolina and Michigan State and who was one of the first people he saw waiting in line?

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.

Dwight Howard’s charity game: so far, about two-thirds of the way to a sellout

Anfernee Hardaway , Brandon Bass , Chris Duhon , D12 Foundation , Daniel Orton , DeShawn Stevenson , Drew Gooden , Dwight Howard , Dwight Howard's charity basketball game , Earl Clark , Gilbert Arenas , Jameer Nelson , Jason Richardson , Lil Wayne , Mike Miller , Orlando Magic , Penny Hardaway , Quentin Richardson , Rashard Lewis , Ryan Anderson , Steve Francis , Ticketmaster , UCF Arena , Vince Carter — posted by Josh Robbins on November, 10 2011 3:17 PM

Denver East's David Oliver incorporates football into hurdles - The Denver Post

David Oliver doesn't hop over hurdles so much as he punishes them, hitting the obstacles in his path with enough ferocity to make them wobble in his wake.

The former wide receiver turned Olympic bronze medalist treats the hurdles like an oncoming defensive back, plowing straight through them to reach his intended destination, which was once the end zone and is now the finish line after giving up football after his career at Howard University.

Who are NBA's best players age 30 and above?

With Kobe Bryant's 33rd birthday on tap Tuesday, here's a question:

Who are the NBA's top 20 players at least 30 years old? Here's our list of players whom Father Time won't forget but who won't hate the lockout as much as their young-gun counterparts if the work stoppage steams through the winter.

1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers . Watch the highlights of Bryant's Drew League game Tuesday, and take note of the one-legged Dirk-style post-up fadeaways that gently dropped through the net. That's Kobe – always plugging holes and building new bridges to take his game to the title. (And the shot doesn't ask anything of his troublesome right knee except to raise up and give him some space from the defender.) The bigger issue will be melding that passion into teamwork that works well for Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, too, but Bryant, who turns 33 Tuesday, will return to NBA play – whenever that is – with even more motivation than usual.

Charlotte Bobcats History

AUTHOR: Andrew Barraclough | IN: Bobcats | COMMENTS: None Yet |

A look back at Bobcats HISTORY!  Picture the old school news-reel footage.  Look!  A young(ish) Bernie Bikerstaff!  IS THAT JUMAINE JONES?!

“History” is a relative term of course.  7 seasons and the 8th is in jeopardy with the current NBA Lockout dragging out and worse than any of us could have imagined back when the Mavericks and the Heat were battling for the NBA Championship back in early June.  Before I begin to wallow in the pitiful act that so many of my fellow NBA bloggers have taken to, that of whining about nothing to talk about, let’s take a step back in time and look at what got us where we are today.

Nowitzki has 33 as Mavs oust Blazers | capsules, playoff, mavs - NBA Playoff Capsules - Brownsville Herald

Grizzlies forward Shane Battier says Memphis is electric, and he sees no problem with his teammates rebounding from Wednesday night's 110-103 overtime loss in San Antonio. They are trying to become the fourth No. 8 seed in NBA history to beat a top seed to win a playoff series, holding a 3-2 lead going into Friday night's game.

New Jersey Nets Season in Review

The 2010-2011 NBA season for the New Jersey Nets went as expected. There was no playoff berth, no hope of a winning season, and no real chance of making any noise whatsoever in the Eastern Conference. Instead, this year was defined as a “transitional year,” one that saw the Nets starting to make moves to get out of the mediocrity that has beleaguered this team since the end of the Jason Kidd era.

Miami Heat talking points: The East keeps getting tougher

The issue: The West, dominant for more than a decade, has been decimated.

Three young franchise players have gone East since the summer: Carmelo Anthony from Denver to New York, Deron Williams from Utah to New Jersey, Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix to New Jersey.

Add to that the career-threatening injuries to Yao Ming and Brandon Roy, as well as Greg Oden, which have foiled any intention Houston and Portland, respectively, had to contend.

NBA Tradegasm: Steve Nash Edition

NBA trade deadline! It’s happening! Real soon! Hide your kids! Hide your wife!

As I write this, we are coming up to being two weeks away from the February 24th NBA trade deadline. You all know at this point enough about the Carmelo Anthony to New York rumors/truths. They’ve been going on for a while. And really, they keep getting more outlandish, with the Denver Nuggets reportedly asking the Knicks for everything in return for Melo. But if Newsday’s Alan Hahn is to be believed (and he should, he knows these things), the Nuggets and the Knicks are now going to be hammering out the actual details of a trade until at least the 22nd. So let’s put this one to bed for now. There are, believe it or not, other possible trades out there. And they could be huge.

NBA Power Rankings: Are the Celtics, Spurs, and Heat Obvious List-Toppers?

This has been a busy NBA season so far. We’ve seen new unions and epic break-ups. We’ve seen brawls and epic falls and most of all we’ve seen solid competition throughout the league. Below you will see the NBA Power Rankings. I took stats, health, chemistry, and experience all into consideration.

Clinical Development in Asia Presents a New Frontier

Cost and Time Savings Are Top Benefits of Conducting Trials in Asia, Cutting Edge Information Study Finds

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC -- (Marketwire) -- 02/15/11 -- Many life science companies now view Asia as a critical piece of their clinical development strategy, according to a new study by research firm Cutting Edge Information. Executives participating in the study identified the top two benefits of utilizing trial sites in Asia as budget savings and faster trial completion.

Orlando and Boston Highlight Wednesday’s NBA Betting Action

Are you itching to get back into the NBA Betting action before this weekend’s All-Star break? Wait no longer, as a pair of the league’s best take the court Wednesday night.

Wednesday, February 16: 7:00 p.m., Live from Amway Arena, Orlando, FL

[Off topic: by the way, do you want to get a 55% bonus on your first deposit here at BetUS? Find out more exciting details HERE .]

Five trades we’d like to see (and we’re not talking ‘Melodrama) | ProBasketballTalk

It’s been quiet. Too quiet.

Serious trade chatter is down around the league. People are talking but there is less meaningful dialogue going on than in an Adam Sandler movie. Maybe it’s fear of the new CBA. Maybe it’s Carmelo Anthony creating a bottleneck. Maybe people are too busy playing Angry Birds.

MSU coach Tom Izzo wary of one-and-done prospects

Columbus, Ohio — Recruiting has never been easy for college basketball coaches, but in today's age of the one-and-done players, it can be especially difficult.

As Michigan State prepared to play No. 2 Ohio State and its superstar freshman, Jared Sullinger, on Tuesday, it seemed as good a time as any to ask Spartans coach Tom Izzo about his approach to recruiting players that have a high likelihood of not staying in school for more than a year or two.

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, a compendium of the usual suspects: Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Joe Namath, etc. All in all, a perfectly fine idea. Except for one detail.

The magazine took the easy way out.

Here's the thing about talented athletes: They're generally cool by default. Throw a football 60 yards? You'll be admired. Soar through the air with the greatest of ease? Sprint as though your shoes contain nitroglycerin? Society's unconditional approval awaits. Indeed, physical prowess is a first-class, all-expenses-paid ticket to Coolville, population: you . This is true for Tom Brady; it's true when picking teams in elementary school; it means that the real challenge for gifted jocks isn't being cool but rather finding a way to screw up said coolness.

NBA All-Star Game: Dwight Howard and the Top 25 All-Star Dunks

With the NBA All-Star Game approaching, memories of past games, skills contests, and slam dunk competitions come swirling back.

Some of the best dunks of all time have taken place during All-Star weekend.

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is one of the best high-flyers in the league. Although he won't be participating in this year's dunk contest, he has given crowds some amazing moments in the past.

Howard scores 32 to lead Magic over Wizards 101-76

ORLANDO, Fla. - Dwight Howard had 32 points and 10 rebounds for his 45th double-double of the season and the Orlando Magic beat the Washington Wizards 101-76 Wednesday night.

The Magic won their second straight game and head into the All-Star break winners of four of their last five. They are 10-1 in their last 11 games against teams with records below .500.