A-Rod in PED Trouble

Alex Rodriguez was one of the few athletes to come out of the Steroid Era and create a successful, trusting, drug-free comeback. But after recent allegations released by the Miami House, all of that seems to be a well crafted allusion.

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A list including disgraced slugger Melky Cabrera revealed that A-Rod used PEDs after one of many surgeries to help him get back in the game. He was noted down for HGH, a substance banned by the MLB.

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But, as most athletes do when charged with such crimes, A-rod is denying it. He has hired an attorney to sue to the makers of the list, calling it false and unreasonable. The Yankee star may miss all of the 2013-14 season due to surgery. His contract doesn't expire until the 14-15 season, but if the charges against him are true, the Yankees may release Rodriguez early.

Aussie Open Winners

After Serena Williams was upset by 19-year-old upstart Sloane Stephens, the Aussie Open was blown wide open. But, quickly restoring tennis to its normal routine of the most experienced wins it all, Victoria Azarenka defeated Stephens to go onto the finals. Pitted against Chinese Li Na, who crushed Maria Sharapova, the Women's Finals was sure to be interesting. Azarenka beat Na in a 3-set match that last just under three hours. The win here was her second straight Aussie Title.

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The men's match-up was no less interesting. Two tennis greats, Novak Djokovic played Andy Murray for the title. Murray had a stunning 2012, with a gold at the 2012 London Olympics. But Djokovic outplayed him in a five-set duel. Famous for ripping his shirt after a tough win in the semis, Djokovic seemed pretty content with his third straight title.

Opinion: Lance Isn't Bad

I remember buying my first Livestrong bracelet. After it, I went on to buy three more. And the feeling I got when I bought them stayed the same. Even when i look back at my yellow band of hope, I feel the same way. Sure, Lance Armstrong lied, he doped. His legacy may be tarnished, his reputation ruined. But all of that is as an athlete, an elite cyclist.

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I was fascinated with this man, a role model, a fighter. He gave me hope. When I wore his bracelet, I supported his fight against cancer. I supported Lance Armstrong. And when all's said and done, I still support him. I respect Lance Armstrong. I look up to him, just as I did before he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and Olympic bronze medal.

As an athlete, the greatest dishonor you get is lying, cheating to the millions that loved and adored you. What's worse for Armstrong is that he did it so well for fourteen years, he even had his family fooled. People are so quick to judge to him, forgetting all the great things he did.

Lance Armstrong beat cancer. He helped people with the same problems he had. He taught everyone how to believe and how to have hope, even in the most dire situations. For that, I am forever grateful. Armstrong inspired me. He will always be a great person in my book, no matter what the records show. Sometimes, the best athletes are the ones who give everything because everything was taken away from them.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams is starting off 2013 with a smash at the Aussie Open. After an amazing 2012 in the London Olympics, winning singles' and doubles' gold, Williams got off to a hot start this year. She cruised into the semifinals of the Australian Open.

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After almost shutting out all her opponents, Williams seems like a likely candidate to make it all the way to the final round. She is the heavy favorite, which is rare for an American tennis player. But Williams has appeal; she's good looking, she's athletic, she has sponsorships, and most of all, she continues to get better and better despite aging.

Will Serena Williams win the Aussie Open? Only time will tell. But, one thing's for sure. Williams' legacy is going to go down as one of the best tennis players in history.

James Hits 20k, 5k

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LeBron James is on of the greatest players in the NBA, and one of the youngest to be so great. The only player as young as James to win anything was Kobe Bryant, who held the record for youngest player to 20k career points--until yesterday. Bryant was 29, LeBron is 28 and smashed the record. In an "easy" game for him, James become the youngest player to hit 20k career points in the second quarter. He also hit 5k career assists, joining an elite group.

While he's still over 18,000 points away from the most points in a career, fans speculate it won't be so far away. "King James" has been playing in the NBA for about eight years, and has up to ten years left in him. It wouldn't be so far fetched to suggest that the newly humbled player can break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record of 38,387. James suggests that if anyone can break the record, it'll be Kobe Bryant not him.

Lance Armstrong to Come Clean

In a candid interview with Oprah Winfrey to air on Thursday, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong is rumored to come clean about his doping. The prostate cancer survivor was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and resigned as chairman of his charity foundation.

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Armstrong was ready to admit it all to Oprah, but she does admit "We were mesmerized and riveted by some of his answers." Some speculate that Armstrong did not apologize, rather just admit that he used performance-enhancing drugs. Many fans are still inspired by his stories and don't care that his accolades have been taken away from him.

The true demeanor of the interview will be up to individual perspective. The interview will be aired on Oprah's OWN.

Playoffs Continue

AFC: Baltimore Ravens (38) vs. Denver Broncos (35)

What seemed like a somewhat easy victory for Peyton Manning and his Broncos was anything but. Neck and neck the whole way, the Broncos-ravens thriller is one for the books. Rookie QB for the Ravens, Joe Flacco saved the game for his team with 31 seconds left in the game and seven points down. He completed a 70 yard pass for a touchdown to go into overtime. Peyton Manning was spectacular early on, but an interception in the second overtime led the Ravens to hit a field goal, keeping veteran Ray Lewis' legacy alive. The Ravens will play the winner of the Texans-Patriots.

NFC:Green Bay Packers (31) vs. San Francisco 49ers (45)
Some called it Judgement Day for Jim Harbaugh, coach of the 49ers after his decision to keep second year QB Colin Kaepernick instead of Alex Smith. His decision paid off. Kaepernick ran for 181 yards, setting a QB record. Veteran Aaron Rodgers looked out of sync with the Packers, completing only 26 of 39. The Niners dominated the whole way, setting a post season record of 579 total yards. The 49ers will play the winner of the Falcons-Seahawks game for the NFC title.

Messi, Wambach Win POY

  FIFA recently announced their Player Of The Year award, which is an annual award that goes to the best all-around player on and off the soccer field.

Abby Wambach became the first American player in a decade to win the award, after the great Mia Hamm. Wambach's performance in the 2012 Olympics was stellar, she notched five goals to increase her international total to 152, six shy of Hamm. She beat out teammate Alex Morgan and five time winner Marta of Brazil.

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Lionel Messi added another award to his already spectacular 2012. This is his fourth time winning, becoming the first player to do so. Messi recently broke the record of most goals scored in a calendar year, with 91. he beat out Christiano Ronaldo and Iniesta, who had won three times each as well.

Opinion: Lakers Need Time

With the Lakers' recent loss against the Denver Nuggets that dropped them to 15-18, they fell to 11th in the Western Conference. The numbers are against them, the surprisingly talented Western Conference is against them, even their fans are turning against them. Yes, they probably won't make the playoffs this year, with the injury-stricken Gasol and Howard.

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But, a great team takes time to make. In 2009, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were traded to the Miami Heat in what was called the best Big Three of our time. They failed to make the playoffs that year, and only won a championship in 2012, three seasons after the "Dream Team" was drafted.

The LA Lakers face a similar situation. After acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to assemble the "Best Starting Five." Mike D'Antoni, Nash's former coach from the Phoenix Suns was called to be the new coach, ripping Phil Jackson, the man that led Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace to three rings together. With everyone on the Lakers aging, it will take time to learn D'Antoni's fast-paced offense and no-defense ways.

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By 2015, if the Lakers manage to keep the same coaching staff and players, they should have a championship ring to their name. If not, then the Lakers need to step back and reexamine where they went wrong. For now, though, LA belongs to the budding Clippers.

NFL Playoffs

It's playoff time in the NFL! Included in the three week excitement are the wild-card games, the divisional title games, and of course the grand prize, the Super Bowl.




The action started on Saturday, with the AFC Wild-card round. The Houstan Texans were pitted against rival team Cincinnati Bengals, in a thriller 19-13 win for the Texans. They will face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots next Sunday. The Baltimore Ravens played the Indianapolis Colts. Rookie QB Andrew Luck couldn't deliver the win for the Colts, who lost 24-9. Ravens' veteran Ray Lewis announced his retirement after this season, and said he was blessed to win his last game at home. The Ravens will face Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos next Saturday.




The NFC Wild-card round teams were the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Adrian Peterson didn't have what it took to beat out Aaron Rodgers, as the Packers defeated the Vikings 24-10. The Packers will face the San Francisco 49ers next Saturday. The Seattle Seahawks faced the Washington Redskins. Rookie QB RGIII led the 'Skins to two touchdowns, before his right knee gave out and he had to be carried off. Russell Wilson led the 'Hawks to deliver twenty-four unanswered points to be the only team in the wild-card round to win an away playoff game this year. They will play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.



Who's going to win the AFC and NFC, then the Super Bowl?