Xpinionated

My indefatigable optimism has suddenly become very defatigable. In fact, it may now be lingering on pessimism.

The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker and the Redskins parted ways late Sunday night in a deal that allowed Arrington to become a free agent while giving the team a needed break in its effort to get under the salary cap. An official with knowledge of the transaction, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said Arrington agreed to a buyout that relinquished more than $4 million rather than restructure his contract in a way that would allow him to remain in Washington.

Nothing but a distraction the last season and a half. Take that show on the road…..

It only took approximately three weeks, but I estimate by the end of today I will have finished three pounds of skittles!!!

My teeth would like to thank all the people who supported them through this sweet, hard, enduring, crunchy ride.

Phoenix has released him. Aaron McKie was to be the off the bench veteran we could have used. He’s injured. I say look more at Jim Jackson than Penny Hardaway….but then again Mitch Kupchak is there so we’ll probably end up bringing nothing in …..

ESPN.com - NCF - ACC team-by-team spring guide

Virginia Tech Hokies
• The Hokies open spring practice March 22 and finish with the spring game on April 15.

• After four years of stability on coach Frank Beamer’s staff, there was a flurry of change this offseason. The most recent movement involves former NC State head coach Mike O’Cain, who replaced Kevin Rogers as the Hokies’ quarterbacks coach in late February. Rogers took a job with the Minnesota Vikings. Curt Newsome was hired to coach Tech’s tight ends and offensive tackles, replacing Danny Pearman, while former Wake Forest assistant Kevin Sherman will coach the team’s receivers. Sherman takes over for Tony Ball, who left Blacksburg after eight seasons to take the running backs post at Georgia. O’Cain’s first order of business will be to find a replacement for starting quarterback Marcus Vick, who was booted off the team in January.

ESPN.com - NFL - Brunell to restructure contract pending CBA negotiations

Like all NFL teams, the Redskins are in flux with their free agency plans because of the last-minute collective bargaining talks. If no agreement is reached, Washington will have to make some $20 million in cuts Thursday to get below the 2006 salary cap.

Oddly enough, the Lakers this year seem to be on the Christmas list of any team knee deep in a losing streak. The loss, wait….embarassing loss, to the Charlotte Bobcats earlier this season ended what I believe was a double digit losing streak for the toddling Bobcats.

Last night’s mockery ended a 6 game slide for the Blazers. The Clippers loss last week, yep they had lost 5 in a row before getting on the court with the Lakers. The Pacers 6 game nosedive at the end of January was swiftly corrected on Feb 1 with a 105 - 79 defeat of the Lakers.

Have I made my point yet?

I know there is something to be said for winning your division. But more often than not, particularly in the NBA, teams are defined more by their conference than they are their division. I say, give the team a banner for winning their division but scrap the division winners get the top 3 seeds in each conference. It’s a true shame that the Nuggets are currently the 3rd seed in the west with a record surpassed by all the playoff teams but the 8th seeded Lakers, and even then only by a game. Reward the teams that play well and not those that are benefitting from a particular weak division.

I mean, the Lakers have won plenty of Pacific Division titles but I never found myself buying a t-shirt that said something about it…..

Kobe is averaging 8 assists per game for his last four games, and 7.2 assists per game since the All-Star break. Maybe he was giving us a preview of things to come in the All-Star game when he kept giving McGrady the ball???