Special Super Segment of Sports

...or what I like to call "SSSS." I'm going to do an all-around sports news overview today, since there we no other big headlines in the news, except for the flooding in the Midwest, but I'm not an expert in natural disasters. There was also the funeral for Tim Russert, may he rest in peace; but other than that, no major news. Anyway, let's go around the horn of sports:

• NBA: The Celtics are looking good as the new NBA Champions, but where does this leave the Los Angeles Lakers? LA Times Sportswriter Bill Plaschke commented that the League MVP Kobe Bryant, who Lakers fans were resting their Championship hopes on, was "AWFUL" and is definitely "not Michael Jordan." Bryant might be the MVP, but this 2008 postseason proved that scoring looks good on the highlight reels, but teamwork still wins championships. How are the Lakers going to rebound next season, especially in one of the toughest conferences ever in the history of the NBA? Obviously it can't rely solely on Kobe. That's why the future of the Lakers will depend on Andrew Bynum, the young 7 foot center who was injured and couldn't play for the Lakers when they needed him the most -- in the playoffs. If Bynum can perform, then the Lakers can put Pau Gasol as a power forward, Kobe should get more second chances at missed shots, and then the trio should be able to do well next season. But it really will depend if Bynum, the "A-Train," is ready to go full steam ahead. And by the way Lamar Odom fans, don't expect to see him in a Lakers' jersey next year.
• NFL: There's just some minicamps and NFL players going to parties and being robbed and getting knocked unconscious. Nothing big here. But, I'll give you two big predictions I'm making about the 2008 season:
  
• BUY -- San Diego Chargers: Remember last year? They made it all the way to the AFC Championship game until they lost to the Patriots. And for the 2008-09 season, they got the 2nd easiest schedule (in terms of strength of schedule). They're also in a relatively weak division (what competition, The Broncos? The Chiefs?) in the AFC West. As long as Philip Rivers is playing smart football, there's no reason the Chargers shouldn't be back in the Super Bowl hunt.
• SELL -- Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are stuck in a tough division (the Jaguars really could storm back in 2008; Titans and Texans are also somewhat decent) and have the second hardest schedule. Also, I'm sorry, but I just don't believe in Peyton Manning. Sure, he'll give you all the numbers you want in the season, but when he hits the playoffs, he buckles. I know he's a cool guy (with the charity he does and his SNL skits), but I really believe he's one of the overrated players in the league. Don't believe me? Check this out: Excluding the 2006 Super Bowl run, Peyton is just 3-7 career-wise in the postseason. And even in that 2006 Super Bowl run, Peyton was the only quarterback to have thrown more interceptions that touchdowns and win the Super Bowl. He won't be getting away with that now in the tough AFC Conference.
  
• MLB: I know I really don't follow baseball as well as I do with the NFL (I like football better), but when the hell did the Tampa Bay (no-longer-Devil) Rays become a good team? As of this posting, the Rays are 42-29, and, if the season ended today, would earn the AL Wildcard spot for the postseason. Can anybody tell me where the hell the Yankees are in this picture? At least the Red Sox are still leading the AL East Division.
  
• NHL: The NHL has decided to tweak some rules...again. The biggest change I think, is the one to Rule 76.2, which now places the "first faceoff of a power play in the defending zone of the team that committed the foul." I guess it's another attempt by the NHL to pump up the scoring in games. Because as we all know, fans don't care about defense, checking, and fighting, right?
• Golf: During his victory at the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods tore a ligament in his left knee and will need season-ending surgery to correct it. The PGA is concerned because nobody will care about golf now.
  

That's all you need to know in the world of sports for today. I'm Rich Liebig and this has been SSSS.