DENVER VS. ATL ITS GOIN DOWN

Ron J

Poised To Dominate

The no-huddle offense is perfectly suited to Matt Ryan's skill set, and given Atlanta's other weapons it can be devastating to defenses.

ALABAMA AND LSU NO.1 AND NO.2 AGAIN

The Crimson Tide is No. 1 for the third straight week, and it was almost unanimous. Alabama received 58 of 60 first-place votes. LSU got the other two.
The Southeastern Conference rivals were ranked first and second for eight weeks during last season before eventually meeting in the BCS title game. The difference last year was LSU was first and Alabama second -- until the Tide won the national championship game.
LSU moved up to No. 2 this week after Southern California's first loss of the season. USC slipped 11 spots to 13th after losing 21-14 at Stanford.

LEBRONS SNEAKERS ARE SOUPED UP?????

It won't be the $300 sneaker, after all.
After The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the new LeBron signature shoe would retail for $315, the cost of the shoes became a hot debate among the media and general public.

 

As it turns out, the shoe, a version of the LeBron X, will be sold in a pack for $270, Nike spokesman Brian Strong confirmed to ESPN.com on Thursday.
Nike had previously said that, at the time of the report, a price had not yet been set.
Sources say the majority of the LeBron X shoes that will hit the market on Sept. 29 will retail for $180. But the Nike+ enabled version of the shoe, which allows for technology to be embedded in the mid-sole of the shoe, will be sold with the sensors, the adapter and charger -- together called the Sport Kit -- for $270.
Should consumers already own the kit, the Nike+ enabled LeBron X also will be sold separately for $200.
The Nike+ version allows the athlete to measure various metrics, including vertical leap, and sync it with the Nike+ basketball app.
Between its Nike, Jordan and Converse Brands, Nike owns roughly 95 percent of the United States' basketball shoe market.

NBA ROOKIES PLAN 2 TAKE OVER THIS YEAR

The 2012 NBA Draft has come and gone, and now it is time to dissect these young rookies and predict exactly what they'll do in their rookie campaigns. Some will certainly do better than others.
The rookie with the most expectations is obviously Anthony Davis. He's a young player, but he's got the talent to legitimize the high expectations New Orleans fans will have for him. Other highly-touted players will also have to use every bit of their talent, and then some, to live up to the massive pressure put on them.
The players who will live up to the pressure will be the ones who are ultimately successful in the NBA.

STEVE NASH ALSO ACQUIRED

The idea that Steve Nash would end up a Laker seemed unfathomable to some fans, but Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak made it happen. 

While news of the trade has been welcomed with mostly positive reaction, Steve Nash may not bring the productivity he has during his time as a Phoenix Sun. 

The addition of Steve Nash to the Los Angeles Lakers may prove to be fool’s gold

DWIGHT HOWARD FINALLY IN LA.........

Now, the Lakers have acquired Orlando's Dwight Howard, a truly elite player who at 26 is only now entering his prime, and have done so at as small a cost as could possibly be expected -- Andrew Bynum and a future first-round pick. The four-team trade, which also includes Denver and Philadelphia, will be submitted for league approval Friday morning, sources told ESPN on Thursday night. And it will not include Pau Gasol.