ON THE MARK.

NASH THE SLASH.  ANOTHER FUTURE HALL OF FAMER.
When "Kid Canada", Steve Nash, signed with the Los Angeles Lakers back in the summer, visions of an NBA championship danced around in the head of Kobe Bryant, not to mention millions of Lakers fans.  For Kobe, a sixth championship would tie him with the great Michael Jordan.  For Nash, a Laker championship would be his first.  In fact, Nash has played more games than anyone in history, over 1100, without ever reaching an NBA finals.  Who do you think is hungrier for a title?   Ever since Nash returned from a fractured leg, the Lakers have looked like a totally different team.  Despite hovering around the .500 mark, L.A. has the horses to go all the way.  And when you've got 3 MVP awards, 22 All-star game selections, 13 First team all star selections, 5 NBA assist titles and 2 scoring titles starting in your backcourt, you are EXPECTED to win.   Forget that Nash will be 39 years of age in February and Kobe is a well-worn 34.  These two may be the most talented backcourt in NBA HISTORY.  And whenever the Lakers are playing, which means a lot of late west coast games, I'll be staying up to watch.
      
I really think I'm going to miss the NHL Winter Classic come next Tuesday.  It really has been appointment viewing over the past few years, even though the games have been somewhat sloppy.   Just the idea of 110 thousand fans sitting outdoors at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan to watch the Leafs play the Red Wings gives me goosebumps.   Normally, I'm glued to the TV on New Years Day to check out college football games as well.   This year, there isn't a meaningful game until January 7th, when Notre Dame takes on Alabama in the BCS National Championship in Miami.   For years, it was the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl and Rose Bowl on New Years Day, but the BCS has rendered those games useless, except for fans of the respective schools.   This year, with no NHL Winter Classic, it's back to watching meaningless college football on New Years Day.   What a shame.  The NHL could've held center stage on New Years Day.  Instead they'll ring in the New Year in the boardroom.  Maybe.

January will also see the announcement of the 2013 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees.  On the 9th, the Baseball Writers Association of America will announce the player(s) who received votes on at least 75% of the writers ballots.  Of course, this is the first year of eligibility for Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa, all of whom would be lock cinches under normal circumstances because of their impressive statistics.  However, those three are the poster boys for the steroid era, and many writers have already said they will NOT include such players on their ballot.   Even though none of them actually tested positive for PEDs, where there's smoke, there's fire.    Personally, I wouldn't include any of them on my ballot, but only because it's their first year of eligibility.  By next year at this time, when players such as Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux are on the ballot, it may be even tougher to gauge whether or not Bonds, Clemens and Sosa are worthy.   In 2015, you can add Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez to the list of candidates Maybe the talk of steroids settles down.  Maybe the writers feel the numbers are so outstanding, they MUST induct any or all of Bonds, Clemens and Sosa.   Or maybe the writers elect Jack Morris and Mike Piazza this year, and all those who were linked to PEDs get the cold shoulder from now on.   Now that would be justice.