MLB, NFL, + NBA Happenings

MLB Happenings

Albert Pujols, hands down the most dominant player in baseball currently, has enlisted a deadline for the Cardinals to get a contract done. Noon today, and as of 10:55 am Buster Olney (ESPN) has stated that talks have ended at Pujols has made it seem that he will test free agency at the end of the year now. He is looking for a 10 year/300 million dollar contract, which is just insane. He is 31 currently, which would mean by the end of his contract he will be getting paid 30 million a year at age 41. I am in the Cardinals corner on this one as I don't think any player is worth that much money, and I think Pujols should be giving them a hometown discount as he has been a Cardinal his entire career. It really makes me look down on Pujols because I always looked at him as the 'Anti-ARod' that cared more about the team than a paycheck but now I am starting to wonder. I think a good fit for Pujols if it isn't the Cardinals would be the San Francisco Giants, who need offense, the Toronto Blue Jays, who won 85 games last year and with Pujols would probably win upwards of 90.

NFL Happenings

Teams were allowed to place the franchise tag on players now. In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has access each year to only one franchise tag (of either the exclusive or non-exclusive forms). As a result, each team may only designate one player each year as that team's franchise player.

So far these players have been given the Franchise Tag:

Indianapolis Colts - QB Peyton Manning
Philadelphia Eagles - QB Michael Vick (Only exclusive tag so far)
Baltimore Ravens - DT Haloti Ngata
New England Patriots - OL Logan Mankins
New York Jets - LB David Harris
San Diego Chargers - WR Vincent Jackson

The potential franchise-tag contract numbers for 2011 (according to NFL.com):
Quarterbacks: $16 million ($16.4 million in 2010)
Running backs: $9.5 million ($8.15 million in 2010)
Wide receivers: $11.3 million ($9.5 million in 2010)
Tight ends: $7.3 million ($5.9 million in 2010)
Offensive linemen: $10.1 million ($10.7 million in 2010)
Defensive ends: $12.9 million ($12.4 million in 2010)
Defensive tackles: $12.5 million ($7 million in 2010)
Linebackers: $10 million ($9.7 million in 2010)
Cornerbacks: $14 million ($9.6 million in 2010)
Safeties: $8.8 million ($6.5 million in 2010)
Kickers: $3.1 million ($2.8 million in 2010)

NBA Happenings:

There was an amazing pass by Dwayne Wade in the Heat's win last night (seen below). He also added 41 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. The 'Big Three' scored 90 points for the Heat in the 110-103 win. The Wade pass is already being called the pass of the year, and Lebron James had this to say about the full court alley-oop from Wade: "(Wade) threw the best pass in NBA history".