If you’ve kept up with the news at all, you’ve probably seen a lot of coverage about Pete Rose and whether or not he belongs in Cooperstown. My thoughts about this issue will follow.

Rose was exiled from baseball after being caught gambling on games involving a team he managed about 20 years ago. While he violated a code of conduct, this has nothing to do with anything done while he was a professional baseball player.

Another reason I believe that Pete should be let in is that even though he did bet on the game of baseball, it was after he even quit playing. So a lifetime ban was a little to harsh, don’t you think?

Neftali Feliz: Any player that can regularly pitch 100 mph fastballs has the chance to dominate in the majors. As long as his arm stays strong, he can easily do this.

Gordon Beckham. A true five-tooler in every sense of the world when it comes to baseball. From fielding, to hitting, to speed (which happens to be exceptional), Beckham has one of the brightest futures in major league baseball.

Justin Smoak – Man, this guy is a big bopper. He has power and he has a glove. I wouldn’t be surprised if he won a few home run derbys before it’s all said and done. He will be a huge impact player.

There you have it, the battle for Lamar Odom has ended.

Laker’s fans breathe a huge sigh of relief with this signing, as the future of the NBA champions was certainly in jeopardy. As for the Heat, who nearly succeeded in landing Odom, things in Miami still urgently need attention. Dwyane Wade in Miami after this season is far from a certainty.

Does this success on the Lakers’ part lock up another NBA ring for the team in 09-10? I do think they’ll win – however, I think they would win again with or without Lamar on their squad.

Thought by many to be one of the NBA’s best current players (and most definitely the top point guard), Chris Paul made a recent trip back to China, home of the 2008 olympics and Paul’s first ever Olympics gold.

While there are only a few NBA players who hail from China (they can probably be counted on one hand), Chris Paul has different feelings about the state of Chinese basketball.

Paul had a very emotional experience in Beijing last summer at the 2008 Olympic games. He claims that it changed his outlook on life, and his connection to the nation remains strong, as evidenced by his recent trip back to China.