The Dodgers ownership regime of the past eight seasons has been seen as a black eye on a very historic and legendary franchise. Owner Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie had purchased the team in 2004 and although the team has made the playoffs four times out of the eight seasons, the McCourt’s messy divorce in 2010 has left the Dodgers organization in disarray.

But all is not lost for this historic franchise, as a cavalcade of celebrities have lined up to become potential owners of the team. Such names as former Dodgers manager Joe Torre, Magic Johnson, Larry King, Mark Cuban and former Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser are all trying to purchase the team.
This turn of events has led Dodgers fan to become hopeful for the direction of the organization, as their on the field future looks just as bright. The Dodgers have re-signed superstar outfielder Matt Kemp to an eight year contract, and have additionally signed free agent pitchers Aaron Harang, Chris Capuano and utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. to help build for the upcoming season. The McCourt era of the Dodgers is coming to a close and a promising future is on the horizon.

Shop all Los Angeles Dodgers merchandise and look forward to the future, as spring training is less than two months away!

The stalemate between David Stern and the New Orleans Hornets has finally ceased as the Los Angeles Clippers have acquired guard Chris Paul from the league-owned New Orleans Hornets.

It has been a crazy offseason so far, but no other story has enticed the masses more than the Chris Paul drama. The hubbub started last year as the Hornets were on the verge of contraction, until the NBA purchased the Hornets from previous owners George Shinn and Gary Chouest. Leagues have owned franchises before this wasn’t anything special and business was going to be as usual. But the NBA lockout this past year has vastly changed the landscape of the NBA and the way it does business.

Paul was originally set to go to LA’s other team, the Lakers in a massive three team deal, but since the league owned the team, Commissioner David Stern vetoed the original trade. Not too long after, the Clippers threw their hat into the Chris Paul sweepstakes and offered a package New Orleans General Manager Dell Demps found enticing. But unfortunately for them, Stern once again vetoed the trade. Sports reporters were in a uproar as writers were calling Stern a bully and felt the commissioner was laying down to the will of the owners, something Stern has never done as commissioner.

But the trade has successfully went through with Paul and two future second-round picks going to the Clippers for center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu, guard Eric Gordon and a future first-round pick. This trade and the lockout has definitely changed the way business will be done in the NBA from now on. A trade of this caliber would not have made such waves in the past, but since the Hornets are technically owned by all 30 owners, they have cause for alarm. Paul is now going from a bottom league market to perhaps the biggest market in the league, Los Angeles. Lower level teams are afraid superstars, like the caliber of Paul, will ask for trades out of their small markets to larger markets. It is a legitimate concern for the owners as they don’t want the biggest markets to be built with top-level players, something that has happened in Miami.

But the league tended to overreact over all this Paul drama. Paul is set to become a free agent after this season and was not going to stay with the Hornets. It was in the Hornets best interest to trade them and get some good compensation for him. But let’s not be all solemn about the trade, with the addition of Paul the Clippers look to make some noise in the Western Conference. With Paul, Blake Griffin and Chauncey Billups teaming up, look for the Clippers to make some waves this year.

Everyone is so focused on finding the right gifts for the holiday season, that we seldom stop to take in the beauty of the holiday season.  Moods seem to improve, and people even forgive a little bad weather once the holiday season is upon us.  One of the things that brightens the mood is the holiday decor that we see on homes, at restaurants and stores, and inside people’s houses.  According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), consumers will spend over $6 billion on holiday decor this year.  Many people have found holiday decor to be an easy present to give, since so many people put up some sort of decorations around this time of year.

We want to do our best to help you find great gifts, and the holiday decor category is no exception.  Quite simply, is the recipient a sports fan?  If so, you can find great holiday decor gifts from $6.99!  We even have some sale products starting at just $.99!  Whether you are shopping for holiday ornaments or festive stockings, you’ll find it all in our holiday decor department.  Hurry in to our holiday decor department for some great ideas to spruce up your own home, or give the gift of cheer to someone special.

Robert Griffin the 3rd…when you first hear this name you might be asking yourself, who? Well wonder no more college football fans as Robert Griffin 3rd is your 2011 Heisman Trophy winner. The Junior quarterback from Baylor was an unknown pick this year, as many pundits believed he was a dark horse candidate to win this year’s Heisman. When the 2011 Vegas Heisman odds were posted back in July, Griffin wasn’t on the list and Baylor wasn’t expected to do much in their conference during the 2011 season. Even as mid-November rolled around, the Baylor quarterback was still not expected to come close to finishing first for the Heisman, especially because he faced some stiff competition this year.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, whom Griffin almost played with a few years ago, and Alabama running back Trent Richardson were rumored favorites to win the coveted award but Griffin overcame the odds and put up some impressive stats to boot. The junior threw for 3,998 yards with 36 touchdowns passes, rushed for 644 yards and put up an additional nine touchdowns. Pretty good numbers for a kid who tore his ACL back in 2010.

It’s beyond amazing the Griffin could come from being so far behind in the race to winning the prestigious Heisman award. How did he do it? Perhaps his speech perhaps his acceptance speech said it best when he urged people to believe the impossible and go for it. “This moment…here is unbelievably believable,” Griffin said during his acceptance speech “but, it’s believable because great things don’t happen without hard work.”

Congratulations on your hard work and 2011 Heisman Trophy win, Robert Griffin. You earned it!