It is strange to think that we are at the quarter pole of the 2012 NBA schedule, but most teams are through right around 16 of their games. Here at Bankroll Sports, we are going to try to capitalize on some of the up to date 2012 NBA championship odds by picking out some of the teams with the best value.

We still think that this is the world belonging to the Miami Heat (Current 2012 NBA Finals Odds: 1.75 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) and that the rest of the world is just playing in it. Dwyane Wade has been out of the lineup at times, and the combo of LeBron James and Chris Bosh has still been able to carry the load against some of the best teams in the league. Come playoff time, there will be a whole new set of pressures placed on men like rookie Norris Cole, but considering the fact that he was able to come right in and produce, we are optimistic that the team is really in a lot better shape now than it was a year ago, assuming that the Big Three are ready for the playoff push and fully healthy in the summer.

If there is a team that is knocking off the Heat in the East, it is the team that they beat soundly in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, the Chicago Bulls (Odds To Win the NBA Finals: 5.65 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). The Bulls have already played 10 road games this year, and they have already survived one major West Coast swing. They are undefeated at home, and they clearly play in one of the inferior divisions in the NBA, and unless the Indiana Pacers do really prove to be that legitimate of a contender, there is no way that this team won’t be at least the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Derrick Rose and the gang have another year of playoff experience though, and that might make all the difference in the world and give the boys from the Windy City the edge needed to win the whole enchilada.

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Out West, we think that the Oklahoma City Thunder (2012 NBA Championship Odds: 6 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) are the very deserving favorites in the conference. They inked Russell Westbrook to a long term deal this week, guaranteeing to keep he and Kevin Durant together for quite some time. The Thunder have looked great both at home and on the road this year, and though they do play in one of the tougher divisions in the league, they are clearly the best team in the bunch. As long as Durant and Westbrook stay healthy, this is team that is a true force to be reckoned with.

We’re still not ruling out the consummate underdogs in the West though, the Los Angeles Clippers (2012 NBA Finals Odds: 18 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook). There is no doubt that this is the best team in the city of LA this year (in spite of the fact that, for some unknown reason, the Lakers still have the shorter odds to win it all). Dwight Howard has put Lob City on his list of potential trade destinations, and if he ends up combining forces with Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and Chauncey Billups, look the heck out! This all of a sudden could go from a team that has been the laughing stock of the league to one that wins the whole enchilada in a hurry.

List Of Past NBA Finals Champions
2011 NBA Champions: Dallas Mavericks
2010 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2009 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2008 NBA Champions: Boston Celtics
2007 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs
2006 NBA Champions: Miami Heat
2005 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs
2004 NBA Champions: Detroit Pistons
2003 NBA Champions: San Antonio Spurs
2002 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2001 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers
2000 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers

We aren’t that sure that it is going to last, but we think that it is worth taking a flyer on the Philadelphia 76ers (Odds To Win The 2012 NBA Finals: 70 to 1 at SportBet Sportsbook) right now. The Sixers are leading the Atlantic Division by four games, and neither the New York Knicks nor the Boston Celtics really feel like they are going to be challenging for the league title this year. Philadelphia ranks No. 3 in the league in total offense and No. 2 in total defense, and for as long as that keeps up, this is a team that is going to contend. Challenging in the playoffs might be a different story when it is all said and done, especially with the Bulls and the Heat in this conference, but if the 76ers do end up as the No. 3 seed in the East as they would be right now, they would certainly be worth the bet at these odds.

Up To Date 2012 NBA Finals Odds @ SportBet Sportsbook (as of 1/20/12):
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Miami Heat 1.75 to 1
Chicago Bulls 5.65 to 1
Oklahoma City Thunder 6 to 1
Los Angeles Lakers 8 to 1
Dallas Mavericks 16 to 1
Los Angeles Clippers 18 to 1
Boston Celtics 26 to 1
New York Knicks 26 to 1
Portland Trail Blazers 26 to 1
San Antonio Spurs 26 to 1
Orlando Magic 33 to 1
Memphis Grizzlies 40 to 1
Atlanta Hawks 44 to 1
Denver Nuggets 50 to 1
Indiana Pacers 66 to 1
Philadelphia 76ers 70 to 1
Houston Rockets 125 to 1
New Jersey Nets 150 to 1
Utah Jazz 150 to 1
Golden State Warriors 200 to 1
Milwaukee Bucks 200 to 1
Phoenix Suns 200 to 1
Minnesota Timberwolves 250 to 1
New Orleans Hornets 250 to 1
Cleveland Cavaliers 300 to 1
Charlotte Bobcats 500 to 1
Detroit Pistons 500 to 1
Sacramento Kings 500 to 1
Toronto Raptors 500 to 1
Washington Wizards 500 to 1

2011-12 Odds To Win The NBA Finals @ BetRevolution Sportsbook (as of 1/20/12):
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Miami Heat 1.25 to 1
Chicago Bulls 4.25 to 1
Oklahoma City Thunder 4.55 to 1
Dallas Mavericks 15 to 1
Los Angeles Lakers 9 to 1
Portland Trail Blazers 25 to 1
New York Knicks 16 to 1
Orlando Magic 25 to 1
San Antonio Spurs 25 to 1
Atlanta Hawks 35 to 1
Memphis Grizzlies 60 to 1
Boston Celtics 25 to 1
Phoenix Suns 125 to 1
Houston Rockets 105 to 1
Los Angeles Clippers 14 to 1
Denver Nuggets 45 to 1
Golden State Warriors 150 to 1
Utah Jazz 60 to 1
Indiana Pacers 48 to 1
Charlotte Bobcats 250 to 1
Philadelphia 76ers 24 to 1
New Orleans Hornets 150 to 1
Milwaukee Bucks 125 to 1
New Jersey Nets 125 to 1
Detroit Pistons 250 to 1
Washington Wizards 350 to 1
Sacramento Kings 150 to 1
Toronto Raptors 250 to 1
Minnesota Timberwolves 250 to 1
Cleveland Cavaliers 250 to 1

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Dirk Nowitzki Over/Under 26 Points – It’s no real surprise that the ball is running through the hands of Dirk when the Mavericks have possession. In the Western Conference Finals, he had three games with more than 26 points, one with less than that, and one with exactly 26 points. Nowitzki has really been incredibly dominating at times, especially down the stretch in close games. There is no way that Head Coach Rick Carlisle is going to take the ball out of his hands as long as the game stays competitive, and as long as you’re a believer that this one will be interesting down to the wire, there is no way that you can do anything but go with Nowitzki Over 26 Points -115 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook

Tyson Chandler Over/Under 16.5 Points + Rebounds – Chandler had a heck of a tough battle in the second round of the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even still, he had at least 13 rebounds in two of the five games, and he had no fewer than eight in the series. Offensively, thing were tough with Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed on his backside, and his point production was slashed. Sure, we know that Chandler isn’t one of the top options on the floor, but he does have a lot easier time going into the paint against Joel Anthony and some of the other Miami bigs than he did in the last series. He had at least 18 points and rebounds combined in three of the final four games against the Thunder, and there is no way that we can see him not going past this number. Our NBA prop picks on this one are calling for Chandler Over 16.5 Points + Rebounds -115 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook

Shawn Marion +7.5 Points vs. Chris Bosh – This is quite the interesting prop, because we know that Bosh has had a ton of consistent games over the course of these playoffs, whereas Marion has really been hit or miss. But let’s dig just a tad further. We have seen Marion get to at least seven points in the last six games in the postseason, and we know that he averaged over a dozen points per game in the regular season. Bosh has had at least 20 points in four out of five games, and at home in these playoffs, he has really been absolutely remarkable. The difference here though, is that he is going to have his hands full with the likes of Chandler and Nowitzki in the paint. We do tend to believe that Bosh will outscore Marion, but if the vet starts to catch fire from the outside, Bosh stands no chance on this NBA prop pick. Go with Marion +7.5 Points vs. Bosh -125 @ 5Dimes Sportsbook

The stars will certainly be shining in the NBA Finals this year, but only one can be named NBA Finals MVP when push comes to shove. Check out our NBA Finals picks for MVP for this year’s finals starting on Tuesday!

It should really come as no surprise that the favorite to beat the NBA Finals MVP odds is LeBron James (Current NBA Finals Odds: 1 to 1 at Bodog Sportsbook). This is definitely a series that is fit for a King, but it definitely isn’t the first time that he has had this opportunity. James knew that he was the favorite to win on the NBA Finals MVP lines a few seasons ago with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but his team was swept by the San Antonio Spurs. James hasn’t put up the same type of numbers that he did that year in these playoffs, but there is no doubt that he has been absolutely remarkable. James has averaged just under 44 minutes per game in the postseason, and he has averaged 26.0 points, 8.9 boards, and 5.5 assists per game. He’s got a great chance to win this honorable award, but obviously, he is going to need his first NBA Championship to be able to do that.

Of course, James also has to overcome a man that has already won this award once before. In fact, Dwyane Wade (NBA Finals MVP Lines: 7 to 2 at Bodog Sportsbook) is the only player on either side in this game that has ever won the NBA Finals MVP award in his career. He did so against these Mavs in a series in which he was absolutely remarkable in five years ago. Wade isn’t asked to do quite as much as he has over the past few years since Shaquille O’Neal has aged and left town, but he definitely has the best supporting cast that he has had at least since that point, if not ever before. The man they call “Flash” has averaged 23.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

List Of Past NBA Finals MVPs (Since 2000)
2010 NBA Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
2009 NBA Finals MVP: Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
2008 NBA Finals MVP: Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics)
2007 NBA Finals MVP: Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs)
2006 NBA Finals MVP: Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
2005 NBA Finals MVP: Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
2004 NBA Finals MVP: Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons)
2003 NBA Finals MVP: Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs)
2002 NBA Finals MVP: Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
2001 NBA Finals MVP: Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)
2000 NBA Finals MVP: Shaquille O’Neal (Los Angeles Lakers)

Of course, if you’re looking at players on the Dallas Mavericks, the conversation has to start and essentially end with Dirk Nowitzki (Odds to Win NBA Finals MVP: 2 to 1 at Bodog Sportsbook). Nowitzki has really had the best season of his career both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Sure, we’ve seen Dirk put up better statistics than this in his life, but 28.4 points per game in a season in which he averaged 23.0 points per game. Nowitzki has really done a tremendous job in the postseason, taking games over single handedly at times against some of the best and brightest that this league has to offer.

The only other man that we can see getting the job done for the Mavs is Jason Terry (Current NBA Finals MVP Odds: 12 to 1 at Bodog Sportsbook), and even that would be a huge surprise if he were the one to end up winning the award. For a man to win this award off of the bench would be truly remarkable, but Terry plays the role of a starter even though he’s not on the court when the tipoff happens. Terry averaged the third most minutes in the playoffs for any Maverick at over 32 minutes per game, and he has the ability to catch fire in a ridiculous way from beyond the arc. “The Jet” shot 47.1 percent from the floor and 46.3 percent from downtown on the campaign, and he averaged 17.3 points per game. In the playoffs, this is the man that can really make a difference in a hurry for Dallas, and if it wins this series, there is no doubt that he is going to be the man that has to play above and beyond all expectations.

NBA Finals MVP Odds @ Bodog Sportsbook (as of 5/29/11):
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LeBron James 1.30 to 1
Dirk Nowitzki 1.60 to 1
Dwyane Wade 4.50 to 1
Chris Bosh 13 to 1
Jason Terry 17 to 1
Shawn Marion 28 to 1
Tyson Chandler 30 to 1

2011 NBA Finals MVP Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 5/29/11):
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LeBron James 1.10 to 1
Dirk Nowitzki 1.30 to 1
Dwyane Wade 4 to 1
Field (Any Other Player) 8 to 1

Let the complaining and politicking begin! With just one week of game’s left to be played in the college basketball season, teams across the country are going to be groveling to the Selection Committee to try to make their case for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. We’re ranting all across the sports world here at Bankroll Sports, though, and here’s who we’re upset with this week.

Rap Sheet Picture of the Week

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who was accused of yet another assault charge this week.

We’re coming right out with the gloves off. Hey Connecticut Huskies, do you really want to go dancing or not? Instead of whining about how hard your schedule was this year, why don’t you turn around and beat somebody? Or better yet, how about trying to figure out how to win a conference road game? After losing at Notre Dame and South Florida this past week, UConn doesn’t even remotely deserve consideration for an at-large bid to the dance, but you and I both know full well that wins against St. John’s on Tuesday and Marquette on Wednesday will probably somehow sneak the Huskies in the field.

Can someone explain to me what the heck the Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers are doing? I understand that the Bolts wanted to cut ties with RB LaDainian Tomlinson before his career totally fell off the map, but what gives with trading DB Antonio Cromartie to the Jets for a song and a dance? Don’t you remember that it was New York’s defense which gave you all of those hassles in the playoffs last year? Do you think that unit is getting worse by giving them your second best defensive player?

And Arizona, what are you doing, too? You had the NFC West already neatly packaged for you even if QB Matt Leinart proved to be a total stiff. But you let WR Anquan Boldin, S Antrel Rolle, LB Karlos Dansby, and a host of others get away from you. Now, you’re no better than a .500 team in a lousy division… which may still be good enough to win the NFC West… which is worth ranting about in itself when you consider how good the NFC East and AFC South are…

To the Cleveland Cavaliers: If you’re going to get trounced by the Bucks by a touchdown without F LeBron James in the lineup, what does that tell you about your future if you let “The King” skip town? If your name wasn’t F Antawn Jamison (30 points) or G Delonte West (27 points), you didn’t score more than seven points in Milwaukee. What’s up with that? Oh that’s right. It’s just another example of how lousy the Cavs really are without their pride and joy in the lineup, and is a harsh reminder that this team had to be the worst in the NBA just to earn the right to land LeBron in the draft in the first place.

Finally, we’ll take a swipe at HC Phil Jackson, who called his F Pau Gasol “weak and sickly.” Now Phil, we know you’re the Zen master and all of that, but if I’m not mistaken, Gasol has put together double-doubles in four of his L/5 games, and has scored a total of 41 points in his L/3. Maybe it’s not your big man that is “weak and sickly” after all. Maybe it’s just your whole team. You’ve dropped three straight overall and now have both the Mavs and Nuggets in your rear view mirror trying to stalk you for the top spot in the Western Conference.

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Even though the 2010 NBA trade deadline wasn’t as active as some might’ve thought, there is still plenty of room for discussion. Here at Bankroll Sports, we’re issuing our grades for how teams did under the pressure of Thursday’s deadline.

New York Knicks: A+: There weren’t any teams that did a better job at the deadline than the Knicks. New York knew that it wasn’t competing for a championship this year, but it did successfully dump the salaries of Jordan Hill, Jordan Jeffries, Larry Hughes, Nate Robinson, and Darko Milicic in exchange for a couple first rounders and having to deal with Tracy McGrady’s garbage for the next couple months. Add G Sergio Rodriguez to the mix from Sacramento, and New York knows that these prudent deals can set it up nicely for a run at both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the offseason.

Houston Rockets: A: The Rockets really answered the trade by the Mavericks by adding a host of talent from the Knicks and Kings in that three-way deal. Plus, they’re rid of Tracy McGrady now as well and will pick up a couple of picks from New York in the future. The biggest question for HC Rick Adelman is whether he’ll be able to find roles for all of his new starts.

Dallas Mavericks: B+: Any time you can pick up an All-Star, you tend to pull out the stops, but did the Mavs give up a little too much by dealing Josh Howard and Drew Gooden to DC? Caron Butler had better push Dallas into the playoffs an give F Dirk Nowitzki a good counterpart, or Mark Cuban may be regretting this move. All in all though, the Mavericks are probably a better team now than they were before the All-Star Break.

Cleveland Cavaliers: B: The question here isn’t whether GM Danny Ferry would’ve preferred Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire coming to town or not. The question is whether LeBron James would’ve rather have Stoudemire over Antawn Jamison. Still, as we suggested in our article a couple days ago, Cleveland needed to do something to make sure that The King stayed happy, and this move only made things a heck of a lot harder for the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference. If the Cavs don’t win the East now, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Utah Jazz: B-: The Jazz get a decent grade for not making a move that they might’ve regretted. Utah is probably going to make the playoffs, and had it dealt Carlos Boozer, that might not have ultimately been the case.

Miami Heat: C: Kudos to the Heat for not giving up too much to get either Amare Stoudemire, Antawn Jamison, or Carlos Boozer. Miami just needs to convince Dwyane Wade that it is really in it to win him another championship, and it might take a big free agent signing to do just that.

Sacramento Kings: D: Who knows what the Kings were thinking by trading away Kevin Martin and Sergio Rodriguez. There wasn’t a heck of a lot that came back Sacramento’s way. It’s pretty clear that the Kings came out as the butt of that three-team deal with the Rockets and Knicks.

Washington Wizards: D-: If you’re a Washington fan, what reasons do you have to show up to the games anymore? No more Gilbert Arenas, no more Antawn Jamison, and no more Caron Butler. The only good news is that this team couldn’t get much worse than it already was, so it may as well try to start over again.

Phoenix Suns: F: No one deserves a worse grade than the Suns at the trade deadline. How on earth can you sit there and shop Amare Stoudemire for weeks and weeks and ultimately do nothing? Take a box of basketballs for him for crying out loud! Now, their leading scorer is disgruntled and probably will be for the rest of the year. Phoenix may not make the postseason, and if that’s the case, heads should role in the desert.

The day was December 27th, 1964. The Cleveland Browns beat the Baltimore Colts that day 27-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium to win the NFL Championship Game.

Forty-six years and 51 days later, the city of Cleveland continues to wait. The Browns haven’t won anything since then and don’t have any reason to believe that they can win a title any time in the near future. The Indians had their moments, but have since watched a pair of Cy Young Award winners get traded in back-to-back years as the rest of the teams in the AL Central just flew past them. The Cavaliers have sniffed a shot at a championship, only to be squashed by the Spurs in four games.

As the popular saying goes, “Cleveland Rocks.” But let’s face the truth here…

Cleveland Sucks.

The only thing that is keeping the pulse of the Cleveland sports world together is watching #23 do his thing night in and night out for their beloved Cavs. The city of Cleveland hasn’t had anything to be this happy about since the moment that another #23 ripped their hearts out and made a poster out of Craig Ehlo.

It’s rare that there is one specific moment in time in the sports world that can change an entire city. Normally speaking, like in the Super Bowl with the city of New Orleans, those moments happen on the field, the court, or the ice when they do happen.

But the city of Cleveland has embarked on its biggest moment in decades, and that moment won’t happen at Progressive Field, Cleveland Browns Stadium, or Quicken Loans Arena. It’s going to happen in the office of GM Danny Ferry.

The NBA’s trade deadline is just mere hours away. With every passing second that the Cavaliers don’t make a move, the prospects of doom and gloom are coming.

It doesn’t matter what Ferry does, as long as he pulls the trigger on SOMETHING. Will it be Washington’s Antawn Jamison? Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire?

Someone. Anyone… as long as he is fit for The King.

Make no bones about it: If the Cavaliers don’t win an NBA Championship this season and they don’t make some sort of a move to bring a legitimate superstar to Cleveland for the long haul, the best thing that has come to town since Elvis entered the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame is, for all intents and purposes, leaving the building.

LeBron James, a free agent to be assuming that the Cavs don’t resign him before the end of the season, wants nothing more than to be a winner. He transformed a team that was god awful into one that was on the verge of a championship in just a few years. He’s the hometown boy and the chosen one. With every thunderous dunk, every eye-popping pass, every crossover dribble, and every swish, LeBron captures the hearts of his fans and has Cleveland prepared for another triumph.

He has scored 14,608 points, brought in 3,083 rebounds, and dished out 3,607 assists in his career to date, all at the ripe age of 26. But if these last few years have proven nothing else, it’s that the league’s most talented player, possibly ever in the history of the sport, can’t do it by himself.

Cleveland is riding a 13-game winning streak and easily has the best record in the NBA at 43-11 coming off of the All-Star Break. Still, it doesn’t quite certainly separate the Cavs from the Magic… or the Celtics… or the Lakers… or anyone else in the Western Conference for that matter.

Normally speaking, Oakland Raiders’ owner Al Davis’ motto would be correct: “Just Win, Baby.” But for once, winning isn’t the most important thing for the Cavaliers. Keeping James happy is.

Ferry and the rest of the brass of the Cavs are worried about blowing up team chemistry, as a squad that is built on defense might be harmed by the acquisition of either Jamison or Stoudemire, neither of which are exactly proficient on the defensive end of the court. And it’s true that Stoudemire could up and leave town right after the season is over with a championship ring or not on his finger.

None of that matters, though. Ferry has to think about the future, even if it does destroy the present. The Cavaliers could have ten more years of selling #23 jerseys and all sorts of memorabilia that says, “J-A-M-E-S” on it. Ten more years of flashbulbs, “Ooh”s , “Aah”s, and screams of joy for quite possibly the greatest player of all-time.

The clock is ticking though, Cleveland. The time for a championship might not be now, but the time to save yourselves is here. Keep LeBron happy. If he wants Stoudemire, go get him. If he wants Jamison, go get him, too. Whatever you have to do to convince The King to stick around in your city.

… Because if you ultimately do nothing and don’t turn up with a golden trophy on your mantle this year, LeBron will be gone, and on March 30th, 2056, I’ll be writing another article on how the city of Cleveland has gone another 46 years and 51 days without a championship.

The NBA All-Star Game tips off on Sunday night at the brand new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in “Big D.” Basketball’s brightest stars all come together in this fantastic spectacle between the best in the Eastern Conference and the best in the Western Conference. Bankroll Sports takes a moment to look at the odds for and predict the All-Star Game MVP, which is a job that has become a lot harder since last year’s winner and three-time All-Star Game MVP, G Kobe Bryant won’t be playing in the game. Last season’s co-MVP C Shaquille O’Neal didn’t make the Eastern Conference roster.

Are you sick of seeing the same ugly mugs on the television when you turn on SportsCenter, your favorite sports show, or the local news? Day after day, night after night, we continue to see and hear the latest on the same individuals over and over. It is understood that these are important figures in the sports world, but come on, give us a break on the same ole, same ole. We don’t need to know every twitter post from these guys! Here is the list of Media Darlings; the top 10 athletes loved by the media.

10. Manny Ramirez, left fielder, Los Angeles Dodgers.

How many times have you heard “that’s just Manny being Manny”? While the love fest for the left fielder has died down some since going to Los Angeles, he continues to get quite the coverage. Ramirez brought a lot of the news on himself, with his antics, such as going to the bathroom in between pitching changes, and his turbulent exit from Boston. Most recently, Manny served a suspension for breaking MLB’s performance enhancing drug policy. Ramirez helped lead his team to another NLCS this season, once again coming up short. After sweeping St. Louis, the Dodgers were downed by Philadelphia. Ramirez has 546 career homeruns.

9. Tom Brady, quarterback, New England Patriots.

I guess when you have a gorgeous celebrity wife, you can’t help but be put in the spotlight.  It can’t hurt that Brady has turned into a historic quarterback. Playing for Bill Bellichick never hurts either. Remember when Brady and his wife were expecting their child? What about when Brady got hurt? His coverage was all over, and still is today. Brady came back in 2009 as comeback player of the season, leading the Patriots to an AFC East title. Brady set another record this season by throwing for five touchdowns in one quarter (a win over Tennessee).

8. Alex Rodriguez, third basemen, New York Yankees.

No baseball player is dissected more than A-Rod. Rodriguez elected to make the jump from Seattle, to Texas, to the media capital of the world – in New York. It was iffy early in his tenure in New York whether he could survive or not, but the fall of 2009 proved he could. Whether it’s a ground out to third, a fly ball to right, or a grand slam, rest assured, you will see all of Alex Rodriguez’s at bats! Another steroid guy, as he admitted in February of 2009 to using them. A-Rod is just 17 homeruns short of 600, and is widely discussed as the next to break the all-time homerun record in Major League Baseball.

7. Lance Armstrong, cyclist.

For good reason, this guy is the best American cyclist ever. Luckily, for those of us ready to see Lance Armstrong retire for good, the Tour de France is only one month out of the year. If it were more, we would surely be getting a Lance overdose! Armstrong won seven straight Tour de France titles from 1995 to 2005. Armstrong is also known for his fight with testicular cancer, that he has had since 1996. Armstrong, in 2010, joined Team Radio Shack.

6. Terrell Owens, wide receiver, Buffalo Bills.

Known best for ripping apart talented football teams, Terrell Owens is slowly falling down the media love fest list. Owens was king during his final year with Tony Romo in Dallas. We still get to hear every comment he makes, just this time, nobody cares, because he plays in the northeast. No one is denying Owens’ talent. Out of Tennessee-Chattanooga, T.O. has been on six Pro Bowl teams, and amassed 1000 career receptions. Owens most famous sighting on television was with his great big goofy sun glasses, crying for his quarterback Tony Romo, in what may have been the biggest acting job by the wide receiver; “That’s my quarterback.  That’s my teammate.”

5. OchoCinco, wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals.

Twitter loves OchoCinco and his antics. Good thing they do, because the NFL sure doesn’t. We hear every time Chad Johnson, errr, OchoCinco goes bathroom, as he posts it on Twitter. Every Sunday, if you turn on the TV, 85 will be shown doing whatever he did that week to get fined. Drafted out of Oregon State, Chad officially changed his name to “OchoCinco” in 2006. The wide receiver has made the Pro Bowl six times, and has caught nearly 700 passes, for just shy of 1000 yards and 62 touchdowns.

4. LeBron James, guard, Cleveland Cavaliers.

The King has been a hit with the worldwide leader of sports since his high school days. The one guy that was getting his high school games covered by major cable channels. James’s issue with the hummer, along with his entire journey as a complete stud in the NBA have been chronicled daily. Currently, James is in the media for his status for the 2011 season. When he becomes a free agent, many believe James will bolt his home state and head to the money in New York. He has led the Cavaliers to the NBA finals once in his career. LeBron, who turned 25 in December, won his first Most Valuable Player award in 2009.

3. Brett Favre, quarterback, Minnesota Vikings.

Mr. retire and comeback, over and over again – Brett Favre. Favre is best known for hijacking the local news the last couple July’s. First it was his drama with his long time team the Green Bay Packers, then it was his desire to return. First to the Big Apple, with the New York Jets, followed by his retirement again, which led to another return; this time to Minnesota with the Vikings; a long time rival of the Packers. Favre, in 2009, had a scuffle with his head coach Brad Childress that led to ongoing media coverage lasting for weeks. Favre and the Vikings have righted the ship, and he is leading the high powered offense into the Big Easy to take on the Saints in the NFC title game.

2. Tim Tebow, quarterback, University of Florida.

As one individual put it when discussing Mr. Tebow and the media coverage, “no person has had the media on their knees more than Tim Tebow.” Known widely for the most popular collegiate athlete, Tebow has let his talking be done on the field. Tebow helped lead Florida to two national championships, and also has a Heisman to boot. Tebow is talked about as the second coming of God for all his countless missionary deeds. Most recently, Tebow has spent the past three summers in the Philippines, working with his father’s missionary and orphanage.

1. Tiger Woods, golfer, sex addict.

Especially now. Tiger Woods was plastered all over the news for weeks after his car accident, which led to his marital status going down the drain. Even before all the drama went down with Tiger, he was the lead story on weekends for all major tournaments. Woods has won 14 major golf championships, which is second most of any male golfer in history. Tiger has been awarded with the PGA Player of the Year for a record of ten times. Woods announced an indefinite leave from golf to focus on his marriage and family in December of 2009. Tiger has recently been reported to have been seen in Mississippi at a rehabilitation center to be treated for his sex addiction.

Others receiving an absurd amount of coverage:

Derek Jeter, shortstop, New York Yankees

Shaquille O’Neal, center, Cleveland Cavaliers

Rafael Nadel, Tennis star

Peyton Manning, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts

Tony Romo, quarterback, Dallas Cowboys

Donovan McNabb, quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles