Why the NBA Lockout SHOULD benefit the Miami Heat

The tricks and treats of the NBA season was put on hold last week, as the NBA started its second labor lockout, the first since the 1998-1999 season.

With no imminent negotiation (except for the shoot em' up 51-50 deal offered) between Commissioner David Stern and the players union, many analysts say there won't be an NBA game until Christmas.

Here's why it should benefit the Miami Heat:

1. Less down time - Miami faced immense scrutiny last season during the 82-game stretch and the playoffs, but with the possibly of a reduced season, yesterday becomes literally yesterday. I do not expect a full 82-game season, so games would have a greater intensity factor.

2. Less fatigue- This means more LeBron, D-Wade and Chris Bosh. Wade started slow last season because of a preseason injury, so the big three really only started to shape up around mid-season.

3. Free agency frenzy- When the NBA season does finally start, so will the free agency period. Miami Heat president Pat Riley has a clear advantage in this area, as he will have to rapidly address the team's needs. Expect anything with Riley.

4. Forgetfulness- Miami lost a winnable NBA Finals last season. Their win-now built team will have to forget any losses and move on quickly with a shortened season.

The Good Sport-Final Day

By Anthony Segreto

Archbishop McCarthy

I am sad to say that I was not able to practice today. I still had trouble extending my leg, and I didn't want to aggravate it anymore. So, my time practicing with the football team has come to an end. What are my thoughts? How do I feel about my experience? You'll have to check out Teenlink soon to find out! I will have a full article in there discussing everything. I really did enjoy this experience though, expect to see me doing it with more sports in the near future. Thanks so much to everyone who followed me these past six days, see you all soon!

Until next time,

The Good Sport

The Good Sport-Day 5

By Anthony Segreto

Archbishop McCarthy

Ahhh, the woes of being an injured athlete. I was so disappointed I had to sit out another practice today, I really felt myself wanting to get into the drills today. All practice today was going through the playbook, so even though I didn't get to play, it was still interesting learning about the different offensive plays. The complexities are numerous, viewing them firsthand while they are being explained to the players is so different from watching the play's finished form. Whether it's a certain gap for a runners to dive into, an adjustment that a receiver has to run, or a blocking assignment for a tight end, it is stuff that escapes even the keenest football eye. I find myself developing so much a deeper appreciation for the game, and learning more and more every day. Tomorrow's the last day I'll be out with the team, hopefully my knee will be all healed up.

- The Good (but injured) Sport

The Good Sport-Day 4

By Anthony Segreto

Archbishop McCarthy

I'm injured. Yep, you heard it right. After my touchdown run yesterday, I stood up in pain and figured it was only a temporary thing, until I woke up this morning and was still hurting, to the point where I could barely walk. I fought through it, and as soon as I got to school for practice, I talked to our trainer who checked me out and said I sprained my LCL in my knee. He advised that I sit out practice today, so I followed his advice and watched from the sidelines. Just some more drills today, tackling, running, and throwing, there was also a 7 on 7 game at the end. Hopefully I'll be good to go for tomorrow, but if not it'll be another day on the sidelines, observing. I'm really getting the full experience, injured on a touchdown run! I can retire happy now. I kid, I kid.

- The Good Sport

The Good Sport-TD Run

Big thanks to my good bud Peter Lopez for the leading block on my run.

The Good Sport-Day 3

By Anthony Segreto

Archbishop McCarthy

TOUCHDOWN! That is right. Much to the shock and awe of everyone on the team (I inferred that from the dropped jaws and claps), I was able to score during a drill today (one with a shortened field, you'll see in the video I upload). What an amazing feeling, It was absolutely incredible. Hearing the cheers and feeling the pats on the back is a moment I'll never forget. What a great practice today. Pictures were great, and the drills were a lot of fun. I wasn't able to participate in the scrimmage at the end of practice-that was reserved for players competing for a starting position (event though my touchdown run today was NFL-quality (almost), i don't think I'll be receiving any calls from Nick Saban or Jimbo Fisher anytime soon). So Day 3 of practice was a major success, I really enjoyed myself today. What's in store for Day 4? We shall see.

Until next time,

The Good Sport

The Good Sport-Day 2

By Anthony Segreto

Archbishop McCarthy

So not much to report today. We just had one practice today, and most of it was spent on more defensive "installation", where the defense learns the playbook. Since I don't have pads, and I'm not on the starting defense, I sat out today. But the good news is that I'll probably get more playing time tomorrow, and I'm being allowed to take pictures with the team tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures of me in a full uniform (looking like a real athlete and fooling everyone who looks at the picture without knowing my background). That's all for today everyone, but I'll definitely have more to report tomorrow.

- The Good Sport

The Good Sport-Day 1

By Anthony Segreto

Archbishop McCarthy

I survived! I am happy to report that all of my limbs are still in good working order (even if they are sore beyond belief). Day one went better than I could've ever expected (and to be honest, I was incredible nervous). Am I a superstar? No way! I can't catch a cold. But the team welcomed me with open arms, despite my lack of skill and grace. I got to school about three o'clock and was outfitted with a helmet and cleats (Due to a school policy, I won't be able to put on pads until Wednesday). And off I was! From what I understand, today was a light day, due to a few things. 1. The lightning alarm kept sounding, so because of that we had to go inside and work in there. We ran through the playbook, but because I didn't have pads, I didn't get to participate in the different motions. Irregardless, it was still fascinating to watch football be played in my cafeteria (and watching in horror as ketchup dispensers nearly got knocked over by players being pushed out of bounds). The second reason that today was a light day was because it was our new Defensive Coordinator's first day on the job, so a bulk of the day was spent learning about the defense he is planning on implementing.

But how did I fare?

I was roughed up, as expected. I mainly worked with the receivers today, running, catching (dropping), and dodging as I attempted to imagine myself in an NFL game actually making decent plays. I really enjoyed today, even though I am exhausted, I really felt like part of the team. I'm definitely looking forward to tomorrow, even though it'll probably be a lot more intense than today.

Until next time,

The Good Sport

The Good Sport-An Introduction

By Anthony Segreto

Archbishop McCarthy

Hi, my name's Anthony Segreto, and I'm a sports addict. As you may know, my father, Tony Segreto, was a sportscaster on WTVJ NBC 6 for 30 years, and because of this, I've been surrounded by everything sports since my birth (the first thing my father said to me after I was born was the starting lineup of the 1961 New York Yankees). As if that wasn't enough, I still have the Miami Dolphins onesie my parents put me in when i was an infant, and the picture of Dan Marino that was on my nursery wall. One of my earliest memories is going to the Dolphins' locker room at four years old and polishing helmets on the Saturday before a home game. So, yes, sports have surrounded me my whole life, and I love them with a passion (if you doubt me, I refer you to the 4 foot tall NFL logo fathead on the wall of my room). With this affection I have for sports, it'd be logical to think that I'm an athlete. That couldn't be further from the truth. I am, for the lack of a better term, a klutz. And not even the athletic kind. I'm active and I try to keep in shape, but the "athletic" gene skipped a generation in my family. I was always the last one picked for the recess kickball games in elementary school, and always the one to end up losing the game for the team that was unfortunate enough to be graced with my skill (or lack thereof). But in spite of all of this, or perhaps because of it, I am an insanely passionate fan of all sports. My passion has led me to do some pretty crazy things, but this may be the craziest. I wanted to see what it was like for me, an incredibly un-athletic person, to train with my high school football team during the peak of summer workouts. So that’s what I’m going to do, for a week I’m going to train with the Archbishop McCarthy Mavericks and chronicle my experiences as a football fan getting involved with the nitty-gritty of the sport. I'll take the hits and I'll drop a few (many) passes, but I'll be a good sport about it. Check back here every night as I write about my time with the team, moving from position to position, and learning about the intricacies of the game I love, football.

Why the Heat will win the NBA Championship

Kendrick Perkins is part of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls ride or die on the success of Derek Rose; plain and simple.

We are not even three days in the NBA playoffs and these two topics of discussion have already come into play (well the Perkins trade since the deadline, but same point).

Chicago has needed last-ditch Jordan-like rallies from Derek Rose to close out the Indiana Pacers. If Indiana had a closer, like Derek Rose, they would be up 2-0 in the series; easily.

The Pacers have played seven quarters of excellent basketball, but the last quarter, broken in half increments, has been the onslaught of the eventual NBA MVP.

Chicago is Miami's biggest threat because Boston traded Kendrick Perkins. Boston lacks size and depth because of injuries to Shaquille O'Neal and Delonte West. Boston still has Ray Allen, but he will not score 23 points a game (he averaged 22.7 in the first three regular season games against the Heat) because Dwyane Wade will be playing playoff basketball and playoff defense.

The same goes for Joel Anthony, whom Kevin Garnett said killed Boston by himself in the last regular season match-up between the Heat and Celtics.

Miami will beat the Boston Celtics in six games.

Back to Chicago, if coach Erik Spolestra puts LeBron James on Derek Rose, he'll find a way to adjust, he's Derek Rose. Like Dwayne Wade in his hayday against the Pistons, Miami should rotate defenders on Rose to disrupt his timing.

Three point shooting will still be an issue, however, because Miami is ranked close to last in three point shooting defense out of all the playoff teams.

Miami is the choice again here, because the Heat will find a way to steal a game in Chicago and wrap it up at home.

Depending on the West competitor, the Heat will win in six or seven games. James had a taste of the finals in 2007 and Wade won it in 2006, so they'll be ready.

If its the Dallas Mavericks, Miami will not have as much trouble as with the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Lakers make it again, Andrew Bynum down low will be a huge problem, even for a recently aggressive Chris Bosh.

It all boils down to the play of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Can they feed off each other?

If so, it is Miami's championship for the taking and another parade down Biscayne Boulevard.

A Miami and Philly kind of weekend

Cafe Con Leche. Philly Cheesesteak. LeBron James, Cliff Lee.

It may be a coincidence or just very good scheduling, but the Marlins, Phillies, Heat and 76ers all play this weekend.

The Marlins started off with a Friday night win against division-leading Philadelphia, the final score; 4-3.

Tomorrow, White Hot begins. The Heat square off against the 76ers at 3:30 pm on ABC. Will LeBron close in the postseason or as Miami Herald writer Linda Robertson mentioned in a column today, "sink to the occasion" like in Cleveland?

Only time will tell, but either way, it is a sports-filled Miami-Philadelphia weekend.