CAVS.SPACE

Last month, the NBA conducted its annual rookie draft. Each year, the available rookies include players from collegiate and international leagues. In the draft, teams typically look to meet their needs while also looking for 'the next big star'. Team officials and basketball analysts are quick to label players as 'the next Michael Jordan', 'the next Dirk Nowitzki', 'the next Yao Ming', or the next version of some other previously successful young player. While the incoming rookies can benefit from pushing themselves and setting high goals, they often find themselves looking up to their predecessors. Likewise, teams constantly find themselves with underachieving or failed NBA prospects. A few analysts take this a step further by making their own 'new' versions of previous drafts had those drafts taken place today, again emphasizing the success of specific players. What the teams and analysts need to realize is that some of the new stars of t

In the NBA All-Star Game, fans typically root for their team's conference to win the game. In the case of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, this is also typically the case. However, as tonight's "Midsummer Classic" is taking place in Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankee fans have made sure to boo their rival Boston Red Sox All-Stars, who are on the American League team along with their hometown Yankee All-Stars. This has culminated with the entry of Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon into the game. The Yankee fans began calling for their own closer, Mariano Rivera, instead. It should be noted that Papelbon came into a tie game in the 8th inning (a non-save situation). With this in mind, Yankee fans should not feel slighted, as Rivera is still eligible to come in for the save if the AL takes the lead in the bottom of the 8th. Also, in this All-Star Game, home-field advantage in the World Series is at stake. The Yankees are only 6 games back of the Red So