With so much excitement going on tonight I couldn't figure out what I wanted to write about.  I thought the best thing would be to write about everything and the best way to do that would be a live blog.  So many great sporting events are going on that I care about so as I witness it you can as well, at least from my perspective.  So get ready at 7:00 pm for some great thoughts on the NFL Draft, the Cavaliers playoff game, and the Penguins playoff game

What: Live Blog Event - NFL Draft, Cavs, & Pens

Where: www.FavreDollarFootlongs.com

Time: 7:00 pm until the NFL Draft is over

Here we go:

7:00 - Just finished a game of NHL 10 on Xbox with the Pens and won 5-4 against the San Joe Sharks.  Looks like a good omen for the Pens.  Chicago looks ready for this Cavs game.

7:06 - Mellon Arena is decked out in white.  Crowd looks very excited.  LeBron just tossed his baby powder.  The puck is about to drop and the opening tip are about to go at the same time.

7:07 - Cavs look a little different finally wearing their normal uniforms.  A defensive three second was called then taken away.  You got to love these perfect NBA refs.

7:10 - Puck drops at Mellon Arena.  Ottawa's goalie looks like a demented vampire.

7:11 - Jarko Ruutu already has a penalty at the 18:36 mark.  Not too good Ottawa.

7:15 - Ottawa killed off the penalty pretty well.  At this point I'm wondering if live blogging is worth it.  I don't there's a single person reading this.

7:17 - Anthony Parker nails a three and then D-Rose straight finishes nicely.  He is amazing to see in person.

7:17 - Switching to CoverItLive blog at 7:30 so other people can join me.  This way I know if I should quit or not.

Ben Roethlisberger will find out his early season fate when the NFL publicizes their suspension decision this week, but his real fate will be decided by the fans in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is a pretty accepting city when it comes to their athletes.  Any athlete will be loved and adored as long as they give it their all, that's all we really ask for.  You can be an all star caliber athlete or a bench player and still receive as much praise as each other.  Now this isn't to say we are satisfied in being mediocre or we haven't booed a player or two.  I think everyone remembers the Kordell Stewart days.

The city is very accepting of many different players and personalities, but one thing Pittsburgh fans don't accept is someone who doesn't follow the morals of the team and the morals of the city.  That's where Ben Roethlisberger has failed Pittsburgh.

Smoke pot, drive drunk, even fall off your motorcycle and don't get injured too badly; those are all things that people from Pittsburgh will tolerate.  If you get caught doing any of those things then you're stupid and should learn from your mistakes.  What Ben Roethlisberger did wasn't stupid, it was despicable.  After reading the summaries I can definitely say that Ben should be in jail for sexual assault.  Maybe not the full blown "R" word, but this man definitely has a problem and it's not the first time it has happened.

I've lost all respect for him, just like many other Steeler fans have.  What Ben did was far worse than anything Tiger Woods ever did.  Infidelity is one thing; most of us know a friend, relative, or an acquaintance who has committed adultery, and although I'm definitely not a supporter and totally disagree with it, I can accept it and move on.  It happens, people do it, and it usually doesn't affect me so I don't really care that often.  Ben's situation is reprehensible.  Most people don't go out and do the things he did.  It's not commonplace and it's not acceptable to support someone who does those things.

If you're from Pittsburgh, a Steeler fan, or have heard any local radio or news then you will know that the majority of people in the city feel the same way I do.  I don't want him around anymore and neither do many other fans.  Someone wrote on Twitter, "I'd rather have Dennis Dixon at QB and win 2 games all season then have Big Ben on the team and win a Super Bowl."

I think that's how a lot of us fans feel.

If the police can't even police Ben Roethlisberger then I guess we as fans have the opportunity to show him how disgraceful he is as a person.  A two game or four game suspension is not going to be the wakeup call.  A lengthy conversation with the Rooney's or Roger Goodell is not going to do it either.  We as fans can, and will, voice our opinion and I think if the organization won't take the next step and get rid of him then the fans will make it known that we are none too happy.

Ben has hurt his own reputation, he has hurt the team, and he has hurt the city as a whole.  I want Ben out of here and hopefully he's traded during the draft.  If he isn't traded, that's okay too. At least if he stays then every time he is in public or on the field he will hear from the fans, and it won't be a positive reaction.

Maybe that's what it will take for him to finally learn.

I can't wait for the NBA playoffs to start tomorrow.  Being a Cavs fan and having to endure the treacherous play in the last four games of a LeBron-less squad has made the anticipation even more overwhelming.  I'm ready to see the team that I've been following all season get back to Cavalier basketball, which means having LeBron take over and everyone else, be supporting cast members.

They better return to form or else LeBron could be gone.

The NBA playoffs this year won't only determine the fate of LeBron in Cleveland, but other superstars as well.  I've never seen a playoffs in any sport that mean so much to the state of every single team in the league.

If you're a fan of the superstar on your team then you better hope they don't go out early.  We've already seen some transgressions by Chris Bosh because the Toronto Raptors didn't make the playoffs.  Sorry Canadian fans, but he's gone now.  Bosh wants to win and after the semi-collapse of the Raptors he probably won't want to stay above the border.

We've heard for years about the 2010 free agency and one of the last selling points by all contending teams is proving it on the court this post season.  It's going to be tough enough to retain these players when they have a chance to bolt to a large market team that not only has the ability to sign them to a maximum contract, but also the ability to sign another superstar as well.

"Chris Bosh, would you like to play with Jose Calderon or would you like to play with Joe Johnson?"  I think the answer is apparent.

So now that Chris Bosh has one foot over the Niagara Falls Peace Bridge we need to look at the other players whose residence could depend on the playoff run.

The number one player is of course LeBron James.  I wouldn't say the Cavs have to win the championship to keep LeBron, but the Cavs have to win the championship to keep LeBron.  The team they have now is loaded.  At least 10 guys on that team could be starters on other NBA rosters and they have enough depth at every position to match up with anyone.  They are clearly the best team in the NBA and if they don't get the ring then it will put some doubt into LeBron and where he should play.  The Cavs can keep going out and getting players or change coaches, but if they don't win it this year, then everyone will finally realize that the city of Cleveland is just cursed and a championship is never coming.

Other players who the playoffs will affect include Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, and Amar'e Stoudemire.

For the Miami Heat to retain the services of Dwyane Wade they must beat the Celtics or at least be very competitive and then grab an all star free agent. Every since Shaq left, Wade hasn't had a supporting player that can consistently be the second go to guy. He needs that. If he doesn't feel this team has the ability to get him anywhere or if the team won't bring anyone in to help then he will leave, even if he'll lose millions from having to now pay state income taxes.

Ray Allen's next contract depends on his play in these playoffs. He hasn't been the Ray Allen of old until late in the season and a successful series by Ray Ray could mean many more millions in his pocket. I don't think the Celtics will keep him either way, but this first series against the Heat will help determine what teams will be willing to shell out the funds to grab him.

Joe Johnson is going to get a max contract no matter how the playoffs end up. The biggest factor for him will be to determine if he's going to be the first player a team wants or the alternate all star. A great playoff run by the Hawks and Double J will mean that teams like the Nets and Knicks will be knocking at his door at midnight on July 1st.

Amar'e Stoudemire's post season play is probably one of the most interesting things to pay attention too. The Suns repeatedly seem to want to ship him out, but it never happened and now the Suns are in the playoffs and playing very well as of late. A deep run could mean that Phoenix will want to keep him, but it would also mean that other teams would really want him as well. Phoenix had the chances to resign him already and never did, so now we'll just have to see how everything plays out.

The match ups in the playoffs are already interesting and we should have a few great series every round, but the superstars involved that will be free agents come July are what make these NBA playoffs the most important playoffs ever.

The writers of Bloguin are at it again.  This time we decided to really get heated and defend what basketball organization we think is the best: the NBA or the NCAA.  You can tell both sides have a lot of passion for the sport that they love, but trying to persuade someone to jump to your side is a whole different task.  I for one completely side with the NCAA.  NCAA basketball is my favorite sport any of any sport.  I'm sure you'll see why after reading my arguments.  Maybe they're a little biased, a little over the top, but what debate isn't like that?  Here's part 2.

Participants in this battle royale are Jeff Fox of The Hoops Manifesto, Don from With Malice, a Bloguin newcomer in Ezra of The Purple and Gold Blog, Dave "College Wolf" Kelsey of TWolves Blog, David Pustilink from Da Bulls' Eye, Gene Zarnick of Favre Dollar Footlongsand A Stern Warning'smookie.

Check out Part One here.

Dave Kelsey:Maybe it's just a personal preference thing? Yeah, some of the games in the NCAA tournament are close and exciting, but a lot of them are blowouts too. And those games just suck. Unlike some parts of the NBA regular season, the playoffs are almost wall-to-wall competitiveness and top-level talent from start to finish... for best of seven games. And think this is corny if you must, but part of me feels bad for all the "student-athletes" being exploited. I mean, look at the billions of dollars they are generating, and most of them will never seen a penny of it. At least I don't feel bad when I'm doing NBA Playoff pick 'em contests.

Jeff Fox: You honestly think about the student-athletes being exploited when you watch the NCAA, Dave? Wow - you're a better man than I am!

I'm glad Gene mentioned the atmosphere (from Part One). The atmosphere at a NCAA game is head and shoulders better than its NBA counterpart. The student crowds, the bands, the cheerleaders, the smaller arenas all adds up to an electric atmosphere, whether you are attending the game in person or watching on TV. Pretty much every game is like that in the NCAA, whether it is a regular season game or the tournament. Compared to the NCAA, NBA arenas resemble a morgue - even the PA announcer and scoreboard have to encourage people to cheer and make noise. You don't see (or need) that in the NCAA.

Dave K: I mean, it's not like I am consumed with those thoughts, but yes, as a former student-(intramural)athlete I do think of it often. I mean, watching the games I think about how cool it would be to be in those situations. I then also think about all the school and whatnot most of them have to miss. Whenever money is mentioned, I think, wow its crazy that those kids aren't seeing any of it and some suits are getting insanely rich. Whenever I hear about "scandals" and players getting in trouble for driving around someone else's vehicle, or say maybe someone handed them $500 bucks or whatever; I think, wow... they are getting busted for that despite not seeing any of the billions of dollars they generate? So yes, call me old fashioned or whatever, but I do think about all the college kids being exploited, especially since the vast majority will never benefit or play at a higher level.

Oh, and the NBA is nowhere near a morgue for the playoffs. The crowds are crazy, and some places are even more jacked than a lot of the NCAA tourney games.

Don: I find it amazing that you can state that the level of play doesn't impact watchability (once again, Part One). Some NCAA games are often so poorly executed as to be excruciating to watch. The inability to play anything but zone defense means that team-after-team-after-team just sit back and jack up three point shots, inadvisable or not.

I can assure you, for the casual fan - one who has no attachment to a particular college team - it's not good to watch. I mean, I *get* your fandom, it's something that is more visceral than being an NBA-fan... after all, you have a deeper connection to a college team. But to argue that it's a better experience is to simply get lost in the haze of your own experience.

And to say it's "March Madness is the greatest tournament in all of sports." is simply incorrect. The Football World Cup is sport at a greater fever-pitch than anything else, and it's the pinnacle of its sport.

Gene Zarnick: Level of play affects it somewhat, but it depends what you're watching for. If you want the whole package then the NCAA is a much better game. Have you ever watched Little League World Series Baseball? Those kids talent level are well below many leagues, but they are still great to watch because of the other factors involved. I don't have a rooting interest for a particular team, but the drama is what makes the games great.

It's not about fandom at all. It's about appreciating each individual sport for what it is and understanding that some of the differences that may be viewed as negatives by the skeptics make the game even more great. People assume that the professional leagues are the best sports, but that's not always the case, and especially isn't with college basketball.

The World Cup doesn't touch March Madness. The World Cup would not be as great if it was annually. March Madness goes every year and still has as much excitement or more then any other playoff in all of sports.

Don: When you declare that March Madness is a better event than the World Cup, incredulity is strained. It might be better for a small group of people, but that is completely about being a fan. The World Cup touches literally billions of people, and elicits an even greater zeal than March Madness. Nations upon nations hang on this.

Anyway: that's a tangent... to continue: 'tis interesting that you'd argue this point, especially given the excitement in the NBA at this very minute, with the playoffs looming. Add to that a spate of nail-biting finishes, and you've got an exciting product. And not just exciting to a select few who have ties to a particular educational institution.

Ezra: Having been to all kinds of sporting events that include NCAA games (basketball and football), NBA games, and FIFA games, I'd say to anybody who thinks NCAA games have no equal when it comes to the atmosphere and excitement of the tournament to go outside your comfort zone and experience more of what it is that you don't think is as good as March Madness. To even say that the World Cup "doesn't touch March Madness" means you haven't been to any professional soccer game, and your assumptions are killing your credibility to support your fandom of the NCAA tournaments.

While it's true that NBA games can get downright ugly sometimes when it comes to how the game of basketball is played, the quality of basketball, talent, plays, and coaching far outweighs NCAA basketball, which is generally awful basketball. I personally think the 35-second shot clock and zone defense keep it from being a better brand of basketball entertainment. But I still find myself watching it every season. However, in all of my years watching both brands of basketball (and hearing people debating which is better) I'm still not convinced NCAA basketball (or March Madness) is superior to anything else out there.

Today's Unsung Player Day!  I bet you didn't know that. Heck, I didn't even know that until my friend Don from With Malice introduced myself and others to the unheralded holiday.

Basically Unsung Player Day is one day each year when basketball bloggers or fans of basketball are encouraged to write a piece about a player that doesn't get as much attention as they deserve.  Usually these players don't see the court much, but for one reason or another the person writing feels they should get a little more publicity.

With my first ever Unsung Player Day I have decided to choose Josh McRoberts of the Indiana Pacers.  McBobs, how most Duke fans like to refer to him, is a very gifted, athletic athlete (yes, I know that sounds weird) that hasn't really gotten his chance to shine in the pros.

Coming out of high school McBobs was recognized as one of the greatest basketball players in the country.  He had accolades that included 2005 McDonalds All-American Player of the Year, 2005 McDonald's All-America Game MVP, 2005 Parade All-America Basketball Team, and 2005 National High School Coaches Assn. Senior Athlete of the Year.  He was considered to many as one of the best basketball players to come out of Indiana in a long time.

After high school he transitioned to Duke in what many people thought would be a player who could put the Blue Devils back in the national title spotlight.  The spotlight never shined.  In his freshman year, McBobs averaged 8.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 blocked shots.  Solid numbers for his first year and a very promising future ahead.  McBobs went into his sophomore year with a lot to prove and his follow up campaign helped him average 13.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.

Josh left Duke early to enter the NBA draft.  After watching every single Duke game I thought it was the correct decision.  He was one of my favorite players on the team, but it just didn't seem like he was ever going to get over that hurdle and become the leader on the team.  He had spectacular dunks and some great plays, but his jersey was never going to be raised from the rafters.  It wasn't that he had a bad Duke career, but he underachieved in the fans minds.  I mean it's not like he was as bad as Casey Sanders or anything, but we just knew there was so much more that McBobs could bring.

The draft came around and he got drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2nd round with the 37th pick overall.  A year later he was traded to his hometown Indiana Pacers in what I hoped would be the new chance for him to really show his abilities.

He's gotten a few more chances there, averaging 4.3 points, 1.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds this year, but he still has many hurdles if he wants to be on an NBA roster for many years to come.

McBobs has the ability and talent to really excel in a role player position on many NBA teams.  His size and his athletic skills are not seen often, especially from a white guy.  I think will really help him succeed is his attitude.  Always a player who plays hard, but not a player who complains often.  He will pass the ball up in any situation if he feels like it's the correct move and he wants to make the people around him look good even if he doesn't.  He's still young, if he would've stayed at Duke, this would actually be his rookie season.

On this Unsung Player Day, I root for Josh McRoberts, not to be the amazing star at Duke with so many aspirations, but to be the best player he can be in the NBA.  There's nothing wrong with that.