The Amare Auction

• With the NBA trade deadline approaching, the big name is appears to be Amare Stoudemire. The rumors are currently flying, with everyone from the best to the worst in the NBA trying to get in on the action. The Cavs, Heat and Nets seem to be the most serious currently. The Cavs clearly are looking for that kind of physical, scoring big man that could match up against Andrew Bynum (or Chris Bosh, but we'll get to that...) in the Finals. The Nets are simply trying to get a big name that could bring people back to their games after their absolutely abysmal showing so far this season. The Heat would likely have to give up Michael Beasley and something more to get Stoudemire. 

Heres the problem with Amare: No team is going to want to trade for him without the guarantee of an   extension. It would be a huge loss of talent for any team that gives up a significant player to get Amare and then loses him to unrestricted free agency this summer. Furthermore, I have my doubt about investing much into Amare. Sure, he can be a scoring machine, but his defense is less than dominating to say the least and he's had the benefit of receiving unheard of assists from Nash his entire career. Who knows how a lesser point guard could affect his play? The Cavs would seem to be the best fit, in my opinion, as Amare would be a substantial upgrade over Big Z.

• Apparently nobody wants to sign CF Johnny Damon,  as he is currently back in negotiations with the Yankees. They've offered 1 yr/$2 million (long after Damon REJECTED  a 2 yr/$14 mil offer!), but it is strange that no other team has given Damon a legitimate look. The same sentiment goes for Jonny Gomes, Rocco Baldelli, Xavier Nady, and Jermaine Dye. All of these guys can still play, but the market has not been particularly kind to them. Any team that can snipe Dye's power potential right now for cheap (especially if they wait until right after Damon signs) will not be disappointed.

• SP John Smoltz may be going the way of the Glavine. The Mets are in talks with the longtime Atlanta flamethrower. At least Smoltz has waited until he's 42 and out of gas to give the Mets a look for his services.

• The Patriots are keeping to form with the current Vince Wilfork contract negotiations in that they are refusing to bend for a player. They have apparently already begun looking for a replacement in the middle for Wilfork, looking to Mount Cody in the draft. I wonder how many more times the Pats are going to allow star defensive players escape before they realize a little extra money goes a long way. See: Richard Seymour, Ty Law, Asante Samuel

• It is beginning to appear that the New York Jets are going to allow Thomas Jones to walk this offseason. The team will get Leon Washington back next season who will be the agile back alongside the power back Shonn Greene. Jones still has some serious legs in him, rushing for over 1,300 yards the last two seasons despite having hit the RB-decline age of 30 in 2008. There will be plenty of teams vying for his services should the Jets allow him to go.

• This will be ESPN's Ed Werder's third straight offseason stalking Brett Favre.

•  If the Hawks move their way into second place overall in the East behind the Cavs before the All-Star break, then Coach Woodson will be the head coach of the East All-Stars. With Coach Mike Brown having coached the game last season, he cannot repeat in consecutive years. This would be a huge honor for Coach Woodson, who has coached the baby Hawks into legitimate contenders.

• Using the Sports Guy's Levels of Losing, I've determined that the Vikings loss ranks in between Level IV: The Broken Axle and Level III: The Guillotine. The wheels certainly came flying off in this game with 6 fumbles and 2 interceptions, yet the Vikings had the game in hand all the way until the end. It was actually quite astonishing. That many turnovers and you're tied, with the ball for the final possession?! That isn't skill or talent, that's destiny and god-like intervention. Yet the Guillotine comes into play with Favre. As much as anyone thought, he's going to throw the game winning touchdown, at the same time, they felt the interception coming. They could sense it, feel the hairs beginning to stand up on the back of their necks. Something bad is going to happen. And it did. The game would be decided on a coin flip. Overtime actually may have saved a few TV's, walls and remote controls. If the game had ended on the interception, TV sales in Minnesota would have shot up, as would arrests with people flinging whatever was closest in hand directly into a wall, TV, car or human being.