There are so many interesting things happening in sports lately. Although it’s not the weekend yet, I couldn’t resist writing a sports cornucopia today – I’ll just call it a Wednesday Six Pack this time. Since March Madness ended and we took in the Frozen Four…the Masters has come and gone, baseball season is heating up, NBA/NHL playoffs are upon us, and Derrick Rose is still on the sideline (sorry, had to throw that one in since I’ve been hearing about ‘the return’ for almost a year now). Nike has joined the fray, taking the same path Adidas did with RGIII and Rose regarding a new ad campaign for Kobe Bryant during his recovery– I don’t like it, but that’s a topic for another day. On the eve of the NFL Draft (one of my favorite events to watch each year) there are several current topics to address today.

The NFL Draft has evolved from teams simply selecting college athletes for their teams to becoming the biggest spectacle of the offseason. The first NFL Draft took place in 1936 and wasn’t televised until 1980. Mel Kiper Jr, the mastermind of the big board and a trusted scout by fans, started doing such analysis 29 years ago. For most of my memory, the draft was a 2 day event – and a weekend that I got very little done since I was busy watching who got drafted and adding my own commentary to the picks (if only there had been twitter back then). In 2010, the NFL Draft was moved to primetime TV – which is a testament to just how popular the even had become.  Now a 3 day event, it’s hard to imagine a time when players weren’t even in attendance considering they now show up with an entourage while wearing expensive clothes and jewelry. No matter how over the top it gets, fans still tune in (or attend) the spectacle to see who their team gets and weigh in on each draft pick. I have so many memories from the draft…when Brady Quinn just kept sitting there waiting for his name to be called, the Eli Manning/Phillip Rivers saga with San Diego, and waiting just to see who will be named Mr. Irrelevant. It’s amazing to think about the transformation of the draft, from small meetings to a nationally televised event – and I’ll be watching and making more memories each year.

After a long delay thanks to the lockout, the shortened NHL Season is winding down. Yes, it feels like it just started, but only playing 48 games doesn’t take too long and while we’re usually watching the playoffs already, we’re watching now to see who’s going to make the postseason. While the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins battle for the Presidents Trophy (awarded to the team with the most points), the most intriguing matchups with just 5 days left in the season are those at the bottom of the playoff standings. In the Eastern Conference, the Winnipeg Jets are lone team that still has a chance to claim the 8 seed – but will need to win and get help in order for that to take place. In the Western Conference, there are technically 5 teams vying for the last 2 spots. The biggest story is regarding the Detroit Red Wings – and you know it’s a big one when it’s talked about on SportsCenter (since ESPN likes to forget that the NHL exists). The Wings are currently in 9^th place and control their own destiny. Why is this such a big deal? Detroit has qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons; they haven’t missed them since 1990. It would be a shame to see such an impressive streak end in a season already marred by the lockout, but now it all lies on the team to win and everyone who follows the NHL is watching.

While we’re still waiting to see who will be vying for Lord Stanley, the competition to be named NBA World Champions is in full swing. While the LA Lakers did manage to make the NBA Playoffs, the Lake Show without Kobe just isn’t the same. In the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat are cruising so far and may get pushed by the New York Knicks or Indiana Pacers, but it’s hard to imagine them not making the finals. Not only are they the best team in the East, but the big 3 is all playing well and they’ve found role players to help – plus adding Ray Allen into the mix. The Western Conference is more interesting, or at least has a more parity. The San Antonio Spurs and OKC Thunder battled for the top seed, but the LA Clippers/Lob City are trying to make noise as the star attraction in the City of Angels with the Lakers struggling. Ultimately, I expect to see the Spurs take on the Heat in the NBA Finals, but not without some drama first. Don’t be surprised if the Golden State Warriors upset the Denver Nuggets behind the sharp shooting of Stephen Curry. After watching him put on a show in college, I never expected to see him be so successful in the pros…but loved seeing him break Ray Allen’s record for 3-pointers in a season and expect him to be a special player to watch for years to come.

Speaking of the NBA, in news you didn’t expect to read, Mike Brown is the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers – again. For those who aren’t familiar with this story, Brown was fired by the Cavs after 5 seasons – at about the same time as Lebron’s announcement that he was leaving. Their owner, Dan Gilbert, who’s no stranger to controversy after some public letters he wrote at that time, has said that he made a mistake by firing Brown at that time. So, how does one make that right? Apparently, such an apology comes in the form of a 5 year, $20 million dollar deal to have Brown coaching the Cavs again. While fans hope this hiring could mean the return of Lebron in the future (if he returns, I expect it to be at the end of his career, not while he’s still in his prime), this is a second chance for Brown to be successful as a head coach following his short and tumultuous stint with the Lakers. If the ownership and fans can keep some perspective, I think this is a good hire for them. No, Brown isn’t going to set the world on fire with the job he does, but should be able to have a team that’s competitive and gives a city with a lot of sports struggles something to cheer about.

As the calendar turns to April, it signals the start of another Major League Baseball season. While pennants aren’t won or lost this early in the season, it’s probably a safe bet that we won’t be seeing the Padres or Marlins in the World Series this year. Still, wins and losses will come and standings mean very little as teams are just trying to get into a groove and avoid costly injuries. Instead of trying to talk about too many teams, I’ll take a page from Sports Illustrated and give you Chamber’s version of Who’s Hot & Who’s Not.   Who’s Hot: The Upton Brothers. The Atlanta Braves made headlines when they signed this pair in the offseason. First came free agent, BJ Upton to play centerfield followed by a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for left fielder, Justin Upton. Now, these “bash brothers” are helping fans forget that Chipper Jones retired last season. The Upton’s hit back-to-back homeruns in a game yesterday, only the 2^nd time that has taken place in MLB history. They’ve always been exciting players to watch – now you can just see them both in the same game. Who’s Not: Dodgers Infirmary. The LA Dodgers new ownership group hasn’t been shy about spending money the last couple seasons. They’ve been trying to keep up with the Angels at times, but looked to have a good roster coming out of spring training. Then, the injuries started to happen. Notably, Zach Greinke’s broken collarbone after an altercation with Carlos Quentin in a bench clearing brawl that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Now, they’ve announced that Chad Billingsley underwent Tommy John surgery today – after opting not to have it last fall. After breaking camp with 8 veteran pitchers, they’re down to 4 at this time and they are no longer looked at as the best rotation in baseball.

I would be remiss if I didn’t include what took place in Boston last Monday. I watched the news all day in disbelief and felt sick as I saw and heard about runners losing their legs – an evil irony when you think about it. Although I’m not a runner, there are many who I am close to that dream of running the Boston Marathon (my high school soccer coach and mentor unfortunately died as she was working toward that dream in 2008). While everyone I knew who lives there or was in town for the event was ok, my heart goes out to anyone impacted by such a disgusting act of terror. I truly admire all the first responders who were heroes last week as they tried to help everyone after the twin blasts rocked the town. In the meantime, sports were able to be a distraction in the wake of tragedy. Boston Strong was seen around the country and in various acts of solidarity. As the Bruins, Red Sox, and Celtics played on, time was taken to remember the victims and pray for the survivors. Perhaps one of my favorite stories that shows the good in people, particularly in the wake of tragedy, was Neil Diamond taking a red eye flight to Boston to surprise fans and sing “Sweet Caroline” for them in the first Sox game back at Fenway. As Boylston Street finally reopened today – the long road to healing for this great city begins.

Extra Point: Yesterday was a sad day for War Eagle Nation as Auburn fans bid farewell to the oaks at Toomer’s Corner. As they rolled the trees one last time, memories were shared and pictures taken – trying to make the most of remembering and celebrating the tradition instead of lamenting about what had taken place in a cruel act of vandalism. We all have traditions and memories that we hold dear from the schools we attended and can only imagine the sadness and anger that would be felt if such a crime took place on our campuses.