Saturday, April 17, 2010

The NBA playoffs start on Saturday. Should Lebron and the Cavs be worried about the Bulls? Will the Celtics make it past the first round? And who’ll win the Durant-Kobe showdown? Bill is joined by Kevin Hench of FoxSports.com to discuss the NBA’s postseason.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has put its foot down, and it’s not wearing a Nike sneaker. The Badgers ended their licensing agreement with Nike last week, and activists are pushing for other schools to do the same. Wisconsin Public Radio’s Kirk Carapezza has the story.

Earlier this week, the Steelers shipped away Santonio Holmes for repeated misconduct, and announced they are considering sanctions against quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. This streak of bad behavior in pro football certainly isn’t exclusive to Pittsburgh. Bill reports on character and image in the NFL and wonders if it’s possible to form a roster with no criminal records.

In July of 2008, the Seattle Supersonics announced their move to Oklahoma City, ending a 41-year run of NBA basketball in Washington. Fans across the Northwest were outraged, but none more than Jason Reid and Adam Brown, who made a documentary film called Sonicsgate. Bill talks with the filmmakers about how Seattle lost its beloved basketball team.

Baseball, Soccer, Hockey, and Basketball are in full swing, so Bill and Only A Game analyst Charlie Pierce have a lot to cover, including some NHL upsets, Jerry Jones on Bill Parcells, and Jay-Z’s lawsuit against David Ortiz.

Some ex-NFL players stay in the league as coaches and administrators after they retire. Some become “expert analysts” on TV and radio. But others, like Alan Veingrad, find a different way to spend their time. After playing offensive lineman during the late 80’s and early 90’s, he turned to Orthodox Judaism, became a motivational speaker, and is now set to be inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Only A Game’s Jon Kalish reports.