Sports: Are you ready to grumble!

So, Kevin Garnett is finally on the move. After over a decade of playing with the Timberwolves, K.G. is off to Boston to try to win a championship with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Not only is this trade the apex of the NBA off-season, barring a sudden Kobe Bryant sell-off, but the move also shifts the balance of power in the Eastern Conference. Suddenly, a lottery team becomes one of the top three teams in the dilapidated East, at least for the next two years.

Garnett is still one of the top power forwards in basketball. Assuming that the regains his zeal to play the game after a series of down years (and by down years, K.G. is a member of the Third-Team All-NBA rather than First-Team), he'll be joined by one of the best pure-shooting two's in the game, Ray Allen, though his best days are behind him. Not only has he not played a full season in 8 years, but he's 31, an age when most shooting guards get rusty. Expect him to transition into a three-point specialist in the mode of Reggie Miller's last days in Indy.

At the three spot, Paul Pierce has got to be licking his chops. With the outside presence of Allen and the inside domination in K.G., double P is going to have a field day slashing around the court. Expect to see him happy and healthy (unless he gets into another nightclub stabbing incident) as a member of a big three.

Now, what did the Wolves get back for giving up their franchise cornerstone.

1. The expiring Theo Ratclif contract: its money in the bank. Theo comes off the books and you've got cap space to make some moves...hopefully to sign the next big thing in the drafts to come.


2. Al Jefferson: the one positive during the Danny Ainge years was the development of Al Jefferson. He's going to be a productive member of a team...though he could lose focus playing for a crappy T-Wolves organization.


3. Sebastian Telfair: hahaha, he's your problem now Minnesota.


4. Gerald Green: another decent player, more a role player type. He'll be good for 10 points a night with effort on the defensive end.


5. Draft picks...Minnesota covets these as they prepare for rebuilding over the next few years.

Who wins? I think this trade is a wash. Sure, Boston gets a possible title run (on paper, everything is possible) but for a few years. After that, Boston will be back in the depths of lottery hell. At the end of it, expect Danny Ainge to be fired. If Boston stumbles out the block next season, expect coaching changes and all sorts of panic from the Boston faithful. Minnesota is not going to draw a crowd with the exciting Gerald Green/Al Jefferson/Ricky Davis trio. However, in a few years, Minnesota will have cap space to sign another marquee player.

*****

In other NBA news, Eddy Curry and Antoine Walker were victims of robberies. Among the items stolen, a $55,000 watch from Eddy Curry's mansion.

*****

MLB: Mark Texiera is headed for the Braves. After speculation that Texiera would return to Baltimore, his hometown, Orioles fans are down in the dumps that we couldn't land the big mid-season target...again. However, the Orioles organization is sure that they can sign Albert Belle to an long term deal.

****

Mike Vick, your friend dimed on you. This is the end of Vick, my friends. At least we've got another scrambling quarterback making waves: long live Vince Young.