Dinner: Oh, What Could Have Been

The Big Three were almost Windy City bound.

Tonight, maybe as you’re reading this, the Heat will be cruising past the Bulls in Chicago for a 28th consecutive win. They’ve looked like basketball Gods as certain points during their pursuit of 33; heating up at the right moments and almost toying with lesser teams. But lets, for a moment, take a time machine trip back to 2010. The summer of 2010 to be specific, one of the most dramatic times for the NBA in which there was no basketball involved.

Take a look, if you will, at this video,  where Chicago is LeBron’s destination of choice according to oddsmakers. Miami comes in at a risky 15-2.

This was, of course, before the rumored-then-confirmed meeting between the Big Three in which they decided where they would play.

After the meeting, it seemed pretty clear that Bosh and LeBron were set on joining Wade in Miami, leaving the other potential suitors to scramble for deals on players like Amare, Carlos Boozer and Joe Johnson.

So what happened? Was it something Chicago said?

Of the Big Three as we know it, it was Wade who was most inclined to become a Bull. And at first it seemed he was actually going there. But as we learned it articles like this one, D-Wade didn’t feel like Chicago honored it’s former players enough. Loyalty is imporant to Wade, one of the qualities that sets him apart from many modern athletes. And the Heat are considered one of the more tight-knit organizations in sports (see: Erik Spoeltra), making Chicago an even tougher sell in comparison to South Beach.

But it almost happened. Almost!

Throw it in NBA history as one of the greatest “What-if” scenarios, but Wade and Co.’s unwillingness to join D-Rose and dominate the basketball universe has to raise some eyebrows, right?

Will this be a defining mark on the career of Derrick Rose? His inability to recruit? It has been suggested, but recruiting doesn’t seem like something Rose is into. Especially now, with the battle he’s currently fighting inside his own head. Let’s get this guy on the court in an NBA game before he hits the phones looking for teammates.

Will the Heat keep it going to 34? It’s hard to say. But wether you’re a basketball fan or not, you have to apprecaite the difficulty and the grind that this has been. And when you see them play, with their elite spacing and movement, and releentless tenacity on defense, think about how rare this is, and how close it could have been to something completely different. See you for Breakfast.

 

Breakfast: Today’s The Day

NFL free agency is set to begin at 4 p.m. today, and TheOrangeWedge is as excited as ever to break down all the happenenings. Today many big names are waking up to their names all over the media, and could potentially finish the day far richer than they started.

But getting back into the workforce isn’t always easy. You need to be ready, and you need to be prepared. That’s why some of the top NFL free agents have highly sought-after resume coordinators. We happen to have gotten in touch with one of these men, and are here to bring you an NFL exclusive report. Here are some previously never-before-seen images of resumes being sent to all 32 general managers today. Enjoy!

**Edit: Goldson attended the University of Washington, not Washington University. Blame his agent.

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Do you think having a resume will help these job-seekers? Perhaps Goldson should have included a cover letter? Lets us know @TheOrangeWedge.

Late Night: NFL Roundup

DeAngelo Hall is the latest NFL veteran to be released (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

Boldin Goes West

The excitement and speculation over the Percy Harvin deal was short lived as a new trade agreed upon late Monday afternoon sparked even greater eyebrow-raising around the NFL. Anquan Boldin, who was so instrumental during the Raven’s championship run, has been dealt to the team they defeated, San Francisco, in exchange for just a sixth round pick.

Are you surprised? In some ways, you shouldn’t  be. The Ravens were fully prepared to live life beyond Boldin, making that perfectly clear with last week’s “Pay Cut or Be Cut” ultimatum. Anything the Ravens could have gotten for Boldin was better than nothing, and now Baltimore has made the most out of an awkward situation.

As for the Niners, well you just have to hate them right now. We talked about ways they could use their stockpile strategically to influence the draft, but we didn’t say they could use a third-day pick on a receiver with five 1,000 yard seasons under his belt. Boldin was fully prepared to retire as a Raven; so how will he respond to being traded? Boldin’s presence on an already loaded offense will be a major storyline in 2013.

Redskins Release Hall

As many teams struggle to find cap room expects the cuts and releases to keep coming. Today’s victim was DeAngelo Hall, who was released by Washington after five seasons. Hall, who is 29, has a few years left and will certainly end up overpaid by another team desperate for a lockdown corner. Hall has been known to be a liability at times, and a player who has difficulty controlling his emotions on the field.

The latest incident cost Hall 30 large for verbally abusing a ref during a game in October, but other than that he is a solid player. He posted a career-high in total tackles in 2012, and has played all 16 games for Washington for 3 straight years. While there seems to be a lot of talent at DB in this year’s draft, no doubt there will be a team that wants to pay DeAngelo.

Jets Add Another Arm to Compete

David Garrard has become the latest quarterback to officially compete for the Jets starting job. Numerous other veteran names were being tossed around but sadly no, Chad Pennington will not report to training camp this year. As of now it is Garrard, Sanchez, Matt Sims, Greg McElroy and Tim Tebow, although reports indicate Tebow is to be cut any day now.

Garrard was pretty effective as the Jaguars signal-caller, replacing Byron Leftwich and even leading the Jags to a playoff berth in 2007. He was even likable on Hard Knocks with the Miami Dolphins, but an off-field injury prevented from competing for the job.

Whether or not Tebow stays, this “open competition” in New York could prove very intriguing. Will the Jets draft a young arm to add to the mix? That would make six on the roster, but I think Tebow will be gone by spring and Sims is just for headlines. Make no mistake, all were competing before this move, but with Garrard in the mix, there are legitimate questions to be answered when training camps begin.