What to get Flacco for his wedding?

A big Mazel Tov to Ravens QB Joe Flacco, who married his longtime girlfriend, Dana Grady, in Philadelphia last weekend.

The Baltimore Sun wrote that Flacco and Grady started dating in high school. They’ve been together for nine years, and the two married in the same church where Flacco’s parents had wed.

Conveniently, the couple is registered at Crate & Barrel.

Here are a few things I recommend you buy for the happy couple (keep in mind, gift cards are welcome).

A tea bag squeezer: The couple needs only one, and it’s an affordable $4.95.
A large Artesia bread/cracker dish: For $17.95, give the Flacco’s a place to hold their bread during dinner.
A 3x3 flameless pillar card: If you want to help the Flacco’s set the mood, you’ll need to spend $7.95. Or you could spend about $16 and get them two. Don't be cheap. Get them two.

But buy these gifts soon, because most of their needs have been fulfilled. And don’t forget: cash always makes a good gift. Especially during times of a lockout.

Packers players – maybe not top 10, but we’ll take the trophy

Today’s announcement that three Packers, Clay Matthews (19), Charles Woodson (16), and Aaron Rodgers (11), were named to the NFL’s top 100 players of 2011 was satisfying and is a great tribute to those individuals.

However, it’s got to be even more gratifying to the other players, coaches and administrators who are a part of this great organization.
Individual recognition is awesome for these players – they certainly love being recognized by their peers and fans.
But this is just a list, a popularity contest, if you will.
We all know that lists are great, but we also know that they mean absolutely nothing.
What matters are championships. It’s a team sport made up of individuals.
Sure, we’re happy with the accolades, but we’re way more impressed with the George Halas and Vince Lombardi trophies, thank you.

Everything’s Bigger in Texas: Mavericks Hosted Championship Parade

Every player on the champion Dallas Mavericks’ roster had their share of laughs, songs and some tears. Dirk Nowitzki could finally bask in the championship atmosphere with his beloved fans that have supported him and his team through thick and thin.

Around a hundred thousand people packed the streets of Dallas for the championship parade morning of Thursday to celebrate with their newly-crowned championship team. A flock of 20,000 people also occupied the seats of American Airlines Center for the rally that was highlighted with different outbursts of emotions.

It was the first pro sports championship in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since the NHL’s Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999. For the city’s basketball franchise, it was their first after 31 years of experiences that was full of hopes and also marred by disappointments.

It was no surprise that Nowitzki, the MVP of their recently concluded 6-game Finals series against the star-studded Miami Heat, was the focal point of the entire celebration. Chants of “M-V-P” serenaded the 7-foot German along with waived flags of his hometown country and signboards showing some love to their franchise player.

Nowitzki himself has come a long way en route to his first NBA title. The Wurzburg, Germany native was drafted by the franchise in 1998 and struggled to make a smooth transition from Europe to the NBA. He then led the Mavericks to playoff appearances, starting with the trio of him, Steve Nash and Michael Finley in the early 2000’s. Then, he carried the team all by himself to the 2006 Finals, where they bowed down to Miami after blowing a 2-0 lead in that series.

Like Nowitzki, Jason Kidd was also emotional during the parade. Drafted by the Mavericks in 1994, he suffered the failures and the long wait before he could proclaim himself as a champion. Jason Terry, the other player besides Nowitzki who are still with the Mavericks from that 2006 team that reached the Finals, finally got revenge from the team that they lost from five years ago.

As for Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, he broke down in several occasions while addressing the crowd. The big-time billionaire bought the team in 2000, and was a big part of the club’s success. Don Carter, the franchise’s cornerstone back in 1980s said that that the celebration and the moment itself was “Fantastic”.

Jason Terry leads the way in fourth quarter for Mavericks

DALLAS — Jason Terry promised all week that the Miami Heat couldn't beat his Dallas Mavericks in a high-scoring game.
He was spot on, just as he was in the last two minutes with pivotal three-pointers as he sparked the Mavericks to a 112-103 victory in Game 5 on Thursday night.

"I said if we can get 100, we like our chances. We did that, but we definitely don't want to give them 100 points," said Terry, who had 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting.
The Mavericks made 13 of 19 three-pointers (68.4%) as they took a 3-2 series lead. They head back to Miami with two chances to win the franchise's first championship. Game 6 is Sunday.
STORY: Mavericks take Game 5 over Heat
BOX SCORE: Mavericks 112, Heat 103
PHOTOS: Top images from the NBA Finals
SCHEDULE: NBA Finals dates and results
Dirk Nowitzki shot 9-for-18 for a game-high 29 points, but after the Mavericks blew a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter it was Terry who led them back.
Terry's three-pointer tied the score at 100. He blew past LeBron James and into the lane, then threw the pass back to Jason Kidd who was spotting up at the top of the key for an open three.
"Jet is a great scorer. He's a great shooter, and he's a great player" Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said of Terry, who was the starting point guard on the 2006 Mavericks team that advanced to the Finals. "He used to play point guard exclusively, so he has a lot of experience as a play-maker."
With the shot clock winding down and the Heat trailing 105-101, Terry hit another three-pointer over James for a 108-101 lead to seal the outcome.
"Jet was phenomenal. He was aggressive again from the get-go," Nowitzki said. "It opens up a lot of stuff for everybody else out there. It opens up Tyson (Chandler) on the rolls that we actually hit him on a bunch of times today….Also that opens up the corner threes."
The Mavericks got out to the fast start they've longed for all series. They led by as many as seven in the first quarter as they forced the Heat into four turnovers.
They got scoring from unusual places with Chandler contributing nine points, point guard Jason Kidd five and four from seldom-used reserve Brian Cardinal.
Still, the Heat led 31-30 entering the second because of their bench play. Mario Chalmers, Juwan Howard, Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem combined for 15 points. By halftime the quartet had 22. They finished with 40, led by Chalmers' 15 and 10 from Haslem.
James, coming off a career playoff-low eight points in Game 4, finished the half with nine points, six rebounds and four assists but he failed to knock down a jump shot.
He was 4-for-10 in the first half as all of his jumpers came up short, including an airball on his first attempt.
James finished 8-for-19 shooting with a triple-double of 17 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. But he only scored two points in the fourth quarter after not scoring at all in the fourth of Game 4.
Terry, who James held scoreless in the fourth of a Game 3 victory for Miami, made him work on the defensive end.
"Jet is a very emotional player. He loves the fourth quarter," Kidd said. "I think the challenge is for him with LeBron, he's got to use his quickness. LeBron is one of the best defenders in this league."
Nowitzki agrees at the 6-4 Terry can't be stationary vs. the more physical James, who also is four inches taller. And Dallas has to make it more difficult for James to size him up.
"If he just stands there and looks at him, LeBron is long enough and quick enough to contest his slot late," Nowitzki said. "So he's got to attack him. He's got to attack his feet. … We got to run LeBron through some screens when he's on him, screen-and-rolls. So LeBron constantly has to chase him and fight over some picks."
Dallas overcame a six-point deficit in the second quarter to lead 60-57 at the half behind Nowitzki.
He hit a pair of free throws and then drove strong past Chris Bosh. He hit an open lane jumper with 6.1 seconds left.
Every time the Heat made a move early, it was Nowitzki who closed the door.
James hit a fading jump shot over Nowitzki to tie it at 65 but the 7-footer hit a jump shot and a three-pointer to build Dallas' cushion.
Then Miami couldn't contain the dribble penetration of J.J. Barea, who got past Mike Bibby to cause havoc in the lane. That led to three-pointers by Nowitzki and Kidd as the Mavericks' lead grew to 80-71.
Barea, getting his second start of the playoffs, contributed 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting and five assists.
Just when the Heat were getting set for a run in the fourth quarter, Nowitzki drew a foul on Wade to put them in the penalty. He hit the free throws to push the score to 95-90.
The Heat were without Wade for key stretches in the first half because of a left hip contusion. But his play in combo with James was crucial as Miami regained the lead at 96-95 on a dunk by Udonis Haslem. Wade drew the double-team and Haslem slipped the screen to get the pass over the top.
Wade, who had a team-high 23 points in 34 minutes, then struck a pose after this three-pointer at the top of the key gave Miami a 99-95 lead. Dallas, however, had the last laugh.
"If there's space, I'm going to let it fly," Terry said. "It's just like being out there on the playground back home in Seattle, emulating your idols in the Finals. Game on the line. Raise up. Knock it down."

Shaquille O'Neal announces retirement

BOSTON — He was a prolific producer of rebounds and record albums. And nicknames, too, as if at seven-foot-one and 350 pounds he was too big for the simple "Shaq" that made him an instantly recognizable, one-name star in all of his endeavours.

Shaquille O'Neal had more than 28,000 points and almost four million Twitter followers. He appeared in six NBA finals, three times as the MVP, and seven feature films, twice in a starring role.

A 15-time all-star, four-time champion and the 2000 NBA Most Valuable Player, the 39-year-old O'Neal announced his retirement on Twitter on Wednesday after spending most of his 19th season on the Boston Celtics bench, in street clothes because of leg injuries.

Along with a mid-afternoon tweet saying, "im retiring," O'Neal included a link to a 16-second video of him saying, "We did it; 19 years, baby. Thank you very much. That's why I'm telling you first: I'm about to retire. Love you. Talk to you soon."

An inveterate prankster who gave himself a new nickname -- or several -- in each of his six NBA cities, O'Neal did not notify his latest team, leaving it wondering about his plans. He played just 37 games this season, the first of a two-year deal at the veteran's minimum salary, making just three brief appearances after Feb. 1.

"He's a giant," commissioner David Stern said Wednesday at the NBA finals in Miami. "He's physically imposing; he has an imposing smile. In the game, he imposed his will, and he has done it for quite a long time. It's been a great run here, and we're going to miss him greatly. We hope we can find ways to keep him involved in the game."

O'Neal, 39, retires fifth all-time with 28,596 points, 12th with 13,099 rebounds, and a .582 field goal percentage that is second only to Artis Gilmore among players with more than 2,000 baskets. His free throw percentage of .527 -- well, now is not the time to dwell on that.

"I'm a little bit sad," said Heat president Pat Riley, who also coached O'Neal when he won a title in Miami and watched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning when they retired. "It's been an honour to be part of coaching great, great players. And he will go down as one of the greatest of all time."

Appropriately, O'Neal's retirement became the No. 1 trending topic on the social networking site he embraced by early evening, and his former teammates and opponents took to Twitter to wish him luck.

"Shaq not only dominated the game of basketball but also dominated off the court w/ his big personality. Hes 1 of the greatest entertainers," Magic Johnson said. "Thank you Shaq for leading the Lakers to 3 titles. We loved every minute of it!"

O'Neal spent three years at Louisiana State and was the big prize when the Orlando Magic won the 1992 draft lottery and selected him first overall. He took them from the lottery to the playoffs in two years, and then led them to the NBA finals in his third year before they were swept by the Houston Rockets.

O'Neal signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 and had his greatest success there, winning three titles alongside Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson. But amid tension between O'Neal and Bryant after a loss to the Detroit Pistons in the finals, O'Neal was traded to the Heat in the summer of 2004.

"I often wonder how many they would've won if he stayed," said Johnson, the Lakers Hall of Famer.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who decided to break up the tandem and keep Bryant, thanked O'Neal for a "long and amazing career, with a huge impact both on and off the court."

"His contributions were significant to the entire NBA, but we specifically appreciate what he did with and what he meant to the Lakers during his eight years with us," Buss said. "We have three championships that we wouldn't have won without him, and we will forever be grateful for his significant contributions to those teams."

After 3 1/2 years in Miami, a tenure that included his fourth NBA championship, O'Neal became a veteran for hire, moving to Phoenix and then Cleveland and finally Boston. But he couldn't deliver another title for Victoria's Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire with the Suns, with LeBron James with the Cavaliers, or with the Celtics' Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

At each stop, he endeared himself to the fans and his new teammates with his effervescent smile and playful attitude, including the habit of adopting a new nickname he felt embodied his role with his new team. In Phoenix he was the "Big Shaqtus"; in Boston, the "Big Shamroq."

"What a career for Shaq Diesel!!" James wrote on Twitter. "The most dominating force to ever play the game. Great person to be around as well. Comedy all the time!!"

O'Neal embraced social networking, amassing more than 3.8 million followers on his Twitter account and keeping them informed on his "random acts of Shaqness" -- like sitting in Harvard Square, pretending to be a statue, or going out in drag on Halloween.

But O'Neal's off-court persona couldn't disguise the fact he was getting old, and while he showed he could still play with younger opponents, he couldn't manage to stay on the court with them. He missed a week in November with a bruised right knee, a week in December with a calf injury, and another in January with a sore right hip.

He returned for three games -- a total of about 34 minutes -- before missing the next 27 games with what the team called a sore right leg. Although the injury was originally expected to keep him out just a few games, his absence stretched to more than two months.

He returned to play in one more regular-season game, but lasted just five minutes, 29 seconds before reinjuring the leg and limping off the court. He missed Boston's entire first-round series against the New York Knicks and made two appearances against Miami, a total of 12 minutes, and scored two points.

In all, O'Neal averaged just 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 20.3 minutes this season -- all career lows.

"I'm glad that he retired. I think it was time," former guard Tim Hardaway said. "He was hurting his legacy. You don't want to see anybody hurt their legacy when they're going out. I think a lot of people are happy he didn't go through that pain of waiting too long. And I think it was tough for everybody to watch Shaq when he was playing hurt like that at the end of this season."

And that left O'Neal in the market for a new nickname.

After announcing his retirement, he asked fans to give him a nickname that befit his retirement. He reported at about 5 p.m. that "The Big 401K" was the leader.

"I know you can do better, though," he said in another video. "I'm here all day. I'm retired."