With the NBA’s All Star Game quickly approaching some of the brightest stars will be unable to shine because of injuries. Three of the biggest stars in today’s NBA will not be able to participate in the game due to medical reasons. Yao Ming has been sidelined since December with a fracture in his right leg. Yao was voted in by the fans as a starter but will be unable to play on any level for another 2-3 weeks. The Phoenix Sun star Steve Nash will have his starting position up for grabs because of an injured shoulder. Allen Iverson, who was traded to the Denver Nuggets earlier this year, will not display his abilities due to an ankle injury. Perhaps this year’s biggest surprize, Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz, will also miss the star-studded event because of a knee injury.

Along with the All Star Game, all of the other fan favorites will be back including: The Rookie vs. Sophmore Game, All Star Celebrity Game, Slam Dunk Competition, Three-point Shootout, Skills Challenge and Shooting Stars Challenge. Tyrus Thomas, Dwight Howard and Gerald Green will challenge the reigning champion Nate Robinson in the Slam Dunk competition. The celebrity game will feature the likes of Reggie Bush, Nelly, Jamie Foxx and Michael Clarke Duncan. The three-point shootout will feature Gilbert Arenas, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Damon Jones, Jason Kapono and Mike Miller.

The action will begin on Friday night and will conclude on Sunday with the NBA All Star Game. While injuries have plagued the West squad, the East should have it’s roster intact. In total there are six players who will be making their first appearance in an All Star game, but plenty of fan favorites will be having repeat appearances. The NBA All Star Weekend is a very unique sports scene and is always an enjoyable watch. All of the action will be televised nationally on TNT.

Despite a shaky start the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17. Peyton Manning overcame an early interception to lead his team to a win, and finally proved his doubters wrong. The win also solidified Tony Dungy’s place in history as the first African American head coach to win a SuperBowl. Coach Dungy will also go into the history books as one of a select few who won a SuperBowl as both a player and a coach.

The opening minutes of the game seemed to be favoring the Bears as the rookie sensation Devin Hester ran back the opening kickoff 92 yards for the score. No other opening kickoff had ever been returned for a touchdown in SuperBowl History. On the next drive for the Colts, Manning had his pass intercepted by Chris Harris. Later in the quarter Manning would find a wide open Reggie Wayne for an easy 53 yard touchdown. After a fumbled kick return by the Bears the Colts returned the favor and fumbled the ball back on a bad handoff. Rex Grossman took advantage of the Colts’ mistake and threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad.

In the second quarter the Colts were able to convert a 29 yard field goal and would later score on a short touchdown run by Dominic Rhodes to put them up 16-14 at the half over the faltering Bears.

The Colts came out strong in the third quarter with a nearly 8 minute, 13 play drive that ended in a field goal by Vinatieri to put them up 19-14. The Indianapolis defense held the Bears offense in check througout the third quarter and they would only manage to score on a field goal by Robbie Gould.

The fourth quarter was more of the same for the struggling Bears offense as Grossman was intercepted on two consecutive possessions. One of the two picks would be returned 56 yards for a touchdown by Kelvin Hayden, and the other was returned by Bob Sanders 38 yards to set the Colts up in Bears territory.

The Chicago defense was unable to make up for the mistakes of quarterback Rex Grossman, and the Bears gave up too many big plays to the Colts. Manning’s efforts earned him the SuperBowl MVP honor, and the Colts will return to Indianapolis as the champions of the National Football League.

As you may have noticed, John DeBroeck is a new writer for Positive Sports News. We hope you enjoy his sports writing as much we are.

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Just one day until the SuperBowl, and I was wondering…

What kind of a fan are you? Do you like watching the SuperBowl more or the commercials more?

The six newest members of the National Football League Hall of Fame were announced on Saturday February 3rd. The prestigious honor was given to Michael Irvin, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Matthews, Roger Wehrli, Charlie Sanders and Gene Hickerson. This select group of players will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in August.

Michael Irvin’s career in the spotlight has had it’s troubled times, but his production on the field was unquestionable. As a part of the infamous “Triplets” he, Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman led the Dallas Cowboys to three Superbowl victories. Irvin was voted to 5 Pro Bowls and was selected to the All-Decade team of the 1990’s.

Thurman Thomas’s production at running back helped to propel the Buffaloe Bills to 4 straight Superbowl appearances although none resulted in a win. He led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage 4 consecutive seasons and was the league MVP in 1991.

Bruce Matthews’ career as an offensive lineman was lengthy as he played nearly 300 games throughout his career. Accolades include NFL record 14 straight Pro Bowl appearances, 9 All-Pro selections, and he was chosen for the All-Decade team for the 1990’s.

Roger Wehrli was a member of the 1970’s All-Decade team as a cornerback for the St. Louis Cardinals. Wehrli was a top tier corner in the league for 14 years and earned 5 All-Pro selections along with 7 Pro Bowl appearances.

Charlie Sanders helped to revolutionize the tight end position in football. In a time when tight ends were primarily blockers, Sanders’ athleticism and catching ability made him a threat in the passing game. His skills earned him 7 Pro Bowls and 3 All-Pro selections.

Gene Hickerson made a living clearing paths for the likes of Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly. He was perhaps the most dominant guard of his time and was a devastating lead blocker. Hickerson was chosen for the 1960’s All-Decade team and had 3 All-Pro selections to go along with his 6 consecutive Pro Bowl appearances.

As the NBA season approaches its All Star break it has become increasingly clear that the Western Conference has far more depth and talent than the rival Eastern Conference. With a little over 40 games played now for each team, the East has only one club with at least 27 wins: the surprise Washington Wizards. The West on the other hand, has 6 teams with more than 27 wins.

The Atlantic Division leading Toronto Raptors are at an even .500 winning percentage right now and have a record of 23-23. Of the three division leading teams in the Western Conference, none of them have fewer than 30 wins.

It is unusual to see such a large imbalance of power in professional sports, but it may end up being a detriment to the Western Conference teams. Not only do they have to compete with each other throughout the season, but they must also jockey for position in the playoff races as well. Many believe that just getting through the playoffs in the West will leave a team too drained to make an impact in the finals, much like the Dallas Mavericks last season.

The West is loaded with legitimate title contenders and there are still plenty of teams who could make a late playoff push. Denver and Golden State have each made significant trades that could help them make a run at the playoffs. This year’s chase for the Western Conference Title could go down as one of the best of all time.

Brett Favre officially announced his return to the Green Bay Packers for the 2007 NFL season. The 16 year veteran was impressed with his team’s performance despite a mere 8-8 record. Favre, who surpassed Dan Marino’s career completion record, is on the threshold of breaking numerous other NFL records. He is currently 6 career touchdown passes and 3,862 yards behind Marino who holds both all-time records, and he needs only 2 more wins to exceed John Elway’s career record of 148. The Mississippi native will do his best in the upcoming season to avoid breaking the career interceptions thrown mark in which he is currently only trailing by 4. The 3 time MVP hopes that his team will continue to improve and possibly make a run at the playoffs in the upcoming season. His return will help to solidify the Packers as a legitimate threat in the NFC.

The Super Bowl is coming this Sunday, are you excited?

Jill and I are excited, but not just because of the SuperBowl…

Neither Jill or I has been able to give this blog the time it really deserves. We have a new writer who will be starting soon and we are both very excited about it. I hope you enjoy his positive sports writing.