MARK YOUR CALENDARS:  I WILL NOT BE POSTING A BLOG ON CHRISTMAS DAY OR ON DECEMBER 26.  

The Miami Heat took advantage of the Mavericks in Dallas last night, with a relatively easy 110-95 victory.  LeBron James led the Heat with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Dwyane Wade added 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, and third-wheel Chris Bosh contributed 17 points and 7 rebounds.  LeBron and Wade sat out the fourth quarter after Miami built a 36-point lead.   The Heat return home to take on the Utah Jazz on Saturday at the AAA, and then face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Christmas Day at 5:30pm, again at the AAA.   

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  This is the 25-year anniversary of the Miami Heat franchise.  The Heat beat the Thunder to win their second championship last season.  What team did they beat in 2006 to win their first NBA title?  Tell you later, alligator.

In the NBA yesterday,

Minnesota 99 Oklahoma City 93

JJ Barea scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter for the T-Wolves.  Kevin Love led Minnesota with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Portland 101 Denver 93

The Nuggets set a league record for futility by missing all their 22 shots from behind the three-point arc.

TONIGHT IN THE NBA:  

Orlando @ Toronto 7:00 pm

Atlanta @ Philadelphia 7:00 pm

Milwaukee @ Boston  7:30 pm

Chicago @ New York  7:30 pm NBA-TV

Washington @ Detroit 7:30 pm

Indiana @ Cleveland   7:30 pm

Dallas @ Memphis 8:00 pm

New Orleans @ San Antonio 8:30 pm

Sacramento @ LA Clippers  10:30 pm

Charlotte @ Golden State 10:30 pm

The Miami Dolphins are clinging to that very slim chance of reaching the playoffs into this week’s game against the Buffalo Bills.  The Fins injury list keeps growing, however.  Wide receiver Davone Bess missed last week’s game and still hasn’t been able to practice this week, and he is now accompanied by Brian Hartline, who will probably join him on the sidelines this week.   In reviewing what needs to happen for Miami to reach the playoffs: they have to win their final two games, at home against the Bills on Sunday, and then at New England against the Patriots the following Sunday.  Miami also needs the Cincinnati Bengals to lose their two final games, to the Pittsburgh Steelers and to the Baltimore Ravens.  They also need for Pittsburgh to lose to the Cleveland Browns, and the Jets need to lose one more game to avoid a four-way tie at 8-8, where they would not win a tiebreaker.  Game time on Sunday against the Bills is at 1pm at the Seven Names Stadium.  

Today’s article of the day come from ESPN’s Jason Stark:  http://espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove12/story/_/id/8764398/baseball-five-most-five-least-improved-teams.  In a shocking development, I was surprised to see that the Marlins were ranked as the WORST team.  

This week’s complete schedule in the NFL,

SATURDAY

Atlanta @ Detroit Det +3.5

8:30 pm ESPN

SUNDAY

Buffalo @ Miami Mia -4.5

1:00 pm CBS Ch.4

New Orleans @ Dallas Dal -1

1:00 pm

Tennessee @ Green Bay GB -12.5

1:00 pm

Indianapolis @ Kansas City KC +7

1:00 pm

San Diego @ NY Jets  Jets -1

1:00 pm

Washington @ Philadelphia Phi +6

1:00 pm

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh Pit -4

1:00 pm

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay TB -3

1:00 pm

Oakland @ Carolina Car -9.5

1:00 pm

New England @ Jacksonville Jax +14.5

1:00 pm

Minnesota @ Houston Hou -9.5

1:00 pm

Cleveland @ Denver Den -13.5

4:05 pm FOX Ch.7

Chicago @ Arizona Ari +5

4:25 pm

NY Giants @ Baltimore Bal +1

4:25 pm CBS Ch.4

San Francisco @ Seattle EVEN

8:20 pm NBC Ch.6

If the playoffs started today,

NFC

Atlanta 12-2  NFC South

San Francisco 10-3-1 NFC West

Green Bay  10-4 NFC North

Washington   8-6 NFC East

Seattle   9-5 Wild Card 1

Minnesota   8-6 Wild Card 2

In the hunt: Chicago(8-6), Dallas (7-6), NY Giants(7-6)

AFC

Houston 12-2 AFC South

Denver 11-3 AFC West

New England 10-4 AFC East

Baltimore   9-5 AFC North

Indianapolis   9-5 Wild Card 1

Cincinnati     8-6 Wild Card 2

In the hunt:  Pittsburgh (7-7), Miami (6-8)  

The Marlins added veteran infielder Placido Polanco yesterday, signing the 37-year-old to a one-year deal worth $2.75 million, with additional $$ in incentives that kick in based on the number of games played.  Polanco missed 72 games last season due to  assorted back, knee, ankle, and wrist injuries. 

In news around the majors, the Chicago Cubs signed pitcher Edwin Jackson to a 4-year, $52 million contract.  The Texas Rangers plugged a big hole in their lineup by signing catcher AJ Pierzynski to a one-year contract.

Dear Santa Claus Jeffrey Loria and minions:  

Why haven’t you sold the team?  What are you waiting for, Christmas?  The New Year?  Your inept management allowed the Marlins farm system to deteriorate to the point of being horrible, and have dismantled the major league roster while pissing off the players on the roster and the entire South Florida community.  You allow your management to continue the policy of “sell low and buy high”.  Sell the team so we can once again enjoy baseball in Miami.

You will soon have the window of opportunity you need to get out of town.  The five-year anniversary of the Marlins and Miami-Dade County agreement for the baseball stadium is coming up on February 21, 2013.  After that time, the “penalty” for selling the team is only 5%, a mere pittance, based on a $250 million value of the team.  You’ve already saved much more than that on the salary dump this season alone 

We’ll continue to keep our fingers crossed and light a candle in the meantime. 

In college football last night, Brigham Young beat San Diego State 23-6 in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.  Tonight, Ball State against Central Florida in the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg.  You can watch it on ESPN, kickoff is set for 7:30 pm. 

The complete bowl results and upcoming schedule in college football:

December 15

GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL

Arizona 49 Nevada 48

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL

#22 Utah State 41 Toledo 15

December 20

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL

Brigham Young 23 San Diego State 6

Friday, December 21

BEEF O’BRADY BOWL ST. PETERSBURG

Central Florida vs Ball State

7:30 pm ESPN

Saturday, December 22

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL

East Carolina vs Louisiana-Lafayette

12:00 pm ESPN

MAACO BOWL LAS VEGAS

Washington vs #19 Boise State

3:30 pm ESPN

Monday, December 24

SHERATON HAWAII BOWL

Fresno State vs Southern Methodist

8:00 pm ESPN

Wednesday, December 26

LITTLE CAESARS BOWL

Western Kentucky vs Central Michigan

7:30pm ESPN

Thursday, December 27

MILITARY BOWL-PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN

#24 San Jose State vs Bowling Green

3:00 pm ESPN

BELK BOWL

Cincinnati vs Duke

6:30 pm ESPN

BRIDGEPOINT EDUCATION HOLIDAY BOWL

Baylor vs #17 UCLA

9:45 pm ESPN

Friday, December 28

ADVOCARE V100 INDEPENDENCE BOWL

Ohio vs Louisiana-Monroe

2:00 pm ESPN

RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL

Rutgers vs Virginia Tech

5:30 pm ESPN

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL OF TEXAS

Minnesota vs Texas Tech

9:00 pm ESPN

Saturday, December 29

BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL

Rice vs Air Force

11:45 am ESPN

NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL

West Virginia vs Syracuse

3:15 pm ESPN

KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL

Navy vs Arizona State

4:00 pm ESPN-2

VALERO ALAMO BOWL

#23 Texas vs #13 Oregon State

6:45 pm ESPN

BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL

TCU vs Michigan State

10:15 pm ESPN

Monday, December 31

FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL

North Carolina State vs Vanderbilt

12:00 pm ESPN

HYUNDAY SUN BOWL

USC vs Georgia Tech

2:00 pm CBS Ch. 4

AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL

Iowa State vs Tulsa

3:30 pm ESPN

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL

#8 LSU vs #14 Clemson

7:30 pm ESPN

Tuesday, January 1

TAXSLAYER.COM GATOR BOWL

Mississippi State vs #20 Northwestern

12:00 pm ESPN-2

HEART OF DALLAS BOWL

Purdue vs Oklahoma State

12:00 pm ESPN-U

CAPITAL ONE BOWL

#7 Georgia vs #16 Nebraska

1:00 pm ABC Ch. 10

OUTBACK BOWL

#10 South Carolina vs #18 Michigan

1:00 pm ESPN

ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIO

Wisconsin vs #6 Stanford

5:00 pm ESPN

DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL

#15 Northern Illinois vs #12 Florida State

8:30 pm ESPN

Wednesday, January 2

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL

#21 Louisville vs #3 Florida

8:30 pm ESPN

Thursday, January 3

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL

#4 Oregon vs #5 Kansas State

8:30 pm ESPN

Friday, January 4

AT&T COTTON BOWL

#9 Texas A&M vs #11 Oklahoma

8:00 pm FOX Ch. 7

Saturday, January 5

BBVA COMPASS BOWL

Pittsburgh vs Ole Miss

1:00 pm ESPN

Sunday, January 6

GODADDY.COM BOWL

#25 Kent State vs Arkansas State

9:00 pm ESPN

Monday, January 7

DISCOVER BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

#2 Alabama vs #1 Notre Dame

8:30 pm ESPN

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  This is the 25-year anniversary of the Miami Heat franchise.  The Heat beat the Thunder to win their second championship last season.  What team did they beat in 2006 to win their first NBA title?  The Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks in six games in 2006. 

Don’t miss my two “Descarga Deportiva” segments (for the Spanish-challenged, “Sports Jam Session”) every day, Monday through Friday, at 9:25 am and 12:15 pm on Radio Esperanza, 1550 AM or on the internet on www.miradioesperanza.com. 

The 9:25 am segment on Radio Esperanza is brought to you by the fine folks at La Lechonera Products.  The inventors of the original mojo criollo way back in 1970, also offer the BEST naranja agria (sour orange marinade) product on the market, along with the latest additions to the family - the SALSA PICANTE (hot sauces, both HOT and EXTRA HOT), SALSA DE ALITAS (Buffalo Wings Sauce) and the truly incredible SALSA PICANTE con AJO (Garlic Pepper Sauce - Sriracha).  Look for all the La Lechonera products at Publix, Winn Dixie, Sedano’s, Presidente, and GFS.  If they don’t have it where you shop, ask nicely the first time, then use whatever means necessary to make sure they start offering the complete line of products.  Go to www.lalechoneraproducts.com and LIKE them on Facebook.  Check out some great recipes!  

IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE ON MY RADIO SEGMENTS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME FOR ALL THE DETAILS - jerry@descargadeportiva.com

Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!