Duncan: "A Spur For Life" As He Re-Signs W/Spurs

Duncan Remains "A Spur For Life"
As He Receives 3-Year Extension in SA

Tim Duncan is officially "a Spur for life."  According to a Yahoo! Sports report earlier today, the 36-year old Duncan has agreed to a 3-Year, 36 million dollar contract with the San Antonio Spurs.  Drafted in 1997, Duncan has spent his entire fifteen-year career in San Antonio and is considered the greatest power forward in NBA history.  "The Big Fundamental" has many career accomplishments, including four NBA Championships, two NBA MVPs, and thirteen NBA All-Star Games.

Along with Duncan, the Spurs also re-signed Danny Green and Boris Diaw today.  Green came out of the gate last season and was a surprise on the Spurs' roster.  He made the most of an opportunity after nearly being passed over for the final roster spot before the season.  He quickly earned a starting position and was an important factor in the Spurs' 50-win season.

Diaw joined the Spurs in the latter part of the season after the Bobcats waived him on March 21st.  He had spent the previous four seasons in Charlotte before teaming with fellow Frenchman Tony Parker in San Antonio. He quickly made an impact and Coach Pop rewarded him with a starting position during the Spurs' playoff run.

It was necessary for San Antonio to re-sign Tim Duncan with his importance to the organization, but Diaw and Green were not in the same boat.  Many questioned whether the two players were worth an extension.  Even with impressive regular season and early playoff performances, both Diaw and Green faced adversity in the Western Conference Finals and came up small in their starting roles.  They struggled to handle the youthful squad from Oklahoma City and were outplayed throughout the series.  Whether or not they deserved a contract extension, the Spurs' organization found a necessity in keeping both players on the roster (Diaw: 2 Years, $9 Million; Green: 3 Years, $11.3 Million).

The "New" Big 12 Welcomes TCU & West Virginia As Traditions and Rivalries Disband

We're beginning a new era of Big 12 athletics as TCU and West Virginia replace longtime members Missouri and Texas A&M in the conference.  Both Missouri and A&M are forgoing historic and century-long rivalries (Texas-Texas A&M, Missouri-Kansas, Texas A&M-Baylor, Missouri-Iowa State) in joining college football's best conference-the SEC.

Texas-Texas A&M: "The Lone Star Showdown"
As a Texan, I never thought I would see the day when this rivalry was no more.  There's not a more heated in-state rivalry than "The Lone Star Showdown" between Texas and Texas A&M.  The rivalry features some of the most passionate fans in the country, as Texans choose their postion in the rivalry at an early age.

Over the past 99 years, the Longhorns and Aggies have membered four conferences together (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Southwest Conference, Big 12) and had a continued football rivalry from 1915 to 2011.

Although suspended for the present time, the rivalry is considered one of the nation's best sports rivalries.  It was the 3rd longest college football rivalry at 118 meetings and the schools faced off in 222 men's basketball games and 365 baseball meetings.

Other notable suspended rivalries:
1. "The Border War" between Missouri and Kansas was the 2nd longest played rivalry with its 120 football meetings.

2. "The Battle of Brazos" between Texas A&M and Baylor was tied for 15th all time with 108 football meetings.

3. Missouri and Iowa State were involved in 104 football meetings for the Telephone Trophy.

The Big 12 will never be the same without Missouri or Texas A&M, but expect TCU and West Virginia to find their place in the conference and compete for conference championships along the conference elites, as they are great candidates to join the conference.