This is Derek and this is what’s floating around my brain. Well, some of it anyway!

1.Even when you want the Knicks to lose, they break your heart.

2.Last year’s Eastern Conference champion Cavs lost by 18 for crying out loud. How did this team make the NBA Finals again?!?!?!?!?!

3.Say it ain’t so Jamie Lynn Spears. Wonder how the parents feel about how their kids are turning out?

4.If you told me Will Smith from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air would become the highest paid actor, I would’ve laughed my ass off. Remember him in the good ‘ole dayz here?

5.Chris Simon probably deserved the rest of the season to think about his utter stupidity. If a repeat offender who’s been suspended seven times can’t learn from last season, when is enough enough?

6.Mike Lupica likes to use a couple of doctor’s quotes and toss it around as gospel like he’s some kind of authority on baseball. Has this self-proclaimed know it all ever played organized sports? The real Daily News writers who worked extra hard on their special reports on HGH and steroids are the ones who deserve to be respected. Not this joke who has things handed to him and uses their information to look good and beat a topic to death.

7.Speaking of which, how come Lupica never uttered a word about Paul LoDuca who from the looks of it inspired other former Dodger teammates to cheat? Too easy.

8.Roger Clemens is a great pitcher who belongs in Cooperstown but he sure looks foolish trying to defend himself here. Especially when butt buddy Andy Pettite who used the same trainer Brian McNamee came clean. One quote comes to mind:

“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”

9.If you read most of the Mitchell Report like I did, one thing becomes clear. Steroids was a baseball epidemic. Some of the info they had on these players was priceless. Jaw dropping stuff. I’ll just be honest and admit that it freaks me out. Did any of these guys not follow what happened to Lyle Alzado? Or what about all the wrestlers who dropped dead at young ages? Geez. At what cost is abusing your body worth it?

10.You want to follow an up and coming NBA team. Look no further than the Blazers who won their ninth straight last night 101-96 over Toronto to improve to 15-12 without Greg Oden. Last year’s Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy overcame a bout with the flu to score 25 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Not bad for the former University of Washington star.

11.Speaking of Roy, I love Deron Williams and Chris Paul and often wonder which PG is better? But you have to toss Roy into the mix. Which of this exciting young trio would you rather have to build your team around?

12.Think Chauncey Billups (28 and 8 dimes) and Richard Hamilton (8-of-11 FG, 21 pts) sent a little message to the Celtics last night in their two-point win dealing Boston their first loss at home?

13.Keep a close eye on the improving Hawks who defeated the dreadful Heat in OT last night for their 13th win. Ditto Rudy Gay who’s buzzer beater from down town helped the Grizzlies defeat the Spurs. The second-year small forward is quietly budding into the star many thought he’d become out of Uconn. Last night, he dropped 23, nine boards, three assists and two blocks against the defending champs.

14.Man, the Falcons really can’t catch any breaks, huh? Is Bill Parcells really that desperate to be in the sunshine state?

15.Who would you rather have? Zach Parise or Mike Richards? Let the Devil and Flyer fans fight over that one.

16.The Giants better not chance it to that final home game against what should be an undefeated Patriots team aiming for history.

17.Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo or Henrik Lundqvist?

18.As stated earlier, I really liked how extensive the Mitchell Report was in detailing as much as they were able to through other sources, etc. on the 86 suspected players. However, any comprehensive list without Pudge Rodriguez, Luis Gonzalez, Brady Anderson, Edgardo Alfonzo, Carlos Baerga and probably Mike Piazza and even David Ortiz seems a little incomplete.