Hello Fannation. Did you know there is a private group on this site that puts out 4 or 5 new blogs of fresh sportstalk material each week? Did you know that group is also one of the largest, oldest and most prestigious private groups here? Well, I may be pushing it with the prestigious part, but Babes Beer and Sports has been serving up the best blogs on Fannation for almost 4 years now. So why aren't you a member yet? Here's just a sampling from our stable of bloggers this past week:

Calilove2009 - (From the Every Friday Blog "Blood, Sweat and Tears")

It's obvious how the Celtics will beat the Heat. Show up dressed as the 76ers. Something about Philadelphia turned the Heat into insufferable zombies. It was all LeBron James could do not to fall asleep while dribbling on Wednesday night. The Heat stifled their yawns long enough to beat the 76ers, 97-91, and end their series in five games. Then they praised Philadelphia and vowed to have their minds right when Boston comes to town Sunday. Surely that will be the case. Nothing against the 76ers, but the first-round series was the NBA equivalent of Barack Obama's birth certificate controversy. Everybody (except Birthers, who claim LeBron James is Rosemary's Baby) just wanted to get it over with and move on to bigger things. "We do not have time for this kind of silliness," Obama said. "We've got better stuff to do. I've got better stuff to do." OK, he was actually talking about releasing his birth certificate. Though, the First Hoopster is no doubt relishing the Boston series a bit more than another exhibition of Philadelphia spunkiness. It'll be the Battle of the Big Threes. It's going to be the return of Shaq, LeBron's vindication, or LeBron's humiliation.

(Avatar too hot for public!) mv2121 - (From the every Sunday blog "Sizzlin' Sunday")

My immediate thought of the first pick as it happened: "So Cam is #1 and couldn't call a play when prompted by Coach Gruden? Good luck Carolina, you're on the clock for Andrew Luck in 2012." Too harsh? Perhaps Jason Whitlock's tweet was better: "JaCamarcus Newton. This is a mistake." There are teams who get it and teams who don't. While I understand the theory of building a team around a franchise quarterback, most teams build the foundation to the house before putting the sportscar in the driveway, I'm just saying. I also understand that teams with the first pick are presently doomed with the financial structure in place for the rookies, and trading out of the top spot if often very difficult to do as other teams do not want to give up that much for unproven talent. That being said, Carolina could have easily opted to build a strong foundation on defense, given their coach's reputation for building very strong defenses. I understand the economics behind it, the same philosophy that was steering the Jacksonville Jaguars towards Tim Tebow last year, put butts in the seats. But how long will it last when Cam is thrown in during the season before he's ready and can't read NFL defenses? PLEASE someone who thinks Carolina made a great pick, or all the Auburn bandwagon, I mean faithful who bought into the Cam Newton hype, let me know what you think!

UnBiasedPerspective - (Now on Wednesdays, a new discussion with UBP every week!)

First, if you follow my blogs, you know baseball isn't my "first" sport, so I'm interested in you MLB lovers views. Now on to MLB and Bud the useless. First he says he's taking over the Dodgers. Supposedly the team is in compliance with all MLB guidelines. This is a personal divorce issue between the owner and his ex-wife. Again, the courts get involved, throw out a legal post nuptial which has caused this mess. Even when Hix took the Rangers into bankruptcy, MLB didn't take over, they appointed an overseer, but Hicks was still in control. If I paid that much for a team, was in compliance along with everything else, you can bet anyone that showed up from MLB would have a load of rock salt in their behind and there's no way they're setting foot on MY property.

Kagan McDuff - (From "The Monday Truth" weekly blog)

There was sad news out of India Sunday. Nawang Gombu, who was the youngest member of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's successful expedition to summit Mt. Everest, died at the age of 79 following a short illness. Gombu, who was Norgay's nephew, joined the famous expedition at the age of 21. Although he did not summit himself that year, he would later become the first person ever to summit Everest twice - summiting with Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest, in 1963, and then again two years later with an Indian team. He was considered the last of the "Tigers of the Snow" - the group of Sherpa's who first made the Sherpa name synonymous with Himalayan climbing. This blogger personally met Gombu when I climbed Rainier in 2003, as he was acting as a guest instructor for RMI, and helped teach the one-day "snow-school" RMI clients are required to participate in before the summit climb. He was a friendly, affable, man whose spirit, humility and grace the mountaineering world will truly miss.

That's just a sampling of what you've been missing out on. So if you're looking for GREAT sportstalk and sports discussions, the best beer conversation and not to mention accompanied by the loveliest ladies on cyberspace, look no further than the group Babes, Beer and Sports. Just go to the group page and send in your application. Or let one of our members know you want to join and ask if we can shoot you an invite. We like to think it's the best group on Fannation. We think that you'll agree. So come on, what are you waiting for? Join us today - you won't regret it!