Cubszone.com | Chicago Cubs News, cubs Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>The Big Event </div>Hard to believe that we are a little more than a month away before pitchers and catchers report to camp, and while most of the country is still in the grips of football frenzy, a good portion of us have turned our sights on America's pastime. But before one jack is jumped or one fly ball off a fungo is caught, one honor is bestowed on those who came before . . . I'm talking about the announcement of this year's class to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Twenty-three players will find out today who will join the ranks of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio or the other 283 Hall of Famers in Cooperstown. And as a special bonus, this year's announcement will be made live on the new MLB Network. So in anticipation, here are five players to keep an eye on today. Home rule COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Oklahoma is riding a 14-game home winning streak dating back to last season and will put that run on the line when it hosts Texas, the last team to win at Lloyd Noble Center, tonight. Magic go west NBA: Hedo Turkoglu (below) spent three season playing for Sacramento (2000-03) and is averaging 12.5 points per game against his ex-team. The Magic visit the River City to take on the Kings on Tuesday. UCF hits road COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. UCF's basketball team is 8-1 at UCF Arena this season, averaging a little over 80 points per game and shooting better than 50 percent from the floor. On the road, the Knights are another story, averaging a little over 20 fewer points -- 60.3 and shooting a putrid 36.6 percentage. Not good news for a team that will spend the week at UAB on Tuesday and at Rice on Saturday. Raiders glory DVD: Oakland Raiders fans haven't had much to cheer about in the past decade but thanks to a new DVD set -- Oakland Raiders 3 Greatest Games: Super Bowl Victories -- fans of the Silver and Black can relive the glory days before Al Davis became a senile, bitter old man. It hits shelves on Tuesday. Travel woes NBA: Miami has had its troubles on the road this year, a dismal 7-10 record including losing three of the last five. Maybe the Heat need to call AAA. Miami is in the middle of a 7-game road swing and makes a stop in Milwaukee on Wednesday night to take on the Bucks Star power NBA: Maybe it's Jack Nicholson. Or possibly Leonardo DiCaprio. How about Dyan Cannon? Whomever it is . . . has been a good luck charm for the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center this year. L.A. is a league-best 18-2 at home and will host the Orlando Magic on Friday. Mall king MOVIES: Comedian Kevin James was the King of Queens but starting this Friday he is the King of the Mall. James' latest adventure Paul Blart: Mall Cop hits theaters this Friday. Lights are on TELEVISION: The castoff that is Friday Night Lights returns for its third season starting Friday on NBC. Florida pucks HOCKEY: Two weeks ago, Tampa Bay took 77 shots and scored 10 goals in a home-and-home sweep of Florida. The Panthers will be looking for some revenge Saturday night when they hook up in St. Pete. Battered Rockets NBA: The Rockets have been the walking wounded this season. Houston has had 10 different players miss at least one game or more this season including Shane Battier (22) and Tracy McGrady (11). They host the Miami Heat on Saturday. Magic a mile high NBA: The Magic head to Denver to play the second game of a back-to-back. Orlando is 5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs and lucks out by not having to face Carmelo Anthony, who averaged 27.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game against the Magic in nine games. 'Canes at Dean Dome COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Tyler Hansbrough (below) has owned the Miami Hurricanes during his four-year career at North Carolina. The All-American is averaging 26.8 points and 8.8 rebounds during the four games he has faced the 'Canes and looks to add to that total when the Tar Heels host Miami on Saturday. Hogs riding high COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Streaks alive. Arkansas and Florida are each riding winning streaks -- 10 for the Hogs and eight for the Gators -- and something will have to give when they meet at the O'Connell Center on Saturday. Turtle fear COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Fear the turtle. At least for Florida State that's been the mantra. The Seminoles are 9-26 all-time against Maryland, including losing their last two meetings, but the 'Noles have won the last three meetings in Tallahassee where they will host the Terrapins on Saturday. We're back NFL: Call this one the Redemption Bowl. Philadelphia is back in the NFC title game for the fifth time in eight seasons and it faces an Arizona Cardinals team that hasn't been in the title game since Bonanza was popular. Third time a charm? NFL: The Baltimore Ravens are in familiar territory -- one game away from the Super Bowl -- just like they were in 2001 when they won the title. They'll have to get past the Steelers, who already beat them twice this season. Five to watch Player Pos. Times on Ballot Rickey Henderson LF First Buzz: Henderson highlights 10 newcomers to this year's ballot and the all-time leader in runs and steals should be a shoe-in for the Hall. If voted in, he would be the first left fielder voted into the Hall since Carl Yastrzemski in 1989. Jim Rice OF 15 Buzz: The Boston outfielder fell a mere 16 votes shy of the two-thirds of the 575 votes needed to get in last year. Being it's his last chance, will the writers finally let him in? Andre Dawson OF 8 Buzz: The Hawk came close last year (65.9 percent). Dawson hit 438 career homers with four different teams -- Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Florida Marlins -- and won the National League MVP in 1987 when he hit 49 homers with the Cubs. Mark McGwire 1B 3 Buzz: He hit 583 career homers and probably saved Baseball in the late '90s but, hey, we're not here to talk about the past. But it is his past and his involvement in the Mitchell Report that could continue to keep the slugger out of the Hall. Bert Blyleven P 12 Buzz: The right-hander, who ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts, came in third with 61.9 percent of the vote. He won 287 games in his 22-year career, including two World Series titles.

The Big Event

Hard to believe that we are a little more than a month away before pitchers and catchers report to camp, and while most of the country is still in the grips of football frenzy, a good portion of us have turned our sights on America's pastime.

But before one jack is jumped or one fly ball off a fungo is caught, one honor is bestowed on those who came before . . . I'm talking about the announcement of this year's class to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Twenty-three players will find out today who will join the ranks of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio or the other 283 Hall of Famers in Cooperstown.

And as a special bonus, this year's announcement will be made live on the new MLB Network. So in anticipation, here are five players to keep an eye on today.

Home rule

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Oklahoma is riding a 14-game home winning streak dating back to last season and will put that run on the line when it hosts Texas, the last team to win at Lloyd Noble Center, tonight.

Magic go west

NBA: Hedo Turkoglu (below) spent three season playing for Sacramento (2000-03) and is averaging 12.5 points per game against his ex-team. The Magic visit the River City to take on the Kings on Tuesday.

UCF hits road

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. UCF's basketball team is 8-1 at UCF Arena this season, averaging a little over 80 points per game and shooting better than 50 percent from the floor. On the road, the Knights are another story, averaging a little over 20 fewer points -- 60.3 and shooting a putrid 36.6 percentage. Not good news for a team that will spend the week at UAB on Tuesday and at Rice on Saturday.

Raiders glory

DVD: Oakland Raiders fans haven't had much to cheer about in the past decade but thanks to a new DVD set -- Oakland Raiders 3 Greatest Games: Super Bowl Victories -- fans of the Silver and Black can relive the glory days before Al Davis became a senile, bitter old man. It hits shelves on Tuesday.

Travel woes

NBA: Miami has had its troubles on the road this year, a dismal 7-10 record including losing three of the last five. Maybe the Heat need to call AAA. Miami is in the middle of a 7-game road swing and makes a stop in Milwaukee on Wednesday night to take on the Bucks

Star power

NBA: Maybe it's Jack Nicholson. Or possibly Leonardo DiCaprio. How about Dyan Cannon? Whomever it is . . . has been a good luck charm for the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center this year. L.A. is a league-best 18-2 at home and will host the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Mall king

MOVIES: Comedian Kevin James was the King of Queens but starting this Friday he is the King of the Mall. James' latest adventure Paul Blart: Mall Cop hits theaters this Friday.

Lights are on

TELEVISION: The castoff that is Friday Night Lights returns for its third season starting Friday on NBC.

Florida pucks

HOCKEY: Two weeks ago, Tampa Bay took 77 shots and scored 10 goals in a home-and-home sweep of Florida. The Panthers will be looking for some revenge Saturday night when they hook up in St. Pete.

Battered Rockets

NBA: The Rockets have been the walking wounded this season. Houston has had 10 different players miss at least one game or more this season including Shane Battier (22) and Tracy McGrady (11). They host the Miami Heat on Saturday.

Magic a mile high

NBA: The Magic head to Denver to play the second game of a back-to-back. Orlando is 5-1 in the second game of back-to-backs and lucks out by not having to face Carmelo Anthony, who averaged 27.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game against the Magic in nine games.

'Canes at Dean Dome

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Tyler Hansbrough (below) has owned the Miami Hurricanes during his four-year career at North Carolina. The All-American is averaging 26.8 points and 8.8 rebounds during the four games he has faced the 'Canes and looks to add to that total when the Tar Heels host Miami on Saturday.

Hogs riding high

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Streaks alive. Arkansas and Florida are each riding winning streaks -- 10 for the Hogs and eight for the Gators -- and something will have to give when they meet at the O'Connell Center on Saturday.

Turtle fear

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Fear the turtle. At least for Florida State that's been the mantra. The Seminoles are 9-26 all-time against Maryland, including losing their last two meetings, but the 'Noles have won the last three meetings in Tallahassee where they will host the Terrapins on Saturday.

We're back

NFL: Call this one the Redemption Bowl. Philadelphia is back in the NFC title game for the fifth time in eight seasons and it faces an Arizona Cardinals team that hasn't been in the title game since Bonanza was popular.

Third time a charm?

NFL: The Baltimore Ravens are in familiar territory -- one game away from the Super Bowl -- just like they were in 2001 when they won the title. They'll have to get past the Steelers, who already beat them twice this season.

Five to watch

Player Pos. Times on Ballot Rickey Henderson LF First Buzz: Henderson highlights 10 newcomers to this year's ballot and the all-time leader in runs and steals should be a shoe-in for the Hall. If voted in, he would be the first left fielder voted into the Hall since Carl Yastrzemski in 1989. Jim Rice OF 15 Buzz: The Boston outfielder fell a mere 16 votes shy of the two-thirds of the 575 votes needed to get in last year. Being it's his last chance, will the writers finally let him in? Andre Dawson OF 8 Buzz: The Hawk came close last year (65.9 percent). Dawson hit 438 career homers with four different teams -- Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Florida Marlins -- and won the National League MVP in 1987 when he hit 49 homers with the Cubs. Mark McGwire 1B 3 Buzz: He hit 583 career homers and probably saved Baseball in the late '90s but, hey, we're not here to talk about the past. But it is his past and his involvement in the Mitchell Report that could continue to keep the slugger out of the Hall. Bert Blyleven P 12 Buzz: The right-hander, who ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts, came in third with 61.9 percent of the vote. He won 287 games in his 22-year career, including two World Series titles.