The best shutdown corner in American football was traded yesterday. Yes, that's right: Darrelle Revis is no longer a New York Jet. The Jets traded Revis to the Tampa Bay Bucs in a deal that could yield Revis $96 million over the course of 6 years. This is a deal that had to be done. The Jets need upgrades at pretty much every position and are in for multiple seasons of struggle as they work to rebuild. The trade was a win for everyone involved. Revis gets to go to a more competitive team, the Jets free up cap space and unload an unhappy camper, and the Bucs get a player that expands their options on defense and gets their fan base excited. Now we all just have to wait to see if Revis can return to form after the ACL injury that took him out for most of last season. 

Onto the NBA. The first round of the playoffs have begun and one thing is very apparent: The NBA should return to a best-of-five format for the first round. It was clear coming into the first round that the Houston Rockets didn't stand a chance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was also obvious that the Milwaukee Bucks might not even be able to win one quarter, much less one game, against the Miami Heat. We're only two days into the playoffs and the first round has already lost much of my interest. 

Plus, as I said on Twitter Sunday night, the way NBA players have been going down with injuries this season, forcing someone like Lebron James or Kevin Durant to play even one unnecessary game just seems wrong. I know that the lengthy format of the playoffs is probably a money boon for the NBA but from a viewer perspective, it's a complete bust. 

Speaking of playoff contenders, in a previous "Sports Notes" column, I mentioned that NY Knicks star JR Smith was staring down the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Well, congratulations are in order because now the award is officially his. Smith has had a great season, averaging over 18 points and filling in admirably for Carmelo Anthony while he was out with an injury. To be frank, all signs are pointing to Smith becoming a max contract player just like James Harden did when he left the Thunder for the Houston Rockets. After watching Smith play this year, it's hard to imagine him continuing to come off the bench much longer.

In baseball news, the Boston Red Sox are donating $100,000 to One Fund Boston a charity set up by Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and the city of Boston's mayor Tom Menino. One Fund Boston's goal is to help victims of the horrific bombing that took place at the Boston Marathon last week. The Huffington Post reported that the MLB and its player's association would be donating $500,000 to One Fund Boston as well. Our hearts go out to all of the victims and their families. If you'd like to donate to the cause please visit OneFundBoston.org

That wraps up this week's sports notes. Did we miss anything? 

Jessica Danielle is a professional speechwriter and covers sports with wit and ardor at Playerperspective.com.