Pickup Basketball: NBA version

Now that Tim Donaghy is about to name 20 other referees involved in this gambling scandal, who's going to call three seconds in the key? Oh wait...never mind. Well, I guess that guy from the champion or russell ad during the pickup game. What was that guy's nickname?

Word of advice from Jim Halpert to the stars of the NBA: "When you're playing pickup basketball and someone tries to make you feel bad about calling a foul, remember, it's ok to call a foul. Don't let anyone make you feel ashamed, they know what they did."

Chipper Jones Hall of Famer?

I had a long conversation with Kevin about Braves baseball and he made the comment that Chipper Jones hadn't had a bad at bat all year and the Braves needed to make one final run next year for the sake of him and Smoltz. This made me think. I've known about Chipper Jones basically since his entry into the National League in 1995 and pretty much have taken him for granted as the best third baseman in the National League. Don't argue with me: I've checked the names on the National League Rosters since 1995 and I've seen names I didn't want to (Read: Ken Caminiti). The only guy in his echelon at third in the NL at his age is Scott Rolen. So for the past decade give or take a year, Chipper Jones has been the BEST third baseman in the NL with apologies to Rolen. However, his stats aren't really Hall of Famer caliber. He hasn't reached 400 home runs and just passed 2000 hits. When you look closer though, he averaged a .306 average with 33 home runs and 110 rbis. So does the committee completely deny him because his lack of accumulated stats or realize that he was THE third baseman in the National League for the past ten years? He is 35 so might have a few more years to maybe, possibly reach 450 home runs and 2500 hits but even so...

NBA v. NFL -- Who's Got Trouble?

While driving around today for work I tuned in to some sports talk radio, and the boys on the air posed the following question:

When comparing Michael Vick's situation (harming dogs) to Tim Donaghy's (betting on games, officiating them accordingly, etc.), it's easy to conclude that killing dogs is the more heinous crime. However, which of the two is more heinous from a purely sports viewpoint? Which affects the respective sport more?

The commentators went on to discuss how it is obviously Donaghy's situation that is more harmful to its respective sport because it underminds the integrity of the league and so on.

Now, I agree with that point in its most basic sense. Donaghy's betting on games and making calls to affect their outcomes definitely underminds the integrity of the NBA; whereas, Michael Vick's situation really only affects the Falcons and Vick himself. Right?

Well, maybe not. Let's think about it. The Donaghy situation, while a big deal, seems at this point to be an isolated incident. So while it definitely had a greater affect while he was calling games, the long-term effect(s) on the game could be minimal. However, in Vick's case the damage to the league might be greater than expected. First, you have the issues with sponsors. They've all already jumped ship on Michael, but how will they continue to view their relationship with the NFL -- especially when things are considered in light of the other image problems with the NFL. I think the commissioner's office clearly felt something greater could happen which I believe led to the decision to keep Vick out of training camp. Which in itself raises a new issue / sets a new precedent. Dealing with off-the-field issues is something that the NFL clearly needs to continue to examine how they do. But now that Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, and likely Vick have (will have) received year long suspensions for their actions, a precedent has been set. How will the NFLPA respond to this? And how will that affect later bargaining agreements? These are all issues that will grow much larger for the NFL largely due to the Vick situation.

So yeah, while Donaghy's actions were damaging to the games he officiated, I believe (and certainly hope) that their effect on the NBA as a whole will be limited. On the other hand, the NFL may now face a world of questions surrounding its image and handling of off-the-field issues due to Mr. Vick -- making that situation arguably more damaging to the NFL than Donaghy's is to the NBA.

At least that's my take on it. Thoughts from anyone else? Please share.

Briefly...

Alright, I haven't posted in awhile but that's because it just flat out takes too long. Anyways this is a just a brief comment after reading ESPN's tuesday morning quarterback on why the Patriots are awesome. Apparently, the money that it would have taken to sign Deion Branch for a long term, has instead been used to sign three wide receivers in Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss. So a solid possession receiver, a vertical threat, and a potential Pro Bowler plus the first round draft pick, all for the services of Deion Branch, a receiver who has never caught over 1000 yards. I'm not exactly sure who the Pats swindled here, but even if all three of the guys bomb (which they shouldn't), their contracts expire at the end of the year so it doesn't even hurt cap space.

Who said the Yankees were dead?

So, it's now mid-August which means we have a little over 40 games left in the MLB regular season. With all my travels and exploits this summer, I haven't been following the Show as carefully as I would have liked/usually do. However, that doesn't mean I don't have any thoughts to share with you on what to expect over the last 40 games. So what is worth paying attention to this Septemer?

(1) The AL East. You didn't need me to tell you this unless you listened to all the 'pundits' of the world (ahem... espn) in July when this division title was handed to the Red Sox. Somebody (ahem... me) kept saying not to count the boys in pinstripes out because that lineup was bound to get hot. Well here we are. After stumbling through summer as a sub-.500 club, the Bronx Bombers are now a mere 4 games back of the Red Sox. What does this mean for the average baseball fan? It means ESPN will bury you in AL East coverage Aug. 28-30 (BOS @ NYY) and Sept. 14-16 (NYY @ BOS).

(2) The AL West. Usually I would write off the AL East race as not that interesting because generally the loser of the divisional race ends up with the Wild Card anyway. Well, maybe not this year. Those pesky Seattle Mariners are trying to throw a wrench in that and doing a good job of it thus far. The M's and Yankees are currently tied for the Wild Card lead, so there's good reason to focus on those M's. I'd like to predict that the M's could catch the Angels out West for Choi's sake... but let's face it, the Angels are hot as hell right now and I don't see it happening. Sorry Choi.

(3) The NL Central. Watch this division for two reasons. First and foremost, Rick Ankiel. I won't go into detail about why this story is so great and reminds me of why i love this game so much, but I will say this: I was at game one of that series against the Braves in 2000... and I've never felt Busch Stadium so collectively uncomfortable. Seeing him hit that homerun and get the curtain call finally relieved all that. Welcome back rick. The second, and less fun, reason to watch this division is for the race itself. This week is a big one as the Brewers and Cubs square off for series with my Redbirds. Can the Cards seriously climb back into this thing and make up 5.5 games? Maybe, but count me in the skeptical column until they're above .500. Although the way things are going there's really nothing stopping a sub-.500 club from winning this division.

(4) The NL West. On the MLB radio preview show last spring on wvfi (wvfi.nd.edu -- tune in again this fall when Choi, Adam and I will provide you with our collective sports thoughts; time and day TBD) I picked the Diamondbacks as a sleeper to watch for -- mainly because I have a small love for Stephen Drew and Justin Upton (hey, youth is fun to watch). And here we are halfway through August and they have a 3 game lead. Although this is arguably just as much the Dodgers doing (for going 2-8 in their last 10) as it is this Diamondbacks (to their credit, they're 7-3 in that same stretch). So here's me hoping the young guys can pull this one out.

Well, that's about it. My apologies to the NL East (yeah, that New York team really has been set since May. Just in a good way.) and the AL Central (it's a good race, I just don't have anything to offer about it -- although if there is one thing really worth watching in this division it's whether the Twins and Santana can sort things out). Take care all.

Oh sports world...

So, first and foremost apologies for the lack of posting lately... but the sports world has done so much to confuse and amaze me that I just haven't known where to even begin. So rather than do an in-depth post at this point, I'll provide a sentence or two about some of the major stories out there:

(1) Michael Vick & his dogs -- Seriously? Didn't think this one would backfire? And I like that one of his buddies (if we can call the gentleman that) is selling him out.

(2) Barry Bonds -- Mr. Henry Aaron's absolute silence tells you everything you need to know about this situation.

(3) NBA Officiating Scandal -- Can we replay game 3 of the Suns/Spurs series?

(4) MLB Trade Deadline -- The Braves apparently forgot that they play the World Series every year not just 2008. The Cardinals somehow believe we're contenders again despite not being above .500 in the last 3 months. The Pirates have reestablished themselves as perhaps the worst front office in baseball by acquiring Matt Morris, a now mediocre pitcher with a massive salary, acquired by a team who doesn't need starting pitching for a playoff run this year.

(5) KG to the Celtics -- Wow, this Celtics team is strangely reminiscent of my Celtics dynasty in NBA Live '05. Doubt they'll go 82-0 like I did though.

(6) Tour de France -- I'm strongly considering entering next year and riding at my own leisurely pace as I'd probably have a good shot at a top 10 finish as 90% of the competition will be out for doping by week two.

(7) NHL -- How long until we see NHL ads advertising the sport as "the one without any scandal"?

(8) Gov't wants to investigate Pro Wrestling for steroids -- No way! Steroids in Pro Wrestling?! Didn't see this coming.

Ichiro! Hit! Run!

So steve's boys have locked up the greatest thing from Japan since sushi. Ichiro has been locked up for five years through 2012 for around $90 million. This deal has been raising eyebrows throughout the baseball blogosphere and the sports world. Early reports stated that the deal was going to be somewhere in the 5 year $100 million range (which really the deal is in actuality - but that has to do with the interest accumulated on deferred money, and we won't get into that)... and these reports prompted the following comment by David Samson, president of the Florida Marlins:

"[it's] the end of the world as we know it... it'll take the sport down, that contract."

a bit ridiculous and over-dramatic as you ask me. Sure $18 million to a player who is currently 33 (34 this october) and hits lead-off may seem a bit absurd. But let's look at some facts:

(1) At the plate: In 2001, Ichiro was the AL MVP. That year he hit .350 with a .381 OBP. Since then his batting average has ranged from a low of .303 (2005) to a high of .372 (2004) and his OBP has ranged from .350 to .414 ('05 and '04 again respectively). So his numbers are steady... and this year so far is no difference. He is currently hitting .354 with an OBP of .405. Clearly his ability to get on base is still right where it was when he was an MVP.

(2) In the field: Since coming to Seattle he has won 6 gold gloves. '01-06 he's swept the table in the AL. And there is no reason to believe this is going to change. A few weeks ago there was an article run on espn about outfield arms that third-base coaches take note of. Ichiro was right up there at the top of the list. And it goes without saying that his outfield play is beautiful and fundamentally perfect. So he's going to take runs away.

(3) Runs win games: Rather than reproduce it here I will direct you to the following article about Ichiro's run creation ability (this essentially values his ability to get on base and his base-running ability) at USS Mariner: Click Here. The basic jist of the article is this though. Since 2004, Ichiro generates a weighted average of 128 runs per season. In the past four years this number is better than any other CF - Beltran and Sizemore are the closest two. This season alone he is on pace for 140+ runs created.

So looking at these stats alone maybe Mr. Samson should reconsider his comments. And this isn't even taking into account the marketing factor surrounding Ichiro. Mind that the Mariners are a West Coast time and thus have a link to Japan. So having one of Japan's greatest players playing there certainly is good for the team.

One last thing... maybe people want to raise a fuss because the deal will end up with the M's paying a 39 year old close to $20 million in 2012. Isn't this a huge risk? Yeah, of course it's a risk. But so was Rick Ankiel and Cardinal's fans know how that turned out. Joking aside though, there is always risk in signing players to long-term deals. But it looks to me as if Ichiro takes pretty good care of his body. And the fact that from '01-'06 he has averaged 159.5 games per season says just about everything you need to know.

So yeah... is this deal going to hurt the game? No, not at all. In fact you might even be able to make a case that the Mariners got a pretty good deal. Especially as A-Rod looks on the verge of opting out of his deal and signing a $30 million per year deal... that'll set the bar in the market high.

TMF

well... i apologize for not having posted in quite a while but i am currently sunning myself on the beaches of the greek island of naxos. so sports have meant very very little to me in the last week. however, i did make it a point to follow the wimbledon final (surprised? i thought not). i won't break the match down because i only saw a set and a half on television... but i will say a few things:

(1) roger is still the best. he may not be able to do it on clay against rafa, but he is still the best overall players.
(2) the fourth set roger clearly had no intentions of winning. after the call that he was not pleased with (about which i was surprised to see how visibly upset he got), it appeared to me that he decided to basically take the set off and just play like a man possessed in the fifth. now maybe you argue that you should never throw in the towel on a set (or any segment of a sporting event) but the strategy made sense to me. plus, when you're already in the hole 4-0, do you really have a chance? no, not really.
(3) the gap is closing and roger knows it. rafa played exceptionally well and he will win a wimbledon. i think roger still has one, maybe two, that he can get without much trouble, but the young spaniard is right there and his game is improving more and more every tournament he plays.
(4) could roger's outfit have been any more spectacular?

other sport things that intrigue me...
- vlad won the home run derby... remind me again why they still do this event?
- home field advantage will be decided this evening with the all-star game... remind me why that rule hasn't been changed yet?
- mark buehrle is off the market... so much for all that business that he was a lock to return to his hometown team (the cardinals)
- in good news, the notre dame recruiting class is shaping up quite nicely. the defensive side of the ball is coming together really well... all we need now it two top flight wide receivers and another linebacker or two and i'll be satisfied.

and last thing... choi, one of our readers has suggested that we make a bracket of "who's not now." recommended division names: the leaf bracket, the bias bracket, the ankiel bracket, the landis bracket, or the harding/gillooly bracket.

what do you think? maybe a project for the rest of our summer? i'll be back stateside on friday, so look for a major increase in my banter in a few days. until then, take care all.

-riley.

Great...

Well, the Sonics had a 50 percent chance of making a really good decision and a 50 percent chance of making an awful decision. Dwane Casey, the tenured local guy, or the coach everyone hates especially Latrell Sprewell? On paper, it seems like an easy decision right? In the words of you Riles, FANTASTIC. Either the Sonics took a huge step back or they're destined to be sold in a couple months. As Michael Scott put it, Step 1 is the lose-lose scenario.

I am a good friend with bad habits??

So its been a few days since the flurry of wheelin' and dealin' of the NBA draft so without further ado, I will try to recap and analyze what happened.

The Sonics had the second pick and "cornerstones" of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to make a final attempt of keeping the Sonics in Seattle. I had a few ideas back when the Sonics miraculously received the second pick on what they could try the following season http://talkinboutbanter.blogspot.com/2007/05/youve-got-to-be-kidding-me.html.

However, I had no idea that our new 30 year old GM, Sam Presti, with no head coach, would have such cajones. Don't get me wrong, I totally disagree with some of the personnel decisions he made but he still traded Ray Allen, Seattle's only bottom-line type of asset. That's either gutsy or just plain dumb. I'm hoping its just part of this big vision he's got for this team.

Around 8:20 am PT, there were two proposed trades that had been rumored with the Sonics.
Atlanta's 11th pick straight up for Luke Ridnour.
Delonte West, Wally Szcerbiak, and the Celtics 5th pick for Ray Allen.

I was definitely excited for the Atlanta's 11th pick because dumping Ridnour wasn't a bad idea. Ridnour was also a lottery pick (or he might have been 14th) and hadn't really shown marked improvement year upon year. He was awful on defense, too streaky of a shooter, and overall not a good team manager. With the 11th pick, I (as were the Sonics I believe) was thinking the Sonics were going to pick up Rodney Stuckey, local boy out of Eastern Washington, 6-5, a combo guard that was regarded as the best passing 2-guard in college and a "poor man's Dwyane Wade". The way I saw it was, with Durant in the mix, we didn't need the reincarnation of Dwyane Wade. As you can see, pretty pumped about that rumor.

Both rumors never materialized during the time I was being taught microtubules and actin filaments.

So around 4:15 pm PT, I'm driving in my car and Portland, not surprisingly, taken Oden. As I'm waiting for David Stern to go to the podium and say "Kevin Durant, University of Texas", I hear ESPN breaking the news that the Sonics had indeed acquired the 5th pick along with the others for Ray Allen. Honestly, I wasn't actually pissed off about Ray Allen leaving. He was a good player and all but we made one fluke playoff appearance with him around. I'm sure he'll be fine in Boston as well. The thing that really irked me was that the position of the pick was AWFUL. Figuring Luke Ridnour was expendable, I really really wanted Mike Conley Jr. More than his quickness or athleticism was the point guard IQ that he had that I thought Ridnour lacked. If you did watch Ridnour play in college, you would have seen that he was more a scoring point guard. Conley could impact a game in so many other different ways. Well, Memphis was going to take him and took him.

So who were the Sonics going to draft? Was I going to see Yi Jinlian jerseys at the team store? I would have killed something. Like an ant or a fly. Well, the Sonics said they would draft Jeff Green, Big East Player of the Year. So team the National Player of the Year with the Big East Player of the Year, good idea? We'll see but initially I thought no. I thought maybe this is the foundation Presti wants with Durant being Jordan and Green being Pippen but seriously what are the chances of that? They play virtually the same position, same height, Durant has a more diverse skill set. So who's playing the 4 and who's playing the 3?

I thought Green was a reach at five, I preferred Corey Brewer because he is just as tall but projects as 2, making the two lottery picks completely distinct commodities. Nonetheless, from watching Green, I definitely thought his basketball IQ was excellent and had the potential of being an even better pro than college player because of the Princeton offense he played in at Georgetown. He seriously would have been a great pick for ANY OTHER team.

At this point, I was pissed off beyond belief. The Sonics had compiled a stable of small forwards (Kevin Durant, Rashard Lewis, Jeff Green), no Ray Allen, no big man, and point guard issues. If according to Presti, was begged by the Celtics for Allen, why wasn't a young prospect like Al Jefferson taken? I know he's an up and comer but I would at least have been pleased with Rajon Rondo. But instead, a 2-guard trying to play point, and a 2 guard with spot up 3 ability. Rajon Rondo, you could have been a Sonic.

But hope springs eternal, and I thought the Sonics would get rid of Ridnour and draft Stuckey. Nope. The Hawks draft Acie Law. Hmmm...could work. Is Presti trying to assemble the 2007 NCAA All American team? Well, that was squashed as well. So at the end of the day, Ridnour is still a Sonic, we have a stockpile of small forwards, no Ray Allen, and Stuckey is a Piston. Wow.

The Sonics also held the 31st pick which meant first round ability availability. Gabe Pruitt, projected as a top-20 pick, point guard sitting pretty. No go says Presti. What is he waiting for?

Well, Rashard Lewis was given a max-deal by Orlando. Good Riddance. That opens up cap space for the 2009 season and gets rid of the one of the three small forwards. Rashard is definitely that second or third player every playoff team needs but definitely does not merit a max deal.

I don't really know where Presti is taking this team. Even amidst no Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, I am relatively calm. I guess that's what Kevin Durant does for now. But I expect the point guard, head coach issues to be dealt with soon.

Final Thoughts:
Tae, do you want Kobe or not? Drafting Javaris Crittendon was not the answer. Sure he's a 6'5 point guard that plays above the rim but not ready to contribute immediately. So what? You need triangle offense guys. Like Jeff Green possibly? Unless the Lakers miraculously get KG, the Crittendon pick was the dirt on the coffin being buried. He's good as gone to Chicago. Don't know when or how but he'll be there, trying to claim the glory in the arena the Great One had.

Mike Hargrove effing resigned during an eight game winning streak. Ok. The Sonics are stressing me out enough. The Mariners were a .5 game out of the wild card and he does this? One ridiculous Seattle sports event at a time please...

Riley, I have no idea how you actually feel about this but there's this thing on ESPN called who's now and its a bracket pitting the great athletes of our time against each other NCAA tournament style. Well...the Babe Ruth region has Tom Brady as the one seed and Roger Federer as the two seed. I expect you to make the right decision and vote accordingly...

Wow, Riley you better start posting like crazy. That took A LOT of time.

On the night before the 2007 NBA Draft...

Well, the moment is now. I have nothing to say at this point except that Portland better take Greg Oden. I don't want a guy who says he would have been a dentist had he not been 7 feet tall. I want a cold blooded killer. I want Kevin Durant. These words only seemed surreal less than a year ago.

"And with the second pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Seattle Sonics select Kevin Durant, forward, University of Texas."

I have homework to do tonight, so if you were looking forward to an Oden v. Durant showdown or a mock draft, I apologize. Maybe Riley will make up for my absence and try to break it down for you guys Dr. Jack Ramsey style before the draft actually occurs.

Henry to Barca

well... it's a good thing we have an active football fan on the blog to analyze situations like this. so here are the angles:

(1) Ronaldinho and Henry may together combine to set up a great 1-2 punch in the Barcelona lineup. However, it will not create a position struggle as they do not play the same position. Ronaldinho is a mid (midfielder) while Henry is a striker. Ronaldinho will be the man bringing the ball up the field through the middle and then throwing it to (perhaps the world's best striker) Henry on the outside to set up incredible goals for the Barca squad.

(2) the possible position cramp comes between Henry and Samuel Eto'o the current star striker for Barca. however, in soccer you can play with two players up top so this may not make a problem. but rather than launch further into this let's focus on the real issue...

(3) within the soccer world it is well-known that Barca's locker room was divided this season between factions led by 'Dinho and Eto'o. it is also known that the Barca owner and manager were not pleased by this at all so there has been much speculation that one of the two is on his way out. many have said that it would likely be 'Dinho as he is becoming pricey and there is a lot of interest coming from AC Milan in the Italian League. Now one could argue that this move suggests to the contrary -- namely that Eto'o will leave and Henry will replace him. this could be... however, at the same time one could say that Henry is coming in to replace the name recognition/marketing power of 'Dinho. so really this move doesn't reveal anything concrete.

needless to say, with Henry and either 'Dinho or Eto'o in the same attacking force Barca will be an imposing force. and if somehow the two can resolve their feud and Barca can keep all three... well, let's just say i'll be watching a lot more Barca games.

there ya go choi... thoughts from your local soccer expert. wimbledon starts tomorrow.. i'll hold off until at least we're through the first two rounds unless something crazy happens.

Go Roger,
-riley.

This is just ridiculous...

I just read that Thierry Henry is leaving English club Arsenal to sign with Barcelona. Now I'm just your casual soccer fan, only paying attention when UEFA or the World Cup comes around, but seriously? Ronaldinho AND Henry?

This is the equivalent of teaming KG with Duncan or Lebron with Wade. Marvin Harrison with Steve Smith. Johan Santana with Justin Verlander.

However, excluding the baseball analogy, therein lies the problem. In all the analogies, the players play basically the same position but there is only one ball. Thoughts? I mean if you really don't care at least talk about something. In the case of Riley, anything except Wimbledon. Let's start talking about Wimbledon when it gets to the quarters.

Oh yeah, I had a dream last night that Portland took Durant and the Sonics got Oden. In the dream, I took it relatively well. I wonder if I will react the same if this vision came true? Doubt it.

The Kid is back in Town

Griffey's back. As much as I love the Mariners, I'd rather watch Griffey go 15 for 12 with 15 home runs, take away 15 home runs, help the elderly cross 4th & Pine, save a cat, play centerfield, break the ground for the new Sonics arena, and draft Kevin Durant.

Disrespectin'

I'm going to be very brief in this post. Riley, I'm glad you can bench more than Kevin Durant. Question: When you entered the University of Notre Dame as a freshman in 2004, did you end the year as the Naismith Award Winner?

Also, Tae, you serious about Russell Martin? I'm gonna say this one more time, no. I have to concede your Kobe point though. He has officially gone off the deep end. And who is Kate Austen?

Wimbledon Preview

Yeah, i know what you're thinking: didn't we just finish reading daily updates about the French... and now Wimbledon preview already? Well, believe it or not kiddos Wimbledon begins Monday.

The seeding was announced today and of course The Mighty Fed is at number one in the men's draw with Nadal seeded second and Andy Roddick at third. Now after the French, people will likely wonder if Nadal and Federer are on a collision course and if Rafa will now dethrone TMF on grass. Unlikely i say. Why you ask?

(1) Playing on grass is unlike any other surface. Sure clay is extremely unique, but clay and hard court are nearly brothers with grass being their distant third cousin. The footwork required on grass is very different and the game must be played in a very different style. The grinding 20+ shot points that you saw frequently on clay don't happen on grass (well okay, they happen, just not as often). Instead players who excel on grass are in the Pete Sampras model. They serve and get you off balance, then rush the net (we tennis players call this 'serve and volley') and put you away. This doesn't fit with the style of play that Rafa has shown in years past.

(2) Rafa's early exit in his grass tune up to a non-top 25 player (non-top 50 if memory serves me right) doesn't bode well. Can he play on grass? certainly, he made the Wimbledon final last year. However, can he play on grass like TMF can? No. TMF won the final last year despite not playing the way he is capable of on grass. And if TMF should run into Rafa again at Centre Court expect him to be out to prove a point. You get the sense on grass that when Roger wants to embarrass somebody he is more than capable.

(3) I don't think Rafa is Roger's biggest threat. I honestly believe that Roddick poses the biggest threat to TMF here. The second serve is a huge part of playing on grass because the serve dictates play so much more on grass. So a player with a big second like Roddick poses a real threat. (This is why he just won his fourth Queen's Club title.) Rafa is a consistent server, but he lacks that wow factor in the serve that others possess. So why wasn't Roddick at the Wimbledon final last year? Well, remember that Roddick was playing awful tennis this time last year. It wasn't until later in the season when he picked up Jimmy Connors just before the US Open that he turned things around. Roddick is now playing significantly better tennis (just not on clay) and will pose a threat.

So do I think Federer emerges with another Wimbledon title? Yeah, I'm thinking so. The fact that he was comfortable pulling out of his sole grass tune up tells me that Fed's confidence on grass was not shaken. The man knows he can still roll with (read: school) the pack on the Queen's grass, and I look for him to do precisely that beginning Monday.

Go Roger,
-riley.

the office and other things

Okay, so it's not sports related, but I need to go back and address Steve's comments about the Office finale. Particularly the speculation about Jim - Pam - Karen. So here's how I see it playing out:

(1) In regards to corporate. Didn't the episode end with us seeing that Ryan gets the job? It's been over a month since I've watched it, but I think that's the end. So does this mean Jim blew the interview? No, I think the job was Jim's if he wanted it. But then the note from Pam made him realize there are bigger things than the job.

(2) Now as for abandoning Karen in NYC. I think Karen's whole decision to not wait for Jim but rather to go meet her friends was revealing to him. Especially in light of Pam's note. So yeah, he probably did just leave her -- which i'm all about.

(3) The big question for me now is where does the drama come from. As much as i'd love choi's hypothesis to bear out something tells me that Dr. Addison Montgomery will not be joining the cast. I think NBC and ABC have fulfilled their cross over quota between Coach showing up in Friday Night Lights and Greys. So where does the drama come from? Probably when Karen returns and Jim continues to be indecisive. Or maybe Roy comes back into the picture? We'll just have to wait and see.

Ok I think that does it for me now. Sports notes from the week thus far:
- What is happening to the Mets? Oh that's right Santana is disgusting.
- Danny Haren for AL Cy Young? I say so.
- Congratulations to Tiger Woods and his wife on their daughter. Odds that she has more LPGA titles by the time that she is 20 than Michelle Wie currently has... 100%
- The Cardinals finally bump Kip Wells from a scheduled start. And for the first time in what seems like 10 Kip Wells days we get a win.
- Rumor has it that Kevin Durant couldn't put 185 up once on the bench... Is this true Choi? Shoot, I can get 215. You sure you want him on the Sonics?
- The NHL draft is coming up... oh that's right, this is even less interesting than the MLB draft so nobody cares.

that's all.
-riley.

ps: i switched the comment feature so that people no longer need an account to post comments. In case anybody is interested.

Riley's All Star Ballot

AL (excluding pitchers) NL (excluding pitchers)
1B Justin Morneau 1B Prince Fielder
2B Placido Polanco 2B Chase Utley
SS Derek Jeter SS Jose Reyes
3B Alex Rodriguez 3B Miguel Cabrera
C Victor Martinez C Brian McCann
OF Vladimir Guerrero OF Ken Griffey, Jr.
OF Magglio Ordonez OF Barry Bonds
OF Ichiro Suzuki OF Matt Holliday

I think that's how i'd do it. My explanations/comments are listed in a comment under Choi's post, but I wanted to put this out there for everybody to see in case people forget to look at the comments.

If you (the reader) have a ballot/changes... throw it in a comment. Let's get some more debate goin on in here.
-riley.

My All Star Ballot (for now)

AL (excluding pitchers) NL (excluding pitchers)
1B Justin Morneau 1B Prince Fielder
2B Dustin Pedroia 2B Chase Utley
SS Derek Jeter SS Hanley Ramirez
3B Alex Rodriguez 3B Miguel Cabrera
C Victor Martinez C Brian McCann
OF Torii Hunter OF Ken Griffey, Jr.
OF Magglio Ordonez OF Barry Bonds
OF Ichiro Suzuki OF Carlos Lee

Agree, Disagree, or Agree to Disagree?

I got nothin'

NBA Finals 2007. Wow, don't really have anything to say. Wait, no I was a WITNESS. A witness in watching Lebron be completely overmatched by the Spurs. He tried hard, so I guess that counts for something...? Nahh. I can't believe he didn't even account for one entire game, I mean with his ability and the refs' ability to get Duncan in foul trouble, I thought maybe, just maybe it would at least go 5. Conveniently, when Duncan was in foul trouble so was Lebron. What are the Cavs without Lebron?

What else? French Open. All I have to say is Roger Federer is lucky that there are four Grand Slams in a calendar year because the French Open is owned by Tom Brady err.....Rafael Nadal. I have no idea how Roger's head works and I may be completely nuts for saying this...but the domination Nadal has over Federer on clay might just might get into the head of Federer, no matter what the surface for example Wimbledon or the U.S. Open. Probably not though because Federer's skill on grass is so much greater than anyone else. Riles, I would be at least concerned. Hypothetically if Nadal beats Federer at Wimbeldon, well then I'd be in panic mode. Then you'll have to start wearing sleeveless shirts and do bicep curls constantly, not to mention switch to being a lefty and buy a new pair of 110 dollar kicks. Two positives, you can keep your head band and can allow your hair to grow even more.

Other Thoughts:
Riles, your brilliant GM Jocketty? Tell him that trading Haren and relievers for a washed up Mulder was pure genius.
Another thing about Jocketty. I'm hearing things about Zambrano wanting to be a Red bird as well as Cabrera.
Better spend this offseason and win the next year.
When did the Chicago Cubs turn into the U of baseball?
Felix, I am done with you. Come back next year NOT injured.
Initially, I think ND is going to start 0-3. I am also ignoring the fact that UCLA and USC loom a little bit later.

Wow, there really is nothing to talk about. Ocean's 13 was alright. Definitely not better than 11 but anything was better than 12. A definite part of 13 that annoyed me was that Brad Pitt was always talking with his mouth full. Wait...he did that in the entire trilogy. I wonder if there are any other movies coming out this summer...

Baseball is in full swing but I'm rather uninterested. My hero, Griffey Jr. makes his triumphant return next Friday and is currently voted as an outfield starter in the All Star Game but that's about it. The Mariners just LOVE being 5 games out of first place, won't get any further or closer. Its like purgatory. NBA Draft is coming up but the vision of Kevin Durant not playing in Seattle keeps my emotions in check. Football is sooooo far away.

Oh, for next year, our six man needs to contribute money for an Xbox 360. I wouldn't know who's gonna take it home but if we get it around the time school starts, we will have it in time for Halo 3 and GTA IV. Right smack in the middle of the release of those two games is Starcraft 2. Riley, if you and Ryan truly want to try failing out of school just imagine playing those three juggernaut games along with WoW as a side dish.

Finally, I have watched the Office Season 3 finale several times and I have several questions. I really hope someone that reads this watched it.

1. Did Jim do well in his interview and choose to come back or did he just suck after that sappy love note Pam sent him?
2. What happened with Karen, I mean seriously there's gotta be repercussions for just leaving Karen in New York and running towards Pam like a baby.
3. Both Pam and Jim need to grow a pair. Wait...just Jim.

Finally, I have an idea for an episode. McSteamy shows up to give some tips to Jim. A little NBC-ABC cross over. Jim overnight becomes a huge stud and bags a girlfriend, her name Dr. Addison Shepherd. That way, I can watch the Office without having to sell my soul to watch Private Practice. Also, with Addison in the Office, as Conan put so smartly, there could be 2 to 3 more seasons of "will they, won't they" sexual tension between Jim and Pam with eye candy besides Pam. Also with McSteamy making a few guest appearances, Ryan can watch his boy in consecutive television shows.

I'm out.

this weekend in baseball

i'm not even going to touch on the nba finals, hopefully choi will blog about them at some point as he likely watched at least a bit of them whereas i saw zero of them and then from game two on didn't even both reading wrap-ups of the game (too boring). so i'm gonna say a little about the weekend in baseball... in super short form:

(1) yankees - mets. the mets were 1-9 in their last 10 heading in. the bronx bombers had won 9 in a row and had clemens going in game one. so who wins game one? the mets. however, still not the most interesting match-up of the weekend...

(2) dodgers - angels. this is where it's at. even espn is promoting it... and if something bumps espn from shamelessly promoting the new york showdown, then it must be good. the angels are perhaps the hottest team in baseball over the last few weeks and the dodgers are leading what i say is the best division in baseball. possibly world series match-up? eh, maybe. it's still only june.

(3) the cardinals. i can't not post about this. you let the royals and a's score 10+ (17 and 14 respectively) against you in the last two games. you somehow still have kip wells in your rotation despite having 11 losses? i just don't understand what is happening here. maybe larussa is intentionally throwing the season to force the ownership to spend money on player personnel? or maybe this is what happens when you anoint kip wells your #2 starter. sad thing is the team keeps showing little reasons to hope when wainwright and thompson pitch... and then you have to run out wells and everybody on the team looks like they'd rather be in budapest than at the ballpark playing behind him.

-riley.

Roland Garros Final Preview

Okay, steve has ordered me to put together a preview but it will have to be brief (as i literally just returned to my apartment from a brief trip to budapest).

We'll start with the actually playing ability of the two. Both players are incredible, so there's very little that separates them here. I will say that i think that federer overall is a more well rounded player and that his bag of tricks is larger than rafa's one could argue that federer has a more consistent backhand, which has been superb this tournament, and that federer is a bit more adept at the net. however, i think that the edge that federer gets in this department is offset by rafa's comfort level on the red dirt. nadal is more at home than tmf sliding around on the clay, so i think that's a definite advantage for him there. so looking at the actual playing ability/styles of the two, i think we're at a push.

now for the mental factor:
for nadal:
(1) he's on clay; he's comfortable.
(2) he's done this twice before and never lost a match at the roland garros. this is nothing new to him.
(3) there is less pressure on him. he's only trying to win another match... federer is trying to set up a possible grand slam and finish off the career grand slam.

for federer:
(1) the last time they faced, feds won on clay at hamburg. he knows he can do it now and more importantly i think he finally figured out how to do it -- to dictate the play himself rather than waiting for rafa to make mistakes.
(2) he's coming off a grind of a match with davydenko that, while it may have taken a bit of energy out of him, showed him that he can win despite not having his a game. hopefully this is a non-issue today as i expect both players to show up with their a game... but if feds makes a few mistakes early, he knows he can fight through it.
(3) there is more pressure on him. i think federer enjoys this pressure. he knows what he is on the brink of doing, and he wants it more than anybody else (including me) wants him to have it. i think he also realizes that his window to win a french open is shrinking each year, so that will hopefully drive him to go 110% (to use that awful cliche).

so my prediction is what choi wants... honestly, i hesitate to say it but i think roger does it today. rafa doesn't seem like he wants it as badly. maybe he's just staying calm and collected, but as far as i can tell he doesn't seem like he'll mind that much if he drops this one. and since i think who wins this match will come down to who wants it the most, therefore...

roger in five.


---

final note: tip of the cap to henin for completing her roland garros three-peat.

Roland Garros

well folks, it's happening. it took 126 men's matches to get where every tennis fan wanted the roland garros to end up... and now it's there. the mighty federer vs. the prince of clay, rafa. federer - nadal on the crushed dirt of paris. rafa going for his third french title and looking to maintain his undefeated mark at the roland garros. while TMF is going for the career grand slam and looking to set himself on the path to perhaps the 2007 grand slam... and according to john mcenroe, making himself the greatest tennis player ever.

i won't preview the match... what can be said? the two greatest players of our time battling it out on the surface which greatly favors the young spaniard while the other seeks the elusive career grand slam.

even if you're not a huge tennis fan... this one is definitely worth your two or three hours.

go roger,
-riley.

The weekend's sports notes

i was going to add this to the end of my sheffield post, but that got longer than i had expected. so here are a few things happening this weekend that i think are worth tuning into/reading about in the sports world:

(1) nba playoffs. sure i agree with choi that the cavs are well outmatched in this series, but hell that's what i said about cavs v pistons. and the cavs have that which the spurs do not: king james. now i still use the phrase hesitantly, for how can you be king without having won the big one. but maybe lebron rightfully earns his crown starting tonight.

(2) french open final on sunday. the semis still have to happen tomorrow but after watching rafa plow through carlos moya i see little reason to believe he won't be there. and given that TMF is playing really well right now and that he has a great track record against Davydenko, he should be there to. so the feds - rafa collision that everyone in tennis so badly has wanted since the beginning of clay season may well happen. if it does expect me to be glued to the television for every moment of it.

(3) mlb draft (going on now). so maybe you don't actually decide to watch any of this (although espn2 is actually carrying the early rounds for the first time ever), but if you've got a team then certainly give a look at who they draft. the mlb draft pales in comparison to those of the nfl and nba because there's so much uncertainty, but it is still pretty intriguing. the biggest point of intrigue for me is the different team philosophies when drafting... especially in the area of high school pitchers v. college pitchers.

(4) pirates - yankees saturday afternoon. as if espn would even allow you not to know about this, the rocket returns to the bigs on saturday against the buccos (barring another groin problem - as of today he has been cleared to start). will be interesting to see if his stuff is still ace stuff and if he can help the bronx bombers try to claw back into the race.

(5) pocono 500 -- just kidding. some may say i have awful taste in tennis... but i'm not this bad.

that should be enough to keep you busy this weekend.
go roger.
riley.

Gary Sheffield vs. MLB

Okay, so it's not really a battle or anything, but this is a hot topic of late that neither choi nor i have touched on. so i'm gonna give it some thought.

(for those who haven't seen his quotes from the gq article (in which he discusses why there are a decreasing number of blacks in the game and more and more latin players), here's one that basically sums it up: "What I called is that you're going to see more black faces, but there ain't no English going to be coming out. ... [It's about] being able to tell [Latin players] what to do -- being able to control them," he told the magazine. "Where I'm from, you can't control us. [source: espn.com]"

first things first. i can neither agree or disagree with what sheff said. now i personally have never been in a major league dugout, i don't know whether the control issue is real. i will say that the language barrier which presents itself between managers and players is definitely real, and its real between players and players too. so maybe there is some legitimacy to what sheff is saying. teammate carlos guillen certainly seems to think so.

however, white sox manager ozzie guillen disagrees. he had the following to say: "I guarantee that Latin American people play more baseball than any people, because that's all we have. You have more people playing baseball in Venezuela or the Dominican than anywhere, so there are going to be more players from there. [source: espn.com]" personally, being a statistician at heart, this trend has been something i've thought quite a bit about lately and my hypothesis has always been similar to ozzie's. in latin america baseball is the sport; its what kids grow up with so based purely on a numbers game its likely that people will get good and advance to the bigs. there's also the important factor that baseball is necessarily a team sport. unlike basketball, which you can play 5 on 5 or 1 on 1 equally easily, baseball needs at least 6 or 7 player per team. i loved playing baseball growing up, but it was hard to ever do anything more than play catch because its hard to get a game together. you don't have sandlots around neighborhoods anymore and its hard to get that many people together at once. so maybe this is a factor why more inner-city kids don't play baseball.. the opportunity simply isn't there.

now one could argue, as perhaps sheff is, that mlb should do more to encourage baseball in american cities. maybe they should set up baseball academies like we see in every latin american country. that probably would help increase interest in the game a bit, but it fails to take into account the fact that baseball while a sport is first and foremost a for-profit industry. it makes sense to set up baseball academies in the dominican because it might yield your ballclub the next a-rod or pujols. but if there's little interest in american cities in baseball to begin with and the amount of people playing is low, then the percentage of you finding a great talent is very small. if there likelihood of a return is low and the risk is high, then teams simply aren't going to make that investment.

but something should still be done. maybe it's the obvious solution... lower the prices of tickets to games so that more kids can come to games. in order for me and my three siblings to go to a game it would cost well over $50 and that doesn't even include a soda and a hotdog for each of us. if you want more kids in america to start playing baseball, you have to let them see the game and all its majesty in person. and trust me, there is a subtle beauty about baseball... be it the crack of the bat or watching king felix's slider make a-rod look like a little leaguer. but to fully appreciate these things they have to be seen in person. so that would be my solution... you want more kids to play the game sheff? try demanding a bit less than $10+ million a year so the kids can afford to come to the ballpark. (that's a bit of a cheap shot, but it's not meant to single out sheffield. it applies to all players... even my boy pujols.)

one final note though, i give sheffield huge credit for making his statement and then standing by it. there's been a decent amount of outcry about what he's said, but he has responded like a man saying basically, i'm just telling you what i see, if i'm wrong show me. so major major props to the man for behaving like a man and not running from what he said.

NBA Finals Preview

So after nearly 7 months of non-existent defense, spotty athleticism, and a rather uninspiring 2007 NBA playoffs, we've have reached the culmination of this league, the NBA Finals. In this year's championship we have everyone's most hated villain, San Antonio Spurs, on one side. On the other side, we have probably the least qualified Eastern Conference team since the 2001 76ers team, led by our blog's inspiration, the Answer. All in all, the chances of these finals becoming a clunker is far greater than it being a match of epic proportions. But this is a preview so if you'll bear with me, here are my thoughts:

1. Okay, okay, I was dead wrong about the Pistons. But Riles, it did show I was right about them not being a dynasty. The Pistons are a well built team for the regular season but lack that killer instinct, not to mention that go-to-guy in the clutch in the playoffs that every successful team is. And, no, I wouldn't count Chauncey Billups THAT guy especially after THAT performance. The Eastern conference was eerily similar to the Finals last year. The supposed favorites win the first two, then the star player of the underdog goes insane and halfway through the comeback, the favorites realize its over and that there will be nothing to stop the star from winning, in this case, Lebron (last year, Wade).

2. My friend at home (who I'm pretty sure doesn't read this), is absolutely convinced that Lebron is going to ride this huge wave of momentum and go on to win the finals. That's nice and all to jump on the LBJ bandwagon but this is the Spurs we are talking about. The Pistons are the double A version of the Spurs (haha, get it?). The fact of the matter is, if Lebron has multiple performances this series that are in the echelon of names such as Magic, Bird, and Jordan, and the Cavs win the series, it will be an upset in the history of the NBA finals that I can't compare to off the top of my head and Lebron would be regarded as passing them all at the ripe age of 22. Quite simply, this is a dynasty versus an overmatched finalist, albeit with an unguardable player salivating (FINALLY) to win a championship and play at his highest level.

3. That last sentence is what makes this series, mildly intriguing. Once again, like in all sports (not tennis, bowling, etc.), its all about the matchups.

Point Guard: Tony Parker vs. Daniel Gibson (now that Larry Hughes is out indefinitely)
Tony Parker is regarded around the league as the quickest point guard in the NBA, a steep contrast from Billups who depended on his physicality and his steady (not big shot) jumps hot. I believe Gibson played out of his mind in the ECF but the act won't follow because chasing around Parker is an entirely different animal.

Shooting Guard: Michael Finley/Manu Ginobili vs. Sasha Pavlovic/Damon Jones
Basically Michael Finley is a bigger, better version of Damon Jones, which is to be a consistent 3-ball threat. Runner Up to the Sixth Man Award, Ginobili also has 3 point ability but his true gift is slicing through the paint. The combination of Ginobili and Parker on the floor will exploit the shortcomings of the Cavs front court by allowing better spacing for deadly three point shooters such as Brent Barry and/or Finley if Popovich decides to go with a smaller lineup.

Small Forward: Lebron James vs. Bruce Bowen
All World vs. All Defensive (and in my opinion, all-dirty as well)
Well, quite frankly, this is where the entire series lies. Much has been made about the two regular season games that Lebron dominated and the Cavs won. This is where I believe Lebron is truly special because his size and speed are so unique. He's too big for Bowen on the wing, he will just overpower him into the paint. Once he gets into the paint, he'll be too quick for Duncan to come over and help. This could lead to Duncan getting into foul trouble, and potentially turn the series upside down. Exhibit A - Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. If they can get a freebie game like that and Lebron is able to account for two other games completely by himself (which isn't asking too much is it?), this series could be very interesting.

Front Court: Tim Duncan (and the other guys) vs. Z. Ilgauskus and Drew Gooden
3 Time Finals MVP Tim Duncan vs. players not even close to the caliber of Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer. I really don't want to explain myself here. The only caveat is, as a mentioned, Duncan getting into early foul trouble.

Well, there you have it. The Cavs are completely overmatched in 4 of the 5 positions, not to mention the bench, coaching, and without home court advantage. The only team that was a mismatch for the Spurs was the Mavs and we all know what happened to them. The Spurs can play at any tempo whether is the slow lumbering style of the Cavs or the run and gun of the Suns. I have a feeling the Cavs will be able to steal a game early in the series but to no avail. This is the best team in the vaunted Western Conference and the Spurs have that killer instinct that the Bulls had in the 90s and the Lakers had in the early 00s. Lebron will make things as interesting as possible but I've come to terms with the generic prediction of Spurs in 6. Like the Spurs, the pick isn't sexy but it gets the job done. As for Cleveland fans, be happy because this is only the beginning...

TMF into the Quarters

I won't blog about the match in great detail as i was unable to watch it; i only followed it in the rolandgarros.com point tracker. But i provide this quote which aptly sums it up: "I've got enough shirts for five-set matches in the bag, I only used one today." - TMF.

Really though, this match was very close at first (as evidenced by the 7-6(3) first set). Youzhny broke feds early on (first break all tournament) and got up 2-0 quick. If youzhny holds serve at 3-2 and gets up 4-2 he likely wins the set. The match is entirely different from that point on as a set would have only fueled youzhny's 'giant killer' mentality. Fortunately feds broke back evened it up at 3-3 and then played solid from there on out in the match (despite being broken once more).

Next up is robredo who federer easily dispatched in the australian open. however, robredo is a spaniard and like nadal tends to excel on clay (having won two of his four titles at barcelona and hamburg). Should prove to be a good match.

However, on the women's side there is a match that i think will be even more intriguing. Serena will square off against defending champion justine henin. should be an excellent match. the resurgent williams against the top-dog of women's tennis. i sparingly watch women's tennis, but i will likely tune into this one if i can find a tv.

that's all on a tennis note. i would blog about the cavs winning the eastern conference finals, but i couldn't find a single place here showing it. they were all showing rugby or footie (soocer). so instead, i'll wait for choi to offer his thoughts and then add anything i can muster up in the comments.

go roger.
-riley

TMF Round Three

Well, i was fortunate enough to see nearly the entire federer - starace match today as well as bits of other matches, so here are some thoughts:

(1) federer looks good, and i mean real good. granted he had an unusually high number of unforced errors, he once again won a match without dropping a set and i think he only faced break point three or four times.... so he was very much in control all match.
(2) his serve was on today, he came up with five aces and he used his second serve to set up some nice winners.
(3) he didn't play with quite the urgency he played his second round match with, which i would perhaps attribute to him trying to ensure that his groundstrokes are all firing on all cylinders for these later rounds. in TMF's 2nd round match he played a lot of serve and volley tennis, likely due to him wanting to finish the match before any rain/darkness could move in and force him to have to finish up the next day. this allowed him to demonstrate some volleys that were simply unbelievable. today, he executed solid net play once again when necessary, but he spent a lot more time at the baseline. i'm hopeful this all leads to TMF getting to face Rafa and then playing an aggressive in control style of play like he did in the hamburg final.
(4) the ferrero-youzhny match was unbelievable. i saw only bits of it, but i do know that both the first two sets went to tiebreakers and they both lasted over 70 minutes a piece. talk about an endurance test. youzhny emerged the victor knocking off the former roland garros champion and setting up a match with TMF. youzhny has never defeated feds, but it should still prove to be a great match as youzhny's little dance after finishing ferrero showed he is definitely enjoying himself and his role of giant-killer if you will (granted, ferrero was only the 13 seed and youzhny is 17).
(5) wiley advanced again today although he did drop a set this time. i'm not sure it could get anymore interesting for the federer fans than if roger was to face canas in the semis and then rafa in the final. should he face those two and beat them to win the french.. i'm not sure victory comes any sweeter than that.

well, that's today's roland garros wrap up. i found a cheap bar/club tonight that shows the open and serves cheap drinks while doing so. therefore, i will likely end up there for a chunk of tomorrow to watch rafa play, so hopefully i can provide a bit of a report on his play as well as the man is now 15-0 at the french in his life and is clearly unbelievable on the red dirt.

bis morgen!
-riley.

Indescribable

I'll let the numbers speak for themselves:
48 pts, 9 rbs, and 7 ast, going 18-33 from the field
No other player on the Cavs scored more than 16 pts (Ilgauskus)
Finally: scored his team's final 25 and 29 of its final 30

I'm speechless, the passing ability of Magic, the athleticism of Dr. J, and the guts of MJ all came together last night. I really don't know what to say, he simply took over. The 50-15-12 games I asked for, he has delivered. If Lebron can finish the job, it will not only make me but the NBA happy as well because of the fact that the appeal of Lebron vs. the Spurs has a similar appeal of Jordan vs. the Bad Boys. The only wish I have is that Dwyane Wade can come back his old self next year and truly begin a rivalry that the world has been waiting to be matched since the retirement of Bird and Magic.

NBA ECF: 3-2 Cavs

i'll let choi discuss the game itself as i know nothing yet (haven't had a chance to read articles or anything), but i will say this: i am now disappointed i haven't watched the last three games of this series. and i will now make it a point to stay up until whatever hour it takes to watch game 6.

all i want to know is this: are you happy with lebron yet choi? ignore the fact that he has yet to close out the series, which i know means everything and we can revisit this question after the series ends, but to this point is lebron turning in the performance that you think he needed to in order to show that he's a dominate player in this league?

that's all on this end. perhaps another post coming later today wrapping up TMF v. Starace, P. round of 32 now, things start getting seriously. and i for one am not pleased to see wiley (guillermo canas) still lingering in fed's part of the draw. although secretly i do want TMF and wiley to meet up. mmmk... laterz.

jet lag much?

so yeah, being 7 hours away from my normal time zone has had multiple effects on me. the waking up everyday at 6am sucks, but what's worst is that sports are all played when i can't pay any attention to them. i know, i stayed up until 5am to watch TMF (the mighty fed) pound Roddick in Australia.. but that's TMF. I like LeBron and all, but he's not TMF. So as a result i have little to say about the NBA playoffs anymore, but i'll contribute what i can. So here goes:

(1) Eastern Conference Finals: the series is now tied. i am impressed. choi basically said all that need be said about game three. and game four, well i didn't see it but reading the stat sheet it looks like some pieces around lebron stepped up and helped carry the team. and then lebron responded by thanking them and dropping 13 in the fourth. all this without hughes playing mind you, so that's saying something.
For the pistons though, i guess one thing you can take away from the game is that billups heated up a bit. so maybe that helps as they return to the Palace.
If the Cavs find a way to win game 5... wow, i'd find a way to watch game 6.

(2) Major League Baseball: a few brief thoughts
- keep an eye on Tim Lincecum (thanks c-wod)... kid has pretty sick stuff and has lasted at least 7 innings in his last four starts. also was carrying a sub 1.00 ERA in the minors before his call up... fantasy baseballers, if he's available i say grab him.
- ryan freel... thank god he's okay, but that's why we call for the ball boys.
- the nl central: the only time anybody in the nl central will win a game for the rest of the season is when two nl central teams play each other mandating that someone win. i'm not sure you could amass a nl central all-star team that could compete with some of the other teams in baseball.

(3) French Open. This is obviously the one sports event to which i have been paying uber-close attention. Partly due to the fact that it actually happens while i'm awake, and partly due to the fact that the burger king near me shows the matches everyday... so i pay homage to the king and watch TMF (or sharapova this morning, somebody tell her that part pant, part dress, part jumpsuit outfit looks like hell). So without further delay, notes on TMF v. M. Russel:
- TMF was in control of this match the entire time. He was not broken at all and never looked in danger of having Russel break him. Some will say, 'why was the match so close? 6-4 in two sets?' these people should remember that: (1) its pretty tough to break serve. (2) M. Russel might be the best american clay player, despite his being relatively old. he was the last american to reach round 4 at the Roland Garros , mind. (3) TMF likes to 'work on things' in the earlier rounds of Grand Slam events so that he can get his game tweaked just the way he likes it for when he meets, oh say Rafa in the final.
- One thing i hope TMF is/was working on was serve returns. Granted Russel has a pretty big serve, but Fed sailed some returns and looked to be struggling a bit with serves hit right at his body.
- overall TMF looked good. the tony roche situation is no longer hanging over him, and he looks relaxed and ready to play tennis. his backhand is deadly too. but mentally, an aspect which is so important to the game, it appears he's ready to give that career grand slam a whole hearted shot.

alright, that does it from this side of the globe. i'll try to be more frequent in my updates now that i get to go somewhere with internet everyday for class. who knows though, maybe i'll end up in paris this weekend to watch my boy in person.

world this is lebron james, lebron world

Apparently, Lebron stated that game 3 was the "biggest game of his life". Which, makes his performance after those words, that much baller. That 50-15-12 performance that I waited for, happened and truthfully I wasn't surprised. Now, I picked the Pistons in six and they went out and won the first two games. But I have a feeling this is a totally different series. Many reasons...
1. Simply put, the Pistons held serve. It wasn't as if Cavs were expected to win a game at the Palace, If they did, it would have been a huge steal.
2. In my previous post, I believed the matchup between Chauncey Billups and the patchwork/platoon point guard of the Cavs, would be a mismatch for the Pistons. However, I was unaware of the history of Mike Brown of OWNING Billups. I have to apologize for criticizing Brown on his coaching acumen. His gameplan has bothered Billups ever since he was a Piston. That, compounded with the fact that Daniel Gibson's quick hands and Larry Hughes' length, is visibly bothering Billups.
3. Riles, you want an ESPY-esque dunk? Well you got it. http://youtube.com/watch?v=mFl-66WrF_o
If that dunk doesn't light a fire for Lebron, then there is nothing that will. Scary thing is, more than the dunk is that he now knows how to attack this vaunted Pistons-D with his ever present athleticism along with his off and on jumper that is now on, added to his arsenal.
4. I am a realist though. For all I know, Lebron could take over this series like last year and finish the Pistons by himself. On the other hand, Lebron still has not found a right hand man that can consistently keep the Pistons honest. Billups may struggle throughout the series but that still leaves out Rip Hamilton who was awful in games 2 and 3. The Cavs can't expect those struggles continue.
5. Funny thing for Lebron is, every game from this point on is his "biggest game" with the precedent he set. How many players past or present can take three guys and make the last guy a 6'11" defensive stalwart a mere poster? Then afterwards take a defensive wing specialist out on the three point line and promptly demoralize him with a fadeaway?
6. I know its cliche, but I sincerely believe if this series is going seven games, the Cavs have to win game 4. If this series goes 3-1 Pistons, then it undoubtedly go Pistons the rest of the way. Game 4 is a must win out of must wins.
7. Lebron, one criticism. Stop phoning in the third quarter. Play with energy for all four. I can't imagine what stats he would have put up had he scored more than one point in the third.
8. Finally French Open........eh who cares?

across the pond

greetings from london's beloved heathrow airport. i really have no sports new to blog about at this point as i've missed the last few days of everything due to my travels. all i know is:
(1) Roland Garros starts this weekend. I will be blogging about this extensively and watching everyone of R-Fed's matches in whatever dirty pub i can find in vienna.
(2) lebron and the cavs are down 2-0. Apparently some people think he was fouled... i haven't the slightest idea. Choi what are your thoughts?
(3) the nhl exists... i haven't cared since Sid the Kid was knocked out.
(4) the redbirds just swept the pirates... i have again established my dominance over beaver!
(5) did i mention that Roland Garros starts this weekend?

a real blog post will follow once i've set up shop in my flat in wien (read: vienna for the english speakers).

go roger.

That was convenient

WSBT reports:

Notre Dame Quarterback Arrested

Demetrius Jones was picked up in LaPorte County May 17th on a marijuana possession charge. He bonded out of jail that night.

The LaPorte County prosecutor's office says he has been charged with a misdemeanor possession charge. A university spokesman says Jones remain enrolled, and to his knowledge, is currently in good standing.

Edit: Charges were dropped. Phew.

You've got to be kidding me!

Alright, I've gotten over the initial ecstasy of the fact that the Supersonics will draft Kevin Durant. Sadly, this probably is one of the top moments in my life as a sports fan. But seriously Seattle was due. After the old days of Gary Payton being an all world point guard and Shawn Kemp not having 6534706 illegitimate children, I was pretty disillusioned with the basketball in Seattle. This was only made worse by the fact that the Sonics have taken Robert Swift, Mohammad Sene, and John Petro in three previous drafts. Cereally?

But I seriously think this begins a new era in basketball, I really do. Now, I'm a big fan of the national sports scene, but that also may be because I haven't really had a team perennially contend for championships. That is why I HAVE to talk about this. I am by no means saying that the Sonics are now going to turn into the 90s Bulls. But at worst, this is going to be one entertaining team to watch.

Think about it, the potential starting five for the Sonics next year.
PG Luke Ridnour - Doesn't play a lick of defense but neither does Steve Nash. His game is definitely suited for the run and gun style.
SG Ray Allen - Age is only a number to him. One of the few players that I have watched that played hard AFTER a new contract. Still has it.
SF Rashard Lewis - Resign him. He's a 6-10 with a consistent three point shot. Pretty rare.
PF Kevin Durant - Definitely not strong enough to play in the post yet. But can do just about everything else.
C Chris Wilcox - Granted his offensive game is limited to put backs and dunks. However, at worst, he will be a poor man's version of Amare.

Not much defense but it is going to be one athletic show of three pointers and dunks.

Now I've heard rumors that we're going after a coach like Paul Silas. NO. Do not go old school on me now.

Three of those guys can put it on the floor, four have range out to the three point line, and the bigs can run the floor like gazelles. Sounds like Suns basketball or Nellieball to me. Being that the NBA, like the NFL, is a copycat league, the Sonics shouldn't be ashamed to emulate. I don't really care that the front office is a mess, the Sonics could hire you, Riles, and you will look like a genius for drafting Kevin Durant. All I ask is that they stay in Seattle and hire either a D'antoni or Don Nelson disciple and run teams out of KeyArena. Sometime when the draft becomes closer, I'll probably do a Big Board/Mock Draft but right now I really don't care where anyone else goes.

One last point, Portland is in between a rock and a hard place, but nonetheless great position. Draft Greg Oden and its telling Lamarcus Aldridge that you've essentially given up on him. Also they do have Zach Randolph, making for a talented but crowded front court. But imagine passing on Greg Oden. This guy played with one wrist and was Big-10 player of the year, not to mention, putting an impressive stand against two other lottery picks, Joakim Noah and Al Horford in the championship game. And his potential?! One play just keeps going through my head, the block against Tennessee, where he COMPLETELY denied the lay-up. I see two possibilities.

1. They draft Greg Oden, and make Zach Randolph expendable for some idiot GM like Kevin McHale, Billy King, or Isiah to throw a huge contract towards. Randolph has too many character issues for my liking anyway. Portland would have quite the young and talented nucleus with Brandon Roy, last year's Rookie of the Year, teamed with Oden, not to mention past lottery picks, Martell Webster and LaMarcus Aldridge.

2. They trade the pick. This pick is probably the most coveted pick since the 2003 draft, maybe even more because the class of '03 had four perennial all stars. This year may have the equivalent talent but more wild cards as well. A team like Boston, who may be one Greg Oden away from the top tier of the Eastern Conference may be willing to throw down the house for this guy. But what house? Paul Pierce is the only worthwhile chip on the team. Al Jefferson is part of that rebuilding process in Boston, so trading him would defeat the purpose of getting Oden. I, at this point, don't really see any other teams going hard for this pick.

I guess as I reasoned through it, Portland will take Oden. But I will not be surprised with some ridiculous deal for Oden because he is that type of player. Post players win championships.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I got what I wanted didn't I? Kevin Durant will be a Supersonic!!!!!!! (granted, we're not sold first).

Shot or No Shot?

Just briefly:
Even though I'm not the biggest Lebron fan, I can't really criticize for him what transpired. Riles, like you said, if Donyell hits that shot, not only the surface is it a huge momentum swing but had the Cavs gone on to win the series, that play would have beenat least considered with the likes of Jordan's dish to Kerr that clinched the '97 Finals. But as a future request Lebron, as the so-called second coming, take the ball and score. Bottom line. Oh yeah, and Riles, I have no idea why you think that dunk was a "Pontiac Game Changing Performance" caliber play.

Safe Travels

Pistons-Cavs -- Game 1

So yeah... game one pistons. i agree with choi's points about the outcome in his earlier comment on the post below, so i won't go in to detail about that.

however, i do want to discuss the last shot (or lack thereof) by Bron-Bron. If i'm a cavs fan, i want the ball in the hands of my superstar at the end of a game. when watching the bulls in the playoffs in the 90s, you wanted mj to have the ball with the game on the line. and by the same token now when watching the lakers, you want the ball in kobe's hands. now, i appreciate that lebron is a team player and i guess i understand the "go for the win on the road and for the tie at home" philosophy (although i only know that from football, not sure if it carries into the nba); however, i say lebron should have shot. especially given that i didn't know donyell marshall existed until tonight. so it's not like he's a stone cold three point shooter who has a rep for making huge shots (he in fact was a 35% 3pt shooter this year and has the same career average -- putting him outside the top 50 3pt shooters on the year). So yeah, lebron shoot next time. (granted, had donyell made that shot i'd be praising lebron, so i guess it's not really fair to criticize him too much).

so yeah, one game down. the series looks about how i expected it to look thus far. not very exciting to watch other than the fact that its the playoffs. i expect more of the same in game two... with the same outcome.

note

just a note to any of our readers (should they even exist) i'll be using the comment feature to reply to some of choi's posts just to keep things under control and what not. so please check the comments.

also, please post your own comments so that we can address them and add another dimension to our banter.

go cavs.

I have a few points to make about this series that does not intrigue me at all. On the other hand, I have almost completely converted you into somewhat of an NBA fan. Just think about it, would you have dreamed six months ago that you would be breaking down the Eastern Conference Finals with me? Anyway here goes:

1. This series is essentially Lebron vs. the Pistons. 5 vs. 1? That is why this series should go no further than six games.
2. The matchups do not favor the Cavs whatsoever. Besides that matchups you mentioned, the size AND speed of the Pistons should make this series no problem. On the Pistons, Flip Saunders has a power forward in Rasheed Wallace who has range out to the three point line. Also, Chris Webber has range to the free point line, and no matter how maligned he is, he's probably a top five passing big man in the league right now. The Cavs have the lumbering Ilgauskas who does not have a chance on any pick and roll the Pistons choose to run, Drew Gooden, and Anderson Varejao. Out of that group, the only big that has any form of athleticism is Drew Gooden with Varejao just being an energy type guy off the bench. However, Rasheed and C-Webb also have solid post play. That way when Gooden and Varejao are on the floor, they can go down low and when Ilgauskas is on the floor, they can stretch him out and let Billups and Rip Hamilton do the work in the paint.
3. The only possible way Detroit can even make this series interesting is if they do what they did for two games against the Bulls; beat themselves. I guess the true battle is, is Detroit gonna phone in more games than Lebron? Wow, I love Eastern Conference Basketball.
4. All of these games are going to be low scoring which would favor the more defensive minded Pistons.

I don't know, I really don't care for this series nor (gasp!) the NBA playoffs anymore. The four teams remaining are the Spurs, Jazz, Pistons, Cavs: all predominantly half court teams that really don't get up and down the floor. Whether viewers disliked the lack of fundamentals the Warriors showed, they were sure fun to watch. With the Suns, they were even better to watch because they were the less turnover version of the Warriors. I guess if not watching pure athleticism at its highest level (besides Lebron) is your thing, then the 2007 NBA Playoffs are as well.

In other news:
The NBA Lottery. YES!!!!! Oden vs. Durant. A topic of EPIC proportions. But for later. It could also be moot, if the team that wins the Lottery desperately needs a big. But if the team is in that "in-between" area, Sportscenter and I will explode. In all fairness, David Stern probably has it rigged and somehow the Lakers, Knicks, Celtics, or Bulls will land the first two picks so the two will not be relegated to places such as Toronto and Memphis.

Riles, you better be able to blog in Amsterdam or wherever you're going. Also, you better know what you're talking about too because no internet access is not an excuse.

Eastern Conference Finals Preview

So i'm taking a much needed break from preparing for europe and i thought i'd throw out some thoughts on the Pistons-Cavs series which begins tonight at 8pm EST.

First, i will just get this out there: i don't see how the Cavs can win this series unless LeBron has the performance choi demands of him (50-15-12) every night. the Cavs are simply over-matched here in my view. why you ask? here's why:
(1) Chauncey Billups v Larry Hughes. this matchup seems extremely lopsided to me, and that's coming from a st. louis native who probably over-estimates the talent of Hughes. i feel like the veteran experience and power of billups and the overly gambling defense of Hughes will mesh to create a hugely favorable matchup for the Pistons here. And should the Cavs try to use the defensive edge that Eric Snow provides, the offensive production drop off will offset the defensive benefits.
(2) LeBron's willingness to (as choi would say) "phone in" games. i respect LeBron as a competitor and believe he will come out determined to lead the Cavs to victory early in this series. however, should the Cavs fall into a quick 2-0 or even 3-0 hole, i believe that LeBron may indeed phone it in. also regarding LeBron, i feel like the matchup against Prince may irritate him. Prince is long enough and moves his feet quick enough, while still being a pretty physical defender, that he may well bug LeBron.
(3) the wizards and the nets: the cavs really have not had to beat a true competitor yet. apologies to vince carter and the nets, but i feel like that team had some definite flaws and the cavs should have been able to put them away easily. the pistons on the other hand had to face choi's pick to win the east, the bulls - which i still think was a solid choice, and after a little two game slide they took care of business against the only really competitor either of the two teams has had to face. (the wizards and the magic really shouldn't have even shown up).

So yeah, the edge is definitely with the Pistons. i'm going to go ahead and say Pistons in six because i do believe LeBron will come up with two games where he carries the Cavs on his back to victory. However, i don't think he can do it four times. So yeah Pistons in six.

Choi what's your prediction?

"If I have to lose to someone he's the man, no?"

Well said Rafa.

As i mentioned earlier, Federer defeated Nadal today 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 to capture his first title in five tournaments, win his first clay court title in two years, and break Rafa's 81 match clay winning streak. Needless to say, I'm quite pleased.
As for how this might affect the French, i think it might have two effects for Roger. First, it gives Roger the confidence that he can win on clay and that he can beat his "nemesis." and given that success in tennis is heavily reliant on one's confidence, that's huge. at the same time though, i think this defeat will light a fire under Nadal. While the two appear to be buds (which i know choi hates), they are both fierce competitors. Therefore, Rafa will certainly want to win another major and now has more reason to stop R-Fed from doing it. All i can say in conclusion is that i am super excited for the French. if the tennis gods bless us with a Fed - Nadal showdown it will spectacular. and good lord willing if Roger wins, we may very well see a grand slam for the first time in a long time. maybe i will trip to paris from vienna after all for the final weekend...

as for other things/responses to choi:
(1) the cardinals are indeed awful. and believe it or not, i am pleased. despite our grossly inflated payroll (which only looks big because of pujols, edmonds, rolen and isringhausen) our ownership group refuses to spend money. after winning a world series, building a new stadium, and getting the all-star game... we spent nothing this offseason on what would obviously be a weakness. when you lose 4 of your 5 starting pitchers to free agency and replace them with basically nothing, success is likely to be hard to come by. and when you have corner outfielders who hit like middle infielders, you are also in trouble. unfortunately i believe that this season is a lost cause for my boys, and i recommend that the front office switch to sell mode. trade isringhausen and even rolen and in doing so free up payroll. why you ask? because a month ago miguel cabrera said he wanted to play in st. louis with albert pujols... if you have the opportunity to have that 3-4 in your lineup, it is absolutely inexcusable to not find a way to make it happen.

other baseball thoughts:
- yes, chipper interleague play is not fair. but deal with it, the fans love it. ticket sales go up, as do tv audiences. and while it isn't fair that you have to face the al east while the al central gets the dismal nl central, that's scheduling. it's tough luck that you drew the bo-sox and the yanks this year, but you won't have them next year as a result. as far as i'm concerned, the benefits of seeing the subway series, the windy city showdown, and the highway 70 series (cardinals-royals, and i'm just kidding, it's dismal) definitely outweigh the unfairness. plus allowing people in colorado to get a chance to see the yankee pinstripes once every few years seems like a great thing to me.
- the yankees are awful and not surprisingly. you need pitching in baseball believe it or not, and as of yet they do not have it.
- king felix... yes, he lost but he is back and may have the most disgusting stuff in baseball. there are very few reasons to care about the mariners (or the whole al west for that matter) but king felix is at the top of the list of why you should.

(2) nba playoffs... i thought i would have more thoughts, but seeing as i really haven't seen much of them lately (with the passport business and all) i can't say much. i will say that now that the suns-spurs series is over my intrigue is waning. that series was awesome... all that it lacked was the brawl i expected in game six. i do agree with choi that the nba made a revenue killing mistake by suspending amare, a suspension which i really don't feel was justified. i mean we're talkin bout the playoffs... not practice, the playoffs.
as for lebron, yeah he hasn't proven anything. i actually do agree with you here choi in all seriousness. i think he has shown us that he is a superb player with huge amounts of talent, but does that mean he's the next mj? of course not. not until he carries his team to a championship does he deserve a pedestal in the same room is mj, let alone next to him. so let's see how he does in this series against the pistons and then we'll talk.
as for the pistons being a dynasty... also no. i just said it to get a reaction out of choi. yes, they are a very solid team that is very consistent. but to be a dynasty i want to see 90s bulls results (or 90s cowboys, 00s patriots).

(3) uefa championship: yes, i am an idiot. in my exhausted state last night i said i would wrap up a game that will not be played until wednesday. applause for me.

that's all for now.
-m.riley

According to Sports Illustrated, there are rumors circulating that Ryan Martin's Iggles are shopping his boy Donovan to Notre Dame's beloved Chicago Bears because of the selection of the second coming, Kevin Kolb out of THE Houston University. Serially?

Quickly:
- I'm not going to say anything until you say what you gotta say about your love affair with Lebron James.
- if I were a betting man, Roger will have his oh so coveted grand slam by the time we're back at school (or whenever the US Open ends)
- your Redbirds are AWFUL and my Yankees prediction now looks idiotic
- Felix lost (but at least he's back), Dice-K has been rolling the past few starts
- it doesn't matter that a team dominates the Eastern Conference (I'm pretty sure Florida could gone as a 6 seed in that conference)

Finally, tonight in the season finale of Family Guy, Quagmire finds the "4th hole" behind Meg's leg. Absolutely ridiculous.

YES!!

goodbye clay streak, hello french open. 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 (that last one is my particular favorite).

that's all i have to say.

God bless the government

just wanted to take a brief moment to reply to choi's posts... only to say that i just returned from the big easy and as such cannot reply to anything sports related as i just spent 21 of the last 25 hours of my life driving to and from New Orleans and have had zero contact with the sports world. (the passport agency is the least efficient thing in the world...)

so i have not seen the grey's or the office finales. i did not see the conclusions of any of the nba series. i didn't even find out about r-fed's match up with nadal in the hamburg final until five minutes ago. that being said, after i catch up on sleep (only 6 hours in the last 60) i will have a much more in-depth post later today addressing the following:

(1) first weekend of mlb interleague play: Various notes and a brief discussion of Chipper Jones' claim that it is unfair.
(2) nba playoff thoughts: did LeBron prove himself? was the Suns-Spurs series the championship? are the Pistons a dynasty?
(3) UEFA championship wrap-up
(4) ...and of course, Fed v. Rafa (part II). Can Roger end the longest winning streak ever on a single surface? And what are the implications of this match for the French Open (if any)?

go roger,
m. riley.

Initial reaction to the end of the Spurs-Suns series, just frustration. I mean what series do I really want to watch now. The Spurs were the perfect villain with their cheap shot tactics of Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry. But wow, they are good, very good. That's why they're such a great villain. You can't really hate a team that's mediocre. People hated the Cowboys in the mid 90s, the Yankees back in the day, and now the Patriots. I can't take away what Tim Duncan did in this series. Riles, remember the time Adam posed the question about which player I would take to start my franchise and I flipped out saying why isn't Duncan on this list. Do I have to say anymore? He set a record for most blocks in a playoff game and nearly recorded a triple double. He was UNSTOPPABLE this series. But the thing was, so was Amare and for the most part Nash. I'm not gonna get into THE hip check in game 4 that completely unraveled the series and cost the NBA revenue (btw you wanna talk about Lebron raking in money, this series would have trumped anything he could have done). This was basketball that was played with a grittiness that people from the Eastern conference can appreciate but also had a good dose of helter skelter Nellie ball. I mean look at the final score, 114-106. With the Spurs, defense is always emphasized yet the final score was a Suns type of game. And now with this series over, Cavs vs. Pistons? Pleeease. I wouldn't pay to watch Lebron phone in the 2 to next 5 games, even though its the Eastern Conference Finals. Lebron better drop triple doubles every single game to get me to watch. He IS the franchise player of the Cavs but I guess by default. All Mike Brown does during crunch time is say to his team, "alright clear out to isolate Lebron on the wing so he run into the paint like a running back and put something up" but forgetting that with Detroit, they actually play defense unlike anyone Lebron's faced these playoffs. The thing is Jazz-Spurs series is rather anti-climatic after the Suns-Spurs, but I think its a dark horse in terms of watchability. The Jazz have always been an effective half court team but showed in the previous series they can run up and down the court with the best of 'em. Not to mention, the Jazz have the most momentum in these playoffs and match up for the most part player to player with the Spurs. I'm not going to break down each match up but I have to say the maturation of Carlos Boozer as the most unknown superstar could come full circle if he stands up to Tim Duncan. I think these games at least have the potential to go into the upper 90s. There's no way I'm wasting my time watching Lebron vs. the Detroit Pistons. Tell me when he drops 50-15-and 12. Then we'll start talking about your NBA cash cow.

This ain't a game -- it's a blog

Welcome to banter -- we talkin' bout banter. steve and my blog to discuss all things sport. Or should we say steve's place to respond to my "ridiculous" assertions such as roger federer is the greatest athlete in sports right now. (that one should be good enough to get steve blogging immediately).

...and so it begins.