Memoirs of a Knicks and Giants fan...

Okay, so I've had a pretty privileged life as a sports fan. In my lifetime, I've seen the Yankees win five World Series, I've seen North Carolina win two National Championships, and I've seen the Giants win a Super Bowl (even though they won two, I only remember the one). And yet I still feel like I've felt as much heartache as any other sports fan in the world. I don't think I could be persuaded otherwise either.

I remember reading an excerpt from Bill Simmons' The Book of Basketball that really helped justify my theory about the sports fan heartache I had endured. I'd like to give you the actual quote, but I couldn't find it amidst the 700-plus pages in his book. (By the way, just on a side note, did anyone see on ESPN's SportsNation when they tried to see if the book could stop a bullet and it did??? You'd think that would be uncanny, but trust me, just pick up the book; the thing is a brick). But anyways, the quote talked about how losing was agonizing for a sports fan, but losing after you had tasted winning was 10-trillion times more agonizing. And its so true. I know what losing is like. For example: I was a Giants fan during the years of 1993 - 2006. I was also a Knicks fan since the day I was born. I've also tried to be good at pool. (Ask anyone that has ever played with me. They've never seen anyone worse. I would lose to a blind man. Unless he scratched on the eight ball). So I know what it's like to just never win...ever. It becomes almost comical at times. You always expect the worst, and nine times out of ten, the worst always happens. But you learn to brace yourself for it. Even if its as bad as this. Okay, even I wasn't prepared for that. (Damn you, Reggie Miller. Ps. I decided today that Kevin Durant is the Second Coming to be of Reggie Miller. He will be awesome. He will never win an MVP award. He will never win an NBA Championship. And this my friends is my "bold prediction that will likely not come true" of this article). But even through all the hardships as a Knicks and Giants fan from '93-06, no loss has hit me harder than the 2001 World Series loss for the New York Yankees. Not because I like the Yankees more than the Knicks or Giants. Not because the way it ended was so heartbreaking (the Reggie highlight was equally as heartbreaking), but because it was so unexpected and felt so unnatural and surreal. The Yankees weren't supposed to lose.

I didn't even know what losing was as a Yankee fan. The Yankees won every time. Winning wasn't a luxury, it was a necessity. Anything short of a championship was a failure. And even if the Diamondbacks might have had more talent and, in Luis Gonzalez's case, more steroids (Ya I said it. No one can carry a broken bat ball off Rivera into the outfield), the Yankees should have won that game. Rivera should have come through like he had every time before that. It just didn't make sense. This inning left me more heartache as a sports fan than I ever expect to go through. And I know every true Yankee fan feels the same way.

With all this being said, its come to the point where I'd like to at least have the chance at some heartache in the future for the Knicks and Giants. Which would involve the Knicks and Giants actually being a legitimate franchise once again. The Yankees can't carry the load forever. Although I hope they carry part of it for the rest of eternity. The Giants gave me a recent championship, and Plaxico Burress gave me immediate heartache. But if its possible, the Giants have literally wasted no time becoming a team I expect bad things to happen to. Namely: losing, lack of playoff appearances, and no championships in sight. I went to the game on Sunday. The last game in Giants stadium. Playoff hopes were still alive. The fans were asking for one big win against a 6-8 Panthers team to send the stadium off right. And the Giants put up the worst, most un-inspirational performance I think I've ever seen out of them. And I saw the likes of Kerry Collins, Danny Kanell, Kent Graham and Dave Brown at the helm. I know, you're thinking, "Who are half those guys? He's gotta be making them up". And the once-removed Super Bowl champions put up a more un-inspirational performance than any of them ever did! How is that possible??? Someone please, tell me.

I think what I'm trying to say is. I'm tired of being uninspired by the Knicks and Giants. I went to the Knicks game tonight. They lost to the Nets. Excuse me, they got dominated by the Nets. For those of you that have been living in a cave for the last two months, the 2009 Nets might be the worst team of all-time. They set the record for most losses to start a season (18), and before tonight, were on pace to break the 1973 76ers record worst mark of 9-73 for a season. They still might do it. That's how bad they are. The team got a standing ovation after the game. Who gets a standing ovation for beating a 12-19 team?? The Nets do, because it was their third win in 32 games this year. Remember the "t-shirt toss" during timeouts at games? The Nets had a "burrito toss" during the first timeout of the game. (By the way, that was the most entertaining timeout experience of my life, but nonetheless...). The Nets are a struggling franchise people! And the Knicks lost to them.

Look at that picture of Lebron celebrating his birthday with teammates minutes before the game tonight. Which was then followed by the Cavs beating an elite team (the Hawks) for the second night in a row. I want my team to be able to joke around and have fun. Instead, I watched Jared Jeffries and David Lee bitch to the refs all game, and Al Harrington watch every shot outside of 3-feet he took, clank off the rim. (Of course he took 19 shots anyways). The only person having fun was Nate Robinson at half time. He juggled the ball around like it was a soccer ball and warmed up shooting lefty, knowing he wouldn't see the light of day on the court. The team is laughable. Reggie Miller could still dag us if he played. And I'm not convinced he can even run anymore.

The Knicks are so bad that I've been looking forward to the 2010-11 season for three years now. The Knicks have the potential to sign three of the biggest stars in the NBA. Could they possibly screw this up??? Yes, of course they can, they're the Knicks. Please Donnie Walsh, make the right moves. Jackie Moon understood that Ed Monix was a little more valuable than the team washing machine. And they really needed that washing machine!! We might have to give up some potential future big guns (Gallinari, Hill - did I really just say Hill could be a big gun?), but were talking Lebron James and Dwyane Wade in their prime! That opportunity will never come around again. Never.

And as for the Giants. Here's a list of things it would be really nice of you to do (for Giants fans that is):

1. Fire Bill Sheridan! Don't even think twice.

2. Fire Kevin Gilbride! He's not the worst offensive coordinator in the world, but he might be close to it.

3. Please revamp the defense. We have plenty of wide receivers. If Kenny Phillips gets hurt again, we can't turn to C.C. Brown, and it would be nice to have linebackers that have some impact on the plays.

4. Fire Bill Sheridan!

Lebron, I sure hope you wished New York would give you some reason to come play there before you blew out those candles.

Image taken from espn.com

The Right Call...

Last Sunday, Bill Belichick took a chance on his quarterback. While most would say chance is generally 50/50, with Tom Brady at quarterback, I'd say chance is more like 90/10. When a coach has that much faith in his quarterback, he's willing to do the unorthodox, expecting to be praised as a genius, rather than scorned as a goat. But even when chance is 90/10, there's still that chance everything won't work out. For Belichick and the Patriots on Sunday, it didn't work out.

Now the media can say what it wants about the call. They can dub it the worst call of Belichick's career if that'll make their story that much better. But the fact of the matter is, who wouldn't have had faith in that offense in that situation? And who wouldn't have wanted to keep the ball out of Peyton Manning's hands? The game was over if they get that first down. And ya know what? I'm pretty convinced Kevin Faulk got that first down. Yeah, he bobbled it, but only for a split second. If you look at it from both angles you can see he gained control as his left foot first hit the ground. At that time Faulk and the ball were still across the 30 yard line. The referee marked the spot just ahead of where he landed on the ground, short of the 30 yard line. The more and more I look at it, the more and more it is clear Faulk got the first down. Where the Patriots lost the game was when they had to use a time out on the first play of the drive without even breaking the huddle. That cost them the chance to challenge the play, which ultimately may have cost them the game.

But you cannot fault Belichick for making that play call. Manning had just picked the Patriots defense apart on a 79-yard TD drive in a minute 45 seconds. Odds are, he would have done the same if the Pats kicked the ball away. He's done it all year. The Patriots were in a position to win. Belichick saw this. He knew they could end it. Had it not been for a bad spot they would have ended it. The call defined Belichick, though. I loved it. I bet if he had the chance to do it again, he would. And probably 9 times out of 10 (90/10), the Patriots get that first down. Heck, they got it Sunday night. But hey, it's a chance Belichick was willing to take that didn't work out.

Don't be surprised next time if it does.

So what did we learn about the NFL this week?

1. The Patriots are better than the Colts. The Pats had Manning confused all game. When's the last time an offense with Manning at quarterback punted the ball six times in the first half? Unless you're talking about Eli Manning, which this probably happened to last week, the answer is likely never. The only reason the Colts won this game was because the Pats handed it to them on a platter. The Pats led by 17 on two occasions and never really seemed flustered. I took the Pats to win last week and in a postseason battle, I'd take them to win again.

2. The Colts are no different than they have been in the past. Although, throughout the regular season they may look like the best team in the NFL, let's be honest, come playoff time, almost any AFC team is a threat to beat them. With a weak defense, do we really think this team can win it all? I certainly don't.

3. The NFC East is still bipolar. The Eagles beat the Giants by a kajillion points. Dallas beat the Eagles. The Giants beat the Chargers for 59 minutes and 30 seconds two weeks ago. So you figure, the Eagles should beat the Chargers right? No, they got shelacked (made it closer than it was at the end). The Cowboys lost to the Packers, who just came off a loss to 0-7 Tampa Bay. The Giants didn't lose for the first time in five weeks, because they, thankfully, had a bye. And the Redskins, that's right the Redskins, took down the 6-2 Denver Broncos. What will next week bring for the NFC East? No one knows.

4. Fantasy owners regret taking Maurice Jones-Drew. His knee gave me the W this week though, so you don't see me complaining. And it made the Jets lose. This guy is the man!

5. Denver is going to blow it to San Diego...againnnnnn. In their crucial match-up this week, expect Phillip Rivers to be a d-bag if the Chargers win, and LT to complain and fight with people after the game if they lose.

6. Cincinnati has done it again. They made it through the tough part of their schedule at 7-2. Still to come: Raiders, Browns, Lions, Chiefs, Jets. You got this Cincy. I still believe. Every viewer of Hard Knocks still believes. No let downs. And don't let Larry Johnson play.

7. Who's better at being wildly inconsistent: the Texans or the Jaguars? It's really just a toss up, but I'm gonna take the Texans. I would compare them to Dip n' Dots. Dip n' Dots has been the ice cream of the future since it came into existence. At what point will the future become the present, and we'll actually prefer Dip n' Dots over all other forms of ice cream? At what point will the Texans go from being that team on the cusp of being an elite contender in the AFC, and actually become an elite contender in the AFC? I'm gonna say never for both cases.

8. Vince Young > Kerry Collins. For those of you that listen to my radio show, I've been saying all year: Vince Young should be the starter. And what do you know: Titans w/ Collins: 0-6, Titans w/o Collins: 3-0. I should be the owner of this franchise. At least I wouldn't flip off opposing fans.

9. There's a 99% chance Al Davis will call a play that entails a Raider going long this week against the Bengals. And there's a 90% chance Davis will make the executive decision to put JaMarcus Russell back in when he realizes Gradkowski can't throw as far. I wonder how Russell's inability to play quarterback will factor into Davis' draft choice next season. Will he draft a new quarterback that can't throw quite as far as Russell, or will he find a guy at wide receiver with a faster 40 time than Heyward-Bey (4.30)? I'd personally go for the quarterback. Russell over- and under-throws receivers by 20 yards. He would have to find a college standout that could run a 1.6 if they're gonna track down those balls. The lesson to be learned: Don't draft a quarterback no one has heard of until after his bowl game, especially when he's on a team everyone knows. If he's #1 pick quality and plays for LSU, we should know about him before the Sugar Bowl.

Just a thought.

Image taken from Yahoo! Sports

Predicting the Unpredictable...

So, this NFL season is no different than the others. Like always, the first two weeks have left some fans scratching their heads, others prematurely crowning their team Super Bowl champs, and many already worried their team is about to collapse. Yes, everything about the NFL is in order.

But what will Week 3 bring? Honestly, I have no idea. But I like to think that I do. So how about I try and predict the unpredictable?

Okay here goes:

Pittsburgh 10 - Cincinnati 17

My first pick, and it's already my upset pick of the week. The Bengals should be 2-0, and it infuriates me that they're not. Polamalu won't be looming in the secondary, which leaves Chad Ochocinco a chance to make Pittsburgh's D "kiss the baby" in a game to remember. Week 3 will leave Steelers' fans worried, and Bengals' fans thinking playoffs. I think Hard Knocks clouded my ability to properly assess the Bengals chances.

Washington 23 - Detroit 14

Let's hope this game is as thrilling as last week's Skins/Rams game was. This is the most boring a game outside the NFC West can get. Calvin Johnson and Clinton Portis fantasy owners are the ONLY people that care about this game.

Green Bay 35 - St. Louis 6

Aaron Rodgers has to have a breakout game this week, right? He's going to single-handedly lead my, to this point, embarrassing fantasy team to a win this week. Right? Please? I hope so.

San Francisco 20 - Minnesota 24

Great game. The Niners are my pick to win the NFC West, but they're not my pick to win this game.

Atlanta 20 - New England 17

Patriots' fans need a win, but they're not going to get it. Brady still seems uncomfortable in the pocket, their defense looks suspect, and Welker and Moss are nursing injuries. Rainy game. Turner and Gonzalez are the difference.

Tennessee 13 - New York Jets 16

I really had trouble picking this game. I think the Jets are for real though. Their defense is really buying into Rex Ryan's system and it's still early in the season. That scares me a little. The Titans will continue to fall from grace against the Titans of old in the Meadowlands.

Kansas City 10 - Philadelphia 20

Can you imagine if Michael Vick throws for 150 yards and a TD and runs for 75 yards and a TD? How funny would that be? Donovan McNabb better pray Vick has a rough outing.

New York Giants 30 - Tampa Bay 13

I love seeing the Giants play in warm weather. Expect the running game to get going now that the Giants have established a passing game, and look for Eli to have a nice game statistically. Kenny Phillips, you will be missed.

Cleveland 10 - Baltimore 26

The Ravens could be the best team in the AFC. And it's not even because of their defense. Go figure. The Browns, on the other hand, may be the worst team in AFC.

Jacksonville 13 - Houston 19

Jacksonville is pretty bad. I'm not even sure why. Steve Slaton, where are you? I still like Houston to go 9-7. Expect one of the 9 to come today.

Chicago 20 - Seattle 13

I can't bet on Seneca Wallace. I like the guy. But I can't bet on him. I could definitely see myself being wrong with this pick.

New Orleans 38 - Buffalo 27

I feel like everyone's picking the Bills in this one. Everyone but me. I love the Saints. There's just nothing not to like about them. Fun game to watch.

Denver 13 - Oakland 10

Oakland found a way to win with only 166 total yards of offense against Kansas City who had 409 total yards. Denver found a way to start the year 2-0. Both cases are miracles. Oakland won 13-10 last week. I think they'll lose 13-10 this week. Even though they're better than Denver.

Miami 21 - San Diego 24

Miami held the ball for over 45 minutes and still lost to the Colts on Monday night. It's not even that Miami is bad. They're actually a pretty good team. Tough schedule so far for them though. It seems last year's Cinderella might be doomed to drop to 0-3. They'll definitely put up a good fight though.

Indianapolis 23 - Arizona 17

I'm looking forward to this game. I might even wait for it to end before I watch Entourage. That's saying something. Intriguing match-up.

Carolina 17 - Dallas 24

You gotta figure Carolina is due for a win. I'm not counting them out. Jerry Jones needs this one though. I think the Cowboys understand that. The Giants rained on Jones' grand opening last week. I don't think Carolina is going to do the same. Look for Felix Jones to run wild.

Well, there you have it. The unpredictable, predicted right here.

Now if I could just pick the right starting lineup for fantasy. I lost by 0.4 points last week! Come onnnnnnnn!

If only Marion Barber tripped 5 yards earlier.

Image taken from Yahoo! Sports

Fantasy Draft Diaries...

Aside from my birthday, the best thing about August might just be fantasy football. That's right. It's draft season. And if you're a guy from age 16 to 59, odds are you know what I'm talking about.

Now let me introduce you to the greatest fantasy league, I've ever come to know.

Trung Candidate's Weekend BBQ features a core of 10 fantasy managers that together make up the stereotypical, yet ideal fantasy league.

First let me shine some light on the group, so you can truly get a feel for the war room on draft day.

I'm Vinnie Massuci (Vinnie Massuci) -
As the league's rookie, I'm Vinnie Massuci is getting his first taste of arguably the most competitive fantasy league in the country. And when I say competitive, I mean it. We've got a trophy. And pride on the line. So much pride. Massuci brought a new element to our draft we've never seen before, and I think the rest of us were a little shook by it. He took backups before taking all of his starters. Supposedly he likes to make trades, so he takes as many good players from each position off the board as he can. He's a darkhorse right now. It will be interesting to see how he fairs when he comes to light.

KDUBS ALL STARS (K Dub) -
K Dubs crew is good for a solid 5th-7th finish every year. He always finishes around .500 (sometimes just above, sometimes just below), and he always sneaks into the playoffs. A team that deserves respect.

Hoodrat Things (PL) -
PL is always good for one thing: An interesting, yet often offensive team name. There's also no way of telling how his team will do, and that's just the fact of the matter.

The Aura of Elitism (Toph) -
Toph knows just as much about football as the next guy, and should seemingly be a contender every year. But he never is. He once road Billy Volek to the championship, only to lose 162.70 - 43.94! Now I'm not trying to pat myself on the back, but there's a 100% chance I may have been the team he lost to. Even that year Toph was still 5-8. His problem: he takes guys he likes. And the guys he likes refuse to be fantasy football studs. I think he's learned his lesson though.

Milwaukee Beers (Comerato) -
The man is an excellent fantasy football player. He does quality research, knows his football, and plays to win. When you see a player is having a great day and you want to pick him up, he's the guy who's already taken him. Comerato's never been a champion in the league, but he's always near the top.

Chicken Dinner (Millaa) -
Millaa's the guy who never shows up to the draft. And because our league is so unique, and picks so uncharacteristically of any league, the computer always autopicks a solid team for Millaa. This year, Millaa made the draft. The league isn't mad about it.

2 Mannings 1 Cup (Smooth Jota) -
J boasts the league's title for consistency. No matter what, J's team will always be terrible. There's really nothing he can do about it. The only question: will he go 0-13 this year? I'll let you decide.

Child Please (ZR, Zermanatrix, Zerm Germ, Ruby Tuesday's, the self-proclaimed "Movie Maven", and many more I cannot name) -
To sum up ZR -- he brought a printout of the entire Yahoo! Sports player ranking list with notes on it last year. This year he couldn't be present, but as always his presence was felt. He's just a great asset to the league. He knows his stuff and he works hard each year to win. And yet, everyone roots against him. He catches some tough breaks too. For example: After boasting about Tom Brady for days last year, Brady tore his ACL in the first quarter of the season. The irony -- ZR had a famous ACL tear back in high school. Only ZR could juke like Ladanian at the time. ZR is usually competitive. He's won the league once. And he likely expects to win it again this year.

ESPN85 TheOchoCinco (MC) -
How original is that name? It's awesome. MC is a two-time champion. He's good for two things: 1. A horrible start, followed by an amazing turnaround. And 2. An astronomically boring team. If you're wondering why none of the Redskins are on waivers, it's because Mike has them all. Jason Campbell, Santana Moss, Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley -- seriously, all of them. David Garrard, Jamal Lewis, Kevin Walter...boringggg. And yet he wins titles. What's his secret? Not even the Dalai Lama knows. The guy was 1-5 last year and won 9 games in a row to finish. How does a fantasy team make that turnaround? Not from waivers with Comerato in the league, that's for sure. This year if he wins, we'll all know why at least. The guy did more mock drafts than Mel Kiper, Jr.

ChicksDigLongKicks (Myself) -
After careful deliberation, I finally decided to name my team, ChicksDigLongKicks, over my close second choice, One Man Wolfpack. Even though I'm a two-time champion, I'm known for jumping the gun on positions that shouldn't be even fathomed in the first 10 rounds of a draft. I'm talking about kickers and defenses. My 6th round pick of Neil Rackers two years ago was an embarrassment to the sport, and I'm pretty sure a curse has been brought down upon me ever since. I'm notoriously known for being the guy that takes the kicker 8 rounds too early. No one even jumps into panic mode and takes kickers when I pull this stunt. Why? Because their kickers, and they all know I'm an idiot. Hence, ChicksDigLongKicks. It's a nice play on words and it's a tribute to my love of early kicker selections.

Now let's get started.

I chose to wear the Michael Vick Falcons jersey to the draft. Perhaps it was too soon, but it symbolized a fresh start, which my franchise was looking for after two years under the curse. Plus it was either that or Burress. I couldn't do that to my team. Not yet at least.

Now even though I mock MC for all his mock drafts, I did a few of my own. And from these mocks I came to the conclusion that the best picks to have are 4, 6, 7 & 9. There's a good chance 8 is a good pick as well, but everytime I entered a mock, it put me in 7 or 9, regardless of how many times I picked 8. Anyways, the worst picks have got to be 1 & 2.

As soon as I entered the war room, my friends informed me I had pick #2. I was immediately shook. I hid that from my friends by cursing.

I spent the next 40 minutes contemplating whether or not I should take Michael Turner or Ladanian Tomlinson. It's a good thing I showed up 39 minutes early. With one second left on the draft clock, I selected Turner. I remember instantly feeling like Ron Burgundy, as I thought to myself, "I immediately regret this decision". I hope Turner doesn't turn out to be as bad a choice as milk was for Ron. Today, however, I'm pretty comfortable with my selection. I'm looking forward to Burner Turner work-horsing his way to hopefully ridiculous stats.

Oh, by the way, Adrian Peterson went #1 overall. But you didn't even have to read this to know that was the case.

J did have the #1 pick though. So half of us were inclined to at least check to see if J had selected the Adrian Peterson on the Bears by mistake. He didn't. Would've made my pick easier.

After my pick, I had 20 minutes to wait for my next selection. Ah, the #2 pick. Sweet! I have a player that might barely be any better than the rest of the first rounders, and I get to watch 16 players I want get taken before my next pick.

The only upside, I get to observe the war room. After all, there's no need to queue the players I want. They're all going to be taken anyway.

So J sits down on the couch (his couch, since he kindly hosts the draft each year), and in doing so, knocks over PL's soda -- spilling it on the couch.

PL: What the f**k dawg?
J: What the f**k dawg?! What the f**k are you doing putting a soda on my couch?!"

Nothing like some good draft entertainment to lighten the tension.

While this was going on, ZR, who was joining us through Skype (he could hear us, but could only type to MC), was providing his own unintentional entertainment/ridiculousness through the draft chat box.

He felt the urge to say "child please" a lot in honor of his team name. It wasn't as funny coming from him though. After all, he had never heard Chad Ochocinco even say it. It wasn't even his team name idea. Toph and PL gave it to him. His original name was Team Burress. Come on, at least get creative with it.

But back to the draft...

Drew Brees went 4th, Peyton Manning 8th -- our league loves quarterbacks. Especially me. This sparked an onslaught of quarterbacks to be taken. Brady, Rivers, Rodgers (my pick), McNabb. The rest of the guys are in shock it's round 2 and they already know they'll be starting Matt Cassell and Matt Schaub this year. You just can't replicate our draft strategies with a mock. No one drafts like our league. No one.

I decide to stack up my running back threat in round 3, since I always get knocked for having the worst running back tandem, ever. Steve Slaton me. I'm hoping for big things out of him.

It's not like me to have two running backs and a quarterback at this stage. Not to mention the fact I have to wait 16 picks for my next selection.

I feel vulnerable.

In round 4, Terrell Owens goes a few picks before me. That was my last hope at a skeptical #1 WR. It's WR, WR for me now or bust. Roy Williams and Chad Ochocinco. Remind me again why I didn't take Jason Witten? He's practically the #1 WR on Dallas. Chad, I better be right about you. I'm expecting big things.

Four picks later, Toph takes Witten, and within 15 seconds, Gates, Gonzalez and Clark are off the board. Looks like were riding Greg Olsen to the ship! Until Millaa takes him 2 rounds later before me. Oh well.

In round 6, KDub prematurely picks a defense. And since I'm the #2 pick, I'm forced to take Pittsburgh prematurely in the same round. I needed to be ahead of the curb at some positions. Let's hope this doesn't backfire like selecting the Chargers defense in the 6th round did last year. Man, what was I thinking? I know, I have a problem.

Before round 6 closes, someone jokingly says that it's about time somebody takes a kicker. Literally everyone's eyes turn to look at me.

I get it I have a problem!

In the next few rounds I snagged Bernard Berrian (my sleeper WR), Owen Daniels (just get in the end zone, please!), Larry Johnson (I hope last year was a fluke), and Domenik Hixon (cause I would be the guy to take a Giants WR).

Onto Round 11. We're now approaching sleeper-time. It's time for everyone to take what they believe to be the potential outbreak stars.

I take Matt Hasselback. ZR takes Joseph Addai.

MC: "Zach just gave himself a booyah for selecting Addai".
We all respond with an uproar of laughter and clapping at ZR's embarassing celebration.
ZR: "Stop laughing and clapping".

He never fails to disappoint.

Round 12. It's kicker time. A time I am very unfamiliar with, since I would have had Bironas or Rackers six or seven rounds ago. I take Jason Elam. I love the wind conditions in a dome.

At the turn of rounds 12 and 13, J selects Jamal Lewis and Michael Vick. That has to be the worst turn combo pick...ever. J even gave himself a celebratory clap for his pick of Vick. We all took a vote. It was unanimous. Vick was a stupid pick. And we wonder why J has the worst team every year.

I got some laughs from my comment that I would've taken Vick as a joke in the last round, maybe. Points for me.

After recovering from the laughter associated with J's pick, I took Kevin Curtis. Ehh. Not much to say about that.

I finished it off with Jeremy Shockey and Arizona's defense. Shockey I like. Arizona -- there was literally no one left at that point. So I figured, why not?

ZR finished strongly, selecting Saints kicker Garrett Hartley with his last pick. MC immediately informed him that Hartley had been suspended 8 games for testing positive for an illegal substance.

ZR: "F**k!"

I love fantasy football.

As for my team. It's not my usual eclectic crew (notoriously known as a "Bob team"). But hey, I think I kinda like it.

If you don't, then child please!

Images taken from Yahoo! Sports

Almost Perfect...

The PGA Championship doesn't start for another two weeks. But last Saturday, three buddies of mine and I, played a little tour championship of our own.

The stakes? A round of beers. Hardly the multi-million dollar purse the pros will be playing for in two weeks. But there was pride on the line as well. And the underlying theme of the match? Well, it was eerily similar to the three Majors we've seen thus far in 2009.

The matchup:
#1 Gervino & #4 Talbot vs. #2 Pascarelli & #3 Peo (rankings are subject to argument)

Lowest combined team strokes takes the match. Gervino & Talbot start the match five strokes back.

Gervino is the only player with true golf experience. In fact, three years ago, he was a handicap of just over 1. Since losing touch with the game at college, he's fallen back a step, but he was easily the best player of our group, and worthy of a 5-stroke penalty.

Player comparisons:

For Gervino, Tiger Woods seems the most fitting. But he's a lefty, so we'll go with Phil Mickelson.

Pascarelli is the John Daly of the foursome. The man can power the ball down the fairway and throw a few beers back in the process.

Peo addresses the ball like Tony Batista at home plate, knowing full well his shot will fade 60 yards to the right on his drives. He's the Jasper Parnevick of the group, although the rest of the guys will tell you the shorter distance the slice gives his drive makes him look more like Annika Sorenstam.

Myself? Well, I'm the Sergio Garcia of the group. I take too many practice swings, think too long about my shots, and shoot too many shots over par.

Here are the highlights:

1st Hole
My whole life I've been fighting a psychological battle with the opening tee shot. And much like the Yankees versus the Red Sox this season, I've lost every time. But even with that fact looming and all the pressure of the match hanging over my head, I still felt confident I was going to blast my first shot.

And I actually did. I crushed the ball with a nice draw towards the center of the downhill fairway on the short Par 4. I was thinking birdie. Until I realized I should be thinking bird's nest. This stupid tree on the right side had the longest branches looming over the right edge of the fairway. My ball didn't draw fast enough, and my 250 yard drive looked to be doomed, catching the last edge of the branches and leaves. But you figure a smash like that would still go another 60 yards, right? Nope. Those must have been some thick leaves, cause my ball went straight down into the wood chips. 250 yards to 80 in a moment. This is my golf game.

2nd Hole
After taking an early one stroke lead on the first, Tiger and I had a great opportunity to capitalize even more on the second. Tiger was on the green in one on the short par 3. I was in a small bunker to the right of the green. Parnevick duffed his drive. And Daly was hiking in the woods. Now I'm all for taking lessons from superior players. It's great for your game. But never take lessons in the middle of a round. Doing something right on your first try rarely happens on the golf course. Gervino explained to me that I should aim an inch behind the ball, and swing through the sand as hard as I could. I swung as hard as I could alright. But I came through the ball cleanly, and hit it 70 yards over the green into the woods. Right over Pascerelli actually.

I never recovered. Gervino and I found ourselves in the water on the next hole, and would spend the next 10 holes convincing ourselves that the next one would start our heroic comeback.

14th Hole
With only five holes remaining, Gervino and I had dug ourselves into a 12-stroke deficit. At this point, I was mentally "shook", convinced there was no way I would ever hit a good shot the rest of the way.

But Peo found his ball at the edge of a pond, somehow floating on the water (there had to be mud and muck under it). So we convinced him to hit the ball out of the water - a free stroke of course. The ball went four feet into the pond, Peo almost went with it, and came up with nothing but a face full of mud. Mud he wasn't aware was on his face. Mud we weren't about to tell him was there.

He then proceeded to reach his hand into the murky water and pulled out nine golf balls. I kid you not. Nine golf balls. From less than a square foot of the pond. There must have been thousands in there. He was never able to recover from the fiasco down by the water's edge. After his free drop, he hit the ball straight into the same pond. Joe and I took two strokes on the hole, now down 10 with four to play.

15th Hole
Peo continued to fall apart, and Gervino and I jumped all over the opportunity to mount a comeback. Pascarelli and Peo began arguing. Meanwhile, Gervino and I put together a nice string of shots, taking back seven strokes from the deficit. Three down, three to go.

17th Hole
After cutting their lead down to just one, we came to the par 3 17th. Peo struggled, Pascarelli overdrove the green, Gervino put one on the fringe, and I landed mine on the green. A few putts later, and Gervino and I had completed the greatest comeback in golf history! We haven't confirmed that with any golf historians yet, but I'm 85% confident it was. Overcoming a 12-stroke deficit in four holes? Unheard of.

What a story this was.

We were now on par with Kenny Perry winning the Master's at 46, Phil Mickelson winning the U.S. Open against all adversity for his wife, and Tom Watson winning the British Open at 59. If only any of these stories had actually come to fruition on the 18th hole.

18th Hole
You really have to see this hole to understand it, but I'll do my best to explain it. The hole's roughly 360 yards. The fairway extends 150 yards dead straight, before the last 210 yards dogleg to the left. There's a way to cut the fairway, putting you within 100 yards of the flagstick, but there's one problem. There's a huge tree right where the fairway doglegs left. There's a gap to the left of the tree, maybe 40 yards long. But if you miss left, you're in the heavy woods.

Since Gervino and I were in the lead, we decided to play conservative. After all, all we needed to do was match Pascarelli and Peo shot for shot. And that didn't seem like a difficult task at the time. Gervino took the safe route, but crushed his iron past the fairway and into the woods. Peo aimed for the difficult route, but naturally sliced his ball into the woods past the fairway, 40 yards behind Gervino. Pascarelli took a chance on the woods and hit the shot of his life - a 250+ yard smash between the giant tree and the woods, leaving him about 100 yards from the pin. Then I stepped up with a 4-iron (perhaps too lengthy, but the only club I trusted), and drilled the ball down the center of the conservative route. The club was too lengthy, indeed. I hit it over the fairway, into the deep woods.

Gervino punched out, Peo punched out, Pascarelli waited, and I prepared my shot. My ball was resting on dirt so hard I was practically hitting off a countertop. I had a clear opening to the hole though. Here goes nothing. For all the marbles, or free rounds of beer and pride I guess. I hit the ball hard enough, but not straight enough. The ball went flying right into a tree, that propelled it off another tree, and another tree, until it landed ten feet behind me, deeper in the woods.

I believe my exact words were, "What the f****************ck." Common golf etiquette at it's best.

I then gained my composure, convincing myself that Peo was playing so bad right now I could still beat him. Took a nine iron (smart golfers would know otherwise). Took another hack at the ball. And watched as my ball sailed straight up into the tree 20 feet in front of me. I heard it hit bark six times. It must have been going back and forth between trees. It finally came down, hitting the tree 20 feet in front of me, only to bounce back into the woods ahead of me.

That my friends, is collapsing under pressure. Gervino and I lost three strokes on the hole, losing our bet by two overall.

I felt like Kenny Perry, Phil Mickelson and Tom Watson all at once. To do the improbable, and feel like you've already won, only to lose it all on the last hole.

To quote Tom Watson:
"It would have been a hell of a story."

Images taken from espn.com, usopen.com & masters.com

Draft Diary...

The other night, I was privileged enough to attend my first live NBA Draft. Taking a Bill Simmons approach to the experience, I decided to document my thoughts. I'm gonna keep it under 17,000 words though.

Here goes.

4:47 pm - All aboard the train to New York Penn Station. Air-conditioned -- beautiful. I was worried I'd be sweating to death in my Dockers and button-down. I had been advised to dress nice, against my wishes, in case my girlfriend's aunt could take us into some VIP action.

5:15 pm - I realize I'm holding the smallest notebook in the world. Keeping it under 17,000 words shouldn't be a problem.

5:16 pm - I realize I brought a notebook to the NBA Draft. Not exactly one of my "cooler" moments.

6:01 pm - Sat down to a lovely dinner at Nick & Stef's Steakhouse outside the garden. Filet - quite good. Caesar salad - average. Saw ESPN's very own, Chris Broussard in a private room interviewing somebody. It bothers me I have no idea who it was. It was here, I also learned from a drunk woman that she thought Michael Jackson might be dead. I thought she was two apple martinis past her limit, but it sadly turned out she was right.

6:37 pm - I see Anthony Mason signing autographs outside the stadium. This is going to be a pretty cool night.

6:43 pm - Good ole' Craig Sager walks right by me. He's rocking an outrageous orange suit. The man knows how to stand out in a group of thousands.

6:45 pm - VIP action turns out to be the second to last row on the left side. The side Stuart Scott and the gang were reporting on. The side with the giant cameras capturing Scott and the gang, obstructing my view of the stage.

7:33 pm - Draft time. After David Stern announced that the Clippers had five minutes on the clock I was expecting him to immediately turn around upon entering his door to announce that the Clippers had selected Blake Griffin. I guess the Clippers wanted to wait the full five minutes for dramatic effect.

7:39 pm - "With the first selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select... Blake Griffin". Shocking.

7:40 pm - I notice everyone in the section next to me is leaning over the railing leading to the nearest Exit. Why would they do this? They seem loyal to the Draft. Could the players be coming this way?

7:46 pm - I thought they only had five minutes to make a pick. Hasheem Thabeet. He's even taller in person.

7:47 pm - From this point on, I become increasingly nervous David Stern is going to say Stephen Curry before the Knicks are on the clock.

7:49 pm - Suddenly there's quite a commotion to my left. As I glance over, I see Blake Griffin walking up the aisle towards our back corner. I knew those kids were leaning over the railing for a reason! Fortunately for me, I had an aisle seat right next to the railing. Unfortunately for me, I was still in the second to last row. As Griffin made his way through the exit trail below us, I took a quick picture of the security guards in front of him and reached as far as I could over the railing for a high five. Let's start the DAP count. I was on the left, at the highest point above the walkway to the exit, but I was thinking, "Ya know, I'm 6'2. I could pull this off." Sadly for me, the players exit out the right door into the hallway. So the guy before me was basically the last DAP recipient before the players avoid the people on the left (me), DAP the last guy on the right (the guy across from me), and make way to the interview rooms for the next two hours. DAP count: 0.

7:52 pm - Anyone but Curry. Anyone but Curry. James Harden. Yes!!! I don't think Oklahoma City could have picked anyone better from the perspective of a Knicks fan.

7:53 pm - Did I just admit I was a Knicks fan?

7:57 pm - Please don't be Curry. Please don't be Curry. Tyreke Evans. This might just happen!

7:59 pm - Focused too much on taking a blurry picture of Thabeet. Didn't spend enough time trying to get some DAP from the tall man. He's 7'3". What was I thinking? That may have been my only chance. DAP count: 0.

8:03 pm - The T-Wolves take Ricky Rubio. We're getting so close here.

[Let me take the time to say that I think Ricky Rubio is highly-overrated. He averaged 4 points and 3 assists in the Olympics. Why do stats like that in Europe make you a lottery pick? I will never understand that.]

8:10 pm - As long as the T-Wolves don't take Flynn or Curry, I'm satisfied. And why would they? They already have a point guard and they need size. Their starting power forward last season was an undrafted Free Agent out of Providence. Jonny Flynn. You selfish bastards! The Knicks are screwed.

8:15 pm - Agony is about to strike. There's no escaping it. But I can still hope. Stephen Curry. Ah, it sucks to be a Knicks fan again. Talk about sucking the life out of Madison Square Garden.

8:21 pm - Alright. Surprise me with something. Anyone but Jrue Holiday or Jordan Hill. Jordan Hill. That's just not fair. I think it's time I officially put the Hornets ahead of the Knicks as my favorite team. Ehh, I guess I'll wait until the Knicks manage to blow signing anyone significant from the loaded free agent class of 2010.

8:31 pm - Jordan Hill gets a welcome "wish you were Stephen Curry" from our section, as he extends my DAP Count to zero. It's gonna be a rough few years Hill.

I spent the next 30 minutes reflecting on the fact that the Knicks had put me through a miserable season just so, come draft time, they could get a guy like Jordan Hill. Thanks guys.

9:02 pm - Austin Daye goes to the Pistons. At this point I had moseyed my way down a few steps, and was ready to be denied in my quest for DAP once again. Now I wasn't quite sure who Austin Daye was, but I quickly became a fan when my outstretched arms grazed his fingertips as he walked down our aisle. DAP count: 1!

9:02 pm - I realize Austin Daye is probably the last player at the draft, and that my DAP count may very well be over already.

9:19 pm - Oh man. Here we go again. The T-Wolves. Why don't you go for another point guard guys? Ty Lawson is still available. Ty Lawson. Now that's just ridiculous. This is sabotage.

9:45 pm - Darren Collison gets drafted by my future favorite team, the Hornets. And he's here! Easy DAP.

9:55 pm - Now that I have my prime DAP spot, I easily get a solid high five from Collison. It's amazing how good it feels to get DAPped by a player you're not even that big a fan of. DAP count: 2. Hey, I wonder when the players will be returning from their interviews to go see their families again? Maybe they'll come back this way?

10:00 pm - Three minutes after I left my DAP spot to have a seat, Hasheem Thabeet comes right past my spot, returning from an interview. Talk about bad timing. He gave the only kid there an emphatic high-five. That could've been my DAP.

10:01 pm - I'm ready to wait here all night for some DAP.

10:02 pm - Okay, maybe just until my train.

10:04 pm - Rodrigue Beaubois DAP. I'm just as unsure as you are.

10:15 pm - The Knicks have made a trade. Come on Curry, Flynn, heck I'll take Rubio. Quentin Richardson for Darko Milicic. This has to be a nightmare. Wasn't he the guy that helped Lebron off the stage and helped Carmelo onto the stage a few years ago at the draft? It's only fitting he's a Knick on this night.

10:17 pm - At this point, my DAP count officially begins. Starting with Tyreke Evans.

10:17 pm - After giving up cash considerations to the Lakers, the Knicks were ready to make their second pick of the first round. I was expecting them to trade it away for the rights to Ronaldo Balkman after everything else they had screwed up on this lovely evening. But they took Toney Douglas. Not bad. Not bad. Could've been worse.

10:22 pm - Jonny Flynn DAP.

10:26 pm - Ricky Rubio.

10:28 pm - Jrue Holiday.

10:30 pm - DeMar DeRozan

10:40 pm - The #1 pick himself, Blake Griffin, walks through the door. As he walks down the aisle he gives me a look that says, "Yeah, I'm gonna give you some DAP". We both knew exactly what was up. Griffin emphatically slapped my hand, accepted my congratulations, and I'm assuming at that point knew, it was time to embark on his NBA career.

10:45 pm - I might as well stick around five more minutes for Curry, since my train isn't until 11:12. Why not?

10:48 pm - The doors open, and out comes Curry. The should've been New York Knick himself. Curry DAPs me. I ask if there was any chance he could take a quick picture with me. He tells me he can't and that he's sorry. I accept his apology, and with that, my first NBA Draft experience comes to a close.

10:51 pm - One last look at the stage as I walk towards the exit. DAP count: 10.

Maybe next year New York.

Image taken from espn.com

The Taste of Redemption...

Last night, for the second time this year, Kobe Bryant tasted a glass of redemption. And judging by the smile the size of Texas on his face, it tasted pretty good.

Roughly one year ago, a dejected Kobe Bryant walked off the court at the Staples Center, in arguably the toughest loss of his career, as it rained green and white all around him. But there was no time to sulk. It was on to Olympic training. There were less than two months for Team USA to make its final preparations for the Olympics, and the clock was ticking. Even after the tragic loss, Bryant didn't miss a beat. In fact, his work ethic impressed 11 of the greatest players in the NBA. By late August, he and his teammates were the Redeem Team.

There was no time for Bryant to rest at that point in time either. The NBA season was starting in two months. 82 Regular season games. 23 playoff games. One more feeling of redemption. And Kobe can finally rest.

Last night, the Lakers left no doubt in the eyes of NBA fans -- it was clear LA was the best team in basketball. In a battle of the last two heavyweights standing, Orlando fired its last punch at the start of Game 5, jumping out to an early 15-6 lead. But Los Angeles weathered the storm, chipping away at the lead in the first, before unleashing an onslaught of punches in the second, which would ultimately lead to the final knockout blow that sent the Magic to the locker room with their heads down.

It was pretty obvious from the second quarter on that the Lakers would have an answer for everything the Magic could throw at them. No one could deny the Lakers. No one could deny Bryant.

It took Bryant quite some time to realize the secret to success. It must have been hard to imagine for him that as the best player in the NBA for all these years, the key to success wasn't him making all the shots. It was him making the right decisions. The right reads, the right shots, the right passes. His coach and teammates made him realize that. And that's when redemption became a reality.

Bryant couldn't have won his first three titles by himself. He didn't. And he definitely didn't win his fourth title by himself either.

Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, and Trevor Ariza were HUGE in this series.

Gasol shot 60% from the field, averaging over 18 points and 9 rebounds per game. He also drew fouls on Dwight Howard on both the offensive and defensive end. He showed the toughness and strength he lacked in last year's Finals, vindicating all the hard work and time he spent improving his physicality throughout the year.

Derek Fisher hit two of the most clutch shots in NBA Finals history in Game 4, destroying any confidence Orlando had, and closing the door on any hopes of a championship for Orlando as well. He played solid defense throughout the series, and was always there to deliver a dagger on offense.

Lamar Odom proved to be the perfect match for Rashard Lewis. He saw a lot of time off the bench, and made the most out of every minute. He played confident, made huge plays, and hit big-time shots the entire series. Orlando had no answer for him.

Trevor Ariza was probably the most valuable player in my eyes. His defense was phenomenal. His energy, unmatched. It didn't seem like anyone on the Magic wanted it as much as this kid. He out-hustled everyone, shot lights out from three, and made so many big plays in big moments. I also believe he sparked the turning point in Game 5 for the Lakers.

With the game still close in the second quarter, Ariza and Hedo Turkoglu got into an altercation before a timeout. After the break, I watched their matchup to see how they would react to the fight. Right off the bat Turkoglu went at Ariza, but Ariza's defense picked up tremendously. He forced Turkoglu to take an off-balance shot, then came down and hit two threes on the next few possessions. Turkoglu would continue to try and one-up Ariza, but failed everytime, because of Ariza's great defense. Before I knew it, the Lakers had gone on a 16-0 run, and they never looked back. The Lakers can thank Ariza for that. I truly believe it's one of the main reasons the series isn't going back to LA right now.

With the victory, the Lakers added to their legacy of excellence, winning their 15th title in franchise history. Phil Jackson separated himself from the great Red Auerbach, winning his 10th career title -- a feat unmatched in any of the four major sports. He has to be considered the greatest basketball coach of all-time. He won't admit it. But it's an unbelieveable, and unparalleled accomplishment. The numbers don't lie.

Speaking of numbers, Bryant now has 4 NBA titles, 1 without Shaq (had to mention it), and ties O'Neal, Duncan, and Fisher for the most among active players. Bryant's legacy rivals the best in the history of the sport, but I don't think it's fair to compare him to his Airness, Michael Jordan. In eight years, Jordan went 6-6 in the Finals, and did things that can only make us dream to be "Like Mike". Bryant will forever be one of the best players in my eyes, though. I never thought he needed to prove his legacy on his own, but it's nice that he did. I don't think anyone could help but feel happy for Kobe last night. The joy on his face showed every ounce of effort he put into reaching this accomplishment. He truly deserved it.

As for the Magic, they truly didn't deserve it. They blew golden opportunities, showed inexperience and flaws throughout the series, and seemed overmatched from the get-go. There's definitely a lot the Magic can improve on, which is pretty scary if you think about it. Howard has so much potential. Nelson can be so good when healthy. They have a lot of young players with a lot of growing to do. This can be the team to beat for years to come with a lot of effort. They just have to stay together and really work on improving their flaws.

Only time will tell if the Magic will stay together though. Just a day after the Finals, Turkoglu has already opted out of his contract, and may not be returning next year. Turkoglu was their go-to player in the clutch, and might arguably be their best player. This would be a catastrophic loss for the Magic.

Orlando also has to decide what to do with Rafer Alston. It obviously didn't work having Jameer Nelson and Alston split minutes. It was a poor decision to bring Nelson back at that time, and may be one that will haunt them forever. These two need to be split. You can't have two starting point guards on one team, and expect to keep them happy.

As for now, the only players happy are the ones on the Lakers. And the only question that lies ahead is: If this team sticks together, can the Lakers do it again next year? If history has anything to say about it, they will. Phil Jackson has three 3-Peats to his name. Everytime he goes through a gap of not winning a title, he comes back and wins three in a row.

Hey Kobe. Can you do that without Shaq?

Image taken from espn.com

Let the Festivities Begin...

Now that Vitamin Water's dreams have been crushed by Dwight Howard and the Magic, it's time to accept that the Lakers will not be playing the Cavs in the Finals. Like most of America, I'm disappointed to see Lebron's un-Earthly season go, but hey, he gave us some good times. It's time to appreciate the quality matchup ahead.

The matchups between the Cavs and the Magic, were anything but quality. Rashard Lewis vs. Anderson Varejao? Come on. I think I could write another article on the problems with that matchup alone. Zydrunas Ilgauskas vs. the most athletic center in recent history? Yeah right. Ilgauskas looked like he was running in quick sand. But even unfathomably worse than the matchup choices for Cleveland, was their defensive scheme. Honestly, what was Mike Brown thinking?

Gee, let's double and triple team Dwight Howard all game when his four teammates are unconscious from three. In the first four games the Magic shot 43% from deep. Rashard Lewis shot 58% in that stretch, which literally isn't real. Imagine if Jameer Nelson had been healthy for the series. He shot 45% from behind the arc this year. His replacement, Rafer Alston, shot only 38% for the series. It could've been ugly for the Cavs. Well, uglier I guess.

In the Conference Finals, the Magic demonstrated that their offense was lethal. Possibly even illegal. They hit 17 threes in Game 4. How is Cleveland supposed to compete with that? There was no amount of money David Stern could have paid the refs to help the Cavs win that game, or even that series. Cleveland made no adjustments and no open looks. And it seemed like every time Delonte West or Zydrunas Ilgauskas bricked another shot, the Magic would come right down in transition and bury an open shot to add insult to injury. Nothing was going to stop the Magic from trouncing the inferior Cavs, not even Lebron James.

So now the Magic roll into LA riding high and as confident as ever. And all of a sudden, people are beginning to question whether the Lakers are still the best team left in the postseason, and whether or not they can matchup with a seemingly un-matchable offense.

Defense usually win championships. But offenses usually aren't as good as Orlando's. It's been said that there are teams that live and die by the three. More often than not, those teams die. But Orlando might just be the healthiest three-point shooting team I have ever seen.

Speaking of health, I hear Jameer Nelson is trying to pull a Terrell Owens. After missing 40 regular season games and all of the playoffs with a shoulder injury, Nelson is trying to make a magical (so witty) return for the Finals. Is this a good idea? I really don't think so. I understand he averaged 27 points per game against the Lakers this season, and elevated his game to an all-star level, but he can't expect to return to playoff form after missing all those games. Alston has proven he can carry the load at point, and there's no need to risk causing controversy at this point on such an important stage. It must kill Nelson to watch his team embark on this remarkable run without him, but he needs to understand that it's not the time or place for him to return.

Nelson or not, the Magic will bring an unselfish offense with an onslaught of pure shooters and a powerful force in the paint. The Lakers will counter with a deep and athletic team of their own. They've got the experience now, as well as the best closer in the game. They also have the Zen master himself at coach, Phil Jackson. Don't expect him to double and triple down on Howard. He knows where the true threats on Orlando lie -- 23 feet 9 inches away from the basket. I expect the Lakers to use Gasol and Bynum interchangeably on Howard. This allows them to use the series' key player, Lamar Odom, on Rashard Lewis. Lewis is 6'10" 230, with a strong ability to take defenders off the dribble. Varejao was 6'11" 260, with no mobility whatsoever. Lamar Odom on the other hand, is 6'10" 230, with a strong ability to take defenders off the dribble as well. They're pretty much identical in body type and athleticism. Now that's a matchup. If Odom plays aggresive, and wins the point and rebounding battle with Lewis, there's no way the Lakers should lose. Kobe will be Kobe. I expect Fisher to be clutch as always. And Ariza's size, athleticism, and defensive prowess, should be an extremely valuable asset against the Magic as well.

My Finals Prediction:

Lakers 4-2: All in all, I think the 2-3-2 format for home-court advantage plays in the Lakers favor. I see them stealing one on the road, and protecting home court all the way. Odom will be the difference and Kobe will steal the show.


Unless Odom has a sweet tooth before the games.

Images taken from espn.com

Don't Stop Believing...

Just when things seemed bleak for the Cavs last night, Lebron James took the team on his back, and carried them to victory. He spread the ball around in the first few quarters, got his team involved (except for Wally Szczerbiak, because that seems near impossible), and helped the Cavs mount a big lead early. But the Magic missed the panic button again, and slowly worked their way back to a 1-point halftime deficit.

After a 9-0 run from Orlando to start the third, it didn't look good for the Cavs. But Lebron proved his shoulders could carry the weight of his teammates, the city of Cleveland, his sponsorships, and his salary once again, leading the Cavs back and past the Magic on Thursday night. He had a hand in 32 consecutive points for the Cavs (between points and assists)!! He also had a game high, 37 points, 17 of which came in the fourth. James also added 14 boards and 12 assists to his un-Earthly stat package. Vince Carter was 1/2 man, 1/2 amazing. James might just be all amazing.

With one win in the books, the Cavs still have two more to go to pull off one of the amazing comebacks in NBA Conference Finals history. It's a daunting task for a man who seems all alone in the fourth quarter. Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Daniel Gibson carried their own weight for most of the game, but it was Lebron James, alone, that carried the team in the closing minutes. If Williams and Gibson can keep their shots flowing, and West, Ilgauskas, Wallace and Varejao can continue to play their roles well, the Cavs could pull this thing off. One win in Orlando, that's all they need. Lebron won't let this team lose in front of its home faithful. If Cleveland can pull off the upset over O-town in Game 6 (no I'm not talking about the boy band), the Cavs can, and I think will, take this series.

All we can do is witness and believe.

Image taken from espn.com

Where is the Love?

Like him or not, Kobe Bryant deserves some love. It's not that he isn't "dapped" on a regular basis, it's that he isn't dapped enough. Lebron James is the league's MVP. He's done some spectacular things this postseason. No one, but Skip Bayless, can deny that. But it seems to me that the world's obsession with Lebron James has clouded the greatness that is, Kobe Bryant.

I watched Lebron James' game-winning shot in awe on Friday night, 164 times on Sportscenter. Then I watched it another 200 times the next day. I agree, it was the greatest shot of Lebron's career, and I could've watched it another 200 times. However, the very next night, Kobe Bryant hit clutch shot, after clutch shot, after clutch shot, and then another clutch shot, and received very limited air time on ESPN. Instead, everyone chose to credit the Lakers' win to the boneheaded Nuggets and move on to the next story about Lebron's game-winner two nights before.

Did anybody see Kobe's go ahead three with a minute left? It was a pretty big deal.

The man had 41 points, 40 in Game 1. He's shooting 93% from the line this series. And his team is up 2-1 against a team that's playing unbelievable as of late. Denver had all the momentum, a 16 game winning-streak at home, and a soaring confidence. Yet Kobe and the Lakers still managed to steal home-court advantage back from them.

While it appears Lebron James is playing all alone against the Magic, Kobe hasn't exactly had much help as well. Fisher isn't shooting well. Bynum is nonexistent. Gasol is softer than Charmin Ultra, spending more time complaining than playing. Odom is struggling. Vujacic forgot how to shoot. Meanwhile, Bryant has overcame every obstacle en route to a 2-1 series lead. He's taken the ball-in-hand for every big-time possession, and come through time and time again. He's been battered and beaten by a much stronger Carmelo Anthony, dislocated his finger, and yet still fights through the pain in hopes of a healing swish.

Just because he isn't the MVP this year, doesn't mean Kobe's fallen off from his MVP status of last year. The Lakers are winning, and Kobe is excelling once again. Lebron James may have the most recent game-winner, but Kobe Bryant is still the best closer in the game. Just because it's a trend when Kobe comes through in the clutch, doesn't mean it should be less appreciated.

Lebron's not the only player we need to Witness.

Image taken from espn.com

Unfamiliar Waters...

Just as I predicted, the Nuggets stole one from the Lakers last night. A little more to my surprise, the Magic stole one from the Cavs as well two nights ago. This leaves both Cleveland and Los Angeles in unexpected and unfamiliar waters. Meanwhile, the Magic and Nuggets sit fastened in the driver's seat.

. . .

Kobe and the Lakers ran into the Nuggets at the wrong time. Not so lucky for them, that time is the Western Conference Finals. Denver is confident and fearless. And that's just their small forward. The rest of the team is playing focused and with passion.

Denver turned the tables on the Lakers in Game 2. They made the right decisions late in the game and came up with the big defensive stops when they needed them. Carmelo edged Kobe in points this time, and big-shot Billups stayed true to his name (with mostly big free throws), en route to victory.

The win means the Nuggets possess home-court advantage for the time being. But don't expect the NBA's best road team (Lakers: 29-12) to roll over in Denver. The Lakers are a team of resilience. When they feel they have something to prove, they always seem to perform. See 40- and 19-point victories last series.

Expect another great game, as one of the prematurely proclaimed best series ever continues this weekend in Denver.

. . .

Lebron James sat atop his throne Wednesday night, putting on a show for the ages. Only it was ruined by a shameful performance from the King's royal court. LBJ was an unstoppable force. His jumpshot was en fuego, which meant he could pretty much do whatever he wanted. And he did. He drew double and triple and quadruple and quintuple teams, leaving teammate after teammate after teammate wide open for shots. The team must have been taking shots of whiskey before the game though, because they couldn't get a shot to fall for the life of them. James even playfully criticized Moe Williams at halftime, saying he was missing some of the easiest shots of his life.

Playful criticism quickly turned to disappointment when the Cavs saw their 15-point lead disappear in the third quarter. Rashard Lewis found his stroke, Hedo Turkoglu digested his pregame pizza and decided to join the game, and before you knew it, the Magic were back in it.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, Lebron didn't realize he needed to take every shot before it was too late. And even then, he was forced to give Delonte West the game winning shot, which he could have used to polish off the brick house he assembled all game.

It must have been tough for Cavs players to look Lebron in the eye after he scored 49 points on 67% shooting, and yet no one could muster up one made basket to ease the load on his shoulders. As always, Lebron will be humble and blame no one for the loss, but he deserves to be able to chastise his team for their pathetic play.

It's inexcusable for NBA players to miss that many wide open shots. Especially wide open shots in their comfort zone. Ilgauskas, Williams, and West put on forgettable performances. I think Daniel Gibson should have been given a chance. At least Cavs fans know he can hit big shots in the clutch. Either the Conference Finals are too big for these young stars or the aliens from Moron Mountain must've stolen most of the Cavs "game". It's tough to say for sure.

Lebron's supporting cast needs to show up. Let's face it. Lebron is the chosen one. But he doesn't shoot lights out every game. When he does, even the littlest margin of help wins Cleveland that game, but when he doesn't, he needs his role players to hit the big shots he sets up for them. Lebron may be an unstoppable force, perhaps a greater being, but you can't win championships 1 on 5.

Even Jordan had Bill Wennington.

Image taken from espn.com

Lakers Steal One From Nuggets...

Denver couldn't ask for a better performance out of Carmelo Anthony. As for the other eight guys, Denver cannot say the same. Carmelo had most of ESPN's audience saying "Kobe who?" for much of Tuesday night's game in Los Angeles. But Kobe walked away on top in the end. A trend we see so often with this matchup.

Anthony out-muscled, out-hustled, and out-played the league's second best player (according to Jerry West). "I am a little out of my weight class," said Bryant after the game.

Outplayed or not, Bryant did what he does best in the end -- finishes games. He scored 18 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth, making big shots and clutch free throws in the closing minutes. Melo was just as clutch down the stretch, but his teammates' untimely mistakes, cost the Nuggets the game, and put Anthony's efforts to waste.

With the game on the line, Denver's Kenyon Martin committed two bonehead reach-in fouls, handing the Lakers two points, and guard Anthony Carter turned the ball over on a careless inbound pass to Chauncey Billups in the final seconds.

Denver set the tone of the game early and had the lead late, but let it slip from their fingertips. Anthony single-handedly carried the team. Billups' performance was nothing special. The streaky J.R. Smith couldn't get going. Anthony was forced to handle the scoring (which he did). But it wasn't enough.

The Nuggets also missed 11 first half free throws. Including an uncharacteristic three missed free throws from Billups, who shot 91% on the year.

It's important for Denver to realize that they just may be as good as the Lakers. The Lakers know how to win, but if Denver doesn't mentally lose the game during crunch time, they can definitely win this series.

Let's not take any credit away from the Lakers though. Gasol, Bynum and Odom were dominated by the Denver frontcourt. But the team kept the game close, and made the plays when it mattered. Bryant rose to the challenge of making the big plays down the stretch, and came out victorious once again.

It sure is fun to watch Kobe and Melo battle it out too. Forgot Lebron and Kobe for now. Anthony and Bryant might be even more exciting to watch.

This may shape up to be one of the greatest series of all-time. I know it's early to say, but these teams are just so evenly matched.

Perhaps I'm just being a little Melo-dramatic though.

Image taken from espn.com

Brewing Rivalries...

Well, it's been long enough since I last wrote a post, so here comes one. The topic: NBA playoff basketball. I think it's safe to assume my first and second round predictions would have been perfect, so I'll start at the Conference Finals. The match-ups: In the West, the Laker Gold versus the Gold Diggers. In the East, the King and his court versus a little bit of Magic.

Let's break it down.

How the West will be won:
All season long, the West has been a competition for second place. That's because, like Michael Phelps in a pool at Beijing, the Lakers couldn't be caught. But when Where Amazing Happens came, a surprising team surged -- the Denver Nuggets. A team that, just a year ago, went fishing after an embarrassing 4-0 sweep to the Lakers. But a new year brought a new team. Denver learned that The Answer was the main problem -- cutting Allen Iverson loose in exchange for Chauncey Billups. 60 wins and only 27 losses later, the Nuggets are riding Cloud Nine into the Western Conference Finals. Replacing Allen Iverson with a proven leader and big-time player in the clutch was the solution all along. Imagine that.

Now Denver, 8-2 in the playoffs and undefeated at home, looks like a legitimate contender to take down not only the Lakers, but maybe even the Cavs or Magic. Find a man on this Earth that would have predicted this before the season. It cannot be done.

Denver is even playing defense. They look like the Baltimore Ravens out there. Their Birdman, Chris Anderson, has been putting on a block party on defense and serving up jams on offense. Dhantay Jones has put the locks on all opponents, and even Carmelo is playing hard on the defensive end, leading the team in steals.

A Denver team that's playing defense as well as its playing offense? That's scary.

The Lakers boast the West's best regular season record, but are only 8-4 in the playoffs. They barely escaped a series against the Rockets, and were questioned for their effort. The Rockets didn't have Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady. It shouldn't have gone 7 games. But it did. They were even embarassed in Game 6. This Laker team should never be embarassed. There's just too much talent.

One has to question the attitude of this Laker team. Might they think they're actually above the rest of the league? Maybe. But they shouldn't. They didn't win last year. And there's three great teams that could make that the case again this year.

With all this being said, the Lakers are practically unbeatable when they want to be. But that want will be the question this week versus Denver. Which Laker team will show up? Because Denver isn't too far below the Lakers talent-wise, and any beat the Lakers skip could easily send the Nuggets to the Finals.

The Beast of the East:
As the Magic grinded out a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, Lebron likely relaxed watching in front of his television. The Cavs are 8-0 in the postseason, winning every game by 10 points or more. The highly-talented Magic could be an admirable foe for the Cavs, but their attitude is questionable as well. Until Game 6 versus the Celtics, the Magic were seen as a young team with a lack of desire -- a waste of talent. After Dwight Howard called out coach Stan Van Gundy, the Magic transformed into a team of poise. The question is: Will the Magic stay this way?

It's going to be tough to take down the only team that looks like they're having more fun than the Magic. Lebron James is only getting better and better by the day, and he's only playing about three quarters a game. But the Magic are 2-1 versus the Cavs this year. They match-up particularly well against them. The one loss did, however, come in Cleveland -- a place where the Cavs are 43-2 this season (43-1 with Lebron in the lineup), and a place where 4 of the 7 games will be played in the series. The odds are not in Orlando's favor.

Prediction time:

Lakers 4-3: Toughest pick for sure. I think the Lakers need to steal one on the road after the Nuggets humble them at home, but they'll prevail in Game 7.



Cavaliers 4-1: Lebron has everyone believing, including myself. I don't see this series going past six without Jameer Nelson running the show for the Magic.



Images taken from espn.com & Yahoo! Sports

Coming Soon...

More posts. Back from vacation, it's time to get back to my job -- to blog.

Opening Disappointment...

In front of a crowd of 48,271, on a beautiful day in New York, the Yankees gave their fans exactly what they DIDN'T want. Was it one to remember? Maybe, but in a good way? No chance. After a solid performance from their $161 million investment, the Yankees turned the ball over to their bullpen. At the time, the score was 1-1. It wouldn't be long before that changed though.

As the wall door in left-center field opened, a man in pinstripes emerged. That man, was not Joba Chamberlain. Should it have been? Should our government do something about this economy? Of course. But Hal Steinbrenner thinks Chamberlain should be a starter. He also doesn't seem to think much of the economy either. See $423 billion in the dictionary.

After Phil Coke worked the Yankees out of the sixth inning, Jose Veras came in to start the seventh. He walked the lead-off batter (one of the worst things a pitcher can do), then gave up back-to-back doubles, allowing two runs. Demaso Marte came in to save the day -- for Cleveland. In case they had any doubts about the outcome of the game, Marte surrendered seven runs in a matter of minutes to Cleveland (single, walk, grand slam, home run) . Talk about a buzz kill. If there's ever a way a team wants to open their new stadium, this wasn't it.

As I recall, the Yankees were a playoff team with Chamberlain in the bullpen. Since Steinbrenner forced his move to the starting rotation, the Yankees failed to make the playoffs and have bounced back to a 5-5 record this year. Not the results you want to see as a fan. Chamberlain is 4-3 as a starter in 13 games. As a setup man two years ago, he was 2-0 in 24 innings pitched, with 34 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.38. The man gave up 1 earned run! He was a force to be reckoned with. The Yankees probably won 17 of those 19 games he pitched, I would imagine. Maybe more. When the game got to the 7th or 8th inning, it was over. Fans had peace of mind and could relax and enjoy the end of the game, anticipating a Yankee victory.

With the offseason acquisitions of Burnett and Sabathia, and with Chamberlain starting now, fans are relaxed for the first 6 to 7 innings, and hit panic mode in the last 2 or 3. The Yankees lost one series, thanks to the "attack of the mosquitos" in Cleveland, and Steinbrenner immediately yanked Chamberlain out of the bullpen. They had the winning formula, and Steinbrenner's impatience put it to waste. Remember Rivera and Wetteland? Here's a little reminder from Joe Torre's book:

"[The Yankees] were 70-3 when they led after six innings."

70-3 when they led after six innings! No wonder they won the World Series. They got to play offense for nine innings, while the other team played offense by little league rules (six). The Yankees of two years ago, and even part of last year, had that winning combination. What are the odds another Rivera comes along? Next to nothing! And the Yankees found him. It was Rivera and Wetteland all over again. Chamberlain was the perfect heir to the thrown. Marte and company, are not.

70-3 when leading after the sixth wins champions. The Yankees could have five hall-of-famers in their starting rotation (they might actually), but it's not about how you start, it's about how you finish. I'd take a decent fifth starter if it means that Chamberlain is there to close the door with Rivera.

If Steinbrenner doesn't soon realize he's got the perfect formula for success right under his nose, he may go broke trying to find another way.

At least he's not trying to solve the economy.

Image taken from espn.com

Tyler Hansbrough, a champion? Was there ever any doubt?

141 games, 4360 minutes, 4 years of practice, and a lifetime of dedication left Tyler Hansbrough with a closet full of accolades. He was first team All-ACC 4 times, first team All-American 3 times, and the 2008 Player of the Year. The #1 scorer in ACC history? Yeah, he was that too. But there was one thing he wasn't.

A champion. Or so to speak.

It's hard to imagine he wasn't, because he played like one every night, in every sense of the word. Hansbrough was a man almost every non-Tar Heel fan loved to hate. He put everything he had into every play under any circumstance. And for some reason, he was hated for that. But to Carolina fans, he was beloved by all.

As a sports fan, there's nothing more I could ask for than to see my team win it all. But this year, come tournament time, I found myself thinking, this isn't about Carolina winning, it's about Tyler Hansbrough winning. He deserves this.

Million dollar contract? Nah, not yet. What's a few more years?

At the end of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 season, as a Carolina fan, the only thing on my mind was: Would Tyler stay or would he go?

Hansbrough stayed every time. His determination to win a championship for himself and his school always withstood the temptation of NBA contracts and cars. Could he have left his teammates behind, knowing full well he didn't get them what they deserved? Sure, Greg Oden did it. But Hansbrough? Are you kidding me? You obviously don't know this kid.

1 game, 34 min, everything he had left, no less desire than he played with the first time he put on a Carolina jersey.

Tyler Hansbrough is a champion.

A champion in our hearts with a trophy and a strand of nylon to prove it.

Hansbrough may still be ridiculed. Sure, enjoy it while you can, you'll never be good in the NBA. You're too small, you can't shoot. But when did criticism ever stop Hansbrough? Never. It only fueled his desire to prove everyone wrong.

2872 points. 1219 rebounds. 982 free throws made.

1 champion.

Hansbrough could have shot 0-22 from the field in the national championship, but I doubt one North Carolina fan would question his heart. Sure the Duke fans would get a laugh. But tell me they wouldn't take Hansbrough in a second.

Hansbrough put his blood, sweat, and tears (literally) into all 142 games of his memorable career at North Carolina.

Rather than thank him for bringing a championship home to North Carolina fans like myself, I think a congratulations is in order instead. We all knew you were a champion Tyler. We're just glad you got the hardware to prove it to yourself.

Something tells me he's got more to prove.

Image taken from Yahoo! Sports