MLB Weekly Rundown

Weeks 6 & 7 May 11-24

To be fair I guess I have to talk about the Yankees as the biggest story of the last two weeks in Baseball. I have it in writing twice on this blog, and I am going to stand by it, that the Yankees will not make the playoffs in 2009. The last two weeks the Yankees have done their best to prove me wrong.

Back in the Week 5 rundown I said the Yankees were the underachievers of the week. At the time NY was entering a big series with the Blue Jay and were under .500. Since then they Yankees rattled off 11 out of 13 which includes a 10 game winning streak. A big reason for the streak has been the starting pitching. C.C. is finally pitching like the ace he is paid to be and Phil Hughes has also looked good in his last three starts. While I usually will talk about pitching as the reason for a winning streak, the Yankees have been on fire mostly because of one man who is not a pitcher. That man is of course none other than the highest paid player in the game Alex Rodriguez.

I know every Yankee hater on the planet is going to tell us how A-Rod is a cheater and if the Yankees win its flawed, but I tell those people to stop being cry babies. Since his return from the DL all A-Rod has done is hit. In just 53 ABs since coming back Alex has hit 7 HRs and driven in 13 runs.

What Alex does best, however, is make the Yankees lineup deeper. If you look at the Yankees lineup on the day before A-Rod came back they had Matsui hitting 4th followed by Cano, Swisher, Melky, Pena and Molina. If you look at the Yankees lineup the very next day when A-Rod came back, Alex was cleanup and Cano was hitting 7th. Having A-Rod in the lineup allows everyone else to move down a spot and Cano hit 7th which provides a major RBI threat at the bottom of the lineup. Since Alex's return the Yankees have been red hot and Mark Teixeria has been hitting like an animal.

Looking forward the Yankees need to improve their bullpen dramatically to compete all season. The starting rotation also needs some work if Wang is not going to be himself. The last two weeks the Yankees have been a juggernaut and are the story, but I am still going to stand by them missing the playoffs.

Some awards from weeks 6 & 7

Overachiever- San Diego Padres. The Padres come into week 8 winning 9 games in a row and have played themselves back to .500. Looking at this lineup it amazes me how anyone pitches to Adrian Gonzalez and with Brian Giles hitting 3rd this team is not a .500 team.

Underachiever- Chicago Cubs. At the start of week 8 they were 21-21 and with the talent level they have that is not acceptable. Yes I know they have been destroyed by injuries to Zambrano Harden and Ramirez, but it appears they are better than a .500 team. I am not sure if they are getting a little old and their time is passed or they are just playing bad, but Lou better do something fast before the Cards and Brewers pull away.

NL Player of the Week- David Wright. This might be a biased pick because Raul Ibanez had a monster week, but David has picked up the slack for the Mets ever since Carlos Delgado went down. David hit .466 over the last 2 weeks, drove in 12 and stole 5 bases. I think he been more important to the Mets than Ibanez was to the Phillies...call me biased if you want!

AL Player of the Week- Mark Teixeria. Mark has been the biggest beneficiary of A-Rods return and he has helped carry the Yankee offense. He hit .411 with 6 HRs, 17 RBIs and 10 Rs. Your on the Mark Teixeria.

10 Thoughts

• I am glad I didn't talk about the Blue Jays because they are officially back to Earth
• I am all for booing players when they didn't produce, but the Sox fans booing Papi is kind of unfair
• Boy was I wrong about Gary Sheffield
• I think it is stupid that players like Jake Peavy have no trade clauses, but can waive them if they want
• Is Zack Greinke really this good
• Chris Davis is on pace to shatter the strikeout record...He is on pace for 244 Ks
• Carl Crawford is 30 for 30 in Stolen Bases this year
• At what point are the Indians going to break up the team and start over
• The Orioles have some nice young talent and could be competing very soon
• The day I wrote about Ryan Zimmerman streak it ended

TOP 10
1. Dodgers
2. Red Sox
3. Yankees
4. Cardinals
5. Brewers
6. Mets
7. Phillies
8. Tigers
9. Blue Jays
10. Reds

Game 1

Now that both conference finals have played a game, it is time to look back on both game 1s. It felt so good to watch and really get into NBA playoff games again. Being a Knick fan, I was used to year after year going on an emotional roller coaster in May and if I was lucky enough June, but with the Knicks being the new Clippers I haven't had that in a while. At the end of the day I don't care as much as if the Knicks were playing, but I desperately want to see Kobe v Lebron in the Finals.

Each series began with a bang, and while there is not much that can be judged from 1 game here are a few thoughts.

Lakers v Nuggets
The Lakers came out with no energy and fell behind by a lot quickly. That did not stop them from storming back and taking the lead at the half. The main reason for this was the coaching of Phil Jackson. Phil showed why he is one of the greatest coaches of all time by being patient. Most coaches would have been calling timeouts, making substitutions too quick or not enough and getting technicals, but Jackson remained calm ran his normal rotations and showed confidence in his team. Even when the Lakers went down 7 in the 4th quarter, Jackson let his bench play and did not rush the starters back in.

On the other side of the court, the Nuggets had no answer for Kobe Bryant down the stretch. They rotated Billups, Smith and Anthony on him but there was no stopping Kobe. With that being said there were a lot of positives out of Denver. They showed that when Kobe was guarding Chauncey, Carmello was unstopable and when Kobe was guarding Carmello Chauncey became the go to guy. Denver has to exploit Trevor Ariza and let Carmello get started early. When the Lakers switch Kobe to Mello, I don't see a player on the Lakers who can slow down Billups.

Denver also showed how soft the Lakers bigs are on defense. Carmello was allowed to do whatever he wanted once he got to the hoop because Andrew Bynum looked like he was afraid of K-Mart and Nene. If I were George Karl I would tell my team to attack the hoop every play and make Gasol, Bynum and Odom play tough on defense.

With that being said the Lakers are incredibly deep. When there second unit is on the floor they seem not to miss a beat. If one player is not playing well there are so many other options to help keep the team a float while the starters get a rest.

Carmello finally showed why he is considered a top 10 player, but Kobe showed why he is the best in the game. There was no stopping Bryant in the 4th and I just don't see a way Denver is going to stop him all series. Kobe is going to be difference maker and the Lakers will be playing in the Finals.


Cavaliers v Magic
It is amazing what 1 game can do. All I heard from the media leading up to game 1 was how the Cavs were going to roll over the Magic and easily get to the Finals. After last night, all I am hearing is talk about Lebron not being able to get it done. Are people really this stupid? Can we only judge on a what have you done for me lately attitude? The truth is the Magic are a very good team and the Cavs will not be able to roll over them like they did to the Pistons and Hawks. On the flip side Cleveland is not a team that is going to run the table to the Finals, but they are still the better team in this series.

There is no excuse for what happened to the Cavs in game 1. After losing only 1 real game at home in the regular season, the Cavs jumped out to a huge lead in the first half. After Mo Williams 75 foot shot at the end of the half, I thought for sure this game was over. Lebron was absolutely on fire for most of the game, but what I did not like was how much he settled for the jumper. Lebron needs to go right at the hoop and draw fouls on Dwight or kick to an open shooter in the corner. Lebron was not missing the jumper, so he decided to keep shooting it. I really cannot question his decision because he scored 49 for the game. The only questions I have for the MVP is why he only took 5 shots in the 4th quarter and why he looked to pass first on the game winner.

With that being said someone else on the Cavs needs to step up and show they want to win a title. Mo Williams scored 17 on the game, but this guy is one of the most overrated players in the game. Delonte West, who to me is better than Mo, disappeared in the 2nd half and so did Big Z. If this team wants to a win a title someone is going to have to help Lebron and not rely on him to score as well as find the open man on every play.

On the other side of the court, Orlando played one of the most impressive games you will ever see. Coming off an emotional game 7 win in Boston, Orlando was not picked to do much in this series and went down big early. Stan Van Gundy deserves all the credit in the world, because he did not allow his team to quit and TNT kept showing him telling them to chip away. That is exactly what the Magic did as Rashard Lewis caught fire in the 2nd half. This win was one of the most impressive things I have seen a team do in the NBA in a long time.

The Cavs are still the favorite in the series and I would not be shocked if they won big in game 2. The Magic did prove that they are not going to be the Cavs doormat and believe they can win the series. I will be rooting for the Cavs because I want to see Kobe v Lebron, but the Magic are going to make this more of a series than people thought.

Overall the conference finals are off to a great start. Both these series should be great as every game will be exciting. At the end of the day it is going to be the best two in the game meeting in the Finals, but sit back and enjoy two great series.

Sami v. G: Conference Finals Preview

In lieu of doing our normal preview for the Conference Finals, G and I got into a debate over the playoffs, the draft lottery, Lebron v. Kobe, and all things New York Knicks. We didn’t intend for this to take the place of our normal writing, but at the end of our text argument, I decided this was better than anything we could have trolled up if we had sat down and written it on our own. The following takes place between 11:30 am and 5:00 pm on May 19, 2009. It’s a wonder we haven’t been fired yet.

S: Draft lottery tonight, pray to the Gods that we may rise to the top 4.
S: “And with the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the New York Knicks select.. Hasheem Thabeet, University of Connecticut.”

G: Keep dreaming dude. With the 8th overall pick the Knicks select…Baby Dell Curry. Yo would you move this pick if it meant moving Eddy or JJ [Jared Jeffries]?

S: Noooo, move the pick with Nate or Lee to move to top 3, or keep the pick and trade Nate to Golden State maybe so we can pick 7 and 8…need this pick though. Lee and Nate have less than 40 days left on the team.

G: Yea but let’s say its Curry and the pick for an expiring next summer, and a first rounder next year.

S: Dude, no team would ever do that, that is a terrible terrible trade. We’re more likely to sign D Wade for the league minimum.

G: Haha, yeah I mean I’m assuming Nate would be involved too.

S: That’s so much salary a team would be taking on, and theoretically the future pick we’d receive wouldn’t be a lottery pick…[Eddy] Curry is untradeable.

G: Yeah I guess. Wishful thinking. JJ and/or Curry gotta go.

S: Nobody in this economy is willing to take on 21 million on someone who can’t even play [Curry is due 21 million over the next two years]. Better shot at dumping JJ because of the smaller contract, but still not without a small miracle.

G: I hate the knicks. We are doomed.

S: Nah, we’re not, tonight is big and so is draft day…faith in the Godfather…Il Padrino will take care of us.

G: Lol, yea sure. 8TH pick tonight.

S: That’s ok, but if we spin Lee and Nate into another draft pick and dump JJ…we’re in very good shape. We’re not gonna get 2 big time free agents in 2010 so we need to move on from that, we don’t need that though either. Between King, the draft picks and a very good Mid-Level Exception, we’ll be good enough to compete for a title.

G: Yeah, and if it’s not King?

S: Then we don’t win title so it doesn’t matter…without King or some combo of the rest of the top 10, nobody has a chance.

G: Well than no titles for us.

S: This way of thinking has to go, if you don’t think we’re getting Him, there’s no point in being a Knicks fan. We have nothing else to root for.

G: lol well welcome to G’s sports life.

S: Believing he won’t come is tantamount to rooting against them.

G: It’s realistic dude. I want him here but it’s not gonna happen.

S: It’s 50-50 at worst man, I’ve had enough of this bull$@%! With everyone. This is all we have, there are no other alternatives.

G: I mean we do have other alternatives. Like letting Curry and JJ expire and build through the draft and free agents.

S: That’s cute, but you’re not going to beat this guy. And that would require like 3 or 4 more years of losing, nobody is going to put up with that.

G: Yeah, well its better than getting a mediocre free agent. And I love how you think he’s unbeatable. If they don’t win this year, will you drop this?

S: No, because Kobe still has a chance, a chance, and only because he has the team that he has…

G: You really think he’s on the level of Jordan, or better because apparently he doesn’t have the pieces Michael did.

S: When did I say he was better than Jordan? He’s in that stratosphere though, not too far off.

G: Well you said he’s unbeatable. You said you’re not gonna beat this guy. And yeah he might be in Jordan’s stratosphere, but not yet bro. He’s gotta win a title before I say anything.

S: You don’t think he’s gonna win this year?

G: I think he can but there is a chance they lose to the Lakers. Lakers beat them twice this year.

S: C’mon we both know how little that means. Lakers have to get there first too, I don’t care what you say the Nuggets have a legitimate shot at beating them.

G: The Nuggets have less chance of beating them than the Magic do the Cavs. The Magic are so much better than the Nuggets and the Cavs may not be better than the Lakers.

S: God, your knowledge of basketball, or lack thereof, is embarrassing. First off, even if you believe those things they have nothing to do with each other, because it matters buch more how one team matches up with another. Also, on what grounds do you say “the magic are so much better than the nuggets?” Chauncey was in the top 5 in MVP voting and Carmelo is one of those most dangers players in the game. Not to mention Houston just gavea blueprint on how to beat the Lakers by being physical, and the Nuggets are one of the most physical teams in the league.

G: And don’t tell me about matchups because the Magic have Dwight’s mismatch over the Cavs big men. The Magic are a lot better than people give credit. They won a Game 7 in Boston.

S: They shouldn’t have gone 7 with Boston if they’re as good as you say. They blew multiple double digit leads, including at home for Game 4. And you’re wrong about Dwight, his offensive game hasn’t developed to that point yet. Boston was able to handle him for the most part with Perkins and Big Baby Davis.

G: Yeah, the Nuggets are physical inside but the only reason that series with the Rockets went 7 was because Artest and Battier did a good enough job on Kobe where they didn’t have to double him every play. Dahntay Jones will not be able to do that to Kobe. And the Celtics shut down Dwights points but he makes players better because he is there and his offensive rebounds are going to go up even more this series.

S: Why are they going to go up even more? Perkins and Davis aren’t as good as Ilgauskus, Wallace, Varejao, and Hickson. The physicality of Denver hurts the guys around Kobe, the trick to beating the Lakers has nothing to do with stopping Kobe. It has to do with crushing his teammates….see 2005-2007 Lakers.

G: I don’t know if those guys can rebound as well although Lebron is going to help with that. And I disagree. Pau is a good enough player where if he has a one-on-one matchup he is usually going to win it. If you don’t have to double Kobe it allows for help on Pau. Watch the Spike Lee thing. It gives good insight to exactly how a Kobe or Lebron makes everyone so much better.

S: I understand how they make the guys around them better, and that’s long been why I thought Lebron is better than Kobe, but there’s more to it than that. The actual chemistry and toughness of the Cavs helps make them better than the Lakers. Look at when Delonte West and Mo Williams had that bad couple of games in the first round. The Cavs still won every game by 20, because Lebron’s teammates are better, Lebron is a much better passer, and he makes even those guys deep on the bench competitive. Kobe & Co. just lost two games to a Rockets team without Yao. Daryl Morey tweeted this morning about it saying, we just went 2-2 with our $25 million on the floor vs. their $75 million.

G: Yeah but that is because the Lakers were playing the Rockets who matchup well with anyone because of how good their defenders are. You can talk all you want about the Hawks but there isn’t a player on that team that plays defense. The Cavs have yet to see a real team. They have looked so much better than they are because they have played two cupcake teams.

S: I think once you bully Pau and Odom out of the game, the Lakers can’t win. And until I see them stop any point guard, I’m not buying that they can stop Chauncey. The best thing they have going for them is homecourt, not because LA is so tough to play in, but because they wouldn’t be able to win multiple games in Denver. With Cleveland or Orlando, that series goes 5 games tops.

G: The Rockets are coached well and play the game right. That Hawks team is all about jump shooting and one-on-one matchups. I know you’re going to say the Yao-less Rockets are so much worse than the Hawks. And if you think the Cavs win in 5 tops than we should crown this guy the best player that ever lived because Jordan didn’t even do that.

S: The Rockets didn’t have a single marquee player and they won by double digits twice! They play good defense but not that good, the Lakers are soft and Denver will exploit that. Still my gut says Lakers in 7 and Cavs in 5. And Jordan did do that. What are you talking about? He trounced everyone in 91 and in 96.

G: Well I’m saying Cavs and Lakers both in 6. And you’re saying Bron might run the table to the Finals, that’s never been done.

S: I didn’t say that once. By the way, don ‘t write a preview, I’m going to use this. I’ll type it up tonight, the back and forth, it’s much more interesting.

G: You said Cavs in 5 tops. So that means good chance of 4 which would be running the table. LOL ok I’ll text you my final predictions.

S: I’m sticking with Lakers in 7 and Cavs in 5, I said the Cavs would drop one to the Hawks too, just to be safe.

G: Here is my final statement. It is going to be tough for the Cavs to match the athleticism of Dwight but Lebron is good enough to play big inside and help out with him. If Hedo and Shard can equal Lebron the Magic are going to make it interesting. Cavs in 6. Kobe is too good for anyone on Denver and they are going to spend too much effort trying to stop him and it’s going to open up Pau, Odom, and Fish. If Bynum plays as well as he can the Nuggets don’t stand a chance. Denver needs JR Smith to play a perfect series to play with them. Lakers in 6.

S: Fisher?? Bynum?? Ugh have you been watching these guys ?!!? Bynum isn’t even starting anymore he’s playing so badly. And Fisher is going to have to turn his kid over to Chauncey by the end of the series. And don’t forget that Shard will be covered by King so his numbers are going to go down dramatically. I can’t wait to see how wrong you are.

G: I’m not saying Bynum will. But he played well in Game 7 and he started every game in that series so I’m not sure you’re watching. And Derek has to hit his shots is what I’m saying.

Well that’s it. We both agree that it will be Cavs v. Lakers, the only difference is our beliefs on how good they both are. If you go into the “G v. Sami” archive you can find our argument from last season regarding Kobe v. Lebron. I hope you enjoyed reading our 6 hour text volley. We’ll see you for the Finals.

Live Blogging Magic Celtics Game 7

I'm going to try to do a live blog as the game goes on, I don't know who will be on there to read this but if you're out there comment, and let me know you're there.

Patrick Ewing guaranteed victory earlier today for the Orlando Magic. How can anybody not love this guy?

I can't express enough hate for this Celtics team. Paul Pierce is a freakin' bum. Big Baby Davis actually had a crying episode earlier this year. How can someone be a fan of this team?

These PIzza Hut commercials are absolutely ridiculous. How can someone not know the difference between being in their own house and being at a restaurant? Either they found the most retarded family in the country, or it's the worst marketing gimmick of all time.

You think Big Baby Davis will beat up any children today? I sure hope he does.

I know I think the Magic are the superior team, and they shoulddd win this game, but I have no faith in them taking a Game 7 in Boston. Offensive foul on Ray Allen, bad call.

I know G wrote that article about Chauncey Billups, but who would you rather have Billups or Rondo? It's a tough call, I'd take Rondo because I think he's a better all around ball player, but Billups is definitely the superior scorer.

Look at Big Baby Davis getting the foul and the basket. Good job Dwight, way to play like a dominant big man.

8:15

Superman heard me and responded. Nice dish by Skip, awesome finish by Dwight. Rondo tried to respond with an even better pass, unfortunately for him he has Kendrick Perkins finishing.

Dwight is getting hacked away in the paint. If I'm Doc Rivers I am throwing fouls at Superman all day, why wouldn't you?

J.J. Redick has not done anything to "stop" Ray Allen. Foolish comments by Marv and Reggie, Ray is tired. J.J. does not play defense.

Another monster dunk by Dwight Howard. I get it he can finish with monster strength, but I'd be much more impressed to see him play back to the rim, and use some skill to score.

I don't know who is in charge of WNBA marketing, but NBA fans are not your target audience. Actually, you don't have a target audience. Nobody wants to watch professional women's basketball. No offense, we just don't.

Dwight has been dreaming about the team winning this game. Dwight dreaming about game-winning 3 pointers. I love the guy, but he makes it so hard sometimes. Sick lefty block though.

It's 22-9 Magic with 4:30 left in the first. Reggie says he likes seeing the Magic run right there and chasing the easy basket. You know what the easy basket is? Eating 20 seconds of clock and pounding it to the most dominant big man in the game.

Ray Allen 2/4 with a nice jumper right there. He HAS to make shots for the C's to win tonight. Otherwise we're going to be looking at a watery-eyed KG later.

Hey everyone it's Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine! These two guys deserve a trip to the Conference Finals as much as Lucious Harris deserves a trip to the NBA Finals. Wait, what do you mean that Lucious Harris did go to the NBA Finals? Are we sure?

8:30
Steve Javie calling an inadvertent whistle. Good thing we have these guys doing a Game 7. I hate Simmons' whining about referees, but he has a point, it's getting ridiculous.

"We're playing well down here because we're passing the ball." -Stan Van Gundy...hell of an observation Stan. And somehow Reggie Miller felt the need to follow that up with his own interpretation of Stan's words. How can you tell me with a straight face that I can't do this for a living?

Mikael Pietrus just took a Nate Robinson-esque shot. Thanks to TNT for showing us the play from the far angle of the court. Good work camera crew.

24-15 Magic with a minute left to play. Reggie just said Kendrick Perkins has battled evenly with Dwight. Dwight had 10 offensive boards in game 6, you sure about that Reg?

Scalabrine with the fallaway!! Just how Doc drew it up, I'm sure. 27-17 Magic at the end of the first.

Does Stan know that the game started back up again? Isn't this kind of important to be watching?

HAHAHAHA Yesssssssss. Steph comes in and instantly gives the ball away. The fact that this clown has gotten sympathy from Bill Russell and the media the last few months because of the Knicks debacle is disgusting. I hope he never plays another game after this season.

Hey Doc, here's a hint from me to you. Go small. Trust me, it's the only chance you have at beating this team. And why is Dwight on the floor right now? Does he not come out ever?

Scalabrine just committed one of the worst fouls in the history of Game 7. He should be embarassed. Or shot. One or the other.

G just commented that Rondo is overrated, and is a product of the players around him. Either he didn't watch a minute of Bulls-Celtics, or watching the Knicks for the last 10 years has made him basketball retarded.

8;45
Rajon Rondo's stat-line through this year's playoffs: 17.4 PPG; 10.0 RPG; 9.8 APG; 2.3 STL PG... this is over 13 games coming into tonight. And KG has been out. G=Dumb.

Superman just came out of the game, 6 pts; 7 rbs; 1 blk. Not bad for 15 minutes of work...not superman-like scoring either though.

Gortat with the sick ups to give the Magic a 35-21 lead. Someone is going to overpay this European, very soon.

Good job Rashard Lewis. Way to go at Scalabrine and get the foul call. I think Scal has 4 fouls in 5 minutes.

These Reggie Miller Mailbag commercials are freakin' terrible. I wanna kick him in his overrated head.

I guess Owen Wilson is doing movies again. Nice to see you're doing alright Owen. Also, these Smirnoff Ice commercials, who is buying this stuff? When's the last time you saw someone with a Smirnoff Ice or Mike's Lemonade in their hand? High school, right? I can't think of anybody drinking one since my freshman year in high school at least. Who are they marketing this stuff to? Ugh, I know I can do a better job than these bums.

More coach interpretation by Reggie Miller. "We gotta do this together! Together! Together!"- Doc Rivers. "That's just code words for trust your teammates."- Reggie Miller. I hate Reggie Miller.

When Dwight is in this game, the Celtics just have no chance getting to the boards. I don't think there's really a solution to that.

9:00
Dwight just got his 2nd foul with 3:43 left in the 2nd quarter. There's also 3 on Turkoglu. The Magic have committed 10 turnovers and lead by 6. Ray Allen just decided to take this game over though, and here come the Boston faithful.

Ray Allen is one of those all-time guys you wish you could have had on your team and rooted for. I hate the Celtics, but he's just a good guy and a great shooter. At least I got to watch Othella Harrington, Clarence Weatherspoon, Renaldo Balkman, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson...I can keep going but it just gets more and more depressing.

G doesn't want to argue over comments, but says, "trust me chauncey is so much better. don't be a stat whore." That's one of the most foolish statements ever G. Did you see those stats? There's been games where Ray Allen hasn't even showed up, why do you think this team is still competing? Dwight Howard just got another stupid foul. Really stupid foul. Maybe he's been watching too much Greg Oden.

Lebron James = Angel, Demon, and the Da Vinci Code. He is the Sun and the Moon. He is your happiness and your forgiveness. He is.

The Most Interesting Man in the World on Pick-Up Lines: "There is a time and a place for them. The time is never. I assume you can figure out the place on your own." I love this guy.

Look at Marv adding half a dozen Knicks to Reggie's bullshit "most clutch" list. Atta Boy Marv. Ray Allen just chucked up a dagger, Dwight is on the bench. It's a four point game with a minute left.

That's funny, Paul Pierce IS playing tonight. Hmm, wouldn't have known.

Rafer Alston says It's a Harlem World baby. You're all just living in it.

Great passing, but Paul Pierce got the play started about two seconds too late. Would have been a great play if they got it started on time. 45-38 Magic at the half. Dwight and Hedo have 18 pts combined and 6 fouls to boot. When they are off the floor, the Magic crumble. By the way, Hedo, learn better English. What's your problem? I'm in absolute shock. Why did David Aldridge just accuse him of eating pizza before the game? EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!!!!

I don't get the Kobe/LBJ puppets commercial. If someone could explain that to me I'd really appreciate it. Taking a short break for halftime guys. Post your comments so I can respond.

9:30
Mmm, nothing brings me out of the break and into full excitement like nickelback. Wonderful.

Dwight opened the game and the half with that stupid hook shot. Missed both times, he's clearly throwing it too hard. It's down to a 4-point game, I have serious doubts about Orlando's ability to win this thing.

Clear goaltending violation there by Dwight. Refs didn't call it, crowd has a definite right to gripe. Even Reggie saw it. Gettin a little chippy down there in the paint, I'm not sure who that favors, but my gut says Boston.

Patrick is wearing the world's ugliest suit. It's something out of Joseph and the Amazing Techinicolor Dreamcoat. It seriously has the entire rainbow spectrum on it. Sick shot at shot clock expiry to make it a 5 point game, Rondo answered right back to bring it to 47-44. Good game right now.

This Magic team lives and dies by the three. It makes sense, but I hate that gimmick for the most part. Nice ups by Rondo, went right at Dwight and embarrassed him.

How there's no foul call on Rashard Lewis right there for mugging Rajon Rondo is beyond me. The guy got tackled. Make up your minds on what's a foul guys, and we can move on from there.

Dwight needs a legitimate point guard I think. They should be running that high pick and roll every play. It's unstoppable, except for that Rafer Alston is executing.

Kendrick Perkins just showed why nobody has to be on him. If he was in high school he'd pout and punch a locker, that's how humiliating that block was.

Does anybody actually LIKE Coors Light? What's the point of drinking it? It's tasteless.

9:45

"My range...is pretty much unlimited."- King...if this guy isn't a Knick in 15 months I don't know if I will be able to watch basketball anymore.

Bad shot by Paul Pierce, way to show up for a Game 7...NBA Finals MVP pppppbbbbbbbttttttt.

Dwight's line right now with 3:40 in the 3rd... 12 pts 10 rbs 3 blks, can't say anything bad about that. Would still like some more scoring, but I can't really complain. 62-52 Magic.

Boston's love for Scalabrine is just racist right? This just further proves that they are in fact the most racist city in America, correct?

Ray Allen's release is so sweet I think I just wet myself. High school coaches should just have their players watch videos of this guy all day on an endless loop. Trust me, it'll work.

Rajon Rondo is a 65% free throw shooter. That is piss-poor for a guard. Get in a gym and practice buddy.

The Celtics have gotten to the line 17 times and are losing by 5 at the end of the 3rd. Huge basket for Rondo at the end of the quarter. Here we go, 4th quarter, game 7. This is why we watch.

10:00

I can't wait to see Year One with Michael Cera and Jack Black. One of the very few movies I'm looking forward to this summer. Other than that... well, I guess that's it.

Simmons just tweeted, "My book on the Celtics season this year will be titled, "Foot on the Line: The Guttiest of Title Defenses" How about "Wahh Wahh Wahh: We Can't Stop Crying, and We Haven't Beaten Anyone."

Courtney Lee reppin' the Hilltoppers, much respect. It's Nappy Roots Day.

My God, Dwight just shamed Kendrick Perkins for the umpteenth time. He now has 5 blocks as well as Kendrick Perkins' remaining dignity. 74-61 Magic with 10:30 left in the game. Not lookin' good Beantown.

I don't care what you tell me, Taco Bell will always be delicious.

Marbury missing open 3's doesn't get old. It's like watching an ex-girlfriend fall on her face over and over again. One of those things that you can never stop enjoying.

Dwight just picked up his fourth, Magic are up 16, I'd take him out for a couple minutes if I was SVG. Then again, what do I know.

How is it possible that Dwight Howard is just getting to the line for the first time with 9:30 left in the game? Great coaching job.

Just realized I haven't been subjected to KG's taunts and antics since the first quarter. I hope TNT doesn't short change me and not show him after the loss. I've waited two years to see this guy lose, don't hold out on me Turner.

10:15

Now Dwight Howard has 5 fouls with 8 minutes left. Good job Stan. Who taught you how to coach, Isiah Thomas?

The Magic were last in the Conference Finals in 1996, which reminds me that this team is now 20 years old. It's weird to think that isn't it? The expansion tag can officially be taken off once you hit 20 seasons. Congratulations to the Heat and Magic for making the most out of those years. Timberwolves and Hornets, you are a shame. I won't even discuss the Canadian travesty.

In response to the most recent comment, the Magic are muchhh better with Rashard on the floor. When he and Dwight are both on the floor together with Hedo, it really spreads the defense out. He doesn't shoot the ball enough though, not sure if that's his own problem or Stan Van's.

19 point game with 6:30 left, I think we can start forgetting the Celtics title run from last season.

Reggie Miller just referenced Peanuts, and Marv didn't know what to do. Way to connect guys.

Stephen A. Smith just tweeted that people will be calling for Stan Van's head if the Magic blow this lead because they've lost a lot of leads this season. Thanks for the update Stephen A., I guess that's for the people who follow you but haven't watched or followed a single game of this series.

THERE HE IS! KG looks like he wants to cry!! ANYTHING IS POSSIBLEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Would you rather spend a weekend in Vegas with Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, Shaq, Kobe, or Lebron? I heard recently that Dwight and his friends like to go out to clubs and bars and not drink. Even with all of my love for him aside, I think I'd have to go with Lebron and Shaq coming in a close second. Dwayne Wade wouldn't be bad either. I think I'd turn a weekend in Vegas down with Chris Paul, he just doesn't seem like he knows how to have a good time.

Does anybody remember watching anything from the 2005 NBA Playoffs? I think that's Spurs v. Pistons, aka the worst thing to ever happen to basketball.

12 point game with a little over 4 minutes left. I'd feel at least a little bit nervous if I was an Orlando fan. If you're SVG when do you put Dwight back into the game?

10:30

Apparently the answer is immediately. Huge 3 from Hedo, followed by Kendrick Perkins getting called for the offensive foul. This could be lights out for the C's.

Another basket for Hedo to make it a 17 point game with a little over 3 minutes left. Good night to the former champions!

Some slop from the Celtics coming out of their last timeout. Doesn't look like championship material to me. It feels soooo goooddddd!!

3-Pointer from Rafer to make it a 20 point game, the Magic are just having fun now. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce just came out of the game. PP's statline: 4/13 for 16 pts. Good job MVP.

The end of the game question, "What will be the open market value of Big Baby Davis?" How about 0? I wouldn't spend $20 on that guy.

Shaq predicted a 30-point Magic win, it's a 21 pt game inside the last minute. I am pretty impressed. Good job by Tony Allen, got the steal and the open basket but chose to lay it up instead of dunk it and flash off. A lot of guys would have gotten flashy despite being down by 20 points in an elimination game. I liked that.

Well that's it. Final score 101-82, Magic. Dwight barely played the fourth quarter, too. Very impressive win for Orlando to go into Boston and win a Game 7. Marv just mocked Patrick, I'm going to sleep in a dumpster now. That was devastating to hear. Time to get ready for Cleveland's dismantling of the Magic. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that...

What Have We Learned?

It’s been an educational month of NBA playoffs, that’s for certain. We’ve learned a lot about some of the “superstars” and their teams. Here are a few thoughts I had while watching Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard get into a slap fight like a couple of high school girls.

- The Lakers Still Have No Heart
What is this team’s problem? They play like it’s a pickup game at the rec center, and they have a chance to close out a 2nd round series on the road. They have absolutely no heart. If this team played out to its full potential they would be the best team in the league. They should be going for their second title in a row, but instead they are going to end up falling short in the conference finals. That’s right, if they don’t get their act together they are going to get beat by a hungrier, more determined, and damn good Nuggets team. After last year’s Finals, Kobe said the Celtics were just “hungrier.” I believe that, I have a problem with anyone who says that, but I believe it. How can you be a professional athlete, and have your hunger outmatched? Is that a motivation problem? Should we be looking at Phil? Maybe it’s the fact that they play in a mausoleum? Either way, this team doesn’t deserve to win a title.

- It’s Time for Dwight to Grow Up
I mean this in a couple different ways. First of all, don’t call out your coach. You’re 24 and you’ve never won a meaningful playoff series. Stan Van went to the conference finals and then had a title team taken away from him because of the greed of a slicked-back grease ball. Second, call for the damn ball in the fourth. Don’t cry that the coach didn’t run you enough plays, this is your team so act like it. Also, if you want to be the big man, the franchise guy, you need to become a consistent scorer. It’s time for Dwight to decide if he wants to be Shaq or Robert Parish. Don’t get me wrong, Robert Parish was a great player, but Dwight can be Shaq-like if he gains that offensive game.

- I Wish KG Was Playing.
I hate the Celtics. I really hate them. I can’t stand KG and I think Paul Pierce is one of the most overrated pieces of turd to come out of the garbage era of the NBA (1999-2006). Still, if KG was playing we’d be getting ready for one of the best final fours we’ve ever seen in the NBA. In the west we have a hungry, talented Denver Nuggets team getting ready for the veteran driven and super talented Los Angeles Lakers. And we could have a rematch of one of the better series in the last decade or so between the Celtics and a better Cavaliers team. I think even with KG the Celts wouldn’t be able to beat Cleveland, but it would make for an even more interesting series. I should feel the same way about Cleveland/ Orlando potentially, but I don’t. And I know you don’t either.

- Denver Is Going to Do More Than Just Challenge L.A.
If Kobe & Co. believe that they can scrape by the Rockets and waltz into Denver and do the same thing they are out of their mind. This Nuggets team is really good, regardless of the fact that they finished 10 games behind L.A. I’d argue that if the Nuggets had Chauncey through the off-season and in time for the opener they’d have been a lot closer to the Lakers. The Nuggets have dropped two games through the first two rounds, including an embarrassing thrashing of Chris Paul’s Hornets, and the recent dismantling of Dirk and the Mavericks. There is nobody on the Lakers who can cover Chauncey Billups, unless they move Kobe on him but then Carmelo will run rough all over them. Speaking of Carmelo…

- Really Chuck? The Best Scorer in the Game Today?
After the Game 5 win in Denver, Charles Barkley called Carmelo the best scorer in the game today. He said Lebron was the best player, Kobe was right behind him, and Carmelo was the best pure scorer. I love Carmelo, I’m a huge fan of his game. I think he’s a tremendous athlete and definitely one of the best players in the league. But calling him the best scorer in the league? That’s outlandish…right? When I started thinking about it more and more, I can see where Chuck is coming from. Carmelo doesn’t put up the gaudy numbers that King or Kobe put up, but he doesn’t necessarily need to. It’s never because he can’t, it’s usually because he doesn’t have to. He’s just as capable of dropping 50 on any given night as anyone else. Then I started to think about the other aspects of Melo’s game. His shot is cleaner and better than Lebron’s, from inside and outside the arch. It’s not as good as Kobe’s, but his inside game is better than Kobe’s is at this point. Kobe can’t really go the rack the way he was once able to, and the way Carmelo can now. He gets to the line just as well as anyone in the league, and for the most part he can score at will. So while I would say that if I need 10 points at any given time, I’d probably still go with Kobe, I do see where Chuck is coming from calling Carmelo the best scorer in the game. Good observation Chuck.

- Kobe’s Last Hurrah
It certainly has that feel to it. I don’t think he’ll ever have as good an opportunity as he has this year to win a title. The odometer is rising on him, and the young guys in the league are just getting better and better. What will be interesting to see is whether Kobe will go back to his ball-hogging, shoot first ask questions later mentality, or if he’ll be able to keep his cool and keep his teammates involved when the going gets tough in Game 7 and in the next series against the Nuggets. I’m not a Kobe fan, but part of me would like to see him win one more title. He’s one of the all-time greatest players the league has ever seen, it would be a shame if he was remembered down the line as the guy who was on Shaq’s title teams. Unfortunately, I just don’t see it happening. This Lakers team is going to struggle to keep up with Cleveland, they don’t have the heart and the desire, and I don’t know why.

How Great is Chauncey Billups

Last night the Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks and advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1985. The idea of Denver even winning a series would have seemed ridiculous back in October, but now it is reality and there are even talks about them beating the Lakers or Rockets and heading to the NBA Finals. While I believe the Nuggets have a slim chance to reach the Finals, I cannot ignore the play of Chauncey Billups. Watching Billups in this post-season has made me raise the question--Where does Chauncey rank among the elite PGs in NBA history and is he Hall of Fame worthy?

The play of Billups this post-season has been as good as it gets from the Point Guard position. Looking at the numbers will not do the complete justice for Chauncey, but here are a few to examine. Billups has averaged 37.5 minutes per game and has scored 22.1 and 7.3 assists, but what is most impressive is the assist to turnover ratio of 4.29. To put that into perspective only two times this decade has a player had a higher assist to turnover ratio in the playoffs (played more than one series)-- Jason Kidd in 05-06 at 4.45 and Chris Paul 07-08 6.1. Wait! Wow! What? Chris Paul's assist to turnover was how what last playoffs? WOW!

Moving along though, Billups is protecting the ball and making everyone better like an elite PG is supposed to do. This should not come as a surprise though as this is something Billups has been doing since he turned his career around in Detroit. It is not a coincidence that the Pistons were embarrassed in the first round of the playoffs this year (see http://www.thepineriders.com/2009/04/boo-of-week-429.html) and Billups is on his way to his seventh straight Conference Final.

There is of course more to Chauncey's game than passing and protecting the ball. So far this post-season, and really since his first year in Detroit, Billups has had a knack for scoring when his team needs it the most. If you look at the New Orleans series, for example, Chauncey game right out of the gate and scored 36 and 31 in games 1 and 2. This helped a usually weak imaged Nugget team gain confidence and show that they were not going to be the doormat they have been in years past. As good of a scorer as Carmello Anthony is, I would want the ball in Chauncey's hand with one play to win it.

The last part of Billups' game on the court is the defense. Learning how to play the game from Larry Brown, Billups has that hard nose team defense mentality. Although he did not guard Chris Paul much in the opening round until the 4th quarter, the toughness and physical defense that Chauncey plays rubbed off on the whole Denver team and they slowed down the best PG in the game.

Looking back on a career that has led to 1 NBA title and Finals MVP, 7 straight Conference Finals, 3 All-NBA 2nd/3rd Team selections, 4 All-Star selections & 2 top 10 MVP votings, how can we compare Chauncey Billups to the all time great PGs. Here is a list of some of the all time greats in no particular order and how Chauncey compares:

• Jason Kidd- Kidd is a very unique point guard in the fact he could do things no one else at his position could. Jay Kidd carried two bad teams to back-to-back finals and I think without a big time scorer or a bunch of very good scorers Billups would not be able to do that. Advantage Kidd

• Gary Payton- The Glove was one of the best two way PGs the league has ever seen. Chauncey matches his toughness on defense, but Payton was light years ahead of any point guard I ever seen on that side of the ball. Offensively Payton could put it in with the best of them and distribute just as well. Advantage Payton

• John Stockton- The all-time assist leader is far and away a better passer than Chauncey. Of course he had Karl Malone to dish to, but his assist to turnover ratio is a whole point higher than Chauncey's. Stockton is an all-time legend. Advantage Stockton

• Magic Johnson- HAHHA. Next.

• Kevin Johnson- One of the most underrated players in recent memory, KJ averaged a double double 4 times in his career and came close 3 more times. This is a guy who is a close comparison to Billups, but looking at his scoring numbers, especially in the playoffs, and I have to say KJ wins out. Of course he doesn't have the title that Billups has, but you can chalk that up to Jordan. Advantage Johnson

• Isiah Thomas- As much as I hate the guy, I admire the way Zeke played the game. Isiah could score in the clutch and was the leader of the "Bad Boys" Piston teams. Thomas is the true example of what a PG should be and another all-time great. Advantage Thomas

There are many other great PGs that could be listed such as Nate Archibald, Walt Frazier, Bob Cousy and Oscar Robertson but it is unfair for me to talk about guys I have really never seen play. Judging from the list above, Billups does not qualify as an all-time great and as of right now is probably not going to be a Hall-of-Famer. Chauncey is a very good player and is having a great post-season. If he continues to have years like this we can come back and reexamine, but for now the verdict on Billups is very good but just short of great.

MLB Weekly Rundown

Week 5 May 4-10

Two weeks ago here in New York the majority of Met fans needed to be talked off the ledge. The Mets were playing sub .500 ball and stupid voices were being heard saying "Trade Wright and Reyes" and "Fire Manuel and Minaya." Of course in this town what a difference a week can make. What a week it was though for the Mets. After suffering a tough loss to the Phillies last Saturday(and a rain out on Sunday), the Mets began an important week which would see them play division rivals Braves and Phillies along with a free falling Pirate team.

The Mets responded by playing by far the best Baseball they have played in 2009. Led by great starting pitching and timely hitting, New York went 7-0 on the week and things look like they are finally starting to turn around. By the end of the week the Mets were in 1st place and it looks like they will not be going anywhere for a while.

A big reason why they Mets will be here to stay is the starting pitching. John Maine and Mike Pelfrey look like they are getting into a groove and Livan is doing a great job as the number 5. I feel like I am forgetting someone. O yea--that Santana guy. Johan is the best pitcher in the game by far and there isn't anyone even close to his level. If the staff can turn over a few times over the next few weeks and stay consistent, the Mets will remain hot right into June.

Some awards from week 5:

Overachiever- Kansas City Royals. Come on this one was easy. I think the Royals are actually better this year and will not be a 90 loss team like they are used to, but tied for first in May? This obviously will not last when your 3,4,5 is Tehan Guillen & Butler.

Underachiever- New York Yankees. This team is full of underachievers mainly because 3/4 guys on the infield make $25 million--how do you live up to that? I hate mentioning payroll, but when you pay your team over $200 million for the year they better play better than .500. This team is old and done.

NL Player of the Week- Hanley Ramirez. What a week for Hanley. The Marlin SS hit .533 with 4 HRs 3 SBs 11 Rs and 7 RBIs. Notice the problem there? He hit 4 HRs and had only 7 RBIs. Can anyone besides Hanley and Cantu get on base on this team?

AL Player of the Week- Joe Saunders. The guy nobody talks about. With Escobar, Lackey and Santana on the DL, Saunders has put the rotation on his back. In week 5 Saunders pitched to a 1.15 ERA striking out 13 and winning 2 games, one of which was a complete game shutout. When the Angles win the division they can thank this guy for carrying the staff for the first two months.

10 Thoughts

• Am I ever going to talk about the Blue Jays
• With the Manny news I would not be surprised to hear any one's name involved with performance enhancing drugs
• Speaking of Manny, how great is that trade for Jay Bay looking
• Is Mo Rivera done
• Good job by Bobby Jenks throwing behind Ian Kinsler and admitting it
• The D' Backs hired a Manager who has never managed on any level
• I understand the cause the pink bats and wrist bands represent, but some players looked ridiculous
  
• Ryan Zimmerman can take this hit streak deep into the 30s
• Is Evan Longoria the best 3B in the game this side of A-Rod
• For now I'll only say hes the best 3B in the AL this side of A-Rod

Top 10
1. Blue Jays
2. Dodgers
3. Red Sox
4. Cardinals
5. Cubs
6. Brewers
7. Mets
8. Tigers
9. Reds
10. Royals

Joba vs Huff

The hottest topic around the Baseball world from this weekend is the fist pumping of Aubrey Huff after his HR off Joba Chamberlain. Joba has a history of pumping his fist after a big strikeout, or lately any strikeout, and this action seems to offend a lot of people. Apparently Aubrey Huff was one of those people, because after hitting a first inning HR off Joba, Huff rounded first looked directly at Joba and pumped his first. Huff did the same as he touched home plate as well.


******MLB MUST HAVE REMOVED THE VIDEO FROM THE SITE THAT WAS HOSTING IT AND IT IS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND BESIDES MLB....OF COURSE THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR HANDS ON EVERYTHING. IF YOU WANT TO WATCH IT GO HERE.. http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=4501049&c_id=mlb ******

I want to start off by saying I have absolutely no problem when Joba does his fist pump. The bottom line is he is a kid who gets excited and shows his emotion. It is not like Joba is pointing directly at the guy he just struck out and telling him to sit the $@!& down. This idea around Major League Baseball that you cannot show any emotion on the field because you are showing up the other team or player is absurd. These guys all get paid a lot of money to play Baseball, so if they cannot take a little celebration from a player who just beat them then they can go work a 9-5.

Obliviously what Joba does got to Aubrey Huff a little bit because he went out of his way to celebrate and imitate Chamberlain. Huff's had this to say about the incident:

"He's done it a couple of times to me when he's struck me out," For me, it's just in good fun. I always told the guys that if I get him, I'm going to give him a nice fist pump. For me, it wasn't really showing anybody up. I was just trying to have some fun with it. He does it all the time and I figured, 'You know what, why not?'"

I say good for Huff. He is doing what he is supposed to when playing a game..having fun. Of course there was a little "FU" to Joba in Huff's actions, but that is what sports are about. Joba commented that he did not see Huff do it and also said:

"This won't be the last time I face him. He did what he was supposed to do with the pitch -- he hit a home run. If he wants to do a back flip, he can do a back flip. It really doesn't bother me."

I really hope Joba is not implying that he is going to hit Huff. If he hits him or even throws inside, Aubrey has the right to charge the mound with the bat and hit Joba in the head. Joba's best response would be a strikeout of Huff and a nice fist pump. I hope Joba continues not to hide his emotion and celebrates when its time to celebrate.

Wait 'Till Next Year

I hate those four words. I loathe them. People who utter them are either delusional, way too positive, or ignorant when it comes to sports. On Wednesday Chelsea were yet again knocked out of the Champions League in the semifinal round. For those who are unaware, here's a count of how Chelsea have fared in the last six years in Europe's premier cup competition:

2004: Knocked out in the Semifinals by AS Monaco
I wasn't really a fan at this point in the timeline. This was the year before the team won their first Premier League title, and although it was definitely the easiest route to the cup, this wasn't the best team.


2005: Knocked out in the Semifinals by Liverpool
This was the year I really fell in love with the club. Jose's first year in charge, and they had one of the greatest seasons ever witnessed. They lost on a phantom goal call in the second leg at Anfield. Aggregate score, 1-0.

2006: Knocked out in Round of 16 by Barcelona
This was the best Chelsea team of the last 6 years, but they also happened to bump into one of the best teams assembled in the last decade. Ronaldinho was electric, and there was going to be no stopping him.

2007: Knocked out in Semifinals by Liverpool
Penalties decided this one. I was at Nevada Smith's in the city. I thought for sure that was the year for Chelsea. I was wrong. This one hurt real bad, but not as bad as...

2008: Knocked out in Finals by Manchester United
...this one. Again decided by penalties. United were definitely the best team in Europe last year, but Chelsea were right there. They had the title in their grasps, than John Terry slipped and fell, and well we all know the rest.

That brings us to 2009. Chelsea outplayed Barcelona for 92 minutes. Nobody can question that. Barcelona had the possession, but Chelsea were getting the better opportunities, and their defense showed absolutely no sign of cracking. Essien's shot early in the first half was a thing of beauty, it was an absolute cracker off a volley that looked like something out of a video game. Sure, Florent Malouda was clearly fouled in the box, and the official claimed it was outside and only granted a free kick, but it didn't matter. Chels was winning this one, no doubt about it.

Once Barcelona went down to 10-men, on a very dubious red card, I was convinced Chelsea had this thing all sewn up. I was making plans for the day of the final, where Chelsea would certainly exact their revenge from the same match one year previous. Than, in the 93rd minute, the unthinkable happened. Iniesta fired off a bullet that dropped to him off a bad clearance, ironically enough, from Michael Essien. It was jaw-dropping, gut-wrenching, pain. I'm still in absolute shock from that moment. But the worst was yet to come. Following the Iniesta goal Chelsea had an opportunity off of a corner. While they were unable to put the corner in, they were able to fire a rebound towards goal. One of the Barcelona defenders, I don't remember who it was right now, accidentally handled the ball. He definitely handled it, there can be no question, but it was clearly the ball hitting the hand, not the hand hitting the ball. Chelsea's reaction, particularly Michael Ballack's immediate reaction and Didier Drogba's post-game reaction, was disgusting.

Bad calls are a part of the game, of all games, and there were plenty of bad calls in this game. The non-call for a handball penalty at the end of the match though, was not a bad call. For Michael Ballack to decide to use that moment to harass the referee up the field, and literally look like he was going to hit him was sickening. Grow up Michael. You had 90 minutes to win the game, and you played over 20 minutes of the second half with an 11 to 10 man advantage. It's not the officials fault Chelsea couldn't secure another goal at home, or prevent Barcelona from scoring on the road for that matter. Drogba's harassment through the police barricade at the conclusion of the match was even worse. I hope he gets fined, suspended, and Abramovich sells him off to a third division team in Ukraine. For all the glory Didier has brought to the club and to my life, he has brought just as much petulance, shame, and embarrassment. If this team showed half the heart they show when they are complaining about officiating or coaching, they would be the best team in Europe. I can't blame Guus Hiddink for leaving, I wouldn't want to manage this group of cry babies either.

My point is this. The game was devastating, because I want that Champions League trophy so bad. I want it so bad I can taste it. It's not fair to keep getting this close and to have my hopes dashed again and again. The last three years I've seen them lose twice in penalties, and once in the 93rd minute by the away goals rule. There is no worse way to go down. But this year has been different for me and Chelsea. The game was difficult to handle, but not as catastrophic. The fact that Chelsea are about to finish 3rd in the Premier League is disappointing, but not destructive. I found myself pretty much over the loss by the end of the night actually. Then I started asking myself why. Why do I not care as much this year as I did last year or the year before, or the way I cared in 2005? It's not because I'm getting older, or I'm becoming desensitized. I was catatonic when the Cubs lost in October, and I'm still not over the Giants loss in January. No, this team didn't deserve it. Deep down inside, I'm not sure I wanted this Chelsea team to win the Champions League. There's no heart, no leadership, no commitment with this group of guys. John Terry is a sham of a captain. He isn't the guy he once was, and he never shows the leadership you see in guys like Steven Gerrard or Rio Ferdinand. I wasn't proud to be a Chelsea fan this year, they just felt like a collection of rudder-less mercenaries.
If it was up to me, and I was in charge of the club I'd sell off almost every single piece. I'd hold on to Essien, Bosingwa, Lampard, Carvalho (is he still up to it? I think his best days are behind him, but I hope not), and that's it. Everyone else can shove off. I'd rather see the team bring in younger, less developed guys, watch them grow into a team over a few years with the leadership of the guys I named earlier, than have to sit through another season of this garbage. These guys were an absolute shame to everything this club has done since Roman Abramovich came aboard. Guus is leaving at the conclusion of the season, and they should pack the rest of the team up with him. I loved that Guus came out and said even though I'm leaving, I will have a say in who goes and who stays so these men need to know they are playing for their jobs. The club needs a shakeup, as long as they keep this same nucleus there with Terry running the show, things won't change. And if things don't change soon, I have serious doubts as to my ability to still love this team. I'll always love the shirt, the stadium, and the club itself, but I don't have to love this team. And I won't.

NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference Semifinals Preview

G covered the Western Conference Semifinals, and I will be covering the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Both have a feeling of unimportance when you consider that we already know who’s playing who in the Finals. At this point in the East (game 1 of Cleveland/Atlanta was played last night) it seems pretty obvious that nobody is going to be able to keep up with Team King. The coronation was last night, and this has a feeling of destiny for Lebron. It just feels like it’s his trophy to lose right now. The other series in the East features the Magic and Celtics. While this series will be competitive and more interesting than the Cleveland series, at the end of the day it’s all just to see who can be runner-up in the East. The only teams that can hang with Cleveland are Los Angeles and Boston when they were at full strength. Without Garnett, that Boston team loses its elite status, and I think that will become very apparent in this series with Orlando. It’s Dwight’s time to shine right now. If he is the elite center that he is supposed to be, now would be the time for him to show it. We’ve been waiting for his offensive game to come along, and while he has made great strides he still isn’t fully there and has a long way to go in developing a consistent form. He shows great low post footwork sometimes, and you can tell he knows what he’s doing, he just needs to learn to do it all the time. Again none of it matters at the end of the day because the King is here.


Cleveland v. Atlanta

This series will be an exhibition in raw athleticism and youth. The Hawks are one of my favorite young teams in the league, and I couldn’t be happier for them having won their first playoff series in a decade. They are making good strides towards developing a serious core of talent. With all that said they would need an absolute miracle to beat Lebron. I know they pushed Boston seven last year, and I know they just knocked out a tough Miami Heat team along with their superstar Dwayne Wade. As good as Wade is, he doesn’t bring the complete all-around game that Lebron does. More importantly, he does not affect the game of his teammates in the manner that Lebron does. In order for Atlanta to win they need to complete an entire list of objectives. Joe Johnson absolutely has to shoot over 50%. He cannot have games where he’s off, he has to shoot early, often, and accurately. Beating Cleveland requires that you outscore them, particularly by spreading the floor and hitting your jumpers. That leaves the inside a little more open, and the Hawks can attack that space with Josh Smith and Al Horford. If Bibby and Johnson aren’t hitting their shots, the paint won’t open up, and that will drive down the Hawks shooting percentages fast. Once you fall behind this Cleveland team, it’s over.
Defensively, Atlanta has to force bad shots from Mo Williams, Delonte West, and Wally. This isn’t hard to do. Those guys rarely see a shot they don’t love. The only thing is that Cleveland’s ability to drive and kick, especially when King is doing the driving and kicking, tends to give them a ton of open shots along the perimeter. If I’m Mike Woodson, I’m conceding that Josh Smith is going to get steamrolled by King. Control the perimeter shooting, and don’t allow a second scorer to crop up out of Cleveland. Slow the game down, use the clock on both ends of the court, and Atlanta could have a legitimate chance of beating Cleveland.
Now even if they are able to do all of those things, they still need to force the Cleveland guards into bad decisions. Bibby and Johnson Atlanta a serious edge in guard play over Cleveland. They should be able to hassle Mo Williams, Delonte West, and whomever else the Cavaliers want to trot out there. If they can force a few turnovers out of those guys, keep the tempo high, make their open jumpers, attack the rim when they have the opportunity, and keep Z playing away from the basket….they have a chance. With all that said, I don’t think they will be able to do any of that.

Cleveland in 5



Orlando v. Boston

Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, wait, it’s just some phony dude pretending to be Superman. Where did Dwight Howard go? Some consistency is all we are looking for Dwight. Just show us you can be the same guy a few nights in a row. You seem like you’d be one of the most fun guys in the NBA to hang out with. You’re down to Earth, seem like a nice dude, and you’re always laughing and having a good time. But this issue with your consistency is starting to bug me. First, you completely disappear for the last month of the season when you guys are fighting for the two seed. I mean completely, absolutely disappear. For every two steps forward your offensive game takes, you take another step backwards. It’s been incredibly frustrating, and I’m sure your teammates feel the same. I knew the Sixers would give your team trouble, but you?! You were supposed to make Sammy Dalembert run back to Seton Hall. It’s time to step it up. If the Magic are going to win this series it rests completely on Dwight Howard. Yes, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu have to take and make shots too, but Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are going to outscore them no matter what is going on. It’s going to come down to Dwight Howard absolutely dominating the paint.
If I’m a Celtics fan, I’m not cocky, but I’m not scared either. Rondo should be able to absolutely torch Rafer Alston. If Boston can exploit that aspect of Orlando, they should be able to force the Magic to run. That’s not Orlando’s game. Rondo, Allen, and Pierce should be trying to turn this into a track meet. That will help neutralize Dwight, and force Alston into some turnovers. I’d also play hack-a-Dwight if I was Doc Rivers. He has plenty of fouls sitting on the bench, and Howard is terrible from the charity stripe. Dwight also showed a tendency to lose his cool a little bit with that bad foul he had in Game 5 against the Sixers. If Boston gets Dwight out of the game, and frustrates him by making him run and fouling him, they have a serious opportunity to sneak away with the series. The whole series comes down to the big man though. It’s his coming-out party if he wants it to be. I give the advantage to Orlando because I believe Stan Van Gundy will outcoach Doc Rivers when push comes to shove. Not that Doc isn’t a good coach, he is, he just seems to make a few more mistakes than Stan Van does. Dwight, we’re ready.

Orlando in 7

MLB Weekly Rundown

Week 4 April 27-May 3

Coming into the 2009 season picking the best team in the National League was tough. If asked, many would say the defending World Series champion Phillies or the team with the best record in the NL last year, Chicago Cubs. There may have been other people, including yours truly, who would have said the New York Mets. Looking at the NL right now, however, all of those people would have been wrong. One month into the season the team that looks like the best in the senior circuit is Joe Torre's Los Angles Dodgers. The question I want to ask is..Are you surprised?

Look at the two most important pieces of this team...Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez. What do Manny and Joe have in common? They are winners. I am not saying Torre and Manny are the only reason the Dodgers have started 18-8, but they are the most important pieces. Manny is quietly hitting .350 with 5 HRs and 15 RBIs, but another big part of the teams success is the work of two young pitchers. Chad Billingsley and Johathan Broxton are both turning 25 this year and are quickly becoming one of the best starters and closers in the game. Broxton is pitching to a .69 ERA with 7 saves and Billingsley is dominating with a 6-0 record and a 2.21 ERA.

The Dodgers are looking to go undefeated at home, something Lebron and the Cavs could not do. Of course I am just taking a shot at Lebron with that one, but so far they are 10-0 at home and already have a 4.5 game lead on the 2nd place Giants. This team is going to coast to the playoffs with not much competition in that division and will be dangerous in October. Yes I have already anointed them NL West champs.

Some awards from week 4:

Overachiever- Seattle Mariners. The Mariners are 15-10 and in 1st place in the AL West. I could be wrong about this one, but this team was horrible last year. In 2008 it took them 41 games to get to 15 wins and in 2009 they have reached that goal in just 25.

Underachiever- Cleavland Indians. I thought this team was going to rebound from their horrible season last year, but they have proven me dead wrong. Even though Victor Martinez is back to 2007 form, this team is struggling to win games. They find themselves 9-16 and in last place in the NL Central. Looks like another disappointing year for the Indians.

NL Player of the Week- Jorge Cantu. With Hanley Ramirez out and his team falling apart, Cantu did everything he could to carry the Marlins in week 4. Jorge hit .346 with 4 HRs and 14 RBIs including go ahead RBIs in three straight games against the Mets and Cubs.

AL Player of the Week- Justin Verlander. After getting off to a horrible start, Verlander was dominant in week 4. Justin pitched 14 innings striking out 20 and won both starts. The Tigers are off to a much better start than last year and if they want to win the division they need Verlander to pitch like an ace.

10 Thoughts

• Zack Grienke finally gave up an earned run
• Derek Jeter is 35
  
• This has got to be the latest in the season the Royals are in first place
• The Pirates were looking so good for a week
• I think I hate Selena Roberts more than A Rod
• Carl Crawford is on pace for 108 SBs
• Matt Holliday hit his first HR of the year this week
• Johan Santana has a 1.10 ERA and only 3 wins
• The Phillies have made only 5 errors this season
• 3 of those 5 errors have been made by Chase Utley

Top 10
1. Dodgers
2. Blue Jays
3. Cardinals
4. Red Sox
5. Cubs
6. Reds
7. Tigers
8. Yankees
9. Mariners
10. Royals

Western Conference Round 2 Preview

Since we started writing again as the NBA playoffs were starting, all you loyal PineReaders did not get a full NBA playoff preview. Everyone knew for the most part what was going to happen in round 1 so no harm no foul. I will be doing the West preview and the East should be coming soon by Sami.

After a pretty boring first round, the Western Conference should become a little more exciting and maybe somewhat competitive in the second round. Here is how each series is going to play out:


Lakers vs Rockets
Obviously the Lakers are the team to beat in the West in 2009. Not only are they the defending conference champs, but they won 11 more games than the next best Nuggets and have the best player in the conference as well. With that being said, the Rockets come in with probably the best chance to slow down Kobe with the combination of Artest and Battier. Please keep in mind that I said "chance to" and "slow" down and NOT "shut" down Kobe. What Battier and Artest are going to do is allow the Rockets to not have to constantly double Bryant and hopefully stop the players around him. Of course Yao in the middle of the paint is going to have to help on locking down Kobe and he can only do that by staying out of foul trouble.

Yao's only job is not going to be shot blocking, however, he must score as well. With Andrew Bynum basically being non existent in the first round, Yao must apply the pressure to him and Gasol on the block. Yao has the potential to score 30 on any given night and this is the series he is going to have to. I would love to see Yao take the next step and prove to the league that he is an elite center who can win in the playoffs.

On the other side of the floor is one of the greatest to ever play the game who is on a mission. Watching Kobe against the Jazz in round 1 I got the feeling that this guy is not going allow the team to lose. Kobe feels like he has played backseat to Lebron all year and wants to show the NBA that it is still his league. Let us also not forget what happened between Bryant and Artest earlier this season:


(Please note Kobe dropped 37 on Artest and Battier that night)

After Kobe the best weapon the Lakers are going to have in this series is Lamar Odom. If Odom wants to be aggressive and use his size and speed, I do not see a player on the Rockets who can match up with him. Of course there is a chance Odom decides to play lazy and sit on the perimeter, which would be a major disadvantage for the Lakers.

Overall the Lakers are way too deep and the Rockets are very thin with big men. Houston will play good team defense and will play tough, but it will not be enough to stop the likes of Bryant, Gasol and Odom.

Prediction: Lakers in 5



Nuggets vs Mavericks
The Nuggets proved in round one that they are not the doormat they usually are by steamrolling Chris Paul and the Hornets. The Mavericks proved in round 1 that they are better than people think by beating Tim Duncan and the Spurs. This series is going to be good.

I was rooting for the Hornets in round 1, but I absolutely loved what Denver did to Chris Paul. Denver took a page from the 90s Knicks and played very physical on not only Paul but the whole Hornets team, and New Orleans didn't know what hit them. If Denver keeps up the physical play it is going to be very tough to beat them. Chauncey Billups is proving that he was the heart of the Detroit franchise and is an elite PG while Carmello is playing much smarter basketball than we have seen in the past. The thing to look for from the Nuggets is the play of the bench. If J.R Smith can continue to play smart and bring that many points off the bench coupled with Chris Anderson's high energy and shot blocking, Denver is going to be very tough to beat.

On the other side of the floor is a veteran team trying to make one more run at an NBA title. Dirk is a former MVP and is relied upon to score 20-30 points per night. The key for this Dallas team is going to be Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Howard and Terry are guys who can score 30 a game or can have a 2-13 shooting night. Jason Terry has fit nicely into his role as 6th man and had the best season of his career this year. Howard played well in each of the 4 wins over San Antonio, but he is going to be asked to play against Carmello in this series.

Dirk cannot let the physical play get to him and has to be physical back with Birdman. Billiups already proved he can outplay Chris Paul, so an aging Jason Kidd should not be too much of a challenge for him. This is going to be a good series, but in the end Denver is too physical and too deep for Dallas. Another year and another disappointment for Dirk.




Prediction: Nuggets in 7