Congratulations Nick

A big roomofzen congratulations go out to Nick on the eve of his wedding day.

More Puppets!

Everyone else in the world says they are sick to death of these puppets, but frankly I don't ever want this campaign to stop. I don't know if it's that I don't want the season to be over or if I just have a soft spot for puppets. But, whatever the reason, PLEASE NIKE give me more puppets!

How In The World Does This Make Sense?

I don't think Donte Stallworth is a bad guy. I never have, and I was sad to hear about the DUI manslaughter charges that he was facing in Florida. However, our friend Jarrett sent me this link today, and I became angry. Stallworth was facing up to 15 years of prison for killing a 59 year old man, but he has avoided any sort of career threatening or life ruining prison time by reaching a financial settlement.

I'm not upset that Stallworth's life and career haven't been derailed, and I'm not looking for any sort of retribution in this case. I hate to see bad things happen to anybody. However, I can't help but become outraged when I read stories like this , and then think about the way Michael Vick has been publicly treated.

Do we, as a society, really place less value on human life than we do on the life of dogs? Leonard Little killed a woman in 1998 because he got behind the wheel of a car drunk and drove recklessly. For this, he received a slap on the wrist, similar to Stallworth. I brought this point up on this site when the Vick allegations first came up. Now, many have stated that Little's situation was different (and they have said the same for Stallworth) because it was unintentional. First of all, he was arrested again in 2004 for driving drunk. He wasn't convicted of the DUI (despite smelling like alcohol and failing three field sobriety tests), but was found guilty on the speeding charge, which should not be taken lightly when you've already claimed one life. Secondly, you don't get a pass for carelessly ending someone's life because you didn't mean to. It just doesn't work that way.

Again, I'm not saying I wish Leonard Little or Donte Stallworth were wasting away in a prison right now. I don't wish that on anybody. However, Michael Vick spent almost two years in federal prison for providing the money and property for people to run a dogfighting ring. At the end of the day, I feel that it is a much greater crime to take a person's life. My biggest problem with all of this is that I feel the vast difference between the way Vick has had to suffer and the way Little and Stallworth has is completely related to the way the public has reacted to these crimes. It's scary to see the legal system work that way. But, what really puzzles me is why people will devote their lives to destroying another man because they are so opposed to dog fighting, and yet nobody seems to care one bit about people killing other humans. Very strange.

Pau Gets A Puppy From Mom and Dad

I don't want to ridicule Pau Gasol today, because he played well enough in these finals to have taken MVP honors (even though we all knew he wouldn't before the series even began). Offensively, he played great. He could have had a lot more points if he had more touches, but the Magic were packing in the middle, and the Lakers offense doesn't need to force anything. If they did though, he would have been up to the task. He also played tremendous interior defense on Dwight Howard. He played tough and he played physical. I already (despite what you might think from reading this site) had a great appreciation of his game, and it grew leaps and bounds as I watched these finals.

All that said, it's rare to have such a great athlete photograph so awkwardly on such a consistent basis. He looks like a 12 year old girl in that picture above.

Embrace The Weekend: The Dream

I don't want to be one of those "these players today are nowhere near as good as the old days" guys. I'm young, and I think that the talent in the NBA is fantastic right now. However, I think we can all agree that there's not a single big man in the NBA that can do this stuff:

LeBron Puppet: 2010

Does This Picture Make You Like The Magic More Or Less?

via Ball Don't Lie


I can't decide.

Tom Thibodeau: Successor to Doc Rivers?

Clearly other teams in the league aren't appreciating the Tom Thibodeau's talents. Doc Rivers is a devoted family man who says that every year he needs to reevaluate whether or not he wants to continue coaching (it reminds me very much of Tony Dungy). Now that a deal is in the works for Thibodeau to be back, I want to state on record that I think the best plan is for Wyc to reach DEEP into his pockets, and shell out big money for Thibs so that he can be groomed to be Doc's successor.

I really think Doc was the best coach in the NBA this season, no question about it. As far as I'm concerned, his ticket is punched to work here forever. However, if the Cs are able to bring home banner 18 sometime in the next two years, and if PP and KG retire at the end of that run, I wouldn't be surprised to see Doc ride out of town with them. The best thing to help Rondo and Perk lead this team into the future would be to have familiarity with the head coach. If all this happens, and Doc still wants to stay on board, then Thibs will walk and (I would hope) become a head coach elsewhere. This is the risky financial part for Wyc. But, I feel pretty strongly that this would work out well.

Steelers Super Bowl Rings Unveiled

Pretty manly for a piece of hand jewelry.

The line of Lombardi Trophies is amazing. It really looks like it's going back into the ring.

Ricky Rubio Signature Moves: The No Look Pass

I have a feeling I've seen that move before, but a cool video nonetheless. There are a lot of mixed feelings about this kid, and the negative camp grew larger after reports surfaced saying that he'd rather return to Spain than play for Memphis or Oklahoma City. I was surprised by those reports, especially since I think a young up and comer like him would be chomping at the bit to take over the reigns in OKC, where there is so much young, explosive talent. But, despite that, I'm still very intrigued by Rubio, and I can't wait to see what he can do. I think he looks pretty impressive for an 18 year old.

Thibs Back With Celtics Next Season

"Celtics coach Doc Rivers said that assistant Tom Thibodeau withdrew from consideration from the head coaching job with the Sacramento Kings.

Thibodeau, who also interviewed for the Philadelphia 76ers job, is expected to rejoin the Celtics bench next season."

I don't understand this, I wasn't expecting it, but it's fantastic news.

Top Of The World

Certainly, none of us imagined it would take Adam Morrison this long to reach this point. But now, after 3 greuling seasons and a change of city, he appears hungrier than ever to capture his first championship. This moment was clearly not lost on him last night, as he was flailing all around on the bench as if he were actually in uniform, showing the most life we have seen from him since before that fateful night in Oakland:



I actually thought Morrison had died on the court for about 4 months until I saw him get drafted on live television. While it was clear at that point that Morrison was not actually clinically dead, spiritually he has seemed completely vacant. However, this championship run, for which he is being paid quite handsomely despite not actually suiting up seems to have rekindled a firey passion deep within his soul. He was jumping up and down like a giddy schoolboy last night as he watched his teammates. This might be just the lift the stache needs to refocus his efforts on working his way back onto the court and back into the hearts of moustache enthusiasts everywhere. Look out NBA, once Morrison tastes this sweet championship nectar, he may never look back.

Blood In The Water

This man (who admitted he's been very grouchy lately) is a cold blooded killer, and it was clear last night that he will not be denied this championship. I realize that you can't change your prediction once it's been made, so I'll stick with 6 games. But, if I could go back in time, and make a new prediction after what I saw last night, I'd say get the brooms out. This thing will be over soon.



JA Adande from this morning's Daily Dime:

"He's so ornery that his daughters have renamed him "Grumpy" from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." A Lakers staffer encountered him in the workout room before the game, normally a chance to exchange a few pleasantries, but took one read of Bryant's mood and didn't say a word. Those who spend a lot of time with him say they haven't seen him this focused for such a long stretch. The only time he's cracked a smile in front of the media the past few days came Thursday night when, ironically, he was discussing how solemn he's been.

Weep not for the isolated family members or fearful work colleagues. Feel for the Orlando Magic instead, who paid the price for Bryant's battle against the giant names of the past in a 100-75 Lakers victory in the opening game."

NBA Finals Prediction: The Unavoidable Teabag

This long layover between the conference finals and the finals has really brought me back down to Earth. If I had written this preview on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or even Wednesday, I'd be picking the Magic. Playoff excitement will do that to you sometimes. You get swept up in one team's momentum, and it causes you to lose sight of reality, and you find yourself clinging to shreds of hope that symbolize what would make this postseason the most memorable. For me, last year, this phenomenon led to me trying to convince everyone that the New Orleans Hornets were going to make a run all the way to the NBA finals. It's fun to root for these new and exciting teams. It's like rooting for Santa Clause. This year, it seems to have manifested itself in my misplaced "belief" that the Magic had all the right kind of mojo going on right now to beat the Lakers, therefore making the Celtics look great for having taken them to 7 games in round 2. Luckily, this waiting period has calmed me, and I am now bringing you a very grounded and realistic perspective. My emotions have settled and I am thinking more clearly. That 5-day handgun waiting period law really does make a lot of sense.


Before I begin to make my prediction, I'd like to state that unlike the people at Nike and those fucks at the league office, I am thrilled that we didn't end up with a Kobe LeBron finals, because I believe the Lakers are superior to the Cavs in every way, and it would have been one of the most anti-climactic moments in sports history.


Now, you can certainly make a compelling case for the Magic:



I ripped into Dwight Howard earlier in this postseason for still needing to develop effective post moves. However, as I have watched him more and more during these playoffs (I basically never watch the Magic during the regular season if they are not playing the Celtics), I have finally arrived at an appreciation for what a dominant force he actually is. That I always thought him overrated was just a product of me not realizing exactly how athletic he was. His ability to run the court is tremendous for a big man, and he is a very dangerous player when he moves his defender out of the paint and they run pick and rolls with him. In transition, his ability to get down the court quickly and establish position leads to a lot of easy buckets and trips to the free throw line.

Rashard Lewis is a matchup nightmare for anybody. It's hard to imagine Pau Gasol defending him out on the perimeter. He and Hedo turkoglu, with their size and shooting range, give any defenders nightmares. Rafer Alston's quickness could give Derek Fisher trouble. Mikael Pietrus and Courtney Lee have been playing at an incredibly high level throughout the postseason. Marcin Gortat has done a great job of spelling Dwight.

The play of the Magic has improved steadily throughout these playoffs, and it's hard to imagine them playing at a higher level than they are right now. Were it not for two incredibly heroic LeBron James performances, they would have swept the Cavs. They've played the Lakers twice this season, and won both games.

It all seemed to make sense around this time yesterday. You can't argue with that type of momentum.




However, as I slept last night I started envisioning how this thing will actually go, and I woke up this morning feeling very centered and having no doubt in my mind that the Lakers will win this series. Here's why:

- Yes, the Magic are 2-0 against the Lakers this season. However, Jameer Nelson dominated in both of those games, and they were still very very close. Plus, I would imagine that these matchups carried much more urgency for the Magic than they did for LA.

- LeBron James absolutely tore the Magic apart. But, nobody was there to help him. I expect Kobe to do the same thing as LeBron, but there will be some key differences: A) Kobe's coach will be sure to get him the ball in favorable scoring positions B) Kobe has a more polished game, and can score down low with his back to the hoop C) Unlike LeBron, Kobe has good teammates and getting them involved makes the team play better. The statistical impact may not be as great as what we saw from LeBron, but the overall impact (I expect) will have a much more profound effect on the series.

- Do you feel like the Lakers were ever really tested in this postseason? They certainly let their guard down against a Yaoless, Tmacless, pesky Houston team. But, there was no sense of panic, no real sense of worry. That was the most un-game-7-like game 7 I've ever seen. There was never any doubt, and they really don't even seem labored at this point. Just taking care of business.

- We've all spent so much time this season talking about how difficult it is to defend Rashard Lewis (well, at least I know Celtics fans have ever since KG went down). However, in this case, it is also very fair to ask how Rashard Lewis will defend Pau Gasol, who (kill me please) is an increbly saavy and versatile scorer inside (I hate him so much). He will give Lewis fits, and he will also most likely draw some key fouls against both Lewis and Dwight.

- You can't lose sight of Lamar Odom in the Rashard Lewis discussion. The best way to defend a 6'10 tweener with range is with another 6'10 tweener with range. With the exception of KG, who could be better suited to defend Rashard Lewis than Lamar Odom?

- DJ Mbenga is 7 feet tall and can eat up fouls against Dwight.

- Trevor Ariza is a very athletic ballhawk, and I think he will do a good job defending Hedo Turkoglu (to whom he only gives up 2 inches).

- Dwight and Kobe will both spend a great deal of time at the free throw line in this series. Big advantage: Lakers. The Cavs shot free throws horribly last round. Dwight, obviously, is shaky at the line (yes, I know he shot 70% last round....call me when he does it over the course of a season).


The Prediction: Lakers in 6. I've been preparing for this since KG went down in February.

Dave Matthews Band Plays Dirty Water at Fenway