Ladies and Gentlemen…….John Daly

Is there anything that gets the sportszip more fired up than a -3 opening round from big John Daly in the PGA Championship. I don’t think so. Let me start by making the point that if one of the threesome of Tiger, Mickelson, and Daly was in contention for the championship on Sunday, which would draw the most attention and biggest audience. I believe that the answer is simple: John Daly. This guy can draw a crowd like no other. I honestly don’t know one person that routes against Daly. Everybody can relate to him, and enjoy to watch him bring his driver way beyond parralel and swing with reckless abandon. He’s the guy that goes to the casino and gambles constantly. He drinks diet pepsi and smokes cigarettes while earning his living. He’s the sideshow guy with his RV and memoribilia selling right out of the parking lot. He’s never the one to lay up, even when he is looking at coming into the clubhouse with a round of -3. He takes out driver, which is totally uncalled for and drives it over the water instead of laying up short and playing it safe like the rest of the field. These are the things that attract people to big John.

 Then there’s the fact that he has an unbelievable God-given talent. What an incredible player. With the talent that he has he should have 3x the major championships that he has (2), but maybe if he did we wouldn’t root for him as much. Also he is never one to bad mouth any other players. He never makes comments to draw attention to himself. Instead he is very humble when speaking about his game, and making hilarious remarks to reporters. All I’m saying is could there really be a more likable human being than John Daly. This guy has it all, including the golf game.

 I can remember a few years back when he was playing real well and was top 50 in the world, and it looked like he was making a big comeback. There was a tournament in San Francisco that he and Tiger went toe-toe in. I don’t recall the name, but I do know that the two eventually went head to head in a playoff. They stood on the 18th tee, and Tiger lead off by hammering a drive way out into the fairway. I distictly remember the announcer saying WOW increadible clutch drive by woods. It will be nearly impossible for John to match that. then John stepped up to the tee. His shirt was probably untucked somewhere in the back by this time, and he was proudly sporting his hooters logos all over. He had his driver in hand and took maybe one lazy practice swing. Then came his little wiggle with the clubhead as he stood over the ball. Then he unloaded one of his monster drives that all of us dream of hitting just once. The camera quickly shifted to the fairway where we would soon see John’s ball fly past Tiger’s long drive in the air. The whole clubhouse at my local golf club erupted as we watched. If there is anyone of this planet that isn’t afraid of Tiger it has to be Daly. Everyone thought Daly was going to take Tiger out in the playoff, and be well on his way back towards the top. Sadly that wasn’t the case. Daly ended up missing a short put later in the playoff and Tiger won. The part of this story that is important is that Daly is capable of coming up with those moments that you don’t forget. That is what captivates golf fans across the nation. Sure you can respect a guy who grinds it out for 18 holes and does well, but what we live for and why we play and watch golf is for those moments. Those shots when time slows down and you can really enjoy it and be a part of it. The moments that make chills run through your body. Like Tiger at the PGA in 2000 when he pointed that putt in vs. Bob May on the 16th in the playoff, or even Big John in the 1991 PGA as he walked up the 18th waiving his hand around in the air with a smile from ear to ear, and the crowd roaring for him. That is what golf is all about. That’s why we watch on Sunday, for that next great moment. We can only hope that Big John has another great moment left in him for us this week. Just like back in 91′ when he didn’t play a practice round and was the 9th alternate, he took this week off from playing at Southern Hills and it looks like it might just work again. We can only hope it does, we are all pulling for you John. Go get em’.

The Michael Vick Dilemma

Let me start by saying that I believe that if Vick did commit the crimes that they say that he did then he should go to jail and not play football, and that those are horrible and inhuman things to do. Now let me get to the part about this situation that is killing me. I’m watching ESPN and they show all of the PETA protesters (over 100) holding up signs and calling for Vick to not be allowed to play football and be put in jail. Honestly I very much dislike these cranky middle-aged woman that hold up these signs like it will actually do anything. Especially because 95% of the these PETA people probably didn’t even know who Michael Vick was before this, and now he is there worst enemy. Let’s remember that as of now Vick is innocent. Just like every other American citizen is if they are alleged of a crime. We do not know what role Vick played in any of this or if he even really played a significant role at all. Yet all of these people are out on the streets calling for Vick to be put out of work. Let’s be honest they are just doing that because he is a star athlete and celebrity, and they don’t want to see him making millions of dollars for doing what he does, and playing in front of packed stadiums every Sunday. You know what I say to all those PETA people, I’m sorry you weren’t the one that was given this incredible ability that Vick was given. Don’t be bitter because he plays 16 football games, and gets paid millions of dollars for it. If this were some Joe Schmoe who was endicted for the same crimes then PETA wouldn’t be out in the streets protesting for him to be put out of work. What if one of those PETA protesters was alleged of a crime, and we stood out in the street with signs saying don’t let Sally be a secretary. Would that be fair to do. Try to put them out of a job even though at that moment they are completely innocent.

Please don’t get me wrong I am glad these PETA people have something that they stand for, and that they want to protect. But really can’t you find something better to do then stand out in the streets and get some guy put out of work over allegations. Let me stress again that these are terrible crimes that Vick is accused of, and if they are true then I too believe that he should be put in jail, but right now he is innocent as could be and we don’t know what is true and what isn’t.

Just look at the Kobe Bryant alleged rape charge a few years back in Colorado. What if Stern suspended Kobe, and took away his job and his livelyhood for a prime year in his career just over allegations. Also I know right now that if you are in PETA and you are reading this you are probably saying, “Who is Kobe Bryant.” Just don’t worry about it I understand, but for the rest of us we know that Kobe was charged, and the case never even made it to trial. Would you want your job and life taken away from you just because of some false charges? If Stern had suspended him it would have been the wrong thing to do, and I believe that the same rule applies for NFL commisioner Roger Goodell.

Another example is the Duke Lacrosse case. A defense attorney (Mike Nifong) completely overreacts to charges made towards 3 athletes and look at what happens. The charges end up being dropped, and the lives of 3 kids in the prime of their lives are completely changed. Wait not just those 3 kids are affected though it’s also the other 20+ players on the lacrosse team that have their season and everything that they worked for taken away from them now. All because of allegations that were made. Please Roger Goodell and PETA don’t try to do the same to Vick. Even if these allegations had a chance of being 99% true and 1% false I say don’t suspend him over allegations, because there is that chance that Vick is innocent and you would change his life and others lives completely.

The Zip Is Back!

After about a month long summer vacation the zip is back. We missed many events and happenings that will hopefully be covered in some posts to come, but for me we go to one of the biggest issues that is the Mike Vick indictment.

Let’s Talk US Open

Well it was a pretty exciting US Open to watch last weekend. Everyone got what they wanted, which was Tiger in the final pairing, and in contention on Sunday. NBC definitely had too many commercials in their coverage though, but what can you expect these days. I’m not a fan of all of these people complaining about the course and the conditions. This is supposed to be the toughest challenge all year. This is the toughest tournament, and is designed to bring out the best golfer. First of all I have to say after all of the complaining about how tough this course was going to be it wasn’t really THAT tough. Sure the 300 par 3 is kind of stupid, and there were some tough holes out there, but really this course was scoreable on. If you hit the fairway this place wasn’t that tough. You saw what Tiger did on Saturday by just keeping it in the short hairs. He could have easily shot a cool 64 if he could have gotten a putt to go down. The rough was obviously very tough so all you had to do was keep it out of there. I think some of the problem was that the course was in player’s heads after they got screwed in the rough once. They were too worried about going there again, and just played scared and nervous. The greens are supposedly the toughest in the world, but they were holding everyone’s short iron shots fine from the fairway just like any other venue. Anyway I just don’t like the whining from people. Just stop whining and put the ball in the fairway and make a putt.

So Angel Cabrera is your champion. This guy is definitely a very capable, and good player. Surprising that it is his first PGA tour win in 94 attempts on US soil. We have all seen him play great before, and he has a solid all around game. I have to compare him to the poor man’s John Daly. Or at least the International version of John Daly. He’s got the body shape, and overall likeability to his game. The coolest moment of the whole tournament for me when I think about Angel is after he made a bad bogey on a hole, he then preceded to immediately put his putter in his bag, and take out his driver as fast as possible before he even got to the next hole. He wasn’t worried about some THICK rough, he wasn’t scared of this course. He had confidence that he was going to bomb a drive on the next hole. You know what he did too. Just like he did on Sunday on the 12th, where he hit a peach 397 yards. So he has that likeability about him for a fan to relate to. Also he is a chain somker, and can be seen looking like a chimney on the course. This is of course because of where he comes from, nothing against him at all. Just adds to his likeability I think, because he is an exact opposite of Tiger. Don’t get me wrong I love Tiger, but is nice when someone very different challenges him like Cabrera did.

So Tiger didn’t win it, and people are asking if he lost it. Well look at it this way, he had a bad week and he still finished 2nd in the toughest tournament in the world. So I’m saying no big deal. Other top players had bad weeks and didn’t make the cut. Tiger had a bad week and finished a CLOSE second place. Even had a chance to tie it on the last hole. If he had a chance to win it it was clearly on Saturday. When he shot 69, but really should have shot 64. He hit 17/18 greens in regulation, and couldn’t putt it into Lake Winnepesaukee. So he didn’t lose it on Sunday, Cabrera definitely won it on Sunday, but Tiger missed a huge opportunity on Saturday. Tiger being 0/29 when trying to come back in a major is just one of those weird stats in sports. That you can never really figure out. I guess it is just because he is always winning, and when he isn’t winning he isn’t near the top of his game so it is tough for him to win. But when he has somewhere near his best stuff he is ahead, and not looking back. What he did do was bring the ratings back again on the weekend. He can do that with the best of them. We are watching the best golfer ever, and he is the type that you see once in a lifetime let’s remember. He is one of the athletes that you can watch and actually get chills when he does something great. Like when he pointed that putt in at the PGA in 2000 during the playoff with Bob May, or the chip in at the Masters on 16. The announcers will tell you almost every other shot. They say that’s just insanely long! Or I don’t know how he did that! The best has to have been after he hit a great fairway bunker shot one time and I think David Feherty just exclaimed “Better than most,” “Better than most.” If he brings his C+ game you can count on his taking the British. And that’s the way the cookie crumbles….

Spurs Sweep Away Cavs

No big Surprise that the Spurs finished off the Cavs last night in Cleveland. Let’s face it Cleveland just wasn’t on the same level as the Spurs. Cleveland rode Lebron to the Finals, and probably shouldn’t have been there. Cleveland was honestly probably about the 6th best team in the NBA this year (Spurs, Suns, Mavs, Jazz, Warriors and Miami would have beaten them in a series). Tony Parker was amazing in the Finals and definitely deserved that MVP award. Something needs to be said about Parker. That is that he is absolutely living the dream. The guy is still very young, has already won 3 titles, has a finals MVP award under his belt, and is getting married to Eva Longoria (need I say more?). How about the fact that he is never even  considered when experts talk about the best point guards in the League. That is pretty amazing. The guy is lightning off the dribble, and has proven that he finishes better in the paint than most big guys (Varejao included). Also lately has become a more effective outside shooter, and can hit them when they count as he proved in the Finals. So I guess what I am saying to Tony Parker is “kudos” you are a great point guard with three titles and a beautiful gal.

Now onto this talk about the Spurs being a “Dynasty”. Not that it really matters that much, because there is no real certain criteria, but I just don’t see them as a dynasty. They aren’t that dominant team that everyone fears each year, and the team that dominates each year. They haven’t won back to back titles, they have no flash to them, and they have never really had any big moments. No game winning shots that were absolutely amazing. The only thing I think of when I hear Spurs and a game winning shot, is the one that Fisher hit to beat them in SA a few years back. They just don’t quite have that “Dynasty” thing about them. So for now I will just say that they are an unbelievable team that knows how to win when the money is on the line.

 The thing that hurt me the most about the Finals was not finding out about that patch of hair on Drew Gooden’s head. All I wanted was a special sitdown with Gooden, or at least a sideline report that told the story behind that patch of hair. Yet all I got were 4 games that lacked offense, and big moments. So be it now we can look forward to the draft and who the Celts will take. Just for the record if they take Yi Jianlan I might not be around to see his first game. I have said it before and I will say it again there really is something about Noah that just seems right. He fits the Celts need of a center, and the Celts offense perfectly. Doesn’t need the ball to be effective, and he can do all of the little things. He knows how to win, and is as much of a competitor that you will ever find. You need to look no further than his recent workouts for NBA teams, which he is doing with an injured shoulder. That isn’t stopping him from going hard every other day working out for NBA teams. I can just feel something special coming from him, and that is all I’m saying………..

Some Thoughts

• Let’s start by talking about A-Rod, and what he did the other day. First of all let me say that I dislike A-Rod as much as anyone in the nation. He is definitely in my top 10 people I dislike the most, and that is a tough list to crack. You should know that his teammate Jorge Posada is leading the way in that categorie. Anyways A-Rod did his best Willy Mays Hays impression the other day by yelling something at a third basemen as he went to catch an infield pop-up. What’s got me going is that people are saying that he was out of line for doing it. Where I come from you do whatever it takes to win. If that means distracting an opponent while he is trying to field a ball then so be it. I once heard the great Red Auerbach say that one thing that the Celtics teams of the 50’s and 60’s did was get every little advantage that they could. They took every little advantage that they could get and they used it. They did what they had to do to win. If that meant distracting an opponent like A-Rod did then that’s what you have to do. Especially when you are on a Yankees team that is struggling like they are right now. What A-Rod did was the same thing that any NBA player does when they talk trash to another player who is shooting a free throw. Just a smart play by A-Rod and even though I despise the guy I have to say I loved that play. You play to win at all costs. Next time I suggest that Jeter tells a base stealer that there was a foul ball and he has to go back to first (as long as there is no throw from the catcher). That one works everytime, I used to do it in Babe Ruth and even AAU.
• Now to the good stuff. Lebron. Lebron. and More Lebron. As much as I think Lebron has been a waste of talent so far, and isn’t the player that he should be I do have to say what he did last night was absolutely amazing. He single handlely beat the Pistons. I was sure that game was over when Detroit was up 88-83. Lebron had other ideas. A couple of rim rocking dunks later we were looking at overtime. Oh yeah and 25 straight points from the King himself. He does seem to be taking the steps to earning his nickname King James, but don’t think that he is there yet. We all thought that last year when the Cavs won the same game 5 in Detroit, but then Detroit came back to win the series in 7. Until the King finishes them off I won’t count Detroit out. What Lebron has done is kind of saved the playoffs in general. I was having a hard time watching games after Golden State and Phoenix both went out last round. One thing I can say now is that I am looking forward to seeing what Lebron does next and being a Witness.

One Giant Leap for the NBA

With Four remaining teams left in NBA playoffs, my support is going to the underdog Cavaliers, who cut the Pistons’ series lead in half yesterday with a 88-82 victory. If the Cavs rally past the Pistons, and the Jazz somehow manage to steal the series from the Spurs, LeBron could conceivably capture his first ring, maybe. Crazier things have happened in sports lately right? And what could be better for the NBA after a relatively miserable season than the young King James getting his first ring and making the more reluctant older fans want to watch the NBA again. It would create a need to see if this guy holds a candle to the stars of the golden age of the NBA, which I was unfortunate to barely catch the tail end of. And seeing as Stern has no problem rigging various aspects of the NBA, mainly the lottery to screw the Celtics, the Cavs taking this thing down should seem more likely than it does.
But to get back on topic, it was in last night’s game that phenom LeBron James took his first step towards maturing into one of the best players in the game. He was out of his mind down the stretch. What makes it more amazing is that he made the Namath-esque prediction that it would be the biggest game of his life. I just can’t wait for 25 years from now when LeBron is being interviewed at a Cavs game, absolutely wasted, hitting on Cheryl Miller. You just have to love this guy though, the prediction, nailing a 92 footer in pre-game warm ups, hitting step-back, fade-away 3’s down the stretch in a must-win game 3, and finally, his clutch jumper to seal the deal.
I’m sure he will spark whispers about another basketball player who wore the number 23, but I want to say right here that I don’t think he is the next Jordan. He is a hand and a finger’s worth of rings, and about 99 monumentally clutch playoff performances away. That isn’t meant to take anything away from LeBron. In this era I don’t think any team can recreate the dynasty the Bulls had. Also, take a look at Jordan’s supporting cast. Pippen, Rodman, Kerr, incredible all-around player, rebound machine, and dirty 3 point shooter respectively. Guys like Luc Longley, Toni Kukoc, and Bill Wennington were all great role players. Jordan was an incredible leader, crunch time player, and overall one of, if not the most unstoppable offensive players ever to play the game. But he did have a lot of help. It’s not that hard for a professional driver to look good flooring it in a high performance well-oiled machine. LeBron could grow to become as good of a leader as Jordan, but with his supporting cast his best analogy would be Jeff Gordon driving a 1971 4-cylander Ford Pinto, there’s only so much he can do with it. In the current state of the NBA, imagine Bron Bron with a supporting cast similar to MJ’s. There is no one quite like pippen, but call Josh Howard LeBron’s Pippen. Jason Kapono is his shooter waiting on the elbow, a big upgrade from bricklayer Donyell Marshall. Give him some big men who, unlike Zydrunas Ilgauskus, my mom couldn’t box out and out rebound. She played her college ball at St.Michael’s in Vermont thank you very much. Think how scary that team would be. My point is the Cavs need to get this guy better help for him to get some rings. And don’t even get me started on Eric Snow and Larry Hughes.
So instead of drawing Jordan comparisons, take this clutch performance for what it is. I mean he was out of his Gord last night. Let’s all cheer for James to get his first ring with a less than ideal supporting cast and join Wade as the second of the next generation of superstars to win a championship. And if he does that, then maybe we can start calling him the air apparent. Maybe we can start to put the Silhouette of LeBron throwing it down over Rasheed Wallace on jump suits. Crazier things have happened in sports, right?

News Around the Leagues

Before we take a look at the NBA playoffs (again), lets take a look at whats going on in sports. Clemens looks like either between Mel Clark before Roger and JP brought him angels or the other rocket Chet Stedmond before gardenhosen rejuvenated his spirit. He just couldnt find the strike zone. Against THE PAW SOX. I can’t wait til we see what our boys are gonna do to him. Also in baseball, Ichiro told reporters that when he reaches age 40, he wants to take up pitching. This guy is an animal. I’d take him over Clemens right now. He has also said in the past that if he hit for power he would easily have 20-25 Jacks a year. Maybe pitching could “revive the dormant fire in his soul.”
In the NBA, the Knicks are showing interest in pursuing Vince Carter should he become a free agent. Absolutely shocking that the Knicks want to overpay an underachieving, over valued semi-superstar. A lot of over unders in there, huh?
In other news, Mike Vick just purchased Paris Hilton’s dog, Tinkerbell.

NBA Draft Lottery Dissapointment

• Well so much for tanking the second half of that season. So long to Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. Goodbye to an overhyped 2007-08 season for the Celts. So much for the luck of the Irish. Somewhere deep inside of me I knew that this would happen. Now the Celts are left to choose 5th, and all of their tanking efforts of 07 got them nothing at all. Maybe Ainge secretly knew this before the lottery was shown on ESPN and therefore gave Doc an extension so he could tank us right on through next season to try to get the #1.
• I need therapy.
• Looking on the bright side (if there is one) the Celts can still get a decent player with the 5th pick. They have a young team already (doesn’t need to be any younger), and a few veterans that can get it done. So what do they do with the 5th pick? I think it is pretty simple. You have to go with Noah. Let’s face it he is a WINNER. Shouldn’t we be talking about him as the next Russel instead of Oden. After all he is the one with back-back titles. He does all of the little things that Russell did. Rebounds, blocks shots, and comes up with all of the big hustle plays. He can play the center position, and pass from the high post in Doc River’s offense. He fits perfectly alongside Al Jefferson who will see the majority of touches in the low post, but Noah can post up once in a while too. The thing that you have to love about Noah is that he is soooo intense when he is out there. He is going to give you 110% each time he is out there. There really isn’t a better fit for the Celtics in the draft. He passes, scores when you give it to him in the right spots, wins, rebounds, plays D, plays hard, and fills the spot that the Celts need to fill.
• That being said I still think that the most talented overall player in the draft is Corey Brewer, and he will be an absolute steal for someone.
• Besides Oden is like 28 years old, and Durant is bound to be a bust. Right? (banging my head on desk).
• The real question here is……who is the uglier human Oden or Noah?

The Playoff Blog is Back

• First off thank you Jason for the in depth research on that former Team USA-er Nick Collison. I think it comes as a surprise to us all that he is still in the NBA.
• Not much to say about that opening game between NJ and Cleveland. Donyell Marshall was hitting threes? and the Nets couldn’t throw it into the ocean. Not really much to say in general about the Eastern Conference playoffs. I wish Miami was still playing, because at least they would shake things up a little bit and make me watch. Although there is something that I have been meaning to mention. In game 3 in NJ Jason Kidd pulled down a rebound, then preceded to throw a perfect lead pass to Vince Carter who then dunked it. What was so great was how Kidd came down with the rebound then without hesitation threw the perfect lob pass. Carter was smiling, and just appreciating his teammate as he caught it and went in for the dunk. Just a really cool moment to see. Carter knew how great Kidd was playing, and could only marvel at it with the rest of us. Also in Game 6 Kidd threw an incredible “thread the needle” pass to Mikki Moore. Really have to love Kidd averaging a triple-double in the playoffs. Hoping to see him on Team USA.
• Now for the big show. Spurs/Suns in SA tonight for game 6. Very anticipated game with Stoudemire and Diaw coming back. Pretty much everyone that I talked to during the day was excited to watch this game.
• Bowen is playing unbelieveable defense on Nash, and should be congratulated. Parker dominated the first half, and Ginobli had 10 pts in his first 11 minutes. Then Duncan got it going towards the end of the half. That being said you would think that the Spurs were in total control, but it was just a two point game at the half. Nash is being followed by Bowen and an extra defender wherever he goes yet he is still able to deliver to his teammates. Just when I thought I had definitely seen the best pass of the night from Kidd, Nash throws a wrap-around pass as he is flying through the lane around Duncan right to Stoudemire. Just a remarkable pass.
• Big run for the Spurs in the third quarter. They weren’t missing from the perimeter. Phoenix just isn’t on their game tonight. Nash is frustrated and no one can make shots. I think we can all say that these are the two best teams left in the playoffs playing.
• Suns come into the 4th down 81-67. San Antonio wasn’t looking back, still making everything. Then Nash decided to finally take over. After scoring 10 points in a row by himself, the Suns found a few rare defensive stops. Then a few more hoops and Nash crossing up Bowen and making him fall over on his ass (that’s more like it Steve). The ensuing basketball by Nash cut the SA lead to just 9. The Suns gave us one last great spurt. Showing what great team basketball they are able to play. Nash was immaculate in the 4th quarter, but to no avail. I’m just sad that we won’t be seeing the game 7 that we should be seeing on Sunday. Just sad that the NBA did that to the Suns in game 5. Still though a great series played by the dirty Spurs.

In Case You Were Wondering

Just to erase any lingering curiosity, turns out Nick Collison still does play basketball in the NBA. He is on the Sonics and averages 9 pts in 29 mpg… I wonder what he’s doing during the summer of ‘08?

Just a thought

Just wanted to use this time to say that I am the man because I wrote about Timmy Duncan being underrated and then a more well known sportswriter named simmons wrote about the same thing, that is all on that note.

On a more sensitive note, the team SZ is pulling for GOLDEN STATE baby went down sadly 3-1 to the Jazz last night. As you can see, we are all in a state of depression and discontent during these difficult times. Alliteration aside, we won’t give up hope until it’s all said and done. Nor will we write about anything else.

Also, The NBA lottery is looming a mere 8 days away. My prayers go out to the Celtics who need the first or second pick. If not because we won 24 games, but because we just extended Glen ‘Doc’ Rivers’ contract. It would just be too much if they didn’t. As I watch Duncan systematically dismantle the defenses of the best teams in the league, while playing some pretty damn good D on the other side of the court, I can’t help but imagine what it would be like if he was doing this in a green jersey. It brings tears to my eyes.

Playoff Blog

I wasn’t planning on adding to the playoff blog tonight, but after watching this Golden State game I couldn’t possibly not write about the incredible game that I saw. First off I think I need to say that it will be a nearly impossible task for anyone to beat Golden State in Oakland. That crowd just pushes these guys to new limits. You can’t say enough about the noise level and the overall togetherness of this crowd. Also you have to love how ESPN needed to install the sound level meter to give the fans an idea of how loud that place is. Mike Tirico had to say how the crowd in Utah was loud too just to keep the Jazz fans happy with ESPN’s coverage, but we all know that Tirico wasn’t in Utah for either of those games.

A great start to the game for the Warriors who were connecting on everything early. Then they went through a dryspell at the end of the quarter and let Utah back into it. Then came a huge outburst in the second quarter. Just incredible shooting and energy by the Warriors. Really special to watch. I can’t tell you how enjoyable it is to watch this team play with this atmosphere. Utah is counting their blessings for GS blowing that game 2, because if they hadn’t then this series would be all but done. I was riding a huge high after that second quarter, but it would only get better. Baron Davis’ performance in this game was absolutely incredible. He is unstoppable right now. The funny thing is that everytime I talk about GS I find myself saying how great Baron Davis is right now. He hit some of the most difficult shots and layups that I have ever seen. Oh yeah and that rediculous posterizing dunk on Kirilenko. Not bad for a 6′2 guard with bad knees right? Kirilenko had been dominating the series on the defensive end, and Davis still went right at him. Davis’ performance in these playoffs has been one of the greatest ever, and it will only get better by the looks of it. The sky is the limit for this Warriors team with him leading the way. Did Deron Williams even play tonight? Mehmet Okur? They might have, but I didn’t see them because I was too busy being amazed by the Baron.

How USA Basketball should be run…

This is a topic that absolutely kills me every time someone brings it up. Whenever I hear something about USA basketball I can’t help but think about the lack of competence of the people in charge. The US team has been embarrassed over the past 4 years in International competition. There was the struggle at the World Championships in Indianapolis, and then the horrible performance at the Olympics that still makes me want to throw up everywhere. Even before these disappointments USA basketball had been struggling. Heck the only thing I can remember from before these things already mentioned is when Vince Carter jumped over that 7 footer. Sure you always hear about the dream team and how dominant they were, but really we can’t live in the past anymore. We have been the ones underachieving each and every year. So that is why I am writing this post. To tell you how I think the next USA team should be put together.

To start I need to say that over the last year or so the directors have done some nice things. The coaching staff that they have put together is a solid one, and they have the correct people in charge. That is all well and good, but the real problem with these past few USA Basketball teams has been the players. I don’t think I need to say that there have been too many one-on-one players who don’t know how to play team basketball, and have no interest in playing defense. Everyone already knows that (well except for the guys who pick the team each year). I liked the steps taken last year when they looked for a defensive stopper, but they ended up going with Shane Battier. I know Coach K and him go way back and everything, but really Shane Battier? Out of everyone that you could pick, you picked Shane Battier? Here is a nation that has all of these wildly multi-skilled stars that are athletic freaks, and you choose Shane Battier. Like I said I love that fact that they are looking for a locker-room guy, and a solid defensive player, but you can find someone better than Shane Battier. So they were looking for a role player, but what they forgot was to bring along a shooter. You look at all of these teams that they lose to and they all have players who make 3’s. How about we use all of this talent and athleticism that we have and spread these teams out like the Suns and Mavs do then dribble penetrate (which no one will be able to stop) and then dish it out. The thing is you have to have players who can make the trifecta. Sure we had the young stars playing like Lebron, Wade, Carmelo, and Paul, but none of those guys are even really dependable 3 point shooters. How about Michael Redd? Does that name ring a bell to anyone. Here is a guy who would have been in high contention for the MVP award had he not sufferred a knee injury in January. This guy can flat out shoot the rock. Heck, he can flat out score period. Yet he doesn’t even seem to be on team USA’s radar screen. If that doesn’t work for you then how about Gilbert Arenas who was left off of last year’s team USA. Oh yeah one more solution to this shooting problem, his name is Ray Allen. He happens to be the record holder for most 3 pointers made in an NBA season. Yet he isn’t the one that is playing, it is his “half as talented teammate who can’t shoot it into the ocean” Luke Ridnour. At least two of these 3 guys that I just mentioned need to be playing significant minutes in the next Olympic Games.

So after we get a few shooters on the team we have to go after some guys that get after it. Some guys who are intimidating. Some players who are going to give you 110%, and they don’t care who they are playing. They are going to be the ones who are inflicting pain. Way too many nice guys on this team. Do you think Jordan didn’t trash talk all of these guys when he was playing on the dream team? How about Bird? Yeah remember Larry Legend, the same guy who took the 3 point shootout like it was going to kill him if he lost. Nowadays you have guys like Lebron who cruise through the regular season, then go to the All-Star events, and moves as fast as Rosie O’Donnell in the Skills Competition. Ok, so we need someone like Ron Artest. He’s a defensive stopper, as good a defender as there is in the NBA one-on-one. He can make the trifecta at a decent rate, and he can score one-on-one in the post and get to the line. Oh yeah also, this guy is scary. Guess what if you were playing for Argentina you probably wouldn’t want to be going up against Ron Artest. Sure you have all the baggage that comes with him, but really come on you have to try to win at all costs. I love Bruce Bowen and his game, but Artest is twice the all around player that Bowen is.

Ok, that problem is solved. Now there is a problem that I really don’t know how to solve, but there must be a way. USA Basketball has to get all of the players who want to rest in the offseason to want to play for their country in these events. I don’t know how you do that, but there has to be a way. You do whatever it takes to get guys like KG to play on this team. I don’t care what you have to offer them, or what you need to give up but you need to do something. You can’t have guys like J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison on your roster. Seriously those guys are probably the two biggest NBA duds of all time. Everyone knew that it was going to happen like this. Morrison had an outside chance of being solid, but c’mon the guy is a cone out there on defense, and he isn’t that great of a shooter. Also he isn’t going by anyone on the offensive end. I don’t care what anyone says, but both him and Redick need to be removed from the possible roster immediately. Looking back USA Basketball has made this mistake before. Remember the 2004 Olympic team. Yeah me either cause they sucked, but Nick Collison was on there roster. Yeah that’s right that isn’t a typo I said Nick Collison. No really Nick Collison. No I don’t know who he plays for now either. Wait does he still play?

Lastly we need to adress the style of play of this team. You need to take two centers on this team at most, and neither of those centers need to be named Brad Miller. Look at the coaching staff that you have. Coach K, D’Antoni, McMillan. We need to be playing uptempo basketball, and rotating in players like a hockey team. That is one of the HUGE advantages that we have. We are about 20 stars deeper than every other team on the planet. We have sooo many guys who can flat out play. So why not use them all. Keep fresh bodies out there at all times, keep the pace up, and if someone gets hot then leave them out there. You have to take a couple Centers just so you have some type of post-up threat, and you have someone to clog up the lane. So with all of this being said I will now give you my proposed Roster for the 2008 Olympic team.

PG: Jason Kidd (I don’t care how old he is. this guy competes, and knows how to win and distribute the ball.)

SG: Michael Redd (guy can flat out shoot, and flat out score. He will only get better over the next couple years.)

SF: Ron Artest (Yeah that’s right, shut down defender, formidable scorer, and a scary dude.)

PF: Lebron James (You laugh, but really he is 6′8 with plenty of rebounding ability. remeber we are spreading the floor out and rotating guys in like crazy. Obviously him and Artest are interchangable.)

C: Amare Stoudemire (A finisher inside, solid rebounder, will be a very solid jump shooter by this point. Also very solid pick and roll guy.)

BN: Shawn Marion (your do it all hustler/defender/finisher) BN: Raja Bell (yeah I know a bunch of Suns, but he goes along with the toughness/defense/3 pointer shooter theme.) BN: Tim Duncan (I know it will be a task to get him to play, but he is as consistent of a player that you will find. also gives us a post-up game.) BN: Dwyane Wade (electric guy to have coming off of the bench, and probably will be the best player in the world at this point.) BN: Gilbert Arenas (another scorer/shooter coming off of the bench. This guy is determined and if he isn’t hitting shots you can just yank him. He can also play some decent D if he plays limited minutes.) BN: Dwight Howard (we all know that this guy is a freak. He is a monster inside, and hopefully will have a formidable post-up game by this time. We need him on this team.) BN: Baron Davis (We are all seeing what this guy is capable of. He is a ball hawk on defense, and can score at will. If he is healthy why not take him.) BN: Chris Paul (Probably the future of American point guards along with Deron Williams. I can’t decide between the trio of Paul, Williams, and Davis, but you have to go with two of them. I leave out Williams for now, but injuries or other circumstances could change that.) BN: Ray Allen (just feed him and watch them drop.) BN: Gerald Wallace (This guy can do it all, and is a guy who would definitely give 110%.) BN: Chris Bosh (Last big guy on the team, will be a perennial all star at this point in his career.) BN: Josh Howard (He will probably the best all-around player in the league year in and year out at this point.)

If USA Basketball does this I promise you we will be a success in the next Olympics. With the right blend of role players and stars playing for the right coaches no one should be able to stay close to us. Obviously there are notable guys missing from this team. Kobe has just logged too many minutes, and I hate to leave him off but really I don’t think he would be a help to this team. If he was put on the team though it wouldn’t reck my world. Carmelo is another guy I left off, because all he can really give you is offense, and it is all one-on-one. And that’s the way the cookie crumbles…….

Playoff Blog

Well the second round of the playoffs is fully underway now. Batting leadoff for TNT on this monday night was another blowout game between the Pistons and Bulls. I really could care less about this series right now and I refuse to write about it. But just for those of you who need to know here are three things about this series: 1) the Bulls are overmatch, and it will be a boring series with the Pistons taking it in 5, 2) no one cares, and 3) it doesn’t matter because the winner of everything is coming out of the West.

Now that we got that out of the way. Let me assure you, I didn’t waste my time watching that Pistons/Bulls blowout. Instead I went and played some ball myself, just to get pumped up for the nightcap between the Warriors and Jazz. I did my best impression of Matt Barnes left-handed dunk over Dirk Nowitzki about 10 times on my nerf hoop. Don’t worry I did my best Nowitzki impression too. I missed just about every shot I took, then realized I just couldn’t get it done and I am no MVP. Now that you know about me and my balling on the nerf hoop let’s talk about this Golden State/Utah series. It should be a very exciting series. Both teams will have great home crowds to push them, and they can both put the ball in the hoop. I like Golden State in 6 again. They are just on too much of a roll and too tough to match up with. When will people understand that the only place that Biendrins can score is directly under the hoop. He either gets a layup or a dunk, that is all. So just don’t let him get the ball there. Gordon Giricek started the game for the Jazz. You can’t tell me this guy is going to be the sparkplug for the Jazz. The only thing he has going for him is that he is one of the ugliest player’s in the L.

Not a good start for Golden State in the 1st quarter, but they will be sure to hang around for a while. Reggie Miller says that the point guard match up between Davis and Williams will decide the series. Let’s hope not for the Jazz’s sake, because Davis is just a better player right now. Even though Williams outplayed Davis tonight don’t expect that to become a theme in the series. We learned two things in the first half of this game. That this will be a great series to watch and that Andre Kirilenko can pass. I never knew the great ability and vision that he had. The 2nd half is a blur, because it was absolutely great. Back and forth they went down the stretch. Just great play from both teams, and you have to say the difference was Boozer’s offensive rebounding down the stretch. I still like Golden State in 6 even though they lost this first game, because Golden State won’t lose at home, and all they have to do is steal 1 game on the road. With the style they play they can definitely take game 2 or 5 in Utah.