WEEKEND(S) IN REVIEW

Yes its been a week and  a half. Yes I have been busy (lazy). Here we go ...

NBA
If you're an NBA fan, the last twelve months have been a blast. There were so many compelling story lines coming in to the season, that I feel lived up to the billing and had something for everybody. In the past twelve months, we have had: Lebron James" Decision, the reality show that was the Miami Heat, the Lakers run at a three peat, Phil Jackson's final run (maybe), the Boston Celtic's potential final run, the Carmelo Anthony saga, Shaquille O'neal's retirement, young players who took their game to new levels ultimately ushering in a new era of elite players, a surprising trade deadline, George Karl beating cancer -- again,  and a drama filled two months of playoff basketball that concluded with a champion that may be the last of its kind. This season of basketball essentially started June of 2010 after Lebron came out and said he was "Taking his talents to South Beach." That, followed by one of the most egotistical displays I have ever seen in sport by holding a pre-season parade and ceremony, and we were off and running. (Seriously, who holds a parade and guarantees a decade long dynasty when all you have proven so far is that you look good getting off the bus. I do think the Heat are the NBA favorites for at least the next two years, but it's things like this that provide fuel for all of the critics when the Heat fail, and rightfully so.) Unbelievably so the euphoria of this past season will soon come to a screeching halt with a dismal draft class, and a lockout that seems as certain as death and taxes. Before basketball fans fall in to deep depression though, lets reminisce about the good and what the future holds for the league.

• Dirk Nowitzki officially cemented himself a hall of famer and the best foreign player ever in the NBA. People who were quick to anoint him a top ten 10 guy of all time were star struck, caught up in the moment, but what he did throughout the playoffs was nothing short of extraordinary. In the new, "It takes two ... or three" era of championship basketball, Dirk dragged the Mavericks through most of the playoffs, and when he struggled his team got him over the hump. If single star championship teams are a thing of the past, that was one hell of a sendoff.
• Ultimately, the Heat losing is better for basketball. Think about it -- If they win, all the critics have nothing to say and everyone gives in to the fact that they are destined for greatness. As it is, we are revamping for another season of team togetherness, drama, Lebron's legacy status, whether the team is complete, etc. The Heat will be title favorites for at least the next two years, but early defeat will bring about a humility that should ultimately make them better.
• Moving forward, basketball has to be happy with where the game is from a player stand point. Every generation has its superstars, and when their time comes, everyone looks for someone to take the proverbial torch. As Shaquille Oneal -- the last, great link to the 90's -- retires, and players like Kobe and Garnett age, this season really showed that there is more than enough young talent waiting for their spotlight.   

NHL
What was a somewhat dismal regular season morphed into a stellar post season. A Canadien power and cup favorite playing a highly beloved Original Six team to a game 7 for the Stanley Cup is about as much as hockey could ask for. In the NHL playoffs, a team truly does go as far as their goalie can take them, and Tim Thomas proved it. There were nine game 7's this playoff season, and Thomas was an absolute impenetrable wall for three of them. In the Canucks three wins in the finals, Luongo was terrific, In their four losses, he was terrible. Thomas was nearly unbeatable, win or lose, and thus the difference. Hockey has made some serious strides in the past couple of years as new, young stars emerge, and I think that is something they really have to build on in the fall this year with the NFL and NBA seasons still in turmoil. They, along with College Football, have the most to gain from those lockouts, and not taking advantage of that would almost be as bad as the 2004 - 2005 lockout.

RORY, RORY, HALELUJAH
Two months ago, I wrote that defeat brings humility. It makes you wiser, and it makes you determined to be better. For Rory McIlroy, that showed true this weekend at the U.S. Open. The last time we saw Rory, he made some snide comments about Tiger Woods and followed that up by playing perhaps teh worst nine holes of golf in PGA history. Everyone plays a poor round now and then, or every time out if you're like me, but only a select few shoot +10 on the back nine of the Masters and ultimately choke away the jacket. This time though, the Rory stayed grounded and used past struggles to propel him to a record setting win at the U.S. Open. Is he the next Tiger? NO. Tiger Woods is potentially the best individual athlete ever, and his accomplishments simply transcend sports. What Rory is though, is a new, young face. Something fresh for the golf world to stand behind, and has all the potential in the world to build a career making him viable to be considered one of the greats.  

THE ROAD TO OMAHA
This weekend I had the opportunity to attend my first College World Series game. While I wasn't that caught up in the actual game itself, it was more the atmosphere in the game, and nostalgia of seeing the old stadium that really makes it special and why I LOVE college sports. While the new stadium is fine, the old Rosenblatt Stadium is an absolute diamond in the rough. The framework and structure of the building is everything the part of a link to the past. One thing that I have always felt separates college from pro sports is, pro sports is an allegiance. College sports is a way of life. A persons loyalty to a collegiate team is typically a direct link to a part of who they are, making the games seem a little more important and ultimately adding to the spectacle of the sport. There is also something to be said about most college athletes being kids playing for the love of the game, and not paid megastars with their own agendas.


That's all i got. Promise to get back on the ball with the writing. Maybe, kinda.

BEST OF 3

Throughout the playoffs I have been going back and forth comparing the NBA and NHL playoffs, and which was a better watch. Before the ongoing playoff series', I thought that the NHL was by far the better sell. A Canadian team matched up with an Original Six team both rich in tradition, physical, with underlying story lines every where. Through four games, they haven't disappointed. In game one and two, Vancouver edged out the Bruins in two slug fests -- a physical game one, followed by a thrilling OT win in game two. As they did in the Sharks series, The Canucks seemingly had an answer for everything Boston was doing. Change of scenery, change of mind though. In games three and four, the Bruins outscored the Canucks 12 - 1, and have dominated every facet of the game. You would expect Vancouver to regain some steam as the series shifts back to their home ice, but so far the series has been everything it seemed coming in.After game one of the NBA finals, it seemed like the Mavericks were simply over matched against the Heat. Three puzzling games later, the series is tied at two games a piece with one more to play in Dallas tonight. I've never been witness to a series where, through four games, there are so many reasonable outcomes and the current one is perhaps the most perplexing. 2-2, 3-1 Heat, 3-1 Dallas, and 4 - 0 Heat are all viable counts thus far. From everything that's been seen on the court, a Heat sweep would have made the most sense. Two late, blown leads though and Dallas is very much alive. As much talent as the Heat have, it's definitely top heavy and seems to be their demise at times. For all intents and purposes, the Heat are two and half to three and a half players every night they take the floor. Lebron and Wade plus some times Chris Bosh or Bosh and player X. It was clear that in game one their egos allowed them to take their foot off the gas and ultimately lose, and in game four the depth issues were their undoing. Win tonight though and all is forgotten, as they're almost a lock for the title. (To think the Heat would lose two straight at home, in the only building in the league that shows them support, is absurd.) Should they ultimately lose though, the critics, media, pariahs, etc. will be relentless. Either way, how the series has played out thus far has been excellent from a drama standpoint. Lebron James no show in the Finals doesn't cause for a dip in ratings, it creates opportunity for more as there are more games to be played, and if I were David Stern I would be doing back flips in my office. A series that seemed destined for a sweep, has brought life to a NBA playoffs that never really hit its full potential. The NHL has been strong throughout, and thus still carries a small edge in how captivating it has been, but NBA is a Heat blowup away from going down in the history books.

WEEKEND IN REVIEW 6/6

What a weekend! Lets get started ...

NBA
Even though this series has been played very close thus far, I'd be very concerned if I was a Mavericks fan right now. After blazing a trail to the finals, they have finally fallen to earth and looking like the team that everyone was writing off before the playoffs started. Games like last night prove that it takes at least two to win. While basketball is the one sport where an individual can truly take over the game, Dirk can't expect to win when he tallies more points than the other starting four combined. He has to get help from some where, otherwise this series may not even make it to game six that I projected. On an interesting side note though, while Dwayne Wade has played very well this series, what Dirk has done as far as carrying this team especially late in games has been spectacular. If the games continue to play out the way they have been, I think it's fair to say Dirk should be considered for the MVP if the Mavs lose. It has happened once before with Jerry West, and to this point Dirk would be a deserving recipient.

NHL
You're the Boston Bruins. You're headed home down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals, and you're pissed. After abruptly losing game 1 when it looked like you were headed to OT, a player who arguably shouldn't have been playing in game 2 kills you. Alex Burrows was almost suspended for biting a Bruin's player at the end of game 1, ended up being allowed to play, and ends up with an assist and two goals including the OT winner. The Bruins are a strong enough team to climb back in to the series, but in the end I still feel like the Canucks will be too much.

THE BIG SEND OFF
Its starting to get to that point where true legends of the game, who's entire career I was able to take part in, begin to retire. The first came Friday, when Shaq announced he was bringing an end to his 19 year career in the NBA. When we look back, I think he'll be forever remembered as the most dominant force ever. He may not be the best center to ever play, but he is among a select few (Kareem, Olajuwon) that would absolutely dominate at any era. Bill Russell was an unbelievable player. Would he have been that dominate in today's game though? Probably not. Shaq's speech was everything you'd think it would be -- gracious, funny, thoughtful. It was an unbelievable career that I was proud to witness and take part in at both the Forum and Staples Center. I am happy that the Lakers have extended the honor of retiring his jersey, and am glad he wants to be remembered as one in the Hall of Fame.

AROUND THE SPORTS WORLD
Plaxico Burress is a free man, and if I was an NFL owner in need of a big reciever i would be at his doorstep, lockout or no lockout. Burress was sent away for being stupid and naive but did nothing criminally on the level of a Michael Vick. Assuming he's in decent shape, this is a Super Bowl caliber wide receiver that could help a lot of teams immediately. To not look at him as a possible addition to your team if needed would only flip those perceived as being naive. At my event this weekend, we had another solid turnout at Halle park in Memphis, TN. Our guest was head coach of the Grizzlies, Lionel Hollins, who couldn't have been more gracious. He gave me a lot of good insight on next years team, and promised to stop killing the Lakers. Perhaps the coolest part of the weekend though, was having a nice car roll through the park during event, and who should pop out but Michael Oher. The man is a force to be recognized in person and has some serious basketball skills.

That's all for now. Hope everyone had a good weekend. On to Omaha!

 Michael Oher at Halle Park

 Grizzlies head coach, Lionel Hollins

DESTINY ON ICE

Throughout the playoffs I have been going back and forth comparing the NBA and the NHL product on display. Now that both have reached their respective finals, unless the Heat and Mavs play to an epic game seven, this NHL playoffs will be the more memorable. In the East, you have the Boston Bruins. A member of the original six, (inaugural six teams inducted in to the NHL) that have a long and storied history, which includes not having won a cup since 1972. Since that cup run, they have been agonizingly close but always seemed to run in to some of the greatest teams in history, i.e. the dynasty Canadiens, Gretzky's Oilers, and Lemieux/ Jagr's Penguins. Vancouver may not be an all time team, but they have been the most dominant team from start to finish. Looking at this Canucks team, I'm reminded in some ways of the 2004 Boston Red Sox. While they don't have the grand history of the Red Sox, they do share a lot in common. In it's 40th season as a NHL franchise, the Canucks have never won a Stanley Cup. 40 years may not seem as unbearable as the 86 years that the Red Sox waited, but try telling that to a Canadian hockey fan. In 1982 they made an unfathomable Cup run, but were swept in the finals. In 1994, they hit the post in game six trying to send the game to OT with less than a minute to play. In the last few years, they have had their chances and their hurdles, namely the Chicago Blackhawks, but have pushed them all aside this year. Last night they didn't steal game one, because both teams played incredibly well, but it was supposed to go to overtime. You have to think Boston had the air taken out of their sails with the game ending so abruptly, so who's to know what their state of mind will be headed into game two. The NHL took about ten steps backwards with the lockout, but has slowly been climbing back. The game is fast and physical, and at a cheaper price than football, basketball, or baseball if you're a Yankee's fan, attending a game is more enjoyable in some ways. While I question the NHL's decision not to try and get back in the good graces of ESPN, this series might surprise people with the ratings it generates. Hockey will never be on the level that the other sports are in America, predominantly because it's not an American game. Still, if you are tuning it out completely, you're missing out. FINERSIDE PREDICTION: CANUCKS IN 6

ROUND 2

Almost five years ago to the day I was showering after a Warped Tour show in the tunnels of the American Airlines Arena in Miami. Some things I'll never forget about the Heat locker room was how nice it was decorated, how big everything was considering the chairs, sinks, showers, toilets, etc. are built to cater to a league where average height is probably 6'6, and my friend Mike's feet hanging up off the ground while using said toilet. And the streamers ... and the champagne bottles ... and the confetti. That's because three days earlier, the Heat captured the NBA title. The franchise's first at the expense of the Dallas Mavericks. A Mavs team that seemed destined to finally break through had the series turn in game three on a few, very suspect calls, cue Dwayne Wade, and the rest is history. Unless your name is Dirk Nowitzki or Mark Cuban, in which case you probably think about that series every time you hit the floor. Six years later, Dirk and the Mavs have the chance at redemption. For Dallas, I think the most important thing in this whole series will be keeping Wade and James off of the free throw line. Easier said than done though. For Miami, you know what to expect out of Wade and James. I think a big key to them would be getting consistent play out of Bosh, and at least one other player. Throughout the playoffs, Dallas has lived and died by the three, have four guys that are more than capable at knocking them down, and can shoot their way into any game. Miami needs to establish another scoring source, because Wade and James together may no longer be enough by themselves. Through the last week, the question being brought up around the sports world has been who has more at risk, Dirk or LeBron. For Dirk, I don't think his legacy doesn't take that much of a hit if he loses. He's already the best foreign player ever in the NBA. He's already a hall of famer. Winning a title doesn't raise his stature enough in to the best all time discussion that his rise or fall will be that substantial. That said though, he can cement himself as perhaps the last great, lone player to win a championship. At the most crucial time of the year, Dirk has played his best basketball and carried an average team to the brink of a title. With the exception of Heat fans, he also has everyone else in his corner. Partly due to spite, and partly due to fear, I think most don't want the Heat to win a title. At least not yet. If they can win one in their first year, during the learning curve time period and all the bumps in the road, than that's plain scary and makes you think they'll be the favorite for the next three or four years. That's what James is facing. His chance to vindicate the last twelve months. To prove he was right, and everyone who doubted him, mocked him, or slandered his name was wrong. While I feel he's already done that to a degree, only (multiple) championship rings will silence the critics. Unlike Dirk, James can fully expect to return to the Finals a couple more times, and has the chance to raise his stature among the all time greats. While it's not the end of the world if he loses, the hype on his legacy is so high that starting to build it now would be beneficial. All along, I have said that the Heats biggest asset is their raw talent, and what I call the "surprise" factor, putting teams at a disadvantage as their opponents are the ones that usually have to adapt on a game by game basis. With that, I think the Heat will drop a game at home, and one on the road, but ultimately win in six. I hope I'm wrong.

"VEST" IN PEACE

Ohio State head coach has Jim Tressel officially resigned this morning amid ongoing investigations into his football program. Nearing the end of 2010, news broke that current OSU football players had received some improper benefits via traded memorabilia. Since then, the information has snowballed to include past players, free cars, cash handouts, and most importantly Tressel not only knowing about all of this but covering it up as well. Seven months later, Tressel has been removed and OSU braces itself for the fallout. Honestly, I believe this instance is big enough that the NCAA will not only come down hard on OSU, but also make changes as to how it handles future infractions. Ohio State is one of the biggest NCAA  brands in the country. They pull a lot of weight, and both their athletic director and school president are big wigs. In a nutshell, this isn't a slap on the wrist handed down to Akron. No offense to all of my followers from Zips nation. If there's one thing the NCAA absolutely hates, it's when schools try to make them look bad and undermine their rules. Moving forward, I think the powers at be are going to realize that the five game suspensions handed out to five players at the start of next year, and Jim Tressel's self imposed suspension were some what of a mockery to the system as the allegations continue to grow. Also the way that OSU handled initial reactions and penalties were laughable at best (literally in some instances as school president Gordon Gee joked, "I hope he doesn't fire me" when asked if he would consider firing Tressel). There's little doubt in my mind that even though Tressel resigned, he was asked, or forced, to do so by school officials. They couldn't let him stay because of all of the sanctions that will eventually be imposed on the school specifically because of his actions, and they couldn't fire him because that would reflect poorly on them and raise questions of why they never did so earlier. Tressel resigning was the only thing that could happen with both sides saving a little face. USC just had its sanctions of two years without being bowl eligible and 30 scholarships being taken away upheld, and that's when the coach claims to have known nothing. In this case, its proven that the coach not only knew about what was going on but lied about it too, as well as more and more people coming forward with stories that make it seem like Tressel's entire 11 year reign was tainted from the start. I think it's a fair assumption then that OSU is facing some huge sanctions, bigger than those at USC. In life, everyone needs a little dose of humility every now and then, and Ohio State's time has come. After years of taking shots and mocking other programs, it's their turn. As stated, I expect OSU to potentially be hit with one of the biggest sanctions ever seen in major college football. So in a few years when someones asks who was hit with the biggest fine ever, you could say, "That's easy. It was THE Ohio State University!"

RANDOM THOUGHTS

With so much going on in sports and life in general, I find it impossible to focus on one particular thing. So in the foot steps of Mr. Jack Handy, here are a collection of random thoughts ...

• The Lakers have hired Mike Brown and my first reaction was vomit inducing. While I have come down off the ledge since the news broke, I still find a lot to worry about. Brown is a defensive minded guy, which isn't bad and something the Lakers needed this season. Problem is the Lakers are old. Getting them to commit to rigorous defense may be very challenging. Second, and more importantly, to this point in his career Brown is a regular season coach and that wont cut it. From Jerry Buss all the way down to Joe Smith the Lakers take the court in October to win championships, not flame out in the playoffs. Some of his past coaching choices in the post season are questionable at best. How he builds and manages a relationship with Kobe may be the biggest key, and you also must account that all of his regular season success was in the East where a team eight games below .500 may be a seventh seed in the playoffs. Very skeptical is the only way I could describe entering next years season.
• As the Mavs head in to their second finals since 2006, I think everyone will remember this post season as the year Dirk Nowitzki cemented his Hall of Fame status, not just as the best foreign player ever, but as the guy who truly lives up to all the expectations of his game. I don't buy that he's a top ten player all time, but perhaps he an all timer as far as someone who maximized their potential. You know what to expect from Dirk and he rarely disappoints. In a league where it's evident that you need help to succeed, he his doing it all by himself and will probably have the support of everyone in America that doesn't hail from South Beach.
• Wilson Valdez, Philadelphia Phillies infielder, got a win last night as a reliever in the 19th inning. The last guy to do that? Babe Ruth. Go figure.
• The NCAA has chosen to uphold all of the sanctions brought down on the USC football program. After spending the last two weeks at Ohio State, it amazes me that they continue to dance around the wrath of the NCAA, especially when more and more info continues to leak out. I unsuccessfully tried to find the tattoo shop in question, but from what I heard from local Buckeye fans the place is essentially an illegal shrine to Buckeye football.
• Finally, what a week it's been for me.So far I have survived rapture, hydroplaning in a box truck on the free way, and a tornado. I wonder if they make superman pajamas in my size.