NO MISTAKE ABOUT BLAKE

This past Saturday I had my first chance to see Blake Griffin in person, and I can say I had two sporting firsts. One, I was actually fully engrossed in a Clippers game for the first time ever. This a team that my old youth groups used to buy $5 seats for and be sitting twenty five rows from the court midway through the second quarter. Second. I have never been more attentive to one individual athlete than Griffin. The man is all that he is advertised to be and it's impossible to take your eyes off him. One second he is running the floor to get in an offensive position, the next he's cocking back a thunderous alley-oop dunk with his off hand, five feet from the basket no less. Certain things like his playing at 100 miles an hour, sophisticated knowledge of the game, and thunderous dunks are done no justice on tv. Same for an opposing player on Saturday, Rajon Rondo, whose speed, court vision, and general swagger don't translate as well to watching from home as it does live. Rest assure his jump shot is just as bad in person though. Few players are truly worth the price of admission, but Griffin has joined the elite in that regard. The scariest part -- he's only 22. His athletic abilities may peak soon, but his understanding for the game can only improve. With so much room to grow, Griffin is sure to be a showstopper for years to come.

DUNK YOU VERY MUCH

Late last month I made note of how bad the NFL Pro Bowl is. Fast forward to last weekend, and you see what an All Star weekend should be all about. An entire weekend of showmanship and fan involvement that ends with a game that's as entertaining to watch as it is competitive. But the big thing here is the entertainment value -- and that's what Demar Derozan is missing. Yesterday Derozan said he wouldn't do another dunk contest if it was going to be another "prop contest," referring to other contestants dunking on two baskets, grabbing a stuffed animal off the rim with their teeth, or jumping over a car. Problem for Derozan is, re read that last sentence and tell me you're not intrigued to see any of that if you haven't already. Granted some of the dunks weren't that impressive, (I would guess there are at least 30 NBA players that could jump the hood of a car and dunk a ball) but the entertainment value is through the roof. At the end of the day, that's what All Star weekend is all about. That said though, the judging during these contests has always been questionable and somewhat bias. If Derozan is truly sincere in his comments that he put a lot time in to practicing his dunks without any gimmicks, than that's what he should be questioning. I must also admit that it is somewhat refreshing to hear a star athlete say that he honestly put a lot of effort in to what essentially is an exhibition. Still you cant deny the facts. While not being the best dunk contest ever, it may have been the most entertaining one, and yielding the highest ratings ever is proof. Derozan ended his critical comments with thoughts about how ridiculous the contest will become and that it may go as far as involving trampolines. Sorry Demar, but that would be AAAWWWEEESSSOOOMMMEEE!

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

"Carmelo Watch 2010 - 2011" is finally over. After about 8 long months of back and forth negotiations, Anthony finally gets his ultimate wish and is headed home to New York. Some say the Knicks gave up too much for a team that doesn't do anything for them this year. While that may be true, I don't think that ever was their intent. The Knicks never were an East favorite this year for the Finals to begin with, so it's not like they were breaking up a championship team by making the trade. Anytime you can get a proven player of Carmelo's caliber, more times than not you have to do it despite the cost. Speaking of the cost, the Knicks may have got Carmelo cheaper by trading for him and getting him to agree to a contract extension then they would have had they just acquired him as a free agent this summer, which would be a big bonus. Finally the 'X' factors. One, they keep Fields who has been outstanding as a rookie, and can only get better. Two, although a lot of their success this year was due to Raymond Felton's play, Chauncey Billups is no slouch. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he had inspired play the rest of the season, and all of his post season experience will be a huge lift to the team when it comes time to contend for a title. Of course there are some downsides: losing Felton and Gallinari especially, and how an aging Billups will keep up with D'Antoni's fast style of play. But there are always some downsides. For now, the city of New York should be rejoicing. In 10 short months they have gone from irrelevant to possible contender, and Isiah Thomas is still no where to be seen. That alone deserves a parade.

MAD GENIUSES

The committee behind March Madness has done it again. What was already the most exciting playoff showcase in sport just got better. With so many games happening at once, there's always a buzzer beater or an OT situation looming that either means cutting away from a current game, or missing it live and having to see it on replay somewhere else. The only solutions being to live with it or invest in about five more televisions. As of Friday, the NCAA has said no more. All games will now be effectively staggered across three different stations to increase viewership, and cut down significantly on games cutting in to others. Brilliant. Simply put, they get it. They get the mass entertainment value that millions of people take away from what may be the greatest month of sport, and do everything they can to maximize it. Where NCAA Football poo poos a playoff, NCAA Basketball has extended theirs. Where other sports have changes to the game or system that take months of talking and years to be put in to affect, NCAA Basketball has taken the initiative to make quick and timely decisions that better the game now. They realize what they have is special and go to a lot of effort to preserve that. It shows and should be commended. So this Buds for you "Men of the Madness", for always keeping the fans best interest in mind and turning out the best product possible because of it. Now if only they could find a way to have Gus Johnson to announce every game.

MADE TO BE BROKEN

Records are a part of sports as much as anything else. Score keepers today now keep a meticulous record of every stat that could seemingly be compiled into a noteworthy collection. Such as most wins for a major league pitcher in MLB history on Tuesdays, or a teams lifetime record playing a division rival on the second night of a back to back. You know, the important stuff. Every now and then though a record worth noting is broken, and this week the NBA was witness to three. The Cleveland Cavaliers set the new benchmark of futility, not just for basketball but all four major sports, with 26 straight losses and counting. Jerry Sloan stepped down last night as the Jazz head coach after 23 years. The longest, consecutive tenure by one coach for one team. Lastly, Ray Allen surpassed Reggie Miller as the all time three point leader. What's really special about all of these records though, is that they are near the untouchable status. Something that you will never see again. One could argue that it's almost harder to lose as many games in a row as the Cavs have then to win 85% of the games in the same stretch. The way the leagues run now, coaches are always on the chopping block unless title's are pouring in. Sloan's coaching streak may be the safest of all three. Two key things to remember about Allen's three point record: he's about 800 makes in front of the third guy (Jason Kidd), and he's still playing. By the time he's done he could be right around 3,000 3PT made which not only would require the right type of player, but one that would also have to expect to play for close to 20 years. A very long time for any pro athlete. Now I'm not saying these are at the top of the records list. Those are reserved for only the most improbable of records. If I could pick two as examples that I'd wager never broken: Joe Dimaggio's hitting streak, and Brett Favre's consecutive starts streak. These are examples of records that defy the odds, and in Dimaggio's case, the test of time. However, they say records are made to be broken. They never said it would be easy though.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Last weekend I had an open invite to get you the reader to suggest topics I could do research on and write about. The floor was open to all areas of sport, and I got a few interesting topics (i.e. "Patrick Ewing's Tape Job" -- you can google it for yourself). One in particular stood out though. Poker. Not poker in general, but California poker. Where did it find its beginnings, its legality, etc. After some initial research, the answers are a little more indirect than you would first think. So look for the inaugural edition of our new series, "Finer's Findings" next week with the first edition, "Finer's Findings: Card Rush"

25 TO LIFE

Every year there's a team in every sport. A team that sets the benchmark for futility. With that futility usually comes some impressive streaks for better or worse, usually the latter in this case. This NBA season, we have been lucky enough to have two streaks of this nature. As of today, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost 25 straight games. Meanwhile the Washington Wizards have lost 25 straight road games. In other words, they haven't won a game all year away from the friendly confines of our nation's capitol. So what's worse? Naturally losing every game is demoralizing, but the answer doesn't seem that easy. At least not to me. Mainly for the reason that, for the majority of the season, the Wizards have been healthy and actually play teams pretty tough. In comparison the Cavs have been decimated by injuries and the loss of Lebron. So on one hand you have a team with no identity in the midst of a historical struggle, and on the other a team at full strength that can't get a win on the road, even with their best product on the floor. Push come to shove I'd say the streak in Cleveland is much worse, but it's a lot closer than one might think. Either way, these teams meet in Cleveland in about a week, and one of these impressive feats of woe will mercifully come to an end. I'm still hoping they play to a tie.

SOMEWHERE IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY ...

Somewhere in a third world country, boxes of Pittsburgh Steeler championship gear should soon be arriving. That's because the Green Bay Packers are champions once again. Those in the steel city shouldn't feel too bad though -- after all they were far from the worst thing Sunday night in Dallas. Here are the grades, best to worst, for all of the major aspects of the game.

Aaron Rodgers: A+

Let me be the first to apologize to this man. A few weeks ago I wrote that he was still behind Kevin Durant in terms of  who was the bigger first pick snub in their respective drafts. No more. Let me officially be the next person to jump aboard this man's band wagon. Rodgers had close to 10 throws that left me saying the same thing each time. "How the fuck did he fit that in there?" (That's what she said) The man made every throw, and had his receivers caught them all this game would have been a rout. Rodgers has officially left everyone saying "Brett Who?"

Prop Bets: A-

I realize 3 for 4 would actually be equivalent to a grade "C," but I have to give myself more credit than that. Christina Aguilera holding 'brave' during the anthem for longer than six seconds? Check. Heads for the coin flip? Check. The game total going over 44? Check. If only the Gatorade had been lemon-lime like you'd expect from a team who's colors are yellow and green, this may have gone ahead of Aaron Rodgers.

Green Bay Packers: A-

A few more catches from the wide receivers, and this performance may have been an all time best. The two biggest individuals that were keys to success for the Steelers going into the game, Paulamalu and Mendenhall, were both non existent in large part to the Packers schemes on both sides of the ball coming in. All the credit in the world to a team that lost its veteran captains on both sides of the ball and still found a way to get the win.

The Super Bowl: B-
Everything about the game just came off as good not great, with the exception of Rodgers' play and the stadium itself. There was a little excitement near the end, but it was very short lived. No big plays. No holy shit moments (think Tyree's catch against the Pats, or the Saints onside kick last year). The crowd sounded good over TV, but throw in terrible weather and an apparent seating snafu, and the whole things just comes off as so-so.

Pittsburgh Steelers: C
Credit the Steelers for getting back in the game, and at least playing well enough to have a chance at taking a late lead a la Super Bowl XLIII. Yet with the clock coming up to the two minute mark, and the Steelers having just taken a terrible penalty, I never got the sense that they could do it again. Their play was flat and uncharacteristic, especially being on the losing end of the turnover game. Ultimately what surprised me most was how little the run game was used which should have been a big advantage, and the lack of "it's the f***** Super Bowl" type mentality with the play calls. Unless you count that ridiculous field goal attempt.

Commercials: D+
You know what I would do with a few million dollars? A lot more than the big wigs in marketing departments across the country did with those commercials, that's what. Doritos had some solid entries but nothing great. Every other commercial seemed like a boring 30 second clip of a movie coming out 3+ months from now. Why CareerBuilder ever went away from the "Working with Monkeys" scenario is absurd, but it was clearly the cream of the crop, and I also liked the "Darth Vader Kid" car commercial. Nothing will ever be funnier than monkeys dressed in suits and driving cars. Nothing.

Entertainment: F-
Christina Agulera made me money, but also forgot the words. Oops. The girl who sang before her looked like she was in pain. And then there's Fergie, and whatever the hell you want to call that halftime show. At least there wont be any accusations of lip syncing, because nothing could hide how awful everything sounded. The dancers on the field weren't completely in formation, and even the stage lighting didn't work as evident of the angled part of the 'V' being burnt out. I'm all for the halftime show getting younger and more lively, but this was bad. If Fergie is indeed "So three thousand and eight," I wish she would just move there and leave the rest of us alone.

Once again, congrats to the Packers. I'm already looking forward to next year when the trophy is being presented in knee deep snow in downtown Indianapolis.

THEY SAY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG

Everyone here at The Finerside would like to take a little time today to remember a true sports icon. Of course I am talking about channelsurfing.net. When it came to illegal sport streams, channel surfing was king. Pro sports, check. College sports, check. Pay per views, check. Essentially almost any sporting event going on that day could expect to be seen in all of its glory in this one, ideal location.My favorite being live feeds of The National Curling Association. Load channel surfing now, (click HERE to see the bad news for yourself) and you are greeted with a rather harsh message from our friends at Homeland Security. In their writing they speak of wrong doing and punishment. For what? Those behind channel surfing brought nothing but joy and laughter. Not everyone has Direct TV, extra money for RedZone, or wants to shell out $100 for Wrestlemania. No matter, because channel surfing used to have our backs. Now it's gone. There's hurt in my heart, and Homeland Security put it there. So here's a toast to the fine people at channel surfing wherever they are, (I'd guess on the run or in jail) and all of the enjoyment they have brought over the years. I spent countless hours watching otherwise unattainable sports from the comfort of my own home, or yelling at my computer to buffer faster so I don't miss anything, and I owe it all to their continued acts of bravery. Homeland Security has there fun ogling hot chicks in those new airport scanners, so why'd they have to take ours away? There's a Blackpool v. Leeds Utd. Premiere League game in 20 minutes and I can't watch -- Thanks a lot.

The title of this post isn't even a title. It's an answer. An answer to some people questioning this week if a NFL team in L.A. would be bigger than the Lakers. Not a chance. At least not in this lifetime. So many things would have to happen on and off the field first before a reasonable argument could be made. On the field, you have to have a winner. The Lakers are one of the NBA's crown jewels (the other being the Celtics), that's a culmination of decades of tradition, great players, and a lot of success. Things that don't happen over night. Assuming we get a brand new expansion team, its safe to say you would have to allow about 5 years before the team was any good. If a team was moved to L.A., the wins may come quicker but you have to wonder how the fans would take to the team. Off the field, the challenges are tougher. Recent generations grew up with no football, or small stints with the Rams and Raiders. As a result, everyone has had a chance to claim a team. Where most teams have the benefit of their fans coming to them, any L.A. team would have to work twice as hard to impose themselves on the potential fan base. In addition, it would take a few generations of fans before you actually had a truly devoted following. Then there's the Lakers themselves. Say what you want about them, but they are truly the one team in the NBA that doesn't stay down for long. To think that they would be bad enough, or field a team that with no marketable players, for any period of time long enough for football to catch up is inconceivable. Ultimately, if football in L.A. wanted to be top dog they would have to take it -- take it from Jerry Buss's cold, dead hands.