Archive for May, 2010

WATERCOOLER CHAT: SUNS HAVE MOMENTUM, JACKSON HAS LIFE IN LA, SUPER BOWL 2014 TO NY

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In the NBA, it was Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.  Lakers lead the series 2-1, but the Suns are a very tough team to beat at home.  Last game, Amar’e Stoudemire was the hero with 42 points, but he only had 21 in this game.  The key to the Suns strategy was their zone.  The Lakers just couldn’t get anything going vs. the Suns tenacious defense.  But the real hero of the game was back-up point-guard Goran Dragic.  Coming off the bench, he played as good if not better than Suns 2-time MVP Steve Nash.  Dragic is a huge new weapon for the Suns, and they plan to use him.  Now the series heads back to LA for Game 5, and the Suns have all the momentum.  Phoenix 115, LA Lakers 106.

Elsewhere in the NBA, many rumors have circled that the Chicago Bulls were courting Phil Jackson to return to the Bulls.  The main idea:  He would finish up his career coaching yet another legend in LeBron James.  The Bulls figured if they got Jackson, that would lure King James to town.  But, yesterday, Jackson said he had no intention to return to the Bulls.  Jackson has made a life for himself in LA, and even has a girlfriend in Lakers vice-president Jeanie Buss.  At the same time, Jackson kinda/sorta mentioned that the New Jersey Nets looked intriguing.

FOOTBALL

Finally, some breaking news from the NFL.  It may be 4 years away, but the 2014 Super Bowl is making big news.  Traditionally, the Super Bowl is in either warm weather cities (San Diego, Miami, Tampa Bay and now Dallas) or domes (New Orleans, Indianapolis).  But yesterday, the NFL decided to award the 2014 Super Bowl to, WHAT, New York.  This is in celebration of the new meadowlands stadium being built.  However, it remains curious to see a cold weather Super Bowl.  It could conceivably be snowing in early February during the game.  Can you imagine a snow-covered slippery field in the Super Bowl?  This is pretty crazy!

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: DO OR DIE FOR MAGIC, CAVS FIRE COACH, MONTREAL OUT OF PLAYOFFS

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In the NBA, it was do or die for the Orlando Magic.  They needed a win to avoid being swept by the Boston Celtics.  This would be no easy task as the Celtics are playing incredible basketball right now AND the game was in Boston.  Well, rest assured, that Orlando came to play — namely their all-stars Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard.

The game was neck-and-neck the whole way, but Orlando maintained the edge.  Then, the Celtics marched a comeback run behind a terrific night from Paul Pierce (32 points and 11 rebounds).  And, in the end, the Celtics found themselves with the ball, the score tied at 86.  But, in a rare moment, they got clumsy with it and couldn’t get a shot off.  We’re headed to OT, and that’s when the Magic finally turned into the team they had been all season.  Sharing the ball, getting good shots, etc… Dwight Howard had a monster night with 32 points and 16 boards, giving the Magic just the edge they needed to avoid the sweep.  Now it’s back to Orlando for Game 5.  Will the Celtics play nervous?  Orlando 96, Boston 92.

Elsewhere in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers have made their first major off-season move in an effort to keep LeBron.  Yesterday, they fired head coach Mike Brown after 5 seasons with the team.  All experts (and casual fans) agreed that Brown’s coaching efforts during the playoffs were putrid and misguided.  The Cavs are hoping to bring in a big name to potentially coach LeBron for another few years.  However, there are strong rumors that LeBron is very interested in Chicago.  Further rumors have Chicago trying to court Lakers coach Phil Jackson for one more go around with the Bulls before he retires.  This off-season LeBron drama is going to be fantastic!

HOCKEY

In the NHL playoffs, the exciting Montreal Canadian underdog run… finally came to an end yesterday.  The smoking-hot Philadelphia Flyers ousted them from the playoffs.  The Flyers won convincingly, and now the Flyers BECOME the underdogs as they will take on the Chicago Blackhawks.  Both these teams are peaking at just the right time, and should give us a doozy of a Stanley Cup face-off.  Philadelphia 4, Montreal 1.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: CELTICS LOOKING FOR SWEEP, SUNS ROLL TO VICTORY, SHARKS TANK

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This weekend, it was more of the conference finals in the NBA.

On Saturday, it was Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic.  This series has been completely lopsided in the Celtics favor, but many expected the Magic to bounce back in Game 3.  Well, didn’t happen.  The Celtics completely blanketed Orlando on defense.  They simply could not get anything going.  Meanwhile, the Celtics are absolutely jelling right now.  Rajon Rondo, easily their player now, did his thing again, finishing the game with 11 points and 12 assists.  This guy is a magician out there.  If the Celtics wind up playing the Lakers in the finals, the Lakers will have their hands full with Rondo.  Game 4 is Monday night, and almost everyone is picking a Celtics sweep.  The Magic just look dead out there.  We’ll see if they have any fight left in them.  Boston 94, Orlando 71.

Sunday, it was Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals between the LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns.  The Lakeshow took the first two games in Phoenix, but Phoenix is a solid team on its home court and they intended to do some damage.  Unlike Orlando, Phoenix is out there with something to prove.  Kobe Bryant went off for 36 points and 11 points for the Lakers, but the night belonged to the Suns.  Amar’e Stoudemire was an absolute best out there, finishing the night with 42 points and 11 boards.  Wow!  The Suns rolled to a victory and now only trail the Lakers 2-1.  Game 4 is Tuesday night.  Phoenix 118, LA Lakers 109.

HOCKEY

The team from the early 90s, the Chicago Blackhawks, are officially back.  They beat the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals to sweep the series and head to the Stanley Cup Finals.  They will face either the Philadelphia Flyers or the Montral Canadians.  This should be a fantastic finals.  For the Sharks, however, they had one of the ultimate choke jobs.  They were favored to at least get to the Finals at the beginning of the playoffs, so to lose to the Blackhawks in a sweep… a huge letdown.  Chicago 4, San Jose 2.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: MONTREAL CRUSHES, WILL FAVRE COME BACK, COLLINS NEW 76ER COACH

HOCKEY

It was Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadians.  Montreal was the red-hot underdog headed into this series, but the Flyers shut them out 2 games in a row in Philly.  Could the Canadians bounce back in Game 3 in front of their home crowd.  Given that Montreal is probably the most popular hockey city in the world — that answer would be YES.  Montreal absolutely crushed the Flyers and made a statement that this would NOT be an easy series.  Montreal 5, Philadelphia 1.

FOOTBALL

We haven’t been mired in “Will Brett Favre come back” rhetoric this off-season, but you can bet its still on the minds of football fans everywhere.  Well, yesterday Brett Favre made a very interesting comment about his return.  In fact, he spoke directly to his alma mater Southern Mississippi University.  He told their baseball team that if they could make it back to the college baseball World Series, he would come back and play for the Vikings.  Sure, it was a little weird, but apparently Favre is a college baseball fan and wants to see his old school make its second straight appearance in the World Series.  Obviously not much really hinges on their success, but its nice to go through the “Will he” or “Won’t he” public sessions in a more fun way.

BASKETBALL

And in the NBA, with the Philadelphia 76ers landing the 2nd pick in the draft, they are looking to rebuild.  They will most likely pick up Ohio State superstar Evan Turner, but now they need to start over at head coach.  They fired coach Eddie Jordan after a lousy season, and now have decided to hire Doug Collins.  Collins is a TV analyst for TNT, and heading back to the coaching ranks will be a difficult transition.  However, Collins was the guy who coached Michael Jordan when he made his comeback with the Wizards.  Sure that wasn’t exactly “successful”, but Collins does have the smarts to take the Sixers in a better direction.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: LAKERS TAKE GAME TWO, RAYS IMPROVE RECORD, STRASBURG CONTINUES TO DOMINATE

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In the NBA, it was Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.  The Lakeshow took Game 1 handily, but the Suns were poised to bounce back in Game 2.  The Lakers came out with the edge, but in the 3rd quarter the Suns came scorching back.  Nash and Amare Stoudemire had off nights for the Suns, but Grant Hill and Jason Richardson were there to pick up the slack.  Then again, if Lakers coach Phil Jackson doesn’t have to worry about Nash or Stoudemire… he’ll take it.  Kobe Bryant had 21 points and 13 assists on the night for the Lakers, and thanks to Pau Gasol’s fantastic fourth quarter, the Lakers rolled to a Game 2 victory.  LA Lakers 124, Phoenix 112.

BASEBALL

And in baseball, the best team in the league right now, the Tampa Bay Rays, took on the World Series favorite New York Yankees.  The Rays have fielded strong teams in the recent past, but the Yankees always seem to have their number.  Well, last night was a different story.  The Rays got it done… in a landslide.  Towards the end, the Yankees had a chance to tie it with the bases loaded, but the Yanks Derek Jeter just couldn’t get it done.  With the win, the Rays improve their record to a league best 29-11.

Elsewhere in baseball, last year’s #1 draft pick, Stephen Strasburg, has been the talk of the sport these past few months.  He was projected to be the next ace pitcher in baseball and was scooped up by the Washington Nationals.  They want to get him in their starting rotation, but have him in the minors for now.  Well, Strasburg continues to dominate the farm system, and threw yet another scoreless game yesterday.  The day they call up Strasburg to pitch in the “Big Leagues” will be a fantastic televised game to watch.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: CELTICS HAVE MOMENTUM, NBA DRAFT SHAKE UP, FLYERS LOOK UNSTOPPABLE

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In the NBA, it was Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic.  The Celtics shocked the Magic in Game 1, and the Magic needed to punish the Celtics for it IN ORLANDO if they wanted to gain series momentum back.  Unfortunately for the Magic, the Boston Celtics are playing championship style basketball now.  They slumped through most of the second half of the season, but now look like they should be the #1 seed in the East.  Much is credited to the explosive play of Celtics point-guard Rajon Rondo.  He had 25 points and 8 assists on the night.  With the win, the Celtics take a 2-0 lead back to Boston… and they have all the momentum in the world.  This one could be a sweep.  Boston 95, Orlando 92.

The biggest story of the night was this year’s NBA draft.  There was much speculation as to who would get the #1 pick, because it could have “LeBron” implications.  The favorite to nab it statistically was the New Jersey Nets, who had an absolutely abysmal season.  Minnesota was next in the stink hunt.  But, like always, there was some shake-up.  New Jersey actually landed the #3 pick, Philadelphia grabbed the #2 pick, and in some good fortune for a franchise that is in absolute disarray  right now… the Washington Wizards got the #1 pick.  They will almost definitely take Kentucky’s John Wall, and the Sixers will probably grab Ohio State’s Evan Turner, and the Nets will either take DeMarcus Cousins or Derrick Favors with the #3 pick OR trade the pick for some interesting talent and hope to lure LeBron.  This will be a very interesting draft.

HOCKEY

The once exciting underdog Montreal Canadians seem to have lost their swagger.  Perhaps they’ve met their match against a red hot Philadelphia Flyer team.  The Canadians suffered an embarrassing loss in Game 1, getting shut out 6-0, and, in ugly fashion, Game 2 was no better.  The Flyers shut out Montreal yet again.  Montreal’s only hope is that its home crowd in Canada gives them the boost they need to even the series.  Philadelphia 2, Montreal 0.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: CELTICS HOLD ON TO GAME ONE, CANADIANS MELT, LOOKIN’ AT LUCKY WINS

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In the NBA, with the fall of LeBron, it was the #2 seed Orlando v. the #4 seed Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.  The Magic have been on a week of rest after sweeping Atlanta in the second round.  Would they be ready for red-hot Boston?  Would Boston be fatigued after a grueling battle with the Cavs?  Also, the Magic have been on a 14-game winning streak dating back thru the regular season.  Thus, a lot was on the line in Game 1.

Well, the game started out all Celtics.  These guys came to play and now seem to be on a championship bound mission.  The lead kept growing in the 3rd quarter with Paul Pierce hitting shot after shot after SHOT.  He couldn’t miss and finished the game with 22 points.  But, the Magic would battle back.  Vince Carter had a great night with 23 points, but the Celtics were able to contain Magic superstar Dwight Howard (held to 13 points) and hold on for the Game 1 victory.  The Celtics are on a tear right now and look like an experienced team that knows how to win a championship.  Boston 92, Orlando 88.

HOCKEY

The seemingly unstoppable #8 seed Montreal Canadians were ready for their next victim in the Eastern Conference finals.  They beat the #1 seed Washington Capitals in the first round, the #2 seed and defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round and would now face a hungry Philadelphia Flyers team.  Well, the Canadians have been winning with their defense… but it certainly wasn’t on display Sunday.  The Flyers scored, count ’em, 6 goals on Montreal and basically made the announcement that they had no intention of falling prey to this team.  We’ll see how this series pans out.  Philadelphia 6, Montreal 0.

HORSE RACING

Finally, Saturday marked the second leg in horse racing’s Triple Crown.  The favorite in the Kentucky Derby, Lookin’ At Lucky, didn’t even come in the top 3 in that race.  Could he rebound at the Preakness?  The answer:  definitely.  Lookin’ At Lucky showed he was championship caliber all the way winning the 135th annual Preakness.  That’s the 5th Preakness win for trainer Bob Baffert. Unfortunately though, we will not see a Triple Crown winner  again this year. A horse has to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes (in two week) to be one of the elusive Triple Crown winners (last time we had one was in 1978 with a horse named Affirmed). Super Saver won the Kentucky Derby, and now with Lookin’ at Lucky winning the Preakness, we will have to wait another year for a new batch of three year olds to attempt this monumental feat .

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: MONTREAL DESTROYS PENGUINS, FLYERS NEEDED WIN

There is no bigger story in sports right now than LeBron James possibly losing yet again in the playoffs.  However, the second biggest story is definitely the Montreal Canadians.  Since the NBA was on a rest day, hockey dominated the airwaves.

HOCKEY

# 8 Montreal upset the #1 seed Washington Capitals in the first round of the NHL playoffs.  Their next competitor:  The Stanley Cup Defending Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.  And remember, the Penguins are captained by Sidney Crosby, the hero of the Canadian olympic team.  Could the Pens hold on and take Game 7 on their home ice or would the Canadians pull yet another stunner.  Well, look at this way, the Canadians didn’t just win — they destroyed the Penguins. The win puts the red-hot Canadians in the Eastern Conference finals.  There were even riots in Montreal after the game (Note:  Montreal LOVES their hockey).  Can they go all the way as a #8 seed????  Montreal 5, Pittsburgh 2.

Elsewhere, it was the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers.  Facing elimination, the Flyers absolutely needed a win.  Well, it was Danny Briere’s goal in the second period that gave the Flyers a 2-0 lead.  Milan Lucic put in a goal for the Bruins in the 3rd period, but the Flyers defense held off Boston.  Now, they will get their own Game 7, and the winner gets Montreal.  Philadelphia 2, Boston 1.

BASKETBALL

Finally, tomorrow marks a pivotal moment in NBA history.  If the Cavs can beat the Celtics in Boston, they will have a chance at salvaging the series with a Game 7 in Cleveland.  But, if the Cavs lose, it could mean the end of hope in Cleveland.  Most experts think that if the Cavs fall to the Celtics, LeBron will leave Cleveland — knowing he can’t win a championships there.  They have been a #1 seed for two seasons in a row.  Last year, they lost to the Magic — this year they face elimination in the second round.  For all the talk of LeBron being the next Jordan — keep in mind he is 7 years into his career, has only played in one championship, and has no rings.  This guy either needs to win this season — or start from zero.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: CELTICS HAVE CAVS NUMBER, GRIFFEY JR ASLEEP, 22 YEAR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

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In the NBA, it was Game 5 of the Boston Celtics/Cleveland Cavaliers series.  The series is tied at 2, and LeBron and Cavs were expected to maintain home court advantage.  Last game, Celtics point-guard Rajon Rondo had a triple-double, and LeBron said he wanted to guard him this game.  How would that work out?

Well, the Celtics got up to a decent lead… and never really looked back.  The Celtics appear to have the Cavaliers number.  Even LeBron didn’t look like himself in this game.  He’s been having trouble with his elbow and later in the game LeBron was wheezing from fatigue.  That is very unlike him.  He was bent over with his hands on his knees which is typically the body language for “I’m really tired” — not exactly something you see from a super athlete like LeBron.  Ray Allen had 25 points on the night for the Celtics as they rolled to an easy road victory.  And here’s some bad news for Cleveland fans hoping for the first championship in the city of Cleveland in over 40 years:  That might have been LeBron’s last game in a Cleveland uniform EVER!!  Very scary.  Boston 120, Cleveland 88.

BASEBALL

Ken Griffey Jr. is under attack by the press for apparently being asleep in the clubhouse during a game.  According to media sources, Griffey wasn’t available to pinch-hit because he was asleep.  Well, the Mariners and Griffey Jr. are denying these reports.  The story has a larger angle to it, as Griffey is having such a bad year (batting only. 208) that it might be time for the Mariners to release him.  Most likely, no other team would pick him up, which would force Griffey to retire.  That would mark the end of a very long career in sports.  Fans that rooted for Griffey at 12 years old are now in their early 30s.  They practically grew up with him.  We will see how this develops.

BASKETBALL

Finally, a crazy story in the High School basketball world.  It appears that Permian High School in West Texas, the school featured in the original book “Friday Night Lights” had some excessive fraudulent activity in their High School Basketball playoff run.  The star of their team was not a High School student, but rather a 22-year old man.  It was just plain cheating, but such a shocking revelation.   They will of course have to forfeit that season.  The strangest thing is that the 22-year old was absolutely beloved by both the school and the town.  The aftermath of this should be extremely dramatic.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: ODD SECOND ROUND OF PLAYOFFS

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The second round of the NBA playoffs has been quite weird.  It’s supposed to be hyper-competitive.  After all, these are the best 8 teams in the NBA.  Well, we’ve already had one sweep — the Suns over the Spurs, and two more series had that some potential last night.

First up, it was the Orlando Magic vs. the Atlanta Hawks.  The Hawks, who had a fine regular season, have been absolutely abysmal in the playoffs.  They barely beat a banged up Milwaukee team, and have lost 2 of the 3 games to the Magic by more than 30 points.  Atlanta has been exposed, and last night was no different.  The Magic steamrolled the Hawks AGAIN.  Vince Carter had 22 points to lead the way, and the Magic essentially rested their starters in the 4th quarter.  The game was a foregone conclusion by then.  It’s hard to tell if the Magic are that GOOD or if the Hawks are that BAD.  Either way, the Magic will have to wait awhile until their next game as the Celtics/Cavs are tied at 2.  Orlando 98, Atlanta 84.

Next up, it was the LA Lakers vs. Utah Jazz.  This series was expected to be a thrill ride.  Both teams play great defense AND have explosive offenses.  Plus, both teams defend their home court with pride.  When the Lakers jumped up 2 Games to None, most people expected the Jazz to come back strong in Utah — one of the toughest places to play in the NBA.  Well, it appears that battling a hard-fought series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round has steeled the Lakers and they seem to be playing with a sense of urgency now.  Last night they handled a Jazz team facing elimination with ease.  Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant were the heroes (33 points and 32 points respectively), and, most likely, the Lakers/Suns series probably won’t start for a week… just to keep pace with the Eastern Conference Finals.  LA Lakers 111, Utah 96.

GOLF

And in some sad news, Erica Blasberg, one of the most beloved players on the LPGA tour was found dead in her Las Vegas home.  Police say they are investigating, and there is currently no known cause in her death.  Nobody knows if foul play was involved yet, but a spokesman for the LPGA tour said, She was a very popular player and well-liked and we’re going to miss her,” Higdon said. “She was a very popular player and well-liked and we’re going to miss her.  This is a very close-knit group of players and we’re saddened by what happened.”

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