Archive for June, 2013

WATERCOOLER CHAT: WILD NIGHT IN NBA DRAFT

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In the NBA, it was a wild night in the NBA Draft.

Unlike drafts in years past, this year had no clear #1 overall pick.  Some projected it would be Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel, others thought Georgetown’s Otto Porter might sneak up there, and some thought the #1 pick should be the best athletic talent in Kansas’ Ben Mclemore.  But, when all was said and done, the Cleveland Cavs shocked the world, taking Anthony Bennett from UNLV with the #1 overall pick.  They said they thought he had the most to offer as a player. Plus, it gives the Cavs an explosive low-post presence to match with their up-and-coming roster.

Then, at #2, the surprises kept coming, as the Orlando Magic made Indiana guard Victor Oladipo their star guard of the future.  Oladipo was fantastic as a Hoosier, and he will definitely help the Magic with their rebuilding effort.  At #3, the Wizards took local product Otto Porter from Georgetown, giving them a small forward that they desperately needed.  At #4, the Charlotte Bobcats took Indiana’s Cody Zeller, an explosive athletic talent that can play both sides of the floor.  Notice that the popular projected #1 overall pick still hadn’t been picked.

At #5, the slide continued, as the Phoenix Suns grabbed athletic Maryland big man Alex Len in their own rebuilding effort.  Then, finally, some of the hot names started coming off the board.  The New Orleans’ Pelicans grabbed Nerlens Noel, but shipped him to Philadelphia in exchange for all-star point guard Jrue Holiday.  The Sixers are hoping that Noel can be a force for their future, and fill the void left by the injured Andrew Bynum.  Ben Mclemore went to the Kings, where they’re hoping he can become a star, and Michigan star point guard Trey Burke got drafted 9th by the Timberwolves, but was traded to the Utah Jazz where he will get a chance to really shine.

Other notable picks of the evening:  The New York Knicks grabbed Michigan’s athletic Tim Hardaway Jr., causing Knicks fans in the audience to erupt. And, the hometown Brooklyn Nets selected Duke big man Mason Plumlee.  In the second round, the Detroit Pistons took a chance and tapped Louisville star point guard Peyton Siva.  Most thought that Siva was too small for the NBA, but he is gifted athletically, and has a chance to be an important piece in the Pistons organization.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: MAJOR UPSETS AT WIMBLEDON, BEGGING DWIGHT HOWARD, HERNANDEZ FIRST DEGREE MURDER

TENNIS

 

In Wimbledon, we’re typically accustomed to some sort of Nadal/Federer showdown either in the finals for the semi-finals.  We already lost Rafael Nadal to a first round upset.  And now, his Wimbledon nemesis Roger Federer, also suffered an upset.  Yep, Sergiy Stakhovsky took out the great one in the second round.  It wasn’t easy, however, as Stakhovsky needed every single set and point to ultimately drop Federer, but he got it done.  Stakhovsky also isn’t ranked in the Top 100.  What is going on this Wimbledon?

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t made any significant off-season moves just yet.  However, they did do something you don’t typically see.  They put up a gigantic poster of Dwight Howard on the Staples Center downtown with the word “STAY!” printed in very large letters.  The Lakers desperately want Howard to stick around as they intend to make him their future franchise player, but Howard didn’t exactly enjoy his first year with the team, and a lot are speculating that he may be headed to Houston.  Houston is reportedly trying to free up cap space to sign him, as they believe a nucleus of Howard, Harden, and Lin would make them a very successful and marketable team going forward.  Hopefully for the Lakers sake, Dwight will drive by the big poster every day.

FOOTBALL

And in the major sports story of the yesterday, after a long investigation into Patriots’ Tight End Aaron Hernandez, the police have finally made their move.  For the past 10 days, Hernandez had been speculatively linked to a murder close to his house.  Police had been questioning him and gaining evidence, and yesterday they arrested him for first degree murder.  Apparently the evidence against him is extremely convincing, as there is even a video tape  Hernandez took directly after the murder of bringing a weapon back into his house.  The Patriots have already released Hernandez from the team, and it’s very likely that Hernandez will spend a life in jail.  A shocking story to what was looking like a very promising NFL career.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: BLACKHAWKS WIN STANLEY CUP IN MIRACULOUS 17 SECONDS EXCITEMENT, NUGGETS HIRE SHAW, NADAL LOSES FIRST ROUND

HOCKEY

In the NHL, it was an amazing Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins.  The Blackhawks led 3-2 coming into Game 6, but if they wanted to close this one out early, they would have to win on Boston-ice — a very difficult feat to pull off.  The game started off 1-1, and it was deadlocked until the third period.  It looked like  we were headed to one of those long overtime standoffs again.  But then, Boston got a goal to a get the edge and the crowd erupted.  But then with just over a minute to play, Chicago got a goal to even it up.  Now it definitely looked like we were headed to overtime in a 2-2 tie.

Nobody would ever have expected this in a Game 6 of a Stanley Cup Finals… but the Blackhawks scored again just 17 seconds later to take the lead.  Yep, in just 17 seconds, the Bruins went from looking like they were going to force a Game 7, to looking like they were headed to overtime, to losing the Stanley Cup Finals.  17 seconds!!!  It was a miraculous effort on the part of the Blackhawks, and had it taken place in Chicago, the crowd may have all fainted from excitement.   Jonathan Towes won the MVP, and the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup Finals for the 2nd time in 4 years and are starting to look like a potential dynasty.  Congratulations to Chicago!  Chicago 3, Boston 2.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Denver Nuggets have finally found their coach for next season.  They decided not to go with one of the established head coaches out there, but to go the route the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets did by hiring a guy with no head coaching experience, yet a lot of potential.  The Nets handed the keys to Jason Kidd, the Warriors snagged former point guard and broadcaster Mark Jackson a few seasons ago and got amazing results, and now the Nuggets have made their selection.  They’re going with former point guard and Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw.  Shaw has been looking for a head coaching spot for a long time now.  The Lakers didn’t give him the job, so he went to Indiana as an assistant, and had fantastic results under Frank Vogel with the Pacers.  Now the Nuggets want to let him call the shots for the fast-paced Nuggets.  This will be a very intriguing experiment.

TENNIS

Finally, in Wimbledon, a major upset.  We’re used to seeing the top dogs almost every year at the end of this tournament — meaning Djokovich, Federer, and Nadal.  So, it was a shock to the entire world, when Nadal lost in the first round to the 135th ranked Steve Darcis.  Nobody knows much about Darcis, but he clearly had what it took to edge the champion.  So… how far can Darcis advance?  If he can beat the champ, could he be the champ?

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: DOC RIVERS TO CLIPPERS, 100K DRINKING BILL, BLACKHAWKS TAKE GAME 5

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The big news this weekend was out of the NBA.  With the Finals over, all teams are now officially in ‘off-season’ mode.  Free agency doesn’t begin until July, but many teams are currently making coaching moves.  One of the teams in desperate need of a coach:  The Los Angeles Clippers.  They recently parted ways with Vinny Del Negro, and were in search of a coach that would make their star point guard Chris Paul happy the next few years so that he will stay.  This weekend, they found their man.  They essentially traded for Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.  The Celtics let Rivers out of his contract, and the Clippers agreed to a 3-year deal.  Rivers didn’t want to stay with the Celtics if they were going into rebuilding mode.  Plus, many speculated that he simply wasn’t getting along with Celtics’ star guard Rajon Rondo.  Now that the Clippers have Rivers, they should have the right direction next season and be able to go further into the playoffs.

After the Heat won the Finals, they of course hit the town celebrating.  A bunch of NBA players and their respective posse’s after winning an NBA Title can rack up quite the alcohol celebration bill.  One club they went to decided to comp their $100,000 bill.  I guess that shows tremendous gratitude towards the Heat.  Then again, comping a $100k bill is not just a drop in the bucket for a club owner, so assuming the owner knew what he/she was doing.  While many drank, Shane Battier posted a pic on his Twitter of heading to Denny’s — calling it a championship tradition.

HOCKEY

And in hockey, the Stanley Cup Finals are nearing their end.  Saturday saw a crucial game 5 between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins.  The Blackhawks needed the win because heading back to Boston for an elimination game isn’t the ideal situation.   Fortunately for the Blackhawks, their offense has been too much for the Bruins to handle lately, and that was exactly the case in Game 5.  The Blackhawks cruised to a victory behind their star Johnathan Toews.  Now, Chicago is just one win away from winning their 2nd title in just 3 years.  And prior to that, they hadn’t won in over 40 years.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: HEAT WIN 2ND CONSECUTIVE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

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In the NBA, it was the game we’ve all been waiting for — a rare Game 7 of the NBA Finals.  We’ve had a great time watching the Heat battle the Spurs, but this one was going to simply come down to who wanted it more.  The Heat had all the momentum going into the Game, but the Spurs have won multiple championships and know how to stay cool under pressure.  The game started out with the Spurs taking an early lead, but then the Heat rallied back.  Going into the half, the Heat had a slight edge.  Then, in the 3rd quarter, the game still remained a tight battle.  But, when you’re playing the Heat, you have to get a commanding lead on them, because they are a very tough team to beat down the stretch.

Going into the 4th quarter, it was neck and neck, and it was anybody’s guess.  The Heat maintained a slight small lead, but the Spurs would not go away, even with some horrible unforced turnovers.  It also wasn’t a very good night for the Spurs’ Tony Parker.  He just wasn’t himself.  Down the stretch, the Spurs Kawhi Leonard hit some clutch threes, but nobody was more clutch than LeBron James.  He hit multiple pull up jump shots that kept falling, putting the daggers into the Spurs hearts.  Down by four, the Spurs had a chance to make a clutch play with about 20 seconds left, but Manu Ginobili turned the ball over and that was all she wrote.

The Heat won their 2nd consecutive NBA Championship, and LeBron James won his second straight Finals MVP trophy.  So now LeBron has 2 titles, 4 MVP trophies, and 2 Finals MVP trophies.  If he would have lost this game, he likely would have been removed from the “Is he as good as Jordan?” conversation.  But since he won, the debate continues, and it’s very likely that the Heat will go for a 3-peat — something that hasn’t been accomplished since the Lakers did it in the early part of the last decade.  LeBron has officially silenced all his critics, and has a lot more in the tank going forward.   Miami 95, San Antonio 88.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: BLACKHAWKS MUCH NEEDED WIN GAME 4, TRADE RUMORS, GAME 7 NBA FINALS TONIGHT

HOCKEY

It was a pivotal Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins.  Both of these teams won championships in the past 3 years, and both eagerly want a second.  Boston came into the series with a 2-1 lead, and all of these games have been absolutely riveting.  Overtime matches, incredible goals, and basically everything you would want in a hockey match.  So who would take this one?  The Blackhawks jumped out to a 2 goal lead, but the Bruins came back to tie it at 4.  Then the Blackhawks scored again and the Bruins fans started to lose hope.  But then a clutch, amazing slap shot from the Bruins Johnny Boychuk tied the game and sent it to overtime.  Then, in overtime, a beautiful goal from Brent Seabrook gave the Blackhawks the much-needed win.  Chicago 6, Boston 5.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, everybody is speculating now that both Los Angeles stars Dwight Howard (Lakers) and Chris Paul (Clippers) will be on a different team next year.  They have both been included in a lot of trade talks, or in Paul’s case, free agent talks in which people have Paul going to the Mavericks, Knicks, or even the Lakers.  Howard, on the other hand, has been rumored to possibly be putting on a Clippers jersey next year.  But yesterday, on the sports radio show Mason & Ireland, Kobe Bryant put in his two cents.  His opinion:  That when all is said in done, both Howard and Paul will stay exactly where they are.  Sure, it’s just an opinion, but you have to assume Kobe knows a little more than most about what’s going on in those players minds.

Finally, tonight is a much anticipated and rare Game 7 of the NBA Finals.  The Spurs put every ounce of energy they had on the floor for Game 6.  They had a 16-point lead and they let the Heat come back and win the game.  That’s enough to lose all motivation to do it again for Game 7.  Everybody is counting the Spurs out for this one, assuming that the Heat have the fire power and all the momentum right now.  Will the Spurs shock the world and take the game?  Either way, there is video evidence that many Heat fans actually gave up on the team in Game 6 and were leaving the stadium.  Heat center Chris Bosh had some words for those fans… “Stay home for Game 7”.  The fans that left definitely missed one of the best finishes in NBA Finals history.  And Game 7 is a must-see event tonight.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: HEAT HOLD ON TO FORCE GAME 7 SHOWDOWN, PATRIOT’S HERNANDEZ QUESTIONED FOR HOMICIDE, RIOTING IN BRAZIL

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, it was Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat.  This one was do-or-die for the Heat.  Lose, and their spectacular season in which they went on a 27-game win streak, was over.  The Spurs were red hot coming into the game, and they intended to put every ounce of energy they had on the floor because a Game 7 on Miami’s home court isn’t a situation they wanted to face.  It looked like things were working out for the Spurs, as they generated a 16-point lead in the 3rd quarter, but then the Heat came surging back.  Except, in the final few minutes of the 4th quarter, it looked the Spurs had it.  They led by 5 with just over a minute to play, and the Heat appeared to be fatigued.  Then, it happened, as LeBron turned on the magic with a remarkable 3-point shot to keep them in it.  Then, Ray Allen sunk a pristine 3-pointer with just seconds to go to tie the game.  That’s the exact reason why they signed him in the off-season — for that exact shot.  The game went to overtime, and the Heat just had the extra muscle needed to take the game and force a Game 7 on Thursday.  That game is an absolute can’t-miss.  Miami 103, San Antonio 100.

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, some strange news out of the Patriots camp where their star tight end Aaron Hernandez was questioned about a possible affiliation in a homicide. There aren’t too many details at this time, but the man who was killed was said to be an “associate” of Hernandez.  The police searched the tight end’s house, but at this point the case is still in the investigative stages.  The Patriots already have a problem with Rob Gronkowski possibly out for a part of the season.  If they lost their other tight-end Hernandez as well due to legal reasons, they would have a serious hole at that position.

SOCCER

Finally, in soccer news, there was rioting in Brazil Tuesday surrounding the World Cup.  While everybody loves the World Cup for its importance in the sporting world, and especially for the amount of money it can bring a country, not everyone sees things the same way.  Even in Brazil, where soccer is a religion.  Brazilians took to the streets to protest their disgust in how much money was being spent on new stadium construction for the upcoming vote.  While the Brazilian economy is on the rise, the country still boasts a huge borderline poverty class.  Those people don’t like seeing all those dollars go into glamour projects while they’re struggling to eat and pay the bills.  There is a good chance that there will be more riots in the coming year.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: SPURS TAKE GAME 5, KIDD NEW HEAD COACH OF NETS, DWIGHT HOWARD TRADE RUMOR

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In the NBA, it was the crucial Game 5 of the Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.  The series was tied at 2 games a piece, and the Spurs desperately needed to have the series lead with the contest heading back to Miami.  This was their last home game, and they were going to make it count.  Even their best player Tony Parker said that he was playing through an injury right now that he would typically take 10 days off for during the regular season.  He said that if he gets hurt, then that’s life.  The game was basically Spurs the whole way.  The Heat showed flashes of coming back, but this was the last home game of the season for the Spurs and they were going to make sure their fans left happy.  The Spurs cruised at the end, and are now one game away from winning the NBA Championship.  But you simply can not count out LeBron James.  Expect him to be an absolute monster in Game 6.  San Antonio 114, Miami 104.

Elsewhere in the NBA, it’s official, as the Brooklyn Nets have hired Jason Kidd (pictured with wife Porschia) as their new head coach.  Kidd was only retired for a few days before he said that he wanted the head coaching position on the team that turned him into a franchise player.  Having a guy like Kidd who the players will immediately respect could be the creative answer that the Nets need.  However, Kidd will have to gel with the Nets star point guard Deron Williams.  Williams has a reputation for being a hot head sometimes, and it’s uncertain whether Kidd will be able to get him to listen.  The Nets also need to make a few off-season moves to bolster their bench, but Kidd should have some helpful input that will steer the organization in the right direction.

Finally in the NBA, there is a major trade rumor in the works.  It’s being discussed that the Celtics may send their head coach Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett to the Clippers in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Jordan and some draft picks.  However, there is also another very intriguing rumor out there.  It’s also being reported that the Clippers may do a sign-and-trade with the Lakers in which the Lakers sign Dwight Howard to a max deal and flip him to the Clippers in exchange for Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe.  These would obviously be significant moves that would make both teams extremely interesting next season.  But, at this point, it’s all still just in the rumor mill.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: HEAT TIE UP SERIES

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The Miami Heat are not dead yet. They are now tied 2-2 with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. After the last game, everyone was talking about the Heat getting overpowered by the Spurs and how their chances of winning were diminishing. Now, the Championship is up for grabs. With big performances by the Heat’s all star players, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade, the Heat soared to a 109-93 victory. Game 5 is on Sunday 8:00 pm.

 

 

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: SPURS THROTTLE HEAT IN GAME 3, USA MUST WIN IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER, RGIII RECOVERING

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, it was Game 3 of the Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.  The series was tied at a game a piece, but the Spurs are very tough to beat in front of a raucous home crowd.  The Heat got off to a very slow start, and then the Spurs started raining threes.  It was as if Tony Parker(formerly wed to Eva Longoria), Danny Green, and especially Gary Neal couldn’t miss.  When you can’t guard the Spurs from the 3-point line, they are basically unbeatable.  The Heat stayed in the game only because Mike Miller was also automatic from beyond the arc, but in the 4th quarter, the Spurs absolutely throttled the Heat.  In fact, it didn’t even look like the Heat — you would think that the Spurs were playing the Charlotte Bobcats out there.  The Spurs now lead 2-1 with Game 4 looming on Thursday night.  San Antonio 113, Miami 77.

SOCCER

USA had a must-win World Cup qualifying game.  They have looked good as of late, but needed a win against Panama.  Fortunately, they continued their hot streak with Josey Altidore leading the way to a successful win.  With the win, the U.S. can breathe easy, but they still have a long road to qualifying for the Cup.  The U.S. has something to prove in the next World Cup, and hopefully they can continue to gel.  U.S. 2, Panama 0.

FOOTBALL

Finally, in the NFL, all eyes are on Robert Griffin III in the off season.  He was one of the most interesting players to watch in the entirety of the league last year.  Unfortunately, in the Redskins game against the Seahawks, they lost RG3 to an ACL tear.  Many blamed coach Mike Shanahan for the injury, as they thought Griffin had no business being out there.  But RG3 is making tremendous strides toward getting back into playing shape.  And Tuesday, Griffin was seen running explosive sprints.  This is remarkable considering that a projected recovery time is 7-9 months, while Griffin is only in month 6.  Then again, RG3 is not just an ordinary guy, he’s practically Superman.

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