Archive for May, 2014

WATERCOOLER CHAT: RANGERS HEADED TO STANLEY CUP FINALS, SPURS TAKE LEAD, STEVE BALLMER WINNING BID FOR CLIPPERS

HOCKEY

Empire State BuildingRangers pull out an Eastern Conference win over the Montreal Canadians and head to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years. They haven’t been back to the big game since 1994 when they won it all. In honor of this incredibly exciting moment, the Empire State Building was lit up Thursday night in Ranger colors. The Stanley Cup Finals will begin Wednesday evening in either Chicago or Los Angeles. LA is leading the series 3-2.

 

BASKETBALL

The San Antonia Spurs take a 3-2 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder with a lopsided victory Thursday night. The Spurs now take their lead to OKC for game 6 on Saturday. Spurs 117, Thunder 89.

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer presented the winning bid to buy the Los Angeles Clippers. According to witnesses, his bid for a record-breaking $2 billion, was not just a stunning amount of money but an overall better deal than the other competitors (Guggenheim Partners and a group formed with Grant Hill). Now it’s up to others whether the deal actually goes through.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: PACERS SURVIVE, GUGGENHEIM/OPRAH, MAGIC TO BID ON CLIPPERS

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The Indiana Pacers came to play Wednesday night. The Pacers’ Paul George scored 31 out of his 37 points in the second half to keep the game close. And unlike in past games, the Pacers were able to defend against a last minute surge by the Heat. The Heat is now ahead 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals with game 6 on Friday night in Miami. Pacers 93, Heat 90.

Oprah Winfrey and Mary J. BligeBids are due for potential ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers. Notable bidders to date are the investment bank, Guggenheim Partners with billionaire David Geffen’s group. Geffen’s group includes Oprah Winfrey and Magic Johnson. Guggenheim Partners has experience in owning sports franchises. In 2012, they spent $2.15 billion to buy the L.A. Dodgers. Magic Johnson partnered with them on that purchase as well.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: WESTBROOK HELPS OKC WIN BIG, RAPPER 50-CENT WORST FIRST PITCH, JOHNNY FOOTBALL IN VEGAS

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Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook played out of his mind Tuesday night and helped lead the Thunder to a much needed win over the San Antonio Spurs to tie the Western Conference finals 2-2. The Thunder’s Serge Ibaka came back from his injury to add 9 points and 8 rebounds and Kevin Durant rounded off the night with a big game of 31 points. OKC 105, Spurs 92.

BASEBALL

Daytona 500 - PracticeRapper 50-cent threw out a terrible ceremonial first pitch on Tuesday night at Citi Field before the New York Mets took on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Definitely watch this video, it’s pretty embarrassing

FOOTBALL

The Browns’ new QB Johnny Football spent the weekend in Las Vegas partying it up with the Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski. He posted photos with a bunch  of bikini clad women and then spraying champagne at a nightclub. All of this is fine (didn’t get in trouble) but people are wondering about his commitment to the Team as he was supposed to be studying his playbook.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: MIAMI 3-1 EDGE, SANCHEZ “BUTT FUMBLE” SELLS, DONOVAN MLS ALL TIME GOAL KING

BASKETBALL

James, Wade, and BoshIn the NBA, it was Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat.  The Pacers needed the win to tie up the series if they wanted the home court advantage they worked all year to earn to actually matter.  But, the Heat had other plans, and Monday night, LeBron James and Chris Bosh helped topple the Pacers and to gain a 3-1 edge in the series.  The Pacers are now one game away from elimination, and LeBron is getting very close to his 3rd straight title.  Miami 102, Indiana 90.

FOOTBALL

Butt FumbleIn some funny news out of the NFL, former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez might not be having a Hall of Fame career, but he’s hoping to get that career back on track in Philadelphia.  While he will be a back-up, he’s still practicing hard in an attempt to contribute in some way in Chip Kelly’s offense.  His career up until this point, however, is marked by hilarity, namely the famous “Butt Fumble” from two seasons ago, in which Sanchez slipped and his face went smack dab into a player’s back end.  That Butt Fumble jersey just sold for $820 to a Jets fan.  When your jersey that marked the most embarrassing moment of your career sells for a nearly $1000, that is definitely not a good mark on your pro career.

SOCCER

Finally, the big news of the weekend came from the soccer world.  The head of USA soccer didn’t select soccer icon Landon Donovan for the team.  There was outrage over this, but Donovan has kept his cool throughout.  But, he has still staunchly defended himself, saying he should be on the team.  He was actually hoping to get a starting spot, and was shocked that he didn’t even make the roster.  Many think it’s because of the controversy between Donovan and the coach.  People suspect that the coach just didn’t like him.  As revenge, Donovan went out with his MLS Team, the LA Galaxy, and scored two goals — making him the MLS all-time goal king.  It’s a great statement, but it will still be disappointing not having him out there in the World Cup. 

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: CUBAN’S CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS, CAVS INTERVIEWING, LANDON DONOVAN OFF TEAM

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Mark Cuban.jpgIn sports, the major controversial story of the day surrounded remarks made by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.  In an interview with Inc. magazine, Cuban said, to paraphrase, that everyone has their own prejudices, including him, but that we must learn to deal with them and improve them.  He said, as an example, that if he saw a black kid in a hoodie, he would cross to the other side of the street.  But if he saw a white, bald guy with tattoos all over his scalp, Cuban would walk back across the street again. 

The sports world was up in arms over this, with many saying that this is extremely offensive to the Trayvon Martin situation.  Cuban came out and apologized to the Martin family, but said he did stand by his words and the message of his interview.  He said, via Twitter, “helping people realize that while we all may have our prejudices and bigotries, we have to learn that it’s an issue that we have to control, that it’s part of my responsibility as an entrepreneur to try to solve it”.  This story will probably cool quite quickly. 

Finally, in some NBA coaching news, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who just got another #1 pick in the draft, are still looking for a leader to guide this young team.  On Thursday, they reached out to Florida’s Billy Donovan.  Donovan has excelled to the level of elite coaches in college basketball, and he is clearly someone who knows how to coach young people.   It would be surprising to see him jump ship for the Cavs, however, if the Cavs somehow land LeBron in the off-season, the Cavs become a very exciting destination.

SOCCER


Landon DonovanThe other major story of the day:  Landon Donovan.  Donovan has been the face of US Soccer the past 10 years.  He was a hero in the last World Cup, and is the signature player on the team.  He is older now, however, and on Thursday, the coach decided that Donovan didn’t make the final 23-man roster.  Many are calling this an outrage, as Donovan is still such an incredible player.  People suspect that the coach just had a personal issue with Donovan and didn’t want him on the team, but the coach defended this by saying that some players were just better than Donovan.  Despite the fact that Donovan won’t be playing at the World Cup this year, he still said that he will be cheering on his friends and teammates.  

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: THUNDER TRAIL SPURS, CHARLES BARKLEY WANTS LEBRON IN CLEVELAND, LAKERS INTERVIEWING

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In the NBA, it was Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs easily took Game 1, and everyone thought that Durant, Westbrook, and the Thunder would right the ship and give us a close Game 2.  Well, they were right… for the first half.  But in the second, the Spurs simply took over, to the point where the announcers didn’t even know what to talk about.  The Thunder now trail 2-0 headed back to Oklahoma.  San Antonio 112, OKC 77

Charles BarkleyElsewhere in the NBA, Charles Barkley has said that he thinks LeBron James should go back to Cleveland.  LeBron famously left Cleveland for Miami, and has won 2 titles.  He’s on his way to winning a 3rd.  Now that the Cavs have yet another #1 pick to couple with Kyrie Irving, they would have a good nucleus to make a run at a championship.  LeBron is from the surrounding Cleveland area, and they are desperate for any kind of championship.  LeBron is a free agent at the end of the season, and his options are open.  Charles Barkley thought that going back to Cleveland, where there are real fans, would be a great way to finish his career. 

Finally, in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers are moving very slow on their coaching search.  While other teams have hired some new guns, the most coveted job in the NBA is up for grabs.  The Lakers are casually interviewing candidates, including unlikely candidates like Byron Scott and Mike Dunleavey — guys who have not done very well in the recent past.  John Calipari and former Nuggets coach George Karl are still possibilities.  It will be interesting to see whom they go with. 

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: CAVS FIRST PICK IN DRAFT, HEAT WIN GAME 2

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In the NBA, it was the much anticipated draft lottery.  This is a huge deal for all those teams that basically tanked their season and disappointed their fans, all in hope that they would land one of the top spots and nab a potential franchise player.  There were some terrible teams last year, but only one could get the top spot.  The drama was high, as the Sixers got the #3 pick.  Then it was between the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Bucks were represented by Mallory Edens, the beautiful 18-year old daughter of Bucks owner Wesley Edens.  She completely blew up Twitter and within a matter of minutes, she had 10,000 new followers.  But, unfortunately for Bucks fans, she just wasn’t enough to land the top pick.  The Bucks drew #2, which meant that for the second year in a row, the Cavaliers have the #1 overall pick.  This is amazing.  Last year, however, they muffed the pick, taking Anthony Bennett, who appears to be a complete bust.  But this year, they will get a game changing player in either Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, or Joel Embiid.

Then, it was Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers.  The Heat dropped Game 1 to the Pacers, and it looked like the Pacers plan of having home court advantage this year was going to work.  But, the Heat had every intention of stealing home court away from the Pacers, and late in the 4th quarter, LeBron lifted them to victory.  The Pacers don’t appear to be the type of team that can win a close game.  The Heat have so much experience winning that unless you are up by 8 with a minute to go, the Heat can come back.  The series now heads back to Miami tied at a game a piece.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: SPURS ROLL OVER THUNDER, MCCARRON PICKS FLOWER GIRL

BASKETBALL

In the first game of the Western Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs expectedly rolled over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder had to play without their star Serge Ibaka which left the door wide open for the Spurs’ Tim Duncan to dominate and score 27 points. Spurs 122, Thunder 105.

FOOTBALL

AJ McCarron, the former Alabama quarterback and now recently selected Cincinnati Bengal is famously engaged to the stunning Katherine Webb. The two of them decided to ask Starla Chapman to be their flower girl at their wedding. Starla is five years old and a leukemia survivor. She met McCarron  in 2011 when he was passing out Christmas presents at the hospital she was in. McCarron is known to be an all around great guy and this certainly affirms it. 

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: PACERS EDGE HEAT IN GAME 1, SPURS’ IBAKA OUT, CALIFORNIA CHROME’S NASAL STRIP ISSUE IN BELMONT

BASKETBALL

The Indiana Pacers coach said he was tired of losing the first game of the series, so Roy Hibbert took that to heart and  lead the team to a first round win over the Miami Heat Sunday night. The Pacers now take a one game lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. 107-96.

In the Western Conference Finals, the top seeded San Antonio Spurs seemingly caught a break when the Oklahama Thunder’s Serge Ibaka went down with a calf injury and is likely out for the series. With that said, the Spurs  still don’t believe that Serge is out so they are going into Monday night’s game assuming he’ll play.

HORSE RACING

The Kentucky Derby and now Preakness winning horse, California Chrome might not race in the last leg of the Triple Crown series (the Belmont) because race officials say he’s not allowed to wear a nasal strip, which helps the horse open up  its nasal passages and get more air. California Chrome has worn the nasal strip for the past 6 winning races and his owners don’t want to mess with the winning formula.  The New York gaming commission says that any equipment worn by horse or the jockey must be approved by them. The officials in New York have the final say but it’s truly in everyone’s best interest if this horse races. It’s been 35 years since we’ve had a Triple Crown winner (winning the Derby, Preakness and Belmont). Affirmed won in 1978 and the fans and horse racing industry have been anxiously awaiting another winner ever since.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: PACERS TO PLAY HEAT, SPURS VS OKC, HERNANDEZ DOUBLE MURDER

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In the NBA, the Washington Wizards were looking to force a Game 7 as they hoped to win Game 6 in front of their home crowd.  However, the Wizards are at the bottom of the totem poll in Washington D.C. Sports (behind the Redskins, Orioles, Nationals, Capitals, and even the Georgetown Hoyas).  So their crowd wasn’t exactly raucous.  Plus, the Wizards playoff inexperience showed as they fell behind early.  But, late in the 4th quarter, the Wizards finally rallied back and took a 1-point lead.  Unfortunately for Washington, it wouldn’t matter, as they had a complete melt down and the Pacers took the win to eliminate the Wizards. They will now move on to play the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.  Indiana 93, Washington 80.

Then, in Los Angeles, the Clippers were looking to stay focused after a disappointing defeat in Game 5 when they blew a 7 point lead with under a minute to go.   They needed to forget that game and set their minds to winning this one and sending it back to Oklahoma City.   They tried to keep up with Durant and the Thunder, but those are some tough guys and they would not go out easy.   OKC pulled back in the second half to take command of the game, and grabbed the win on the road.  So we will have a #1 vs. #2 Finals match-up between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.  OKC 104, LAC 98.

FOOTBALL

Finally, in some wild, insane news out of the NFL, if you call former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is currently awaiting his trial for murder in 2013 of a fellow club goer with whom he was annoyed.  In Thursdays’s news it was released that authorities suspect that Hernandez was involved in a double homicide in 2012 as well.  They have evidence that he was in the car that gunned down two men at a traffic stop.  Keep in mind that if this holds up, then the New England Patriots played their entire 2012 season with a murderer on their team.  It goes to show you that you never really know your co-workers in their entirety.

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