Fantasy Surprises, SS

The top 12 shortstops have all been very productive so far in the fantasy season. With the exception of Yunel Escobar and Jimmy Rollins (both have spent time or are currently spending time on the DL), the top rated shortstops have produced how they should have. With this in mind, here's three of the top shortstop surprises of the early season.

Alex Gonzalez (Blue Jays - SS) - .259, 29 R, 10 HR, 30 RBI. Gonzalez spent his first eight years with the Marlins and proved to be a productive everyday player. Over the last few years he's bounced from Boston to Cincinnati, back to Boston and then back to Cincinnati. He's found a home in Toronto as an everyday SS. Gonzalez has a .248 career batting average, so expect his average to stay low, especially considering he has struck out in 21% of his at-bats this season. Gonzalez has been enjoying batting 6th in the surprisingly productive Blue Jays lineup. He currently leads all SS's in home runs. Expect him to hit somewhere between 20 and 25 home runs and 75 to 80 RBIs.

Juan Uribe (Giants - 2B, 3B, SS) - .286, 22 R, 7 HR, 29 RBI. Uribe is continuing the hot streak he ended last year on. Perhaps Uribe's season shouldn't come as a surprise. During a four year stretch with the White Sox, he hit 80 HR and 284 RBI. Uribe has batted in spots 5-8 in the order, spending most of his time in the 6th spot. With the call up of Buster Posey he could move down to the 7 hole, where he will still have plenty of RBI opportunities.

Ian Desmond (Nationals - 2B, SS) - .270, 18 R, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 3 SB. Desmond is playing in his first full major league season so it's hard to predict how he will fare down the stretch. He's already appeared in twice as many games as he did all of last year. The Nationals are starting Desmond out slow. He's batted in mostly the 7th and 8ths spots. He has however, gotten 30 ABs in the 2 hole. So if he improves, there is a possiblity of him moving up in the order and scoring more runs. Desmond currently has a .311 OPS, a number he needs to improve if he hopes to find himself at the top of the order permanently.

Bandwagon Hopping? Not That Fun

I know what you're thinking. How can a blog that claims to be dedicated to Chicago sports babble on about the 23-26 Cubs and neglect to mention the only Chicago team worth talking about, the Blackhawks. The simple reason is that I don't know anything about hockey.
Well I do know some things, like what power plays, line changes, and faceoffs are. I know what constitutes being offsides. I also know that the Blackhawks are in the Western Conference, which leads me to question how Chicago can be considered west of anything. It's not 1818, the US has expanded. But that's right, the NHL includes Canada as well. Yes, I'm that guy that thinks the US has to be at the center of all major sports. Maybe that's why I never fell in love with hockey.
Believe me, I wish I could just jump on the Blackhawks bandwagon like half of their current fans have. But you see, I have a problem. I have many problems, but this particular problem involves sports. I need to know every possible thing there is to know about that sport before watching. This includes every team, every player on every team, each player's stats, where they went to college, what country they're from, and what their strenghts/weaknesses are.
If I don't know all that I feel lost. It's basically like jumping into a sitcom during the 3rd season without knowing any of the characters or their history. Would you feel comfortable doing that? Probably not.
I also cannot stress enough how important it is to have an emotional investment with a team. I watched two or three regular season games. Until the playoffs started I could name less than five players. Do I care whether or not they win the Stanley Cup? The answer is not really. I haven't lived and died with this team. I wasn't there for their ups and downs.
What is sure to be one of my greatest memories as a sports fan is watching 2009's Bulls-Celtics first round series. Yeah, the Bulls lost but it was still a great time because I got to see that team grow up. When you're there with a team from the start, remembering how shitty they used to be, you can appreciate it a lot more when they can take the defending NBA champions to seven games.
To only root for a team when they're doing good is missing the point of what it means to be a sports fan. Watching your team progress to the point when they become a contender, I would argue, can be just as fun as when they win it all.
Like I said, I don't care if the Blackhawks win, but I want them to. I want them to win for all the diehard fans. The ones who stuck with them through their dismal years. They're the ones who deserve this championship, and will truly appreciate this moment.

Celtics Thinking About Promoting Nate Robinson to Cheer Captain

Coming off a 113-92 loss to the Magic in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics are trying to find a way to shake up their roster. After going up 3-0 in the series, the Celtics are now looking at a Game 6 that could potentially tie the series. Celtics coach Doc Rivers thinks he has found the answer.
"I've been thinking, now hear me out," Rivers said after Game 5. "We move Nate [Robinson, PG] to the dance team. We need every advantage we can get in Game 6, so we really need to get the crowd into it. Nate's shown he has the ability to do that."
Celtics associate head coach Tom Thibodeau agreed. "I've been watching a lot of tape of Nate on the sideline and I love what I see. He gets excited on every play, even though he's not actually involved in the action. He jumps up and down, waves his towel, and hugs even his most temperamental teammates."
Added Thibodeau, "We're looking at a guy who cheers all out for about 45 minutes a game. Every once in a while we need to give him a rest and put him out on the court."
"I've noticed how tactful he is when talking trash to the opposing team," said Celtics PF Kevin Garnett, also known for his trash talking. "He specifically picks out the guys he knows won't be out there in the last 30 seconds of the first quarter, or in a blowout. So really, he never has to back up what he says."
Robinson, a 4 year veteran, has won three Slam Dunk Championships, despite being only 5'9. Robinson makes up for his lack of height with a 44 inch vertical leap.
Celtics Dance Team director Marina Ortega is excited about Robinson's possible addition to her staff. "He really opens up the possibilities of what we can do. I mean, with his jumping ability, he won't even need a boost if we decide to do a routine where he flys through the air."
Robinson also seemed open to the switch. "I just want to do what's best for my team. I think the Dance Team can take advantage of my wide array of basketball skills, like...well...pretty much just my jumping ability."
Game 6 between the Celtics and Magic will be played in Boston on Friday.

Three's Company

A lot of interesting things happened in the second half of the Magic's 113-92 Game 5 win. Kendrick Perkins's ejection with under a minute left in the first half was the precursor to a crazy night of basketball.
The Celtics lost Glen Davis and Marquis Daniels to concussions, and Rasheed Wallace fouled out. All of this led to a Shelden Williams sighting, that's how crazy of a night it was.
The previously nonexistant Rashard Lewis stepped up and played an excellent 4th quarter. The Magic also inched one game closer towards becoming the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series down 3-0.
Lost amongst all these storylines was the Magic's spectacular performance from behind the three point line. Take a look at their three point numbers from the previous four games.
Game 1 - 5-22
Game 2 - 7-18
Game 3 - 8-30
Game 4 - 10-28
While showing an improvement of three pointers made per game, that's a combined 30-98, 30.6%. For a team that shot 37.5% during the regular season, that's a significant downgrade.
In Game 5, the Magic made 13 of 25 3-pointers, with Jameer Nelson (4-5) and Matt Barnes (3-4) doing most of the damage.
Three-point shooting was such a huge advantage for the Magic during the regular season and it seemed like they got away from that in this series. They tried dumping the ball into Dwight Howard for the first two games and that didn't work. The on the ball defense of the Celtics is too good down low for the Magic to rely on getting consistent scoring in the paint. If they want to continue to battle in this series they need to find a way to create more open looks from the outside.
The Celtics don't have the outside shooting to contend with the Magic, really no team in the playoffs does. For every three pointer Rasheed Wallace makes, he seems to airball two. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are capable of making big threes but they tend to disappear for long stretches of the game. Simply put, if the Magic put pressure on the Celtics during the course of the game from behind the arc, they can build and early lead and force the Celtics to play on their heels the entire game.

Fantasy Surprises, 3B

3B is a stacked position so far in the fantasy season. You have your mainstays Longoria, A-Rod and Youkilis, as well as a number of surprises. Here's a look at three of the biggest surprises at the 3B position. (Note: This list could also include Casey McGehee and Ty Wiggington, who both have 3B eligibility. I decided to leave them off because I wrote about them in the Fantasy Surprises, 2B entry).

Jose Bautista (Blue Jays - 3B, OF) - .244 BA, 32 R, 15 HR, 39 RBI. Ignore the low batting average because Bautista has been spectatcular in all other statistics. He's leading the majors in HR, 3rd in RBI, and tied for 7th in runs scored. Pretty good for a guy who was an under the radar signing last December, and expected to be a backup the entire season. Bautista has never hit more than 16 HR in a season but don't let that fool you. Through out his 7 year big league career he hasn't receieved very consistent playing time. Now that he's playing everyday in the outfield, he's making the most of it. Expect his production to eventually slow down, especially considering he historically doesn't hit for a good average. However, if you're not in a competitive league and he's still available, pick him up and ride the wave.
Alberto Callaspo (Royals - 2B, 3B) - .306, 22 R, 7 HR, 31 RBI. Callaspo is following up his first full big league season in which he batted .300, hit 13 HR, and drove in 73. He's getting most of his AB's in the 5 and 6 hole and has been the most productive in those spots. Callaspo has put up pretty similar numbers through each month, so look for him to continue with his good season. He's especially an attractive option at 2B, where his potential 20 HR power would be welcome in a position devoid of that stat.

Martin Prado (Braves, 1B, 2B, 3B) - .314, 32 R, 4 HR, 20 RBI. Prado resigned with the Braves for a year and has supplied some good production from the second spot in the order, although lately he's been leading off. Prado has always been a good hitter, he has a .308 lifetime BA, and now he's getting steady playing time at 2B. He has a OBS of .363 and his real value as a fantasy player is for the runs he scores. He currently ranks 7th in the NL in runs scored. Prado will never be a big power guy so he there's probably better options at 1B and 3B, but for the 2B position he hits for a great average and scores a lot of runs, two areas he should continue to produce in, hitting in front of Heyward, Jones, and McCann.   

Just What the Doctor Ordered

If I was going to draw up an ideal baseball game I would have drawn up Tuesday night's Cubs 3-0 victory. The Cubs had been playing great, winning 5 of their last 7 against division leading Philadelphia and Texas teams, and a very good Colorado team.
If that wasn't tough enough, on Tuesday the Cubs found themselves matched against the Dodgers, followed by the rival Cardinals.
That's why this game was so important. To this point, the Cubs have underachieved. They have wasted many excellent pitching performances because they haven't been able to come up with timely hits. Ryan Dempster has been one of those pitchers who has suffered from poor run support. Each of his 4 losses have been decided by two runs or less. Despite a 3.73 ERA going into Tuesday's game, Dempster was only 2-4.
Dempster pitched an absolute gem against the Dodgers, giving up only 3 hits in 8 innings, while striking out 7. This was the type of performance the Cubs needed to start this homestand. I believe it's crucial for them to take 4 out of the the next 6 if they want to be viewed as a serious playoff contender.
Demspter's performance was part of the ideal game I was talking about. The bullpen can't exactly be trusted at this point, and as well as the starter's have pitched, it's important that they can go at least 7 strong innings.

The other aspect of an ideal game is for a struggling player to break out of their slump. Derrek Lee, batting just .218 and 2 for his last 15 heading into the the game did just that. Lee came up with a huge single in the 6th to knock in the Cubs first run. Then in the 8th he hit a 2-run bomb to give the Cubs some breathing room, putting them up 3-0. On the night, Lee went 3-3 with a HR and 3 RBI. If the Cubs want to contend Lee and Ramirez cannot slump at the same time, one or the other needs to get going.
The Cubs also played a flawless game defensively. The same cannot be said of the Dodgers. Two Rafael Furcal errors at SS cost the Dodgers. The first came in the 6th when he missed a backhanded stab allowing Theriot to reach and eventually score. The second in the 8th when Furcal's throwing error allowed Starlin Castro to reach and score on Lee's home run. In a close game such as this one, a team cannot afford to make mistakes on defense, the Dodgers did and that's why they lost the game.
Tuesday's 3-0 victory was an excellent display of pitching and defense. Derrek Lee also broke out of his mini-slump, driving in all 3 of the Cubs runs. For a team looking to prove themselves, it couldn't have been drawn up any better.

Overtime Thriller: Celtics-Magic Game 4

While watching an NBA game I like to look for potential "turning points." I enjoy this so much, mainly because they're purely speculative, so noboby can call me an idiot, like they would if say, I predicted the Magic were going to win this series in 6 (Which I did, by the way).
First potential "turning point" - about 9 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and Kevin Garnett pushes Dwight Howard's arm aside after getting hit in the head with an elbow. Barnes tries to restrain Garnett, but he throws him off too.
This turn of events seems to light a fire under the Celtics. They remain competitive all the way til the end of the regulation, holding off an inspired Magic team. Leading me to...
Second potential "turning point" - The Celtics are down 7 with about 2 minutes left. I made the point a while ago that the Celtics have four guys you can count on at the end of the game. Paul Pierce is one of those guys, he drives to the basket and dunks the ball emphatically, in a way that I don't think I've ever seen him dunk.

Allen follows this with a big 3 pointer, Jameer Nelson splits a pair of free throws, and Pierce drives to the basket again and completes a three point play. Pierce and Allen step up and the Celtics tie the game at 86 and head to overtime.
In overtime I'm looking for someone on the Magic to step up. Jameer Nelson is that player, he hits two big three pointers, after both teams went scoreless in the first 2 minutes. Howard also stepped up with two baskets off of offensive rebounds.
Howard had a very impressive stat line: 32 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks. He looked much better in the paint tonight, both offensively and defensively. Nelson also stepped up 23 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds. Vince Carter was a non-factor, scoring only 3 points on 1-9 shooting.
So if I had to pick a "turning point," it would be Nelson's first three pointer of overtime, which he banked in. The Magic played great tonight to keep the series alive, but if your "turning point" is a three pointer off the glass, it doesn't bode well for the rest of the series.

Looking Back on the Silva-Bradley Trade

On December 18th of last year, Mariners and Cubs fans rejoiced, dancing in the streets together, as they both rid themselves of two clubhouse "cancers." I'm of course referring to the trade of Carlos Silva and cash for Milton Bradley. Quite possibly the first trade in MLB history where both fan bases were more excited about letting go of a player, rather than who they received in return.
Last year with Seattle, Silva started only 6 games, going 1-3 with a 8.61 ERA. The year before was even worse, in 28 starts, he went 4-15 with a 6.46 ERA.
In comparison, Bradley played in 124 games last year, batted .257, 12 HR and 40 RBI. However, he did have a .378 OBP and looked increasingly comfortable at the plate batting leadoff at the end of the season.
If anything, this trade appeared to favor the Mariners for the simple fact that Bradley has had some success in the past.
Well, here we are on May 24th and so far, this has been a one-sided trade, favoring the Cubs.
Silva is one of only four pitchers who have started 8 or more games, yet to record a loss. He's 6-0 with a 3.52 ERA, and the Cubs have won 8 of the 9 games he's started. He has however, allowed 54 H in 53 2/3 innings. This has been a cause for concern among Cubs fans, especially considering Silva has allowed many hits through out his career, resulting in very little success. His ERA is also the highest amongst the four pitchers who have yet to lose a game, the others are all under 3.00.
However, put Silva's early success in perspectvie. He is a number 4 starter, number 5 when Zambrano returns to the rotation. He's already greatly exceeded expectations and if he goes on to win 12 games it will be an extremely successful year.

To me, the best part about Silva is he's making hitters beat him. He's walked only 11 batters this year. I can live with hime giving up a lot of hits if he's not walking batters. But even then, he's found a way to get out of jams.
Obviously, Silva will eventually lose a game and could possibly get lit up as the Cubs head into a rough patch of their schedule. But for now, I'm enjoying the early season surprise.
As for Milton Bradley, he just recently rejoined the Mariners after receiving counseling. He was batting around .200 when he took his leave. Many stories have surfaced painting Bradley as a victim, someone who has been wronged, rather than the wrong doer. I'm in no position to comment on his personal life, or characteristics as a person, but baseball is a business. And from a business point of view, I'm very happy with the trade.

Magic Looking Forward to Watching the World Cup

Down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic have begun to acknowledge that the end is near. Game 4 between Boston and Orlando will be played on Monday night.
For Magic C Dwight Howard, who has been criticized for his poor play this series, getting eliminated from the playoffs isn't all that bad.
"I had a lot of free time in between this series and our series with the Hawks, so I started getting into World Cup soccer. I'm starting to become familiar with the rosters and the groupings."
Howard added: "Did you know the US roster is going to be cut to 23 on Tuesday? It's a good thing we'll be eliminated from the playoffs by then, I want to see that."
Magic backup C Marcin Gortat, a native of Poland, is disappointed that his national team did not qualify this year. "It's disappointing. Especially considering our poor showing last World Cup. I wanted to get some revenge against those flag-waving Germans."
"But you have to realize," Gortat said. "I'm still European. Meaning, I'd much rather watch soccer than play basketball any day of the week."
Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy seemed annoyed at the possibility of having to watch the World Cup. "If I wanted to watch a bunch of guys kick a ball around, I'd watch game tape of our offense."
Never one to hold his tongue, Van Gundy added, "And **** my brother Jeff, who's not even coaching and gets to go to the Finals."
Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, also an avid soccer fan is looking for a little help from the Lakers. "It's clear we're going to sweep our series," Rivers said. "We've done our part. Now the Lakers just need to sweep their series, then one of us gets swept in the Finals, and hopefully with the way the schedule works out, we won't miss anything."
When asked about which team is more likely to get swept in the Finals, Rivers responded, "It's going to depend on who wins Game 1."
"You know Kobe grew up in Italy right," he said with a smile.
The opening round of the World Cup kicks off June 11th with a match between South Africa and Mexico.

Coach Mistook Rap Music Video for Highlight Reel

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, USC bench warmer Percy Miller aka rapper Lil' Romeo will not be returning for his junior season. Miller, best known for his beef with fellow teen rapper Lil' Bow Wow, played in only 3 games at USC, logging a total of 19 minutes.
Former USC coach Tim Floyd, who recruited Miller, has admitted he mistook Lil' Romeo's "My Cinderella" music video to be actual game highlights.
In the video, Miller displayed an uncanny knack for getting to the basket, strong ball handling skills, and a nice outside touch. He also is seen rapping to and dancing with 12 year-old girls.
"I take full responsibility," said Floyd via phone interview. "I had no idea that was only a music video. I guess I was just excited to see a kid who looked so natural with the ball in his hands. And did you see those reverse layups? Incredible athleticism from the kid."
Followers of the USC program questioned Floyd's scholarship offer from the beginning. Citing that Miller averaged only 8.6 ppg playing for Beverly Hills High School.
"You know, those numbers are a little misleading," Floyd shot back. "Here's a player who was playing against a lot of rich white kids. Anyone's numbers would go down."
Despite the critics, Miller believes he deserved the scholarship. "Every one of those moves I put on in that music video were legit. I told my boys to really guard me, and they did. We even had to cut a few times because I dribbled the ball off my foot when my boys was playing off me."
Miller's father is rap mogul Master P, who is best known for his founding of the now defunct rap label No Limit Records, and is credited with launching the careers of at least 50 mediocre rappers.
Asked to comment on his son's decision not to return, he replied, "My son Percy, bout it, bout it."
The noticeably confused, 45 year old white reporter asked the senior Miller to clarify his statements, to which he replied, "Uggghhhh uggghhhhh da na da na da na da na."

Baseball is a Funny Game

I get excited about interleague play. It's the one time during the season that I can fantasize about what it would be like to root for an American League team. I think about how awesome it would be to not have to watch a pitcher strike out the opposing pitcher every time through the lineup, and routinely see 10-8 final scores. This is nice, for an afternoon daydream anyway, until I come back to my senses. I watch basketball to see lots of scoring, I watch baseball to appreciate the emphasis on pitching and fundamentals seen in the National League.
Bringing me to my next point...baseball is a funny game. Monday night's Cubs-Rangers game pitted two home run based offenses against each other...in a hitter's ballpark...with the wind blowing out...playing by American League rules. So I was expecting one of those aforementioned 10-8 games.

The Cubs got their only run in the 2nd inning. Mike Fontenot doubled to lead off the inning, then Nady singled to left, advancing Fontentot to third. Geovany Soto grounded into a double play that brought the run home. And that was it for offense. The Cubs would scatter five more hits, four singles and one double.
Baseball is a funny game...Never did I think I'd see the day that Josh Hamilton lays down a bunt, but that's exactly what happened in the 4th inning after Vladimir Guerrero doubled to score Ian Kinsler. This is the same Josh Hamilton, power hitter, right? American League outfielder, playing by AL rules? Hamilton's bunt moved Guerrero to third. He was brought home by a Nelson Cruz double. And that was it for offense.
Baseball is a funny game...Texas's closer Neftali Feliz comes in to close the game out. He gets Xavier Nady to ground out to second. Then Lou Piniella has Tyler Colvin pinch hit for Geovany Soto. Literally two minutes before, they flash Feliz's numbers across the screen. Left-handers are hitting .098 against him, while right-handers are hitting .324. So Lou decides to pinch hit for the right-handed hitting Soto with the left-handed hitter Colvin.
Baseball is a funny game...Colvin hits a double to right field that provides a glimmer of hope that ultimately falls short.

Baseball is a funny game...Bob Howry just signed with the Cubs, again. He was released by the Diamondbacks after posting a 10.67 ERA in 14 appearances.
Bob Howry, the mere mention of his name causes me to turn red with anger. He deserves a spot on the list of most hated Cubs in recent memory, right alongside Todd Hundley, Milton Bradley, and LaTroy Hawkins.
Howry was absolutely awful for us. Here's how a typical at bat went:
1st pitch - Bob Howry throws 90 mph fastball belt high, hitter lays off.
2nd pitch - Bob Howry throws 90 mph fastball belt high, hitter fouls off behind the backstop.
3rd pitch - Bob Howry throws 90 mph fastball belt high, hitter either a) hits home run or b) hits double off the wall.
Yet, despite his terrible performances with us in years past, he is a low risk option, and with Zambrano moving back to the rotation, we need another righty in the bullpen. So Howry gets another shot. Baseball is a funny game...

Fantasy Surprises, 2B

I have a love-hate relationship with the 2B position. When I'm getting production from that spot I'm on top of the world, pumping my fists like Rocky while sitting at the computer in a similar grey sweatsuit.
2B is always a toss up position. You may have Cano, Utley, Uggla, or Pedroia who will provide constant production through out the season, but for the rest of us owners, we have to scourer the waiver wire every 2 weeks after our current option goes cold.
This year has already provided us with some nice surprises at 2B. Hopefully you either made a nice late round pick or were able to snag one of these players on the waiver wire. As for me, I stubbornly stuck with Jose Lopez about four weeks too long, and now I'm stuck with Orlando Hudson. It's going to be a long season.
Here's a look at three early season surprises at 2B:

Casey McGehee (Brewers - 2B, 3B) - .325 BA, 23 R, 9 HR, 37 RBI. McGehee is probably the biggest surprise so far of the 2010 fantasy season. He has been on an absolute tear. He'll soon take over the league RBI lead from injured Andre Ethier. McGehee has taken advantage of hitting behind Prince Fielder (.375 OPS), and Ryan Braun (.413 OPS), batting .383 with RISP.  There's no reason to believe that McGehee's production will slow down because pitchers will still be reluctant to pitch to Fielder and Braun in front of him. And the best part, McGehee doesn't even play 2B for the Brewers, but because he did last year, he still retains 2B eligibility.
Kelly Johnson (Dimondbacks - 2B) - .260 BA, 29 R, 12 HR, 25 RBI, 3 SB. Johnson has shown a surprising amount of pop, coming back from a dismal 2009 season. Also surprising is the amount of runs Johnson had driven in batting leadoff. Expect Johnson's production to slow down, especially his home run numbers. Johnson has never hit more than 16 HR in a season.

Ty Wigginton (Orioles -1B, 2B, 3B) - .305 BA, 20 R, 12 HR, 27 RBI. Wigginton has always been a solid journeyman backup player. The Orioles are his 5th team in the last 8 years. He's found a spot in Baltimore starting as a replacement for injured 2B Brian Roberts. Wigginton has proven, with consistent playing time, that he is capable of hitting 25 HR in a season and batting in the high .200s. However, Wigginton's value is suspect because Roberts's expected return in early June will likely reduce Wigginton's role to backup 2B and 3B.

Sayers vs. Urlacher, Round 1

It wouldn't be the end of May if a story didn't surface that seemed to suggest turmoil within the Bears organization. While this turmoil isn't exactly internal, it usually doesn't rub players the right way when former franchise greats criticize the current team.
Hall of Fame RB Gale Sayers had a few things to say, namely: Lovie Smith is gone if the Bears don't win this year, he questioned how Urlacher can come back from injury, said Jay Cutler underperformed last year, and the Bears are thin in the wide receiver and defensive back positions.
I don't want to speak for non-Bears fans, but this is pretty common knowledge. No? I think anyone who even casually follows the NFL would express these same sentiments.
Urlacher fired back, questioned what exactly Sayers knew about winning ball games, and wondered why a former player needed to take shots at the team when other NFL analysts already have.
So who do you side with? The answer is both of them. Call me crazy, but I like this type of back and forth between former and current players.
As a Bears legend, Sayers words carry weight around Chicago, and although he shouldn't feel obligated to talk about the team, his opinion should be welcomed. And despite his decline in production over the last few years, Urlacher is still the unquestioned leader of this Bears team, and it is his obligation to defend them.
So neither did anything wrong, Sayers voiced the concerns of every Bears fan, and Urlacher stood up for his team, as any leader would. I think this is healthy for both sides. I'd much rather hear this then a bunch of 85 Bears praise last year's defense because they didn't want to offend anybody.

Ultimately the words exchanged between Sayers and Urlacher mean nothing. This incident is not going to light a fire under the Bears, nor will it make them collapse under expectations. Simply put, the offense needs to limit turnovers, and the defense needs to prove they are capable of stopping offenses on a consistent basis. That's what will determine the team's success, not a bunch of back-and-forth comments.

Jamie Moyer and Getting Old

I started to feel old watching Wednesday's Cubs 4-1 win over the Phillies. The thought of getting old might have had something to do with the Phils 47 year old starting pitcher. But Jamie Moyer sure didn't pitch like he was old.
Moyer pitched 7 innings, gave up 2 runs on four hits and a walk. He struck out 7, while his changeup completely baffled the Cubs hitters. This coming only one start after becoming the oldest pitcher in MLB history to throw a complete game shutout. If Moyer continues like this, he'll be the oldest pitcher in MLB history doing a lot of things this season.
So no, it wasn't Moyer's performance making me feel old. If I'd bothered to look at his profile and see that he made his major league debut before I was born, in a Cubs uniform, perhaps I would have felt young again.
I attribute the awareness of my age to my nieces and nephew. They're my girlfriend's nieces and nephew, technically not mine, but they call me uncle, so I feel I can call them that.
At any given time during the game, one would be pulling my arm to my left, the other to the right, and the third child doing some sort of Irish jig while standing on my knees.
Some other great moments that happened yesterday: I got my hat stolen, which pleased me because it was a Cubs hat and they took turns wearing it. I got my hair combed, and butterfly hair pins put in my hair.
I received kisses on the cheek, and pizza sauce on my jeans. I had to make an incredible catch, when I realized a football was coming my way, and I helped sound out a few words from the new High School Musical book.
Five years ago this might have annoyed me. I expect a hand in my face on the basketball court, but not while I'm trying to watch the 4th inning. Watching a kid spin around until they fall over can be fun, but not in front of the TV, during a crucial at bat in the 7th.
This sequence of events is what led to me to contemplate fatherhood, not just for myself, but all the other fathers out there with young children. How do they do it? Do they just accept that the TV is going to be blocked 75 percent of the time, or do they send their kids to their rooms? Will I be able to accept this? Your kids tend to follow what you like anyway, so you can try and convince them that watching baseball is the "cool" thing to do. This approach probably doesn't work for more than five minutes, until they get bored.
My nieces and nephew will be moving soon and I won't be able to see them very often anymore. I realized that the moments you're getting your hair pulled and having the pictures they drew shoved in your face are more valuable than an early season baseball game. I'll always remember those moments, I'll forget the score of the game next week.
I wonder if Jamie Moyer has a similar moment during the regular season when he starts to think about getting old. With the way he's been pitching, probably not.
   

Forecasting the Top 5 Picks

Monday's NBA Draft lottery had the feel of one of those bad bar jokes. Ok, so an old woman, a Russian billionaire, and a former McDonald's All-American walk into a bar...
Such was the set up for the Washington Wizard's unlikely win of the number 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. The Wizards (26-56) had a 10.3 percent chance of winning. The Philadelphia 76ers moved up to 2nd, and the favored Nets grabbed the third pick.
Barring trades, here's how the first five picks will look come June 24th.
1) Wizards select John Wall. This is a no brainer for a Wizards franchise that traded Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler mid season, and whose incumbent point guard has had trouble keeping his guns at home. In the last two years, 6 of the 10 players chosen to the First Team All Rookie Team were point guards. Including the last two Rookie of the Year award winners, Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans. In a league that has becoming increasingly dependent on dominant point guards, Wall is the clear choice. The Wizards could move Arenas to the 2 to make room for Wall, and they'd have a nice nucleus composed of Wall, Arenas, and Blatche.
2) 76ers select Evan Turner. The Sixers don't get the first pick, their representative Jrue Holiday rejoices because his starting spot will still be intact. Turner would fit in at the 3, making a nice complement to Andre Iguodala. They both like to get to the basket, but with the ball in Iguodala's hands most of the time, Turner will need to develop a consistent mid range jumper. He'll see plenty of those when teams key on Iguodala's penetration to the hoop.
3) Nets select Derrick Favors. I have to admit, it would have been a lot more interesting had the Nets gotten the number 1 overall pick. That would have allowed them to draft Wall, clear cap room by trading Harris, and possibly pursue two max level free agents. Well, that's not happening now, so the Nets will go with the next available player, Derrick Favors. Favors is a work in progress on offense, however, he will immediately replace the Yi Jianlin/Josh Boone combination at PF. Favors will be a better rebounder than both of them and should develop into a much better low post scorer as well.

4) Timberwolves select Wesley Johnson. The Timberwolves will be tempted to draft Kentucky C DeMarcus Cousins, but will be content with their C/PF combination of Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. Johnson would be a steal at number 4. He's a better shooter and more athletic than Turner. Turner is a better ball handler and can create his own shot, but in the right situation I could see Johnson developing into a better pro.
5) Sacramento Kings select DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins could step in and start immediately in Sacramento alongside Jason Thompson at PF. The only thing dropping Cousins this low is a perceived attitude problem. Right now, he's a better player than Favors. He has a much more polished offensive game, including a soft touch around the basket and is even a capable mid-range shooter. Cousins will further contribute to a team that is already in the top 10 in RPG.

Celtics Come Up Big in the Clutch

Although Game 2 between the Magic and Celtics never really got out of hand, it seemed like the Celtics had a firm grip on the Magic the entire game. Then all of a sudden, 3 minutes left and the Magic take a 90-89 lead on a Vince Carter 18 footer.
At this point, I start thinking to myself about which Magic player I would want to take a potential game winning shot. I can't come up with anyone. Rashard Lewis has looked generally disinterested in playing this series (he went 3-9 from the field in Game 2). Dwight Howard came up with a big 30 point performance, but I wouldn't feel comfortable dumping the ball into him during a clutch moment. The combination of Perkins and Wallace has proved to be more than capable of guarding him one on one, although Perkins had fouled out at this point. Howard hasn't developed enough of a touch around the basket or a wide enough array of post moves to be a consistent low post scorer.
Vince Carter would seem to be the choice, they brought him to Orlando for the purpose of being a playoff force. But Carter has proved time and time again that he is not a clutch performer. He would prove this again tonight.
During the remaining three minutes, we see Carter take an off balance shot fading to his left, and Jameer Nelson shoot a contested three with 18 seconds on the shot clock. On the flip side, Rondo hits a fadeaway jumper and Pierce sinks two clutch free throws to give the Celtics a three point lead.
Carter had the chance to redeem himself with a minute left down 95-92 and missed two free throws as Nate Robinson contributed the only way he was allowed to, yelling from the bench. This is typical Carter, he's not a clutch player, and if the Magic expect him to be, this series will be over quickly.
The Celtics have four players who have proven themselves during crunch time, the Magic have zero. If the Magic have any chance of winning a game, let alone the series, someone needs to step up during clutch situations.

Sunday's Cubs 4-3 Win

Going into Sunday's Cubs-Pirates game I would never have expected the top story to be: Cubs drop first 5 against Pirates, looking for first win. I specifically chose this game because I thought we would win. The second series of an 8 game home stand, I figured the Cubs would have at least split the first two, and with a tough Colorado team coming in next, this would be a game they'd have a good chance of winning.
It didn't seem like that coming into the ballpark. Fans were expecting a sweep, wishing they could be at home watching the Blackhawks face off against the Sharks in Game 1. I'm not sure how to feel when you see a bunch of Blackhawks jerseys in Wrigley Field. Is it meant as some sort of slight to the Cubs who are playing poorly, or are these just sports fans who are supporting a team about to play a more important game?
My girlfriend and I arrived at Wrigley about an hour before the gates opened, we had bleacher seats and I wanted left field, so we waited in the already long line on Waveland. "All these people are here already?" she asks me. "Yes," I say. "Cubs fans don't play around."
Two of the best things I see all day happen while waiting in line. The first is this awesome shirt that one of the t-shirt vendors is selling. I just saw that Family Guy episode about a week ago, otherwise I wouldn't have understood how great this shirt was. I didn't anticipate spending 20 dollars on transportation so I couldn't buy one, but I will most definitely be picking this up on my next trip.
A big party bus pulls up after we've been waiting for 15 minutes or so, and out stumbles a bunch of men and women all 40s or older. They start jumping all over each other, and pull out two enormous coolers from underneath the bus where the baggage normally goes. I was trying to figure out where they were going with those coolers, but nonetheless, it was amazing to see how excited these people were. You expect a bunch of 21 year olds run out of the bus drunk, but not a bunch of 50 year olds. They must be from either Indiana or Iowa, I think, and see on the bus that they came from Indiana.
We finally are let into the stadium and I start surveying the area like a hawk searching for prey. I don't care how many little kids we have to bowl over, we're getting the best seats possible. We decide on left center, 4 rows up. Perfect seats, perfect view, and the sun is shining. It was supposed to be cold, like low to mid 60s, so I'm feeling overdressed with jeans, and a long sleeved shirt under the Cubs jersey I'm wearing.
I sit and take it all in, the beauty of Wrigley Field, I remind my girlfriend multiple times how beautiful it is, and she's probably thinking, he doesn't call me beautiful this often. I look up at the press box and wish that was me in there.

What happens next is possibly the 3rd or 4th most impressive maneuver in the stadium that day. I go to the concession stand and order a beer, a coke, two orders of fries, and a mini pizza. They don't have those nice trays like they do at fast food places, only a flimsy piece of cardboard that doesn't even have the grooves to rest your drink in. I put the beer, coke and fries in the flimsy piece of cardboard and balance it on top of the the box the mini pizza is in. I feel it starting to teeter as I pick it up. As luck would have it, my pants begin to fall down as I'm trying to hold this Jenga-like mixture of food.
I was wearing a belt that my friend got me when he was in China. It looks really nice, the only problem is it doesn't do the one thing a belt is made to do and that's hold my pants up. So I'm dodging people wiggling around, trying to not to let the food or my pants fall. I have my legs spread wide apart and my back bent like I'm about to limbo. Senior citizens are passing me I'm moving so slow.
The Cubs are down quickly in the 2nd 3-0. I think in all three games of this Pirates series they've been down 3-0 in the 1st or 2nd inning. Alfonso Soriano makes to fielding mistakes leading to two runs. The first he overruns a ball that gets right by him, the second on a screaming groundball, he lets bounce straight up off his glove, falls over, and gets control of the ball on his back. He gets booed mercilessly, then hits an RBI double in the bottom half of the second, 3-1.
It's been a while since I've sat in the bleachers, so there's a few things I've noticed:
1) Soriano is a fan friendly left fielder. He spends at least half the game looking up at you, ask him how many outs there are and he'll hold up his fingers for you. The most fun is after an out he'll indicate it to Byrd, then up to the crowd who will raise the appropriate amount of fingers back.
2) They don't have a guy who comes through the bleachers and sells beer. Instead they have two guys posted up right behind the bleachers who you have to come to. I'm assuming this is because if a vendor tries to go through the bleachers with beer, it's like Vietnam, there's a good chance he's not coming back.
3) I notice Pirates LF Lastings Milledge has a bag of sunflower seeds in his back pocket. A few times he pulls them out of his pocket and eats them during the game. I've never seen this happen but I have to believe it's a pretty common occurrence. This is Reason #562 why baseball is so great. It's the only sport that an athlete can bring food with him onto the playing field and eat it while the game is in progress.
Speaking of Millege, the insults directed towards him can be divided into the Good, Bad, and the Ugly. Points are given mostly for creativity, and coming up with an insult that would only work towards that specific player.
The Good: Hey, Ocho Cinco (Milledge is number 85), I loved you on Dancing with the Stars.
The Bad: Milledge, you're a Nationals castoff.
The Ugly: You're garbage Milledge, get the hell outta here.
In the third inning I realize I'm getting kind of red. I pull out the sunscreen, hoping it's not too late. The next five innings go by pretty quickly. I look at the scoreboard clock, it's only been an hour and 45 minutes and we're already in the 7th, still 3-1.
Top of the 7th, the Pirates have men on first and second, one out, and pitcher Ross Ohlendorf at the plate. He fakes a bunt, pulls it back and hits a soft fly ball to right, Fukudome is playing in and has to make an incredible catch diving backwards. Both runs would have scored making it 5-1 and game over. Instead the Cubs escape the inning with no runs allowed.
7th inning stretch time and Len and Bob are conducting. I still haven't seen either one of them. They were broadcasting from the bleachers this game and and I couldn't figure out where.
The bottom of the 7th and the Cubs do damage after 2 outs, which seems to be the norm this year. Ohlendorf was pulled after walking Fontentot to start the inning, then they bring in a reliever to get the next two outs. Fontenot got to third on a Fukudome single, and later scored on a wild pitch. Castro reached on an error, and Fukudome scored off a Lee single. Game tied at the end of 7.
I contemplate if this game will go into extra innings. I know my girlfriend won't be happy. I also know I'm not leaving until it's over.

Bottom of the 8th. Soriano continues to make up for his gaffs in left, singling with one out, stealing second, and getting to third on a wild pitch. Soto works a long at-bat and walks. Soto is my girlfriend's favorite player, I think because she thinks he's cute. I tell her I found that at-bat pretty sexy. Xavier Nady comes up in a pinch hit appearance and places a single perfectly in front of the right fielder. In real time, it looked like that ball was going to be caught. Soriano scores, Cubs are up 4-3.

Carlos Marmol comes in and shuts down the Pirates. It's amazing, even from the bleachers you can see all that movement on his slider. My knees were buckled 360 feet away. Bringing me to reason #233 why baseball is so great, you can get your ass kicked the entire game, and still ending up winning. We sing Go Cubs Go, Cubs win 4-3, I'm happy.
It isn't until I get home that I notice my sunburn. My entire nose is bright red, the right side of my neck , both ears, and a line right above my eyebrows to half-way up my forehead where my hat went down to. The most awkward sunburn I've ever had, I mean, I can't recall ever having sun burnt ears. I look like I'm starring in a Chinese opera. I put the free-giveaway camouflage Cubs hat on and admire the look. It's a good thing the Cubs won.

The Lakers Are Just Too Good

The title says it all, they can beat you so many different ways, all of which were on display Monday night in their 128-107 beatdown of Phoenix. They used their size to outrebound the Suns 42 to 34, utilized the three point shot 8-17 (47%), and have Kobe Bryant, the best player remaining in the playoffs who is capable of scoring 40 every night like he did tonight.
It's hard to bet against a team led by a guy who can still play effectively looking like this, but the Suns looked completely overmatched Monday night. If the Suns have any hope of competing with the Lakers in this series, these three things need to happen:

1) Channing Frye has to hit the three. Frye went 1-7 from behind the arc. That's not going to cut it, especially when the Suns entire game plan is structured around being able to outscore the Lakers from the three point line. Frye's shooting is particularly important when he's matched up with Lamar Odom. Odom disrupted Frye's shooting rhythm all game, and also managed to pull down 12 defensive rebounds (19 total). If Frye can consistently hit the three this series, he'll pull Odom outside of the paint and force the other Lakers bigs to rebound.
2) Make Kobe Bryant work on defense. In Game 1 Kobe had it way too easy matched  up with Grant Hill and Jared Dudley. Since neither Hill nor Dudley is a threat to drive to the basket, Kobe can relax on defense and save his energy for the offensive end. This gets back to the point of three pointing shooting, Dudley needs to to be able to hit the three consistently enough to make Kobe defend him on the perimeter. The Suns need to seriously consider running a three guard lineup of Nash, Richardson and Barbosa. Make Kobe defend either Barbosa or Richardson, and he will burn energy being forced to guard them on the perimeter and chasing them through screens.

3) Score fastbreak points. The Suns only scored 4 fastbreak points in Game 1. They need to take advantage of their ability to run the floor. Even their big men Stoudemire, Lopez, and Frye are all capable of getting down the court. Making Bynum and Gasol run the floor should also limit their effectiveness in the paint, where the Suns were outscored by 20. Of course, in order to start the break, the Suns need to rebound the ball better and keep Odom off the offensive glass. Easier said than done.

My Favorite Sports Hair Part 2 (Brandon Jennings)

Recovering from 3rd degree sunburns and waiting to see if I have any pictures worth uploading, I'm going to hold off until tomorrow to write about the Cubs-Pirates game I attended on Sunday. Until then, here's the second installment of my favorite sports hair.

The first time I saw Brandon Jennings was during the 2008 McDonald's All-American game. Admittedly, I don't follow high school basketball, if I had, I would have known this was the most highly acclaimed player of the upcoming college freshman class. If you're interested, head over to Wikipedia and take a look at all the honors he received throughout high school, it's a list as long as Michael Irving's criminal record.

But since I didn't know all this and just assumed he was a one of 24 really good high school players, his high top fade was by far the most impressive thing I saw all game. The McDonald's All-American game is pretty similar to the NBA All-Star game, a lot of unnecessary dribbling, throwing of lobs, 360 dunks, and little defense. You see the same moves every year, but it isn't every year that someone brings back 80s fashion.

Being the fan of late 80s Hip-Hop that I am, I couldn't help but be reminded of Kid from Kid 'N Play, and was secretly hoping that after a made three pointer, Jennings and Greg Monroe would get together at half court and start tapping feet.

The great thing about Jennings his wide array of hair styles. This season he's sported everything from the high top fade, to the gumby (quite possibly the most underrated hair style ever), to twists, to some sort of died mohawk. The not so great thing about Jennings is his shooting percentage (.371).

Even so, Jennings is an exciting player that I really love to watch. He scored 55 points in a game this year, jawed Kevin Garnett heading back into the tunnel after a 86-84 home win over Boston, and apparently has a really active Twitter page with a bunch of followers. None of this however is more exciting than waiting to see which hairstyle he comes up with next.

Report: Griffey Found Asleep at the Plate

After an article on May 10th surfaced accusing Mariners DH Ken Griffey Jr. of sleeping through a pinch hit appearence, another report has been released confirming that numerous times during the season, he has been asleep at the plate as well.

Griffey, who is batting .200 this year denied the report. His last start came on Monday. He went 0-3 with a walk.

Orioles SP David Hernandez noticed there was something wrong with Griffey from the get go. "I stared him down from the mound and realized his eyes were closed. I just thought he had a weird blinking pattern or something. But he never opened them, I kept throwing 90 MPH fast balls right by him."

Mariners All-Star RF Ichiro Suzuki has become frustrated by the lack of production from the middle of the M's lineup. "I'm on base all the time, literally all the time. [Suzuki has a .401 OBS this year]. And then I see [Griffey] coming up to bat, asleep. I know I'm not scoring."

According to ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons, Griffey's approach at the plate is typical of a player who is asleep. "He's off balance up there he doesn't look comfortable, I've also noticed he's been taking a lot of good pitches. And he's batting .200, ok, I mean that's awful, especially for someone like Ken who was a great player 10 years ago."

Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu isn't concerned about Griffey's hitting woes. "Ken was a great player for this organization through out the 1990s. For that, he deserves our respect in the 2000s, regardless of whether he's hitting or not."

Mariners disgruntled, and possibly medicated LF Milton Bradley had this to say about Griffey, "He was a hero of mine growing up and I'd never wish for this sort of negativety to be placed on anyone. But to be honest, this is overshadowing me and all of the emotional problems I continue to exhibit through out my career. I need this, man."

Griffey has not been in the starting lineup for last three games, and Wakamatsu said he does not have a specific date set for Griffey's return to the lineup.

Chris Broussard, Stop It

Yesterday I said that I didn't want to even entertain the possibility of LeBron James signing with the Bulls. I'm too much of a cynical fan as it is, and convincing myself that such a signing was possible would only crush my dreams into a million little pieces come July 1st.

Then, in steps ESPN contributor Chris Broussard. Broussard reminds me of that friend in college who's a bad influence. He show up in your room on a Tuesday night with a bottle of Canadien Club already drunk. You'll be trying to study and he's already taken the liberty of mapping out your weekend schedule for you, insisting that you can go out tonight. It takes a strong individual to ignore this type of guy, but if you're already leaning towards what he's suggesting, it's kind of hard to.

While writing yesterday's blog entry after the game, I left ESPN on. I made it through the entrie postgame interview/analysis portion, NBA Fastbreak, and the late Sportscenter. Of course, talk centered around the potential destinations for LeBron. It's one thing for them to mention Chicago, it's seems like a no brainer considering Chicago's young nucleus and ability to sign a max contract. But it's quite another thing when Chris Broussard goes on record as saying that as of now, he thinks LeBron will sign with Chicago. He repeats this on every show he appeared on to hammer the point home.

His reasoning is that it would be attractive to play with Rose and Noah and Chicago has the pieces to pull off a sign and trade. Luol Deng is one of those pieces and no one was happier than me to see him play well in the 2010 Playoffs. Not because I wanted him to play well, but because I wanted some team to convince themselves that he's worth the 6 year potentially 80 million dollar deal he signed two years ago. In the playoffs, Deng averaged 18.8 ppg, 5 rpg, shooting 46 percent from the field. Those numbers were pretty much identical to what he did over the course of the regular season. He's never going to be the 20-10 guy that everyone thought a few years ago, but put in the right situation he's capable of averaging 20 a night.

The rookies Taj Gibson and James Johnson would also be attractive trade options, especially Gibson. Taj made the NBA Rookie First Team, averaged 9 points and 7 rebounds this season, playing during crucial moments in the game. He proved to be a good defender and an overall smart basketball player. Also considering he's only signed to a 2 year deal worth 2 million with an option for 2 more years worth only 3 million, someone can get a very productive player for cheap. Johnson didn't play much in the regular season or postseason, , but did a pretty good job defensively when matched up with LeBron. He's a raw talent that some team may want to take a chance on. Hopefully they ask Stacey King who's absolutely convinced Johnson will be a star in this league.

Any sort of a sign and trade would likely involve Deng, Gibson, and a 1st round pick.

Chris Broussard, I'm trusting that you're not setting me up for disappointment. 48 days until July 1st, I've already started the countdown.

Random Thoughts on Celtics-Cavs Game 6

Here are a few of the random thoughts I jotted down in my notebook while watching Game 6.

Mike Breen's opening thoughts, "I think we've talked about Game 5 quite enough." Amen, let's get this show on the road.

Mike Brown decides to put Shaq on KG, and KG proceeds to make his first four shots, all midrange jumpers. Apparently Brown's thought process behind this matchup was to put a bigger body on KG so he would have a tougher time in the paint. Well, that backfired, because KG can hit the midrange jumper too.

I think I've found out why they call Glen Davis "Big Baby." ESPN cuts to a shot of the Celtics bench and KG has both hands around Big Baby, coddling him as he's wrapped up in towels. It was very reminiscent of a father holding a newborn. I'm looking at KG shouting in his ear, and Davis has this dumbfounded look on his face, his tongue's hanging half-way out like KG's teaching him calculus. I'm reading the thought bubble above Big Baby's head and it's saying "We're up 3 with three quarters to go. Shut the fuck up already."

10:30 mark in the 2nd quarter, LeBron drives to the basket and finishes a three point play as Rasheed Wallace weakly rakes him across the arm. I wonder if Rasheed has ever comitted a smart foul? He always seems confused as to whether he wants to foul or back off, so he just figures I'll go half-way and foul weakly. [Edit: Rasheed commits almost exactly the same foul again in the 3rd on LeBron, resulting in another 3 point play.]

One minute later Rasheed gets T'd up. That thing I said about bad fouls, yeah...

Who has worse form at the line: Tony Allen or Shaq? Both throw it up there like a 10 year old kid from India who picked up a basketball for the first time.

The most surprising story of the first half is Mo Williams, 20 points on 7-10 shooting. I think an assistant coach told him before the game that he's not in Milwaukee anymore, he can stop playing like a backup point guard.

First half turnovers, CLE - 12, BOS - 9. Close game, Celtics up 51-49. Who ever turns the ball over less in the second half will win this game.

Start of the second half and Jamison is matched up with KG. KG hits two of his first three shots, it seems like Anderson Varejao is the only player on Cleveland's roster who has a shot at guarding him.

Varejao is matched up with KG around the 6 minute mark in the 3rd. KG hits a fadeaway jumper over Varejao's extended hand. Played perfectly defensively and it just doesn't matter. What a wild card KG became in this series. Who would have thought he'd come up this big in the postseason watching him, say, midway throught the regular season? He's going to matched up against Rashard Lewis next round, that's going to wear him out on the defensive end. Let's see if he's still able to hit 18 foot turnaround jumpers.

Paul Pierce hits the Celtics's first three pointer of the game to put them up 7 towards the end of the 3rd. It always seems like Pierce comes up big when you need him to. He'll be 2-14 and still hit a game winning 3 pointer. [Edit: Did it again, another big 3 with 8 minutes left in the 4th to extend the lead to 9 and put the Cavs away].

Through out the playoffs they've been advertising this Just Wright movie starring Common and Queen Latifah. I honestly want to see this just to see how terrible it is. How unbelievable is it that Common falls for Queen Latifah? This is a guy who's dated gorgeous women such as Serena Williams and Erykah Badu and I'm supposed to believe that he falls in love with Queen Latifah, AND she helps him recover from an injury?

The funniest moment of the night involved Big Baby loathing in self pity, screaming at his bench "I fucked up, I know, I know," while free throws were being shot. He repeated it like five times. At the other end he had just passed up a wide open jumper to drive to the basket and throw up a brick. Want to take a guess which one of his teammates was criticizing him from the bench?

9:30 left in the 4th, LeBron hits back to back 3s, Cavs down 4, it looks finally like this will be the first time in two games he takes over. Next two possessions: LeBron turns it over, instead of driving to the basket, passes to Varejao who drives and doesn't get the call. This succession of plays really sums up the Cavs and LeBron's play in the series. A glimmer of hope, followed by a turnover, and the realization that this series is over.

By the way, turnovers in the second half, CLE - 10, BOS - 2. Celtics win 94-85.

I eagerly await some the ridiculous things people will say to justify the theory that LeBron played bad on purpose to "ease" his way out of Cleveland. My two predictions. 1) Someone will point out the suspicious way that he covered his mouth while talking to Celtics players after the game. 2) Someone will comment on how quickly he removed his Cavs jersey before even making it to the locker room.

Ok, I'll Bite

One thing I've always hated about sports commentators and writers alike is their insistance on blowing things out of proportion. Tony Parker gets knocked down midway through the first quarter, that must be the reason he started the 4th 0 for 4. Ron Artest grabs his ankle during a timeout, let's watch this for the rest of the game and base our opinion of his performance around this event. LeBron James and his infamous elbow...

Speaking of LeBron James and blowing things out of proportion, all of this talk about his Game 5 performance is starting to get to me. Theories of him mailing in the performance are flying and I thought to myself, here we go again, one bad performance being blown out of proportion.

But here's a point that is every bit as important as the media is making it out to be. What LeBron James decides to do this offseason will have a drastic effect on the NBA for the next 10 to 12 years. Consider the situation, the NBA's best player, potentially one of the greatest ever, 25 years old and not even in his prime yet has the opportunity to choose between a number of NBA teams. His decision will have a snowball effect on the rest of the league.

I'd always believed LeBron would stay in Cleveland but what does he have to gain from that? They're already up against the wall to an aging Celtics team, and likely don't stand a chance against a Magic team that is firing on all cylinders. An aging Jamison and Mo Williams don't look as attractive as say a Devin Harris and Brooke Lopez or a Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

All the talk about LeBron has centered around the Knicks. If he doesn't stay in Cleveland he will likely go to New York to play with the Knicks in a big market, make movies with Spike Lee, and lay down the intro for Jay Z's next record. New York's most attractive options are Wilson Chandler and an Italian guy who can shoot threes some of the time. David Lee will bolt for free agency, leaving the door open for New York to sign LeBron and another big name such as Chris Bosh.

About a year and a half ago I was watching ESPN, and there was Jalen Rose and his goofy smirk. I loved Jalen Rose as a player, but as an analyst, not so much. He gave that little cockeyed grin, looked directly in the camera and said, "Ladies and gentleman, you heard it here first." He paused and let the suspense build. "LeBron James and Chris Bosh will both be playing for the New York Knicks in 2010."

At the time this seemed about as far fetched as Jalen Rose playing for the Knicks in 2010. Now it seems like a distinct possibility and it worries me. Team LeBron and Bosh together and they win at least 5 NBA titles, probably more. They immediatley become the Magic's only competition in the East and soon enough would usurp the aging Lakers and up and coming Thunder. Plain and simple, putting those two together would not be fair for the rest of the league.

And since I can't go more than a few paragraphs without mentioning a Chicago team, Bosh to the Knicks would set the Bulls back another ten years. They let Ben Gordon walk, traded John Salmons and Tyrus Thomas, and have been giving minutes to the likes of Brad Miller, James Johnson, and Flip Murray with the hope that they would clear enough cap room to lure a major free agent.

I'm not even going to entertain Wade or LeBron to the Bulls rumors, neither of those are happening, and the more I think about them the more I try to convince myself they are. So that is the last I will mention of it. Bosh is the main target on the Bulls radar and would instantly catapult them into a top 3 or 4 team in the East that could legitimately contend for a title next year.

Amare Stoudemire would be second on the Bulls radar, who the Bulls could have drafted in 2002 if it wasn't for the previous years draft landing Tyson Chandler (gasp) and Eddy Curry (double gasp). He'd be a nice addition but I'd still prefer a more traditional back to the basket scorer that Bosh is.

LeBron's offseason decision will greatly alter the landscape of the NBA for the next decade but don't read too much into this series. It would be foolish to assume that LeBron's decision is going to be based solely off what the Cavs do in the playoffs. If he wants to leave he will, simple as that. If it's for more money or because he feels he has a better shot at winning a championship he will do it.

This Game 6 is, however, of monumental importance for the city of Cleveland and the Cavaliers franchise. It is the most important game in franchise history, and that is not blowing it out of proportion. LeBron won't stay or go based on this game, but Cleveland fans realize that this is their last chance to win a championship. This team, even with LeBron isn't going to be good enough to contend in years to come, this is their shot. I can't wait to see how this unfolds, I haven't been this excited to watch a single playoff game since 1998.

My Favorite Sports Hair Part 1 (Joakim Noah)

Part 1 of this neverending installment is admittedly a homer pick. There's nothing spectacular about Joakim's hair, it's really just a longer version of Anderson Varejao's. Joakim's hair is so great because of the way he uses it. It's like a 6th man out there. It gets in opponent's eyes while they try to grab a rebound, causing them to commit silly fouls. It frustrates opposing fans to point that they expend their energy on booing the hair rather than pay attention to what's actually going on in the game.

Little known fact, former Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro was known to become so entranced by the swaying of Joakim's hair that he would completely forget that Derrick Rose was on the bench during a crucial moment of the game.

I have a theory about Joakim's hair that I have to admit is a bit far fetched. I think he was created in a laboratory for the specific purpose of attracting more female fans to the NBA, because let's be honest, even women don't watch the WNBA. If you haven't tried this, you must once the Bulls season starts up next year. Pull your wife or girlfriend into the room as you're watching the game. Don't make it obvious that you want her to take a look at the screen. Talk to her about her day and then say "Oooh," like an exciting play just happened. She will inevitabley look to see what you were ooohing and aaahing about and will notice Joakim's hair. She will inquire who that player is and proceed to tell you how jealous she is. "He has such nice hair," she will say. "So full and curly." Even though she doesn't know what a personal foul is, she will continue to watch the game for at least five more minutes to see how that hair reacts to prolonged running and banging in the paint.

The best and most underrated part about Joakim's hair is his terrible timing when choosing to retie it into a ponytail. This will always happen at the end of the game, Bulls call a timeout, down by 1, 8 seconds left on the clock. The team gathers in a huddle while the assistants draw up the play for Vinny to call. The players intently watch the play being drawn up while Joakim unties his hair, letting it fall over his shoulder. He then shakes it around like a shampoo commercial before pulling it back into a ponytail. This image during crunchtime is most likely the last thing you want to see knowing that the ball could be in his hands very soon.

Stay tuned for part 2, which may be another homer pick, depends how I'm feeling.

I Find This Offensive

I got home last night and turned on the TV hoping to catch the end of the Blackhawks game. During the game, I checked the scores scrolling across the bottom, as I'm accustomed to doing. I see the Cubs lose 3-2 and if that's not enough, the station goes out of their way to quote Aramis Ramirez, "I am my own hitting coach."

Other than steroid allegations, I can't think of anything worse than seeing a player criticize his mananger or teammates through the media, Twitter, or any other electronic medium I'm not yet aware of. I must confess I began to think the season was over, or at least Ramirez's season. Only 34 games in and we already have a struggling superstar who is unwilling to change his approach that is obviously not working.

Ramirez is batting just .159 on the young season, .194 with runners in scoring position, and his .227 OBP is reminiscent of a backup catcher's. He's seeing an abundance of outside pitches this year, hasn't moved up on the plate, nor made a commitment to trying to drive the ball to the opposite field.

I guess I was so shocked by Ramirez's comments mainly because in a Cubs uniform he has never gone through a stretch this bad. Even when he was in the middle of bad stretches, chasing balls out of the zone, he always managed to come up with a big hit with RISP. That's the big difference this year, the focus at the plate with RISP just isn't there.

Before writing this I was prepared to make a joke such as, "Well, if Ramirez is his own hitting coach, does that mean he can fire himself?" I figured I better look into his comments a bit more, and lo and behold here is the entire quote. "I am my own hitting coach. I can listen to Rudy [Jaramillo, Cubs hitting coach] and work with him-and I have been working with him-but I know myself better than anybody. So I know what I have to do to get right."

As you can see the full quote isn't so bad. Damn sensationalist headline got me once again.

Now that Ramirez's somewhat-taken-out-of-context quote is cleared up, let me offer a bit of fantasy baseball advice. If at all possible, do not draft players who you actively root for or whose performance correlates to the success of the team you root for. I have to admit I've never followed my own advice and end up kicking myself everytime. I was able to snag Ramirez in the 4th round (50th overall) thinking he was undervalued because of his injury last year. (He was a consensus 3rd round draft pick in last year's draft). Every 0-4 is like an 0-8 for me because it kills the Cubs and my fantasy team. It makes it harder to enjoy games. For instance, say the Cubs happen to win 8-2 today, get a great pitching performance from Carlos Silva and a few clutch hits from Byrd and Soriano, but Ramirez goes 1-4 with 2 Ks. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't care, the Cubs won and that's all that matters. But now, I can't enjoy that game as much, yeah it's a win in the standings, but I can't help but fixate on that useless .250 BA.

Ramirez is too good of a hitter to go on like this. His BA will most likely be shot for the season. I think back to Jim Edmonds a few years ago, who despite a second half tear was only able to bring his average up to .235. The same will happen to Ramirez, although I expect his HR total to still be in the mid to high 20s, which is fine for this homer happy club. He needs to pick up his average with RISP more than anything. In that area he has never faltered, and can't this year if the Cubs are going to be successful.