No Answer?

The Kufere Laing Lounge

As a small, skinny 6-0 guard Allen Iverson captured the attention of basketball fans around the world for a decade. Mixing a genuine, funny persona with a great handle, explosive hops, and an unique style Iverson was seemingly everyones favorite player. Playing in a league that encourages imitation and consequently comparison (seriously how many next Jordan's/Magic's/Isiah's have we seen) Iverson was different, a first. It wasn't that he was such a great scorer, it was how he scored. Fade aways over taller defenders, floaters in the lane, finishing over 7 footers, step back 3's, god awful shots that somehow managed to drop, and who could forget his crossover that left guys reaching, step sliding the wrong way, calling for help, and even sometimes falling to the ground; Iverson did it all. However, none of that seemed to matter early this season as every NBA team passed on the opportunity to sign one of the greatest scorers in the history of the NBA. His critics claim he's lost a step, and he should be a bench player and while the assertion that Iverson has lost a step may be true, the idea that he is now a bench player is utterly ridiculous (Iverson backing up Mike Conley Jr? seriously?). There's no way there are 60 better guards in the NBA, furthermore, there's no way all 30 NBA teams couldn't use a scorer who could get 20-30 points a game. In a reduced role, while battling injury last season Iverson still averaged 17 points per game last season and during his time in Denver Iverson proved he could still produce as the second option. Hopefully the Sixers do the sensible thing and resign Allen Iverson, the "gamble" will pay off immediately.

Tiger's Image Now Fuzzy?

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After first hearing the news of Tiger Woods' car crash, I was shocked; the Twitter post said he had suffered serious injuries and was still in the hospital. I immediately wondered what it meant for his career, what exactly serious injuries meant, I even questioned if it was true. As I did more investigating and found out that the accident consisted of him hitting a fire hydrant, then a tree, then a miraculous rescue thanks to his wife and a nine iron something didn't seem right. Aside from the obvious questions of: how did he hit a fire hydrant and tree, why didn't the air bags come out if the crash was so serious, and why did his wife need a nine iron to save him? To say the least, I was skeptical, but even with this doubt of Woods' account of his car accident my view of him has not changed. Furthermore, I don't see why anyone's view of him should change. He wasn't driving drunk, if there was domestic violence as I suspect, Woods did not harm anyone, and most importantly what has Woods done to be a public icon? Sure he's a great golfer who stays out of trouble, but with the exception of John Daly what golfer isn't a goody two shoes? Yes, The Tiger Woods Foundation is a nice charity that aims to help impoverished children, but what successful athlete doesn't have a charity or give back in some way? Woods has been given too much credit as an ambassador for the world for simply being a great golfer, who doesn't run afoul of the law. Still, even if you view Tiger as a hero or role model why should this accident change your view of him? He hasn't done anything that should make you believe he's a great person, and this accident does nothing to defame his character. The true problem lies in the fact that Woods has been wrongfully considered a great role model, despite doing nothing to earn this honor.

Award Show

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Rookie of the Year- Blake Griffin's early season injury jepordizes his ability to win this award despite being the most talented rookie. Due to this Johnny Flynn may steal the award. His ability to run the pick and roll and distribute will allow him to be successful early in his NBA career. Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, and Ty Lawson are all contenders for this award as well.

Sixth Man- Lamar Odom would start on most NBA teams, and will play big minutes on a dangerous Laker team. Due to this he will be able to accumlate the stats needed to win the award and his impact will be evident.

Defensive Player of the Year- Dwight Howard is the early front runner to repeat for the DPOY. His ability to control the glass and block shots makes him a defensive threat. Ron Artest, Rajon Rondo, and Greg Oden are all darkhorses for this award.

MVP- Dwyane Wade should have won the MVP last year, but voters were scared away by the Heats lack of wins. With Cleveland expected to have a down year (thus cancelling out LeBron), and Miami's role players improving Wade should get more recognition and MVP votes this season.

Predictions Part Two

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Surprise Eastern Conference Team- The Wizards are not true contenders to represent the East in the Finals, but could cause some problems should advance to the second round. A huge jump from being in the lottery a year ago. Not only will a healthy Gilbert Arenas cause a huge jump in Washington's win total, but adding Randy Foye will pay dividends on nights when Arenas struggles. Foye's ability to play both guard positions will allow the Wizards to match up with most teams. Nevertheless, the Wizards have a ton of scoring guards, and although Arenas has become a better passer their ability to share the basketball will directly affect their success.





Disappointing Eastern Conference Team- The Cavaliers are most likely to disappoint this year. Both Orlando and Boston improved, and while the Cavs added Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker, and Shaq; none of these players fill a need. They still do not match up favorably with Orlando, or Boston. Adding Shaq was an awful move, he's a ball stopper in an offense that lacks innovation, a defensive liablity in the pick and roll, and is slow rotating on defense. I doubt the Cavs will return to the Conference Finals this year.





Surprise Western Conference Team- The Thunder should turn a lot of heads this season. Most feel they are a year or two away from being a play off team, but why not this year? At the end of last year they were very competitive, and Kevin Durant is a top ten player in the NBA this season. His presence alone should win them an extra five games. They are young and entergetic and will compete every night. Although they are in a tough Western Conference they have the talent to win 45 games this season.





Disappointing Western Conference Team- The Hornets have all the makings to fall short of their preseason playoff expectations. First, their lack of a perimeter scorer will hurt them, at times they play unspirited and lacking passion. This team will struggle to score and will be inconsistent. This will cause them to miss the playoffs.

Where Predictions Happen

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What's the start of NBA season without late Garbage Time predictions? Nothing of course, so without further ado, here are the much awaited predictions.

Atlantic Divison- The Celtics will easily win the Atlantic, in fact if any team other than the 76ers finishes above .500 in this division that would be a mild surprise. While both the Knicks and Nets were mild surprises last year, I doubt either team will make any noise this year. It's unrealistic to think the Raptors can win over 37 games, and the 76ers at best are a 45 win team.

Central Divison- The Cavs are the clear favorite in the Central, but the Bulls should contend for the divison title. Don't expect the Cavs to replicate last seasons magic and win close to 70 games. At best the Cavs are a 60 win team, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them in the 55 win range. The Bulls still lack a low post scorer to help Derrick Rose, but they will compete every night and Rose is one of the best point guards in the NBA and give them a chance to win every game this season. Detroit and Indiana will both be average teams who will win in between 30 and 40 games. Both are long shots for the playoffs, but could hang around and flirt with a playoff spot. The Bucks may be the worst team in the NBA this year, but they do have Garbage Time favorite Brandon Jennings which will make all of their games somewhat entertaining.

Southeast Divison- The Magic are the class of the Southeast. Adding Vince Carter gives them a scorer to compliment their shooters and having Dwight Howard in the low post makes them even more dangerous. The Heat, Wizards and Hawks should battle for second place in this division. All have 50 win potential. Gilbert Arenas looks to be back and better than ever, featuring improved passing skills. Randy Foye is an underrated guard who is an upgrade from a solid DeShawn Stevenson and would be a second or third option on most teams. Foye is the fourth offensive option, which shows how explosive they can be offensively. Still, this is a very important season for the Heat. If Mike Beasley and Jermaine O'neal can prove to be solid second and third options the Heat will be very dangerous this year.

Northwest Division- This is the toughest division in the NBA this season, but the favorite has to be the Nuggets. Carmelo Anthony has turned into a complete player and is slowly but surely entering the Wade-James-Bryant league in the group of men amongst boys. Ty Lawson has looked good early on and will be a surprise Rookie of the Year canidate. Portland and Utah will both push Denver as 50 win teams, but lack the offensive fire power Denver has. Oklahoma City will not contend for the divison this year, but may secure a playoff spot. Kevin Durant is a top three scorer in the NBA, Russell Westbrook has looked great, and Jeff Green is a solid option who can contribute 15-20 points a game. The Thunder's lack of experience and true number two option may keep them from securing a playoff spot. Lastly, Minnesota will be one of the worst teams in the NBA this year. Still, the future looks bright with Kevin Love, Johnny Flynn, and Al Jefferson.

Pacific Divison- The Lakers are clearly the favorite in the Pacific. They return everyone from their championship team except for Trevor Ariza who was replaced with Ron Artest. Artest is a better shooter, defender, and scorer than Ariza and has been well behaved in both Sacramento and Houston so the questions about his affect on the Lakers' chemistry are a bit unfair. The Clippers and Suns will battle for second place in the divison without threatening the Lakers. Both have talent to win 50 games at best, and anything less than 45 wins will be considered a disappointment for both teams. Nevertheless, expect the Clippers to make the playoffs and the Suns to miss the party for a second straight year. Although Golden State as talent, they appear to be in turmoil and still do not make a commitment to playing defense, this will cause them to be a bottom feeder in the NBA once again. Unlike Golden State, Sacramento lacks talent other than Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin and will struggle to win games. If they eclipse the 20 win mark, they will have had a successful season.

Southwest- The Spurs appear to be the best team in the Southwest this season. They were already a dangerous team and with Richard Jefferson will contend in the Western Conference. Dallas will challenge the Spurs, but still aren't a major threat. I expect a down year from New Orleans who are in desperate need of a scoring guard. Chris Paul is forced to manufacture almost all of their points and may wear down as the season goes on. Houston and Memphis could both quietly contend for a playoff spot. Memphis is young, but should have an explosive offense which will win them a few games. Houston lacks a scorer until Tracy McGrady returns, but will compete and play defense. This will keep them in a lot of games, but in the end I don't see them in the playoffs.

A Season on the Brink

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After a disappointing loss against Woodland Hills last week, the Central Catholic Vikings are looking for answers. One week they look great (see: at Upper St. Clair, at Cannon Mac, and against Ursuline), the next well not so much (blowout losses against Woodland Hills and Mt. Lebanon). After the most recent season altering loss, the coaching staff has decided to make some changes, most notably at quarterback where senior David Smyers will not start this week. While this change is not a total surprise, his incumbent is. Sophomore quarterback Perry Hills will get the nod at quarterback over Junior quarterback Tony Pompeo. Pompeo has spent all of this season as the teams back up quarterback and has the support of not only the student body, but the majority of the team. When I asked Viking players to comment on the change, all expressed their disappointment in Pompeo not starting, and began to hint at a divided locker room between the players and coaches. Furthermore, Pompeo has varsity experience as he has not only started every JV game this year, but also saw time on varsity as a freshman at Fox Chapel.

Still, what makes this move most shocking is the timing. This weeks opponent Penn Hills has a stout defense featuring two of the best corners in the country in Brandon Iffel and Cullen Christian (Christian plays safety, but is the number three corner in the country according to rivals.com). Playing against a team with such a decorated secondary wouldn't you want to start a more experience quarterback, that also has the backing of the team?

Penn Hills prides itself on stopping the run and getting to the quarterback, coincidentally this also seems to be the formula for beating the Vikings. The Vikings are 0-2 when sophomore running back Damion Jones-Moore does not rush for over 150 yards. Lastly, Pompeo at 6-3 215 is known for his command of the pocket, against a team that will blitz on about 60% of their defensive of snaps the decision not to start Pompeo may prove to be costly.

Vikes Back on Track

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Redemption. That was the word Pittsburgh Central Catholic football players were using to describe this week's game against Upper St. Clair. After coming out flat against Mt. Lebanon last week, and falling behind 23-0 before you could blink, and then 30-7 at halftime, the Vikings ensured another let down would not occur against the Panthers tonight. Led by a stout defense, and sophomore running back Damion Jones-Moore, the Vikings returned to their winning ways with a 31-7 win over USC. The Central defense flew around holding the Panthers to 179 total yards and the offense did their part as Jones had his third 200 yard game this season and senior quarterback David Smyers threw for 112 yards with a touchdown pass to junior Dustin Lowman; the second time that duo has hooked up this year.

With tonight's win, the Vikings put themselves back in the conversation for a WPIAL championship, but there are still some questions about this team. Are the Vikings done with their first quarter-first half no shows that were seen in the first three games? Will Jones-Moore be able to hold up for an entire season with the current workload he's getting (over 30 carries tonight, which is an abnormally high amount in high school)? and most importantly, how will the Vikings handle being in the media's good graces again? They thrived as the underdog this week, but after tonight's blowout win, Central will be considered a favorite again. Can this group of Vikes stay motivated with the success?

Making something out of nothing... in a bad way

By Eric Y

Last Friday, South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier admitted he did not vote for Florida quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow as All-SEC quarterback. Spurrier was the only coach in the conference to vote for a quarterback other than Tebow. ESPN, among others, has spent a lot of time covering this story. Talk of the Head Ball Coach "dissing" his alma mater and their star was all over the news. But I have to ask: why do we care?

Ok, ok, we get it: Tebow should have been unanimously the first-team quarterback. But does this error, this mistake, which Spurrier himself fessed up to, really deserve this much fuss? Mississippi quarterback Jevan Snead getting ONE vote does not mean Tebow isn't on the first team. And do you think Tebow is upset that Spurrier accidentally voted for someone else? Do you think a good guy like him is gonna go on a rant, calling out the Gamecocks, because of this? No! Of course not! There is nothing so newsworthy about this mistake that it should be the headline of the SEC media day, where we should be hearing about the upcoming season and not Tim Tebow's virginity.

This whole over-reporting of the SEC first team "scandal" really leaves me wondering: is ESPN turning into the MTV of sports television? Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of SportsCenter and of when the station shows games. But more and more of ESPN is becoming off-the-field stuff and less and less is about what's actually happening in the game. Of course, a little bit about what's happening to athletes off the field is good, but after hearing about Terrell Owens' antics and reality TV show and the pregnancy testing for Dirk Nowitzki's girlfriend every day, you get pretty sick of it. Why don't you tell me how Owens, the same wideout who was exiled from three different cities, can mesh into Bufallo's system and thrive? How about you spend just a second talking about Nowitzki's performance on the court and not in bed?

Often times, I turn on the TV expecting to see a game on ESPN, but, most times, I'm disappointed to see yet another goddamn E:60 report on Michael Vick and his puppies. ESPN is slowly but surely turning into MTV, showcasing the World Series of Poker but not Major League Baseball, and Outside the Lines but not NFL Live. And that's why I like ESPN Classic; they show actual sporting events (with the exception of American Gladiators, but it's entertaining). I'd rather watch a football game from 10 years ago than hear about a punk wide receiver who kills a guy but doesn't get 10 years.

On a totally unrelated note, Tim Tebow's reported girlfriend is totally bangin. I wouldn't mind if the guys on ESPN talked about her a little bit more.

The Prince who should be King

By Eric Y

Many players in all sports leagues are sifted into two separate categories: underrated or overrated. There's always a few sleeper players (e.g. Ben Zobrist) who end up in all-star games, and there's always a few players who sign stratospheric contracts then drastically underperform (e.g. Jose Guillen).

In Major League Baseball this year, a great amount of attention is given to St. Louis Cardinals' superstar Albert Pujols, who is neither underrated nor overrated. With everyone focused on him, not many are paying attention to the most underrated player in the MLB: Prince Fielder.

Some casual baseball fans might know Fielder as "that guy who won the Home Run Derby a couple weeks ago." But if you look closely at the Milwaukee first baseman's stats, you realize what an outstanding season he's actually having. Fielder is tied for fifth in the National League in home runs, but that's no surprise to me. What's really surprising is that he has, in one season, gone from a one-tool, power-hitting slugger, to a .300 hitter.

But Fielder hasn't just raised his batting average; he's raised almost every other statistical category from last year. His On-Base Percentage raised from .372 in 2008 to .438 (second in the MLB, behind Pujols), and his Slugging Percentage leaped from .507 to .610 (also second in the bigs). His On-Base plus Slugging Percentage skyrocketed from .879 to 1.048 (second in the MLB). His Value Over Replacement Player (the number of runs contributed beyond what a replacement-level player at the same position would contribute if given the same percentage of team plate appearances) is 49.4, which is less than only Pujols and Florida Marlin shortstop Hanley Ramirez. Fielder's hitting is the key to the Brewers success, and his hitting has helped everyone else on the team thrive.

But hitting isn't all Fielder can do. Fielder went from one of the worst defensive first basemen in the majors (17 errors in 2008, second worst in the MLB) to a much more sound defender (only 4 errors thus far). Fielder is also the most fleet-of-foot 268-pound players I have ever seen. Fielder isn't going to be a big threat to steal a base, but he is a very smart and good baserunner, and is actually pretty damn fast (Prince holds the distinguished record of heaviest player ever to hit an inside-the-park home run, which he did last year).

At age 25, Fielder has nowhere to go but up. Right now, he will have to settle for second-best behind Pujols. But the Big Broccoli has nowhere to go but up. Watch out.

Chillin in The Lounge

The Kufere Laing Lounge

As you sit back in the cool AC provided in The Kufere Laing Lounge (emphasis on the capital t in The) we have a nice video presentation to show you; featuring LeBron James and Xavier guard Jordan Crawford. I think you know where this is going, click here to see for yourself.

The Most Interesting Man in the World

The Kufere Laing Lounge

As the social networking fad continues to rage on, I must bring your attention to something, Ron Artest's Twitter page! Artest is known for being a rap star, a mixed martial artist, and when he's not fighting or rapping; Artest has been known to play a little basketball. With all these unique talents combined with Artest's personality, one would think Artest would have his own reality show. Still, why would Artest need a reality show, if we could constantly know what he's thinking through Twitter? For all the sporting news that has been "reported" through Twitter and with tv shows like SportsCenter and PTI now using Twitter it's surprising that no one has said anything about Artest's amusing "tweets."

Artest has called out everyone from Shaquille O'neal to the Los Angeles Clippers. In one recent tweet Artest called out Clippers head coach and GM Mike Dunleavy by writing, " Mike that joke was so bad I bet you just signed it for 5 yrs & 90 million. Stick to your day job, whatever that may be." Artest even called out the actor Morgan Freeman when he tweeted, "Sam Jackson hosting ESPYs? I hear they wanted Morgan Freeman, but he had to take his fiancee to the playground."

So you heard it first in The Kufere Laing Lounge, Ron Artest not only the world's most interesting man, but also the world's most amusing. Click here to "follow" Artest, and while your at it follow the find fellows at Garbage Time so you will always know what's going on in The Kufere Laing Lounge.

Air McNair Has Been Grounded

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As the facts concerning the tragic death of NFL quarterback Steve McNair continue to spill out, an interesting dilemma has arisen. Some feel McNair should be judged based upon his feats in life opposed to his faults (here's ESPN's Jemele Hill's take). Others feel that the recent allegations which have come out in the wake of McNair's death must be factored in when judging him (here's what Jay Mariotti had to say). Either way, McNair had us all fooled.

Over the course of his career, McNair was said to be a warrior, a great leader, and the ultimate leader on the field; off the field McNair gave back to his community, opened up a restaurant, and gave life to the Tennessee Titans franchise which had just moved from Houston, all while serving as an icon in the Nashville, Tennessee area. With this image, McNair was seen as the ultimate professional athlete, the role model off the field, and the all-star on the field. For his entire career, he was able to stay out of the news for the wrong things, which has made his death so shocking.

Due to the fact that the public had no idea about McNair's "other" life, a new question arises, how much should the public know? Due to camera phones, the internet, and the constant stream of news that flows into our Blackberrys, Sidekicks, iPhones, ect. few things celebrities do are left unnoticed. However, a good portion of the "news" concerning celebrities often isn't news. There have been news reports about everything from Tom Brady bringing his wife flowers to A-Rod possibly in a relationship with Madonna. At what point is the line drawn?

While the recent news concerning McNair's girlfriend is actually noteworthy because it pertains McNair's death. There a lots of news stories which go deep into the lives of professional athletes, robbing them of any kind of privacy in addition to dehumanizing the athletes. The "line" of newsworthy separating and nebby are often crossed by obnoxious reporters often confusing news, with their own personal curiosity and in the process making another persons life much more difficult or depressing (Selena Roberts are you reading?). Because McNair's personal life was kept from the masses (until this weekend's tragic event), it allowed for everyone to focus on the great things he did in his life. After all, isn't that the way it should be?

Note--the picture was taken from the sports blog http://passtheword.wordpress.com/

Change Clothes and GOOOOOOO!

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With Shaquille O'neal set to join his fifth team in his 17 year career, a loyal reader of Garbage Time suggested a post about how great players no longer play with one team for their entire career any more. Making the matter more mind-boggling, the faces of franchises are finding new homes. Think about it, NBA greats like: Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Scottie Pippen, and heck, even the "best" of them all Michael Jordan didn't play their careers with the teams' that retired their jerseys or dedicated statues to them. The trend not only takes place in basketball, but in every other major sport.

After having a great tenure in Green Bay, Brett Favre was forced to pack his bags and move to a different city after a messy divorce over some guy named Aaron Rodgers. The late Reggie White, who is second on the NFL's all time sacks list, played for not one, not two, but three NFL teams over his 17 year career! This summer, All-Pro wideout Terrell Owens signed with his fourth NFL team, and while some may blame his attitude for the various changes of scenery, how does one explain Jerry Rice leaving the 49ers (after breaking every major league and franchise receiving record) to go play for the Radiers?

Ken Griffey Jr. made his name with the Mariners, but after nine seasons in Seattle, Junior felt it was best if he packed his bags and moved east; to Cincinnati. Junior would also play in Chicago before making his way back west to Seattle. Another Mariner great Alex Rodriguez not only played for the Texas Rangers, but also played for the Yankees and entertained offers two seasons ago to play elsewhere. Even the legends like Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds (there's no denying Bonds as one of the all time greats), and Frank Robinson played for more than one team.

Since the creation of free agency, the possibility of star players staying with one team has become less likely, as players normally go to whoever offers the most money; and rightfully so, after all isn't that what capitalism is all about? Still, even before free agency, star players nearing the end of their careers would often be traded, sometimes against their will to either save money or to jump start the rebuilding process (see: Mays, Willie). Besides creating curses, these instances created a culture that placed no emphasis on loyalty. The owners do what's best for the team financially, and the players do what's best for their families. At this point in time, would you really be surprised if the face of your favorite franchise was traded tomorrow? I wouldn't. Nevertheless, I'm hoping I can remember Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter, and Hines Ward the same way Orioles' fans remember Cal Ripken, Jr.

I met at least 1/4 of the Maryland basketball team, and some

By Eric Y

During the summer, I like relaxing, playing some video games, swimming and going to the University of Maryland food court and seeing three of the Terps' mens basketball players and a few other notable personalities. Being born and raise near College Park in University Park, right across Route 1, I am very familiar with most of the Terps' players, on the television of course. I had not seen any of the Maryland basketball players up close and personal before besides Dave Neal, who was a gentleman, for the record.

This week, I attended the Maryland Scholastic Press Association sports journalism with fellow Garbage Time blogger Kufere Laing. This camp is probably one of the most fun things I do the entire summer. To me, sitting around writing and talking about sports is very entertaining. The sportswriting program was taught by the Washington Post's Jon Denunzio (follow him on Twitter!), who was awesome. At about 12:30 everyday, after a morning spent rigorously blogging, we headed to the UMD student union for a lunch, and, apparently, so did a few basketball players.

On Monday, we had our most exciting experience, which Kufere wrote about earlier this week. Sitting down to chow down on a healthy meal from McDonald's, Kufere and I noticed a tall man get in line for Panda Express right across from us. We debated about his identity for about five seconds, then agreed he is in fact the face of the current Maryland Terps basketball team: Greivis Vasquez!! We approached him to get a picture after he had paid for his meal. He quietly muttered back, in barely understandable English, "alright man, one sec, lemme put this down." We got the picture, and contently sat down, with Grievis one table away. We were all surprised that Vasquez allowed us to take a picture with him, and I gained much more respect for Vasquez the man, not the player.

Then on Tuesday, our lunch didn't come close to the previous day's, but it was still good. After grabbing my highly nutritious double quarter-pounder (hold the cheese), I started walking back to our table when I notice another absurdly tall man sit down near McDonalds. I talk with another friend about which player he was, and we eventually agree that he is guard Adrian Bowie. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to tell my classmates, Bowie was far out of sight. But that wasn't it for lunch. About 30 minutes later, Kufere catches Helicopter from And 1 streetball walking out of the union. We followed him out, hoping for a picture. Sadly, Mr. Helicopter was talking on the phone the whole time, and we didn't want to interrupt. Very disappointing.

But that still wasn't it for Tuesday. After we had eaten and were sitting in the union, we noticed that three Maryland athletics employees were waiting in line with yet another tall guy in basketball shorts. We heard them talking about how the tall guy would give them "flexibility", and we knew he was a recruit. Eventually, we approached one of the guys in the Maryland polos. We told him that we were bloggers and we wanted to meet the new recruit they had. Surprisingly, they let us talk to him right away. We shook hands with the recruit, who was introduced as Matt. Unfortunately, we weren't able to catch his last name. Big ups to the Maryland athletics staff for letting us little guys talk to the recruits.

Wednesday was yet another adventure, although it was our last in chasing down athletes. While eating our lunch (McDonalds, yet again), Kufere and I spot another tall guy in basketball shorts. We couldn't decide who it was for a while, although we initially suspected it was Landon Milbourne. Our friend Ben corrected us, and told us that he was Cliff Tucker. As Tucker started to walk out, we urged our friends Jesse and Ben to get out of the lengthy McDonalds line to come get a picture. Ben quickly came and got his autograph, but Jesse came late, and we couldn't get a picture with Cliff.  Yet another disappointing ending.

Although we only got a picture with one star, we still saw three Maryland ballers, one And 1 streetballer, and one future Terp (hopefully). In just four days, I would consider that to be a great haul. If only we could have seen former player Steve Blake roaming the halls... if only...

Best in Show

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For all the NBA Draft hoopla about who gets drafted where, who gets traded, and how huge one’s upside is; what gets overlooked is how they dress! After all the first impression is lasting.
While Blake Griffin is the best prospect in this draft, he certainly wasn’t the best dressed. Griffin was in between, keeping it simple and being flashy, but the color scheme was a bit odd. Even though black goes with everything and the purple goes well with the black, I thought the suit was too basic and unoriginal.
James Harden has a reputation for being an “old school” player and took this reputation a step further by wearing a bow tie. Harden may have looked the best of all the lottery picks and his bow tie experiment turned out a lot better than this one. With the bow tie, Harden took a risk, but certaintly made sure he didn’t show up to the party with someone else’s outfit.
Tyreke Evans, Jonny Flynn, and Steph Curry all chose the traditional suit route and looked great. They chose great color schemes, to offset their nice, non-complex suits, turning their outfits from simple to elegant. This set of draftees used a nice color shirt to offset their suits, in addition to having ties that matched the shirt, without blending in. Flynn really stood out by wearing pink, a light color which offset his suit without clashing.
Also making the cut for “Best in Show” was Detroit’s Austin Daye and Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings. While the sweater in the summer look isn’t the greatest, Daye still pulled it off especially since he used a light color like baby blue, a nice light summer color. Jennings had a simple suit, but I really liked his shirt and tie, the purple stripes with the purple tie looked really good, and also match the Buck’s logo. . .well maybe a little.
Lastly, of all the draftees, Ricky Rubio had the worst outfit. A bland black suit with a black tie and most importantly the suit didn’t seem to fit Rubio to well. Maybe it’s the European style or Rubio just doesn’t have good style. Either way, I wasn’t a big fan of Rubio’s wardrobe choice. Better luck next time double R.

Fallin, Fallin, Fallin, Fallin

The Kufere Laing Lounge

A long NBA draft night for Pitt fans. Not only did the homegrown Pittsburgh product and co-Big East Player of the Year DeJuan Blair fall out of the first round despite most mock drafts having Blair as a mid to late first round pick, Sam Young too fell out of the first round. Before the draft, questions arose about Blair's knees and size, but as Blair stated, "I won Big East Player of the Year on these knees."

Making his drop from the first round even more disappointing was the fact that less heralded players were drafted before Blair and Young. Taj Gibson, Victor Claver, BJ Mullens, DaMarre Carroll, and Christian Eyenga all heard their names called before Blair and Young and each played the same position as either Blair or Young. The trend continued in the second round as Dante Cunningham (an undersized big himself) and DaJuan Summers were picked before Blair and Young.

While I understand success in college doesn't always translate into pro success, how often do average college players end up with better NBA careers than great college players? Furthermore, Sam Young got significantly better in each year he was at Pitt; going from a talented athletic freshman, to arugably the best scorer in the Big East as a senior. While Blair was a beast down in the low post and the co-Big East Player of the Year, Young was Pitt's best player throughout the season. Young did not have a single bad game, and scored with ease against the best Big East teams. Ask Jim Calhoun about what a match-up nightmare Sam Young was this year.

While I do not see either Young or Blair as being future NBA All-Stars, both will be solid NBA players. Blair's work ethic and strength makes him unique, while Young's ability to score and the fact that he has improved his game each summer over the last four years makes him a legit NBA player. Still, Blair and Young have all of this NBA season to prove their worth, as I forever compare them to the likes of Dante Cunningham and Victor Claver. Good luck men.

One Busy Thursday

By Eric Y

Lots and lots and LOTS of action happened in the sports world today. Starting with another Confederation Cup semifinal this afternoon and continuing into the night, there has been so much activity in sports today that its hard to keep up with. Well, I'm going to try to keep you up to dat e on most everything that went down today and what I thought about it.

-Confederation Cup: seeing as I was stranded on the beltway during the match, I couldn't watch. But from what I've read, it was a bad overall game by Brazil, who were saved by a late goal by Daniel Alves. They will need to play well to beat an American team that has a ton of momentum coming off their monumental victory over Spain. If the U.S. plays well, there could be an upset brewing; however, Brazil's star-studded lineup could be too much for them. In the least unpatriotic way possible, I think the Americans will come up just short, with Brazil pulling off a 2-1 victory. The Americans' run should earn them some respect in the soccer world.

- Da Shaq trade: This morning, Phoenix traded future hall of famer Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, and a 2010 second-round draft pick. Overall, I think Cleveland got the better deal. Shaq won't be a Cav for long, but he should make a good impact while he's there (barring injury). I think he and uber-superstar LeBron James will play well together, and Shaq will be a more formidable low-post option than Zydrundas Ilgauskas (much love Big Z). I think this wasn't a good  trade for Phoenix. They got a decent shooting guard in Pavlovic, but an over-the-hill forward in Ben Wallace. I think that the Suns should have tried to get someone better, maybe Wally Szczerbiak.

- Timberwolves: If you didn't already know, the T-Wolves had an absurd four first-round draft picks. They picked point guard Ricky Rubio, point guard Jonny Flynn, point guard Ty Lawson and shooting guard Wayne Ellington. Now what on earth is Minny going to do with three new point guards? Trade them, of course. ESPN has already reported that Lawson has been traded to Denver, and I expect one more of them to be traded. I was suprised that Lawson was the player they traded first; out of those four, I would rather have Lawson. Plus, you could have Lawson and Ellington, who have played together for two years on North Carolina, on the same team. I think Rubio will be the next one they trade, and Minnesota will stick with Flynn and Ellington.

- Jamal Crawford trade:  The Hawks and Warriors have finalized their trade, sending Jamal Crawford to Atlanta and Acie Law and Speedy Claxton to Golden State. I think this was a solid trade for both teams. Law didn't get a lot of playing time in Atlanta, and I expect him to do well with the Warriors.

- Vinsanity heads to Orlando: Yet another big NBA trade. The Nets have now traded Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to Orlando for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie. I'm not sure about this one yet. I think New Jersey made a good trade, getting another good, young guard in Lee who should pair well with point guard Devin Harris. But Orlando gave up two of their key role players who helped them throughout the playoffs for Carter. Of course, Carter is still a good player who can score over 20 every night and draw fans to the arena, but is it worth giving up a good young player in Lee?

That's about all I have for right now. Other tidbits include: New York trades Quentin Richardson to Memphis for Darko Milcic; Mavs trade B.J. Mullens to Oklahoma City for Rodrigue Beaubois. However, its still not even 11 o'clock here on the east coast, and there's bound to be more trading before the day is done. Stay tuned.

(image h/t: 4.bp.blogspot.com)

Ole! America Defeats Spain in One for the Ages

By Eric Y

Before the semifinal match of the Confederations Cup, many had already marked down the Spanish national soccer team, ranked number one in the world by FIFA, as the winners over the United States. But they couldn't be farther than right, as the underdog American team pulled off a huge upset in a 2-0 win.

I'm going to admit it, I'm no soccer genius. I don't know much strategy, if any at all, and most of what I know comes from playing the video game Fifa 08. But I did notice a few things during the game today.

The game was very physical, lots of tackles and rough play. It seemed like Spain had a ton of scoring opportunities throughout the first half, but their stars like Fernando Torres just couldnt take advantage. America played like it was running solely on adrenaline and emotion, while Spain's calm and relaxed play eventually became too calm and relax, resulting in costly mistakes. The American defense, although it occasionally lapsed, played pretty well, and made Torres ineffective. The physical American play was too much for the more finesse Spaniards.

Because I don't know much about soccer strategy, I also focused on some other things in the game. First of all, I think soccer gets a bad rap for "taking too long." However, I thought the game today moved along very nicely. The 90 minutes of play seemed much quicker that it actually was. The referees often let the players play through things that could have been called as penalties. The refs, except for one horrid call (giving American Michael Bradley a red card for a slide tackle that should've been only a yellow in the 86th minute), I thought were pretty good. However, this is in comparison to the zebras of popular American sports, which I often find myself yelling at through the T.V.

Also, I thought the jerseys were really sweet, especially for Spain. I like the dark piping coming down from the neck, and I think the red, gold and black all end up making a very nice uniform. Kudos to Adidas. The American ones were pretty good too; simple, but they look good. American football teams could learn a thing or two about uniforms from these soccer teams. I mean really, would you rather have your team wear this or this?

The overall production of the game by ESPN and fifa.com was better than most American sporting events. The camera work was good, and I thought the announcers were good. And by good, I mean not stupid and annoying like many commentators are nowadays. I think the fifa.com internet gamecast was one of the best things I've ever witnessed on the internet. FIFA went into great detail about what was happening in the plays. Such phrases like "glorious attempt by Dempsey just goes off target" and "heroic defense by the Americans" were common. And when play slowed down, blurbs about how the Spaniards must continue to attack Tim Howard popped up. If only American football gamecasts were like this, instead of "3 yard rush by Clinton Portis." I'd like to see "glorious attempt to break through into the open field by Portis goes for a mere three yards, due to heroic tackling by Brian Urlacher. If the Chicago defensive unit can keep this superb play up, they may be able to fantastically win this game against Washington." Heck, even the live fan chats are more intelligent. There's no spam about finding your true love just by entering your social security code here, but real talk about what's happening in the game by fans. Whoever writes the gamecast updates for fifa.com should get a substantive raise, in my opinion.

Another thing I liked about this game was that the players played hard for all 90 minutes and some. In many other sports, near the end of the game, many players just give up if they think their team's deficit is too large to make up, especially in American football. But in soccer, these players were playing it tough all the way until the whistle. Even in stoppage time, Spanish players continued to attack the U.S., and the Americans kept making tackles. I liked that a lot about this match.

After watching this game, a glorious upset by the American squad, led by the heroics of Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore and Tim Howard, makes me, along with many other Americans, want to watch more soccer. This victory is most likely the biggest in American soccer history, and may remind you of the Miracle on Ice, when the underdog American hockey team knocked off the juggernaut Soviet Union. On Sunday, when the U.S. takes on either South Africa or Brazil for the Confederations Cup title, expect many Americans to be watching the U.S. try to finish off a glorious run that would earn American soccer a lot of respect from the rest of the soccer world and America itself.

(image h/t: foxsports.com)

Change We Can Believe In?

The Kufere Laing Lounge

It seems like every five year old kid in America plays soccer and everyone remembers their last season; at age eight. There's always the talk of the one amazing kid who dribbled through the entire team to score, your most memorable goal, an of course the reason you quit. Some stop to play another sport, others lose interest, but the theme is the same; American kids are not sticking with soccer. Due to this, the US men's national team is losing out on an immense amount of athletes. Unlike in other countries, most notably Brazil, where the best athletes play soccer, in America the best athletes go to play basketball or football. Why? Well, the answer seems quite simple. Americans are the best at basketball and football, due to this these sports get the most media coverage and the glory, and for an athlete these sports are seen as the most attractive. Furthermore, America boasts the best basketball and football league in the world as well as the best football and basketball players in the world.

The same cannot be said for soccer. The MLS is one of the worst professional soccer leagues in the world, and with the exception of David Beckham, does not have the world's best soccer players. The soccer seen in the United States is boring, with nonchalant crowds, and overall is a bad product. Furthermore, the MLS is soccer's representative in the US and is competing with the NBA and NFL for future athletes. The MLS' incompetence puts more pressure on the US National Team to succeed because the National Team has the US' best soccer players with a fair amount of interest and is on a huge stage whenever they play. If the US National Team succeeds, there will be more interest in soccer through country pride. As the interest increases in the soccer, its influence will grow with the younger kids.

This is why the US' win over Spain today was so important. If the US can continually knock off world powers, instead of being content with losing by a goal or two, the American preception of soccer will change. Tons of soccer fans will begin to come out of the woodwork, the same way attendance at local sporting events varies with the team's winning percentage. Still, it will take much more than a win in the Confederations Cup against Spain in a semifinal match the team luckily qualified for to bring real change. The US has to get at least World Cup Final to spark true interest and to get younger kids to stick with the game. We have already seen an international star can not come over and get Americans interested in soccer, an American has to get other Americans interested. It can't be one guy, (a few years ago Landon Donvan was seen as the savior of American soccer and that has done no more than Beckham) but rather a group of guys can spark change. If this current US team can build on this win and accomplish something special, ten years from now when American soccer is peaking, this group of guys will be seen as the team that changed America's view of soccer forever. But hey, no pressure US National Team, if you continue to be average, no one will care. No one ever will.

Sosa, Big Mac, Barry, 'Roids and the Hall

By Eric Y

A couple days ago, it was made known that former baseball player Sammy Sosa had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. He has long been suspected of taking steroids, but this is the first hard evidence. Sosa was one of the best home run hitters of all time, slugging 608 in his career, placing him sixth on the all-time list. But the positive tests raises suspicions: how many of those home runs were the product of steroids? How would he have performed without steroids? Its hard to decide whether or not Sosa should be enshrined in Cooperstown.

There are other cases like Sosa’s, notably Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds. McGwire famously chased the home run record in 1998 with Sosa, hitting 70 dingers, setting a new MLB record. But he has also faced a steroid controversy, ever since AP writer Steve Wilstein reported that McGwire had been using performance-enhancing drugs. Big Mac later admitted that he had used androstenedione, an over-the-counter muscle enhancer. However, he has never officially tested positive for steroids, nor was he named in the Mitchell Report. The same questions asked about Sosa must be asked about McGwire: how many of his 532 home runs, placing him eighth all-time, are a product of steroids?

The most difficult case is Barry Bonds. Bonds was an elite player in the MLB throughout the late 80’s and 90’s. Then, he reportedly started using steroids in 1999, and his home run totals skyrocketed, socking a record 72 in 2001. Bonds, the home-run king who hit 762 homers, had hall-of-fame stats before he started using steroids (445 homers, 460 stolen bases, 2010 hits); had he not used steroids, it is highly likely that Bonds would have still made it to Cooperstown. But steroids propelled him from a very good player to a monster. But because he took steroids, he still cheated. All his excellent play before he began allegedly using steroids in 1999 might go for naught.

My solution to this problem is simple: either they all get in to the hall of fame, or none of them get in. They all cheated. They all had excellent careers. We don’t know exactly how much of their stats should be attributed to illegal drugs. But with the way they look on paper now, they would all get in to Cooperstown if no one cared whether or not they used steroids.

In my opinion, you cant put Bonds and Sosa in and not McGwire, or McGwire and Bonds in and not Sosa, etc. Therefore, either you punish all of them by NOT allowing them into Cooperstown, or you forgive them and let ALL of them in. I think none of them should get in, but if Bonds gets voted in, then I think McGwire and Sosa must get in too. But the controversy will continue until next year, when McGwire has another shot to be enshrined in the hall of fame. We’ll just have to wait and see.

(image h/t: misunderestimation.com)

Two Better Than One?

The Kufere Laing Lounge

The Grizzles have the second pick in the NBA Draft and no chance of drafting Blake Griffin, the Memphis Grizzlies have a lot of tough decisions to make. The Grizzlies are in dire need of another scoring guard who can help their young stars in OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay. The Grizzlies also lack a dominate big man who can stop drives to the hoop in addition to being able to score in the low post. Of the two weaknesses the Grizzlies have, filling the need of a dominate big man would seem to be the most important. However, this draft lacks a dominate big man on both ends of the court, excluding Blake Griffin who will be taken with the first pick.
Due to this, the Grizzlies may decide to choose a guard with their first pick, and in this draft there are plenty of great guards to choose from. Ricky Rubio, James Harden, Tyreke Evans, and Stephen Curry seem to be the most highly touted guards in this year’s class and the Grizzlies may choose to take one of the three.
For the Grizzlies, Ricky Rubio seems to be the most “attractive” player to draft. He has played professionally in Europe for three years, he has a great deal of hype surrounding him, and most draft analystshave Rubio as the best point guard in this draft. However, there have been questions on whether or not Rubio wants to play in Memphis. In the past Memphis has had problems drafting players who don’t want to play for them, most notably Steve Francis.
On the other hand, Stephen Curry seems to be the most unlikely taken here. Curry is not the best athlete, is a bit undersized for the NBA, and has a frail frame. There have also been questions about Curry’s ability to defend at the next level. Nevertheless, OJ Mayo is a versatile defender and would allow Curry to guard the other teams point guard, while Mayo guards the bigger two guards.
With Curry and Rubio seemingly out of the picture, the Grizzlies may have to choose between Tyreke Evans and James Harden. Unlike Rubio and Curry, neither have expressed concerns about playing in Memphis nor are they undersized. Evans and Harden are listed at 6-6 and 6-5 respectively and have the ability to play off the ball and allow Mayo to run the show. Harden seems to be the most compatiable with Mayo because Harden does not handle the ball as much as Evans. Still, if the Grizzlies select Evans (who played college in the same city), it will give Memphis one of the best defensive backcourts in the NBA, and one of the most aggresive.
With their late first round pick and early the second round pick, the Grizzlies may look to draft a big man. Jeff Pendergraph and Taj Gibson may hear they’re names called here. Both could be solid role players who give the Grizzlies depth off the bench and play a fair amount of minutes as rookies.

The Next Big Thing vs. The Baddest Man on the Planet: UFC 100

By Eric Y

On July 18, Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to its home of Las Vegas for the long-awaited hundredth championship. The headline bout of the night will feature defending heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar a.k.a. "The Next Big Thing" versus Frank Mir a.k.a. "The Baddest Man on the Planet." This fight will be a rematch from UFC 81, when Lesnar, in his first Ultimate Fighting match, was defeated by Mir. Now, both of them have risen to UFC stardom, and this rematch is considered the biggest event in Ultimate Fighting history.

The two fighters have been trash-talking each other while they await their dual. MMA Fanhouse reports that Mir said getting hit by Lesnar was "kind of like having your baby sister on your back and all over you, and you're just saying, 'Get off me.'" Lesnar told HDNet's Inside MMA that Mir won a "make-believe belt" in his victory over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim heavyweight title last year. "He is the former champion but there's no ifs, ands or buts about it. I'm the current champion."

Lesnar has a significant physical advantage over Mir, weighing 20 pounds more and having a larger reach, and will try to overpower his opponent. His preferred style is wrestling and trying to pound whoever he is fighting into the mat. However, his defense is still a question mark; Mir's good technique could exploit it. The Baddest Man on the Planet, who says he has fully recovered from arthroscopic knee surgerythat kept him from fighting in UFC 98,  is on a hot streak, winning his last three bouts. His jujitsu technique could capitalize on Lesnar's suspect defense.

Lesnar will have to avoid making any big mistakes that Mir could take advantage of. If he is able to wear him down early, Lesnar could use his brute strength to win the match. But don't expect this one to be done early; I expect this to be a tough, grind-it-out fight. I think Lesnar's power will be too much for the more technical Mir in UFC 100. All the hype and trash-talk won't be for nothing; this should be a great fight, and I'm looking forward to it.

(image h/t: cyberaxis.wordpress.com)

A Man With No Country

 By: Kufere L

Much has been made of the NBA's "one and done" rule and its affect on college basketball. There have been scandals, players going overseas to play, and most recently highly rated high school players not being recruited. Lance Stephenson, a highly rated guard from Brooklyn, New York was once the most sought after recruit in the country. Now, there are some who question whether or not he has a scholarship offer, due to questions about his character and whether he has compromised his amateur status by accepting money from a TV show which highlighted him entitled Born Ready. Making the situation more complex is that Stephenson has been charged with sexual assault and although the odds of Stephenson going to jail are slim, it doesn't look good to recruit a player with such a checkered past. 

In the past, college coaches have recruited any player, no matter the baggage that comes with the player because great players give you a great chance to win. However, with the recent accusations involving OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose, college coaches seem to be taking a more conservative approach towards recruiting. Still, I find it hard to believe that there isn't a single coach in America who doesn't want a McDonald's All-American. There has to be something else to this story, that hasn't reached the public.

The Great Vasquez

By: Kufere Laing
As I sat down to enjoy my lunch at the University of Maryland's Stamp's Student Union, a tall man with a buzz cut went through my vision. I quickly looked up and somewhat shouted, "is that Greivis Vasquez?". Everyone at the table turned and looked up, and much to our surprise, it was the University of Maryland superstar guard, Greivis Vasquez. At the urging of Eric, we got up and asked Vasquez for a picture and despite being ready to eat his lunch, Vasquez obliged to take not one, but three pictures. Vasquez is known for his shouting matches with the crowd, just as much as he is known for his flashy passes and clutch performances for the Maryland Terps and due to this, he is often characterized as a brat. Well, here's another case of not being able to judge a book by its cover. 

--Note: Vasquez had an ice pack on his left ankle, there may be a story here. If there is, you heard it first at Garbage Time. To the left is the picture taken with a camera phone, sorry for the blurriness. Follow us on Twitter-www.twitter.com/garbagetime3

Brett Who?

By Eric Y

As a diehard Green Bay Packers fan, I never thought the day would come when I would see Brett Favre, my hero, my quarterback, my idol, suiting up in a purple jersey to play for the Minnesota Viqueens (as I like to affectionately call that "team"). I've been in denial for about the past month, thinking Favre would make the smart move and ride around on his John Deere this fall, but now I've accepted that he is back for more.

I hear many sportswriters saying how Favre is not "tarnishing his legacy". They talk about Joe Montana the Chief and Johnny Unitas the Charger, two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time ending their careers not with the 49ers and the Colts (respectively), the teams they had spent their entire careers with. They say no one remembers them as playing for those teams at the end. Of course Favre is going to the hall of fame, but this is different, for me anyways. As far as I know, there is no rivalry between the Chiefs and the Niners, nor with the Colts and the Chargers. But now, Brett Favre, the football God of Green Bay, Wisconsin, is going to the enemy, a Vikings team that is threatening at making a run to the playoffs. This I will DEFINITELY remember about Favre. Of course, I'll remember Favre as the ironman gunslinger who threw a hell of a lot of touchdowns, but I'll also remember him as the drama queen who thinks the world revolves around his right arm, and joined the enemy.

Looking back at last year, I am very happy the Packers kept Aaron Rodgers over Favre. He had a better season than him. The 10 losses were not Rodgers fault, and I see him having a good year this year. If Favre does come back and play for the Vikes, I can't wait for October 5th, when the Pack comes to the Metrodome to beat up on Favre on Monday Night Football. I look forward to nothing more than seeing Favre laid out in the backfield.

Mocking it Up

Here's the much awaited Garbage Time Mock draft!!!!

1. Clippers- Blake Griffin- No brainer here, he's easily the best player in the draft and reminds me of a power forward version of Dwight Howard, only with low post moves and a face up game. Here's to hoping the Clippers don't end his career.
2. Grizzlies- James Harden- Memphis has a ton of options here and may look to trade this pick. Rubio seems to be the popular choice, but Rubio doesn't want to play in Memphis and the Grizzlies have their point guard of the future in OJ Mayo. Harden will compliment Mayo nicely off the ball and give Memphis one of the biggest (in height) back courts in the NBA. Again, a trade could happen here.
3. Thunder- Hasheem Thabeet- OKC needs a big man, and while Thabeet probably isn't the long term answer, he is the best big guy in the draft. I doubt Thabeet will ever be a low post presence and could struggle in the NBA because of his weight, so OKC could choose Rubio here as well. Nevertheless, OKC has Russell Westbrook who was one of the best rookies in the league last year and showed he could play point guard, Rubio is the most highly rated player here, but isn't the best fit.
4. Kings- Ricky Rubio- The Kings need a guard, Rubio wants to play here, it's a good match. Other options if Rubio is snagged early are: Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, and Brandon Jennings
5.Wizards- Tyreke Evans- Evans is a great fit for the Wizards, he has the ability to play on and off the ball, guard three positions, and he can create his own shot. There are questions about Evans' jump shot and playing next to a guy like Gilbert Arenas could make the Wizards think twice. Other options- James Harden (if he falls), Jordan Hill, and Stephen Curry
6. Timberwolves- Jrue Holiday- The Timberwolves need a lead guard and Jrue Holiday would fit nicely with the Timberwolves other guards. Johnny Flynn and Stephen Curry could also be taken here.
7. Warriors- Johnny Flynn- Golden State lacks a true point guard, and of all the great point guards in this draft, Flynn seems to be the best "point guard." Brandon Jennings could go here if both Curry and Flynn are off the board.
8. Knicks- Stephen Curry- Neither of these two parties have been shy about wanting the other. Curry fits into the Knicks offensive system and had a good workout with the coaching staff. If Curry is gone, Jennings is the most likely choice.
9. Raptors- DeMar DeRozan- DeRozan has been compared to Laker guard Kobe Bryant and despite a disappointing freshman year at USC, he still finds himself in the lottery. Other options are Tyreke Evans (if he slips) and Jordan Hill
10. Bucks- Jordan Hill- The Bucks need a big man and Jordan Hill is a Scott Skiles, high energy kind of player. DeJuan Blair is also an option here.
11. Nets- Earl Clark- Clark is a great talent here and reminds me of a right handed Lamar Odom, also Clark is from Brooklyn where the Nets are moving in two seasons which adds to the intrigue here. DeJuan Blair is also an option here.
12. Bobcats- Gerald Henderson- The Bobcats are in need of a swing man, and the uber athlete/lockdown defender Gerald Henderson fits the bill here.
13. Pacers- Austin Daye- Daye is an immensely talented forward whose weight and "hunger" have been questioned. Still, Daye is too talented to pass up here and with TJ Ford holding down the fort, point guard isn't much of a need. Nevertheless, a slipping Brandon Jennings or Earl Clark could go here.
14. Suns- Brandon Jennings- Jennings fits perfectly with the Suns up tempo style of play and could learn a lot under Steve Nash for a year before he leaves in free agency. Jennings is the most talented point guard in this draft in my eyes, but losing playing time in Greece really hurt his stock. If Jennings is left on the board here, he's way too good to pass up.
15. Pistons- James Johnson- Johnson is extremely versatile and could compete for a starting job right away. If Austin Daye falls here, he is an option for Detroit along with DeJuan Blair and Earl Clark (if he slips)
16. Bulls- DeJuan Blair- Chicago still needs a low post scoring presence, and while Blair doesn't fit the bill, he's a great energy guy who will defend and rebound like no other. BJ Mullens could also go here.
17. Sixers- Ty Lawson- While Lawson isn't the best point guard left here, he fits their style of play the best and he could be their point guard of the future. Eric Maynor is also an option here.
18. Timberwolves- BJ Mullens- The Timberwolves need a big body who can allow their talented power forwards in Al Jefferson and Kevin Love to play their right position. Terrance Williams could also go here.
19. Hawks- Eric Maynor- Atlanta needs a point guard with Mike Bibby aging and possibly leaving, and Maynor fits the bill. Maynor is a great floor general who reminds me of Sam Cassell. Maynor is a sleeper pick in this draft and could turn into an all-star. BJ Mullens may drop here if Maynor is not avaliable.
20. Jazz- Tyler Hansbrough- Hansbrough is a blue collar, Jerry Sloan type of player who could come in and contribute off the bench immediately, especially since the Jazz will be losing either Carlos Boozer or Paul Millsap. Ty Lawson could go here if he falls this far.
21. Hornets- Terrance Williams- The Hornets need help at the two guard and Williams is a super athlete who will defend, score, and distribute. Williams is a streaky outside shooter though and playing with Chris Paul will constantly get you open looks, may lead the Hornets to draft Chase Budinger.
22. Mavs-Darren Collison- Jason Kidd is aging and Collison is a lanky, quick, strong guard who is a defensive ace, can hit open shots, and can create. If all goes well Collison could end up like a Tony Parker. He has a great midrange game, a creative handle, and was UCLA's go to guy for the past three seasons. Despite that, he has been overlooked. Chase Budinger could also go here.
23- Kings- Chase Budinger- Budinger is a great shooter and an even better athlete, whose game may translate better in the NBA. On talent, Budinger should have gone in the lottery, but questions about his "hunger" have allowed him to slip to the late first round. Sam Young is also an option here.
24- Trail Blazers- Jeff Teague- Portland could really use a point guard, and despite taking Jerryd Bayless last year who seems more like a two, the Trail Blazers will gamble on another combo guard. Teague was great during the early part of the season and really dominated the ACC at times. DaJuan Summers and Sam Young are options here.
25- Thunder- Sam Young- The Thunder have a nice young nucleus and adding a player like Sam Young who can come off the bench and score will make this team more dangerous. Young improved each year at Pitt and should continue to do so in the NBA. DaJuan Summers is an option here.
26- Bulls- Wayne Ellington- With Ben Gordon's future uncertain, the Bulls could use another two guard who can stretch the floor for Derrick Rose. Toney Douglass and DaJuan Summers are other options here.
27- Grizzlies- DaJuan Summers- The Grizzlies could use a three who can do a little of everything like Summers can. Summers seems out of it at times, but is a great athlete who should benefit by playing with OJ Mayo. Jeff Pendergraph could be a surprise pick here.
28- Timberwolves- Omar Cassapi- A 6-9 forward who could fill the role Ronnie Brewer has struggled to fill. Toney Douglass could also go here.
29- Lakers- Nick Calathes- Calathes is a big guard who will fit nicely in the triangle offense, and is playing overseas for a year, so his salary won't be on the books. Toney Douglass may also go here.
30- Cavs- Jeff Pendergraph- The Cavs need big men, and Pendergraph is a guy who can come in and give quality minutes every game. Varajaeo may be leaving and Pendergraph should be able to fill in his role quite nicely.

Tweets, a Tornado, and a Championship

Okay, I had to allow for the Lakers championship to fully sync in before writing this post, it wasn't just your normal case of procrastination. I didn't want to write it right away and say I TOLD YOU SO, that all of my predictions came true, that Dwight Howard would struggle because Derek Fisher would be a pest, that Rafer Alston wouldn't be able to knock down shots, that Jameer Nelson wouldn't have an impact, that the Magic's lack of experience would haunt them. No, I truly didn't want to do that, but seeing I already started, why not finish? Furthermore, Trevor Ariza DID outplayed Hedo Turkoglu down the stretch in the fifth and deciding game, Dwight Howard STILL needs a great deal of work on his post moves and he brings the ball down too often allowing for guards to come in and strip him, and Kobe Bryant would be too much for Mickael Pietrus. Although Pietrus worked hard against Bryant, how can he be a great defender if Bryant averaged 30 points per game with 7 assists all while shooting 43% from the field throughout the series? Yes, Pietrus made Bryant work, but in the end so what? Every NBA defender makes the offensive guy work, there isn't a single NBA player who is so bad that a guy can score on him without breaking a sweat; that is when they try (looks in Tim Thomas' direction--by the way, I have mentioned Tim Thomas in about 50% of my blog posts since the start of the NBA playoffs, from now on, Tim Thomas will be mentioned in every post in some way, I might just start to title every post "The Tim Thomas Lounge"). Anyway, congratulations to the Lakers, but mainly Kobe Bryant, I think I wanted him to win this one as bad as he did (not really), here's to Kobe getting two more and surpassing Jordan in everyone's mind; not just the thinking person's.

In other news, Garbage Time now has a Twitter and regrettably so. Much has been made of this "new" site that allows you to write "what you are doing." You can follow anyone from Shaquille O'neal to Kevin Love to Gil Maher. It's somewhat cool to see what Shaq is thinking or wants you to think he's thinking, but overall it's a poorly run site, that is a pain to deal with. Nevertheless, Kevin Love made news on Twitter today by reporting Timberwolves coach (or former coach) Kevin McHale won't be returning to coach the team, showing Twitter's usefulness, besides if Kevin Love is on Twitter, why aren't you?

Lastly, there has been a tornado warning for Allegheny County. Still waiting for it to come to the Hill District. With the end of basketball season, I'm not sure what I'm going to write about, that being the case if you want to join the Garbage Time staff shoot me an email at garbagetime3@gmail.com. You won't have to be a sports writer, just an interesting one. I may just have to cover the NBA year round, with a daily NBA Live segment, similar to the Mothership's NFL Live in which the NFL is covered in the middle of May and LeBron James' high school football career is covered for half of the show. Kidding about the last part, summertime=in depth baseball coverage, or just repeating whatever Peter Gammons says.

The Magic Man

Out of curiosity, who allowed Magic Johnson to wear that suit?! Now I'm all for being unique, standing out, attracting attention to one's self, but one thing I do not stand for is tackiness and that's what best describes Johnson's suit. It's a bit shiny and satinish, I'm not sure what the material is, but it sure isn't anything normal. Making matters worse is Johnson's shirt, which also doesn't match. I'm not sure if he was trying to upstage Charles Barkley and the fine fellas at TNT or if he just think he looks good. I am currently reading Seth Davis' book When March Went Mad, in which Johnson is one of two people documented (the other is Larry Bird). In the book, Johnson has always liked the spotlight and maybe this suit is Johnson just showing how flamboyant he is.

Halfway to Heaven

A quest that started in October is halfway over. It's the end of the first half and the Lakers are 24 minutes away (emphasis on the 24) from reedeming themselves after last year's collapse in the NBA Finals. For the first time since game 1, Kobe Bryant is being dominate. His shot selection is great, he's having his way with Pietrus, and he is constantly finding the open man. Furthermore, Trevor Ariza has really sparked the Lakers in the first half especially since the double technical with Ariza and Turkoglu. Since the double technical, Ariza has flat out dominated Turkoglu and the Lakers responded with a 16-0 run. Gasol and Bynum are dominating the boards, and Dwight Howard has been a nonfactor, like the rest of the Orlando Magic. All in all, the Magic seem to be defeated. Despite what they have said in the press, "we're going back to LA", "why should we quit", "it's not over", ect, ect, ect; they seem scared that they can not respond to game 5's heart breaking loss. Over this post season, the Magic have always had an answer, in this first half they have not and if they do not turn it around quickly and cut into this ten point deficit; there will be no more questions for them to respond to.

Game 7: 3rd Period

by Pat Hunley

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10:02 - Sidney Crosby has returned!!!!!

10:05 - Detroit looking pretty good right now; I'm not liking this...

10:06 - Great, just great. C'mon Pens, kill another penalty. Please?!

10:08 - Wow, how are the Penguins still up by two? Nice job Fleury.

10:09 - Ah, Detroit's fans are starting to boo. Nice penalty kill guys.

10:10 - Could the Penguins please get some shots on goal? If Detroit plays offense the entire period they're going to tie the game.

10:12 - Looks like Crosby is only on the bench for moral support. He hasn't played yet.

10:14 - Finally, some signs that the Penguins aren't content with playing defense the entire period.

10:17 - I'm 100 percent certain this diary has gotten more homerish as the game has progressed, but I don't really care at this point. The Stanley Cup is within Pittsburgh's grasp.

10:21 - This is the most stressful two-goal lead ever.

10:22 - That was their chance to end it! Crap, too hard a pass.

10:23 - OINAWDOIFBIOPABFIUBSDJLKBADFILJGBAFO;GBALDFISJBGLIAFSGHAIOU

10:23 - See what happens when you play defense for 14+ minutes? Eventually the other team scores.

10:26 - Almost Evgeni, almost.

10:27 - "10:10 - Could the Penguins please get some shots on goal? If Detroit plays offense the entire period they're going to tie the game." Zero shots, and Detroit is one goal away from tying. I hope I'm not right...

10:30 - He hit the crossbar, oh my God he hit the crossbar.

10:31 - I think my heart almost stopped when that puck hit the crossbar.

10:32 - These next 77 seconds could be the most stressful of my life.

10:34 - Oh please just score empty net and end it. I can't take this anymore.

10:35 - I'm done until the end of regulation/the game. Can't do this.

10:37 - WEEEEEEEEEE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, MY FRIEND!

Game 7: 2nd Period

by Pat Hunley

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9:03 - Thoughts on commercials during intermission:

1. There's a crapload of horrible shows on during the summer. I hope the networks don't actually expect people to watch them.

2. That Gatorade commercial is pretty cool.

9:06 - Just ate 7/8 of a medium pizza during the intermission. I might invent the freshman 30 next year at college.

9:07 - First time I've seen Crosby look fast against these guys this series.

9:07 - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9:08 - Maxime Talbot! And the fourth line strikes!

9:10 - Phew, 4-on-4, not a Detroit power play.

9:11 - Crosby and Malkin on the ice together. I love it, even if it's only for a few seconds.

9:12 - The Penguins still can't win a face-off. Very bad sign.

9:14 - This is why this game is going to give me a heart attack. Two guys with nobody in front of them and a shot at the net within 10 seconds.

9:15 - Wow, Detroit cheering for a Crosby injury. Classy. Crap, he looks like he's in a lot of pain.

9:17 - Man this deteriorated for Pittsburgh quickly. Crosby's hurt and in the locker room presumably, and the Red Wings are on the power play.

9:19 - [expletive] it's his knee. Didn't see him actually getting hurt until the replay. At least the Pens got a shot while I was rewinding.

9:21 - Excellent penalty kill by the Penguins there.

9:24 - AND MAXIME TALBOT STRIKES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

9:24 - The Penguins have now doubled their goal total at Joe Louis in 30 minutes. I LOVE IT!!!

9:25 - Of course every Pittsburgh goal has to be followed by a great chance for the Red Wings. Thank you Fleury.

9:26 - Are the Penguins really up two goals on Detroit in Detroit? I can't believe this.

9:27 - So basically all Windows has on Mac is the fact that Macs are priced higher. Psst... they're priced higher because they're worth it.

9:28 - Crosby's gonna be back!!!! No torn knee ligaments, thank God.

9:29 - Nice, Gonchar had that read perfectly, didn't bite on the guy going to the corner.

9:32 - Oh come on, go to a commercial; I really gotta go to the bathroom.

9:34 - Two straight offsides on the Red Wings; maybe they're starting to press a little?

9:36 - Looks like Helm hurt himself as much as he hurt Malkin on that hit.

9:38 - Niiiice save Fleury.

9:40 - Phew, Gill broke up a potential 1-on-1.

9:41 - Face-off win followed by a turnover. Why not just lose every face-off? Nice job with the glove Fleury.

9:43 - Jesus Christ that was way too close for comfort. Nice job Fleury.

9:44 - Wow, thank you for getting out of that period guys. End 2nd period.

Analysis: Obviously for the most part an excellent period for Pittsburgh. Detroit made a couple mistakes--a turnover in their own zone and getting out of position to allow a 2-on-1--and Pittsburgh capitalized on both of them to take a two-goal lead. Fleury looks like the goalie Pittsburgh hoped he would be. Detroit got a flurry (no pun intended) of chances at the end of that period, and Fleury and the Pittsburgh defense held strong.

But of course there's the injury to Sidney Crosby. He looked like he was in a ton of pain when he left, and while Dan Bylsma said he'd be back we'll have to see if he returns in the third.

It's not necessarily anybody's game anymore, obviously. But no two-goal lead is safe with 20 minutes left, especially in Detroit. Fleury and the Pittsburgh defense have been great, so that has to stay the same for the Penguins to pull this one out. Detroit was getting a ton of chances as the second period wound down.

20 minutes to decide the Stanley Cup Champions...

Game 7: Pregame and 1st Period

by Pat Hunley

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I'll be doing a running diary throughout the game on hockey, the announcers, random goings-on in my house, and anything else I find necessary to include. It will likely include some Penguins bias.

8:02 - Hockey is a lot like baseball in one way: there's no pregame show, even for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. I guess it isn't necessary because very little changes from Game 1 to Game 7.

8:05 - "There are 28 other teams in the National Hockey League that would want to be in this position." Thanks for that diamond in the rough of analysis.

8:09 - Why has nobody mentioned that the Penguins have only scored 2 goals in 3 games so far at Joe Louis Arena? Are they afraid people are going to change the channel?

8:14 - Aflac seems to be running out of good ideas for the Aflac duck commercials.

8:15 - And here we... go!

8:15 - First time in the series the Penguins haven't put Jordan Staal's line out there first.

8:16 - It's less than two minutes in and I already saw someone waving a Terrible Towel. :)

8:17 - Red Wings are coming out MUCH more physical than usual.

8:19 - Wow, Penguins look like crap right now. If not for a careless turnover there the Wings would've been able to tire out the Pens and get the Pens into a dangerous situation.

8:22 - Yeah, no shock there seeing that Malkin has the most penalty minutes of anyone this series. He's got one of the worst tempers in the league.

8:23 - Once again Jordan Staal's line is outplaying Crosby and Malkin's lines early on.

8:25 - Triple hops brewed Miller Lite. How stupid do beer companies think we are? In not one of those commercials have they explained why adding the hops three times instead of once makes the beer taste better.

8:26 - Wow, it's rare to see the entire arena, including the teams, give someone a standing ovation. I guess Muhammed Ali deserves it. Sadly, I just had to look up how to spell his first name.

8:28 - Holy crap how did Pittsburgh not score there?

8:30 - How long can you pass the puck around in the corner? Get it to a place where if you shoot it there's a chance it'll go on goal.

8:32 - Second time these playoffs that Fleury has had to make a save on a shot from the red line; happened in the Washington series as well.

8:34 - Yes, power play! Finally, Malkin draws a penalty instead of committing one. Pretty much the definition of slashing.

8:35 - OH MY GOD HE HAD IT! Malkin wiffed on a great pass from Crosby!

8:36 - Crap, they had it in there for well over a minute without a clear but to no avail.

8:37 - Mmmmmm... pizza just got here.

8:39 - The Penguins definitely don't look like the team that scored two goals in the first three games here.

8:42 - Staal's line at it again. I love it! But I'd love it more if Crosby and Malkin would do something.

8:44 - How the heck did the Penguins let a guy dribble right at Fleury on a 3-on-3? That was waaaaaaay too close.

8:44 - Great, the Penguins are going back to their Game 1 ways with face-offs. 10-2 Detroit so far.

8:45 - Make that 11-2 with the Wings getting a shot right off it. This game is going to give me a heart attack.

8:47 - Curse you Kronwall! Nice block, that definitely saved a goal.

8:48 - End of Period 1

Analysis: The Red Wings came out very physical and looked like they might dominate early. Pittsburgh bounced back and made it a pretty equal period. Both goalies played well, although Osgood definitely didn't get tested as much as Fleury, as has been the case most of the series. But Pittsburgh made sure Detroit knew they weren't going to play like Game 5. The Penguins have to figure out their face-offs; 11-3 isn't going to cut it against anyone, especially Detroit. Malkin's line finally showed some life and produced quality chances, which is a great sign.

Overall, it's anyone's game. I'm gonna eat some pizza and get ready for Period 2.