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

The Kufere Laing Lounge

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.

The Rebirth of Hockey?

by Pat Hunley

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Earlier in the Stanley Cup finals, one of my friends noted on Facebook that the MLB draft was getting more coverage on ESPN than the Stanley Cup finals. Such has been the reality for hockey fans for several years now. A combination of the lockout in 2005 and the lack of excitement and scoring led to the downfall of the league's popularity. Why else do you think the NHL gave its games to the network formerly known as the Outdoor Life Network (now Versus)?

But a plethora of factors have started to rid the NHL of its unexciting label. For the first season following the lockout, the league insituted major rule changes aimed at increasing offense and scoring. The most notable changes include the legalization of the two-line pass, the reduction in size of goalie gear, and restricting the area where the goalie can handle the puck behind his own goal.

Arguably, more important, however, has been the emergence of several young superstars. Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin has energized the entire DC area to the point where the Caps are second only to the Redskins in popularity in the region. The duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin has led the Penguins to two straight Stanley Cup finals. And Eric Staal has made hockey relevant in Carolina.

All of those factors combined for a perfect storm of sorts to make the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs the most exciting in recent memory. Three of the four Conference Semifinals series went seven games, and the other was decided in an incredible 7-5 Game 6 between Chicago and Vancouver where the Blackhawks scored four goals in the third period. We saw Crosby and Ovechkin face off for seven games, and we're seeing the young Penguins again attempt to dispatch the experienced, decorated Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. Except, fittingly, this year it's going to take a decisive Game 7 to decide everything. To end these playoffs any other way would be an injustice.

But even though Pittsburgh's made it this far, it's tough to tell if the Penguins are up to the task of giving the Red Wings a run for their money in Joe Louis Arena. The home team has won every game so far, and the Penguins have only mustered 2 goals in 3 games on the road, including a 5-0 drubbing in Game 5, the most recent contest on the Red Wings' ice. They barely got out of Mellon Arena with a victory in Game 6; Marc-Andre Fleury stonewalled MVP finalist Pavel Datsyuk on a breakaway, and defenseman Rob Scuderi made three saves of his own in front of the net when Fleury was out of position during a scrum in front of the net.

If Pittsburgh is going to give Detroit a run for their money, they're going to need Crosby and Malkin to step up; thus far they've been shut down for the most part by forward Henrik Zetterberg and future Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. Fleury and third line skaters Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy stepped up to lead the Penguins in Game 6, but Crosby's and Malkin's lines need to step up to give Pittsburgh some offensive production from their best players.

Regardless of how these playoffs end, hockey's future looks very promising. Fans are steadily trickling back, and there are several young superstar players that will be around even in 2020. Hockey doesn't have the drug or dullness issues of baseball, the rookie salary issues in football (the Penguins have built on the production of Crosby and Fleury, two former No. 1 overall picks, and Malkin, the No. 2 pick after Ovechkin in 2004), or the issue, at least in my view, in the NBA where there's so much offense it's tough to pay attention the entire game (I'm sure Kufere disagrees with this); every goal and possession in the offensive zone is significant in hockey.

No offense to Versus, but the NHL's next move should be to get its games on major television networks. NBC currently broadcasts most of the Stanley Cup Finals and one Sunday game per week, but the rest of the games are carried by local networks or Versus, which isn't provided in most basic cable packages. With the recent surge in popularity, maybe the NHL can reach an agreement with ESPN to broadcast some games.

Maybe that would finally catapult the NHL ahead of the MLB draft in ESPN's eyes.

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Pat attended journalism camp with Kufere and Eric last summer and offered to help them cover Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, having watched most of the playoffs because of loyalty to the Penguins. He'll be doing a running diary tonight during the game, one which will likely be biased towards Pittsburgh.

The Fish That Saved Los Angeles

Nothing seemed to be going the Lakers way, they were missing jumpers, Dwight Howard was grabbing every rebound, and if they did stop the Magic, there was a foul negating the defensive stop. When Odom, Gasol, and Bynum all went out with their second foul, Phil Jackson was forced to use the 11th and 12th men on his roster in Josh Powell and DJ Mbenga. Still, the Lakers weathered the storm and just fought and clawed their way back into the game. Trevor Ariza played the main character for awhile, getting a steal, hitting a deep three, and making a number of other hustle plays along the way. Then, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol started to chip in and before you know it, the Lakers are back in the game. Unlike the Lakers who often looked lacadasical throughout these playoffs, LA was focused and when the going got tough, they stuck it out. Although Bryant had another subpar game (forcing a ton of shots in the second half) his leadership can no longer be questioned, he has motivated the rest of the Lakers to want this championship as bad as him. There have been no mental lapses, plays taken off, or just a lack of effort since game 4 of the Nuggets series. With that said, Derek Fisher still deserves the credit for this win. Over the course of his career and in these Finals in particular, Fisher has made tons of gutsy plays, whether its snatching a rebound from Dwight Howard or pulling up with no one under the hoop and canning a game tying three. Fisher's struggles have been well publisized over the course of the playoffs, but his confidence has not wavered. He has not passed up a single open jumper and continues to believe in himself, the key to being successful in anything. Fisher finished 2 of 7 from three point range, and the two he hit were the game deciders.

The True Admirals

Sometimes when your living in the moment, you don't understand or realize something great is happening around you. An example? Well how about five years worth of them? From ages 10 to 14, I went to St. John's basketball camp in Washington, DC (the high school). Over these five years, I played in over 50 games, made tons of friends, and had some of the best experiences of my life all while attempting to win a championship and to get that elusive Playmaker Award (in my last week at the camp I finally won it). Between the countless games of one on one, "40", and horse I had three camp coaches who could go on to play in a professional league of some sort. Chris Wright and Nolan Smith both have a chance at playing in the NBA (and were also, McDonald's All-Americans, Nolan was only at the camp for a year before transferring to Oak Hill Academy), while LJ Hoes was drafted out of high school in the third round of the MLB draft (last year) by the Baltimore Orioles. Although I haven't been to the camp in two years and I have no intention of ever returning (I'm too old now), I was looking at some of the trophies I won at the camp and it made me think of all the good times, which led me to think of Chris, Nolan, and LJ. St. John's was probably the best camp (basketball and normal alike) I have ever attended, somehow mixing in the right amount of playing time and instruction in to be successful (the Univ of Maryland and their "Gary Williams Basketball Camp" could learn a few things from St. John's) and allowing the young high schoolers (almost every coach was in high school) to leave an impact on the kids. How often does someone get to say they were happily coached by an All-American? Even though the camp had superstars in Nolan, Chris, and LJ, they didn't upstage the other coaches and I feel it would be unfair if I left out my other coaches who probably had a bigger impact on my basketball "career" than the aforementioned three; so Katherine DeStefano and Dominic Milburn and every other coach at St. John's and camper at St. John's, thanks for the memories.

A Nice 2nd Quarter Jog

Ok, I just thought it would be cool to do a running diary, but I didn't think it would be cool to do so until after the first quarter, which is why this is a jog, not a running diary. So far, Kobe Bryant has been unstoppable with 17 first quarter points. Also, Andrew Bynum has stayed out of foul trouble.

9:40- Jeff Van Gundy claims that Kobe Bryant's first quarter is the best he has seen in the Finals in a long time. Also, when ABC zoomed in on Kobe onthe bench, I caught a glimpse of Adam Morrison with a buzz cut. I think ABC should do a split screen of Morrison and Redick, as a special feature.
9:43- I read somewhere that Mickeal Pietrus was the French Michael Jordan, I don't know if that was a joke or something, but France can't be too great if he's the French Jordan, nothing against him, he's a great defender, a nice shooter, but the French Jordan? Anyway, he is spending time in the post against Sasha Vulachic which is why I thought of that, enjoy.
9:50-ABC has a new show called Cougar Town?!?! How insane, who comes up with these names? Cougar Town, I mean I get the theme of the show, but Cougar Town?
9:51-The French Jordan hits a nice pull up 17 footer off a screen and then allows for the real Jordan; I mean Kobe to drill a three in his eye. If Pietrus is the best two guard France has ever had, and Kobe is the best the America has ever had, does that mean America is that much better than France?
9:53-Turkoglu with a nice drive, ABC then decides to zoom in on him causing my TV to lose reception for a moment. Yes, he's that unattractive.
9:54- TV timeout, normally I would get up, but I'm waiting for the MVPuppet commercial, so I ain't going nowhere
9:59- Hedo Turkoglu with another nice drive. For the sake of my eyes and the TV someone's going to have to shut him down (D. Stern, you there?). Nevertheless, Turkoglu has really improved his game, he went from being a spot up shooter in Sacramento, to being a playmaking point-forward in Orlando. His handle could be a bit better, but as a 6-10 man he's effective.
10:10- Dwight Howard with a huge block on a Kobe drive, the Magic are playing chest to chest with Kobe on defense. Forcing him to drive and then allowing the help to come. A smart strategy that the Celtics used, but it's not too effective right now. The Magic are shooting 75% from the field which is ammazing. Even with that stat they're only up 5 at the end of the first half. They're playing as well as they possibly can, but LA is still hanging with Orlando. This has to be alarming for Orlando.
10:19- Magic Johnson makes a good point, the Magic are playing "fast", a great tempo for them and it's allowing them to score some points. Rafer Alston is making this whole thing go for Orlando though, he's got 13 points and is pushing the ball and getting everyone involved.
10:37-Flash to Brian Shaw in his baby blue suit, with a baby blue button up. A pretty move my Pau Gasol, giving him 12 points and 0 rebounds, so much for him being soft.
10:41-A nice baseline drive and dunk by Courntey Lee.
10:46- Kobe is pressing a bit, looking to much for his own shot and forgetting about his teammates. Phil Jackson said something very interesting about Kobe in his last book, when he stated Kobe sees tough defenders as people who are challenging his manhood, and turns it into a mano a mano battle, sometimes this works for the Lakers, other times it hurts them, as it is now.
10:50- Another bad shot by Kobe, followed by a Rafer Alston basket. Kobe needs to be taken out of the game, he's shooting them out of the ball game and the Lakers are trying too hard to get him the ball.
10:53- Lamar Odom comes weakside and blocks a Howard shot, but a foul is called. A horrible call, Odom reacts poorly, showing the most emotion I've ever seen out of him. Every Laker seems to want it as bad as Kobe.
10:54- Kobe takes another bad shot, but is fouled, he hits one of two free throws. Kobe HAS to start hitting his freebies
10:57- MVPuppet commercial!! Followed by The Hangover's trailer, possibly the best 1-2 commercial combo ever.
11:04-Orlando has missed three straight shots for the first time all night, are they starting to cool off? The Lakers aren't playing poor defense, Orlando is shooting the lights out, but they have to cool off at some point. As long as they don't go ice cold, they should be able to pull the game out.
11:10- After watching some replays, Courtney Lee is really irritating Kobe. Although, Bryant normally feasts on physical defenders, Lee is irritating him by touching and pushing on him even when he doesn't have the ball.
11:13- With Bryant out of the game, Odom is really starting to come alive. When Bryant dominates the ball, Odom usually struggles, in fact all of the Lakers struggle except for Gasol. I do not agree with those who say the Lakers are better when Kobe shoots less, but I do feel that the Lakers are at their best when Kobe distributes the ball and is more selective with his shots.
11:21- A big shot by Jordan Farmar, a bad shot but it went in, so it's a good one. Kobe checks back in and passes the ball which is a relief. Another missed freethrow by LA, but Farmar grabs the rebound and turns it over trying to force it into Kobe. The French Jordan finishes the fastbreak with possibly the ugliest lay up I've ever seen.
11:24- The trailer to Bruno looks pretty funny, but it could be a huge disappointment, using all the rejected Borat jokes, or more of the same. I'm not going to see it.
11:28- A pretty move on Howard by Gasol, his low post moves are so underrated. He may not be the strongest guy in the league, but he's nifty and uses his weight and lack of strength as an advantage.
11:30- Kobe with a nice feed to Fisher, the Lakers won't go away and are down two. Orlando is playing as well as they possibly can and they may not pull out a win at home here. Kobe is acting as the primary ball handler for LA right now and is doing a great job distributing, unsurprisngly, the Lakers are on a run.
11:33- Odom with a huge steal followed by a Kobe pull up jumper. Kobe's about to take this game over, LA down 2. Orlando seems a bit tentative here and LA is really stepping it up on defense. The wild card here is Kobe Bryant and which role he chooses to play. He needs to pick his spots here, that's not to say he shouldn't attack, but this isn't a time where Bryant should turn the game into his own personal vandetta.
11:36-MVPuppets!!!!
11:38- Kobe has been extremely active during the timeouts. Gasol hits two free throws tie game. The French Jordan with a nice tip slam, giving Orlando a two point lead again.
11:41- Gasol with another pretty finsh off of a Gasol pass. Lakers down one.
11:42- Big shot by Rashard Lewis gives Orlando a three point lead. Oddly, LA trapped Alston as the shot clock was winding down. With all of Orlando's weapons, it doesn't make any sense to trap Alston. Consequently, Alston finds an open Lewis who cans the open jumper.
11:45- Bryant misses another free throw! His fifth miss at the line, Orlando up two with a minute left.
11:48- Kobe with a HUGE turnover while trying to split a double team opposed to simply using the Gasol screen. Kobe is trying way to hard and might have cost the Lakers a win. Pietrus knocks down both free throws and Orlando is up four.
11:52- Kobe misses a huge three but LA gets the offensive rebound. LA down four with 17 seconds left, LA needs a score.
11:56- LA can't buy a three and they miss about three 3 point shots. Bryant finally puts in a lay up on an offensive rebound. The Magic pull out the win.
Orlando played as well as they possibly could, that coupled with an awful Kobe Bryant and the home crowd, the Magic barely pulled out a four point victory. Orlando may be back in the series in theory, but I doubt they win Game 4. I don't see Orlando playing this well again nor do I think Kobe will have another bad game. The Magic seemed estatic with this win, but after Games 1 and 2, the Lakers felt they were just taking care of business. This difference in attitude shows the different levels of expectations. Orlando seems happy to be here, while LA wants to win. No, the Lakers aren't going to sweep Orlando, but there is no reason for Laker fans to panic. Orlando did what they needed to do, they won a home game, but a win in Game 4 could virtually end the series.

A Strong and Steady Current

Another playoff game, another classic. Despite a slow start, filled with missed shots, missed assignments, and flat out ugliness all of which spurred a text message from Andrew Sherman saying "ive seen better shooting at a 4th grade girls basketball game." Still, the game was extremely competitive throughout, just when one team seized control, the other clawed its way back in. The Lamar Odom-Rashard Lewis match up was truely great to watch. The two went back and forth, continuing to attack each other on the offensive end, almost taking offense to the fact that the other had the audacity to score on him. Odom played great again for LA, hitting some huge free throws at the end and at the start of the fourth quarter, was scoring at will. On the other hand, Lewis carried Orlando for most of tonight's game and got into a nice groove in the second quarter that carried into the fourth quarter. Orlando tried some new things in Game 2, but the most notable was definetly, Rafer Alston's loss of playing time to JJ Redick and not Jameer Nelson. Redick played a great deal of minutes tonight, but played the second half at the point, where he is not undersized and can hold his own defensively against an aging Derek Fisher. Redick's presence gave Orlando another shooter with Alston struggling to hit and also kept Derek Fisher at home instead of doubling on Dwight Howard. Redick was also pretty effective out there, Van Gundy ran a few plays for him in overtime and in the fourth quarter and he hit a huge three to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. His play today may force Van Gundy to bench Alston in favor of Nelson and use Redick as the back up point guard. LA has done a great job forcing Howard to pass the ball to the struggling Magic shooters and fouling him all while holding him to one dunk in the first two games. The Magic on the other hand have not been as successful guarding Bryant. Even on a subpar night for Bryant's standard, he still left a positive mark on the game. Bryant, seemingly made the right play every time down and despite his six turnovers he was extremely efficent, scoring 29 points on 10 of 22 shooting from the field and dishing out eight assists. Furthermore, Courtney Lee has been completely overmatched guarding Bryant, and hasn't been a force offensively either. Whenever he's on the court the Lakers attack him, I'm expecting a reduce role from him in the rest of the series. Lastly, Ariza and Fisher have been huge for LA, hitting open shots in addition to making hustle plays and playing great defense. For much of the post season, the Lakers have been outhustled, and have lacked shooters. In the Finals, the Lakers have been focused and have exploited the Magic's inexperience. This year's Lakers look like last year's Celtics, willing to do anything to win, while Orlando has not been able to match LA's intensity (I've said this soo many times, but its true) and do not seem prepared. Still, Games 3-5 are in Orlando, and the home team always has the advantage. Obviously Game 3 is a must win for Orlando, but how will the Lakers react with a chance to basically end the series? Will the Laker team from Houston show up, or will these new Lakers who seem oh so hungry come to crash the party?

Start of the Fourth

Orlando has a two point lead going into the fourth quarter. Orlando has rode Turkoglu's hot hand in the third quarter after riding Lewis in the second. The fourth quarter is usually Lewis' quarter, so the Lakers will have to keep an eye on him. The Lakers have yet to find a flow on the offensive end and Kobe hasn't really started attacking the hoop. He's 7 of 15 from the field, but he isn't taking high percentage sots or shots that creat for others. The Lakers will turn up the intinsity in the fourth and I'm not sure how Orlando will react, considering they have struggled matching the Lakers intinsity throughout the first two games.

Another TV Timeout

Orlando has taken a lead in the game despite the slow pace. Dwight Howard is passing out of the double teams and the Magic shooters are finally starting to heat up. Expect the double teams to slow down a bit and allowing for Howard to play one on one against Bynum or Gasol. Kobe seems to be settling for too many jump shoots right now, and is not getting to the rim where he can fouled and get some easy free throws. Nevertheless, given the current state of the game I expect a more assertive Kobe Bryant for the rest of the game.

Those MVPuppet commercials are so hilarious. The Magic and Nuggets may not have enjoyed them, but I sure do. The best are the ones with the little kid who asks LeBron and Kobe a ton of questions. I'm glad Nike didn't pull them with LeGone's elimination from the playoffs.

Mid Third Quarter

The Lakers are going on a bit of run, but before it could get to out of hand, Stan Van Gundy called a timeout. A very smart coaching decision because the Lakers almost always go on huge third quarter runs to take control of the game. Kobe Bryant has attacked a bit more in the third quarter, but Dwight Howard has still struggled. He got his first dunk of the series on a fast break, but the Lakers have continued to limit his effectiveness. Trevor Ariza has played great for the Lakers, hitting open shots and playing great defense on Turkoglu. Lastly, the Magic have not been able to capitalize on a few fast break opportunities, this has slowed the pace of the game down and this favors LA. Still, Orlando continues to hang around and with their ability to shoot, could steal this game.

Halftime

The Lakers are up five at the break despite only five shots from Kobe Bryant. Orlando has doubled him on every touch and Bryant has played the role of facilitator, making the right pass and conserving energy. Furthermore, he has spent an extended amount of time guarding a struggling JJ Redick, who checked back in after my last update ironicly, and this has allowed him to roam a bit defensively. Sure Bryant has to locate Redick and ensure he doesn't get open jumpers, but Redick isn't a threat to drive so Kobe can close out hard and discard the threat of a drive. Howard has struggled again due to the Lakers complex double teams. Nevertheless, Rashard Lewis has picked up the slack for Orlando with 2o first half points. He's getting some great looks and is the only Magic player knocking down open jump shots. Lastly, the tempo of the game remains at a pace that favors the Lakers and due to this Orlando is struggling to score.

The ABC halftime with Magic, Jon Berry, Stu Jackson, and Mike Wilbon doesn't nearly compare to TNT's. While this halftime show has some interesting features on players, the analysis isn't nearly as good as TNT's. Most importantly, there is no Charles Barkley to spice things up. Barkley is the Michael Jordan of pregame/halftime shows due to his witty comebacks and knowledge of the game. TNT has one of the few halftime shows worth watching just because of Barkley. If Barkley were a special guest for the Finals, it'd be the best move for ABC (or is it the ESPN on ABC) and the NBA. Better yet, get Barkley and Isaiah Thomas

TV Timeout 5

LA has taken a three point lead, which was six a few seconds ago, but another Lewis three sliced the LA lead in half. JJ Redick was taken out of the game after the last timeout as Mickael Pietrus replaced him. Kobe has not done much scoring wise so far in the game, but has continually made the right pass, leading to a Fisher three and two Derek Fisher threes. LA has been extremely effective double teaming Dwight Howard, often doubling him before the pass then retreating and doubling him after he dribbles. Howard still lacks a go-to move which would make doubling him lethal.

Bing.com had an interesting commercial about search engines. It was pretty clever but a bit annoying after awhile and made me think of Google, so it was a bit counterproductive.

Fourth TV Timeout

I missed one TV timeout with my first quarter "analysis", but nevertheless, I'm back. Orlando has tied things up with LA again behind Rashard Lewis. Lewis has knocked in a three and a couple pull up jumpers, going toe to toe with Lamar Odom. JJ Redick has struggled with his shot, he's 0 for 4 right now and has had some pretty good looks. Redick was such a deadeye shooter in college that he has been getting a pass for his average shooting in the NBA. He's not a lockdown defender and if he isn't hitting every onpen shot he's useless for Orlando, especially if he's matched up with Bryant.

There weren't any notable commercials during the last timeout :(. Still, there's a lot of time to evaluate the others in the timeouts to come.

End of First Quarter

The first quarter has ended in a 15-15 tie, almost like a high school score. Gortat has struggled with Odom a bit, but not to the point where it is detrimental to the team (1:2 odds you thought of Terrell Owens after reading that phrase). Both teams have struggled offensively, but the style of play and the tempo currently favors LA. The Lakers are playing great defense once again and this game isn't turning into a track meet which would allow for Howard to get early post position and for the Orlando shooters to spot up. At the start of the second quarter there will be a battle of the benches. LA has Odom and Farmar to lead their bench (both of whom could start on most teams) and Orlando has Jameer Nelson, an all star. The winner of the benches will set the tone for the rest of the half and maybe the rest of the game.

Coors Light's mocking commercial of the Nationwide, "are you safe?" commercial is pretty good. Well, it's more than pretty good, I'm not a big fan of insurance commercials (other than Geicos) because they are so serious and poorly done, so whenever they're made fun of it's a plus

Second TV Timeout

The second TV timeout came a little quicker than expected, but Stan Van Gundy's adjustments from Game 1 can already be seen. JJ Redick is in, guarding Kobe after holding him to 1 for 5 in Game 1. Redick has gotten a bad rap for being a poor defender, but this isn't really evident. He isn't the quickest guy, but it's hard to tell if he's a true defensive liabilty. We'll see with him guarding Kobe. Also, Gortat is playing with Howard, giving the Magic a little more length, I'm not sure if this is the best move for Orlando because there isn't another big guy behind Gortat. With both playing together, if one gets in foul trouble while the other is winded, Orlando may be forced to go small. Also, Gortat is guarding Odom, a mismatch similar to Varajao on Rashard Lewis.

While the Taco Bell commercials are truely great, the same can not be said for the Taco Bell commercials. Those are awful!!!!!! They're cliched, boring, stupid and most importantly they fail at being funny despite the attempt.

First TV Timeout

The Lakers are up two early in the first quarter, but they look great defensively. LA is closing on the shooters, doubling Howard deep in the post and Derek Fisher already has two great hustle plays. Offensively, Kobe looks a little out of synch, but Gasol and Odom have picked up the slack. Treveor Ariza has also knocked in a three which will force the Magic to locate him whenever they double on Kobe or Gasol.
I must say the new Taco Bell Pina Colada commercials are super synthetic sensational. It has a great tune "if you like pina coladas" and some funny lines, "if your boss is an idiot" and "if you hate filling out timecards." They're probably not funny with you reading it, but if you seem the commercial I bet you'll laugh or smile, unless your Tim Thomas. Then you'll just watch.

Out of this World Ohlendorf

I just read an article on the Mothership's website by Tim Kurkjian featuring Pirates pitcher Ross Ohlendorf and his vast amount of intelligence. Ohlendorf is a math wiz who graduated from Princeton and seeing the recent success of "number guys" as GMs in sports, most notably Billy Beane of the Oakland A's, I got to thinking, what are the odds that Ohlendorf becomes a major league GM? He obviously is a talented baseball player (he has a spot in the rotation for the AAA All-Stars aka the Pirates) so he knows the game, he's extremely smart and can use math to deduce things I can't even comprehend, and former athletes have been successful as GMs (sit down Isaiah Thomas), namely Beane. Unlike in basketball and football, where statistics have been created to allow mathematicians to understand very basic aspects of the game (are Mr. Hollinger and his nonsensical PER available right now?) stats are extremely important in baseball. Your ERA and batting average correctly exhibit the type of pitcher or hitter you are and your fielding percentage is error free (pun intended). Due to this, someone like Ohlendorf seems like he would be a great GM. Math is also essential when negociating a contract with a player, where the GM judge's the player's value to the team often measured through batting average, fielding percentage, OPS, or ERA coupled with the role the player will have on the team. Although the Pirates are only three games under .500, why not make Ohlendorf a player/GM for the rest of the season? I mean what do they have to lose? If the Pirates finish under .500 again this season then they've etched themselves a place in history as the only team to sell its best players at such a low rate over a long enough period of time that they have 17 consecutive losing seasons. If they finish over .500 they're seen as groundbreakers who took a chance on the smartest guy in the Bigs and made him a GM. It sounds like a win-win to me.

Overflowing Lakes

Domination. That is the only word that properly describes Game One of the NBA Finals. From the start of the second quarter to the final horn, the Lakers dominated. Kobe Bryant could not be stopped, while Dwight Howard and the rest of the Magic couldn't get started. The Lakers doubled and triple teamed Howard only allowing him to score once from the field and did a good job closing on the Magic shooters forcing Orlando into a 30% field goal percentage. Orlando looked a bit out of sync and tentative for the most part of the game and despite the brief spark from Jameer Nelson in the second quarter were not competitive for the majority of the game. On the other hand, the Lakers displayed the intensity they have lacked for parts of the season frustrating their fans and commentators alike. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol both defended Rashard Lewis well and pounded him in the post, the constant banging against a 7 footer and a 6-11 seemed like it took a toll on Lewis and affected his offense. If both remain aggresive and are physical with Lewis in the post, Lewis may be reduced to a nonfactor in this series. Lastly, the Magic did not seem to want the game as much as the Lakers, mainly Kobe Bryant. Furthermore, Orlando seemed to be used to playing on Pro, while the Lakers were on All-Madden, often looking confused and a bit star-struck on the big stage. At some point pride takes over, in Game 1 there wasn't an Orlando player who exhibited an attitude that said, "okay I'm tired of getting embarrassed, let's go." They all seemed content with the fact that the Lakers were owning them in the most important series of the season. Even with this win, the Lakers still don't seem satisfied. Kobe Bryant has imposed his will on this team and now every Laker seems as hungry as Kobe for a title.