Thursday, May 5, 2011

Various thoughts from the world of sports

Unless the Celtics lose. In which case I will hate this game.
  • Where hath the Truth gone? Paul Pierce's ineffectiveness has crippled the Celtics this series, specifically his inability to hit open threes, draw fouls on LeBron or Wade, and shoulder the scoring load in the fourth quarter (his specialty). Pierce must step it up in game 3. Both offensively and defensively, the Truth must emerge.
    "Couldn't do it without ya, buddy"
    • Dwyane Wade, welcome to the rivalry. Awful in the regular season series, Wade has continued to scorch the Celtics in the post-season. Last year he won game 4 all by himself (the "talk to the hand because I am on absolute fire" game), and this year he has continued his scoring frenzy by notching 38 points in a virtuosic game 1 performance. If Wade goes off in game 3, this series is over.
    • Is there any shot in basketball today more unstoppable than Dirk's step back? I say no. The man is a scoring savant, and he's been doing it consistently for more than a decade. Finally getting the chance to face-off against Kobe and the Lakers in the playoffs (pretty hard to believe these two have never played each other in the post-season before), Dirk is turning this series into a blow out. When all is said and done, ring or no ring, the big man from Germany will go down as one of the best scorers in league history.
    "Are you married? Who cares..."
    • Where have we seen this before (RE: Pau Gasol is soft)? After his fantastic and dominant performance in game 7 of last year's finals, many people removed the "soft" tag on Pau's back. At this point, I think it's safe to say that removing the "soft" tag from Pau Gasol is much like removing the "I cheat on my wife like it's my job" label from Don Draper: every once in a while, they'll stop doing what they've been doing, and you'll wonder "is it over?" Only to watch Gasol get destroyed down low by Carl "6'7" Landry and Tyson Chandler, while Don cheats on his wife a record 43 times in one episode.
    The Dubaka. You gotta see it to believe it
    • This Thunder-Grizzlies series is incredible. Games 1 and 2 couldn't have been any different, making game 3 all the more unpredictable. Z-Bo obviously has to play better than he did in game 2, but if Dubaka (my nickname for the creature that was Kevin Durant's offense and Serge Ibaka's defense in the last three minutes of the stunning game 5 clincher over Denver) comes back to life, I don't think anyone is stopping OKC. That was the most unbelievable display of offense and defense that I had ever seen. Ibaka's dunk-rejection and Durant's falling and-1 were two of the best highlights of this entire NBA season. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB96WalqhrE
    • The Hawks'-Bulls series is just plain boring. Is anyone watching those games outside of Chicago? And yes, that was a rip on Atlanta fans. If I wanted to watch two teams miss a billion shots in a row, I would just watch the WNBA.
    • Bill Belichick, the pressure is on you. If Nate Solder or Ras-I Dowling don't pan out, there are going to be lots of angry fans demanding to know why on earth the Pats passed over every top pass-rusher in the draft. The most likely outcome, of course, is that Belichick was right and we were all wrong. 
    • Speaking of Solder and Dowling, I absolutely LOVE the picks. Not that I know a ton about either player (I have literally never watched them play), but left tackle and cornerback, to me, were two of the three biggest concerns heading into the draft. Solder is an absolute monster, and is garnering rave reviews from around the league, and Dowling looks like he could be a Devin McCourty-type corner: big, strong, athletic and smart. I also like the RB choices, and the big guard we picked in the fifth round, Marcus Cannon- 360 pounds! Anyways, I'm definitely excited for this upcoming lockout season.
    • I was surprised that Miami and Buffalo didn't grab a QB in the first few rounds, not that I'm complaining about it. Playing four games against Ryan Fitzpatrick and Chad Henne is like deciding between Brooklyn Decker and Bar Refaeli- automatic win. 
      100 percent an excuse to google image "Brooklyn Decker with Bar Refaeli"
    • What do you get when you put together a superb rotation and and one of the most feared lineups in the game? Apparently, a 14-17 record. Good for worst in the American League. Congratulations Red Sox! You did what no one thought was possible! You added two in-their-prime superstars to your third place team, and you actually became worse! I love being a Red Sox fan right now.
    • I have to give props to the Cleveland Indians. No one gave you a chance, you are in Cleveland, and you somehow have the best record in the league. Enjoy it while it lasts. Oh, and you're welcome for Justin Masterson.

           HOCKEY ALERT! HOCKEY ALERT! (I'm giving you a chance to get out now)

    The Flyers worst nightmare
    • I must say, these NHL playoffs have been freaking incredible. It feels like every game is going into overtime, and watching the Bruins play these past few weeks has been, dare I say it, thrilling. The way these guys are flying around the ice, playing every game like a game 7, is very refreshing to see. Nathan Horton, David Krejci, Tim Thomas, Patrice Bergeron. They have all been awesome. Assuming, wrongfully after what happened last year, that we finish off the Flyers, I may just, possibly, slightly, start to get back into hockey again. And you know what? I'm excited as hell.

                                                              ONE LAST THING:

    FREEDOM

    I'm extremely proud to be an American, and I salute all the men and women who put their lives on the line for the safety of our country. I want to take this time just to remind you that no matter how passionate you are about sports, or how much love you have for your favorite team or player, it is just a game.

    Let's not forget who the real heroes are.